bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Enchanting things: the scientific communication of Julius Sumner Miller
Authors: Harmes Marcus
Published: July 2024

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to study the popular educational broadcasting of Julius Sumner Miller and its intersections with contemporary science policy and education.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper draws on archival research including resources so far unused by historians of science or of broadcasting and audio-visual resources of Sumner Miller’s broadcasts on Australian, Canadian and American television. It begins by contextualising Sumner Miller as both an academic and broadcaster. The second section interprets the core points of his educational philosophy which he articulated in his written and broadcast works. The final section uses his private papers contextualised by works on the history and philosophy of science to interpret and delineate the disparity between Sumner Miller’s influence as a populariser of science and the prevailing trends in scientific policy and teaching.

Findings

This paper proposes that reconstructing the themes and recurring points he asserted in his broadcasts reveals disjunction between Sumner Miller’s high-profile successes and the contemporary trends in both science policy and science education. This paper interprets the circumstance of an internationally known and influential science populariser who was coterminous with but against the grain of the notion of “big science”. He therefore sought to popularise science precisely as it was developing in ways he disparaged.

Research limitations/implications

This paper breaks new ground by interpreting the different sources, audio-visual and written, created by and about an influential television broadcaster.

Originality/value

Although he was widely and internationally known, and the range of his influence on science communication is generally noted, Sumner Miller’s broadcasting and the themes and educational philosophy espoused in it is little researched and contextualised. This paper sharpens understanding of his influence but also his points of intersection and disjunction with scientific culture. Hitherto unused archival resources contribute to this understanding.
Patent uncertainty and survival: a longitudinal study of a Chinese knowledge-based international new venture
Authors: Li Qinghai , Ji Junzhe , Huang Jilei , Prange Christiane , Yang Deli
Published: July 2024

Purpose

Unlike well-documented market or behavioral uncertainty, patent uncertainty has been significantly under-explored in the field of international entrepreneurship. Drawing on an institution-based view of strategy, this study investigated Netac, a Chinese knowledge-based international new venture (KINV), which was facing uncertainty over patents in China and the US. The aim was to address two questions: (1) how does patent uncertainty emerge in the context of KINVs? And (2) how can KINVs navigate patent hazards by interacting with national patent institutions?

Design/methodology/approach

A longitudinal single-case study approach was adopted as the most appropriate method for exploring novel business phenomena and dynamic processes.

Findings

Results suggested that a KINV can adopt strategies to build a unique identity and so better conform to the expectations of institutions that ultimately decide on patent validity. Strategies may involve building institutional awareness, amplifying mass media effects, and strategically managing the intellectual property and socio-emotional tensions between China and the US.

Originality/value

This study introduced the notion of patent uncertainty into research around international new ventures, highlighting how this type of uncertainty in the advanced technology sector can affect the end-product and patent licensing opportunities of KINVs. It also explored the institution-based view of company strategy in the internationalization process by emphasizing interactive institutional mechanisms, and the role of an organization’s identity when interacting with institutions. The study enriches the literature on institutional theory and organizational identity, and also suggests solutions for firms dealing with efforts by competitors to invalidate patents.
Service innovations, value-driven business model, and institute growth: insights from a higher-education institute
Authors: Kompella Lakshminarayana
Published: July 2024

Purpose

External pressures, like the pandemic, influence industry and academia. ICT can assist in creating service innovations and better responses to external pressures. When higher education institutes combine service innovations with an appropriate business model, they can better understand educational transformations and marketing and aim for productivity, effectiveness, and sustainability. This paper aims to provide insights into transformations by organizing innovations and business models and creating a positive influence.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper uses a case study method to examine the educational transformation in its settings. The method followed is direct non-participant observation, and the selected case is a marginalized business school of an Indian public institution. Combining observation and case study provides deeper insights into individuals/groups in a social context. The direct non-participant allows the researcher to get closer to the field of research while retaining the position of an outsider.

Findings

This paper defines service innovations with four conceptualizations – ICT, socio-techno-organization, demand, and orchestration. The findings provide insights into business models and educational marketing, with three suggestions for sustainability and economic growth. The suggestions are (1) operationalization based on incremental, iterative, and spiral expansion for the first two, (2) orchestrating educational marketing and value elements for a value-driven business model, and (3) social reengineering based on human values and leadership commitment.

Research limitations/implications

It uses a single marginalized negative case study and is not bereft of limitations. Selecting positive cases representing geographically dispersed units, hybrid lectures, and diverse participants provides further insights into the operationalization of ICT and socio-techno-organizational aspects.

Practical implications

As educational institutions decide the appropriate strategy for their institution, the findings provide practitioners with insights to create value, expansion, growth, and insights into educational marketing.

Originality/value

The three steps in findings and their contribution to economic growth and sustainability enhance the body of knowledge – transformations in educational institutions. It provides insights into business models and educational marketing.
Is human resources management sustainable enough? Evidence from the food industry
Authors: Ferreira João J. , Dias Claudia , Veiga Pedro Mota , Zhang Justin Zuopeng
Published: July 2024

Purpose

Based on the Natural resource-based view (NRBV), this study aims to analyze the association between the Sustainable Development Goals related to Gender Equality, Decent Work, Innovation, and Climatic Action in the Food Industry.

Design/methodology/approach

A quantitative study is adopted based on the 2019 World Bank Enterprise Survey microdata. The database includes 1,242 food enterprises from 16 European Union countries. We applied logistic regression with cluster robust standard errors.

Findings

Despite global efforts to promote decent work and gender equity, the anticipated results have not yet been achieved, suggesting varying performance in different contexts. Food firms, characterized by significant environmental impacts and seasonal tasks, employ diverse Human Resource Management (HRM) strategies based on whether they pursue innovation or environmental objectives. Grounded in the NRBV, our findings underscore the importance of investing in qualified workers and offering attractive wages to meet environmental goals, as well as providing stable contracts for female workers. The NRBV framework also highlights the crucial role of product and process innovations, whether green or not, in achieving climate action objectives.

Practical implications

European policies must be adapted to the human resources characteristics in the food industry, providing specific training on environmental and innovation issues and contributing to more work stability and gender equality.

Originality/value

Our study applies the NRBV to analyze how human resources and product/process innovations can boost environmental preservation in an industry characterized by strong environmental impacts, seasonal tasks, and financial constraints.
An analysis of measures to combat the risk of economic crime associated with post-disaster funding in South Africa
Authors: Du Toit Nina , Steenkamp Philip , Groenewald Andre
Published: July 2024

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to analyse the measures that could be taken to combat the risk of economic crime in the aftermath of South African disasters.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper used secondary sources including, but not limited to, institutional reports, newspaper articles and peer-reviewed academic journal articles.

Findings

The COVID-19 pandemic was used as an example in this paper to discuss the susceptibility of post-disaster funding to the risk of economic crime and to assess how the South African government attempted to combat this risk during the pandemic. The Auditor-General of South Africa (AGSA) conducted a real-time audit of the government’s essential COVID-19 initiatives in collaboration with the newly established Fusion Centre. Through their collaborative efforts, they successfully identified mismanaged funds, facilitated the recovery thereof and prosecuted individuals and entities involved. This paper found that to proactively combat economic crime in future post-disaster events, the collaborative use of the AGSA and the Fusion Centre, in conjunction with existing bodies established under the Disaster Management Act, should be considered.

Originality/value

This paper contributes to the body of knowledge in disaster risk management and forensic accountancy. As the frequency of disasters is expected to increase in the future, so will the economic crime risk associated with post-disaster funding. This paper demonstrates that post-disaster funding is especially susceptible to the risk of economic crime and it is therefore important to research methods to combat this problem and prevent further losses.
Examining the critical success factors of productive entrepreneurship: an ISM-MICMAC approach
Authors: Sahu Chinmaya Kumar , Panda Rajeev Kumar
Published: July 2024

Purpose

The concept of productive entrepreneurship has been recognised as a strategic approach to address the various challenges economies face, such as high unemployment, low economic growth and limited diversification. However, studies on the productive entrepreneurship’s critical success factors (CSFs) are rare and fragmented. Hence, this paper aims to identify the CSFs of productive entrepreneurship and determine their relationship among to offer a meaningful framework for enhancing the result of entrepreneurial activities in the emerging economy.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors conducted an extensive literature review and consulted experts to identify 14 CSFs for productive entrepreneurship. The technique of interpretive structural modelling (ISM) was used to determine the relationships and interconnectedness between these factors. In addition, this study used matrix of cross-impacts applied to a classification (MICMAC) analysis to determine the significance of CSFs in relation to the productive entrepreneurship.

Findings

The results indicate that the regulatory environment, incubators and accelerators and mentorship were the most influential factors for productive entrepreneurship in the Indian context. In contrast, social mobility and resilience were found to be the least influential factor.

Research limitations/implications

The study's findings can enable researchers, policymakers and entrepreneurs to make informed decisions and develop effective strategies to enhance the productive entrepreneurship.

Originality/value

The unique approach of research (ISM and MICMAC analysis) expands the frameworks of the entrepreneurship ecosystem with a comprehensive and dynamic emergent investigation into the foundation of productive entrepreneurship.
Performance evaluation of bank branches in the atmosphere of grey uncertainty
Authors: Karimi Tooraj , Ahmadian Mohamad , Shahbazi Meisam
Published: July 2024

Purpose

As some data to evaluate the efficiency of bank branches is qualitative or uncertain, only grey numbers should be used to calculate the efficiency interval. The combination of multi-stage models and grey data can lead to a more accurate and realistic evaluation to assess the performance of bank branches. This study aims to compute the efficiency of each branch of the bank as a grey number and to group all branches into four grey efficiency areas.

Design/methodology/approach

The key performance indicators are identified based on the balanced scorecard and previous research studies. They are included in the two-stage grey data envelopment analysis (DEA) model. The model is run using the GAMS program. The grey efficiencies are calculated and bank branches have been grouped based on efficiency kernel number and efficiency greyness degree.

Findings

As policies and management approaches for branches with less uncertainty in efficiency are different from branches with more uncertainty, considering the uncertainty of efficiency values of branches may be helpful for the policy-making of managers. The grey efficiency of branches of one bank is examined in this study using the two-stage grey DEA throughout one year. The branches are grouped based on kernel and greyness value of efficiency, and the findings show that considering the uncertainty of data makes the results more consistent with the real situation.

Originality/value

The performance of bank branches is modeled as a two-stage grey DEA, in which the efficiency value of each branch is obtained as a grey number. The main originality of this paper is to group the bank branches based on two grey indexes named “kernel number” and “greyness degree” of grey efficiency value.
Unpacking a global spatial brand: brand management practices in the UNESCO City of Gastronomy Network
Authors: Rinaldi Chiara , Giovanardi Massimo , Lucarelli Andrea , Skoglund Wilhelm , Sjölander Lindqvist Annelie
Published: July 2024

Purpose

This study investigates the UNESCO Creative City of Gastronomy Network as a global spatial brand and explores the tensions that emerge when this global brand is appropriated locally.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper is based on case study research that uses critical discourse analysis to identify the implications of a transferable learning capacity.

Findings

This paper identifies three different types of tensions in place brand management that emerge during the local appropriation of global brands: tensions inherent in multi-scalarity, tensions associated with integrating governance and strategy-related tensions.

Originality/value

This study advances the theoretical understanding of the spatial complexity inherent in place brand management practices by focusing on the UNESCO Creative City of Gastronomy Network as a global brand in a Scandinavian context.
Renewable energy options for seaport cargo terminals with application to mega port Singapore
Authors: Yap Wei Yim , Notteboom Theo
Published: July 2024

Purpose

This paper reviews and analyses renewable energy options, namely underground thermal, solar, wind and marine wave energy, in seaport cargo terminal operations.

Design/methodology/approach

Four renewable energy options that are deployed or tested in different ports around the world are qualitatively examined for their overall implementation potential and characteristics and their cost and benefits. An application to the port of Singapore is discussed.

Findings

Geophysical conditions are key criteria in assessing renewable energy options. In the case of Singapore, solar power is the only suitable renewable energy option.

Research limitations/implications

Being a capital-intensive establishment with high intensities of cargo operations, seaports usually involve a high level of energy consumption. The study of renewable energy options contributes to seaport sustainability.

Practical implications

A key recommendation is to implement a smart energy management system that enables the mixed use of renewable energy to match energy demand and supply optimally and achieve higher energy efficiency.

Originality/value

The use of renewable energy as an eco-friendlier energy source is underway in various ports. However, there is almost no literature that analyses and compares various renewable energy options potentially suitable for cargo terminal operations in ports. This paper narrows the knowledge gaps.
Evaluating the impact of employability skill training on the self-efficacy of disadvantaged adults
Authors: Mojtahedi Dara , Allen Rosie , Jess Ellie , Ioannou Maria , Synnott John
Published: July 2024

Purpose

Employability skills training programmes are an effective means for reducing unemployment rates. Such programmes also have the potential to improve the general well-being (e.g. self-efficacy) of disadvantaged individuals, however, reliable longitudinal evaluations of the psychological benefits of such programmes are limited. The present study evaluated the impact of an employability programme offered to disadvantaged adults in North-West England on self-efficacy. Additionally, the study aimed to identify risk factors for programme disengagement to identify at-risk groups that require further support.

Design/methodology/approach

Secondary longitudinal data pertaining to the background characteristics, programme engagement and self-efficacy scores (repeatedly measured on a monthly basis) of 308 programme users were analysed.

Findings

Results demonstrated that employability programme engagement significantly increased self-efficacy scores. Additionally, the findings suggested that individuals with mental health and learning difficulties were more likely to disengage from the programme. The findings demonstrate that employability programmes can have a positive impact on the well-being of individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds, however, prolonged engagement is needed for which some individuals require further support with.

Originality/value

The present study analysed longitudinal data from a diverse sample of disadvantaged individuals to reliably evaluate psychological outcomes from employability training programmes.
What factors affect teacher professional learning: a qualitative meta-analysis based on the Onion model
Authors: Li Hanqiang
Published: July 2024

Purpose

Current academic research on teacher learning is increasing in number and deepening in quality, but at the same time, the heterogeneity is growing significantly. Similar work is challenging to cross-check regarding conclusions due to the different research foci. This paper aims to provide a reliable theoretical framework and offers solid insights based on the existing research.

Design/methodology/approach

Based on the Onion model, 67 core literature in English and Chinese were coded through qualitative meta-analysis methods to explore environmental, behavioral, competence, belief, identity, mission and other factors that may impact teacher learning.

Findings

It was found that the quantitative structure of the current relevant studies was in an inverted triangular shape with three levels of steps, respectively, which can be summarized as structural environment, core behaviors and dominant mission. The heterogeneity between the findings mainly originated from two situations, oppositional and complementary and some structural adjustments were made to the Onion model according to the coding results to better represent the interaction of influences between the levels. It also analyzes current research trends and the centrality of learned behaviors based on the coding results.

Social implications

The design of teacher learning activities should combine theoretical, practical and inquiry learning to ensure that teachers are kept fresh and motivated by sustained and varied stimuli.

Originality/value

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is the first to analyze teacher learning influences through qualitative meta-analysis and create node saturation to analyze the results, resulting in highly credible and valuable research findings.
An exploratory analysis of Early Adopters in education innovations
Authors: Basileo Lindsey Devers , Lyons Merewyn Elizabeth
Published: July 2024

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to gain a better understanding of the conditions and motivations that influence teachers to adopt innovations.

Design/methodology/approach

Using Diffusion of Innovation theory (Rogers, 2003) and Self-Determination theory (Ryan and Deci, 2017), data from two surveys (n = 568; n = 108) and qualitative follow-up interviews of Early Adopter teachers (n = 16) were triangulated to discern relationships among their identification as Early Adopters, satisfaction of their basic psychological needs (BPN) and their implementation of an educational innovation.

Findings

Early Adopters had a positive and statistically significant relationship with the implementation of the innovation. Satisfaction of teachers’ BPN had the largest impact on innovation.

Research limitations/implications

The findings are preliminary and based on a small sample size of teachers. Reliability of the measure of BPN was not as high as the standard, but it did have the largest impact on implementation. Additional studies should explore the connections among Early Adopter teacher motivation, leadership and the satisfaction of their BPN.

Practical implications

School leaders should leverage the influence of Early Adopters to support innovation, and they should provide additional time, training and resources to supports teachers’ BPN.

Originality/value

This study examines how to identify and support Early Adopter teachers as enablers of change within schools. We know of no other studies that have used both Diffusion of Innovation theory and Self-Determination theory to understand the motivations of Early Adopter teachers.
Exploring association model across banks and fintechs in India
Authors: Roy Deepankar , Pramanik Himadri Sikhar , Bandyopadhyay Chayan , Datta Sayantan , Kirtania Manish
Published: July 2024

Purpose

Bank–fintech associations are significant globally, establishing purposeful eco-systems towards extending and complementing capabilities, reach and customer experiences. This paper aims to explore 39 leading fintechs in India catering across payments, lending, wealth management, regulation, neo-banks and other banking functions. Alongside fintechs, the research studies 19 leading banks (public and private) to understand the nature of bank–fintech associations in the Indian context.

Design/methodology/approach

The research focuses on narratives from leading banks and top fintechs in India, captured from public disclosures and leadership interviews. The study leverages qualitative research techniques, including grounded theory approaches of inductive analysis, to codify interview and narrative observations to discover relevant objectives, scenarios, challenges and outcomes in India-centric bank–fintech associations.

Findings

Bank–fintech associations in India are increasingly focusing on financial services portfolio diversification and improvement in customer experience. Simultaneously, both banks and fintechs, differentiate with innovations and extend offerings to target underserved customer segments. The associations are beneficial for both banks and fintechs in transforming offerings and improving efficiency, scale across channels. Through codification of observations, review of existing literature and evaluation of best practices, alongside subject matter expertise, the study evolves a generalized “Association Model”. The model can steer meaningful bank–fintech associations in India and globally. The association model relates to observables like objectives, enablers of bank–fintech associations, challenges and association-driven value outcomes. Built from study of practices, the proposed model is relevant for strategic orientation in bank–fintech associations.

Originality/value

The findings reveal practices in bank–fintech associations in India with significant learning opportunity for organizational leaders globally. Understanding the nature of association is relevant for strategic interventions, particularly in scenarios of inter-organization collaborations. Central banks, policymakers, governments, investors, banks and fintechs can use the derived association model to establish, govern and steer purposeful value-driven associations.
An MS-TCN based spatiotemporal model with three-axis tactile for enhancing flexible printed circuit assembly
Authors: Kang Zengxin , Cui Jing , Wang Yijie , Hu Zhikai , Chu Zhongyi
Published: July 2024

Purpose

Current flexible printed circuit (FPC) assembly relies heavily on manual labor, limiting capacity and increasing costs. Small FPC size makes automation challenging as terminals can be visually occluded. The purpose of this study is to use 3D tactile sensing to mimic human manual mating skills for enabling sensing offset between FPC terminals (FPC-t) and FPC mating slots (FPC-s) under visual occlusion.

Design/methodology/approach

The proposed model has three stages: spatial encoding, offset estimation and action strategy. The spatial encoder maps sparse 3D tactile data into a compact 1D feature capturing valid spatial assembly information to enable temporal processing. To compensate for low sensor resolution, consecutive spatial features are input to a multistage temporal convolutional network which estimates alignment offsets. The robot then performs alignment or mating actions based on the estimated offsets.

Findings

Experiments are conducted on a Redmi Note 4 smartphone assembly platform. Compared to other models, the proposed approach achieves superior offset estimation. Within limited trials, it successfully assembles FPCs under visual occlusion using three-axis tactile sensing.

Originality/value

A spatial encoder is designed to encode three-axis tactile data into feature maps, overcoming multistage temporal convolution network’s (MS-TCN) inability to directly process such input. Modifying the output to estimate assembly offsets with related motion semantics overcame MS-TCN’s segmentation points output, unable to meet assembly monitoring needs. Training and testing the improved MS-TCN on an FPC data set demonstrated accurate monitoring of the full process. An assembly platform verified performance on automated FPC assembly.
Design principles for MOOC platforms: a public sector perspective
Authors: Koddebusch Michael , Halsbenning Sebastian , Becker Jörg
Published: July 2024

Purpose

One impediment of e-government implementation is the lack of e-(government) competences among public officials, especially because foundational education programs fail to teach them. Therefore, this study suggests massive open online course (MOOC)-based continuous education. This study aims to design and evaluate a MOOC and MOOC platform for acquiring e-competence in the public sector and principles for such platforms to capture their inherent design knowledge.

Design/methodology/approach

This study uses design science research incorporating qualitative and quantitative methods and draws on established patterns of formulating design principles (DPs).

Findings

The core results are a physically instantiated MOOC platform and six DPs: DP of 1) easy access and easy use, 2) professional exchange, 3) protected space, 4) domain focus, 5) cooperation with higher education institutions and 6) promotion from higher government level.

Research limitations/implications

This study contributes to e-government research by extending the design knowledge for the construction of domain-specific MOOC platforms. Moreover, the study contributes to platform economics by discussing existing theses and outlining new opportunities. The research also entails limitations, as the authors have solely considered MOOCs and neglected complimentary offers to sustain learning success.

Practical implications

This study provides practitioners with design principles they can use in their efforts to construct education platforms for the public sector. Moreover, the study presents a working MOOC platform instantiating these DPs, and thus provides an exemplary reference.

Social implications

Not fulfilling expectations regarding digital public services comes with a risk of decreasing trust in public organizations and the overall government. The results of this study contribute to enabling public officials fulfilling stakeholders’ expectations and generating public value.

Originality/value

By linking e-government competence education with MOOC platform design, this research approximates an important research gap. Scholars previously investigated e-competences and focused on alone-standing MOOCs to convey those. The results of this study offer the potential to construct platforms to centralize such fragmented solutions, maximizing their impact among public officials.
Are young adult consumers ready to be intelligent shoppers? The importance of perceived trust and the usefulness of AI-powered retail platforms in shaping purchase intention
Authors: ElSayad Ghada , Mamdouh Heba
Published: July 2024

Purpose

The advancement of artificial intelligence (AI) has brought intelligent online shopping experiences to customers. AI-powered retail platforms deliver personalized shopping experiences through tailored recommendations, promotions and assistance. Given the increasing preference for online shopping, it is crucial to explore methods to optimize the adoption of AI-powered retail platforms. To address this, this study aims to examine the impact of technology readiness motivators (optimism and innovativeness) and inhibitors (discomfort and insecurity) on perceived trust, perceived usefulness and purchase intention toward AI-powered retail platforms.

Design/methodology/approach

Data were collected from 276 customers in Egypt, primarily from the millennial and Gen Z demographic segments. The collected data were then analyzed using the statistical package for social sciences (SPSS) and partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM).

Findings

The findings revealed that optimism, innovativeness and discomfort significantly influence perceived trust, while optimism, insecurity and perceived trust significantly influence perceived usefulness. Both perceived trust and usefulness are significant predictors of purchase intention. Perceived trust mediates the effects of technology readiness motivators on perceived usefulness and purchase intention. Moreover, perceived usefulness mediates the effects of technology readiness motivators, insecurity and perceived trust on purchase intention.

Originality/value

To date, there are few investigations regarding the acceptance and adoption of AI-powered retail platforms in developing countries. Thus, this study offers valuable theoretical and practical implications in the context of smart retail technology adoption.
Discovery of a novel spotted fever group Rickettsia, “Candidatus Rickettsia kedanie,” in unfed larval chigger mites, Leptotrombidium scutellare
Authors: Ogawa Motohiko , Matsutani Minenosuke , Katayama Takashi , Takada Nobuhiro , Noda Shinichi , Takahashi Mamoru , Kageyama Daisuke , Hanaoka Nozomu , Ebihara Hideki
Published: July 2024

Spotted fever group (SFG) rickettsia, the causative agent of SFG rickettsiosis, is predominantly carried by ticks, whereas Orientia tsutusgamushi, the causative agent of scrub typhus, is primarily transmitted by chigger mites in Japan. In this study, we attempted to isolate intracellular eubacteria from Leptotrombidium scutellare, a major vector of O. tsutsugamushi; moreover, we isolated an SFG rickettsia using a mosquito‐derived cell line. Draft genome sequences of this unique isolate, by applying criteria for species delimitation, classified this isolate as a novel strain, proposed as “Rickettsia kedanie.” Further genetic analysis identified conserved virulence factors, and the isolate successfully propagated in mammalian cells, suggesting its ability to cause diseases in humans. The presence of SFG rickettsia in unfed larvae implies potential dual‐pathogen carriage and reflects a symbiotic relationship similar to that between the mites and O. tsutsugamushi, indicating possibility of its transovarial transmission from female adults. Furthermore, conserved genomic similarity of the novel isolate to known SFG rickettsia suggests potential multiple hosts, including chiggers and ticks. In the natural environment, ticks, chigger mites, and wild animals may carry new isolates, complicating the infection cycle and increasing the transmission risks to humans. This discovery challenges the conventional association of SFG rickettsia with ticks, emphasizing its implications for research and disease control. However, this study was confined to a particular species of chigger mites and geographic area, underscoring the necessity for additional studies to comprehend the ecological dynamics, host interactions, and health implications linked to this newly identified SFG rickettsia.
Permanently on standby: Practitioner perspectives on the complexities of crisis planning
Authors: Chaudhri Vidhi , Armbrust Nina , Nguyen Sergül
Published: July 2024

Although crisis planning (including both prevention and preparation) is well‐established as the 'alpha' of crisis management, businesses often find themselves caught off‐guard in the face of crises. What impedes business organizations from heeding scholarly advice to engage in crisis planning? Interviews with corporate communication professionals suggest that in a fast‐evolving digital landscape characterized by the ambiguity of what ‘qualifies’ as a crisis, the need for an organizational culture of preparedness and balancing structure with agility are the hallmarks of crisis planning. Even when interviewees acknowledge the importance of crisis planning, cultivating a culture of preparedness is contingent on an engaged leadership that recognizes and provides communication professionals a seat at the table, fosters internal coordination, and understands the importance of peacetime relationships with stakeholders. Our paper addresses the complexities and implications of crisis planning that is typically hidden from view.
Co‐working office spaces in Sydney: Spatiotemporal dynamics and industry patterns
Authors: Hsu Yi‐Ya , Han Hoon , Lee Jinwoo
Published: July 2024

Co‐working spaces have emerged as cost‐effective office space management solutions for workers from diverse industries who share space, which generates cost savings and facilitates networking opportunities. Past studies have mainly focused on needs for and benefits of co‐working spaces and range in emphasis from design preferences to potential social and economic impacts. However, limited attention has been given to the temporal clustering and geographical distribution patterns of co‐working spaces. This study examines the spatial distribution patterns of co‐working spaces establishments in terms of building floor plans. We discern the subcategory of ‘co‐working office space’ from the floor space and employment survey data, spanning 2007, 2012, and 2017 as collected by the City of Sydney, a municipal government in Australia. Both co‐working offices offered by conventional enterprises and co‐working providers are identified, and the spatial associations between co‐working spaces and their relationships with industry composition are analysed. Using establishment analysis, three co‐working spaces are identified: (1) dedicated co‐working enterprises providing office service and well‐design spaces; (2) conventional office rental enterprises diversifying into co‐working style office; and (3) standard enterprises converting fixed office spaces to co‐working office configurations. The spatial analysis reveals an outward diffusion of co‐working spaces from the centre of Sydney CBD, which is of importance in geographical research focused on urban, social, and economic change.
Evaluation of fish meal freshness using a metal‐oxide semiconductor electronic nose combined with the long short‐term memory feature extraction method
Authors: Li Pei , Li Zhaopeng , Hu Yangting , Niu Zhiyou , Wang Zhenhe , Zhou Hua , Sun Xia
Published: July 2024

To improve the classification and regression performance of the total volatile basic nitrogen (TVB‐N) and acid value (AV) of different freshness fish meal samples detected by a metal‐oxide semiconductor electronic nose (MOS e‐nose), 402 original features, 62 manually extracted features, manually extracted and selected features by the RFRFE method, and the features extracted by the long short‐term memory (LSTM) network were used as inputs to identify the freshness. The classification performance of the freshness grades and the estimation performance of the TVB‐N and AV values of fish meal with different freshness were compared. According to the sensor response curve, preprocessing and feature extraction steps were first applied to the original data. Then, five classification algorithms and four regression algorithms were used for modeling. The results showed that a total of 30 features were extracted using the LSTM network, and the number of extracted features was significantly reduced. In the classification, the highest accuracy rate of 95.4% was obtained using the support vector machine method. In the regression, the least squares support vector regression method obtained the best root mean square error (RMSE). The coefficient of determination (R2), RMSE, and relative standard deviation (RSD) between the predicted value of TVBN and the actual value were 0.963, 11.01, and 7.9%, respectively. The R2, RMSE, and RSD between the predicted value of AV and the actual value were 0.972, 0.170, and 6.05%, respectively. The LSTM feature extraction method provided a new method and reference for feature extraction using an E‐nose to identify other animal‐derived material samples.
Benchmarking long‐read sequencing strategies for obtaining ASV‐resolved rRNA operons from environmental microeukaryotes
Authors: Overgaard Christina Karmisholt , Jamy Mahwash , Radutoiu Simona , Burki Fabien , Dueholm Morten Kam Dahl
Published: July 2024

The use of short‐read metabarcoding for classifying microeukaryotes is challenged by the lack of comprehensive 18S rRNA reference databases. While recent advances in high‐throughput long‐read sequencing provide the potential to greatly increase the phylogenetic coverage of these databases, the performance of different sequencing technologies and subsequent bioinformatics processing remain to be evaluated, primarily because of the absence of well‐defined eukaryotic mock communities. To address this challenge, we created a eukaryotic rRNA operon clone‐library and turned it into a precisely defined synthetic eukaryotic mock community. This mock community was then used to evaluate the performance of three long‐read sequencing strategies (PacBio circular consensus sequencing and two Nanopore approaches using unique molecular identifiers) and three tools for resolving amplicons sequence variants (ASVs) (USEARCH, VSEARCH, and DADA2). We investigated the sensitivity of the sequencing techniques based on the number of detected mock taxa, and the accuracy of the different ASV‐calling tools with a specific focus on the presence of chimera among the final rRNA operon ASVs. Based on our findings, we provide recommendations and best practice protocols for how to cost‐effectively obtain essentially error‐free rRNA operons in high‐throughput. An agricultural soil sample was used to demonstrate that the sequencing and bioinformatic results from the mock community also translates to highly diverse natural samples, which enables us to identify previously undescribed microeukaryotic lineages.
Desert plants, arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi and associated bacteria: Exploring the diversity and role of symbiosis under drought
Authors: Chávez‐González Jose Daniel , Flores‐Núñez Víctor M. , Merino‐Espinoza Irving U. , Partida‐Martínez Laila Pamela
Published: July 2024

Desert plants, such as Agave tequilana, A. salmiana and Myrtillocactus geometrizans, can survive harsh environmental conditions partly due to their symbiotic relationships with microorganisms, including arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF). Interestingly, some of these fungi also harbour endosymbiotic bacteria. Our research focused on investigating the diversity of these AMFs and their associated bacteria in these plants growing in arid soil. We found that agaves have a threefold higher AMF colonization than M. geometrizans. Metabarcoding techniques revealed that the composition of AMF communities was primarily influenced by the plant host, while the bacterial communities were more affected by the specific plant compartment or niche they inhabited. We identified both known and novel endofungal bacterial taxa, including Burkholderiales, and confirmed their presence within AMF spores using multiphoton microscopy. Our study also explored the effects of drought on the symbiosis between A. tequilana and AMF. We discovered that the severity of drought conditions could modulate the strength of this symbiosis and its outcomes for the plant holobiont. Severe drought conditions prevented the formation of this symbiosis, while moderate drought conditions promoted it, thereby conferring drought tolerance in A. tequilana. This research sheds light on the diversity of AMF and associated bacteria in Crassulacean Acid Metabolism (CAM) plants and underscores the crucial role of drought as a factor modulating the symbiosis between A. tequilana and AMF. Further research is needed to understand the role of endofungal bacteria in this response.
Robust point and variance estimation for meta‐analyses with selective reporting and dependent effect sizes
Authors: Yang Yefeng , Lagisz Malgorzata , Williams Coralie , Noble Daniel W. A. , Pan Jinming , Nakagawa Shinichi
Published: July 2024

Meta‐analysis produces a quantitative synthesis of evidence‐based knowledge, shaping not only research trends but also policies and practices in biology. However, two statistical issues, selective reporting and statistical dependence, can severely distort meta‐analytic parameter estimation and inference.

Here, we re‐analyse 448 meta‐analyses to demonstrate a new two‐step procedure to deal with two common challenges in biological meta‐analyses that often occur simultaneously: publication bias and non‐independence. First, we employ bias‐robust weighting schemes under the generalized least square estimator to obtain average effect sizes that are more robust to selective reporting. We then use cluster‐robust variance estimation to account for statistical dependence, reducing bias in estimating standard errors and ensuring valid statistical inference.

The first step of our approach demonstrates comparable performance in estimating average effect sizes to the existing publication‐bias adjustment methods in the presence of selective reporting. This equivalence holds across two publication bias selection processes. The second step achieves estimates of standard errors consistent with the multilevel meta‐analytic model, a benchmark method with adequate control of Type I error rates for multiple, statistically dependent effect sizes. Re‐analyses of 448 meta‐analyses show that ignoring these two issues tends to overestimate effect sizes by an average of 110% and underestimate standard errors by 120%.

To facilitate implementation, we have developed a website including a step‐by‐step tutorial. Complementing current meta‐analytic workflows with the proposed method as a sensitivity analysis can facilitate a transition to a more robust approach in quantitative evidence synthesis.
Recognize nuance when interpreting monitoring results
Authors: McClure Christopher J. W. , Rolek Brian W.
Published: July 2024

We recently published a study discussing the pitfalls of non‐probability sampling when selecting monitoring sites. We demonstrated that selecting sites based on abundance can often lead to biased inference, and we suggested that researchers use probability sampling. We also called for nuance when interpreting results of monitoring programs that use non‐probability sampling. We suggested that inference from sites of great abundance might still be useful for inference into population dynamics of long‐lived species such as raptors.

Perret et al. seem to misinterpret our call for nuance as advocating for non‐probability sampling. They state that we concluded the general recommendation of using probability sampling should be revised. We did not conclude this. In fact, we agree with their recommendation.

Perret et al. implemented simulations that are unrealistic within the context of our study. We use empirical data for 12 raptor species to demonstrate that our previous results are valid and that simulations implemented by Perret et al. do not reflect the biology of long‐lived raptors. The time series simulated by Perret et al. fluctuated greatly in abundance with populations often more than doubling within a year. This is extremely unlikely for populations of long‐lived species having high site fidelity.

Many historical programs monitor sites of great abundance and thus risk biased results. We demonstrate that this risk is minimal under some important conditions and our results likely apply to other long‐lived species. Acknowledging this nuance could rescue many long‐term monitoring programs and their data thereby preserving efforts of costly conservation programs. Consistent with our original study, these exceptions do not invalidate the general recommendation to avoid non‐probability sampling; however, they do support our call for nuance when interpreting results of studies that monitored animals at sites of great abundance.