Acquisition Behavior Research Articles

The organization of R&D work and knowledge search in intrafirm networks

Abstract This study investigates the effects of the organization of industrial Research & Development on industrial researchers’ knowledge acquisition behavior. Specifically, we test a model about how the fit of individuals with their research tasks affects whether industrial researchers acquire knowledge from outside their assigned projects. Empirical analyses from the R&D laboratory of a global pharmaceutical company show that person-task-fit has a non-linear effect on the knowledge content exchanged through interpersonal interactions. Implications for the management and organization of R&D activities are discussed.

Acquisition behaviours for nutrition-related information based on a health promotion model for older adults in a long-term care facility.

To explore the acquisition behaviours for nutrition-related information of older adults in a long-term care facility. A qualitative descriptive design was used in this study. Sixteen older adults in a long-term care facility were recruited using purposive sampling between March and May 2021. Data were collected via face-to-face semi-structured interviews, based on open questions regarding acquisition behaviours for nutrition-related information and flexible question formulation, and the data were analysed using an inductive-deductive method. A health promotion model was used as a conceptual framework to regulate the refinement of themes. Three themes were identified in this study. The first theme discussed the individual characteristics and experiences of older adults that contributed to their acquisition behaviours for nutrition-related information. The second theme described behaviour-specific cognitions of and the effects on the participants regarding the influencing factors involving various internal individual elements and external physical environment. The third theme explored the positive behavioural outcomes of the participants resulting from these acquisition behaviours. Acquisition behaviours for nutrition-related information of older adults in long-term care facilities were affected by both individual characteristics and external physical environment factors. Access to nutritional information can help older adults cultivate a healthy diet. Although they exhibited a significant interest in nutrition, the participants still encountered several difficulties. Based on the actual care needs of the older people, appropriate nutritional information interventions should be provided by healthcare providers working in long-term care facilities so as to improve the ability of the older people to acquire information independently. All 16 participants actively participated in the interview process and the preliminary preparation of the article.

Research on Information Literacy Education Model in the Big Data Environment - A Case Study of six Hainan high school Libraries

Abstract Under the overwhealing trend of big data, information literacy is gradually embedded in various applications with broader contents. Due to the new concepts and new technologies, the contents and methods of information literacy education have also changed. In order to further study the mode of information literacy education under the environment of big data, this paper takes six Hainan high school libraries as an example to investigate the students’ understanding level of information literacy education - their perception of the role of information literacy education and their satisfaction with information literacy education. In term of students’ knowledge, 28.25% of students have never heard literacy education, 37.28% have heard but are not sure of the details, and 34.47% know about information literacy education. In terms of students’ perceptions of the role of education, 48.27% thought that information literacy education was important, 48.15% thought that information literacy education was neutral, and 3.58% thought that information literacy education in libraries was not useful at all. In terms of satisfaction, students who are very satisfied, satisfied, and not satisfied with information literacy education is 33.33%, 52.12%, and 14.55% respectively. Our result showed that information literacy education in college libraries still lacks publicity, and developed mulitiple teaching model to attract student attention is necessary. Therefore, we purposed that information literacy education in college libraries should develop diversified publicity based on various media, particular follow the new characteristics of college students’ information acquisition behavior, and expand the scope of information literacy education.

Behavior patterns and influencing factors: Health information acquisition behavior of Chinese senior adults on WeChat

Due to the gradual adoption of WeChat by older adults in China and their interest in health information, Chinese older people started to acquire health information through WeChat. We explored the specific patterns and influencing factors of the elderly's health information acquisition behavior senior adults. The cross-sectional study collected self-reported data with survey (N = 336) in the southeast of China, Zhejiang province. The findings of this study extend the previous research by suggesting that elderly adults' health information acquisition behavior has three patterns (actively seeking, passively browsing, and long-term collecting). These findings contribute to a better understanding of digital literacy, three dimensions of health literacy and their relationship with three specific patterns of health acquisition behavior. This study also provides practical insights related to narrow the technological gap of the older adults, improve their e-Health literacy of the elderly, and purify the health information environment in the network.

E-Learning Behavior Categories and Influencing Factors of STEM Courses: A Case Study of the Open University Learning Analysis Dataset (OULAD)

With a focus on enhancing national scientific and technological competitiveness and cultivating innovative talents, STEM education has achieved remarkable results in developing students’ core quality and improving academic achievement. Online courses built for STEM education have attracted many learners. However, as the number of learners continues to grow, online STEM education faces problems such as difficulties in ensuring the quality of teaching and learning in STEM online courses and poor performance of students in online learning. An in-depth exploration of the correlations between learners’ E-learning behavior categories and learning outcomes in STEM education online courses will facilitate teachers’ precise interventions for students who are learning online. This study first predicts the E-learning performance of STEM course learners through machine learning and deep learning algorithms, then uses factor analysis methods to discover correlations between behavioral features, uses the random forest algorithm to explore the vital behavioral features that influence the E-learning performance of STEM courses, and finally performs a category classification of important characteristic behaviors based on the learning behavior category basis. The results show that the learning behavior classifications of learning preparation behavior, knowledge acquisition behavior, and learning consolidation behavior affect the E-learning performance of learners in STEM courses. Moreover, a series of characteristic behaviors strongly affect E-learning performance. In general, teachers can systematically intervene in time for at-risk students from the perspective of learning behavior categories and further improve the construction of STEM online courses.

Acquisition Relatedness in Family Firms: Do the Environment and the Institutional Context Matter?

AbstractResearch on the acquisition behaviour of family firms has produced conflicting theoretical arguments and mixed empirical findings on their propensity to acquire related or unrelated targets. While previous work has mainly focused on firm‐level variables, this study examines the environment in which family firms operate and the institutional context where acquisitions take place. Drawing on the mixed gambles logic of the behavioural agency model, we theorize that family firms are more likely than nonfamily firms to undertake related acquisitions when they operate in uncertain environments to avoid losses to the family's current socioemotional wealth. However, family firms are more likely to undertake unrelated acquisitions, when the environment is uncertain but the target operates in a similar and more developed institutional context where prospective financial gains are more predictable. Overall, building on a sample of 1014 international acquisitions, our study offers important contributions to the literature on family firms and acquisitions.

Content Validation of the Athletic Training Milestones: A Report from the Association for Athletic Training Education Research Network.

The Athletic Training Milestones were developed as a comprehensive framework to assess athletic trainers' knowledge, skill, and behavior acquisition across the continuum of athletic training practice. However, without established content validity, it is unclear whether the Athletic Training Milestones can be used effectively as a clinical evaluation and research tool to evaluate competence and performance across multiple users and sites. We conducted a highly conservative content validity index (CVI) with data from 12 content experts. Our findings revealed an extremely high overall scale CVI of 0.99, and CVI scores of the 28 individual subcompetency items assessed ranged from 0.83 to 1.00. For the athletic training profession to truly embrace competency-based evaluation and performance assessments, we need a highly valid and comprehensive instrument, such as the Athletic Training Milestones.

Communities Detection in Multiplex Networks Using Optimization: Study Case—Employment in Mexico during the COVID-19 Pandemic

The detection of communities in complex networks offers important information about the structure of the network as well as its dynamics. However, it is not an easy problem to solve. This work presents a methodology based of the robust coloring problem (RCP) and the vertex cover problem (VCP) to find communities in multiplex networks. For this, we consider the RCP idea of having a partial detection based onf the similarity of connected and unconnected nodes. On the other hand, with the idea of the VCP, we manage to minimize the number of groups, which allows us to identify the communities well. To apply this methodology, we present the dynamic characterization of job loss, change, and acquisition behavior for the Mexican population before and during the COVID-19 pandemic modeled as a 4- layer multiplex network. The results obtained when applied to test and study case networks show that this methodology can classify elements with similar characteristics and can find their communities. Therefore, our proposed methodology can be used as a new mechanism to identify communities, regardless of the topology or whether it is a monoplex or multiplex network.

Lived Experience of Teachers in Teaching Students with Intellectual Disabilities in Burka Bekumsa Inclusive Primary School, Ethiopia

The purpose of this study was to explore lived experience of teachers in teaching children with intellectual disabilities (CWID) in Burka Bekumsa Inclusive Primary School. A qualitative approach with phenomenological design was employed to obtain the required information from regular and special needs education (SNE) teachers. The study involved six teachers who were selected purposively for having experience of teaching CWID. Data was collected using semi-structured interviews and analyzed thematically. Findings of the study revealed that the education of CWID focuses on helping them acquire some basic daily life skills such as dining, personal hygiene, greetings and basic academic skills related to counting, self-awareness and environmental recognition which involve naming body parts, objects and animals. It was found that the educational experiences organized by the teachers and the school benefited the children in developing independent life skills, communication, behavior, relationships with typical children and teachers. The study also found that teachers’ skill of teaching and relationship with the CWID was improved successively as a result of familiarity with the behavior and ways of learning acquisition among CWID. Lack of relevant training for teachers on inclusion of CWID, shortage of classroom and appropriate educational materials, lack of incentives for teachers and weak parental involvement in the education of their children were identified as outstanding problems in educating the CWID. It is recommended that skill-related trainings and incentive packages should be organized for teachers to compensate for the demanding work, basic instructional resources should be allocated, and parents should be encouraged and empowered to take part in the education of their children.

Microsoft's Acquisition of Activision Blizzard: A Case Study

On January 18, 2022, Microsoft announced its intention to initiate the acquisition of Activision Blizzard. It will pay for about $69 billion in an all-cash deal and the price will place a 45% premium on Activision Blizzard's value. Based on industry prospect analysis, competitor analysis, and SWOT analysis, this paper studies the case of Microsoft acquiring Activision to analyze the potential benefits and risks of this typical acquisition behavior. This paper finds out that the two company has a positive outlook since the COVID-19 pandemic pushed cloud service and the gaming market. The industry analysis as well as the SWOT analysis of both companies also indicate that they have the opportunity to develop mutually and complement each other's weaknesses. This paper may help to understand the business purpose, risks, and benefits of the acquisition from the perspective of future cloud services market development. On the basis of the key findings, this paper believes that the acquisition will contribute more positive effects to both Microsoft and Activision Blizzard.

Worldwide Dissemination of blaKPC Gene by Novel Mobilization Platforms in Pseudomonas aeruginosa: A Systematic Review.

The dissemination of blaKPC-harboring Pseudomonas aeruginosa (KPC-Pa) is considered a serious public health problem. This study provides an overview of the epidemiology of these isolates to try to elucidate novel mobilization platforms that could contribute to their worldwide spread. A systematic review in PubMed and EMBASE was performed to find articles published up to June 2022. In addition, a search algorithm using NCBI databases was developed to identify sequences that contain possible mobilization platforms. After that, the sequences were filtered and pair-aligned to describe the blaKPC genetic environment. We found 691 KPC-Pa isolates belonging to 41 different sequence types and recovered from 14 countries. Although the blaKPC gene is still mobilized by the transposon Tn4401, the non-Tn4401 elements (NTEKPC) were the most frequent. Our analysis allowed us to identify 25 different NTEKPC, mainly belonging to the NTEKPC-I, and a new type (proposed as IVa) was also observed. This is the first systematic review that consolidates information about the behavior of the blaKPC acquisition in P. aeruginosa and the genetic platforms implied in its successful worldwide spread. Our results show high NTEKPC prevalence in P. aeruginosa and an accelerated dynamic of unrelated clones. All information collected in this review was used to build an interactive online map.

Dual-Filter Architecture for Blind Feedback Recovery of the Symbol Timing in Bandlimited Optical Intensity Channels

Reliable recovery of transmission parameters is of paramount importance not only for radio frequency receivers, but also for optical wireless communication solutions. This paper discusses a feedback algorithm for recovering the symbol timing in the context of a bandlimited optical intensity link. The link is determined by a PAM scheme and pulse shaping with squared raised cosine or double jump functions. When preambles or pilot sequences are not available to the receiver, non-data-aided (blind) recovery concepts are useful for tracking smaller variations of the timing error affecting the payload data. The current state-of-the-art solution uses a Gardner detector with two samples per symbol, although this introduces a non-negligible amount of inter-symbol interference resulting in an error floor. To avoid this drawback, the authors propose a dual-filter approach which includes an appropriately designed filter operated in parallel to the receiver filter. Despite the additional complexity of the dual-filter architecture, the recovery loop is very simple and requires only one sample per symbol, representing the lowest degree of complexity in this respect. Open-loop characteristic, jitter performance, and acquisition behavior of the suggested recovery loop are investigated.

Mandibular shape as a proxy for the identification of functional feeding traits of midge larvae (Diptera: Chironomidae)

The identification of functional feeding traits in aquatic macroinvertebrates often requires a morphology-based identification of species, which is important for trait-based methods of biological assessment. The extent of functional homogenization is compared along scales of impairment, where trait-based information is used as an input in models that examine degradation pathways. However, trait-based information is not always readily available for all groups of aquatic insects, especially for species diverse families, such as chironomids (Diptera: Chironomidae). Taxonomic challenges and ambiguous traits complicate the use of chironomid larvae in trait-based bioassessment. Here, we examine the use of geometric morphometric analysis (GMA), deep learning (Convolutional Neural Networks), and computer vision (deep CNN) applied to the mouthparts (mandibles) of chironomid larvae as a proxy for identifying the relationship between the functional morphology and food acquisition behaviour. We determined the variability in morphology of mandibles for 23 taxa of chironomid larvae from different genera, subfamilies, and their Functional Feeding Group (FFG). Analysis using GMA showed that the five different FFGs examined had different mandibular traits that significantly varied in shape and size. A deep CNN model was then built that was able to classify the 23 taxa into their respective FFG automatically with 92.31 % accuracy. A gradient-weighted Class Activation Mapping (Grad-CAM) algorithm found that the most important part of mandibles for classification were the gula and mandibular joint. We introduced three additional species to the deep CNN models to test whether automatic classification would directly and automatically identify traits of the specimens independently from taxonomic identification. The deep CNN process avoids issues surrounding both taxonomic identification and previous knowledge of a specific taxon’s feeding trait, and in all cases the model classified taxa correctly based on their mandibular traits. The use of deep learning approaches could substantially enhance the use of trait-based approaches and increase the reliability and use of chironomids in bioassessment.

Which mothers’ breastfeeding behaviours within six weeks postpartum do health workers need to notice? Developing an indicator system based on the Delphi method and analytic hierarchy process

ObjectiveThe six weeks postpartum is the high-incidence period of stopping breastfeeding. The clarity of the internal mechanism of behaviour was an effective way to promote breastfeeding. The aim was to reach a consensus on indicators what should be used and prioritised in evaluating mothers’ breastfeeding behaviour within six weeks postpartum in order to provide a theoretical reference for health workers to take targeted strategies toward promoting breastfeeding practices. DesignTwo rounds of Delphi method and analytic hierarchy process was conducted in this study. The two-rounds Delphi was performed to select essential indicators and collect revised suggestion. The analytic hierarchy process was adopted for pairwise comparison to rank the significance of primary and secondary indicators. Setting and participantsThe panel included twenty experts with rich breastfeeding information and different general characteristics from China. FindingsConsensus was achieved to include three primary indicators, seven secondary indicators, and forty-five tertiary indicators in the final indicators system of the mothers’ breastfeeding behaviour within six weeks postpartum. The weight sequence of primary indicators was self-regulation behaviour (0.401), at-the-breast feeding behaviour (0.383), and resource utilisation behaviour (0.216). The rank of the secondary indicators was breastfeeding operation skills (0.267), self-decision behaviour (0.144), self-control behaviour (0.130), self-coping behaviour (0.127), breastfeeding self-perception (0.116), resource acquisition behaviour (0.115), and resource coordination behaviour (0.101). Key conclusionThe study builds a new and reliable indicators system that intuitively reflects the constituent elements of the mothers’ breastfeeding behaviour within six weeks postpartum and provides priorities in primary indicators and secondary indicators. Implications for practicesThe study helps form a clear and scientific cognition on mothers’ breastfeeding behaviour within six weeks postpartum and provides a new perspective and intuitive theoretical reference for health workers to take targeted measures to promote breastfeeding practices and achieve substantial public health gains.

On the intrinsic curvature of animal whiskers.

Facial vibrissae (whiskers) are thin, tapered, flexible, hair-like structures that are an important source of tactile sensory information for many species of mammals. In contrast to insect antennae, whiskers have no sensors along their lengths. Instead, when a whisker touches an object, the resulting deformation is transmitted to mechanoreceptors in a follicle at the whisker base. Previous work has shown that the mechanical signals transmitted along the whisker will depend strongly on the whisker's geometric parameters, specifically on its taper (how diameter varies with arc length) and on the way in which the whisker curves, often called "intrinsic curvature." Although previous studies have largely agreed on how to define taper, multiple methods have been used to quantify intrinsic curvature. The present work compares and contrasts different mathematical approaches towards quantifying this important parameter. We begin by reviewing and clarifying the definition of "intrinsic curvature," and then show results of fitting whisker shapes with several different functions, including polynomial, fractional exponent, elliptical, and Cesàro. Comparisons are performed across ten species of whiskered animals, ranging from rodents to pinnipeds. We conclude with a discussion of the advantages and disadvantages of using the various models for different modeling situations. The fractional exponent model offers an approach towards developing a species-specific parameter to characterize whisker shapes within a species. Constructing models of how the whisker curves is important for the creation of mechanical models of tactile sensory acquisition behaviors, for studies of comparative evolution, morphology, and anatomy, and for designing artificial systems that can begin to emulate the whisker-based tactile sensing of animals.

When gender matters: The role of women in mergers and acquisitions

The paper investigates the impact that female directors have on mergers and acquisitions (M&A) deals’ initiation with a negative binomial regression analysis on 250 companies in Europe in the decade 2009–2018. Results show that the addition of a female director increases the number of bid initiations by 12.86 percent, an outcome in contrast with the extant literature, according to which female presence would decrease the number of acquisitions to mitigate male CEO overconfidence (Levi et al., 2014). Moreover, after introducing an interaction term between female share on boards and the single countries, it was found that the magnitude and sign of female impact on firms’ acquisitive behavior vary according to the nation in which the firm is located. Results indicate that female directors bring relevant changes in boardroom’s dynamics, which are then reflected in the company’s M&A activity.

Examining Cadets’ Beliefs about Meditation Using the Reasoned Action Approach

Meditation has been shown to be a character and virtue formation tool due to its emotion regulation capabilities. Training academies can help their students better develop their character by enabling meditation behavior acquisition. This study examines United States Military cadets’ beliefs about meditation as a means of informing education and intervention programming to maximize the likelihood of cadets adopting the behavior. Implications and suggestions for character education programs are provided.

What Drives Lending Inquisitors’ Judgement & Decision-Making: Behavioural Factors Analysis through Kruskal–Wallis & Fuzzy AHP

Abstract The present study investigates what drives Lending inquisitors’ judgement & decision-making behaviour that influences credit risk assessment in Indian banks. This research investigates three aspects: risk attitude & information acquisition behaviour, the effect of experience on lending, and desirable attributes of lending inquisitors. For the first area, Kruskal–Wallis non-parametric test is applied, for second area correlation and Cramer’s V is applied on fictitious case analysis and for third aspect 27 attributes of inquisitors through unstructured personal interviews are then analysed by applying Kruskal Wallis Test, Factor analysis and Fuzzy analytic hierarchy process (FAHP). Fuzzy AHP technique was applied to understand the key personal attributes and sub-attributes, which play a major role in Lending inquisitors’ judgement & decision-making behaviour. The risk attitude and information acquisition provided no substantial relationship between the two. Whereas, in the second area, which is assessing the impact of experience on decision-making behaviour, the result shows that the senior and junior credit inquisitors are cautious in acquiring the information as compared to outsourced credit inquisitors.

Enhancing cognitive combat readiness: Gamers’ Behaviours concentrating on convergent learning style, tacit-latent, and kinetic-active knowledge acquisitions

This study investigates gamers’ learning styles and knowledge acquisition behavioural patterns. It argues that gamers usually have different characteristics transforming themselves to gain distinctive competencies. In other words, this study mitigates gamers’ mechanistically distinctive attitudes and behaviours, enhancing their cognitive combat readiness, that they are on convergent learning style, tacit-latent, and kinetic-active knowledge acquisitions. Methodologically, it uses a field-experimental design using the “Clash Royale” game. Then, this research measures playing performances by average decks’ score, card collection, battle deck combinations, and the usage of gold and gems. Moreover, it collects gamer respondents using a purposive sampling method by identifying them on social media and then challenging them to play. This research finds that gamers acquire new knowledge to enhance their capabilities with convergent learning styles and familiarity with the tacit-latent and kinetic-active knowledge types. Thus, it demonstrates its attitude and behavioural validities because their inner motives construct themselves always to win the game matches genuinely. Hence, it explains that gamers generally are brilliant young individuals whose impact is to create their tactically contemporary style due to the learning cycle ending in that convergent style. Likewise, these gamers simultaneously seek flexibility to enhance the game kinetically or elastically. The authors reveal that gamers’ mental models show their learning styles and knowledge acquisition behaviours explained by their strong personalities, such as curious, workaholic, prestigious, and hedonic emotions.

Glutamate receptor-interacting protein 1 in D1- and D2-dopamine receptor-expressing medium spiny neurons differentially regulates cocaine acquisition, reinstatement, and associated spine plasticity.

The nucleus accumbens (NAc) is involved in the expression of cocaine addictive phenotypes, including acquisition, extinction, and reinstatement. In the NAc, D1-medium spiny neurons (MSNs) encode cocaine reward, whereas D2-MSNs encode aversive responses in drug addiction. Glutamate receptor-interacting protein 1 (GRIP1) is known to be associated with cocaine addiction, but the role of GRIP1 in D1-MSNs and D2-MSNs of the NAc in cocaine acquisition and reinstatement remains unknown. A conditioned place preference apparatus was used to establish cocaine acquisition, extinction, and reinstatement in mouse models. GRIP1 expression was evaluated using Western blotting. Furthermore, GRIP1-siRNA and GRIP1 overexpression lentivirus were used to interfere with GRIP1 in the NAc. After the behavioral test, green fluorescent protein immunostaining of brain slices was used to detect spine density. GRIP1 expression decreased during cocaine acquisition and reinstatement. GRIP1-siRNA enhanced cocaine-induced CPP behavior in acquisition and reinstatement and regulated associated spine plasticity. Importantly, the decreased GRIP1 expression that mediated cocaine acquisition and reinstatement was mainly driven by the interference of the GRIP1-GluA2 interaction in D1-MSNs and could be blocked by the interference of the GRIP1-GluA2 interaction in D2-MSNs. Interference with the GRIP1-GluA2 interaction in D1- and D2-MSNs decreased spine density in D1- and D2-MSNs, respectively. GRIP1 in D1- and D2-MSNs of the NAc differentially modulates cocaine acquisition and reinstatement. GRIP1 downregulation in D1-MSNs has a positive effect on cocaine acquisition and reinstatement, while GRIP1 downregulation in D2-MSNs has a negative effect. Additionally, GRIP1 downregulation in D1-MSNs plays a leading role in cocaine acquisition and reinstatement.