Faculty and Staff Publications

Permanent URI for this collection

https://hdl.handle.net/1828/22396

Browse

Now showing 1 - 20 of 5647

Geometry-inclusive controller co-design: Inerter and heave plate optimization for a self-reacting point absorber
(Institute for Integrated Energy Systems (IESVic), 2026-07-08) Friedl, Luke
Key messages • Wave energy is underutilized globally due to its high cost versus wind and solar. • Adding a heave plate to a WEC can boost potential power production up to 5x in some sea states. • Co-designing WEC geometry with its controller, tuned to site conditions, boosts energy output. • An inerter, an inertial control device, can greatly widen a converter's efficient frequency range. • These findings support location-specific, geometry-inclusive optimization of wave energy tech.
Sea level, carbonate mineralogy, and early diagenesis controlled δ13C records in Upper Ordovician carbonate
(Geology, 2019) Jones, David S.; Brothers, R. William; Ahm, Anne-Sofie; Slater, Nicholas; Higgins, John A.; Fike, David A.
Stratigraphic variability in the geochemistry of sedimentary rocks provides critical data for interpreting paleoenvironmental change throughout Earth history. However, the vast majority of pre-Jurassic geochemical records derive from shallow-water carbonate platforms that may not reflect global ocean chemistry. Here, we used calcium isotope ratios (δ44Ca) in conjunction with minor-element geochemistry (Sr/Ca) and field observations to explore the links among sea-level change, carbonate mineralogy, and marine diagenesis and the expression of a globally documented interval of elevated carbon isotope ratios (δ13C; Hirnantian isotopic carbon excursion [HICE]) associated with glaciation in Upper Ordovician shallow-water carbonate strata from Anticosti Island, Canada, and the Great Basin, Nevada and Utah, USA. The HICE on Anticosti is preserved in limestones with low δ44Ca and high Sr/Ca, consistent with aragonite as a major component of primary mineralogy. Great Basin strata are characterized by lateral gradients in δ44Ca and δ13C that reflect variations in the extent of early marine diagenesis across the platform. In deep-ramp settings, deposition during synglacial sea-level lowstand and subsequent postglacial flooding increased the preservation of an aragonitic signature with elevated δ13C produced in shallow-water environments. In contrast, on the mid- and inner ramp, extensive early marine diagenesis under seawater-buffered conditions muted the magnitude of the shift in δ13C. The processes documented here provide an alternative explanation for variability in a range of geochemical proxies preserved in shallow-water carbonates at other times in Earth history, and challenge the notion that these proxies necessarily record changes in the global ocean.
Carbon isotope trends of Precambrian-Cambrian carbonates in southwestern Laurentia are robust to diagenetic overprinting
(American Journal of Science, 2026) Lonsdale, Mary C.; Ahm, Anne-Sofie C.; Nelson, Lyle L.; Thompson, Jacob W.; Higgins, John A.; Smith, Emily F.
An extreme negative (<-6‰) carbon isotope (δ13C) excursion is recognized globally in strata recording the Ediacaran-Cambrian boundary. This excursion has been termed the BAsal Cambrian carbon isotope Excursion (BACE). It, like other carbon isotope excursions throughout the geologic record, has been interpreted to record a perturbation to the global carbon cycle based on the assumption that shallow water carbonate sediments and rock preserve an accurate time-series of the ?13C composition of the global ocean. However, this assumption has been demonstrated to be inaccurate in some shallow water settings; pervasive early diagenetic alteration of shallow water carbonate δ13C records and local carbon cycling within the platform environment can result in the decoupling of global ocean and shallow water carbonate δ13C values. Here, we test the extent and isotopic effects of early diagenetic alteration of shallow water carbonate sediments that record the BACE in southwestern Laurentia using carbonate stable isotope (δ13C, δ18O, δ44/40Ca, δ26Mg) and major and minor element (Mg/Ca, Sr/Ca) geochemistry. The δ44/40Ca values of the three studied sections are consistent with different modes of diagenetic alteration, ranging from more sediment-buffered to more fluid-buffered early marine diagenesis. Dolostone δ26Mg and δ18O values suggest that diagenetic alteration and dolomitization occurred prior to significant burial. Because the δ13C chemostratigraphic records are reproducible despite the variable diagenetic regimes among the three sites, we argue that the prominent δ13C stratigraphic trends were insensitive to diagenetic overprinting and instead reflect changes in the primary δ13C composition of dissolved inorganic carbon of platform seawater. Finally, we explore a potential link between the BACE, an increase in early marine fluid-buffered marine diagenesis of platform carbonates, and magmatism associated with the rifting of the southwest margin of Rodinia.
Chempath 1.0: An open-source pathway analysis program for photochemical models
(Geoscientific Model Development, 2025) Ruiz, Daniel Garduno; Goldblatt, Colin; Ahm, Anne-Sofie
We describe the development of Chempath, an open-source pathway analysis program for photochemical models. This algorithm can help understand the results of complex photochemical models by identifying the most important reaction chains (pathways) for the production and destruction of a species of interest in a reaction system. The algorithm can also quantify the contributions of the pathways to the production and destruction of a species. Chempath is an open-source Python re-implementation of the algorithm developed by Lehmann (2004). However, Chempath does not include the balance of concentration changes and reaction rates that Lehmann's algorithm uses to eliminate imbalances due to numerical errors. Instead, Chempath quantifies the contributions of these imbalances to the production and destruction of a species. We demonstrate how to apply Chempath to both a simple box model and a one-dimensional photochemical model, using a reaction system for Earth's present-day atmosphere. Chempath can identify well-known chemical mechanisms for O3 production and destruction in these models, suggesting that this algorithm can be applied to understand photochemical models of less-well-known atmospheres, like past and exoplanet atmospheres.
Mapping the aspirations and challenges of the Hul’q’umi’num’ peoples
(University of Toronto Press, 2026) Thom, Brian; Johnnie, Kathleen
The Hul’q’umi’num’ peoples are approximately 7,500 individuals living in and around the southeast coast of Vancouver Island and the Gulf Islands in British Columbia, Canada. Linguistically, these communities share the ancestral language of Hul’q’umi’num’, which is the Island dialect of the Halkomelem language, whose other dialects are spoken in the Vancouver area, all the way two hundred kilometres up the Fraser River to the Fraser Canyon. Culturally, the Hul’q’umi’num’ peoples are what anthropologists have often called Coast Salish (Suttles, 1990) and have lived in this area since time immemorial. Archaeological sites that are visible above modern-day sea levels in the area show continuous occupation for more than five thousand years (Mitchell, 1971; Carlson & Hobler, 1993; Carlson, 1970; Johnstone, 1991; Lake et al., 2004).2 The Hul’q’umi’num’ peoples have profound and ongoing attachments to their home places, which shape and are shaped by every facet of life from social organization to ontological orientation. These places range in scale from specific locales like a boulder or freshwater bathing pool in a creek, to large mountainsides, watersheds, and islandscapes. They are richly imbued with meaning and Indigenous identity. In Hul’q’umi’num’ peoples’ experiences of dwelling in their ancestral homeland, these places centre relationships with ancestors and non-human persons. This sense of place runs through the expressions of property and territory that underlie traditional Hul’q’umi’num’ economies and intercommunity relations (Thom, 2005).
The origin of carbonate mud and implications for global climate
(Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 2022) Geyman, Emily; Wu, Ziman; Nadeau, Matthew; Edmonsond, Stacey; Turner, Turner; Purkis, Sam; Howes, Bolton; Dyer, Blake; Ahm, Anne-Sofie; Yao, Nan; Deutsch, Curtis; Higgins, John; Stolper, Daniel; Maloof, Adam
Carbonate mud represents one of the most important geochemical archives for reconstructing ancient climatic, environmental, and evolutionary change from the rock record. Mud also represents a major sink in the global carbon cycle. Yet, there remains no consensus about how and where carbonate mud is formed. Here, we present stable isotope and trace-element data from carbonate constituents in the Bahamas, including ooids, corals, foraminifera, and algae. We use geochemical fingerprinting to demonstrate that carbonate mud cannot be sourced from the abrasion and mixture of any combination of these macroscopic grains. Instead, an inverse Bayesian mixing model requires the presence of an additional aragonite source. We posit that this source represents a direct seawater precipitate. We use geological and geochemical data to show that “whitings” are unlikely to be the dominant source of this precipitate and, instead, present a model for mud precipitation on the bank margins that can explain the geographical distribution, clumped-isotope thermometry, and stable isotope signature of carbonate mud. Next, we address the enigma of why mud and ooids are so abundant in the Bahamas, yet so rare in the rest of the world: Mediterranean outflow feeds the Bahamas with the most alkaline waters in the modern ocean(>99.7th-percentile). Such high alkalinity appears to be a prerequisite for the nonskeletal carbonate factory because, when Mediterranean outflow was reduced in the Miocene, Bahamian carbonate export ceased for 3-million-years. Finally, we show how shutting off and turning on the shallow carbonate factory can send ripples through the global climate system.
ClinicalTrials.Embase
(2026-06-04) Premji, Zahra; Cooper, Chris
Introduction: The Cochrane Handbook recommends searching clinical trials registries for systematic reviews of interventions, including specifically clinicaltrials.gov (CTG). Trial records from CTG are also indexed in the World Health Organization International Clinical Trials Registry Platform (ICTRP), Cochrane Central and, as of October 2025, in the Embase database. Current guidance recommends searching CTG through the native platform as well as the ICTRP platform, due to differences in search functionality and indexing of the records. With Embase now including CTG records, we sought to determine whether all relevant CTG records can be retrieved from searching Embase. Methods: We conducted an exploratory information retrieval study on the recall of relevant CTG records within an Embase search. We used search strategies and included studies from previously published Cochrane reviews of interventions, published in 2025. Cochrane reviews that searched Embase, CTG, and ICTRP were eligible for inclusion. We replicated their searches in each source, and exported the records. We then checked each retrieval set against all CTG trial records/numbers mentioned in the ‘references to studies included in this review’ section of each review, and calculated recall for each source. For missed CTG records, we confirmed whether it was present in the platform. And in the case of Embase, we explored why some were missed from the search. Results/Conclusion: The findings of this study provides initial evidence on whether CTG records can be reasonably retrieved through a search of Embase, and whether the existing evidence stating that both CTG and ICTRP should be searched separately is still true.
Facing disruption: Learning from the healthcare supply chain responses in British Columbia during the COVID-19 pandemic
(Healthcare Management Forum, 2022) Zhang, Jie; Mitchell, Cheryl; Kushniruk, Andre; Guitouni, Adel
The healthcare supply chain crisis surrounding Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) during the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic presented unique and complex challenges in achieving the primary aim of supply chain management, that is, delivering the right amount of the right supplies to the right people at the right time. This article describes the key findings from a case study on PPE supply chain responses to the COVID-19 pandemic in British Columbia (BC). It highlights a set of constructive response mechanisms to potential crises along healthcare supply chain. Effective and trusted leadership, a unity of purpose, integrated and robust digital infrastructure and capabilities, consistent learning, resilience building, and environmental sensing for reliable intelligence were found to be essential for preparing, for containing, and mitigating the crisis as it evolved across various phases of crisis management.
Developing and testing scales for home support service continuity (HSSC): Cross-sectional studies in Canada and UK
(BMJ Open, 2026) Zhang, Jie; Shi, Linda Hui
Ensuring the continuity of home support services has become increasingly important due to challenges arising from ageing demographics and healthcare staffing shortages. However, there is a lack of validated measurements specifically designed for assessing service continuity in this context. The primary objective of this study is to develop and validate scales that capture the multidimensional nature of home support service continuity (HSSC), incorporating informational continuity, management continuity and relational continuity as its underlying components. Subsequently, these scales are employed to measure the overall level of continuity experienced within home support services and investigate its association with service quality. This study used a cross-sectional survey design with convenience sampling. Direct caregivers in the UK were recruited through the Prolific UK online platform, while direct caregivers in British Columbia, Canada were recruited through local health authorities and home support agencies. A total of 550 direct caregivers completed the online survey following the approved ethics protocol. Structural equation modelling was employed to evaluate HSSC and it underlying components. Furthermore, the study investigated the influence of HSSC on service quality within these two samples. The quantitative tests confirmed that HSSC comprises three first-order continuity components. These components showed significant loadings on HSSC in the Canadian sample (N=367) (λinformational=0.81, λmanagement=0.93, λrelational=0.38) at p<0.01 level. This finding was further supported in the UK sample (N=183) (λinformational=0.87, λmanagement=0.90, λrelational=0.93) at p<0.01 level. In both samples, the overall HSSC showed a positive correlation with service quality (path coefficient for the Canadian sample: bHSSC_employee perceived service quality (EPSQ)=0.22, p<0.01; the UK sample: bHSSC_EPSQ=0.70, p<0.01). The results support the conceptualisation of HSSC as a second-order latent construct. The newly developed and validated scales for the three first-order constructs identify specific items that could be targeted to improve HSSC and service quality.
Enhancing health care access in rural and remote communities: An environmental scan of virtual health innovations in British Columbia
(Health Reform Observer, 2025) Martin, Brian; James, Alison; Mitchell, Cheryl; Oekle, Nelly; Singh, Anurag; Hoekstra, Femke
Aligning with British Columbia (BC)’s Ministry of Health mandate, virtual health innovations have the potential to reduce health inequities and improve health care services in rural and remote communities. Understanding the current state of the implementation of virtual health innovations in rural and remote communities can inform future research, implementation, and policy priorities. We conducted an environmental scan and identified 70 unique virtual health innovations implemented in BC’s rural and remote communities in the past 10 years. An example of an innovation supported by the Ministry of Health is the Real Time Virtual Support pathways, which have been implemented across the province to assist rural health professionals in emergency, pediatric, maternity, and newborn care. While a variety of initiatives are being implemented across different regions, they often operate in isolation. Building on previous successes and our own reflections, this paper highlights the need to enhance partnerships and strengthen relationships among policy-makers, health authorities, researchers, industry partners, and communities. This underscores the need for more integrated and collaborative efforts to transform and improve health care services and access in rural and remote areas. The findings of the SWOT analyses can be used to inform future research, implementation, and policy priorities and related activities.
Leadership for AI transformation in health care organization: Scoping review
(Journal of Medical Internet Research, 2024) Sriharan, Abi; Sekercioglu, Nigar; Mitchell, Cheryl; Senkaiahliyan, Senthujan; Hertelendy, Attila; Porter, Tracy; Banaszak-Holl, Jane
The leaders of health care organizations are grappling with rising expenses and surging demands for health services. In response, they are increasingly embracing artificial intelligence (AI) technologies to improve patient care delivery, alleviate operational burdens, and efficiently improve health care safety and quality. In this paper, we map the current literature and synthesize insights on the role of leadership in driving AI transformation within health care organizations. We conducted a comprehensive search across several databases, including MEDLINE (via Ovid), PsycINFO (via Ovid), CINAHL (via EBSCO), Business Source Premier (via EBSCO), and Canadian Business & Current Affairs (via ProQuest), spanning articles published from 2015 to June 2023 discussing AI transformation within the health care sector. Specifically, we focused on empirical studies with a particular emphasis on leadership. We used an inductive, thematic analysis approach to qualitatively map the evidence. The findings were reported in accordance with the PRISMA-ScR (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis extension for Scoping Reviews) guidelines. A comprehensive review of 2813 unique abstracts led to the retrieval of 97 full-text articles, with 22 included for detailed assessment. Our literature mapping reveals that successful AI integration within healthcare organizations requires leadership engagement across technological, strategic, operational, and organizational domains. Leaders must demonstrate a blend of technical expertise, adaptive strategies, and strong interpersonal skills to navigate the dynamic healthcare landscape shaped by complex regulatory, technological, and organizational factors. In conclusion, leading AI transformation in healthcare requires a multidimensional approach, with leadership across technological, strategic, operational, and organizational domains. Organizations should implement a comprehensive leadership development strategy, including targeted training and cross-functional collaboration, to equip leaders with the skills needed for AI integration. Additionally, when upskilling or recruiting AI talent, priority should be given to individuals with a strong mix of technical expertise, adaptive capacity, and interpersonal acumen, enabling them to navigate the unique complexities of the healthcare environment.
Climate change in Master of Healthcare Administration curriculum: An untapped opportunity
(Journal of Health Administration Education, 2025) Hertelendy, Attila; Mitchell, Cheryl; Durneva, Polina; Banaszak-Holl, Jane; Dadich, Ann; Porter, Tracy; Gutberg, Jennifer; Richmond, John; McNulty, Eric; Zang, Ying; Singer, Sara
Extreme weather events fueled by climate change are intensifying. Our study found a paucity of accredited graduate healthcare or health service administration programs in the United States, Canada, and Australia that teach climate change and healthcare administration. We used a mixed-methods approach that included a website audit and program director interviews. Our website audit found that only three (.02%) of 156 accredited programs mentioned climate change in their programs or course descriptions. Course content focused on the societal impacts of climate change but did not address the leadership or managerial implications of how to mitigate and manage through climate crises. Interviews clarified factors that shaped course content, with five themes constructed–namely, curriculum integration and accreditation influence; student-driven curriculum evolution; faculty interest and an interdisciplinary approach; competency knowledge and integration; and the influence of sociopolitical contexts. Based on these findings, accredited programs would benefit from the integration of climate change and healthcare administration education. To be successful, students, faculty, program directors, university executives, and accreditation agencies will need to align their approach to address the climate crisis.
Multi-attribute utility Deep Reinforcement Learning method for Sequential Multi-Criteria Decision problems: Application to human resource planning
(Computers & Operations Research, 2026) Nematollahi, Mohammadreza; Guitouni, Adel; Izadyar, Nafiseh; Belacel, Nabil; Park, Andrew
Problem-solving and decision-making can be complex. There are often conflicting criteria, and decisions must take into account both immediate and long-term impacts, which define Sequential Multi-Criteria Decision (SMCD). Deep Reinforcement Learning (DRL) has emerged by integrating traditional Reinforcement Learning with Deep Learning to tackle intricate sequential decision-making problems. Although DRL has seen significant progress recently, there has been limited focus on developing DRL algorithms specifically for SMCD problems, which usually involve conflicting and non-commensurable attributes. To bridge this gap, we introduce a novel algorithm called Multi-Attribute Utility DRL (MAUDRL), which combines DRL with Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA). This innovative approach provides a clear and transparent DRL model that can address the intricacies of SMCD problems while integrating the risk attitudes and preferences of the decision-maker. We showcase the potential of MAUDRL in promoting sustainable decision-making for human resource planning for blueberry farming in British Columbia, Canada. We evaluate the performance of MAUDRL in comparison with two benchmark algorithms—Oracle Discrete Multi-Attribute Utility Theory (MAUT) and the Single Reward Aggregation Approach—using three metrics: policy quality, goal achievement, and run times. The numerical analysis and benchmarks validate that MAUDRL offers practical solutions for SMCD problems by assisting in exploring diverse solution spaces efficiently. The theoretical implications and practical applications of these results are discussed, underscoring the capability of MAUDRL in tackling complex SMCD problem domains and advancing sustainable and socially responsible decision-making while considering the risk preferences of decision-makers.
On Toeplitz algebras of product systems
(Journal of the Australian Mathematical Society, 2025) Katsoulis, Elias G.; Laca, Marcelo; Sehnem, Camila F.
In the setting of product systems over group-embeddable monoids, we consider nuclearity of the associated Toeplitz C*-algebra in relation to nuclearity of the coefficient algebra. Our work goes beyond the known cases of single correspondences and compactly aligned product systems over right least common multiple (LCM) monoids. Specifically, given a product system over a submonoid of a group, we show, under technical assumptions, that the fixed-point algebra of the gauge action is nuclear if and only if the coefficient algebra is nuclear; when the group is amenable, we conclude that this happens if and only if the Toeplitz algebra itself is nuclear. Our main results imply that nuclearity of the Toeplitz algebra is equivalent to nuclearity of the coefficient algebra for every full product system of Hilbert bimodules over abelian monoids, over ax + b-monoids of integral domains and over Baumslag–Solitar monoids BS+(m, n) that admit an amenable embedding, which we provide for m and n relatively prime.
Media Review: Algorithmic Bosses, Labor Exploitation, and Dignity Erosion by Antonio Aloisi and Valerio De Stefano
(Organization Studies, 2025) Killoran, Jay; Park, Andrew
With the emergence of digital platforms such as Uber, GrubHub, TaskRabbit, and Amazon Mechanical Turk, there has been a dramatic shift in the options available to workers. Often referred to as the gig economy, on the surface, the rise of digital platforms appears to be ushering in flexibility and independence, enabling workers the ability to work wherever and whenever suits them best. However, there also seems to be an insidious effect arising from the popularization and proliferation of these platforms: widespread exploitation, discrimination, and the loss of worker autonomy as a result of technological oversight. In Your Boss Is an Algorithm: Artificial Intelligence, Platform Work and Labour, authors Aloisi and De Stefano call this effect “algorithmic governance,” where labor forces are managed not by a traditional human manager, but by the anonymous and faceless information technology that buttresses gig economy platforms. The negative outcomes of this algorithmic governance are manifested in myriad ways, including excessive surveillance, a loss of privacy, underemployment, the inability to negotiate or unionize, and a parcelization of higher skill jobs into sundry, routinized tasks.
Learn from the blame game when AI causes harm
(PNAS, 2026) Killoran, Jay; Park, Andrew
In 2023, families of deceased Medicare Advantage patients filed a class action lawsuit against UnitedHealth Group, alleging that an AI algorithm, nH Predict, systematically denied medically necessary post-acute care. Physicians had approved the care, but nH Predict denied it. The lawsuit alleged that UnitedHealth knew the tool had a 90% error rate, yet continued to deploy it, counting on fewer than 1% of patients appealing. For its part, UnitedHealth has denied wrongdoing, maintaining that nH Predict was never used to make coverage determinations but, rather, served only as a clinical guide and that all coverage decisions were made by human reviewers. The case, which is ongoing, ignited a wider debate: Who was to blame? The engineers? The company? The case managers? Or the AI system?
Exploring frailty in older adults with cancer: Journey mapping a patient-reported outcome measure
(Canadian Journal on Aging, 2025) Kwon, Jae-Yung; Moynihan, Melissa; Webster, Catherine; Wolff, Angela C.; Horlock, Hilary; Wilson, Lorraine; Mariano, Caroline; Sawatzky, Richard
Frailty in older adults with cancer is complex, evolving, and often overlooked in care. This qualitative study explored how frailty is experienced and reported using patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) and visualized over time through journey maps. Eleven participants (65+) completed the Comprehensive Frailty Assessment Instrument (CFAI) and semi-structured interviews. Individual journey maps combined CFAI scores with personal narratives to track changes in physical, mental, and social aspects of frailty over time. While PROMs showed variability in frailty severity, narratives revealed discrepancies, such as low frailty scores despite significant treatment-related challenges. Fatigue, emotional distress, and isolation were common during treatment, with lasting impacts post-treatment. Findings suggest PROMs alone may not fully capture lived experience. Integrating narrative dialogue provides a more person-centred approach to frailty assessment and care planning.
A nitrate transporter 1/peptide transporter family gene impacts nitrogen homeostasis and phenylpropanoid production in hybrid poplar
(Journal of Experimental Botany, 2026) Tran, Lan T.; Mottiar, Yaseen; Irwin, Tyler; Efe, Mahinur; Robbins, Samantha; Hawkins, Barbara J.; Mansfield, Shawn D.; Ehlting, Jürgen
In plants, nitrogen and carbon metabolism are tightly interconnected, and nitrogen availability often negatively correlates with phenylpropanoids that are associated with xylem formation and stress responses. A nitrate transporter 1/peptide transporter (NRT1/PTR) family (NPF) gene (PtNPF6.1), which is expressed in the vasculature, was previously found to have a genetic association with the variation in syringyl lignin content in poplar trees (Populus trichocarpa). PtNPF6.1 belongs to an evolutionarily distinct NPF superfamily with limited taxonomic distribution. RNAi-mediated suppression of PtNPF6.1 led to increases in total foliar nitrogen and amino acids related to nitrogen transport and storage in source leaves. There was also a concomitant decrease in soluble phenolics, including attenuated stress-induced production of anthocyanins and condensed tannins. The proportions of syringyl and p-hydroxyphenyl units in lignin were slightly but significantly decreased in down-regulated lines grown under high nitrogen conditions, while there was an increase in the level of ester-linked p-hydroxybenzoate groups. Together, these results suggest that PtNPF6.1 is involved in maintaining internal nitrogen homeostasis in trees, indirectly impacting the production of nitrogen-free phenolics including lignin and soluble secondary metabolites.
Unlocking international entrepreneurial opportunities: The impact of dynamic capabilities on creation and discovery
(Journal of World Business, 2026) Shi, Linda Hui; Danis, Wade M.
This study theorizes and empirically validates two international opportunity recognition modes: creation and discovery. It examines how internationalizing small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) leverage international dynamic capabilities to engage in these modes and analyzes their impact on international performance. It finds that the propensity of an internationalizing SME to adopt a specific mode whether creation or discovery is influenced by specific organizational-level international dynamic capabilities (intelligence acquisition, intercountry coordination, reconfiguration). The strength of these relationships is moderated by industry globalization and cultural distance. Furthermore, the interaction between the two opportunity recognition modes reveals a significant negative effect. This interaction suggests that when internationalizing SMEs simultaneously engage in both modes, the effectiveness of each is diminished, leading to lower international performance outcomes. We use multi-informant, cross-industry data collected from 303 internationalizing SMEs in China and Tunisia and empirically test our model using structural equation modeling. This research contributes to the literature on international business and entrepreneurship by offering a more comprehensive understanding of the interplay between international dynamic capabilities, international opportunity recognition, and international performance, emphasizing the strategic trade-offs involved in SME internationalization.
Reconceiving Victorian pregnancy and childbirth: A case study of Ellen Wood's East Lynne and Lord Oakburn's Daughters
(Victorian Literature and Culture, 2025) Leighton, Mary Elizabeth; Surridge, Lisa
Focusing on East Lynne (1860–61) and Lord Oakburn's Daughters (1864) and referring to Victorian advice manuals for pregnant women, this article argues that Ellen Wood centered pregnancy and childbirth as critical experiences of women's lives. In East Lynne, Isabel gives birth to her first child in a difficult labor that nearly kills her; her future adultery originates in the lying-in room; and the final section heightens Isabel's torture as she witnesses Barbara's second pregnancy. Lord Oakburn's Daughters reuses elements of East Lynne while intensifying its focus on pregnancy, postpartum vulnerability, and lying in. The novel opens with an explicit childbirth scene; its murder plot is set in the lying-in room; and its central metonym, a locket, stands for women's bonds established during childbirth. While pregnancy and childbirth are thought to have remained largely unrepresented in Victorian fiction, both novels use contemporary vocabulary and codes to represent these experiences. Moreover, Wood created her particular brand of gestational sensation by featuring women in white as figures of maternal loss, longing, and postpartum trauma. Studying these novels thus not only provides evidence of how Wood represented pregnancy, childbirth, and maternal feeling but also models a narratological method for analyzing such representations in mid-Victorian fiction generally.

Browse

Recent Submissions