bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Municipal 5G bans during the Covid-19 pandemic: the case of Italy
Authors: Gerli Paolo 
Published: October 2021

Purpose
Several sources have reported an increase in the opposition to the fifth-generation (5G) amongst local communities following the outbreak of Covid-19. In Italy, more than 300 municipalities banned 5G rollout from their territory between April and June 2020. Researchers have described this phenomenon as resulting from the infodemic caused by the pandemic, however, local protests also accompanied the rollout of the previous generation of mobile communications. This paper uses document analysis to explore the local debate on 5G municipal bans and map their evolution in an Italian region. This study aims to unravel the complexity of this phenomenon and inform future research on the actors and factors underlying the opposition of local communities towards 5G.

Design/methodology/approach
The analysis focusses on Marche, a region in Italy where, by July 2020, 25% of the municipalities had banned 5G rollout. This analysis is based on secondary data, retrieved from multiple online sources (articles from the local press, public statements and press releases, minutes from local council meetings and resolutions from local councils).

Findings
The analysis revealed that concerns on the safety of electromagnetic fields predated the pandemic, although these concerns may have increased the sensitivity of local communities towards health issues. The local debates on 5G involved many actors from the civil society, including environmentalists that had long campaigned against wireless technologies and local politicians playing a proactive role in leading and coordinating the adoption of resolutions against 5G.

Originality/value
This paper addresses an emerging phenomenon, such as municipal bans against 5G, that has not yet been explored in academic literature. Researchers have recently investigated the propagation of conspiracy theories on 5G on social media, but little has been said on the factors and actors shaping the debate on 5G within local communities.
The influence of female directors proportion on investment efficiency: the mediating role of caution
Authors: Mohd Saleh Norman , Sun Xiao Wei 
Published: October 2021

PurposeIn this study, the authors argue that because of female traits, the proportion of female directors in the board helps the governing body make more cautious decisions, thus improving the investment efficiency of the firm. Therefore, this research aims to propose the mediating role of caution in reexamining the relationship between the proportion of female directors and the efficiency of the investment of a firm.Design/methodology/approachThis study uses data on 100 nonfinancial listed firms in Malaysia between 2015 and 2018. The authors use several multivariate regression analyses to test the mediating effect.FindingsThe result shows that female directors significantly affect investment efficiency. Moreover, the findings in this research confirm the mediating role of caution in the relationship between the proportion of female directors and the efficiency of firm investment.Practical implicationsThis study proves that increasing the proportion of females in the board of directors is an effective governance method to improve the investment efficiency of listed firms in Malaysia.Originality/valueIn general, this study contributes to the literature by extending the current understanding of risk propensity differences between male and female directors and introducing the concept of caution.
Aerodynamical characteristics of a reduced scale ground vehicle according to yaw angle variations
Authors: Gilotte Philippe , Mortazavi Iraj , Colon de Carvajal Alfonso , Edwige Stephie , Nayeri Christian Navid 
Published: October 2021

Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to study pressure measurement correlations, as the location of the pressure sensors should enable to capture variation of the drag force depending on the yaw angle and some geometrical modifications.

Design/methodology/approach
The present aerodynamical study, performed on a reduced scale mock-up representing a sport utility vehicle, involves both numerical and experimental investigations. Experiments performed in a wind tunnel facility deal with drag and pressure measurements related to the side wind variation. The pressure sensor locations are deduced from wall streamlines computed from large eddy simulation results on the external surfaces of the mock-up.

Findings
After validation of the drag coefficient (Cd) values computed with an aerodynamic balance, measurements should only imply pressure tap mounted on the vehicle to perform real driving emission (RDE) tests.

Originality/value
Relation presented in this paper between pressure coefficients measured on a side sensor and the drag coefficient data must enable to better quantify the drag force contribution of a ground vehicle in RDE tests.
A comparative study on the electrical and tribological characteristic of magnetron sputtered Ag, Cu and Al films under current-carrying friction
Authors: Xia Yanqiu , Cao Yanan , Feng Xin , P_ Haris M_ 
Published: October 2021

Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to compare the electrical conductivity and tribological properties of magnetron sputtered silver (Ag), copper (Cu) and aluminum (Al) thin films under conductive grease lubrication.

Design/methodology/approach
Three types of silver (Ag), copper (Cu) and aluminum (Al) thin films were prepared by magnetron sputtering. Current-carrying friction tests were carried out by a ball-on-plate reciprocating friction and wear tester. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) were used to observe and analyze the worn surface and cross-section morphology of the films.

Findings
Silver and Cu films exhibited good conductivity and tribological properties, which were mainly attributed to the synergy of the protective tribofilm generated by conductive grease, current-induced thermal effect and magnetron sputtered films effect. Al film was worn through. Large pitting storing lubricate were only found in Ag film. Cu film showed a similar surface uniformity with Ag film.

Originality/value
This study provides a reference for the design and application of conductive grease and investigates the current-carrying friction behaviors of magnetron sputtered films as electrical contact materials. The comparison of current-carrying friction behaviors of the three films was rarely covered in previous studies.
Lassoing the bullwhip effect by applying blockchain to supply chains
Authors: Ghode Dnyaneshwar J. , Yadav Vinod , Jain Rakesh , Soni Gunjan 
Published: October 2021

Purpose
A supply chain (SC) involves many stakeholders, directly or indirectly, for satisfying consumers’ requirements. SC management is restricted by a lack of information sharing among stakeholders as parties of SC do not have direct communication and/or are not willing to share private and competitively sensitive information. In the SC, the bullwhip effect (BWE) is an undesirable phenomenon that aggravates the SC performance and increases the overall cost of SC. The main culprit of BWE is the lack of SC coordination among the parties, which results from wrong and lack of information sharing. Blockchain technology (BT) has the main characteristic of distributed shared ledger that makes all parties in the SC network able to access data. This paper aims to develop a BT model and implement it into the SC.

Design/methodology/approach
A blockchain is developed consisting four SC stakeholders and an integrated development environment has been used for coding in Python.

Findings
The analysis of the impact of the adoption of BT in SC shows the reduction in BWE.

Originality/value
In SC, BT can be considered as an effective tool to share the demand data among all SC partners. Sharing of such data will improve SC planning and reduce the BWE.
The universal language: mathematics or music?
Authors: Kashyap Ravi 
Published: October 2021

PurposeMusic could be a challenger for mathematics and a potential candidate for the title “The Universal Language.” This paper aims to discuss the primary objectives of engaging with music, including the therapeutic benefits. Similarities, between mathematics and music and how studying one might enhance one’s abilities of the other are pointed out.Design/methodology/approachA formal definition for a universal language is given. A qualitative approach, supplemented with rigorous reasoning, is adopted. The narrative relies on the author’s experiences, teaching mathematical concepts and musical interactions, with students from several countries. A vast amount of literature is reviewed and the corresponding findings are connected toward the arguments made.FindingsThe paper demonstrates that one day, once we understand both mathematics and music better, we might see both of them as the same language. Until then, it is essential to supplement mathematics with music. The educational implications, for all fields, are to ensure that the future creators of knowledge are equally adept at both music and mathematics. The wider policy connotations are to create a blueprint for a society with a vibrant musical and artistic environment.Originality/valueThis study illuminates new ways of thinking about music and mathematics. The possibility that many seemingly complex entities (including our universe, virtual computer worlds, mathematical operations, etc.), are made up of combinations of much simpler building blocks is hinted at. Familiarity with any intricate element of life, without getting flustered, is bound to produce remarkable results in other such endeavors.
Impact of an economic revitalization programme on export and employment generation: a case study of One District One Product Programme in Uttar Pradesh, India
Authors: Tripathi Aditya P. , Agrawal Noopur 
Published: October 2021

PurposeThe aim of this paper is to discuss the role of the economic revitalization programme, One District One Product (ODOP) implemented in the state of Uttar Pradesh of India in 2018, examine its strategy, and analyze its impact on employment generation, export promotion and economic growth of the state from 2018 to 2020.Design/methodology/approachAlong with extensive literature, this paper uses case study approach for discussion. Arguments and facts are based on secondary data comprising of research by scholars, international agencies, government publications, websites, news reports, etc.FindingsThis paper presents positive impact of the systematically crafted ODOP programme. Nevertheless, for desired success, it signifies the inevitability of active participation and engagement of public that has always been a precarious subject in the literature of public administration and governance.OriginalityThis paper offers a guiding live example for other states/countries to successfully implement ODOP programme which is a transformational step for realizing the true potential of each district. Strategies like ODOP may serve as an agent of change and be of immense help to governments in solving the problems of economic inequalities and regional imbalances.
A study of the effect of wearing face masks in preventing COVID-19 transmission in the United States of America
Authors: Suzuki Kazuyuki , Hasegawa Tomonori , Kano Noriaki , Okamoto Yoshihisa 
Published: October 2021

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to intelligibly demonstrate the effectiveness of face mask wearing as a means to prevent COVID-19 transmission. Through understanding the benefits of wearing masks, it is hoped to facilitate the change of societal behavior and more people are willing to wear face mask.Design/methodology/approachThe paper investigates the 50 states in the United States of America (U.S.) and Washington, D.C. that implemented the mask mandates before September 30, 2020, which are divided into four groups: (1) those implemented the statewide mask mandates before June 5, 2020 when World Health Organization (WHO) recommended mask wearing; (2) those implemented statewide mask mandates after June 5, 2020; (3) those implemented partial mandates affecting 30 percent or more of the state’s population; and (4) those implemented partial mandates affecting less than 30 percent. Simple descriptive statistics are analyzed.FindingsFor the 50 U.S. states and Washington, D.C., the higher the mask wearing rate, the lower the number of COVID-19 cases (correlation coefficient: −0.69 (p<0.001)). For the 23 states with mobility reduction of less than 15 percent, the higher the proportion of population required to wear masks, the lower the number of cases. This can be seen from the difference in the number of cases among the four groups by ANOVA (p = 0.013).OriginalityThe positive effect of wearing masks is shown based on simple descriptive statistics for intuitive and intelligible understanding, which may lead people to comprehend the importance of wearing masks, and break through their custom, culture, and norms, and wear masks.
“It's hard to become mothers”: The moral economy of postponing motherhood in neoliberal Chile
Authors: Yopo Díaz Martina 
Published: October 2021

AbstractThe delay of childbearing is one of the most prominent transformations of contemporary fertility and reproductive patterns. This article provides a novel approach to understanding why women are postponing motherhood and having children later in life. Drawing on 24 life story interviews with women from Santiago de Chile, I argue that the transition to motherhood is shaped by a moral economy in which women postpone childbearing to enable becoming “good” mothers. In a context in which social fertility is being redefined by neoliberalism, intensive mothering, and lone motherhood, I find that women delay childbearing until after achieving professional and financial milestones that allow them to fulfil the normative conditions for having children. These findings suggest that women postpone the transition to motherhood not because they reject childbearing and traditional gender roles, but rather because they aspire to become “good” mothers in a context characterized by institutional precariousness, relational insecurity, and increasing demands on mothering. Through these findings, I challenge prevalent interpretations of why women are having children later in life, extend accounts of the gendered norms of social fertility, and contest the nature of autonomy driving change in women's lives.
The leadership dilemma: Examining the impact of strong leaders on parties
Authors: ALEXIADOU DESPINA , O'MALLEY EOIN 
Published: October 2021

AbstractParty leaders are often regarded as crucial to a party's success. Successful leaders tend to be big personalities who dominate their party's organisation, policy development and electoral campaigns. But does that control come with a price? We test to see if such leaders damage their parties in the medium term. This happens because strong leaders might be ceded too much control of the party organisation, policy and electoral strategy. We specifically hypothesise that political parties will go through a period of leadership instability and electoral decline after strong leaders step down. Using a dataset with elections under party leaders in nine countries over a 25‐year period, and a qualitative case study, we find some evidence for the theory, which should prompt further research of the question.
Voter turnout in direct democracy: A joint analysis of individual, referendum and community factors
Authors: GOLDBERG ANDREAS C. , SCIARINI PASCAL 
Published: October 2021

AbstractIn the context of an ever growing importance and usage of referendums around the globe, this article provides a comprehensive approach to analyse the determinants of participation in direct democratic votes. In the absence of conclusive empirical evidence about which factors drive direct democratic participation, studies tend to adopt election‐specific findings and assume the determinants of electoral turnout to equally apply for referendums. Yet, a strict empirical test of these numerous determinants in a referendum context is still missing. By examining aspects stemming from both election‐specific and referendum‐specific contexts, this article aims to first test the applicability of common electoral theories of turnout for direct democratic participation and second to analyse the relevance of each factor when simultaneously examined with other contextual and individual factors. This holistic approach represents reality as adequate as possible, that is, to consider various factors that may simultaneously influence the individual decision to vote. Next to individual variables, the analysis particularly focuses on two contextual levels, the community a person lives in and factors linked to a given referendum. The discussion and joint analysis of competing factors addresses the problem of underspecified turnout models, which commonly prevents a detailed assessment of the relative importance of the determinants of turnout. The study uses registered data from the canton of Geneva, Switzerland, which provides official information about individual participation across 43 referendums in 45 communities. We match this individual data with referendum‐related factors, such as campaign intensity and importance of the issues at stake, and community‐level variables, such as wealth and urbanization. The results of our multilevel, cross‐classified models show significant context‐related effects, stemming mainly from the referendum and less from the community level. Still, the main driver of direct democratic participation is individual determinants, in particular citizens' past participation record.
Characterization and mode of action analysis of black soldier fly (Hermetia illucens) larva‐derived hemocytes
Authors: von Bredow Yvette M. , Müller Ariane , Popp Philipp F. , Iliasov Denis , von Bredow Christoph‐Rüdiger 
Published: October 2021

AbstractWith the growing importance of the black soldier fly (Hermetia illucens) for both sustainable food production and waste management as well as for science, a great demand of understanding its immune system arises. Here, we present the first description of the circulating larval hemocytes with special emphasis on uptake of microorganisms and distinguishing hemocyte types. With histological, zymographic, and cytometric methods and with a set of hemocyte binding lectins and antibodies, the hemocytes of H. illucens are identified as plasmatocytes, crystal cells, and putative prohemocytes. Total hemocyte counts (THC) are determined, and methods for THC determination are compared. Approximately 1100 hemocytes per microliter hemolymph are present in naive animals, while hemocyte density decreases dramatically shortly after wounding, indicating a role of hemocytes in response to wounding (and immune response in general). The determination of the relative abundance of each hemocyte type (differential hemocyte count, DHC) revealed that plasmatocytes are highly abundant, whereas prohemocytes and crystal cells make up only a small percentage of the circulating cells. Plasmatocytes are not only the most abundant but also the professional phagocytes in H. illucens. They rapidly engulf and take up bacteria both in vivo and in vitro, indicating a very potent cellular defense against invading pathogens. Larger bioparticles such as yeasts are also removed from circulation by phagocytosis, but slower than bacteria. This is the first analysis of the potent cellular immune response in the black soldier fly, and a first toolbox that helps to identify hemocyte (types) is presented.
Treatment of mouse cumulus‐oocyte complexes with L‐carnitine during vitrification and in vitro maturation affects maturation and embryonic developmental rate after parthenogenetic activation
Authors: Zare Zohreh , Rezaei Noorollah , Mohammadi Moslem 
Published: October 2021

AbstractThe technique of oocyte vitrification remains a challenge in most animal species. The present study aimed to evaluate the effects of cumulus cell presence and L‐carnitine (LC) treatment during vitrification of selected immature oocytes by brilliant cresyl blue (BCB) staining on maturation and embryonic developmental rate after parthenogenetic activation. Immature oocytes were obtained from C57BL/6 female mice ovaries and stained with BCB. The BCB+ cumulus‐oocyte complexes (COCs) were then selected and random parts of COCs were denuded from cumulus cells (denuded oocytes: DOs). COCs and DOs were treated with/out LC (0.6 mg/ml) during vitrification and in vitro maturation (IVM) procedures. A number of non‐vitrified COCs were also treated with LC during the IVM process (fresh group). Maturation rate, intracellular glutathione (GSH) contents, and developmental competence of oocytes were also examined. The GSH levels in vitrified DOs+LC and vitrified COCs+LC groups were significantly higher (p < 0.01) than untreated vitrified‐warmed COCs and DOs. Maturation rate and blastocyst developmental rate were reduced after the vitrification‐warming procedure compared with the fresh group. The vitrified COCs+LC group showed a higher percentage of mature oocytes and the ability to develop to blastocyst stage than the vitrified‐warmed DOs group (p < 0.01). These data indicated that the presence of cumulus cells around the competent oocyte and LC treatment during vitrification and IVM procedure could improve parthenogenetic developmental competence of vitrified‐warmed oocytes by increasing GSH levels and accelerating oocyte maturation.
Evaluation of neonatal cerebral perfusion using three‐dimensional power Doppler ultrasound volumes
Authors: Kuhasri Abidev , Jayatilake Sonali , Stevenson Gordon , Beirne Gerrie , Welsh Alec , Schindler Timothy 
Published: October 2021

AbstractAimDespite improvement in preterm survival, neurological morbidity remains high. 3D fractional moving blood volume (3D‐FMBV) quantifies neonatal cerebral perfusion by calculating a standardised measure of the amount of moving blood in a region of interest and correlates with tissue perfusion in animal studies. However, its feasibility and reproducibility are yet to be assessed in newborn infants.MethodsFractional moving blood volume analysis was performed on three‐dimensional power Doppler ultrasound (PD‐US) volumes from a cohort of preterm infants recruited in 2015 from the Royal Hospital for Women Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. The volumes were acquired by two sonographers and analysed by two different observers. The 3D‐FMBV algorithm was applied to calculate an estimate for perfusion. Reproducibility and agreement were assessed using intra‐class correlation coefficients (ICC) and Bland‐Altman plots.ResultsAll 3D PD‐US volumes were analysed successfully. Intra‐observer reliability was excellent with an ICC of 0.907 (95% CI 0.751–0.968) and 0.906 (95% CI 0.741–0.967) for two independent observers respectively. The inter‐observer reliability of the entire technique was good with an ICC of 0.752 (CI: 0.404–0.909).ConclusionWe have successfully shown the feasibility and reliability of applying the 3D‐FMBV technique to the neonatal brain in a healthy preterm population.