bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Functions of business ombudsmen in foreign countries
Authors: Babiy Roman
Published: January 2025

The article examines the current constitutional and legal problems of the formation and implementation of business ombudsmen’s activities in the context of foreign experience. The functional role and importance of business-ombudsmen in the mechanism of protection of the right to engage in entrepreneurial activity are shown. World experience shows that the activities of the business-ombudsman are quite broad and aﬀect various aspects of business. The basic principles that underlie the functional separation, independence and organizational diversity of business-ombudsmen are revealed.

The functions of business ombudsmen as the main directions and types of its regulatory and organizational human rights protection activities are ways of its active influence on public relations in the business sphere. They reveal the qualitative characteristics of this institute, its social essence and purpose, determine its place and role in ensuring the realization and protection of human rights in the sphere of economy, first of all, the right to entrepreneurial activity. The main features of the functions of the business ombudsman are that they are aimed at achieving and implementing the main goal of this institute, reveal its social purpose, determine the methods and features of the organization of various types and types of business ombudsmen and the forms and methods of their activity and response.

World experience shows that the main functions of the business ombudsman are the following: to support small business and family entrepreneurship in accordance with the law, policy and practice (advocacy function); provide assistance regarding appropriate actions (assistance function); perform any other functions assigned to the ombudsman by law or legislative instruments, for example, information and clarification.

A comparative analysis of the features of the legal regulation of the main aspects of the legal status of business ombudsmen included in the system of public authorities in individual countries of the world shows the formation of diﬀerent models and approaches to determining the legal nature and elements of the legal status of these specialized ombudsmen and, accordingly, the content and system their functions.

Key words: ombudsman, business-ombudsman, functions of business-ombudsman, human rights, entrepreneurship, business, control, rule of law, democracy.
The impact of the Constitution of Ukraine on sectoral legislation and its signiﬁcance for establishing the scope of civil proceedings
Authors: Lysiuk Yaroslav
Published: January 2025

The issue of the influence of the Constitution of Ukraine on civil procedural legislation is a topical one. Despite the ongoing importance of this issue, it is, in our opinion, premature to assert that any holistic concept of the impact of the Constitution of Ukraine on sectoral legislation and the establishment of the spheres of legal regulation has been completed.

It is obvious that the Constitution of Ukraine can and should become a proper methodological basis for the formation, interpretation and improvement of national legislation. In this sense, the words of O. Skrypnyuk are indicative of the fact that today one of the strongest and most powerful factors in the development of social and legal relations in our country is the Constitution of Ukraine adopted in 1996. The study of the significance of the Constitution of Ukraine, its impact on the formation and development of statehood, introduction and implementation of the requirements of democracy and law is one of the priority areas of national legal science.

We believe that the doctrinal study of the functions of the Constitution of Ukraine will only continue, but at a new stage of development of constitutional and legal thought in Ukraine, and further formation of a democratic and legal state in our country. As a rule, in legal theory, it is customary to distinguish the following general legal functions of the Constitution: regulatory, constituent and law enforcement. To varying degrees, they influence the development of the entire system of social relations. The legal function of the Constitution is manifested in the fact that national legislation is developed in accordance with its provisions.
Obviously, the development of civil proceedings and their doctrine should be based on the provisions of the Constitution of Ukraine as one of the main methodological platforms for improving procedural legislation and its application.

In our opinion, this makes it important to study the essence of judicial power and its exercise in civil proceedings, theoretical issues of justice in civil cases and the rule of law in the context of forming a new system of principles of procedural activity.

Key words: constitution, civil proceedings, judicial system, principles, legislation, civil procedural law.
Experience of legal regulation of the artiﬁcial intelligence use under the laws of foreign countries
Authors: Harashchenko Vadym
Published: January 2025

The use of artificial intelligence is becoming the most important factor in the development of any state. Legal regulation of the order of its application has become the most important task of modern foreign and Ukrainian law. Analysis of the international practice of implementing various methodological approaches and tools for measuring the digital economy, statistical data, in particular the Digital Economy and Society Index (DESI), is important from the point of view of introducing such approaches in Ukraine as well.
21 March 2024 — The United Nations General Assembly has unanimously adopted the first global resolution on artificial intelligence to encourage the protection of personal data, the monitoring of AI for risks, and the safeguarding of human rights.

As part of its digital strategy, the EU wants to regulate artificial intelligence (AI) to ensure better conditions for the development and use of this innovative technology. AI can create many benefits, such as better healthcare; safer and cleaner transport; more eﬃcient manufacturing; and cheaper and more sustainable energy.

In April 2021, the European Commission proposed the first EU regulatory framework for AI. It says that AI systems that can be used in diﬀerent applications are analysed and classified according to the risk they pose to users. The diﬀerent risk levels will mean more or less regulation.

On March 13, 2024, the European Parliament formally adopted the EU Artificial Intelligence Act (“AI Act”). The AI Act is the world’s first horizontal and standalone law governing AI, and a landmark piece of legislation for the EU. The EU considers the AI Act as one of its key pieces of legislation and fundamental to the EU. More specifically, the EU is aiming for the AI Act to have the same ‘Brussels eﬀect’ as the GDPR - in other words, to have a significant impact on global markets and practices and to serve as a potential blueprint for other jurisdictions looking to implement AI legislation. However, the story does not end here. Over the next few months and years, the AI Act will be specified and supplemented further by secondary EU legislation — implementing and delegated acts to be adopted by the EU Commission.

The article is devoted to the study and research of individual legislative initiatives of some foreign countries (such as the Netherlands, Singapore, as well as the European Union) and Ukraine in the field of digitization and artificial intelligence. The main problems and challenges of introducing artificial intelligence in the context of human rights protection are highlighted.

Keywords: digitization, artificial intelligence, artificial intelligence strategies, digital economy and society indices, risks of using digital technologies.
PROTES NELAYAN BONE LIPU DI BUTON UTARA PADA TAHUN 1970-1998 TERHADAP NELAYAN PENGGUNA PUKAT HARIMAU
Authors: Ranti Ranti , Dirman La Ode , Salebaran Salebaran , Khabiirun Khabiirun
Published: January 2025

Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mendeskripsikan (1) protes nelayan Bone Lipu terhadap nelayan pengguna pukat harimau, (2) mengetahui pengaruh/dampak protes nelayan Bone Lipu terhadap nelayan pengguna pukat harimau, (3) mengetahui penyeleselaian protes/konflik nelayan Bone Lipu terhadap nelayan pengguna pukat harimau. Jenis Penelitian ini adalah sejarah kemaritiman dengan menggunakan pendekatan multidimensional. Metode yang digunakan adalah metode sejarah yang terdiri atas; pemilihan topik, heuristik, kritik sumber, interpretasi sumber dan historiografi. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa protes nelayan Bone Lipu terhadap nelayan pengguna pukat harimau terjadi karena adanya ketidakadilan, ketidakseimbangan dan ketidakmerataan dalam penggunaan alat-alat tangkap perikanan yang merugikan nelayan Bone Lipu. Protes tersebut juga dipicu oleh terjadinya pengeboman ikan yang menyebabkan hancurnya terumbu karang dan membusuknya ikan di laut. Nelayan juga protes terhadap kurangnya kepedulian Pemerintah terhadap permasalahan yang dihadapi oleh nelayan Bone Lipu. Secara ekonomi penggunaan kapal trawl/pukat harimau menyebabkan menurunnya hasil tangkapan nelayan Bone Lipu sehingga pendapatannya pun menurun. Sementara secara politik, nelayan Bone Lipu menyampaikan rasa tidak percayanya terhadap Pemerintah setempat yang tidak mengambil tindakan saat para nelayan Bone Lipu melakukan protes. Protes yang dilakukan nelayan Bone Lipu berujung pada pembakaran kapal trawl dan terjadinya pembunuhan terhadap pelaku pengeboman ikan.
The Development of Sharia Accountants in Indonesia in the Digital Era
Authors: Rufaidah A. , Octaviani S.
Published: January 2025

Currently, Islamic accounting is experiencing developments from time to time where these developments are also supported by the digitalization of technology which is used to facilitate Islamic accountants in their daily activities. Activities in accounting such as reading, recording, and calculating will now be easier if you use technology, this research was conducted to find out how far Islamic accounting has developed in Indonesia from time to time which is supported by digitalization as well as the opportunities and challenges that will be faced by Islamic accountants. Through this research, it will be found how important digitalization is in providing a significant influence on the growth of sharia-based accounting, especially in Indonesia with a majority Muslim community. There will be several adjustments or challenges that will be faced by Islamic accountants, one of the opportunities that will arise is the existence of a new profession if community resources can compete with the presence of current technology, but this can also be a challenge for Islamic accountants because of the digitalization technology that can take over the role of accountants and can replace the work of the accountants themselves. Therefore, it is necessary to have a response that must be owned by every accountant to face digitalization technology, and this is also a challenge for the accounting-related institutions that must produce and produce generations of accountants who are superior in their fields and also able to adapt to technology.
Kompetensi Komunikasi Antarbudaya dan Strategi Adaptasi Budaya pada Karyawan Perusahaan Asing Korea Selatan di Indonesia
Authors: Dwi Fiani Isma , Agnia Chaniago Yohanna
Published: January 2025

Penelitian ini membahas kompetensi komunikasi antarbudaya dan strategi adaptasi budaya karyawan lokal di perusahaan Korea Selatan di Indonesia. Interaksi lintas budaya di tempat kerja multinasional menghadirkan tantangan yang kompleks, terutama karena perbedaan budaya kerja antara Korea Selatan dan Indonesia. Model kompetensi komunikasi antarbudaya dan konsep adaptasi budaya digunakan dalam penelitian ini. Metode penelitian yang digunakan adalah kualitatif dengan pendekatan deskriptif. Data diperoleh melalui wawancara mendalam dengan karyawan lokal yang bekerja di IBK Indonesia. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa fleksibilitas bahasa, pemahaman budaya, dan penyesuaian gaya kerja berperan penting dalam menciptakan harmoni di tempat kerja. Penelitian ini menegaskan perlunya pelatihan lintas budaya yang komprehensif untuk mengatasi hambatan komunikasi dan meningkatkan kolaborasi lintas budaya.
Upaya Pelestarian Arsip Bersejarah di Universitas Sumatera Utara: Tinjauan Preservasi Preventif dan Alih Media
Authors: Muslih Muslih Fathurrahman , Gigih Permana Bagus
Published: January 2025

Penelitian ini mengkaji implementasi strategi preservasi preventif dan alih media di Kantor Arsip Universitas Sumatera Utara (USU). Melalui pendekatan kualitatif deskriptif, studi ini mengevaluasi efektivitas sistem preservasi arsip sambil mengidentifikasi tantangan dan peluang pengembangan di masa depan. Pengumpulan data melibatkan wawancara terstruktur dengan pengelola arsip, observasi langsung terhadap fasilitas dan proses, serta analisis dokumen yang komprehensif. Temuan penelitian mengungkapkan kemajuan signifikan dalam implementasi infrastruktur preservasi modern, termasuk sistem face access, digital thermo-hygrometer, dan pengendali iklim 24 jam. Namun, beberapa tantangan kritis teridentifikasi, meliputi keterbatasan ruang untuk pemisahan media yang optimal, kesenjangan teknologi dalam penanganan arsip audio-visual, dan kesenjangan kompetensi staf dalam preservasi digital. Studi ini juga menyoroti perkembangan yang tidak merata dalam proses alih media, dengan digitalisasi berbasis teks menunjukkan kemajuan yang menggembirakan sementara konversi format audio-visual menghadapi kendala yang cukup besar. Penelitian ini memberikan kontribusi baik pada pemahaman teoretis tentang preservasi arsip di institusi pendidikan tinggi Indonesia maupun rekomendasi praktis untuk pengembangan sistem preservasi yang lebih adaptif dan berkelanjutan. Rekomendasi utama meliputi modernisasi infrastruktur, program pengembangan kompetensi staf yang terstruktur, implementasi sistem preservasi digital terintegrasi, dan penguatan kolaborasi institusional. Studi ini memberikan wawasan berharga bagi institusi arsip yang menghadapi tantangan serupa dalam menyeimbangkan praktik preservasi tradisional dengan tuntutan transformasi digital
Pentahelix Approach in Community Empowerment-Based Ecotourism: Turtle Conservation and Waste Management on Santen Island Beach, Banyuwangi
Authors: Sari Jayanti Dian Eka , Yudhana Aditya , Febriana Melati Octavia , Ramadhanny Syahrul Novenda , Putri Firrial Eksa Maulidania , Saliluddin Suhainizam Bin Muhamad , Praja Ratih Novita
Published: January 2025

ackground: Santen Island Beach, Banyuwangi, faces significant challenges from waste mismanagement and its impact on marine ecosystems, particularly the endangered sea turtles. This study addresses these issues through a community empowerment program grounded in the Pentahelix framework, engaging stakeholders from government, academia, businesses, communities, and media. The program, active since 2022, aims to integrate sustainable waste management and turtle conservation into community development. Methods: The study employed a community empowerment approach, incorporating waste segregation, educational tourism initiatives, and turtle conservation training. Collaborations with local organizations like the Banyuwangi Sea Turtle Foundation and waste management entities ensured resource and expertise mobilization. Activities included waste alms programs and sea turtle egg relocation to sandless hatching boxes, supplemented by training and social media campaigns. Results: The program achieved key milestones, such as forming empowered cadres for waste management and turtle conservation, introducing effective waste segregation practices, and increasing hatchling survival rates through innovative relocation techniques. Outputs included community-led eco-tourism branding, scientific and media publications, and economic benefits for local stakeholders. Conclusion: This initiative highlights the potential of integrating environmental conservation and economic empowerment within a sustainable development framework. By leveraging the Pentahelix model, the program fosters local ownership and long-term impact, addressing SDG goals related to responsible consumption and marine ecosystem preservation. Continued efforts, such as enhancing cadre competencies and optimizing ecotourism branding, are recommended for sustained outcomes.
Impact of Supplementation on Anemia, Cognition, and Growth in Children: A Scoping Review of Randomized Controlled Trials
Authors: Nugroho Dafa Bintang , Rachmawatty Anjani Nelka , Sitasari Almira , Wijanarka Agus , Siswati Tri
Published: January 2025

Background: Anemia in children is a global health problem that can affect their cognitive and physical development. Various supplementation interventions have been used to treat anemia, including iron, folic acid, vitamins, and other minerals. Although some studies have shown improvements in anemia status, challenges in adherence to treatment and side effects remain barriers. Objective: This scoping review aims to map the available scientific evidence related to interventions and supplementation in children with anemia. This study identifies the types of interventions used, the target population, and the outcomes reported in the studies. Methods: A literature search was conducted through PubMed and Google Scholar with the keywords "anemia," "intervention," "supplement," and "children." Included studies were publications from 2015 to 2024 involving children who received supplementation interventions to see the impact of supplementation on anemia, cognition, and growth in children. Data from relevant studies were collected and analyzed based on study design, type of intervention, and reported outcomes. Results: From the analysis of 10 studies, various interventions were found, including iron supplementation, combinations of iron and other micronutrients (folic acid, vitamin A, vitamin C), and food-based interventions. All interventions showed increased hemoglobin levels and improved anemia status, but adherence to treatment remains a challenge, especially in daily regimens. Conclusion: Appropriate supplementation interventions effectively reduce the prevalence of anemia in children. However, the management of side effects and the improvement of adherence are aspects that need further attention for long-term success.
Monitoring terrestrial rewilding with environmental DNA metabarcoding: a systematic review of current trends and recommendations
Authors: Cowgill Clare , Gilbert James D. J. , Convery Ian , Lawson Handley Lori
Published: January 2025

Introduction

Rewilding, the facilitation of self-sustaining and resilient ecosystems by restoring natural processes, is an increasingly popular conservation approach and potential solution to the biodiversity and climate crises. Outcomes of rewilding can be unpredictable, and monitoring is essential to determine whether ecosystems are recovering. Metabarcoding, particularly of environmental DNA (eDNA), is revolutionizing biodiversity monitoring and could play an important role in understanding the impacts of rewilding but has mostly been applied within aquatic systems.

Methods

This systematic review focuses on the applications of eDNA metabarcoding in terrestrial monitoring, with additional insights from metabarcoding of bulk and ingested DNA. We examine publication trends, choice of sampling substrate and focal taxa, and investigate how well metabarcoding performs compared to other monitoring methods (e.g. camera trapping).

Results

Terrestrial ecosystems represented a small proportion of total papers, with forests the most studied system, soil and water the most popular substrates, and vertebrates the most targeted taxa. Most studies focused on measuring species richness, and few included analyzes of functional diversity. Greater species richness was found when using multiple substrates, but few studies took this approach. Metabarcoding did not consistently outperform other methods in terms of the number of vertebrate taxa detected, and this was likely influenced by choice of marker, sampling substrate and habitat.

Discussion

Our findings indicate that metabarcoding, particularly of eDNA, has the potential to play a key role in the monitoring of terrestrial rewilding, but that further ground- truthing is needed to establish the most appropriate sampling and experimental pipelines for the target taxa and terrestrial system of interest.

Systematic Review Registration

https://osf.io/38w9q/?view_only=47fdab224a7a43d298eccbe578f1fcf0, identifier 38w9q.
Exercise improves body composition, physical fitness, and blood levels of C-peptide and IGF-1 in 11- to 12-year-old boys with obesity
Authors: Ha Min-Seong , Moon Hyo Youl , Lee Minchul , Yook Jang Soo
Published: January 2025

Introduction

Exercise is vital in preventing and treating obesity. Despite its importance, the understanding of how exercise influences childhood obesity at the biochemical level is limited. In this study, we explore the effects of a 16-week exercise program (EP) on body composition, physical fitness, and the blood levels of hormones related to obesity.

Methods

Sixteen boys with obesity (n = 16) and seventeen boys without obesity (n = 17) took part in an EP comprising sports games and aerobic and resistance exercises. We examined alterations in body composition and physical fitness. In addition, we measured circulating hormone levels, including C-peptide, resistin, insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1), and growth hormone (GH), in the blood.

Results

Body fat percentage (BFP) decreased from 37.61% at pre-EP to 29.16% at post-EP in the obese group, but not in the non-obese group. The EP decreased C-peptide (4.58 ng/mL vs. 2.96 ng/mL, p < 0.001) and resistin levels (14.05 ng/mL vs. 11.06 ng/mL, p < 0.001) in the obese group. After the EP, significant improvement in IGF-1 (non-obese: 265.56 ng/mL vs. 311.81 ng/mL, p < 0.001; obese: 224.74 ng/mL vs. 272.89 ng/mL, p < 0.001) and GH levels (non-obese: 3.91 ng/mL vs. 4.80 ng/mL, p < 0.05; obese: 1.76 ng/mL vs. 2.51 ng/mL, p < 0.05) were observed in both groups. Lower C-peptide levels were associated with BFP (r = 0.447, p = 0.009) and muscle mass (r = −0.385, p = 0.02), whereas enhanced IGF-1 levels correlated with increased muscle strength (r = 0.343, p = 0.05) and cardiovascular fitness (r = 0.347, p = 0.04). Multiple linear regression analysis revealed that cardiovascular fitness variability and BFP in the obese group were determined by C-peptide (β = −0.054, p < 0.001) and IGF-1 levels (β = −2.936, p < 0.05), respectively.

Discussion

Exercise may induce positive effects on improvements in body composition and physical fitness, as well as on blood levels of metabolic biochemicals such as C-peptide and IGF-1, in adolescent boys with obesity.
BrainFit: improving executive and subjective cognitive functioning in late-life mood disorders - a double-blind randomized active-controlled study evaluating the effect of online cognitive training
Authors: Oudega Mardien L. , Wagenmakers Margot J. , Palsma Tanya , Hoogendoorn Adriaan W. , Vriend Chris , van den Heuvel Odile A. , Schouws Sigfried , Dols Annemiek
Published: January 2025

Introduction

Unipolar and bipolar mood disorders in older adults are accompanied by cognitive impairment, including executive dysfunction, with a severe impact on daily life. Up and till now, strategies to improve cognitive functioning in late-life mood disorders (LLMD) are sparse. Therefore, we aimed to assess the efficacy of adaptive, computerized cognitive training (CT) on executive and subjective cognitive functioning in LLMD.

Methods

In this double-blind, randomized controlled study we enrolled patients over the age of 50 with partly remitted LLMD. Over 8 weeks, patients participated in 24 45-minute sessions of computerized multi-domain training (CT) or an active control condition (ACC) (nonspecific cognitive activity). The primary outcome was executive functioning based on the interference score on the STROOP task (not incorporated in the training). Secondary outcomes were subjective cognitive functioning, depressive symptoms and quality of life. Outcomes were assessed before and after training (T1) and at a 3-month follow-up (T2) and analyzed with linear mixed-model analyses.

Results

Thirty-eight patients were included in the study, 22 in the experimental CT and 16 in the ACC. Mean age was 67.3 years and 52.6% was female. Linear mixed-model analyses showed small within-group effect sizes, corresponding to no statistically significant improvement of executive functioning or depression severity in either group. In both groups we did observe an improvement on subjective cognitive functioning over time. From T0 to T1 the mean score of the Cognitive Functioning Questionnaire (CFQ) of the CT group decreased from 52.7 to 46.8 points (p=0.003) and the mean CFQ score of the ACC group decreased from 52.7 to 45.7 points (p<0.001). This effect remained in both groups at follow-up (T2); respectively p=0.002 and p<0.001.The patients in the AAC also showed an improvement of quality of life directly after the training (T1); i.e. the mean quality of life scores improved from 53 to 57 points (p=0.011), but this effect did not remain at follow-up.

Conclusions

This study shows no beneficial effect of an 8-week computerized CT on the primary outcome, i.e, executive functioning. Subjective cognitive functioning did improve in both groups, indicating that frequent cognitive training is advantageous. Future studies with more intensive training could be designed to explore this result further.

Clinical trial registration

clinicaltrials.gov, identifier NCT04006756.
Economic policy uncertainty and corporate innovation-empirical evidence from Chinese pharmaceutical listed companies
Authors: Wu Zikun , Wang Su , Kuang Licong , Chen Yuwen
Published: January 2025

Introduction

Under the background that economic policy uncertainty tends to be normal, the innovation behavior of enterprises can cope with the cost impact brought by economic policy uncertainty.

Methods

Based on the relevant data of China’s A-share pharmaceutical listed companies from 2015 to 2022, this paper empirically studied the relationship between economic policy uncertainty and firm innovation by using fixed-effect model, intermediary model, instrumental variable method and two-step method, and investigated the mechanism effects of financialization, executive compensation and government subsidies.

Conclusion

Economic policy uncertainty significantly increases the innovation intensity of enterprises. Enterprises with dual management, overseas background and non-state-owned ownership will increase their innovative behavior in the face of economic policy uncertainty. Further analysis shows that economic policy uncertainty increases the innovation intensity of enterprises through three mechanisms: increasing financial transformation, obtaining government subsidies and motivating management. Increasing the innovation intensity of enterprises can deal with the risk impact caused by economic policy uncertainty, but can not deal with the negative impact of cost increase. The transformation of financialization can help enterprises cope with the operational risks and later costs caused by economic policy uncertainty.

Discussion

This study provides empirical evidence for the theoretical inference that firms respond to the impact of economic policy uncertainty and thus increase their innovation behavior.
Impact of Entrepreneurial Inspiration, Awareness, and Skills on University Students’ Entrepreneurial Intentions: The Mediating Role of Entrepreneurial Education
Authors: Mujtaba Ghulam , Zulkiffli Siti Nur ‘Atikah , Padlee Siti Falindah , Mohamed Wan Norhayati , Sukri Najahul Kamilah Aminy
Published: January 2025

In the pursuit of development and evaluation, entrepreneurship is the key to unlocking the shackles of poverty and unemployment. However, Pakistani students often catch themselves lacking the catalyst that ignites the entrepreneurial flame due to the absence of the essential knowledge, skills, and creative mindset, which can lead to significant challenges and a dim attitude toward entrepreneurial intentions. The harsh reality is that the rate of new business formation in Pakistan is only 1.5%. Therefore, the study aims to shed light on the impact of entrepreneurial inspiration, entrepreneurial skills, and entrepreneurial awareness on the intentions of Pakistani university students with the mediating effects of entrepreneurial education. Revealing the importance of entrepreneurial education in shaping the minds and desires of the students, seven hypotheses were developed based on social cognitive theory (SCT). A comprehensive survey was used to collect primary data from final-year business students, with a sample size of 865, from seven universities in the Punjab region of Pakistan that provide higher education in entrepreneurship and the data were analyzed in two stages, namely a model measurement and structural model Via Smart PLS 4. The findings clearly augment entrepreneurial inspiration, entrepreneurial skills, and entrepreneurial awareness, which can ignite the flames of entrepreneurship among Pakistani students. Moreover, entrepreneurial education plays a crucial role in mediating relationships and motivating students to choose entrepreneurship as a future occupation. However, the study is restricted to the Punjab region of Pakistan and focuses solely on final-year business students. This study serves as a guiding light of hope for academics, policymakers, and educational institutions to emphasize the need to revamp the business education landscape in Pakistan to foster entrepreneurial passion among our future leaders.
Genotyping Identification of Maize Based on Three-Dimensional Structural Phenotyping and Gaussian Fuzzy Clustering
Authors: Xu Bo , Zhao Chunjiang , Yang Guijun , Zhang Yuan , Liu Changbin , Feng Haikuan , Yang Xiaodong , Yang Hao
Published: January 2025

The maize tassel represents one of the most pivotal organs dictating maize yield and quality. Investigating its phenotypic information constitutes an exceedingly crucial task within the realm of breeding work, given that an optimal tassel structure is fundamental for attaining high maize yields. High-throughput phenotyping technologies furnish significant tools to augment the efficiency of analyzing maize tassel phenotypic information. Towards this end, we engineered a fully automated multi-angle digital imaging apparatus dedicated to maize tassels. This device was employed to capture images of tassels from 1227 inbred maize lines falling under three genotype classifications (NSS, TST, and SS). By leveraging the 3D reconstruction algorithm SFM (Structure from Motion), we promptly obtained point clouds of the maize tassels. Subsequently, we harnessed the TreeQSM algorithm, which is custom-designed for extracting tree topological structures, to extract 11 archetypal structural phenotypic parameters of the maize tassels. These encompassed main spike diameter, crown height, main spike length, stem length, stem diameter, the number of branches, total branch length, average crown diameter, maximum crown diameter, convex hull volume, and crown area. Finally, we compared the GFC (Gaussian Fuzzy Clustering algorithm) used in this study with commonly used algorithms, such as RF (Random Forest), SVM (Support Vector Machine), and BPNN (BP Neural Network), as well as k-Means, HCM (Hierarchical), and FCM (Fuzzy C-Means). We then conducted a correlation analysis between the extracted phenotypic parameters of the maize tassel structure and the genotypes of the maize materials. The research results showed that the Gaussian Fuzzy Clustering algorithm was the optimal choice for clustering maize genotypes. Specifically, its classification accuracies for the Non-Stiff Stalk (NSS) genotype and the Tropical and Subtropical (TST) genotype reached 67.7% and 78.5%, respectively. Moreover, among the materials with different maize genotypes, the number of branches, the total branch length, and the main spike length were the three indicators with the highest variability, while the crown volume, the average crown diameter, and the crown area were the three indicators with the lowest variability. This not only provided an important reference for the in-depth exploration of the variability of the phenotypic parameters of maize tassels but also opened up a new approach for screening breeding materials.
Attention-Based Hybrid Deep Learning Models for Classifying COVID-19 Genome Sequences
Authors: Mutawa A. M.
Published: January 2025

Background: COVID-19 genetic sequence research is crucial despite immunizations and pandemic control. COVID-19-causing SARS-CoV-2 must be understood genomically for several reasons. New viral strains may resist vaccines. Categorizing genetic sequences helps researchers track changes and assess immunization efficacy. Classifying COVID-19 genome sequences with other viruses helps to understand its evolution and interactions with other illnesses. Methods: The proposed study introduces a deep learning-based COVID-19 genomic sequence categorization approach. Attention-based hybrid deep learning (DL) models categorize 1423 COVID-19 and 11,388 other viral genome sequences. An unknown dataset is also used to assess the models. The five models’ accuracy, f1-score, area under the curve (AUC), precision, Matthews correlation coefficient (MCC), and recall are evaluated. Results: The results indicate that the Convolutional neural network (CNN) with Bidirectional long short-term memory (BLSTM) with attention layer (CNN-BLSTM-Att) achieved an accuracy of 99.99%, which outperformed the other models. For external validation, the model shows an accuracy of 99.88%. It reveals that DL-based approaches with an attention layer can accurately classify COVID-19 genomic sequences with a high degree of accuracy. This method might assist in identifying and classifying COVID-19 virus strains in clinical situations. Immunizations have lowered COVID-19 danger, but categorizing its genetic sequences is crucial to global health activities to plan for recurrence or future viral threats.
Outbreak of Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica Serovar Napoli on a Dairy Cow Farm
Authors: Ricchi Matteo , Filippi Anita , Scaltriti Erika , Tambassi Martina , Pongolini Stefano , Bolzoni Luca , Prosperi Alice , Torreggiani Camilla , Cammi Medardo , Chiatante Alessandro , Arrigoni Norma , Massella Elisa , Luppi Andrea , Garbarino Chiara
Published: January 2025

Salmonella is diffused worldwide, and Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica is spread worldwide with many serovars associated with the infection of domestic bovines. The most spread are S. Dublin, S. Typhimurium and S. Infantis. S. Napoli is, however very rarely reported in domestic ruminants. Here, we report an outbreak of S. Napoli on a dairy cow farm in Northern Italy (Piacenza). A total of 18 S. Napoli isolates were recovered from aborted fetuses, feces, tissues and environmental samples. Whole genome sequencing suggested that all isolates belonged to the same cluster. After the application of stringent biocontainment and biosecurity measures, no further cases were reported. However, four months after the first case, the serovar was still isolated in environmental samples, underlying the importance of adopting the correct biosecurity and biocontainment measures in order to prevent the circulation and transmission of Salmonella within the farm.
Probiotics and Paraprobiotics—New Proposal for Functional Food
Authors: Sionek Barbara , Gantner Magdalena
Published: January 2025

The interest in functional food products offering health benefits for consumers is constantly growing. The functional food products available on the market supplied with probiotics also contain paraprobiotics, postbiotics, and prebiotics, which act synergistically. Recently, more attention has been paid to non-viable bioactive food components. Paraprobiotic’s pro-health effects are similar to those of probiotics, including, among others, anti-inflammatory, immunomodulatory, antiproliferative, antioxidant and antibacterial activities. As non-viable microorganisms, paraprobiotics have a better safety profile than probiotics. The safety profile favors them for usage in vulnerable people; however, their effectiveness should be proven in clinical trials. Paraprobiotics do not carry the risk of antibiotic resistance, transfer, or acquisition. The effect of paraprobiotics is strain-dependent and related to the method of inactivation. Paraprobiotics seem to be neutral in various food matrices, and their usage is convenient regardless of physicochemical stress. They have little or no impact on the product’s sensory traits and quality. Their addition can extend the shelf life and reduce the risk of food contamination. These advantages of paraprobiotics create great possibilities for the development of the food industry. However, the lack of separate regulations for non-viable microorganisms appears to be the main obstacle for this segment of food manufacturing.
Gateway to the East: Decorative Art and Orientalist Imagery in Moscow’s Kazan Station, 1913–1916
Authors: McCannon John
Published: January 2025

At the time of its construction, which started in 1913, the architectural design of Moscow’s Kazan Station was considered by many to be out of step with the avant-garde creative energies that pervaded fin-de-siècle Russian culture. The same opinion applied to the artworks that were installed to decorate the station’s interior. In the decades since, art historians have generally shared the judgments levied by those who complained about the station’s supposed deficits in the 1910s. The purpose of this article is to show that, while the designs and décor of Kazan Station were indeed anachronistic—especially considering the high-tech purposes and functions of the industrial-era railroad station—the anachronism, far from reflecting a lack of awareness or innovative ability, resulted from conscious decisions on the part of Alexei Shchusev as architect, Alexandre Benois as the individual who selected artists to work on the station, and the artists themselves, including Nikolai Roerich and Pavel Kuznetsov, namely, those who built and decorated the station deliberately concealed the station’s inherently modernist and utilitarian nature behind a backward-looking, past-oriented façade, both to fulfill their mission of commemorating old Russia’s imperial expansion and subjugation of the East and to assuage the social and cultural anxieties often stirred up in the late 1800s and early 1900s by the construction of infrastructural assets such as railroad stations.
A Comparison of Physical-Based and Statistical-Based Radiative Transfer Models in Retrieving Atmospheric Temperature Profiles from the Microwave Temperature Sounder-II Onboard the Feng-Yun-3 Satellite
Authors: He Qiurui , Guo Xiao , Zhang Ruiling , Li Jiaoyang , Zhang Lanjie , Jia Junqi , Zhou Xuhui
Published: January 2025

The statistical retrieval of atmospheric parameters will be greatly affected by the accuracy of the simulated brightness temperatures (BTs) derived from the radiative transfer model. However, it is challenging to further improve a physical-based radiative transfer model (RTM) developed based on the physical mechanisms of wave transmission through the atmosphere. We develop a deep neural network-based RTM (DNN-based RTM) to calculate the simulated BTs for the Microwave Temperature Sounder-II onboard the Fengyun-3D satellite under different weather conditions. The DNN-based RTM is compared in detail with the physical-based RTM in retrieving the atmospheric temperature profiles by the statistical retrieval scheme. Compared to the physical-based RTM, the DNN-based RTM can obtain higher accuracy for simulated BTs and enables the statistical retrieval scheme to achieve higher accuracy in temperature profile retrieval in clear, cloudy, and rainy sky conditions. Due to its ability to simulate microwave observations more accurately, the DNN-based RTM is valuable for the theoretical study of microwave remote sensing and the application of passive microwave observations.
A Reduced-Order Model of Lithium–Sulfur Battery Discharge
Authors: Haddad Noushin , Fathy Hosam K.
Published: January 2025

This paper examines the problem of modeling lithium–sulfur (Li-S) battery discharge dynamics. The importance of this problem stems from the attractive specific energy levels achievable by Li-S batteries, which can be particularly appealing for applications such as aviation electrification. Previous research presents different Li-S battery models, including “zero-dimensional” models that neglect diffusion while using the laws of electrochemistry to represent reduction–oxidation (redox) rates. Zero-dimensional models typically succeed in capturing key features of Li-S battery discharge, including the high plateau, low plateau, and dip point visible in the discharge curves of certain Li-S battery chemistries. However, these models’ use of one state variable to represent the mass of each active species tends to furnish high-order models, with many state variables. This increases the computational complexity of model-based estimation and optimal control. The main contribution of this paper is to develop low-order state-space model of Li-S battery discharge. Specifically, the paper starts with a seventh-order zero-dimensional model of Li-S discharge dynamics, analyzes its discharge behavior, constructs phenomenological second- and third-order models capable of replicating this behavior, and parameterizes these models. The proposed models succeed in capturing battery discharge behavior accurately over a wide range of discharge rates. To the best of our knowledge, these are two of the simplest published models capable of doing so.
Training Neural Networks with a Procedure Guided by BNF Grammars
Authors: Tsoulos  Ioannis G. , Charilogis Vasileios
Published: January 2025

Artificial neural networks are parametric machine learning models that have been applied successfully to an extended series of classification and regression problems found in the recent literature. For the effective identification of the parameters of the artificial neural networks, a series of optimization techniques have been proposed in the relevant literature, which, although they present good results in many cases, either the optimization method used is not efficient and the training error of the network is trapped in sub-optimal values, or the neural network exhibits the phenomenon of overfitting which means that it has poor results when applied to data that was not present during the training. This paper proposes an innovative technique for constructing the weights of artificial neural networks based on appropriate BNF grammars, used in the evolutionary process of Grammatical Evolution. The new procedure locates an interval of values for the parameters of the artificial neural network, and the optimization method effectively locates the network parameters within this interval. The new technique was applied to a wide range of data classification and adaptation problems covering a number of scientific areas and the experimental results were more than promising.
Insights into Solea senegalensis Reproduction Through Gonadal Tissue Methylation Analysis and Transcriptomic Integration
Authors: Ramírez Daniel , Anaya-Romero Marco , Rodríguez María Esther , Arias-Pérez Alberto , Mukiibi Robert , D’Cotta Helena , Robledo Diego , Rebordinos Laureana
Published: January 2025

Fish exhibit diverse mechanisms of sex differentiation and determination, shaped by both external and internal influences, often regulated by distinct DNA methylation patterns responding to environmental changes. In S. senegalensis aquaculture, reproductive issues in captivity pose significant challenges, particularly the lack of fertilization capabilities in captive-bred males, hindering genetic improvement measures. This study analyzed the methylation patterns and transcriptomic profiles in gonadal tissue DNA from groups differing in rearing conditions and sexual maturity stages. RRBS (Reduced Representation Bisulfite Sequencing) was employed to detect notable methylation variations across groups, while RNA was extracted and sequenced for differential expression analysis. Our findings suggest that DNA methylation significantly regulates gene expression, acting as a mechanism that can both repress and enhance gene expression depending on the genomic context. The complexity of this epigenetic mechanism is evident from the varying levels of methylation and correlation rates observed in different CpGs neighboring specific genes linked to reproduction. Differential methylation comparisons revealed the highest number of differently methylated CpGs between maturation stages, followed by rearing conditions, and lastly between sexes. These findings underscore the crucial role of methylation in regulating gene expression and its potential role in sex differentiation, highlighting the complex interplay between epigenetic modifications and gene expression.
Genetic Biomarkers and Circulating White Blood Cells in Osteoarthritis: A Bioinformatics and Mendelian Randomization Analysis
Authors: Pan Yimin , Sun Xiaoshun , Tan Jun , Deng Chao , Wu Changwu , Osterhoff Georg , Schopow Nikolas
Published: January 2025

Background: Osteoarthritis (OA) is a prevalent degenerative joint disease that causes disability and diminishes quality of life. The pathogenesis of OA remains poorly understood, creating an urgent need for biomarkers to aid research, diagnosis, and treatment. Methods: This study integrated transcriptome data from the GEO database with bioinformatics analyses to identify biomarkers associated with OA. The bioinformatics methods utilized include the Limma package, WGCNA, PPI network analysis, and machine learning algorithms. Genetic variants were used as instrumental variables to evaluate the potential causal impact of circulating white blood cell (WBC) counts on OA. Data sources encompassed the largest genome-wide analysis for OA and a comprehensive GWAS summary for circulating WBC counts. Four mendelian randomization (MR) methods were employed to investigate the genetic association, with a primary focus on findings from the inverse variance-weighted (IVW) method. Results: Total of 233 OA-related genes were identified, showing significant enrichment in pathways associated with WBC function. Key biomarkers, including CD4, CSF1R, and TYROBP, were upregulated in OA samples and exhibited strong diagnostic potential. MR analysis findings provided evidence of a genetic association between elevated neutrophil counts and a reduced risk of OA across sites (IVW: OR = 0.97, 95% CI 0.93–1.00, p = 0.047). Additionally, higher circulating WBC counts, particularly neutrophil counts, were associated with a suggestive decrease in hip OA (WBC IVW: OR = 0.94, 95% CI 0.89–0.99, p = 0.015; neutrophil IVW: OR = 0.93, 95% CI 0.88–0.99, p = 0.017). Conversely, reverse MR analysis found no evidence to support a genetic effect of OA on circulating WBC counts. Conclusion: Our findings suggest that elevated neutrophil counts may offer protective effects against OA, underscoring the interplay between the immune functions and OA pathogenesis. CD4, CSF1R, and TYROBP emerge as promising OA biomarkers, meriting further validation in prospective studies.