bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Refinement of the Sugar Puckering Torsion Potential in the AMBER DNA Force Field
Authors: Zgarbova Marie , Sponer Jiri , Jurecka Petr
Published: August 2024

The transition from B-DNA to A-DNA occurs in many protein-DNA interactions or in DNA/RNA hybrid duplexes, and thus plays a role in many important biomolecular processes that convey the biological function of DNA. However, the stability of A-DNA is severely underestimated in current AMBER force fields such as OL15, OL21 or bsc1, potentially leading to unstable or deformed protein-DNA complexes. In this study, we refine the deoxyribose dihedral potential to increase the stability of the north (N) puckering present in A-DNA. The new parameters, termed OL24, model A/B equilibrium in B-DNA duplexes in water in good agreement with NMR experiment. They also improve the description of DNA/RNA hybrids and the transition of the DNA duplex to the A-form in concentrated ethanol solutions. These refinements significantly improve the modeling of protein-DNA complexes, increasing their structural stability and A-form population, while maintaining accurate representation of canonical B-DNA duplexes. Overall, the new parameters should allow more reliable modeling of the thermodynamic equilibrium between A- and B-DNA forms and the interactions of DNA with proteins.
The complete mitochondrial genome ofHeikeopsis japonica(Decapoda: Brachyura: Dorippidae): Phylogenetic implications of the family Dorippidae
Authors: Pang Xiaoke , Zhao Yifan , Liu Yufei , Lu Xueqiang
Published: August 2024

Characterizing complete mitochondrial genome (mitogenome) supports comprehensive understanding in gene arrangement, molecular evolution and phylogenetic status. Previously, no studies have been conducted on the complete mitogenomes of the Dorippidae family within infraorder Brachyura. Herein, we firstly determined the sequence ofHeikeopsis japonica(Decapoda: Brachyura: Dorippidae) mitogenome by high-throughput sequencing. Its mitogenome sequence is 15,980 bp in size, with 13 protein-coding genes, two ribosomal RNA genes, and 22 transfer RNA genes. The genome has a high A + T content of 73.52%, and low G + C content of 26.48%. The AT-skew is negative, -0.0079; and the GC-skew is positive, 0.322. The phylogenetic analysis ofH. japonicausing 40 Brachyuran mitogenome datasets indicated thatPyrhila pisumof family Leucosiidae had the closet relationship withH. japonica. Further selection pressure analysis ofH. japonicasuggested the presence of strong positive purification selection in Brachyuran. Meanwhile, a total of 31 residues located in genesatp6, atp8, cox1-3, cob, nad1-5, andnad4Lwere detected as the positively selected sites. This study reports the first available complete mitogenome of family Dorippidae, and our results could offer a useful phylogenetic implication of Dorippidae in the infraorder Brachyura.
DrosophilaClueless ribonucleoprotein particles display novel dynamics that rely on the availability of functional protein and polysome equilibrium
Authors: Hwang Hye Jin , Sheard Kelsey M. , Cox Rachel T.
Published: August 2024

The cytoplasm is populated with many ribonucleoprotein (RNP) particles that post-transcriptionally regulate mRNAs. These membraneless organelles assemble and disassemble in response to stress, performing functions such as sequestering stalled translation pre-initiation complexes or mRNA storage, repression and decay.DrosophilaClueless (Clu) is a conserved multi-domain ribonucleoprotein essential for mitochondrial function that forms dynamic particles within the cytoplasm. Unlike well-known RNP particles, stress granules and Processing bodies, Clu particles completely disassemble under nutritional or oxidative stress. However, it is poorly understood how disrupting protein synthesis affects Clu particle dynamics, especially since Clu binds mRNA and ribosomes. Here, we capitalize onex vivoandin vivoimaging ofDrosophilafemale germ cells to determine what domains of Clu are necessary for Clu particle assembly, how manipulating translation using translation inhibitors affects particle dynamics, and how Clu particle movement relates to mitochondrial association. Using Clu deletion analysis and live and fixed imaging, we identified three protein domains in Clu, which are essential for particle assembly. In addition, we demonstrated that overexpressing functional Clu disassembled particles, while overexpression of deletion constructs did not. To examine how decreasing translation affects particle dynamics, we inhibited translation inDrosophilagerm cells using cycloheximide and puromycin. In contrast to stress granules and Processing bodies, cycloheximide treatment did not disassemble Clu particles yet puromycin treatment did. Surprisingly, cycloheximide stabilized particles in the presence of oxidative and nutritional stress. These findings demonstrate that Clu particles have novel dynamics in response to altered ribosome activity compared to stress granules and Processing bodies and support a model where they function as hubs of translation whose assembly heavily depends on the dynamic availability of polysomes.
Genetically encoded fluorescent sensors for visualizing polyamine levels, uptake, and distribution
Authors: Tamura Ryo , Chen Jialin , De Jaeger Marijke , Morris Jacqueline F. , Scott David A. , Vangheluwe Peter , Looger Loren L.
Published: August 2024

Polyamines are abundant and physiologically essential biomolecules that play a role in numerous processes, but are disrupted in diseases such as cancer, and cardiovascular and neurological disorders. Despite their importance, measuring free polyamine concentrations and monitoring their metabolism and uptake in cells in real-time remains impossible due to the lack of appropriate biosensors. Here we engineered, characterized, and validated the first genetically encoded biosensors for polyamines, named iPASnFRs. We demonstrate the utility of iPASnFR for detecting polyamine import into mammalian cells, to the cytoplasm, mitochondria, and the nucleus. We demonstrate that these sensors are useful to probe the activity of polyamine transporters and to uncover biochemical pathways underlying the distribution of polyamines amongst organelles. The sensors powered a high-throughput small molecule compound library screen, revealing multiple compounds in different chemical classes that strongly modulate cellular polyamine levels. These sensors will be powerful tools to investigate the complex interplay between polyamine uptake and metabolic pathways, address open questions about their role in health and disease, and enable screening for therapeutic polyamine modulators.
Clonal reproduction as a driver of liana proliferation following large-scale disturbances in temperate forests
Authors: Mori Hideki , Kamijo Takashi
Published: August 2024

Large-scale disturbances significantly impact forest dynamics, structure, and biodiversity. Lianas (woody vines) proliferate rapidly after such events, likely due to clonal reproduction. Understanding this process is challenging due to the need for precise disturbance history and accurate estimation of whether individuals originate from clonal reproduction, seed reproduction, or pre-existing vegetation. This study examines whether clonal reproduction drives liana proliferation following large natural disturbances. We analyzed the dominant liana species (Trachelospermum asiaticumvar.asiaticum; Apocynaceae) in temperate forests on a volcanic island. The study included young forests recovering from a volcanic eruption 22 years ago and old-growth forests unaffected by eruptions for over 800 years. We established six 10 m x 10 m quadrats (three in each forest type), divided into 1 m x 1 m grids, and sampled 587 individuals. Genetic structure was assessed using 11 newly developed nuclear microsatellite markers. Significant clonal expansion was observed in both forest types, but stem density and genetic diversity varied markedly. Old-growth forests had 14 times more stem density and five times more genets (clones) than young forests, with greater genet intermingling and higher clonal diversity. This indicates that clonal reproduction results in high abundance and complex spatial genetic structures of the liana species in old-growth forests. Our analysis revealed that a few genets, newly recruited via seed dispersal in early succession stages, rapidly expanded through extensive clonal reproduction, leading to long-term liana proliferation. This study highlights the importance of understanding and quantifying clonality in predicting liana population dynamics after large-scale disturbances.
chrna3modulates alcohol response in zebrafish
Authors: Raine Joshua , Kibat Caroline , Banerjee Tirtha Das , Monteiro Antónia , Mathuru Ajay S.
Published: August 2024

Alcohol use disorders (AUDs) are complex phenomena governed by genetics, neurophysiology, environment, and societal structures. New methods to understand the underlying neurogenetics are valuable for designing personalised interventional strategies. Here, we used a novel, two-choice self-administration zebrafish assay (SAZA) to isolate the function of nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR) subunit alpha3 (chrna3) in alcohol response. Juvenile zebrafish exhibited a biphasic response when self-administering alcohol that transitioned from attraction to aversion within minutes, suggesting they can regulate exposure to alcohol. This inverted U-shaped self-administration mirrored the effect alcohol has on shoaling behaviour. Exposure to low concentration of alcohol reduced anxiety-like behaviours, while sedative effects became prominent at higher concentrations resulting in reduced locomotion and uncoordinated swimming. In contrast, these responses are blunted inchrna3mutants. They exhibit prolonged alcohol self-administration, and increased gregariousness. Transcriptomic analyses suggest that glutamatergic and GABAergic neurotransmission alongside cholinergic signalling is impacted in the mutant brains. Our results thus suggest thatchrna3dysfunction has a systemic change with an increase in alcohol tolerance being one effect. These findings also highlight the use of non-rodent alternatives to understand the neurogenetics of development of AUD.

Highlights

SAZA reveals hormesis to alcohol self-administration in zebrafish.

chrna3is crucial to mount an aversive response to alcohol.

Anxiolytic effects of alcohol are blunted inchrna3mutants.
Indiv-Brain: Individualized Brain Network Partition Learned from Individual fMRI Data using Deep Clustering with Vertex-level Attention
Authors: Guo Zhitao , Duan Yongjie , Xing Le , Zhao Xiaojie , Long Zhiying
Published: August 2024

Individualized functional network partitioning is increasingly critical in elucidating individual differences in cognition, development, and behavior. The previous studies grouped brain regions that were pre-defined by common brain parcellations into individualized brain networks. The employment of common brain region parcellations ignores the individual variations in brain structure and reduces the spatial resolution of the results. Moreover, some studies trained models on a group of subjects to guide individual network partitioning. These methods largely depend on the sample size and encounter challenges in the case of limited subject data. In this paper, we propose Indiv-Brain which automatically partition brain vertices into different brain networks based on individual fMRI data without any prior brain parcellation. The Indiv-Brain consists of three sequential modules: stacked denoising autoencoder (SDAE) for mapping the raw fMRI data to a latent embedding space, masked vertex modeling (MVM) for learning attention-enhanced representations of brain vertices, and deep embedding clustering with spatial attention (DEC-A) for unsupervised clustering on the learned vertex representations. The experiments on Human Connectome Project (HCP) demonstrate that the accuracy of Indiv-Brain outperforms existing methods. We compared the model with methods like SDAE, DEC, IDEC, and k-means. For the results of 8 subjects, the accuracy of Indiv-Brain was consistently the highest, averaging 6.65 percentage points higher than the IDEC method. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to obtain individualized brain network partition based on individual fMRI data with deep learning models. Our study provides a novel insight into understanding individualized brain networks, especially suitable for special patients.
Pangenome and Transcriptomic Analysis Revealed Distinct Virulence Genes Profiles and Infection Responses inShigella SonneiandShigella Flexneri
Authors: Wong Bao Chi , Wee Wei Yee , Tan Hock Siew
Published: August 2024

Shigellosis, a major cause of diarrheal death, is predominantly caused byShigella flexneriandShigella sonnei. Notably,S. sonneihas begun to overtakeS. flexneriin incidence worldwide. We conducted a comparative pangenome and transcriptomic analysis of these two species using the well-established modelCaenorhabditis elegansas an infection model to explore this shift. Pangenome analysis of 46S. sonneiand 111S. flexneristrains revealed thatS. sonneihas more core genes (44%) thanS. flexneri(13.6%). Additionally,S. sonnei,but notS. flexneri,has core virulence genes. The transcriptomic study duringC. elegansinfection showed thatS. sonneisignificantly upregulates the ferric enterobactin outer membrane transporter (fepA) and other metabolic processes (sulfur, thiamine and arginine). In contrast,S. flexneriupregulates regulatory genes involved in biofilm formation, transcription, cellular processes, and cell communication. These findings suggest thatS. sonnei’s ability to upregulate specific genes, includingfepA,may confer a competitive advantage overS. flexneri. These findings provide a comprehensive understanding of the genetic and functional adaptations that may contribute to the global epidemiological shift fromS. flexneritoS. sonnei, underscoring the need for further research into the mechanisms drivingS. sonnei’s increased virulence and adaptability.
Learning of state representation in recurrent network: the power of random feedback and biological constraints
Authors: Tsurumi Takayuki , Kato Ayaka , Kumar Arvind , Morita Kenji
Published: August 2024

How external/internal ‘state’ is represented in the brain is crucial, since appropriate representation enables goal-directed behavior. Recent studies suggest that state representation and state value can be simultaneously learnt through reinforcement learning (RL) using reward-prediction-error in recurrent-neural-network (RNN) and its downstream weights. However, how such learning can be neurally implemented remains unclear because training of RNN through the ‘backpropagation’ method requires downstream weights, which are biologically unavailable at the upstream RNN. Here we show that training of RNN using random feedback instead of the downstream weights still works because of the ‘feedback alignment’, which was originally demonstrated for supervised learning. We further show that if the downstream weights and the random feedback are biologically constrained to be non-negative, learning still occurs without feedback alignment because the non-negative constraint ensures loose alignment. These results suggest neural mechanisms for RL of state representation/value and the power of random feedback and biological constraints.
A deep-learning based analysis framework for ultra-high throughput screening time-series data
Authors: Balzerowski Patrick , Hebig Lukas , de Abreu e Lima Francisco , Manesso Erica , Müller Thomas , Diedam Holger , Gnutt David
Published: August 2024

Analysis of ultra-high-throughput screening data sets is a highly critical step in drug discovery campaigns. Due to various environmental and experimental error sources fast and reliable identification of possible candidate compounds is challenging. In this work, we introduce a novel deep-learning based analysis framework to analyze uHTS time-series data sets. Our framework is based on two independent deep-learning models. A deep-learning regression model reduces temporal and spatial signal variation across multitier plates caused by systematic and random errors and a separate variational autoencoder model is used for dimensionality reduction. In contrast to classical evaluation methods our approach is capable to derive lower dimensional representations of time-series signals without a-priori knowledge of the data generating mechanism. We tested our analysis framework on an experimental uHTS data set and identified two distinct classes of substances in the screened library which could be attributed to two biological modes of action. Selected substances belonging to both modes of action were successfully validated in a secondary screening experiment.
Directionality Theory and Mortality Patterns Across the Primate Lineage
Authors: Demetrius Lloyd A. , Sahasranaman Anand , Ziehe Martin
Published: August 2024

Empirical studies of aging in primates show that local selective forces rather than phylogenetic history determine the exceptional nature of human longevity (Bronikowski, et al., 2011).

This article proposes an evolutionary rationale for this pattern of primate mortality by invoking the parameter,Life-Table Entropy, a measure of the uncertainty in the life span of a randomly chosen newborn. Life-table entropy is positively correlated with maximal life span, that is, the mean life span of a species living under favourable conditions.

The logic which underlies the exceptional nature of human longevity derives from the terrestrial life-history of humans – a singularity within the primate lineage; and the concomitant ecological constraints - the hunter-gatherer, agricultural, and industrial modes of subsistence, that have defined human evolutionary history. The effect of these ecological constraints on the evolution of life span is encoded in theEntropic Principle of Longevity: life-table entropyincreases in equilibrium species, populations evolving in environments with stable, renewable resources; anddecreasesin opportunistic species, populations subject to fluctuating resource endowments.

The Entropic Principle of Longevity is a derivative ofDirectionality Theory, an analytic study of the evolutionary process of variation and selection based onEvolutionary Entropy, a statistical measure of the uncertainty in the age of the mother of a randomly chosen newborn. Evolutionary entropy is the organizing concept ofThe Entropic Principle of Evolution: Evolutionary Entropy increases in equilibrium species and decreases in opportunistic species.
Tariff effects on industrial performance: symmetric and asymmetric evidence from Nigeria
Authors: Ojike Richard O. , Ikpe Marius , Odionye Joseph Chukwudi , Agu Sunday V.
Published: August 2024

Purpose

Despite the government’s efforts to protect domestic industries from foreign competition through tariffs, the industrial sector’s contribution to GDP continued to decline in Nigeria. Based on the scenario, this study assessed the symmetric and asymmetric effects of tariffs on industrial performance in Nigeria for the period 1988–2021. Tariff was captured with a tariff rate applied to the weighted mean of all products, while industry value added as a percent of GDP was used as a proxy for industrial performance.

Design/methodology/approach

Linear and nonlinear ARDL techniques were used for the analysis.

Findings

The symmetric (linear ARDL) results revealed that tariffs have a significant positive effect on industrial performance in both the short and long term. The asymmetric (nonlinear ARDL) results showed that a long-term asymmetry exists between tariffs and industrial performance. It revealed positive effects on industrial performance for both positive and negative tariff changes, with the negative change having a greater impact.

Practical implications

Generally, the results showed that the use of tariffs to protect domestic industries in Nigeria promotes industrial performance. The implication is that the declining contribution of the industrial sector to GDP in Nigeria is not a result of the tariff policy. It shows that the government should look beyond tariff policy to enhance the industrial contribution to GDP.

Originality/value

Nigeria should exercise caution in using tariff policies to protect domestic industries to avoid retaliation from their trade partners that could reverse the positive impacts.
How chief data officers promote data-driven innovation: an empirical investigation
Authors: Xiao Jianying , Ding Huiying , Zhang Hui
Published: August 2024

Purpose

With the arrival of the big data era, governments have appointed a chief data officer (CDO) to meet the opportunities and challenges brought by big data. The existing research on the CDOs is very limited, and what does exist focuses primarily on what are CDOs do. Little research has explored how CDOs do. To fill this gap, this study employed ambidexterity theory to investigate the ambidexterity of CDOs’ impact on data-driven innovation.

Design/methodology/approach

To empirically test the model, a survey study was conducted to empirically test the model. Data were collected from 261 CDOs in government and government employees in big data management centers or bureaus. The collected data were analyzed quantitatively to answer hypotheses using a structural equation model.

Findings

The findings suggest that data exploitation and data exploration significantly influence data-driven leadership, culture and value propositions. Data-driven leadership and value propositions significantly impact government performance.

Originality/value

This study is one of the first attempts to investigate how CDOs work, especially when promoting data-driven innovation. In addition, this study extends ambidexterity theory into the issue of the CDO in government.
The role of virtual training in implementing Sustainable Development Goals globally
Authors: Bilderback Stephanie , Movahed Mohammad , McCarthy Vikkie
Published: August 2024

Purpose

This paper aims to investigate the role of virtual training in supporting Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and reducing workforce inequalities. It analyzes both the advantages and challenges of integrating virtual training within sustainable development frameworks and the circular economy, underlining its crucial role in transforming workforce strategies and enhancing economic and social progress.

Design/methodology/approach

The study uses Becker’s human capital theory (1964) and Bandura’s social learning theory (1977) to explore the impact of virtual training on human capital development and its contributions to specific SDGs. This integrated approach provides a detailed exploration of how virtual training intersects with sustainable development initiatives.

Findings

The findings highlight the pivotal role of technology in training and development, particularly in the post-pandemic landscape. Virtual training significantly enhances global collaboration, inclusivity and sustainability. It highlights the necessity of adapting corporate training practices to digital environments, thereby improving the quality of education, advancing gender equality and stimulating economic growth.

Originality/value

This paper presents unique perspectives on the influence of workplace training in the post-pandemic era, focusing on technological integration. It discusses how such integration supports diversity, equity and inclusion within the workforce and highlights the essential role of virtual training in promoting organizational flexibility and enhancing employee skills amidst ongoing digital transformations.
Examining the role of concrete 3D printing for housing construction on Indigenous Reserves in Canada
Authors: Soto Rubio Mauricio , Mirza Muhammad Fauzan , Kagdi Mustafa , Bisati Ahmad Ali
Published: August 2024

Purpose

This research explores the role of concrete 3D printing (C3DP) in the development of culturally appropriate housing in Indigenous Reserves in Canada through the design, building and evaluation of the Star Lodge project located in the Siksika Nation of Alberta, Canada. The project aims to assess the potential of C3DP in addressing the escalating housing demands in Indigenous communities in Canada.

Design/methodology/approach

The research involved a collaborative and multidisciplinary approach, engaging Blackfoot Elders, Knowledge Keepers from the Siksika Nation, Siksika Housing and Nidus3D. Central to this was the design, build and documentation of the Star Lodge project to analyse the advantages and challenges, guided by weekly meetings and site visits.

Findings

The project harnessed C3DP to streamline construction, enhance durability, reduce maintenance costs and enhance the energy performance of the homes. Notable time savings were achieved compared to conventional construction methods. Challenges included developing strategies to overcome extreme cold weather conditions, achieving a consistent concrete mix and integrating conventional construction elements such as drywall construction in interiors. The project served as a platform for collaboration and community participation, shaping the design and construction process while raising awareness of innovative construction techniques in the community.

Originality/value

This study provides an evidence-based framework for the evaluation of C3DP technology by analysing the Star Lodge Project, the first C3DP project in Alberta and the largest of its kind in Canada. By addressing housing challenges in Indigenous communities, the research holds broader implications for sustainable development and Indigenous empowerment across Canada.
Lessons learned in establishing an institutional micro-credential initiative
Authors: Lokey-Vega Anissa , Callahan Brendan E. , Doehling Ashley Archer , Head Michelle
Published: August 2024

Purpose

This design case serves to identify barriers to implementing a micro-credential initiative and describes how the institution in the case addresses them to provide strategies and lessons learned to practitioners at other institutions of higher education who may be designing a micro-credential initiative.

Design/methodology/approach

This design case traces a systems approach to designing a centralized and sustainable university micro-credential initiative. Sources include historical documents from the original working group, email-documented community feedback, current initiative communications, participant report, and frequency counts of micro-credentials awarded. This data is used to recount the design process and key decisions that led to revisions, or iterations, of the initiative's design.

Findings

The institution has seen rapid growth in the awarding of micro-credentials. Lessons learned included the need for thoughtful inclusion of stakeholders, selective terminology, a well-communicated attitude of iteration, repurposing of established tools and processes, and on-going support of academic faculty.

Research limitations/implications

Like any design case, this study is not generalizable.

Originality/value

This paper provides a unique empirical account of the design, development, and implementation of a micro-credential initiative that functioned in tandem with, rather than in conflict with, shared governance and academic traditions at a higher education institution.
The cross-sectional characteristics of Chinese official financing in Africa
Authors: Suh Inchul , Senteza Jimmy
Published: August 2024

Purpose

This paper aims to provide a more comprehensive look behind the China’s rapid ascent and influence across the African continent by exploring the Sino-African funding data at the project level while incorporating recipient nations’ economic characteristics of interest such as trade data and natural resources endowment.

Design/methodology/approach

Combining AidData’s project reported data with country bilateral exports and imports data and other pertinent African countries’ data, the authors are able to perform a cross-sectional interrogation of China’s finding motives and their impact on the continent. The results indicate that the China’s funding to Africa mostly goes to energy and transportation sectors, as expected, and the recipient country’s exports to China increase as the funding increases. However, the authors find that the impact of China’s financing on the bilateral trade flow is unbalanced because the recipient country’s imports from China are not found to be significant.

Findings

Interestingly, although the analysis confirms that oil is a key contributing factor in attracting China’s funding, the authors discover that there exists no positive relationship between the China funding amount and the recipient country’s general natural resource level. The results do not support the common notion that China is primarily interested in extracting natural resource deposits, aside from oil, from the host nation when they allocate their funding.

Originality/value

Overall, the paper supports the theoretical propositions of the new structural economics framework when it comes to the relationship between China’s funding and the recipient country’s characteristics.
Insights from analyzing corporate environmental and social disclosure
Authors: Sebastianelli Rose , Tamimi Nabil , Isil Ozgur , Rocco Vincent
Published: August 2024

Purpose

This paper aims to investigate the potential mediating effect of environmental disclosure on the relationship between corporate governance and the disclosure of social information by disaggregating Bloomberg ESG (Environmental-Social-Governance) scores. The polluting level of a company is examined for its potential moderating effect.

Design/methodology/approach

The focus is on the S&P 500. A structural equation model (SEM) is proposed that considers the effects of governance board constructs on the voluntary disclosure of social information (S-score) mediated by the voluntary disclosure of environmental information (E-score). The model is fit separately for two groups of companies (high-polluting and low-polluting), and the path coefficients are compared.

Findings

Consistent with prior research, board independence, gender diversity, and size positively impact voluntary environmental disclosure; board age is found to have a significant but negative effect. The estimated path coefficient from E-score to S-score is strong, positive, and significant; environmental disclosure fully mediates the relationship between corporate governance and social disclosure. This path coefficient is significantly greater for those companies in the high-polluting group.

Originality/value

The findings indicate that high-polluting companies may engage in increased voluntary disclosure of social information as reputation insurance. E-score fully mediates the relationship between corporate governance and S-score more strongly for high-polluting companies, suggesting this group is more likely to engage in and report on socially responsible behaviors to deflect attention away from environmental performance (i.e. greendeflecting).
EFQM in vocational education – teacher and student perspectives
Authors: Gianni Maria , Kontou Efthalia , Avdikos Ilias , Kessopoulou Eftychia , Xanthopoulou Styliani
Published: August 2024

Purpose

Stakeholder satisfaction relates closely to service quality and performance of educational organizations. Often, this relationship is addressed in literature through the lens of excellence models, such as the European Foundation for Quality Management (EFQM) model. Nevertheless, limited studies focus on the effect of the EFQM model enablers on stakeholder satisfaction and hardly any in vocational education. To fill this void, the aim of this paper is to investigate the relationship between EFQM enablers (leadership, human resources, processes) and stakeholder satisfaction under the different perspectives of teachers and students in Greek public vocational education.

Design/methodology/approach

To address the research purpose, the authors used the case study methodology. The authors used mixed research methods, the focus group method and survey. Specifically, the focus group method used to distill the EFQM enablers related to the Greek context and to develop a questionnaire administered to teachers and students of a vocational education school. From September 2021 to June 2022, 90 teachers and 216 students participated in the survey.

Findings

The partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) method was used for data analysis, indicating that leadership and human resources have a positive and significant relationship with the satisfaction of both students and teachers. However, results did not corroborate the relationship between processes and stakeholder satisfaction either from the student’s or the teacher’s perspective.

Originality/value

This paper fills a gap in existing literature by exploring the impact of EFQM enablers on stakeholder satisfaction in vocational education and training (VET), from the perspectives of both teachers and students. The findings assist VET institutions in prioritizing areas for improvement and help companies to develop strategies that consider key stakeholders' needs.
Centralized feature pyramid‐based supervised deep learning for object detection model from GPR data
Authors: Yan Kun , Xu Xianlei , Zhu Pengqiao , Zhang Zhaoyang
Published: August 2024

To address low detection accuracy and speed due to the multisolvability of the ground‐penetrating radar signal, we proposed a novel centralized feature pyramid‐YOLOv6l–based model to enhance detection precision and speed in road damage and pipeline detection. The centralized feature pyramid was used to obtain rich intra‐layer features and improve the network performance. Our proposed model achieves higher accuracy compared with the existing detection models. We also built two new evaluating indexes, relative average precision and relative mean average precision, to fully evaluate the detection accuracy. To verify the applicability of our model, we conducted a road field detection experiment on a ground‐penetrating radar dataset we collected and found that the proposed model had good performance in increasing detection precision, achieving the highest mean average precision compared with YOLOv7, YOLOv5 and YOLOx models, with relative mean average precision and frame rate per second at 16.38% and 30.5%, respectively. The detection information for the road damage and pipeline were used to conduct three‐dimensional imaging. Our model is suitable for object detection in ground‐penetrating radar images, thereby providing technical support for road damage and underground pipeline detection.
Estimating the effects of smolt size and migration timing on salmon marine survival using a multivariate mixed‐effect model
Authors: Bond Morgan H. , Chasco Brandon , Zabel Richard W.
Published: August 2024

When the conditions encountered by a migratory species are highly variable, the timing of migration and migrant condition are critical to survival. Spring/summer‐run Chinook salmon in the Snake River of the Northwestern United States are listed as threatened under the US Endangered Species Act because of decades of poor adult returns; juvenile smolt‐to‐adult survival is often 0.5% or less. Juveniles pass through eight dams en route to the ocean, and despite changes to the hydropower system, there has been little recent improvement in survival. We analysed the effect of migration date, fish length and their interaction on the survival to adulthood of 409,747 wild juvenile Chinook salmon as they migrated through a large, dynamic riverine ecosystem and through the ocean, measured over 20 years.

Parametric 2D smoothers are often used to quantify unexplained heterogeneity across space; however, these same statistical models can be applied to 2D datasets to uncover patterns of covariance of two biological processes important to management actions. We employ Gaussian Markov random fields (GMRF) and a 2D smoother to estimates of fish survival to identify the nature of variation in survival with respect to length and date.

We found significant effects of fish length, migration date and the date‐by‐length interaction on resulting riverine and marine survival. Unlike the gradual shifts in survival in relation to length and timing that marginal estimates demonstrate, we show that within year, changes in survival with length and timing are often more abrupt than previously thought.

Synthesis and applications: Inter‐annually, we identified distinct combinations of fish length and migration timing leading to elevated smolt‐to‐adult survival. Often these ‘hotspots’ are compressed into fish sizes greater than 100 mm and passage timings of only a week or two, demonstrating that even modest shifts in body size and migration timing can have a significant effect on survival. Further research can concentrate on these distinct annual periods to identify sources of mortality that have previously been elusive.
The efficacy and costing of termite (Blattodea: Termitoidae) survey methods in Australian tropical savannas
Authors: Rochelmeyer Ellen , Richards Anna E. , Murphy Brett P. , Levick Shaun , Stobo‐Wilson Alyson M. , Evans Theo
Published: August 2024

Termites are important ecosystem engineers in many ecosystems globally. Hence, surveys of termite species composition, abundance and activity can be important for understanding ecosystem function—especially in biomes where they tend to be abundant, such as tropical savannas. However, comprehensively surveying termites can be challenging due to their cryptic nature and varied feeding and nesting habits, which strongly influence the effectiveness of different survey methods. Baiting and active searches of reduced transects are two methods commonly used to sample termites, and while these methods have been evaluated in the savannas of South Africa, this has not occurred in the extensive tropical savannas of northern Australia. Thus, this study evaluated the effectiveness of baits and reduced transects to assess termite species richness and activity across 18 × 1 ha experimental plots in a tropical savanna near Darwin, Australia. Surveys in each plot consisted of two 60 × 2 m transects and a 9 × 3 baiting grid of alternating buried wood and paper baits and surface straw baits. Baits were checked three times: at 4‐, 7‐ and 10‐week intervals following placement. Upon survey completion, the sampling effort, efficacy and costs of each method were compared. Reduced transects detected all 32 species recorded in this study, representing four feeding groups (from undecayed wood to highly decayed organic material in the soil). Baiting detected 20 species, but failed to detect some of the species that fed on decayed materials. Paper baits, checked only twice (at 4 and 10 weeks following placement), were required to detect all species sampled at both wood and paper baits. Therefore, overall baiting costs could be reduced (without data loss) by using paper baits only and reducing the number of bait checks. Compared with baiting using all three bait types, reduced transects detected the most species and had the lowest per‐species cost. Consequently, reduced transect surveys are the most effective method in these northern Australian savannas when assessing species composition. However, if the abundance of species that feed on undecayed wood or levels of termite activity are being assessed, then reduced baiting is a more appropriate method.
The molecular basis of lactase persistence: Linking genetics and epigenetics
Authors: Cohen Céleste E. , Swallow Dallas M. , Walker Catherine
Published: August 2024

Lactase persistence (LP) — the genetic trait that determines the continued expression of the enzyme lactase into adulthood — has undergone recent, rapid positive selection since the advent of animal domestication and dairying in some human populations. While underlying evolutionary explanations have been widely posited and studied, the molecular basis of LP remains less so. This review considers the genetic and epigenetic bases of LP. Multiple single‐nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in an LCT enhancer in intron 13 of the neighbouring MCM6 gene are associated with LP. These SNPs alter binding of transcription factors (TFs) and likely prevent age‐related increases in methylation in the enhancer, maintaining LCT expression into adulthood to cause LP. However, the complex relationship between the genetics and epigenetics of LP is not fully characterised, and the mode of action of methylation quantitative trait loci (meQTLs) (SNPs affecting methylation) generally remains poorly understood. Here, we examine published LP data to propose a model describing how methylation in the LCT enhancer is prevented in LP adults. We argue that this occurs through altered binding of the TF Oct‐1 (encoded by the gene POU2F1) and neighbouring TFs GATA‐6 (GATA6), HNF‐3A (FOXA1) and c‐Ets1 (ETS1) acting in concert. We therefore suggest a plausible new model for LCT downregulation in the context of LP, with wider relevance for future work on the mechanisms of other meQTLs.
The right to dream: Martin Luther King Jr.’s pragmatist argument for racial progress
Authors: Tampio Nicholas
Published: August 2024

Do Americans have a right to believe that the country is making racial progress? Conservatives sometimes answer yes and argue that the country is achieving Martin Luther King Jr.’s dream of a color‐blind society. Afropessimists answer no and point to the continuing problems of police terror, mass incarceration, and poverty among Black Americans. This article unearths King's 1952 term paper on the pragmatists to reveal an early engagement with William James’ notion of the will to believe. The article interprets King as articulating a right to dream of a just and loving world to maximize the chance of the community actualizing it. The conclusion argues that the idea of a right to dream helps people become energized rather than despondent in the aftermath of the Supreme Court case prohibiting race‐conscious college admissions.
Genetic polymorphisms of calpain1 and calpain3 genes and their effects on growth, carcass, and meat quality traits in Betong chicken (KU line)
Authors: Bungsrisawat Panatda , Tumwasorn Sornthep , Loongyai Wiriya , Nakthong Sasitorn , Nitthaisong Pattama , Tanaka Hidenori , Akashi Ryo , Sopannarath Panwadee
Published: August 2024

Betong chicken (KU line) is a slow‐growing Thai native chicken used for meat production. The objectives of this study were to identify polymorphisms of the calpain1 (CAPN1) and calpain3 (CAPN3) genes and to investigate their effects on growth, carcass, and meat quality traits in Betong chickens (KU line). A sample of 252 Betong chickens (KU line) was screened for CAPN1 and CAPN3 polymorphisms. The polymorphisms of CAPN1 were detected using gel electrophoresis and DNA sequencing, whereas the polymorphisms of CAPN3 were identified using restriction fragment length polymorphism. Polymorphisms were detected in both CAPN1 (AA, AB, and BB genotypes) and CAPN3 (CC, CT, and TT genotypes). The frequency of the B allele was higher than for the A allele (0.78 and 0.22, respectively) in CAPN1, while the C allelic frequency was higher than for the T allele (0.54 and 0.46, respectively) in CAPN3. The CAPN1 genotype and the combination of the CAPN1 and CAPN3 genotypes could be used as genetic markers for meat lightness. The CAPN3 could be useful for increasing body weight, live weight, and breast meat weight in Betong chickens (KU line).
An emerging epidemic of allergic contact dermatitis due to phytonadione epoxide (oxidised vitamin K1)
Authors: Gatica‐Ortega María E. , Pastor‐Nieto María A. , Giménez‐Arnau Ana María , Mercader‐García Pedro , Serra‐Baldrich Esther , Zaragoza‐Ninet Violeta , Sanz‐Sánchez Tatiana , Sánchez‐Gilo Araceli , Pesqué David , Tous‐Romero Fátima , Ortiz‐de‐Frutos Francisco Javier , de la Rosa‐Fernández Eduardo , Dorta‐Alom Sara , Elosua‐González Marta , González‐Pérez Ricardo , Carrascosa‐Carrillo José Manuel , Munera‐Campos Mónica , Silvestre‐Salvador Juan Francisco , Miquel‐Miquel Javier , de Mateo Minguez Antonio , Borrego Leopoldo
Published: August 2024

Background

Reports of allergic contact dermatitis (ACD) to phytonadione epoxide (PE) in cosmetics suggest that PE is as powerful a sensitiser as its parent compound phytonadione.

Objective

To evaluate a case series of ACD to PE in Spain.

Methods

We reviewed the records of 20 patients with ACD to cosmetics containing PE diagnosed across Spain between January 2019 and June 2023.

Results

All 20 patients developed patch test (PT) or repeated open application test (ROAT) reactions to cosmetics containing PE. All involved women with eyelid eczema. PT or ROAT with PE preparations were positive in 17/20 (85%). PE at 1%, 5%, 10% and 20% in pet. was patch‐tested in 8/17, 14/17, 11/17 and 8/17 patients; being positive in 6/8 (75%), 13/14 (92.85%), 11/11 (100%) and 8/8 (100%), respectively.

Conclusion

Regulators should, not only ban the specific dangerous cosmetic ingredients, but also consider to ban or keep under close surveillance those closely related products or derivatives that might potentially cause similar harmful effects. PTs with PE are suggested to be performed at a 5% concentration in pet. Higher concentrations (10% pet.) should be tested whenever PTs with 5% pet. PE are negative.
Autism screening and diagnostic outcomes among toddlers born preterm
Authors: Hamner Taralee , Perez Liz Georgina , Kelly Kiva , Nanovic Sarah , Turchi Renee , Fein Deborah , Robins Diana L.
Published: August 2024

Aim

To examine the Modified Checklist for Autism in Toddlers, Revised, with Follow‐Up (M‐CHAT‐R/F), with follow‐up screening and diagnostic outcomes for children born preterm. A secondary aim was to examine diagnostic evaluation attendance after screening to inform clinical practice.

Method

Using a cross‐sectional design, 9725 toddlers (4951 males; 4774 females) whose gestational age was reported were screened at 15‐month, 18‐month, or 24‐month well‐child visits; screen‐positive children were invited for an autism evaluation. Screening measure performance and diagnostic outcomes were evaluated according to preterm classification (Screening: nExtPreterm = 111; nVeryPreterm = 186; nModPreterm = 1122; nFullTerm = 8306; Evaluation: nExtPreterm = 27; nVeryPreterm = 21; nModPreterm = 86; nFullTerm = 301).

Results

Screen‐positive rates were highest for children born extremely preterm (51.35%) and lowest for children born at term (6.95%). Evaluation attendance for screen‐positive cases did not differ according to preterm classification. Rates of autism diagnoses differed depending on preterm birth status: for children born extremely preterm, it was 16.05%; for children born very preterm, it was 2.00%; for children born moderately preterm, it was 2.89%; and for children born at term, it was 1.49%. M‐CHAT‐R/F sensitivity decreased with increasing gestational age, whereas specificity improved with increasing gestational age. Positive predictive value was highest for children born extremely preterm and children born at term. Negative predictive value was consistently strong across all groups. The likelihood ratio for positive screening increased with gestational age.

Interpretation

The sensitivity and specificity of the M‐CHAT‐R/F are acceptable in toddlers born preterm. Autism screening‐positive rates and prevalence increased with earlier preterm birth. Those born extremely preterm showed the greatest likelihood of an autism diagnosis; screening should not be delayed based on adjusted age.