bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Application of Guba and Lincoln's parallel criteria to assess trustworthiness of qualitative research on indigenous social protection systems
Authors: Enworo Oko Chima 
Published: March 2023

PurposeThis paper illustrates how Guba and Lincoln's parallel criteria for establishing trustworthiness, can be adapted and applied to qualitative research on indigenous social protection systems. It provides insights for social protection researchers, exploring plausible qualitative research rigor evaluation criteria, on plausible alternatives.Design/methodology/approachThe paper draws on qualitative evidence from a larger ethnographic study on the dynamics of indigenous social protection systems in Nigeria. It illustrates the systematic application of Guba and Lincoln's parallel criteria.FindingsAvailable evidence from the study shows that Guba and Lincoln's parallel criteria is viable for establishing trustworthiness of qualitative research on indigenous social protection systems. The criteria can facilitate credible and reliable research outcomes in research on improving social protection policy and practice.Research limitations/implicationsQualitative inquiries that draw on Guba and Lincoln's parallel criteria as evaluation criteria for trustworthiness can complement quantitative research on social protection. This makes it imperative to incorporate both, in social protection research for a holistic system. How this can be done is beyond the scope of this paper but needs to be explored by future research.Originality/valueContrary to the use of Guba and Lincoln's parallel criteria in qualitative research in other contexts, the use of the criteria has not been carefully examined in qualitative research on indigenous social protection systems. This paper is an attempt to fill this gap.
Local governance and financial distress in local governments: the mediating role of delivery system
Authors: Wakwabubi Michael Jackson , Nkundabanyanga Stephen Korutaro , Orobia Laura , Kaawaase Twaha Kigongo 
Published: March 2023

Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to establish the mediating role of local government delivery system (here after delivery system) in the relationship between local governance (hereafter, governance) and financial distress of local governments in Uganda.

Design/methodology/approach
This study is correlational and cross-sectional. It uses a questionnaire survey on a sample of 109 local governments (districts) of Uganda. The data are analysed using SPSS, partial least squares structural equation modelling and Jose’s MedGraph.

Findings
Results indicate that government delivery system mediates the relationship between governance and financial distress. Delivery system in terms of capacity development and community participation causes positive variances in local government’s financial distress. Also, governance in terms of political clientelism significantly contributes to financial distress more than oversight mechanisms and audit quality. The study finds that delivery system causes more variance in financial distress than governance.

Originality/value
This study applies the new public management and network governance theory and tests the efficacy of delivery system and governance on financial distress in one-go and succeeded in explaining financial distress of local government using Uganda as the setting; the authors join previous scholars that root for multi-theoretical approaches. Also, this study’s design has allowed for the consideration of more than simply the main effects of governance and delivery systems by exploring the mediating role of delivery systems in the link between governance and financial distress. As such, the authors may now have a more accurate and detailed description of the relationships between governance, delivery system and local government financial distress.
Foraging under extreme events: Contrasting adaptations by benthic macrofauna to drastic biogeochemical disturbance
Authors: Wang Yiming V. , Larsen Thomas , Lebrato Mario , Tseng Li‐Chun , Lee Pei‐Wen , Sánchez Nicolás , Molinero Juan‐Carlos , Hwang Jiang‐Shiou , Chan Tin‐Yam , Garbe‐Schönberg Dieter 
Published: March 2023

Abstract

Hydrothermal vent systems are important biodiversity hotspots that host a vast array of unique species and provide information on life's evolutionary adaptations to extreme environments. However, these habitats are threatened by both human exploitation and extreme natural events, both of which can rapidly disrupt the delicate balance of the food webs found in these systems. This is particularly true for shallow vent endemic animals due to their limited dietary niche and specialized adaptations to specific biogeochemical conditions.

In this study, we used the shallow hydrothermal vents of Kueishantao off the coast of Taiwan as a natural laboratory to examine the response of a benthic food web to a M5.8 earthquake and a C5 typhoon that led to a two‐year “near shutdown” of the vents. These perturbations drastically altered the local biogeochemical cycle and the dietary availability of chemosynthetic versus photosynthetic food resources.

Our analysis of multiple stable isotopes, including those of sulphur, carbon, and nitrogen (δ34S, δ13C, and δ15N), from different benthic macrofauna reveals that endemic and non‐endemic consumers exhibited different responses to sudden disruption in habitat and biogeochemical cycling.

The endemic vent crab, Xenograpsus testudinatus, continued to partially rely on chemosynthetic sulphur bacteria despite photosynthetic sources being the most dominant food source after the disruption. We posit that X. testudinatus has an obligate nutritional dependence on chemoautotrophic sources because the decrease in chemoautotrophic production was accompanied by a dramatic decrease in the abundance of X. testudinatus. The population decline rate was ~19 individuals per m2 per year before the perturbation, but the decline rate increased to 40 individuals per m2 per year after the perturbation. In contrast, the non‐endemic gastropods exhibited much greater dietary plasticity that tracked the overall abundance of photo‐ and chemo‐synthetic dietary sources.

The catastrophic events in shallow hydrothermal vent ecosystem presented a novel opportunity to examine dietary adaptations among endemic and non‐endemic benthic macrofauna in response to altered biogeochemical cycling. Our findings highlight the vulnerability of benthic specialists to the growing environmental pressures exerted by human activities worldwide.

Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog.
Pathways of glyphosate effects on litter decomposition in grasslands
Authors: Vivanco Lucía , Sánchez María Victoria , Druille Magdalena , Omacini Marina 
Published: March 2023

Abstract

Grasslands store a third of global terrestrial carbon but are vulnerable to carbon loss due to inappropriate livestock grazing. Grasslands management can be improved with a mechanistic understanding of biogeochemical processes that determine carbon storage, such as plant litter decomposition.

Herbicides, such as glyphosate, are used to improve the quantity and quality of the forage. In the Flooding Pampa, the most extensive cattle grazed natural grassland and one of the few remnants' temperate grasslands in South America—glyphosate is applied to promote Lolium multiflorum, a forage grass associated with a fungal endophyte nontoxic for cattle.

We studied five mechanistic pathways in which the application of glyphosate can alter litter decomposition. We grouped them into single application pathways, through effects on living plants (1), leaf litter (2) and bare soil (3), and repeated annual application pathways, through legacies on ecosystem properties (4) and through the growth of an annual forage grass with a fungal endophyte (5). Single application pathways were tested in a greenhouse experiment using leaf litter of L. multiflorum and of a native dominant grass. Repeated annual application pathways were tested through a field experiment with 3‐year annual glyphosate application using leaf and root litter of L. multiflorum with and without endophyte association.

Glyphosate application on living plants produced leaf litter with 70% higher nitrogen content and 140% higher decomposition constant than naturally senesced litter. In contrast, glyphosate application on naturally senesced leaf litter reduced decomposition constant by 20%. Glyphosate application on the soil did not affect the decomposition of naturally senesced leaf litter but accelerated the decomposition of the glyphosate‐killed plants even more.

Legacies of repeated annual application of glyphosate resulted in a notable reduction in plant cover (45%) and potential soil respiration (57%), with a consistent acceleration of leaf (53%) and root (18%) litter decomposition. Furthermore, endophytes in L. multiflorum plants reduced leaf litter decomposition by 22%. On the contrary, endophytes did not alter root litter decomposition.

Glyphosate application on living plants and legacies of repeated application on the ecosystem stimulate litter decomposition, which can result in a net carbon loss from grasslands. In other ecosystems, the net result on decomposition would depend on the relative cover of vegetation, above‐ground litter and bare soil. This study highlights that glyphosate application should be considered when evaluating sustainable management to preserve and enhance soil carbon storage in grasslands.

Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog.
Nutrient‐based species selection is a prevalent driver of community assembly and functional trait space in tropical forests
Authors: Peguero Guille , Coello Fernando , Sardans Jordi , Asensio Dolores , Grau Oriol , Llusià Joan , Ogaya Romà , Urbina Ifigenia , Van Langenhove Leandro , Verryckt Lore T. , Stahl Clément , Bréchet Laëtitia , Courtois Elodie A. , Chave Jérôme , Hérault Bruno , Janssens Ivan A. , Peñuelas Josep 
Published: March 2023

AbstractSoil nutrient availability and functional traits interact in complex ways during the assembly of tree communities hindering our understanding of the implications that this may have for their phylogenetic and functional diversity.We combined abundance, taxonomic, phylogenetic and functional trait data of 222 tree species distributed along nutrient concentration gradients at 24 plots in two tropical forest study sites. We analysed micro and macronutrient concentration in organic and topsoil horizons and tested for the following: (1) nutrient‐based species sorting due to contrasting trait–environment relationships, (2) whether nutrient filtering has consequences for phylogenetic and functional diversity, and functional space size and occupancy and (3) we mapped trait distributions across the phylogeny of tree species to track the evolutionary signature of nutrient availability.We found that total nitrogen (N), available phosphorus and total potassium in soil accounted for 68% of the variation in tropical tree species community composition, with strong associations with nutrient concentration for 89% of the tree species included in the analysis. This nutrient‐based species selection was mediated by interactions between the three soil nutrient concentrations with leaf nitrogen, leaf thickness and wood density. Soil N concentration was positively associated with the functional space at site level. At plot level, soil N concentration positively correlated with functional evenness and it was negatively associated with the functional space not occupied by any species in the tree community. Despite the phylogenetic conservatism of leaf N across tree lineages even when not considering legumes, many sister‐species pairs show contrasting values which match with their habitat preferences thus indicating the evolutionary lability of this trait, particularly within recently diversified clades.Synthesis. Our results demonstrate that soil nutrient‐based species selection is a prevalent driver of community assembly in tropical forests, a process mediated by key functional traits within the leaf and wood economics spectrum. Functional space size and its filling increase with soil nutrient concentration, whereas niche vacancy decreases. This selection process has likely influenced tropical tree species diversification patterns via habitat specialization.
Epigenetic and genetic inactivation of tumor suppressor miR‐135a in non‐small‐cell lung cancer
Authors: Choi Jin Eun , Jeon Hyo Sung , Wee Hyun Jung , Lee Ji Yun , Lee Won Kee , Lee Shin Yup , Yoo Seung Soo , Choi Sun Ha , Kim Dong Sun , Park Jae Yong 
Published: March 2023

AbstractBackgroundDespite therapeutic advances, lung cancer prognosis remains poor. Loss of heterozygosity (LOH) in the 3p21 region is well documented in lung cancer, but the specific causative genes have not been identified.Materials and MethodsHere, we aimed to examine the clinical impact of miR‐135a, located in the 3p21 region, in lung cancer. miR‐135a expression was assessed using quantitative real‐time polymerase chain reaction. LOH was analyzed at microsatellite loci D3S1076 and D3S1478, and promoter methylation status was determined by pyrosequencing of resected samples of primary non‐small‐cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The regulation of telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT) was evaluated in lung cancer cells H1299 by luciferase report assays after treatment with miR‐135a mimics.ResultsmiR‐135a was significantly downregulated in squamous cell cancer (SCC) tumor tissues compared to normal tissues (p = 0.001). Low miR‐135a expression was more frequent in patients with SCC (p = 2.9 × 10−4) and smokers (p = 0.01). LOH and hypermethylation were detected in 27.8% (37/133) and 17.3% (23/133) of the tumors, respectively. Overall, 36.8% (49/133) of the NSCLC cases harbored either miR‐135a LOH or promoter hypermethylation. The frequencies of LOH and hypermethylation were significantly associated with SCCs (p = 2 × 10−4) and late‐stage (p = 0.04), respectively. MiR‐135a inhibited the relative luciferase activity of psiCHECK2‐TERT‐3'UTR.ConclusionThese results suggest that miR‐135a may act as a tumor suppressor to play an important role in lung cancer carcinogenesis, which will provide a new insight into the translational value of miR‐135a. Further large‐scale studies are required to confirm these findings.
Safety evaluation of immune checkpoint inhibitors combined with chemotherapy for the treatment of small cell lung cancer: A meta‐analysis of randomized controlled trials
Authors: Longo Vito , Rizzo Alessandro , Catino Annamaria , Montrone Michele , Galetta Domenico 
Published: March 2023

AbstractBackgroundThe addition of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) to chemotherapy is the new standard of care in the first‐line treatment of small cell lung cancer (SCLC). However, although the concomitant use of immunotherapy and chemotherapy can increase the antitumor efficacy, it can also increase toxicity. The present study evaluated the tolerability of immune‐based combinations in the first‐line treatment of SCLC.MethodsRelevant trials were identified by searching electronic databases and conference meetings. Seven phase II and III randomized controlled trials and 3766 SCLC patients were included in the meta‐analysis (immune‐based combinations = 2133; chemotherapy = 1633). Outcomes of interest included treatment‐related adverse events (TRAEs) and the rate of discontinuation due to TRAEs.ResultsImmune‐based combination treatment was associated with a higher risk of grade 3–5 TRAEs (odds ratio [OR], 1.16; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.01–1.35). Immune‐based combinations were associated with a higher risk of TRAEs leading to discontinuation (OR, 2.30; 95% CI: 1.17–4.54). No differences were observed in grade 5 TRAEs (OR, 1.56; 95% CI: 0.93–2.63).ConclusionThis meta‐analysis indicates that the addition of immunotherapy to chemotherapy in SCLC patients is associated with a higher risk of toxicity and probably of treatment discontinuation. Tools for identifying SCLC patients that would not benefit from immune‐based therapy are urgently needed.
Reconstructing bird trajectories from pressure and wind data using a highly optimized hidden Markov model
Authors: Nussbaumer Raphaël , Gravey Mathieu , Briedis Martins , Liechti Felix , Sheldon Daniel 
Published: March 2023

Abstract

Tracking technologies have widely expanded our understanding of bird migration routes, destinations and underlying strategies. However, determining the entire trajectory of small birds equipped with lightweight geolocators remains a challenge.

We develop a highly optimized hidden Markov model (HMM) for reconstructing bird trajectories. The observation model is defined by pressure and, optionally, light measurements, while the movement model incorporates wind data to constrain consecutive positions based on realistic airspeeds. To reduce the computational costs associated with a large state space, we prune the HMM states and transitions based on flight and observation constraints to efficiently model the entire trajectory.

The approach presented is based on a mathematically exact procedure and is fast to compute. We demonstrate how to compute (1) the most likely trajectory, (2) the marginal probability map of each stationary period, (3) simulated trajectories and (4) the wind conditions (wind support/drift) encountered by the bird during each migratory flight.

We construct a version of an HMM optimized for reconstructing a bird's migration trajectory based on lightweight geolocator data. To render this approach easily accessible to researchers, we designed a dedicated R package GeoPressureR (https://raphaelnussbaumer.com/GeoPressureR/).
Using standardized fish‐specific autonomous reef monitoring structures (FARMS) to quantify cryptobenthic fish communities
Authors: Brandl Simon J. , Weigt Lee A. , Pitassy Diane E. , Coker Darren J. , Patrick Christopher J. , Luchese Matheus H. , Berumen Michael L. , Buskey Edward J. , Casey Jordan M. , Di Domenico Maikon , Soeth Marcelo , Topor Zachary M. , Duffy J. Emmett , Baldwin Carole C. , Hagedorn Mary , Parenti Lynne R. 
Published: March 2023

AbstractBiodiversity inventories and monitoring techniques for marine fishes often overlook small (<5 cm), bottom‐associated (‘cryptobenthic’) fishes, and few standardized, comparative assessments of cryptobenthic fish communities exist. We sought to develop a standardized, quantitative survey method for cryptobenthic fishes that permits their sampling across a variety of habitats and conditions.Fish‐specific autonomous reef monitoring structures (FARMS) are designed to sample cryptobenthic fishes using a suite of accessible and affordable materials. To generate a variety of microhabitats, FARMS consist of three layers of stacked PVC pipes in three different sizes, as well as a bottom and top level of loose PVC‐pipe fragments in a mesh basket. We deployed FARMS across a variety of habitats, including coral reefs, seagrass beds, oyster reefs, mangroves, and soft‐bottom habitats across six locations (Hawai'i, Texas, Panama, Saudi Arabia, Brazil, and Curaçao).From shallow estuaries to coral reefs beyond 100 m depth, FARMS attracted distinct communities of native cryptobenthic fishes with strong site or habitat specificity. Comparing the FARMS to communities sampled with alternative methods (enclosed clove‐oil stations on coral reefs in Panama and oyster sampling units on oyster reefs in Texas) suggests that FARMS yield a subset of cryptobenthic fish species that are representative of those present on local coral and oyster reefs. While FARMS yield fewer individuals per sample, they are efficient sampling devices relative to the sampled area.We demonstrate that FARMS represent a useful tool for standardized collections of cryptobenthic fishes. While natural substrata are bound to yield more mature communities with a larger number of individuals and wider range of specialist species, the potential to deploy and retrieve FARMS in turbid environments, beyond regular SCUBA depth, and where fish collections using anaesthetics or ichthyocides are forbidden suggests that they are a valuable complementary technique to survey fishes in aquatic ecosystems. Deploying FARMS in locations and habitats where cryptobenthic fish communities have not been studied in detail may yield many valuable specimens of unknown or poorly known species.
Associations between nonfatal firearm injuries and risk of subsequent suicide among Veteran VA users: A retrospective cohort study
Authors: Carlson Kathleen F. , Gilbert Tess A. , Maxim Lauren , Hooker Elizabeth R. , Shull Sarah , DeBeer Bryann , DeFrancesco Susan , Denneson Lauren 
Published: March 2023

AbstractBackgroundSuicide is a leading cause of death in the United States, particularly among Veterans. Nonfatal firearm injuries may indicate subsequent risk of suicide and, thus, provide important opportunities for prevention in emergency departments and other health care settings. We used a retrospective cohort design to analyze associations between nonfatal firearm injuries and subsequent suicide among all Veterans who used U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) health care, nationally, between 2010 and 2019.MethodsWe linked VA health care and mortality data to identify VA users, nonfatal firearm injuries, and deaths. International Classification of Diseases (ICD)–10th Revision cause‐of‐death codes were used to identify suicides. Veterans' firearm injuries and their intent were categorized using cause‐of‐injury codes from the ICD Clinical Modification–9th and 10th Revisions systems. Using bivariable and multivariable regression, we estimated risk of subsequent suicide among Veterans with, versus without, nonfatal firearm injuries. Among Veterans with nonfatal firearm injuries, we examined characteristics associated with subsequent suicide; electronic health record (chart) reviews explored documentation about firearm access among those who died.ResultsAmong 9,817,020 VA‐using Veterans, 11,503 experienced nonfatal firearm injuries (64.9% unintentional, 12.3% intentional self‐harm, 18.5% assault). Of these, 69 (0.6%) subsequently died by suicide (42 involving firearms). The odds of subsequent suicide among Veterans with, versus without, nonfatal firearm injuries were 2.4 (95% confidence interval 1.9–3.0); odds were only slightly attenuated in multivariable modeling. Among Veterans with nonfatal firearm injuries, those with depression or substance use disorder diagnoses had twice the odds of subsequent suicide than those without. Chart reviews identified small proportions of suicide decedents who were assessed for (21.7%), and/or counseled about (15.9%), firearm access.ConclusionsFindings suggest that Veterans' nonfatal firearm injuries, regardless of injury intent, may be important but underutilized opportunities for suicide prevention. Future work should explore mechanisms to reduce risk among these patients.
Musket War and Musket trade: The New South Wales to New Zealand firearms trade, 1829–1840
Authors: Hepburn‐Roper Sebastian 
Published: March 2023

AbstractThe intertribal Musket wars that spread throughout Māori society in the 1820s and 1830s have received much attention from historians. This is also true of the history of trade between New South Wales and New Zealand occurring at the same time. However, at present, the link between these two phenomena remains poorly established. This article draws on the primary material available about the trans‐Tasman arms trade from a relatively untapped source, Sydney newspapers, revealing the surprising extent of this commerce and the fact that firearms imports peaked in the early 1830s. This information necessarily requires revision of our understanding of the Musket wars themselves.