bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Lessons Learned from Development and Implementation of the National Surgical, Obstetric and Anaesthesia Plan in Ethiopia: a qualitative study
Authors: Belay Amanuel , Getachew Medhanit , Bekele Abebe , Beyene Andualem Deneke , Tadesse Amezene , Davies Justine , Leather Andrew JM , Hanlon Charlotte 
Published: October 2023

AbstractBackgroundThe Saving Lives Through Safe Surgery (SaLTS) project was launched in 2016 by the Ethiopian Ministry of Health to improve access and quality of surgical and anaesthesia care throughout Ethiopia. A key action of SaLTS was to develop a National Surgical, Obstetric and Anaesthesia Plan (NSOAP). The aim of this study was to explore barriers and facilitators in the development and implementation of this plan in Ethiopia.MethodsWe conducted semi-structured interviews with 12 key stakeholders involved in developing and implementing the NSOAP at national and regional level in Ethiopia. Thematic analysis was performed.ResultsThe attention given to safe surgery after the Lancet Commission on Global Surgery that reported in 2015, provided key impetus to commitment from the Ethiopian government to develop an NSOAP. Another important opportunity while drafting the plan was the engagement of relevant and motivated professionals. However, major challenges during development included a lack of consistent leadership, no prior experience to benchmark from, the extended time taken to complete the plan, the lack of exclusively dedicated staff, varying engagement, awareness and commitment of regional bureaus and poor quality of available data to inform the situation analysis. Key facilitators of implementation were ownership of the plan by the government and involvement of a multidisciplinary implementation team. However, this was undermined by poor cost estimation and inadequate commitment of financial resources, the low quality of surgical equipment and supplies, and the lack of dedicated human resources, data management systems, ongoing stakeholder engagement, and government accountability. Recommendations to increase the success of future planning and implementation included the need to properly estimate resources and financial impact, carry out a careful baseline assessment, implement checklists for monitoring and evaluation, ensure reasonable resource allocation and involve grassroots regional stakeholders from the beginning. Alongside this, countries need to have committed leadership and transparency in setting goals to bring about broad stakeholder engagement.ConclusionEthiopia showed early commitment to strengthen surgical systems and improve surgical care. Lessons learned can help to guide and encourage other countries to develop realistic NSOAPs and support their effective implementation on the ground.
Structural dynamics of the active HER4 and HER2/HER4 complexes is finely tuned by different growth factors and glycosylation
Authors: Trenker Raphael , Diwanji Devan , Bingham Tanner , Verba Kliment A. , Jura Natalia 
Published: October 2023

AbstractHuman Epidermal growth factor Receptor 4 (HER4 or ERBB4) carries out essential functions in the development and maintenance of the cardiovascular and nervous systems. HER4 activation is regulated by a diverse group of extracellular ligands including the neuregulin (NRG) family and betacellulin (BTC), which promote HER4 homodimerization or heterodimerization with other HER receptors. Important cardiovascular functions of HER4 are exerted via heterodimerization with its close homolog and orphan receptor, HER2. To date structural insights into ligand-mediated HER4 activation have been limited to crystallographic studies of HER4 ectodomain homodimers in complex with NRG1ý. Here we report cryo-EM structures of near full-length HER2/HER4 heterodimers and full-length HER4 homodimers bound to NRG1ý and BTC. We show that the structures of the heterodimers bound to either ligand are nearly identical and that in both cases the HER2/HER4 heterodimer interface is less dynamic than those observed in structures of HER2/EGFR and HER2/HER3 heterodimers. In contrast, structures of full-length HER4 homodimers bound to NRG1ý and BTC display more large-scale dynamics mirroring states previously reported for EGFR homodimers. Our structures also reveal the presence of multiple glycan modifications within HER4 ectodomains, modeled for the first time in HER receptors, that distinctively contribute to the stabilization of HER4 homodimer interfaces over those of HER2/HER4 heterodimers.
A diet of oxidative stress-adapted bacteria improves stress resistance and lifespan inC. elegansvia p38-MAPK
Authors: Bhat Ajay , Cox Rebecca L. , Hendrickson Brice Graham , Das Nupur K. , Wang Emily , Shah Yatrik M. , Leiser Scott F. 
Published: October 2023

AbstractOrganisms across taxa are exposed to stresses such as variable temperature, redox imbalance, and xenobiotics. Successfully responding to stress and restoring homeostasis is crucial for viability of the organism. During aging, the ability to effectively respond to stress declines, contributing to development of disease. In many multicellular animals, aging also coincides with changes in the microbiome that can contribute to disease-states. Because animals and their microbiota coexist in the same broad environment, they each must adapt to similar stresses. However, the short generation time of microbes leads to faster evolution, allowing the possibility that microbial stress adaptation may influence host physiology. Here we leverage a simplified model involving the nematodeC. elegansand its bacterial diet. Our work highlights how bacterial adaptation to oxidative stress impacts the host’s lifespan and response to stress. Intriguingly, our findings reveal that worms fed with bacteria adapted to withstand oxidative stress exhibit enhanced stress resistance and an extended lifespan. Through whole genome sequencing, genetic assays, and metabolic analysis, this study underscores the pivotal role of the bacterial iron-sulfur pathway in governing host stress resistance and lifespan. We further find that iron in the stress-evolved bacteria boost the worm’s stress resistance and lifespan through activation of the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway. In conclusion, this study provides evidence that understanding the evolutionary path of microbial adaptation during stress could be leveraged to slow aging and mitigate age-related decline in health.
DNA Methylation Predicts Adverse Outcomes of Coronary Artery Disease
Authors: Qin Min , Wu Qili , Tian Xiaoxue , Zhu Qian , Fang Xianhong , Chen Xiaoping , Liu Chen , Zhang Bin , Li Hanping , Wang Xipei , Pan Cuiping , Zhong Shilong 
Published: October 2023

AbstractBackgroundAdverse outcomes including myocardial infarction and stroke render coronary artery disease (CAD) a leading cause of death worldwide. Biomarkers that predict such adversity enable closer medical supervision and opportunities for improved outcomes.Methods and resultsWe present a study of genome-wide DNA methylation profiling in 933 CAD patients with up to 13 years of clinical follow-up. We discovered 115 methylation sites associated with poor prognosis and inferred that cellular senescence, inflammation, and high-density lipoprotein mediated the adversity. We built succinct prognostic models combining a few methylation sites and clinical features, which could stratify patients of different risks. Furthermore, we assessed genetic regulation of the differential methylation by interrogating QTL effects. Prognostic genes such asFKBP5,UBE2E2andAUTS2appeared recurrently in various analyses and were validated in patients of myocardial infarction and stroke.ConclusionsOur study provides prognostic models for clinical application and revealed methylation biomarkers and mechanisms of CAD adverse outcomes.
Boosting ascomycin production through n-butanol addition in the fermentation process ofStreptomyces hygroscopicus var. ascomyceticusATCC 14891
Authors: Meng Jinyu , Chen Qi , Li Youyuan , Gao Shuhong , Zhang Daojing 
Published: October 2023

AbstractAscomycin (FK520) is a macrolide antibiotic known for its immunosuppressive activities. In this study, we screened several short-chain alcohols to enhance titer of FK520 inStreptomyces hygroscopicus var. ascomyceticusATCC 14891, with a particular focus on n-butanol addition. After optimizing the n-butanol addition process, we achieved a FK520 yield of 569.37 mg/L with 0.8% n-butanol addition at 27 h, representing a 1.72-fold increase compared with the control group. We subsequently found that ROS levels of n-butanol addition group reached 1.49x105RFU/g biomass at 29 h, which was 3.02 times higher than the control group. The 0.8% n-butanol addition also promote the accumulation of biosynthesis precursors for FK520 production. The highest ethylmalonyl-CoA content surged to 93.1 nmol/g DCW at 48 h, marking a 5.3-fold increase. Likewise, the highest methylmalonyl-CoA and malonyl-CoA levels increased remarkable 4.33-fold and 3.33-fold compared with the control group at 72 h and at 120 h, respectively. Then, we explored the effects of oxygen supply on FK520 production with n-butanol addition, and improving oxygen supply caused a significant increase of FK520 in shake flask fermentation. Our research has revealed that addition of short-chain alcohols can regulate carbon flux toward FK520 biosynthesis by supplementing various CoA-esters, including ethylmalonyl-CoA, methylmalonyl-CoA, and malonyl-CoA.
Perceived benefits and challenges of school feeding programs in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia: A qualitative study
Authors: Semegn Yihalem Tamiru , Gebreselassie Samson Gebremedhin , Bezabih Afework Mulugeta , Beyene Abebe Ayelign , Mazengia Elyas Melaku 
Published: October 2023

AbstractBackgroundSchool feeding programs aim to reduce children’s immediate hunger, and improve health and education outcomes. However, there is limited data on the perceived benefits and challenges of the school feeding program in Addis Ababa. This study aimed to explore teachers’, students’, and parents’ perceptions of the school feeding program in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.MethodsA qualitative study was conducted in Addis Ababa from April 10 to May 26, 2023. In-depth interviews with children, school directors, and focus groups with parents in 20 randomly chosen public primary schools were used to collect data. A total of 88 participants were included in the study: 20 students (6th and 7th grade), 48 parents, and 20 school directors. The non-probability sampling technique was used to select participants. All data collected in the local language and interviews were audio recorded, transcribed verbatim, and translated into English. The data were coded using ATLAS-TI version 9.1.3.0 software, and thematic analysis was done.ResultsThe findings were presented as two major themes and eight sub-themes. 1) "Perceived benefits of school feeding programs," which comprised of four sub-themes, “improve educational and health outcomes, "reduce the socioeconomic burden of the family," "student behavior change" and "decreased social stigma and increased social integrity" sub-theme. 2) "Perceived barriers to SFPs gaps " include "poor market linkage between fostering mothers and producers," "poor infrastructure," underpayment of workers" and "increased sense of dependency."ConclusionsThe key perceived advantages of school feeding programs are improved students’ educational, health, behavior, and social integrity. Reduce the socioeconomic burden of the family. In particular, identified barriers and challenges include a lack of market linkage, poor infrastructure, and an emergent sense of dependency. Developing market connections, improving school facilities, raising public awareness of the risks associated with reliance on the school food program, and emphasizing the need for additional research to quantify potential benefits and obstacles of school feeding programs.
ISM- and MICMAC-based modelling of dairy supply chain: a study of enablers in Indian economy perspective
Authors: Asif Mohammad , Sarim Mohd , Khan Waseem , Khan Shahbaz 
Published: October 2023

PurposeThis study aims at modelling the enablers of dairy supply chain (DSC) in Indian context.Design/methodology/approachInterpretive structural modelling (ISM) approach has been used to model the enabler of dairy supply chain. The opinion has been taken from the industry experts and experienced academicians. Further, Matrix Cross-Reference Multiplication Applied to a Classification (MICMAC) used to classify the enablers based on driving and dependence power.FindingsFindings show that stakeholder trust and top management support/leadership are the very crucial enablers in dairy supply chain; they are at a lower level of hierarchical structure and work as primary enablers to development of DSC. While customer satisfaction and financial performance are at top of the digraph, it shows these enablers are the outcome of a smooth supply chain. The MICMAC analysis suggests that the identified enablers are largely classified into dependent and independent enablers; there are no autonomous enablers in the dairy supply chain.Practical implicationsThe study can aid businesses in the dairy processing industry in managing demand fluctuations, enhancing product quality, implementing effective information systems and adapting procedures, thereby enhancing supply chain performance.Originality/valueThere is very limited study on enablers of the dairy supply chain in general, while in the Indian context, there is no specific study on modelling the enablers of dairy supply chain.
Unequal opera-tunities: gender inequality and non-standard work in US opera production
Authors: Vincent Caitlin , Coles Amanda 
Published: October 2023

PurposeThis paper examines the US opera sector as a means for interrogating how varying forms of non-standard work shape gender inequality in the creative industries.Design/methodology/approachThe authors draw on 16 seasons of opera production data from Operabase.com to conduct a gender-based exploratory data analysis of the key creative roles of conductor, director and designers, as well as the hiring networks through which teams are formed, at the 11 largest opera companies in the United States.FindingsThe authors find that women, as a group, experienced gender-based disadvantage across the key creative roles of opera production, but particularly in the artistic leadership roles of conductor and director. The authors also find that women's exclusion in the field is being further perpetuated by the sector's non-standard and overlapping employment structures, which impacts women practitioners' professional visibility and career opportunities.Practical implicationsThe study can help organizations implement strategic hiring practices that acknowledge the relationship between gender inequality and varying forms of non-standard work with the aim of increasing women's representation.Originality/value This study work establishes the scale of gender inequality operating within a sector that has received minimal scholarly attention as a site of employment. The study analysis also offers important insight for the wider creative industries and highlights opportunities to redress gender inequality in other sectors where project-based work is prevalent.
Accounting data, overvaluation, and the cross-section of volatility: industry sector evidence
Authors: Sabbaghi Omid 
Published: October 2023

Purpose
This study aims to investigate the variation in overvaluation proxies and volatility across industry sectors and time.

Design/methodology/approach
Using industry sector data from the S&P Capital IQ database, this study applies traditional cross-sectional regressions to investigate the relationship between overvaluation and volatility over the 2001–2020 time period.

Findings
This study finds that the most volatile industry sectors generally do not coincide with overvalued industry sectors in the cross-section, implying that there are limitations to price-multiple methods for forecasting future volatility. Rather, this study finds that historical volatility significantly increases the goodness-of-fit when modeling volatility in the cross section of industry sectors. The findings of this study imply that firms should increase disclosures and transparency about corporate practices to decrease downside risk that stems from bad news. In addition, the findings underline the consistency between market efficiency and high levels of volatility in periods of significant uncertainty.

Originality/value
This study proposes a novel approach to examining the cross section of volatility across time for industry sectors.
Retail robots as sales assistants: how speciesism moderates the effect of robot intelligence on customer perceptions and behaviour
Authors: Fiestas Lopez Guido Jorge Carlos , Kim Jee Won , Popkowski Leszczyc Peter T.L. , Pontes Nicolas , Tuzovic Sven 
Published: October 2023

PurposeRetailers increasingly endeavour to implement artificial intelligence (AI) innovations, such as humanoid social robots (HSRs), to enhance customer experience. This paper investigates the interactive effect of HSR intelligence and consumers' speciesism on their perceptions of retail robots as sales assistants.Design/methodology/approachThree online experiments testing the effects of HSRs' intellectual intelligence on individuals' perceived competence and, consequently, their decision to shop at a retail store that uses HSRs as sales assistants are reported. Furthermore, the authors examine whether speciesism attenuates these effects such that a mediation effect is likely to be observed for individuals low in speciesism but not for those with high levels of speciesism. Data for all studies were collected on Prolific and analysed with SPSS to perform a logistic regression and PROCESS 4.0 (Hayes, 2022) for the mediation and moderated-mediation analysis.FindingsThe findings show that the level of speciesism moderates the relationship between HSR intellectual intelligence and perceived competence such that an effect is found for low but not for high HSR intelligence. When HSR intellectual intelligence is low, individuals with higher levels of speciesism (vs low) rate the HSR as less competent and display lower HSR acceptance (i.e. customers' decision to shop using retail robots as sales assistants).Originality/valueThis research responds to calls in research to adopt a human-like perspective to understand the compatibility between humans and robots and determine how personality traits, such as a person's level of speciesism, may affect the acceptance of AI technologies replicating human characteristics (Schmitt, 2019). To the best of the authors' knowledge, the present research is the first to examine the moderating role of speciesism on customer perceptions of non-human retail assistants (i.e. human-like and intelligent service robots). This study is the first to showcase that speciesism, normally considered a negative social behaviour, can positively influence individuals' decisions to engage with HSRs.
A bibliometric review of the statistical modelling techniques for cost estimation of infrastructure projects
Authors: Atapattu Chinthaka Niroshan , Domingo Niluka , Sutrisna Monty 
Published: October 2023

PurposeCost overrun in infrastructure projects is a constant concern, with a need for a proper solution. The current estimation practice needs improvement to reduce cost overruns. This study aimed to find possible statistical modelling techniques that could be used to develop cost models to produce more reliable cost estimates.Design/methodology/approachA bibliographic literature review was conducted using a two-stage selection method to compile the relevant publications from Scopus. Then, Visualisation of Similarities (VOS)-Viewer was used to develop the visualisation maps for co-occurrence keyword analysis and yearly trends in research topics.FindingsThe study found seven primary techniques used as cost models in construction projects: regression analysis (RA), artificial neural network (ANN), case-based reasoning (CBR), fuzzy logic, Monte-Carlo simulation (MCS), support vector machine (SVM) and reference class forecasting (RCF). RA, ANN and CBR were the most researched techniques. Furthermore, it was observed that the model's performance could be improved by combining two or more techniques into one model.Research limitations/implicationsThe research was limited to the findings from the bibliometric literature review.Practical implicationsThe findings provided an assessment of statistical techniques that the industry can adopt to improve the traditional estimation practice of infrastructure projects.Originality/valueThis study mapped the research carried out on cost-modelling techniques and analysed the trends. It also reviewed the performance of the models developed for infrastructure projects. The findings could be used to further research to develop more reliable cost models using statistical modelling techniques with better performance.
A high‐throughput single‐cell RNA expression profiling method identifies human pericyte markers
Authors: Sziraki Andras , Zhong Yu , Neltner Allison M. , Niedowicz Dana M. , Rogers Colin B. , Wilcock Donna M. , Nehra Geetika , Neltner Janna H. , Smith Rebecca R. , Hartz Anika M. , Cao Junyue , Nelson Peter T. 
Published: October 2023

AbstractAimsWe sought to identify and optimise a universally available histological marker for pericytes in the human brain. Such a marker could be a useful tool for researchers. Further, identifying a gene expressed relatively specifically in human pericytes could provide new insights into the biological functions of this fascinating cell type.MethodsWe analysed single‐cell RNA expression profiles derived from different human and mouse brain regions using a high‐throughput and low‐cost single‐cell transcriptome sequencing method called EasySci. Through this analysis, we were able to identify specific gene markers for pericytes, some of which had not been previously characterised. We then used commercially (and therefore universally) available antibodies to immunolabel the pericyte‐specific gene products in formalin‐fixed paraffin‐embedded (FFPE) human brains and also performed immunoblots to determine whether appropriately sized proteins were recognised.ResultsIn the EasySci data sets, highly pericyte‐enriched expression was notable for SLC6A12 and SLC19A1. Antibodies against these proteins recognised bands of approximately the correct size in immunoblots of human brain extracts. Following optimisation of the immunohistochemical technique, staining for both antibodies was strongly positive in small blood vessels and was far more effective than a PDGFRB antibody at staining pericyte‐like cells in FFPE human brain sections. In an exploratory sample of other human organs (kidney, lung, liver, muscle), immunohistochemistry did not show the same pericyte‐like pattern of staining.ConclusionsThe SLC6A12 antibody was well suited for labelling pericytes in human FFPE brain sections, based on the combined results of single‐cell RNA‐seq analyses, immunoblots and immunohistochemical studies.