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Does ethical leadership always improve individual competitive productivity? Examining knowledge management behavior via motivational pathways
No full textPurpose: In the contemporary knowledge-centric economy, unraveling the intricacies of knowledge sharing and hiding is paramount. Yet, extant studies often evaluate knowledge sharing and hiding on a standalone basis, overlooking the distinctive constructs that drive both behaviors. This study aims to delve into the nuanced relationship between ethical leadership and individuals’ inclinations to share or withhold knowledge, assessing the consequent implications for their individual competitive productivity.
Design/methodology/approach: This study encompasses two phases of data collection conducted through online surveys involving a total of 408 employees from the private sector.
Findings: The findings underscore ethical leadership positively correlates with knowledge sharing but not with knowledge hiding. Autonomous motivation bolsters knowledge sharing and mitigates knowledge hiding, whereas controlled motivation exhibits contrasting tendencies.
Originality/value: This research contributes novel insights into the complex interplay between leadership style, motivation, knowledge sharing, knowledge hiding and individual performance outcomes within organizational settings. It challenges conventional assumptions by demonstrating that ethical leadership fosters knowledge sharing, yet not knowledge hiding. In addition, it unveils the nuanced effects of different motivational orientations. The unexpected positive association between knowledge hiding and individual and collective performance underscores the complexity of knowledge dynamics within organizations, challenging prevailing views and suggesting avenues for further exploration. Overall, this study advances our understanding of the multifaceted dynamics shaping knowledge management practices and their implications for organizational performance
Pre-clinical studies and animal models
No full textTo assess their safety, immunogenicity, and efficacy all vaccine candidates must undergo pre-clinical evaluation before clinical trials can be considered. In the case of TB, most experimental vaccines are compared to BCG and sometimes to other parental vaccine constructs during pre-clinical development. To understand immunogenicity, on which successful vaccination ultimately depends, in vitro studies can be used to examine vaccine constructs on isolated immune cells, cell co-cultures, and organoids. However, a disadvantage arising from the use of these systems is the detachment of the cells from their normal physiological environment. The lack of interaction with other cells and the growth in an artificial medium does not fully correspond to the physiological in vivo conditions. Although experimental results obtained in this way can give a first indication of specific immune mechanisms, the precise mode of action in the whole body cannot be predicted accurately. The immune response is a very complex, spatially, and temporally precisely regulated process in which even small changes in certain parameters can lead to significant changes in the overall system. To date, the complexity of the mammalian immune system cannot be recapitulated by any in vitro method, and the safety and efficacy of a vaccine can only be evaluated by conducting vaccination-challenge experiments in live animals. In this chapter, we first describe how some in vitro methods can be used for the initial screening of experimental TB vaccines. We then discuss the advantages and disadvantages of various vertebrate animal models that have been used to study the safety, immunogenicity, and efficacy of TB vaccines. Finally, we finish the chapter with some insights into the impact of different vaccination routes and the Mtb challenge dose
Sustainability: implications for career development
No full textSustainability, a focus of attention in many contexts including career development, is a systems problem. Systems thinking is essential to consider, and find solutions to, sustainability. Career development’s responses to issues such as poverty, gender inequality, and environmental issues can be underpinned by social justice. This article considers the question “What are the implications of the sustainable development agenda for career development?” to enhance understanding of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and foster awareness of the relationship between career development and sustainability. Social justice and systems thinking are proposed as lenses for engaging with sustainability
Disruptions in outer membrane-peptidoglycan interactions enhance bile salt resistance in O-antigen-producing E. coli
No full textBile salts (BS) are antimicrobials that disrupt bacterial cell membranes and induce oxidative stress. The gut bacterium Escherichia coli is naturally resistant to BS, including the model strain K12 MG1655 that produces a lipopolysaccharide (LPS) without O-antigen (OAg) on the cell surface. Paradoxically, we have previously shown that restoring a wild-type like LPS with attached OAg (MG1655-S) sensitizes E. coli K12 to exogenous BS. In this study, we investigate this phenomenon. We show that mutations causing truncation of the LPS core oligosaccharide render MG1655-S strains even more susceptible to BS compared to MG1655. These mutants phenocopy a K-12 MG1655-S ΔwaaL mutant, which is defective in OAg ligase, primarily due to periplasmic accumulation of the unligated lipid-linked UndPP-OAg. Through the characterization of BS-resistant suppressor mutants of MG1655-S ΔwaaL, we identify key genetic disruptions involved in resistance. Notably, we observed the highest BS resistance in strains with a weaker connection between the outer membrane (OM) and peptidoglycan (PG), including strains lacking the major OM-anchored, PG-binding proteins OmpA or Lpp. Expressing versions of OmpA and Lpp that lack PG-binding capacity also enhanced the BS resistance. Our data suggest that BS-induced stress in OAg-producing E. coli is due to the spatial constraints between OM and PG and that mutations disrupting OM–PG interactions alleviate this stress, thereby enhancing BS resistance. These findings provide new insights into a major challenge E. coli faces in the gut environment, where it needs to produce OAg for stable colonization and immune evasion while resisting the antimicrobial activity of BS
Contrasting effects in tidal inundation under varying sea levels on the ecological structure and functions of tropical marsh ecosystems
No full textCoastal managers continue to be confronted with making management decisions with few data available and insight of the outcomes. Practical tools that can be used to inform on the effects of different scenarios of changes are particularly important to assist decision-making. This study has applied a Bayesian Belief Network (BBN) to investigate the contrasting effects of Sea Level Rise (SLR) scenarios and a reduction in tidal inundation on a tropical tidal wetland mosaic including saltmarshes, mangroves, and intertidal mudflats. We investigated: 1) the habitability of the study site for tidal vegetation under different scenarios associated with changes in inundation; and 2) the probability that the ecological values of export of crab zoea and blue carbon be supported under the scenarios. The study highlights that, without the ability to adjust to future SLR scenarios, saltmarshes here are likely to be lost to mangroves, and open water, under a scenario of 0.8 m SLR. Tidal inundation reduction decreased mangrove cover but increased habitability for terrestrial vegetation and subtidal herbaceous saltmarshes. SLR is likely to positively affect the blue carbon value but decreases the likelihood of the site holding high crab zoeae export values in saltmarsh areas. In contrast, a reduction of tidal inundation declined the likelihood of the site holding both high blue carbon and crab zoeae export values. The findings highlight the importance of “whole-of-system” approach to assessing the effects of different scenario changes in tidal inundation. Focusing only on one tidal wetland habitat and a single targeted value may affect the structure and functions of other habitat components of the coastal ecosystem mosaic. BBNs are useful tools to summarise preliminary assessments of the potential effects of tidal inundation changes on wetland ecosystems, which may assist managers to make the most informed decision to conserve and restore coastal transitional areas
Satellite-based water analysis and drought planning
No full text[Extract] This project aimed to improve drought resilience and grazing land management by using satellite-based technologies to map and monitor small water bodies and farm dams across selected regions of the Southern Gulf. A partnership between Southern Gulf NRM (SGNRM) and James Cook University (JCU), the project delivered applied research, tool development, and stakeholder engagement to support data-driven decision-making for landholders and regional planners
Preschool Educators’ Perceptions on Values Education
No full textThis systematic review examines preschool educators’ perceptions and implementation of Values Education (VE), emphasizing its critical role in moral and ethical development during early childhood. Following PRISMA guidelines, the review synthesizes findings from Scopus, ERIC ProQuest, Web of Science, and PsycINFO, covering studies published between 2000 and 2024. While educators recognize the importance of VE in shaping children’s character and promoting ethical behavior, several inconsistencies exist in its application. Successful VE programs often include explicit curriculum integration, teacher role modeling, and structured classroom activities. This review underscores the need for professional development initiatives to equip teachers with the necessary skills and knowledge to deliver VE effectively, and emphasizes fostering a supportive preschool environment to enhance VE practices. Furthermore, the review emphasizes that a systematic approach to VE can positively impact children’s intellectual, emotional, and social development, fostering ethically responsible individuals ready to engage actively in society
Torres Strait Seagrass Report Card 2025
No full textSeagrass meadows across the Torres Strait are both extensive and diverse, representing some of the highest species richness in the Indo-Pacific region (Carter et al. 2024a). Their ecological value is significant—they support major fisheries and provide essential food for culturally important species such as dugongs and turtles (TSRA 2016). Many key species, including fish, prawns, beche-de-mer, and tropical rock lobster, rely on seagrass during critical life stages (Marsh et al. 2015; Unsworth and Cullen 2010; Heck et al. 2008; Green 2006). The degradation or loss of these habitats would have profound implications for the cultural, spiritual, and economic livelihoods of Torres Strait Islander communities(TSRA 2016; Kleisner et al. 2015; Faury 2009).
Seagrasses are also valuable bioindicators, responding measurably to shifts in environmental conditions(Roca et al. 2016). Torres Strait has experienced several major seagrass declines, including a broad-scale event in the 1970s and more localised losses in the 1990s and early 2000s(Johannes and MacFarlane 1991), and more
localised diebacks in the early 1990s in north-western Torres Strait (Poiner and Peterkin 1996) and in the Orman Reefs area in 1999-2000 (Marsh et al. 2004). These events, though not fully understood, have been linked to herbivore declines and increased dugong deaths (Marsh et al. 2004; Long and Skewes 1996). More recently, the Torres Strait seagrass report cards from 2020–2024 documented substantial declines in both intertidal meadows around Orman Reefs and subtidal meadows in the Western and Central Clusters. While no evidence of disease was found, a lack of environmental baseline data prevented confirmation of other causes (Carter et al. 2024b). Field experiments at Mabuyag and Orman Reefs suggested that heavy grazing pressure from turtles and dugongs contributed to the reduced seagrass cover (Scott et al. 2022a)
Facultative brightness-change in an invasive gecko entering a novel background environment
No full textBackground matching is a common form of crypsis in animals, resulting from selective pressures imposed by visual systems of predators and/or prey. Therefore, it could be expected that novel backgrounds would pose a barrier to the establishment of invasive species, due to a lack of crypsis. Behavioural flexibility in crypsis—through facultative crypsis and/or choice of matching backgrounds—has been suggested as a trait that may facilitate invasiveness. We assessed background-matching and facultative brightness-change in an Australian population of the invasive Asian House Gecko (Hemidactylus frenatus). This species is currently expanding from urban environments into surrounding tropical woodland, and demonstrates great variability in colour and pattern among individuals. We quantified wild background-matching in terms of both colour and brightness. We then experimentally tested whether geckos facultatively change brightness in the direction expected for a given background. Hemidactylus frenatus consistently brightness-matched across the backgrounds on which they were found, more than would be expected by chance. Experiments showed that H. frenatus rapidly changed in their dorsal brightness, in the direction expected given their background, suggesting that brightness-matching observed in wild geckos is due to facultative brightness-change. Successful invasion may benefit from facultative crypsis; however, it remains to be demonstrated how facultative brightness-change in H. frenatus is linked to predation and invasion success. We outline how recognition of facultative colour-pattern change in invasive species may be important for early detection and management actions
Decadal recovery of fungal but not termite deadwood decay in tropical rainforest
No full textDeadwood represents ~11% of carbon stocks in tropical rainforest ecosystems and its decay is driven largely by fungi and termites, which contribute to the cycling of carbon and nutrients. Due to land use change, such as forest clearing, secondary growth tropical rainforests are increasingly prevalent around the globe. In secondary growth rainforest, studies found lower decay rates of leaf litter; however, little is known about how deadwood decays in these forests. Here, we tested whether termite and fungal species richness, composition and functions in decaying deadwood were similar in secondary and old-growth tropical rainforests. We assessed termite ability to discover and consume deadwood, as well as fungi community composition and contributions to wood decay. We placed non-native pine blocks, half of which were accessible to termites, in an old-growth rainforest site as a reference and two secondary growth rainforest sites that were restored 4 and 8 years before the start of the experiment. Blocks were harvested every 6 months for 4 years (eight harvests). Using fungal ITS amplicon sequencing of sawdust samples from the decaying deadwood blocks at the seventh harvest, we determined wood-dwelling fungal community composition. We found that termites discovered similar proportions of deadwood across the secondary and old growth rainforest sites, although the decay rates of the discovered deadwood were lower in the secondary growth rainforest. Further, fungal decay was similar to old growth rainforest levels in the older but not younger secondary growth rainforest, where it was slower; although differences among sites were small. Wood-dwelling fungal communities were similar between secondary and old growth rainforests. Synthesis and applications. Contrary to common assumptions, fungal communities and their wood decay functions were resilient and recovered relatively quickly within secondary growth rainforests; however, those of termites did not, which could reduce carbon and nutrient cycling in secondary growth rainforests. Active management methods such as the local transplant of termite- and fungi-occupied logs could accelerate the recovery of these ecosystems