bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Sources of Intraspecific Morphological Variation inVipera seoanei: Allometry, Sex, and Colour Phenotype
Authors: Lucchini Nahla , Kaliontzopoulou Antigoni , Val Guillermo Aguado , Martínez-Freiría Fernando 
Published: April 2020

AbstractSnakes frequently exhibit ontogenetic and sexual variation in head dimensions, as well as the occurrence of distinct colour morphotypes which might be fitness-related. In this study, we used linear biometry and geometric morphometrics to investigate intraspecific morphological variation related to allometry and sexual dimorphism inVipera seoanei, a species that exhibits five colour morphotypes, potentially subjected to distinct ecological pressures. We measured body size (SVL), tail length and head dimensions in 391 specimens, and examined variation in biometric traits with respect to allometry, sex and colour morph. In addition, we analysed head shape variation by recording the position of 29 landmarks in 123 specimens and establishing a low-error protocol for implementing geometric morphometrics to European vipers. All head dimensions exhibited significant allometry, while sexual differences occurred for SVL, relative tail length and snout height. After considering size effects, we found significant differences in body proportions between the sexes and across colour morphs, which suggests an important influence of lowland and montane habitats in shaping morphological variation. By contrast, head shape did not exhibit significant variation across sexes or colour morphs. Instead it was mainly associated to allometric variation, where the supraocular and the rear regions of the head were the areas that varied the most throughout growth and across individuals. Overall, this study provides a thorough description of morphological variability inVipera seoaneiand highlights the relevance of combining different tools (i.e. linear and geometric morphometrics) and analyses to evaluate the relative contribution of different factors in shaping intraspecific variation.
Sphingosine-1-phosphate receptors 1 and 3 regulate the expression of scavenger receptor B1 in human aortic endothelial cells
Authors: Wang Dongdong , Rohrer Lucia , von Eckardstein Arnold 
Published: April 2020

AbstractSeveral vasoprotective functions of high-density lipoproteins (HDL) on the endothelium have been shown to depend on the presence of sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P) receptors (S1PRs) as well as scavenger receptor class B type 1 (SR-B1). Interference with the presence of S1P or the activity of S1PR1 or S1PR3 mimics many effects seen by the interference with SR-B1. This raises the question on interactions between S1P receptors and SR-B1. We investigated the influence of S1PRs on SR-B1 expression in human aortic endothelial cells. Silencing or pharmacological inhibition of S1PR1 or S1PR3 down-regulatedSCARB1mRNA expression as well as SR-B1 protein abundance. RNA interference with S1PR1 or S1PR3 also decreased cellular association of125I-HDL with HAECs. Further mechanistic studies showed that knockdown of S1PR1 or S1PR3 reduced SR-B1 protein by inducing its degradation through deceasing Akt activity. Moreover, silencing of S1PR1 or S1PR3 suppressedSCARB1mRNA expression by decreasing cellular cAMP levels. In conclusion, we provide evidence for an as yet unappreciated interaction, namely the regulation of SR-B1 abundance by S1PRs on both transcriptional and post-translational levels, suggesting that interactions of S1PRs and SR-B1 regulate signaling functions of HDL as well as uptake of lipoproteins in endothelial cells.
Synergistic effect of lean practices on lead time reduction: mediating role of manufacturing flexibility
Authors: Nawanir Gusman , Lim Kong Teong , Ramayah T. , Mahmud Fatimah , Lee Khai Loon , Maarof Mohd Ghazali 
Published: April 2020

PurposeThis study scrutinized the synergistic effects of lean manufacturing (LM) on lead time reduction (LR) while investigating the mediating role of manufacturing flexibility (MF) in that relationship within the context of batch and mass customization manufacturers.Design/methodology/approachThis cross-sectional survey involved 160 large batch and mass customization manufacturers in Indonesia. Data were analyzed by using the PLS path modeling approach and multigroup analysis.FindingsThe positive synergistic direct effects of LM on LR and MF were revealed in both process types. In mass customization, MF mediates the effect of LM on LR. However, such a mediating effect was not found in the batch process due to the insignificant effect of MF on LR.Practical implicationsThe findings offered theoretical and practical insights supporting the manufacturers to grasp potential benefits through the holistic LM implementation as well as the suitable strategies to improve MF and reduce lead time by considering the types of the production process.Originality/valueThis study bridged the gaps regarding the comparison of LM implementation and its influence on MF and LR in mass customization and batch production.
Cyber physical system for safety management in smart construction site
Authors: Jiang Weiguang , Ding Lieyun , Zhou Cheng 
Published: April 2020

PurposeConstruction safety has been a long-term problem in the development of the construction industry. An increasing number of smart construction sites have been designed using different techniques to reduce injuries caused by construction accidents and achieve proactive risk control. However, comprehensive smart construction site safety management solutions and applications have yet to be developed. Thus, this study proposes a smart construction site framework for safety management.Design/methodology/approachA safety management system based on a cyber-physical system is proposed. The system establishes risk data synchronization mapping between the virtual construction and physical construction sites through scene reconstruction design, data awareness, data communication and data processing modules. Personnel, mechanical and other risks on site will be warned and controlled.FindingsThe results of the case study have proved the management benefits of the system. On-site workers gradually realized that they should enter the construction site based on the standard process. And the number of people close to the construction hazard areas decreased.Research limitations/implicationsThere are some limitations in the technology of smart construction site. The modeling speed can be faster, the data collection can be timelier, and the identification of unsafe behavior can be integrated into the system. Construction quality and efficiency issues in a virtual construction site will also be solved in further research.Practical implicationsIn this paper, this system is actually applied in the mega project management process. More practical projects can use the management ideas and method of this paper to ensure on-site safety.Originality/valueThis study is among the first attempts to build a complete smart construction site based on CPS and apply it in practice. Personnel, mechanical, components, environment information will be displayed on the virtual construction site. It will greatly promote the development of the intellectualized construction industry in the future.
Mechanisms for hiring discrimination of immigrant applicants in the United States
Authors: Akinlade Ekundayo Y. , Lambert Jason R. , Zhang Peng 
Published: April 2020

PurposeFew studies examine how hiring discrimination can be an antecedent to the labor exploitation of immigrant workers. The main purpose of this paper is to advance the theoretical understanding of how the intersectionality of race and immigrant status affects differential hiring treatment, and how it affects job offers, job acceptance and hiring decision outcomes for immigrant job seekers.Design/methodology/approachThe paper draws from theories on status and intersectionality, and literature on immigration labor and racial hierarchy, addressing the unequal power relations that underlie race and immigration status affecting the hiring process, to advance critical understandings of why immigrant job seekers accept positions where they may be exploited.FindingsThis paper provides a conceptual model to critically synthesize the complexity between race and immigrant status, and their effect on the experience of immigrant job seekers differently. Exploitation opportunism is introduced to better understand the mechanisms of hiring discrimination among immigrant job seekers to include the role of race, immigrant status, economic motivations and unequal power relations on the hiring process.Practical implicationsThe framework for exploitation opportunism will help employers improve the quality and fairness of their hiring methods, and empower immigrant job seekers to not allow themselves to accept subpar job offers which can lead to exploitation.Originality/valueThe paper provides an original analysis of immigrant job seekers' experience of the hiring process that reveals the intragroup differences among immigrants based on race and status, and the decision-making mechanisms that hiring managers and immigrant job seekers use to evaluate job offers and job acceptance.
The role of HRD in CSR and sustainability: a content analysis of corporate responsibility reports
Authors: Jang Soebin , Ardichvili Alexandre 
Published: April 2020

PurposeThis study aims to examine the role of human resource development (HRD) in corporate social responsibility (CSR) and sustainability initiatives of multinational companies (MNCs).Design/methodology/approachThe authors analyze contents of corporate responsibility (CR) reports disclosed by 23 MNCs from Europe, Asia and North America to examine HRD’s contribution to CSR and sustainability, with particular attention to long-term human development and organization development.FindingsThe analysis of CR reports indicates that HRD is perceived as playing a role in the following areas: diversity, equity and inclusion; community engagement; work–life balance; employee long-term growth and development; performance management; business ethics and ethical culture; and raising CSR awareness. In all areas, HRD was identified as playing a significant role in supporting companies’ CSR agendas.Originality/valueThis study extends research on the intersection of HR, CSR and sustainability and provides evidence of HRD’s important contributions to CSR and sustainability.
Family event participation: building flourishing communities
Authors: Booth Alison Stevens , Cameron Fiona Mary 
Published: April 2020

PurposeFamily participation in community events and festivals is framed by certain conditions related to their ability to enhance their quality of life (QOL) and family flourishing. For communities to flourish, families must feel safe, secure, accepted and included. The research has the following aims: (1) to consider whether location is a determinant in family QOL and event participation, and (2) to identify how cultural identity and family issues may affect families' QOL and the role events play in their ability to flourish as a family.Design/methodology/approachAn integrated mixed-methods design was used derived from quantitative and qualitative traditions, including surveys, interviews and secondary data. The survey component combined Jepson and Stadler's St Albans 2015 QOL study survey with research instruments used by the Rotorua Lakes Council (RLC). The Rotorua sample included 521 valid anonymous online surveys and 11 semi-structured interviews. The RLC's Arts and Culture team provided expert advice, strategic plans and reports; secondary data were gathered from media reports.FindingsWhen comparing key Rotorua and St Albans data, the participants' responses were very similar. What appear significant are socio-economic and cultural differences and family-flourishing factors specific to Rotorua's location and population. The findings show that the biggest obstacles for families attending events are money, work commitments and family obligations. The events reflect the region's unique cultural profile and provide a distinctive identifier of place and people that create a unique small-city event portfolio.Research limitations/implicationsThis study's findings have reinforced that for small-city events to succeed and attract high levels of patronage, council and community must work cooperatively towards common goals. Our findings indicate the importance, to our participants, of emotional attachment to Rotorua's natural landscape, built environment and unique cultural heritage. Additionally, arts and culture research focusing on new-migrant and multi-generational event participation is worth further consideration for preserving Rotorua's cultural history. Perceptions within the Rotorua community of their family experience at local events are central to our ongoing research and the further successful delivery of the RLC's event portfolio.Originality/valueThis research offers a case study that serves to build further areas of inquiry into the role events play in QOL, family flourishing and maintaining indigenous cultures. Study findings have reinforced that organisations, practitioners, festivals and events succeed in attracting high levels of patronage for a small city. This study provides insights for designing culturally inclusive event portfolios that include events and festivals that target family audiences.
Local vs non-local sources of knowledge for the low-tech firms’ product innovation: evidence from the food-processing industry in Thailand
Authors: Tippakoon Phakpoom 
Published: April 2020

Purpose
This study aims to examine the effect on firms’ new product development (NPD) and significant product modification of knowledge interaction with local and non-local knowledge actors.

Design/methodology/approach
This study draws insights from the literature on external knowledge sources. The negative binomial regression is used to analyse the data of 245 sample food-processing establishments in Thailand.

Findings
Local knowledge actors play only limited roles in enhancing food-processing establishments’ product innovations. Only knowledge interaction with local universities and public research organisations helps enhance establishments’ ability to modify their products. For the NPD, significant sources of knowledge are non-local industrial actors.

Originality/value
This study adds new empirical evidence on knowledge sources for innovation of low-tech firms in less developed countries. It contributes new findings to an on-going debate on the importance of local vs non-local knowledge sources on firms’ innovativeness. It also contributes some implications for the Thai Government’s cluster-based innovation strategy.
NAFTA and the United States and Mexico maize belts 1994–2017
Authors: Osorio-Antonia José , Bada-Carbajal Lila Margarita , Rivas-Tovar Luis Arturo 
Published: April 2020

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is twofold. First, the impact of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) on the agribusinesses of corn production in Mexico is analyzed, taking into special consideration the policy of encouragement to small producers, productive restructuring and identification of positive and negative effects. Second, the evolution of the US–Mexican maize belts (1994–2017) is analyzed, establishing the economic and political impacts with respect to NAFTA.Design/methodology/approachThe paper opted for a documentary meta-analysis study using data from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the System of Agricultural and Fishery Information (SIAP) in Mexico. The data were completed with documentary analysis of research on maize productivity.FindingsProvided is the information about the impacts of maize belts in the United States (US) and Mexico, where it was determined that the leading states maintained productive hegemony to a greater and lesser extent and that Mexico experienced a productive reorientation. The findings show that it is a myth that there are losers in the maize agroindustry of Mexico and the United States as it is suggested that after twenty-four years they have become complementary.Research limitations/implicationsSummarized is the state of knowledge from 1994 to 2017, aligned to the databases of the United States and Mexico.Originality/valueA need to study the relation between the productive evolution of maize production and NAFTA is identified.
Optimal energy mix for a reverse osmosis desalination unit considering demand response
Authors: Okampo Ewaoche John , Nwulu Nnamdi I. 
Published: April 2020

Purpose
Reverse osmosis (RO) has become an important method of desalination to meet the ever-growing water needs around the world. Its integration with renewable energy source (RES) reduces the environmental impact of gas emissions and cost of conventional fossil energy sources. The optimal sizing of energy sources to power RO desalination system is intended mainly to minimize the annualized cost of the system and by extension minimize freshwater cost while maximizing production.

Design/methodology/approach
In this study, a mathematical optimization approach is used to determine the optimal energy mix, which includes grid power, diesel generator and a photovoltaic (PV) module to supply an RO desalination unit. Three cases of optimal sizing approach were compared. Case 1 is a system with only grid power and diesel generator as energy sources; Case 2 has PV incorporated in the energy supply mix while Case 3 has the three energy sources and a Time of Use (TOU) demand response program on the demand side.

Findings
The results of implementing the optimization models show that Case 3 turnout the highest freshwater production (1,521 m3/day) at a unit cost of 1.36$/m3 when compared to Case 1 with daily freshwater production of 1,250 m3/day at a unit cost of 1.68$/m3 and Case 2 having a daily freshwater production of 1,501 m3/day at a unit cost of 1.33$/m3.

Originality/value
The integration of RES to power desalination system with application of TOU demand response is the significance of this study.
Relationship between retailers’ return policies and consumer ratings
Authors: Rokonuzzaman Md , Mukherjee Atmadeep , Iyer Pramod , Mukherjee Amaradri 
Published: April 2020

Purpose
Return policies are major risk-allaying cues for customers, yet they are a critical cost/lost-sales for retailers. Despite their importance in the retailing industry, few studies have examined the interplay of return policies with other cues that customers use to make a purchase decision. Toward this end, this study aims to investigate the interaction effects certain salient high-scope and low-scope cues, such as consumer ratings and brand image, and retailers’ return policies have on consumer purchase decisions.

Design/methodology/approach
Building on literature from signaling theory and cue scope literature (high-scope and low-scope cues), the authors develop a research model that hypothesizes the interrelationships between return policies, price discounts, customer product ratings and brand image. Three experimental studies investigate the potential interplay between return policies (lenient vs stringent), price discounts (low vs high), customer product ratings (low vs high) and brand image (high vs low) on quality certainty perceptions and purchase intentions. The mediating effect of quality certainty perceptions on the interplay of various factors (return policy, price promotions, consumer ratings and brand image) and customer purchase intentions is also investigated.

Findings
Results indicate that a lenient return policy will have a positive effect when consumers encounter high scope cues that signal undesirable aspects of the product (i.e. low consumer ratings, low brand image). In contrast, when high scope cues signal desirable aspects of the product (i.e. high consumer ratings, high brand image), it attenuates the effects of return policy. The findings suggest that quality certainty acts as a psychological process.

Research limitations/implications
Service researchers should seek to examine the role of return policies in a more comprehensive manner.

Practical implications
Return policies are important cues for consumers while making purchase decision. Thus, retailers need to realize that these policies may need to be more dynamic or tiered, rather than one-size-fits-all.

Originality/value
This study provides a more comprehensive view of how consumers consider multiple cues simultaneously in decision-making. Literature has mainly examined the interactions between different high-scope and low-scope cues, but there has been limited research directed toward the interplay between multiple high-scope cues.
Measuring the effect of investor sentiment on liquidity
Authors: Dunham Lee M. , Garcia John 
Published: April 2020

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine the effect of firm-level investor sentiment on a firm's share liquidity.Design/methodology/approachThe authors use Bloomberg's firm-level, daily investor sentiment scores derived from firm-level news and Twitter content in a regression model to explain the variability in a firm's share liquidity.FindingsThe results indicate that improvements (deterioration) in investor sentiment derived solely from Twitter content lead to a decrease (increase) in the average firm's share liquidity. Results, although not as strong, are opposite for investor sentiment derived solely from news articles: improvements (deterioration) in news sentiment leads to an increase (decrease) in the average firm's share liquidity.Research limitations/implicationsThe proxy for share liquidity is the bid-ask spread, which may be an imperfect measure of liquidity. The Amihud illiquidity measure was used as an alternative proxy and yield similar results. The results have important implications for investors in assessing the determinants of share liquidity.Practical implicationsThe sample period covers four years (2015–2018), which is determined by the availability of the Bloomberg sentiment data.Social implicationsInvestors increasing use of social media to express views on particular stocks and seek information that might be used in the investment decision-making process. The study links investor sentiment derived from social media (Twitter) to share liquidity.Originality/valueBy examining the relationship between a firm's sentiment and the firm's share liquidity, this paper advances the authors' understanding of the factors that drive a firm's share liquidity. To the authors' knowledge, this is the first study to link investor sentiment derived from firm-level news and Twitter content to a firm's share liquidity.
Interaction of Al2O3-Ag and Al2O3-Cu hybrid nanoparticles with water on convectively heated moving material
Authors: Ramesh G.K. , Roopa G.S. , Shehzad SabirAli , Khan S.U. 
Published: April 2020

PurposeThe aim of present work is to study the flow and heat transport structures of hybrid nanoparticles in a moving material. Two types of hybrid nanoparticles have been chosen namely Al2O3-Cu and Al2O3-Ag nanoparticles (90%) within 10% of pure water.Design/methodology/approachLeading governing equations are transformed through similarity technique and then computed for numerical illustration by applying RKF method.FindingsThe author observed that the skin friction value of Al2O3-Cu/water case is lesser in comparison to the values of Nusselt number for Al2O3-Ag/water nanoparticles.Originality/valueThere exist no such study which addressed such phenomenon.