ABSTRACT
Purpose: This research aims to provide a conceptual framework with the scope to assist in establishing sustainable supply chain clusters (SCCs) by providing an instrument for organisations to enhance the three sustainability dimensions in a dynamic environment. Design/methodology/approach: This research proposes a conceptual framework to enhance sustainability and organisational performance through three theoretical lenses: the system theory, extended resource-based view and the dynamic capabilities (DCs) theory. This approach is carried out through a comprehensive review of the existing literature on SCCs. Findings: Four main propositions are formulated and demonstrated using the developed framework, which expands the discussion about SCCs and their key characteristics in a dynamic environment. This is particularly relevant as it allows empirical testing of the theories in an SCC context. Research limitations/implications: It can be noted that more extensive research is needed to further understand the issues faced in establishing sustainable clusters. Drawing on the theoretical lenses to establish the framework helps to enhance the understanding and operational capabilities of sustainable SCCs during and after disruptions, such as the global disruption created by COVID-19. Practical implications: This research paves the way to help organisations improve their adaptability to the dynamic business environment by emphasizing the importance of clustering and linking it to sustainability through DCs to establish a sustainable cluster. Originality/value: This research aims to guide organisations' use of SCCs as tools to enhance sustainability in a dynamic environment, given that the relationship amongst supply chain cluster design characteristics (SCCDCs), DCs and sustainability remains unexplored. The combination of the three theoretical lenses in developing the proposed framework will assist in further understanding the applicability of these theories when they are considered together. © 2022, Emerald Publishing Limited.
ABSTRACT
Interactions of platelets with circulating cells and vessel walls are implicated in various inflammatory processes. In certain circumstances, the hemostatic and inflammatory functions of platelets may overlap. Platelet-lymphocyte/leukocyte interactions can effectively regulate chronic inflammatory conditions. Platelet extracellular vesicles play a prominent role in thrombosis. In this review, we provide an overview of the molecules associated with platelet-cell interaction and the role of platelet extracellular vesicles in cardiovascular disorders and coronavirus disease 2019, which has posed a significant threat to global health due to infection with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2. In addition to recruiting leukocytes to resolve inflammation associated with inflammatory diseases, such as coronavirus disease 2019, nutrients may also play a significant role in human metabolism.
ABSTRACT
As the world contends with the far-ranging impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, ongoing environmental crises have, to some extent, been neglected during the pandemic. One reason behind this shift in priorities is the scarcity mindset triggered by the pandemic. Scarcity is the feeling of having less than what is necessary, and it causes people to prioritize immediate short-term needs over long-term ones. Scarcity experienced in the pandemic can reduce the willingness to engage in pro-environmental behavior, leading to environmental degradation that increases the chance of future pandemics. To protect pro-environmental behavior, we argue that it should not be viewed as value-laden and effortful, but rather reconceptualized as actions that address a multitude of human needs including pragmatic actions that conserve resources especially during scarcity. To bolster environmental protection, systematic changes are needed to make pro-environmental behavior better integrated into people's lives, communities, and cities, such that it is more accessible, less costly, and more resilient to future disturbances. Copyright © 2021 Sachdeva, Wu and Zhao.
ABSTRACT
During the COVID-19 epidemic, most programming courses were revised to distance learning. However, many problems occurred, such as students pretending to be actively learning while actually being absent and students engaging in plagiarism. In most existing systems, obtaining status updates on the progress of a student’s learning is hard. In this paper, we first define the term “class loyalty”, which means that a student studies hard and is willing to learn without using any tricks. Then, we propose a novel method combined with the parsing trees of program codes and the fuzzy membership function to detect plagiarism. Additionally, the fuzzy membership functions combined with a convolution neural network (CNN) are used to predict which students obtain high scores and high class loyalty. Two hundred and twenty-six students were involved in the experiments. The dataset was randomly separated into the training datasets and the test datasets for twenty runs. The average accuracies of the experiment in predicting which students obtain high scores using the fuzzy membership function combined with a CNN and using the duration and number of actions are 93.34% and 92.62%. The average accuracies of the experiment in predicting which students have high class loyalty are 95.00% and 92.74%. Both experiments show that our proposed method not only can detect plagiarism but also can be used to detect which students are diligent. © 2021 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.