Resumen: En el escenario competitivo del sector bancario, las actividades de marketing y branding se han convertido en un elemento crucial para el éxito a largo plazo de las instituciones financieras. Desde la gestión del brand equity, la confianza y la lealtad son esenciales, no solo en los procesos operativos con los usuarios, sino en la consolidación de la marca como un activo estratégico. El objetivo de esta investigación fue analizar la multidimensionalidad del brand equity para el sector bancario desde la perspectiva de la generación Z. Se desarrolla un estudio de tipo cuantitativo, analítico y de corte transversal, utilizando el análisis factorial exploratorio y confirmatorio a partir de un instrumento aplicado de forma on line a personas pertenecientes a este segmento generacional. Los hallazgos infieren que el brand equity en el sector bancario dirigido a la generación Z está conformado por las siguientes dimensiones: fidelidad e importancia de la marca (FIM), calidad percibida (CP), asociación de marca (AM), rendimiento de la marca (RM) y conciencia de la marca (CM). Se concluye que el sector bancario debe seguir consolidando su brand equity como actividad estratégica a partir de dichas dimensiones, fortaleciendo el posicionamiento de sus marcas, su participación y su orientación al mercado, garantizando el entendimiento de las necesidades, deseos y comportamientos de la generación Z.

Abstract: In the competitive scenario of the banking sector, marketing and branding activities have become a crucial element for the long-term success of financial institutions. From the perspective of brand equity management, trust and loyalty are essential, not only in the operational processes with users, but also in the consolidation of the brand as a strategic asset. The aim of this research was to analyse the multidimensionality of brand equity for the banking sector from the perspective of Generation Z. A quantitative, analytical, and cross-sectional study was carried out, using exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis based on an instrument applied online to people belonging to this generational segment. The findings infer that brand equity in the banking sector aimed at Generation Z is made up of the following dimensions: brand loyalty and importance (BLI), perceived quality (PQ), brand association (BA), brand performance (BP) and brand awareness (BA). It is concluded that the banking sector must continue to consolidate its brand equity as a strategic activity based on these dimensions, strengthening its brand positioning, market share and market orientation, ensuring an understanding of the needs, desires, and behaviours of Generation Z.

Abstract: This research proposes two models for the problem of short-term economic dispatch of electrical power systems through nonlinear programming (NLP). The problems raised will be resolved through the cost function of the classic economic dispatch where thermal and hydraulic generation plants will be considered to obtain the electrical power generated in each of the nodes. The proposed methodology will be used for a short-term period of 24 hours with different hourly demand, as it is a short-term dispatch, it focuses on the delivery of power that covers the designated demand in each schedule, so it will not consider a deficit cost or uncertainty in the variables in any of the cases. In the first instance, the model will be developed for a single node with cascade reservoirs, while the second case will be developed in the IEEE 14-bus system. The non-linear programming shows satisfactory results, complying with the operational restrictions implemented in the mathematical model, in addition, the participation of thermal generation is considerably reduced, which represents a lower cost. The first model of a node is validated through bibliography, obtaining an operating cost of $904,990. In the same way, complying with all the designated parameters, the second model obtains a total cost of $129,800, satisfying the total demand in both cases, subject to each of its restrictions.

Resumen: La presente investigación propone dos modelos al problema de despacho económico a corto plazo de los sistemas eléctricos de potencia por medio de la programación no lineal (PNL). Los problemas planteados serán resueltos mediante la función de costo del despacho económico clásico en donde se considerarán centrales de generación térmica e hidráulicas para obtención de la potencia eléctrica generada en cada uno de los nodos, la metodología propuesta será utilizada para un periodo a corto plazo de 24 horas con diferente demanda horaria, al ser un despacho a corto plazo este se enfoca en la entrega de potencia que cubra la demanda designada en cada horario, por lo que no considerará para ninguno de los casos un costo de déficit o incertidumbre en las variables. En primera instancia se desarrollará el modelo para un solo nodo con embalses en cascada, mientras que el segundo caso será desarrollado en el sistema de 14 buses de la IEEE. La programación no lineal muestra resultados satisfactorios cumpliendo con las restricciones operativas implementadas en el modelo matemático, además se reduce considerablemente la participación de generación térmica lo que representa menor costo, el primer modelo de un nodo es validado mediante bibliografía obteniendo un costo de operación de $904.990. De la misma forma, cumpliendo con todos los parámetros designados, el segundo modelo llega a obtener un costo total de $129.802,16 satisfaciendo el total de la demanda en ambos casos, sujeto a cada una de sus restricciones.

Pyrometallurgical furnaces, essential for metal extraction, operate at temperatures exceeding 1600°C and represent complex multiphase systems that challenge direct industrial research. Multiphysics models play a key role in shedding light on their intricate behaviours, supporting the refinement of design and operational strategies. Integral to the operation are the tap-holes, which facilitate the removal of molten products and are routinely opened by lancing, a process comparable to the use of a cutting torch, where high temperatures result from oxygen reacting with an iron lance. When the lance pierces the clay, oxygen gas enters the furnace, which could influence the behaviour of the molten material inside. In this work, a multiphase fluid flow model was used to investigate bulk flow dynamics, with a focus on the effects of the lancing process on the inside of the furnace, immediately behind the tap-hole. Incompressible and compressible multiphase fluid solvers were used and compared with respect their performance - the intention was to assess whether using a compressible solver would yield a different solution to the incompressible one. It was concluded that there are negligible disparities in bulk fluid flow behaviour between the solvers for the case studies examined, indicating that solver selection might be less consequential for certain aspects of oxygen lancing.

Em um contexto local de estudos estritamente tipológicos e com a ausência manuais para o estudo da cerâmica relacionada a cultura arqueológica Puruhá, Serra Central do Equador, verificamos a possibilidade associar a questão teórica e metodológica à prática arqueológica, resultando na localização da produção ceramista como um subsistema intrínseco a compreensão dos sistemas socioculturais que definem uma cultural. Com esta premissa, este manuscrito apresenta uma proposta de classificação em arqueologia com fulcro na análise da cultura material cerâmica contextualizada ou não contextualizada por intermédio da aplicação dos conceitos de antropologia das técnicas e das cadeias operatórias associada às análises tecnotipológicas com o estudo de caso da produção ceramista Puruhá. Tendo como marco metodológico o método empírico indutivo, com enfoque qualitativo que mescla a revisão de literatura, inserção conceitual, técnica e análises, de alcance exploratório e não experimental enquanto desenho de investigação. A proposta de classificação em arqueologia possibilitou verificar a factibilidade e potencial de sua utilização em um contexto Puruhá, assim como sua correlação entre outros sítios, resultando em uma leitura que permite realizar inferências sobre continuidades e mudanças culturais.

En un contexto local de estudios estrictamente tipológicos y con ausencia de manuales para el estudio de la cerámica relacionada con la cultura arqueológica Puruhá, Sierra Central del Ecuador, verificamos la posibilidad de asociar la cuestión teórica y metodológica con la práctica arqueológica, resultando en la ubicación de la producción cerámica como un subsistema intrínseco a la comprensión de los sistemas socioculturales que definen una cultura. Con esta premisa, este manuscrito presenta una propuesta de clasificación en arqueología basada en el análisis de la cultura material cerámica contextualizada o no contextualizada mediante la aplicación de los conceptos de antropología de técnicas y cadenas operativas asociadas a los análisis tecnotipológicos con el estudio de caso de la producción alfarera Puruhá. Teniendo como marco metodológico el método empírico inductivo, con un enfoque cualitativo que mezcla revisión de la literatura, inserción conceptual, técnica y análisis, con un alcance exploratorio y no experimental como diseño de investigación. La propuesta de clasificación en arqueología permitió verificar la factibilidad y potencial de su uso en un contexto Puruhá, así como su correlación con otros sitios, resultando en una lectura que permite hacer inferencias sobre continuidades y cambios culturales.

In a local context of strictly typological studies and with the absence of manuals for the study of ceramics related to the Puruhá archaeological culture, Sierra Central do Ecuador, we verified the possibility of associating the theoretical and methodological issue with archaeological practice, resulting in the location of ceramic production as an intrinsic subsystem understanding the sociocultural systems that define a cultural. With this premise, this manuscript presents a proposal for classification in archeology based on the analysis of contextualized or non-contextualized ceramic material culture through the application of the concepts of anthropology of techniques and operational chains associated with techno-typological analyzes with the case study of production Puruhá potter. Having as a methodological framework the inductive empirical method, with a qualitative approach that mixes literature review, conceptual insertion, technique and analysis, with an exploratory and non-experimental scope as a research design. The proposed archeological classification allowed us to check the feasibility and potential of its usage in a Puruhá setting, as well as its linkage with other sites, yielding a reading that allows us to draw conclusions regarding cultural continuities and changes.

SYNOPSIS The large scale of cave mines leads to many challenges, including operational logistics and geomechanics design. In current practice, pillar stability assessment relies almost exclusively on stress analysis. However, stability is also affected by other factors including those related to operational aspects of the mining method, the effects of which are difficult to account for during the design stages. In this paper we present a case study of the application of a machine learning approach to evaluate the influence of these operational factors on pillar stability at the Chuquicamata underground cave mine in northern Chile. Due to the likely multi-factorial damage process leading to collapses and considering the different pillar conditions, a tree-based machine learning method was used and analysed to improve the understanding of the relative importance of the various contributing factors. Unlike stress analysis methods, it does not require any a priori knowledge of failure mechanisms, nor the calibration of associated controlling parameters. The proposed random forest model predicted pillar collapses with 80% accuracy despite limited samples to model from. The main contributing factors to collapses were found to be related to available pillar volume, cave front geometry, and time under abutment stress conditions. The effects and interactions of such factors were also studied, showing that careful and improved control over operational conditions can significantly reduce the likelihood of pillar collapses. These conclusions could not have been obtained from stress analysis alone, illustrating the complementary nature of conventional stress analysis and machine learning approaches.

Flow Characteristics (FC) is one of the few methods developed for predicting long-term sustainable borehole yield of single wells in typical fractured rock aquifers. The FC method uses drawdown derivatives and subjective information on no-flow boundaries to estimate a sustainable borehole yield that should not cause the water level to drop below the main water strike (fracture) during long-term operations. Since its development, the FC method has been widely applied in many research and consulting projects. Two decades after its development, a review of its technical capabilities and limitations is necessary to enhance understanding among groundwater practitioners while building a platform for further improvements. The main strength of the method is its simplicity of use, its ability to protect the main water strike/fracture, and its lower susceptibility to the influence of aquifer heterogeneities because it does not require the input of aquifer storativity and transmissivity. The FC method also caters to the negative influence of impermeable boundaries, thereby enabling planning for different low-yield-causing scenarios. However, the major limitation is in using the subjective closed no-flow boundary without factoring aquifer storativity and the distance of the closed no-flow boundary from the pumping well. Under the influence of the closed no-flow boundary, the water must come from aquifer storage, hence the storativity and the size of the bounded aquifer are very critical parameters. It is therefore incorrect to factor in the influence of the closed no-flow boundary without considering its exact location. This limitation is reflected in the absence of criteria to determine the distance of the closed no-flow boundary from the pumping well for validating the FC results using numerical models. The FC method still needs validation using field operational data; other recommendations for future research are highlighted in the discussion.

Abstract The present research aimed to identify the intentions and perspectives of young women students of the courses of agricultural sciences and related areas of the Federal Institute of Rio Grande do Sul, in Campus Sertão. The article focused on the discussion of gender, seeking to fill a gap in studies on succession, as it is a dimension that has been little examined. A total of 386 young rural women, students of agricultural science courses, participated in the research, who answered a closed questionnaire, prepared with responses on a Likert scale of 5 points. Data were tabulated and statistically analyzed in the PSPP (Program for Statistical Analysis of Sampled Data) program with descriptive analysis and Chi-Square test. The results showed that young women find an unfavorable family environment to be successors, especially because they receive less encouragement from their parents, especially mothers, to remain in the countryside and be successors and have less opportunity to participate in the operational and managerial activities of the property. Consequently, these young women have less interest in being managers and successors of their parents' rural property. The present research concluded that even when rural young women want to be successors or remain in the countryside, they are not given the equal condition, compared to young men, to prepare themselves and feel welcomed or desired as successors.

Resumo A presente pesquisa teve como objetivo identificar as intenções e perspectivas acerca da sucessão familiar das jovens mulheres estudantes dos cursos das ciências agrárias e áreas afins do Instituto Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (IFRS), no Campus Sertão. O artigo focou na discussão de gênero, buscando suprir uma lacuna em estudos sobre sucessão, já que é uma dimensão pouco examinada. Participaram da pesquisa 386 jovens mulheres rurais estudantes de cursos das ciências agrárias, as quais responderam um questionário fechado, elaborado com respostas em escala Likert de 5 pontos. Os dados foram tabulados e analisados estatisticamente no Programa para Análise Estatística de Dados Amostrados (PSPP), com análises descritiva e teste Chi-Square. Os resultados apontaram que as jovens mulheres encontram um ambiente familiar pouco favorável para serem sucessoras, especialmente por: receberem menos incentivo dos pais, sobretudo das mães, para permanecerem no campo e serem sucessoras; terem menos oportunidade de participação nas atividades operacionais e gerenciais da propriedade. Consequentemente, essas jovens têm menos interesse em serem gestoras e sucessoras da propriedade rural dos pais. A presente pesquisa concluiu que, mesmo que as jovens rurais desejassem ser sucessoras ou permanecer no campo, não é oportunizado a elas a mesma condição de igualdade, comparativamente aos jovens homens, para que se preparem e se sintam acolhidas ou desejadas como sucessoras.

Resumo Esta pesquisa tem interesse particular de identificar a motivação e os recursos estratégicos que suportam o projeto de expansão de uma cooperativa de crédito localizada no estado do Rio Grande do Sul para o estado de Minas Gerais. Foi realizada coleta de dados com Diretores e Gerentes que lideraram o processo de expansão, os quais responderam ao questionário elaborado à luz da literatura, e os dados analisados quantitativa e qualitativamente. Os dados apontaram que a motivação para expansão respaldou-se na possibilidade de aumentar a área de atuação, expansão da marca, diversificação e aumento da segurança de operação; os fatores de localização incluíram a utilização de índices econômicos e demográficos municipais, similaridade das áreas de atuação. Os recursos estratégicos, em sua maioria, denotam paridade competitiva, destacando-se com sustentáveis o nível de confiança, captação de recursos e sistemas informatizados, considerando os recursos intangíveis são mais difíceis de serem imitados pelos concorrentes do que os tangíveis. Em termos de localização em Minas Gerais, a cooperativa priorizou a expansão de associados, área de atuação e estratégias diferenciadas dos concorrentes. Dessa forma, a pesquisa suscita ampliação, especialmente quando considerado o protagonismo exercido pelas cooperativas de crédito e sua proeminência no crescimento e desenvolvimento econômico do Brasil. Gerais literatura qualitativamente respaldouse respaldou se marca operação municipais maioria competitiva destacandose destacando confiança informatizados tangíveis associados forma ampliação Brasil

Abstract This research is particularly interested in identifying the motivation and strategic resources that support the expansion project of a credit union located in the state of Rio Grande do Sul to the state of Minas Gerais. Data collection was carried out with Directors and Managers who led the expansion process, who answered the questionnaire elaborated in the light of the literature, and the data analyzed quantitatively and qualitatively. The data showed that the motivation for expansion was supported by the possibility of increasing the area of operation, brand expansion, diversification and increased operational safety; location factors included the use of municipal economic and demographic indices, similarity of areas of operation. Strategic resources, for the most part, denote competitive parity, standing out as sustainable the level of trust, fundraising and computerized systems, considering that intangible resources are more difficult to be imitated by competitors than tangible ones. In terms of location in Minas Gerais, the cooperative prioritized the expansion of members, area of operation and differentiated strategies from competitors. In this way, the research raises expansion, especially when considering the role played by credit unions and their prominence in the growth and economic development of Brazil. Gerais process literature qualitatively safety indices part parity trust systems ones members way Brazil

Resumo Estudos apresentam um quadro preocupante no que se refere à conservação das Obras de Arte Especiais (OAEs) presentes nas rodovias brasileiras. Esse problema deve-se, em grande parte, à falta de um sistema eficiente para o gerenciamento das OAEs, especialmente na etapa de operação das estruturas, quando há necessidade de manutenções periódicas. Como solução, o Bridge Information Modeling (BrIM) tem se mostrado um sistema eficiente para o gerenciamento de OAEs, integrando diferentes tecnologias nesse processo. O objetivo desse trabalho é avaliar como o BrIM pode contribuir para o aperfeiçoamento dos procedimentos de gerenciamento das OAEs adotados no Brasil. A metodologia de pesquisa foi dividida em duas etapas. A primeira refere-se à revisão bibliográfica que apresenta o cenário do gerenciamento das OAEs no país, bem como à análise do uso do BrIM como uma ferramenta de gerenciamento de OAEs em um contexto geral. A segunda etapa apresenta um estudo de caso que aborda o processo de operação e manutenção de OAEs por uma concessionária de rodovias de um importante estado brasileiro. A análise permitiu concluir que, apesar da utilização do BrIM ser relativamente recente, sua adoção está em crescimento em vários países e pode contribuir substancialmente para o aperfeiçoamento da etapa de operação e manutenção de OAEs. (OAEs brasileiras devese, devese deve se, deve-se parte estruturas periódicas solução (BrIM Brasil etapas referese país geral brasileiro recente

Abstract Studies have shown a worrisome condition as to the conservation of Civil Engineering Structures (CESs) in Brazilian highways. This situation mainly results from the lack of an efficient system for managing such structures, specifically during their operational stage, when periodic maintenance is required. As a solution, the Bridge Information Modeling (BrIM) has proven to be an efficient system for managing CESs, integrating different technologies into this process. The purpose of this paper is to assess how BrIM can contribute to improve the management procedures of these structures. The research methodology has been divided into two stages. The first one is the literature review detailing the management scenario of CESs in the country, as well as the analysis of the BrIM used as a tool to manage such structures in a general context. The second stage is a case study addressing the operational and maintenance process of CESs used by a highway concessionaire in an important Brazilian state. The analysis concluded that, although recent, the adoption of BrIM has been growing in several countries, and it can substantially contribute to improving the operational and maintenance stages of CESs. (CESs highways required solution (BrIM country context state that recent countries

Abstract Improving rural innovation processes requires optimizing the link between agricultural research and rural extension. Most of the authors who have studied this link have been concerned with highlighting the need for a synergetic integration between both components. However, those studies did not make explicit which are the key factors that facilitate this articulation along with the proposals to promote a harmonious and efficient link. The present work identifies and systematizes on the literature about the subject the key factors for a good link and the proposals and approaches for linking research and extension. For this, a systematic review of the literature in English, Spanish and Portuguese was performed. As results, on the one hand, two types of key factors were identified: contextual-institutional and subjective-relational; and, on the other hand, two types of proposals aimed at strengthening the bond were characterized: structural/formal mechanisms (or institutional arrangements) and operational or functional management measures. Finally, a discussion was generated on the principal characteristics of the factors and proposals identified, concluding towards limitations, questions and challenges for a better understanding of the link between agricultural research and rural extension. extension components However English performed results hand identified contextualinstitutional contextual subjectiverelational subjective relational subjective-relational characterized structuralformal structural formal arrangements measures Finally limitations

Resumen La mejora en los procesos de innovación rural requiere optimizar el vínculo entre la investigación agropecuaria y la extensión rural. La mayoría de los autores que han estudiado dicho vínculo se han ocupado de resaltar la necesidad de una integración sinérgica entre ambos componentes. Sin embargo, estos estudios no han explicitado cuáles son los factores claves que facilitan dicha articulación junto con las propuestas para promover un vínculo armónico y eficiente. El presente trabajo identifica y sistematiza en la literatura sobre el tema los factores claves para un buen vínculo y las propuestas y abordajes para la vinculación de la investigación y la extensión. Para ello, se realizó una revisión sistemática de bibliografía en inglés, español y portugués. Como resultados, por un lado, se identificaron dos tipos de factores claves: los contextuales-institucionales y los subjetivos-relacionales; y, por otro, se caracterizaron dos tipos de propuestas orientadas al fortalecimiento del vínculo: los mecanismos estructurales/formales (o arreglos institucionales) y las medidas de gestión operativas o funcionales. Por último, se generó una discusión sobre las características principales de los factores y propuestas identificadas, concluyendo hacia limitaciones, interrogantes y desafíos para una mayor comprensión sobre el vínculo entre la investigación agropecuaria y la extensión rural. componentes embargo eficiente ello inglés portugués resultados lado contextualesinstitucionales contextuales institucionales subjetivosrelacionales subjetivos relacionales subjetivos-relacionales otro estructuralesformales estructurales formales funcionales último identificadas limitaciones

ABSTRACT Wind energy is an important renewable source that has been considerably developed recently. In order to obtain successful 24-h lead-time wind power forecasts for operational and commercial uses, a combination of physical and statistical models is desirable. In this paper, a hybrid methodology that employs a numerical weather prediction model (Weather Research and Forecasting) and a neural network (NN) algorithm is proposed and assessed. The methodology is applied to a wind farm in northwestern Mexico, a region with high wind potential where complex geography adds large uncertainty to wind energy forecasts. The energy forecasts are then evaluated against actual on-site power generation over one year and compared with two reference models: decision trees (DT) and support vector regression (SVR). The proposed method exhibits a better performance with respect to the reference methods, showing an hourly normalized mean absolute percentage error of 6.97%, which represents 6 and 13 percentage points less error in wind power forecasts than with DT and SVR methods, respectively. Under strong synoptic forcing, the NN wind power forecast is not very accurate, and novel approaches such as hierarchical algorithms should be employed instead. Overall, the proposed model is capable of producing high-quality wind power forecasts for most weather conditions prevailing in this region and demonstrates a good performance with respect to similar models for medium-term wind power forecasts.

RESUMEN La energía eólica es una importante fuente de energía renovable que se ha desarrollado considerablemente en los últimos años. Con el fin de obtener pronósticos de energía eólica de alta precisión con 24 horas de anticipación para usos operativos y comerciales, se necesita una combinación de modelos físicos y estadísticos. En este artículo se propone y evalúa una metodología híbrida que emplea un modelo numérico (Weather Research and Forecasting) y un algoritmo de red neuronal (NN). La metodología se aplica a un parque eólico en el noroeste de México, una región con alto potencial eólico donde la compleja geografía agrega gran incertidumbre a los pronósticos de energía eólica. Los pronósticos de energía se evalúan usando la generación de energía real en el sitio de interés durante un año y se comparan con dos modelos de referencia: árboles de decisión (DT, por su sigla en inglés) y regresión de vectores de soporte (SVR). El método propuesto muestra un mejor desempeño respecto a los métodos de referencia, mostrando un error absoluto medio porcentual horario de 6.97%, lo que representa 6 y 13 puntos porcentuales menos de error en los pronósticos de energía eólica que con los métodos DT y SVR, respectivamente. El pronóstico de energía eólica NN no es muy preciso cuando tiene un fuerte forzamiento sinóptico, por lo que en su lugar deben emplearse enfoques novedosos como los algoritmos jerárquicos. En general, el modelo propuesto tiene la capacidad de producir pronósticos de energía eólica de alta calidad para la mayoría de las condiciones climáticas que prevalecen en esta región, y de- muestra un buen desempeño respecto a modelos similares para pronósticos de energía eólica a mediano plazo.

ORIENTATION: Employees with a collectivistic culture want the closeness and support of their leaders. How leader-member exchange (LMX), perceived organisational support (POS), job satisfaction (JS) and organisational commitment (OC) influence each other still requires in-depth research because there are differences between the results of previous studies. RESEARCH PURPOSE: This study examined the relationship model of LMX and POS as antecedent, mediator and moderator variables on work outcomes such as JS and OC in small- and medium enterprises (SMEs) with a collectivistic culture and high-power distance MOTIVATION FOR THE STUDY: Leadership in SMEs gets less attention because of its role in managing and carrying out operational activities. RESEARCH APPROACH/DESIGN AND METHOD: Data were collected from 427 employees using questionnaires with purposive sampling, which was tested for validity and reliability. Structural equation modelling (SEM) and multi-group SEM were used to test the relationship model. MAIN FINDINGS: The results of testing four relationship models proved that the LMX relationship did not directly affect JS and OC but was mediated by POS. LMX can also be a mediator and moderator of the relationship model PRACTICAL/MANAGERIAL IMPLICATIONS: This study emphasises the need to minimise the differences between in-group and out-group in the leaders-followers relationship to improve employee performance. Leaders must expand the range of their relationships with followers to improve work outcomes. Contribution/value-add: This study examined LMX as an important predictor of work outcomes with clearer mechanisms. LMX cannot be a predictor if employees do not feel the leader's support as a representative of the organisation.

The widespread use of antibiotics in poultry breeding has led to drug resistance of pathogenic microorganisms. With long-term dependence on antibiotics, immunity in poultry has decreased, increased susceptibility and seriously affecting the quality of poultry protein products and consumer health. Chinese medicinal herbs come mainly from nature and are natural products, so are called green feed additives. It has become an important substitute for antibiotics in high-quality livestock products. In this study, Wanxi White Geese were used as the research object to explore the effects of Chinese medicinal herb feed additives on intestinal microorganisms. Semen Cassiae and Polygonatum cyrtonema Hua increased the number of operational taxonomic units (OTUs) in intestinal microorganisms of geese, and the number of OTUs increased with dosage. Semen Cassiae or Polygonatum cyrtonema Hua has great influence on the abundance of intestinal microbes. The relative abundance of Clostridiales was higher than the control (feeding only the basal diet) after treated with Semen Cassiae or Polygonatum cyrtonema Hua feed additives. Chinese medicinal herb feed additives inhibited Erysipelotrichales and the relative abundance of Erysipelotrichales in all treated samples was lower than the control group. Alpha diversity analysis also showed that Chinese medicinal herb feed additives promoted the diversity of intestinal microorganisms. The purpose of this study is for future research and practical application of feed additives.

BACKGROUND: The study argues that managing tacit knowledge (TKM) would reduce small-and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) operational discontinuity and knowledge loss in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) province, South Africa OBJECTIVES: The article examined the strategies put in place by SMEs for tacit knowledge management (TKM) practices and to develop a framework that will promote TKM for SMEs METHOD: The study adopted a quantitative research method and targeted 326 SMEs using Google Forms. One hundred and eighty (180; 55.2%) useful responses were obtained and analysed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences RESULTS: Most of the SME owners are aware and affirmed that there is a particular tacit knowledge that is of importance to business. The most common methods of capturing tacit knowledge among SMEs are monitoring, practical sessions, in-house training programmes, and brainstorming. Tacit knowledge is shared during meetings (such as project teams) and when dialoguing. The study also revealed that electronic files in computers are the major tools for storing the collected tacit knowledge CONCLUSION: The study concluded that TKM among SMEs in KZN required improvement and recommended improving teams and informal networks and making information and communication technology tools available to preserve tacit knowledge. The SMEs that can afford it can consider employing the services of consultant knowledge management officers to conduct periodic knowledge audits to identify knowledge gaps for proactive solutions CONTRIBUTION: The study contributed to knowledge management, tacit knowledge, explicit knowledge, and TKM

PURPOSE: Responsible leadership has gained significant attention in contemporary management scholarship. Despite significant advances made in the burgeoning corpus of knowledge, a paucity of studies focusses on developing economies with a dearth of studies underscoring specifically the public sector DESIGN/METHODOLOGY/APPROACH: A qualitative research methodology was implemented and operationalised by means of a policy analysis. Ascribed to leadership activities within the public sector being linked to policy directives, a policy document analysis was deemed an appropriate approach. Content analysis was utilised as a data analytical method which consists of a systematic evaluation of the content of written or verbal communication for the purpose of identifying themes FINDINGS/RESULTS: Findings are captured in a conceptual framework, which infers that leadership in the context of the public sector is consistent with the tenets of responsible leadership. Themes that emerged from the analysis include leadership antecedents, leadership roles, motivational drivers, and responsibility towards internal and external stakeholders. Leadership antecedents include psychological characteristics, aptitude and conative orientation. Normative, relational and operational roles were evidently stimulated by normative and intrapsychic motivation PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS: The contribution relates to how responsible leadership in terms of theoretical tenets and practical applicability might support policy makers and public sector leaders to improve the implementation of the National Development Plan (NDP) as a societal meta-framework for sustainable development in a multi-stakeholder context ORIGINALITY/VALUE: A dearth of research focuses on responsible leadership in the context of a developmental state especially theorising within the public sector indicative of the originality of the research