Uncovering the impact of digital technologies on strategising: Evidence from a systematic literature review

Adopting digital technologies in different organizations has become a trend over the last decade, yet our understanding regarding impact of digital technologies on strategising needs to be more cohersive. This paper reviews existing research on how digital transformation intersects with strategic management to adress this gap. Specifically, the aim is to explore how the digital context changes strategising. Based on a systematic review of empirical evidence from 163 journal papers, we showcased the manifestation of strategising in the digital age in terms of strategic practitioners, practices and praxis. By consolidating these findings, a typology of strategic actions in the digital age is developed and discussed, highlighting the interplay among changes in strategy‐as‐practice parameters. This framework clarifies in strategic scenarios of digital transformation and identifies various strategic directions and actions. Overall, we argue that although digital transformation has created additional strategic options, it has yet to change the underlying assumptions of strategising in firms

Experiences and perceptions of academic motivation in adolescents with a refugee background: A reflexive thematic analysis

Little previous research exists on academic motivation in refugee adolescents, and none has been conducted in the UK that might help educators to promote motivation and mitigate demotivation in the young people they support. The aim of this study is to help address this gap by exploring experiences and perceptions of academic motivation in refugee adolescents settled in the UK. Semi‐structured interviews were conducted in person or online with three refugee adolescents and six key informants who support the education of refugee adolescents. Data was interpreted by reflexive thematic analysis, which generated three themes: refugee adolescents are striving for stability and security; academic motivation is affected by social and academic relationships; and refugee adolescents are unique individuals with varied educational needs. Of particular note, positive social and academic relationships were found to be motivating, whereas instability in refugee adolescents' lives and negative interactions with teachers were demotivating. The findings also highlight the importance of recognising refugee adolescents' individuality and their unique characteristics, which inform their educational needs and academic motivation

Women from minoritised ethnicities’ perception of cervical screening information leaflets

Cervical screening rates are dropping in the UK, with non-attendance rates remaining higher in those from minoritised ethnicities. Amongst barriers to attendance includes a lack of awareness of risk of cervical cancer and understanding of the role of screening. Information leaflets given with invitations to screening could address this, but these are generally seen as difficult to understand. This study explored the perception of women from minoritised ethnicities of two versions of a cervical screening information leaflet. 42 women from minoritised ethnicities completed an online qualitative survey. Half the participants were asked questions about the UK NHS cervical screening leaflet, whilst half were asked about a version that had been redesigned with patient and public involvement. Responses were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis. Six themes describe participants’ experience of holding concerns about screening, whilst being unable to discuss this with family members. The current leaflet was perceived as containing abundant information but is hard to navigate and intimidating. The redesign was perceived to address concerns about screening and was viewed as consoling readers into attendance. Redesigning the current UK NHS leaflet may help encourage people from minoritised ethnicities to attend cervical screening. Future research could investigate where people who are not engaging with cervical screening can go to have conversations about their concerns

Modulation of proteinoid electrical spiking activity with magnetic nanoparticles

This study looks at how proteinoid microspheres and their magnetic polystyrene (PS) hybrids behave electrochemically. It also explores their computational abilities. These systems show complex membrane potential dynamics. Pure proteinoids spike without external influence, ranging from 5.39 to 9.81 mV. In contrast, PS-modified variants exhibit sinusoidal oscillations. Their behavior can be described by the equation ( ) =  sin(2π ) + , where is about 1.5 mV and is around 0.05 Hz. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy shows key differences in charge transport. The PS-modified systems have better conductivity: | | = 7.22 × 10 Ω compared to | | = 2.03 × 10 Ω. The systems can perform Boolean logic operations with a 5 mV threshold. They show time-dependent gate behavior, making them suitable for unconventional computing applications. Doping with Fe(NO ) changes the electrical response. This happens through redox processes where Fe gains an electron to become Fe . As a result, there are greater potential differences and more complex timing behaviors. These findings help us understand proteinoid-based bioelectricity better. They also show how these building blocks can be used in biomolecular computing systems

Willing to be the change: Perceived drivers and barriers to participation in urban smart farming projects

Psychological research on perceptions on urban smart farming is scarce, especially in a Global South context. To reach wide acceptance of urban smart farming and create effective strategies for the implementation of this innovative technology, we need insights into people’s perceptions. In this article, we investigate the factors that motivate or hinder people to engage in community-led urban smart farming projects. We present a systematic assessment of perceived drivers and barriers for urban smart farming, based on a survey study in three African countries, Nigeria, South Africa and Zambia. Using multiple regression analysis, we could identify country-specific drivers and barriers. People’s demographics have been found to play less of a role in predicting intentions to be involved in urban smart farming projects. We recommend considering the human dimension when promoting innovative technologies such as urban smart farming and encourage practitioners to assess each region individually when promoting innovative farming techniques

Janus-kinase inhibitor use in immune-mediated inflammatory diseases beyond licensed indications: A scoping review

IntroductionThe use of Janus kinase inhibitors (JAKis) in immune-mediated inflammatory diseases (IMIDs) beyond licence is expanding rapidly. The aim of this scoping review was to identify and present the available evidence on the efficacy of JAKis in all conditions without marketing authorisation.MethodsThrough a systematic literature search we identified studies including 5 or more patients that assessed the use of any JAKi for any efficacy outcome. Quantitative analyses in the form of pairwise meta-analyses were performed for eligible data from randomised controlled trials (RCTs) only.ResultsEighty-three (n = 83) studies in total were included in our review, assessing efficacy of JAKis in 34 IMIDs. In most conditions, JAKis exhibited generally positive effects, though the majority of evidence came from observational, non-comparative studies. Pairwise meta-analyses were possible for hidradenitis suppurativa and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). For hidradenitis suppurativa, we found a clear benefit of treatment with JAKis compared with placebo in achieving clinical response (OR 2.35, 95 % CI 1.24 to 4.46). For treatment-resistant SLE, the results were equivocal; JAKis showed some benefit over placebo but statistical significance was only reached for one of the two meta-analysed outcome measures (SLE Responder Index 4, OR 1.41, 95 % CI 1.01 to 1.98; SLE Disease Activity Index 2000; OR 1.36, 95 % CI 0.99 to 1.88).ConclusionsThere is a rapidly increasing use of JAKis beyond current licensing in most IMIDs. Large comparative trials are necessary to confirm efficacy and guide future licensing decisions

Influence of proteinoids on calcium carbonate polymorphs precipitation in supersaturated solutions

Proteinoids, or thermal proteins, are amino acid polymers formed at high temperatures by non-biological processes. Pro- teinoids form microspheres in liquids. The microspheres exhibit electrical activity similar to that of neurons. The electrically spiking microspheres are seen as proto-neurons capable of forming networks and carrying out information transmission and processing. Previously, we demonstrated that ensembles of proteinoid microspheres can respond to optical and electrical stimulation, implement logical gates, recognise arbitrary wave forms, and undergo learning. Thus, the ensembles of proteinoid microspheres can be seen as proto-brains. In present paper we decided to uncover morphologies of these proto-brains. We utilise a supersaturated solution of calcium carbonate to facilitate the crystallisation of proteinoids and subsequently generate proteinoid brain structures. Our hypothesis suggests that calcium carbonate crystals have the potential to serve as scaffolds and connectors for proteinoid microspheres, thereby improving their electrical properties and facilitating communication. In this section, we outline the experimental methods and techniques used in our study. We share our findings and results regarding the morphology, composition, stability, and functionality of proteinoid brain structures. We discuss the implications and applications of our work in the fields of bio-inspired computing, artificial neural networks, and origin of life research

Investigating a citrus fruit supply chain network considering CO2 emissions using Meta-heuristic algorithms

According to the increasing carbon dioxide released through vehicles and the shortage of water resources, decision-makers decided to combine the environmental and economic effects in the Agri-Food Supply Chain Network (AFSCN) in developing countries. This paper focuses on the citrus fruit supply chain network. The novelty of this study is the proposal of a mathematical model for a three-echelon AFSCN considering simultaneously CO2 emissions, coefficient water, and time window. Additionally, a bi-objective mixed-integer non-linear programming is formulated for production–distribution-inventory-allocation problem. The model seeks to minimise the total cost and CO+ emission simultaneously. To solve the multi-objective model in this paper, the Augmented Epsilon-constraint method is utilised for small- and medium-sized problems. The Augmented Epsilon-constraint method is not able to solve large-scale problems due to its high computational time. This method is a well-known approach to dealing with multi-objective problems. It allows for producing a set of Pareto solutions for multi-objective problems. Multi-Objective Ant Colony Optimisation, fast Pareto genetic algorithm, non-dominated sorting genetic algorithm II, and multi-objective simulated annealing are used to solve the model. Then, a hybrid meta-heuristic algorithm called Hybrid multi-objective Ant Colony Optimisation with multi-objective Simulated Annealing (HACO-SA) is developed to solve the model. In the HACO-SA algorithm, an initial temperature and temperature reduction rate is utilised to ensure a faster convergence rate and to optimise the ability of exploitation and exploration as input data of the SA algorithm. The computational results show the superiority of the Augmented Epsilon-constraint method in small-sized problems, while HACO-SA indicates that is better than the suggested original algorithms in the medium- and large-sized problems

Preferences for facial femininity/masculinity across culture and the sexual orientation spectrum

Judgments of attractiveness have many important social outcomes, highlighting the need to understand how people form these judgments. One aspect of appearance that impacts perceptions of attractiveness is facial femininity/masculinity (sexual dimorphism). However, extant research has focused primarily on White, Western, heterosexual participants’ preferences for femininity/masculinity in White faces, limiting generalizability. Indeed, recent research indicates that these preferences vary by culture, and other work findsdifferences between gay/lesbian and heterosexual individuals. Aspects of identity such as culture and sexual orientation do not exist in isolation from one another, but rather intersect, leaving a critical gap in understanding. Our research therefore bridged across these hitherto separate areas of inquiry to provide a more comprehensive understanding of facial femininity/masculinity preferences. We tested how White British and East Asian Japanese individuals’ culture and sexual orientation (including, crucially, bisexual individuals) predict their femininity/masculinity preferences for White and East Asian women’s and men’s faces, using two experimental tasks (forced-choice, interactive). Results show that individuals’ culture and sexual orientation consistently interact to predict their preferences for femininity/masculinity in women’s and men’s faces, and we furthermore reveal bisexual individuals’ preferences to differ from those of other sexual orientations. We also find differences between experimental tasks, with greater preferences for femininity emerging in the interactive task, compared to the forced-choice task. Altogether, our findings highlight theimportance of considering intersecting identities, consequences of methods of measurement, and shortcomings of extant explanations for preferences for facial femininity/masculinity

Collaboration for the sustainable food supply chain: A bibliometric analysis

There is increasing attention on the topic of collaboration for sustainable food supply chains (SFSCs), with increasingly contributing journals and publications every year. The urgency of this topic is even more highlighted due to the COVID‐19 pandemic and the more recent energy and food crisis. Hence, the field needs to have a good portrait of the ongoing research in this area and to better understand future research directions to enable optimized future strategic plans and problem‐solving capability of effective collaboration for SFSCs. This paper reviews, analyses, and synthesizes the current state of research into collaboration for SFSCs. We examine a sample of 528 articles identified from the Scopus and Web of Science databases using bibliometric analysis methodology. We identify four research clusters: collaboration and sustainable supply chain management, emerging markets and resilience, digital technologies, and perishable food products. This paper clarifies interrelated themes and identifies a range of topic areas that still demand further investigation