bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
A dynamical analysis of the alignment mechanism between two interacting cells
Authors: Leech Vivienne , Dalwadi Mohit P. , Manhart Angelika 
Published: July 2024

AbstractIn this work we analytically investigate the alignment mechanism of self-propelled ellipse-shaped cells in two spatial dimensions interacting via overlap avoidance. By considering a two-cell system and imposing certain symmetries, we obtain an analytically tractable dynamical system, which we mathematically analyse in detail. We find that for elongated cells there is a half-stable steady state corresponding to perfect alignment between the cells. Whether cells move towards this state (i.e. become perfectly aligned) or not is determined by where in state space the initial condition lies. We find that a separatrix splits the state space into two regions, which characterise these two different outcomes. We find that some self-propulsion is necessary to achieve perfect alignment, however too much self-propulsion hinders alignment. Analysing the effect of small amounts of self-propulsion offers an insight into the timescales at play when a trajectory is moving towards the point of perfect alignment. We find that the two cells initially move apart to avoid overlap over a fast timescale, and then the presence of self-propulsion causes them to move towards a configuration of perfect alignment over a much slower timescale. Overall, our analysis highlights how the interaction between self-propulsion and overlap avoidance is sufficient to generate alignment.
Temperature-dependant benefits and costs of cytoplasmic male sterility in snailPhysa acuta
Authors: Bererd Sophie , David Patrice , Teulier Loïc , Plénet Sandrine , Luquet Emilien 
Published: July 2024

AbstractCytoplasmic male sterility (CMS) originates from a mito-nuclear conflict where mitochondrial genes induce male sterility and nuclear genes restore male fertility in hermaphrodites. The first observation of CMS in animals was reported recently in the freshwater snailPhysa acutawhere it is associated with two extremes divergent mitotypes D and K. The D individuals are male-sterile while male-fertility is restored by nuclear genes in K and are found mixed with the most common male-fertile N mitotype in natural populations (i.e., gynodioecy). We compared male and female fitness, growth rate, and metabolism between the three mitotypes at two temperatures as this factor influences CMS in gynodioecious plants via alteration of mitochondrial functioning. Temperature did not affect male-sterility which depended only on the mitotype and the presence of restorers. Our results provided evidence that CMS is beneficial to female fitness in the absence of restorers, while it is costly in their presence, fulfilling a key theoretical condition for the long-term maintenance of gynodioecy. Fitness benefits and costs are mediated by differences in body mass and enhanced at cold temperature suggesting that the system dynamics may vary according to thermal conditions in nature.
A mathematical sequence representing tonic action potential spike trains
Authors: Keum Dongil , Kim Kwon-Woo , Pruitt Molly , Medina de Jesus Alexandre E. 
Published: July 2024

AbstractThis is a study outlining the regularity of action potential spikes. Through a stochastic study, we observed a series of strong correlations between the intervals of tonically firing spikes generated by injecting constant currents of varying intensities into layer V pyramidal neurons of the ferret medial prefrontal cortex. Based on this, we derived a formulaic relationship for the interspike intervals (ISIs). According to this formula, an ISI can be expressed as a product of two factors: the timing precursor and the scale factor. Those arise from a linear relationship between activities of ion channels that modulate spike frequency adaptation and spike timing. Using this rule, we successfully predicted spike timing and demonstrated that the spike timing can be determined by the linear combination of various ion channel activities, reflecting different cellular signaling pathways such as G-protein coupled receptor (GPCR) activation. These findings not only aid studies on cellular signaling but also expand our insight into neural coding, while increasing research efficacy through neural modeling.Significant StatementWhile the action potential (AP) pattern may appear simple at first glance, no rule has been discovered in the nearly 100 years since it was first recorded. Building on this finding, we have developed a method to intuitively measure the activity of various ion channels responsible for determining spike timing from the AP spikes, as well as the associated intracellular and extracellular signaling pathways.
High prevalence of multi-drug resistant bacteria in faecal samples from UK passerine birds
Authors: Dunn Jenny C. , Clegg Simon R. 
Published: July 2024

AbstractWild birds are a near ubiquitous sight in gardens, offering pleasure to many people through supplementary feeding, song, or other interactions. However, they are also potential carriers of many pathogens, includingCampylobacter,Salmonella, EnterococcusandE. coli; some of these may be resistant to commonly used drugs. This study collected faecal samples from multiple species of UK passerine birds, isolating bacterial pathogens to assess carriage and drug resistances associated with those bacteria. 75% of birds were carrying at least one bacterial species which was multi drug resistant (MDR; resistant to three or more classes of antimicrobial), with 11.6% of birds carryingSalmonellaspp., 18.9% carryingCampylobacterspp., 78% carryingEnterococcusspp., and all carryingE. colistrains. Many of these strains were shown to be MDR with 70%, 88%, 32% and 59% respectively. Intercontinental migration was shown to be a risk factor for carriage of many of the pathogens, as was an associated with human habitation. Age was also a risk factor with younger birds twice as likely to carryCampylobacterspp. than adults, and house sparrows (Passer domesticus) and blackbirds (Turdus merula) being particularly high-level carriers compared to other species. The high-level carriage and shedding of MDRE. coliand other zoonotic pathogens within the faecal samples of multiple species of passerine birds offers a timely reminder of the risks which these bacteria, and their drug resistance profiles may pose to human and animal health in the UK and worldwide. It also shows a level of high environmental contamination, which birds may continue to contribute towards, until our use of antibiotics, and level of drug resistant bacteria is decreased. Developing mechanisms for reducing levels of carriage of MDR bacteria in wild bird populations through, for example, increased hygiene around bird feeding practices, may be key in reducing environmental contamination.Highlights75% of wild birds were carrying at least one MDR bacteriumYoung birds were twice as likely to carryCampylobacterthan adultsHouse sparrows and blackbirds were particularly likely to carryCampylobacterAll intercontinental migrants withSalmonellacarried MDR strains
DesmodiumVolatiles in “Push-Pull” Agriculture and Protection Against the Fall Armyworm,Spodoptera frugiperda
Authors: Odermatt Daria M. , Chidawanyika Frank , Mutyambai Daniel M. , Schmid Bernhard , Domeignoz-Horta Luiz A. , Tamiru Amanuel , Schuman Meredith C. 
Published: July 2024

AbstractPush-pull systems for sustainable pest management of crop plants employ repellent stimuli from intercrops (“push”) to repel herbivores and attract their predators and parasitoids, and attracting stimuli from border plants (“pull”) to lead herbivorous insects out of the crop. The most widespread implementation, intercropping with the legumeDesmodium, reduces herbivory damage from the invasive fall armyworm (FAW)Spodoptera frugiperda. However, the three publications to date investigating underlying mechanisms disagree whether theDesmodiumintercrop emits bioactive volatiles that repel FAW. We aimed to resolve this controversy by measuring volatile emission fromDesmodium intortum(greenleafDesmodium) andD. incanumintercrops in push-pull fields, and assaying their effects on the behavior of the FAW in oviposition and wind tunnel choice bioassays. We detected many volatile substances in the headspaces of bothDesmodiumspecies, which exhibited similar profiles, including substances previously reported to repel lepidopteran herbivores. FAW moths preferred to oviposit on maize overDesmodium, but not on maize further from versus closer toDesmodiumplants that were inaccessible to the moths, but sharing the air. In a wind tunnel bioassay, the moths tended to prefer maize volatiles over a combination of volatiles from maize andD. intortum, but notD. incanum. In conclusion, we foundD. intortumandD. incanumto emit volatiles that have been shown to be bioactive, and FAW moths to prefer maize over eitherDesmodiumspecies. Moreover, additional mechanisms are likely important for reducing FAW damage to maize under push-pull cultivation.
“It answers questions that I didn’t know I had”: PhD students’ evaluation of an information-sharing knowledge graph
Authors: Gardasevic Stanislava , Lamba Manika 
Published: July 2024

Purpose
Interdisciplinary PhD programs can be challenging as the vital information needed by students may not be readily available; it is scattered across the university’s websites, while tacit knowledge can be obtained only by interacting with people. Hence, there is a need to develop a knowledge management model to create, query and maintain a knowledge repository for interdisciplinary students. This study aims to propose a knowledge graph containing information on critical categories (faculty, classes, dissertations, etc.) and their relationships, extracted from multiple sources, essential for interdisciplinary PhD students. This study evaluates the usability of a participatory-designed knowledge graph intended to facilitate information exchange and decision-making.

Methodology
The authors used data from multiple sources (such as university websites, faculty profiles, publication and dissertation metadata and crowdsourced data) to generate a knowledge graph in the Neo4J Bloom platform. The authors recruited 15 interdisciplinary PhD students using convenience sampling from the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa at various PhD stages to design and populate the knowledge graph. Next, the authors conducted a mixed methods study to perform its usability evaluation. First, the authors engaged the students in a participatory design workshop to identify relevant graph queries. Second, the authors conducted semi-structured interviews to determine the usability of the knowledge graph and rate the queries. Each interview was coded with structural and thematic codes and was further analyzed using sentiment analysis in R programming language.

Findings
The usability findings demonstrate that interaction with this knowledge graph benefits PhD students by notably reducing uncertainty and academic stress, particularly among newcomers. Knowledge graph supported them in decision-making, especially when choosing collaborators (e.g. supervisor or dissertation committee members) in an interdisciplinary setting. Key helpful features are related to exploring student–faculty networks, milestones tracking, rapid access to aggregated data and insights into crowdsourced fellow students’ activities. However, they showed concerns about crowdsourced data privacy and accessibility. Although participants expressed the need for more qualitative data in the graph, they noted it helped identify people to talk to about the topics of their interest.

Originality
The knowledge graph provides a solution to meet the personalized needs of doctoral researchers and has the potential to improve the information discovery and decision-making process substantially. It also includes the tacit knowledge exchange support missing from most current approaches, which is critical for this population and establishing interdisciplinary collaborations. This approach can be applied to other interdisciplinary programs and domains globally.
Empowering farmers and enhancing sustainability: Inaru’s impact on the Dominican cocoa industry
Authors: Kumari Shwetha , Nair Jitesh 
Published: July 2024

Learning outcomes
After completion of the case study, the students will be able to understand the challenges faced by cocoa farmers in developing countries and their impact on the cocoa value chain, describe the need for a business to create a business model that offers social impact in small developing economies, explore innovative business models, such as vertical integration, for addressing transparency and fair compensation issues in agricultural supply chains, analyze the role that start-ups can play in disrupting the commodities supply chain and building a national competitive advantage and examine how a values-driven business can gain the trust of stakeholders and create a profitable ecosystem.

Case overview/synopsis
This case study describes the innovative business model of Inaru Corporation, a pioneering venture founded by two sisters, Janett Liriano and Erika, aimed at revolutionizing the cocoa industry in the Dominican Republic. This case study outlines the challenges faced by cocoa farmers in the country, including low productivity, exploitation by middlemen and lack of value addition. Inaru’s innovative business model aimed to disrupt the traditional supply chains by prioritizing fair compensation for farmers, investing in sustainable practices and vertically integrating cocoa production from farming to manufacturing. Through direct relationships with producers, profit-sharing agreements, and a commitment to ethical business practices, Inaru sought to empower cocoa farmers and cultivate a more equitable and sustainable cocoa industry. Inaru was a model for ethical and caring business practices where it shared the profits with its farmers. By operating a profit-sharing model and sharing its fortune with other women, Inaru was helping create gender equity in the cocoa sector. Inaru planned to scale its business model to other cocoa-producing countries and even transfer its business model strategy to other commodities beginning with the coffee segment in Dominican Republic. By exploring Inaru’s case study, students gain a deep understanding of how businesses can drive positive change, create value for stakeholders and contribute to sustainable development goals.

Complexity academic level
This case was written for use in teaching graduate and postgraduate management courses in entrepreneurship and economics, politics and business environment.

Supplementary materials
Teaching notes are available for educators only.

Subject code
CSS 3: Entrepreneurship.
Evaluation of a training programme to foster employability skills in professional training: a case study
Authors: Sánchez Ramírez José Manuel , Iñigo Victoria , Marcano Beatriz , Romero-García Carmen 
Published: July 2024

PurposeThe aim of this work is to evaluate the effectiveness of a training programme for developing employability skills, including digital competency and soft skills (problem-solving, teamwork, adaptability, leadership, decision-making and creativity), in professional-training programmes.Design/methodology/approachIt presents a case study where students from a professional training centre were evaluated twice, before and after doing the programme. The results from both were compared to determine whether there have been improvements. We also analysed whether there were differences by gender in the pretest and the posttest.FindingsWe observed that most of the students improved in both digital competency and in soft skills after completing the programme. In the case of digital competency, greater improvement was apparent in the areas of collaboration and communication and in digital content creation. Similar results were found for all competencies in the case of soft skills.Originality/valueThis learning programme had a positive impact on the competency development of professional-training students. Continuous training and advice for teachers and personalized monitoring during the implementation of this programme resulted in an apparent improvement in students’ employability skills.
Factors influencing online sustainability disclosure in Spanish universities
Authors: Ramírez Yolanda , Manzaneque Montserrat , Merino Elena 
Published: July 2024

Purpose
This paper aims to investigate the extent of sustainability disclosure through websites at Spanish universities and analyse the determinants that affect such disclosure.

Design/methodology/approach
This study uses as methodology a content analysis of the sustainability information disclosed by universities on their official websites in 2022 and a regression of ordinary least squares.

Findings
Findings emphasise that Spanish universities have moderate levels of online sustainability disclosure, close to 50%, showing prevalent attention to dimensions concerning “organisation profile and governance”, “economic aspects” and “labour practices”, while “curriculum and teaching on sustainability topics” and “environmental” dimensions were less addressed. On the other hand, the findings indicate that public and larger universities are the ones most engaged in the online disclosure of information about sustainability issues. Likewise, universities led by female rectors exert a positive influence on sustainability disclosure on websites.

Practical implications
The results could be useful for policymakers and regulators to implement and standardise sustainability reporting at higher education institutions, as well as for managers at universities who wish to increase the diffusion of sustainability outreach to satisfy stakeholders’ demands and legitimise their actions in society.

Originality/value
To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this paper is the first Spanish approach to identify the explanatory factors for sustainability reporting in Spanish higher education institutions.
Gender differences in the academic career: evidence from the accounting and finance departments
Authors: Kalash Ismail 
Published: July 2024

PurposeThe aim of this research is to examine gender differences in the context of research productivity, research collaboration and academic promotion.Design/methodology/approachThis research analyzes data related to 863 academics in the accounting and finance departments in Turkish universities by using OLS, Binary Logistic, Ordered Probit and Multinomial Probit Regressions.FindingsThe findings show that female academics have in overall a representation ratio of 32%, and that there are no significant differences regarding the opportunities for female academics to be employed in public compared to private, and in high-rank compared to low-rank universities. The results also indicate that female academics have lower research impact compared to male academics, and that this difference is more pronounced for professors, and in universities with low ratio of female representation, and also in public universities. In addition, female academics engage more in research collaboration and are less likely to hold the academic title of full professor than male academics.Practical implicationsThe findings of this study provide significant signals about the need for improving gender policies that mitigate the conditions adversely affecting research productivity and impact by considering the supporting circumstances for female academics and improving the representation ratio, which also can play vital role in reducing discrimination and bias and contribute to better research and scientific environment.Originality/valueTo the author’s knowledge, this article is the first to examine gender effect regarding research productivity, research collaboration and academic promotion in Turkish universities.
Adaptive virtual team planning and coordination: a mathematical programming approach
Authors: Garcia Christopher 
Published: July 2024

Purpose
The rise of remote work increasingly requires organizations to coordinate a single large, consolidated talent pool into ad-hoc, short-term project teams on demand. This problem involves many simultaneous considerations including project revenues and rejection costs, conflicting projects and roles, worker assignment costs, worker utilization preferences and limits, worker reassignment costs, and arbitrary role start and end times. Moreover, plans must be continuously updated in response to changing circumstances. This paper addresses the problem of dynamic virtual team planning and coordination.

Design/methodology/approach
We show this problem is NP-hard and provide a dynamic mixed integer linear programming (MILP) formulation for both optimal initial plan generation as well as continuous plan adjustment and re-optimization. We utilized a factorial experiment design to generate benchmark problems spanning a wide range of characteristics and conducted extensive computational experimentation using a common MILP solver.

Findings
Exactly optimal solutions to large, realistically sized problems were consistently obtained in short amounts of time. All observed solution times were sufficient to support the operational decision-making requirements of real-world virtual team coordination, demonstrating the viability of this approach.

Practical implications
The approach developed in this research can enable organizations to optimally coordinate virtual teams on a large scale and continually adjust plans in response to changing circumstances, all in an automated manner.

Originality/value
This paper addresses a new and complex problem of increasing importance to organizations due to the rise in remote work. We provide a problem formulation and exact approach for optimally solving both the planning and re-planning aspects of this problem.
Impact of the Russia–Ukraine War: evidence from G20 countries
Authors: Tarigan Josua , Delia Monica , Hatane Saarce Elsye 
Published: July 2024

Purpose
This paper aims to investigate the impact of geopolitical events of the Russia–Ukraine conflict on the stock market volatility of G20 countries. Furthermore, the paper also investigates the possible reasons for any similarities or differences in the results of the three sectors.

Design/methodology/approach
This paper measures the impact of the stock market sectoral index price (SIP) by using the daily closing price as a dependent variable. In addition, this study uses three independent variables: geopolitical risk (GPR), commodity price (CP) and foreign exchange rate (FER). Seventeen countries from the G20 are analyzed using a daily timeframe from September 2021 to August 2022 (before and during the Russian invasion).

Findings
The results revealed that FER, CP and GPR all affect SIP, but the level of significance and positive/negative signs vary in all three sectors. The positive FER affects SIP in all sectors, while the negative CP and GPR significantly impact SIP in the energy and transportation sectors.

Research limitations/implications
This study’s research model is more suited for transportation and energy than consumer goods. Future researchers can enhance the research model for the consumer goods sector by incorporating additional variables to understand their relationship with SIP better.

Originality/value
This study explores the impact of the Russia–Ukraine conflict on the stock market in G20 countries, focusing on the top three most affected sectors.