bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Lorentz force-based assessment of the torque production of TFPM machines
Authors: Masmoudi Ahmed
Published: June 2024

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to introduce an aid for teaching transverse flux permanent magnet machines (TFPMs) with emphasis on their torque production.

Design/methodology/approach

The Lorentz force law is applied to fictitious current loops emulating the permanent magnets (PMs) mounted on the rotor according to different arrangements; the air gap flux density is created by the armature current.

Findings

Implemented in a master lecture on special AC machines, the proposed approach has revealed a renewed interest in electromagnetic fundamentals for pedagogical purposes. It makes simple the explanation of the principle of operation of a class of AC machines reputed by the complexity of their magnetic circuits. The latter incorporates axially stacked decoupled sub-circuits, one per phase generating alternating magnetic fields. More specifically, there is common air gap, shared by the machine phases, in which a rotating magnetic field is created by the superposition of the PM contribution and the armature one.

Research limitations/implications

Accounting for the complexity of the magnetic circuits and the three-dimensional (3D) flux paths characterizing TFPMs, a 3D finite element analysis (FEA) is required for the validation of the analytical predictions. Nevertheless, such a 3D FEA validation is far from being obvious to be carried on within a master lecture.

Originality/value

While the basis of Lorentz forces resulting from fictitious current loops emulating PMs has been considered in some referenced papers, its simple and pedagogical application to assess the torque production of several TFPM concepts represents the added value of the present paper.
How does career coaching in higher education help graduate employees adjust to the workplace?
Authors: van der Baan Niels , Beausaert Simon , Gijselaers Wim , Gast Inken
Published: June 2024

Purpose

Employers increasingly require students to possess competences that go beyond theoretical knowledge and academic expertise, such as lifelong learning skills. To equip students with these competences, higher education institutes have introduced coaching as part of their teaching programs. The present study qualitatively evaluates a career coaching practice in higher education.

Design/methodology/approach

We conducted semi-structured interviews with graduates who had participated in career coaching activities at a Dutch university (N = 12). The interviews were conducted between February and May 2022. Atlas.ti version 9 was used to analyse the interviews.

Findings

Results revealed that graduates believed that career coaching helped them to adjust to the workplace. They indicated that the coaching practice helped them to acquire reflection skills, which was considered the main mechanism for adjustment to the workplace.

Research limitations/implications

These results add to the transition-related literature by identifying one way that graduates successfully adjust to the workplace.

Practical implications

The results also provide insight into how higher education can best prepare students for their transition to the workplace.

Originality/value

As the education-to-work transition does not end upon graduation, this research focusses on graduate employees’ work adjustment as an important phase in the transition process.
Entrepreneurial leadership: key to sustainable innovation and competitiveness in Islamic insurance companies in Jordan
Authors: Alshurideh Muhammad Turki , Alsharif Alaa , Alquqa Enass Khalil , Hamadneh Samer , Al-Hawary Sulieman , Al-Momani Ala’a , AlAwamleh Hasan Khaled
Published: June 2024

Purpose

This study delves into the significant impact of entrepreneurial leadership (EL), organizational innovation (OI) and competitive advantage (CA) on the sustainability of organizations in the Jordanian Islamic insurance sector. This study aims to unravel the intricate dynamics among these pivotal factors, highlighting their collective role in the sustained success and resilience of Islamic insurance companies in Jordan. By examining the synergistic interplay between EL, OI and CA, the research seeks to offer invaluable insights into cultivating a sustainable future for these institutions.

Design/methodology/approach

This study adopts a positivist, quantitative approach to investigate the relationships between EL, OI, CA and organizational sustainability (OS). Data collection was achieved through questionnaires in a cross-sectional analysis of these variables. Convenience sampling yielded 389 valid responses, an 81% response rate, ensuring a thorough understanding of the dynamics within this framework.

Findings

The findings from the study on Jordanian Islamic insurance companies highlight the critical role of EL in influencing organizational dynamics. The research establishes a positive relationship between EL and both OI and OS. Furthermore, it identifies a significant positive correlation between EL and CA, underscoring the importance of leadership in securing a competitive edge. This study also emphasizes the vital role of OI in bolstering OS and confirms that a strong CA enhances OS, reinforcing the interconnectivity of these essential organizational components.

Practical implications

This study provides important insights for professionals in the insurance sector, especially those within the Jordanian Islamic insurance industry. It emphasizes the crucial role of EL in fostering innovation, competitiveness and sustainability. By understanding the significance of EL, companies can adopt more dynamic and effective strategies in leadership, organizational development and strategic planning, thereby enhancing their overall performance and resilience.

Originality/value

By conceptualizing EL and OS as second-order constructs, this study seeks to provide a detailed understanding of how EL catalyzes OI, CA and sustainability in an organizational context. This approach contributes significantly to the broader discussion on EL and OS, particularly within the Arab region and specifically in Jordan, offering nuanced insights into their roles and interrelations in shaping organizational dynamics.
How to attract wealthy Muslims to contribute to cash waqf (Islamic endowment) held by the Islamic banks? Case in Indonesia
Authors: Maulina Rindawati , Dhewanto Wawan , Faturohman Taufik
Published: June 2024

Purpose

Exploring the current phenomenon of the cash waqf-linked sukuk (CWLS) program issuance that involves Islamic banks in Indonesia, this paper aims to investigate the key barriers and intentional behaviors in realizing wealthy Muslims’ contribution to the program using the intermediary function of Islamic banks. Moreover, this study provides a conceptual framework to set effective marketing strategies to encourage wealthy Muslims to become cash waqf founders and sustain their contribution.

Design/methodology/approach

This qualitative study used a literature review and in-depth interviews to generate insights for developing a model of wealthy Muslims’ behavior toward cash waqf programs held by Islamic banks.

Findings

The study identified low trust, literacy and transparency as the biggest barriers to cash waqf contributions, but suggests that a greater role for Islamic banks, personal engagement and innovative product offerings can help to overcome these barriers. The study also identified three new behavioral dimensions that are important for understanding wealthy Muslims’ contributions to cash waqf: personal financial planning, accountability and political issues. Based on these findings, the study proposes 10 strategies for all stakeholders to pursue in the short and medium term to promote cash waqf contributions from wealthy Muslims.

Research limitations/implications

This study only involved respondents from three major cities in Indonesia: Jakarta, Bandung and Surabaya because these cities have a large number of wealthy Muslims. Future research can collect more samples from all major cities in Indonesia or other Muslim majority countries, and use other qualitative methodology such as phenomenological, ethnographic, grounded theory, case study or action research. The findings of this study can be the starting point for further research and the proposed conceptual framework requires empirical testing in the future.

Practical implications

The findings of this study can be a basis for policymakers and the Islamic financial industry in formulating marketing, education and socialization strategies for innovative cash waqf programs.

Social implications

The findings of this study will support the acceleration of cash waqf collection for cash waqf initiatives through Islamic banks. Moreover, with a better understanding of the factors impeding and motivating the most potential Muslim groups to contribute to the innovative cash waqf program, the ultimate goal of higher national socio-economic development becomes more attainable.

Originality/value

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is the first to investigate wealthy Muslims’ behavioral factors for contributing to innovative cash waqf held by Islamic banks, from various stakeholder perspectives. It fills a research gap in the literature on innovative cash waqf and behavior.
Antisemitism as an integral part of anti-bias educational policies and practices
Authors: Greenblatt Deborah , Koss Melanie D.
Published: June 2024

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to show how the impact of White Supremacy and Christian hegemony on the educational system. By highlighting interconnectedness across targeted groups, the authors assert that through coalition building, groups are stronger than they would be working alone. Solidarity gives hope to combating hatred of all kinds. Learning that there is a long history of antisemitism is an important component of fighting bias. With book banning and controversy over teaching critical race theory in schools, it is important that educators reflect on their social justice education.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors analyze the definitions and enactment of multicultural, culturally responsive and anti-bias education as well as critical theory. They then investigate how antisemitism is of concern to all identities targeted by White Supremacy and Christian Nationalism (LGBTQIA+, minoritized races, non-Christians, etc.) and the importance of education in fighting hate and influencing policy and practice.

Findings

Although 2 % of the US population identifies as Jewish, 11% of incidents educators reported were classified as antisemitic. Education is the key to fighting antisemitism and Holocaust denial (Greene et al., 2021; Stanton and Marcus, 2019). The authors make recommendations for addressing antisemitism, including addressing antisemitic incidents, the importance of Holocaust studies, the need for religious literacy, fighting the banning of books and narrowing the school curriculum. The authors ended by reinforcing the need for Jewish people to be included in multicultural, culturally responsive, anti-bias education and the need for “Heb-crit” as a sub-study of critical race theory.

Social implications

Anti-bias education must include antisemitism and show how connected hatred is rather than having groups compare their struggles. The authors explained the diversity among Jewish people to highlight the complexity of an identity group that is often inaccurately oversimplified.

Originality/value

There is a need for scholarship on modern-day antisemitism and internalized antisemitism and reflective narratives as commonly used in Black and Latinx studies (Rubin, 2020). With the rise in Holocaust denial and antisemitic groups (Southern Poverty Law Center, 2024), it is important to advocate and teach about these topics, which are not often discussed in PK-12 or Schools of Education (Muller, 2022).
From mission statements to mission critical: a conceptual model for getting serious about student leader development
Authors: Rosch David Michael , Allen Scott J.
Published: June 2024

Purpose

Postsecondary institutions that purport to build leaders are ubiquitous. Yet, given such ubiquity, the curriculum and co-curriculum dedicated to student leadership development is diffuse as an overall field of practice and lacks firm grounding in matching consensus outcomes for leader development to specific principles of teaching and learning. We propose a conceptual model for leader development of undergraduates that describes what leadership education should strive to accomplish.

Design/methodology/approach

Recent scholars (Leroy et al., 2022) suggest such lack of consensus and weak structure stems from a lack of commitment to defining the ultimate goals for leader development programs, matching curriculum and pedagogy to meet these goals, and then rigorously evaluating programs. Our proposed model illustrates a structure of leadership skill mastery founded in adult constructive development theory, applies a range of adult learning principles, and includes several suggestions for specific curricular and pedagogical applications. We describe each aspect of this conceptual model and explain how it might be enacted and assessed across diverse postsecondary contexts.

Findings

We have no findings to report.

Originality/value

Numerous scholars have advanced models that seek to define and provide a structure for “leadership.” The novelty of our work is to combine the work of other scholars to provide an explicit framework for the work of leadership education in higher education – how to conceptualize “leader development,” how to combine such development with adult learning principles, and what specific curricular and pedagogical elements should be included to achieve intended ends.
Realistic or not? The impact of packaging images on the acceptance of insect-based food products
Authors: Hémar-Nicolas Valérie , Thomas Fanny , Gallen Céline , Pantin-Sohier Gaëlle
Published: June 2024

Purpose

This paper aims to examine the image realism effect, studying how changing the front-of-package visual affects the acceptance of an insect-based food by consumers. By comparing reactions to realistic and less realistic images of an insect as an ingredient, this research investigated how visual imagery can affect consumers’ responses, reducing perceived disgust or increasing expected taste.

Design/methodology/approach

Three experiments studied the impact of realistic (photo) versus less realistic (drawing) images for two types of insects (mealworm, cricket) on consumers’ psychological distance from the image, perceived disgust, expected taste, willingness to eat, purchase intention and food choice.

Findings

Study 1 demonstrates that using a less realistic insect image reduces perceived disgust, with psychological distance from this image and perceived disgust mediating realism effect on willingness to eat. Study 2 shows that a less realistic insect image, perceived as more remote, improves expected taste and willingness to eat. Study 3 confirms the results by measuring behavior: consumers were more likely to choose the product with the less realistic image.

Research limitations/implications

The research focused on one kind of product and two ways of depicting this product, limiting the generalizability of the findings for other visual representations and product categories.

Practical implications

The findings suggest how brand managers can use the image realism effect on the packaging of novel, sustainable products to influence consumers, reducing their disgust and increasing their expected taste.

Originality/value

This research breaks new ground by explaining how visual cues on packaging affect the acceptance of insect-eating, drawing on construal level theory.
Divergence or convergence: trade globalization, regulatory and environmental quality in QUAD countries – a robust ARDL and decoupling index inquiry
Authors: Soti Nupur , Kumar Ashish , Gupta Sanjeev , Batra Vikas
Published: June 2024

Purpose

The Quadrilateral Group for Security Dialogues (QUAD), comprising Japan, Australia, India, and the USA, has experienced a noteworthy escalation in both environmental depletion and economic performance over the preceding 2 decades. Consequently, it becomes crucial to outline strategies through which the QUAD can attain a harmonious equilibrium between sustainable economic growth and ecological well-being. This research endeavors to dissect the intricate relationships among trade globalization, regulatory quality, and environmental sustainability within the QUAD for the period 1990–2021. The study checks for the Pollution Haven Hypothesis (PHH), and Pollution Halo Effect Hypothesis (PHEH).

Design/methodology/approach

The long-run association is based on the autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL) model and bounds test approach to cointegration while divergence or convergence is studied with the help of decoupling index (DI). Results have been verified by applying serial correlation LM test, autoregressive conditional heteroskedasticity (ARCH), and cumulative sum of recursive residuals (CUSUM) tests to ensure the robustness and stability of the model.

Findings

The empirical results of this study affirm the applicability of the PHEH in the contexts of India, Japan, and the USA, whereas the PHH is validated in the case of Australia. Furthermore, the analysis reveals the existence of relative decoupling solely in the case of India. This testifies that the rate of growth of the Indian economy surpasses the rate of growth in ecological footprint (EF), indicating a relative reduction in the intensity of environmental impact per unit of economic growth.

Research limitations/implications

The empirical findings of our study suggest that countries with effective regulatory systems are better positioned to control and mitigate the potential adverse environmental effects resulting from increased global trade. Thus, policymakers are prompted to reassess the development policies for sustainable economic growth that will minimize adverse environmental repercussions. The implication of the negative relation between urbanization and EF is paramount for policymakers in developing countries seeking strategies for balanced urban development that aligns with environmental sustainability.

Originality/value

The present study is a unique exploration of the impact of trade globalization and regulatory quality on EF, specifically on PHH/PHEH in the context of QUAD.
Controlling shareholders, their incentives and corporate governance ratings
Authors: Lu Hsueh-Tien
Published: June 2024

Purpose

This study aims to facilitate the development of a better understanding of how controlling shareholders respond to the mandatory system of corporate governance rating (CGR) for all firms listed on Taiwanese stock markets and the incentives of controllers to apply corporate governance best practices.

Design/methodology/approach

Using CGR data for all Taiwanese listed firms from 2014 to 2020, this study examines whether controlling shareholders determine a firm’s CGR.

Findings

Single-family-controlled firms have the lowest CGRs, and management-controlled firms have the highest ratings. Blockholder-controlled firms are more likely to have top 20% ratings than single-family-controlled firms and bottom 20% ratings than single-family and management-controlled firms. All three categories of firms have unfavorable (favorable) ratings because of substitute governance effects (signaling effects).

Originality/value

Management-controlled firms, in which agency problems refer to principal-agent conflicts, are more likely to have good ratings than single-family controlled firms, in which agency problems refer to principal-principal conflicts. Blockholder-controlled firms have extreme ratings, suggesting that multiple large shareholders develop corporate governance practices consistent with their best interests to increase firm value or expropriate wealth. Low cash flow rights and high control-ownership divergence lead firms to adopt additional governance arrangement(s) to make shareholders trust firms with capital and signal to shareholders that they can trust them with their capital.
Does small mean unimportant? A review of pocket park values and associated factors
Authors: Li Jun , Nordin Nikmatul Adha , Md Dali Melasutra
Published: June 2024

Purpose

This study aims to explore the value of pocket parks and associated factors, as well as the differences between pocket parks and other green spaces, and finally to identify the role of pocket parks in cities.

Design/methodology/approach

This study adopts a systematic literature review method to identify 85 articles from the Web of Science and other sources. The Nvivo12plus software was employed to qualitatively analyse the value of pocket parks, and the key associated factors were visualised via the NVivo word cloud function.

Findings

As a result, pocket parks reflected high social, environmental ecological, cultural aesthetic values but low economic value. Compared to other large-scale green spaces, the particularity of pocket parks lies in their ambiguity and temporality of space and high reliance on the surrounding environment. Small and scattered pocket parks in the city are like “convenience stores” and “green magnets”, and connectivity should be strengthened to promote urban regeneration.

Originality/value

Compared with previous studies that mostly focused on large urban green spaces, the originality of this study is that it elaborates on the importance and values of pocket parks and proposes the particularity and roles of pocket parks in cities, which enriches the theoretical knowledge of pocket parks. In terms of practical applications, the proposed diverse values and associated factors contribute to guiding the planning, management and operation of pocket parks. Moreover, the roles of pocket parks help enhance park connectivity and establish a park network system.
A goal-conditioned policy search method with multi-timescale value function tuning
Authors: Jiang Zhihong , Hu Jiachen , Zhao Yan , Huang Xiao , Li Hui
Published: June 2024

Purpose

Current reinforcement learning (RL) algorithms are facing issues such as low learning efficiency and poor generalization performance, which significantly limit their practical application in real robots. This paper aims to adopt a hybrid model-based and model-free policy search method with multi-timescale value function tuning, aiming to allow robots to learn complex motion planning skills in multi-goal and multi-constraint environments with a few interactions.

Design/methodology/approach

A goal-conditioned model-based and model-free search method with multi-timescale value function tuning is proposed in this paper. First, the authors construct a multi-goal, multi-constrained policy optimization approach that fuses model-based policy optimization with goal-conditioned, model-free learning. Soft constraints on states and controls are applied to ensure fast and stable policy iteration. Second, an uncertainty-aware multi-timescale value function learning method is proposed, which constructs a multi-timescale value function network and adaptively chooses the value function planning timescales according to the value prediction uncertainty. It implicitly reduces the value representation complexity and improves the generalization performance of the policy.

Findings

The algorithm enables physical robots to learn generalized skills in real-world environments through a handful of trials. The simulation and experimental results show that the algorithm outperforms other relevant model-based and model-free RL algorithms.

Originality/value

This paper combines goal-conditioned RL and the model predictive path integral method into a unified model-based policy search framework, which improves the learning efficiency and policy optimality of motor skill learning in multi-goal and multi-constrained environments. An uncertainty-aware multi-timescale value function learning and selection method is proposed to overcome long horizon problems, improve optimal policy resolution and therefore enhance the generalization ability of goal-conditioned RL.
The strategic failure of shaping ‘childish’ colonised men into manly colonial soldiers in Vietnam and the Philippines, 1882–1915
Authors: Meddles Erik
Published: June 2024

In the late nineteenth century, French soldiers in Vietnam and American soldiers in the Philippines trained Southeast Asian men into auxiliary soldiers. Both the French and American soldiers viewed this objective in gendered terms, considering Southeast Asian men as childish and in need of manly discipline. This perception of Southeast Asian men as childlike overlapped with other gendered descriptions of Southeast Asians within each colonial context, such as the ‘feminine’ appearance of Vietnamese men and the supposedly savage masculinity of Filipinos. However, the childlike descriptor superseded these other gendered descriptions in both locations. This article compares these two colonies and argues that childishness was a gendered category imposed on Southeast Asians by French and American soldiers. It also demonstrates how the objectives of training Southeast Asian soldiers were frustrated by the contestations of Vietnamese and Filipino soldiers and intellectuals. The article argues that even when successful by their own criteria, French and American officers could not accept that they had transformed Southeast Asian ‘children’ into ‘men’, because declaring victory would undermine the ongoing need for colonial intervention.
The socioeconomic dimensions of racial inequality in South Africa: A social space perspective
Authors: Branson Nicola , Hjellbrekke Johs , Leibbrandt Murray , Ranchhod Vimal , Savage Mike , Whitelaw Emma
Published: June 2024

It is well evidenced that South Africa is characterised by extreme socioeconomic inequality, which is strongly racialised. We offer an original sociological perspective, which departs from established perspectives considering the dynamics of vulnerability and poverty to focus on the structuring of classed and racialised privilege. We map how stocks of economic, cultural, and social capital intersect to generate systematic and structural inequalities in the country and consider how far these are associated with fundamental racial divides. To achieve this, we utilise rich, nationally representative data from the National Income Dynamics Study and employ Multiple Correspondence Analysis to construct a model of South African ‘social space’. Our findings underscore how entrenched racial divisions remain within South Africa, with White people being overwhelmingly located in the most privileged positions. However, our cluster analysis also indicates that forms of middle‐class privilege percolate beyond a core of the 8% of the population that is white. We emphasise how age divisions are associated with social capital accumulation. Our cluster analysis reveals that trust levels increase with economic and cultural capital levels within younger age groups and could therefore come to intensify social and racial divisions.
Prevalence, treatment efficacy, and risk factors of vascular complications in acute pancreatitis: A case–control study
Authors: Guo Xu , Tong Huan , Chen Liu Xiang , Wu Meng Juan , Liu Tian Qi , Mao Xiao Xiao , Xie Jia , Yang Feng , Zhou Die , Quan Xin , Qian Shuai Jie , Wei Bo , Wu Hao
Published: June 2024

Objective

We aimed to investigate the prevalence of vascular complications in acute pancreatitis (AP), to compare patient outcomes using various treatments, and to explore the related risk factors.

Methods

Consecutive AP patients admitted from January 2010 to July 2017 were retrospectively included. Demographics, vascular complications, laboratory indices, and imaging findings were collected. Univariate and multivariate analyses were used to explore potential risk factors of vascular complications.

Results

Of 3048 AP patients, 808 (26.5%) had vascular complications, including visceral vein thrombosis, sinistral portal hypertension, and arterial complications. And 38 (4.7%) patients received anticoagulant therapy and had a higher rate of recanalization (P < 0.001). Bleeding occurred in 95 (11.8%) patients, who received further treatment. Multivariate analysis identified male gender (odds ratio [OR] 1.650, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.101–2.472), hyperlipidemia (OR 1.714, 95% CI 1.356–2.165), disease recurrence (OR 3.727, 95% CI 2.713–5.118), smoking (OR 1.519, 95% CI 1.011–2.283), hemoglobin level (OR 0.987, 95% CI 0.981–0.993), white blood cell (WBC) count (OR 1.094, 95% CI 1.068–1.122), non‐vascular local complications (OR 3.018, 95% CI 1.992–4.573), computed tomography severity index (CTSI) (OR 1.425, 95% CI 1.273–1.596), and acute physiology and chronic health evaluation (APACHE) II score (OR 1.057, 95% CI 1.025–1.090) were related to vascular complications.

Conclusions

Vascular complications in AP is prevalent and their treatment is challenging. Further investigations are warranted to determine the optimal treatment strategy. Independent risk factors included male gender, hyperlipidemia, disease recurrence, smoking, WBC count, non‐vascular local complications, CTSI, and APACHE II score.
High‐cell‐density fed‐batch strategy to manufacture tailor‐made P(HB‐co‐HHx) by engineered Ralstonia eutropha at laboratory scale and pilot scale
Authors: Thiele Isabel , Santolin Lara , Detels Svea , Osele Riccardo , Neubauer Peter , Riedel Sebastian L.
Published: June 2024

The transition towards a sustainable bioeconomy requires the development of highly efficient bioprocesses that enable the production of bulk materials at a competitive price. This is particularly crucial for driving the commercialization of polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) as biobased and biodegradable plastic substitutes. Among these, the copolymer poly(hydroxybutyrate‐co‐hydroxyhexanoate) (P(HB‐co‐HHx)) shows excellent material properties that can be tuned by regulating its monomer composition. In this study, we developed a high‐cell‐density fed‐batch strategy using mixtures of fructose and canola oil to modulate the molar composition of P(HB‐co‐HHx) produced by Ralstonia eutropha Re2058/pCB113 at 1‐L laboratory scale up to 150‐L pilot scale. With cell densities >100 g L−1 containing 70–80 wt% of PHA with tunable HHx contents in the range of 9.0–14.6 mol% and productivities of up to 1.5 g L−1 h−1, we demonstrate the tailor‐made production of P(HB‐co‐HHx) at an industrially relevant scale. Ultimately, this strategy enables the production of PHA bioplastics with defined material properties on the kilogram scale, which is often required for testing and adapting manufacturing processes to target diverse applications.
SLRfinder: A method to detect candidate sex‐linked regions with linkage disequilibrium clustering
Authors: Yi Xueling , Kemppainen Petri , Merilä Juha
Published: June 2024

Despite their critical roles in genetic sex determination, sex chromosomes remain unknown in many non‐model organisms, especially those having recently evolved sex‐linked regions (SLRs). These evolutionarily young and labile sex chromosomes are important for understanding early sex chromosome evolution but are difficult to identify due to the lack of Y/W degeneration and SLRs limited to small genomic regions. Here, we present SLRfinder, a method to identify candidate SLRs using linkage disequilibrium (LD) clustering, heterozygosity and genetic divergence. SLRfinder does not rely on specific sequencing methods or a specific type of reference genome (e.g., from the homomorphic sex). In addition, the input of SLRfinder does not require phenotypic sexes, which may be unknown from population sampling, but sex information can be incorporated and is necessary to validate candidate SLRs. We tested SLRfinder using various published datasets and compared it to the local principal component analysis (PCA) method and the depth‐based method Sex Assignment Through Coverage (SATC). As expected, the local PCA method could not be used to identify unknown SLRs. SATC works better on conserved sex chromosomes, whereas SLRfinder outperforms SATC in analysing labile sex chromosomes, especially when SLRs harbour inversions. Power analyses showed that SLRfinder worked better when sampling more populations that share the same SLR. If analysing one population, a relatively larger sample size (around 50) is needed for sufficient statistical power to detect significant SLR candidates, although true SLRs are likely always top‐ranked. SLRfinder provides a novel and complementary approach for identifying SLRs and uncovering additional sex chromosome diversity in nature.
Can second‐chance provisions increase the effectiveness of penalty contracts? Evidence from a quasi field experiment
Authors: Chen Clara Xiaoling , Wang Laura W. , Wu Anne , Wu Steve Yuching
Published: June 2024

Penalty contracts are commonly utilized in developing countries. Such contracts may be perceived as unfair, potentially reducing employee motivation and performance. We predict that adding a second‐chance provision, an opportunity to reverse a penalty for poor performance if subsequent performance improves, could improve the effectiveness of penalty contracts. In a quasi field experiment at a company with two manufacturing facilities in Taiwan, we treated one facility with a traditional‐penalty contract without a second‐chance provision and the other with a penalty contract with a second‐chance provision. We observe a significant difference in the two treatment effects, with employee performance decreasing significantly after the traditional‐penalty treatment but showing no decrease when a second‐chance provision was included. Further analysis reveals that this difference is mediated by employees' fairness perceptions. These results provide valuable insights to governments, nongovernmental organizations, and multinationals as they work together to improve the fairness of global compensation practices.
Do patients with osteoarthritis lose weight prior to elective joint replacement?
Authors: Wall Christopher J. , Lee Susie S. , Ma Yanru , de Steiger Richard N. , Vertullo Christopher J. , Kondalsamy‐Chennakesavan Srinivas
Published: June 2024

Background

Obesity is a known risk factor for the development of osteoarthritis and the subsequent need for joint replacement. Weight loss has been shown to reduce pain, disability, and the need for joint replacement, particularly in patients with knee osteoarthritis. The aim of this study was to investigate pre‐operative weight change in patients with hip, knee, and shoulder osteoarthritis at a regional, public hospital in Australia, to identify opportunities for pre‐operative weight‐loss intervention.

Methods

A retrospective review of patients who underwent elective primary total hip (THR), knee (TKR), and shoulder (TSR) replacement for osteoarthritis was conducted between December 2019 and December 2022. BMI data were collected at three time points: (1) general practitioner (GP) referral; (2) orthopaedic clinic review; and (3) pre‐admission clinic (PAC) assessment.

Results

A total of 496 patients were included in the study, of which 205 underwent THR, 251 underwent TKR, and 40 underwent TSR. The mean patient age was 67 years, and 46.4% were female. At the time of GP referral, the mean body mass index (BMI) was 31.4 kg/m2. Across the study period, only 2% of patients experienced clinically significant weight loss pre‐operatively (≥5% of total body weight).

Conclusion

This study has demonstrated that very few patients lose weight prior to undergoing joint replacement in the public sector in Australia. This highlights the need for targeted non‐surgical weight loss interventions for patients currently awaiting joint replacement.
Exploring stakeholder engagement network behavior: Strategic and managerial implications for corporate social responsibility
Authors: Linzalone Roberto , Ammirato Salvatore , Felicetti Alberto Michele , Corvello Vincenzo , Santarsiero Francesco
Published: June 2024

This paper investigates the relationship between Stakeholder Engagement (SE) and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), approaching CSR as a complex system made up of components and interactions. Adopting a System Thinking approach to analyze CSR in a stakeholders‐company network, explorative research is conducted through three stages: (1) a critical literature review aimed to identify the components of the CSR system model, (2) the development of the dataset and of the Causal Loop Diagram (CLD) model, (3) the analysis of the CSR behavior in light of the ‘system archetypes’ underpinning the system. The analysis reveals both the structure and the dynamics of CSR and explain its behavior in light of the stakeholder engagement network variables. Findings from this research underscore the existence of six feedback loops, which characterize the relation CSR‐SE. The ‘company‐stakeholder fit’ acts as a growth engine for the stakeholder engagement network, however other balancing dynamics (e.g., detriment of business objectives) require a tradeoff between Social and Business orientation. This paper contributes to a more profound understanding of the relation between CSR and stakeholder engagement, showing in particular the link between CSR and SE under the assumption of stakeholder‐company network. The insights provided serve as a guide for managers and policymakers to navigate the complex dynamics of SE to inform effective strategies of CSR based on network structural actions.
Can corporate social responsibility reduce customer mistreatment? A contingent dual‐process model
Authors: Zhan Xiaojun , Lu Na , Lin Weipeng , Luo Wenhao , Zhang Xixia
Published: June 2024

Although corporate social responsibility (CSR) has been widely studied, little is known about whether it has implications for customer mistreatment. In this study, we aim to understand how and when CSR is related to customer incivility, a typical type of mistreatment in service contexts. Integrating the perspectives of social exchange theory and social identity theory, we theorize that CSR influences customer incivility via customer trust and customer identification, which are contingent on front‐line employees' emotional labor (i.e., surface acting and deep acting) during service interactions. In our two‐source field study involving 332 employee–customer dyads, CSR promoted both customer trust and customer identification, which in turn reduced customer incivility. Moreover, the indirect relationship between CSR and customer incivility via customer trust (but not customer identification) was weakened by employee surface acting but strengthened by employee deep acting. Taken together, this study uncovers the relationship between CSR and customer mistreatment by exploring how and when CSR influences customer incivility, which advances the understanding of the customer‐related implications of CSR.
Boredom due to being over‐ or under‐challenged in mathematics: A latent profile analysis
Authors: Schwartze Manuel M. , Frenzel Anne C. , Goetz Thomas , Lohbeck Annette , Bednorz David , Kleine Michael , Pekrun Reinhard
Published: June 2024

Background

Recent research on boredom suggests that it can emerge in situations characterized by over‐ and under‐challenge. In learning contexts, this implies that high boredom may be experienced both by low‐ and high‐achieving students.

Aims

This research aimed to explore the existence and prevalence of boredom due to being over‐ and under‐challenged in mathematics, for which empirical evidence is lacking.

Sample

We employed a sample of 1.407 students (fifth to ninth graders) from all three secondary school tracks (lower, middle and upper) in Bavaria (Germany).

Methods

Boredom was assessed via self‐report and achievement via a standardized mathematics test. We used latent profile analysis to identify groups characterized by different levels of boredom and achievement, and we additionally examined gender and school track as group membership predictors.

Results

Results revealed four distinct groups, of which two showed considerably high boredom. One was coupled with low achievement on the test (i.e. ‘over‐challenged group’, 13% of the total sample), and one was coupled with high achievement (i.e. ‘under‐challenged group’, 21%). Furthermore, we found a low boredom and high achievement (i.e. ‘well‐off group’, 27%) and a relatively low boredom low achievement group (i.e. ‘indifferent group’, 39%). Girls were overrepresented in the over‐challenged group, and students from the upper school track were underrepresented in the under‐challenged group.

Conclusion

Our research emphasizes the need to openly discuss and further investigate boredom due to being over‐ and under‐challenged.
Teaching expectancy improves video‐based learning: Evidence from eye‐movement synchronization
Authors: Liang Zheng , Ga Riman , Bai Han , Zhao Qingbai , Wang Guixian , Lai Qing , Chen Shi , Yu Quanlei , Zhou Zhijin
Published: June 2024

Video‐based learning (VBL) is popular, yet students tend to learn video material passively. Instilling teaching expectancy is a strategy to promote active processing by learners, but it is unclear how effective it will be in improving VBL. This study examined the role of teaching expectancy on VBL by comparing the learning outcomes and metacognitive monitoring of 94 learners with different expectancies (teaching, test or no expectancy). Results showed that the teaching expectancy group had better learning outcomes and no significant difference in the metacognitive monitoring of three groups. We further explored the visual behaviour patterns of learners with different expectancies by using the indicator of eye‐movement synchronization. It was found that synchronization was significantly lower in both the teaching and test expectancy groups than in the no expectancy group, and the test expectancy group was significantly lower than the teaching expectancy group. This result suggests that both teaching and test expectancy enhance the active processing of VBL. However, by sliding window analysis, we found that the teaching expectancy group used a flexible and planned attention allocation. Our findings confirmed the effectiveness of teaching expectancy in VBL. Also, this study provided evidence for the applicability of eye‐tracking techniques to assess VBL.

Practitioner notes

What is already known about this topic

Video‐based learning has become a popular way, yet students tend to learn video material passively.

When students learn with teaching expectancy, they are more likely to engage in deep processing, which has been proven in static multimedia learning.

Individuals show high eye‐movement synchronization when watching the same video, and this synchronization may be reduced when they engage in top‐down processing.

What this paper adds

Teaching expectancy improves learning performance in Video‐based learning.

Teaching expectancy enhances active cognitive processing in Video‐based learning.

During the video viewing, learners with teaching expectancy not only followed the instructor's explanations but also engaged in active top‐down processing, demonstrating flexible and planned attention allocation.

Implications for practice and/or policy

Utilizing teaching as an intention can serve as an effective learning strategy for Video‐based learning.

The use of eye‐movement intersubject correlation to analyse visual behaviour patterns provides a new way to explore how people learn from dynamic multimedia materials.
Mutual communication intervention for colorectal cancer patient–spousal caregiver dyads: A randomized controlled trial
Authors: Zhou Junrui , Wang Zhiming , Chen Xuan , Lin Chunyan , Zhao Jie , Loke Alice Yuen , Li Qiuping
Published: June 2024

Objective

Gender could impact the psychosocial outcomes and coping strategies of cancer patients and their spousal caregivers (SCs). This study aims to develop a gender‐concerned program for colorectal cancer (CRC) couple‐based mutual communication intervention (MCI) and to assess its effectiveness on the intra‐couple relationship and the individual functions of the partners.

Design

A randomized clinical trial with two study groups was utilized.

Methods

A total of 144 CRC patients and their SCs were randomly assigned to either MCI or usual care (UC) groups, and all of them were required to complete the measurements at baseline and post‐intervention. The primary outcome was for mutual communication, and the secondary outcomes included dyadic coping, relationship satisfaction, anxiety, depression, benefit finding and quality of life. The data were analysed by multi‐level modelling.

Results

The MCI program was feasible and acceptable for Chinese CRC couples and was effective for the improvement of the intra‐couple relationship and the individual functions of each partner. CRC patients showed more improvement in mutual communication and dyadic coping than their SCs in the MCI group. Also, this intervention effectiveness was found to be independent of gender.

Conclusions

The MCI program is beneficial for Chinese CRC couple's adaptation outcomes. This suggests that clinical medical staff should consider the gender tendency during the implementation of interventions. More researches are needed to extend the application of the MCI program to different participants (e.g. patients with the diagnosis of other types of cancer and their SCs).
How Effective Are Ireland's Monitory Mechanisms in Improving Its Child Protection and Welfare Services?
Authors: Burns Kenneth , Boyle Eva , Geary Susan , King Emma
Published: June 2024

Child protection and welfare systems are entrusted with significant power by governments and are therefore a significant focus of monitoring activities. Monitoring can help to build a better child protection system and to ensure child safety; track policy and legislative implementation and resource allocation; contribute to preventing systemic ‘failures’; provide data for system, policy, and legislative reforms; and support continuous improvement. The Irish system is worth examining for three reasons. First, Ireland has had a single state‐provided child protection and welfare service called the Child and Family Agency. Second, the system has been through a sustained period of development. Third, Ireland has one dedicated statutory authority called the Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA). This article provides a case study of the strategies and mechanisms adopted by Ireland to monitor the operation, quality and development of its child protection and welfare system. We will show that there is significant direct and indirect monitoring and focus on child protection from regulators, civil society organisations, government agencies and committees and independent actors. Such monitoring has significantly influenced the development of policy, practice and the development of the child protection system in Ireland.
RouteVis: Quantitative Visual Analytics of Various Factors to Understand Route Choice Preferences
Authors: Lv C. , Zhang H. , Lin Y. , Dong J. , Tian L.
Published: June 2024

Analyzing the preference of route choice not only facilitates the understanding of individuals' decision‐making behavior, but also provides valuable information for improving traffic management strategies. As the layout of the road network, the variability of individual preferences and the spatial distribution of origins and destinations all play a role in route choice, it is a great challenge to reveal the interplay of such numerous complex factors. In this paper, we propose RouteVis, an interactive visual analytics system that enables traffic analysts to gain insight into what factors drive individuals to choose a specific route. To uncover the relationship between route choice and influencing factors, we design a quantitative analytical framework that supports analysts in conducting closed‐loop analysis of various factors, i.e., data preprocessing, route identification, and the quantification of influence and contribution. Furthermore, given the multidimensional and spatio‐temporal characteristics of the analysis results, we customize a set of coordinated views and visual designs to provide an intuitive presentation of the factors affecting people's travels, thus freeing analysts from tedious repetitive tasks and significantly enhancing work efficiency. Two typical usage scenarios and expert feedback on the system's functionality demonstrate that RouteVis can greatly enhance the capabilities of understanding the travel status.