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Clothing fit, including garment ease and drape, impacts the volume of air between clothing layers and the body, directly affecting the amount of heat that can be transferred through a multi-layer clothing system. As most acute firefighting fatalities are caused by overexertion and heat strain, the purpose of this research was to determine the impact of ease allowances on air gaps in structural firefighting turnout suits and their subsequent effect on total heat loss (THL) when worn on a three-dimensional form.

Four turnout suits with chest ease allowances of 6″, 8″, 10″ and 12″ were evaluated using an ANDI dynamic sweating thermal manikin. The average predicted manikin THL of each ensemble was calculated from the thermal and evaporative resistance measurements. A three-dimensional (3D) body scanner was utilized to calculate the distance and volume of clothing air gaps between the base layer and each turnout suit.

Results demonstrate that reductions in upper body ease measurements trend towards statistically significant increases in THL, to a point, with fit limitations being reached before benefits can be significantly realized. An increase in standard chest ease measurements significantly decreased heat loss, even when forced convection from movement was considered.

This is the first article of its kind to explore the relationship between garment ease and predicted manikin THL, especially for fire service protective clothing. Findings indicate a valid recommendation for turnout gear designers and manufacturers to optimize clothing fit to improve breathability and potentially reduce incidents of heat strain in the fire service.

This study aims to examine the effect of structural transformation on poverty alleviation in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) countries with a higher share of services as a percentage of gross domestic product (GDP). The study specifically focuses on the value-added share as a percentage of GDP in the agricultural, manufacturing, industrial, and service sectors using time series data from 1988 to 2019.

The study utilizes the autoregressive distributive lag (ARDL) bound test framework for estimation, based on the conclusions drawn from the augmented Dickey-Fuller and Phillips–Perron unit root tests, which provide evidence of a mixed order of integration.

The result reveals that agriculture value-added (AVA), manufacturing value-added (MVA), industrial value-added (IVA), and services value-added (SVA) have a positive and significant impact on poverty alleviation in both the short and long run. However, the agriculture sector is found to be more effective in reducing poverty compared to the other sectors examined in this study. Additionally, this study challenges the notion that SSA countries have undergone an immature structural transformation. Instead, it reveals a pattern of stagnant structural transformation, as indicated by the lack of growth in the industrial and manufacturing value-added shares of GDP.

To enhance productivity and reduce poverty, SSA economies should adopt a development strategy that prioritizes heavy manufacturing and industrial sectors, leading to a transition from the agricultural to the secondary and tertiary sectors.

The study contributes to the emerging literature on structural transformation by investigating which sector is more efficient in reducing poverty in SSA countries, using the value-added share as a percentage of GDP for agricultural, manufacturing, industrial, and service sectors. The study also aims to determine if SSA countries have experienced immature structural transformation due to the growing share in the service sector.

Service quality in academics is imperatively crucial. Therefore, the purpose of the current research is to examine the effect of academic service quality factors in higher education institutions which mainly focuses on students' satisfaction and the extent of recommending the same institution to other students.

This research evaluated the effect of service quality on student satisfaction and word of mouth (WOM). Data were collected from 200 respondents from various business schools, and hypotheses were tested through a quantitative method using partial least square-structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) with the help of SmartPLS to validate the measurement model.

The findings of the current research revealed that all three components of service quality including information quality, teaching quality and service efficiency have a significant impact on student satisfaction. Results also indicated that student satisfaction is significantly linked with WOM which means satisfied students spread positive WOM and recommend the same institution to other students.

This research provides an extension towards the body of knowledge on the issue, which will be used in future detailed and critical examinations. The focus of the research was on SERVQUAL and how, when and why business schools may spot possible applications that can have an influence on their admissions by WOM.

This paper illuminates our journey as accounting educators by exploring accounting as a technical, social and moral practice towards decolonising ourselves. It lays the foundations for decolonising the higher education curriculum and the consequences for addressing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

This paper focuses on the potential to foster a space for praxis by adopting dialogism-in-action to understand our transformative learning through Jindaola [pronounced Jinda-o-la], a university-based Aboriginal knowledge program. A dialogic pedagogy provided the opportunity to create a meaningful space between us as academics, the Aboriginal Knowledge holder and mentor, the other groups in Jindaola and, ultimately, our accounting students. Since Jindaola privileged ‘our way’ as the pedagogical learning process, we adopt autoethnography to share and reflect on our experiences. Making creative artefacts formed the basis for building relationships, reciprocity and respect and represents our shared journey and collective account.

We reveal our journey of “holding to account” by analysing five aspects of our lives as critical accounting academics – the overarching conceptual framework, teaching, research, governance and our physical landscape. In doing so, we found that Aboriginal perspectives provide a radical positioning to the colonial legacies of accounting practice.

Our journey through Jindaola contemplates how connecting with Country and engaging with Aboriginal ways of knowing can assist educators in meaningfully addressing the SDGs. While not providing a panacea or prescription for what to do, we use ‘our way’ as a story of our commitment to transformative change.

This paper focuses on image-to-text manuscript processing through Handwritten Text Recognition (HTR), a Machine Learning (ML) approach enabled by Artificial Intelligence (AI). With HTR now achieving high levels of accuracy, we consider its potential impact on our near-future information environment and knowledge of the past.

In undertaking a more constructivist analysis, we identified gaps in the current literature through a Grounded Theory Method (GTM). This guided an iterative process of concept mapping through writing sprints in workshop settings. We identified, explored and confirmed themes through group discussion and a further interrogation of relevant literature, until reaching saturation.

Catalogued as part of our GTM, 120 published texts underpin this paper. We found that HTR facilitates accurate transcription and dataset cleaning, while facilitating access to a variety of historical material. HTR contributes to a virtuous cycle of dataset production and can inform the development of online cataloguing. However, current limitations include dependency on digitisation pipelines, potential archival history omission and entrenchment of bias. We also cite near-future HTR considerations. These include encouraging open access, integrating advanced AI processes and metadata extraction; legal and moral issues surrounding copyright and data ethics; crediting individuals’ transcription contributions and HTR’s environmental costs.

Our research produces a set of best practice recommendations for researchers, data providers and memory institutions, surrounding HTR use. This forms an initial, though not comprehensive, blueprint for directing future HTR research. In pursuing this, the narrative that HTR’s speed and efficiency will simply transform scholarship in archives is deconstructed.