Definition Of Framework Research Articles

Optimal frequency bands for pupillography for maximal correlation with HRV

Assessing cognitive load using pupillography frequency features presents a persistent challenge due to the lack of consensus on optimal frequency limits. This study aims to address this challenge by exploring pupillography frequency bands and seeking clarity in defining the most effective ranges for cognitive load assessment. From a controlled experiment involving 21 programmers performing software bug inspection, our study pinpoints the optimal low-frequency (0.06-0.29 Hz) and high-frequency (0.29-0.49 Hz) bands. Correlation analysis yielded a geometric mean of 0.238 compared to Heart Rate Variability features, with individual correlations for low-frequency, high-frequency, and their ratio at 0.279, 0.168, and 0.286, respectively. Extending the study to 51 participants, including a different experiment focusing on mental arithmetic tasks, validated the previous findings and further refined bands, maintaining effectiveness with a geometric mean correlation of 0.236 and surpassing common frequency bands reported in the existing literature. This study represents a pivotal step toward converging and establishing a coherent framework for frequency band definition to be used in pupillography analysis. Furthermore, based on this, it also contributes insights into the importance of more integration and adoption of eye-tracking with pupillography technology into authentic software development contexts for cognitive load assessment at a very fine level of granularity.

Proposed framework for unifying disease definitions in guideline development

Proposed framework for unifying disease definitions in guideline development

Remanufacturing production planning and control: Conceptual framework for requirement definition

Abstract In the era of environmental degradation and resource scarcity, the concept of circular economy (CE) has emerged as a pivotal strategy to transform the contemporary industrial landscape. As an integral component of the 10R framework, remanufacturing is emerging as a production strategy that revitalizes end-of-life (EOL) products to a like-new condition, fostering a more sustainable production and consumption. Despite its immense environmental and economic benefits, the implementation of remanufacturing practices is confronted with a multitude of challenges, including sourcing of EOL products, managing component variability, and arbitrary failure rates that result in major process inefficiencies. This paper embarks on the definition of functional and non-functional requirements for remanufacturing production planning and control (RPPC) to establish a systematic approach to address the existing challenges and uncertainties that arise in remanufacturing systems. Based on the synthesis of a comprehensive literature study, eight functional requirements and a total of 48 associated key performance measures are derived and contextualized in a coherent conceptual framework. This establishes a consensus to mitigate the impacts caused by uncertainty in remanufacturing. The feasibility of the conceptual framework is validated in an industrial case study with an OEM remanufacturer of electric power steering products. The findings of this research paper advance the field of RPPC and offer guidance to industrial decision-makers to evaluate and optimize their remanufacturing production systems.

Empowering Nanostores for Competitiveness and Sustainable Communities in Emerging Countries: A Generative Artificial Intelligence Strategy Ideation Process

This exploratory study investigates Generative Artificial Intelligence’s (GenAI) use in strategy ideation for nanostores—i.e., small independent grocery retailers—to enhance their competitiveness while contributing to community sustainability. Nanostores, particularly in emerging countries, face intense competition and rapidly changing trends. These stores adopt various strategies by leveraging their proximity to consumers in neighbourhoods, resulting in different business configurations. While the existing literature highlights the broader nanostores’ functions, there is limited research on how they may develop comprehensive strategies to face their challenges. By employing a thing ethnography methodology, this work proposes GenAI thing interviewing—i.e., with ChatGPT 3.5 and Microsoft Copilot—through incremental prompting to explore potential strategy ideation and practices. Key findings suggest GenAI conversations can aid shopkeepers in strategy ideation through human-like written language, aligning with small business dynamics and structures. This proposition results in a GenAI ideation framework for strategy generation and definition. Moreover, this technology can enhance nanostore competitiveness and sustainability impact by enacting improved strategy practices in stakeholder engagements. Accordingly, this work’s main contribution underscores a GenAI-enabled conversational approach to facilitate nanostores’ strategy ideation and embedding in everyday business operations. Future work must address the limitations and further investigate GenAI’s influence on human understanding and technological creation, strategy ideation, adoption, and usability in nanostores.

The role of acoustic telemetry in assessing fish connectivity within marine seascapes: A global review.

The study of aquatic animal movements is a rapidly growing field of research, with tracking methodology ever developing and refining. Acoustic telemetry is arguably the most popular method used to study the movements of fish. Despite this method being able to elucidate many aspects of movement behavior, including residency, home range, and migration, among others, one aspect that remains challenging is the study and definition of connectivity, particularly within marine seascapes. As such, this review assesses published literature on acoustic telemetry studies, which have specifically assessed some aspect of fish connectivity, and discusses these in terms of study distribution and overall trends, the diversity of taxa and life stage assessed, the role that large-scale acoustic telemetry networks plays in assessing connectivity of marine fishes, how connectivity studies have been used in an applied context, and proposes definitions linked to specific types of connectivity, which will assist future researchers when conceptualizing studies. Further, methods that can be used in conjunction with acoustic telemetry to complement the data are discussed. Given that marine resources and habitats are intricately connected, this review highlights the critical role that acoustic telemetry can play in assessing this link. It is envisaged that our developed framework of connectivity definitions will assist future studies and stakeholders in assessing ecosystem functioning and ultimately contribute to improved conservation and management of marine fish populations and ecosystems.

How to promote sustainable vertical farming? Towards a common science-based definitional framework

How to promote sustainable vertical farming? Towards a common science-based definitional framework

Regressing from the Gold Standard: The UK’s Slavery and Human Trafficking Regulations and the Narrowing of Victim Protection

Abstract The UK’s 2022 Slavery and Human Trafficking (Definition of Victim) Regulations represent a significant departure from established international standards in human trafficking victim protection. This article critically examines how the Regulations’ definitional framework creates three fundamental concerns that risk excluding legitimate victims from protection. First, while Clause 3(5)(a) aligns with international law’s ‘means’ elements, Clause 3(6)(d) problematically narrows this list for those required to provide services or benefits, potentially excluding victims who face exploitation through means other than force, threats, or deception. Second, the Regulations create unnecessary ambiguity around child trafficking through Clause 3(5)(b)’s unclear phrasing ‘any method’, potentially requiring evidence of the ‘means’ element contrary to international law which recognizes children’s inherent vulnerability. Third, the Regulations fail to explicitly include certain forms of exploitation, such as ‘practices similar to slavery’ in Clause 3(6)’s characterization of exploitation, departing from both the Council of Europe Convention on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings (ECAT) and the Palermo Protocol’s established frameworks. Drawing on recent European Court of Human Rights jurisprudence, particularly V.C.L and A.N v United Kingdom, this article demonstrates how the Regulations’ restrictive approach conflicts with the UK’s international obligations and risks excluding vulnerable groups from protection, including migrant workers, child victims, and those subjected to debt bondage or forced marriage. The analysis reveals how these limitations, coupled with the broader ‘hostile environment’ policy context, create significant barriers to victim identification and support. This article argues for urgent amendment of the Regulations to align with the Palermo Protocol’s comprehensive definition of trafficking victims, ensuring adequate protection for all forms of exploitation and maintaining the UK’s commitment to international protection standards.

Developing Understanding of Critical Thinking Definitions, Concepts and Characteristics in TVET Higher Education

This study aims to provide an understanding of critical thinking skills in TVET higher education context by investigating the definition, concept, and characteristics of critical thinking skills that is appropriate for the context. Therefore, a data collection is done through an interview involving ten lecturers from TVET higher education institutions purposely to gather their insight, perspectives, and real practice on critical thinking skills. The interview data are analysed using thematic analysis. It was discovered that the critical thinking concept for the TVET higher education context is a decision-making process. Critical thinking is defined as reflective and reasonable thinking, and critical thinking characteristics are the ability to adapt and analyse other alternatives. From the result of thematic analysis, this study developed a conceptual framework of critical thinking skills concept, definition and characteristics for TVET higher education setting. The findings could provide a reference for TVET higher education lectures to understand and apply critical thinking skills during teaching. In addition, other researchers can use the findings to develop fundamental knowledge in exploring and researching critical thinking skills.

Relationship between Sensory Processing Sensitivity and Personality Traits

Reactions to stimuli vary from person to person. The same stimulus has different effects depending on the perception of different people and the physical and mental states they are in. Considering this difference, situations can be seen in which a person perceives a specific stimulus or group of stimuli as negative and disturbing for themselves. In particular, people with high levels of sensory processing sensitivity feel the negative effects of stimuli more intensely both in terms of their internal processes (hunger, pain, sadness, stress, etc.) and the situation of the physical environment (loud noise, bright light, pungent odor, etc.) which they are in. On the other hand, the existence of situations where sensory processing sensitivity has a positive effect is also noticeable. In this context, the relationship between sensory processing sensitivity and personality traits is examined. The concept of personality is explained in different ways by many different theorists in the international literature. In order to avoid confusion that may arise in the definition and understanding of personality traits, in this review study, personality traits are examined on the basis of the Five Factor Personality Theory. Within the framework of the personality definition of the Five Factor Personality Theory, The relationship between five basic personality traits and sensory processing sensitivity is examined by also considering the subdimensions of each five personality traits.

Using Grounded Theory Analysis in Construction Management and Civil Engineering Education: Integrating Perspectives to Shape a Comprehensive View of Sustainability

ABSTRACT Sustainability education becomes a crucial approach to help next generation construction managers and civil engineers to address the need to reconcile between the rapid resource depletion and economic development in the built environment. As educators strive to prepare future professionals for the evolving demands of sustainability in the construction industry, a better understanding of the current landscape of sustainability education in higher education becomes necessary. This entails recognizing the diverse perceptions and interpretations held by construction management and civil engineering (CM/CE) faculty regarding the essential elements of sustainability, as they influence students’ understanding and are also carried forward into students’ future professional careers. The authors used a qualitative research approach to characterize the concept of sustainability in its rudimentary form. We collected individual faculty members’ definitions of sustainability by conducting semi-structured interviews. Subsequently, grounded theory analysis (GTA) was used to analyze interview transcripts, aiming to unveil patterns and trends that then form a theory-like conclusion. Through this inductive qualitative approach, the authors developed the CM/CE Sustainability Definition Framework (SDF), comprising durability, resource efficiency, meeting societal needs, and minimizing environmental impacts. This paper demonstrates how GTA can be used as an effective qualitative research methodology for CM/CE education research.

Quadrant analysis of turbulence over a degraded channel-bed of bimodal sediment, with a definition framework for averaging methods

Quadrant analysis of turbulence over a degraded channel-bed of bimodal sediment, with a definition framework for averaging methods

Re-envisioning corporate social responsibility education from a multicultural perspective: From pyramid to hourglass

While contemporary capitalist society is stimulating corporate social responsibility (CSR) and related themes such as sustainability, with the UN SDGs and ESG as dominant narratives, educators have voiced concerns about the actual issue of how to integrate these emerging phenomena into management education. This study adopted a sequential explanatory design using responses collected from international business school students in Asia over a 6-year period to examine this gap. Their perceptions were analyzed by matching them against Carroll's four-part definitional framework, the pyramid of CSR, to gauge the degree to which CSR theories are received by students. The results revealed that the majority of Asian students understand CSR differently from the mantra “CSR is about responsible business”. Depending on the context, Carroll's CSR pyramid is negatively perceived by students in Asia as many are aware that CSR is a culturally hypersensitive subject. The study proposes three recommendations for developing inclusive CSR education in multicultural settings: 1) emphasizing the “changing” role of business in the world and contemporary capitalism; 2) emphasizing the necessity of blending Western CSR theories with sustainable development issues in other nations; and 3) adding more details about cultural sensitivity in our use of CSR.

A Factory of Fractional Derivatives

This paper aims to demonstrate that, beyond the small world of Riemann–Liouville and Caputo derivatives, there is a vast and rich world with many derivatives suitable for specific problems and various theoretical frameworks to develop, corresponding to different paths taken. The notions of time and scale sequences are introduced, and general associated basic derivatives, namely, right/stretching and left/shrinking, are defined. A general framework for fractional derivative definitions is reviewed and applied to obtain both known and new fractional-order derivatives. Several fractional derivatives are considered, mainly Liouville, Hadamard, Euler, bilinear, tempered, q-derivative, and Hahn.

Challenges in Constructing a Commercial Public Sector Entity Definition Framework in Malaysia

Purpose: This study aims to examine the challenges in constructing a commercial public sector entity definition framework in Malaysia. Design/ Methodology/ Approach: This study employed a qualitative methodology, specifically utilising interviews as the primary data collection method. The participants in this study were individuals affiliated with public sector organisations in Malaysia. A total of 23 individuals were involved in this study. Findings: This study identified ten primary challenges surrounding the construction of a commercial public sector entity definition framework in Malaysia. The ten issues comprise the legal identity of an entity, controlling party, internationally recognised accounting standards for private companies, the future of Malaysian Public Sector Accounting Standards (MPSAS), threshold setting in categorising entities, guidelines on the application of accounting standards, profit distribution of entities, Malaysian Accounting Standard Board (MASB) mandate, government funding, and establishment. These ten issues were evaluated to determine the definition of a commercial public sector entity (CPSE). Research Limitations/ Implications:The implications of the study's results highlight that it is necessary to assess these issues prior to developing the framework for defining commercial public sector firms. This assessment is crucial to guarantee that the framework aligns appropriately with the scope of public sector entities in Malaysia. Practical Implications: The implications of the study's results suggest the potential for developing a framework for defining commercial public sector entities within Malaysia. Originality/ Value: This study is the first attempt towards constructing a commercial public sector entity definition framework in Malaysia.

Redefining Digital Twins – A Wind Energy Operations and Maintenance Perspective

Digital Twin (DT) technology has seen an explosion in popularity, with wind energy no exception. This is particularly true for Operations & Maintenance (O&M) applications. However, this expanded use has been accompanied by loose, conflicting, definitions that threaten to reduce the term to a buzzword and prevent the technology from meeting its full potential. A number of attempts have been made to better define and classify DTs, however, these either oversimplify the term or tighten criteria, leading to the exclusion of many DT applications. A new definition framework dubbed the Digital Twin Family Tree is therefore proposed. This widens “Digital Twin” to a general umbrella term for the technology, accompanied by specific definitions. DT Tags are also used to provide individualised characteristics for implementations. A sector-specific definition was devised for component and system monitoring and predictions in wind energy O&M dubbed a CS-DT and suitable DT Tags created. The proposed framework was used to review existing research in literature, demonstrating the potential for increased understanding, explainability, and accessibility of DTs for expert and non-expert stakeholders.

The dilemma of employee productivity measures and managerialism practices: an empirical exploration in financial institutions

PurposeThis empirical study aims to explore how actors in specific human resource practices (HRPs) such as line managers (LMs) impact employee productivity measures in the context of financial institutions (FI) banks.Design/methodology/approachThis cross-country study adopted a qualitative methodology. It employed semi-structured interviews to collect data from purposefully selected 12 business facing directors (BFDs) working in the top 10 banks in Nigeria and the UK. The data collected were analysed with the help of the trans-positional cognition approach (TPCA) phenomenological method.FindingsThe findings of a TPCA analytical process imply that in the UK and Nigeria’s FIs, the BFDs line managers’ human resources practices (LMHRPs) resulted in a highly regulated workplace, knowledge gap, service operations challenges and subjective quantitatively driven key performance indicators, considered service productivity paradoxical elements. Although the practices in the UK and Nigerian FIs had similar labels, their aggregates were underpinned by different contextual issues.Practical implicationsTo support LMs in better understanding and managing FIs BFDs productivity measures and outcomes, we propose the Managerial Employee Productivity Operational Definition framework as part of their toolkit. This study will be helpful for banking sectors, their regulators, policymakers, other FIs’ industry stakeholders and future researchers in the field.Originality/valueWithin the context of the UK and Nigeria’s FIs, this study is the first attempt to understand how LMHRPs impact BFDs productivity in this manner. It confirms that LMHRPs result in service productivity paradoxical elements with perceived or lost productivity implications.

Socio-spatial analysis of food poverty: the case of Turin

This contribution investigates the phenomenon of food poverty, focusing on the dimensions, forms and dynamics that this condition takes on in the urban context of the city of Turin. The general objective is to provide a theoretical advance in the scientific debate and to better contextualise the phenomenon at the local level to propose policy indications for the actors involved in forms of assistance/counteraction. In the last three years, mainly due to the socio-economic crisis triggered by the pandemic and the increase in the prices of necessities, the incidence and intensity of food poverty have changed, exacerbating the conditions of those who were already experiencing it and eroding the ability of a large segment of the population to protect themselves from material deprivation. Corresponding to this operational complexity there is a semantic polysemic – both in the scientific debate and in public discourse – due to a plurality of theoretical-disciplinary approaches that fragment the definitional framework with consequences on understanding and treatment of the phenomenon. In this framework, the contribution delves into this complexity, providing an operational and contextualised definition of the Italian case through the analysis of the results of the sample survey conducted at the end of 2021 on a group of 205 food assistance recipients in Turin.

Proposed Framework for Research Case Definitions of Lipedema.

Background: Our aim is to propose a framework for the development of a research case definition of lipedema, based on current available literature and those observations that can be applied to future lipedema research with the intent to standardize and strengthen the scientific evidence base. Methods and Results: We conducted a narrative review of the literature, and identified consensus characteristics and disputed characteristics that could be included in a research case definition of lipedema. After considering the strength of the evidence and how each characteristic might be measured in a research study, we recommended an approach for the development of a research case definition of lipedema that would be based on consideration of five agreed-upon characteristics, and five disputed, or less substantiated, characteristics as additional evidence to enhance specificity. Conclusions: We present a case definition framework for lipedema drawn from the scientific literature that can be applied to future studies on lipedema. Utilizing this framework should help to increase the sensitivity and specificity of case definition and provide an opportunity for meta-analysis of clinical studies and facilitate future research intercomparisons.

Pharmacotherapy for Disease Modification in Early Parkinson's Disease: How Early Should We Be?

Slowing or halting progression continues to be a major unmet medical need in Parkinson's disease (PD). Numerous trials over the past decades have tested a broad range of interventions without ultimate success. There are many potential reasons for this failure and much debate has focused on the need to test 'disease-modifying' candidate drugs in the earliest stages of disease. While generally accepted as a rational approach, it is also associated with significant challenges around the selection of trial populations as well as trial outcomes and durations. From a health care perspective, intervening even earlier and before at-risk subjects have gone on to develop overt clinical disease is at the heart of preventive medicine. Recent attempts to develop a framework for a biological definition of PD are aiming to enable 'preclinical' and subtype-specific diagnostic approaches. The present review addresses past efforts towards disease-modification, including drug targets and reasons for failure, as well as novel targets that are currently being explored in disease-modification trials in early established PD. The new biological definitions of PD may offer new opportunities to intervene even earlier. We critically discuss the potential and challenges around planning 'disease-prevention' trials in subjects with biologically defined 'preclinical' or prodromal PD.

Measures of retention in HIV care: A protocol for a mixed methods study.

Retention in HIV care is necessary to achieve adherence to antiretroviral therapy, viral load suppression, and optimal health outcomes. There is no standard definition for retention in HIV care, which compromises consistent and reliable reporting and comparison of retention across facilities, jurisdictions, and studies. The objective of this study is to explore how stakeholders involved in HIV care define retention in HIV care and their preferences on measuring retention. We will use an exploratory sequential mixed methods design involving HIV stakeholder groups such as people living with HIV, people involved in providing care for PLHIV, and people involved in decision-making about PLHIV. In the qualitative phase of the study, we will conduct 20-25 in-depth interviews to collect the perspectives of HIV stakeholders on using their preferred retention measures. The findings from the qualitative phase will inform the development of survey items for the quantitative phase. Survey participants (n = 385) will be invited to rate the importance of each approach to measuring retention on a seven-point Likert scale. We will merge the qualitative and quantitative findings phase findings to inform a consensus-building framework for a standard definition of retention in care. This study has received ethics approval from the Hamilton Integrated Research Ethics Board. The findings will be disseminated through peer-reviewed publications, conference presentations, and among stakeholder groups. This study has limitations; we won't be able to arrive at a standard definition; a Delphi technique amongst the stakeholders will be utilized using the framework to reach a consensus globally accepted definition.