An empirical investigation on the impact of attitudes towards organ donation in India [version 2; peer review: 2 approved]

Background: Organ shortage is a global issue and it is imperative to take steps to bridge this gap. In the Indian context, despite its demographic dividend, the rate of organ donation has been abysmally low. This emphasizes a need to demystify the antecedents of organ donation intention among the Indian population. Methods: Using a cross-sectional research design and adopting a post-positivism research philosophy, this study identified 259 respondents by adopting a purposive sampling approach and data on knowledge of organ donation was collected using a structured, pretested questionnaire. Results: Awareness of organ donation law in India is low on specific issues and respondents from the health science & medicine discipline scored better on knowledge about organ donation. The findings show that most participants had heard about organ donation and had a favourable attitude toward it. The primary sources of information on organ donation were television and newspapers, and healthcare service providers. A complementary partial median is established (β = .217, t = 5.889, p < .001) which implies that willingness to discuss with family significantly mediates the association between attitude towards organ & tissue donation and willingness to sign the donor card. Conclusion: This study revealed that there is a general awareness of organ and tissue donation among the Indian population, but they lack clarity on certain specific issues. Mass media has to be effectively used to build awareness campaigns revolving around enhancing knowledge on a specific issue and building acceptance of the concept of organ and tissue donation

Exploring the sustainable effect of mediational role of brand commitment and brand trust on brand loyalty: an empirical study

The study focus on the role of self-expressive branding, brand love, brand trust and brand commitment on brand loyalty. It also identifies the strength of mediating effect of variable brand commitment between brand love and brand trust. Also measures the strength of mediating effect of variable brand commitment between brand trust and brand loyalty. The data is gathered by using a structured questionnaire and a sample size of 101 respondents in a cross-sectional study. Statistical analysis has been done through SMART PLS 3.0 software. In the analysis part, PLS algorithms, bootstrapping, blindfolding, Importance performance matrix, FIMIX, Multi-Group analysis have been undertaken. A reflective model has been developed. The path coefficient value and empirical t-values of all direct relationships of variables above 0.2 and 1.96 respectively and substantiate the hypothesis. The results have shown that brand commitment is partially mediates the association between brand love and brand trust and also between brand trust and brand loyalty. The four-segment solution’s FIMIX-PLS path coefficient shows that brand love and brand trust are more relevant in segment 3, followed by segment 2, segment 1 and segment 4, respectively. Companies should focus on improving their brand trust displayed by consumers followed by brand commitment which strengthens brand loyalty in the automobile sector. This industry could consider implementing this creating trustworthiness about the brand, by developing strong psychological connectedness between the customer and brand by the retail outlet by offering the best quality product, and by incorporating strategies to reduce cognitive dissonance among the buyers

Exploring the antecedents of institutional effectiveness: a case study of higher education universities in India

The significance of Institutional Effectiveness is pivotal to the functioning of an academic institution. The mushrooming of private institutions in the Indian higher education space necessitates exploring its antecedents to ensure quality higher education is imparted by the institution. The purpose of this research endeavor is to explore the impact of Academic Leadership on Institutional Effectiveness with a mediating role of Campus Culture and Faculty Involvement in Decision Making. The study employed a cross-sectional research design and implemented a purposive sampling technique to collet primary data from 80 permanent faculties and 249 students of private engineering colleges located in the Karnataka state of India. Data was collected through a structured questionnaire and analyzed using Partial Least Square-Structural Equation Modeling. Hypothesis shows academic leadership and campus culture has high influence on institutional effectiveness. Faculty in decision making and campus culture partially mediates between academic leadership and institutional effectiveness. The results of FIMIX-PLS and PLS-MGA analysis shows the similarity in the results of total effect and path relationships. This paper provides theoretical foundations and empirical findings on conceptualizing the antecedents of institutional effectiveness. The outcomes of this research serve as significant input to policy makers and higher education institutions to facilitate enhancement of institutional effectiveness

Spatial, temporal, and demographic patterns in prevalence of smoking tobacco use and attributable disease burden in 204 countries and territories, 1990-2019 : a systematic analysis from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019

Background Ending the global tobacco epidemic is a defining challenge in global health. Timely and comprehensive estimates of the prevalence of smoking tobacco use and attributable disease burden are needed to guide tobacco control efforts nationally and globally. Methods We estimated the prevalence of smoking tobacco use and attributable disease burden for 204 countries and territories, by age and sex, from 1990 to 2019 as part of the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study. We modelled multiple smoking-related indicators from 3625 nationally representative surveys. We completed systematic reviews and did Bayesian meta-regressions for 36 causally linked health outcomes to estimate non-linear dose-response risk curves for current and former smokers. We used a direct estimation approach to estimate attributable burden, providing more comprehensive estimates of the health effects of smoking than previously available. Findings Globally in 2019, 1.14 billion (95% uncertainty interval 1.13-1.16) individuals were current smokers, who consumed 7.41 trillion (7.11-7.74) cigarette-equivalents of tobacco in 2019. Although prevalence of smoking had decreased significantly since 1990 among both males (27.5% [26. 5-28.5] reduction) and females (37.7% [35.4-39.9] reduction) aged 15 years and older, population growth has led to a significant increase in the total number of smokers from 0.99 billion (0.98-1.00) in 1990. Globally in 2019, smoking tobacco use accounted for 7.69 million (7.16-8.20) deaths and 200 million (185-214) disability-adjusted life-years, and was the leading risk factor for death among males (20.2% [19.3-21.1] of male deaths). 6.68 million [86.9%] of 7.69 million deaths attributable to smoking tobacco use were among current smokers. Interpretation In the absence of intervention, the annual toll of 7.69 million deaths and 200 million disability-adjusted life-years attributable to smoking will increase over the coming decades. Substantial progress in reducing the prevalence of smoking tobacco use has been observed in countries from all regions and at all stages of development, but a large implementation gap remains for tobacco control. Countries have a dear and urgent opportunity to pass strong, evidence-based policies to accelerate reductions in the prevalence of smoking and reap massive health benefits for their citizens. Copyright (C) 2021 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd.Peer reviewe

Laptop Induced Erythema Ab Igne

Erythema ab igne is a reticular, pigmented dermatosis caused by prolonged and repeated exposure to infrared radiation that is insufficient to produce a burn. The use of laptop computers has increased manifold in the recent past. Prolonged contact of the laptop with the skin can lead to the development of erythema ab igne. We present a case of erythema ab igne secondary to laptop use in an Indian student

IoT: Effective Authentication System (EAS) using Hash based Encryption on RFID Attacks

Internet of Things (IoT) is undoubtedly a well-known research area. Security on IoT communication services is the major challenge with advanced technology and devices. This paper mainly focusing on Perceptron layer based attacks and counter measures based on Effective Authentication System (EAS). This paper is ordered as outlining IoT Architecture, Types of Threats ,Perceptron Layer&nbsp; based attacks, sensor based communication services ,RFID mechanism ,Tag identify and verification by back end server and Hash based Effective Authentication System (EAS)&nbsp; to avoid pseudonym attacks .This paper proposes EAS as security measure by preventing&nbsp;&nbsp; privacy attack, pseudonym attack, location tracking and asynchronous attack