Hybrid Combination Research Articles

Molecular Mechanisms of Heterosis and Its Applications in Tree Breeding: Progress and Perspectives

Heterosis, or hybrid vigor, refers to the phenomenon where hybrid progenies outperform their parents in traits such as yield and resistance. This phenomenon has been widely applied in plant breeding. Recent advances in high-throughput genomics have significantly advanced our understanding of heterosis. This review systematically summarizes the genetic, molecular, and epigenetic mechanisms underlying heterosis. Furthermore, we discuss recent advances in predictive methods for heterosis and their applications in improving growth rate, resistance to abiotic stresses, and wood yield in tree species. We also explore the role of tree genomics in unraveling the mechanisms underlying heterosis, emphasizing the potential of integrating high-resolution genomics, single-cell sequencing, and spatial transcriptomics to achieve a comprehensive understanding of heterosis from the molecular to spatial levels. Building on this, CRISPR-based gene-editing technologies can be employed to precisely edit heterotic loci, enabling the study of allele function. Additionally, molecular marker-assisted selection (MAS) can be utilized to identify heterotic loci in parental lines, facilitating the selection of optimal hybrid combinations and significantly reducing the labor and time costs of hybrid breeding. Finally, we review the utilization of heterosis in tree breeding and provide a forward-looking perspective on future research directions, highlighting the potential of integrating multi-omics approaches and emerging gene-editing tools to revolutionize tree hybrid breeding.

A Comparative Metabolomics Study of the Potential Marker Compounds in Feces from Different Hybrid Offspring of Huainan Pigs

As a notable native Chinese genetic population, the Huainan pig has an exceptional meat quality but a low percentage of lean meat and subpar genetic performance. To better exploit the superior genetic traits of the Huainan pig and address knowledge gaps regarding the optimization of its hybrid offspring, this study used Huainan pigs as the maternal line and bred them with Yorkshire, Landrace, and Berkshire sires. This approach produced three hybrid combinations: Yorkshire × Huainan (YH), Landrace × Huainan (LH), and Berkshire × Huainan (BH). The body size, fat ratio, and average backfat thickness of these hybrid progeny were evaluated under the same feeding management and nutritional circumstances. The results revealed that the average backfat thickness of YH was significantly lower than that of LH and BH. In order to better understand the causes of these variations, fecal samples were taken from three pigs in each group for metabolomic analysis. A total of 2291 metabolites were identified, including benzene derivatives (16.6%), amino acids and their metabolites (14.5%), and organic acids (13.4%), with pyruvaldehyde and norethindrone acetate elevated in YH compared to LH and BH. In addition, the three hybrid pig groups commonly exhibited differences in the “glycerophospholipid metabolism” pathway. This variation may also contribute to differences in their fat ratio and backfat thickness. Our findings provide a novel perspective on the role of hybrid vigor in advancing the genetic population of Huainan pigs, while also revealing the unique metabolic characteristics of the YH with regard to fat deposition. This study is expected to enhance the conservation and effective utilization of genetic resources within the Huainan pig population.

Construction and evaluation of a model for efficient identification of photothermal sensitivity of tobacco cultivars based on agronomic traits.

The photothermal sensitivity of tobacco refers to the degree to which tobacco responds to changes in light and temperature conditions in its growth environment, which is crucial for determining the planting area of cultivars and improving tobacco yield and quality. In order to accurately and effectively evaluate the photothermal sensitivity of tobacco cultivars, this study selected five cultivars and their hybrid combinations with significant differences planted under different ecological conditions from 2021 to 2022 as materials. The experiment was conducted in two locations with significant differences in temperature and light. We measured the agronomic traits and biomass of the experimental materials, and constructed an effective tobacco photothermal sensitivity evaluation model using principal component analysis, membership function, and regression analysis. The reliability of the model was evaluated by utilizing the photosynthetic characteristics, chlorophyll content, and antioxidant enzyme system activity of the experimental materials. The results showed that tobacco biomass is the most important principal component in agricultural traits, and the comprehensive evaluation model for tobacco photothermal sensitivity is: y = 0.4571y1 + 0.2406y2 + 0.1725y3, where the fitting coefficients R2 of y1, y2, and y3 are 0.945, 0.851, and 0.977, respectively; The photothermal sensitivity of the experimental materials was calculated using this model, and the comprehensive ranking of the 11 experimental materials is: G3 < G5 < G10 < G9 < G11 < G6 < G7 < G2 < G4 < G8 < G1. Conventional identification methods have found that G2, G4, G6, G7, G8, and G11 are sensitive materials, G3, G5, and G10 are insensitive materials, and G1 and G9 are intermediate materials. The consistency rate of the evaluation results of the two methods reached 90.91%. And there is a significant correlation between the agronomic traits selected in the model and the physiological indicators selected by conventional evaluation methods, providing a scientific basis for evaluating the light temperature sensitivity of tobacco cultivars using agronomic traits in this study. The results indicate that the photothermal sensitivity evaluation model established in this study provides an efficient, convenient, and reliable method for evaluating the photothermal sensitivity of tobacco.

Combining ability of new maize lines according to grain productivity and its components

The most important indicator of the initial material’s value in breeding for heterosis is its combining ability. The purpose of the current work was to study the combining ability of new self-pollinated maize lines according to grain productivity and its main components. The study was conducted at the FSBSI “ARC “Donskoy”, located in the southern part of the Rostov region with unstable moisture, in 2021–2023. The objects of the studies were 9 new constant self-pollinated maize lines and the line ‘RD 329’, used as a standard. The objects of the studies were also 3 testers, simple maize hybrids ‘Kros 1’, ‘Kros 2’, ‘Kros 3’ and 30 new test-cross hybrids of maize. There have been identified new highly heterotic maize hybrids of practical interest ‘Kros1×Sl 303’ (5.05 t/ha), ‘Kros1×Sl 308’ (4.75 t/ha), ‘Kros1×Sl 309’ (4.84 t/ha). There have been identified new self-pollinated lines ‘Sl 303’ (gi = 0.56), ‘Sl 308’ (gi = 0.43) and ‘Sl 309’ (gi = 0.47) with high combining ability according to the trait ‘grain productivity’ and are recommended for use in programs of hybridization. Self-pollinated lines with high GCA according to grain productivity, as a rule, had higher GCA for such productivity traits as ‘a number of grains per ear’, ‘one ear weight’ and ‘a number of ears per plant’. This contributed to the formation of a large number of grains per ear in test-cross maize hybrids (623–655 pcs.), the formation of ears with a large weight (131–147 g), and the absence of sterile plants in dry conditions. The combining ability according to the trait ‘1000-grain weight’ had no effect on productivity of test-cross hybrids in dry conditions. The use of self-pollinated lines with high values of productivity traits and transmitting high values to hybrids made it possible to develop new productive hybrid combinations.

Predicting Green Water Footprint of Sugarcane Crop Using Multi-Source Data-Based and Hybrid Machine Learning Algorithms in White Nile State, Sudan

Water scarcity and climate change present substantial obstacles for Sudan, resulting in extensive migration. This study seeks to evaluate the effectiveness of machine learning models in forecasting the green water footprint (GWFP) of sugarcane in the context of climate change. By analyzing various input variables such as climatic conditions, agricultural data, and remote sensing metrics, the research investigates their effects on the sugarcane cultivation period from 2001 to 2020. A total of seven models, including random forest (RF), extreme gradient boosting (XGBoost), and support vector regressor (SVR), in addition to hybrid combinations like RF-XGB, RF-SVR, XGB-SVR, and RF-XGB-SVR, were applied across five scenarios (Sc) which includes different combinations of variables used in the study. The most significant mean bias error (MBE) was recorded in RF with Sc3 (remote sensing parameters), at 5.14 m3 ton−1, followed closely by RF-SVR at 5.05 m3 ton−1, while the minimum MBE was 0.03 m3 ton−1 in RF-SVR with Sc1 (all parameters). SVR exhibited the highest R2 values throughout all scenarios. Notably, the R2 values for dual hybrid models surpassed those of triple hybrid models. The highest Nash–Sutcliffe efficiency (NSE) value of 0.98 was noted in Sc2 (climatic parameters) and XGB-SVR, whereas the lowest NSE of 0.09 was linked to SVR in Sc3. The root mean square error (RMSE) varied across different ML models and scenarios, with Sc3 displaying the weakest performance regarding remote sensing parameters (EVI, NDVI, SAVI, and NDWI). Effective precipitation exerted the most considerable influence on GWFP, contributing 81.67%, followed by relative humidity (RH) at 7.5% and Tmax at 5.24%. The study concludes that individual models were as proficient as, or occasionally surpassed, double and triple hybrid models in predicting GWFP for sugarcane. Moreover, remote sensing indices demonstrated minimal positive influence on GWFP prediction, with Sc3 producing the lowest statistical outcomes across all models. Consequently, the study advocates for the use of hybrid models to mitigate the error term in the prediction of sugarcane GWFP.

Security constrained optimal power flow solution for practical transmission grid using hybrid use of generating plant and network restructuring

This paper presented a study on the security constrained optimal power flow (SCOPF) of a practical transmission utility grid network (TUGN). The objectives of reduction in the transmission losses of TUGN (TLGN) and to minimize the bus voltage deviations (BVD) are achieved by addition of thermal power plant (TPP) and network restructuring (NR). Identification of best fit node for generation injection is achieved using the method based on hybrid combination of analytic approach and genetic algorithm (GA). Efficacy of the proposed study is evaluated using the computation of energy equivalent to network loss saving, percentage derating of the load (PDOL), voltage profile, bus voltage deviations, and financial analysis (FA). Study is performed without and with contingency (N-1) for the base case network, TUGN with addition of TPP and TUGN with addition of TPP and NR. This is established that addition of TPP, addition of TPP with NR are effective to reduce the TLGN, improve the voltage profile and minimize the bus voltage deviations. This study is more efficient compared to various studies reported in literature.

Green hybrid composites partially reinforced with flax woven fabric and coconut shell waste-based micro-fillers

This research is focused on hybrid green composites using flax woven fabric in which the matrix phase was further reinforced with coconut shell waste-based cellulosic microparticles as fillers. Mesoscale mechanical models were successfully developed to simulate the tensile properties of such hybrid composites based on hybridization of fibers and biobased materials using epoxy resin. S-glass fabrics with plain, twill and biaxial constructions, were used as the outer layers, while plain-woven flax fabric was used as the middle layer. A high level of agreement was observed between the experimental and predicted values. The static tensile tests were followed by cyclic tensile tests, microscopic analysis of fracture surfaces and dynamic mechanical analysis. The influence of the hybrid fabric geometry and combination with biowaste-based micro cellulosic material was observed to significantly influence the tensile properties determined by both experimental and numerical analysis. Dynamic mechanical analysis also validated the quasistatic measurements. A higher storage modulus and loss modulus were registered for the hybrid composites impregnated with a 1 % bio filler-based matrix. The damping factor (tan delta) was lower for the hybrid composites than for the nonhybrid samples and the control samples from the pure matrix. This difference is attributed to the stronger interface between the fibers and the particle-based matrix, which restricts the molecular mobility and increases the stiffness of the composites. Fractographic images were obtained by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) to study the failure modes and mechanisms of the composite samples. The microparticles were uniformly dispersed in the epoxy resin and thus enabled microcracking rather than macrocracks. The failure mainly occurred due to fiber failure, matrix cracking and delamination. Such hybrid composites are useful for exterior and interior components in automotive applications.

Demonstration scale treatment of drainage canal water in the Nile Delta through a combination of facultative lagoons and hybrid constructed wetlands

Drainage canal water (DCW), a mixture of Nile water, drainage water and municipal wastewater, is largely used for irrigation in the Nile Delta. Facultative lagoons (FL) and constructed wetlands (CWs) represent interesting options for DCW treatment before its agricultural re-use, but very few studies investigated their implementation in Egypt. This work aimed at developing at demonstration scale (250 m3 d-1) a FL+CW treatment train capable to turn DCW into an effluent reusable in agriculture. Three types of hybrid CWs were tested in parallel for 530 days. The combination of FL with a cascade hybrid CW, operated at a 200 L d-1 m-2 surface loading rate, led to medium-to-high removal efficiencies (suspended solids 90%, total nitrogen 84%, phosphate 80%, COD 67%, faecal coliforms 2.2 Log) and surface removal rates (COD 47.5 t y-1 ha-1, total nitrogen 10.9 t y-1 ha-1, faecal coliforms 1.5 1011 MPN y-1 ha-1). The effluent, compliant with class C of EU 2020/741 regulation, is potentially reusable to irrigate numerous Egyptian crops. The results show that the combination of FLs with cascade hybrid CWs has a great potential for the treatment of DCW and low-strength municipal wastewater, with near-zero energy consumption, null consumption of chemicals and a land requirement varying between 1.1% and 1.5% of the agricultural land irrigated with the treated DCW.

Enhanced activity of split trehalase biosensors by interspecies domain combineering.

The split trehalase biosensor has potential as a versatile diagnostic technology. Split enzymes are engineered proteins, divided into inactive fragments, which can reassemble and regain activity when brought together by an analyte. The split TreA biosensor requires no sample processing and produces stable signals (in the form of glucose). Split trehalase reagents can function in blood, but periplasmic trehalase of E.coli requires blood acidification for maximal activity. The objective of this study was to obtain split trehalase with near physiological pH optimum. For this purpose, periplasmic trehalases of Cellvibrio spp. with higher activity at neutral pH, were split in analogy with the E. coli TreA into hood and catalytic domains. However, these split trehalases displayed self-complementation due to spontaneous reassembly. In contrast, when catalytic domains of Cellvibrio trehalases were combined with E.coli hood domains, these hybrids displayed conditional complementation capacity when split trehalase fragments fused to immunoglobulin-binding protein G (STIGA) were used to quantify immunoglobulin concentrations. Other hybrid combinations of Cellvibrio spp. had increased activity compared to the cognate pairs, albeit with strong self-complementation. A mutagenesis analysis of residues responsible for self-complementation led to uncoupling of self-complementation from allostery. The Michaelis-Menten kinetics of Cellvibrio enzymes and fragment pairs confirmed improved activity of a mutated hybrid pair of Cellvibrio hood and catalytic domains at physiological pH. In conclusion, the improvements in pH optimum and activity, demonstrated with STIGA, can now be leveraged to enhance other variations of the split trehalase biosensor platform, broadening its utility for testing clinical samples.

Bio-inspired widening concrete using cellulose nanofiber to enhance multiscale Fiber–Matrix interface

The cracking issue at the bonded interface due to the differing shrinkage performances of newly poured concrete and existing concrete poses a significant threat to the safe service of composite structures. Inspired by the musculoskeletal system, we propose the use of multiscale hybrid reinforced concrete materials, incorporating basalt fiber (BF), polypropylene (PP) fiber, and cellulose nanofiber (CNF), for bridge widening structures. Experimental investigations were carried out to assess the bond splitting tensile strength, diagonal shear strength, crack resistance, development of drying shrinkage deformation, and the propagation behavior of restrained shrinkage-induced cracks in both new and old concrete reinforced with single and hybrid combinations of BF, PP fiber, and CNF. The microstructure, phase composition, and pore structure evolution of BF, PP fiber, and CNF-reinforced concrete were observed and analyzed using scanning electron microscopy, thermogravimetric and derivative thermogravimetric analysis, nuclear magnetic resonance, and mercury intrusion porosimetry. The results indicate that the incorporation of BF, PP fiber, and CNF exhibits excellent synergistic effects, improving the bond and shrinkage performance of the concrete interface. As the CNF content increases, the macro fiber–matrix interface improves. This bio-inspired work will contribute to the development of strong, tough, and sustainable concrete for bridge widening structures.

Морфофизиологический тестинг Linum ussitatissimum L. в условиях различного уровня хлоридного засоления

The selection of resistant varieties under conditions of abiotic stress is an urgent direction in the adaptive selection of flax. The presented work reflects the assessment of the phenotypic variability of 12 hybrid combinations of flax-longshanks according to the morphophysiological parameters of seedlings under the action of chloride salinization of two levels (E1, E2). The genotypes of flax of the fourth (F4) – fifth (F5) generations were used as objects of research. Significant differences (p&gt;0.05, p&gt;0.01, p&gt;0.001) between hybrid populations and media were revealed for most of the studied indicators. Genotypic features (G) caused the formation of flax combinations of dry shoot mass, chlorophyll content in cotyledon leaves (16.2 -37.7%), medium – raw shoot mass and chlorophyll content (30.6 – 50.0%), interaction of genotype and medium – root length, germination index (26.8 – 45.5%). The negative effect of two environmental conditions on seed germination and further development of flax seedlings has been established. By root length Gen1, Gen5, Gen9, Gen10, Gen11; shoot length – Gen1, Gen2, Gen3, Gen7, Gen12; raw root weight – Gen1, Gen4, Gen5, Gen10; dry root weight – Gen1, Gen4, Gen5; the crude mass of the shoot is Gen1, Gen5; the dry mass of the shoot is Gen1, Gen4, Gen5, Gen7; the chlorophyll content is Gen2, Gen8. Resistance to salt stress in two environmental conditions was characterized by 41.6% of combinations in shoot length, 33.3% in raw root weight, dry shoot weight, 25.0% in dry root weight, 16.6% in raw shoot weight, chlorophyll content, which can be recommended for further breeding work when developing an adaptive strategy for creating new flax varieties -dolgunts in the soil and climatic conditions of the Tyumen region. Keywords: FLAX, HYBRIDIZATION, STABILITY INDEX, SPAD-502 PLUS, SELECTION

Use of heterosis and transgression events to optimize sizes of leaves in variety group Burley tobacco

The manifestations of heterosis and transgression regarding the length and width of the leaves in ten hybrid combinations of Burley tobacco аre investigated. The results of the study show that in almost all variants and in both indicators, the values of the hypothetical heterosis exceed those of the real one. According to length of leaves heterosis with economic significance is observed only in one of the investigated hybrid combinations. Transgressive manifestations for this indicator are even less pronounced and are not significant in any of the studied options. In contrast to length of leaves the manifestations of heterosis are of economic importance in six of the ten crosses studied and could be successfully used to increase of width of leaves. Transgressive events in width of leaves are less pronounced than heterosis, but much more pronounced than those in the length. Direction of crossing affects the heterosis manifestations only of the length of the leaves but not those concerning their width. In terms to width of leaves, the manifestations of heterosis and transgression are related. Of all the studied variants, the one with the highest selection value regarding sizes of leaves is Hybrid 1555.

Additional Advantages for Agronomic Performance and Fruit Quality in Tomato Hybrids of the Saladette Type Derived from a Dwarf Male Parent

Tomatoes have tremendous economic, social, and nutritional importance. Among the various types of tomatoes, the Saladette/Italian stands out as an important cultivar for both fresh consumption and industrial processing. The production of this vegetable requires investments exceeding USD 30,000.00. Strategies that increase productivity to offset these costs are fundamental. One proposal to increase yield potential in tomato is the production of new hybrids using dwarf male parents as donors through an organized backcross breeding scheme. The present study, therefore, evaluated possible improvements in the agronomic performance and fruit quality of Saladette hybrids obtained from crosses between normal and dwarf inbred lines. Seventeen tomato hybrids obtained from three backcrosses (BC1, BC2, and BC3) and two commercial cultivars as a control (cv. Bento and Vivacy) were evaluated. The data were analyzed using the Scott–Knott test, and artificial neural networks were used to study the dissimilarities among the hybrids. The hybrids obtained from the dwarf male parent exhibited morphological changes in the plants, including a reduction in internodes, a greater number of bunches per linear meter of plant, and biofortification of the fruits. Notably, from the second backcross onwards, increases in fruit productivity and quality were observed when creating hybrid combinations from dwarf male parents.

Green Advances in Wet Finishing Methods and Nanoparticles for Daily Textiles.

This work presented an overview of greener technologies for realizing everyday fabrics with enhanced antibacterial activity, flame retardancy, water repellency, and UV protection. Traditional methods for improving these qualities in textiles involved dangerous chemicals, energy and water-intensive procedures, harmful emissions. New strategies are presented in response to the current emphasis on process and product sustainability. Nanoparticles (NPs) are suggested as a potential alternative for hazardous components in textile finishing. NPs are found to efficiently decrease virus transmission, limit combustion events, protect against UV radiation, and prevent water from entering, through a variety of mechanisms. Some attempts are made to increase NPs efficiency and promote long-term adherence to textile surfaces. Traditional wet finishing methods are implemented through a combination of advanced green technologies (plasma pre-treatment, ultrasound irradiations, sol-gel, and layer-by-layer self-assembly methods). The fibrous surface is activated by adding functional groups that facilitate NPs grafting on the textile substrate by basic interactions (chemical, physical, or electrostatic), also indirectly via crosslinkers, ligands, or coupling agents. Finally, other green options explore the use of NPs synthesized from bio-based materials or hybrid combinations, as well as inorganic NPs from green synthesis to realize ecofriendly finishing able to provide durable and protective fabrics.

Hybrid Geopolymer Composites Based on Fly Ash Reinforced with Glass and Flax Fibers

This article’s aim is to analyze physical, mechanical, and fracture properties as well as the thermal investigation of geopolymer composites reinforced with flax, glass fiber, and also the hybrid combination of fibers. Two types of matrices were considered as composites matrices. The first composition was based on fly ash and river sand. The second matrix composition contained fly ash and glass spheres. The content of reinforcement was 1% by mass. Compressive strength and three-point bending fracture tests were performed. The values of fracture toughness and fracture energy were determined. The resonance method was used to verify the dynamic characteristics, such as the dynamic modulus of elasticity and the dynamic Poisson ratio. The results show that single-type fibers in composites based on fly ash and glass spheres did not affect compressive strength. However, introducing hybrid reinforcement increased compressive strength by about 10% compared to the reference specimens. Flax fibers and hybrid reinforcement ensured higher fracture toughness and energy. The results also revealed great potential for glass sphere application to geopolymer materials in terms of fracture mechanics and thermal properties. Despite the lower strength properties in relation to geopolymers based on sand aggregate, applying reinforced fibers into the composite with glass spheres enhanced the compressive strength compared to other materials. Materials modified with glass spheres have a thermal conductivity twice as low as that of materials containing river sand.

Combining Ability of Capsicum annuum Hybrid for Antioxidant Activities, Polyphenol Content, α-Glucosidase Inhibitory, Yield, and Yield Components.

Chili (Capsicum annuum) consumption is often suggested, and using functional food cultivars is the most effective strategy post COVID-19 pandemic. Controlling chili breeding activity is one of the most effective methods to produce new hybrid varieties. However, the general combining ability (GCA), specific combining ability (SCA), and heterotic effect of functional biochemicals (polyphenol content, antioxidant activities, and α-glucosidase inhibitory compounds) remain poorly known in C. annuum. This study aimed to estimate these parameters in C. annuum by using five different genotypes and their hybrid combinations based on growth characteristics, yield, yield components, and fruit functional biochemicals. The F1 and F1R progenies were obtained from crosses in a greenhouse with a full diallel mating design. Each parent used in this study had a GCA advantage for each characteristic. The hybrid combination of IPB074 × IPB005 and IPB435 × IPB367 displayed the best yield results. However, the results indicated the opposite regarding α-glucosidase inhibitory compounds. The heterotic effect of functional biochemicals was observed for traits related to genotypes, polyphenol content, antioxidant activity, α-glucosidase inhibitory compounds, and similar properties related to yield and yield components, indicating their use in hybrid chili production.

Novel Approach for Seamless Connectivity in Next Generation Networking using Hybrid Combination of Cuckoo's Optimization and Hidden Markov Model

Novel Approach for Seamless Connectivity in Next Generation Networking using Hybrid Combination of Cuckoo's Optimization and Hidden Markov Model

Channel estimation via compressed sampling matching pursuit for hybrid MIMO architectures in millimeter wave communication

ABSTRACT In recent times, there are considerable research efforts in utilising millimetre wave cellular system for meeting rising mobile traffic volume and escalating data rate demand. In this regard, several analytical models have been developed for obtaining Channel State Information (CSI) for the design of combiner and precoder architectures for millimetre wave communication. One prominent method that has caught the attention of most researchers is the Orthogonal Matching Pursuit (OMP) which performs poorly in noisy condition. As a result, this work introduces Compressed Sampling Matching Pursuit (CoSAMP) as alternative to OMP for obtaining CSI for the design of hybrid combiner. A comparative analysis of all the cases examined reveals that CoSAMP surpasses OMP and Least Square (LS) across SNR range of −30 dB to −10 dB, recording lowest Normalized Mean Square Error (NMSE), highest Spectral Efficiency (SE) and bit rate. For instance at −20 dB, NMSE of CoSAMP exhibits 95% and 86% gain over LS and OMP, respectively while SE and bit rate of CoSAMP are better than OMP and LS by 21% and 91%, respectively. It is therefore seen that CoSAMP is a better technique for estimating CSI and for combiner design in such condition.

Assessing Omnichannel Service Quality in the Public Sector

ABSTRACTServices in the public sector are often provided as a hybrid combination of both digital (e.g., online registration) and physical (e.g., offline appointment) service channels, which can be referred to as omnichannel services. There is a lack of instruments in the literature that can measure the perceived quality of public sector omnichannel services. The goal of this paper is to develop and empirically validate an instrument to fill this research gap. The key contribution of this paper is the Technology, Information, Human, Process, System (TIHPS) framework, which represents the first instrument designed to assess the quality of public sector omnichannel services. An empirical validation using responses from 365 service recipients supports the validity and robustness of this instrument. We discuss how the TIHPS framework can be useful to governments, practitioners, and researchers alike.

Teaching Peace Top-down, Bottom-up, or Both? Navigating Basic Dilemmas in Cross-Cultural Conflict Resolution Education

Abstract Despite decades of calls by the international community for the need to pivot the primary approach to cross-cultural conflict resolution education away from privileging Western, prescriptive models and methods of outside educators toward those based on the knowledge and expertise of local stakeholders, the dominant top-down paradigm persists. This article presents a new framework for cross-cultural conflict resolution education that builds on John Paul Lederach’s original distinction between prescriptive (top-down) versus elicitive (bottom-up) approaches, and extends it through grounded-theory research with expert practitioners working across cultures in conflict zones. The result is a contingency approach to working adaptively across different types of cross-cultural situations—based on five key factors—as well as insights into enacting hybrid combinations of both approaches. The implications and next steps for research and practice are discussed.