bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Honeybee dance-followers respond similarly to dances regardless of their spatial information content
Authors: Hasenjager Matthew J. , Hoppitt William , Leadbeater Ellouise
Published: March 2021

Honeybees famously use waggle dances to communicate foraging locations to nestmates in the hive, thereby recruiting them to those sites. The decision to dance is governed by rules that, when operating collectively, are assumed to direct foragers to the most profitable locations with little input from potential recruits, who are presumed to respond similarly to any dance regardless of its information content. Yet variation in receiver responses can qualitatively alter collective outcomes. Here, we use network-based diffusion analysis to compare the collective influence of dance information during recruitment to feeders at different distances. We further assess how any such effects might be achieved at the individual level by dance-followers either persisting with known sites when novel targets are distant and/or seeking more accurate spatial information to guide long-distance searches. Contrary to predictions, we found no evidence that dance-followers’ responses depended on target distance. While dance information was always key to feeder discovery, its importance did not vary with feeder distance, and bees were in fact quicker to abandon previously rewarding sites for distant alternatives. These findings provide empirical support for the longstanding assumption that self-organized foraging by honeybee colonies relies heavily on signal performance rules with limited input from recipients.
A cationic lipid site at the outward transmembrane face of a pentameric ligand-gated ion channel
Authors: Sridhar Akshay , Lummis Sarah C.R. , Pasini Diletta , Mehregan Aujan , Brams Marijke , Kambara Kumiko , Bertrand Daniel , Lindahl Erik , Howard Rebecca J. , Ulens Chris
Published: March 2021

Pentameric ligand-gated ion channels (pLGICs) are crucial mediators of electrochemical signal transduction from bacteria to humans. Lipids play an important role in regulating pLGIC function, yet the structural basis for specific pLGIC-lipid interactions remains poorly understood. The bacterial channel ELIC recapitulates several properties of eukaryotic pLGICs, including activation by the neurotransmitter GABA and sensitivity to lipids, offering a simplified model system for structure-function studies. In this study, functional effects of non-canonical amino acid substitution of W206 at the top of the M1-helix, combined with detergent interactions observed in recent X-ray structures, are consistent with this region being the location of a lipid binding site on the outward face of the ELIC transmembrane domain. Coarse-grained and atomistic molecular dynamics simulations revealed preferential binding of lipids containing a positive charge, particularly involving interactions with residue W206 consistent with cation-π binding. Polar contacts from the principal subunit, particularly M3 residue Q264, further supported lipid binding via headgroup ester linkages. Aromatic residues were identified at analogous sites in a handful of eukaryotic family members, including the human GABAAreceptor subunit ɛ, suggesting conservation of relevant interactions in other evolutionary branches. Further mutagenesis experiments indicated that mutations at this site in ɛ-containing GABAAreceptors can change the apparent affinity of the agonist response to GABA, consistent with a potential role of this site in channel gating. In conclusion, this work is a detailed case study in type-specific lipid interactions at an evolutionarily distinctive pLGIC site, with implications for lipid modulation and lipophilic drug design.
The ratio of cytotoxic lymphocytes to M2-like macrophages is prognostic in immunogenic tumors
Authors: Mezheyeuski Artur , Backman Max , Mattsson Johanna , Martín-Bernabé Alfonso , Larsson Chatarina , Hrynchyk Ina , Hammarström Klara , Ström Simon , Ekström Joakim , Mauchanski Siarhei , Khelashvili Salome , Agnarsdóttir Margrét , Edqvist Per-Henrik , Huvila Jutta , Segersten Ulrika , Malmström Per-Uno , Botling Johan , Nodin Björn , Hedner Charlotta , Borg David , Brändstedt Jenny , Sartor Hanna , Leandersson Karin , Glimelius Bengt , Portyanko Anna , Ponten Fredrik , Jirström Karin , Micke Patrick , Sjöblom Tobias
Published: March 2021

Immune cells in the microenvironment shape tumor development and progression. The prognostic value of T-cell-based immune scores exceeds those of clinical parameters in colon cancer, but reflects only a part of the anti-tumor immune response. Here, we assessed 15 distinct immune cell classes and identified a simple prognostic signature based on pro- and anti-tumoral immune cells in the tumor microenvironment. The ratio of cytotoxic lymphocytes to tumor supportive macrophages predicted survival better than the state-of-art immune score in colon cancer and had the highest relative contribution to survival prediction when compared to established clinical parameters. This signature was prognostic also in other cancers with high mutation burden, such as those of the lung, bladder, esophagus, and melanomas, supporting broad clinical applicability.

One Sentence Summary

The CD8/M2 ratio in tumor tissue defines prognosis in immunogenic cancers
Long-Term Metabolomics Reference Material
Authors: Gouveia Goncalo J. , Shaver Amanda O. , Garcia Brianna M. , Morse Alison M. , Andersen Erik C. , Edison Arthur S. , McIntyre Lauren M.
Published: March 2021

The use of quality control samples in metabolomics ensures data quality, reproducibility and comparability between studies, analytical platforms and laboratories. Long-term, stable and sustainable reference materials (RMs) are a critical component of the QA/QC system, however, the limited selection of currently available matrix matched RMs reduce their applicability for widespread use. To produce a RM in any context, for any matrix that is robust to changes over the course of time we developed IBAT (IterativeBatchAveraging meThod). To illustrate this method, we generated 11 independently grownE. colibatches and made a RM over the course of 10 IBAT iterations. We measured the variance of these materials by NMR and showed that IBAT produces a stable and sustainable RM over time. ThisE. coliRM was then used as food source to produce aC. elegansRM for a metabolomics experiment. The metabolite extraction of this material alongside 41 independently grown individualC. eleganssamples of the same genotype, allowed to estimate the proportion of sample variation in pre-analytical steps. From the NMR data, we found that 40% of the metabolite variance is due to the metabolite extraction process and analysis and 60% is due to sample-to-sample variance. The availability of RMs in untargeted metabolomics is one of the predominant needs of the metabolomics community that reach beyond quality control practices. IBAT addresses this need by facilitating the production of biologically relevant RMs and increasing their widespread use.
Full scale structural, mechanical and dynamical properties of HIV-1 liposomes
Authors: Bryer Alexander J. , Reddy Tyler , Lyman Edward , Perilla Juan R.
Published: March 2021

Enveloped viruses are enclosed by a lipid membrane inside of which are all of the components necessary for the virus life cycle; viral proteins, the viral genome and metabolites. Viral envelopes are lipid bilayers that adopt morphologies ranging from spheres to tubes. The envelope is derived from the host cell during viral replication. Thus, the composition of the bilayer depends on the complex constitution of lipids from the host-cell’s organelle(s) where assembly and/or budding of the viral particle occurs. Here, molecular dynamics (MD) simulations of authentic, asymmetric HIV-1 liposomes are used to derive a unique level of resolution of its full-scale structure, mechanics and dynamics. Analysis of the structural properties reveal the distribution of thicknesses of the bilayers over the entire liposome as well as its global fluctuations. Moreover, full-scale mechanical analyses are employed to derive the global bending rigidity of HIV-1 liposomes. Finally, dynamical properties of the lipid molecules reveal important relationships between their 3D diffusion, the location of lipid-rafts and the asymmetrical composition of the envelope. Overall, our simulations reveal complex relationships between the rich lipid composition of the HIV-1 liposome and its structural, mechanical and dynamical properties with critical consequences to different stages of HIV-1’s life cycle.
Factors Associated with Emerging and Re-emerging of SARS-CoV-2 Variants
Authors: Spratt Austin N. , Kannan Saathvik R. , Woods Lucas T. , Weisman Gary A. , Quinn Thomas P. , Lorson Christian L. , Sönnerborg Anders , Byrareddy Siddappa N. , Singh Kamal
Published: March 2021

Global spread of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) has triggered unprecedented scientific efforts, as well as containment and treatment measures. Despite these efforts, SARS-CoV-2 infections remain unmanageable in some parts of the world. Due to inherent mutability of RNA viruses, it is not surprising that the SARS-CoV-2 genome has been continuously evolving since its emergence. Recently, four functionally distinct variants, B.1.1.7, B.1.351, P.1 and CAL.20C, have been identified, and they appear to more infectious and transmissible than the original (Wuhan-Hu-1) virus. Here we provide evidence based upon a combination of bioinformatics and structural approaches that can explain the higher infectivity of the new variants. Our results show that the greater infectivity of SARS-CoV-2 than SARS-CoV can be attributed to a combination of several factors, including alternate receptors. Additionally, we show that new SARS-CoV-2 variants emerged in the background of D614G in Spike protein and P323L in RNA polymerase. The correlation analyses showed that all mutations in specific variants did not evolve simultaneously. Instead, some mutations evolved most likely to compensate for the viral fitness.
High-throughput screen using fluorescence lifetime detects compounds that modulate myosin-binding protein C interactions with actin
Authors: Bunch Thomas A. , Guhathakurta Piyali , Lepak Victoria C. , Thompson Andrew R. , Kanassatega Rhye-Samuel , Wilson Anna , Thomas David D. , Colson Brett A.
Published: March 2021

Cardiac myosin-binding protein C (cMyBP-C) interacts with actin and myosin to modulate cardiac contractility. These interactions are regulated by cMyBP-C phosphorylation. Heart failure patients often have decreased cMyBP-C phosphorylation and phosphorylation in model systems appears to be cardioprotective for heart failure. Therefore, cMyBP-C is a potential target for heart failure drugs that mimic phosphorylation and/or perturb its interactions with actin/myosin.

We have used a novel fluorescence lifetime-based assay to identify small-molecule inhibitors of actin-cMyBP-C binding. Actin was labeled with a fluorescent dye (Alexa Fluor 568, AF568) near its cMyBP-C binding sites. When combined with cMyBP-C N-terminal fragment, C0-C2, the fluorescence lifetime of AF568-actin decreases. Using this reduction in lifetime as a readout of actin binding, a high-throughput screen of a 1280-compound library identified 3 reproducible Hit compounds that reduced C0-C2 binding to actin in the micromolar range. Binding of phosphorylated C0-C2 was also blocked by these compounds. That they specifically block binding was confirmed by a novel actin-C0-C2 time-resolved FRET (TR-FRET) binding assay. Isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC) and transient phosphorescence anisotropy (TPA) confirmed that the Hit compounds bind to cMyBP-C but not to actin. TPA results were also consistent with these compounds inhibiting C0-C2 binding to actin. We conclude that the actin-cMyBP-C lifetime assay permits detection of pharmacologically active compounds that affect cMyBP-C’s actin binding function. TPA, TR-FRET, and ITC can then be used to understand the mechanism by which the compounds alter cMyBP-C interactions with actin.
Convergent evolution of a novel blood-red nectar pigment in vertebrate-pollinated flowers
Authors: Roy Rahul , Moreno Nickolas , Brockman Stephen A. , Kostanecki Adam , Zambre Amod , Holl Catherine , Solhaug Erik M. , Minami Anzu , Snell-Rood Emilie , Hampton Marshall , Bee Mark A. , Chiari Ylenia , Hegeman Adrian D. , Carter Clay J.
Published: March 2021

Nesocodon mauritianus (Campanulaceae) produces a blood-red nectar that has been proposed to serve as a visual attractant for pollinator visitation. Here we show that the nectar’s red color is derived from a novel alkaloid termed nesocodin. The first nectar produced is acidic and pale yellow in color, but slowly becomes alkaline before taking on its characteristic red color. Three enzymes secreted into the nectar are either necessary or sufficient for pigment production, including (1) a carbonic anhydrase that creates an alkaline environment, (2) an aryl alcohol oxidase that generates sinapaldehyde, a pigment precursor, and (3) a ferritin-like catalase that protects nesocodin from degradation by hydrogen peroxide. Our findings demonstrate how these three enzymatic activities allow for the condensation of sinapaldehyde and proline to form a novel pigment with a stable imine bond, which in turn is attractive to Phelsuma geckos, the presumed pollinators of Nesocodon. We also identify nesocodin in the red nectar of the distantly related Jaltomata herrerae and provide evidence for convergent evolution of this trait. While the overall enzymatic activities required for red pigment formation in both Nesocodon and J. herrerae nectars are identical, the associated genes encoding the enzymes are not orthologous and, in the case of the aryl alcohol oxidase, even belong to different protein families. This work cumulatively identifies a novel, convergently evolved trait in two vertebrate-pollinated species, suggesting the red pigment is selectively favored and that only a limited number of compounds are likely to underlie this adaptation.

Significance

Nearly 90% of flowering plants produce nectar to attract pollinators. Beyond sugars, many types of nectar solutes play important ecological roles; however, the molecular basis for the diversity of nectar composition across species is less explored. One rare trait among flowering plants is the production of colored nectar, which may function to attract and guide prospective pollinators. Our findings indicate convergent evolution of a red-colored nectar across two distantly related plant species. Behavioral data show that the red pigment attracts diurnal geckos, a presumed pollinator of one of these plants. These findings join a growing list of examples of distinct biochemical and molecular mechanisms underlying evolutionary convergence, and provide a fascinating system for testing how interactions across species drive the evolution of novel pigments in an understudied context.
CCR2 Regulates Vaccine-Induced Mucosal T-Cell Memory to Influenza A Virus
Authors: Lee Woojong , Kingstad-Bakke Brock , Kedl Ross M. , Kawaoka Yoshihiro , Suresh M.
Published: March 2021

Elicitation of lung tissue-resident memory CD8 T cells (TRMs) is a goal of T-cell based vaccines against respiratory viral pathogens such as influenza A virus (IAV). Chemokine receptor 2 (CCR2)-dependent monocyte trafficking plays an essential role in the establishment of CD8 TRMs in lungs of IAV-infected mice. Here, we used a combination adjuvant-based subunit vaccine strategy that evokes multifaceted (TC1/TC17/TH1/TH17) IAV nucleoprotein-specific lung TRMs, to determine whether CCR2 and monocyte infiltration are essential for vaccine-induced TRMdevelopment and protective immunity to IAV in lungs. Following intranasal vaccination, neutrophils, monocytes, conventional dendrtitic cells (DCs) and monocyte-derived DCs internalized and processed vaccine antigen in lungs. We also found that Basic Leucine Zipper ATF-Like Transcription Factor 3 (BATF-3)-dependent DCs were essential for eliciting T cell responses, but CCR2 deficiency enhanced the differentiation of CD127HI/KLRG-1LO, OX40+veCD62L+veand mucosally imprinted CD69+veCD103+veeffector and memory CD8 T cells in lungs and airways of vaccinated mice. Mechanistically, increased development of lung TRMs, induced by CCR2 deficiency was linked to dampened expression of T-bet, but not altered TCF-1 levels or T cell receptor signaling in CD8 T cells. T1/T17 functional programming, parenchymal localization of CD8/CD4 effector and memory T cells, recall T cell responses and protective immunity to a lethal IAV infection were unaffected in CCR2-deficient mice. Taken together, we identified a negative regulatory role for CCR2 and monocyte trafficking in mucosal imprinting and differentiation of vaccine-induced TRMs. Mechanistic insights from this study may aid the development of T-cell-based vaccines against respiratory viral pathogens including IAV and SARS-CoV-2.

Importance

While antibody-based immunity to influenza A virus (IAV) is type and sub-type specific, lung and airway-resident memory T cells that recognize conserved epitopes in the internal viral proteins are known to provide heterosubtypic immunity. Hence, broadly protective IAV vaccines need to elicit robust T-cell memory in the respiratory tract. We have developed a combination adjuvant-based IAV nucleoprotein vaccine that elicits strong CD4 and CD8 T cell memory in lungs and protects against H1N1 and H5N1 strains of IAV. In this study, we examined the mechanisms that control vaccine-induced protective memory T cells in the respiratory tract. We found that trafficking of monocytes into lungs might limit the development of anti-viral lung-resident memory T cells, following intranasal vaccination. These findings suggested that strategies that limit monocyte infiltration can potentiate vaccine-induced frontline T-cell immunity to respiratory viruses such as IAV and SARS-CoV-2.
Multiple forms of working memory emerge from synapse-astrocyte interactions
Authors: De Pittà Maurizio , Brunel Nicolas
Published: March 2021

Competing accounts propose that working memory (WM) is subserved either by persistent activity in single neurons, or by time-varying activity across a neural population, or by activity-silent mechanisms carried out by hidden internal states of the neural population. While WM is traditionally regarded to originate exclusively from neuronal interactions, cortical networks also include astrocytes that can modulate neural activity. We propose that different mechanisms of WM can be brought forth by astrocyte-mediated modulations of synaptic transmitter release. In this account, the emergence of different mechanisms depends on the network’s spontaneous activity and the geometry of the connections between synapses and astrocytes.
A robust SARS-CoV-2 replication model in primary human epithelial cells at the air liquid interface to assess antiviral agents
Authors: Dan Do Thuc Nguyen , Donckers Kim , Vangeel Laura , Chatterjee Arnab K. , Gallay Philippe A. , Bobardt Michael D. , Bilello John P. , Cihlar Tomas , De Jonghe Steven , Neyts Johan , Jochmans Dirk
Published: March 2021

There are, besides remdesivir, no approved antivirals for the treatment of SARS-CoV-2 infections. To aid in the search for antivirals against this virus, we explored the use of human tracheal airway epithelial cells (HtAEC) and human small airway epithelial cells (HsAEC) grown at the air/liquid interface (ALI). These cultures were infected at the apical side with one of two different SARS-CoV-2 isolates. Each virus was shown to replicate to high titers for extended periods of time (at least 8 days) and, in particular an isolate with the D614G in the spike (S) protein did so more efficiently at 35°C than 37°C. The effect of a selected panel of reference drugs that were added to the culture medium at the basolateral side of the system was explored. Remdesivir, GS-441524 (the parent nucleoside of remdesivir), EIDD-1931 (the parent nucleoside of molnupiravir) and IFN (β1 and λ1) all resulted in dose-dependent inhibition of viral RNA and infectious virus titers collected at the apical side. However, AT-511 (the free base form of AT-527 currently in clinical testing) failed to inhibit viral replication in thesein vitroprimary cell models. Together, these results provide a reference for further studies aimed at selecting SARS-CoV-2 inhibitors for further preclinical and clinical development.
Fluid Menisci andIn VitroParticle Dosimetry of Submerged Cells
Authors: Balog Sandor , Rothen-Rutishauser Barbara , Petri-Fink Alke
Published: March 2021

Understanding the mechanisms of interaction between cells and particulate nanomaterials lies in the heart of assessing the hazard associated with nanoparticles. The paradigm of toxicology requires quantifying and interpreting dose-response relationships, and cells culturedin vitroand exposed to particle dispersions rely on mathematical models that estimate the received nanoparticle dose. Yet, none of these models acknowledges the fact that aqueous cell-culture media wet the inner surface of hydrophilic open wells, which results in curved fluid-air interface called meniscus. We show that omitting this phenomenon leads to a nontrivial but systematic error and twists the fundamental concept of nanotoxicology. Given that reproducibility and harmonization between meta analyses,in vitro,in silico, andin vivostudies must be improved, we present an adequate mathematical model that greatly advances such efforts.
Cannabinoid signaling promotes the reprogramming of Muller glia into proliferating progenitor cells
Authors: Campbell Warren A. , Blum Sydney , Reske Alana , Hoang Thanh , Blackshaw Seth , Fischer Andy J.
Published: March 2021

Endocannabinoids (eCB) are lipid-based neurotransmitters that are known to influence synaptic function in the visual system. eCBs are also known to suppress neuroinflammation in different pathological states. However, nothing is known about the roles of the eCB system during reprogramming of Müller glia (MG) into proliferating progenitor-like cells in the retina. Accordingly, we used the chick and mouse model to characterize expression patterns of eCB-related genes and applied pharmacological agents to examine how the eCB system impacts glial reactivity and the capacity of MG to become Müller glia-derived progenitor cells (MGPCs). We probed single cell RNA-seq libraries to identify eCB-related genes and identify cells with dynamic patterns of expression in damaged retinas. MG and inner retinal neurons expressed the eCB receptorCNR1, as well as enzymes involved in eCB metabolism. In the chick, intraocular injections of 2-Arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG) and Anandamide (AEA) potentiated the formation of MGPCs. Consistent with these findings, CNR1-agonists and MGLL-inhibitor promoted reprogramming, whereas CNR1-antagonist and inhibitors of eCB synthesis suppressed reprogramming. Surprisingly, retinal microglia were largely unaffected by increases or decreases in eCB signaling in both chick and mouse models. However, eCB-signaling suppressed the activation of NFkB-reporter in MG in damaged mouse retinas. We conclude that the eCB system in the retina influences the reactivity of MG and is important for regulating glial reactivity and the reprogramming of MG into proliferating MGPCs, but not for regulating the reactivity of immune cells in the retina.

Main Points

Müller glia express CNR1 receptor and endocannabinoid synthesis genes.

Endocannabinoids after retinal damage promote the formation of Müller glia derived progenitor cells in chick.

Endocannabinoids reduce NFkB activity in mouse Müller glia.
Modelling the efficacy of Neprilysin from various species in degrading different Amyloid-β peptides: Potential application in therapeutics of Alzheimer’s disease
Authors: Kumar Arun HS
Published: March 2021

Recombinant neprilysin due to its degradation potential against Amyloid-β (Aβ) peptides has been looked at as a potential therapeutic candidate for treating Alzheimer’s disease (AD). However the enzymatic activity of neprilysin against different Aβ peptides can variable which significantly limits the therapeutic optimization. Using the molecular interaction analysis and modelling it against the known enzyme-substrate kinetics, this study developed a novel approach to predicting biosimilar enzyme-substrate kinetics. The known enzyme-substrate kinetics of human recombinant neprilysin with Aβ1-40peptide was used as the prototype to assess the affinity and efficacy of various inter and intra-species neprilysin- Aβ peptide enzyme kinetics based on the relative molecular interaction analysis. Significant inter and intra-species variations in neprilysin- Aβ peptide enzyme kinetics was observed which further validated the need for optimizing enzyme kinetics tailored to specific substrate degradation. The novel enzyme kinetics modelling approach described in this study can be helpful in the developing of recombinant enzymes/peptides for personalised therapeutic applications.
ENNAVIA is an innovative new method which employs neural networks for antiviral and anti-coronavirus activity prediction for therapeutic peptides
Authors: Timmons Patrick Brendan , Hewage Chandralal M.
Published: March 2021

Viruses represent one of the greatest threats to human health, necessitating the development of new antiviral drug candidates. Antiviral peptides often possess excellent biological activity and a favourable toxicity profile, and therefore represent a promising field of novel antiviral drugs. As the quantity of sequencing data grows annually, the development of an accuratein silicomethod for the prediction of peptide antiviral activities is important. This study leverages advances in deep learning and cheminformatics to produce a novel sequence-based deep neural network classifier for the prediction of antiviral peptide activity. The method out-performs the existent best-in-class, with an external test accuracy of 93.9%, Matthews correlation coefficient of 0.87 and an Area Under the Curve of 0.93 on the dataset of experimentally validated peptide activities. This cutting-edge classifier is available as an online web server athttps://research.timmons.eu/ennavia, facilitatingin silicoscreening and design of peptide antiviral drugs by the wider research community.
Bacterial cell shape control by nutrient-dependent synthesis of cell division inhibitors
Authors: Ojkic Nikola , Banerjee Shiladitya
Published: March 2021

By analysing cell shape and size of the bacteriumBacillus subtilisunder nutrient perturbations, protein depletion, and antibiotic treatments we find that cell geometry is extremely robust, reflected in a well-conserved scaling relation between surface area (S) and volume (V),S~Vγ, withγ= 0.85. We develop a molecular model supported by single-cell simulations to predict that the surface-to-volume scaling exponentγis regulated by nutrient-dependent production of metabolic enzymes that act as cell division inhibitors in bacteria. Using theory that is supported by experimental data, we predict the modes of cell shape transformations in different bacterial species and propose a mechanism of cell shape adaptation to different nutrient perturbations. For organisms with high surface-to-volume scaling exponentγ, such asB. subtilis, cell width is not sensitive to growth rate changes, whereas organisms with lowγ, such asA. baumannii, cell shape adapts readily to growth rate changes.

SIGNIFICANCE

How bacteria regulate their size and shapes to optimise their growth fitness in different nutrient environments remains largely unknown. By analysing the surface area and volume of rod-shapedB. subtilisexposed to different nutrient conditions and antibiotics we find that cells preserve a power law scaling between surface area and volume. We show that the surface-to-volume scaling is extremely robust and is regulated by nutrient-dependent synthesis of cell division inhibitors. By analysing different bacterial types, we find that cells conserve the surface-to-volume scaling exponent that is typical for each species, implying distinct mechanisms for morphological adaptation in each organism.
Healthier decisions in the cued-attribute food choice paradigm have high test-retest reliability across five task repetitions over 14 days
Authors: Barakchian Zahra , Beharelle Anjali Raja , Hare Todd A.
Published: March 2021

Food choice paradigms are commonly used to study decision mechanisms, individual differences, and intervention efficacy. Here, we measured behavior from twenty-three healthy young adults who completed five repetitions of a cued-attribute food choice paradigm over two weeks. This task includes cues prompting participants to explicitly consider the healthiness of the food items before making a selection, or to choose naturally based on whatever freely comes to mind. We found that the average patterns of food choices following both cue types and ratings about the palatability (i.e. taste) and healthiness of the food items were similar across all five repetitions. At the individual level, the test-retest reliability for choices in both conditions and healthiness ratings was excellent. However, test-retest reliability for taste ratings was only fair, suggesting that estimates about palatability may vary more from day to day for the same individual.
Too little, too late: transcription during imbibition of lethally aged
soybean seeds is weak and delayed, but not aberrant
Authors: Fleming Margaret B. , Patterson Eric L. , Walters Christina
Published: March 2021

This study investigates alive to dead signals in seeds that aged
during cool, dry storage. Signals may invoke abrupt, lethal
metabolic pathways or reflect effects of accumulated small injuries
which impair recovery from life in the dry state.

Cohorts of soybean (Glycine max cv.
‘Williams ’82) seeds were stored for 3, 19 and 22 years.
Transcriptomes of dry embryonic axes and axes 24 hours after
imbibition (HAI) were sequenced to determine gene expression
patterns. These cohorts showed about <2, 40, and ~99% mortality,
respectively, in response to storage and aging.

A total of 19,340 genes were significantly differentially
expressed (SDE) in imbibed axes compared to dry axes. Gene
expression patterns of imbibed axes clustered into three groups that
represented high, low, and no germination potential (GP). There were
17,360 SDE genes in high-GP axes and 4,892 SDE genes, mostly
upregulated, in no-GP axes. Transcriptomes of no-GP axes were
similar to healthy axes at 3 HAI.

Slow transcription, not transcription errors or novel expression
pathways, portends failure to transition from seed to seedling. We
conclude that the signature of death in dry aged seeds arises from
metabolism that is “too little and too late.”
A State Space Modeling Approach to Real-Time Phase Estimation
Authors: Wodeyar Anirudh , Schatza Mark , Widge Alik S. , Eden Uri T. , Kramer Mark A.
Published: March 2021

Brain rhythms have been proposed to facilitate brain function, with an especially important role attributed to the phase of low frequency rhythms. Understanding the role of phase in neural function requires interventions that perturb neural activity at a target phase, necessitating estimation of phase in real-time. Current methods for real-time phase estimation rely on bandpass filtering, which assumes narrowband signals and couples the signal and noise in the phase estimate, adding noise to the phase and impairing detections of relationships between phase and behavior. To address this, we propose a state space phase estimator for real-time tracking of phase. By tracking the analytic signal as a latent state, this framework avoids the requirement of bandpass filtering, separately models the signal and the noise, accounts for rhythmic confounds, and provides credible intervals for the phase estimate. We demonstrate in simulations that the state space phase estimator outperforms current state-of-the-art real-time methods in the contexts of common confounds such as broadband rhythms, phase resets and co-occurring rhythms. Finally, we show applications of this approach to in vivo data. The method is available as a ready-to-use plug-in for the OpenEphys acquisition system, making it widely available for use in experiments.
Polarization analysis for small-angle neutron scattering with a 3He spin filter at a pulsed neutron source
Authors: Okudaira Takuya , Ueda Yuki , Hiroi Kosuke , Motokawa Ryuhei , Inamura Yasuhiro , Takata Shin-ichi , Oku Takayuki , Suzuki Jun-ichi , Takahashi Shingo , Endo Hitoshi , Iwase Hiroki
Published: March 2021

Neutron polarization analysis (NPA) for small-angle neutron scattering (SANS) experiments using a pulsed neutron source was successfully achieved by applying a 3He spin filter as a spin analyzer for the neutrons scattered from the sample. The cell of the 3He spin filter gives a weak small-angle scattering intensity (background) and covers a sufficient solid angle for performing SANS experiments. The relaxation time of the 3He polarization is sufficient for continuous use for approximately 2 days, thus reaching the typical duration required for a complete set of SANS experiments. Although accurate evaluation of the incoherent neutron scattering, which is predominantly attributable to the extremely large incoherent scattering cross section of hydrogen atoms in samples, is difficult using calculations based on the sample elemental composition, the developed NPA approach with consideration of the influence of multiple neutron scattering enabled reliable decomposition of the SANS intensity distribution into the coherent and incoherent scattering components. To date, NPA has not been well established as a standard technique for SANS experiments at pulsed neutron sources such as the Japan Proton Accelerator Research Complex (J-PARC) and the US Spallation Neutron Source. It is anticipated that this work will contribute significantly to the accurate determination of the coherent neutron scattering component for scatterers in various types of organic sample systems in SANS experiments at J-PARC, particularly for systems involving competition between the coherent and incoherent scattering intensity.
Numerically stable form factor of any polygon and polyhedron
Authors: Wuttke Joachim
Published: March 2021

Coordinate-free expressions for the form factors of arbitrary polygons and polyhedra are derived using the divergence theorem and Stokes's theorem. Apparent singularities, all removable, are discussed in detail. Cancellation near the singularities causes a loss of precision that can be avoided by using series expansions. An important application domain is small-angle scattering by nanocrystals.
Effect of migratory locust (Locusta migratoria) powder incorporation on nutritional and sensorial properties of wheat flour bread
Authors: Althwab Sami A. , Alhomaid Raghad M. , Ali Rehab F. M. , Mohammed El-Anany Ayman , Mousa Hassan M.
Published: March 2021

Purpose

The effects of incorporation of Locusta migratoria (LM) powder at different levels (0, 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5%) on nutritional, qualitative and sensory properties of baked breads were investigated.

Design/methodology/approach

Chemical composition, mineral elements and functional properties of wheat flour, LM powder and their binary mixture systems were determined. The breads were assayed for proximate composition, minerals, amino acids profile, physical characteristics and sensorial properties.

Findings

LM powder have relatively high levels of protein (51.97% db), fat (23.15% db) and fibers (13.76% db). LM powder presented significantly (p ≤ 0.05) greater water absorption capacity (WAC), oil absorption capacity(OAC), emulsion activity (EA) and foam capacity (FC) as compared to wheat flour. Blending wheat flour with various levels of LM powder significantly (p ≤ 0.05) improved the functional properties of binary mixture systems. Protein, fat, fiber and ash contents of bread samples significantly increased with the addition of LM powder. No significant differences (p ≤ 0.05) were recorded in specific volume between control breads and those breads containing LM powder up to 2%. Breads fortified with LM powder contained higher values of essential amino acids than the limits of FAO/WHO pattern, with exception of lysine. Sensory evaluation results showed that bread samples with the addition of LM powder at levels 1–4% had high overall acceptability.

Research limitations/implications

Limitations of our study are the lack of approved and professional programs about management, collection, harvesting, processing, marketing and consumption of edible insects; therefore, these results should be generalized implications for industry. This present study, therefore, provides useful data to support public health nutrition aimed at improving the nutritional health of populations through the promotion of bakery products enriched with LM powder.

Practical implications

The main findings of this study indicated that the addition of 1–4% of LM powder into wheat flour enhanced sensory and nutritional properties of produced breads.

Originality/value

It is concluded that the addition of LM powder improves the nutritional and sensorial properties of the produced bread when the wheat flour is substituted with 1–4% of LM powder.
Evaluating a job search strategy model of fit perceptions: a construct validation amongst unemployed job seekers
Authors: Affum-Osei Emmanuel , Mensah Henry Kofi , Asante Eric Adom , Forkuoh Solomon Kwarteng
Published: March 2021

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to examine the (1) psychometric properties of Crossley and Highhouse's job search strategy scale and (2) the predictive utility of the scale on fit perceptions.

Design/methodology/approach

Data were collected from unemployed job seekers in Ghana (nT1 = 720; nT2 = 418). Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were conducted to examine the data.

Findings

Exploratory factor analysis on the first random sub-sample (n = 362) supported a three-factor model. Confirmatory factor analysis on the second random sub-sample (n = 358) confirmed the three-factor structure and was invariant across job search contexts and genders. Moreover, structural path results showed that the use of focussed and exploratory job search strategies facilitated positive fit perceptions and the use of haphazard job search resulted in poor job fit perceptions.

Originality/value

This study is the first to examine the dimensionality of job search strategies based on different job search context by linking it to fit perceptions. Moreover, the authors provide evidence that the job search strategy scale has a valid psychometric property and a promising instrument to assess job search behaviour across job search contexts and genders in an understudied population.
Value creation and capture in systemic innovation implementation: case of mechanical, electrical and plumbing prefabrication in the Finnish construction sector
Authors: Lavikka Rita , Chauhan Krishna , Peltokorpi Antti , Seppänen Olli
Published: March 2021

Purpose

Systemic innovations emerge and create value in an inter-organisational context. However, innovation studies rarely investigate the role of value creation and value capture among multiple organisations in successful innovation implementation. This paper aims to understand the role of value creation and value capture in the implementation of systemic innovations in construction which is by nature, an inter-organisational context.

Design/methodology/approach

The empirical research focused on the barriers, enablers and opportunities for value creation and value capture of the Finnish construction project parties when trying to implement mechanical, electrical and plumbing (MEP) prefabrication, which is a systemic innovation. Data were collected through interviews, observations and action workshops.

Findings

The empirical study identified interaction patterns on how social, political, technical and economic barriers lead to uneven value capturing, lack of value-based procurement and unclear value creation between MEP design and installation. They hinder the implementation of MEP prefabrication. The results point to enablers leading to fairly shared value to all parties, procurement of value and collaborative value creation, thus increasing the usage of MEP prefabrication, a systemic innovation.

Originality/value

The study adds new knowledge by demonstrating that the identification of barriers and their interaction with enablers and opportunities for value creation and capture lay a baseline for suggestions on how to implement a systemic innovation. This study stresses the importance of enabling value creation and capture for all construction project parties when implementing a systemic innovation.
Future study of textile industry in Iran using the MICMAC and soft operational research methods
Authors: Fathi Mohammad Reza , Sobhani Seyed Mohammad , Maleki Mohammad Hasan , Jandaghi Gholamreza
Published: March 2021

Purpose

This study aims to formulate exploratory scenarios of the textile industry in Iran based on MICMAC and soft operational research methods.

Design/methodology/approach

In this study, to formulate plausible scenarios, literature reviews and external experts’ opinions of this field have been gathered through the Delphi approach and uncertainty questionnaires. After the utilization of the most important uncertainties, the textile industry’s plausible scenarios have been mapped with the help of experts through co-thinking workshops. Results show that two factors, including the business atmosphere and membership in World Trade Organization (WTO), play a more important role than the other factors. These two factors were considered for the formulation of the scenario. To formulate plausible scenarios, soft systems methodology, which is a kind of soft operational research methods, is applied.

Findings

Based on the results, four scenarios are presented. These scenarios include the Elysium scenario, Hades scenario, Tatarus scenario and Sisyphus scenario. In the Elysium scenario, the business atmosphere has improved and Iran has been granted membership of the WTO. In Hades scenario, Iran has joined the WTO, but due to the government’s weakness and inactivity and key decision-makers, the required preparations have not been made. In the Tatarus scenario, Iran is not a WTO member and the business atmosphere is disastrous. In the Sisyphus scenario, the government takes reasonable actions toward a better business environment.

Originality/value

Formulating plausible scenarios of the textile industry is an excellent contribution to the key beneficiaries and actors of this industry so they can present flexible preparation-based programs in the face of circumstances. Future study of the textile industry familiarizes the actors and beneficiaries of this industry with the procedures and the driving forces that influence this industry’s future and it will ascertain various scenarios for the actors of this field.
Consumer debt holding, income and happiness: evidence from China
Authors: Xiao Jing Jian , Yan Chengyang , Bialowolski Piotr , Porto Nilton
Published: March 2021

Purpose

The relationship between debt and happiness is an emerging research topic with significant implications for both theory and practice in economics and business. In China, where the consumer credit market is at an early stage of development, the topic remains under-investigated and the evidence on the debt–well-being link is scarce. The purpose of this study is to examine the association between debt holding and happiness and the moderating role of income in it.

Design/methodology/approach

Data used in the study were from three waves (2013, 2015 and 2017) of the China Household Finance Survey. Fixed-effect regressions on panel data were used for data analyses.

Findings

The results show that any type of debt holding is negatively associated with happiness. Among seven specific types of debts, four types show negative associations with happiness, which in the order from higher to lower associations, are medical, education, other and housing debt. In addition, negative associations between debt holding and happiness vary among income groups. The results suggest that any debt holding potentially decreases happiness for low- and middle-income consumers only. In addition, holdings of three specific types of debts (medical, education and housing debt) may decrease happiness for both low- and middle-income consumers, and holding two types of debts (business and other debt) may decrease happiness for middle-income consumers only.

Research limitations/implications

Data used in this study originate from one country only. It limits the generalizability of findings to other countries with different institutional backgrounds and different socio-economic characteristics of populations. The results have implications for researchers who study consumer debt behavior and business practitioners who do businesses with Chinese companies and consumers.

Practical implications

China is an emerging economy that is at the early stage of credit market development. The results of this study provide helpful information and insights for business practitioners to explore credit markets and serve credit product clients with various income levels in China.

Social implications

The results of this study are informative for public policies. When introducing credit market-related policies, policymakers should pay attention to people's happiness and to differential welfare effects of holdings of different types of debts and among consumers with various levels of incomes.

Originality/value

Unique contributions of this study include using data from the most recently available waves of the China Household Finance Survey (2013, 2015 and 2017) to study the associations between debt holding and happiness. In addition, the findings of this study enrich the literature of debt and happiness by adding evidence from China, the largest emerging economy in the world, which is helpful for future theory building and business practice on the relationship between debt holding and happiness.
Digital platforms in fashion rental: a business model analysis
Authors: Arrigo Elisa
Published: March 2021

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore the key features of fashion rental from a business model perspective with a focus on the role played by digital platforms.

Design/methodology/approach

A qualitative research design was used based on multiple case studies of three Italian fashion rental enterprises.

Findings

The findings reveal the key aspects characterizing fashion rental business models and the centrality of digital platforms in value creation, configuration and capture activities. The study also found that fashion rental platforms are likely to exhibit further successful development in the future.

Originality/value

The academic literature on fashion rental has been mainly focussed on examining consumers' motivations and concerns, paying little attention to the enterprise's viewpoint. To date, no previous study has examined fashion rental business models from the retailer's perspective. This paper is the first to explore the key components of fashion rental business models and how digital platforms influence them from the perspective of retailers. The originality of the study is further strengthened by the unique context of analysis, namely, Italy, a leading country for global fashion.