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Freshwater Macroinvertebrate Community Responses to Drying Reflect Abiotic Stress, Frequency of Prior Drying and Proximity to a Perennial Reach
No full text1. Intermittent streams dominate global river networks and are becoming increasingly common due to global change. Understanding the mechanisms by which freshwater biota respond to flow recession, drying, and intermittence is therefore important to our ability to support biodiversity as ecosystems adapt to ongoing stressors. Responses of freshwater communities, including macroinvertebrates, are variable and likely reflect the influence of multiple drivers. We aimed to investigate how flow recession changes abiotic conditions (abiotic drying stress), and if this is affected by how frequently a site dries over the prior two years (frequency of prior drying) or the study stream. We also aimed to untangle how abiotic drying stress (hereafter referred to as drying stress), frequency of prior drying, and distance to a perennial reach interact to influence macroinvertebrate community richness and densities, turnover in taxa between locations with frequent or rare drying, drift composition, macroinvertebrate movement, and life histories. Finally, we aimed to understand whether fish that are visual predators modify macroinvertebrate behavioural responses, and if drying stress increases macroinvertebrate development rate at the cost of body length.
2. We measured abiotic stress (channel area, discharge, temperature and dissolved oxygen) and counted moving macroinvertebrates across five streams with different fish types. We also measured abiotic stress, benthic, and drifting macroinvertebrate communities and counted moving macroinvertebrates in one stream using four sampling campaigns. Each sampling campaign occurred on a different date, and the stream dried at a location with different frequencies of prior drying and distances from a perennial reach. During each sampling campaign, data were collected at sites with different intensities of drying stress. During the sampling campaign when the channel was at its driest, macroinvertebrate drift composition and life histories (body length at each life history stage) were also collected.
3. Temperatures increased and dissolved oxygen decreased with flow reduction, regardless of the frequency of prior drying or study stream. Mayfly development rates and macroinvertebrate movement increased as drying stress increased, but mayflies developed with shorter bodies. A fish visual predator and frequent prior drying were both associated with reduced macroinvertebrate movement. In intermittent reaches, drying stress was associated with reduced macroinvertebrate densities and richness, and taxonomic turnover. In contrast, closer to the perennial reach, there were high densities and relatively little taxonomic change associated with drying stress, possibly due to macroinvertebrate drift from communities unaffected by drying stress.
4. Collectively, our findings suggest that drying stress, the frequency of prior drying, and distance to the nearest perennial reach interact to determine the effects of flow recession on macroinvertebrate communities. Therefore, we need to know the frequency of prior drying in a reach and the location of perennial reaches to predict outcomes of intermittency. Understanding the spatial and temporal context of the drying front is likely key to understanding and predicting community responses, particularly in the context of widespread (and growing) prevalence of intermittent streams with water resource pressures and increases in drought
The impact of supply chain network structure on economic and environmental outcomes.
No full textThis research was inspired by a small local company that aims to prevent its products from ending in
a landfill after customer use by repurposing the waste from their used products. The idea to repurpose
waste from their end products was inspired by the ongoing global pressures facing supply chains.
Three supply chain pressures are explored, namely, increased government regulation on recycling
rates, an increase in demand and increased shipping taxes. To repurpose the waste the company aims
to implement a distributed 3D manufacturing circular system that sends wasted material to a recycling
facility. To recapture the used products, the recycled material is used as an alternative supply source
effectively creating a closed loop process.
To evaluate the desired benefits, this research addresses the question “how does a supply chain’s
network structure impact the interplay between its economic and environmental outcomes?”. There
is a current lack of research addressing the economic and environmental trade-offs of combined
circular economy solutions. There is also crucial need for practical knowledge on how to introduce
circular supply chains into real world scenarios. Addressing the research question began with the use
of a systems thinking approach to depict the economic and environmental relationships between a
centralised linear, decentralised linear and decentralised circular supply chains. To complement the
use of a systems approach as a theoretical lens, dynamic simulation modelling software – Stella
Architect – is used to portray the relationships between the elements of each system. This method is
employed to break down the complexity inherent in combining multiple circular economy solutions
as well as to compare each supply chain system behavior to one another.
The results from this research indicated that in all three supply chain cases there is a very strong
interdependency between demand and the economic and environmental outcomes of the supply
chain. Relationships between the actors of a supply chain become stronger the closer in distance they
are. If a supply chain strives to get as close to 100% reliance on recycled material as possible then the
further it reduces its reliance on virgin materials. This significantly influences the strength of
relationship between raw materials and their associated economic and environmental outputs. The
circular nature of the decentralised circular supply chain decreases the strength of the relationship
between demand and supply of raw materials over time. These results are transferable to managers
in understanding the economic and environmental outcomes between traditional and proposed
supply chain models. The research will also help to contribute to the growing circular economy
literature whilst measuring the impacts of combining decentralisation with a 3D manufactured
enabled closed loop supply chain
Can non-punitive regulation curb corporate greenwashing?Evidence from a word embedding model
No full textThis study examines the impact of non-punitive regulations on corporate greenwashing. We
employ a word embedding model to quantify greenwashing levels in Chinese A-share listed
companies from 2015 to 2021. Using comment letters issued by stock exchanges as a proxy for
non-punitive intervention, our finding reveals their effectiveness in deterring greenwashing
behavior. The results remain robust after a battery of sensitivity tests. We posit three potential
mechanisms underlying this effect: enhanced information transparency, increased media scrutiny,
and mitigated agency problems within firms. The impact of comment letters is particularly
pronounced in firms with a higher propensity for greenwashing, including private and smaller
companies, those with limited analyst coverage, firms operating in polluting or highly competitive
industries, and regions with lower environmental transparency or market development.
Overall, this study contributes to the understanding of non-punitive regulation’s role in shaping
corporate environmental practices and provides valuable insights for mitigating greenwashing
Teacher-child relationships, early childhood programme quality and early learning in two-year-old toddlers
No full textBackground: Empirical attention on infant-toddler early learning following attendance at early childhood care
and education (ECCE) group settings has been scant.
Aims: This study examines the quality of ECCE programmes designated for children from birth to three years, and
considers how ECCE programme quality works with teacher-child relationships to shape early learning in very
young children.
Sample: Participants were 128 two-year-old toddlers (Mage = 33.11 ± 3.56 months) from Hong Kong who were
enrolled in ECCE programmes and their teachers.
Methods: The toddlers were tested on early language, literacy, and mathematics abilities. Teacher Behaviour
Rating Scale, an observational tool which captures both the quantity and quality of early childhood teachers’
instructional behaviour, was used to measure ECCE programme quality. Teacher-child relationships was reported
by the early childhood teachers using Student-Teacher Relationships Scale.
Results: (i) ECCE programme quality and teacher-child closeness positively predicted the toddlers’ early academic
skills; (ii) teacher-child conflict was not associated with the toddlers’ early academic learning; (ii) ECCE pro gramme quality mediated the link between teacher-child closeness and the toddlers’ gains in early language skills
three months later.
Conclusions: The findings are novel in revealing the role of teachers’ practice as indexed by programme quality in
explaining the association between teacher-child relationship and toddlers’ early academic abilities, adding to
our knowledge of how relationship-based curriculum and pedagogy for infants and toddlers foster learning in our
youngest citizens
Monstrous mothers, unnatural fathers : gender representations of murderous parents in England, 1610-1868.
No full textThis dissertation examines the gendered representations of infanticidal and child murdering mothers and fathers in England, between 1610 and 1868. Historians have extensively researched infanticidal mothers in both early modern and modern England. There has been a lack of scholarship on fathers who killed their infants, as indicted fathers were generally treated as accomplices to the mother. For this reason, my research includes child murder, which is the murder of a child over a year old, as sources are more numerous on paternal child murder.
This paper considers the situational context and gender roles that influenced how guilty mothers and fathers were portrayed within popular culture. While historians have habitually generalised the representations of murderous mothers and fathers, this paper argues that it is important to address the situational nature of portrayals, as they reveal the differential social and legal expectations on men and women. Examining the way in which portrayals of murderous parents differed according to the situation and subject’s gender enables a better understanding of early modern and modern English society.
I argue that maternal and paternal expectations affected representations. Portrayals became increasingly based on circumstance as the selected period progressed and society became gradually sympathetic toward guilty parents. This is particularly true of infanticidal women, as views toward premarital sex and bastardy became less severe. Early modern sources were less inclined to sympathise with guilty parents. However, in the modern period, if a guilty parent was kind to their children before killing them, seduced, domestically abused, or impoverished, they were easy to portray sympathetically. Overall, this research seeks to add to the existing scholarship on murderous parents by demonstrating that their depictions within popular culture were both situational and gendered
Exploring emergency service workers’ perceptions of public media reporting : effects on burnout and professional pride moderated by organisational, supervisor and peer support
No full textEmergency service workers play a vital role in society, consistently operating under high-stress conditions and exposure to occupational stressors. The present study examines the impact of negative media reporting on emergency service workers, with a particular focus on the relationship between media reporting and burnout and professional pride. Further, the moderating effects of perceived organisational, supervisor, and co-worker support are examined in mitigating the impact of negative media reporting. Participants recruited via the Prolific platform from various emergency service organisations made up the sample. Hierarchical regression analyses found that negative media reporting was associated with higher levels of burnout among emergency service workers. The effects of negative media reporting on professional pride were moderated by both perceived supervisor and co-worker support, indicating the importance of establishing and fostering supportive work environments, however simple slope analyses were non-significant.
The present study extends current well-being and stress-related literature by identifying current and novel media-related stressors as an ever-evolving challenge for emergency service workers while contributing to our understanding into an understudied area of professional pride. Further, direct support from either the organisation, supervisors or co-workers is of importance for mitigating the effects of burnout and increasing professional pride among emergency service workers. The results underpin the need for emergency service organisations to examine strategies targeted towards enhancing and promoting support structures within the organisation, whilst also providing areas of future research aimed at protecting their workers from the negative impacts of media reporting. In the ever-growing area of social media influence, the study provides both theoretical and practical contributions for emergency service organisations, pointing towards foundations for organisations to alleviate the novel occupational stressor facing emergency service workers
On-chip non-contact mechanical cell stimulation - quantification of SKOV-3 alignment to suspended microstructures
No full textAlthough the accumulation of random genetic mutations has been traditionally viewed as the main
cause of cancer progression, altered mechanobiological profiles of the cells and microenvironment
also play a major role as a mutation-independent element. To probe the latter, we have
previously reported a microfluidic cell-culture platform with an integrated flexible actuator and
its application for sequential cyclic compression of cancer cells. The platform is composed of a
control microchannel in a top layer for introducing external pressure, and a polydimethylsiloxane
(PDMS) membrane from which a monolithically-integrated actuator protrudes downwards into
a cell-culture microchannel. When actuated, the integrated actuator, referred to as micro-piston,
transfers the pressure from the control channel as a mechanical force to the cells underneath.
When not actuated, the micro-piston remains suspended above cells, separated from the latter via
a liquid-filled gap of ∼108 μm. Despite the lack of direct physical contact between the micro-piston
and cells in the latter arrangement, we observed distinct alignment of SKOV-3 ovarian cancer cells
to the piston shape. To characterize this observation, micro-piston localization, shape, and size
were adjusted and the directionality of a mono-layer of SKOV-3 cells relative to the suspended
structure was probed. Cell alignment analysis was performed in a novel, label-free approach
by measuring elongation angles of whole cell bodies with respect to micro-piston peripheries.
Alignment of SKOV-3 cells to the structure outline was significant for circular, triangular and
square micro-piston when compared to control areas without micro-piston on the same chip.
The effect was present irrespective of whether cells were loaded with micro-pistons in static
position (∼108 μm gap) or actively retracted using vacuum (>108 μm gap). Similar alignment
was not observed for MCF7 cancer cells and MCF10A non-cancerous epithelial cells. The reported
observation of directional movement and growth of SKOV-3 cells towards the region under micro
pistons point towards a to-date unexplored mechanotactic behavior of these cells, warranting
future investigations regarding the mechanisms involved and the role these may play in cance
Examining the Indian enigma : the political economy of manufacturing in India.
No full textIn recent years, partly due to COVID-19 related supply chain issues and due to the
intensification of the US-China rivalry, countries and companies are increasingly looking to
India as the next manufacturing hub. However, manufacturing has historically played a
diminished role in India’s economy, with the service sector leading India’s economic growth
after the 1990s. This theoretical puzzle of India’s economic trajectory being different from
other Newly Industrialised Countries is a central focus of my research. In this study, I ask the
following research question: why has manufacturing in India struggled to grow and become a
key sector driving growth in the economy? My thesis reviews the existing academic literature
and explanations provided by scholars, identifies three research gaps and proposes three
hypotheses to address these gaps.
I introduce a research framework which examines the three ‘strands’ of factors identified in
the literature-institutional, interest group and structural- to test these proposed hypotheses.
Primary data for my research was obtained by conducting interviews with thirty-five elites
from three Indian states across different sectors of manufacturing in India. The empirical
evidence presented in this study offers supports for my hypotheses. Responses from interview
participants confirms the hypothesis that higher transaction costs have led to lower growth of
manufacturing in India. The empirical data also suggests that while the economic reforms of
1991 have lowered transaction costs in some areas, transaction costs for Micro, Small and
Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) still remain high in some areas such as property rights. The
empirical data also supports the hypothesis that established interest groups such as agriculture
and labour have emerged as veto-players and prevented the existing policy settings from
being changed in favour of manufacturing since the prevailing policy settings enhance the
interests of these dominant groups. Furthermore, these established interest groups act as veto-players not just at the federal level, but also at the state level in India. The empirical evidence
also lends support for the third hypothesis that MSMEs in India are dispersed interest groups
and mobilisation through collective action for these manufacturing MSMEs have higher costs
and lower benefits as these MSMEs exist in a dispersed institutional structure. This dispersed
institutional structure in India has become more prominent due to the economic reforms of
1991, making political mobilisation more challenging for manufacturing MSMEs
BUDAYA KERJA AGILE DAN KINERJA PEMASARAN DIGITAL: PERAN MEDIASI KOMPETENSI DIGITAL DAN MODERASI KEPEMIMPINAN TRANSFORMASIONAL
No full textThis research explores the influence of agile work culture on digital marketing performance at Shopee Indonesia, with employee digital competence as a mediator and transformational leadership as a moderator. Using a quantitative approach with explanatory design, data were collected from 237 Shopee Indonesia employees through structured questionnaires and analyzed using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM). The results reveal that agile work culture positively and significantly influences digital marketing performance (β = 0.487, p < 0.05). Employee digital competence proves to function as a partial mediator in this relationship with a significant indirect effect (β = 0.209, p < 0.001). Transformational leadership positively and significantly moderates the relationship between agile work culture and digital marketing performance (β = 0.198, p < 0.05). The mediated moderation analysis reveals that the indirect effect of agile work culture on digital marketing performance through digital competence increases with higher levels of transformational leadership (from 0.153 at low levels to 0.287 at high levels). These findings provide strategic implications for e-commerce companies in optimizing digital marketing performance through the integration of agile culture, development of digital competence, and implementation of transformational leadership styl
MODERATING ROLE OF ORGANIZATIONAL COMMITMENT IN THE INFLUENCE OF WORKLOAD AND JOB BOREDOM ON CYBERLOAFING
No full textIn this digital era, cyberloafing—using the internet for personal purposes amid working hours—is progressively prevalent within the working environment, including within government institutions. Civil servants, as the backbone of public service, are expected to preserve work efficiency; however, widespread internet access opens opportunities to abuse working hours for personal online activities. This study intends to explore the influence of workload and job boredom on cyberloafing behaviour and the moderating role of organizational commitment among civil servants in Central Jakarta. The research employed a quantitative method with data collected through surveys. The data was analysed using Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) with AMOS 30. The results indicate that both workload and job boredom have a positive and significant effect on cyberloafing behaviour. Conversely, organizational commitment affects cyberloafing negatively and significantly. Furthermore, organizational commitment was found to weaken the positive influence of these variables. These findings highlight the importance of reinforcing organizational commitment to minimize cyberloafing behaviour among civil servants