bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Social task and aggressiveness shape immunity gene expression levels in the head of highly eusocial bees
Authors: Campana Leonardo , Cardoso Júnior Carlos Antônio Mendes , Lourenço Anete Pedro , Hartfelder Klaus 
Published: December 2024

ABSTRACTLiving in crowded perennial nests, social insects encounter high risks of disease outbreaks and predation on colony resources. The innate immune system plays an important barrier against microbial pathogens, but its association with group defensive behaviours remains unexplored. Here we investigated the expression of innate immune system genes in the workers of three species of Brazilian stingless bees (Scaptotrigona postica,Frieseomelitta varia, andMelipona quadrifasciata), which differ in worker reproductive traits and colony defence strategies. First, we standardized a behavioural arena test to assess the species-specific individual aggressiveness level of the workers. Then, we quantified the transcript levels of four core genes of the Toll and Imd pathways in the heads and abdomens for the three main life cycle stages of the workers (nurse, guard and forager). In all three species, the expression levels were found increased in the abdomens of the guards and foragers compared to the nurses, independent of the workers’ aggressiveness level. For the heads, however, we found a strong association between immunity gene expression and aggressiveness, with an almost 100-fold up-regulation in the guards and foragers of the aggressive species,S. postica. while the less aggressiveF. variaand the docileM. quadrifasciataworkers did not show such up-regulation. Our study establishes a molecular link between immunity pathways and complex social behaviours in the Brazilian stingless bees, which evolutionarily lost the sting apparatus for the defence of their colonies.BULLETED HIGHLIGHTSThe expression of immune system genes increases with social task/age in the abdomen and head of highly eusocial bees.The expression of Toll pathway genes is highly up-regulated in the heads of the more aggressive stingless bee species.In the more docile stingless bee species, immune gene expression is higher in the abdomen than in the head.Immunity pathway signalling has been co-opted in a key social behaviour of the stingless bees.
Coupling CRISPR Scanning with Targeted Chromatin Accessibility Profiling using a Double-Stranded DNA Deaminase
Authors: Roh Heejin , Shen Simon P. , Hu Yan , Kwok Hui Si , Siegenfeld Allison P. , Lee Ceejay , Zepeda Marc Anthony , Guo Chun-Jie , Roseman Shelby A. , Sankaran Vijay G. , Buenrostro Jason D. , Liau Brian B. 
Published: December 2024

AbstractGenome editing enables sequence-function profiling of endogenous cis-regulatory elements, driving understanding of their mechanisms and the development of gene therapies. However, these approaches cannot be combined with direct scalable readouts of chromatin structure and accessibility across long single-molecule chromatin fibers. Here we leverage a double-stranded DNA cytosine deaminase to profile chromatin accessibility at high depth and resolution at endogenous loci of interest through targeted PCR and long-read sequencing, a method we term targeted deaminase-accessible chromatin sequencing (TDAC-seq). Powered by high sequence coverage at targeted loci of interest, TDAC-seq can be uniquely integrated with CRISPR perturbations to enable the functional dissection of cis-regulatory elements, where genetic perturbations and their effects on chromatin accessibility are superimposed on the same single chromatin fiber and resolved at single-nucleotide resolution. We employed TDAC-seq to parse CRISPR edits that activate fetal hemoglobin in human CD34+ hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells during erythroid differentiation as well as in pooled CRISPR and base editing screens tiling an enhancer controlling the globin locus. Together, TDAC-seq enables high-resolution sequence-function mapping of single-molecule chromatin fibers by genome editing.
Virus-induced vesicular acidification enhances HIV immune evasion
Authors: Yaple-Maresh Marianne E. , Flores Giselle G. , Zimmerman Gretchen E. , Gomez-Rivera Francisco , Collins Kathleen L. 
Published: December 2024

SUMMARYTo inhibit endocytic entry of some viruses, cells promote acidification of endosomes by expressing the short isoform of human nuclear receptor 7 (NCOA7) which increases activity of vacuolar ATPase (V-ATPase). While we found that HIV-1 infection of primary T cells led to acidification of endosomes, NCOA7 levels were only marginally affected. Contrastingly, levels of the 50 kDa form of the sodium/hydrogen exchanger 6 (NHE6) were greatly reduced. NHE6 overexpression and low concentrations of the V-ATPase inhibitor, concanamycin A, selectively reversed endosomal acidification. Endosomal neutralization by these interventions also reduced Nef-dependent MHC-I downmodulation by our wildtype HIV reporter virus. NHE6 overexpression disrupted MHC-I downmodulation by reducing recruitment of Nef to Rab11+compartments and inhibiting interactions between Nef, β-COP, and ARF-1. In addition, we found that the HIV Vif protein was required for downmodulation of the 50 kDa form of NHE6 and for endosomal acidification but was dispensable for Nef-dependent MHC-I downmodulation.
Multijet event shape variables for Mueller-Navelet jet topologies
Authors: Baldenegro C. , Chachamis G. , Kampshoff M. , Klasen M. , Milhano J. G. , Royon C. , Sabio Vera A. 
Published: December 2024

This paper presents a new set of multijet event shape variables introduced to further understand the Mueller-Navelet jet topology. This topology consists of having at least one pair of jets with a very large rapidity separation between them, treating additional jet activity inclusively. This multijet topology is expected to shed light on the radiation pattern that is expected in the high-energy limit of the strong interaction. The paper relies on a Monte Carlo event generator analysis. One set of predictions uses the ex event generator, which is based on Balitsky-Fadin-Kuraev-Lipatov (BFKL) perturbative quantum chromodynamics (pQCD) evolution with a resummation of large logarithms of energy at leading-logarithmic accuracy. The ex predictions are compared with a fixed-order next-to-leading order pQCD calculation using matched to the parton shower of ythia8 (NLO+PS), which is the standard for NLO generator predictions at the LHC. We find that both approaches lead to compatible results at current LHC energies, assuming the current experimental constraints for the reconstruction of low transverse momentum jets in ATLAS and CMS. This shows the reliability of the BFKL approach at describing the behavior of the strong interaction in the preasymptotic limit of high center-of-mass energies. Differences between the NLO+PS and the BFKL-based approaches are found when the jet multiplicity is increased or when the minimum transverse momentum of the jets is decreased.

Published by the American Physical Society
2024
Transforming life insurance buying: conceptual model for the adoption of Life InsurTech services in India
Authors: Shah Reema , Laghate Kavita , Chelawat Anshita 
Published: December 2024

Purpose
This study aims to construct a theoretical framework that combines the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) and other variables related to life insurance adoption among customers. This will explain the factors that influence customers’ decisions to use Life InsurTech services in the future.

Design/methodology/approach
A hybrid method combining theory-driven analysis and thematic analysis was used for content analysis, allowing for a holistic perspective, and developing a conceptual research model.

Findings
The paper contributes significantly by creating a conceptual framework designed to understand and explain the factors that impact customers’ intentions to adopt Life InsurTech services. By emphasizing technology-related factors, behavior-related factors, knowledge-related factors and individual-related factors, one could potentially identify and explain the factors influencing the intention to use Life InsurTech services.

Research limitations/implications
The limitation of the current research is the lack of prior research on InsurTech services. This study contributes to reviewing and organizing earlier knowledge to help researchers address the key factors affecting Life InsurTech services adoption.

Practical implications
The study has suggested a conceptual framework that Life InsurTech managers can use to implement the effective adoption of Life InsurTech services.

Social implications
With the significant importance of life insurance for consumers as well as for the country’s economic development and the advent of InsurTech innovations, there is a need to understand the online life insurance purchase behavior of consumers.

Originality/value
The outcomes presented in this study will lay the groundwork for future investigations that aim to address the research question regarding the factors influencing customers’ intentions to utilize Life InsurTech services. With very few studies conducted on InsurTech services, this novel study proposes a new conceptual framework to better understand the adoption of Life InsurTech services.
Enhancing sustainability with improved cook stoves: an analysis of product quality, consumer satisfaction and word-of-mouth through expectancy disconfirmation theory
Authors: Mahat Pushpa , Shekhar Suraj Kushe 
Published: December 2024

Purpose
Anchoring on expectancy disconfirmation theory, this study aims to investigate the influence of product quality, customer satisfaction and word-of-mouth (WOM) on improved cook stoves (ICSs). The study also examines customer satisfaction as a mediator and explores a case-specific analysis of the interrelationships.

Design/methodology/approach
Data were elicited using a structured survey conducted during February 2024 across rural, semirural and urban areas in Nepal. A purposive sampling method was used, distributing 300 questionnaires and obtaining 222 valid responses, reflecting a response rate of 74%. Respondents included 70 females and 152 males, with an average age of 32.42 years, and 48.2% of the population from rural areas. Hypotheses tested included product quality affecting WOM, product quality impacting customer satisfaction and customer satisfaction mediating the relationship between product quality and WOM. PLS-SEM was used for hypothesis testing.

Findings
The results reveal that product quality significantly enhances WOM and customer satisfaction. Furthermore, customer satisfaction mediates the relationship between product quality and WOM, emphasizing the importance of satisfaction as a driver of positive WOM.

Research limitations/implications
The study focuses on ICS adoption in a specific region. Future research should explore these dynamics across different cultural and geographic contexts to validate and generalize the findings.

Originality/value
This research provides a novel perspective on the role of product quality and customer satisfaction in driving WOM for ICSs. It highlights how consumer satisfaction mediates these relationships, offering actionable insights for improving ICS adoption strategies.
Understanding the environmental footprint of a Swiss university – mobility, energy and material consumption before and during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic
Authors: Somerville Livia , Stucki Matthias , Keller Regula 
Published: December 2024

Purpose
The purpose of this study was to evaluate the environmental footprint of a university of applied sciences in 2019 and 2020, including the effects of the lockdown periods. The study identified the main sources of emissions and assessed the pandemic-related effects.

Design/methodology/approach
Using the life cycle assessment methodology, this study analysed the university’s direct and indirect emissions during a regular year of operation (2019) and compared them with those generated during the lockdown periods in 2020. For the activity areas mobility, energy, waste, IT and paper, gastronomy and water, specific, primary bottom-up inventory data were gathered before and during the pandemic. The data were assessed with 15 environmental impact assessment methods of the environmental footprint framework.

Findings
The results of a regular year of operation (2019) depicted that student and employee commuting and business travel contributed with 86% largely to the total global warming potential of 2,572 t CO2-eq. The pandemic-induced changes in commuting and business travel resulted in a 60% reduction, leading to a drop to 1,075 t CO2-eq (2020). In contrast, the environmental footprint due to energy consumption remained almost on the same level, irrespective of the absences on-site in 2020.

Originality/value
This study has the potential to shape post-pandemic environmental efforts and policies in higher education institutions and contribute to a much-needed baseline against which mitigation efforts can be compared with. Unlike other studies, this study goes beyond the carbon footprint, expanding the discussion to additional environmental and human health impact categories by applying the environmental footprint framework.
Does corporate sustainability matter for the capital structure puzzle in OIC countries? Evidence from the COVID-19 pandemic
Authors: Tekin Hasan , Polat Ali Yavuz 
Published: December 2024

PurposeThis study assesses the impact of environmental, social and governance (ESG) certification on capital structure decisions considering the COVID-19 pandemic.Design/methodology/approachThe study utilizes the annual Asset-4 and Datastream data of Thomson Reuters Eikon for non-financial firms in member states of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC). Firm-fixed effects are used to avoid unobserved heterogeneity.FindingsFirms with higher corporate sustainability have a higher leverage ratio. The positive impact of ESG scores on book leverage became more significant during the COVID-19 pandemic. These findings imply that ESG activities might serve as a signalling tool, especially considering the pandemic: ESG activities mitigate financial constraints when they are most pronounced and impactful.Practical implicationsFirms should invest in ESG activities to alleviate financial constraints. Researchers and practitioners are encouraged to explore how ESG and macro-specific factors jointly affect debt financing. Policymakers should incentivize ESG investment to reduce agency conflicts. Regulators in OIC countries should support firms that are encountering obstacles in obtaining ESG certification.Originality/valueTo date, the role of ESG investing in capital structure policy by considering the recent pandemic has not been assessed in OIC countries.
Tourism and hospitality SMEs and digital marketing: what factors influence their attitude and intention to use from the perspective of BRT, TAM and IRT
Authors: Ahmad Naveed , Rasheed Hafiz Muhammad Wasif 
Published: December 2024

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to investigate the reasons (for and against) affecting owners' attitudes and intentions to use digital marketing (DM) strategies in tourism and hospitality (T&H) small and medium enterprises (SMEs), by employing the behavioral reasoning theory (BRT).Design/methodology/approachA survey method was used to collect data from 306 T&H (SMEs) owners and analyze the data through partial least square structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM).FindingsThe study results indicate that reasons significantly affect owners' attitudes and intentions to use DM in T&H (SMEs). The “RF” was as follows: perceived ease of use (PEU), perceived usefulness (PU), and trust in DM professionals” and the “RA” technological anxiety, usage barriers (UB), and perceived complexity (PC) effect on owners’ attitudes and intentions to use DM. Also, it indicates that openness to change value significantly affects the “RF” insignificant with “RA” and attitude.Practical implicationsThe findings of this study emphasize that if owners/managers, governments, and policymakers overcome the “RA” that discourages and raises the knowledge about the “RF” in the adoption of DM, then the usage intention of DM strategies can rise in T&H (SMEs).Originality/valueThis study is the first to investigate the reasons (for and against) the owner’s attitude and intention to use DM in T&H (SMEs) by utilizing behavioral reasoning theory (BRT), technology acceptance model (TAM), and innovation resistance theory (IRT).
Navigating the future of brand experience: insights from bibliometric analysis
Authors: Calderón-Fajardo Víctor , Molinillo Sebastian , Anaya-Sánchez Rafael , Jiménez-Barreto Jano 
Published: December 2024

Purpose
This study aims to consolidate the fragmented knowledge on brand experience within marketing literature, evaluating its historical development, current state and prospective future. It seeks to offer a comprehensive understanding of the construct’s academic and practical contributions over the years, identify key topics and propose a research agenda for the field.

Design/methodology/approach
Adopting a bibliometric analysis, the authors conduct a detailed examination of the literature on brand experience. Performance analysis and science mapping techniques are used to evaluate 774 articles related to brand experience published from 1981 to 2023 and indexed in the Scopus database.

Findings
The bibliometric analysis reveals a significant expansion in the body of knowledge surrounding brand experience, highlighting its evolution over the past four decades. Key thematic areas and the intellectual structure of brand experience research are identified, evidencing both the growth and the diversification of the field. The study synthesizes these insights into a coherent research agenda, pinpointing emerging areas ripe for future investigation.

Originality/value
By systematically synthesizing longitudinal contributions to brand experience and using a bibliometric approach for analysis, this study provides a novel perspective on the topic. It not only maps the historical trajectory and current landscape of brand experience research but also sets the direction for future scholarly endeavors, marking a unique contribution to both academic research and practical application in marketing.
Desert‐adapted plant growth‐promoting pseudomonads modulate plant auxin homeostasis and mitigate salinity stress
Authors: Marasco Ramona , Mosqueira Maria J. , Seferji Kholoud A. , Al Romaih Sarah M. , Michoud Grégoire , Xu Jian , Bez Cristina , Castillo Hernandez Tatiana , Venturi Vittorio , Blilou Ikram , Daffonchio Daniele 
Published: December 2024

AbstractBy providing adaptive advantages to plants, desert microorganisms are emerging as promising solutions to mitigate the negative and abrupt effects of climate change in agriculture. Among these, pseudomonads, commonly found in soil and in association with plants' root system, have been shown to enhance plant tolerance to salinity and drought, primarily affecting root system architecture in various hosts. However, a comprehensive understanding of how these bacteria affect plant responses at the cellular, physiological and molecular levels is still lacking. In this study, we investigated the effects of two Pseudomonas spp. strains, E102 and E141, which were previously isolated from date palm roots and have demonstrated efficacy in promoting drought tolerance in their hosts. These strains colonize plant roots, influencing root architecture by inhibiting primary root growth while promoting root hair elongation and lateral root formation. Strains E102 and E141 increased auxin levels in Arabidopsis, whereas this effect was diminished in IAA‐defective mutant strains, which exhibited reduced IAA production. In all cases, the effectiveness of the bacteria relies on the functioning of the plant auxin response and transport machinery. Notably, such physiological and morphological changes provide an adaptive advantage to the plant, specifically under stress conditions such as salinity. Collectively, this study demonstrates that by leveraging the host's auxin signalling machinery, strains E102 and E141 significantly improve plant resilience to abiotic stresses, positioning them as potential biopromoters/bioprotectors for crop production and ecosystem restoration in alignment with Nature‐based Solution approaches.
The genomic landscape of short tandem repeats in cattle
Authors: Wang Pengfei , Sheng Xin , Xia Xiaoting , Wang Fuwen , Li Ruizhe , Ahmed Zulfiqar , Chen Ningbo , Lei Chuzhao , Ma Zhijie 
Published: December 2024

AbstractShort tandem repeats (STRs) are abundant and have high mutation rates across cattle genomes; however, comprehensive exploration of cattle STRs is needed. Here, we constructed a comprehensive map of 467 553 polymorphic STRs (pSTRs) constructed from 423 cattle genomes representing 59 breeds worldwide. We observed that pSTRs in coding sequences and 5′UTRs (Untranslated Regions) were under strong selective constraints and exhibited a relatively low level of diversity. Furthermore, we found that these pSTRs underwent more contraction than expansion. Population analysis showed a strong positive correlation (R = 1) between pSTR diversity and single nucleotide polymorphic heterozygosity. We also investigated STR differences between taurine and indicine cattle and detected 2301 highly divergent STRs, which might relate to immune, endocrine and neurodevelopmental pathways. In summary, our large‐scale study characterizes the spectrum of STRs in cattle, expands the scale of known cattle STR variation and provides novel insights into differences among various cattle subspecies.
Short‐ versus standard‐course antimicrobial therapy for children with urinary tract infection: A meta‐analysis
Authors: Mueller Grace D. , Conway Shannon J. , Gibeau Asumi , Shaikh Nader 
Published: December 2024

AbstractAimTo determine if short‐ (2–5 days) course antimicrobials are as effective as standard‐ (6–14 days) course antimicrobials in the treatment of symptomatic UTI in children.MethodsMEDLINE and EMBASE were searched from their origin to January 2024. We only considered randomised controlled trials in children <18 years of age. The main outcomes of interest were UTI or bacteriuria at the end of therapy.ResultsNine studies were included. Compared to children treated with a standard course of antimicrobials, those treated with shortened courses of antimicrobials did not have significantly different risks of UTI at the end of therapy (risk difference 2.2%, CI: 0.0–4.3). Risk of bacteriuria at end of therapy (RD = 8.7%, CI: 5.3–12.2) was slightly higher in children treated with shorter courses. In children with fever at baseline (two studies), there was no significant difference in risk between short and standard duration treatment (RD = 0.4%, CI: −2.8 to 3.6).ConclusionIn children without fever at the time of presentation, treatment with shorter courses of antimicrobials appears reasonable. More studies of febrile children are needed before shorter courses could be recommended for febrile children.