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Malaysia transitions from a pandemic to an endemic state, beginning on April 1, 2022. The dietary intake and physical activity of university students were altered during the COVID-19 pandemic confinement period, but there is limited information on this topic in the post-COVID-19 period. This cross-sectional study aims to understand gender differences in dietary intake and physical activity among university students and investigate the factors influencing their body mass index (BMI) in the post-COVID-19 period.

The questionnaire used in this study comprised three main segments: sociodemographic information, a semiquantitative food frequency questionnaire and the International Physical Activity Questionnaire.

Results indicated that males exhibited significantly higher (p < 0.05) mean intakes of total dietary energy and macronutrients compared to females. Compared to the Malaysian Recommended Nutrient Intakes 2017, 76.4% of males and 68.8% of females had a sufficient daily energy intake. The majority of males (52.7%) and females (46.4%) were moderately physically active. Regression analysis revealed that male university students with lower fiber intake (ß = −0.309, p = 0.002) were significantly associated with higher BMI reading after confounding adjustment. However, a similar trend was not observed in female university students.

Understanding the gender differences in dietary intake and physical activity can provide insights into the development of effective gender-specific health promotion strategies and the formulation of policies aimed at promoting healthier lifestyles among university students in the post-COVID-19 pandemic era.

This study provides insights into the gender differences in the dietary and physical activity habits of university students, as well as the factors influencing their BMI in the post-COVID-19 pandemic era.

This study aimed to examine the impact of learning organization (LO) on job satisfaction and individual performance in Vietnamese enterprises. The study further explores the mediating effect of job satisfaction on the relationship between learning organization and employee performance.

Data were collected from 653 employees from various types of organizations in Vietnam. Structural equation modeling was implemented to test the hypotheses.

The results revealed that the proposed research model was supported. Results indicated that LOs positively influenced employees’ job satisfaction and the broader range of their individual performance. In addition, employees’ job satisfaction motivated them to achieve higher performance levels. The study also found a mediating effect of job satisfaction on the relationship between LO and employee performance. The results underscore the importance of implementing an LO culture for individual outcomes such as job satisfaction and employee performance in the Vietnamese cultural context, which is based on socialism and Confucianism.

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study to examine the relationships among LO, job satisfaction and individual employee performance in the Vietnamese context. The results offer a deeper understanding of the LO concept in the Vietnamese cultural context and highlight the cultural impact on the LO concept and its effects. The results suggest how the LO concept is applied in the Vietnamese context.

We aimed to establish criteria for determining the deformed lateral torso type to identify individuals requiring measurement methods different from standard methods before extracting dimensions from three-dimensional (3D) scan data.

We collected the 3D body scan data of 119 women aged 70–85 years collected in the 6th Size Korea. Three axes were defined to determine the deformation of the lateral shape, and the angle of each reference axis was used for the analysis. Additionally, to classify the lateral torso shape, 14 experts made visual judgments on the side-view images of the participants.

To identify the axis that best represented the lateral torso shape, we used each angle value of the three reference axes as an independent variable and the expert’s visual classification as a dependent variable. Each discriminant function was obtained and accuracy calculated. The whole torso axis exhibited the highest accuracy. Next, an assessment scale was developed to determine the shape of the lateral torso using the angular value of the whole torso axis.

The scale developed in this study has the potential to reduce measurement errors arising from elderly deformed torso shapes, thereby enhancing data reliability.

Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) significantly contribute to economic growth, development, exports and employment of the nations. To maintain competitiveness in today's market, SMEs must explore and identify enablers to enhance their digital transformation process. This paper aims to shed light on some essential enablers SMEs can use to implement digital resilience successfully.

The quantitative assessment and validation of the enablers have been done using powerful and novel techniques, namely, the Delphi method, “fuzzy interpretive structural modelling” (F-ISM) method and “cross-impact matrix multiplication applied to classification (MICMAC)” analysis. The F-ISM model is developed using the information drawn from digital transformation experts and practitioners involved in the digital transformation process for SMEs. Furthermore, the F-ISM model provides four paths to complete the pathway to digital resilience.

The F-ISM and MICMAC analysis revealed four ways to enhance the digital transformation process in SMEs. These enterprises can utilise these path assessments to become digitally resilient in the present dynamic scenario. To enhance digital resilience among SMEs, the study identified ten enablers. Among these, “management competencies” was the most crucial, followed by “knowledge management” and “monitoring and controlling”.

The present study is limited in that the data used to develop the models were collected from a small group of industry experts whose opinions may not exhibit the comprehensive views of the population.

The findings can help SMEs enhance the digital transformation process by taking up different pathways to integrate the various enablers of digital resilience depending on resource availability.

The results indicate the most critical and influential enablers for enhancing digital resilience among SMEs. This research can be valuable to academicians, industry practitioners and researchers for guiding their future work.

This study aims to enhance the classification and processing of online appeals by employing a deep-learning-based method. This method is designed to meet the requirements for precise information categorization and decision support across various management departments.

This study leverages the ALBERT–TextCNN algorithm to determine the appropriate department for managing online appeals. ALBERT is selected for its advanced dynamic word representation capabilities, rooted in a multi-layer bidirectional transformer architecture and enriched text vector representation. TextCNN is integrated to facilitate the development of multi-label classification models.

Comparative experiments demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed approach and its significant superiority over traditional classification methods in terms of accuracy.

The original contribution of this study lies in its utilization of the ALBERT–TextCNN algorithm for the classification of online appeals, resulting in a substantial improvement in accuracy. This research offers valuable insights for management departments, enabling enhanced understanding of public appeals and fostering more scientifically grounded and effective decision-making processes.

Concerns regarding the dysfunctional behaviours of public officials have sparked renewed interest in public service ethics and spirituality. While national and organizational systems have been established to eliminate dysfunctional behaviours such as corruption, sexual harassment and misuse of confidential information, the practice continues to have a demoralizing impact on developing countries. The study aims to intend to investigate the empirical relation between the application of spirituality and ethics in reducting dysfunctional behaviours within Ghana's Public Sector.

The study conducted a qualitative case analysis that utilized 28 semi-structured interviews and four focus groups. Interviews and group discussions with public sector staff, managers and policymakers were used to collect qualitative data. This approach facilitated an in-depth investigation into their views on dysfunctional actions and the possible impact of workplace spirituality and ethics in the Ghanaian public service.

The study uncovered a persistent recurrence of dysfunctional behaviours, such as fraudulent activities, resource misuse, unofficial work and inappropriate use of official time. There was uncertainty regarding the effectiveness of integrating ethics and spirituality to curtail dysfunctional behaviours. Nevertheless, the results supported adopting spiritual and ethical rejuvenation in the public service as a universal solution to overcome these behaviours.

This study enhances comprehension of dysfunctional behaviours in Ghana's public service by providing insights into how spirituality and ethics can transform it. The potentials of workplace spirituality and ethics can lead to a strong public service that embodies accountability, integrity and effectiveness, thereby serving as a pivotal device for Ghana's holistic advancement.

The aim of this paper was to delve into the underlying mechanism of the relationship between environmental knowledge and green purchase intentions, using an extended model based on the knowledge-attitude-behaviour (KAB) theory.

The parallel and serial mediation effects of environmental concern, green perceived value and green attitude were examined using PROCESS macro (Models 4 and 6). Data were collected from 395 youth in three different cities in India using a purposive sampling method.

The study’s findings revealed that environmental concern, green perceived value and green attitude act as parallel and sequential mediators between environmental knowledge and green purchase intentions. However, the direct impact of environmental knowledge on green purchase intentions was deemed insignificant. In essence, environmental knowledge, along with environmental concern and green perceived value, significantly contributes to the formation of attitudes conducive to green purchase intentions.

The present study theoretically contributes to green behaviour research by proposing and testing an extended model of KAB theory with parallel and serial mediations in the Indian context. The model explores the underlying mechanism of the relationship between environmental knowledge and green purchase intentions in detail.

The purpose of this study is to shed light on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on cross-border M&A advisory business in Japan.

Using the grounded theory approach and trust embedded in network theory, the authors conducted interviews with 12 Japanese senior M&A advisors from 8 different advisory firms, categorizing the results into three general themes.

The first theme comprises deep insights contributing to a “decrease in M&A deals” during the COVID-19 crisis as not many deals could be advised while several were canceled. The second theme is “time delays,” with ongoing deals taking more time to be completed. The third gen-eral theme concerns the “new normal” after the COVID-19 era, as M&A advisors have learned to cope with their challenges and are subsequently more efficient, especially time-wise, in dealing with clients.

The research was based on qualitative data gathered from only 12 interviewees from 8 different consultancies who were Japanese senior M&A advisors.

The practical implications of this research go beyond the findings of M&A studies conducted during and soon after the COVID-19 pandemic. Consulting firms commonly report on the COVID-19 impact on M&A markets or client firms but are silent about their own hardships in establishing trustful relationships with clients during the COVID-19 pandemic. In contrast, we turn the spotlight on the consulting firms themselves to understand their challenges.

The originality of this research goes beyond previous studies on the economic impact of firms; the authors lay out the foundation for the hardship of establishing trustful relationships between M&A advisors and their clients during the COVID-19 crisis. The three general themes elucidated the impact of the pandemic, highlighting the challenges confronting the Japanese M&A advisory business. These themes thus provide a more nuanced understanding of the COVID-19 impact.

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the effect of plasma electrolytic oxidation (PEO) coatings and sealed PEO coatings on the corrosion resistance and cytocompatibility of a novel Mg-1Zn-0.45Ca alloy in simulated body fluid (SBF).

The microstructure, corrosion resistance and cytocompatibility of PEO coatings and phosphate conversion-treated PEO coatings were investigated and was compared with the bare Mg alloy.

The hot-extruded Mg-Zn-Ca alloy exhibit inhomogeneous microstructure and suffered from localized corrosion in the SBF. The PEO coating after phosphate conversion treatment offers enhanced protectiveness to the Mg alloy within an immersion period of up to 60 days, which is significantly improved compared with the performance of the PEO-coated Mg alloy, but the cytocompatibility was slightly decreased.

This work offers new perspective in balancing the protectiveness and cytocompatibility of bio-materials.