bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Financing the capital-constrained farmer under random yield and investment information asymmetry: bank credit versus trade credit
Authors: Li Yina , Li Zhuyuan , Ye Fei 
Published: November 2024

PurposeFinancing the capital-constrained farmers to facilitate the production of agri-products is one of the greatest challenges facing the farming supply chain in the developing countries. In this study, we investigate the optimal financing scheme for the farming supply chain under random yield and investment information asymmetry environment to support rural economic development.Design/methodology/approachWe analyze a stylized model of farming supply chain where the capital-constrained farmer produces and sells agri-products through the agribusiness firm, and investigate the optimal financing scheme incorporating the investment information asymmetry and the challenge of yield uncertainty.FindingsThe results show that there is no one financing scheme equilibrium dominates for all situations, the financing scheme equilibrium is affected by the bank’s supervision cost to monitor the farmer’s moral hazard behavior, the variance of random yield and the farmer’s initial capital. The preference of the financing scheme for the agribusiness firm may be different from that for the farmer. The agribusiness firm might suffer from overfinancing problem under trade credit financing when the bank’s supervision cost is larger and the farmer’s own initial capital is lower; the higher variance of random yield will flare up the effect.Practical implicationsThis study sheds light on the choice of financing scheme under random yield and investment information asymmetry environment. This problem is particularly important for developing economies. Financing the capital-constrained farmers not only increases supplies of food and industrial raw materials, but also reduces poverty. The findings provide managerial implications for practitioners for how to leverage different financing scheme to support rural economic development.Originality/valueThis study develops new theoretical model for farming supply chain financing incorporating the challenge of yield uncertainty and investment information asymmetry, the two prominent factors that would impact the financial risk significantly. We analyze the equilibrium under both bank financing and trade credit financing schemes, and the results suggest that the financing scheme equilibrium is affected by the bank’s supervision cost to monitor the farmer’s moral hazard behavior, the variance of random yield and the farmer’s initial capital. The agribusiness firm might suffer from overfinancing problem under trade credit financing.
Austrian FDI in Asian economies: Does knowledge capital matter?
Authors: Raeskyesa Dewa Gede Sidan 
Published: November 2024

PurposeWhile Austrian foreign direct investment (FDI) in Asian economies experiences a rising trend, the following question arises: Why does Austria invest more in certain economies over others? This study intends to assess the factors that drive Austrian investment in Asian economies.Design/methodology/approachBased on the ownership, location and internalization framework and the knowledge capital approach, this study hypothesizes that knowledge capital significantly attracts FDI from Austria. Meanwhile, this study applies the panel-corrected standard error method to analyze data for 11 Asian economies from 1990 to 2022.FindingsAfter considering endogeneity, the results show a positive and significant correlation between expenditure in research and development per gross domestic product (GDP) in the host economies and FDI inflow from Austria. In addition, the study reveals that factors such as market size, trade openness and natural resources in the host economies significantly influence Austria’s FDI, which indicates that Austrian investors fall into the three main FDI typologies: market-seeking, resources-seeking and efficiency-seeking.Originality/valueThis study fills the literature gap by becoming the first to analyze the determinants of Austrian FDI in Asian economies, thus enriching our understanding of Austria’s global investment pattern.
Enhancing ambidextrous green innovation: the role of green supply chain integration, knowledge capabilities and technology dynamism in manufacturing
Authors: Javed Asma , Li Qian , Basit Abdul 
Published: November 2024

PurposeIn the context of the environmental degradation challenge in manufacturing firms, greening the supply chain (SC) is the most widely endorsed method to mitigate the adverse repercussions of climate change. Based on organizational learning and resource dependence theories, the aim of this research is to know how green supply chain external integration (GSCEI) and green supply chain internal integration (GSCII) influence ambidextrous green innovation (AGI). It also examines the mediating roles of green absorptive capacity (GAC) and green knowledge integration capability (GKIC), as well as the moderating role of green technology dynamism (GTD).Design/methodology/approachTo assess the hypothesized model, data were obtained with 386 questionnaires from managers employed in manufacturing firms in Pakistan applying a cross-sectional approach. A partial least square structural equation modeling technique was implemented to evaluate the data.FindingsThe results revealed that GSCEI and GSCII substantially impact AGI. Moreover, GAC and GKIC serve as mediators between GSCEI and AGI. GAC and GKIC also intervene in the relationship between GSCII and AGI. GTD was significant as a moderator for the correlation between GSCEI and AGI. However, it does not moderate the relationship between GSCII and AGI.Practical implicationsThis research offers significant comprehension and an innovative approach for manufacturing organizations to curb environmental corrosion by stimulating AGI through green SC integration. It suggests to practitioners that integrating internal knowledge with external partners expands communication and collaboration to ensure that resources connected with environmental preservation flow smoothly.Originality/valueThis research is a valuable addition to the field, as it explores for the first time the missing link among the studied constructs. It opened the black box of how knowledge-related capabilities facilitate knowledge resources to elicit AGI, an area that has not yet been explored.
Impact of teacher lecturing skills, ICT resources, physical classroom environment and library facilities on university image: student satisfaction as a mediator
Authors: Hanaysha Jalal Rajeh , Eli Taleb Bilal 
Published: November 2024

PurposeThe objective of this research was to test the effect of information and communication technology (ICT) resources, library facilities, teacher lecturing skills and physical classroom environment on student satisfaction and university image. This paper also sought to contribute to the existing body of knowledge by confirming the role of student satisfaction as a mediator among the stated factors and university image.Design/methodology/approachData were collected from 314 students at higher education institutions (HEIs) in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) using a survey instrument. Throughout the data analysis stage, the partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) was employed in order to validate the research instrument and test the hypotheses.FindingsThe findings verified that teacher lecturing skills and ICT resources have a positive effect on both student satisfaction and university image. Moreover, the study revealed that the library facilities and physical classroom environment positively affect both student satisfaction and university image. Lastly, the analysis showed that student satisfaction mediates the link between the stated factors and university image.Originality/valueThis paper adds to the published literature by investigating the direct and indirect effects of teacher lecturing skills, ICT resources, physical classroom environment and library facilities on university image via student satisfaction at HEIs in the UAE. This study is the first to integrate all of these factors into a single research model.
Corporate social performance through instrumental stakeholder theory: a sector-specific perspective
Authors: Arian Adam , Sands John , Rahman Habib Ur , Khatatbeh Ibrahim N. 
Published: November 2024

PurposeThis study uses instrumental stakeholder theory to explore the relationship between corporate social performance (CSP) and financial performance in various market sectors. It aims to show how CSP, driven by stakeholder demands in different markets, affects financial outcomes.Design/methodology/approachUsing panel data analysis on data from 2007 to 2020, this research examines how stakeholder demand impacts a firm's ability to turn social performance into financial gains. The study ensures reliable results by addressing methodological and endogeneity issues related to CSP.FindingsThe results show that a firm's success in converting social performance into financial benefits depends on stakeholder demands in different markets. While better CSP generally leads to improved financial performance, the extent of this benefit varies based on stakeholder expectations. This highlights the importance of managers strategically addressing stakeholder demands to maximize financial returns from social initiatives.Originality/valueBy examining the CSP–financial performance link through the lens of market and stakeholder demands, this research provides new insights into how firms can strategically gain stakeholder support for financial benefits. It shows the long-term value of CSP as an investment that gains stakeholder support over time. This approach broadens the understanding of CSP by considering diverse stakeholder influences across industries, filling a gap in long-term CSP research.
Research on passenger flow control at metro transfer stations based on real-time flow calculation of streamlines
Authors: Lei Bin , Hou Zhuoxing , Suo Yifei , Liu Wei , Luo Linlin , Lei Dongbo 
Published: November 2024

PurposeThe volume of passenger traffic at metro transfer stations serves as a pivotal metric for the orchestration of crowd flow management. Given the intricacies of crowd dynamics within these stations and the recurrent instances of substantial passenger influxes, a methodology predicated on stochastic processes and the principle of user equilibrium is introduced to facilitate real-time traffic flow estimation within transfer station streamlines.Design/methodology/approachThe synthesis of stochastic process theory with streamline analysis engenders a probabilistic model of intra-station pedestrian traffic dynamics. Leveraging real-time passenger flow data procured from monitoring systems within the transfer station, a gradient descent optimization technique is employed to minimize the cost function, thereby deducing the dynamic distribution of categorized passenger flows. Subsequently, adhering to the tenets of user equilibrium, the Frank–Wolfe algorithm is implemented to allocate the intra-station categorized passenger flows across various streamlines, ascertaining the traffic volume for each.FindingsUtilizing the Xiaozhai Station of the Xi’an Metro as a case study, the Anylogic simulation software is engaged to emulate the intra-station crowd dynamics, thereby substantiating the efficacy of the proposed passenger flow estimation model. The derived solutions are instrumental in formulating a crowd control strategy for Xiaozhai Station during the peak interval from 17:30 to 18:00 on a designated day, yielding crowd management interventions that offer insights for the orchestration of passenger flow and operational governance within metro stations.Originality/valueThe construction of an estimation methodology for the real-time streamline traffic flow augments the model’s dataset, supplanting estimated values derived from surveys or historical datasets with real-time computed traffic data, thereby enhancing the precision and immediacy of crowd flow management within metro stations.
Mixture reliability analysis of a product consisting of new and remanufactured components
Authors: Chakraborty Kaustov , Bag Surajit , Chiarini Andrea 
Published: November 2024

PurposeThe rapid increase in importance of the remanufacturing operation in the present scenario is just because of its ability to retrieve the functional value of the End-of-Use or End-of-Life products which is as good as the original product. However, customers are still concerned about the reliability of the remanufactured product which is considered as one of the major problems in the area of remanufacturing. The purpose of this paper is to study and analyse the behavioural pattern of the mixture failure rate of a remanufactured product.Design/methodology/approachIn order to analyse the behavioural pattern of the mixture failure rate, different proportions of new and remanufactured products are mixed. In this paper, a two-parameter Weibull distribution is used to observe the mixture failure rate characteristics. Also, the mixture failure rate of the remanufactured product is evaluated under two conditions, that is when the shape parameter of new and remanufactured components is the same and when the shape parameter values are different.FindingsFrom the analysis, it is observed that the mixture failure rate is always decreasing in nature when the shape parameter values are same. In that case, the value of the mixture failure rate depends only on the proportion of the new components. When the shape parameter values are different, the mixture failure rate characteristics depend upon the shape parameter value of the remanufactured product.Originality/valueThe results of the research can be applied to any remanufactured automotive product. This study also shows the behavioural characteristics of the mixture failure rate of a remanufactured product at different mixture proportions.
Effectiveness of long‐term bimekizumab treatment and predictive factors for responders in moderate‐to‐severe psoriasis: A 52‐week real‐world study
Authors: Hagino Teppei , Saeki Hidehisa , Fujimoto Eita , Kanda Naoko 
Published: November 2024

AbstractPsoriasis is a chronic, inflammatory skin disease in which the interleukin (IL)‐23/IL‐17 axis plays a central role. Bimekizumab is a novel antibody that targets both IL‐17A and IL‐17F. This retrospective study aimed to assess the long‐term effectiveness and safety of 52‐week treatment with bimekizumab, and to identify predictive factors for short‐ (16 weeks) and long‐term (52 weeks) responders (i.e., achievers of a Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI) score of 100) to bimekizumab in Japanese patients with psoriasis. The study was conducted on 56 Japanese patients (aged ≥ 15 years) with moderate‐to‐severe psoriasis treated with bimekizumab from May 2022 to March 2024. The therapeutic effectiveness was evaluated by the transition of PASI scores during treatment. Baseline characteristics and clinical and laboratory indexes were compared between responders and poor responders. Treatment‐emergent adverse events (TEAEs) were recorded to assess the safety of the treatment. At week 52, the achievement of PASI 100, static Physician's Global Assessment 0/1, and the Dermatology Life Quality Index 0/1 were 72.4%, 94.7%, and 93.3%, respectively. Short‐term responders showed lower baseline values of neutrophil‐to‐lymphocyte ratio, monocyte‐to‐lymphocyte ratio (MLR), and systemic inflammatory response index compared to poor responders. Long‐term responders showed younger age and lower MLR compared to poor responders. TEAEs were mild or moderate, without serious adverse events. Long‐term treatment with bimekizumab is effective and safe for psoriasis patients. Lower MLR and younger age might predict long‐term response to treatment with bimekizumab, aiding in personalized treatment strategies.
Adaptation in the Anthropocene: How behavioural choice and colour change enables chameleon prawns to camouflage on non‐native seaweeds
Authors: Duarte Rafael C. , Ryan Beks , Dias Gustavo M. , Stevens Martin 
Published: November 2024

Abstract

Animals combine colour change and behavioural choices to enhance concealment and adapt to changes in habitat in time and space. However, non‐native and invasive habitat‐forming plants and seaweeds can change the landscape, challenging animals to remain camouflaged, especially when the colour of the new habitat differs from the native backgrounds.

The chameleon prawn (Hippolyte varians) exhibits remarkable colour variation and effective camouflage against different native seaweeds in shallow tidepools. Individuals optimize crypsis by choosing colour‐matching seaweeds and changing colour over time. In some locations, the prawn's native habitats are now replaced by non‐native seaweeds of different coloration and structure, making it important to understand whether substrate choice and colour change facilitates the occupation of these seaweeds and enables prawns to camouflage against new backgrounds.

Using image analysis and visual modelling of a fish predator, we assessed the colour variation and camouflage of chameleon prawns occupying the non‐native seaweeds brown wireweed (Sargassum muticum) and pink harpoon weed (Asparagopsis armata) in southwest UK. We performed laboratory trials to examine whether prawns maintain their preference for colour‐matching native substrates when given a choice between them and non‐native seaweeds, and if they can change their coloration to improve camouflage against non‐native substrates.

Prawns exhibit phenotypic diversity and camouflage that varied with the non‐native seaweed species, with low colour variation and effective camouflage on pink harpoon weed, but high colour diversity and reduced concealment against brown wireweed. Prawns choose non‐native seaweeds when the alternative native substrate provides mismatching coloration, but they did not exhibit any preference between colour‐matching native and non‐native seaweeds. Once in non‐native habitats, prawns change their appearance over a few days to match the background, sometimes faster than when changing on native seaweeds of contrasting coloration.

Although human activities considerably modify the coloration of marine landscapes by increasing the establishment of non‐native seaweeds, the impacts of those changes appear less severe for colour‐changing species, such as chameleon prawns, and will depend on the similarity between the colour of the new substrates and the original native backgrounds, and how animals use behaviour and physiology to match new habitats.
Resource pulses drive spatio‐temporal dynamics of non‐native bark beetles and wood borers
Authors: Brockerhoff Eckehard G. , Sopow Stephanie L. , Bader Martin K.‐F. 
Published: November 2024

Abstract

Clear‐fell harvesting of non‐native plantation forests in the southern hemisphere creates large amounts of woody debris that is used for breeding by non‐native bark beetles and wood borers. Limited competition and a shortage of natural enemies allow some invasive pine bark beetles and wood borers to become highly abundant and cause phytosanitary issues.

Replicated transects (550–750 m long) of funnel traps baited with alpha‐pinene and ethanol spanning even‐aged Pinus radiata stands were established in New Zealand's largest plantation forest and monitored from pre‐harvest until up to 5 years post‐harvesting to test the effects of harvesting residue resource pulses on the spatio‐temporal population dynamics of Hylurgus ligniperda, Hylastes ater and Arhopalus ferus.

Generalised additive mixed model analyses of trap captures of >687,000 H. ligniperda, >7600 H. ater and >5000 A. ferus individuals showed greatly elevated populations for the first 2–3 years post‐harvest. Subsequently, populations returned to very low levels once the resource pulse was exhausted. Spatial patterns of captures reflecting beetle dispersal from breeding material showed a curvilinear decline along the breeding resource gradient by up to 95% from the interior of a recently harvested stand into an adjacent, previously harvested stand with exploited resources.

Synthesis and applications. The results show that forest management characterised by ongoing harvesting of neighbouring stands facilitates the build‐up of large populations of bark beetles and wood borers of phytosanitary concern. This is due to recurrent resource pulses caused by the supply of substantial amounts of breeding material from tree felling. Our findings can inform forest planning aimed at avoiding such harvesting patterns, by assisting with the development and implementation of strategies for the management of beetle populations across the landscape. Most beetles dispersed <400 m beyond the source stand edge, although some beetles are likely to have dispersed further. Keeping a distance of 1–2 km between recently felled stands and those scheduled for felling would be expected to reduce rapid population growth. This knowledge can also be used to reduce seedling attack, minimise infestation of logs, and ultimately, mitigate pathway and biosecurity risks, with important implications for forest product exports and quarantine measures.
A shadow on democracy? The shadow economy and government responsiveness
Authors: FENZL MICHELE 
Published: November 2024

AbstractGovernment responsiveness is a key feature and justification for democracy. Yet, previous studies show that the ability of governments to deliver responsive policies critically depends on the availability of resources. This study suggests that the shadow economy hurts democratic responsiveness because it reduces government revenues and decreases the reliability of economic statistics. Governments facing lower resources then respond to wider economic constraints and not to their publics. Using Eurobarometer data to evaluate public opinion in 15 European democracies and data on welfare generosity to measure policy outputs, this study finds that larger submerged economies correspond to less responsive governments. Additionally, the empirical analysis highlights that the shadow economy makes welfare systems less generous and taxation rates more demanding. These novel results have important implications for our understanding of democracy and help us clarify the conditions under which governments are more or less likely to deliver responsive policies. Finally, these results demonstrate the importance of studying the political consequences of the shadow economy.