bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Circular economy and sustainable development: a review and research agenda
Authors: Lamba Harchitwan Kaur , Kumar Nived S. , Dhir Sanjay
Published: January 2023

Purpose

This study theoretically investigates the extant literature published about circular economy and sustainable development to identify significant research themes, the most relevant authors, countries and journals.

Design/methodology/approach

Bibliometric analysis is used, followed by cluster formation using co-citation analysis. The clusters are discussed in-depth to identify emerging themes and future research areas.

Findings

By systematically reviewing 596 research articles, significant themes of research in this field were found. These include frameworks and indicators to define and assess the circular economy, circular business models and use cases, global and industrial contexts of application of circular economy and different dimensions of the circular economy.

Research limitations/implications

Publications from only one database have been used. Only articles published in relevant academic journals have been used for the bibliometric analysis. For co-citation analysis and cluster formation, only articles with a high number of citations were selected.

Originality/value

The analysis of the various clusters revealed research areas that can be explored in future research to understand the circular economy better and implement its practices to attain sustainability.
Enhancing the capability of persons with disability to utilize healthcare
Authors: Sarkodie Adu Owusu
Published: January 2023

Purpose

The Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) Act, 2006 (Act 715) was passed in Ghana to grant several rights to PWDs, including access to public services such as healthcare. This paper investigates the inequality in resources and then later assesses the effect of disability on healthcare utilization if all resources are distributed equally between disabled and not disabled persons.

Design/methodology/approach

The study uses data from the seventh round of the Ghana Living Standards Survey (GLSS 7), which was conducted in 2016/2017, and employs the estimation method of propensity score matching (PSM), within the framework of the capability approach (CA).

Findings

The findings are that there is a disparity in the resources and conversion factors needed to utilize healthcare. Compared to not disabled persons, persons living with disability are more likely to be poorer but pay more out of pocket because they are more likely to be uninsured. They are also older, male, uneducated and live in rural areas. They are also likely to spend more money but less time to travel to the health facility, and they wait longer to receive treatment. After matching these background characteristics, disability reduces healthcare utilization by 12.4%.

Research limitations/implications

The research is limited by the lack of information about the reasons for seeking healthcare by the persons living with disability, whether it is for general treatment as any other person or for treating the disability.

Practical implications

Persons with disability are less endowed. However, even if they have the same resources as their abled counterparts, disability will still reduce healthcare utilization.

Social implications

This paper identifies and addresses all forms of inequality with respect to healthcare utilization, within Amartya Sen’s Capability Approach.

Originality/value

Persons living with disability are less likely to seek treatment when ill. This is understandable since there is a disparity in the resources and conversion factors needed to utilize healthcare. However, after matching these background characteristics, just being disabled still reduces healthcare utilization. The paper uses Sen’s CA framework.

Peer review

The peer review history for this article is available at: https://publons.com/publon/10.1108/IJSE-02-2022-0084
Measuring spectators' perception toward peripheral stadium quality services after COVID-19: impact on their emotions and attendance intentions
Authors: Rai Jaskirat Singh , Foroughi Behzad , Itani Maher N. , Singh Amanpreet
Published: January 2023

Purpose

The perception of sport consumers on peripheral stadium-quality services (PSQS) has evolved after compulsory precautionary measures were imposed on gatherings to alleviate the spread of coronavirus. This study attempts to reassess five principal dimensions of PSQS? Stadium parking, stadium cleanliness, fan control, food services and perceived crowding? through reflecting on the COVID-19 control and prevention measures established during this pandemic. Furthermore, it aims to measure the impact of the multi-dimensional PSQS on spectators' emotions and future attendance intentions.

Design/methodology/approach

The purposive sampling technique was used to collect data from spectators watching the live matches of cricket at the stadium. A total of 680 responses were collected from spectators and uploaded to the measurement model. The covariance-based structural equation modeling technique was used subsequently for analysis purposes.

Findings

The study found a positive impact of the stadium cleanliness and fan control services on spectators' happiness and excitement emotions; and a negative impact of stadium parking, stadium cleanliness, fan control and perceived crowding on their anger, anxiety and dejection emotions. The happiness and excitement emotions of the spectators induced them to visit again at the stadium. Of all the peripheral quality services, the study found only stadium cleanliness service indirectly effect spectators' revisit intentions through excitement emotion as a mediator.

Research limitations/implications

The incorporation of the safety procedures through PSQS can reduce spectators' negative emotions especially when they face psychological fear of the pandemic. These services work as a stimulus for spectators that directly affect their organism (emotions) and indirectly affect their response (attendance intentions).

Originality/value

This study contributed to sports research by novelty evaluating sport consumers' perception of the PSQS after incorporating COVID-19 preventive measures. It empirically examines the effect PSQS on spectators' emotions and re-visits intentions.
Social infrastructure platforms: the case of AskingBristol
Authors: Parker Martin , Brown James , Jusu-Sheriff Hannah , Manley John
Published: January 2023

Purpose

The project – AskingBristol – uses university students to connect third sector organizations with particular “asks” to organizations which might be able to respond with “offers”. The authors describe the task of the experiment as being an attempt to embed students and their universities within the cities that they are based in, but are often not really very connected to.

Design/methodology/approach

This reflective report on practice describes an initiative aimed at producing a piece of “social infrastructure”. Written by the four people involved, the authors theorize and evaluate what we have done so far and what we hope to do in future.

Findings

Over two phases, it has had some success, and we think represents a concrete approach to thinking about how “civic” ideas might gain traction within universities. Using ideas about social networks, boundary objects and infrastructure the authors explore the opportunities and problems of such a project, stressing that it allows co-ordination between a wide variety of people and organizations that do not necessarily share common interests.

Research limitations/implications

This is one “experiment”, in one city, but it demonstrates the possibilities of getting “civic” universities engaged with local third sector organizations.

Practical implications

If it became a piece of social infrastructure, such a project could embed ideas about “civic”, “impact”, “engagement” and so on into the routines of the city and the university.

Social implications

Though Asking Bristol cannot solve the problems of the city, it shows that we can transfer resources, time, skills and space to where they are needed.

Originality/value

The authors do not think anything like this has been attempted before, and hope that sharing it will stimulate some comparisons, and perhaps some dissemination of the idea.
How diverse are residents’ perceptions of wine tourism impacts in three Portuguese wine routes? The role of involvement with tourism, wine production and destination life-cycle stage
Authors: Eusébio Celeste , Carneiro Maria João , Figueiredo Elisabete , Duarte Paulo , Pato Maria Lúcia , Kastenholz Elisabeth
Published: January 2023

Purpose

Wine tourism has been growing considerably over the past decades. The literature highlights its relevance in the social, economic and cultural development of the regions where wine routes are located. However, few studies examine residents’ tourism impact perceptions and even fewer analyse the diversity of these perceptions. This study aims to fill this gap, examining this diversity according to the life-cycle stage of the wine route and residents’ involvement with wine and with tourism activities.

Design/methodology/approach

Data obtained from a questionnaire-based survey (N = 882) of residents from three wine routes of the Central Region of Portugal – Bairrada, Dão and Beira Interior – were used, with dimensions of perceived impacts tested for internal consistency via Cronbach’s α. T-tests and ANOVA tests were used to compare residents’ perceptions of wine tourism impacts according to the life-cycle stage of the wine route and residents’ involvement with wine and with tourism activities.

Findings

Generally, residents perceived that wine tourism generates more benefits than costs, with positive economic and socio cultural impacts standing out, while negative environmental and social impacts were perceived less. Some differences are observed according to the life-cycle stage of the wine route, with both the most and the least developed routes presenting more pronounced both positive and negative impact impressions in diverse dimensions. Also, a moderating effect (however not as pronounced) of working in tourism and (even less visible) of working in the wine sector is observed. Possible explanations of these findings and implications on wine route development are discussed.

Originality/value

This article analyses a subject of great relevance for the sustainable development of wine tourism destinations that has been little studied in the literature. Thus, relevant theoretical and empirical contributions are identified.
How do shared values improve eudaimonic workplace well-being: role of perceived justice and emotional exhaustion among nurses
Authors: Karaca Gizem , Tanova Cem , Gokmenoglu Korhan
Published: January 2023

Purpose

This study aims to explore how shared values improve eudaimonic workplace well-being, the fulfillment that comes from personal development and the utilization of personal capabilities. The authors investigate the serial mediating role that perceived overall justice and emotional exhaustion play in how shared values relate to well-being.

Design/methodology/approach

Using data collected from three hundred nurses in Turkish healthcare institutions during the COVID-19 pandemic (Male = 113, Female = 187). The age of participants ranged from 19 to 58 and the average age was 34. The snowball sampling method was used to form the sample and self-administered surveys that could be completed online were delivered to the sampled nurses.

Findings

The authors analysis using partial least square structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) supported the expected relationship between shared values and eudaimonic workplace well-being as well as the mediating role of perceived overall justice and emotional exhaustion. The authors also show a serial mediation where shared values are related to justice perceptions which in turn negatively relate to emotional exhaustion which subsequently relates to higher levels of eudaimonic workplace well-being.

Originality/value

The results of this study suggest that when the shared values between the healthcare institution and the employees are aligned, the eudaimonic well-being of employees is higher. The findings provide implications for the mental health of frontline employees in health organizations to have higher levels of eudaimonic well-being which is especially important in times of intense pressure such as the period during the COVID-19 pandemic.
COVID-19 uncertainties, dynamic capabilities and the strategic response of multinational enterprises
Authors: Olarewaju Adeniyi D. , Ajeyalemi Oladipupo F.
Published: January 2023

Purpose

This study aims to examine uncertainties created due to the pandemic that multinational enterprises (MNEs) had to confront. It also assesses MNEs’ response to these uncertainties through their dynamic capabilities (DCs). It relied on theories of DCs and organizational learning.

Design/methodology/approach

MNEs listed in Fortune Global 500 served as the population of the study, while data were retrieved from their respective corporate websites. The final phase generated 704 documents systematically analyzed for dialogic communication. Content analysis was used to make inferences.

Findings

This study found six distinct uncertainties created by COVID-19. Furthermore, it was found that irrespective of industry-type or headquarters location, organizations could transform their internal processes and remain resilient by strategically sensing and responding to exogenous shocks through DCs.

Research limitations/implications

The use of dialogic communication through website analysis could be prone to misrepresentations and data exaggeration from organizations. However, this limitation was mitigated by focusing on Fortune Global 500 MNEs, which are reputable global corporations.

Practical implications

Dealing with and coping with the uncertainties created by COVID-19 presents MNEs with valuable capabilities and experience in handling future global viral diseases when they inevitably occur.

Originality/value

Unlike previous shocks, COVID-19 had an immeasurable global disruption to MNEs’ business operations. Evidence was found that MNEs could remain resilient by using DCs in response to uncertainties amid an exogenous shock. It makes a theoretical contribution by extending what was previously known about DCs, uncertainties and exogenous shocks.
The roles of BST‐2 in murine B cell development and on virus propagation
Authors: Urata Shuzo , Yamaguchi Sachiko , Nambu Aya , Sudo Katsuko , Nakae Susumu , Yasuda Jiro
Published: January 2023

The bone marrow (BM) stromal cell antigen‐2 (BST‐2), also known as tetherin, CD317, PDCA‐1, or HM1.24, is a membrane protein overexpressed in several types of tumors and may act as a promising target for cancer treatment via antibody‐dependent cellular cytotoxicity. BST‐2 is also expressed in human BM stromal cells (BMSC), which support B cell development. While the activity of BST‐2 as an antiviral factor has been demonstrated, the expression patterns and the role of BST‐2 on B‐cell development and activation have not been investigated, especially in vivo. In this study, Bst2 knockout (Bst2−/−) mice were generated to assess the role of BST‐2 on B cell development and activation. It was observed that BST‐2 was not expressed in BMSC or all B cell progenitors even in wild‐type mice and does not play a significant role in B cell development. In addition, the loss of BST‐2 had no effect on B cell activation. Furthermore and in contrast to the well‐known antiviral role of BST‐2, infection of vesicular stomatitis Indiana virus to the BM cells collected from the Bst2−/− mice produced less infectious virus compared with that from the WT mice. These results suggest that murine BST‐2 is different from human BST‐2 in the expression pattern, physiological function, in vivo, and might possess positive role on VSV replication.
Consumers' willingness to pay for organic rice: Insights from a non‐hypothetical experiment in Indonesia
Authors: Grimm Michael , Luck Nathalie , Steinhübel Franziska
Published: January 2023

As in many high‐income countries, there is increasing awareness towards organic farming in many low‐ and middle‐income countries. Sustained local demand is an essential requirement for further adoption of organic farming by smallholders, who typically have only limited access to export markets. Until now, only few studies have explored the local willingness to pay (WTP) for organic products in low‐ and middle‐income countries in real purchase situations. This paper analyses the consumers' WTP for organic rice in urban and suburban Indonesia using an incentive‐compatible auction based on the Becker–DeGroot–Marschak (BDM) approach. We further study the effect of income and a randomised information treatment about the benefits of organic food on respondents' WTP. Estimates suggest that respondents are willing to pay an average price premium of 20% compared with what they paid for conventional rice outside our experiment. However, our results also indicate that raising consumers' WTP further is complex. Showing participants a video about health or, alternatively, environmental benefits of organic food was not effective in further raising WTP. The results can be used as a basis for the design of alternative awareness measures to increase knowledge, interest and demand for organic food.
Disposition of patients utilising the virtual emergency department service in southeast region of Melbourne (SERVED‐1)
Authors: Sri‐Ganeshan Muhuntha , Mitra Biswadev , Soldatos Georgia , Howard Maddi , Goldie Neil , McGee Fergus , Nehme Ziad , Underhill Andrew , O'Reilly Gerard M , Cameron Peter A ,   the Southeast Region Virtual Emergency Department (SERVED) Research Group
Published: January 2023

Objective

Supported by the state government, three health networks partnered to initiate a virtual ED (VED), as part of a broader roll‐out of emergency telehealth services in Victoria. The aim of the present study (Southeast Region Virtual Emergency Department‐1 [SERVED‐1]) was to report the initial 5‐month experience and included all patients assessed through the service over the first 5 months (1 February 2022 to 30 June 2022).

Methods

VED consults occurred after referral from paramedics in the pre‐hospital setting. Electronic medical records were retrospectively reviewed for demographic, presenting complaint and outcome data. The primary outcome was the count of VED consultations. The secondary outcome was the proportion of patients where physical ED attendance was avoided within 72 h. The proportion of physical ED attendances avoided sub‐grouped by primary presenting complaints were reported.

Results

There were 1748 patients who had a VED consultation, of which 1261 (72.1%; 95% confidence interval [CI] 70.0–74.2) patients had physical presentation to an ED avoided in the 72 h following the consult. There was a significant increase in consultations over the 5‐month period (incidence rate ratio 1.27; 95% CI 1.23–1.31, P < 0.001) that was consistent in the three health services. The most common presenting complaints were COVID‐19 and shortness of breath, and physical presentation was avoided most often among younger patients and those with COVID‐19.

Conclusions

Initial experience demonstrated a significant increase in adoption of the service and an overall avoidance of physical ED attendance by a majority of patients. These results support ongoing VED consultations, complemented by follow up and health economic evaluations.
Pheromones emitted by both female and male moths regulate coordination between the sexes for Agriphila aeneociliella (Lepidoptera: Crambidae)
Authors: Zhan Yi‐Di , Liu Ying‐Jie , Liu Jia‐Hui , Liu Yong
Published: January 2023

The complex and efficient sex pheromone communication system in insects is essential for reproduction and for reproductive isolation of species. In moths, sex pheromone communication starts with male attraction to compounds emitted by females; only a few species act in the reverse. However, how the pheromones that are emitted by both sexes co‐regulate and coordinate mate finding and mating remains unknown. Here, we identified both the male and female pheromones of Eastern Grass Veneer moth, Agriphila aeneociliella (Lepidoptera: Crambidae), and demonstrated their efficiency in manipulating behavioral responses of the opposite sex. Combining data from analysis of gas chromatography‐electroantennogram detection, gas chromatography‐mass spectrometry, and olfactory behavior assays, the female pheromone of A. aeneociliella was identified as (Z,Z,Z)‐9,12,15‐octadecatrienal and (Z)‐9‐hexadecenyl acetate, while the male pheromone was determined to be 1‐nonanal. Both the 2 individual components of the female pheromone and their binary mixture were significantly attractive to males, and the 1‐nonanal male pheromone induced strong electrophysiological responses in females and induced attraction of females in a Y‐tube olfactory test. Depending on the concentration of 1‐nonanal, its addition to the binary mixture of the female pheromone either enhanced (10−3 or 10−2 μg/μL) or reduced (1 μg/μL) the aphrodisiac effect of the mixture on males. In wind‐tunnel bioassays, different concentrations of pheromones, including the binary mixture of female pheromone and the mixture of male and female pheromones, had significant effects on male behavior. Our findings suggested that the blend of both female and male pheromones plays a significant role in the sexual communication system in some moths.
Differences in habitual eating speed lead to small differences in dynamic sensory perception of composite foods
Authors: Gonzalez‐Estanol Karina , van Bruinessen Marieke , Biasioli Franco , Stieger Markus
Published: January 2023

Previous studies demonstrated that variability in oral processing behaviors impacts bolus properties and consequently texture and flavor perception. However, most studies followed a prescribed mastication protocol during the products’ sensory evaluations. A better understanding of how variability in habitual eating behavior impacts sensory perception of foods is needed. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of habitual eating speed (slow vs. fast eaters) on dynamic sensory perception of composite foods. Habitual oral processing behavior of different composite foods was quantified in 105 participants. Participants were divided in fast (n = 53) and slow (n = 52) eaters using a median split. Three formulations of strawberry jams varying in viscosity and sugar content (High Sugar/Low Pectin [Control], High Sugar/High Pectin, Low Sugar/Low Pectin) were used. Composite foods were prepared by spreading jams on breads. Dynamics of dominant sensory attributes of strawberry jams presented with and without breads were evaluated using Temporal Dominance of Sensations (TDS). Dynamic sensory perception of jams and jam–bread combinations differed only slightly for short periods of time between habitual slow and fast eaters. The addition of breads to jams reduced especially the ability of the fast eaters to discriminate between jams differing in formulation. Slow eaters discriminated between different formulations of jams better than fast eaters, regardless of whether jams were presented alone or in combination with breads. We conclude that differences in habitual eating speed between consumers lead to small differences in dynamic sensory perception and discrimination ability of composite foods.
Can the effectiveness of tonsillectomy for PFAPA syndrome be predicted based on clinical factors
Authors: Hara Mariko , Morimoto Noriko , Watabe Takahisa , Morisaki Naho , Matsumoto Kenji
Published: January 2023

Objectives

To evaluate the clinical factors associated with the outcome of tonsillectomy in children with periodic fever, aphthous stomatitis, pharyngitis, and cervical adenitis (PFAPA) syndrome, thereby clarifying who would most likely benefit from that surgery.

Methods

This was a case–control study of 53 PFAPA patients who underwent tonsillectomy and were divided into a complete‐resolution group and a postoperative‐fever group. Logistic regression analyses were performed using 17 clinical factors as variables to identify factors associated with the surgical outcome. Hierarchical cluster analysis was also performed to evaluate for relationships between phenotypes and surgical outcomes.

Results

Thirty‐nine (73.6%) patients had complete resolution after tonsillectomy. In simple logistic regression analysis, the surgical outcome showed significant positive trends with late‐onset (odds ratio [OR] 7.1, P = 0.02) and presence of headache (OR 6.5, P = 0.01). In stepwise multiple logistic regression analysis adjusted for age at onset, presence of headache was significantly associated with complete resolution (OR 6.5, P = 0.01). The complete resolution rates for each combination of headache status and age at onset were as follows: presence of headache/age at onset ≥36 months, 100% (14/14); presence of headache/age at onset <36 months, 76.9% (10/13); absence of headache/age at onset ≥36 months, 75.0% (6/8); and absence of headache/age at onset <36 months, 43.8% (7/16). In hierarchical cluster analysis, complete resolution, age at onset, and headache were in the same cluster.

Conclusions

PFAPA patients with headache and late onset responded well to tonsillectomy. The mechanisms underlying this association may warrant further investigation.
The relationship between problematic gambling severity and engagement with gambling products: Longitudinal analysis of the Emerging Adults Gambling Survey
Authors: Wardle Heather , Tipping Sarah
Published: January 2023

Aims

To measure the association between problem gambling severity and 19 different gambling activities among emerging adults (aged 16–26).

Design

An online non‐probability longitudinal survey collecting data in two waves: wave 1, July/August 2019; wave 2, July/October 2020.

Setting

Great Britain

Participants

A total of 2080 young adults participating in both waves.

Measurements

Problem gambling scores were collected using the Problem Gambling Severity Index (PGSI). Binary variables recorded past year participation in 19 different gambling forms, ranging from lotteries to online casino and gambling‐like practices within digital games (e.g. loot box purchase, skin betting). Controls included socio‐demographic/economic characteristics, the Eysenck Impulsivity Scale and the number of gambling activities undertaken.

Findings

Zero inflated negative binomial model lacked evidence of an effect between past year participation in any individual activities and subsequent PGSI scores. However, negative binomial random effects models for current gamblers (n = 497) showed that skin betting (incidence‐rate ratio [IRR] = 2.32; 95% CI = 1.69–3.19), fixed odd betting terminals (IRR = 2.21, 95% CI = 1.61–3.05), slot/fruit machines (IRR = 1.43, 95% CI = 1.07–1.91), online betting on horse/dog races (IRR = 1.53, 95% CI = 1.17–2.00) and online betting on non‐sports events (IRR = 1.44, 95% CI = 1.11–1.89) were associated with increased PGSI scores. Online casino gambling had a significant interaction by wave; the impact of online casino betting in wave 2 on PGSI scores increased by a factor of 1.61.

Conclusions

Past year participation of young adults (aged 16–26) in certain forms of gambling does not appear to be associated with future Problem Gambling Severity Index scores. Among young adults who are current gamblers, past year participation in certain land‐based (e.g. electronic gaming machines) and online forms (e.g. skin betting) of gambling appears to be strongly associated with elevated Problem Gambling Severity Index scores.
Echocardiography‐ versus intracardiac electrocardiogram‐based optimization of cardiac resynchronization therapy: A systematic review
Authors: Sami Abdul , Mustafa Bilal , Butt Hamza Ahmed , Ashraf Zainab , Ullah Asif , Babar Farheen , Asad Muhammad , Awais Muhammad , Zaidi Syed Muhammad Jawad , Fakhar Tehniat , Mehmoodi Amin , Adnan Nawal , Malik Jahanzeb
Published: January 2023

Objective

This systematic review aimed to evaluate the performance of echocardiography‐based programming in comparison with the intracardiac electrocardiogram (IEGM)‐based method for the optimization of cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT).

Methods

A literature review was conducted using digital databases to systematically identify the studies reporting CRT optimization through echocardiography compared with IEGM. Detailed patient‐level study characteristics including the type of study, sample size, therapy, the New York Heart Classification (NYHA) status, lead placement, and other parameters were abstracted. Finally, postprogramming outcomes were extracted for each article.

Results

In a total of 11 studies, 919 patients were recruited for the final analysis. Overall, 692 (75.29%) were males. The mean duration of the QRS complex in our study population ranged from 145.2 ± 21.8 ms to 183 ± 19.9 ms. There was an equal improvement in the NYHA class between the two methods while the left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) demonstrated an improvement by IEGM. Many studies supported IEGM to increase the 6‐minute walk test and left ventricular outflow tract velocity time interval (LVOT VTI) when compared to echocardiography. The mean time for echocardiography‐based optimization was 60.15 min while that of IEGM‐based optimization was 6.65 min.

Conclusion

IEGM is an alternative method for CRT optimization in improving the NYHA class, LVEF, and LVOT VTI, and is less time‐consuming when compared to the echocardiography‐based methods.
15N‐labeled dietary nitrate supplementation increases human skeletal muscle nitrate concentration and improves muscle torque production
Authors: Kadach Stefan , Park Ji Won , Stoyanov Zdravko , Black Matthew I. , Vanhatalo Anni , Burnley Mark , Walter Peter J. , Cai Hongyi , Schechter Alan N. , Piknova Barbora , Jones Andrew M.
Published: January 2023

Aim

Dietary nitrate (NO3−) supplementation increases nitric oxide bioavailability and can enhance exercise performance. We investigated the distribution and metabolic fate of ingested NO3− at rest and during exercise with a focus on skeletal muscle.

Methods

In a randomized, crossover study, 10 healthy volunteers consumed 12.8 mmol 15N‐labeled potassium nitrate (K15NO3; NIT) or potassium chloride placebo (PLA). Muscle biopsies were taken at baseline, at 1‐ and 3‐h post‐supplement ingestion, and immediately following the completion of 60 maximal intermittent contractions of the knee extensors. Muscle, plasma, saliva, and urine samples were analyzed using chemiluminescence to determine absolute [NO3−] and [NO2−], and by mass spectrometry to determine the proportion of NO3− and NO2− that was 15N‐labeled.

Results

Neither muscle [NO3−] nor [NO2−] were altered by PLA. Following NIT, muscle [NO3−] (but not [NO2−]) was elevated at 1‐h (from ~35 to 147 nmol/g, p < 0.001) and 3‐h, with almost all of the increase being 15N‐labeled. There was a significant reduction in 15N‐labeled muscle [NO3−] from pre‐ to post‐exercise. Relative to PLA, mean muscle torque production was ~7% greater during the first 18 contractions following NIT. This improvement in torque was correlated with the pre‐exercise 15N‐labeled muscle [NO3−] and the magnitude of decline in 15N‐labeled muscle [NO3−] during exercise (r = 0.66 and r = 0.62, respectively; p < 0.01).

Conclusion

This study shows, for the first time, that skeletal muscle rapidly takes up dietary NO3−, the elevated muscle [NO3−] following NO3− ingestion declines during exercise, and muscle NO3− dynamics are associated with enhanced torque production during maximal intermittent muscle contractions.
Sophistry or wisdom in words: Aristotle on rhetoric and leadership
Authors: Hühn Matthias P. , Meyer Marcel
Published: January 2023

In the leadership literature of the past 100 years or so, rhetoric has been a topic for a long time and ethics was introduced some 30 years ago. However, the three topics, leadership, rhetoric, and ethics, have not been connected. This is astonishing because when ethical leadership made its comeback, scholars acknowledged the debt that ethical leadership owes to Aristotelian ideas. For Aristotle, leadership, ethics, and rhetoric were inseparable: without ethics, there could neither be good leadership nor rhetoric, and rhetoric was the bridge from leader to follower and back. Aristotle is known as the practical philosopher and we argue that closing this major lacuna in leadership theory, would be beneficial for practice too and would help prevent Theranos‐like scandals. The lacuna lies in what some call a Machiavellian view of leadership and rhetoric: both are regarded as amoral tools to achieve given ends. Aristotle would bristle at that idea. Both, leadership and rhetoric, to be good, must aim at the noble. The noble is not dictated by a heroic despot nor by a selfless saint but is understood by a leader because s/he is a socially embedded individual. We argue that leadership should be understood as personal development, that organisational rules must not inhibit virtue, that leadership is more about listening than talking, that synthesising that which is heard is central, and finally, that the common, not the collective, good is the goal of leadership.
From monopoly to voice effects? British workplace unionism and productivity performance into the new millennium
Authors: Veliziotis Michail , Vernon Guy
Published: January 2023

Britain has featured prominently in debates about unionism and productivity. This article suggests a recent revolution in the productivity effect of British unionism. A thorough review of extant evidence at various levels of aggregation indicates that whatever the broader cost to employee welfare and well‐being, the hollowing and erosion of workplace unionism under Thatcherism delivered a one‐off productivity dividend. However, by the turn of the millennium, extant Workplace Employment Relations Survey (WERS) analysis shows that workplace unionism, where it remained, was no longer robustly linked to poorer productivity performance. Our private sector analysis of WERS2011 confirms this, while our analysis of the WERS2004–2011 panel indicates that stronger workplace unionism now positively promotes private sector productivity. A thorough contemplation of the shifting concomitants of modern British unionism suggests a variety of processes which may underlie our striking panel findings, underscoring the suggestion that there has been a revolution in British unionism's productivity implications, but also indicating mechanisms which may underlie positive productivity effects of joint regulation already apparent in other countries.
Characteristics of the gut microbiota in bipolar depressive disorder patients with distinct weight
Authors: Zhang Peifen , Zhang Danhua , Lai Jianbo , Fu Yaoyang , Wu Lingling , Huang Huimin , Pan Yanmeng , Jiang Jiajun , Xi Caixi , Che Ziyuan , Song Xueqin , Hu Shaohua
Published: January 2023

Background

Preliminary studies have indicated metabolic dysfunction and gut dysbiosis in patients with bipolar disorder (BD). In this study, we aimed to clarify the impact of the gut microbial composition and function on metabolic dysfunction in BD patients with an acute depressive episode.

Methods

Fresh fecal samples were provided from 58 patients with BD depression, including 29 with normal weight (NW) and 29 with overweight/obesity (OW), and 31 healthy controls (HCs). The hypervariable region of 16 S rRNA gene (V3‐V4) sequencing was performed using IonS5TMXL platform to evaluate the bacterial communities. Differences of microbial community and correlation to clinical parameters across different groups were analyzed.

Results

Compared to NW and HCs, the OW group showed a decreased tendency in alpha diversity index. Beta diversity was markedly different among these groups (PERMANOVA: R2 = 0.034, p = 0.01) and was higher in patients versus HCs. A total number of 24 taxa displayed significantly different abundance among OW, NW, and HCs. At the family level, the abundance of three taxa was remarkably increased in NW, one in OW, and one in HCs. At the genus level, five taxa were enriched in OW, eight in NW, and two in HCs. The relative abundance of the genera Megamonas was positively associated with BMI, while Eggerthella was negatively correlated with BMI. Functional prediction analysis revealed the metabolism of cofactors and vitamins and amino acid were highly enriched in OW compared to HCs. In addition, microbial functions involved in “lipid metabolism” were depleted while the “fructose and mannose metabolism” was enriched in OW compared to NW group.

Conclusions

Specific bacterial taxa involved in pathways regulating the lipid, energy, and amino acid metabolisms may underlie the weight concerns in depressed BD patients. Potential targeting gut microbial therapy is provided for overweight/obesity patients with BD, which still need further studies in the future.
Surfactant screening techniques for effective dispersion of carbon black pigment
Authors: Chavan Bhagyesh , Nagose Swati , Rose Elvina , Joshi Amit
Published: January 2023

Effective dispersion of a pigment in a colour concentrate is imperative to its performance. A well dispersed pigment yields the true strength of a colour and becomes stabilised in the long run. To accomplish this, a suitable chemistry of the surfactant is a prerequisite for dispersion and stabilisation of the pigment. A plethora of surfactants are available commercially and it is very difficult to choose the right surfactant that suits the pigment chemistry. Carbon black, being difficult to disperse, was chosen in this study to provide dispersion from an effective surfactant. Simple screening processes, if available for these surfactants, can save a huge amount of time and energy compared with the conventional method of conducting individual experiments. This paper discusses the development of such simple surfactant screening techniques, which could make the selection process simpler and quicker.
Drivers of large carnivore density in non‐hunted, multi‐use landscapes
Authors: Devlin Allison L. , Frair Jacqueline L. , Crawshaw Peter G. , Hunter Luke T. B. , Tortato Fernando R. , Hoogesteijn Rafael , Robinson Nathaniel , Robinson Hugh S. , Quigley Howard B.
Published: January 2023

Protected areas serve as population strongholds for many large carnivores, with multi‐use landscapes along their borders forming the front‐lines of wildlife conservation. Understanding large carnivore population dynamics within working landscapes is difficult where anthropogenic mortality is high and unregulated. This study focused on working ranches, where killing jaguars (Panthera onca) and their prey was prohibited, to gain insight into jaguar population potential across multi‐use landscapes. Faced with forest fragmentation, presence of domestic livestock, and dynamic land‐use practices, we expected jaguar populations in working landscapes to be predominantly male and transient, with low cub production, and inflated population densities in remnant forest patches, versus protected areas where we expected native forest habitat and stable jaguar territories. Using camera traps and spatial‐capture recapture analyses, we observed that male jaguars demonstrated larger‐scale movements and were more detectable than females (0.07 ± 0.01 SE vs. 0.02 ± 0.01 SE) in both working and protected landscapes. Female jaguars in ranches traveled farther than females in parks. Carnivore density increased with forest cover and wild prey activity, decreased with domestic prey activity, and was marginally higher in ranches (4.08 individuals/100 km2 ± 0.73 SE) than in parks (3.59 individuals/100 km2 ± 0.64 SE). Females outnumbered males in both landscapes (2.20–2.60 females/100 km2vs. ~1.60 males/100 km2), although local male density reached up to 11.00 males/100 km2in ranches (vs. 3.50 males/100 km2in parks). While overall jaguar density was patchier in protected areas ( = 0.69 parks, 0.54 ranches), inter‐annual patchiness was higher within ranches (Moran'sI = 0.49–0.60 ranches, 0.69–0.70 parks), reflecting changes in cattle management. Despite major habitat alterations, working landscapes can support carnivore densities equivalent to (or exceeding that of) unmodified forest habitat, provided that wildlife‐tolerant ranching practices are maintained.
Designing wartime economic controls: Productivity and firm dynamics in the Japanese cotton spinning industry, 1937–9
Authors: Okazaki Tetsuji
Published: January 2023

In 1937, the Japanese government accelerated the expansion of its military expenditure and began to impose controls on the economy to maintain the balance of international payments. The controls were developed through trial and error. The cotton spinning industry was one of the industries most deeply affected by these controls. Initially, the government simply reduced the allocation of foreign exchange for raw cotton imports. However, because this measure prevented the export of cotton products, especially to countries outside the yen bloc, a new scheme of control, the ‘export–import link system’, was adopted from the second half of 1938. This scheme was intentionally designed to give firms incentives to export to non‐yen bloc countries and to incorporate elements of market mechanisms into the system of economic controls. Analysing firm‐level data, we find that under the link system, firms with higher labour productivity (LP) tended to grow faster, as occurs under a market economy. This relationship was not observed during the early stage of the controls. This difference is reflected in the pattern of change in aggregate LP. Under the export–import link system, the positive reallocation effect was substantial, similar to a market economy, whereas it was almost zero under the early controls. These findings indicate that the design of controls matters for the performance of controlled economies.
Interannual variability in the trophic niche of young‐of‐year fish belonging to four piscivorous species coexisting in a natural lake
Authors: Westrelin Samuel , Balzani Paride , Haubrock Phillip Joschka , Santoul Frédéric
Published: January 2023

Predatory fish species play a key role in aquatic ecosystems by exerting top‐down control on the food web. Also, their intra‐guild trophic interactions (i.e. competition) are crucial for the stability of the community. However, most studies focus on adult stages, while juveniles remain poorly studied, although their recruitment is the basis for the maintenance of predator populations.

We analysed carbon and nitrogen stable isotopes ratios of the young‐of‐year of four coexisting widespread predatory fish species (northern pike Esox lucius, European perch Perca fluviatilis, pikeperch Sander lucioperca, and European catfish Silurus glanis), sampled over 3 years in a shallow natural lake.

We found that the hierarchy in trophic position between species was consistent across years and similar to that known for adults, but with large variations around a general pattern: pike and pikeperch tended to occupy the highest trophic positions while perch occupied the lowest, and catfish had very varying positions.

Species partitioned their niches to decrease interspecific competition, but with some occasional overlaps, contributing to preserving their body condition. Depending on density, which was particularly impacted by harsh environmental conditions, niche overlap fluctuated across years, leading to niche enlargement of densely populated species, except for catfish.

These mechanisms enabled species coexistence, allowing the co‐occurrence of alien and native predators within the same ecosystem.

This work advocates for time‐integrated studies of trophic webs because they capture the variability of their dynamics better than a static picture. This is particularly true for juveniles whose survival strongly depends on their capacity to cope with competition. Information from trophic mid‐term studies of juveniles provides valuable guidance for optimised management of species.
High temperature events shape the broadscale distribution of juvenile Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar)
Authors: Corey Emily , Linnansaari Tommi , Cunjak Richard A.
Published: January 2023

Summer water temperatures within many temperate rivers regularly surpass the incipient lethal temperature for juvenile Atlantic salmon (c. 27°C), causing widescale abandonment of territory in favour of areas of cooler water (thermal refuges). This study aims to highlight the influence of thermal refuges on river‐scale abundance patterns. That is, do salmon parr adjust their distribution over time according to proximity to thermal refuges?

Twelve reaches (seven reference: five refuge) were chosen along a 17‐km section of the Little Southwest Miramichi River in Canada. Reaches were sampled throughout the 2011 and 2012 summer periods; high temperature events were recorded during summer 2012 but not summer 2011.

Multivariate principal component analyses indicated no discernible difference in habitat characteristics between the reach‐types under normal thermal conditions. However, reaches containing a thermal refuge had a significant increase in relative abundance of parr immediately after a series of high temperature events (water temperature >26°C) in 2012 (p = 0.034). This increase in relative abundance in refuge reaches was not present during the summer of 2011 when no temperature events occurred (p = 0.088), prior to the event of 2012 (p = 0.999), or at the late autumn survey following the 2012 event (p = 0.999).

Difference in temperature between refuge and mainstem reaches significantly influenced the suitability of a tributary as a thermal refuge habitat (R2 = 0.84), with preference shown for cooler refuges. River‐wide thermal heterogeneity therefore plays a critical role in survival of juvenile salmon throughout summer months and is likely to become necessary under future climate change scenarios.