bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Systematics of harvester ants (Messor) in Israel based on integrated morphological, genetic, and ecological data
Authors: Saar Maya , Eyer Pierre-Andre , Cohen Tali Magory , Ionescu-Hirsch Armin , Dor Roi , Dorchin Netta 
Published: July 2023

ABSTRACTHarvester ants of the genusMessorare considered ecosystem engineers, whose distribution is broadly influenced by a variety of environmental factors. Although distinctMessorspecies have been reported to inhabit different habitats, their taxonomy in Israel remains largely ambiguous, hampering the proper ecological characterization of these species. Here, we applied an integrative species delimitation approach combining morphology-based identification, phylogenetic analyses of nuclear and mitochondrial genes, and ecological niche modelling to investigate the phylogenetic relationships amongMessorspecies in the small but ecologically diverse region of Israel. Our analyses of mitochondrial genes revealed the presence of at least 13 well-defined lineages, whereas only seven were supported by the analysis of the nuclear genes. However, the concatenated tree that included all the three markers supported 11 lineages. Among two of the lineages-inM. semirufusand in a group of ants closest in resemblance toM. grandinidus-we identified 3-4 clades that were well established on most trees, inviting further study. In addition, we reveal three undescribed species and raise two subspecies to species rank, highlighting the high diversity of harvester ants in Israel. Ecological niche modelling consistently supported the observed distribution of species, with soil type and average annual temperature being the most influential factors. These results demonstrate that species distribution modelling can serve as a valuable component of integrative species delimitation. We call for future studies to investigate these fascinating lineages of one of the most prominent and ecologically important genera of ants in the Mediterranean Basin.
A conceptualisation and psychometric evaluation of positive psychological outcome measures used in adolescents and young adults living with HIV: a mixed scoping and systematic review
Authors: Dambi Jermaine M. , Cowan Frances M. , Martin Faith , Sibanda Sharon , Simms Victoria , Willis Nicola , Bernays Sarah , Mavhu Webster 
Published: July 2023

AbstractIntroductionSub-Saharan Africa bears the greatest burden of HIV/mental disorders combined. It is important to evaluate the mental health of adolescents and young adults living with HIV (AYALHIV) comprehensively by measuring both negative and positive psychological constructs. There has been a proliferation of interest in positive psychological outcome measures, but the evidence of their psychometric robustness is fragmented. This review sought to:Identify positive psychological outcomes and corresponding outcome measures used in AYALHIV in sub-Saharan AfricaCritically appraise the psychometrics of the identified outcome measuresMethods and analysisIndependent and blinded reviewers searched articles in PubMed, Scopus, Africa-Wide Information, CINAHL, Psych INFO, and Google Scholar. Separate independent reviewers screened the retrieved articles. We applied a narrative synthesis to map the key constructs. The risk of bias across studies was evaluated using the COnsensus-based Standards for the selection of health Measurement INstruments (COSMIN) checklist. The quality of the psychometric properties was rated using the COSMIN checklist and qualitatively synthesised using the modified Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation checklist.ResultsWe identified 15 positive psychological constructs: body appreciation, confidence, coping, flourishing, meaningfulness, personal control, positive outlook, resilience, self-management, self-compassion, self-concept, self-efficacy, self-esteem, self-worth and transcendence that had been used to assess ALHIV. Resilience, self-concept, self-esteem, coping and self-efficacy were the most measured constructs. Construct validity and internal consistency were the properties most frequently assessed, while content validity and structural validity were assessed less often.ConclusionsFew studies performed complete validations; thus, evidence for psychometric robustness was fragmented. However, this review shows the initial evidence of the feasibility of using positive psychological outcomes in low-resource settings. Instead of creating new outcomes, researchers are recommended to leverage the existing measures, adapt them for use, and, if appropriate, strive to maintain the factorial structure to facilitate comparisons.RegistrationPROSPERO-CRD42022325172
An epigenome-wide association study of child appetitive traits and DNA methylation
Authors: Harris Holly A. , Friedman Chloe , Starling Anne P. , Dabelea Dana , Johnson Susan L. , Fuemmeler Bernard F. , Jima Dereje , Murphy Susan K. , Hoyo Cathrine , Jansen Pauline W. , Felix Janine F. , Mulder Rosa 
Published: July 2023

AbstractChildhood appetitive traits are consistently associated with obesity risk, and yet their etiology is poorly understood. Appetitive traits are complex phenotypes which are hypothesized to be influenced by both genetic and environmental factors, as well as their interactions. Early-life epigenetic processes, such as DNA methylation (DNAm), may be involved in the developmental programming of appetite regulation in childhood. In the current study, we meta-analyzed epigenome-wide association studies (EWASs) of cord blood DNAm and early-childhood appetitive traits. Data were from two independent cohorts: the Generation R Study (n=1,086, Rotterdam, the Netherlands) and the Healthy Start study (n=236, Colorado, USA). DNAm at autosomal methylation sites in cord blood was measured using the Illumina Infinium HumanMethylation450 BeadChip. Parents reported on their child’s food responsiveness, emotional undereating, satiety responsiveness and food fussiness using the Children’s Eating Behaviour Questionnaire at age 4-5 years. Multiple regression models were used to examine the association of DNAm (predictor) at the individual site- and regional-level (using DMRff) with each appetitive trait (outcome), adjusting for covariates. Bonferroni-correction was applied to adjust for multiple testing. There were no associations of DNAm and any appetitive trait at the individual site-level. However, at the regional level, we identified 45 associations of DNAm with food responsiveness, 7 associations of DNAm with emotional undereating, 13 associations of DNAm with satiety responsiveness, and 9 associations of DNAm with food fussiness. This study shows that DNAm in the newborn may partially explain variation in appetitive traits expressed in early childhood and provides preliminary support for early programming of child appetitive traits through DNAm. Investigating differential DNAm associated with appetitive traits could be an important first step in identifying biological pathways underlying the development of these behaviors.
Customer satisfaction and airport efficiency in Brazil: a hybrid NDEA-AHP approach
Authors: Teixeira Rafael , Antunes Jorge Junio Moreira , Wanke Peter , Correa Henrique Luiz , Tan Yong 
Published: July 2023

PurposeThis paper aims to measure and unveil the relationship between customer satisfaction and efficiency levels in the most relevant Brazilian airports.Design/methodology/approachThe authors utilize a two-stage network DEA (data envelopment analysis) and AHP (analytic hierarchy process) model as the cornerstones of the study. The first stage of the network productive structure focuses on examining the infrastructure efficiency of the selected airports, while the second stage assesses their business efficiency.FindingsAlthough the results indicate that infrastructure and business efficiency levels are heterogeneous and widely dispersed across airports, controlling the regression results with different contextual variables suggests that the impact of efficiency levels on customer satisfaction is mediated by a set of socio-economic and demographic (endogenous) and regulatory (exogenous) variables. Furthermore, encouraging investment in airports is necessary to achieve higher infrastructural efficiency and scale efficiency, thereby improving customer satisfaction.Originality/valueThere is a scarcity of studies examining the relationships among customer satisfaction, privatization and airport efficiency, particularly in developing countries like Brazil.
A decision-support framework for selecting additive manufacturing technologies
Authors: Maranha João , Nascimento Paulo Jorge , Calcerano Tomaz Alexandre , Silva Cristóvão , Mueller Stefanie , Moniz Samuel 
Published: July 2023

PurposeThis study provides an up-to-date review of additive manufacturing (AM) technologies and guidance for selecting the most appropriate ones for specific applications, taking into account the main features, strengths, and limitations of the existing options.Design/methodology/approachA literature review on AM technologies was conducted to assess the current state-of-the-art. This was followed by a closer examination of different AM machines to gain a deeper insight into their main features and operational characteristics. The conclusions and data gathered were used to formulate a classification and decision-support framework.FindingsThe findings indicate the building blocks of the selection process for AM technologies. Furthermore, this work shows the suitability of the existing AM technologies for specific cases and points to opportunities for technological and decision-support improvements. Lastly, more standardization in AM would be beneficial for future research.Practical implicationsThe proposed framework offers valuable support for decision-makers to select the most suitable AM technologies, as demonstrated through practical examples of its utilization. In addition, it can help researchers identify the limitations of AM by pinpointing applications where existing technologies fail to meet the requirements.Originality/valueThe study offers a novel classification and decision-support framework for selecting AM technologies, incorporating machine characteristics, process features, physical properties of printed parts, and costs as key features to evaluate the potential of AM. Additionally, it provides a deeper understanding of these features as well as the potential opportunities for AM and its impact on various industries.
Understanding the relationship between entrepreneurship education, entrepreneurial attitudes, and entrepreneurial intentions among engineering graduates: the moderating role of gender
Authors: Kaur Manpreet , Chawla Sonia 
Published: July 2023

PurposeThe current study assesses the contribution of entrepreneurship education (EE) in strengthening entrepreneurial attitudes (EAs) and entrepreneurial intentions (EIs) among engineering graduates in India.Design/methodology/approachCross-sectional data were collected through an electronic questionnaire from 340 engineering students. Structural equation modeling was performed for hypothesis testing through SmartPLS4 software.FindingsThe findings demonstrated that EE, EA and EI are positively and significantly correlated. However, the moderation effect of gender on EE–EI linkage was found to be insignificant.Research limitations/implicationsThe study provides comprehensive insights to understand EE effectiveness on students' EI and further opens the path for future researchers to investigate how the inclusion of other constructs in theory of planned behavior and human capital theory can raise the EI among students. Future research should target a larger sample size comprising students from diverse educational streams.Practical implicationsThe findings of this research offer various practical contributions for educational establishments, policymakers and the government in formulating constructive educational interventions that fully trigger the student's EIs.Originality/valueThis study adds to the scarce theoretical examination of EE–EI using the human capital approach in developing countries. In addition, this study is highly relevant to the scarce theoretical and empirical support for investigating the contribution of EE in HEIs in India.
Investigating factors influencing individual user's intention to adopt cloud computing: a hybrid approach using PLS-SEM and fsQCA
Authors: Chanda Razib Chandra , Vafaei-Zadeh Ali , Hanifah Haniruzila , Ramayah T. 
Published: July 2023

PurposeThe main objective of this study is to investigate the factors that influence the adoption intention of cloud computing services among individual users using the extended theory of planned behavior.Design/methodology/approachA purposive sampling technique was used to collect a total of 339 data points, which were analyzed using SmartPLS to derive variance-based structural equation modeling and fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA).FindingsThe results obtained from PLS-SEM indicate that attitude towards cloud computing, subjective norms, perceived behavioral control, perceived security, cost-effectiveness, and performance expectancy all have a positive and significant impact on the adoption intention of cloud computing services among individual users. On the other hand, the findings from fsQCA provide a clear interpretation and deeper insights into the adoption intention of individual users of cloud computing services by revealing the complex relationships between multiple combinations of antecedents. This helps to understand the reasons for individual users' adoption intention in emerging countries.Practical implicationsThis study offers valuable insights to cloud service providers and cyber entrepreneurs on how to promote cloud computing services to individual users in developing countries. It helps these organizations understand their priorities for encouraging cloud computing adoption among individual users from emerging countries. Additionally, policymakers can also understand their role in creating a comfortable and flexible cloud computing access environment for individual users.Originality/valueThis study has contributed to the increasingly growing empirical literature on cloud computing adoption and demonstrates the effectiveness of the proposed theoretical framework in identifying the potential reasons for the slow growth of cloud computing services adoption in the developing world.
Migration or not? Impact of individual and urban factors on migrant workers' willingness of household registration transfer
Authors: Chu Zhongzhu , Chen Xihui 
Published: July 2023

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to explore the factors that influence migrant workers' household registration transfer willingness at both individual and urban levels and to provide empirical evidence on adjusting the household registration system to accommodate economic development and migrant workers' imbalances.Design/methodology/approachThis paper adopts a hierarchical nonlinear model and examines individual and urban influencing factors of migrant workers' household registration transfer willingness, based on the data from China Migrants Dynamic Survey (CMDS) and the Urban Statistical Yearbooks.FindingsThis paper shows that: (1) multi-factors, such as age, education, marital status, household demographics, industry and migrant workers' contract coverage, have significant effects on migrant workers' household registration transfer willingness; (2) The urban public service equalization indicators, such as regional economic, educational resources, medical care and ecological quality, have significant effects on migrant workers' willingness to transfer household registration; (3) The heterogeneity of migrant workers' willingness to transfer household registration is significant in central, eastern and western China.Research limitations/implicationsThe authors provide a fresh perspective on population migration research in China and other countries worldwide based on the pull–push migration theory, which incorporates both individual and macro (urban) factors, enabling a comprehensive examination of the factors influencing household registration transfer willingness. This hierarchical ideology and approach (hierarchical nonlinear model) could be extended to investigate the influencing factors of various other human intentions and behaviors.Originality/valueMicro approaches (individual perspective) have dominated existing studies examining the factors influencing migrant workers' household registration transfer willingness. The authors combine individual and urban perspectives and adopt a more comprehensive hierarchical nonlinear model to extend the empirical evidence and provide theoretical explanations for the above issues.
Pharmacological targeting of Axin2 suppresses cell growth and metastasis in colorectal cancer
Authors: Cheng Li‐Zhi , Huang Dan‐Ling , Tang Zhang‐Rui , Zhang Jia‐Hao , Xiong Ting , Zhou Chen , Zhang Nai‐Xia , Fu Rong , Cheng Yong‐Xian , Wu Zhao‐Qiu 
Published: July 2023

AbstractBackground and PurposeThe scaffold molecule Axin2 is constitutively activated in colorectal cancer (CRC) and functions as a potent promoter of CRC behaviour. Pharmacological targeting of Axin2 may therefore exert a therapeutic effect in patients with CRC. Here, we discovered a potent small‐molecule inhibitor of Axin2, based on the mechanism by which Axin2 is regulated post‐translationally, and investigated its antitumour effects.Experimental ApproachCompound discovery and its inhibitory action on Axin2 protein were revealed by microscale thermophoresis, in vitro kinase assay, quantitative kinetic assay, immunoblotting/immunoprecipitation, RT‐qPCR and cycloheximide pulse‐chase assay. Compound antitumour effects and the underlying mechanisms were evaluated in multiple cell‐based assays and mouse models.Key ResultsWe discovered that glycogen synthase kinase 3β (GSK3β) phosphorylates Axin2 at two consensus motifs and coupled Axin2 phosphorylation to its ubiquitination (mediated by the E3 ligase β‐Trcp2) and proteasomal degradation. The binding of Axin2 to GSK3β in CRC cells is faint, which enables most of the Axin2 protein to maintain an unphosphorylated status and thereby permits the cells to preserve high levels of Axin2. Importantly, we identified a small‐molecule compound CW85319 that enhances Axin2's interaction with GSK3β via forming a high affinity for Axin2. Treatment of CRC cells with CW85319 enhanced Axin2 binding with GSK3β, thereby promoting Axin2 phosphorylation, subsequent ubiquitination, and degradation. Furthermore, we demonstrated that CW85319 efficiently suppressed Axin2‐driven CRC growth and metastasis, without eliciting side toxicity.Conclusions and ImplicationsThese findings suggest that pharmacological targeting of Axin2 by CW85319 may provide therapeutic benefits against certain human cancers, especially CRC.
Τhe neuroprotective role of environmental enrichment against behavioral, morphological, neuroendocrine and molecular changes following chronic unpredictable mild stress: A systematic review
Authors: Dandi Εvgenia , Spandou Evangelia , Dalla Christina , Tata Despina Α. 
Published: July 2023

AbstractEnvironmental factors interact with biological and genetic factors influencing the development and well‐being of an organism. The interest in better understanding the role of environment on behavior and physiology led to the development of animal models of environmental manipulations. Environmental enrichment (EE), an environmental condition that allows cognitive and sensory stimulation as well as social interaction, improves cognitive function, reduces anxiety and depressive‐like behavior and promotes neuroplasticity. In addition, it exerts protection against neurodegenerative disorders, cognitive aging and deficits aggravated by stressful experiences. Given the beneficial effects of EE on the brain and behavior, preclinical studies have focused on its protective role as an alternative, non‐invasive manipulation, to help an organism to cope better with stress. A valid, reliable and effective animal model of chronic stress that enhances anxiety and depression‐like behavior is the chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS). The variety of stressors and the unpredictability in the time and sequence of exposure to prevent habituation, render CUMS an ethologically relevant model. CUMS has been associated with dysregulation of the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis, elevation in the basal levels of stress hormones, reduction in brain volume, dendritic atrophy and alterations in markers of synaptic plasticity. Although numerous studies have underlined the compensatory role of EE against the negative effects of various chronic stress regimens (e.g. restraint and social isolation), research concerning the interaction between EE and CUMS is sparse. The purpose of the current systematic review is to present up‐to‐date research findings regarding the protective role of EE against the negative effects of CUMS.
The evolving direct‐to‐consumer retail model: A review and research agenda
Authors: McKee Samantha , Sands Sean , Pallant Jason Ian , Cohen Justin 
Published: July 2023

AbstractThe substantial growth of e‐commerce sales, driven by digital advancements, has enticed brands to sell direct‐to‐consumers (DTC) online. Despite the growth of the DTC online retail model in practice, academic literature remains fragmented. This systematic review is timely as it meets the need for a comprehensive understanding of the evolution of DTC over two decades of research to 2023. A SPAR‐4‐SLR protocol combined with a Theory–Context–Methods (TCM) approach examines the extant literature through a marketing lens. An analysis of 81 articles reveals a need for consumer behavior theories to underpin research on the DTC retail model. We conclude the review by identifying areas for further development, such as the need for research on the technology‐driven balance of power between brands, retailers, and consumers. Contextually, the authors highlight research opportunities on SME brands' internationalization and the DTC online luxury experience. Methodological directions include empirical qualitative studies and experiments on the emerging topics of technology‐enabled retail services and the experiential e‐commerce impact on customer experience. These future research undertakings will help us to better understand the DTC retail model.