bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
How Do Women Balance Work and Family?
Authors: Argys Laura M. , Averett Susan L.
Published: February 2023

It remains true today that women provide a disproportionate share of unpaid household work around the world. Much of that time is spent in the care of children, which requires parents to balance work at home and in the market. In this chapter we start by exploring the gender division of labor in the household for both same-sex and opposite-sex couples. We also examine how couples “bargain” over dividing their time between unpaid household work and work in the labor market. Because marriage and childrearing had traditionally interrupted (or ended) women’s careers, this chapter describes the extent to which the allocation of time at home still tilts toward women and impacts their economic lives. We also explore the role of technological change in shaping women’s time allocation. We close the chapter with an examination of policies that aim to help women (and men) balance their work lives with their family obligations.
What Leads to the Gender Pay Gap?
Authors: Argys Laura M. , Averett Susan L.
Published: February 2023

In this chapter we revisit the issue of gender differences in earnings. From 1960 to 1980, women earned approximately 60 percent of what men earned. This ratio started to rise in the 1970s, the rise gained traction in the 1980s, and by the mid-2000s the gap had narrowed such that women earned about 81 percent of what men earned. While the difference between men’s and women’s pay is well known, few understand its evolution, and its underlying causes are heavily debated. In this chapter, we explain how a pay ratio is calculated, show its evolution, and help readers disentangle factors that might be considered legitimate sources of pay differences from those that might reflect gender pay discrimination.
How Do Women Fare in Retirement?
Authors: Argys Laura M. , Averett Susan L.
Published: February 2023

This chapter focuses on issues related to retirement and aging that are most salient to women and recognizes that, even with the generally high standard of living in the United States, not everyone is afforded the privilege of a comfortable retirement. Although both men and women must prepare for and make the decision when to retire from the workforce, the conditions faced by women differ from those faced by men. Specifically, when men retire they are likely to have a younger, possibly healthier spouse who may still be working. Women, on the other hand, are likely to outlive their husbands, hence are more likely to face economic hardship as they age because they need to make their retirement savings last far longer than do men. We know that the gender pay gap cumulates: one estimate suggests that women earn, on average, $850,000 less than men over their lifetimes. Because of these earnings differences, women and men have, on average, starkly different incomes during retirement; both Social Security and employer-provided retirement plans are impacted by earnings. All of these differences contribute to significantly higher poverty rates for older women as compared to men, leading to a number of policy discussions/proposals aimed at addressing financial insecurity in retirement.
Independence and the Institutions of Statehood
Authors: Ker-Lindsay James , Fabry Mikulas
Published: February 2023

How are new states created?

The history of state creation over the past two and a half centuries shows that there are essentially six main ways in which a new state can come into existence. Two of these, original acquisition and gradual devolution, belong to...
Major Ethical Traps in Modern Business
Authors: Nelson J.S. , Stout Lynn A.
Published: February 2023

By flagging the most common ethical traps in modern business, this chapter helps businesspeople to understand how practical ethical problems arise and why it can be difficult to act ethically. There is an important line to be drawn in the business world between legitimate self-interested behavior, and unethical and/or illegal behavior. Questions include: How are most unethical behaviors caught? What are some of the most common unethical business behaviors? What patterns do common unethical business behaviors take? What is the ethical slide? When are you crossing the line into your own ethical slide? How can I handle peer pressure and negative reaction to halting my ethical slide? How do I speak up when I need to challenge unethical behavior?
Special Issues of Ethics in Leadership
Authors: Nelson J.S. , Stout Lynn A.
Published: February 2023

This chapter flags special issues of business ethics in leadership. Leaders are called upon to set the tone for their organizations, but they may have certain blindnesses given their positions. Questions include: Do managers behave less ethically than other employees? What is the dark triad? What is the effect of pressure to produce results in the management environment? How do we deceive ourselves under pressure? How do ill-conceived goals, motivated blindness, and indirect blindness affect managers under pressure? What are the psychological effects of being in a management position itself? What are the consequences of retaining unethical managers in an organization? How should the difference in power between managers and subordinates affect the decisions that businesspeople make? How does business culture affect what ethical decisions businesspeople make? What can employees do to promote ethical environments without leadership support?
How to Institute Best Practices
Authors: Nelson J.S. , Stout Lynn A.
Published: February 2023

This chapter and the next discuss compliance and ethics programs. This chapter introduces what expectations the government has for such programs, and it examines their elements and best practices. Some questions include: Why do business leaders need to create and promote ethical environments? What does an appropriate compliance and ethics program look like? What guidance has the DOJ given regarding its Organizational Sentencing Guidelines? What is the value of the DOJ’s approach? What are other principles and practices to create high-quality compliance and ethics programs? How does a company set realistic goals for its compliance and ethics program? How should companies use structural behavioral incentives such as nudges? What should an effective code of conduct or ethics include? What other elements should a comprehensive compliance and ethics program contain? What are the practices of the most effective compliance and ethics programs? Why does institutionalizing ethical practices matter?
Jihad in the Legal Literature
Authors: Afsaruddin Asma
Published: February 2023

Jurists, unlike Quran commentators, hadith scholars, and moral theologians, primarily dealt with jihad as one of the obligations of the Muslim ruler and the Muslim population in the context of external relations with non-Muslim polities. Within legal-administrative contexts, jihad is, therefore, necessarily military in nature....
Jihad As Conceived by Modern Political Revolutionaries and Militants
Authors: Afsaruddin Asma
Published: February 2023

It is hard to miss the rise of political revolutionary movements and militant groups in the Muslim-majority world in recent history. The global media profusely reports on their activities, and the internet provides abundant information on their ideologies and various agendas. Such groups did not...
Big Ideas to Equalize Educational Opportunity
Authors: Kirp David , Macpherson Kevin
Published: February 2023

Chapter 1 reviews “big ideas” strategies for equalizing educational opportunity. It includes a history of racial integration from Plessy v. Ferguson (the 1896 decision enshrining the “separate but equal” doctrine) to Brown v. Board of Education (the 1954 decision striking down segregation laws) and examines milestones in judicial decisions and school district policy in the seventy years since Brown. Socioeconomic integration is a more contemporary approach. Although evidence shows that it benefits students, regardless of their social class, it has been politically challenging to implement at scale. The chapter also offers a primer on school finance and the empirical arguments over whether additional funding improves student outcomes. Finally, it introduces the concept of student choice or market-based approaches to improving schools. The chapter describes the evidence base for each strategy as well as the controversies that swirl around them.
Spore Dispersal Patterns of Colletotrichum fioriniae in Orchards and the Timing of Apple Bitter Rot Infection Periods
Authors: Martin Phillip L. , Peter Kari A.
Published: February 2023

Bitter rot is a major disease of apple fruit in warm and humid regions. It is caused by various species in the Colletotrichum gloeosporioides and C. acutatum species complexes, of which C. fioriniae of the C. acutatum species complex is most common in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. While bitter rot management begins with good cultural practices, fungicides are generally used for consistent control. Fungicides should be applied before or during infection periods, but the timing of infection is unclear due to the hemibiotrophic lifestyle of the causal species. To determine when infection periods occur, we quantified C. fioriniae spore dispersal throughout three growing seasons and compared the temporal susceptibility of apples in two seasons of field trials. Spores were detected in rainwater from bud break to leaf drop, with the highest spore quantities in the summer and early fall correlating with optimal temperatures for C. fioriniae. Late-season-inoculated fruit had more bitter rot than early-season-inoculated fruit, but this was also positively correlated with periods of optimal temperatures and moisture for infection. In the context of previous experiments, these results suggest that infection periods are primarily determined by temperature and moisture rather than apple fruit phenology. Based on the relative numbers of spores and biotrophic and necrotrophic infections, only a tiny proportion of spores establish viable biotrophic infections, but a relatively high proportion of biotrophic infections switch to necrotrophy. We suggest bitter rot management should focus on preventing initial biotrophic infections by protecting apples during weather conditions that favor infection.
Integration of Soybean (Glycine max) Resistance Levels to Sclerotinia Stem Rot into Predictive Sclerotinia sclerotiorum Apothecial Models
Authors: Webster Richard W. , Mueller Brian D. , Conley Shawn P. , Smith Damon L.
Published: February 2023

Sclerotinia stem rot (SSR) is a major disease of soybean across the Upper Midwest region of the United States. Management of this disease has relied on fungicide applications, but due to the environmental conditions necessary for SSR to develop, many of these applications are unnecessary. To mitigate this, predictive models have been developed using localized weather data for predicting the formation of Sclerotinia sclerotiorum apothecia, the inoculum source of SSR, and these models were integrated into a decision support system called Sporecaster. However, these models do not account for the soybean resistance levels to SSR. In this study, fungicide trials were performed across seven site-years in Wisconsin between 2020 and 2022 examining fungicide applications applied at one of three action thresholds (low, moderate, and high) following Sporecaster recommendations in combination with four soybean varieties representing three SSR resistance levels (susceptible, moderately resistant, and resistant). From these trials, the low and moderate action thresholds resulted in similarly low disease severity index (DIX) levels comparable to the standard across all varieties. However, the low action threshold was most accurate for predicting SSR development in the susceptible variety, and the high action threshold was most accurate for predicting SSR development for the three resistant varieties. Both the susceptible soybean and a moderately resistant line yielded similarly high results. Additionally, the use of all fungicide applications led to similar partial profits at grain sale prices of either $0.44 or $0.55 kg−1. Overall, this study uncovered relationships between soybean resistance levels to SSR and Sporecaster, allowing for improved recommendations for fungicide applications.
Usability and Acceptability of a Videoconference Program for the Treatment of Depression in Adults With Peripheral Neuropathy
Authors: Decker Veronica , King Christian , Cassisi Jeffrey , Tofthagen Cindy
Published: January 2023

Peripheral neuropathy is a debilitating neurological disorder affecting 13% to 14% of the US population. Estimates for co-occurring mood disorders in individuals with neuropathy range from 30% to 47%, but sparse evidence exists regarding depression treatment for adults with neuropathy. A cognitive-behavioral treatment, Acceptance and commitment therapy, is known to reduce depression in people with chronic pain, but little is known about its effectiveness in adults with neuropathy, particularly when the treatment is provided via videoconference. Acceptability and usability of this therapeutic treatment provided via videoconference was assessed in participants with peripheral neuropathy and symptoms of depression. Participants completed pre- and post-self-report outcome measures: the nine-item depression scale of the Patient Health Questionnaire and the 36-item Short-Form Health Survey. They also completed the Acceptability e-Scale and Post-Study System Usability Questionnaire after treatment. Depression decreased significantly, with scores declining from an average of 9.2 to 5.1 on the Patient Health Questionnaire (P < .05). The Short-Form Health Survey indicated significant improvement post-treatment on the “Energy/Fatigue” and “Emotional Well Being” subscales. The intervention was rated by participants as acceptable and demonstrated high usability. This initial therapeutic treatment via videoconference offers promise to treat depression in older adults with neuropathy.
AIBP regulates TRPV1 activation in chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy by controlling lipid raft dynamics and proximity to TLR4 in dorsal root ganglion neurons
Authors: Navia-Pelaez Juliana M. , Borges Paes Lemes Julia , Gonzalez Leonardo , Delay Lauriane , dos Santos Aggum Capettini Luciano , Lu Jenny W. , Gonçalves Dos Santos Gilson , Gregus Ann M. , Dougherty Patrick M. , Yaksh Tony L. , Miller Yury I.
Published: January 2023

Nociceptive afferent signaling evoked by inflammation and nerve injury is mediated by the opening of ligand-gated and voltage-gated receptors or channels localized to cholesterol-rich lipid raft membrane domains. Dorsal root ganglion (DRG) nociceptors express high levels of toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4), which also localize to lipid rafts. Genetic deletion or pharmacologic blocking of TLR4 diminishes pain associated with chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN). In DRGs of mice with paclitaxel-induced CIPN, we analyzed DRG neuronal lipid rafts, expression of TLR4, activation of transient receptor potential cation channel subfamily V member 1 (TRPV1), and TLR4–TRPV1 interaction. Using proximity ligation assay, flow cytometry, and whole-mount DRG microscopy, we found that CIPN increased DRG neuronal lipid rafts and TLR4 expression. These effects were reversed by intrathecal injection of apolipoprotein A-I binding protein (AIBP), a protein that binds to TLR4 and specifically targets cholesterol depletion from TLR4-expressing cells. Chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy increased TRPV1 phosphorylation, localization to neuronal lipid rafts, and proximity to TLR4. These effects were also reversed by AIBP treatment. Regulation of TRPV1-TLR4 interactions and their associated lipid rafts by AIBP covaried with the enduring reversal of mechanical allodynia otherwise observed in CIPN. In addition, AIBP reduced intracellular calcium in response to the TRPV1 agonist capsaicin, which was increased in DRG neurons from paclitaxel-treated mice and in the naïve mouse DRG neurons incubated in vitro with paclitaxel. Together, these results suggest that the assembly of nociceptive and inflammatory receptors in the environment of lipid rafts regulates nociceptive signaling in DRG neurons and that AIBP can control lipid raft–associated nociceptive processing.
The Impact of an Educational Intervention on Neonatal Care and Survival
Authors: Emmanuel Andy , Kain Victoria J. , Forster Elizabeth
Published: January 2023

Objective:

Under-5 mortality has declined globally; however, proportion of under-5 deaths occurring within the first 28 days after birth has increased significantly. This study aims to determine the impact of an educational intervention on neonatal care and survival rates in Nigeria.

Methods:

This was a sequential exploratory mixed-methods design involving 21 health workers in the preintervention phase, while 15 health workers and 30 mother-baby dyads participated in the postintervention phase. Data were collected using semistructured interviews and nonparticipatory observation. Qualitative data were analyzed using thematic analysis, while quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics.

Results:

Healthy newborns were routinely separated from their mothers in the preintervention period. During this time, non-evidence-based practices, such as routine nasal and oral suctioning, were performed. Skin-to-skin contact and early initiation of breastfeeding were frequently interrupted. After the intervention, 80.6% were placed in skin-to-skin contact with their mothers, and 20 of these babies maintained contact with the mother until breastfeeding was established. There was decline in neonatal deaths post-intervention. Independent t-test analysis of the day of neonatal death demonstrates a significant difference in mean (P = .00, 95% confidence interval −5.629; −7.447 to −4.779).

Conclusion:

Newborn survival can be improved through regular training of maternity health workers in evidence-based newborn care.
Swine Partial Liver Transplantation Model for Practicing Living Donor Liver Transplantation Based on a New Liver Segmentation Method
Authors: Cho Jae-Hyung , Lee Jaewon , Lee Kwang-Woong , Yi Nam-Joon , Choi YoungRok , Hong Suk Kyun , Lee Jeong-Moo , Han Eui Soo , Hong Su young , Lee Sola , Suh Sanggyun , Suh Kyung-Suk
Published: January 2023

Background.

Living donor liver transplantation (LDLT) is one of the most technically demanding and complicated procedures. However, unlike deceased donor liver transplantation, there is no suitable animal model for practicing LDLT. Herein, we propose a new liver segmentation method and a feasible pig LDLT model for practicing for LDLT in humans.

Methods.

Four Landrace pigs weighing 25, 25, 27, and 28 kg were used as donors and recipients to establish a partial liver transplantation model. Partial liver transplantation was performed using a right liver and a left liver, respectively, based on a new segmentation system compatible with that of humans.

Results.

We established a new segmentation system for porcine liver transplantation and a partial liver transplantation model. For right liver transplantation, 91 and 142 min were required to operate on the donor and recipient, respectively; for left liver transplantation, 57 and 104 min were required to operate on the donor and recipient, respectively. All pigs that underwent partial liver transplantation remained alive until the operation was completed.

Conclusions.

It is expected that this new pig model based on the new segmentation system will be suitable as an educational tool for LDLT training and will replace the existing animal models for partial liver transplantation.
Local-scale impacts of extreme events drive demographic asynchrony in neighbouring top predator populations
Authors: Ventura Francesco , Stanworth Andrew , Crofts Sarah , Kuepfer Amanda , Catry Paulo
Published: February 2023

Extreme weather events are among the most critical aspects of climate change, but our understanding of their impacts on biological populations remains limited. Here, we exploit the rare opportunity provided by the availability of concurrent longitudinal demographic data on two neighbouring marine top predator populations (the black-browed albatross,
Thalassarche melanophris
, breeding in two nearby colonies) hit by an exceptionally violent storm during one study year. The aim of this study is to quantify the demographic impacts of extreme events on albatrosses and test the hypothesis that extreme events would synchronously decrease survival rates of neighbouring populations. Using demographic modelling we found that, contrary to our expectation, the storm affected the survival of albatrosses from only one of the two colonies, more than doubling the annual mortality rate compared to the study average. Furthermore, the effects of storms on adult survival would lead to substantial population declines (up to 2% per year) under simulated scenarios of increased storm frequencies. We, therefore, conclude that extreme events can result in very different local-scale impacts on sympatric populations. Crucially, by driving demographic asynchrony, extreme events can hamper our understanding of the demographic responses of wild populations to mean, long-term shifts in climate.
Non-uniform spatial sampling by individuals in midge swarms
Authors: Feng Yenchia , Ouellette Nicholas T.
Published: February 2023

Individual animals engaged in collective behaviour can interchange their relative positions on a wide range of time scales. In situations where some regions of the group are more desirable, it is thought that more fit individuals will preferentially occupy the more favourable locations. However, this notion is difficult to test for animal groups like insect swarms that fluctuate rapidly and display little apparent structure. Here, we study the way that individuals in mating swarms of the non-biting midge
Chironomus riparius
sample the space available to them. We use Voronoi tessellation to define different regions of the swarm in a dynamic way, and show that midges indeed sample the swarm non-uniformly. However, individuals that preferentially reside in the interior or exterior of the swarm do not display statistically distinct flight behaviour, suggesting that differences in fitness must be assessed in a different way. Nevertheless, our results indicate that midge swarms are not random configurations of individuals but rather possess non-trivial internal structure.
Modelling the impact of the Omicron BA.5 subvariant in New Zealand
Authors: Lustig Audrey , Vattiato Giorgia , Maclaren Oliver , Watson Leighton M. , Datta Samik , Plank Michael J.
Published: February 2023

New Zealand experienced a wave of the Omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2 in early 2022, which occurred against a backdrop of high two-dose vaccination rates, ongoing roll-out of boosters and paediatric doses, and negligible levels of prior infection. New Omicron subvariants have subsequently emerged with a significant growth advantage over the previously dominant BA.2. We investigated a mathematical model that included waning of vaccine-derived and infection-derived immunity, as well as the impact of the BA.5 subvariant which began spreading in New Zealand in May 2022. The model was used to provide scenarios to the New Zealand Government with differing levels of BA.5 growth advantage, helping to inform policy response and healthcare system preparedness during the winter period. In all scenarios investigated, the projected peak in new infections during the BA.5 wave was smaller than in the first Omicron wave in March 2022. However, results indicated that the peak hospital occupancy was likely to be higher than in March 2022, primarily due to a shift in the age distribution of infections to older groups. We compare model results with subsequent epidemiological data and show that the model provided a good projection of cases, hospitalizations and deaths during the BA.5 wave.
Application of Sepsis Flow Chip (SFC) assay for the Molecular Diagnosis of Pediatric Sepsis
Authors: Prasetyo Dimas Seto , Karyanti Mulya Rahma , Yuniar Irene , Saharman Yulia Rosa , Holiwono Livya
Published: February 2023

Delay in detecting sepsis pathogens still become problematic issue for determining the definitive antibiotics therapy for the causative pathogens. The gold standard method for sepsis is blood culture but it requires 3 days to detect definitive pathogen. Molecular methods offer rapid identification of pathogens. We evaluated the use of sepsis flow chip (SFC) assay for identifying pathogens from children with sepsis. The blood samples from children with sepsis were collected and incubated in the culture machine. The positive samples were subjected to amplification-hybridization using sepsis flow chip assay and culture. A total of 94 samples from 47 patients were recovered, with 25 isolates were recovered, including K. pneumoniae (11), and S. epidermidis (6). From 25 positive blood culture bottles subjected to sepsis flow chip assay, there were 24 genus/species and 18 resistance genes detected. The sensitivity, specificity, and conformity was 80%, 94.2%, and 94.68% respectively. Sepsis flow chip assay offer promising assay to identify pathogens from positive blood culture in pediatric patient with sepsis and may support the antimicrobial stewardship program in hospital.
A simple, flexible and high-efficiency western blot analysis for age-related human induced neurons
Authors: Shen Yan-Fei , Liu Ming-Jie , Long Zhu , Shi Xiaobang , Liu Meng-Lu
Published: January 2023

High-throughput western blot (WB) analysis of small and precious samples, such as various age-related subtype-specific human induced neurons (hiNs), confers the ability to obtain more consistent, comparable, and informative data from materials with extremely limited availability. In this study, p-toluenesulphonic acid (PTSA), an odorless tissue fixative, was used to inactivate HRP for developing a high-throughput WB method. PTSA-treated blots showed fast and efficient inactivation of HRP without detectable protein loss and epitope damage. With a brief PTSA-treatment before every next probing, 10 proteins of dopaminergic hiNs could be sequentially, sensitively, and specifically detected in a blot. These WB data proved the age-associated and neuron-specific features of hiNs and further revealed a sharp reduction of two Parkinson’s disease-associated proteins, UCHL1 and GAP43, in the normal aging dopaminergic neurons. Together, this study developed a unique and high-efficiency WB analysis and pinpointed its special value for capturing robust useful data from limited, precious samples.

GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT

HIGHLIGHTS

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P-toluenesulphonic acid (PTSA) quickly and fully deactivated HRP on immunoblots.

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PTSA was an odorless, non-volatile, low cost, and user-friendly HRP inactivator.

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PTSA allowed high-efficiency WB analysis to save small precious samples and time.

✓

10 proteins were detected in a single blot of age-relevant human induced neurons.

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UCHL1 and GAP43 sharp decline occurred in aging human induced dopaminergic neurons.
Handling Diapause Embryos of the African Turquoise KillifishNothobranchius furzeri
Authors: Hu Chi-Kuo
Published: February 2023

The African turquoise killifishNothobranchius furzeriis an emerging research organism known for its short life span and long-term diapause. Diapause is a unique dormant state that suspends embryonic development without tradeoffs in the adulthood life span. Recently, diapause has been gaining increasing interest from the research community. Here, we report our methods for handling the embryos ofN. furzerithat go through diapause. We focus on a few key steps: (1) collectingN. furzeriembryos, (2) sorting embryos entering diapause, (3) storing diapause embryos, (4) screening embryos exiting diapause, and (5) hatching post-diapause and fully developed embryos. This method should help the need to obtain a large number of embryos in synchronization with their diapause-entering and -exiting status and satisfy the need for cell biology, genetic, genomic, and biochemistry experiments.
Quantifying and Analyzing Mosquito Movement from Video Tracking Results
Authors: Muijres Florian T.
Published: February 2023

After tracking the kinematics of a moving mosquito from video, one needs to convert the tracking output into the kinematics data needed to answer the research question. Here, we provide general guidelines for how to do this by discussing how to quantify body position and orientation in the world reference frame and wing and leg orientation in the mosquito body reference frame. These guidelines should be adapted based on the goal of your research. To answer your research question, the resulting kinematics data must then be further analyzed. Because the nature of this analysis depends strongly on your specific research question, we refer to literature for designing these postprocessing routines.
Analysis of Mitochondrial Dynamics in AdultDrosophilaAxons
Authors: Maddison Daniel C. , Mattedi Francesca , Vagnoni Alessio , Smith Gaynor Ann
Published: February 2023

Neuronal survival depends on the generation of ATP from an ever-changing mitochondrial network. This requires a fine balance between the constant degradation of damaged mitochondria, biogenesis of new mitochondria, movement along microtubules, dynamic processes, and adequate functional capacity to meet firing demands. The distribution of mitochondria needs to be tightly controlled throughout the entire neuron, including its projections. Axons in particular can be enormous structures compared to the size of the cell soma, and how mitochondria are maintained in these compartments is poorly defined. Mitochondrial dysfunction in neurons is associated with aging and neurodegenerative diseases, with the axon being preferentially vulnerable to destruction.Drosophilaoffer a unique way to study these organelles in fully differentiated adult neurons in vivo. Here, we briefly review the regulation of neuronal mitochondria in health, aging, and disease and introduce two methodological approaches to study mitochondrial dynamics and transport in axons using theDrosophilawing system.
The mechanisms that make social media effective in building citizens’ trust on local government
Authors: Torres Pedro , Augusto Mário , Rodrigues Tatiana
Published: February 2023

Purpose

Focusing on municipalities, this study aims to examine whether citizens’ engagement with local public administration activities on Facebook can have a positive effect on citizens’ trust.

Design/methodology/approach

Using data from 333 citizens and resorting to structural equation modelling, a conceptual model is tested.

Findings

The results show that communicating directly with citizens through social media can enhance the citizens’ involvement in social issues and their identification with their city council. The effect of citizen engagement on trust propensity is mediated by citizens’ identification with the city council and by citizens’ involvement in social issues.

Practical implications

The study provides a conceptual model that can be used by practitioners to improve practices that enhance citizen engagement and build trust in the local government. City councils should promote activities on social media that encourage identification and citizens’ involvement. Furthermore, the findings suggest that municipalities can increase trust by involving citizens in social issues.

Originality/value

This study contributes to a better understanding of the government social media phenomenon, highlighting and empirically testing the effect of citizen engagement on institutional trust. In doing so, a process to build citizens’ trust in their city council through social media is unpacked. The findings show that communicating directly with citizens through social media can enhance the citizens’ involvement in social issues and their identification with the city council. The important role of identification to build institutional trust is emphasized.
Intuitionistic fuzzy DEMATEL for developing causal relationship of water security
Authors: Abdullah Lazim , Mohd Pouzi Herrini , Awang Noor Azzah
Published: January 2023

Purpose

This study aims to develop a cause-effect relationship between criteria that contribute to water security using the Intuitionistic Fuzzy-Decision-Making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory (IF-DEMATEL) method. Differently from the typical DEMATEL which utilizes crisp numbers, this modification introduces intuitionistic fuzzy numbers (IFNs) to enhance judgments in a group decision-making environment. In particular, the linguistic variables used in IF-DEMATEL are defined using the concept of three-tuple of IFNs.

Design/methodology/approach

Data with the linguistic variable “influence” were collected from a group of experts in water security via personal unstructured interviews. Seven water security criteria are considered in this study. Computational software was employed to execute the computational procedures of the IF-DEMATEL method. It is anticipated that by taking into account the hesitation degree of IFNs will reflect the scenario in real life, which could lead to precise decision-making.

Findings

The results show that “Over-Abstraction”, “Saltwater Intrusion” and “Limited Infrastructures” are the cause criteria that contribute to water security. In addition, the relationship map of influence shows that “Water Pollution” and “Rapid Urbanization” are the most vulnerable criteria as these two criteria are most easily affected by other criteria in a unidirectional relation.

Practical implications

It is anticipated that these findings will serve as useful references for water security management and policymakers.

Originality/value

The present study makes a noteworthy contribution to the modification of DEMATEL where three-tuple of intuitionistic fuzzy numbers are considered in the computations. The present study also provides additional evidence with respect to factors that contribute to water security.
Financial condition, working capital policy and profitability: evidence from Indian companies
Authors: Dash Sakti Ranjan , Sethi Maheswar , Swain Rabindra Kumar
Published: January 2023

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the impact of working capital management (WCM) on profitability under different financial conditions (constraint/unconstraint) and WCM policy (aggressive/conservative). Furthermore, the study investigates the existence of optimal working capital levels under different financial conditions and WCM policy.

Design/methodology/approach

Two-step system generalized method of moments and fixed effect models are used to analyze the data collected from Prowess database from 2011 to 2020 for a sample of 1,104 Indian manufacturing companies.

Findings

The study finds an inverted U-shaped relationship between working capital and profitability in all financial conditions and working capital policy. This finding advocates the existence of an optimal level of working capital that equates the costs and benefits of holding working capital to maximize the companies’ profitability. However, holding working capital beyond the optimal level negatively affects profitability. Companies under financial constraints with aggressive working capital policies have the lowest optimal cash conversion cycle (CCC). Furthermore, the relationship of working capital with profitability and the optimal CCC varies owing to firm age and industry group.

Originality/value

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first paper that incorporates the impact of working capital on firm’s performance from both financial constraint (unconstraint) and aggressive (conservative) working capital policy perspectives in the Indian context. Furthermore, this study also contributes in terms of reflecting the effect of firm age and industry in determining the optimum CCC of the firms.
Measuring innovative literacy: conceptualization, scale development and validation
Authors: Yüksel Asiye , Gök Mehmet Şahin , Günsel Ayşe
Published: February 2023

Purpose

There is a need to understand the role of innovative literacy in intellectual capital literature. This study aims to develop the innovative literacy scale, starting from the framework of innovative literacy, which is not prominent in the literature. Accordingly, this study develops and validates an innovative literacy scale.

Design/methodology/approach

A quantitative research methodology was used for this study, whereby a unipolar 5-point Likert scale self-report questionnaire was designed. Scale development analyses were performed in three steps: (1) The first item pool was created by literature review; (2) preliminary quantitative testing of the reliability and validity of the items, including confirmatory factor analyses (CFA), was performed; and (3) final scale validation through a discriminant and validity test was done using descriptive factor analyses (DFA) and structural equation modelling (SEM).

Findings

For the developed scale, the sample size was 220 in the first stage, 440 in the second stage, and 457 in the third stage. The validity and reliability analyses of the results were completed using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) and Analysis of Moment Structures (AMOS) programs. After the preliminary stages, the validity and reliability tests of the scale were carried out, and 17 items (in 4 dimensions) of the innovative literacy scale were finally developed.

Research limitations/implications

This research fills a conceptual gap in the literature. However, since this concept is evaluated using the human, customer and structural components of intellectual capital, future researchers may examine this concept together with other features of intellectual capital and with larger samples.

Originality/value

The article contributes to understanding innovation by developing a scale to evaluate InnoLiteracy, which may be an essential factor influencing innovative literate behaviours. The perceived multi-dimensional scale of InnoLiteracy will be beneficial for academicians and human resources professionals. Although there are studies in the related literature on the importance of the concept of innovative literacy, a scale from the perspectives of intellectual capital and sustainable innovation will be unique since there is no tool for its measurement yet. The findings of the InnoLiteracy research are meaningful, and the scale has the potential to meet the needs of researchers, schools, government agencies and businesses.
Supply chain disruption in time of crisis: a case of the Indonesian retail sector
Authors: Timotius Elkana , Sunardi Oki , Soenandi Iwan Aang , Ginting Meriastuti , Sabini Burhan
Published: January 2023

Purpose

This study investigated factors in the retail supply chains that were disrupted by the flow of the product distribution process from suppliers to retail stores and finally to consumers during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Design/methodology/approach

This qualitative study involved 12 key informants from two manufacturing industries and three retail industries in Indonesia. Meanwhile, the analysis of empirical conditions employed qualitative content analysis to discover facts of the inbound and outbound supplies in retail supply chains.

Findings

This study revealed high demands for certain products and a shift in consumer purchase trends during the pandemic screwed merchandising planning in retail stores. These conditions have brought continuous impacts on the production processes of manufacturing industries that also faced constrained raw material supplies. Container shortage in the global supply chain has increasingly aggravated the crisis of retail supply chains. 10;

Practical implications

Retailers and all related parties are ready to anticipate the changing of the supply chain by preparing strategies to overcome the crisis.

Originality/value

A contribution is made to the global retail supply chain in times of crisis and can serve as a framework for further research in each region.
Coffee as an axis of recovery: cooperativism and mental health
Authors: Agudelo Hernández Andrés Felipe , Giraldo Alvarez Ana Belén
Published: January 2023

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to understand the functioning of a mutual aid group for mental health in rural area and analyze their own strategies for the recovery of mental health, especially those focused on cooperation, social innovation and the strengthening of their own culture through coffee.

Design/methodology/approach

The qualitative approach was addressed through the thematic analysis, method to identify, analyze and report patterns within the data. For the selection of participants, the members of a mutual aid group called “Cooperativa de Mujeres' was selected. This group functions as an autonomous business organization in Risaralda, Colombia. They have accompanied people diagnosed with anxiety, depression and domestic violence. Six women were interviewed, between the ages of 18 and 62.

Findings

Two thematic nuclei are described: “One for all” made up of categories such as identification with the other, need for the other, being able to communicate, contributing to the group involuntarily and actions to help others. “All for one”, made up of categories such as growing together, welcoming individuals in their individuality from group dynamics, strengthening the relationship of the person with reality, strengthen from the experiences of others.

Research limitations/implications

Mutual Aid Groups in mental health propose associative structures that they seek to oppose the barriers of historical exclusion in the labor field and in this way contribute to the fact that the models, although they have a long history, have been little studied with a view to their implementation by health systems.

Practical implications

Current research in the field of health should focus on recognizing the flaws of the current mental health model focused on medicalization, psychologization and institutionalization, and point to a greater commitment to intersectoral support for initiatives and scenarios that promote links, networks, autonomy and care for each other and the environment, where sustainability and social and economic growth are fundamental.

Social implications

The transformative actions of cooperatives are configured with a fundamental element when it comes to generating spaces for the rehabilitation of mental health.

Originality/value

Components of a mutual aid group in rural areas are explored, which could serve to replicate said structures in similar scenarios, especially in territories where social inequities make recovery difficult, such as Colombia.
Am I in an obstructive employer-employee relationship? The role of breach in employee reactions during tough times
Authors: Tsachouridi Irene , Nikandrou Irene
Published: February 2023

Purpose

To provide insight into how employees react during challenging economic times, this paper aims to examine employee responses to non-fulfilled employer obligations. More specifically, the authors examine two main issues: first, whether perceptions of organizational obstruction (PO Obstruction) mediate the relationship between psychological contract breach and intent to quit, as well as between psychological contract breach and willingness to support the organization, and second, whether breach moderates the relationship between PO Obstruction and intent to quit as well as between PO Obstruction and willingness to support the organization.

Design/methodology/approach

To test the hypotheses, the authors conducted a field study in which 316 employees took part.

Findings

The results indicate that PO Obstruction mediates the relationship between breach and employee outcomes. Regarding the moderating effects of the breach, the findings suggest that breach strengthens the positive relationship between PO Obstruction and intent to quit while it weakens the negative relationship between PO Obstruction and willingness to support the organization.

Originality/value

This paper contributes to the existing literature by introducing a new perspective of the breach-outcome relationship.
Interrogating inclusive growth: Implications for conceptualisation, measurement and policy practice
Authors: Johnson Lachlan , Eccleston Richard
Published: February 2023

The idea that economic growth ought to be inclusive—that governments and economic policy makers should concern themselves with not just the “pace but also the pattern” of growth—has gained considerable traction in recent years. Actors ranging from local, state, regional and national governments to civic or non‐government actors to multinational corporations have embraced the rhetoric of inclusive growth, with many also developing their own suite of corresponding policy, strategy, or measurement approaches. Despite—or perhaps even because of—its popularity and proliferation, there is very little agreement around what inclusive growth actually is, how and at what spatial scale it should be pursued, and how outcomes ought to be measured. In this paper, we provide a conceptual synopsis of how and where inclusive growth emerged, what its aims are, and how it is understood and measured by its many different practitioners. We conclude with an assessment of whether this potentially valuable concept can be refined and incorporated into a unified and useful framework to inform policy and decision making.
Linking ammonium nitrate‐aluminum (AN‐AL) post‐blast residues to pre‐blast explosive materials using isotope ratio and trace elemental analysis for source attribution
Authors: Ippoliti Paul , Werlich Jeffrey , Fuglsby Cami , Yarnes Chris , Saunders Christopher P. , Dettman Josh
Published: January 2023

Forensic science practitioners are often called upon to attribute crimes using trace evidence, such as explosive remnants, with the ultimate goal of associating a crime with a suspect or suspects in order to prevent further attacks. The explosive charge is an attractive component for attribution in crimes involving explosives as there are limited pathways for acquisition. However, there is currently no capability to link an explosive charge to its source via post‐blast trace residues using isotope ratios or trace elements. Here, we sought to determine if pre‐blast attribution signatures are preserved after detonation and can be subsequently recovered and detected. A field study was conducted to recover samples of post‐blast explosives from controlled detonations of ammonium nitrate‐aluminum (AN‐Al), which were then analyzed via isotope ratio mass spectrometry (IRMS) and inductively coupled plasma‐mass spectrometry (ICP‐MS) for quantitation and profiling of isotopes ratio and trace element signatures, respectively. Oxygen and nitrogen isotope ratios from AN‐Al yielded some of the most promising results with considerable overlap within one standard deviation of the reference between the spreads of pre‐ and post‐blast data. Trace element results from AN‐Al support the findings in the isotope ratio data, with 26 elements detected in both pre‐ and post‐blast samples, and several elements including B, Cd, Cr, Ni, Sn, V, and Zn showing considerable overlap. These preliminary results provide a proof‐of‐concept for the development of forensic examinations that can attribute signatures from post‐blast debris to signatures in pre‐blast explosive materials for use in future investigations.