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The impact of digital technologies on sustainability performance of the supply chains
No full textThe integration of digital technologies (DT) and sustainability, which is defined in this research as Digital Sustainability Transformation, has become a critical approach to tackle current and future challenges in Supply Chain Management (SCM). Hence, this study investigates the impact of digital technologies (DT) on the sustainability performance (SP) of supply chains (SC), with a focus on industries in developing countries. Addressing a gap in the existing literature, it offers insights into the benefits and challenges of digital adoption for sustainable supply chain management in emerging economies. This study began with a comprehensive literature review, that informed the development of a preliminary conceptual framework. The research methodology involved conducting semi-structured interviews with participants from distinct sectors of the supply chain, utilizing Sri Lanka as a sample for developing countries. The interviews aim to examine the impact of integrating DT and sustainability on SP. This approach facilitates an in-depth exploration of complex phenomena and captures nuanced perspectives from diverse industry practitioners. The findings from interviews indicate that cost is a significant barrier to the integration of DT in sustainability initiatives in SCs. Additionally, another finding revealed that the Internet of Things (IoT) is a widely utilized technology in Sri Lankan SCs for monitoring and measuring sustainability performance, rather than other digital technologies. Furthermore, the findings reveal that some firms perceive sustainability as a public relations or marketing strategy rather than an institutional concept. Findings provides a nuanced understanding of SP specific to the DT in SCs, offering insights into both positive and negative impact that can influence SCs. This study contributes novel insights to the growing body of literature by introducing a theoretical framework for pioneering research in this domain. It provides academics with valuable perspectives on the interconnections among DT, SP, and SCM. This research establishes a foundation for further theoretical development and empirical investigation in the areas of supply chain management, digital transformation, and sustainable operations. The findings and framework offer guidelines for industry practitioners and policymakers to integrate digital transformation into their operations, thereby sustaining the supply chains' sustainable performance. The study's findings are intended to be applicable to other developing countries worldwide, addressing the common challenges and opportunities faced by emerging economies, thus serving as a valuable resource for decision- makers across diverse geographical and cultural contexts
Adversarial Example Detection and Mitigation Using Machine Learning
No full textThis book offers a comprehensive exploration of the emerging threats and defense strategies in adversarial machine learning and AI security. It covers a broad range of topics, from federated learning attacks, adversarial defenses, biometric vulnerabilities, and security weaknesses in generative AI to quantum threats and ethical considerations. It also brings together leading researchers to provide an in-depth and multifaceted perspective. As artificial intelligence systems become increasingly integrated into critical sectors such as healthcare, finance, transportation, and national security, understanding and mitigating adversarial risks has never been more crucial. Each chapter delivers not only a detailed analysis of current challenges, but it also includes insights into practical mitigation techniques, future trends, and real-world applications. This book is intended for researchers and graduate students working in machine learning, cybersecurity, and related disciplines. Security professionals will also find this book to be a valuable reference for understanding the latest advancements, defending against sophisticated adversarial threats, and contributing to the development of more robust, trustworthy AI systems. By bridging theoretical foundations with practical applications, this book serves as both a scholarly reference and a catalyst for innovation in the rapidly evolving field of AI security
Fluid inclusions in natron: a window into the interior of Enceladus
Full text linkSaturn’s moon Enceladus is a priority target for both NASA Flagship and ESA L4 class missions, as it possesses the three essential ingredients for life: liquid water, a source of energy, and all essential (CHNOPS) elements. As Enceladus’s ice crust is geologically active, future missions must understand its habitability through the lens of cryogeochemistry; yet the phase behaviour of Enceladus-type solutions is poorly constrained. Here, we investigate the freezing behaviour of an Enceladus-type Na-Cl-CO3 solution using combined synchrotron X-ray computed microtomography and diffraction. We report the first observation of fluid inclusions in cryogenic natron (Na2CO3 · 10 H2O), a mineral predicted to be present on and within Enceladus. We show that natron precipitation traps and preserves pockets of parent fluid, providing a window into the geochemistry of Enceladus’s interior and establishing natron as a mineral of high astrobiological importance. Consequently, we argue that future missions must have the capability to identify surface natron and that direct sampling should prioritize these deposits for their potential to trap and preserve signatures of life
Numerical study of improving spatial sensitivity uniformity using elliptical electrodes in electrostatic inductive sensor
No full textElectrostatic charging of solid particles has significant impacts on the material bulk properties in powder handling processes. Reliable quantification of how the particles are charged in the powder in terms of charge levels and charge polarity in process requires both high sensitivity and spatial homogeneity of the sensor in the measurements. Classic ring inductive sensor faces a well-known trade-off: a wide electrode improves homogeneity but reduces temporal/axial resolution, while a narrow electrode preserves resolution but suffers from non-uniform sensitivity. This study introduces an elliptical inductive sensor as a geometry-based alternative to the ring. Using a cross-sectional sensitivity simulation model, an elliptical electrode (major axis a = 10 mm, minor axis b = 6 mm) was compared with conventional ring electrodes using quantitative uniformity metrics. Results demonstrate that the elliptical electrode geometry achieves near-homogeneous response (Uniformity Index, UI ≥ 0.9) for electrode axial width, W ≈ a, whereas the ring sensor requires the axial width on the order of the pipe diameter to reach comparable homogeneity. Under identical modelling conditions, the elliptical electrode sensor achieves greater uniformity and reduces centre–edge disparity compared to ring electrodes enabling balanced charge measurements with improved homogeneity and good resolution
Leadership, organisational culture and workforce engagement in the NHS: a qualitative study of healthcare management dynamics
Full text linkPurpose
Despite extensive research on leadership and culture, limited qualitative evidence explores their interplay in high-pressure National Health Service (NHS) environments. This study investigates how leadership styles and organisational culture influence healthcare professionals' engagement and performance within the UK NHS, examining the mechanisms through which leadership behaviours and cultural norms affect professional engagement and performance, and developing actionable insights for improving workforce motivation and patient outcomes.
Design/methodology/approach
Guided by Transformational Leadership Theory and Schein's Model of Organisational Culture, this study adopted a qualitative interpretive approach. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 20 healthcare professionals across 10 NHS hospitals in the UK. Data were transcribed verbatim, coded and analysed using thematic analysis, integrating both deductive and inductive approaches to capture rich, context-specific insights into leadership, culture and engagement. The study followed the COREQ checklist to ensure methodological rigour and transparency.
Findings
Three overarching themes and key insights emerged: Transformational Leadership (open-door policies and brainstorming), Organisational Culture (patient involvement and psychological safety), and Professional Engagement (inclusivity, shared purpose and innovation). Professional engagement mediates the relationship between leadership, culture and performance, enhancing staff motivation, innovation and patient care. A new conceptual framework illustrates these interdependent dynamics and provides practical guidance for NHS leaders and policymakers.
Originality/value
This study advances Transformational Leadership Theory and Schein's organisational culture model by demonstrating their interactive effects in high-pressure healthcare contexts. It contributes theoretically by identifying context-specific mechanisms of engagement and practically by developing a framework to strengthen leadership effectiveness, cultural alignment and professional engagement in the NHS
Omega-3 fatty acids in depression: a systematic review of Human Studies with supporting evidence from preclinical models
Full text linkBackground: Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 PUFAs) are essential for brain function and have been increasingly studied for their potential preventive and therapeutic roles in depression. Methods: A systematic review was conducted in accordance with PRISMA guidelines, focusing on recent human studies evaluating the effects of n-3 PUFA supplementation and Mediterranean dietary patterns on depression-related outcomes. Studies were identified through electronic databases and manual searches and critically appraised using the Joanna Briggs Institute Checklist for Randomized Controlled Trials. To contextualize human data, relevant preclinical animal studies were also reviewed. Results: The review identified mixed and context-dependent evidence for the efficacy of n-3 PUFAs in depression prevention among general populations. In contrast, more consistent therapeutic effects were observed in treatment studies, particularly when EPA-predominant formulations were used as adjunctive interventions. However, many studies lacked statistical power or did not achieve significance. Six preclinical studies demonstrated robust antidepressant and anxiolytic effects of EPA and DHA across models of nicotine withdrawal, chronic stress, aging, and neurotrophin deficiency. These effects were linked to anti-inflammatory, neuroprotective, and neurotrophic mechanisms. Conclusions: Omega-3 PUFAs—especially EPA—may offer modest yet clinically relevant benefits as adjunctive treatments for depression. While preventive efficacy remains unclear, preclinical data provide strong mechanistic support. Future large-scale, biomarker-informed human trials are warranted to clarify efficacy and optimize dosing strategies
Introducing exaptation theory to social enterprise innovation: case study on the Circular Economy Innovation Communities (CEIC) project
Full text linkPurpose
With the orientation for sustainability, circular economy (CE) is promoted through “exaptive events” such as educational workshops. Social enterprises (SEs) play an important role in CE transformation but face significant challenges. Whilst exaptation theory is well-studied in commercial context, less is known about its role in driving SE innovation. Thus, this paper aims to answer the following research question: how can exaptive events facilitate circular economy innovation in the context of social enterprise?
Design/methodology/approach
This paper conducted an in-depth case study of a CE-themed project in the UK, engaging with the event organisers and SE participants. Data were collected through interview, observation and secondary documentation. Using a structured inductive approach, this paper identified key themes and generated a grounded theoretical model.
Findings
Four themes are identified as: 1) knowledge sharing, 2) exaptive pools, 3) exaptive relations and 4) challenges to SE sustainability and success. Findings indicate that exaptive events can enhance SE innovation. Also, the connection of exaptive events, tools and relations helps overcome barriers in finance, commercial viability, social value and cross-sector collaboration. Nevertheless, finance and commercial viability inhibit SE’s further effective innovations.
Originality/value
By offering a new perspective – exaptive events – on SE innovation, this study extends the application of exaptive innovation beyond private-sector product commercialisation to tackling challenges faced by SEs. This study indicates that practitioners and policymakers can leverage exaptive events to promote sustainable development. For SEs, collaboration with public sectors through these events promotes resource sharing, joint innovation and commercialisation opportunities
Mental health locus of origin, locus of control of behaviour and stigma towards criminal justice-involved persons with mental health problems
No full textAttribution theory provides a pathway by which stigma may develop, following a process involving causal attribution, responsibility inference, and emotional response. While this pathway has been used to explain the development of mental health stigma, little research exists on the intersecting stigmas of criminal justice-involvement and mental health problems. The current study uses a representative UK sample (n = 532) and a cross-sectional design to examine beliefs about mental health locus of origin, locus of control of behaviour, and attitudes towards criminal justice-involved persons with mental health problems. Using path analysis, an interactionist view of mental health origins, consistent with psychosocial explanations, was found to predict less stigma towards this group. Stigmatic domains linked with fear and compassion were found to mediate the relationships between mental health locus of origin and social distance, with compassion indicating a reduced desire for social distance. These results support previous work on the attribution–stigma pathway and offer insights into potential stigma-reducing factors towards this group
BPFLH: Byzantine-Robust Privacy-Preserving Federated Learning for heterogeneous data
Full text linkByzantine-robust federated learning (FL) aims to obtain an accurate global model even with potentially Byzantine users. However, most existing schemes rely on measuring the overall differences between the entire gradient vectors of different users, which fail to effectively distinguish malicious gradients from benign ones caused by data heterogeneity under non-IID settings, thereby compromising model performance. To tackle this challenge, we propose BPFLH, a novel Byzantine-robust privacy preserving FL framework for heterogeneous data. BPFLH is the first to introduce Bray–Curtis dissimilarity into FL, capturing the element-wise differences among gradients from different users. This method reduces the risk of misclassifying benign gradi ents as malicious and enhance the model's robustness against Byzantine attacks in non-IID data environments. Furthermore, BPFLH leverages CKKS homomorphic encryption to protect local gradients, enabling secure aggregation and Byzantine user detection without compromising privacy. Extensive experiments on real-world datasets under various attack scenarios and data distributions demonstrate that BPFLH exhibits strong robustness against Byzantine attacks while preserving privacy and maintaining superior accuracy compared to existing Byzantine-robust FL methods, particularly in non-IID environments
eCyclopropanation: a safe and scalable electrochemical route to cyclopropanes
Full text linkDiazo compounds are among the most versatile intermediates in organic synthesis, enabling high-value transformations such as cyclopropanation, X–H insertion, and heterocycle formation. However, their intrinsic instability and hazardous nature have severely restricted their practical use, particularly at scale, largely due to the need to generate, isolate, or accumulate diazo species in solution. Here, we report a safe, one-pot, scalable, and operationally simple electrochemical strategy for the in situ generation of diazo compounds from tert-butylhydrazones, directly coupled to Rh(II)-catalysed cyclopropanation. In contrast to established approaches, the diazo intermediates in this platform are generated and consumed continuously, with no detectable accumulation at any stage of the process. This transient mode of operation fundamentally alters the safety profile of diazo chemistry, enabling electricity-driven oxidation under mild conditions without hazardous oxidants, isolated diazo compounds, or highly toxic additives. The use of a bench-stable mono-protected hydrazone precursor and a weakly nucleophilic electrolyte ensures efficient carbene transfer, delivering cyclopropanes in high yields across a broad range of hydrazones and olefins. The method readily translates to continuous flow, enabling gram-scale synthesis with good productivity. By preventing the accumulation of free diazo species in solution, this work removes a key barrier to the safe and scalable use of diazo chemistry and provides a general blueprint for modern carbene-transfer processes that are inherently safer, more sustainable, and industrially relevant
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