Downsizing Older Employees : A Study of India’s Public Sector Banks

Premilla D’Cruz 한국고용노사관계학회 2005 産業關係硏究 Vol.15 No.2

Downsizing in the form of a voluntary retirement scheme (VRS) was introduced in various public sector banks in India as part of the financial sector reforms initiated under the macroeconomic stabilization and structural adjustment programmes. Using van Manen’s hermeneutic phenomenological approach, the impact of VRS on separated employees and their families was studied in a South Indian city. Data collected through in-depth interviews were subject to holistic and sententious thematic analysis. The findings of the present study stand in contrast to previous studies on the impact of downsizing. That is, whereas earlier inquiries describe the adverse effects of downsizing, participants in the present study spoke in terms of fulfillment, relaxed pace of life, time to pursue various interests (and in some cases, alternate careers), better family life, ability to manage health-related needs and unchanged quality of life and economic position. Contextual factors, especially developmental stage and financial status, play a critical mediating role over here. Further, the nature of the severance package, the opportunity to choose to take VRS and the level of preparedness about the introduction of VRS in public sector banks served as facilitators of a smooth transition.

Does Membership in Agricultural Cooperatives Improve Marketing Efficiency?: Insights from Smallholder Coffee Farmers in Selected Provinces of the Philippines

Liezel S. Cruz(Liezel S. Cruz ),Agham C. Cuevas(Agham C. Cuevas ),Jan Danica S. Asma(Jan Danica S. Asma ),JP Roma D. Duque(JP Roma D. Duque ),Beah M. Orlina(Beah M. Orlina ) The International Academy of Global Business and T 2023 The International Academy of Global Business and T Vol.19 No.1

Purpose - Cooperatives are people-centric organizations that are organized to meet the common needs of their members. One key goal for the establishment of agricultural cooperatives is to help improve the marketing efficiency of their members. This study aimed to analyze the correlation between cooperative membership and marketing efficiency among coffee farmers in the provinces of Cavite, Benguet, and Mountain Province, Philippines. Design/Methodology/Approach - Primary and secondary data were gathered in the study. Linear regression with endogenous treatment was used to analyze the data which examined both observable and unobservable factors affecting the treatment, cooperative membership, potential outcome, and the marketing efficiency. Findings - The results of the study revealed that the average farmer generated USD0.85 more farm income for every peso spent on marketing activities if he/she was a member of an agricultural cooperative. This implied that membership positively improved the marketing efficiency of coffee farmers. Moreover, farmers who sold their processed coffee to cooperatives and who had price access were observed to have higher marketing efficiency. Farmers who were females, adopted more processing technologies, took longer to search for price information, sold to cooperatives, had more coffee experience, and whose farms were located away from technology sources were more likely to become cooperative members. Research Implications - The study recommended the promotion of cooperative membership among farmers to improve their marketing efficiency and capacity-building activities related to the technology adoption and management of cooperatives.

The Relationship Between Self-confidence and Academic Commitment of AB-ELS Students in Learning Korean Language in an Online Class Setting

Jeremy C. DeGuzman,Tarlac State University,Kyla Niicole G. Cruz,Jiyoung Lee 국제인문사회연구학회 2022 Studies on Humanities and Social Sciences (SHSC) Vol.4 No.1

The Relationship Between Self-confidence and Academic Commitment of AB-ELS Students in Learning Korean Language in an Online Class Setting Jeremy C. DeGuzman,* Kim M. andrea Reyes,** Kyla Niicole G. Cruz,*** & Jiyoung Lee**** Abstract: The purpose of this study is to investigate the Self-confidence and Academic Commitment of students learning Korean online. The subjects of this study were 86 4th year students of AB ELS who participated in online Korean language classes. In this study, analysis data were collected through an online questionnaire of self-confidence and academic commitment. For analysis, using SPSS 23.0, descriptive statistics and correlation analysis were performed. The research results are as follows. First, the students’ self-confidence was found to be neither agree nor disagree. Second, students’ academic commitment was slightly disagreed. Third, it was found that there was a significant positive correlation between students’ self-confidence and academic commitment. Based on the results of this study, methods to enhance the academic commitment of students learning Korean online were discussed. Key Words: AB English Language Studies Students, Academic Commitment, Correlation, Foreign Language Learning, Korean language, Online Classroom, Self-confidence □ Received: June 1, 2022, Revised: June 28, 2022, Accepted: June 30, 2022 * First Author, College of Arts and Social Sciences, Tarlac State University, Philippines, Student ** Co-author 1, College of Arts and Social Sciences, Tarlac State University, Philippines, Student *** Co-author 2, College of Arts and Social Sciences, Tarlac State University, Philippines, Student **** Corresponding Author, College of Arts and Social Sciences, Tarlac State University, Philippines, Lecturer The Relationship Between Self-confidence and Academic Commitment of AB-ELS Students in Learning Korean Language in an Online Class Setting Jeremy C. DeGuzman,* Kim M. andrea Reyes,** Kyla Niicole G. Cruz,*** & Jiyoung Lee**** Abstract: The purpose of this study is to investigate the Self-confidence and Academic Commitment of students learning Korean online. The subjects of this study were 86 4th year students of AB ELS who participated in online Korean language classes. In this study, analysis data were collected through an online questionnaire of self-confidence and academic commitment. For analysis, using SPSS 23.0, descriptive statistics and correlation analysis were performed. The research results are as follows. First, the students’ self-confidence was found to be neither agree nor disagree. Second, students’ academic commitment was slightly disagreed. Third, it was found that there was a significant positive correlation between students’ self-confidence and academic commitment. Based on the results of this study, methods to enhance the academic commitment of students learning Korean online were discussed. Key Words: AB English Language Studies Students, Academic Commitment, Correlation, Foreign Language Learning, Korean language, Online Classroom, Self-confidence □ Received: June 1, 2022, Revised: June 28, 2022, Accepted: June 30, 2022 * First Author, College of Arts and Social Sciences, Tarlac State University, Philippines, Student ** Co-author 1, College of Arts and Social Sciences, Tarlac State University, Philippines, Student *** Co-author 2, College of Arts and Social Sciences, Tarlac State University, Philippines, Student **** Corresponding Author, College of Arts and Social Sciences, Tarlac State University, Philippines, Lecturer

Bivariate odd-log-logistic-Weibull regression model for oral health-related quality of life

Cruz, Jose N. da,Ortega, Edwin M.M.,Cordeiro, Gauss M.,Suzuki, Adriano K.,Mialhe, Fabio L. The Korean Statistical Society 2017 Communications for statistical applications and me Vol.24 No.3

We study a bivariate response regression model with arbitrary marginal distributions and joint distributions using Frank and Clayton's families of copulas. The proposed model is used for fitting dependent bivariate data with explanatory variables using the log-odd log-logistic Weibull distribution. We consider likelihood inferential procedures based on constrained parameters. For different parameter settings and sample sizes, various simulation studies are performed and compared to the performance of the bivariate odd-log-logistic-Weibull regression model. Sensitivity analysis methods (such as local and total influence) are investigated under three perturbation schemes. The methodology is illustrated in a study to assess changes on schoolchildren's oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) in a follow-up exam after three years and to evaluate the impact of caries incidence on the OHRQoL of adolescents.

Photon Upconversion in Crystalline Rubrene: Resonant Enhancement by an Interband State

Cruz, Chad D.,Choi, Hyun Ho,Podzorov, Vitaly,Chronister, Eric L.,Bardeen, Christopher J. American Chemical Society 2018 The Journal of Physical Chemistry Part C Vol.122 No.31

<P>Triplet-triplet exciton annihilation after sensitization of the triplet states by a near-infrared (NIR)-absorbing sensitizer enables rubrene to function as a photon upconversion (UC) material. In this paper, we demonstrate an alternate pathway to NIR upconversion in pristine rubrene crystals: resonantly enhanced two-photon absorption via a weakly allowed interband state. We find that all crystalline rubrene samples exhibit NIR-to-visible upconversion that can be easily observed by eye under low-intensity (20 W/cm<SUP>2</SUP>) continuous wave excitation. The amount of continuous wave photoluminescence (PL) is comparable to what is observed under femtosecond pulsed excitation with the same average intensity. A wide range of excitation intensities (<I>I</I>) for the PL power dependence are explored and careful fitting of the intensity dependence of the upconverted PL shows that it has an approximate <I>I</I><SUP>4</SUP> → <I>I</I><SUP>2</SUP> transition. Moreover, there is a pronounced dependence of the per-pulse upconverted PL signal on the laser repetition rate. A four-state kinetic model with a long-lived (∼1 μs) interband state that takes into account fission and fusion dynamics can reproduce both the <I>I</I><SUP>4</SUP> → <I>I</I><SUP>2</SUP> transition and the dependence of the PL on pulse repetition rate. The modeling suggests that this interband state arises from a low-concentration species, possibly a crystal defect or defective rubrene molecules. Several other polyacene crystals (tetracene, diphenylhexatriene, and perylene) measured under the same conditions did not exhibit similar behavior. The observation of resonantly enhanced upconverted PL without the addition of chemically distinct sensitizers suggests that interband states in organic molecular crystals can generate new and possibly useful photophysical behavior.</P> [FIG OMISSION]</BR>

Penetrating gallbladder injury in a pediatric patient: a case report

Cruz-Centeno Nelimar,Stewart Shai,Marlor Derek R.,Dekonenko Charlene,Hendrickson Richard J. 대한외상학회 2023 大韓外傷學會誌 Vol.36 No.3

Penetrating gallbladder injuries are uncommon in the pediatric population. The treatment varies according to the severity of the injury and the patient’s hemodynamics. We present the case of an 11-year-old male with an accidental pellet gunshot wound to the right upper abdomen that resulted in a grade III liver laceration and damage to the anterior gallbladder wall. The patient underwent laparoscopic cholecystectomy with drain placement. Postoperative radiography of the surgical specimen confirmed the presence of the pellet in the gallbladder. The patient recovered uneventfully and was discharged home on postoperative day 3. Laparoscopic cholecystectomy is a feasible treatment option for penetrating gallbladder injuries in hemodynamically stable patients.

Use of traditional herbal medicine as an alternative in dental treatment in Mexican dentistry: a review

Cruz Martí,nez, Cindy,Diaz Gó,mez, Martha,Oh, Myung Sook SWETS AND ZEITLINGER 2017 PHARMACEUTICAL BIOLOGY Vol.55 No.1

<P><B>Abstract</B></P><P><B>Context:</B> Herbal therapies are used worldwide to treat health conditions. In Mexico, generations have used them to treat gingivitis, periodontitis, mouth infections, and discoloured teeth. However, few studies have collected scientific evidence on their effects.</P><P><B>Objective:</B> This study aimed at searching and compiling scientific evidence of alternative oral and dental treatments using medicinal herbs from Mexico.</P><P><B>Methods:</B> We collected various Mexican medicinal plants used in the dental treatment from the database of the Institute of Biology at the National Autonomous University of Mexico. To correlate with existing scientific evidence, we used the PubMed database with the key term ‘(scientific name) and (oral or dental)’.</P><P><B>Results:</B> Mexico has various medical herbs with antibacterial and antimicrobial properties, according to ancestral medicinal books and healers. Despite a paucity of experimental research demonstrating the antibacterial, antimicrobial, and antiplaque effects of these Mexican plants, they could still be useful as an alternative treatment of several periodontal diseases or as anticariogenic agents. However, the number of studies supporting their uses and effects remains insufficient.</P><P><B>Discussion and conclusion:</B> It is important for the health of consumers to scientifically demonstrate the real effects of natural medicine, as well as clarify and establish their possible therapeutic applications. Through this bibliographical revision, we found papers that testify or refute their ancestral uses, and conclude that the use of plants to treat oral conditions or to add to the dental pharmacological arsenal should be based on experimental studies verifying their suitability for dental treatments.</P>

Mixed-reality for quadruped-robotic guidance in SAR tasks

Cruz Ulloa Christyan,del Cerro Jaime,Barrientos Antonio 한국CDE학회 2023 Journal of computational design and engineering Vol.10 No.4

In recent years, exploration tasks in disaster environments, victim localization and primary assistance have been the main focuses of Search and Rescue (SAR) Robotics. Developing new technologies in Mixed Reality (M-R) and legged robotics has taken a big step in developing robust field applications in the Robotics field. This article presents MR-RAS (Mixed-Reality for Robotic Assistance), which aims to assist rescuers and protect their integrity when exploring post-disaster areas (against collapse, electrical, and toxic risks) by facilitating the robot’s gesture guidance and allowing them to manage interest visual information of the environment. Thus, ARTU-R (A1 Rescue Tasks UPM Robot) quadruped robot has been equipped with a sensory system (lidar, thermal, and RGB-D cameras) to validate this proof of concept. On the other hand, Human-Robot interaction is executed by using the Hololens glasses. This work’s main contribution is the implementation and evaluation of a Mixed-Reality system based on a ROS-Unity solution, capable of managing at a high level the guidance of a complex legged robot through different interest zones (defined by a Neural Network and a vision system) of a post-disaster environment (PDE). The robot’s main tasks at each point visited involve detecting victims through thermal, RGB imaging, and neural networks and assisting victims with medical equipment. Tests have been carried out in scenarios that recreate the conditions of PDE (debris, simulation of victims, etc.). An average efficiency improvement of 48% has been obtained when using the immersive interface and a time optimization of 21.4% compared to conventional interfaces. The proposed method has proven to improve rescuers’ immersive experience of controlling a complex robotic system.

Phage-displayed peptides having antigenic similarities with porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV) neutralizing epitopes

Cruz, Deu John M.,Kim, Chul-Joong,Shin, Hyun-Jin Elsevier 2006 Virology Vol.354 No.1

<P><B>Abstract</B></P><P>Seven-mer phage random peptide libraries were panned against 2C10, a monoclonal antibody that showed neutralizing activities against PEDV. Recombinant M13 phages displaying the peptides SHRLP(Y/Q)(P/V) or GPRPVTH on the g3p minor coat protein showed strong binding affinity with 2C10 (70% and 30% of recovered phages, respectively) after multiple panning. Sequence analysis suggested that these peptides are similar with <SUP>1368</SUP>GPRLQPY<SUP>1374</SUP> found at the carboxy-terminal of the S protein. In neutralization inhibition assays, the two peptide motifs and a 24-mer synthetic peptide corresponding to the C-terminal endodomain of PEDV S protein were observed to compete for the antigen binding site of 2C10, as demonstrated by the loss or reduction of neutralizing activity of the monoclonal antibody. This new finding suggests that the newly discovered peptide motifs mimic a neutralizing epitope PEDV.</P>

Effect of temporary weaning and creep feeding on calf growth and the reproductive efficiency of their Hereford dams

Cruz R. Santa,Barbieri I. De,Olmos V. Morales,Montossi F.,Viñoles C. 아세아·태평양축산학회 2022 Animal Bioscience Vol.35 No.10

Objective: The objective was to test if creep feeding (CF) improves the average daily gain (ADG) and weaning weight of calves submitted to temporary weaning (TW) and if the combination of CF and TW improves conception and pregnancy rates of cows. Methods: Primiparous (n = 74) and primiparous and multiparous (n = 104) cows grazing native grasslands were used in experiment 1 and 2; respectively. The experimental design was in plots divided into complete random blocks with two replications. The CF was the big plot and TW the small plot, thus four experimental groups were formed: i) –CF–TW (n = 21 and 27); ii) –CF+TW (n = 16 and 24); iii) +CF–TW (n = 20 and 26); iv) +CF+TW (n = 17 and 27) with cow-calf pairs for experiments 1 and 2; respectively. Nose plate application for TW had a duration of 14 and 15 days for experiment 1 and 2: respectively. In experiment 1, calves were fed at 1% of live weight for 112 days using a commercial supplement with 18.4% crude protein. In experiment 2, the supplementation lasted 98 days, and was carried out with corn dried distillers grains with soluble (DDGS) at 40% of the potential intake on a daily basis. Results: The TW reduced ADG during the TW period and the following 14 days, but the negative effect of TW was maintained until the final weaning only in experiment 2. The CF increased ADG during TW period in both experiments. The TW promoted an earlier conception of the dams (12 days in –CF treatment and 19 days in +CF treatment, p<0.01) and CF increased pregnancy rate in experiment 1, being the effects not consistent between experiments. Conclusion: The CF consistently promoted an increase in ADG during the period of TW and increased final weaning weight of calves, therefore it is economically viable. Objective: The objective was to test if creep feeding (CF) improves the average daily gain (ADG) and weaning weight of calves submitted to temporary weaning (TW) and if the combination of CF and TW improves conception and pregnancy rates of cows.Methods: Primiparous (n = 74) and primiparous and multiparous (n = 104) cows grazing native grasslands were used in experiment 1 and 2; respectively. The experimental design was in plots divided into complete random blocks with two replications. The CF was the big plot and TW the small plot, thus four experimental groups were formed: i) –CF–TW (n = 21 and 27); ii) –CF+TW (n = 16 and 24); iii) +CF–TW (n = 20 and 26); iv) +CF+TW (n = 17 and 27) with cow-calf pairs for experiments 1 and 2; respectively. Nose plate application for TW had a duration of 14 and 15 days for experiment 1 and 2: respectively. In experiment 1, calves were fed at 1% of live weight for 112 days using a commercial supplement with 18.4% crude protein. In experiment 2, the supplementation lasted 98 days, and was carried out with corn dried distillers grains with soluble (DDGS) at 40% of the potential intake on a daily basis.Results: The TW reduced ADG during the TW period and the following 14 days, but the negative effect of TW was maintained until the final weaning only in experiment 2. The CF increased ADG during TW period in both experiments. The TW promoted an earlier conception of the dams (12 days in –CF treatment and 19 days in +CF treatment, p<0.01) and CF increased pregnancy rate in experiment 1, being the effects not consistent between experiments.Conclusion: The CF consistently promoted an increase in ADG during the period of TW and increased final weaning weight of calves, therefore it is economically viable.