bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
We shall meet again - Genomics of historical admixture in the sea
Authors: Feng Xueyun , Merilä Juha , Löytynoja Ari
Published: May 2020

We studied the impact of genetic introgression in evolution and on evolutionary studies with whole-genome data from two divergent lineages of sticklebacks. Our results reveal that the hybrid zone between the lineages ranges across the entire Baltic Sea and parts of the North Sea with the foreign ancestry decreasing with increasing distance to the source population. Introgression has also penetrated currently isolated freshwater populations. We identified footprints of selection on regions enriched for introgressed variants, suggesting that some of the introgression has been adaptive. However, the levels of introgression were in general negatively correlated with the recombination rate, suggesting that the introgression has been largely neutral and adaptive ancestral standing variation likely had a more important role in shaping the genomic landscape. Our results further suggest that overlooked introgression can mislead analyses of local adaptation and phylogenetic affinities, highlighting the importance of accounting for introgression in studies of local adaptation.
Titration of Recombinant Adeno-Associated Virus (rAAV) Genome Copy Number Using Real-Time Quantitative Polymerase Chain Reaction (qPCR)
Authors: Su Qin , Sena-Esteves Miguel , Gao Guangping
Published: May 2020

This protocol is used to determine the concentration of DNase-resistant vector genomes (i.e., packaged in the capsid) in purified recombinant adeno-associated virus (rAAV) preparations. The protocol begins with treatment of the vector stock with DNase I to eliminate unencapsidated AAV DNA or contaminating plasmid DNA. This is followed by a heat treatment to heat-inactivate DNase I, to disrupt the viral capsid, and to release the packaged vector genomes for quantification by real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) using a set of standards (linearized plasmid used for vector production) containing known copy numbers. To accomplish high-throughput titration, the primer and probe sets used in real-time PCR are usually designed to target common elements present in most rAAV genomes, such as promoters and poly(A) signals. This strategy significantly reduces the number of PCRs, controls, and turnaround time. Several important controls should be included in the assay as follows: The first two controls should have a known copy number of the rAAV genome plasmid treated or not treated with DNase I. This control tests the effectiveness of DNase treatment. To control for potential cross-contamination between samples during the preparation process, a blank control containing nuclease-free water only should be processed and tested in parallel. A validation vector sample with a known titer should be included in every assay to monitor interassay variability. Finally, for the PCR run, a no-template control (NTC) is included to indicate cross-contamination during PCR setup.
Subtractive Immunization for Mice, Rats, and Hamsters
Authors: Greenfield Edward A.
Published: May 2020

Subtractive immunization is useful for directing the immune response away from dominant epitopes to allow antibodies against less immunogenic antigens to be developed. It is also useful when there is a need to downplay the response to carriers added to peptides and recombinant proteins, such as Gst and Ig, to aid in production and purification. Subtractive immunization protocols also can be helpful if the target protein is part of a mixture (such as a cell lysate) or present on the surface of transfected cells.
Labeling 3′ Termini of Double-Stranded DNA Using the Klenow Fragment of E. coli DNA Polymerase I
Authors: Green Michael R. , Sambrook Joseph
Published: May 2020

The Klenow fragment, which retains the template-dependent deoxynucleotide polymerizing activity and the 3′ → 5′ exonuclease of the holo-enzyme but lacks its powerful 5′ → 3′ exonuclease activity, is used to fill recessed 3′ termini of dsDNA. In this protocol, fragments suitable as templates for the end-filling reaction are produced by digestion of DNA with an appropriate restriction enzyme. The Klenow enzyme is then used to catalyze the attachment of dNTPs to the recessed 3′-hydroxyl groups.
Collaborative design of an active learning classroom with high school students and teachers
Authors: Kepez Orcun , Ust Selin
Published: May 2020

Purpose

The aim of this study is to understand classroom settings desired by high school students and teachers in an active learning classroom. The research question is whether students and teachers will differ from each other when designing an active learning classroom.

Design/methodology/approach

In an effort to design a learning environment for an advanced placement programme, action research methodology was followed by conducting a participatory workshop in a real active learning classroom with future users. Working in isolation from one another, students and teachers designed their own classrooms by forming different learning centres. During the study, two groups, made up of ten high school students and seven teachers, respectively, were asked to arrange the furniture in an active learning classroom. The groups were free to form as many furniture arrangement configurations as they wished and were asked to write about their workshop experiences afterwards. Once they had completed both tasks, their plan layouts were examined.

Findings

All of the plan layouts were found to fall into one of three categories: a traditional layout, a small group layout or a single large group layout. The written texts were also analysed, which revealed different perspectives of each participating group. As students and teachers explore different learning opportunities, they appear to be driven by different kinds of experiences when they endeavour to organize their classrooms.

Originality/value

Never before has an active learning classroom been the site for a participatory furniture arrangement workshop that employs teachers and students.
Improving human–robot interactions in hospitality settings
Authors: Collins Galen R.
Published: May 2020

Purpose

Service robotics, a branch of robotics that entails the development of robots able to assist humans in their environment, is of growing interest in the hospitality industry. Designing effective autonomous service robots, however, requires an understanding of Human–Robot Interaction (HRI), a relatively young discipline dedicated to understanding, designing, and evaluating robotic systems for use by or with humans. HRI has not yet received sufficient attention in hospitality robotic design, much like Human–Computer Interaction (HCI) in property management system design in the 1980s. This article proposes a set of introductory HRI guidelines with implementation standards for autonomous hospitality service robots.

Design/methodology/approach

A set of key user-centered HRI guidelines for hospitality service robots were extracted from 52 research articles. These are organized into service performance categories to provide more context for their application in hospitality settings.

Findings

Based on an extensive literature review, this article presents some HRI guidelines that may drive higher levels of acceptance of service robots in customer-facing situations. Deriving meaningful HRI guidelines requires an understanding of how customers evaluate service interactions with humans in hospitality settings and to what degree those will differ with service robots.

Originality/value

Robots are challenging assumptions on how hospitality businesses operate. They are being increasingly deployed by hotels and restaurants to boost productivity and maintain service levels. Effective HRI guidelines incorporate user requirements and expectations in the design specifications. Compilation of such information for designers of hospitality service robots will offer a clearer roadmap for them to follow.
Solar energy policy to boost Brazilian power sector
Authors: Barbosa Juliana Pacheco , Saraiva Joisa Dutra , Seixas Julia
Published: May 2020

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to highlight the opportunity for the energy policy in Brazil to tackle the very high cost-effectiveness potencial of solar energy to the power system. Three mechanisms to achieve ambitious reductions in the greenhouse gas emissions from the power sector by 2030 and 2040 are assessed wherein treated as solar targets under ambitious reductions in the greenhouse gas emissions from the power sector. Then, three mechanisms to achieve these selected solar targets are suggested.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper reviews current and future incentive mechanisms to promote solar energy. An integrated energy system optimization model shows the most cost-efficient deployment level. Incentive mechanisms can promote renewable sources, aiming to tackle climate change and ensuring energy security, while taking advantage of endogenous energy resources potential. Based on a literature review, as well as on the specific characteristics of the Brazilian power system, under restrictions for the expansion of hydroelectricity and ambitious limitation in the emissions of greenhouse gases from the power sector.

Findings

The potential unexploited of solar energy is huge but it needs the appropriate incentive mechanism to be deployed. These mechanisms would be more effective if they have a specific technological and temporal focus. The solar energy deployment in large scale is important to the mitigation of climate change.

Originality/value

The value of the research is twofold: estimations of the cost-effective potential of solar technologies, generated from an integrated optimization energy model, fully calibrated for the Brazilian power system, while tacking the increasing electricity demand, the expected reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and the need to increase the access to clean and affordable energy, up to 2040; proposals of three mechanisms to deploy centralized PV, distributed PV and solar thermal power, taking the best experiences in several countries and the recent Brazilian cases.
Segmentation of defects in textile fabric with robust texture representation and total variation
Authors: Zhou Jian , Liu Jianli
Published: May 2020

Purpose

Visual quality control on raw textile fabrics is a vital process in weaving factories to ensure their exterior quality (visual defects or imperfection) satisfying customer requirements. Commonly, this critical process is manually conducted by human inspectors, which can hardly provide a fast and reliable inspection results due to fatigue and subjective errors. To meet modern production needs, it is highly demanded to develop an automated defect inspection system by replacing human eyes with computer vision.

Design/methodology/approach

As a structural texture, fabric textures can be effectively represented by a linearly summation of basic elements (dictionary). To create a robust representation of a fabric texture in an unsupervised manner, a smooth constraint is imposed on dictionary learning model. Such representation is robust to defects when using it to recover a defective image. Thus an abnormal map (likelihood of defective regions) can be computed by measuring similarity between recovered version and itself. Finally, the total variation (TV) based model is built to segment defects on the abnormal map.

Findings

Different from traditional dictionary learning method, a smooth constraint is introduced in dictionary learning that not only able to create a robust representation for fabric textures but also avoid the selection of dictionary size. In addition, a TV based model is designed according to defects' characteristics. The experimental results demonstrate that (1) the dictionary with smooth constraint can generate a more robust representation of fabric textures compared to traditional dictionary; (2) the TV based model can achieve a robust and good segmentation result.

Originality/value

The major originality of the proposed method are: (1) Dictionary size can be set as a constant instead of selecting it empirically; (2) The total variation based model is built, which can enhance less salient defects, improving segmentation performance significantly.
Wellness marketing in the corporate context
Authors: Bontrager Faith , Marshall Kimball P.
Published: May 2020

Purpose

This paper aims to provide a literature review of corporate wellness programs to develop recommendations for effective internal marketing of healthy behaviors in work environments.

Design/methodology/approach

A review of research literature published since 2000 addresses corporate wellness programs’ justifications and best program design practices.

Findings

Corporate and employee benefits documented in the literature are reviewed and best practices from published literature are identified to guide the design of wellness programs. These include framing clear messages, alignment of corporate culture and business strategy with wellness program goals, senior leader support, clear objectives and evaluation, incorporation of peer support and enjoyable activities, utilization of effective priming for healthy choices and consideration of legal and ethical incentives.

Research limitations/implications

Further research is needed, including how to frame messages for diverse work groups, how to carry out effective program assessments, what types of marketing appeals are effective, what wellness activities lead to healthy behavior change and how is increased employee productivity related to quality of life. Additional questions include how priming encourages healthy behaviors, what promotes healthy workplace cultures and what social marketing appeals promote healthy behaviors.

Practical implications

Senior managers can implement findings to create effective wellness programs benefiting employees and firms through improved employee health and productivity and reduced corporate health-care costs.

Social implications

Effective wellness programs reduce overall health-care costs for society and provide improved participants’ quality of work, personal and family life.

Originality/value

This research uniquely applies internal marketing, social marketing and marketing exchange concepts to best practices from the wellness literature and applies these to recommendations for effective corporate-based wellness programs.
The effects of CARTER model on attitudinal loyalty in Islamic banks
Authors: Dandis Ala' Omar , Wright Len Tiu
Published: May 2020

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate how the CARTER model impact on attitudinal loyalty in Islamic banks.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper presents primary data collected by self-administered questionnaires involving a sample of 655 respondents from all local Islamic banks in Jordan. SPSS was used to analyse the data and AMOS was used to analyse confirmatory factor analysis.

Findings

In terms of the dimensions of CARTER model, the results show that empathy, assurance and compliance are the most influential factors leading to attitudinal loyalty. Insignificant relationship between tangibles and attitudinal loyalty was found. The findings also show that customer satisfaction plays as a mediating variable between dimensions of service quality and attitudinal loyalty.

Practical implications

Islamic banks should focus on continuous improvement of service quality because of the direct effect on attitudinal loyalty. Managers should pay special attention to the quality provided by their employees and develop their skill set through training and education programmes using Islamic knowledge. They should make sure that all activities are carried out in the right manner the first time and every time to enhance customer loyalty at all times. They also are recommended to comply with the Shariah board alliances and collaboration and other decisions of the Islamic Fiqh Academy.

Originality/value

As the first study of its kind in Jordan, the paper’s contribution stems from filling the research gap in examining the effects of the various service quality dimensions on the impact of attitudinal loyalty in Islamic banks using the CARTER model.
Metaphors we manage and develop quality by
Authors: Lilja Johan , Ingelsson Pernilla , Snyder Kristen , Bäckström Ingela , Hedlund Christer
Published: May 2020

Purpose

Metaphors are a powerful and human way of understanding and experiencing one kind of thing in terms of another. In quality management (QM), several metaphors are used to describe and bring to life the often-abstract QM concepts and systems. These metaphors are of great importance for how QM is understood, communicated and practiced. However, the metaphors of QM have seldom been systematically screened or put in focus, neither the topic of a critical discussion. The purpose of this paper is hence to contribute with a screening of the metaphors currently used, within QM literature and in practice among QM leaders, and then elaborate on their potential for improvement and development.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper is based on a literature review combined with interviews of QM leaders.

Findings

The paper highlights that the current QM metaphors provide intuitive associations to properties such as stability, shelter, and structure, but not to the important dynamic properties of QM, such as learning, or to the critical role of people in QM. What can be seen as core properties of QM are communicated by texts or labels added on to metaphors with properties that often are in sharp contrast to them. The paper also provides suggestions for further improvements and development.

Originality/value

The paper highlights the area of metaphors within QM as an important area for future research. It also provides insights concerning the successful use and selection of metaphors in future QM practice.
Facebook and the cultivation of ethnic diversity perceptions and attitudes
Authors: Hermann Erik , Eisend Martin , Bayón Tomás
Published: May 2020

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to apply cultivation theory to social network sites by investigating how Facebook uses cultivates users' ethnic diversity perceptions and attitudes.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors’ investigations include an online and offline survey study with 476 Facebook users and a follow-up experiment with 75 individuals.

Findings

The authors provide empirical support that Facebook use cultivates ethnic diversity perceptions and ethnic diversity-related attitudes. They show that Facebook use relates to perceptions of ethnic minorities that resemble the world on Facebook that is characterized by high ethnic diversity. The authors further demonstrate that the cultivation of ethnic diversity-related attitudes is mediated by diversity perceptions related to users' close social environment.

Research limitations/implications

Future research should consider culturally and educationally diverse samples as well as longitudinal research designs to address external validity and causality issues.

Practical implications

Algorithms determining the content users are exposed should be thoughtfully curated to avoid attitudinal and ideological polarization.

Social implications

Facebook can play an important role in positively shaping intergroup relations, thereby countering negative outgroup attitudes, social anxieties and radical right-wing parties.

Originality/value

The authors’ studies extend the scope of cultivation research by identifying a new media vehicle as a source of cultivation influences and shed light on the cultivation-based process of attitude change on social network sites.
Employee championing behavior in the context of organizational change: a proposed framework for the business organizations in Bangladesh
Authors: Islam M. Nazmul , Furuoka Fumitaka , Idris Aida
Published: May 2020

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to propose a conceptual framework for ensuring employee championing behavior (ECB) during organizational change for business organizations in Bangladesh.

Design/methodology/approach

On the basis of previous literature, this paper proposed a framework for ensuring ECB during organizational change.

Findings

This paper proposed transformational leadership (TL), which enhances the championing behavior of the employee. In addition, valence, work engagement and trust in leadership act as potential mediators between TL and championing behavior. This paper also proposed organizational alignment (OA) as a potential moderator that influences ECB in the context of organizational change.

Research limitations/implications

This paper highlights numerous influential factors that enhance ECB. This proposed conceptual framework will be validated by the empirical evidence in future research.

Practical implications

This paper provides new insights for business leaders to understand the importance of ECB during organizational change. Moreover, this research underlined the effectiveness of valence, work engagement and trust in leadership and OA to nurture ECB in the time of organizational change, which helps managers of the business organizations to make efficient strategies to tackle organizational change.

Originality/value

This paper adopted Kurt Lewin’s change management theory and integrated with different factors associated with organizational change (TL, valence, work engagement, trust in leadership and OA) to propose a model to understand the mechanism of enhancing ECB in the context of change in Bangladesh’s business organizations.
The role online review on mobile commerce adoption: an inclusive growth context
Authors: Pipitwanichakarn Tanikan , Wongtada Nittaya
Published: May 2020

Purpose

As technology has increasingly disrupted traditional commerce, there is a need for inclusive growth to ensure that no group – particularly the underprivileged – is left behind. Against this backdrop, this paper aims to shed light on mobile commerce (m-commerce) adoption among street vendors. This study conducts an experiment to investigate the contribution of online reviews and relevant factors in enhancing the perceived usefulness and adoption of m-commerce.

Design/methodology/approach

This study used a 2 (perceived ease of use: high vs low) × 2 (trust in service provider: high vs low) × 2 (online review: positive vs negative) between-subjects design, resulting in eight experimental groups. The level of the online review was manipulated, and the degrees of perceived ease of use and trust were measured.

Findings

Perceived usefulness depends on online reviews when users perceive incongruent information (e.g. high ease of use but low trust); that is, users who saw positive reviews more strongly perceived the usefulness of m-commerce. On the contrary, perceived usefulness does not vary based on online reviews if users perceive congruent information (e.g. high ease of use and high trust).

Originality/value

This research advances the knowledge of m-commerce adoption by exploring the interaction of perceived ease of use, trust and online reviews, a combination that has not been addressed in previous empirical studies.
Impact of hybrid seeds on demand for labour: the case of chilli production in Indonesia
Authors: Sayekti Apri Laila , Zeng Di , Stringer Randy
Published: May 2020

Purpose

This paper examines the labour demand associated with hybrid chilli adoption, a relatively labour-intensive crop in Indonesia.

Design/production/approach

Using 228 chilli producing households in West Java Province, Indonesia’s primary chilli production region, the analysis extends previous research on household labour demand by assessing the impacts of hybrid chilli seed adoption on both family and hired labour on a gender-specific basis. Instrumental variables 2SLS approach is employed to address potential endogeneity that may occur related to hybrid seed choices.

Findings

The results demonstrate that hybrid chilli seed use is more likely to increase demand for hired labour, particularly female hired labour; However, hybrid seed adoption is insignificantly associated with demand for male and female family labour.

Research limitations/implications

The sample size used in this paper is relatively small; however, the sample is chosen from the biggest chilli producing area in Indonesia and can still be considered reasonably representative.

Social implications

The results indicate that hybrid seed adoption creates rural employment opportunities for rural women in Indonesia, which could potentially help empower them in rural economic activities and household decision making.

Originality/value

This study contributes to the literature assessing modern agricultural technologies by evaluating rural employment impacts on a source- and gender-specific basis, which is much less understood. It, therefore, complements the existing knowledge regarding welfare impacts in other aspects such as poverty reduction, food security and nutrition enhancement and suggests another dimension where desirable impacts may occur through associated women’s empowerment.
The risk to reconstitution: supply chain risk management for the future of the US Air Force’s organic supply chain
Authors: Loska David , Higa James
Published: May 2020

Purpose

The future retirement of US Air Force (USAF) legacy weapon systems (WSs) removes their associated funding from within the Air Force Working Capital Fund and their parts from its organic supply chain inventory. The trending outsourcing of product support to contracted logistics support and its potential long-term consequences to the USAF government-owned, government-operated, organic supply chain and the reconstitution capabilities it enables in the USAF’s organic industrial base, suggests the need to assess its risks. Although there is an existing body of research into the risks of outsourcing the USAF’s industrial repair, and federal legislation such as Core 50/50 laws enacted to institutionalize its risk management, there is comparatively little research into the outsourcing risks to the long-term viability of the supply chain on which that repair capability is dependent. The aim of this research is to fill that research gap by assessing and modeling those risks. This research concludes by providing several future research directions that may be evaluated to provide more detail.

Design/methodology/approach

Leveraging a conceptual model derived from research and a multi-criteria analysis framework to assess supply chain risk. Quantifying the predicted impact of retirements on funding and inventories of unique parts. Modeling the potential risk due to WS retirement.

Findings

Results indicated long term enterprise risks to the Air Force’s supply chain correlated to the retirement of WSs and their associated funding and spare parts inventory.

Originality/value

This research provides an in-depth evaluation of the USAF’s supply chain to assess the holistic risk of product support outsourcing and its long-term impacts on viability by using resource-based view and contingency theory as theoretical underpinnings. In addition, insights and implications for defense supply chain managers and decision-makers.
Sleep quality among type 2 diabetes mellitus patients in a private hospital setting in Yangon, Myanmar
Authors: Htut Hnin Nandar , Howteerakul Nopporn , Suwannapong Nawarat , Rawdaree Petch
Published: May 2020

Purpose

This study aimed to assess the sleep quality and its associated factors among patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) in a private hospital in Yangon, Myanmar.

Design/methodology/approach

A cross-sectional study was conducted. A total of 289 T2DM patients were interviewed using a structured questionnaire. An English version of the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) was translated into Myanmar and used for assessing sleep quality.

Findings

Approximately 48.4% of T2DM patients had poor sleep quality (PSQI score > 5). The mean ± SD of the PSQI global score was 5.97 ± 3.45. About 36.0% of participants reported the presence of diabetes complications, and 14.9% used sleep medication. About 27.7% had depression and 8.3% had poor family relationships. Multiple logistic regression analysis revealed that the presence of complications (AOR = 1.86; 95%CI; 1.04–3.35), poor family relationships (AOR = 5.09; 95%CI; 1.55–16.68) and depression (AOR = 7.52; 95%CI; 3.83–14.76) were significantly associated with poor sleep quality.

Originality/value

The prevalence of poor sleep quality is rather high among T2DM patients. Healthcare personnel and hospital administrators should focus on the complication status, family relationships and depression status of T2DM patients by providing regular screening for sleep quality and depression and by providing a program of sleep health education and counselling at diabetic clinics
Smart remanufacturing: a review and research framework
Authors: Kerin Mairi , Pham Duc Truong
Published: May 2020

Purpose

To review the state-of-the-art in smart remanufacturing, highlighting key elements of an Industry 4.0 (I4.0) future that supports circular economy (CE) principles and offer a conceptual framework and research agenda to accelerate digitalisation in this sector.

Design/methodology/approach

The Scopus, Web of Science and ScienceDirect databases and search terms “Industry 4.0”, “Internet of things”, “Smart manufacturing” and “Remanufacturing” were used to identify and select publications that had evidence of a relationship between those keywords. The 329 selected papers were reviewed with respect to the triple bottom line (economic, social and environmental). The study benefited from advanced text quantitative processing using NVivo software and a complete manual qualitative assessment.

Findings

Changes in product ownership models will affect the remanufacturing industry, with the growth of product-service-systems seen as an opportunity to re-circulate resources and create value. This is being supported by changes in society, user expectations and workforce attributes. Key to the success of remanufacturing in an I4.0 future is the uptake of existing and emerging digital technologies to shorten and strengthen links between product manufacturers, users and remanufacturers.

Originality/value

Remanufacturing is recognised as a key CE strategy, which in turn is an important research area for development in our society. This article is the first to study “smart remanufacturing” for the CE. Its uniqueness lies in its focus on the remanufacturing industry and the sustainable application of I4.0 enablers. The findings are used to create a framework that links to the research agenda needed to realise smart remanufacturing.
Are Islamic stocks subject to oil price risk exposure?
Authors: Tusiime Ivan Mugarura , Wang Man
Published: May 2020

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine whether oil price risk is a significant determinant of stock returns.

Design/methodology/approach

Using monthly data on a sample of Islamic stocks listed on the New York Stock Exchanges and National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotations System (NASDAQ) over the period from January 1990 to December 2017, the study examines whether oil price risk is a significant determinant of stock returns using Fama–French–Carhart’s four-factor asset pricing model amplified with Brent oil price factor.

Findings

The results from the cross-sectional regression analysis indicate that the extent of the exposure is significantly positive using a full sample period. Moreover, results from size and momentum factors are highly significant whereas book-to-market has no significant impact on Islamic stock returns.

Research limitations/implications

The results support the concept for diversification in equity investment and are thus important for investors, analysts and policymakers.

Originality/value

This study is the first of its kind to establish whether oil price risk is a factor that can determine returns of Islamic listed stocks using the most developed stock market in the world (New York Stock Exchanges and NASDAQ).
Justification of green manufacturing implementation parameters using fuzzy-based simulation model
Authors: Singh Mahakdeep , Singh Kanwarpreet , Sethi Amanpreet Singh
Published: May 2020

Purpose

This paper aims to evaluate the contribution of significant factors in the success of green manufacturing (GM) implementation in Indian small and medium-scale manufacturing organizations (SMEs).

Design/methodology/approach

In this paper, the fuzzy inference system (FIS; fuzzy logic toolbox) is deployed to assess the implementation of GM. For this purpose, significant factors for GM implementation success parameters are identified from relevant literature and validated by industry experts.

Findings

The output of FIS in MATLAB has given insight that adoption of new technology, customer’s attributes, social and government pressure and green supply chain management can be named as significant predicted variables for the success of GM implementation in Indian small and medium-scale organizations.

Research limitations/implications

The current research is carried out in Indian small and medium-scale manufacturing organizations with inputs from all over India but this study would not be applicable to the organizations of different sectors such as servicing sector and would also not applicable to the large-scale industries and other geographical locations other than India.

Originality/value

The present research work establishes that GM initiatives have contributed in the business performance of Indian small and medium-scale manufacturing industry. So, the study stresses upon the need for improving coordination between various manufacturing parameters as well as competitive dimensions of GM paradigms to enjoy higher potential of business performance.
Back to the future: challenges of European tourism of tomorrow
Authors: Ferrer-Roca Natàlia , Weston Richard , Guia Jaume , Mihalic Tanja , Blasco Dani , Prats Lluís , Lawler Mary , Jarratt David
Published: May 2020

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to identify and describe the most recent (or emerging) trends likely to have a major impact in shaping the future of tourism in Europe.

Design/methodology/approach

The methodology of this paper involved in-depth literature review of European Union policies, initiatives and programs. Also, semi-structured interviews were conducted with key individuals/organisations, mainly at a European level, but also including pertinent global and national tourism organisations. Moreover, an online survey was also conducted and circulated to a wide range of organisations from all 28 EU Member States. Nvivo was used to analyse the documents as well as to conduct a content and thematic analysis of the interviews.

Findings

This paper identifies five trends associated with the future of tourism in Europe. Those main trends are: evolving visitor demand; marketing; stakeholders and tourism governance; new technologies; and sustainable and responsible tourism.

Originality/value

This trends paper provides five useful recommendations for the future of tourism in Europe, including: sustainable tourism development, investment in technology, effective tourism governance, enhance Europe's overall destination brand and marketing strategy, and the need for new skills and training.
Analytic framework for interdisciplinary collaboration in inclusive education
Authors: Gerdes Jantien , Goei Sui Lin , Huizinga Mariëtte , de Ruyter Doret
Published: May 2020

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to develop an analytic framework for studying interdisciplinary learning in collaboration between schools and child support services. The analytic framework connects the concept of boundary crossing with the social–psychological processes of trust and identity formation.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper is written from a theoretical point of view. Empirical research data from two schools are used to illustrate the use and merit of the proposed framework.

Findings

The framework proved to be useful for identifying the level of co-work in the two schools. In addition, the framework helped to shed light on how the support for trust and identity formation by the school management aids interdisciplinary learning.

Research limitations/implications

The most essential feature of the suggested framework is its use of complex theoretical concepts. Examining each concept in detail would ignore the interconnected nature of concepts in the framework, as well as the fact that it is not yet known how this interconnectedness works. Therefore, the framework is based on a generalised use of the concepts.

Practical implications

The contribution of the framework for practice lies in its potential to shed light on how processes in interdisciplinary collaboration can be shaped. The framework can be used to inform contextual interventions that seek to optimize collaborative structures.

Originality/value

The paper contributes to understanding the complex processes that constitute interdisciplinary learning in collaboration.
A geoeconomic and geopolitical review of Gwadar Port on belt and road initiative
Authors: Gholizadeh Ali , Madani Seyedashkan , Saneinia Saba
Published: May 2020

Purpose

By combining geopolitical and economic factors and from a geoeconomic perspective, the importance of Gwadar to China and Pakistan is discussed in detail. By applying geoeconomic approach and based on the historical approach, geographical and geopolitical conditions and international development trends of Gwadar port, the authors develop the analytical framework to analyze the Gwadar port and studied its importance in the development of China and Pakistan, as well as the positive influence on the economic growth of both countries.

Design/methodology/approach

A geoeconomic study is done to run a more profound and more comprehensive analysis of China–Pakistan economic relationship, as geoeconomic includes interrelations of geographical, geopolitical and economic factors in international relations.

Findings

The results show that Gwadar Port's development could enhance the economic security of both China and Pakistan. With the opening of Gwadar Port, oil and energy in the Middle East will be imported directly to China through Pakistan's oil pipeline. This is not only oil but also goods from Central Asia, and even Europe and the USA will land from Gwadar Port and enter China through the China–Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). The development of Gwadar port under the CPEC program could also dramatically increase the capacity of Pakistan's maritime trade while reducing its dependence on the current largest port, Karachi, near the India border.

Originality/value

Geo-economics theory is used to run a more profound and more comprehensive analysis of China–Pakistan economic relationship as geoeconomic includes interrelations of geographical, location, geopolitical and economic factors in international relations. By combining geopolitical and economic factors and from a geoeconomic perspective, this study seeks to analyze the Gwadar port development and its implications for both China and Pakistan.
Appraisal of government funding schemes on the development of small and medium enterprises in Nigeria: a study of Enugu state
Authors: Ugwu-oju Obiageri Monica , Onodugo A. Vincent , Mbah Chigozie Paulinus
Published: May 2020

Purpose

This paper aims to examine the effectiveness of government funding schemes for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in Nigeria.

Design/methodology/approach

The survey method of inquiry was adopted, wherein a structured questionnaire was used to generate data. Using Guilford and Flruchter (1973) formula, a sample size of 276 was derived from a population of 890 registered SMEs. Data analysis was conducted using SPSS version 20.0 tools.

Findings

The results of the analysis reveal that a significant number of SMEs were aware of government funding schemes, but insignificant number succeeded in accessing the funds. It further reveals that the nature and conditionality of the funds and management capacity of SMEs were major hindrances to the effectiveness of the funding schemes.

Originality/value

The inquiry is completely original and has the potency of influencing policy formulation and implementation in the area of industrial funding.
Increased allocation to reproduction reduces future competitive ability in a burying beetle
Authors: Richardson Jon , Stephens Josh , Smiseth Per T.
Published: May 2020

The existence of a trade‐off between current and future reproduction is a fundamental prediction of life history theory. Support for this prediction comes from brood size manipulations, showing that caring for enlarged broods often reduces the parent's future survival or fecundity. However, in many species, individuals must invest in competing for the resources required for future reproduction. Thus, a neglected aspect of this trade‐off is that increased allocation to current reproduction may reduce an individual's future competitive ability.

We tested this prediction in the burying beetle, Nicrophorus vespilloides, a species where parents care for their offspring and where there is fierce competition for resources used for breeding.

We manipulated reproductive effort by providing females with either a small brood of 10 larvae or a large brood of 40 larvae and compared the ability of these females, and virgin females that had no prior access to a carcass, to compete for a second carcass against a virgin competitor.

We found that increased allocation to current reproduction reduced future competitive ability, as females that had cared for a small brood were more successful when competing for a second carcass against a virgin competitor than females that had cared for a large brood. In addition, the costs of reproduction were offset by the benefits of feeding from the carcass during an initial breeding attempt, as females that had cared for a small brood were better competitors than virgin females that had no prior access to a carcass, whilst females that had cared for a large brood were similar in competitive ability to virgin females.

Our results add to our understanding of the trade‐off between current and future reproduction by showing that this trade‐off can manifest through differences in future competitive ability and that direct benefits of reproduction can offset some of these costs.
Decidual stromal cells maintain decidual macrophage homeostasis by secreting IL‐24 in early pregnancy
Authors: Yang Hui‐Li , Wang Cheng‐Jie , Lai Zhen‐Zhen , Yang Shao‐Liang , Zheng Zi‐Meng , Shi Jia‐Wei , Li Ming‐Qing , Shao Jun
Published: May 2020

Problem

The state of self‐renewal and self‐maintain of decidual macrophages would be important for immune homeostasis at the maternal‐fetal interface. The roles of interleukin (IL)‐24 derived from decidual stromal cells (DSCs) on decidual macrophages have not been explored.

Method of study

IL‐24 expression in DSCs was interfered by lentivirus, and the transcription levels of IL‐24 in DSCs were verified by real time (RT)‐PCR. The levels of IL‐24 receptors were determined by flow cytometry assays. The effect of recombination human IL‐24 (rhIL‐24) on the differentiation and apoptosis of macrophages was analyzed by flow cytometry in vitro. The viability of macrophages was detected by Cell Counting Kit‐8 assays.

Results

The growth of DSCs was not affected obviously only by IL‐24 knockdown while the growth of knockdown DSCs was inhibited significantly after co‐cultured with decidual macrophages. The levels of IL‐24 receptors (IL‐20R1 and IL‐22R1) were moderately to highly expressed on decidual macrophages and human macrophage cell line U937. The differentiation of decidual macrophages treated by rhIL‐24 or co‐cultured with IL‐24 knockdown DSCs was not affected. Both apoptosis and viability of U937 cells were promoted by rhIL‐24. The ratio of Bcl‐2/Bax was down‐regulated and Ki‐67 was up‐regulated by IL‐24 treatment. The expression of Bcl‐2/Bax was up‐regulated while Ki‐67 was down‐regulated in U937 cells after co‐cultured by IL‐24 knockdown DSCs.

Conclusion

IL‐24 secreted by DSCs promotes the renewal and homeostasis of decidual macrophages possibly via down‐regulating the ratio of Bcl‐2/Bax and up‐regulating of the expression of Ki‐67 in early pregnancy.
Introduction and validation of a surgical ward round checklist to improve surgical ward round performance in a tertiary vascular service
Authors: Tranter‐Entwistle Isaac , Best Katherine , Ianev Ross , Beresford Timothy , McCombie Andrew , Laws Peter
Published: May 2020

Background

Surgeons administer care in an increasingly complex clinical environment. Time constraints put strain on individual clinicians and the multidisciplinary team, increasing the risk of human errors. The World Health Organization surgical checklist has shown to mitigate this risk perioperatively. We describe the development, introduction and outcomes of a novel ward round safety checklist.

Methods

The vascular team ward rounds at Christchurch Hospital were assessed over a 2‐week period for ward round quality indicators. A ward round safety checklist was developed and then introduced. Two further assessments were conducted to evaluate for improvement in the ward round quality indicators. Ward rounds were timed with the length of each consultation recorded and staff perception assessed.

Results

Significant gains across both clinical indicators and staff feedback measures were observed. Of the 21 ward round quality indicators, 20 showed statistically significant improvement, as did all subjective measures. Significant improvements included observation chart review (20% to 75% to 81%), drug chart review (10% to 54% to 78.6%) and anticoagulation/antiplatelet treatment (32% to 61% to 58.1%) (P < 0.05). Mean consultation time per patient did not increase (3 min 58 s to 3 min 48 s and 4 min 30 s) (P = 0.857 and P = 0.119).

Conclusion

This study provides evidence that introducing a structured ward round safety checklist improved ward round quality, without adversely affecting consultation time. The familiar checklist structure promotes its acceptance and team cohesion. Whether the improvements observed translate to improved patient outcomes and reduced adverse events reporting is the subject of ongoing study.
Visual function and quality of life in children and adolescents with anophthalmia and microphthalmia treated with ocular prosthesis
Authors: Casslén Beatrice , Jugård Ylva , Taha Najim Rezhna , Odersjö Marie , Topa Alexandra , Andersson Grönlund Marita
Published: May 2020

Purpose

To evaluate health‐related quality of life (HR‐QoL), vision‐related (VR‐)QoL and perceptual visual dysfunction (PVD) among individuals with anophthalmia (A) and microphthalmia (M) treated with ocular prosthesis.

Methods

The study comprised 15 individuals (mean age 6.6 years; range 1.7–14.1) with unilateral A or M. Three validated instruments measuring HR‐QoL and VR‐QoL were used: The Pediatric QoL Inventory (PedsQL), consisting of physical and psychosocial self‐report and parent‐proxy report (2–18 years); Children’s Visual Function Questionnaire (CVFQ); and Effects of Youngsters’ Eyesight on Quality of Life (EYE‐Q). Perceptual visual dysfunctions (PVDs) were assessed by history taking according to a specific protocol.

Results

A/M children and their parents showed low HR‐QoL scores (PedsQL total score: 66.3; 69.6) compared with controls (83.0; 87.61) (p = 0.0035 and <0.0001, respectively, unpaired t‐test). No differences were found between A/M children and parents, but parents tended to underestimate their children’s emotional state. A/M children with subnormal visual acuity (VA) for age scored lower in physical health compared with A/M children with normal VA (p = 0.03, Mann–Whitney U‐test). No significant VR‐QoL differences between A/M children and references or between A/M children with subnormal or normal VA for age were found. More A/M children than controls exhibited PVDs in ≥1 area (7/11 versus 4/118; p < 0.0001, Fisher’s exact test).

Conclusion

A/M individuals show poor HR‐QoL and increased PVDs. No difference in QoL was found between children and parents, though the children tended to score lower in emotional well‐being. A/M children with subnormal VA showed lower physical health score. These problems indicate the necessity of a thorough multidisciplinary assessment and follow‐up of children with A/M.