bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
United the People Are Courageous, but Divided They Are Weak
Authors: Machiavelli Niccolò
Published: December 2024

After their native city had been destroyed following the invasion of the Gauls, many Romans went to live in Veii against the statutes and orders of the senate: to remedy this disorderly behaviour, the senate, through its public edicts, enjoined everyone to return to live...
That One Moves from Humble to Great Fortune More Often Through Fraud Than Through Force
Authors: Machiavelli Niccolò
Published: December 2024

I consider it to be very true that it rarely or never happens that men of humble fortune rise to high positions without the use of force and fraud, although others obtain this rank either as a gift or by inheritance. Nor do I believe...
How Much Value Should Armies in the Present Day Place on Artillery; and If the Generally Held Opinion About Artillery Is True
Authors: Machiavelli Niccolò
Published: December 2024

Besides the matters discussed above, having considered how many battles in the field (in our times called giornate,* a French word, and fatti d’arme* by the Italians) were fought by the Romans at different times, I have decided...
Why One Should Hold the Infantry in Higher Regard Than the Cavalry, Based on the Authority of the Romans and the Example of the Ancient Militia
Authors: Machiavelli Niccolò
Published: December 2024

It can be clearly demonstrated through many arguments and examples that the Romans in all their military actions valued foot-soldiers more than those on horses and based all the battle plans for their forces on them; this can be seen in numerous examples, including the...
That a Commander Cannot Avoid a Battle When His Opponent Insists on Fighting Under Any Circumstances
Authors: Machiavelli Niccolò
Published: December 2024

‘But the dictator was very reluctant to risk his fortune before it was absolutely necessary against an enemy who was becoming weaker with every day he had to linger in an unfriendly country.’*

When an error persists into which all men or the majority...
That You Should Not Offend a Man and Then Appoint Him to an Important Governmental Post
Authors: Machiavelli Niccolò
Published: December 2024

A republic must carefully consider whether or not to place anyone in any important administrative post who has been offended in some noteworthy way by others. Claudius Nero, who left the army with which he was opposing Hannibal, and with part of it went off...
How the Hardness of Manlius Torquatus and the Humaneness of Valerius Corvinus Acquired for Each Man the Same Glory
Authors: Machiavelli Niccolò
Published: December 2024

Living in Rome at the same time were two excellent commanders, Manlius Torquatus and Valerius Corvinus, who were equal in ability, in triumphs, and in glory; each of them, in so far as the enemy was concerned, had acquired this glory with equal skill, but...
Why Camillus Was Driven Out of Rome
Authors: Machiavelli Niccolò
Published: December 2024

We have concluded above that in conducting himself like Valerius, a man harms his native city and himself; in conducting himself like Manlius, a man benefits his native city and sometimes harms himself. This is well demonstrated by the example of Camillus, who in his...
How to Unify a Divided City, and Why the Opinion that It Is Necessary to Keep Cities Divided in Order to Hold Them Is Not True
Authors: Machiavelli Niccolò
Published: December 2024

By the example of the Roman consuls who reconciled the inhabitants of Ardea, the method of how to reunite a divided city may be noted; this method consists of nothing else, nor can the wound be healed in any other way, but executing the leaders...
That Promises Exacted by Force Need Not Be Kept
Authors: Machiavelli Niccolò
Published: December 2024

After the consuls returned to Rome with their army disarmed and themselves in disgrace, the first man in the senate who said that the peace made at Caudium should not be kept was the consul Spurius Postumius, who declared that the Roman people were not...
Selected Writings
Authors: Galilei Galileo
Published: December 2024

Galileo's astronomical discoveries changed the way we look at the world, and our place in the universe. Threatened by the Inquisition for daring to contradict the literal truth of the Bible, Galileo ignited a scientific revolution when he asserted that the Earth moves. This generous selection from his writings contains all the essential texts for a reader to appreciate his lasting significance. Mark Davie's new translation renders Galileo's vigorous Italian prose into clear modern English, while William R. Shea's version of the Latin Sidereal Message makes accessible the book that created a sensation in 1610 with its account of Galileo's observations using the newly invented telescope.

All Galileo's contributions to the debate on science and religion are included, as well as key documents from his trial before the Inquisition in 1633. A lively introduction and clear notes give an overview of Galileo's career and explain the scientific and philosophical background to the texts.
Science and Religion
Authors: Galilei Galileo
Published: December 2024

Letter to Don Benedetto Castelli

Very Reverend Father and most worthy Signore,*

I received a visit yesterday from signor Niccolò Arrighetti,* who brought me news of your Reverence. I was delighted to hear what I never doubted, namely the high opinion in...
From The Assayer
Authors: Galilei Galileo
Published: December 2024

Sarsi* seems to be convinced that in philosophy one must always rely on the opinion of some famous author, as if our minds were infertile and sterile until they are married to someone else’s reasoning. Perhaps he thinks that philosophy is a work...
Two New Sciences
Authors: Galilei Galileo
Published: December 2024

From The First Day

Speakers:
salviati, sagredo, and simplicio*

Regular visits to your famous Arsenal* here in Venice, gentlemen, must provide great scope for speculation to those of a philosophical turn of mind, especially in the field of mechanics. For instruments...
The Fairies
Authors: Perrault Charles
Published: December 2024

O
nce upon a time there was a widow who had two daughters.* She and her elder daughter resembled each other so closely, in appearance and character, that when you saw the daughter you would have said that it was the mother....
Prologue
Authors: Mandeville John
Published: December 2024

Because the land overseas, that is to say the Holy Land which people call the Promised Land, is amongst all other lands like the most excellent lady and it is sovereign over all other lands, and it is blessed and hallowed and made sacred...
The Song of Roland and Other Poems of Charlemagne
Authors: Gaunt Simon , Pratt Karen
Published: December 2024

Charlemagne (768-814) was crowned Holy Roman Emperor in 800 and presided over a huge empire. He frequently appears in literature as a great warlord and pious crusading figure. In 778, the rearguard of Charlemagne's retreating army was ambushed and defeated at the battle of Roncevaux. This became the inspiration for songs and poems celebrating deeds of valour in the face of overwhelming odds, through the character of Charlemagne's nephew (the imaginary) Roland. The Song of Roland is the most stirring and moving epic poem of the European Middle Ages, offering a particularly heady mixture of history, legend, and poetry.

Presented here in a lively and idiomatic new translation, the Song of Roland offers fascinating insights into medieval ideas about heroism, manhood, religion, race, and nationhood which were foundational for modern European culture. The Song of Roland is accompanied here by two other medieval French epics about Charlemagne, both of which show him to be a far more equivocal figure than that portrayed by the Roland: the Occitan Daurel and Beton, in which he is a corrupt and avaricious monarch; and the Journey of Charlemagne to Jerusalem and Constantinople, which gives the heroes of the Roland a comic makeover.
The Song of Roland
Authors: Gaunt Simon , Pratt Karen
Published: December 2024

The Song of Roland
The Seeress’s Prophecy
Authors: Larrington Carolyne
Published: December 2024

The Seeress’s Prophecy (Voluspa), composed mainly in the fornyrdislag metre, is recited by a seeress who can remember before the beginning of the world and who can see as far ahead as after Ragnarok—the Doom of the Gods. Odin...
Evolutionary Timelines Help Explain the Evolution of Parental Care Strategies
Authors: Graham Zackary A , Loughman Zachary J , Palaoro Alexandre V
Published: December 2024

Comparative research on the evolution of parental care has followed a general trend in recent years, with researchers gathering data on clutch size or egg size and correlating these traits with ecological variables across a phylogeny. The goal of these studies is to shed light on how and why certain strategies evolve. However, results vary across studies, and we rarely have results explaining why the observed pattern occurred, leaving us with further hypotheses to test. By using a combination of comparative methods, we provide an explanation of how such patterns emerge based on the evolutionary timeline of constructing burrows and the energy invested into egg size and egg number; this combination also allowed us to pinpoint why the pattern occurred. We do so with data on freshwater crayfish, which are ideal for such investigations because they vary in their reliance on burrows, their body size, and their investment into their offspring. Specifically, we tested whether a strong dependence on burrows is related to investment in eggs (i.e., larger eggs or more eggs) given the body size of the species. Surprisingly, we found no correlation between burrowing and the size or number of eggs crayfish lay; instead, body size was the best predictor of the number of eggs (but not the size of eggs) that each species lays. Interestingly, our analyses suggest that crayfish ancestors had a small clutch size, relatively large eggs, and a weak connection to burrows. Thus, the shift to heavily relying on burrows appeared after this lineage was already investing in large eggs, which gives insights into the colonization of freshwater by an ancestral astacidean ancestor. Although other studies show that the evolution of parental care strategies is not straightforward, our study provides a clear evolutionary timeline of the interplay between the evolution of burrowing behavior and shifts in the evolution of egg investment. Furthermore, our work showcases how merging multiple phylogenetically informed approaches can disentangle the origin and evolution of life history traits.
Marine Debris
Authors: Weis Judith S.
Published: December 2024

Ubiquitous around the world, litter—mostly plastic—is
not only unsightly but harmful to marine life. Litter on beaches and in the water includes a lot
of things—plastic bags, straws, bottles, plastic utensils, toys, all of which fragment into
smaller pieces. Marine animals, including mammals, birds, and turtles, mistake it for food and
may eat large amounts, resulting in injury and in some cases death. Plastics include a large
variety of toxic chemicals in them. Animals may also get entangled in the ropes (made of plastic
these days) of fish or lobster traps and drown or drag it around and eventually die. Beach
clean-ups are popular and necessary, but reducing the input is essential. Recycling of plastics
is not very successful (only about 5 percent gets recycled in the US), and current efforts are
aimed at reducing plastic use.
Bioaccumulation and Biomagnification
Authors: Weis Judith S.
Published: December 2024

When a toxic chemical is taken up into an organism, it
may be excreted, stored, or metabolized. What happens to the chemical will determine what its
effects will be on that organism, and potentially the predators that may eat it. For metals,
there are metal-binding proteins and granules inside cells that can make the metal unavailable
to damage that organism, but maybe not its predators. Methylmercury (meHg) and organic
chemicals, such as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and dioxins, biomagnify up the food chain
and cause the greatest effects in the top predator (e.g., human developing Minamata disease).
Some contaminants may be consumed when people eat fish oil supplements or shellfish from an area
with harmful algal blooms.
The Status of Marine Pollution and How to Reduce Pollution
Authors: Weis Judith S.
Published: December 2024

This chapter summarizes international treaties such as
the Law of the Sea and MARPOL. It also discusses national laws regulating marine pollution
including the Clean Water Act and Ocean Dumping Act. It covers how they are (or are not)
enforced. Some success stories about places that have improved greatly due to the reduction of
marine pollution are described. Additional ways in which society at all levels of government can
reduce the many types of pollution discussed in the book are described.
Puerto Rico
Authors: Duany Jorge
Published: December 2024

Puerto Rico: What Everyone Needs to Know® presents a
succinct, authoritative introduction to the island’s rich history, culture, politics, economy, and
diaspora. It discusses the Spanish colonial period and the subsequent US colonial regime before
examining the features of contemporary Puerto Rico. The Island has had a peculiar status among Latin
American and Caribbean countries after it was acquired by the United States from Spain in 1898.
Additionally, a massive population displacement has characterized Puerto Rico since the mid-twentieth
century. In recent years, Puerto Rico’s colossal public debt sparked an economic crisis that intensified
the exodus to the United States, which only highlighted many unresolved remnants of its colonial
history.
Puerto Rico as a US Commonwealth Since 1952
Authors: Duany Jorge
Published: December 2024

This chapter looks into the population and culture of
Puerto Rico as a US Commonwealth since 1952. It correlates the Island’s population growth rate
to the insular government’s campaigns to reduce birth rates and encourage family planning and
emigration to the United States. Emigration from Puerto Rico intensified during the 1940s,
partly due to public policies aimed at reducing population growth. The chapter also provides an
overview of the Commonwealth government’s attempt to preserve and promote Puerto Rican cultural
nationalism before detailing how the Spanish language became a key symbol of the Island’s
cultural identity. It considers the interplay of strengthening cultural nationalism and
weakening political nationalism in Puerto Rico.
Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation for Alcohol Craving in Alcohol Use Disorders: A Meta-analysis
Authors: Treiber Michael , Tsapakis Eva-Maria , Fountoulakis Konstantinos
Published: December 2024

Aims

We aimed to evaluate the immediate and up to 3 months' effect of multiple-session repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) on alcohol craving in AUD.

Methods

We performed a systematic review and random effects meta-analysis. We included randomized controlled trials with at least 10 sessions of rTMS and postintervention alcohol craving assessment. We evaluated the immediate and up to 3 months' effects of active rTMS versus sham stimulation.

Results

Twelve studies met inclusion criteria, including 475 participants across both treatment and control groups. rTMS reduced alcohol craving over sham stimulation immediately post-treatment (SMD = −0.79, 95% CI: −1.53 to −0.04, P = 0.04, I
2 = 93%). Concerning a maintenance effect, our meta-analysis revealed a medium effect for active rTMS in reduction of alcohol craving at 3-month follow-up (SMD = −0.44, 95% CI: −0.77 to 0.11, P < 0.01, I
2 = 38%). Our subgroup analysis revealed that rTMS targeting the medial prefrontal cortex (SMD = −2.12, 95% CI: −4.34 to 0.09, P = 0.06, I
2 = 94%) may be more effective than stimulating the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (SMD = −1.04, 95% CI: −2.56 to 0.48, P = 0.18, I
2 = 96%) or left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (SMD = −0.27, 95% CI: −0.60 to 0.05, P = 0.10, I
2 = 0%) immediately after treatment.

Conclusion

A minimum of 10 sessions of rTMS reduced alcohol craving immediately after treatment; this effect seems to be sustained over a 3-month period. We provide limited evidence of superiority for rTMS targeting the medial prefrontal cortex.
Comparing the efficacy of sodium-glucose co-transporter 2 inhibitors among non-older and older patients: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Authors: Yamashita Izuki , Fujisaki Tomohiro , Romeo Francisco J , Sueta Daisuke , Yamamoto Eiichiro , Tsujita Kenichi
Published: December 2024

Large scale randomized trials have shown that sodium-glucose co-transporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitors can reduce cardiovascular events in patients with cardiovascular disease or with increased risks of cardiovascular disease. However, the evidence from older patients is limited. To compare the efficacy of SGLT2 inhibitors among non-older and older patients we have searched PubMed, Cochrane Central, and Embase until February 2023 for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) investigating SGLT2 inhibitors in older (age ≥ 65 years) patients with diabetes mellitus, chronic kidney disease, and chronic heart failure. The primary outcome was a composite outcome of cardiovascular death, acute myocardial infarction, and stroke. The secondary outcomes were exacerbation of heart failure, kidney disease progression, and a composite of cardiovascular death and heart failure. Our search identified 11 RCTs with a total of 79,370 patients. SGLT2 inhibitors were associated with a reduced risk of the primary outcome in the total cohort (HR: 0.91; CI [0.84-0.99]) with concordant results in both non-older and older populations (HR: 0.96; CI [0.88-1.05], HR: 0.87; CI [0.75-1.01], respectively) without subgroup differences (p=0.23), and a reduced risk of developing the composite of cardiovascular death and heart failure exacerbation in both non-older and older populations (HR: 0.77; CI [0.67-0.87], HR: 0.76; CI [0.71-0.82], respectively) without subgroup differences (p=0.96). A meta-analysis could not be performed for the other outcomes. These results suggested that SGLT2 inhibitors were similarly associated with a reduced risks of cardiovascular events across the spectrum of non-older and older patients with risk factors for developing cardiovascular disease.
Quality of care in hepatocellular carcinoma—A critical review
Authors: Abdelmalak Jonathan , Lubel John S. , Sinclair Marie , Majeed Ammar , Kemp William , Roberts Stuart K.
Published: December 2024

There is significant variation in HCC management across different centers with poor adherence to evidence-based clinical practice guidelines as assessed in prior studies. In Australia, quality indicators (QIs) have recently been proposed by a multidisciplinary group of experts to help provide a framework to assess and monitor the quality of HCC care. In this review, we discuss the many areas where real-world practice deviates from evidence-based medicine, the role that QI sets play in addressing this gap, and the similarities and differences between Australian QIs and other leading treatment guidelines and QI sets from around the world. We focus on the utility of QI sets to identify opportunities for targeted improvement in the real-world clinical environment. We conclude with a discussion about the formation of a national clinical quality registry as a long-term measure to facilitate continual improvements in patient care within and across sites in order to optimize patient outcomes.
Flavor asymmetry from the nonperturbative nucleon sea
Authors: Duan Yihan , Xu Siqi , Cheng Shan , Zhao Xingbo , Li Yang , Vary James P.
Published: December 2024

We demonstrate, in the context of a scalar version of the chiral effective-field theory, that the multisea quark contribution to the nucleon is significant and highly nontrivial, in sharp contrast with the prediction of perturbation theory. The nonperturbative calculation is performed in the Fock sector dependent renormalization scheme on the light front, in which the nonperturbative renormalization is incorporated. The calculation suggests that a fully nonperturbative calculation of the chiral EFT is needed to obtain a robust result to be compared with the recent experimental measurement of flavor asymmetry in the proton.

Published by the American Physical Society
2024
Radiation by a laser-driven flying-focus electron wave packet
Authors: Di Piazza Antonino , Formanek Martin , Ramsey Dillon , Palastro John P.
Published: December 2024

An exact solution of the Dirac equation in the presence of an arbitrary electromagnetic plane wave is found, which corresponds to a focused electron wave packet, with the focus of the wave packet moving at the speed of light in the opposite direction of the average momentum of the electron wave packet (unless the plane wave is so intense to reflect the electron). The photon spectrum emitted by such an electron wave packet in the presence of a linearly polarized plane wave is studied both analytically and numerically. The spectrum is also compared with the one emitted by a single-momentum, plane-wave electron in the case of the electron being initially counterpropagating (on average for the flying-focus case) with the plane wave and within the locally constant field approximation. It is found that if the electron flying-focus wave packet is focused beyond a Compton wavelength, the angular distribution of the emitted radiation along the magnetic field of the electromagnetic plane wave is broader than for an electron with definite momentum. Corresponding the maximum value of the photon yield on the transverse plane is smaller in the flying-focus electron case. This could represent an experimental signature of a laser-driven flying-focus electron wave packet.

Published by the American Physical Society
2024
Fundamental bounds for parameter estimation with few measurements
Authors: Gebhart Valentin , Gessner Manuel , Smerzi Augusto
Published: December 2024

Bounding the optimal precision in parameter estimation tasks is of central importance for technological applications. In the regime of a small number of measurements, or low signal-to-noise ratios, the meaning of common frequentist bounds, such as the Cramér-Rao bound (CRB), becomes questionable. Here, we discuss a different (Barankin-like) approach to derive the conditions for the existence of optimal estimators and calculate their variance, for any number of measurement repetitions. We elaborate on connections to the shot-noise limit and the Kitaev phase estimation algorithm and derive an extended Cramér-Rao bound that is compatible with a finite variance in situations where the Barankin bound (BaB) is undefined. Finally, we show an exemplary numerical confrontation between frequentist and Bayesian approaches to parameter estimation.

Published by the American Physical Society
2024
Exotic edge states of
C3
high-fold fermions in honeycomb lattices
Authors: Madail L. , Dias R. G. , Fernández-Rossier J.
Published: December 2024

A generalization of the graphene honeycomb model to the case where each site in the honeycomb lattice contains a n-fold degenerate set of eigenstates of the C3 symmetry has been recently proposed to describe several systems, including triangulene crystals and photonic lattices. These generalized honeycomb models are defined by (na,nb), the number of C3 eigenstates in the a and b sites of the unit cell, resulting in na+nb bands. Thus, the (1,1) case gives the coventional honeycomb model that describes the two low-energy bands in graphene. Generalizations, such as (2,1), (2,2), and (3,3) display several nontrivial features, such as coexisting graphenelike Dirac cones with flat bands, both at zero and finite energy, as well as robust degeneracy points where a flat band and a parabolic band meet at the Γ point. Here we explore the edge states of this class of crystals, using as reference triangulene crystals, and we find several types of edge states absent in the conventional (1,1) honeycomb case, associated to the nontrivial features of the two-dimensional bands of the high-fold case. First, we find dispersive edge states associated to the finite-energy flat bands, that occur both at the armchair and zigzag termination. Second, in the case of noncentrosymmetric triangulene crystals that lead to a S=1 Dirac band, we have a bonding-antibonding pair of dispersive edge states, localized in the same edge so that their energy splitting is reduced as their localization increases, opposite to the conventional behavior of pairs of states localized in opposite edges. Third, for the (3,3) case, that hosts a gap separating a pair of flat conduction and valence bands, we find nondispersive edge states with E=0 in all edge terminations.

Published by the American Physical Society
2024
Lévy-distributed fluctuations in the living cell cortex
Authors: Sivarajan Shankar , Shi Yu , Xiang Katherine M. , Rodríguez-Cruz Clary , Porter Christopher L. , Kostecki Geran M. , Tung Leslie , Crocker John C. , Reich Daniel H.
Published: December 2024

The actomyosin cortex is an active material that provides animal cells with a strong but flexible exterior whose mechanics, including non-Gaussian fluctuations and occasional large displacements or cytoquakes, have defied explanation. We study the active fluctuations of the cortex using nanoscale tracking of arrays of flexible microposts adhered to multiple cultured cell types. When the confounding effects of static heterogeneity and tracking error are removed, the fluctuations are found to be heavy tailed and well described by a truncated Lévy α-stable distribution over a wide range of timescales, in multiple cell types. The largest random displacements closely resemble the earlier-reported cytoquakes, but notably, we find these cytoquakes are not due to earthquakelike cooperative rearrangement of many cytoskeletal elements. Rather, they are indistinguishable from chance large excursions of a superdiffusive random process driven by heavy-tailed noise. The noncooperative microscopic events driving these fluctuations need not be larger than the expected elastic energy of single tensed cortical actin filaments, and the implied distribution of microscopic event energies will need to be accounted for by future models of the cytoskeleton.

Published by the American Physical Society
2024
High directional optical transmitter with phased array of nanoptical emitters and efficient error correction for long distance space communications
Authors: Bazzani Elisa , Guglielmi Anna Valeria , Corvaja Roberto , Laurenti Nicola , Romanato Filippo , Ruffato Gianluca , Vogliardi Andrea , Vallone Giuseppe , Vangelista Lorenzo , Villoresi Paolo
Published: December 2024

Communications in space are rapidly increasing in both capacity and extension. A satellite network in space calls for efficient and lightweight optical transmitters, suitable to communicate over distances going from the low-Earth-orbit to interplanetary links and beyond. To this aims, here we study the use of novel resources as an array of nanoptical coupler from guided sources and modulators to free space modes, that is phased with a suitable correction systems as well as efficient coding with error corrections capable of bearing large values of losses. We develop a method for designing such an array, which achieve a main lobe divergence of 1 µrad. We also discuss the lower and upper limits of the beam steering technique as a function of the array and emitter size, respectively. The optimization of grating couples (GCs) resulted an apodized structure with approximately 0.7 coupling efficiency and 70-µm beam waist. We also demonstrate the feasibility of phase correction and polarization modulation of the output mode by means of metalenses. The resulting link budget in terms of received photons on the Earth sets exceptional conditions for the digital optical communication system, for which a power efficient modulation scheme such as pulse position modulation (PPM) is considered. Here, we assess the PPM performance and we propose suitable channel coding schemes, essential to reduce the high bit error rate obtained in few-photon regime at the receiver.

Published by the American Physical Society
2024
Individual and product-related antecedents of electronic word-of-mouth
Authors: Anastasiei Bogdan , Dospinescu Nicoleta , Dospinescu Octavian
Published: December 2024

Purpose

This research investigates the antecedents of positive and negative electronic word-of-mouth (eWOM) propensity, as well as the impact of eWOM propensity on the intention to repurchase the product.

Design/methodology/approach

Two types of eWOM predictors were considered: product related variables and personal factors. The data were collected through an online survey conducted on a sample of 335 Romanian subjects, and the analysis method was Structural Equation Modelling.

Findings

Our findings show that personal factors – social media usage behaviour, marketing mavenism and need to evaluate – are the most important antecedents of the intention to write product reviews and comments online, either positive or negative. From the product related factors, only brand trust influences the propensity to provide eWOM. Furthermore, both positive and negative eWOM intentions are associated with the repurchase intention.

Originality/value

The major theoretical contribution of this study consists of revealing that personal traits are stronger eWOM propensity predictors than product related variables. In light of our results, most people will likely not share their positive or negative opinions about products and brands, no matter how good or bad their experience was, no matter how satisfied or dissatisfied they are. The high eWOM intention levels are associated with the presence of some inner characteristics that push customers to voice their feelings and thoughts in the social networks.
A multisectoral systematic literature review of digital twins in supply chain management
Authors: Kapil Devarshi , Raut Rakesh , Nayal Kirti , Kumar Mukesh , Akarte Milind M.
Published: December 2024

Purpose

The study aims to provide a comprehensive review of digital twin (DT) literature and examine how various industrial sectors utilize the potential of DT.

Design/methodology/approach

This study’s systematic literature review (SLR) and bibliometric analysis focus on utilizing DT in the supply chain (SC) and its applications across various industries between 2017 and 2024. The use of DT for information management and risk management in SCM, which have been investigated in many sectors, is the primary focus of this article. The article also examines the various digital technologies used in digital twin literature.

Findings

The following are the main conclusions drawn from the research on digital twins and their implementation: Digital twins have been studied to improve visibility, traceability, resilience, risk identification and assessment, information sharing and decision-making in SC of various sectors. According to the literature review, most research was conducted in the manufacturing industry. Also, the integration of DT with digital technologies (like AI, BD, AI, ML and CPS) in SC has been explored less.

Originality/value

A multisectoral examination has been done to identify any needs or requirements and unknown areas of study and make recommendations for future directions for study on the interface between SC and DT.
Top management teams' digital experience and innovation efficiency: evidence from China
Authors: Wang Bo , Yang Yang
Published: December 2024

Purpose

This study focuses on the relationship between top management teams' (TMTs) digital experience and company innovation efficiency. In addition, this study examines the mechanism role of digital transformation processes, including basic capability, chief information officer (CIO) appointments, process management and business management, on the relationship between TMTs' digital experience and innovation efficiency.

Design/methodology/approach

Based on the sample of China's A-share listed companies from 2011 to 2021, this article employs data envelopment analysis (DEA) and PSM-DID models to examine the effect of TMTs' digital experience on company innovation efficiency.

Findings

The TMTs' digital experience was positively correlated with company innovation efficiency. Artificial intelligence and digital platform are two key technologies that TMTs' digital experience effects company innovation efficiency. The financial ability of companies is a key factor to ensure the effectiveness of these two technologies. Digital foundation only played an important role in the early stages. In addition, TMTs' digital experience is more focused on technological management, not process management and business management. We also found that the CIO did not play a positive role on digital innovation. Finally, within the manufacturing industry and non-high-tech companies, the TMTs' digital experience has proven to be notably more effective in enhancing innovation efficiency.

Practical implications

This study advises that companies in the initial stages of digital transformation should give precedence to recruiting managers with digital experience into TMT, as their role is pivotal in propelling digital transformation in innovation. Futhermore, it is suggested that in the selection of TMT members, firms could consider dual appointments, such as CIO combined with other roles. Finally, this study recommends that TMTs with a digital background should pursue deeper technological competencies before embarking on corresponding business and process managements.

Originality/value

First, this study constructs a theoretical framework for examining how TMTs' digital experience influences innovation efficiency. Second, this study embedded the digital technology into the company innovation input index, elucidating how TMTs' digital experience directly enhances innovation efficiency. Finally, this study reveals how basic capability, CIO appointments, process management and business management affect the relationship between TMT digital experience and innovation efficiency.
Stress distribution and shear lag effect of composite steel plate girder bridges based on spatial fine mesh elements
Authors: Lu Pengzhen , Ding Yu , Wu Ying , He Changjun , Yang Liu , Li Yang
Published: December 2024

Purpose

(1) The shear lag effect and its additional deflection contribution to composite beams based on spatial grid elements were presented. (2) A refined spatial grid element analysis method that can simultaneously obtain the internal forces, displacements and stresses of various parts of a composite beam.

Design/methodology/approach

A refined spatial grid element analysis method.

Findings

The proposed method can directly obtain the internal forces and displacements of the joints of the composite beam roof, floor and web.

Originality/value

To comprehensively comprehend the mechanical behavior of double-girder steel plate composite girder bridge structures and facilitate refined analysis, this paper introduces a refined spatial grid element analysis model applicable to both the global and local domains.
Developing a community responsive resilient contractor selection model for post-disaster reconstruction projects: a build back better approach
Authors: Demirci Fehmi Samet , Isik Zeynep
Published: December 2024

Purpose

This study aims to develop a resilient contractor selection model that also considers community concerns in post-disaster reconstruction projects using a “build-back better (BBB)” approach.

Design/methodology/approach

At the outset, a comprehensive literature review was conducted to develop the model. During this literature review, a set of contractor selection criteria were identified. Focus group discussion (FGD) sessions were then organized to revise and refine the identified criteria. As a result, a final list of 39 selection criteria was developed. Next, the Bayesian best worst method (BBWM) was conducted to determine the weights of each selection criterion. Finally, the proposed model was validated by conducting a hypothetical case study and fuzzy VlseKriterijuska Optimizacija I Komoromisno Resenje (fuzzy VIKOR) analysis. Moreover, a sensitivity analysis was conducted to examine the effect of the maximum group utility (v) value in the model.

Findings

The results emphasized that contractors in post-disaster reconstruction projects cannot be selected merely based on “technical” and “economic” factors. Instead, the other aspects, namely “organizational and managerial,” “environmental sustainability,” “resource management and procurement” and “end-user,” should also be taken into consideration. Second, factors related to financial strength, experience, risk management, energy efficiency, resource availability and assurance were particularly deemed the most significant, needing the detailed attention of the decision-makers. Lastly, the case study revealed that the proposed model has a significant potential to systemize contractor selection processes in post-disaster reconstruction projects.

Originality/value

Disasters, which are increasing in frequency and severity today, devastate the community’s environmental, economic and social conditions. Post-disaster reconstruction projects commence rapidly after a disaster for recovery. However, poor management procedures in these projects trigger time and cost overruns. Unlike traditional construction projects, post-disaster reconstruction projects are distinctive due to the uncertainties caused by the disasters and the prioritization of community concerns. Therefore, contractors should be selected in a way that can meet the specific needs of reconstruction projects. Otherwise, resilience in the built environment and community satisfaction can hardly be enhanced. Accordingly, this study is one of the first attempts to develop a contractor selection model for post-disaster reconstruction projects. It is believed that the developed model will make essential theoretical and practical contributions to the post-disaster reconstruction domain.
Impediments of COVID-19 pandemic and entrepreneurship development in an emerging economy’s SMEs
Authors: Abdelwahed Nadia A. Abdelmegeed , Soomro Bahadur Ali
Published: December 2024

Purpose

The COVID-19 pandemic severely affected business and entrepreneurship activities worldwide. This study aims to investigate the factors influencing entrepreneurship development in an emerging economy’s small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).

Design/methodology/approach

The researchers applied a quantitative approach to this study, which used cross-sectional data as the basis of its findings. The researchers used a questionnaire to obtain responses from general managers in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s (KSA) manufacturing industries.

Findings

Using structural equation modeling, the findings of the study suggest that, on the one hand, the fear of the COVID-19 pandemic and perceptions about its arrival had a negative impact on entrepreneurship development. On the other hand, stress and anxiety had no significant effect on entrepreneurship development.

Practical implications

This study’s findings guide policymakers, KSA’s government agents and industry owners to adopt preventive measures to limit fear, stress and anxiety associated with the expected complications of the COVID-19 pandemic. The findings also offer better solutions to controlling severe disturbances to the economic and social entrepreneurship of vulnerable startup companies, various SMEs and large-scale companies.

Originality/value

This study’s results reveal the severe complications of the COVID-19 pandemic and its remarkably devastating impact on entrepreneurship development.
Do I feel entitled to it? Caring dads after the equalization of parental leave in Spain
Authors: Fernández-Cornejo José Andrés , Castellanos-Serrano Cristina , Del Pozo-García Eva , Palomo-Vadillo Maite , Cáceres-Ruiz Juan Ignacio , Escot Lorenzo
Published: December 2024

Purpose

In January 2021, Spanish paid parental leave for fathers was fully equated with that for mothers. Is this facilitating working fathers developing an identity of caring fathers?

Design/methodology/approach

We conducted qualitative research based on 31 interviews with heterosexual fathers residing in Spain, who had a child from January 1, 2021 onwards, who cohabited with the baby’s mother, and who were salaried. We also added two mothers with the same characteristics and seven human resources managers from large companies.

Findings

There has been a rapid acceptance and normalization of the use of these new equalized leaves. For many fathers this has been accompanied by the experience of a greater sense of “being legitimized” to engage in caregiving. The intensity of this process could be subject to two opposing forces. One in favor, especially when fathers care alone for as long as possible; and one against, when fathers assume the role of the mother’s helper and when the support of significant and relevant others is lacking in several domains, including the work place.

Social implications

Whether this ambivalence is resolved in favor of advancement could depend on how successful public policy is. Reforms of parental leave systems should encourage men to take on single-handed care, and companies should be encouraged to become more aware of the need for co-responsibility between fathers and mothers in childcare.

Originality/value

Spain now has one of the most gender-equal parental leave systems in the world. It is important to know what meaning new fathers are giving to this advance and to what extent this is facilitating the emergence of a caregiving masculinity.
When AI–chatbots disappoint – the role of freedom of choice and user expectations in attribution of responsibility for failure
Authors: Castillo Daniela , Canhoto Ana Isabel , Said Emanuel
Published: December 2024

Purpose

The implementation of AI-powered chatbots in the frontline may enhance efficiency, yet failures are still common. This paper aims to explore users' attribution of responsibility for service failures when using AI–chatbots and to examine how contextual factors influence perceptions of blame.

Design/methodology/approach

This work utilizes a mixed-methods approach, leveraging the findings from 39 exploratory interviews to develop the research framework and hypotheses. Subsequently, two experimental studies evaluated the type of interaction, failure type and failure severity.

Findings

The qualitative study identified voluntary and forced interaction types perceived by users based on contextual factors and demonstrated how these types impact expectations and responsibility attribution post-failure. The experimental studies showed that forced interactions intensify responsibility attributions toward the company and that disconfirmation of expectations mediates the relationship between forced interactions and responsibility attribution. Furthermore, failure type and severity level have a moderating influence on responsibility attribution.

Originality/value

This paper contributes to the theoretical understanding of user interactions with AI-powered frontline technology, by revealing the nuanced ways in which users perceive and react to failures.
Shining diamonds: innovation that outperforms peers and corporate financial misconduct
Authors: Zhong Xi , She Jianquan , Ren Ge
Published: December 2024

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to provide insight into how innovation that outperforms peers (IOP) affects corporate financial misconduct. To this end, on the basis of fraud triangle theory, we develop a theoretical relationship between the two and argue that IOP has an inhibitory effect on corporate financial misconduct.

Design/methodology/approach

On the basis of empirical data from Chinese listed companies from 2007–2023, we conduct a series of tests to examine whether, how and under what circumstances IOP affects corporate financial misconduct.

Findings

IOP does inhibit corporate financial misconduct. This result is validated in a series of sensitivity tests. Further analysis shows that IOP inhibits corporate financial misconduct by reducing executives' incentives to engage in fraud, reducing the opportunity under which executives are involved in fraud, and inhibiting executives' tendency to rationalize fraud. In addition, the results of cross-sectional tests show that the negative impact of IOP on corporate financial misconduct is more significant when the firm is a high-tech enterprise, with a greater balance of power among shareholders, lower supplier concentration and greater consumer confidence.

Originality/value

First, by examining the impact of IOP and corporate financial misconduct, we enrich and extend the literature on the antecedents of corporate financial misconduct. Second, by theoretically and empirically validating the relationship between IOP and corporate financial misconduct, we extend the literature related to the economic consequences of IOP. Finally, we extend fraud triangle theory to a wider range of applications and provide new perspectives and strategies for further research and intervention in corporate financial misconduct.
Examining forensic service effectiveness within an NHS Trust: outcomes and considerations for practice
Authors: Krishnan Nishant , Sebalo Ivan , Copeland-Blair Wendy , Ireland Jane L.
Published: December 2024

Purpose

This study aims to examine whole service effectiveness using a secure version of the Health of the Nation Outcome Scales (HoNOS-Secure), further supplemented in some services by the Clinical Outcomes in Routine Evaluation – Outcome Measure (CORE-OM) and the Patient Reported Experience and Outcome Measure (PREOM).

Design/methodology/approach

The utility of these measures were considered across the full remit of forensic services within a single NHS Trust. A total of 1,038 service users were included (male, n = 876), with the majority of these presenting with HoNOS-Secure ratings. It was predicted that there would be differences pre and post therapy indicated using these measures, that there would be further differences in relation to period of contact with services, and an association was also noted in relation to aggression within services.

Findings

Results indicated that HoNOS-Secure scores decreased following treatment and as a function of time spent in secure care. However, no statistically significant improvement or deterioration was observed on patient-reported outcome measures (CORE-OM and PREOM).

Practical implications

The paper concludes with a comparative examination evaluating potential arguments regarding why low levels of distress are observed within forensic populations and why discrepancies exist between clinician-rated and patient-reported routine outcome measures.

Originality/value

Research into this area is limited and yet the HoNOS is a widely implemented tool, without consideration of the core value of this measure.