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Article
Publication date: 16 April 2024

Sha Zhou, Yaqin Su, Muhammad Aamir Shahzad and Zhengchi Liu

The integration of social media and e-commerce has resulted in a rising phenomenon among individual content providers (ICPs), who used to offer free content, to provide consumers…

Abstract

Purpose

The integration of social media and e-commerce has resulted in a rising phenomenon among individual content providers (ICPs), who used to offer free content, to provide consumers with paid content, such as online courses, Q&As or consultations. Despite the prevalence of ICPs’ content monetization, empirical research has rarely studied its underlying mechanism. This paper examines how the characteristics of free content contributed by ICPs on social media platforms influence their paid content sales, focusing on the perspective of human brand.

Design/methodology/approach

The empirical setting is an online knowledge exchange platform, where users are allowed to provide free content (e.g. answers) on the social media platform and launch paid content (e.g. lectures) on the e-commerce platform. A machine learning technique is employed to construct measures for the characteristics of free content, and fixed-effects estimation is presented to confirm which factors have a significant influence on the sales of paid content.

Findings

The empirical results show that the quality, diversity and expertness of free content have a significant positive impact on the sales of the ICP-paid content, with the brand popularity of ICP playing a mediating role.

Originality/value

This study is the first attempt to demystify the relationship between content contribution and ICPs’ content monetization from the perspective of human brand. The findings validate the effectiveness of the “Selling by Contribution” strategy and provide valuable insights for ICPs and social media platforms.

Details

Internet Research, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1066-2243

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 28 June 2021

Meimei Zhao, Dalong Li, Yaqin Xu, Xueying Bu, Chen Shen, Libo Wang, Yu Yang and Jingwen Bai

This paper aims to explore the adsorption kinetics of syringin from Syringa oblata Lindl. leaves on macroporous resin and develop an efficient, simple and recyclable technology…

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to explore the adsorption kinetics of syringin from Syringa oblata Lindl. leaves on macroporous resin and develop an efficient, simple and recyclable technology for the separation and purification of syringin.

Design/methodology/approach

Static adsorption and desorption properties of six resins were tested to select a suitable resin for the purification of syringin. Langmuir and Freundlich isotherm models were used to estimate the adsorption behavior of syringin on AB-8 resin. Breakthrough point and eluent volume were determined by dynamic adsorption and desorption tests. High-performance liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization-mass spectrometry was applied to identify the syringin in the purified product [syringin product (SP)]. Antioxidant and antibacterial activities of SP in vitro were evaluated by free radical scavenging ability and biofilm formation inhibitory tests.

Findings

AB-8 exhibited the most suitable adsorption and desorption capacity. Adsorption isotherm parameters indicated favorable adsorption between AB-8 and syringin. The optimal results were as follows: for adsorption, the sample concentration was 1.85 mg/mL, the sample volume was 3.5 bed volume (BV), the flow rate was 0.5 mL/min; for desorption, the ethanol concentration was 70%, the elution volume was 2.5 BV, the elution velocity was 1.0 mL/min. SP with 80.28% syringin displayed the potent antioxidant activities and inhibitory effects on biofilm formation of Streptococcus suis.

Originality/value

To the best of authors’ knowledge, there are no reports on purifying syringin from Syringa oblata Lindl. leaves using macroporous resins. This paper may also provide a theoretical reference for the purification of other phenylpropanoid glucosides.

Details

Pigment & Resin Technology, vol. 51 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0369-9420

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 27 January 2023

Yangdong Liu, Siyuan Lu, Hongyi Tu, Boyuan Zhang, Yaqin Zhao, Jiasheng He, Liangliang He and Zhenbin Chen

To save the economic cost and improve the performance of enterprises, this study aims to synthesize high performance immobilized penicillin G acylase (PGA) carriers with fast…

Abstract

Purpose

To save the economic cost and improve the performance of enterprises, this study aims to synthesize high performance immobilized penicillin G acylase (PGA) carriers with fast reaction speed, high recovery rate of enzyme activity and good reusability through corresponding theoretical guidance and experimental exploration.

Design methodology approach

A diblock resin was synthesized by reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer polymerization method using N, N-diethylacrylamide (DEA) and β-hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA) as functional monomers poly(N, N-diethylacrylamide)-b-poly(β-hydroxyethyl methacrylate) (PDEA-b-PHEMA) was obtained, and the effect of the ratio of DEA and HEMA on the activity of PGA was investigated, and the appropriate block ratio of DEA and HEMA was obtained. After that, the competitive rate of HEMA and glycidyl methacrylate (GMA) under the carrier preparation conditions was investigated. Based on the above work, a thermosensitive resin carrier PDEA-b-PHEMA-b-P(HEMA-co-GMA) with different target distances was synthesized, and the chemical structures and molecular weight of copolymers were investigated by hydrogen NMR (1H NMR).

Findings

The lower critical solution temperature of the resin support decreases with the increase of the monomer HEMA in the random copolymerization; the catalytic performance study indicated that the response rate of the immobilized PGA is fast, and the recovery rate of the enzyme activity of the immobilized PGA varies with the distance between the targets. When the molar ratio of HEMA to GMA in the resin block is 8.15:1 [i.e. resin PDEA100-b-PHEMA10-b-P(HEMA65-co-GMA8)], the activity recovery rate of immobilized PGA can reach 50.51%, which was 15.49% higher than that of pure GMA immobilized PGA.

Originality value

This contribution provides a novel carrier for immobilizing PGA. Under the optimal molar ratio, the enzyme activity recovery could be up to 50.51%, which was 15.49% higher than that of PGA immobilized on the carrier with nonregulated distance between two immobilization sites.

Details

Pigment & Resin Technology, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0369-9420

Keywords

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 2 May 2022

Yaqin Zou, Xuemei Jiang, Caiyun Wen and Yang Li

After the Collective Forest Tenure Reform (CFTR) in China, the enthusiasm of farmers for forestry management is stimulated. However, the forest tenure security varies among…

Abstract

Purpose

After the Collective Forest Tenure Reform (CFTR) in China, the enthusiasm of farmers for forestry management is stimulated. However, the forest tenure security varies among farmers, making the research conclusions of its impact on forestry management efficiency inconsistent. Based on the survey data of 1,627 households from the collective forest regions in 6 provinces of China in 2017, this paper not only discusses the differences of farmers' forestry management efficiency after the reform, but also further explores the heterogeneous impact of forest tenure security on forestry management efficiency in combination with different forest management types.

Design/methodology/approach

This study employed the stochastic frontier production function model to measure the forestry management efficiency of farmers. Then, Tobit models were used to discuss the influencing factors of farmers' forestry management efficiency.

Findings

The results demonstrate that the improvement of farmers' forest tenure security can effectively improve forestry management efficiency, but the effect is affected by forest management types. For farmers who manage economic forests and non-timber forests, safe tenure promotes the forestry management efficiency; while for those who manage ecological public welfare forests, tenure security plays an opposite role.

Originality/value

Therefore, satisfying farmers' differentiated demands for forest tenure according to forest management types to improve forest tenure security and further refining supporting policies of collective forestry reform is of great significance to improve the efficiency of farmers' forestry management in collective forest regions.

Details

Forestry Economics Review, vol. 4 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2631-3030

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 19 June 2023

Yaqin Yuan, Hongying Tan and Linlin Liu

This study aims to investigate the impact of digital transformation on supply chain resilience. Additionally, the paper examines the mediating effect of supply chain process…

1891

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to investigate the impact of digital transformation on supply chain resilience. Additionally, the paper examines the mediating effect of supply chain process integration as well as the moderating effect of environmental uncertainty in the relationship between digital transformation and supply chain resilience.

Design/methodology/approach

Drawing on digital empowerment theory, this study proposes a theoretical model. Using survey data collected from 216 enterprises in China, the study employs structural equation modeling to validate the theoretical model.

Findings

The results reveal that digital transformation has a significant impact on supply chain resilience. Three dimensions of supply chain process integration, namely, information flow integration, physical flow integration, and financial flow integration mediate the relationship between digital transformation and supply chain resilience. In addition, environmental uncertainty including market uncertainty and technology uncertainty positively moderates the relationship between digital transformation and supply chain resilience.

Originality/value

First, this paper provides empirical evidence on both the direct and indirect effects of digital transformation on supply chain resilience. Second, this paper enriches the understanding of how supply chain integration impacts supply chain resilience in the digital transformation era by adopting a more granular perspective of process integration rather than broad external and internal integrations. Furthermore, this paper extends the knowledge of the role of external environment in digital transformation and supply chain risk management by examining the moderating effects of market uncertainty and technology uncertainty.

Details

Journal of Enterprise Information Management, vol. 37 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1741-0398

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 29 December 2022

Dibya Nandan Mishra and Rajeev Kumar Panda

This research examines the role of a therapist’s attributes, namely, expertise, sociability, likability and mind-set similarity, in building trust, satisfaction and commitment…

Abstract

Purpose

This research examines the role of a therapist’s attributes, namely, expertise, sociability, likability and mind-set similarity, in building trust, satisfaction and commitment amongst visitors in Indian wellness resorts and hotels.

Design/methodology/approach

The text mining approach was adopted to collect a large corpus of 3,94,373 online reviews from TripAdvisor, Google Reviews and hotels.com. Reviews were taken from 1,677 resorts and hotels that deal in spa and wellness care across India. This study uses unsupervised Naïve Bayes classification and n-gram lexical TF-IDF vectorizer method to classify and find the sentiment of the reviews shared by the visitors of the wellness resorts. Additionally, multiple linear regression is performed to understand the impact of the therapist’s identified attributes on the visitor’s relationship quality.

Findings

The research found positive sentiment towards the therapist’s likability, and visitors seemed satisfied with the overall wellness service. The sentiment towards trust and commitment is low. The study also found significant links between likability and expertise in building the relationship quality between the therapist and the visitors. The expertise of the therapist enhances visitors’ trust and willingness to return. The therapist’s likability nature helps in increasing visitor satisfaction.

Research limitations/implications

This study helps to understand the service personnel's level of relationship with the customer in hospitality services. Further, the study empirically verifies the important factors that build relationship quality in Indian wellness services.

Practical implications

The present study argues the need for greater clarity in understanding the customer perception of the services provided by wellness therapists in Indian wellness resorts and hotels. The study guides hotel managers to perform training of wellness therapists to improve customer satisfaction. Using the findings of the current study, managers can prioritize therapists’ attributes and realign their core strategies and provide satisfying wellness services to customers.

Originality/value

This study demonstrates the essential qualities a therapist should develop to enhance the relationship with the resort visitors and foster trust, commitment and satisfaction. The study goes a step further by using a vast database of online data for deep insights into the visitor’s view and the use of machine learning for amplifying results.

Details

Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Insights, vol. 6 no. 5
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2514-9792

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 3 August 2020

Omar Ahmed, Golareh Jalilvand, Scott Pollard, Chukwudi Okoro and Tengfei Jiang

Glass is a promising interposer substrate for 2.5 D integration; yet detailed analysis of the interfacial reliability of through-glass vias (TGVs) has been lacking. The purpose of…

Abstract

Purpose

Glass is a promising interposer substrate for 2.5 D integration; yet detailed analysis of the interfacial reliability of through-glass vias (TGVs) has been lacking. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the design and material factors responsible for the interfacial delamination in TGVs and identify methods to improve reliability.

Design/methodology/approach

The interfacial reliability of TGVs is studied both analytically and numerically. An analytical solution is presented to show the dependence of the energy release rate (ERR) for interfacial delamination on the via design and the thermal mismatch strain. Then, finite element analysis (FEA) is used to investigate the influence of detailed design and material factors, including the pitch distance, via aspect ratio, via geometry and the glass and via materials, on the susceptibility to interfacial delamination.

Findings

ERR for interfacial delamination is directly proportional to the via diameter and the thermal mismatch strain. Thinner wafers with smaller aspect ratios show larger ERRs. Changing the via geometry from a fully filled via to an annular via leads to lower ERR. FEA results also show that certain material combinations have lower thermal mismatch strains, thus less prone to delamination.

Practical implications

The results and approach presented in this paper can guide the design and development of more reliable 2.5 D glass interposers.

Originality/value

This paper represents the first attempt to comprehensively evaluate the impact of design and material selection on the interfacial reliability of TGVs.

Article
Publication date: 9 October 2017

Rula M. Al Abdulrazak and Ayantunji Gbadamosi

Over the years, a considerable depth of research has established the link between trust, commitment and relationship marketing and its relevance to consumers’ brand preferences…

2807

Abstract

Purpose

Over the years, a considerable depth of research has established the link between trust, commitment and relationship marketing and its relevance to consumers’ brand preferences. Nonetheless, there is a dearth of research on how they are linked to religiosity. Accordingly, this paper aims to address the palpable gap.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper is conceptual and draws from the eclectic review of the extant literature that revolves around the key themes associated with the topic.

Findings

The paper emphasises the significance of trust and religiosity in consumers’ commitment to specific market offerings and brands which invariably strengthen relationship marketing. A model entitled Brand-faith Relationship model (BFR) is proposed to understand brand positioning in the marketplace in relation to faith. With this model, a four-category typology of brand position scenarios is suggested in this paper. Passive brand-faith relationship, faith trust established in the absence of brands, brand loyalty without any faith associations and brand loyalty, with positive brand-faith relationship.

Practical implications

This paper has significant implications for brand management in relation to segmentation, targeting and the positioning of brands in the marketplace. It also raises marketers’ consciousness on the potency of trust embedded in consumers’ faith/religiosity in their brand preferences.

Originality/value

This paper explores the concepts of trust and consumers’ brand choices within the relationship marketing literature vis-à-vis the role of religion, which is rarely examined.

Details

Society and Business Review, vol. 12 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1746-5680

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 9 April 2024

Shola Usharani, R. Gayathri, Uday Surya Deveswar Reddy Kovvuri, Maddukuri Nivas, Abdul Quadir Md, Kong Fah Tee and Arun Kumar Sivaraman

Automation of detecting cracked surfaces on buildings or in any industrially manufactured products is emerging nowadays. Detection of the cracked surface is a challenging task for…

Abstract

Purpose

Automation of detecting cracked surfaces on buildings or in any industrially manufactured products is emerging nowadays. Detection of the cracked surface is a challenging task for inspectors. Image-based automatic inspection of cracks can be very effective when compared to human eye inspection. With the advancement in deep learning techniques, by utilizing these methods the authors can create automation of work in a particular sector of various industries.

Design/methodology/approach

In this study, an upgraded convolutional neural network-based crack detection method has been proposed. The dataset consists of 3,886 images which include cracked and non-cracked images. Further, these data have been split into training and validation data. To inspect the cracks more accurately, data augmentation was performed on the dataset, and regularization techniques have been utilized to reduce the overfitting problems. In this work, VGG19, Xception and Inception V3, along with Resnet50 V2 CNN architectures to train the data.

Findings

A comparison between the trained models has been performed and from the obtained results, Xception performs better than other algorithms with 99.54% test accuracy. The results show detecting cracked regions and firm non-cracked regions is very efficient by the Xception algorithm.

Originality/value

The proposed method can be way better back to an automatic inspection of cracks in buildings with different design patterns such as decorated historical monuments.

Details

International Journal of Structural Integrity, vol. 15 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1757-9864

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 13 September 2021

Aulia Putri Wahyuningtyas, Diah Pitaloka Putri, Nani Maharani and Ahmad Ni'matullah Al-Baarri

This paper aims to study the effect of the flavonoid fraction of chayote (Sechium edule (Jacq.) Sw) leaves (FFCL) on uric acid (UA) levels, oxidative stress and inflammatory…

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to study the effect of the flavonoid fraction of chayote (Sechium edule (Jacq.) Sw) leaves (FFCL) on uric acid (UA) levels, oxidative stress and inflammatory markers in hyperuricemia rats.

Design/methodology/approach

In total, 30 Sprague–Dawley rats were divided randomly into 5 groups. A healthy control group was established. Hyperuricemia was induced by the administration of block broth and potassium oxonate for three weeks. FFCL at dosages of 50 and 100 mg/200 g BW/d or allopurinol at a dosage of 1.8 mg/200 g BW/d was given orally for 2 weeks. Statistical analysis was conducted to evaluate differences among groups before and after the intervention.

Findings

Treatment with two different doses FFCL (50 and 100 mg/200 g BW/d) and one dose of allopurinol (1.8 mg/200 g BW/d) for 2 weeks significantly reduced UA from 8.04 ± 0.23 to 3.88 ± 0.10; 8.03 ± 0.18 to 2.87 ± 0.10; 8.23 ± 0.21 to 2.53 ± 0.19 (p < 0.05), respectively. The oxidative stress marker malondialdehyde levels were reduced (p = 0.001) from 9.68 ± 0.28 to 4.06 ± 0.58; 10.01 ± 0.23 to 2.12 ± 0.09; 9.88 ± 0.21 to 2.02 ± 0.17 (p = 0.001). The inflammatory marker tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) levels were also reduced from 26.43 ± 0.87 to 12.20 ± 0.32; 27.38 ± 0.53 to 9.60 ± 0.53; 27.55 ± 0.68 to 8.83 ± 0.21 with p = 0.001. The 100 mg/200 g BW/d FFCL decreased UA levels, oxidative stress and inflammatory markers more extensively compared to 50 mg/200 g BW/d FFCL.

Research limitations/implications

This study includes some limitations that may affect the generalizability of its findings. First, the flavonoid levels of FFCL were not measured. Second, other oxidative stress biomarkers (e.g. superoxide dismutase) and inflammatory biomarkers (e.g. IL-6) were not investigated. Finally, the experiments were conducted on the model animals over a relatively short period of time. Further research is needed to evaluate the effect in humans at chronic use.

Practical implications

Chayote (Sechium edule (Jacq.) Sw) leaves are rich in flavonoids, especially apigenin and luteolin, which can improve oxidative stress and inflammation conditions caused by hyperuricemia.

Social implications

Hyperuricemia is a risk factor for non-communicable diseases, mostly caused by oxidative stress and inflammation in the body due to high levels of UA, one of the treatment strategies is through diet modification.

Originality/value

The results of this investigation imply that the administration of the flavonoid fraction of chayote leaves has significant effects on UA and oxidative stress and inflammatory markers. Further research is necessary to confirm the results.

Details

Nutrition & Food Science , vol. 52 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0034-6659

Keywords

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