bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The effect of supply chain management challenges on research and development projects using Fuzzy DEMATEL and TOPSIS approach
Authors:   Department of Industrial Engineering, University of Science and Technology (IUST) Tehran, Tehran, Forozandeh Mohammad
Published: December 2021

Abstract Purpose: This paper aimed to identify, classify and prioritize supply chain management challenges for research-development projects in the R&D organization. Research Methodology: Based on previous literature and interview with related experts, the initial challenges of SCM for research-development projects in Iran organization were extracted. Thereafter, the identified challenges were finalized, classified, and prioritized. For this purpose, a semi-interview and questionnaire were designed, applied, and then analyzed using some statistical methods. Validation of the results was done through several interviews. Finally, the necessary modifications were made to the factors of environmental sustainability associated with the COVID-19 crisis. Results: In this study, the challenges of SCM for research-development projects in Iran organization were divided into six categories: cultural, motivational, contextual, process, infrastructural, and capabilities. Thereafter, suggested solutions were presented which describe how the challenges of SCM in research-development projects may be removed progressively. Limitations: This research is only described in project-based organizations. The study was limited to construction projects in different cities of Iran. Contribution: The prioritized challenges of SCM are a guideline for managers or decision-makers of R&D projects which will enable them, resolve challenges or improve on decision making. It also serves as a useful base for researchers to expand further research concerning the challenges of SCM in other research-development organizations. This study may present high value for researchers in the SCM field for research-development projects. Also, this study presents several solutions for the improvement of challenges considering the level of their importance to SCM.
Organizational climate and employee engagement: A commercial bank perspective in Southeast Nigeria
Authors:   Department of Business Administration, Faculty of Management Sciences, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Anambra State Nigeria, Phina Onyekwelu Njideka , Ogechukwuand Nwogwugwu Ngozi ,   Department of Business Administration, Faculty of Management Sciences, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Anambra State Nigeria, Shallom Anizoba Adaeze ,   Department of Business Administration, Faculty of Management Sciences, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Anambra State Nigeria
Published: December 2021

Abstract Purpose: This study aimed to ascertain the role organizational climate could play in galvanizing the employees of commercial banks in southeast Nigeria for better performance through exhibiting greater engagement to their jobs and organizations. Research methodology: Survey Research Design was employed for the study. The study population consisted of 988 employees of 50 randomly selected commercial banks in the region studied. Data were elicited through a structured questionnaire while the analysis was carried out using Simple Regression Analysis and hypothesis tested at a 5% level of significance. Results: The findings showed that there is a statistically significant relationship between Distributive Justice Climate and Job Satisfaction in Microfinance Banks in South-East Nigeria (r = .962; R-Square = .926; F = 5865.689; p-value<.05) and that there is a statistically significant relationship existing between Open Communication Climate and Positive Meaning in Microfinance Banks in South-East Nigeria (r = .982; R-Square = .965; F = 13000.304; p-value<.05). Limitations: Because of the concentration of commercial banks in Anambra state, most of the banks selected for the study through a random method were from Anambra State. This could affect the generalizability of the findings. Contribution: This study contributed to the already existing body of knowledge on Organizational Climate and Employee Engagement. The study also revealed empirical results of the relationship between the variables of the study, specifically in commercial banks in South-East Nigeria.
The effects of corporate governance mechanisms on earnings management: Empirical evidence from Moroccan listed firms
Authors:   Abdelmalek Essaâdi University, ENCG - Tanger, Morocco, Mokrani Yousra El , Alami Youssef ,   Abdelmalek Essaâdi University, ENCG - Tanger, Morocco
Published: December 2021

Abstract Purpose: The purpose of the study is to systematically review and examine the effectiveness of corporate governance mechanisms in restraining earnings management among the listed firms of the Casablanca Stock Exchange. Research methodology: In this study, we used the modified Jones model to calculate discretionary accruals. Our sample comprises 27 firms covering the period from 2016 to 2018, analyzed by the EGLS estimator. Results: Our empirical results show that gender diversity, board size, and audit committee independence reduce the managers' discretion. Simultaneously, we found a significantly positive association between earning management and different corporate governance characteristics such as CEO duality, institutional investor ownership, and family ownership. We do not find any evidence that audit committee size, ownership concentration, and managerial ownership significantly influence discretionary accruals. Limitations: This study's main limitation is that we did not address the direction of discretionary accruals, which does not allow us to detect the motivational aspects behind earnings management. Contribution: The results of this study will help Moroccan authorities in their formulation of an appropriate regulatory framework because very few studies have been conducted in this area in the case of the Moroccan listed companies, especially with a large set of governance variables as our empirical model. Keywords Accruals; Board of directors; Corporate governance; Earnings management; Ownership structure
Benefits and challenges in adopting social media for SMEs: A case from Bangladesh
Authors:   Department of Humanities and Social Sciences, Dhaka University of Engineering & Technology, Gazipur, Bangladesh, Pervin Most. Tahura , Sarker Bipul Kumar ,   Department of BBA Professional, Habibullah Bahar College, Dhaka, Bangladesh
Published: December 2021

Abstract Purpose: The purpose of this study was to identify the challenges, Benefits, and various determinants which play an important role in adopting social media among small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Bangladesh, based on the (Technology-Organization-Environment) TOE Model. The TOE framework seeks to understand the significant factors influencing the decision to adopt social media in SMEs in Bangladesh. Research methodology: In the study, a random sampling method was used to select a representative sample from the existing active SMEs in different regions of Bangladesh. A structured questionnaire was designed to measure constructs such as relative advantage. Preliminary data were collected from 365 small and medium enterprises through field studies. Then the survey data were analyzed using logistic regression (L.R.) of the independent variables included in the TOE framework Results: The outcomes of the study found that only 5 variables: relative advantage, complexity, consistency, top management's assistance, and innovative management factors significantly influence SMEs' decisions to adopt social media. Limitations: The busy schedules of the respondents are key limitations for the study along with the study area. If the study could explore more districts besides Dhaka city, then the study outcomes would be more extensive. Contribution: The results from this study will help SME foundations, research institutes, and government policymakers to formulate strategies for optimal use of social media in SMEs.
Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESSs) and the Economy-Dynamics of Microgrids: Review, Analysis, and Classification for Standardization of BESSs Applications
Authors: Eskandari Mohsen , Rajabi Amin , Savkin Andrey , Moradi Mohammad H. , Dong Zhao Yang
Published: December 2021

The literature on microgrid (MG) studies can be categorized as those that investigated the dynamics or economics of MG systems. Due to the important roles of battery energy storage systems (BESSs) in MGs, the BESSs have been involved in both economics and dynamics studies but mostly separately due to the different time constants of studies. Whereas, in the complicated modern MGs, the BESS is the joint point that bridges these two studies. Thus, studying merely one aspect of economy-dynamic without considering the other aspect would not be accurate. To bridge this gap, this paper reviews, analysis and classifies the BESSs applications, based on their time constants, by merging of which helps researchers to develop joint economy-dynamics models that would be the future trend in the field. The classified BESS applications are 1) inertia synthesis, 2) primary frequency response to compensate slow response time of micro-sources (MSs) for load tracking, 3) real-time energy management for the integration of intermittent renewables, 4) economic dispatch and optimal power flow for improving steady-state performance, and 5) slack bus realization. The research gaps and future trends have been discussed throughout the paper and are summarized in the future trend section.
The output stage of an operational amplifier on GaAs n-channel field-effect and GaAs p-n-p bipolar transistors with nonlinear negative feedback
Authors: Zhuk Alexey , Prokopenko Nikolay , Pakhomov Ilya , Titov Alexey
Published: December 2021

A new circuit of the output stage of an operational amplifier
implemented on GaAs n-channel field-effect transistors with a control p-n
junction and GaAs bipolar p-n-p transistors is investigated. Its peculiarity
consists in the presence of a nonlinear negative feedback that stabilizes the
drain current of the output transistor with an n-channel at a negative input
voltage. The basic equations for the static mode of the output stage are given.
The results of modeling in the LTspice simulation software of 3 modifications
of the proposed circuit solutions are discussed.
Phish: A Novel Hyper-Optimizable Activation Function
Authors: Naveen Philip
Published: December 2021

Deep-learning models estimate values using backpropagation. The activation function within hidden layers is a critical component to minimizing loss in deep neural-networks. Rectified Linear (ReLU) has been the dominant activation function for the past decade. Swish and Mish are newer activation functions that have shown to yield better results than ReLU given specific circumstances. Phish is a novel non-monotonic activation function proposed here. It is a composite function defined as f(x) = xTanH(GELU(x)), where no discontinuities are apparent in the differentiated graph on the domain observed. Four generalized networks were constructed using different activation functions. SoftMax was the output function. Using images from MNIST and CIFAR-10 databanks, these networks were trained to minimize sparse categorical crossentropy. A large-scale cross-validation was simulated using stochastic Markov chains to account for the law of large numbers for the probability values. Statistical tests support the research hypothesis stating Phish could outperform other activation functions in classification. Future experiments would involve testing Phish in unsupervised learning algorithms and comparing it to more activation functions.
Adaptive Frequency domain Affine Projection Equalizer of MIMO SC-FDMA Based Overlap-Save Method
Authors: George Maha
Published: December 2021

Design adaptive equalizer using Affine projection algorithm for MIMO SC-FDMA and compare it with MMSE . Both equalizers are used within overlap-save method. Also a turbo decoder is used in conjunction with overlap-save method to enhance the BER performances in 8x8 and 16x16 MIMO SC-FDMA.
Psychometric properties of a new scale for measuring academic positive psychological capital
Authors: Anselmi Pasquale , Colledani Daiana , Fabbris Luigi , Robusto Egidio , Scioni Manuela
Published: December 2021

Positive psychological capital (PsyCap) is the name given to a set of psychological dimensions (hope, resilience, self-efficacy, and optimism) that may support students in their effort to achieve better academic results and even improve the employability of graduates. These dimensions could help students to achieve better academic results and impact fresh graduates’ ability to stand the labour market in times of crisis. A scale, called Academic PsyCap, was specifically developed to evaluate the four PsyCap dimensions among students and fresh graduates. To deeply investigate the structural validity of the scale, three alternative models (one-factor model, correlated four-factor model, bifactor model) were run on the responses provided by about 1,600 fresh graduates at the University of Padua. The results indicated that the bifactor model fit the data better than the other two models. In this model, all items significantly loaded on both their own domain specific factor and on the general factor. The values of Percentage of Uncontaminated Correlations (PUC), Explained Common Variance (ECV), and Hierarchical Omega suggested that multidimensionality in the scale was not severe enough to disqualify the use of a total PsyCap score. The scale was found to be invariant across gender and academic degree (bachelor’s and master’s degree). Internal consistency indices were satisfactory for the four dimensions and the total scale.
A structural equation model to measure logical competences
Authors: Bacci Silvia , Bertaccini Bruno , Bruni Riccardo , Crescenzi Federico , Donati Beatrice
Published: December 2021

Logical abilities are a ubiquitous ingredient in all those contexts that take into account soft skills, argumentative skills or critical thinking. However, the relationship between logical models and the enhancement of these abilities is rarely explicitly considered. Two aspects of the issue are particularly critical in our opinion, namely: (i) the lack of statistically relevant data concerning these competences; (ii) the absence of reliable indices that might be used to detect and measure the possession of abilities underlying the aforementioned skills. This paper addresses both aspects of this topic by presenting the results of a research that we conducted between October and December 2020 on students enrolled in various degree courses at the University of Florence. The dataset has been collected by a three-stage initiative. We started from an entrance examination to assess the students' initial abilities. This test included ten questions, each regarding a specific aspect of logical reasoning. Then, students underwent a short training course to strengthen their knowledge of logic. At the end of the short course, students underwent a final examination to evaluate the effectiveness of the training.
To verify the effectiveness of the training program we used students’ characteristics into a Structural Equation Model comparing the distribution of abilities before and after the training.
Effects of an experimental online education support on lectures fruition and teaching effectiveness
Authors: Martini Maria Cristiana , Furini Marco , Galli Giovanna
Published: December 2021

In this paper, we describe and discuss the implementation, the effects, and the consequences of an experimental service designed to capture, record, edit and stream video lectures. This service, named ONELab, is operating since September 2017 at the Department of Communication and Economics of the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia to support the courses offered by the six degree programs available at the Department. Before the pandemic emergency, traditional face-to-face classes were regularly held, but ONELab was intended to provide flexibility to the educational contents (i.e., no time and geographical constraints) and to improve the students' learning process. The usage analyses show that, when given the opportunity, students tend to customise the learning process to their needs and life-style, with a large quote of usage in the late afternoon/night hours and during the week-ends. Video lectures are watched mostly during the teaching semester, but a significant part of students resort to watch them when the semester is over. The number, frequency and variety of accesses allow to describe different styles of usage, and students who use ONELab show better achievements, both in terms of acquired credits and in terms of grades, than those who never accessed the system. Moreover, some usage styles can help predicting the risk of dropout, signaling students who should be furtherly supported in order to prevent them from abandoning their studies.
Mapping and factoring the 2007 ATECO categories in regard to specialised human capital
Authors: Fabbris Luigi , Feltrin Paolo
Published: December 2021

The paper describes an exercise of classification of a subset of five-digit categories of the 2007 ATECO classification system of economic activities. The analysis is grounded on the hypothesis that economic sectors can be clustered according to the competency level required to human resources recently working in industries or services in Italy. The analysis may be useful to evaluate a possible relationship between economic development and education.
The analysis consisted of a mapping and then a clustering of the Ateco categories according to the between-distribution dissimilarity of any possible couple of categories. The basic idea was to highlight the Ateco categories that require either more education than others or more education and working experience (human capital) than others, pinpointing, in particular, the categories that require larger percentages of tertiary education and those residing close to territorial hubs. The competency level was measured with a combination of educational attainment and in-service experience of Italian employees, as defined by Istat, the Italian statistical institute. The employees’ educational level was evaluated with the frequency distribution of five (ordinal) classes of education of people employed in 2018 and 2019 in both private and public establishments and offices; the working experience with a logarithmic transform of the average number of in-service years of employees.
The analysis highlighted both a sort of input-related classification of the economy and a supply-side classification of the labour market. The results are in line with the theory of the existence of a cluster of creative companies residing close to territorial hubs.
Modelling the spatio-temporal dynamic of traffic flows with gravity models and mobile phone data
Authors: Carpita Maurizio , Metulini Rodolfo
Published: December 2021

The analysis of origin-destination traffic flows may be useful in many contexts of application (e.g., urban planning, tourism economics) and have been commonly studied through the gravity model, which states that flows are proportional to ''masses" of both origin and destination, and inversely proportional to distance between them. Using data on the flow of mobile phone SIM among different aree di censimento, recorded hourly basis for several months and provided by FasterNet in the context of MoSoRe project, in this work we characterize and model the dynamic of such flows over the time in the strongly urbanized and flood-prone area of the Mandolossa (western outskirts of Brescia, northern Italy), with the aim of predicting the traffic flow during flood episodes. Whereas a traditional ”static” mass explanatory variable is represented by residential population (Pop), or by gross domestic product (GDP), here we propose to use a most accurate set of explanatory variables in order to better account for the dynamic over the time. First, we employ a time-varying mass variable represented by the number of city-users by area and by time period, which has been estimated from mobile phone data (provided by TIM) using functional data approach and already adopted to derive crowding maps for flood exposure. Secondly, we include in the model a proper set of factors such as areal and time dummies, and a novel set of indices related to (e.g.) the number and the type of streets, the number of offices, restaurants or cinemas, which may be retrieved from OpenStreetMap. The joint use of these two novel sets of explanatory variables should allow us to obtain a better linear fitting of the gravity model and a better traffic flow prediction for the flood risk evaluation.
Big data analysis and labour market: an analysis of Italian online job vacancies data
Authors: Giambona Francesca , Kahlawi Adham , Buzzigoli Lucia , Grassini Laura , Martelli Cristina
Published: December 2021

Economists and social scientists are increasingly making use of web data to address socio-economic issues and to integrate existing sources of information. The data produced by online platforms and websites could produce a lot of useful and multidimensional information with a variety of potential applications in socio-economic analysis. In this respect, with the internet growth and knowledge, many aspects of job search have been transformed due to the availability of online tools for job searching, candidate searching and job matching. In European countries there is growing interest in designing and implementing real labour market information system applications for internet labour market data in order to support policy design and evaluation through evidence-based decision-making. The analysis of labour market web data could provide useful information for policy-makers to define labour market strategies as big data, jointly with official statistics, support policy makers in a pressing policy question namely “How to tackle the mismatch between jobs and skills?”. In this regard, the topic of skills gap, how to measure it and how to bridge it with education and continuous training have been tackled by using the big data collection, such as the Cedefop (European Center for the Development of Vocational Training) initiative and the Wollybi Project (made by Burning Glass). In this framework, this contribution focuses on the issues arising from the use (and the usefulness) of on-line job vacancy data to analyse the Italian labour market by using the Wollybi data available for the years 2019 and 2020. Furthermore, the availability of data for the year 2020, will allow us to evaluate whether there has been an impact of COVID19 in terms of needed skills and required occupations in the online job vacancies.
Sizing & Allocation in Labour Market: business strategies and multivariate analysis
Authors: Marletta Andrea
Published: December 2021

In Labour Market, the issue of Sizing and Allocation is a discussed problem. In this study, this topic has been considered from a statistical point of view. Indeed, the choice to change the number of your team of employees in a business context needs a very accurate analysis. If for example a firm decides to launch a new product on the market, it could be necessary to recruit new resources. The proposed statistical approach aims to give some hints about the total number of employees analysing the features of the existing market and the territorial geography. From a statistical point of two techniques of multivariate analysis have been presented as exploratory tools. In the application, a Principal Component Analysis has been used to investigate the business environment after some qualitative interviews to the board of the company. In a second step, some different scenarios have been proposed to determine the exact number of new resources using a data hybridization technique including internal and external sources. Finally, the allocation of the new hired of the scenarios on the Italian territory has been achieved thanks to the construction of a territorial potential index.
Post-stratification as a tool for enhancing the predictive power of classification methods
Authors: d'Ovidio Francesco D. , D'Uggento Angela Maria , Mancarella Rossana , Toma Ernesto
Published: December 2021

It is well known that, in classification problems, the predictive capacity of any decision-making model decreases rapidly with increasing asymmetry of the target variable (Sonquist et al., 1973; Fielding 1977). In particular, in segmentation analysis with a categorical target variable, very poor improvements of purity are obtained when the least represented modality counts less than 1/4 of the cases of the most represented modality. The same problem arises with other (theoretically more exhaustive) techniques such as Artificial Neural Networks. Actually, the optimal situation for classification analyses is the maximum uncertainty, that is, equidistribution of the target variable. Some classification techniques are more robust, by using, for example, the less sensitive logit transformation of the target variable (Fabbris & Martini 2002); however, also the logit transformation is strongly affected by the distributive asymmetry of the target variable.
In this paper, starting from the results of a direct survey in which the target (binary) variable was extremely asymmetrical (10% vs. 90%, or greater asymmetry), we noted that also the logit model with the most significant parameters had very reduced fitting measures and almost zero predictive power. To solve this predictive issue, we tested post-stratification techniques, artificially symmetrizing a training sample. In this way, a substantially increase of fitting and predictive capacity was achieved, both in the symmetrized sample and, above all, in the original sample.
In conclusion of the paper, an application of the same technique to a dataset of very different nature and size is described, demonstrating that the method is stable even in the case of analysis executed with all data of a population.
A statistical information system in support of job policies orientation
Authors: Kahlawi Adham , Giambona Francesca , Buzzigoli Lucia , Grassini Laura , Martelli Cristina
Published: December 2021

A significant problem for labour market policies relies on the individuation of the most advisable skills to have and to enhance through focused training offers. Vocational training systems and institutions are called to answer the question posed by every person looking for a new job or professional opportunities: which are the skills-to-have to enhance the professional profile? Many efforts have been made to answer this question, mainly designing predictive models; however, these models are often limited to specific economic sectors and usually don’t adopt a country-specific perspective. This paper proposes a recommendation system oriented to specific users: once that the user has described his/her skills profile, the system suggests the skills that, once got, will fit with the most frequent job vacancies. In this proposal perspective, the skills are proposed regardless of the economic sector, and they are compatible with the characteristics of the specific country labour market. In this contribution, we will focus on the Italian market; the recommendation system is based on the job ads published by Italian companies on various websites for both 2019 and 2020 after the skills required for each job offer have been mapped to one of the skills presented in the classification of European Skills/ competence, qualifications ad Occupations (ESCO).
Linear regression pathmox segmentation tree: the case of visitors’ satisfaction to attend a Spanish football match at the stadium
Authors: Davino Cristina , Lamberti Giuseppe
Published: December 2021

Analysis of a dependency model can be furthered by assessing whether a model and/or the impact of regressors on dependent variables differ if heterogeneity is observed. In other words, it may be interesting to assess differences between a global model estimated for a whole group and models estimated for sub-groups identified on the basis of known categorical variables external to the model, as those variables may identify partitions characterized by dependency structure heterogeneity. This is particularly important in decision-making as policies based on the generic model could yield inaccurate and biased results. In this paper, we propose a procedure, the Pathmox approach that exploits the potential of segmentation trees to identify partitions in an initial set of data characterized by different linear regression patterns. We will apply this new approach to measure the visitors’ satisfaction to attend a Spanish football match at the stadium. Thus, we will analyze the relationship between two significant aspects related to the visitors’ satisfaction: stadium service quality and image of the football team, taking into account five visitors’ background variables as potential sources of heterogeneity: age, gender, if they were tourist (yes or not), if it was the first time at the stadium (yes or not), and level of involvement with the football team. From a decision-making perspective, the paper contributes evidence exemplifying how an apparently representative global model can in fact mask different relationships between variables due to heterogeneous data, underlining the importance of accounting for heterogeneity when defining new policies.
Exploring competitiveness and wellbeing in Italy by spatial principal component analysis
Authors: Cusatelli Carlo , Giacalone Massimiliano , Nissi Eugenia
Published: December 2021

Well being is a multidimensional phenomenon, that cannot be measured by a single descriptive indicator and that, it should be represented by multiple dimensions. It requires, to be measured by combination of different dimensions that can be considered together as components of the phenomenon. This combination can be obtained by applying methodologies knows as Composite Indicators (CIs). CIs are largely used to have a comprehensive view on a phenomenon that cannot be captured by a single indicator. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) is one of the most popular multivariate statistical technique used for reducing data with many dimension, and often well being indicators are obtained using PCA. PCA is implicitly based on a reflective measurement model that it non suitable for all types of indicators. Mazziotta and Pareto (2013) in their paper discuss the use and misuse of PCA for measuring well-being. The classical PCA is not suitable for data collected on the territory because it does not take into account the spatial autocorrelation present in the data.
The aim of this paper is to propose the use of Spatial Principal Component Analysis for measuring well being in the Italian Provinces.
Longitudinal profile of a set of biomarkers in predicting Covid-19 mortality using joint models
Authors: Di Maso Matteo , Ferraroni Monica , Ferrante Pasquale , Delbue Serena , Ambrogi Federico
Published: December 2021

In survival analysis, time-varying covariates are endogenous when their measurements are directly related to the event status and incomplete information occur at random points during the follow-up. Consequently, the time-dependent Cox model leads to biased estimates. Joint models (JM) allow to correctly estimate these associations combining a survival and longitudinal sub-models by means of a shared parameter (i.e., random effects of the longitudinal sub-model are inserted in the survival one). This study aims at showing the use of JM to evaluate the association between a set of inflammatory biomarkers and Covid-19 mortality.
During Covid-19 pandemic, physicians at Istituto Clinico di Città Studi in Milan collected biomarkers (endogenous time-varying covariates) to understand what might be used as prognostic factors for mortality. Furthermore, in the first epidemic outbreak, physicians did not have standard clinical protocols for management of Covid-19 disease and measurements of biomarkers were highly incomplete especially at the baseline. Between February and March 2020, a total of 403 COVID-19 patients were admitted. Baseline characteristics included sex and age, whereas biomarkers measurements, during hospital stay, included log-ferritin, log-lymphocytes, log-neutrophil granulocytes, log-C-reactive protein, glucose and LDH. A Bayesian approach using Markov chain Monte Carlo algorithm were used for fitting JM. Independent and non-informative priors for the fixed effects (age and sex) and for shared parameters were used.
Hazard ratios (HR) from a (biased) time-dependent Cox and joint models for log-ferritin levels were 2.10 (1.67-2.64) and 1.73 (1.38-2.20), respectively. In multivariable JM, doubling of biomarker levels resulted in a significantly increase of mortality risk for log-neutrophil granulocytes, HR=1.78 (1.16-2.69); for log-C-reactive protein, HR=1.44 (1.13-1.83); and for LDH, HR=1.28 (1.09-1.49). Increasing of 100 mg/dl of glucose resulted in a HR=2.44 (1.28-4.26). Age, however, showed the strongest effect with mortality risk starting to rise from 60 years.
Unemployment dynamics in Italy: a counterfactual analysis at Covid time
Authors: Bakurov Illya , Culotta Fabrizio
Published: December 2021

This work performs a counterfactual analysis on unemployment dynamics in Italy during the year 2020. In doing so, ARIMA models are estimated and used to make projections for the 2020 quarters. This exercise is performed at population level and for each gender, age and educational groups. Data are from the Italian Labor Force Survey covering the years 2015-2019 at quarterly frequency. Over the quarters of the year 2020, i.e. a time period covered by the Covid-19 pandemic and related restrictions, actual and counterfactual unemployment dynamics are compared. Overall, this work tries to answer to the following question: what would have happened to unemployment dynamics if Covid-19 pandemic and related restrictions would not arise as they did?
Results can be informative to policymakers if the ARIMA projections can represent a reference for the aftermath of the pandemic.
Assessment of visitors’ perceptions in protected areas through a model-based clustering
Authors: Sarra Annalina , Evangelista Adelia , Di Battista Tonio
Published: December 2021

Protected areas are well-defined geographical spaces that, in view of their recognized, natural, ecological or cultural values, receive protection. They have the twofold mandate of protection of natural resources and providing a space for nature-based tourism activities. In the last years, the nature-based tourism is experiencing positive and sustainable growth worldwide. Understanding the value attached by visitors to their destination and know their assessment on various activities in which they are engaged during their stay is a key element in shaping tourist’s satisfaction. Objective of this research was to identify the profiles of visitors to tourist destinations within Natural Park of Majella (Abruzzo region, Italy) and to assess the link with their satisfaction. The data for this study were collected by means of a structured questionnaire administrated to tourists who visited the sites of the protected area during the last three summer months. A total of 150 valid questionnaires were obtained and form the base of the data analysis.
Through a Bayesian model-based clustering, better known as Bayesian Profile Regression, we partition visitors into clusters, characterized by similar profiles in terms of their demographic characteristics (age, gender, education attainment), as well as, in terms of the features of their travel behaviour (accommodation, length of stay, past visitation experience). A further benefit of the followed approach lies in the ability of that Bayesian technique of simultaneously estimating the contribute of all covariates to the outcome of interest. In our context, we explore the association of detected groups with the tourists’ satisfaction. In the survey, the global quality of tourism service is segmented into single features and respondents were asked to give their level of appreciation on a five-point Likert satisfaction scale. To estimate the latent trait measured by the items and related to the overall satisfaction we followed an IRT modelling.
Role of Legal Theory in Legal Education
Authors: Svensson Eva-Maria , Björling Erik
Published: December 2021

The article addresses the role of legal theory in legal education. Today, a multitude of perspectives is present within legal theory and, as a subject, it is not as distinct as it is sometimes claimed to be. It is evident when considering syllabuses in the Nordic countries that nearly all LLM programmes have ambitions to teach legal theory as embracing a multitude of theoretical and methodological perspectives. This multitude of perspectives promises adaptable content for the subject of legal theory in various legal contexts, and could facilitate a reflection on how knowledge is acquired and why. The challenge addressed in the article is the presence of explicit or implicit ideas from the subject of legal theory as comprising a coherent “legal method” and a specific list of accepted theories. The persistence of such ideas is scrutinised in this article with help of the concepts of “professional knowledge” and “scholarly knowledge”. In order to navigate the complex field of legal theories, students need meta-reflective skills, which means the ability to reflect upon the underlying complexity and multitude of the subject. This is shown by a case study from the Department of Law at the University of Gothenburg, together with examples from curricula and textbooks from legal theory courses across the Nordic countries.
Dynamics Of Organizational Communications In Sharing Fantasy Themes To Maintain The Solidarity And Existence Of Community Organizations
Authors: Sinaga Lerman
Published: December 2021

The purpose of this study is to explain the organizational communication aspect of a community organization, Forum Betawi Rempug (FBR), and to reveal the interaction patterns and dynamics of various fantasies of dramatically exchanged symbols. Organizational communication can be defined as the process of creating and exchanging messages in a network of interdependent relationships to cope with an uncertain or changing environment. This research approach uses a subjectivist in the interpretive category. This study uses a qualitative method by using a Symbolic Convergence approach which is subjectivist. The results show that the dynamics of sharing fantasy patterns on the theme of leadership and Betawi figures of FBR community organization depart from the rhetorical vision of the issue of the revival of Betawi in the past, the era before the formation of the State and long before the Dutch colonial era existed. Betawi is a culture that is noble and needs to be fought for. In the organization’s context, FBR is a forum for the struggle to unite the Betawi people by evoking Betawi cultural values and the struggle for the Betawi people’s lives. From the narrative analysis of the FBR community organization, the present storytellers are the leaders in the ranks of the FBR. The latter is considered the primary source of information for delivering the message of the existing dramatic stories. The meaning of leadership in a metaphorical context often gives rise to stories of Betawi’s character and leadership as village guards in the sense of an essential struggle that contains sincerity and loyalty to the area where they live.
Waste Management Strategy Through Community Participation In Realizing Good Governance In Kupang City
Authors: Elerina Douk Tunti Maria , S. Y. Kerihi Anthon , D.L.Mutia Karmila
Published: December 2021

This study aims to formulate a strategy for waste management through community participation in realizing good governance in Kupang City. This type of research is quantitative descriptive using a questionnaire with SWOT analysis. Respondents are residents of Kupang City. The results found that the increase in the population of the city of Kupang has an impact on increasing waste production. Even though waste production continues to increase, as the central government of NTT, stakeholders are trying to improve waste management and make Kupang a healthy, friendly and clean city. The strategies used are 1) synchronizing waste management programs and budgets between the City Government and stakeholders, 2) expanding the collaboration between the City Government and Universities in designing effective and efficient waste management technology, 3) advocating to build public awareness of waste management, 4) exploring opportunities for collaboration between The municipal government with third parties who are concerned with waste management including the preparation of waste processing volunteers, 5) soft skill trainings on waste management and joint budget waste management, 6) build and facilitate coordination with stakeholders and regular communication to the community through Kelurahan and RT/ RW, 7) budget allocation in the APBD to recruit field workers who are committed to managing waste, and the City Government budget allocation for spending on the procurement of public area trash cans that separate organic and non-organic waste.
The Effect Of Wound Care With Palm Sugar On Diabetic Ulcer Repairing In Type 2 Diabetes Patients
Authors: Ratnasari Devi , Daniati Eva , Suliyawati Eti , Farhan Zahara
Published: December 2021

Diabetic ulcers are one of the most common complications of type 2 diabetes mellitus. Diabetic ulcers are infected sores that develop in the lower extremities. Proper diabetic foot wound care methods will improve wound healing. One of the efforts to treat the complement to prevent infection is wound care with palm sugar. Palm sugar contains antibiotic-like substances such as vitamin C, riboflavin, vitamin A, and ascorbic acid. Dr. Slamet Garut's study aims to determine the effectiveness of wound care with palm sugar media against the repair of diabetic ulcers in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus after hospitalization in 2021. The study used a quasi experimental research design with one group pretest and posttest design (Pre-action) and one group of subjects receiving palm sugar therapy on diabetic ulcer wounds (Post-action). The researcher used consecutive sampling techniques, samples that met the inclusion criteria could have 8 people. The wounds were treated with palm sugar for two weeks. The findings revealed that wound care with palm sugar had an effect on the repair of diabetic ulcers in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus, with a Pvalue = 0.000. Then it is possible to conclude that treating wounds with palm sugar affects the improvement of diabetic ulcers.
PRODUCER PRICE INDEX, CONSUMER PRICE INDEX AND FISCAL POLICY: 1996-2020 PERIOD AND TURKEY
Authors: KARA Berat , KESKİN Abdulkadir
Published: December 2021

Knowing the relationship between the Producer Price Index (PPI) and the Consumer Price Index (CPI) is crucial for deciding the fiscal policies which will be implemented within the scope of combating inflation. This relationship has been examined econometrically in this study. Engle-Granger cointegration and Granger causation methods were used in this study, in which monthly data of 1996-1 and 2020-9 periods obtained from the Central Bank and TURKSTAT were used. The stationarity of the series was measured using Augmented Dickey-Fuller and Phillips-Perron unit root methods. Consequently, a 1% increase in CPI for the short term increases PPI by 1.41% and this situation stabilizes within 3.5 months in the long-term, while a 1% increase in PPI increases the CPI by about 00.9%. and this situation stabilized within 20 months in the long-term. And same mutual relationship results found for long-term as well.
NEED FOR GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT OF SMALL AND MEDIUM ENTERPRISES TOWARDS PRODUCTIVITY AND SELF RELIANCE IN THE NIGERIAN ECONOMY
Authors: Dr. Adebowale I. O
Published: December 2021

The present level of unemployment in the nation is worrisome, to say the least. Graduates of tertiary institutions are roaming the streets in search of never - to- come jobs. There can be no real economic empowerment in any developing economy until certain fundamental issues have been put right. The growth and development of Small and Medium Enterprises (SME’S) present a way out of this doldrums. Aggressive efforts are needed to bring about the sustenance and survival of these SME'S paramount of which is a peaceful environment. This paper highlighted the significance of SME subsector in developing economies, challenges and prospects of SMEs in Nigeria as a developing economy in order to enhance economic empowerment by sustaining the growth and development of SME'S with a view to reducing unemployment and decisively address security challenges that has been a source of serious concern to potential foreign and indigenous investors alike, thereby setting in motion an unprecedented growth and development in this all-important sub-sector.
KEYWORD: Unemployment, SME’s, Productivity, Entrepreneurial.
On the development of the draft requirements for the rules of the Register of Shipping in terms of limiting accelerations
Authors: Борисов Р.В. , Лузянин А.А.
Published: December 2021

Настоящая статья является пятой из цикла статей, посвященных корректировке кодекса ИМО по остойчивости в части ограничений продольной качки. В ней рассмотрены подходы к ограничениям по погоде из условий, возникающих при продольной качке для судов различных типов и предложены критерии оценки этих явлений на нерегулярном волнении разной интенсивности.
На основании выполненных систематических расчетов продольной качки на нерегулярном волнении получены зависимости вертикальных ускорений по длине судна от скорости и интенсивности волнения для транспортных судов. Полученные формулы позволяют оценить указанный показатель мореходности. При этом ставится цель расширения нормативной базы для обоснованного назначения эксплуатационных ограничений по погоде и району плавания судов при совершенствовании Правил Российского Морского Регистра Судоходства на основе общего подхода к нормированию мореходности, со­гласующегося с методикой разработки новой Международной конвенции о грузовой марке 2000.
Предлагаемый подход к определению дополнительных критериев мореходности для оценки эксплуатационных ограничений судов по погоде из условий мореходности может быть использован на практике для совершенст­вования нормативных требований Регистра.

This article is the fifth in a series of articles devoted to the adjustment of the IMO stability code in terms of pitching limitations. It considers approaches to weather restrictions based on the conditions arising during pitching for ships of various types and proposes criteria for assessing these phenomena on irregular waves of different intensities.
On the basis of the performed systematic calculations of pitching on irregular waves, the dependences of vertical accelerations along the length of the vessel on the speed and intensity of waves for transport vessels were obtained. The formulas obtained make it possible to estimate the specified indicator of seaworthiness. At the same time, the goal is to expand the regulatory framework for the justified assignment of operational restrictions on the weather and the area of navigation of ships while improving the Rules of the Russian Maritime Register of Shipping on the basis of a general approach to the regulation of seaworthiness, consistent with the methodology for the development of a new International Convention on Load Mark 2000 .
The proposed approach to the definition of additional seaworthiness criteria for assessing the operational limitations of ships by weather based on seaworthiness conditions can be used in practice to improve the regulatory requirements of the Register.