bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Entrepreneurial ecosystems in small towns: franchise chain expansion
Authors: Melo Pedro Lucas de Resende , Borini Felipe Mendes , dos Santos-Costa Lucas , Isaac Victor Ragazzi , Correa Victor Silva 
Published: November 2024

Purpose
This paper aims to identify the interrelationships of institutional factors that compose an entrepreneurial ecosystem (EE) in small towns that can potentially increase the attraction of franchises.

Design/methodology/approach
The authors analyzed 728 small towns with franchise chains that do not belong to metropolitan regions and are limited to populations of up to 50,000 inhabitants. Secondary data are obtained from the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics. The data analysis technique used is Poisson regression.

Findings
A higher number of employed persons (H1), a higher savings (H2) and a higher number of educational institutions (H4) correlates with more franchise chains in small towns. The availability of institutional support (H3) does not correlate with the number of franchise chains. Regarding the interrelationships between factors, the interactive effect between two constructs is determined to cause a decrease in franchise chains, whereas interrelating three factors raises the number of franchise chains (R² = 72.3%).

Practical implications
The analysis identifies some environmental factors to be considered in market prospecting by franchise chains’ expansion managers. These factors constitute a relevant analytical model focused on the regional development of franchise chains.

Social implications
Social contributions are directed to public policy professionals responsible for regional economic development, as emerging markets demand actions to encourage job creation when confronted with high unemployment rates and dependence on the informal economy.

Originality/value
The contribution of this paper is bringing EE to the debate of the institutional environment’s impact on new businesses. EE adds to the debate examining the interrelationships between different institutional factors. An EE not only identifies the factors, but also examines the interdependence of these factors, which can potentially explain the attraction of franchise chains in small towns.
3D printing of asymmetric buttress plate for posteromedial tibial plateau fracture using metal fused filament fabrication
Authors: Vijaya Kumar P. , Velmurugan C. 
Published: November 2024

PurposeThis research addresses the challenges encountered when securing bone plates in the human body to treat tibial plateau fractures, specifically focusing on preventing posterolateral fractures. The goal is to develop a 3D buttress plate that offers better stability, facilitating anatomical reduction and rigid fixation. The newly fabricated T-buttress plate enables early knee motion and reduces postoperative complications, marking a significant advancement over existing internal fixation plates.Design/methodology/approachA new buttress plate model was designed using modeling software, featuring an asymmetric curved design with three fragments. Finite element analysis was used to simulate the biomechanical performance of this new model, comparing it with symmetric flat and symmetric curved plates. Accurately predicting the biomechanical behavior of the implant posed challenges, especially during extensive simulations. Optimal parameters for the asymmetric curved plate were identified from the simulation results, and the 3D buttress plate was then fabricated using the metal fused filament fabrication (MFFF) process. This process presents challenges due to the novel nature of the asymmetric design.FindingsThe results indicate that the newly developed buttress plate exhibits superior strength and performance compared to current internal fixation plates. Biomechanical simulations show that the asymmetric curved design provides better stability and support. Moreover, the yield and ultimate tensile strengths were found to be 685 MPa and 855 MPa, respectively.Research limitations/implicationsThe study’s finite element analysis model has limitations due to its reliance on assumptions about material properties, boundary conditions and loading scenarios. It also excludes biological factors, patient variability and the bone’s heterogeneous nature, which may affect the accuracy and applicability of the results in real-life situations.Originality/valueThe development of an asymmetric curved buttress plate using MFFF is a novel innovation aimed at improving biomechanical performance and patient outcomes in orthopedic surgery, offering significant potential impact in the medical field.
The High Prevalence of Orientia tsutsugamushi Among Wild Rodents and the Identification of Its Major Serotypes in Yamaguchi Prefecture, Japan, Where Scrub Typhus Patients Are Rarely Identified
Authors: Ahmed Abdelrahman , Supriyono  , Kiuno Kazuki , Kurihara Nozomi , Minami Shohei , Yonemitsu Kenzo , Kuwata Ryusei , Shimoda Hiroshi , Narita Tsubasa , Lau Alice C. C. , Takano Ai , Maeda Ken 
Published: November 2024

AbstractOrientia tsutsugamushi (OT) is an obligate intracellular bacterium transmitted by larval trombiculid mites, responsible for scrub typhus in humans. In Japan, approximately 500 human cases are reported annually, with six major serotypes identified as Kato, Karp, Gilliam, Irie/Kawasaki, Shimokoshi, and Hirano/Kuroki. However, the prevalence of OT in Yamaguchi prefecture remains largely unknown. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence and serotypes of OT in wild rodents collected from eight locations within the prefecture. DNA was extracted from spleen and liver samples of 135 wild rodents collected between 2015 and 2024, and PCR was conducted to detect OT targeting the 56 kDa type‐specific antigen gene. As a result, five individuals (3.7%) were detected positive for OT DNA. OT was successfully isolated from two of the five rodents and characterized by multi‐locus sequence analysis (MLSA) based on 11 housekeeping genes. The MLSA results indicated that both isolates clustered with OT strain Ikeda (JG serotype). Additionally, we performed a serological test on 117 serum samples from wild rodents using the indirect immune peroxidase test. The results showed that 59.8% (n = 70/117) of the rodents had antibodies against OT, with 73% (n = 51/70) showing the highest titer against the OT strains Gilliam (Gilliam serotype) and Ikeda (JG serotype), known to be transmitted by Leptotrombidum pallidum mites. Overall, the present study identified the OT serotypes and potential primary vector species in Yamaguchi prefecture, emphasizing the need for further surveillance, particularly, in humans.
Foundation species support fauna across multiple trophic levels via trophic and non‐trophic mechanisms
Authors: Chen Shixuan , Cai Xing‐Xing , Zhang Shuyan , Wu Jihua , He Qiang 
Published: November 2024

Abstract

Foundation species, such as seagrasses, trees, and corals, form the biotic basis for many ecosystems. They engineer local habitats and can support many faunal species through trophic (e.g. providing feeding grounds) or non‐trophic (e.g. providing predation shelters and spawning grounds) mechanisms. How the supporting effects of foundation species on fauna change across multiple trophic levels remains poorly understood.

We investigated how a foundational seagrass supported faunal species at different trophic levels, using a series of comparative surveys, diet analyses, and field experiments.

We found that seagrasses substantially enhanced marine fauna across all but one of four trophic levels. Primary, secondary, and top consumers were significantly more abundant, whilst tertiary consumers were similarly or less abundant in seagrass beds than on unvegetated mudflats. Importantly, seagrasses supported fauna of different trophic levels via different trophic or non‐trophic mechanisms; seagrasses provided mainly feeding, refuging and feeding, feeding, and spawning grounds for primary, secondary, tertiary, and top consumers, respectively.

Our work reveals that seagrasses support fauna from primary to top trophic levels via different trophic and non‐trophic mechanisms. Our findings highlight that protecting and restoring seagrasses is critical to enhancing fauna across multiple trophic levels and can inform conservation strategies targeted for fauna at different trophic levels. Our study can help stimulate future studies from other ecosystems to test how foundation species affect fauna across different trophic levels.

Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog.
Intraspecific variation of thermal tolerance along elevational gradients: the case of a widespread diving beetle (Coleoptera: Dytiscidae)
Authors: Pallarés Susana , Carbonell José Antonio , Picazo Félix , Bilton David T. , Millán Andrés , Abellán Pedro 
Published: November 2024

AbstractSpecies distributed across wide elevational gradients are likely to experience local thermal adaptation and exhibit high thermal plasticity, as these gradients are characterised by steep environmental changes over short geographic distances (i.e., strong selection differentials). The prevalence of adaptive intraspecific variation in thermal tolerance with elevation remains unclear, however, particularly in freshwater taxa. We explored variation in upper and lower thermal limits and acclimation capacity among Iberian populations of adults of the widespread water beetle Agabus bipustulatus (Dytiscidae) across a 2000 m elevational gradient, from lowland to alpine areas. Since mean and extreme temperatures decline with elevation, we predicted that populations at higher elevations will show lower heat tolerance and higher cold tolerance than lowland ones. We also explored whether acclimation capacity is positively related with climatic variability across elevations. We found significant variation in thermal limits between populations of A. bipustulatus, but no evidence of local adaptation to different thermal conditions across the altitudinal gradient, as relationships between thermal limits and elevation or climatic variables were largely nonsignificant. Furthermore, plasticities of both upper and lower thermal limits were consistently low in all populations. These results suggest thermal niche conservatism in this species, likely due to gene flow counteracting the effects of divergent selection, or adaptations in other traits that buffer exposure to climate extremes. The limited adaptive potential and plasticity of thermal tolerance observed in A. bipustulatus suggest that even generalist species, distributed across wide environmental gradients, may have limited resilience to global warming.
Evaluating floodplain vegetation after valley‐scale restoration with unsupervised classification of National Agriculture Imagery Program data in semi‐arid environments
Authors: Munyon Jay W. , Flitcroft Rebecca L. 
Published: November 2024

AbstractMonitoring vegetation response to valley‐scale floodplain restoration to evaluate effectiveness can be costly and time‐consuming. We used publicly available National Agriculture Imagery Program (NAIP) data and commonly used ArcGIS software to assess land cover change over time at five study sites located in semi‐arid environments of eastern Oregon and north‐central California. Accuracy assessments of our unsupervised classifications were used to evaluate effectiveness. Overall accuracy across sites and years ranged from 64.2% to 89.2% with mean and median accuracy of 79.1% and 80.6%, respectively. Further, we compared our classifications with high‐resolution uncrewed aerial systems (UAS)‐based data collected in the same timeframe. Restored areas classified as dense vegetation were within 4% of the UAS study, water was within 6%, and post‐restoration classifications of sparse vegetation and bare ground classes were within 6% and 4% of the UAS study, respectively. This comparison demonstrates that our unsupervised NAIP data classification of land cover change across entire valley‐scale restoration projects can be used to monitor riparian vegetation change over time as accurately as UAS‐based methods, but at lower cost. Additionally, our methods leverage existing fine‐resolution, pre‐restoration vegetation density data that were not collected as part of project planning.
Comparison of CD30L and OX40L Reveals CD30L as a Promising Therapeutic Target in Atopic Dermatitis
Authors: Gupta Rinkesh K. , Figueroa Daniela Salgado , Ay Ferhat , Causton Benjamin , Abdollahi Shahla , Croft Michael 
Published: November 2024

ABSTRACTBackgroundBlocking IL‐13 is highly efficacious in patients with Th2‐biased atopic dermatitis (AD), and recent clinical data have highlighted that targeting the T cell costimulatory molecules OX40 and OX40L (TNFSF4) holds promise for future treatment of AD.AimWe asked whether targeting another T cell costimulatory molecule, CD30L (TNFSF8), might also be a possible treatment option in AD.MethodsSingle‐cell RNA‐seq data from human AD skin lesions was analyzed to identify pathogenic IL‐13‐ or IL‐22‐producing T cells and assess expression of CD30 and its ligand in comparison to OX40 and its ligand. Additionally, a murine model of AD with repetitive exposure to house dust mite allergen was used to compare neutralizing antibodies against CD30L with those against IL‐13 or OX40L.ResultsAnalysis of several scRNA‐seq datasets from skin lesions of AD patients showed that transcripts for CD30 or CD30L were found expressed with OX40 or OX40L in the primary T cell populations that also expressed mRNA for IL13 and/or IL22. Suggesting that this could be therapeutically relevant, mice treated prophylactically with a blocking CD30L antibody were protected from developing maximal allergen‐induced AD features, including epidermal and dermal thickening, immune cell infiltration, and expression of AD‐related genes, similar to mice treated with a blocking IL‐13 antibody. Moreover, therapeutic neutralization of CD30L in mice with experimental AD also reduced all of the pathological skin lesion features to a comparable extent as blocking OX40L.ConclusionThese data suggest that targeting the CD30–CD30L axis might hold promise as a future therapeutic intervention in human AD, similar to targeting the OX40–OX40L axis.
Young university students’ cultural values, filial obligation norms, and ageism toward older people
Authors: Taşdemir Nagihan 
Published: November 2024

AbstractThe present study examined Turkish young university students’ cultural values and filial obligation norms in association with their ageism toward older people. Participants (N  =  369) completed scales measuring relatedness and autonomy values, filial obligation norms, prescriptive intergenerational‐tension ageism, ambivalent ageism, warmth and competence stereotypes toward older people, and frequency of intergenerational contact. Multiple hierarchical regression analyses showed that relatedness values were negatively associated with succession prejudice; and positively associated with benevolent ageism and competence and warmth stereotypes. Relatively authoritarian filial obligation norms were further negatively associated with consumption prejudice, and positively associated with benevolent ageism and competence and warmth stereotypes. Finally, mediation analyses showed that relatively authoritarian and emotional filial obligation norms explained the indirect association between the variables, the former for benevolent ageism and competence and warmth stereotypes; the latter for warmth stereotypes and frequency of intergenerational contact. The present study suggests that young people's relatively traditional cultural values and hierarchical familial norms play a role in their positive prejudice and stereotypes whereas relationship‐oriented cultural values and emotional familial norms play a role in their warmth stereotypes and frequency of intergenerational contact. The findings help us understand how different contents and components of ageism toward older people are linked with young people's cultural values and familial norms.
Feelings and thoughts about life selection in pregnant women undergoing non‐invasive prenatal testing in Japan
Authors: Takeda Eri , Suzumori Nobuhiro , Kumagai Kyoko , Komata Chisato , Nishimura Yumiko , Sugiura‐Ogasawara Mayumi 
Published: November 2024

AbstractThe objective of this study was to conduct qualitative research by clarifying the thoughts of pregnant women undergoing non‐invasive prenatal testing (NIPT) in Japan, to collect evidence to provide information and psychosocial support in genetic counseling (GC). We attempted to conduct qualitative research to provide support for GC and the society in relation to children with special needs, by clarifying the thoughts of pregnant women undergoing NIPT. Between January 2016 and December 2017, we administered an open‐ended questionnaire to pregnant Japanese women undergoing NIPT to clarify their ethical views in relation to children with special needs. The target population included 754 pregnant women who described their feelings and thoughts about undergoing NIPT and about children with special needs. Pregnant women undergoing NIPT have a variety of various mixed feelings and concerns. We classified the feelings and thoughts of pregnant women who underwent NIPT into the following four primary categories (multiple classifications): (1) perception about people with special needs (18.0%); (2) relation between NIPT and life selection (22.3%); (3) attitudes towards undergoing NIPT (47.5%); and (4) negative feelings and thoughts about raising children with special needs (48.1%). Most pregnant women undergoing NIPT expressed negative feelings and raising children with special needs. These feelings and thoughts may be one of the reasons why pregnant women undergo NIPT. In GC, it is important to also provide wide information on the social support and the current situation in the actual life of children with special needs.
Mobile Element Insertion in the APOB Exon 3 Coding Sequence: A New Challenge in Hypobetalipoproteinemia Diagnosis
Authors: Surles Laurie , Janin Alexandre , Molitor Corentin , Chatron Nicolas , Moret Myriam , Nony Séverine , Dumont Sabrina , Marmontel Oriane , Simonet Thomas , Sassolas Agnès , Moulin Philippe , Di Filippo Mathilde 
Published: November 2024

ABSTRACTMobile elements (ME) can transpose by copy‐and‐paste mechanisms. A heterozygous insertion in APOB exon 3 coding sequence was suspected in a patient with hypobetalipoproteinemia (HBL), by gel electrophoresis of the PCR products. An insertion of a 85 bp fragment flanked by a polyA stretch and a target replication site duplication was identified as a ME insertion (MEI) from the AluYa5 subfamily, NM_000384.3(APOB):c.135_136ins(160). Then, the DNA was reanalyzed using our NGS custom panel. Routine analysis did not reveal any causative variant, but manual inspection of the alignments and MELT enabled us to detect this MEI from NGS data. A functional study revealed that this MEI introduces a stop codon p.(Phe46Alafs*2) and additionally leads to p.(Lys41Serfs*2) due to an exon skipping. This is the first report of a MEI into APOB, as a cause of HBL. Furthermore, our study highlights the value of including MEI‐callers in routine pipelines to improve primary dyslipidemia diagnosis.
Enhancing disciplinary diversity and inclusion in conservation science and practice based on a case study of the Society for Conservation Biology
Authors: Winkler‐Schor Sophia , Eyster Harold N. , Lobo Diele , Redmore Lauren , Wright Andrew J. , Lukasik Victoria M. , Chávez‐Páez Wendy , Tully Brooke , Beard Sarah , Blount‐Hill Kwan‐Lamar , Christen Catherine , Nyssa Zoe 
Published: November 2024

AbstractEffective conservation requires a variety of perspectives that center on different ways of knowing. Disciplinary diversity and inclusion (DDI) offers an important means of integrating different ways of knowing into pressing conservation challenges. However, DDI means more than multiple disciplinary approaches to conservation; cognitive diversity and epistemic justice are key. In 2020, the Disciplinary Inclusion Task Force was formed via a grassroots movement of the Society for Conservation Biology (SCB) to assess the extent of DDI and to chart a path to increase DDI. First, we assessed past and present SCB governance documents. Next, we surveyed current SCB members (n = 577). Finally, we surveyed nonmember conservationists (n = 213). Members who were not biological scientists perceived SCB as less diverse (21.4% vs. 16%) and not equitable (21.8% vs. 161%), and, although the majority (44) of nonmembers reported that their work aligned reasonably well with the mission of the SCB, they thought the organization focused on biological sciences. Despite SCB's mission to be diverse and inclusive, realizing this mission will likely require diverse epistemological perspectives and shifting from top‐down models of knowledge transfer. In centering on DDI, SCB can achieve its aspirations of connecting members across disciplines and ways of knowing to foster diverse perspectives and practices. We recommend that SCB and other organizations develop mechanisms to increase recruitment and retention of diverse members and leadership as well as expand strategic partnerships to flatten disciplinary hierarchies and promote inclusivity.
Multi‐View Self‐Supervised Auxiliary Task for Few‐Shot Remote Sensing Classification
Authors: Liu Baodi , Xing Lei , Qiao Xujian , Liu Qian 
Published: November 2024

ABSTRACTIn the past few years, the swift advancement of remote sensing technology has greatly promoted its widespread application in the agricultural field. For example, remote sensing technology is used to monitor the planting area and growth status of crops, classify crops, and detect agricultural disasters. In these applications, the accuracy of image classification is of great significance in improving the efficiency and sustainability of agricultural production. However, many of the existing studies primarily rely on contrastive self‐supervised learning methods, which come with certain limitations such as complex data construction and a bias towards invariant features. To address these issues, additional techniques like knowledge distillation are often employed to optimize the learned features. In this article, we propose a novel approach to enhance feature acquisition specific to remote sensing images by introducing a classification‐based self‐supervised auxiliary task. This auxiliary task involves performing image transformation self‐supervised learning tasks directly on the remote sensing images, thereby improving the overall capacity for feature representation. In this work, we design a texture fading reinforcement auxiliary task to reinforce texture features and color features that are useful for distinguishing similar classes of remote sensing. Different auxiliary tasks are fused to form a multi‐view self‐supervised auxiliary task and integrated with the main task to optimize the model training in an end‐to‐end manner. The experimental results on several popular few‐shot remote sensing image datasets validate the effectiveness of the proposed method. The performance better than many advanced algorithms is achieved with a more concise structure.