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Dynamic inventory control and pricing strategies for perishable products considering both profit and waste
Get PDFWith the increasing sustainability considerations throughout the world, there is an increasing interest in the effective management of perishable products both in the industry and the academia. There is a need to control the inventories, as well as the prices of perishable products in order to increase the profits while minimizing the waste. In this study, we focus on a retailer who sells old and new perishable food products, enabling demand shifts between products based on their prices and consumer behaviors. A bi-objective dynamic programming
model is developed to optimize the discounted price, sale price, and order quantity of perishable food products in order to maximize the retailer’s profit and minimize food waste. We develop four static and dynamic pricing policies commonly practiced and quantify the advantages of dynamic pricing and price differentiation between old and new products in terms of both profit and waste. Our findings reveal that significant benefits can be obtained when the order quantity and the old product’s sale price decisions are given in a dynamic manner by considering the available inventory at hand. Additionally, this research analyzes the results of various weight combinations for profit and waste in the objective function. The findings highlight the significance of waste and
sustainability concerns, underline the tradeoff between profit and waste and provide insights to companies to achieve improvements in their system results
Experiences of disabled students in online education: a systematic review
Get PDFA mixed-methods systematic review of the academic and psychosocial experiences and requirements of disabled students in online higher education was conducted to understand what is known and identify potential areas for improvement. Five databases were searched for full-text, peer-reviewed journal articles published in English between 2017 and 2023, focusing on students enrolled in dedicated online education courses in higher education. Preliminary searches resulted in 1229 studies, of which 14 were extracted for thematic synthesis. Five themes were found: (1) The importance of staff-student relationships; (2) Flexibility makes it easier; (3) Challenges related to disability; (4) A need for adaptable support services; (5) Isolation and stigma in peer relationships. Findings showed that while the flexibility of studying online offers an additional access route into higher education for disabled students, gaps in academic support and adaptable accommodations add additional barriers, while fear of stigma from peers creates feelings of loneliness and exclusion
Supporting User’s Cognitive Ability as the Key Agenda in Multimodal LLM/GenAI R&D
No full textWhile Multimodal LLM and Generative AI are drawing much
attention due to its immense potential for transforming every
aspect of our lives, the characteristics of the technology and its
promises almost always imply reduced cognitive efforts by its end
users. This can be compared to our not-so-smart but still very
powerful and convenient day-to-day technologies we are used to
today, afforded by ever-improving computational power,
availability of smartphones and the internet: our phone apps and
web services are efficient, accurate and convenient, helping us
save our mental efforts (e.g. memorising, calculating,
summarising, reflecting, etc.).
There are growing amount of scientific evidences on how the
prolonged use of and reliance to these apps and services
undermines our natural cognitive abilities - because almost by
definition these tools are there to help their users bypass the
cognitive efforts - and the Human-Computer Interaction (HCI)
and UI/UX communities are starting to address this to amend and
extend the design knowledge (principles, usability guidelines,
heuristics, etc.) to take this into account. Is it possible to re-design
our apps and services in such a way as to keep our cognitive
abilities active while at the same time help us achieve the tasks
that those tools were designed for in the first place?
This talk will point out how our future applications of Multimodal
LLM and GenAI will have similar impact to people’s cognitions as
the conventional apps and services have done so far, and what our
stance as the researchers in the field could or should be to
minimise such negative consequences. This has implications to the agenda for research directions for those studying and
developing Multimodal LLM and other Generative AI
technologies
A Tale of Parenthood, Social Policies, and Organizational Decision-Makers
No full textThe overall outline of the chapter is as follows: First, we provide a brief overview of research in the field of economics that looks at the impact that social policies have on labor market outcomes and the reasons for doing so. We then explain how common research on policy effects might miss out on an important perspective – that is the role of organizations as
a key actor that shapes workplaces, careers, and labor outcomes. Next, we turn to our own research study of over 13,000 individuals from 19 countries in which we found that the family policies of paid parental leave and externally provided childcare shaped organizational decision
makers’ expectations about employees’ availability to work and in return the decision-makers’ willingness to invest in their employees’ human capital. Finally, considering these findings, we introduce a model that can inform future research avenues and methods for scholars invested
in studying equality in organizations and societies
The Gender Gap in the Care Economy is Larger in Highly Developed Countries: Socio-Cultural Explanations for Paradoxical Findings
No full textDespite the growing demand for care economy employees (e.g., nurses, teachers, and social workers), men remain underrepresented in these careers. While economically developed countries support more equal rights for women and men, their labor markets are highly gender
segregated (Charles 1992, 2003). We conducted a focused investigation of this paradoxical pattern in the care economy, testing whether gender gaps in care economy career interest are larger in more economically developed countries, and if so, what psychological and cultural
factors underlie these patterns. We examined these questions with labor data from 70 countries (Study 1) and a pre-registered study of career interests among 19,240 university students from 49 countries (Study 2). Although more economically developed countries tend to promote greater gender equality, our results reveal the gender gap in care economy representation (Study 1) and interest (Study 2) is especially large in such countries. We did not observe parallel patterns for STEM representation or interest. Results from Study 2 supported an integrated theoretical
account of this development paradox in care economy interest: Cross-national variation in the gender gap in care economy interest was predicted by country-level variation in economic development and individualism/collectivism but not by self-expression values or country-level gender equality, countering prior (controversial) claims of a gender equality paradox. Furthermore, larger gender gaps in communal values (e.g., men’s lower valuing of helping and caring for others) were a proximal predictor of larger gender gaps in care economy interest in
highly economically developed countries
When energy transitions are unjust: Examining actor strategies and household engagement in Ghana’s clean energy shift
No full textA transition to clean energy offers sub-Saharan Africa a solution to regional energy challenges. However, if not properly implemented, transition strategies risk marginalising vulnerable groups. This paper adds to existing literature by exploring how actors interact with one another, identifying areas of collaboration and conflicts. It provides new insights into household-actor interactions, analysing how these relationships influence household energy decisions. Drawing on the energy justice framework— specifically procedural and recognition justice —
this study utilises primary data gathered through surveys and interviews conducted in rural communities in the Kwahu Afram Plains North and South Districts of Ghana between September 2022 and February 2023. Analysis conducted using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) and reflexive thematic techniques revealed limited collaboration among the key actors and competition among some non-state actors in energy transition. Procedural and recognition injustices are identified at multiple levels, including the exclusion of households from
decision-making processes and the limited recognition of certain non-state actors at the national level. These findings underscore the importance of designing energy transition strategies that prioritise inclusive and multilevel stakeholder engagement. The study contributes to efforts to achieve SDG7 by highlighting pathways for inclusive energy transitions
Strategic Pausing in Digital Reading: A Pilot Evaluation of SmartPause on Cognitive Performance
No full textDigital reading environments are prone to premature disengagement, which can impair comprehension and cognitive performance. This pilot study introduces a simplified version of SmartPause - a lightweight, timing-sensitive intervention that encourages readers to continue until a natural breakpoint. Unlike earlier conceptual designs that included reflection prompts and note-taking, this version isolates the effect of exit timing alone, offering a more minimal and scalable interaction. By removing additional scaffolding and controlling for individual variability, we test whether timing cues by themselves support cognitive performance. Fourteen participants read two digital passages in a fixed order: one passage ended at a natural breakpoint, while the other was exited partway through. Exit timing was counterbalanced across participants to compare cognitive outcomes associated with early versus full completion. Measures included selective attention, free recall, perceived workload, engagement and affective state. Preliminary results suggest directional benefits in favour of natural breakpoint-aligned exits, particularly for memory, attentional control, and affective tone. These trends tentatively support the role of cognitively aligned pausing in enhancing digital reading outcomes without adding user burden. This exploratory pilot offers early evidence for context-aware disengagement as a design principle and motivates future development of adaptive reading systems aligned with cognitive rhythms
The British Government, Workmen’s Compensation, and the Civilian War Casualties of the Easter 1916 Irish Rebellion
No full textThe Easter 1916 rebellion occasioned significant civilian casualties. Having initially resisted the idea of compensating bereaved or injured civilians, the British government relented by establishing the Rebellion (Victims’) Committee (RVC) which assessed 550 compensation applications for death and injury. Utilizing these applications as well as Dublin Castle, Treasury, press, and parliamentary records, this article examines five aspects of the state’s treatment of civilian casualties: why the government’s initial opposition to compensation was eventually reversed; the establishment of the RVC, the bureaucratic compensation process, and the surveillance of working-class claimants; what the compensation claims reveal about the nature and circumstances of civilian casualties during the rebellion; how the Workmen’s Compensation Act (1906) was used to determine compensation awards and, consequently, how this minimized the state’s financial liabilities by treating civilian casualties not as victims of war but on a par with injured workers; and, lastly, why the workmen’s compensation legislation was an inadequate means of treating civilian war casualties. The RVC compensation records enable a unique case study of how the 1916 rebellion adversely affected the lives of ordinary men, women and children, and how the British state endeavoured to limit its obligations to make reparations to them
Geogenomic mapping of drug-resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis from Ireland and overseas
No full textIn this study, we performed an in-depth comparison of genome-sequenced Mycobacterium tuberculosis isolates from Ireland with isolates from other countries. The sequenced isolates from Ireland mostly belonged to Lineage 4 (64.15 %) with Lineages 2 (17.27 %), 1 (13.21 %), 3 (5.22 %), and 5 (0.15 %) also represented. Of these, Lineages 2 (47.57 %) and 4 (34.95 %) accounted for the majority of the isolates that were resistant to at least rifampicin. By performing hierarchical clustering of the genomes, we determined that many drug-resistant (DR) strains of Lineage 2 collected in Ireland belonged to larger international clusters of the bacterium that were dominant in countries that included Estonia, Georgia, Ukraine, and Moldova. Lineage 4 DR-TB strains isolated in
Ireland were also commonly part of large international clusters but the major countries differed i.e. Eswatini, Germany, United Kingdom, and Mozambique. Based on single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) analysis, there was no evidence found of widespread onward transmission of DR-TB isolates in Ireland. This indicates that a key source of DR-TB in Ireland is translocation of M. tuberculosis from countries where specific genetic clusters of drug-resistant strains are prevalent. This study has implications for interpreting future trends in TB drug resistance. As an open economy with extensive international travel connections, Ireland is sensitive to the emergence of resistant isolates of M. tuberculosis elsewhere. In addition to caution being applied with respect to TB presenting in individuals from high multi-drug resistant (MDR) TB burden countries, vigilance is also needed for TB in persons from countries where large phylogenetic clusters of DR-TB occur
Unpacking the motivational variables which impact engagement in Lesson Study: Mathematics teaching self-efficacy and attitudes towards self-development
No full textLesson study has received significant attention as a model of
professional development among mathematics teachers.
Evidence highlights its effectiveness in improving pedagogical
practices and student learning, however, less is known about the
predispositions which may encourage teachers’ participation in
Lesson Study or the impact of participation on teachers’ attitudes.
Such findings are relevant considering the voluntary context of
teachers’ participation in professional development in Ireland.
This research investigates the motivational variables which
impact teachers’ participation in Lesson Study, specifically their
self-efficacy in teaching mathematics for conceptual
understanding and their attitudes towards self-development in
Lesson Study. Post-primary mathematics teachers (N = 64),
spanning various levels of experience in Lesson Study, completed
a survey using a set of pre-validated scales. Findings indicate that
teachers’ mathematics teaching self-efficacy is a significant
predictor of their participation in Lesson Study. Furthermore, the
research finds that teachers’ familiarity with Lesson Study impacts
the likelihood of their participation in this model of teacher
education. These findings build upon previous knowledge in this field and
demonstrate the significance of teaching self-efficacy as a presage
variable for developing a positive disposition towards Lesson Study.
The paper discusses the implications of these findings for teacher
education in Ireland