bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
The cross-sectional characteristics of Chinese official financing in Africa
Authors: Suh Inchul , Senteza Jimmy 
Published: August 2024

Purpose
This paper aims to provide a more comprehensive look behind the China’s rapid ascent and influence across the African continent by exploring the Sino-African funding data at the project level while incorporating recipient nations’ economic characteristics of interest such as trade data and natural resources endowment.

Design/methodology/approach
Combining AidData’s project reported data with country bilateral exports and imports data and other pertinent African countries’ data, the authors are able to perform a cross-sectional interrogation of China’s finding motives and their impact on the continent. The results indicate that the China’s funding to Africa mostly goes to energy and transportation sectors, as expected, and the recipient country’s exports to China increase as the funding increases. However, the authors find that the impact of China’s financing on the bilateral trade flow is unbalanced because the recipient country’s imports from China are not found to be significant.

Findings
Interestingly, although the analysis confirms that oil is a key contributing factor in attracting China’s funding, the authors discover that there exists no positive relationship between the China funding amount and the recipient country’s general natural resource level. The results do not support the common notion that China is primarily interested in extracting natural resource deposits, aside from oil, from the host nation when they allocate their funding.

Originality/value
Overall, the paper supports the theoretical propositions of the new structural economics framework when it comes to the relationship between China’s funding and the recipient country’s characteristics.
Insights from analyzing corporate environmental and social disclosure
Authors: Sebastianelli Rose , Tamimi Nabil , Isil Ozgur , Rocco Vincent 
Published: August 2024

PurposeThis paper aims to investigate the potential mediating effect of environmental disclosure on the relationship between corporate governance and the disclosure of social information by disaggregating Bloomberg ESG (Environmental-Social-Governance) scores. The polluting level of a company is examined for its potential moderating effect.Design/methodology/approachThe focus is on the S&P 500. A structural equation model (SEM) is proposed that considers the effects of governance board constructs on the voluntary disclosure of social information (S-score) mediated by the voluntary disclosure of environmental information (E-score). The model is fit separately for two groups of companies (high-polluting and low-polluting), and the path coefficients are compared.FindingsConsistent with prior research, board independence, gender diversity, and size positively impact voluntary environmental disclosure; board age is found to have a significant but negative effect. The estimated path coefficient from E-score to S-score is strong, positive, and significant; environmental disclosure fully mediates the relationship between corporate governance and social disclosure. This path coefficient is significantly greater for those companies in the high-polluting group.Originality/valueThe findings indicate that high-polluting companies may engage in increased voluntary disclosure of social information as reputation insurance. E-score fully mediates the relationship between corporate governance and S-score more strongly for high-polluting companies, suggesting this group is more likely to engage in and report on socially responsible behaviors to deflect attention away from environmental performance (i.e. greendeflecting).
EFQM in vocational education – teacher and student perspectives
Authors: Gianni Maria , Kontou Efthalia , Avdikos Ilias , Kessopoulou Eftychia , Xanthopoulou Styliani 
Published: August 2024

Purpose
Stakeholder satisfaction relates closely to service quality and performance of educational organizations. Often, this relationship is addressed in literature through the lens of excellence models, such as the European Foundation for Quality Management (EFQM) model. Nevertheless, limited studies focus on the effect of the EFQM model enablers on stakeholder satisfaction and hardly any in vocational education. To fill this void, the aim of this paper is to investigate the relationship between EFQM enablers (leadership, human resources, processes) and stakeholder satisfaction under the different perspectives of teachers and students in Greek public vocational education.

Design/methodology/approach
To address the research purpose, the authors used the case study methodology. The authors used mixed research methods, the focus group method and survey. Specifically, the focus group method used to distill the EFQM enablers related to the Greek context and to develop a questionnaire administered to teachers and students of a vocational education school. From September 2021 to June 2022, 90 teachers and 216 students participated in the survey.

Findings
The partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) method was used for data analysis, indicating that leadership and human resources have a positive and significant relationship with the satisfaction of both students and teachers. However, results did not corroborate the relationship between processes and stakeholder satisfaction either from the student’s or the teacher’s perspective.

Originality/value
This paper fills a gap in existing literature by exploring the impact of EFQM enablers on stakeholder satisfaction in vocational education and training (VET), from the perspectives of both teachers and students. The findings assist VET institutions in prioritizing areas for improvement and help companies to develop strategies that consider key stakeholders' needs.
Centralized feature pyramid‐based supervised deep learning for object detection model from GPR data
Authors: Yan Kun , Xu Xianlei , Zhu Pengqiao , Zhang Zhaoyang 
Published: August 2024

AbstractTo address low detection accuracy and speed due to the multisolvability of the ground‐penetrating radar signal, we proposed a novel centralized feature pyramid‐YOLOv6l–based model to enhance detection precision and speed in road damage and pipeline detection. The centralized feature pyramid was used to obtain rich intra‐layer features and improve the network performance. Our proposed model achieves higher accuracy compared with the existing detection models. We also built two new evaluating indexes, relative average precision and relative mean average precision, to fully evaluate the detection accuracy. To verify the applicability of our model, we conducted a road field detection experiment on a ground‐penetrating radar dataset we collected and found that the proposed model had good performance in increasing detection precision, achieving the highest mean average precision compared with YOLOv7, YOLOv5 and YOLOx models, with relative mean average precision and frame rate per second at 16.38% and 30.5%, respectively. The detection information for the road damage and pipeline were used to conduct three‐dimensional imaging. Our model is suitable for object detection in ground‐penetrating radar images, thereby providing technical support for road damage and underground pipeline detection.
Estimating the effects of smolt size and migration timing on salmon marine survival using a multivariate mixed‐effect model
Authors: Bond Morgan H. , Chasco Brandon , Zabel Richard W. 
Published: August 2024

Abstract

When the conditions encountered by a migratory species are highly variable, the timing of migration and migrant condition are critical to survival. Spring/summer‐run Chinook salmon in the Snake River of the Northwestern United States are listed as threatened under the US Endangered Species Act because of decades of poor adult returns; juvenile smolt‐to‐adult survival is often 0.5% or less. Juveniles pass through eight dams en route to the ocean, and despite changes to the hydropower system, there has been little recent improvement in survival. We analysed the effect of migration date, fish length and their interaction on the survival to adulthood of 409,747 wild juvenile Chinook salmon as they migrated through a large, dynamic riverine ecosystem and through the ocean, measured over 20 years.

Parametric 2D smoothers are often used to quantify unexplained heterogeneity across space; however, these same statistical models can be applied to 2D datasets to uncover patterns of covariance of two biological processes important to management actions. We employ Gaussian Markov random fields (GMRF) and a 2D smoother to estimates of fish survival to identify the nature of variation in survival with respect to length and date.

We found significant effects of fish length, migration date and the date‐by‐length interaction on resulting riverine and marine survival. Unlike the gradual shifts in survival in relation to length and timing that marginal estimates demonstrate, we show that within year, changes in survival with length and timing are often more abrupt than previously thought.

Synthesis and applications: Inter‐annually, we identified distinct combinations of fish length and migration timing leading to elevated smolt‐to‐adult survival. Often these ‘hotspots’ are compressed into fish sizes greater than 100 mm and passage timings of only a week or two, demonstrating that even modest shifts in body size and migration timing can have a significant effect on survival. Further research can concentrate on these distinct annual periods to identify sources of mortality that have previously been elusive.
The efficacy and costing of termite (Blattodea: Termitoidae) survey methods in Australian tropical savannas
Authors: Rochelmeyer Ellen , Richards Anna E. , Murphy Brett P. , Levick Shaun , Stobo‐Wilson Alyson M. , Evans Theo 
Published: August 2024

AbstractTermites are important ecosystem engineers in many ecosystems globally. Hence, surveys of termite species composition, abundance and activity can be important for understanding ecosystem function—especially in biomes where they tend to be abundant, such as tropical savannas. However, comprehensively surveying termites can be challenging due to their cryptic nature and varied feeding and nesting habits, which strongly influence the effectiveness of different survey methods. Baiting and active searches of reduced transects are two methods commonly used to sample termites, and while these methods have been evaluated in the savannas of South Africa, this has not occurred in the extensive tropical savannas of northern Australia. Thus, this study evaluated the effectiveness of baits and reduced transects to assess termite species richness and activity across 18 × 1 ha experimental plots in a tropical savanna near Darwin, Australia. Surveys in each plot consisted of two 60 × 2 m transects and a 9 × 3 baiting grid of alternating buried wood and paper baits and surface straw baits. Baits were checked three times: at 4‐, 7‐ and 10‐week intervals following placement. Upon survey completion, the sampling effort, efficacy and costs of each method were compared. Reduced transects detected all 32 species recorded in this study, representing four feeding groups (from undecayed wood to highly decayed organic material in the soil). Baiting detected 20 species, but failed to detect some of the species that fed on decayed materials. Paper baits, checked only twice (at 4 and 10 weeks following placement), were required to detect all species sampled at both wood and paper baits. Therefore, overall baiting costs could be reduced (without data loss) by using paper baits only and reducing the number of bait checks. Compared with baiting using all three bait types, reduced transects detected the most species and had the lowest per‐species cost. Consequently, reduced transect surveys are the most effective method in these northern Australian savannas when assessing species composition. However, if the abundance of species that feed on undecayed wood or levels of termite activity are being assessed, then reduced baiting is a more appropriate method.
The molecular basis of lactase persistence: Linking genetics and epigenetics
Authors: Cohen Céleste E. , Swallow Dallas M. , Walker Catherine 
Published: August 2024

AbstractLactase persistence (LP) — the genetic trait that determines the continued expression of the enzyme lactase into adulthood — has undergone recent, rapid positive selection since the advent of animal domestication and dairying in some human populations. While underlying evolutionary explanations have been widely posited and studied, the molecular basis of LP remains less so. This review considers the genetic and epigenetic bases of LP. Multiple single‐nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in an LCT enhancer in intron 13 of the neighbouring MCM6 gene are associated with LP. These SNPs alter binding of transcription factors (TFs) and likely prevent age‐related increases in methylation in the enhancer, maintaining LCT expression into adulthood to cause LP. However, the complex relationship between the genetics and epigenetics of LP is not fully characterised, and the mode of action of methylation quantitative trait loci (meQTLs) (SNPs affecting methylation) generally remains poorly understood. Here, we examine published LP data to propose a model describing how methylation in the LCT enhancer is prevented in LP adults. We argue that this occurs through altered binding of the TF Oct‐1 (encoded by the gene POU2F1) and neighbouring TFs GATA‐6 (GATA6), HNF‐3A (FOXA1) and c‐Ets1 (ETS1) acting in concert. We therefore suggest a plausible new model for LCT downregulation in the context of LP, with wider relevance for future work on the mechanisms of other meQTLs.
The right to dream: Martin Luther King Jr.’s pragmatist argument for racial progress
Authors: Tampio Nicholas 
Published: August 2024

AbstractDo Americans have a right to believe that the country is making racial progress? Conservatives sometimes answer yes and argue that the country is achieving Martin Luther King Jr.’s dream of a color‐blind society. Afropessimists answer no and point to the continuing problems of police terror, mass incarceration, and poverty among Black Americans. This article unearths King's 1952 term paper on the pragmatists to reveal an early engagement with William James’ notion of the will to believe. The article interprets King as articulating a right to dream of a just and loving world to maximize the chance of the community actualizing it. The conclusion argues that the idea of a right to dream helps people become energized rather than despondent in the aftermath of the Supreme Court case prohibiting race‐conscious college admissions.
Genetic polymorphisms of calpain1 and calpain3 genes and their effects on growth, carcass, and meat quality traits in Betong chicken (KU line)
Authors: Bungsrisawat Panatda , Tumwasorn Sornthep , Loongyai Wiriya , Nakthong Sasitorn , Nitthaisong Pattama , Tanaka Hidenori , Akashi Ryo , Sopannarath Panwadee 
Published: August 2024

AbstractBetong chicken (KU line) is a slow‐growing Thai native chicken used for meat production. The objectives of this study were to identify polymorphisms of the calpain1 (CAPN1) and calpain3 (CAPN3) genes and to investigate their effects on growth, carcass, and meat quality traits in Betong chickens (KU line). A sample of 252 Betong chickens (KU line) was screened for CAPN1 and CAPN3 polymorphisms. The polymorphisms of CAPN1 were detected using gel electrophoresis and DNA sequencing, whereas the polymorphisms of CAPN3 were identified using restriction fragment length polymorphism. Polymorphisms were detected in both CAPN1 (AA, AB, and BB genotypes) and CAPN3 (CC, CT, and TT genotypes). The frequency of the B allele was higher than for the A allele (0.78 and 0.22, respectively) in CAPN1, while the C allelic frequency was higher than for the T allele (0.54 and 0.46, respectively) in CAPN3. The CAPN1 genotype and the combination of the CAPN1 and CAPN3 genotypes could be used as genetic markers for meat lightness. The CAPN3 could be useful for increasing body weight, live weight, and breast meat weight in Betong chickens (KU line).
An emerging epidemic of allergic contact dermatitis due to phytonadione epoxide (oxidised vitamin K1)
Authors: Gatica‐Ortega María E. , Pastor‐Nieto María A. , Giménez‐Arnau Ana María , Mercader‐García Pedro , Serra‐Baldrich Esther , Zaragoza‐Ninet Violeta , Sanz‐Sánchez Tatiana , Sánchez‐Gilo Araceli , Pesqué David , Tous‐Romero Fátima , Ortiz‐de‐Frutos Francisco Javier , de la Rosa‐Fernández Eduardo , Dorta‐Alom Sara , Elosua‐González Marta , González‐Pérez Ricardo , Carrascosa‐Carrillo José Manuel , Munera‐Campos Mónica , Silvestre‐Salvador Juan Francisco , Miquel‐Miquel Javier , de Mateo Minguez Antonio , Borrego Leopoldo 
Published: August 2024

AbstractBackgroundReports of allergic contact dermatitis (ACD) to phytonadione epoxide (PE) in cosmetics suggest that PE is as powerful a sensitiser as its parent compound phytonadione.ObjectiveTo evaluate a case series of ACD to PE in Spain.MethodsWe reviewed the records of 20 patients with ACD to cosmetics containing PE diagnosed across Spain between January 2019 and June 2023.ResultsAll 20 patients developed patch test (PT) or repeated open application test (ROAT) reactions to cosmetics containing PE. All involved women with eyelid eczema. PT or ROAT with PE preparations were positive in 17/20 (85%). PE at 1%, 5%, 10% and 20% in pet. was patch‐tested in 8/17, 14/17, 11/17 and 8/17 patients; being positive in 6/8 (75%), 13/14 (92.85%), 11/11 (100%) and 8/8 (100%), respectively.ConclusionRegulators should, not only ban the specific dangerous cosmetic ingredients, but also consider to ban or keep under close surveillance those closely related products or derivatives that might potentially cause similar harmful effects. PTs with PE are suggested to be performed at a 5% concentration in pet. Higher concentrations (10% pet.) should be tested whenever PTs with 5% pet. PE are negative.
Autism screening and diagnostic outcomes among toddlers born preterm
Authors: Hamner Taralee , Perez Liz Georgina , Kelly Kiva , Nanovic Sarah , Turchi Renee , Fein Deborah , Robins Diana L. 
Published: August 2024

AbstractAimTo examine the Modified Checklist for Autism in Toddlers, Revised, with Follow‐Up (M‐CHAT‐R/F), with follow‐up screening and diagnostic outcomes for children born preterm. A secondary aim was to examine diagnostic evaluation attendance after screening to inform clinical practice.MethodUsing a cross‐sectional design, 9725 toddlers (4951 males; 4774 females) whose gestational age was reported were screened at 15‐month, 18‐month, or 24‐month well‐child visits; screen‐positive children were invited for an autism evaluation. Screening measure performance and diagnostic outcomes were evaluated according to preterm classification (Screening: nExtPreterm = 111; nVeryPreterm = 186; nModPreterm = 1122; nFullTerm = 8306; Evaluation: nExtPreterm = 27; nVeryPreterm = 21; nModPreterm = 86; nFullTerm = 301).ResultsScreen‐positive rates were highest for children born extremely preterm (51.35%) and lowest for children born at term (6.95%). Evaluation attendance for screen‐positive cases did not differ according to preterm classification. Rates of autism diagnoses differed depending on preterm birth status: for children born extremely preterm, it was 16.05%; for children born very preterm, it was 2.00%; for children born moderately preterm, it was 2.89%; and for children born at term, it was 1.49%. M‐CHAT‐R/F sensitivity decreased with increasing gestational age, whereas specificity improved with increasing gestational age. Positive predictive value was highest for children born extremely preterm and children born at term. Negative predictive value was consistently strong across all groups. The likelihood ratio for positive screening increased with gestational age.InterpretationThe sensitivity and specificity of the M‐CHAT‐R/F are acceptable in toddlers born preterm. Autism screening‐positive rates and prevalence increased with earlier preterm birth. Those born extremely preterm showed the greatest likelihood of an autism diagnosis; screening should not be delayed based on adjusted age.
A Delphi‐study to identify drivers of future angling participation in five Nordic countries
Authors: Stensland Stian , Skov Christian , Agnarsson Sveinn , Rönnbäck Patrik , Vehanen Teppo , Blicharska Malgorzata , Olaussen Jon Olaf , Kagervall Anders , Hellström Gustav , Blyth Samuel , Gundelund Casper , Aas Øystein 
Published: August 2024

AbstractThe Delphi method was used to gather assessments from 93 experts about drivers of future angling participation by locals and tourist anglers in Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden. The main drivers of future angling participation related to habitat and fish populations, and access to and information about fishing. For Norway and Finland, the predicted future decline in local angler numbers was consistent with a life‐cycle model of recreational fisheries, while the anticipated increase for the three other countries contradicted the model. For tourist anglers, growth was expected for both domestic and foreign tourists. Long‐term and societal drivers, such as urbanization, sociocultural changes, and climate change were not seen as strong drivers, and may be considered out of reach by managers, but should be included with information and conservation drivers in angler recruitment and retention strategies.
TFE3‐rearranged nonmelanotic renal PEComa: a case series expanding their phenotypic and fusion landscape
Authors: Agaimy Abbas , Acosta Andres M , Cheng Liang , Collins Katrina , Fridman Eddie , Schubart Christoph , Williamson Sean R , Hartmann Arndt , Trpkov Kiril 
Published: August 2024

AimsA subset of exceptionally rare primary renal perivascular epithelioid cell tumours (PEComas) that harbour Xp11.2 translocation have been reported, but no larger series devoted to this topic have been published.Methods and ResultsWe describe the clinicopathological and molecular features of 10 renal PEComas, collected from our routine and consultation files. There were five female and five male patients aged 14–65 (median: 32 years). One patient had a history of childhood neuroblastoma, but no patients were known to have a tuberous sclerosis complex or other hereditary disorder. Complete surgical excision was the treatment for all patients. The available follow‐up in five patients indicated a favourable outcome in 4/5 cases. Tumour size ranged from 2.8 to 15.2 cm (median, 5.2 cm). Immunohistochemistry revealed consistently strong TFE3 expression in all tumours, whereas PAX8 and keratin cocktails were uniformly negative. Other positive markers included HMB45 (7/9 tumours), CathepsinK (7/9 tumours), and CD117 (KIT) (3/5 tumours). TFE3 rearrangements were detected in 8/9 tumours (by targeted RNA sequencing in seven and by FISH in one). The identified fusion partners included SFPQ (n = 2) and one tumour each with ASPSCR1, ZC3H4, MED15, RBMX, and PRCC. One tumour that lacked TFE3 rearrangement by next‐generation sequencing (NGS) and fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) revealed a large intrachromosomal deletion involving PKD1 and TSC2 by DNA‐based NGS.ConclusionThis study highlights the morphologic and genetic diversity of TFE3‐rearranged primary renal PEComas and underlines the value of surrogate TFE3 immunohistochemistry in identifying them. The lack of PAX8 and keratin expression represents the mainstay for distinguishing these tumours from MiTF‐associated renal cell carcinomas. In addition, we report rare (ZC3H4, RBMX) and novel (MED15) TFE3 fusion partners in PEComa.