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Restoring riparian habitats for benefits to biodiversity and human livelihoods: a systematic map protocol for riparian restoration approaches in the tropics
Full text linkBackground Riparian zones are vital transitional habitats that bridge the gap between terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. They support elevated levels of biodiversity and provide an array of important regulatory and provisioning ecosystem services, of which, many are fundamentally important to human well-being, such as the maintenance of water quality and the mitigation of flood risk along waterways. Increasing anthropogenic pressures resulting from agricultural intensification, industry development and the expansion of infrastructure in tropical regions have led to the widespread degradation of riparian habitats resulting in biodiversity loss and decreased resilience to flooding and erosion. Considering climate change and its associated effects on freshwater systems, the need to build resilience and adaptive capacities is pertinent. This has prompted the need to protect existing riparian habitats and the implementation of solutions to restore these degraded habitats to recover their functional capacity. This systematic map will aim to identify and collate existing literature on approaches for riparian restoration implemented in tropical regions and identify what indicators have been used to measure outcomes for biodiversity and human well-being. The resulting collation of evidence will help to identify current knowledge gaps and inform the direction of future research. Methods To address the aims of this systematic map, a search of pre-identified bibliographic databases will be undertaken using a set string of search terms. In addition to this, a grey literature search will be conducted using Google Scholar and by searching for references using specialist websites. All literature that is gathered will be screened by title, abstract and full text using a two-phase screening process which adheres to a predetermined eligibility criteria. Data will then be coded from the collated group of articles using a pre-designed data coding sheet. Heterogeneity will likely be present in the data; therefore, studies will be grouped appropriately based on the restoration strategy implemented and, on the type of outcome measured. These will be presented as subgroups. A narrative synthesis of map findings will be produced, this will outline the distribution and frequency of restoration interventions , and outcomes measured, and will highlight evidence gaps to direct future research
A new web application for determining sample size in freedom-from-disease testing with imperfect tests
Full text linkVeterinary surveillance frequently requires study design for freedom-from-disease testing, specifying a sample size to balance higher statistical power with larger sample sizes against increased research and ethics costs, with the recognition that tests can generate false positive and negative results: i.e., tests exhibit imperfect sensitivity and specificity. In this paper, we revisit the mathematics behind exact calculations of sample size in terms of the binomial and hypergeometric distributions, and present a new algorithm – implemented and available to use in R as a Shiny application with a graphical user interface – to determine sample size for practical situations. Often, sample size calculations are based upon simulations or approximations, but we show here that exact calculations are feasible. In addition, we relax the liberal assumption – which provides conservative sample-size estimates – that sensitivity and specificity are known exactly, and instead assume both are Beta distributed with known hyperparameters. The application presented here was originally designed as a learning tool for students and is now made available for wider use
Communicating a Local Journalism Crisis Online: How Media Workers Frame Industry Changes
Full text linkThis article examines how newsworkers’ trade unions framed industry and newswork changes on their websites and Twitter in the United States between 2015 and 2022 as unionization increased. Grounded in critical political economy of journalism and social movement studies of industrial relations, this study conducts a frame analysis of unionization announcements (N = 141) from the Writers Guild of America, East and The NewsGuild. This analysis is supported by interviews (N ¬= 32) with unionized newsworkers and a union organizer. Unionization announcements are aimed at employers, newsworkers, and the general public. This article builds an integrated conceptual framework on how unions use online communicative framing to strategically express a local journalism crisis narrative online in these announcements and the internal organizational process shaping their narrative. The analysis reveals a hybrid union-oriented narrative, reflecting unions’ unique circumstances and heterogeneous perceptions of industry and workforce changes. This narrative blends elements from the competing business-oriented, financialization, and labor-oriented narratives, emphasizing labor concerns. These findings offer insights into unions’ conciliatory communication strategies that have the potential to shape their power struggles with management. They highlight the need to consider the influence of online organizing and social media on framing narratives since the digital era
Fostering Health Behaviour Change in Overweight Male Football Fans Through the European Fans in Training (EuroFIT) Program: A Self-Determination Theory Perspective
Full text linkThe European Fans in Training (EuroFIT) program integrated need-supportive motivational strategies from Self-Determination Theory (SDT) in the design of a healthy lifestyle program delivered to overweight or obese male football fans (n = 1113; mean age of 45.9 [SD = 9.0] years old and BMI of 33.2 kg/m2 [SD = 4.6]) in professional football club settings in the UK, Portugal, Norway and the Netherlands. With a critical realist approach, we developed a structured thematic framework analysis based on Self-Determination Theory (SDT) to investigate the process of change in men who participated in the EuroFIT randomized controlled trial (RCT). We examined whether men’s experiences of the social context of EuroFIT, and whether their engagement with the program’s motivational strategies supported or frustrated their basic psychological needs while attempting to change their lifestyle behaviours. We found that men in all countries perceived the social contexts of the EuroFIT program as mostly needs-supportive, and that they found engagement with most of the program components helpful in supporting their psychological needs when initiating health behaviour changes. However, some of the program elements in the EuroFIT program were perceived as needs-frustrating by some participants and need-supportive by others. Implications for the use of need-supportive motivational strategies in designing future lifestyle interventions in sport settings to promote health behaviour change among male football fans are discussed
Maternal gregariousness and female audience effects mediate mother–infant proximity in wild chimpanzees
Full text linkIn animal species with parental care, maintaining offspring–carer proximity is an important adaptation protecting offspring from threats such as predation and conspecific aggression, but doing so may limit other social opportunities. Investigating factors impacting mother–infant proximity can, therefore, provide insights into the evolution of maternal responses towards multidimensional threats. Here, we examine the social factors impacting mother–offspring proximity in two populations of wild chimpanzees with differing levels of infanticidal threats, eastern chimpanzees, Pan troglodytes schweinfurthii, in Budongo Forest, Uganda and western chimpanzees, P. t. verus, in Taï Forest, Ivory Coast. We assessed whether (1) the number of males and females in fission–fusion subgroups predicts proximity levels between mothers and their youngest infants, (2) whether it is mediated by maternal gregariousness and (3) whether this relationship differs in the two populations. In both populations and independent of maternal gregariousness, we found no clear relationship between mother–infant proximity and the number of males in the party. However, in Budongo, where an infanticidal threat is high, mother–infant proximity was mediated by both maternal gregariousness and the number of other females present. Less gregarious mothers were closer to their youngest offspring in parties with large numbers of females, while the opposite pattern applied to highly gregarious mothers. In Taï, more gregarious females were more often in proximity with their offspring. Our results demonstrate that the immediate social environment, maternal social phenotype and overall community-specific threats can all influence maternal response to varying exposure to threats. The consequences of exposure to this environment on offspring’s social development merit further investigation
COVID-19 and anxiety in pregnancy and postpartum: a longitudinal survey
Full text linkBackground Anxiety is estimated to affect between 15 and 20 per cent of women during pregnancy and postpartum. The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in wide-ranging changes to how people lived, worked and socialised around the world. COVID and pandemic-related restrictions to maternity services may have exacerbated anxiety during pregnancy and the postnatal period. This study aimed to determine: (1) levels of COVID exposure and perceived risk; (2) adherence to Government guidelines and restrictions; and (3) the impact of COVID and COVID-related restrictions on perinatal anxiety and mental health in the UK. Methods A longitudinal survey (n = 2122) of COVID and anxiety in women during early pregnancy, mid-pregnancy, late pregnancy and postpartum. Results 38.41% of participants had COVID before or during the study. Perinatal anxiety was predicted by participants having poor general health, being of Asian or mixed ethnicity, having previous mental health problems, believing that COVID would make them severely ill, and reporting that COVID had impacted on their mental health. Over time, more women were infected with COVID, and the perceived severity of COVID decreased. Experiencing mild COVID was associated with decreased anxiety at the subsequent time point (mean difference -0.72, 95% CI -1.38 to -0.07, p = 0.030). Very few participants in this sample had severe COVID (2.9%) or reported it having a severe impact on their mental health (5.66%). Most participants (75.3%) said the pandemic had ‘no’ or a ‘slight’ impact on their mental health. Pandemic-related restrictions to maternity care affected more women, with around 40% reporting anxiety about being separated from baby, their partner not being with them in labor, or having to leave shortly after the birth. Level of adherence to guidelines was variable, depending on the restriction. Conclusions Findings suggest pandemic-related restrictions caused anxiety for more women than COVID per se. Adherence to guidelines was variable yet the prevalence of COVID infections was low compared to the general population. Findings can be used to inform policy and practice for future pandemics and health-related crises.MAP study Team: Georgina Constantinou, Simon Gilbody, Agnes Hann, Jennifer Holly, Grace Howard, Una Hutton, Rachael Leonard, Debra Salmon, Nazihah Uddin, James Walker, Louise R. Williams & Cassandra Yuil
Environmental heterogeneity curbs evolution against biopesticides
Full text linkPathogens often exert strong selection on host populations, yet considerable genetic variation for infection defence persists. Environmental heterogeneity may cause fitness trade-offs that prevent fixation of host alleles affecting survival when exposed to pathogens in wild populations. Pathogens are extensively used in biocontrol for crop protection. However, the risks of pest resistance evolution to biocontrol are frequently underappreciated: the key drivers of fitness trade-offs for pathogen resistance remain unclear, both in natural and managed populations. We investigate whether pathogen identity or host diet has a stronger effect on allelic fitness by quantifying genetic variation and covariation for survival in an insect pest across distinct combinations of fungal pathogen infection and plant diet. We demonstrate substantial heritability, indicating considerable risks of biopesticide resistance evolution. Contrary to conventional thinking in host-pathogen biology, we found no strong genetic trade-offs for surviving exposure to two different fungal pathogen species. However, changes in plant diet dramatically altered selection, revealing diet-mediated genetic trade-offs affecting pest survival. Our data suggest that trade-offs in traits not strictly related to infection responses could nevertheless maintain genetic variation in natural and agricultural landscapes
Let's (NOT) get Physical: Cross-format dilution when launching physical counterparts with unique digital assets
Full text linkAs brands seek new revenue streams in the metaverse, selling unique digital assets (UDAs)—like virtual sneakers, artwork, or clothing—represents a promising opportunity. But does offering both digital and physical versions help or hurt in driving favorable consumer responses (e.g. intention to purchase, willingness to pay)? Across six experiments, we find that digital-only UDAs generate stronger purchase interest than those paired with a physical counterpart. This happens because also adding a physical version of the asset reduces the sense that the digital item is truly unique—making it feel less special and less “yours” to the individual. We label this a cross-format dilution effect. Nonetheless, brands can choose to sidestep this by limiting access to the physical version (e.g., display-only) or by releasing the digital item before the physical one.Output Status: Forthcoming/Available Onlin
Deconstructing boundaries and building translanguaging spaces for effective multilingual learning
Full text linkThe monolingualizing of education has constructed artificial educational spaces disconnected from the lived multilingual reality of individuals. We discuss how boundaries are created and maintained and how this negatively affects learning in Botswana, Tanzania, and Zambia. We conclude by advocating for the introduction of translanguaging spaces in education to deconstruct boundaries and provide more equitable, inclusive, and multilingual approaches to education.Article is featured in a NORRAG Special Issue published by the NORRAG Global Education Centre https://www.norrag.org
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