Predicting Firm Performance through Resource Based Framework

This study aims to review the key concept of Resource Based View (RBV) that is broadly acknowledged in strategic management, and analyze their impact on Firm Performance by using the VRIN and Non-VRIN Resources. Based on experts’ theory we develop hypotheses and a conceptual framework to investigate the relationship between firm’s resources and its performance to attain the sustainable competitive advantage. In spite of this perception, few empirical studies test these hypotheses at the conceptual level. The paper presents empirical evidence from a survey of different industrial firms in Pakistan. Through random Sampling, the data was collected from Top Management, CEOs and Senior Executives from the top companies in Pakistan. The data has been collected through questionnaires and statistically evaluated by SPSS software. All Data analyzed through Pearson correlation coefficient, linear regression, one way analysis of variance (ANOVA). The finding showed that VRIN Resources have a positive significant relationship to improve firm’s performance. While Non-VRIN Resources and performance have an insignificant relationship to each other. This study closes with future recommendations that how this study have important academic and practitioner implications. Keywords: Resource Based View (RBV), VRIN Resources, Non-VRIN Resources, Firm Performanc

Urban morphology dynamics and environmental change in Kano, Nigeria

In recent years, a critical understanding of human-nature interactions has become central to studies exploring the dynamics of urban morphology and the sustainability of growing cities in the developing world. Accordingly, numerous scholars have employed the coupled human and natural systems (CHANS) framework as a tool for understanding how cities are evolving in times of profound global change. Focusing on the case of Kano, northern Nigeria's largest city, this paper explores the potential of the CHANS framework in the analysis and interpretation of the human-nature interface in cities of the global south. Drawing on the qualitative analysis of graphic information and classical and contemporary literature, the centuries-old spatial morphology of Kano is traced and analysed. In the process, the paper highlights how change in the roles of traditional institutions of urban land administration have triggered the degeneration of the city's resilient indigenous urban morphology. Field investigations and the analysis of a variety of 19th, 20th and, 21st century images reveal significant change in the city's traditional building materials, roofing styles, street forms, distribution of ponds, and green and open spaces. Population pressure on urban land has also been a major driving force behind the unfolding changes. One catastrophic outcome of these changes has been the exacerbation of recurrent floods. In drawing attention to wider lessons for urban planners in other developing country contexts, the paper stresses the need to analyse any notable spatial and non-spatial events in cities in relation to the changing dynamics of urban morphology

SAppKG: Mobile App Recommendation Using Knowledge Graph and Side Information-A Secure Framework

Due to the rapid development of technology and the widespread usage of smartphones, the number of mobile applications is exponentially growing. Finding a suitable collection of apps that aligns with users’ needs and preferences can be challenging. However, mobile app recommender systems have emerged as a helpful tool in simplifying this process. But there is a drawback to employing app recommender systems. These systems need access to user data, which is a serious security violation. While users seek accurate opinions, they do not want to compromise their privacy in the process. We address this issue by developing SAppKG, an end-to- end user privacy-preserving knowledge graph architecture for mobile app recommendation based on knowledge graph models such as SAppKG-S and SAppKG-D, that utilized the interaction data and side information of app attributes. We tested the proposed model on real-world data from the Google Play app store, using precision, recall, mean absolute precision, and mean reciprocal rank. We found that the proposed model improved results on all four metrics. We also compared the proposed model to baseline models and found that it outperformed them on all four metrics

The Impact of Mitigation Strategies for Socio-Cultural Distance Issues in GSD: An Empirical Study

Global Software Development (GSD) offers several benefits to software development organizations, including reduced development costs, the availability of low-wage and highly skilled employees, and an improved marketplace. Meanwhile, it faces severe communication, coordination, and control issues. The most important of these is the communication issue which is further categorized into socio-cultural, temporal, and geographical issues. Among these issues, researchers believe the socio-cultural issue is the most critical factor and, if not mitigated properly, may lead to software project failure. Although, in the past, many studies have identified socio-cultural distance-related issues, and a few studies proposed mitigation strategies. However, studies have yet to be carried out to prioritize and empirically evaluate all mitigation strategies. Thus the main objectives of this study are: a) to identify socio-cultural distance issues and mitigation strategies through a Systematic Literature Review (SLR), b) to empirically evaluate the impact of identified mitigation strategies on identified socio-cultural distance issues through a survey, and c) to prioritize effective mitigation strategies through a recommended Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP). A total of six socio-cultural issues and twenty-eight mitigation strategies are identified from the SLR and survey. Out of which, seven mitigation strategies are most effective. This study’s findings will help software organizations to overcome socio-cultural distance issues by using the highest priority mitigation strategies to reduce losses

B-mode ultrasound characteristics of carotid plaques in symptomatic and asymptomatic patients with low-grade stenosis.

Carotid plaque features assessed using B-mode ultrasound can be useful for the prediction of cerebrovascular symptoms. Therefore, the aim of this retrospective study was to determine the ability of ultrasound B-mode imaging to differentiate between carotid plaques causing less than 50% stenosis in symptomatic and asymptomatic patients. A dataset of 1,593 patients with carotid disease who underwent carotid ultrasound between 2016 and 2021 was evaluated retrospectively between January and April of 2022. A total of 107 carotid plaques from 35 symptomatic and 52 asymptomatic patients causing low-grade stenosis on B-mode images were included in the analysis. Chi-square, independent t-test and Mann-Whitney U test were used to compare the variables. There was a significant association between hypertension and the presence of cerebrovascular symptoms (p = 0.01). Predominantly hypoechoic and hyperechoic carotid plaque were significantly associated with the presence and absence of cerebrovascular symptoms, respectively (predominantly hypoechoic: p = 0.01; predominantly hyperechoic: p = 0.02). Surface irregularity was significantly associated with the presence of cerebrovascular symptoms (p = 0.02). There is was a significant difference in the carotid plaque length and area between the symptomatic and asymptomatic patients (plaque length: symptomatic median 9 mm, interquartile range [IQR] 6 mm; asymptomatic median 6 mm, IQR 4.5 mm, p = 0.01; plaque area: symptomatic median 24 mm, IQR 30 mm; asymptomatic median 14 mm, IQR 17 mm, p = 0.01); however, this difference was not significant for plaque thickness (p = 0.55), or common carotid artery intima-media thickness (p = 0.7). Our findings indicate that hypertension patients with predominantly hypoechoic carotid plaques and plaques with an irregular surface are associated with the presence of cerebrovascular symptoms. In addition, the carotid plaques in symptomatic patients were longer and larger compared to asymptomatic patients

Appraisal of Socio-economic, Infrastructural and Environmental Impacts of Flood in Makurdi Local Government Ares of Benue State, Nigeria

Among the common natural hazards experienced in the world today, flood is said to be the most devastating in terms of the area covered and frequency of occurrence. Floods cause serious damage to lives and properties, disrupt economic activities, and, in turn, threaten the sustainable development of human settlements. In Nigeria, flooding has become a recurring phenomenon, sometimes with devastating effects. This study was aimed at assessing the socio-economic, infrastructural, and environmental impacts of floods in Makurdi Local Government Area (LGA). A non-probability sampling technique involving the use of a well-structured questionnaire was adopted in obtaining the required information. Purposive random sampling was used to select four hundred (400) flood victims from the nine (9) local wards bordering the Benue River. Analysis was done using Microsoft Excel and the findings were presented in tables and charts using percentages. The result showed that floods have a huge impact on the community, with greater damage 44% recorded on socio-economic activities (farming, marketing, and administration), followed by a 32% impact on infrastructural facilities (roads, hospitals, and schools), and a relatively lower impact 24% recorded on environmental variables (water, land, and vegetation). An Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) test conducted on these revealed that there is a significant variation in the impact created by floods on the study variables. Flood mitigation and preparedness plans were found to be the leading challenges to long-term flood disaster management in the area. The paper calls for collaborative efforts from residents, flood disaster management agencies, or stakeholders to reduce the impact and improve decisions towards ameliorating the menace of floods in the area. The evidence in this paper seeks to promote actions toward combating flooding and improving flood disaster management in Nigeria

Global, regional, and national incidence of six major immune-mediated inflammatory diseases: findings from the global burden of disease study 2019Research in context

Summary: Background: The causes for immune-mediated inflammatory diseases (IMIDs) are diverse and the incidence trends of IMIDs from specific causes are rarely studied. The study aims to investigate the pattern and trend of IMIDs from 1990 to 2019. Methods: We collected detailed information on six major causes of IMIDs, including asthma, inflammatory bowel disease, multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis, and atopic dermatitis, between 1990 and 2019, derived from the Global Burden of Disease study in 2019. The average annual percent change (AAPC) in number of incidents and age standardized incidence rate (ASR) on IMIDs, by sex, age, region, and causes, were calculated to quantify the temporal trends. Findings: In 2019, rheumatoid arthritis, atopic dermatitis, asthma, multiple sclerosis, psoriasis, inflammatory bowel disease accounted 1.59%, 36.17%, 54.71%, 0.09%, 6.84%, 0.60% of overall new IMIDs cases, respectively. The ASR of IMIDs showed substantial regional and global variation with the highest in High SDI region, High-income North America, and United States of America. Throughout human lifespan, the age distribution of incident cases from six IMIDs was quite different. Globally, incident cases of IMIDs increased with an AAPC of 0.68 and the ASR decreased with an AAPC of −0.34 from 1990 to 2019. The incident cases increased across six IMIDs, the ASR of rheumatoid arthritis increased (0.21, 95% CI 0.18, 0.25), while the ASR of asthma (AAPC = −0.41), inflammatory bowel disease (AAPC = −0.72), multiple sclerosis (AAPC = −0.26), psoriasis (AAPC = −0.77), and atopic dermatitis (AAPC = −0.15) decreased. The ASR of overall and six individual IMID increased with SDI at regional and global level. Countries with higher ASR in 1990 experienced a more rapid decrease in ASR. Interpretation: The incidence patterns of IMIDs varied considerably across the world. Innovative prevention and integrative management strategy are urgently needed to mitigate the increasing ASR of rheumatoid arthritis and upsurging new cases of other five IMIDs, respectively. Funding: The Global Burden of Disease Study is funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. The project funded by Scientific Research Fund of Sichuan Academy of Medical Sciences & Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital (2022QN38)