Practical Implications Research Articles

Decoding the Functionality of Plant Transcription Factors: Key Factors and Mechanisms.

Transcription factors (TFs) intricately govern cellular processes and responses to external stimuli by modulating gene expressions. TFs help plants to balance the trade-off between stress tolerance and growth, thus ensuring their long-term survival in challenging environments. Understanding the factors and mechanisms that define the functionality of plant TFs is of paramount importance for unravelling the intricate regulatory networks governing development, growth, and responses to environmental stimuli in plants. The article provides a comprehensive understanding of these factors and mechanisms defining the activity of TFs. Understanding the dynamic nature of TFs has practical implications for modern molecular breeding programs, as it provides insights into how to manipulate gene expression to optimize desired traits in crops. Moreover, recent studies also report the functional duality of transcription factors, highlighting their ability to switch between activation and repression modes, this represents an important mechanism for attuning gene expression. Here we discuss what possible reasons for dual nature of TFs are and how this duality instructs the cell fate decision during development, and fine-tunes stress responses in plants, enabling them to adapt to various environmental challenges.

Investigating the Health Claims and Regulatory Considerations of Kangen Water: a Comprehensive Analysis with Python and Spiritual Insights

In recent years, Kangen water has emerged as a subject of intense interest due to its purported health benefits attributed to its alkaline nature. Produced via a process known as ionization, Kangen water exhibits a higher pH level compared to regular tap water, purportedly offering numerous health advantages. However, the scientific evidence supporting these claims remains ambiguous and inconclusive. This paper embarks on a thorough exploration of Kangen water, beginning with an elucidation of the electrolysis process fundamental to its creation. Following this, the alleged health benefits are scrutinized against the backdrop of existing scientific literature, delving into studies examining its impact on various health parameters. Furthermore, an in-depth analysis of the regulatory framework surrounding Kangen water is provided, shedding light on the legal and compliance aspects governing its production, distribution, and marketing. Additionally, pragmatic considerations such as cost-effectiveness, maintenance requirements, and consumer preferences are meticulously examined to offer a holistic perspective on the practical implications of Kangen water consumption. By synthesizing scientific research, regulatory insights, and practical considerations, this paper endeavors to furnish a comprehensive understanding of Kangen water, enabling consumers to make informed decisions regarding its usage while facilitating regulatory agencies in formulating appropriate guidelines to ensure public health and safety.

Navigating Misfit Feedback: The Role of Organizational Prestige in Early-Stage Recruitment

AbstractRecognizing the ability of organizational prestige to meet financial, career, social, and status needs, we posit that job seekers will desire employment with prestigious firms in the face of person–organization (PO) misfit feedback. Drawing upon social identity theory, the theory of symbolic attraction, and the motivational model of fit, we suggest that when job seekers disagree with PO misfit feedback, prestige and the imagined benefits of employment motivate job seekers to desire employment. These imagined benefits serve as a needs-meeting mechanism aiding self-esteem, self-worth, and perceived social status. We conducted a between-subjects experiment investigating PO fit feedback, agreement with PO fit feedback, and employer image to explore this phenomenon. Notably, we found that when job seekers disagreed with misfit feedback, they reported greater organizational desirability when the organization was impressive (versus respectable). We discuss the theoretical and practical implications of job seeker reactions to PO fit feedback and organizational prestige as a needs-meeting mechanism.

Support for Family Caregivers: Implications of Work Strain and its Intersections with Formal and Informal Help.

This study seeks to assess whether and to what extent caregiver work strain is ameliorated by the presence of additional family caregivers and formal service use. Building on the stress process model and stress-appraisal moderations, we examine how formal and informal support varies in associations with caregiver distress for men and women. This study utilizes data provided by the National Study of Caregiving (NSOC), which is linked with care-recipient information from the National Health and Aging Trends Study (NHATS). Using panel methods for the pooled waves, we estimated caregiver outcomes of emotional well-being on the intersection of experiences of work strain and 1) the number of additional caregivers and 2) utilization of six different types of formal support. Additional informal caregivers for each respective care recipient are associated with lower levels of distress, while utilization of formal services (paid help and Medicaid funding) is positively associated with caregiver distress. Informal support can offset the impact of work strain, but interactions are only evident for women caregivers. The findings suggest that informal support, exemplified by the number of additional caregivers, corresponds with reduced emotional distress among employed caregivers and can mitigate the negative impacts of work strain. However, positive associations of formal support and male and female caregiver distress suggest that the context of formal services may offer limited or untimely support. This study is expected to broaden our understanding of informal caregiving in later life and provide practical implications on how to sustain informal care.

Secure authentication of identity information for quantum resistant IoT devices based on R-LWE and QIBE

ABSTRACT In order to improve the security of Internet of Things device authentication, a security framework is built in this paper by combining the ring-learning band error problem with quantum indistinguishable bilinear encryption. The research method meticulously designs different test scenarios and conducts multiple rounds of testing to evaluate the accuracy of the system authentication. The results indicated that the authentication accuracy was improved to 93.3% on average after using the proposed algorithm. The authentication speed is significantly improved with a shorter operation cycle. After parameter optimization, repeated tests indicated that the accuracy rate remained stable at over 90%, and the accuracy rate reached 100% in specific phases. Combining the ring learning with error problem technique with quantum indistinguishable bilinear encryption greatly improves the authentication security of Internet of Things devices against quantum computing threats. This discovery provides new strategies for Internet of Things security against quantum attacks and has far-reaching theoretical and practical implications for protecting critical infrastructure.

Determination of Public Goals in Times of Volatility and Complexity

Purpose: The purpose of this text is to critically analyse the traditional approach to the formulation and application of legal rules, arguing that they are outdated and insufficient for addressing the complexities anddynamics of modern society and technology.Design/Methodology/Approach: Employing a qualitative research methodology, the paper adopts a case study approach, focused mainly on the practices of the legislature in determining public goals. The analysis identifies themes and patterns related to different practices regarding the determination of public goals and their impact on the legislature. The findings are discussed in relation to the theoretical framework established both in the literature review and this paper. The paper concludes with a summary of the findings, practical implications, and suggestions for future research.Findings and Practical Implications: Although technology nowadays plays a central role in human life, legislative public goals are still determined statically, reflecting a traditional Newtonian mechanistic perspective grounded in the principle of causality. Looking ahead, the paper speculates on potential scenarios. It suggests that the balance between nature, technology, law, and humanity requires careful management to ensure a harmonious but flexible co-existence. In the realm of complex legal issues, certainly can, to some extent, be maintained through an array of innovative methods. These include results- and procedure-oriented approaches to interactions between individuals and collectives, a legal system informed by feedback mechanisms and thresholds, the use of collective intelligence, the anticipation of adverse scenarios, and the implementation of adaptable norms. Such methodologies are intrinsically better equipped to navigate the unpredictability and complexity of modern legal challenges than traditional legalistic frameworks.Originality: The paper integrates insights from various disciplines, including law, system theory, and technology studies. This interdisciplinary approach offers a more comprehensive understanding of the intricate interplaybetween nature, technology, and law, a perspective often neglected in more narrowly focused studies. The originality of the paper lies in challenging existing forms of regulation and proposing new regulatory approaches grounded in the evolving nature of facts and associated rights and obligations of individuals and groups.

Can dividend announcement predict abnormal returns? Tunisia evidence

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to observe whether the announcement of dividend distribution can affect the abnormal return on the Tunisian stock exchange. Design/methodology/approach – The sample includes 24 non-financial listed stocks in Tunisia Stock Exchange during the years 2004-2013. Company decides to announce its dividend payout policy to signal the market that the firm is now processing future prospects, which will result in changing its stock prices. Findings – The findings yield qualitatively consistent with the previous research. After controlling for the effect of the Politic Crisis in Tunisia during 2010-2013, the result shows that the stock prices move upward significantly after dividend announcements. Abnormal return (AR) and cumulative abnormal return (CAR) from the market model are statistically significantly revealed. Moreover, most event windows show that the stock return becomes lower when the investor sentiment for dividend is higher. Research limitations/implications – The result is limited to the absence of an important number of firms listed in TSE from this period. Practical implications – Investors in Tunisia show their preference for dividend to self-control, satisfaction and increase their profit. “This could be the catering incentive of the firm to decide to pay dividends”. Originality/value – This document provides evidence of Baker and Wurgler's (2002) proposed a new dividend theory; dividend catering theory, Bulan et al (2004) proposed the timing of dividend initiation, Thanwarat Suwanna (2012) document the impact of dividend announcement on stock returns. Even though the results indicate that Tunisian market react to the announcement of dividend by managers. Moreover, the timing of dividend initiation is affected by the investors’ sentiment, measured by the dividend premium. Tunisian investors react positively to the announcement to distribute dividend from firms especially in abnormal economic situation explained by the Tunisian politic crisis.

Kinship Foster Caregivers, Caseworkers, and Foster parents’ Reflections and Experiences with Placement and Support in Iowa

Kinship Foster Caregivers, Caseworkers, and Foster parents’ Reflections and Experiences with Placement and Support in Iowa

Organisational Enablers of Artificial Intelligence Adoption in Public Institutions: A Systematic Literature Review

Purpose: The purpose of the presented study was to develop a set of recommendations for decision-makers (policymakers and public managers) and public employees to enhance the effectiveness and efficiency of organisational elements in the adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) in public institutions. Design/methodology/approach: Utilising a systematic literature review following the PRISMA protocol, the study examines the organisational enablers of AI adoption in public institutions. Comprehensive search queries in the Scopus database identified relevant literature focusing on the intersection of AI technologies and various organisational elements. The analysis was facilitated by NVivo 12, enabling a structured examination of key organisational facets for people, culture, structure, processes, and technology within public institutions. Findings: Previous studies on AI adoption in public institutions identified numerous enablers of AI adoption associated with organisational elements like people/employees, structure, culture, technology, and processes. Several surveys and case studies stress the importance of concentrating on the introduction or transformation of these organisational elements prior to or concurrently with the adoption of AI. Academic contribution to the field: By applying a systematic literature review protocol, the study represents the first holistic and systematic review of specific organisational elements that can serve as enablers of AI adoption in public institutions. Research limitations/implications: This systematic literature review was subject to several limitations. Firstly, the division of AI literature between natural and social sciences, with the former focusing on technical aspects and the latter on broader organisational themes, may have resulted in an incomplete depiction of the intersection of AI and organisational change. Secondly, despite the broad search queries, inherent limitations of keyword-based searches may have excluded some relevant studies. Thirdly, considering the rapid evolution of AI technology, our review may not fully encapsulate the very latest developments in the field as it covers literature published until May 2023. Finally, the interpretation and coding of literature, despite the use of NVivo 12, involved subjective elements that could affect the study’s outcomes. Practical implications: Drawing from experiences in the private sector, public institutions are increasingly adopting AI technologies across various subsectors such as public finance (taxation), research, healthcare, law enforcement, defence, education. This requires a transformation in both hard (structure, processes etc.) and soft aspects (people, organisational culture etc.). Therefore, the enablers identified in the study can serve as guidelines for decision-makers and implementers of AI at all levels of public institutions. Social implications: If adopted effectively and efficiently and used professionally and ethically, the use of AI in public institutions can bring many benefits to society, such as transparency, justice, cost and time efficiency, high quality services, and improved collaboration between different stakeholders in society. Originality/significance/value: Our study makes a distinct contribution by shifting the focus from technological barriers to organisational enablers of AI adoption in public institutions. It bridges a critical gap in the literature by integrating both technical and social science perspectives, providing valuable insights for theory and practice in the fields of organisation and management.

Validation of the Mediated Learning Observation Instrument Among Children With and Without Developmental Language Disorder in Dynamic Assessment.

In this validation study, we examined the factor structure of the mediated learning observation (MLO) used during the teaching phase of dynamic assessment. As an indicator of validity, we evaluated whether the MLO factor structure was consistent across children with and without developmental language disorder (DLD). Two hundred twenty-four children (188 typically developing and 36 DLD) from kindergarten to second grade completed a 30-min individual mediated learning session on narrative production. Performance during the session was rated using the 12-item MLO by clinicians on affect, behavior, arousal, and elaboration. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were conducted to establish the factor structure and reliability of the MLO. Factor analysis of the MLO suggested a stable three-factor model with adequate fit indices across kindergarten and school-age samples, across both typically developing and DLD subgroups with good to excellent reliability. The final 11-item MLO (one item was removed due to low factor loading) comprises three subscales including (a) cognitive factor, (b) learning anticipation, and (c) learning engagement. The MLO is a valid and reliable instrument for assessing language learning skills in children with and without DLD during dynamic assessment. Practical implications and suggestions for future research addressing the utilization of MLO in dynamic assessment are provided.

Effect of perceived group inclusion on innovative behavior and its subsequent impact on team performance: moderating effects of team characteristics

Purpose The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of perceived group inclusion on the innovative work behavior of consulting team members, as well as to analyze its subsequent impact on team performance. In addition, the authors investigate whether the effect of perceived group inclusion on innovative work behavior could be moderated by two aspects of team characteristics: team size and the gender composition of its members. Design/methodology/approach The authors collected questionnaire data from 229 team members from 24 consulting firms located in Bangkok, Thailand. Team performance was assessed by team leaders to prevent common method bias. Partial least squares-structural equation modeling was used for data analysis. Findings The results support the positive association between perceived group inclusion and innovative work behavior among consulting team members. Innovative work behavior also mediates the positive association between perceived group inclusion and team performance. Moreover, the authors found that the degree to which perceived group inclusion affects innovative work behavior is stronger in larger teams than smaller teams. However, the degree to which perceived group inclusion affects innovative work behavior tends to be weaker in teams that have a higher proportion of female members than in teams that have fewer female members. Practical implications Because employees are the most valuable asset contributing to the innovative performance of consulting firms, it is crucial to understand how members within a team should be properly managed so that the firms can maximize the benefits from their human capital. Essentially, management and practitioners in the consulting business can use the insight from this research regarding the essential roles of group inclusion and team composition to create a favorable and effective team environment that enhances collaboration and helps their firms to gain the full benefits of team synergy. In particular, group inclusion is the issue that management should emphasize. Moreover, the team should be large enough and have a decent level of gender diversity to strengthen the benefit of group inclusion. Originality/value The research extends the knowledge boundary in inclusion research, which still lacks evidence about the moderating role of team characteristics that might strengthen/weaken the effect of perceived group inclusion on innovative behaviors.

Modeling the relationship between internet epistemic belief, digital literacy and social media engagement of adult social media users: a practical implication for education

ABSTRACT Social media engagement is part of our society, especially for the younger generation who are keen on technology. Nowadays, social media has become the most used platform to pick up information. Therefore, the increased number of social media users was not followed by the ability to distinguish between fake and authentic information online. There is a reason that drives someone to hold a specific belief since epistemic is a domain-dependent form that exists contextually. This study develops a scale with 33 items to investigate the variables of internet epistemic beliefs, digital literacy, and social media engagements. A total of 512 participants administered the survey using the snowball sampling method. This study generates five CFA analysis factors and concludes a model through an SEM analysis. This study investigated the interrelationship between internet epistemic belief and social media engagement with digital literacy as a mediation role. Findings draw some conclusions and practical implications in preparing the youth to be digitally adaptive and wise.

Young children with intellectual disabilities and their mathematical attainments: Do parents' attitudes toward mathematics, home numeracy, and literacy practices matter?

This study explored potential factors of numeracy acquisition in young children with intellectual disabilities (IDs). Those factors are determined to assess parents' academic expectations and home practices that they use with their children daily. The sample consisted of 187 Greek-speaking couples, comprising a total number of 374 parents. All of them had a child with mild IDs aged between 4 and 7 years old. Since Greece is placed among European countries with the lowest median disposable income it is significant to assess the potential effects of each family's socioeconomic status. We employed structural equation modeling to identify potential factors affecting a child's with IDs numeracy outcomes. Analysis of moments structures (AMOS) revealed that there is a good fit for the suggested second-order structural equation model. Results are discussed regarding their practical implications.

THE FACTORS OF SERVICE QUALITY IN SKI TOURISM ON THE EXAMPLE OF THE REPUBLIC OF SERBIA

The aim of this paper is to provide an insight into the current models of service quality in ski tourism with a practical implication on the example of the Republic of Serbia. Nowadays, ski tourism has evolved into an important segment of the winter tourism industry in Europe. Its development was encouraged by the popularisation of skiing as a sport, as well as the growth of the number of people who ski professionally or recreationally.The studies from relevant publishers have been dealt with the concept of travellers’ motivation in ski tourism from different point of views such as, the aspect of sustainable development in tourism, quality management, marketing strategy and customer satisfaction. When defining the research scope, it was noted that service quality represents an important driver of motivation in sports tourism. However, there is a certain research gap in exploring the factors that affect the service quality in winter sports, and in particular models and instruments that could provide their better understanding. In accordance with this statement, the research question in the study was to analyse the main determinants of service quality in ski tourism in the Republic of Serbia and to compare their relevance among the respondents belonging to different countries of origin and gender. The theoretical research presented in this paper was based on the application of a systematic literature review that has included relevant studies dealing with the concept of service quality in winter sport tourism. In addition, empirical research was conducted to address the research question in finding the factors that influence the service quality in ski tourism. The research was based on a sample of 208 skiers who visited the Republic of Serbia during the winter seasons in years 2023 and 2024. In the analysis and interpretation of the data, descriptive statistics, compare means and factor analysis were used.

A Comprehensive Study of Blockchain Technology and Its Role in Promoting Sustainability and Circularity across Large-Scale Industry

Blockchain technology has evolved as an innovative strategy that substantially transformed industries by offering a variety of applications across multiple domains including manufacturing, construction, supply chain, food, health, energy, transport and retailing industry. By offering a decentralized ledger that enables the source-tracking of materials and goods, blockchain enables a quick, safe, and open information platform. Blockchain is emerging around the globe in industries but limited studies have comprehensively examined its practical implementation toward industrial sustainability and circularity. This paper aimed to provide a comprehensive and thoughtful discussion of blockchain demand, literature gaps in blockchain implementation, type of blockchain platforms in large-scale industries and their contribution toward sustainability by utilizing the systematic literature review methodology. The descriptive analysis of 185 selected articles by thematic analysis provides an overview of the emergence of blockchain over the years and its practical implications in large-scale industries. The novelty of the paper is the in-depth discussion of the major industries of the various sectors that are utilizing different blockchain frameworks, especially P2P, in order to achieve sustainability and circularity in economy. Furthermore, the challenges and barriers that hinder blockchain adoption have also been evaluated.

Unraveling the dark side of ChatGPT: a moderated mediation model of technology anxiety and technostress

PurposeLimited knowledge exists regarding the adverse effects of artificial intelligence adoption, including platforms like ChatGPT, on users’ mental well-being. The current research seeks to adopt the insight from the stressor-strain-outcome paradigm and a moderated mediation model to examine how technology anxiety moderates the direct and indirect relationships between compulsive use of ChatGPT, technostress, and life satisfaction.Design/methodology/approachDrawing data from a sample of 2,602 ChatGPT users in Vietnam, PROCESS macro was approached to test the moderated mediation model.FindingsThe findings indicate that compulsive use of ChatGPT exhibited a substantial and positive impact on technostress, while technostress was found to have a negative influence on life satisfaction. Moreover, although compulsive use of ChatGPT did not show a significant direct effect, it indirectly impacts life satisfaction via technostress. Remarkably, technology anxiety was found to significantly moderate both direct and indirect associations between compulsive use of ChatGPT, technostress, and life satisfaction.Practical implicationsBased on the findings of this research, some practical implications are provided.Originality/valueThe research offers a fresh perspective by applying the stressor-strain-outcome perspective to provide empirical evidence on the moderated mediation effects of technology anxiety and technostress on the relationship between compulsive use of ChatGPT and users’ life satisfaction. The research thus sheds new light on artificial intelligence adoption and its effects on users’ mental health.

The role of school climate on student disclosure of private information and cyberbullying: a comparison of regular and vocational school students in China

IntroductionAdolescents are experiencing an unprecedented cyber-saturated environment where the disclosure of private information should be approached with caution. This study aims to investigate the effects of school environment, including student support, teacher support, and opportunities for autonomy, on students’ disclosure of private information and their experiences with cyberbullying.MethodsIn September 2022, a total of 1,716 students (mean age = 14.60, SD = 1.35) from three regular and vocational schools in China participated in the survey.ResultsThe results showed that 35.6% of the participants had experienced victimization by cyberbullying, and 12.6% had perpetrated cyberbullying. Vocational school students reported significantly higher rates of cyberbullying and lower levels of perceived school climate than students from regular school. Student support in the school environment was found to negatively affect both cyberbullying perpetration and victimization, with this impact appearing to be stronger in regular schools as compared to vocational schools. Opportunities for autonomy and the disclosure of private information were positively correlated with experiences of cyberbullying.DiscussionThis study introduces a novel perspective that perceived school climate influences adolescents’ disclosure of private information and their involvement in cyberbullying. The findings could provide implications for future research and practices aimed at child protection in cyberspace.

Older Adult Homicide: Investigating Case, Victim and Perpetrator Characteristics in a National Sample from England and Wales

Abstract Older adult homicide (OAH) is the most severe, yet understudied, form of older adult abuse. This study examined the case, victim and perpetrator characteristics of OAH. A secondary analysis of national data from England and Wales (2008–2019) was conducted where cases of non-stranger OAH (victims aged sixty years and over) were compared to adult homicide (victims aged eighteen to fifty-nine years) at the case, victim (n = 3,274) and perpetrator (n = 2,763) levels. Logistic regression models used to identify characteristics that were OAH risk factors, showed only a slight increase in predictive power but high accuracy in classifying adult homicide cases. Nevertheless, some risk factors known to be predictors of older adult abuse were significant predictors of OAH (e.g. living with the perpetrator, the perpetrator’s mental state). Implications for research, policy and practice are discussed.

Exploring the Motivation, Process, and Barriers for Replication of a Special Education Advocacy Program

AbstractSpecial education advocacy programs educate and empower individuals to become advocates for families of school-aged children with disabilities. Although special education advocacy programs are becoming more common across the globe, replication and wide scale implementation are needed to determine their credibility. The purpose of this study was to explore the replication of a special education advocacy program, the Volunteer Advoacy Project (VAP), to understand the motivation, process, and barriers to replication for community-based agencies. Participants included the staff of ten community-based agencies that submitted a proposal to replicate the VAP but did not receive funding to support the replication process. Applications, transcripts, emails, and field-notes were used to conduct qualitative data analysis and determine themes. Findings showed common motivations and a cyclical replication process. Common barriers related to limited: capacity and funding. Implications for research, policy, and practice are discussed.

The Effect of Bilingualism on Children's Creative Thinking of Cognitive Functioning: Evidence from Chinese Native Speaker

This essay investigates the impact of bilingualism, specifically learning English as a second language, on the creative thinking of Chinese-speaking children. Bilingualism's influence on cognitive functioning, particularly creative thinking, has been widely debated, with studies showing varying results. The study includes Chinese monolinguals and Chinese-English bilinguals from different age groups, with the aim of exploring potential differences in creative thinking between the two groups. To assess creative thinking, a battery of standardized creativity tests adapted to the Chinese language and culture is used, including linguistic, figural, and ideational tasks. The results are analyzed using a mixed-method approach, considering the effects of bilingualism, age-related changes, and task-specific differences. Expected outcomes may include identifying a bilingual advantage in certain aspects of creative thinking, age-related variations in creative thinking skills, and task-specific disparities. This research provides insights into the complex relationship between bilingualism, cognitive functioning, and creative thinking, particularly within the context of Chinese-speaking children. The findings have implications for educational practices, curriculum development, and language learning strategies, highlighting the importance of considering language and culture when studying the impact of bilingualism on cognitive functioning and creative thinking. This study emphasizes the significance of investigating the effects of specific language pairs on cognition and creative thinking, shedding light on the potential advantages and challenges associated with bilingualism.