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Este trabajo pretende mostrar, por unlado, la necesidad de priorizar los cuidadoscomo necesidad básica para el sostenimientode la vida y la sociedad; porotro lado, el desigual reparto entre quienesproporcionan y quienes reciben esoscuidados, basado, fundamentalmente, enel sistema sexo-género. Para ello, se aplicael marco teórico de la ética del cuidadoy se proporcionan argumentos y datosempíricos acerca de las consecuenciasque tienen sobre las mujeres circunstanciascomo la maternidad, la crianza o elcuidado de personas en situación de dependencia.

Traffic calming techniques are extensively used as safety tools to reduce the speed of motorised vehicles along any type of paved road. The objective of this study is to evaluate the efficacy of isolated speed humps on urban roads in India and to suggest an optimised geometry of speed humps for the desired level of speed reduction. For this, five different urban road sections were identified in Delhi and video graphic data were collected at each study section. The median speed of vehicles at each grid is estimated and speed profiles were developed for each category of vehicle approaching the speed hump. The speed behaviour of the vehicles approaching a circular or parabolic shape of isolated speed hump are examined and compared. This study developed speed profile models using regression techniques for an individual vehicle and also for the combined data. The observed speed of the vehicle was considered as a response variable and the physical properties of the speed humps were considered as explanatory variables. Further, the combined linear equation was considered for determining the optimum height and entry radius of the speed hump for the desired speed by using the simplex method.

Following a new innovation strategy, software vendors move their software onto their software service platforms and open up their platforms to third-party software service vendors. Although many studies state that enlarging the scope of software service offerings is the goal of the platform providers, only a few studies have focused on the roles that the platform providers take on to achieve the goal. These studies identified that the platform providers not only manage the platform but also promote and regulate third-party software. In this article, we extend this research by analyzing the activities of how platform providers promote innovation. For the analysis, we use empirical data about software services gathered from AppExchange of Salesforce. The analysis identifies the clusters and positions of software services of Salesforce and third-party vendors in the software service network. Our analysis results show that Salesforce promotes innovation by provisioning software services that are in core positions or that are bridges between service clusters. Third-party vendors release software services that are complementary to those of Salesforce. Overall, the results suggest that platform providers need to position strategically their software services to build successful software ecosystems, and that research on innovation needs to analyze the roles and efforts of the platform providers in detail.

Applications of biometrics in various societal contexts have been increasing in the United States, and policy debates about potential restrictions and expansions for specific biometrics (such as facial recognition and DNA identification) have been intensifying. Empirical data about public perspectives on different types of biometrics can inform these debates. We surveyed 4048 adults to explore perspectives regarding experience and comfort with six types of biometrics; comfort providing biometrics in distinct scenarios; trust in social actors to use two types of biometrics (facial images and DNA) responsibly; acceptability of facial images in eight scenarios; and perceived effectiveness of facial images for five tasks. Respondents were generally comfortable with biometrics. Trust in social actors to use biometrics responsibly appeared to be context specific rather than dependent on biometric type. Contrary to expectations given mounting attention to dataveillance concerns, we did not find sociodemographic factors to influence perspectives on biometrics in obvious ways. These findings underscore a need for qualitative approaches to understand the contextual factors that trigger strong opinions of comfort with and acceptability of biometrics in different settings, by different actors, and for different purposes and to identify the informational needs relevant to the development of appropriate policies and oversight. New journal. Article is available through the open-access option of this journal! ispartof: IEEE Transactions on Technology and Society vol:3 issue:1 pages:1-6 ispartof: location:United States status: Published online

This paper looks into the emerging trends of makerspaces and outsourced 3D printing services, and examines the natural progression between them. Also, by presenting survey empirical data, it investigates the reasons why individual users and enterprises have started to choose such services and the benefits acquired from this choice, that lead to the promotion of creativity, innovation, and competition. Fundamental working principles both for makerspaces and outsourced 3D printing services are being analyzed. Through the conduction of a survey among two different makerspaces’ users, authors attempt to further clarify the factors that motivate users to choose to participate in makerspaces or use the services offered by an outsourced 3D printing provider. 3D printing technologies have been recognized as being the new industrial revolution. However, because of the nature of the additive manufacturing process, a high level of expertise is required in order to accomplish an acceptable result. The recent proliferation of makerspaces as well as outsourced 3D printing services offers alternative solutions towards overcoming the aforementioned challenges. Makerspaces are currently growing rapidly, aiming to help local communities to get accustomed with emerging manufacturing technologies such as 3D printing, especially in modern STEM educational practices. On the other hand, outsourcing has emerged as one of the top business practices of our time due to its numerous benefits for the companies involved. The paper makes a comparison between makerspaces and outsourced services and presents relevant original survey data from users.

The subthalamic nucleus and internal pallidum are main target sites for deep brain stimulation in Parkinson’s disease. Multiple trials that investigated subthalamic versus pallidal stimulation were unable to settle on a definitive optimal target between the two. One reason could be that the effect is mediated via a common functional network. To test this hypothesis, we calculated connectivity profiles seeding from deep brain stimulation electrodes in 94 patients that underwent subthalamic and 28 patients with pallidal treatment based on a normative connectome atlas calculated from 1000 healthy subjects. In each cohort, we calculated connectivity profiles that were associated with optimal clinical improvements. The two maps showed striking similarity and were able to cross-predict outcomes in the respective other cohort (R = 0.37 at P < 0.001; R = 0.34 at P = 0.032). Next, we calculated an agreement map, which retained regions common to both target sites. Crucially, this map was able to explain an additional amount of variance in clinical improvements of either cohort when compared to the maps calculated on each cohort alone. Finally, we tested profiles and predictive utility of connectivity maps calculated from different motor symptom subscores with a specific focus on bradykinesia and rigidity. While our study is based on retrospective data and indirect connectivity metrics, it may deliver empirical data to support the hypothesis of a largely overlapping network associated with effective deep brain stimulation in Parkinson’s disease irrespective of the specific target.

Proper scoring rules are used to assess the out-of-sample accuracy of probabilistic forecasts, with different scoring rules rewarding distinct aspects of forecast performance. Herein, we re-investigate the practice of using proper scoring rules to produce probabilistic forecasts that are ‘optimal’ according to a given score and assess when their out-of-sample accuracy is superior to alternative forecasts, according to that score. Particular attention is paid to relative predictive performance under misspecification of the predictive model. Using numerical illustrations, we document several novel findings within this paradigm that highlight the important interplay between the true data generating process, the assumed predictive model and the scoring rule. Notably, we show that only when a predictive model is sufficiently compatible with the true process to allow a particular score criterion to reward what it is designed to reward, will this approach to forecasting reap benefits. Subject to this compatibility, however, the superiority of the optimal forecast will be greater, the greater is the degree of misspecification. We explore these issues under a range of different scenarios and using both artificially simulated and empirical data.

The article examines a relatively new type of public administration acts for the Russian legal system - administrative regulations. Despite the widespread use of this type of act, its legal nature, features of the legal structure, and classification remain insufficiently studied, which determines the relevance of this study. The purpose of the study is to identify the specific characteristics of administrative regulations, allowing to classify them as a special tool for realisation of various public administration forms. Achieving this goal suggests analysis of regulatory legal acts, both Russian and foreign, as well as certain approaches to legal doctrine to determine the essence of administrative regulations, various public administration forms, and acts of public administration. Based on the analysis of theoretical and empirical data, the authors offer their definitions of acts of public administration, administrative regulations, and tools for realisation of public administration forms. In the process of research, the authors used a formal legal method that allows characterising the legal nature of administrative regulations, their role, and place in the system of acts of public administration, a comparative legal method to identify the general and the special when comparing domestic and foreign experience and general logical methods (analysis, synthesis, analogy).

Eradication has been achieved for many vertebrate pest control programs, primarily on small, isolated islands, but has never been considered a practical goal for invasive sea lampreys in the Laurentian Great Lakes. Our objective was to examine evidence relevant to the feasibility of setting eradication as a management goal for Great Lakes sea lampreys. Bomford and O'Brien (1995) listed six conditions for successful eradication of a vertebrate pest; here we examine evidence that these conditions are likely to be met for Great Lakes sea lampreys, with a focus on the first condition: that removal of the pest through control can exceed their rate of replenishment. We analyzed two data sets – one empirical and one synthetic – to estimate stock-recruitment relationships and calculate the exploitation rate necessary for extinction. The empirical data set included the effect of existing lampricide control and suggested an exploitation rate of 59%, in addition to lampricide control, would be sufficient for eventual eradication. The synthetic data set, derived from a simulation of stream-level recruitment dynamics in the absence of lampricide control, suggested that an overall exploitation rate of 90% would be sufficient. We suggest that both of these targets could be achieved. Meeting the other conditions will depend on the scale of the eradication effort, and on development of an exploitation strategy, such as genetic biocontrol, that can target sea lampreys in presently invulnerable habitats. Overall, we concluded that eradication of sea lampreys from the Great Lakes should not be dismissed as a prospective goal.

This study measured the impacts of failure in Crisis and Emergency Risk Communication (CERC) during the outbreak of a contagious Corona viral disease. The study measured the impacts by the number of individuals and hospitals exposed to the virus. The 2015 Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) outbreak in South Korea was used to investigate the consequences of CERC failure, where the names of hospitals exposed to MERS‐CoV were withheld from the public during the early stage of virus diffusion. Empirical data analyses and simulated model tests were conducted. The findings of analyses and tests show that an early announcement of the hospital names and publicizing the necessary preventive measures could have reduced the rate of infection by approximately 85% and the number of contaminated healthcare facilities by 39% at maximum. This level of reduction is comparable to that of vaccination and of social distancing.

Families with teenagers are known to experience various challenges, as parents and teens often have conflicting opinions in regard to technology use. To understand how the disruption caused by SARS-CoV2-2 impacted dynamics around technology use within Asian Indian families with teens in the U.S., we conducted a mixed-methods study with 22 Asian Indian parent-teen dyads of different socioeconomic status (SES). Based on our empirical data, we present the complex picture of technology use in Asian Indian families during a period of disruption. We discuss the differences and similarities in (a) tensions that emerged in regard to technology use and mediation as participants from different SESs adjusted their daily life routines and (b) the ways technology helped them to develop practices that contributed to family resilience. Finally, we offer recommendations for the designers of technologies that can support parents and teens not only in times of crisis, but also under normal circumstances.

Clinical cancer genomic testing based on next-generation sequencing can help select genotype-matched therapy and provide diagnostic and prognostic information. Pathological tissue from malignant tumors obtained during routine practice are frequently used for genomic testing. This article is aimed to standardize the proper handling of pathological specimens in practice for genomic medicine based on the findings established in "Guidelines on the handling of pathological tissue samples for genomic medicine (in Japanese)" published by The Japanese Society of Pathology (JSP) in 2018. The two-part practical guidelines are based on empirical data analyses; Part 1 describes the standard preanalytic operating procedures for tissue collection, processing, and storage of formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) samples, while Part 2 describes the assessment and selection of FFPE samples appropriate for genomic testing, typically conducted by a pathologist. The guidelines recommend that FFPE sample blocks be used within 3 years from preparation, and the tumor content should be >= 30% (minimum 20%). The empirical data were obtained from clinical studies performed by the JSP in collaboration with leading Japanese cancer genome research projects. The Japanese Ministry of Health, Labour, and Welfare (MHLW) recommended to comply with the JSP practical guidelines in implementing cancer genomic testing under the national health insurance system in over 200 MHLW-designated core and cooperative cancer genome medicine hospitals in Japan.

BACKGROUND: By the beginning of December 2020, some vaccines against COVID-19 already presented efficacy and security, which qualify them to be used in mass vaccination campaigns. Thus, setting up strategies of vaccination became crucial to control the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS: We use daily COVID-19 reports from Chicago and New York City (NYC) from 01-Mar2020 to 28-Nov-2020 to estimate the parameters of an SEIR-like epidemiological model that accounts for different severity levels. To achieve data adherent predictions, we let the model parameters to be time-dependent. The model is used to forecast different vaccination scenarios, where the campaign starts at different dates, from 01-Oct-2020 to 01-Apr-2021. To generate realistic scenarios, disease control strategies are implemented whenever the number of predicted daily hospitalizations reaches a preset threshold. RESULTS: The model reproduces the empirical data with remarkable accuracy. Delaying the vaccination severely affects the mortality, hospitalization, and recovery projections. In Chicago, the disease spread was under control, reducing the mortality increment as the start of the vaccination was postponed. In NYC, the number of cases was increasing, thus, the estimated model predicted a much larger impact, despite the implementation of contention measures. The earlier the vaccination campaign begins, the larger is its potential impact in reducing the COVID-19 cases, as well as in the hospitalizations and deaths. Moreover, the rate at which cases, hospitalizations and deaths increase with the delay in the vaccination beginning strongly depends on the shape of the incidence of infection in each city.

The research is to find out the types of error analysis in students’ sentences and the most dominant types of error analysis in students’ sentences. This research uses qualitative method to look into errors in the second language acquisition and to collect empirical data. This method is applied to get the accurate data collection. The object of the research is students’ practice randomly taken from twelve advanced students of TOEFL Preparation Class – The Mushlih Institute (TMI) Surabaya. In acquiring the result of this error analysis, surface strategy taxonomy is applied to investigate more details. It is limited on the students’ sentences with inverted subjects and verbs error in their practice consisting of four error types. In summary, the types of sentences with inverted subjects and verbs errors produced by the students are (1) omission appearing 49 times or 79,03% of all, (2) addition appearing 9 times or 14,52% of all, (3) misordering appearing 3 times or 4,84% of all, and (4) misformation appearing a time or 1,61% of all. According to the research findings, the most dominant type of sentences with inverted subjects and verbs error is omission. Keywords: Error Analysis, Writing Practice, Sentences.

Celem niniejszego artykułu jest wskazanie motywów do podjęcia zatrudnienia w handlu detalicznym, wskazanie poziomu zadowolenia z pracy oraz zdefiniowanie pojęć „marki” i „wizerunku pracodawcy”. Tekst powstał na podstawie przeglądu literatury, badań wtórnych, opracowań zamieszczonych w prasie lub na stronach internetowych. Ponadto zostały przeprowadzone własne badania ankietowe, którymi zostali objęci pracownicy przedsiębiorstw handlu detalicznego. Próba losowa wynosiła 300 osób. Wkład literatury pokrywają dane empiryczne, które dowodzą, że na zadowolenie z pracy oddziałują takie czynniki jak: bezpieczeństwo, atmosfera, współpraca pracowników oraz wynagrodzenie.

This article aims to investigate environmental education in preschools by taking Donna Haraway’s call of staying with the trouble together with preschool children seriously, here-and-now, in explorations of dirty water and water purification. This posthumanist inspired research project draws theoretically and methodologically on the writings of Haraway, Anna L. Tsing and Isabelle Stengers. The empirical data consist of three stories from a multidisciplinary intervention research project in the Stockholm region in Sweden, collected from collaboratively produced data such as films, photographs, drawings, and notes from the project. The study can be seen as an invitation to preschools to engage in the debate on climate change and to create a togetherness around environmental concerns, not only in the future, but also here-and-now in the preschool.

Background In Taekwondo competitions, the rule is that points are scored when the impact of the kick reaches a predetermined threshold of strength. This study aimed to explore the adequacy of the protector and scoring system (PSS) designed to determine taekwondo body scoring based on a reference group model (RGM). Specifically, the kicking impact of the PSS was calculated using data from 188 matches fought during of 2018 Jakarta Asian Games. The RGM was designed based on empirical data by classifying the victory and defeat groups by gender and weight class, and the scoring method was set according to these criteria. Result The result of this study are as follows. First, there was no difference in the average impact of kicks of taekwondo players by weight class. Second, result of setting up the kick scoring impact standards of taekwondo PSS by classifying the winning and non-winning groups, the kick scoring impact set by the WT was found to be high in all weight classes except 58 kg. Lastly, result of comparing the settings of impact to score according to weight classes, the kick scoring impact standard set by the WT was higher in heavyweight (men's: under 80 kg, + 80 kg, women's: under 67 kg, over 67 kg) than in the lightweight (men's: under 58 kg, under 63 kg, under 68 kg, women's: under 49 kg, under 53 kg, under 57 kg). Conclusion The kick scoring impact set by the WT was found to be high in all weight classes except for the under 58 kg class defining kick scoring impact based on the standards of WT-certified PSS by classifying the matches into winning and non-winning groups. Finally, as a result of comparing the scoring impact settings according to weight class, the kick scoring impact standard set by the WT was higher for the heavier weight classes than for the lighter weight classes.

The article describes the functioning of alternative theater community during the COVID-19 pandemic. The theoretical framework of analysis is determined by the social worlds theory, allowing us to capture the processual nature of reconstructing the social world of alternative theater in the era of COVID-19. We explore the ways in which independent theater is coping with the threat to its practice, understood as a tool for building a community “here and now,” i.e. its main technology, values, and the primary activity that organizes communication within the social worlds of alternative theater. We take into account changes brought on by the pandemic (the inability to build relationships via direct interaction with audience members/participants) and the constant, everyday experiences of people working in alternative theater (their ability to function in a crisis). Our analysis is based on empirical data collected in the course of socio-anthropological studies into: (1) the working conditions of Polish theater workers during the pandemic, carried out by the Zbigniew Raszewski Theater Institute in Warsaw; and (2) the modus operandi of the Węgajty Theater from the perspective of its participants’ experiences.

Purpose The purpose of this study is to create an information classification model that is tailored to suit the specific needs of public sector organizations in Sweden. Design/methodology/approach To address the purpose of this research, a case study in a Swedish municipality was conducted. Data was collected through a mixture of techniques such as literature, document and website review. Empirical data was collected through interviews with 11 employees working within 7 different sections of the municipality. Findings This study resulted in an information classification model that is tailored to the specific needs of Swedish municipalities. In addition, a set of steps for tailoring an information classification model to suit a specific public organization are recommended. The findings also indicate that for a successful information classification it is necessary to educate the employees about the basics of information security and classification and create an understandable and unified information security language. Practical implications This study also highlights that to have a tailored information classification model, it is imperative to understand the value of information and what kind of consequences a violation of established information security principles could have through the perspectives of the employees. Originality/value It is the first of its kind in tailoring an information classification model to the specific needs of a Swedish municipality. The model provided by this study can be used as a tool to facilitate a common ground for classifying information within all Swedish municipalities, thereby contributing the first step toward a Swedish municipal model for information classification.

Regular surveys of doctoral students on their career trajectories, satisfaction with the program and the learning process, with the organization of supervision, etc. are widespread in leading foreign universities. The results of such surveys are used to improve programs and assess the effect of the introduced measures. In Russia, however, there is a lack of empirical data on the doctoral students’ experience, which makes it impossible to identify and address the reasons for the low performance of the Russian doctoral education observed over the past few years. To support the discussion about the need for such monitoring surveys in Russia, this article presents the results of an analysis of open information from the websites of about 150 foreign institutions that organize doctoral student surveys at the national, cross-university, and institutional levels. The presented review shows how actively doctoral education data collection takes place in the USA, Canada, Australia, and the UK, where there are one or more large-scale projects stimulating the collection of data from several universities, and how the results of such research are used by universities, employers, and applicants. On the example of topics related to the motivation for entering doctoral programs, to the career trajectories of doctoral students, and to the organization of supervision, it is discussed how the described research practices can be used for the evidence-based development of Russian doctoral education.

Mopeds (electric bicycles and light motorcycles) are commonly used as a personal transportation mode in China. However, the understanding of characteristics of left-turning mopeds at signal-controlled intersections has been relatively limited. To bridge this gap, firstly, this paper proposed a video conversion method of moped movement data acquisition. Then, a method of data accuracy verification was introduced by comparing the results between the field experiment and the video conversion method. Secondly, the ideal traffic space for left-turn mopeds from different entrances was defined to analyse the characteristics of the left-turning mopeds at intersections. Further, three indicators, namely, transverse distance, the proportion of left-turning mopeds with crossing behaviour, and the average number of avoidance behaviour, were proposed and used to analyse the asymmetrical characteristics behaviour, crossing behaviour, and avoidance behaviour. Finally, based on empirical data collected from five signal-controlled intersections, the proposed methods and behaviours were analysed. This paper provides both a valid method of obtaining the position data of mopeds and a reliable basis for improving the safety of left-turning moped riders at urban signal-controlled intersections.

This article presents an analysis of the development of the Russian Anti Access/Anti Denial concept – A2/AD. The considerations contained in this article focus on identifying the threats that the Russian A2/AD concept creates for NATO and Poland. This article compiles empirical data from scientific publications, formal strategic and doctrinal documents, which allowed to define the A2/AD category, specify its essence and characterize it through the prism of military and non-military forces and resources engaged by Russia in several important operational regions: the Kaliningrad Oblast, Crimea, Syria and the Arctic.The aim of this article is to evaluate the Russian Anti-Access/Anti Denial concept from the perspective of the threats it creates for NATO and Poland.The obtained research results allow us to make the conclusion that when assessing the current external conditions, effective opposition to the Russian A2/AD by NATO will be very difficult to implement. Increasing the capabilities in this area will probably require the individual member states to increase their defense spending, mainly on the modernization and development of their armed forces. In addition to increasing the financial expenditures, increasing the ability to counteract the Russian A2/AD will require proper coordination and integration of the activities of the entire NATO structure around one coherent operational concept. This applies not only to counteracting the Russian A2/AD in Europe but also in other regions of the world, which in the near future may become the theatre of military operations, both classic, asymmetric or hybrid.

В условиях институциональных и пространственных ограничений молодежь в Воркуте активно осваивает нефункционирующие заброшенные здания. Цель данной статьи — представить результаты исследования особенностей низовой организации досуга в заброшенных городских пространствах Воркуты, а также результаты анализа переплетений социальных и пространственных аспектов существования в городе различных молодежных групп, которые самостоятельно организуют досуг, создавая уникальные досуговые пространства в ситуации ограниченности ресурсов. Для исследования были выбраны два кейса: байк-клуб «Полярные волки» и скейт-площадка в заброшенном здании. Эмпирический материал исследования был собран в ходе социологической экспедиции 7–13 июля 2019 года в Воркуте в рамках проекта «Открываем Россию заново» и включает в себя 20 глубинных интервью с воркутинцами в возрасте от 16 до 35 лет, а также более 200 часов включенного наблюдения. При анализе материала авторы опирались на сценовой подход и концепцию третьих мест Рэя Ольденбурга. При этом досуговое пространство молодежи определяется в исследовании как место, в котором существует молодежная сцена (или сцены). Для определения сцены и последующего анализа материала используется концепт «культурной сцены», предложенный Еленой Омельченко и Святославом Поляковым, где сцены — это связь досуговых практик сообществ и культурных пространств. В ходе анализа были выделены особенности низовой организации досуговых пространств в Воркуте — молодежь повторно использует заброшенные здания и создает внутри них свой особый социальный и связанный с ним пространственный порядок. Авторы пришли к заключению, что постоянные преобразования зданий молодежью являются развитием и продолжением сцены. Когда-то заброшенные здания становятся местами с определенной социальной динамикой, которая постоянно воспроизводится через пересечение повседневных практик участников сцен. Поскольку исследованиям организации досуга молодежи в отдаленных от Центральной России арктических городах уделяется мало внимания, результаты данной статьи способны привлечь ученых к изучению форм досуга молодежи в регионах Арктики как ответа на институциональные ограничения в месте проживания.

As the financial markets have evolved, the cross-shareholding networks have been formed among Chinese enterprises with equity as the concluded relationship. Exploring the impact of the cross-shareholding networks on financing constraints has important implications for the decisions of manufacturing companies. This paper uses the social network method to characterize the cross-shareholding networks of manufacturing companies from 2007 to 2019 and explores the effects of the cross-shareholding networks on financing constraints. The innovation of this paper is to explore the relationship between the two. It is concluded that the centrality or structural holes richness of manufacturing companies in the cross-shareholding network is inversely related to the financing constraint. The higher the centrality or the richer the number of structural holes, the lower the level of financing constraints.

PurposeThe current study seeks to examine the impact of web marketing (through the company's website) on corporate social responsibility (CSR) and firms' performance across companies listed in the Muscat Stock Exchange (MSX), Oman.Design/methodology/approachThis research analyses qualitative and exploratory data taken from companies' website, annual reports (the financial year 2019), Google search and CSR report from 69 out of total 117 listed companies in the MSX to analyze the impact of web marketing on CSR and firms' performance proxied by return of assets (ROA), return of equity (ROE) and Tobin's Q (TQ).FindingsWeb marketing on CSR positively affects firms' performance. Especially, the positive effect of web marketing on firms' performance is stronger for listed companies. Web marketing enhances financial performance proxied by ROA, ROE and TQ.Practical implicationsThe research findings provide new insights that are able to enlighten governing bodies in Oman to make standardized compulsory CSR spending (say, 0.5% on profit after tax) by listed companies in MSX.Originality/valueThis research presents evidence that web marketing on CSR can increase firms' performance and brand image among stakeholders. This is the first study to examine the impact of web marketing on CSR and firms' performance using empirical data in Oman.

The sudden shift from physical classroom education towards emergency remote teaching (ERT) in higher education during the unprecedented global pandemic caused an abrupt change in the learning environment for students and educators alike. The disruptive overnight change and conversion of entire courses to emergency remote teaching caused concern for not only educators, but also students that had little time to adapt to the new circumstances. While the embedment of technologies in the classroom is not a new concept, this quantitative research expands a case study that sought to examine the perceived satisfaction of undergraduate students with the emerging paradigm of ERT. Responses based on empirical data (n=450) as well as secondary data (n=219) were analyzed to conclude that, in particular, younger freshmen students struggled more with online emergency remote teaching than their older peers. Furthermore, the study identified numerous similarities between both data samples. The current research informs educators about student perceptions and preferences during these extraordinary circumstances of uncertain duration. Furthermore, the paper concludes with recommendations that aim to provide institutions and educators with practical guidance on how to tackle the outlined issues. https://doi.org/10.26803/ijlter.20.6.1

Differences in Capital Structure of Publicly Traded Companies in Europe and USA The paper aims at analysing the difference in capital structure and debt maturity choices of firms in Europe and in the USA. Employing logical and comparative study of theoretical knowledge in accordance with analysis of empirical data, the authors define the variations in leverage and long-term debt ratios. Specifically for comparability of studied markets, the analysis was based on financial data of companies that are members of STOXX600, which is considered the primary index for the European market, and S&P 500, which is considered one of the best representations of the US market. Based on the results, we can assume that there exist statistically significant differences. Companies in the USA tend to use more debt, especially long-term debt, than companies in Europe.

This paper focuses on the complex relationships among social capital, community development and festivals. The Covid-19 pandemic put a lot of pressure on festivals, forcing an entire industry to adapt and recreate itself. In the restricted sanitary context, the pandemic festivals redefine the sense of events, of community and of social interactions. The empirical data, comprising in-depth interviews with the organisers of the first festival in Romania after lockdown, have revealed the prioritisation of social benefits and the growing connection between festival and community. This study therefore suggests that festivals could be involved more deeply in the community by assuming social charitable causes. Festivals create their own communities of fans but also shape the local communities where they take place.

Drawing on two case studies from large-scale fieldwork carried out on euthanasia in Belgium and assisted suicide in Switzerland, this article focuses on the processes of normalization that structure aid in dying. Normalization takes place through a set of apparatuses only partially derived from current legislation, which underlie the relationships that develop between those requesting aid in dying, healthcare staff, volunteers, and loved ones. The resulting arrangements are specific to each national context, but the empirical data also point to broadly common traits, highlighting new paradigmatic forms of aid in dying in the contemporary era.

The aim of this study is to present the opinions of local labour market participants regarding unregistered work that is performed by socially excluded people who are registered in the Labour Office in the city of Płock, Poland. The paper begins with a literature review of the theoretical issues and presents conclusions based on published studies and articles. This is followed by an empirical data analysis where the authors diagnose the causes, important advantages and disadvantages of unregistered work. The data includes the results of surveys that were distributed to 350 respondents: 195 received PAPI paper questionnaires and 155 people were surveyed using a CAWI questionnaire posted on the Internet (additionally, a campaign on Facebook) in 2018. The analyses includes the distribution of answers to the survey question together with verification of the statistical significance between the answers and specific variables, such as education, sex and age group.

Increasing the innovation activity of small enterprises is an urgent problem in Russia and its regions. Innovations include both the production of new or improved products (goods and services) that are significantly different from previously produced products, and the introduction of new or more advanced production processes in enterprises that are significantly different from those that were previously used. The aim of the study was to assess the levels of innovation use based on the specific weight of small innovative enterprises in the total number of small enterprises in the regions of Russia. The study used mathematical modeling of empirical data for all regions and the construction of the corresponding density functions of the normal distribution. The official information of the Federal State Statistics Service for 2015, 2017 and 2019 was considered as the initial empirical data. The study included the study of indicators that characterize the share of small innovative enterprises. The average values of the indicators were determined, as well as the ranges of their changes in the regions of Russia. The conclusions of the study, which contain scientific novelty and originality, are as follows: it is proposed to use economic and mathematical models to evaluate the values of indicators that characterize the innovation activity of small enterprises; it is shown that almost every twentieth small enterprise in Russia showed a certain innovation activity during the period under review; it is shown that the values of the specific weights of small innovative enterprises in the total number of small enterprises were significantly differentiated by region; the regions with the maximum and minimum values of the specific weights of small innovative enterprises are identified.

In recent years, rather than enclosing data within a single organization, exchanging and combining data from different domains has become an emerging practice. Many studies have discussed the economic and utility value of data and data exchange, but the characteristics of data that contribute to problem-solving through data combination have not been fully understood. In big data and interdisciplinary data combinations, large-scale data with many variables are expected to be used, and value is expected to be created by combining data as much as possible. In this study, we conducted three experiments to investigate the characteristics of data, focusing on the relationships between data combinations and variables in each dataset, using empirical data shared by the local government. The results indicate that even datasets that have a few variables are frequently used to propose solutions for problem-solving. Moreover, we found that even if the datasets in the solution do not have common variables, there are some well-established solutions to these problems. The findings of this study shed light on the mechanisms behind data combination for solving problems involving multiple datasets and variables.

PurposeThe present paper explores the multiple management control systems (MCSs) involved in productivity improvement (PI) in manufacturing and how they interrelate. Research has largely neglected the multiplicity and interrelationships of these MCSs.Design/methodology/approachDrawing on an abductive case study approach, the authors collected empirical data from a global automotive supplier that produces complex systems for passenger cars. Recent PI activities are analysed to identify and explain the interrelationships among the multiple MCSs affecting these activities.FindingsThe study shows how a broad range of MCSs are involved in PI. The study identifies and explores both complementary and conflicting relationships among the MCSs and demonstrates how managers rely on a set of mechanisms to alleviate tensions and strengthen complementarities among these MCSs.Research limitations/implicationsAs this paper is based on a single case study, future research can contribute further generalisations (analytical and statistical) with respect to the MCSs involved in PI, how they are interrelated and which mechanisms managers use to manage their interrelationships.Practical implicationsManagers seeking to control and improve productivity should consider the complete control package and its interrelationships instead of focussing on each MCS separately.Originality/valueThe present paper contributes to the knowledge of the multiplicity and interrelationships of MCSs involved in PI and the type of managerial work required to manage their interrelationships.

Purpose This paper aims to report findings of up-to-date insights to fill the knowledge gap of lack of theoretical and practical understandings of how knowledge is used in medium-sized enterprises (MEs) for ensuring their performance excellence, healthy survival and growth, particularly using the contextual background of quality improvement as the standing point to concretise the research content and research participants’ mind-set for data collection. Design/methodology/approach The empirical data were attained by conducting first a multiple-case study and thereafter a structured interview. Insights were obtained through analysing the collected data and triangulating the findings with the contention from the extant literature where available. Findings A set of approaches for effective quality improvement knowledge (QIK) utilisation in MEs have been identified and attested, as well as prioritised for a clear guidance on their application by practical businesses. Originality/value As a pioneering study on the particularly focussed issue, namely, a current knowledge gap – QIK utilisation in MEs, theoretically the research contributes to the enrichment of the current KM and QI literature with a primary focus on knowledge utilisation in MEs. Practically its findings provide insightful guidance to practice on the approaches of QIK utilisation.

This study’s subject is the theoretical and methodological aspects of studying politicians’ electoral potential and their social networks positioning. This article aims to explore politicians’ activity in social media to identify its impact on their electoral potential. The authors of the paper used the methods such as analysis and synthesis to study the positioning of politicians in social networks, as well as a systematic approach to examine political, social, cultural, and economic factors affecting the characteristics of the manifestation of activity in the Internet space as a whole, and in social media in particular. The work used empirical and analytical methods to study open empirical data, methods of qualitative analysis to study content posted in virtual space. The authors consider the theoretical and methodological aspects of public politicians’ positioning in social media and their potential electoral impact. The article highlights the main methods and approaches to studying this problem and outlines the ways for further research. The findings and results can be used to research further the electoral potential of public politicians and their social media positioning.

Artificial intelligence technology is developing rapidly in recent years. The purpose of this paper is to measure the distance to an object using this. In order to measure the distance, two separate pictures from same angles of the object will be taken. It extracts sizes for the same object in two pictures. In order to do this in real time, object detection technology of Artificial Intelligence on mobile phone was used. In this paper, a method for measuring the distance from two pictures is presented. The proposed method was implemented as a prototype on iOS. In order to measure the performance of distance measurement, experiments were conducted in various environments. In the experiments, the empirical data yielded some discrepancies with the actual measurement. This was a result of errors occurring in the object detection process where the actual size of the object was calculated. Despite these discrepancies, this method of object detection may be widely used in instances where accurate measurements are not necessarily required such as guidance systems for the visually impaired.

Background Competing priorities make using a transparent and evidence-based approach important when deciding to recommend new vaccines. We conducted a literature review to document the processes and frameworks for national decision-making on new vaccine introductions and explored which key features have evolved since 2010. Methods We searched literature published on policymaking related to vaccine introduction from March 2010 to August 2020 in six databases. We screened articles for eligibility with the following exclusion criteria: non-human or hypothetical vaccines, the sole focus on economic evaluation or decision to adopt rather than policy decision-making. We employed nine broad categories of criteria from the 2012 review for categorization and abstracted data on the country, income level, vaccine, and other relevant criteria. Results Of the 3808 unique references screened, 116 met eligibility criteria and were classified as: a) framework of vaccine adoption decision-making (27), b) studies that analyse empirical data on or examples of vaccine adoption decision-making (45), c) theoretical and empirical articles that provide insights into the vaccine policymaking process (44 + 17 already included in the previous categories). Commonly reported criteria for decision-making were the burden of disease; vaccine efficacy/effectiveness, safety; impact on health and non-health outcomes; economic evaluation and cost-effectiveness of alternative interventions. Programmatic and acceptability aspects were not as often considered. Most (50; 82%) of the 61 articles describing the process of vaccine introduction policymaking highlighted the role of country, regional, or global evidence-informed recommendations and a robust national governance as enabling factors for vaccine adoption. Conclusions The literature on vaccine adoption decision-making has expanded since 2010. We found that policymakers and expert advisory committee members (e.g., National Immunization Technical Advisory Group [NITAG]) increasingly value the interventions based on economic evaluations. The results of this review could guide discussions on evidence-informed immunization decision-making among country, sub-regional, and regional stakeholders.

COVID-19 is a serious epidemic that has an unmistakable impact on all aspects of our lives, including the educational process. Most of the world has adopted Virtual Classes (VCs) to sustain teaching and learning. While prior research about such e-learning technologies has been focusing on the initial adoption, this research investigates the factors influencing the students’ desire and intention to continue using VCs, especially after the crisis subsides. This study extends the literature by developing a model that integrates pre-and post-adoption constructs and incorporates technological characteristics, namely, task technology fit, convenience, and compatibility into the Expectation Confirmation Model (ECM) to study the post-adoption Continuance Intention (CI) of VCs. The model is empirically validated using the partial least squares–structural equation modelling method and proved to have a reasonable description power (R2=62%) in terms of students’ CI. The survey empirical data is also supported by interviews with some students. The results support all the hypothesized relationships and confirm that the integration of technical characteristics in the ECM provides an appropriate framework to explain students’ intention to continue using VCs, which forms a good base for practitioners to consider a wide range of technological features for preparing applications. Yet, the model still requires to be extended with other stakeholders, including teachers, and other constructs like personal, psychological, social, and environmental factors. © 2021 The Authors.

This research aims to investigate the influence of prices, promotions and marketing events on the customers’ repurchasing decision of Flashy products. The survey was conducted to 221 customers of Flashy Women's Clothing Bandung which is a brand of women's clothing from the age of 15-45 years. The data used for this research was collected through questionnaires distributed to the students of Polytechnic Piksi Ganesha who have had shopping experience in Flashy. This study used a structural equation model (SEM) to evaluate the suitability of the theoretical model being analyzed related to empirical data, and to test the significance of the hypothesis. The results showed that the estimated coefficient of standardized regression in which price, promotion and event marketing have a significant influence on customer’s repurchase decisions.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to statistically verify the effects of blood glucose, blood urea nitrogen (BUN), calcium, and chloride ions on the facial wrinkles of premenopausal women. Methods: Premenopausal women were recruited through the internet to be study participants. Those who had disease or who consumed drugs or health foods such as ginseng were excluded. The levels of blood glucose, BUN, calcium, and chloride ions were obtained, and facial wrinkles were measured with a skin meter. Multiple regression analysis was performed to evaluate the effects of blood glucose, BUN, calcium, and chloride ions on face wrinkles. Results: After excluding 13 people whose blood measurement variables deviated from the outliers, statistical analysis was performed for the remaining 64 participants. Analysis revealed the nonstandardization coefficient of blood glucose to be 0.019 and the significance probability was p =0.027. The nonstandardized coefficient of BUN was 0.108, and the significance probability was p =0.006, which means that when BUN increased by 1 mg/dL, wrinkles increased by 0.108. The explanatory power of R2 was 0.203. Conclusion: This is the first report to reveal, based on empirical data, that blood glucose and BUN, which are known factors affecting cardiovascular disease and diabetes, also affect facial wrinkles.

Routinely collected data have been increasingly used to assess long-term opioid therapy (LTOT) patterns, with very little guidance on how to measure LTOT from these data sources. We conducted a systematic review of studies published between January 2000 and July 2019 to catalogue LTOT definitions, the rationale for definitions and LTOT rates in observational research using routinely collected data in nonsurgical settings. We screened 4056 abstracts, 210 full-text manuscripts and included 128 studies, mostly from the United States (81%) and published between 2015 and 2019 (69%). We identified 78 definitions of LTOT, commonly operationalised as 90 days of use within a year (23%). Studies often used multiple criteria to derive definitions (60%), mostly based on measures of duration, such as supply days/days of use (66%), episode length (21%) or prescription fills within specified time periods (12%). Definitions were based on previous publications (63%), clinical judgment (16%) or empirical data (3%); 10% of studies applied more than one definition. LTOT definition was not provided with enough details for replication in 14 studies and 38 studies did not specify the opioids evaluated. Rates of LTOT within study populations ranged from 0.2% to 57% according to study design and definition used. We observed a substantial rise in the last 5 years in studies evaluating LTOT with large variability in the definitions used and poor reporting of the rationale and implementation of definitions. This variation impacts on research reproducibility, comparability of findings and the development of strategies aiming to curb therapy that is not guideline-recommended.

The paper investigates whether the Financial Fair Play Regulations have contributed to a sus- tainable economic framework of club football while retaining equal opportunities for sport success. Mutual relations among economic strength of football clubs, their financial aggres-siveness in investments into squads and league results after the implementation of the FFP rules are assessed. Using a dataset of the English Premier League clubs over 2011-2017, empirical data reveal that the league is economically sustainable in the long run. However, profitability improves by increasing broadcasting revenue, and clubs' profits are driven by their ownership structure rather than FFP. Furthermore, we identify a statistically signifi-cant financial aggressiveness in spending on squads. A regulation aiming at securing sustain-able economic development may, thus, curtail sport competitiveness of smaller clubs and boost dominance of teams that are economically strong around the time of regulation launch.

Modelling is a well-established concept for understanding the typical shape and pattern of age-specific fertility. The distribution of India’s age-specific fertility rate (ASFR) is unimodal and positively skewed and is distinct from the ASFR of the developed countries. The existing models (P-K model, Gompertz model, Skew-normal model and G-P model considered here) that were developed, based on the experiences of the developed countries, failed to fit the single-year age-specific fertility pattern for India as a whole and for the six selected states. Our study has proposed four flexible models, to capture the diverse age pattern of fertility, observed in the Indian states. The proposed models were compared in three ways; among themselves, with the original models and with the popular Hadwiger model. The parameters of these proposed models were estimated through the Non-Linear Least Squares Method. To find the model with best fit, we used the corrected version of Akaike’s Information Criterion (AICc). Optimization of the four original models was successfully done. When the model was fitted to the empirical data of the 4th round of the National Family Health Survey conducted in 2015–2016, the results of this study showed that all the four proposed models outperform their corresponding original models and the Hadwiger model. When comparison among the proposed models was done, the Modified Gompertz Model provided the best fit for India, Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat. Whereas, the Modified P-K model gave the best fit for West Bengal, Tripura and Karnataka. The Modified G-P model is the most suitable model for Punjab. Although our proposed models illustrated the fitting of ASFR for India as a whole and the selected six states only, it provides an important tool for the policymakers and the government authorities to project fertility rates and to understand the fertility transitions in India and various other states.

There have been vociferous calls for 'tree-centered' vegetation models to refine predictions of forest carbon (C) cycling. Unfortunately, our global survey at flux-tower sites indicates insufficient empirical data support for this much-needed model development. We urge for a new generation of studies across large environmental gradients that strategically pair long-term ecosystem monitoring with manipulative experiments on mature trees. For this, we outline a versatile experimental framework to build cross-scale data archives of C uptake and allocation to structural, non-structural, and respiratory sinks. Community-wide efforts and discussions are needed to implement this framework, especially in hitherto underrepresented tropical forests. Global coordination and realistic priorities for data collection will thereby be key to achieve and maintain adequate empirical support for tree-centered vegetation modeling.

PurposeThe article explores what forms of disruption are prioritized by top executives of large manufacturing companies in Finland and what strategies they consider appropriate for the management of disruptive threats and opportunities.Design/methodology/approachThe empirical study was based on interviews with top executives in some of Finland's largest manufacturing companies.FindingsBased on the data, we identify exploitative and explorative strategies in four dimensions that executives consider important in anticipating and responding to disruptions: internal development efforts, stance on new entrants, ecosystems and institutional change. Due to the presence of multiple potential disruptions, which often generate conflicting demands, executives have to consider them simultaneously and balance between them when making strategic decisions. They therefore do not necessarily have a specific response strategy, but their aim is to develop their companies' capabilities so that they are well-placed to face the future with confidence.Originality/valueThe findings indicate that the executives envision a disruption landscape that is more complex than typically described in the literature. In addition, it answers the call for a more systematic understanding of incumbents' response strategies by linking different disciplinary views with well-grounded empirical data.

The study aims to evaluate the moderating role of service innovation on the relationship between corporate reputation and the performance of hotels in Kenya. The study design used was cross-sectional descriptive utilizing the mixed approach. The target that served as the study population, was General Managers of all the 4-star hotels in Kenya. Primary data was collected by the use of a self-administered semi-structured questionnaire and secondary data from hotel records, journals, and government publications. Data analysis involved qualitative and quantitative techniques, analyses of variance (ANOVA), and Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) which tested the hypothesized relationship in this study. Statistical software such as Statistical Package for Social Sciences version 21, MS-Excel for Windows 8, Analysis of Moment Structures version 17, and SmartPLS version 2.0 was used for analysis. The theoretical models and hypotheses were tested based on empirical data gathered from 43 General Managers. The study findings indicate that corporate reputation positively and significantly influences performance (C.R = 5.907 at 5% ?-level) and service innovation moderates (R2 change = 0.054) the relationship between corporate reputation and performance. The study results are meant to benefit hotel industry policymakers, academicians, and other opportunistic entrepreneurs. The recommendation is that the hotel industry should invest seriously in corporate reputation so as to influence customer purchase behavior and improved performance.

BACKGROUND COVID-19 or coronavirus disease 2019 is affecting all inhabitants on the earth and most affected section of the society which is also a crucial aspect of the mitigation measures is health care professionals. SUMMARY COVID-19 or coronavirus disease 2019 is raging across the world with increasing number of infected cases and associated case fatalities. Health care professionals are among worst hit section and several of them laid their live in the line of duty of COVID-19 mitigation. It is therefore importantto safeguard them through this pandemic and ensure proper care of them is taken. CONCLUSION Best practices must be followed in order to ensure the safety of the front-line workers such as doctors and allied health care givers. More study can be done to broaden the base of available empirical data of factors affecting the safety of them.

BACKGROUND COVID-19 is creating ruckus in almost entire part of the globe and needs to be tackled at mission mode. SUMMARY COVID-19 has been proven lethal and deadly and in order to tackle the spread, study is needed to understand the virus behavior. Pathophysiology of the virus is extremely crucial as the uncertain nature of the coronavirus is creating hurdles in mitigating measures. Supposedly long-term implication which are bound to happen in several infection cases needs proper attention CONCLUSION Prevention is always better than cure and it is true especially in case of COVID-19 pandemic as there are long term implications are attached. Necessary infrastructure needs to be made available so that these increasing numbers demand should be catered. Non-coercive measures prove best results and social vaccine of mitigation measures is already available to ensure the prohibition of the viral spread. More study is need so that long term implications of COVID-19 is established with the necessary empirical data.

Collaboration between industry and academia necessitates the management of entrepreneurial dynamics within ecosystem contexts. However, such partnerships perpetuate numerous challenges that, without effective management, can impact upon the ecosystem as a whole. Limited research to date has addressed the challenges affecting these university-industry partnerships and ascertained their impact upon ecosystem management. This study identifies the challenges pervading university-industry partnerships across entrepreneurial ecosystems, with a view that through an exposition of such challenges, more specific strategies could be implemented to address them. Questionnaires were distributed to key ecosystem stakeholders, requesting their perceptions of the key challenges affecting their collaborative relationships. Empirical data was analysed utilising fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis to deduce the configurational nature of the conditions. Results reveal mutually exclusive solutions grounded upon distinct combinations of conditions, constituting distinct pathways to ineffective ecosystem management. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed, as well as acknowledged limitations of this study and suggestions for future research.

The agenda for widening participation in higher education has led to increasing numbers of students with a broader range of education and family backgrounds. However, transitioning to the university landscape remains a highly complex negotiation process, especially for first-in-family students, who cannot draw on previous experience from higher education in their families. Gaining access to informational capitala combination of cultural and social capital—plays a crucial role in managing education transitions. We draw on rich empirical data obtained from 26 autobio- graphical narrative interviews with first-in-family university students in Austria to investigate how transitions to university are affected by informational capital. We also explore how access to informational capital was influenced by (1) institutional practices, such as initiatives to support students, especially first-year students; and (2) cultural fit—the extent to which a student's cultural capital corresponded with the dominant cultural capital in the field of their chosen discipline or higher education establishment. Our findings show that gaining access to informational capital was strongly affected by the institutional practices at universities within the different disciplines, thus highlighting the importance of higher education institutions in supporting their stu- dents during transition processes. We conclude with policy implications for how higher education institutions can assist. first-in-family students to succeed at university.