bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Prioritization of factors influencing outsourcing maintenance decisions in thermal power plants – A case study
Authors: Alawadi Ja'far , Abbasi Ghaleb Yousef , Al-Refaie Abbas 
Published: June 2023

PurposeAlthough the factors that affect the decision of outsourcing are variant from one industry to another and from one application to another, this paper aims to investigate the factors that influence the decision of outsourcing using a systematic literature review (SLR) approach to fill the gap of the literature and focus on maintenance activities in terms of industrial firms. Furthermore, the analytical hierarchy process (AHP) method will be developed to prioritize the important factors according to the experts' judgments and reveal the factors' weights to support decision-makers in thermal power plants to realize the factors that have a high impact on outsourcing maintenance decisions and enhance their decision-making to increase power plant competitive advantages over quality, availability and safety requirements.Design/methodology/approachThe purpose of this research is to prioritize the factors that influence outsourcing maintenance decisions to be considered by decision-makers in power plants before making a decision of outsourcing maintenance activities. In this research, an SLR approach was applied to identify the factors in terms of industry and rank them accordingly using factors' frequency process. A questionnaire survey was designed to seek the experts' opinions to prioritize the factors that influence the decision of outsourcing maintenance activities in power companies using AHP. The research found that “Improve service quality”, “acquire new skills or technical knowledge” and “Function difficult to manage” have the first priority before making the decision of outsourcing maintenance activities in the context of power plants.FindingsThe decision of outsourcing regarding maintenance activities in the context of industry, as well as determining the most critical factors among the extracted factors from the literature and rank them accordingly using factors' frequency process. Next, a questionnaire survey was designed and conducted to seek the experts' opinions to prioritize the factors that influence the decision of outsourcing concerning maintenance activities in thermal power companies using AHP method. According to the SLR, industrial companies are mainly pursuing outsourcing maintenance services to focus on core activities, save overall costs and improve service quality.Originality/valueThis is an original research paper out of an MSc thesis submitted at the Industrial Engineering Department, University of Jordan.
Study the supplier evaluation and selection in supply chain disruption risk based on regret theory and VIKOR method
Authors: Zhang Nian , Zheng Shuo , Tian Lingyuan , Wei Guiwu 
Published: June 2023

PurposeIn the supply chain disruption risk, the issue of supplier evaluation and selection is solved by an extended VIKOR method based on regret theory.Design/methodology/approachConsidering the influence of irrational emotions of decision makers, an evaluation model is designed by the regret theory and VIKOR method, which makes the decision-making process closer to reality.FindingsThe paper has some innovations in the evaluation index system and evaluation model construction. The method has good stability under the risk of supply chain interruption.Originality/valueThe mixed evaluation information is used to describe the attributes, and the evaluation index system is constructed by the combined method of the social network analysis method and the literature research method to ensure the accuracy and accuracy of the extracted attributes. The issue of supplier evaluation and selection is solved by an extended VIKOR method based on regret theory.
Leadership, stress and politics: influences on creativity and innovation in emerging markets
Authors: Dost Mir , Qatiti Khalid Al 
Published: June 2023

PurposeThis research explores the moderating role of empowering leadership, job-related stress and workplace politics on the link between employee creativity and innovation output.Design/methodology/approachTo test the hypothesized relationships, the authors used a questionnaire survey to nest the data from subordinates (n = 388) and their supervisors (n = 151) working for the emerging markets of Pakistan and analyzed data by using the SmartPLS-SEM technique.FindingsEmployee creativity is positively associated with innovation output. The moderation by empowering leadership and employee job-related stress further strengthens the association between employee creativity and innovation output. However, the creativity of employees is not directed toward innovation if they are involved in politics.Research limitations/implicationsThe findings will help modern managers to understand the importance of enhancing employee creativity through empowering leadership. Such leadership delegates authority enables employee motivation, develops a conducive working environment by eliminating workplace politics and ensures the well-being of employees. It offers employees the confidence to unleash their creative efforts for innovation.Practical implicationsThe managers can benefit from the findings: a) to enhance the abilities of creative employees for innovation outputs by practicing the role of empowering leadership, b) the extent to which employees display job-related stress and enhances their innovation outputs and c) to be aware of the inverse effects of creative employees' involvement in workplace politics on innovation.Originality/valueAlthough the previous research was well established on the link between creativity and innovation, the authors knew a little about the factors that can strengthen/weaken this relationship. The authors believe that the findings are a small effort to solve the pieces of the puzzle in the literature.
Frugal innovation and operational performance: the role of organizational learning capability
Authors: Berndt Ana Clara , Gomes Giancarlo , Borini Felipe Mendes , Bernardes Roberto Carlos 
Published: June 2023

Purpose
This study aims to analyze the organizational learning capability relationship with operational performance and frugal innovation across Brazilian companies.

Design/methodology/approach
Quantitative research was performed using collected data from 154 firms, which were analyzed using structural equation modeling.

Findings
The results showed that organizational learning capability is an antecedent of frugal innovation. The results also predict a better operational performance for companies that actively innovate cost-effectively. Another result was the positive relationship between the organizational learning capability and the operational performance. The authors found that the indirect and positive relationship between organizational learning capability, frugal innovation and operational performance was confirmed, reinforcing the literature.

Research limitations/implications
A theoretical implication of this study can be seen in the establishment of the relationship between organizational learning capability, frugal innovation and operational performance since no studies linking these variables together were found. Therefore, the organizational learning capability and the frugal innovation can be considered facilitators of the operational performance.

Practical implications
Managers should consider organizational learning and frugal innovation when thinking about firms’ operational performance. In this way, to facilitate and achieve higher performance, it was found that organizational learning capability and frugal innovation have a great deal of impact on operational performance.

Social implications
At frugal innovation, the needs of citizens are prioritized. It is a great instrument to face crises since it consists of developing simpler and cheaper products and services quickly, making them accessible to a larger group of consumers.

Originality/value
This study seeks to understand whether Brazilian companies are moving toward a more frugal innovation strategy. The study opens the possibility of showing whether the organizational learning capability has also impacted this change.
Elevated interleukin‐11 in systemic sclerosis and role in disease pathogenesis
Authors: Steadman Thomas , O'Reilly Steven 
Published: June 2023

AbstractSystemic sclerosis (SSc) is an autoimmune connective tissue disease in which there is elevated inflammation, aberrant cytokine expression, and subsequent fibrosis. Interleukin‐11 (IL‐11) is a recently described profibrotic cytokine that can mediate fibrosis in the heart, lungs, and skin and is upregulated by transforming Growth Factor‐β (TGF‐β1). The objective of this study was to quantify the serum levels of IL‐11 in early diffuse SSc patients. Also, if IL‐11 could regulate the alarmin IL‐33 in dermal fibroblasts was quantified. Early diffuse SSc patient sera was isolated and IL‐11 was quantified by specific commercial ELISA compared to healthy control (n = 17). Healthy dermal fibroblasts were cultured in vitro and then serum starved and incubated with or without recombinant IL‐11. At specific early and late time points the supernatant was quantified for the alarmin IL‐33 by specific ELISA. In early diffuse SSc patients it was demonstrated that they have elevated IL‐11 in their sera. In a subgroup of SSc patients with interstitial lung disease (ILD) this elevation was particularly pronounced compared to those devoid of fibrotic lung disease. In vitro incubation of healthy dermal fibroblasts led to a significant induction of IL‐33 cytokine release into the cell media. IL‐11 is a profibrotic cytokine that is elevated in early diffuse SSc and is particularly elevated in those with ILD. This suggests that IL‐11 could be a possible biomarker of ILD in SSc. It was also found that IL‐11 led to release of the cytokine alarmin IL‐33 in fibroblasts at earlier time points but not late time points, suggesting early stimulation elicits an inflammatory response in the local microenvironment but prolonged stimulation leads to fibrosis.
Gut microbiome helps honeybee (Apis mellifera) resist the stress of toxic nectar plant (Bidens pilosa) exposure: Evidence for survival and immunity
Authors: Tang Qihe , Li Wanli , Wang Zhengwei , Dong Zhixiang , Li Xijie , Li Jiali , Huang Qi , Cao Zhe , Gong Wei , Zhao Yazhou , Wang Minzeng , Guo Jun 
Published: June 2023

AbstractHoneybee (Apis mellifera) ingestion of toxic nectar plants can threaten their health and survival. However, little is known about how to help honeybees mitigate the effects of toxic nectar plant poisoning. We exposed honeybees to different concentrations of Bidens pilosa flower extracts and found that B. pilosa exposure significantly reduced honeybee survival in a dose‐dependent manner. By measuring changes in detoxification and antioxidant enzymes and the gut microbiome, we found that superoxide dismutase, glutathione‐S‐transferase and carboxylesterase activities were significantly activated with increasing concentrations of B. pilosa and that different concentrations of B. pilosa exposure changed the structure of the honeybee gut microbiome, causing a significant reduction in the abundance of Bartonella (p < 0.001) and an increase in Lactobacillus. Importantly, by using Germ‐Free bees, we found that colonization by the gut microbes Bartonella apis and Apilactobacillus kunkeei (original classification as Lactobacillus kunkeei) significantly increased the resistance of honeybees to B. pilosa and significantly upregulated bee‐associated immune genes. These results suggest that honeybee detoxification systems possess a level of resistance to the toxic nectar plant B. pilosa and that the gut microbes B. apis and A. kunkeei may augment resistance to B. pilosa stress by improving host immunity.
Crisis management of interdependent systems, communication and coordination: A perspective on medium‐scale events
Authors: Islam Khairul , Laskey Allison , Schwetschenau Sara , Sheppard Ronisha , Smith Richard , Sobeck Joanne , Stanley Erin , Taylor Kristin , Kilgore Paul , Love Nancy , McElmurry Shawn , Seeger Matthew 
Published: June 2023

AbstractThis research investigates medium‐scale disruptive events to understand how these events influence communication and coordination between two interdependent systems (i.e., the water system and the public health system). Medium‐scale events are events that are often overlooked as routine as they occur with more frequency than large‐scale events, yet they have the potential to provide important information about the state and vulnerability of systems, and, if not managed appropriately, can cascade into larger‐scale crises. A survey of US public drinking water systems (N = 471) shows that medium‐scale events promote coordination, especially when those events have a public dimension. Findings also reveal that several features of water systems including surface water sources, system size, and ownership types are associated with higher levels of interaction with the public health systems. Additionally, a network analysis identifies three distinct subnetworks that engage in emergency response activities. The strength of the working relationship was strongly associated with coordinated emergency responses, coordinated public responses, planning, and technical assistance. Findings have implications for both theory and crisis management.
Is Chief Executive Officer optimistic belief bad for workers? Evidence from corporate employment decisions
Authors: Le Hang , Kibria Ishrar , Jiang Kun 
Published: June 2023

AbstractUsing a behavioural approach, we investigate how Chief Executive Officer optimism, defined as a personality trait where a person has optimistic beliefs about the outcome of future events, influences corporate employment decisions. Using data of publicly traded firms in the U.S. from 1995 to 2017, we show that firms with optimistic CEOs have higher employment growth and exhibit less pronounced employment sensitivity to declining sales than firms with non‐optimistic CEOs do. We also find that the impact of optimistic CEOs on employment decisions is larger in financially constrained firms. We deal with potential endogeneity issues with the entropy balancing method, propensity score matching and two‐stage least squares regression. Our findings have important implications for the design and implementation of Human Resource Management policies.
Coexistence of Sjögren's syndrome and pulmonary nodular amyloidosis
Authors: Tastekin Fatih , Kerim Duygu , Sen Sait , Kabasakal Yasemin 
Published: June 2023

AbstractThere are very few cases in the literature on the coexistence of Sjögren's syndrome and pulmonary nodular amyloidosis being treated with rituximab. When nodules with central calcification and cystic lesions are seen on computed tomography, amyloid lung should be considered. Biopsy is recommended as it can be confused with malignancies. In this article, we present a 66‐year‐old female patient who has been followed up for Sjögren's syndrome for 26 years. Multiple cystic lesions with central calcification in the lung were detected and it was evaluated as amyloid nodule in the biopsy performed. The patient is being followed and is stable under rituximab treatment. Pulmonary noduler amyloidosis is very rare in Sjögren patients and there are very few cases where rituximab is used for treatment. We decided to publish in order to guide clinicians who will encounter similar cases.
pykanto: A python library to accelerate research on wild bird song
Authors: Merino Recalde Nilo 
Published: June 2023

Abstract

Studying the vocalisations of wild animals can be a challenge due to the limitations of traditional computational methods, which often are time‐consuming and lack reproducibility.

Here, I present pykanto, a new software package that provides a set of tools to build, manage, and explore large sound databases. It can automatically find discrete units in animal vocalisations, perform semi‐supervised labelling of individual repertoires with a new interactive web app and feed data to deep learning models. pykanto can be used to streamline research on, for example, individual vocal signatures and acoustic similarity between individuals and populations.

To demonstrate its capabilities, I put the library to the test on the vocalisations of male great tits in Wytham Woods, near Oxford, UK.

The results show that the identities of individual birds can be accurately determined from their songs and that the use of pykanto improves the efficiency and reproducibility of the process.
Medical marijuana access and prolonged opioid use among adolescents and young adults
Authors: Kim Kyungha , Pacula Rosalie L. , Dick Andrew W. , Stein Bradley D. , Druss Benjamin G. , Agbese Edeanya , Cohrs Austin C. , Leslie Douglas L. 
Published: June 2023

AbstractBackground and ObjectivesLaws liberalizing access to medical marijuana are associated with reduced opioid analgesic use among adults, but little is known about the impact of such policies on adolescents and young adults.MethodsThis retrospective cohort study used 2005 to 2014 claims from MarketScan® Commercial database, which covers all 50 states and Washington D.C. The sample included 195,204 adolescent and young adult patients (aged 12–25) who underwent one of 13 surgical procedures.ResultsOf the 195,204 patients, 4.8% had prolonged opioid use. Several factors were associated with a higher likelihood of prolonged opioid use, including being female (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 1.27; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.21–1.33), longer hospital stay (aOR, 1.04; 95% CI, 1.02–1.06), greater days of index opioid supply (8–14 days: aOR, 1.39, 95% CI, 1.33–1.45; greater than 14 days: aOR, 2.42, 95% CI, 2.26–2.59), rural residence (aOR, 1.07; 95% CI, 1.01–1.14), and cholecystectomy (aOR, 1.16; 95% CI, 1.08–1.25). There was not a significant association of medical marijuana dispensary laws on prolonged opioid use (aOR, 0.98; 95% CI, 0.81–1.18).Conclusions and Scientific SignificanceMedical marijuana has been suggested as a substitute for opioids, but our results focusing on adolescents and young adults provide new evidence that this particularly vulnerable population does not exhibit reductions in prolonged use of opioids after surgery when they have legal access to medical marijuana. These findings are the first to demonstrate potentially important age differences in sustained use of opioids, and point to the need for prescriber oversight and management with this vulnerable population.
The role of farmer cooperatives in promoting environmentally sustainable agricultural development in China: A review
Authors: Liang Qiao , Ma Kangwei , Liu Wenhao 
Published: June 2023

AbstractEnvironmentally sustainable agricultural development is an essential part of the Sustainable Development Goals proposed by the United Nations in 2015. This article systematically reviews studies on the role of farmer cooperatives in promoting environmentally sustainable agricultural development and uses China as a case study to analyze the measures and function mechanisms of farmer cooperatives in promoting the adoption and scaling of sustainable farming practices by farmers. Farmer cooperatives in China influence farmers’ farming practices and benefits by not only serving farmers with various information and technologies but also supervising farmers’ production processes. Nevertheless, farmer cooperatives, both in general and in China in particular, face challenges in effectively promoting the adoption of environmentally sustainable farming practices. A few policy implications are proposed based on these analyses.
Relationship between refractive index and fatty acid composition by gas chromatography and near‐infrared fiber‐optic method in bovine fat
Authors: Obana Naoaki , Matsumoto Kazunori , Kimura Megumi , Ichikawa Masanori , Irie Masakazu 
Published: June 2023

AbstractThe causes of the difference in fatty acid composition between gas chromatography (GC) and near‐infrared fiber‐optic method (NIR) in bovine fat and their countermeasures were studied using absolute values of refractive index. Using intermuscular fat from 45 crossbreeds, refractive index was measured by using a refractometer, and saturated fatty acids (SFA) and monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA) were measured by NIR and GC. The correlation coefficients between GC and NIR in SFA and MUFA, as well as those between refractive index and GC or NIR (in SFA and MUFA), were all greater than or equal to 0.8 (p < 0.01). In samples with 3% or more difference between GC and NIR in SFA and MUFA, GC and NIR values were often located in opposite directions to the regression lines with regard to refractive index. GC reanalysis on these samples slightly increased the correlation coefficient between GC and refractive index and reduced the difference between GC and NIR by 1%–2%. Results indicate that measurement errors in GC and NIR are related to their more than 3% difference, and GC reanalysis based on refractive index may improve its accuracy.
Caplacizumab: A game changer also in pregnancy‐associated immune‐mediated thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura?
Authors: Coppo Paul , Joly Bérangère S. ,   French Reference Center for Thrombotic Microangiopathies (CNR‐MAT)
Published: June 2023

Therapeutic options in immune‐mediated thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (iTTP) during pregnancy are limited besides therapeutic plasma exchange (TPE) and corticosteroids. The report by Odetola et al. suggests that caplacizumab represents a reasonable option in iTTP during pregnancy, especially when the disease is not rapidly controlled with the standard TPE–corticosteroid association.Commentary on: Odetola et al. Safe and effective use of caplacizumab in pregnancy‐related acquired thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura. Br J Haematol 2023;202:879–882.
Design, synthesis and the evaluation of cholinesterase inhibition and blood‐brain permeability of daidzein derivatives or analogs
Authors: Wang Yi‐Hui , Gao Xiao‐Hui , Li Xuan , Ding Yu‐Jie , Shi Qing , Yang Zhi‐Yu , Peng Dian , Liu Hao‐Ran 
Published: June 2023

AbstractIn the present study, a series of derivatives and analogs of daidzein were designed and synthesized to investigate cholinesterase inhibition and blood–brain barrier permeability. The enzyme assay showed that most of the compounds containing a tertiary amine group exhibit moderate cholinesterase inhibition, 7‐hydroxychromone derivatives (absence of B ring of daidzein scaffold) only have a weaker bioactivity, while those compounds without the tertiary amine group have no bioactivity. Among them compound 15a (4’‐N,N‐dimethylaminoethoxy‐7‐methoxyisoflavone) appeared the best inhibitory activity (IC50: 2.14 ± 0.31 μmol/L) and higher selectivity for AChE over BuChE (Ratio: 7.07). It was selected for the further investigation by UPLC‐MS/MS. The results show that CBrain/Serum of compound 15a in mice was more than 2.87 within 240 min. This discovery may provide worthy information for the future development of central nervous drugs including but not limited to cholinesterase inhibitors.