Research Study Research Articles

Granting analysis of the credit financing of the platform-type highway transportation supply chain.

Against the background of digital development, this study's research object is the platform-based highway transportation supply chain. It also analyzes two modes of supply chain financial credit financing, namely, upstream, and downstream enterprises of the platform, and network freight platform as the main financing body. Notably, the financial provider sets up a transaction credit based on the principle of business truth, and closed-loop transactions, determine the upper limit of the credit line based on the principle of financing self-compensation, build the expected profit maximization model, and establish the optimal credit line. Combined with the Highway Freight Index and Logistics Prosperity Index, the dynamic early warning value is established for the financing mode, where the platform as the main financing body. Through numerical analysis, the credit line and expected profit increase with the transaction credit, expected freight volume, and credit interest rate under the two modes, and the increase deriving from the credit interest rate is more significant. Finally, this paper describes the two-dimensional credit matrix of the financing subject via transaction credit and credit interest rate, which provides an intuitive credit reference for financial institutions to conduct the credit financing of the platform-based highway transportation supply chain.

DEVELOPMENT OF A MOBILE APPLICATION FOR LEARNING BASIC TECHNOLOGY CONCEPTS IN UPPER-BASIC SCHOOLS

Despite the quick advancements in technology, students still have to attend demanding in-person classes. However, students can get curriculum-based instruction remotely via mobile devices. As a result, a mobile application was developed for usage in Nigerian upper basic schools using the ASSDURE (Analysis, Statement of Objectives, Design, Development, Utilization, Response, and Evaluation) paradigm. This study's model-type design and development research included a single-group pre-test-post-test design. The population consisted of students from upper-basic schools in Nigeria, specifically from upper-basic school two. Findings indicated that the developed application improved students' academic performance, as evidenced by their respective pre- and post-test performance percentage scores of 53.0% and 66.4%. The mobile app received positive evaluations from experts in instructional design, basic technology, and educational technology, with scores of 85%, 79.7%, and 88.3%, respectively. The study's conclusions indicate that the developed application is appropriate for educational purposes. It is inferred that pupils will perform better academically. Thus, among other things, it was proposed that mobile applications be included in basic technology instruction.

Synthesis of β-Amino Carbonyl 6-(Aminomethyl)- and 6-(Hydroxymethyl)pyrazolopyrimidines for DPP-4 Inhibition Study.

Type-2 diabetes is a chronic progressive metabolic disease resulting in severe vascular complications and mortality risk. Recently, DPP-4 inhibitors had been conceived as a favorable class of agents for the treatment of type 2 diabetes due to the minimal side effects. Sitagliptin is the first medicine approved for the DPP-4 inhibitor. Its structure involved three fragments: 2,4,5-triflorophenyl fragment pharmacophore, enantiomerically β-amino carbonyl linker, and tetrahydrotriazolopyridine. Herein, we are drawn to the possibility of substituting tetrahydrotriazolopyridine motif present in Sitagliptin with a series of new fused pyrazolopyrimidine bicyclic fragment to investigate potency and safety. Two series of fused 6-(aminomethyl)pyrazolopyrimidine and 6-(hydroxymethyl) pyrazolopyrimidine derivatives containing β-amino ester or amide as linkers were successfully designed for the new DPP-4 inhibitors. Most fused 6-methylpyrazolopyrimidines were evaluated against DPP-4 inhibition and selectivity capacity. Based on research study, β-amino carbonyl fused 6-(hydroxymethyl)pyrazolopyrimidine possesses the significant DPP-4 inhibition (IC50 ≤ 59.8 nM) and presents similar with Sitagliptin (IC50 = 28 nM). Particularly, they had satisfactory selectivity over DPP-8 and DPP-9, except for QPP. β-Amino esters and amides fused 6-(hydroxymethyl)pyrazolopyrimidine were developed as the new DPP-4 inhibitors. Those compounds with a methyl group or hydrogen in N-1 position and methyl substituted group in C-3 of pyrazolopyrimidine moiety showed better potent DPP-4 inhibition (IC50 = 21.4-59.8 nM). Furthermore, they had satisfactory selectivity over DPP-8 and DPP-9 Finally, the docking results revealed that compound 9n was stabilized at DPP-4 active site and would be a potential lead drug.

Creating a Reflective Framework for Exploring Divergent Thinking Potential to Enhance Unconventional Ideas

This paper aims to investigate the implications of divergent thinking (DT) on the 'Habit-Bound Thinking' of undergraduate design students. The goal of this research is to find a way to develop creative designs that accurately mimic 2D frequent shapes. The results of this semi-experimental study gathered and analyzed observational data to evaluate the participants' divergent thinking abilities to generate a wide range of ideas or solutions to a given situation. Two colleges' worth of 120 students were split evenly between the control and experimental groups. This data set addressed the study's primary research question and produced substantial changes in the outcomes. Students in the control group improved significantly on tests measuring component knowledge and creative ability after receiving training and creating the graphical models. These results back up the theory that student creativity is fostered via project-based learning. The establishment of workshops led to a rise in originality

Emoting up, emoting down: status, authenticity and the emotional labour of STEM graduate students

Various studies have examined emotional labour’s positive and negative aspects, but the structural conditions under which people experience emotional labour as fulfilling vs. taxing are underexplored. In this study, I use interviews with graduate students – a group whose relative social status changes routinely – to illuminate the types of emotion work that occasion positive and negative feelings. I find that graduate students often felt positive when performing emotional labour down the academic hierarchy to undergraduate students but felt negative about their emotional labour when performing it up the academic hierarchy to professors. I also find that women, people of colour and international students find their emotional labour particularly distressing when they perceive it to be an expectation of their marginalised social identity. Using identity theory, I show how status dynamics underlie people's emotional reactions when their identities are at risk of being disconfirmed. This research study contributes to the field of the sociology of emotions by specifying that status matters for whether emotional labour is a positive or negative experience for workers.

A Modified Delphi Research Study on Fundamental Movement Skill Complexity for Teaching and Learning Physical Literacy

Purpose: To establish a consensus on the complexity of 16 fundamental movement skills (FMS). Initially, complexity was defined as how difficult it would be to teach FMS to children and for the children to learn them. Method: The study was conducted using a modified Delphi method and a mobile application called Move Improve® to showcase video demonstrations of 16 FMS. Six experts discussed and rated the complexity of each FMS using a 5-point Likert scale until a 75% consensus was obtained during three rounds. Result: Dribble was rated as the most complex (average five) and run as the least (average one). The highest percentage of consensus at 100% was obtained for dribble, overhead throw, run, and skip during Round 3. Conclusion: Eye–hand or eye–foot coordination, laterality, and the environment were deemed as the most influential factors when rating the complexity of FMS.

Impact of Corporate Governance on Voluntary Disclosure of Nigerian-Listed Industrial Goods Companies

This study investigates the impact of corporate governance on voluntary disclosure of Nigerian-listed industrial goods companies. Expo-facto was employed as the study's research design. For a period of fifteen (15) years, from 2007 to 2021, the study used data from secondary sources included in the yearly reports and accounts of the listed manufacturers of industrial goods. The population of the study consisted of thirteen (13) industrial product companies that are listed on the Nigerian stock exchange. As of December 31, 2021, a sample of 10 Nigerian industrial goods businesses that are publicly traded was used. Additionally, regression using Ordinary List Square (OLS) was used to analyze the data. The findings indicate that Board Independence, Board Gender, Board Experience, Board management ownership and chief executive officer duality have statistically significant and favourable effects on the voluntary disclosure of listed Nigerian industrial goods companies. However, it was discovered that there is statistically no positive link between VLD and any of the study's explanatory variables, with the exception of BEXP and BGND. According to the study's findings, improving corporate governance systems can encourage voluntary disclosure, which can increase corporate transparency and boost corporate accountability for Nigerian manufacturers of industrial goods. The results of this study are also helpful for market participants, such as investors, regulators, and others, in the Nigerian capital markets.

EXPLORING THE POWER OF GENERATIVE AI: ENHANCING BUSINESS EMAIL WRITING SKILLS FOR L2 LEARNERS

L2 learners at higher education often face difficulties in writing business emails in English, which hinder effective workplace communication and academic success. Therefore, higher education institutions should educate their learners about business email literacy. This study analysed how thirty-one business degree Malay students at a public university in Malaysia utilized generative AI tools for composing business emails. These participants presented their reflection investigation on the application of generative AI in business email writing for their group class assignment for English for Business Communication. This study's research approach included a qualitative document analysis on PowerPoint presentation slides of the participants, and thematic analysis was used to analyse the data. The findings reveal three themes emerged from the study; Theme 1: Preferred generative AI, Theme 2: Optimising generative AI prompts for business email writing, and Theme 3: Ethical usage of AI. Theme 1 has three sub-themes; user friendliness, relevant business contexts and quality generated texts. The results showed that all groups had different AI tools due to their personal choices. Theme 2 has two sub-themes; prompts for external email and prompts for internal email. The participants used generative AI tools for idea expansion and paraphrasing. These L2 learners also wrote specific prompts for different types of email. Two emerging sub-themes of Theme 3 are writing assistance and best practices on ethical usage of generative AI. The participants stressed the significance of understanding plagiarism and effectively using generative AI tools. Learners should be educated on intellectual property and ethical AI tool usage. Higher education institutions should integrate these tools into their courses to enhance business email writing skills and prepare students for AI-driven workplaces, fostering ethical and effective usage.

Does Motivation Impact Employees' Job Performance in Public Sector Organizations? A Myth or A Reality

This study's objective was to identify the impact of intrinsic and extrinsic motivation on the job performance of the employees of public sector organizations. To conduct the study, employee engagement was incorporated as a mediating variable, and the working environment was incorporated as a controlled variable. The study's research methodology was explanatory, with a deductive approach and positivist research philosophy. The study data was cross-sectional and collected through convenience-based sampling from respondents with a grade level of BPS-16 and above. The collected data was analyzed using hierarchical regression analysis through IBM-SPSS. The findings showed intrinsic and extrinsic motivation's direct and indirect contribution to job performance by mediating employee engagement. The study's originality to the literature remained the utilization of employee engagement and working environment as mediating and controlled variables to assess the impact of motivation.

Privacy between Past and Present in Designing Jordanian Homes

This research aims to focus on the role that the interior designer plays in enhancing home efficiency directly and effectively that can be observed through the privacy of homes. The privacy of the interior design is completely affected, whereas the design of each home differs from the other according to the differences that follow individuals' behavior within Residential environments, or even the differences between the daily activities that they practice within their places of residence. The question in the research study is to mainly consider the role that privacy plays in interior design, influencing the composition and characteristics of Jordanian housing and how to design its internal environment between the past and present period, serving the requirements of the daily life of individuals and achieving their satisfaction with their homes. This research follows the deductive inductive and the comparative analytical method to write results. Results confirmed the importance and influence of privacy aspects in the interior design process, as it is a basic requirement that must be considered by the interior designer when carrying out the design process for any housing, where privacy is one of the important aspects and factors that effect on how people deal with their homes in which they live. The results also confirmed that the multiplicity of colors in the design of homes provides better privacy, and that the diverse furniture in the Jordanian homes ensures functional efficiency, which in turn ensures the achievement of privacy for individuals, and that appropriate lighting plays a major role in supporting the privacy of the home, and that the appropriate materials achieve privacy in components of the interior space of interiors, and finally, the well-thought-out spatial planning ensures the high privacy of individuals inside the home. Keywords: Privacy, Interior design, Jordanian housing

A Research Update on Factors Influencing Second Language Acquisition: Native Languages and Learning Difficulty

Learning a second language is a complex process that is influenced by a variety of factors, including the learner's first language. This study investigates the reasons behind language learning decisions made by speakers of different native tongues and investigates whether the difficulty of learning a second language is related to the difficulty of learning the first language. Psychological development, career advancement, and cultural fusion are some of the reasons why language learning is desirable. Additionally, by highlighting potential challenges and resources, it examines the linguistic gap between the target language and the originating language.The study's research design, datagathering strategies, and analytic approaches are all covered in the methodology section.The findings improve knowledge of the interactions between first-language acquisition and secondlanguage learning, direct methods of teaching languages, and promote effective multilingual communication.

Histopathology reporting of temporal artery biopsy specimens for giant cell arteritis: results of a modified Delphi study

The temporal artery biopsy (TAB) is regarded as the gold-standard test in the diagnosis of giant cell arteritis (GCA). There is a lack of agreement among experienced pathologists regarding the...

Environmental Accounting and Sustainable Development of Firms in Rivers State, Nigeria

Within the scope of the research, environmental accounting and sustainable development were explored in relation to oil and gas firms located in Rivers State, Nigeria. There was a correlational survey research design used for the investigation. A total of six oil and gas businesses that were active in the Rivers State Region of Nigeria were included in the study's research population. For this particular investigation, secondary data served as the instrument. Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) Version 22 was used in order to do the analysis on the data. A simple bivariate regression analysis was performed at a significance level of.05. The research issues were evaluated using the mean and standard deviations, and hypotheses were assessed using the analysis. The data indicated that there is no substantial connection between the cost of waste management and the ecologically sustainable growth of oil and gas businesses in Rivers State, Nigeria. Additionally, there is a strong significant association between the cost of pollution control and the development of ecological sustainability, as well as a strong significant relationship between the cost of pollution control and the development of economic sustainability for oil and gas businesses in Rivers State, Nigeria. By adhering to social responsibility in waste management, oil and gas firms should put a premium value on initiatives that are focused towards reducing their ecological footprint and promoting sustainable growth while also reducing their environmental impact.

Investigation of Professional Commitment Among Practicing Teachers in Higher Education Institutions

The present study aims to explore the phenomenon of professional commitment in the institutions of the Higher Education Department in the province of Punjab. The phenomenon is related to the teachers’ commitment to teaching, teamwork, and students’ welfare. The study framework follows the positivistic paradigm and quantitative approach through the survey method for hypothesizing phenomena and gathering and analyzing data. The study population consists of public-sector college teachers from Punjab, Pakistan. Through the multistage sampling technique, 803 public college teachers were selected as a sample of the study. The data was collected through a self-developed questionnaire, i.e., ‘measure for teachers’ professional commitment.’ For the validation purposes of the data tool, qualitative and quantitative analysis was carried out by seeking expert opinion and pilot testing for factor analysis to ensure the reliability and validity of the study instrument. Descriptive statistical analysis was applied to answer the study's research questions. The results reflect that professional commitment among teachers is at a low level, and commitment to teaching and teamwork is at a low level. Based on these conclusions, it is recommended that a low level of teachers’ professional commitment is critically important to be addressed through a selection of teachers who have taught as their first choice for the job to ensure intrinsic motivation. Furthermore, incentives, appreciation, and social recognition might be supportive for enhancing their commitment to teaching.

Relationship Between Organizational Trusts Posed by the Principal and the Teachers’ Professional Commitment in Higher Education Institutions

The present study aims to explore the relationship between organizational trust posed by the principal and the teachers’ professional commitment in higher education institutions in the province of Punjab. The given phenomenon is related to the teachers’ professional commitment, as when the college teachers enjoy the trust of their institutional principals, their professional commitment towards their job is increased. The study follows the positivistic paradigm and quantitative approach through survey method and correlational design. The two variables of the study are organizational trust and professional commitment. The population of the study consists of public-sector college teachers from the province of Punjab, Pakistan. Through a multistage sampling technique, data were collected from 803 public college teachers. The data was collected through two self-developed questionnaires. Descriptive and inferential statistical analysis were applied to answer the study's research questions. The descriptive results reflect that the occurrence of trust in teachers by the principals hardly reaches a moderate level, while the commitment to teaching and teamwork is at a low level. At the same time, the correlation between overall trust and commitment to teaching, teamwork and students’ welfare is significantly positive but moderate. Conclusively, the given levels of trust and particularly of commitment are critically below expectations, while the strength of correlation between the variables is also not very promising. Such results demand immediate initiatives to address the poor professional commitment and enhance the perception of trust among college teachers for the resurgence of the instructional system.

ENHANCING RECRUITMENT AND SELECTION PROCESSES: INSIGHTS FROM PNB METLIFE’S TALENT ACQUISITION

This paper is on recruitment and selection process at PNB MetLife Insurance Company Limited. The process of identifying, screening, shortlisting, and choosing the best applicants to occupy the necessary vacant jobs is known as recruitment and selection. The primary objectives of this research are to determine how candidates are recruited, on what criteria the selection process is based, and what skill set is necessary for a certain position. The aim of this research is to investigate the PNB MetLife's recruitment and selection procedure and to investigate whether the procedure is simple to comprehend and use different methods that are used by the organisation. The study's research design is descriptive. Primary data have been collected for this project. 50 candidates make up the sample size for the questionnaire method used to acquire the data. The data indicates that employee referrals (72%) are the dominant source for internal recruitment, and employment agencies (42%) lead in external recruitment. High satisfaction (88%) with the resume screening process and clear job descriptions (94%) reflect positively on organizational practices, while a strong awareness (94%) of referral schemes supports internal hiring strategies. Such insights offer valuable guidance for refining recruitment approaches and enhancing employee satisfaction, thereby fortifying organizational success. This project makes an effort to offer suggestions for improving recruitment efficiency and lowering hiring costs. Keywords: Recruitment Process, Selection process, Interview, Job vacancy, Qualification and Skills

The Applicability of Design Thinking in the Tourism Sector, Kwazulu-Natal, South Africa

One of the most significant corporate trends nowadays is design thinking, which gives firms the ability to develop their strategic thinking capabilities in order to tackle difficult problems. The goals of design thinking are to transform enterprises, encourage imaginative abilities, pinpoint needs and opportunities, and provide fresh ideas and scenarios for the company. South Africa's economy can grow as much as is desired by including all of these aspects. Design thinking is a capability that may deliberately assist the South African tourism industry in attaining its aspirational goals of increasing visitor arrivals, accelerating job development, and unleashing entrepreneurial prospects across sub-sectors that are closely related to the tourism sector. Tourism industry stakeholders must be aware of the evolving consumer demands. Understanding whether design thinking might be applied to the tourism sector in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, and whether doing so may be effective and advantageous for this sector, was the study's primary objective. Purposive sampling was used in this study's qualitative research approach. Eleven members of the tourism industry participated in a design thinking workshop, a focus group, and interviews in August and September 2021. The main conclusions showed that design thinking would be an effective technique to support improvements and innovation in the tourism sector, as all participants confirmed and agreed. The study's findings have led to various factors that can help design thinking improve tourism industry business. It is recommended that though design thinking can boost business in the tourism industry, a number of contributing factors must be properly implemented.

Development of a Model to Classify Skin Diseases using Stacking Ensemble Machine Learning Techniques

Skin diseases are highly prevalent and transmissible. It has been one of the major health problems that most people face. The diseases are dangerous to the skin and tend to spread over time. A patient can be cured of these skin diseases if they are detected on time and treated early. However, it is difficult to identify these diseases and provide the right medications. This study's research objectives involve developing an ensemble machine learning based model for classifying Erythemato-Squamous Diseases (ESD). The ensemble techniques combine five different classifiers, Naïve Bayes, Support Vector Classifier, Decision Tree, Random Forest, and Gradient Boosting, by merging their predictions and utilizing them as input features for a meta-classifier during training. We tested and validated the ensemble model using the dataset from the University of California, Irvine (UCI) repository to assess its effectiveness. The Individual classifiers achieved different accuracies: Naïve Bayes (85.41%), Support Vector Machine (98.61%), Random Forest (97.91%), Decision Tree (95.13%), Gradient Boosting (95.83%). The stacking method yielded a higher accuracy of 99.30% and a precision of 1.00, recall of 0.96, F1 score of 0.97, and specificity of 1.00 compared to the base models. The study confirms the effectiveness of ensemble learning techniques in classifying ESD.

Exploring the impact of performance management systems and feedback quality on employee motivation: investigating the mediating role of self-efficacy

Purpose: The goal of performance management is to guarantee that teams and individuals receive the tools necessary for growth, the acknowledgement they merit for motivation, and the accountability to understand expectations. Performance management makes sure that the organization's ideals are upheld in daily operations and that teams are in agreement over priorities. Method: This study's mixed-method approach research design incorporates both quantitative and qualitative data. Because it allows for a thorough analysis of the effects of performance management systems on employee performance, a case study design is used. Result and Conclusion: To sum up, this study provides insightful information about the complex opinions that workers at different organisational levels have about performance management systems. The results highlight the necessity of clear communication, focused training, and ongoing assessment in order to maximise the effect of PMS on worker productivity and organisational success. Implication of Research: The findings showed that 36.7% of respondents denied having PMS, while 56.7% of respondents admitted to having it. Furthermore, 16.6% of respondents said they were unsure if PMS actually existed. Originality/Value: Opinions on how satisfied people were with the current PMS differed. 46.7% of respondents said they were satisfied, 36.7% said they were not, and 16.6% said they were unsure about their level of satisfaction.

Cross-cultural validation and formulation of key evidence-based back pain messages for Zambian nurses.

Workplace attitudes among nurses with back pain disability are usually unsupportive as nurses tend to rely on passive approaches like pain medications and taking sick leave to manage the impact of their back pain experiences. To lessen the burden of back pain disability, this paper aimed to collate information from publicly accessible health resources such as posters, pamphlets, and electronic resources and cross-culturally validate this information for nurses in Zambia. Focus group discussions were used to produce the validation data for this study's qualitative research design. For cross-cultural validation, deductive analysis was carried out using Herdman's framework for Conceptual Equivalence, Item Equivalence, and Semantic Equivalence. The 14 messages on back pain given to the participants were reviewed to enhance clarity, applicability, and acceptability. Messages with similar meanings were merged, reducing the total number to 7. The revisions made to the 14 back pain messages aimed to improve understanding, acceptability, and relevance within the contexts and circumstances in which nurses' practice. This is important because the messages adapted for use in low- and middle-income countries like Zambia are equivalent and applicable to those originally developed in high-income countries.