bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
The genetic architecture of polygenic adaptation under a network-derived trait
Authors: O’Brien Nicholas L. V. , Holland Barbara , Engelstädter Jan , Ortiz-Barrientos Daniel 
Published: February 2025

AbstractThe genetic architecture of adaptation varies across species, populations, and traits. While existing models capture aspects like the number of loci, effect sizes, and allele frequencies, they often overlook the molecular processes underlying trait expression. We investigated how gene regulatory networks influence quantitative variation during adaptation by examining the negative autoregulation (NAR) motif in two configurations: K+, with four evolving network components, and K-, with two components. Using forward-time simulations, we tracked populations adapting to a shifted phenotypic optimum under varying genetic architectures. We found that K+ populations maintained rapid adaptation despite low recombination, preserving high genetic variance through positive epistasis and stronger linkage disequilibrium. Under low recombination, K+ populations reached the optimum through diverse molecular configurations, while responses were more uniform under high recombination. In contrast, K− and additive models showed impaired adaptation under low recombination. Our findings demonstrate that network structure fundamentally influences the distribution of variation within the molecular architecture of traits, with certain networks providing unexpected robustness against low recombination rates. This suggests that molecular complexity may confer evolutionary advantages in natural populations.
Isotropic, aberration-corrected light sheet microscopy for rapid high-resolution imaging of cleared tissue
Authors: Aakhte Mostafa , Müller Gesine F. , Li Joe , Weiss Kurt R. , Roos Lennart , Diniz Aleyna M. , Wenzel Jan , Schwaninger Markus , Moser Tobias , Huisken Jan 
Published: February 2025

AbstractLight sheet microscopy is the ideal technique for multiscale imaging of large and cleared tissues, and it is desirable to achieve the highest possible isotropic resolution across the entire sample. However, isotropic resolution for a centimeter-sized sample has only been achieved with slow and often aberrated, axially scanned light sheets, resulting in a low resolution of several micrometers. Here, we introduce a compact, high-speed light sheet fluorescence microscope with isotropic sub-micron resolution optimized for cleared tissue. We introduce three major opto-mechanical innovations using off-the-shelf optics to achieve an isotropic resolution of 850 nm across samples up to 1 cm3and refractive indices ranging from 1.33 to 1.56. We show that combining an air objective and a meniscus lens achieves an axially swept light sheet with sub-micron diffraction-limited resolution, free of aberrations. The effective field of view is increased 2-fold by correcting the field curvature of the light sheet with a concave mirror in the remote focusing unit. Furthermore, the imaging speed is enhanced 10- fold by adapting the light sheet’s motion with a closed-loop feedback, reaching 100 frames per second while maintaining isotropic resolution across the large field of view. Finally, we showcase the performance of our light sheet system for imaging from subcellular up to centimeter scale in cleared mouse cochlea and brain.
Differential AXL expression and regulation of Arf1 controls matrix stiffness-dependent Golgi organization and function in breast cancer cells
Authors: Saha Arnav , Sherkhane Tushar , Balasubramanian Nagaraj 
Published: February 2025

ABSTRACTIntegrin-mediated cell-matrix adhesion regulates cell growth and survival and is often deregulated in transformed cancer cells, promoting anchorage independence. Integrins are essential regulators of cellular mechanotransduction, known to be altered in cancer cells. In breast cancers, tumour stiffening is a well-characterized feature of the disease progression. The Golgi apparatus, regulated by integrin-mediated adhesion in responding to mechanosensory cues, could support cancer progression. MDAMB231 and MCF7 cells with distinct Golgi organization and altered mechanosensing were evaluated. In MDAMB231 cells the organized Golgi in stable adherent cells becomes disorganised on loss of adhesion. This contrasts with MCF7 cells, where the Golgi remains disorganized regardless of the adhesion status. In MDAMB231 cells, increasing matrix stiffness promotes Golgi organization and regulates Golgi-dependent microtubule acetylation. In MCF7 cells, the Golgi stays disorganised despite increasing stiffness. Both cell types show stiffness-dependent cell spreading, with MCF7 cells spreading more efficiently than MDAMB231 cells - a difference that may be partially mediated by their differential Golgi organization. AXL, a receptor tyrosine kinase, is known to be involved in rigidity sensing and is differentially expressed in MDAMB231 (high) vs MCF7 (no expression) cells. AXL inhibition (by R428) and siRNA-mediated AXL knockdown disrupt stiffness-dependent Golgi organization in MDAMB231 cells, promoting cell spreading. Transient and stable AXL expression in MCF7 cells causes the Golgi to become predominantly organised and respond to higher matrix stiffness, affecting cell spreading. Stiffness-dependent AXL expression supports stiffness-dependent Arf1 expression and activation to drive Golgi organization. Thus, matrix mechanosensing through the AXL-Arf1-Golgi pathway could regulate vital cellular processes in breast cancer cells.
Unsupervised learning approach for benchmark models to identify construction projects with high accident risk levels
Authors: Mun Hyeongjun , Jeong Jaewook , Jeong Jaemin , Kumi Louis 
Published: February 2025

PurposeThe construction sector is highly prone to accidents, traditionally assessed using subjective qualitative measurements. To enhance the allocation of risk management resources and identify high-risk projects during pre-construction, an objective and quantitative approach is necessary. This study introduces a three-step clustering methodology to quantitatively evaluate accident risk levels in construction projects.Design/methodology/approachIn the first step, accident and total construction revenue by project were collected to calculate accident probabilities. In the second step, accident probabilities were calculated by project type using the data collected in the first step. After that, benchmark models were suggested using clustering methods to identify high-risk project types for risk management. Before suggesting the benchmark models, an uncertainty analysis was conducted due to the limited amount of data. In the third step, the suggested benchmark models were validated for accuracy.FindingsThe results categorized risk levels for fatalities and injuries into four distinct groups. Validation through ordinal logistic regression demonstrated high explanatory power, with fatality risk levels ranging from 79.9 to 100% and injury risk levels from 90.3 to 100%.Originality/valueThis benchmark model facilitates effective comparisons and analyses across various construction sectors and countries, offering a robust quantitative standard for risk management. By identifying high-risk projects such as “Dam,” this methodology enables better resource allocation during the pre-construction phase, thereby improving overall safety management in the construction industry and providing a basis for legislative applications.
“Green university initiatives and environmental self-identity: waste sorting in Baltic higher education”
Authors: Rūtelionė Aušra , Bhutto Muhammad Yaseen , Miceikienė Astrida 
Published: February 2025

Purpose
This paper aims to examine the waste sorting practices of Lithuanian students and integrate the influence of green university initiatives (GUIs) and environmental self-identity (ESI) into the theoretical framework of the theory of planned behavior (TPB). Furthermore, it examines the potential impact of gender on waste-sorting behavior.

Design/methodology/approach
Data were collected from 255 Lithuanian students using a standardized questionnaire. Convergent and discriminant validity analyses were handled to ensure validity and reliability, and hypothetical relationships were evaluated using structural equation modeling.

Findings
This study confirms GUIs significantly encourage students’ ESI and positively influence their attitudes, subjective norms and perceived behavioral control in waste sorting. In addition, ESI also significantly affects attitude, subjective norms and perceived behavioral control. The study features gender differences, with female students showing stronger associations between GUIs and waste-sorting intentions, reflecting increased environmental awareness and social norms that encourage sustainable behavior. Although subjective norms did not significantly induce waste sorting intentions, the results highlight the essential role of ESI and GUIs in progressing university ecological practices.

Originality/value
This groundbreaking study combines GUIs, ESI and the TPB to examine students’ waste separation behavior. It fills the noticeable literature gap and provides new insights into how gender affects universities’ environmental practices. It suggests actionable strategies to promote sustainable campus cultures and gender-sensitive programs.
Teaching controversial topics in the politically polarized suburbs
Authors: Waller Melanie 
Published: February 2025

PurposeThe purpose of this qualitative study is to explore how high school social studies teachers perceive and address controversial topics in politically polarized suburban classrooms. Research indicates that political polarization significantly affects both teachers and students, with suburban communities being some of the most politically divided in the U.S. By examining the experiences of teachers in these suburban settings and their approaches to handling controversial topics, this study aims to shed light on how the political climate influences teaching practices, discussions of controversial issues and teachers' curriculum-related decisions.Design/methodology/approachThis is a qualitative research study. I interviewed six suburban Long Island high school social studies teachers over the 2021–2022 school year. Each teacher was interviewed twice, with interviews ranging from one to two hours. The interviews were semi-structured and asked the teachers about the purposes of teaching social studies, their communities, their experiences teaching controversial political topics, obstacles around teaching controversial political topics and the ways in which their communities received the teaching of controversial political topics. I used thematic analysis to analyze the interviews. Each interview was analyzed inductively and deductively and coded over three iterative cycles.FindingsThese “controversial” topics come with both explicit and implicit pressure to avoid discussion and deliberation in the classroom. The first finding in this section centers on explicit and implicit pressure on teachers to avoid controversial topics. The second finding highlights the consequences of that pressure on teacher curricular decision making. The third and fourth findings are focused on participants' responses to explicit and implicit pressures to avoid controversial topics. The third finding articulates on the role of tenure in approaching controversial topics in polarized communities. The final finding defines and explores teacher use of political opaqueness.Originality/valueThis work adds to the existing literature on social studies education by providing an analysis of how controversial topics are understood and enacted in the suburban environment. By adding the specificity of context to my research I examine the ways in which controversial topics are defined part by their environment, and teacher interpretation of that environment. Further, this work adds to the literature on deliberative pedagogies and controversial topics by considering the roles that contemporary local and national politics play in enacting controversial topics, and the consequences on the classroom and teaching.
The Moderating Role of Societal Cultural Values and Practices on the Relationship Between Workplace Aggression and Employee Engagement
Authors: Rafferty Anthony 
Published: February 2025

ABSTRACTThis article investigates the relationship between societal culture, the self‐reported incidence of workplace aggression and its effects on employee engagement. While justice‐based accounts emphasise the role of cultural values and attributional models focus on cultural practices, the Focus Theory of Normative Conduct is applied to understand how both cultural values and practices may influence employee outcomes. Utilising the GLOBE survey measures, a nationally representative study of 20 countries was conducted. Results indicate that higher levels of power distance, assertiveness, institutional collectivism, and in‐group collectivism—in terms of both values and practices—are associated with lower self‐reported workplace aggression. Moderation analyses revealed a greater negative effect of aggression on employee engagement in societies scoring higher on power distance or assertiveness values and practices and in‐group collectivism practices, while such effects were lower in countries with higher institutional collectivist practices or in‐group collectivist values. Implications for cross‐cultural human resource management and workplace interventions are discussed.
The physicochemical characteristics and functional properties of steam explosion modified wheat bran in vitro and in vivo
Authors: Deng Wanqing , Deng Yun , Zhang Zhenyu , Zhu Jiangxiong , Wang Danfeng , Zhong Yu 
Published: February 2025

AbstractWheat bran is the processing byproduct of wheat, which is thought to have great potential applications. To make a full utilization of the resource, this study investigated the effects of steam explosion (SE) modification, with intensity at 1.0 MPa at 20, 60, 100, 140, 180, and 220 s, respectively, on wheat bran soluble dietary fiber (SDF) content, physical‐chemical quality, antioxidant capacity, and intestinal microbial spectrum. The impact of long‐term intake of WB100 (wheat bran modified under SE conditions of 1.0 MPa and 100 s) on weight control in obese mice was also studied. The results showed that WB100 showed a 3.36‐fold increase in SDF content, a 61.78% and 109.77% increase in the DPPH and ABTS free radical scavenging rate, and maintained good hydration properties compared to the untreated group. Besides, the 5‐HMF content of WB100 was 16.93 mg/kg, which was within the allowable range and ensured the safety of wheat bran. In addition, WB100 significantly increased and specifically enriched the abundance of Agathobacter, Fusicatenibacter, and Faecalibacterium after intestinal microbial fermentation. Long‐term intake of WB100 in obese mice could play a role in weight control by reducing blood lipid levels and fasting blood glucose values, stimulating appetite suppression‐related hormones, reducing fat accumulation, and protecting liver health. This study highlighted the importance of SE technology for the enhancement of wheat bran added value and industrial upgrading.Practical ApplicationThis study highlighted the importance of SE technology for the enhancement of wheat bran added value and industrial upgrading. And it can be applied in the agricultural field or the development of a new food
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External validation of a nomogram for unilateral pelvic lymph node dissection in prostate cancer
Authors: Ortner Gernot , Falkenbach Fabian , Kachanov Mykyta , Inderhees Tim , Maurer Tobias , Knipper Sophie , Graefen Markus , Budäus Lars 
Published: February 2025

ObjectivesTo explore the rationale of unilateral extended pelvic lymph node dissection (ePLND) during radical prostatectomy (RP) by external validation of a nomogram for unilateral ePLND (unilat‐NG) and comparison to the Briganti 2019 nomogram.Patients and methodsPatients with magnetic resonance imaging‐fusion biopsy and consecutive RP with bilateral ePLND were identified within an institutional database. The primary endpoint was the detection rate of lymph node invasion (LNI) contralateral to the prostatic lobe with adverse cancer characteristics. The performance of the unilat‐NG and the Briganti 2019 nomogram to detect contralateral LNI was assessed using descriptive analysis, the receiver operating characteristic curve–derived area under the curve (AUC), and multivariable logistic regression analyses.ResultsOf the overall 406 consecutive patients, 68/406 (16.7%) presented with pathological (p)N1 disease at RP. The AUC for the unilat‐NG with a 1%, 2% and 2.5% cut‐off was 0.58 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.53–0.63), 0.67 (95% CI 0.59–0.75), and 0.69 (95% CI 0.60–0. 77), respectively; compared to an AUC of 0.72 (95% CI 0.66–0.78) for the Briganti 2019 nomogram with a 7% cut‐off. Applying the unilat‐NG with a 2.5% cut‐off, contralateral ePLND could be omitted in 303/406 (74.6%) patients, misclassifying 10/406 (2.5%) patients with pN0 disease.ConclusionThe Briganti 2019 nomogram outperformed the novel unilat‐NG in contralateral LNI prediction. Yet, a significant proportion of patients undergoing unilateral ePLND would be falsely classified with pN0 disease using any of the nomograms. Therefore, bilateral ePLND should remain the standard of care if PLND is indicated.
Impact of Immunosuppressive Drug Concentrations on Microvascular Inflammation, Negative Donor‐Specific Antibodies, and C4d‐Negative Status in Kidney Transplant Recipients
Authors: Kakuta Yoichi , Maegawa‐Higa Yoko , Matsumura Soichi , Fukae Shota , Tanaka Ryo , Yonishi Hiroaki , Nakazawa Shigeaki , Namba‐Hamano Tomoko , Isaka Yoshitaka , Nonomura Norio 
Published: February 2025

ABSTRACTIntroductionThis study investigated the impact of immunosuppressive drug concentrations on microvascular inflammation (MVI) in kidney transplant recipients with negative donor‐specific antibodies (DSA) against human leukocyte antigen (HLA) and negative C4d deposition in peritubular capillaries.MethodsWe analyzed data from 268 living kidney transplant recipients at the Department of Urology, University of Osaka, Japan. Patients received immunosuppressive therapy comprising extended‐release tacrolimus, mycophenolate mofetil (MMF), and/or everolimus, with or without steroids. Graft biopsies were routinely performed at 3, 12, 36 and 60 months post‐surgery.ResultsNo significant differences were observed between the MVI+DSA‐C4d‐ and MVI‐DSAC4d groups regarding graft survival rates (95.5% vs. 96.6%, p = 0.772) or patient survival rates (95.7% vs. 95.9%, p = 0.735). Lower tacrolimus and everolimus concentrations were significantly associated with an increased risk of MVI+DSA‐C4d‐ (tacrolimus: OR, 0.169; 95% CI, 0.055–0.515; p = 0.002; everolimus: OR, 0.386; 95% CI, 0.171–0.874; p = 0.022). In contrast, MPA concentration was not significantly associated with MVI+DSA‐C4d‐ (OR, 0.994; 95% CI, 0.554–1.780; p = 0.984). Steroid discontinuation did not significantly impact the risk of MVI+DSA‐C4d‐ (OR, 1.980; 95% CI, 0.318–12.000; p = 0.470).ConclusionLower trough levels of tacrolimus and everolimus correlated with a higher incidence of antibody‐independent MVI, supporting the need for tailored immunosuppressive regimens in kidney transplantation.
Supply shortages and inflation in Europe
Authors: Mućk Jakub , Postek Łukasz 
Published: February 2025

AbstractThis paper contributes to the literature by quantifying the effects of supply shortages on inflation in 19 European economies. In contrast to many other papers, it focuses on factual country‐specific shortages in materials and equipment reported by enterprises in the business surveys conducted by the European Commission rather than supply chain tensions that are measured only globally or for some major economies. We apply the local projections method in a panel framework, and estimate the responses of nine measures of consumer and producer inflation to supply shortages. We find that supply shortages are inflationary for all considered measures of inflation, and a larger effect can be observed for the inflation of prices of goods rather than services. The peak of impulse responses can be observed 4–6 quarters after a shock, while the effect usually dies out after 8–12 quarters. After a year, a one‐standard‐deviation shock in supply shortages is followed by annual inflation being higher by 0.7–3.4 percentage points, depending on the inflation measure. Interestingly, the inflationary effects of supply shortages seem to be related mainly to periods of intense global supply tensions.
Exercise benefits and barriers in an extension‐delivered diabetes prevention program
Authors: Castillo‐Hernández Isaura M. , Wilson Hannah K. , Williams Ewan R. , Berg Alison C. , Evans Ellen M. 
Published: February 2025

AbstractLimited evidence of determinants of exercise (EX)/physical activity (PA) behavior change exists in the context of Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP) implementation. Participants (n = 50, 57.3 ± 12.9 yo, BMI = 35.1 ± 6.2) were assessed for weight status, self‐reported EX/PA behavior, and perceived benefits and barriers at baseline and completion of an Extension‐delivered DPP. EX/PA behavior improved in response to the intervention, albeit statistically insignificant (p > 0.05). Perceived benefits of EX/PA were (1) enhanced physical performance and (2) reduction in risk of disease, whereas the exertion for EX/PA behaviors was the greatest barrier (all p < 0.05).
Influence of B4C content and particle size on the mechanical properties of Al2O3‐B4C composites
Authors: Mohammed Nazeer , Naik Ajit Kumar , Prasad D. K. V. D , Pillari Lava Kumar , Bichler Lukas , Laha Tapas , Roy Siddhartha 
Published: February 2025

AbstractAlumina (Al2O3) ceramics and their composites are widely used in the cutting tool industries due to their superior mechanical properties. This study presents a comprehensive investigation of the influence of B4C content and particle size on the sinterability, microstructure, and mechanical properties of Al2O3‐B4C composites fabricated using Spark Plasma Sintering (SPS). The relative density of the composites increased and residual porosity decreased as the B4C particle size in the powder blends decreased. The addition of B4C particles improved the mechanical properties of monolithic Al2O3 and the highest property enhancements were obtained for the composite with 30 vol% of the finest B4C particles. For this composition, with respect to monolithic Al2O3, the density was reduced by 11% and hardness, Young's modulus, indentation fracture toughness, and flexural strength increased by 24%, 8%, 51%, and 88%, respectively. The effect of the B4C particle size on the Young's modulus in relation to existing micromechanical models reveals that the composites with a fine B4C particles fit the Reuss model.