bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Bio-inspired optimization of leading edge slat
Authors: Raj Mohamed Mohamed Arif , Kumar Reddy Ketu Satish , Sai Sri Vishnu Somaraju
Published: December 2022

Purpose

The high lift devices are effective at high angle of attack to increase the coefficient of lift by increasing the camber. But it affects the low angle of attack aerodynamic performance by increasing the drag. Hence, they have made as a movable device to deploy only at high angles of attack, which increases the design and installation complexities. This study aims to focus on the comparison of aerodynamic efficiency of different conventional leading edge (LE) slat configurations with simple fixed bioinspired slat design.

Design/methodology/approach

This research analyzes the effect of LE slat on aerodynamic performance of CLARK Y airfoil at low and high angles of attack. Different geometrical parameters such as slat chord, cutoff, gap, width and depth of LE slat have been considered for the analysis.

Findings

It has been found that the LE slat configuration with slat chord 30% of airfoil chord, forward extension 8% of chord, dip 3% of chord and gap 0.75% of chord gives higher aerodynamic efficiency (Cl/Cd) than other LE slat configurations, but it affects the low angles of attack aerodynamic performance with the deployed condition. Hence, this optimum slat configuration is further modified by closing the gap between LE slat and the main airfoil, which is inspired by the marine mammal’s nose. Thus increases the coefficient of lift at high angles of attack due to better acceleration over the airfoil nose and as well enhances the aerodynamic efficiency at low angles of attack.

Research limitations/implications

The two-dimensional computational analysis has been done for different LE slat’s geometrical parameters at low subsonic speed.

Practical implications

This bio-inspired nose design improves aerodynamic performance and increases the structural strength of aircraft wing compared to the conventional LE slat. This fixed design avoids the complex design and installation difficulties of conventional movable slats.

Social implications

The findings will have significant impact on the fields of aircraft wing and wind turbine designs, which reduces the design and manufacturing complexities.

Originality/value

Different conventional slat configurations have been analyzed and compared with a simple fixed bioinspired slat nose design at low subsonic speed.
Hospitality and COVID-19: a willingness to choose e-consultation owing to unemployment and home isolation
Authors: Behera Rajat Kumar , Bala Pradip Kumar , Panigrahi Prabin Kumar , Rana Nripendra P.
Published: December 2022

Purpose

Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) was declared as a pandemic since COVID-19's widespread outbreak and the hospitality industry has been the hardest hit due to lockdown. Consequently, hospitality workers are suffering from the negative aspects of mental health. In the event of such a crisis, this study aims to explore the link between unemployment and home isolation to the willingness to choose electronic consultation (e-consultation) by exploiting psychological ill-being and behavioural intention (BI) with marital status as a moderator.

Design/methodology/approach

A quantitative methodology is applied to primary data collected from 310 workers from the hospitality industry through an online survey.

Findings

Findings of this study suggest that the usage of the e-consultation service can be adopted using three levels. There are valid reasons to conclude unemployment and home isolation are linked to higher rates of psychological health behaviours, which can result in stigma, loss of self-worth and increased mortality. The adverse effect is higher for single individuals than for married people.

Originality/value

The study focussed on e-consultation, BI coupled with the Fishbein scale and a classification model for the prediction of willingness to choose e-consultation with the extension of Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB).
A numerical study of mist-air film cooling on a 3-D flat plate
Authors: M.V.V. Srinivas , Hari Surya Mudragada , Singh Devendra Pratap , Biswal Pratibha , Reddy Sathi Rajesh
Published: December 2022

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to explore the mist-air film cooling performance on a three-dimensional (3-D) flat plate. In mist-air film cooling technique, a small amount of water droplets is injected along with the coolant air. The objective is to study the influence of shape of the coolant hole and operating conditions on the cooling effectiveness.

Design/methodology/approach

In this study, 3-D numerical simulations are performed. To simulate the mist-air film cooling over a flat plate, air is considered as a continuous phase and mist is considered as a discrete phase. Turbulence in the flow is accounted using Reynolds averaged Navier–Stokes equation and is modeled using k–e model with enhanced wall treatment.

Findings

The results of this study show that, for cylindrical coolant hole, coolant with 5% mist concentration is not effective for mainstream temperatures above 600 K, whereas for fan-shaped hole, even 2% mist concentration has shown significant impact on cooling effectiveness for temperatures up to 1,000 K. For given mist-air coolant flow conditions, different trend in effectiveness is observed for cylindrical and fan-shaped coolant hole with respect to main stream temperature.

Research limitations/implications

This study is limited to a flat plate geometry with single coolant hole.

Practical implications

The motivation of this study comes from the requirement of high efficiency cooling techniques for cooling of gas turbine blades. This study aims to study the performance of mist-air film cooling at different geometric and operating conditions.

Originality/value

The originality of this study lies in studying the effect of parameters such as mist concentration, droplet size and blowing ratio on cooling performance, particularly at high mainstream temperatures. In addition, a systematic performance comparison is presented between the cylindrical and fan-shaped cooling hole geometries.
Modelling aileron and spoiler deflections with the linear frequency domain method (LFD) for subsonic flight conditions
Authors: Govindan Kuharaaj , Bier Niko
Published: December 2022

Purpose

This study aims to predict dynamic responses of aileron and spoiler control surfaces in subsonic flight via the use of surrogate models. The prepared reduced order models prove useful when quick estimations for a large number of variations are required.

Design/methodology/approach

The linear frequency domain (LFD) method was used for the simulation study. Each surrogate contained a database of 100 control surface dynamic responses over a spectrum of 200 harmonics computed with LFD. To interpolate new results, the DLR surrogate modelling toolbox, SMARTy, was used. The database’s samples were prepared in a Halton sequence, making interpolation reliable. The surrogate’s parameter space was the Mach number, Reynold’s number, angle of attack, control surface deflection angle and the control surface chord length.

Findings

The LFD method proved effective for the mentioned purpose: the surrogates were accurate, up to 15% of relative error, in reproducing dynamic responses of aileron and spoiler deflections at low speed, within the limitations of flow field linearity, as well as surrogate prediction capability. The restrictions of the surrogate, and the reasoning thereof, are also presented in detail in the study. Future load alleviation studies are a potential of the findings here.

Originality/value

LFD is an innovative technique for load prediction and alleviation studies. This paper provides a reference for engineers wishing to use the method for the two mentioned control surfaces, or the like.
Towards a comprehensive conceptual framework for multicultural virtual teams: a multilevel perspective exploring the relationship between multiculturalism and performance
Authors: Chang Rachel Xenia , Carvalho Marly Monteiro , Sbragia Roberto
Published: December 2022

Purpose

Performance in virtual teams, which faces cultural and demographic differences, is a relevant phenomenon that has been widely investigated in recent decades, but with opportunities in exploring other levels of analysis as individual and project. This current research aims to understand how multicultural virtual teams affect individual, team and project performance.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors conducted a systematic literature review (SLR) and bibliometric analysis to capture 273 papers from the Web of Science (WoS) database using a snowball approach. In a second approach, the authors selected 130 papers to conduct a content analysis.

Findings

The authors presented a longitudinal overview regarding the adoption of virtual teams in project management (PM) literature. A conceptual framework was proposed to explore the relationship between multicultural virtual teams and performance with three levels of analysis: individual, teams and project. The authors contributed with research hypotheses to be explored in future empirical studies not only at the team perspective but also at the project and individual levels. The thematic analysis suggested that the literature focus has shifted from hard to soft aspects faced by virtual teams. Social identity/categorization theory was the most prominent theory in this body, but it is not fully explored in PM literature. Other opportunities of future studies are to understand the impact of cultural diversity, the sense of belongingness, the project life cycle and the development of a knowledge management program.

Originality/value

The authors developed a 3-level conceptual framework for future empirical studies and demonstrated that cultural differences are mainly approached at the national level in the literature, bringing suggestions for future empirical research.
Country-of-origin and online retailing ethics: the mediating role of trust and satisfaction on purchase intention
Authors: Bhattacharya Saptarshi , Sharma Rajendra Prasad , Gupta Ashish
Published: December 2022

Purpose

Online shoppers feel insecure due to the various unethical practices of e-tailers. It is, therefore, crucial for online retailers to alleviate customer concerns. Extant literature indicates that country-of-origin (COO) cues influence consumer perception. A relatively underexplored phenomenon in an emerging market context, the COO image of the online retailer, i.e. a foreign-origin online retailer (FOOR) or an Indian-origin online retailer (IOOR), needs validation. The current study investigates customer expectations of online retailers' ethical behaviour against the backdrop of online retailer-based signals in emerging markets.

Design/methodology/approach

The researchers floated an online questionnaire using a seven-point Likert scale. The authors sought recipient responses in Google Forms shared via e-mails and social media connections. The authors analysed 1,018 useable responses using partial least square structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) in Smart PLS 3.

Findings

The empirical study examined the influence of the consumer perception of ethics of online retailers (CPEOR) and COO on consumer purchase intention. It validated the proposed research model. The research findings inform that the CPEOR and the COO influence purchase intention through the mediation effects of trust and satisfaction. Results indicate that privacy, security, non-deception, fulfilment, customer service, FOOR and IOOR strongly predict consumer trust. In contrast, privacy, non-deception, fulfilment, customer service and FOOR strongly predict consumer satisfaction. However, security and IOOR did not influence consumer satisfaction.

Research limitations/implications

The study results have theoretical and practical implications for academic researchers and online retailing managers. Future studies can validate the model in different geo-demographic scenarios and e-commerce settings.

Originality/value

The study enriches the extant literature on CPEOR in the Indian context. This study is pioneering work examining consumer purchase intention by adding the COO construct to the CPEOR model.
The causal effect of informal job search on wage and job satisfaction: evidence from Egypt and Jordan using random forest method
Authors: Elamin Obbey Ahmed
Published: December 2022

Purpose

This study aims to examine the impact of finding a job through family and friend contacts on employees' wages and job satisfaction.

Design/methodology/approach

This study uses machine learning techniques in economics to estimate the causal effect of being hired through informal contacts on wages and job satisfaction using cross-sectional data from the Higher Education Graduates Survey 2012 (HEGS, 2012) in Egypt and Jordan.

Findings

The author's results confirm that negative and positive consequences are likely to occur. In Egypt, a wage penalty of 28% is estimated in the starting wage, but the impact diminishes in the last wage. By contrast, in Jordan, no penalty is captured in the starting wage, but a premium of 10% is estimated in the last wage. Job satisfaction is negatively affected by the penalty in the starting wage.

Social implications

Job market search methods that allow for professional job referrals, facilitate more efficient information transfer between job-seekers and employers and provide opportunities for job-seekers with weak social capital should be implemented to lower dependence on informal search methods.

Originality/value

The research provides comprehensive evidence about finding a job through informal contact with employees' well-being. The consequences of finding a job using family and friends' contacts, whether positive or negative, cannot be ignored. Future research could benefit from the findings of this study.

Peer review

The peer review history for this article is available at: https://publons.com/publon/10.1108/IJSE-05-2022-0318.
At the moment of disposal: how messaging techniques at university public outdoor waste receptacles can improve the solid waste stream
Authors: Brinton Amanda , Warner Laura A. , Townsend Timothy G.
Published: December 2022

Purpose

This study aims to test how waste disposal behaviors can be changed such as higher recycling diversion and lower contamination rates using signage and messaging techniques at public outdoor waste receptacles on a university campus.

Design/methodology/approach

The experiment took place at five public outdoor receptacle stations, each with a landfill and recycling receptacle, which were located in highly trafficked areas on the University of Florida campus. The study consisted of three phases, each lasting for three weeks. During phase one, no signage and messaging were introduced; during phase two, negative and concrete messaging was placed on signs that stood above the two receptacles; and during phase three, positive and abstract messaging was placed above the receptacles. Waste audits were conducted by separating and weighing the waste.

Findings

With signage and messaging implementation, the recycling diversion rates increased and contamination in the recycling receptacles decreased. However, there was not a consistent decrease in contamination in the landfill receptacles. The study also showed that the negative and concrete messaging was more effective at both increasing diversion rates and decreasing contamination rates at the recycling receptacles.

Practical implications

Waste managers on university campuses need to address the purpose and type of messaging being used at waste receptacles to maximize behavior and/or education outcomes.

Originality/value

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study represents the first time waste disposal behaviors have been analyzed and experimented on at public outdoor receptacles on a university campus.
The role of advertising, distribution intensity and store image in achieving global brand loyalty in an emerging market
Authors: Lang Le Dang , Behl Abhishek , Guzmán Francisco , Pereira Vijay , Del Giudice Manlio
Published: December 2022

Purpose

Scholars have paid considerable attention to the importance of brand loyalty of durable consumer products in developed markets. However, no study has investigated the simultaneous impact of advertising efforts, distribution intensity and store image on global brand loyalty (GBL) of fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) in emerging markets. This study aims to fill this gap.

Design/methodology/approach

This study adopts (1) established theoretical lenses: brand equity, marketing mix and cue utilization theories, (2) a mixed-methods approach: a focus group and two surveys and (3) structural equation modeling on two samples of consumers (one homogeneous and one heterogeneous) of global soft drink brands in Vietnam.

Findings

The study reveals significant and nonsignificant relationships among the selected marketing mix elements and brand loyalty and its antecedents of global FMCG. Slight differences in these relationships among the two samples are found. The existing scales are also reconciled with more suitable indicators. The results significantly contribute to the existing knowledge on marketing mix, brand equity and GBL, and global consumer culture.

Originality/value

This is the first study to investigate the simultaneous effects of advertising efforts, distribution intensity, and store image on brand loyalty and its antecedents of global FMCG in an emerging market. The findings will help practitioners develop suitable global branding strategies to manage global brand image and achieve consumer loyalty across emerging markets.
Determinants of loyalty programmes and their impact on store patronage
Authors: Kolte Ashutosh , Veer Nitin , Mahajan Yogesh , Siggia Dario
Published: December 2022

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to measure the impact of perceived benefits offered by loyalty programmes on store patronage behaviour and repeat purchase behaviour of customers. Another purpose of this study is to assess the impact of mediating and influencing factors on patronage behaviour and customer loyalty.

Design/methodology/approach

The convenience sampling method was adopted for the sample selection. Structured questionnaire instruments were distributed to subscribers who are enrolled or subscribed to any loyalty programme and asked them to mark their opinions about subscriptions to a loyalty programme and the benefits or perceived values that customers get from the subscribed loyalty program. To determine respondent responses, closed-end questions and Likert scales were used. A SmartPLS statistical programme was used to analyse the coefficient and p-value of the perceived value of the loyalty programme and its relation with patronage behaviour.

Findings

The study finds a significant impact of various loyalty programme determinants on store patronage behaviour, supported by hypothesis testing. Researchers have used variable commitment to the test with satisfaction and trust and found it supportive. Another hypothesis tested for the impact of satisfaction on trust shows a significant relationship. They found a significant relationship between the perceived benefits of a loyalty programme and satisfaction with the store and trust. Another hypothesis tested for the impact of satisfaction on trust shows a similar relationship. The impact of commitment on loyalty behaviour (store patronage) was analysed and found to be significant.

Originality/value

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, to date, this methodology has not been used to measure the influence of loyalty programme values on patronage behaviour in the present context. Based on the understanding that the measurement of the impact of perceived values of loyalty programmes on repeat purchase behaviour could be very useful in providing guidance for decision-making in consumer retention strategy, this paper contributes to the literature on the evaluation of store patronage behaviour with its influencing variables.
Influence of formal and informal controls on trust and individual creativity
Authors: Monteiro Januário José , Lunkes Rogério João , Rosa Fabricia
Published: December 2022

Purpose

This study aims to analyze the influence of formal and informal controls on trust and individual creativity.

Design/methodology/approach

A survey was conducted with managers of companies listed in Brazil Stock Exchange (Brazil, Bolsa, Balcão-B3), and the final sample was 124 valid responses. The data were analyzed using structural equation modeling and fuzzy set qualitative comparative analysis (FsQCA).

Findings

The results show that the influence of informal controls (cultural and personnel controls) on individual creativity is greater than that of formal controls (action and results controls). It was also found that formal and informal controls facilitate social exchanges between managers by influencing trust. Moreover, the results confirmed the mediation of trust in the relationship between controls and individual creativity. FsQCA demonstrates that formal and informal controls are complemented and, when combined with trust, enable high individual creativity.

Originality/value

The findings contribute to the literature by demonstrating that the effective use of management controls generates greater trust and awakens creative skills in managers.
What can satisfy customers in servitization? Service or goods innovation
Authors: Xiao Xiaohong , Zhou Chengxu , Mao Hongyi
Published: December 2022

Purpose

This study aims to investigate the impact of the two essential subjects of servitization (service and goods innovation) on customer satisfaction. The authors explained the paradox of servitization by determining how service innovation and goods innovation affect customer satisfaction interacting with environmental turbulence and marketing intensity.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors obtained 376 observations of 84 listed Chinese companies. On the basis of content analysis and measurement from secondhand data, the authors first tested the hypotheses in the fixed-effects model. The authors conducted a split-sample analysis by dividing environmental turbulence into two samples to explain the results effectively and better interpret the relationship between two innovations to customer satisfaction.

Findings

The results show that goods and service innovations positively affect customer satisfaction, but the effect of service innovation is more substantial. Furthermore, environmental turbulence negatively moderates the relationship between service innovation and customer satisfaction. The empirical results indicated that, if enterprises enhance marketing intensity, then the growth of environmental turbulence weakens the positive impact of goods and services innovation on customer satisfaction.

Originality/value

This study provided an understanding of the impact of servitization on intangible assets. This study also responded to previous literature’s call for research on the impact of external environmental factors on servitization.
Small is beautiful? Entrepreneurship ecosystems in small towns of Montana
Authors: Motoyama Yasuyuki , Henderson Christina
Published: December 2022

Purpose

Much of extant literature on entrepreneurship ecosystems is geared toward mid- and large-size metropolitan areas, and small cities are considered disadvantageous without essential elements for the ecosystem. The purpose of this paper is to shed light on understanding how small cities can have vibrant entrepreneurship ecosystems.

Design/methodology/approach

This study conducted 42 semistructured interviews of entrepreneurs and supporters in small towns of Montana, USA. This study also supplemented with a survey of 178 firms.

Findings

Entrepreneurs in small cities enjoy dense support networks including experienced entrepreneurs, key business and civic leaders and elected officials. They also attend entrepreneurial events and establish connections with support organizations with a distance of 200 miles.

Originality/value

The cases in this paper demonstrate that small cities can have vibrant entrepreneurship ecosystems without urban diversity and agglomeration. That additionally means that we should not apply the theoretical framework developed with large urban areas to small cities and consider different models of development for small cities.
Role of Islamic work ethics in shaping employees’ behaviour: evidence from the banking sector in Azad Jammu and Kashmir
Authors: Aman-Ullah Attia , Mehmood Waqas
Published: December 2022

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to examine the impact of Islamic work ethics (IWEs) on the job satisfaction, commitment and loyalty among the bank employees in Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Pakistan.

Design/methodology/approach

Data for this study was collected using the purposive sampling from 354 bank employees of Azad Jammu and Kashmir region.

Findings

The findings of this study support all the three proposed hypotheses, with IWEs demonstrating significant positive relationships with job satisfaction, organisational commitment and employee loyalty.

Practical implications

Because of the nature of operations, banks need energetic employees who can participate actively in work activities. The implementation of IWEs enables banks to improve their employees’ satisfaction, commitment and loyalty, which will benefit the organisation in the long term through improved performance.

Originality/value

By encouraging the adoption of IWEs, organisations can increase job satisfaction, employee’s commitment and loyalty in the workplace, especially in an Islamic banking context. Therefore, managers should strengthen the mutual understanding among employees regarding IWE principles. They should be consistently applied and disseminated by Islamic banks’ management in the form of a formal code of ethics that applies to all actions within the organisation. Besides, this study contributes in terms of divine command theory which was yet to be tested with employee’s behaviour. Loyalty was another behavioural attribute which is providing novelty while testing with IWEs in banking context.
Entrepreneurship barriers faced by Pakistani female students in relation to their entrepreneurial inclinations and entrepreneurial success
Authors: Soomro Bahadur Ali , Abdelwahed Nadia A. Abdelmegeed , Shah Naimatullah
Published: December 2022

Purpose

The current environment is unhelpful to female entrepreneurs, and they need to overcome numerous barriers when starting their own businesses. In this study, the researchers investigated the significant barriers that Pakistani female entrepreneurs require to overcome in this respect.

Design/methodology/approach

In this study, the researchers used a quantitative study and they used a questionnaire to survey the respondents and collect cross-sectional data. The researchers targeted female students who were undertaking bachelor’s and master’s degree programs in different Pakistani public and private sector universities. Accordingly, the researchers based this study’s findings on the usable samples received from 498 Pakistani female students.

Findings

The researchers used a structural equation model (SEM) in this study and its findings highlight that aversion to risk (ATR) has an insignificant impact on entrepreneurial inclinations (EI). In addition, fear of failure (FoF), lack of resources (LoR), aversion to hard work and stress (ASH) and the lack of social networking (LSN) have negative and insignificant effects on EI. The ATR factor has an insignificant effect on entrepreneurial success (ES), whereas FoF, LoR, ASH and LSN are negative and insignificant predictors of Pakistani female students’ ES.

Practical implications

This study’s findings may help Pakistani women to overcome the barriers to ES. In this respect, the researchers recommend that the Pakistan Government and policymakers develop significant strategies to provide the conducive business environment and to financially support Pakistani women to start their own businesses. Furthermore, this study’s findings contribute greatly to the vast amount of current literature and help to overcome the entrepreneurial conditions and barriers that potential entrepreneurs from advanced and developing countries experience frequently.

Originality/value

This study’s findings provide empirical evidence of EI and ES in Pakistan.
A brief review of partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) use in quality management studies
Authors: Magno Francesca , Cassia Fabio , Ringle Christian M.
Published: December 2022

Purpose

Partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) has become an established social sciences multivariate analysis technique. Since quality management researchers also increasingly using PLS-SEM, this growing interest calls for guidance.

Design/methodology/approach

Based on established guidelines for applying PLS-SEM and evaluating the results, this research reviews 107 articles applying the method and published in eight leading quality management journals.

Findings

The use of PLS-SEM in quality management often only draws on limited information and analysis results. The discipline would benefit from the method's more comprehensive use by following established guidelines. Specifically, the use of predictive model assessment and more advanced PLS-SEM analyses harbors the potential to provide more detailed findings and conclusions when applying the method.

Research limitations/implications

This research provides first insights into PLS-SEM's use in quality management. Future research should identify the key areas and the core quality management models that best support the method's capabilities and researchers' goals.

Practical implications

The results of this analysis guide researchers who use the PLS-SEM method for their quality management studies.

Originality/value

This is the first article to systematically review the use of PLS-SEM in the quality management discipline.
Contrasting intra‐annual population dynamics of two codominant species are consistent across spatial and temporal scales
Authors: Gray Jesse E. , Smith Melinda D.
Published: December 2022

Despite asymmetric competition and a wide array of functional similarities, two ecologically important C4perennial grasses,Andropogon gerardiiandSorghastrum nutans, frequently codominate areas of the mesic tallgrass prairie of the US Great Plains. A subtle difference in their vegetative reproduction strategies may play a role in preventing the exclusion ofS. nutans, the presumed weaker competitor in such regions.

WhileA. gerardiivegetative tiller densities peak in the early growing season and decline thereafter (determinate recruitment), those ofS. nutansmay continue to increase throughout the growing season (indeterminate recruitment), providing a potential avenue for recovery from more intensive early season competition. However, until now these patterns have only been informally observed in the field.

We examined the year‐to‐year consistency of growing season vegetative tiller dynamics (measured as seasonal change in tiller densities) of each grass species from an intact tallgrass prairie in Kansas – a site within the core of both species' distributions – over a period of 8 years. Then, to investigate environmental effects on these dynamics, we examined whether they differ across a Kansas landscape varying in topography, fire management regimes, and the abundances of the study species. Finally, we expanded the investigation of environmental effects on growing season tiller dynamics by observing them at the periphery of the species' distributions in central Colorado, where climatic conditions are dryer and the study species' abundances are reduced.

Synthesis. We found that the tiller densities ofA. gerardiidecline within seasons with striking consistency regardless of spatio‐temporal scale or environmental factors (topography and fire regimes). In contrast, we found the seasonal dynamics ofS. nutanstiller densities were dependent on environmental factors, with seasonal tiller density increases occurring only within the Kansas populations but not consistent between years. These observations lay the groundwork for establishing differences in tiller recruitment determinacy as a potentially important yet underappreciated mechanism for promoting coexistence and codominance among perennial plant species.
Coupled C, H, N, S and Fe biogeochemical cycles operating in the continental deep subsurface of the Iberian Pyrite Belt
Authors: Amils Ricardo , Escudero Cristina , Oggerin Monike , Puente Sánchez Fernando , Arce Rodríguez Alejandro , Fernández Remolar David , Rodríguez Nuria , García Villadangos Miriam , Sanz José Luis , Briones Carlos , Sánchez‐Román Mónica , Gómez Felipe , Leandro Tania , Moreno‐Paz Mercedes , Prieto‐Ballesteros Olga , Molina Antonio , Tornos Fernando , Sánchez‐Andrea Irene , Timmis Kenneth , Pieper Dietmar H. , Parro Victor
Published: December 2022

Microbial activity is a major contributor to the biogeochemical cycles that make up the life support system of planet Earth. A 613 m deep geomicrobiological perforation and a systematic multi‐analytical characterization revealed an unexpected diversity associated with the rock matrix microbiome that operates in the subsurface of the Iberian Pyrite Belt (IPB). Members of 1 class and 16 genera were deemed the most representative microorganisms of the IPB deep subsurface and selected for a deeper analysis. The use of fluorescence in situ hybridization allowed not only the identification of microorganisms but also the detection of novel activities in the subsurface such as anaerobic ammonium oxidation (ANAMMOX) and anaerobic methane oxidation, the co‐occurrence of microorganisms able to maintain complementary metabolic activities and the existence of biofilms. The use of enrichment cultures sensed the presence of five different complementary metabolic activities along the length of the borehole and isolated 29 bacterial species. Genomic analysis of nine isolates identified the genes involved in the complete operation of the light‐independent coupled C, H, N, S and Fe biogeochemical cycles. This study revealed the importance of nitrate reduction microorganisms in the oxidation of iron in the anoxic conditions existing in the subsurface of the IPB.
Cyclitol metabolism is a central feature of Burkholderia leaf symbionts
Authors: Danneels Bram , Blignaut Monique , Marti Guillaume , Sieber Simon , Vandamme Peter , Meyer Marion , Carlier Aurélien
Published: December 2022

The symbioses between plants of the Rubiaceae and Primulaceae families with Burkholderia bacteria represent unique and intimate plant–bacterial relationships. Many of these interactions have been identified through PCR‐dependent typing methods, but there is little information available about their functional and ecological roles. We assembled 17 new endophyte genomes representing endophytes from 13 plant species, including those of two previously unknown associations. Genomes of leaf endophytes belonging to Burkholderia s.l. show extensive signs of genome reduction, albeit to varying degrees. Except for one endophyte, none of the bacterial symbionts could be isolated on standard microbiological media. Despite their taxonomic diversity, all endophyte genomes contained gene clusters linked to the production of specialized metabolites, including genes linked to cyclitol sugar analog metabolism and in one instance non‐ribosomal peptide synthesis. These genes and gene clusters are unique within Burkholderia s.l. and are likely horizontally acquired. We propose that the acquisition of secondary metabolite gene clusters through horizontal gene transfer is a prerequisite for the evolution of a stable association between these endophytes and their hosts.
Staff experiences of using non‐violent resistance in a residential care home for young people with high‐risk behaviours
Authors: Mackinnon Jessica , Jakob Peter , Kustner Claudia
Published: December 2022

Non‐violent resistance (NVR) is a systemic approach to working with young people presenting with aggression and other harmful behaviours. The work draws on the use of personal presence in resistance movements of the twentieth century, focusing on the role of the caregiver to increase their presence through acts of resistance and care. This paper investigates the experiences of professionals using NVR in one UK residential care home. Eight participants took part in semi‐structured interviews, which were analysed thematically. Analysis identified four overarching themes: NVR is both a set of processes and a way of being, NVR and transformation, NVR and the personal–professional divide and NVR and organisational support. The findings suggest that NVR offers an effective and acceptable alternative to behavioural approaches. Further research is required to investigate the liminal role of the professional/parent and the challenge of managing reluctance both within and around the organisation.
Ricochet of 9 mm pistol bullets on glazed ceramic tiles: An empirical study in support of shooting incident reconstruction
Authors: Nishshanka Bandula , Shepherd Chris , Jayawickrama Samindi Madhubha , Ariyarathna Randika
Published: December 2022

Experimental ricochet data on the most commonly found bullet‐target combinations in shooting incidents are contemporary necessity in conducting ricochet analysis during shooting reconstructions. As bullet ricochet behavior and associated evidence production are affected by various factors, understanding specific phenomena related to each bullet‐target combination is essential for shooting investigators to reconstruct bullet ricochet incidents accurately. However, there is a significant lack of empirical data in this area despite the significant demand. Building on a previous study conducted with rifle bullets, this empirical study explores the ricochet behavior and surface evidence when 9 mm Luger pistol bullets ricochet off glazed ceramic wall and floor tiles. The study highlights the critical angles of bullets for floor and wall tiles (14.8 degrees and 16.6 degrees, respectively), and different bullet ricochet trends when 9 mm bullets ricochet off standard wall and floor tiles. This paper introduces for the first time in a ricochet event, the “caterpillar effect” or “caterpillar impact mark” and the first observation of the “nucleus” ricochet mark for pistol caliber bullet ricochets, both of which are important novel findings. This study further demonstrates the significance of undergoing practical and relevant ricochet experimentation for the accurate reconstruction of shooting incidents.
College students' virtual and in‐person drinking contexts during the COVID‐19 pandemic
Authors: Hultgren Brittney A. , Smith‐LeCavalier Kirstyn N. , Canning Jessica R. , Jaffe Anna E. , Kim Isabel S. , Cegielski Victoria I. , Garcia Tracey A. , Larimer Mary E.
Published: December 2022

Background

The COVID‐19 pandemic has resulted in pronounced changes for college students, including shifts in living situations and engagement in virtual environments. Although college drinking decreased at the onset of the pandemic, a nuanced understanding of pandemic‐related changes in drinking contexts and the risks conferred by each context on alcohol use and related consequences have yet to be assessed.

Methods

Secondary data analyses were conducted on screening data from a large parent clinical trial assessing a college student drinking intervention (N = 1669). Participants across six cohorts (from Spring 2020 to Summer 2021) reported on the frequency of drinking in each context (i.e., outside the home, home alone, home with others in‐person, and home with others virtually), typical amount of drinking, and seven alcohol‐related consequence subscales.

Results

Descriptive statistics and negative binomial regressions indicated that the proportion and frequency of drinking at home virtually with others decreased, while drinking outside the home increased from Spring 2020 to Summer 2021. Limited differences were observed in the proportion or frequency of individuals drinking at home alone or at home with others in‐person. Negative binomial and logistic regressions indicated that the frequency of drinking outside the home was most consistently associated with more alcohol‐related consequences (i.e., six of the seven subscales). However, drinking at home was not without risks; drinking home alone was associated with abuse/dependence, personal, social, hangover, and social media consequences; drinking home with others virtually was associated with abuse/dependence and social consequences; drinking home with others in‐person was associated with drunk texting/dialing.

Conclusion

The proportion and frequency of drinking in certain contexts changed during the COVID‐19 pandemic, although drinking outside the home represented the highest risk drinking context across the pandemic. Future prevention and intervention efforts may benefit from considering approaches specific to different drinking contexts.
Thalamic volume and functional connectivity are associated with nicotine dependence severity and craving
Authors: Lor Cindy Sumaly , Haugg Amelie , Zhang Mengfan , Schneider Letitia , Herdener Marcus , Quednow Boris B. , Golestani Narly , Scharnowski Frank
Published: December 2022

Tobacco smoking is associated with deleterious health outcomes. Most smokers want to quit smoking, yet relapse rates are high. Understanding neural differences associated with tobacco use may help generate novel treatment options. Several animal studies have recently highlighted the central role of the thalamus in substance use disorders, but this research focus has been understudied in human smokers. Here, we investigated associations between structural and functional magnetic resonance imaging measures of the thalamus and its subnuclei to distinct smoking characteristics. We acquired anatomical scans of 32 smokers as well as functional resting‐state scans before and after a cue‐reactivity task. Thalamic functional connectivity was associated with craving and dependence severity, whereas the volume of the thalamus was associated with dependence severity only. Craving, which fluctuates rapidly, was best characterized by differences in brain function, whereas the rather persistent syndrome of dependence severity was associated with both brain structural differences and function. Our study supports the notion that functional versus structural measures tend to be associated with behavioural measures that evolve at faster versus slower temporal scales, respectively. It confirms the importance of the thalamus to understand mechanisms of addiction and highlights it as a potential target for brain‐based interventions to support smoking cessation, such as brain stimulation and neurofeedback.
“Actual Political Affiliations Are of Secondary Importance”: Communism and Women's Entangled Loyalties in the Australian Anti‐Nuclear Movement, 1945–65
Authors: Viney Hannah
Published: December 2022

The 1950s in Australia began with the newly elected Menzies Government's campaign to ban the Communist Party of Australia, feeding into and sustaining growing anti‐communist rhetoric in the post‐war nation. Fears of communist infiltration coloured the actions of the Australian peace movement, with public commentators and political figures condemning the movement as a communist fifth column intent on destroying Australian society. Peace activists had to manage such perceptions of their work while navigating their own beliefs on politics and ideology. Using the women of the anti‐nuclear movement of the 1950s and 1960s as a case study, this paper demonstrates that while the movement would often be publicly characterised — both in contemporary sources and more recent literature — as divided along ideological lines, individual alliances were far more complex and entangled. Though Cold War divisions appeared to be upheld in public nuclear disarmament sentiment, private sentiments were far more nuanced. These women had to decide what was more important to them: the cause or the image. Ultimately, for many, communism was a pressing issue, but nuclear disarmament was more pressing still.
Non‐reproductive effects of follicle‐stimulating hormone in young men
Authors: Elenkov Angel , Wirestrand Elin , Hagsund Agnes , Huhtaniemi Ilpo , Giwercman Yvonne Lundberg , Giwercman Aleksander
Published: December 2022

Objective

Follicle‐stimulating hormone (FSH) receptor expression has been reported in many extra‐gonadal tissues, raising the question of non‐reproductive effects of FSH. Because of increasing usage of FSH in treatment of male infertility, deeper knowledge of possible harmful off‐target effects of FSH is warranted.

Methods

In total, 33 healthy young men (mean age 30 years) were included in the study. All received an s.c. injection of gonadotropin‐releasing hormone (GnRH) antagonist and n = 16 were randomized to 300 IU recombinant FSH (300 IE 3 times/week) for 5 weeks at first visit (V1) whereas n = 17 served as controls. Blood samples were taken at (V1), after 3 weeks (V2), and after 5 weeks (V3), when the study ended. At V2, all subjects received 1000 mg testosterone undecanoate i.m. A standard set of bio‐ and inflammatory markers were compared between the groups using the Mann–Whitney test adjusted for multiple testing.

Results

As compared to controls, the FSH treated men had higher SHBG and albumin concentrations at V2 (p = 0.024 and 0.027, respectively), and lower levels of alanine aminotransferase (p = 0.026) and magnesium (p = 0.028) at V3. However, none of the results remained statistically significant after Bonferroni correction (p > 0.0011).

Conclusions

FSH had no significant effects on non‐reproductive organs when given in standard therapeutic doses to young men for 5 weeks. Therefore, the FSH treatment can be considered safe in otherwise healthy young men, constituting candidates for the infertility treatment with FSH.
An insight on the eye bacterial microbiota and its role on dry eye disease
Authors: Hernández‐Zulueta Joicye , Navarro‐Partida José , Sánchez‐Aguilar Oscar Eduardo , Cruz‐Pavlovich Héctor Daniel Santa , Castro‐Castañeda Carlos Rodrigo , González‐De la Rosa Alejandro
Published: December 2022

The human ocular surface hosts a bacterial assemblage that integrates a diverse and complex microbiome. This bacterial microbiota is part of a healthy eye and plays a protective role in it. However, this ocular bacterial assemblage may alter the ocular surface inflammation response and can influence the development and progression of dry eye disease. For this reason, the present review describes the changes generated on the ocular surface by bacterial assemblages during the development of dry eye disease. Likewise, the interaction of this microbiota with the other inflammatory factors that influence the development of this disease is analyzed, as well as the use of treatments focused on modifying the bacteria on the ocular surface.
Nonparametric Scanning Tests of Homogeneity for Hierarchical Models with Continuous Covariates
Authors: Todem David , Hsu Wei-Wen , Kim KyungMann
Published: December 2022

In many applications of hierarchical models, there is often interest in evaluating the inherent heterogeneity in view of observed data. When the underlying hypothesis involves parameters resting on the boundary of their support space such as variances and mixture proportions, it is a usual practice to entertain testing procedures that rely on common heterogeneity assumptions. Such procedures, albeit omnibus for general alternatives, may entail a substantial loss of power for specific alternatives such as heterogeneity varying with covariates. We introduce a novel and flexible approach that uses covariate information to improve the power to detect heterogeneity, without imposing unnecessary restrictions. With continuous covariates, the approach does not impose a regression model relating heterogeneity parameters to covariates or rely on arbitrary discretizations. Instead, a scanning approach requiring continuous dichotomizations of the covariates is proposed. Empirical processes resulting from these dichotomizations are then used to construct the test statistics, with limiting null distributions shown to be functionals of tight random processes. We illustrate our proposals and results on a popular class of two-component mixture models, followed by simulation studies and applications to two real datasets in cancer and caries research.