Citizen empowerment through smart surveillance: evidence from Indian smart cities

PurposeCitizens often perceive surveillance by government authorities as oppressive and, hence, demonstrate reluctance in value co-creation from such services. This study aims to investigate the challenges and benefits of citizen empowerment through technology-driven surveillance or "smart surveillance.”Design/methodology/approachGuided by Dynamic Capability theory, the authors conduct in-depth interviews with officers in-charge of surveillance in smart cities. Given the contemporary advancements, this approach allows a retrospective and real-time understanding of interviewees' experiences with smart surveillance.FindingsThe authors develop five propositions for citizen empowerment through smart surveillance to summarize the findings of this study.Research limitations/implicationsThis study advances the relevance of Dynamic Capability in public administration.Practical implicationsSmart city authorities and policymakers may leverage the insights provided in this study to design appropriate policies for smart surveillance.Originality/valueThe authors find that factors such as digital technology and infrastructure, information management, skill divide and perceived return on investment may influence citizen empowerment through smart surveillance.

Determinants of Attitude and the Intention to Stay of Employees in Low-Cost Carriers: Using Justice Theory

The purpose of this research is to examine the influential attributes of employees' attitudes and intentions to stay in the domain of human resources management in a low-cost carrier business. Using justice theory as a theoretical underpinning, financial compensation, nonfinancial compensation, coworker relationships, and procedural fairness were derived. The explained attributes of this research were attitude and intention to stay. This study used a survey and collected data on 233 employees in low-cost carriers as survey participants. To test the hypotheses, this study employed structural equation modeling. The results showed that attitude was positively impacted by financial compensation, nonfinancial compensation, coworker relationships, and procedural fairness. The results also revealed the positive effect of coworker relationships and attitudes on the intention to stay. This study sheds light on the literature by ensuring the explanatory power of justice theory in the area of low-cost carrier business.

Do the people of Jakarta trust Jakarta Kini super application?

Research trust in e-government has increased through the decades. Trust in e-government is an important instrument for citizens who intend to use digital services. The aim of this research is to measure and provide an overview of how the level of people trust Jakarta Kini super-application as an e-Government in DKI Jakarta. This study uses a factor score analysis with the Mplus program and OECD method to characterize the trust level of the valid instruments SRMR, CFI, and TLI values. The pre-test results on the validity and reliability of Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) with 1687 respondents. The results of this study indicate that the level of trust of the people in DKI Jakarta is in the medium to high category. It was found based on the factor score value in accordance with the average level of trust in the DKI Jakarta Provincial Government, which was 7.5 out of 10, with a scale of 1 indicating no trust at all, to a scale of 10 indicating full trust from the entire population. This level belongs to the medium to full trust level category. The lesson learned is that the government must take action to increase trust, such as identifying factors affecting the public use of the Jakarta Kini super-application. This study provides a discussion of the findings, and limitations and further proposes potential directions for future research.

Pandemics and the Individual Life Insurance Market: Evidence of the Impact of COVID-19

COVID-19 has led to significant loss of life and has adversely impacted the worldwide economy. While anecdotal evidence indicates a growing interest in life insurance among U.S. consumers during the pandemic, little is known about how the pandemic may have affected the life insurance market. We utilize insurer-state data to create a measure that captures an insurer's exposure to COVID in each state in which it conducts business. Using this measure to examine the impact of the pandemic on the market for individual life insurance, we find that greater insurer-state COVID exposure is associated with smaller changes in issuances and surrenders in the U.S. We also find that observations with the greatest COVID exposure are more likely to experience declines in issuance and surrender activity. These results indicate that insurers were deliberate with respect to their policy issuance decisions while policyholders kept their policies in force during a period of significant uncertainty. [Key words: COVID-19;life insurance;pandemics;policy issuances;policy surrenders.] JEL Classifications: D12, D22, G22

Editorial

We are presenting you this issue of ABAC ODI JOURL Vision . Action. Outcome with ten articles on topics on managing innovation in teaching on various levels and disciplines such as the arts, language, and film ;as well as research articles on organization development interventions that generated change on organizations .Hui Tan and Laura Brahmakasikara's article " A Blended Learning Design to Improve Non-Music Students' Knowledge of Chinese Traditional Music in Hunan Agriculture University” is a quasi-experiment research that determined how blended Chinese Traditional Music Appreciation Course using Superstar Learning Application improves the Chinese traditional music knowledge of non-music majors.The article "Factors Influencing the Use of Ubiquitous Learning in Higher Education in Sichuan, China in the Aftermath of Covid-19 Pandemic” by Meizi Huang utilized confirmation factor analysis and structural equation modeling on data analysis . Results showed that intention to use has the strongest effect on actual system use;effort expectancy, facilitating conditions, and social influence except performance expectancy has positive affect the intention to use u-learning.Zhao Lina and Laura Brahmakasikara's article " Adopting a Blended Learning Approach for Teaching Chinese Classical Dance” explored the effectiveness of the blended Chinese classical dance course in improving the dance performance of dance students at the College of Art and Design at Guangdong University of Petrochemical Technology, China."An Application of Video Recording Technology to Enhance the Key Leader Engagement Performance at SWCS” written by Timothy Guy Burgess involved the introduction of video recording technology into a classroom of military students to enhance Key Leader Engagement (KLE) performance. The research determined the effectiveness of using video recording technology in improving the students' level of performance in the Special Forces Warrant Officer Technical and Tactical Certification at the U.S. Army Special Warfare Center and School.Jianjun Xue and Watana Vinitwatanakhun's article " Improving Students' English Proficiency by Enhancing the Motivation through Organization Development Intervention— An Action Research Study of a Local University in China” discusses how organization development interventions enhance students' language learning motivation . Results show that language learning motivation has significant impacts on students' language proficiency.The article " Reflective Coaching for the Development of Pedagogical Content Knowledge of Biology Teachers in Thailand” by Nunnapat Thilaworrakan and Ladapa Ladachart is qualitative research that explored the effects of reflective coaching on developing pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) of biology teachers regarding cell biology. The article authored by Thida Tin and Papitchaya Wisankosol on "Enhancing Supportive Leadership, Affective Organizational Commitment, and Work Engagement: A Participatory Action Research Approach” reports how work engagement and affective commitment were enhanced through organizational development interventions (ODI) at the Gold Power Company Limited (GPCL). The results indicate that the use of ODI improved supportive leadership . affective organizational commitment, and work engagement .The article of Mohammad Shazzad Hossain and Chompu Nuangjamnong on the "Development of E-Readiness Scale in Blended Learning in Filmmaking Program for a Private University in Bangladesh – Initial Stage” develop a unified scale to assess the higher education institute's e-readiness that will identify their strengths and weaknesses and formulate a plan for creating an e-learning environment. The results indicated that the compiled instruments are good to excellent and that the institutional e-readiness scale could assess the e-readiness of other universities in Bangladesh.The research " Improving EFL Students' Critical Thinking Skills through Organization Development Inter ention Strategies at Zhejiang Yuexiu Univers ty in China” by Chen Yang and Joanne C. Preston is a quasi-experimental design that determined the effectiveness of Organization Development Intervention(ODI) in developing second-year EFL students' CT skills in a private university in China. The findings reveal that collaborative learning is useful in developing the students' CT skills, while instructors need to utilize various techniques to foster team members' collaboration skills.The 10th article by Thein Than Toe and Somchai Tantasanee on "The Impact of Organizational Learning and Organizational Innovation on Organizational Performance: A Case of an Internet Service Provider in Myanmar " is a mixed method research that showed that organizational innovation has greater impact on organizational performance than organizational learning;organizational learning impacts organizational innovation . The qualitative findings implied that the organization chosen for the research must take on initiatives to promote organizational learning and innovation .The contributions of our authors to this issue are valuable for knowledge sharing of their research on various disciplines and methodologies. We hope that their research will be beneficial to our readers and as support in furthering future related research .

Hemoglobin-Based Oxygen Carriers: Brief History, Pharmacology and Design Strategies, Review of the Major Products in Clinical Trials, On-Going Studies, and Coagulation Concerns

Transfusion of erythrocytes (RBC) to treat acute or chronic anemia has significant drawbacks, given the risks of transfusion, volunteer donor requirements, limited supply with increasing demand, especially during a pandemic such as COVID-19, and erythrocytes are often unavailable in emergency situations or where blood is not an option. Significant research has been undertaken for almost 100 years to attempt to replicate the functions of RBCs with oxygen carriers/oxygen therapeutics based on hemoglobin. Oxygen carriers that have been evaluated are hemoglobin-based oxygen carriers (HBOCs). HBOCs utilize hemoglobin (Hb) to transport oxygen around the body. Blood transfusion may be critical therapy in hemorrhagic trauma, various pathologies both acute and chronic, and surgical interventions. It has some important goals: the first and most important is to recover oxygen delivery to organs, additionally, when restoration of circulating blood volume is achieved, maintenance of adequate blood pressure to ensure enough blood flow to deliver the oxygen to the microcirculation and resolving oxygen debt. This chapter will review the history of HBOCs, discuss how HBOCs have been designed and how developed HBOCs differ from each other based on their pharmacology and physiology, highlight all major products to undergo human trials including one extensively studied product approved for human use in two countries (Hemopure), introduce newer products still under development, and finally present translational and clinical trials studying whether or not certain HBOCs may cause coagulation issues. © The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2022.

Cost Advantages of Far East/Europe Trunk Route Deployment with Port Selection in East Asia

To cater to the gradually increasing sizes of ships, several traditional container ports in East Asia built deep-water wharves to attract shipping carriers to berth, a decision that is considered highly reasonable because it allows for shipping carriers to gain a cost advantage. For traditional Far East/Europe (F/E) trunk routes, shipping carriers must deploy vessels that are large enough at hub ports to maintain low transshipment costs. However, for a port to attract shipping carriers, it should be able to first meet the cargo demand of these carriers. The port would also need to improve the loading ratio to enjoy the cost advantage. Simultaneously, the port should leverage the loading and unloading efficiency of the terminal to gain a competitive advantage. Although the port congestion observed at the F/E trunk during COVID-19 was not as serious as that in North American ports, it was sufficient to affect the route deployment and port selection decisions of shipping carriers. Currently, because the size of container carriers is the most critical factor in the reduction of shipping costs, as demonstrated in this study, the upsizing trend of container ships is regarded as a highly relevant aspect in the deployment of trunk routes and the selection of hub ports. © 2023 National Taiwan Ocean University.

LOGISTICS MANAGEMENT UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC: ECONOMIC, SOCIETAL AND TECHNICAL IMPACT

The paper aims to analyse the current market in the carrier, express and parcel services market in the EU and Slovakia from the economic, societal, and technical view. It is divided into an introduction, an analysis of the current state in the EU and Slovakia, and a discussion and conclusions. The paper also includes related statistical data presented in the form of graphs. As a result, the development of the CEP market is possible only with a focus on improving the efficiency of delivery, motorisation, unification, expanding the network of collection points and improving the customer experience. © 2023 RIC Pro-Akademia – CC BY.

Surrogates' experience during the COVID-19 pandemic: mental health, social support, and relationship with intended parents.

PURPOSE: To examine surrogates' mental health, social support, and relationship with intended parents (IPs) during the COVID-19 pandemic from March 2020 to February 2022. METHODS: Data were collected between April 29, 2022 and July 31, 2022, at an academic IVF center in Canada using an 85-item online anonymous cross-sectional survey that included three standardized scales measuring mental health (PHQ-4), loneliness, and social support. Eligible surrogates actively involved in surrogacy during the study period received email invitations. RESULTS: The response rate was 50.3% (338/672); 320 submitted surveys were analyzed. Two-thirds (65%) of respondents experienced mental health concerns during the pandemic and were significantly less comfortable about seeking mental health support than those without concerns. Nonetheless, 64% were highly satisfied with their surrogacy experience; 80% received a high level of support from their IPs, and 90% reported a good relationship with them. The final hierarchical regression model identified five significant predictors, explaining 39.4% of the variance in PHQ-4 scores: a prior mental health history, COVID-19 impact on personal life, surrogacy satisfaction, loneliness, and social support. CONCLUSIONS: COVID-19 created an unprecedented challenge to surrogacy care, increasing surrogates' risk of experiencing mental health symptoms. Our data show that IP support and the surrogate-IP relationship were fundamentals to surrogacy satisfaction. The findings are relevant to fertility and mental health practitioners in identifying surrogates who are more susceptible to mental health challenges. Fertility clinics should ensure adequate psychological screening of surrogate candidates and proactively offer mental health support services.

The big three EU Low Cost Carriers before and during the Covid-19 pandemic: Network overlaps and airfare effects

This study uses a large dataset to consider the network change of the three largest European Low Cost Carriers (LCCs) easyJet, Ryanair and Wizz Air during the pre-Covid-19 period and the Covid-19 pandemic period. Network changes are characterized in terms of airport pairs, city pairs, numbers of flights and network overlaps. The results show that European LCCs increasingly expanded their networks into markets that had already been served by incumbent LCCs, which indicates that LCCs increasingly compete head-to-head among themselves. Difference-in-differences regressions estimate that network overlaps among these LCCs lead to airfare reductions of approximately six Euros, ten percent.

Multifunctional pH-responsive nanogel for malaria and cancer treatment: Hitting two targets with one arrow

Malaria and cancer have been considered deadly diseases around the world. Cancer and malaria both have high incidence rates despite numerous research efforts to develop effective strategies for mitigating the burden of these two distinct ailments. Herein, pH-responsive nanogel based on methacrylic acid-functionalized with bovine serum albumin (PMAA-BSA) with an average diameter of similar to 75 nm was fabricated for smart delivery of chloro-quine (CQ). These nanoplatforms exhibited high drug loading efficacy (26.42%). Also it displayed a higher CQ release rate (92.03%) under simulated acidic microenvironment of the digestive vacuole (DV) and tumor tissue whereas 40.01% CQ was released under a neutral physiological environment. More importantly, this unique pH -responsive nanogel lowered the IC50 of CQ by approximately 2.8-fold and 1.9-fold in MCF-7 cells at 24 and 48 h, respectively. Interestingly, blank PMAA-BSA nanogels displayed anti-plasmodial activity and no one to the best of our knowledge has developed a drug vehicle with inherent antimalarial features. PMAA-BSA-CQ through its synergistic effects exhibited great anti-plasmodial activity under both in vitro and in vivo conditions. Furthermore, PMAA-BSA-CQ fully eradicate the parasites in Plasmodium berghei infected mice and prolonged their survival rate. In conclusion, such pH-responsive nanogel with targeting ability and non-toxicity could be used as a very promising nanoplatform for intracellular and tumor trigger release of antimalarial/anti-cancer drugs.

Examining the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on container carrier performance

The COVID-19 pandemic has affected various industries in different ways depending on their type of business. We attempt to understand the impact of the pandemic on the performance of 26 major container carriers. To capture performance differences before and during the pandemic, we collect data the years 2019 and 2020. Further, we divide carriers' business processes into two stages, i.e., asset acquisitions and transport operations. We employ relevant data envelopment analysis (DEA) models to this effect. The mean efficiency score in 2020 was higher than in 2019. Overall, container carriers increased their performance during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, seven companies showed lower efficiency in 2020. Similarly, eight companies were efficient in their operations but not in asset acquisition decisions. Our results show that firm strategy is important in coping with external shocks. The contribution of the paper is in measuring the impact of external shocks, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, on the performance of container carriers, both in regard of their acquisitions and their operations. © 2023, This is a U.S. Government work and not under copyright protection in the US;foreign copyright protection may apply.

Conceptual Model for Assessing Logistics Maturity in Smart City Dimensions

The advancement of new technologies and the increasingly inseparable presence of logistics systems in the daily life of cities, industries, companies, and society has been modifying how logistics processes are implemented in these environments based on technological innovations, internet, virtual businesses, mobility, and the use of multi-channel distribution. Together with these changes, urban centers have been connecting to the smart city concept as the understanding of this theme advances into the debate and improvements in the agendas of either public or private management. This research proposes a conceptual model for evaluating logistics maturity in the smart city dimensions. The method has a qualitative, exploratory, and descriptive approach, supported by the Delphi method, which uses a questionnaire and interview as a data collection instrument with specialists on the subject. We identified that qualifying logistics in the urban environment is complex and requires a specialized look at identifying cities' structural, geographic, regional, social, and environmental characteristics. As a social–technological contribution, the proposition of the logistics maturity assessment scale in smart city dimensions can serve as an evaluative model of logistics, which means helping in urban planning and strategic management of cities, offering smarter solutions to the realities of urban spaces.

Using Python and AWS for NoSQL in a BI Course

This article presents a multi-stage guided technical project coding Python scripts for utilizing Amazon Web Services (AWS) to work with a document-store database called DynamoDB. Students doing this project should have taken an introductory programming class (ideally in Python) and a database class to have experience with Python coding and database manipulation/querying in a relational environment. Students learn new data formats (Python dictionaries, JSON text data, keyvalue storage structures) and learn how to transform data from one format to another. They also gain experience with data visualization. The project was first carried out in a business intelligence (BI) course during Spring 2020 semester in the midst of COVID and included video tutorials. Since then, it has been refined and used each semester the BI course is taught.

The Impact of Covid-19 on Marketing Mix and Economics of Airlines

The main goal of this paper is to assess the impact of covid-19 on marketing practices and airlines' adaptation to the new business and economic environment. In the first part, we introduce a marketing mix framework and look at the impact of covid-19 on seat capacity and airline operating revenues. In the second part, we determine current marketing strategies using the marketing framework of the 4Ps and its impact on operational changes among full-service network carriers and low-cost carriers. The central theme in advertising and campaigns for full-service network carriers is high hygiene standards and cleanliness of flights, as passengers are concerned with not contracting covid-19 or other viruses during the longer flight routes. Low-cost carriers still focus primarily on the price and convenience to potential customers. Both types of carriers do improve and push out technology changes in terms of mobile apps, improved online check-ins and contactless, touchless kiosks used for airport check-ins. These slight changes increase passengers' comfort, speed up the check-in process and minimize the spread of any viruses. © 2022 IEEE.

Customer's Perspective on Health Insurance Post-Pandemic

India is among the nations most severely impacted by COVID-19, which has affected practically all global industries and sectors, including the insurance sector. The covid pandemic has forced businesses in all industries to alter the way they conduct business, and the health insurance market is no exception. The prolonged lockdown following COVID-19 has forced insurance companies to extensively rely on their digital architecture for everything from selling new policies to customers to handling claims. Many insurance companies create specialised policies to guarantee coverage is not impacted. This essay attempts to explore the effects of COVID-19 on health insurance and how they affect the industry as a whole.

Lipid carriers for mRNA delivery

Messenger RNA (mRNA) is the template for protein biosynthesis and is emerging as an essential active molecule to combat various diseases, including viral infection and cancer. Especially, mRNA-based vaccines, as a new type of vaccine, have played a leading role in fighting against the current global pandemic of COVID-19. However, the inherent drawbacks, including large size, negative charge, and instability, hinder its use as a therapeutic agent. Lipid carriers are distinguishable and promising vehicles for mRNA delivery, owning the capacity to encapsulate and deliver negatively charged drugs to the targeted tissues and release cargoes at the desired time. Here, we first summarized the structure and properties of different lipid carriers, such as liposomes, liposome-like nanoparticles, solid lipid nanoparticles, lipid-polymer hybrid nanoparticles, nanoemulsions, exosomes and lipoprotein particles, and their applications in delivering mRNA. Then, the development of lipid-based formulations as vaccine delivery systems was discussed and highlighted. Recent advancements in the mRNA vaccine of COVID-19 were emphasized. Finally, we described our future vision and perspectives in this field.Copyright © 2023 Chinese Pharmaceutical Association and Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences

Determinants of intentions to use the foodpanda mobile application in Bangladesh: the role of attitude and fear of COVID-19

PurposeThis study investigates the determinants influencing customers' intentions of using the foodpanda mobile app during COVID-19 pandemic.Design/methodology/approachThis study is based on review of the literature studies and 388 usable data collected from respondents having prior experiences in online food delivery (OFD) services in Dhaka city in Bangladesh. The subsequent data are analyzed through structural equation modeling using Smart PLS 3.3.3.FindingsThe findings show that perceived usefulness (PU), ease of use, convenience, attitude and fear of COVID-19 significantly impact intentions to use foodpanda mobile app (ITUFPMA) and attitude. Further, attitude partially mediates between PU, ease of use, convenience and ITUFPMA. Moreover, fear of COVID-19 moderates the strength of association between attitude and ITUFPMA.Practical implicationsThe findings of the study may be useful to OFD service operators in formulating business strategies for improving customers' foodpanda mobile app use intentions and coping with competitive business environment of sharing economy sector.Originality/valueThe study presents a unique case highlighting what are influencing customer intentions toward OFD services during COVID-19 context. The current study provides important insights for industry operators by integrating PU, ease of use, convenience, attitude and fear of COVID-19 in examining ITUFPMA during COVID-19 situation.

FCoV Viral Sequences of Systemically Infected Healthy Cats Lack Gene Mutations Previously Linked to the Development of FIP.

Feline infectious peritonitis (FIP)-the deadliest infectious disease of young cats in shelters or catteries-is induced by highly virulent feline coronaviruses (FCoVs) emerging in infected hosts after mutations of less virulent FCoVs. Previous studies have shown that some mutations in the open reading frames (ORF) 3c and 7b and the spike (S) gene have implications for the development of FIP, but mainly indirectly, likely also due to their association with systemic spread. The aim of the present study was to determine whether FCoV detected in organs of experimentally FCoV infected healthy cats carry some of these mutations. Viral RNA isolated from different tissues of seven asymptomatic cats infected with the field strains FCoV Zu1 or FCoV Zu3 was sequenced. Deletions in the 3c gene and mutations in the 7b and S genes that have been shown to have implications for the development of FIP were not detected, suggesting that these are not essential for systemic viral dissemination. However, deletions and single nucleotide polymorphisms leading to truncations were detected in all nonstructural proteins. These were found across all analyzed ORFs, but with significantly higher frequency in ORF 7b than ORF 3a. Additionally, a previously unknown homologous recombination site was detected in FCoV Zu1.

How big of an impact do asymptomatic people have on the dynamics of an epidemic?

Asymptomatic carriers serve as a potential source of transmission of epidemic diseases. Exposed people who develop symptoms only get tested and remain isolated in their homes or sometimes in hospitals when needed. In contrast, the asymptomatic individuals go untested and spread the disease silently as they roam freely throughout their entire infectious lifetime. The work intends to explore the role of asymptomatic carriers in the transmission of epidemic diseases and investigate suitable optimal control strategies. We propose a SEIAQR compartmental model subdividing the total population into six different compartments. To illustrate the model's implication, we estimate the number of asymptomatic individuals using COVID-19 data during June 9–July 18, 2021 from Bangladesh. We then analyze the model to explore whether the epidemic subsides if the asymptomatic individuals are tested randomly and isolated. Finally, to gain a better understanding of the potential of this unidentified transmission route, we propose an optimal control model considering two different control strategies: personal protective measures and isolation of asymptomatic carriers through random testing. Our results show that simultaneous implementation of both control strategies can reduce the epidemic early. Most importantly, sustained effort in identifying and isolation of asymptotic individuals allows relaxation in personal protective measures. © 2023