bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The influence of organisational justice and ethical leadership on employees’ innovation behaviour
Authors: Ye Pinghao , Liu Liqiong , Tan Joseph
Published: January 2022

Purpose

This paper aims to explore the influence of organisational justice (including distributional justice, procedural justice and interactional justice) and ethical leadership on employees’ innovation behaviour and to analyse the role of ethical leadership in regulating the relationship between organisational justice and employees’ innovation behaviour.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper explores the key factors affecting employees’ innovation behaviour from three forms of organisational justice (distributional justice, procedural justice and interactional justice) and ethical leadership. The questionnaire survey method is used to survey Chinese industrial workers. A total of 323 valid questionnaires are collected, and the model is verified by SmartPLS.

Findings

The study found that distributional justice and interactional justice in organisational justice had a significant positive influence on employees’ innovation behaviour. Ethical leadership had a significant positive influence on employees’ innovation behaviour and interactional justice. At the same time, ethical leadership has a significant regulatory effect on the relationship between interactional justice and employees’ innovation behaviour. The study also found that procedural justice had a significant positive influence on distributional justice and interactional justice.

Research limitations/implications

This paper is limited to industrial workers in Hubei, China, and the research objects need further expansion. In terms of research methods, future research will use other laboratory research methods, combining experimental environments with real-world situations, enhancing the scientific nature of research methods and increasing the credibility of research results.

Practical implications

In management practice, organisations can take various measures to improve the interaction level of employees, improve employees’ perception of organisational distribution justice by establishing a scientific distribution system, give full play to the role of ethical leadership, implement more ethical management and stimulate employees' innovation behaviour.

Originality/value

This research theorises the relationship between distributional justice, interactional justice and employees' innovation behaviour and enriches the research system of employees' innovation behaviour. At the same time, it examines the regulatory effect of ethical leadership on the relationship between interactional justice and employees' innovation behaviour, which helps enrich the mechanism of ethical leadership affecting employees' innovation behaviour path. It clarifies the mechanism of the interaction among distributional justice, procedural justice and interactional justice and expands the research theory of organisational justice.
Inclusive organization: inclusion by reducing female managers' vulnerabilities through social media
Authors: Irfan Muhammad , Bhatti Omar Khalid , Ozturk Ali Osman
Published: January 2022

Purpose

Female managers have numerous vulnerabilities related to their reputation and career progression in addition to social, sexual and discriminatory vulnerabilities. In organizational settings, antagonized subordinates, peers or superiors can exploit their vulnerabilities through negative use of social media. For optimal performance and inclusion in organizational activities, it is essential to protect female managers against exploitation. Social media can be used for this purpose and dictates an investigation into it as an agent to reduce vulnerabilities and enhance inclusion of female managers.

Design/methodology/approach

Qualitative data collected through 25 in-depth semi-structured interviews from respondents belonging to five different organizations has been used in this exploratory study. Thematic analysis was done to reach the underlying structures of subjective responses of female managers.

Findings

This study finds that positive use of social media is effective in reducing vulnerabilities and female managers feel more included and protected against exploitation in inclusive organizations. The study presents a holistic view of vulnerabilities of female managers, various forms taken by negative use of social media, mechanics of positive use of social media and pathways to inclusive organization through reduction of vulnerabilities.

Research limitations/implications

Availability of limited time, resources and a single cultural context were few limitations. The study highlights an important area for further research indicating psychological trauma of victimized female managers forcing them to feel excluded from the organization.

Practical implications

This study will enhance understanding of practitioners about vulnerabilities of female managers and its likely accentuation through negative use of social media. In addition, they can learn the use of social media for reducing vulnerabilities and enhancing inclusion of female managers. This study also shed light on methodology to handle the situation in the face of all forms of negative use of social media.

Social implications

Female managers are highly vulnerable to exploitation through use of social media by antagonized groups and individuals who can easily attack their reputation and image. This study is an effort to reduce vulnerabilities of business women. Additionally, it is also aimed at enhancing inclusion of females in organizational activities to counter their isolation and discrimination on the basis of gender.

Originality/value

The issue of negative use of social media has not received attention of scholars. Being a research gap, exploratory study based on qualitative responses has been conducted to explore different facets of the issue. In-depth interviews have been conducted to collect primary data.
The relationship between corporate governance and financial reporting transparency
Authors: Salehi Mahdi , Ammar Ajel Raed , Zimon Grzegorz
Published: January 2022

Purpose

The present study aims to examine the relationship between corporate governance factors and financial reporting transparency pre and post of ISIS.

Design/methodology/approach

A multivariate regression model was used to test the hypotheses for this purpose. The research hypotheses were tested on a sample of 35 companies listed on the Iraqi Stock Exchange from 2012 to 2018 using a multivariate regression model based on panel data technique.

Findings

The results indicate a negative and significant correlation between the board independence, audit committee independence, management team stability and remuneration of the board of directors and financial reporting transparency. In contrast, there is a positive and significant correlation between the board expertise, audit committee expertise and managerial ownership, with financial reporting transparency. Moreover, ISIS has had a direct and significant impact on the correlation between the board of directors’ independence and remuneration with financial reporting transparency. The present study also tested research models using additional methods (such as feasible generalised least squares, ordinary least squares, random effects and T + 1) to obtain better results. The results of these different methods were entirely in line with the main results of the research.

Originality/value

The political and economic instability resulting from the entry of ISIS into Iraq has created severe problems for society’s economic, political, security and performance dimensions. Macroeconomic uncertainty driven by terrorist activities can negatively affect managers’ perceptions of firms’ future performance and result in poor judgments and estimations, significantly impacting business units' financial reporting transparency. Because no study has examined the relationship between corporate governance and financial reporting transparency on the Iraq stock exchange before and after the presence of ISIS, this study examines such a relationship. Although the economic and political situation in Iraq may not be identical to that in other nations, much of the experience in Iraq is anticipated to apply to other countries in the region.
Adapting intelligent information services in libraries: a case of smart AI chatbots
Authors: Panda Subhajit , Chakravarty Rupak
Published: January 2022

Purpose

The recent COVID-19 pandemic affects all segments of the population in all possible fields of life. To encounter this critical situation and to safeguard the health of the library users & library staff, the library services have been forced to adapt and accept the “new normal” and give a greater use and reliance on virtual space than ever before with physical spaces. This paper aims to demonstrate an artificial intelligence (AI)-driven solution that can be practically implemented in the form of a “InfoBot” or “Chatbot” to fulfil user needs 24/7 with minimal or without human intervention.

Design/methodology/approach

To give a general overview of the use of AI Chatbot in libraries and its multitasking features followed by the practical implementation, a versatile AIchatbot service, Engati is used as a target bot with its basic free plan.

Findings

The study findings reveal that AI Chatbots offer a dependable solution for the libraries to initiate virtual assistance, thus augmenting the reference service while adding a newer dimension to virtual reference service.

Social implications

Innovative and intelligent information service would be overcoming the time and location barriers reaffirming the concept of “library without walls” while falling in line with the five laws of library science as propounded by Dr S.R. Ranganathan, the father of library science in India.

Originality/value

Though the implementation of bots and chatbots is not a purely novel concept to explore, no such research has been conducted focusing particularly on its exceptional benefits in the library in reference to the recent pandemic.
The nexus between grit and pronunciation performance among EFL learners: the mediating role of pronunciation self-efficacy beliefs
Authors: Shehzad Muhammad Waleed , Hasan Md. Kamrul , Ahmed Rida , Razzaq Shazma , Ahmed Shehzad
Published: January 2022

Purpose

Grit is a novel, rather an important psychological variable that has been associated with performance in the English as a second or foreign language (ESL/EFL) context. However, there is a dearth of research on the relationship of grit and pronunciation performance among EFL learners. Consequently, the current study sought to establish the association between grit and the pronunciation performance of Saudi EFL learners by employing pronunciation self-efficacy beliefs as a mediating variable.

Design/methodology/approach

A quantitative correlational research design was deployed in this research. Data were collected from 350 Saudi university EFL learners using questionnaires and a pronunciation test.

Findings

Findings indicated that both the dimensions of grit (i.e. perseverance of effort and consistency of interest) showed a significant and positive association with the learners' pronunciation self-efficacy beliefs. Also, the pronunciation self-efficacy beliefs showed a significant and positive association with the pronunciation performance. Lastly, findings indicated that pronunciation self-efficacy beliefs mediated the association between girt (i.e. perseverance of effort and consistency of interest) and pronunciation performance.

Originality/value

The study’s findings have implications for the EFL classroom. By incorporating grit and self-efficacy beliefs into students, teachers can enhance their students' English pronunciation performance.
National development level effects on capital budgeting practices: a comparative study of nature vs nurture
Authors: Puwanenthiren Pratheepkanth
Published: January 2022

Purpose

This research should help determine whether development should focus on individual firms or will raising the national development level act like a rising tide and raise the performance of all corporations.

Design/methodology/approach

The comparative data used in this study come from 150 Australian (ASX200 index listed) firms and 150 Sri Lankan (Colombo Stock Exchange listed) firms. The research questions are answered via a quantitative research design that uses primary and secondary data.

Findings

The findings demonstrate that capital budgeting practices are more influenced by contingency features and sophistication in Australia and Sri Lanka. Also, Australian firms tend to use capital budget models with good-to-strong predictive power (except for ROE) and Sri Lankan firms tend to use capital-budget models with fair-to-poor predictive power. Further, the analysis of Australian firms yielded much stronger and more statistically significant results than the analysis of Sri Lankan firms.

Practical implications

In complex real-world situations, reconciling the outputs of a multifaceted approach to capital budgeting methods is more likely to give the depth and width of input needed to achieve an optimal capital investment plan.

Originality/value

The results of this study can provide rich information for stakeholders about new findings in capital budgeting (CB) practices and their contributions to firm performance in a comparative perspective.
Slope aspect determines the abundance and composition of nitrogen‐cycling microbial communities in an alpine ecosystem
Authors: Pan Jianbin , Liu Yongjun , Yang Yue , Cheng Zhongxia , Lan Xiaomei , Hu Weigang , Shi Guoxi , Zhang Qi , Feng Huyuan
Published: January 2022

Slope aspect is an important topographic feature that can influence local environmental conditions. While strong effects of slope aspect on aboveground and belowground communities have been frequently elucidated, how slope aspect affects soil nitrogen (N) cycling microbes remains unclear. Here, we characterized the communities of soil N‐cycling microbes on south‐ and north‐facing slopes in an alpine ecosystem, by quantifying (qPCR) and high‐throughput sequencing six genes involved in N‐fixation (nifH), nitrification (archaeal and bacterial amoA) and denitrification (nirK, nirS and nosZ). We found that the abundance, diversity and community composition of major N‐cycling microbes differed dramatically between the two slope aspects, and these variances could be well explained by the aspect‐driven differences in environmental conditions, especially soil temperature and moisture. The response patterns of different N‐cycling groups to slope aspect were much inconsistent, especially for those with similar functions (i.e. ammonia‐oxidizing archaea vs. bacteria, nirK‐ vs. nirS‐reducers), indicating strong niche differentiation between these counterparts. We also observed strong preferences and distinct co‐occurrence patterns of N‐cycling microbial taxa for the two slope aspects. These findings highlight the importance of slope aspect in determining the abundance, species distribution and community structure of N‐cycling microbes, and consequently influencing N‐cycling processes and ecosystem functioning.
‘Monsters are they in Nature’: Female Masturbation and Constructions of Femininity in the Early Eighteenth Century England
Authors: Schlappa Elizabeth
Published: January 2022

Serious alarm about female masturbation first emerged during a transitional period for beliefs on female sexuality. This article examines the gender history of masturbation through the shifting constructions of femininity at work in early anti‐masturbation discourse. While the founding work of the anti‐masturbation campaign (Onania, 1716) portrayed female autoeroticism as a significant concern, existing scholarship pays limited attention to how anti‐masturbation sentiment interacted with early modern femininities. This article explores this conflicted relationship in the early years of the movement, with a comparative analysis of how Onania and one of its most vocal critics portrayed female masturbation. Onania, which stemmed from a traditional paradigm of negative femininity, regarded all women as innately lustful and likely to masturbate. Onania Examined, and Detected, a critical tract embracing the increasingly dominant paradigm of positive femininity, denounced these claims as an unacceptable slur on female virtue. Nevertheless, its characterisation of the female masturbator reveals the continuing influence of traditional misogyny, with negative femininity repurposed as a deviation from a naturalised virtuous norm. This close analysis of early anti‐masturbation discourse reveals the cultural process of navigating a transitional phase in the construction of gender, which addressed old anxieties by incorporating them into a new paradigm.
Exploring the prospects of the fifth quarter in the 21st century
Authors: Soladoye Philip O. , Juárez Manuel , Estévez Mario , Fu Yu , Álvarez Carlos
Published: January 2022

A variable proportion of slaughtered livestock, generally referred to as the fifth quarter, is not part of the edible dressed meat and regarded as animal byproduct. In order for the fifth quarter to play a significant role in the current effort toward a circular bio‐based economy, it has to successfully support food security, social inclusivity, environmental sustainability, and a viable economy. The high volume of these low‐value streams and their nutrient‐dense nature can facilitate their position as a very important candidate to explore within the context of a circular bio‐based economy to achieve some of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN‐SDGs). While these sources have been traditionally used for various applications across different cultures and industries, it seems evident that their full potential has not yet been exploited, leaving these products more like an environmental burden rather than valuable resources. With innovation and well‐targeted interdisciplinary collaborations, the potential of the fifth quarter can be fully realized. The present review intends to explore these low‐value streams, their current utilization, and their potential to tackle the global challenges of increasing protein demands while preventing environmental degradation. Factors that limit widespread applications of the fifth quarter across industries and cultures will also be discussed.
YouTube as a source of information on COVID‐19 and dialysis
Authors: Akyol Onder Esra Nagehan , Ertan Pelin
Published: January 2022

Introduction

The coronavirus 2019 pandemic has become a serious threat to the global health and spreading rapidly. Dialysis patients may have developed anxiety because of their disease characteristics during this pandemic. The aim of this study was to assess the reliability and quality of the most viewed English‐language YouTube videos on COVID‐19 and dialysis link.

Methods

A YouTube search was achieved using the key words “COVID‐19 dialysis,” “SARS CoV‐2 dialysis,” “coronavirus hemodialysis,” and “COVID peritoneal dialysis.”

Results

Among the 43 videos analyzed, 24 (55.8%) were high quality, 11 (25.6%) were moderate quality, and 8 (18.6%) were of low quality according to global quality score. Significant differences were found between the groups in modified DISCERN scores and the number of views, likes, comments.

Conclusion

The most reliable sources such as universities, governments, professional societies should better use YouTube for dissemination of accurate, reliable, and useful health‐related information to the general public.
Maternal (perinatal) mental health and employment: An agenda for research and practice
Authors: Wilkinson Krystal
Published: January 2022

Whilst there is a rich literature on maternity and employment, and an emerging literature on mental health and employment, which inform policy and human resources (HR) practice, there is a lack of consideration of the intersection of these issues—the two‐way relationship between maternal (specifically ‘perinatal’) mental health and employment. To understand individual employee perinatal mental health and employment experiences and pathways, and also trends in workplace experience in different contexts, researchers should consider the interaction of four elements: the body; the socio‐cultural context; individual agency and time. Drawing on existing transdisciplinary literature and illustrative examples from the UK context, a series of issues for exploration are identified at different levels of a bio‐ecological systems framework. The article concludes with implications for HR management practice.
Freeze concentration techniques as alternative methods to thermal processing in dairy manufacturing: A review
Authors: Prestes Amanda Alves , Helm Cristiane Vieira , Esmerino Erick Almeida , Silva Ramon , da Cruz Adriano Gomes , Prudencio Elane Schwinden
Published: January 2022

Freeze concentration technology is applied to concentrate liquid foods at low temperatures, thus separating pure ice crystals from the final concentrate solution. This method is an interesting alternative to concentrate food with high water levels and significant nutritional value such as dairy products, since several bioactive compounds are reduced when exposed to elevated temperatures. Considered that, this technique may be a great alternative to concentrating and maintaining both nutritional and sensory characteristics of liquid foods. The present review aims to introduce freeze concentration procedures as an eligible choice for conserving dairy products’, also addressing its effects on the dairy matrix.

Practical Application

This study reports the main techniques of freeze concentration applications in dairy products, to be used both on an industrial and laboratory scale, aiming to improve the nutritional quality of the products obtained.
Effect of Lactobacillus plantarum or Enterococcus faecalis as co‐inoculants with Aspergillus oryzae in koji making on the physicochemical properties of soy sauce
Authors: Zhang Xiaolong , Liu Zeping , Kang Bo , Huang Yao , Fu Caixia , Li Wei , Wu Qian , Liu Zhijie , Li Dongsheng , Wang Chao , Xu Ning
Published: January 2022

Soy sauce fermentation is largely mediated by bacteria, including several non‐salt‐tolerant bacterial species. The present study aimed to compare the use of Aspergillus oryzae alone or in co‐inoculation with Lactobacillus plantarum or Enterococcus faecalis on the resulting enzymatic activity, content of phenolic compounds, free amino acids, organic acids, and antioxidant capacity of soy sauce. Co‐inoculation significantly increased acid protease, β‐glucosidase, and pectinase activities during koji making. Additionally, the contents of total phenols, total flavonoids, organic acids, amino acids, isoflavones, as well as the antioxidant capacity were higher during moromi fermentation using co‐inoculants compared to those obtained when A. oryzae was used as single inoculant. Overall, co‐inoculation of A. oryzae with L. plantarum or E. faecalis during koji making was shown to effectively promote the production of active substances in soy sauce.

Practical Application

In this study, Aspergillus oryzae in mixed inoculation with Lactobacillus plantarum or Enterococcus faecalis could be effectively used in koji making for soy sauce. The use of co‐inoculants in koji making effectively promoted the production of active substances in soy sauce, hence it is improving health benefits, whilst diversifying the use of raw materials and the application value of soybean meal.
Apatinib as maintenance therapy following standard first‐line chemotherapy in extensive disease small cell lung cancer: A phase II single‐arm trial
Authors: Teng Fei , Xing Puyuan , Yang Ke , Gao Lizhen , Tian Zhongqiu , Li Junling
Published: January 2022

Background

There is a need for the development of therapies to delay cancer progression and prolong survival after initial chemotherapy for the treatment of small cell lung cancer (SCLC). Since apatinib has been found to exert promising effects on cancer patients after standard first‐line chemotherapy, this study aimed to investigate apatinib as a maintenance treatment following first‐line chemotherapy in extensive disease (ED)‐SCLC.

Methods

The primary endpoints were overall survival (OS) and progression‐free survival (PFS). The secondary endpoints included toxicity and safety. Apatinib (250 mg/day) was administered during the chemotherapy interval and as maintenance therapy after 4–6 cycles until the patient's disease progressed, the patient died, or became intolerant to the drug's toxicity.

Results

The patients who received apatinib maintenance treatment had a median PFS of 3.7 months (95% CI: 1.3–6.2 months). The median OS was 16.3 months (95% CI: 9.7–22.8 months). The objective response rate and disease control rate were 50.0% and 66.7%, respectively. Two patients required dose reduction due to adverse effects (AEs). The most common AEs included hypertension (n = 4, 33.3%) and hand‐foot‐skin reaction (n = 2, 16.7%). One patient developed diarrhea, while another patient developed hemoptysis. The most serious AE was intestinal obstruction.

Conclusions

Apatinib maintenance therapy showed promising efficacy and safety to extend the OS/PFS of patients with ED‐SCLC, thus making it a potent therapeutic option in future clinical practice. Given the small sample size of this study, further studies with large sample sizes are needed to validate the findings of the present study.
Right arcuate fasciculus and left uncinate fasciculus abnormalities in young smoker
Authors: Zhou Mi , Hu Yiting , Huang Ruoyan , Zhou Yang , Xie Xiaoyan , Zhang Shidi , Jia Shaodi , Zhang Yunmiao , Xue Ting , Dong Fang , Lu Xiaoqi , Yuan Kai , Yu Dahua
Published: January 2022

Previous diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) studies had investigated the white matter (WM) integrity abnormalities in smokers. Exposure to nicotine disrupts neurodevelopment during adolescence, possibly by disrupting the trophic effects of acetylcholine. However, little is known about the diffusion parameters of specific fibre bundles at multiple locations in young smokers. Thirty‐seven young smokers and 29 age‐, education‐ and gender‐matched healthy non‐smokers participated in this study. Automated Fibre Quantification (AFQ) was employed to investigate the WM microstructure in young smokers by integrating multiple indices. Diffusion parameters, that is, fractional anisotropy (FA), axial diffusion (AD), radial diffusion (RD) and mean diffusion (MD), were calculated at 100 points along the length of 18 major brain tracts. The relationships between neuroimaging differences and smoking behaviours were explored, including Fagerström Test of Nicotine Dependence (FTND) and pack‐years. Compared with non‐smokers, young smokers showed significantly increased FA, AD and decreased RD in the left uncinate fasciculus (UF) and right thalamic radiation (TR), increased AD, RD and decreased FA in the right arcuate fasciculus (Arc). Correlation analyses revealed that FA values of the left UF and RD values of the right Arc were negatively correlated with FTND score in smokers and FA values of the right Arc were positively correlated with FTND scores. Positive correlation was observed between AD values of the left UF and pack‐years in smokers. The findings enhanced our understanding of the potential effect of adolescent smoking on WM microstructure.
The effect of blood viscosity on shear‐induced hemolysis using a magnetically levitated shearing device
Authors: Krisher James A. , Malinauskas Richard A. , Day Steven W.
Published: January 2022

Introduction

Blood contacting medical devices, including rotary blood pumps, can cause shear‐induced blood damage that may lead to adverse effects in patients. Due in part to an inadequate understanding of how cell‐scale fluid mechanics impact red blood cell membrane deformation and damage, there is currently not a uniformly accepted engineering model for predicting blood damage caused by complex flow fields within ventricular assist devices (VADs).

Methods

We empirically investigated hemolysis in a magnetically levitated axial Couette flow device typical of a rotary VAD. The device is able to accurately control the shear rate and exposure time experienced by blood and to minimize the effects of other uncharacterized stresses. Using this device, we explored the effects of both hematocrit and plasma viscosity on shear‐induced hemolysis to characterize blood damage based on the viscosity‐independent shear rate, rather than on shear stress.

Results

Over a shear rate range of 20 000 – 80 000 1/s, the Index of Hemolysis (IH) was found to be dependent upon and well‐predicted by the shear rate alone. IH was independent of hematocrit, bulk viscosity, or the suspension media viscosity and less correlated to shear stress (MSE = 0.46–0.75) than to shear rate (MSE = 0.06–0.09).

Conclusion

This study recommends that future investigations of shear‐induced blood damage report findings with respect to the viscosity‐neutral term of shear rate, in addition to the bulk whole blood viscosity measured at an appropriate shear rate relevant to the flow conditions of the device.
Effects of dietary vitamin K3 supplementation on vitamin K1 and K2 (menaquinone) dynamics in dairy cows
Authors: Bai Hanako , Arai Hikoji , Ikuta Kentarou , Ishikawa Sho , Ohtani Yoshihisa , Iwashita Kunihiro , Okada Nao , Shirakawa Hitoshi , Komai Michio , Terada Fuminori , Obara Yoshiaki
Published: January 2022

The effect of dietary vitamin K3 (VK3) on ruminant animals is not fully investigated. The aim of this study was to examine the effects of dietary VK3 on lactation performance, rumen characteristics, and VK1 and menaquinone (MK, or VK2) dynamics in the rumen, plasma, and milk of dairy cows. Eight Holstein dairy cows in late lactation periods were used in two crossover trials including a control (nontreatment) and a 50 or 200 mg/day (d) VK3 supplementation group. After 14 days, plasma, ruminal fluid, and milk were sampled and their VK1 and MKs contents were measured using fluorescence‐high‐performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Milk production was unchanged after feeding 50 mg/day VK3 but marginally decreased after feeding 200 mg/day VK3. The molar ratio of propionate in ruminal fluid was significantly increased on feeding 200 mg/day VK3. Additionally, MK‐4 concentrations significantly increased in both plasma and milk after VK3 feeding (50 and 200 mg/day). In ruminal fluid, MK‐4 concentrations increased after 200 mg/day VK3 feeding. These results suggest that VK3 may be a good source of MK‐4, the biologically active form of VK, in Holstein dairy cows during their late lactation periods. This study provides a basis for understanding the physiological role of VK in dairy cows.
Testing collection‐time reduction in fine‐root biomass estimation in Atlantic Forests
Authors: Silva Cinthia Aparecida , Londe Vinícius , D’Angioli André Mouro , Scaranello Marcos A. S. , Bordron Bruno , Joly Carlos Alfredo , Vieira Simone Aparecida
Published: January 2022

Aims

Fine roots are essential components of the below‐ground layer and play an important role in the carbon cycle. Methods for root extraction and biomass estimation have been proposed, including the temporal prediction method. However, there are doubts if the best model to estimate total root mass varies between study sites. Additionally, there are no records regarding the prediction method's efficiency for shorter collection times than 40 min. Here, we aim to clarify these doubts.

Location

Brazilian Atlantic Forest.

Methods

We extracted 1080 fine‐root samples from two contrasting ecosystems at 60 time intervals of 2 min each. We then performed a model selection to identify the best‐fit model and used it to find the shortest time suitable for collecting fine‐root samples (40, 32, 24, 16, or 8 min). A further 448 root samples were collected from seven ecosystems by employing the shortest time tested (8 min). We calculated the percentage of estimated mass at 120 min and tested for differences between ecosystems.

Results

We found that Weibull was the best‐fit model, and it performed well for modeling root extraction at shorter collection times. All collection times tested had excellent goodness of fit, and there was strong evidence that the estimated mass did not differ between them. Moreover, collections at 8 min were enough to make reliable estimates of fine‐root mass at 120 min in all ecosystems.

Conclusions

Weibull is a flexible model and can accurately estimate fine‐root mass at 120 min in different ecosystems. The extraction of fine roots can be reduced to four time intervals of 2 min each when using the temporal prediction method. By reducing the time spent removing roots from each soil core, researchers can increase the number of soil cores extracted per study site and characterize the environment properly.
Unions, collective agreements and productivity: A firm‐level analysis using Norwegian matched employer–employee panel data
Authors: Svarstad Elin , Kostøl Fredrik B.
Published: January 2022

What is the role of collective agreements in explaining how unions affect firm‐level productivity? Using matched employer–employee panel data for the Norwegian labour market, comprising almost 21 million individual‐year observations in the period 2002–2018, we find that the presence of a collective agreement in a firm is associated with higher productivity. Without a collective agreement, higher union density is estimated to reduce productivity. However, if a collective agreement is implemented in the firm, not only is the estimated negative effect reduced—in some cases it becomes positive. This result remains significant, numerically and statistically, across several model specifications and different estimation methods. In particular, we provide a new source of exogenous variation in union memberships by utilizing information on intergenerational transmission of union preferences. Besides regulating terms and conditions for wage formation and working hours, collective agreements have a profound impact on how firms organize and formally recognize the voice of workers. In this regard, our finding supports the conclusion of Freeman and Medoff that the quality of institutional systems is crucial to understand what unions do to productivity.
The Long Road to Abortion Rights in Argentina (1983–2020)
Authors: Lopreite Debora
Published: January 2022

This article traces the process towards the legalisation of abortion in Argentina, which led to a radical shift in body rights after a century. This change was possible due to the strategies of extended feminist grassroots mobilisations to build support among actors outside and inside institutions. In particular they found allied legislators who created the institutional conditions for change, including the president's support. During the 1990s an embryonic reproductive rights movement emerged under the influence of transnational activism while conditions for success were provided by grassroots mobilisation in the new millennium. Feminist landmarks like Ni Una Menos and Marea Verde provide evidence of the centrality of social mobilisation for institutional reforms.
Corporate governance and the use of external assurance for integrated reports
Authors: Maroun Warren
Published: January 2022

Research Question/Issue

This paper investigates the relationship between the use of external assurance for testing integrated reports (ESG assurance) and firm‐level governance features: the board of directors, the audit and/or risk committee, and the internal audit department. Data are collected from South Africa where integrated reporting and corporate governance practices are mature and listed companies have had more time to implement ESG assurance than in other countries.

Research Findings/Insights

Monitoring attributes of boards of directors promotes the use of ESG assurance which provide both limited (moderate) and reasonable (high) assurance. The monitoring attributes of the audit and risk committees limit the use of limited assurance but are associated with the greater use of reasonable assurance. In contrast, internal audit functions are not affecting the use of ESG assurance.

Theoretical/Academic Implications

The study provides one of the first accounts of how firm‐level governance promotes or reduces the use of external assurance in an integrated reporting context. The research also frames ESG assurance as part of the broader corporate governance machinery rather than seeing assurance and governance as separate issues.

Practitioner/Policy Implications

Overall, the findings suggest that ESG assurance is an important part of a combined assurance model. As those charged with governance become more proactive in ensuring the credibility of their organizations' corporate reports, they not only choose to appoint an external assuror but also rely on more extensive testing designed to provide higher levels of assurance.
Organ transplant and Covid‐19 vaccination: Considering the ethics of denying transplant to unvaccinated patients
Authors: Hurst Daniel J. , Potter Jordan , Padilla Luz A.
Published: January 2022

Recently, a number of organ transplant centers in the United States have proposed to only allow patients who have received the Covid‐19 vaccination to be active on their transplant waiting list. This raises numerous ethical issues. This analysis utilizes current empirical data and the guidelines on the ethics of organ allocation published by the Organ Procurement and Transplant Network to guide our ethical reasoning. We conclude that it would be permissible to mandate Covid‐19 vaccination as a condition of being listed for an organ transplant at a transplant center and offer recommendations for how to do so.
Assessing the uncertainty arising from standard land‐cover mapping procedures when modelling species distributions
Authors: Cánibe Miguel , Titeux Nicolas , Domínguez Jesús , Regos Adrián
Published: January 2022

Aim

Habitat loss and degradation is one of the main threats to biodiversity worldwide. Ecological modelling community has been increasingly incorporating habitat changes in the species distribution models (SDMs). However, the effect that the uncertainty arising from the standard procedures of land‐use/land‐cover (LULC) mapping can have on SDMs has been overlooked. Remote sensing offers a great source of information to assess the habitat changes at different spatiotemporal scales. However, despite the great variety of satellite imagery preprocessing and supervised classification procedures currently available, their effects on SDMs remain largely unknown.

Location

Baixa Limia–Serra do Xurés Natural Park, NW Spain.

Methods

We developed SDMs for 27 bird species with 4 modelling algorithms using 12 sets of the LULC predictors derived from the combination of 3 image preprocessing levels and 4 supervised classification algorithms.

Results

The preprocessing level, classification method and modelling algorithm had a significant impact on the SDM performance and on the spatial and temporal predictions, with the considerable variation between species. Even if the effects of satellite image processing and classification procedures on the performance and transferability of SDMs were lower than that of the modelling algorithms themselves, the spatial and temporal predictions of SDMs were overall strongly affected by these LULC mapping procedures, sometimes overriding the effect of modelling algorithms.

Main conclusions

We argue that the uncertainty arising from the standard LULC mapping procedures when predicting species distribution dynamics should receive the same level of attention as the variability due to the different types of climate simulations and models often used in the ecological research. We also highlight the need to report accuracy of the satellite‐based LULC maps for each LULC class since some of these classes can be of key importance for certain types of the ecological applications.
Evolutionary diversification of the canonical Wnt signaling effector TCF/LEF in chordates
Authors: Torres‐Aguila Nuria P. , Salonna Marika , Hoppler Stefan , Ferrier David E. K.
Published: January 2022

Wnt signaling is essential during animal development and regeneration, but also plays an important role in diseases such as cancer and diabetes. The canonical Wnt signaling pathway is one of the most conserved signaling cascades in the animal kingdom, with the T‐cell factor/lymphoid enhancer factor (TCF/LEF) proteins being the major mediators of Wnt/β‐catenin‐regulated gene expression. In comparison with invertebrates, vertebrates possess a high diversity of TCF/LEF family genes, implicating this as a possible key change to Wnt signaling at the evolutionary origin of vertebrates. However, the precise nature of this diversification is only poorly understood. The aim of this study is to clarify orthology, paralogy, and isoform relationships within the TCF/LEF gene family within chordates via in silico comparative study of TCF/LEF gene structure, molecular phylogeny, and gene synteny. Our results support the notion that the four TCF/LEF paralog subfamilies in jawed vertebrates (gnathostomes) evolved via the two rounds of whole‐genome duplications that occurred during early vertebrate evolution. Importantly, gene structure comparisons and synteny analysis of jawless vertebrate (cyclostome) TCFs suggest that a TCF7L2‐like form of gene structure is a close proxy for the ancestral vertebrate structure. In conclusion, we propose a detailed evolutionary path based on a new pre‐whole‐genome duplication vertebrate TCF gene model. This ancestor gene model highlights the chordate and vertebrate innovations of TCF/LEF gene structure, providing the foundation for understanding the role of Wnt/β‐catenin signaling in vertebrate evolution.
‘I need someone to believe in me and walk the journey with me’: A qualitative analysis of preferred approaches to weight management discussions in clinical care among adults with type 2 diabetes
Authors: Geerling Ralph , Gray Shikha M. , Holmes‐Truscott Elizabeth , Speight Jane
Published: January 2022

Aims

To explore the preferences of adults with type 2 diabetes regarding the approach to weight management discussions in clinical care.

Methods

Online survey of Australian adults with type 2 diabetes, recruited via a national diabetes registry. Three open‐ended questions explored participants’ experiences and ideal approach to discussing weight management with health professionals. Data subjected to inductive thematic template analysis.

Results

Participants were 254 adults, 58% aged 60+ years, 52% women and 35% insulin‐treated. Five themes were developed to categorise participants’ preferences for, as well as differing experiences of, weight management discussions: (1) collaborative, person‐centred care: working together to make decisions and achieve outcomes, taking personal context into consideration; (2) balanced communication: open, clear messages encouraging action, empathy and kindness; (3) quality advice: knowledgeable health professionals, providing specific details or instructions; (4) weight management intervention: suitable modalities to address weight management and (5) system‐wide support: referral and access to appropriate multi‐disciplinary care.

Conclusions

Participants expressed preferences for discussing weight management in collaborative, person‐centred consultations, with quality advice and personalised interventions across the health system, delivered with empathy. By adopting these recommendations, health professionals may build constructive partnerships with adults with type 2 diabetes and foster weight management.
Legitimising shared governance in China's higher education sector through university statutes
Authors: Zhuang Tengteng , Liu Baocun , Hu Yiyun
Published: January 2022

This article reports on a study in which the legitimisation of shared governance in the Chinese higher education sector was investigated. Norman Fairclough's three‐level discourse analysis was used for analysing documents and interviews. The research materials consist of thirteen Chinese university statutes and qualitative semi‐structured interviews with 22 university administrators, faculty members, students and social representatives. The research focused on how university statute texts articulate shared governance, and how shared governance is practically implemented. Study findings demonstrate that Chinese university statute discourses officially legitimise shared governance in various manifestations, by replacing the term management with the term governance in statute texts, explicitly using democracy‐related phrases, especially establishing a joint meeting mechanism at both institutional and departmental levels, and by using the wording multiple‐stakeholder participation in university affairs. In practice, shared governance is a recognised ideal of governance structures to embrace among all different stakeholders. Chinese universities have, more than ever before, taken up shared governance practices. Yet, the degree of participation, or sharing, in policy implementation in general, remains to be further improved compared with the ideal state stipulated in discourses. Findings identify tokenism as a feature of policy implementation. Insufficient administrative professionalism is identified as a catalyst for such tokenism—a reason for why shared governance efforts remain incomplete thus far.
SRT1720 induces SIRT1‐independent cell death in adult T‐cell leukemia/lymphoma
Authors: Kozako Tomohiro , Kato Naho , Ohsugi Takeo , Uchida Yu‐ichiro , Yoshimitsu Makoto , Ishitsuka Kenji , Higaki Yasuki , Sato Haruna , Aikawa Akiyoshi , Honda Shin‐ichiro
Published: January 2022

Adult T‐cell leukemia/lymphoma (ATL) develops after a long period of human T‐cell leukemia virus (HTLV)‐1 infection and is associated with host aging in addition to genetic abnormalities in HTLV‐1 infected cells. SIRT1 is a histone deacetylase involved in cell cycle and apoptosis. We previously showed the high expression of SIRT1 protein in peripheral blood mononuclear cells from patients with ATL. There have been many reports that SIRT1 inhibitors show tumor‐suppressive effects. On the other hand, SIRT1 activator SRT1720 induces the cell death of multiple myeloma and breast cancer cells. However, the effect of SRT1720 on ATL is unknown. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of SRT1720 on cell death in leukemic cell lines in vitro and freshly isolated ATL cells ex vivo and in an ATL in vivo mouse model. SRT1720 reduced cell viability in vitro and ex vivo. Additionally, SRT1720 increased the number of apoptotic cells, as shown by annexin V positive cells, cleaved poly (ADP‐ribose) polymerase 1, cleaved caspase‐3, and fragmented DNA. SRT1720 also induced mitochondrial outer membrane permeabilization with the generation of mitochondrial reactive oxygen species and autophagy. However, SIRT1 knockdown did not attenuate SRT1720‐induced cell death in leukemic cell lines. Finally, SRT1720 treatment decreased the growth of human ATL tumor xenografts in immunodeficient mice. Our study shows that while SRT1720 does not target SIRT1, it induces cell death in ATL cells via apoptosis and autophagy and has antitumor activity.
Cellular senescence: all roads lead to mitochondria
Authors: Martini Hélène , Passos João F.
Published: January 2022

Senescence is a multi‐functional cell fate, characterized by an irreversible cell‐cycle arrest and a pro‐inflammatory phenotype, commonly known as the senescence‐associated secretory phenotype (SASP). Emerging evidence indicates that accumulation of senescent cells in multiple tissues drives tissue dysfunction and several age‐related conditions. This has spurred the academic community and industry to identify new therapeutic interventions targeting this process. Mitochondrial dysfunction is an often‐unappreciated hallmark of cellular senescence which plays important roles not only in the senescence growth arrest but also in the development of the SASP and resistance to cell‐death. Here, we review the evidence that supports a role for mitochondria in the development of senescence and describe the underlying mechanisms. Finally, we propose that a detailed road map of mitochondrial biology in senescence will be crucial to guide the future development of senotherapies.