Diverse Literature Research Articles

Challenges and Opportunities in the Philippine Blue Economy: A Systematic Literature Review

Blue Economy is an emerging concept that focuses on the sustainable utilization of ocean resources. The Philippines, being an archipelagic country, has a vast potential for Blue Economy development. This paper aims to provide a comprehensive review of the Blue Economy in the Philippines. The study examines the current state of the Blue Economy, identifies the challenges, and presents strategies for sustainable development. The review of literature includes research articles, policy documents, and relevant reports. The study used a qualitative research design, relying on secondary data analysis. The results show that the Philippines has significant potential for Blue Economy development, but the challenges include overfishing, pollution, and climate change. The paper concludes that sustainable development of the Blue Economy in the Philippines requires coordinated efforts from various stakeholders, including government, private sector, civil society, and the international community. This novel review of the emerging blue economy concept in the Philippines emphasizes its opportunities, challenges, and the need for multi-stakeholder collaboration for sustainable development, supported by an extensive analysis of diverse literature sources.

Patchy Anthropocoasts: A transdisciplinary perspective on dunes, plants, rabbits, and humans in the United Kingdom

In recent years, there has been increasing societal awareness of the crucial role that coastal dunes play in protecting against rising sea levels, mitigating climate change impacts, promoting biodiversity, and providing recreational opportunities. In some regions, dune management has been particularly focused on biodiversity and ecosystem restoration and the presence of alien species on dunes raises concerns about how these species become 'native,' 'invasive,' or 'hybrids' and whether they belong in their new ecosystems. These concerns illustrate how certain animals and plants assume different statuses according to normative categories associated with varying objectives. This article explores how perceptions of coastal dunes in the UK have transformed over time, from marginal resource frontiers to highly valued environments shaped by multispecies relations. In addition, this work explores how dunes around the UK emerge as ‘patchy anthropocoasts,’ that is, uneven landscapes designed by human purposes linked to economic activities, conservation, rabbit populations, unwanted vegetation, and the control of unpredictable sand movements. Bringing together diverse historical materials and scientific literature, this article links human and nonhuman histories with present debates on dune restoration from a transdisciplinary perspective rooted in anthropology, environmental history, and the natural sciences.

Oasis agriculture revitalization and carbon sequestration for climate-resilient communities

Revitalizing oasis agriculture, an age-old human endeavor, has historically played a crucial role in sustaining biodiversity and ecosystems in arid regions. Nevertheless, this enduring practice now faces contemporary challenges, including global warming, water scarcity, soil erosion, and negative human activities associated with urbanization. This comprehensive review delves into diverse literature across disciplines, covering topics such as water conservation, biodiversity restoration, agroforestry, and Oasis Holistic Management, with the aim of addressing these challenges. The analysis strongly advocates for the urgent adoption of sustainable practices, including precision irrigation, polyculture, organic farming, agroforestry, and community-based initiatives, to ensure the survival of oasis agriculture and foster long-term environmental and social responsibility. The study underscores the imperative need for the development of “comprehensive, flexible, and forward-looking management strategies” to guide the sustainable revival of oasis farming. By consolidating information from various studies, it lays the groundwork for informed decision-making and policy formulation. As part of revitalizing the oasis agricultural ecosystem and addressing the global climate crisis, we propose a noninvasive tool for assessing carbon sequestration effectiveness based on tree specifications. Recognizing the pivotal role of vegetation in mitigating the ecological impact and facing global crises, we explored parameters influencing plant carbon sequestration, including biomass production, growth rate, longevity, root structure, leaf structure, and average temperature tolerance.

Customers, Markets, and Five Archetypical Value Creation Logics: A Review of Demand-Side Research in Strategic Management

Scholars have examined the role of customer preferences, and demand-side characteristics more generally, in varied core strategy areas like market entry and timing, diversification, positioning, resource reallocation, and firm adaptation, among many others. We review this diverse demand-side literature and develop an empirical classification that identifies five archetypical customer value-creation logics seen in the literature to date. To apply each of these logics, a firm must look downstream with the intent of matching, leveraging, adapting, learning, or shaping customer preferences or market characteristics to create value for customers. For each value-creation logic, we detail the logic itself, how the demand side is characterized, how specific strategic decisions allow for value creation following the logic, literature gaps in the logic, and opportunities for future research. Opportunities include extending the work on existing logics, examining the combined effects of multiple logics, identifying understudied demand-side characteristics, and studying strategy applications for which demand-side attributes have received comparatively little attention to date. These include business models, corporate social responsibility (CSR), corporate governance, and demand-side shocks. Finally, we address implications for managerial practice.

Nomination and remuneration committee: a review of literature

PurposeThis paper aims to synthesize the diverse literature on nomination and remuneration committees and provide avenues for future research.Design/methodology/approachThis study provides a comprehensive literature review of theoretical and empirical studies published in reputable international journals indexed by Scopus.FindingsThe literature review reveals several aspects of the nomination and remuneration committee. These aspects have been classified into the definition of the nomination and remuneration committee, dimensions of the nomination and remuneration committee, measurement and research review results, reasons for conflict empirical findings, company dynamics and research on moderators, as well as recommending future research.Research limitations/implicationsOur literature review shows that nomination and remuneration committees play a role in improving board performance and company performance, reducing agency conflicts and improving corporate governance to provide implications for companies, regulators and investors and pave the way for future research.Originality/valueThis paper identifies issues related to nomination and remuneration committees, their theoretical and practical implications and avenues for future research.

Assessing Column Stability: A Comparative Study of Machine Learning Regression Models for Shear Strength Prediction

This research presents a comprehensive investigation into the accurate estimation of shear strength in rectangular reinforced concrete columns through advanced machine learning (ML) models. The study addresses the intricate challenge posed by shear strength complexity, which is crucial for evaluating column stability and ensuring structural integrity. Building upon a substantial dataset comprising 545 experimental observations sourced from diverse literature, this research establishes a robust foundation for predictive modeling. Four distinct ML regression models, Random Forest, Decision Tree, XGBoost, and LightGBM, are meticulously evaluated for their performance. The evaluation employs established metrics, including R2, RMSE, MAE, and MAPE to quantify their predictive capabilities. The outcomes highlight the models' robustness in capturing nuanced variations in shear strength, with impressive R2 values ranging from 93.6% to 93.9%, showcasing their exceptional ability to elucidate intricate shear behaviors. Furthermore, comparative analysis indicates the slightly superior performance of the Random Forest over the Decision Tree, highlighting the efficacy of ensemble methods in this context. Extending the exploration to include XGBoost and LightGBM, the study showcases their potential as accurate shear strength predictors. The performance of the models is validated through scatter plots and error distribution plots, confirming accurate shear strength predictions across various scenarios. This research contributes significantly to the advancement of structural engineering methodologies by highlighting the potential of ML to improve the accuracy of shear strength estimation. The findings not only underscore the exceptional performance of ML models but also provide valuable insights into their comparative effectiveness, paving the way for enhanced structural assessments in columns.

Family Belonging Backpacks: Deepening Equity and Inclusion with Diverse Literature

A teacher educator shares how a school community engaged family in parent–child interactive reading experiences around big ideas found in diverse literature to deepen inclusion beyond the classroom.

Stress Knowledge Map: A knowledge graph resource for systems biology analysis of plant stress responses

Stress Knowledge Map (SKM; https://skm.nib.si) is a publicly available resource containing two complementary knowledge graphs that describe the current knowledge of biochemical, signaling, and regulatory molecular interactions in plants: a highly curated model of plant stress signaling (PSS; 543 reactions) and a large comprehensive knowledge network (488 390 interactions). Both were constructed by domain experts through systematic curation of diverse literature and database resources. SKM provides a single entry point for investigations of plant stress response and related growth trade-offs, as well as interactive explorations of current knowledge. PSS is also formulated as a qualitative and quantitative model for systems biology and thus represents a starting point for a plant digital twin. Here, we describe the features of SKM and show, through two case studies, how it can be used for complex analyses, including systematic hypothesis generation and design of validation experiments, or to gain new insights into experimental observations in plant biology.

“I Am Not Diversity Training”: Exploring the Experiences of Diverse Parks and Recreation Professionals Through Socio-Ecological Systems Theory

As a public leisure service, parks and recreation is philosophically oriented and legally obligated to be accessible. However, a misalignment between who works for agencies and the communities they serve can perpetuate existing power dynamics where decision-makers reflect the mainstream population. In some cases, this dynamic may slow the rate at which agencies become more inclusive and equitable. This study used a socio-ecological framework to qualitatively investigate the experiences of diverse parks and recreation professionals (N = 20) with the aim of identifying supports and challenges they have experienced. The findings were largely consistent with workforce diversity literature but also offered unique considerations. For instance, as a public service, diverse employees manage biases from coworkers but also from the community members they serve. Additionally, the recreation workforce is often recruited from former participants, emphasizing the importance of promoting leadership that can advance policies and practices focused on equity and inclusion.

How do gender diversity and CEO profile impact dividend policy in banking? Evidence from Islamic and conventional banks

PurposeThis paper aims to examine the determinants of the dividend distribution policy in a banking setting.Design/methodology/approachUsing a sample of 48 Islamic banks and 94 conventional banks from 15 Islamic countries over a period spanning from 2012 to 2019, we document the effect of board gender diversity, executive director profile and governance mechanisms on dividend payment decisions. We also analyze the moderating effect of Islamic banks on the relationship between gender diversity and dividend policy.FindingsWe find new evidence on the role of women directors in determining dividend distribution policy and confirm the risk aversion hypothesis, hence contributing to the ongoing debate on gender diversity literature. Our results show that the moderating role of Islamic banks is effective only for small banks.Practical implicationsOur findings have practical implications for shareholders, managers and financial analysts as they suggest rationalizing dividend distribution strategies.Originality/valueOur study contributes to the growing body of knowledge on dividend policy, gender diversity and Islamic banks.

Paradigma Ekonomi berkelanjutan di Negara Berkembang Dalam Perspektif Islam

This article aims to uncover the dynamics of economic development in developing countries and analyze the influencing factors, focusing on identifying opportunities and challenges in achieving sustainable development. The research method utilized Systematic Literature Review (SLR), enabling the collection, evaluation, and synthesis of diverse literature related to the economic development of developing countries from 2018 to 2023. The results indicate that this study highlights the paradigm shift in the economy from the agricultural sector to the industrial and service sectors while emphasizing significant challenges such as economic inequality, limited access to healthcare and education, and negative environmental impacts. The principles of state and sustainability in Islamic economics, which are based on justice and balance, can be a strong foundation in facing economic challenges.

“New Heights” in Storytelling?: Considerations for Cross-National Analyses of Broadcasters’ Social Media Coverage of the Paralympics

Prior to the 2022 Beijing Paralympic Games, rights-holding broadcasters in multiple countries promised record-amount of coverage, including on digital platforms. This paper analyzes how NBC and CBC, the broadcasters in the U.S. and Canada, respectively, utilized social media platforms during the Paralympic Games. We employed two methodological approaches. The first draws on agenda diversity literature to provide a quantitative, descriptive analysis of Paralympics-related posts, interactions with other accounts, and gender representations. The second approach draws on research on the televisual logic of digital media to identify and interpret presentation, sequence, and visualization patterns. Our multidimensional analysis found differences in the volume of Paralympics-related posts and the utilization of interactive elements, across the two broadcasters. The coverage on both accounts highlighted home-nation athletes and their competitions, which shaped gender representations and the rhythm of social media coverage. Both broadcasters followed established sequences of mega-events, with the exception of an international conflict. CBC relied primarily on one journalist to provide updates and curling-related recaps, while NBC directed audiences to watch sports where U.S. athletes succeeded. We discuss the theoretical and methodological implications of cross-national comparative coverage of the Paralympics.

Molecular Insights into Plant-Microbe Interactions: A Comprehensive Review of Key Mechanisms.

In most ecosystems, plants establish complex symbiotic relationships with organisms, such as bacteria and fungi, which significantly influence their health by promoting or inhibiting growth. These relationships involve biochemical exchanges at the cellular level that affect plant physiology and have evolutionary implications, such as species diversification, horizontal gene transfer, symbiosis and mutualism, environmental adaptation, and positive impacts on community structure and biodiversity. For these reasons, contemporary research, moving beyond observational studies, seeks to elucidate the molecular basis of these interactions; however, gaps in knowledge remain. This is particularly noticeable in understanding how plants distinguish between beneficial and antagonistic microorganisms. In light of the above, this literature review aims to address some of these gaps by exploring the key mechanisms in common interspecies relationships. Thus, our study presents novel insights into these evolutionary archetypes, focusing on the antibiosis process and microbial signaling, including chemotaxis and quorum sensing. Additionally, it examined the biochemical basis of endophytism, pre-mRNA splicing, and transcriptional plasticity, highlighting the roles of transcription factors and epigenetic regulation in the functions of the interacting organisms. These findings emphasize the importance of understanding these confluences in natural environments, which are crucial for future theoretical and practical applications, such as improving plant nutrition, protecting against pathogens, developing transgenic crops, sustainable agriculture, and researching disease mechanisms. It was concluded that because of the characteristics of the various biomolecules involved in these biological interactions, there are interconnected molecular networks in nature that give rise to different ecological scaffolds. These networks integrate a myriad of functionally organic units that belong to various kingdoms. This interweaving underscores the complexity and multidisciplinary integration required to understand plant-microbe interactions at the molecular level. Regarding the limitations inherent in this study, it is recognized that researchers face significant obstacles. These include technical difficulties in experimentation and fieldwork, as well as the arduous task of consolidating and summarizing findings for academic articles. Challenges range from understanding complex ecological and molecular dynamics to unbiased and objective interpretation of diverse and ever-changing literature.

Machine Learning-Based Wind Speed Estimation for Renewable Energy Optimization in Urban Environments: A Case Study in Kano State, Nigeria

Climate change always had a massive effect on worldwide cities. which can only be decreased through considering renewable energy sources (wind energy, solar energy). However, the need to focus on wind energy prediction will be the best solution to the world electricity petition. Wind power (WP) estimating techniques have been used for diverse literature studies for many decades. The hardest way to improve WP is its nature of differences that make it a tough undertaking to forecast. In line with the outdated ways of predicting wind speed (WS), employing machine learning methods (ML) has become an essential tool for studying such a problem. The methodology used for this study focuses on sanitizing efficient models to precisely predict WP regimens. Two ML models were employed “Gaussian Process Regression (GPR), and Feed Forward Neural Network (FFNN)” for WS estimation. The experimental methods were used to focus the WS prediction. The prophecy models were trained using a 24-hour’ time-series data driven from Kano state Region, one of the biggest cities in Nigeria. Thus, investigating the (ML) forecast performance was done in terms of coefficient of determination (R²), linear correlation coefficient (R), Mean Square Error (MSE), and Root Mean square error (RMSE). Were. The predicted result shows that the FFNN produces superior outcomes compared to GPR. With R²= 1, R = 1, MSE = 6.62E-20, and RMSE = 2.57E-10

Creating dialogic space around purposeful selection for reading and teaching diverse children’s literature

ABSTRACT Diverse children’s literature can support understandings of our world as culturally, linguistically, and socially rich. It can cultivate empathy and understanding, and open a dialogic space of possibilities. In this article, we examine how purposefully selected children’s literature prepares needed conditions for dialogic space: difference in what is already known, and what is presented; multiplicity of many and other ways of interpreting and connecting; and uncertainty as there is no definitive or “right” answer for personal meaning-making. We show how purposefully selecting diverse children’s literature can create dialogic space in two classroom contexts. First, as Christina, a Black female teacher educator and librarian, teaches in a third-grade classroom of primarily Black students. Second, as she teaches a graduate-level teacher course on diverse children’s literature to mostly White pre-and-in-service teachers. We elucidate ways purposeful selection of diverse literature is a first step to engaging with critical inquiry and opening dialogic space.

Molecular determinant deciphering of MIC-guided RND efflux substrates in E. coli

Antimicrobial resistance poses an urgent and formidable global public health threat. The escalation of bacterial multidrug resistance to antibiotics has the potential to become a leading cause of global mortality if there is no substantial improvement in antimicrobial development and therapy protocols. In light of this, it is imperative to identify the molecular determinants responsible for the reduced antibiotic activity associated with RND efflux pumps. This comprehensive study meticulously examines Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) data obtained from in vitro tests for various antibiotic families and non-active dye compounds, sourced from diverse literature references. The primary focus of this study is to assess the susceptibility of these agents to efflux-resistant Escherichia coli strains, integrating both MIC data and relevant physicochemical properties. The central objective is to unveil the specific substituents that significantly influence the uptake process mediated by the AcrAB-TolC efflux system. This exploration seeks to reveal the consequences of these substituents on pharmacodynamic responses, providing valuable insights into Structure-Activity Relationships. It is noteworthy that this analysis represents a pioneering effort, with prospective implications for RND efflux pump-producing strains. Ultimately, deciphering efflux markers is crucial to effectively mitigate the emergence of specific resistance and to better monitor the role of this primary resistance mechanism in Gram-negative bacteria, particularly as observed in clinical antibiotic therapy practice.

INTEGRATING INNOVATIVE PEDAGOGICAL TECHNOLOGIES INTO EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION TRAINING PROGRAMS:

The aim of this study is to analyze the integration of innovative pedagogical technologies into early childhood education training programs, focusing on play-based learning, project-based learning, augmented reality and virtual reality, and AI-powered tools. The comparative analysis aims to unveil the unique strengths, challenges, and opportunities associated with each approach. The study utilizes a systematic approach, drawing from diverse scientific literature, including articles, conference papers, and books. Through content analysis, the paper identifies key themes, theoretical frameworks, and implementation strategies, followed by a critical analysis of strengths and limitations. The results reveal distinctive strengths: play-based learning excels in holistic development, project-based learning in real-world skills, AR/VR in immersive experiences, and AI-powered tools in personalized learning. Challenges include guidance dependency in play-based learning, varying engagement levels in project-based learning, resource intensiveness in AR/VR, and ethical considerations in AI-powered tools. Opportunities arise in fostering creativity through play-based learning, encouraging critical thinking in project-based learning, providing realistic simulations with AR/VR, and offering adaptive learning experiences with AI-powered tools. In conclusion, the study underscores the immense potential of integrating technologies into training programs. It advocates for the establishment of national standards, comprehensive teacher training, resource facilitation, and international collaboration.

An Investigation into the Viability of Battery Technologies for Electric Buses in the UK

An Investigation into the Viability of Battery Technologies for Electric Buses in the UK

PhraseMap: Attention-Based Keyphrases Recommendation for Information Seeking.

Many Information Retrieval (IR) approaches have been proposed to extract relevant information from a large corpus. Among these methods, phrase-based retrieval methods have been proven to capture more concrete and concise information than word-based and paragraph-based methods. However, due to the complex relationship among phrases and a lack of proper visual guidance, achieving user-driven interactive information-seeking and retrieval remains challenging. In this study, we present a visual analytic approach for users to seek information from an extensive collection of documents efficiently. The main component of our approach is a PhraseMap, where nodes and edges represent the extracted keyphrases and their relationships, respectively, from a large corpus. To build the PhraseMap, we extract keyphrases from each document and link the phrases according to word attention determined using modern language models, i.e., BERT. As can be imagined, the graph is complex due to the extensive volume of information and the massive amount of relationships. Therefore, we develop a navigation algorithm to facilitate information seeking. It includes (1) a question-answering (QA) model to identify phrases related to users' queries and (2) updating relevant phrases based on users' feedback. To better present the PhraseMap, we introduce a resource-controlled self-organizing map (RC-SOM) to evenly and regularly display phrases on grid cells while expecting phrases with similar semantics to stay close in the visualization. To evaluate our approach, we conducted case studies with three domain experts in diverse literature. The results and feedback demonstrate its effectiveness, usability, and intelligence.

Knowledge Exchange Networks: Does Gender Matter?

Gender diversity in knowledge exchange networks can be a source of innovation in organizations as it provides new insights that improve the creative process. Diversity literature provides enough evidence of the importance of utilizing mixed-gender teams to gain innovative outcomes. However, in knowledge management literature, gender diversity has been scarcely addressed. Knowledge management literature happens to be dominant, and there is a need to study the impact of gender diversity in knowledge creation processes and networks. This theoretical paper links the diversity literature to knowledge management literature and provides new understandings by considering gender as an important factor in the knowledge creation process. This paper contributes to the literature by emphasizing on exploring knowledge exchange relationships through a feminist perspective. Feminist perspective is also missing in knowledge management literature; thus, by making gender an important consideration in the socialization phase of the knowledge creation process, this paper provides a diverse perspective in knowledge management literature. Furthermore, this paper presents a conceptual model of gender-diverse knowledge exchange networks that shows the inclusion of women in knowledge exchange networks enhances the effectiveness of teams. Women are being neglected when it comes to inclusion in knowledge creating networks because of in-group bias against men and the stereotypical perception of women’s lack of technical and innovative knowledge. This paper sheds light on the importance of women's inclusion in knowledge exchange networks by emphasizing the vitality of diversity in creating knowledge and innovation in collaborative networks and teams in organizations.