Research Paths Research Articles

Conservatism, the Far Right, and the Environment

Sociology operates with an impoverished understanding of conservatism and the natural environment. The discipline's focus on antiregulatory and antiscience dimensions of conservative politics can obscure a more comprehensive, historically deep, and theoretically rich understanding of conservatism's connection to nature. We review and integrate sociological research with a large multidisciplinary global literature on conservative and far right environmental thought. Our analysis shows an intellectual tradition built around three commitments concerning the moral order of nature and society: naturalism, organicism, and pastoralism. Rather than being antiscientific, these traditions have drawn heavily on natural science for their authority. After tracing their history, we consider several contemporary manifestations, sometimes in ways that are counterintuitive to sociology's dominant understanding of conservatism. Conservative thought, including its far right edges, maintains a firm hold on global politics while climate change transforms the planet. To better understand these dynamics, sociology must continue to integrate work from other socioenvironmental fields. This review begins to correct this neglect and charts a path for future research at this increasingly impactful intersection.

Progress of persulfate-based advanced oxidation process (PS-AOPs) coupled with ultrafiltration membrane to alleviate membrane fouling: A review

Membrane fouling significantly hampers the extensive deployment of ultrafiltration membranes in treating drinking water. To mitigate fouling and improve filtration effectiveness, advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) have been considered as a potent approach, particularly the activation of AOPs by persulfate (PS-AOPs). Establishing a membrane system based on PS-AOPs is a promising approach to addressing membrane fouling. This article reviews the homogeneous and heterogeneous activation methods of PS. Recent research on the degradation of sulfamethoxazole by various activation methods are summarized, their mechanisms are discussed, and their advantages and disadvantages are compared. The integration of PS-AOPs with UF membranes to control fouling is highlighted, with evidence showing a significant reduction in membrane fouling. The article emphasizes the improvements and limitations of the PS-AOPs coupled with membrane system, especially in heterogeneous systems. Heterogeneous catalysts are doped into membrane materials to form catalytic membranes that can not only participate in membrane filtration but also undergo advanced oxidation upon PS introduction. Finally, the article looks ahead to future research paths and challenges for the PS-AOPs coupled UF membrane system. Based on metal-carbon catalytic membranes, the exploration of materials suitable for activating persulfate is discussed to promote further development of the technology.

Molecular-Phylogenetic Characterization of Xanthomonas hortorum pv. pelargonii Strains Causing Leaf Spot of Geraniums in Iran.

Bacterial blight and leaf spot of geraniums is a destructive disease of cultivated Pelargonium species around the world. During 2020 to 2021, surveys were conducted in seven geranium-growing provinces of Iran to monitor the status of bacterial blight and leaf spot disease. The disease was observed in six surveyed provinces varying in the extent of occurrence and severity. Twenty-two gram-negative pale-yellow bacterial strains resembling members of Xanthomonas were isolated from symptomatic leaves and stems. Pathogenicity and host range assays showed that the bacterial strains were pathogenic on Pelargonium grandiflorum, P. graveolens, P. peltatum, and P. zonale. All strains were positive for a PCR test using the primer pair XcpM1/XcpM2, which is specific for X. hortorum pv. pelargonii. Phylogenetic analysis using the sequences of gyrB and lepA genes showed that the 22 strains clustered in a clade among the sequences of X. hortorum pv. pelargonii strains retrieved from GenBank but were distinct from the other pathovars of X. hortorum. BOX-PCR-based fingerprinting using BOX-A1R primer revealed that the strains isolated in this study were grouped into two clusters, while no distinct correlation was observed between the host/area of isolation and BOX-PCR fingerprinting. None of the strains obtained in this study nor the reference strain of the pathogen produced bacteriocin against each other. Results obtained in this study shed light on the geographic distribution, taxonomic status, and host range of the bacterial blight and leaf spot pathogen of geraniums in Iran, paving the path for further research on disease management.

Superconductivity, antiferromagnetism, and charge density waves in ZrTe3 intercalated with Terbium

The uniaxial compound ZrTe3 displays a complex charge density wave (CDW) ground state below ≈ 63 K. Here we report that Tb intercalated ZrTe3 single crystals display superconductivity with Tc ≈ 5.4 K. The effect of the Tb additions to the superconducting properties, magnetism, and CDW are probed by means of measurements of electrical resistivity (ρ), thermoelectric potential (S), and Hall effect. The temperature dependence of the upper critical field (Hc2) could be fit with a two-band model. The magnetic susceptibility measurements suggest that upon the addition of Tb an antiferromagnetic order is developed with ordering temperature of TN ≈ 4.0 K. Tb doping's enhancing effect on Tc suggests promising paths for future research involving lanthanide dopants in transition metal tellurides.

Olive Mill Wastewater Extract: In Vitro Genotoxicity/Antigenotoxicity Assessment on HepaRG Cells.

Olive mill wastewater (OMWW), with its high level of phenolic compounds, simultaneously represents a serious environmental challenge and a great resource with potential nutraceutical activities. To increase the knowledge of OMWW's biological effects, with an aim to developing a food supplement, we performed a chemical characterisation of the extract using the Liquid Chromatography-Quadrupole Time-of-flight spectrometry (LC-QTOF) and an in vitro genotoxicity/antigenotoxicity assessment on HepaRG ™ cells. Chemical analysis revealed that the most abundant phenolic compound was hydroxytyrosol. Biological tests showed that the extract was not cytotoxic at the lowest tested concentrations (from 0.25 to 2.5 mg/mL), unlike the highest concentrations (from 5 to 20 mg/mL). Regarding genotoxic activity, when tested at non-cytotoxic concentrations, the extract did not display any effect. Additionally, the lowest tested OMWW concentrations showed antigenotoxic activity (J-shaped dose-response effect) against a known mutagenic substance, reducing the extent of DNA damage in the co-exposure treatment. The antigenotoxic effect was also obtained in the post-exposure procedure, although only at the extract concentrations of 0.015625 and 0.03125 mg/mL. This behaviour was not confirmed in the pre-exposure protocol. In conclusion, the present study established a maximum non-toxic OMWW extract dose for the HepaRG cell model, smoothing the path for future research.

Does financial materiality judgement matter in reporting intellectual capital? A systematic literature review and future research trends

PurposeThis paper aims to investigate materiality judgement providing insights, critiques and future research paths in light of the open debate on the role of materiality in corporate financial disclosure, highlighting potential connections and implications with sustainability and intellectual capital (IC) reporting.Design/methodology/approachThe research presents an overview of the analysis of financial materiality, including new stimuli from recent studies and regulatory requirements for financial and non-financial reporting. Accordingly, this study used a systematic literature review (SLR) based on a combination of content, text and bibliometric analysis of materiality in accounting research studies, collecting data from the Scopus database as one of the most relevant repositories.FindingsThe SLR identified four relevant research trends, concerning: (1) the relevance of materiality principles in corporate disclosure; (2) financial reporting practices and materiality; (3) theories and approaches in defining financial materiality and (4) the existence of quantitative and qualitative thresholds in the materiality judgement.Research limitations/implicationsThe results provide theoretical and practical implications when comprehending the development of the concept of financial materiality in financial statements and whether they can be appropriate in reporting IC as well. We identified future research paths.Practical implicationsFrom a practical perspective, this study is useful for companies implementing financial materiality based on stakeholder engagement and improving their transparency in financial and non-financial reporting practices.Social implicationsThe research investigates if the process for assessing materiality is in line with the expectations of all stakeholders involved in financial and non-financial reporting.Originality/valueThis research is the first to investigate the scientific basis and applicability of the concept of financial materiality to sustainability and IC reporting.

Conceptualizing Disruption: Political Science

The text explores the concepts of "disruption" and "transformation", proposing a typology to distinguish and clarify these terms. The objective is to understand and categorize the distinction of disruption and transformation by contrasting them with the categories of temporality, scope, character of change (classified by predictability, radicality and uncertainty), manageability and their outcome. The text argues that although disruption and transformation are different processes, they can be interrelated. Disruption can initiate transformation, but it is unlikely for transformation to result in disruption. The relationship between these processes appears to be predominantly unidirectional. It underscores the roles and relevance of actors in both processes, pointing to potential future research paths to further explore these dynamics.

Wear Your Pants out and Be Happy! Clothing Consumption Curtailment and Consumer Subjective Well-Being

This research addresses the role of different phases of consumption—anticipation, acquisition, and usage—in the relationship between clothing consumption curtailment (CCC) and increased consumer subjective well-being (CSWB). Building on past research, we theorize and empirically explore whether increased CSWB is explained by a change in focus from acquisition to usage. Through a content analysis of 140 blog posts from clothes shopping detoxers, we unearth how reduced acquisition and intensive and extended usage manifest in CCC practices. Furthermore, we apply structural equation modeling (SEM) to representative survey data (N = 661) to show that focusing on acquisition reduction is not associated with CSWB, while intensive and extended usage are positively associated with CSWB. In addition, we establish that this relationship is partially mediated by improved body image. Our results open a path for further research, and can be utilized in social marketing to promote the intensive usage rather than acquisition of clothing.

Nature-Young Adult Relationship in Anderson’s Speak: An Ecofeminist Reading

This paper explores ecofeminism through a connection to the nature and a sexually assaulted young adult girl in Laurie Halse Anderson’s novel Speak. This study argues that adolescents suffer from the effects of rape. It also contends that aside from abusing teenagers, sexual assaulters also damage the victim’s ability to interact with the outside world. The rapists prevent the female protagonist from having healthy relationship with the nature. Therefore, it is crucial to re-establish connections with oneself, other people, and the natural environment in order to escape the horrible act of physical violation. For that purpose, this research paper employs the perspectives of Roberta S. Trites about young adults; and opinions of Carlos J. Adams and Greta Gaard about ecofeminism. In conclusion, this study hopes to pave the path for future research into the comprehensive interaction between a young adult’s (female) body and nature.

Research Trends and Development Patterns in Microgreens Publications: A Bibliometric Study from 2004 to 2023

This article presents a general overview of scientific publications in the field of microgreens using bibliometric tools. Data were collected from the Web of Science database (from Clarivate Analytics) in the period from 2004 to 2023, covering 20 years of scientific publications. The results are presented in the form of tables, graphs, and charts to analyze the development of microgreens publications. The countries with the greatest influence on the microgreens topic are the USA, Italy, and India, which have the highest number of publications in the analyzed period with 133, 76, and 38 publications, respectively. On the other hand, the authors with the highest number of publications are Raphael, Y. (University Naples Federico II-Italy), De Pascale, S. (University Naples Federico II-Italy), and Luo, Y. (ARS, Food Quality Laboratory, Environmental Microbial & Food Safety Lab, USDA-USA). The journals with the highest productivity in microgreens are HortScience (American Society of Horticultural Science), Horticulturae (MDPI), and Foods (MDPI), with publication numbers of 49, 27, and 23, respectively. Regarding the relationship of the documents in this study with United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the large majority of documents can be linked to SDG 2 (Zero Hunger), followed by SDG 13 (Climate Action) and SDG 3 (Good Health and Well Being). As a final remark, the mapping, trends, and findings in this work can help to establish logical paths for researchers in the field of microgreens.

Social Cluster and Heritage Memory: A Study on the Space Perception of Zhaozhou Basin Horse Caravan Vernacular Architecture

Located in Dali, Yunnan, the Zhaozhou basin is home to many precious architectural heritages, particularly the historical horse caravan architecture. These buildings face the challenge of renewal and transformation. It is of great significance to explore the local population’s awareness of the architectural heritage of the horse caravan in order to protect the architectural heritage and facilitate rural revitalization. This study reviews the related research on “space perception”, establishes a theoretical framework of space perception under the architectural dimension, and develops hypotheses. The social cluster of typical settlements in the Zhaozhou basin is selected as the research object, and empirical analyses are carried out using SPSS and AMOS software. An analytical framework model of empirical research is constructed to evaluate the space perception of the current social population. The results of the reliability and validity tests of the questionnaire show that the CR is greater than 0.7 and that the AVE is greater than 0.5. The value of the structural equation model fitting index χ2/df is 1.863, which is less than 3. The model test results show that research hypotheses H1–H5 are supported; that is, space perception has a significant positive impact on cognition and local identity, cognition has a significant positive impact on local identity and space function, and place identity has a significant positive impact on space appeal. This study demonstrates the relationship between space perception and the architectural remains of the horse caravan, and it analyzes the human psychological perception behind the material space. The findings support the need for further conservation of the horse caravan architecture. This study further deepens the theory of space perception and its application in the study of vernacular architecture, which can provide a research path for the protection and development of vernacular architectural heritage.

Conducting systematic literature review of Front-of-Pack-Labelling: integrative framework, themes formation, and path for future research

Conducting systematic literature review of Front-of-Pack-Labelling: integrative framework, themes formation, and path for future research

Integrating Generative AI in Data Science Programming: Group Differences in Hint Requests

Generative AI applications have increasingly gained visibility in recent educational literature. Yet less is known about how access to generative tools, such as ChatGPT, influences help-seeking during complex problem-solving. In this paper, we aim to advance the understanding of learners’ use of a support strategy (hints) when solving data science programming tasks in an online AI-enabled learning environment. The study compared two conditions: students solving problems in DaTu with AI assistance (N=45) and those without AI assistance (N=44). Findings reveal no difference in hint-seeking behavior between the two groups, suggesting that the integration of AI assistance has minimal impact on how individuals seek help. The findings also suggest that the availability of AI assistance does not necessarily reduce learners’ reliance on support strategies (such as hints). The current study advances data science education and research by exploring the influence of AI assistance during complex data science problem-solving. We discuss implications and identify paths for future research.

Investigation of the impacts of the deployment of autonomous vehicles on first responders

Purpose The purpose of this study is to address the significant impact AVs will have on public services and the ability of first responders to conduct their jobs safely and effectively. Autonomous vehicles (AVs) are expected to drastically change the transportation industry, and it is vital that first responders be equipped to integrate them into their occupational responsibilities. Design/methodology/approach A systematic literature review was conducted, and following a multistep exclusion process, 161 articles were selected for detailed review. The impacts of AVs on first responders were identified, classified and categorized into lists of challenges and opportunities. Based on the findings of the literature review, a SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats) analysis was conducted, and stakeholder management strategies were designed. Findings Through the examination of the impacts of AVs on first responders, 17 identified challenges and opportunities were classified into the following categories: AV-related emergency response and training, perceptions and acceptance of AVs, technology development and laws and regulations. The study revealed that the optimal benefits of AVs would require stakeholders to focus more on how they interact with first responders; thus, 14 stakeholder management strategies were identified. First responders, AV manufacturers, legislators and future research paths will all benefit from this study, as it can facilitate smooth interactions between AVs and first responders. Originality/value A range of studies have been published on the safety of AVs and the public’s perceptions of this new technology; however, the integration of AVs and their interactions with first responders has been neglected. The goal of this study was to fill that research gap by providing a thorough synthesis of autonomous driving systems in the context of their interactions with first responders.

Debunking Deterministic Narratives of Technological Development Through Experimentation: A Critical Review of the Prehistory of Tin Bronze Alloying

The currently accepted narrative on the prehistory of bronze alloying technology follows deterministic, outdated assumptions of technological progression that ignore the role of contextual and performance factors in the decision-making processes, thus neglecting human agency. In essence, it is expected that newer techniques were overarchingly more advanced than older ones and hence replaced them. The validity of this narrative should be challenged and revised. A critical analysis of worldwide literature exposed that, contrary to predictions of the accepted theory, (1) the oldest alloying techniques persisted for centuries after newer ones were invented, and (2) several techniques usually coexisted in the same contexts. We hypothesised that these counterintuitive findings could be explained by differences in performance between techniques, (dis)advantageous at different settings. To obtain empirical information on the performance of techniques and test for behaviourally relevant performance differences between them, a series of alloying experiments were conducted. The results show that all techniques can produce objects of broadly equivalent quality while offering different trade-offs during production. Therefore, every technique—or a combination—can be advantageous under certain conditions, and there are no grounds to support a linear trajectory of substitution. These results debunk the traditional narrative and predict that co-smelting and cementation techniques were more frequently practiced in the past than hitherto assumed. Our propositions prompt a readjustment of explanatory models of bronze production organisation, trade, and consumption while opening unexplored research paths for archaeology and the history of technology.

Reviewing Managerial Mental Representations: A Taxonomy and a Future Research Path

Reviewing Managerial Mental Representations: A Taxonomy and a Future Research Path

An Analysis of Scientific Research Trends in Oral Implantology Between 2016 and 2022.

The present study aims to evaluate the trends of oral implant-related research in design and topics between the range of 2016 to the end of 2022. The electronic search was conducted in MEDLINE via Pubmed. Papers published in Clinical Oral Implant Research, Clinical Implant Dentistry and Related Research, and International Journal of Oral Implantology as well as previously European Journal of Oral Implantology, International Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Implants, and Journal of Oral Implantology between January 1, 2016, and December 30, 2022, were retrieved. Articles were classified according to their study design and major subjects. The Joinpoint regression model was used to determine changes in the trends of study designs and topics. Statistical significance was defined as a p-value <.05. A total of 3382 articles were analyzed in this study. In the specified period, in vivo, prospective cohort, retrospective case control, randomized clinical studies in the design and prosthetic complications, peri-implant hard tissue studies in the topic experienced a significant decreasing pattern in the number of published articles as well as the total number of articles. Case reports and series, retrospective cohort, nonrandomized clinical studies in the design and outcomes of implant-related treatment plans, immediate implant placement, and peri-implantitis in the topic experienced a significant decreasing pattern followed by a significant increasing pattern with a turning point between 2017 and 2020. Considering the limitations of this scientific topical trend analysis, it can be concluded that the recent pandemic affected the research path in oral implantology in many ways.

Talent agglomeration research within digital economy development: Trend analysis and research prospects

Talent is important for development and innovation across fields. Further, in this era of digital economy, primarily driven by modern information networks, how to attract talent and effectively leverage talent’s agglomeration effect is a crucial research topic. Thus, this paper reviewed studies from the China Knowledge Network in the Chinese Social Sciences Citation Index and from the Web of Science Core Collection. By combining cluster analysis based on keyword co-occurrence with a review of highly relevant literature, this paper determines and compares mainstream directions in both domestic Chinese and international studies on talent agglomeration effects and digital economy talent research, thereby constructing a two-dimensional analytical framework. This paper recommends four research paths for the effects of talent agglomeration, namely, talent management, enterprise–industry development, industry–regional development, and industry–regional level of talent agglomeration. Meanwhile, considering the digital economy’s key role in future national economic strategies, its human resources studies should be included in these same paths for studying talent aggregation effects. Introducing public sector strategic manement theories into research on digital-economic talent aggregation could prove an extremely valuable subject matter in the future.

Knowledge mapping and evolutionary analysis of energy storage resource management under renewable energy uncertainty: a bibliometric analysis

The research on energy storage resource management is an important measure to cope with the present problem of uncertainty in the use of renewable energy, in order to explore the evolution of the research focus and future trend of energy storage resource management under the uncertainty of renewable energy, this paper adopts the method of bibliometric analysis, and conducts a visual analysis of the relevant 800 documents in the core collection of the Web of Science by using the CiteSpace to draw co-occurrence maps and analyze the collaborative networks of different countries/regions, institutions and authors in this field, and further conducted journal co-citation analysis, literature co-citation analysis and author co-citation analysis. The keyword co-occurrence, emergent analysis, and cluster co-occurrence analysis reveal the current research focus and trend in this field, and summarize and propose four future key focus directions: energy storage technology improvement, energy storage system integration, expansion of business models for energy storage resource management, and intelligent control of energy storage system, which provide new research paths for solving the problem of renewable energy uncertainty in the future.

Fueling innovation management research: Future directions and five forward‐looking paths

AbstractResearch about innovation management explores how the future is created—who is creating it (organizations, collaborations, etc.), for what aims (customer satisfaction, market performance, etc.), and with what broader effects (social, environmental, etc.). With this extended essay, we explore the potential futures of innovation management research in three ways. First, we briefly review the history of past research agendas and priorities published in the Journal of Product Innovation Management (JPIM), highlighting three broad topic areas (technological, social/environmental, and organizational) that have emerged over time and their potential disruptive implications for innovation management research. Second, we describe the outcome of a gathering of leading scholars in innovation management tasked with the challenge of identifying critical research paths for our field. This collaboration resulted in five “deep dive” essays into areas ripe for innovation management research in the years ahead: liquid innovation, artificial intelligence in innovation, business model innovation, public value innovation, and responsible innovation. Third, we reflect on this expansive effort and offer a discussion of implications (tensions, challenges, and opportunities) for future innovation management scholarship.