bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Enhancing TVET students’ interest in mathematics through the history of mathematics and self-efficacy
Authors: Arthur Yarhands Dissou , De Vittori Thomas , Welcome Natalie B. , Dogbe Courage Simon Kofi , Asare Bright 
Published: January 2025

PurposeThis study investigates the mediating role of mathematics self-efficacy in the relationship between the history of mathematics (HIST) and the interest in mathematics.Design/methodology/approachA survey research design was adopted, with a quantitative research approach. The study adopted a convenience sampling technique to select 219 Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) students (level 100 to 400) from a public university in Ghana. Structural equation modelling (SEM) and a bias-corrected percentile method of bootstrapping were run in AMOS (v. 23), to estimate the path coefficients.FindingsThe study found that the HIST significantly influences both the student’s interest in mathematics and their mathematics self-efficacy. Furthermore, mathematics self-efficacy was found to significantly affect students' interest in mathematics and partially mediate the relationship between the HIST and students' interest.Research limitations/implicationsThe study was confined to TVET students in a single public university in Ghana. Future studies may consider TVET students in other disciplines in other universities within or outside Ghana to increase generalization.Originality/valueThere is a shortage of empirical studies that specifically examine how self-efficacy mediates the relationship between the HIST as a teaching tool and students' interest in mathematics. Also, while previous studies have examined the role of pedagogical approaches in mathematics education, there is a lack of research focusing on the impact of historical context on students' interest, particularly within TVET settings.
Mapping psychological adjustment in third culture kids: the relative contributions of emotion regulation, cognition, resilience and stress
Authors: Marchal Jones Emma , Reed Marnie Olivia , Meyer Andrea , Gaab Jens , Ooi Yoon Phaik 
Published: January 2025

PurposeThis cross-sectional investigation explores the relative importance of specific psychological factors influencing adjustment in a sample of internationally mobile children and adolescents, commonly referred to as third culture kids (TCKs), living in Switzerland.Design/methodology/approachThe study cohort comprised 126 participants aged 7–17 years, all of whom had experienced international relocations due to their parents' professional commitments. Participants were recruited from local and international schools in Switzerland, and data were collected through validated online questionnaires after obtaining informed consent. The study focused on proximal psychological factors, including emotion regulation strategies (such as cognitive reappraisal and emotion suppression), negative social cognition, resilience and perceived stress, assessing their impact on psychological adjustment. Outcomes were measured through indicators of well-being and mental health, including emotional and behavioral symptoms.FindingsCommonality analysis was used to evaluate the relative contributions of each psychological factor to well-being and mental health in the sample. Perceived stress emerged as the most significant contributor to well-being, while resilience played a crucial buffering role against mental-health difficulties. These findings are consistent with Berry’s Acculturative Stress Model, which highlights the importance of managing stress in the context of cultural transitions. Additionally, the presence of well-established expatriate support networks in Switzerland may have mitigated the negative effects of stress, suggesting that similar patterns may not hold in less resource-rich environments.Research limitations/implicationsThe study offers important insights into the challenges faced by TCKs during international relocations, underscoring the need for further cross-cultural research. It remains essential to examine whether emotion regulation strategies such as cognitive reappraisal and resilience mechanisms function similarly in different cultural and socioeconomic contexts.Practical implicationsThe findings also suggest the potential benefits of tailored psychotherapeutic interventions aimed at enhancing the well-being and adaptive capacity of TCKs.Originality/valueOverall, this research contributes valuable knowledge to the understanding of the psychological mechanisms that can inform strategies for supporting TCKs as they navigate the complexities of global mobility.
Testing the EU’s Blocking Statute in investment arbitration: failure to protect the investor against secondary sanctions as a violation of legitimate expectations?
Authors: Bakos Alexandros 
Published: January 2025

Purpose
This article aims to demonstrate that in certain circumstances investors may legitimately expect protection from the host state against secondary sanctions imposed by a third state. Failure to meet those expectations by the host state may lead to a violation of the fair and equitable treatment (FET) found in various applicable investment treaties.

Design/methodology/approach
This article is based on a doctrinal analysis of various provisions contained in investment treaties, which guarantee the fair and equitable treatment of the foreign investor and its investment. It also involves an analysis of the EU’s Blocking Statute and how it influences the application of international (investment) law in the specific context of the research question.

Findings
Such a form of protection, however, is highly contingent on the existence of a domestic legislative framework that can create specific legitimate expectations. Applying this to the EU’s Blocking Statute (designed to protect EU operators from the extraterritorial application of a third state’s laws), foreign investors in the Union who are affected by secondary sanctions may only expect protection once the specific sanctions regimes are listed in the Annex to the Blocking Statute. Before the EU amends the Annex, no legitimate expectations that protection against secondary sanctions may be formed. Nonetheless, the complexity of the Blocking Statute, especially in terms of the protected interests, could have an impact on the formation of any expectations that would eventually be protected under international investment law.

Originality/value
This article assesses when, and how, the EU’s failure (or the failure of one Member State) to protect the foreign investor against secondary sanctions can amount to a violation of the FET in various applicable investment treaties. The main contribution of the present analysis is that it engages with a broadly under-researched area of international investment law – the extent to which it offers protection against economic sanctions. In addition, it zooms in on an instance of inaction that can amount to a violation of the host state’s obligations.
Introspecting the childhood intrinsic interests of the HR professionals: an intuitionistic fuzzy decision analysis framework
Authors: Chaki Mainak Ranjan , Biswas Sanjib , Guha Banhi , Pamucar Dragan , Bandyopadhyay Gautam 
Published: January 2025

Purpose“Know thyself” helps one to decide the career goal of his/her life and enables one to become self-concordant. In this context, the present work aims to discern the childhood interests (CI) of the HR professionals vis-à-vis their relevance.Design/methodology/approachThe current study is grounded on two theoretical perspectives such as Socio-Cognitive Career Theory (SCCT) and Holland Theory of Career Choice (HTCC). In this regard, a mixed methodology has been applied. The research has been carried out in two phases. In the first phase, a focused group of experienced HR professionals was interviewed to understand their CI and their relevance to the HR profession through a qualitative analysis method such as narrative analysis. In the second phase, an Intuitionistic Fuzzy Number-based Full Consistency Method (FUCOM) is applied to find out the dominant CI based on the ratings given by 423 Indian HR professionals.FindingsAll professionals agreed that their CI have helped them perform in their profession. The research identifies five themes or main attributes of personality: Creative (Aesthetic-Non Verbal/Cultural), Communicative (Verbal/ Expressive Activities), People friendliness (Social Contribution), Socially Inclusive (Sociological leadership interest) and Physical Activity (Kinesthetic interests) with 24 subattributes (i.e. childhood interests). It is found that intrinsic interests in societal contributions have been a dominant feature since the childhood days of HR professionals. In all cases, FUCOM shows a very small DFC value <0.00005.Practical implicationsThe research provides an important direction to the decision-makers for policy making and aspiring professionals an essential impetus to career planning.Originality/valueThis study is a rare one to discern CI using a mixed methodology for Indian HR professionals.
Driving Industry 4.0 success: key antecedents in the automotive sector
Authors: Rana Jeetu , Daultani Yash , Kumar Sushil 
Published: January 2025

Purpose
Recent years have witnessed a spike in Industry 4.0 initiatives among manufacturing organizations, particularly in the automotive sector. This acceleration aims to enhance competitiveness by addressing various aspects, from efficiency and workforce productivity to safety and insightful decision-making. However, merely adopting technological solutions in isolation may not suffice. Automotive companies need a holistic approach that integrates the antecedents of Industry 4.0 into their overall strategy. This study aims to identify and analyse key antecedents for Industry 4.0 adoption in the Indian automotive sector.

Design/methodology/approach
The study follows a structured six-stage methodology, which includes a systematic literature review, expert consultations and best–worst method (BWM) analysis. The research identifies, validates and systematically ranks 16 antecedents that are pivotal for Industry 4.0 adoption.

Findings
The study categorizes 16 antecedents into four dimensions: regulatory framework (RF), technology infrastructure (TI), operational optimization (OO) and performance dynamics (PD). The findings emphasize the significance of “Government policies to support smart factories”, “Support from top management”, “Financial performance” and “Technology readiness” as crucial antecedents for Industry 4.0 implementation in the Indian automotive sector.

Research limitations/implications
These findings provide valuable guidance for industry practitioners and policymakers in strategically planning the Industry 4.0 deployment in the automotive sector.

Originality/value
This study contributes to the limited body of research on the identification and analysis of key antecedents for Industry 4.0 adoption in the automotive sector, particularly in emerging economies such as India. By using the BWM, it offers a structured and efficient approach to determining the priority order of these antecedents.
Corporate ownership and firm performance. Evidence from an emerging market
Authors: Tran Nguyen Tram Anh , Vo Thi Thuy Anh , Nguyen Ho Phuong Thao 
Published: January 2025

PurposeThis paper aims to examine the relationship between corporate ownership and firm performance, and the mechanisms through which ownership creates the firm value. Vietnam has been chosen as the research site because it is characterized by high ownership concentration, a high level of state ownership, strong incentives for foreign ownership and a weak external governance system.Design/methodology/approachWe use data on the ownership structure of 527 listed firms in Vietnam during the 2010–2021 period. Corporate ownership includes concentrated, state and foreign ownership, while firm performance is measured by ROA and Tobin’s Q. In addition to Pooled OLS, system GMM and the propensity score matching are employed to mitigate the possibility of unreliable and biased results.FindingsWe find that firms with highly concentrated ownership tend to have better performance. Both state ownership and foreign ownership with their unique advantages contribute to enhancing firm performance. Further analyses delve into specific channels through how controlling shareholders, state and foreign owners facilitate firm value creation: the ease of access to capital, the lower cost of capital and the higher sales. Our results are robust to alternative proxies for ownership concentration and different methodological approaches.Originality/valueOur study contributes to the ongoing debate about the ownership–performance relationship by providing novel insights into how corporate ownership influences firm performance.
Insights into the thermodynamic efficiency of mixed convective hybrid nanofluid flow over a vertical channel through a fractal fractional computation
Authors: Raza Ali , Khan Umair , Zaib Aurang , Ishak Anuar , Hussain Syed Modassir 
Published: January 2025

PurposeThis article identifies hybrid nanofluids and industrial thermal engineering devices as significant sources of solar energy. In this study, various nanoparticles suspended in base fluids such as water (H2O) and carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC), along with nanoparticles like graphene oxide (GO) and molybdenum disulfide (MoS2), are examined. The model also incorporates permeability and the effects of angled magnetic fields to provide a comprehensive analysis.Design/methodology/approachWe have utilized the fractal fractional operator definition, the quickest and most advanced fractional approach, to address the problems with the hybrid nanofluid suspension. The integral transform scheme, i.e. the Laplace transform, converts the governing equations into a fractional form before various numerical methods are applied to solve the problem. Further, some numerical schemes to address the Laplace inverse are also utilized.FindingsThe fractional effects on flow rate and heat transfer are evident at varying time intervals. Consequently, we conclude that as the fractal constraints increase, the momentum and heat profiles decelerate. Furthermore, all necessary conditions are satisfied, resulting in the momentum and temperature fields decreasing near the plate and increasing over time. Additionally, the water-based (H2O + Go + MoS2) solution exhibits a more pronounced impact compared to the CMC-based (CMC + Go + MoS2) hybrid suspension.Practical implicationsThe findings could be very useful in enhancing the efficiency of thermal systems. These findings align more accurately with conventional solutions and can be used to build and optimize various heat management strategies.Originality/valueThe primary goals of this research are to examine the thermal and flow properties of hybrid nanofluids for manufacturing purposes of thermal engineering equipment utilizing fractal fractional definition. Further, to improve thermal system productivity by applying sophisticated fractional techniques to better and maximize heat and momentum transmission in these hybrid nanofluid solutions
Archaeology, Epigraphy and Skyscape: Keys to Understanding Dadanite and Lihyanite Conception of Time
Authors: Rodríguez‐Antón Andrea , González‐García A. César , AlMushawh Munirah A. , Belmonte Juan Antonio 
Published: January 2025

ABSTRACTDadan, the capital of the kingdom of Dadan and, later on, of Lihyan, was an important trading hub and place of worship in North‐West Arabia during the first millennium BCE. Located in the AlUla valley (Saudi Arabia), with naturally available fresh water, fertile soil and relative ease of travel through it, people gathered there for trade, religious ceremonies and cultural exchange, as attested by the sanctuaries, artefacts and inscriptions in the area around Dadan. In this work, the connection of the main sacred and funerary monuments of ancient Dadan and associated neighbouring sites with the surrounding landscape and skyscape was explored from an archaeoastronomical perspective. The results suggest that the observation of particular astronomical phenomena was considered for the location and orientation of the sacred spaces included in the sample. Together with epigraphic and archaeological sources, these results offer new clues about different aspects of social and religious life.
Neutralizing Deviance at State‐owned Enterprises: The Case of South African Airways
Authors: De Widt Dennis , Maroun Warren , Atkins Jill 
Published: January 2025

This article investigates how boards of directors and auditors retrospectively reflect on and justify their role in the breakdown of governance systems. We focus on state capture in South Africa where major corruption scandals have crippled the public sector. These scandals have been investigated by a special commission of inquiry, the ‘Zondo Commission', which offers a rich set of data for uncovering how individuals attempt to justify their ‘deviant’ behaviour. Our focus is on the crisis at South African Airways (SAA), where the Zondo Commission concluded that the airline had repeatedly disregarded relevant laws and experienced a steep governance decline. Despite this malpractice, SAA's former auditors, PwC and joint audit partner Nkonki Incorporated, consistently gave SAA unqualified audit opinions. Only after intervention by the South African Auditor General were deficiencies exposed in SAA's financial and governance structures. Our analysis identifies various neutralization techniques used by implicated individuals to cast doubt on responsibility for wrongdoing and garner sympathy where deflection was not feasible. The method involves documentary analysis, focusing on witness transcripts and other evidence published by the Zondo Commission, SAA's integrated reports, and select media articles. In addition to dealing with a novel set of data, this paper adds to the limited body of work dealing with governance in state‐owned enterprises, particularly in developing economies. The research also provides an account of how deviance theory is operationalized in the context of governance and audit, something which has not yet been explored in detail.
Hazardous alcohol use and cardiometabolic risk among firefighters
Authors: Levitt Danielle E. , Wohlgemuth Kealey J. , Burnham Emilie F. , Conner Michael J. , Collier J. Jason , Mota Jacob A. 
Published: January 2025

AbstractBackgroundAlcohol misuse is prevalent among firefighters, and associated adverse cardiometabolic health consequences could negatively impact readiness for duty. Mental health conditions may confer additional risk. Therefore, we aimed to determine whether alcohol misuse increases cardiometabolic risk among firefighters and whether mental health conditions modify these relationships.MethodsDeidentified data from firefighters (N = 2405; 95.8% males, 38 ± 9 years, 29.6 ± 4.6 kg/m2) included demographics, Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) and AUDIT‐C scores, mental health screening scores, anthropometrics, metabolic panel, and cardiorespiratory testing results. Differences in cardiometabolic parameters between firefighters with low AUDIT‐C (<3 [females] or <4 [males]; no or low‐risk alcohol use) or high AUDIT‐C (≥3 [females] or ≥4 [males]; hazardous alcohol use) were determined and odds ratios for clinical risk factors were calculated. Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), insomnia, depression, and anxiety were assessed as moderators.ResultsFirefighters with high AUDIT‐C had significantly (p < 0.05) higher total cholesterol (TC), high‐density lipoprotein (HDL‐C), and systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) and lower hemoglobin A1C (HbA1c) than those with low AUDIT‐C. In unadjusted and/or adjusted analyses, those with high AUDIT‐C had increased risk for overweight/obesity, hypercholesterolemia, and prehypertension/hypertension, and decreased risk for low HDL and elevated HbA1c. There were inverse moderation effects by posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, and anxiety on relationships between AUDIT‐C score and BP. Insomnia (directly) and anxiety (inversely) moderated relationships between AUDIT‐C score and circulating lipids.ConclusionsFirefighters with high AUDIT‐C have differential cardiometabolic risk, with specific relationships altered by mental health status. Whether higher HDL and lower HbA1c with high AUDIT‐C in firefighters is protective long‐term remains to be explored. Overall, these results underscore the need for alcohol screening and intervention to maintain cardiometabolic health and long‐term occupational readiness among firefighters.
The Role of WNT5a and TGF‐β1 in Airway Remodelling and Severe Asthma
Authors: Daud Tariq , Roberts Sheree , Zounemat Kermani Nazanin , Richardson Matthew , Heaney Liam G. , Adcock Ian M. , Amrani Yassine , Bradding Peter , Siddiqui Salman 
Published: January 2025

ABSTRACTBackgroundAirway remodelling is a feature of severe asthma with airway epithelial damage observed frequently. We evaluated the role of WNT5a and TGF‐β1 in asthmatic airway biopsies and in sputum and bronchial brushings assessed their role in remodelling.MethodsWNT5a and TGF‐β1 protein expression were assessed in the lamina propria epithelium of people with asthma (GINA 1–3, n‐8 and GINA 4–5, n‐14) and healthy subjects (n‐9), alongside relevant remodelling markers. The effects of WNT5a and TGF‐β1 on BEAS‐2B epithelial cell wound healing and differentiation were assessed in vitro. Replication was performed in the Unbiased Biomarkers for the Prediction of Respiratory Disease Outcomes (U‐BIOPRED) study in sputum (n = 120) and bronchial brushes (n = 147).ResultsWNT5a and TGF‐β1 protein expression were significantly increased in the airway epithelium and lamina propria in asthma patients with concurrent airflow limitation or severe disease. Furthermore, WNT5a protein expression in the lamina propria correlated with tissue eosinophils and vascular remodelling. Airway epithelial WNT5a was co‐localised predominantly to airway basal cells and correlated with Th17 gene expression (r = 0.40, p = 0.025) and both the % intact (rs = 0.54, p = 0.001) and % denuded epithelium (rs = −0.39, p = 0.003). Experiments in BEAS‐2B cells confirmed that WNT5a at maximal physiological concentrations (1 μg/mL), promoted epithelial wound healing, independently of TGF‐β1, as well as induction of EMT‐like morphology. WNT5a mRNA was associated with severe asthma, airflow limitation, sputum eosinophilia and Th2, and Th17 and neutrophil activation transcriptomes in sputum in U‐BIOPRED.ConclusionWNT5a is associated with both airway remodelling and severe asthma.Trial RegistrationClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT01982162