bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Learning and cognition in a decision made at reflex speed
Authors: Krause Martin , Schulze Wolfram , Schuster Stefan
Published: June 2024

In recent years it has become clear that many decisions do not obey the rule that more time yields better decisions. These decisions can be made remarkably fast and yet accurately, sometimes based on very limited information. It is presently unclear whether such ‘blink’ or high-speed decisions lack cognitive aspects that only much slower ‘deliberative’ decision-making can support. Here we demonstrate an unexpected degree of flexibility and cognition in a decision made by a hunting animal at reflex-like speed. Based on observing initial speed, direction, and height of falling prey archerfish decide in just 40 milliseconds on a turn toward the later ballistic landing point. This enables the fish to dash off to arrive simultaneously with prey and to secure it against numerous competitors. We established an approach that allowed us to replace ballistics, the rule that governs the turn decisions, with a novel rule of how to connect the input variables with the rewarded turns. This approach revealed that the fish are not using a hardwired circuit but were able to reprogram their decision in efficient ways that allowed them to immediately generalize to untrained settings. Training even allowed the decision to simultaneously use two distinct sets of rules, one for each of two distinct objects. The flexibility of the decision and the occurrence of high-level cognitive features are counterintuitive for a reflex-like decision made faster than an Olympic sprinter can respond to the start gun. However, they imply that combining speed and accuracy in rapid decisions does not generally make them less smart than decisions made over far longer timescales.
Phonon excitations of Floquet-driven superfluids in a tilted optical lattice
Authors: Cruickshank Robbie , Di Carli Andrea , Mitchell Matthew , La Rooij Arthur , Kuhr Stefan , Creffield Charles E. , Haller Elmar
Published: June 2024

Tilted lattice potentials with periodic driving play a crucial role in the study of artificial gauge fields and topological phases with ultracold quantum gases. However, driving-induced heating and the growth of phonon modes restrict their use for probing interacting many-body states. Here, we experimentally investigate phonon modes and interaction-driven instabilities of superfluids in the lowest band of a shaken optical lattice. We identify stable and unstable parameter regions and provide a general resonance condition. In contrast to the high-frequency approximation of a Floquet description, we use the micromotion of the superfluids to analyze the growth of phonon modes from slow- to fast-driving frequencies. The model describes phonon excitations in both resonantly and nonresonantly driven systems, with or without a tilted potential. Our observations enable the prediction of stable parameter regimes for quantum-simulation experiments aimed at studying driven systems with strong interactions over extended time scales.

Published by the American Physical Society
2024
Thermally induced localization of dopants in a magnetic spin ladder
Authors: Nielsen K. Knakkergaard
Published: June 2024

I unveil an emergent localization phenomenon pertaining to the motion of a dopant in a thermal spin lattice. This is rendered localized by thermal spin fluctuations, whereby it is in stark constrast to the intrinsic origin of Anderson localization for quenched disorder. The system of interest consists of spin-1/2 particles organized in a two-leg ladder with nearest-neighbor Ising interactions J. The motion of a hole—the dopant—is initialized by suddenly removing a spin from the thermal spin ensemble, which then moves along the ladder via nearest-neighbor hopping t. I find that the hole remains for all values of J/t and for nonzero temperatures. The origin is an effective disorder potential seen by the hole and induced by thermal spin fluctuations. Its length scale is found to match with the underlying spin-spin correlation length at low temperatures. For ferromagnetic couplings (J<0), the associated localization length of the hole increases with decreasing temperature and becomes proportional to the correlation length at low temperatures, asymptotically delocalizing at low temperatures. For antiferromagnetic couplings (J>0), there is a smooth crossover between thermal localization at high temperatures to localization driven by the antiferromagnetic order at low temperatures. At infinite temperatures, the dynamics becomes independent of the sign of the spin coupling, whereby the localization length is a universal function of |J|/t, diverging as (t/J)2 for |J|≪t. Finally, I analyze a setup with Rydberg-dressed atoms, which naturally realizes finite-range Ising interactions, accessible in current experimental setups. I show that the discovered localization phenomenon can be probed on experimentally accessible length- and timescales, providing a strong testing ground for my predictions.

Published by the American Physical Society
2024
Enhanced laser absorption and ion acceleration by boron nitride nanotube targets and high-energy PW laser pulses
Authors: Tosca M. , Morace A. , Schollmeier M. , Steinke S. , Shirvanyan V. , Arikawa Y. , Giuffrida L. , Margarone D. , Pleskunov P. , Choukourov A. , Whitney R. R. , Scammell L. R. , Korn G.
Published: June 2024

Enhancing laser energy absorption with energy transfer to fast electrons is crucial for efficient laser-driven ion acceleration. In this work, we present an experimental demonstration of volumetric laser absorption using boron nitride nanotube (BNNT) targets with an average density of 15 of the solid density. We use a PW laser system operating at a pulse duration of 1.2 ps and an energy of 1.3 kJ, reaching intensities of 2 × 1019 Wcm−2 on target with moderate nanosecond contrast (109), to generate energetic ion streams from a 250 µm thick BNNT target. To characterize laser-accelerated ions, Thomson parabola spectrometers, CR-39 nuclear track detectors, and an electron spectrometer are employed. The results are compared to those achieved using flat targets made of polystyrene (PS) of the same thickness. The comparison reveals a 1.5-fold increase in proton maximum energy and a 2.5-fold increase in the maximum energy of heavy ions (C and N) when comparing the BNNT to PS. Moreover, the high-energy ion flux recorded at CR-39 is orders of magnitude higher for the BNNT after cutting off low-energy ions with Al filters. The enhanced ion acceleration is the result of a 2.3-fold increase in the electron temperature for BNNT, as measured by the electron spectrometer. These experimental findings are further validated through two-dimensional particle-in-cell simulations, which confirm the increase in electron temperature due to enhanced laser absorption ascribable to the low density and nanostructure of the BNNT target compared to the flat foil.

Published by the American Physical Society
2024
X-ray scattering based scanning tomography for imaging and structural characterization of cellulose in plants
Authors: Yang Lin
Published: June 2024

X-ray and neutron scattering have long been used for structural characterization of cellulose in plants. Due to averaging over the illuminated sample volume, these measurements traditionally overlooked the compositional and morphological heterogeneity within the sample. Here, a scanning tomographic imaging method is described, using contrast derived from the X-ray scattering intensity, for virtually sectioning the sample to reveal its internal structure at a resolution of a few micrometres. This method provides a means for retrieving the local scattering signal that corresponds to any voxel within the virtual section, enabling characterization of the local structure using traditional data-analysis methods. This is accomplished through tomographic reconstruction of the spatial distribution of a handful of mathematical components identified by non-negative matrix factorization from the large dataset of X-ray scattering intensity. Joint analysis of multiple datasets, to find similarity between voxels by clustering of the decomposed data, could help elucidate systematic differences between samples, such as those expected from genetic modifications, chemical treatments or fungal decay. The spatial distribution of the microfibril angle can also be analyzed, based on the tomographically reconstructed scattering intensity as a function of the azimuthal angle.
The crystal structure of a mononuclear PrIII complex with cucurbit[6]uril
Authors: Fedorenko George V. , Zbruyev Oleksandr I. , Pavlishchuk Anna V. , Oleksenko Lyudmila P. , Shova Sergiu G. , Chebanov Valentyn A. , Pavlishchuk Vitaly V.
Published: June 2024

A new mononuclear complex, pentaaqua(cucurbit[6]uril-κ2
O,O′)(nitrato-κ2
O,O′)praseodymium(III) dinitrate 9.56-hydrate, [Pr(NO3)(CB6)(H2O)5](NO3)2·9.56H2O (1), was obtained as outcome of the hydrothermal reaction between the macrocyclic ligand cucurbit[6]uril (CB6, C36H36N24O12) with a tenfold excess of Pr(NO3)3·6H2O. Complex 1 crystallizes in the P21/n space group with two crystallographically independent but chemically identical [Pr(CB6)(NO3)(H2O)5]2+ complex cations, four nitrate counter-anions and 19.12 interstitial water molecules per asymmetric unit. The nonacoordinated PrIII in 1 are located in the PrO9 coordination environment formed by two carbonyl O atoms from bidentate cucurbit[6]uril units, two oxygen atoms from the bidentate nitrate anion and five water molecules. Considering the differences in Pr—O bond distances and O—Pr—O angles in the coordination spheres, the coordination polyhedrons of the two PrIII atoms can be described as distorted spherical capped square antiprismatic and muffin polyhedral.
The impact of climate transition risk on firms’ value – evidence from select Indian-listed companies
Authors: Mondal Amitava , Bauri Somnath
Published: June 2024

Purpose

Transitioning to a low-carbon economy requires a positive response by society, including business organizations, towards the green concept and also requires the implementation of long-term green strategies. These requirements could impose various transition risks on the sustainable development of the firms; hence, the present study aims to examine the impact of climate transition risk on a firm’s financial performance and market value creation from the Indian perspective.

Design/methodology/approach

We have considered the firm-level environmental risk score (ERS) to evaluate the sensitivity of a firm’s profitability (measured by ROA & ROE) and market value (measured by Tobin’s Q) towards the climate transition risk. The present study used multiple regression analysis to examine the impact of climate transition risk on the firm’s financial performance and market value creation, as evidenced by Nifty 50 companies.

Findings

The empirical results suggested that corporate climate transition risks have been positively associated with the firm’s financial performance indicators but negatively impacted the firm’s market value creation in the case of select Indian-listed firms. Hence, our results indicate that with the increase of firm-level climate transition risk, the firm’s financial performance increases but negatively affects the firm’s market value creation. The robustness tests have also confirmed the same results and supported our analysis.

Originality/value

The present paper contributes to the existing literature on climate risks and firms’ performance by providing insights about firms’ sensitivity towards climate transition risk from the Indian perspective.
Investigation of shaded pole stator topology for low power AC motors design
Authors: Petkovska Lidija , Cvetkovski Goga Vladimir
Published: June 2024

Purpose

This paper aims to investigate the features of single phase shaded pole stator with squirrel–cage rotor or permanent magnet rotor, that leads to an investigation of these topoloties as induction motor or synchronous motor. The comparative analysis is realised for the following three topologies: single phase shaded pole induction motor (SPIM) with squirrel–cage rotor, the second topology (single phase synchronous motor) has the same stator configuration but with permanent magnet rotor and the third investigated topology is similar to the second one, where the stator poles instead of iron steel are made of soft composite material.

Design/methodology/approach

The investigation in this work starts with a performance analysis of single-phase SPIM. Afterwards for the same stator topology the squirrel rotor is replaced with a two-pole permanent magnet rotor and the same performance analysis is realised for this topology. Finally, the second topology is improved bay replacing the iron steel stator poles with stator poles made of soft magnetic composite material and performance analysis is realised for this third type of topology as well. The performance analysis of all topologies is realised by implementation of finite element method and finite element analysis.

Findings

The presented data and diagrams from the realized investigation show that single phase synchronous motor with shaded pole stator has an improved characteristics in comparison with the initial single-phase SPIM. Finally, the third topology realized on the bases of the single-phase synchronous motor has the best performance characteristics due to the implementation of soft magnetic material in the realization of the stator poles. The proposed methodology for structural and performance improvement of a single-phase SPIM topology opens the possibility for additive manufacturing application and significant cost reduction.

Originality/value

The focus was put on exploration the possibilities of the single-phase shaded pole stator topology for application in low-power and low-cost single phase self-starting motors. By simple replacement of the squirrel–cage rotor, in the reference AKO-16 motor, with one-piece ferrite permanent magnet rotor, the self-starting single phase synchronous motor was derived. In the next step, owing to simplify the SPPM motor production process and manufacturing, the stator poles instead of iron steel lamination were made of soft composite material Somaloy®. It opens the possibility for additive manufacturing application and significant cost reduction.
Prediction of the minimum fluidization velocity of different biomass types by artificial neural networks and empirical correlations
Authors: Matos Thenysson , Perazzini Maisa Tonon Bitti , Perazzini Hugo
Published: June 2024

Purpose

This paper aims to analyze the performance of artificial neural networks with filling methods in predicting the minimum fluidization velocity of different biomass types for bioenergy applications.

Design/methodology/approach

An extensive literature review was performed to create an efficient database for training purposes. The database consisted of experimental values of the minimum fluidization velocity, physical properties of the biomass particles (density, size and sphericity) and characteristics of the fluidization (monocomponent experiments or binary mixture). The neural models developed were divided into eight different cases, in which the main difference between them was the filling method type (K-nearest neighbors [KNN] or linear interpolation) and the number of input neurons. The results of the neural models were compared to the classical correlations proposed by the literature and empirical equations derived from multiple regression analysis.

Findings

The performance of a given filling method depended on the characteristics and size of the database. The KNN method was superior for lower available data for training and specific fluidization experiments, like monocomponent or binary mixture. The linear interpolation method was superior for a wider and larger database, including monocomponent and binary mixture. The performance of the neural model was comparable with the predictions of the most well-known correlations from the literature.

Originality/value

Techniques of machine learning, such as filling methods, were used to improve the performance of the neural models. Besides the typical comparisons with conventional correlations, comparisons with three main equations derived from multiple regression analysis were reported and discussed.
How does algorithm-based HR predict employees’ sentiment? Developing an employee experience model through sentiment analysis
Authors: Lee Jinju , Song Ji Hoon
Published: June 2024

Purpose

This study aims to develop a conceptual model of positive employee experience using sentiment analysis within algorithm-based human resource (HR) strategies. Its goal is to enhance HR professionals’ understanding of employee experiences and enable data-driven decision-making to create a positive work environment, thereby contributing to the originality of HR research.

Design/methodology/approach

The study conducts sentiment analysis – a text mining technique – to assess employee reviews and extract distinct positive experience factors. The employed data-driven methodology serves to fortify the reliability and objectivity of the analysis, ultimately resulting in a more refined depiction of the conveyed sentiment.

Findings

Utilizing sentiment analysis, the authors identified 135 keywords that signify positive employee experiences. These keywords were then categorized into four clusters aligned with factors influencing employee experience: work, relationships, organizational system and organizational culture, employing an inductive approach. The framework outlines the process of nurturing positive employee experiences throughout the employee life cycle, incorporating insights from the affective events theory and cognitive appraisal theory.

Practical implications

Data-driven insights empower HR professionals to enhance employee satisfaction, engagement and productivity. HR managers implementing AI-assisted HR ecosystems need digital and data science skills. Additionally, these insights can offer practical support in accentuating diversity and ethical considerations within the organizational culture. Candid employee data can enhance leadership and support diversity in organizational culture. Managers play a crucial communication role, ensuring flexible access to personalized HR solutions.

Originality/value

Applying sentiment analysis through opinion mining allows for the collection of unstructured data, reflecting authentic employee perceptions. This innovative approach expedites issue identification and targeted actions, enhancing employee satisfaction. Textual reviews, integral to employee feedback, offer comprehensive insights. Additionally, considering subjectivity and review length in online employee reviews adds value to understanding experiences (Zhao et al., 2019). This study surpasses prior research by directly identifying key factors of employee experience through the analysis of actual employee review texts, addressing a gap in understanding beyond previous attempts.
Building bridges and preserving voices: key factors in community oral history stewardship
Authors: Kim Jeonghyun , Roeschley Ana , Byun Mimi
Published: June 2024

Purpose

The study aims to enhance our understanding of shared community oral history stewardship by exploring its practices and challenges from the perspectives of the stakeholders involved.

Design/methodology/approach

This study employed in-depth semi-structured interviews with community oral history stewards. Each interview focused on their experiences and perspectives regarding community-based oral history projects. The interview data were transcribed and analyzed using a grounded theory approach.

Findings

Community oral history stewards found oral history stewardship entails substantial effort, long-term commitment, and challenges. They concurred on the importance of partnerships between communities and archives in preserving community stories, with institutional archives providing valuable support, resources, and engagement beyond mere preservation platforms. Establishing trust between communities and archives emerged as a fundamental requirement for fruitful collaboration.

Originality/value

Community oral history has stood out as the prevailing form within the theory and practice of oral history, but its shared stewardship practices have not been thoroughly explored from the stakeholders' viewpoints.
A study of big bath practices in the Egyptian capital market: an emphasis on CEO turnover and origin
Authors: Hassouna Dina , ElHawary Engy , ElBolok Rasha
Published: June 2024

Purpose

This study aims to investigate how major big bath accounting practices and CEO turnover in Egypt relate to one another, as well as the first to use the CEO’s origin as a moderating factor.

Design/methodology/approach

This study uses 10-year longitudinal data from 2012 to 2021 and 290 firm-year observations from Egypt’s listed nonfinancial firms that witnessed CEO turnover to identify the significant big bath accounting practices in Egyptian businesses after the Egyptian revolution and the COVID-19 pandemic. Using fixed and random effect models, the authors investigate the impact of CEO turnover on company earnings during the first year of a newly appointed CEO as an indicator of big bath practices after controlling CEO gender, experience, firm size, leverage, return on assets, return on equity and industry. The hypotheses were investigated using static panel data.

Findings

The results show the presence of big bath practices in the Egyptian market. Furthermore, big bath accounting practices are positively correlated with CEO turnover. Moreover, the results indicate that big bath accounting practices are only endured when external CEOs are employed, rather than internal ones.

Research limitations/implications

The sample size and availability of data are the main research limitations. In addition, this study only examined CEO turnover and CEO origin as moderators in big bath accounting. Thus, future research may consider other CEO characteristics and political factors associated with big bath practices.

Practical implications

The findings from this study offer valuable insights to investors and regulators for effective decision-making and governance practices within the Egyptian capital market, while also contributing to a more informed approach to emerging markets on a global scale.

Originality/value

The findings contribute to the big-bath and CEO turnover and origin literature by showing a lower ceiling for earnings manipulation and using Egypt as a case study due to its unique institutional environment.
The nexus between halal industry and Islamic green finance: a bibliometric analysis
Authors: Napitupulu Rodame Monitorir , Sukmana Raditya , Rusydiana Aam Slamet , Cahyani Utari Evy , Wibawa Berto Mulia
Published: June 2024

Purpose

This scholarly paper aims to explore the interconnections between the halal industry and Islamic green finance while also offering valuable insights and recommendations to various stakeholders, such as government bodies, national planning boards, financial institutions and researchers, concerning the realm of Islamic green finance.

Design/methodology/approach

In total, 783 studies have been indexed in Scopus. However, within the field of economics and business, encompassing the period from 2009 to 2022, only 182 documents meet the specified criteria, which use the “halal AND industry” term from the journal source type. This study uses the VoSViewer software to comprehensively map, synthesize and analyze the available data.

Findings

Notably, research endeavors dedicated to the halal industry have shown a consistent upward trend. The research encompasses five prominent thematic areas, specifically halal certification, consumers of halal products, halal food, the halal industry and the halal food industry. The findings also highlight the existence of a relationship between the halal industry and Islamic green finance, suggesting that Islamic financial institutions possess significant potential to attract investor interest in the halal industry through the application of Islamic green finance, a practice already underway in several countries worldwide.

Practical implications

The findings of this study can serve as a valuable reference for the government and national planning board, enabling them to effectively incorporate the advancement of the halal industry in tandem with Islamic green finance as a pertinent means of funding, which holds significant relevance in attaining the Sustainable Development Goals. Moreover, finance institutions are presented with a favorable prospect to foster the growth of Islamic financial instruments, thereby bolstering their role in facilitating the development of the halal industry sector.

Originality/value

This scholarly investigation represents the inaugural bibliometric study delving into the intricate dynamics between the halal industry and Islamic green finance. Significantly, it sheds light on the profound correlation existing between these domains, thereby providing substantial evidence to substantiate their interrelatedness.
Readiness to change in Islamic banking: the significance of adaptability and Islamic work ethics
Authors: Afrida Yenti , Rivai Harif Amali , Syahrul Laura , Lukito Hendra
Published: June 2024

Purpose

This paper aims to investigate Islamic work ethics and adaptability towards change readiness of Islamic Bank employees in Indonesia with commitment as a mediating variable. This study focuses on the Sharia banking industry, which is facing transformation from Sharia business units to Sharia commercial banks by preparing its human resources, thus minimizing resistance.

Design/methodology/approach

This study is based on a survey of 135 Bank Syariah Indonesia employees via an online questionnaire. PLS-SEM is used to analyze data and test hypotheses using SMART-PLS.

Findings

The results of the study show that adaptability does not have a positive and significant effect on readiness for change in Indonesian Sharia banks and organizational commitment. Meanwhile, Islamic work ethics have a positive and significant effect on the change readiness of Islamic bank employees in Indonesia as well as organizational commitment. This study also found that organizational commitment mediates the impact of Islamic work ethics on the change readiness of Islamic bank employees in Indonesia.

Research limitations/implications

This research uses a sample of employees at Sharia commercial banks (BUS) in Indonesia, so it is still limited to certain types of banks. Future research needs to test the model in different contexts, such as banks that still have Sharia business unit (UUS) status. In addition, further research needs to use other variables such as leader support for transformational change readiness. Future research also needs to control more variables and use a more complex scale than a binary scale (e.g. percentage of share ownership or area within a province or district/city). This study recommends that employee change readiness is very necessary to avoid resistance and resistance to the transformation and acceleration of Sharia banking in Indonesia.

Originality/value

This research looks at employee readiness for change in Indonesian Sharia banks through the lens of adaptability Islamic work ethics and organizational commitment.
Entrepreneurial leadership and transformational leadership: a historical-comparative conceptual analysis
Authors: Chandranathan Preman
Published: June 2024

Purpose

This article provides a historical-comparative conceptual analysis of entrepreneurial leadership and transformational leadership, aiming to critically appraise how the latter has informed the former.

Design/methodology/approach

A narrative review methodology and three-stage framework is used to develop the analysis and structure the discussion. The framework consists of the following three stages – concept introduction and elaboration, concept evaluation and augmentation and concept consolidation and accommodation.

Findings

The key ‘narrative’ emerging from the review concerns how entrepreneurial leadership as a concept has evolved into a re-iteration of the transformational leadership approach, absorbing the conceptual merits, and more significantly, conceptual flaws of the latter. Notable critiques of transformational leadership theory, namely, a lack of conceptual clarity, over-reliance on quantitative methodologies and the ‘heroic bias,’ can similarly be raised against existing research on entrepreneurial leadership. To redress these issues, the conceptual, methodological and practical implications of the historical-comparative analysis are outlined, which includes avenues for further research – with and without key elements of transformational leadership theory.

Originality/value

The article is the first to discuss the historical evolution of entrepreneurial leadership as a concept in relation to transformational leadership theory, which has been influential in research on the former. In particular, the critical analysis illustrates how the conceptual evolution of entrepreneurial leadership has failed to acknowledge the significant limitations associated with transformational leadership theory, despite considerable application of it.
Linking dynamic capability with mass customization capability: the mediating role of supply chain resilience
Authors: Shi Haiqing , Feng Taiwen , Chen Lucheng , Lu Xiaoping
Published: June 2024

Purpose

Despite the growing interest in enhancing mass customization capability (MCC), firms still have little knowledge of dealing with the superimposed challenges of increased market uncertainty and supply chain disruptions. Based on the dynamic capability view, this study focuses on the impacts of frequent sensing and reconfiguring processes on MCC and the mediating roles of proactive and reactive supply chain resilience (SCR).

Design/methodology/approach

We collected survey data from 277 manufacturing firms and conducted a structural equation model to test hypotheses.

Findings

The results reveal that although its direct effect on MCC is insignificant, sensing process improves MCC indirectly via reactive SCR. Our findings also show that reconfiguring process enhances MCC both directly and indirectly via reactive SCR.

Originality/value

This study provides theoretical and practical insights into how to combine dynamic capability and SCR to strengthen MCC.
Exploring the financing gap for entrepreneurial firms in a developing economy: a case of mismatched expectations?
Authors: Jabbouri Imad , Naili Maryem , Jabbouri Rachid , Issa Helmi , Bahoum Karim
Published: June 2024

Purpose

This paper investigates the financing preferences and practices of Senegalese entrepreneurial firms, with a particular focus on understanding the gaps between the two and how they may contribute to financing constraints in developing economies. By juxtaposing the preferences of different financing options against their degree of usage, this study attempts to reveal the mismatch in demand and supply of entrepreneurial firms financing in Senegal.

Design/methodology/approach

A structured questionnaire was used to survey 524 entrepreneurial firms, and data was analyzed using various statistical methods.

Findings

The results indicate that the most preferred sources of financing for Senegalese entrepreneurial firms are self-financing and short-term bank loans. Short-term funding horizons are also much more preferred than their long-term counterparts. However, there is a mismatch between financing preferences and practices, particularly with regards to equity sources, which were found to be more preferred than used. The study argues that a combination of preferences, firm, and owner characteristics can explain the choice and frequency of usage of financing sources.

Originality/value

This study contributes to the literature by contrasting preferences and practices, revealing gaps between theory and practice, and providing better insight into the real financing needs of entrepreneurial firms in developing economies. To the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study to examine the financing preferences of Senegalese entrepreneurial firms, making it an important contribution to the literature on entrepreneurial firms financing in developing economies.
A case study of a pilot leadership skills program to clarify professional fulfillment sources for academic physicians
Authors: Nadkarni Ashwini , Fennessy Fiona
Published: June 2024

Purpose

In this case study, the authors aimed to investigate the usefulness of five interactive workshops on leadership skills relevant to academic physicians for their professional fulfillment. Workshops were led by experts in finance, negotiation, business administration and digital tools and enhanced a practical understanding of skills in 1) financial investment; 2) growing clout on social media; 3) negotiation; 4) navigating institutional culture as a woman; and 5) conflict management.

Design/methodology/approach

Workshops were deployed to faculty in the departments of Radiology and Psychiatry. Attendance at seminars was captured, categorized as in-person (when offered), virtual-live or virtual-recording views post hoc. The authors also collected responses to a brief, 5-question survey which assessed faculty familiarity with the topic pre-and post-seminar and evaluated the perceived relevance of the topic to professional fulfillment.

Findings

The highest attendance was for the seminar on financial investments, and the lowest attendance was for that on conflict management. The seminar that the highest proportion of respondents deemed important as a leadership skill was on the topic of navigating institutional culture as a woman in the workplace. The seminar that focused on cultivating clout on social media was the seminar that the highest proportion of respondents deemed worth attending.

Originality/value

From this case study, the authors learned that financial literacy, discerning institutional culture, managing conflicts, negotiating and using digital tools are topics which have relevance to physician professional fulfillment. Such topics could be valuable as the building blocks for future programs which provide leadership training to physicians.
The informal economy and the entrepreneurial cycle
Authors: Rivas Jose Luis , Adamuz María de las Mercedes
Published: June 2024

Purpose

This study aims to explore the direct and indirect relationships among the informal economy, innovation, entrepreneurial and initial public offering (IPO) activity.

Design/methodology/approach

This study uses an unbalanced sample of 30 countries over a 15-year period: 2000–2014. The proposed random-effects model is estimated using feasible generalized least squares with robust estimators of variance.

Findings

Entrepreneurial activity is positively related to IPO activity. The informal economy negatively moderates the relationships among entrepreneurship, innovation and IPOs.

Practical implications

IPOs are a stage in the entrepreneurial process susceptible of being influenced by country level factors. An appropriate understanding of these factors can contribute to discuss policies that improve the level of IPO activity.

Originality/value

The authors explore the understudied relationship of the informal economy and entrepreneurship. Although entrepreneurial activity can be higher in contexts with more informality, this relationship can turn sour in later stages since it lowers the probability of higher IPO activity by inhibiting formal entrepreneurship and innovation. Hence, the main contribution is to provide evidence of this “hangover” effect.
2021 Wildfires in Türkiye: A perspective from crisis management and crisis communication practices
Authors: Sari Bektaş
Published: June 2024

Türkiye has long been plagued by deadly natural hazards, including earthquakes, wildfires, landslides, and floods, which have caused widespread destruction throughout the country. 2021 Wildfires in Türkiye, the most destructive in the country's history, have disrupted the region's ecological balance by destroying vast swathes of forests and the habitats of many species. This study aimed to explore crisis management and communication practices during the 2021 Türkiye wildfire. This qualitative research utilized a phenomenological approach and the discourse analysis method to study the data. The study's methodology aimed to delve into the lived experiences surrounding the disaster and analyze the statements of the responsible minister to uncover best practices. The results indicate that wildfires were not contained during the initial day, and a needs assessment was impossible. During the response, frequent disinformation, rumors, and suspicious situations arose, indicating difficulties in information management. A consistent call for solidarity is beneficial for crisis management and communication. However, a debate about inadequate resources highlights trust and transparency issues in crisis communication. Moreover, drawing comparisons with other countries and making self‐congratulatory statements about success and strength are not aligned with crisis management or crisis communication and may be perceived as politically motivated.
Location matters! Geospatial dynamics of MP responses to Covid‐19 protests in multilevel systems
Authors: SCHÜRMANN LENNART , SCHWALBACH JAN , HIMMELRATH NOAM
Published: June 2024

In liberal democracies, protest can serve as a trigger for necessary policy reforms, but it can also be used by a loud minority to advance political goals against the will of the majority. Focusing on such vocal protests in the context of the Covid‐19 pandemic, we investigate the following question: How does the location of protest events affect the likelihood of political engagement with the protests in a multilevel system? Combining social movement literature with studies of issue attention and rhetorical responsiveness, we analyze how German members of parliaments’ (MPs) responses vary using their tweets from the onset of the pandemic to the German federal election in September 2021. Using quantitative text analysis, we measure rhetorical responsiveness to Covid‐19 protests and apply multilevel regression analyses and difference‐in‐differences. We find that more protests lead to more attention; however, MPs respond most strongly to protests within the state they represent. Furthermore, politicians’ level within the German multilevel system affects their attention to these protests, with MPs elected at lower levels of an electoral system responding more to local protest events than MPs elected at higher levels. The results highlight the importance of the location of protests in attracting political attention.
In vivo efficacy evaluation of white‐spotted flower chafer (Protaetia brevitarsis seulensis) extract for improving blood circulation
Authors: Son Jin‐Sung , Chung Tae‐Ho
Published: June 2024

Recent studies have suggested the use of insects to enhance various bioactivities in the treatment of many diseases or as alternative sources of nutrients. White‐spotted flower chafer (Protaetia brevitarsis seulensis; PBS) extract, which is used for medicinal purposes, appears to be effective in improving blood circulation. However, few studies have investigated the efficacy of PBS extract in improving blood circulation. Here, we investigated the effects of PBS extract on serum cholesterol metabolites (total cholesterol, high‐density lipoprotein cholesterol, and low‐density lipoprotein cholesterol) and anticoagulant activities (prothrombin time [PT], activated partial thromboplastin time [aPTT], and fibrinogen [Fib]) in very‐high‐fat diet (VHFD)‐induced hyperlipidemic rats. The experimental groups comprised a control group that was not treated with PBS and five PBS treatment groups (50, 100, 150, 200, and 250 mg/kg) in a randomized complete block design. In the efficacy evaluation for health functionality to reduce cholesterol levels, no beneficial effects on serum cholesterol metabolites were observed in the control and PBS treatment groups. In addition, the cholesterol data indicated that the effect of the PBS extract was not related to antioxidant activity. Moreover, the PT, aPPT, and Fib values were prolonged by increasing the PBS extract concentration, and PBS extract concentrations of 150–250 mg/kg were recommended for the VHFD model based on the anticoagulant activity. In conclusion, the PBS extract can be used in a potential therapeutic strategy for improving anticoagulant activity rather than improving the serum cholesterol profile.
Development of a whole‐cell biosensor for ethylene oxide and ethylene
Authors: Moratti Claudia F. , Yang Sui Nin Nicholas , Scott Colin , Coleman Nicholas V.
Published: June 2024

Ethylene and ethylene oxide are widely used in the chemical industry, and ethylene is also important for its role in fruit ripening. Better sensing systems would assist risk management of these chemicals. Here, we characterise the ethylene regulatory system in Mycobacterium strain NBB4 and use these genetic parts to create a biosensor. The regulatory genes etnR1 and etnR2 and cognate promoter Petn were combined with a fluorescent reporter gene (fuGFP) in a Mycobacterium shuttle vector to create plasmid pUS301‐EtnR12P. Cultures of M. smegmatis mc2‐155(pUS301‐EtnR12P) gave a fluorescent signal in response to ethylene oxide with a detection limit of 0.2 μM (9 ppb). By combining the epoxide biosensor cells with another culture expressing the ethylene monooxygenase, the system was converted into an ethylene biosensor. The co‐culture was capable of detecting ethylene emission from banana fruit. These are the first examples of whole‐cell biosensors for epoxides or aliphatic alkenes. This work also resolves long‐standing questions concerning the regulation of ethylene catabolism in bacteria.
Paradigm for Determining the Optimal Ultradeep and Super‐thick Saline Aquifer for High‐TDS Mine Water Geological Storage
Authors: LI Xin , CHEN Ge , XU Zhimin , LIU Qi , CHEN Tianci , SUN Yajun
Published: June 2024

Saline aquifers are the most popular waste and CO2 injection and storage reservoirs worldwide. This project proposes that several optimal injection positions should be investigated as hydraulic pressure‐focused positions, in order to relieve the high demands of pump performance. The comprehensive indices (Fi) representing the injectivity of different burial depths were obtained by using information entropy, based on the mercury injection experimental data of 13 rock samples. The results demonstrated that the burial depths of No. 4, No. 1 and No. 2 in the Liujiagou Formation were the most suitable positions for hydraulic focused injection, which means the upper 30 m thickness could be regarded as the hydraulic focused range in the saline aquifer with an average thickness of 400 m. In addition, some laboratory experiments and in situ tests were carried out for the purpose of certifying and analyzing results, including SEM, XRD, brittleness index and logging. The results suggested that the rock samples at the No. 4, No. 1 and No. 2 burial depth ranges have loose microstructure, weak cementation, as well as dual pores and fractures. The lithology is mainly quartz and feldspar, but the clay mineral content is high (10%–25%), which is positive for dissolution. The lithology is suitable for hydraulic fracturing to form extended cracks and micro‐fissures during high‐TDS (total dissolved solids) mine water injection, because of the high brittleness index. Finally, a theoretical and technical framework for high‐TDS mine water injection was established, based on operating pilot engineering. Some theoretical defects and drawbacks learned from the field practices were summarized and solutions proposed. The research in this study could provide guidance and a paradigm for the inexpensive treatment of high‐TDS mine water by injection and storage.
The Weixi High‐silica Granitoids in the Central Sanjiang Orogenic Belt, Southwest China: Implications for Growth of the Continental Crust
Authors: WANG Qiuyu , CHEN Shouming , ZHANG Hongrui , LI Saisai
Published: June 2024

High‐silica granitoids record the formation and evolution of the continental crust. A new intrusive complex has been recognized among silicic volcanic rocks of the Weixi arc, Southwest China. The intrusions consist of granites, granitic porphyries, and granodiorites. Zircon U‐Pb age data indicate that the Weixi granitoids formed at 248–240 Ma and were coeval with silicic volcanic rocks of the Weixi arc. The Weixi granitoids are enriched in Rb, Th, and U, depleted in Ba, Sr, Nb, Ta, and Ti, and have high light/heavy rare earth element ratios and slightly negative Eu anomalies. The Weixi granitoids have negative εNd(t) values (–9.8 to –7.8) and negative zircon εHf(t) values (–12.02 to –5.11). The geochemical and isotopic features suggest the Weixi granitoids were derived by partial melting of ancient crustal material. The Weixi granitoids and silicic volcanic rocks were derived from the same magma by crystal accumulation and melt extraction, respectively, and they record the formation of a continental arc in the central Sanjiang orogenic belt.
The changing post‐Brexit UK‐EU relationship and rules‐based global governance
Authors: Sowels Nicholas
Published: June 2024

In 2023, relations between the European Union (EU) and the United Kingdom (UK) began taking on a more reasoned approach. The Windsor Framework, agreed in February between the Sunak government and the EU, resolved most of the tensions about trade with Northern Ireland. 2023 also witnessed a more pragmatic approach to dealing with several issues harming (British) business and unnecessarily grating post‐Brexit relations with the EU. Furthermore, the UK has shown quite staunch support for Ukraine, and Britain's geopolitical interests today are broadly similar to the EU's in a world in which the rules‐based international order underpinning global governance is greatly weakened. The nature of Brexit, however, is unlikely to change in the foreseeable future.
Women patients with small‐cell lung cancer using immunotherapy in a real‐world cohort achieved long‐term survival
Authors: He Yuling , Kong Lingdong , Ji Xumeng , Zhuo Minglei , An Tongtong , Jia Bo , Chi Yujia , Wang Jingjing , Zhao Jun , Li Jianjie , Yang Xue , Chen Hanxiao , Zhai Xiaoyu , Tai Yidi , Ding Lu , Wang Ziping , Wang Yuyan
Published: June 2024

Background

Usage of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) has prolonged the overall survival (OS) of patients with extensive‐stage small‐cell lung cancer (ES‐SCLC). In clinical trials, males accounted for a large proportion, leading to the uncertainty of its efficacy in female patients. We therefore conducted this study to explore the efficacy and safety of using ICIs in female patients with ES‐SCLC.

Methods

We retrospectively enrolled female SCLC patients and subdivided them into two groups. Group A (n = 40) was defined as ES‐SCLC patients who received first‐line standard chemotherapy with or without ICIs. Group B (n = 47) included relapsed SCLC patients who were administered with second‐line therapies. Kaplan–Meier methodology was used to calculate survival analysis. Chi‐squared tests were used to analyze the incidence of adverse events (AEs).

Results

Median progression‐free survival (PFS) and median OS favored the ICI‐contained cohorts (Group A PFS: 8.3 vs. 6.1 months; OS: not reached vs. 11.3 months; Group B PFS: 15.1 vs. 3.3 months; OS: 35.3 vs. 8.3 months), especially in those patients who received second‐line immunotherapies. Patients who received immunotherapy had a slightly higher incidence rate of grade ≥3 AEs (Group A: 71.4% vs. 46.2%; Group B: 44.5% vs. 13.2%). Those who developed grade ≥3 AEs in first‐line ICIs cohort had a more favorable survival (PFS: 8.3 vs. 3.2 months; OS: not reached vs. 5.1 months).

Conclusions

Our study suggested that female ES‐SCLC patients treated with immunotherapy tended to achieve a relatively longer survival. The incidence of AEs (grade ≥3) was higher in women patients receiving ICIs, which requires monitoring more closely.