bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Insight into the seroepidemiology and dynamics of circulating serotypes of dengue virus over a 4 year period in western Uttar Pradesh, India
Authors: Mustafa Zeeshan , Khan Haris Manzoor , Azam Mohd , Sami Hiba , Ali Syed Ghazanfar , Ahmad Islam , Raza Adil , Khan Mohammad Azam
Published: June 2023

An important public health problem in India is dengue infection, with every year seeing an increase in cases of dengue fever. Dengue affects all individuals irrespective of their gender and age, although the infection rate is higher among males and younger people. Despite low severity in general, dengue virus can cause severe health conditions in some individuals. Genetic characterization of circulating endemic dengue virus (DENV) serotypes plays a significant role in providing epidemiological knowledge and subsequent vaccine development. In the present study, over a 4 year period, we assessed DENV transmission dynamics in major regions of western Uttar Pradesh in North India. ELISA tests were used to diagnose dengue, and PCRs were used to determine the circulating serotype. We found that dengue infection peaks after the rainy season and affects all sexes and ages. A total of 1277 individuals were found positive for dengue; among them, 61.7 % were male and 38.3 % were female. DEN-1 was found in 23.12 %, DEN-2 in 45 %, DEN-3 in 29.06 % and DEN-4 in 1.5 % of the dengue-infected individuals. All four DENV serotypes were circulating in the study area, and DENV serotype-2 (DEN-2) was the most prevalent serotype.
Draft genome sequences of 11 Xanthomonas strains associated with bacterial spot disease in Turkey
Authors: Subedi Aastha , Kara Serhat , Aysan Yesim , Minsavage Gerald V. , Timilsina Sujan , Roberts Pamela D. , Goss Erica M. , Jones Jeffrey B.
Published: June 2023

Bacterial spot is an economically significant disease in tomato and pepper-producing countries globally. We report the whole-genome sequence of 11

Xanthomonas

strains associated with bacterial spot disease on pepper, tomato and eggplant in the Southeastern Anatolia Region, Turkey. This genomic information can be used as a reference to study the genetic diversity of these species and contribute to illuminating pathogen evolution with respect to host specificity.
Newly emerged genotypes of highly pathogenic H5N8 avian influenza viruses in Kagoshima prefecture, Japan during winter 2020/21
Authors: Okuya Kosuke , Khalil Ahmed Magdy , Esaki Mana , Nishi Natsuko , Koyamada Donna , Saito Rara , Tokorozaki Kaori , Hasegawa Taichi , Ozawa Makoto
Published: June 2023

During the 2020/21 winter season, 29 and 10 H5N8 high pathogenicity avian influenza viruses (HPAIVs) were isolated from environmental water and wild birds, respectively, in Kagoshima prefecture, Japan. Furthermore, seven subtypes of low pathogenicity avian influenza viruses (LPAIVs) were also isolated; H1N1, H2N9, H3N2, H3N6, H3N8, H4N6, and H6N6 subtypes. While the H5 hemagglutinin (HA) genes of the G1 cluster were isolated throughout the winter season, those of the G2 cluster were also detected in late winter, suggesting that H5 HPAIVs possessing H5 HA genes from the two different clusters were individually introduced into Kagoshima prefecture. Intriguingly, genetic constellations revealed that the H5N8 HPAIVs could be classified into six genotypes, including four previously reported genotypes (E1, E2, E3, and E7), and two new genotypes (tentatively named E8 and E9). The PB1 and PA gene segments of genotypes E8 and E9 shared high similarity with those of LPAIVs, whereas the remaining gene segments were close to those of genotype E1. Furthermore, LPAIVs whose PA gene segment was close to that of genotype E9 were isolated from the environmental water. Overall, we revealed that various HPAIV genotypes circulated in Kagoshima prefecture during the 2020/21 winter season. This study highlights the importance of monitoring both HPAIV and LPAIV to better understand AIV ecology in migratory waterfowl populations.
InsectChange: Comment
Authors: Gaume Laurence , Desquilbet Marion
Published: June 2023

Abstract

The InsectChange database (van Klink et al. 2021) underlying the meta-analysis by van Klink et al. (2020a) compiles worldwide time series of the abundance and biomass of invertebrates reported as insects and arachnids, as well as ecological data likely to have influenced the observed trends. On the basis of a comprehensive review of the original studies, we highlight numerous issues in this database, such as errors in insect counts, sampling biases, inclusion of noninsects driving assemblage trends, omission of drivers investigated in original studies and inaccurate assessment of local cropland cover. We show that in more than half of the original studies, the factors investigated were experimentally manipulated or were strong -often not natural- disturbances. These internal drivers created situations more frequently favouring an increase than a decrease in insects and were unlikely to be representative of habitat conditions worldwide. We demonstrate that when both groups were available in original freshwater studies, selecting all invertebrates rather than only insects led to an overestimation of the “insect” trend. We argue that the disparate and non-standardised units of measurement of insect density among studies may have detrimental consequences for users, as was the case for van Klink et al. (2020a, 2022) who log10(x+1)-transformed these heterogeneous data, compromising the comparison of temporal trends between datasets and the estimation of the overall trend. We show that geographical coordinates assigned by InsectChange to insect sampling areas are inadequate for the analysis of the local influence of agriculture, urbanisation and climate on insect change for 68% of the datasets. In terrestrial data, the local cropland cover is strongly overestimated, which may incorrectly dismiss agriculture as a driving force behind the decline in insects. Therefore, in its current state, this database enables the study of neither the temporal trends of insects worldwide nor their drivers. The supplementary information accompanying our paper presents in detail each problem identified and makes numerous suggestions that can be used as a basis for improvement.
Grid Codes versus Multi-Scale, Multi-Field Place Codes for Space
Authors: Dietrich Robin , Waniek Nicolai , Stemmler Martin , Knoll Alois
Published: June 2023

Recent work on bats flying over long distances has revealed that single hippocampal cells represent space on many scales, suggesting that these cells simultaneously participate in multiple neuronal networks to yield a multi-scale, multi-field place cell code. While the first theoretical analyses revealed that this code outperforms classical single-scale, single-field place codes, it remains an open question what the performance boundaries of this code are, what functional properties the network responsible for this code has, and how it compares to a highly regular grid code, in which cells form distinct modules, each with its own attractor dynamics on the network.

In this paper we address these questions with rigorous analyses of comprehensive simulations. Specifically, we perform an evolutionary optimization of several multi-scale, multi-field place cell networks and compare the results against a single-scale, single-field as well as against a simple grid code. We focus on two main characteristics: the general performance of the code itself and the dynamics of the network generating it. Our simulation experiments show that, under normal conditions, the grid code easily outperforms any multi-scale, multi-field place code with respect to decoding accuracy. However, the latter is more robust to noise and lesions, such as drop-out. The robustness comes at a cost, as the grid code requires a significantly smaller number of neurons and fields per neuron. Further analyses of the network dynamics also revealed that the proposed topology of multi-scale, multi-field place cells does not, in fact, result in a continuous attractor network. More precisely, the simulated networks do not maintain activity bumps without position specific input. The multi-scale, multi-field code, therefore, seems to be a compromise between a place code and a grid code that invokes a trade-off between accurate positional encoding and robustness.
KATPchannel mutation disrupts hippocampal network activity and nocturnal γ shifts
Authors: Burkart Marie-Elisabeth , Kurzke Josephine , Vera Jorge , Ashcroft Frances M. , Eilers Jens , Lippmann Kristina
Published: June 2023

ATP-sensitive potassium (KATP) channels enable ATP to control the membrane potential and insulin secretion. Humans affected by severe activating mutations in KATPchannels suffer from developmentaldelay,epilepsy andneonataldiabetes (DEND syndrome). While the diabetes in DEND syndrome is well understood, the pathophysiology of the neurological symptoms remains unclear. We hypothesized that parvalbumin-positive interneurons (PV-INs) are key for the pathophysiology and found, by using electrophysiology, that expressing the DEND mutation Kir6.2-V59M selectively in PV-INs reduced intrinsic gamma frequency preference and short-term depression as well as disturbed cognition-associated gamma oscillations and hippocampal sharp waves. Furthermore, risk of seizures is increased and day-night shift in gamma activity disrupted. Thus, PV-INs play a key role in DEND syndrome and this provides a framework for establishing treatment options.

One Sentence Summary

Overactive KATPchannels in PV-interneurons disturb cellular behaviour and cognition-associated network oscillations.
The satiety hormone cholecystokinin gates reproduction in fish by controlling gonadotropin secretion
Authors: Hollander Cohen Lian , Cohen Omer , Shulman Miriam , Aiznkot Tomer , Fontanaud Pierre , Revah Omer , Mollard Patrice , Golan Matan , Levavi Sivan Berta
Published: June 2023

Life histories of oviparous species dictate high metabolic investment in the process of gonadal development leading to ovulation. In vertebrates, these two distinct processes are controlled by the gonadotropins follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH), respectively. While it was suggested that a common secretagogue, gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH), oversees both functions, the generation of loss-of-function fish challenged this view. Here, we reveal that the satiety hormone cholecystokinin (CCK) is the primary regulator of this axis in zebrafish. We found that FSH cells express a CCK receptor, and our findings demonstrate that mutating this receptor results in a severe hindrance to ovarian development. Additionally, it causes a complete shutdown of both gonadotropins secretion. Usingin-vivoandex-vivocalcium imaging of gonadotrophs, we show that GnRH predominantly activates LH cells, whereas FSH cells respond to CCK stimulation, designating CCK as the bona fide FSH secretagogue. These findings indicate that the control of gametogenesis in fish was placed under different neural circuits, that are gated by CCK.
The dependence of forecasts on sampling frequency as a guide to optimizing monitoring in community ecology
Authors: Daugaard Uriah , Merkli Stefanie , Merz Ewa , Pomati Francesco , Petchey Owen L.
Published: June 2023

Facing climate change and biodiversity loss, it is critical that ecology advances so that processes, such as species interactions and dynamics, can be correctly estimated and skillfully forecasted. As different processes occur on different time scales, the sampling frequency used to record them should intuitively match these scales. Yet, the effect of data sampling frequency on ecological forecasting accuracy is understudied. Using a simple simulated dataset as a baseline and a more complex high-frequency plankton dataset, we tested how different sampling frequencies impacted abundance forecasts of different plankton classes and the estimation of their interactions. We then investigated whether plankton growth rates and body sizes could be used to select the most appropriate sampling frequency. The simple simulated dataset showed that the optimal sampling frequency scaled positively with growth rate. This finding was not repeated in the analyses of the plankton time series, however. There, we found that a reduction in sampling frequency worsened forecasts and led us to both over- and underestimate plankton interactions. This suggests that forecasting can be used to determine the ideal sampling frequency in scientific and monitoring programs. A better study design will improve theoretical understanding of ecology and advance policy measures dealing with current global challenges.

Open research statement

Data and code used for the analyses and figures are available on Zenodo:https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.10066786. Environmental (lake) data (Merkli et al. 2022) are available from ERIC:https://doi.org/10.25678/00066D.
Future spinal reflex is embedded in primary motor cortex output
Authors: Umeda Tatsuya , Yokoyama Osamu , Suzuki Michiaki , Kaneshige Miki , Isa Tadashi , Nishimura Yukio
Published: June 2023

Mammals can execute intended limb movements despite the fact that spinal reflexes involuntarily modulate muscle activity. To generate appropriate muscle activity, the cortical descending motor output must coordinate with spinal reflexes, yet the underlying neural mechanism remains unclear. We simultaneously recorded activities in motor-related cortical areas, afferent neurons, and forelimb muscles of monkeys performing reaching movements. Motor-related cortical areas, primarily the primary motor cortex (M1), encode subsequent afferent activities attributed to forelimb movements. M1 also encodes a subcomponent of muscle activity evoked by these afferent activities, corresponding to spinal reflexes. Furthermore, selective disruption of the afferent pathway specifically reduced this subcomponent of muscle activity, suggesting that M1 output drives muscle activity not only through direct descending pathways but also through the “transafferent” pathway composed of descending plus subsequent spinal reflex pathways. Thus, M1 provides optimal motor output based on an internal forward model that prospectively computes future spinal reflexes.
Drowsiness during resting-state fMRI: a major confounder of functional connectivity
Authors: Joliot Marc , Cremona Sandrine , Tzourio Christophe , Etard Olivier
Published: June 2023

This research explores the effects of drowsiness on variability in functional connectivity (FC) during resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging. The study utilized a cohort of students (MRi-Share) and classified individuals into drowsy (N=68), alert (N=96), and mixed/undetermined states based on observed respiratory oscillations. Five different processing methods were employed, the reference method, two correction methods based on physiological and global regression approaches, and two based on Gaussian standardizations. According to the reference methodology, the results indicate that drowsy individuals exhibit higher cortico-cortical FC than alert individuals. However, the differences between drowsy and alert states were reduced when applying correction methods based on physiological and global regression approaches. The global regression-based strategy was the most effective among these correction methods, minimizing significant FC differences to only 3.3% of the total FCs. Utilizing the Gaussian-based methods, both cortico-subcortical and intra-default mode network regions demonstrated significantly greater FCs in awake than drowsy subjects. These findings align with previous studies suggesting that, in the descent to sleep, the cortex isolates itself to facilitate the transition into deeper sleep stages while also disconnecting the default mode network. The Gaussian standardization methods and the global regression-based correction approach efficiently address the hemodynamic variations caused by the rapid alternation between the N1 stage and wakefulness. These variations contribute to the measurement of cortico-cortical pseudo connectivity observed in the reference methodology. In summary, these findings underscore the importance of considering drowsiness in rs-fMRI studies and demonstrate that there is no single optimal correction methodology for processing fMRI data
Insecticidal roof barriers mounted on untreated bednets can be as effective againstAnopheles gambiae s.l.as insecticidal bednets
Authors: Abbott Anthony J. , Matope Agnes , Jones Jeff , Voloshin Vitaly , Towers Cathy , Towers David , McCall Philip J.
Published: June 2023

Barrier bednets (BBnets), regular bednets with a vertical insecticidal panel to target mosquitoes above the bednet roof, where activity is highest, have the potential to improve existing Insecticidal Treated Bednets (ITNs), by reducing quantity of insecticide required per net, reducing the toxic risks to those using the net, thus increasing the range of insecticides to choose from. We evaluated performance of different BBnet variants based on the PermaNet 3 (i.e., P3 BBnets with pyrethroid and piperonyl butoxide (PBO) on the roof or barrier; pyrethroid alone on the side walls) in room-scale bioassays, simultaneously video-recorded to track mosquitoes. Experimental results showed the longitudinal P3 barrier (P3L) to be highly effective: P3+P3L were consistently though not significantly more effective than the reference P3 bednet while performance of Ut+P3L was comparable to the reference P3. Comparing contact duration at the treated sections of each variant, the Ut+P3L accumulated 1273 contacts with 1374 seconds duration, all on the barrier, greatly exceeding the 792 seconds duration, from 8049 contacts, accumulated across the entire surface of the PermaNet 3 reference bednet. The BBnet’s potential to augment existing bednets and enhance their performance is considered.
Comprehensive computational analysis of the molecular mechanism of self-incompatibility in Brassicaceae using improved structure prediction
Authors: Sawa Tomoki , Moriwaki Yoshitaka , Jiang Hanting , Murase Kohji , Takayama Seiji , Shimizu Kentaro , Terada Tohru
Published: June 2023

Plants employ self-incompatibility (SI) to promote cross-fertilization. In Brassicaceae, this process is regulated by the formation of a complex between the pistil determinantSreceptor kinase (SRK) and the pollen determinantS-locus protein 11 (SP11, also known asS-locus cysteine-rich protein, SCR). In our previous study, we used the crystal structures of two eSRK–SP11 complexes inBrassica rapa S8andS9haplotypes and nine computationally predicted complex models to demonstrate that only the SRK ectodomain (eSRK) and SP11 pairs derived from the sameShaplotype exhibit high binding free energy. However, predicting the eSRK–SP11 complex structures for the other 100+Shaplotypes and genera remains difficult because of SP11 polymorphism in sequence and structure. Although protein structure prediction using AlphaFold2 exhibits considerably high accuracy for most protein monomers and complexes, 46% of the predicted SP11 structures that we tested showed < 75 mean per-residue confidence score (pLDDT). Here, we demonstrate that the use of curated multiple sequence alignment (MSA) for cysteine-rich proteins significantly improved model accuracy for SP11 and eSRK–SP11 complexes. Additionally, we calculated the binding free energies of the predicted eSRK–SP11 complexes using molecular dynamics (MD) simulations and observed that someArabidopsishaplotypes formed a binding mode that was critically different from that ofB. rapa S8andS9. Thus, our computational results provide insights into the haplotype-specific eSRK–SP11 binding modes in Brassicaceae at the residue level. The predicted models are freely available at Zenodo,https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.8047768.
Early life adversities affect expected value signaling in the adult brain
Authors: Sacu Seda , Dubois Magda , Aggensteiner Pascal-M. , Monninger Maximilian , Brandeis Daniel , Banaschewski Tobias , Hauser Tobias U. , Holz Nathalie
Published: June 2023

Background

Early adverse experiences are assumed to affect fundamental processes of reward learning and decision-making. However, computational neuroimaging studies investigating these circuits are sparse and limited to studies that investigated adversities retrospectively in adolescent samples.

Methods

We used prospective data from a longitudinal birth cohort study (n=156, 87 females, mean age=32.2) to investigate neurocomputational components underlying reinforcement learning in an fMRI-based passive avoidance task. We applied a principal component analysis to capture common variation across seven prenatal and postnatal adversity measures. The resulting adversity factors (factor 1: postnatal psychosocial adversities and prenatal maternal smoking, factor 2: prenatal maternal stress and obstetric adversity, and factor 3: lower maternal stimulation) and single adversity measures were then linked to computational markers of reward learning (i.e. expected value, prediction errors) in the core reward network.

Results

Using the adversity factors, we found that adversities were linked to lower expected value representation in striatum, ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC) and anterior cingulate cortex (ACC). Expected value encoding in vmPFC further mediated the relationship between adversities and psychopathology. In terms of specific adversity effects, we found that obstetric adversity was associated with lower prediction error signaling in the vmPFC and ACC, whereas lower maternal stimulation was related to lower expected value encoding in the striatum, vmPFC, and ACC.

Conclusions

Our results suggested that adverse experiences have a long-term disruptive effect on reward learning in several important reward-related brain regions, which can be associated with non-optimal decision-making and thereby increase the vulnerability of developing psychopathology.
II. Geometrical framework for thinking about globular proteins: the power of poking
Authors: Škrbić Tatjana , Giacometti Achille , Hoang Trinh X. , Maritan Amos , Banavar Jayanth R.
Published: June 2023

Recently, we presented a framework for understanding protein structure based on the idea that simple constructs of holding hands or touching of objects can be used to rationalize the common characteristics of globular proteins. We developed a consistent approach for understanding the formation of the two key common building blocks of helices and sheets as well as the compatible assembly of secondary structures into the tertiary structure through the notion of poking pairwise interactions. Here we benchmark our predictions with a detailed analysis of structural data of over 4000 proteins from the Protein Data Bank. We also present the results of detailed computer simulations of a simplified model demonstrating a pre-sculpted free energy landscape, determined by geometry and symmetry, comprising numerous minima corresponding to putative native state structures. We explore the consequences of our model. Our results suggest that symmetry and geometry are a powerful guide to capture the simplicity underlying protein complexity.

Statement for broader audience

A poking interaction in a chain causes two parts of a chain to poke towards each other. We use empirical data to establish a two-way link between geometry and chemistry through poking interactions and hydrogen bonds. We show that our simple and tractable geometrical model, superficially unrelated to proteins, can capture the essential features of a rich and incredibly complex protein molecule.
Building methodological consensus to ensure rigor and reproducibility in zebrafish fertility research
Authors: Kossack ME. , Bowie K. , Tian L. , Plavicki JS.
Published: June 2023

Zebrafish are an increasingly popular model for studying the genetic and environmental factors that shape male and female fertility; however, the field currently lacks a standardized approach to fertility assessment. The current lack of consensus makes comparisons across studies more challenging and is an obstacle to reproducibility in the fields of reproductive biology and toxicology. Here, we review the diversity of spawning approaches used in zebrafish reproductive toxicology research to asses fertility and provide evidence that spawning parameters can result in meaningful differences in egg production and spawning success.

Highlights

Zebrafish fertility research lacks methodological consensus

Measures of fertility vary with age and frequency of spawning

Methodological consensus will increase reproducibility in toxicology
Defining cat mitogenome variation and accounting for numts via multiplex amplification and Nanopore sequencing
Authors: Patterson Emily , Lall Gurdeep Matharu , Neumann Rita , Ottolini Barbara , Sacchini Federico , Foster Aiden P. , Jobling Mark A. , Wetton Jon H.
Published: June 2023

Hair shed by domestic cats is a potentially useful source of forensic evidence. Analysable hair DNA is predominantly mitochondrial, but the recent domestication history of cats means that mtDNA diversity is low. A 402-bp control region segment is usually sequenced, defining only a small number of distinct mitotypes in populations. Previously, we used a long-amplicon approach to sequence whole mitogenomes in a sample of blood DNAs from 119 UK cats, greatly increasing observed diversity and reducing random match probabilities. To exploit this variation for forensic analysis, we here describe a multiplex system that amplifies the cat mitogenome in 60 overlapping amplicons of mean length 360 bp, followed by Nanopore sequencing. Variants detected in multiplex sequence data from hair completely mirror those from long-amplicon data from blood from the same individuals. However, applying the multiplex to matched blood DNA reveals additional sequence variants which derive from the major feline nuclear mitochondrial insertion sequence (numt), which covers 7.9 kb of the 17-kb mitogenome and exists in multiple tandem copies. We use long-amplicon Nanopore sequencing to investigate numt variation in a set of cats, together with an analysis of published genome sequences, and show that numt arrays are variable in both structure and sequence, thus providing a potential source of uncertainty when nuclear DNA predominates in a sample. Forensic application of the test was demonstrated by matching hairs from a cat with skeletal remains from its putative mother, both of which shared a globally common mitotype at the control region. The random match probability (RMP) in this case with the CR 402-bp segment was 0.21 and this decreased to 0.03 when considering the whole mitogenome. The developed multiplex and sequencing approach, when applied to cat hair where nuclear DNA is scarce, can provide a reliable and highly discriminating source of forensic genetic evidence. The confounding effect of numt co-amplification in degraded samples where mixed sequences are observed can be mitigated by variant phasing, and by comparison with numt sequence diversity data, such as those presented here.
Packed hydrogel microfibers as a granular medium
Authors: Grewal Gregory S. , Helein Georgia T. , Sumey Jenna L. , Caliari Steven R , Highley Christopher B
Published: June 2023

Particle-based (granular) hydrogels are an attractive class of biomaterials due to their unique properties and array of applications in the biomedical space - serving as platforms for extrusion printing and injecting as well as permissive materials for 3D cell culture. Physical properties of particle-based hydrogels are governed in part by contact forces between particles, which are limited to interactions with neighboring particles. Secondary annealing mechanisms are often used to increase mechanical properties and serve to link particles across the granular material volume. Here, we present a novel particle-based hydrogel where each "particle" is a discrete electrospun hydrogel microfiber that has been segmented to a length of 93 +/- 51 um, with a diameter of 1.6 +/- 0.3 um. The fibers are flexible and have aspect ratios that are greater than one order of magnitude larger than most traditional hydrogel microparticles. This enables long-range entanglements of discrete fibers following packing into a bulk material, yielding unique properties. Without crosslinking, these packed hydrogel microfiber materials are mechanically robust, they can stretch without breaking when strained, and they exhibit stress relaxation under constant strain. As a cell culture scaffold, shear-induced alignment of the individual fibers within 3D printed filaments confers contact guidance cues to cells and promotes anisotropic cellular morphologies. Packed hydrogel microfibers can also be used as 3D cell culture environments, with cells able to spread due to the permissive nature of the scaffold. Overall, this work introduces a particle-based material system comprised of individual hydrogel microfibers that allows unique properties to be engineered into biomaterials that might be used in extrusion processes and cell cultures and, ultimately, in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine applications.
Need for cognition moderates cognitive effort aversion
Authors: Gheza Davide , Kool Wouter , Pourtois Gilles
Published: June 2023

When making decisions, humans aim to maximize rewards while minimizing costs. The exertion of mental or physical effort has been proposed to be one those costs, translating into avoidance of behaviors carrying effort demands. This motivational framework also predicts that people should experience positive affect when anticipating demand that is subsequently avoided (i.e., a “relief effect”), but evidence for this prediction is scarce. Here, we follow up on a previous study (1) that provided some initial evidence that people more positively evaluated outcomes if it meant they could avoid performing an additional demanding task. However, the results from this study did not provide evidence that this effect was driven by effort avoidance. Here, we report two experiments that are able to do this. Participants performed a gambling task, and if they did not receive reward they would have to perform an orthogonal effort task. Prior to the gamble, a cue indicated whether this effort task would be easy or hard. We probed hedonic responses to the reward-related feedback, as well as after the subsequent effort task feedback. Participants reported lower hedonic responses for no-reward outcomes when high vs. low effort was anticipated (and later exerted). They also reported higher hedonic responses for reward outcomes when high vs. low effort was anticipated (and avoided). Importantly, this relief effect was smaller in participants with high need for cognition. These results suggest that avoidance of high effort tasks is rewarding, but that the size off this effect depends on the individual disposition to engage with and expend cognitive effort. They also raise the important question of whether this disposition alters the cost of effort per se, or rather offset this cost during cost-benefit analyses.
Frequency modulation increases the specificity of time-resolved connectivity: A resting-state fMRI study
Authors: Faghiri Ashkan , Yang Kun , Ishizuka Koko , Sawa Akira , Adali Tülay , Calhoun Vince
Published: June 2023

The human brain is a highly dynamic system, and the methods we use to analyze the data gathered from this organ should account for this dynamism. One such family of methods that has attracted a lot of attention in the past decades is based on networks. The most well-known method for estimating the connection among these networks uses the sliding window Pearson correlation (SWPC) estimator. Although quite a useful tool, there are some important limitations. One such limitation is that SWPC applies a high pass filter to the activity time series. If we select a small window size (which is desirable to estimate rapid changes in functional connectivity), we will filter out important low-frequency activity information. In this work, we propose an approach based on single sideband modulation (SSB) in communication theory, which aims to solve this issue, allowing us to select smaller window sizes and capture rapid changes in the time-resolved functional connectivity. We use both simulation and real data to demonstrate the superior performance of the proposed method, SSB+SWPC, compared to classical SWPC. In addition, we compare the temporal recurring functional connectivity patterns between individuals with the first episode of psychosis (FEP) and typical controls (TC) and show that FEP stays more in FNC states that show weaker connectivity across the whole brain. A result exclusive to SSB+SWPC is that TC stays more in a state with negative connectivity between sub-cortical and cortical regions. All in all, based on both simulated data and real data, we argue that the proposed method, SSB+SWPC, is more sensitive for capturing temporal variation in functional connectivity.
The songbird lateral habenula projects to dopaminergic midbrain and is important for normal vocal development
Authors: Roeser Andrea , Teoh Han Kheng , Chen Ruidong , Cohen Itai , Goldberg Jesse
Published: June 2023

Mistakes in performance feel disappointing, suggesting that brain pathways for aversive feedback may play a role in motor learning. Here we tested if the lateral habenula (LHb), an evolutionarily conserved part of the limbic system known in mammals to relay aversive feedback from ventral pallidum (VP) to ventral tegmental area (VTA) dopamine neurons, is involved in birdsong learning and production. By combining viral tract tracing and functional circuit mapping, we discovered that songbird LHb links VP and an auditory cortical area to singing-related DA neurons that signal song errors. As in mammals, VP stimulation activated LHb activity and LHb stimulation suppressed DA firing. To test this pathway’s role in learning we lesioned the LHb in juvenile zebra finches and recorded their songs in adulthood. Birds with the LHb lesioned as juveniles produced highly unusual vocalizations as adults, including prolonged high-pitch notes and species-atypical trills. These findings identify a songbird VP-LHb-VTA pathway with similar functional connectivity as mammals, expand the known territories of vocal learning circuits, and demonstrate that limbic circuits associated with disappointing outcomes are important for motor performance learning.
Chronic Wound Milieu Challenges Essential Oils’ Antibiofilm Activity
Authors: Brożyna Malwina , Kozłowska Weronika , Malec Katarzyna , Paleczny Justyna , Detyna Jerzy , Fabianowska-Majewska Krystyna , Junka Adam
Published: June 2023

The treatment of infected non-healing wounds poses a significant challenge to contemporary medicine. Essential oils (EOs) are being increasingly investigated as potential antibiofilm agents for the management of biofilm-related wound infections. However, theirin vitroantimicrobial activity reported in literature does not necessarily reflect the actualin vivoactivity due to, among others, methodological imperfections of performed tests. In our study, we cultivated aStaphylococcus aureusbiofilm in a novel IVWM (In Vitro Wound Milieu) medium designed to simulate the wound environment and compared it with biofilms cultured in the standard microbiological Tryptic Soy Broth (TSB) medium. We examined and compared critical biofilm properties such as morphology, biomass, metabolic activity, cell count, thickness, and spatial distribution of live and dead cells. Subsequently, staphylococcal biofilms and planktonic cells cultured in both media were exposed to the activity of thyme or rosemary EOs (T-EO, R-EO, respectively). We found that morphology of biofilms cultured in IVWM resembled more the morphology of biofilms visualized in the non-healing wounds than biofilms cultured in TSB. The biomass, metabolic activity, cell number, and the ratio of live to dead cells ofS. aureusbiofilms were all lower in IVWM compared to the TSB medium. Additionally, while EOs demonstrated overall significant anti-staphylococcal activity, their efficacy varied depending on the medium used. Generally, EOs displayed lower antimicrobial activity (against planktonic cells) in the IVWM than in the TSB medium. Interestingly, T-EO caused a higher reduction of biofilm cells in IVWM than in the TSB medium, in contrast to R-EO. Our findings suggest that EOs hold promise as agents for the treatment of biofilm-related wound infections. However, it is crucial to applyin vitroconditions that closely reflect the wound infection site to gain an accurate insight into the real-world activity of these antimicrobial/antibiofilm agents.
Biomarkers to predict steroid resistance in idiopathic nephrotic syndrome: a systematic review
Authors: May Carl J , Ford Nathan P
Published: June 2023

In this systematic review we have sought to summarise the current knowledge concerning biomarkers that can distinguish between steroid-resistant nephrotic syndrome and steroid-sensitive nephrotic syndrome. Additionally, we aim to select biomarkers that have the best evidence-base and should be prioritised for further research.

Pub med and web of science databases were searched using “steroid resistant nephrotic syndrome AND biomarker”. Papers published between 01/01/2012 and 10/05/2022 were included. Papers that did not compare steroid resistant and steroid sensitive nephrotic syndrome, did not report sensitivity/specificity or area under curve and reviews/letters were excluded. The selected papers were then assessed for bias using the QUADAS-2 tool. The source of the biomarker, cut off, sensitivity/specificity, area under curve and sample size were all extracted. Quality assessment was performed using the BIOCROSS tool.

17 studies were included, comprising 15 case-control studies and 2 cross-sectional studies. Given the rarity of nephrotic syndrome and difficulty in recruiting large cohorts, case-control studies were accepted despite their limitations.

Haptoglobin and suPAR were identified as the most promising biomarkers based on their ability to predict rather than assess steroid resistance in nephrotic syndrome, their respective sample sizes and specificity and sensitivity.

None of the selected papers stated whether the authors were blinded to the patient’s disease when assessing the index test in the cohort.

These candidate biomarkers must now be tested with much larger sample sizes. Using new biobanks such as the one built by the NURTuRE-INS team will be very helpful in this regard.
A Sex specific homologue of snake Waprin is essential for Embryonic Development in the Red Flour Beetle,Tribolium castaneum
Authors: Choudhary Chhavi , Kishore Divyanshu , Meghwanshi Keshav Kumar , Verma Vivek , Shukla Jayendra Nath
Published: June 2023

1.

Waprin, an extracellular secretory protein, is widely known for its antibacterial activity. Through the analysis of sex-specific transcriptomes of adultTribolium castaneum, we identified a homologue of snakewaprin(Tc_WapF) with significantly higher level of its transcripts in females. Developmental- and tissue-specific profiling revealed the widespread expression ofTc_WapFin adult female tissues. Interestingly,Tc_WapFexpression is not regulated by the classical sex-determination cascade ofT. castaneum, as we fail to get any attenuation inTc_WapFtranscript levels inTcdsxandTctra(key players of sex determination cascade ofT. castaneum) knockdown females. The eggs laid byTc_WapFknockdown females never hatched, indicating the involvement ofTc_WapFin the embryonic development inT. castaneum. This is the first report of identification a sex-specificwaprinhomologue in an insect and its involvement as a novel candidate in the embryonic development. Future investigations on the functional conservation of insectwaprinsand their mechanistic role in embryonic development can be exploited for improving pest management strategies.

Summary statement

Tribolium castaneumpossesses a female-specific homologue of snake Waprin (Tc_WapF) which is essential for its embryonic development. Expression ofTc_WapFis independent ofTriboliumsex-determination cascade.
Stimulus-Specific Modulation is Enabled by Differential Serotonin Receptor Expression
Authors: Jonaitis Julius , Mazri Mohd F.E.B. , Sizemore Tyler R. , Ralston Jacob D. , Salman Farzaan , Fletcher Emma J. , Matheny Danielle E. , Ramachandra Keshav L. , Dacks Andrew M.
Published: June 2023

Neural networks must be able to flexibly process information under different conditions. To this end, networks frequently rely on uniform expression of modulatory receptors by distinct classes of neurons to fine tune the computations supported by each neuronal class. In this study, we explore the consequences of heterogeneous, rather than uniform, serotonin (5-HT) receptor expression within a cell class for olfactory processing inDrosophila melanogaster. Here, we demonstrate that two distinct populations of olfactory output neurons (projection neurons, PNs) display heterogeneous receptor co-expression of all 5-HT receptors. Moreover, the PN populations that express distinct 5-HT receptors innervate different combinations of glomeruli, implying that the effects of 5-HT on these PNs may vary with their odor tuning. Furthermore, connectomic analyses reveal that PN subsets with different receptor profiles have little convergence upon downstream synaptic partners. Finally, 5-HT differentially modulates the odor-evoked responses of PNs with distinct receptor expression profiles and odor tuning. Overall, this implies that heterogeneous modulatory receptor expression enables differential tuning of activity within a neuronal class depending on the odor scene to which individual neurons respond.
Digital media and creative economy potential on youth employment in Kenya: a grounded theory perspective
Authors: Muchira John Munyui
Published: June 2023

Purpose

Kenya leads East Africa in creative goods export and enjoys high internet penetration. Therefore, identifying pathways, missed opportunities for accelerating job creation and development in the sector and strategies for mitigating youth-related challenges are essential. This paper therefore aims to examine the effects of digital media and the cultural and creative industry (CCI) on youth employment and economic development.

Design/methodology/approach

The document review and analysis data came from 45 scientific and 23 grey literature articles. While the lack of primary data is a study limitation, secondary data were drawn from the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development Statistics and the 2016–2022 entertainment and media outlook analysis. Microsoft Excel 2021 for Windows was used to analyze quantitative data and generate results.

Findings

Since the CCI sector is characterized by limited financial opportunities, low youth participation in the labor force and weak policy frameworks, success in the industry requires key pathways. These include investment in digital-led innovations, developing innovative models, building partnerships with the private sector, strategic investment by government in the potential creative industry sub-sectors and identifying successful scaling-up models.

Originality/value

Information gathered through this study is crucial to counter the youth unemployment challenge and strategy identification, which could be used in skills and capabilities development in the potential creative economy. Future researchers must explore how to apply the proposed creative capacity theoretical lens to inform research in the sector.
Developing future managers through business simulation gaming in the UK and Hong Kong: exploring the interplay between cognitive realism, decision-making and performance
Authors: Lean Jonathan , Newbery Robert , Moizer Jonathan , Haddoud Mohamed , Lim Wai Mun
Published: June 2023

Purpose

This paper investigates how individuals' decision-making approach and perceptions of a game's cognitive realism affect the performance of virtual businesses in a web-based simulation game.

Design/methodology/approach

Survey data are collected from 274 business simulation game users and is analysed using the fsQCA technique.

Findings

The study identifies three alternative pathways to high and low performance in a business simulation game. Results indicate that a flexible decision-making approach exists in all high performance pathway solutions. Where a game is perceived to be realistic, a more focused decision-making approach is associated with high performance. However, where perceived cognitive realism is absent, a less focused experimental decision-making approach is employed, which increases the chances to achieve low performance. Finally, perceived cognitive realism and an experimental decision-making approach are found to be mutually exclusive for achieving high performance.

Originality/value

Whilst the learning benefits of web-based simulation games are widely acknowledged, the complex interplay amongst factors affecting performance in games is under-researched. Limited research exists on how perceptions of a game's cognitive realism interact with user decision-making approaches to affect performance.
Improving startup’s attractiveness as industrial customers by organizing theirpurchasing activities
Authors: Tessaro Juliano Afonso , Harms Rainer , Schiele Holger
Published: June 2023

Purpose

This study aims to analyze how startups organize their purchasing activities to improve operative excellence and become attractive customers.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors use a two-phase exploratory approach with semistructured interviews and a World Café. In total, 20 startup purchasers and suppliers participated. It is an international study with participants from eight countries (Belgium, Brazil, France, Germany, Hungary, The Netherlands, the UK and the USA).

Findings

The authors find that startups organize the purchasing function in five ways: partial outsourcing, transactional-oriented, strategic only, outsourced purchasing and full department. Each type has advantages and disadvantages regarding operative excellence. The authors identify type-specific antecedents to operative excellence: forecasting, payment habits, ordering process, contact accessibility and quick decision-making.

Research limitations/implications

The value of this paper is that it offers entrepreneurs a framework to organize startup purchasing activities, including outsourcing options. Furthermore, it provides theoretical contributions that expand the topic of purchasing and supply organization and operative excellence to the startup context.

Originality/value

The value of this paper is that, to the best of the authors’ knowledge, it is the first to explore purchasing organization and operative excellence in startups.