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Article
Publication date: 11 May 2018

Solmaz Forutnani, Mohsen Nowkarizi, Mohammad Reza Kiani and Hamid Reza Mokhtari Aski

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the potential or actual role of rural libraries in preserving indigenous knowledge (IK) of the rural residents in South Khorasan…

638

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the potential or actual role of rural libraries in preserving indigenous knowledge (IK) of the rural residents in South Khorasan province.

Design/methodology/approach

The study, based on a qualitative research, was carried out by employing the grounded theory method. Data were collected by semi-structured interviews from the research sample population which included 20 rural males, 10 rural females, 8 librarians and 3 well-informed regional IK specialists. The validity of the research was confirmed by peer evaluation, compounded by detailed thorough explanations and external reviewers’ reaffirmations.

Findings

The rural residents of the South Khorasan villages across the province, after having realized the vitality of carrying out this project, were fully motivated and cooperative to provide indigenous knowledge. On the basis of the results from the rural libraries, due to being the solitary knowledge center in the area, these libraries could actively participate in preserving the knowledge and contribute toward the documentation of the indigenous knowledge. This required motivating librarians and increasing their professional, technical, research and verbal skills. The results of the study indicated that, even if the rural libraries of the South Khorasan province did not participate in documentation, preservation, and promotion of the IK and opt for the present form of non-participation, due to their inherent nature, they could become a focal point and play an indispensable role in achieving the objectives by aiding and leading the process at country level and become a focal point for the new generations of rural inhabitants to enlighten themselves and become fully aware of the value of the ancestral knowledge.

Originality/value

Hitherto, none of the researchers in Iran has covered the role of the libraries in general and rural libraries in particular in preserving the indigenous knowledge.

Details

World Journal of Science, Technology and Sustainable Development, vol. 15 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2042-5945

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Article
Publication date: 9 October 2023

Aref Momeni, Soodeh Razeghi Jahromi, Mitra KazemiJahromi, Farshad Teymoori, Hossein Farhadnejad and Rouhollah Haghshenas

The aim of the present study was to investigate the association of the empirical dietary index for insulin resistance (EDIR) and empirical lifestyle index for insulin resistance…

70

Abstract

Purpose

The aim of the present study was to investigate the association of the empirical dietary index for insulin resistance (EDIR) and empirical lifestyle index for insulin resistance (ELIR) with the risk of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in Iranian adults.

Design/methodology/approach

In this case-control study, 120 cases of NAFLD and 240 controls aged ≥20 years were included. NAFLD was detected by a gastroenterologist using an ultrasonography test. The food frequency questionnaire was used to collect nutritional data and determine the score of EDIR in participants. ELIR was determined based on body mass index, physical activity and dietary pattern. The odds ratios (ORs) of NAFLD were reported across tertiles of EDIR and ELIR using a logistic regression test.

Findings

The mean±SD age and BMI of subjects were 41.8 ± 7.5 years and 27.4 ± 2.2 kg/m2, respectively. In the age and sex-adjusted model, the odds of NAFLD were increased across tertiles of ELIR (OR = 3.00; 95% CI: 1.63–5.55, Ptrend = 0.001). Also, based on the fully adjusted model, the odds of NAFLD were increased according to tertiles of ELIR (OR = 2.66; 95% CI: 1.38–5.10, Ptrend = 0.006). However, no significant association was found between the higher score of EDIR and odds of NAFLD based on the age and sex-adjusted model (OR = 1.18; 95% CI: 0.68–2.05, Ptrend = 0.52) and the multivariable-adjusted model (OR = 0.91; 95% CI: 0.48–1.70, Ptrend = 0.87).

Originality/value

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this was the first study to examine the role of the insulinemic potential of diet and lifestyle in predicting NAFLD risk. Our findings suggested that a lifestyle with a higher score of ELIR was positively associated with NAFLD risk. However, a diet with a higher score of EDIR was not related to the odds of NAFLD.

Details

Nutrition & Food Science , vol. 54 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0034-6659

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Article
Publication date: 4 April 2022

Lina Syazwana Kamaruzzaman and Yingxin Goh

This paper aims to review recent reports on mechanical properties of Sn-Bi and Sn-Bi-X solders (where X is an additional alloying element), in terms of the tensile properties…

709

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to review recent reports on mechanical properties of Sn-Bi and Sn-Bi-X solders (where X is an additional alloying element), in terms of the tensile properties, hardness and shear strength. Then, the effects of alloying in Sn-Bi solder are compared in terms of the discussed mechanical properties. The fracture morphologies of tensile shear tested solders are also reviewed to correlate the microstructural changes with mechanical properties of Sn-Bi-X solder alloys.

Design/methodology/approach

A brief introduction on Sn-Bi solder and reasons to enhance the mechanical properties of Sn-Bi solder. The latest reports on Sn-Bi and Sn-Bi-X solders are combined in the form of tables and figures for each section. The presented data are discussed by comparing the testing method, technical setup, specimen dimension and alloying element weight percentage, which affect the mechanical properties of Sn-Bi solder.

Findings

The addition of alloying elements could enhance the tensile properties, hardness and/or shear strength of Sn-Bi solder for low-temperature solder application. Different weight percentage alloying elements affect differently on Sn-Bi solder mechanical properties.

Originality/value

This paper provides a compilation of latest report on tensile properties, hardness, shear strength and deformation of Sn-Bi and Sn-Bi-X solders and the latest trends and in-depth understanding of the effect of alloying elements in Sn-Bi solder mechanical properties.

Details

Soldering & Surface Mount Technology, vol. 34 no. 5
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0954-0911

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Article
Publication date: 21 October 2020

Abbas Doulani

Currently, the evaluation of scientific performance of universities is one of the important indicators in various ranking systems. One way to evaluate the academic performance of…

706

Abstract

Purpose

Currently, the evaluation of scientific performance of universities is one of the important indicators in various ranking systems. One way to evaluate the academic performance of universities is to analyze the scientific documents of universities in reputable international databases. The purpose of this article is to analyze and evaluate the scientific publications of Alzahra University (Iran) as the top 100–200 universities during 1986–2019.

Design/methodology/approach

This study was performed using bibliometrics and visualization techniques. The Scopus database was used to collect data. Affiliation search and advanced search were used to retrieve the data. Excel, VOSviewer and CRExplorer software were used to analyze the data.

Findings

The results showed that the scientific publications and received citations by Alzahra University documents during the time have been upward. At the national level, it was the most scientific collaboration with researchers at the University of Tehran. Also at the international level, the most scientific collaboration has been with the United States, Canada and Germany. In total, 80% of scientific publications were published by 20% of authors. Also, 70% of the highly cited articles were published in journals with quartile 1. Finally, clustering results showed that Alzahra University's scientific publications are in five main categories, including “chemistry,” “physics,” “biology,” “psychology and educational sciences” and “accounting sciences, management, and computer science.”

Originality/value

This study could be a good model for evaluating the performance of scientific productions of universities and scientific institutions with bibliometrics and visualization approaches.

Details

Library Hi Tech, vol. 39 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0737-8831

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Article
Publication date: 26 January 2023

Niloofar Zamani, Maryam Esmaeili and Jiang Zhang

This study aims to examine the value of the call option contract in hedging the risks in the supply chain. The decentralized supply chain without call option contract is first…

130

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to examine the value of the call option contract in hedging the risks in the supply chain. The decentralized supply chain without call option contract is first studied as the criterion model for evaluations. This paper addresses several questions: What will be the optimal manufacturer’s production quantity, retailer’s ordering and pricing policies in the presence of random demand and random yield by applying the downconversion approach? How will the call option contract influence the optimal decisions for the members of the supply chain? Can the risk from randomness be divided among the members in the supply chain through the call option contract?

Design/methodology/approach

This paper considers a two-level decentralized supply chain under random yield and random demand in which the manufacturer takes advantage of the downconversion approach with two scenarios, with and without option contract. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, no article or study uses the downconversion approach in a supply chain regarding random yield and random demand. Furthermore, the paper considers pricing with option contract in the supply chain, which makes this article stands out significantly from other articles in the literature.

Findings

This study shows that the downconversion approach would reduce the risk caused by the random yield, which appears to be the appropriate method for the environmental goal of the supply chains. Moreover, adopting a call option contract can increase flexibility and mitigate risks, resulting in more expected members’ profits.

Research limitations/implications

To simplify the model, the authors assume one manufacturer and one retailer, so extending the model to consider multiple retailers instead of one retailer and inventory sharing between them would be interesting. Considering the option and exercise prices as decision variables would be important future research topics. Put option and bidirectional option contracts could be investigated in the future. Another extension is modeling asymmetry of information in supply chain.

Originality/value

This paper provides managerial insights on dealing with both demand and yield risks in a manufacturer–retailer supply chain. The manufacturer has a random yield production and produces two types of vertical products: low-end and high-end. To reduce waste caused by the random yield, the manufacturer uses a downconversion approach in which low-end products are made by converting the defective high-end products. The manufacturer purchased a shortage of high-end products from the secondary market (i.e. emergency sourcing). High-end products are sold through the retailer, and low-end products are sold directly by the manufacturer. The customer demand for high-end products in the end market is random and depends on the selling price, and the customer demand for the low-end products in the secondary market is independent and random. The retailer contracts the manufacturer with the call option to obtain high-end products to meet a random demand; in fact, by using the call option contract, the authors try to balance the risks between two members. Two scenarios of with and without call option contract are proposed. After the high-end product demand is observed, the retailer would exercise the option order quantity in the call option contract scenario and then place an instant order with the manufacturer if necessary. In each scenario, the manufacturer and the retailer make their decisions simultaneously (static game) to determine the retailer’s optimal ordering and pricing policies and the optimal production quantity of the manufacturer (Nash equilibrium) by maximizing their expected profits. Finally, the impact of the model parameters on the supply chain is expressed through numerical examples. The numerical analysis shows that the call option contract provides greater profit than the wholesale price contract.

Details

Journal of Modelling in Management, vol. 18 no. 6
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1746-5664

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Article
Publication date: 29 June 2012

S. Aris, A. Messai, H. Mokhtari and M. Benslama

The use of LEO satellite systems has become widespread throughout the world, not only from the services standpoint but in large scale communication networks as well, as they make…

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Abstract

The use of LEO satellite systems has become widespread throughout the world, not only from the services standpoint but in large scale communication networks as well, as they make it possible to communicate from any point of the globe. Lately, the communications in the satellite field have been markedly developed thanks to the Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellites and GEO satellite orbit. This paper deals with the main survey of these networks by a demonstration of satellite constellations constitutions and the different interfering factors, namely the number of satellites in each orbit, modelling the HANDCHECK problems or Handover satellite probably blocking. In order to preserve the information, to make sure that a seamless communication between two satellite zones is ensured the Hand check should continuously be present in satellite networks. Although the achievement of such schemes is routine work in the laboratory, nontrivial problems emerge in long-distance applications. At present, the only suitable system for long-distance quantum communication is photons. The essential work carried out in our research laboratory concerns an approach in software development of the implementation of Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) Networks with LEO orbit satellites and a reduction of the telecommunication interruption risks, which indeed will provide a better communication quality.

Details

World Journal of Engineering, vol. 9 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1708-5284

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Article
Publication date: 7 April 2023

Suyuan Wang, Huaming Song, Hongfu Huang and Qiang Huang

This paper explores how the manufacturer’s strategic choice (acquisition or investment) impacts product quality in a supply chain comprising two complementary suppliers and a…

215

Abstract

Purpose

This paper explores how the manufacturer’s strategic choice (acquisition or investment) impacts product quality in a supply chain comprising two complementary suppliers and a common manufacturer.

Design/methodology/approach

The manufacturer faces six strategic choices to improve product quality: acquiring or investing in the high-capable supplier, the low-capable supplier, or both. As the Stackelberg leader, the manufacturer determines which strategy is adopted, while suppliers are separately responsible for components’ quality and wholesale prices. The authors use game theory and calculate the model with Mathematica.

Findings

The authors develop analytical models to analyze how acquisition costs, investment proportions, component importance and quality improvement coefficients influence decision-makers. The results show that the highest quality may not benefit the manufacturer. Investing in or acquiring a low-capable supplier is better than a high-capable supplier under certain conditions. If the gaps between two suppliers’ quality improvement coefficients and the importance of two components are dramatic, the manufacturer should choose an investment strategy.

Originality/value

This study contributes to the complementary supply chain management by comparing two kinds of strategies-acquisition and investment, with a high-capable supplier and a low-capable supplier.

Details

The TQM Journal, vol. 36 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1754-2731

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Article
Publication date: 28 January 2025

Atousa Shafiee Motlaq-Kashani, Masoud Rabbani and Amir Aghsami

Due to mitigate against natural disasters like earthquake and to distribute relief items, designing humanitarian relief chain networks is an attentional issue. Agile and efficient…

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Abstract

Purpose

Due to mitigate against natural disasters like earthquake and to distribute relief items, designing humanitarian relief chain networks is an attentional issue. Agile and efficient distribution of relief items after occurring a disaster is significant, especially when some of the relief items are perishable. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to create a resilient and integrated decision-making structure to distribute relief items at demand points, considering two dimensions of sustainability, under disruption.

Design/methodology/approach

This study developed a mixed-integer nonlinear mathematical model to handle the pre- and post-disaster planning when a disaster occurs. The represented model has two objective functions: minimizing weighted unmet demand and total costs. Therefore, to convert this multi-objective problem into a single objective one, the e-constraint method was applied.

Findings

The main results showed that considering some resilience strategies has a significant effect in reducing the weighted amount of unmet demand and saves the total costs. More precisely, considering resilience strategies results in a 60% reduction in total unmet demand and 11% reduction in total pre-positioning costs. On the other hand, reducing the maximum response time with applying resilience strategies is another achievement of the present study. For these reasons, the use of these strategies can reduce people’s pain and suffer from natural disasters. In general, the application and effectiveness of sustainability dimensions and resilience strategies in the introduced humanitarian relief chain network were analyzed.

Practical implications

To verify the applicability of this study, this model is applied on a probable real-life case study in Tehran. Finally, some managerial insights are discussed to help humanitarian organizations, managers and stakeholders to make better decisions to reduce negative effects of natural disasters.

Originality/value

This paper introduced a two-stage stochastic mathematical model for designing a resilient humanitarian relief chain network under disruption, at pre- and post-disaster stages. Also, economic and social dimensions of sustainability are considered in this study. Moreover, assembling perishable and im-perishable relief items as relief kits, dynamically is a main contribution of this research.

Details

Journal of Modelling in Management, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1746-5664

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Article
Publication date: 21 October 2022

Tolga Çimen, Adil Baykasoğlu and Sebnem Demirkol Akyol

Various approaches and algorithms have been proposed since the 1950s to solve the assembly line (AL) balancing problem. These methods have established an AL configuration from the…

325

Abstract

Purpose

Various approaches and algorithms have been proposed since the 1950s to solve the assembly line (AL) balancing problem. These methods have established an AL configuration from the beginning. However, a prebalanced AL may have to be rebalanced in real life for many reasons, such as changes in the cycle time, production demand, product features or task operation times. This problem has increasingly attracted the interest of scientists in recent years. This study aims to offer a detailed review of the assembly line rebalancing problems (ALRBPs) to provide a better insight into the theoretical and practical applications of ALRBPs.

Design/methodology/approach

A structured database search was conducted, and 41 ALRBP papers published between 2005 and 2022 were classified based on the problem structure, objective functions, problem constraints, reasons for rebalancing, solution approaches and type of data used for solution evaluation. Finally, future research directions were identified and recommended.

Findings

Single model, straight lines with deterministic task times were the most studied type of the ALRBPs. Eighteen percent of the studies solved worker assignment problems together with ALRBP. Product demand and cycle time changes were the leading causes of the rebalancing need. Furthermore, seven future research opportunities were suggested.

Originality/value

Although there are many review studies on AL balancing problems, to the best of the authors’ knowledge, there have been no attempts to review the studies on ALRBPs.

Details

Assembly Automation, vol. 42 no. 6
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0144-5154

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Article
Publication date: 7 February 2020

Hadi Emamat, Hossein Farhadnejad, Hadith Tangestani, Ali Saneei Totmaj, Hossein Poustchi and Azita Hekmatdoost

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the most common cause of liver disease worldwide. The purpose of this study is to assess the possible association between habitual…

137

Abstract

Purpose

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the most common cause of liver disease worldwide. The purpose of this study is to assess the possible association between habitual intake of allium vegetables and NAFLD risk.

Design/methodology/approach

In this study, 196 cases of NAFLD and 803 age-matched controls were enrolled from the same clinic. Dietary intakes were assessed using a validated food frequency questionnaire. Consumption of allium vegetables, including raw garlic and onions, were calculated and considered as grams/day in all participants.

Findings

Participants in the highest tertile of allium vegetable intake had 64% lower risk of NAFLD compared with those in the lowest tertile of the allium vegetables intake (odds ratio [OR]: 0.35; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.23-0.51; p < 0.001). After controlling for potential confounders, there was no significant change in this inverse association (OR: 0.36; 95% CI: 0.22-0.56; p < 0.001).

Originality/value

This study for the first time showed that higher consumption of allium vegetables was associated with lower risk of NAFLD. The results did not change when the authors adjusted the analysis for the known risk factors of the disease, which indicate the independency of the association.

Details

Nutrition & Food Science , vol. 50 no. 6
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0034-6659

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