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Though academic study on the subject is still in its early stages, there is growing interest in using blockchain technology for transforming the supply chain. The academic literature is divided and yet only includes studies evaluating how the supply chain has changed organizations. To comprehend the new phenomena, this study aims to investigate the factors of blockchain technology in driving supply chain transformation. To be more precise, the authors developed from the literature the most prevalent criteria for determining if supply chain transformations are ready to be scaled up.

This study followed a combination of two multi-criteria decision making methods evaluation based on distance from average solution and complex proportional assessment) methodology in this research: planning, investigating, executing out, establishing a rating of the criteria and evaluating it.

The study shows that the “organizational driver” and the “technology driver” are the factors most important to the transformation of the supply chain, whereas the “financial driver” and the “regulatory driver” are less important. This study also makes some managerial recommendations to address the factors impeding the supply chain’s transformation. Each factor’s significance was explored, and a proposed study agenda was also presented.

Although the main forces behind the transformation of the supply chain have been recognized, further research into statistical correlation is required to confirm how the various elements interact.

This research aids decision-makers in comprehending the key forces behind supply chain transformation. Managers and decision-makers might better predict and allocate the necessary resources to start the road toward digitization and make well-informed choices once these aspects have been investigated and understood.

In light of the pandemic’s effects on the world and the increase in businesses embracing the digital economy, the supply chain transformation is more important than ever. Beyond blockchain deployment and the pilot studies on digital transformation, there is a gap. The topics and factors this study uncovered will operate as a framework and recommendations for more theoretical investigation and practical applications.

Job performance literature has evolved to address the aspects of performance thinking where knowledge sharing (KS) and emotions on the job are considered important. This study evaluates the influence of emotional intelligence (EI), mediated through KS, on job outcomes measured as job performance (JP) and job satisfaction (JS).

Structural equation modeling methods are used to investigate the degree of influence of EI on job outcomes through KS. The data for analysis has been collected from 227 project managers at Information Technology-Information Technology Enabled Services (IT-ITeS) firms.

The findings suggest that the EI has a positive and significant effect on KS. This implies that employees with high EI scores are more involved in the KS behavior. Furthermore, the findings suggest that KS partially mediates the relationship between EI and JP, and it fully mediates the relationship between EI and JS.

For KS, the answer lies in the recruitment and retention of emotionally intelligent persons rather than investing only in information technology. The study enhances the literature on knowledge management, sharing and EI.

The proposed research model suggests a successful infusion of KS within IT-ITeS firms. Knowing the EI of employees and, accordingly, changing their behavior towards sharing knowledge is probably a distinctive, most efficacious and essential strategy for augmenting job outcomes.

The study establishes the role of KS in translating the impact of EI on JP and JS. Furthermore, it contributes a novel framework of KS behavior.

The aim of this work is to establish a computationally efficient iterative technique for solving the highly nonlinear derivative-dependent boundary value problem (DDBVP). The proposed iterative technique is tested on a one-dimensional mathematical model of the shape of the human cornea, which leads to the highly nonlinear DDBVP.

The approach is a combined venture of quasilinearization along with Picard’s iterative technique. The nonlinear DDBVP is simplified to a sequence of linear problems through a quasilinearization technique. Making use of Picard’s iteration approach, an analogous integral form for the quasilinearized DDBVPs is developed in terms of Green’s function and the convergence controller parameter. The study also covered the convergence analysis of the iterative technique.

Numerical illustrations are presented to evaluate the applicability, efficiency and accuracy of the technique. The proposed technique provides approximate numerical solutions to the corneal shape model with a variety of constant parameters that can arise in different physical situations. In comparison with existing works, the proposed coupled iterative approach has been found to be more accurate and less computationally complex.

This study introduces an efficient coupled iterative technique based on quasilinearization and Picard’s iterative technique to solve a one-dimensional model of a human cornea. The proposed approach is tested on various physical situations that affect the human cornea. Numerical findings are compared with other published results to demonstrate the method’s efficiency and ease of usage.

This study aims to focus on carrying out a quantitative analysis of publications related to augmented reality (AR)-based gaming. AR combines the real world with the digital world and is a large basis of data in an ICT-based digital society. Therefore, there is a need for a comprehensive bibliometric review of research papers on AR-based gaming to identify the potential for the advancement of knowledge in this field.

In the experimental part, reference data from Scopus was extracted according to a search string formulated with great care. The retrieved data were then analyzed through open-source, sophisticated bibliometric tools, VOSviewer, along with Biblioshiny-R.

After running the analysis, it turns out that the years with the biggest number of publications were in 2010 and 2012. The focus areas of study include mixed reality, surveys and helmet-mounted displays. The USA was the most connected country in the research collaboration network; it has strong links with other nations including the UK, Canada and Greece, which cluster around it in the map. This trend of monetarily increasing number of papers depicts the growing interest and sustainable productivity in this research domain.

The purpose of this paper is to present a novel perspective on AR-based gaming, which has not been so far examined by bibliometric analysis. The results provide important information for researchers and stakeholders. In addition to filling a void in the literature, this study is an important reference for those researchers who are interested in exploring evolution and trends in AR-based gaming research.

Bacterial cellulose (BC) is an ideal alternative filtering material. However, current functionalization approaches for BC have not been fully discovered industrially as well as academically applying textile processing. This study aims to create a sustainable fabric-like membrane made of BC/activated carbon (AC) for applications in filtration using textile padding method, to protect people from respiratory pandemics.

Fabric-like BC is first mechanically dehydrated then AC is loaded via a textile padding step. The finishing efficacy, properties of fabric-like BC/AC and NaOH pretreatment are analyzed and characterized by scanning electron microscope (SEM), field emission scanning electron microscope (FE SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), CIELab color space, color strength (K/S), nitrogen adsorption-desorption isotherm including Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) specific surface area and Barrett–Joyner–Halenda (BJH) pore size and volume.

This research results in a fabric-like BC/AC with pore diameters of 3.407 ± 0.310 nm, specific surface area of 115.28 m²/g and an efficient scalable padding process, which uses 8 times less amount of chemical and nearly 30 times shorter treating duration than conventional methods.

Our globe is now consuming an alarming amount of non-degradable disposable masks resulting in massive trash buildup as a future environmental problem. Besides, current disposable masks requiring a significant upfront technological investment have posed challenges in human protection from respiratory diseases, especially for countries with limited conditions. By combining a sustainable material (BC) with popular padding method of textile industry, the fabric-like BC/AC will offer sustainable and practical values for both humankind and nature.

This research has offered an effective padding process to functionalize BC, and a unique fabric-like BC/AC membrane for filtration applications.

The study aims to add to the existing literature on food supply chains by specifically taking into the redesigning of the alignment of storage, packaging and distribution practices in the modern complex supply chain. The redesign of the food supply chain’s storage, distribution and packaging is a transformative endeavor ultimately aimed at enhancing efficiency, sustainability and reliability.

In order to identify, classify and prioritize the main challenges, this study conducted an extensive analysis of the literature and experts’ opinions in the areas of academia, information technology and the food supply chain (FSC) using combined compromise solution method (CoCoSo) and complex proportional assessment (COPRAS).

The top three classes of key indicators revealed in this study are dynamic route optimization and on-demand delivery pods (RD4), implementation of active packaging with nanotechnology (RP3) and collaborative last-mile (RD2). The findings reveal that dynamic route optimization and on-demand delivery pods (RD4) and collaborative last-mile (RD2) are maintaining a balance between collaborative delivery networks through route optimization which is a very discussable theme in recent literature.

The research provides fresh insights into how perishable food shelf life parameters and the use of distribution networks within the short supply chain can be taken into consideration when redesigning the storage, packaging and distribution system for food supply chains.

Adopting and implementing robotic technology applications in the library is a significant technological up-gradation today. The purpose of this study was to evaluate selected literature focused mainly on robotics technology applications in the field of libraries and to assess the online social attention to research publications.

The study employed Scientometric and altmetric tools to evaluate the research publications. The bibliographic data of research publications were downloaded from Scopus database and scrutinized one by one and 71 articles were selected which mainly focused on robotic technology in libraries. Altmetric data were collected from the Dimensions.ai database. The analysis was performed using MS Excel, Tableau, Biblioshiny, VOSviewer and SPSS software.

Research on robotic technology in the field of libraries has been experiencing a gradual increase, marked by an annual growth rate of 12.93%. The United States has prominently led the way as the most active participant and collaborator in this advancement. Among the various journals, Library Hi Tech has notably stood out as a significant contributor to this field. However, the research articles have garnered limited social attention and impact. Furthermore, the patterns of authorship collaboration have demonstrated relatively modest levels within the field, and a weak correlation has been observed between the social attention received and the Scopus citation metrics of the publications.

The research needs to be disseminated more through various social media platforms to increase its visibility. Sharing research information through social media can bridge the gap between academia and society. The findings of this study can serve as a valuable reference for researchers and policymakers.

This study presents a Scientometric analysis of the selected published literature on robotics technology applications in the field of libraries, highlighting the progress and development of worldwide research in this area.

The main purpose of this paper is to analyze the role of information and communication technology (ICT) diffusion in women empowerment and in fostering the process of achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) countries using panel data from 2005 to 2020.

An ICT diffusion index was constructed using principal component analysis (PCA). Further, the study uses econometric techniques robust to cross-sectional dependence (CSD) which include Pesaran's CSD tests, second-generation unit root test, Pedroni, Kao, Westerlund cointegration test, FMOLS, DCCE, Driscoll–Kraay (DK) regression, and D&H causality tests.

ICT diffusion and economic growth have a significant and favorable impact on women's empowerment. However, fertility rates and trade openness harm women's empowerment. In addition, the causality test results depict a bidirectional causal relationship between ICT and women empowerment and between growth and women empowerment. In addition, unidirectional causality is detected between education and women's empowerment. Overall, the findings indicate that expanding ICT and bridging the digital divide, particularly among women, can be effective in achieving empowerment-related SDGs.

To date, there are hardly any studies in SAARC context that empirically evaluate the link between ICT, women empowerment, and the issue of sustainability in a unified framework. Therefore, this study is unique in terms of conceptualization and methodological robustness in this context. The study will benefit policymakers and regulatory bodies to formulate appropriate policies to empower women and thereby attain the SDGs by 2030.

This paper aims to investigate how commercial influencers retain their followers and successfully persuade them to consider purchasing newly recommended products and services within the food industry. We explored the impact of followers’ purchase satisfaction upon their repurchase intention for newly promoted food products and services, directly and by the mediating roles of followers’ affective commitment and loyalty toward commercial food influencers.

Our conceptual model design was supported by the tricomponent attitude model, which helps explain followers’ emotional attachment to the influencers. We validated the proposed model using a sample of 200 followers of renowned commercial food influencers in Iran. We used partial least squares structural equation modeling for data analysis, with the assistance of Warp PLS (version 8.0) software.

We found that followers’ purchase satisfaction exerts a positive influence upon their repurchase intention, both directly and through the mediating roles of affective commitment and loyalty toward commercial food influencers.

This study elucidates the role of followers’ satisfaction with their previous purchases in influencing their intention to buy newly recommended products. There is a multiplicity of important implications for restauranteur’s business models, as this marketing approach rewards a digital equivalent of a strong customer relationship and an honest, high-quality product. Our results also suggest that food influencers can operate effectively in the affiliate marketing sphere by operating and sustaining enduring relationships.

This work addresses how the influencer–follower relationship, followers’ purchase satisfaction and emotional attachment toward influencers, shape both follower retention and future repurchase intentions. This is from the perspective of the tricomponent attitude model within the food industry.

Voice assistants can present search results through “voice presentation” or “voice and visual”, depending on the device they are connected to. Alternatively, consumers can search for products manually using the online website. Despite the critical role of presentation formats in helping consumers understand and decide on products, this area remains vastly unexplored, particularly the combined use of voice and visual formats. Thus, to understand which presentation format suits different products, we delve into consumer search behaviour, distinguishing between low and high-involvement products.

A between-subjects factorial experimental design was used to examine the influence of 3 presentation formats (voice only, visual only and voice and visual) and 2 product involvement levels (low and high) on consumer trust, usefulness and behavioural intentions.

The results confirm a significant interaction between presentation format and product involvement, highlighting consumers' preference for voice presentation in low-involvement products, while a combination of “voice and visual” is preferred for high-involvement products.

The study shows that both presentation format and product involvement affect the trust and usefulness of voice assistants, which further influences consumers’ behavioural intentions. The key finding contributes to the growing body of knowledge of consumer and voice assistant interaction and offers guidance to managers on the use of voice assistants for their customers.