bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Gender culture and Malawian women’s reconciliation of work and family responsibilities
Authors: Chikapa Tiyesere Mercy 
Published: February 2021

PurposeThis paper aims to examine how cultural systems shape spousal attitudes and the expectations placed upon women. This is based on the assumption that cultural systems shaping spousal attitudes and expectations on women makes their reconciliation of work and family responsibilities difficult despite sorting out childcare challenges and support with domestic work.Design/methodology/approachThis paper is based on 55 semi-structured interviews with Malawian women working in formal employment. From the 55 women interviewed, 31 worked in the public education sector and the remainder in the private sector’s financial and insurance sector. However, for comparison, 24 men from the same sectors were also engaged in the interviews. These were drawn from education and finance and insurance industries.FindingsAnalysis reveals that contrary to extant literature, childcare is not all or even always the main focus of family responsibilities potentially affecting Malawian women’s work life. Their experiences with reconciling work and family responsibilities were influenced by gender culture, which shapes spousal attitudes and community expectations.Research limitations/implicationsThis study has not generated results suitable for statistical generalisation, but it may still allow for theoretical generalisation to similar contexts.Practical implicationsManagers need to recognise that women may be coming from homes and communities that place demanding expectations on them.Social implicationsThere is need for promotion of gender equal social norms that enable women, just as men, to focus on their careers.Originality/valueThis paper contributes to limited literature about women’s experiences with reconciliation of work and family responsibilities in the contexts of a developing country where women have access to relatively affordable childcare support.
Pivot decisions in startups: a systematic literature review
Authors: Flechas Chaparro Ximena Alejandra , de Vasconcelos Gomes Leonardo Augusto 
Published: February 2021

PurposeEntrepreneurs' pivot decisions are poorly understood. The purpose of this paper is to review the existing literature on pivot decisions to identify the different conceptualizations, research streams and main theoretical building blocks and to offer a baseline framework for future studies on this phenomenon.Design/methodology/approachA systematic literature review of 86 peer-reviewed papers published between January 2008 and October 2020, focusing on the pivot decision in startups, was performed through bibliometric, descriptive and content analyses.FindingsThe literature review identifies four research streams concerning the pivot concept – pivot design, cognitive, negotiation and environmental perspectives. Building on previous studies, this paper provides a refined definition of a pivot that bridges elements from the four research streams identified: a pivot comprises strategic decisions made after a failure (or in the face of potential failure) of the current business model and leads to changes in the firm's course of action, resource reconfiguration and possible modifications of one or more business model elements. This study proposes a framework that elaborates the pivot literature by identifying four stages of the pivot process addressed in the existing literature: recognition, generating options, seizing and testing and reconfiguration.Originality/valueThis study provides a comprehensive review, enabling researchers to establish a baseline for developing future pivot research. Furthermore, it improves the conceptualization of pivots by summarizing prior definitions and proposing a refined definition that places decision-making and judgment at its center. That introduces new contextual and behavioral elements, contributing to a better understanding of how entrepreneurs assess alternative courses of action and envision possible outcomes to redirect a venture after failure.
Pedagogy innovation for management graduates: application of design thinking
Authors: M. Selvalakshmi , Suresh Vidya , Kolluru Mythili 
Published: February 2021

Purpose
This paper aims to develop a pedagogy combining analytic reasoning with a more exploratory skill set that style practitioners have embraced and business schools have traditionally neglected. It proposes a viable business which will be converted into market opportunities. The study aims to expand the domain of design thinking (DT) by applying the concept in the higher education sector with special reference to management education.

Design/methodology/approach
This paper emerged out of an application of one of the models of DT in the field of higher education. While several models of DT are deployed by various sectors, the 3I model developed by IDEO in 2001 was chosen as appropriate to design a pedagogy for MBA students. The data were complemented by classroom teaching experiments, evaluation and student performance.

Findings
This paper provides empirical insights about how a change is brought about during implementing a new pedagogy in the system. This innovative pedagogy was named as “Integrative and Interactive Approach.” It was offered to first-year postgraduate students of management.

Research limitations/implications
Because of the chosen approach, the research results may lack generalizability. Researchers are encouraged to test the model in a smaller group before implementing.

Practical implications
The paper focuses on the testing and implementation of DT in innovating a pedagogy with reference to one chosen institute. The cost, benefits and challenges may differ when applied to other institutes of same kind.

Originality/value
This paper fulfills an identified need to have an integrated approach of teaching in management education using case study approach.
Age and education moderate the relationship between confidence in health and political authorities and intention to adopt COVID-19 health-protective behaviours
Authors: Mata Fernanda , Martins Pedro S.R. , Lopes-Silva Julia B. , Mansur-Alves Marcela , Saeri Alexander , Grundy Emily , Slattery Peter , Smith Liam 
Published: February 2021

PurposeThis study aimed to examine (1) whether confidence in political and health authorities predicted intention to adopt recommended health-protective behaviours and (2) whether age, gender and education level moderated the relationship between confidence in political and health authorities and health protective-behaviours (download the COVIDSafe app, wear a face mask and stay at home).Design/methodology/approachThis study assessed 1,206 Australians using an online survey. Participants answered questions regarding their confidence in political and health authorities and intention to adopt health-protective measures.FindingsConfidence in health and political authorities predicted intention to stay home and intention to download the COVIDSafe app, but not to wear a face mask in public spaces. Age moderated the relationship between confidence in authorities and intention to stay home (i.e. among respondents with less than 54 years old, confidence in authorities was associated with higher intention to stay home). Further, age and education level moderated the relationship between confidence in authorities and intention to download the COVIDSafe app (i.e. among older respondents and those with a university degree or higher, confidence in authorities was more strongly associated with higher intention to download the COVIDSafe app). The interaction between confidence and education predicted adoption of mask-wearing (i.e. among participants with a university degree or higher, more confidence in authorities was associated with higher intention to wear a mask in public spaces).Originality/valueOur findings can inform the development of targeted communications to increase health-protective behaviours at early stages of future pandemics.
Impact of technological pedagogical content knowledge on teachers’ digital proficiency at classroom in higher education institution of Pakistan
Authors: Aslam Rabia , Khan Najmonnisa , Asad Muhammad Mujtaba , Ahmed Ushaque 
Published: February 2021

PurposeThis paper aims to address the relationship of teachers’ technological pedagogical content knowledge (TPACK) and their technology proficiency according to the International Society for Technology in Education Standards for Teachers (ISTE-ST) in public and private universities of Karachi, Pakistan.Design/methodology/approachQuantitative approach with survey research design was used. In total, 520 teachers of public and private universities were selected on the basis of simple random sampling technique. Data was collected through questionnaire distribution.FindingsStrong significant correlation was found between teacher’ TPACK and teachers’ technology proficiency, teachers’ ability to engage in professional development and teachers’ ability to promote digital citizenship and responsibilities in students.Originality/valueTPACK and ISTE-ST are used for effective teaching. TPACK is used to measure teachers’ ability to integrate technology in their teaching, while ISTE-ST is used to measure the proficiency technology integration. This study is unique as it discusses the relationship of TPACK and ISTE-ST framework in term of teachers’ ability to promote digital citizenship and responsibilities in students and teachers’ ability to engage themselves in professional development program.
The smart SME technology readiness assessment methodology in the context of industry 4.0
Authors: Saad Sameh M , Bahadori Ramin , Jafarnejad Hamidreza 
Published: February 2021

PurposeThis study proposes the Smart SME Technology Readiness Assessment (SSTRA) methodology which aims to enable practitioners to assess the SMEs Industry 4.0 technology readiness throughout the end-to-end engineering across the entire value chain; the smart product design phase is the focus in this paper.Design/methodology/approachThe proposed SSTRA utilises the analytic hierarchy process to prioritise smart SME requirements, a graphical interface which tracks technologies' benchmarks under Industry 4.0 Technology Readiness Levels (TRLs); a mathematical model used to determine the technology readiness and visual representation to understand the relative readiness of each smart main area. The validity of the SSTRA is confirmed by testing it in a real industrial environment. In addition, the conceptual model for Smart product design development is proposed and validated.FindingsThe proposed SSTRA offers decision-makers the facility to identify requirements and rank them to reflect the current priorities of the enterprise. It allows SMEs to assess their current capabilities in a range of technologies of high relevance to the Industry 4.0 area. The SSTRA assembles a readiness profile allowing decision-makers to not only perceive the overall score of technology readiness but also the distribution of technology readiness across the main smart areas. It helps to visualise strengths and weaknesses; whilst emphasising the fundamental gaps that require serious action to assist the program with a well-balanced effort towards a successful transition to Industry 4.0.Originality/valueThe SSTRA provides a step-by-step approach for decision-making based on data collection, analysis, visualisation and documentation. Hence, it greatly mitigates the risk of further Industry 4.0 technology investment and implementation.
Evolution of REITs in the Nigerian real estate market
Authors: Dabara Daniel Ibrahim 
Published: February 2021

PurposeThis study aims to examine the performance of real estate investment trusts (REITs) in emerging property markets. The paper used the Nigerian REIT (N-REIT) as a case study of an African REIT market, to provide information for investment decisions.Design/methodology/approachSeven years quarterly returns data (from 2013 to 2019) were obtained and used to analyse the holding period returns, return–risk ratio, coefficient of variation and Sharpe ratios of N-REIT, All Share Index of stocks (ASI) and the Federal Government Bonds (FGB) in Nigeria.FindingsThe study reveals that N-REIT outperformed stocks but underperformed bonds. Concerning risk, stocks provided the highest level of risk (7.69), followed by bonds (2.78), while N-REIT provided the lowest risk (2.7). The Sharpe ratios showed that N-REIT is the second-best performing asset, while bond is the first and stocks the last on the risk-adjusted basis.Practical implicationsN-REIT is the second-largest REIT market in Africa with a market capitalisation of about US$136m. The N-REIT market has provided investment benefits to institutional and individual investors such as liquidity, transparency and ease of transaction. This study shows the peculiarity of N-REITs; this can guide investors in making informed investment decisions.Originality/valueThis study is one of the first to empirically analyse in a comparative context, the risk-adjusted performance of N-REITs, ASI and FGB. The study will add to the limited research in this field and equip investors with valuable information for informed investment decisions.
The effect of heavy metal pollution on urban ecosystem and the evaluation of different land classifications; in Bingöl city/Turkey
Authors: Vural Hüccet , Akbana Ayşenur , Meral Alperen 
Published: February 2021

PurposeOne of the problems that urbanization creates on the ecosystem is the increase of heavy metal accumulation of the urban lands. Due to constant urbanization and industrialization in many parts of the world, metals are constantly spreading to the environment and pose a great threat to human health. The purpose of the study is to determine the effect of heavy metal accumulation values of the lands located in Bingöl city center on the urban ecosystem by examining them in terms of zonal and land-use classification.Design/methodology/approachThe research was conducted on 30 samples taken from five zones and six land-use classes (traffic area-TA, school area-SA, commercial-industry area-CA, green space-GS, residential area-RA and open space-OS). Heavy metal deposits of soil samples were determined in accredited laboratories using the Inductively Coupled Plasma – Mass Spectrometer (ICP-MS) and Atomic Absorption Spectrometer (AAS) device. The study employed the SPSS program for statistical analysis of laboratory results, and ArcGIS Pro programs were used to determine spatial pollution distribution.FindingsAlthough the heavy metal contents of soil samples pose no problems in terms of national and international standards, a number of zones carry risks for the future. In the analyzes, traffic and settlement area soils in terms of land-use classifications and Zone 5 soils in terms of zonal distribution were determined as ecologically risky areas.Originality/valueThe study provided suggestions on what should be done to use the results of the research in planning the physical development of the city.
Evaluation of a fluorescent dye to visualize touch DNA on various substrates
Authors: Champion Jessica , Kanokwongnuwut Piyamas , van Oorschot Roland A. H. , Taylor Duncan , Linacre Adrian 
Published: February 2021

AbstractA wide variety of items are submitted as evidence in a forensic investigation. Identifying the location of DNA on such items is central to maximizing DNA profiling success and thus the ability to link a person of interest to a particular item or crime. Recent publications describe a fluorescent staining method using Diamond™ Dye (DD) to visualize cellular material on the surface of non‐porous items (e.g., glass, plastic). However, substrates of varying porosity and background color have not yet been examined. Varying porous substrates (i.e., paper bank note, stamp, cigarette, wooden matchstick, and fabric) and non‐porous substrates (i.e., enamel tooth and plastic bank note) were examined for their suitability with the use of DD. To improve the visualization of cellular material on the porous substrates, we also explored two DD diluents and adjusting image contrast. The results suggest the optimal diluent depends on the absorbent nature of the substrate. For example, ethanol was sufficient for visualization on the non‐porous substrates, whereas water was better for the porous substrates. While cellular material was detected on the paper bank note, tooth, and stamp, background fluorescence or autofluorescence and surface type of matchstick prevented clear visualization on this substrate. It was also determined that by adjusting the contrast of images for tooth, paper bank note and matchstick aided in the detection of cellular material. Overall, this study extends the use of DD for latent DNA detection to absorbent substrates, highlights the limitations associated with these substrate types, and suggests modifications to improve visualization on these challenging substrates.
Characterization of JEN family carboxylate transporters from the acid‐tolerant yeast Pichia kudriavzevii and their applications in succinic acid production
Authors: Xi Yongyan , Zhan Tao , Xu Hongtao , Chen Jing , Bi Changhao , Fan Feiyu , Zhang Xueli 
Published: February 2021

SummaryThe unconventional yeast Pichia kudriavzevii is renowned for its ability to survive at low pH and has been exploited for the industrial production of various organic acids, especially succinic acid (SA). However, P. kudriavzevii can also utilize the di‐ and tricarboxylate intermediates of the Krebs cycle as the sole carbon sources for cell growth, which may adversely affect the extracellular accumulation of SA. Because the carboxylic acid transport machinery of P. kudriavzevii remains poorly understood, here, we focused on studying its SA transportation process from the perspective of mining and characterization of dicarboxylate transporters in a newly isolated acid‐tolerant P. kudriavzevii strain CY902. Through genome sequencing and transcriptome analysis, two JEN family carboxylate transporters (PkJEN2‐1 and PkJEN2‐2) were found to be involved in SA transport. Substrate specificity analysis revealed that both PkJEN proteins are active dicarboxylate transporters, that can effectively import succinate, fumarate and L‐malate into the cell. In addition, PkJEN2‐1 can transport α‐ketoglutarate, while PkJEN2‐2 cannot. Since PkJEN2‐1 shows higher transcript abundance than PkJEN2‐2, its role in dicarboxylate transport is more important than PkJEN2‐2. In addition, PKJEN2‐2 is also responsible for the uptake of citrate. To our best knowledge, this is the first study to show that a JEN2 subfamily transporter is involved in tricarboxylate transport in yeast. A combination of model‐based structure analysis and rational mutagenesis further proved that amino acid residues 392‐403 of the tenth transmembrane span (TMS‐X) of PkJEN2‐2 play an important role in determining the specificity of the tricarboxylate substrate. Moreover, these two PkJEN transporters only exhibited inward transport activity for SA, and simultaneous inactivation of both PkJEN transporters reduced the SA influx, resulting in enhanced extracellular accumulation of SA in the late stage of fermentation. This work provides useful information on the mechanism of di‐/tricarboxylic acid utilization in P. kudriavzevii, which will help improve the organic acid production performance of this microbial chassis.
Pleural staging using local anesthetic thoracoscopy in dry pleural dissemination and minimal pleural effusion
Authors: Imabayashi Tatsuya , Matsumoto Yuji , Tanaka Midori , Nakai Toshiyuki , Tsuchida Takaaki 
Published: February 2021

AbstractBackgroundDry pleural dissemination (DPD) and minimal (<10 mm thick) pleural effusion (PE) may be discovered intraoperatively as unexpected metastases. A definitive diagnostic procedure such as pleural biopsy is rarely attempted in such patients preoperatively. We retrospectively investigated the use and safety of local anesthetic thoracoscopy (LAT) as a pleural staging tool in the diagnosis of DPD and minimal PE.MethodsWe reviewed 18 patients with non‐small cell lung cancer (radiological DPD and minimal PE in 13 and five patients, respectively) who underwent LAT using a flex‐rigid pleuroscope for pleural staging from April 2015 to September 2020.ResultsThe median age of the patients was 72 years. Nine patients (50%) were men. The dominant histological type was adenocarcinoma (n = 16). Three patients each with radiological DPD and minimal PE had visible PE on the LAT. Pleural biopsy was performed in the 16 cases in which pleural abnormalities were identified. On pleural staging, five cases were diagnosed without pleural dissemination (M0), and 13 cases were diagnosed with pleural dissemination (M1a). Only one case in which the lesion could not be identified because of pleural adhesions was false‐negative. The success rates for pleural staging, sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value were 94.4% (17/18), 92.8% (13/14), 100% (4/4), 100% (13/13), and 80.0% (4/5), respectively. There were no lung lacerations or other severe complications caused by the procedure or during blunt dissection.ConclusionLAT might be a useful tool for accurate pleural staging in cases with DPD and minimal PE suspected radiologically.
The associations of smoking dependence motives with depression among daily smokers
Authors: Piirtola Maarit , Kaprio Jaakko , Baker Timothy B. , Piasecki Thomas M. , Piper Megan E. , Korhonen Tellervo 
Published: February 2021

ABSTRACTAimsTo investigate how strongly smoking dependence and smoking dependence motives are associated with depressive symptoms among daily smokers and if these associations are independent of measured confounders and shared familial factors.DesignCross‐sectional individual‐based and within‐pair analyses.SettingFourth wave of the population‐based Finnish Twin Cohort conducted in 2011.Participants918 daily smokers born 1945–1957 (48% men), mean age 59.5 years including 38 twin pairs discordant for depression.MeasurementsDepressive symptoms were assessed using the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression scale with a cut off value ≥20 for depression. Smoking dependence was assessed using the Fagerström Test for Cigarette Dependence (FTCD) and smoking dependence motives with three subscales from the multi‐dimensional Brief Wisconsin Inventory of Smoking Dependence Motives (WISDM): primary dependence motives (PDM), affective enhancement (AE), and Taste. Logistic regressions, using standardized scores of independent variables and adjusted for multiple confounders with correction for sampling as twin pairs, were used in the individual‐based analyses. Conditional logistic regression was used to control for shared familial factors in discordant twin pairs.FindingsPrevalence of depression was 18% (n = 163: 61 [14%] in men, n = 102 [22%] in women). Higher smoking dependence measured by the FTCD (OR 1.45; 95% CI 1.20, 1.75), and dependence motives measured by the PDM (1.56; 1.30, 1.87) and the AE (1.54; 1.28, 1.85) were associated with higher odds of depression. The associations remained after adjusting for individual confounders, except for neuroticism, which attenuated all associations. FTCD, PDM, and AE showed associations with depression within depression‐discordant monozygotic pairs, suggesting an association independent of familial factors.ConclusionsDepression appears to be associated with smoking dependence and smoking dependence motives related to heavy, automatic use and use to regulate affective states. The associations appear to be confounded or mediated by neuroticism but are independent of shared familial influences.