bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Predicting cybersecurity behaviors in the metaverse through the lenses of TTAT and TPB: a hybrid SEM-ANN approach
Authors: Alsharida Rawan A. , Al-rimy Bander Ali Saleh , Al-Emran Mostafa , Al-Sharafi Mohammed A. , Zainal Anazida 
Published: February 2025

PurposeThe Metaverse holds vast amounts of user data, making it essential to address threats to its confidentiality, integrity and availability. These threats are not purely technological, as user actions and perceptions, shaped by psychological factors, can influence cybersecurity challenges. Thus, a holistic approach incorporating technological and psychological dimensions is crucial for safeguarding data security and privacy. This research explores users’ cybersecurity behavior in the Metaverse by integrating the technology threat avoidance theory (TTAT) and the theory of planned behavior (TPB).Design/methodology/approachThe model was assessed using data collected from 746 Metaverse users. The empirical data were analyzed using a dual structural equation modeling-artificial neural network (SEM-ANN) approach.FindingsThe main PLS-SEM findings indicated that cybersecurity behavior is significantly affected by attitude, perceived behavioral control, subjective norms, perceived threat and avoidance motivation. The ANN results showed that perceived threat with a normalized importance of 100% is the most significant factor influencing cybersecurity behavior. The ANN results also showed that perceived severity with a normalized importance of 98.79% significantly impacts perceived threat.Originality/valueThe novelty of this research stems from developing a unified model grounded in TTAT and TPB to understand cybersecurity behaviors in the Metaverse. Unlike previous Metaverse studies that solely focused on measuring behavioral intentions or user behaviors, this study takes a step further by evaluating users’ cybersecurity behaviors. Alongside its theoretical insights, the study offers practical recommendations for software developers, decision-makers and service providers.
A two-stage data envelopment analysis approach to measure waste management efficiency within Italian municipalities
Authors: Rella Angela , Raimo Nicola , Vitolla Filippo 
Published: February 2025

Purpose
This study aims to address the growing challenges posed by consumerist behavior in ecosystems, leading to increased waste production and escalating costs in waste management. The goal is to investigate the waste management efficiency of Italian municipalities and the factors affecting their efficiency levels.

Design/methodology/approach
A two-stage bootstrap Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) is used to assess the waste management efficiency level of a selected sample of 147 Italian municipalities. Additionally, a truncated regression model is used to investigate the factors affecting waste management efficiency.

Findings
This study reveals a medium-high level of waste management efficiency across Italian municipalities. Additionally, it highlights the negative effect of unemployment rates on waste management efficiency within Italian municipalities, alongside the positive influence of the council’s political ideology and electoral turnout.

Originality/value
The novelty of this study is the unique application of combined methods in the Italian context, providing a nuanced perspective on municipal waste management efficiency. This approach contributes novel insights to the existing literature in this field.
Extending UTAUT model to examine the usages of ChatGPT among Indian students in higher education: a structural equation modelling approach
Authors: Jasrai Lokesh 
Published: February 2025

PurposeThis study used extended Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) model to examine the effect of personal expectancy (PE), efforts expectancy (EE), social influence (SI), facilitating conditions (FC), hedonic motivation (HM), price value (PV) and habit (H) on behavioural intention (BI) to use Chat Generative Pre-Trained Transformer (ChatGPT) in higher education for an Indian context. The study also examined moderating effects of students’ self-innovativeness (SIN) and integrity (INT) on the relationship between BI and use behaviour (UB) for ChatGPT.Design/methodology/approachA sample of 311 students has been selected from Northern states of India by applying stratified proportionate random sampling method and four disciplines – engineering, business administration, science and fine arts were used as different strata in the sample selection process. Partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) approach has been used in data analysis to assess proposed theoretical model.FindingsThe study found PE, FC, PV and H significantly account for students’ BI and actual use of ChatGPT, whereas EE, SI and HM showed a negligible impact on BI. The BI was also found non-significant in predicting the usage behaviour for ChatGPT. The moderation effects of SIN and INT of students were also found non-significant on the relationship between BI and UB.Research limitations/implicationsA limited sample size of study and its focus on Northern states of India constrain the generalizability of findings to the other parts of world.Originality/valueThe study helps to understand the nuances associated with advanced artificial intelligence (AI)-driven tool such as ChatGPT in higher education for the application of best-practices. Therefore, this study aims to bridge this gap by examining determinants of ChatGPT usage with extended version of UTAUT model in Indian context by using additional constructs such as SIN and INT.
Biopiracy and beauty brands? patent trends of cosmetics and skin care companies
Authors: Jefferson David J. , Robinson Daniel F. 
Published: February 2025

AbstractConcerns about the fairness and equity of ‘biodiscovery’ research endure despite the creation of legal frameworks designed to regulate access and benefit sharing involving genetic resources and associated traditional knowledge. While some industries that engage in biodiscovery have been the subject of sustained scrutiny, others have received scant scholarly attention. We evaluate the potential misappropriation of plant biodiversity and traditional knowledge in the cosmetics industry. To do so, we conducted a patent landscape analysis focusing on intellectual property claims that cosmetics firms have made concerning 12 plant species for which there exists extensive traditional knowledge of uses to improve the condition of skin and hair, or for other aesthetic purposes. The results demonstrate that cosmetics companies regularly claim intellectual property for uses of all 12 species, in multiple territories. There is little evidence to suggest that major firms seek prior informed consent for the use of genetic resources or traditional knowledge, or that they share benefits with local providers. The potential that the misappropriation of Indigenous knowledge is occurring in the cosmetics industry has important social and environmental justice implications, and this sector should be subjected to increased scrutiny.
Theorizing agency from a complex dynamic systems theory perspective: Evidence from language learner narratives in online shadow education
Authors: Yung Kevin Wai Ho 
Published: February 2025

AbstractThe recent dynamic turn in second language acquisition research has called for an investigation in learner agency by taking its complex dynamic nature into account. Informed by complex dynamic systems theory (CDST), this study investigated the agency of learners in a complex educational context where mainstream schooling and private tutoring (shadow education) coexist, and when teaching and learning was switched online. Through longitudinal narrative inquiry, this study analyzed the experiences of three senior secondary students enrolled in online English private tutoring. Data were collected through three rounds of individual interview and two pieces of learner reflective writing, supplemented by artifacts such as participants’ language‐learning materials and interviews with their tutors, schoolteachers, and parents. The multiple sources of data collected for 1 year were compiled as narratives for analysis. The findings highlight the importance of considering learner agency from the perspective of CDST, acknowledging characteristics such as its relational, ecological, emergent nature, and its spatiality, multidimensionality, and sustainability. This study sheds light on the complex agency–structure interplay in shadow education situated in the wider education context, and offers implications for educators to support language learners to be agentic in regulating their learning.
Quorum sensing LuxR proteins VjbR and BabR jointly regulate
Brucella abortus
survival during infection
Authors: Caudill Mitchell T. , Stoyanof S. Tristan , Caswell Clayton C. 
Published: February 2025

ABSTRACT

Brucella abortus
maintains an
N
-acetyl homoserine lactone quorum sensing system that consists of two LuxR proteins, VjbR and BabR, as well as two signals, dodecanoyl (C12 AHL) and 3-oxododecanoyl (3-OXO-C12 AHL) homoserine lactone. This system regulates major virulence factors that influence the bacteria’s survival during infection. We generated the first strain that lacks both LuxR proteins and found a synergistic interaction for survival in the chronic infection C57BL/6 mouse model. Transcriptomic analyses of the
∆vjbR∆babR
double-deletion strain, as well as the cognate single-deletion strains, in a rich medium with vehicle control or supplemented with an AHL signal revealed large-scale genetic dysregulation in all conditions. Moreover, the double mutant maintained a limited response to AHL, even in the absence of the LuxR proteins. We additionally found that quorum sensing regulates the denitrification pathway but found no
in vitro
differences in the ability of quorum sensing deletion strains to clear nitric oxide stress or grow under anoxic denitrifying conditions. Finally, we confirmed that BabR autoregulates its own expression, and that VjbR mildly represses BabR expression. Altogether, these experiments help further characterize the
Brucella
quorum sensing systems and indicate that further attention should be given to the joint interactions between VjbR and BabR in controlling virulence.

IMPORTANCE

Brucella abortus
is a zoonotic bacterial pathogen that uses its quorum sensing to survive within hosts. This study further characterizes that system and indicates important future lines of inquiry. We found that both quorum sensing proteins, VjbR and BabR, coordinate to maintain survival, as well as document that both quorum sensing systems appear physiologically active.
Pilin regions that select for the small RNA phages in
Pseudomonas aeruginosa
type IV pilus
Authors: Bae Hee-Won , Ki Hyeong-Jun , Choi Shin-Yae , Cho You-Hee 
Published: February 2025

ABSTRACT

Type IV pili (TFPs) serve as the primary receptor for phages in
Pseudomonas aeruginosa
(PA), playing a key role in phage selection and determining the phage host range. We previously demonstrated that a fiersphage
Pepevirus rubrum
(PP7) selectively infects PA strains with group II (G2) TFP pilin. In this study, we expanded on this by profiling the host range of another fiersphage,
Pepevirus spumicola
(LeviOr01), which was able to infect several PA strains including PMM23. Analysis of 47 in-house PA strains showed that PMM23, along with nine other LeviOr01-susceptible strains and four resistant strains, possessed group I (G1) TFP pilin. This suggests that LeviOr01 targets specific regions of G1 pilin for phage-receptor interaction. Comparative sequence analysis revealed significant differences in the amino acid composition of the αβ and β1-β2 loop regions between susceptible and resistant G1-pilin strains. Pilin switching experiments using a PA surrogate strain (PAK) lacking endogenous pilin confirmed that G1 pilin is essential for LeviOr01 infection, while the accessory gene (
tfpO
) associated with G1 pilin was not involved in phage susceptibility. Structural predictions and comparisons between G1 and G2 pilins revealed conformational similarities but distinct differences at the αβ loop, which is likely critical for interacting with the phage virions. These findings suggest that the αβ loop region plays a pivotal role in determining RNA phage selectivity, offering new insights into the molecular mechanisms governing phage-host interactions and the host tropism of the RNA phages in various PA strains.

IMPORTANCE

The host range of bacteriophages (phages) is crucial for both fundamental research and practical applications, particularly when targeting bacterial pathogens like
Pseudomonas aeruginosa
(PA). Previous studies have shown that the RNA phage PP7 (
Pepevirus rubrum
) binds to the αβ loop region of group II (G2) pilin. In this study, we demonstrate that another RNA phage, LeviOr01 (
Pepevirus spumicola
), also relies on the same region in group I (G1) pilins for infection. Computational modeling and structural comparisons between G1 and G2 pilins suggest that variations in the αβ loop region determine the selectivity of RNA phage binding, with similar interactions observed in both pilin groups. These findings enhance our understanding of the molecular interactions between RNA phages and their pilin receptors, offering valuable insights for developing RNA phage-based therapeutic strategies to combat PA infections.
Revealing pathogenesis-associated metabolites in
Histoplasma capsulatum
through comprehensive metabolic profiling
Authors: Heckart Adrian , Cocuron Jean-Christophe , Ray Stephanie C. , Rappleye Chad A. , Alonso Ana P. 
Published: February 2025

ABSTRACT

During infection,
Histoplasma capsulatum
yeasts interact with a variety of phagocytic cells, where macrophages represent an important niche for long-term intracellular fungal survival and replication. In the phagosomes of macrophages, a hostile environment where most microorganisms are killed,
Histoplasma
not only survives but overcomes several biological challenges and proliferates intracellularly. To better understand the characteristics of intracellular
Histoplasma
and the phagosomal environment, a metabolomic platform was used to analyze
Histoplasma
yeasts cultured on different carbon sources and yeasts extracted from macrophages, identifying metabolites associated with pathogenesis. Metabolomic results of
in vitro
-grown yeasts were further characterized with available transcriptomic data, informing underlying gene expression patterns in response to contrasting milieus. These approaches revealed that
Histoplasma
yeasts, unlike many other yeasts, do not ferment sugars to ethanol, and, when cultivated on glycolytic versus gluconeogenic carbon sources, produce distinct metabolomes with altered intracellular amino acid, lipid, and sugar contents. Furthermore, analysis of
Histoplasma
-inoculated media illustrated that
Histoplasma
secretes mannitol and anthranilates. Lastly, a comparison of the metabolomes derived from
in vitro
cultivation versus intracellular growth highlighted leucine and cysteine/cystine as amino acids, which may serve as sources of carbon, nitrogen, and sulfur to yeasts within macrophages. These results detail metabolites linked to
Histoplasma
metabolism during macrophage infection, identifying potential candidates to target for novel histoplasmosis therapeutics.

IMPORTANCE

Intracellular pathogens reside within host cells, surviving against innate immune responses while exploiting host resources to proliferate. Understanding the mechanisms that underlie their survival and proliferation is critical for developing novel treatments and therapeutics for the diseases these pathogens cause. While
Histoplasma
is a unique example of a true intra-phagosomal pathogen, insights into its pathogenesis may still inform the study of other intracellular pathogens.
Does domestic violence legislation reduce permissive attitudes about intimate partner violence? Longitudinal evidence from men and women from 61 countries
Authors: Richardson Robin A , Rodriguez-Planas Nuria , Hadd Alexandria Ree , Wiederkehr Katjana , Jamshed Farheen , Clark Cari Jo , Benmarhnia Tarik 
Published: February 2025

IntroductionIntimate partner violence (IPV) is highly prevalent and has substantial implication for women’s health. Changing IPV attitudes is one pathway to reduce IPV. While evidence suggests that interventions targeting individuals may change IPV attitudes, the effect of wider-scale interventions, such as legislation, remains unknown.MethodsWe used individual-level IPV attitudes information collected between 1997 and 2020 by the Demographic and Health Surveys and the Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys, which we linked with national-level domestic violence (DV) legislation information. We evaluated the effect of adoption of DV legislation on changes in IPV attitudes using a difference-in-differences study design that controlled for time-varying country-level confounding and accounted for staggered timing of legislation adoption.ResultsOur sample included harmonised information across 61 countries, composed of 2 184 047 women from 60 countries and 390 877 men from 40 countries. After controlling for country-level time-varying confounders, adoption of DV legislation reduced IPV acceptability among women (average treatment effect among treated=−0.07, 95% CI: −0.16, 0.06) and men (average treatment effect among treated=−0.11, 95% CI: −0.22, 0.03) although estimates were imprecise and included the null.ConclusionsDV legislation may reduce permissive IPV attitudes, especially among men, although conclusions should be interpreted cautiously due to imprecise estimates.
Gut microbial-derived N-acetylmuramic acid alleviates colorectal cancer via the AKT1 pathway
Authors: Hu Mengyao , Xu Yi , Wang Yuqing , Huang Zhenhe , Wang Lei , Zeng Fanan , Qiu Bowen , Liu Zefeng , Yuan Peibo , Wan Yu , Ge Shuang , Zhong Dian , Xiao Siyu , Luo Rongrong , He Jiaqi , Sun Meiling , Zhuang Xiaoduan , Guo Nannan , Cui Chunhui , Gao Jie , Zhou Hongwei , He Xiaolong 
Published: February 2025

BackgroundGut microbial metabolites are recognised as critical effector molecules that influence the development of colorectal cancer (CRC). Peptidoglycan fragments (PGFs) produced by microbiota play a crucial role in maintaining intestinal homeostasis, but their role in CRC remains unclear.ObjectiveHere, we aimed to explore the potential contribution of PGFs in intestinal tumourigenesis.DesignThe relative abundance of peptidoglycan synthase and hydrolase genes was assessed by metagenomic analysis. Specific PGFs in the faeces and serum of CRC patients were quantified using targeted mass spectrometry. The effects of PGF on intestinal tumourigenesis were systematically evaluated using various murine models of CRC and organoids derived from CRC patients. Downstream molecular targets were screened and evaluated using proteome microarray, transcriptome sequencing and rescue assays.ResultsMetagenomic analysis across seven independent cohorts (n=1121) revealed a comprehensive reduction in peptidoglycan synthase gene relative abundance in CRC patients. Targeted mass spectrometry identified significant depletion of a specific PGF, N-acetylmuramic acid (NAM) in CRC patients, which decreased as tumours progressed (p<0.001). NAM significantly inhibits intestinal tumourigenesis in various models, includingApcMin/+, AOM/DSS-treated and MC38 tumour-bearing mice. Additionally, NAM inhibits the growth of patient-derived CRC organoids in a concentration-dependent manner. Mechanistically, NAM inhibits the activation of AKT1 by directly binding to it and blocking its phosphorylation, which is a partial mediator of NAM’s anticancer effects.ConclusionThe PGF NAM protects against intestinal tumourigenesis by targeting the AKT1 signalling pathway. NAM may serve as a novel potential preventive and therapeutic biomarker against CRC.
Re-envisaging child protection contacts as an early prevention opportunity to support child development and well-being: an Australian data linkage study
Authors: Falster Kathleen , Pilkington Rhiannon Megan , Ahmed Tasnia , Montgomerie Alicia , Hanly Mark , Newton BJ , Brownell Marni , Edwards Ben , Lingam Raghu , Shakeshaft Anthony , Cretikos Michelle , Stewart Jessica , Hawkins Katherine , McClean Kitty , Lynch John W 
Published: February 2025

ObjectivesTo quantify developmental vulnerability at age 5 by child protection contacts before school in two Australian states.MethodsAll children with birth, child protection and/or 2009, 2012, 2015 and 2018 Australian Early Development Census (AEDC) data in New South Wales (NSW) and South Australia (SA) were grouped according to child protection contact before school: no contact, child protection reports, screened-in reports, investigations, substantiations and out-of-home care (OOHC). The outcome was developmental vulnerability on ≥1 AEDC domains or medically diagnosed conditions with support needs at school entry.Results56 650 (14.2%) NSW children and 12 617 (15.6%) SA children had ≥1 child protection contact before school. Developmental vulnerability on ≥1 domains or medically diagnosed conditions was lowest in the no child protection group (NSW, 21–22%; SA, 24–25%), with progressively higher risk in the child protection report (NSW, 35%; SA, 41–46%) through to the OOHC (NSW, 50–54%; SA, 59–66%) groups in all AEDC years. Developmental risk was higher among children aged <2 years at first contact and those with more reports. Children with only one child protection report before school had approximately 65% higher developmental risk than the no child protection group in both states.ConclusionsA single child protection report before school was an early indicator of higher developmental risk at age 5, with higher developmental risks among children with earlier, more serious and frequent child protection contacts. Beyond child safety screening, child protection reports represent an opportunity to mobilise early health and social support for children with developmental support needs.
Liénard-Wiechert potentials due to a ‘classically’ spinning point-charge in non-relativistic arbitrary motion
Authors: Hadap Nikhil D. 
Published: February 2025

Abstract
Liénard-Wiechert potentials have been derived for a moving and ‘classically’ spinning point-charge; assuming it to be a small rigid charged-sphere in combined non-relativistic translational and rotational motion, and subsequently reducing its dimensions to ‘point-particle’ limit. The paper demonstrates that when the effect of rotation were taken into account, together with causality, expressions for the LW potentials accompany additional correction terms that contain spin angular momentum (or simply the ‘classical-spin’) of the point-charge.