Individual Cultures Research Articles

Does higher endorsement with collaboration lead to better performance on collaborative problem solving? An explanatory item response approach to cross-cultural comparisons

IntroductionCollaborative problem solving (CPS) is an essential competency in the 21st century. However, the understanding of how cultural background shapes individuals’ collaboration awareness and its relationship with collaborative problem-solving skills are underexplored by psychometrics.MethodsThis study employs Explanatory Item Response Modeling to examine the impact of cultural orientations on students’ endorsement with collaboration in PISA 2015.ResultsResults show that students endorsed valuing teamwork more than valuing relationships. Western countries with individualist cultures generally demonstrated higher endorsement with collaboration than Eastern countries with collectivist cultures. China has the highest collaboration endorsement, followed by the US, Canada, Korea, and Japan. In contrast, Japan has the highest CPS assessment scores, followed by Korea, Canada, the US, and China.DiscussionFindings revealed that students from collectivist cultures do not have higher endorsements of collaboration compared with students from individualist cultures. Also, higher endorsement of collaboration does not necessarily lead to better success in the CPS assessment. Further research is needed to understand the gap between students’ attitudes towards collaboration and their achievement based on cultural values and schools’ CPS training.

Flavonoids attenuate inflammation of HGF and HBMSC while modulating the osteogenic differentiation based on microfluidic chip

BackgroundWhen inflammation occurs in periodontal tissues, a dynamic cellular crosstalk interacts between gingival fibroblasts and bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs), which plays a crucial role in the biological behaviour and differentiation of the cells. Recently, flavonoids are increasingly recognized for their therapeutic potential in modulating inflammation and osteogenic differentiation. Owing to their varied molecular structures and mechanisms, there are more needs that flavonoid compounds should be identified by extensive screening. However, current drug research mostly relies on static, single-type cell cultures. In this study, an innovative bionic microfluidic chip system tailored for both soft and hard tissues was developed to screen for flavonoids suitable for treating periodontitis.MethodsThis study developed a microfluidic system that bionically simulates the soft and hard structures of periodontal tissues. Live/dead staining, reactive oxygen species (ROS) staining, and RT-qPCR analysis were employed. These techniques evaluated the effects of flavonoid compounds on the levels of inflammatory factors and ROS contents in HGF and HBMSC under LPS stimulation. Additionally, the impact of these compounds on osteogenic induction in HBMSC and the exploration of the underlying mechanisms were assessed.ResultsThe microfluidic chip used in this study features dual chambers separated by a porous membrane, allowing cellular signal communication via bioactive factors secreted by cells in both layers under perfusion. The inflammatory response within the chip under LPS stimulation was lower compared to individual static cultures of HGF and HBMSC. The selected flavonoids-myricetin, catechin, and quercetin-significantly reduced cellular inflammation, decreased ROS levels, and enhanced osteogenic differentiation of BMSCs. Additionally, fisetin, silybin, and icariside II also demonstrated favorable outcomes in reducing inflammation, lowering ROS levels, and promoting osteogenic differentiation through the Wnt/β-catenin pathway.ConclusionsThe bionic microfluidic chip system provides enhanced capabilities for drug screening and evaluation, delivering a more precise assessment of drug efficacy and safety compared to traditional in vitro methods. This study demonstrates the efficacy of flavonoids in influencing osteogenic processes in BMSCs primarily through the Wnt/β-catenin pathway. These results uncover the potential of flavonoids as therapeutic medicine for treating periodontitis, meriting further research and development.Graphical

Global digital overload: how Snapchat communication cycles influence workplace efficiency

Purpose This paper aims to explore the growing integration of social media, specifically Snapchat, into workplace environments and its impact on communication behaviors, especially among Generation Z and Millennials. The focus is on analyzing how Snapchat’s communication cycles, such as notifications, Snap streaks and best friend rankings, affect workplace efficiency. This study also investigates how cultural variations around connectivity and work-life balance amplify or mitigate these effects in global settings. Design/methodology/approach This research uses social comparison theory and self-determination theory to examine the psychological and social impacts of Snapchat’s features on workplace productivity. Drawing on qualitative and quantitative literature, the paper explores how different cultural contexts influence employees’ interaction with Snapchat during work hours. Theoretical frameworks are applied to understand the cognitive and social disruptions caused by social media, while practical strategies for human resource management are explored. Findings Snapchat’s design fosters continuous user engagement, often leading to fragmented attention and reduced productivity, particularly in work environments. Cultural norms surrounding social media usage and work-life boundaries either intensify or alleviate the disruptive effects of Snapchat. For example, the pressure to maintain social ties amplifies workplace distractions in collectivist cultures. In contrast, individualistic cultures may emphasize productivity over social connection, allowing for more effectively managing these distractions. Originality/value This paper contributes to the growing body of literature on social media’s impact on workplace dynamics by offering a culturally nuanced approach to understanding digital distractions. By focusing on Snapchat, a platform with unique features that encourage habitual interaction, the study provides novel insights into how global human resource strategies can be tailored to different cultural settings. The findings suggest practical solutions for managing digital overload and optimizing employee performance in increasingly interconnected work environments.

Rescuing pathogen-specific memory B-cell from PBMC of prior Zika virus-infected individuals

Immunological memory, a fundamental immune system mechanism, is instrumental in long-term protection. Successful vaccines can elicit and sustain immunological memory against pathogens for the long term. Memory B cells (MBC) are key players in secondary responses due to their longevity and rapid differentiation into high-affinity antibody-secreting cells upon second antigen exposure. However, the availability of circulating MBCs is limited. Here we describe a protocol, which presents a straightforward and practical method for activating and expanding Zika virus (ZIKV) specific MBC. PBMCs collected from individuals who had been infected with ZIKV two years prior were cultured by supplementing with IL-2 and R848, a TLR-7/8 agonist, and then pulsed with inactivated virus. After seven days, this stimulation led to a notable rise in virus-specific functional MBC, as evidenced by a significant increase in the production of anti-ZIKV IgG. Importantly, the ZIKV pulse did not induce changes in the PBMC culture of individuals without a history of ZIKV infection. These findings demonstrate that virus-specific MBC can be expanded in vitro, even using PBMC cultures from individuals infected years before. Therefore, our protocol is a practical and effective tool for studies that require a larger number of human MBCs from previously infected individuals that are functional and specific to the pathogen under investigation.

Stress reduction with co-culture of Miscanthus x giganteus and Pelargonium x hortorum in a pb contaminated soil to improve biomass production.

The industrial past of most regions in Lorraine and the intensification of activities on soils has increased the number of polluted sites. To rehabilitate these areas, several methods can be employed. In this study, co-culture of Miscanthus x giganteus and Pelargonium x hortorum was used to clean up a soil mainly contaminated by metallic elements including lead. The use of ornamental plants has been little studied, even if these species can be used to rehabilitate a site while improving its esthetics. At the end of the experiment, Pb concentrations were measured in the soil and plants. Furthermore, phytohormones were also measured to evaluate the defense mechanisms of the plants in front of pollutants. The results showed a reduction in Pb concentrations following the phytoremediation process implemented and that PxH was able to extract Pb from the soil. Results showed that co-culture was not beneficial to the development of MxG. Concerning the molecules synthesized by the plants under stress conditions, only salicin was found in MxG roots and aerial parts in particular for plants grown in individual culture. According to the results obtained, it seems that MxG is able to make compromises between the synthesis of protective molecules and its development.

Small Architectural Forms in Tomsk Wooden Buildings in 19–20th Centuries

The paper considers small architectural forms in the wooden manor buildings of Tomsk late in the 19th and early 20th centuries and their impact on the historical image of the city. The paper also studies preservation of historical cities and loss of historical and architectural wooden heritage.Purpose: To identify the types of small architectural forms in the wooden houses of Tomsk and determine their role in the city image.Methodology: Historical photographs, drawings, and field survey of wooden buildings, archival documents and photographs by local historians P. N. Kokhanenko and R. Perushin, allowing to determine lost small architectural forms and systematize them.Research findings: Determination of small architectural forms in preserving individual history and culture of the historical city.Practical implications: The obtained results can be used to study wooden buildings of Siberian cities and develop projects for their reconstruction in Tomsk.

The Analysis of Financial Rewards on Employee Engagement in the Public Sector: Cross-Cultural as a Moderating Variables

Cross-cultural research on the influence of individuality and collectivism on employee engagement is lacking. This study aims to analyse the impact of employee financial rewards on employee engagement with a focus on individualistic and collectivistic cultures as moderating variables in a public sector organisation. This research employed standardised face-to-face open-ended interviews. The research instrument is made from one theme and five open-ended questions to address the objectives of this study. The constant comparative data analysis approach was employed in conjunction with content analysis. The researcher categorized the data based on their disparities as well as their similarities. This study found that the municipality offers its employees financial rewards; however, due to inequality, unfairness, favouritism, and political influence, employees are not rewarded fairly, leading to employees being unhappy and disengaged from their work and the organisation. The municipality does not practice either a collectivistic or individualistic culture. A poor imbalance between individualistic and collectivistic cultures reduces the impact of financial rewards on employee engagement. This study's findings emphasise that the effectiveness of financial rewards on employee engagement depends on the organisation's practices and the equilibrium of individualistic and collectivistic cultures.

Organizational culture of professional’s personality: Features of modern content and formation in the context of digital development of the educational environment

Introduction. The authors examine the problem of forming a personality’s organizational culture with an emphasis on the becoming of a professional’s personality in modern conditions of social development.Purpose setting. The article purpose is to identify the features of the professional personality organizational culture in the context of digital development of the educational environment.Methodology and methods of the study. The study of the concept «organizational culture of professional’s personality» is based on the analysis and scientific generalization of publications problematizing the issues of formation of professional qualities of a modern personality that influence the formation of organizational components of its culture. The concept of organizational culture is considered in its general content with an emphasis on the totality of all cultural values created by an organization, determined by the historical and cultural context of the development of society as a whole.Results. Through the generalization of these sources, the features of the content of the concept of «organizational culture of professional’s personality» are revealed. Based on the study of the issues of formation of the organizational culture of professional’s personality in the context of current development of the digital educational environment, it is emphasized that in the context of modern problems of the development of society, its globalization and digitalization, the issues of organizational formation of professional’s personality acquire their own specifics. It is emphasized that the organizational principles of formation of the culture in modern conditions are directly mediated by the development of various forms of network interaction in the educational system. The need for the formation of the motivational component of the organizational culture of a professional in the modern conditions of the development of the digital educational space is emphasized.Conclusion. The contradictions between the challenges of an intensively evolving digital environment in modern conditions of development of the professional education and the personal values of professionals are reflected in the formation of the individual organizational culture, while the organizational component of personality’s general culture is called one of the most important for formation in the professional educational system. As a result, it is emphasized that one of the most important features is the mutual influence of the components of a professional’s digital culture on the components of his organizational culture in the process of becoming a person’s readiness for professional activity.

Этнокультурные особенности в представлениях о семье как ресурсе жизнеспособности у русской и бурятской молодежи

<p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Objective.</strong> Comparative analysis of representations about family as a resilience resource among Russian and Buryat youth (15 to 24 years old).<br><strong>Background.</strong> The influence of family on human resilience is mediated by cultural and ethnic contexts. A comparative analysis of the concepts of family as a resource of youth resilience, due to the families belonging to different cultures – more collectivist (Buryats) and more individualistic (Russians), will help to clarify the ethnocultural features of human resilience. <br><strong>Study </strong><strong>d</strong><strong>esign.</strong> A comparison was made of the concepts of family as a resource of resilience among Russian and Buryat respondents who support their resilience. <br><strong>Participants.</strong> 109 Russian and 98 Buryat university and college students. A total of 207 people. <br><strong>Measurements.</strong> The following were used: focus groups, a socio-demographic questionnaire, the Twenty Statements Test by M. Kuhn and T. McPartland, and the author's version of the "Unfinished Sentences" method. Based on the qualitative data from focus groups on the essence of human resilience and its components, 9 unfinished sentences were formulated and combined into 4 categories: "Resilience", "Family", "Values", and "Culture". For quantitative formalization of the qualitative data of respondents, the lexical base (<em>n</em> = 3921 for Buryats, <em>n</em> = 4124 for Russians) was processed using the Atlas.ti program (version 9.5.6) and subjected to comparative lexicographic content analysis with an assessment of word frequency. The results are visualized as word clouds. <br><strong>Results</strong>. The semantic core in the "Resilience" category is different: himself, ability for Russians; person, ability for Buryats. In the core of the "Family" category – person, child – for Russians; good, beloved – for Buryats. Respondents of both groups report the high importance of family. For Russians, family members are equal, there are negative characteristics of family, while for Buryats, family relationships are usually hierarchical, there are no negative characteristics. In the core of the "Values" category for Russians: family, life; family, friends – for Buryats. In the core of the "Culture" category: the word many, tradition for Russians; important, tradition for Buryats. Interest in folk traditions was revealed in both samples. For Russians, traditions are associated with family, for Buryats with the traditions of the nation. The statements show the opposition of "I" (for Russians) and "we" (for Buryats). <br><strong>Conclusion</strong>. The ideas about family as a resource of resilience among Russian and Buryat youth have ethnocultural features. They are determined by the fact that the Buryats belong to a more collectivist culture and the Russians to a more individualistic culture. Russian youth perceive family as a resource of resilience, which is aimed at: strengthening their ability to cope with difficulties independently and forming an "I" identity. For Buryat youth, family as a resource of resilience strengthens their “we” identity, which contributes to the development of “We” identity. The idea of the ethnocultural context of the family as a resource of youth resilience allow us to understand how the family support for the younger generation varies.</p>

Bacterial contamination of platelets concentrates in a lower middle-income country: Data from a single tertiary care hospital

BackgroundTransfusion of bacterially contaminated platelets may cause life threatening sepsis in the recipients. Cost of platelet screening is a major challenge for low middle income countries (LMICs). In this study, we evaluated the frequency of bacterial contamination in the platelet units (PUs) and the outcome of transfusing such platelets to the patients in a single institute at Pakistan. Material and methodsDuring 2018–2022, whole blood-derived (WB-PU) and apheresis platelets (AP) were screened by BacT-ALERT® automated system. Single sample from each AP and samples from ≤ 5 WB-PUs were pooled and cultured within 24 h-post collection. An initial positive signal was followed by re-culture, Gram’s staining, pool resolution and bacterial identification. Results were interpreted as ‘confirmed positive’ or ‘indeterminate’ and ‘confirmed negative’ based on differences in initial-reactive and final results. ResultsA total of 84246 PUs (476 AP and 83770 WB-PU) was screened, and 239 (0.28 %) culture bottles were positive on day one. Individual cultures were performed on 1378 PUs (239 bottles) for pool resolution. Seven of 1378 (0.5 %) PUs were ‘confirmed positive’ while 1371 (99.4 %) were ‘indeterminate’. No bacterial growth was observed in 82868 (82392 WB-PU and 476 AP) of 84246 (98.3 %). Overall bacterial contamination rate was low at 1 in 12000 PUs approximately. Seven patients were transfused with contaminated PUs but no transfusion reaction was observed. ConclusionAn insignificant risk of bacterial contamination was observed in this study but remains a concern for patient safety. LMICs need cost effective but efficient techniques to screen platelets for the presence of bacteria.

Biocontrol Efficacy of Pseudomonas Consortia Against Botrytis Blight in Petunias.

Botrytis cinerea, a fungal pathogen causing Botrytis blight, significantly impacts greenhouse crop management due to its broad host range and infection capabilities at various growth stages. Traditional control methods, primarily reliant on fungicides, are challenged by environmental concerns and the rise of fungicide-resistant strains. This study investigates the use of beneficial Pseudomonas bacteria as a sustainable alternative. We hypothesized that specific Pseudomonas consortia could provide more effective biocontrol of B. cinerea than individual strains. Our research investigated five Pseudomonas strains (14B11, AP54, 15H3, 94G2, and 89F1) known to reduce Botrytis blight in Petunia × hybrida. Compatibility for bacterial consortia was assessed through biofilm formation and direct bacterial inhibition assays. The biocontrol effects of the bacteria against B. cinerea were investigated in vitro using shared-air space dual culture assays and in planta by inoculating detached petunia flowers. We found strain 14B11 exhibited the highest biofilm formation, with consortia of 14B11 and 89F1 showing significant enhancement compared to individual cultures, while a slight, non-significant increase was observed in 14B11 and AP54 consortia. However, strain 14B11 efficacy was inhibited by strain 15H3. Genomic analyses identified antifungal compound-related gene clusters in 14B11 and AP54, contributing to their biocontrol potential. Trials with detached flowers of Petunia × hybrida 'Carpet Red Bright' confirmed significant disease severity reduction with 14B11, AP54, and their consortia. This research highlights strategic Pseudomonas consortia as promising, eco-friendly alternatives to chemical fungicides, promoting sustainable agriculture by enhancing our understanding of how microbial interactions can be used to manage Botrytis blight.

Relative importance of competing marketing strategies on different customer metrics: a meta-analytic review of customer equity drivers

Purpose This meta-analytic study aims to generalize the impacts of three customer equity drivers (CEDs), including value equity (VE), brand equity (BE) and relationship equity (RE), on different customer metrics (e.g. loyalty, word of mouth [WoM] and satisfaction); examine the relative importance of CEDs on customer metrics; and explore boundary conditions, considering geographic and methodological characteristics. Design/methodology/approach This study used a meta-analytic approach, collected and coded 85 articles published between 2001 and 2022. After some exclusions, the authors used 272 observations (average of individuals’ sample M = 1,015, min = 10, max = 8,924). Findings The generalized effects of VE, BE, and RE on the selected customer metrics are positive. However, the importance of each CED differs for WoM and social equity. Between VE and BE, BE correlates more with WoM. RE correlates more with social equity than VE and BE That is, RE is effective in both WoM and social equity. In addition, the impacts of the CEDs on customer loyalty vary across multiple geographic and methodological characteristics. For example, the impacts of VE and RE on loyalty are stronger in more individualistic, more masculine, long-term orientation or more restraint cultures. Research limitations/implications While the authors examined VE, BE and RE as the most important marketing strategies, there might be other types of CEDs, such as interactions with others (e.g. employees and customers). Interactions with others at any touchpoints along the customer journey are important experiences (Lemon and Verhoef, 2016). Second, the authors limited the customer metrics to customer loyalty, WoM, customer satisfaction, customer trust and social equity. Practical implications The magnitudes of VE, BE and RE differ across the three customer metrics. Compared with VE, BE symbolizes customers’ identity, status and extended self, which motivates WoM. Compared with VE and BE, RE convinces customers of companies’ actions in social equity such as corporate social responsibilities. Originality/value The meta-analysis resolves the issue of inconsistent impacts of CEDs across studies. Moreover, including CEDs in a model provides insight into these strategies’ relative importance when considering different marketing objectives. Finally, this study enriches understanding of the boundary conditions on the CEDs–loyalty link.

Self‐quantification and consumer well‐being: A meta‐analytic review

AbstractSelf‐quantification technology is increasingly and irrevocably transforming consumers' relationships with their own minds and bodies. However, existing research findings on the contribution of self‐quantification to consumer well‐being are disparate. Given the popularity of self‐quantification technology among consumers in the post‐pandemic era and its inherent transformative nature, it is surprising that this gap remains unaddressed. To resolve this inconsistency and to examine how and when self‐quantification influences consumer well‐being, we conduct a meta‐analysis of consumer well‐being in the context of self‐quantification technology. Our findings reveal that self‐quantification positively influences consumer well‐being. However, self‐quantification also negatively affects consumer well‐being through body image and self‐esteem. The systematic moderation effects of cultural dimensions (e.g., uncertainty avoidance and individualism), prior experience, data sharing, and sample characteristics on the relationship between self‐quantification and consumer well‐being are also confirmed. While uncertainty avoidance, prior experience, and data sharing accentuate the positive effects of self‐quantification on consumer well‐being, an individualistic culture attenuates this influence. This study contributes to the consumer well‐being literature and extends objectification theory in the context of self‐quantification. These findings will guide practitioners and policymakers in devising strategies and policies to allow self‐quantification technology to be used in a way that enhances consumers' health and well‐being.

The impact of cultural practices on the outcome of IT risk management implementation

PurposeThe objectives of this research are two-fold. The first is to explore, describe and explain the relevance of the concept of Information Technology risk management (ITRM) implementation processes. In this regard, we were required to understand the interaction between contextual issues, the ITRM framework itself, IT individual interpretations toward them and their effect on implementation. The second objective is to develop a theoretical model for use in guiding the design and analysis of the proposed empirical work. The study introduces a fresh perspective to an established research area. It is argued that without more emphasis on the dynamic nature of the implementation process, an incomplete understanding of the problem will result.Design/methodology/approachThe study adopts an interpretive methodology to a multiple case study design gathering and analysing qualitative evidence. A series of three case studies was designed around 22 semi-structured in-depth interviews conducted to investigate IT individuals’ role in facilitating a successful ITRM implementation.FindingsThe findings provide new insights in relation to ITRM implementation by considering IT individual culture. The research develops a substantive theory involving a schematic model involving a set of theoretical propositions. These findings suggest a dynamic approach to implementing IT risk management framework — one that considers the interaction over time of intentions, context, process and action around risk management frameworks.Research limitations/implicationsThis study makes important theoretical contributions to the understanding of organizational implementations by taking a dynamic view of implementation, identifying different individual IT culture archetypes, emphasizing the role of social aspects and developing a set of key factors and contextual conditions.Practical implicationsThis model offers managers an understanding of how IT individual culture and the factors and contextual conditional work together over time to ensure a successful ITRM implementation. Meanwhile, it sheds some light on how managers treat IT individuals with different levels of experience differently.Originality/valueWe theorize IT individual culture and the factors and contextual conditional and show their effects on ITRM implementation success, thus making an essential contribution to the information systems and implementation research and practice. Moreover, we provide a novel methodology to conceptualize ITRM implementation as a cultural process through which IT people socially construct the meanings and purposes of their work activities. This research answers scholars’ call to construct more accurate explanations of innovation outcomes in an increasingly IS implementation world.

Emotion concordance is higher among immigrants from more individualist cultures: Implications for cultural differences in adherence to emotion norms.

Recent findings show that in more individualist cultures, people's emotions are more homogenous and more concordant with the emotions of others in their culture. These findings have been interpreted as evidence that adherence to emotion norms is greater in more individualist cultures. This investigation examined a consequence of this to the acquisition of emotion norms. If immigrants from more individualist cultures are more likely to adhere to emotion norms, they should be more sensitive to the emotion norms of their host culture and will acquire them more readily. Therefore, we expected that immigrants from more individualist cultures would acquire the emotion norms of their host culture to a greater extent than immigrants from less individualist cultures. This hypothesis was supported in two studies with diverse samples of immigrants (N > 10,000) that assessed emotion concordance with one's host culture, an implicit measure of the acquisition of emotion norms. We ruled out alternative explanations, such as cultural tightness and the cultural distance between host cultures and heritage cultures. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Efficient Method for Liposome-Based Gene Transfer in Cattle Embryos.

In vitro embryo production (IVP) in cattle is crucial for advancing genetic enhancement and preserving valuable genetic lineages, enabling precise genetic modifications and gene studies through modern techniques. Successful genetic manipulation in cattle embryos requires efficient delivery of exogenous DNA/RNA molecules. This research investigates the efficacy of a single embryo culture system for developing genetically modified zona-free (ZF) embryos and examines the use of liposome-based SAMTOR target siRNA transfer in these individually cultured ZF embryos. The findings indicated that the individual culture system resulted in increased cleavage rates, and blastocyst rates were minimally impacted. The new culture system effectively achieved SAMTOR silencing, with 8-16 cell embryos exhibiting reduction in transcript levels compared to control. Measurement of total protein content in the spent culture media was performed to validate the single-culture approach for further analytical applications. Total protein content analysis demonstrated the system's suitability for comprehensive evaluation of the embryo-media interaction, enhancing the scope for in-depth genetic research and applications. This research sheds light into an innovative method to improve genetic editing techniques in reproduction research.

Sustainable crowdfunding and cultural contexts: Evidence from a longitudinal multi-country analysis

Crowdfunding platforms are increasingly sensitive to sustainable practices. However, the connections between these platforms and sustainability remain under-researched. This study examines how the sustainability orientation of equity crowdfunding platforms influences their performance. Conducting a longitudinal analysis based on 573 platforms in 37 OECD countries over the 2008–2023 period, we document that social-oriented platforms outperform their counterparts. Platforms operating in countries with a more individualist and masculine culture gain less from their social orientation. We contribute to research and inform practitioners by showing that crowdfunding platforms benefit from engaging with sustainability issues and that cultural contexts matter for promoting sustainable crowdfunding.

Experiences of moral distress among health care professionals in oncology and palliative care in Australia: a qualitative investigation

Abstract Background: Cancer care involves challenging clinical problems requiring expertise of multiple disciplines and frequently necessitates nuanced decision-making. When decision-making and patterns of care conflict with the values of health care professionals (HCPs), moral distress may arise. Moral distress is defined as the unease resulting from the perceived violation of professional or personal values and ethical principles. It has been associated with increased burnout and lower workforce retention among HCPs. This study aimed to investigate moral distress among Australian oncology and palliative care HCPs to understand how, when, and why it is experienced. Method: We conducted a qualitative interview study, with an online survey to collect demographic, practice-related characteristics, and level of moral distress. Interviews were conducted with oncology and palliative care HCPs in Australia to explore participants' experiences of moral distress. Interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed. A thematic analysis was conducted using a framework analysis approach. Results: We interviewed 33 participants, who were predominantly female (78%) and nurses (42%) with 50% having 15 years or more experience in oncology/palliative care. Thematic analysis revealed one meta-theme, Power and Hierarchy, and four themes: (1) values and their conflicts; (2) moral distress and the system; (3) moral distress and interpersonal interactions; and (4) internalized moral distress. At the core of HCPs' experiences of moral distress were patient-centered and care-centered values and the imperative to not violate the oath to “Do No Harm.” Moral distress was perceived to be covert, primarily arising in response to day-to-day clinical dilemmas and resulted from interactions with other HCPs and structural factors. Moral distress appeared to be cumulative over time. Conclusion: Moral distress arises when there are conflicts between an individual's values and organizational culture, within teams, and within the HCPs themselves. Power and hierarchy within health care are critical elements contributing to moral distress where poor communication and limited recognition of differing views are present. There is a need for interventions facilitating open discussion of ethical concerns to reduce likelihood of moral distress and retain an experienced oncology and palliative workforce.

Environmental uncertainty and entrepreneurial orientation in collectivist and individualist cultures: evidence from Brazil and Belgium

ABSTRACT A fundamental premise of the information processing approach in entrepreneurship theory is that the distribution and processing of information is key to opportunity identification. We propose that collectivist-individualist cultural values influence the efficacy of information processing leading to different levels of entrepreneurial orientation (EO). Specifically, we submit that collectivism enhances shared information processing and goal setting in a dynamic environment, while individualism facilitates creativity and divergent thinking that can help EO if sufficient informational input is available. To empirically verify our theory, we study the relationships using survey and archival data from a sample of 487 firms in six industries in Brazil and Belgium, two countries that contrast in collectivism-individualism. Consistent with our predictions, we find higher EO in the collectivist culture of Brazil under high environmental dynamism and low information availability, and this difference is increased by strategic planning.

Effect of Trichoderma Culture Filtrates of as Inducer on Growth Parameters of Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) against Fusarium Wilt

Aims: The present study was carried out to evaluate the effect of culture filtrates from different Trichoderma isolates at 10% concentration on the growth parameters of tomato plants over two growing seasons (2021-22 and 2022-23). Study Design: The experiment was performed both in vitro and in vivo condition, Completely Randomized Design (CRD) used for in vitro and Randomized Block Design (RBD) used for in vivo experiment Place and Duration of Study: The experiment was performed at Chandra Shekhar Azad University of Agriculture and Technology, Kanpur (India) during 2021-22 and 2022-23. Methodology: The soil sample collected from 12 different location of India and Trichoderma isolated and these different isolates used to produce their individual culture filtrate and these culture filtrates further use with 10% concentration as treatment for tomato plant. The effect of culture filtrates on plant height, root length, number of branches, fresh and dry shoot and root weight were observed under the experiment. Results: Results show significant improvements in plant height, root length, fresh and dry weights and number of branches in all culture filtrate treated plants involving T9 (seedling treatment + one foliar spray with culture filtrate of Trichoderma Nagaur), which consistently outperformed other isolates. Plant height increased to 43.06 cm in 2021-22 and 44.56 cm in 2022-23 at 40 days after transplanting with isolate T9 treatment followed by culture filtrate of Trichoderma Jabalpur (T7) and Trichoderma Banda (T6) showed 11.56, 22.96, 33.72, and 37.15 cm in 2021-22, and 11.38, 23.24, 34.46 and 36.08 cm for T6 in the same year. Among all the culture filtrates, the treatment T9 significantly enhances root length, fresh shoot and root weights and the number of branches. The plants treated with isolate T9 also exhibited an increase of 98.94% in root fresh weight and 42.31% in shoot weight. Conclusion: The findings confirm the growth-promoting potential of the T9 Trichoderma, attributed to mechanisms such as hormone production, enhanced nutrient uptake and improved root architecture. These results align with previous studies demonstrating the benefits of Trichoderma species in plant growth enhancement.