bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Revealing the hidden social structure of pigs with AI assisted automated monitoring data and social network analysis
Authors: Agha Saif , Psota Eric , Turner Simon P. , Lewis Craig R. G. , Steibel Juan P , Doeschl-Wilson Andrea 
Published: January 2025

AbstractSocial interactions of farm animals affect their performance, health and welfare. The recent advances in AI-automated monitoring technologies offer digital phenotypes, at low-cost, that record the animals in real-time. This proof-of-concept study addresses, for the first time, the hypothesis that applying social network analysis (SNA) on automated data could potentially facilitate the analysis of social structures of farm animals. Data was collected using automated recording systems that captured 2D camera images and videos of pigs in six pens (16–19 animals each) on a PIC breeding company farm (USA). The system provided real-time data, including ear-tag readings, elapsed time, posture (standing, lying, sitting), and XY coordinates of the shoulder and rump for each pig. Weighted SNA was performed, based on the proximity of “standing” animals, for two 3-day periods: the early growing period (first month after mixing) and the later period (60 days post-mixing). Group level degree, betweenness, and closeness centralization showed a significant increase from the early growing period to the later one (p<0.02), highlighting the pigś social dynamics over time. Largest clique size remained unchanged (p=0.28), but the number of maximal cliques significantly decreased from the early to late growing period (p=0.007). Individual SNA traits were stable over these periods, except for closeness centrality and clustering coefficient which significantly increased (p<0.00001). This study demonstrates that combining AI-assisted monitoring technologies with SNA offers an efficient, real-time approach to gain novel insights into animal social interactions. This approach can optimize on-farm management or breeding practices, leading to improved animal performance, health, and welfare.HighlightsSocial network analysis (SNA) applied to automated monitoring data provides novel insight into social interactions of pigs.Group level SNA centralization traits highlighted pigs ‘social dynamics over time.The stability of key individual SNA traits can be leveraged for breeding purposes.AI-assisted monitoring combined with SNA help optimizing management practices on commercial farms.
Alterations of Task-based fMRI Topology Underlying Cognitive Flexibility and Stability in Schizophrenia
Authors: Sundermeier Maren , Standke Isabel , Schubotz Ricarda I. , Dannlowski Udo , Lencer Rebekka , Mecklenbrauck Falko , Trempler Ima , Zahedi Anoushiravan 
Published: January 2025

AbstractRecently, it has been suggested that brain dysconnectivity in patients with schizophrenia contributes to the wide-ranging cognitive deficits that characterize the disorder. Graph theoretical analysis offers a unique method for studying how architectural alterations in large- scale brain networks may contribute to cognitive impairments in these patients. Implementing this technique, we analyzed the functional brain activity during a predictive switch-drift task from 21 patients with schizophrenia and 22 matched healthy controls. We specifically calculated task-based global graph measures for the functional networks that were activated during expected events, events requiring a flexible updating of predictions, and events that required the stabilization of predictions. By implementing Bayesian multivariate generalized linear models, we found functional network alterations during all event types, which indicated less centralized, less integrated, and simultaneously less segregated network topology in patients with schizophrenia compared to controls. In addition, the rate of correctly detected switches, requiring flexible updating of internal models, predicted global graph measures differently for patients compared to controls. In particular, lower cognitive flexibility in patients was associated with reduced integration of functional networks. Overall, the results indicate an adaptation of network topologies, resulting in less optimal network organization in patients with schizophrenia compared to healthy controls.
Roles Played by Enhancer of Split Transcription Factors inDrosophilaR7 Photoreceptor Specification
Authors: Ronald A. Arias , Yannis E. Mavromatakis , Tomlinson Andrew 
Published: January 2025

AbstractWhen a cell receives multiple developmental signals simultaneously, the intracellular transduction pathways triggered by those signals are coincidentally active. How then, do the cells decode the information contained within those multiple active pathways to derive a precise developmental directive? The specification of the Drosophila R7 photoreceptor is classic model system for investigating such questions. The R7 fate is specified by the combined actions of the of the Notch (N) and receptor tyrosine kinase (RTK) signaling pathways. The two pathways cross-communicate in an integrative mechanism but also supply information independently of each other. Collectively, this information is summed to provide an unambiguous directive for the R7 fate. Our goal is to understand these mechanisms. Here, we examine how N activity represses transcription of thephyllopodgene in the process of information integration with the RTK pathway, and how it represses expression of theseven-upgene in an independent mechanism needed for R7 fate. We describe how N activity achieves these transcriptional repressions, and identify Enhancer of Split transcription factors as the mediators of those actions.Summary StatementThis work examines the role played by Enhancer of Split transcription factors in mediating N signals in Drosophila R7 photoreceptor specification.
Enhancing digital access to Kenya’s archival materials through virtual and augmented reality technologies
Authors: Musembe Carolyne Nyaboke , Kwanya Tom , Chweya Naftali 
Published: January 2025

Purpose Digital transformation through technology integration to support information access across sectors is a global trend. However, the Kenya National Archives and Documentation Service (KNADS) has made minimal progress. This study assesses KNADS’ readiness to adopt Virtual and Augmented Reality technologies and examines their vital characteristics and applications in archival management.Design/methodology/approach Using a mixed-methods research approach, data were collected from 32 participants consisting of all KNADS top and middle management staff. Qualitative data were collected using interviews and analysed thematically, while quantitative data were collected through questionnaires and analysed using SPSS version 24.Findings KNADS collections are in physical formats. They are accessed and used physically. Similarly, KNADS does not have a comprehensive digital transformation strategy to integrate virtual and augmented reality technologies to guarantee continuity if physical access is disrupted.Practical implications KNADS should promote and provide the broadest possible accessibility of materials while respecting legal and ethical access restrictions, including public statutes, cultural protections, donor contracts and privacy requirements.Originality/value Although many studies have been conducted on technological adoption for archival access, the study explores this from a Global South perspective.
Role of electronic learning for continuing professional development of university librarians
Authors: Shahzad Khurram , Khan Shakeel Ahmad , Javeed Asfa Muhammed Din , Iqbal Abid , Ahmad Shakil 
Published: January 2025

Purpose
The purpose of this study is to know the perceptions of university librarians in Pakistan about the benefits of electronic learning for continuing professional development (CPD), to identify the motivating factors to engage librarians in electronic learning programmes for CPD and to investigate the challenges of adopting electronic learning faced by university librarians in Pakistan for CPD.

Design/methodology/approach
A quantitative research method followed by a survey research design was applied to address the study’s objectives. Quantitative data was gathered from the target population through a questionnaire. The target population of the study was consisted of all library professionals working in the Higher Education Commission (HEC)-recognized public and private sector universities of Pakistan.

Findings
The findings of the study showed that respondents positively realized the benefits of electronic learning for CPD. According to the results, organizational support is a prominent motivational factor for librarians to attend electronic learning programmes and develop their professional skills. Findings revealed that lack of technical support is identified as the most prominent problem in the effective adoption of electronic learning technologies. Technical challenges, such as inadequate infrastructure, poor networks, broadband access issues and low bandwidth, create obstacles for librarians in implementing electronic learning for their CPD.

Originality/value
This study is fruitful for library leadership to apply the emerging technologies to benefit from electronic learning for career development to deliver value-added services to the end users of university libraries.
Buckling analysis of orthotropic plates with various boundary conditions using a new hyperbolic shear displacement model: an analytical approach
Authors: Khalfi Yassine , Bouiadjra Bachir , Titah Mawloud 
Published: January 2025

PurposeThis paper introduces a closed-form solution for analyzing the buckling behavior of orthotropic plates using a refined plate theory with four variable parameters, leveraging a new hyperbolic shear displacement model.Design/methodology/approachThe proposed theory incorporates a quadratic variation of transverse shear strains across the plate’s thickness and satisfies zero traction boundary conditions on both the upper and lower surfaces without employing shear correction factors. The governing equations are derived from the principle of minimum total potential energy. Closed-form solutions for rectangular plates, with two opposite edges simply supported and the remaining two edges subjected to arbitrary boundary conditions, are obtained using the state space approach to the Levy-type solution. Comparative studies are conducted to validate the accuracy of the obtained results.FindingsThe paper successfully examines and discusses in detail the effects of boundary conditions, loading conditions, variations in modulus ratio and thickness ratio on the critical buckling load of orthotropic plates.Originality/valueThis study presents a novel and precise method for evaluating the buckling behavior of orthotropic plates. The refined plate theory, without the need for shear correction factors, offers significant insights and improvements in understanding the critical buckling load under various conditions, contributing valuable knowledge to the field of structural analysis.
Accessibility and perceived effect of Sadaqah on student situational poverty during Covid-19 pandemic
Authors: Busari Saheed Abdullahi , Adebiyi Jelili Adegboyega , Sitiris Miszairi 
Published: January 2025

Purpose
Sadaqah, a form of Islamic charity, was widely used to mitigate the adverse consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic on people’s socio-economic conditions and well-being. However, the extent to which Sadaqah served the intended purpose remains unclear. Therefore, this study aims to explore the perceived effects of Sadaqah on the situational poverty and well-being of tertiary education students in Malaysia during the pandemic. The findings of this study could provide valuable insights into whether and how Sadaqah can address situational poverty and well-being challenges during COVID-19-type emergencies.

Design/methodology/approach
This study surveyed students at three Islamic universities in Malaysia. A total of 288 complete and valid responses were collected and analysed. The study used the Kruskal Wallis test to examine the relationship between students’ socioeconomic status and their odds of receiving Sadaqah. The chi-square test was used to estimate Sadaqah’s perceived effect on students’ well-being. The repeated measure analysis of variance was used to examine the effect of Sadaqah on the situational poverty and well-being of the respondents.

Findings
The pandemic starkly magnified the situational poverty of students from underprivileged backgrounds and the well-being struggles of those from high-income households. Many students reported pandemic-induced financial and physical well-being issues, including difficulties meeting medical and food expenses. This underscores the pressing need for comprehensive support. However, the Sadaqah received by the students did not cover essential expenses such as rent, tuition and medical bills. This lack of comprehensive support could be a critical factor in Sadaqah’s limited impact on addressing situational poverty and enhancing the well-being of the students.

Originality/value
This study revealed Sadaqah’s limitations in addressing situational poverty during COVID-19-type emergencies and identified promising avenues for improvement. The findings underscore the need for a more comprehensive approach to Sadaqah, which could significantly enhance the well-being of its recipients. This insight could potentially inform policy and practice, inspiring hope for a more effective approach in the future.
Enhancing human capital for Industry 4.0: a case of Indian manufacturing sector
Authors: Marlapudi Kiran , Lenka Usha 
Published: January 2025

PurposeThe study aims to identify the essential competencies for Industry 4.0 within the manufacturing sector, to prioritise developing them among the workforce in creating a competitive advantage for the organization.Design/methodology/approachThe study employs the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP), a multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) methodology to prioritize competencies. Literature review and expert input guided the identification of competencies, which were ranked by experts for their relevance, through pairwise comparisons.FindingsSeven competency groups, encompassing 21 sub-groups, were identified as essential for the Industry 4.0 workforce. Digital-technical and industry-specific competencies emerged as the most prominent to be developed on priority, followed by cognitive and business competencies. Despite their smaller representation, core/generic competencies remain the foundation for developing the newer and more specialised competencies.Research limitations/implicationsRecognising the need for empirical studies in early-adopting organisations of Industry 4.0, future research should explore competencies across industries as well as talent development mechanisms, for a nuanced understanding of competency requirements.Practical implicationsThe study informs organisations, educators and policymakers guiding workforce training, talent management and development, educational curriculum aligned with the demands of Industry 4.0 to bridge the competency gaps. It can support India’s strategic initiatives like “Make in India” by fostering a digitally ready and competent workforce.Originality/valueThis research provides an empirically validated, structured framework for Industry 4.0 competency prioritization specific to the manufacturing sector in India. It integrates expert inputs with AHP to rank competencies, offering a contextual understanding of competency requirements. It also contributes to human capital theory by advancing competency mapping for Industry 4.0.
Financial reporting quality impact on the firms’ capital structure
Authors: Lisboa Inês , Costa Magali , Reis Carolina 
Published: January 2025

Purpose
Most research suggests that capital structure is influenced by two elements: the firms’ internal and external characteristics. This study aims to add knowledge to the literature by analyzing the impact of firms’ financial information quality on capital structure options. Financial reports are the principal basis for most financial decisions, so their quality and content heavily influence firms’ financial choices.

Design/methodology/approach
An unbalanced panel sample of 414 listed firms on the main stock exchanges of Portugal (PSI), Italy (FTSE/MIB), Greece (FTSE/ATHEX) and Spain (IBEX 35) between 2013 and 2022 is analyzed. To achieve a more comprehensive result, capital structure and financial reporting quality are measured through multiple proxies. Capital structure is evaluated by the total and the maturity debt ratios, based on book and market values, and financial reporting quality is measured through four proxies: accruals quality, smoothness, timeliness and accounting conservatism.

Findings
The global analysis revealed mixed results, with three variables of the financial reporting quality exhibiting a positive impact on debt (accruals quality, smoothness and accounting conservatism), while the remaining proxy presented a negative impact (timeliness). Further analysis also indicates that companies affected by Troika policies experienced a contrasting effect of timeliness on debt, while the other firms displayed results consistent with the global analysis.

Originality/value
This work contributes to enlarging the capital structure debate by analyzing the impact of financial reporting quality, an effect little addressed by previous literature. Moreover, several proxies of financial reporting quality are used. Besides accruals quality or earnings management proxy, which is the most analyzed, the authors also include the proxies of smoothness and accounting conservatism, little investigated and timeliness that were not considered by previous researchers. Additionally, as control variables, not only firms’ specific characteristics are included but also macroeconomic factors. Therefore, the contributions of the paper are relevant to all stakeholders to broaden knowledge of factors that define the capital structure, as well as the relevance of firms to display financial reporting with quality.
The Development of Indo‐Iranian Voiced Fricatives
Authors: Beguš Gašper 
Published: January 2025

AbstractThe development of voiced sibilants is a long‐standing puzzle in Indo‐Iranian historical phonology. In Vedic, all voiced sibilants are lost from the system, but the details of this loss are complex and subject to debate. The most intriguing development concerns the word‐final ‐aḥ to ‐o in sandhi. This paper presents a new account of the development of voiced sibilants from the Proto‐Indo‐Iranian period to Vedic with a special emphasis on Iranian comparative data. I propose a new explanation for the peculiar development of word‐final voiced fricatives and motivate the new proposal with a phonetic explanation. I argue that *‐s lenited and voiced to *‐ɦ word‐finally which colours the preceding short vowel ă to *ɔ (o after lengthening). Word‐internally, no debuccalisation occurs. Voiced dental fricative *z colours the preceding a‐vowel to *ε (e after lengthening). The voiced retroflex fricative *ẓ, on the contrary, is central enough to cause no colouring. Voiced fricatives thus colour the preceding vowels with respect to their place of articulation. Dental fricatives cause fronting, while breathiness causes backing, which is supported by typological data. This proposal explains several unusual aspects of Vedic and Avestan data.
Role of Kctd13 in modulating AR and SOX9 expression in different penile cell populations
Authors: Jorgez Carolina J. , Chahdi Ahmed , Flores Hunter , O'Neill Marisol , Seth Abhishek 
Published: January 2025

AbstractObjectiveMicropenis is a condition with significant physical and psychological implications caused mainly by decreased androgen action in penile development. Kctd13‐knockout (Kctd13‐KO) mice have micropenis, cryptorchidism, and fertility defects because of reduced levels of androgen receptor (AR) and SOX9. We hypothesized that normalizing the levels of AR and SOX9 in the Kctd13‐KO penis could help us to understand the mechanism of action of these signaling pathways on penile development.MethodsWe generated transgenic mice lacking Kctd13 and conditionally expressing AR in the urethral mesenchyme after Cre activation with Twist2cre (Kctd13‐KO; AR‐CMV; Twist2cre; herein called AR+), and Sox9 in the urethral epithelium after Cre activation with Shhcre (Kctd13‐KO; Sox9‐CAG; Shhcre; herein called SOX9+). Mice penile morphology, fertility, and the effect of KCTD13 on AR and SOX9 ubiquitination were evaluated.Results and DiscussionKctd13‐KO micropenis phenotype was rescued after increasing levels of penile AR or SOX9 as transgenic AR+ and SOX9+ mice have longer penile lengths than Kctd13‐KO mice and are comparable to WT mice. In addition, male‐urogenital‐mating‐protuberance and the baculum were significantly shorter and narrower in Kctd13‐KO mice compared with transgenic AR+ and SOX9+ mice. The position of the urethral meatus was similar and orthotopic in location in Kctd13‐KO, AR+, SOX9+, and WT penises indicating that none of these mice had hypospadias. The subfertility of AR+ and SOX9+ mice was improved. The ectopic expression of KCTD13 in HEK293 cells strongly reduced AR ubiquitination which is abolished when the proteasome pathway is inhibited and this process is mediated by the ubiquitin ligase, STUB1. The effect of KCTD13 on SOX9 ubiquitination is minimal.ConclusionKCTD13 regulates AR ubiquitination by modulating STUB1 binding to AR. Penile restoration of AR and SOX9 improved penile development in Kctd13‐KO mice allowing us to discern the contribution from individual signaling pathways and cell types in penile development.
Authoritarianism and the Emergence of Parallel State Dynamics: Evidence From the Syrian Earthquake
Authors: Aldoughli Rahaf 
Published: January 2025

ABSTRACTThis article investigates the Syrian regime's strategic manipulation of the February 2023 earthquake to reaffirm its authority and maintain legitimacy. The regime's response to the disaster is analyzed to understand how authoritarian states leverage natural disasters for political gains. It argues that the Assad regime's survival is not merely about governance capabilities but about extending its infrastructural power and political decisions through co‐opted civil society organizations. The earthquake highlighted the regime's fragile crisis management capabilities and its reliance on entities like the Syrian Trust for Development (STD) and the Syrian Arab Red Crescent (SARC), which function as quasi‐state apparatuses. These organizations, under the guise of civil society, operate as extensions of state power, embodying a “parallel state” structure. Using theoretical frameworks from scholars like Beshara and Gramsci, the article explores the regime's tactics of control, hegemony, and parallelization. It critically examines the blurred lines between state and civil society, emphasizing the regime's manipulation of international aid and the consolidation of its authority in the aftermath of the earthquake. This study contributes to the broader conversation on authoritarian durability, highlighting the complex interactions between state apparatuses and civil society in times of crisis.