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The incidence of prostate cancer is increasing from the past few decades. Various studies have tried to determine the survival of patients, but metastatic prostate cancer is still not extensively explored. The survival rate of metastatic prostate cancer is very less compared to the earlier stages. The study aims to investigate the survivability of metastatic prostate cancer based on the age group to which a patient belongs, and the difference between the significance of the attributes for different age groups.

Data of metastatic prostate cancer patients was collected from a cancer hospital in India. Two predictive models were built for the analysis-one for the complete dataset, and the other for separate age groups. Machine learning was applied to both the models and their accuracies were compared for the analysis. Also, information gain for each model has been evaluated to determine the significant predictors for each age group.

The ensemble approach gave the best results of 81.4% for the complete dataset, and thus was used for the age-specific models. The results concluded that the age-specific model had the direct average accuracy of 83.74% and weighted average accuracy of 79.9%, with the highest accuracy levels for age less than 60.

The study developed a model that predicts the survival of metastatic prostate cancer based on age. The study will be able to assist the clinicians in determining the best course of treatment for each patient based on ECOG, age and comorbidities.

Blockchain technology is spreading its roots and growing rapidly. With the advancement of blockchain technology, government organizations are focusing toward adopting blockchain technology. The purpose of this study is to identify the factors that affect the adoption of blockchain technology and provide a conceptual framework to adopt blockchain technology in government organizations.

To answer the research questions, this study has used systematic literature review (SLR). For achieving the quality and transparent process, this study has applied the PRISMA framework in the SLR.

With the help of SLR, this study has identified 72 factors that influence the adoption of blockchain technology. After critically examining the factors, this study has developed the conceptual framework for the adoption of blockchain technology in government organizations with four factors of the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology model and four additional factors, i.e. facilitating conditions, social influence, effort expectancy, performance expectancy, trust, transparency, cost and security.

To perform SLR, this study has used two databases: Web of Science and Google Scholar; future studies can consider other databases. This study has provided the framework but not validated it; future studies can use structural equation modeling and artificial neural network to validate the framework.

This study helps to provide insights about blockchain technology and help government and policymakers to take decisions for the adoption of blockchain technology and in determining the future action plan.

Few studies are available in the literature that have used SLR to identify blockchain technology adoption in government organizations.

Blockchain technology (BCT) can be used for a wide variety of applications across domains and can bring many benefits. BCT-based applications can be beneficial for the government as well as businesses. Despite the many promises, BCT implementation lags behind. The purpose of this research is to identify a roadmap of critical implementation challenges that influence BCT implementation by governments.

The study develops an ISM-based model spread across seven levels to analyze the inter-relationship among the selected BCT challenges. The MICMAC analysis further helps in evaluating the variables based on their driving power and dependencies.

The findings show that all challenges have a strong impact on implementing BCT. The foundation for implementation BCT is to define standards and develop appropriate regulations. Next, the findings show the need for a shared infrastructure meeting the basic technical and societal requirements and developing viable business models to advance BCT implementation. Many challenges hinder the development of blockchain applications meeting the technical and ethical requirements.

Existing research has analyzed the relationship among challenges. To the best of the authors' knowledge this is the first paper to collate these implementation challenges and incorporate them to develop a hierarchical model using interpretive structural modeling technique. The results can be used to prioritize the tackling of the challenges.

The purpose of the paper is to make use of multiple parameters namely; residual energy, closeness to centre and mobility of detection point (DP) for the selection of detection point network (DPN). In the novel method proposed, the path will have less number of DPs participating in the entire DPN.

The proposed novel method will find out the special detection point (SDP) based on three criteria, namely, the amount of mobility for DP, the amount of remaining energy and the amount of distance between two DPs. This proposed method is an attempt to resolve the network lifetime problems during the communication of DPs over a period of time. It is developed for increasing the lifetime ratio, throughput, residual energy, number of alive nodes.

The simulation results of the novel method show the improvement over the existing methods investigated based on the lifetime ratio, throughput, remaining energy and alive nodes.

In the proposed method, the communication is done between different DPs in the network. The commutation is done using SDPs only from one cluster to another cluster. It is proposed for the implementation of energy efficient data sensing in mobile communication networks.

It is a significant mechanism for energy efficient data sensing of one DP to another DP of different clusters in the network. The total energy consumed for a period of time by the network is significantly reduced from the novel method.

Blockchain is one of the most significant emerging technologies that is set to transform many aspects of industry and society. However, it has several major technical, social, legal, environmental and ethical complexities that offer significant challenges for mainstream use within the public sector. The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has compelled many public sector employees to work remotely, highlighting a number of challenges to blockchain adoption within the Indian context signifying the pertinence of this research topic in the post-pandemic era. This study offers insight to researchers and policymakers alike on how such challenges are interdependent within this important subject.

We explored 16 unique sets of challenges selected from the literature and gathered data from nine experts from government settings, healthcare and education sectors and academia who have significant knowledge and experience of blockchain implementation and use in their respective organisations. The implementation of Interpretive Structural Modelling (ISM) and Matriced' Impacts Croise's Multiplication Appliquée a UN Classement (MICMAC) provided a precise set of driving, linkage and dependent challenges that were used to formulate the framework.

The developed ISM framework is split into six different levels. The results suggest that the bottom level consists of challenges such as “Lack of standards (C9)” and “Lack of validation (C10)” form the foundation of the hierarchical structure of blockchain adoption. However, the topmost level consists of a highly dependent challenge termed “adoption of blockchain in the public sector (C16)”. The research filters the selected set of five challenges to develop a parsimonious model and formulated six propositions to examine the impact of “lack of standard (C9)”, “lack of validation (C10)” on “security issues (C3)” and “privacy concerns (C2)”, which eventually determine individuals' “reluctance to use blockchain technology (C12)”.

This research fills a key gap in exiting research by exploring the key challenges in blockchain adoption within the public sector by developing a valuable framework to model this important topic. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first paper to address these challenges and develop a parsimonious model for challenges of blockchain adoption in the public sector settings.

The food supply chain has faced many challenges due to its complex and complicated nature. Blockchain technology is one of the mechanisms used to improve agri-food supply chain processes by evolving organization capabilities. A study is being conducted to scrutinize the adoption of blockchain technology in the agri-food supply chain through the lens of the operational capability approach. It further makes an attempt to identify the capabilities of blockchain to improve supply chain processes.

The qualitative research method with semi-structured interviews was used to gather information from experts and professionals in the food supply chain and blockchain technology. The authors have adopted a systematic approach of coding using open, axial and selective methods to depict and identify the themes that represent the blockchain-enabled agri-food supply chain. The data were collected from 32 interviews of selected participants.

The result shows five critical areas where blockchain can come up to enhance the agri-food supply chain performance by providing traceability, transparency, information security, transactions, and trust and quality. Further, the study reveals that blockchain will provide safety, lower the cost of transactions and can create trust among users to communicate within the whole supply chain without the intervention of a third party. This study demonstrated that the capabilities need to be considered when introducing technology into the practice.

The study implies thought-provoking implications for bridging the theory-practice gap by examining the empirical data to demonstrate how the operational capabilities of blockchain technology further strengthen the agri-food supply chain. Additionally, this study provides some suggestions for utilizing the results and proposes a framework to understand more about blockchain use cases in the agri-food supply chain as well as extend the application of blockchain using an operational capability approach for future academic researchers in this area.

This study presented some more important managerial implications which reveal that the majority of organisations were in the initial stages of adoption process of blockchain technology. Further, the positive influence of managers and IT experts can help the information technology companies (IT) and stakeholders for developing and promoting blockchain solutions in the agri-food supply chain. The important implication of blockchain enabled agri-food supply chain is to maintain information security and incresae supply chain performance.

The study shows the operational capabilities of agri-food supply chain using blockchain technology. Blockchain can contribute in enhancing the agri-food supply chain to increase traceability and transparency and helps to reduce the risk of disruptions.

This paper aims to explain the implications of the impending establishment of national blockchain infrastructure by governments around the world, and how these structures can be integrated with existing legislation and assist in the prevention of financial crime.

The methodology used is a literature review and analysis of progress being made to establish national blockchain infrastructure. It provides a discussion of the connection between blockchain and financial crime, and how this infrastructure will interact with existing regulatory frameworks, and particularly, financial crime legislation.

This paper documents financial crime risks posed by digital currencies and smart contracts and the role that national blockchain infrastructure can potentially play in mitigating these risks. It highlights the need for governments to devote resources to developing this infrastructure and associated regulatory frameworks.

There are few, if any, academic papers in the financial crime, or wider literature, that have examined the potential for national blockchain infrastructures prevent financial crime, including the implications for existing regulation in the field.

Many commodity supply chains suffer from an unfair value distribution across the supply chain like “Coffee Paradox.” This study explores the coffee supply chain to determine how the country of origin–geographical indicator can be used as a method of fair distribution of value and provenance across the supply chain effectuated by the blockchain technology. By looking at an exemplar case study for India, this study provides insights into diverse research streams and practice.

Based on the case method, analyzing the implementation of blockchain in the coffee industry by a leading Indian software implementation of the logic, dynamics and forces for a provenance model has been devised. It further adopts a stakeholder cum institutional theory framework to understand the logical implementation of a blockchain project embedded in a territorial logic for a commodity supply chain.

This study specifically looks at coffee which is representative of a commodity supply chain. It also explores how the malaise of unfair value distribution gets addressed by bringing farmers and the consumers on a common platform facilitated by blockchain technology. This study contributes to the literature on blockchain, territory, commodity and supply chain. Using stakeholder cum institutional theory, this study helps to explore how the implementation is successful by different actors in the supply chain through collaboration.

This study provides a new stream of multi-disciplinary study at the interface of supply chain, technology, international trade and geography.

Blockchains are embedded in the supply chain, and supply chains are embedded in territories. This linkage is paramount and the ability to make these blockchain projects successful requires the deep study of the interaction of territory, technology and actors from the provenance angle. De-commodification of coffee can be actualized through blockchain.

The coffee paradox and skewed value distribution is also a social problem wherein the farmers do not get the right price of their produce and are exploited. This case also highlights how this social malaise can be addressed and rightful and equitable distribution of value happens across the value chain.

This linkage between territory, blockchain, commodity supply chain and institutions has not been discussed in the literature. Adopting the territorial design approach, this study is an attempt to stimulate inter-disciplinary conversations and thereby create a provenance framework for commodity and research questions for scholars from different disciplines and divergent disciplinary perspectives.

This is the first study to compile statistical data to describe the functions and responsibilities of physicians in formal and informal leadership roles in the Canadian health system. This mixed-methods research study offers baseline data relative to this purpose, and also describes physician leaders’ views on fundamental aspects of their leadership responsibility.

A survey with both quantitative and qualitative fields yielded 689 valid responses from physician leaders. Data from the survey were utilized in the development of a semi-structured interview guide; 15 physician leaders were interviewed.

A profile of Canadian physician leadership has been compiled, including demographics; an outline of roles, responsibilities, time commitments and related compensation; and personal factors that support, engage and deter physicians when considering taking on leadership roles. The role of health-care organizations in encouraging and supporting physician leadership is explicated.

The baseline data on Canadian physician leaders create the opportunity to determine potential steps for improving the state of physician leadership in Canada; and health-care organizations are provided with a wealth of information on how to encourage and support physician leaders. Using the data as a benchmark, comparisons can also be made with physician leadership as practiced in other nations.

There are no other research studies available that provide the depth and breadth of detail on Canadian physician leadership, and the embedded recommendations to health-care organizations are informed by this in-depth knowledge.

This paper aims to use quick response (QR) code along with online videos to teach one of the college foundation courses in an international institution to enhance the grasp of the students and to boost the students’ learning outcomes.

The study discussed and elaborated the findings that mainly focused on the usage of the online resources to teach Engineering Economy course. Besides, the authors analyzed how the gender may have different feedback for the student.

The study emphasized on the expectations of the students to use videos in the learning experience that preferred to be developed by course educator and to be published on the university platform, like blackboard or faculty website, that conforms university transformation vision undergoing nowadays. It is recommended to have a successful learning experience; it is the educator's responsibility to improve the personal digitization skills that would be used in the e-learning implementations, that will be used for the educational technology, which requires the use of creative media production mobile applications.

The education field has witnessed significant development over the past years in terms of using digital technologies as pedagogical tools to enhance the students’ learning experience especially the internet, where the traditional trends become outdated to be used in the classrooms. One of the main players in this field is videos that are considered as the main influencer to this educational change, where it has been demonstrated to and boost the quality of the learning experience.

In this study, students participated to explore the usefulness of using online learning through using videos blended with QR code to enhance the students’ performance in understanding one of the undergraduate foundation courses in the college of engineering, namely, engineering economy. A survey was distributed to students after the core material of the course was covered. The collected responses were then studied and analyzed.