bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Nano-clusters of ligand-activated integrins organize immobile, signalling active, nano-clusters of phosphorylated FAK required for mechanosignaling in focal adhesions
Authors: Jain Kashish , Minhaj Rida F. , Kanchanawong Pakorn , Sheetz Michael P. , Changede Rishita
Published: February 2024

Transmembrane signalling receptors, such as integrins, organise as nanoclusters that are thought to provide several advantages including, increasing avidity, sensitivity (increasing the signal-to-noise ratio) and robustness (signalling above a threshold rather than activation by a single receptor) of the signal compared to signalling by single receptors. Compared to large micron-sized clusters, nanoclusters offer the advantage of rapid turnover for the disassembly of the signal. However, if nanoclusters function as signalling hubs remains poorly understood. Here, we employ fluorescence nanoscopy combined with photoactivation and photobleaching at sub-diffraction limited resolution of ∼100nm length scale within a focal adhesion to examine the dynamics of diverse focal adhesion proteins. We show that (i) subregions of focal adhesions are enriched in immobile population of integrin β3 organised as nanoclusters, which (ii) in turn serve to organise nanoclusters of associated key adhesome proteins-vinculin, focal adhesion kinase (FAK) and paxillin, demonstrating that signalling proceeds by formation of nanoclusters rather than through individual proteins. (iii) Distinct focal adhesion protein nanoclusters exhibit distinct dynamics dependent on function. (iv) long-lived nanoclusters function as signalling hubs-wherein phosphorylated FAK and paxillin formed stable nanoclusters in close proximity to immobile integrin nanoclusters which are disassembled in response to inactivation signal by phosphatase PTPN12 (v) signalling takes place in response to an external signal such as force or geometric arrangement of the nanoclusters and when the signal is removed, these nanoclusters disassemble. Taken together, these results demonstrate that signalling downstream of transmembrane receptors is organised as hubs of signalling proteins (FAK, paxillin, vinculin) seeded by nanoclusters of the transmembrane receptor (integrin).
Improved potential analysis for inadequate ecological data
Authors: Arani Babak M. S. , van Nes Egbert H. , Scheffer Marten
Published: February 2024

Potential analysis is used in many ecological studies to infer whether or not an ecosystem can have alternative stable states, to estimate the tipping points and, to assess the resilience of ecosystems. The main reason behind its frequent use is that such a frequency-based analysis is a minimalistic modelling strategy and therefore, is well-suited for limited ecological data with measurement errors. It has been used extensively in tree cover studies to discern alternative states of savannah and forest, the regime upon which savannah and forest coexist and, their corresponding resilience. Classical potential analysis may produce biased results due to inherent theoretical and practical limitations. This letter introduces a more sophisticated approach to address these shortcomings and enhance predictive capabilities regarding ecological dynamics, especially when working with insufficient data whose incorrect analysis can significantly impact management strategies.
Cold hardiness-informed budbreak reveals role of freezing temperatures and daily fluctuation in chill accumulation model
Authors: North Michael G. , Workmaster Beth Ann , Atucha Amaya , Kovaleski Al P.
Published: February 2024

Fundamental questions in bud dormancy remain, including what temperatures fulfill dormancy requirements (i.e., chill accumulation). Recent studies demonstrate freezing temperatures promote chill accumulation and cold hardiness influences time to budbreak – the phenotype used for dormancy evaluations. Here we evaluated bud cold hardiness (CH) and budbreak responses of grapevines (Vitishybrids) throughout chill accumulation under three treatments: constant (5°C), fluctuating (−3.5 to 6.5 °C daily), and field conditions (Madison, WI, USA). Chill treatments experiencing lower temperatures promoted greater gains in cold hardiness (CHfield>CHfluctuating>CHconstant). All treatments decreased observed time to budbreak with increased chill accumulation. However, perceived treatment effectiveness changed when time to budbreak was adjusted to remove cold acclimation effects. Among three classic chill models (North Carolina, Utah, and Dynamic), none were able to correctly describe adjusted time to budbreak responses to chill accumulation. Thus, a new model is proposed that expands the range of chill accumulation temperatures to include freezing temperatures and enhances chill accumulation under fluctuating temperature conditions. Most importantly, our analysis demonstrates adjustments for uneven acclimation change the perceived effectiveness of chill treatments. Therefore, future work in bud dormancy would benefit from simultaneously evaluating cold hardiness.

Highlight

A new chill accumulation model demonstrates how bud cold hardiness changes elicited by chill treatments affect the interpretation of thermal effectiveness in promoting dormancy progression and release.
A Fluorogenic Green Merocyanine-Based Probe to Detect Heparanase-1 Activity
Authors: Rabinowitz Zachary M. , Wang Zhishen , Liu Jun , Zhang Yuzhao , Ybargollin Alberto Jimenez , Saketkhou Mayrav , Cui Lina
Published: February 2024

Heparanase-1 (HPSE-1), an endo-β-D-glucuronidase, is an extracellular matrix (ECM) remodeling enzyme that degrades heparan sulfate (HS) chains of heparan sulfate proteoglycans (HSPGs). HPSE-1 functions to remodel the ECM and thereby disseminate cells, liberate HS-bound bioactive molecules, and release biologically active HS fragments. Being the only known enzyme for the cleavage of HS, HPSE-1 regulates a number of fundamental cellular processes including cell migration, cytokine regulation, angiogenesis, and wound healing. Overexpression of HPSE-1 has been discovered in most cancers, inflammatory diseases, viral infections, among others. As an emerging therapeutic target, the biological role of HPSE-1 remains to be explored but is hampered by a lack of research tools. To expand the chemical tool-kit of fluorogenic probes to interrogate HPSE-1 activity, we design and synthesized a fluorogenic green disaccharide-based HPSE-1 probe using our design strategy of tuning the electronic effect of the aryl aglycon. The novel probe exhibits a highly sensitive 278-fold fluorescence turn-on response in the presence of recombinant human HPSE-1, while emitting green light at 560 nm, enabling the fluorescence imaging of HPSE-1 activity in cells.
Blood-based DNA methylation study of alcohol consumption
Authors: Bernabeu Elena , Chybowska Aleksandra D , Kresovich Jacob K. , Suderman Matthew , McCartney Daniel L , Hillary Robert F , Corley Janie , Valdés-Hernández Maria Del C. , Muñoz Maniega Susana , Bastin Mark E. , Wardlaw Joanna M. , Xu Zongli , Sandler Dale P. , Campbell Archie , Harris Sarah E , McIntosh Andrew M , Taylor Jack A. , Yousefi Paul , Cox Simon R , Evans Kathryn L , Robinson Matthew R , Vallejos Catalina A , Marioni Riccardo E
Published: February 2024

Alcohol consumption is an important risk factor for multiple diseases. It is typically assessed via self-report, which is open to measurement error and bias. Instead, molecular data such as blood-based DNA methylation (DNAm) could be used to derive a more objective measure of alcohol consumption by incorporating information from cytosine-phosphate-guanine (CpG) sites known to be linked to the trait. Here, we explore the epigenetic architecture of self-reported weekly units of alcohol consumption in the Generation Scotland study. We first create a blood-based epigenetic score (EpiScore) of alcohol consumption using elastic net penalised linear regression. We explore the effect of pre-filtering for CpG features ahead of elastic net, as well as differential patterns by sex and by units consumed in the last week relative to an average week. The final EpiScore was trained on 16,717 individuals and tested in four external cohorts: the Lothian Birth Cohorts (LBC) of 1921 and 1936, the Sister Study, and the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (total N across studies > 10,000). The maximum Pearson correlation between the EpiScore and self-reported alcohol consumption within cohort ranged from 0.41 to 0.53. In LBC1936, higher EpiScore levels had significant associations with poorer global brain imaging metrics, whereas self-reported alcohol consumption did not. Finally, we identified two novel CpG loci via a Bayesian penalized regression epigenome-wide association study (EWAS) of alcohol consumption. Together, these findings show how DNAm can objectively characterize patterns of alcohol consumption that associate with brain health, unlike self-reported estimates.
TheChlamydia trachomatisInc Tri1 interacts with TRAF7 to displace native TRAF7 interacting partners
Authors: Herrera Clara M. , McMahon Eleanor , Swaney Danielle L. , Sherry Jessica , Pha Khavong , Adams-Boone Kathleen , Johnson Jeffrey R. , Krogan Nevan J. , Stevers Meredith , Solomon David , Elwell Cherilyn , Engel Joanne
Published: February 2024

Chlamydia trachomatisis the leading cause of bacterial sexually transmitted infections in the US and of preventable blindness worldwide. This obligate intracellular pathogen replicates within a membrane-bound inclusion, but how it acquires nutrients from the host while avoiding detection by the innate immune system is incompletely understood.C. trachomatisaccomplishes this in part through the translocation of a unique set of effectors into the inclusion membrane, theinclusion membrane proteins (Incs). Incs are ideally positioned at the host-pathogen interface to reprogram host signaling by redirecting proteins or organelles to the inclusion. Using a combination of co-affinity purification, immunofluorescence confocal imaging, and proteomics, we characterize the interaction between an early-expressed Inc of unknown function, Tri1, and tumor necrosis factor receptor associated factor 7 (TRAF7). TRAF7 is a multi-domain protein with a RING finger ubiquitin ligase domain and a C-terminal WD40 domain. TRAF7 regulates several innate immune signaling pathways associated withC. trachomatisinfection and is mutated in a subset of tumors. We demonstrate that Tri1 and TRAF7 specifically interact during infection and that TRAF7 is recruited to the inclusion. We further show that the predicted coiled-coil domain of Tri1 is necessary to interact with the TRAF7 WD40 domain. Finally, we demonstrate that Tri1 displaces the native TRAF7 binding partners, mitogen activated protein kinase kinase kinase 2 (MEKK2) and MEKK3. Together, our results suggest that by displacing TRAF7 native binding partners, Tri1 has the capacity to alter TRAF7 signaling duringC. trachomatisinfection.

Importance

Chlamydia trachomatisis the leading cause of bacterial sexually transmitted infections in the US and preventable blindness worldwide. Although easily treated with antibiotics, the vast majority of infections are asymptomatic and therefore go untreated, leading to infertility and blindness. This obligate intracellular pathogen evades the immune response, which contributes to these outcomes. Here, we characterize the interaction between aC. trachomatissecreted effector, Tri1, and a host protein involved in innate immune signaling, TRAF7. We identified host proteins that bind to TRAF7 and demonstrate that Tri1 can displace these proteins upon binding to TRAF7. Remarkably, the region of TRAF7 to which these host proteins bind is often mutated in a subset of human tumors. Our work suggests a mechanism by which Tri1 may alter TRAF7 signaling and has implications not only in the pathogenesis ofC. trachomatisinfections, but also in understanding the role of TRAF7 in cancer.
Natural products from food sources can alter the spread of AMR plasmids inEnterobacterales
Authors: Alav Ilyas , Pordelkhaki Parisa , Rodriguez-Navarro Judith , Neo Onalenna , Kessler Celia , Awodipe Ruth Jesujobalayemi , Cliffe Poppea , Marton Huba , Gibbons Simon , Buckner Michelle M.C.
Published: February 2024

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) poses a significant threat to global public health. Notably, resistance to carbapenem and extended-spectrum β-lactam antibiotics in Gram-negative bacteria is a major impediment for the treatment of infections. Genes responsible for resistance to these antibiotics are frequently carried on plasmids, which can transfer between bacteria. Therefore, exploring strategies to prevent this transfer and/or the prevalence of AMR plasmids is timely and pertinent. Here, we show that certain natural product extracts and associated pure compounds can reduce the transmission of AMR plasmids into new bacterial hosts. Using our established high-throughput fluorescence-based screen we found that the natural products were more active in reducing transmission of the IncK plasmid pCT inEscherichia coliST131, compared toKlebsiella pneumoniaeEcl8 carrying the IncFII plasmid pKpQIL. Furthermore, we found that the natural product rottlerin was more active inK. pneumoniaethan inE. coli. Importantly, rottlerin was also associated with a reduced number of transconjugant bacteria in a clinicalK. pneumoniaeisolate harbouring ablaNDM-1plasmid. Together, these results demonstrate the potential of natural products as promising anti-plasmid agents.
SREBP-mediated gene expression regulation is essential for the intrinsic fungicide tolerance and antagonism in the fungal biocontrol agentClonostachys rosea
Authors: Piombo Edoardo , Tzelepis Georgios , Ruus Alma Gustavsson , Rafiei Vahideh , Jensen Dan Funck , Karlsson Magnus , Dubey Mukesh
Published: February 2024

Sterol regulatory element-binding proteins (SREBPs) are a family of transcription factors known to regulate sterol biosynthesis and homeostasis in fungi. For this reason they have a role in several biological processes, including virulence, fungicide tolerance, hypoxia adaptation, lipid and carbohydrate metabolisms, and iron homeostasis. While the biological function of SREBPs in yeast and filamentous fungal species pathogenic to humans and plants is known, their role in fungal biocontrol agents (BCAs) is still elusive. This study aimed to investigate the biological and regulatory function of SREBPs in the BCAClonostachys rosea, with a focus on their role in fungicide tolerance, hypoxia adaptation and antagonisms. TheC. roseagenome contains two genes (sre1andsre2) coding for SREBPs and one gene each coding for Insulin induced gene (INSIG) and SREBP cleavage-activating protein (SCAP), required for SREBP-mediated ergosterol biosynthesis in fungi. Deletion ofsre1resulted in mutants with pleiotropic effects, including the reduced ability to grow on media supplemented with proline (active ingredient prothioconazole) and cantus (active ingredient boscalid) fungicides, hypoxia mimicking agent CoCl2, cell wall stressor SDS, and increased growth rate on medium supplemented with caffeine, compared withC. roseawild type (WT). In addition, the antagonistic ability against the fungal hostsBotrytis cinereaandRhizoctonia solaniwas affected whensre1was deleted. However, no significant difference betweensre2deletion strains andC. roseaWT was found for any of the tested phenotypes. To investigate the regulatory role of SRE1, the transcriptome ofC. roseaWT and asre1deletion strain was analyzed. The transcriptome analysis identified differentially expressed genes in thesre1deletion strain associated with carbohydrate and lipid metabolism, respiration, iron homeostasis, and xenobiotic tolerance. Moreover, genes coding for polyketide synthases and chitinases with a proven antimicrobial role were downregulated in the mutant, corroborating the reduced antagonism phenotypes. In summary, this work sheds light on the regulation role of transcription factor SRE1 while also exploring its effect on regulating the antagonistic activity and fungicide resistance ofC. rosea, giving us helpful knowledge to design applications of this organism in IPM strategies.
Short-term memory, attentional control and brain size in primates
Authors: van Schaik Carel P. , Jacobs Ivo , Burkart Judith M. , Sauciuc Gabriela-Alina , Schuppli Caroline , Persson Tomas , Song Zitan
Published: February 2024

Brain size variability in primates has been attributed to various domain-specific socio-ecological factors. A recently published large-scale study of short-term memory abilities in 41 primate species [1] did not find any correlations with 11 different proxies of external cognitive demands. Here we found that the interspecific variation in test performance shows correlated evolution with total brain size, with the relationship becoming tighter as species with small sample sizes were successively removed, whereas it was not predicted by the often-used encephalization quotient (EQ). In a subsample, we also found that the sizes of brain region thought to be involved in short-term memory did not predict performance better than did overall brain size. The dependence on brain size suggests that domain-general cognitive processes underlie short-term memory as tested in [1]. These results support the emerging notion that comparative studies of brain size do not generally identify domain-specific cognitive adaptations, but rather reveal varying selection on domain-general cognitive abilities. Finally, because attentional processes beyond short- term memory also affected test performance, we suggest that the delayed response test can be refined.
Oxygen affinities of DosT and DosS sensor kinases with implications for hypoxia adaptation inMycobacterium tuberculosis
Authors: Apiche Elizabeth A. , Yee Eaindra , Damodaran Anoop Rama , Bhagi-Damodaran Ambika
Published: February 2024

DosT and DosS are heme-based kinases involved in sensing and signaling O2tension in the microenvironment ofMycobacterium tuberculosis(Mtb). Under conditions of low O2, they activate >50 dormancy-related genes and play a pivotal role in the induction of dormancy and associated drug resistance during tuberculosis infection. In this work, we reexamine the O2binding affinities of DosT and DosS to show that their equilibrium dissociation constants are 3.3±1 μM and 0.46±0.08 μM respectively, which are six to eight-fold stronger than what has been widely referred to in literature. Furthermore, stopped-flow kinetic studies reveal association and dissociation rate constants of 0.84 μM-1s-1and 2.8 s-1, respectively for DosT, and 7.2 μM-1s-1and 3.3 s-1, respectively for DosS. Remarkably, these tighter O2binding constants correlate with distinct stages of hypoxia-induced non-replicating persistence in the Wayne model ofMtb. This knowledge opens doors to deconvoluting the intricate interplay between hypoxia adaptation stages and the signal transduction capabilities of these important heme-based O2sensors.
Ordered phases and superconductivity in two-dimensional electron systems subject to pair spin-orbit interaction
Authors: Liu Feng , Principi Alessandro
Published: February 2024

Pair spin-orbit interaction can emerge in strongly interacting systems characterized by a large spin-orbit coupling. Here we study the role of this interaction in stabilizing ordered and unconventional superconducting phases. We find that, if the system avoids superconductivity, the order realized is a combination of charge density and spin-vorticity waves. The latter is reminiscent of a loop-current state, albeit in the spin channel, rather than in the charge channel. If the system becomes superconducting, the order parameter assumes the form of a paired density wave, i.e., pairing occurs at finite momentum. Intriguingly, one of the possible pairings acquires a form analogous to Amperean superconductivity. However, the order parameter here is always a blend of paired density wave and Amperean pairing, rather than being purely one or the other.

Published by the American Physical Society
2024
Gluon helicity from global analysis of experimental data and lattice QCD Ioffe time distributions
Authors: Karpie J. , Whitehill R. M. , Melnitchouk W. , Monahan C. , Orginos K. , Qiu J.-W. , Richards D. G. , Sato N. , Zafeiropoulos S. ,   Jefferson Lab Angular Momentum and HadStruc Collaborations
Published: February 2024

We perform a new global analysis of spin-dependent parton distribution functions with the inclusion of Ioffe time pseudodistributions computed in lattice QCD (LQCD), which are directly sensitive to the gluon helicity distribution, Δg. These lattice data have an analogous relationship to parton distributions as do experimental cross sections, and can be readily included in global analyses. We focus in particular on the constraining capability of current LQCD data on the sign of Δg at intermediate parton momentum fractions x, which was recently brought into question by analysis of data in the absence of parton positivity constraints. We find that present LQCD data cannot discriminate between positive and negative Δg solutions, although significant changes in the solutions for both the gluon and quark sectors are observed.

Published by the American Physical Society
2024
Universal features of
2→N
scattering in QCD and gravity from shockwave collisions
Authors: Raj Himanshu , Venugopalan Raju
Published: February 2024

A remarkable double-copy relation of Einstein gravity to QCD in Regge asymptotics is Γμν=12CμCν−12NμNν, where Γμν is the gravitational Lipatov vertex in the 2→3 graviton scattering amplitude, Cμ its Yang-Mills counterpart, and Nμ the QED bremsstrahlung vertex. In QCD, the Lipatov vertex is a fundamental building block of the BFKL equation describing the 2→N scattering of gluons at high energies. Likewise, the gravitational Lipatov vertex is a key ingredient in a 2D effective field theory framework describing trans-Planckian 2→N graviton scattering. We construct a quantitative correspondence between a semiclassical Yang-Mills framework for radiation in gluon shockwave collisions and its counterpart in general relativity. In particular, we demonstrate the Lipatov double copy in a dilute-dilute approximation corresponding to RS,L, RS,H≪b, where RS,L, RS,H are the respective emergent Schwarzchild radii generated in shockwave collisions and b is the impact parameter. We outline extensions of the correspondence developed here to the dilute-dense computation of gravitational wave radiation in the close vicinity of one of the black holes, the construction of graviton propagators in the shockwave background, and a renormalization group approach to compute 2→N amplitudes that incorporates graviton Reggeization and coherent graviton multiple scattering.

Published by the American Physical Society
2024
Adiabatic inspirals under electromagnetic radiation reaction on Kerr spacetime
Authors: German Ethan J. , Cunningham Kevin , Balakumar Visakan , Warburton Niels , Dolan Sam R.
Published: February 2024

A compact body in orbit about a black hole loses orbital energy and angular momentum through radiation-reaction processes, inspiralling toward the black hole until a final plunge. Here we consider a scenario with a charged compact body in which fluxes of electromagnetic radiation drive this inspiral. We calculate trajectories in the (p,e) plane for inspirals in the equatorial plane of a rotating black hole within the adiabatic (orbital-averaged-dissipative) approximation. We make comparisons with a nonrelativistic Keplerian approximation based on the Abraham-Lorentz force law, and with standard gravitational-wave driven scenarios. We find that EM-driven inspirals are less efficiently circularized (i.e. orbits remain more eccentric at the point of plunge) than their gravitational counterparts, and we quantify the effect of black hole spin.

Published by the American Physical Society
2024
Anisotropic Quantum Hall Droplets
Authors: Oblak Blagoje , Lapierre Bastien , Moosavi Per , Stéphan Jean-Marie , Estienne Benoit
Published: February 2024

We study two-dimensional (2D) droplets of noninteracting electrons in a strong magnetic field, placed in a confining potential with arbitrary shape. Using semiclassical methods adapted to the lowest Landau level, we obtain near-Gaussian energy eigenstates that are localized on level curves of the potential and have a position-dependent height. This one-particle insight allows us to deduce explicit formulas for expectation values of local many-body observables, such as density and current, in the thermodynamic limit. In particular, correlations along the edge are long-ranged and inhomogeneous. As we show, this is consistent with the system’s universal low-energy description as a free 1D chiral conformal field theory of edge modes, known from earlier works in simple geometries. A delicate interplay between radial and angular dependencies of eigenfunctions ultimately ensures that the theory is homogeneous in terms of the canonical angle variable of the potential, despite its apparent inhomogeneity in terms of more naïve angular coordinates. Finally, we propose a scheme to measure the anisotropy by subjecting the droplet to microwave radiation; we compute the corresponding absorption rate and show that it depends on the droplet’s shape and the waves’ polarization. These results, both local and global, are likely to be observable in solid-state systems or quantum simulators of 2D electron gases with a high degree of control on the confining potential.

Published by the American Physical Society
2024
Measurement-Free Fault-Tolerant Quantum Error Correction in Near-Term Devices
Authors: Heußen Sascha , Locher David F. , Müller Markus
Published: February 2024

Logical qubits can be protected from decoherence by performing quantum error-correction (QEC) cycles repeatedly. Algorithms for fault-tolerant QEC must be compiled to the specific hardware platform under consideration in order to practically realize a quantum memory that operates for in principle arbitrary long times. All circuit components must be assumed as noisy unless specific assumptions about the form of the noise are made. Modern QEC schemes are challenging to implement experimentally in physical architectures where in-sequence measurements and feed forward of classical information cannot be reliably executed fast enough or even at all. Here we provide a novel scheme to perform QEC cycles without the need of measuring qubits that is fully fault-tolerant with respect to all components used in the circuit. Our scheme can be used for any low-distance CSS code since its only requirement towards the underlying code is a transversal gate. Similarly to Steane-type EC, we coherently copy errors to a logical auxiliary qubit but then apply a coherent feedback operation from the auxiliary system to the logical data qubit. The logical auxiliary qubit is prepared fault tolerantly without measurements, too. We benchmark logical failure rates of the scheme in comparison to a flag-qubit-based EC cycle. We map out a parameter region where our scheme is feasible and estimate physical error rates necessary to achieve the break-even point of beneficial QEC with our scheme. We outline how our scheme could be implemented in ion traps and with neutral atoms in a tweezer array. For recently demonstrated capabilities of atom shuttling and native multiatom Rydberg gates, we achieve moderate circuit depths and beneficial performance of our scheme while not breaking fault tolerance. These results thereby enable practical fault-tolerant QEC in hardware architectures that do not support midcircuit measurements.

Published by the American Physical Society
2024
Structural dissection of two redox proteins from the shipworm symbiont Teredinibacter turnerae
Authors: Rajagopal Badri S. , Yates Nick , Smith Jake , Paradisi Alessandro , Tétard-Jones Catherine , Willats William G. T. , Marcus Susan , Knox J. Paul , Firdaus-Raih Mohd , Henrissat Bernard , Davies Gideon J. , Walton Paul H. , Parkin Alison , Hemsworth Glyn R.
Published: February 2024

The discovery of lytic polysaccharide monooxygenases (LPMOs), a family of copper-dependent enzymes that play a major role in polysaccharide degradation, has revealed the importance of oxidoreductases in the biological utilization of biomass. In fungi, a range of redox proteins have been implicated as working in harness with LPMOs to bring about polysaccharide oxidation. In bacteria, less is known about the interplay between redox proteins and LPMOs, or how the interaction between the two contributes to polysaccharide degradation. We therefore set out to characterize two previously unstudied proteins from the shipworm symbiont Teredinibacter turnerae that were initially identified by the presence of carbohydrate binding domains appended to uncharacterized domains with probable redox functions. Here, X-ray crystal structures of several domains from these proteins are presented together with initial efforts to characterize their functions. The analysis suggests that the target proteins are unlikely to function as LPMO electron donors, raising new questions as to the potential redox functions that these large extracellular multi-haem-containing c-type cytochromes may perform in these bacteria.
Structure and absolute configuration of natural fungal product beauveriolide I, isolated from Cordyceps javanica, determined by 3D electron diffraction
Authors: Gurung Kshitij , Šimek Petr , Jegorov Alexandr , Palatinus Lukáš
Published: February 2024

Beauveriolides, including the main beauveriolide I {systematic name: (3R,6S,9S,13S)-9-benzyl-13-[(2S)-hexan-2-yl]-6-methyl-3-(2-methylpropyl)-1-oxa-4,7,10-triazacyclotridecane-2,5,8,11-tetrone, C27H41N3O5}, are a series of cyclodepsipeptides that have shown promising results in the treatment of Alzheimer's disease and in the prevention of foam cell formation in atherosclerosis. Their crystal structure studies have been difficult due to their tiny crystal size and fibre-like morphology, until now. Recent developments in 3D electron diffraction methodology have made it possible to accurately study the crystal structures of submicron crystals by overcoming the problems of beam sensitivity and dynamical scattering. In this study, the absolute structure of beauveriolide I was determined by 3D electron diffraction. The cyclodepsipeptide crystallizes in the space group I2 with lattice parameters a = 40.2744 (4), b = 5.0976 (5), c = 27.698 (4) Å and β = 105.729 (6)°. After dynamical refinement, its absolute structure was determined by comparing the R factors and calculating the z-scores of the two possible enantiomorphs of beauveriolide I.
Research on precise and standardized numerical simulation strategy for vehicle aerodynamics
Authors: Chen Zhen , Liu Jing , Ma Chao , Wu Huawei , Li Zhi
Published: February 2024

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to propose a precise and standardized strategy for numerically simulating vehicle aerodynamics.

Design/methodology/approach

Error sources in computational fluid dynamics were analyzed. Additionally, controllable experiential and discretization errors, which significantly influence the calculated results, are expounded upon. Considering the airflow mechanism around a vehicle, the computational efficiency and accuracy of each solution strategy were compared and analyzed through numerous computational cases. Finally, the most suitable numerical strategy, including the turbulence model, simplified vehicle model, calculation domain, boundary conditions, grids and discretization scheme, was identified. Two simplified vehicle models were introduced, and relevant wind tunnel tests were performed to validate the selected strategy.

Findings

Errors in vehicle computational aerodynamics mainly stem from the unreasonable simplification of the vehicle model, calculation domain, definite solution conditions, grid strategy and discretization schemes. Using the proposed standardized numerical strategy, the simulated steady and transient aerodynamic characteristics agreed well with the experimental results.

Originality/value

Building upon the modified Low-Reynolds Number k-e model and Scale Adaptive Simulation model, to the best of the authors’ knowledge, a precise and standardized numerical simulation strategy for vehicle aerodynamics is proposed for the first time, which can be integrated into vehicle research and design.
The concept of discontinuity in project marketing research: emergence, dissipation and glimpses of the future
Authors: Ojansivu Ilkka Tapani
Published: February 2024

Purpose

This study aims to focus on a specific project marketing concept, i.e. “discontinuity,” and analyzes how this concept emerged in project marketing, becoming its key scholarly embodiment, how it became decoupled from the increasingly service-intensive project business practice and what the relevance of discontinuity is for project marketers moving forward.

Design/methodology/approach

This study is built on a systematic literature review of 31 years (1993–2023) of publishing data from major marketing and management journals.

Findings

This study provides three findings. First, the author reveals the risks related to marketing scholars and practitioners losing sight of each other as business practices evolve much faster than scholarly research can keep up. Second, the author highlights the role of interdisciplinary collaboration in advancing conceptual innovations. Finally, the research elucidates the need for broader metatheoretical reflection to keep this research tradition on an upward trajectory.

Research limitations/implications

The aim of this study is not to criticize project marketing, as many strands of business-to-business (B2B) marketing face the same challenge, but to elucidate a need for conceptual innovations, collaboration with practitioners and other disciplines and broader metatheoretical reflection to keep this research tradition on an upward trajectory.

Originality/value

This study makes several contributions to the project marketing research tradition. First, it reviews the emergence and dissipation of the concept of discontinuity, drawing on semantical, etymological and epistemological insights. It also reflects on recent disruptions in the marketplace and envisions future research trajectories for this elusive concept. In addition, the author develops a conceptual framework that combines project types with exchange elements in project and service businesses. This conceptual framework helps elucidate what part of the exchange is continuing and what is discontinuing in the resulting business relationships. Furthermore, the research contributes to B2B marketing more broadly by highlighting the fleeting correspondence between theory and the real world. It underscores the need for constant updates to maintain relevance.
Corruption in least developed countries and ESG (responsible) investment: Standard Chartered Bank in Nepal
Authors: Gocher Tim , Chan Wen Li , Ramachandran Jayalakshmy , Yee Angelina Seow Voon
Published: February 2024

Purpose

This study aims to explore the effects of responsible international investment in a least developed country (LDC) on ethics and corruption in the local industry. While investment growth in least developed countries (LDCs) is essential to meet the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, international investment in LDCs poses challenges, including corruption. The authors explore perspectives from relevant stakeholders on the influence, if any, on an LDC’s banking sector, of investment in the LDC by a multinational bank with an environmental, social and governance focus – using a case study of Standard Chartered Bank (SCB) in Nepal.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors conducted thematic analysis on: focus groups with current and former SCB Nepal management; semi-structured interviews with Nepal banking regulator representatives; senior staff from SCB global divisions; and management of other commercial banks in Nepal.

Findings

Knowledge transfer, organisational enablers and constructive international competition contributed to the dissemination of best practices within the Nepal banking sector, supporting the notion of beneficial spill-over effects of multinationals on LDC host countries.

Practical implications

Practical insights will aid LDC governments, international businesses, investment funds and donor organisations seeking to invest in/assist LDCs with economic development.

Originality/value

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this may be the first case study on ethics and anti-corruption practices of a multinational bank in a LDC. Through a practice-driven focus, the authors provide “on-the-ground” insights to better understand the complex nature of corruption.
Accountancy students’ perceptions of the quality of teaching and learning experiences in two UK business schools: implications for generic skills development
Authors: Sawan Nedal , Al-Hajaya Krayyem , Alshhadat Mohammad , Salem Rami Ibrahim A.
Published: February 2024

Purpose

Focusing on the quality of teaching and learning, this study aims to explore the perceptions of accountancy students in two emerging UK Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) of the quality of their learning experiences and the impact of these experiences on generic skills development.

Design/methodology/approach

A questionnaire survey was used to collect the data. OLS regression was used to test the hypothesis regarding the impact of student learning experiences (lecturer ability, assessment and curriculum) on generic skills development.

Findings

Students value the lecturer as the most important determinant of the quality of their experience. They rated their assessment programme very positively, and the curriculum suggests that students tend to experience a deep blended approach to learning. They also felt that they acquired a wide range of soft competency skills such as those associated with research, critical thinking and time management. Multivariate findings indicate that lecturer ability and curriculum contribute significantly and positively to generic skills development.

Practical implications

The study provides a benchmark for international accounting and business educators in any efforts to assess the efficacy of HE delivery since the pandemic. By implication, it enables the identification of enhancements to the previous character of delivery and hence offers the means to direct improvements to the student experience. Such improvements can then be seen in the National Student Survey (NSS) scores, thereby positively contributing to the next Teaching Excellence Framework. Additionally, such tangible enhancements in NSS scores may be advantageous to HEIs, in the UK and other Western countries, in their efforts to recruit international students on whom they place great reliance for increased revenue, to their international business education programmes.

Originality/value

This study addresses the research gap surrounding the link between teaching and learning approaches in accounting and the development of generic skills. Furthermore, acknowledging that the COVID-19 pandemic with its imposed structural change in the HE teaching and learning environment ushered in a new model of curriculum delivery, this study reflects on the pre-COVID-19 scenario and gathers student perceptions of their teaching and learning experiences before the changes necessitated by lockdowns. It therefore brings the opportunity to anchor future research exploring the post-COVID-19 environment and secure comparative analyses.
Big trouble in little places: understanding the complexities of place micro-brands
Authors: Fernandez de Osso Fuentes Maria , Keegan Brendan James , Rowley Jenny , Worboys Esther
Published: February 2024

Purpose

This paper aims to investigate place marketing and branding at the micro-place scale through the case study of St Christopher’s Place in London (UK). This study illustrates the distinctive differences of micro-place marketing, in comparison to city and country levels.

Design/methodology/approach

An exploratory case study was conducted through a sequential mixed methods approach involving direct observation, semi-structured interviews, questionnaires and social media analysis. Analysis of data was performed by using thematic analysis and triangulation of quantitative measures collected through the questionnaire and social media analysis.

Findings

Analysis of data illustrated noticeable differences of place management at the micro-place level compared to city or country scale of place marketing and branding. The function of emotional marketing leading to value co-creation is more effective at this level, establishing close and personal ties between occupiers and customers. Yet, measurement of micro-place marketing and branding value creation is difficult to achieve.

Originality/value

This study draws attention to the unique value and benefits of place branding at smaller spatial scales. Findings contribute to the place micro-brand concept by adding knowledge of micro-places through place management activities comparing them with city and country scales, and emotional marketing value co-creation practices, including challenges relating to measurement.
Marketplace or reseller? The effect of asymmetric selling cost and demand information
Authors: Zhang Mengying , Yuan Zhennan , Wang Ningning
Published: February 2024

Purpose

We explore the driving forces behind the channel choices of the manufacturer and the platform by considering asymmetric selling cost and demand information.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper develops game-theoretical models to study different channel strategies for an E-commerce supply chain, in which a manufacturer distributes products through a platform that may operate in either the marketplace channel or the reseller channel.

Findings

Three primary models are built and analyzed. The comparison results show that the platform would share demand information in the reseller channel only if the service cost performance is relatively high. Besides, with an increasing selling cost, the equilibrium channel might shift from the marketplace to the reseller. With increasing information accuracy, the manufacturer tends to select the marketplace channel, while the platform tends to select the reseller channel if the service cost performance is low and tends to select the marketplace channel otherwise.

Practical implications

All these results have been numerically verified in the experiments. At last, we also resort to numerical study and find that as the service cost performance increases, the equilibrium channel may shift from the reseller channel to the marketplace channel. These results provide managerial guidance to online platforms and manufacturers regarding strategic decisions on channel management.

Originality/value

Although prior research has paid extensive attention to the driving forces behind the online channel choice between marketplace and reseller, there is at present few study considering the case where a manufacturer selling through an online platform faces a demand information disadvantage in the reseller channel and sales inefficiency in the marketplace channel. To fill this research gap, our work illustrates the interaction between demand information asymmetry and selling cost asymmetry to identify the equilibrium channel strategy and provides useful managerial guidelines for both online platforms and manufacturers.
Nutritional and physical fitness status of school children among major ethnic and Dalit populations, Rajshahi, Bangladesh: a cross-sectional study
Authors: Marandi Jenet Sagota , Akter Payel , Rana Masud , Biswas Kamal Krishna
Published: February 2024

Purpose

This study aims to assess the nutritional status and physical fitness status of school children among major ethnic and Dalit populations, in Rajshahi, Bangladesh.

Design/methodology/approach

Data were collected through structured questionnaires administered to mothers or caregivers of the children, followed by physical fitness assessments. Anthropometric indicators were used to evaluate nutritional status, including body mass index-for-age, height-for-age, and weight-for-height, based on Centre for Disease Control guidelines. Physical fitness was assessed through tests for flexibility, abdominal, muscular, speed, and lower limb strength. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS.

Findings

Approximately 45% of boys and 55% of girls had normal nutritional status. However, the study also identified varying percentages of children with stunted, underweight, wasted, and mixed nutritional issues, highlighting the prevalence of malnutrition among this population. Boys consistently outperformed girls in terms of physical fitness across all age groups, with 84% to 90% of boys meeting established fitness criteria. Girls face a 1.8-fold and 2.2-fold increased risk of wasted and underweight conditions compared to boys. Lower-income group children exhibit a 2.6-fold and 1.6-fold increased risk of wasted conditions and underweight conditions. Children consuming meals twice a day have a 2.1-fold and 2.5-fold elevated risk of wasted and underweight conditions compared to others.

Originality/value

This study highlights the need for interventions and strategies to improve the nutritional and health status of ethnic children in Rajshahi, Bangladesh, considering their diverse dietary habits and lifestyles. By addressing these issues, the authors can empower these communities to actively contribute to the social and economic development of the region.
Beyond tax credits and the minimum wage: the challenge of labour market inequality
Authors: Blundell Richard
Published: February 2024

Since the turn of the millennium, the UK has relied almost exclusively on two policies to address the adverse consequences of low pay and labour market inequality: in‐work tax credits and the minimum wage. Successful as these policies have been at supporting family incomes and propping up hourly wages at the bottom, increasing numbers of less‐educated workers find themselves in low‐quality jobs with negligible wage growth, little training and poor career prospects. Work by itself is rarely a route to earnings progression. This paper looks at the motivation behind the expansion of in‐work tax credits in the face of growing wage inequality and in‐work poverty. It focuses on the impact on longer‐term outcomes through human capital and skills. It argues for a balance of policies that goes beyond tax credits and the minimum wage to foster individual wage growth and improve opportunities for career progression for less‐educated workers.
New insights into the nexus between international trade, urbanization, nonrenewable energy consumption, and environmental quality in China: Evidence from Multivariate Threshold Regression
Authors: Sohail Ali , Nawaz Abbasi Babar , Ahmed Zahoor
Published: February 2024

International trade (TRADE), urbanization (URB), and nonrenewable energy consumption (NRE) can pose significant impacts on environmental quality and economic growth. In addition, TRADE and URB can influence the transition to cleaner energy within an economy. China is one of the largest economies with a massive contribution to global carbon emissions. Thus, there is a need for a comprehensive study that could explore the interrelationships between TRADE, URB, NRE, and environmental quality to assist economic and environmental policymaking in the country. This study explores these relationships and also reveals the precise threshold levels that these factors should not exceed to protect the environment and promote sustainability. The time series data from the Chinese economy from 1980 to 2021 are analyzed by using the Multivariate Threshold Regression (MThR) model. The findings revealed that TRADE has a detrimental impact on environmental quality in the low regime whereas a positive effect in the high regime. In contrast, NRE negatively affects the environment in both regimes, while URB positively influences the environmental quality in both regimes. Furthermore, the threshold levels of variables required to influence sustainability and promote environmental quality were revealed as 46.74% of GDP for TRADE, 45.20% of the total population for URB, and 23448.2TWh for NRE. Moreover, TRADE leads the transition from traditional to modern energy consumption, while URB does not play a leading role in the energy transition. Based on the results, policies are recommended to promote sustainable development.