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The objective of this study was to analyze how small and medium enterprises (SMEs) cope with environmental changes due to the COVID-19 pandemic by pursuing the business model transformation with the support of digital technologies. To achieve the objective, this study used a multiple case study design with qualitative analysis to examine the data obtained from interviews, observation, and field visits. Seven manufacturing SMEs from Indonesia were selected using a theoretical sampling technique, with the purpose of achieving some degree of variation to allow us to undertake replication logic. Our analysis demonstrates that SMEs adopt a different degree of digital transformations, which can be summarized into three paths, depending on the firms' contextual factors. First, SMEs with a high level of digital maturity who respond to the challenges by accelerating the transition toward digitalized firms; second, SMEs experiencing liquidity issues but a low level of digital maturity who decide to digitalize the sales function only; and, third, the SMEs that have very limited digital literacy but are supported by a high level of social capital. This last group of firms solves the challenges by finding partners who possess excellent digital capabilities. The qualitative case study method allows us to conduct in-depth and detailed analysis, but has thin generalizability. To address this limitation, future research can use a survey covering various industries to test the proposed theory that has resulted from this study, so that the generalizability can be assured.

The growth of capital market investors and financial literacy has increased every year and investors in making an investment decision However, financial theory argues that there are psychological biases that can influence investors in making inappropriate investment decisions. This study aims to examine the influence and analyze Overconfidence, Loss Aversion and Herding Bias on investment decisions and Financial Literacy as a mediating variable. Financial Literacy is used as mediating variable in the relationship of Overconfidence, Loss Aversion. However Herding Bias variables on Investment Decisions. This study uses non-probability sampling techniques to as many as 163 investors stock in Yogyakarta as respondents. Findings/Results: the study shows that overconfidence, loss aversion and herding bias have a significant effect on investment decisions and overconfidence, loss aversion and herding bias are not mediated by financial literacy in making investment decisions.

We investigate how a firm’s decision to hold excessive cash or to overinvest could influence its dividend payout policy in Indonesia. Additionally, we examine the association between corporate ownership structure and cash dividends. Using a data set of Indonesian listed firms for the period from 1995 to 2014, we find that excessive cash holding (overinvestment) positively (negatively) affects a firm’s likelihood of paying dividends. Also, we find that family, foreign, state and institutional ownership have significantly negative links with dividends, which suggests the signals of expropriation of firms’ wealth by major shareholders. These findings strongly support the expropriation hypothesis that commonly applies to firms with higher level of concentration or to firms in a weak legal environment by which the rights of minority interests are put at risk by large shareholders.

Objectives ─ This research aims to examine the long-term and short-term dynamic relationships of the major stock market indices in Lebanon (BLSI), Israel (TA35), Jordan (AMGNRLX), Saudi Arabia (TASI), and Indonesia (IHSG) due to the impact of the ammonium nitrate explosion. (NH4NO3) in Beirut, Lebanon. Method ─ This research used samples after the explosion of ammonium nitrate (NH4NO3) in Beirut, Lebanon, from 10 August 2020 to 17 December 2020. Long-term and short-term dynamic relationships due to the impact of the ammonium nitrate (NH4NO3) explosion in Beirut, Lebanon were tested using the Johansen Cointegration Test and Granger Causality Test methods. Findings ─ The results show that: (1) There is a cointegration relationship in the return of the country stock market index in Lebanon (BLSI), Israel (TA35), Jordan (AMGNRLX), Saudi Arabia (TASI), and Indonesia (IHSG) after the explosion; (2) there is no bi-directional causality relationship or unidirectional relationship between benchmark variables, that is Return BLOM Stock Index (BLSI) with the Return TA-35 (TA35), Return Amman SE General (AMGNRLX), Return Tadawul All Share Index (TASI), and Return Indeks Harga Saham Gabungan (IHSG) variable after the explosion event. Originality ─ This paper presents a novelty with a study of events that link human events and capital market indices.

Background: Totally extra-peritoneal (TEP) and transabdominal preperitoneal (TAPP) repair are two established minimal access techniques of groin hernia surgery. TEP offers the advantage of avoiding violation of the peritoneal cavity. Aim: This study aims to describe the decade-long experience of TEP in groin hernia repair in a tertiary care teaching institute and the feasibility of the same in difficult scenarios. Materials and Methods: Retrospective analysis of the database of patients undergoing TEP repair for inguinal hernia in a single surgical unit at a tertiary teaching hospital between January 2008 and December 2019 was performed. Detailed pre-operative clinical details, operative duration, intraoperative and post-operative complications, including pain, length of post-operative hospital stay and hernia recurrence data were analysed. Results: Over 12 years' duration, 511 patients underwent endoscopic TEP mesh repair and the total number of hernias repaired was 614. Majority (97.45%) of patients were male. The mean age of the patient population was 51.3 years. Primary hernia was seen in 490 patients. The mean operating time for unilateral inguinal hernia repair was 56.8 ± 16 min and for bilateral repair 80.9 ± 25.2 min. TEP in previous lower abdominal/suprapubic surgical scars was attempted in 17 (3.3%) patients, with only one requiring conversion. The intraoperative peritoneal breach was the most common documented complication (34.8%). Seroma was seen in 9.4% of patients. Seventeen patients required conversion (14 TAPP and 3 open). Recurrence was seen in 4 (0.7) patients. Conclusion: TEP repair is an effective method of groin hernia repair and can be attempted in the majority of patients groin hernia, including patients with previous lower abdominal incisions.

The spread of resistance in common antimalarial drugs, including artemisinin-based combination therapies, has necessitated the discovery of new drugs with novel mechanisms of action. In the present study, the in vitro antimalarial and toxicological activities of acetone, methanol, ethanol and aqueous extracts of ( ) galls were investigated. The extracts were assessed for the antimalarial potential using a malarial SYBR Green I fluorescence-based (MSF) assay, while the toxicity was screened by using brine shrimp lethality test (BSLT), haemolytic assay, and cytotoxicity assay against normal embryo fibroblast cell line (NIH/3T3) and normal kidney epithelial cell line (Vero). The acetone extract showed the highest antimalarial activity (50% inhibitory concentration, IC = 5.85 ± 1.64 μg/mL), followed by the methanol extract (IC = 10.31 ± 1.90 μg/mL). Meanwhile, the ethanol and aqueous extracts displayed low antimalarial activity with IC values of 20.00 ± 1.57 and 30.95 μg/mL ± 1.27 μg/mL, respectively. The significant antimalarial activity was demonstrated in all extracts and artemisinin ( < 0.05). All extracts were non-toxic to brine shrimps (50% lethality concentration, LC > 1000 ppm). Furthermore, no occurrence of haemolysis (< 5%) was observed in normal erythrocytes when treated with all extracts compared to Triton X-100 that caused 100% haemolysis ( < 0.05). The acetone and methanol extracts were non-toxic to the normal cell lines and statistically significant to artemisinin ( < 0.05). Taken together with satisfactory selectivity index (SI) values, the acetone and methanol extracts of galls could serve as an alternative, promising and safe antimalarial agents.

Splenectomy is usually deferred for the first 12 months of onset of immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) because patients may have spontaneous remission. However, in patients with failed medical management, splenectomy is a valuable treatment option. This study aimed to evaluate the role of splenectomy in patients with persistent ITP with failed medical management at a tertiary care center. A retrospective review of records of all patients who underwent splenectomy for ITP between January 2010 and December 2019 was done. We identified the patients with primary ITP refractory to medical management who were referred from hematology to our department for splenectomy and their clinical course was evaluated. Most of the patients were females (14/20, 70%), and the mean age of patients in our series was 33.7 ± 11.1 years. Skin petechiae and mucosal bleeding were the most common presenting symptoms. Mean pre-operative platelet count was 20,079 ± 11,644/μL. After a trial of medical management for a mean duration of 6.7 ± 3.6 months, patients were planned for splenectomy. All patients improved symptomatically after surgery. A significant increase in platelet count was observed (mean: 80,290 ± 75,327/μL). Splenectomy (either open or laparoscopic approach) is a safe and very good option in patients with new onset and persistent ITP refractory to medical management with favorable outcomes.

Lateritic soil is the reddish to brown-colored soil composed mainly of iron or aluminium oxides, hydroxides, or oxyhydroxides. Information on bacteria that inhabit this soil type, their ecological role, and metabolic potential are scarce. We have isolated and partially characterized a bacterial strain BirBP01 from a lead, calcium, and magnesium-rich, oligotrophic subsurface lateritic soil-sample collected from 12-feet deep horizon of a laterite mining pit in Birbhum district, India. The isolate is a biofilm-forming, Gram-positive bacterium having a sarcinae arrangement, mesophilic, slightly alkaliphilic, able to produce amylase, and resistant against multiple heavy-metals. BirBP01 has the ability to bioremediate 51% of Pb, 30% of Zn, and 22% of Cu through biosorption, possibly into the biofilm matrix. The bioremediating ability of the bacterium alleviated the inhibitory effect of heavy-metals on the germination of chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) seeds. 16S rRNA gene-based phylogenetic analysis revealed that BirBP01 is a member of the genus Micrococcus. It showed more than 99% identity of the 16S rRNA gene sequence, and clustered within the same branch of the phylogenetic tree, with strains of M. yunnanensis, M. endophyticus, and M. luteus. The ability to produce amylase, and bioremediate heavy-metals signify that Micrococcus sp. BirBP01 could be potentially a good candidate for industrial applications, and to clean up heavy-metal contaminated sites.

Uncontrolled usage of chemical fertilizers, climate change due to global warming, and the ever-increasing demand for food have necessitated sustainable agricultural practices. Removal of ever-increasing environmental pollutants, treatment of life-threatening diseases, and control of drug-resistant pathogens are also the need of the present time to maintain the health and hygiene of nature, as well as human beings. Research on plant–microbe interactions is paving the way to ameliorate all these sustainably. Diverse bacterial endophytes inhabiting the internal tissues of different parts of the plants promote the growth and development of their hosts by different mechanisms, such as through nutrient acquisition, phytohormone production and modulation, protection from biotic or abiotic challenges, assisting in flowering and root development, etc. Notwithstanding, efficient exploitation of endophytes in human welfare is hindered due to scarce knowledge of the molecular aspects of their interactions, community dynamics, in-planta activities, and their actual functional potential. Modern “-omics-based” technologies and genetic manipulation tools have empowered scientists to explore the diversity, dynamics, roles, and functional potential of endophytes, ultimately empowering humans to better use them in sustainable agricultural practices, especially in future harsh environmental conditions. In this review, we have discussed the diversity of bacterial endophytes, factors (biotic as well as abiotic) affecting their diversity, and their various plant growth-promoting activities. Recent developments and technological advancements for future research, such as “-omics-based” technologies, genetic engineering, genome editing, and genome engineering tools, targeting optimal utilization of the endophytes in sustainable agricultural practices, or other purposes, have also been discussed.