Positive Interactions Research Articles

‘’It’s like I am always on a leash’’: A multi-stakeholder qualitative analysis of the time toxicity of cancer care.

209 Background: As the oncology community increasingly acknowledges the time burdens of cancer care, there is a critical need for foundational work to understand the sources, populations impacted, and consequences of time toxicity. We sought to evaluate these through qualitative interviews. Methods: We conducted semi-structured interviews with adults with advanced stage gastrointestinal cancer, informal care partners, and clinicians at an NCI-designated cancer center in MN, USA from Feb-Oct 2023. We explored aspects of cancer care that took up time and were perceived as burdensome, identified those most impacted, and the consequences. We recorded and transcribed interviews, and conducted inductive thematic analysis. Results: We interviewed 47 participants [16 patients (8 <60 years; 12 women), 15 care partners (10 <60 years; 9 women), and 16 clinicians (including advanced practice providers, nurses, physicians, schedulers, and social workers; 11 women)]. We identified 22 subthemes that we grouped into 5 themes (Table). Conclusions: This multi-stakeholder qualitative analysis provides a deeper understanding of time toxicity. These data will help the oncology community to map, measure, and ultimately address time toxicity. Theme Subthemes Illustrative quotes Source: Healthcare outside the home Travel, parking, and, waiting time, planned appointments, unplanned care, hospitalizations and facility-based care '’My wife and I made over 100 drives in two years, over an hour and a half in each direction.’’ (Patient) Source: Often invisible tasks performed at home Logistic and administrative tasks, learning about the disease and treatment, medical management, time spent managing symptoms and on recovery, home-based care ‘’A large burden was like the insurance paperwork.’’ (Care partner)‘’And that has happened before where I've just spent the whole day at home waiting for home care.’’ (Patient) Populations impacted: Care partners alongside patients Care partners are equally affected, taking over social responsibilities/ tasks of daily living ‘’Anything that takes time for me, is almost an equal burden on her. If not more sometimes.’’ (Patient) Consequences Care becomes all-consuming, short visits turn into ‘’all-day’’ affairs, missing important life events/work, emotional distress, demoralization, financial burdens ‘’ It’s like I am always on a leash. I really don't have any control.’’ (Patient)‘’Even for a 30-minute infusion, you'll be there, like half a day or a whole day.’’ (Patient) Positive interactions and hope for change Not all time spent is perceived as burdensome, clinicians are hopeful of decreasing time burdens, clinicians recognize their own time burdens as a barrier to addressing patients’ ‘’Patients having to walk through this incredibly long, circuitous way to check in, do labs as ritual—we are disdainful of a patient's time. We should demand change.’’ (Clinician)

Fabrication of PVC-based electromagnetic interference shielding composite film by positively charged SMA enhancing the dispersibility of carbon nanomaterial

To address the weak binding force and poor dispersion stability of carbon (C) nanoparticles in current non-covalent modification methods, we employed organic amine-grafted styrene maleic anhydride copolymers (SMA-N) to modify C nanoparticles (C@SMA-N) through π–π conjugation and positive charge interactions. The obtained C@SMA-N has excellent dispersion in N, N-dimethylacetamide (DMAc), which is attributed to the enhanced steric hindrance and electrostatic repulsion from the grafted organic amine chains. To study the impact of surface modification on the electromagnetic interference shielding effectiveness (EMI SE), C@SMA-N was used as a conductive filler in polyvinyl chloride (PVC) composite films, which exhibits a higher EMI SE performance than pristine C nanoparticles. Particularly, the obtained C@SMA-N using polyether amine (PEA) (C@SMA-PEA) exhibits a better EMI SE performance. By optimizing the SMA-PEA grafting parameters, the PVC/C@SMA-PEA composite films transition from insulators to conductors at a C@SMA-PEA content of 0.3 wt%. To achieve a higher EMI SE performance, the filler content, mixed filler composition, and film thickness were optimized. The results indicate that with a total filler content of 20 wt% and a mixed filler comprising fibrous form carbon nanotubes (CNT) and particles form carbon black (CB) in a 10:1 mass ratio (CB@SMA-PEA to CNT@SMA-PEA), the composite film has a thickness of 0.08 mm and an EMI SE value of 20.2 dB. Increasing the thickness to 0.2 mm enhances the EMI SE value to 31.5 dB. These findings indicate that thinner films have a higher EMI SE performance and promising application prospects in the field of electromagnetic shielding.

Overview of Reviews of Peer-mediated Interventions for Young Children With Disabilities

Peer-mediated interventions are interventions in which peers without disabilities are systematically taught to engage children with disabilities in positive social interactions, with the aim of helping children with disabilities acquire new, targeted social skills. Peer-mediated interventions have been used to enhance the social and play skills of young children with disabilities for many years and continues to be commonly used with young children with disabilities in classroom settings. Because of the frequent use of peer-mediated interventions, it is important to know the level of empirical support for this instructional practice. The objective of this overview was to evaluate systematic reviews of peer-mediated interventions for young children with or at risk for disabilities under the age of five years old. This synthesis is an overview of reviews, which is a review method used for evaluating existing research reviews. To complete this overview, we searched electronic databases and other sources for published articles presenting the results of reviews of studies on peer-mediated interventions for young children with or at risk for disabilities under the age of five years old. We then synthesized the findings across reviews to formulate conclusions on the effects of the intervention to make practice recommendations. We searched the literature in October 2023 for articles that presented findings of a systematic review on peer-mediated interventions for young children with or at risk of disabilities under the age of five years old. We located 10 reviews. In the 10 reviews there were 47 studies with 114 young children with a variety of developmental disabilities. In the studies included in the reviews, the peer-mediated interventions typically occurred in natural settings including inclusive classrooms and children’s homes. The findings from all 10 included reviews suggested that peer-mediated interventions were an effective intervention for improving the social development of young children with disabilities. Over 80% of the 47 studies included in the 10 reviews had positive findings. Three reviews conducted a meta-analysis, which is a statistical technique of combining results across studies. All three meta-analyses showed robust results of the peer-mediated intervention. Thus, the use of peer-mediated interventions for children with or at risk of disabilities under the age of five is strongly supported by empirical research. Therefore, peer-mediated interventions should be considered an evidence-based practice for young children with disabilities. As demonstrated in the reviews, the use of peer-mediated interventions was most robust when used with preschool-aged children in inclusive (natural) settings.

ENHANCING SCHOOL-AGE CARE ENVIRONMENTS THROUGH POSITIVE INTERACTIONS

This research is devoted to the implementation of the School Educational Environment Rating Scale (SACERS) in Almaty schools, a project approved as a state initiative of the Republic of Kazakhstan for 2023-2025. The research aims to describe the SACERS scale, which includes 48 indicators assessed on a 7-point scale and allows for evaluation of the educational environment that promotes the development of students. Research method: In this research work, a mixed method. The quantitative component included bibliometric analysis data operations using R Studio software (version 2023.3.1.446) and a Google Forms survey administered to 99 students aged 10-13. The qualitative component involved semi-structured interviews with staff, parents, and teachers, in observations, focused on the “Interactions” subscales (27-34) of the SACERS scale. Integrating the findings with broader educational research, this analysis allowed for a detailed assessment of Almaty’s school environment. A comparison of Schools A and B revealed strong disciplinary norms, positive peer interactions, and effective communication between teachers and students. These results emphasize the importance of such elements in creating a positive school environment that promotes learners’s holistic development and global achievement.

The Impact of Microbial Interactions on Ecosystem Function Intensifies Under Stress.

A major challenge in ecology is to understand how different species interact to determine ecosystem function, particularly in communities with large numbers of co-occurring species. We use a trait-based model of microbial litter decomposition to quantify how different taxa impact ecosystem function. Furthermore, we build a novel framework that highlights the interplay between taxon traits and environmental conditions, focusing on their combined influence on community interactions and ecosystem function. Our results suggest that the ecosystem impact of a taxon is driven by its resource acquisition traits and the community functional capacity, but that physiological stress amplifies the impact of both positive and negative interactions. Furthermore, net positive impacts on ecosystem function can arise even as microbes have negative pairwise interactions with other taxa. As communities shift in response to global climate change, our findings reveal the potential to predict the biogeochemical functioning of communities from taxon traits and interactions.

Unveiling the shadows: School bullying and students' ability erosions in Chinese compulsory schools

Drawing upon data from the National Children's Study of China, this research investigates the school bullying victimization and its associations with the ability erosions among students in Chinese schools. Three key findings emerge. First, results suggest that the primary factors affecting bullying victimization mainly include authoritarian parenting, limited positive social interactions on campus, adverse experiences, and exposure to teacher and peer smoking. Second, estimates indicate that bullying victimization is significantly associated with ability erosions, particularly among students from relatively advantaged backgrounds. The further Oster's test, falsification test, and reverse causality check confirm the validity of the associations and suggest some causal effect of victimization on the student outcomes. Lastly, the Oaxaca-Blinder decomposition shows that lower human capital investments derived from social interactions are the most significant contributors to the ability erosion linked to bullying victimization. These findings highlight the critical importance of social interactions both at home and in schools.

Synergistic co-evolution of rhizosphere bacteria in response to acidification amelioration strategies: impacts on the alleviation of tobacco wilt and underlying mechanisms.

Soil acidification represents a severe threat to tobacco cultivation regions in South China, exacerbating bacterial wilt caused by Ralstonia solanacearum. The comprehension of the underlying mechanisms that facilitate the restoration of rhizosphere microbial communities in "healthy soils" is imperative for ecologically managing tobacco bacterial wilt. This study focuses on acidified tobacco soils that have been subjected to continuous cultivation for 20 years. The experimental treatments included lime (L), biochar (B), and a combination of lime and biochar (L+B), in addition to a control group (CK). Utilizing rhizosphere biology and niche theory, we assessed disease suppression effects, changes in soil properties, and the co-evolution of the rhizosphere bacterial community. Each treatment significantly reduced tobacco bacterial wilt by 16.67% to 20.14% compared to the control group (CK) (p < 0.05) and increased yield by 7.86% to 27.46% (p < 0.05). The biochar treatment (B) proved to be the most effective, followed by the lime-biochar combination (L+B). The key factors controlling wilt were identified through random forest regression analysis as an increase in soil pH and exchangeable bases, along with a decrease in exchangeable acidity. However, lime treatment alone led to an increase in soil bulk density and a decrease in available nutrients, whereas both biochar and lime-biochar treatments significantly improved these parameters (p < 0.05). No significant correlation was found between the abundance of Ralstonia and wilt incidence. Nonetheless, all treatments significantly expanded the ecological niche breadth and average variation degree (AVD), enhanced positive interactions and cohesion within the community, and intensified negative interactions involving Ralstonia. This study suggests that optimizing community niches and enhancing pathogen antagonism are key mechanisms for mitigating tobacco wilt in acidified soils. It recommends using lime-biochar mixtures as soil amendments due to their potential ecological and economic benefits. This study offers valuable insights for disease control strategies and presents a novel perspective for research on Solanaceous crops.

Socially (dis)connected in a connected world: The role of young people's digital maturity

Social media offer constant social interactions, but young people do not necessarily benefit from these regarding social connectedness. We investigated whether adolescents with higher digital maturity (Laaber et al., 2023) are better able to use social media to enhance social connectedness, and tested three mechanisms of how, who and why individuals engage with others online. The results of a longitudinal and cross-sectional study with adolescent-parent dyads from three European countries (Ntotal = 573) showed that with higher digital maturity, adolescents report higher social connectedness. The relation was not explained by higher active use, but engaging with real-life rather than virtual friends online and holding compassionate goals for others mediated the positive relationship between digital maturity and social connectedness. The findings support digital maturity as an important ability when using digital technologies, as it relates to beneficial social interactions, and suggest potential mechanisms to be strengthened to help adolescents experience positive interactions online.

Increased soil bacteria-fungus interactions promote soil nutrient availability, plant growth, and coexistence

Tree species and interkingdom relationships in the belowground metacommunity are key factors in determining soil microbial diversity and community composition. However, how bacterial-fungal interactions mediate soil nutrient and plant growth remains largely unexplored in the coniferous forests. Here, we selected three types of naturally growing coniferous forests on the Loess Plateau—pure stands of Platycladus orientalis, mixed stands of Platycladus orientalis and Pinus tabuliformis, and pure stands of Pinus tabuliformis—to compare the differences in soil properties, microbial diversity and community composition, soil enzymatic activity, and plant growth conditions across these stand types. We found that tree species mixing significantly alters soil microbial community diversity and composition, increasing the positive associations between bacteria and fungi. Compared to pure stands, mixed stands exhibit significantly higher bacterial diversity, whereas fungal diversity shows no significant difference. Additionally, available soil nutrients (ammonium nitrogen and available phosphorus) are significantly increased in mixed stands, along with their associated soil enzymatic activities. The partial least squares path model suggests that higher bacterial diversity enhances bacterial-fungal positive interactions, increasing the relative abundance of ectomycorrhizal fungi and the decomposition rate of organic matter in mixed stands, thereby boosting soil nutrient availability and plant growth. These results highlight the importance of positive bacterial-fungal associations for soil nutrient availability and plant growth, deepen the understanding of the role of soil microbial interactions in mediating plant species coexistence. Most importantly, our results implied a stable coexistence of the pioneer P. orientalis and the late successional species P. tabuliformis in the Loess Plateau region and provided a microbiological interpretation.

Digital family bonds are strengthened through effective communication dynamics on YouTube in Indonesia

General Background: Family communication plays a critical role in maintaining healthy relationships among family members, promoting openness, support, and understanding. Effective communication strengthens family bonds, especially during shared moments such as gatherings. Specific Background: Fadil Jaidi's YouTube channel provides an intriguing case study of family communication, showcasing how members interact and resolve issues. These video interactions offer valuable insights into the dynamics of family communication, particularly in the digital age. Knowledge Gap: Despite the extensive focus on communication in family studies, few have explored how family interactions are represented in social media content, especially YouTube channels, where family moments are broadcast to the public. The role of these platforms in influencing family communication patterns remains underexplored. Aims: This study aims to describe and explain the family communication patterns that occur on Fadil Jaidi's YouTube channel, focusing on openness, support, empathy, positiveness, and equality through content analysis. Results: A qualitative content analysis of five selected videos revealed that family communication on Fadil Jaidi’s channel runs smoothly. The interactions were characterized by 24 scenes: 8 scenes showing openness, 5 scenes of support, 2 scenes of empathy, 6 scenes of positiveness, and 3 scenes of equality. These categories were identified using thematic and syntactic analysis. Novelty: This study is among the first to analyze family communication within a public YouTube context, applying Eriyanto's content analysis framework. It highlights how online platforms can both reflect and influence real-life family dynamics. Implications: The findings suggest that public displays of family communication on social media platforms, like YouTube, can serve as examples for fostering positive interactions in real-life family settings. This research contributes to the understanding of how digital platforms can be used to promote healthy communication in family contexts. Highlights: Family communication on YouTube shows openness, support, empathy, positiveness, equality. Fadil Jaidi’s videos highlight effective family interactions in everyday scenarios. The study reveals digital platforms’ role in shaping family communication dynamics. Keywords: family communication, YouTube analysis, content analysis, social media, qualitative research

Effect of Social Support on Caregiver's Functional Disability Due to Spouse's Functional Disability

ObjectivesTo examine the effect of social support on the risk of caregiver's functional disability due to spouse's functional disability. DesignLongitudinal study. Setting and ParticipantsIn this cohort study using the Ohsaki Cohort 2006 Study data, the baseline survey was conducted from December 1, 2006, to December 15, 2006, and included 7598 older adults, including 3799 couples, ≥65 years of age. MethodsThe incidence of spouse's functional disability was defined as certification for the Long-term Care Insurance, which uses a nationally uniform standard of functional disability. The primary outcome was the incidence of the caregiver's functional disability, and the follow-up period was between December 16, 2006, and November 30, 2019. Five social support questionnaires were used to assess the degree of emotional and instrumental social support available to each participant. The Cox proportional hazards model was used to evaluate the incidence of functional disability among caregivers after the occurrence of spouses' functional disability. Subgroup analyses were also conducted according to the status of emotional and instrumental social support. ResultsThe caregiver's functional disability increased significantly among those whose spouses had functional disability compared with those whose spouses had no disability (multivariate hazard ratio [HR], 1.86). Emotional and instrumental social support showed significant positive interactions on this association (emotional and instrumental support: P for interaction < .01 and < .01, respectively), and the risk of caregiver's disability was higher among those without social support than among those with social support (with emotional support: HR, 1.84; without emotional support: HR, 2.51; with instrumental support: HR, 1.85; without instrumental support: HR, 2.31). Conclusions and ImplicationsSocial support may help to alleviate the increased risk for caregiver's functional disability due to the spouse's functional disability.

Propiedades psicométricas del Cuestionario Interacción Trabajo-Familia (SWING) en funcionarios públicos chilenos

The objective of this study was to examine the psychometric properties of the Spanish version of the "Survey Work-Home Interaction-Nijmegen" (SWING), developed by S. Geurts, in a sample of Chilean public workers. Its psychometric properties were studied with a sample of 1,135 workers from public institutions in Chile. The results of the confirmatory factor analysis indicate a four-factor model. The original structure of the scale was retained, containing 22 items distributed across four subscales: negative work-family interaction, negative family-work interaction, positive work-family interaction, and positive family-work interaction. The reliability analysis of the scale indicated that this Spanish version has good internal consistency, with values ranging from 0.82 to 0.94. Significant correlations were found between the SWING and measures related to each dimension of the scale. It is concluded that this version possesses appropriate psychometric properties, and guidelines are suggested for the use of the Spanish version of this questionnaire in future research.

Comparing how compost and manure affect soil organic matter using a complete factorial design

BackgroundThe aim of this study was to determine the influence of physico-chemical factors on soil organic matter by comparing two types of soil improver: one produced from olive mill waste cake residues (CRPM) and the other from manure (CF). This was achieved using Full Factorial Design, the main objective of which is to measure precisely the impact of each factor on a given response, to analyze the interactions between the various factors and to identify the optimum conditions for achieving a specific objective or improving the performance of a process. MethodsFour independent factors were studied: pH, electrical conductivity, humidity and carbon/nitrogen (C/N) ratio. Using design, based on their significance, coefficient of determination, analysis of variance and Pareto charts, the interactions between these variables were assessed to identify those with the most positive impact on soil fertility. ResultsThe results show that, for CRPM compost, the most positive interaction is between pH and ratio C/N. For manure, the interaction between pH and moisture has the greatest beneficial effect. These findings underline the importance of controlling all three factors − pH, moisture and ratio C/N to optimize soil fertility. ConclusionsThe analysis confirmed the reliability of the models used, with p-values below 0.05 and coefficients of determination (R2 and adjusted R2) close to 1, indicating the robustness of the models. Pareto diagrams were used to precisely identify the most relevant interactions for improving soil amendment management.

Cross-cultural communication challenges among pedicab drivers and vendors with foreign tourists in Aceh, Indonesia

In the context of globalization, English plays a pivotal role, particularly in the tourism industry, where daily interactions with foreign visitors are common. This study investigates the motivations, challenges, and efforts of pedicab drivers and vendors when communicating with foreign tourists at the Tsunami Museum and Ulee Lheue Port in Banda Aceh, Indonesia. Utilizing a qualitative descriptive approach, data were gathered through interviews with eight respondents: four pedicab drivers and four vendors. This study’s findings reveal that pedicab drivers and vendors have a complex use of English, reflecting their motivations, challenges, and efforts to improve their language skills. The respondents expressed a strong desire to engage with foreign tourists, promote their products, and conduct tours, often motivated by positive interactions. However, they faced significant challenges, such as word recall, understanding foreign accents, and unfamiliar vocabulary, often relying on basic English or Indonesian for communication. To address these issues, they are making efforts to enhance their English proficiency through interactions with tourists and peers, demonstrating a commitment to improving communication and better serving their customers. The study emphasizes the need for improved language support in the tourism sector and offers valuable insights for educators. It accentuates the importance of increasing students’ awareness of English’s practical relevance, especially for those pursuing careers in tourism and other globalized fields.

Psychoneuroimmunological Perspective of Animal-Assisted Therapy

Animal-assisted therapy is a new and upcoming form of therapy that has shown multifarious benefits to participants. It is a goal-oriented therapeutic process with the incorporation of a qualified therapy animal in the therapeutic activities and conversations. This paper explores these benefits from a psychoneuroimmunological lens, wherein the interplay of and impact on an individual's psychological, neurological and immune systems are discussed. Positive physical interaction with therapy animals reduces undesirable symptoms and ailments such as stress, anxiety, depressive symptoms, aggressive tendencies, harmful behaviours, cardiovascular issues and unhealthy tendencies amongst others. It further promotes a healthier lifestyle, promoting quality of life, better heart health, cognitive functioning and overall well-being. The biological basis of these benefits is discussed.

The effects of cooperative learning on self-reported peer relations, peer support, and classroom engagement among students with disabilities

Students with disabilities are at an increased risk of experiencing poorer quality peer relationships than those without disabilities. Previous school-based efforts to promote positive peer interactions among students with and without disabilities have included individual skill development and broader initiatives such as inclusive school practices. In the current study, we investigate the effects of cooperative learning (CL) on peer relationships, peer academic supports, and classroom engagement of middle school students with and without disabilities over two years. Using 4 waves of data from a cluster randomized trial of middle schools, we hypothesized that CL would create positive gains in study outcomes among all students, but we anticipated that effects would be more pronounced among students with disabilities. Results confirmed these hypotheses and highlighted the potential role of CL in creating greater social integration among students with and without disabilities. The implications of these findings for practitioners and policymakers are discussed.

The role of family conflict and cohesion in adolescents' social responsibility: Emotion regulation ability as a mediator.

The social context is crucial for the adolescent development of self-regulatory skills and social responsibility. To understand the role of social context in adolescent development, the present study examined family predictors (i.e., family cohesion and conflict) of social responsibility, with emotion regulation ability as a mediating process. A total of 828 Chinese adolescents (35.6% female; mean age = 13.92 years, SD = 1.34) were recruited from major Chinese cities, including Hong Kong and Macau. Path analysis revealed that emotion regulation ability mediated the relation between family factors (i.e., family cohesion and family conflict) and social responsibility. That is, the ability to regulate emotions serves as a process between family factors and social responsibility. More specifically, family cohesion was positively associated with emotion regulation ability, whereas family conflict was negatively associated with emotion regulation ability. In turn, emotion regulation ability was positively associated with social responsibility. The results suggested that the family environment and adolescent's emotion regulation ability are important contextual and intrapersonal factors contributing to their development of social responsibility. As an implication, policymakers and practitioners might allocate resources to enrich positive family interactions and cultivate emotional competency to support adolescents' development of social responsibility.

The Impact of Online Opinion on Justice: Two Cases in Comparative Law Perspective

In the early stages of the judicial process, trials were characterized by a pursuit of independence and justice, with judges adhering strictly to legal statutes and delivering judgments that aligned with legal logic. However, as today's digital landscape evolves, Internet users engage with the judiciary in distinct ways; they communicate online, actively voice their opinions, and gradually cultivate a representative form of public opinion on the web. As the impact of online public sentiment on judicial administration grows stronger, it increasingly exhibits a tendency to exert dominance. While the independence of the judiciary remains unquestionable, certain explosive instances of online public opinion also highlight pressing societal issues that warrant attention and cannot be overlooked. Using two well-known cases as an entry point, we will compare how networked public opinion influences justice differently in Japan and China. This analysis will delve into the underlying jurisprudence while seeking solutions tailored to China's national context. The goal is to foster positive interaction between these two realms—leveraging the constructive influence of online public opinion on judicial processes—and ultimately enhance China's judiciary system.

Hydroxyapatite self-doped biochar with MgO modification immobilizes heavy metal and alters soil microbial community

Functionalized biochars are highly effective in the remediation of heavy metals and the improvement of soil properties. In this study, we prepared a hydroxyapatite self-doped biochar (FB) using fish scales as raw material, and impreged FB with MgCl2 following by pyrolysis to obtain MgO-loaded FB (MFB). A soil incubation experiment was conducted to explore the influence of MFB on the immobilization of Cu, Cd, and Pb, alongside the impact on the soil properties and bacterial community. The results demonstrated that the nano-hydroxyapatite components and MgO micro-nanoparticles on MFB promoted the immobilization of heavy metals in soils through dissolution-precipitation and ion-exchange. The availability of Cu, Cd, and Pb in soils amended with MFB was significantly decreased by 69.1 %, 63.5 %, and 53.7 %, respectively, compared to CK. Furthermore, the MFB amendment significantly increased soil organic carbon and available P, as well as enhanced enzyme activities related to the C-, N-, and P-cycles. Notably, the MgO loaded on biochar played a crucial role in altering the diversity and composition of soil bacterial communities. The complexity and stability of the co-occurrence networks of bacterial communities increased following MgO-loaded biochar addition, and there were more frequent positive interactions among bacterial taxa within the network. The effects of MFB on immobilizing heavy metals and shaping bacterial communities were conducive to the restoration of soil ecological functions. These findings provide a promising strategy for the remediation of heavy metal contaminated soils.

Evaluating the Role of Institutional Quality in the Relationship Between Education Expenditure and Manufacturing Growth: Insights from Quantile Regression Models

This study aims to provide empirical insight into the role of institutional quality and its impact on the relationship between expenditure on education and the growth of manufacturing in Malaysia. The study employed time series data from 1984 to 2020, using a quantile regression model for three quantiles: 25%, 50%, and 75%. The results showed that government spending on education (GXE) had a negative and statistically significant effect on manufacturing sector growth (MSG) on all quantiles in both interaction and non-interaction models. This may indicate a lack of quality, allocation, and efficiency in government expenditure and its targeting. However, the interaction effect between government spending on education and institutional quality (INTC GXE&amp;IQI) on manufacturing sector growth (MSG) provided a consistently positive effect across all quantiles. This positive interaction means that the effect of education spending on manufacturing sector growth is conditional on the quality of institutions. The positive coefficients indicate that when government spending aligns with robust institutional frameworks, it effectively stimulates growth within the manufacturing sector. This phenomenon may be attributed to effective institutions amplifying the impact of government expenditure by ensuring efficient fund utilization for intended purposes. Policies aimed at strengthening institutions' quality —such as improving bureaucracy, enhancing transparency, and combating corruption—can enhance the efficacy of education expenditure, which supports the long-term and sustainable growth of the manufacturing sector.