17628 research outputs found
Sort by
Mangrove dynamics and resilience in North Sulawesi, Indonesia, across the Holocene
Get PDFThe mangroves of Sulawesi have been subject to widespread deforestation and degradation, which has intensified since the 1980s. Despite efforts by government and community initiatives to restore these intertidal forests, comprehensive, long-term assessments of restoration outcomes are lacking. This study aims to enhance understanding of mangrove responses to significant environmental and human disturbances over the long-term, informing future restoration and management in North Sulawesi. Sedimentary records from two study areas were analyzed using palynology, microcharcoal, diatoms, and exploratory cryptotephra, and chronologically controlled via 14C and 210Pb dating as indicators of mangrove forest dynamics and resilience. This study presents an ∼8,000-year-old sediment record from a mangrove lagoon on Mantehage Island, Bunaken National Park, and two Late Holocene high-resolution sediment records, from two estuarine mangrove stands in Likupang. One site in Likupang was restored around 2003 CE following aquaculture pond establishment in the 1980s CE, while the other has no recent history of deforestation. Fossil pollen data shows mangroves dominated Mantehage lagoon for most of the last 8,000 years and Likupang since at least 1105 CE. Both areas experienced at least 18 disturbance events (volcanism, fire, storms, possible tsunamis, and human impacts), with mangroves showing varying resilience and full recovery of pollen abundance ranging from 14 to 903 years. Likupang’s mangrove is still recovering 16 years after restoration but shows compositional similarity to its pre-deforestation state. Mantehage’s mangrove is still recovering from a 14th-century seismic event which further reduced the ecosystem resilience to future natural and anthropogenic disturbances. Our findings indicate that both communities are on a trajectory towards the pre-disturbance state, based on pollen data, but may require management interventions to enhance resilience against future threats. This research provides a rare example of applying paleoecological methods to support restoration through long-term monitoring and offers a template for application in global mangrove conservation efforts
Lions, Bees, and Chameleons: unravelling the entrepreneurial archetypes and their impact on performance and well-being
Get PDFPurposeThis study explores the complex relationship between a founder’s social identity and the Dark Triad traits. It aims to provide a more nuanced understanding of entrepreneurial behaviours and their subsequent impact on enterprise performance and founders’ well-being.Design/methodology/approachDrawing inspiration from the animal kingdom, we identify three entrepreneurial archetypes: Lions, Bees, and Chameleons, using latent profile analysis (LPA) of 28,853 active entrepreneurs. Lions, embodying a balanced competitiveness, exhibit a strategic blend of dominance and communal living. As collaborative visionaries, Bees showcase a strong inclination towards teamwork and purpose-driven collaboration. Chameleons, the strategic individualists, reveal adaptability and calculated approaches to competition.FindingsThe study reveals that these archetypes impact well-being and performance outcomes differently. Lions, Bees, and Chameleons contribute uniquely to entrepreneurial success, highlighting the diverse factors influencing business performance and individual satisfaction.Originality/valueBy exploring the multifaceted nature of entrepreneurial behaviour, this research offers valuable insights into how social identity and personality traits shape entrepreneurial success. Identifying distinct archetypes enriches the current understanding of entrepreneurial dynamics, providing practical implications for individuals and businesses aiming to thrive in competitive environments. Additionally, the findings hold significant implications for policymakers seeking to foster a conducive environment for entrepreneurship and innovation. Understanding the unique characteristics of different entrepreneurial archetypes can inform the design of policies and programs tailored to support diverse entrepreneurial ventures and enhance overall economic growth
TIxAI: A Trustworthiness Index for eXplainable AI in skin lesions classification
Get PDFSkin cancer is one of the leading causes of mortality worldwide. Early diagnosis can ensure more effective patient treatment and outcomes, but, this is challenging due to the high similarity between different skin lesion types. There is a growing interest in developing Artificial Intelligence (AI)-based systems for automated skin lesion classification. However, current AI models are not transparent, leading to a lack of trust from clinicians who struggle to interpret and validate AI decisions. To this end, in this paper, a fine tuned EfficientNet-B0-based classifier is first developed to classify dermoscopic images of Melanoma (MEL), Nevus (NV) and Seborrheic Keratosis (SK) skin lesions gathered from the International Skin Imaging Collaboration (ISIC) dataset. Next, the explainability of the model is investigated. In particular, a new Trustworthiness Index for eXplainable AI, herein referred to as TIxAI, is proposed. The TIxAI is based on the difference between the relevance degree of the lesion and non-lesion areas, leading to the conclusion that the higher the TIxAI, the more trustworthy the classifier is expected to be. Experimental results support the use of the proposed TIxAI to assess and benchmark the reliability of classifiers also in other real-world applications
Multimodal communication in intercultural interaction: edited by Ulrike Schroeder, Elisabetta Adami and Jennifer Dailey-O’Cain, New York, Routledge, 2023, 1–249 pp., £125.00 (hardback), ISBN: 9781032130170
No full text[Book review.
Do Social Interaction Mechanisms Affect University Reputation? Evidence from the UK Higher Education Sector
Get PDFWe investigate the influence of skilful utilization of social interaction dynamics on creating reputations for UK Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) during public funding cuts and scrutiny. The paper employs a content analysis method and follows an empirical design with a unique sample of 148 UK HEIs. To gauge reputation, we rely on participatory data from the Guardian newspaper's 2014–15 environmental and ethical performance ratings for the People & Planet University League. Multiple regression analysis is applied to address the research hypotheses. The results indicate that open, accountable, and transparent sensemaking in sustainable development (SD) practices over the years is the predominant dynamic for enhancing HEIs’ reputation. This paper underscores the need to consider the institutional logics perspective as a theoretical foundation for a comprehensive understanding of the link between sustainability disclosure and an institution's reputation, image, and public goodwill within the higher education (HE) context. HEIs’ leadership should invest in SD and its associated disclosure practices. Policy‐makers and accounting regulators should establish consistent and comparable reporting requirements for sustainable performance within the HE sector. This paper is the first to empirically examine the direct impacts of HEIs’ compliance with sustainability duties on organizational performance
Hierarchical Network Structure: A Novel Approach to Conceptualising ICD-11 Complex PTSD using a general population sample from Africa
Get PDFBackgroundInvestigations have sought to model the structure of ICD-11 Complex PTSD (CPTSD) using factor analytic models, finding support for higher-order domains representing PTSD and Disturbances in Self Organisation (DSO). Network analysis has alternatively modelled CPTSD through dimensional symptom associations.MethodologyThis study investigated the structure of CPTSD leveraging a novel approach, Hierarchical Exploratory Graph Analysis, using African general population samples (N=2,524).ResultsThe hierarchical graph model was estimated identifying a structure comprising six lower-order communities, indicative of ICD-11 CPTSD symptom domains, and two higher-order communities, indicative of PTSD and DSO. Results indicate the superiority of the hierarchical model, confirming the conceptualization of ICD-11 PTSD and CPTSD symptom groupings.LimitationsThe cross-sectional nature of these data, and novelty of the methods used prompt calls for additional investigation to support these findings.ConclusionsHierarchical Exploratory Graph Analysis may offer a valuable means to better understanding the complexity of CPTSD symptomology through a novel network modelling approach. Relationships between Sense of Threat and Affect Dysregulation may serve as bridging symptoms between PTSD and DSO difficulties. These may be prioritised as the therapeutic targets for CPTSD. This pioneering approach using EGA, offers new insights into the intricate structure of CPTSD, potentially informing the use of assessments and interventions across diverse populations
Influence of green ICT and socioeconomic factors on sustainable development: Evidence from Chinese provinces
Get PDFWe examine the impact of green information communication technology, while considering the conditioning role of other seminal factors. Using panel quantile-quantile granger causality testing and method of moments quantile regression for Chinese provinces for 2000–2019, we find that green information communication technology promotion, human capital, and urbanization positively impact green growth, while globalization, energy intensity, and carbon emissions are not significant. Results highlight the importance of green information communication technology for sustainable development
“Volatility in a Mug Cup”: Spillovers Among Cocoa, Coffee, Sugar Futures and the Role of Climate Policy Risk
No full textHot beverages have surged in popularity due to the increasing emphasis on healthy living among consumers. This trend extends upstream to prosper futures markets for essential raw materials within the supply chain. However, there is a significant gap in the literature concerning volatility spillovers within these futures markets, specifically cocoa, coffee, and sugar futures. Given the susceptibility of these raw material agricultural productions to weather conditions, an intriguing question emerges regarding the potential impact of climate policy uncertainty on the volatility spillover dynamics of these commodity prices. This study employs the TVP-VAR-DY methodology to quantify volatility spillovers among global mainstream cocoa, coffee, and sugar futures, then the Time-Varying Granger Causality test is deployed to uncover the influence of climate policy uncertainty. The findings underscore a pronounced and statistically significant spillover effect among the volatilities of coffee-related commodity futures, with the U.S. sugar futures market emerging as a pivotal conduit for risk transmission. In exploring the impact of climate policy uncertainty, it is discerned that global climatic patterns exert some unique and substantive influence on systemic risk spillovers. These insights provide a basis for stakeholders in the hot drink industrial chain to think about effective risk management mechanisms
ESO-Based Antisaturation Motion Control for Cable-Driven Continuum Robots
No full textHigh precision motion control is the key to complete the refined operation tasks for cable-driven continuum robots. However, the existence of model inaccuracy and actuator saturation pose great challenges to the high precision motion control of cable-driven continuum robots. This article proposes an extended state observer (ESO)-based antisaturation control scheme for cable-driven continuum robots with consideration of unmodeled dynamics and actuator saturation. First, the dynamic model of the cable-driven continuum robot is derived. To facilitate the design of the overall control scheme, the driving input dimension of the dynamic model is reduced from three to two based on the principle of space rotational symmetry. Taking the actuator saturation into consideration, the saturated dynamic model of the cable-driven continuum robot is further developed. Then, an ESO is designed for the saturated cable-driven continuum robots to estimate the unmodeled dynamics, and an auxiliary system is proposed to handle the actuator saturation. Hereby, a novel control law based on the ESO and auxiliary system is put forward to compensate for estimated unmodeled dynamics and actuator saturation. Moreover, the stability of the closed loop system is analyzed by Lyapunov method, and a practical and effective tuning method is provided to optimize the parameters of the proposed control scheme. Finally, comparative simulations and experiments are conducted to verify the effectiveness of the proposed control scheme
Going the extra mile: Unveiling the roots of franchisee organisational citizenship behaviours in franchise systems
Get PDFWhile researchers and practitioners have recognised the essential role of employee organisational citizenship behaviours (OCBs), there is an absence of their consideration within franchise systems as a unique context. We aim to address this gap by exploring the nature of franchisee OCBs and their antecedents. Through a set of semi-structured qualitative interviews, we find critical new evidence, not only of the existence of franchisee OCBs but also of franchisor OCBs, reflecting the reciprocal character of franchise relationships. Further, we reveal frequent shifts of franchisee OCBs from one referent to another, often from the franchisor to franchisee peers, or even industry groups outside the franchisor-franchisee dyad, in the wake of disappointed interactions with the franchisor. Ultimately, we point at the critical role of the franchisor’s field consultant as the liaison person who appears frequently mismanaged by franchisors in the eyes of franchisees
Data sources:
Access Repository Dashboard
Do you manage Repository@Napier? Access insider analytics, issue reports and manage access to outputs from your repository in the CORE Repository Dashboard!