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A case study examining collaborative playlist-making during the COVID-19 pandemic
No full textBackground: Live music participation was halted during the COVID-19 pandemic (Phillips & Krause, 2024), prompting people to look for other opportunities to engage in music, including using online platforms to listen, create and collaborate (Fink et al., 2021). For instance, a rise in collaborative playlist engagement was observed (Park, et al., 2022), and many people pointed to music’s ability to combat loneliness and foster feelings of social connection and companionship during lockdowns (Krause et al., 2025).
Aims: While there is some evidence about the use of collaborative playlists within people’s COVID-19 lockdown experiences, the majority of published studies on COVID-19 focus on other musical behaviours. Therefore, our study explored an organically developed collaborative playlist activity which evolved throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. This activity called “Song of the Day” was developed by a group of cycling enthusiasts, who took turns sharing a new song at the rate of one per day. This case study aimed to answer two research questions: What does the group’s collaborative playlisting process entail, and What were the outcomes of engaging in collaborative playlist making during the COVID-19 pandemic?
Method: Using an exploratory, qualitative approach, we conducted semi-structured interviews with four Song of the Day group members (Mage = 63). After transcribing the interviews, we used an inductive approach to thematic analysis (Braun & Clarke, 2022) to analyse the interview data.
Results: We identified four overarching themes: group dynamics, development and evolution of activity, song selection, and participation outcomes. Though initially motivated by a simple premise of sharing one song a day to lighten the mood and keep in touch during lockdowns, the playlisting activity guidelines evolved over time. A shift in selecting new songs that met stated thematic parameters made the activity challenging, elicited competitiveness and conversation, and fostered continued and on-going group member participation. Engaging in this form of a collaborative playlisting sparked enjoyment and nostalgia, fostered conversations amongst the group, and created opportunities for bonding beyond their shared interest in cycling. These outcomes deepened their existing friendships and prompted the exploration and discovery of new music and artists. As lockdowns ended, the activity continued and group members also began attending live, in-person music events together.
Discussion and Conclusion: The group’s use of multiple technologies to share, listen, and discuss music extend previous research on collaborative playlist making. Interestingly, the song curation was primarily historical – not to focus on the playlist order or narrative, but to ensure new additions are not repeated songs. Eagerly anticipating each new song, they created a ritual in locating, sharing, and listening. The well-being benefits associated with this ritual resulted from the ongoing collaborative process, rather than the creation of an artefact, illustrating the potential of collaborative playlist making as a form of everyday musical engagement. Consequently, our results support the burgeoning research illustrating that music listening activities can foster social connection and combat loneliness, even in times of global crisis
Characterisation of the Gastrointestinal Microbiome of Green Sea Turtles (Chelonia mydas): A Systematic Review
No full textThe gut microbiome of sea turtles is essential for their ecological resilience and adaptation to environmental stressors. We hypothesised that different gut microbial profiles existed between green sea turtles kept in captivity and those in the wild. The aim of this systematic review was to determine dominant bacterial phyla in the gut microbiomes of wild and captive green sea turtles. Comparison of the top four bacterial phyla revealed that Bacillota was the most abundant phylum in captive turtles (40.9–87.5%), but it only ranked second (3.5–57.8%) in wild turtles. Bacteroidota had comparable relative abundance in captive (8.7–45.6%) and wild (3.6–43.1%) populations. By contrast, the relative abundance of Pseudomonadota was higher in wild turtles (6.2–68.1%) compared to the captive population (0.1–6.6%). Verrucomicrobiota was less prevalent in wild and captive populations, with relative abundances ranging from 0.28 to 5.4% and 2.3 to 7.2%, respectively. These findings highlight a putative gut microbial shift between wild and captive green sea turtle populations. This shift may be shaped by variations in environmental factors in captivity or the wild. Nonetheless, the significance of these putative changes is still unknown; the potential to use microbial shifts to guide management, rehabilitation, and conservation of green sea turtles is promising, but remains limited
Corporate social responsibility disclosure and dividend policy of Islamic banks: evidence from GCC countries
No full textPurpose:
This study explores the relationship between corporate social responsibility (CSR) disclosure and financial stability in Islamic banks, focusing on insolvency risk, liquidity risk, and credit risk.
Design/Methodology/Approach:
The study examines 29 Islamic banks in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region from 2010 to 2022, constructing a comprehensive CSR index from annual report content.
Findings:
The study finds a significant negative relationship between CSR disclosure and banks' insolvency risk and a significant positive relationship between CSR disclosure and banks' liquidity risk. A disaggregated analysis reveals that most individual dimensions positively influence insolvency risk. Conversely, the majority negatively affect liquidity risk. Notably, only the dimension of commitment towards debtors (CTD) negatively impacts credit risk. These results remain robust even after addressing potential endogeneity issues.
Originality/Value:
The study underscores the impact of CSR disclosure on the financial stability of Islamic banks within the GCC, demonstrating their role in fostering stable returns and enhancing overall financial health
Seagrass habitat of Cairns Harbour and Trinity Inlet: Annual Monitoring Report 2024
No full textSeagrasses have been monitored annually in Cairns Harbour and Trinity Inlet since 2001. Each year six seagrass monitoring meadows representing the range of different seagrass community types found in Cairns are
mapped and assessed for changes in area, biomass, and species composition. These metrics are then used to develop a seagrass condition index from very poor to very good (Figure 1). All seagrasses within the port limits are also remapped every three years as part of the long-term monitoring program
How do economic policy uncertainty and inflation individually and collectively influence bank loan pricing decisions in China?
No full textPurpose: This study aims to examine how economic policy uncertainty (EPU) and inflation affect bank loan pricing decisions both individually and jointly in China.
Design/methodology/approach: Panel regressions are used on data from Chinese banks spanning 2005–2022.
Findings: The analysis reveals that both local and global EPU negatively affect bank loan pricing, while inflation exerts a positive impact. Moreover, higher inflation mitigates the negative impact of EPU on loan pricing, whereas increased EPU amplifies inflation’s effect on loan prices. These findings hold when the data are segmented into two bank groups: the Big Four and joint-stock commercial banks and city commercial banks.
Originality/value: To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is the first to examine how EPU and inflation, both individually and together, influence loan pricing in China. The findings provide insights into how monetary policies (which affect inflation) and economic policies (which shape EPU) interact to shape loan pricing in China’s state-driven banking system. These insights can help banks refine their loan pricing and risk management strategies, assist investors and borrowers in making informed decisions and guide policymakers in balancing socioeconomic stability with financial stability during uncertain and inflationary periods. Ultimately, this can help mitigate negative impacts on the banking sector and the broader economy
Growth dynamics, reproductive biology, and nutritional profiling of the freshwater mussel Lamellidens marginalis (Lamarck, 1819): implications for wild stock conservation and sustainable aquaculture development
No full textUnderstanding the reproductive cycle ensures sustainable cultivation practices and facilitates effective management strategies to conserve natural stocks. Lamellidens marginalis, commonly available in South Asian countries, plays an essential role in the aquatic food chain. This study investigated the growth indices and reproductive activity of L. marginalis from a freshwater lake, aiming to understand its stock structure and sustainable exploitation rate. Furthermore, nutritional profiling of tissue was conducted to assess its potential for aquaculture. The results revealed significant variations in the mean biometric parameters across genders and periods. Compared with males, females presented numerically greater dimensions in all body measurements, except for shell height. The overall relationship between body weight and shell length indicated negative allometric growth (‘b’ values ranged between 2.430 and 3.156 for males and between 1.506 and 2.792 for females). The condition index exhibited significant seasonal fluctuations, with a rapid increase during April and June and a sharp decrease in July–August, potentially linked to gonadal maturation and spawning. Histological examination revealed a significantly male-dominated mussel population with an overall sex ratio of 1:0.89 (male: female). However, the histological analysis did not identify sexually undifferentiated and hermaphroditic individuals. This species displayed a continuous reproductive ability year-round, with a peak in July–August at 32.30−34.50°C. L. marginalis has the potential to be an excellent food source for animal on the basis of its nutritional values, and its biochemical composition was closely linked with reproductive activity. The outcomes of this study will guide the sustainable conservation of natural populations and the use of this species in aquaculture
Mechanisms driving temperature-induced early sex change in barramundi (Lates calcarifer)
No full textSex in fish is remarkably plastic. In some gonochoristic species, temperature exposure during early development can result in epigenetic changes and phenotypic reversal of an otherwise genetically encoded sex. In most of these cases, high temperatures result in an increased proportion of phenotypic males. In sequential hermaphrodites, such as the protandrous barramundi (Lates calcarifer), the effect of temperature on sex is largely unknown. Here, we reared 1-year-old barramundi under four different temperature profiles and examined the effects on mRNA expression, DNA methylation and phenotypic sex. Exposure to high temperature (34 °C) led to early sex change, skewing sex ratios toward transitional and female fish compared to the all-male control group. These phenotypic changes were accompanied by differences in methylation and/or expression of conserved sex-determining genes (e.g., cyp19a1a and dmrt1), and others with putative roles in cellular sensing and signal transduction. Global DNA methylation differences and alternative splicing were observed between sexes but not between temperatures, suggesting that these epigenetic mechanisms occur downstream of putative temperature-modulated signal transduction pathways. The results demonstrate that in contrast to gonochoristic fish, the gonads of sequential hermaphrodites maintain plasticity beyond the completion of sex differentiation, and that exposure to high temperatures leads to an increased proportion of females, rather than males. The findings may assist in the development of temperature as a consumer friendly strategy for sex control in aquaculture
Integrating ecological roles and trophic diversification on coral reefs: multiple lines of evidence identify parrotfishes as microphages
No full textCoral reef ecosystems are remarkable for their high productivity in nutrient-poor waters. A high proportion of primary production is consumed by the dominant herbivore assemblage, teleost fishes, many of which are the product of recent and rapid diversification. Our review and synthesis of the trophodynamics of herbivorous reef fishes suggests that current models underestimate the level of resource partitioning, and thus trophic innovation, in this diverse assemblage. We examine several lines of evidence including feeding observations, trophic anatomy, and biochemical analyses of diet, tissue composition and digestive processes to show that the prevailing view (including explicit models) of parrotfishes as primary consumers of macroscopic algae is incompatible with available data. Instead, the data are consistent with the hypothesis that most parrotfishes are microphages that target cyanobacteria and other protein-rich autotrophic microorganisms that live on (epilithic) or within (endolithic) calcareous substrata, are epiphytic on algae or seagrasses, or endosymbiotic within sessile invertebrates. This novel view of parrotfish feeding biology provides a unified explanation for the apparently disparate range of feeding substrata used by parrotfishes, and integrates parrotfish nutrition with their ecological roles in reef bioerosion and sediment transport. Accelerated evolution in parrotfishes can now be explained as the result of (1) the ability to utilize a novel food resource for reef fishes, i.e. microscopic autotrophs; and (2) the partitioning of this resource by habitat and successional stage
Sparse seagrass meadows are critical dugong habitat: A novel rapid assessment of habitat-wildlife associations using paired drone and in-water surveys
No full textUnderstanding the fine-scale behavioural and feeding ecology of marine megafauna is imperative for effective management of their habitat areas; however, obtaining the relevant data can be both costly and challenging. Here we integrate the use of small drones for dugong surveys with underwater benthic habitat assessment techniques at the local spatial scale (∼30 km2), to determine the drivers of dugong (Dugong dugon) distribution across three locations in the Pilbara, Western Australia. Paired assessment data was collected three times over two years. Benthic habitat (percent cover), seagrass nutritional quality and environmental parameters (temperature, water clarity, water current, water depth) were tested as predictor variables using generalised linear models, to examine drivers of both dugong presence/absence and abundance. We found that low cover (typical for this region; 2–10 %) of colonising seagrass is a key driver of the presence and abundance of dugongs. Halophila ovalis and Halodule uninervis were the main predictors of dugong presence and abundance across the three locations surveyed. Where both seagrass species simultaneously occurred, the likelihood of dugongs being present increased by over 60 times. The presence of H. uninervis alone was predicted to increase the abundance of dugongs by 1.4 times across all locations and by 6.8 times in one location, Exmouth Gulf, compared to when no seagrass was present. This study provided evidence of critical seagrass habitat, which is important knowledge for the protection and conservation of dugongs and their foraging habitat. The methods developed in this study could be employed in environmental impact assessments to predict and confirm potential seagrass forage habitat
Exploring Australian nursing and midwifery informatics roles: A scoping review
No full textBackground:
Digital health technologies are changing the context of nursing and midwifery practice. There are varying degrees of knowledge and adoption of digital health technologies in Australian healthcare systems. While nursing and midwifery informatics is an emerging specialty within Australia, little is known about the scope, roles, and benefits of informatics roles in Australia.
Review question:
What are the scope, responsibilities, benefits, and limitations of nursing and midwifery informatics roles throughout Australia?
Methods:
A scoping review was used to address the review question, and the mixed-methods appraisal tool was used to guide generalisability and interpretation of included records. Five healthcare and digital health databases, as well as grey literature, reference lists, and published resources related to nursing and midwifery informatics between 2010 and 2024 were searched.
Findings:
Four records were identified that partially addressed the review question. The scope, roles, and responsibilities of nursing and midwifery informaticians remain poorly understood.
Discussion:
Nurses and midwives need further education about digital health technologies and their place in an ever-changing work environment. Professional development activities that enhance understanding about digital health and informatics would be beneficial to address this gap, regardless of nurses’ and midwives’ current educational level or role. A standardised approach to defining Australian nursing and midwifery informatics, including the scope, roles, and responsibilities of informaticians, would support better understanding, applicability, and usability within the workforce.
Conclusion:
Despite literature supporting the need for dedicated nursing and midwifery informatics roles, the evidence and value of these roles are yet to be defined and quantified