Influence of Mediation on Estate Planning Decisions: Evidence from Indian Survey Data

Background: Intestate death can lead to the distribution of assets against the personal wishes of the deceased and is a problem in India, as 80% of Indians die without making a last will. Following the concepts of decision theory (i.e., the theory of choice), stewardship theory, agency theory, and signaling theory, the purpose of this study is to examine the influence of meditation on estate planning decisions. This study also seeks to extend previous findings on the influence of religious beliefs on the estate planning decisions of Canadians to that of Indians. Methods: Employed and self-employed individuals from India were surveyed regarding their perceptions of meditation and estate planning decisions. Results: The survey indicates that mediation positively influences the estate planning decisions while individuals who practice meditation have greater preferences for estate planning compared with those who do not. The findings suggest that individual assets, family size, and education positively influence the estate planning decisions of Indians. Conclusion: Reported meditation, individual assets, family size, location, education, and gender are positively correlated with the estate planning decisions of Indians

Socially Responsible Investment, Internal Financing Sources And Access To Bank Financing: Evidence From Indian Survey Data

We investigated the association between socially responsible investment, internal fnancing sources, and access to bank fnancing in the production industry of India. Using a survey research design, owners of small production frms were asked about their perceptions regarding socially responsible investment, internal fnancing sources, and access to bank fnancing. We found that socially responsible investment and internal fnancing sources help owners of small production frms improve access to bank fnancing. This study contributes to the literature on the relationship between socially responsible investment, internal fnancing sources, and access to bank fnancing. The fndings may be useful for fnancial managers, production frm owners, investors, consultants, and other stakeholder

Factors Affecting Ethical Sources of External Debt Financing for Indian Agribusiness Firms

Majority of the Indian farmers are financially constrained and pay very high interest rate to private moneylenders which has a negative impact on the survivability and growth of agribusiness firms. Because of less strict debt financing requirements farmers become prey to predatory lenders from private lending institutions that are not controlled by the central bank and may not behave in an ethical way. The study investigates factors affecting ethical sources of external debt financing by taking a sample of Indian agribusiness firms. Owners of agribusiness firms were interviewed through personal visits and telephone calls regarding the factors affecting ethical sources of external debt financing. The findings show that several factors affect ethical sources of external debt financing for agribusiness firms in India. This study contributes to the literature on the factors that affect ethical sources of external debt financing. This study also provides recommendations to improve access to ethical sources of external debt financing. The findings may be useful for agribusiness owners (farmers), financial managers, investors, agribusiness management consultants, entrepreneurs, and other stakeholders

Coated microneedles for transdermal delivery,

Abstract Coated microneedles have been shown to deliver proteins and DNA into the skin in a minimally invasive manner. However, detailed studies examining coating methods and their breadth of applicability are lacking. This study's goal was to develop a simple, versatile and controlled microneedle coating process to make uniform coatings on microneedles and establish the breadth of molecules and particles that can be coated onto microneedles. First, microneedles were fabricated from stainless steel sheets as single microneedles or arrays of microneedles. Next, a novel micron-scale dip-coating process and a GRAS coating formulation were designed to reliably produce uniform coatings on both individual and arrays of microneedles. This process was used to coat compounds including calcein, vitamin B, bovine serum albumin and plasmid DNA. Modified vaccinia virus and microparticles of 1 to 20 μm diameter were also coated. Coatings could be localized just to the needle shafts and formulated to dissolve within 20 s in porcine cadaver skin. Histological examination validated that microneedle coatings were delivered into the skin and did not wipe off during insertion. In conclusion, this study presents a simple, versatile, and controllable method to coat microneedles with proteins, DNA, viruses and microparticles for rapid delivery into the skin

Global wealth disparities drive adherence to COVID-safe pathways in head and neck cancer surgery

Peer reviewe

Coated microneedles and microdermabrasion for transdermal delivery

The major hurdle in the development of transdermal route as a versatile drug delivery method is the formidable transport barrier provided by the stratum corneum. Despite decades of research to overcome the stratum corneum barrier, limited success has been achieved. The objectives of this research were to develop and characterize two different strategies to overcome the stratum corneum barrier for transdermal delivery of biopharmaceuticals and vaccines. In the first strategy, coated microneedles (sharp-tipped, micron-sized structures) were developed to enable delivery of drugs directly into the skin by bypassing the stratum corneum barrier. In the second strategy, instead of bypassing the barrier, microdermabrasion was used to selectively abrade stratum corneum with sharp microparticles for topical drug application. Coated microneedles For developing painless microneedles, the first detailed study was performed to characterize the effect of microneedle geometry on pain caused by microneedle insertions in human volunteers. This study demonstrated that microneedles are significantly less painful than a 26-gage hypodermic needle and that decreasing microneedle length and numbers reduces pain. Next, the first in-depth study of microneedle coating methods and formulations was performed to (i) develop a novel micron-scale dip-coating process, (ii) test the breadth of compounds that can be coated onto microneedles, and (iii) develop a rational basis to design novel coating formulations based on the physics of dip-coating. Finally, a plasmid DNA-vaccine was coated onto microneedles to immunize mice, to provide the first evidence that microneedle-based skin immunization can generate a robust in vivo antigen-specific cytotoxic-T-lymphocyte response using similar, or lower, DNA doses on microneedles as when using the gene gun or intramuscular injection. Microdermabrasion We demonstrated for the first time that microdermabrasion in monkeys and humans can selectively, yet completely remove the stratum corneum layer. Using a mobile mode of microdermabrasion, an increase in the number of treatment passes led to greater tissue removal. Furthermore, topical application of Modified Vaccinia Ankara virus after microdermabrasion induced virus-specific antibodies in monkeys. In conclusion, both coated microneedles and microdermabrasion were developed to enable delivery of biomolecules into the skin, indicating their potential for transdermal delivery of a wide range of biopharmaceuticals and vaccines.Ph.D.Committee Chair: Dr. Mark R. Prausnitz; Committee Co-Chair: Dr. Mark Feinberg; Committee Member: Dr. Mark Allen; Committee Member: Dr. Niren Murthy; Committee Member: Dr. Peter Hesketh; Committee Member: Dr. Robert Swerlic