Research Gaps Research Articles

Research trends in innovation ecosystem and circular economy

Understanding innovation ecosystems and the circular economy is crucial for systemic change in business and industry, fostering eco-innovation and advancing sustainable development. This study uses bibliometric analysis to uncover the research trends, patterns, and collaborations, revealing a significant gap in understanding the interactions between innovation ecosystems and the circular economy and offering potential avenues for future research that align with sustainable development. The analysis was carried out with the help of Biblioshiny and VOSviewer on the final selected documents of 2981 from the Scopus database through a search query and the SPAR-4-SLR stages of filtration. The key findings of the study are as follows: collaboration among countries involves accessing countries’ resources, knowledge, markets, and location. The study explores research trends in the innovation ecosystem and circular economy, focusing on five key clusters: the circular economy for eco-innovation and resource recovery, circular business models for fostering sustainable innovation in the bioeconomy, sustainability through renewable energy and sdgs, the sustainable business model for enhancing green innovation through entrepreneurship, and Artificial Intelligence (AI) and the circular business model in Industry 4.0. The bibliometric analysis identifies trends, research gaps, and collaboration patterns, revealing potential avenues for future exploration in industrial symbiosis, energy transition, and the system of innovation. The study analyzed only the documents available in Scopus. The exclusion of papers based on the search period, language, document type, and incomplete details are the limitations of this research and open the scope of potential future research. The findings will help existing researchers in this field as well as new researchers interested in this field by clearly understanding trends and further research scopes. The study also offers actional recommendations and practices to policymakers. Practices, and entrepreneurs for the attainment of global sustainability goals. The novelty and originality of this study rely on a thorough literature review that describes the state of the art in the innovation ecosystem and circular economy.

Disturbances of Interoception in Schizophrenia – Focus on Neuroimaging

Abstract: The current paper presents the most recent theoretical understanding of interoception (INTC) in light of the predictive processing framework and the Embodied Predictive Interoceptive Coding model and reviews recent experimental data on different interoceptive disturbances in schizophrenia (SCZ) such as lower interoceptive accuracy, nociceptive dysfunction reflected by reduced pain sensitivity, disturbed thermoregulation, impaired gastrointestinal regulation, cardiovascular and respiratory dysfunction, and immune disturbances. The immense clinical implications of these disturbances are discussed in the context of the high rates of morbidity and mortality in SCZ related to suicide and cardiac death. Next, the potential of INTC-related treatments is reviewed, and conclusions are made on the evidence for the use of vagus nerve stimulation, mindfulness-based interventions, and exercise therapy. The neuroimaging perspective is given in a brief account of the INTC-related findings in healthy individuals suggesting the right anterior insula and anterior cingulate cortex as key brain areas for interoceptive awareness, accuracy, and sensibility, by supporting higher-order representation and integration of visceral, and somatosensory interoception with exteroceptive information. In SCZ, on the other hand, neuroimaging research on specific interoceptive abilities is lacking but indirect evidence points to disrupted activation of major INTC network hubs. There is converging evidence of changes in these hubs in terms of both structure and function (volume reductions, aberrant activation, and connectivity). This narrative review identifies several gaps in contemporary INTC-related research in SCZ that need to be addressed in future experimental and clinical studies to elucidate the exact nature of the disturbances of interoceptive abilities in modalities other than cardioception; the interactions between different interoceptive modalities; the association between interoceptive abilities and other mental functions (such as emotion recognition and regulation, decision making, learning, memory, etc.); the efficacy of nonpharmacological and pharmacological INTC-based interventions; and the relation of disturbed interoceptive abilities with brain structure and function.

Weight-control compensatory behaviors patterns and correlates: a scoping review.

Weight-control compensatory behaviors appear to be a commonly utilized strategy for health management. Individuals engaging in such behaviors believe that the negative consequences from unhealthy behaviors will be neutralized by the positive consequences of healthy behaviors. Existing research has not reached a consensus on whether such behaviors are beneficial to health. This review aims to (1) summarize the patterns of weight-control compensatory health behaviors in different populations, (2) highlight correlates, predictors, and consequences of compensatory health behaviors, and (3) identify gaps for future research. This review identified existing literature using online databases, CINAHL and PubMed. Primary research articles published after 2000 with non-clinical participants of 12 years or older who engaged in compensatory behaviors for weight control purposes were selected. Descriptive statistics were extracted from 35 studies. Different patterns for weight-control compensatory behaviors emerged between the female and male sexes. Meanwhile, no clear association of such behaviors was found across weight status. Studies reviewed also highlighted three main areas of compensatory behaviors for weight management, namely dietary behaviors, physical activity, and alcohol consumption. Weight-control compensatory behaviors had significant negative correlations with mental health indicators, such as psychosocial functioning, emotional differentiation ability, and body esteem. Weight-control compensatory behaviors may be a widely used weight management strategy and can be presented in diverse ways. Although believed to be promoting health, such behaviors appear to be associated with poor psychological well-being. This emerging topic warrants more in-depth investigation to establish the direction of causation. Future research may investigate the relationship between weight-control compensatory behaviors and various aspects of health over longer time periods, examine the engagement of multiple weight-control compensatory behaviors, and focus on high-risk populations.

Research on the prediction of blasting fragmentation in open-pit coal mines based on KPCA-BAS-BP

The blasting block size of open-pit mines is influenced by many factors, and the influencing factors have a very complex nonlinear relationship. Traditional empirical formulas and a single neural network model cannot meet the requirements of modern blasting safety. To improve the prediction accuracy of blasting block size, the measured data of Beskuduk open-pit coal mine is used as training and testing samples. Seven factors including rock tensile strength, rock compressive strength, and blast hole spacing are selected as input variables of the prediction model. The average size of blasting fragmentation X50 is used as the output variable of the prediction model. The kernel principal component analysis (KPCA) is adopted to reduce the dimensionality of the input variables. The beetle antennae search algorithm (BAS) is selected to optimize the parameters of the initial weights and thresholds of the back propagation (BP) neural network. Finally, prediction model of blasting fragmentation in open-pit coal mine based on KPCA-BAS-BP is established. The results show that the average relative error of the model is 1.77%, and the root mean square error is 1.52%. Compared with the unoptimized BP neural network and the BP neural network optimized by the artificial bee colony algorithm (ABC) model, this model has higher prediction accuracy and is more suitable for predicting the blasting block size of open-pit coal mines, it provides a new method for predicting the fragmentation of blasting under the influence of multiple factors, filling the gap in related theoretical research, and has certain practical application value.

Design and Justice: A Scoping Review in Engineering Design

Abstract Our society faces complex social justice challenges, often exacerbated by existing engineered products and technologies. To avoid unintentionally contributing to social justice, engineering designers play a critical role in creating and studying products and technologies that can aim to address challenges of social injustice. There is a growing priority in the engineering design research community to incorporate justice into design and to do so meaningfully and intentionally. Therefore, there is a need to more deeply understand how scholars have integrated concepts of justice into design and to bring to light areas of future research. In this paper, we conduct a scoping review of design and justice in twelve scholarly venues relevant to the engineering design community. A scoping review allowed for a broad range of topics to be covered to identify major research themes and gaps, and to explore boundaries of the nascent study of design and justice. After searching the relevant venues, we conducted a thematic analysis to capture the major themes in the dataset of papers relating to justice and design. Along with relevant terminology used, we found that scholars connected justice to design in ways that we categorized into three main areas of design: Designers, Design Outcomes, and Design Process. Our analysis highlighted areas of future research in studying justice as relevant to Designers, Outcomes, and Processes, as well as identifying an overall call to redefine the field of design in the pursuit of justice.

“Hi. I’m Molly, Your Virtual Interviewer!” Exploring the Impact of Race and Gender in AI-Powered Virtual Interview Experiences

The persistent issue of human bias in recruitment processes poses a formidable challenge to achieving equitable hiring practices, particularly when influenced by demographic characteristics such as gender and race of both interviewers and candidates. Asynchronous Video Interviews (AVIs), powered by Artificial Intelligence (AI), have emerged as innovative tools aimed at streamlining the application screening process while potentially mitigating the impact of such biases. These AI-driven platforms present an opportunity to customize the demographic features of virtual interviewers to align with diverse applicant preferences, promising a more objective and fair evaluation. Despite their growing adoption, the implications of virtual interviewer identities on candidate experiences within AVIs remain underexplored. We aim to address this research and empirical gap in this paper. To this end, we carried out a comprehensive between-subjects study involving 218 participants across six distinct experimental conditions, manipulating the gender and skin color of an AI virtual interviewer agent. Our empirical analysis revealed that while the demographic attributes of the agents did not significantly influence the overall experience of interviewees, variations in the interviewees' demographics, significantly altered their perception of the AVI process. Further, we uncovered that the mediating roles of Social Presence and Perception of the virtual interviewer critically affect interviewees' Perceptions of Fairness (+), Privacy (-), and Impression management (+).

Exploring the Differences and Similarities between Smart Cities and Sustainable Cities through an Integrative Review

This study adopts an integrative review approach to explore the differences and similarities between smart cities and sustainable cities. The research starts by performing two systematic literature reviews about both paradigms and, after that, employs a thematic analysis to identify key themes, definitions, and characteristics that differentiate and connect these two urban development concepts. The findings reveal more similarities than differences between the two paradigms. Despite this, some key differences are identified. Smart cities are characterized by their use of advanced information and communication technologies to enhance urban infrastructure, improve public services, and optimize resource management. In contrast, sustainable cities focus on environmental conservation, social equity, and economic viability to ensure long-term urban resilience and quality of life. This study is important because it clarifies both concepts and highlights the potential for integrating smart and sustainable city strategies to address contemporary urban challenges more holistically. The findings also suggest a convergence towards the concept of ‘smart sustainable cities’, which leverage technology to achieve sustainability goals. Finally, this study concludes by identifying research gaps and proposing a future research agenda to further understand and optimize the synergy between smart and sustainable urban development paradigms.

Pharmaceuticals removal from hospital wastewater by fluidized aerobic bioreactor in combination with tubesettler

Micropollutants, especially pharmaceutical compounds, are of significant concern owing to their ngL− 1 to µgL− 1 concentration, making them difficult for conventional treatment plants to remove from wastewater. Despite municipal wastewater treatment plant being a primary source of these compounds to be released into the wastewater, on comparison little attention has been given to hospital wastewater. The major focus of studies addressing pharmaceutical compounds is based on synthetic wastewater. This study addresses this research gap by treating wastewater to remove micropollutants (Fluvastatin, ketoprofen, paracetamol, ciprofloxacin, carbamazepine, sulfamethoxazole, and lorazepam) by employing a fluidized aerobic bioreactor. Tubesettler was attached to a fluidized-bed bioreactor to see if it could be used as a polishing unit rather than a secondary clarifier. The environmental risk from the effluent discharge into the environment was assessed regarding the hazard quotient. The paracetamol and ketoprofen were removed at an efficiency of 51% and 60%, respectively, followed by carbamazepine at 50%, ciprofloxacin at 40%, fluvastatin at 47%, sulfamethoxazole at 31%, and lorazepam at 20%. The influent posed moderate environmental risk with (Hazard Quotient) HQ > 0.5, while in effluent the risk was reduced with HQ value 0.4. For effluent from fluidized bed bioreactors (HQ 0.13) and tube setters (HQ 0.15). The associated tube settler was found suitable for polishing units with additional removal efficiencies of 15–43% for all the targeted pharmaceutical compounds. Further studies are required to explore disinfectants’ effect on the reactor’s biodegradation efficiency. Also, further modification and a hybrid version of the fluidized bed bioreactor can be used.

Semantic Enrichment of Non-Graphical Data of a BIM Model of a Public Building from the Perspective of the Facility Manager

Building information modeling (BIM) is undeniably the most important trend in the digitization of the construction sector in recent years. BIM models currently being built are extremely geometrically rich, that is, they are modeled at a high level of detail in terms of geometry. Thanks to object-oriented programming paradigms, BIM models include high-level relationships to ensure interactions between objects, rapid view generation, and documentation. However, these models are not always equally rich in non-graphical data. This is true for parameters at the library object level, with which building object models are saturated, but also at the project, site, building, or floor levels according to the structure of the interoperable industry foundation classes (IFC) format. The current state of knowledge also lacks a clear methodology for inputting such data. For this reason, experimental work was undertaken on semantic enrichment in non-graphical data of a public building (a public kindergarten, Secemin, Poland), which has its BIM model at a high level of geometric detail but is poor in non-graphical data. As a result of the research and development work, all levels of the IFC structure were saturated with non-graphical data and validated, and the possibilities of their use were shown from the perspective of the facility manager. Documentation from the manager was used to achieve this goal, and selected analyses and simulations were performed on the enriched model. This article contributes to the discussion on semantic enrichment from CAD3D to BIM by presenting a detailed process for entering non-graphical data into a BIM model. The presented data entry method can be used by both modelers and facility managers. Thus, this paper fills an important research gap related to semantic enrichment in non-graphical data at different levels of the IFC structure.

Othering Nature in Arundhati Roy’s 'The God of Small Things': A Postcolonial Ecocritical Study

By mainly referring to Huggan and Tiffin (2010) on postcolonial ecocriticism, the study aims to explore how Arundhati Roy’s novel The God of Small Things (1997) contributes new perspectives on the intertwining between postcolonial studies and ecocriticism. In addition, it explores how the anthropocentric attitude of human beings ruins their natural environment. The selected text is analyzed by utilizing the techniques of content analysis. Human beings are involved to ‘other’ natural environments for their economic gains in the name of development. It is the way of justifying their colonizing attitudes and manipulation of nature. The research finds out that the humans’ desires for economic development are materialized through putting aside the traditional ways of agriculture, building dams, clearing forests, and adopting modern ways of living which destroy the balance of their ecosystem. These factors eventually lead towards the ‘othering’ of nature and the natives in the hands of the colonizers, having some hidden economic and political agendas. Though, Roy’s selected text (1997) has been explored through different postcolonial perspectives but, the colonizers’ attitude towards nature and lands of the colonized is ignored. So, the study is an effort to fill this research gap.

Going circular with what we wear and how we build: parallelisms between the Dutch and French catwalks of fashion and construction

Responding to the call for circular transition, the Dutch and French governments aspire to achieve a fully circular economy by developing a transitional agenda in various sectors, including fashion and construction. The two countries are among the top 10 waste generators in the European Union (EU), while the two sectors—fashion and construction—are the largest polluters in the EU. The aim of this study, and its main contribution, is to harmonize circular design principles, which vary by sector into common types, and identify the circular design principle that balances the sustainability dimensions the most. This responds to research gaps that merely describe these design principles applicable to different sectors but which are also silent on which achieves sustainability balance. Using multicriteria decision analysis, selected case studies of companies in the two sectors and countries were scored and ranked according to environmental, economic, and social sustainability indicators. The case projects were selected based on the circular design principle that the enterprises were applying. These principles were standardized for the two sectors to come up with five distinct types, namely, design for (i) biobased materials, (ii) service/adaptability, (iii) disassembly, (iv) waste and material recovery, and (v) longevity. Three forms of triangulation were used to achieve reliability, validity, and equivalence of the findings: (i) data—by doubling the size of the sample cases to 40 establishments from 20, (ii) investigator—by having the authors score the projects separately, and (iii) method—by using two objective weighting methods in scoring the criteria. These techniques resulted in similar rankings of the cases in terms of triple bottom-line scores per design principle. Designing for biobased materials turned out to achieve the most balance. The case projects were also compared regarding performance in achieving the UN Sustainability Development Goals (SDGs), which companies use to integrate sustainability with business. Circularity in fashion and construction primarily targets responsible consumption, production, and climate action. A tertiary SDG was life on water and access to clean water for fashion and life on land and sustainable cities for construction.

Microbial Degradation of Pesticides in Agricultural Environments: A Comprehensive review of Mechanisms, Factors and Biodiversity

Pesticides are used frequently in modern times to prevent and manage crop pests and diseases, but their residual effects have seriously harmed both the environment and the health of humans. Within the fields of all over the world applied restoration of the environment science and technology, the study of microbial breakdown of pesticides in soil ecosystems is a significant research area. Agricultural methods depend on the use of chemicals, including pesticides and herbicides, to control pests and weeds. However, these chemicals pose risks to the environment, human, and animal well-being. Microbes have shown promise in degrading these agricultural environmental hazards, mitigating their negative impact. The organisms that exist in the natural world, the research on bacteria that break down pesticides and herbicides, and the approach for the application of these bacteria has been summarized in the paper. This literature review aims to identify the microbes responsible for degrading these chemicals and assess their effectiveness in doing so. The goal of this review is to determine the bacteria responsible for the deterioration of agricultural environmental hazard chemicals, evaluate their efficacy in degrading these compounds, explore the factors influencing microbial degradation efficiency, and identify research gaps in the field. Inclusion criteria encompass studies published in English between 2010 and 2023 that focus on the degradation of agricultural environmental hazard chemicals by microbes, specifically microbial consortia, under controlled conditions. A systematic literature review will be conducted using databases like ScienceDirect, Web of Science, and PubMed. Data extracted from selected studies will include information on pesticide types, microorganisms involved in degradation, mechanisms of microbial degradation, factors affecting microbial degradation, current trends in microbial degradation of pesticides, biodiversity of pesticide-degrading microbes, plasmid-borne pesticide resistance in bacterial communities, and strategies for pesticide degradation by microbial consortia. This research tries to present a comprehensive knowledge of microbial degradation mechanisms, highlight the potential of microbial consortia in pesticide degradation, and contribute to sustainable and eco-friendly approaches for addressing pesticide residues in agricultural environments. This study focused on the variables that affect the microbial breakdown of pesticides and the technique by which microorganisms decompose under natural conditions. In addition, the current trends of research on the microbial degradation of pesticides as well as a few visible challenges that continue to need attention were described.

Acute toxicity assessment and QSAR modeling of zebrafish embryos exposed to methyl paraben and its halogenated byproducts

Halogenated methyl parabens are formed readily during water chlorination, with or without bromide ion presence. However, research gaps persist in in vivo toxicological assessments of vertebrates exposed to halo-MePs. To address this gap, this study evaluated acute toxicities at 24−96 h-post-fertilization in zebrafish embryos exposed to methyl paraben and its mono- or di-halogenated derivatives, using various apical endpoints. Significant enhanced toxic effects were confirmed for halo-MePs compared to MeP on embryo coagulation (3–19 fold), heartbeat rate decrement (11–80 fold), deformity rate increment (9–68 fold), and hatching failure (4–33 fold), with parentheses indicating the determined toxic potency ratios. Moreover, halo-MePs showed a significantly higher increase in biochemical levels of reactive oxygen species, catalase, superoxide dismutase, and malondialdehyde, while acetylcholinesterase activity was inhibited compared to NT and MeP. The experimental toxic potencies (log(1/EC50 or LC50)) were compared with the predicted ones (log(1/EC50 or LC50, baseline)) using the baseline toxicity Quantitative Structure-Activity Relationship previously established for zebrafish embryos. Halo-MePs were specific (or reactive) toxicants based on their toxic ratios of more than 10 for apical endpoints including heartbeat rate, deformity rate, and hatching rate, while MeP acted as a baseline toxicant. Overall, this study presents the comprehensive toxicological assessment of halo-MePs in zebrafish embryos, contributing to an essential in vivo toxicity database for halogenated phenolic contaminants in aquatic ecosystems.

Artificial neural networking for computational assessment of ternary hybrid nanofluid flow caused by a stretching sheet: implications of machine-learning approach

Researchers are mainly interested in using soft computing artificial intelligence (AI) methods due to their broad applications in analysis, modelling and simulations. Backpropagation neural networks, one of the supervised learning algorithms, is commonly used to train data networks by optimizing the error between actual and predicted values. To optimize this process of training data, Levenberg-Marquardt algorithm is applied; particularly beneficial for solving nonlinear fluid flow problems. Little knowledge is known about the ternary-hybrid nanofluid flow caused by a stretching surface with heat generation, viscous dissipation, magnetic effect and porosity etc. This article presents a novel machine-learning approach using backpropagation neural networks augmented with the Levenberg-Marquardt procedure to figure out the ternary-hybrid nanofluid flow generated by a stretching sheet. It uniquely examines the mixture of copper, Iron oxide and silicon dioxide nanoparticles inside a single base fluid within a magnetic field, tackling the research gaps in the effects of heat generation, viscous dissipation, porosity, and magnetic effects on fluid flow system and heat transfer. Shooting numerical technique (RK-5th) is used for solving the governing ordinary equations. Graphical illustration, error analysis, mean squared error, histograms and regression analysis justify the proposed method, showing better performance for ternary nanofluids.

A novel approach to measure perceived customer centricity in the passenger airline industry: Index development and validation

This study addresses a significant gap in current research by developing and validating a comprehensive index for measuring perceived customer centricity in the passenger airline industry. The index was derived using a rigorous scale development methodology based on three surveys with a total of 963 participants. The process involved construct definition, item generation, and item validation through exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses. The final measurement index comprises 19 items across four dimensions (Customer Care & Experience, Communication & Product, Sustainability, and Value) and demonstrates strong discriminant and convergent validity, providing a reliable tool for assessing customer perceptions. Therefore, this research introduces the first validated measure of perceived customer centricity specifically designed for the airline industry and offers practical insights for airline managers, enabling them to identify specific areas where customer perceptions fall short and to make targeted improvements. Additionally, the index serves as an alternative to the industry-wide adopted Net Promoter Score (NPS). It extends current literature by providing an industry-specific scale and offers a practical instrument for enhancing customer-centric strategies in real-world applications, thereby fostering long-term, mutually beneficial relationships. Additionally, it provides empirical evidence of the multidimensional nature of customer centricity and offers a validated tool that can be applied in future research to explore customer perceptions and their impact on airline performance, thus satisfying both practical and academic needs.

Relationship Between Resiliency, Personality Traits, Athletic Identity, and Dynamic Balance and Functional Performance with the Occurrence of Sports Injuries in Female Bodybuilders

Background: Bodybuilding is a widely embraced physical activity pursued for health enhancement and fitness improvement. However, reports indicate a notable prevalence of sports injuries among bodybuilders. Objectives: This study aims to explore the correlation between resiliency, personality traits, athletic identity, dynamic balance of upper and lower limbs, and functional performance with the occurrence of sports injuries in female bodybuilders, addressing a gap in previous research on this specific population. Methods: This case-control study was conducted in Tehran from 2022 to 2023. Standardized questionnaires assessing personality traits, resiliency, athletic identity, and sports injuries, along with functional screening tests and the Y balance test for upper and lower limbs, were administered to 110 female bodybuilders (average age 36.8 ± 1.8). Results: The findings revealed that sports injuries are prevalent among female bodybuilders, with an average prevalence rate of 40.1%. The most commonly affected areas were the lower back (19.1%), knee (17.6%), and shoulder (14.7%). In terms of personality traits and resiliency, female bodybuilders with a history of injury exhibited higher mean scores in neuroticism, extraversion, openness to experience, and athletic identity compared to those without a history of injury (P < 0.05), while responsibility and resilience scores were significantly lower (P < 0.05). Moreover, the average scores of the lower limb Y balance test and FMS for female bodybuilders with a history of injury were significantly lower than those without a history of injury (P < 0.05). Conclusions: These findings suggest that athletic trainers and physiotherapists should consider these psychological and functional factors to help prevent sports injuries among female bodybuilders.

Investigating the impact of stressors on stress level among the chinese’s students: the moderating role of chinese painting experience

PurposeThis study explored how relational, personal, and environmental factors as stressors affected the stress levels of students while also investigating the moderating effect of experience with Chinese painting on the relationship between stressors and students' stress levels. By examining these dynamics, the research aimed to provide insights into effective coping strategies for students facing academic pressures.Design/Methodology/ApproachA quantitative research methodology was employed, utilizing online and self-administered surveys to collect data from 384 respondents in Shandong Province, China. The data were analyzed using SPSS and Smart PLS.FindingsThe research revealed a positive correlation among stressors, stress levels among students, and Chinese painting experience. The study successfully established the moderating effect within the context of significant results. Theoretical implications, along with identified research gaps in the literature, highlighted a culturally inclusive framework. Findings suggested that engaging in Chinese painting provided mental peace, reduced stress levels, and fostered professional growth among students.Research Practical ImplicationsThe study illuminated the impact of stressors—such as relational, personal, and environmental factors—on students' stress levels. Given the rising prevalence of stressors among students, universities were encouraged to consider implementing Chinese painting classes. Such classes had been shown to alleviate stress and promote physical fitness. Furthermore, integrating Chinese painting therapy practices into student life could enhance overall well-being and academic performance.Originality/ValueThere was a paucity of studies elucidating how stressors contributed to heightened stress levels among students. This study, however, concentrated on examining the relationship between Chinese painting experience and stress levels specifically among Chinese students.

High-temperature anaerobic calcination for stabilizing environmentally stressful elements in phosphoric acid production by-products

Phosphorus tailings (P) refer to the waste materials left over after the extraction of phosphorus from phosphate rock during mining and processing. phosphogypsum (PG) is typical by-products of phosphoric acid production (PPB), containing numerous environmentally hazardous elements (EHE) that pose significant risks to ecological safety. In this study, we examined the impact of high-temperature anaerobic calcination on the migration and immobilization of EHE in PPB. The results indicated that higher temperature ranges favorably controlled the leaching toxicity of PPB. In the calcination products of P and PG, the inhibition efficiency of Pb leaching toxicity reached 84.93% and 89.33%, respectively. Under higher temperature conditions (P at 700 °C, PG at 600 °C), the inhibition of Cr leaching toxicity reached 100%. The inhibitory effects of high-temperature environments on EHE in PPB were ranked as fluorine > phosphorus > heavy metals. The mechanisms of migration and transformation of EHE in PPB under high-temperature anaerobic calcination were elucidated in three aspects, ranked from strongest to weakest. Firstly, the encapsulation of EHE by a shell-like structure, attributed to the “melt-wrap” phenomenon. Secondly, the decomposition-gasification phenomenon induced by high-temperature conditions. Thirdly, the effect of high temperature on the transformation of the storage forms of EHE. This study fills a research gap in the field of thermal treatment of PPB, enhancing the understanding of the specific effects of thermal treatment on the transformation of EHE in PPB, and provides theoretical and data support for the high-temperature thermal treatment of solid wastes.

Dealing with Mental Health Problems and Work Performance Among Frontline Healthcare Workers Through the Influence of Digital Platform in Malaysian Private Hospitals: A conceptual analysis

The purpose of this study to examine mental health problems of frontline healthcare workers and their impact on work performance through exploring the influence of digital platforms in Malaysian private hospitals. This research is essential in addressing previous knowledge and theoretical gaps on the antecedents that denote to mental health problems and how digital platforms are used to improve mental health wellbeing. Basically, this study discusses the impact of four independent variables which are categorized as depression, anxiety, insomnia and distress factors whereas dependent variable is work performance. This study also will discuss problems concerning work performance of frontline healthcare workers (doctors, nurses, medical assistance, pharmacists and HR Management), specifically on poor service quality, turnover intention, work-related burnout, and exhaustion in Malaysian private hospitals. Hence, this study explores new solutions on the employees’ work performance related issues to create awareness for the Malaysian private hospitals in improving mental health issues among front-line healthcare workers to enhance their work performance through the influence of digital platforms. Private hospitals in Malaysia are experiencing critical situations related to poor employees’ performance which indirectly influence the overall productivity. Thus, private hospitals need to provide serious attention towards these related issues. A conceptual framework was formulated based on identified research gaps through the literature review. It is expected that this study will enhance the awareness for the management in Malaysian private hospitals on dealing with mental health problems which impacts work performance by exploring digital platforms as a solution.

Who Shortlists? Evidence on Gender Disparities in Hiring Outcomes

A substantial body of research examines the relevance of hiring as a source of gender disparities in organizations. However, there is limited evidence on how different sets of key organizational decision makers contribute to gender disparities in hiring outcomes. To address this research gap, we exploit the staggered adoption of a new hiring process in a multinational corporation, which transferred from hiring managers to HR departments the task of shortlisting: narrowing a large pool of candidates to a more manageable set before final decision making. Using a difference-in-differences design, we find that the transfer of shortlisting responsibility increased the share of newly hired women. Additional tests based on quantitative and qualitative data are largely consistent with our finding that the transfer of shortlisting from hiring managers to HR departments led to fewer gender disparities in hiring outcomes given the increased expert knowledge in evaluating candidates and reduced opportunity costs for conducting such evaluations. Our setting offers a unique opportunity to help isolate key organizational decision makers’ role in contributing to gender disparities in hiring outcomes, and our findings have implications for how to alleviate gender disparities in employment.