bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
An internally-controlled memristor-based amplitude shift keying modulator
Authors: Maxwell Chiemeka Loveth , Yu Dongsheng , Leng Yang 
Published: March 2021

Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to design and construct an amplitude shift keying (ASK) modulator, which, using the digital binary modulating signal, controls a floating memristor emulator (MR) internally without the need for additional control circuits to achieve the ASK modulated wave.

Design/methodology/approach
A binary digital unipolar signal to be modulated is converted by a pre-processor circuit into a suitable bipolar modulating direct current (DC) signal for the control of the MR state, using current conveyors the carrier signal’s amplitude is varied with the change in the memristance of the floating MR. A high pass filter is then used to remove the DC control signal (modulating signal) leaving only the modulated carrier signal.

Findings
The results from the experiment and simulation are in agreement showed that the MR can be switched between two states and that a change in the carrier signals amplitude can be achieved by using an MR. Thus, showing that the circuit behavior is in line with the proposed theory and validating the said theory.

Originality/value
In this paper, the binary signal to be modulated is modified into a suitable control signal for the MR, thus the MR relies on the internal operation of the modulator circuit for the control of its memristance. An ASK modulation can then be achieved using a floating memristor without the need for additional circuits or signals to control its memristance.
Dynamic construction site layout planning: an application of branch and bond algorithm
Authors: Sing Michael C.P. , Fung Ivan W.H. , Edwards David John , Liu Henry 
Published: March 2021

PurposeThis paper develops a platform that can be used to determine how to effectively and efficiently deal with a large number of temporary facilities under a constrained site condition(s). The ultimate goal is to reduce the material handling costs between transformation phases of construction works occurring during the project's development period.Design/methodology/approachEmpirical and deductive research is first adopted to mathematical model dynamic site layout planning using the branch and bond algorithm (B&B). Second, a real-life construction project is examined to illustrate how dynamic site layout planning (using the aforementioned B&B algorithm and a computer software program called LINGO) can reduce the material handling costs. The application of the proposed methodology is then showcased against a case study that utilizes a comparative analysis between the “dynamic” and “statistic” site planning approaches.FindingsBy dividing the construction period into different phases, the developed model is shown to be capable of optimizing the material handling costs between the phases of transformation during construction works. Optimal costs are also considered using the site boundary and unit cost for moving construction materials between two facilities. The comparative analysis results illustrate that the B&B algorithm reduces material handling costs by 33%.Practical implicationsThe proposed model offers an effective planning algorithm for the site layout and location of temporary facilities. More specifically, it can make a substantial improvement in reducing the travel time and material handling cost between the temporary facilities in the construction sites.Originality/valueThe primary knowledge contribution of this study to the site layout is successfully deal with the unequal area problem of temporary site facilities and incorporates the concept of dynamics site planning into the algorithm.
Supply chain risks, technological and digital challenges facing grocery retailers in South Africa
Authors: Hove-Sibanda Progress , Motshidisi Marumo , Igwe Paul Agu 
Published: March 2021

Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to examine the risks, innovations and technological enablers or barriers to the efficiency of the supply chain risk management (SCRM) implementation in the retail sector of South Africa.

Design/methodology/approach
This study applied a qualitative research approach by conducting interviews with grocery retail store managers. Through convenience sampling, 12 representatives from 12 stores (1 representative per store was interviewed at each of the 12 stores) were interviewed.

Findings
This study mainly found that most of the grocery retail stores experience late deliveries, damaged stock, theft, high fuel costs and expired stock from their respective suppliers. It was found that firms are faced with similar supply chain risks. In addition, innovations and technologies such as the internet of things (IoT) and social media are making an impact in wider industrial change.

Practical implications
Adaptation of efficient and effective SCRM has had implications for practice related to improvements in the retail stores’ supply chain, the profitability of retail stores, marketing, promotions and consumer experiences.

Originality/value
This study is unique as it provides new insight into variables that affects the quality of service in the retail sector; customer service in the retail sector; innovations and technology help mitigate SCRM experienced in the retail sector from a developing country perspective.
Blockchain technology in financial services: a comprehensive review of the literature
Authors: Pal Abhinav , Tiwari Chandan Kumar , Behl Aastha 
Published: March 2021

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to thoroughly review studies that have used blockchain technology in financial services. This study will help provide a holistic framework that would highlight the current state and challenges of the blockchain in the financial services sector.Design/methodology/approachThe objective of this study is to systematically examine and organize the current body of research literature that either quantitatively or qualitatively explored the use of blockchain technology in financial services. The study uses PRISMA-guided systematic review along with bibliometric analysis to achieve the purpose.FindingsThis study contributes to the existing literature by exploring and analyzing systematic studies available on blockchain with special reference to financial services sector. With blockchain based on five principles, namely, computational logic, peer-to-peer transmission, irreversibility of records, distributed database and transparency with pseudonym has immense potential to unleash and transform the financial service industry. With increasing blockchain-based operations of decentralized banking, insurance, trade finance, financial markets and cryptocurrency market, the subject is rapidly growing and seeking considerable contribution from scholars from around the world.Research limitations/implicationsThis study uses systematic literature review approach, which has its own demerits. Like other studies based on Systematic Literature Review, this study also suffers from a certain bias such as sample selection bias, publication bias, data interpretation and the combination of quantitative and qualitative studies in the population. Further, the adoption and resultant benefits of blockchain have not been empirically tested.Practical implicationsThis study can help policymakers and institutions in determining their future course of action, as it highlights the state of research in the area of blockchain technology and financial services.Originality/valueVery few studies have done a comprehensive review of literature on blockchain in financial services.
When peril responds to plague: predatory journal engagement with COVID-19
Authors: Allen Ryan M. 
Published: March 2021

PurposeThe academic community has warned that predatory journals may attempt to capitalize on the confusion caused by the COVID-19 pandemic to further publish low quality academic work, eroding the credibility of scholarly publishing.Design/methodology/approachThis article first chronicles the risks of predatory publishing, especially related to misinformation surrounding health research. Next, the author offers an empirical investigation of how predatory publishing has engaged with COVID-19, with an emphasis on journals related to virology, immunology and epidemiology as identified through Cabells' Predatory Reports, through a content analysis of publishers' websites and a comparison to a sample from DOAJ.FindingsThe empirical findings show that there were 162 titles related to these critical areas from journals listed on Cabells with a range of infractions, but most were defunct and only 39 had published on the pandemic. Compared to a DOAJ comparison group, the predatory journal websites were less likely to mention slowdowns to the peer review process related to the pandemic. Furthermore, another 284 predatory journals with COVID-19 engagement were uncovered from the initial exploration. These uncovered journals mostly centered on medical or biological science fields, while 42 titles came from other broader fields in social science, other STEM or humanities.Originality/valueThis study does not prove that predatory publications have released misinformation pertaining to COVID-19, but rather it exemplifies the potential within a complex academic publishing space. As these outlets have proven to be vectors of misleading science, libraries and the broader educational community need to stay vigilant as information intermediaries of online research.
The effects of shared leadership on team performance
Authors: Han Jiyeong , Yoon Jeewhan , Choi Woojae , Hong Gyehoon 
Published: March 2021

PurposeThis study aims to investigate the relationship between shared leadership and team performance at the team level. Drawing on conservation of resources (COR) theory, the authors examine whether shared leadership is associated with team performance through team positive psychological capital (PsyCap). This study further examines whether task-oriented and relationship-oriented shared leadership affect team performance differently.Design/methodology/approachMulti-source survey data were obtained from 92 team leaders and 319 employees. An aggregation approach was used to analyze the data at the team level.FindingsA high level of shared leadership positively influences team performance through the mediation of team PsyCap. Moreover, relationship-oriented shared leadership is positively associated with team performance through team PsyCap, while task-oriented shared leadership is negatively associated with team performance without the mediating effect of team PsyCap.Practical implicationsBy focusing on the negative effects of task-oriented shared leadership and the positive effects of relationship-oriented shared leadership and team PsyCap on team performance, this study suggests new ways to manage team performance effectively and extends shared leadership literature.Originality/valueThis study applied COR theory to analyze the effect of shared leadership mediated by team PsyCap on team performance. It contributes to shared leadership literature by shedding light on the negative effects of task-oriented shared leadership and on the positive aspects of relationship-oriented shared leadership.
Examining the role of knowledge sharing on employee performance with a mediating effect of organizational learning
Authors: Meher Jamini Ranjan , Mishra Rohita Kumar 
Published: March 2021

Purpose
The current world of knowledge has a demand for intellectual capital to position or prosper any business. Organizations are constantly looking for developing a pool of talent to gain a competitive advantage. The purpose of this study is to find out the contribution of knowledge sharing that enhances the performance of the employees. This study also exhibits a model for measuring the performance of the employee.

Design/methodology/approach
This study is based on the primary and secondary sources of data. This paper has collected 354 samples from the different information technology (IT) firms located in India. The data were analyzed through statistical package for the social sciences-23 and analysis of moment structures. Path analysis has been conducted to examine the independent and mediating effects on the dependent factor.

Findings
This study confirms the conceptual model with the data. The key contributors are organizational intelligence (OI), organizational learning and knowledge sharing and organizational culture. The performance of the employee is primarily based on organizational learning. OI, knowledge sharing and organizational culture are the major factors that create an environment for organizational learning.

Practical implications
The findings suggest that organizational learning stimulates the effect of knowledge management practices on employee performance. Apart from this OI affirms the learning culture for IT firms.

Originality/value
Drawing from the different theories, this is the first study where the role of OI, organizational culture and knowledge sharing simultaneously aligned and shows the effect on employee performance with the mediation role of organizational learning.
Voter expectations of government formation in coalition systems: The importance of the information context
Authors: BOWLER SHAUN , MCELROY GAIL , MÜLLER STEFAN 
Published: March 2021

AbstractCan voters in multi‐party systems predict which coalition will form the government with any degree of accuracy? To date, studies which explore voter expectations of coalition formation have emphasized individual level attributes, such as education, but the complexity of the environment at the time the coalitions are forming should also be consequential in enabling (or handicapping) voters in forming expectations. We examine the relative effects of individual level attributes (e.g., education, cognitive mobilization) versus contextual factors (e.g., information availability) in 19 German state elections and 3 German general elections between 2009 and 2017. We find that the ease of identifiability of alternative future governments varies significantly across multi‐party systems. We find that respondents are more likely to predict governments that they would like to see in office, that have a higher probability of receiving a majority of seats, and that consist of ideologically proximate parties. Combining survey data with a novel indicator of coalition signals, measured through a quantitative text analysis of newspaper coverage, we also find that voters consider positive pre‐election coalition signals when predicting the government. Finally, we find that the information environment is much more relevant for correct coalition predictions than individual‐level characteristics of respondents. Although individual attributes do influence predictive ability, these factors are strongly dominated by the context in which the prediction is taking place. The information environment has by far the largest effect on predicting coalition outcomes. Our results have implications for the literature on strategic voting in multi‐party settings, as well as the literature on accountability.
Dissemination of Vibrio cholerae O1 isolated from Odisha, India
Authors: Nayak Ashish Kumar , Nayak Smruti Ranjan , Behera Dipti Ranjan , Pal Bibhuti Bhusan 
Published: March 2021

SummaryThe present study reported the antimicrobial susceptibility trends, virulence genes, and drug resistance genes of Vibrio cholerae O1 strains isolated from outbreaks and epidemics over two and half decades (1995–2019) from Odisha, India. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing was performed by disc diffusion method. Virulence and drug resistance genes were detected by multiplex PCR assays. All V. cholerae O1 strains were sensitive to gentamicin, chloramphenicol, norfloxacin and ciprofloxacin while resistant to one or more antibiotics used. About 90% of the isolates of V. cholerae O1 carried antibiotic drug resistant genes (SulII, dfrA1 and strB) and SXT elements and the results correlated with the phenotypic antibiotic data obtained through disc diffusion assay. The tcpA Haitian variant V. cholerae O1 first appeared in 1999, gradually showing its increasing number upto 2019. TcpA El Tor strains only prevailed from 1995 to 2006; whereas the tcpA classical strains of V.choleraeO1 were found in less number from 1995 to 2016. Two multiplex PCR assays confirmed the presence of various toxigenic and virulence genes (toxR, ompU, ace, rtxC, ctxA, tcpA, rfbO1 and ompW) in all isolate of V. cholerae O1 strains. The present findings demonstrated the origin and spread of Haitian variants tcpA in V. cholerae O1 strains over two and half decades.
Unique localization of disseminated pancreas in the oesophagus of catfish (clarias gariepinus) with reference to sexual dimorphism
Authors: Karkit Mayada W. , Salem Hoda F. , Bareedy Mohammad H. , Elewa Yaser H. A. 
Published: March 2021

AbstractBackgroundThe fish pancreas has been reported to be composed of two portions: compact and disseminated. However, little has been elucidated in catfish. The present study describes a unique localization of the disseminated pancreas in African catfish.MethodsThe sections were obtained and used for either routine histological examination following staining with haematoxylin and eosin (H & E), periodic acid–Schiff's, or were subjected to immunohistochemical staining for detection of both insulin‐producing β cells and glucagon‐producing alpha cells.ResultsOur investigation showed that the pancreas of catfish consisted of both compact and disseminated portions. The compact pancreas was embedded in the mesenteric adipose tissue between the spleen, stomach and liver. However, the disseminated one showed unique localization in the tunica adventitia of the middle portion of the oesophagus. The pancreas consisted of two portions, exocrine and endocrine. Furthermore, in both types of pancreas, the female showed a significantly higher ratio for the endocrine islet area/pancreatic tissue area than that of the male and also a significantly higher ratio for both insulin‐ and glucagon‐positive area/islet area in the female pancreas (compact and disseminated) than that of the male.In conclusionThe present study provides evidence on a unique localization of the disseminated pancreas in the oesophagus of catfish. Furthermore, we revealed sex‐related difference in the endocrine portion in both pancreatic tissues with more development in the female. The study suggests that sex hormones could be contributed to such sexual dimorphism. However, further investigation is required to compare the degree of development during the spawning and resting seasons.
First AMS radiocarbon date and stable C:N isotope analysis for the Mount Holly Mammoth, Vermont, USA
Authors: Kitchel Nathaniel R. , Desilva Jeremy M. 
Published: March 2021

Proboscidean remains have been documented in New England for well over a century, yet few radiocarbon dates exist for these animals in the region. Here, we report the first AMS radiocarbon date and stable carbon:nitrogen isotope analysis for the Mount Holly mammoth, Mount Holly, Vermont. Among proboscidean finds in New England the date of 10 860±30 (12 882–12 792 cal. BP) from the Mount Holly mammoth is the most recent radiocarbon date for a mammoth or mastodon in New England and the most precisely dated specimen possibly post‐dating the accepted age of the initial human settlement of the region during the onset of the Younger Dryas. Stable nitrogen isotope values are low for mammoths both regionally and globally, but consistent with a pattern of falling δ15N values for mammoths following the Last Glacial Maximum with particularly low values during the Younger Dryas.
The effects of endocrine disruptors on the male germline: an intergenerational health risk
Authors: Lombó Marta , Herráez Paz 
Published: March 2021

ABSTRACTEnvironmental pollution is becoming one of the major concerns of society. Among the emerging contaminants, endocrine‐disrupting chemicals (EDCs), a large group of toxicants, have been the subject of many scientific studies. Besides the capacity of these compounds to interfere with the endocrine system, they have also been reported to exert both genotoxic and epigenotoxic effects. Given that spermatogenesis is a coordinated process that requires the involvement of several steroid hormones and that entails deep changes in the chromatin, such as DNA compaction and epigenetic remodelling, it could be affected by male exposure to EDCs. A great deal of evidence highlights that these compounds have detrimental effects on male reproductive health, including alterations to sperm motility, sexual function, and gonad development. This review focuses on the consequences of paternal exposure to such chemicals for future generations, which still remain poorly known. Historically, spermatozoa have long been considered as mere vectors delivering the paternal haploid genome to the oocyte. Only recently have they been understood to harbour genetic and epigenetic information that plays a remarkable role during offspring early development and long‐term health. This review examines the different modes of action by which the spermatozoa represent a key target for EDCs, and analyses the consequences of environmentally induced changes in sperm genetic and epigenetic information for subsequent generations.
More Later: Delay of Gratification and Thought About the Future in Children
Authors: Burns Patrick , O’Connor Patrick A. , Atance Cristina , McCormack Teresa 
Published: March 2021

We investigated whether individual differences in future time perception and the detail with which future events are imagined are related to children’s delay of gratification. We administered a delay choice task (real rewards), a delay discounting task (hypothetical rewards), a novel future time perception measure, an episodic future thinking (EFT) interview and IQ measures to a sample of 7‐ to 11‐year‐olds (N = 132) drawn from a urban predominately white population in N. Ireland. We found a strong correlation between delay choice and delay discounting. Future time perception and EFT were related to delay discounting, however only the relation with future time perception survived controlling for age and IQ. Children who showed greater compression of future time periods were the steepest discounters.