bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Product Returns, Customer Segmentation, and Dynamic Pricing in the Online Retail Market
Authors: Otte Julia , Serfes Konstantinos , Thiele Veikko 
Published: January 2025

ABSTRACTOnline retailers can adopt generous return policies to entice customers to buy and try new products. In this article, we focus on the learning aspect of product returns and show how an online retailer can utilize returns to segment customers based on their individual valuations of a product. We derive the optimal dynamic pricing strategy, including a potential fee for product returns (restocking fee), which balances the benefits from effective customer segmentation and the costs associated with product returns. Strategic customers, who understand that their return decisions affect future prices, may choose to return the product even when their valuations exceed the initial price. To curb strategic returns, which compromise the effective segmentation of customers, it is optimal for the retailer to reduce the initial price of the product and charge a higher fee for returns. We also identify conditions so that it is optimal for a retailer to overcharge customers for product returns (i.e., the return fee exceeds the actual cost of a return). This allows the retailer to extract surplus from customers who have low product valuations and return the product, and is therefore a form of price discrimination.
Why the Delay? A Quality Improvement Initiative for Delayed Cord Clamping in Preterm Infants
Authors: Mohamad Ahmad , Navidad Ana , Edwards Lindsay , DePaoli Antonio , Jackson Hamish , Walsh Joey , Spotswood Naomi 
Published: January 2025

ABSTRACTAimTo improve delayed cord clamping (DCC) rates for preterm infants (≤ 34 + 0 weeks' gestation) and establish DCC as standard practice using quality improvement (QI) methods.MethodsA multi‐departmental initiative was undertaken. An audit of DCC for preterm infants born at or before 34 + 0 weeks was performed. Using this data and feedback from multidisciplinary staff meetings, barriers to DCC implementation were identified and targeted QI interventions were introduced. Ongoing data surveillance monitored the effects of these interventions.ResultsDCC rates were evaluated for 862 preterm infants from January 2014 to August 2022. This QI project commenced in February 2018, with a detailed audit of 225 preterm infants across three time periods: epoch 1 (immediately prior to QI initiative), epoch 2 (QI implementation phase), and epoch 3 (immediate post‐implementation surveillance). Inconsistent documentation of cord clamp time and admission hypothermia were identified as potential barriers to implementation of DCC. Over the course of the initiative, the documentation rate increased from 16% to 92.6%. Hypothermia at admission decreased from 76% in epoch 1 to 43.2% in epoch 3. The baseline rate of DCC was low in epoch 1 (12%), but improved to 70% in epoch 3, with this change sustained in ongoing DCC rate evaluation to August 2022.ConclusionsThere has been a significant and sustained improvement in DCC for preterm infants at our centre. A structured approach to QI and collaboration between multiple departments were each integral in effecting this improvement in clinical care.
“Everything cannot be handled virtually”: Understanding intention and use of digital health technologies among rural adults and rural cancer survivors
Authors: Shi Jenna , Robinson Ty A. , Loomba Preena , Murley Brittany , Strong Larkin L. , Basen‐Engquist Karen , Mama Scherezade K. 
Published: January 2025

AbstractPurposeThis qualitative study assessed internet access and use, barriers and facilitators to participating in digital health interventions or programs, and the engagement experience in virtual versus in‐person health interventions among rural adults and rural cancer survivors.MethodsRural adults (n = 10) and rural cancer survivors (n = 10) were recruited from previous studies to participate in an in‐depth interview. The interview guide contained eight open‐ended questions related to participation in technology‐based programs. Interviews were recorded and transcribed, and transcripts were analyzed for emergent themes using a thematic content analysis approach.FindingsRural adults were younger (M age = 37.9 ± 11.8 years), more likely to be non‐Hispanic Black (90.0%), and reported higher educational attainment (50.0% earned a master's or doctoral degree) compared with rural cancer survivors (M age = 63.0 ± 9.1 years, 70.0% non‐Hispanic White, and 20.0% earned a master's or doctoral degree). Participants discussed performance and effort expectancies related to using digital health technologies or participating in virtual programs and cited positive and negative aspects of in‐person and virtual platforms. Participants emphasized the need for social connections and missed opportunities in current virtual offerings along with factors that influence their use of technologies (e.g., prior experience, tech anxiety).ConclusionsFindings from this qualitative study provide an in‐depth understanding of the intricate experiences of rural adults and rural cancer survivors when engaging with digital health technologies. Integrating the experiences of rural adults and rural cancer survivors may aid in developing clinical and community‐based interventions and policies that support increasing access to digital health services and programs for rural communities.
Theory‐Refuting Findings in Psychology: How Much Should They Matter?
Authors: Trafimow David 
Published: January 2025

ABSTRACTTo a naïve falsificationist, one theory‐refuting finding falsifies a theory. In contrast, sophisticated science philosophers have emphasised larger research systems that include theories and auxiliary assumptions. Theory‐refuting findings can be accommodated by blaming poor auxiliary assumptions, refining theories, improving auxiliary assumptions, or pronouncing that the benefits of the research system render theory‐refuting findings unimportant. Popper, Kuhn, Lakatos, and Laudan have proposed research systems, with many disagreements between them. The present thesis is that each proposal is subject to two caveats. None of these philosophers sufficiently considered the opportunity costs associated with ignoring theory‐refuting findings. Secondly, it is not clear that previous pronouncements about how research systems work in the hard sciences necessarily apply well to modern psychological science. The interaction of these issues suggests that theory‐refuting findings may have more potential for mattering in modern psychology than would seem apparent from sophisticated research system perspectives.
Genomic Footprints of Hybridisation in North Atlantic Eels (Anguilla anguilla and A. rostrata)
Authors: Tengstedt Aja Noersgaard Buur , Liu Shenglin , Jacobsen Magnus W. , Ulmo‐Diaz Gabriela , Jónsson Bjarni , Pujolar Jose Martin , Hansen Michael M. 
Published: January 2025

ABSTRACTUnderstanding interspecific introgressive hybridisation and the biological significance of introgressed variation remains an important goal in population genomics. European (Anguilla anguilla) and American eel (A. rostrata) represent a remarkable case of hybridisation. Both are panmictic and spawn in partial sympatry in the Sargasso Sea, occasionally producing viable, fertile hybrids, primarily found in Iceland. We studied introgressive hybridisation from American into European eel using whole‐genome sequences of 78 individuals, including European, American and 21 putative hybrid eels. Previous studies using few genetic markers could not resolve whether hybridisation involved simple unidirectional backcrossing or a more complex hybrid swarm scenario. However, local ancestry inference along individual chromosomes revealed that Icelandic hybrids were primarily F1 or first‐generation backcrosses towards European eel, with some showing more complex backcrossing. All European eels outside Iceland contained short chromosomal blocks from American eel, indicating a porous genome. We found no evidence for previously hypothesised geographical gradients of introgression in European eel outside Iceland. Several chromosomal regions showed high interspecific divergence, but haplotype blocks introgressed from American eel were identified both within and outside these regions. There was little correspondence between regions of high relative (FST) and absolute divergence (dXY), with the former reflecting selective sweeps within species or reduced recombination rather than barrier loci. A single genomic region showed evidence of repeated introgression from American into European eel under positive selection in both species. The study illustrates that species can maintain genetic integrity despite porous genomes and that standing variation in one species can potentially be available for future adaptive responses in the other species.
Recommendations for Improving Surveillance of Congenital Anomalies in Europe Using Healthcare Databases
Authors: Loane Maria , Morris Joan K. , Garne Ester 
Published: January 2025

ABSTRACTBackgroundAlthough accessing administrative data in healthcare databases may be a more time‐efficient and cost‐effective method of conducting surveillance, there is evidence suggesting that administrative data alone are not sufficient for population‐based surveillance of congenital anomalies.ObjectiveTo propose recommendations to maximise the potential use of healthcare databases for surveillance of congenital anomalies based on our data linkage experiences and results from the EUROlinkCAT study.MethodsEUROlinkCAT is a population‐based cohort study of 99,416 children with anomalies born between 1995 and 2014. The congenital anomaly case records of children in 11 European congenital anomaly (EUROCAT) registries (eight countries) were linked to standardised administrative healthcare data (birth records, death records and hospital discharge records) to evaluate mortality and morbidity outcomes in these children. Overall, 97% of children with anomalies were successfully matched to their records in their national or regional administrative databases. Recommendations to improve surveillance of anomalies when using healthcare data were developed through establishing and analysing data from this cohort.ResultsThe primary recommendation is to develop systems to report anomalies diagnosed in foetuses who undergo a termination and link these data to their mothers. Each liveborn baby must be assigned a permanent unique identification number at birth to enable accurate linkage across healthcare databases. Implementing and improving existing algorithms to discriminate between major anomalies and suspected or minor anomalies will improve accuracy in coding. Heterogeneity in coding anomalies will improve by avoiding the use of ‘unspecified’ or ‘other specified’ codes in hospital databases. Relaxation of country‐specific regulations concerning the suppression of small numbers are necessary to enable data to be combined across European countries.ConclusionImplementation of these recommendations will enable the information in electronic healthcare databases, in conjunction with Congenital Anomaly registries, to be fully exploited and hence will improve the surveillance of anomalies in children.
Geological Significance for the Lateral Migration of the Late Triassic Black Shales in the Sichuan Basin, the Western Yangtze Block (South China)
Authors: Yan Zhaokun , Huang Yuying , Yan Chenyu , Shao Chongjian , Ren Cong , Nie Zhou , Zhang Zili , Zhao Shaoze , Bai Haotian , Zhang Daizhu , Ye Tingting 
Published: January 2025

ABSTRACTThe Upper Triassic black shales in the Sichuan Basin are formed in three stages and are predominantly situated at the forefront of the Longmenshan (LMS) thrust belt. These formations are a result of three rapid subsidence events in the foredeep and the development of an underfilled foreland basin, triggered by three intense thrust nappe movements of the LMS orogenic wedge during the Late Triassic. The lateral migration of black shales in the LMS foreland basin, from the northeast to the southwest, suggests that thrust nappe movements of the LMS orogenic wedge predominantly occurred in the northeastern region during the early Late Triassic and gradually shifted toward the southwestern region in the later Late Triassic. The ongoing convergence between the North China Craton and the Yangtze Block at this time likely influenced this migration process.
Industrial Chain Risk Exposure and Economic Volatility: A Framework Incorporating Foreign‐Invested Enterprises
Authors: Peng Siyi , Zhong Daocheng 
Published: January 2025

ABSTRACTWe introduce a novel accounting framework to assess the risk exposure on both the demand and supply sides of industrial chains incorporating foreign direct investment. The new framework considers the role of foreign‐invested enterprises, their interactions with domestic‐owned firms and their involvement in international trade. Using the AMNE‐ICIO data, we conducted an in‐depth analysis of risk exposure for China's industrial chain and its correlation with economic volatility. Our study yielded four key findings. (1) The trajectories of China's industrial chain risk exposure on both the demand and supply sides generally align, exhibiting a downward trend. Conventional methods without distinction between foreign‐invested enterprises and domestic‐owned firms significantly underestimate China's industrial chain risk exposure. (2) There exists a marked disparity in risk exposure across different countries and sectors, with developed countries and high‐tech manufacturing sectors facing substantially higher risks. (3) As pivotal actors in the global production network, China and the United States hold critical positions in the global industrial chains. (4) Empirical results indicate that, compared to country sectors with lower risk exposure, those facing higher risk exposure prior to the global financial crisis experienced greater economic volatility following the crisis.
Weight-Inclusive Physical Activity: A Systematic Evaluation of Virtual Resources
Authors: Sutton Megan , Stanley Sara , Doherty Alison , Driediger Molly , Calogero Rachel , Sabiston Catherine M , Meadows Angela , Maharaj Aryel , Pila Eva 
Published: January 2025

Background: Higher-weight individuals report lower rates of physical activity behavior and poorer physical activity experiences compared with their normative-weight counterparts, likely owing to the pervasiveness of weight stigma in physical activity contexts. Employing weight-inclusive strategies may improve physical activity outcomes, though little is known about the practical application of weight-inclusive principles in physical activity contexts. Furthermore, given the prominence of virtual methods of information dissemination, exploring online weight-inclusive resources is valuable. Methods: Using Google, Instagram, and snowball searches, a virtual environmental scan was conducted to collect publicly available weight-inclusive physical activity resources. Two independent coders applied an a priori codebook to all eligible resources to evaluate the application of weight-inclusive principles. Results: N = 80 weight-inclusive physical activity resources were identified, offering a range of educational materials (40%) and/or provision of physical activity services (76.3%). Virtual resources generally adhered to weight-inclusive principles by showcasing diversity in body size, using weight-inclusive language, and centering physical activity that honors the body’s signals and cues; however, some also included weight-normative content. Provisional physical activity resources primarily targeted diverse-bodied end users, offered a range of physical activity types (eg, yoga, weight training, and dance), were membership-based, and offered asynchronous access. Conclusions: This study utilizes a systematic approach to collect and evaluate virtual, publicly available, and weight-inclusive physical activity resources. Virtual physical activity resources that adhere to weight-inclusive principles may be important for increasing accessible physical activity opportunities for higher-weight individuals.
VopX, a novel
Vibrio cholerae
T3SS effector, modulates host actin dynamics
Authors: Ulbrich Megan , Seward Christopher H. , Ivanov Andrei I. , Ward Brian M. , Butler J. Scott , Dziejman Michelle 
Published: January 2025

ABSTRACT

Pathogenic
Vibrio cholerae
strains cause cholera using different mechanisms. O1 and O139 serogroup strains use the toxin-co-regulated pilus (TCP) and cholera toxin (CT) for intestinal colonization and to promote secretory diarrhea, while non-O1/non-O139 serogroup strains are typically non-toxigenic and use alternate virulence factors to cause a clinically similar disease. An O39 serogroup, TCP/CT-negative
V. cholerae
strain, named AM-19226, uses a type III secretion system (T3SS) to translocate more than 10 effector proteins into the host cell cytosol. Effectors VopF and VopM directly interact with the host actin and contribute to colonization. Our previous studies using the
Saccharomyces cerevisiae
model system identified VopX as a third effector that alters cytoskeletal dynamics. Herein, we used complementary approaches to translate yeast findings to a mammalian system and determined the target and mechanism of VopX activity. VopX overexpression in HeLa cells caused dramatic cell rounding. Co-culture of strain AM-19226 with polarized Caco-2/BBE monolayers increased formation of stress fibers and focal adhesions, as well as Caco-2/BBE adherence to extracellular matrix in a VopX-dependent manner. Finally, we demonstrate
in vitro
that VopX can act as a guanine nucleotide exchange factor for RhoA, which functions upstream of a mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathway regulating cytoskeletal dynamics. Our results suggest that VopX activity initiates a signaling cascade resulting in enhanced cell-extracellular matrix adhesion, potentially preventing detachment of host cells, and facilitating sustained bacterial colonization during infection. VopX function is therefore part of a unique pathogenic strategy employed by T3SS-positive
V. cholerae
, which involves multiple cytoskeletal remodeling mechanisms to support a productive infection.

IMPORTANCE

Despite different infection strategies, enteric pathogens commonly employ a T3SS to colonize the human host and cause disease. Effector proteins are unique to each T3SS-encoding bacterial species and generally lack conserved amino acid sequences. However, T3SS effectors from diverse pathogens target and manipulate common host cell structures and signaling proteins, such as the actin cytoskeleton and MAPK pathway components. T3SS-encoding
Vibrio cholerae
strains and effectors have been relatively recently identified, and the mechanisms used to mediate colonization and secretory diarrhea are poorly understood. Two
V. cholerae
effectors that modify the host actin cytoskeleton were shown to be important for colonization. We therefore sought to determine the target(s) and mechanism of a third actin-reorganizing effector, VopX, based on results obtained from a yeast model system. We recapitulated actin-based phenotypes in multiple mammalian model systems, leading us to identify the molecular function of the
V. cholerae
VopX effector protein.
Two new enzymes that liberate undecaprenyl-phosphate to replenish the carrier lipid pool during envelope stress
Authors: Roney Ian J. , Rudner David Z. 
Published: January 2025

ABSTRACT

The 55-carbon isoprenoid, undecaprenyl-phosphate (UndP), is a universal carrier lipid that ferries most glycans and glycopolymers across the cytoplasmic membrane in bacteria. In addition to peptidoglycan precursors, UndP transports O-antigen, capsule, wall teichoic acids, and sugar modifications. How this shared but limited lipid is distributed among competing pathways is just beginning to be elucidated. We recently reported that in the bacterium
Bacillus subtilis
, the stress-response sigma factor SigM and its cognate anti-sigma factor complex respond to changes in the free UndP pool. When levels are low, SigM activates genes that increase flux through the essential cell wall synthesis pathway, promote the recycling of the lipid carrier, and liberate the carrier from other polymer pathways. Here, we report that two additional enzymes under SigM control help maintain the free pool of UndP. One, UshA (YqjL), resembles alpha-beta hydrolases and liberates UndP from undecaprenyl-monophosphate-linked sugars. The other, UpsH (YpbG), resembles metallophosphoesterases and releases UndP from undecaprenyl-diphosphate-linked wall teichoic acids polymers but not lipid-linked peptidoglycan precursors. UshA becomes critical for growth when UndP-linked sugars are sequestered, and the carrier lipid pool is depleted. Similarly, UpsH becomes essential for viability when UndPP-linked intermediates accumulate. Mutations in the predicted catalytic residues of both putative hydrolases abrogate their function arguing that they act directly to release UndP. These findings define two new enzymes that liberate the carrier lipid from UndP- and UndPP-linked intermediates and bolster the model that the SigM stress-response pathway maintains the UndP pool and prioritizes its use for peptidoglycan synthesis.

IMPORTANCE
Motivated by the success of naturally occurring glycopeptide antibiotics like vancomycin, one arm of recent antibiotic discovery efforts has focused on compounds that bind lipid-linked precursors used to build extracytoplasmic polymers. Trapping these precursors depletes the universal carrier lipid undecaprenyl-phosphate, which is required for the synthesis of virtually all surface polymers, including peptidoglycan. Understanding how cells respond to this stress to restore the carrier lipid pool is critical to identifying effective drugs. Here, we report the identification of two new enzymes that are produced in response to the depletion of the carrier lipid pool. These enzymes recover the carrier lipid but cleave distinct lipid-linked precursors to do so.
Identification of near full-length human pegivirus type 2 (HPgV-2) genomes in blood donor samples co-infected with hepatitis C virus (HCV)
Authors: Ragupathy Viswanath , Kelley Kylan , Hewlett Indira 
Published: January 2025

ABSTRACT

Human pegivirus (HPgV) identified from an HCV-infected plasma sample through nanopore metagenomics. The analysis revealed a nearly complete HPgV-2 genome. Phylogenetic analysis confirmed its classification within the HPgV-2 genotype, providing insights into viral co-infection dynamics. The metagenomics approach advances the understanding of viral diversity and supports the development of accurate diagnostics.