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4. Early stage litter decomposition across biomes

Author

Caliman, Adriano, Paquette, Alain, Gutiérrez-Girón, Alba, Humber, Alberto, Valdecantos, Alejandro, Petraglia, Alessandro, Alexander, Heather, Augustaitis, Algirdas, Saillard, Amélie, Fernández, Ana Carolina Ruiz, Sousa, Ana I., Lillebø, Ana I., da Rocha Gripp, Anderson, Francez, André-Jean, Fischer, Andrea, Bohner, Andreas, Malyshev, Andrey, Andrić, Andrijana, Smith, Andy, Stanisci, Angela, Seres, Anikó, Schmidt, Anja, Avila, Anna, Probst, Anne, Ouin, Annie, Khuroo, Anzar A., Verstraeten, Arne, Palabral-Aguilera, Arely N., Stefanski, Artur, Gaxiola, Aurora, Muys, Bart, Bosman, Bernard, Ahrends, Bernd, Parker, Bill, Sattler, Birgit, Yang, Bo, Juráni, Bohdan, Erschbamer, Brigitta, Ortiz, Carmen Eugenia Rodriguez, Christiansen, Casper T., Carol Adair, E., Meredieu, Céline, Mony, Cendrine, Nock, Charles A., Chen, Chi-Ling, Wang, Chiao-Ping, Baum, Christel, Rixen, Christian, Delire, Christine, Piscart, Christophe, Andrews, Christopher, Rebmann, Corinna, Branquinho, Cristina, Polyanskaya, Dana, Delgado, David Fuentes, Wundram, Dirk, Radeideh, Diyaa, Ordóñez-Regil, Eduardo, Crawford, Edward, Preda, Elena, Tropina, Elena, Groner, Elli, Lucot, Eric, Hornung, Erzsébet, Gacia, Esperança, Lévesque, Esther, Benedito, Evanilde, Davydov, Evgeny A., Ampoorter, Evy, Bolzan, Fabio Padilha, Varela, Felipe, Kristöfel, Ferdinand, Maestre, Fernando T., Maunoury-Danger, Florence, Hofhansl, Florian, Kitz, Florian, Sutter, Flurin, Cuesta, Francisco, de Almeida Lobo, Francisco, de Souza, Franco Leandro, Berninger, Frank, Zehetner, Franz, Wohlfahrt, Georg, Vourlitis, George, Carreño-Rocabado, Geovana, Arena, Gina, Pinha, Gisele Daiane, González, Grizelle, Canut, Guylaine, Lee, Hanna, Verbeeck, Hans, Auge, Harald, Pauli, Harald, Nacro, Hassan Bismarck, Bahamonde, Héctor A., Feldhaar, Heike, Jäger, Heinke, Serrano, Helena C., Verheyden, Hélène, Bruelheide, Helge, Meesenburg, Henning, Jungkunst, Hermann, Jactel, Hervé, Shibata, Hideaki, Kurokawa, Hiroko, Rosas, Hugo López, Rojas Villalobos, Hugo L., Yesilonis, Ian, Melece, Inara, Van Halder, Inge, Quirós, Inmaculada García, Makelele, Isaac, Senou, Issaka, Fekete, István, Mihal, Ivan, Ostonen, Ivika, Borovská, Jana, Roales, Javier, Shoqeir, Jawad, Lata, Jean-Christophe, Theurillat, Jean-Paul, Probst, Jean-Luc, Zimmerman, Jess, Vijayanathan, Jeyanny, Tang, Jianwu, Thompson, Jill, Doležal, Jiří, Sanchez-Cabeza, Joan-Albert, Merlet, Joël, Henschel, Joh, Neirynck, Johan, Knops, Johannes, Loehr, John, von Oppen, Jonathan, Þorláksdóttir, Jónína Sigríður, Löffler, Jörg, Cardoso-Mohedano, José-Gilberto, Benito-Alonso, José-Luis, Torezan, Jose Marcelo, Morina, Joseph C., Jiménez, Juan J., Quinde, Juan Dario, Alatalo, Juha, Seeber, Julia, Stadler, Jutta, Kriiska, Kaie, Coulibaly, Kalifa, Fukuzawa, Karibu, Szlavecz, Katalin, Gerhátová, Katarína, Lajtha, Kate, Käppeler, Kathrin, Jennings, Katie A., Tielbörger, Katja, Hoshizaki, Kazuhiko, Green, Ken, Yé, Lambiénou, Pazianoto, Laryssa Helena Ribeiro, Dienstbach, Laura, Williams, Laura, Yahdjian, Laura, Brigham, Laurel M., van den Brink, Liesbeth, Rustad, Lindsey, Zhang, Lipeng, Morillas, Lourdes, Xiankai, Lu, Carneiro, Luciana Silva, Di Martino, Luciano, Villar, Luis, Bader, Maaike Y., Morley, Madison, Lebouvier, Marc, Tomaselli, Marcello, Sternberg, Marcelo, Schaub, Marcus, Santos-Reis, Margarida, Glushkova, Maria, Torres, María Guadalupe Almazán, Giroux, Marie-Andrée, de Graaff, Marie-Anne, Pons, Marie-Noëlle, Bauters, Marijn, Mazón, Marina, Frenzel, Mark, Didion, Markus, Wagner, Markus, Hamid, Maroof, Lopes, Marta L., Apple, Martha, Schädler, Martin, Weih, Martin, Gualmini, Matteo, Vadeboncoeur, Matthew A., Bierbaumer, Michael, Danger, Michael, Liddell, Michael, Mirtl, Michael, Scherer-Lorenzen, Michael, Růžek, Michal, Carbognani, Michele, Di Musciano, Michele, Matsushita, Michinari, Zhiyanski, Miglena, Pușcaș, Mihai, Barna, Milan, Ataka, Mioko, Jiangming, Mo, Alsafran, Mohammed, Carnol, Monique, Barsoum, Nadia, Tokuchi, Naoko, Eisenhauer, Nico, Lecomte, Nicolas, Filippova, Nina, Hölzel, Norbert, Ferlian, Olga, Romero, Oscar, Pinto, Osvaldo B., Jr, Peri, Pablo, Weber, Paige, Vittoz, Pascal, Turtureanu, Pavel Dan, Fleischer, Peter, Macreadie, Peter, Haase, Peter, Reich, Peter, Petřík, Petr, Choler, Philippe, Marmonier, Pierre, Muriel, Priscilla, Ponette, Quentin, Guariento, Rafael Dettogni, Canessa, Rafaella, Kiese, Ralf, Hewitt, Rebecca, Rønn, Regin, Adrian, Rita, Kanka, Róbert, Weigel, Robert, Gatti, Roberto Cazzolla, Martins, Rodrigo Lemes, Georges, Romain, Meneses, Rosa Isela, Gavilán, Rosario G., Dasgupta, Sabyasachi, Wittlinger, Sally, Puijalon, Sara, Freda, Sarah, Suzuki, Satoshi, Charles, Sean, Gogo, Sébastien, Drollinger, Simon, Mereu, Simone, Wipf, Sonja, Trevathan-Tackett, Stacey, Löfgren, Stefan, Stoll, Stefan, Trogisch, Stefan, Hoeber, Stefanie, Seitz, Steffen, Glatzel, Stephan, Milton, Sue J., Dousset, Sylvie, Mori, Taiki, Sato, Takanori, Ise, Takeshi, Hishi, Takuo, Kenta, Tanaka, Nakaji, Tatsuro, Michelan, Thaisa Sala, Camboulive, Thierry, Mozdzer, Thomas J., Scholten, Thomas, Spiegelberger, Thomas, Zechmeister, Thomas, Kleinebecker, Till, Hiura, Tsutom, Enoki, Tsutomu, Ursu, Tudor-Mihai, di Cella, Umberto Morra, Hamer, Ute, Klaus, Valentin H., Rêgo, Vanessa Mendes, Di Cecco, Valter, Busch, Verena, Fontana, Veronika, Piscová, Veronika, Carbonell, Victoria, Ochoa, Victoria, Bretagnolle, Vincent, Maire, Vincent, Farjalla, Vinicius, Zhou, Wenjun, Luo, Wentao, McDowell, William H., Hu, Yalin, Utsumi, Yasuhiro, Kominami, Yuji, Zaika, Yulia, Rozhkov, Yury, Kotroczó, Zsolt, Tóth, Zsolt, Djukic, Ika, Kepfer-Rojas, Sebastian, Schmidt, Inger Kappel, Larsen, Klaus Steenberg, Beier, Claus, Berg, Björn, and Verheyen, Kris

Published
2018
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13. Expanding grasslands? Structural biome shifts in the dryland rangelands of the eastern Karoo revealed through long-term observation of climate, vegetation and land use change

Author

Arena, Gina, Hoffman, Michael Timm, van der Merwe, Helga, and O'Connor, Timothy

Subjects
Biological Sciences
Abstract

Biome shifts caused by climate and land use change threaten global dryland ecosystems and the provision of services needed to sustain human livelihoods. The overarching drivers of early 20th century dryland degradation in South Africa have been attributed to high stocking rates and overgrazing by domestic livestock. Predictions of an eastward encroachment of shrublands into the semiarid grasslands, and resultant declines in productivity, emerged in the 1950s based on concerns that livestock overgrazing would persist. In response to these concerns, appropriate research and government interventions were implemented to address rangeland and livestock mismanagement. However, the role of long-term climate as a driver of semiarid vegetation change was poorly understood, particularly for changes occurring at the interface of the NamaKaroo and Grassland biomes where shrubland encroachment could be detected along a gradient of increasing annual rainfall. It is this gradient that controls the natural biome transition from shrub-dominance to grass-dominance. However, the prediction of shrubland encroachment was refuted when research in the early 1990s revealed that the vegetation of this region (known as the ‘eastern Karoo') had undergone an increase in grass cover; a trend that persisted into the early 2000s. Questions around the influence of changing rainfall patterns on driving this increase in grassiness have since been investigated at a single location in the eastern Karoo. Findings indicated that an increase in annual rainfall drove the increase in grass cover, but the generality of this relationship across the broader rainfall gradient of the biome transition has not been examined. In addition to rainfall, grazing by domestic livestock has had a significant influence on the relative proportion of grasses and shrubs in the eastern Karoo. While other studies have alluded to changes in land use, few data have been presented and the relative influence of land use change has usually been under-estimated. The availability of historical data from past vegetation surveys, climate station records and magisterial district livestock censuses makes it possible to develop a more comprehensive synthesis of how vegetation has changed across the rainfall gradient in order to address questions around biome shifts. This thesis, therefore, aimed to determine whether a biome shift is related to a broader shift in the climate regime through the assessment of long-term vegetation change along the rainfall gradient, in relation to climate and land use change since the early 20th century. Annual and seasonal trend analysis was applied to monthly rainfall, temperature, pan evaporation, evapotranspiration and wind speed data. Trends indicated that 32% of sites in the eastern Karoo showed an increase in annual rainfall between 1874 and 2019, which was also defined by a significant shift to increasing early summer rainfall. A concomitant trend of decreasing annual, and late summer rainfall, was detected at 32% of sites located on the mesic end of the rainfall gradient. Monthly maximum temperature between 1971 and 2019 also increased by 1.0 °C at a rate of 0.04 ± 0.06 °Cy-1 and monthly minimum temperature decreased by 0.3 °C at a rate of -0.03 ± 0.11 °Cy-1 . Wind speed, an important driver of evaporative processes, decreased at 44% of sites since 1971 and decreasing trends in A-Pan evaporation were found at all sites. No discernible trends in evapotranspiration were detected. Declines in wind speed and evaporation were suggested to promote an increase in vegetation cover which may restore ecosystem processes and improve rangeland productivity. An analysis of multidecadal wet-dry phases in the climate record was also undertaken using the Standardised Precipitation Index. Through this, it was observed that the rainfall regime over the eastern Karoo is defined by three significant phases over the last century: an early wet phase (1886- 1902), a 70-year long dry phase (1902-1970), followed by the recent wet phase (1970-2014) that commenced with heavy rains in the mid-1970s across the summer rainfall region of southern Africa. Long-term changes in the cover and composition of plant species and growth forms were compared between 1962 and 2018 at 27 sites using the point intercept method. Changes in species composition were determined from Bray-Curtis similarity distances. The dominant growth forms were organised along a rainfall-edaphic gradient and plant communities were further defined by altitude. Hierarchical clustering of species cover per site recognised this underlying gradient. Thus, sites were categorised into three vegetation units: ‘Karoo', ‘Escarpment' and ‘Grassland'. Results showed that vegetation cover increased, and bare ground cover decreased, significantly at all but one site. Perennial grasses increased by 20%, 24% and 35% at Karoo, Escarpment and Grassland sites, respectively. Palatable dwarf shrubs increased by 15% at Karoo sites. These growth form changes translated to a broader-scale shift in the relative dominance of dwarf shrubs to grasses at 59% of sites in the Nama-Karoo biome, coinciding with the spatial pattern of increasing early summer rainfall and temperature. However, a multivariate analysis provided minimal evidence of species shifts between vegetation units or biomes, suggesting that compositional stability was maintained across the rainfall gradient. Percent changes in the cover of grasses and dwarf shrubs were analysed in relation to the climatic and edaphic parameters using multiple regression analysis, but no significant linear relationships were found. However, summer rainfall and temperature combined explained 26% of the variation in the percent change in grass cover. The effect of these changes on rangeland grazing capacity (ha/Large Stock Unit) was also evaluated using the ecological index method of the assessment of veld condition. There was a fivefold improvement in grazing capacity at Karoo sites and a twofold improvement at Escarpment and Grassland sites. Changes in the cover of grasses, dwarf shrubs and trees were additionally determined through fixed-point repeat photography at 85 sites on two different landforms, plains and hillslopes. A shift towards grass dominance relative to dwarf shrubs was estimated at 90% of sites located on the plains and at 100% of sites located on the hillslopes in the NamaKaroo. Variable trends were found at Grassland sites in both landforms. Tree cover remained unchanged in both biomes. Agricultural livestock census data at the magisterial district-level showed a fivefold decrease in sheep numbers between 1911 and 2017 while the number of cattle and equine animals remained largely unchanged. Goat numbers fluctuated over time in response to the demands for Angora mohair. Supporting perceptions of significant reductions in livestock numbers since the 1960s were conveyed by 18 local landowners as derived from semi-structured interviews. The introduction of conservation-friendly grazing systems, seasonal rainfall shifts, and increased drought frequency were also perceived as important drivers of vegetation change. However, a number of socio-ecological challenges, for example, livestock losses to theft, vermin, or fire, emerged as having significantly influenced management decisions. Therefore, the persistent structural shift in growth forms across the rainfall gradient since the 1960s has largely coincided with significant climatic shifts in rainfall and temperature. A secondary influence of long-term reductions in livestock numbers, and a change to conservation-friendly management practices, is suggested to have supported the recovery of vegetation, especially that of perennial grasses, and rangeland productivity.

Published
2022

14. sj-docx-1-php-10.1177_2373379920987264 – Supplemental material for Adapting to Teaching During a Pandemic: Pedagogical Adjustments for the Next Semester of Teaching During COVID-19 and Future Online Learning

Author

Hickling, Siobhan, Bhatti, Alexandra, Arena, Gina, Kite, James, Denny, Justin, Spencer, Nancy L. I., and Bowles, Devin C.

Subjects
111799 Public Health and Health Services not elsewhere classified, FOS: Health sciences
Abstract

Supplemental material, sj-docx-1-php-10.1177_2373379920987264 for Adapting to Teaching During a Pandemic: Pedagogical Adjustments for the Next Semester of Teaching During COVID-19 and Future Online Learning by Siobhan Hickling, Alexandra Bhatti, Gina Arena, James Kite, Justin Denny, Nancy L. I. Spencer and Devin C. Bowles in Pedagogy in Health Promotion

Published
2021
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17. Early stage litter decomposition across biomes

Author

Djukic, Ika, primary, Kepfer-Rojas, Sebastian, additional, Schmidt, Inger Kappel, additional, Larsen, Klaus Steenberg, additional, Beier, Claus, additional, Berg, Björn, additional, Verheyen, Kris, additional, Caliman, Adriano, additional, Paquette, Alain, additional, Gutiérrez-Girón, Alba, additional, Humber, Alberto, additional, Valdecantos, Alejandro, additional, Petraglia, Alessandro, additional, Alexander, Heather, additional, Augustaitis, Algirdas, additional, Saillard, Amélie, additional, Fernández, Ana Carolina Ruiz, additional, Sousa, Ana I., additional, Lillebø, Ana I., additional, da Rocha Gripp, Anderson, additional, Francez, André-Jean, additional, Fischer, Andrea, additional, Bohner, Andreas, additional, Malyshev, Andrey, additional, Andrić, Andrijana, additional, Smith, Andy, additional, Stanisci, Angela, additional, Seres, Anikó, additional, Schmidt, Anja, additional, Avila, Anna, additional, Probst, Anne, additional, Ouin, Annie, additional, Khuroo, Anzar A., additional, Verstraeten, Arne, additional, Palabral-Aguilera, Arely N., additional, Stefanski, Artur, additional, Gaxiola, Aurora, additional, Muys, Bart, additional, Bosman, Bernard, additional, Ahrends, Bernd, additional, Parker, Bill, additional, Sattler, Birgit, additional, Yang, Bo, additional, Juráni, Bohdan, additional, Erschbamer, Brigitta, additional, Ortiz, Carmen Eugenia Rodriguez, additional, Christiansen, Casper T., additional, Carol Adair, E., additional, Meredieu, Céline, additional, Mony, Cendrine, additional, Nock, Charles A., additional, Chen, Chi-Ling, additional, Wang, Chiao-Ping, additional, Baum, Christel, additional, Rixen, Christian, additional, Delire, Christine, additional, Piscart, Christophe, additional, Andrews, Christopher, additional, Rebmann, Corinna, additional, Branquinho, Cristina, additional, Polyanskaya, Dana, additional, Delgado, David Fuentes, additional, Wundram, Dirk, additional, Radeideh, Diyaa, additional, Ordóñez-Regil, Eduardo, additional, Crawford, Edward, additional, Preda, Elena, additional, Tropina, Elena, additional, Groner, Elli, additional, Lucot, Eric, additional, Hornung, Erzsébet, additional, Gacia, Esperança, additional, Lévesque, Esther, additional, Benedito, Evanilde, additional, Davydov, Evgeny A., additional, Ampoorter, Evy, additional, Bolzan, Fabio Padilha, additional, Varela, Felipe, additional, Kristöfel, Ferdinand, additional, Maestre, Fernando T., additional, Maunoury-Danger, Florence, additional, Hofhansl, Florian, additional, Kitz, Florian, additional, Sutter, Flurin, additional, Cuesta, Francisco, additional, de Almeida Lobo, Francisco, additional, de Souza, Franco Leandro, additional, Berninger, Frank, additional, Zehetner, Franz, additional, Wohlfahrt, Georg, additional, Vourlitis, George, additional, Carreño-Rocabado, Geovana, additional, Arena, Gina, additional, Pinha, Gisele Daiane, additional, González, Grizelle, additional, Canut, Guylaine, additional, Lee, Hanna, additional, Verbeeck, Hans, additional, Auge, Harald, additional, Pauli, Harald, additional, Nacro, Hassan Bismarck, additional, Bahamonde, Héctor A., additional, Feldhaar, Heike, additional, Jäger, Heinke, additional, Serrano, Helena C., additional, Verheyden, Hélène, additional, Bruelheide, Helge, additional, Meesenburg, Henning, additional, Jungkunst, Hermann, additional, Jactel, Hervé, additional, Shibata, Hideaki, additional, Kurokawa, Hiroko, additional, Rosas, Hugo López, additional, Rojas Villalobos, Hugo L., additional, Yesilonis, Ian, additional, Melece, Inara, additional, Van Halder, Inge, additional, Quirós, Inmaculada García, additional, Makelele, Isaac, additional, Senou, Issaka, additional, Fekete, István, additional, Mihal, Ivan, additional, Ostonen, Ivika, additional, Borovská, Jana, additional, Roales, Javier, additional, Shoqeir, Jawad, additional, Lata, Jean-Christophe, additional, Theurillat, Jean-Paul, additional, Probst, Jean-Luc, additional, Zimmerman, Jess, additional, Vijayanathan, Jeyanny, additional, Tang, Jianwu, additional, Thompson, Jill, additional, Doležal, Jiří, additional, Sanchez-Cabeza, Joan-Albert, additional, Merlet, Joël, additional, Henschel, Joh, additional, Neirynck, Johan, additional, Knops, Johannes, additional, Loehr, John, additional, von Oppen, Jonathan, additional, Þorláksdóttir, Jónína Sigríður, additional, Löffler, Jörg, additional, Cardoso-Mohedano, José-Gilberto, additional, Benito-Alonso, José-Luis, additional, Torezan, Jose Marcelo, additional, Morina, Joseph C., additional, Jiménez, Juan J., additional, Quinde, Juan Dario, additional, Alatalo, Juha, additional, Seeber, Julia, additional, Stadler, Jutta, additional, Kriiska, Kaie, additional, Coulibaly, Kalifa, additional, Fukuzawa, Karibu, additional, Szlavecz, Katalin, additional, Gerhátová, Katarína, additional, Lajtha, Kate, additional, Käppeler, Kathrin, additional, Jennings, Katie A., additional, Tielbörger, Katja, additional, Hoshizaki, Kazuhiko, additional, Green, Ken, additional, Yé, Lambiénou, additional, Pazianoto, Laryssa Helena Ribeiro, additional, Dienstbach, Laura, additional, Williams, Laura, additional, Yahdjian, Laura, additional, Brigham, Laurel M., additional, van den Brink, Liesbeth, additional, Rustad, Lindsey, additional, Zhang, Lipeng, additional, Morillas, Lourdes, additional, Xiankai, Lu, additional, Carneiro, Luciana Silva, additional, Di Martino, Luciano, additional, Villar, Luis, additional, Bader, Maaike Y., additional, Morley, Madison, additional, Lebouvier, Marc, additional, Tomaselli, Marcello, additional, Sternberg, Marcelo, additional, Schaub, Marcus, additional, Santos-Reis, Margarida, additional, Glushkova, Maria, additional, Torres, María Guadalupe Almazán, additional, Giroux, Marie-Andrée, additional, de Graaff, Marie-Anne, additional, Pons, Marie-Noëlle, additional, Bauters, Marijn, additional, Mazón, Marina, additional, Frenzel, Mark, additional, Didion, Markus, additional, Wagner, Markus, additional, Hamid, Maroof, additional, Lopes, Marta L., additional, Apple, Martha, additional, Schädler, Martin, additional, Weih, Martin, additional, Gualmini, Matteo, additional, Vadeboncoeur, Matthew A., additional, Bierbaumer, Michael, additional, Danger, Michael, additional, Liddell, Michael, additional, Mirtl, Michael, additional, Scherer-Lorenzen, Michael, additional, Růžek, Michal, additional, Carbognani, Michele, additional, Di Musciano, Michele, additional, Matsushita, Michinari, additional, Zhiyanski, Miglena, additional, Pușcaș, Mihai, additional, Barna, Milan, additional, Ataka, Mioko, additional, Jiangming, Mo, additional, Alsafran, Mohammed, additional, Carnol, Monique, additional, Barsoum, Nadia, additional, Tokuchi, Naoko, additional, Eisenhauer, Nico, additional, Lecomte, Nicolas, additional, Filippova, Nina, additional, Hölzel, Norbert, additional, Ferlian, Olga, additional, Romero, Oscar, additional, Pinto, Osvaldo B., additional, Peri, Pablo, additional, Weber, Paige, additional, Vittoz, Pascal, additional, Turtureanu, Pavel Dan, additional, Fleischer, Peter, additional, Macreadie, Peter, additional, Haase, Peter, additional, Reich, Peter, additional, Petřík, Petr, additional, Choler, Philippe, additional, Marmonier, Pierre, additional, Muriel, Priscilla, additional, Ponette, Quentin, additional, Guariento, Rafael Dettogni, additional, Canessa, Rafaella, additional, Kiese, Ralf, additional, Hewitt, Rebecca, additional, Rønn, Regin, additional, Adrian, Rita, additional, Kanka, Róbert, additional, Weigel, Robert, additional, Gatti, Roberto Cazzolla, additional, Martins, Rodrigo Lemes, additional, Georges, Romain, additional, Meneses, Rosa Isela, additional, Gavilán, Rosario G., additional, Dasgupta, Sabyasachi, additional, Wittlinger, Sally, additional, Puijalon, Sara, additional, Freda, Sarah, additional, Suzuki, Satoshi, additional, Charles, Sean, additional, Gogo, Sébastien, additional, Drollinger, Simon, additional, Mereu, Simone, additional, Wipf, Sonja, additional, Trevathan-Tackett, Stacey, additional, Löfgren, Stefan, additional, Stoll, Stefan, additional, Trogisch, Stefan, additional, Hoeber, Stefanie, additional, Seitz, Steffen, additional, Glatzel, Stephan, additional, Milton, Sue J., additional, Dousset, Sylvie, additional, Mori, Taiki, additional, Sato, Takanori, additional, Ise, Takeshi, additional, Hishi, Takuo, additional, Kenta, Tanaka, additional, Nakaji, Tatsuro, additional, Michelan, Thaisa Sala, additional, Camboulive, Thierry, additional, Mozdzer, Thomas J., additional, Scholten, Thomas, additional, Spiegelberger, Thomas, additional, Zechmeister, Thomas, additional, Kleinebecker, Till, additional, Hiura, Tsutom, additional, Enoki, Tsutomu, additional, Ursu, Tudor-Mihai, additional, di Cella, Umberto Morra, additional, Hamer, Ute, additional, Klaus, Valentin H., additional, Rêgo, Vanessa Mendes, additional, Di Cecco, Valter, additional, Busch, Verena, additional, Fontana, Veronika, additional, Piscová, Veronika, additional, Carbonell, Victoria, additional, Ochoa, Victoria, additional, Bretagnolle, Vincent, additional, Maire, Vincent, additional, Farjalla, Vinicius, additional, Zhou, Wenjun, additional, Luo, Wentao, additional, McDowell, William H., additional, Hu, Yalin, additional, Utsumi, Yasuhiro, additional, Kominami, Yuji, additional, Zaika, Yulia, additional, Rozhkov, Yury, additional, Kotroczó, Zsolt, additional, and Tóth, Zsolt, additional

Published
2018
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18. Early stage litter decomposition across biomes

Author

Djukic, Ika, Kepfer-Rojas, Sebastian, Schmidt, Inger Kappel, Larsen, Klaus Steenberg, Beier, Claus, Berg, Björn, Verheyen, Kris, Caliman, Adriano, Paquette, Alain, Gutiérrez-Girón, Alba, Humber, Alberto, Valdecantos, Alejandro, Petraglia, Alessandro, Alexander, Heather, Augustaitis, Algirdas, Saillard, Amélie, Fernández, Ana Carolina Ruiz, Sousa, Ana I., Lillebø, Ana I., da Rocha Gripp, Anderson, Francez, André-Jean, Fischer, Andrea, Bohner, Andreas, Malyshev, Andrey, Andrić, Andrijana, Smith, Andy, Stanisci, Angela, Seres, Anikó, Schmidt, Anja, Avila, Anna, Probst, Anne, Ouin, Annie, Khuroo, Anzar A., Verstraeten, Arne, Palabral-Aguilera, Arely N., Stefanski, Artur, Gaxiola, Aurora, Muys, Bart, Bosman, Bernard, Ahrends, Bernd, Parker, Bill, Sattler, Birgit, Yang, Bo, Juráni, Bohdan, Erschbamer, Brigitta, Ortiz, Carmen Eugenia Rodriguez, Christiansen, Casper T., Carol Adair, E., Meredieu, Céline, Mony, Cendrine, Nock, Charles A., Chen, Chi-Ling, Wang, Chiao-Ping, Baum, Christel, Rixen, Christian, Delire, Christine, Piscart, Christophe, Andrews, Christopher, Rebmann, Corinna, Branquinho, Cristina, Polyanskaya, Dana, Delgado, David Fuentes, Wundram, Dirk, Radeideh, Diyaa, Ordóñez-Regil, Eduardo, Crawford, Edward, Preda, Elena, Tropina, Elena, Groner, Elli, Lucot, Eric, Hornung, Erzsébet, Gacia, Esperança, Lévesque, Esther, Benedito, Evanilde, Davydov, Evgeny A., Ampoorter, Evy, Bolzan, Fabio Padilha, Varela, Felipe, Kristöfel, Ferdinand, Maestre, Fernando T., Maunoury-Danger, Florence, Hofhansl, Florian, Kitz, Florian, Sutter, Flurin, Cuesta, Francisco, de Almeida Lobo, Francisco, de Souza, Franco Leandro, Berninger, Frank, Zehetner, Franz, Wohlfahrt, Georg, Vourlitis, George, Carreño-Rocabado, Geovana, Arena, Gina, Pinha, Gisele Daiane, González, Grizelle, Canut, Guylaine, Lee, Hanna, Verbeeck, Hans, Auge, Harald, Pauli, Harald, Nacro, Hassan Bismarck, Bahamonde, Héctor A., Feldhaar, Heike, Jäger, Heinke, Serrano, Helena C., Verheyden, Hélène, Bruelheide, Helge, Meesenburg, Henning, Jungkunst, Hermann, Jactel, Hervé, Shibata, Hideaki, Kurokawa, Hiroko, Rosas, Hugo López, Rojas Villalobos, Hugo L., Yesilonis, Ian, Melece, Inara, Van Halder, Inge, Quirós, Inmaculada García, Makelele, Isaac, Senou, Issaka, Fekete, István, Mihal, Ivan, Ostonen, Ivika, Borovská, Jana, Roales, Javier, Shoqeir, Jawad, Lata, Jean-Christophe, Theurillat, Jean-Paul, Probst, Jean-Luc, Zimmerman, Jess, Vijayanathan, Jeyanny, Tang, Jianwu, Thompson, Jill, Doležal, Jiří, Sanchez-Cabeza, Joan-Albert, Merlet, Joël, Henschel, Joh, Neirynck, Johan, Knops, Johannes, Loehr, John, von Oppen, Jonathan, Þorláksdóttir, Jónína Sigríður, Löffler, Jörg, Cardoso-Mohedano, José-Gilberto, Benito-Alonso, José-Luis, Torezan, Jose Marcelo, Morina, Joseph C., Jiménez, Juan J., Quinde, Juan Dario, Alatalo, Juha, Seeber, Julia, Stadler, Jutta, Kriiska, Kaie, Coulibaly, Kalifa, Fukuzawa, Karibu, Szlavecz, Katalin, Gerhátová, Katarína, Lajtha, Kate, Käppeler, Kathrin, Jennings, Katie A., Tielbörger, Katja, Hoshizaki, Kazuhiko, Green, Ken, Yé, Lambiénou, Pazianoto, Laryssa Helena Ribeiro, Dienstbach, Laura, Williams, Laura, Yahdjian, Laura, Brigham, Laurel M., van den Brink, Liesbeth, Rustad, Lindsey, Zhang, Lipeng, Morillas, Lourdes, Xiankai, Lu, Carneiro, Luciana Silva, Di Martino, Luciano, Villar, Luis, Bader, Maaike Y., Morley, Madison, Lebouvier, Marc, Tomaselli, Marcello, Sternberg, Marcelo, Schaub, Marcus, Santos-Reis, Margarida, Glushkova, Maria, Torres, María Guadalupe Almazán, Giroux, Marie-Andrée, de Graaff, Marie-Anne, Pons, Marie-Noëlle, Bauters, Marijn, Mazón, Marina, Frenzel, Mark, Didion, Markus, Wagner, Markus, Hamid, Maroof, Lopes, Marta L., Apple, Martha, Schädler, Martin, Weih, Martin, Gualmini, Matteo, Vadeboncoeur, Matthew A., Bierbaumer, Michael, Danger, Michael, Liddell, Michael, Mirtl, Michael, Scherer-Lorenzen, Michael, Růžek, Michal, Carbognani, Michele, Di Musciano, Michele, Matsushita, Michinari, Zhiyanski, Miglena, Pușcaș, Mihai, Barna, Milan, Ataka, Mioko, Jiangming, Mo, Alsafran, Mohammed, Carnol, Monique, Barsoum, Nadia, Tokuchi, Naoko, Eisenhauer, Nico, Lecomte, Nicolas, Filippova, Nina, Hölzel, Norbert, Ferlian, Olga, Romero, Oscar, Pinto, Osvaldo B., Peri, Pablo, Weber, Paige, Vittoz, Pascal, Turtureanu, Pavel Dan, Fleischer, Peter, Macreadie, Peter, Haase, Peter, Reich, Peter, Petřík, Petr, Choler, Philippe, Marmonier, Pierre, Muriel, Priscilla, Ponette, Quentin, Guariento, Rafael Dettogni, Canessa, Rafaella, Kiese, Ralf, Hewitt, Rebecca, Rønn, Regin, Adrian, Rita, Kanka, Róbert, Weigel, Robert, Gatti, Roberto Cazzolla, Martins, Rodrigo Lemes, Georges, Romain, Meneses, Rosa Isela, Gavilán, Rosario G., Dasgupta, Sabyasachi, Wittlinger, Sally, Puijalon, Sara, Freda, Sarah, Suzuki, Satoshi, Charles, Sean, Gogo, Sébastien, Drollinger, Simon, Mereu, Simone, Wipf, Sonja, Trevathan-Tackett, Stacey, Löfgren, Stefan, Stoll, Stefan, Trogisch, Stefan, Hoeber, Stefanie, Seitz, Steffen, Glatzel, Stephan, Milton, Sue J., Dousset, Sylvie, Mori, Taiki, Sato, Takanori, Ise, Takeshi, Hishi, Takuo, Kenta, Tanaka, Nakaji, Tatsuro, Michelan, Thaisa Sala, Camboulive, Thierry, Mozdzer, Thomas J., Scholten, Thomas, Spiegelberger, Thomas, Zechmeister, Thomas, Kleinebecker, Till, Hiura, Tsutom, Enoki, Tsutomu, Ursu, Tudor-Mihai, di Cella, Umberto Morra, Hamer, Ute, Klaus, Valentin H., Rêgo, Vanessa Mendes, Di Cecco, Valter, Busch, Verena, Fontana, Veronika, Piscová, Veronika, Carbonell, Victoria, Ochoa, Victoria, Bretagnolle, Vincent, Maire, Vincent, Farjalla, Vinicius, Zhou, Wenjun, Luo, Wentao, McDowell, William H., Hu, Yalin, Utsumi, Yasuhiro, Kominami, Yuji, Zaika, Yulia, Rozhkov, Yury, Kotroczó, Zsolt, Tóth, Zsolt, Djukic, Ika, Kepfer-Rojas, Sebastian, Schmidt, Inger Kappel, Larsen, Klaus Steenberg, Beier, Claus, Berg, Björn, Verheyen, Kris, Caliman, Adriano, Paquette, Alain, Gutiérrez-Girón, Alba, Humber, Alberto, Valdecantos, Alejandro, Petraglia, Alessandro, Alexander, Heather, Augustaitis, Algirdas, Saillard, Amélie, Fernández, Ana Carolina Ruiz, Sousa, Ana I., Lillebø, Ana I., da Rocha Gripp, Anderson, Francez, André-Jean, Fischer, Andrea, Bohner, Andreas, Malyshev, Andrey, Andrić, Andrijana, Smith, Andy, Stanisci, Angela, Seres, Anikó, Schmidt, Anja, Avila, Anna, Probst, Anne, Ouin, Annie, Khuroo, Anzar A., Verstraeten, Arne, Palabral-Aguilera, Arely N., Stefanski, Artur, Gaxiola, Aurora, Muys, Bart, Bosman, Bernard, Ahrends, Bernd, Parker, Bill, Sattler, Birgit, Yang, Bo, Juráni, Bohdan, Erschbamer, Brigitta, Ortiz, Carmen Eugenia Rodriguez, Christiansen, Casper T., Carol Adair, E., Meredieu, Céline, Mony, Cendrine, Nock, Charles A., Chen, Chi-Ling, Wang, Chiao-Ping, Baum, Christel, Rixen, Christian, Delire, Christine, Piscart, Christophe, Andrews, Christopher, Rebmann, Corinna, Branquinho, Cristina, Polyanskaya, Dana, Delgado, David Fuentes, Wundram, Dirk, Radeideh, Diyaa, Ordóñez-Regil, Eduardo, Crawford, Edward, Preda, Elena, Tropina, Elena, Groner, Elli, Lucot, Eric, Hornung, Erzsébet, Gacia, Esperança, Lévesque, Esther, Benedito, Evanilde, Davydov, Evgeny A., Ampoorter, Evy, Bolzan, Fabio Padilha, Varela, Felipe, Kristöfel, Ferdinand, Maestre, Fernando T., Maunoury-Danger, Florence, Hofhansl, Florian, Kitz, Florian, Sutter, Flurin, Cuesta, Francisco, de Almeida Lobo, Francisco, de Souza, Franco Leandro, Berninger, Frank, Zehetner, Franz, Wohlfahrt, Georg, Vourlitis, George, Carreño-Rocabado, Geovana, Arena, Gina, Pinha, Gisele Daiane, González, Grizelle, Canut, Guylaine, Lee, Hanna, Verbeeck, Hans, Auge, Harald, Pauli, Harald, Nacro, Hassan Bismarck, Bahamonde, Héctor A., Feldhaar, Heike, Jäger, Heinke, Serrano, Helena C., Verheyden, Hélène, Bruelheide, Helge, Meesenburg, Henning, Jungkunst, Hermann, Jactel, Hervé, Shibata, Hideaki, Kurokawa, Hiroko, Rosas, Hugo López, Rojas Villalobos, Hugo L., Yesilonis, Ian, Melece, Inara, Van Halder, Inge, Quirós, Inmaculada García, Makelele, Isaac, Senou, Issaka, Fekete, István, Mihal, Ivan, Ostonen, Ivika, Borovská, Jana, Roales, Javier, Shoqeir, Jawad, Lata, Jean-Christophe, Theurillat, Jean-Paul, Probst, Jean-Luc, Zimmerman, Jess, Vijayanathan, Jeyanny, Tang, Jianwu, Thompson, Jill, Doležal, Jiří, Sanchez-Cabeza, Joan-Albert, Merlet, Joël, Henschel, Joh, Neirynck, Johan, Knops, Johannes, Loehr, John, von Oppen, Jonathan, Þorláksdóttir, Jónína Sigríður, Löffler, Jörg, Cardoso-Mohedano, José-Gilberto, Benito-Alonso, José-Luis, Torezan, Jose Marcelo, Morina, Joseph C., Jiménez, Juan J., Quinde, Juan Dario, Alatalo, Juha, Seeber, Julia, Stadler, Jutta, Kriiska, Kaie, Coulibaly, Kalifa, Fukuzawa, Karibu, Szlavecz, Katalin, Gerhátová, Katarína, Lajtha, Kate, Käppeler, Kathrin, Jennings, Katie A., Tielbörger, Katja, Hoshizaki, Kazuhiko, Green, Ken, Yé, Lambiénou, Pazianoto, Laryssa Helena Ribeiro, Dienstbach, Laura, Williams, Laura, Yahdjian, Laura, Brigham, Laurel M., van den Brink, Liesbeth, Rustad, Lindsey, Zhang, Lipeng, Morillas, Lourdes, Xiankai, Lu, Carneiro, Luciana Silva, Di Martino, Luciano, Villar, Luis, Bader, Maaike Y., Morley, Madison, Lebouvier, Marc, Tomaselli, Marcello, Sternberg, Marcelo, Schaub, Marcus, Santos-Reis, Margarida, Glushkova, Maria, Torres, María Guadalupe Almazán, Giroux, Marie-Andrée, de Graaff, Marie-Anne, Pons, Marie-Noëlle, Bauters, Marijn, Mazón, Marina, Frenzel, Mark, Didion, Markus, Wagner, Markus, Hamid, Maroof, Lopes, Marta L., Apple, Martha, Schädler, Martin, Weih, Martin, Gualmini, Matteo, Vadeboncoeur, Matthew A., Bierbaumer, Michael, Danger, Michael, Liddell, Michael, Mirtl, Michael, Scherer-Lorenzen, Michael, Růžek, Michal, Carbognani, Michele, Di Musciano, Michele, Matsushita, Michinari, Zhiyanski, Miglena, Pușcaș, Mihai, Barna, Milan, Ataka, Mioko, Jiangming, Mo, Alsafran, Mohammed, Carnol, Monique, Barsoum, Nadia, Tokuchi, Naoko, Eisenhauer, Nico, Lecomte, Nicolas, Filippova, Nina, Hölzel, Norbert, Ferlian, Olga, Romero, Oscar, Pinto, Osvaldo B., Peri, Pablo, Weber, Paige, Vittoz, Pascal, Turtureanu, Pavel Dan, Fleischer, Peter, Macreadie, Peter, Haase, Peter, Reich, Peter, Petřík, Petr, Choler, Philippe, Marmonier, Pierre, Muriel, Priscilla, Ponette, Quentin, Guariento, Rafael Dettogni, Canessa, Rafaella, Kiese, Ralf, Hewitt, Rebecca, Rønn, Regin, Adrian, Rita, Kanka, Róbert, Weigel, Robert, Gatti, Roberto Cazzolla, Martins, Rodrigo Lemes, Georges, Romain, Meneses, Rosa Isela, Gavilán, Rosario G., Dasgupta, Sabyasachi, Wittlinger, Sally, Puijalon, Sara, Freda, Sarah, Suzuki, Satoshi, Charles, Sean, Gogo, Sébastien, Drollinger, Simon, Mereu, Simone, Wipf, Sonja, Trevathan-Tackett, Stacey, Löfgren, Stefan, Stoll, Stefan, Trogisch, Stefan, Hoeber, Stefanie, Seitz, Steffen, Glatzel, Stephan, Milton, Sue J., Dousset, Sylvie, Mori, Taiki, Sato, Takanori, Ise, Takeshi, Hishi, Takuo, Kenta, Tanaka, Nakaji, Tatsuro, Michelan, Thaisa Sala, Camboulive, Thierry, Mozdzer, Thomas J., Scholten, Thomas, Spiegelberger, Thomas, Zechmeister, Thomas, Kleinebecker, Till, Hiura, Tsutom, Enoki, Tsutomu, Ursu, Tudor-Mihai, di Cella, Umberto Morra, Hamer, Ute, Klaus, Valentin H., Rêgo, Vanessa Mendes, Di Cecco, Valter, Busch, Verena, Fontana, Veronika, Piscová, Veronika, Carbonell, Victoria, Ochoa, Victoria, Bretagnolle, Vincent, Maire, Vincent, Farjalla, Vinicius, Zhou, Wenjun, Luo, Wentao, McDowell, William H., Hu, Yalin, Utsumi, Yasuhiro, Kominami, Yuji, Zaika, Yulia, Rozhkov, Yury, Kotroczó, Zsolt, and Tóth, Zsolt

Abstract

Through litter decomposition enormous amounts of carbon is emitted to the atmosphere. Numerous large-scale decomposition experiments have been conducted focusing on this fundamental soil process in order to understand the controls on the terrestrial carbon transfer to the atmosphere. However, previous studies were mostly based on site-specific litter and methodologies, adding major uncertainty to syntheses, comparisons and meta-analyses across different experiments and sites. In the TeaComposition initiative, the potential litter decomposition is investigated by using standardized substrates (Rooibos and Green tea) for comparison of litter mass loss at 336 sites (ranging from −9 to +26 °C MAT and from 60 to 3113 mm MAP) across different ecosystems. In this study we tested the effect of climate (temperature and moisture), litter type and land-use on early stage decomposition (3 months) across nine biomes. We show that litter quality was the predominant controlling factor in early stage litter decomposition, which explained about 65% of the variability in litter decomposition at a global scale. The effect of climate, on the other hand, was not litter specific and explained <0.5% of the variation for Green tea and 5% for Rooibos tea, and was of significance only under unfavorable decomposition conditions (i.e. xeric versus mesic environments). When the data were aggregated at the biome scale, climate played a significant role on decomposition of both litter types (explaining 64% of the variation for Green tea and 72% for Rooibos tea). No significant effect of land-use on early stage litter decomposition was noted within the temperate biome. Our results indicate that multiple drivers are affecting early stage litter mass loss with litter quality being dominant. In order to be able to quantify the relative importance of the different drivers over time, long-term studies combined with experimental trials are needed.

Published
2018

20. Reflections, applications and future directions of Long-Term Ecological Research at Tierberg§.

Author

Arena, Gina, van der Merwe, Helga, Todd, Simon W, Pauw, Marco J, Milton, Suzanne J, Dean, W Richard J, and Henschel, Joh R

Subjects
ECOSYSTEM dynamics, ECOLOGICAL research, BIODIVERSITY research, ECOLOGY simulation methods, SUSTAINABLE development, CLIMATE change, SUSTAINABILITY
Abstract

Tierberg-LTER is a research site established in 1987 in the semi-arid Succulent Karoo near Prince Albert in the Western Cape province, South Africa. The original purpose for its establishment was to study ecosystem dynamics and the drivers of vegetation in the context of historical land use. The large body of work that has materialised from Tierberg-LTER is grounded on extensive baseline data and has greatly influenced the broader Karoo literature. It stands as the only long-term ecological research facility for the semi-arid region of South Africa. The Karoo environment faces several new developments centred largely on the expanding energy sector. Under a changing climate, ecosystems will have to further adapt to the impacts of such developments. The future research programme for Tierberg-LTER will accordingly continue to focus on understanding Karoo ecosystem dynamics and drivers of climate and anthropogenic change at local scales, thereby informing management and mitigation of future development impacts. Among a growing network of Karoo research sites, Tierberg-LTER maintains a unique role for long-term and intensive research that will contribute significantly towards the South African Environmental Observation Network’s vision of furthering ecosystem integrity, societal prosperity and sustainable development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Published
2018
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28. Dietary guidelines for pregnant and lactating women, adherence levels and associated factors: a scoping review.

Author

Rahmannia S, Murray K, Arena G, and Hickling S

Abstract

This scoping review addresses gaps in the existing literature on dietary guidelines for pregnant and lactating women globally. The study delves into adherence levels, identifies influencing factors and examines outcomes associated with these guidelines. Analysing food-based dietary guidelines (FBDG) from around the world, the review reveals that half of the countries lack FBDG, with only 15% providing tailored advice for pregnant and lactating women. Utilising data extracted from forty-seven articles across MEDLINE and EMBASE, the study highlights a scarcity of adherence studies, particularly in low- or middle-income countries (LMIC), and emphasises the lack of research during lactation. Overall adherence to dietary guidelines is low, with disparities in fruit, vegetable, whole grain and fish consumption. Positive correlations with adherence include age, education, employment, social class and certain medical histories, while negative correlations involve smoking, alcohol consumption, metropolitan residence and elevated BMI. The study documented significant associations between adherence and reduced risks of gestational complications but calls for further exploration of intermediate nutritional outcomes such as micronutrient deficiencies and child growth. Emphasising the urgency for globally standardised guidelines, especially in LMIC, this review provides a foundational call for prioritised studies and strategies to enhance dietary practices for pregnant and lactating women worldwide.

Published
2024
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29. A retrospective real-world study on the safety and efficacy of budesonide orodispersible tablets for the induction therapy of eosinophilic oesophagitis.

Author

Geow R, Arena G, Siah C, and Picardo S

Abstract

Background: An orodispersible form of budesonide has recently been approved for the targeted treatment of eosinophilic oesophagitis in the United Kingdom, Europe, Australia, Canada and the United States, following favourable results from a randomised controlled trial. This is the first dedicated real-world study exploring the safety and efficacy of budesonide orodispersible tablets for induction therapy in the treatment of eosinophilic oesophagitis while providing insights into its management., Objectives: The primary objective was histologic remission, defined as less than 5 eosinophils per high-powered field. The secondary objectives included histologic response (>50% reduction in peak eosinophil count), clinical remission (complete resolution of symptoms documented on clinic letters), clinical response (improvements in symptoms as reported on clinical letters), endoscopic remission (Endoscopic Reference Score (EREFS) score = 0), and endoscopic response (improvement in EREFS score). The EREFS scores were calculated based on the severity and presence of rings, longitudinal furrows, strictures, oedema and exudates on endoscopic images. Adverse events and safety profiles were also recorded., Design: A multicentre cohort study examining the effectiveness of 1 mg, twice daily, budesonide orodispersible tablet induction therapy for the treatment of eosinophilic oesophagitis., Methods: Ethics approval was obtained through the Western Australia Health: Governance, Evidence, Knowledge, Outcomes system for assessment of Audit and Quality Activities. The study adhered to the Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology guidelines., Results: A total of 43 patients (29 males, 14 females; median age 39) were recruited. Forty-one patients were included in the analysis. After induction therapy, 30 patients (73%) achieved histologic remission, and 35 patients (85%) demonstrated histologic response. Thirty-nine patients (95%) achieved clinical response, and 28 patients (68%) achieved clinical remission. An endoscopic response was seen in 37 patients (90%), and 16 patients (39%) achieved endoscopic remission. No significant adverse events were identified., Conclusion: Budesonide orodispersible tablet is an effective induction therapy for eosinophilic oesophagitis, as evidenced by its high histologic remission rate and favourable safety profile., Competing Interests: Dr. Sherman Picardo has served as a speaker/consultant for Abbie, Falk, Janssen Pfizer and Takeda., (© The Author(s), 2024.)

Published
2024
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30. Opening the Black Box of an mHealth Patient-Reported Outcome Tool for Diabetes Self-Management: Interview Study Among Patients With Type 2 Diabetes.

Author

Marini C, Cruz J, Payano L, Flores RP, Arena GM, Mandal S, Leven E, Mann D, and Schoenthaler A

Abstract

Background: Mobile health (mHealth) tools are used to collect data on patient-reported outcomes (PROs) and facilitate the assessment of patients' self-management behaviors outside the clinic environment. Despite the high availability of mHealth diabetes tools, there is a lack of understanding regarding the underlying reasons why these mHealth PRO tools succeed or fail in terms of changing patients' self-management behaviors., Objective: This study aims to identify the factors that drive engagement with an mHealth PRO tool and facilitate patients' adoption of self-management behaviors, as well as elicit suggestions for improvement., Methods: This qualitative study was conducted within the context of a randomized controlled trial designed to evaluate the efficacy of an mHealth PRO tool (known as i-Matter) versus usual care regarding reduction in glycated hemoglobin (HbA 1c ) levels and adherence to self-management behaviors at 12 months among patients with uncontrolled type 2 diabetes. Patients randomized to i-Matter participated in semistructured interviews about their experiences at the 3-, 6-, 9-, and 12-month study visits. A qualitative analysis of the interviews was conducted by 2 experienced qualitative researchers using conventional qualitative content analysis., Results: The sample comprised 71 patients, of whom 67 (94%) completed at least one interview (n=48, 72% female patients; n=25, 37% identified as African American or Black; mean age 56.65 [SD 9.79] years). We identified 4 overarching themes and 6 subthemes. Theme 1 showed that the patients' reasons for engagement with i-Matter were multifactorial. Patients were driven by internal motivating factors that bolstered their engagement and helped them feel accountable for their diabetes (subtheme 1) and external motivating factors that helped to serve as reminders to be consistent with their self-management behaviors (subtheme 2). Theme 2 revealed that the use of i-Matter changed patients' attitudes toward their disease and their health behaviors in 2 ways: patients developed more positive attitudes about their condition and their ability to effectively self-manage it (subtheme 3), and they also developed a better awareness of their current behaviors, which motivated them to adopt healthier lifestyle behaviors (subtheme 4). Theme 3 showed that patients felt more committed to their health as a result of using i-Matter. Theme 4 highlighted the limitations of i-Matter, which included its technical design (subtheme 5) and the need for more resources to support the PRO data collected and shared through the tool (subtheme 6)., Conclusions: This study isolated internal and external factors that prompted patients to change their views about their diabetes, become more engaged with the intervention and their health, and adopt healthy behaviors. These behavioral mechanisms provide important insights to drive future development of mHealth interventions that could lead to sustained behavior change., (©Christina Marini, Jocelyn Cruz, Leydi Payano, Ronaldo Patino Flores, Gina-Maria Arena, Soumik Mandal, Eric Leven, Devin Mann, Antoinette Schoenthaler. Originally published in JMIR Formative Research (https://formative.jmir.org), 19.09.2023.)

Published
2023
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