bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Quality management of RDP housing construction: myth or reality?
Authors: Amoah Christopher , Van Schalkwyk Tanya , Kajimo-Shakantu Kahilu 
Published: June 2021

Purpose
South Africa has a large social housing scheme to provide primary housing for less privileged citizens who obtain an average monthly income of less than R 3,500.00. The government seeks to promote an integrated society by developing sustainable human settlements and quality housing within a subsidy system for different income groups. This study aims to examine whether quality management is applied to the reconstruction and development programme (RDP) housing programme during construction.

Design/methodology/approach
A quantitative survey approach was selected for this study. This involved using a close-ended questionnaire to collect data amongst 1,893 households who are currently residing in government housing units in the city of Bloemfontein, in the Free State province. The questionnaires were self-administered amongst randomly selected respondents based on their availability at the time of the visit to the above area. However, only the occupants of a household were included in the study. The data gathered were analysed by making use of R-programming software.

Findings
The findings revealed that a low level of quality is evident in the already constructed RDP housing units. Most of the inspected units were built with low-quality building materials or were not well-constructed, with derelict structural frames and finishes being evident in most houses. Respondents also indicated that they were not satisfied with the quality of some aspects of the units, such as the plaster and paint finishes, door frames built into walls and uneven floors and floor finishes. These complaints indicate that little to no quality management was applied at the time of construction or even afterwards during the latent defects period.

Research limitations/implications
The survey was limited to responses amongst randomly selected government RDP housing occupants in seven communities in Bloemfontein’s periphery, in the Free State Province of South Africa.

Practical implications
The empirical results from the findings indicate that the South African Government should ensure that quality management is applied during the housing units’ construction. This may mean that a new strategy for verifying the units’ quality will need to be developed, considering the respondents’ concerns by improving the quality of the construction materials and methods used to erect these units. The government should also consider improving contractors’ tender selection criteria to ensure higher quality construction methods, materials and management.

Originality/value
The study has identified quality challenges in constructing the social housing and stated recommendations that will address the identified issues if implemented by the programme implementers. This will help achieve the programme's objective, which is to improve the living conditions of previously disadvantaged individuals through social housing scheme.
Shades of blue in financing: transforming the ocean economy with blue bonds
Authors: Mathew Joywin , Robertson Claire 
Published: June 2021

Purpose
To provide an overview of how blue bonds can have a transformative impact on the blue- and ocean-based economies.

Design/methodology/approach
This article provides an overview of what a blue bond is, the process for issuing a blue bond, the transformative effects blue bonds can have on ocean economies, and the areas ocean economies should focus on to attract investors and catalyze investment into their ocean economies.

Findings
This article concludes blue bonds present an opportunity to not only achieve strong financial returns but to also contribute to a meaningful environmental and social impact on ocean economies. As the public and private sectors develop initiatives to catalyze investment into ocean initiatives, it is likely the investment community will eagerly adopt blue bonds into the suite of sustainable finance products, driving greater investment into ocean economies and supporting the health of our oceans.

Practical implications
One of the key constraints for blue-bond growth is the lack of familiarity to this product among market participants. Unlike its other ESG-labeled counterparts, blue bonds are not regulated by a set of principles such as those prescribed by the International Capital Markets Association (ICMA). Clarifying the alignment of globally recognized standards such as the ICMA principles and its correlation to blue financing may help ocean industries to achieve greater recognition within the sustainable bond market framework and can make the market aware of important characteristics of ocean industries, including differing risks and opportunities.

Originality/value
Practical guidance from experienced lawyers in ESG bonds and blue economy initiatives.
Unlocking Covid-19 knowledge sharing within North West Universities
Authors: Edghiem Farag , Guo Xiuli , Bridge Carl , McAreavey Martin 
Published: June 2021

PurposeBased on initial observation, this paper aims to explore the current practices of collaborative knowledge sharing (KS) between North West Universities and highlight new avenues of future relevant research.Design/methodology/approachA netnographic observation was conducted to unveil the current practices of KS between North West Universities.FindingsThe paper concludes that there is little or no evidence of collaborative KS practices amongst North West Universities in response to the present Covid-19 transition.Practical implicationsThis paper provides useful, practical insight that may assist decision-makers to establish KS initiatives within North West Universities and beyond. A strategy is also proposed to nurture collaborative KS amongst North West Universities and within wider work-applied management practice.Originality/valueThis paper presents an unconventional conceptualisation of KS practices amid the present Covid-19 pandemic with the fresh perspective of North West England Universities.
International new ventures’ international performance: a matter of network entrepreneurial orientation and network management activities
Authors: Ripollés Maria , Blesa Andreu 
Published: June 2021

Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to demostrate that commitment to developing knowledge sharing, coordination, adaptation and resolving potential conflict results in idiosyncratic relational assets for firms, which increases the benefits that international new ventures (INVs) can obtain from their networking activity.

Design/methodology/approach
To test the theoretical model, a survey was conducted among a sample of INVs. The data obtained were examined with structural equation modelling using the maximum likelihood estimation procedure in linear structural relations software.

Findings
The results showed positive effects of network entrepreneurial orientation (EO) on knowledge sharing, coordination, adaptation and resolving potential conflict, but only network coordination showed a positive effect on international performance.

Research limitations/implications
The study introduces and extends EO to the network level and shows that it contributes to INVs’ international performance through its influence on the development of coordination activities among networked firms.

Practical implications
The results provide guidance for building INVs’ networks. Entrepreneurs will find orientations about which partners could be more valuable to them.

Originality/value
Little research has addressed the study of network management activities to create a network structure. This paper reveals how firms’ volition and commitment to networking helps us to understand, in a fine-grained manner, how INVs gain benefits from their social networks. Additionally, EO at the network level is also studied, and arguments are proposed showing its relationships with the aforementioned relational activities based on the fact that entrepreneurial-oriented partners are supposed to be more active in networking.
The effects of perceived quality differences between the traditional classroom and online distance learning on student satisfaction: evidence from COVID-19 pandemic in Indonesia
Authors: Istijanto  
Published: June 2021

Purpose
This study aims to investigate the aspects of perceived quality differences that influence student satisfaction when the mode of learning is changed from the traditional classroom to online distance learning because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Design/methodology/approach
This study used an online survey for data collection by distributing online questionnaires to students at a private university in Indonesia. Convenience sampling was applied as the sample method. A total of 253 valid questionnaires were acquired, and all items were recorded on the seven-point comparative scale. Exploratory factor analysis was adopted to identify the dimensions of perceived quality. Then, multiple regression analysis was used to examine the impacts of these dimensions on student satisfaction.

Findings
Four dimensions of perceived quality differences were identified, namely, the perceived quality of the campus facilities, learning process, teaching staff and administrative staff. Regression analysis results proved that the perceived differences in the quality dimensions between the traditional classroom and online distance learning had positive and significant effects on student satisfaction.

Research limitations/implications
As a result of using a convenient sample, this study exhibited a limited sample and context. Therefore, the generalizability of these findings is limited. Future research can use a stratified sample with more diverse categories of respondents.

Practical implications
The findings of this study will help universities that plan to change the mode of learning from traditional classroom to online distance learning. Higher education institutions can gain a deep understanding of these perceived quality attributes that have significant impacts on student satisfaction.

Originality/value
To the author’s best knowledge, this study is the first to address the effect of changing modes of learning from traditional classroom to online distance learning because of the COVID-19 pandemic on student satisfaction in the Indonesian context.
Awareness towards cybercrime among secondary school students: the role of gender and school management
Authors: Verma Mudit Kumar , Kushwaha Shyam Sundar 
Published: June 2021

Purpose
The study aims to determine the cybercrime awareness among secondary school students with reference to their gender and school management type.

Design/methodology/approach
For the purpose, a sample of 100 students from secondary schools situated in Lucknow city, state of Uttar Pradesh, India was selected. To obtain initial data from the respondents and to determine the cybercrime awareness categories a five-point Likert type cybercrime awareness rating scale exclusively constructed to fulfil the purpose of this study was used to determine the cybercrime awareness in five categories viz; excellent, high, above average, average, below average and low cybercrime awareness. Further, “t” test was used to analyse the difference between the means of groups.

Findings
Results revealed that gender (male and female) and type of school management (government and self-finance) are not significant predictors of cybercrime awareness among secondary school students.

Research limitations/implications
This study is limited to the government and self-finance English medium schools of Lucknow city, state of Uttar Pradesh, India.

Practical implications
Policymakers, various societies involved in investigating cyber behavior/child computer interaction/safer communities, etc. should consider that school management is not a predictor of cybercrime along with gender and can look for other possible visible and latent factors affecting cybercrime awareness among students while formulating a policy or designing a course/prevention program for secondary school students.

Social implications
School administration should consider the existing gender and school management roles of the present scenario to make effective policies for the students and providing them effective cybercrime prevention programs and activities. Also, parents can adequately understand the role of school management type and gender of their belongings to understand their cybercrime awareness and take necessary measures accordingly.

Originality/value
The paper is focused on the cybercrime awareness of secondary school students and how their gender and school management type affects their cybercrime awareness. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is first of its kind which investigates the role of school management in cybercrime awareness of the students. As the education sector is depending more and more on the cyber world, this paper is of the great significance for the safety of education sector, organizations and communities involved in making the policies and designing the curriculum to avoid students being a victim of cybercrime and to make education sector a safer community.
Research on optimization sparse method for capacitive micromachined ultrasonic transducer array: heuristic algorithm
Authors: Zhang Tian , Zhang Wendong , Shao XingLing , Wu Yang 
Published: June 2021

Purpose
Because of the small size and high integration of capacitive micromachined ultrasonic transducer (CMUT) component, it can be made into large-scale array, but this lead to high hardware complexity, so the purpose of this paper is to use less elements to achieve better imaging results. In this research, an optimized sparse array is studied, which can suppress the side lobe and reduce the imaging artifacts compared with the equispaced sparse array with the same number of elements.

Design/methodology/approach
Genetic algorithm is used to sparse the CMUT linear array, and Kaiser window apodization is added to reduce imaging artifacts, the beam pattern and peak-to-side lobe ratio are calculated, point targets imaging comparisons are performed. Furthermore, a 256-elements CMUT linear array is used to carry out the imaging experiment of embedded mass and forearm blood vessel, and the imaging results are compared quantitatively.

Findings
Through the imaging comparison of embedded mass and forearm blood vessel, the feasibility of optimized sparse array of CMUT is verified, and the purpose of reducing the hardware complexity is achieved.

Originality/value
This research provides a basis for the large-scale CMUT array to reduce the hardware complexity and the amount of calculation. At present, the CMUT array has been used in medical ultrasound imaging and has huge market potential.
Outcomes of a randomized quality improvement trial for high‐risk Veterans in year two
Authors: Chang Evelyn T. , Yoon Jean , Esmaeili Aryan , Zulman Donna M. , Ong Michael K. , Stockdale Susan E. , Jimenez Elvira E. , Chu Karen , Atkins David , Denietolis Angela , Asch Steven M. ,   PACT Intensive Management (PIM) Demonstration Sites, PIM National Evaluation Center, and PIM Executive Committee
Published: June 2021

AbstractObjectiveThe Veterans Health Administration (VHA) conducted a randomized quality improvement evaluation to determine whether augmenting patient‐centered medical homes with Primary care Intensive Management (PIM) decreased utilization of acute care and health care costs among patients at high risk for hospitalization. PIM was cost‐neutral in the first year; we analyzed changes in utilization and costs in the second year.Data sourcesVHA administrative data for five demonstration sites from August 2013 to March 2019.Data sourcesAdministrative data extracted from VHA's Corporate Data Warehouse.Study designVeterans with a risk of 90‐day hospitalization in the top 10th percentile and recent hospitalization or emergency department (ED) visit were randomly assigned to usual primary care vs primary care augmented by PIM. PIM included interdisciplinary teams, comprehensive patient assessment, intensive case management, and care coordination services. We compared the change in mean VHA inpatient and outpatient utilization and costs (including PIM expenses) per patient for the 12‐month period before randomization and 13‐24 months after randomization for PIM vs usual care using difference‐in‐differences.Principal findingsBoth PIM patients (n = 1902) and usual care patients (n = 1882) had a mean of 5.6 chronic conditions. PIM patients had a greater number of primary care visits compared to those in usual care (mean 4.6 visits/patient/year vs 3.7 visits/patient/year, p < 0.05), but ED visits (p = 0.45) and hospitalizations (p = 0.95) were not significantly different. We found a small relative increase in outpatient costs among PIM patients compared to those in usual care (mean difference + $928/patient/year, p = 0.053), but no significant differences in mean inpatient costs (+$245/patient/year, p = 0.97). Total mean health care costs were similar between the two groups during the second year (mean difference + $1479/patient/year, p = 0.73).ConclusionsApproaches that target patients solely based on the high risk of hospitalization are unlikely to reduce acute care use or total costs in VHA, which already offers patient‐centered medical homes.
Changes in body mass index, glycosylated hemoglobin A1C, blood pressure, and LDL‐cholesterol among type 2 diabetes patients in Malaysia: A population‐based longitudinal study
Authors: Wan Kim Sui , Moy Foong Ming , Mustapha Feisul Idzwan , Ismail Mastura , Hairi Noran Naqiah 
Published: June 2021

AbstractBackgroundThis study aimed to describe changes in body mass index, glycosylated hemoglobin A1C, blood pressure, and low‐density lipoprotein (LDL)‐cholesterol among type 2 diabetes patients in Malaysia.MethodsA five‐year retrospective cohort study was conducted using data from the National Diabetes Registry. Type 2 diabetes patients aged ≥18 years and had ≥2 clinical audits between 2013 and 2017 were included in the analysis. The first audit information formed the baseline characteristics, and the last audit information was used for comparison. Individualized A1C, blood pressure, and LDL‐cholesterol goals were adapted from Malaysian Clinical Practice Guidelines on Type 2 Diabetes Management 2020, American Diabetes Association 2020, and European Association for the Study of Diabetes 2019.ResultsOf the 18 341 patients, 55.8% were female and 64.9% Malay ethnicity. The baseline mean age was 59.3 ± 10.6 years. During an average of 2.5 person‐years of follow‐up, the mean body mass index dropped by 0.16 kg/m2 to 27.9 kg/m2, A1C increased by 0.16% to 8.0%, systolic blood pressure increased by 1.4 mm Hg to 136.2 mm Hg, diastolic blood pressure decreased by 1.0 mm Hg to 77.3 mm Hg and LDL‐cholesterol reduced by 0.12 mmol/L to 2.79 mmol/L, P < 0.001 for all. Out of eight categories of individualized goals, most patients achieved the A1C goal of ≤8.0%. The new LDL‐cholesterol goal of <1.4 mmol/L was least likely to be achieved.ConclusionsThe body mass index, A1C, blood pressure, and LDL‐cholesterol performance remained suboptimal. Standards of care for these clinical parameters remain to be achieved by the majority of diabetes patients.
Proximal splenic embolisation versus distal splenic embolisation for management of focal distal arterial injuries of the spleen
Authors: Venn Georgina A. , Clements Warren , Moriarty Heather , Goh Gerard S. 
Published: June 2021

AbstractIntroductionTo compare the outcomes of proximal (pSAE) versus distal (dSAE) splenic artery embolisation for management of focal distal arterial splenic injuries secondary to blunt splenic trauma.MethodEthical approval was granted by the hospital research and ethics committee, Project 389/19. All patients who underwent splenic artery embolisation secondary to blunt abdominal trauma from 1 January 2009 to 1 January 2019 were reviewed. Patients with a tandem embolisation (both proximal and distal embolisations) or those with no acute vascular injury on angiography were excluded. Patient demographics, injury type/ AAST grade (2018 classification), technique of embolisation and outcomes were collected. Complications and splenectomy rates up to 30 days were recorded.Results136 out of 232 patients had an embolisation performed for a distal vascular injury including active arterial bleeding, pseudoaneurysm or arteriovenous fistula. Mean age was 41 (range 16–84). Mean AAST grade was 4 (range 3–5). Mean Injury Severity Score was 22. pSAE was performed in 79.4% (n = 108) and dSAE in 20.6% (n = 28). Major complications occurred in 12 patients (pSAE n = 12, 11.1%; dSAE n = 0, P > 0.05); 6 pSAE required splenectomy (n = 6, 5.6%). There was no significant difference in outcomes between the two groups or when based on AAST grading.ConclusionNo significant difference was observed between proximal and distal embolisation techniques for blunt trauma patients with a distal vascular injury in terms of technical and clinical success.
Regime Complexity and Complex Foreign Policy: China in International Development Finance Governance
Authors: Wang Hongying 
Published: June 2021

AbstractThis paper examines China’s involvement in the governance of international development finance (IDF), analyzes its approach to the IDF regime complex, and explains its strategic policy incoherence. It shows that in recent decades China has actively engaged with the elemental IDF regimes at multiple levels – global, regional, cross‐regional, subregional, and bilateral. It argues that the Chinese government has been strategically incoherent in its policy toward IDF governance, lending support to competing models and norms. China’s ‘forum linking’ strategy with regard to multilateral development banks has enhanced international cooperation while its unconventional bilateral development assistance programs have facilitated ‘forum shopping’ by the recipient countries, thus undermining the traditional IDF framework. There are multiple sources of China’s strategic policy incoherence. Besides the country’s multiple identities and complex interests, this paper highlights the impact of the fragmented nature of the regime complex and Chinese perception of this fragmentation.
Settling with Autonomy after Civil Wars: Lessons from Aceh, Indonesia
Authors: Fujikawa Kentaro 
Published: June 2021

AbstractAutonomy arrangements short of secession have been popular among international actors as a solution to deadly self‐determination conflicts. However, the number of peace agreements incorporating autonomy, while clearly eliminating the possibility of secession, is limited in practice. According to the literature, this is because: (1) ethnic rebels are too weak militarily to extract substantial concessions from national governments; and (2) because the governmental offer of autonomy is not credible to rebels. Drawing upon the single case study of Aceh, this research examines how warring parties overcome these two obstacles and successfully settle ethnonational conflicts through autonomy. First, although ethnonational conflicts do not tend to be costly over a single year, they often last for decades, and the accumulation of this cost over years can be substantial. In light of this long‐term cost, national governments have incentives to offer substantial concessions to stop the conflict from persisting indefinitely. Second, rebels could sign the agreement if they perceive that their autonomy is internationally guaranteed in the long term. It is imperative for international policy makers to consider these points when they try to help resolve ethnonational conflicts through autonomy.