bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Comparative analysis of maternal gene expression patterns unravels evolutionary signatures across reproductive modes
Authors: Kagan Ferenc , Hejnol Andreas 
Published: November 2023

SummaryBackgroundMaternal genes have a pivotal role in regulating metazoan early development. As such their functions have been extensively studied since the dawn of developmental biology. The temporal and spatial dynamics of their transcripts have been thoroughly described in model organisms and their functions have been undergoing heavy investigations. Yet, less is known about the evolutionary changes shaping their presence within diverse oocytes. Due to their unique maternal inheritance pattern, a high degree is predicted to be present when it comes to their expression. Insofar only limited and conflicting results have emerged around it.ResultsHere we set out to elucidate which evolutionary changes could be detected in the maternal gene expression patterns using phylogenetic comparative methods on RNAseq data from 43 species. Using normalized gene expression values and fold change information throughout early development we set out to find the best fitting evolutionary model. Through modeling we find evidence supporting both the high degree of divergence and constraint on gene expression values, together with their temporal dynamics. Furthermore, we find that maternal gene expression alone can be used to explain the reproductive modes of different species.ConclusionsTogether, these results suggest a highly dynamic evolutionary landscape of maternal gene expression. We also propose a possible functional dichotomy of maternal genes which is influenced by the reproductive strategy undertaken by examined species.
Assessment of The Broad-Spectrum Host Targeting Antiviral Efficacy of Halofuginone Hydrobromide in Human Airway, Intestinal and Brain Organoid Models
Authors: García-Rodríguez Inés , Moreni Giulia , Capendale Pamela E. , Mulder Lance , Aknouch Ikrame , Vieira de Sá Renata , Johanneson Nina , Freeze Eline , van Eijk Hetty , Koen Gerrit , Wolthers Katja , Pajkrt Dasja , Sridhar Adithya , Calitz Carlemi 
Published: November 2023

AbstractHalofuginone hydrobromide has shown potent antiviral efficacy against a variety of viruses such as SARS-CoV-2, dengue, or chikungunya virus, and has, therefore, been hypothesized to have broad-spectrum antiviral activity. In this paper, we tested this broad-spectrum antiviral activity of Halofuginone hydrobomide against viruses from different families (Picornaviridae, Herpesviridae, Orthomyxoviridae, Coronaviridae,andFlaviviridae).To this end, we used relevant human models of the airway and intestinal epithelium and regionalised neural organoids. Halofuginone hydrobomide showed antiviral activity against SARS-CoV-2 in the airway epithelium with no toxicity at equivalent concentrations used in human clinical trials but not against any of the other tested viruses.Graphical abstractHighlightsHalofuginone hydrobromide was identified as a possible broad-spectrum host targeting antiviral drug.Human organoid models offer a physiologically relevant and clinically translatable model for antiviral research.Halofuginone hydrobromide shows antiviral efficacy against SARS-CoV-2, but not against EV-A71, PeV-A1, IAV, RV-A16, HCMV or ZIKV in relevant organoid models.The efficacy of Halofuginone hydrobromide is concentration dependent as well as on proline content of the host receptor(s) or host factors for the specific virus in question.
Relating sex differences in cortical and hippocampal microstructure to sex hormones
Authors: Küchenhoff Svenja , Bayrak Şeyma , Zsido Rachel G. , Saberi Amin , Bernhardt Boris , Weis Susanne , Schaare H. Lina , Sacher Julia , Eickhoff Simon , Valk Sofie L. 
Published: November 2023

AbstractSex hormone receptors are expressed widely in both neurons and glial cells, which allows them to interact with the brain’s major cell groups via several molecular mechanisms. These mechanisms lead to sex differences in brain structure as well as hormone-induced plasticity in the female brain across the menstrual cycle. Adding to the literature on volumetric changes in cortical structure, here we set out to investigate sex differences in the microstructure of the human cortex in relation to sex hormones. We assessed regional variation in cortical microstructure as a function of sex, hormonal status and sex hormone receptor gene expression distribution based on quantitative intracortical profilingin vivousing the magnetic resonance imaging based T1w/T2w ratio in 992 healthy females and males of the Human Connectome Project young adult sample. We demonstrate that microstructure in isocortex and hippocampus differs regionally between males and females, that this effect varies with hormone levels of females and that implicated brain regions overlap with estrogen receptor and sex steroid synthesis gene expression. Lastly, we show that sex and sex hormone related brain structure variations are most pronounced in areas of low laminar cortical complexity (agranular cortex), which are also predicted to be most plastic based on their cytoarchitectural properties. Together, our data thus are suggestive of sex differences in cortical and hippocampal microstructure, as well as the modulatory function of sex hormones on these measures. Albeit correlative, this study underscores the importance of incorporating sex hormone variables into the investigation of brain structure and plasticity.
Proteomics screening post pediatric allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation reveals an association between increased expression of inhibitory receptor FCRL6 on γδ T cells and CMV reactivation
Authors: Alexandersson Adam , Venäläinen Mikko S , Heikkilä Nelli , Huang Xiaobo , Taskinen Mervi , Huttunen Pasi , Elo Laura L , Koskenvuo Minna , Kekäläinen Eliisa 
Published: November 2023

AbstractObjectiveTo study kinetics and associations between inflammation related proteins in circulation after pediatric allogenic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) to reveal proteomic signatures or individual soluble proteins associated with specific complications post HSCT.MethodsWe used a proteomics method called Proximity Extension Assay to repeatedly measure 180 different proteins together with clinical variables, cellular immune reconstitution, and blood viral copy numbers in 27 children aged 1-18 years during a two-year follow up after allogenic HSCT. Protein profile analysis was done using unsupervised hierarchical clustering and a regression-based method, while Bonferroni-corrected Mann-Whitney U test was used for time point specific comparison of individual proteins against outcome.ResultsAt 6 months after allogenic HSCT, we could identify a protein profile pattern associated with occurrence of the complications chronic graft-versus-host disease, viral infections, relapse, and death. When protein markers were analyzed separately, the plasma concentration of the inhibitory and cytotoxic T cell surface protein FCRL6 (Fc receptor-like 6) was higher in patients with CMV viremia (log2-fold change 1.5 (p0.00099), 2.5 (p=0.00035) and 2.2 (p=0.045) at time points 6, 12 and 24 months). Flow cytometry confirmed that FCRL6 expression was higher in innate-like γδ T cells, indicating that these cells have a role in controlling CMV reactivation in HSCT recipients.ConclusionsThe potentially druggable FCRL6 receptor on cytotoxic T cells appears to have a role in controlling CMV viremia post-HSCT. Our results suggest that system level analysis is a useful addition to the studying of single biomarkers in allogeneic HSCT.
Development and testing of lean simulation game on set-based design
Authors: Jain Kavya , Devkar Ganesh 
Published: November 2023

Purpose
Set-based design (SBD) is a lean tool widely adopted for improving design processes and providing value maximization to clients. The purpose of this paper is to present the development and testing of a lean simulation game that incorporated point-based and SBD principles. The objective of the game was to enhance learning of lean design management among construction students.

Design/methodology/approach
After a thorough and comprehensive literature review consisting of secondary data in journal papers, books, thesis references and primary data in the form of interviews with lean practitioners, the simulation game prototype was developed. The testing of the game was carried out with a study group. Data were collected during the gameplay with the help of a questionnaire survey on a confidence scale and Likert scale and assessed using the Wilcoxon signed-rank test, histogram, one-sample t-test and false discovery rate (Benjamini–Hochberg) correction method.

Findings
The data collected both pre- and post-simulation showed an increase in average confidence in understanding from 3.33 to 3.89, a 16.7% rise. The data was further interpreted by using Wilcoxon signed-rank test, indicating that the post-simulation learning experience was significantly better than the pre-simulation one. Promising positive results were obtained for the questions on game design, engagement and understanding of point-based design and SBD concepts.

Originality/value
The simulation game helps bridge the gap between knowledge building and real-life by effectively imitating the process. The game facilitates a dynamic and critical approach toward developing new educational simulation games and their successful incorporation in propagating lean principles in the construction industry.
From consumer values to attributes of natural health products for concentration and cognition: insights from a means-end-chain study
Authors: Wolf Miriam Eugenia , Emberger-Klein Agnes , Menrad Klaus 
Published: November 2023

PurposeThis paper aims to determine, which values guide consumers decision-making on natural health products for concentration and cognition (NHPCC) and how they link to choice-relevant product attributes. The purpose is to contribute to a better understanding of NHPCC consumption choices, which can encourage more consumer-centric product development and positioning.Design/methodology/approachBased on the means-end chain approach, in-depth laddering interviews with 26 consumers of NHP were conducted in Germany from October to December 2020. Qualitative content analysis was applied and a hierarchical value map over the dominant association was built and analyzed.FindingsFive terminal values were found to be relevant for NHPCC decision-making. The personal focused values security, self-direction and stimulation are via health mainly associated with trust and a conscious decision-making, which is linked to the product attributes of effectiveness, tolerance and declaration. Social focused values of universalism or benevolence guide attention on the attributes of sustainability and regionality.Originality/valueThe study contributes to close the knowledge gap concerning the linkages between abstract values and concrete product attributes of NHP through associated consequences. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study that analyzed these links for NHPCC, although such products are gaining more interest among companies and consumers. Companies can benefit from the outcomes by developing more consumer-centric product concepts and marketing communication strategies for NHPCC. Due to higher attention on relevant information, consumers’ decision-making could become safer and more conscious.
Impact of transformational leadership on leadership effectiveness: the mediating effect of emotional skills in the Lebanese small and medium-sized enterprises context
Authors: Shatila Khodor , Agyei Frank Boateng , Aloulou Wassim J. 
Published: November 2023

PurposeThis study aims to examine the impact of transformational leadership on leadership effectiveness and the mediating effect of emotional skills in this relationship.Design/methodology/approachThe study used quantitative methodology, collecting data from 350 respondents from the Lebanese context. The data were analysed using AMOS for structural equation modelling.FindingsResults indicated that transformational leadership positively impacts leadership effectiveness, and this relationship is partially mediated by emotional skills. Specifically, adaptability, assertiveness and relationship management partially mediate the relationship of transformational leadership to leadership effectiveness. The findings suggest that leaders who possess emotional skills, especially those related to adaptability, assertiveness and relationship management, can be more effective in their roles by inspiring and motivating their followers through transformational leadership.Research limitations/implicationsThe study relies on self-reported data, which can introduce potential biases such as social desirability bias and subjectivity. The study uses a cross-sectional design, which hinders establishing causal relationships or examining changes over time.Practical implicationsThis study highlights the significance of transformational leadership on leadership effectiveness and its potential benefits on emotional skills as a mediator in this relationship.Originality/valueThe research is unique and provides potential contribution to the Lebanese context.
The risk of fraudulent letter of credit transactions in Bangladesh: a growing threat to Bangladesh’s economy
Authors: Rafique Rushmila Bintay , Duraisingam Tamara Joan 
Published: November 2023

Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to focus on managing the risk of fraud in commercial letters of credit (LC) in Bangladesh involving three parties: the seller, the buyer and the bank. It addresses the severity of LC fraud, the banks’ actions when detected and the preventive measures the relevant parties can adopt.

Design/methodology/approach
This research uses doctrinal and qualitative methods to propose strategic actions that benefit buyers, sellers, banks, legal professionals and judges. The study aims to explore the modus operandi used by fraudsters through thematic analysis.

Findings
The study’s findings reveal that LC fraud has escalated to a concerning level, posing a significant threat to the economic stability of Bangladesh. Measures must be taken to mitigate this risk and safeguard the country’s financial integrity. To effectively combat the risk of LC fraud, the updated version of UCP must include specific and detailed guidelines on LC fraud. This study recommends preventative measures that all parties involved must take to reduce the likelihood of fraud significantly.

Research limitations/implications
Due to a lack of LC experts, the participant sample for the study in Bangladesh was limited. Nevertheless, most banking participants were highly distinguished and held the Head of Trade Finance Department position in commercial banks. A few academics and legal practitioners with LC expertise also participated in the study.

Originality/value
It provides cutting-edge solutions to effectively handle LC fraud risk and provides proactive measures to prevent it.
Stress intensity factors analysis for crack around film cooling holes in Ni-based single crystal with contour integral method
Authors: Li Zhenwei , Wen Zhixun , Wang Cheng , Dai Ying , He Peng Fei 
Published: November 2023

PurposeThis paper aims to provide SIF calculation method for engineering application.Design/methodology/approachIn this paper, the stress intensity factors (SIFs) calculation method is applied to the anisotropic Ni-based single crystal film cooling holes (FCHs) structure.FindingsBased on contour integral, the anisotropic SIFs analysis finite element method (FEM) in Ni-based single crystal is proposed. The applicability and mesh independence of the method is assessed by comparing the calculated SIFs using mode of plate with an edge crack. Anisotropic SIFs can be calculated with excellent accuracy using the finite element contour integral approach. Then, the effect of crystal orientation and FCHs interference on the anisotropic SIFs is clarified. The SIFs of FCH edge crack in the [011] orientated Ni-based single crystal increases faster than the other two orientations. And the SIF of horizontal interference FCHs edge crack is also larger than that of the inclined interference one.Originality/valueThe SIFs of the FCH edge crack in the turbine air-cooled blade are innovatively computed using the sub-model method. Both the Mode I and II SIFs of FCHs edge crack in blade increase with crack growing.
Suggested role for neutrophil extracellular trap formation in Ewing sarcoma immune microenvironment
Authors: Shukrun Rachel , Baron Szilvia , Fidel Victoria , Shusterman Anna , Sher Osnat , Kollender Netanya , Levin Dror , Peled Yair , Gortzak Yair , Ben‐Shahar Yoav , Caspi Revital , Gordon Sagi , Manisterski Michal , Elhasid Ronit 
Published: November 2023

AbstractEwing sarcoma (EWS) is a highly aggressive cancer with a survival rate of 70%–80% for patients with localized disease and under 30% for those with metastatic disease. Tumor‐infiltrating neutrophils (TIN) can generate extracellular net‐like DNA structures known as neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs). However, little is known about the presence and prognostic significance of tumor‐infiltrating NETs in EWS. Herein, we investigated 46 patients diagnosed with EWS and treated in the Tel Aviv Medical Center between 2010 and 2021. TINs and NETs were identified in diagnostic biopsies of EWS by immunofluorescence. In addition, NETs were investigated in neutrophils isolated from peripheral blood samples of EWS patients at diagnosis and following neoadjuvant chemotherapy. The relationships between the presence of TINs and NETs, pathological and clinical features, and outcomes were analyzed. Our results demonstrate that TIN and NETs at diagnosis were higher in EWS patients with metastatic disease compared with those with local disease. High NET formation at diagnosis predicted poor response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy, relapse, and death from disease (p < 0.05). NET formation in peripheral blood samples at diagnosis was significantly elevated among patients with EWS compared with pediatric controls and decreased significantly following neoadjuvant chemotherapy. In conclusion, NET formation seems to have a role in the EWS immune microenvironment. Their presence can refine risk stratification, predict chemotherapy resistance and survival, and serve as a therapeutic target in patients with EWS.
Towards explainable metaheuristics: Feature extraction from trajectory mining
Authors: Fyvie Martin , McCall John A. W. , Christie Lee A. , Brownlee Alexander E. I. , Singh Manjinder 
Published: November 2023

AbstractExplaining the decisions made by population‐based metaheuristics can often be considered difficult due to the stochastic nature of the mechanisms employed by these optimisation methods. As industries continue to adopt these methods in areas that increasingly require end‐user input and confirmation, the need to explain the internal decisions being made has grown. In this article, we present our approach to the extraction of explanation supporting features using trajectory mining. This is achieved through the application of principal components analysis techniques to identify new methods of tracking population diversity changes post‐runtime. The algorithm search trajectories were generated by solving a set of benchmark problems with a genetic algorithm and a univariate estimation of distribution algorithm and retaining all visited candidate solutions which were then projected to a lower dimensional sub‐space. We also varied the selection pressure placed on high fitness solutions by altering the selection operators. Our results show that metrics derived from the projected sub‐space algorithm search trajectories are capable of capturing key learning steps and how solution variable patterns that explain the fitness function may be captured in the principal component coefficients. A comparative study of variable importance rankings derived from a surrogate model built on the same dataset was also performed. The results show that both approaches are capable of identifying key features regarding variable interactions and their influence on fitness in a complimentary fashion.
Maternal supportive responses to adolescents' negative emotions serve as protective factors for adolescents' hostile attribution bias longitudinally
Authors: Ding Ruyi , Wang Shuangshuang , Liu Jin , He Wei , Pan Junhao 
Published: November 2023

AbstractExisting literature has documented that parenting links to children's hostile attribution biases (HAB). However, little is known about the role played by parental emotion socialization in children's HAB. To address this research gap, the present study investigated the role of parental responses to children's negative emotions (PRCNE) in predicting adolescents' HAB using a longitudinal study. Adolescents (N = 203; Mage = 13.61 years old at Time 1), who were recruited from a city in mainland China, reported on their mothers' PRCNE and their own HAB at two waves over a year. The results showed that mothers' supportive responses (composed of emotion‐focused responses and problem‐focused responses) significantly predicted adolescents' reduced HAB over time; however, PRCNE including expressive encouragement, minimization, and nonsupportive responses (composed of punitive responses and parental distress) had no significant relation with adolescents' HAB. These findings add to the existing literature investigating antecedents to adolescents' social information processing deficits and biases.
Blue carbon sink capacity of mangroves determined by leaves and their associated microbiome
Authors: Lu Zhe , Qin Guoming , Gan Shuchai , Liu Hongbin , Macreadie Peter I. , Cheah Wee , Wang Faming 
Published: November 2023

AbstractMangroves play a globally significant role in carbon capture and storage, known as blue carbon ecosystems. Yet, there are fundamental biogeochemical processes of mangrove blue carbon formation that are inadequately understood, such as the mechanisms by which mangrove afforestation regulates the microbial‐driven transfer of carbon from leaf to below‐ground blue carbon pool. In this study, we addressed this knowledge gap by investigating: (1) the mangrove leaf characteristics using state‐of‐the‐art FT‐ICR‐MS; (2) the microbial biomass and their transformation patterns of assimilated plant‐carbon; and (3) the degradation potentials of plant‐derived carbon in soils of an introduced (Sonneratia apetala) and a native mangrove (Kandelia obovata). We found that biogeochemical cycling took entirely different pathways for S. apetala and K. obovata. Blue carbon accumulation and the proportion of plant‐carbon for native mangroves were high, with microbes (dominated by K‐strategists) allocating the assimilated‐carbon to starch and sucrose metabolism. Conversely, microbes with S. apetala adopted an r‐strategy and increased protein‐ and nucleotide‐biosynthetic potentials. These divergent biogeochemical pathways were related to leaf characteristics, with S. apetala leaves characterized by lower molecular‐weight, C:N ratio, and lignin content than K. obovata. Moreover, anaerobic‐degradation potentials for lignin were high in old‐aged soils, but the overall degradation potentials of plant carbon were age‐independent, explaining that S. apetala age had no significant influences on the contribution of plant‐carbon to blue carbon. We propose that for introduced mangroves, newly fallen leaves release nutrient‐rich organic matter that favors growth of r‐strategists, which rapidly consume carbon to fuel growth, increasing the proportion of microbial‐carbon to blue carbon. In contrast, lignin‐rich native mangrove leaves shape K‐strategist‐dominated microbial communities, which grow slowly and store assimilated‐carbon in cells, ultimately promoting the contribution of plant‐carbon to the remarkable accumulation of blue carbon. Our study provides new insights into the molecular mechanisms of microbial community responses during reforestation in mangrove ecosystems.