bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Delta phase-dependent modulation of temporal predictions by parietal transcranial alternating current stimulation
Authors: Burke Rebecca , Maÿe Alexander , Misselhorn Jonas , Fiene Marina , Engelhardt Felix J. , Schneider Till R. , Engel Andreas K. 
Published: November 2024

AbstractBackgroundPrevious research has shown that temporal prediction processes are associated with phase resets of low-frequency delta oscillations in a network of parietal, sensory and frontal areas during non-rhythmic sensory stimulation. Transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) modulates perceptually relevant brain oscillations in a frequency and phase-specific manner, allowing the assessment of their functional qualities in certain cognitive functions like temporal prediction.ObjectiveWe addressed the relation between oscillatory activity and temporal prediction by using tACS to manipulate brain activity in a sinusoidal manner. This enables the investigation of the relevance of low-frequency oscillations’ phase for temporal prediction.MethodsDelta tACS was applied over the left and right parietal cortex in two separate unimodal and crossmodal experiments. Participants judged either the visual or the tactile reappearance of a uniformly moving visual stimulus, which shortly disappeared behind and occluder. Using an intermittent electrical stimulation protocol, tACS was applied with six different phase shifts relative to sensory stimulation in both experiments while participants performed a temporal prediction task. Additionally, a computational model was developed and analysed to elucidate oscillation-based functional principles for the generation of temporal predictions.ResultsOnly in the unimodal experiment, the application of delta tACS resulted in a phase-dependent modulation of temporal prediction performance. By considering the effect of sustained tACS in the computational model, we demonstrate that the entrained dynamics can phase-specifically modulate temporal prediction accuracy.ConclusionOur findings suggest that phase-specific neuromodulation through delta tACS can influence temporal prediction accuracy in a unimodal context. This provides support to the notion that low-frequency delta oscillations are of causal relevance for temporal prediction.
A human cytomegalovirus prefusion-like glycoprotein B subunit vaccine elicits similar humoral immunity to that of postfusion gB in mice
Authors: Karthigeyan Krithika P. , Connors Megan , Binuya Christian R. , Gross Mackensie , Fuller Adelaide S. , Crooks Chelsea M. , Wang Hsuan-Yuan , Sponholtz Madeline R. , Byrne Patrick O. , Herbek Savannah , Andy Caroline , Gerber Linda M. , Campbell John D. , Williams Caitlin A. , Miller Itzayana , Yu Dong , Bottomley Matthew J. , McLellan Jason S. , Permar Sallie R. 
Published: November 2024

ABSTRACTHuman cytomegalovirus (HCMV) is the leading infectious cause of birth defects. Despite the global disease burden, there is no FDA-approved HCMV vaccine. The most efficacious HCMV vaccine candidates to date have used glycoprotein B (gB), a class III viral fusion protein, in its postfusion form. While some viral fusion proteins have been shown to elicit stronger neutralizing responses in their prefusion conformation, HCMV prefusion-like and postfusion gB were recently shown to elicit antibodies with similar fibroblast neutralization titers in mice. We aimed to define and compare the specificity and functionality of plasma IgG elicited by distinct prefusion-like and postfusion gB constructs. Prefusion-like and postfusion gB elicited comparable IgG responses that predominantly mapped to AD-5 antigenic domain known to elicit neutralizing antibodies. Interestingly, postfusion gB elicited significantly higher plasma IgG binding to cell-associated gB and antibody dependent cellular phagocytosis than that of prefusion-like gB. The vaccines elicited comparable neutralization titers of heterologous HCMV strain AD169r in fibroblasts, yet neither elicited neutralizing titers against the vaccine-matched strain Towne in fibroblasts. Our data indicate that gB in this prefusion-like conformation elicits similar specificity and functional humoral immunity to that of postfusion gB, unlike certain class I viral fusion proteins which have been used as vaccine antigens. These findings deepen our understanding of the immune response elicited by class III fusion proteins and may inform further design and testing of conformationally-dependent herpesvirus glycoprotein vaccine candidates.
CATSPERε extracellular domains are essential for sperm calcium channel assembly and activity modulation
Authors: Hwang Jae Yeon , Wang Huafeng , Clouser Gillian , Oh Jong-Nam , Finnegan Sarah F. , Skakkebaek Niels E. , Chung Jean-Ju 
Published: November 2024

AbstractThe sperm flagellar-specific CatSper Ca2+channel is a multiprotein complex critical for successful fertilization. The four ancillary subunits, CATSPERβ, γ, δ, and ε, form a unique canopy structure over the pore-forming channel. However, how the canopy is formed and what it does in the assembled channel complex remains unknown. Here, we report that extracellular domains (ECDs) of CATSPERε are essential for canopy and holo-complex assembly and modulate channel activity during sperm capacitation. CATSPERε-deficient males are sterile due to the absence of the entire channel and defective sperm hyperactivation. Expressing ECDs-truncated CATSPERε during spermatogenesis does not rescue the knockout because it fails to incorporate into the native complex. In contrast, addition of a CATSPERε ECD fragment during sperm capacitation significantly reduces channel activity. These findings provide insight into the underlying molecular and developmental mechanisms of CatSper assembly and how the channel can be modulated in physiological settings and by therapeutic intervention.TeaserCATSPERε extracellular domains are essential for CatSper canopy and holo-complex assembly and regulate channel activity during sperm capacitation.
Topoisomerase 3α (TOP3A) Dependent Alternative Lengthening of Telomeres (ALT)
Authors: Khandagale Prashant , Sun Yilun , Saha Sourav , Saha Liton Kumar , Pommier Yves 
Published: November 2024

AbstractAlternative Lengthening of Telomeres (ALT) is a homologous recombination-dependent telomere elongation mechanism utilized by at least 10-15% of all cancers. Here we identified that the DNA topoisomerase, TOP3A is enriched at the telomeres of ALT cells but not at the telomeres of telomerase-positive (Tel) cancer cells. We demonstrate that TOP3A stabilizes the shelterin protein TERF2 in ALT cancer cell lines but not in Tel cells and that long non-coding telomere transcribed RNA (TERRA) enrichment at telomeres depends upon TOP3A. TOP3A also promotes the generation of single-stranded telomeric C-strand (ssTeloC) DNA, which is a recently discovered marker for ALT. Additionally, we found that inducing TOP3A-DNA-protein crosslinks in ALT cells suppresses TERRA enrichment as well as destabilizes TERF2. Taken together these observations uncover the unexplored functions of TOP3A at ALT telomeres and suggest the potential of developing an ALT-specific cancer therapeutic strategy targeting TOP3A.
Normalized and Directional Interplay Scoring for the Interrogation of Proteoform Data
Authors: Poncha Karl F , Paparella Alyssa T. , Young Nicolas L. 
Published: November 2024

AbstractHistone proteoforms, often presenting multiple co-occurring post-translational modifications (PTMs), are central to chromatin regulation and gene expression. A proteoform is a specific form of a protein that includes variations arising from genetic changes, alternative RNA splicing, proteolytic processing, and PTMs. Genomic context-dependent histone proteoforms define the histone code, influencing cellular phenotype by dictating interactions with DNA and chromatin-associated proteins. Understanding the dynamics of histone proteoforms is essential for elucidating chromatin-based regulatory mechanisms. Advances in middle-down and top-down proteomics methods enable accurate identification and quantitation of hundreds to thousands of proteoforms in a single run. However, the resulting data complexity presents significant challenges for analysis and visualization. Here, we introduce new computational methods to analyze the dynamics of histone PTMs and demonstrate their use in mouse organs during aging. We have developed and benchmarked two novel PTM crosstalk scores. The score that we term ‘Normalized Interplay’ addresses limitations of the original crosstalk score ‘Interplay’ providing a more complete and accurate measure of PTM crosstalk. The second score, ‘delta I’ or Directional Interplay is an asymmetric measure quantifying the magnitude and directionality of crosstalk between PTMs. Applying our two-stage scoring approach to data from CrosstalkDB, a community resource that curates proteoform-level data, reveals the dynamics of histone H3 modifications during aging. The source code is available under an Apache license athttps://github.com/k-p4/ptm_interplay_scoring.
Phage therapy candidates from Sphae: An automated toolkit for predicting sequencing data
Authors: Papudeshi Bhavya , Roach Michael J. , Mallawaarachchi Vijini , Bouras George , Grigson Susanna R. , Giles Sarah K. , Harker Clarice M. , Hutton Abbey L. K. , Tarasenko Anita , Inglis Laura K. , Vega Alejandro A. , Souza Cole , Boling Lance , Hajama Hamza , Cobián Güemes Ana Georgina , Segall Anca M. , Dinsdale Elizabeth A. , Edwards Robert A. 
Published: November 2024

AbstractMotivationPhage therapy is a viable alternative for treating bacterial infections amidst the escalating threat of antimicrobial resistance. However, the therapeutic success of phage therapy depends on selecting safe and effective phage candidates. While experimental methods focus on isolating phages and determining their lifecycle and host range, comprehensive genomic screening is critical to identify markers that indicate potential risks, such as toxins, antimicrobial resistance, or temperate lifecycle traits. These analyses are often labor-intensive and time-consuming, limiting the rapid deployment of phage in clinical settings.ResultsWe developed Sphae, an automated bioinformatics pipeline designed to streamline therapeutic potential of a phage in under ten minutes. Using Snakemake workflow manager, Sphae integrates tools for quality control, assembly, genome assessment, and annotation tailored specifically for phage biology. Sphae automates the detection of key genomic markers, including virulence factors, antimicrobial resistance genes, and lysogeny indicators like integrase, recombinase, and transposase, which could preclude therapeutic use. Benchmarked on 65 phage sequences, 28 phage samples showed therapeutic potential, 8 failed during assembly due to low sequencing depth, 22 samples included prophage or virulent markers, and the remaining 23 samples included multiple phage genomes per sample. This workflow outputs a comprehensive report, enabling rapid assessment of phage safety and suitability for phage therapy under these criteria. Sphae is scalable, portable, facilitating efficient deployment across most high-performance computing (HPC) and cloud platforms, expediting the genomic evaluation process.AvailabilitySphae is source code and freely available athttps://github.com/linsalrob/sphae, with installation supported on Conda, PyPi, Docker containers.
Predicting the Curie temperature of magnetic materials with automated calculations across chemistries and structures
Authors: Arale Brännvall Marian , Persson Gabriel , Casillas-Trujillo Luis , Armiento Rickard , Alling Björn 
Published: November 2024

We develop a technique for predicting the Curie temperature of magnetic materials using density functional theory calculations suitable to include in high-throughput frameworks. We apply four different models, including physically relevant observables, and assess numerical constants by studying 32 ferro- and ferrimagnets. With the best-performing model, the Curie temperature can be predicted with a mean absolute error of approximately 126 K. As predictive factors, the models consider either the energy differences between the magnetic ground state and a magnetically disordered paramagnetic state, or the average constraining fields acting on magnetic moments in a disordered local moments calculation. Additionally, the energy differences are refined by incorporating the magnetic entropy of the paramagnetic state and the number of nearest magnetic neighbors of the magnetic atoms. The most advanced model is found to extend well into Fe1−xCox alloys, indicating the potential efficacy of utilizing our model in designing materials with tailored Curie temperatures by altering alloy compositions. This examination can illuminate the factors influencing magnetic transition temperatures in magnetic materials and provide insights into how they can be employed to make quantitative predictions of Curie temperatures. Our approach is not restricted to specific crystal structures or chemical compositions. It offers a more cost-effective alternative, in terms of human time and need for hands-on oversight, to other density functional theory methods for predicting the Curie temperature. As a result, it provides a practical strategy for conducting high-throughput screening for new technologically applicable magnetic materials. Alternatively, it can complement ML-based screening of magnetic materials by integrating physical principles into such approaches, thereby enhancing their prediction accuracy.

Published by the American Physical Society
2024
Tourism experiences and healthy aging: extending the successful aging model
Authors: Chen Sharleen Xiaolian , Kuok Henry Hoipong 
Published: November 2024

PurposeThe surge in the older population has gained significant interest within the tourism sector worldwide. Little empirical research has been conducted to examine the role of tourism experiences on older adults’ healthy aging. Based on Rowe and Kahn’s (1987) successful aging model, this study utilized a qualitative approach to examine the health benefits that tourism can play for seniors.Design/methodology/approachA total of 19 interviews were conducted with senior adults living in Macau aged over 60. Thematic analysis was employed for data analysis.FindingsThe results demonstrate that the tourism experience contributes to healthy aging in three ways: first, nature-based tourism benefits seniors’ physical health; second, the social interactions with friends, relatives, locals and fellow travelers during tourism activities benefit seniors' emotional well-being and third, transcendent tourism experiences can exhibit positive spirituality among seniors.Originality/valueThis paper not only enriches the theoretical and empirical studies on tourism and healthy aging but also puts forward relevant empirical suggestions to destination marketing organizations that target the senior tourist market.
Influence of environmental, social and governance (ESG) disclosures on consumer brand perceptions and behavioral intentions
Authors: Cheng Li Keng , Huang Hsien-Long 
Published: November 2024

PurposeThis study investigates how consumers’ perceptions of brand prominence and credibility are influenced by companies’ disclosure of transparency and quality of environmental, social and governance (ESG) information. It also examines how regulatory focus influences the relationship between purchase intention and brand credibility.Design/methodology/approachThe study employs a quantitative approach, utilizing an online survey of 464 Taiwanese consumers. The data collected is analyzed using structural equation modeling (SEM) to evaluate the direct and indirect effects of perceived ESG information transparency and quality on brand prominence, brand credibility and purchase intentions.FindingsThe findings reveal that perceived transparency and quality of ESG information significantly enhance brand credibility and prominence. Consequently, increased brand credibility and prominence have a significant positive impact on consumer purchase intentions. Additionally, the study identifies a moderation effect, wherein a prevention regulatory focus strengthens the influence of brand credibility on purchase intentions.Originality/valueThis study contributes to the literature on brand management and consumer behavior by integrating regulatory focus theory with the impacts of ESG information. It provides new insights into how ESG-related communications influence consumer behavior, highlighting the importance of transparent and high-quality ESG data in fostering consumer trust and positive brand evaluations.
Corporate governance and environmental disclosure: a comparative analysis
Authors: Aly Doaa Abdel Rehim Mohamed , Hasan Arshad , Obioru Bolanle , Nakpodia Franklin 
Published: November 2024

Purpose
This study aims to investigate the influence of corporate governance (CG) on environmental disclosure (ED) practices within UK and US firms, addressing the contemporary challenges confronting firms in both contexts.

Design/methodology/approach
Using the dynamic panel regression framework of system generalised method of moment (GMM), this study analyses a sample comprising 121 FTSE and 200 S&P firms from 2010 to 2020.

Findings
The findings emphasise the dynamic nature of ED practices among UK and US firms, demonstrating their propensity to swiftly adjust to desired levels whenever deviations occur. Besides, this study identifies board independence and the frequency of board meetings as significant determinants of ED for UK firms. In contrast, for US firms, board independence and audit committee independence are found to be significant determinants of ED.

Research limitations/implications
The research highlights the fundamental role played by CG in shaping how firms in the UK and the US navigate agency problems and respond to diverse stakeholder demands through ED in their annual reports. This study advocates for the promotion of robust governance systems that concurrently serve the purposes of accountability and monitoring to bridge the information expectation gap between firms and stakeholders. The findings reinforce the necessity for regulatory initiatives involving policy formulation and corporate oversight to enhance private sector awareness regarding environmental reporting practices.

Originality/value
This study contributes to the scarce literature on the impact of board and audit committee characteristics on ED practices in the UK and US contexts. In addition, by using the system GMM estimation technique, this study provides robust and updated evidence that addresses the weaknesses inherent in previous studies.
Defining human resource development: an integrative literature review
Authors: Obazuaye Cyril O. 
Published: November 2024

Purpose
Human resource development (HRD) poses complex challenges for scholars and practitioners due to its elusive nature in definition, scope, and boundaries. Driven by lived experiences, this integrative literature review aims to explore the complexities of HRD, focusing on its conceptualizations, boundaries, and trajectories from 1990 to 2023.

Design/methodology/approach
Using Callahan’s (2014) Six Ws, Page et al. (2020) Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses search process, and Lester et al. (2020) thematic analysis, 26 peer-reviewed articles from leading HRD journals and databases were analyzed.

Findings
This literature review’s findings enhance our understanding of HRD’s trajectory by illuminating its tumultuous beginnings, precarious present, and uncertain future – potentially even its demise. The author urges prominent HRD scholars to take decisive action to secure the discipline’s future before it is too late.

Research limitations/implications
One limitation is the reliance on specific articles for data analysis. The propensity to emphasize only the prevailing viewpoint is a constraint inherent in literature reviews (Dickson et al., 2011). Another limitation is this study’s reliance on articles exclusively from English-speaking literature. By focusing solely on publications in English, this study overlooked HRD literature published in other languages, potentially excluding valuable insights and perspectives from non-English-speaking regions and cultures.

Originality/value
Over the years, the debates regarding the definition of HRD have been fraught with ambiguity and contradictions. The boundaries of HRD remain similarly nebulous, with scholars debating its scope and applicability across contexts. This literature review adds to this debate from a unique perspective.
Critical success factors for EHR systems implementation in developing countries: a systematic review
Authors: Mwogosi Augustino , Kibusi Stephen 
Published: November 2024

Purpose
This study aims to identify the barriers that hinder the effective implementation of electronic health records (EHR) systems in developing countries while also uncovering the critical success factors (CSFs) that can facilitate their implementation. This study focused on the sociotechnical and environmental challenges that influenced the implementation of EHR systems.

Design/methodology/approach
This study used a systematic literature review methodology guided by the modified sociotechnical theory. It followed PRISMA guidelines to identify barriers and CSFs. This review included a comprehensive search of academic databases such as Taylor & Francis, Google Scholar, Emerald and PubMed, covering studies published between 2012 and mid-2024. The studies were screened and analysed using thematic analysis.

Findings
The review identified several barriers to EHR implementation, including a lack of information and communication technology infrastructure, inadequate training, and limited government support. It also highlighted CSFs such as enhancing training programmes, improving technical infrastructure, fostering government support and addressing privacy and security concerns. This study concluded that a holistic approach addressing technical, social and environmental factors was critical for the success of EHR systems in low-resource settings.

Practical implications
This study offered actionable recommendations for policymakers and health-care leaders in developing countries. These include strategies for enhancing user training, improving technical infrastructure, ensuring government support and addressing data privacy and security issues, which are crucial for successfully adopting EHR systems.

Originality/value
This research comprehensively examined the factors influencing EHR implementation in developing countries, offering a unique perspective by applying the modified sociotechnical theory. It bridged a significant gap in the literature by focusing on the specific challenges faced in resource-constrained environments.