bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Advanced statistics training for HRD doctoral students: a call for empirical study!
Authors: Obazuaye Cyril O.
Published: January 2025

Purpose

In human resource development (HRD) doctoral programs, advanced statistics training (AST) is crucial for certain students, depending on their research interests and career goals. However, mandating AST for all students could be inimically consequential to some students’ academic and professional success. Such requirement risks misallocating valuable time and resources, potentially diverting students from the areas where their intellectual strengths and research ambitions could flourish most effectively. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to conceptually investigate AST requirement for HRD doctoral students and call for an empirical investigation to address the research gap. Indeed, aligning training with students’ diverse needs could enhance their preparedness for future academic and career challenges.

Design/methodology/approach

This is a conceptual study examining the necessity of mandating AST for all HRD doctoral students.

Findings

Many HRD doctoral programs design their curricula based on the caprices of academic leaders rather than empirical evidence, creating a disconnect between doctoral students’ academic strengths, career goals, and the training they receive. As a result, this misalignment may produce mediocre ambidextrous researchers ill-equipped to meet their future research needs and employer expectations. A rigid one-size-fits-all approach in doctoral education fails to leverage students’ intellectual strengths, potentially hindering their development as specialized experts capable of contributing meaningfully to the evolving demands of the HRD field and its practitioners. Therefore, the HRD doctoral curriculum should be informed by data-driven insights to ensure relevance and efficacy.

Originality/value

Despite its profound and far-reaching implications for students, educational institutions, and employers, no empirical study has examined this nuanced issue within the HRD discipline. In contrast, extensive research in cognate disciplines has explored the necessity of AST and its impact on diverse student outcomes. This study makes a unique contribution to the HRD field by addressing a critical gap in the literature and proposing a bifurcated approach specifically designed for HRD doctoral students. This proposed novel framework could inform curriculum design and better align training with the evolving needs of emerging scholars and the broader HRD community.
Investigating trust, awareness and social influence on online banking adoption, moderated by customer relationship management: technological adoption insights
Authors: Asif Muhammad , Sarwar Farhan
Published: January 2025

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to examine how users’ intention to adopt online banking is influenced by perceived trust (PT), awareness (AWE) and social influence (SI) and to assess whether customer relationship management (CRM) moderates the impact of these factors on adoption intentions.

Design/methodology/approach

Data were collected from 565 respondents in Pakistan using a stratified sampling technique. The analysis was conducted using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling with SmartPLS-4 to examine the proposed relationships.

Findings

This study’s findings reveal that PT, AWE and SI do not directly influence users’ intention to adopt online banking. Trust impacts intention through perceived ease of use, while AWE and SI affect intention via both perceived usefulness and ease of use. CRM negatively moderates SI but positively moderates the effects of PT and AWE on users’ intention.

Originality/value

This study explores the novel role of CRM as a moderator, offering fresh insights into how CRM enhances the impact of PT, AWE and SI on online banking adoption.
Employability, aspirations, and career resources: reflective diary insights from postgraduate international students
Authors: Donald William E. , Mouratidou Maria , Hughes Helen Philippa Narelle , Padgett Rebecca
Published: January 2025

Purpose

Drawing on sustainable career theory as a framework, our study aims to explore how Asian international students studying in a UK-based University Business School view their employability, career aspirations, and career resources.

Design/methodology/approach

A total of 128 participants provided 602 voice-recorded reflective diary insights over six weeks while studying a mandatory employability module in a postgraduate Master’s programme at a UK-based Russell Group University Business School. The reflective diary insights addressed employability (weeks 1 and 3), aspirations (weeks 2 and 5), and career resources (weeks 4 and 6). Thematic analysis was conducted before theme and code prevalence were counted to compare changes between the two time points for each topic.

Findings

Employability includes skills, experiences and qualifications (theme 1), challenges (theme 2), and career ownership (theme 3). Aspirations include intrinsic motivators (theme 4), extrinsic motivators (theme 5), and person-organisation fit (theme 6). Career resources include people (theme 7), knowledge (theme 8) and signalling (theme 9). Time influences the interplay of person and contextual dimensions across the two timespans with different effects between and within themes.

Originality/value

Theoretically, our study advances the empirical validation of sustainable career theory, as well as integrating graduate employability and career development streams into higher education research. Methodologically, it underscores the underutilised potential of diary studies in the field. Practically, it offers insights for lecturers, university career advisors, and employers to holistically address the employability, aspirations, and career resources of international students.
Using Tuckman’s theory to manage small business teams in a time of rapid change
Authors: Jhas Harsharon
Published: January 2025

Purpose

This study aims to explore organisational practices experienced within small groups during a period of rapid change. It explores links between Tuckman’s theory and staff behaviour during the COVID-19 pandemic, framed by the context of childcare.

Design/methodology/approach

Action research is mobilised with the researcher part of the research process, tracking and innovating the company throughout change.

Findings

Key practices are examined and analysed for their relevance to how small groups operate today. The relevance of the theoretical underpinning which can be seen in Montessori childcare may have universal application within small groups in any business sector.

Research limitations/implications

This study is limited to one business within a single sector. Other sectors and small group settings should be studied in future research for a broader understanding.

Practical implications

Tuckman’s theory provides a guide for aspiring managers to assess the direction small groups will follow when major and rapid change occurs. This study specifically investigates the direction taken by a team during the COVID-19 pandemic and identifies links between the different stages of team development.

Social implications

The findings provide insights into team development and Tuckman’s theory, which can inform decision-makers in Montessori settings.

Originality/value

Montessori literature currently features no main analysis regarding the links between small group development such as Tuckman’s theory and Montessori settings. This study highlights the links observed specifically during the pandemic in terms of the business direction the small Montessori school team took.
Pandemic, pressure and pedagogy: a digital transformation of French business schools?
Authors: Duncan Allen Scott , Duncan Anne-Laure Ser
Published: January 2025

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to investigate how French business schools managed the change to Emergency Remote Teaching (ERT) during the COVID-19 lockdown and to propose a rudimentary framework based on the Technology Acceptance Model.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper uses exploratory in-depth case studies in four French business schools to analyze the influence of the COVID-19 pandemic on the transition to Emergency Remote Teaching and whether it may lead to long-term Online Learning.

Findings

Results of this study show that, despite several constraints, French business schools efficiently managed the transition to Emergency Remote Teaching. The findings also suggest that schools may provide Online Learning as way to increase their course offerings.

Originality/value

This paper contributes to the extant literature on COVID-19 and organizational management by being one of the first studies to explore how French business schools made the transition to Emergency Remote Teaching and its potential long-term impact. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first paper to apply the Technology Acceptance Model to the digital transformation of the French business schools during COVID-19.
Enhancing supply chain sustainability performance: the pivotal role of emerging technologies
Authors: Niranjan Suman , Garg Vipul , Gligor David Marius , Hawkins Timothy G.
Published: January 2025

Purpose

This study aims to investigate the impact of sustainable supply chain practices on sustainability performance in North American and Canadian firms in a business-to-business (B2B) context, specifically focusing on the mediating role of emerging technologies. It aims to deepen the understanding of this complex relationship, contributing to both theoretical knowledge and practical applications.

Design/methodology/approach

This study collected data from supply chain managers in the USA and Canada using a mixed-methods approach that includes partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM), necessary condition analysis (NCA) and importance-performance map analysis (IPMA). PLS-SEM was utilized to model the relationships between sustainable practices, emerging technologies and sustainability performance. NCA identified the essential conditions required for sustainability performance, while IPMA was used to assess the importance and performance of different constructs, helping to pinpoint areas where the managerial focus can yield the most significant improvements.

Findings

This study reveals that sustainable supply chain practices (SSCP) alone do not directly lead to enhanced sustainability performance. SSCP includes product design, procurement, investment recovery and social sustainability. Sustainability performance includes economic, environmental and social performance. Instead, adopting specific emerging technologies, particularly artificial intelligence, wearable devices and virtual reality, is crucial. A significant threshold identified is these technologies’ 80% adoption rate for substantial performance improvements. Furthermore, this study distinguishes the varying impacts of different technologies on economic, social and environmental aspects of sustainability.

Originality/value

This research offers new insights by showing that emerging technologies fully mediate the relationship between SSCP and performance. It expands on existing literature by detailing the specific impacts of various technologies, moving beyond the generalized approach seen in prior research. Specific impacts of emerging digital technologies on SSCP and performance remain underexplored in a B2B environment, and this research aims to address this gap.
Dynamic capabilities in action: the synergy of big data analytics, supply chain ambidexterity, green supply chain and firm performance
Authors: Al Mamun Abdullah , Reza Mohammad Nurul Hassan , Yang Qing , Aziz Norzalita Abd
Published: January 2025

Purpose

Implementing big data analytics (BDA) for supply chain ambidexterity (agility and adaptability) and green supply chain (GRSC) presents various organizational challenges. These include leveraging BDA capabilities to balance agility and adaptability, integrating this combined approach with GRSC and aligning these efforts to enhance firm performance. This study explores the associations between BDA, supply chain agility and adaptability, GRSC and their impact on firm performance.

Design/methodology/approach

Incorporating a resource-based view and contingency theory, we developed a research framework and validated it with data from 355 Chinese firms. Partial least squares structural equation modeling was used to analyze the data.

Findings

The findings demonstrate that BDA capabilities had direct impact on supply chain agility and adaptability, GRSC and firm performance. Moreover, the combination of supply chain agility and adaptability affected GRSC; which in turn significantly influenced firm performance. Supply chain agility and adaptability mediated the relationship between BDA capabilities and GRSC. Additionally, GRSC mediated the relationship between BDA capabilities, supply chain agility and adaptability and firm performance.

Originality/value

This study offers both a theoretical and empirical examination of the relationships between BDA capabilities, supply chain agility and adaptability, GRSC and firm performance. By assessing the direct and mediating effects of these factors on China’s industrial sector, it presents new theoretical and practical insights into BDA and GRSC, thereby enhancing the value of the existing literature.
Understanding employee retention in the age of AI and robotics: a study of technology competencies and turnover intentions in the hotel sector
Authors: Bakir Selim , Ayoun Baker , Wei Chunhao(Victor) , Bilgihan Anil
Published: January 2025

Purpose

This study leverages the frameworks of the conservation of resources theory frameworks and Person-Organization Person-Job Fit Theory to scrutinize the direct effects of employee STARA (smart technologies, artificial intelligence, robotics and algorithms) competencies on turnover intentions. Concurrently, this study aims to investigate the mediating influence of the intention to use technologies in the aforementioned relationship.

Design/methodology/approach

Data were amassed from 547 employees in the US hotel industry and subjected to structural equation modeling for analysis.

Findings

The results reveal that there is no significant correlation between employee technology competencies and turnover intentions. However, mediation analysis elucidates that technology competencies among employees are positively and significantly correlated with turnover intentions via the intention to use technology. Moderation analysis further substantiates that this positive correlation is augmented when employees perceive a high level of alternative job opportunities.

Research limitations/implications

This research suggests that hotel businesses should not only focus on technological adoption but also consider how employees’ techno-competencies and their perceptions of fit within the organization can impact their willingness to stay or leave, thereby offering a more comprehensive approach to employee retention strategies.

Originality/value

Unlike previous research that primarily viewed STARA technologies as job replacers and threats, this study reframes them as complements to employees’ roles.
What is informal workplace learning: a qualitative meta-synthesis
Authors: Lotfi Hamide , Karami Morteza , Safaei Movahed Saied , Francom Gregory M.
Published: January 2025

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to provide a model for informal workplace learning. Despite the prevalence and recognized importance of informal learning in the workplace, scattered literature and different perspectives have caused a lack of shared understanding about its nature, and little research effort has been made in this direction so far.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper identified the most significant components of informal workplace learning using the qualitative meta-synthesis method. For this purpose, after searching sources from different databases and screening them, 17 sources were selected due to compatibility with the research criteria. The texts extracted from the sources were analyzed using a thematic analysis method and synthesized using an aggregation approach. Finally, a themes network was created as a model with 8 main components and 11 sub-components.

Findings

The results indicated that eight components were considered significant to informal workplace learning, including learning stimulus, awareness and intent to learn, action or experience, critical reflection on action, facilitators, collective learning, self-directed and context.

Originality/value

This meta-synthesis contributes to the coherence and integration of the informal workplace learning literature. The obtained conceptual model, in addition to the general components of informal workplace learning, provides an explanation of the characteristics of each and the relationships between its components to achieve a complete understanding of the nature of informal workplace learning. Since no study has been done so far to comprehensively identify the most significant components of informal workplace learning, it is not possible to refer to their results in comparison with the results of this study.
A novel active switchable multi-channel waveguide based on the Bragg scattering mechanism and the force-magnetic coupling effect
Authors: Qiu Yitong , Li Jinqiang , Song Zhiguang
Published: January 2025

Purpose

This study aims to propose a novel acoustic metamaterial waveguide with active switchable channels by changing the magnetic field strength.

Design/methodology/approach

Based on the Bragg scattering mechanism and the force-magnetic coupling effect of magnetorheological elastomer (MRE), an acoustic metamaterial waveguide structure containing lead scatterers and an MRE/rubber matrix is constructed. By changing the external magnetic field strength, the bandgap of the acoustic metamaterial can be adjusted, and then the channels of the proposed acoustic metamaterial waveguide can be actively switched. The bandgap ranges of acoustic metamaterials containing scatterers with different sizes are different and by designing the size of the scatterers, an acoustic metamaterial waveguide can be formed. The design and control method of this study will be useful for the design of waveguides and active control of bandgaps.

Findings

The proposed switchable multi-channel waveguide and active control method can effectively control the elastic wave propagation, and the opening and closing of the channel are achieved.

Practical implications

This study provides a new control method for waveguides and expands the application range of MRE. The proposed design concept of adjustable waveguides can be extended for the design of waveguides, metamaterials and vibration reduction structures.

Originality/value

This article proposes a waveguide structure controlled by an external magnetic field in a non-contact manner based on the principle of Bragg scattering and the force-magnetic coupling effect. The model is established, and its feasibility is demonstrated through numerical simulations.
The effects of unilateral climate policy towards agriculture: A case study of Denmark
Authors: Sørensen Peter Birch , Beck Ulrik Richardt , Berg Asbjørn Kehlet , Christiansen Simon , Jørgensen Cecilie Løchte , Kirk Jens Sand , Stewart Louis Birk , Stephensen Peter Philip
Published: January 2025

To meet their climate policy obligations towards the EU, some EU member states will have to adopt strict climate policies towards agriculture. Responding to this need, the Danish parliament recently decided to impose a tax on greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from the country's livestock production. We develop a simple model of primary agriculture and its interaction with the food industry to illustrate the main economic mechanisms determining the impact of a unilateral tax on GHG emissions from domestic agriculture. To study the allocation effects of the GHG tax on agriculture and the impact on the wider economy over time, we then present a disaggregated dynamic simulation model of Danish agriculture, embedded in a large‐scale computable general equilibrium model. The model predicts that a large share of the cost increase induced by the tax will be shifted forward onto higher input prices in the food industry and ultimately onto consumers via higher food prices, but landowners will also bear a significant part of the burden through a fall in land prices. The GHG tax will induce a reallocation from animal to plant production, which would be even more pronounced in the case of a livestock‐specific tax as currently foreseen, and from conventional to organic farming. This will help to reduce the total emissions from agriculture, but the largest share of the emission cuts will stem from a fall in output, as there are still few low‐cost technical abatement possibilities in agriculture.
Joke or counterfeit? Balancing trademark parody and consumer safety in the edibles market
Authors: Weiser Hannah R. , Cahoy Daniel R.
Published: January 2025

Children mistakenly eating tetrahydrocannabinol‐laced gummies thinking they are Halloween candy. Adults overdosing on seemly innocent and fun‐looking “edibles.” These all‐too‐common occurrences are a serious problem in the growing market for cannabis‐related products. A significant part of the risk stems from the broad acceptance and expectation of parody marketing in the field, which has contributed to these dangerous misunderstandings. Importantly, recent changes to trademark law have limited the commercial use of parodies as marks, strengthening the hand of brand owners to police harmful impersonation while preserving legitimate speech. As a result of the more restrictive environment, trademark law and consumer safety rules are increasingly congruent and a greater array of stakeholders with significant financial resources now possess the power and incentive to reduce the danger. This article uses the above cannabis marketing conflict as a framing tool for exploring the limits of trademark parody in an important yet under‐examined context: when safety concerns clash and arguably supersede speech. The existing literature has typically considered parody in innocuous and often noncommercial applications. Such limited review underappreciates instances when trademark confusion or dilution through parody lead to serious health consequences, particularly for vulnerable audiences such as children. Additionally, to the extent that the literature does address cannabis and trademarks, it has generally focused on cannabis branding issues as opposed to infringing the rights of others. This article bridges the gaps. Moreover, it integrates a consideration of the impact of recent Supreme Court cases, Jack Daniel's Properties, Inc. v. VIP Products LLC and Vidal v. Elster, that reflect a tighter circumscription on speech protections for unauthorized use. It concludes with the observation that not all parodies are equal in terms of balancing speech and safety. And with evolving trademark law, there is increasingly an incentive for various stakeholders to collaborate to enhance consumer safety.
Higher Intron Retention Levels in Female Alzheimer's Brains May Be Linked to Disease Prevalence
Authors: Choo Ching‐Thong , Leow Chao‐Yong , Ong Chin‐Tong
Published: January 2025

Multimodal study of Alzheimer's disease (AD) dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) showed AD‐related aberrant intron retention (IR) and proteomic changes not observed at the RNA level. However, the role of sex and how IR may impact the proteome are unclear. Analysis of DLPFC transcriptome showed a clear sex‐biased pattern where female AD had 1645 elevated IR events compared to 80 in male AD DLPFC. Increased IR is correlated with lower mRNA levels, suggestive of nonsense‐mediated mRNA decay. Two hundred thirty‐three mRNAs with elevated IR in females were curated AD genes enriched for ubiquitin‐like protein ligase and Tau protein binding. Increased IR genes in combined sex and female AD cohorts showed significant changes in their protein expression patterns with 11%–24% of them differential expressed proteins (DEP), alluding to the regulation of AD proteome by IR independent of RNA level. Upregulated DEPs in male AD were linked to RNA splicing that may prevent aberrant IR, whereas in female AD, they overlapped significantly more with the MAPK/metabolism module associated with cognitive decline. IR genes appeared to be significantly downregulated in specific female AD inhibitory and excitatory neurons compared to control. Differentially retained introns in female AD have elevated H3K27ac marks, strong CTCF binding at their flanking exons, and enriched for PABPC1 motif. Given that H3K27ac is repressive over gene bodies in aged brain and CTCF impedes transcription elongation, their binding patterns can delay co‐transcriptional recruitment of spliceosome to cause IR, which may in turn contribute to different trajectories of AD pathology in women.
State‐level economic policy uncertainty and Bank loan pricing
Authors: Cox Justin S.
Published: January 2025

We use the state‐level economic policy uncertainty (EPU) index of Baker et al. (Journal of Monetary Economics, 2022, 132, 81) and find that state‐level EPU increases interest income but lowers total loan growth, resulting in higher loan pricing. We show increases in state‐level EPU have a stronger impact on small‐ and medium‐sized commercial banks than their large‐bank counterparts. Finally, we control for nationwide measures of EPU, finding the effects of state‐level EPU are as economically significant as the national‐level policy uncertainty measure. However, controlling for the interaction between economic uncertainty and firm size, we find that national‐level EPU is more economically significant than state‐level EPU.
Association of fully branded, standardized packaging and limited flavor and brand descriptors of e‐liquids with interest in trying products among youths in Great Britain
Authors: Taylor Eve , Simonavičius Erikas , Nottage Matilda , McNeill Ann , Arnott Deborah , Cheeseman Hazel , Hammond David , Reid Jessica , Driezen Pete , D'Mello Kimberly , East Katherine
Published: January 2025

Background and aims

Many vaping products feature bright colors and novel brand names and flavor descriptors, which may appeal to youth. We measured the strength of the associations between e‐liquid packaging design (branded, white standardized or white standardized limiting brand and flavor descriptors) and perceived peer interest in trying the e‐liquids among youth.

Design

A between‐subjects online experiment.

Setting

The Action on Smoking and Health Smokefree Great Britain (GB) Youth 2021 online survey.

Participants

Participants included 1628 youth aged 11–18, 51.9% female, 71.8% socioeconomic status ABC1 (the three highest Market Research Society grades).

Measurements

Participants were randomized to view a set of three images of e‐liquids from one of three packaging conditions: (1) fully branded (control), (2) white standardized with usual brand names and flavor descriptors or (3) white standardized with coded brand names and limited flavor descriptors. Participants were asked which e‐liquid they thought people their age would be most interested in trying and could select a product, ‘none of these’, or ‘do not know’. Multinomial logistic regression models were used to test associations between selecting ‘none of these’ (‘no interest’) versus any product (‘interest’) or ‘do not know’ and packaging condition. Analyses were adjusted for sex, age, socioeconomic status, vaping status and smoking status.

Findings

Compared with fully branded packaging (22.7%; reference category), youth had higher odds of reporting no perceived peer interest in trying e‐liquids in standardized packs with brand codes and limited flavor descriptors [30.3%, adjusted odds ratio (AOR) = 2.07, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.53–2.79], but not standardized packs with usual descriptors (23.1%, AOR = 1.21, 95% CI = 0.89–1.65). Youth had higher odds of reporting no perceived peer interest in e‐liquids in white standardized packs with brand codes and limited flavor descriptors (30.3%, AOR = 1.87, 95% CI = 1.29–2.16, P < 0.001) compared with standardized packs with usual descriptors (23.1%; reference category).

Conclusion

Standardized e‐liquid packaging that limits flavor and brand descriptors may reduce the youth appeal of e‐liquids.
Factors Influencing the Use of Shave Biopsy for Lesions Suspicious of Melanoma in Australia: An Exploratory Mixed‐Methods Study
Authors: Lindsay Daniel , Collins Louisa G. , Olsen Catherine M. , Pandeya Nirmala , Whiteman David C. , Bookallil Luke , McMurtrie Andrea , von Schuckmann Lena
Published: January 2025

Background

Recent Australian trends indicate that shave biopsies for diagnosing lesions suspicious of melanoma are increasing, yet reasons for this remain relatively unknown. We sought to understand which factors influence Australian clinicians' use of shave biopsy for managing thin lesions suspicious of melanoma in sites of low cosmetic sensitivity.

Methods

We used a convergent, exploratory mixed‐methods design, with a cross‐sectional online survey (n = 59) and semi‐structured qualitative interviews (n = 15). We recruited clinicians working in skin cancer medicine across Australia, mostly general practitioners (> 80%) with some dermatologists (n = 7 survey and n = 1 interview participant). Survey participants indicated how frequently they used shave biopsies and rated the importance of factors when considering the use of a shave biopsy. Interview participants elaborated on the motivating factors for using different biopsy techniques. Qualitative data were professionally transcribed and analysed with content analysis.

Results

Most survey participants (95%) reported that identifying fewer signs of locally advanced melanoma was ‘very important’ for using shave biopsy. Fifty per cent of survey participants also reported that faster procedure speed and greater convenience were ‘very important’ reasons for using shave biopsy. Procedure speed was particularly important for using shave biopsy among clinicians self‐identifying as time‐poor. Interview participants noted (a) the risk of transecting the lesion base or (b) incomplete lesion removal from shave biopsies as reasons against their use.

Conclusions

The relative speed and convenience of shave biopsies in clinical practice are strong motivators for their use. Further evidence on patient outcomes with widespread use of shave biopsy is required to inform clinical guidelines.
Modelling the Environmental Determinants of Abundance of Two Sympatric Antelopes (Gerenuk and Grant's Gazelle)
Authors: Biseko Beevans B. , Muganda Michael M. , Rija Alfan A.
Published: January 2025

A thorough understanding of environmental variables determining the abundance of species is fundamental for effective planning for conservation and management of wildlife and their habitat, especially in managed natural systems. Most protected areas in Africa afforded minimal conservation efforts are poorly assessed and increasingly faced with threats, making effective conservation of wildlife species within challenging. We used road transect surveys to investigate the environmental and anthropogenic variables that determine the abundance of two sympatric antelope (Gerenuk gazelle, [Litocranius walleri] and Grant's gazelle, [Nanger granti]) in Lake Natron partially protected ecosystem in northern Tanzania to improve conservation of these species. Fitting the data with a Quasi‐Poisson GLM, we found habitat type, landscape elevation, season and tree cuts were the most important predictors of species abundance for both species. Gerenuk and Grant's gazelle were more abundant in grassland and both tended to avoid degraded patches and areas closer to previous hunting sites, suggesting that habitat loss and hunting is having a top down impacts on the abundance and distribution of these species. Further, both species tended to avoid areas with water points especially during the dry season and foraged more on lowland sites perhaps to avoid being targeted by hunters. Our findings strongly suggest that maintaining habitat quality by minimising human activities such as tree cuts and hunting may improve conservation of antelopes in this fragile ecosystem.
Measuring Food and Water Security in an Aboriginal Community in Regional Australia
Authors: Weatherall Loretta , Trindall Alinta , Tonkin Trish , Santos Joseph Alvin , Patay Dori , McCausland Ruth , Spencer Wendy , Leslie Greg , Baldry Eileen , Bennett‐Brook Keziah , Coombes Julieann , Mackean Tamara , Shanthosh Janani , Madden Ty , Moore Bruce , Deane Ann‐Marie , Earle Niall , GDip Christine Corby , Nathan Melissa , Young Sera L. , Rosewarne Emalie , Webster Jacqui
Published: January 2025

Objective

To measure current levels and experiences of food and water security in Walgett to guide a community‐led program and to provide a baseline measure.

Design

A community‐led cross‐sectional survey conducted in April 2022 by trained local researchers.

Setting

Walgett, a regional town in NSW, Australia.

Participants

A total of 251 Aboriginal adults.

Main Outcome Measured

Food and water security levels and experiences were measured using the Household Food Insecurity Access Scale (HFIAS) and Household Water InSecurity Experiences (HWISE) Scale. The relationship between food and water insecurity was determined through linear regression analysis.

Results

Almost half of the respondents experienced food insecurity (46%) or water insecurity (44%) in the last 12 months. Most participants attributed food insecurity to difficulties with food affordability (71%) and availability (63%). More than four in five participants reported relying on purchased or donated bottled water due to main water source interruption (83%) or quality concerns (86%). Water insecurity was associated with food insecurity; HFIAS score increased by 0.43 points for every point higher on the HWISE scale.

Conclusions

This study is the first to measure levels and experiences of food and water security in an Aboriginal community in Australia using validated tools. The results highlight the interconnectedness of food and water insecurity and provide evidence of levels far higher than Australian national level estimates and comparable to low‐ and middle‐income countries. A holistic government response alongside community‐led efforts are needed to increasefood and water security to improve health and well‐being in remote Aboriginal communities.
Trauma Outcomes Based on Remoteness of Injury in Australia: A Systemic Review
Authors: Hafeez‐Baig Sanaa , Buckley Lisa , Midwinter Mark
Published: January 2025

Introduction

Research suggests a significant disparity between rural and urban trauma patient outcomes, causing substantial social, economic and emotional costs, impacting health‐related quality of life and functionality, and straining our healthcare system. There has not been a systematic examination of contributing factors in Australia.

Objective

This study aims to systematically describe the nature of research on trauma outcomes by geographical location and (where possible) describe factors found to increase or decrease the likelihood and severity of injury in rural Australia.

Design

Five databases (EMBASE, PubMed/MEDLINE, Web of Science, Scopus, CINAHL) and reference lists were searched. Eligible studies compared injury outcomes by geographic location in Australia, using a quantitative study design. No restrictions were placed on publication year or outcomes explored. The results were synthesised narratively.

Findings

We found 14 papers. Mortality, the most studied outcome (n = 11), was overall positively related to traumatic incidents in more rural locations. Other data outcomes included hospital admissions and length of stay, admission to ICU, 28‐day hospital readmission, rehabilitation, and patient‐reported quality of life. Study findings show different mechanisms of injury (e.g., falls) and limited accounts of pre‐hospital experiences.

Discussion

Geographical location of trauma may impact the likelihood of injury mortality but is potentially confounded by the different mechanisms and severity of injury. There is insufficient evidence to make conclusions on other non‐mortality and longer‐term outcomes, and a greater understanding of prehospital outcomes is also needed.

Conclusion

This relationship is considered weak due to the limited geographic representation across Australia and the general paucity of recent literature.
Correlates of suicidal ideation and suicide attempts among bisexual+, gay/lesbian, and heterosexual young adults
Authors: Benau Erik M. , Hanna Matthew R. , Yirdong Felix , Polanco‐Roman Lillian
Published: January 2025

Introduction

Compared to their exclusively gay/lesbian or heterosexual identifying peers, young people identifying as bisexual+ (e.g. bisexual, pansexual, asexual, queer or questioning) are at elevated risk for suicidal ideation (SI) and attempts (SA). The present study aimed to establish whether the prevalence of, and psychosocial risk factors for, SI and SA vary as a function of sexual identity.

Methods

Young adults (N = 274; 18–29 years old) were recruited via online crowdsourcing. They completed questionnaires assessing adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), emotion dysregulation, impulsivity, depression symptoms and lifetime history of SI and SA. Spearman correlations, Kruskal‐Wallis H‐tests and binomial logistic regression models were used.

Results

No variable was associated with SI. Bisexual+ individuals reported greater SA than the heterosexual group, though statistically similar to the gay/lesbian group. A similar pattern emerged for ACEs. The bisexual+ group reported greater depression symptoms than the gay/lesbian group. Impulsivity and emotion dysregulation did not vary by sexual identity. Controlling for these psychosocial and sociodemographic variables did not alter results: bisexual+ individuals were almost three times more likely to report SA than heterosexual individuals, OR = 2.93 95% CI [1.16, 7.44]; gay/lesbian and heterosexual individuals had a statistically similar likelihood of reporting SA, OR = 1.09, 95% CI [0.27, 4.37].

Conclusion

This is the first study to establish that young adults identifying as bisexual+ are at greater risk for SA after controlling for well‐established psychosocial correlates; this was not the case for SI. Further work is needed to establish the aetiology of this risk.
Towards A More Blended Language Learning With Web 2.0
Authors: Elverici Sibel Ergün
Published: January 2025

While educational environments are swiftly evolving to embrace and offer increased accessibility to technological resources, the inquiry into the appropriate utilisation of Web 2.0 tools in education persists. Thus, this study investigates the efficiency of a blended language learning environment that incorporates Web 2.0 technologies in accordance with a specifically framed instructional design in enhancing English language learning outcomes and social presence. It seeks to explore the impact of incorporating Padlet in English classes on high school students' academic performance and social presence using a mixed‐method approach. The standard English test, postinterviews, social presence scale and needs analysis provided the data. Findings indicate that the integration of Padlet into language classes fosters more collaborative language learning settings that result in increased performance in some language skills and social presence. Accordingly, this study is expected to offer valuable insights for educators regarding creating more interactive classroom contexts via Web 2.0 technologies.
Refugee Learning Center in Indonesia: A Habitat for Refugee Well‐Being in Transit
Authors: Karlin Gina , Kang Hyun‐Sook
Published: January 2025

Although students' well‐being is widely researched in educational settings, little is known about how educational contexts influence the sense of well‐being experienced by refugee students in transit countries. This case study examined how a refugee learning center in Indonesia helps cultivate refugee students' sense of well‐being in different forms of capital. Data derived from public‐facing multimodal sources included the center's annual reports, staff and students' written narratives, digital stories on social media, and other artefacts. A qualitative content analysis (QCA) illuminated the interconnected forms of resources enacted in the refugee learning center for facilitating refugee students' subjective well‐being, such as accredited education programs, English‐medium instruction, and extracurricular activities for cultural capital; inclusive support systems and teacher support for social capital; and job‐related skills through volunteer opportunities for economic capital. This study not only broadens understanding of the connection between acquiring capital and the subjective well‐being of refugees but also contributes to the dearth of literature on refugee education in Indonesia. The implications for research, policy, and practice emphasise how stakeholders can implement comprehensive programs and strategies that integrate different resources to cultivate refugee students' well‐being and to further examine, sustain, and scale such programs in Indonesia and possibly elsewhere.
Fast Neuronal Calcium Signals in Brain Slices Loaded With Fluo‐4 AM Ester
Authors: İpek Ömer Yusuf , Abbas Fatima , Sajidy Hajar , Canepari Marco
Published: January 2025

Staining brain slices with acetoxymethyl ester (AM) Ca2+ dyes is a straightforward procedure to load multiple cells, and Fluo‐4 is a commonly used high‐affinity indicator due to its very large dynamic range. It has been shown that this dye preferentially stains glial cells, providing slow and large Ca2+ transients, but it is questionable whether and at which temporal resolution it can also report Ca2+ transients from neuronal cells. Here, by electrically stimulating mouse hippocampal slices, we resolved fast neuronal signals corresponding to 1%–3% maximal fluorescence changes. Specifically, by recording Ca2+ fluorescence at 2000 frames/s from multiple sites both in the CA3 and in the CA1 regions, we observed that the signal measured near the stimulating electrode, positioned on the mossy fibre pathway, was not blocked by perfusion with 10 μM NBQX and 50 μM AP5, preventing excitatory synaptic transmission. In contrast, this signal was fully blocked by additional perfusion with 1 μM tetrodotoxin, inhibiting voltage‐gated Na+ channels and neuronal action potentials. We also present recordings obtained in the presence of 10 μM of the GABAA receptor antagonist bicuculline, or of 50 μM of the voltage‐gated K+ channel inhibitor 4‐aminopyridine, exhibiting a wide propagation of the signal from CA3 to CA1 regions under conditions that mimic epileptic seizures. Altogether, while Fluo‐4 AM remains a preferable indicator for reporting Ca2+ signals from astrocytes at slow temporal resolution, we demonstrated that it can be also utilised for analysing fast neuronal network activity elicited by electrical stimulation in brain slices.
Gender Differences in the Association Between Anxiety and Interoceptive Insight
Authors: Harrison Olivia K. , Köchli Laura , Marino Stephanie , Marlow Lucy , Finnegan Sarah L. , Ainsworth Ben , Talks Benjamin J. , Russell Bruce R. , Harrison Samuel J. , Pattinson Kyle T. S. , Fleming Stephen M. , Stephan Klaas E.
Published: January 2025

Anxiety is one of the most common and debilitating mental health disorders, and is related to changes in interoception (perception of bodily states). While anxiety is more prevalent in women than men, gender differences in interoception‐anxiety associations are often overlooked. Here, we examined gender‐specific relationships between anxiety and interoception in the breathing domain, utilising multicentre data pooled from four study sites (N = 175; 51% women). State anxiety scores were quantified via the Spielberger State–Trait Anxiety Inventory, and breathing‐related interoceptive dimensions via an inspiratory load task to quantify sensitivity, decision bias, metacognitive bias (confidence in interoceptive decisions), and metacognitive insight (congruency between performance and confidence). Regression analyses revealed a significant negative relationship between state anxiety and metacognitive bias (β = −0.28; p = 0.01) and insight (β = −0.09; 95% highest density interval [HDI] in a hierarchical Bayesian regression = [−0.18, −0.004]) across the whole sample, while state anxiety did not relate to interoceptive sensitivity nor decision bias. While no mean interoceptive effects relating to gender were observed, the relationship between anxiety and metacognitive insight towards breathing was driven by women (women: β = −0.18; HDI = [−0.31, −0.05]; men: β = 0.02; HDI = [−0.12, 0.15]) with a significant interaction effect (β difference = −0.20; HDI = [−0.37, −0.01]), which did not hold for trait anxiety nor depression measures. In summary, state anxiety was associated with decreased metacognitive bias across all participants, while decreased interoceptive insight was only associated with anxiety in women but not men. Therefore, treatment programmes focusing on interoceptive metacognitive bias may be useful for all anxiety patients, while interoceptive insight might represent a specific treatment target for women with anxiety.
Towards a Framework for Constructive Friction Processes: What Childbirth Practices in the Global South Teach Us about Destructive and Constructive Friction
Authors: SALDARRIAGA JULIANA , OSORIO ANA INÉS , HERNÁNDEZ ANGIE , TORO MARÍA PAULA
Published: January 2025

This paper proposes a simple framework to understand constructive friction processes. In the framework, constructive friction is understood as a symmetrical integration between different bodies of knowledge and practice, and has three manifestations: integration occurring within actors, between actors, and at an institutional level. To explain this framework, we apply it to a recent study on childbirth practices in Latin America, specifically the changing relationship between midwifery and Western medicine. Latin American midwives have resisted destructive friction processes and are starting to participate in constructive friction processes in which their work is horizontally integrated with—and not into—Western medical practice. In our paper we also argue ethnographers have an advantage to apply the framework to understand and even engage in friction processes, because of our critical and methodological disposition.
Frictions in the Future of Work
Authors: OORT MADISON VAN
Published: January 2025

The concept of the “future of work”, though widely‐referenced in mainstream media and policy discourse, remains persistently ambiguous, making it ripe for ethnographic intervention. Contrary to the techno‐determinism of industry research and the limited focus of some public policy, I trace the social complexities and frictions of the future of work through the example of worker surveillance in the retail industry. I begin by reviewing the history of retail worker surveillance and showing how the social dimensions of worker surveillance have evolved alongside labor processes. Then, I explore a recently‐proposed US policy that aims to combat worker surveillance, and I explore how that proposal might look different if it were informed by ethnography. I end by considering speculative methods and design justice frameworks as potential avenues through which applied ethnographers might wrestle with these social complexities and contribute to collectively redesigning futures of work.