A novel algorithm for software defined networks model to enhance the quality of services and scalability in wireless network

Software defined networks (SDN) have replaced the traditional network architecture by separating the control from forwarding planes. SDN technology utilizes computer resources to provide worldwide effective service than the aggregation of single internet resources usage. Breakdown while resource allocation is a major concern in cloud computing due to the diverse and highly complex architecture of resources. These resources breakdowns cause delays in job completion and have a negative influence on attaining quality of service (QoS). In order to promote error-free task scheduling, this study represents a promising fault-tolerance scheduling technique. For optimum QoS, the suggested restricted Boltzmann machine (RBM) approach takes into account the most important characteristics like current consumption of the resources and rate of failure. The proposed approach's efficiency is verified using the MATLAB toolbox by employing widely used measures such as resource consumption, average processing time, throughput and rate of success.

The Biological Mechanism of Maternal Depression’s Negative Influences on Offspring Development: A Review

Maternal depression is a prevalent disorder among mothers: nearly 20% of women have experienced different levels of depressive symptoms during motherhood. The symptoms usually disappear by three years after their children were born, but some women experience them chronically. Maternal depression has been researched in terms of its negative influence on offspring since the 1960s. Children of chronically depressed mothers show delays in cognitive, emotional, and behavioral development. Moreover, they may even face mental health challenges themselves. How does maternal depression influence offspring? Previous studies have focused on the behaviors of mothers and found that mothers with depression interact with their children in a less engaging way. Recently, more researchers started to pay attention to the biological mechanism of this maternal depression’s negative influence. Cortisol, a hormone associated with stress, is regarded as a potential pathway of the transgenerational transmission of depression. Mothers with prenatal depression have elevated cortisol level during pregnancy, which is passed down to their children. After they are born, children of depressed mothers react to stress with more dramatic changes in cortisol level and compromised stress-coping abilities. Moreover, prenatal maternal depression also seems to shape the functional connectivity of amygdala, a brain area related to stress and emotions. For life situations like schooling, competing with peers or making significant decisions, children with decreased or abnormal stress-coping abilities will be in disadvantageous positions. Attenuated stress coping abilities brought by hormonal and neural changes may be a biological mechanism for children’s lower performance in cognitive and behavioral tasks.

Factors affecting employees’ job satisfaction at Vinh Long radio and television station

The study’s objective is to determine factors impacting employees’ job satisfaction at Vinh Long Radio and Television (TV) Station. The authors used convenient sampling to collect data from 233 employees working at Vinh Long Radio and TV Station. The exploratory factor analysis and multivariable linear regression help the study find seven factors affecting job satisfaction. They include nature of work, training and promotion, income, leadership, colleagues, working environment, work pressure, and work autonomy. In which, work pressure has the most negative influence on job satisfaction of employees working at Vinh Long Radio and TV Station.

External Two Stage DEA Analysis of Bank Efficiency in West Balkan Countries

Since the beginning of the application of the Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) model in various areas of the economy, it has found its wide application in the field of finance, more specifically banks, in the last few years. The focus of this research was to determine the sustainability of the intermediate function of banks, especially in recent years when interest rates on deposits have been at a minimum level. The research was divided into two parts, wherein the first part determined the efficiency of the intermediate function of banks in the countries of the Western Balkans in the period from 2015 to 2019. The second part approached the regression analysis in which we determined the influence of the bank size, type of bank, and mergers and acquisitions (M&A) activity on the defined efficiency. In the first stage we applied the output-oriented DEA model using deposits, labor costs, and capital as input variables; on the other side, we used loans and investments as output variables. We used data from the revised financial statements of the banks operating in Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, North Macedonia, and Albania. The results of our study showed that there is a difference in efficiency levels between countries and within countries in the considered time period. Furthermore, Tobit regression analysis showed a significant and negative influence of the bank type and M&A on relative technical efficiency of banks, and a positive and significant relationship between bank size and relative efficiency. These findings suggest that large commercial banks can sustain on the West Balkan market. It is to be expected that less efficient small banks will be taken over by large and more efficient banks.

The Influence of COVID-19 on Entrepreneur's Psychological Well-Being

This research focuses on the influence of COVID-19 on entrepreneurs' psychological well-being (PWB) in China. A start-up's performance is believed to play an important moderating role. This study uses 2 years of tracking data of 303 entrepreneurs from Shandong Providence, China. Based on conservation of resources (COR) theory, this study found that COVID-19 will significantly decrease entrepreneurs' PWB. A start-up's past performance will enhance the negative influence of COVID-19 on entrepreneurs' PWB. This study contributes to the literature on entrepreneurship, COR, and PWB. The findings can also guide entrepreneurs to maintain well-being during the pandemic and post-pandemic era.

Interplay Between Iron Overload and Osteoarthritis: Clinical Significance and Cellular Mechanisms

There are multiple diseases or conditions such as hereditary hemochromatosis, hemophilia, thalassemia, sickle cell disease, aging, and estrogen deficiency that can cause iron overload in the human body. These diseases or conditions are frequently associated with osteoarthritic phenotypes, such as progressive cartilage degradation, alterations in the microarchitecture and biomechanics of the subchondral bone, persistent joint inflammation, proliferative synovitis, and synovial pannus. Growing evidences suggest that the conditions of pathological iron overload are associated with these osteoarthritic phenotypes. Osteoarthritis (OA) is an important complication in patients suffering from iron overload-related diseases and conditions. This review aims to summarize the findings and observations made in the field of iron overload-related OA while conducting clinical and basic research works. OA is a whole-joint disease that affects the articular cartilage lining surfaces of bones, subchondral bones, and synovial tissues in the joint cavity. Chondrocytes, osteoclasts, osteoblasts, and synovial-derived cells are involved in the disease. In this review, we will elucidate the cellular and molecular mechanisms associated with iron overload and the negative influence that iron overload has on joint homeostasis. The promising value of interrupting the pathologic effects of iron overload is also well discussed for the development of improved therapeutics that can be used in the field of OA.

Sleep late? Pre-reform institutional embeddedness and entrepreneurial reinvestment of private firms in China’s transition economy

Purpose This study aims to introduce an important temporal dimension to the research on institution and entrepreneurship in the transition period. This study develops the concept of pre-reform institutional embeddedness, and explores its impact on entrepreneurial reinvestment of private firms in China’s transition economy. Design/methodology/approach The authors used secondary data of a nationally representative sample of China’s private firms collected in the early days of the institutional transition period and applied ordinary least squares regressions and the Baron and Kenny approach to test the theoretical model. Findings Pre-reform institutional embeddedness has a negative impact on entrepreneurial reinvestment of private firms in the transition period. This relationship is mediated by guanxi-induced employment, such that pre-reform institutional embeddedness promotes guanxi-induced employment, which in turn discourages a private firm to reinvest. Additionally, the negative impact of guanxi-induced employment on entrepreneurial reinvestment is reduced when decentralization of decision-making is used. Practical implications First, entrepreneurs should be aware of pre-reform institutional embeddedness’ negative influence on firms’ risk-taking abilities and incentives. Private firms already constrained by this connection could alleviate the negative impacts through a widespread delegation of decision-making authority. Second, policymakers should be cautious about improper government-business relationships, which may discourage private firms from fully pursuing entrepreneurial growth opportunities. Originality/value This paper makes theoretical contributions to the literature on entrepreneurial reinvestment, embeddedness perspective of entrepreneurship and imprinting theory.

Is ESG Relevant to Electricity Companies during Pandemics? A Case Study on European Firms during COVID-19

The electricity sector was negatively impacted by the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), with considerable declines in consumption in the initial phase. Investors were in turmoil, and stock prices for these companies plummeted. The aim of this paper is to demonstrate the significant negative influence of the pandemic on abnormal returns for the electricity sector, specifically for traditional and renewable companies and the influence of ESG scores, using the event study approach and multi-variate regressions. Our results show that the pandemic indeed had a negative impact on the electricity sector, with renewable electricity companies suffering a sharper decline than traditional ones. Moreover, we find that ESG pillar scores affected electricity companies differently and are sector-specific. For renewable electricity companies, the returns were positively influenced by the environmental ESG scores and negatively by governance ESG scores.

Development of a screening tool for pelvic floor dysfunction in female athletes: protocol of a Delphi consensus

Background/aim: Several epidemiological studies have found a high prevalence of Pelvic Floor Dysfunction (PFD) among female athletes. However, according to several authors, these data could even be underestimated, both in research and clinical practice. Screening for potential PFD is often delayed and risk factors are not often evaluated. As a consequence, withdrawal from sport, negative influence on performance, worsening symptoms and unrecognized diagnosis may occur. The aim of our research is to develop a screening tool for pelvic floor dysfunction in female athletes useful for clinicians (musculoskeletal/sport physiotherapists, sports medicine physicians, team physicians) to guide referral to a PFD expert (e.g. pelvic floor/women's health physiotherapist, gynecologist, uro-gynecologist, urologist). Methods: A 2-round modified Delphi study will be conducted to ascertain expert opinion on which combination of variables and risk factors should be included in the screening tool. Conclusion: The implementation of the present screening tool into clinical practice may facilitate the referral to a PFD expert for further assessment of the pelvic floor and therefore, to identify potential dysfunction and, eventually, the related treatment pathway.

Rational regulation of reaction specificity of nitrilase for efficient biosynthesis of 2-chloronicotinic acid through a single site mutation

Nitrilase-catalyzed hydrolysis of 2-chloronicotinonitrile (2-CN) is a promising approach for efficient synthesis of 2-chloronicotinic acid (2-CA). Development of nitrilase with ideal catalytic properties is crucial for the biosynthetic route with industrial potentail. Herein, a nitrilase from Rhodococcus zopfii ( Rz NIT), which showed much higher hydration activity than hydrolysis activity, was designed for efficient hydrolysis of 2-CN. Two residues (N165 and W167) significantly affecting the reaction specificity were precisely identified. By tuning these two residues, a single mutation of W167G with abolished hydration activity and 20-fold improved hydrolysis activity was obtained. Molecular dynamics simulation and molecular docking revealed that the mutation generated a larger binding pocket, causing the substrate 2-CN bound more deeply in the pocket and the formation of delocalized π bond between the residues W190 and Y196, which reduced the negative influence of steric hindrance and electron effect caused by chlorine substituent. With mutant W167G as biocatalyst, 100 mM 2-CN was exclusively converted into 2-CA within 16 h. The study provides useful guidance in nitrilase engineering for simultaneous improvement of reaction specificity and catalytic activity, which are highly desirable in value-added carboxylic acids production from nitriles hydrolysis. Importance 2-CA is an important building block for agrochemicals and pharmaceuticals with rapid increase in demand in recent years. It is currently manufactured from 3-cyanopyridine by chemical methods. However, during the final step of 2-CN hydrolysis under high temperature and strong alkaline conditions, by-product 2-CM was generated except for the target product, leading to low yield and tedious separation steps. Nitrilase-mediated hydrolysis is regarded as a promising alternative for 2-CA production, which proceeds under mild conditions. Nevertheless, nitrilase capable of efficient hydrolysis of 2-CN was not reported till now, since the enzymes showed either extremely low activity or surprisingly high hydration activity towards 2-CN. Herein, the reaction specificity of Rz NIT was precisely tuned through a single site mutation. The mutant exhibited remarkably enhanced hydrolysis activity without formation of by-products, providing a robust biocatalyst for 2-CA biosynthesis with industrial potential.