bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
noisyR: Enhancing biological signal in sequencing datasets by characterising random technical noise
Authors: Moutsopoulos I. , Maischak L. , Lauzikaite E. , Urbina S. A. Vasquez , Williams E. C. , Drost H. G. , Mohorianu I. I. 
Published: January 2021

AbstractHigh-throughput sequencing enables an unprecedented resolution in transcript quantification, at the cost of magnifying the impact of technical noise. The consistent reduction of random background noise to capture functionally meaningful biological signals is still challenging. Intrinsic sequencing variability introducing low-level expression variations can obscure patterns in downstream analyses.We introduce noisyR, a comprehensive noise filter to assess the variation in signal distribution and achieve an optimal information-consistency across replicates and samples; this selection also facilitates meaningful pattern recognition outside the background-noise range. noisyR is applicable to count matrices and sequencing data; it outputs sample-specific signal/noise thresholds and filtered expression matrices.We exemplify the effects of minimising technical noise on several datasets, across various sequencing assays: coding, non-coding RNAs and interactions, at bulk and single-cell level. An immediate consequence of filtering out noise is the convergence of predictions (differential-expression calls, enrichment analyses and inference of gene regulatory networks) across different approaches.TeaserNoise removal from sequencing quantification improves the convergence of downstream tools and robustness of conclusions.
Intelligent anti-corrosion expert system based on big data analysis
Authors: Zhao Liang , Tao Wen , Wang Guangwen , Wang Lida , Liu Guichang 
Published: January 2021

Purpose
The paper aims to develop an intelligent anti-corrosion expert system based on browser/server (B/S) architecture to realize an intelligent corrosion management system.

Design/methodology/approach
The system is based on Java EE technology platform and model view controller (MVC) three-tier architecture development model. The authors used an extended three-dimensional interpolation model to predict corrosion rate, and the model is verified by cross-validation method. Additionally, MySQL is used to realize comprehensive data management.

Findings
The proposed anti-corrosion system thoroughly considers a full use of corrosion data, relevant corrosion prediction and efficient corrosion management in one system. Therefore, this system can achieve an accurate prediction of corrosion rate, risk evaluation, risk alert and expert suggestion for equipment in petrochemical plants.

Originality/value
Collectively, this present study has important ramifications for the more efficient and scientific management of corrosion data in enterprises and experts’ guidance in controlling corrosion status. At the same time, the digital management of corrosion data can provide a data support for related theoretical researches in corrosion field, and the intelligent system also offers examples in other fields to improve system by adding intelligence means.
Effects of village savings and loan association on agricultural value productivity in Northern Region of Ghana
Authors: Dawuni Peter , Mabe Franklin Nantui , Tahidu Osman Damba 
Published: January 2021

PurposeAgriculture in Ghana is dominated by smallholder farmers in rural areas. Majority of these farmers are resource-poor and faced with serious challenges in accessing formal financial services towards farming needs attributed to the stringent requirements. To bridge this gap, village savings and loan associations (VSLA) have been promoted in rural areas as an alternative to meeting the credit needs of smallholder farmers. Credit plays a vital role in input acquisition among farmers for improved agricultural value productivity. This study assesses the contribution of VSLA to agricultural value productivity in the Northern Region of Ghana.Design/methodology/approachThe methodology is a primary cross-sectional data collected with the help of a semi-structured questionnaire. This study, therefore, applied a propensity score matching (PSM) to assess the effects of VSLA on agricultural value productivity.FindingsResults from the PSM revealed that extension contact, contract farming, television set ownership, participating in “Planting for Food and Jobs” and nature of roads, including receiving VSLA information from members' increases participation decision of farmers in VSLA. Conversely, age of a farmer, household size, distance to output market and farmers in the Sagnarigu Municipality have negatively influenced VSLA participation. The propensity score matching estimates showed that members of VSLA obtained 38.2% higher agricultural value productivity than non-members.Originality/valueVillage savings and loans associations can be promoted among smallholder farmers as an effective alternative to formal financial service for inclusive development.
The mediating role of cloud computing in the relationship between talent management and competitive advantages
Authors: Abu-Darwish Nisrein Jamal , Al-Kasasbeh Mohammed Mufaddy , Al-Khasawneh Mohammad Mansour 
Published: January 2021

Purpose
This study aims to identify the relationship between talent management and competitive advantages through cloud computing as a mediating factor in the private health sector in Jordan.

Design/methodology/approach
To achieve the study, a questionnaire was developed as the main tool for data collection, which consisted of (39) paragraphs. Sequentially, the population of the study consisted of (200) outpatient clinics for private hospitals, therapeutic and diagnostic centers in the private health sector in Jordan. While (150) questionnaires were distributed to a random sample from the study population, (136) questionnaires were retrieved, (134) of them were valid for statistical analysis. Therefore, the percentage of return and valid questionnaires is (89.3%) out of the total distributed questionnaires.

Findings
Consequently, the results showed there is a statistically significant impact of talent management on the competitive advantages through cloud computing in the private health sector in Jordan.

Research limitations/implications
Based on the results reached, the study included some implications such as, enhancing the awareness of the importance of talent management in the private health sector and direct them toward the application of its practices because its role in achieving competitive advantages, increase its ability to survive and continue in the competitive environment.

Practical implications
Decision-makers of the private health sector are advised to prepare comprehensive plans that allow private health organizations to benefit more from cloud computing and the services it provides.

Originality/value
The importance of this study derives from linking important factors such as talent management, competitive advantages and cloud computing in one of the most vital sectors in Jordan, which is considered one of the critical tributaries of the Jordanian economy.
Descriptive standards and collection management software for documentary heritage management: attitudes and experiences of information professionals
Authors: Renshaw Chelsea , Liew Chern Li 
Published: January 2021

Purpose
This paper aims to examine the attitudes and experiences of information professionals with descriptive standards and collection management systems (CMSs) used for managing documentary heritage collections held by cultural heritage institutions in New Zealand (NZ). The aim is that such insights will inform decision-making around promoting documentary heritage collections discoverability and accessibility, in terms of advocating for appropriate system requirements when procuring or updating CMSs, and application of descriptive standards.

Design/methodology/approach
A qualitative design was applied to investigate the attitudes and experiences of information professionals working in libraries, archives and records management institutions, museums and public galleries. Data was collected through semi-structured interviews with thirteen participants who worked across ten different cultural heritage institutions.

Findings
The findings reveal that variances among metadata in libraries, museums, public galleries, archives and records management institutions continue to lead to challenges around discovery and access of documentary heritage. If opportunities for connecting documentary heritage collections in the age of linked data are to be realized, the sector needs to work collectively to address these variances along with consideration of the CMSs used. The study findings highlight issues currently affecting the NZ cultural heritage sector goal to make collections discoverable and more widely accessible.

Originality/value
The findings highlight a need for deeper research into CMSs used by the cultural heritage sector as these systems have an impact on metadata management including constraining the application of appropriate descriptive standards for documentary heritage collections.
Does culture or self-directed learning drive online performance?
Authors: Wang Qian , Xiong Chang , Liu Jiajun 
Published: January 2021

PurposeThe foundations of internally driven discipline are similar to self-directed learning (SDL). This study examines the effect of cultural orientation and SDL on the online performance of college students. It investigates how college students pursue SDL while maintaining a collectivist cultural orientation in their learning experience. It explains why students prefer SDL to learning constrained by an externally enforced discipline.Design/methodology/approachThe explanatory sequential mixed-method design uses a quantitative method, followed by qualitative enquiry. The research was conducted in an undergraduate non-credit online course in China.FindingsThe findings show that cultural orientation has no impact on students' online performance, while SDL abilities are positively related to it. When fully mediated by SDL, a horizontal-collectivist culture has a positive effect on students' online performance.Research limitations/implicationsData were collected in a non-credit online college course, where the final assessment used a peer-rating approach and team members shared the same final score. This scoring method may not fully reflect each student's online performance.Practical implicationsThe findings suggest that, when considering cultural influence on student performance, researchers should consider learning contexts, including educational level and learning mode. This study validates that colleges should focus on ability and skill development that enhance internal motivation to improve students' online performance, rather than focussing on their beliefs.Originality/valueThis paper introduces evidence to support the impact of culture on college students' online performance, showing that SDL abilities can drive performance.
Prediction of wind speed profile using two artificial neural network models: an ab initio investigation in the Bapouh’s city, Cameroon
Authors: Talla Konchou Franck Armel , Tiam Kapen Pascalin , Kenfack Magnissob Steve Brice , Youssoufa Mohamadou , Tchinda René 
Published: January 2021

Purpose
This paper aims to investigate the profile of the wind speed of a Cameroonian city for the very first time, as there is a growing trend for new wind energy installations in the West region of Cameroon. Two well-known artificial neural networks, namely, multi-layer perceptron (MLP) and nonlinear autoregressive network with exogenous inputs (NARX), were used to model the wind speed profile of the city of Bapouh in the West-region of Cameroon.

Design/methodology/approach
In this work, the profile of the wind speed of a Cameroonian city was investigated for the very first time since there is a growing trend for new wind energy installations in the West region of Cameroon. Two well-known artificial neural networks namely multi-layer perceptron (MLP) and nonlinear autoregressive network with exogenous inputs (NARX) were used to model the wind speed profile of the city of Bapouh in the West-region of Cameroon. The meteorological data were collected every 10 min, at a height of 50 m from the NASA website over a period of two months from December 1, 2016 to January 31, 2017. The performance of the model was evaluated using some well-known statistical tools, such as root mean square error (RMSE), mean absolute error (MAE) and mean absolute percentage error (MAPE). The input variables of the model were the mean wind speed, wind direction, maximum pressure, maximum temperature, time and relative humidity. The maximum wind speed was used as the output of the network. For optimal prediction, the influence of meteorological variables was investigated. The hyperbolic tangent sigmoid (Tansig) and linear (Purelin) were used as activation functions, and it was shown that the combination of wind direction, maximum pressure, maximum relative humidity and time as input variables is the best combination.

Findings
Maximum pressure, maximum relative humidity and time as input variables is the best combination. The correlation between MLP and NARX was computed. It was found that the MLP has the highest correlation when compared to NARX.

Originality/value
Two well-known artificial neural networks namely multi-layer perceptron (MLP) and nonlinear autoregressive network with exogenous inputs (NARX) were used to model the wind speed profile.
Economic slowdown, NPA crisis and productivity behavior of Indian banks
Authors: Goswami Anju , Gulati Rachita 
Published: January 2021

PurposeThis paper aims to investigate the productivity behavior of Indian banks in the presence of non-performing assets (NPAs) over the period 1999 to 2017. The study examines whether Indian banks withstand the shocks of the global financial crisis (GFC) of 2007–2009 and sustain their total factor productivity (TFP) levels in the post-crisis economic turbulent period or not.Design/methodology/approachThe robust estimates of TFP and its components: efficiency change and technical change are obtained using the state-of-the-art and innovative sequential Malmquist-Luenberger productivity index (SMLPI) approach. The key advantages of this approach are that it explicitly allows the joint production of undesirable output (NPAs in our case) along with desirable inputs and outputs in the production process and precludes the possibility of spurious technical regress.FindingsThe empirical results of the study reveal that the Indian banking system has experienced a (−1) percent TFP regress, contributed solely by efficiency loss during the period under investigation. The GFC has slowed down the growth trajectory of TFP growth in the Indian banking industry. Among ownership groups, the effect of the GFC was pronounced on the public sector banks.Practical implicationsThe practical implication drawn from the study is that the Indian banks have not been able to successfully transmit the use of installed technology in a way to generate early warning signals and mitigate the risk of defaults so as to maximize their productivity gains in the banking industry.Originality/valueThis study is perhaps the first one to understand the productivity dynamics of the Indian banks in response to both endogenous (i.e. NPA crisis) and exogenous (i.e. global financial and economic stress) crises. Moreover, the authors obtain the robust estimates of TFP growth of Indian banks by explicitly accounting for NPAs as an undesirable output and equity as a quasi-fixed input in the bank production process.
Incorporating sustainability in engineering curriculum: a study of the Australian universities
Authors: Arefin Md. Arman , Nabi Md. Nurun , Sadeque Saalem , Gudimetla Prasad 
Published: January 2021

PurposeLiterature limited in scope regarding the incorporation of sustainability into engineering curriculum encouraged authors to look at the current approaches of universities to the integration of sustainability into university curricula. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the literature published and analyse the university secondary data (information published on the university websites and magazines and programme catalogues) to understand the current status of Australian universities regarding the integration of sustainability in engineering.Design/methodology/approachArticles and reports from different trustworthy sources have been analysed in this study. A text mining methodology was used to gather information from websites, magazines and programme catalogues.FindingsObtained information and data indicate that the universities are considering sustainability seriously with both internal and external stakeholders of universities working towards embedding sustainability in engineering curricula. Most of the Australian universities have successfully implemented sustainable engineering education and the rest are focussing on integrating sustainability into their engineering education curriculum.Originality/valueThis is the first review, which focusses on incorporating sustainability into the engineering education of Australian universities. However, considering current progress and also some drawbacks of the universities regarding the integration of sustainability into engineering curriculum, 15 future research questions have been developed, which should be considered to make the integration process more efficient and equip engineers who would be able to engage and tackle the environmental, personal, social and economic challenges of the twenty-first century.
Improvement of thermal EHL by selecting bush-pin geometry based on an investigation for industrial chains
Authors: Zhang Mingyu , Wang Jing , Yang Peiran , Liu Yi , Shang Zhaohua , Dai Longjie 
Published: January 2021

Purpose
This study aims to investigate the influence of geometry of bush-pin pair from a perspective of optimal lubrication through a thermal elastohydrodynamic lubrication model for finite line contact.

Design/methodology/approach
A constitutive equation: Ree-Eyring fluid is used in the calculations. The real chain sizes, i.e. equivalent radius of curvature, bush length, length of the rounded corner area and rounded corner radius, are jointed investigated. Moreover, the effects of the length of the rounded corner area and the radius of rounded corner are investigated.

Findings
It is found that the current standard of the chain might not consider the importance of lubrication, and the lubrication state can be improved effectively by choosing an optimal radius of rounded corner and the length of the corner area.

Originality/value
By optimally selecting sizes, the occurrence of high pressure, high temperature rise and near zero film thickness at the ends of bush, especially under heavier load, can be effectively avoided.

Peer review
The peer review history for this article is available at: https://publons.com/publon/10.1108/ILT-01-2020-0031/
Level and speed of acquisition integration and their effects on technological performance
Authors: Lin Liang-Hung , Ho Yu-Ling 
Published: January 2021

PurposeThis study concerns two aspects of the integration process critical for the success of acquisitions: (1) levels of human integration and task integration and (2) speeds of human integration and task integration. The purpose of this study is to examine the interaction effects of human/task integration level and human integration speed advantage on acquisition performance.Design/methodology/approachThis study collected data of companies in the Taiwanese high-tech industries at the financial, organizational and industrial levels to examine the proposed hypotheses. Corporate financial and patent data were collected from the Taiwan Securities and Futures Commission databases and the Intellectual Property Office (IPO) databases. The organizational level data were collected from 142 publicly traded related acquisitions from 2008 to 2009 in the Taiwanese high-tech industries.FindingsThe results show that (1) a high level of human integration positively affects technological performance; (2) the interaction term of human integration level and human integration speed advantage (i.e., relatively faster human integration coupled with slower task integration) positively affects technological performance; and (3) the interaction term of task integration level and human integration speed advantage positively affects technological performance.Originality/valueThe originality of this study lies in advancing our understanding of how complex interactions between human/task integration level and human integration speed advantage affect acquisition performance.
Accounting for sustainable finance: does fair value measurement fit for long-term equity investments?
Authors: Palea Vera 
Published: January 2021

Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to discuss whether fair value accounting fits for long-term equity investments, which are considered key to retool economies according to sustainability criteria. In doing so, the paper focuses on the European Union and addresses the European Commission’s (2018a) concern that current accounting rules are unfit for achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development goals and the targets of the Paris Agreement on climate change.

Design/methodology/approach
The paper grounds in a wide literature review on the effects of fair value accounting on investors’ asset allocation strategies. By critically integrating literature on the notion of long-term investment with theories and possible accounting approaches, the paper provides implications for a revision of the current measurement system for long-term equity investments.

Findings
The literature review supports the view that fair value accounting has played a role in discouraging equity investments over time, thus leaving economies with poorer risk-sharing and weaker long-term investments. The paper contributes to the debate on alternative measurement systems by suggesting possible solutions in relation to controversies arising from empirical evidence.

Originality/value
Reorienting economies according to sustainability criteria represents an urgent issue which requires prompt and policy-oriented responses. Accordingly, this paper offers insights and guidelines that can help policymakers revise current accounting rules for long-term equity investments in line with sustainable development objectives.
Workforce age profile effects on job resources, work engagement and organizational citizenship behavior
Authors: Zhang Liwen , Farndale Elaine 
Published: January 2021

PurposeThe issue of age in organizations has become increasingly salient given expanding age profiles, from millennials to baby boomers. The purpose of this article is to improve the understanding of how age affects individuals' work-related attitudes and behaviors, the authors take a life span perspective to investigate how age profiles moderate the relationship between job resources and work engagement and organizational citizenship behavior (OCB).Design/methodology/approachThe authors collected responses from 270 employees of multinational firms operating in India and conducted multiple regression analyses to examine the hypotheses.FindingsThe authors found that age profiles are significant predictors of work engagement. Specifically, the relationship between development opportunities and work engagement was stronger for younger employees than for older employees. However, age profiles were neither positively related to OCB nor a moderator of the job resources–OCB relationship.Originality/valueThe findings provide empirical evidence of the life span perspective, suggesting that age profiles influence work engagement. This is pertinent for organizations offering employees development opportunities to enhance work engagement.