bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Tree species is more effective than season dynamics on topsoil function andCO2emissions in the temperate forests
Authors: Mahmoodi Mohammad Bagher , Kooch Yahya , Alberti Giorgio 
Published: October 2022

AbstractSoil respiration is one of the most important operations controlling carbon (C) erosion from territorial ecosystems and a useful index of whole underground allocation of C and stand efficiency. However, how tree species effects root (i.e., autotrophic respiration) and soil microbial respiration (i.e., heterotrophic respiration), based on precise experiential schemes, are still restricted, even though crucial to guide the selection of species for reforestation and C management purposes. This research was done to study how tree species effect soil characteristics and function at stand level and which are the main drivers of soil CO2emission in mixed temperate forests in northern Iran (Mazandaran province). Four most common tree species at the experimental site (Parrotia persica,Ulmus minor,Quercus castaneifolia, andPopulus caspica) that surrounded by same species, were selected. Around each selected tree, four replicates of soil and litter samples were taken from (30 × 30 × 15 cm) and mixed to characterize soil physicochemical characteristics (i.e., bulk density, texture, water content, pH, electrical conductivity, N, organic carbon, and available P, K, Mg, and Ca), basal respiration and substrate (i.e., D‐manitol, D‐glucose, L‐asparagine, L‐arginine, gluconic acid, quinic acid, succinic acid, malonic acid, D‐glucosamine, L‐glutamine) induced respiration. In the litter characteristics, total N, C (OC), and C/N ratio were measured. Our results confirmed that soil chemical properties are more sensitive to species composition than soil physical ones. Moreover, individual tree species in mixed deciduous forests strongly influence induced microbial respiration, independently of the used substrates. On the contrary, season was the major factor explaining variations of basal respiration.
Hope and everyday crisis: Young adult experiences in COVID‐free Tasmania
Authors: Burton Alexander Luke , Harwood Andrew 
Published: October 2022

AbstractThe COVID‐19 pandemic is characterised by more than mass viral spread. Interviews with young adults in the Australian island‐state of Tasmania narrate how COVID‐19 is shared socially, economically, and biologically, but not equally. During the time interviews were done, border policies separated Tasmania from mass infections experienced elsewhere, giving us an opportunity to understand how separation does not equate with a lack of socio‐material and emotional impact from the pandemic. Recognising spatially diverse impacts of the COVID‐19 pandemic means becoming more reflexively aware of the structural inequalities informing how it has been experienced, particularly in the early period of the pandemic. We warn against exclusionary narratives of the pandemic that do not value impacts on those without high physical risk or exposure to the virus. Responding to such exclusionary narratives involves promoting a form of hope that is reflexive, self‐aware, and critical. We develop on these aims by reference to the themes of COVID‐19 as a syndemic, the temporal narrative of a boom‐bust cycle, and COVID‐19 as a crisis in everyday life.
CEO cultural background and corporate cash holdings
Authors: Loi Fai Lim , Chen Jean Jinghan , Qiao Zhuo 
Published: October 2022

AbstractThis paper examines whether the cultural background of chief executive officers (CEOs) affects corporate cash holdings. Using UK data from 2000 to 2018, we find that CEOs with a cultural background that emphasises power distance and uncertainty avoidance are positively associated with corporate cash holdings, while CEOs with a cultural background that emphasises masculinity are negatively associated with corporate cash holdings. Our results are robust to various robustness tests. Further analyses show that the impact is more pronounced when power is concentrated among top executives, when the CEOs have a degree of discretion in pursuing their own goals, and when information asymmetry is high.
Popular Economies In, Against, and Through the Platform
Authors: Magalhães Felipe N.C. 
Published: October 2022

AbstractBehind the conjunctural growth of popular economies in Brazilian cities lies a set of entangled disputes over urban density with important political consequences. While popular economic agents are repressed by local governments, informal work hired through digital platforms grows exponentially and engenders new precarious forms of assembling labour relations in, and extracting value from, global South cities. The contrasts and indirect relations between digital platforms and popular economic agents are important in understanding the growth of platforms, which hinges on accessing low‐wage workers whose attempts to make an independent living are otherwise prohibited. This dynamic has resulted in the political mobilisation of popular economy agents and their alliances with urban social movements. Through this paper, I examine how their networking and particular disputes for a right to the city hold potential for the emergence of other economies.
Class, Caste, Gender, and the Materiality of Cement Houses in India
Authors: Menon Siddharth 
Published: October 2022

AbstractRecently, large parts of India and the global South have experienced a rapid transformation from mud to cement houses, which has been promoted by governments and cement companies for its positive impacts on household socioeconomic status and gender inequalities. But we know little else about how different communities are participating in house transformation. In this paper, I study the embodied and affective dimensions of house transformation in Himachal Pradesh, India. I argue that house transformation is also the transformation of traditional gender and caste identities into new middle‐class identities which benefits some social groups, like upper‐caste women and Dalit men, but not others like Dalit women along intersectional lines. My work extends literature in infrastructure studies and urban political ecology by highlighting how the materiality of infrastructures interacts with everyday dimensions of difference to reproduce the marginalisation of historically oppressed groups along intersectional lines of class, caste, and gender.
Middle‐size molecule clearance as measured by β2‐microglobulin in high‐flux versus low‐flux dialysis and hemodiafiltration: A prospective randomized controlled trial
Authors: Yu Shaobin , Yang Hongliu , Chen Wenwen , Yuan Huaihong , Xiong Xiaohong , Fu Ping , Zeng Xiaoxi 
Published: October 2022

AbstractBackgroundWhereas most studies to date have mainly concentrated on the comparison between high‐flux hemodialysis (HFHD) and hemodiafiltration (HDF), or HFHD and low‐flux hemodialysis (LFHD) in relation to the clearance of β2‐microglobulin (β2M) in HD patients, there have been few related to combined HFHD and HDF therapy. To compare the clearance of middle‐sized molecules as measured by β2M in HFHD versus LFHD and HDF.MethodsA prospective, single‐center, open‐label, observer‐blinded, randomized controlled trial was conducted at the West China Hospital of Sichuan University in China. Patients received either HFHD or LFHD and HDF 3 times a week with follow‐ups at one and 3 months. The primary endpoint was the clearance of β2M at 3 months. The secondary endpoints included hemodialysis‐related adverse events, changes in anemia, states of nutrition, and inflammatory indices.ResultsAfter 3 months of treatment, the HFHD+HDF group achieved a higher satisfaction level than the LFHD+HDF group, with decreased serum β2M concentrations (34.493 ± 7.257 vs. 43.593 ± 9.036 mg/L, p < 0.001) and elevated red blood cell counts (3.959 ± 0.742 vs. 3.602 ± 0.578 × 1012/L, p = 0.015). Compared with baseline, both kinds of treatment led to increases in serum urea (t = −3.623, p = 0.001 vs. t = −4.240, p < 0.001), cholesterol (t = −2.511, p = 0.016 vs. t = −4.472, p < 0.001), and magnesium (t = −2.648, p = 0.011 vs. t = −3.561, p = 0.001). An elevated level of serum albumin (t = −2.683, p = 0.010) was observed only in the HFHD+HDF group.ConclusionsCombined therapy with HFHD and HDF has a beneficial effect on improving β2M clearance, red blood cell management, and nutrition status in HD patients.
Satisfaction with one's job and working at home in the COVID‐19 pandemic: A two‐wave study
Authors: Wood Stephen , Michaelides George , Inceoglu Ilke , Niven Karen , Kelleher Aly , Hurren Elizabeth , Daniels Kevin 
Published: October 2022

AbstractAs greater numbers of people have worked at home during the COVID‐19 pandemic, workers, organisations and policy makers have begun considering the benefits of a sustained move towards homeworking, with workers' satisfaction with homeworking often cited as a key driver. But is satisfaction with homeworking that relevant to workers' overall job satisfaction? In this study, we examine whether job and homeworking satisfaction are predicted by different demands and resources, namely, those well established in the job design literature (workload, job autonomy and social support) for the former and those specific to the context of homeworking (loneliness, work–nonwork interference, work–nonwork interference and adequacy of homeworking environment) for the latter. We also explore whether homeworking satisfaction mediates the relationship between homeworking demands and resources and job satisfaction. Findings of a study of university workers during the COVID‐19 pandemic (N = 753 in Phase 1, 471 in Phase 2) support our expectations about the domain‐specific nature of the predictors of job and homeworking satisfaction, autonomy is positively related to job satisfaction, while loneliness, nonwork‐to‐work interference and inadequate homeworking environment are negatively related to homeworking satisfaction. Results also support the argument that satisfaction with homeworking mediates the relationship between homeworking factors and job satisfaction, reinforcing the value of differentiating the two concepts.
Factors relating to nonpublication and publication bias in clinical trials in Canada: A qualitative interview study
Authors: Morrow Richard L. , Mintzes Barbara , Gray Garry , Law Michael R. , Garrison Scott , Dormuth Colin R. 
Published: October 2022

AimsThis study aims to understand factors contributing to nonpublication and publication bias in clinical trials in Canada.MethodsQualitative interviews were conducted between March 2019 and April 2021 with 34 participants from the Canadian provinces of Alberta, British Columbia and Ontario, including 17 clinical trial investigators, 1 clinical research coordinator, 3 research administrators, 3 research ethics board members and 10 clinical trial participants. We conducted a thematic analysis involving coding of interview transcripts and memo‐writing to identify key themes.ResultsSeveral factors contribute to nonpublication and publication bias in clinical trial research. A core theme was that reporting practices are shaped by incentives within the research system taht favour publication of positive over negative trials. Investigators are discouraged from reporting by experiences or perceptions of difficulty in publishing negative findings but rewarded for publishing positive findings in various ways. Trial investigators more strongly associated positive clinical trials than negative trials with opportunities for industry and nonindustry funding and with academic promotion, bonuses and recognition. Research institutions and ethics boards tended to lack well‐resourced, proactive policies and practices to ensure trial findings are reported in registries or journals.ConclusionClinical trial reporting practices in Canada are shaped by incentives favouring reporting of positive over negative trials, such as funding opportunities and academic promotion, bonuses and recognition. Research institutions could help change incentives by adopting performance metrics that emphasize full reporting of results in journals or registries.
On the limits of free trade in a Cournot world: When are restrictions on trade beneficial?
Authors: Amir Rabah , Jin Jim Y. , Troege Michael 
Published: October 2022

AbstractThis paper examines marginal deviations from free trade in an asymmetric Cournot world. We provide necessary and sufficient conditions under which: (i) small import tariffs, (ii) export subsidies, (iii) production subsidies and (iv) consumption taxes increase country‐level as well as world social welfare and consumer surplus. We find that free trade is generally not optimal: some countries' tariffs or subsidies can always improve world welfare. Every country's export subsidy raises the average of world social welfare and consumer surplus. Finally, we rank the different policies and show that production subsidies are most likely to raise world social welfare, followed by export subsidies and then import tariffs, whereas consumption taxes never do.
More than funders: The roles of philanthropic foundations in marine conservation governance
Authors: Blackwatters Jeffrey E. , Betsill Michele , Enrici Ash , Le Cornu Elodie , Basurto Xavier , Gruby Rebecca L. 
Published: October 2022

AbstractEnvironmental governance scholars have overlooked philanthropic foundations as influential non‐state actors. This omission, along with the continued growth in funding from private foundations for conservation issues, presents important questions about what foundations do in governance spaces. To address this gap, we examine The David and Lucile Packard Foundation's involvement in Fiji and Palau in the context of the Foundation's “Western Pacific Program”—a series of coastal and marine‐related investments made from 1998 to 2020. We describe and analyze six governance roles that the Packard Foundation contributed to: funding, influencing agendas, capacity‐building, convening and coordinating, facilitating knowledge, and rule‐making and regulation. In documenting the Packard Foundation's governance roles, we provide scholars and practitioners a conceptual framework to more systematically and strategically think about foundations as more than funders. This research helps move the conversation around conservation philanthropy beyond binary conceptions of “good” versus “bad,” and, instead, toward deeper considerations about what foundations currently do within governance systems, how they engage with diverse practitioners, as well as what they can and should do to advance conservation goals.
Phenobarbital to manage severe gamma‐hydroxybutyrate withdrawal: A case series
Authors: Freeman Georgia , Siefried Krista J. , Roberts Darren M. , Rodgers Craig , Nic Ionmhain Una , Ramanathan Jay , Ezard Nadine , Brett Jonathan 
Published: October 2022

AbstractIntroductionManagement of a withdrawal syndrome following cessation of regular gamma‐hydroxybutyrate (GHB) use, and its precursors, can represent a clinical challenge due to rapid onset delirium and/or seizures. Severe GHB withdrawal can be characterised by persistent or worsening features despite increasing benzodiazepine doses and regular baclofen. Barbiturates, such as phenobarbital, are an appealing option in this context due to their unique GABA‐A receptor action.Case SeriesThis series describes the use of phenobarbital in 13 cases, 12 patients, across two hospitals in Sydney, Australia, with persistent or progressive GHB withdrawal despite benzodiazepine‐based management. A median cumulative dose of oral diazepam prior to commencing phenobarbital was 120 mg (range 80–255 mg). The median time from the last GHB use to the first dose of phenobarbital was 24 h (range 7–57 h). Eight cases received phenobarbital orally on a general ward and 5 intravenously in intensive care units. An improvement in GHB withdrawal symptoms was observed after phenobarbital in all cases and there were no adverse events related to phenobarbital.Discussion and ConclusionThis case series suggests that phenobarbital for the management of benzodiazepine‐resistant GHB withdrawal can be safe, even in general inpatient settings, and may avert the progression of delirium. Most data on the management of GHB withdrawal comes from case reports or series, such as this one. This highlights the need for prospective trials to establish an evidence base for therapeutic approaches, including validated measures of withdrawal severity and more information relating to the safe and effective dosing of phenobarbital.
Association rule mining using new discrete elephant swarm approaches
Authors: Moulai Hadjer , Drias Habiba 
Published: October 2022

AbstractIn this paper, we are proposing two novel swarm intelligence approaches for solving discrete problems. Two different continuous evolutionary algorithms inspired by the behaviour of elephants, namely elephant herding optimization and elephant swarm water search algorithm, are studied and analysed in order to propose discrete versions of the latter called discrete elephant herding optimization and discrete elephant swarm water search algorithm. As an illustration of how our proposals can work on discrete problems, a case study on association rule mining is carried out where the proposed discrete algorithms are modelled and applied on the problem in order to extract interesting association rules from large‐scale databases. Extensive experiments on eight different real‐life and relevant datasets with various sizes showed that both our proposals yield good results that compete and sometimes outperform state of the art algorithms.
A review of microbial‐environmental interactions recorded in Proterozoic carbonate‐hosted chert
Authors: Moore Kelsey R. , Daye Mirna , Gong Jian , Williford Kenneth , Konhauser Kurt , Bosak Tanja 
Published: October 2022

AbstractThe record of life during the Proterozoic is preserved by several different lithologies, but two in particular are linked both spatially and temporally: chert and carbonate. These lithologies capture a snapshot of dominantly peritidal environments during the Proterozoic. Early diagenetic chert preserves some of the most exceptional Proterozoic biosignatures in the form of microbial body fossils and mat textures. This fossiliferous and kerogenous chert formed in shallow marine environments, where chert nodules, layers, and lenses are often surrounded by and encased within carbonate deposits that themselves often contain kerogen and evidence of former microbial mats. Here, we review the record of biosignatures preserved in peritidal Proterozoic chert and chert‐hosting carbonate and discuss this record in the context of experimental and environmental studies that have begun to shed light on the roles that microbes and organic compounds may have played in the formation of these deposits. Insights gained from these studies suggest temporal trends in microbial‐environmental interactions and place new constraints on past environmental conditions, such as the concentration of silica in Proterozoic seawater, interactions among organic compounds and cations in seawater, and the influence of microbial physiology and biochemistry on selective preservation by silicification.
Effect of aleurone‐rich fraction on texture and nutritional properties of breads
Authors: Zhou Ting , Ying Ruifeng , Huang Meigui , Tang Zhenxing 
Published: October 2022

SummaryAleurone represents a fraction of the outer endosperm in wheat kernels composed of a single‐cell layer containing a variety of nutrients, including dietary fibre (mainly arabinoxylan, β‐glucan, and cellulose), proteins, minerals, vitamins, and antioxidants (ferulic acid). In this study, aleurone‐rich fraction (0%–100%) was added to wheat flour to examine the microstructure of the bread and the crystal structure of the starch after the addition using scanning electron microscopy and X‐ray diffraction. The maximum in vitro hydrolysis rate of bread with 10%–100% aleurone‐rich fraction addition ranged from 35.69% to 65.93%, which was significantly lower than that of white bread (68.76%). Low‐field nuclear magnetic resonance revealed an increase in the amount of bound water in bread after the addition of the aleurone‐rich fraction. Further, bread containing the aleurone‐rich fraction had a higher antioxidant capacity, as evaluated by DPPH• and •OH scavenging activity. Therefore, these results indicate that the aleurone‐rich fraction may be a beneficial ingredient for the manufacture of low‐calorie and high‐fibre foods.
Pearl millet protein hydrolysates exhibiting effective in‐vitro antioxidant, antidiabetic and anti‐lipidemic properties as potential functional food ingredient
Authors: Mudgil Priti , Alblooshi Munira , Singh Brij Pal , Devarajan Aarthi Rekha , Maqsood Sajid 
Published: October 2022

SummaryMillets are well‐known for protein with high nutritional value and a range of health benefits. Millet‐derived proteins can thus be a rich source of bioactive peptides with multiple bioactive properties. In this study three proteolytic enzymes, i.e. alcalase, bromelain, and chymotrypsin were used to generate pearl millet protein hydrolysates (PMPHs) and explored for multifunctional bioactive properties. Degree of hydrolysis (DH) ranged between 28.69% and 59.21% with maximum DH observed for PMPs hydrolysed with bromelain for 9 h. The PMPs digested with alcalase exhibited enhanced in‐vitro anti‐diabetic potential with greater inhibition towards α‐amylase and dipeptidyl peptidase‐IV (DPP‐IV) with IC50 inhibitory concentration of 5.06 and 3.44 μg mL−1, respectively. Alcalase PMPHs demonstrated the strongest ABTS radical scavenging activity (976 mM TEAC) while chymotrypsin‐generated PMPHs showed significant scavenging of DPPH free radicals (222.3 mM TEAC). In addition, bromelain‐treated hydrolysates displayed the highest α‐glucosidase inhibitory activity (6.71 μg mL−1) and Ferric reducing anti‐oxidant power (585.7 mM TEAC). Moreover, PMPHs generated by alcalase showed potential anti‐lipidemic activity by inhibiting pancreatic lipase and cholesteryl esterase with maximum IC50 values of 3.46 and 3.61 μg mL−1, respectively. These findings suggest that PMPs could be used as a potential source for bioactive hydrolysates with improved anti‐diabetic, anti‐lipidemic, and anti‐oxidant activities.
Compositional characterisation of papadkhar and deciphering the influence of cationic and anionic component(s) of salt on the quality attributes of papads
Authors: Kaimal Admajith M. , Barela Anjali K. , Singhal Rekha S. 
Published: October 2022

SummaryPapadkhar, an efflorescent ash, is an essential ingredient in papad manufacturing which enhances texture. This study is comprised of two parts: Initially, papadkhar samples were collected from various regions of India and evaluated for physicochemical parameters and heavy metals. Cadmium (<2.29 mass%), mercury (<2.48 mass%) and lead (<32.38 mass%) were detected. However, the regulations for heavy metal contamination in papadkhar are inexplicit. The study suggested the need to evaluate toxicity and regulate heavy metal contamination below the threshold value. Optimal papadkhar concentration was found to be 3% (w/w). Furthermore, literature emphasising the role of salt components on papad quality is scanty. The second part of the study focused on deciphering the role of cationic and anionic salt component(s) on physicochemical properties of papads. To study the effect of cations, varying levels (0.5%–1.5%) of sodium, calcium, magnesium and potassium carbonates were used. Sodium salts were chosen for further studies considering lower dough hardness (136.3–123.0 g). Hereinafter, sodium salt of sulphate, phosphate, chloride and carbonate (0.5%–1.5%) were selected. A blend of 3:1 ratio of sodium carbonate and sodium bicarbonate at 1% (w/w) showed the best organoleptic acceptability.