Temporal Social Coordination Through Social Networks

Temporal communication is mainly associated with the concept of time. The social network derived from temporal environment is constantly changing; a communication link can be connected and disconnected highly frequently. Further with the communication technology such as cell phone, time itself has shifted from an absolute time to a relative time. Mobile communication is closely related with temporal communication, due to its micro coordination property and also the constant establishment of links and breakage of links from time to time. To study the network in the temporal domain, we are constrained by the relative time concept. As communication behaviour is highly dynamic, we expect formation of new ties and breakages of existing ties over time. This is especially different when comparing to social network studies conducted through self report surveys as the network through self report survey remains relatively static for the duration of the survey. In our study, we are interested in how a person would be expanding its network only. Thus we use an accumulated network structure to study the total links a person acquires over time and how such influences the network position

Effects of Recruitment and Selection Process on Employee Turnover and Its Consequence on Organization’s Profitability- A Study on Financial Sector of Bangladesh

Possessing a strong employee team, being profitable and achieving less turnover are desired by every organization. In country like Bangladesh, it is crucial to manage the recruitment and selection process properly to reduce turnover for both government and non-government sectors. This study aims at pointing out the effect of recruitment and selection process on employee turnover and its consequence on the organization’s profitability. The research has been conducted through a multiple case study method. Data has been collected with semi-structured interviews with twenty individual cases where the individuals are chosen from selected financial organizations. Analysis was done through pattern matching technique, based on the theoretical framework expected patterns were formulated and from the semi–structured interviews, empirical patterns were defined. Two propositions were proposed - appropriate recruitment and selection process affects employee turnover and proper recruitment and selection affects employee turnover which increases organization’s profitability. The study initiates that a small number of turnover factors can be controlled during the recruitment and selection process; thus organization becomes capable of reducing turnover up to a definite level and this reduced turnover eventually boosts up organization profitability. Thus the study partially confirmed the first proposition and completely confirmed the second proposition. Keywords: Recruitment, Selection, Turnover, Profitability

Suspension of GSP: Image Crisis for Bangladesh

The most troubled sector of recent times is Ready-made Garments (RMG) sector of Bangladesh which is the backbone of our economy. This labor intensive industry has accommodated 4.5 million workers 80% of whom are women in the last fiscal year. So there are about 5,000 garments factories scattered across the country. 78% of our foreign earnings come from this sector. This sector keeps our economy moving, but the industry has been facing numerous problems. Poor working conditions, bad industrial relations, low wage, the arrogant and ruthless attitude of the owners or management and lack of solid and positive initiative on behalf of successive governments has made this sector questionable in the world market. It has lost GSP (Generalized System of Preference) advantage in the U.S market which has created an image crisis for the industry. This is fear of loosing GSP advantage in the EU market as well. To save the employment generation and one of the largest foreign currency earning sectors, BGMEA, BKMEA and Government should adopt an integrated approach on the one hand and boost up the image of this industry on the other.  Key words: Ready Made Garment, GSP, Suspension of GSP

The Dlt and LiaFSR systems derepress SpeB production independently in the Δpde2 mutant of Streptococcus pyogenes

The second messenger molecule, c-di-AMP, plays a critical role in pathogenesis and virulence in S. pyogenes. We previously reported that deleting the c-di-AMP phosphodiesterase gene pde2 severely suppresses SpeB production at the transcriptional level. We performed transposon mutagenesis to gain insight into the mechanism of how Pde2 is involved in SpeB regulation. We identified one of the genes of the dlt operon, dltX, as a suppressor of the SpeB-null phenotype of the Δpde2 mutant. The dlt operon consists of five genes, dltX, dltA, dltB, dltC, and dltD in many Gram-positive bacteria, and its function is to incorporate D-alanine into lipoteichoic acids. DltX, a small membrane protein, is a newly identified member of the operon. The in-frame deletion of dltX or insertional inactivation of dltA in the Δpde2 mutant restored SpeB production, indicating that D-alanylation is crucial for the suppressor phenotype. These mutations did not affect the growth in lab media but showed increased negative cell surface charge and enhanced sensitivity to polymyxin B. Considering that dlt mutations change cell surface charge and sensitivity to cationic antimicrobial peptides, we examined the LiaFSR system that senses and responds to cell envelope stress. The ΔliaR mutation in the Δpde2 mutant also derepressed SpeB production, like the ΔdltX mutation. LiaFSR controls speB expression by regulating the expression of the transcriptional regulator SpxA2. However, the Dlt system did not regulate spxA2 expression. The SpeB phenotype of the Δpde2ΔdltX mutant in higher salt media differed from that of the Δpde2ΔliaR mutant, suggesting a unique pathway for the Dlt system in SpeB production, possibly related to ion transport or turgor pressure regulation

Industry-Level Disparities in Antitrust Enforcement

Purpose- The purpose of this study is to analyze whether an increase in the concentration of industry causes an increase in the level of the Department of Justice Antitrust Division (DoJ)’s antitrust enforcement within that industry. Design/Methodology- The study employed secondary data and quantitative research method was also utilized to achieve the objectives of the study. Multiple regression analysis techniques were used to analyze the data. Findings- The results support the hypothesis that an increase in the concentration of industry causes an increase in the level of Department of Justice Antitrust Division (DoJ)’s antitrust enforcement within that industry. It appears that industry-level revenue from exports is highly correlated with the size of that industry and its lobbying activity. Practical Implications- These results have practical relevance which helps to predict the intensity of antitrust activity in future years. Its practical implication is that there are disparities in antitrust enforcement that are influenced by factors other than concentration. By creating a benchmark that takes into account components such as this, the Department of Justice Antitrust Division (DoJ) can identify those companies who are likely to be engaging in anticompetitive behavior

Mud crab (Scylla serrata Forsskal 1775) value chain analysis in the Khulna region of Bangladesh

Publisher Copyright: © 2021 Shanghai Ocean UniversityA value chain analysis is a detailed description of all the activities and services needed to turn a raw product into a marketable good for delivery to final consumers. The mud crab business is considered by most marketing operators to be a profitable and viable business due to the high demand in the international market. Despite the importance of mud crab fishery, there is no structured marketing facilities in Bangladesh. This research aim to analyze the socioeconomic condition of actors, the profitability of farming, mapping the institutional and non-institutional barriers, and provide a better understanding of the possibility of technological interventions in the value chain. Qualitative and quantitative data were collected through participatory rural appraisal tools that include 200 individual interviews, 16 focus group discussions, and 24 key informant interviews conducted in south-west Bangladesh from July to December of 2019. The mud crab value chain analysis revealed that the chain started with crab collection (cultivated and wild harvest), before sale to local vendors, and ended with exporters through several intermediaries. Results noted that most (±95%) exportable crab came from natural sources, with rest (±5%) from aquaculture sector. The average price (USD/kg) ranged from $10.59−14.12 and$12.94−19.42 for male crabs (grade: XXL), followed by $10.00−11.77 and$11.77−17.06 for female (grade: FF1) in domestic and international markets, respectively. Despite the high profitability of these sectors, the livelihood of these stakeholders has remained relatively hard. Multi-pronged approaches, like a nursery or increasing farming and backyard seed production, and possible value addition at the farm level may help farmers.Peer reviewe

Impact of COVID-19 Lockdowns on air quality in Bangladesh : Analysis and AQI forecasting with support vector regression

Over the past few decades, air pollution has emerged as a significant environmental hazard, causing premature deaths in Southeast Asia. The proliferation of industrialization and deforestation has resulted in an alarming increase in pollution levels. However, the COVID-19 pandemic has significantly reduced the amount of volatile organic compounds and toxic gases in the air due to the decrease in human activity caused by lockdowns and restrictions. This study aims to investigate the air quality in various geographical areas of Bangladesh, comparing the air quality index (AQI) during different lockdown periods to equivalent eight-year time spans in 10 of the country's busiest cities. This study demonstrates a strong correlation between the rapid and widespread dispersion of COVID-19 and air pollution reduction in Bangladesh. In addition, we evaluated the performance of Support Vector Regression (SVR) in AQI forecasting using the time series dataset. The results can help improve machine learning and deep learning models for accurate AQI forecasting. This study contributes to developing effective policies and strategies for reducing air pollution in Bangladesh and other countries facing similar challenges