bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Collaboration Between Host and Viral Factors Shape SARS-CoV-2 Evolution
Authors: Bamford Connor G. G. , Broadbent Lindsay , Aranday-Cortes Elihu , McCabe Mary , McKenna James , Courtney David , Touzelet Olivier , Ali Ahlam , Roberts Grace , Lopez Campos Guillermo , Simpson David , McCaughey Conall , Fairley Derek , Mills Ken , Power Ultan F. ,   the Breathing Together Investigators
Published: July 2021

AbstractSARS-CoV-2 continues to evolve, resulting in several ‘variants of concern’ with novel properties. The factors driving SARS-CoV-2 fitness and evolution in the human respiratory tract remain poorly defined. Here, we provide evidence that both viral and host factors co-operate to shape SARS-CoV-2 genotypic and phenotypic change. Through viral whole-genome sequencing, we explored the evolution of two clinical isolates of SARS-CoV-2 during passage in unmodified Vero-derived cell lines and in parallel, in well-differentiated primary nasal epithelial cell (WD-PNEC) cultures. We identify a consistent, rich genetic diversity arising in vitro, variants of which could rapidly rise to near-fixation with 2 passages. Within isolates, SARS-CoV-2 evolution was dependent on host cells, with Vero-derived cells facilitating more profound genetic changes. However, most mutations were not shared between strains. Furthermore, comparison of both Vero-grown isolates on WD-PNECs disclosed marked growth attenuation mapping to the loss of the polybasic cleavage site (PBCS) in Spike while the strain with mutations in NSP12 (T293I), Spike (P812R) and a truncation of ORF7a remained viable in WD-PNECs. Our work highlights the significant genetic plasticity of SARS-CoV-2 while uncovering an influential role for collaboration between viral and host cell factors in shaping viral evolution and fitness in human respiratory epithelium.
Promotech: A general tool for bacterial promoter recognition
Authors: Chevez-Guardado Ruben , Peña-Castillo Lourdes 
Published: July 2021

AbstractPromoters are genomic regions where the transcription machinery binds to initiate the transcription of specific genes. Computational tools for identifying bacterial promoters have been around for decades. However, most of these tools were designed to recognize promoters in one or few bacterial species. Here, we present Promotech, a machine-learning-based method for promoter recognition in a wide range of bacterial species. We compared Promotech’s performance with the performance of five other promoter prediction methods. Promotech outperformed these other programs in terms of area under the precision-recall curve (AUPRC) or precision at the same level of recall. Promotech is available at https://github.com/BioinformaticsLabAtMUN/PromoTech.
Generating and testing hypotheses about the fossil record of insect herbivory with a theoretical ecospace
Authors: Schachat Sandra R. , Payne Jonathan L. , Boyce C. Kevin , Labandeira Conrad C. 
Published: July 2021

AbstractA typical fossil flora examined for insect herbivory contains a few hundred leaves and a dozen or two insect damage types. Paleontologists employ a wide variety of metrics to assess differences in herbivory among assemblages: damage type diversity, intensity (the proportion of leaves, or of leaf surface area, with insect damage), the evenness of diversity, and comparisons of the evenness and diversity of the flora to the evenness and diversity of damage types. Although the number of metrics calculated is quite large, given the amount of data that is usually available, the study of insect herbivory in the fossil record still lacks a quantitative framework that can be used to distinguish among different causes of increased insect herbivory and to generate null hypotheses of the magnitude of changes in insect herbivory over time. Moreover, estimates of damage type diversity, the most common metric, are generated with inconsistent sampling standardization routines. Here we demonstrate that coverage-based rarefaction yields valid, reliable estimates of damage type diversity that are robust to differences among floral assemblages in the number of leaves examined, average leaf surface area, and the inclusion of plant organs other than leaves such as seeds and axes. We outline the potential of a theoretical ecospace that combines various metrics to distinguish between potential causes of increased herbivory. We close with a discussion of the most appropriate uses of a theoretical ecospace for insect herbivory, with the overlapping damage type diversities of Paleozoic gymnosperms and Cenozoic angiosperms as a brief case study.
Regional economic growth in India: convergence or divergence?
Authors: Nayak Suryakanta , Sahoo Dukhabandhu 
Published: July 2021

Purpose
This paper aims to examine the convergence in per-capita income (measured as per-capita net state domestic product) of regions in India during the period 1990–1991 to 2017–2018. Two separate analyses have also been done for the sub-periods, i.e., 1990–1991 to 2003–2004 and 2004–2005 to 2017–2018, to find out the effect of the second phase of economic liberalization in India.

Design/methodology/approach
In a panel data study, the estimation of absolute and conditional beta (β)-convergence and sigma (σ)-convergence across 17 Indian regions have been done. To measure the dispersion of per-capita income across the regions in India, the standard deviation of logs, Gini coefficient, Mehran measure, Piesch measure, Kakwani measure and Theil index have been estimated. In addition to this, these indices have been regressed over time.

Findings
This study finds the presence of absolute and conditional β-convergence; the regions with low initial per-capita income have grown faster than the regions with high initial per-capita income. Further, this study finds that foreign direct investment (FDI) inflow and the availability of power enhance growth across regions. However, this study finds the presence of σ-divergence, which indicates that the economic inequality among the regions in India has widened over the periods, calling for policy interventions to promote growth in the backward regions through the promotion of FDI inflow and the availability of power.

Originality/value
This study highlights the rising economic inequality among the regions in India by analyzing the latest available data through appropriate econometric techniques.
TymeBank: digital disruption in SA’s banking sector
Authors: Urban Boris , Townsend Stephanie Althea 
Published: July 2021

Learning outcomes
Amongst others, these are that students should be able to: identify key components of corporate entrepreneurship; assess the role of technology innovation in terms of creating a competitive advantage; appreciate how an entrepreneurial orientation is related to innovation and growth; and make an informed decision regarding key success factors in influencing growth and sustainability.

Case overview/synopsis
TymeBank became the first fully branchless, digital bank in South Africa when it launched in February 2019. Since then, the bank’s customer base had grown beyond expectation, but the market had also become more competitive, as new digital banks opened for business and traditional banks expanded their range of digital offerings. The case situates the chief executive officer, Tauriq Keeran, in November 2019, considering how whether the bank was doing enough to grow, in the face of this competition.

Complexity academic level
Master’s level business students, as well as entrepreneurship, innovation and digital business at both undergraduate and postgraduate level.

Supplementary materials
Teaching Notes are available for educators only.

Subject code
CSS 3: Entrepreneurship.
Team culture, employee commitment and job performance in public sectors: a multi-level analysis
Authors: Mishra Santap Sanhari , Kasim Johar Jemal 
Published: July 2021

Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to examine the mediating role of employee commitment into the relationship of team culture and job performance at multi-level, in the context of Ethiopian public sectors.

Design/methodology/approach
In the adopted survey design, data were collected from two sources. In the rural development sector of Bale zone in Oromia regional state of Ethiopia, 108 randomly selected employees participated in the survey and also their corresponding 13 team supervisors. By using referent-shift consensus, the individual responses on team culture have been aggregated to team-level scores. In the multi-level modeling, the mediation effect of employee commitment was checked by using Monte Carlo simulation.

Findings
The analysis reveals that employee commitment significantly cross-mediates into the relationship between team culture and job performance. In line with the extended model of team motivation, team culture was found to be significantly cross-related with individual job performance also.

Practical implications
This paper contributes to the knowledge regarding the effects of team culture on employee commitment and job performance. Based on the competing values framework, the authors argue that the cohesion and strong camaraderie among members within a work team establishes a team culture within the organization culture itself.

Originality/value
The novelty of this study lies in the fact that; it is the first study to see the indirect effect of team culture on job performance through employee commitment at multi-level.
Balancing sustainable development and cultural heritage preservation: luxury burial legacies in Singapore
Authors: Ocón David 
Published: July 2021

PurposeThe paper aims to provide up-to-date analysis on how a country like Singapore, with a rich tangible and intangible cultural heritage associated with burial customs, approaches heritage preservation while ensuring modernisation and sustainable growth.Design/methodology/approachThe paper is an exploratory analysis of the association between cultural heritage preservation, particularly the one associated with elaborate burials, and the need for modernisation in Singapore. It mainly uses desk research tools, fieldwork and interviews with death services providers to build a set of conclusions. It employs a historical review approach and uses comparative analyses with other countries in the Asian region to substantiate the arguments.FindingsThe paper provides insights about how, since its independence, Singapore has switched to pragmatic models of growth and development which imply maximising the limited space available, often at the cost of precious cultural heritage. The rapid development has had a significant impact on the country's burial customs and legacies, particularly on elaborate graves and tombs, which traditionally use a considerable amount of space. The analysis concludes that Singapore is in the constant challenge of exploring alternative ways of handling death and its ramifications.Originality/valueThis paper presents a new outlook on the relationship between the preservation of the tangible and intangible cultural heritage associated with death practices and a sustainable approach to modernisation in the context of Singapore.
Serendipity in human information behavior: a systematic review
Authors: Liu Yaxi , Qin Chunxiu , Ma Xubu , Liang Huigang 
Published: July 2021

PurposeSerendipitous information discovery has become a unique and important approach to discovering and obtaining information, which has aroused a growing interest for serendipity in human information behavior. Despite numerous publications, few have systematically provided an overview of current state of serendipity research. Consequently, researchers and practitioners are less able to make effective use of existing achievements, which limits them from making advancements in this domain. Against this backdrop, we performed a systematic literature review to explore the world of serendipity and to recapitulate the current states of different research topics.Design/methodology/approachGuided by a prior designed review protocol, this paper conducted both automatic and manual search for available studies published from January 1990 to December 2020 on seven databases. A total of 207 serendipity studies closely related to human information behavior form the literature pool.FindingsWe provide an overview of distinct aspects of serendipity, that is research topics, potential benefits, related concepts, theoretical models, contextual factors and data collection methods. Based on these findings, this review reveals limitations and gaps in the current serendipity research and proposes an agenda for future research directions.Originality/valueBy analyzing current serendipity research, developing a knowledge framework and providing a research agenda, this review is of significance for researchers who want to find new research questions or re-align current work, for beginners who need to quickly understand serendipity, and for practitioners who seek to cultivate serendipity in information environments.
Research on the drivers of undergraduates' intention to use university digital libraries: affinity theory as an additional construct of information system success model
Authors: Xu Fang , Du Jia Tina 
Published: July 2021

PurposeThis study aims to examine the factors influencing undergraduates' intention to use university digital libraries by integrating the information system success model and affinity theory.Design/methodology/approachBased on the 265 valid responses gathered through a survey, the structural equation modelling (SEM) technique was employed to test the research model and hypotheses.FindingsThe results indicated that system quality and digital libraries (DLs)' affinity significantly affect undergraduates' user satisfaction. However, information quality and service quality does not. User satisfaction has significant impact on undergraduates' intention to use university digital libraries.Practical implicationsLibrarians and service providers should focus on enhancing the system quality of digital library and DLs' affinity, to improve the undergraduates' user satisfaction, further motivating undergraduates to use university digital libraries.Originality/valueThe information system success model is enriched by affinity as an additional construct.
Curved-layered material extrusion modeling for thin-walled parts by a 5-axis machine
Authors: Feng Xiaojing , Cui Bin , Liu Yaxiong , Li Lianggang , Shi Xiaojun , Zhang Xiaodong 
Published: July 2021

Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to solve the problems of poor mechanical properties, high surface roughness and waste support materials of thin-walled parts fabricated by flat-layered additive manufacturing process.

Design/methodology/approach
This paper proposes a curved-layered material extrusion modeling process with a five-axis motion mechanism. This process has advantages of the platform rotating, non-support printing and three-dimensional printing path. First, the authors present a curved-layered algorithm by offsetting the bottom surface into a series of conformal surfaces and a toolpath generation algorithm based on the geodesic distance field in each conformal surface. Second, they introduce a parallel five-axis printing machine consisting of a printing head fixed on a delta-type manipulator and a rotary platform on a spherical parallel machine.

Findings
Mechanical experiments show the failure force of the five-axis printed samples is 153% higher than that of the three-axis printed samples. Forming experiments show that the surface roughness significantly decreases from 42.09 to 18.31 µm, and in addition, the material consumption reduces by 42.90%. These data indicate the curved-layered algorithm and five-axis motion mechanism in this paper could effectively improve mechanical properties and the surface roughness of thin-walled parts, and realize non-support printing. These methods also have reference value for other additive manufacturing processes.

Originality/value
Previous researchers mostly focus on printing simple shapes such as arch or “T”-like shape. In contrast, this study sets out to explore the algorithm and benefits of modeling thin-walled parts by a five-axis machine. Several validated models would allow comparability in five-axis printing.
Concepts and applications in functional diversity
Authors: Mammola Stefano , Carmona Carlos P. , Guillerme Thomas , Cardoso Pedro 
Published: July 2021

Abstract

The use of functional diversity analyses in ecology has grown exponentially over the past two decades, broadening our understanding of biological diversity and its change across space and time. Virtually all ecological sub‐disciplines recognise the critical value of looking at species and communities from a functional perspective, and this has led to a proliferation of methods for estimating contrasting dimensions of functional diversity.

Differences between these methods and their development generated terminological inconsistencies and confusion about the selection of the most appropriate approach for addressing any particular ecological question, hampering the potential for comparative studies, simulation exercises and meta‐analyses.

Two general mathematical frameworks for estimating functional diversity are prevailing: those based on dissimilarity matrices (e.g. Rao entropy, functional dendrograms) and those relying on multidimensional spaces, constructed as either convex hulls or probabilistic hypervolumes.

We review these frameworks, discuss their strengths and weaknesses and provide an overview of the main R packages performing these calculations. In parallel, we propose a way for organising functional diversity metrics in a unified scheme to quantify the richness, divergence and regularity of species or individuals under each framework. This overview offers a roadmap for confidently approaching functional diversity analyses both theoretically and practically.

A free Plain Language Summary can be found within the Supporting Information of this article.
Bioavailability of iron from novel hydrogen reduced iron powders: Studies in Caco‐2 cells and rat model
Authors: Jyrwa Yvette Wilda , Yaduvanshi Puneeta Singh , Sinha Gourav Ranjan , Dwarapudi Srinivas , Madhari Radhika S , Boiroju Naveen Kumar , Pullakhandam Raghu , Palika Ravindranadh 
Published: July 2021

AbstractThe bioavailability of iron from elemental iron powders, including hydrogen reduced iron powder (HRIP), is influenced by particle size and surface area. In the present study, we investigated the solubility, bioaccessibility, and bioavailability of iron from novel HRIPs (particle size ≤25 and 38 µm generated at low [LT] and high [HT] temperature), with porous morphology and high surface area, in intestinal Caco‐2 cells and in rat models. The acceptability of fortified wheat flour was tested in human volunteers. The iron solubility and ferritin induction in Caco‐2 cells were significantly higher from wheat flour fortified with HRIPs compared to electrolytic iron powder (EIP, ≤45 µm size) either in the absence or presence of ascorbic acid. Nevertheless, ferritin induction in Caco‐2 cells was significantly higher with FeSO4 compared to HRIP or EIP. The relative biological value of HRIPs was significantly higher (≤38HT) or similar compared to EIP in rats. However, serum ferritin was significantly higher in rats fed HRIPs than EIP. Further, wheat flour fortified with HRIP was found to be acceptable for consumption. These findings demonstrate higher iron bioavailability from novel HRIPs compared to the reference EIP (≤45 µm) and merits further studies on toxicity and efficacy.Practical ApplicationThe use of elemental iron powders for food fortification to alleviate iron deficiency is limited due to its poor bioavailability. The novel hydrogen‐reduced elemental iron powders used in this study had higher bioaccessibility and bioavailability compared to reference EIP (≤45 µm) in in vitro and in vivo models, respectively. Further, there were no sensory differences between roti prepared with fortified or unfortified wheat flour. These results suggest that the novel hydrogen reduced elemental iron powders used in the present study are suitable for wheat flour fortification.
Diagnostic circulating biomarkers to detect vision‐threatening diabetic retinopathy: Potential screening tool of the future?
Authors: Frudd Karen , Sivaprasad Sobha , Raman Rajiv , Krishnakumar Subramanian , Revathy Yeddula Rebecca , Turowski Patric 
Published: July 2021

AbstractWith the increasing prevalence of diabetes in developing and developed countries, the socio‐economic burden of diabetic retinopathy (DR), the leading complication of diabetes, is growing. Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is currently one of the leading causes of blindness in working‐age adults worldwide. Robust methodologies exist to detect and monitor DR; however, these rely on specialist imaging techniques and qualified practitioners. This makes detecting and monitoring DR expensive and time‐consuming, which is particularly problematic in developing countries where many patients will be remote and have little contact with specialist medical centres. Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is largely asymptomatic until late in the pathology. Therefore, early identification and stratification of vision‐threatening DR (VTDR) is highly desirable and will ameliorate the global impact of this disease. A simple, reliable and more cost‐effective test would greatly assist in decreasing the burden of DR around the world. Here, we evaluate and review data on circulating protein biomarkers, which have been verified in the context of DR. We also discuss the challenges and developments necessary to translate these promising data into clinically useful assays, to detect VTDR, and their potential integration into simple point‐of‐care testing devices.
Mindfulness meditation experiences of novice practitioners in an online intervention: Trajectories, predictors, and challenges
Authors: Osin Evgeny N. , Turilina Irina I. 
Published: July 2021

AbstractBackgroundThe benefits of mindfulness interventions are well‐known, but their challenges and individual differences in reactions to these challenges are much less clear.MethodsThe study used a mixed‐methods design to investigate the individual trajectories of daily experiences during meditation in a sample of novice volunteers participating in a 3‐week, distance‐based, guided meditation intervention (N = 175).ResultsMultilevel modelling revealed individual differences in the change trajectories of the experiences of effort, meaning, and boredom during meditation, indicating that meditation gradually became less effortful, less boring, more interesting, and more important over the 3 weeks. The individual differences in the levels of these experiences and their change trends were associated with baseline differences in well‐being, reflective processes, self‐management, and self‐control skills, as well as autonomous motivation to engage in the course.ConclusionsIndividuals who are initially more autonomous and mindful find it easier to engage with online mindfulness interventions and draw more benefits from the process, whereas those with lower self‐regulation skills or higher proneness to rumination are more likely to experience mindfulness as effortful and boring, and, eventually, to give it up.