bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Innovation as a catalyst for Moonj artisans: a case of Rekhaakriti
Authors: Kumar Shubham , Mathur Tanuj , Misra Himanshu 
Published: May 2023

Learning outcomes
The readers will gain practical insights on the key attributes of a women entrepreneur, the role of innovative product design and usage, the core challenges and opportunities and the strategies to overcome entrepreneurial hurdles in the Moonj handicraft business.

Case overview/synopsis
The case is about “Rekhaakriti”, a handicraft artisan-oriented firm, which deals in the business of selling handicrafts items like traditional wooden toys, Moonj baskets, rice bowls and vermilion boxes, in both business-to-business (B2B) and business-to-consumer (B2C) markets. Incorporated as a non-governmental organization (NGO) in the year 2014, “Rekhaakriti” was founded with the purpose of preserving, promoting and advancing the Moonj handicraft. Throughout its formative years, the organization experienced several organizational and operational challenges and got almost on the edge of collapse. The dilemma that surrounded Rekha Sinha, a key founding member of “Rekhaakriti”, was whether to carry or dissolve the organization. But, after much contemplation, she decided to convert the organization to a sole proprietorship firm in the year 2017. However, the restructuring decision was also proving to become less effective in attaining the objectives for which the firm got established. This led the owner, Rekha Sinha, to further dug deep to identify obstacles (both internal and external) that impede her firm’s expansion and growth. This case narrates Rekha Sinha's intricate entrepreneurial path in building an innovative handicraft organization and explains how she overcame the overall organizational and operational obstacles. The case provides the context for students to assume the role of protagonist and explore creative strategies for overcoming market obstacles through upskilling, design intervention and product innovation.

Complexity academic level
The case study is intended for the students pursuing their graduation and post-graduation courses in business, management studies, marketing and entrepreneurship. The case also provides suitable insights to management trainees and executives.

Supplementary material
Teaching notes are available for educators only.

Subject code
CSS 8: Marketing.
Hotel management agreements in Nigeria: the Melange Abuja
Authors: Nwosu Belinda , Esara Edidiong Edem 
Published: May 2023

Learning outcomes
At the end of the case, a successful learner will be able to:▪ develop sound criteria to guide investors entering into hotel management agreements (HMAs);▪ reconcile principal and agent disputes through the lens of an agency framework; and▪ evaluate the impact of the work environment on employee and organisational outcomes.

Case overview/synopsis
Muyiwa, Chairman of Fara Ltd., signed a HMA with Aytello Hotel Group to operate his hotel in Nigeria, the Mélange Abuja. Aytello was an international hotel management company based in the USA. It was a renowned operator with several brands in its portfolio. The Mélange brand was contemporary, upscale and targeted young business guests with an appetite for adventure. It was the first Mélange to have opened in West Africa. A management agreement was signed in August 2016, which meant that Aytello was now responsible for operating the hotel on behalf of its Owner, Muyiwa. On his part, Muyiwa provided the funds needed to run the hotel profitably. However, soon after the opening, the operator and owner showed signs of conflict. Muyiwa began to distrust the operator and intervened directly in operations. The frequent clashes between Muyiwa and the operator soon led to an impasse that made productive dialogue difficult. As relationships soured, Muyiwa needed to make a decision soon. This case study is designed to teach agency relationships in organisational behaviour.

Complexity academic level
This case study is designed for business leaders on executive programmes and postgraduate students.

Supplementary material
Teaching notes are available for educators only.

Subject code
CSS 12: Tourism and Hospitality.
NSF REU entrepreneurially minded applied energy program evaluation: traditional delivery versus alternative delivery (implemented during COVID-19)
Authors: Bosman Lisa , Soto Esteban , Ostanek Jason , Garcia-Bravo Jose , Lee Sunghwan , Leon-Salas Walter 
Published: May 2023

PurposeThe National Science Foundation (NSF) Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) programs are traditionally delivered in-person and full-time (40 h per week) for 10 weeks during the summer. However, this type of format has the potential to limit broader student participation. This study aims to compare learning assessment data between a traditional NSF REU (10 weeks of summer, full-time, in-person) to an alternative NSF REU delivered virtually, part-time and over 10 months as a result of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.Design/methodology/approachA retrospective pre-then-post survey was completed to assess perceived learning gains for each REU program. Three learning gains categories were assessed: entrepreneurial competencies, career goals and research skill development. T-tests were used to evaluate a difference in means between pre and post.FindingsFindings show the greatest quantity of learning gains within the alternative program delivery. Moreover, a larger quantity of learning gains was perceived within the first semester of the alternative program delivery compared to the second semester.Practical implicationsThe authors propose the NSF should be intentional about trying new approaches to REU programs delivery, including duration and format, as a way to broaden participation in engineering.Originality/valueThis study is original in that it is the first of its kind to assess an alternative REU program delivery (allowed only because of the COVID-19 pandemic) in comparison to traditional REU program delivery.
Looking good and sounding right: a scale development of aesthetic labor in the hospitality industry
Authors: Luoh Hsiang-Fei , Tsaur Sheng-Hshiung 
Published: May 2023

PurposeThis study aims to develop a measurement scale for employee aesthetic labor (AL) in hospitality from the perspectives of frontline employees of international tourist hotels and airlines.Design/methodology/approachThe authors utilized both qualitative and quantitative methods to develop the AL scale. Participants were frontline employees of international tourist hotels and airlines in Taiwan. The authors’ analysis incorporated both exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses to examine the results.FindingsA four-factor, 21-item hospitality AL scale with satisfactory validity and reliability was created. The four AL factors are appropriate voice and response, pleasant appearance, corporate aesthetic image delivery and polite and elegant demeanor.Research limitations/implicationsThe developed AL scale can serve as a useful tool for the hospitality industry in terms of employee recruitment and training to align with the corporation's aesthetic image and reduce the potential burden of AL on employees.Originality/valueBased on dramaturgical theory, this study focuses on the AL practices that are performed during service encounters with customers. It is potentially the first AL scale to be constructed using rigorous scale development procedures.
Corruption, basic services and entrepreneurial venture performance: The case of informal production units in Cameroon
Authors: Modeste Abate Andre , Bakehe Novice Patrick 
Published: May 2023

PurposeThis paper aims to examine the relationship between the payment of bribes, the access to electricity and the productivity of informal production units (IPUs).Design/methodology/approachThe data used for this study come from the second Survey on Employment and Informal Sector conducted in 2010 by the National Institute of Statistics of Cameroon and representative at the national level. The survey was conducted among 3,560 IPUs. Survey participants reported whether they had been personally affected by corruption in the twelve months preceding the survey. Relying on the data of this survey, the recursive trivariate probit model was used to study the correlation between corruption and access to electricity.FindingsThe results reveal that the payment of bribes positively influences IPU access to electricity, and consequently access to this infrastructure has a positive impact on company performance.Research limitations/implicationsA main limitation of this paper is the environment of study in which corruption appeared to be institutionalised. It would therefore be interesting to extend the results obtained by conducting research in other countries and also including other infrastructures such as telecommunications.Practical implicationsThe main contribution of this research is to highlight the effectiveness of the fight against corruption and its impact on the access of some basics resources that affect the performance of certain companies. Indeed, the fight against corruption would be easier if economic actors had access to certain resources and fundamental infrastructures for their activities. Thus, improving the supply of resources and infrastructures can be an important lever in the fight against corruption in Africa.Originality/valueThis research addresses a vulnerable sector vis-à-vis the pressure of the actors involved in the provision of a service essential to the activity of companies. It highlights the justification for accepting the use of corruption. Indeed, entrepreneurs are faced with a dilemma between moral standards on the one hand, and economic imperatives on the other. If corruption is a condition of access to electricity which, in turn, improves performance, it is easy to pay bribes to gain access to electricity.
Transformations in tourism following COVID-19? A longitudinal study on the perceptions of tourists
Authors: Aschauer Wolfgang , Egger Roman 
Published: May 2023

PurposeThis study attempts to answer how values and holiday preferences were shaped by the pandemic, how travellers view the future of tourism and how they are willing to contribute to potential changes. Furthermore, it examines the impact of socio-structural background factors, basic values and holiday preferences, and pandemic-related factors on the views of post-pandemic tourism.Design/methodology/approachA longitudinal online survey was conducted in which 155 frequent travellers were interviewed both before and during the pandemic about their values and holiday preferences, attitudes towards travelling during the pandemic, and their prospective views regarding tourism.FindingsThe findings revealed that values remained rather stable, but nature experiences, heritage tourism and beach offers gained more relevance when it came to holiday preferences. Concerning travellers’ expectations of future tourism, environmental concern was ranked higher than economic profit. However, those striving for self-direction, stimulation and city tourism offers stated to be less willing to restrict their travel behaviour in the future.Research limitations/implicationsAlthough our study is just based on a convenience sample, the authors were still able to address notable research gaps. First, because a longitudinal design was selected, it was possible to investigate any potential transitions in basic values and travel style and trace these changes back to the pandemic. Second, thanks to a sophisticated online survey, all concepts could be measured with well-developed scales, which increased the quality of the measurements and led to stable results. Third, young travellers can be considered proponents of future travel styles. Their way of acting and thinking about future tourism could significantly impact the prospective direction of tourism.Practical implicationsThis study makes a valuable contribution to changing holiday preferences and provides useful insights for the tourism industry about travellers’ willingness to change their travel behaviour.Social implicationsSince this study primarily considers human values and socio-structural factors, the findings are of particular interest from a sociological perspective and are also interpreted from this viewpoint.Originality/valueThis study is one of only a few longitudinal studies focusing on holiday preferences and shifting values during COVID-19 and attempting to detect crucial drivers of potential tourism transformations in terms of perceptions from the demand side.
Measuring Trust in Primary Care
Authors: MERENSTEIN ZACHARY , SHUEMAKER JILL C. , PHILLIPS ROBERT L. 
Published: May 2023

Policy Points
Trust in primary care clinicians is essential for effective patient care and is associated with better health outcomes, but it is rarely assessed, and existing measures have not been thoroughly evaluated.
This scoping review reveals that research assessing patients’ trust in primary care clinicians largely stopped more than a decade ago but offers candidate measures for future testing, implementation, and policy applications.
ContextTrust is a fundamental aspect of any human relationship, and medical care is no exception. An ongoing, trusting relationship between clinicians and patients has shown demonstrable value to primary care. However, there is currently no measure of trust in general use, and none endorsed for use by most value‐based payment programs. This review searched the literature for any existing measures of patient trust in primary care clinicians and assessed their potential to be implemented as a patient‐reported outcome measure.MethodsA keyword search on PubMed along with scanning references was conducted to find any trust measures in health care. Measures that did not address primary care clinicians were eliminated and the remaining measures were then assessed for their utility to primary care.ResultsThis purposeful, scoping review found four tested measures for assessing patients’ trust in primary care clinicians that are candidates for general use. Of these four, the revised Trust in Physicians Scale and Wake Forest Physician Trust Scale are the most tested and viable options.ConclusionRenewed national interest in trust in health care should focus on the capacity to measure it. This review informs the effort to test trust measures for use in research, practice improvement, and value‐based payment. Measuring trust, how it relates to outcomes, and learning how it is produced or lost are key to assisting practices and health systems toward earning it.
Overdose Detection Mapping Application Program expansion evaluation—A qualitative study
Authors: Delcher Chris , Horne Nailah , McDonnell Cara , Bae Jungjun , Surratt Hilary 
Published: May 2023

AbstractResearch SummaryWe conducted a multisite qualitative evaluation of the Overdose Detection Mapping Application Program (ODMAP) expansion states that received federal funding in 2019 to measurably augment, adopt, and/or use ODMAP in their service areas. Across five states, 11 agencies including law enforcement agencies, county health departments, and local health coalitions were invited to participate in in‐depth interviews to assess their experiences with ODMAP implementation, including facilitators, barriers, and best practices. Guided by implementation science principles and the Practical, Robust Implementation and Sustainability Model framework, we identified 12 key elements impacting progress toward ODMAP expansion, including the importance of leveraging interorganizational partnerships, competing environmental priorities, organizational perspectives on readiness for adoption, usability, and burden, organizational leadership support, and the presence of champions, dedicated implementation teams, and key adopter supports.Policy ImplicationsSince 2016, ODMAP has rapidly expanded in response to the opioid crisis. The system is currently used by a wide range of public safety and public health agencies including multiple state and county jurisdictions funded by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Overdose Data to Action program. Ongoing, critical, and innovative evaluation of this nascent surveillance system is required.
Fast fitting of neural ordinary differential equations by Bayesian neural gradient matching to infer ecological interactions from time‐series data
Authors: Bonnaffé Willem , Coulson Tim 
Published: May 2023

Abstract

Inferring ecological interactions is hard because we often lack suitable parametric representations to portray them. Neural ordinary differential equations (NODEs) provide a way of estimating interactions non‐parametrically from time‐series data. NODEs, however, are slow to fit, and inferred interactions usually are not compared with the ground truth.

We provide a fast NODE fitting method, Bayesian neural gradient matching (BNGM), which relies on interpolating time series with neural networks and fitting NODEs to the interpolated dynamics with Bayesian regularisation. We test the accuracy of the approach by inferring ecological interactions in time series generated by an ODE model with known interactions. We compare these results against three existing approaches for estimating ecological interactions, standard NODEs, ODE models and convergent cross‐mapping (CCM). We also infer interactions in experimentally replicated time series of a microcosm featuring an algae, flagellate and rotifer population, in the hare and lynx system, and the Maizuru Bay community featuring 11 species.

Our BNGM approach allows us to reduce the fitting time of NODE systems to only a few seconds and provides accurate estimates of ecological interactions in the artificial system, as true ecological interactions are recovered with minimal error. Our benchmark analysis reveals that our approach is both faster and more accurate than standard NODEs and parametric ODEs, while CCM was found to be faster but less accurate. The analysis of the replicated time series reveals that only the strongest interactions are consistent across replicates, while the analysis of the Maizuru community shows the strong negative impact of the chameleon goby on most species of the community, and a potential indirect negative effect of temperature by favouring goby population growth.

Overall, NODEs alleviate the need for a mechanistic understanding of interactions, and BNGM alleviates the heavy computational cost. This is a crucial step availing quick NODE fitting to larger systems, cross‐validation and uncertainty quantification, as well as more objective estimation of interactions, and complex context dependence, than parametric models.
Hold your breath: Observations of the endangered pygmy bluetongue (Tiliqua adelaidensis) submerged in flooded burrows
Authors: Michael Kimberley H. , Gardner Michael G. 
Published: May 2023

AbstractUnderstanding adaptations to extreme weather events by endangered species is critical to inform conservation decisions, particularly when their adaptations relate to artificial habitat supplementation at translocation sites. Apnoea, temporary suspension of breathing, has been observed as an anti‐predator adaptation by semi‐aquatic reptiles that dive underwater for periods of time to avoid detection. This study reports on the observations of an endangered grassland skink, the pygmy bluetongue (Tiliqua adelaidensis), remaining submerged in rain‐induced flooded artificial burrows at an experimental translocation site.
Distribution and threats to coconut crabs on Unguja, Zanzibar
Authors: Hamad Haji , Kombo Jaffar , Seif Khadija , Mzee Abbas , Clark Matt , Khamis Miza , Caro Tim 
Published: May 2023

AbstractCoconut crabs Birgus latro are listed as vulnerable by the IUCN due to habitat conversion and fragmentation as well as direct exploitation for human consumption. Here, we document the distribution of coconut crabs in 81 coastal wards (shehia) across the island of Unguja, Zanzibar, and its outlying islets using standardised interviews and night‐time fieldwork. Coconut crabs are mostly absent from the main island of Unguja but are found on 14 of 22 small outlying islands. We matched the distribution on the main island to environmental, social and economic data at the ward level. Our analyses show that coconut crabs are more likely to be present in wards containing rocky as opposed to sandy coastlines, and less likely to be found in wards with hotels and urbanisation, a finding of broad relevance for coastal populations of other species. Our findings show that a new government initiative for economic improvement that encourages construction of hotels on small islets around Unguja needs considerable oversight to prevent threatening the long‐term viability of this vulnerable species in one of its last areas in the Western Indian Ocean. In addition, full formal protection of this species will reduce further population fragmentation.
Mechanism of trophoblast cell‐derived microparticles mediated immunocontraceptive response
Authors: Lai Shao‐Yang , Hu Kai‐Lun , Zhou Xuan , Li Xiao‐Xue , Yu Xiao‐Jun , Shi Jing , Zhao Jie 
Published: May 2023

AbstractProblemImmunomodulation profoundly affects the process of human implantation. Trophoblast cell‐derived microparticles (Tr‐MPs) may activate specific T cells to attack trophoblast cells, thus potentially acting as an immunocontraceptive vaccine. The safety and persistence of Tr‐MP vaccine are needed to address.Method of studyFlow cytometry and confocal fluorescent microscopy were conducted to detect cellular absorptivity and localization of Tr‐MPs in bone marrow‐derived dendritic cells (BMDCs). The phenotype and cytokine secretion of BMDC and T cells were performed by flow cytometry and enzyme‐linked immuno sorbent assay (ELISA). The constructed vaccine female moused model were used to observe the infertile effect and safety of Tr‐MPs.ResultsAs compared with non‐irradiation exposure groups, the number of MPs released by trophoblast cells in ultraviolet immunized groups significantly increased. The phagocytosis of Tr‐MPs led to the maturation of dendritic cells (DCs), which, in turn, activate T cells. Then cytotoxic T cells attacking trophoblast cells. In mouse model, female mice were infertile after receiving Tr‐MPs, and the effect of contraception is transient and safety.ConclusionUsing Tr‐MPs to initiate an adaptive immune response against alloantigens in trophoblast cells. Tr‐MPs may be a new candidate for the development of contraceptive vaccines due to its effectiveness, safety, and reversibility.