bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Zymogenic latency in an ∼250-million-year-old astacin metallopeptidase
Authors: Guevara Tibisay , Rodríguez-Banqueri Arturo , Stöcker Walter , Becker-Pauly Christoph , Gomis-Rüth F. Xavier
Published: October 2022

The horseshoe crab Limulus polyphemus is one of few extant Limulus species, which date back to ∼250 million years ago under the conservation of a common Bauplan documented by fossil records. It possesses the only proteolytic blood-coagulation and innate immunity system outside vertebrates and is a model organism for the study of the evolution and function of peptidases. The astacins are a family of metallopeptidases that share a central ∼200-residue catalytic domain (CD), which is found in >1000 species across holozoans and, sporadically, bacteria. Here, the zymogen of an astacin from L. polyphemus was crystallized and its structure was solved. A 34-residue, mostly unstructured pro-peptide (PP) traverses, and thus blocks, the active-site cleft of the CD in the opposite direction to a substrate. A central `PP motif' (F35-E-G-D-I39) adopts a loop structure which positions Asp38 to bind the catalytic metal, replacing the solvent molecule required for catalysis in the mature enzyme according to an `aspartate-switch' mechanism. Maturation cleavage of the PP liberates the cleft and causes the rearrangement of an `activation segment'. Moreover, the mature N-terminus is repositioned to penetrate the CD moiety and is anchored to a buried `family-specific' glutamate. Overall, this mechanism of latency is reminiscent of that of the other three astacins with known zymogenic and mature structures, namely crayfish astacin, human meprin β and bacterial myroilysin, but each shows specific structural characteristics. Remarkably, myroilysin lacks the PP motif and employs a cysteine instead of the aspartate to block the catalytic metal.
Online education amid COVID-19 pandemic and its opportunities, challenges and psychological impacts among students and teachers: a systematic review
Authors: Aisha Noor , Ratra Amiteshwar
Published: October 2022

Purpose

The global spread of the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in the complete lockdown of almost every part of the world, including all educational institutions, resulting in the prompt implementation of online education to facilitate the students to carry on their learning. These conditions made the researchers study the experiences of online education among students and teachers. The influences of online teaching-learning during the COVID-19 pandemic undoubtedly offered numerous opportunities besides raising some challenges which impacted the overall psychology of students and teachers. So, this paper aims to conduct a systematic review of the research papers focussing on opportunities, challenges and psychological impacts raised due to the sudden shift to online education among students and teachers during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Design/methodology/approach

To conduct this systematic review, 19 articles published between July 2020 and May 2021 were considered and reported by following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA).

Findings

It was found that online education influenced the interests and experiences of the students and teachers and has immensely impacted their overall psychology. So, for the effective implementation of online and blended education, psychological well-being of students and teachers should be taken care of with properly designed instructions, adequate infrastructure or resources and satisfactory technological skills.

Research limitations/implications

In the present study, the students were not categorised according to their subjects or streams, i.e. science, commerce, humanities, medical, dental, postgraduate or undergraduate. All the students were categorised into two categories only: (1) college students and (2) school students. And also, teachers were not categorised and were presented as a whole, as school, college or university teachers.

Practical implications

The current research identified the abrupt implementation of online education during the COVID-19 pandemic, which raised various challenges and psychological impacts among students and teachers besides offering them many opportunities in times of crisis.

Social implications

Students and teachers constitute the educational community of society. They should get ample opportunities to develop skills for online education; challenges faced during online education should be identified and tackled, and the issues concerning the psychological well-being during online education for both teachers and students should be addressed to achieve sustained development of online education–blended learning environments.

Originality/value

The paper is the original research work based on the systematic review and concludes with suggestions for the future of online and blended pedagogy while taking care of the psychological needs of students and teachers in online and blended learning environments.
The importance of food and beverages in wellness experiences: a cross-continental analysis of tourists' perceptions
Authors: Forlani Fabio , Dini Mauro , Pencarelli Tonino
Published: October 2022

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to analyze the role that food and beverage (F&B) sensory stimuli play in building non-food-themed touristic experiences, such as wellness tourism experiences.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper adopts an asynchronous netnographic approach supported by software (T-Lab, 2021). The study was conducted on a database consisting of 3,141 reviews in English, left by customers of 38 wellness facilities (Spa Retreats) spread across 5 continents.

Findings

The analysis reveals that F&B stimuli contribute significantly to the tourist's perception of the wellness experience in a two-fold manner: on the one hand, they support the wellness experience, and on the other, through specific proposals (e.g. wine, vegan, detox, etc.), they qualify and differentiate the wellness experience in a hedonic rather than eudaimonic way.

Research limitations/implications

The present study contributes to managerial literature on the topic of gastronomic tourism and wellness tourism by providing, on an international scale, empirical evidence of (a) the importance and role of F&B touchpoints in hybrid gastronomic experiences; and (b) the presence of a variety of “wellness experiencescapes”.

Originality/value

This study is the first attempt to measure the role of F&B in tourists' perceptions of non-food-themed experiences. The research not only provides new data on the wellness experience through a cross-continental analysis but also offers useful theoretical and managerial insights for the design of wellness tourism experiences.
Building “common knowledge” when responding to major road tunnel incidents: an inter-organisational focus group study
Authors: Eklund Annika , Karlsson Sofia , Gyllencreutz Lina
Published: October 2022

Purpose

Major incidents in tunnel environment will pose several challenges for the emergency service organisations in terms of heat, visibility and lack of experiences from working in confined environments. These aspects, in turn, could pose challenges to establish collaboration. This study aims to contribute to the field of collaborative tunnel responses by exploring how “common knowledge” (Edwards, 2011) is built by the emergency services organisations, that is, what the organisations consider important while working on a potentially common problem, and their motives for the interpretations and actions if a major tunnel incident occurs.

Design/methodology/approach

Participants from the road traffic control centre, emergency dispatch centre, emergency medical service, rescue service and police were included in the study. Data from four focus group sessions was analysed using thematic analysis.

Findings

The study revealed that the tunnel environment presents specific aspects of how common knowledge was produced related to lifesaving and safety. The themes structuring mechanisms to reduce uncertainty, managing information for initial priorities, aligning responsibilities without hampering each other's work and adjusting actions to manage distance, illustrated how common knowledge was produced as crucial aspects to a collaborative response. Organising management sites, grasping and communicating risks, accessing the injury victims, was challenged by the confined environment, physical distances and imbalance in access to information and preparedness activities in tunnel environments.

Originality/value

This study offers new insights of common knowledge, by illustrating a motive perspective on collaborative responses in tunnel incidents. Creating interoperability calls not just for readiness for action and tunnel safety, but also training activities acknowledging different interpretations and motives to further develop tunnel responses.
Patient-reported experiences in primary health care access of Nepalese immigrant women in Canada
Authors: Dahal Rudra , Thapa Bajgain Kalpana , Bahadur Bajgain Bishnu , Adhikari Kamala , Naeem Iffat , Chowdhury Nashit , Turin Tanvir C.
Published: October 2022

Purpose

Canada has a globally recognized universal health-care system. However, immigrants experience a number of obstacles in obtaining primary health care (PHC) that may differ within various communities due to the intersection of culture, gender and other identities. To date, no research has been done on the difficulties Nepalese immigrant women in Canada may face accessing PHC. The purpose of this study was to learn about their perceptions of barriers to PHC access and to share the findings with a wide range of stakeholders, including health-care providers and policymakers.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors conducted a community-engaged qualitative study in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. A total of six focus group discussions (FGD) among 34 participants (each FGD consisted of 5–7 participants) were conducted. The authors collected demographic information before each focus group. The FGDs were audio recorded and transcribed verbatim. The transcriptions were coded and analysed thematically.

Findings

The focus groups identified long wait times as a major barrier to receiving PHC services. Long wait times in emergency rooms, unable to see family doctors when they were sick, tedious referral procedures, long waits at the clinic even after scheduling an appointment, family responsibilities and work all impacted their access to PHC. Further, a lack of proficiency in English was another significant barrier that impeded effective communication between physicians and immigrant women patients, thus compromising the quality of care. Other barriers mentioned included lack of access to medical records for walk-in doctors, insufficient lab/diagnostic services, a lack of urgent care services and unfamiliarity with the Canadian health-care system.

Originality/value

Accessible PHC is essential for the health of immigrant populations in Canada. This study recognizes the extent of the barriers among a relatively less studied immigrant population group, Nepalese immigrant women, which will help effectively shape public policy and improve access to PHC for the versatile immigrant population fabric in Canada.
Surface roughness modeling using machine learning approaches for wire electro-spark machining of titanium alloy
Authors: Sharma Vikas , Misra Joy Prakash , Singhal Sandeep
Published: October 2022

Purpose

In the present study, wire electro-spark machining of Titanium alloy is performed with the machining parameter such as spark-on time, spark-off time, current and servo voltage. The purpose of this study is to model surface roughness using machine learning approach for input/controllable variable. Machined surface examined using scanning electron microscope (SEM) and XRD methods.

Design/methodology/approach

Full factorial approach has been used to design the experiments with varying machining parameters into three-level four factors. Obtained surface roughness was modeled using machine learning methods namely Gaussian process regression (GPR) and support vector machine (SVM) methods. These methods were compared for both training and testing data with a coefficient of correlation and root mean square error basis. Machined surface examined using scanned electron microscopy and XRD for surface quality produced and check migration of tool material to workpiece material.

Findings

Machine learning algorithms has excellent scope for prediction quality response for the wire electric discharge machining (WEDM) process, resulting in saving of time and cost as it is difficult to find each time experimentally. It has been found that the proposed model with minimum computational time, provides better solution and avoids priority weightage calculation by decision-makers.

Originality/value

The proposed modeling provides better predication about surface produced while machining of Ti6Al7Nb using zinc-coated brass wire electrode during WEDM operation.
Consumers' purchase intentions in social commerce: the role of social psychological distance, perceived value, and perceived cognitive effort
Authors: Yang Xue
Published: October 2022

Purpose

Electronic word-of-mouth (eWOM) has become one of the most influential information sources for consumers' purchase decision-making. Based on construal-level theory and from the perspective of cognitive effort, this study investigated the effects of eWOM social media types and conflicting eWOM on consumers' purchase intentions and validated the mediation role of social psychological distance, perceived value, and perceived cognitive effort.

Design/methodology/approach

Two scenario-based experiments were conducted to validate the research model. Specifically, a 2 (eWOM social media type: strong-tie vs weak-tie) × 2 (conflicting eWOM: with vs without) between-subjects design was used. ANOVA, multiple regression analysis with PROCESS, and partial least squares (PLS) were employed to test the hypotheses.

Findings

The results showed that eWOM social media types had significant effects on both social psychological distance and perceived value. The significant chain mediating effects of social psychological distance and perceived value between eWOM social media types and consumers' purchase intentions were found. In addition, conflicting eWOM had significant effects on both perceived value and perceived cognitive effort. Indirect effects of conflicting eWOM on purchase intention through perceived cognitive effort were discovered.

Originality/value

These results contribute to the eWOM literature by investigating the influences of eWOM social media types and conflicting eWOM on consumers' purchase intentions. They also contribute to construal-level theory by extending its applicability to the field of eWOM.
Guest editorial: Crisis management in the COVID-19 pandemic waves
Authors: Mele Cristina , Russo-Spena Tiziana , Corsaro Daniela , Kleinaltenkamp Michael
Published: October 2022

Purpose

COVID-19 has dramatically changed how people live, socialise and think about their future. The disruptive shock that hit societies all over the world had a significantly negative impact on businesses, creating not only economic discontinuity but also uncertainty and disorientation. This special issue on COVID-19 aims to phrase the pandemic crisis and its impact on how to do business.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors follow MacInnis’s (2011) suggestion that a conceptual article sees what others have identified in a new or revised way.

Findings

The authors develop the crisis management framework. The authors acknowledge that disruptive events may be repeated, and their consequences will have long-term and permanent impacts. These aspects highlight the need for a systemic approach in which the focus is not limited to an analysis of the cause of the crisis and ways of solving it but includes the paths through which the business, economic and social systems evolve because of the crisis.

Practical implications

Managerial policies, business models and practices that have been effective up to now will probably no longer work. Beyond this backdrop, the articles compiled in this special issue aim to help set the agenda for post-COVID business research

Originality/value

The authors identify four primary themes captured by these articles: strategies, capabilities, organisational transformations and value processes. In their entirety, they represent pieces of a conceptual puzzle that do not provide knowledge of “hard facts” but rather a “soft interpretation of how to approach the “new normal”, i.e. a new social and business context.
Motivations, attitudes and intentions towards luxury dining in airplane themed restaurants: moderating roles of desire to fly, desire for luxury and FOMO
Authors: Lau Kong Cheen , Lee Sean , Phau Ian
Published: October 2022

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to investigate the motivations, attitudes and intentions towards luxury dining in airplane themed restaurants (ATRs). The moderating roles of desire to fly, desire for luxury and fear of missing out (FOMO) towards attitude and intention to embark on this ATR experience are also investigated.

Design/methodology/approach

Data are collected through a consumer panel. A total of 315 valid responses were analysed using exploratory factor analysis, confirmatory factor analysis and multi-group moderation. To enhance ecological validity, a stimulus for the Singapore Airlines A380 Restaurant @Changi was created to ensure complete understanding of the product offering by the participants.

Findings

Three motivation factors were discovered – novelty, escape and supporting reliving. Interestingly, it was also found that the attitude towards ATR partially mediated the relationship between supportive reliving and intention towards ATRs. Disposition towards FOMO was found to moderate the effect of attitude towards ATR on intention towards ATR. Negative effect between escape motivation and attitude towards the ATR from the moderation analysis for desire for luxury and desire to fly shows that people are still hesitant to accept the ATR as a replacement to satisfy their salient needs for luxury travel.

Practical implications

Insights of this study demonstrate that local airlines could pivot their business through innovative offerings during the pandemic. The ATR concept can be effectively marketed by appealing to hedonistic and nationalistic needs and to avoid positioning it as an alternative for flying.

Originality/value

This is a novel concept introduced during the COVID-19 pandemic. Unprecedentedly, it uncovers the motivations, attitudes and intentions towards luxury dining in ATRs as a means to compensate for the pent-up desire to relive the experience of air travel.
The too-much-of-a-good-thing effect of digitalization capability on radical innovation: the role of knowledge accumulation and knowledge integration capability
Authors: Gong Yu , Yao Yanhong , Zan Ao
Published: October 2022

Purpose

This study aims to investigate the complex relationship between digitalization capability (DC) and radical innovation performance (RIP). In particular, this study sheds new light on the results of previous studies on the effects of DC on firm innovation.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors obtained questionnaire data from 271 IT managers of randomly selected high-tech Chinese firms. The data was used to empirically test the proposed hypotheses using hierarchical regression analysis.

Findings

The findings of this study reveal that DC has an inverted U-shaped effect on RIP. Knowledge accumulation (KA) has a partial mediating effect on the DC–RIP link. Knowledge integration capability (KIC) was found to moderate the DC–RIP relationship: the higher a firm’s KIC, the flatter the DC–RIP curve. Moreover, there is empirical evidence of the shape-flip phenomenon of the DC–RIP curve: when KIC > 1.82, the DC–RIP relationship is no longer an inverted U-shaped but presents as a U-shaped curve.

Research limitations/implications

This study explores the DC–RIP relationship from the perspective of knowledge management, deepens the research scope of digitalization and lays the foundation for subsequent research.

Originality/value

This study provides potential explanations for contradictory views of the effect of DC on innovation in the existing literature by revealing the nonlinear relationship of DC and RIP and the important roles of KA and KIC in that relationship. The new insights into the role of KIC as a threshold for the DC–RIP link provide a direction for firms to control the pace of digital transformation.
Modeling the influence of individual differences on knowledge hiding
Authors: Zhang Ying , Rong Shiyu , Dunlop Elizabeth , Jiang Rong , Zhang Zhenyong , Tang Jun Qing
Published: October 2022

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore the longitudinal influence of gender, age, education level, organizational tenure and emotional intelligence on three dimensions of knowledge hiding over time.

Design/methodology/approach

A longitudinal study using two-wave data sets of 390 employees in Chinese enterprises was conducted to build fixed, continuous and interacting models for investigating the effects of individual differences on the processes of knowledge hiding over time.

Findings

This research uncovered the changing relationships of individual differences on knowledge-hiding behaviors over time, such that age correlates with rationalized hiding in the interacting model, indicating younger employees are less likely to choose rationalized hiding when facing situation changes; and education level, organizational tenure and emotional intelligence moderate knowledge hiding over time, implying individuals with better education, longer tenure and higher emotional intelligence tend to exhibit more rationalized hiding behaviors rather than evasive hiding and playing dumb behaviors at Time 2.

Originality/value

One of the novel contributions of this study is that it tests the longitudinal effect of individual differences on knowledge hiding, providing a vertical perspective, and thereby contributing to the body of knowledge in knowledge management. The study also constructs fixed, continuous and interacting models to measure the covering longitudinal influences, thus making the research original.
Dynamic customer-oriented relational capabilities: how do they impact internationalizing firm performance?
Authors: Mishra Abhishek , Anning-Dorson Thomas
Published: October 2022

Purpose

This work proposes that a multi-national service company (MNSC) needs to develop dynamic customer-oriented relational capabilities (DCRC), constituting dynamic service customization (DySC), dynamic customer integration (DyCI) and dynamic timeliness of service delivery (DyTSD) capabilities, to gain competitive advantage and performance in its internationalization efforts.

Design/methodology/approach

For empirical validation of the framework, developed through qualitative interviews, this study includes multi-cross-sectional data from twelve countries, four each in the category of underdeveloped (Africa), developing (Asia) and developed economies (Europe). Covariance-based structural equation modelling is used to test the hypotheses.

Findings

The study supports that DySC, DyCI and DyTSD capabilities have a significant positive influence on firm competitive advantage and performance across economies. The levels of competition intensity and regulatory restrictions, an outcome of the type of economy, have negative intervening effects, with varying intensities across economies.

Practical implications

This work guides the internationalization service managers to leverage DCRC across national borders keeping the state of the economy into consideration.

Originality/value

This work proposes a model of DCRC, based on the Intangibility, Heterogeneity, Inseparability and Perishability (IHIP) service framework, that enables firms to derive competitive advantage and performance across economies with varying environmental conditions.
Development and characterization of self-healing microcapsules, and optimization of production parameters for microcapsule diameter and core content
Authors: Özada Çağatay , Ünal Merve , Kuzu Şahin Eslem , Özer Hakkı , Motorcu Ali Riza , Yazıcı Murat
Published: October 2022

Purpose

This study produced epoxy-filled urea-formaldehyde (UF) microcapsules (MCs) and T-403 amine MCs using thein situtechnique. The Taguchi method was used to determine the effects of the control factors (temperature, stirring speed, core-shell ratio and surfactant concentration) affecting MCs’ core diameter and core content and optimizing their optimum levels with a single criterion. Optimum control factor levels, which simultaneously provide maximum core diameter and core content of MCs, were determined by the PROMETHEE-GAIA multi-criteria optimization method. In addition, the optimized MC yield was analyzed by thermal camera images and compression test.

Design/methodology/approach

Microcracks in materials used for aerospace vehicles and automotive parts cause serious problems, so research on self-healing in materials science becomes critical. The damages caused by micro-cracks need to heal themselves quickly. The study has three aims: (1) production of self-healing MCs, mechanical and chemical characterization of produced MCs, (2) single-criteria and multi-criteria optimization of parameters providing maximum MC core diameter and core content, (3) investigation of self-healing property of produced MCs and evaluation. Firstly, MCs were produced to achieve these goals.

Findings

The optimized micro cures are buried in the epoxy matrix at different concentrations. Thermal camera images after damage indicate the presence of healing. An epoxy-amine MC consisting of a 10% by weight filled aluminum sandwich panel was prepared and subjected to a quasi-static compression test. It was determined that there is a strong bond between the UF shell and the epoxy resin.

Originality/value

The optimization of production factors has been realized to produce the most efficient MCs that heal using less expensive and more accessible methods.
The antecedents of career change intention in middle-level managers: the role of job and career satisfaction
Authors: Karadag Hande , Şahin Faruk
Published: October 2022

Purpose

This investigates the interrelationships between job and career satisfaction and career change intention through the extension of the theory of planned behavior (TPB).

Design/methodology/approach

The data for the study is collected from 219 top and middle-level managers and analyzed through partial least squares path structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM).

Findings

Findings indicate that job and career satisfaction have a significant and negative impact on personal attitude toward career change and subjective norms, whereas all three constructs of the TPB influence the intention to change career. In addition, the mediation of personal attitude and subjective norm pathways were found to be significant for both job and career satisfaction and career change intention relationships, while no mediation effect was identified for the perceived behavior control construct of the TPB.

Research limitations/implications

The results suggest important theoretical and practical implications. First, a novel model of mediation between job and career satisfaction and the intention to turn away from an existing career is introduced between job and career satisfaction and career change intention associations for testing the full TPB framework.

Practical implications

The findings imply that the impact of cognitive factors, including having a positive opinion about the potential outcomes of switching to a new career, the level of pressure exerted by significant third parties about making a career change, and the self-belief about making this change happen should be closely investigated when examining the determinants of career change intention.

Originality/value

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first empirical research study that tests the impact of the determinants of TPB on career change intention within a sample of professional managers from an emerging economy context.
Why teach about holidays? Elementary teachers' perspectives
Authors: Bauml Michelle
Published: October 2022

Purpose

With connections to history, culture, and religion, many holidays have potential for inclusion in early grade social studies curriculum. However, opportunities for meaningful content are frequently passed over in favor of holiday crafts that can trivialize content and promote stereotyping, cultural appropriation, and false information. The purpose of this study was to explore teachers' perspectives about holidays in the curriculum.

Design/methodology/approach

Through questionnaires and interviews, 20 teachers identified which holidays they address and explained why and how they attend to these special days.

Findings

Most often, participants used holidays to teach history, impart values, and make connections to children's lives. Findings suggest that although holidays may provide avenues for transformative social studies, few early grade teachers may recognize this potential.

Originality/value

This study adds to elementary social studies research by promoting scholarly consideration of meaningful holiday lessons as avenues for robust social studies instruction.
Focal hypohidrosis in lesional skin in a probable case of confluent and reticulated papillomatosis: A case report with insight into the pathomechanism of recurrence
Authors: Shimoda‐Komatsu Yurie , Mizukawa Yoshiko , Yamazaki Yoshimi , Ohyama Manabu
Published: October 2022

Confluent and reticulated papillomatosis (CRP) is a rare skin disorder that develops in young adults and presents as persistent brown papules and plaques predominantly affecting the intertriginous areas, however, its etiopathogenesis remains elusive. Herein, we report a probable case of CRP with lesional hypohidrosis as detected by sweat test and provide insight into the pathomechanism. A 23‐year‐old man presented with nine‐months history of painful sensation on his trunk without any skin change. The result of sweat test was compatible with acquired idiopathic generalized anhidrosis. Topical heparinoid and physical exercise improved the symptoms. However, he started to notice asymptomatic brownish reticulated macules on the trunk. Intriguingly, focal hypohidrosis, as detected by sweat test was evident on the macules. In histology, the lesional skin demonstrated hyperkeratosis, acanthosis, basal melanosis, mild papillomatosis, and obstruction of the sweat duct in the upper dermis, which were not observed in the peri‐lesional skin. Accumulation of the sweat in the luminal aspect of the secretory portion and dilation of the sweat duct in the deeper dermis was detected in the lesional skin, as highlighted by anti‐dermcidin staining. Aquaporin 5 expression in the secretory portion was more confined to the cell membrane in the lesional skin. Both brownish macules and lesional hypohidrosis simultaneously improved in summer and exacerbated in winter. Literature review found nine reports on recurrent CRP, and obesity was thought to be a major comorbidity in recurrent CRP cases. Obesity is often associated with sweat dysregulation. This, together with the findings in our case, implied the possible contribution of focal sweating abnormality in the pathogenesis of reticulated skin lesion in our case.
Native bacteria and cyanobacteria can influence seedling emergence and growth of native plants used in dryland restoration
Authors: Dadzie Frederick A. , Moles Angela T. , Erickson Todd E. , Slavich Eve , Muñoz‐Rojas Miriam
Published: October 2022

Seed‐based ecosystem restoration has huge potential to restore degraded drylands. However, fewer than 10% of directly sown seeds transition to established seedlings. One of the potential factors restricting plant establishment in degraded soils is the low abundance and diversity of native soil micro‐organisms. In this study, we investigated whether returning indigenous bacteria and cyanobacteria consortia to degraded dryland soils improved seedling emergence, survival and growth of native plants.

We inoculated ‘culturable whole soil’ native heterotrophic bacteria and biocrust cyanobacteria individually and as a mixed inoculant into extruded pellets containing Acacia inaequilatera (Fabaceae) and Triodia epactia (Poaceae) seeds. The pellets were planted in an active minefield for 28 weeks and seedling emergence and total biomass of plants were determined.

Cyanobacteria and bacteria inoculants increased the emergence of A. inaequilatera by 55% and 48%, respectively. Seedling emergence in T. epactia was increased by 20% by cyanobacteria but was not increased by bacteria. The only effect of inoculation on seedling survival or mass per surviving seedling in either species was an 11% reduction of the growth of T. epactia seedlings that were inoculated with cyanobacteria.

Synthesis and applications: Our results suggest that the benefit of micro‐organisms on plant establishment is both species specific and life stage specific, with particularly strong benefits in the early stages of recruitment. Our experiment was conducted under shade and with additional water, so a worthwhile future direction would be to quantify the effect of inoculation under unmodified field conditions. It would also be worthwhile monitoring the outcomes for longer than 28 weeks. Since seedling emergence is one of the critical challenges in dryland restoration, our study provides direct evidence in the use of native micro‐organisms to potentially improve seedling emergence in seed‐based dryland restoration.
The subalpine shrub Dasiphora fruticosa alters seasonal and elevational effects on soil microbial diversity and ecosystem functions on the Tibetan Plateau
Authors: Wang Xiaosai , Michalet Richard , He Shuang , Wang Xiangtai
Published: October 2022

High‐altitude ecosystems of the Tibetan Plateau are undergoing significant global changes that may stimulate an intense shrub encroachment. The occurrence of shrubs in alpine meadow is commonly thought to alleviating environmental stresses and supporting high diversity which may have important consequences for ecosystem functions. However, few studies have assessed whether and how the role of shrubs interact with season and elevation.

In this study, we explored the effects of the shrub, Dasiphora fruticosa, on microbial (α‐ and β‐) diversity and the consequences for ecosystem functions (multifunctionality and the turnover of functions) at five sites along an elevation gradient and across three seasons on the Tibetan Plateau.

According to linear mixed‐effect models and structural equation modelling, D. fruticosa altered season and elevation effects and tended to increase microbial α‐diversity, soil carbon–nitrogen (C:N) ratio, understorey biomass and leaf dry matter content, which overall increased soil multifunctionality. We also found that indicators of soil multifunctionality were always positively related to fungal α‐diversity, whereas negatively related to bacterial α‐diversity.

Furthermore, the effects of season, elevation, shrub and their interactions on microbial β‐diversity can be explained by temperature, soil water content, pH and understorey biomass, as shown by distance‐based redundancy analysis. Then, we found that D. fruticosa strongly altered the effects of season and elevation on microbial β‐diversity and the turnover of soil C:N ratio, understorey biomass and litter quality, thus influencing ecosystem function turnover.

Our results, thus, provided explicit evidences that Dasiphora fruticosa could alter season and elevation effects on species diversity with important consequences on ecosystem functions, highlighting the crucial role of the shrub in affecting ecosystem functions by creating heterogeneous microbial communities and microenvironments in alpine meadows. Our findings can guide management and improve our knowledge on potential implications of changes in the shrub coverage in alpine meadows.
Nesting of ground‐nesting bees in arable fields is not associated with tillage system per se, but with distance to field edge, crop cover, soil and landscape context
Authors: Tschanz Philippe , Vogel Stefan , Walter Achim , Keller Thomas , Albrecht Matthias
Published: October 2022

Ground‐nesting wild bees are crucial for the pollination of wild plants and crops and thus human wellbeing. Arable land currently covers 14 million km2 globally, but little is known about the role of arable fields as potential nesting habitats and how agricultural management, such as tillage system, affects nesting.

We quantified nest density and nesting incidence (plot‐level nest presence/absence) of ground‐nesting bees in 12 conventionally tilled and 13 no‐till winter cereal fields in southwestern Switzerland. In each field, nests were quantified in eight belt transects at increasing distances from field edges within an area of 400 m2, and vegetation cover and soil properties were measured at nest sites and sites without nests.

Nest density ranged from 0 (32% of fields) to 16 nests (mean: 4.0 nests) per 400 m2, corresponding to 0 to 400 nests ha−1 (mean: 101 nests ha−1). Fifteen nesting species were captured.

Nest density was not significantly different between tillage systems. Nest density declined exponentially with distance from the field edge. Nest density and incidence were positively related to proportion of bare ground. Nests occurred across a wide range of soil textures and tended to increase with soil bulk density and sand content. Moreover, nest density tended to increase with the proportion of and proximity to areas under agri‐environment scheme in the surrounding landscape.

Synthesis and applications. Our study shows that arable fields, irrespective of tillage system, are used as nesting sites by various ground‐nesting bee species, including important crop pollinators. The concentration of nests along field edges suggests that incentives to maintain small field sizes and to increase edge density have a great potential to support nesting of ground‐nesting bees in agricultural landscapes. Moreover, measures to reduce crop cover, for example, through increased row spacing, offer a promising way to promote nesting opportunities in arable fields, in particular, if floral‐rich agri‐environment scheme areas are locally available. Further studies are needed to better understand to what extent tilled arable fields are suitable nesting habitats for ground‐nesting bees or whether they act as ecological traps due to the adverse effects of tillage on bee offspring.
The effect of progestin therapy in advanced and recurrent endometrial cancer: A systematic review and meta‐analysis
Authors: van Weelden Willem Jan , Birkendahl Philine B. , Lalisang Roy I. , IntHout Joanna , Kruitwagen Roy F. P. M. , Romano Andrea , Pijnenborg Johanna M. A.
Published: October 2022

Background

Fifteen percent of patients with endometrial cancer (EC) have advanced stage disease or develop a recurrence. Progestins have been applied as systemic treatment for decades, but there is limited evidence on response prediction with biomarkers and toxicity.

Objectives

To review the response and toxicity of progestin therapy and stratify response to progesterone receptor (PR) expression and tumour grade.

Search strategy

We used the search terms ‘Endometrial cancer’, ‘Progestins’, ‘Disease progression’, ‘Recurrence’ and related terms in Pubmed, Embase and Cochrane databases.

Selection criteria

Studies on patients with advanced stage or recurrent EC treated with progestin monotherapy were included. Studies on adjuvant therapy, with fewer than ten cases and with sarcoma histology were excluded.

Data collection and analysis

Evaluation for bias was performed with the Revised Cochrane RoB2 tool for randomised studies and the ROBINS‐I tool for non‐randomised studies. A random effects meta‐analysis was performed with the overall response rate (ORR), clinical benefit rate and toxicity as primary outcome measures.

Main results

Twenty‐six studies (1639 patients) were included. The ORR of progestin therapy was 30% (95% CI 25–36), the clinical benefit rate was 52% (95% CI 42–61). In PR‐positive EC, the ORR was 55%, compared with 12% in PR‐negative disease (risk difference 43%, 95% CI 15–71). Severe toxicity occurred in 6.5%.

Conclusions

Progestin therapy is a viable treatment option in patients with advanced stage and recurrent EC with low toxicity and high ORR in PR‐positive disease. The role of PR expression in relation to progression‐free survival and overall survival is unclear.
Automated peritoneal dialysis in urgent‐start dialysis ESRD patients: Safety and dialysis adequacy
Authors: Jin Haijiao , Lv Shifan , Wang Ling , Zhang Minfang , Wang Qin , Fang Wei , Lin Xinghui , Che Xiajing , Yan Hao , Yu Zanzhe , Jiang Na , Li Zhenyuan , Che Miaoling , Ding Li , Huang Jiaying , Zhou Yin , Ni Zhaohui
Published: October 2022

Background

Recent evidence suggests that automated peritoneal dialysis (APD) might be a feasible alternative to hemodialysis (HD) in urgent‐start peritoneal dialysis.

Methods

This prospective study enrolled end‐stage renal disease (ESRD) patients who had started APD as an urgent‐start dialysis modality at a single center. Dialysis‐related complications were recorded. Dialysis adequacy and electrolytes imbalance were compared between baseline, 14 and 42 days after catheter insertion. Technique survival and patient survival were also recorded.

Results

A total of 36 patients were included in the study. Mean follow‐up duration was 22 months. During the follow‐up, 11 PD patients (30.6%) developed dialysis‐related complications. Only two patients (5.6%) required re‐insertion and one patients (2.8%) transfer to HD. The 2‐year technique survival rate and patient survival rate were 94.4% and 97.2%, respectively.

Conclusion

In considering safety and dialysis adequacy, APD could be a feasible dialysis modality for urgent‐start dialysis in ESRD patients, using a standard procedure.
Using Collective Farming to Improve Farm Structures and Drive Generational Renewal in SpainLe recours à l'agriculture collective pour améliorer les structures agricoles et stimuler le renouvellement générationnel en EspagneKollektive Landwirtschaft zur Verbesserung der landwirtschaftlichen Strukturen und zur Förderung des Generationswechsels in Spanien
Authors: Garcia‐Alvarez‐Coque Jose‐Maria , Piñeiro Veronica
Published: October 2022

Land abandonment and the lack of generational renewal in farming are serious issues in European agriculture with social, environmental and economic implications. This article reports on the recent experiences of joint cropland management (JCM) in Spain. These initiatives are based on the grouping of plots to achieve different objectives through social and organisational innovation. JCM involves three types of actor: landowners, cooperatives and the people who cultivate the land, who may or may not be landowners or members of the cooperative. Implementation of this strategy, which is being adopted by an increasing number of agri‐food marketing cooperatives, requires substantial social capital. Therefore, collaboration between public and private actors is needed to generate and transfer knowledge on these initiatives. The Operational Group on Social Innovation in Land Management (GO_InnoLand) was created in 2020 to support JCM processes, which help young farmers who are setting up in the agricultural sector. JCM initiatives could be one way to prevent the abandonment of small‐scale land plots and drive the demographic challenge. Public policies can support this strategy by enhancing social and organisational innovation, facilitating financial instruments, providing technical assistance, improving collaboration networks and linking landholders with new professionals.
Co‐design of a nurse‐led model of care to increase access to medical abortion and contraception in rural and regional general practice: A protocol
Authors: Moulton Jessica E. , Mazza Danielle , Tomnay Jane , Bateson Deborah , Norman Wendy V. , Black Kirsten I. , Subasinghe Asvini K.
Published: October 2022

Problem

Women in rural and regional Australia experience a number of barriers to accessing sexual and reproductive health care including lack of local services, high costs and misinformation.

Setting

Nurse‐led task‐sharing models of care for provision of long‐acting reversible contraception (LARC) and early medical abortion (EMA) are one strategy to reduce barriers and improve access to services but have yet to be developed in general practice.

Key measures for improvement

Through a co‐design process, we will develop a nurse‐led model of care for LARC and EMA provision that can be delivered through face‐to‐face consultations or via telehealth in rural general practice in Australia.

Strategies for change

A co‐design workshop, involving consumers, health professionals (particularly General Practitioners (GPs) and Practice Nurses (PNs)), GP managers and key stakeholders will be conducted to design nurse‐led models of care for LARC and EMA including implant insertion by nurses. The workshop will be informed by the ‘Experience‐Based Co‐Design’ toolkit and involves participants mapping the patient journey for service provision to inform a new model of care.

Effects of change

Recommendations from the workshop will inform a nurse‐led model of care for LARC and EMA provision in rural general practice. The model will provide practical guidance for the set‐up and delivery of services.

Lessons learnt

Nurses will work to their full scope of practice to increase accessibility of EMA and LARC in rural Australia.
Influence on operative time of immediate skin‐to‐skin care in low‐risk primary cesarean births for breech presentation: Retrospective cohort study
Authors: Cuerva Marcos Javier , Carbonell María , Boria Félix , Gil María Mar , De La Calle María , Bartha José Luis
Published: October 2022

Background

Multiple benefits for both, mother and baby have been reported from immediate skin‐to‐skin care (SSC). The aim of this study was to analyze the influence of SSC on operative time and blood loss in primary cesarean births for breech presentation.

Methods

A SSC protocol for cesarean birth was implemented in our institution on February 25, 2019. In this single‐center retrospective cohort study, we compared the outcomes of planned primary cesarean births for breech presentation at term before and after its implementation.

Results

Data from 110 women who had a cesarean birth for breech presentation at term were analyzed, 55 in each group. Group 1 were women who had immediate SSC and Group 2 were women without immediate SSC. Maternal and surgical characteristics, and neonatal outcomes were similar in both groups. The mean operative time was 3.22 minutes shorter in the immediate SSC group compared with the not immediate SSC group (37.13 ± 12.27 vs 40.35 ± 12.23 minutes; P = 0.171).

Conclusions

In conclusion, immediate SSC following a low‐risk cesarean birth for breech presentation neither prolongs the operative time nor increases blood loss during the procedure. Although we were unable to demonstrate a significant reduction in the operative time with the immediate SSC protocol, a decrease of 3 minutes was noted.