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Institutional stimulus and firm innovativeness: examining the roles of digital technologies adoption and inbound openness
No full textYesDrawing on the structure-conduct-performance (SCP) paradigm, this study proposes and tests a framework of how government institutional stimulus can spur small and medium-sized enterprises’ (SMEs) innovativeness. An analysis of survey data from 195 SMEs operating in Ghana—a resource-constrained developing economy—indicates that: (1) institutional stimulus has a positive relationship with SME innovativeness; (2) the effect of institutional stimulus on SMEs’ innovativeness is channeled through the adoption of relevant digital technologies; and (3) the positive effect of institutional stimulus on firm innovativeness through the adoption of digital technologies is strengthened under high levels of inbound openness. Our findings make important contributions to the extant innovation and R&D management literature and have practical implications
Written in ‘her’ bones: Cremation and identity in Roman Beirut
No full textYesAt the time of its annexation in the 1st c. BC, cremation was not a customary practice in the Roman province of Syria. This contrasts with the western provinces of the Empire, where burning the body for burial remained the method of choice until the turn of the 2nd c. AD. As such, the discovery of cremation burials in the Roman Near East raises questions about the identities and origins of the buried individuals. This article focuses on one such example from Berytus, the first Roman colony in the Near East (modern Beirut, Lebanon). It implements a multidisciplinary approach through osteological, chemical, and material analyses to explore various aspects of mortuary practice and identity. Osteological and isotopic results indicate that the buried individual was likely a female of non-local origin. On the other hand, FTIR-ATR analysis, along with the macroscopic examination of the bones, suggest the burning of a fresh body at elevated temperatures. Furthermore, exceptional environmental conditions led to the formation of calcite crystals within the urn and on the human remains, which were identified using Raman spectroscopy. Similarly, unique burial conditions resulted in the preservation of textile pseudomorphs, which offer rare insights into body treatment practices that are typically absent from the archaeological record of the Levantine coast. By contextualizing the different bioarchaeological and material findings, this study reconstructs the life-history of the interred individual and examines the social and cultural significance of this burial within the context of the Roman colonization of Beirut.This work was supported by the Wenner-Gren Foundation for Anthropological Research (grant number 9338), and the Wilkinson-McKenzie International Research Grant in Ancient History and Archaeology
Measuring Currency Risk Premium: The Case of Turkey
No full textYesThis study examines the determinants of a change in currency expectations for the Turkish Lira (TL) versus the US dollar with different maturities (1 month, 3 months and 1 year). The risk premium is estimated using the interest rate differential and a latent component called the missing risk premium. The empirical model is extended to break down the risk component by introducing other explanatory variables, such as currency swap agreements, credit default swap (CDS), foreign reserves and the volatility index (VIX). A state-space model is employed to explain the behaviour of an unobserved variable over the period between January 2005 and March 2023 with daily and weekly data frequencies. Our findings suggest that the uncovered interest parity (UIP) condition does not hold consistently in Turkey during this period. Deviations from UIP can be attributed to a time-varying risk premium as outlined in Fama's framework. Additionally, our analysis also shows that interest rates and swaps play a significant role in explaining the variations in the TL's risk premium. Moreover, we found a substantial increase in both the level and volatility of the missing risk premium for longer maturities after 2018. Incorporating observable variables substantially reduces both the magnitude and the long-lasting impact of the missing risk premium shocks on expectations. Overall, this study sheds light on the intricate relationship between monetary policy changes, exchange rates and risk premia in the context of an emerging market
Evaluation of two raw Indian and Turkish propolis samples as pre-formualtion study for cosmetic preparations [Presentation]
No full textYesGhaida Mustafa is receiving a scholarship for her PhD study by the Schlumberger Foundation Faculty for the future program
Fiji's proposal for an 'Ocean of Peace' in the Pacific: Analysis and reflections from a peace studies perspective
No full textNoIn 2023 the Prime Minister of Fiji, Sitiveni Rabuka, proposed designating the Pacific a region-wide ‘Ocean of Peace’. Two years later in 2025, after a series of wider regional deliberations, the Blue Pacific Ocean of Peace Declaration was adopted at the Pacific Islands Forum Leaders’ Meeting. This Pacific-led peacebuilding proposal has attracted global attention but remains less examined within the peace studies literature. Drawing on public communications by Rabuka, listening sessions with Pacific Islander stakeholders, and the authors’ diverse peace studies expertise, this article examines how the Ocean of Peace was initially framed by Rabuka and how peace studies might support and learn from its development. We explore how diverse understandings of peace can address the region’s security threats; how inclusive peacebuilding approaches can strengthen engagement and practice; and how confronting violent legacies may advance peace. This article is not a prescription for what the Ocean of Peace should be. Rather, we aim to illuminate opportunities and challenges for the concept and to highlight an opportunity for transdisciplinary and transnational peace learning and dialogue.UK Government Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) via the British High Commission in Fiji. FCDO through a United Kingdom Research and Innovation (UKRI) Research Fellowship. Gender, Justice, and Security Hub through UKRI Global Challenges Research Fund (GCRF) grant number AH/S004025/1
Comparative analysis of physical and thermal properties of prilled and granulated urea
No full textYesSolid urea is the largest nitrogen fertilizer product, produced in two forms: granules and prills. Although the chemical properties of both prills and granules remain similar, their differing physical and mechanical properties distinguish them, making them suitable for different applications, either as fertilizers or raw materials for the chemical industry. This research aims to understand the differences between prilled and granulated urea by comparing their physical and thermal properties. The characterizations were conducted using thermal gravimetric analysis, differential scanning calorimety, Karl-Fischer titration, Scanning Electron Microscopy, High-Performance Liquid Chromatography, sieve analysis, strength measurements, and pycnometer. Karl Fischer titration revealed that granules contain more moisture (0.48%) compared to prills (0.34%). The moisture content of a fertilizer during storage and handling affects its overall quality. HPLC analysis on biuret content showed that the prilled samples contained higher biuret content. The results of the sieve analysis technique used to determine the size distribution indicated that granules had a larger mean diameter of 2.81 mm compared to prills, which had a mean diameter of 1.64 mm. SEM images revealed clear differences in terms of shape and structure between the prills and granules. The outer surface of the prills was smoother and glass-like, while the granules appeared rougher. Interestingly, on the inside, the granules had a denser and more solid middle layer. In contrast, the prills exhibited cracks throughout their inner structure
Toward a Person-Centered Approach to Cross-Cultural Adjustment: Comparing Profiles Between Female and Male Expatriates
No full textYesThis study advances our understanding of expatriate adjustment by integrating a person-centered approach with the Conservation of Resources (COR) theory to compare the cross-cultural adjustment profiles of female and male expatriates. We examine how gender, marital status, extraversion, cultural intelligence (CQ), and host-country language proficiency collectively impact cross-cultural interaction adjustment. Using fuzzy-set Qualitative Comparative Analysis (fsQCA) on 106 expatriates in the Czech Republic, we find that female expatriates can achieve adjustment levels comparable to their male counterparts; however, success requires a broader and more integrated set of personal resources, especially for married women. These findings challenge assumptions of homogeneous expatriate experiences and highlight the need for profile-specific strategies in expatriate management. The study extends COR theory by demonstrating how structural disadvantages shape resource accumulation processes and by expanding the principle of equifinality to emphasize configuration-based pathways to adjustment. It also shows that expatriate adjustment depends on the interplay and synergy of multiple personal traits rather than isolated characteristics. Our results offer practical implications for developing targeted support mechanisms tailored to different expatriate subgroups
Improved 2PP additive manufacturing build/process quality via the use of hyperbranched pre-polymer
No full textYesThis study reports the first systematic study investigating the potential of using hyperbranched (HB) polymers as novel materials for improving two photon polymerisation processing. It demonstrated that HB polymer containing additive manufacturing resins can be successfully formulated and used to print: (a) mono-/multi-material structures, the latter containing monomers of different functionality (i.e., hydrophilic/hydrophobic mixes), (b) with a broader range of printing conditions, (c) to high levels of cure and (d) at fast processing speeds than monomeric resins. A printed multi-material structure was confirmed to contain both feed materials and exhibit high cure by ToF-SIMS and Raman analysis, respectively. Thus, HBs were shown to improve mixing in multi-functional resins and overcome 2PP chemistry restrictions. When processing with selected HBs, both the polymerisation “onset” and “burning” thresholds were improved compared to monomeric resins. Processing more reactive HBs still increased the overall processing window compared to the 2PP processing of the equivalent monomer, but the “burning” threshold was in fact lowered, which was linked to depolymerisation events. Thus, a HB was subject to degradation studies and shown to produced more residual material (i.e. “char”) than linear materials, which delivers the decolourisation in 2PP “burning”. This study confirms that using HB’s can extend the viability and utility of 2PP processing, improvements that were delivered by understanding the reactivity of these pre-polymers toward both polymerisation and depolymerisation.EPSRC funding via: (a) the “Formulation for 3D printing: Creating a plug and play platform for a disruptive UK industry grant” (EP/N024818/1) and (b) the Decarbonising The Acrylic Value Chain via Resource Circularity prosperity partnership grant jointly funded by the Mitsubishi Chemical Co (UK) Ltd (EP/V038052/1)
I’m a nuclear warfare expert – is this really the end of Iran’s quest for a nuclear bomb?
No full textNoI have researched nuclear weapons technology for a decade, and my understanding is that this may not be the end of things. So, what would the timescale for proliferation look like, if Iran has managed to retain weapons-grade uranium