Blockchain technology has attracted considerable attention from both academicians and industry players in different industries, such as accounting and finance, because of its transformative potential of re-engineering the process of operation and enhancing the level of required transparency in these industries. However, despite the various possibilities of transforming the accounting and finance sectors, there are still numerous challenges that hinder the further development of blockchain technology in the domain. The various obstacles to the adoption of blockchain in accounting and finance are interconnected and include a diverse set of issues related to technology, organization, regulations, and knowledge. To overcome these obstacles, it is necessary to take a comprehensive approach that includes improving technical proficiency, encouraging cooperation among stakeholders, negotiating intricate regulations, and cultivating a culture of innovation and adaptation within enterprises.

Population size and geographical range are the key quantitative criteria used by the IUCN to assess the conservation status of a species. However, such information is often incomplete and inconsistent, even for seemingly abundant species. To assess the population and conservation status of Indian primates, we conducted a systematic review of recent research using the searching, appraisal, synthesis and analysis (SALSA) approach. We reviewed a total of 41 studies on Indian primates conducted during the last 2 decades (2000–2021) for information on various parameters that influence their conservation. We found that 20 out of a total of 26 primate species were evaluated for their population status, and the majority of these studies (71%) showed an overall declining population trend. Remarkably, all but one of the studies conducted exclusively within protected areas revealed declining population trends, whereas trends were more variable for primate populations in non-protected areas. Our data indicate that only 27% (n = 7) of Indian primate species have been surveyed or re-surveyed to assess their population status within the last 5 years. Although threats vary in time and space from species to species, 78% of the studies recorded natural system modifications including habitat loss and fragmentation among the main threats to the survival of Indian primates. Most studies on the population status of Indian primates have either been spatially limited or used outdated methods. We recommend that future studies adopt robust techniques to estimate populations and work across larger geographical scales to develop effective management strategies for the conservation of primates in India.

Blockchain technology has attracted considerable attention from both academicians and industry players in different industries, such as accounting and finance, because of its transformative potential of re-engineering the process of operation and enhancing the level of required transparency in these industries. However, despite the various possibilities of transforming the accounting and finance sectors, there are still numerous challenges that hinder the further development of blockchain technology in the domain. The various obstacles to the adoption of blockchain in accounting and finance are interconnected and include a diverse set of issues related to technology, organization, regulations, and knowledge. To overcome these obstacles, it is necessary to take a comprehensive approach that includes improving technical proficiency, encouraging cooperation among stakeholders, negotiating intricate regulations, and cultivating a culture of innovation and adaptation within enterprises.

Primates are among the most threatened taxa globally, therefore, there is a need to estimate and monitor their populations. Kashmir Gray Langur Semnopithecus ajax is an endangered species for which there is no population estimate. We used double-observer method to estimate its population size in the Kashmir region of North-Western Himalaya. We walked 1284 km across 31 survey blocks spanning all three divisions of Kashmir viz., North, Central, and South Kashmir, covering an area of 411 km2. We counted a minimum of 1367 individual langurs from 27 groups. The detection probability for observer 1 (0.719) and observer 2 (0.656) resulted in a population estimate of 1496 (95% confidence interval [CI] 1367-1899) across 30 groups (with a mean group size of 51), giving a density estimate of 3.64 (3.33-4.62) langurs/km². We found double-observer surveys to be suitable for the population estimation of langurs, and we make recommendations on how to effectively conduct primate surveys, especially in mountainous ecosystems. Our records extend the species distribution range beyond stated by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. Our findings also highlight that the Kashmir Himalaya is a stronghold of the species, where conservation efforts should focus.

Abstract Conservation funding is currently limited; cost‐effective conservation solutions are essential. We suggest that the thousands of field stations worldwide can play key roles at the frontline of biodiversity conservation and have high intrinsic value. We assessed field stations’ conservation return on investment and explored the impact of COVID‐19. We surveyed leaders of field stations across tropical regions that host primate research; 157 field stations in 56 countries responded. Respondents reported improved habitat quality and reduced hunting rates at over 80% of field stations and lower operational costs per km2 than protected areas, yet half of those surveyed have less funding now than in 2019. Spatial analyses support field station presence as reducing deforestation. These “earth observatories” provide a high return on investment; we advocate for increased support of field station programs and for governments to support their vital conservation efforts by investing accordingly.

Purpose The purpose of this study is to examine how the adoption of blockchain technology can improve organizational sustainability and what are the contributions of morality, ethics and governance in this scenario. Design/methodology/approach This study has used different literature and theories to build a successful theoretical model and then validated it using the partial least squares structural equation modeling approach. Various statistical modeling analyses have been performed to test the robustness of the proposed model, which is found to be effective and unique as it has a high explanatory power. Findings This study has found that adoption of blockchain technology can improve the sustainability performance of organizations. It has also highlighted that organizational sustainability will be further enhanced if the underlying algorithms of blockchain technology are transparent to make the applications moral and ethical. This study has further demonstrated that appropriate governance of blockchain technology can support the organizations to enhance their sustainability performance. Research limitations/implications This study demonstrates the importance of an organization’s governance over blockchain technology and its impact on sustainability. The study provides valuable input to practitioners and policy makers regarding blockchain technology and its governance models. Also, the study provides valuable recommendations to leaders and managers of organizations on how to successfully adopt blockchain technology. Originality/value This study presents a unique theoretical model to explain the influence of the adoption of blockchain technology and an organization’s sustainability. The study also adds value to the overall body of literature in the areas of ethics, governance and blockchain technology along with sustainability.

The Western Ghats (WG) mountain chain is a global biodiversity hotspot with high diversity and endemicity of woody plants. The latitudinal breadth of the WG offers an opportunity to determine the evolutionary drivers of latitudinal diversity patterns. We examined the spatial patterns of evolutionary diversity using complementary phylogenetic diversity and endemism measures. To examine if different regions of the WG serve as a museum or cradle of evolutionary diversity, we examined the distribution of 470 species based on distribution modelling and occurrence locations across the entire region. In accordance with the expectation, we found that the southern WG is both a museum and cradle of woody plant evolutionary diversity, as a higher proportion of both old and young evolutionary lineages are restricted to the southern WG. The diversity gradient is likely driven by high geo-climatic stability in the south and phylogenetic niche conservatism for moist and aseasonal sites. This is corroborated by persistent lineage nestedness at almost all evolutionary depths (10-135 million years), and a strong correlation of evolutionary diversity with drought seasonality, precipitation and topographic heterogeneity. Our results highlight the global value of the WG, demonstrating, in particular, the importance of protecting the southern WG-an engine of plant diversification and persistence.

Asia is counted as one of the regions that has been dealing high emissions and energy consumption issue especially since last decade. Also, Natural resource rents are one of the influencing constraints which damages the environmental quality. Since the recent global climate summit is conducted to gather world leaders together to accelerate Paris agreement goals. Thereby, considering COP26 commitments, the study intended to explore the role of COP26 commitments along with non-renewable energy consumption in the extraction of natural resources. The necessity to study it in the context of 10 Asian economies is due to the high emissions and energy consumption and one should know that transitioning the economy towards renewable consumption is an essential target to meet COP26 net-zero emission goal. Thus, the study covered the period from 2006 to 2020 to explore the relationship between variables in Asian economies. Findings echoed that carbon emissions and methane emissions are positively associated with natural resource rents, hence establishing the fact that COP26 environmental targets are negatively related to natural resource rents. Consistent with prior literature, findings also exposed the positive association of fossil fuel energy consumption with natural resource rent, hence highlighting the need of serious policy implications in order to save the environmental and natural resources for future generation.

A robust talent management strategy can help organizations achieve their long-term goals by creating a pool of skilled and motivated employees who are committed to the organization's success. Sustainable organizations recognize the importance of nurturing their employees' potential and investing in their development. This creates a positive work culture that fosters innovation, creativity, and adaptability, enabling the organization to remain competitive in an ever-changing business environment. By investing in employee development, organizations can build a sustainable workforce that is better equipped to navigate the challenges of the future. This study objective was to investigate the implementation of talent management strategy to attain sustainable organization through employee effectiveness. A quantitative study was employed to get data from healthcare sector (public and private hospitals) in Dubai UAE. 195 respondent’s data incorporated to evaluate the study model using SmartPLS 4.0. Model’s validity, reliability and hypothesis test was employed. It has statistically proven there is a positive relationship between talent management strategy and sustainable organization through employee effectiveness. As a results, the process of attracting, retaining, and developing talented individuals who are aligned with the organization's goals and values. By implementing effective talent management strategies, organizations can identify and nurture the skills and competencies of their employees, which leads to increased job satisfaction, employee engagement, and productivity.

The most reported elevation gradients in species richness are a unimodal peak and linear decline. However, the overlap of different biogeographic realms in a region can influence such gradients. We used live-capture data on small mammals (voles, rats, mice, shrews, and pikas) to describe elevation gradients in species richness in Sikkim, where Afrotropical, Indo-Malayan, and Palearctic fauna occur in the lower, middle, and higher elevations, respectively. We sampled 38 trap lines in an elevation range of 300 m to 4,200 m, which we binned into nine elevation zones. Each trap line had 50 Sherman traps run for 3–5 nights during 2003–05 and 2012–13. We had a total of 9,069 trap nights with 430 captures, including 13 species of murid rodents, five ground shrews, two voles, and one each of pika and tree shrews. The capture rate in a trap line ranged from 0 to 19.7 per 100 trap night (mean = 5.30±0.767 SEM) with a peak at 2,501–3,001 m (3.29±0.644), coinciding with temperate broad leaf and conifer forests. Species richness seemed to have a minor peak at 501–1,000 m (2.50±0.645 species per trapline) and a clear peak at 3,001–3,500 m (3.29±0.644), coinciding with tropical forests and temperate mixed conifer forests, respectively. The apparent bimodal elevation gradient is due to the overlap of western Asian and Indo-Malayan fauna in the lower elevation and of the latter and Palearctic fauna in the higher elevation. More intensive sampling is needed to test this hypothesis that the overlap of biogeographic regions can influence elevation gradient in species richness.

In this paper, an attempt was made to estimate both long-run and short-run the elasticities of residential water demand in Lesotho by employing the ARDL approach through cointegration and error correction methods. It proposes a demand model for residential water by applying the Stone-Geary functional utility form, which views water consumption as either fixed or residual. As a result, we can calculate the threshold below which water consumption is considered nonresponsive to price changes. Price elasticity was found to be -0.16 in the short run and -0.22 in the long run, using monthly time-series data from January 2015 to March 2018. The income elasticity of water demand is 0.16 in the short run, and 0.22, in the long run. Additionally, based on the findings, it was observed that the share of water consumption insensitive to price changes in Lesotho was 113 Lpcd. Moreover, the elasticity of residential water prices was low. In other words, water expenditure comprises a miniscule fraction of households’ total residential expenditures. This suggests that changing supplier revenue by changing prices may be more successful in Lesotho, and hence, in other developing countries.

Frugivorous primates in temperate and subtropical regions often experience a shortage or complete absence of fruits for several months of the year. We studied the foraging ecology of a group of stump-tailed macaques Macaca arctoides in a subtropical forest during winter, when fruit abundance was low. We conducted this study in the Hollongapar Gibbon Sanctuary, Assam, India, from December 2015 to April 2016. We estimated the time-activity budgets, diet, and habitat use of the study troop and also conducted vegetation sampling and phenological monitoring of the study area. The stump-tailed macaque troop spent about 73.2% of its time foraging and feeding, with seasonal differences in food species intake and in habitat use. Open degraded forests were primarily used in December, January, and February, when the macaques largely fed on shoots of the bamboo Schizostachyum polymorphum and roots of the herb Forrestia (= Amischotolype) mollissima, while they mostly utilised F. mollissima in canopy-covered, degraded forests in March and April. There was a major shift from a primary diet of fruits in the wet season, reported from earlier studies, to possibly relatively poorquality, but abundant, shoots and roots in winter. This suggests that the consumption of these poor-quality fallback food species is a key dietary adaptation of the macaques to periods of fruit scarcity. Although our preliminary study suggests that the feeding behaviour of the stump-tailed macaque in its subtropical semievergreen forest habitat appears to be similar to that of its congeneric species in temperate forests, further investigations are needed to firmly establish the observed foraging patterns of this vulnerable cercopithecine species in its last lowland rainforest refuge in northeastern India.

ABSTRACT Production landscapes outside protected areas are important for the conservation of wildlife, especially in countries like India with high biodiversity and human densities. Production landscapes like plantations often occur in close proximity to biodiversity-rich areas. Rubber and cashew are lucrative plantation crops in India, which although grown under similar environmental conditions, vary in their management and productivity. These plantation crops are often found along the edges of forests, thereby creating a buffer between forested and urban landscapes. While these areas have the potential to be a refuge for species otherwise restricted to natural forests, they are poorly-studied. To address this knowledge gap, we studied how habitat type (cashew, rubber or forest) and habitat characteristics affect bird diversity and guild structure in the Tillari landscape of Western Ghats, Maharashtra. Additionally, we examined how these effects are mediated by distance of plantations to nearest forest edge. In each habitat type, in 2018, we sampled birds six times each in 30 locations using fixed radius point counts. We found that bird diversity in cashew plantations (14 species) was comparable to that of adjoining forests (15 species). Rubber plantations, on the other hand, had lower bird diversity (9 species) than that in cashew or forests. When bird diversity was analysed based on dietary guilds, rubber plantations had fewer bird species in all guilds and cashew plantations had higher abundance of nectivores and lower richness of insectivores than in forest. Distance from the forest did not affect bird diversity in rubber plantations, whereas cashew plantations had fewer nectivorous birds and higher insectivorous birds away from the forest edge. Our results show that cashew plantations can serve as an important surrogate habitat for forest birds in the northern Western Ghats. The findings indicate the unsuitability of rubber plantations for sustaining bird diversity. While there are many studies available on bird diversity in rubber plantations, this is among the first studies of bird community structure in cashew plantations. At a time when forests are rapidly being cleared for plantations, our findings provide valuable data to examine the differential impacts of plantation type on biodiversity.

Purpose This research mainly aims to test the impact of two leadership styles (ethical and servant leadership) on employee creativity; and to determine whether organizational citizenship behavior (OCB) mediates the relationships between them. Design/methodology/approach The paper relied on a quantitative research approach with a sample of 213 staff from public universities in the United Arab Emirates. In this paper, the partial least square approach (PLS-SEM) was employed in order to verify the proposed hypotheses. Findings The outcomes confirmed that OCB has a positive impact on employee creativity. Additionally, the findings indicated that ethical leadership positively affected OCB and employee creativity. It was also confirmed that servant leadership has a significant positive impact on OCB and employee creativity. Finally, the findings revealed that OCB fully mediates the linkages among servant and ethical leadership and employee creativity. Originality/value This paper acknowledges the existing gaps in the prior literature, and enables us to understand clearly about the significance of ethical as well as servant leadership in affecting employee creativity via OCB as a mediator.

The haemoprotozoan parasite, Babesia gibsoni, a small intra-erythrocytic apicomplexan parasite is responsible for causing canine babesiosis, which is manifested as hyperacute, acute or chronic infections with clinical symptoms that vary from sub-clinical infection to extensive organ failure and death. The present study was conducted to compare the relative effectiveness of two Polymerase chain reactions (PCR) targeting18SrRNA and BgSA1 genes to detect the presence of B. gibsoni in dogs. The polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay targeting 18S ribosomal RNA gene fragment revealed Babesia genus specific ~1665 bp fragment amplified in 15 out of 50 samples. Similarly, the polymerase chain reaction for the amplification of B. gibsoni specific secreted antigen 1(BgSA1), revealed the ~1500 bp amplicon in eight samples. The comparison of results of PCRs based on McNemar’s Test, revealed that the relative effectiveness of PCR targeting BgSA1 and Bg18S rRNA genes were almost similar.

Aim How seasonal drought influences tree species distributions might shape future vegetation composition with impending changes to rainfall patterns. Theory suggests that across a seasonal drought gradient, dry-tolerant species might have wider distributions than species sensitive to seasonal drought, which will be restricted to less seasonal conditions. As wet-associated species drop out with increasing seasonality, the community will contain mainly dry-tolerant species. Time period Present. Location Western Ghats Biodiversity Hotspot in peninsular India. Major taxa studied Woody angiosperms. Methods Across a 1,200 km seasonal drought gradient, we modelled occurrences of 183 species using Gaussian logistic regression in a hierarchical Bayesian framework. We used the first-order model coefficients to attribute the association of species to seasonality (dry/wet) and second-order coefficients to assess modal responses. For 92 species, we checked for an interaction between dry/wet association and two traits: wood density and specific leaf area (SLA). Finally, we assessed the consequences of the seasonality associations of species for regional community assembly. Results Of 183 species, 38% were significantly wet associated, 27% dry associated and 34% indifferent to seasonality. Nearly 80% of species had estimated modes of occurrence within the seasonality range considered here. Species with lower SLA and lower wood density were more likely to occur in more seasonal sites where dry-associated species formed the majority of co-occurring species. The proportion of wet-associated species increased only after intermediate levels of seasonality. The community proportion of extreme wet-associated species decreased prominently from less to more seasonal sites. Main conclusions Dry-associated species persisted in less seasonal sites, but not vice versa. A shift toward more seasonal rainfall might favour dry-associated species and shrink the ranges of wet-associated species. Future work should assess how the intensity and duration of drought and interactions with other drivers of global change regulate the relative performance of species at more and less seasonal sites.

Ungulates in higher latitudes and altitudes experience sharp seasonal changes in forage abundance and quality. In response, ungulates show varying degrees of synchrony in reproduction. Diet type has been hypothesized to be a determinant of differences in reproductive synchrony. Analyses at global scales using proxies of plant phenology such as climate, latitude and Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) have found no evidence in support because such proxies do not capture differences in phenology among plant taxa at local scales. We compared seasonal variations in diet quality with reproductive synchrony in the Himalayan musk deer (Moschus chrysogaster), a browser, and the Himalayan goral (Naemorhedus goral), a grazer, in mid-altitude Himalaya. We also compared seasonal variations in physiological stress using fecal glucocorticoid metabolite (FGM). We identified different stages of female reproductive cycle using fecal concentrations of metabolites of estradiol, pregnanediol-3-glucuronide (PdG) and testosterone and used fecal crude protein (CP) as an indicator of diet quality. In musk deer, fecal estradiol and PdG concentrations showed a dispersed estrous and parturition, respectively. Goral had a more synchronized estrous and parturition. Estrous cycles in both species occurred when diet quality was poor, but parturition occurred when diet quality was high. Greater seasonality in reproduction in goral is driven by sharp phenological changes in graminoids on which it feeds, compared to slow changes in browse on which musk deer feeds. Thus, we show that diet type drives the differences in reproductive synchrony in these two sympatric species. Spring and summer with highest diet quality were times of highest stress in both the ungulates. We hypothesize predation pressure from feral dogs and resource competition with livestock as plausible explanations for this, which need to be tested in future. Our findings also highlight the need for studying relationships among plant phenology, diet type and reproductive biology of ungulates at local scales if we are to understand species responses to global phenomena such as climate change.

Heterogeneous landscapes harboring mosaics of natural habitat and agriculture are increasingly gaining conservation focus in the tropics. While research on cash crops such as coffee, rubber, and oil palm has led to an understanding of their role as supplementary habitats, such has remained limited in cashew plantations despite it being a cash crop of global significance. We conducted a study to understand the occurrence of terrestrial mammal species in a mixed forest–cashew landscape in the northern Western Ghats, India. During January to April 2016, we used trail cameras to sample a total area of 25 km2 divided into 100 grid cells of 0.25 km2 each. We deployed six trail cameras for a 24 h period in each grid cell and obtained photo-captures of 11 species in forests, of which nine were detected in cashew plantations, but most species showed low capture rates. For three of these species—Indian crested porcupine, sambar, and wild pig—we modeled habitat use as a function of site-specific attributes. Wild pig showed a higher probability of use of cashew than forest, while porcupine and sambar did not show any pronounced differences between the two land uses. The probability of habitat use by sambar and porcupine was positively influenced by undergrowth but not for the wild pig. Wild pig habitat use was positively related to increased proximity of human settlements and increasing distance to forests, but the pattern was unreliable for sambar and porcupine. Our preliminary study demonstrates that a subset of terrestrial mammals in the forest makes use of cashew plantations and highlights the need for further research in forest–cashew landscapes to assess conservation opportunities.

This paper examines the challenges that small, medium, and large businesses in the financial services industry are facing concerning data security and providing relevant tools and strategies to protect the same. A qualitative research-based approach has been used where one-on-one interviews were conducted with 10 CIOs (chief information officers) and CISOs (chief information security officers). This data was compared with secondary data sources to validate the findings. This paper presents an in-depth analysis regarding security technologies and their efficacy to protect data assets and sensitive information. It will also opine about the technologies that each business type can use economically to cover the gamut of cyber-attacks. Existing research is restricted to either addressing small and medium businesses (SMBs) or large businesses. This paper attempts a comprehensive review for all sizes of businesses.

The sub-Himalayan dipterocarp forests of subtropical region in northwest India support 17 species of woodpecker. From a conservation perspective it is necessary to assess the ecological requirements of woodpeckers in these biologically diverse landscapes, which are experiencing habitat modification and decline in some woodpeckers. We studied the foraging niche differentiation among ten sympatric woodpeckers in the sub-Himalayan forests of northwest India: Dendrocopos canicapillus, D. macei, Picus cldorolophus, P. xanthopygaeus, P. can us, Dinopium shorii, D. benghalense, Chrysophlegma [Picus] flavinucha, Chrysocolaptes lucidus, and Mulleripicus pulverulentus. We examined the foraging site preferences of individual woodpecker species and explored the role of inter-specific differences in foraging behaviour as a possible mechanism for their coexistence. Observations on foraging woodpeckers were taken vis-a-vis the following niche dimensions: diameter of the foraging tree, height of the foraging bird, type of substrate on which it was foraging, vertical position with respect to canopy, condition of the forage tree and condition of the substrate. Distinct preferences were evident among species in their foraging tree diameters, foraging heights, vertical positions, and choice of substrate type, while preference for dead substrates was not an important distinguishing factor. Species that overlapped in one dimension generally segregated along other dimensions. Niche segregation in forage tree diameter was associated with body weight. Based on their overall niche overlaps species could broadly be differentiated into groups according to body size viz. small (3 species), medium (3 species), large (3 species), and very large (1 species). Our study demonstrates that differentiation in foraging may be a likely mechanism for coexistence of sympatric woodpeckers in this region. Given that larger species prefer larger substrates, removal of mature trees could affect their abundance, and homogenisation of stand structure could lead to impoverishment of woodpecker diversity.