bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Disparities among EU-27 countries in the implementation of the European Green Deal strategy goals
Authors: Tutak Magdalena , Brodny Jarosław 
Published: November 2024

PurposeThe paper presents the findings of a study assessing the progress of implementing the European Green Deal (EGD) strategy goals across the EU-27 countries. The research aimed to evaluate individual countries' implementation of the strategy, considering its multidimensional nature.Design/methodology/approachA research methodology was devised, incorporating 18 indicators that characterize various dimensions pertinent to the EGD strategy. Evaluation of the strategy’s goals relied on the European Green Deal Index (EGDI), determined using the combined compromise solution (CoCoSo) method and a hybrid approach to weigh the indicators. Three analytical methods – criteria importance through intercriteria correlation (CRITIC), statistical variance, equal weights – and the Laplace criterion were utilized to ascertain the final weights of these indicators. The EGDI values for the years under scrutiny (2019–2021) served as the basis for assessing the EU-27 countries' progress towards the goals of the EGD.FindingsThe survey results indicate that from 2019 to 2021, the highest EGDI values – exceeding 2 – were achieved by Sweden, Denmark and the Netherlands. Austria also recorded very strong results. In contrast, the “new EU-13” countries generally exhibited lower levels of implementation of the EGD, as reflected in their EGDI values. Bulgaria and Cyprus, in particular, had the weakest results over the study period, with EGDI values below 1.5. Consequently, the “old EU-14” countries performed significantly better in implementing the EGD compared to the “new EU-13” countries. Among the “old EU-14” countries, Ireland recorded the weakest performance.Originality/valueThe originality of the research is highlighted by several key factors. Firstly, it addresses a significant research gap by assessing the initial positions and efforts of EU countries toward the EGD goals, providing a benchmark for effectiveness and strategy development. Secondly, it pioneers an authoritative and universal multi-criteria evaluation approach through the Green Deal Index (GDI), offering a robust methodology for assessing EGD implementation. Lastly, the study’s holistic approach incorporates energy, environmental and socioeconomic dimensions, significantly expanding knowledge and contributing to informed decision-making and policy formulation.
Age‐prevalence curves in a multi‐species parasite community
Authors: Preston Daniel L. , Falke Landon P. , Novak Mark 
Published: November 2024

Abstract

The relationship between infection prevalence and host age is informative because it can reveal processes underlying disease dynamics. Most prior work has assumed that age‐prevalence curves are shaped by infection rates, host immunity and/or infection‐induced mortality. Interactions between parasites within a host have largely been overlooked as a source of variation in age‐prevalence curves.

We used field survey data and models to examine the role of interspecific interactions between parasites in shaping age‐prevalence curves. The empirical dataset included quantification of parasite infection prevalence for eight co‐occurring trematodes in over 15,000 snail hosts. We characterized age‐prevalence curves for each taxon, examined how they changed over space in relation to co‐occurring trematodes and tested whether the shape of the curves aligned with expectations for the frequencies of coinfections by two taxa in the same host. The models explored scenarios that included negative interspecific interactions between parasites, variation in the force‐of‐infection (FOI) and infection‐induced mortality that varied with host age, which were mechanisms hypothesized to be important in the empirical dataset.

In the empirical dataset, four trematode parasites had monotonic increasing age‐prevalence curves and four had unimodal age‐prevalence curves. Some of the curves remained consistent in shape in relation to the prevalence of other potentially interacting trematodes, while some shifted from unimodal to monotonic increasing, suggesting release from negative interspecific interactions. The most common taxa with monotonic increasing curves had lower co‐infection frequencies than expected, suggesting they were competitively dominant. Taxa with unimodal curves had coinfection frequencies that were closer to those expected by chance.

The model showed that negative interspecific interactions between parasites can cause a unimodal age‐prevalence curve in the subordinate taxon. Increases in the FOI and/or infection‐induced mortality of the dominant taxon cause shifts in the peak prevalence of the subordinate taxon to a younger host age. Infection‐induced mortality that increased with host age was the only scenario that caused a unimodal curve in the dominant taxon.

Results indicated that negative interspecific interactions between parasites contributed to variation in the shape of age‐prevalence curves across parasite taxa and support the growing importance of incorporating interactions between parasites in explaining population‐level patterns of host infection over space and time.

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Another tool in the toolbox: Aphid‐specific Wolbachia protect against fungal pathogens
Authors: Higashi Clesson H. V. , Patel Vilas , Kamalaker Bryan , Inaganti Rahul , Bressan Alberto , Russell Jacob A. , Oliver Kerry M. 
Published: November 2024

AbstractAphids harbor nine common facultative symbionts, most mediating one or more ecological interactions. Wolbachia pipientis, well‐studied in other arthropods, remains poorly characterized in aphids. In Pentalonia nigronervosa and P. caladii, global pests of banana, Wolbachia was initially hypothesized to function as a co‐obligate nutritional symbiont alongside the traditional obligate Buchnera. However, genomic analyses failed to support this role. Our sampling across numerous populations revealed that more than 80% of Pentalonia aphids carried an M‐supergroup strain of Wolbachia (wPni). The lack of fixation further supports a facultative status for Wolbachia, while high infection frequencies in these entirely asexual aphids strongly suggest Wolbachia confers net fitness benefits. Finding no correlation between Wolbachia presence and food plant use, we challenged Wolbachia‐infected aphids with common natural enemies. Bioassays revealed that Wolbachia conferred significant protection against a specialized fungal pathogen (Pandora neoaphidis) but not against generalist pathogens or parasitoids. Wolbachia also improved aphid fitness in the absence of enemy challenge. Thus, we identified the first clear benefits for aphid‐associated Wolbachia and M‐supergroup strains specifically. Aphid‐Wolbachia systems provide unique opportunities to merge key models of symbiosis to better understand infection dynamics and mechanisms underpinning symbiont‐mediated phenotypes.
Metagenomic analysis reveals houseflies as indicators for monitoring environmental antibiotic resistance genes
Authors: Yang Yuhan , Xu Ping , He Wei , Tao Fei 
Published: November 2024

AbstractGiven the threat to public health posed by antibiotic resistance transmission, environmental monitoring is essential for tracking antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs). Houseflies, being ubiquitous organisms capable of carrying and disseminating ARGs, serve as suitable indicators for environmental monitoring. In this study, we employ metagenomic approaches to investigate housefly body surface samples from five typical sites associated with human activities. The investigation reveals microbiome diversity among the samples, along with variations in the occurrence and mobility potential of ARGs. Metagenomic analysis indicates that the composition of ARGs on housefly body surfaces is influenced by environmental ARGs, which may be enriched on the housefly body surface. The resistance genes related to multidrug, β‐lactam, bacitracin, and tetracycline were the predominant ARGs detected, with multidrug‐related ARGs consistently exhibiting dominance. Furthermore, the abundance of ARGs in the different housefly body surface samples was found to correlate with the population density and mobility of the sampling site. Natural environments exhibited the lowest ARG abundance, while areas with higher population density and limited population mobility displayed higher ARG abundance. This study emphasizes the effectiveness of houseflies as monitors for environmental ARGs and underscores their potential for assessing and controlling antibiotic resistance risks in urban environments.
‘Kind of scared but happy something was detected.’ Cross‐sectional survey of Let's Test for HPV participants to understand perspectives on an HPV detected result
Authors: Rose Sally B. , McBain Lynn , Bell Rebecca , Innes Carrie , Te Whaiti Sarah , Tino Alexandria , Sykes Peter 
Published: November 2024

BackgroundHuman papillomavirus (HPV) testing became the primary cervical screening modality in Aotearoa New Zealand in September 2023. To inform the national roll‐out of HPV primary screening, a multiregion implementation study (‘Let's Test for HPV’) was undertaken in primary care in 2022–2023.AimsTo explore participant perspectives and information needs following receipt of an HPV detected result.Materials and methodsAn online survey completed in 2023 by 921 Let's Test for HPV participants included 95 people with an HPV detected result (10.3%). Data collection included: adequacy of information provision, receipt of results, emotional response, views on HPV primary screening and needing cervical cytology and/or colposcopy, and intent to screen again.ResultsReceipt of an HPV detected result was worrying for most people and many had unanswered questions about HPV, how HPV testing fits with cytology, implications for follow‐up and outcomes. Knowledge gaps and uncertainty appeared to be linked with feeling anxious about possible outcomes and fear of a cancer diagnosis. All survey participants received recommended follow‐up (cytology and/or colposcopy). Having a choice of screening test and the ability to self‐test were welcomed and the majority (88%) expressed intent to screen again.ConclusionsThese survey findings highlight the importance of giving clear information about potential outcomes at the time of screening and again when sharing results. Sensitive delivery of results, providing reassurance and answering questions are also important to mitigate fear and worry. Population‐level education would help improve understanding of key messages about HPV testing and the changes to cervical screening.
The effect of experience and environment in private tutoring on human capital investment
Authors: Lee Jaeram , Kim Minsun , Ihm Jungjoon 
Published: November 2024

AbstractThis study investigated how experience and the environment of private tutoring impact investment in human capital, utilizing panel data from Korea. We scrutinized the effects of past private tutoring expenditures and the local tutoring landscape on decisions regarding private tutoring expenditures. To mitigate potential selection bias, we employed Heckman's selection model, revealing a significant correlation between substantial past spending on private tutoring, competitive environments, and increased future investment. Notably, at the middle and high school levels, individuals who had experienced high private tutoring expenses and those situated in environments with elevated private tutoring expenditures surpassed those who had not. The findings indicate that substantial past private tutoring expenditures, coupled with highly competitive environments, may lower the current consumption baseline and elevate future benchmarks. This implies the potential emergence of a vicious cycle that could ensnare families by escalating educational costs.
Heritabilities for copy number variation of porcine endogenous retrovirus by a quantitative PCR
Authors: Giang Thanh‐Nhan T. , Ta Can V. , Ishihara Shinya , Arakawa Aisaku , Okamura Toshihiro , Dang‐Nguyen Thanh Q. , Nguyen Dai V. , Pham Lan D. , Kikuchi Kazuhiro , Taniguchi Masaaki 
Published: November 2024

AbstractPigs (Sus scrofa) have been expected to have organs transplanted to humans, but porcine endogenous retrovirus (PERV) is one of the risks because the PERV has the possibility to get infected with human cells. Therefore, the pigs are required to have as low a PERV copy number as possible. In this study, firstly, we investigated the estimates of heritabilities for the PERV copy numbers in the Vietnamese native breeds. Genomic heritabilities for four genes on PERV were estimated using the restricted maximum likelihood method with the genomic relationship matrix. The genomic heritability estimates of these genes ranged from 0.27 to 0.71, indicating that it would be possible for these genes not to follow the normal Mendelian inheritance. Secondly, we bred the pig population to reduce the pol gene number and estimated the heritability for the number. Despite the high heritability estimate for the pol gene (0.59), little improvement was progressed after selection for reducing the gene number in the three generations. In order to reduce the PERV copy numbers from the pig genome, it would be difficult to adapt only conventional breeding technology, and we need to consider using another technology like genome editing.
Can Platform Leadership Drive Twin Transitions in Greening SMEs? Exploring the Nexus Between AI Infrastructure Flexibility, Information Effects, and Green Sustainable Practices
Authors: Mehmood Khalid , Kiani Ataullah , Rehman Hina , Alshibani Safiya Mukhtar , Piccardi Patrice 
Published: November 2024

ABSTRACTThe United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) underpin a holistic approach to promote global sustainability, sparking the emergence of the “twin transition” concept, which combines environmentally friendly practices and digitalization for a greener future. Taking note of the SDGs, the primary objective of this research is to explore the twin transition within the context of high‐tech industries. This study aims to bridge existing knowledge gaps by exploring the indirect impact of information effects and the moderating role of artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure flexibility in the relationship between platform leadership and green sustainable practices. Grounded in the framework of the diffusion of innovation paradigm, our findings are based on a three‐wave time‐lagged field survey conducted among 437 high‐tech SMEs in China. The study's findings uncover a positive relation between platform leadership and green sustainable practices, with information effects, specifically responsiveness and usability, acting as mediating factors. Furthermore, the study demonstrates that AI infrastructure flexibility acts as a moderator in the relationship between platform leadership and information effects, influencing the indirect effect of platform leadership on green sustainable practices through information effects. This research not only contributes to our understanding of the twin transition in high‐tech SMEs but also sheds light on the critical role of platform leadership, information effects, and AI infrastructure flexibility in driving green sustainable practices. These findings have significant implications for managers, policymakers, and scholars focused on sustainability and innovation in the high‐tech sector.
Organizational Governance and Trade‐Offs Between Pay and Subjective Employee Well‐Being: A Comparative Analysis
Authors: Budd John W. , Lamare J. Ryan 
Published: November 2024

ABSTRACTThe incompleteness of labour contracts is expected to cause uncertainty among forward‐looking employees as to whether implicit contracts with greater intrinsic rewards in lieu of pay will be breached by employers, thus reducing employee well‐being. David Marsden theorized that an organization's form of governance can serve as a stable, easy‐to‐observe signal of the likelihood of a breach, and thus employees across governance types will exhibit different extrinsic–intrinsic trade‐offs. Using the European Working Conditions Survey, we extend Marsden's theory and find supportive evidence across 35 European countries and 9 governance categories. We also extend Marsden's theorizing into the comparative domain and analyse patterns of subjective well‐being, compensatory pay and organizational governance across varieties of political economies.
Utility of the social skills improvement system–rating scales for capturing dynamic social constructs: Evidence using the measurement model of derivatives
Authors: Frye Katherine E. , Anthony Christopher J. , Lei Pui‐Wa , Husmann Kyle D. , DiPerna James C. 
Published: November 2024

AbstractSocial skills are dynamic developmental constructs typically measured using assessments developed via cross‐sectional methods. The measurement model of derivatives (MMOD), a factor analytic approach targeting individual growth trajectories, was used to evaluate the longitudinal factor structure of the Social Skills Improvement System—Rating Scales (SSIS‐RS) teacher form with a sample of 1320 first and second grade students (51.6% female, 54.8% white, 20.6% Black, 14.4% Hispanic). Although results provided support for three of the original SSIS‐RS factors (Assertion, Empathy, Self‐Control), there was some evidence that the other four original domains (Cooperation, Responsibility, Engagement, Communication) could be explained by two factors in this age range. Implications for using the SSIS‐RS and the utility of the MMOD in developmental research are discussed.
Rewilding through inappropriate species introduction: The case of European bison in Spain
Authors: Nores Carlos , Álvarez‐Laó Diego , Navarro Alberto , Pérez‐Barbería Francisco Javier , Castaños Pedro María , Castaños de la Fuente Jone , Morales Muñiz Arturo , Azorit Concepción , Muñoz‐Cobo Joaquín , Fernández Delgado Carlos , Granado Lorencio Carlos , Palmqvist Paul , Soriguer Ramón , Delibes Miguel , Vilà Montserrat , Simón Miguel , Cabezudo Baltasar , Galán Carmen , García‐Berthou Emili , Almodóvar Ana , Elvira Benigno , Brufao Curiel Pedro , Casinos Adriá , Herrero Juan , Blanco Juan Carlos , García‐González Ricardo , Nogués‐Bravo David , Margalida Antoni , Fisher Brendan , Arlettaz Raphaël , Gordon Iain J. , Ludwig Arne , Lovari Sandro , Cook Brian D. , Carranza Juan , Csányi Sándor , Apollonio Marco , Kowalczyk Rafał , Demarais Steve , López‐Bao José Vicente 
Published: November 2024

AbstractMost European rewilding initiatives are based on the recovery of large herbivores, particularly European bison Bison bonasus, aiming at restoring ecosystem processes and increase trophic complexity. The growing support for the release of bison as a wild species, and change its legal status, in Spain, as an ecological analogue of the extinct steppe bison Bison priscus, makes it an excellent example to reflect the limits of a rewilding biogeographically advisable. We discuss if this initiative could be justified from ecological, biogeographical, ethical, and legal reasons. Besides remarkable taxonomic and functional differences between both bison species, the Mediterranean environment, under the present and future climatic scenarios, does not suit the European bison. Furthermore, there is no evidence to support the presumption that the European bison was ever present in the Iberian Peninsula, with legal implications. We expect that our approach will be inspirational for similar assessments on rewilding initiatives globally.
The Multifaceted Impact of Education on Fertility: Unpacking the “BASIC” Effects in China
Authors: Liu Yufei , Zhao Chuanmin 
Published: November 2024

AbstractResearch is increasingly showing that the impact of education on fertility can result in various and sometimes conflicting outcomes. Using data from the China General Social Survey, this study investigates this issue by exploring five channels (the five “BASIC” effects – base, ambition, spouse, income, and concept effects) through which education might influence different fertility behaviors. Using the number of Confucian temples in a region as an instrumental variable for education and employing the two‐stage least squares estimation, the results indicate that after taking into account the BASIC effects, the impact of education on actual fertility behavior – both the number of children and the decision to have children – becomes insignificant. However, the negative influence of education on fertility intentions persists. This suggests that, although an increase in the level of education may reduce people's desire to have children, the actual fertility behavior can be influenced more by factors such as individual work status (the base effect) and personal expectations (the ambition effect). These findings provide new insights to assist China to optimize its population policy further, helping policymakers to understand better how education affects fertility choices and to formulate more precise population development strategies.
An Attention‐Driven Hybrid Deep Neural Network for Enhanced Heart Disease Classification
Authors: Lilhore Umesh Kumar , Simaiya Sarita , Alhussein Musaed , Dalal Surjeet , Aurangzeb Khursheed , Hussain Amir 
Published: November 2024

ABSTRACTHeart disease continues to be a primary cause of mortality globally, highlighting the critical necessity for efficient early prediction and classification techniques. This study presents a new hybrid model attention‐based CNN‐Bi‐LSTM that integrates the SMOTE with an attention‐driven improved convolutional neural network‐recurrent neural network architecture to improve the classification of heart sounds, especially from imbalanced datasets. Heart sounds are difficult to classify because of their complex acoustic properties and the variability of their characteristics across frequency and temporal domains. The proposed model utilises an advanced CNN to effectively extract global and local features, in conjunction with a bidirectional long short‐term memory network to improve the architecture by capturing contextual information from both preceding and subsequent time sequences. The incorporation of spatial attention within the CNN and temporal attention in the RNN enables the model to concentrate on the most pertinent audio segments. To address the challenges presented by imbalanced and noisy datasets that may impede the efficacy of deep learning algorithms, our model employs SMOTE to improve data representation. The hybrid model outperformed popular models such as CNN, LSTM and CNN‐LSTM, achieving a classification accuracy of more than 97% on the PCG and PASCAL heart sound datasets. The findings demonstrate the model's reliability as an initial evaluation tool in clinical settings, thereby improving support for cardiovascular disease diagnosis.