bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Unraveling Genome- and Immunome-wide Genetic Diversity in Jaguars (Panthera onca): Implications for Targeted Conservation
Authors: Meißner René , Winter Sven , Elbers Jean Pierre , Plášil Martin , Futas Ján , Mohandesan Elmira , Sharif Muhammad Bilal , Hořín Petr , Prost Stefan , Burger Pamela A. 
Published: May 2024

AbstractOur study examines the declining Jaguar populations in Central and South America, assessing the impact of habitat loss and fragmentation on genetic diversity and local adaptation. We investigated population structure and immunome variability in 25 jaguars to identify unique genetic diversity for informed, targeted conservation. Our genome-wide analyses revealed three distinct geographic populations corresponding to Central America, South American lowland, and South American highland regions. While the highland population displayed lower overall immunome-wide variability, specific innate (Natural killer cell complex, Toll-like receptor) and adaptive (Major histocompatibility complex-class-II) immune genes crucial for adaptive responses showed promising diversity. Nonetheless, South American highland and Central American jaguars are severely threatened. Therefore, we propose re-evaluating evolutionary significant units to prioritize conservation efforts, preserving crucial genetic and adaptive diversity essential for the species’ resilience and long-term survival.
Machine learning models can identify individuals based on a resident oral bacteriophage family
Authors: Mahmoudabadi Gita , Homyk Kelsey , Catching Adam , Mahmoudabadi Ana , Foley Helen , Tadmor Arbel D. , Phillips Rob 
Published: May 2024

AbstractMetagenomic studies have revolutionized the study of novel phages. However these studies trade depth of coverage for breadth. We show that the targeted sequencing of a small region of a phage terminase family can provide sufficient sequence diversity to serve as an individual-specific barcode or a “phageprint’’, defined as the relative abundance profile of the variants within a terminase family. By collecting ∼700 oral samples from ∼100 individuals living on multiple continents, we found a consistent trend wherein each individual harbors one or two dominant variants that coexist with numerous low-abundance variants. By tracking phageprints over the span of a month across ten individuals, we observed that phageprints were generally stable, and found instances of concordant temporal fluctuations of variants shared between partners. To quantify these patterns further, we built machine learning models that, with high precision and recall, distinguished individuals even when we eliminated the most abundant variants and further downsampled phageprints to 2% of the remaining variants. Except between partners, phageprints are dissimilar between individuals, and neither country-of-residence, genetics, diet nor cohabitation seem to play a role in the relatedness of phageprints across individuals. By sampling from six different oral sites, we were able to study the impact of millimeters to a few centimeters of separation on an individual’s phageprint and found that such limited spatial separation results in site-specific phageprints.
Molecular surveillance to monitor the prevalence of tetracycline resistance inNeisseria gonorrhoeae
Authors: Oliveira Roster Kirstin I. , Mittelstaedt Rachel , Reyes Jordan , Aatresh Aishani V. , Grad Yonatan H. 
Published: May 2024

AbstractDoxycycline post-exposure prophylaxis (Doxy-PEP) reduces bacterial sexually transmitted infections (STIs) but may select for tetracycline resistance in Neisseria gonorrhoeae and co-resistance to other antibiotics, including ceftriaxone.. The implementation of doxy-PEP should be accompanied by monitoring doxycycline resistance, but the optimal strategy to detect changes in the prevalence of resistance has not been established. We used a deterministic compartmental model of gonorrhea transmission to evaluate the performance of two strategies in providing early warning signals for rising resistance: (1) phenotypic testing of cultured isolates and (2) PCR for tetM in remnants from positive Nucleic Acid Amplification Tests (NAATs) used for gonorrhea diagnosis. For each strategy, we calculated the resistance proportion with 90% simulation intervals as well as the time under each sampling strategy to achieve 95% confidence that the resistance proportion exceeded a resistance threshold ranging from 11-30%. Given the substantially larger available sample size, PCR for tetM in remnant NAATs detected increased high-level tetracycline resistance with high confidence faster than phenotypic testing of cultured specimens. Our results suggest that population surveillance using molecular testing for tetM can complement culture-based surveillance of tetracycline resistance in N. gonorrhoeae and inform policy considerations for doxy-PEP.
Gut microbiota development in very preterm infants following fortification of human milk
Authors: Yang Lin , Hui Yan , Sangild Per Torp , Kot Witold Piotr , Aunsholt Lise , Zachariassen Gitte , Jiang Ping-Ping , Nielsen Dennis Sandris 
Published: May 2024

AbstractBackgroundVery preterm infants (VPIs) are born with an immature gut, being sensitive to gut microbiota dysbiosis-related disease like necrotizing enterocolitis. While human milk is the best source of nutrition for VPIs, it requires fortification to meet their nutrient requirements for optimal growth. However, the optimal type of fortifier remains uncertain. Bovine colostrum (BC), rich in protein and bioactive components, may be an alternative to conventional fortifiers (CF). We aimed to investigate the distinct impacts of different bovine fortifiers, BC and CF, on the gut microbiota of VPIs. The gut microbiota of 225 VPIs who were fed human milk fortified with either BC or CF, were profiled by 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing of fecal samples collected before, one and two weeks of fortification.ResultsFortifier type affected the microbial community structure to a modest extent, but only explaining 1% of the variance, and no specific taxa differed between the BC and CF groups. This fortifier-derived impact was predominantly observed in VPIs born via caesarean section. Birth mode exhibited transient effects on microbial community structure shortly after birth, with caesarean section-born VPIs dominated byFirmicutes, while vaginally-born VPIs were dominated byProteobacteria. This birth mode-derived difference diminished with age and disappeared around one month after birth. The fecal pH, increased by BC, was positively correlated withStaphylococcusandCorynebacterium, and negatively withBifidobacteriumabundance. The change in relative abundance ofStaphylococcuswas negatively correlated with weight gain.ConclusionCollectively, fortification of human milk with BC or CF does influence the gut microbiota of VPIs but only to a modest extent during early life. Conversely, birth mode appears to be a significant temporary factor influencing the gut microbiota during this period.Our findings are consistent with existing literature and support the idea that the choice of fortifier has limited effects on gut microbiota development in the first month of life of VPIs.
Study of the
B−→K−ηηc
decay due to the
DD¯
bound state
Authors: Li Xin-Qiang , Liu Li-Juan , Wang En , Wei Le-Le 
Published: May 2024

We study the B−→K−ηηc decay by taking into account the S-wave contributions from the pseudoscalar meson-pseudoscalar meson interactions within the unitary coupled-channel approach, where the DD¯ bound state is dynamically generated. In addition, the contribution from the intermediate resonance K0*(1430)−, with K0*(1430)−→K−η, is also considered. Our results show that there is a clear peak around 3720 MeV in the ηηc invariant mass distribution, which could be associated with the DD¯ bound state. The future precise measurements of the B−→K−ηηc process at the Belle II and LHCb experiments could be, therefore, used to check the existence of the DD¯ bound state, and to deepen our understanding of the hadron-hadron interactions.

Published by the American Physical Society
2024
The impact of fiscal shocks on economic growth and income inequality in Ghana: is there a trade-off?
Authors: Mustapha Zenabu , Takyi Paul Owusu , Ayibor Raphael Edem , Adusah-Poku Frank 
Published: May 2024

PurposeThe study examines the impact of fiscal policy shocks on economic growth and income inequality in Ghana. This has become necessary because of the interdependence between growth and income inequality and the role fiscal policy plays in this relationship in the development process of a country. Thus, a study that investigates how government expenditure shock and tax revenue shock influence the relationship between economic growth and income inequality could assist policymakers to adopt the best policy mix to ensure income equity and sustained economic growth in Ghana.Design/methodology/approachIt employs sacrifice ratio from structural VAR model using quarterly time series data from 1996 to 2019 on Ghana.FindingsOur results show that government expenditure shock impacts economic growth, exchange rate and education positively and significantly in the long run. Also, tax revenue shock has a positive impact on income inequality, economic growth and education. The findings further show that there exists a trade-off between economic growth and income inequality in the long run.Originality/valueThe relationships between fiscal policy shocks, economic growth and income inequality have been extensively discussed among scholars. Understanding how these three macroeconomic variables are determined and their interrelationships are crucial for policymakers. This is because fiscal policy aids in both economic growth and income inequality. In the empirical literature, the emphasis has been on independently estimating the growth effects of fiscal policy or the distribution effects of fiscal policy, leaving out the existence of possible trade-off between economic growth and income inequality following a fiscal shock. To the best of our knowledge, no empirical study has been done on Ghana to empirically examine the trade-off between economic growth and income inequality as we do in this paper.
Graphics based business process harnessing tools, advancing digital maturity of business
Authors: Telukdarie Arnesh , Tshukudu Christian , Sishi Mike 
Published: May 2024

PurposeThe advancement of digital maturity at a business level has proven to be challenging, with limited time, resources and skills in extracting and mapping business processes. In order to advance digitalization, the mapping of all business activities is essential. To close this gap, this research is aimed at enabling the operational level extraction and classification of business activities using a graphical methodology. This objective is accomplished through the development of a digital tool that leverages Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC) principles.Design/methodology/approachThis research is focused on facilitating rapid extraction of business activities with the adoption of a graphical methodology. Business activities are captured through a digital tool in a structured, interlinked and hierarchical manner.FindingsNotably, this work is novel as it introduces a new graphical tool to replace traditional tools in the domain of Business Process Mapping (BPM). This graphical tool is distinguished by a unique feature; that is a self-configuring database with the flexibility to capture all process options, providing innovative solutions to the challenges faced in digitalizing business processes.Originality/valueThis work is original in that a new graphical interface is developed to replace traditional tools in the space of BP data gathering. The unique challenge of an auto configuring database with flexibility to capture all process options is presented.
Raised under bad stars: negotiating a culture of disaster preparedness
Authors: Starosta Daniel 
Published: May 2024

PurposeThe ways communities have regarded disasters and natural hazards in the cultural sphere can provide a lens to inform the understanding of their ability to withstand shocks and the factors that led to such conditions. Only by tracing the complexities of creating, transmitting and preserving a culture of preparedness among disaster-vulnerable communities can researchers and practitioners claim to be working toward policy that is informed by the communities’ own experience and design policy or programming on their behalf.Design/methodology/approachIn efforts to prevent, respond to and recover from disasters, what alternatives are available to top-down strategies for imposing expert knowledge on lay publics? How is the context of communities’ socioecological context understood in the development of programs and policy on their behalf? What can be learned from community narratives and cultural practices to inform disaster risk reduction?FindingsI collected examples of how different communities perceive, prevent and respond to disaster through art, music and literature and analyzed how these were embedded into local narratives and how historical context influenced such approaches. My findings show that communities use cultural practices to contextualize experiences of hazards into their collective narrative; that is, storytelling and commemoration make disasters comprehensible. By incorporating such findings into existing policies and programs, institutions may be able to more effectively apply them to affected communities or build new ones around their actual needs and experiences.Originality/valueBy framing disasters as an anthropological inquiry, practitioners can better recognize the influence of a place’s nuance in the disaster management canon–guided by these details, not despite them.
Damping accumulative NDAGM(1,N, α) power model and its applications
Authors: Li Ye , Wang Chengyun , Liu Junjuan 
Published: May 2024

PurposeIn this essay, a new NDAGM(1,N,α) power model is recommended to resolve the hassle of the distinction between old and new information, and the complicated nonlinear traits between sequences in real behavior systems.Design/methodology/approachFirstly, the correlation aspect sequence is screened via a grey integrated correlation degree, and the damped cumulative generating operator and power index are introduced to define the new model. Then the non-structural parameters are optimized through the genetic algorithm. Finally, the pattern is utilized for the prediction of China’s natural gas consumption, and in contrast with other models.FindingsBy altering the unknown parameters of the model, theoretical deduction has been carried out on the newly constructed model. It has been discovered that the new model can be interchanged with the traditional grey model, indicating that the model proposed in this article possesses strong compatibility. In the case study, the NDAGM(1,N,α) power model demonstrates superior integrated performance compared to the benchmark models, which indirectly reflects the model’s heightened sensitivity to disparities between new and old information, as well as its ability to handle complex linear issues.Practical implicationsThis paper provides a scientifically valid forecast model for predicting natural gas consumption. The forecast results can offer a theoretical foundation for the formulation of national strategies and related policies regarding natural gas import and export.Originality/valueThe primary contribution of this article is the proposition of a grey multivariate prediction model, which accommodates both new and historical information and is applicable to complex nonlinear scenarios. In addition, the predictive performance of the model has been enhanced by employing a genetic algorithm to search for the optimal power exponent.
Students-staff classroom co-creation as model of employability skills development in a Nigerian university
Authors: Babalola Samuel Oluwasanmi 
Published: May 2024

PurposeThe paper explored students-staff classroom co-creation and students' involvement in out-of-class engagements as means of fostering employability skills in higher education institutions (HEIs). The paper aimed to present an alternative but equally effective means that HEIs can leverage to foster relevant 21st Century employability skills among undergraduates using day-to-day in-class and out-of-class activities and other non-formal campus activities.Design/methodology/approachThe study adopted descriptive survey design. A total of 350 undergraduates who participate in out-of-class activities were purposively selected from seven (7) faculties. An instrument designed by the author was used to gather data for the study. The instrument was subjected to Cronbach Alpha analysis for item-by-item consistency and it yielded the reliability co-efficient of 0.88. Data collected from the respondents were analyzed using descriptive statistics of frequency count, mean and standard deviation.FindingsInteractive classrooms, where students and lecturers co-create to provide solutions to problems enhance students' self-esteem, problem solving, analytical, communication and leadership skills amongst others. It was also found that students who got involved in one or more out-of-class activity on campus acquire specific competencies such as networking, collaboration, communication, leadership, multidisciplinary thinking, etc.Research limitations/implicationsDue to a limited sample size, it might be inappropriate to generalize findings. Researchers are encouraged to test this proposition further.Practical implicationsThe paper highlights the need for HEIs to leverage student-staff co-creation and out-of-class engagement in their bid to produce employable graduates.Originality/valueThis paper clearly presents alternative but effective means of fostering employability in HEIs.
Understanding service ecosystem dynamics: a typology
Authors: As’ad Nabila , Patrício Lia , Koskela-Huotari Kaisa , Edvardsson Bo 
Published: May 2024

PurposeThe service environment is becoming increasingly turbulent, leading to calls for a systemic understanding of it as a set of dynamic service ecosystems. This paper advances this understanding by developing a typology of service ecosystem dynamics that explains the varying interplay between change and stability within the service environment through distinct behavioral patterns exhibited by service ecosystems over time.Design/methodology/approachThis study builds upon a systematic literature review of service ecosystems literature and uses system dynamics as a method theory to abductively analyze extant literature and develop a typology of service ecosystem dynamics.FindingsThe paper identifies three types of service ecosystem dynamics—behavioral patterns of service ecosystems—and explains how they unfold through self-adjustment processes and changes within different systemic leverage points. The typology of service ecosystem dynamics consists of (1) reproduction (i.e. stable behavioral pattern), (2) reconfiguration (i.e. unstable behavioral pattern) and (3) transition (i.e. disrupting, shifting behavioral pattern).Practical implicationsThe typology enables practitioners to gain a deeper understanding of their service environment by discerning the behavioral patterns exhibited by the constituent service ecosystems. This, in turn, supports them in devising more effective strategies for navigating through it.Originality/valueThe paper provides a precise definition of service ecosystem dynamics and shows how the identified three types of dynamics can be used as a lens to empirically examine change and stability in the service environment. It also offers a set of research directions for tackling service research challenges.
The governance role of R&D specialist auditors: Evidence from discretionary R&D expenditure
Authors: Lee Eugenia Y. , Ha Wonsuk 
Published: May 2024

Purpose
This study aims to examine whether auditors who specialize in research and development (R&D) activities help reduce managers’ opportunistic adjustment of R&D expenditure for real earnings management (REM).

Design/methodology/approach
Using a sample of US firms during the 2001–2017 period, the authors identify auditors’ R&D specialization as their prior experience of auditing R&D expenses spent by each client’s peers. The authors measure R&D-based REM as the negative deviation from the predicted level of R&D expenditure.

Findings
The authors find that clients of R&D specialist auditors are less likely to engage in REM through a discretionary reduction of R&D expenditure. This effect is more pronounced when clients face higher competition, have larger investment opportunities and entail higher audit risks.

Practical implications
This study shows that auditors’ specialized knowledge can facilitate stronger monitoring of clients’ real decisions, providing implications for auditors’ knowledge acquisition and transfer in specific types of transactions.

Originality/value
This study contributes to the literature by documenting the governance role played by R&D specialist auditors in clients’ real economic decisions. Moreover, the study identifies R&D as a distinct area of auditor specialization.
Impact of goal congruence on higher education institutions’ performance quality
Authors: Singh Mahesh , Paliwal Jaiprakash , Rao Manoj Kumar , Raibagkar Shirish 
Published: May 2024

Purpose
In India, national accreditation agencies stipulate that internal quality control in higher education institutions (HEIs) is to be institutionalized through internal quality assurance cells that are responsible for implementing and controlling quality systems. As the concept of goal congruence is central to a control process, this study aims to examine whether goal congruence is observed in such institutions. The impact of the absence of goal congruence on the quality of performance in higher education was also examined.

Design/methodology/approach
This cross-sectional study measured the impact of goal congruence or the lack thereof on the performance quality of HEIs as defined in the evaluation criteria of the apex accreditation agency, the National Assessment and Accreditation Council. Two hypotheses were tested using t-tests and regression analysis. Focus group discussions were conducted to elicit participants’ suggestions.

Findings
The results showed a lack of goal congruence between HEIs’ quality goals and their faculty’s personal goals, which adversely impacts the quality of their performance, as indicated by an average disagreement of 81% on a ten-statement scale. Goal congruence as an independent variable explained 63% of the variability in HEIs’ performance quality, and the results were statistically significant, indicating that lack of goal congruence is an important contributor to poor performance among HEIs.

Originality/value
Accreditation of HEIs is a global practice; hence, the findings of this study and the importance of goal congruence apply not only to India but also to HEIs globally.
The power (and caveats) of body mapping as a visual methodology with vulnerable youth
Authors: Jama Pateka Pamella , Wood Lesley , Ndlovu Nkomo Annah 
Published: May 2024

PurposeThis study aims to explore the NEET (Not in Education, Employment and Training) experiences of young people living in impoverished settings.Design/methodology/approachMethodologically, this study was informed by a qualitative analysis of visual and textual data related to a body mapping exercise with eleven young people who were participants in a four-day start-up workshop in a larger action research project.FindingsThe findings reveal that, although being NEET negatively affects young people’s self-esteem, confidence, hope for the future and general well-being, body mapping can help them discover latent assets useful for reducing their insecurities.Originality/valueResearchers using this method need to be well prepared to deal with possible emotional trauma, and to this end, we provide some guidelines for the effective implementation of body mapping.