bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
DECREASED VARIATION IN ESOPHAGEAL ACID CONCENTRATION IN DIFFERENT PHENOTYPES OF SYMPTOMATIC GASTROESOPHAGEAL REFLUX DISEASE
Authors: Gardner Jerry D.
Published: April 2023

Background

Homeostatic physiologic systems are regulated to maintain a particular variable such as blood pressure within a restricted range with relatively low variation, and this variation is increased with disease. Fractal physiologic systems, on the other hand, are characterized by wide, complex variation of variables such as heart rate or the walking stride interval, and this variation is decreased with disease. The present report examines time-series recordings of esophageal pH from normal subjects and different GERD phenotypes to measure the distributions of esophageal pH values and the distributions of changes in esophageal acid concentrations.

Methods

Using Lyon consensus definitions of symptomatic GERD phenotypes, I analyzed 24-hour esophageal pH recordings from normal subjects (n=20), Functional Heartburn subjects (n=20), Reflux Hypersensitivity subjects (n=20), and nonerosive esophageal reflux disease (NERD) subjects (n=20). For each subject I calculated the distribution of pH values as well as the distribution of changes in esophageal acid concentrations.

Results

Esophageal pH values have a power law distribution in both normal and symptomatic GERD phenotypes, and esophageal acid concentrations vary over four orders of magnitude in each group. The variation in esophageal acid concentrations decreased progressively from normal subjects to Functional Heartburn subjects to Reflux Hypersensitivity subjects to NERD subjects.

Conclusions

The decreased variation in esophageal acid concentration in symptomatic GERD phenotypes represents changes associated with disease in a fractal physiologic system that shares characteristic features with other fractal systems where disease states have been associated with decreased variation of heart rate or walking stride interval.
Trends in weight gain recorded in English primary care before and during the Coronavirus-19 pandemic: an observational cohort study using the OpenSAFELY platform
Authors: Samuel Miriam , Park Robin Y , Eastwood Sophie V , Eto Fabiola , Morton Caroline E , Stow Daniel , Bacon Sebastian , Mehrkar Amir , Morley Jessica , Dillingham Iain , Inglesby Peter , Hulme William J , Khunti Kamlesh , Mathur Rohini , Valabhji Jonathan , MacKenna Brian , Finer Sarah ,   The OpenSAFELY Collaborative
Published: April 2023

Background

We investigated which clinical and sociodemographic characteristics were associated with unhealthy patterns of weight gain amongst adults living in England during the pandemic.

Methods

With the approval of NHS England we conducted an observational cohort study of Body Mass Index (BMI) changes between March 2015 and March 2022 using the OpenSAFELY-TPP platform. We estimated individual rates of weight gain before and during the pandemic, and identified individuals with rapid weight gain (>0·5kg/m2/year) in each period. We also estimated the change in rate of weight gain between the prepandemic and pandemic period and defined extreme-accelerators as the ten percent of individuals with the greatest increase (>1·84kg/m2/year). We estimated associations with these outcomes using multivariate logistic regression.

Findings

We extracted data on 17,742,365 adults (50·1% female, 76·1% White British). Median BMI increased from 27·8kg/m2[IQR:24·3-32·1] in 2019 (March 2019 to February 2020) to 28·0kg/m2[24·4-32·6] in 2021. Rapid pandemic weight gain (n=3,214,155) was associated with female sex (male vs female: aOR 0·76 [95%CI:0·76-0·76]); younger age (50-59-years vs 18–29-years: aOR 0·60 [0·60-0·61]); White British ethnicity (Black Caribbean vs White British: aOR 0·91 [0·89-0·94]); deprivation (least-deprived-IMD-quintile vs most-deprived: aOR 0·77 [0·77-0·78]); and long-term conditions, of which mental health conditions had the greatest effect (e.g. depression (aOR 1·18[1·17-1·18])). Similar characteristics increased risk of extreme acceleration (n=2,768,695).

Interpretation

We found female sex, younger age, deprivation and mental health conditions increased risk of unhealthy patterns of pandemic weight gain. This highlights the need to incorporate sociodemographic, physical, and mental health characteristics when formulating post-pandemic research, policies, and interventions targeting BMI.

Funding

NIHR
Revisiting the role ofAcinetobacterspp. in EBPR systems
Authors: Yan Yuan , Hana IL , Lee Jangho , Li Guangyu , Srinivasan Varun , McCullough Kester , Klaus Stephanie , Kang Da , Wang DongQi , Patel Anand , McQuarrie Jim , Stinson Beverley M. , deBarbadillo Christine , Dombrowski Paul , Bott Charles , Gu April Z.
Published: April 2023

Side-stream Enhanced biological phosphorus removal (S2EBPR) has been incorporated with B-stage process to enable simultaneous phosphorus and nitrogen removal. However, the dominating phosphorus accumulating organisms (PAOs) in this novel configuration has not been evaluated. The dominance of Acinetobacter was confirmed by 16S sequencing. In addition, single cell Raman spectrum (SCRS) analysis in couple with in situ fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) was applied to obtain the feature spectrum and verify the phosphorus release/uptake activity of Acinetobacter spp. The phenotypic profiling further suggested the dominance of Acinetobacter-like organisms among all poly-phosphorus containing organisms and only certain phenotypic Acinetobacter (oligotype 1) contribution to P-removal in a unique HRAS-P(D)N-S2EBPR system. The findings suggest that Acinetobacter may outcompete other heterotrophic organisms in EBPR systems due to their sensitivity to operational conditions. However, stable P-removal was only observed during a specific section of the operation period, coinciding with an increase in the VFA/P ratio. Further research is needed to identify the phenotypes of Acinetobacter responsible for P-removal in EBPR systems. The study contributes to a better understanding of the microbial ecology and engineering aspects of EBPR systems and wastewater treatment in general.
The adhesion GPCRs CELSR1-3 and LPHN3 engage G proteins via distinct activation mechanisms
Authors: Huong Bui Duy Lan , Roach Andrew , Li Jingxian , Bandekar Sumit J. , Orput Elizabeth , Raghavan Ritika , Araç Demet , Sando Richard
Published: April 2023

Adhesion GPCRs (aGPCRs) are a large GPCR class that direct diverse fundamental biological processes. One prominent mechanism for aGPCR agonism involves autoproteolytic cleavage, which generates an activating, membrane-proximal tethered agonist (TA). How universal this mechanism is for all aGPCRs is unclear. Here, we investigate G protein induction principles of aGPCRs using mammalian LPHN3 and CELSR1-3, members of two aGPCR families conserved from invertebrates to vertebrates. LPHNs and CELSRs mediate fundamental aspects of brain development, yet CELSR signaling mechanisms are unknown. We found that CELSR1 and CELSR3 are cleavage-deficient, while CELSR2 is efficiently cleaved. Despite differential autoproteolysis, CELSR1-3 all engage GαS, and CELSR1 or CELSR3 TA point mutants retain GαS coupling activity. CELSR2 autoproteolysis enhances GαS coupling, yet acute TA exposure alone is insufficient. These studies support that aGPCRs signal via multiple paradigms and provide insights into CELSR biological function.
Chemosensory Coding inDrosophilaSingle Sensilla
Authors: Benton Richard , Dahanukar Anupama
Published: April 2023

The chemical senses—smell and taste—detect and discriminate an enormous diversity of environmental stimuli and provide fascinating but challenging models to investigate how sensory cues are represented in the brain. Important stimulus-coding events occur in peripheral sensory neurons, which express specific combinations of chemosensory receptors with defined ligand-response profiles. These receptors convert ligand recognition into spatial and temporal patterns of neural activity that are transmitted to, and interpreted in, central brain regions.Drosophila melanogasterprovides an attractive model to study chemosensory coding because it possesses relatively simple peripheral olfactory and gustatory systems that display many organizational parallels to those of vertebrates. Moreover, nearly all peripheral chemosensory neurons have been molecularly characterized and are accessible for physiological analysis, as they are exposed on the surface of sensory organs housed in specialized hairs called sensilla. Here, we briefly review anatomical, molecular, and physiological properties of adultDrosophilaolfactory and gustatory systems and provide background to methods for electrophysiological recordings of ligand-evoked activity from different types of chemosensory sensilla.
Crystal structure of the engineered endolysin mtEC340M
Authors: Wang Jee-Min , Seok Seung-Hyeon , Yoon Won-Su , Kim Ji-Hun , Seo Min-Duk
Published: April 2023

Endolysins produced by bacteriophages play essential roles in the release of phage progeny by degrading the peptidoglycan layers of the bacterial cell wall. Bacteriophage-encoded endolysins have emerged as a new class of antibacterial agents to combat surging antibiotic resistance. The crystal structure of mtEC340M, an engineered endolysin EC340 from the PBEC131 phage that infects Escherichia coli, was determined. The crystal structure of mtEC340M at 2.4 Å resolution consists of eight α-helices and two loops. The three active residues of mtEC340M were predicted by structural comparison with peptidoglycan-degrading lysozyme.
Institutional repository infrastructure: a survey of Ghanaian public universities
Authors: Imoro Osman , Saurombe Nampombe
Published: April 2023

Purpose

Ghanaian public universities have fully embraced the concept of open access. This is evident in the increasing numbers of institutional repositories (IRs) by universities in Ghana. However, to ensure the sustainability of these IRs, it is vital the current IR infrastructure is capable of responding to current and future demands. The purpose of this study is to investigate the sustainability of the current IR infrastructure of public universities in Ghana.

Design/methodology/approach

The convergent parallel mixed methods design was adopted. A total of 830 respondents comprising IR managers, library staff (digitisation and e-resources units), postgraduate students, lecturers and university librarians from five public universities in Ghana were sampled for this study. A questionnaire and a semi-structured interview guide were the main instruments used for data collection.

Findings

The findings of this study revealed that the IR infrastructure of public universities in Ghana is robust and has the capacity to expand when the need arises. However, funding, cost of internet connectivity, personnel and erratic power supply were identified as major challenges confronting IRs in Ghana.

Originality/value

This study highlighted Ghana's existing IR infrastructure situation. This study is a significant contribution to the literature from West Africa because there is not much research on IR infrastructure from this part of the world.
Female top managers and credit risk: evidence from Italian firms
Authors: Manello Alessandro , Falavigna Greta , Isaia Eleonora , Rossi Maria Cristina
Published: April 2023

Purpose

The recent literature on corporate governance and gender diversity underlines that those differences may go beyond a pure or direct effect on firms’ performance and in this vein, this study aims to investigate whether the presence of women in leading positions can affect the credit rating indicators.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors focus on Italian manufacturing firms, as well as small and medium firms (SMEs), that are often under-represented in previous studies, despite their importance in many economies. The authors extract data on directors and top managers as well as rating classes and credit score indicators, and using a fixed-effects model, the authors analyze the relationship between credit risk mitigation and the inclusion of women among top managers, consistently with the rising empirical literature focused on risk perceptions.

Findings

The authors find a significant negative relationship between female participation in top management and credit risk, with a greater impact associated with smaller firms, where the presence of a female top manager might make the difference. The results are robust to different model specifications and estimation strategies, and the authors find different magnitudes of the effects also according to the geographical location of the firm.

Research limitations/implications

Because of the chosen sample of manufacturing firms, the research results may lack generalizability. Therefore, researchers are encouraged to expand the study and test the approach elsewhere.

Originality/value

The authors add new and more robust empirical evidence of a negative relationship between female participation in the top management and credit risk by focusing on the entire population of Italian nonlisted manufacturing firms.
Social expenditure, business responsibility reporting score and firm performance: empirical evidence from India
Authors: Bhatnagar Chandra Shekhar , Bhatnagar Dyal , Bhullar Pritpal Singh
Published: April 2023

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to examine the impact of corporate social responsibility (CSR) expenditure and business responsibility report (BRR) on a firm’s financial performance. Additionally, the study explores whether CSR expenditure and firm performance are related linearly or otherwise. The study also assesses the influence of mandating CSR expenditure on a firm’s performance.

Design/methodology/approach

The study is set in India and uses a nine-year data set from 165 companies listed on the Bombay Stock Exchange. Data compilation and analysis are done by using content analysis and panel data regressions.

Findings

The main findings of the study are that the effect of CSR expenditure on firm performance in India is non-linear and can be characterized as parabolic for investigated firms. While some performance indicators suggest a U-shaped relationship, others show an inverted U-type pattern, making a definitive conclusion elusive in either direction. BRR scores themselves have a positive impact on firm performance. Mandatory CSR expenditure affects the financial performance negatively, but the market performance improves in general.

Originality/value

The study provides new insights on the relationship between CSR expenditure, BRR scores and firm performance from India, which is not only a notable emerging market but also has other gripping characteristics. It has a prolific history of philanthropy, and yet, it is the first country in the world to mandate CSR expenditure in recent times. The equation between reported economic progress and general quality of life remains intriguing, and yet the number of studies on the effects of CSR expenditure on firm performance are no match to the volume of ongoing and completed works in more developed markets. This study attempts to trim the gap and provide some useful insights for managers, policymakers and stakeholders, apart from prompting further research.
Connecting organizational learning strategies to organizational resilience
Authors: Douglas Stephanie , Haley Gordon
Published: April 2023

Purpose

The objective of this study is to analyze the conceptual and domain overlap of organizational learning and organizational resilience; specifically, the adaptation or renewal domain in organizational resilience. From the findings, strategies to foster collective learning leading to organizational resilience are identified and outlined.

Design/methodology/approach

Recent organizational resilience conceptual models were analyzed to identify the conceptual overlap between the renewal and adaptation domain of organizational resilience and organizational learning. From the analysis of the models, implications were drawn based on the conceptual overlap found in organizational learning and the adaptable or renewal domain of organizational resilience.

Findings

To build the renewal or adaptation domain of organizational resilience, organizations must embody learning into a capability. Systems are then required for learning to remain continuous and foster knowledge acquisition, distribution, interpretation, and organizational memory that leads to dynamic capabilities for renewal and adaptation. The learning strategies must then focus renewing what is known in traditional approaches to organizational learning that supports experiential learning, developing systematic approaches to learning, and creating contexts to facilitate organizational learning. When this knowledge is aggregated to an organizational level, it contributes to resilience.

Originality/value

As organizational resilience grows in attention and importance; it is necessary to investigate similarities and conceptual domain overlap. This study contributes to this need and identifies what can be implemented in learning strategies for organizations’ resilience capacity.
The mediating role of carbon emissions in the relationship between the board attributes and ESG performance: European evidence
Authors: Alkurdi Amneh , Al Amosh Hamzeh , Khatib Saleh F.A.
Published: April 2023

Purpose

This study seeks to investigate the impact of board attributes on environmental, social and governance (ESG) performance, along with exploring the mediating role of carbon emissions in this relationship.

Design/methodology/approach

To address this objective, the panel data approach was used to analyze the data were collected from 1,621 European companies from 2017 to 2021.

Findings

This study shows that board gender diversity, audit committee independence, expertise and board meeting attendance help enhance ESG performance. On the contrary, board size and composition do not affect ESG performance. The findings also showed that board gender diversity, audit committee independence, expertise and board meeting attendance are negatively related to carbon emissions performance. However, board size is related positively to carbon emissions performance. This indicates that the larger boards of directors may have diverse experiences that enhance the environmental performance of companies. Furthermore, the finding showed companies that contribute to lowering carbon emissions are more willing to improve their ESG performance. Also, carbon emissions mediate the relationship between the board's attributes and ESG performance.

Originality/value

The study's results have significant implications for firm managers in enhancing the efficiency of board decisions in determining environmental practices that matter to various groups of stakeholders. In addition, this study provides valuable input to regulators and policymakers regarding strengthening the regulations and controlling tools that enhance environmental performance.
Mentoring underrepresented racially minoritized undergraduate students in an education research apprenticeship program: strategies for success
Authors: Hankerson Shenika , Williams Olivia
Published: April 2023

Purpose

This study examined the characteristics of research mentors that successfully support underrepresented racially minoritized undergraduate (URMU) students in education research.

Design/methodology/approach

An exploratory case study approach was employed to gain insight into the characteristics. The data sources used to inform this study included surveys and artifacts from eight URMU students who participated in a national grant-funded research apprenticeship fellowship program.

Findings

Results revealed three key findings about the characteristics that research mentors need to possess to successfully support URMU students in education research. These characteristics include a willingness to (1) invest time and effort in the mentor–mentee relationship, (2) share relevant knowledge and expertise about education research and (3) serve as sponsors to support and promote their mentees' educational research goals and endeavors.

Practical implications

The results have the potential to improve the quality of successful research mentorship opportunities for URMU students in education research by demonstrating the qualities and importance of these mentoring relationships. Higher quality mentoring relationships have the power to encourage URMU students to persist into graduate school and/or the education research profession via knowledge sharing, support and social capital. This is particularly important as education research – which still largely privileges Eurocentric research perspectives and methods – continues to take much needed steps toward racial and cultural diversity.

Originality/value

Most undergraduate research mentorship literature – and especially that literature highlighting the needs of URMU students – focuses on students in STEM, leaving gaps in knowledge related to students in education research. By focusing on the latter, this study seeks to extend our knowledge of the research mentorship needs of URMU students in education research.
Do ride-hailing drivers' psychological behaviors influence operational performance?
Authors: Idug Yavuz , Niranjan Suman , Manuj Ila , Gligor David , Ogden Jeffrey
Published: April 2023

Purpose

The proliferation of ride-hailing businesses brings significant considerations for improving the driver's operational performance. Informed by the literature on sharing economy, general deterrence theory and protection motivation theory this research investigates the behavioral factors impacting ride-hailing drivers' operational performance.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors empirically test the antecedents impacting a ride-hailing driver's operational performance using an online survey dataset comprising 513 ride-hailing drivers working for Uber and Lyft in the United States.

Findings

Ride-hailing drivers' intention to comply with the ride-hailing company guidelines results in better operational performance for the driver. Moreover, drivers believe that ride-hailing companies have effective penalties to deter drivers from violating company guidelines. However, drivers also believe that the chances of being caught while ignoring the company guidelines are low.

Practical implications

The results of this research support the decision-making processes of ride-hailing company managers and offer insights on how managers can enhance the operational performance of their drivers.

Originality/value

This study provides unique contributions to emerging research at the intersection of peer-to-peer asset sharing, behavioral studies and technology management. This research is one of the first to explore the role of behavioral factors such as coping mechanisms on the operational performance of sharing economy workers.
The role of digital knowledge servitization in supply chain management
Authors: Pizzichini Lucia , Temperini Valerio , Caboni Federica , Papa Armando
Published: April 2023

Purpose

This paper aims to contribute to overcoming the gap existing in the supply chain literature related to digital servitization by bridging digital servitization with knowledge management and identifying the rise of digital knowledge servitization as a driver for changes in the supply chain business model towards open innovation.

Design/methodology/approach

The study follows an inductive grounded theory approach for theory building. To analyse the impact of digital knowledge servitization, in-depth interviews of managers in the main business units of the Volvo Group supply chain ecosystem were carried out.

Findings

The results show how the digital servitization process affects the supply chain business model, highlighting the central role of knowledge in the service ecosystem and the rise of the theoretical concept of digital knowledge servitization. In particular, through the Innovation Lab (Volvo Group) study, the paper contributes to bringing together the theoretical knowledge-based view of servitization with the digital servitization concept, which demonstrates the role of this combined perspective in the transformation of the supply chain; this is carried out by introducing a new business model based on open innovation in inbound and outbound processes.

Practical implications

The research offers interesting insights from a managerial perspective, as increasingly advanced and complex digital solutions require shorter times in supply chain management (SCM). Companies need to be able to quickly manage information and knowledge flows deriving from internal and external interactions and involvement with external actors upstream and downstream of the supply chain ecosystem. Therefore, the digital knowledge servitization of the supply chain also highlights implications for managers in terms of human resources management.

Originality/value

The novel research goal is to contribute to the supply chain literature by integrating the digital servitization with the knowledge view and analysing the impact on the inbound and outbound supply chain through the introduction of an open innovation business model.
Multi-response optimization for a low-cost multi-dimpling process
Authors: Waghmare Govind , Arakerimath Rachayya Rudramuni
Published: April 2023

Purpose

This study aims to identify the significant factors of the multi-dimpling process, determine the most influential parameters of multi-dimpling to increase the dimple sheet strength and make a low-cost model of the multi-dimpling for sheet metal industries. To create an empirical expression linking process performance to different input factors, the percentage contribution of these elements is also calculated.

Design/methodology/approach

Taguchi grey relational analysis is used to apply a new effective strategy to experimental data in order to optimize the dimpling process parameters while taking into account several performance factors and low-cost model. In addition, a statistical method called ANOVA is used to ensure that the results are adequate. The optimal process parameters that generate improved mechanical properties are determined via grey relational analysis (GRA). Every level of the process variables, a response table and a grey relational grade (GRG) has been established.

Findings

The factors created for experiment number 2 with 0.5 mm as the sheet thickness, 2 mm dimple diameter, 0.5 mm dimple depth, 8 mm dimples spacing and the material of SS 304 were allotted rank one, which belonged to the optimal parameter values giving the greatest value of GRG.

Practical implications

The study demonstrates that the process parameters of any dimple sheet manufacturing industry can be optimized, and the effect of process parameters can be identified.

Originality/value

The proposed low-cost model is relatively economical and readily implementable to small- and large-scale industries using newly developed multi-dimpling multi-punch and die.
Carbon allowance approach for capital-constrained supply chain under carbon emission allowance repurchase strategy
Authors: Wang Yuyan , Lin Fei , Cheng T.C.E. , Jia Fu , Sun Yulin
Published: April 2023

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to investigate which of the two carbon allowance allocation methods (CAAMs), i.e. grandfathered system carbon allowance allocation (GCAA) and baseline system carbon allowance allocation (BCAA), is more beneficial to capital-constrained supply chains under the carbon emission allowance repurchase strategy (CEARS).

Design/methodology/approach

Adopting CEARS to ease the capital-constrained supply chains, this study develops two-period game models with manufacturers as leaders and retailers as followers from the perspective of profit and social welfare maximization under two CAAMs (GCAA and BCAA), where the first period produces normal products, and the second period produces low-carbon products.

Findings

First, higher carbon-saving can better use CEARS and achieve a higher supply chain profit under the two CAAMs. However, the higher the end-of-period carbon price is, the lower the social welfare is. Second, when carbon-saving is small, GCAA achieves both economic and environmental benefits; BCAA reduces carbon emissions at the expense of economic benefit. Third, the supply chain members gain higher profits and social welfare under GCAA, so the government and supply chain members are more inclined to choose GCAA.

Originality/value

By analyzing the profits and total carbon emissions of capital-constrained supply chains under GCAA and BCAA, this study provides theoretical references for retailers and capital-constrained manufacturers. In addition, by comparing the difference in social welfare under GCAA and BCAA, it provides a basis for the government to choose a reasonable CAAM.
Health-care providers' experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic: lessons for leaders
Authors: Corcoran Lynn , Perry Beth , Jay Melissa , Edwards Margaret , Jerry Paul
Published: April 2023

Purpose

The purpose of this qualitative research study is to explore health-care providers’ perspectives and experiences with a specific focus on supports reported to be effective during the COVID-19 pandemic. The overarching goal of this study is to inform leaders and leadership regarding provision of supports that could be implemented during times of crisis and in the future beyond the pandemic.

Design/methodology/approach

Data were collected by semi-structured, conversational interviews with a sample of 33 health-care professionals, including Registered Nurses, Nurse Practitioners, Registered Psychologists, Registered Dieticians and an Occupational Therapist.

Findings

Three major themes emerged from the interview data: (1) professional and personal challenges for health-care providers, (2) physical and mental health impacts on health-care providers and (3) providing supports for health-care providers. The third theme was further delineated into three sub-theses: formal resources and supports, informal resources and supports and leadership strategies.

Originality/value

Health-care leaders are advised to pay attention to the voices of the people they are leading. It is important to know what supports health-care providers need in times of crisis. Situating the needs of health-care providers in the Carter and Bogue Model of Leadership Influence for Health Professional Wellbeing (2022) can assist leaders to deliberately focus on aspects of providers’ wellbeing and remain cognizant of the supports needed both during a crisis and when circumstances are unremarkable.
Punitive switching costs and behavioral responses in the context of contractual services
Authors: Chuang Yi-Fei , Dinh Cong-Minh , Lu Wei-Min
Published: April 2023

Purpose

Contractual services are characterized by features such as termination fees, long-term commitment, and complex terms. When customers find better deals from other providers, they may want to switch, but contractual obligations prevent them from doing so. Thus, this study aims to draw upon the stimulus-organism-response paradigm and theories of emotion regulation to examine how punitive switching costs (PSCs) can evoke negative emotions (NEs) from customers and, consequently, lead to negative behavioral responses in contractual service settings.

Design/methodology/approach

This study collected data from 395 customers of telecommunications companies, fitness centers, tutoring firms/centers, and house leasing companies in Taiwan. We tested the hypotheses using partial least squares structural equation modeling via SmartPLS 3.0.

Findings

The results show that NEs partially mediate the relationship between PSC and customers’ switching intention and negative word-of-mouth. This study also finds alternative attractiveness (AA) and service recovery (SR) do not moderate the PSCs–NEs relationship, but AA does directly influence NEs.

Originality/value

First, this study contributes to the literature on switching costs by exploring how PSC exerts a detrimental impact on behavioral responses. Second, this study adds to the literature on service failures by identifying the mediating role of NEs in such a relationship.
Preparing teacher candidates to address anti-blackness and see the assets of black students in clinical practice
Authors: Bertrand Shamaine K.
Published: April 2023

Purpose

This article shares how providing teacher candidates with experiences in a predominantly black elementary school for their clinical experiences highlighted a need to recognize, acknowledge and address anti-blackness in teacher candidates’ clinical courses. As well as, a need to emphasize the brilliance and assets of black students. Additionally, this article shares ways in which those involved in the work of school-university or professional development school (PDS) partnerships can incorporate practices that address anti-blackness in clinical practice.

Design/methodology/approach

Conceptual paper sharing experiences addressing anti-blackness in school-university partnerships.

Findings

National Association of Professional Development Schools (NAPDS) recently revised their Nine Essentials to include this revised version of Essential 1: A comprehensive mission which calls for the advancement of equity, antiracism and social justice within and among schools, colleges/universities and their respective community and professional partners. The work that the author presents in this article around preparing teacher candidates to address anti-blackness fits into the call of Essential 1 because when anti-blackness is addressed equity, antiracism and social justice can be part of the educational experiences of black children. This article shares how providing teacher candidates experiences in a predominantly black elementary school for their clinical experiences highlighted a need to recognize, acknowledge and address anti-blackness in teacher candidates’ clinical practice. As well as, a need to emphasize the brilliance and assets of black students. Additionally, this article shares ways in which those involved in the work of school-university or PDS partnerships can incorporate practices that address anti-blackness in clinical courses.

Originality/value

The author believes that this manuscript is appropriate for publication because it addresses a necessary shift that must happen in clinical practice by recognizing, acknowledging and addressing anti-blackness, as well as making sure teacher candidates are prepared to teach black students. This manuscript has not been published and is not under consideration for publication elsewhere. The author has no conflicts of interest to disclose.
Stiffness optimization based on muscle fatigue and muscle synergy for passive waist assistive exoskeleton
Authors: Pang Muye , Li Ruiqing , Ding Ying , Tang Biwei , Luo Jing , Xiang Kui
Published: April 2023

Purpose

This paper aims to optimize the stiffness coefficient of the elastic element for a passive waist assistive exoskeleton (WAE). There is a tradeoff between stiffness coefficient of elastic element of the exoskeleton and work efficiency of the wearer, because elastic element affects original bending motion of the wearer and the force requirement of erector spinae is compensated by the other muscles. However, there is no accepted conclusion on how to determine the proper stiffness coefficient, especially with respected to the effort of groups of muscles, not only erector spinae.

Design/methodology/approach

In this study, a consumption indicator based on muscle fatigue of seven muscles is proposed and a Bayesian-based human-in-the-loop optimization approach is adopted to optimize the stiffness coefficient. Pneumatic artificial muscles are used to replace the mechanical elastic part to adjust the assistive force automatically. The proposed optimization method is verified by the way of load-lifting experiments with three different conditions: without exoskeleton, with fixed air pressure and with optimized air pressure. Six subjects participated in the experiment and each experiment is performed in different day.

Findings

Compared with No-Exo condition and static assistance condition, the parameter-optimized waist exoskeleton averagely reduces muscle fatigue of the six subjects by 45.30 ± 29.14% and 30.94 ± 30.29%, respectively. The experimental results indicate that the proposed method is effective to reduce muscle fatigue during stoop lifting task.

Originality/value

This paper provides a novel cost function construction method based on muscle fatigue and muscle synergy for passive WAE stiffness optimization.
Heterogeneous effects of urbanization and environment Kuznets curve hypothesis in Africa
Authors: Hussain Muhammad Noshab , Li Zaiyang , Yang Shaohua
Published: April 2023

This work explores the heterogeneous effect of urbanization and nonrenewable energy consumption on the environment in 54 African nations. Panel data were used from 1996 to 2019. For estimation, panel quantile regression analysis, augmented mean group, panel threshold regression, and the environment Kuznets curve hypothesis were applied to check the relationship between income and carbon emissions. The study's outcome demonstrates that urbanization and nonrenewable energy consumption degrade the environment in Africa. Furthermore, an inverted U‐shape relationship exists between economic growth and CO2 emissions, confirming the environmental Kuznets curve hypothesis. The findings indicate that urbanization should be planned; otherwise, urbanization can cause environmental degradation. African countries must adopt green urbanization and use renewable energy and clean manufacturing technologies. The institutions are encouraged to execute the standard, regulatory environment, and policies to reduce carbon emissions. Countries throughout the African continent should actively respond to the issues by charting a separate and diverse route for urban development.
Using FastID to analyze complex SNP mixtures from indoor dust
Authors: Meiklejohn Kelly A. , Scheible Melissa K. R. , Boggs Laura M. , Dunn Robert R. , Ricke Darrell O.
Published: April 2023

Forensically relevant single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) can provide valuable supplemental information to short tandem repeats (STRs) for investigative leads, and genotyping can now be streamlined using massively parallel sequencing (MPS). Dust is an attractive evidence source, as it accumulates on undisturbed surfaces, often is overlooked by perpetrators, and contains sufficient human DNA for analysis. To assess whether SNPs genotyped from indoor dust using MPS could be used to detect known household occupants, 13 households were recruited and provided buccal samples from each occupant and dust from five predefined indoor locations. Thermo Fisher Scientific Precision ID Identity and Ancestry Panels were utilized for SNP genotyping, and sequencing was completed using Illumina® chemistry. FastID, a software developed to permit mixture analysis and identity searching, was used to assess whether known occupants could be detected from associated household dust samples. A modified “subtraction” method was also used in FastID to estimate the percentage of alleles in each dust sample contributed by known and unknown occupants. On average, 72% of autosomal SNPs were recovered from dust samples. When using FastID, (a) 93% of known occupants were detected in at least one indoor dust sample and could not be excluded as contributors to the mixture, and (b) non‐contributor alleles were detected in 54% of dust samples (29 ± 11 alleles per dust sample). Overall, this study highlights the potential of analyzing human DNA present in indoor dust to detect known household occupants, which could be valuable for investigative leads.
Evaluation of bioactive low‐density polyethylene (LDPE) nanocomposite films in combined treatment with irradiation on strawberry shelf‐life extension
Authors: Begum Tofa , Follett Peter A. , Shankar Shiv , Moskovchenko Lana , Salmieri Stephane , Lacroix Monique
Published: April 2023

A low‐density polyethylene (LDPE) film reinforced with cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) with an encapsulated bioactive formulation (cinnamon essential oil + silver nanoparticles) was developed for preservation of fresh strawberries. Antimicrobial activity of the active LDPE films was tested against Escherichia coli O157:H7, Salmonella typhimurium, Aspergillus niger, and Penicillium chrysogenum by agar volatilization assay. The optimal condition of the films showed ≥75% inhibitory capacity against the tested microbes. Strawberries were stored with different types of films: Group 1 (control): (LDPE + CNCs + Glycerol), Group 2: (LDPE + CNCs + Glycerol + AGPPH silver nanoparticles), Group 3: (LDPE + CNCs + Glycerol + cinnamon), Group 4: (LDPE + CNCs + Glycerol + active formulation), and Group 5: (LDPE + CNCs + Glycerol + active formulation + 0.5 kGy γ‐radiation) at 4°C for 12 days. Weight loss (WL) (%), decay (%), firmness (N), color, and total phenolics and anthocyanin content of the strawberries were measured. Results showed that the most effective LDPE‐nanocomposite film for reducing the microbial growth was LDPE + CNCs + Glycerol + active formulation film (Group 4). When combined with γ‐irradiation (0.5 kGy), the LDPE + CNCs + Glycerol + active formulation (Group 5) significantly reduced both decay and WL by 94%, as compared to the control samples after 12 days of storage. Total phenols (from 952 to 1711 mg/kg) and anthocyanin content (from 185 to 287 mg/kg) increased with storage time under the different treatments. The mechanical properties, water vapor permeability (WVP), and surface color of the films were also tested. Though the WVP of the films were not influenced by the types of antimicrobial agents, they did significantly (p ≤ 0.05) change color and mechanical properties of the films. Therefore, combined treatment of active film and γ‐irradiation has potential as an alternative method for extending the shelf‐life of storage strawberries while maintaining fruit quality.

Practical Application

Bioactive Low‐density polyethylene (LDPE) nanocomposite film was developed in the study by incorporating active formulation (essential oil and silver nanoparticle) to extend the shelf life of stored strawberries. The bioactive LDPE‐based nanocomposite film along with γ‐irradiation could be used to preserve fruits for long‐term storage by controlling the growth of foodborne pathogenic bacteria and spoilage fungi.
The fabrication of films based on polymer and containing nanoclay, sodium diacetate, and tert‐butyl hydroquinone for packaging rainbow trout
Authors: Amiri Roonak , Jahantigh Monireh , Sardari Sahar Afsari , Nassiri Davoud
Published: April 2023

This study investigates the fabrication of films based on a polymer containing nanoclay, sodium diacetate (SDA), and tert‐butyl hydroquinone (TBHQ) for packaging rainbow trout fillets. The films were prepared by the addition of 2% SDA (SDA film), 2% TBHQ (TBHQ film), and a combination of both (1% SDA + 1% TBHQ) into polyethylene polymer (93.00%) and montmorillonite nanoclay (5.00%). A film lack of nanoclay, SDA, and TBHQ was prepared and considered a control film. A film was also prepared by the addition of 95 g polyethylene + 5 g nanoclay (Nanoclay). Morphological properties of the films were investigated by a scanning electron microscope (SEM). In vitro antioxidant properties and antibacterial activities of the films and their effects as the coating on fish samples were evaluated against Listeria monocytogenes, Salmonella typhimurium, and Escherichia coli. The effects of films on oxidative stability, antibacterial activity, pH, total volatile basic nitrogen (TVBN), and total viable count (TVC) of fish samples were assessed. The SEM results showed the homogenous dispersion of SDA and TBHQ into films. The SDA, TBHQ, and ST films showed antibacterial activity against L. monocytogenes, S. typhimurium, and E. coli compared with the control film as the coating and under in vitro conditions (p < 0.05). The TBHQ and ST films exhibited higher antioxidant activity and prevented the oxidation as the coating. The films prepared from the SDA, TBHQ, and ST prevented an increase in TVC and TVBN (p < 0.05). The ST films can prevent spoilage in fish samples and can be utilized in the food industry.

Practical Application

We successfully prepared films with the help of nanoclay, sodium diacetate (SDA), and tert‐butyl hydroquinone (TBHQ) on polyethylene for packaging fish fillets. Films containing SDA, TBHQ, and nanoclay showed antibacterial activity and prevented spoilage. The films can be used for packaging fish fillets.
Exotic and native species used by traditional populations of the Patagonian steppe: An approach based on redundancy and versatility
Authors: Santoro Flávia Rosa , Arias Toledo Bárbara , Richeri Marina , Ladio Ana Haydeé
Published: April 2023

The utilitarian redundancy model has been used to indirectly verify the resilience of useful plant knowledge systems used by local populations. From the bases of this model and the hypothesis of diversification, we can think that exotic species can enter socio‐ecological systems to fill gaps and reduce the use pressure on native species. In this study, we want to draw a picture of the redundancy of plant species used by three traditional populations of the Patagonian steppe for medicinal, fuel, and edible purposes. We also compare the use of pressure and the degree of uniqueness of native and exotic species, using redundancy and versatility as proxies. Our results show that, according to utilitarian redundancy, the plant knowledge systems of the three communities seem to have similar adaptive capacity to provide options for responding to change; for example, by allowing certain elements to compensate/substitute for the loss of others. We found that native species are the most unique and may be under greater use pressure than exotic ones. Thus, our results point to the importance of conserving the steppe Patagonian native environment for the survival of traditional populations. Our study can be used to establish priority botanical species for conservation in the Patagonian steppe.
Stable condition: Traumatic injury, coma, and vital traffic in a Mumbai hospital ward
Authors: Solomon Harris
Published: April 2023

Based on five years of research in a public‐hospital trauma ward in Mumbai, this article examines the fraught case study of comatose states that result from traffic‐accident injuries. It focuses on a relationship between two brothers, one injured in a motorcycle accident and in a coma, and the other caring for him. The article asks: How do people navigate life‐and‐death situations through both stillness and motion? Addressing this question requires recasting traumatic injury from a wound that lodges in a single body to an intersubjective problem of discontinuous and relational traffic. In moments of transfer to the hospital, prognosis about vital signs, and reflections on death, the embodiment of and care for traumatic injury materializes through uneven relationships of intermittent motion. The article develops the analytic ofvital trafficto describe these relationships and analyzes the temporal and spatial discontinuities that shape and undermine stability after injury occurs. Differences in vital traffic matter to patients, families, providers, and to the very possibility of survival. The implication of this finding is a better understanding of the sociality of injury and its care. Beyond the case of medicine, attention to vital traffic can illuminate the flux of ethnography itself.