Contribution Of Research Research Articles

The emergent community of esports fans in Japan: an analysis of motivations and preferences

ABSTRACT Purpose/Rationale This study examines esports players’ and viewers’ motivations in Japan to inform market segmentation and strategy for industry stakeholders. Design/methodology/approach Employing purposive sampling, data from 500 Japanese esports participants were collected through an online survey including behavioural, motivational, and demographic factors. Cluster analysis was applied to identify distinct groups. Findings Results revealed three unique clusters each for players (all-rounder players, immersive fun seekers, and skill-based players) and viewers (casual viewers, entertainment-excitement seekers and skill appreciation seekers), with each exhibiting distinct motivations and preferences. Socio-economic factors did not significantly differentiate clusters, but fan behavioural patterns were useful in characterising them. Practical Implications Our study provides insights into Japan’s market preferences for console gaming and skill development and guides stakeholders in targeted strategy development for market engagement and growth. Research Contribution By applying the Uses and Gratifications theory within the Japanese context, this study enhances esports online community research by revealing distinct segment characteristics in a culturally unique setting and enriches esports interaction understanding. Originality/value This study sheds light on the motivations and preferences of esports players and viewers in Japan’s emerging market, offering valuable insights for stakeholders to better understand and engage their audience.

Parent/carer experiences and challenges in redeeming the First Lap swimming lesson voucher in New South Wales, Australia

ABSTRACT Rationale Swimming is a popular, enjoyable, and important form of physical activity. Swimming skills play a vital role in water safety and drowning prevention, particularly among young children. The First Lap program is a New South Wales government swimming lesson subsidy voucher program for preschool-aged children. This study examined parent/carer program views and experiences in 2021–2022, specifically reasons for voucher non-redemption. Approach A thematic analysis examined 1031 parent/carer qualitative responses concerning reasons for voucher non-redemption and overall views and experiences of the program in an online parent/carer survey.Findings: Voucher non-redemption was evident through: seasonal, weather and health; program parameter; parent/carer (user); and swim school (provider) themes. Despite non-redemption, parent/carer program views were additionally evident through: positive feedback about the program and its objectives; evidence of knowledge and awareness of the importance of water safety and learning to swim; lesson affordability concerns. Practical implications Swim school and lesson availability, accessibility, and affordability can be addressed through clear engagement and communication with both the user and provider sides. Research contribution Reasons for First Lap voucher non-redemption represent barriers to swimming lesson participation for preschool-aged children. Originality Voucher programs must consider the impacts of the broader socio-ecological context and ecosystem.

Review and Classification of Objectives in Dynamic Dial-a-Ride Systems: A Triple Bottom Line Approach of Sustainability

Dynamic dial-a-ride problems (DDARPs) involve designing routes and schedules for customers with specific origins and destinations. While the optimization of DDARPs has been extensively examined, these analyses often focus solely on economic decisions. The recent literature emphasizes the inclusion of social and environmental factors in addition to economic considerations for a sustainable transportation system. This paper provides a conceptual review that identifies and classifies the most common DDARP objectives in the three dimensions of the Triple-Bottom-Line (3BL) approach of sustainability: environmental, economic, and social. This study analyzes the interconnections among different objectives and provides insights into multi-objective approaches used in transportation problems. The findings demonstrate the interconnectedness of objectives from different dimensions and highlight the involvement of various stakeholders in decision-making. The results show that optimizing one objective may have implications for other objectives, suggesting a trade-off to be considered. The results reveal that social objectives boost the economic dimension by improving service quality; however, environmental objectives negatively impact the economic dimension. Additionally, a geographical analysis was conducted, which revealed continent-wise variations in research focus and contributions. Future studies should focus more on the social and environmental dimensions to promote a sustainable transportation system.

Technological Transformation on Consumer Behavior

The industrial revolution changed consumer behavior in shopping. Online shopping has now become a lifestyle nowadays, not only for primary needs but also for cosmetics and personal care. Consumers emphasize more to the sustainability issues of the products they want to buy. Consumers are also becoming increasingly concerned and aware of the negative impacts caused by the use of cosmetics. This issue has gained consumers' awareness and made them switch to cosmetics made from natural ingredients. However, there is a lack of research contributions to the sustainability of natural cosmetics, especially those related to consumer behavior in online shopping. There must be a stronger focus on digital marketing strategy analysis regarding consumer behavior in shopping for natural cosmetics and the influence of the internet on the dissemination of information about these products and their benefits for humans and the environment. Suggestions must be implemented at the company level in order to create a digital marketing strategy to expand the market and reach more consumers. At the institutional level, it can add research references related to this field.

Leveraging emotional intelligence to foster proactive climate change adaptation: A study of engineering decision-making

The impacts of climate change and development present significant challenges and complexities that require new solutions, wise choices, and multi-disciplinary integration. In this context, emotional intelligence (EI) plays a crucial role. However, traditional engineering education and practice overlook the importance of understanding and managing emotions. This research aims to determine the impact of EI as a tool to enhance proactive decision-making and implement sustainable measures within the engineering profession.The study makes three main research contributions. First, it confirms a positive relationship between EI and proactive sustainable decision-making among engineers. This means that engineers with high EI are more likely to consider the impacts of their decisions on various stakeholders and dimensions of sustainability. Second, it suggests that EI can enhance creativity and innovative thinking in engineering, helping engineers to develop effective solutions for challenges related to climate change. Third, the study advocates for incorporating EI training and assessment into engineering curriculums to foster a sustainable and ethical engineering culture. By improving EI, engineers can enhance their interpersonal skills, self-awareness, and emotional management, which in turn can significantly improve teamwork in addressing challenges related to climate change.

Gender disparities in social and personality psychology awards from 1968 to 2021

Gender disparities persist in academic psychology. The present study extended previous investigations to social and personality psychology award recipients. We collated publicly available data on award winners (N = 2700) from 17 international societies from 1968 to 2021. Features of the award, including year given, type of award, seniority level, whether the award was shared with more than one winner, and gender/sex of the recipient were coded. Overall, men were more likely to be recognized with awards than women, but the proportion of awards won by women has increased over time. Despite this increased share of awards, women were more likely to win awards for service and teaching (which are generally viewed as less prestigious) rather than research contributions. These differences were moderated by year - women were more likely to win service or teaching awards, compared to research awards, after 1999 and 2007, respectively. Women were more likely to win awards at postgraduate/early career levels or open to all levels compared to senior awards. Findings suggest that women’s greater representation in academic psychology in recent years has not been accompanied by parity in professional recognition and eminence.

Supporting Degree Apprentices through the school/work/university transition: a social capital lens

This paper reports on the early stages of a PhD study into supporting Engineering Degree Apprentices in a UK University through their contemporaneous transition into work and study. After briefly setting the context and rationale for the study it considers the development of the research design and integrates this with the corpus of literature to develop a framework for the primary research developed from Laurillard’s Conversational Framework work and the ideas of social capital and habitus. The contributions of the overall research are noted under the Aims and Objectives section, work reported herein contributes by developing a unique framework for understanding the experience of Degree Apprentices in the UK.

Indigenous education and (re)existence through self-writing - for a pedagogy of sensibilities: dialogue between Paulo Freire and Maria Amélia Pinho Pereira

Based on decolonial thinking that originated in the late 20th century, we will discuss the importance of indigenous resistance practices promoted through “ taking the floor ,” a term coined by philosopher Michel de Certeau and appropriated in this research to refer to the development of research and literary productions carried out by indigenous researchers and writers in order to confront and resignify colonizing narratives about these peoples, indicating how these productions contribute to thinking about decolonial education, such as the school model proposed by pedagogue Maria AP Pereira and her Education of Sensitivity. Based on Catherine Walsh, Paulo Freire, Márcia Kambeba, Daniel Munduruku, and Albert Memmi, we understand that the colonizer finds in scientific-intellectual knowledge devices of knowledge-power that underpin oppressive Eurocentric structures to justify exploitation, violence, inequality, inferiority, and discrimination, bases that still exert a strong influence on the various sectors of contemporary society. It is identified in the contributions of the aforementioned researchers that an educational model critical of scientism and the hierarchy of knowledge is possible based on an educational praxis and that dialogues with the diversity of knowledge and cultures, where education is liberating, promoting the overcoming of the oppressor-oppressed dichotomy as proposed by Freire, and is applied in the Education of Sensitivity promoted by the pedagogue Maria AP Pereira.

Advancements in integrated robotic sensing: A European perspective

Robotic Non-destructive Testing and Sensing stands at the forefront of technological innovation, offering capabilities in assessing structural integrity, safety, and material quality across diverse industries. This comprehensive review article provides a detailed exploration of the field, focusing on the substantial contributions of European researchers and institutions. The need for non-destructive testing has been a constant in industries that rely on structural integrity, including aerospace, manufacturing, energy, construction, and healthcare. Traditional testing methods, such as radiography, ultrasonic testing, magnetic particle testing, and dye penetrant testing, have been integral for quality control and safety assurance. However, the robotisation of such methods has marked a profound shift, enabling precise, fast, efficient, and repeatable testing while minimising human exposure to hazardous environments. European researchers and institutions have played an instrumental role in driving the evolution of integrated robotic sensing. The historical perspective of the field reveals the pioneering spirit of Europe, as collaborative initiatives led to the development of robotic platforms equipped with advanced sensors and testing techniques. A critical aspect of the European impact on robotic inspection applications lies in developing advanced sensors, innovative robotic platforms, novel robotic path-planning and control approaches and data collection and visualisation tools. These developments continue to influence the global landscape of robotic sensing. European researchers remain at the forefront of current trends and innovations as the field continues to evolve. This review article will delve into these recent advancements, highlighting Europe’s pivotal role in pushing the boundaries of technology and application. The implications and applications of robotic sensing reverberate across multiple sectors worldwide. From inspecting critical aerospace components to ensuring the quality of manufactured goods, these technologies underpin safety and quality standards.

Examining the involvement of guardians of children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia in Tanzania as public contributors to inform the design and conduct of the GuardiansCan project: A mixed-methods study protocol.

Public contribution in research can lead to the design and conduct of more feasible and relevant research. However, our understanding of the acceptability and feasibility of public contribution and the evidence base regarding its impact in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) is limited. In this study protocol, we describe a mixed-method examination of public contribution activities in the GuardiansCan project. The GuardiansCan project aims to respond to Tanzanian guardians' poor adherence to children's follow-up care after treatment for acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) with the help of Mobile Health technology. We aim to: (1) involve guardians of children treated for ALL as Guardians Advisory Board (GAB) members in the managing and undertaking, analysis and interpretation, and dissemination phases of the GuardiansCan project; and (2) examine the acceptability, feasibility, and perceived impact of GAB members' contribution to the GuardiansCan project from the perspective of the GAB members and public contribution coordinators. We will recruit six to eight guardians of children treated for ALL to the GAB. We will hold workshops where GAB members contribute to all project phases. Using impact logs, we will record GAB workshop activities and the perceived impact of these activities. We will interview GAB members and public contribution coordinators 6 months after establishing the GAB, and at the end of each study within the project, to examine the acceptability, feasibility, and perceived impact of public contribution activities. We expect GAB contribution to increase project quality and relevance, and inform how to best embed public contribution in research in LMICs.

Uncertainty-Based Validation Methodology and Experimental Analysis for External Control Room Human Performance Simulation: Application to Fire Probabilistic Risk Assessment of Nuclear Power Plants

In probabilistic risk assessment (PRA) of nuclear power plants (NPPs), human reliability analysis (HRA) is conducted to identify potential human failure events that could contribute to risk scenarios and estimate human error probabilities. Lessons learned from the 2011 Fukushima Daiichi NPP accident underscored that for PRA, it is critical to model external control room (Ex-CR) human actions. The state-of-practice HRA methods, historically developed for the main control room HRA, are limited in capturing the unique nature of Ex-CR human actions, such as location dependence (in addition to the time dependence) of human actions and spatiotemporal interactions of human performance with the surrounding physical environments, for instance, hazard propagation. To advance the Ex-CR HRA in the context of the fire PRA for NPPs, the authors’ team developed a simulation-based fire crew performance model using an agent-based modeling (ABM) technique. The ABM fire crew simulation was coupled with a fire progression model through a spatiotemporal interface using a geographic information system. This paper focuses on the validation of the ABM simulation, which is the key requirement for the simulation-based Ex-CR human performance model to be utilized in PRA. The existing validation approach, initially developed for physical models in the fire PRA of NPPs, is extended for validation of the simulation-based Ex-CR human performance model. Model uncertainty is used as a measure of model validity, which facilitates the incorporation of the validation result into the PRA. The degree of the model uncertainty is characterized by a lognormal error model whose parameters are quantified based on a pairwise comparison between empirical data and model predictions. The proposed validation approach is demonstrated using a case study of the fire PRA of NPPs. This study makes two research contributions: (1) it is the first to validate the simulation-based Ex-CR human performance model against empirical human performance data and incorporate the validation result into the PRA of NPPs, and (2) this study, for the first time, conducts a controlled experimental test to collect empirical data for fire crew performance at NPPs.

Leadership Style and Performance in Higher Education Institutions (PHEI): the Mediating Role of Organizational Culture

The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between Leadership Style (LS) and Performance in Higher Education Institution (PHEI), the mediating effect of Organizational Culture (OC) on the relationship between the two is examined. Quantitative research approach with survey type. Descriptive and verifiable analyses were carried out to confirm and test the predictive causality of the constructed model. The total sample was 43 respondents selected using a purposive sampling approach. Path analysis is applied to analyze data in the research model. Forecasting with a regression approach, the process SPSS macro model was adopted to test the mediation effect. The estimation of the mediation effect was carried out by the Sobel test. The findings of the leadership style research have a positive and significant direct effect on the performance of higher education institutions, leadership style has a positive and significant effect on organizational culture, organizational culture has a positive and significant effect on the performance of higher education institutions. Organizational culture has a positive and significant indirect effect on the influence of leadership style on the performance of higher education institutions, there is a strong mediation effect of organizational culture compared to the direct effect of leadership style on the performance of higher education institutions. Research contributions, implications and recommendations are explained in this paper.

Celebrating the career of Angela Gurnell

AbstractThis Special Issue arose from a 1‐day international workshop on the theme of Fluvial Biogeomorphology to mark Professor Angela Gurnell's official retirement. As co‐editors, we felt this Special Issue also afforded an opportunity which we could not let pass by to capture some key aspects of Angela's inspiring and impactful career to date. We have written this Preface to accompany the main Editorial as a celebration of Angela's distinguished career and the many contributions Angela has made to physical geography and in particular fluvial geomorphology. We present an overview of Angela's career, insights into key research areas and contributions through a consideration of her publications, and her work inspiring early career researchers through PhD supervision before some final, more personal, reflections.

Life Cycle Assessment of Single-Story Low-Income Housing: A Brazilian Case Study

This study aims to assess the environmental impacts of different construction systems employed in a single-story low-income housing development utilizing Life Cycle Assessment (LCA). The LCA was applied to the roof, wall, coating, and floor systems, considering the initial and recurring impacts from extraction to material replacement. Data were quantified using the CML 2001 method with OpenLCA 1.9 software. The analyzed impact categories are the potential for the depletion of abiotic resources—non-fossil (ADP); potential for the depletion of abiotic resources—fossil (ADP f); soil and water acidification potential (AP); eutrophication potential (EP); global warming potential—100 (GWP); stratospheric ozone layer depletion potential (ODP); and photochemical oxidation potential (POCP). The results highlight the impacts related to the maintenance and replacement of materials as the most significant, with walls being the system with the highest concentration of impacts, presenting the highest results among five of the seven categories. In the GWP category, the wall system resulted in 42% of total impacts (initial + recurring impacts). These findings show that the selection and definition of construction materials in the design phase can either mitigate or exacerbate environmental burdens. Therefore, this research contribution lies in pinpointing the environmental impacts of each construction system of low-income housing to support architects and engineers in addressing environmental impacts when making project decisions.

A Bibliometric and Visualised Analysis of Proliferative Verrucous Leucoplakia From 2003 to 2023

BackgroundProliferative verrucous leucoplakia (PVL) is a rare but slow-growing, aggressive leucoplakia lesion associated with the highest malignant transformation rate in oral potentially malignant disorders (OPMDs). With increasing attention paid to PVL, it is urgent for us to analyse and summarise the publications globally using comprehensive bibliometric studies to help researchers propose possible future research directions and guide them to further conduct relevant studies in the domain. ObjectivesThe purpose of the study was to evaluate global academic productivity, impact, and collaboration of potentially malignant oral disorder PVL utilising bibliometrics based on annual number of publications, countries and regions, institution, authors, journals, citations and co-occurrences of author keywords over the last 20 years. MethodsThis study searched publications pertaining to proliferative verrucous leucoplakia in the Web of Science Core Collection, spanning from 2003 to 2023. Utilizing VOSviewer, R software, Bibliometric online analysis platform, CiteSpace software, and Microsoft Excel, we conducted a bibliometric and visualised analysis of PVL. ResultsThe quantity of pertinent publications in this research domain displays a fluctuating but overall upward trend. In aggregate, there are 148 articles and 61 reviews, encompassing research contributions from 44 countries, 45 institutions, and involving 831 authors. Among these publications, the USA, Spain, and UK emerged as the predominant contributing nations. Predominantly, articles found their publication venue in “Pathology Research and Practice.” Notably, the author with the highest number of publications and most influence is Warnakulasuriya S. The top 3 keywords include “Proliferative Verrucous Leucoplakia,” “Squamous-Cell Carcinoma,” “Oral Leucoplakia,” and “Potentially Malignant Disorders.” ConclusionIn this investigation, statistical analysis and network visualisation were conducted to reveal the research progress, trends, and trending topics on PVL via a thorough bibliometric analysis. We found that current publications comprise mainly case reports, there is a significant research need to explore the molecular mechanisms, specific diagnostic criteria, and effective management options for PVL. Our work should serve as a key reference and a directional guide for future research in this domain.

Curriculum Evaluation and Development: A Systematic Approach to Literature Review in Educational Management

This study aims to investigate the evaluation and development of curriculum in education management through a systematic literature review (SLR). The study also seeks to identify gaps in the academic literature and make essential contributions to filling those knowledge gaps. Data was collected through a literature search on Google Scholar for articles published in Scopus-indexed journals. After screening with inclusion and exclusion criteria, 21 relevant articles were analyzed using NVivo software. This analysis includes identifying trends, distribution, research contributions, and the methodology used in these studies. Research trends show an increased interest in curriculum evaluation and development in recent years, reflected in the increasing number of research articles. The distribution of research articles by publisher, journal, and country of origin demonstrates the diversity of publication sources and international contributions in the academic literature on curriculum management. The analysis also revealed the diversity of research methodologies, covering a wide range of quantitative and qualitative methods. In addition, the use of software for data analysis is also highlighted in this study, showing a trend in the use of technology in facilitating research analysis. This study concludes that curriculum evaluation and development in education management is a complex and crucial topic, requiring a multidimensional approach and cross-border cooperation to understand it profoundly and overcome existing challenges. The study identifies gaps in the academic literature and provides a basis for further research and practice in curriculum evaluation and development.

La formación docente: una oportunidad para la transformación desde la investigación científica

The essay aims to analyze the contributions of scientific research in teacher training and its impact on the transformation of education. At the University and in training centers, the curriculum that guides teachers has the task of not only updating the contents under cutting-edge demands, but it also has the fundamental task of adapting to the contextual realities of their work scenarios. In higher education, scientific research is the resource that guarantees the transformation of education professionals, their own students, and their communities. Examples of this are the Political Constitution of 1991, Law 115 of 1994 and Decree 1330 of 2019 (Colombia), which explain the importance and management of providing teachers with professional or continuous training in accordance with scientific processes. From this perspective, new contributions are made to the topic, taking teacher training to the construction of democratic scenarios, to the transformation of territories, systems, educational practices, curricular action, experience, and to society from a critical stance that transcends the discussion of knowledge.

Integration Model of Human Dimensions, Military Minds and Patriostism

Objective: The objectives of this study are to examine the key dimensions of military minds as a determining factor of human dimensions and patriotism among Malaysian Armed Forces personnel and the seconds objective is to test the extent of mediating effects of human dimensions with military minds and patriotism.This research used quantitative research methods to get the data from the respondent of this study. The dependent variable for this study is patriotism while heroism, clear behaviour, military decency, responsibility for equipment and military skills are the independent variable and talent is the mediating in this study.The population of this study is from the Malaysian Armed Forces personnel, consist of the Malaysian Army, Royal Malaysian Navy, and Royal Malaysian Air Forces, which accounted for 0.32% of the total Malaysian Armed Forces personnel in this country. The utilised partial least square structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) method to analyse the data and obtain results for the hypotheses generated.The results indicate of this study to be the best practice for developing training methods for future military personnel towards societal impact 4.0 (IR).This research profound implications and contribution towards Malaysian Army as managing and cultivating human dimensions with military minds and patriotism among Malaysian Army to the attainment of mission in the organization In general, this study will be beneficial for Malaysian Armed Forces to understand the importance implications of integration model of human dimensions, military minds and patriostism.

Deployment of Edge Computing for Smart Healthcare Systems on Cloud Computing Platform

Improving the productivity of health services is a prime concern for authorities all over the country. Yet, offering patients with scalable healthcare services while cutting costs is a complicated matter. Edge computing technologies and next-generation mobile computing infrastructure are one of the most effective alternatives for integrating efficient healthcare since they can provide real-time and cost-effective patient monitoring systems. Edge computing enables doctors to deliver care to remote areas where connectivity could not be great and skilled healthcare personnel may not be available. The proposed paper discuss the past research work and contribution in the field of smart Healthcare. The Paper further depicts general edge computing architecture for smart Healthcare system and trade-offs of Edge computing. The paper also discuss use cases of smart Healthcare system based on edge computing advantages of Smart- health and the challenges associated with the deployment.

BIBLIOMETRIC ANALYSIS OF SPIRITUALITY AT WORKPLACE USING VOSVIEWER

Meaningful work is of utmost importance in creating and fostering an environment of creativity and innovation. A work environment that strives to realize the true potential of its employees must endeavor to fulfil their higher-order needs. The concept of spirituality is related with higher levels of human consciousness. A deeper understanding of self and others may contribute to positive outcomes at the workplace. Ashmos and Duchon (2000), have quoted Wheatly (1992) and Stacey (1992) that the workplaces need to be envisioned as systems that have strong bonds or connections among its employees. The present study was conducted with a view to investigate contribution of researchers in the domain of spirituality at workplace. The objective was to suggest a way forward to business leaders to achieve higher levels of efficiency at work in tandem with employee wellbeing. The present digital era necessitates that motivation towards excellence in work be intrinsic. In the present study, the bibliometric analysis tool VOSviewer was used. Analysis revealed the trend, most cited authors and keywords related to spirituality at workplace research. Findings revealed that mindfulness at work was strongly related to sustainability. The study is of immense significance as there is a global consensus regarding the adoption of sustainable practices in all walks of life. The study also revealed that extensive work remains to be done.