bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Examining green road construction components: the case of Ghana
Authors: Kissi Ernest , Babon-Ayeng Prosper , Aigbavboa Clinton , Duah Daniel , Danquah-Smith Eugene , Tannor Reuben Agyei
Published: April 2023

Purpose

The adoption of green construction concepts in road infrastructure projects is an opportunity to minimise the carbon footprint while boosting the built environment's capacity to promote sustainability. Consequently, this study examines the components of green road construction practices in developing countries such as Ghana.

Design/methodology/approach

Using a quantitative research method, four hypothesised constructs identified from the review of relevant literature were tested. The views of 144 quantity surveyors, civil engineers and project managers within Ghana's three road agencies were elicited using a structured close-ended questionnaire. A confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) based on the structural equation model (SEM) was adopted in analysing the data obtained.

Findings

The study's results reveal that the identified components: sustainable design, materials and resources, stormwater management and energy efficiency, significantly influence green road construction.

Practical implications

It reveals the critical elements of sustainable road design and construction, aiding organisations, construction companies and legislators in making informed choices on road design and construction.

Originality/value

Results from this study provide empirical evidence lacking in the literature about the main components of green road construction.
Who is brave enough to start a new business during the Covid-19 pandemic?
Authors: Cowling Marc , Dvouletý Ondřej
Published: April 2023

Purpose

Since introducing the UK start-up loan (SUL) Scheme in 2012, 82,809 new start-ups have been supported with loans totalling £759m. Even during the Covid-19 crisis, new business start-ups supported by SUL did not abate. The authors ask whether the entrepreneurs starting businesses during the Covid-19 crisis were different from those becoming entrepreneurs before the pandemic. This paper aims to discuss the aforementioned question.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors model the differences between pre-Covid-19 business start-ups and Covid-19 start-ups. The administrative data obtained from the UK Government Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) represent information about individual loan records for 82,798 individuals and total lending of £759m between 2012 and 2021. The probit regression model with dependent variable coded one if the start occurred after February 2020 and zero between 2012 and February 2020, was estimated.

Findings

The study’s findings show that both groups of entrepreneurs differ in many facets. The new Covid-19 entrepreneurs are older, more likely to have a graduate-level education and are significantly more likely to make this transition from full-time waged employment or inactivity. Furthermore, they are more likely to set up in manufacturing industries at the business level than their pre-Covid-19 counterparts who favoured service sectors. Finally, their initial lending to support the start-up is much higher.

Originality/value

This study provides value for the policymakers responsible for the administration of the SUL scheme, and it also contributes to the body of knowledge on the effects of the global Covid-19 pandemic.
Toward improved international joint ventures performance in India: the mediating role of ambidexterity and the moderating role of environmental dynamism
Authors: Batra Ishita , Dhir Sanjay
Published: April 2023

Purpose

Performance has been a significant concern of the international joint ventures (IJVs) literature. This paper aims to empirically capture the impact of firm-level factors on IJVs performance in India. The authors investigate the mediating effects of ambidexterity between the factors and IJVs performance. Additionally, environmental dynamism as a moderator between ambidexterity and IJVs performance is examined.

Design/methodology/approach

This study performs structural equation modeling using the data of 501 IJVs between India and G7 nations from 2010 to 2020.

Findings

The result reveals the ambidexterity's mediation effects in the relationships between factors (technology transfer and flexibility) and IJVs performance. Furthermore, the findings indicate that a highly dynamic environment moderates the relationship between ambidexterity and the performance of IJVs.

Research limitations/implications

This study has investigated the nexus between technology transfer, flexibility, ambidexterity and IJVs performance in the context of Indian IJVs. It has highlighted the importance of firm-level factors in cross-cultural joint ventures in achieving performance.

Originality/value

The study establishes the impact of firm-level antecedents on IJVs performance in India. The study highlights the importance of ambidexterity and environmental dynamism in order to achieve IJVs performance.
Formalizing the information requirements for decision-making of field managers during indoor construction activities
Authors: Pillajo Ernesto , Mourgues Claudio , González Vicente A.
Published: April 2023

Purpose

Information technology provides important support for on-site decision-making of field personnel. Most literature focuses on the technological aspects of decision-support systems, without fully understanding the information required for effective decision-making. This study aimed to formalize decision-makers’ requirements in terms of the major goals, decisions and information.

Design/methodology/approach

The situation awareness (SA) approach was applied through the goal-directed task analysis (GDTA) method, narrowing the scope to field managers’ decision-making during indoor construction activities. This method was based on a series of interviews to define, revise and validate the decision-making requirements for the given scope.

Findings

The study yielded 1,056 highly interrelated elements. The results indicate that the field manager’s overall goal is to execute and handoff work within the established deadlines, with the required quality, maximizing profits, within a safe work environment. The overall goal construes into five main goals regarding work progress, quality, costs, safety and communication. These goals include subgoals, decisions, and the information necessary to attain them, depicted in diagrams.

Practical implications

The findings allow enhancing the design of decision-support solutions by identifying information required for future developments and showing the interrelations between goals and information requirements that need to be addressed to present interfaces for effectively assisting on-site decision-making. Moreover, the results allow for the assessment of solutions regarding the sufficiency of information.

Originality/value

This is the first effort to fully understand the information required by field managers for on-site decision-making during indoor construction activities.
Holistic analysis for the efficiency of the thermal mass performance of precast concrete panels in hot climate zones
Authors: Shareef Sundus , Mushtaha Emad S. , Abu Dabous Saleh , Alsyouf Imad
Published: April 2023

Purpose

This paper investigates thermal mass performance (TMP) in hot climates. The impact of using precast concrete (PC) as a core envelope with different insulation materials has been studied. The aim is to find the effect of building mass with different weights on indoor energy consumption, specifically cooling load in hot climates.

Design/methodology/approach

This research adopted a case study and simulation methods to find out the efficiency of different mass performances in hot and humid climate conditions. Different scenarios of light, moderate and heavyweight mass using PC have been developed and simulated. The impact of these scenarios on indoor cooling load has been investigated using the integrated environment solution-virtual environment (IES-VE) software.

Findings

The results showed that adopting a moderate weight mass of two PC sheets and a cavity layer in between can reduce indoor air temperature by 1.17 °C; however, this type of mass may increase the cooling demand. On the other hand, it has been proven that adopting a heavyweight mass for building envelopes and increasing the insulation material has a significant impact on reducing the cooling load. Using a PC Sandwich panel and increasing the insulation material layers for external walls and thickness by 50 mm will reduce the cooling load by 15.8%. Therefore, the heavyweight mass is more efficient compared to lightweight and moderate mass in hot, humid climate areas such as the UAE, in spite of the positive indoor TMP that can be provided by the lightweight mass in reducing the indoor air temperature in the summer season.

Originality/value

This research contributes to the thermal mass concept as one of these strategies that have recently been adopted to optimize the thermal performance of buildings and developments. Efficient TMP can have a massive impact on reducing energy consumption. However, less work has investigated TMP in hot and humid climate conditions. Furthermore, the impact of the PC on indoor thermal performance within hot climate areas has not been studied yet. The findings of this study on TMP in the summer season can be generated in all hot climate zones, and investigating the TMP in other seasons can be extended in future studies.
Policy and innovation of the wind power industry in China: do female executives matter?
Authors: Jiang Zihao , Shi Jiarong
Published: April 2023

Purpose

For survival and prosperity, enterprises must pursue exploitative and exploratory innovations simultaneously. To accelerate technological breakthroughs in the wind power industry, the Chinese Government has promulgated several support programs from the demand and supply sides. This study assesses the impact of different categories of innovation policies on exploitative and exploratory innovation. As women also play an increasingly important role in corporate governance, the authors also elucidate the moderating role of female executives in these relationships.

Design/methodology/approach

Based on micro-data of 119 listed Chinese wind power firms during 2006–2020, this study provides a theoretical model and tests the hypotheses.

Findings

Both demand-side and supply-side innovation policies significantly facilitate exploitative and exploratory innovations of in the Chinese wind power industry. Furthermore, female executives enhance the effects of these policies on exploitative innovation but negatively moderate their effects on exploratory innovation.

Originality/value

Innovation is generally considered homogeneous. This is one of the first studies to evaluate the impact of different categories of innovation policies on exploitative and exploratory innovations. In addition, although the increasingly important role of women in corporate governance is acknowledged, whether and how female executives affect the effectiveness of innovation policies has not been fully explored. This study advances the understanding of the potential impact of female executives on innovation policy effectiveness.
An innovative approach to online consumer behaviour segmentation: the self-determination theory in an uncertain scenario
Authors: Appolloni Andrea , Basile Vincenzo , Caboni Federica , Pizzichini Lucia
Published: April 2023

Purpose

In the most recent years, social, innovative, economic and political changes in the European context have characterized consumers' behaviours. The paper aims to understand if the use of electronic commerce differs in a situation characterized by uncertainty.

Design/methodology/approach

An innovative approach to categorising online consumer behaviour considers the self-determination theory and basic psychological needs in an uncertain scenario. The research is based on a quantitative analysis obtained by clustering algorithms on a sample of 1,000 digital users in European countries. A structured questionnaire was administered online and distributed through the leading online social platforms and direct mailing.

Findings

The results show online activities during changes in consumer behaviour patterns and retailers' strategies. This research will allow online retail managers and practitioners to obtain important information to help them define appropriate customer-oriented strategic actions to enhance value in the electronic context for both customers and firms.

Originality/value

The innovation of this research approaches the categorization of online consumer behaviour by exploiting the self-determination theory in an uncertain scenario. Precisely, the novelty of this research is to highlight three detailed categories of electronic commerce consumers, namely, unwilling, halfback and digital, to collect, store and disseminate information about these categories of Online Consumers Behaviours.
Toward sustainability: a typology for non-placement work-based learning
Authors: Dean Bonnie Amelia , Rook Laura
Published: April 2023

Purpose

Students experience a range of benefits by participating in work-based learning (WBL) including increased employability skills, career development learning and enhanced industry networks. However, some approaches to WBL are not easily accessed by all students, with placement-based models placing demands on students to attend a physical worksite over a sustained period of time. This paper explores the emergence of non-placement WBL (NPWBL) as a global solution to broadening access to work-related activities. This approach is arguably a more sustainable model that enables students to engage in meaningful work-learning opportunities without the need for extended, physical proximity in a workplace.

Design/methodology/approach

Through a review of the literature, a typology of NPWBL is offered that organizes activities around the degree to which a student practices work and engages with an industry partner.

Findings

New and different NPWBL activities are continuing to emerge due to placement activities being described as resource intensive and in some cases unable to meet the demands of industry, specifically small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and large student cohorts, international students and those with disabilities. The NPWBL typology presented here has been developed to meet these challenges, while ensuring the authenticity of WBL is maintained.

Research limitations/implications

This paper highlights the need for rich discussions around the sustainability of WBL activities to ensure relationships between institutions and industry continue to thrive.

Practical implications

NPWBL is less-resource intensive and offers a sustainable option for universities without compromising on quality, meaningful experiences for students. The typology can be a useful prompt for educators to consider their objectives for student learning when embedding a NPWBL activity in curriculum.

Originality/value

The NPWBL typology is unique and valuable as it organizes NPWBL activities around the learning practices of the external partner (industry or community) and the learning practices of the student. This enables the typology to be transferrable across disciplines. The paper closes with reflective questions for educators when designing NPWBL activities.
Framing the main patterns of an academic innovation ecosystem. Evidence from a knowledge-intensive case study
Authors: Angrisani Mariarosalba , Cannavacciuolo Lorella , Rippa Pierluigi
Published: April 2023

Purpose

This research aims to shed new lights on the most shared constructs developed on Innovation Ecosystems, Entrepreneurial Ecosystems and Technology Transfer Ecosystem proposing an additional stand-alone ecosystem.

Design/methodology/approach

This research is built upon a qual-quantitative analysis of an empirical case. The latter analysis is performed through a single case study methodology on the San Giovanni Hub of the Federico II University of Naples.

Findings

Evidences show how a technological hub orchestrates three main ecosystems for the knowledge exploitation: the technology transfer ecosystem, devoted to gather knowledge form universities' labs towards industries; the innovation ecosystem, able to manage the exploration and exploitation of new knowledge and techniques; the entrepreneurial ecosystem, that supports startup/spinoff creation process.

Research limitations/implications

Limitations mainly concern the fact that it is centred on just one case study.

Practical implications

Practical implications imply new opportunities of collaboration involving different stakeholders as university administrators, researchers, businesses and policymakers, creating a supportive environment for innovation.

Originality/value

The research offers a new vision about the role of Universities as creators and enablers of ecosystems pursuing diverse value propositions. The Academic Innovation Ecosystem is a new conceptualization of this role played by a university, and it can convey innovation and entrepreneurial attitude within its ecosystem leveraging on the transfer of university knowledge and technology.
Effect of user fees on healthcare accessibility and waiting time in Nigeria
Authors: Olasehinde Noah , Osakede Uche Abamba , Adedeji Abdulfatai Adekunle
Published: April 2023

Purpose

This study investigates the effect of user fees on access and waiting time in Nigeria. For access, the effect of user fees on both preventive and curative care; and the effect of user fees on waiting time at public healthcare facilities were examined. User fees are vital for the fiscal sustainability of healthcare provision for most African economies. Its imposition could debar healthcare access by the poor while its removal can reduce quality of care and induce longer waiting time.

Design/methodology/approach

The wave 3 of the Nigerian General Household Survey (2015/16) data was used for users of public health facilities. Access to healthcare was modelled using utilization data in a logistic regression model while waiting time was through the Negative Binomial Regression Model (NBRM).

Findings

The analyses showed significant effects of user fees on access to both preventive and curative care and on time spent waiting to make use of healthcare services. Individuals were able to access healthcare services regardless of amounts paid. Also, there was a non-negative effect of user fee imposition on waiting time.

Practical implications

Nigeria should improve healthcare facilities to address the enormous demand for healthcare services when designing policy for health sector.

Originality/value

This paper shows that even with the imposition of user fees, healthcare facilities could still not cater for the rising healthcare needs of the populace but cautioned that its abolition may not be a preferred option.
Unleashing the power of supply chain learning: an empirical investigation
Authors: Liu Xiaohong , Tse Ying Kei , Wang Shiyun , Sun Ruiqing
Published: April 2023

Purpose

Organisational learning plays a critical role for firms to keep abreast of a supply chain environment filled with volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity (VUCA). This study investigates the extent to which supply chain learning (SCL) affects operational resilience under such circumstances.

Design/methodology/approach

This study developed a research framework and underlying hypotheses based on SCL and information processing theory (IPT). An empirical test was carried out using secondary data derived from the “Supply Chain Policy” launched by the Chinese government and two large related conferences.

Findings

SCL positively relates to operational resilience, and several moderators influence the relationship between them. The authors argue that digital-technological diversity could weaken the role of SCL in operational resilience, whereas customer concentration, and participating in a pilot programme could enhance the effect of SCL.

Practical implications

Firms should embrace the power of SCL in building resilience in the VUCA era. Meanwhile, they should be cautious of a digital-technological diversification strategy, appraise the customer base profile and proactively engage in pilot programmes.

Originality/value

This research develops the SCL construct further in the context of China and empirically measures its power on operational resilience using a unique dataset. This contributes to the theorisation of SCL.
Some inferences on a mixture of exponential and Rayleigh distributions based on fuzzy data
Authors: Mathai Ashlyn Maria , Kumar Mahesh
Published: April 2023

Purpose

In this paper, a mixture of exponential and Rayleigh distributions in the proportions α and 1 − α and all the parameters in the mixture distribution are estimated based on fuzzy data.

Design/methodology/approach

The methods such as maximum likelihood estimation (MLE) and method of moments (MOM) are applied for estimation. Fuzzy data of triangular fuzzy numbers and Gaussian fuzzy numbers for different sample sizes are considered to illustrate the resulting estimation and to compare these methods. In addition to this, the obtained results are compared with existing results for crisp data in the literature.

Findings

The application of fuzziness in the data will be very useful to obtain precise results in the presence of vagueness in data. Mean square errors (MSEs) of the resulting estimators are computed using crisp data and fuzzy data. On comparison, in terms of MSEs, it is observed that maximum likelihood estimators perform better than moment estimators.

Originality/value

Classical methods of obtaining estimators of unknown parameters fail to give realistic estimators since these methods assume the data collected to be crisp or exact. Normally, such case of precise data is not always feasible and realistic in practice. Most of them will be incomplete and sometimes expressed in linguistic variables. Such data can be handled by generalizing the classical inference methods using fuzzy set theory.
The effects of the fuzzy front end and cross-functional interfaces in the NPD process
Authors: Li Lingjia , Dai Jing , Guo Bin , Shou Yongyi
Published: April 2023

Purpose

As the start of a new product development (NPD) process, the front fuzzy end (FFE) is believed to determine new product performance to a large extent. However, its effects on new product performance, particularly in terms of quality and cost, lack empirical evidence in the extant literature. Moreover, the joint performance effects of the FFE and cross-functional interfaces in later NPD stages (i.e. product development and product launch) are largely overlooked and deserve further investigation. Therefore, this study aims to explore the direct effects of the FFE and later stages’ joint moderating effects on new product performance (i.e. quality and cost) from a holistic process view.

Design/methodology/approach

A conceptual model is proposed to hypothesize the FFE–new product performance relationships and the joint performance effects of cross-functional interface management. A sample of 196 firms from an international survey is used and hierarchical linear regression is employed to test the proposed hypotheses.

Findings

This study finds that FFE implementation contributes to both new product quality and cost performance. Moreover, interface management in multiple NPD stages has synergistic performance effects. Specifically, the FFE, customer involvement in product development and manufacturing flexibility in product launch jointly improve new product quality performance, while the FFE, supplier involvement in product development and manufacturing flexibility in product launch jointly improve new product cost performance.

Originality/value

This study extends the NPD literature by deepening the understanding of the key roles of the FFE on new product performance and evidencing the synergistic effects of cross-functional interfaces in multiple NPD stages. Further, this study also highlights the differential joint moderating effects of interface management in later NPD stages on new product quality and cost performance. This study also offers insightful implications to NPD managers.
Additive manufacturing–enabled innovation in small- and medium-sized enterprises: the role of readiness in make-or-buy decisions
Authors: Stentoft Jan , Wickstrøm Kent Adsbøll , Haug Anders , Philipsen Kristian
Published: April 2023

Purpose

The digital transition process is an important strategic initiative for manufacturing companies to ensure continued competitiveness. The purpose is to investigate the relationship between firms' additive manufacturing (AM) readiness and product and process innovation and how this process is mediated by firms' make-or-buy decisions regarding performing AM processes internally or buying AM services from external partners.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper is based on a questionnaire survey including full answers from 157 small- and medium-sized manufacturing companies.

Findings

Results show a positive relationship between AM readiness and both product and process innovation. Results also reveal that firms with higher readiness invest more in in-house AM, which in turn promotes innovation. There was no significant association between AM readiness and the use of external AM services. Nonetheless, buying external AM services is still associated positively with innovation.

Research limitations/implications

Data in the questionnaire survey are provided by single respondents from each company and are only based on Danish respondents.

Practical implications

The results indicate that firms' product and process innovation benefits from higher AM readiness derive from increased investment in in-house AM rather than from increased use of external AM services. This also signifies that firms with lower levels of AM readiness buy external AM services and derive the innovation benefits hereof.

Originality/value

The paper delivers new, empirically found knowledge about how small- and medium-sized manufacturing can improve innovation by both making and buying AM services.
The effects of digital innovations and sustainable supply chain management on business competitive performance post-COVID-19
Authors: Sumarliah Eli , Al-hakeem Belal
Published: April 2023

Purpose

Sustainable supply chain management (SSCM) practices and green entrepreneurial preference (GEP) have gained increasing attention from academicians; however, their impacts on business' competitive performance (BCP) post-coronavirus disease of 2019 (COVID-19) remain unclear. Although SSCM is vital for supporting BCP, the previous publications indicate the absence of significant relationships among GEP, SSCM and BCP. This study tries to fill this literature gap by investigating if GEP and SSCM can shape BCP. This study also suggests the moderation effect of digital innovations such as artificial intelligence and big data analytics (AIBD) on those relationships from a COVID-19 viewpoint.

Design/methodology/approach

Data were collected from 245 Halal food firms in Yemen, and the research framework was assessed using structural equation modeling (SEM).

Findings

The empirical findings show that there are significant impacts of GEP on SSCM and subsequently on BCP. The findings also reveal that SSCM practice mediates GEP-BCP link. Besides, digital innovations such as AIBD positively moderate the link of GEP-SSCM.

Originality/value

This study is the first attempt that advises Halal food firms to formally adopt GEP, SSCM and digital innovations to boost BCP, especially in uncertain times like post-COVID-19. Unlike earlier studies that observe SSCM usage as a direct predictor of firm performance, this study delivers an innovative insight that digital innovations can assist in GEP and SSCM incorporation in the in-house operations of the firms post-COVID-19.
Healthcare decision making and choice: an empirical model of patient confusion
Authors: Chauhan Vishakha , Sagar Mahim
Published: April 2023

Purpose

Consumer confusion is an emerging phenomenon of interest that significantly drives choice behaviour. Considering the dearth of scholarly focus on confusion faced by consumers in a healthcare setting, this paper aims to conceptualize and validate a patient confusion model consisting of its drivers and outcomes.

Design/methodology/approach

Drawing upon adaptive decision-making framework and consumer confusion literature, patient confusion model has been developed. Empirical data of 310 patients from three private sector hospitals in India was collected through pen and paper survey administration. The hypothesized patient confusion model was tested using partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) to derive confirmatory results.

Findings

The results confirm the role of decision-making variables such as information overload, information similarity, information ambiguity, information asymmetry, patient involvement and physician-patient communication in the occurrence of patient confusion. A significant impact of confusion on switching intention was also confirmed, providing insights for healthcare managers.

Practical implications

The effect of confusion on switching intention of consumers found through the present study holds significant implications from a healthcare management standpoint. Dissemination of credible information, improved communication between doctors and patients and creation of organized channels of health information provision also represent some of the notable implications for healthcare managers to mitigate patient confusion.

Originality/value

This study presents an empirically validated model of patient confusion creating a research agenda for theory development in this emerging area. Consumer confusion represents a core consumer behaviour problem that is of utmost significance in the healthcare sector. This paper is one of the first and early attempts to address this research problem.
Head shape predicts isotopic diet in anoles and day geckos
Authors: Figueira Tyler J. , Kennedy‐Gold Stevie , Piantoni Carla , Screen Robyn M. , Wright Amber N.
Published: April 2023

Trophic morphology affects resource acquisition; therefore, species differences in such traits may be informative for inferring resource use overlap and potential species interactions.

In lizards, head size and shape determine the size and hardness of prey that can be consumed. Lizards with large differences in head morphology are expected to overlap less in prey use than lizards with more similar traits.

Stable isotopes are increasingly being used to describe diet, yet how traditional functional traits affect isotopic diet is often not clear a priori.

We measured head size, head shape, 𝛿15N, and 𝛿13C under controlled resource availability in an enclosure experiment using introduced lizards in Hawaiʻi to test whether functional traits predict isotopic diet.

Brown anoles Anolis sagrei had the tallest and narrowest heads, the highest values of 𝛿13C, and the lowest values of 𝛿15N. Gold dust day geckos Phelsuma laticauda had the shortest and widest heads, the lowest values of 𝛿13C, and the highest values of 𝛿15N. Green anoles Anolis carolinensis were intermediate in both diet and morphology.

As a result of isotopic diet overlap, green anoles have reduced competitor‐free resource space in the presence of both of the other lizard species.

Head shape was the best predictor of diet and the only trait that explained variation within as well as among species. Head size was sexually dimorphic, and therefore the weaker diet correlations with this trait may be explained by sexual selection.

Breadth in morphospace did not correlate with isotopic diet breadth, nor did the amount of overlap in morphospace predict the amount of overlap in isotopic diet space.

While lizards were able to locally depress prey in experimental enclosures, no shifts in diet were detected in response to the presence of heterospecifics.

The generality of head shape in predicting isotopic diet, and whether it does so independent of habitat use, warrants additional study. Head shape provides a potentially fruitful avenue for trait‐based approaches to studying ecology and evolution in lizards.

Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog.
Microbial function regulates the effect of vegetation restoration on the contribution of biocrusts to soil respiration in drylands
Authors: Guan Chao , Chen Ning , Qiao Linjie , Zhao Changming
Published: April 2023

Biocrusts are special components of dryland ecosystems and play important roles in ecosystem carbon cycles. Vegetation restoration not only affects carbon storage but also changes the characteristics of biocrusts. However, how vegetation restoration influences the contribution of biocrusts to soil carbon cycling in dryland ecosystems is poorly understood.

Using continuous field measurements combined with metagenomic shotgun sequencing, we explored the effect and regulatory mechanisms of Caragana korshinskii vegetation restoration on the contribution of biocrusts to total soil respiration.

We found that vegetation restoration increased the contribution of biocrusts to total soil respiration, with the biocrust contribution increasing from −5.6% for mixed biocrusts in a typical steppe to 17.1%, 18.1% and 19.6% for cyanobacteria–algae, lichen and moss biocrusts, respectively, in a Caragana korshinskii vegetation restoration area. The driving factors for total soil respiration changed from solely soil temperature to soil temperature and moisture after vegetation restoration. In contrast, the driving factors for soil respiration estimated for biocrust layers changed from precipitation alone to soil temperature and precipitation after vegetation restoration. We reveal that changes in microbial functional structure play important roles in regulating the effect of vegetation restoration and biocrusts on soil respiration. In addition, vegetation restoration also increases the microbial activity in biocrusted soils.

This calls for an improved understanding of the effects of biocrusts on soil respiration under vegetation restoration scenarios to advance our ability to evaluate soil carbon releases from dryland ecosystems.

Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog.
Native and introduced pollinators vary in their seasonal floral resource visitation and selection between native and exotic plant species
Authors: Pei C. K. , Hovick Torre J. , Limb Ryan F. , Harmon Jason P. , Geaumont Benjamin A.
Published: April 2023

Anthropogenic pressures on native ecosystems have resulted in numerous functional and compositional changes, creating novel ecosystems with new interactions between native and exotic species. How native species utilize these resources is crucial for their management in altered landscapes and the promotion of their essential ecosystem services.

We compared seasonal floral selection between European honey bees and their most phylogenetically similar native component in our study region, bumble bees, in North American grasslands with high densities of exotic plant species. Additionally, we determined whether floral species richness, total flowering density, native floral density or exotic floral density best explained the abundance of both groups.

Selection analyses revealed that honey bees and native bumble bees differed in selection between native and non‐native floral resource availability, with any significant selection of honey bees being for exotic plants while native bumble bees selected for native plants.

Native forb presence and floral richness best explained the variation in bumble bee abundance, while honey bee abundance was associated with flowering densities in the early and mid‐seasons and floral richness in both the early and late seasons.

Despite their generalist diets, we emphasize the importance of native floral availability for bumble bee foraging in novel grassland landscapes and the importance of exotic plants to support honey bee production.

Synthesis and applications. Our results indicate that pollinator forage management should differ for non‐native and native species, despite morphological and life‐history similarities. However, greater floral diversity provides a common management focus that can benefit honey bees and bumble bees in particular seasonal periods. Our results suggest that management actions promoting resource diversity can benefit functionally different species. In grasslands, implementing disturbance processes that can favour floral expression (e.g. fire; grazing) can support bumble bees of conservation concern and agriculturally important bees simultaneously.
‘Illiberal Democracy’ after Post‐Democracy: Revisiting the Case of Hungary
Authors: Kim Seongcheol
Published: April 2023

In taking stock of the ruling Fidesz party's project of ‘illiberal democracy’ in Hungary, this article first develops considerations based on Claude Lefort's democratic theory for critiquing ‘illiberal democracy’ and post‐democracy alike, situating the former in an early 2010s post‐democratic moment characterised by the emergence of a neoliberal crisis management regime in the Eurozone. ‘Illiberal democracy’ and ‘market‐conforming democracy’ are both problematic from this standpoint insofar as they subordinate the key Lefortian dimension of democratic contestation to either the primacy of the markets or a reified conception of the ‘national interest’ as represented by a single party. The analysis then traces the development of ‘illiberal democracy’ and its construction of key signifiers such as the ‘national interest’ in programmatic speeches made by Viktor Orbán, from its beginnings in the post‐democratic moment to subsequent crisis conjunctures in which it has redefined itself against ever newer threats.
‘Vaccine populism’ and migrant assistance: On the contingency of mutual aid in Italy's Alpine region
Authors: Storer Elizabeth , Torre Costanza
Published: April 2023

Prior to COVID‐19, migrant journeys through the Mediterranean were often described with reference to the barriers posed within ‘fortress Europe’ or through registers which centre migrant's adeptness at navigating draconian immigration regimes. Between these two contexts, this paper explores how a public authority lens can assist in understanding the implications of COVID‐19 and associated vaccine bureaucracies. We draw on ethnographic research on the Italian‐French Alpine border and chart how ‘vaccine populism’—perpetuated in nationalist political discourse as well as in the counter‐commentaries of resistance offered by solidarity networks—has specific implications for migrants' access to vaccines and health information. We argue that analyses attentive to the subtle nuances of state and local politics provide an important entry point to map multi‐scalar power dynamics which accompany universal health policies. Through considering the complex realities relating to Alpine crossings, we advocate from less categorising approaches to vaccinating migrants.
Ketone bodies: A double‐edged sword for mammalian life span
Authors: Tomita Issei , Tsuruta Hiroaki , Yasuda‐Yamahara Mako , Yamahara Kosuke , Kuwagata Shogo , Tanaka‐Sasaki Yuki , Chin‐Kanasaki Masami , Fujita Yukihiro , Nishi Eiichiro , Katagiri Hideki , Maegawa Hiroshi , Kume Shinji
Published: April 2023

Accumulating evidence suggests health benefits of ketone bodies, and especially for longevity. However, the precise role of endogenous ketogenesis in mammalian life span, and the safety and efficacy of the long‐term exogenous supplementation of ketone bodies remain unclear. In the present study, we show that a deficiency in endogenous ketogenesis, induced by whole‐body Hmgcs2 deletion, shortens life span in mice, and that this is prevented by daily ketone body supplementation using a diet containing 1,3‐butanediol, a precursor of β‐hydroxybutyrate. Furthermore, feeding the 1,3‐butanediol‐containing diet from early in life increases midlife mortality in normal mice, but in aged mice it extends life span and prevents the high mortality associated with atherosclerosis in ApoE‐deficient mice. By contrast, an ad libitum low‐carbohydrate ketogenic diet markedly increases mortality. In conclusion, endogenous ketogenesis affects mammalian survival, and ketone body supplementation may represent a double‐edged sword with respect to survival, depending on the method of administration and health status.
Childhood fever and medical students: A multicentre, educational intervention
Authors: Milani Gregorio P. , Corsello Antonio , Schulz Peter J. , Fadda Marta , Giannì Maria Lorella , Alberti Ilaria , Comotti Anna , Marchisio Paola , Chiappini Elena , Peroni Diego
Published: April 2023

Aim

Misconceptions and non‐evidence‐based practices toward childhood fever are reported worldwide. Medical students might be ideal candidates to introduce long‐lasting changes in clinical practice. However, no study has gauged the effectiveness of an educational intervention to improve fever management in this population. We conducted an educational, interventional study on childhood fever among final‐year medical students.

Methods

We conducted a prospective, multicentre interventional study employing a pre/post‐test design. Participants from three Italian Universities filled in a questionnaire just before the intervention (T0), immediately after (T1) and 6 months later (T2) in 2022. The intervention was a two‐hour lecture focused on the pathophysiology of fever, recommendations for its treatment and risks associated with improper management.

Results

188 final‐year medical students (median age of 26 years, 67% females) were enrolled. Relevant improvements in the criterion for treating fever and conceptions about the beneficial effects of fever were observed at T1 and T2. Similar data were found for the reduction of physical methods advice to decrease body temperature and concerns for brain damage from fever.

Conclusion

This study shows for the first time that an educational intervention is effective in changing students' conceptions and attitudes toward fever both in the short and medium term.
Bleomycin overdose in a patient with stage II Hodgkin lymphoma: A case report of a medication error
Authors: Jieting Zhang , Shuyi Xue , Xiaolin Chen , Hai Yang
Published: April 2023

Bleomycin is an antibiotic with cytotoxic properties that is commonly used in combination regimens for the treatment of Hodgkin lymphoma. The inconsistency in the dosage nomenclature of bleomycin appears universally, which increases the risk of medication errors. However, to the best of our knowledge, no such cases have been reported. Herein, we present a rare case report of a medication error caused by a bleomycin overdose. At the third cycle of chemotherapy, a 25‐year‐old patient with stage II Hodgkin lymphoma received a 10 times higher dose of bleomycin (150 USP) than that usually used as part of the doxorubicin, bleomycin, vindesine and dacarbazine protocol (ABVD). After the medication error was discovered, the patient was immediately treated with intravenous rehydration and furosemide to promote drug clearance. Additionally, methylprednisone and acetylcysteine were administered to prevent lung injury. However, the patient developed slight nausea and mild rash, which gradually improved after treatment. After evaluation with positron emission spectrometry‐computed tomography (PET‐CT), the patient received four cycles of AVD chemotherapy. No other obvious abnormalities were observed during the treatment and 1‐year follow‐up period. Hence, the toxicities, clinical management and selection of further chemotherapy after bleomycin overdose in such cases deserved serious attention. More importantly, management measures after this error may be used as a reference in other hospitals.
Attitudes of mothers and health care providers towards behavioural interventions promoting breastfeeding uptake: A systematic review of qualitative and mixed‐method studies
Authors: Rojas‐García Antonio , Lingeman Sabrina , Kassianos Angelos P.
Published: April 2023

Purpose

Recommendations for exclusive breastfeeding are not often adhered to despite the robust evidence of its benefits. This systematic review aims to collate evidence on the attitudes mothers and health care providers have towards breastfeeding interventions to understand what aspects best contribute to acceptability and feasibility.

Methods

This review further investigates the value of identifiable behaviour change techniques (BCTs) to uncover which components of an intervention are perceived to be most useful and acceptable. The main biomedical databases were searched, and 17 (n = 17) studies met the inclusion criteria.

Results

A total of nine BCTs were identified within the interventions. The thematic analysis produced four main domains: usefulness, accessibility, value and sustainability. Women discussed the importance of the support they received in these interventions and demonstrated a positive view towards three BCTs: ‘social support (unspecified)’, ‘instruction on how to perform behaviour’ and ‘demonstration of behaviour’. Additionally, women highlighted the benefit of personal, non‐clinical and flexible emotional and practical support from peers, lactation consultants and support groups. Health care providers echoed these opinions and specifically highlighted the usefulness of interventions that allowed for continuity of care and more personal breastfeeding support.

Conclusions

These findings suggest that ongoing practical as well as emotional support is crucial for standard in‐hospital support to succeed at increasing breastfeeding rates. Future research would need to better understand the nuances of the interventions among women and providers to enhance their implementation.
MiR‐34 by targeting p53 induces apoptosis and DNA damage in paclitaxel‐resistant human oral squamous carcinoma cells
Authors: Mortezagholi Bardia , Nasiri Kamyar , Movahed Emad , Dadgar Esmaeel , Nejati Seyedeh Tabasom , Hassani Pardis , Esfahaniani Mahla , Rafieyan Sona
Published: April 2023

MicroRNA‐34 (miR‐34) is one the most important tumor suppressor miRNAs involving in the various aspects of oral cancer. The present study aimed to evaluate the effects of miR‐34 restoration in OECM‐1 oral cancer resistant to paclitaxel (OECM‐1/PTX) and its underlying mechanisms through p53‐mediated DNA damage and apoptosis. OECM‐1 and OECM‐1/PTX were transfected with miR‐34 mimic and inhibitor. Cellular proliferation and apoptosis were evaluated through MTT assay and flow cytometry, respectively. The mRNA and protein expression levels of p53, p‐glycoprotein (P‐gp), ATM, ATR, CHK1, and CHK2 were assessed through qRT‐PCR and western blotting. Rhodamin123 uptake assay was used to measure the P‐gp activities. P53 expression was also suppressed by sing a siRNA transfection of cells. The expression levels of miR‐34 were downregulated in OECM‐1/PTX. Restoration of miR‐34 led to increase in cytotoxic effects of paclitaxel in cells. In addition, the expression levels and activities of P‐gp were reduced following miR‐34 transfection. miR‐34 transfection upregulated the p53, ATM, ATR, CHK1, and CHK2 expression levels in OECM‐1/PTX cells. Furthermore, cells transfected with miR‐34 showed higher levels of apoptosis. miR‐34 restoration reverses paclitaxel resistance in OECM‐1 oral cancer. The chemosensitive effects of miR‐34 is mediated through increasing DNA damage and apoptosis in a p53 depended manner.