bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Proactive Versus Reactive Control Strategies Differentially Mediate Alcohol Drinking in Wistar and P rats
Authors: Morningstar M.D. , Timme N.M. , Ma B. , Cornwell E. , Galbari T. , Lapish C.C.
Published: June 2023

Problematic alcohol consumption is associated with deficits in decision-making, and alterations in prefrontal cortex neural activity likely contributes. We hypothesized that differences in cognitive control would be evident between male Wistar rats and a model for genetic risk for alcohol use disorder (alcohol-preferring P rats). Cognitive control can be split into proactive and reactive components. Proactive control maintains goal-directed behavior independent of a stimulus whereas reactive control elicits goal-directed behavior at the time of a stimulus. We hypothesized that Wistars would show proactive control over alcohol-seeking whereas P rats would show reactive control over alcohol-seeking. Neural ensembles were recorded from prefrontal cortex during an alcohol seeking task that utilized two session types. On congruent sessions the CS+ was on the same side as alcohol access. Incongruent sessions presented alcohol opposite the CS+. Wistars, but not P rats, exhibited an increase in incorrect approaches during incongruent sessions, suggesting that Wistars utilized the previously learned task-rule. This motivated the hypothesis that ensemble activity reflecting proactive control would be observable in Wistars but not P rats. While P rats showed differences in neural activity at times relevant for alcohol delivery, Wistars showed differences prior to approaching the sipper. These results support our hypothesis that Wistars are more likely to engage proactive cognitive-control strategies whereas P rats are more likely to engage reactive cognitive control strategies. Although P rats were bred to prefer alcohol, differences in cognitive control may reflect a sequela of behaviors that mirror those in humans at risk for an AUD.

Significance Statement

Cognitive control refers to the set of executive functions necessary for goal-directed behavior. It is a major mediator of addictive behaviors and can be subdivided into proactive and reactive cognitive control. We observed behavioral and electrophysiological differences between outbred Wistar rats and the selectively bred Indiana alcohol-preferring P rat while they sought and consumed alcohol. These differences are best explained by reactive cognitive control in P rats and proactive in Wistar rats.
Low-dose exposure to malathion and radiation culminates in the dysregulation of multiple neuronal processes instigating neurotoxicity and activation of neurodegeneration pathways in mice hippocampus
Authors: Rekha K N , Venkidesh B S , Nayak Sangeetha , Reghunathan Dinesh , Mallya Sandeep , Sharan Krishna , Satish Rao B S , Mumbrekar Kamalesh Dattaram
Published: June 2023

Neurodegenerative disorders are a debilitating and persistent threat to the global elderly population carrying grim outcomes. Their genesis is often multifactorial, with a history of early exposure to xenobiotics like pesticides or diagnostic exposure to ionizing radiation. A holistic molecular insight into their mechanistic induction is still unclear upon single or combinatorial exposure to different toxicants. In the present study, one-month-old C57/BL-6J male mice were treated orally with malathion (MAL) (50mg/kg body wt. for 14 days) and/or a single whole-body radiation (IR) (0.5 Gy) on the 8thday. Post-treatment, behavioral assays were conducted to assess exploratory behavior, memory, and learning. Following sacrifice, brains were collected for histology, biochemical assays, and transcriptomic analysis. Differential expression analysis, Gene ontology, and pathway enrichment revealed several common and uniquely altered genes, biological processes, and pathways related to neurodegeneration, synaptic transmission and plasticity, neuronal survival, proliferation, and regulation of neuronal death. Increased astrogliosis was observed in the IR and co-exposure groups, with significant neuronal cell death and reduction in the expression of NeuN in all three groups. Sholl analysis and dendritic arborization/ spine density study revealed decreased total apical neuronal path length and dendritic spine density in all three groups. Decreased levels of antioxidant enzymes GST and GSH and acetylcholinesterase enzyme activity were also detected. However, there were no changes in exploratory behavior or learning and memory. Thus, explicating the molecular mechanisms behind MAL and IR can provide novel insights into the genesis of environmental factor-driven neurodegenerative pathogenesis.
Genetic circuits for feedback control of gamma-aminobutyric acid biosynthesis in probioticEscherichia coliNissle 1917
Authors: Lebovich Matthew , Andrews Lauren B.
Published: June 2023

Engineered microorganisms such as the probiotic strainEscherichia coliNissle 1917 (EcN) offer a strategy to sense and modulate the concentration of metabolites or therapeutics in the gastrointestinal tract. Here, we present an approach to regulate production of the depression-associated metabolite gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) in EcN using genetic circuits that implement negative feedback. We engineered EcN to produce GABA by overexpressing glutamate decarboxylase (GadB) fromE. coliand applied an intracellular GABA biosensor to identify growth conditions that improve GABA biosynthesis. We next employed characterized genetically-encoded NOT gates to construct genetic circuits with layered feedback to control the rate of GABA biosynthesis and the concentration of GABA produced. Looking ahead, this approach may be utilized to design feedback control of microbial metabolite biosynthesis to achieve designable smart microbes that act as living therapeutics.
Pontiella agarivoranssp. nov., a novel marine anaerobic bacterium capable of degrading macroalgal polysaccharides and fixing nitrogen
Authors: Liu Na , Kivenson Veronika , Peng Xuefeng , Cui Zhisong , Lankiewicz Thomas S. , Gosselin Kelsey M. , O’Malley Michelle A. , Valentine David L.
Published: June 2023

Marine macroalgae produce abundant and diverse polysaccharides which contribute substantially to the organic matter exported to the deep ocean. Microbial degradation of these polysaccharides plays an important role in the turnover of macroalgal biomass. Various members of thePlanctomycetes-Verrucomicrobia-Chlamydia(PVC) superphylum are degraders of recalcitrant polysaccharides in widespread anoxic environments. In this study, we isolated a novel anaerobic bacterial strain NLcol2Tfrom microbial mats on the surface of marine sediments offshore Santa Barbara, California, USA. Based on 16S rRNA gene and phylogenomic analyses, strain NLcol2Trepresents a novel species within thePontiellagenus in theKiritimaitellaeotaphylum (within the PVC superphylum). Strain NLcol2Tis able to utilize various monosaccharides, disaccharides, and macroalgal polysaccharides such as agar and iota-carrageenan. A near-complete genome also revealed an extensive metabolic capacity for anaerobic degradation of sulfated polysaccharides, as evidenced by 202 carbohydrate-active enzymes (CAZymes) and 165 sulfatases. Additionally, its ability of nitrogen fixation was confirmed by nitrogenase activity detected during growth on nitrogen-free medium, and the presence of nitrogenases (nifDKH) encoded in the genome. Based on the physiological and genomic analyses, this strain represents a group of bacteria that may play an important role in the degradation of macroalgal polysaccharides and with relevance to the biogeochemical cycling of carbon, sulfur, and nitrogen in marine environments. Strain NLcol2T(= DSM 113125T= MCCC 1K08672) is proposed to be the type strain of a novel species inPontiellagenus, and the namePontiella agarivoranssp. nov. is proposed.

Importance

The growth and preservation of marine macroalgae is considered as a carbon dioxide reduction strategy. However, we still have limited knowledge about the eventual fate of carbon stored in macroalgae. Diverse heterotrophic microbial communities in the ocean specialize on these complex polymers, for example, members in theKiritimatiellaeotaphylum. However, only four type strains within the phylum have been cultured and characterized to date, and there is limited knowledge about the metabolic capabilities and functional role of this phylum in the environment. The new isolate strain NLcol2Texpands the known substrate range of this phylum with the capability to utilize macroalgal polysaccharides agar and iota-carrageenan. It is also the first strain in theKiritimatiellaeotaphylum to be reported with nitrogen fixing ability.
Travelling waves due to negative plant-soil feedbacks in a model including tree life-stages
Authors: Iuorio Annalisa , Baudena Mara , Eppinga Maarten B. , Giannino Francesco , Rietkerk Max , Veerman Frits
Published: June 2023

The emergence and maintenance of tree species diversity in tropical forests is commonly attributed to the Janzen-Connell (JC) hypothesis, which states that growth of seedlings is suppressed in the proximity of conspecific adult trees. As a result, a JC distribution due to a density-dependent negative feedback emerges in the form of a (transient) pattern where conspecific seedling density is highest at intermediate distances away from parent trees. Several studies suggest that the required density-dependent feedbacks behind this pattern could result from interactions between trees and soil-borne pathogens. However, negative plant-soil feedback may involve additional mechanisms, including the accumulation of autotoxic compounds generated through tree litter decomposition. An essential task therefore consists in constructing mathematical models incorporating both effects showing the ability to support the emergence of JC distributions.

In this work, we develop and analyse a novel reaction-diffusion-ODE model, describing the interactions within tropical tree species across different life stages (seeds, seedlings, and adults) as driven by negative plant-soil feedback. In particular, we show that under strong negative plant-soil feedback travelling wave solutions exist, creating transient distributions of adult trees and seedlings that are in agreement with the Janzen-Connell hypothesis. Moreover, we show that these travelling wave solutions are pulled fronts and a robust feature as they occur over a broad parameter range. Finally, we calculate their linear spreading speed and show its (in)dependence on relevant nondimensional parameters.

2020 MSC

35C07, 34C60, 34D05, 35K57, 37C25, 65M06, 92D40.
Allelic chromatin structure primes imprinted expression ofKcnk9during neurogenesis
Authors: Loftus Daniel , Bae Bongmin , Whilden Courtney M. , Whipple Amanda J.
Published: June 2023

Differences in chromatin state inherited from the parental gametes influence the regulation of maternal and paternal alleles in offspring. This phenomenon, known as genomic imprinting, results in genes preferentially transcribed from one parental allele. While local epigenetic factors such as DNA methylation are known to be important for the establishment of imprinted gene expression, less is known about the mechanisms by which differentially methylated regions (DMRs) lead to differences in allelic expression across broad stretches of chromatin. Allele-specific higher-order chromatin structure has been observed at multiple imprinted loci, consistent with the observation of allelic binding of the chromatin-organizing factor CTCF at multiple DMRs. However, whether allelic chromatin structure impacts allelic gene expression is not known for most imprinted loci. Here we characterize the mechanisms underlying brain-specific imprinted expression of thePeg13-Kcnk9locus, an imprinted region associated with intellectual disability. We performed region capture Hi-C on mouse brain from reciprocal hybrid crosses and found imprinted higher-order chromatin structure caused by the allelic binding of CTCF to thePeg13DMR. Using anin vitroneuron differentiation system, we show that on the maternal allele enhancer-promoter contacts formed early in development prime the brain-specific potassium leak channelKcnk9for maternal expression prior to neurogenesis. In contrast, these enhancer-promoter contacts are blocked by CTCF on the paternal allele, preventing paternalKcnk9activation. This work provides a high-resolution map of imprinted chromatin structure and demonstrates that chromatin state established in early development can promote imprinted expression upon differentiation.
Mediation approach of knowledge management process towards supply chain performance under green technology: an empirical analysis
Authors: Alam Sajjad , Zhang Jianhua , Shehzad Muhammad Usman , Khan Naveed , Ali Ahmad
Published: June 2023

Purpose

Employee knowledge is an essential contributor to managing supply chain ambiguities and supply improvement. The current research examined green technology (GT) implementation and knowledge management (KM) processes toward knowledge worker supply performance (KWSP). The present study postulates that GT implementation's positive impacts on the KM process and KM process lead to improved KWSP based on employee knowledge contribution.

Design/methodology/approach

To accomplish the research objective, the data were taken from those production houses that are utilizing GT. A total of 400 questionnaires were distributed in Zhengzhou city, and feedback was received (343). The feedback data were studied through partial least squares-structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) and fuzzy set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA). fsQCA is used to analyze improving the multiple configurational paths of KWSP.

Findings

The study revealed that GT implementation is positively associated with the KM process, and KM processes substantially influence the improvement of KWSP. The consequence of fsQCA demonstrated that various combinations improve supply chain performance. The study combines certain dimensions of GT implementation with the KM process, revealing that supply chain performance improved based on knowledge sharing in manufacturing firms.

Research limitations/implications

This study guides decision-makers and academics on using the knowledge process associated with GT to improve supply chain performance. Moreover, future researchers should use information technology in supply houses and compare the result with the literature to generalize the results better.

Originality/value

The asymmetric technique assists in differentiating the connections that are not directly investigated by the traditional symmetric method. The study covers and identifies various approaches that can be used in manufacturing firms to improve the supply chain process and employee satisfaction. The study combines the two techniques to understand supply performance based on knowledge sharing in manufacturing firms.
Understanding BMI from Industry 4.0, knowledge management and market uncertainty perspective
Authors: Kafetzopoulos Dimitrios
Published: June 2023

Purpose

The main purpose of this study is to investigate the role of Industry 4.0 capability (I4.0 C) in creating a supportive environment for business model innovation by focussing on the mediating role of knowledge management capability (KMC) and the moderating effect of market uncertainty.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper uses interviews with managers and academics. Data were collected from 379 managers; CFA and finally regression analysis were performed, and the program “PROCESS” software was used to validate the data and examine the hypothesized relationships.

Findings

KMC mediates the relationship between Industry 4.0 capability and business model innovation. The effect of Industry 4.0 capability on KMC is stronger for firms with increased market uncertainty. In contrast, the impact of KMC on business model innovation is weaker for firms operating in highly-uncertain markets.

Research limitations/implications

Data were collected at only one point in time from one country, Greece. This might pose limitations on the generalizability of our results. Future research should test the relationships examined in this study in other international contexts.

Practical implications

Managers should invest in more advanced technology in order to obtain knowledge and capability. In addition, they need to pay more attention to how their firms' knowledge derived from Industry 4.0 contributes to business model innovation.

Originality/value

The current state of knowledge of both theory and practise for critical organizational factors such as Industry 4.0 capability, KMC, business model innovation and market uncertainty will be extended.
Work automation and the rise of virtual teams: how to lead employees in the post-pandemic world
Authors: Murphy Liam
Published: June 2023

Purpose

To support senior leaders and HR practitioners with building the internal leadership capabilities to oversee automation in a virtual teams environment.

Design/methodology/approach

This point of view paper presents the topic of workplace automation in a virtual teams environment through contextual practitioner literature sources.

Findings

Six new capabilities are suggested for the modern leader.

Originality/value

This paper introduces a scarcely researched area which is of enormous relevance in the post-covid age of remote working and digital transformation agendas, alongside presenting recommendations for HR practitioners and senior leaders to build internal leadership capabilities.
A bitter pill to swallow: the model of despotic leadership, bullying behavior, emotional intelligence and well-being
Authors: Islam Talat , Chaudhary Arooba , Ali Hafiz Fawad
Published: June 2023

Purpose

This study aims to investigate how despotic leadership affects employee well-being through bullying behavior. The study further investigates emotional intelligence as a conditional variable on the association between bullying behavior and employee well-being.

Design/methodology/approach

The data from 257 nurses and their immediate supervisors (dyads) were collected on convenience basis using a cross-sectional design. Further, structural equation modeling was used to analyze the data.

Findings

The study noted that despotic leadership negatively affects employee well-being. Specifically, despotic leaders were noted to trigger employees’ bullying behavior that ultimately diminish their well-being. The study noted emotional intelligence as a conditional variable such that individuals with high emotional intelligence are more likely to buffer the negative association between bullying behavior and employee well-being.

Research limitations/implications

This study highlights the importance of employee well-being and suggests the management focus on their leadership style. Further, the study suggests to Human Resource practitioners the importance of personality traits (emotional intelligence) at the time of recruitment, as it serves as a coping strategy to diminish employee well-being.

Originality/value

Drawing upon the conservation of resources, this study shed light on the mediating role of bullying behavior between negative leadership (despotic) and well-being. In addition, emotional intelligence has not been examined as a conditional variable between bullying behavior and employee well-being.
Celebrate with me: a black adolescent girl’s speculative multimodal design of intersectional college and career futures
Authors: Turner Jennifer D.
Published: June 2023

Purpose

This paper aims to demonstrate how Alayah, a 16-year-old African American girl, leverages multiple expressive modes for intersectional self-representation as speculative design. Here, speculative design refers to a multimodal composition (i.e. digital collage) which leverages multiple expressive modes for intersectional self-celebration in possible futures.

Design/methodology/approach

Informed by intersectional multimodal literacy frameworks and analyses, this paper addresses the question, “How does Alayah represent her college and career futures in her speculative multimodal design? To address this question, the author analyzed Alayah's digital collage using an intersectional multimodal analysis template complemented by a thematic analysis of her interview data and the narrated explanation of her collage.

Findings

In a speculative design composed of 15 images and words, Alayah agentively determined and critically celebrated her intersectional college and career futures through four interrelated themes: Black girl affirmation; Collegiate success; “Sweet” work; and Black livingness.

Originality/value

By centering Black girls’ speculative multimodal designs in college and career curricula, ELA educators (re)imagine college and career pedagogies to critically celebrate Black adolescent girls as intelligent, empowered and literate young women worthy of the futures that they desire.
Social sustainability of continuing care retirement communities in China
Authors: Hu Xin
Published: June 2023

Purpose

China’s population is ageing. Continuing care retirement communities (CCRCs) are an emerging living arrangement of older Chinese. Incorporating social sustainability features into CCRCs helps to create age-friendly residential environments for residents. However, it is still unclear what kinds of social sustainability features are incorporated into the residential environments of CCRCs in China. Therefore, this study aims to address this research gap.

Design/methodology/approach

Qualitative content analysis is adopted to analyse the retrieved business information of representative CCRC developers in China.

Findings

This study revealed 36 social sustainability features in CCRCs, with the top-ranked ones being health care and management, social connection and engagement, high-quality and diverse services and daily life support and assistance. Additionally, a preliminary social sustainability framework of CCRCs was proposed, and this framework includes the five components of care and health, environment and management, service and facility, age-friendly life philosophy and social support and inclusion.

Originality/value

In theory, this research’s findings clarify the meaning of social sustainability within the context of CCRCs, which supports future relevant explorations in the CCRC research community. In practice, these findings enhance stakeholders’ understanding of the social sustainability in CCRCs, which promotes the development of age-friendly living environments for older people in an ageing society.
Covid-19 crisis management human resource cost-retrenchment: the role of transformational leadership and ethical climate
Authors: Shulga Lenna V. , Busser James A.
Published: June 2023

Purpose

As the tourism industry emerges from full or partial closure caused by the COVID-19 crisis, it is imperative to understand the internal conditions that assisted organizations to maintain positive employee attitudes despite the adverse effects of unpopular cost–retrenchment strategies. Therefore, this study aims to understand the impacts of transformational leadership (TFL), human resource management (HRM) crisis cost–retrenchment and ethical climate (EC) on employee job outcomes affected by COVID-19 pandemic.

Design/methodology/approach

Mid-level managers of service organizations from a travel destination heavily reliant on the tourism participated in an online self-administered survey one month after the state eased its COVID-19 travel restrictions. Partial least square structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) examined how TFL and EC influenced cost–retrenchment crisis–management HRM, satisfaction and trust in the organization, followed by PLS multi-group analysis (PLS-MGA) to understand differences between hospitality and non-hospitality employees.

Findings

Results revealed an overall positive effect of TFL that diminished the negative affect of HRM cost-retrenchment on employee satisfaction. PLS-MGA showed a significant positive role of other-focused EC on employee outcomes, especially for hospitality organizations, whereas self-focused EC had a negative impact for non-hospitality firms.

Originality/value

This study contributes to contingency theory of leadership by demonstrating that TFL in combination with EC mitigates or overpowers the negative effects of cost–retrenchment crisis management strategies on employees. The study advances knowledge of self-focused and other-focused moral reasoning climate impacts under COVID-19 conditions for hospitality organizations. The industry comparison results highlight the important positive characteristics of hospitality crisis management.
Letting AI make decisions for me: an empirical examination of hotel guests’ acceptance of technology agency
Authors: Morosan Cristian , Dursun-Cengizci Aslıhan
Published: June 2023

Purpose

This study aims to examine hotel guests’ acceptance of technology agency – the extent to which they would let artificial intelligence (AI)-based systems make decisions for them when staying in hotels. The examination was conducted through the prism of several antecedents of acceptance of technology agency, including perceived ethics, benefits, risks and convenience orientation.

Design/methodology/approach

A thorough literature review provided the foundation of the structural model, which was tested using confirmatory factor analysis, followed by structural equation modeling. Data were collected from 400 US hotel guests.

Findings

The most important determinant of acceptance of technology agency was perceived ethics, followed by benefits. Risks of using AI-based systems to make decisions for consumers had a negative impact on acceptance of technology agency. In addition, perceived loss of competence and unpredictability had relatively strong impacts on risks.

Research limitations/implications

The results provide a conceptual foundation for research on systems that make decisions for consumers. As AI is increasingly incorporated in the business models of hotel companies to make decisions, ensuring that the decisions are perceived as ethical and beneficial for consumers is critical to increase the utilization of such systems.

Originality/value

Most research on AI in hospitality is either conceptual or focuses on consumers’ intentions to stay in hotels that may be equipped with AI technologies. Occupying a unique position within the literature, this study discusses the first time AI-based systems that make decisions for consumers. The value of this study stems from the examination of the main concept of technology agency, which was never examined in hospitality.
Identifying the drivers responsible for energy security in selected ASEAN countries by using panel data analysis
Authors: Manni Umme Humayara , Hj. Md. Mansur Datuk. Dr. Kasim
Published: June 2023

Purpose

Energy security has been talked about by governments and policymakers because the global energy market is unstable and greenhouse gas emissions threaten the long-term health of the global environment. One of the most potent ways to cut CO2 emissions is through the production and consumption of renewable energy. Thus, the purpose of this paper is to highlight the drivers that, if ambitious environmental policies are implemented, might improve energy security or prevent its deterioration.

Design/methodology/approach

The study uses a balanced panel data set for Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam that covers a period of 30 years (1990–2020). The pooled panel dynamic least squares is used in this study.

Findings

The findings show that renewable energy consumption is positively related to gross domestic product per capita, energy intensity per capita and renewable energy installed capacity. Wherein renewable energy use is inversely related to per capita electricity consumption, CO2 emissions and the use of fossil fuel electricity.

Originality/value

There is a lack of research identifying the factors influencing energy security in the ASEAN region. Therefore, this study focuses on the drivers that influence energy security, which are explained by the proportion of renewable energy in final energy consumption. Without identifying the demand and supply sources of energy, especially electricity production based on renewable energy techniques, it is hard for policymakers to achieve the desired renewable energy-based outcome.
Imported inputs, firms' capabilities and productivity: evidence from emerging South Asian economies
Authors: Luqman Muhammad , Murtaza Ghulam
Published: June 2023

Purpose

The main purpose of this study is to examine the impact of imported inputs on firms' productivity in selected South Asian economies, namely Pakistan, India and Bangladesh. Furthermore, this study explores the complementarity between firms' capabilities and imported inputs in an augmented productivity framework.

Design/methodology/approach

A dataset comprising 7117 manufacturing firms of selected South Asian economies was taken from the World Bank for 2013 and 2014. The empirical analysis was based on stochastic frontier models, the ordinary least square method and instrumental variable estimation techniques.

Findings

The empirical results show that imported inputs have positive and significant effects on the firms' productivity in the selected countries. Moreover, the study findings demonstrate that firms' capabilities play a complementary role in expanding the firms' production frontier.

Practical implications

The study outcomes suggest that reducing tariffs on imported inputs will enhance the firms' productivity in the selected emerging economies. However, the study further finds that the potential gain of imported inputs is conditional on the firm's capabilities. It implies that firms operating in these countries can improve their performance by allocating more resources to capabilities, such as workers’ training, management and internal R&D effort.

Originality/value

The existing literature on the subject is sceptical about the positive impact of imported inputs on firms' productivity in the case of developing countries. In this regard, the shortage of skilled labour and firms' capabilities are compelling rationales that need to be explored. Thus, the potential contribution of the study lies in explaining the moderating role of firm's capabilities operating in the selected emerging economies in the nexus of imported inputs and productivity.
Participative leadership and service recovery performance: a moderated mediation model
Authors: Khan Muhammad Aamir Shafique , Jianguo Du , Jin Shuai , Saeed Munazza , Khalid Adeel
Published: June 2023

Purpose

Using the conservation of resources (COR) theory, the present study aims to examine the role of participative leadership in frontline service employees (FLEs)’ service recovery performance. The present study also tests FLEs’ role breadth self-efficacy (RBSE) as a theoretically relevant mediator and FLE trait mindfulness as an important moderator.

Design/methodology/approach

Data were collected using time-lagged (three rounds, two weeks apart) from two sources (193 FLEs and 772 customers, who experienced a service failure). Structural equation modeling (Mplus, 8.6) was employed to analyze the data.

Findings

The results revealed that participative leadership was positively associated with FLEs service recovery performance, both directly and indirectly, via RBSE. The results also showed that FLE trait mindfulness moderated the link of participative leadership with RBSE and the indirect association of participative leadership with service recovery performance, via RBSE.

Practical implications

This study suggests that organizational leaders who exhibit participative leadership behavior are valuable for organizations. By demonstrating such behaviors, they boost FLEs' RBSE, which in turn improves their service recovery performance.

Originality/value

The present work makes important contributions to the literature on service recovery performance by foregrounding two important yet overlooked antecedents (participative leadership and RBSE) of FLE service recovery performance. The present work also contributes to the nascent literature on the antecedents and outcomes of RBSE in service contexts.
Whose customer orientation? Exploring the relationships between leaders, team customer orientation climate and customer satisfaction
Authors: Zhao Xin , Fu Na , Liang Xiaoning
Published: June 2023

Purpose

Team leaders play a vital role in achieving superior team performance. However, their role in implementing the organizational customer orientation strategy is not well understood. Drawing on social exchange theory, this study investigates how team leader customer orientation affects team customer orientation climate and team performance (i.e. customer satisfaction) as well as the moderating role of transformational leadership in such effect.

Design/methodology/approach

This study builds on survey data collected from matched team leaders, employees and customers nested in 81 service teams and employs hierarchical multiple regression analysis to test the hypotheses.

Findings

The findings indicate that team leader customer orientation increases team customer orientation climate, which leads to a higher level of customer satisfaction. Leaders' transformational leadership moderates the link between a leader customer orientation and team customer orientation climate in an unexpected way. When a team leader is transformational, the team customer orientation climate is enhanced, regardless of the level of team leader customer orientation. When a team leader's transformational leadership is low, the higher leader customer orientation is and the higher team customer orientation climate is.

Originality/value

This study contributes to the customer orientation, transformational leadership and service literature by unraveling team leaders' roles in boosting team customer orientation climate and team effectiveness.
Can a student-managed fund transfer expert financial knowledge? Examining trustee voting consensus in a student-managed investments program
Authors: Belcher Lawrence J. , Belcher Landon J.
Published: June 2023

Purpose

The “experience is the best teacher” model assumes that acquiring expertise in a given domain reduces biases. Research in expert knowledge in investment decisions has shown better ability to produce improved results in asset selection or portfolio returns. Universities created student-managed investment funds (SMIFs) to train students in portfolio management as fiduciaries. However, analyses of the effectiveness of the SMIF as a medium for expert knowledge transfer have not been done.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors’ analyze an SMIF's structure against established models of expert knowledge transfer, using the voting patterns of the trustees of the fund from the recorded minutes of the fund's meetings to show the fund's structure and outcomes demonstrate effective knowledge transfer. Voter consensus between faculty and student trustees is one proxy the authors use for knowledge transfer.

Findings

Consensus between faculty and students was uniformly high across all recommendations. Chi-square tests were employed to test for independence between approval of recommendation and level of consensus, showing dependence in most cases. Analysis of sale returns over the 12-year sample period showed significantly better performance of asset sales over relevant benchmarks for both equity and fixed income portfolios.

Originality/value

Most analyses of SMIF structure concentrate on well-known issues with things like student turnover, summers or other structural issues. Performance is evaluated based on returns. This study looks at the SMIF as an expert knowledge transfer medium and examines expert/novice decision approval in terms of knowledge transfer.
Static and free vibration response of a box-girder bridge using the finite element technique
Authors: Shaikh Mohammad Farhan , K Nallasivam
Published: June 2023

Purpose

In this study, a finite element model of a box-girder bridge along with the railway sub-track system is developed to predict the static behavior due to different combinations of the Indian railway system and free vibration responses resulting in different natural frequencies and their corresponding mode shapes.

Design/methodology/approach

The modeling and evaluation of the bridge and sub-track system were performed using non-closed form finite element method (FEM)-based ANSYS software.

Findings

From the analysis, the worst possible cases of deformation and stress due to different static load combinations were determined in the static analysis, while different natural frequencies were determined in the free vibrational analysis that can be used for further analysis because of the dynamic effect of the train vehicle.

Research limitations/implications

The scope of the current investigation is confined to the structure's static and free vibration analysis. However, this study will help the designers obtain relevant information for further analysis of the dynamic behavior of the bridge model.

Originality/value

In static analysis, the maximum deformation of the bridge deck was found to be 10.70E-03m due to load combination 5, whereas the maximum natural frequency for free vibration analysis is found to be 4.7626 Hz.
Stewart-inspired parallel spatial docking robot: design, analysis and experimental results
Authors: Zhan Gan , Zhang Zhenyu , Chen Zhihua , Li Tianzhen , Wang Dong , Zhan Jigang , Yan Zhengang
Published: June 2023

Purpose

This paper aims to focus on the spatial docking task of unmanned vehicles under ground conditions. The docking task of military unmanned vehicle application scenarios has strict requirements. Therefore, how to design a docking robot mechanism to achieve accurate docking between vehicles has become a challenge.

Design/methodology/approach

In this paper, first, the docking mechanism system is described, and the inverse kinematics model of the docking robot based on Stewart is established. Second, the genetic algorithm-based optimization method for multiobjective parameters of parallel mechanisms including workspace volume and mechanism flexibility is proposed to solve the problem of multiparameter optimization of parallel mechanism and realize the docking of unmanned vehicle space flexibility. The optimization results verify that the structural parameters meet the design requirements. Besides, the static and dynamic finite element analysis are carried out to verify the structural strength and dynamic performance of the docking robot according to the stiffness, strength, dead load and dynamic performance of the docking robot. Finally, taking the docking robot as the experimental platform, experiments are carried out under different working conditions, and the experimental results verify that the docking robot can achieve accurate docking tasks.

Findings

Experiments on the docking robot that the proposed design and optimization method has a good effect on structural strength and control accuracy. The experimental results verify that the docking robot mechanism can achieve accurate docking tasks, which is expected to provide technical guidance and reference for unmanned vehicles docking technology.

Originality/value

This research can provide technical guidance and reference for spatial docking task of unmanned vehicles under the ground conditions. It can also provide ideas for space docking missions, such as space simulator docking.
Hardness and modulus programmable tuning for silicone 3D printing device and experiment
Authors: Jiao Zhiwei , Zhuang Zhongyu , Hu Li , Sun Ce , Yu Yuan , Yang Weimin
Published: June 2023

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to fabricate silicone products that had different hardnesses and moduli, thus partially addressing the limitations of homogeneous materials whose deformation depends on altered structure or dimensions, and to provide new dimensions for the design of silicone soft structures.

Design/methodology/approach

A soft material three-dimensional printing platform with a dual-channel printing capability was designed and built. Using the material extrusion method, material screening was first performed using single-channel printing, followed by dual-channel-regulated printing experiments on products having different hardness and modulus values.

Findings

The proportion of additives has an effect on the accuracy of the printed product. Material screening revealed that Sylgard 527 and SE 1700 could be printed without additives. The hardness and mechanical properties of products are related to the percentage in their composition of hard and soft materials. The hardness of the products could be adjusted from 26A to 42A and the Young’s modulus from 0.875 to 2.378 Mpa.

Originality/value

Existing silicone products molded by casting or printing are mostly composed of a single material, whose uniform hardness and modulus cannot meet the demand for differentiated deformation in the structure. The existing multihardness silicone material printing method has the problems of long material mixing time and slow hardness switching and complicated multi-extrusion head switching. In this study, a simple, low-cost and responsive material extrusion-based hardness programmable preparation method for silicone materials is proposed.
Study on dynamic response of high speed train window glass under tunnel aerodynamic effects
Authors: Liu Xiaogen , Qi Shuang , Wan Detian , Zheng Dezhi
Published: June 2023

Purpose

This paper aims to analyze the bearing characteristics of the high speed train window glass under aerodynamic load effects.

Design/methodology/approach

In order to obtain the dynamic strain response of passenger compartment window glass during high-speed train crossing the tunnel, taking the passenger compartment window glass of the CRH3 high speed train on Wuhan–Guangzhou High Speed Railway as the research object, this study tests the strain dynamic response and maximum principal stress of the high speed train passing through the tunnel entrance and exit, the tunnel and tunnel groups as well as trains meeting in the tunnel at an average speed of 300 km·h-1.

Findings

The results show that while crossing the tunnel, the passenger compartment window glass of high speed train is subjected to the alternating action of positive and negative air pressures, which shows the typical mechanic characteristics of the alternating fatigue stress of positive-negative transient strain. The maximum principal stress of passenger compartment window glass for high speed train caused by tunnel aerodynamic effects does not exceed 5 MPa, and the maximum value occurs at the corresponding time of crossing the tunnel groups. The high speed train window glass bears medium and low strain rates under the action of tunnel aerodynamic effects, while the maximum strain rate occurs at the meeting moment when the window glass meets the train head approaching from the opposite side in the tunnel. The shear modulus of laminated glass PVB film that makes up high speed train window glass is sensitive to the temperature and action time. The dynamically equivalent thickness and stiffness of the laminated glass and the dynamic bearing capacity of the window glass decrease with the increase of the action time under tunnel aerodynamic pressure. Thus, the influence of the loading action time and fatigue under tunnel aerodynamic effects on the glass strength should be considered in the design for the bearing performance of high speed train window glass.

Originality/value

The research results provide data support for the analysis of mechanical characteristics, damage mechanism, strength design and structural optimization of high speed train glass.
How technology is crucial to the effective management of non-traditional workforces
Authors: Smith Sam
Published: June 2023

Purpose

The purpose of this paper was to help the reader understand how technology is crucial to the effective management of non-traditional workforces. Over the past year, the UK labour market, much like the rest of the world, has found itself dealing with challenges at every turn. Whether significant interest rate hikes in response to surging inflation, the energy crisis and global supply chain issues largely influenced by the escalation of the war in Ukraine or rapid changes in working attitudes and cultures, businesses are increasingly under a lot of pressure.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper was designed and written based on the findings of Magnit’s Winter 2023 Europe Labour Market Report.

Findings

Consequently, organisations have to adapt their attitudes to the hiring and management of staff, whether that be leveraging temporary workers, re-evaluating pay rates or expanding benefits.

Originality/value

Critical to this endeavour is to implement an effective workforce management strategy that is embedded into all decision-making processes.
Notch-band eliminator wideband CSRR loaded monopole fractal antenna for ISM and PCS communications
Authors: Varshney Atul , Sharma Vipul , Neebha T. Mary , Kumari N. Prasanthi
Published: June 2023

Purpose

This paper aims to present a low-cost, edge-fed, windmill-shaped, notch-band eliminator, circular monopole antenna which is practically loaded with a complementary split ring resonator (CSRR) in the middle of the radiating conductor and also uses a partial ground to obtain wide-band performance.

Design/methodology/approach

To compensate for the reduced value of gain and reflection coefficient because of the full (complete) ground plane at the bottom of the substrate, the antenna is further loaded with a partial ground and a CSRR. The reduction in the length of ground near the feed line improves the impedance bandwidth, and introduced CSRR results in improved gain with an additional resonance spike. This results in a peak gain 3.895dBi at the designed frequency 2.45 GHz. The extending of three arms in the circular patch not only led to an increase of peak gain by 4.044dBi but also eliminated the notch band and improved the fractional bandwidth 1.65–2.92 GHz.

Findings

The work reports a –10dB bandwidth from 1.63 GHz to 2.91 GHz, which covers traditional coverage applications and new specific uses applications such as narrow LTE bands for future internet of things (NB-IoT) machine-to-machine communications 1.8/1.9/2.1/2.3/2.5/2.6 GHz, industry, automation and business-critical cases (2.1/2.3/2.6 GHz), industrial, society and medical applications such as Wi-MAX (3.5 GHz), Wi-Fi3 (2.45 GHz), GSM (1.9 GHz), public safety band, Bluetooth (2.40–2.485 GHz), Zigbee (2.40–2.48Ghz), industrial scientific medical (ISM) band (2.4–2.5 GHz), WCDMA (1.9, 2.1 GHz), 3 G (2.1 GHz), 4 G LTE (2.1–2.5 GHz) and other personal communication services applications. The estimated RLC electrical equivalent circuit is also presented at the end.

Practical implications

Because of full coverage of Bluetooth, Zigbee, WiFi3 and ISM band, the proposed fabricated antenna is suitable for low power, low data rate and wireless/wired short-range IoT-enabled medical applications.

Originality/value

The antenna is fabricated on a piece (66.4 mm × 66.4 mm × 1.6 mm) of low-cost low profile FR-4 epoxy substrate (0.54

λg × 0.54

λg) with a dielectric constant of 4.4, a loss tangent of 0.02 and a thickness of 1.6 mm. The antenna reflection coefficient, impedance and VSWR are tested on the Keysight technology (N9917A) vector network analyzer, and the radiation pattern is measured in an anechoic chamber.