Short-term Action Research Articles

The 10th anniversary of the scientific description of the black snub-nosed monkey (Rhinopithecus strykeri): It is time to initiate a set of new management strategies to save this critically endangered primate from extinction.

Traditionally, the genus Rhinopithecus (Milne-Edwards, 1872, Primates, Colobinae) included four allopatric species, restricted in their distributions to China and Vietnam. In 2010, a fifth species, the black snub-nosed monkey (Rhinopithecus strykeri) was discovered in the Gaoligong Mountains located on the border between China and Myanmar. Despite the remoteness, complex mountainous terrain, dense fog, and armed conflict that characterizes this region, over this past decade Chinese and Myanmar scientists have begun to collect quantitative data on the ecology, behavior and conservation requirements of R. strykeri. In this article, we review the existing data and present new information on the life history, ecology, and population size of R. strykeri. We discuss these data in the context of past and current conservation challenges faced by R. strykeri, and propose a series of both short-term and long-term management actions to ensure the survival of this Critically Endangered primate species. Specifically, we recommend that the governments and stakeholders in China and Myanmar formulate a transboundary conservation agreement that includes a consensus on bilateral exchange mechanisms, scientific research and monitoring goals, local community development, cooperation to prevent the hunting of endangered species and cross-border forest fires. These actions will contribute to the long-term conservation and survival of this Critically Endangered species.

A methodology to correlate short-term regional climate action and long-term global temperature goals

A methodology to correlate short-term regional climate action and long-term global temperature goals

Сполуки Германію та їхня роль в організмі тварин

Last years literature data and separate research results analysis was carried out concerning biological influence of Germanium compounds at laboratory and productive animals. The article states a comparative effect of mineral and organic Germanium compounds in chemical and biotechnological synthesis, as well as nanotechnological germanium citrate influence on the functioning of the immune, hematological, antioxidant, detoxification, reproductive and nervous systems of animals. The article displays a difference in influence of Germanium compounds on animal body depending on its form, dose and exposure. Benefits of using organic Germanium compounds in chemical, biotechnological and nanotechnological synthesis are highlighted based on a comparative analysis of the own research results, as well as other authors. Functioning analysis of a separate body organs, body systems as well as animal body in total was conducted after animals been exposed to short-term and long-lasting action of various Germanium compounds. Studies results for various Germanium compounds toxicity, their impact on animal productivity and product quality are stated based on the available literature. Comparison of influence effect for some drugs, biologically active additives and products containing Germanium compounds on the animal body was documented. Conclusions are made about the advantages of biological action of organic Germanium compounds, made by biotechnological synthesis using yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, and Germanium citrate, obtained on the basis of nanotechnology, regarding the prospects of its use in animal husbandry and veterinary medicine.

Effect of high-temperature thermal action on the film-forming properties of a lithium grease

PurposeThis paper aims to investigate the influence of high-temperature thermal action on grease performance from the angle of film-forming performance.Design/methodology/approachA static thermal aging method was used to prepare high-temperature thermal grease samples after high-temperature thermal action. On the basis of optical interference technology, the film-forming characteristics of fresh grease samples and the grease samples after high-temperature thermal action under variable speed and fixed speed conditions were explored.FindingsThe decrease in the structural entanglement performance of the grease after short-term high-temperature thermal action makes its film-forming performance better. The mechanism is that the lubricating grease soap fiber entanglement is reduced. Although the continuous high-temperature thermal action can make the grease film-forming performance better, its mechanism is that the soap fiber structure caused by high-temperature thermal action is damaged and is easy to be cut off under the action of shear.Originality/valueThe effect of structural system change on its film formation performance was discussed in combination with the change in grease structure characteristics, and the mechanism of action was revealed.

Potato Farming Systems from a Social-Ecological Perspective: Identifying Key Points to Increase Resilience in a High Andean Productive Landscape

Social-ecological resilience (SER), understood as the capacity to prevent, react to, and mitigate crises that affect social-ecological systems, provides an integrative framework to analyze agricultural challenges. Based on this approach, key points that affect the sustainability of productive landscapes are addressed and evaluated, providing a baseline from which to improve farming systems at different scales. Hence, the aim of this work is to assess SER in potato crops in the Nariño area in southwestern Colombia, a region where strategies to increase resilience must be implemented. Following the methodology proposed by the UNU-IAS (2014), potato producers’ thoughts and perceptions were evaluated by implementing eleven workshops in seven municipalities. Five main integrative factors (twenty indicators of resilience) were examined and scored during the assessment: (1) governance and social equity, (2) livelihood and well-being, (3) knowledge and innovation, (4) landscape diversity and ecosystem protection, and (5) agrobiodiversity and sustainable natural resource management. Participants evaluated each indicator from 1 to 5 (1 being low performance and 5 extremely good performance). The results were calculated and averaged. Prior to the assessment, participatory techniques to generate collective reflection on resilience and landscape management were performed. The results showed that farmers rated SER resilience from low to moderate (from 2.5 to 3.2), with “well-being” (2.5) and “knowledge and innovation” (2.7) being the worst-rated factors. The data evidence deficiencies in all the indicators examined. Issues that constrain SER are related to the lack of capacity to create bio-industries, small livelihood portfolios, pollution, loss of natural areas (which impacts biodiversity and ecosystem services), and the loss of ancestral knowledge. The producers requested, as short-term actions, increases in technical assistance (to promote innovation and business initiatives) and farm diversification programs (to take advantage of their native potatoes diversity). They also agreed on the need for associative figures to enhance capacity-building among producers. These findings confirm deficiencies that minimize the sustainability of this system. Actions that impact positively almost all indicators are required to improve not only productivity but also the population’s well-being.

The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Supply Chains in the Example of Polish Clothing Companies in the Context of Sustainable Development

The article presents the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the supply chains of Polish clothing companies. The aim of the article is to present the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the supply chains of Polish clothing companies, in both the short and long-term, and in the context of sustainable development. The author has been conducting research on logistics and production processes as well as supply chains of Polish clothing companies since 2017. The research results presented in this article on the impact of the pandemic on the functioning of supply chains in this sector of the economy were carried out in 2021. The author conducted telephone interviews with the management of Polish clothing companies of all sizes, both with distributors and producers. She identified disruptions in the supply chains caused by the pandemic (on the supply, production and distribution). She outlined the short-term actions of companies in response to disruptions, as well as long-term changes related to the logistics strategy as a result of the pandemic. The author also presented the ecological and social effects of changes in logistics strategies caused by the pandemic. So far, there has been no research in this industry and this area concerning not only the short-term impact of the pandemic, but also the strategic changes and their impact on sustainable development. Thus, it is a study that fills the existing research gap. The pandemic particularly affected the distribution of clothing, which caused the dynamic development of e-commerce. Because of this, some clothing companies have changed the organization of deliveries to online customers, such as the example presented by the author of the largest Polish clothing company, LPP S.A. The pandemic in apparel companies has also disrupted production and supply. This was especially true for deliveries from countries with low production costs. Despite these disruptions, however, no mass withdrawal from the production of clothing in low-cost countries to Poland has been observed and, according to the surveyed companies, this will not be a long-term consequence of the pandemic. However, if factors that occurred during a pandemic worsen, this could favor the shifting of more production from low-cost countries to local or regional sewing plants. This would enable the application of the Quick Response strategy. Other disruptions that occurred in connection with the pandemic include a reduction in the number of orders for Polish sewing factories, an increase in the prices of materials and packaging, an increase in transport costs and a periodic increase in inventory levels as a reaction of some companies to the disruptions. The disruptions also caused, in some cases, greater volatility in the relationship between individual links in the supply chains, which perhaps will be the next strategic change.

Educația militară – între tradiție, modernism și găsirea unei direcții

"The military education system is based on the experience drawn from many decades of trials, adaptation and reforms, derived from the specific context of their times, each with their specific advantages and disadvantages. Over time, attempts have been made to align Romanian military education with modern trends, but this process was faced with difficulties in combining the modern concept with those derived from tradition, the concepts from abroad with elements specific to Romania. These difficulties have sometimes been accompanied by the dispersal of energy and resources into short-term actions that lacked focus towards a clearly established medium and long-term goal. Can it be said that the current regulations and legislative norms, as well as the models taken over time from the tradition of Romanian military education and other states, are sufficient to clearly outline the direction that should be followed by the Romanian military education system? The aim of this article is to propose an analysis of these issues and outline some conclusions related to identifying the future directions of the Romanian military education."

Educația militară – între tradiție, modernism și găsirea unei direcții

"The military education system is based on the experience drawn from many decades of trials, adaptation and reforms, derived from the specific context of their times, each with their specific advantages and disadvantages. Over time, attempts have been made to align Romanian military education with modern trends, but this process was faced with difficulties in combining the modern concept with those derived from tradition, the concepts from abroad with elements specific to Romania. These difficulties have sometimes been accompanied by the dispersal of energy and resources into short-term actions that lacked focus towards a clearly established medium and long-term goal. Can it be said that the current regulations and legislative norms, as well as the models taken over time from the tradition of Romanian military education and other states, are sufficient to clearly outline the direction that should be followed by the Romanian military education system? The aim of this article is to propose an analysis of these issues and outline some conclusions related to identifying the future directions of the Romanian military education."

The Post Covid-19 Consumer Buying Behaviour in The Nigerian Banking Industry: Issues, Challenges and Benefits

The purpose of this paper was to explore the issues of post COVID-19 consumer behaviour in the Nigerian banking sector. Customers and employees of five top commercial banks in Nigeria (Zenith Bank, Access Bank, Guarantee Trust Bank, First Bank and United Bank for Africa) were interviewed via the telephone. This study adopted the exploratory research design with qualitative analysis of respondents’ views. It is important to note that changing consumer behaviour patterns, shift in customers’ expectations and attitude and perceptions differences were the major issues. However, some of the challenges include; huge business uncertainty, high illiteracy rate vs. technological advancement in banking as well as space engagement. On the other hand, some of the benefits identified were; improved technological applications and seamless banking procedures, reduced credit gap, and increased banking opportunities with the growing rate of Fintech. However, short term actions and long term transformation were adequately highlighted as proposed mitigants to the challenges facing the Nigerian banking sector with respect to managing changing customers’ behaviour amid post COVID-19 pandemic. An area recommended for further studies is consumer behaviour and post COVID-19 pandemic in other developing economies, with the use of empirical approach to further validate the findings of this study.

The impact of contextual factors on talent management practices in SMEs

BACKGROUND: Despite the fact that there is a rising number of publications on TM, research on implementing such practices in SMEs and on the impact of contextual factors on TM is scarce. This article focuses on the impact of contextual factors on talent management (TM) practices in small and medium enterprises (SMEs). OBJECTIVE: The main aim of the research was to evaluate the impact of contextual factors on TM practices in SMEs. This paper presents the results of the analyses verifying whether there is a dependence between contextual factors (be they internal or external) and scope of TM practices introduced in SMEs. METHODS: The data was gathered from 200 randomly selected SMEs. The respondents were questioned about the characteristics of TM practices they run and asked about factors impacting upon their approach to TM. RESULTS: The results prove that there are some statistically significant dependences between the context and TM, but due to the heterogeneity of such enterprises, the complexity of contextual factors and the manager/owner attitude to HRM, no coherent patterns could be found. CONCLUSIONS: It can be concluded that the short-term perspective and reactive actions dominate in the group of investigated companies. However, almost all respondents claimed to pay high attention to employees’ expectations towards such practices, which can be portrayed as a way of building sustainability on the basis of human capital.

Lessons being learned from the Covid-19 pandemic for radiological emergencies and vice versa: report from expert discussions

In order to examine what lessons radiological emergency management may offer for the management of the Covid-19 pandemic, and vice versa, a series of three online webinars were conducted with leading experts, scholars and practitioners from a wide range of disciplines essential for emergency management and long-term risk governance. The first webinar debated the lessons we are learning from the Covid-19 pandemic for radiological risk communication, the second explored issues around longer-term outcomes of a crisis and how to balance these with short-term actions whilst the third focused on the key challenges of the ‘transition phase’, using lessons learned from the Chernobyl (1986) and Fukushima Daichii (2011) accidents. This paper reviews the discussions and provides valuable lessons for the radiation protection community. Results of the discussions indicated that: (a) non-radiological and non-epidemiological consequences of emergencies, for example psychological (mental health), societal and economic, should not be underestimated; (b) multidisciplinary expertise is imperative for communication efforts and for effective emergency management, including decision-making in the application of protective measures; (c) stakeholder engagement, including the involvement of the potentially affected population, should be encouraged from an early stage; and (d) trust is increased if policy-makers and the main science agencies show a unified voice.

A catastrophic flood in Nigeria, its impact on health facilities and exacerbations of infectious diseases

Flooding is one type of meteorological occurrence that is becoming more frequent and severe due to global climate change. One-half of all weather-related disasters with significant effects on nations have been recorded to be flooding. Since June 2022, Nigeria has battled the worst flood disaster in over a decade. Extreme rainfall and the release of water from the Lagdo Dam in neighboring Cameroon were the leading causes of the extensive flooding. Worries about disruptions to the food supply have grown as a significant tract of farmland covering at least 340,000 hectares and thousands of kilometers of roads wholly washed away. Further, while the death toll linked to the disaster has surpassed 600 people, existing fragile health infrastructure has been damaged. Despite the efforts and plans put in place by the Nigerian authorities and their partners, the disaster continues to spread to other parts of the country, with reports of casualties increasing daily. It is, therefore, necessary to create highly effective strategies to lessen the impact of disastrous flooding. Long-term and short-term actions should be part of mitigating and preventive measures.

Experimental governance and urban climate action – a mainstreaming paradox?

This article reflects on experimental governance in the context of stimulating urban climate action in the European Union (EU). Experimental governance endorse and support climate action by encouraging the transfer of urban innovations by upscaling climate best practices in and across cities in the EU. Policymakers, practitioners and academics view this as increasing urban climate activities and as a path to cope with urban climate change mitigation challenges.The article describes and analyses the complexities ingrained in experimental climate governance by studying the climate trajectory of the mid-sized city of Turku in Finland. The article increases the understanding of urban climate governance challenges and advocate for a debate regarding the norms used to incentivize innovative urban climate action. These norms do not consider urban variances and fail to contextualize exchange of innovative climate action experiences. The feasibility of experimental governance as expanding urban climate action in and across cities is dubious, as it increases short-term disjointed climate action, rises the possibilities for misaligned action routines that may desynchronize urban actor orientation, and decreases organizational transparency, ultimately complicating a mainstreaming of urban climate efforts.

Пропозиції щодо розробки дорожньої мапи інноваційного розвитку галузей національної економіки

The article is aimed at substantiating proposals for the development of a roadmap for innovative development of sectors of the national economy. The roadmap is described as a visualization of a strategy that reflects the relation between strategic goals and tactical decisions over a defined period of time. The basis of such a map is the introduction of innovations and innovative technologies. Considering the very interpretation of such a strategy, we can conclude that the roadmap is an algorithm with sequential actions (stages), as presented in the article. The distribution of priority sectors of the national economy of Ukraine into four sectors is proposed: industrial; life-supporting; agricultural; trade. The authors identify four key factors that directly influence the innovative development of sectors of the national economy, i.e.: development of human potential; interaction of scientific and educational institutions with industry; improvement of the regulatory framework; development of the innovative ecosystem. The list of participants in the innovative development of sectors of the national economy that may be involved in strategic planning and participation in planned events is substantiated as follows: government; research and educational institutions; support and innovation services; economic entities; investors. A roadmap for innovative development of sectors of the national economy is developed, which enables direct participants of innovative development to form, control and influence short-term, medium and long-term actions aimed at achieving the strategic goals of the State, city, and community.

АНТИКРИЗОВЕ УПРАВЛІННЯ КОМПАНІЄЮ “ITELLIGENCE” В УМОВАХ ПАНДЕМІЇ COVID-19

Anti-crisis management of a consulting company is a key component of its strategic development. It is necessary to ensure stable operation and monitoring of the enterprise in the consulting market. The peculiarities of crisis management in the conditions of the COVID-19 pandemic have been determined. The main factors and signs of the crisis were determined based on the diagnosis of crisis readiness indicators. Existing management models are not fully adapted to the current situation during a pandemic. That is why this article analyzed the current situation in the market of consulting services and, on the example of a particular company, examined the level of its sustainability, the impact of the pandemic on its financial performance and, as a result, the creating of relevant crisis plans, including short-term action, ensuring the survival and development of the organization in conditions of uncertainty. The financial condition and main areas of activity of the consulting company were analyzed. An analysis of the company's readiness for the crisis was carried out on the basis of the methodological tools of the EBRD Know-How Academy. The main problem areas are identified and we offer ways to minimize the negative consequences. Specific anti-crisis management measures are proposed. The result of this approach should be overcoming the crisis, assessing the effectiveness of crisis measures (projects) and, if necessary, the introduction of a permanent monitoring system for crisis phenomena in the organization. The implementation of the proposed anti-crisis management measures allows to minimize losses and ensure the continued existence and development of the company in the current crisis situation in the world.

Acoustic and Genetic Data Can Reduce Uncertainty Regarding Populations of Migratory Tree-Roosting Bats Impacted by Wind Energy.

Simple SummaryAlthough wind energy provides valuable environmental and economic benefits, it has unintended negative consequences for wildlife, particularly birds and bats that collide with the rotating blades. In North America, for example, there are increasing concerns that wind turbines threaten the persistence of populations of migratory tree-roosting bats, such as the hoary bat (Lasiurus cinereus). Because it is not possible to monitor population sizes for these solitary and cryptic species using traditional techniques, we must rely on other methods, such as acoustic and genetic monitoring, to provide information regarding population status and trends. Using these approaches, we can build a weight of evidence to assess whether mortality associated with wind turbines is sustainable and determine if and when mitigation measures should be implemented to reduce wind turbine mortality. To this end, we recommend that acoustic data be collected using the North American Bat Monitoring Program (NABat) protocols, and that genetic diversity be monitored at repeated time intervals to document species trends. There are no short-term measures to resolve population-level questions for migratory tree-roosting bats. Nonetheless, we discuss opportunities for relatively short-term investments that will lead to long-term success in reducing uncertainty for these species.Wind turbine-related mortality may pose a population-level threat for migratory tree-roosting bats, such as the hoary bat (Lasiurus cinereus) in North America. These species are dispersed within their range, making it impractical to estimate census populations size using traditional survey methods. Nonetheless, understanding population size and trends is essential for evaluating and mitigating risk from wind turbine mortality. Using various sampling techniques, including systematic acoustic sampling and genetic analyses, we argue that building a weight of evidence regarding bat population status and trends is possible to (1) assess the sustainability of mortality associated with wind turbines; (2) determine the level of mitigation required; and (3) evaluate the effectiveness of mitigation measures to ensure population viability for these species. Long-term, systematic data collection remains the most viable option for reducing uncertainty regarding population trends for migratory tree-roosting bats. We recommend collecting acoustic data using the statistically robust North American Bat Monitoring Program (NABat) protocols and that genetic diversity is monitored at repeated time intervals to show species trends. There are no short-term actions to resolve these population-level questions; however, we discuss opportunities for relatively short-term investments that will lead to long-term success in reducing uncertainty.

ESG and net zero emissions targets: accelerating climate action through private sector voluntary commitments in Brazil

The ESG discourse has gained track in Brazil lately, and with it, the awareness on the climate change emergency by the private sector. To tackle that issue, a global net zero emission target was set by science (IPCC) to 2050, and many campaigns and networks started to stimulate joint collective action from different stakeholders, including enterprises. The paper seeks to demonstrate, in that scenario, how and why many multinational companies and large Brazilian enterprises, started to set net zero emissions goals, in line with the Paris Agreement. It is analysed two case studies, exemplifying that course of action. The research concludes by pointing that to be credible those net zero targets should detail which short and medium term actions would be taken to achieve climate neutrality, and also include all sources of emissions from the companies.

The role of entrepreneurial orientation in developing SMEs resilience capabilities throughout COVID-19

Through the lens of entrepreneurial orientation, this study investigates operational practices that (small and medium-sized enterprises) have either adopted or improvised to support small and medium-sized enterprises’ resilience in the face of coronavirus disease 2019. Qualitative data were collected through 43 semi-structured interviews with entrepreneurial resource providers, owners and managers of several small and medium-sized enterprises across different industrial sectors in Jordan. The study contributes to the further understanding of small and medium-sized enterprises’ resilience by conceptually advocating a five-pillars practitioner-grounded framework of small and medium-sized enterprises’ resilience capability (efficiency-based capability, adaptive-capability, collaborative-capability, change-capability and learning-capability). Entrepreneurial orientation has been found to transition and mobilise small and medium-sized enterprises’ resilience to survive major disruptions and threats. Entrepreneurial orientation, in this study, grounded on risk-taking, innovation and proactivity, facilitates developing new capabilities that shield the firm against different threats. Practically, the study suggests several recommendations for small and medium-sized enterprises to meet the challenges of coronavirus disease 2019 and similar future major shocks. Notably, the study suggests that small and medium-sized enterprises should balance short-term operational actions with long-term strategic thinking to build a resilience capability pool.

Power quality assessment using signal periodicity independent algorithms – A shipboard microgrid case study

Retrofitting of shipboard microgrids is receiving much attention nowadays due to the flexibility it offers to adapt existing ships with rapid market variations to move towards all-electric ships (A-ESs). This modernity mainly relies on incorporating the power electronics converters that unfortunately draw a large number of harmonics, which affect the energy quality and threaten the system stability and crew/passengers safety. The contribution of this paper lies in proposing two developed open-loop algorithms to assess the harmonics distortion of A-ESs without relying on signal periodicity. The first algorithm is an offline-based analyzing technique developed for the short-term protective action stage, which incorporates the eigenvalue solution inside the short-time fast Fourier transform (ST-FFT) to adapt its window size. Consequently, this algorithm can provide a comprehensive harmonics analysis with a fast transient response even under large system frequency drifts. The second algorithm is an online-based assessing technique, which is very suitable for the long-term preventive action stage to provide accurate harmonics distortion assessment with the fast transient response and efficient computation burden. This approach relies on cascading three moving average filters (MAFs) with particular window sizes to filter and estimate the mean value inside the discrete Fourier transform and the true RMS blocks without the need of frequency information. Hence, it results in enhancing the harmonics rejection capability of the algorithm even under the existence of non-characteristic harmonics and frequency drifts. Simulation and experimental results are provided to validate the efficacy of the proposed algorithms and the results are compared with traditional methods.

Connecting Smallholding Farmers: Analysis of Agricultural Market Information Systems (The Case of Wondogenet Wereda, SNNPR, Ethiopia)

The study aimed to identify the major challenges that affect the market information system, assess the possible mechanism that would increase their speculative and bargaining capacity power and to explore feasible information system solutions. Data were collected with structured questionnaire from104 farmers of different market using clustered sampling techniques. Descriptive research design and mixed (qualitative and quantitative) research approach vis-à-vis value chain approach is applied and developed an intermediary driven value chain model that links farmers to the market as a way to improve the unidirectional, selectively beneficiary traditional system. Using nine criteria on the multitude of alternative information delivery mechanisms for small holding farmers, Interactive Voice Response based system is found to be of highly effective. Restructuring the market information by bringing the most important wholesalers in to the system, enhancing the functionalities of the market by creating localized price data and creating demand forecasting platform by distinguishing crops that continuously face marketing problems are suggested as short-term action while, increasing economies of scale in production and distribution by consolidating farmers’ cooperatives, encouraging the development of third-party logistics, investing on the physical agro-logistics infrastructure to support long-distance, high-volume agricultural product transportation modes as well as increasing the refrigerated storage capacity at wholesale markets to nurture cold chain technologies are very crucial tasks in the long run.