bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
The Common Marmoset as a Translational Model for Longitudinal Studies of Cognitive Aging and Individual Vulnerability to Decline
Authors: Vanderlip Casey R. , Asch Payton A. , Glavis-Bloom Courtney 
Published: August 2024

ABSTRACTIn humans, cognitive aging is highly variable, with some individuals experiencing decline while others remain stable, and different cognitive domains exhibiting uneven vulnerability to aging. The neural mechanisms driving this intra- and inter-individual variability are not fully understood, making longitudinal studies in translational models essential for elucidating the timelines and processes involved. The common marmoset (Callithrix jacchus), a short-lived nonhuman primate, offers an unprecedented opportunity to conduct longitudinal investigations of aging and age-related disease over a condensed time frame, in a highly translatable animal model. The potential of the marmoset as a model for cognitive aging is indisputable, but a comprehensive cognitive battery tailored for longitudinal aging studies has not yet been developed, applied, or validated. This represents a critical missing piece for evaluating the marmoset as a model and understanding the extent to which marmoset cognitive aging mirrors the patterns found in humans, including whether marmosets have individual variability in their vulnerability to age-related cognitive decline. To address this, we developed a comprehensive touchscreen-based neuropsychological test battery for marmosets (MarmoCog), targeting five cognitive domains: working memory, stimulus-reward association learning, cognitive flexibility, motor speed, and motivation. We tested a large cohort of marmosets, ranging from young adults to geriatrics, over several years. We found significant variability in cognitive aging, with the greatest decline occurring in domains dependent on the prefrontal cortex and hippocampus. Additionally, we observed significant inter-individual variability in vulnerability to age-related cognitive decline: some marmosets declined across multiple domains, others in just one, and some showed no decline at all. This pattern mirrors human cognitive aging, solidifies the marmoset as an advantageous model for age-related cognitive decline, and provides a strong foundation for identifying the neural mechanisms involved.
Bidirectional locomotion induces unilateral limb adaptations
Authors: Hardesty Russell L. , Motjabavi Helia , Gemoets Darren E. , Wolpaw Jonathan R. 
Published: August 2024

AbstractHumans can acquire and maintain motor skills throughout their lives through motor learning. Motor learning and skill acquisition are essential for rehabilitation following neurological disease or injury. Adaptation, the initial stage of motor learning, involves short-term changes in motor performance in response to a new demand in the person’s environment. Repeated adaptation can improve skill performance and result in long-term skill retention. Locomotor adaptation is extensively studied using split-belt treadmill paradigms. In this study we explored whether bidirectional walking (BDW) on a split-belt treadmill can induce short-term gait adaptations. Twelve healthy volunteers participated in our single session, starting with 2 minutes of normal walking (NW), followed by four 5-minute blocks of BDW with a 1-minute passive rest in between blocks, and ending with another 2-minute of NW. We recorded body kinematics and ground reaction forces throughout the experiment. Participants quickly adapted to BDW with both legs showing decreased step lengths. However, only the backward-walking leg exhibited aftereffects upon returning to NW, indicating short-term adaptation. Notable kinematic changes were observed, particularly in hip extension and pelvis tilt, though these varied among participants. Our findings suggest that BDW induces unilateral adaptations despite bilateral changes in gait, offering new insights into locomotor control and spinal CPG organization.Key PointsLocomotor adaptation extensively studied using split-belt treadmill paradigms with asymmetric belt speeds.This study examined whether bidirectional walking, i.e. walking with each leg stepping in opposite directions, would induce short-term adaptations in spatiotemporal characteristics of gait.Volunteers performed bidirectional walking with bilateral changes in step length.Despite equal but opposite belt speeds, volunteers exhibited a unilateral aftereffect of decreased step length in the leg which performed backwards stepping during bidirectional walking.
In vivo Antibody Painting for Next Generation Weight Loss Drugs
Authors: Kitahara Katsushi , Rondon Aurélie , Miller Edward , Mak Howard H. , Loas Andrei , Pentelute Bradley L. 
Published: August 2024

AbstractPeptide-based therapeutics are currently in great demand but often suffer from rapid clearance and accumulation in off-target tissues which continue to present barriers in their clinical translation. Here, we developed an electrophilic peptide for the attachment of therapeutics to native immunoglobulin (IgG) in vivo, enabling the bioorthogonal covalent linkage, or ‘painting’, of peptide drugs of choice to circulating IgGs directly in live animals. Native IgG painting with glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) results in sustained body weight loss and prolonged blood glucose management after one dose. Such technology might revolutionize the next generation of long-acting peptide-based medicines.
Human melanoma cell lines that possess wild-typeBRAFalleles but are dependent onERBB4andERBB2
Authors: Dwivedi Vipasha , Lucas Lauren M. , Cooke Rees , Davis Jeniffer , Wilson Ella , Scott Markelle , O’Daniel Kaitlyn , Dion Chloe , Kerley Jaxon , Zelan Madison , DeFeo Nicholas , Huffman Victoria , Ingrao Madison N. , Riese David J. 
Published: August 2024

ABSTRACTMetastatic skin cutaneous melanomas that contain wild-typeBRAFalleles typically possess an activating mutation in aRASallele or a loss-of-function mutation in anNF1allele (“BRAF-WT&RAS/NF1-mutant melanomas”). Nonetheless, these tumors remain a significant clinical challenge; they are resistant to MEK and BRAF inhibitors, their response to immune checkpoint inhibitors is less robust than the response ofBRAFmutant melanomas to these agents, and additional validated targets for therapeutic intervention have yet to be identified.Previous work from our laboratory has demonstrated thatERBB4is required for the proliferation of the IPC-298, MEL-JUSO, MeWo, and SK-MEL-2BRAF-WT&RAS/NF1-mutant melanoma cell lines. Surprisingly, the synthetic constitutively dimerized and active Q646CERBB4mutant allele appears to strongly inhibits the proliferation ofBRAF-WT&RAS/NF1-mutant melanoma cell lines. Given that we have also previously demonstrated that ERBB4-ERBB2 and ERBB4-EGFR heterodimers are more potent drivers of proliferation than are ERBB4 homodimers, here we begin to test the hypothesis that ERBB4 heterodimers drive the proliferation ofBRAF-WT&RAS/NF1-mutant melanoma cell lines.Here we demonstrate that the kinase-deficient (dominant-negative)ERBB2K753A mutant allele inhibits the clonogenic proliferation of the IPC-298, MEL-JUSO, and MeWoERBB4-dependent,BRAF-WT&RAS/NF1-mutant melanoma cell lines. Moreover, the kinase-deficient (dominant-negative)EGFRK721A mutant allele inhibits the clonogenic proliferation of the MeWo cell line, but not the IPC-298 or MEL-JUSO cell lines. Finally, the clonogenic proliferation of the SK-MEL-2ERBB4-dependent,BRAF-WT&RAS/NF1-mutant melanoma cell line is unaffected by theERBB2K753A orEGFRK721A dominant-negative mutant alleles. We discuss these findings in the context of our hypothesis that ERBB4 heterodimers drive the proliferation ofBRAF-WT&RAS/NF1-mutant melanoma cell lines.
Residence time structures microbial communities through niche partitioning
Authors: Mueller Emmi A. , Lennon Jay T. 
Published: August 2024

ABSTRACTMuch of life on Earth is at the mercy of currents and flow. Residence time (τ) estimates how long organisms and resources stay within a system based on the ratio of volume (V) to flow rate (Q). Short residence times promote immigration but may prevent the establishment of species that cannot quickly reproduce, or resist being washed out. In contrast, long residence times reduce resource input, selecting for species that can survive on a low supply of energy and nutrients. Theory suggests that these opposing forces shape the abundance, diversity, and function of flowing systems. In this study, we subjected chemostats inoculated with a complex lake microbial community to a residence time gradient spanning seven orders of magnitude. Microbial abundance, richness, and evenness increased with residence time, while functions like productivity and resource consumption decreased along the gradient. Microbial taxa were non- randomly distributed, forming distinct clusters of short-τ and long-τ specialists, reflecting a pattern of niche partitioning. Consistent with theoretical predictions, we demonstrate that residence time shapes assembly processes with direct implications for biodiversity and community function. These insights are crucial for understanding and managing flowing environments, such as animal gut microbiomes, soil litter invertebrate communities, and plankton in freshwater and marine ecosystems.
Selection of streptococcal glucan-binding protein C specific DNA aptamers to inhibit biofilm formation
Authors: Harkai Ákos , Beck Yoon Kee , Tory Anna , Mészáros Tamás 
Published: August 2024

AbstractStreptococcus mutansis a commensal bacterium in the oral cavity, but its overgrowth leads to biofilm formation and dental caries.S. mutansglucan-binding protein C (GbpC) is a cornerstone of the biofilm scaffold and thus a rational target for biofilm inhibition. Here we present a selection of DNA aptamers for GbpC to aid in the development of biofilm inhibiting drugs.During SELEX, we used the extracellular domain of GbpC as the target of selection and the structurally homologous antigen I/II protein and a GbpC-deficient strain ofS. mutansas counter-targets. The aptamer candidates obtained were panned using a method based on primer-blocked asymmetric PCR and AlphaScreen. The interaction between the most promising candidates of panning and GbpC was analysed by biolayer interferometry and microscale thermophoresis. Finally, we tested the biofilm inhibitory effect of the aptamers on a wild-type and a GbpC-deficient strain ofS. mutans. The measurements demonstrated both the efficacy and selectivity of the aptamers. Two of the aptamers studied reduced biofilm formation by 30% in the case of wild-type strains and no reduction was detected in the GbpC-deficient strain, confirming the suitability of the selection strategy presented and providing lead molecules for the development of biofilm inhibitors.
Inferring plant community phenology via bee-collected pollen
Authors: Wizenberg Sydney B. , Pepinelli Mateus , Do Bao Ngoc , Moubony Mashaba , Tamashekan Darya , Conflitti Ida M. , Zayed Amro 
Published: August 2024

ABSTRACTGlobal climate change is producing novel biospheric conditions, presenting a threat to the stability of ecological systems and the health of the organisms that reside within them. Variation in climatic conditions is expected to facilitate phenological reshuffling within plant communities, impacting the plant-pollinator interface, and the release of allergenic pollen into the atmosphere. Impacts on plant, invertebrate, and human health remain unclear largely due to the variable nature of phenological reshuffling and insufficient monitoring of these trends. Large-scale temporal surveillance of plant community flowering has been difficult in the past due to logistical constraints. To address this, we set out to test if metabarcoding of honey bee collected pollen could be used to infer the phenology of plant communities via comparison toin situfield monitoring. We found that honey bees can accurately indicate the onset of anthesis, but not its duration, in the plant species they selectively forage on. Increasing the number of colonies used to monitor, and employing a multi-locus approach for metabarcoding of pollen, substantially increased the species detection power of our approach. Here, we demonstrate that metabarcoding of honey bee collected pollen can substantively streamline the establishment of long-term phenological monitoring programs to document the on-going consequences of global climate change and its impact on the temporal aspects of plant-pollinator relationships.
Risk factors related to the mental health issues of selected South African adolescent learners living with mild to moderate intellectual difficulties
Authors: Warnick Johan Erlank , Pillay Jace , Munongi Lucia 
Published: August 2024

Purpose
The risk factors related to the mental health issues of adolescents diagnosed with mild to moderate intellectual difficulties (MMID) are not consistently recognised in South Africa. This paper aims to address the scarcity of literature by examining the risk factors linked to the mental health issues of adolescents with MMID.

Design/methodology/approach
Four hundred and fourteen participants were sampled from adolescent learners attending three special educational needs schools in Gauteng, South Africa. The selected sample included 275 male and 139 female participants with a median age of 16.5 years. The three schools represented Grade 8 with 177 learners and Grade 9 with 237 learners. Data were collected through a biographical questionnaire and an Adverse Child Experiences Questionnaire. A quantitative approach was used to identify the risk factors impacting the mental health of adolescents with MMID. The findings were used to propose intervention programmes for the support of adolescents diagnosed with MMID.

Findings
The findings suggest that risk factors for mental health difficulties issues among adolescents with MMID include family dysfunction, along with experiences of physical, sexual and verbal abuse as well as emotional and physical neglect. The recommendations stemming from the findings advocate empowering teachers, parents and caregivers to provide support for the mental health of learners with MMID.

Originality/value
The study makes a valuable contribution to reducing the existing gap in the literature regarding risk factors impacting the mental health of adolescents with MMID in South Africa. The study served as a platform for adolescents diagnosed with MMID to articulate their challenges. This cohort is occasionally marginalised and this research acts as an active contribution to research that focuses on their experiences. Their insights are crucial for enhancing intervention programmes and promoting their overall well-being.
Comparative computer simulation and empirical analysis of MIDAS and artificial neural network-UMIDAS models for short- and long-term US GDP forecasting
Authors: Safi Samir K H. , Sanusi Olajide Idris , Arif Afreen 
Published: August 2024

PurposeThis study aims to evaluate linear mixed data sampling (MIDAS), nonlinear artificial neural networks (ANNs) and a hybrid approach for exploiting high-frequency information to improve low-frequency gross domestic product (GDP) forecasting. Their capabilities are assessed through direct forecasting comparisons.Design/methodology/approachThis study compares quarterly GDP forecasts from unrestricted MIDAS (UMIDAS), standalone ANN and ANN-enhanced MIDAS models using five monthly predictors. Rigorous empirical analysis of recent US data is supplemented by Monte Carlo simulations to validate findings.FindingsThe empirical results and simulations demonstrate that the hybrid ANN-MIDAS performs best for short-term predictions, whereas UMIDAS is more robust for long-term forecasts. The integration of ANNs into MIDAS provides modeling flexibility and accuracy gains for near-term forecasts.Research limitations/implicationsThe model comparisons are limited to five selected monthly indicators. Expanding the variables and alternative data processing techniques may reveal further insights. Longer analysis horizons could identify structural breaks in relationships.Practical implicationsThe findings guide researchers and policymakers in leveraging mixed frequencies amidst data complexity. Appropriate modeling choices based on context and forecast horizon can maximize accuracy.Social implicationsEnhanced GDP forecasting supports improved policy and business decisions, benefiting economic performance and societal welfare. More accurate predictions build stakeholder confidence and trust in statistics underlying critical choices.Originality/valueThis direct forecasting comparison offers unique large-scale simulation evidence on harnessing mixed frequencies with leading statistical and machine learning techniques. The results elucidate their complementarity for short-term versus long-term modeling.
Adaptive immune fuzzy quasi-sliding mode control for leader–follower formation of wheeled mobile robots under uncertainties and disturbances with obstacle avoidance
Authors: Goto Willy John Nakamura , Wildgrube Bertol Douglas , Martins Nardênio Almeida 
Published: August 2024

PurposeThis paper aims to propose a robust kinematic controller based on sliding mode theory designed to solve the trajectory tracking problem and also the formation control using the leader–follower strategy for nonholonomic differential-drive wheeled mobile robots with a PD dynamic controller.Design/methodology/approachTo deal with classical sliding mode control shortcomings, such as the chattering and the requirement of a priori knowledge of the limits of the effects of disturbances, an immune regulation mechanism-inspired approach is proposed to adjust the control effort magnitude adaptively. A simple fuzzy boundary layer method and an adaptation law for the immune portion gain online adjustment are also considered. An obstacle avoidance reactive strategy is proposed for the leader robot, given the importance of the leader in the formation control structure.FindingsTo verify the adaptability of the controller, obstacles are distributed along the reference trajectory, and the simulation and experimental results show the effectiveness of the proposed controller, which was capable of generating control signals avoiding chattering, compensating for disturbances and avoiding the obstacles.Originality/valueThe proposed design stands out for the ability to adapt in a case involving obstacle avoidance, trajectory tracking and leader–follower formation control by nonholonomic robots under the incidence of uncertainties and disturbances and also considering that the immune-based control provided chattering mitigation by adjusting the magnitude of the control effort, with adaptability improved by a simple integral-type adaptive law derived by Lyapunov stability analysis.
What are the contrasting types of proactivity that manifest at work? A systematic literature review, content analysis, and future directions
Authors: Ahmed Rawia , Al-Riyami Said , Ahmad Nisar , Bibi Aqsa 
Published: August 2024

PurposeThis study summarizes widely dispersed literature on proactivity at work in its many different forms and highlights contrasts between the various themes in detail.Design/methodology/approachThis study is based on systematic literature review of proactivity at work using 1708 peer reviewed articles published between 1969 and 2021 using R and Vos viewer software; a content analysis of the 100 most cited articles in proactivity research; and synthesis and integrative literature review to develop future research directions.FindingsThis study uncovers many interesting facets of knowledge, including proactivity-related themes that have emerged over 50 years of research, time-related publication trends, top journals, top authors, and the most commonly used keywords. The content analysis of the 100 most-cited articles revealed findings such as the role of each proactivity theme impacting academic discussions to date. For example, quantitative research appears to be more prevalent among the most cited articles compared to different types of qualitative research. Finally, future research directions building on our findings are provided.Originality/valueTo our knowledge, this work is the first attempt to contrast different types of proactivity at work as opposed to extant literature, which is either driven by the proactivity phenomenon or focuses on similarities rather than on contrasting aspects of the various forms of proactivity at work. Hence, the significance of this research extends beyond theoretical considerations and incorporates valuable practical elements.
Unlocking Generation Y’s continuance intentions in personal cloud storage services: an extended expectation confirmation model analysis
Authors: Vafaei-Zadeh Ali , Nikbin Davoud , Loo Jing , Hanifah Haniruzila 
Published: August 2024

PurposeThis study aims to investigate the factors that influence the continuance intention to use personal cloud storage services among Generation Y.Design/methodology/approachA quantitative online survey was carried out to collect data from 271 respondents. Structural equation modelling with SmartPLS 4.0 software was used to run the analysis and examine the hypothesized relationships in the research model.FindingsThe study revealed that both satisfaction and habit exert a significant influence on continuance intention, whereas self-efficacy does not demonstrate a significant effect. In addition, satisfaction was found to be influenced by confirmation, perceived usefulness and perceived security. Furthermore, confirmation and cloud storage service quality were found to impact perceived usefulness, while confirmation also had an effect on perceived security. However, the hypothesized moderating role of perceived privacy risk in the relationship between perceived usefulness, perceived security and satisfaction was not supported.Originality/valueThis study advances the field by adapting an expanded expectation-confirmation model that delineates the nuanced impacts of habit, user satisfaction and self-efficacy on Generation Y’s continuance intention to use personal cloud storage services. It challenges the conventional wisdom regarding self-efficacy’s influence on technology adoption, offering a more intricate portrayal of its role. This research contributes a distinctive theoretical perspective, emphasizing the complex interplay of factors that inform sustained user engagement with cloud technologies.