bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Numerical optimization of quantum vacuum signals
Authors: Valialshchikov Maksim , Karbstein Felix , Seipt Daniel , Zepf Matt
Published: October 2024

The identification of prospective scenarios for observing quantum vacuum signals in high-intensity laser experiments requires both accurate theoretical predictions and the exploration of high-dimensional parameter spaces. Numerical simulations address the first requirement, while optimization provides an efficient solution for the second one. In the present work, we put forward Bayesian optimization as a new and powerful means to optimize photonic quantum vacuum signals. We demonstrate its great potential on the example of the well-studied case of two-beam collisions. Apart from providing an ideal benchmark case, this immediately gives new physics results. Namely, Bayesian optimization allows us to find the optimal waist sizes for beams with elliptic cross sections, and to identify the specific physical process leading to a discernible signal in a coherent harmonic focusing configuration scenario.

Published by the American Physical Society
2024
Interactions of massless fermionic fields in three dimensions
Authors: Fredenhagen Stefan , Lausch Filipp , Mkrtchyan Karapet
Published: October 2024

All independent interaction vertices involving massless (Fang-Fronsdal) fermions in three dimensions are classified, completing the classification of interactions of massless fields of any spin. Similar to the bosonic case, we get no independent vertices at quartic or higher order in the fields involving fields with spin s≥3/2 and cubic vertices only for spins satisfying triangle inequalities, apart from the cases involving (matter) fields with spin s≤1. Different from the bosonic cases, we get only one vertex for each triple of spins with two Majorana fermions and one boson, which is parity even (odd) when the sum of the spins of all fields involved is odd (even). When the two Majorana fermions are identical, their coupling to an odd-spin boson is trivialized. We comment on the nontrivial holographic dictionary relating these vertices to conformal field theory correlators in two dimensions.

Published by the American Physical Society
2024
Spatiotemporal dynamics of nucleocytoplasmic transport
Authors: Rautu S. Alex , Zidovska Alexandra , Shelley Michael J.
Published: October 2024

Nucleocytoplasmic transport is essential for cellular function, presenting a canonical example of rapid molecular sorting inside cells. It consists of a coordinated interplay between import/export of molecules in/out the cell nucleus. Here, we investigate the role of spatiotemporal dynamics of the nucleocytoplasmic transport and its regulation. We develop a biophysical model that captures the main features of the nucleocytoplasmic transport, in particular, its regulation through the Ran cycle. Our model yields steady-state profiles for the molecular components of the Ran cycle, their relaxation times, as well as the nuclear-to-cytoplasmic molecule ratio. We show that these quantities are affected by their spatial dynamics and heterogeneity within the nucleus. Specifically, we find that the spatial nonuniformity of Ran guanine exchange factor (RanGEF)—particularly its proximity to the nuclear envelope—increases the Ran content in the nucleus. We further show that RanGEF's accumulation near the nuclear envelope results from its intrinsic dynamics as a nuclear cargo, transported by the Ran cycle itself. Overall, our work highlights the critical role of molecular spatial dynamics in cellular processes and proposes new avenues for theoretical and experimental inquiries into the nucleocytoplasmic transport.

Published by the American Physical Society
2024
Crystallization and crystallographic studies of human serine protease inhibitor (serpin) B9
Authors: Yan Teng , Zhou Aiwu
Published: October 2024

Serine protease inhibitor B9 (serpin B9, also known as protease inhibitor 9 or PI9) plays a critical role in regulating the immune response by specifically inhibiting granzyme B, a serine protease found in cytotoxic T lymphocytes and natural killer cells. Despite its potential as an anticancer drug target, the structural details of serpin B9 have remained elusive until now. In this study, a cleaved form of recombinant human serpin B9 was successfully prepared and crystallized. The crystals belonged to space group P212121, with unit-cell parameters a = 68.51, b = 82.32, c = 101.17 Å, and an X-ray diffraction data set was collected at 1.9 Å resolution. The structure shows that serpin B9 adopts a relaxed conformation, with its cleaved reactive-centre loop inserted into the central β-sheet. Unlike other serpins, serpin B9 shows significant structural deviations around helix D, with a larger surface cavity, which could serve as a promising target for small-molecule inhibitors.
EMhub: a web platform for data management and on-the-fly processing in scientific facilities
Authors: de la Rosa-Trevin Jose M. , Sharov Grigory , Fleischmann Stefan , Morado Dustin , Bollinger John C. , Miller Darcie J. , Terry Daniel S. , Blanchard Scott C. , Fernandez Israel S. , Carroni Marta
Published: October 2024

Most scientific facilities produce large amounts of heterogeneous data at a rapid pace. Managing users, instruments, reports and invoices presents additional challenges. To address these challenges, EMhub, a web platform designed to support the daily operations and record-keeping of a scientific facility, has been introduced. EMhub enables the easy management of user information, instruments, bookings and projects. The application was initially developed to meet the needs of a cryoEM facility, but its functionality and adaptability have proven to be broad enough to be extended to other data-generating centers. The expansion of EMHub is enabled by the modular nature of its core functionalities. The application allows external processes to be connected via a REST API, automating tasks such as folder creation, user and password generation, and the execution of real-time data-processing pipelines. EMhub has been used for several years at the Swedish National CryoEM Facility and has been installed in the CryoEM center at the Structural Biology Department at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. A fully automated single-particle pipeline has been implemented for on-the-fly data processing and analysis. At St. Jude, the X-Ray Crystallography Center and the Single-Molecule Imaging Center have already expanded the platform to support their operational and data-management workflows.
Roles of cognition demand and advertising literacy in advergames
Authors: Vashisht Devika
Published: October 2024

Purpose

To determine the impact of advergame specific factors on players’ brand recall and brand attitude by conducting two experimental studies.

Design/methodology/approach

Two 2 × 2 × 2 experiments were conducted in this study.

Findings

Individuals with high-cognition-demand reported superior brand recall for an advergame with prominent brand placements and low game-product analogy and a more favorable brand attitude for a prominently placed game with high game-product analogy than the low-cognition-demand individuals. Individuals with high advertising literacy reported higher brand recall but less favorable brand attitude for games with less game-rapidity but high product-involvement than those with low advertising literacy.

Practical implications

The research outcomes are highly significant for the marketing specialists, as choosing a communication tool that best fits the advertised product with regard to the content of the media is a planning stratagem that has been broadly used by the media designers.

Originality/value

This research mainly adds to the literature of online advertising, exclusively the advergames by probing the impact of game-specific and gamer-specific factors on brand recall and brand attitude. Also, this study supports comprehending the moderating roles of cognitive demand and advertising literacy on players’ cognitive and affective brand responses.
Frozen food purchasing and home freezing of fresh foods: associations with household food waste
Authors: Xu Lei , Li Ran , Roe Brian
Published: October 2024

Purpose

Freezing extends the shelf life of food. Home freezing of fresh foods and the purchase of frozen foods have been advocated as approaches to reduce food waste in US households. This paper discusses how commonly US households apply these practices, quantifies frozen food waste and relates these practices to food waste.

Design/methodology/approach

We add questions to the summer 2022 wave of the US Household Food Waste Tracking Survey. The novel survey data provide important baseline information and household behaviours, such as food waste, home freezing of fresh food and the purchase of frozen foods. We analyse the association among these behaviours from more than 1,000 US households.

Findings

We find that US household wastes about 26 g per person per week of food that was once frozen, which is about 6% of all household food waste. The finding indicates that a small portion of food waste in US households comes from frozen food. Vegetables and meats are the most commonly discarded frozen foods. Among the frozen items reported as discarded, about 30% were purchased as frozen rather than purchased fresh and then frozen at home by the consumer and about 30% more were reported as discarded from the refrigerator rather than directly from the freezer. The findings are important for informing strategies to reduce household food waste.

Research limitations/implications

While the data provide important baseline information and correlate the use of freezing with lower waste levels, more work is needed to understand if interventions encouraging frozen food purchase or home freezing would reduce household food waste.

Originality/value

We provide unique, detailed information about the quantity of frozen food waste in US households and the relationships between consumer food waste and the practices of frozen food purchasing and home freezing.
To take a stand or not: effects of company-issue fit and perceived motivations for CSA on consumer response
Authors: Kim Seoyeon , Austin Lucinda L. , Gaither Barbara Miller
Published: October 2024

Purpose

This study examined how consumer response to corporations that take a stand (or not) on social/political issues – varied by “fit” between the company and the advocated issue – was mediated by perceptions of the motives for the advocacy.

Design/methodology/approach

A 2 (corporate stand: stand v. no stand) × 2 (company-issue fit: high v. low) experiment was conducted with a nationally representative sample of 1,204 U.S. adult consumers.

Findings

The study found that the effect of corporate stand taking on perceived corporate hypocrisy was moderated by company-issue fit. Also, companies were viewed as more hypocritical when taking a stand on an issue that was less relevant to the company’s business, despite the CSA being seen as being values-driven.

Originality/value

The study provides guidelines for companies to determine when and whether to take a stand on a CSA issue. Particularly, the results suggest that values promotion is not the sole determinant of successful CSA and that company-issue fit should be taken into account for a more comprehensive assessment of the given CSA.
“California on the Vistula River?” Cannabis users’ engagement with licit and illicit cannabis markets in Poland
Authors: Los Greg
Published: October 2024

Purpose

Poland, like many other countries, is experiencing a shift in its drug policy as reflected with the decision of its government to legalise medical cannabis in 2017. This paper aims to explore the engagement of cannabis consumers with legal and illegal markets for cannabis in Poland.

Design/methodology/approach

Data comes from the Polish Ministry of Health and a survey of 571 cannabis users. The questionnaires were posted on Polish Facebook groups consisting of users, and other people interested in science/politics associated with cannabis. The users were asked if they currently use the illegal market to buy cannabis, and if yes then why.

Findings

Most respondents report that they do not engage with the illegal market for cannabis. Those who described themselves as medical users now enjoy a better access to cannabis, but even recreational users are finding ways to use the system. Some, however, continue to use the illegal market for cannabis due to reasons associated with honesty, access, price and quality of cannabis.

Research limitations/implications

Given a convenience sample, generalisable conclusions cannot be made on the impact of the medical cannabis policy on the illegal market for cannabis yet. However, what can be concluded is that increasingly more users are likely opting out for the regulated medical market than the traditional illegal market. This could be associated with an increasing willingness of medical practitioners to prescribe medical cannabis.

Originality/value

Only a handful of articles have been written on the Polish medical cannabis policy. This is the first article to show that the Polish medical cannabis policy has changed very significantly since the early enactment. Very probably contrary to the wishes of the policymakers who wanted to create a stricter model than the one in California, for example, which they named as more permissive one.
Managing proof-of-concept (PoC) programs in public research organizations: a dynamic capabilities perspective
Authors: Tolin Giovanni , Piccaluga Andrea
Published: October 2024

Purpose

This paper aims to explore how the implementation of gap funding instruments such as Proof-of-Concept (PoC) programs can contribute to developing dynamic capabilities in Public Research Organizations (PROs). The research investigates the processes and practices underlying PoC programs that may provide potential foundations for dynamic capabilities (i.e. organizational microfoundations) in PROs operating within a technology transfer setting.

Design/methodology/approach

We conducted an exploratory qualitative study through 37 interviews with the employees of PROs involved in the valorization of 155 technologies within 24 PoC programs. We iteratively triangulated those data with secondary sources.

Findings

We identified four key processes (i.e. management, selection, monitoring and valorization) and their associated practices that act as organizational microfoundations, enhancing the emergence of dynamic capabilities in PROs. We articulated six propositions to advance theoretical understandings about gap funding instruments and dynamic capabilities in technology transfer settings.

Originality/value

This study extends prior research on gap funding instruments by examining the less explored processes and practices underpinning PoC programs, demonstrating their role in enhancing PROs to foster external engagement and adaptation to fast-changing environments. Furthermore, it contributes to dynamic capabilities literature by unpacking those microfoundations that enable PROs to build sensing, seizing and reconfiguring capabilities when interacting with the external environment.
The effects and mechanism of discounting unit price
Authors: Khan Huda , Saeed Muhammad Rashid , Bellman Steven , Lee Richard
Published: October 2024

Purpose

Supermarket promotions typically use a standard label, which displays the regular price, discounted price and discounted unit price. Visits to supermarkets across multiple countries found that none used a price label that also contains the regular (i.e. pre-discounted) unit price. This study aims to investigate the effectiveness of a dual unit-price label that includes the regular unit price as a reference price, and what underpins its efficacy in enhancing promotion attractiveness.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors executed four studies, supported by three supplemental studies. Study 1 established external validity through a natural instore experiment. Studies 2 and 3 tested the dual unit-price label with different pack sizes and assortment sizes, respectively. Finally, Study 4 tested the underpinning mechanism of the efficacy of the dual unit-price label.

Findings

In Study 1, daily sales records over four weeks showed that dual unit-price label promotions had larger sales volume than standard-label promotions. Study 2 showed a larger pack size, a heuristic cue for greater economy and increased preference for dual unit-price label promotions. Study 3 similarly found that the dual unit-price label was preferred more as cognitive load was increased by assortment size. Finally, Study 4 demonstrated the dual processing of the dual unit-price label, using a conscious preference measure (information provided) and an unconscious implicit attitude test.

Research limitations/implications

Unit-price research has mainly considered a cognitive process. The authors demonstrated the importance of considering a heuristic process.

Practical implications

Supermarkets can use this simple and yet effective tool to improve promotion effectiveness.

Originality/value

This study demonstrates that the dual unit-price label is a new and easy tool to enhance sales promotions, which academic research and managerial practice had never considered previously.
The mediating effect of individual capital in the relationship between entrepreneurship education and social entrepreneurship intentions
Authors: Nguyen Trang Thi Doan , Nguyen Duong Tuan , Huynh Van Ai
Published: October 2024

Purpose

This study examines the impact of entrepreneurship education on the social entrepreneurship intentions of undergraduate students with a focus on the mediating effects of individual capital, such as human, social and cultural capital.

Design/methodology/approach

This study adopted a quantitative approach with data collected from 392 third- and fourth-year students studying at a private university in Vietnam through a self-administered survey. The data were analysed using partial least squares structural equation modelling.

Findings

The results show that entrepreneurship education positively impacts the social entrepreneurship intentions of undergraduate students. Furthermore, this study reveals that social and cultural capital serve as mediators in this relationship, whereas the mediating role of human capital was not supported.

Practical implications

The study findings highlight the crucial role of higher education institutions in promoting and implementing formal entrepreneurship education. It also emphasises the importance of supporting enhancement of students' individual capital through social and cultural activities to foster their intentions to engage in social entrepreneurship.

Originality/value

This study adds to the current literature on social entrepreneurship intentions by highlighting the significance of entrepreneurship education provided by universities and the roles of individual capital, such as social and cultural capital, in mediating the impact of entrepreneurship education on social entrepreneurship intentions.
Investigating the effects of barriers and challenges on Logistics 4.0 in the era of evolving digital technology
Authors: Caliskan Aylin , Eryilmaz Sanem , Ozturkoglu Yucel
Published: October 2024

Purpose

This study aims to reveal and prioritize the main barriers and challenges in front of the Logistics 4.0 transformation, which is the extension of Industry 4.0. Also, this study presents a roadmap for a company operating in developing countries to reduce and eliminate challenges and hurdles for each link in their supply chain.

Design/methodology/approach

A two-stage methodology was used in this study. First, a detailed literature review was conducted to identify the barriers to innovations compatible with Industry 4.0. Hence, barriers have been identified, including nine from the literature review. The best–worst method (BWM) is then used to determine these barriers’ weights and order of importance. To implement BWM, two-stage e-surveys are applied to experts.

Findings

The “Managerial and Economic Challenges” dimension is the most important, and “Regulatory and social challenges” is the least essential dimension among the main dimension. Moreover, financial constraints or capitals are the most critical barriers among the sub-barriers. This study gives the reader a comprehensive insight into how detected barriers affect digitalization performance. Therefore, this framework is a roadmap designed with a holistic view to guide manufacturers, logistics parties and even policy and decision-makers.

Originality/value

Theoretically and empirically identifies the potential barriers and challenges in the digital transformation of logistics is already missing at the desired level. From this point of view, to the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is the first research that determines barriers based on the Logistics 4.0 model with an industrial perspective. One of the most important limitations of this study is that a total of nine dimensions were examined under only three basic barriers. Different alternatives can be identified for future studies.
Effects of Industry 4.0 technologies and servitization on firm performance: evidence from the Pakistani manufacturing sector
Authors: Imran Muhammad , Mustafa Ghulam , Rehman Shafique Ur , Susanto Perengki
Published: October 2024

Purpose

This study examines the unique effects of Industry 4.0 technologies and servitization on firm performance and explores whether servitization mediates the Industry 4.0 and firm-performance relationship.

Design/methodology/approach

Data were collected from 76 manufacturing firms in Pakistan using an online survey questionnaire. The partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) method was used to test the proposed hypotheses.

Findings

Analysis in SmartPLS revealed significant positive effects of Industry 4.0 and servitization on firm performance and showed that servitization acts as a mediator in the relationship between Industry 4.0 and firm performance.

Practical implications

This study offers valuable insights for manufacturing firms, particularly in the context of Pakistan, that firms can improve their performance by adopting Industry 4.0 technologies and implementing servitization strategies.

Originality/value

Drawing on the practice-based view of firm, this study adds value to the body of knowledge that firms can improve their performance by adopting widely known and transferrable technological and organizational practices like Industry 4.0 and servitization.
The determinants of data use practice for instructional practice in higher education
Authors: Ansyari Muhammad Fauzan , De Witte Kristof , Groot Wim
Published: October 2024

Purpose

An evidence-based approach to improving instructional practices and student outcomes in data use. It is a systematic process of evaluating and analysing learning problems, collecting and transforming various types of data into instructional decisions, and implementing informed actions to improve instruction and student learning. Since teachers are the main actors in instructional practices, this article reports on a study aimed at predicting the influence of various teachers’ characteristics on the degree of data use practices for instructional purposes.

Design/methodology/approach

In this study, we conducted a survey in a developing country to gather primary data. The collected data were analysed using a supervised machine learning approach, focussing on decision tree analysis, to determine the influential factors.

Findings

Our investigation identifies pedagogical knowledge, data literacy, content knowledge, knowledge of English for teaching and attitudes towards data as crucial determinants in predicting the intensity of such data use practices. Notably, pedagogical knowledge emerges as the most potent predictor, emphasising its pivotal role in shaping teachers’ frequency of instructional data use practices. Surprisingly, English proficiency does not exhibit a significant influence in this predictive model.

Research limitations/implications

The findings may not be generalisable to a wider context since this study relied on a relatively small teacher self-reported sample collected through surveys, and, as this study used perception data, this may or may not reflect teachers’ actual knowledge and skills.

Practical implications

By spotlighting the nuanced interplay between teacher individual characteristics and the practice of data use for instructional improvement, this research contributes to a nuanced understanding of the factors shaping teachers’ engagement with data. Ultimately, it provides a foundation for targeted interventions and strategies aimed at fostering a culture of evidence-based practices to improve instruction and consequently student learning outcomes within educational settings.

Social implications

This insight holds significant implications for policymakers, educational practitioners and providers of professional development programmes seeking to facilitate effective data use practices for instructional improvement.

Originality/value

By spotlighting the nuanced interplay between teacher individual characteristics and the practice of data use for instructional purposes, this research contributes to a nuanced understanding of the factors shaping teachers’ engagement with data. This study represents an empirical examination of such factors by employing a quantitative approach: a flexible decision tree analysis. This contributes to a growing body of research on factors related to teacher characteristics and much of the research in the field of data use has been done using a qualitative approach.
Role of online health communities in patient compliance: a social support perspective
Authors: Tewari Shuchita Pant , Misra Richa , Nagdev Kritika , Sharma Himani
Published: October 2024

Purpose

Online health communities (OHC) can transform the healthcare industry, particularly in developing economies. Technology advancement and increased health literacy pave the way for these communities to become powerful tools for empowering patients. The purpose of this study was to empirically validate the linkages between social support and how it overarchingly influences patient compliance. Following social support theory, this study delineates how support from the community affects the patient–physician relationship (PERP) and consequently patient compliance regarding the treatment plan. This study also invents the role of patient trust in an OHC in moderating the relationship between PERP and engagement.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper is based on social support and empowerment theories to investigate the importance of social support in improving patients’ health behaviours and health outcomes via patient empowerment, patient engagement and patient compliance. The authors surveyed users from three Facebook cancer communities in India to collect data. The authors used partial least squares structured equation modelling and necessary condition analysis (NCA) with 265 participants to support the proposed model.

Findings

The result demonstrates that PERP is a crucial factor for patient engagement in OHC, and patient engagement has a significant effect on patient compliance. The results also showed that trust was a significant moderator between PERP and engagement. The NCA analysis shows all the relationships are significant; however, emotional support is not a necessary condition for PERP.

Research limitations/implications

By empowering cancer patients and enabling them to meet their emotional and informational needs through OHCs, the study model can aid in the development of solutions that will improve compliance with their treatment in an emerging economic context. The findings indicate the potential chain reaction of social support and PERP in online cancer health communities. This study also contributes to quantifying the social impacts of online healthcare services and how to enhance the healthcare compliance framework.

Originality/value

This study combines social support and empowerment theory with patient, physician, and technology to provide a fine-grained picture of PERP in OHC. It explains how social support in OHC promotes self-care behaviour. This linkage validation enables readers and the community at large to gain a more nuanced understanding of how social support – through PERP, engagement and trust – enables patient compliance using primary data.
Problem-based learning with library e-resources to enhance student information literacy self-efficacy
Authors: Prabowo Thoriq Tri , Sitthiworachart Jirarat , Hong Jon Chao , Joy Mike
Published: October 2024

Purpose

This study investigates the effectiveness of problem-based learning (PBL) in information literacy curricula using library e-resources to enhance information literacy self-efficacy (ILSE) of students in two universities in Indonesia, in Java Island (University A) and Sumatra Island (University B).

Design/methodology/approach

A comparison of the effectiveness of the approach in the two universities forms the focus of the study, which has adopted a single group quasi-experimental design which was conducted in one online teaching-learning session. The authors compared the pre-test and post-test scores of 65 library and information science (LIS) students from both universities.

Findings

The results show that the treatment enhanced ILSE effectively. After the treatment, University A students performed better than those at University B.

Research limitations/implications

The factors which affected the success of PBL using library e-resources have not been identified in this study, a task for a future qualitative research study.

Practical implications

This study will both inspire the use of library e-resources in learning activities and promote ILSE.

Originality/value

Integrating PBL with library e-resources provides opportunity to identify the advantages of library e-resources in supporting student ILSE, resulting a better learning achievement.
Asymmetric dependence between the prospect theory value and stock returns in India: a quantile regression approach
Authors: Yadav Manisha , Dixit Gaurav
Published: October 2024

Purpose

Motivated by the evidence highlighting the role of sentiments and cognitive biases in investors' decision-making, this study examines a novel behavioral finance-based asset pricing model incorporating the prospect theory framework in the Indian equity market. Specifically, the study’s primary objective is to investigate the importance of Prospect Theory Value (PTV) in the cross-sectional pricing of stocks.

Design/methodology/approach

The empirical findings rely on data taken from NIFTY 500 and BSE S&P 500 stocks, encompassing daily, weekly and monthly observations. The analysis employs diverse statistical techniques, including Ordinary Least Squares (OLS), Fama–Macbeth Cross-section Regressions, Panel Fixed Effect and Quantile Regression.

Findings

The study demonstrates an asymmetric association between PTV and subsequent stock returns. The findings maintain their robustness even when factoring in stock-specific attributes such as market capitalization and book-to-market ratio, market beta and indicators related to lottery-like behavior such as skewness and MAX. This observed pattern persists when analyzing data at various frequencies, including daily, weekly and monthly intervals. Loss aversion behavior dominates among Indian equity investors, contrary to lottery preferences in the US equity market.

Originality/value

As far as the authors are aware, the study is the first to introduce a new behavioral finance-motivated stock return predictor (PTV) in the Indian stock market. The study also marks the pioneering use of a novel method that evaluates the predictability of PTV across various sections of the conditional return distribution using quantile regression.
Model development and heat transfer characteristics in renewable energy systems conveying hybrid nanofluids subject to nonlinear thermal radiation
Authors: Fatunmbi Ephesus O. , Obalalu A.M. , Khan Umair , Hussain Syed Modassir , Muhammad Taseer
Published: October 2024

Purpose

In today’s world, the demand for energy to power industrial and domestic activities is increasing. To meet this need and enhance thermal transport, solar energy conservation can be tapped into via solar collector coating for thermal productivity. Hybrid nanofluids (HNFs), which combine nanoparticles with conventional heat transfer fluids, offer promising opportunities for improving the efficiency and sustainability of renewable energy systems. Thus, this paper explores fluid modeling application techniques to analyze and optimize heat transfer enhancement using HNFs. A model comprising solar energy radiation with nanoparticles of copper (Cu) and alumina oxide (Al2O3) suspended in water (H2O) over an extending material device is developed.

Design/methodology/approach

The model is formulated using conservation laws to build relevant equations, which are then solved using the Galerkin numerical technique simulated via Maple software. The computational results are displayed in various graphs and tables to showcase the heat transfer mechanism in the system.

Findings

The results reveal the thermal-radiation-boost heat transfer phenomenon in the system. The simulations of the theoretical fluid models can help researchers understand how HNFs facilitate heat transfer in renewable energy systems.

Originality/value

The originality of this study is in exploring the heat transfer properties within renewable energy systems using HNFs under the influence of nonlinear thermal radiation.
Financial reporting proprietary costs and financial statements comparability: the interactive role of information asymmetry
Authors: Salehi Mahdi , Miri Hossein , Zimon Grzegorz
Published: October 2024

Purpose

This paper aims to investigate the relationship between the proprietary costs of financial reporting and the comparability of financial statements with the interactive role of information asymmetry.

Design/methodology/approach

Data were selected from the information of all the listed companies on the Tehran stock exchange from 2011 to 2021, based on 781 observations. A multiple regression model is used to analyze data.

Findings

Results convey a significant relationship between proprietary costs of financial reporting and comparability of financial statements. Furthermore, information asymmetry has a significant impact on the relationship between proprietary costs of financial reporting and the comparability of financial statements.

Originality/value

Unlike previous studies, this study applies future dependent variables and the residual of dependent and independent variables in the additional analyses, which support the primary hypotheses.
An SEM-ANN analysis of the influence of strategic merger on strategic postchange of family businesses
Authors: Alnoor Alhamzah , Atiyah Abbas Gatea
Published: October 2024

Purpose

Companies seek to increase the percentage of acquisitions in different parts of the world by expanding operations. Many companies are adopting strategic mergers to expand their influence. However, most strategic change programs fail to achieve their objectives. This study aims to investigate employees’ reactions after strategic mergers through the mediating role of the employees’ psychological context. It was necessary to identify the most prominent postmerger employees’ behaviors. The study addressed this gap by investigating the outcomes of strategic mergers.

Design/methodology/approach

Data for this study were collected from 30 family businesses. Accordingly, 341 questionnaires were collected with an overall response rate of 64%. The structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) approach and the nonlinear relationships approach were adopted by implementing artificial neural network (ANN) analysis.

Findings

The results confirm that there is a clear impact of strategic mergers on employees’ postmerger behavior because of the change at the hierarchical level and the process of distributing roles. Employees’ psychological context (individual incentives, anxiety and individual mobbing) mediates the relationship between strategic mergers and postmerger employees’ behavior. In addition, individual incentives are considered the main contributor to retaining or not retaining employees in family businesses after strategic merger.

Research limitations/implications

Policymakers in organizations must pay attention to employees’ possible reactions to the internal and external policies of the organization by increasing individual incentives and reducing individual mobbing toward strategic merger. This study has theoretical implications that are critical guidelines for academics in mitigating the negative consequences for employees’ postmerger behavior. This study captured linear and nonlinear relationships to discover the determinants and antecedents of a strategic merger in family businesses. However, future studies should focus on using more robust statistical methods by adopting decision-making methods to determine the best and worst companies in terms of adopting strategic mergers.

Originality/value

The scarcity of literature on the most important determinants of postmerger employees’ behavior is considered an encouragement to conduct the current study. To this end, this study enriches the ongoing and future literature by examining the most important factors influencing the strategic merger of family businesses. Family businesses have changed the economic landscape of many countries. The investigation of the strategic merger of these companies is considered a worthy matter of study to improve the nation’s economy.
Characterizing the as-built surface topography of Inconel 718 specimens as a function of laser powder bed fusion process parameters
Authors: Raeymaekers Bart , Berfield Thomas
Published: October 2024

Purpose

The ability to use laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) to print parts with tailored surface topography could reduce the need for costly post-processing. However, characterizing the as-built surface topography as a function of process parameters is crucial to establishing linkages between process parameters and surface topography and is currently not well understood. The purpose of this study is to measure the effect of different LPBF process parameters on the as-built surface topography of Inconel 718 parts.

Design/methodology/approach

Inconel 718 truncheon specimens with different process parameters, including single- and double contour laser pass, laser power, laser scan speed, build orientation and characterize their as-built surface topography using deterministic and areal surface topography parameters are printed. The effect of both individual process parameters, as well as their interactions, on the as-built surface topography are evaluated and linked to the underlying physics, informed by surface topography data.

Findings

Deterministic surface topography parameters are more suitable than areal surface topography parameters to characterize the distinct features of the as-built surfaces that result from LPBF. The as-built surface topography is strongly dependent on the built orientation and is dominated by the staircase effect for shallow orientations and partially fused metal powder particles for steep orientations. Laser power and laser scan speed have a combined effect on the as-built surface topography, even when maintaining constant laser energy density.

Originality/value

This work addresses two knowledge gaps. (i) It introduces deterministic instead of areal surface topography parameters to unambiguously characterize the as-built LPBF surfaces. (ii) It provides a methodical study of the as-built surface topography as a function of individual LPBF process parameters and their interaction effects.
A systematic literature review of online communication and promotion for sustainable tourism
Authors: Marchi Valentina , Fissi Silvia , Gori Elena
Published: October 2024

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to systematically review the literature on how sustainable tourism is communicated online and who the main stakeholders involved in the communication are.

Design/methodology/approach

Conducting a quantitative approach based on the systematic literature review, we searched five academic databases and examined 747 papers published from 2009 to 2022. A total of 87 articles were systematically analysed.

Findings

Sustainable online communication has mainly been explored through structured data rather than alternative ones. Different stakeholders have been studied about online sustainable communication. However, few studies have focused on the relationships between them as a unique and complex ecosystem of subjects.

Originality/value

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is the first attempt to synthesise sustainable online communication and the stakeholders involved. It provides an in-depth understanding of central papers discussing the topic and offers insights for future research to foster growth in both research and practice. Overall, this research highlights the lack of research on the topic and its importance for a planned sustainability-oriented online communication strategy to raise awareness and inspire sustainable choices.
Detection of human papillomavirus in plantar warts and its impact on outcome
Authors: Shimizu Akira , Mieko Kosaka , Yamaguchi Kayoko , Niwa Osamu , Ishigaki Yasuhito , Sakurai Masaru
Published: October 2024

Cutaneous warts are caused by human papillomavirus (HPV) infection. Distinguishing plantar warts from clavus and tylosis can be difficult. A less‐invasive method of examining these lesions is necessary. Previously, we collected data on 90 patients with warts and related diseases to explore differentiation methods using HPV typing of tissue from the wart surface. In that study, 21 patients were diagnosed as cases with plantar warts, however, 10 of those 21 cases showed HPV‐negative by polymerase chain reaction analysis, causing some ambiguity, thus their outcomes should be confirmed. To assess the role of HPV typing in clinical practice, we followed up these 21 cases (11 HPV‐positive and 10 HPV‐negative) and analyzed their outcomes. The HPV‐positive group included HPV1a (one case), HPV27 (four cases), HPV57 (three cases), and HPV65 (three cases). The median age of the 21 patients was 43 years, that of the 11 HPV‐positive cases was 37 years, and that of the 10 HPV‐negative cases was 44 years. The sex ratios (male:female) of the HPV‐positive and HPV‐negative groups were 6:5 and 2:8, respectively. All 21 patients were treated with liquid nitrogen after surface keratin removal, concomitant with salicylic acid topical plaster or oral administration of Yokuinin. The longest follow‐up period was 548 days. Kaplan–Meier analysis was performed to assess the healing rate according to HPV‐positivity. The healing rate in HPV‐positive cases was significantly higher than in HPV‐negative cases (P = 0.001). Although the sample size was small, the results suggest HPV typing using non‐invasive surface materials facilitates accurate diagnosis and prevents prolonged treatment of plantar warts.
A case of revertant mosaic‐like normal‐looking spots in a patient with erythroderma with IL36RN and CARD14 heterozygous mutations
Authors: Matsuo Maho , Zang Xiaoyu , Miyauchi Toshinari , Mizutani Yoko , Niwa Hirofumi , Tanaka Kayoko , Iwata Hiroaki
Published: October 2024

An 89‐year‐old Japanese woman presented with erythroderma associated with significant scaling. A histological examination showed acanthosis with hyperkeratosis and hyperkeratinization of the hair follicles. Genetic analyses using DNA from the peripheral blood revealed heterozygous mutations in IL36RN (c.115+6T>C) and CARD14 c.2648G>A (p.Arg883His). Based on these findings, we diagnosed her with erythroderma attributable to autoinflammatory keratinization disease. She then developed more than 30 small, round, well‐defined, spots on her back and extremities that appeared histologically normal. We suspected that these spots might be revertant mosaicism. Immunohistochemical staining with p65, which is a component of nuclear factor kappa‐light‐chain‐enhancer of activated B cells (NF‐kB), revealed nuclear staining in epidermal keratinocytes in erythematous lesions, but not in the normal‐looking spots. However, mutations in IL36RN and CARD14 unexpectedly persisted in the epidermis and dermis of the normal‐looking spots.
Strip‐cropping legacy enhances potato plant defence responses to aphids via soil‐mediated mechanisms
Authors: Riggi Laura G. A. , Dirham Andi N. , Akangbe Onikepe R. , de Vos Ric C. H. , Fijen Thijs P. M. , van Apeldoorn Dirk F. , Mommer Liesje , van Arkel Jeroen , Mumm Roland , Emery Sara E. , Kloth Karen J.
Published: October 2024

Intensive agriculture often comes at the expense of soil health. A shift towards practices that foster soil health will support yield and defences against pests and diseases. Growing crops in monoculture is the standard in modern agriculture, though strip‐cropping, in which different crops are planted in strips, is a promising strategy in the transition towards sustainable agriculture. Increasing crop diversity is hypothesized to positively influence arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF), thereby enhancing soil health, but the mechanisms by which AMF‐plant symbioses contribute to higher yields and reduced pest populations in strip‐cropping systems remain unclear.

We used a green‐house experiment with potato plants to explore the soil legacy effects of mono‐cropping versus strip‐cropping systems, AMF inoculation and aphid infestation on AMF root colonization, the induction of plant defences (untargeted LCMS‐based metabolomics), aphid population size and potato yield.

We found that potato plants grown in strip‐cropping soil had higher AMF colonization than plants grown in mono‐cropping soil. Potato plants grown in strip‐cropping soil also had higher shoot nitrogen content, increased solamargine levels, and reduced aphid populations. AMF root colonization was only enhanced by the addition of commercial AMF in mono‐cropping soils. Potato plant metabolites were affected by strip‐cropping soil, including jasmonic acid (JA) derivatives. Structural equation models revealed that strip‐cropping soil directly reduced aphid populations and also had a negative direct effect on the JA precursor OPC‐8, and hydroxyJA‐glucosides, indicating complex effects of strip‐cropping soils on JA‐inducible plant defences. Indirect benefits of strip‐cropping soil and AMF inoculation on tuber yield were mediated by their direct positive effects on plant nitrogen content.

Our results emphasize the potential of strip‐cropping to enhance AMF root colonization in the field. We show that soil legacy effects of strip‐cropping alter the plant metabolome in ways that suppress of aphid populations. Strip‐cropping legacy effects are the result of crop diversity, crop neighbour and edge effects resulting from crop management practices. While the mechanisms by which soil from strip‐cropping supresses pest populations still need to be identified, our study underscores the potential for strip‐cropping to enhance pest control and yield via soil mediated processes.

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