Quality Of Matter Research Articles

Does employment status matter for job quality? A cross-national perspective.

Dual labour market theory raises questions about the relationship between non-standard employment and job quality. While scattered empirical evidence exists, there is a paucity of systematic evidence on the relationship between workers' employment status and job quality. The authors investigated the relation between workers' employment status (e.g., open-ended, long- and short-term fixed contracts, economically dependent and independent solo self-employment, and self-employment with employees) and important dimensions of job quality (JQ) (e.g., employment prospects, physical work environment, skills and discretion, and working times quality). Cross-national variation in that relation and causes of that variation (e.g., country-level unemployment rate and labour market efficiency) were also investigated. Hierarchical regression modelling was applied using a sample of 34,094 workers from the European Working Conditions Survey 2015. The study highlighted a negative association between fixed-term contracts and JQ. For self-employed workers (except economically dependent self-employed workers) a generally positive association was observed. In this study, also positive associations were found between labour market efficiency at the country-level and some JQ indicators. National unemployment rates were negatively associated to most JQ indicators. Non-standard employment contracts exhibited poorer job quality than open-ended contracts. Stronger labour market organization centred around indicators of both flexibility and equity related to more beneficial job quality for all employment statuses, thereby promoting more labour market inclusivity.

Does institutional quality really matter for environmental quality?

In this paper, we introduce a new innovation into the institutions and environmental degradation nexus debate, by placing emphasis on institutional quality (good or poor) in the modelling framework, a clear departure from the existing literature that makes no such distinctions when using institutions to investigate the nexus. Using a panel of 163 countries, and applying a system generalised method of moment technique, we obtained robust evidence that the quality of institutions really matters in protecting the environment. In particular, we found that countries with strong institutions could significantly reduce environmental pollution by limiting fossil fuel consumption, while those with poor institutions would worsen the situation. Countries with strong institutions were also found to be able to curtail environmental problems in densely populated cities than those with weak institutions. The policy implications arising from the study are clear – strengthening the quality of domestic institutions that relate to environmental policy formulation and regulation, is critical to delivering a cleaner environment.

How much does performance quality matter in musical emotion induction? Main effects and interaction effects with listener features.

How much does performance quality matter in musical emotion induction? Main effects and interaction effects with listener features.

Do Oil Price, Renewable Energy, and Financial Development Matter for Environmental Quality in Oman? Novel Insights from Augmented ARDL Approach

As an oil-exporting country, Oman traditionally relies on oil sources to meet its energy demand. The country has not been able to safeguard its environment from carbon emissions (CO2)-related adversities. In this context, this study evaluated the impacts of the price of oil, financial development, economic growth, and nonrenewable energy on the environmental quality in Oman. The research used the recently developed augmented autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL) approach to investigate annual data from 1980 to 2018. The outcomes revealed the following: (i) financial development negatively affected ecological quality in the short and long term; (ii) oil prices positively impact carbon emissions in the long term; however, the price of oil does not significantly influence CO2 emissions in the short term; (iii) nonrenewable energy is harmful for ecological quality over both the short and long term; (iv) there is a causal link among financial development, nonrenewable energy, and carbon emissions. The current research outcomes present valuable findings for Oman’s policymakers in heading toward sustainable financial and energy sectors.

Do financial innovation and renewable energy matter for environmental quality in India?

Do financial innovation and renewable energy matter for environmental quality in India?

Do financial development and renewable energy shocks matter for environmental quality: evidence from top 10 emitting emissions countries.

Creating a reliable energy supply, ecological quality, and economic development has become a global effort. Finance is at the center stage ecological transition to low-carbon emission. Against this backdrop, the present work analyses the impact of the financial sector on CO2 emissions using data from the top 10 emitting emissions economies from 1990 to 2018. Using the novel method of moments quantile regression, the findings illustrate that renewable energy usage enhances ecological quality while economic growth lowers it. The results also affirm that financial development is positively linked with carbon emission in the top 10 emitting emissions economies. These results can be explained by the fact that financial development facilities offer low borrowing rates with less restrictions for environmental sustainability projects. The empirical findings of this study highlight the necessity for policies that boost the proportion of clean energy consumption in the top 10 polluting nations' overall energy mix to reduce carbon emissions. It follows that the financial sectors in these nations must invest in cutting-edge energy-efficient technology and clean, green, and environmentally friendly initiatives. This trend will increase productivity, improve energy efficiency, and reduce pollution.

Jämställdhet i grundskolan

The aim of the study is to explore how the concept of gender equality and the compulsory school’s gender equality mission can be understood in national policy documents. The study is a critical document study that takes critical discourse analysis as a starting point. In the policy documents reviewed, four different discourses on gender equality appear: Gender equality as a non-question – discourse of equal treatment, which turns out as an absence of the concept of gender equality or as an understanding of gender equality as equal treatment or anti-discrimination. Focus on biological sex – discourse of difference, where the focus on biological sex means that differences between girls and boys are explained as natural and essential. Gender equality as a matter of quality, where gender equality is understood as a means to an end rather than a value of its own, and finally Gender as a Swedish virtue, where gender equality is explained as something that the school needs to teach people with a non-Swedish background. The different discourses all relate to a neo-liberal hegemony, in which the understanding of gender equality implies a non-existing space to promote a change of power relations.

Physico-chemical Characteristics of Ensiled Cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz) and Sweetpotato (Ipomoea batatas L. (Lam.)) Foliage, and Fermentation Kinetics of Cassava Silage

This study was conducted to determine the physico-chemical characteristics of ensiled cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz) and sweetpotato (Ipomoea batatas L. (Lam.)) foliage with or without additives molasses and rice bran. Six treatment combinations were from two crop species (cassava and sweetpotato) and three additives (without additive, 10% molasses, and 10% rice bran). The physical (color, odor, texture) and chemical characteristics (pH, total soluble sugars, Flieg point, dry matter, organic matter, ash, crude protein, NDF, ADF, hemicellulose) of the samples were evaluated following standard procedures. Fermentation kinetics of cassava foliage silage and ruminal in situ DM degradability of cassava foliage silage were evaluated for 3, 6, 12, 24, 48, and 72 h using cannulated cattle. Results showed that cassava foliage (CF) and sweetpotato foliage (SF) silages with molasses had the lowest pH of 3.82 and 3.80, respectively due to high TSS values of the samples. CF had the highest crude protein (19.06%) compared to SF silage (11.61%). Moreover, CF had low fiber fractions (NDF and ADF) resulting in a high effective dry matter degradability (74.73%) of the silage. Results on silage quality, nutritive value, and dry matter degradability evaluation proved the potential of cassava foliage silage with molasses as an alternative high protein feed for ruminants.

0239 Perceptions of Sleep Health among Black Americans: Recommendations for Improving Sleep

Abstract Introduction Despite African Americans having a high prevalence of poor sleep health, the determinants remain understudied. Sleep disparities research mainly examines quantitative data, with little attention to qualitative data, which can inform targeted interventions. We aimed to qualitatively identify 1) perceptions of sleep; 2) facilitators/barriers to healthy sleep; and 3) preferences for receiving sleep recommendations in a socioeconomically diverse sample of African Americans. Methods Participants (N=36 individuals divided into 11 groups) attended online focus groups and discussed the following topics: attitudes and beliefs about sleep, facilitators and barriers to sleep, and knowledge and attitudes about sleep recommendations. Self-reported sleep was measured via the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index. The focus group data were analyzed using a rapid analytic approach. Results The sample had a mean age of 34 (13.1), and 64% identified as female. The overall prevalence of poor sleep quality, short sleep duration, and long sleep duration was 39%, 24%, and 15%, respectively. Participants defined healthy sleep as a matter of quality over quantity and waking up feeling well-rested. Women, men, and gender non-conforming individuals reported average sleep durations of 6.3 hours, 5.9 hours, and 8 hours, respectively. Women, but not men or gender non-confirming individuals reported disturbed mood because of poor sleep. Regardless of gender, participants reported anxiety, stress, and daily responsibilities such as work, taking care of family, and sudden changes in plans as barriers to healthy sleep. A subset of respondents (25.5%) reported screen time and feeling unsafe as barriers. Men and women reported listening to music, aromatherapy, relaxing, and limiting phone use before bedtime as facilitators to healthy sleep. Men preferred information on how to achieve and maintain deep/quality sleep, whereas women preferred more personalized information on sleep and the sleep-mental/physical health relation. Social media was generally the preferred avenue for receiving sleep recommendations. Conclusion Mood, stress, screen time and lack of safety were identified barriers to healthy sleep patterns. Participants were interested in strategies for improving sleep health. Future studies should consider targeting relaxing bedtime routines and enhanced safety as sleep interventions. Support (if any) National Institutes of Health, National Institute for Heart Lung and Blood 1R01HL157954 and K01HL138211.

The metabolome and bacterial composition of high-moisture Italian ryegrass silage inoculated with lactic acid bacteria during ensiling

BackgroundWith its high nutritional value and productivity, Italian ryegrass as a biomass feedstock constantly supplies rumen degradable nitrogen and digestible fiber to ruminants. However, biofuel production is easily reduced during ensiling due to the high-moisture content of Italian ryegrass, leading to economic losses. Lactic acid bacteria inoculants could improve lignocellulosic degradation and fermentation quality and decrease dry matter loss during the bioprocessing of silage. Therefore, this study analyzed the effects of Lactobacillus buchneri TSy1-3 (HE), Lactobacillus rhamnosus BDy3-10 (HO), and the combination of HE and HO (M) on fermentation quality, bacterial community and metabolome in high-moisture Italian ryegrass silage during ensiling.ResultsThe results showed that the pH value was significantly lower in the HO groups than in the other treatments at the end of ensiling, and the dry matter and acetic acid contents were significantly higher in the HO group than in the other inoculated groups. All inoculants decreased the diversity of the bacterial community and significantly increased the relative abundance of Lactobacillus. Inoculation with HO significantly improved the concentrations of organic acids, dipeptides, ferulic acid, apigenin, and laricitrin. Compared with Lactobacillus buchneri TSy1-3 (HE), HO significantly upregulated the flavonoid compounds in the flavone and flavonol biosynthesis pathway.ConclusionsOverall, these findings suggest that inoculation with HO was beneficial for the development of Italian ryegrass as a biomass feedstock, improving fermentation quality, accelerating changes in bacterial community composition and increasing biofunctional metabolites in high-moisture Italian ryegrass silage.

Engaging English Audiences in the Dubbing Experience: A Matter of Quality or Habituation?

Although dubbing has traditionally been associated with the so-called dubbing countries, the advent of digitalisation and streaming is nowadays encouraging the consumption of dubbed content across territories unaccustomed to watching foreign fiction with dubs, such as the Anglophone market. Despite the effort put into drawing in a wide and satisfied audience in these countries, an unfavourable response from some viewers has called into question the quality of English dubbed versions and the odds of forging a consolidated dubbing industry in such regions. The main aim of this article is to offer insights into how poor quality and the lack of a long professional tradition might compromise engagement and cinematic illusion and into how the lack of exposure to this mode might have a negative impact on the way the dubbed content is received and enjoyed by English users. The article also intends to discuss the many ways in which quality and habituation affect the dubbing experi­ence. This is done by exploring both the potential constraints that impair the final version and the factors that encourage an amenable attittude to this mode amongst the audience, de­spite their inexperience as dubbing consumers. The conclusions stress the need to enhance English dubbing quality at different levels and the importance of habituation to make dubbing work from a cognitive, linguistic, and prosodic standpoint.

Carbon disclosure policy, external financing needs and the cost of capital: Does financial market quality matter?

AbstractWe investigate whether the quality of financial markets matters for the relationship between net external financing, voluntary carbon disclosure and firms' cost of capital. External financing needs may create incentives for firms to engage in environmental strategies, such as disclosing their carbon emissions in response to demands from stakeholders. In countries with low financial market quality, firms may build a reputation when complying with stakeholders' demands. In these countries, firms disclosing carbon emissions and with high external financing needs may be rewarded with a lower cost of capital. Using an international sample of 24,253 firm‐year observations from 35 countries, we show that the higher firms' net external financing in the previous year, the more likely they are to disclose their carbon emissions in the current year. Moreover, the positive association between the likelihood of carbon disclosure and net external financing needs is stronger in countries with low financial market quality. We further show that disclosing firms with high external financing needs have a lower cost of capital as compared to disclosing firms with low external financing needs. This evidence also differs between countries with high versus low financial market quality.

Why care? How filial responsibility norms and relationship quality matter for subsequent provision of care to ageing parents

AbstractHow to meet the demands of long-term care is a pressing issue in ageing societies. In most countries, care systems depend on the capability and willingness of family members to fill the gap between existing needs and formal service provision. Understanding the motivations of adult children to engage in parent care is, therefore, of central importance. The existing research literature offers different explanations, and here we concentrate on two key perspectives: normative and affectual commitments. Based on longitudinal data from two waves of the Norwegian Life Course, Ageing and Generation Study (2007 and 2017), we investigate to what extent adult children's previous attitudes towards filial responsibility norms and their perceived quality of the relationship to parents (in 2007) are associated with subsequent care-giving to ageing mothers and fathers (in 2017). The analyses show no evidence of a correlation between support of general filial responsibility norms and provision of help and care 10 years later. Perceived quality of the relationship, on the other hand, is associated with subsequent help and care-giving. The patterns are similar for daughters and sons. We conclude that within the context of a comprehensive welfare state, like the Norwegian, care-giving seems to be more of an individual choice than a societal prescription.

The quality matters: Assessing the roles of patch quality and configuration on the abundance of an invading cerambycid species through a multi‐model inference approach

Abstract Landscape ecology studies are based on the concept that most local phenomena cannot be completely understood without considering the role of the surrounding landscape. A key factor in landscape ecology is the heterogeneous distribution of resources that different species use for food and reproduction. In this paper, we analyse the role of patch quality together with landscape attributes on the distribution and abundance of Arhopalus rusticus in the central west of Córdoba Province in Argentina. Land cover was estimated using Landsat 8 scenes. Landscape was quantified by estimating the focal patch area, the distance to nearest pine patch and the quality of the patch through the enhanced vegetation index obtained from the MODIS satellite. Generalised linear mixed models were employed to analyse the relationship between the independent variables and A. rusticus abundance. A multi‐model inference approach was employed to select the best model. The distance to nearest pine patch and the enhanced vegetation index of the previous year showed a negative relationship with A. rusticus abundance, while the relationship with the focal patch area and the enhanced vegetation index of the year in which the sampling took place was positive. Our results show that although landscape pattern of pine patches affects the invading capability of A. rusticus in a direct way, the forest patch quality is an important factor that limits the capability of the insect to establish itself in an area.

Effects of Different Types of Soil Management on Organic Carbon and Nitrogen Contents and the Stability Index of a Durum Wheat–Faba Bean Rotation under a Mediterranean Climate

Soil quality, nitrogen, and organic matter content are increasingly being researched due to their impact on the environment. We assessed the effects of different soil management practices on the distribution and accumulation of soil organic carbon (SOC) in a durum wheat–faba bean rotation system cultivated in a Mediterranean-type area of Southern Italy, over six years. The effects of three levels of soil disturbance—conventional tillage (CT), minimum tillage (RT), and no tillage—(NT) on the SOC and nitrogen (N) content at soil depths of 0–15, 15–30, 30–60, and 60–90 cm were compared in a long-term experiment starting in the 2009–2010 growing season. The three soil management systems showed significant differences (p < 0.05) in the surface layer (0–15 cm depth) in SOC content and total nitrogen, with the largest accumulation occurring in the conservation system (NT). In the deep layers (30–60 and 60–90 cm), however, no significant differences were found between the three tillage systems. The ascending order of the tendency to accumulate SOC and N in the soil in the 0–15 cm layer was NT > CT > RT. In addition, the C/N ratio showed a more equilibrated rate in the NT system. The conservation tillage (NT) gave the best results in terms of the physical characteristics of the soil, showing a higher stability index compared to CT and RT. Conservation tillage is therefore recommended for wheat cultivation in the dry areas of Southern Italy, due to its benefits in terms of both crop yield improvements and environmental protection.

The Applicability of Automated Testing Frameworks for Mobile Application Testing: A Systematic Literature Review

Mobile applications are developed and released to the market every day. Due to the intense usage of mobile applications, their quality matters. End users’ rejection of mobile apps increases from time to time due to their low quality and lack of proper mobile testing. This indicates that the role of mobile application testing is crucial in the acceptance of a given software product. Test engineers use automation frameworks for testing their mobile applications. Automated testing brings several advantages to the development team. For example, automated checks are used for regression testing, fast execution of test scripts, and providing quick feedback for the development team. A systematic literature review has been used to identify and collect evidence on automated testing frameworks for mobile application testing. A total of 56 relevant research papers were identified that were published in prominent journals and conferences until February 2023. The results were summarized and tabulated to provide insights into the suitability of the existing automation testing framework for mobile application testing. We identified the major test concerns and test challenges in performing mobile automation testing. The results showed that the keyword-driven testing framework is the widely used approach, but recently, hybrid approaches have been adopted for mobile test automation. On the other hand, this review indicated that the existing frameworks need to be customized using reusable and domain-specific keywords to make them suitable for mobile application testing. Considering this, this study proposes an architecture, the mobile-based automation testing framework (MATF). In the future, to address the mobile application testing challenges, the authors will work on implementing the proposed framework (MATF).

0098 Prenatal Maternal Sleep Quality Predicts Neonatal White Matter Microstructure and Infant Negative Emotionality

Abstract Introduction Poor prenatal sleep health is a pervasive reproductive health concern that informs the health of the mother and fetal development. Despite the almost ubiquitous nature of sleep disturbances across pregnancy, sleep health within pregnant populations, and its effects on the next generation, remain poorly studied. We recently showed that prenatal maternal sleep quality predicts newborn hippocampal volume. However, the relation between prenatal sleep quality and neonatal neural circuit development remains unknown. Changes in neonatal white matter microstructure presage compromised socioemotional and cognitive health, including the development of psychopathology and neurocognitive disorders, making it a plausible neurobiological pathway linking prenatal maternal sleep and offspring socioemotional health. This study first examined the relations between trajectories of prenatal maternal sleep quality and subsequent neonatal white matter integrity. We next evaluated whether neonatal white matter integrity partially mediates associations between prenatal sleep and infant negative emotionality. Methods Pregnant participants (n = 116) provided prospective and longitudinal data of prenatal maternal sleep quality at 16, 29, and 35 gestational weeks using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index. Neonatal (53% female) white matter integrity was assessed via diffusion weighed images using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Infant negative emotionality was collected at 6 postpartum months using the Infant Behavior Questionnaire. Results Trajectories of prenatal maternal sleep quality predicted higher bilateral neonatal fractional anisotropy (FA) in the uncinate fasciculus (e.g., right: b = 0.15, p = .023). Further, higher uncinate FA predicted more infant negative emotionality (e.g., right: b = 0.25, p = .011) and uncinate FA partially mediated the association between prenatal maternal sleep and infant negative emotionality (right: indirect effect = 0.014, CI = [.0001, .0323], p < .05). Associations remained after covarying for infant postconceptional age at MRI, motion in MRI scan, sex, and income-to-needs ratio. Conclusion These findings highlight prenatal maternal sleep health as a prenatal signal with intergenerational connections to offspring neurobiology and negative emotionality, both of which have been previously implicated in the development of psychopathology. Pregnancy is a sensitive period in which interventions may inform the health of two generations. Support (if any) NIMH R01MH109662, NHLBI R01HL155744, and diversity training supplement for 1st author; F32MH125572 for 2nd author.

Sounding Out Stories: A Critical Analysis of The Prince, How To Become A Dictator, The King of Kowloon, Three Narrative Podcasts on Contemporary China

It’s unusual and welcome to see not one, but three, well-produced narrative podcasts made in the West about China. Hosted by female journalists with a Chinese background, all provide strong context on Chinese history and politics but focus essentially on an individual: The King of Kowloon (produced by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation) memorialises an eccentric graffiti artist called Tsang Tsou-choi, his art seen in the context of Hong Kong’s shrinking democracy. Both The Prince (by The Economist) and How To Become A Dictator (by The Telegraph) zero in on Xi JinPing, President of the People’s Republic of China, their release coinciding with the fifth annual Communist Party Congress in October 2022. There are many ways to ruin a narrative podcast. Unlike chatcasts, technical quality matters: intimacy, that cherished currency of podcasting, starts with a close mic. The deployment of voice, actuality, music and archival sound in the service of story makes a big difference to how engaged listeners will be. Underpinning all of this are the script and narrative structure. The host should be relatable, as a human being and in connection to the podcast theme. The script also has to link, foreshadow and clarify the various story elements, while the narrative arc works at both a micro level, providing a satisfying journey within each episode, and a macro, whereby thorny details and bum steers are explored, eliminated or developed, and by the end of the series, finally resolved—or at least exhausted. This article is an in-depth critique of these three narrative podcasts, analysing aspects from production/structure and craft/sound design to editorial/research, hosting, script and storytelling.

One-of-a-kind products: Leveraging strict uniqueness in mass customization

This research examines product uniqueness in its most pure form—products that are literally one of a kind. It does so in mass customization (MC) settings where consumers configure their own products. Due to extremely large solution spaces that are typically available in MC, a specific product configured by a consumer is often one of a kind in that it has never been produced before. How might firms leverage such strict product uniqueness to enhance consumer value? A natural way of doing so is to simply inform consumers that the product they have configured is one of a kind—through a feedback message that is either present-oriented (e.g., “this specific product has never been produced before”) or future-oriented (e.g., “this product will remain one of a kind in perpetuity”). Evidence from five experiments, including a large-scale field experiment, shows that one-of-a-kind feedback can cause a substantial increase in consumers’ product valuation. This value-enhancing effect of one-of-a-kind feedback specifically occurs in product domains that are primarily matters of subjective taste. By contrast, such feedback tends to reduce consumers’ product valuation in domains that are primarily matters of objective quality. These findings advance our understanding of the concept of product uniqueness, and of how firms can harness the one-of-a-kindness of mass-customized products to unlock consumer value.

Global-scale no-tillage impacts on soil aggregates and associated carbon and nitrogen concentrations in croplands: A meta-analysis

No-tillage treatment, including no-tillage with straw retention (NTS) and without (NT), has been widely used as an efficient and sustainable alternative to conventional tillage with straw retention (CTS) and without (CT) and greatly affects soil physical quality and organic matter dynamics in cropland ecosystems. Although some studies have reported the effects of NTS on soil aggregate stability and soil organic carbon (SOC) concentration, the underlying mechanisms of how soil aggregates, aggregate-associated SOC and total nitrogen (TN) respond to no-tillage remain unclear. Through a global meta-analysis of 91 studies in cropland ecosystems, we evaluated the effects of no-tillage on soil aggregates and their associated SOC and TN concentrations. On average, no-tillage treatment significantly decreased the proportions of microaggregates (MA) by 21.4 % (95 % CI, −25.5 to −17.3 %) and silt+clay size particles (SIC) by 24.1 (95 % CI, −30.9 to −17.0 %), and increased the proportions of large macroaggregate (LA) by 49.5 % (95 % CI, 36.7–63.0 %) and small macroaggregate (SA) by 6.1 % (95 % CI, 2.0–10.9 %) compared to those in conventional tillage. The SOC concentrations for all three aggregate sizes increased significantly with no tillage: for LA by 28.2 % (95 % CI, 18.8–39.5 %), SA by 18.0 % (95 % CI, 12.8–23.3 %), and MA by 9.1 % (95 % CI, 2.6–16.8 %). TN also increased significantly for all sizes with no tillage, with LA by 13.6 % (95 % CI, 8.6–17.6 %), SA by 11.0 % (95 % CI, 5.0–17.0 %), MA by 11.7 % (95 % CI, 7.0–16.4 %), and SIC by 7.6 % (95 % CI, 2.4–13.8 %). The magnitude of the no-tillage treatment effect on soil aggregation, aggregate-associated SOC and TN varied with the environmental and experimental conditions. The positive effect on the proportions of LA occurred with initial soil organic matter (SOM) content >10 g kg−1, whereas SOM <10 g kg−1 did not change significantly. Additionally, the effect size of NTS compared with CTS was lower than that of NT compared with CT. These findings suggest that NTS may promote physically protective SOC accumulation through the formation of macroaggregates by reducing disturbance destruction and increasing plant-derived binding agents. The findings highlight that no-tillage may enhance the formation of soil aggregates and the associated SOC and TN concentrations in global cropland ecosystems.