bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Listeria monocytogenesInfection Alters Extracellular Vesicles Produced by Trophoblast Stem Cells to Confer a Pro-Inflammatory State
Authors: Kaletka Jonathan , Lee Kun Ho , Kanada Masamitsu , Hardy Jonathan W. 
Published: April 2022

AbstractPlacental immunity is critical for fetal health during pregnancy, as invading pathogens can be transmitted from the maternal blood to the fetus through this organ. However, inflammatory responses in the placenta can adversely affect both the fetus and the pregnant mother, and the balance between protective placental immune response and detrimental inflammation is poorly understood. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are membrane-enclosed vesicles that play a critical role in placental immunity. EVs produced by placental trophoblasts mediate immune tolerance to the fetus and to the placenta itself, but these EVs can also activate detrimental inflammatory responses. The regulation of these effects is not well-characterized, and the role of trophoblast EVs (tEVs) in the response to infection has yet to be defined. The Gram-positive bacterial pathogenListeria monocytogenes(Lm) infects the placenta, serving as a model to study tEV function in this context. We investigated the effect ofLminfection on the production and function of tEVs, using a trophoblast stem cell (TSCs) model. We found that tEVs from infected TSCs were immunostimulatory, activating macrophages to a pro-inflammatory state. Surprisingly, this activation made RAW 264.7 macrophages more susceptible to subsequentLminfection. Increased susceptibility to infection has not previously been reported as an effect of EVs. Proteomic analysis and RNA sequencing revealed that tEVs from infected TSCs had altered cargo compared to those from uninfected TSCs. Together, these results suggest an immunomodulatory role for tEVs during prenatal infection.
Systematic mapping of food safety outbreaks in the hospitality sector in the Dominican Republic
Authors: Diaz De Oleo Dileyni , McIntyre Lynn , Randall Nicola , Nayak Rounaq , Manning Louise 
Published: April 2022

PurposeThe hospitality sector underpins the Dominican Republic's (DR) economy but may be a setting where foodborne disease outbreaks (FBDOs) can occur. The purpose of this research is to conduct a systematic mapping exercise on the available scientific literature related to FBDOs in hospitality in the DR and their link to reported food safety and hygienic practices.Design/methodology/approachA predefined search protocol applied the principles of PRISMA guidance. Publications (n = 2,793) from databases (e.g. Web of Science, PubMed) were identified and systematically selected for relevance. A full-text assessment based on the inclusion criteria led to the identification of a refined list of studies and academic publications (n = 22) included in this review. The descriptive analysis of the collated data is then presented graphically.FindingsA low rate of reporting highlights a knowledge gap on FBDOs, the related food safety hazards and how they are mitigated by stakeholders and local health authorities in the DR. Improving government and other stakeholder capacity to report, investigate and understand FBDOs and the practices involved is essential.Research limitations/implicationsThe research has implications for Government, businesses and public health officials and managers in the hospitality sector in the DR. A potential research limitation is that the search strategies could miss some relevant articles.Practical implicationsThe findings provide a framing for improved risk analysis in implementing food safety management strategies for FBDOs.Originality/valueTo the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first systematic mapping research assessing evidence of FBDOs affecting hospitality in the DR.
Consumer power: scale development and validation in consumer–firm relationship
Authors: Akhavannasab Sanam , Dantas Danilo C. , Senecal Sylvain , Grohmann Bianca 
Published: April 2022

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to report on the development and validation of a consumer power scale comprising a personal and a social power dimension. Personal power refers to consumers’ perceived ability to resist and ignore a firm’s marketing efforts. Social power refers to consumers’ perceived ability to influence a firm’s actions.Design/methodology/approachFollowing established scale development procedures, the construct definition and item generation preceded five studies that establish the scale’s dimensionality, psychometric properties and external, predictive and nomological validity.FindingsConsumer power was modeled as a reflective first-order, formative second-order latent construct. The consumer power scale is psychometrically sound and possesses external and discriminant validity with regard to other power-related measures. Consumer power mediates the relation between consumers’ cognitive control and consumer satisfaction and between perceived choice and emotional responses.Research limitations/implicationsThis research uses episodic recall tasks to elicit power perceptions in various contexts. Results suggest that the scale is useful in comparative and longitudinal tracking of consumers’ perceptions of power in relation to a firm.Originality/valueBuilding on a comprehensive literature review and rigorous scale development, this paper introduces a scale of consumer power that comprises a personal and a social power dimension. A critical analysis of and a predictive validity test of the scale against existing power scales highlight its unique contribution. The scale lends itself to further theory tests regarding antecedents, consequences and moderators of consumer power.
Does bestial make you a happy human? The impact on happiness from participation in an obstacle running event
Authors: Almeida-Santana Arminda , Moreno-Gil Sergio , Andersson Tommy D. 
Published: April 2022

PurposeThe main research questions addressed by this study focus on Subjective Well-Being (SWB) and to what extent the individual's SWB relates to the individual's need for personal growth. Specific interest is devoted to the effects of intentions (to have personal goals) and behavior (to achieve personal goals).Design/methodology/approachCan SWB and happiness research help to explain the tremendous growth in demanding amateur sport event participation? Most research on SWB and events has, so far been undertaken on cultural events leaving a gap related to sport events, especially obstacle running events. Bestial is an obstacle race event held in Arucas on Canary Islands, Spain. Apart from competitiveness, the race also contains elements of altruism as many competitors do help each other at various obstacles along the route, in groups (mainly) teams. A sample of 700 participants answered questions about behavior, attitudes and SWB.FindingsThe results show significant relations between SWB and both intentions and behavior but also that intentions and behavior are not correlated.Research limitations/implicationsThe “Bestial” is different from an average running event in some respects. It is a rather local event for Gran Canaria without international participation. For some participants it is more challenging and enduring but for others it is a team sport where one helps other team members to complete the race. In this study, these two types of participation have not been separated. The test of whether the SWB of participants is higher than the SWB of the average citizen is not satisfactory. Data for the average of SWB in Spain had to depend on a study from another year and where standard deviation was not available.Practical implicationsThe results of this work are useful for event managers to improve their design and develop the most appropriate marketing messages.Social implicationsThe study aims for an explanation to why demanding physical activities, such as obstacle races, are so popular. In this study of obstacle race participation, hedonia is regarded as less relevant and focus is on eudaimonia and an assumption that participants in an obstacle race have a high SWB since they can feel that they make progress towards goals. One intended contribution of this study is to distinguish between “to have a goal” and “to progress towards a goal”. Thus, the model proposed is based on hypotheses that SWB is influenced by both. Two types of goals are studied: first a mainly individualistic goal of becoming physically fit and second a more altruistic goal of “becoming a better person”.Originality/valueIn the conclusions, the importance for a happy life of simply having goals for personal growth and the value of anticipation for happiness is discussed.
Event innovation in times of uncertainty
Authors: Dragin-Jensen Christian , Kwiatkowski Grzegorz , Hannevik Lien Vilde , Ossowska Luiza , Janiszewska Dorota , Kloskowski Dariusz , Strzelecka Marianna 
Published: April 2022

PurposeThis study highlights areas of key importance for building event resilience and provides best-practice industry examples that foster innovative, adaptable and transformative event environments, which are areas of high academic and managerial relevance in times of uncertainty.Design/methodology/approachThe study employs a multicase study research design that draws on interviews with the leaders of four event organizations in Denmark and Norway: (1) the Steinkjer Festival, (2) Run Alone Denmark, (3) FC Midtjylland and (4) the Bergen International Festival.FindingsThe events demonstrated the critical necessity of understanding innovation and its contribution to resilience in the event sector, particularly in times of uncertainty, such as the COVID-19 pandemic. These organizations achieved success by continuously fostering innovative environments before COVID-19 by being value-driven and customer-centric organizations. Digital technologies were not used as makeshift solutions but rather to enhance event attendees' experiential platforms and expand each event's business potential.Practical implicationsThe paper answers the call for event and festival research during the COVID-19 pandemic to explore the importance of understanding failure, crisis, innovation and recovery.Originality/valueThe paper's contributions to event management research are (1) adding to the ongoing discussion about building a resilient event sector in times of uncertainty, (2) screening how event organizers achieve innovation in their organizations and (3) providing insights on future requirements for events in a post-COVID world.
Solenoid valves quality improvement based on Six Sigma management
Authors: Liu Yafen , Ren Yingxue , Zhang Min , Wei Keke , Hao Lei 
Published: April 2022

Purpose
The purpose of this study is to present the implementation of Six Sigma in a solenoid valve manufacturing company in China. The project aims to reduce the solenoid valve defects, decrease the cost of poor quality, increase customer satisfaction and improve the long-term profitability of Company B.

Design/methodology/approach
This paper follows the Six Sigma methodology: DMAIC (define, measure, analyse, improve and control) principle of case study research. Hysteresis, the key characteristic of a solenoid valve, is the main chance for quality improvement. This paper emphasizes the solution to the hysteresis problem. During DMAIC phases, the critical factors that affect hysteresis performance are identified for continuous quality improvement of solenoid valve manufacturing.

Findings
The implementation of Six Sigma leads to a great quality improvement for the company studied in this paper. Control plans are made for good hysteresis performance. As a result, the first pass yield of solenoid valves has increased from 60% to 99.64%. The key hysteresis of the solenoid valve has shown a better performance.

Originality/value
This study presents a solenoid valve industrial quality improvement case that demonstrates how Six Sigma and DMAIC methodology can be applied to reduce defects and achieve quality improvement in Company B. This study can be referred to for managers and engineers to undertake quality improvement programs.
University to work transition: a literature review
Authors: Izzo Filomena , Mele Stefania , Mustilli Mario 
Published: April 2022

PurposeThis article aims to describe the role universities should play in student to work transition.Design/methodology/approachAn objective bibliometric analysis is conducted and supported by qualitative assessments based on authors’ study of relevant papers.FindingsTwo themes emerge from the analysis: the first on the university's role in students' learning, skills and fits, in the transition process; the second on the university's role in engagement, motivation and support students in university-to-work transition.Research limitations/implicationsFrom the analysis, no indications emerge on how universities could contribute to student-to-work transition in the context of Agenda 2030 for Sustainable Development objectives. Furthermore, training students for the future is not an easy assignment in a fast-changing ecosystem. How can higher education prepare students to face future challenges if we only have partial and incomplete perceptions about possible futures? This vexes many policymakers, organisational leaders and educators. Finally, it could be an interesting next step to repeat the Bibliometrix research using subfield keywords to analyse revealed gaps.Practical implicationsThe study shows that the topic analysed is complex from the managerial, political and social points of view. The issues addressed by studies in UWT so far, concern various aspects: development of student identity, student engagement, fit between higher education and labour market, student motivation, student emotions and learning approaches. The university-to-work transition theme has become a work in progress effort and will most likely continue for the foreseeable future.Originality/valueSince research into university-to-work transition is fragmented, a comprehensive view of this theme seems necessary. Given the importance of the subject, this study will endeavour to fill this gap with an overall and organic perspective of the issue. This is one of the first attempts to grasp this research stream, which, over time, has paved the way to the intersection between “university-to-work transition” in business, management and educational fields.
Assessing the moderating effect of brick-and-mortar store on omnichannel retailing
Authors: Teixeira Rafael , Duarte André Luís de Castro Moura , Macau Flavio Romero , de Oliveira Fernanda Marinuzzi 
Published: April 2022

PurposeThis study aims to investigate the moderating effects of brick-and-mortar (BM) store characteristics and customer satisfaction on the relationship between ship-to-store (STS) retailing and BM store performance in an emerging economy. The purpose is to explore how BM store characteristics and customer satisfaction influence online buying behaviour when customers visit the stores to pick up their products.Design/methodology/approachThis study collected secondary longitudinal data from 615 BM stores from one of Brazil's largest retailers and performed a panel-data regression analysis using the following moderating variables: customer satisfaction with BM stores, BM store's size, convenience and inventory transparency.FindingsCustomer satisfaction with BM stores moderates the effect of STS transactions on the revenue per store. Results also show that BM store's convenience, size and inventory transparency moderate STS online customers' impact on BM store cross-sales.Research limitations/implicationsThe STS strategy can increase online and BM store performance. Some BM store characteristics and customer satisfaction influence online customers to buy more products when they visit BM stores to pick up their products, providing a more complex model for the relationship between STS strategy and BM store performance.Practical implicationsCompanies in emerging economies can use the BM store more strategically in combination with the STS strategy to increase overall retailer performance. By managing some BM store characteristics, managers can improve retail sales.Originality/valueThis study demonstrates how new moderating factors expand the understanding of the relationship between online and physical retailing in emerging economies. Also, the panel data regression results control for extraneous variables and provide more robust evidence of the relationships observed.
Vietnamese living habits, wellbeing and working adaptation in face of COVID-19's strictest lockdown
Authors: Anh Dao Le Trang , Nguyen Quang Thi Thieu , Gan Christopher , Thai Tung Duy , Nguyen Tu-Anh 
Published: April 2022

PurposeThis study explores the impacts of COVID-19's strictest lockdown on Vietnamese citizens' living habits, wellbeing and work-from-home effectiveness.Design/methodology/approachThe study uses a survey questionnaire to gather relevant data from Vietnamese adults during the most recent, strictest lockdown in their cities/provinces since July 2021. The study employs ordinal regression and mediation models to examine the effects of the strict lockdown difficulties on the changes in living habits, wellbeing and work effectiveness of Vietnamese respondents.FindingsThe empirical result demonstrates that the strictest lockdown adversely affected the living habits of Vietnamese citizens, thus impacting people's wellbeing. Work-from-home lockdown difficulties led to unexpected health issues that bring produce lower working effectiveness.Originality/valueThis is the first study to investigate the changes in citizens' living habits, health and working conditions in adherence to Vietnam's strictest COVID-19 lockdown. This is also the first study to examine the impacts of lockdown difficulties on human wellbeing with the mediating effect of changes in living habits, and the influence of work-from-home lockdown difficulties on work effectiveness, with the mediating effect of lower wellbeing based on the literature. Our study suggests solutions to improve Vietnamese people's health and working productivity during and after a strict lockdown.
Supply chain risk identification: a real-time data-mining approach
Authors: Deiva Ganesh A. , Kalpana P. 
Published: April 2022

PurposeThe global pandemic COVID-19 unveils transforming the supply chain (SC) to be more resilient against unprecedented events. Identifying and assessing these risk factors is the most significant phase in supply chain risk management (SCRM). The earlier risk quantification methods make timely decision-making more complex due to their inability to provide early warning. The paper aims to propose a model for analyzing the social media data to understand the potential SC risk factors in real-time.Design/methodology/approachIn this paper, the potential of text-mining, one of the most popular Artificial Intelligence (AI)-based data analytics approaches for extracting information from social media is exploited. The model retrieves the information using Twitter streaming API from online SC forums.FindingsThe potential risk factors that disrupt SC performance are obtained from the recent data by text-mining analyses. The outcomes carry valuable insights about some contemporary SC issues due to the pandemic during the year 2021. The most frequent risk factors using rule mining techniques are also analyzed.Originality/valueThis study presents the significant role of Twitter in real-time risk identification from online SC platforms like “Supply Chain Dive”, “Supply Chain Brain” and “Supply Chain Digest”. The results indicate the significant role of data analytics in achieving accurate decision-making. Future research will extend to represent a digital twin for identifying potential risks through social media analytics, assessing risk propagation and obtaining mitigation strategies.
The impacts of point rewarding and exchanging on users’ loyalty toward mobile payment applications: a dual channeling perspective
Authors: Zhang Lin , Wang Yanqing , Anjum Muhammad Adeel , Mu Jingjing 
Published: April 2022

PurposeBy distinguishing between core business service and value-added service in mobile payment applications, this paper aims to incorporate point mechanisms (point rewarding and point exchanging) into these two separated roles of services to understand user loyalty formation. Specifically, this study aims to examine the mediating role of need satisfaction and perceived value in the relationships between point mechanisms and user loyalty.Design/methodology/approachDrawing upon self-determination theory and perceived value lens, this study develops a theoretical model that examines the mediation effects of multiple psychological outcomes on the relationships between point mechanisms (point rewarding and point exchanging) and user loyalty in the context of mobile payment. Data were collected from 731 users of a leading mobile payment application in China through an online survey. Structural equation modeling was used to analyze the hypothesized relationships.FindingsEmpirical results suggest that point rewarding enhances users’ need satisfaction of core service, whereas point exchanging increases users' perceived value of additional value-added service. Results also reveal that need satisfaction and perceived value mediate the relationships between point mechanisms (i.e. point rewarding and point exchanging) and user loyalty. In sum, the findings enhance our understanding of user loyalty formation from a dual channeling perspective.Practical implicationsThis study informs the managers of mobile payment applications on how to build user loyalty by enhancing users' experience of core business service and value-added service through point mechanism implementation.Originality/valueThis study highlights the importance of both core business service and value-added service in mobile payment applications and provides new insights into the effects of point mechanisms on user loyalty by considering different service routes. Additionally, this study uncovers the mediation mechanisms of users' need satisfaction of core service and users' perceived value of additional value-added service on the two service routes, which further enrich our understanding regarding the user loyalty formation of mobile payment applications.
Design and implementation of an intelligent tutoring system in the view of learner autonomy
Authors: Le Huixiao , Jia Jiyou 
Published: April 2022

PurposeIn intelligent tutoring systems (ITS), learners were often granted limited authority and are forced to obey the decision of the system which might not satisfy their needs. Failure to grant learners sufficient autonomy could yield unexpected effects that hinder learning, including undermining learners’ motivation, priming learners’ aversion to the algorithm. On the contrary, granting learners overwhelming autonomy could also be harmful as the absence of learning support would also have a negative impact on learning. As such, this study aims to design and implement an intelligent tutoring system that offers learners proper autonomy.Design/methodology/approachThe main learning activity in the system is doing exercises, and by finishing exercises learners could earn virtual coins. Based on item response theory, exercises are administered to learners with proper difficulty. Based on a recommended difficulty parameter predicted by the system, learners could manually modify the difficulty of the exercises, they could earn more credits by finishing more challenging exercises. Meanwhile, a pedagogical agent is embedded. Learners could customize the agent’s personality jointly with the system to create the learning context they prefer.FindingsA intelligent tutoring system with proper learner autonomy (LA) is designed and implemented.Originality/valueFew previous researches have noticed the potentially important role that LA plays in ITS. Learning might be facilitated using such a design.