bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Disentangling the effects of jasmonate and tissue loss on the sex allocation of an annual plant
Authors: Villamil Nora , Sommervogel Benoit , Pannell John R.
Published: November 2021

Selection through pollinators plays a major role in the evolution of reproductive traits. However, herbivory can also induce changes in plant sexual expression and sexual systems, potentially influencing conditions governing transitions between sexual systems. Previous work has shown that herbivory has a strong effect on sex allocation in the wind-pollinated annual plantMercurialis annua, likely mediated by resource loss. It is also known that many plants respond to herbivory by inducing signalling, and endogenous responses to it, via the plant hormone jasmonate. Here, we attempt to uncouple the effects of herbivory on sex allocation inM. annuathrough resource limitation (tissue loss) versus plant responses to jasmonate hormone signalling. We used a two-factorial experiment with four treatment combinations: control, herbivory (25% chronic tissue loss), jasmonate, and combined herbivory and jasmonate. We estimated the effects of tissue loss and defence-inducing hormones on reproductive allocation, male reproductive effort, and sex allocation. Tissue loss caused plants to reduce their male reproductive effort, resulting in changes in combined sex allocation. However, application of jasmonate after herbivory reversed its effect on male investment. Our results show that herbivory has consequences on plant sex expression and sex allocation, and that defence-related hormones such as jasmonate can buffer the impacts. We discuss the physiological mechanisms that might underpin the effects of herbivory on sex allocation, and their potential implications for the evolution of plant sexual systems.
A small molecule stabilises the disordered native state of the Alzheimer’s Aβ peptide
Authors: Löhr Thomas , Kohlhoff Kai , Heller Gabriella T. , Camilloni Carlo , Vendruscolo Michele
Published: November 2021

The stabilisation of native states of proteins is a powerful drug discovery strategy. It is still unclear, however, whether this approach can be applied to intrinsically disordered proteins. Here we report a small molecule that stabilises the native state of the Aβ42 peptide, an intrinsically disordered protein fragment associated with Alzheimer’s disease. We show that this stabilisation takes place by a dynamic binding mechanism, in which both the small molecule and the Aβ42 peptide remain disordered. This disordered binding mechanism involves enthalpically favourable local π-stacking interactions coupled with entropically advantageous global effects. These results indicate that small molecules can stabilise disordered proteins in their native states through transient non-specific interactions that provide enthalpic gain while simultaneously increasing the conformational entropy of the proteins.
Improvement of eukaryotic proteins prediction from soil metagenomes
Authors: Belliardo Carole , Koutsovoulos Georgios , Rancurel Corinne , Clement Mathilde , Lipuma Justine , Bailly-Bechet Marc , Danchin Etienne G.J
Published: November 2021

Background: During the last decades, shotgun metagenomics and metabarcoding have highlighted the diversity of microorganisms from environmental or host-associated samples. Most assembled metagenome public repositories use annotation pipelines tailored for prokaryotes regardless of the taxonomic origin of contigs and metagenome-assembled genomes (MAGs). Consequently, eukaryotic contigs and MAGs, with intrinsically different gene features, are not optimally annotated, resulting in an incorrect representation of the eukaryotic component of biodiversity, despite their biological relevance. Results: Using an automated analysis pipeline, we have filtered 7.9 billion of contigs from 6,873 soil metagenomes in the IMG/M database of the Joint Genome Institute to identify eukaryotic contigs. We have re-annotated genes using eukaryote-tailored methods, yielding 8 million eukaryotic proteins. Of these, 5.6 million could be traced back to non-chimeric higher confidence eukaryotic contigs. Our pipeline improves eukaryotic proteins completeness, contiguity and quality. Moreover, the better quality of eukaryotic proteins combined with a more comprehensive assignment method improves the taxonomic annotation as well. Conclusions | Using public soil metagenomic data, we provide a dataset of eukaryotic soil proteins with improved completeness and quality as well as a more reliable taxonomic annotation. This unique resource is of interest for any scientist aiming at studying the composition, biological functions and gene flux in soil communities involving eukaryotes.
Biological integrity enhances the qualitative effectiveness of conditional mice-oak mutualisms
Authors: Morán-López Teresa , Sánchez-Dávila Jesús , Torre Ignasi , Navarro-Castilla Alvaro , Barja Isabel , Díaz Mario
Published: November 2021

Scatter-hoarding decisions by rodents are key for the long-term maintenance of scattered tree populations. Decisions are determined by seed value, competition and predation risk, so that they can be influenced by the integrity of the biological system composed by trees, rodents, ungulate competitors, and rodent predators. We manipulate and model the oak-mice interaction in a Spanish dehesa, an anthropogenic savanna system suffering chronic tree regeneration failure, and quantify the joint effect of intrinsic and extrinsic factors on acorn dispersal effectiveness. First, we conducted a large-scale cafeteria field experiment, where we modified ungulate presence and predation risk, and followed mouse scatter-hoarding decisions under contrasting levels of moonlight and acorn availability. Then, we estimated the net effects of competition and risk by means of transition probability models that simulated mouse scatter-hoarding decisions according to the environmental context. Our results show that suboptimal conditions for mice balance the interaction towards the mutualism as they force mice to forage less efficiently. Under stressful conditions (predation risks and presence of ungulates), lack of antipredatory cover around dehesa trees limited transportation of acorns, but also precluded mice activities outside tree canopies. As a result, post-dispersal predation rates were reduced and large acorns had a higher probability to survive. Our work shows that inter-specific interactions preventing efficient foraging by scatter-hoarders benefitted seed dispersal. Therefore, the maintenance of the full set of producers, consumers, dispersers and predators in ecosystems is key for promoting seed dispersal effectiveness in conditional mutualisms.
Efficient multi-gene expression in cell-free droplet microreactors
Authors: Restrepo Sierra Ana Maria , Arold Stefan T. , Grünberg Raik
Published: November 2021

Cell-free transcription and translation systems promise to accelerate and simplify the engineering of proteins, biological circuits and metabolic pathways. Their encapsulation on microfluidic platforms can generate millions of cell-free reactions in picoliter volume droplets. However, current methods struggle to create DNA diversity between droplets while also reaching sufficient protein expression levels. In particular, efficient multi-gene expression has remained elusive. We here demonstrate that co-encapsulation of DNA-coated beads with a defined cell-free system allows high protein expression while also supporting genetic diversity between individual droplets. We optimize DNA loading on commercially available microbeads through direct binding as well as through the sequential coupling of up to three genes via a solid-phase Golden Gate assembly or BxB1 integrase-based recombineering. Encapsulation with an off-the-shelf microfluidics device allows for single or multiple protein expression from a single DNA-coated bead per 14 pL droplet. We envision that this approach will help to scale up and parallelize the rapid prototyping of more complex biological systems.
Newly recruited intraepithelial Ly6A+CCR9+CD4+T cells protect against enteric viral infection
Authors: Parsa Roham , London Mariya , Rezende de Castro Tiago Bruno , Reis Bernardo , des Amorie Julian Buissant , Smith Jason G. , Mucida Daniel
Published: November 2021

The intestinal epithelium comprises the body’s largest surface exposed to viruses. However, a role for intraepithelial T lymphocytes in resistance against viral infections remain elusive. By fate-mapping T cells recruited to the murine intestinal epithelium, we observed accumulation of CD4+T cells after infection with murine norovirus (MNV) or mouse adenovirus type-2 (AdV), but not after reovirus infection. Intraepithelial CD4+T cells recruited after MNV or AdV infection co-express Ly6A and CCR9, and exhibit T helper 1 and cytotoxic profiles. Although these cells display a diverse TCR repertoire, they conferred protection against AdV and MNV bothin vivoand in an organoid co-culture model in an IFN-γ-dependent manner. Ablation of the T cell receptor (TCR) or the transcription factor ThPOK in CD4+T cells prior to infection prevented viral control, while TCR ablation during infection did not impact viral clearance. These results uncover a protective role for intraepithelial Ly6A+CCR9+CD4+T cells against enteric viruses.
Swiss public health measures associated with reduced SARS-CoV-2 transmission using genome data
Authors: Nadeau Sarah A. , Vaughan Timothy G. , Beckmann Christiane , Topolsky Ivan , Chen Chaoran , Hodcroft Emma , Schär Tobias , Nissen Ina , Santacroce Natascha , Burcklen Elodie , Ferreira Pedro , Jablonski Kim Philipp , Posada-Céspedes Susana , Capece Vincenzo , Seidel Sophie , de Souza Noemi Santamaria , Martinez-Gomez Julia M. , Cheng Phil , Bosshard Philipp P. , Levesque Mitchell P. , Kufner Verena , Schmutz Stefan , Zaheri Maryam , Huber Michael , Trkola Alexandra , Cordey Samuel , Laubscher Florian , Gonçalves Ana Rita , Aeby Sébastien , Pillonel Trestan , Jacot Damien , Bertelli Claire , Greub Gilbert , Leuzinger Karoline , Stange Madlen , Mari Alfredo , Roloff Tim , Seth-Smith Helena , Hirsch Hans H. , Egli Adrian , Redondo Maurice , Kobel Olivier , Noppen Christoph , du Plessis Louis , Beerenwinkel Niko , Neher Richard A. , Beisel Christian , Stadler Tanja
Published: November 2021

Genome sequences from evolving infectious pathogens allow quantification of case introductions and local transmission dynamics. We sequenced 11,357 SARS-CoV-2 genomes from Switzerland in 2020 - the 6th largest effort globally. Using a representative subset of these data, we estimated viral introductions to Switzerland and their persistence over the course of 2020. We contrast these estimates with simple null models representing the absence of certain public health measures. We show that Switzerland’s border closures de-coupled case introductions from incidence in neighboring countries. Under a simple model, we estimate an 86 - 98% reduction in introductions during Switzerland’s strictest border closures. Furthermore, the Swiss 2020 partial lockdown roughly halved the time for sampled introductions to die out. Finally, we quantified local transmission dynamics once introductions into Switzerland occurred, using a novel phylodynamic model. We find that transmission slowed 35 – 63% upon outbreak detection in summer 2020, but not in fall. This finding may indicate successful contact tracing over summer before overburdening in fall. The study highlights the added value of genome sequencing data for understanding transmission dynamics.

One Sentence Summary

Phylogenetic and phylodynamic methods quantify the drop in case introductions and local transmission with implementation of public health measures.
Long-read assembly and comparative evidence-based reanalysis of Cryptosporidium genome sequences reveal expanded transporter repertoire and duplication of entire chromosome ends including subtelomeric regions
Authors: Baptista Rodrigo P. , Li Yiran , Sateriale Adam , Sanders Mandy J. , Brooks Karen L. , Tracey Alan , Ansell Brendan R.E. , Jex Aaron R. , Cooper Garrett W. , Smith Ethan D. , Xiao Rui , Dumaine Jennifer E. , Georgeson Peter , Pope Bernard J. , Berriman Matthew , Striepen Boris , Cotton James A. , Kissinger Jessica C.
Published: November 2021

Cryptosporidiosis is a leading cause of waterborne diarrheal disease globally and an important contributor to mortality in infants and the immunosuppressed. Despite its importance, the Cryptosporidium community has only had access to a good, but incomplete, Cryptosporidium parvum IOWA reference genome sequence. Incomplete reference sequences hamper annotation, experimental design, and interpretation. We have generated a new C. parvum IOWA genome assembly supported by Pacific Biosciences (PacBio) and Oxford Nanopore long-read technologies and a new comparative and consistent genome annotation for three closely related species: C. parvum, Cryptosporidium hominis, and Cryptosporidium tyzzeri. We made 1926 C. parvum annotation updates based on experimental evidence. They include new transporters, ncRNAs, introns, and altered gene structures. The new assembly and annotation revealed a complete Dnmt2 methylase ortholog. Comparative annotation between C. parvum, C. hominis, and C. tyzzeri revealed that most “missing” orthologs are found, suggesting that the biological differences between the species must result from gene copy number variation, differences in gene regulation, and single-nucleotide variants (SNVs). Using the new assembly and annotation as reference, 190 genes are identified as evolving under positive selection, including many not detected previously. The new C. parvum IOWA reference genome assembly is larger, gap free, and lacks ambiguous bases. This chromosomal assembly recovers all 16 chromosome ends, 13 of which are contiguously assembled. The three remaining chromosome ends are provisionally placed. These ends represent duplication of entire chromosome ends including subtelomeric regions revealing a new level of genome plasticity that will both inform and impact future research.
Task-Dependent Role for Dorsal Striatum Metabotropic Glutamate Receptors in Memory
Authors: Packard Mark G. , Vecchioli Stefano F. , Schroeder Jason P. , Gasbarri Antonella
Published: November 2021

The effect of post-training intradorsal striatal infusion of metabotropic glutamate receptor (mGluR) drugs on memory consolidation processes in an inhibitory avoidance (IA) task and visible/hidden platform water maze tasks was examined. In the IA task, adult male Long-Evans rats received post-training intracaudate infusions of the broad spectrum mGluR antagonist α-methyl-4-carboxyphenylglycine (MCPG; 1.0, 2.0 mM/0.5 μL), the group I/II mGluR agonist 1-aminocyclopentane-1,3-carboxylic acid (ACPD; 0.5 or 1.0 μM/0.5 μL), or saline immediately following footshock training, and retention was tested 24 h later. In the visible- and hidden-platform water maze tasks, rats received post-training intracaudate infusions of ACPD (1.0 μM), MCPG (2.0 mM), or saline immediately following an eight-trial training session, followed by a retention test 24 h later. In the IA task, post-training infusion of ACPD (0.5 and 1.0 μM) or MCPG (1.0 and 2.0 mM) impaired retention. In the IA and visible-platform water maze tasks, post-training infusion of ACPD (1.0 μM), or MCPG (2.0 mM) impaired retention. In contrast, neither drug affected retention when administered post-training in the hidden-platform task, consistent with the hypothesized role of the dorsal striatum in stimulus-response habit formation. When intradorsal striatal injections were delayed 2 h post-training in the visible-platform water maze task, neither drug affected retention, indicating a time-dependent effect of the immediate post-training injections on memory consolidation. It is hypothesized that MCPG impaired memory via a blockade of postsynaptic dorsal striatal mGluR's, while the impairing effect of ACPD may have been caused by an influence of this agonist on presynaptic “autoreceptor” striatal mGluR populations.
Configural Olfactory Learning in Honeybees: Negative and Positive Patterning Discrimination
Authors: Deisig Nina , Lachnit Harald , Giurfa Martin , Hellstern Frank
Published: November 2021

In an appetitive context, honeybees (Apis mellifera) learn to associate odors with a reward of sucrose solution. If an odor is presented immediately before the sucrose, an elemental association is formed that enables the odor to release the proboscis extension response (PER). Olfactory conditioning of PER was used to study whether, beyond elemental associations, honeybees are able to process configural associations. Bees were trained in a positive and anegative patterning discrimination problem. In the first problem, single odorants were nonreinforced whereas the compound was reinforced. In the second problem, single odorants were reinforced whereas the compound was nonreinforced. We studied whether bees can solve these problems and whether the ratio between the number of presentations of the reinforced stimuli and the number of presentations of the nonreinforced stimuli affects discrimination. Honeybees differentiated reinforced and nonreinforced stimuli in positive and negative patterning discriminations. They thus can process configural associations. The variation of the ratio of reinforced to nonreinforced stimuli modulated the amount of differentiation. The assignment of singular codes to complex odor blends could be implemented at the neural level: When bees are stimulated with odor mixtures, the activation patterns evoked at the primary olfactory neuropile, the antennal lobe, may be combinations of the single odorant responses that are not necessarily fully additive.
Differential Induction of Long-Term Synaptic Facilitation by Spaced and Massed Applications of Serotonin at Sensory Neuron Synapses of Aplysia californica
Authors: Mauelshagen Juliane , Sherff Carolyn M. , Carew Thomas J.
Published: November 2021

Serotonin (5HT)-induced facilitation of synaptic transmission from tail sensory neurons (SNs) to motor neurons (MNs) in the marine mollusc Aplysia provides a cellular model of short- and long-term memory for behavioral sensitization of the tail withdrawal reflex. Synaptic facilitation at these synapses occurs in three temporal phases: short-term (STF, lasting minutes), intermediate-term (ITF, lasting more than an hour), and long-term (LTF, lasting >24 hr). STF, ITF, and LTF differ in their induction requirements: A single brief exposure of 5HT induces STF, whereas five applications are required for ITF and LTF. Moreover, STF and LTF can be induced independently.

Different forms of memory often show differential sensitivity to the pattern of training trials. To begin to explore this effect at a cellular level, we examined ITF and LTF induced by one of two patterns of 5HT application: a spaced pattern (five 5-min exposures with an interval of 15 min) or a massed pattern (one continuous 25-min application). The spaced and massed patterns both induced ITF; however, spaced 5HT application was significantly more reliable at inducing LTF than was massed application. Thus, whereas induction of ITF and LTF require similar amounts of 5HT, the cellular mechanisms underlying the induction of LTF are more sensitive to the pattern of the induction trials. In the massed group, further analysis revealed a relationship between the expression of ITF and the subsequent expression of LTF, suggesting that these two processes may be mechanistically related.
Enhanced Hippocampal CA1 LTP but Normal Spatial Learning in Inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate 3-kinase(A)-Deficient Mice
Authors: Jun Kisun , Choi Gildon , Yang Sung-Gu , Choi Kwan Yong , Kim Hyun , Chan Guy C.K. , Storm Daniel R. , Albert Claudia , Mayr Georg W. , Lee Chang-Joong , Shin Hee-Sup
Published: November 2021

To define the physiological role of IP33-kinase(A) in vivo, we have generated a mouse strain with a null mutation of the IP33-kinase(A) locus by gene targeting. Homozygous mutant mice were fully viable, fertile, apparently normal, and did not show any morphological anomaly in brain sections. In the mutant brain, the IP4 level was significantly decreased whereas the IP3 level did not change, demonstrating a major role of IP33-kinase(A) in the generation of IP4. Nevertheless, no significant difference was detected in the hippocampal neuronal cells of the wild-type and the mutant mice in the kinetics of Ca2+ regulation after glutamate stimulation. Electrophysiological analyses carried out in hippocampal slices showed that the mutation significantly enhanced the LTP in the hippocampal CA1 region, but had no effect on the LTP in dentate gyrus (DG). No difference was noted, however, between the mutant and the wild-type mice in the Morris water maze task. Our results indicate that IP33-kinase(A) may play an important role in the regulation of LTP in hippocampal CA1 region through the generation of IP4, but the enhanced LTP in the hippocampal CA1 does not affect spatial learning and memory.
Impaired Eye-Blink Conditioning in waggler, a Mutant Mouse With Cerebellar BDNF Deficiency
Authors: Bao Shaowen , Chen Lu , Qiao Xiaoxi , Knusel Beat , Thompson Richard F.
Published: November 2021

In addition to their trophic functions, neurotrophins are also implicated in synaptic modulation and learning and memory. Although gene knockout techniques have been used widely in studying the roles of neurotrophins at molecular and cellular levels, behavioral studies using neurotrophin knockouts are limited by the early-onset lethality and various sensory deficits associated with the gene knockout mice. In the present study, we found that in a spontaneous mutant mouse, waggler, the expression of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) was selectively absent in the cerebellar granule cells. The cytoarchitecture of the wagglercerebellum appeared to be normal at the light microscope level. The mutant mice exhibited no sensory deficits to auditory stimuli or heat-induced pain. However, they were massively impaired in classic eye-blink conditioning. These results suggest that BDNF may have a role in normal cerebellar neuronal function, which, in turn, is essential for classic eye-blink conditioning.
Different Training Procedures Recruit Either One or Two Critical Periods for Contextual Memory Consolidation, Each of Which Requires Protein Synthesis and PKA
Authors: Bourtchouladze Roussoudan , Abel Ted , Berman Nathaniel , Gordon Rachael , Lapidus Kyle , Kandel Eric R.
Published: November 2021

We have used a combined genetic and pharmacological approach to define the time course of the requirement for protein kinase A (PKA) and protein synthesis in long-term memory for contextual fear conditioning in mice. The time course of amnesia in transgenic mice that express R(AB) and have genetically reduced PKA activity in the hippocampus parallels that observed both in mice treated with inhibitors of PKA and mice treated with inhibitors of protein synthesis. This PKA- and protein synthesis-dependent memory develops between 1 hr and 3 hr after training. By injecting the protein synthesis inhibitor anisomycin or the PKA inhibitor Rp-cAMPs at various times after training, we find that depending on the nature of training, contextual memory has either one or two brief consolidation periods requiring synthesis of new proteins, and each of these also requires PKA. Weak training shows two time periods of sensitivity to inhibitors of protein synthesis and PKA, whereas stronger training exhibits only one. These studies underscore the parallel dependence of long-term contextual memory on protein synthesis and PKA and suggest that different training protocols may recruit a common signaling pathway in distinct ways.
Increase in Syntaxin 1B mRNA in Hippocampal and Cortical Circuits During Spatial Learning Reflects a Mechanism of Trans-synaptic Plasticity Involved in Establishing a Memory Trace
Authors: Davis Sabrina , Rodger Jennifer , Stéphan Aline , Hicks Andrew , Mallet Jacques , Laroche Serge
Published: November 2021

It has long been proposed that the cellular and molecular mechanisms responsible for LTP may well involve the mechanisms that lead to the type of synaptic modification that occurs during learning. However, it is also known that a single memory trace is encoded in spatially distributed networks; implying that alterations of synaptic strength occur at multiple sites along circuits of connected cells. Recent evidence suggests that regulation of the gene encoding syntaxin 1B, a presynaptic protein involved in exocytosis, plays an important role in the mediation of trans-synaptic LTP, a candidate mechanism for the propagation of plasticity in neural circuits during learning. Using in situ hybridization to measure the mRNA levels at different time points after learning a spatial working or reference memory task, we show that expression of the gene encoding this protein in the hippocampal and corticoprefrontal circuits increases linearly with performance at a critical window of learning when rats are reaching between 75% and 100% of their maximal performance. No changes were observed during the early phases of learning or when rats where overtrained. The correlational analysis indicates that coordinated increases in syntaxin 1B expression occurs in hippocampal circuits during working memory and in more widespread hippocampocortical circuits during reference memory. These results suggest that a form of trans-synaptic plasticity mediated in part by regulation of the expression of syntaxin 1B may play an active role in configuring specific spatially distributed circuits during the laying down of memories.
Drosophila Conditioned Courtship: Two Ways of Testing Memory
Authors: Kamyshev Nikolai G. , Iliadi Konstantin G. , Bragina Julia V.
Published: November 2021

In Drosophila, courtship reduction in male flies that have previous experience of courting a mated female is a result of the counterconditioning of an attractive unconditioned stimulus (US)—the aphrodisiac—which becomes an aversive conditioned stimulus (CS) after being paired with an aversive US—the antiaphrodisiac. In a retention test with a virgin female lacking the antiaphrodisiac, males retain a lower level of courtship for 3 hr after training. However, a measure of courtship suppression, the learning index (LI), decreases significantly after only 1 hr. In contrast, in the retraining test with a mated female, the LI shows no decrease for 8 hr but falls below significance 16 hr after training. These results are discussed in terms of the transfer of training. Nonspecific transfer and nonassociative behavioral modifications play little, if any, role in the transfer of training. The retraining test is recommended as a new protocol for studying conditioned courtship. According to the model proposed here, in tests with a virgin female, the duration of memory retention is limited by the retention of the direct association between the CS and the aversive motivational system or by the retention of an internal representation of the US. In retraining tests, the CS–US association seems to be the only factor involved in transfer 3 or more hours after training.
Transgenic Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor Modulates a Developing Cerebellar Inhibitory Synapse
Authors: Bao Shaowen , Chen Lu , Qiao Xiaoxi , Thompson Richard F.
Published: November 2021

Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) has been shown to promote synapse formation and maturation in neurons of many brain regions, including inhibitory synapses. In the cerebellum, the Golgi cell-granule cell GABAergic synaptic responses undergo developmental transition from slow-decaying to fast-decaying kinetics, which parallels a developmental increase of GABAAreceptor α6 subunit expression in the cerebellar granule cells. In culture, BDNF accelerates the expression of GABAA receptor α6 subunit expression in granule cells. Here we examined synaptic GABAA response kinetics in BDNF transgenic mice. The mutant mouse, which carries a BDNF transgene driven by a β-actin promoter, overexpresses BDNF (two- to fivefold increase compared with wild types) in all brain regions. Recordings of the spontaneous GABAA responses indicate that the decay time constant of the GABAergic responses decreases during early postnatal development; this transition is accelerated in the BDNF transgenic mouse. The amplitude of the spontaneous GABAA responses was also larger in the transgenic mouse than in the wild-type mouse. However, the frequency of the spontaneous GABAA responses were not different between the two groups. Our results suggest that BDNF may modulate GABAergic synapse maturation in the cerebellum.
Crystal structure and Hirshfeld surface analysis of 3-[2-(3,5-dimethylphenyl)hydrazinylidene]benzofuran-2(3H)-one
Authors: Atioğlu Zeliha , Akkurt Mehmet , Shikhaliyev Namiq Q. , Askerova Ulviyya F. , Mukhtarova Sevinc H. , Askerov Rizvan K. , Bhattarai Ajaya
Published: November 2021

In the title compound, C16H14N2O2, the 2,3-dihydro-1-benzofuran ring system is essentially planar and makes a dihedral angle of 3.69 (7)° with the dimethylphenyl ring. The molecular conformation is stabilized by an intramolecular N—H...O hydrogen bond with an S(6) ring motif. In the crystal, molecules are connected by C—H...π and π–π stacking interactions, forming a layer lying parallel to the (11\overline{1}) plane. One methyl group is disordered over two orientations, with occupancies of 0.67 (4) and 0.33 (4). Hirshfeld surface analysis indicates that the most important contributions to the crystal packing are from H...H (51.2%), O...H/H...O (17.9%), C...H/H...C (15.2%) and C...C (8.1%) contacts.
A second solvatomorph of poly[[μ4-N,N′-(1,3,5-oxadiazinane-3,5-diyl)bis(carbamoylmethanoato)]nickel(II)dipotassium]: crystal structure, Hirshfeld surface analysis and semi-empirical geometry optimization
Authors: Plutenko Maksym O. , Haukka Matti , Husak Alina O. , Golenya Irina A. , Mulloev Nurullo U.
Published: November 2021

The title compound, poly[triaquabis[μ4-N,N′-(1,3,5-oxadiazinane-3,5-diyl)bis(carbamoylmethanoato)]dinickel(II)tetrapotassium], [K4Ni2(C7H6N4O7)2(H2O)3]
n
, is a second solvatomorph of poly[(μ4-N,N′-(1,3,5-oxadiazinane-3,5-diyl)bis(carbamoylmethanoato)nickel(II)dipotassium] reported previously [Plutenko et al. (2021). Acta Cryst. E77, 298–304]. The asymmetric unit of the title compound includes two structurally independent complex anions [Ni(C7H6N4O7)]2−, which exhibit an L-shaped geometry and consist of two almost flat fragments perpendicular to one another: the 1,3,5-oxadiazinane fragment and the fragment including other atoms of the anion. The central Ni atom is in a square-planar N2O2 coordination arrangement formed by two amide N and two carboxylate O atoms. In the crystal, the title compound forms a layered structure in which layers of negatively charged complex anions and positively charged potassium cations are stacked along the a-axis direction. The polymeric framework is stabilized by a system of hydrogen-bonding interactions in which the water molecules act as donors and the carboxylic, amide and water O atoms act as acceptors.
Single crystals of SnTe3O8 in the millimetre range grown by chemical vapor transport reactions
Authors: Ketter Michael , Weil Matthias
Published: November 2021

Tin(IV) trioxidotellurate(IV), SnTe3O8, is a member of the isotypic M
IVTeIV
3O8 (M = Ti, Zr, Hf, Sn) series crystallizing with eight formula units per unit cell in space group Ia\overline{3}. In comparison with the previous crystal structure model of SnTe3O8 based on powder X-ray diffraction data [Meunier & Galy (1971). Acta Cryst. B27, 602–608], the current model based on single-crystal X-ray data is improved in terms of precision and accuracy. Nearly regular [SnO6] octahedra (Sn site symmetry .\overline{3}.) are situated in the voids of an oxidotellurate(IV) framework built up by corner-sharing [TeO4] bisphenoids (Te site symmetry 2..). A quantitative structural comparison revealed a very high degree of similarity for the structures with M = Ti, Zr, Sn in the M
IVTe3O8 series.
[1,2-Bis(diphenylphosphanyl)ethane-κ2
P,P]chlorido(isonicotinamide-κN)palladium(II) nitrate acetonitrile monosolvate
Authors: Adrian Rafael A. , Lagemann Bradley J. , Arman Hadi D.
Published: November 2021

The PdII central atom in the title complex, [PdCl(C26H24P2)(C6H6N2O)]NO3·CH3CN or [PdCl(dppe)(INAM)]NO3·CH3CN, where dppe is 1,2-bis(diphenylphosphanyl)ethane and INAM is isonicotinamide, exists in a slightly distorted square-planar environment defined by the two P atoms of the dppe ligand, a chloride ligand and the N atom of the isonicotinamide pyridyl ring. The crystal packing in the structure is held together by hydrogen bonds between the amide of the INAM ligand and the nitrate ions that complete the outer coordination sphere. A molecule of acetonitrile is also found in the asymmetric unit of the title complex.
Study of the effect of the demagnetizing field in Epstein strips of grain-oriented electrical steels through 3D finite element analysis
Authors: Millan Mirabal Leysmir Adriana , Messal Oualid , Benabou Abdelkader , Le Menach Yvonnick , Chevallier Loic , Roger Jean-Yves , Ducreux Jean-Pierre
Published: November 2021

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to explore the effect of the demagnetizing field in the Epstein characterization of grain-oriented electrical steels through a finite element method (FEM) simulations.

Design/methodology/approach

A 3D finite element simulation has been realized to represent the parallel and X-stacking configurations in the Epstein frame. The numerical results have been compared with experimental measures.

Findings

In a parallel configuration, the measured induction is actually the one in the material, whereas the resulting magnetic field differs from the applied one (in magnitude and angle) due to the shape anisotropy (demagnetizing field). In X-stacking configuration, the resulting magnetic field is close to the applied magnetic field (and then the supposed excitation field in the Epstein frame), whereas the magnetic induction has deviated from the axis of the strips.

Originality/value

Both stacking configurations (parallel and cross) of the Epstein frame are analyzed by three-dimensional finite element simulation.
Sustainable competitive advantages for a nascent wine country: an example from southern Sweden
Authors: Rauhut Kompaniets Olga
Published: November 2021

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to discuss the opportunities for and challenges faced in the development of a wine sector in a nascent wine country, as well as the necessary requirements for the creation of sustainable competitive advantages (SCA), using Sweden as an example.

Design/methodology/approach

Content analysis of previous research based on secondary data; a SWOT analysis of the wine sector in the nascent wine country, Sweden, is provided in connection with a conceptual framework for SCAs.

Findings

In a nascent wine country such as Sweden, factors such as climate or technical issues regarding wine production are important factors in respect of SCA, but in themselves, do not present insurmountable obstacles to their creation. In reality, structural challenges such as the alcohol monopoly in the retail market, various other legal regulations and restrictions, the lack of marketing and promotion capabilities, limited viticulture knowledge and limited experience of cooperation with the local enterprise are all far more problematic in that they lead to relatively limited demand for Swedish wine. In this context, a marketing management approach becomes a key factor in changing attitudes and approaches. Clearly, it is important to provide potential markets and consumers with relevant marketing information about the nascent wine country and its products.

Originality/value

Previous research generally focused on the SCA in the established wine countries; the focus of this study is on the SCA in a nascent wine country, a country without any tradition of commercial wine production. This study contributes to the discussion of a new conceptual framework for understanding SCA in the context of nascent wine countries. Furthermore, it suggests that the remaining state alcohol retail monopoly in Sweden provides not only challenges but also opportunities for the development of the wine sector. These findings are valid not only for Sweden but also for other nascent wine countries.
Numerical simulation of coupled liquid water, stress and heat for frozen soil in the thawing process
Authors: Xiao Wei , Liu Enlong , Yin Xiao , Zhang Guike , Zhang Chong , Yu Qihao
Published: November 2021

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to perform the thermo-hydro-mechanical (THM) numerical analysis in order to study the thawing process for frozen soil and to predict the thawing settlement.

Design/methodology/approach

A new one-dimensional multi-field physical coupled model was proposed here to describe the thawing process of saturated frozen soil, whereby the void ratio varied linearly with effective stress (Eq. 10) and hydraulic conductivity (Eq. 27b). The thawing process was simulated with different initial and boundary conditions in an open system with temperature variations. The mechanical behavior and water migration of the representative cases were also investigated.

Findings

The comparisons of representative cases with experimental data demonstrated that the model predicts thawing settlement well. It was found that the larger temperature gradient, higher overburden pressure and higher water content could lead to larger thawing settlement. The temperature was observed that to distribute height linearly in both frozen zone and unfrozen zone of the sample. Water migration forced to a decrease in the water content of the unfrozen zone and an increase in water content at the thawing front.

Research limitations/implications

In this study, only the one-directional thawing processes along the frozen soil samples were investigated numerically and compared with test results, which can be extended to two-dimensional analysis of thawing process in frozen soil.

Originality/value

This study helps to understand the thawing process of frozen soil by coupled thermo-hydro-mechanical numerical simulation.
Linking ethical leadership to followers' innovative work behavior in Pakistan: the vital roles of psychological safety and proactive personality
Authors: Ahmad Israr , Gao Yongqiang , Su Fangguo , Khan Muhammad Kamran
Published: November 2021

Purpose

This study examines the link between ethical leadership and innovative work behavior. Also, drawing on the substitute for leadership theory, this study investigates the role of a follower's proactive personality in the relationship between ethical leadership and innovative work behavior (IWB). Similarly, this study further explores the role of psychological safety in this relationship.

Design/methodology/approach

The data for this study were collected from software development companies based in Islamabad, Pakistan. A total of 240 employees and their immediate supervisors were asked to participate in this study. Processes Macro and Amos were used to assess study hypotheses.

Findings

Using data from software companies in Pakistan, this study found that ethical leadership can be effective to enhance IWB in followers whose proactive personality is low, while this effect is limited in high proactive individuals. Furthermore, psychological safety mediates the main effect of ethical leadership on IWB as well as the interactive effect between ethical leadership and follower's proactive personality on IWB.

Originality/value

This study is among the first to investigate the moderating role of employees' proactive personality in the relationship between ethical leadership and followers' IWB. Secondly, draws on the substitute for leadership perspective, this study explains that how the role of ethical leadership can be less effective for high proactive individuals or how individual characteristics can substitute leadership behavior. Thirdly, this study deepens our understanding of the mechanisms linking ethical leadership to IWB by exploring the role of psychological safety as a mediator. Finally, our research is based on data collected from Pakistan might also add some new insights to the existing west-dominated literature.
The importance of moral culture in questions of welfare deservingness – the case of the US
Authors: Didia-Hansen Jacob
Published: November 2021

Purpose

Deservingness theory is gaining popularity in the study of European welfare attitudes but has found little application in the United States. In this article, the author explores what happens if deservingness theory is applied in the study of American perceptions of deservingness and ask which criteria Americans use when deciding the deservingness of needy individuals.

Design/methodology/approach

To capture the variation in American perceptions of deservingness, the author compared qualitative data from two cases. The first case is the liberal northeastern city of Boston, Massachusetts, where 19 interviews were collected, and the second case is the conservative southern city of Knoxville, Tennessee, where 26 interviews were collected. To ensure that any differences in the use of deservingness criteria are due to differences in moral culture, the author chose to interview a similar segment in both cases – the white middle class.

Findings

The author found that interviewees in both cases defined deserving individuals as those whose neediness is due to factors beyond their control and undeserving individuals as those whose neediness is caused by their own poor work ethic. Furthermore, the author found three so-called context-related criteria that do not fit into the existing deservingness framework: a criterion following a cost-benefit logic, the principle of universalism and a principle based on family obligations.

Originality/value

These findings confirm trends in recent deservingness studies indicating that the sensitivity of deservingness theory to the importance of moral culture in the use of both deservingness criteria and context-related criteria must continue to develop.
Choosing the right (HR) metrics: digital data for capturing team proactivity and determinants of content validity
Authors: Ontrup Greta , Schempp Pia Sophie , Kluge Annette
Published: November 2021

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore how positive organizational behaviors, specifically team proactivity, can be captured through digital data and what determines content validity of these data. The aim is to enable scientifically rigorous HR analytics projects for measuring and managing organizational behavior.

Design/methodology/approach

Results are derived from interview data (N = 24) with team members, HR professionals and consultants of HR software.

Findings

Based on inductive qualitative content analysis, the authors clustered six data types generated/recorded by 13 different technological applications that were proposed to be informative of team proactivity. Four determinants of content validity were derived.

Practical implications

The overview of technological applications and resulting data types can stimulate diverse HR analytics projects, which can contribute to organizational performance. The authors suggest ways to control for the threats to content validity in the design of HR analytics or research projects.

Originality/value

HR analytics projects in the application field of managing organizational behavior are rare. This paper provides starting points for choosing data to measure team proactivity as one form of organizational behavior and guidelines for ensuring their validity.
Understanding the antecedents of omni-channel shopping by customers with reference to fashion category: the Indian millennials’ perspective
Authors: Chaudhary Prashant , Singh Archana , Sharma Sarika
Published: November 2021

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to understand the antecedents of omni-channel shopping with reference to the intention to purchase fashion products by millennials and their perspective towards the omni-channel method of shopping.

Design/methodology/approach

The research is based on a quantitative research technique comprising of 302 respondents. A structured questionnaire has been adopted for the survey and to collect data from millennials from India. The questionnaire consisted of 27 constructs, which were measured using a five-point Likert’s scale. In the first step first-order confirmatory factor analysis is carried out, by using the software IBM AMOS-20. The initial model is generated for six constructs, and outcomes are used to analyse the model’s goodness of fit and construct validity. In the second step, the conceptual model is tested through path analysis using structural equation modelling.

Findings

The findings indicate that perceived usefulness (PU) significantly affects the continuance intention of usage towards omni-channels. Perceived ease of use does not significantly affect continuance intention of towards usage of omni-channels, and it does not seem to have a significant effect on PU. Cost effectiveness and customer engagement of omni-channel have a significant effect on the continuance intention of its use. Finally, continuance intention towards usage of omni-channel does significantly affects the actual use of omni-channel.

Originality/value

The research on omni-channel for purchasing fashion products is meagre and this particular study with the usage of Technology Acceptance Model including millennials is adding value towards the knowledge base of marketing. This research develops a theoretical framework building on the technology adoption model and empirically tested it.
Conditional clauses as polite modifiers in Latin:si placetbetween pragmaticalization and language contact
Authors: Fedriani Chiara
Published: November 2021

This article investigates the Latin conditional clausesi placet‘if (it) pleases (you)’, also considering other functional equivalents such as, among others,si non piget‘if (you) don’t mind’ andsi tibi molestum/grave non est‘if (it) doesn’t bother/annoy (you)’, which all function as polite modifiers of requests and proposals. It first provides a theoretical assessment ofsi placetand examines its pragmatic functions in the history of Latin. By considering its distribution across authors and genres, it then suggests patterns of use and argues for a case of contact‐induced pragmaticalization. It is shown that the use ofsi placetas a conditional form expressing politeness is mostly attested in Cicero’s dialogues, which are largely inspired by Plato’s model, where similar forms such asei boúlei,eàn boúlēi‘if you please, if you like’ are often found in the very same contexts wheresi placetoccurs in Cicero. It is therefore suggested that this correspondence may be interpreted as the outcome of a pragmatic calque within the relevant discourse tradition of philosophical dialogue, where genre‐based conventions were probably replicated through literary imitation.
Sarcoidosis‐like reaction after neoadjuvant pembrolizumab combined with chemotherapy mimicking disease progression of NSCLC induced encouraging discovery of pathological complete response
Authors: Shi Yuequan , Li Ji , Chen Minjiang , Liu Hongsheng , Ma Dongjie , Lin Yuxiao , Wang Mengzhao , Xu Yan
Published: November 2021

Neoadjuvant chemoimmunotherapy has demonstrated improved efficacy and prognosis in stage IIa–IIIb patients with non‐small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Drug‐induced sarcoidosis‐like reaction (DISR), an autoimmune reaction, has been reported as a type of immune‐related adverse event that may mimic disease progression. Here, we report the case of patient with NSCLC who developed DISR during neoadjuvant chemoimmunotherapy and finally achieved pathological complete response after surgery.