Flexible Form Research Articles

Towards a ‘Newer Normal’? A Bibliometric Analysis Examining Organisational Culture in the Post-COVID-19 Higher Education Landscape in the United Kingdom

Concern continues to grow over the changing nature of work that initially formed a ‘new normal’ within higher education institutions resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. This situation is now being further impacted by subsequent economic and political challenges in the sector, which in turn shifts the workplace towards an even ‘newer normal’. The purpose of this article is to: (1) methodically and logically review the extant literature and research linking the influence of the COVID-19 pandemic to the organisational culture of higher education institutions in the United Kingdom; and (2) based on a bibliometric analysis, to offer a road map for further empirical research in the future. Researchers have found that changing workplace norms, such as remote and hybrid working and other forms of flexibility in approaches to learning and the availability of delivery modes, have become increasingly common, which has changed the nature of working practices and underpinning aspects of organisational culture. Therefore, it now appears opportune to update existing knowledge on organisational culture theory within the United Kingdom higher education context to support policy development and enhance workplace practices in the post-COVID-19 period. From a theoretical perspective, this article contributes to organisational culture literature by assimilating a dataset of nascent studies generated through keyword search on Clarivate Analytics Web of Science that have examined the impact of COVID-19 on organisational culture in United Kingdom higher education institutions. This emergent dataset was analysed using VOS Viewer, with the results of subsequent quantitative bibliometric analysis identifying the main existing research fronts as well as potential research directions for the empirical development of organisational culture. Based on this bibliometric analysis, the main suggested future research agendas that need to be addressed linked to organisational culture in the UK higher education sector in the post-COVID period are: (a) to further examine changing cultural norms and expectations; (b) hybrid approaches to working; (c) academic identity; and (d) organisational culture and the changing psychological contract. Such research is important as the UK Higher Education sector now progresses towards an even ‘newer normal’.

The power of materiality: Local orders, interaction and global governance

The article examines the power of materiality in the context of refugee camps, demonstrating how local orders and global governance are intricately interwoven within the material domain. It draws on ethnographic fieldwork conducted in Burmese refugee camps in Thailand to illustrate how sociomateriality can establish spaces of exclusion and associated memberships through their practical implementation, but at the same time permit flexible forms of local manifestations. These aspects represent the tangible realities that people, both ordinary camp residents and local authorities, navigate and achieve in their local public camp life. By means of detailed observation of three distinct camp situations—namely, interactions of membership, checkpoint practices, and the temporary suspension of public camp life—the article argues that mundane sociomaterial practices can both produce and undermine the political intentions of architects to realize materialities of exclusion. Nevertheless, despite their partial and incomplete nature and the capacity of people to circumvent them, the materiality of exclusion is maintained and persists. By elucidating these dynamics, the article contributes to the existing literature that emphasizes the importance of understanding camp governance through the lens of sociomateriality.

Surface Forming Mechanism and Numerical Simulation Study in Four-Roll Flexible Rolling Forming

Surface Forming Mechanism and Numerical Simulation Study in Four-Roll Flexible Rolling Forming

UVCANDELS: Catalogs of Photometric Redshifts and Galaxy Physical Properties

The UltraViolet imaging of the Cosmic Assembly Near-infrared Deep Extragalactic Legacy Survey Fields (UVCANDELS) program provides deep Hubble Space Telescope (HST) F275W and F435W imaging over four CANDELS fields (GOODS-N, GOODS-S, COSMOS, and Extended Groth Strip). We combine this newly acquired UV imaging with existing HST imaging from CANDELS as well as existing ancillary data to obtain robust photometric redshifts and reliable estimates for galaxy physical properties for over 150,000 galaxies in the ∼430 arcmin2 UVCANDELS area. Here, we leverage the power of the new UV photometry to not only improve the photometric redshift measurements in these fields, but also constrain the full redshift probability distribution combining multiple redshift-fitting tools. Furthermore, using the full UV-to-IR photometric data set, we measure the galaxy physical properties by fitting templates from population synthesis models with two different parameterizations (flexible and fixed form) of the star formation histories (SFHs). Compared to the flexible SFH parameterization, we find that the fixed-form SFHs systematically underestimate the galaxy stellar masses, both at the low-mass (≲109 M ⊙) and high-mass (≳1010 M ⊙) end, by as much as ∼0.5 dex. This underestimation is primarily due the limited ability of fixed-form SFH parameterization to simultaneously capture the chaotic nature of star formation in these galaxies.

Short supply chains: Frameworks and extensions to public procurement

Recently, policymakers’ interest in short supply chains (SSCs), i.e., removing the non-value-adding intermediaries in the supply chain, has increased as these are seen as a means of supporting employment and sustainability goals. This article aims to elaborate on the understanding of SSCs, identify what motivates participants to get involved, examine their replicability in different sectors of the economy other than the food sector and how they can be fostered through public procurement. Policymakers’ objectives with public procurement align with those associated with SSCs; therefore, transferability may be possible in the context of public procurement, in addition to sustainability, and access to opportunities for SMEs. Semi-structured exploratory interviews were conducted with SSC stakeholders to examine this and conclude that SSCs can be a valuable means of conducting socially responsible public procurement, with mixed views about their ability to foster gender equality. A case study is also presented with the key message that the application of SSC should consider suppliers’ capabilities in addition to the mandatory application of SSC in the tendering process. Achieving positive results will require a shift in traditional procurement logic towards more flexible forms of co-opetition.

Guangdong’s New R&D Institutes

In pursuit of technological development, China has created new organizations to promote innovation. This brief examines New Research and Development Institutes (NRDIs), which are designed to foster knowledge transfer to industry. NRDIs were pioneered in Guangdong province in the 1990s, and have gained prominence in China’s national science, technology, and innovation policies since the 13th Five-Year Plan (2016–2020). NRDIs are defined by their market orientation and extremely flexible organizational form. They work by establishing “innovation platforms” with local governments and private knowledge actors to carry out research and development (R&D), commercialize scientific and technological achievements, incubate local technology industries, and cultivate high-end talent. NRDIs have been instrumental to regional development in Guangdong, and especially Shenzhen, where they have succeeded in attracting talent from outside the region. NRDIs have important policy implications for international competition for talent. Understanding NRDIs is crucial for other countries that want to improve their own inter-regional innovation resources and respond to the challenge of China’s drive to attract global talent and knowledge resources.

Study of Wordwall Web Based Learning Media to Increase Student Learning Interest in Science Learning

This research aims to find out the study implementation of Wordwall web-based learning media to increase student learning interest in Natural and Social Science (IPAS) learning. This research is qualitative descriptive research, and did not aim to test a learning model by providing a certain stimulus, but to provide an in-depth description of changes in student interest in learning when obtaining web-based media in the students’ learning process. This research was conducted in SDN 08 Wanarejan which is located at St. Kerinci Taman, Rt 3/RW 3, Wanarejan, Taman, South Wanarejan, Wanarejan Sel. There are several kinds of games in Wordwall-based learning media that can be implemented. The implementation can be adjusted to the situation and conditions as well as the facilities and infrastructure of both schools and teachers and students personally as a form of flexibility in learning time.

Recent Innovations and Future Perspectives in Transferosomes for Transdermal Drug Delivery in Therapeutic and Pharmacological Applications.

There have been several non-invasive administrations that have emerged recently to replace conventional needle injections. With its minimal rejection rate, remarkable ease of administration, and remarkable patient comfort and perseverance, the transdermal drug delivery system (TDDS) is the most attractive of them all. The skincare industry, which includes cosmetics, may also find use for TDDS in addition to the pharmaceutical industry. As this strategy mainly entails local drug administration, it can prevent untargeted drug delivery to tissues not intended for the treatment and buildup of localized drug concentrations. Transdermal delivery is hampered by a number of physicochemical characteristics of the skin, which have led to a great deal of research into ways to get over these barriers. The majority of transdermal medicines that have proved effective do so by using smaller lipophilic compounds, which have a molecular weight of a few 100 Daltons. Transferosomes have proven to be an effective method for transdermal distribution of a range of therapies, including hydrophilic actives, bigger molecules, peptides, proteins, and nucleic acids, in order to get around the medications' size and lipophilicity limits. Because of their flexible form and increased surface hydrophilicity, transferosomes are essential for the delivery of medicines and other solutes through and into the skin by exploiting hydration gradients a source of energy. As a result, the medication is released into the skin layers under regulated conditions and has improved overall penetration. In this section we outline the development of transferosomes from liposomes and solid lipid nanoparticles, as well as their subsequent advancements as commercially available dosage forms, physical-chemical characteristics, and cutaneous kinetics.

Bayesian Empirical Likelihood Regression for Semiparametric Estimation of Optimal Dynamic Treatment Regimes.

We propose a semiparametric approach to Bayesian modeling of dynamic treatment regimes that is built on a Bayesian likelihood-based regression estimation framework. Methods based on this framework exhibit a probabilistic coherence property that leads to accurate estimation of the optimal dynamic treatment regime. Unlike most Bayesian estimation methods, our proposed method avoids strong distributional assumptions for the intermediate and final outcomes by utilizing empirical likelihoods. Our proposed method allows for either linear, or more flexible forms of mean functions for the stagewise outcomes. A variational Bayes approximation is used for computation to avoid common pitfalls associated with Markov Chain Monte Carlo approaches coupled with empirical likelihood. Through simulations and analysis of the STAR*D sequential randomized trial data, our proposed method demonstrates superior accuracy over Q-learning and parametric Bayesian likelihood-based regression estimation, particularly when the parametric assumptions of regression error distributions may be potentially violated.

Distancing skills in remote work: narratives about HRD managers support organisations

Purpose This paper aims to identify the essential skills required by Human Resource Development (HRD) professionals to effectively respond to the various modes of labour organisation implemented due to the mandatory lockdown imposed by the Portuguese government in March 2020 as well as implications for learning and development (L&D) issues. Design/methodology/approach Data is based on 34 semi-structured interviews with HRD professionals from companies in different activity sectors. Findings The results reveal that the COVID-19 pandemic has brought out the development of socio-emotional skills among HRD professionals such as creativity, improvisation, self-exploration, innovation, collaboration, team spirit, resilience, flexibility, problem-solving, adaptability, priority management, emotional intelligence, social influence, social contact, interpersonal relationships, communication and online learning development. Research limitations/implications It will be interesting for future research to explore “what” and “how” HRD managers are planning, organising and implementing training and development plans to improve the skills of remote workers, which tend to grow in a post-pandemic COVID-19 phase. Practical implications This research emphasises the importance of HRD managers’ role in better coordinating the work of employees who are physically distant from the company. It also highlights the need for different skills required for effective digital HRD, support and monitoring of remote employees. The results provide important inputs to design and implement effective L&D programs for professionals working remotely and to reinforce the HRD role in organisations. Originality/value The research is original for twofold reasons: 1) HRD professionals are usually not trained to manage remote workers, which also means that they probably lack the skills to take the most out of remote working models; and 2) HRD professionals and the HRD function need to address the skills required to successfully implement flexible forms of work organisation as well as to implement adequate L&D policies to answer remote work practices.

Next-gen strain sensors: Self-healing, ultra-sensitive, lightweight, and durable MWCNT-silicone rubber for advanced human motion tracking

Strain sensors that have flexible wearable forms can be applied in different aspects, such as in soft robotics, human-computer interaction, motion monitoring, and medical treatment process. The main challenge is creating lightweight, flexible sensors with high sensitivity. In this study, we developed flexible strain sensors using a simple sandwich manufacturing method. To achieve this, multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) were chosen for their excellent conductivity, while silicone rubber (SR) provided a flexible and durable substrate. Advanced SEM-EDX and FTIR analyses were conducted to assess the material structure. Furthermore, the electromechanical performance of the sensors was thoroughly evaluated, highlighting their potential in real-world applications. Electromechanical performance evaluation showed that the SR/0.7-MWCNT/SR sensor in the 0–90 % strain range had a sensitivity of 34.47, an increase of 53.35 %, and a linearity of 0.978, an increase of 10 % compared to the SR/0.5-MWCNT/SR sensor. In addition, the sensor has extremely fast response and recovery times of 65 ms and 60 ms, respectively. The sensor is also able to withstand up to 1.200 cycles of stretching, twisting, and bending. The sensor also exhibited good autonomous electromechanical self-healing properties against physical damage. The sensor developed in the present study are proven to be used to detect human movements such as finger bending, wrist, elbow, and knee movements.

Printed Interconnects for Heterogeneous Systems Integration on Flexible Substrates

AbstractHeterogeneous integration on flexible substrates has been explored in recent years to meet the high‐performance and flexible form factors requirements of several emerging applications. Reliable interconnects, in both 2D and 3D layouts, are critical for the effective use of these systems. But it is challenging to employ conventional bonding and interconnect technology due to considerable mismatches in mechanical and thermal properties. For example, the ultra‐thin chips (UTCs) are too fragile to withstand the static or oscillating forces applied during conventional bonding. In this regard, printing of metal tracks on flexible substrates is a promising alternative to access the contact pads on integrated circuits (ICs), as the interconnects on diverse substrates can be realized at room temperature processing using as much materials as needed. Further, it is easier to attain step coverage. Considering the above attractive features, and the challenges associated with conventional bonding techniques, this article focuses on the development of high‐resolution printing interconnects in both 2D and 3D layouts and explores various printing routes available for high density integration. The article also discusses major conventional interposers/interconnects forming methods and their limitations for flexible hybrid electronics along with few examples of printed interconnects to highlight the opportunities for future.

Financial Management of the Regional Public Service Agency at Puskesmas in Sumbawa District

The Local Public Service Agency is part of the local government unit, with a legal status not separate from the local government, which has a flexible financial management pattern in the form of flexibility to apply fair business practices to improve and develop services, as an exception to the provisions of financial management in general. The flexibility of financial management includes revenue and expenditure management, cash management, debt management, tariff determination, employee procurement, procurement of goods and services, and investment management. The pattern of flexible financial management still refers to the regulations that have been set, namely the Sumbawa Regent Regulation Number 5-year 2020 concerning guidelines for financial management of the regional public service agencies within the Sumbawa government. Regulations or policies that have been established by the Sumbawa Regency government to be implemented and adhered to in implementing BLUD financial management policies at Puskesmas are expected to improve and develop health services with transparency and accountability. Based on the description, the research problem is how far is the financial management of the Regional Public Service Agency (BLUD) at Puskesmas in the Sumbawa Regency region based on the Sumbawa Regent Regulation Number 5 of 2020 concerning guidelines for financial management of regional public service agencies within the scope of the Sumbawa Regency. Researchers used a qualitative descriptive method approach using interview and observation tools to collect data both directly and through document review. The data obtained were analyzed using Likert scale categorization, which consists of Very Good, Good, and Less Good. The findings of the research provided an overview that public policy evaluation is closely related to the level of compliance and readiness of Human Resources in conducting the financial management of the Regional Public Service Agency (BLUD) at Puskesmas in Sumbawa. The results of this study can complement Wiliam Dunn’s opinion or theory on public policy evaluation to emphasize the level of compliance and readiness of Human Resources in conducting public policy evaluations, which not only focus on the values and objectives but also the targets of a policy. Keywords: regional public service agency, policy evaluation, financial management

PORTRAIT OF THE FREELANCE MARKET IN THE NEW ECONOMY OF KAZAKHSTAN

The current global trends in the rapid development of information technology, in particular the development of Internet marketing, have led to the fact that the bulk of the active population has become independent of a permanent place of work. Flexible forms of employment have become more popular nowadays, as they have allowed the employee to work as efficiently as possible, realize their labor potential and maximize job satisfaction. Modern restrictions associated with the pandemic have further increased the relevance of remote work. The purpose of the article is to study the remote work market in Kazakhstan according to data for 2021, as well as to study self–employed independent freelance professionals as a relatively new layer of the labor market working remotely. To achieve this goal, the work reflects foreign research on the freelance market, analysis of the infrastructure of the Kazakh remote work market, determination of the main characteristics of independent specialists for 2021 based on the author's survey: socio-demographic characteristics, working hours, income level, motivation, etc. The authors used methods of comparative analysis, generalization and systematization in their work, a historical and logical method. As a result, the article presents a portrait of the Kazakhstani freelance market, highlights the main socio-economic parameters of the modern freelance market and suggests reasonable measures for the development of this phenomenon.

Designing a Multi-Level Caching Forward Index for Recommendation System Services

This paper introduces a forward index based on microservices, which effectively addresses the issue of forward read amplification in recommendation systems through a multi-layer caching mechanism. This allows the forward service to handle a large number of concurrent requests with limited resources while ensuring service stability and final value rate. The paper provides a detailed description of the forward index's data structure design, traffic penetration calculation, and overall service architecture design, dividing the system into three parts: SDK, proxy service, and storage, corresponding to data query, data processing, and data storage respectively. In the SDK design, three components are employed: Cache Slot, synchronous queue, and timer, supporting synchronous, asynchronous, and flexible request forms. The proxy service design handles heterogeneous data and online computation, supporting batch and asynchronous designs, and provides a dynamic data protocol to adapt to the characteristic needs of different microservices. The storage layer design considers performance, cost, and maintainability, utilizing a Cache & SSD model to cope with high-concurrency scenarios.

Bayesian estimation of spatially varying mortality risk using tagged animal data

Abstract The survival of animals is impacted by landscapes of spatially varying mortality factors including habitat type, predation risk or harvest risk, among others. Characterization of these spatial mortality processes is important for managing animal populations and their habitats, yet this information has proved challenging to capture. Advances in telemetry now make it possible to monitor tagged individuals' locations through time for a wide range of taxa, providing opportunity to assess movement and mortality simultaneously through spatial time‐to‐event data. Existing time‐to‐event modelling frameworks have largely ignored spatially varying mortality processes or have treated an animal's location as fixed at a regional level. Here we present a general spatial survival model for analysing time‐to‐event data arising from animal telemetry. Our model has a flexible Cox regression form and can estimate the effects of conventional non‐spatial risk factors (size, seasonality, etc.), spatial covariates (e.g. habitat type) and spatial variation in risk not explained by covariates on mortality. We show how to fit our model using Bayesian methods and demonstrate applications of our model with several simulated examples and two animal telemetry case studies. Our model produced consistent and unbiased parameter estimates throughout simulations with a variety of spatial and non‐spatial hazards. In the first case study, data from 147 tagged caribou in British Columbia, Canada, revealed a spatially heterogeneous mortality landscape with caribou survival varying by elevation, likely in response to space use by predators. Our second case study involved a dataset of 390 acoustically tagged Atlantic cod in a southern Norwegian fjord where a marine protected area (MPA) was established during the study. We found that the MPA led to a shift from mostly fishing mortality to mostly natural mortality within the fjord and that these risks had markedly different spatial hazard patterns. Our spatial time‐to‐event model can make use of data from a variety of widely used telemetry technologies to characterize landscapes of mortality risks for different taxa. Our work provides new opportunities to inform the spatial ecology and management of fish and wildlife populations.

Understanding a new wrinkling behavior of annular grooved panel during flexible free incremental sheet forming

Wrinkling behavior of sheet metal by inappropriate process parameters and the resultant variation of thickness and microstructure during incremental sheet forming (ISF) have significant impact on forming stability and geometric profile. The wrinkling-related mechanism is yet to be well understood, which make it difficult to effectively control wrinkling defects during ISF. In the present work, the wrinkling behavior and related mechanism of a typical annular grooved panel are investigated during a novel flexible free ISF process. Experiments demonstrate that during this ISF process, the sheet material sequentially undergoes 4 deformation modes: contacting state under plane strain condition, contracting state with only elastic deflection, thickening state under uniaxial compression condition, and wrinkling state where the circumferential compressive stress exceeds the critical wrinkling stress. The evolution of these deformation modes is dominantly caused by the increasing of edge contraction and circumferential stress, which are induced by the bending moment from the forming tool and auxiliary sheets. Based on the mechanism, an analytical model is developed to predict the wrinkling behavior, by which the corresponded sheet thickness, bending moment, circumferential compressive stress and critical wrinkling stress during the wrinkling process could be comprehensively calculated. Experimental results validate that the analytical model can accurately predict the wrinkling behavior under different process parameters, material properties and auxiliary sheet materials. Through microstructural characterization, numerical simulation and analytical modeling, the influence of process parameter and material property on wrinkling behavior is systematically investigated, along with the variation of sheet thickness and microstructure under different wrinkling modes. This work enhance a deep understanding of wrinkling behavior during ISF process, thereby providing effective methods for process optimization and quality improvement.

Impact of informal employment on individuals’ psychological well-being: microevidence from China

ObjectiveThe number of workers engaged in informal employment in China has reached 200 million individuals, constituting a substantial contribution to the pursuit of high-quality development and the attainment of stable employment objectives. Nevertheless, the psychological well-being of informal workers cannot be overlooked. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the impact of informal employment on individuals’ psychological well-being.MethodsDrawing on data from the 2020 China Family Panel Studies (CFPS) survey, this work employs ordinary least squares (OLS) models and instrumental variable analysis to empirically examine the impact of informal employment on the psychological well-being. Furthermore, different tests were utilised to analyse the mediating pathway through which informal employment affects the psychological well-being.ResultsInformal employment exhibits a significant negative impact on the psychological well-being, particularly among samples characterised by low educational levels, limited financial resources, and non-agricultural household registration. The exploration of the underlying mechanisms indicates that informal employment negatively affects the psychological well-being of workers through pathways that include reduced access to health entitlements, increased working hours, and decreased job satisfaction, particularly with the work environment.ConclusionA recommendation is proposed; namely, to further establish a social security system that caters to the needs of the informal employment population and supports and regulates the development of flexible employment forms, with the aim of protecting and enhancing the psychological well-being of the informal employment population.

Using neural network models to estimate stellar ages from lithium equivalent widths: an eagles expansion

ABSTRACT We present an artificial neural network (ANN) model of photospheric lithium depletion in cool stars ($3000\lt T_{\rm eff}/{\rm K} \lt 6500$), producing estimates and probability distributions of age from $^7$Li 6708 Å equivalent width (LiEW) and effective temperature data inputs. The model is trained on the same sample of 6200 stars from 52 open clusters, observed in the Gaia-ESO spectroscopic survey, and used to calibrate the previously published analytical eagles model, with ages 2–6000 Myr and $-0.3 \lt $ [Fe/H] $\lt 0.2$. The additional flexibility of the ANN provides some improvements, including better modelling of the ‘lithium dip’ at ages $\lt 50$ Myr and $T_{\rm eff}\sim 3500$ K, and of the intrinsic dispersion in LiEW at all ages. Poor age discrimination is still an issue at ages >1 Gyr, confirming that additional modelling flexibility is not sufficient to fully represent the LiEW–age–T$_{\text{eff}}$ relationship, and suggesting the involvement of further astrophysical parameters. Expansion to include such parameters–rotation, accretion, and surface gravity–is discussed, and the use of an ANN means these can be more easily included in future iterations, alongside more flexible functional forms for the LiEW dispersion. Our methods and ANN model are provided in an updated version 2.0 of the eagles software.

Гнучка зайнятість як засіб збереження робочих місць на українських підприємствах під час війни

The article examines the relevance of flexible forms of employment in the context of current economic challenges, especially in connection with the war in Ukraine. Ensuring the effectiveness of flexible employment is critical for preserving jobs and maintaining the economic stability of enterprises in the current crisis conditions. The purpose of the study was to analyze approaches to the introduction of flexible employment at Ukrainian enterprises and recommendations for adapting the existing model of flexible employment to the conditions of martial law to preserve jobs at enterprises and ensure a balance between the economic interests of enterprises and social guarantees for employees considering the specifics of the modern labor market, and to develop. It has been proven that in times of crisis, flexible forms of employment become a vital tool for preserving jobs and maintaining economic stability, as well as increasing the adaptability of employees to changing labor market conditions, which is critical in times of crisis. However, existing flexible employment models need to be adapted to war conditions. The article develops recommendations for enterprises to introduce flexible forms of employment that allow them to maintain productivity and minimize social tension among employees. These recommendations include using remote work, part-time work, and digital platforms to attract freelancers, as well as measures to improve the social protection of employees, implement mental health support programs, and adapt labor contracts to the new conditions. The practical value of the study lies in the development of specific recommendations for enterprises that will allow them not only to maintain their functioning in the crisis but also to ensure sustainability and development in the long term. The proposed measures can be used as a basis for further improvement of HR management strategies in conditions of instability and crisis. Keywords: flexible employment, crisis model, social guarantees, remote work, outsourcing, outstaffing.