Antecedent Conditions Research Articles

A review of empirical studies of co-principalship: antecedents, constellation-level outcomes and the issue of trust

ABSTRACT This literature review focuses on managerial shared leadership in the education sector, commonly conceptualized as co-principalship. School principals’ difficult work situation, in combination with school leadership being significant for students’ learning, call for organizational solutions where co-principalship can be a part. This review aims to deepen knowledge about co-principalship by focusing on its antecedents and constellation-level outcomes, and their relationship to trust in co-principalship. A secondary aim is to discuss the role of trust theory in empirical co-principalship studies. The promotion of antecedent conditions was found significant for the success of co-principalship. Three types of antecedent were identified: organization-level antecedents, antecedents in relation to staff and others, and constellation-level antecedents. A number of advantages were reported for the sharing principals themselves, including reduced workload and improved work-life balance. The constellation level is where the principals in their interaction continuously build trust, and where either trust or distrust are produced. A variety of both positive and negative outcomes were reported. The empirical literature reviewed was shallow in terms of understanding trust beyond that it is critical for success in co-principalship. Theory-based studies are suggested as a way to deepen understanding of trust content and development with regards to co-principalship.

High sensitivity of dissolved organic carbon transport during hydrological events in a small subtropical karst catchment

Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and discharge are often tightly coupled, though these relationships in karst environments remain poorly constrained. In this study, DOC dynamics over 13 hydrological events, alongside monthly monitoring over an entire hydrological year were monitored in a small karst catchment, SW China. The concurrent analyses of power-law model and hysteresis patterns reveal that DOC behavior is generally transport-limited due to flushing effects of increased discharge but highly variable at both intra- and inter-event scales. The initial discharge at event onset and discharge-weighted mean concentration of DOC ([DOC]DW) of individual events can explain 37.7 % and 19.9 % of the variance of DOC behavior among events, respectively. The sustained dry-cold antecedent conditions make DOC hysteresis behavior during the earliest event complex and different from subsequent events. At event scale, the variability in DOC export is primarily controlled by [DOC]DW (explaining 64.3 %) and the yield of total dissolved solutes (YTDS, explaining 30.4 %), reflecting the impacts of variable hydrological connectivity and intense soil-water-rock interactions in this karst catchment. On an annual scale, DOC yield (YDOC, 222.86 kg C km−2) was mostly derived during the wet season (98.19 %) under the hydrological driving force. The difference in annual YDOC between this karst catchment and other regions can be well explained by annual water yield (Ywater, explaining 24.2 %) and [DOC] (explaining 35.4 %), whereas the variance in DOC export efficiency among catchments is almost exclusively controlled by [DOC] alone, independent of drainage area and annual Ywater. This study highlights the necessity of high-frequency sampling for modeling carbon biogeochemical processes and the particularity of the earliest hydrological events occurred after a long cold-dry period in karst catchments. Under the changing climate, whether DOC dynamics in karst catchments will present source-limited patterns during more extreme hydrological events merits further study.

Analysis of green total factor productivity in China's forestry industry: Technological, organizational, and environmental framework for sustainable economic development

AbstractAs a green industry, forestry plays a pivotal role in economic and ecological development. Green Total Factor Productivity (GTFP) is a crucial indicator of forestry progress. This paper employs the Non‐Radial Distance Function (NDDF) model to measure forestry GTFP in forestry comprehensively. Additionally, it utilizes fuzzy set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) to explore pathways for enhancing forestry GTFP across technological, organizational, and environmental (TOE) dimensions. The study reveals the following outcomes: Government financial support and six additional antecedent conditions offer three distinct avenues to boost forestry GTFP in forestry. Regional disparities emerge, with technology‐driven pathways predominantly found in eastern provinces, dual‐driven routes centered on average forest land size and forestry carbon sinks (FCS) taking precedence in central provinces, and dual‐driven paths driven by government support and FCS coming to the forefront in western provinces. Under specific circumstances, government financial support and foreign investment exhibit potential interchangeability, facilitating the attainment of elevated forestry GTFP in forestry. However, a constraint arises from operating entities' low average forest land size. Ultimately, this study equips policymakers with a nuanced understanding of the factors shaping forestry GTFP in forestry, enabling them to craft compelling, regionally tailored policies that foster adaptability and contribute to the sustainable development of the forestry sector, recognizing that a one‐size‐fits‐all approach may not be suitable for all regions.

Combination of antecedent conditions affecting the development of Chinese new energy market based on fuzzy sets

This study discusses the combination of elements that affect the development of a new energy market under the framework of TOE theory. Through the fuzzy set qualitative comparative analysis method, several paths that contribute to the development of a new energy market are analyzed. This study serves as an important reference for effective investment and sustainable development of the new energy market. The results of the study emphasize that the lack of financial markets can cause the regional new energy market to continue to be hindered. Through different grouping paths, we find that blind policy incentives or large financial investments without meeting the necessary market demand, economic fundamentals, and other preconditions will face the risk of failure.

Unveiling the spatiotemporal impacts of the 2021 Central Asian drought on vegetation: A comprehensive quantitative analysis

In the growing season of 2021, a severe drought occurred in Central Asia impacting various local ecosystems and socio-economic conditions. However, there is limited research on the spatiotemporal characteristics of this drought and its effects on local vegetation. To address this gap, this study utilizes the standardized precipitation evapotranspiration index (SPEI) to quantitatively evaluate the spatiotemporal drought characteristics, and standardized anomalies to assess drought impacts on vegetation greenness and productivity. The drought-induced reduction in vegetation greenness and production was also decomposed into environmental drivers based on a random forest model. Our findings can be summarized as follows: During the 2021 growing season, Central Asia experienced one of the most severe drought events in the past 40 years, with approximately 42.57 % of the region facing record-breaking drought conditions. Abnormally low precipitation (PRE), prolonged high temperatures (TMP) and evapotranspiration also occurred during the drought event. The drought had a significant detrimental effect on vegetation, leading to an approximately 10 % reduction in vegetation greenness and around 13 % in productivity. Soil moisture (SM) was found to be the most critical factor influencing vegetation greenness loss during drought conditions. Leaf Area Index (LAI) and SM emerged as the primary drivers for the reduction of Gross Primary Productivity (GPP) and Solar-Induced Fluorescence (SIF). The antecedent environmental conditions had a significant impact on the decline in vegetation greenness and productivity during the 2021 drought event, accounting for approximately 30 %–35 % and 52–69 % of the respective losses. The findings of this study highlight the importance of taking into account antecedent climate factors when studying the impacts of drought on vegetation.

Can precipitation intermittency predict flooding?

A mystery has emerged as to why patterns of increasing extreme rainfall have not been accompanied by similar levels of flooding, garnering growing attention given concerns over future flood risks. Antecedent moisture conditions have been proposed as the missing explanatory factor. Yet, reasons for moisture variability prior to flooding remain largely unstudied. Here, we evaluate the potential utility of precipitation intermittency, defined as the dry spell length prior to a flood, to explain the variability of flooding over 108 watersheds from 1950 to 2022. Flood magnitude is shown to be sensitive to intermittency, particularly in arid and semi-arid regions (PET/P > 0.84) and for basins with low soil field capacity (<0.31 m3/m3). Following extended dry spells >20 days, floods are only possible from the most intense storms, whereas a wider range of storms can produce flooding for shorter intermittency. The flood probability decreases by approximately 0.5 % for each additional day of dry spell, with overall flood probabilities being up to 30 % lower following extended dry periods. These results underscore the potential utility of precipitation intermittency for diagnosing current and future flood risks.

Chemodiversity of dissolved organic matter exports from subtropical humid catchment driven by hydrological connectivity

The quantity and quality of dissolved organic matter (DOM) exported from source areas are closely related to hydrological linkage between source areas and streams, that is hydrological connectivity. However, understanding of how hydrological connectivity regulates the export of catchment DOM components remains inadequate. In this study, high-frequency monitoring of groundwater and runoff from subtropical humid catchment was conducted for 20 months, and hydrological connectivity was quantitatively characterized by considering both surface and subsurface hydrological processes. Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (FT-ICR MS) was utilized to investigate the DOM molecular composition. Results showed that over half of the areas in the catchment could not persistently establish hydrological connectivity with the stream during the rainfall. The average proportion of lignin was the highest in DOM components, followed by tannin and proteins. Additionally, both modified aromaticity index and double bond equivalence reached maximums at peak discharge, reflecting terrestrial materials could increase DOM aromaticity and unsaturated degree. Partial least square-structural equation modeling revealed significantly direct effects of rainfall, antecedent conditions, and hydrological connectivity on dissolved organic carbon (DOC) export. Furthermore, nonlinear relationships were observed between hydrological connectivity and DOC, tannin, and condensed aromatics. Specifically, the instantaneous DOC flux increased dramatically when the hydrological connectivity strength exceeded 0.14; tannin and condensed aromatics exhibited a rapid increase with rising connectivity strength, but remained stable at connectivity strength above 0.25. However, hydrological connectivity showed no significant correlation with unstable components (such as lipids, protein, amino sugars, and carbohydrates). These results provide new insights into hydrological controls on the quantity and quality of DOM export and contribute to developing appropriate catchment management strategies for carbon storage.

Enhanced Modulation of Streamflow Flash Droughts by Reservoir Operations in India

AbstractStreamflow flash droughts (SFDs) occur due to a rapid decline in streamflow and cause major challenges associated with water availability for downstream ecosystems, hydropower generation, and irrigation water demand. Human interventions such as reservoir operations and reservoir storage can considerably influence streamflow variability. However, the crucial role of dams/reservoirs on the occurrence of SFDs in India remains unexamined. Using a combination of hydrological and hydrodynamical models, we examined the role of reservoirs on SFDs in India during 1971–2020. Reservoirs play a considerable role in the occurrence of SFDs during the summer monsoon season (June‐September) in India. The frequency and severity of SFDs in the presence of reservoirs are substantially lesser than in the absence of them. In addition, high and low antecedent reservoir storage conditions before meteorological flash droughts (MFDs) do not support the rapid decline of streamflow (i.e., SFDs) downstream of reservoirs, while the medium reservoir storage conditions prior to MFDs favor the development of SFDs. Similar to conventional (or long‐term) streamflow droughts (SDs), SFDs are more frequent in the El Nino phase than in the La Nina phase. Unlike the long‐term streamflow droughts, the implementation of dams considerably reduces the frequency of SFDs during both the negative and positive phases of El Nino Southern Oscillation. Overall, our findings demonstrate the considerable role of human interventions in flash drought occurrence, as SFDs are triggered by MFDs but modulated by reservoir storage and operations.

Nonlinear storage–discharge dynamics of forested headwater catchment: A hysteresis index approach

AbstractThe relationship between catchment storage and discharge is nonlinear. The dynamicity of this relationship is dependent on the distance of the storage measurement from the stream, the depth of the soil moisture (SM) measurement, antecedent SM storage, and precipitation characteristics. Understanding the relative influence of these factors is critical for interpreting runoff generation processes and predicting discharge. In this study, we used a hysteresis index approach and analysed the nonlinear dynamics of catchment storage–discharge relationship across points, hillslope and catchment scales, and their controlling factors. A small headwater forested catchment located in the southern part of the Sierra Nevada region, California, was selected as a case study. In this Mediterranean catchment, the anticlockwise class IV hysteresis loop, indicating an earlier discharge peak than SM, was observed as a prevalent hysteresis class across all the scales, irrespective of seasons (i.e., dry vs. wet) and years (i.e., normal vs. drought). A few clockwise hysteresis loops were observed at the shallow depths (10 and 30 cm) of upslope and lower slope topographic positions. Further, we found a shorter lag time between SM peak to discharge peak at 60 and 90 cm soil depths during the wet season, and during the drought period. The shorter lag at the deeper depth was due to the presence of subsurface flow during high antecedent SM storage conditions and preferential flow through the soil pores during the drought periods. The variability in hysteresis at catchment and hillslope scales was controlled by peak rainfall intensity and antecedent SM storage. However, rainfall characteristics (intensity and depth) were major governing factors for most of the point scale locations. Overall, the current study highlighted the role of SM sensor's location in characterizing storage–discharge behaviour.

Partial amputation due to tongue bite in death-associated with eclampsia.

Eclampsia is one of the most dangerous complications of pregnancy and has a high incidence in developing countries. It is characterized by coma and the occurrence of generalized tonic-clonic seizures in pregnant women with hypertension. Deep bites on the tongue and other orofacial injuries have been described as consequences of these seizures. We present a case of death associated with eclampsia in which the bite during the seizure episode caused almost total amputation of an enlarged tongue (macroglossia). The medico-legal value of this finding and the situation due to antecedent pathological conditions and lack of routine screening in pregnant women who may migrate legally or illegally to give birth with better medical care are discussed.

DEVELOPMENT AND ANALYSIS OF A GIS-BASED CURVE NUMBER MAP OF THE PHILIPPINES

Stormwater management requires quantitative methods to determine objective flood risk by estimating how much rainfall becomes runoff. With the absence of a locally generated runoff coefficient database in the Philippines, the standard model for surface runoff estimation is yet to be implemented using homegrown datasets. Traditionally, the empirical method is adapted from the National Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). The method quantifies rainfall-runoff relationships underscoring the combined effects of ground cover, soil hydraulic conductivity, and antecedent runoff condition (ARC) on runoff potential via a hydrologic parameter called the Curve Number (CN). Using geographic information system (GIS) tools, the Philippine CN map is developed by preprocessing and intersecting land use and land cover (LULC) and hydrologic soil group (HSG) with the CN look-up table. It was revealed that Group C soils dominate the Philippines. New data products—three raster CN maps at 25m spatial resolution—indicated the prevalence of medium to high runoff potential. National curve numbers were 61, 78, and 89 for dry, average, and wet ARCs, respectively. The outputs of this study provide access to spatially varied local runoff potential data in GIS format thus allowing direct GIS use for the swift simulation of flood damage mitigation models, among others.

Rainfall-runoff modelling using GIS based SCS-CN method in umiam catchment region, Meghalaya, India

Rainfall-runoff is a crucial parameter and is often applied in assessing water resources. It is a significant constituent for recharging groundwater and plays an important role in understanding the hydrological characteristics of a basin for watershed management practices. In the current work, the soil conservation service-curve number (SCS–CN), coupled with GIS and remote sensing techniques, has been utilized to estimate the runoff and discharge in the Umiam Catchment area of Meghalaya for the years 2011 and 2020. This area receives heavy rainfall throughout the year, which contributes to the degradation of topsoil and the initiation of landslides. The rainfall-runoff modelling incorporates various thematic layers prepared in the GIS platform to calculate the weighted CN value. The antecedent moisture condition (AMC) was applied for CN correction. Both annual and monthly runoff and discharge were calculated for a total of four sub-watersheds. The result showed that land alteration and an increase in rainfall have been the predominant reasons for an increase in runoff in 2020 compared to 2011. Comparing both years, agricultural land, built-up, and open scrub have increased followed by shrinking open and dense forests. Sub-watersheds 2 and 4 had critical discharge changes of 75.95 and 75.82 cubic meters per second (cumec) from year 2011–2020 respectively. This study emphasizes the efficacy of SCS-CN method for simulating and estimating the runoff of a basin for better watershed planning and sustainable management at the regional level. It may also help in recognizing and examining the characteristics and volume of water resources.

Exploring learner satisfaction and the effectiveness of microlearning in higher education

The rise of microlearning both for professional training and in the field of education seems unstoppable. Nonetheless, there is a lack of evidence of its learning effectiveness and student satisfaction. The purpose of this paper is to uncover these two aspects of microlearning when taking part in a business education program. Its originality is that it analyses in depth a fast-growing EdTech startup that provides business training using microlearning methods, exploring the effect in terms of student satisfaction and learning effectiveness when combining a significant number of microlearning lessons to create a macro-learning course. Findings show that learning effectiveness is mainly explained by the reason for enrolling in this type of training and its applicability to the students' current jobs, resulting in four possible learning outcomes of increasing levels of effectiveness: entertainment, updating knowledge and skills, unexpected learning, and effective learning. This paper helps fill a gap in the research on learner satisfaction and microlearning effectiveness, finding that they are not necessarily guaranteed. It also has practical implications for designing, recruiting for, and implementing microlearning-based programs.Keypoints: Empirical research into microlearning effectiveness and student satisfaction in postgraduate business education. Exploring the effectiveness of macro-learning, or the grouping of a significant number of microlearning lessons into a learning program. Uncovering different levels of learning effectiveness and their antecedent conditions.

Long-term climate and hydrologic regimes shape stream invertebrate community responses to a hurricane disturbance.

Disturbances can produce a spectrum of short- and long-term ecological consequences that depend on complex interactions of the characteristics of the event, antecedent environmental conditions, and the intrinsic properties of resistance and resilience of the affected biological system. We used Hurricane Harvey's impact on coastal rivers of Texas to examine the roles of storm-related changes in hydrology and long-term precipitation regime on the response of stream invertebrate communities to hurricane disturbance. We detected declines in richness, diversity and total abundance following the storm, but responses were strongly tied to direct and indirect effects of long-term aridity and short-term changes in stream hydrology. The amount of rainfall a site received drove both flood duration and flood magnitude across sites, but lower annual rainfall amounts (i.e. aridity) increased flood magnitude and decreased flood duration. Across all sites, flood duration was positively related to the time it took for invertebrate communities to return to a long-term baseline and flood magnitude drove larger invertebrate community responses (i.e. changes in diversity and total abundance). However, invertebrate response per unit flood magnitude was lower in sub-humid sites, potentially because of differences in refuge availability or ecological-evolutionary interactions. Interestingly, sub-humid streams had temporary large peaks in invertebrate total abundance and diversity following recovery period that may be indicative of the larger organic matter pulses expected in these systems because of their comparatively well-developed riparian vegetation. Our findings show that hydrology and long-term precipitation regime predictably affected invertebrate community responses and, thus, our work underscores the important influence of local climate to ecosystem sensitivity to disturbances.

On the Function and Nature of Historical Counterfactuals. Clarifying Confusions

Abstract In this article, I analyze historical counterfactuals. Historical counterfactuals are conditional statements in which the antecedent refers to some change in the past. We ask what would have happened, had that change occurred. I discuss the nature of such counterfactuals. I then identify important functions that historical counterfactuals have. I point out that they are at the heart of explanations and, therefore, reveal issues related to contingency and actual history. I then discuss counterfactual reasoning in historiography. I argue that the problem of suitable antecedent conditions has been exaggerated, and more serious issues concern the tracking of counterfactual scenarios. Throughout the paper, I argue that the interventionist way of thinking about historical counterfactuals clarifies both historical explanations and the nature of historical counterfactuals and should be adopted as the standard. I conclude by noting that historical counterfactuals may not fundamentally differ from more familiar forms of historiography.

Extreme rainfall and landslides as a response to human-induced climate change: a case study at Baixada Santista, Brazil, 2020

In March 2020, an extreme rainfall in Baixada Santista, Brazil, led to a series of landslides affecting more than 2800 people and resulting losses exceeding USD 43 million. This attribution study compared extreme rainfall in two large ensembles of the UK Met Office Hadley Centre HadGEM3-GA6 model that represented the event with and without the effects of anthropogenic climate change. Antecedent rainfall conditions on two different timescales are considered, namely extreme 60-day rainfall (Rx60day) which relates to the soil moisture conditions and extreme 3-day rainfall (Rx3day) which represents landslide triggering heavy rainfall. In the scenario including both natural and human-induced factors the antecedent 60 day rainfall became 74% more likely, while the short-term trigger was 46% more likely. The anthropogenic contribution to changes in rainfall accounted for 20–42% of the total losses and damages. The greatest economic losses occurred in Guarujá (42%), followed by São Vicente (30%) and Santos (28%). Landslides were responsible for 47% of the homes damaged, 85% of the homes destroyed, all reported injuries, and 51% of the deaths associated with heavy rainfall. Changes in land cover and urbanization showed a pronounced increase in urbanized area in Guarujá (107%), São Vicente (61.7%) and Santos (36.9%) and a reduction in farming area. In recent years, the region has experienced an increase in population growth and a rise in the proportion of irregular and/or precarious housing in high-risk areas. Guarujá has the highest number of such dwellings, accounting for 34.8%. Our estimates suggest that extreme precipitation events are having shorter return periods due to climate change and increased urbanization and population growth is exposing more people to these events. These findings are especially important for decision-makers in the context of disaster risk reduction and mitigation and adaptation to climate change.

Cultural values and voice as determinants of customers' marketing research cooperation: A fuzzy set perspective

AbstractFirms and their managers have long been concerned with encouraging customers to take on an active role in their marketing research activities. The critical question for these firms is how to foster collaboration with customers in marketing research to enhance the firm's marketing effectiveness and simultaneously benefit the customers. This study focuses on the role that individuals' cultural values and customer voice potentially play in shaping how customers perceive marketing research cooperation with the firm. We analyzed data from a sample of 270 customers of apparel store brands in an African country. Utilizing fuzzy‐set qualitative comparative analysis, our research reveals that the combinations of antecedent conditions that enhance marketing research cooperation significantly differ from those that impede it. Theoretically and managerially, our study expands the understanding of how marketing research cooperation is contingent upon the combination of customers' cultural values and their voice.

Estimation of water inflows to reservoirs of irrigation dams in the Guinea Savannah ecological zone of Ghana

ABSTRACT The study was carried out in the northern Ghana to estimate water inflows to nine reservoirs of irrigation dams for a period of 20 years (1999–2018) using the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service Curve Number model. The key input parameters of the model were hydrologic soil group, rainfall amount, landuse/landcover, weighted curve number, antecedent moisture condition, and potential maximum soil moisture retention. The annual rainfall within the reservoir catchments was found to vary between 617.20 and 1,382.30 mm. The estimated annual runoff depths ranged from 54.10 to 125.55 mm. A high degree of positive correlation was found between rainfall and runoff depths with a coefficient of determination (R2) ranging from 79.80 to 90.70%. Hydrologic soil groups accounted for about 67.2 and 62.5% of the variation in runoff depth and percentage runoff, respectively. The estimated annual water inflows to the reservoirs ranged from 145,206 ± 125,814 m3/y at Gambibgo to 47,074,634 ± 4,395,860 m3/y at Tono. The variation in the annual water inflows and annual storage capacity recharge among the various reservoirs was noted to be influenced by reservoir size, catchment size, rainfall, and soil characteristics in the reservoir catchments.

Antecedent Conditions Mitigate Carbon Loss During Flash Drought Events

AbstractFlash droughts– the rapid drying of land and intensification of drought conditions—have devasting impacts to natural resources, food supplies, and the economy. Less is currently known about the drivers of flash droughts and their impact on landscape carbon losses. We leverage carbon and water cycle data from NASA OCO‐2 and Soil Moisture Active and Passive missions to quantify flash drought impacts on U.S. carbon exchange. On average, pre‐onset carbon uptake fully offsets post‐onset losses, creating a carbon neutral biosphere over a ±3 month period surrounding flash drought onset. This contrasts with ecosystem models, which underestimate pre‐onset uptake and overestimate post‐onset loss. Furthermore, spaceborne observations of solar induced fluorescence (SIF) provide a reliable indicator of flash droughts at lead times of 2–3 months, due to feedbacks between vegetation growth and soil water loss. This study is expected to improve understanding of flash drought impacts on carbon exchange, and facilitate flash drought early warning.

Financing risk formation paths for sustainable development of Chinese fishery enterprises: A configurational analysis based on panel data

Effectively preventing the financing risk of Chinese fishery enterprises is a common concern of the government and academia. Based on the “complex dynamic perspective”, this study constructs a configuration analysis framework of influencing factors and explores the coupling matching relationship between the antecedent conditions in the temporal dimension. This study revealed that (1) in recent years, fishery enterprises have exhibited five distinct paths contributing to the formation of financing risk. The identified paths encompass considerations related to growth, profitability, expansion, loss, and decline. These formation paths can be categorized into three models based on risk preference. High-grade financing risks are caused by the combination of risk-seeking behavior and operational failure. (2) The China‒U.S. trade war and the global pandemic caused by COVID-19 prompted the dominant paths to integrate into one turning point path, which caused a significant turning point in the core conditions that originally occupied the dominant position. (3) Before 2020, the financing risks of fishery enterprises exhibited multiple condition configurations and were affected by multiple trajectory coupling effects, similar to a “loosely coupled” system. The research conclusions of this study can help to deepen the understanding of the nature and mechanism of financing risk for fishery enterprises and promote the transformation and upgrading of the marine economy.