bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Bienestar subjetivo y compromiso académico relacionado con el ambiente de aprendizaje positivo
Authors: Gaxiola Romero José Concepción , Gaxiola Villa Eunice , Pineda Domínguez Antonio 
Published: February 2025

El ambiente de aprendizaje es positivo, de acuerdo con la teoría de ambientes positivos, si el bienestar subjetivo y los ajustes psicológicos son la base de la sustentabilidad del ambiente. Existe escasez de investigaciones sobre el bienestar subjetivo y el ajuste académico como resultado del ambiente de aprendizaje. El objetivo del presente trabajo fue probar un modelo estructural de relaciones entre el ambiente de aprendizaje positivo y el bienestar subjetivo en el compromiso académico de bachilleres. Participaron 269 estudiantes de un bachillerato del noroeste de México con promedio de edad de 14.7 años (DE = 0.55). Se aplicó análisis de ecuaciones estructurales a los datos y los resultados mostraron que el ambiente de aprendizaje positivo se relacionó con el bienestar subjetivo y el compromiso académico. Se discute que el ambiente de aprendizaje positivo puede promover el bienestar subjetivo y el compromiso académico de bachilleres.
Walking and Running Biomechanical Dual-Task Cost as Collegiate Athletes Return to Sport Following Concussions Compared to Healthy Controls
Authors: Hanno Natalie S. , Lynall Robert C. , Bowman Thomas G. 
Published: February 2025

The purpose of this study was to examine walking and running biomechanics with and without the addition of a cognitive task in athletes recently diagnosed with concussions. We sought to determine if deficits remained after athletes were asymptomatic, had returned to baseline in all common clinical tests, and had been cleared for full return to sport participation. Seven collegiate athletes with recent concussions (recently concussed) and seven healthy matched controls (controls) completed testing sessions 1–3 days after unrestricted clearance (S1) and 1-week postclearance (S2). Participants completed four gait conditions: (1) walking alone (single task), (2) walking while completing simple mental tasks (dual task), (3) running single task, and (4) running dual task. Participants completed a total of eight walking trials, followed by a total of eight running trials counterbalanced between single- and dual-task conditions. Runscribe™ wearable shoe sensors (Scribe Labs, Inc.) were utilized to assess walking and running gait biomechanics. No significant interaction was found between group (recently concussed, control) and session (S1, S2) for speed (m/s), stride length (m), or step rate (steps/min) during the four gait conditions (p ≥ .34). However, several moderate to large effect sizes were observed for pairwise comparisons (−0.09 ≤ d ≤ 1.72), suggesting clinically meaningful decreased performance in the recently concussed group that would benefit from further study with larger samples.
Influence of Travel Demands and Match Load on Recovery Following Postmatch Travel in National-Team Footballers
Authors: Clements Ewan , Ehrmann Fabian , Clark Andrew , Jones Mark , McCall Alan , Duffield Rob 
Published: February 2025

Purpose: This study investigated the relationship between travel demands and match loads on perceptual recovery, fatigue, and sleep following postmatch travel in national football teams. In addition, the influence of travel demands and the time between match kickoff and travel departure on postmatch recovery was examined. Methods: Match-running load (via GPS) and travel data were obtained from 79 male national-team footballers. Postmatch travel duration, direction, context, time-zone difference, and time between kickoff and travel departure were collated. Athletes provided perceptual ratings of fatigue, soreness, sleep, stress, and recovery from 1 day prematch through to 3 days after postmatch travel. Linear mixed models assessed the influence of match load and travel on perceptual ratings for 3 days posttravel. Additional models assessed a standardized postmatch time point of match day + 3 to determine whether timing and extent of travel influenced recovery. Results: Higher match loads were associated with poorer recovery, fatigue, soreness, and sleep (P = .001–.032). Athletes reported poorer fatigue, soreness, and recovery when traveling from national teams back to clubs compared with between national-team matches (P < .001). Traveling eastward was associated with poorer sleep (P = .004). Longer periods between kickoff and travel departure were associated with poorer sleep on match day + 3 (P = .003). Conclusions: Perceptual recovery, fatigue, sleep, and soreness following postmatch travel were affected by both match load and travel demands. Greater match loads and eastward postmatch travel may impair recovery. In addition, departing later after a match was associated with poorer sleep on match day + 3; however, no relationships existed to any other recovery measures.
Physiological and Biomechanical Responses Induced by a Continuous Test and an Intermittent Test in Middle-Distance Runners
Authors: Benhammou Saddek , Clemente Filipe Manuel , Mourot Laurent , Belkadi Adel 
Published: February 2025

Purpose: This study aimed to examine middle-distance runners’ acute physiological and biomechanical responses to 2 maximal aerobic speed tests: an intermittent test (5 × 1 mintest) and a continuous test (University of Montreal Track Test [UM-TT]). Methods: Twenty trained male middle-distance runners completed the UM-TT and 5 × 1 mintest on separate days. The rating of perceived exertion, peak heart rate, and maximal aerobic speed of both tests (VUM-TT and V5 ×1m) were analyzed. Heart-rate variability (time and frequency domain) and spatiotemporal parameters were measured preexercise and postexercise at 5, 30, and 60 minutes. Results: No differences were found between VUM-TT and V5×1m (18.4 [1.0] vs 18.5 [0.9] km·h−1, r = .88, P = .14). Peak heart rate was similar between tests (UM-TT: 188.6 [4] beats·min−1 vs 5 × 1 mintest: 189 [2] beats·min−1, r = .63, P = .23). Rating of perceived exertion was higher in UM-TT (UM-TT: 8.1 [0.5] vs 5 × 1 mintest: 7.6 [0.7], r = .47, P = .009). For both tests, heart-rate-variability parameters indicated higher sympathetic/lower parasympathetic activity compared with baseline at all time points (P < .001), without differences between tests. Stride frequency and duty factor increased postexercise (P < .05), with no changes in contact time and stride time (P > .05), without differences between the 2 tests. Conclusions: Both tests significantly changed heart-rate variability and biomechanical parameters, with no differences between the tests. As 5 × 1 mintest was perceived as less demanding, it may be a less taxing alternative for assessing maximal aerobic speed in middle-distance runners.
Inhibition of pneumococcal growth and biofilm formation by human isolates of
Streptococcus mitis
and
Streptococcus oralis
Authors: Borralho João , Handem Sara , Lança João , Ferreira Bárbara , Candeias Catarina , Henriques Adriano O. , Hiller N. Luisa , Valente Carina , Sá-Leão Raquel 
Published: February 2025

ABSTRACT

In a world facing the unprecedented threat of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, targeted approaches to control colonization and prevent disease caused by common pathobionts offer a promising solution.
Streptococcus pneumoniae
(pneumococcus) is a leading cause of infections worldwide, affecting both children and adults despite available antimicrobials and vaccines. Colonization, which occurs in the form of a biofilm in the upper respiratory tract, is frequent and a prerequisite for disease and transmission. The use of live bacterial strains as biotherapeutics for infectious diseases is actively being explored. Here, we investigated the potential of commensal streptococci to control
S. pneumoniae
. Screening of over 300 human isolates led to the identification of seven strains (one
Streptococcus oralis
and six
Streptococcus mitis
, designated A22 to G22) with inhibitory activity against
S. pneumoniae
of multiple serotypes and genotypes. Characterization of A22 to G22 cell-free supernatants indicated the involvement of secreted proteins or peptides in the inhibitory effect of all
S. mitis
isolates. Genome analyses revealed the presence of 64 bacteriocin loci, encoding 70 putative bacteriocins, several of which are novel and absent or rare in over 7,000 publicly available pneumococcal genomes. Deletion mutants indicated that bacteriocins partially or completely explained the anti-pneumococcal activity of the commensal strains. Importantly, strains A22 to G22 were further able to prevent and disrupt pneumococcal biofilms, a proxy for nasopharyngeal colonization. These results highlight the intricacy of the interactions among nasopharyngeal colonizers and support the potential of strains A22 to G22 to be used as live biotherapeutics, alone or in combination, to control
S. pneumoniae
colonization.

IMPORTANCE

Streptococcus pneumoniae
(pneumococcus) infections remain a major public health issue despite the use of vaccines and antibiotics. Pneumococci asymptomatically colonize the human upper respiratory tract, a niche shared with several commensal
Streptococcus
species. Competition for space and nutrients among species sharing the same niche is well documented and tends to be more intense among closely related species. Based on this rationale, a screening of several commensal streptococci isolated from the human upper respiratory tract led to the identification of strains of
Streptococcus mitis
and
Streptococcus oralis
capable of inhibiting most pneumococcal strains, across diverse serotypes and genotypes. This inhibition was partially or wholly linked to the expression of novel bacteriocins. The selected
S. mitis
and
S. oralis
strains significantly disrupted pneumococcal biofilms, indicating a potential for using commensals as biotherapeutics to control pneumococcal colonization, a key step in preventing disease and transmission.
Shifts in surface microbiota after cleaning and disinfection in broiler processing plants: incomplete biofilm eradication revealed by robotic high-throughput screening
Authors: Reiche Thorben , Hageskal Gunhild , Mares Mihai , Hoel Sunniva , Tøndervik Anne , Heggeset Tonje Marita Bjerkan , Haugen Tone , Sperstad Sigri Bakken , Trøen Hanne Hein , Bjørkøy Solfrid , Jakobsen Anita Nordeng 
Published: February 2025

ABSTRACT

Broiler processing environments are a source of spoilage bacteria and potential pathogens. The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of cleaning and disinfection (C&D) on bacterial load and diversity in two broiler processing plants and to determine the efficacy of industry-standard disinfectants (DIs). C&D significantly reduced average bacterial loads on surfaces from 3.7 to 1.8 log CFU/cm
2
in Plant A and from 7.0 to 3.8 log CFU/cm
2
in Plant B (
P
< 0.001). Metataxonomics revealed that
Acinetobacter
and an unknown Enterobacteriaceae genus dominated before C&D in Plants A and B, respectively, while
Pseudomonas
was predominant after C&D in both plants. Bacterial diversity only declined significantly after C&D in Plant B. Bacterial loads also declined across hygienic zones along the broiler processing line in Plant A. During slaughter,
Staphylococcus
,
Lactobacillus
, and
Anoxybacillus
dominated, and bacterial loads were significantly higher compared with post-slaughter zones, which were dominated by
Pseudomonas
. Culture-dependent analyses confirmed the presence of
Pseudomonas
spp. and also bacteria affecting food safety, including
Listeria monocytogenes
,
Escherichia coli
,
Yersinia enterocolitica
,
Acinetobacter baumannii
, and
Pseudomonas aeruginosa
. A selection of these was tested against DIs using robotic high-throughput screening. At the recommended user concentrations, DIs effectively inhibited planktonic bacteria and significantly reduced mono-species biofilms. However, none of the DIs completely eradicated all biofilms at these concentrations, with survival rates ranging from 7% to 53%, depending on the DI. In conclusion, C&D effectively reduces the bacterial burden and reshapes the bacterial microbiota with incomplete biofilm eradication by commercial DIs.

IMPORTANCE
Broiler meat continues to be involved in bacterial disease outbreaks. The surface microbiota in broiler processing environments can be a source of contaminating bacteria. Our study highlights the importance of effective C&D routines since potential pathogens and spoilage bacteria are found in these environments. Furthermore, the study provides evidence of biofilms surviving high concentrations of industry-standard DIs. This emphasizes the importance of additional measures to facilitate biofilm removal, such as mechanical cleaning, but also suggests that there is a need for DIs with stronger biofilm eradication capabilities. Ultimately, it is important to understand and continuously improve the state of hygiene in broiler processing plants to mitigate the risk of foodborne disease outbreaks.
SFTSV NSs interacts with AGO2 to regulate the RNAi pathway for viral replication
Authors: Javaid Nasir , Jang Tae-Won , Fu Yuting , Choi Younho 
Published: February 2025

ABSTRACT

RNA interference (RNAi) is a posttranscriptional gene silencing mechanism acting as an antiviral defense in eukaryotes. During viral replication, intermediate double-stranded RNAs are processed into virus-derived small interfering RNAs (vsiRNAs) by the host enzyme, DICER. These vsiRNAs are incorporated into the RNA-induced silencing complex (RISC), where AGO2 cleaves viral genomic RNAs. However, viruses have evolved mechanisms to suppress this pathway. Here, we report that the nonstructural protein (NSs) of severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome virus (SFTSV) interacts with RISC to suppress the RNAi pathway. NSs forms a ternary complex by interacting with both DICER and AGO2 of the RNAi pathway. The interaction between NSs and DICER, facilitated by the two RNase III domains of DICER, is disrupted in the absence of AGO2 or the DICER-interacting domain (PIWI) of AGO2, indicating a direct interaction between NSs and AGO2. Functional assays using shRNA- and siRNA-mediated silencing of GFP signal, along with co-localization studies, demonstrated that NSs competes with siRNA to interact with AGO2, thereby abolishing RNAi activity. Mutational analysis identified an NSs-A26 mutant that no longer interacts with AGO2 and is unable to suppress RNAi activity, suggesting that NSs acts as a viral suppressor of RNAi (VSR) for SFTSV. Viral infection led to the generation of vsiRNA and showed higher replication in
AGO2
-/-
cells compared to wild-type (WT) cells, confirming the antiviral role of the RNAi pathway against SFTSV infection. These data suggest that the NSs–AGO2 interaction suppresses RNAi, counteracting the antiviral RNAi pathway, thereby facilitating SFTSV infection and pathogenesis.

IMPORTANCE
RNA interference (RNAi) is the main antiviral defense pathway in plants and insects but is not predominant in mammals. While RNAi’s role in countering severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome virus (SFTSV) infection has been studied in ticks, its role in humans is unknown. The SFTSV nonstructural protein (NSs) forms inclusion bodies (IBs) in the host, sequestering multiple antiviral proteins and facilitating pathogenesis, contributing to SFTSV’s high mortality rate. Our study found that SFTSV NSs directly interacts with AGO2, a key RNAi protein, hindering its function. A novel NSs mutant failed to interact with AGO2 and lost its RNAi suppression ability, highlighting NSs as a viral suppressor of RNAi (VSR). Infection studies confirmed the RNAi pathway’s critical role in combating SFTSV infection. This study demonstrates NSs’s role in viral infection and suggests potential therapeutic approaches.
Draft genome sequences of five glacial fungi from Styx Glacier, Antarctica
Authors: Kim Ji Seon , Seo Chang Wan , Lim Young Woon 
Published: February 2025

ABSTRACT

We generated four high-quality draft genomes of fungi isolated from Styx Glacier, Antarctica. The genome announcement of these fungal strains offers insights into their evolution and adaptation to extreme glacial environments, as well as their potential biotechnological applications.
Analysis of co-occurrence of type II toxin–antitoxin systems and antibiotic resistance determinants in
Staphylococcus aureus
Authors: Bukowski Michał , Banasik Michał , Chlebicka Kinga , Bednarczyk Katarzyna , Bonar Emilia , Sokołowska Dominika , Żądło Tomasz , Dubin Grzegorz , Władyka Benedykt 
Published: February 2025

ABSTRACT

Toxin–antitoxin (TA) systems consist of toxic proteins and their inhibitors, and were originally shown to ensure plasmid maintenance in bacterial populations. Over time, however, TA systems have also been identified on bacterial chromosomes, raising questions about their roles unrelated to plasmid stability. Among the eight currently recognized types of TA systems, type II has been the most extensively investigated. Type II systems are often found in pathogenic bacterial species, including staphylococci.
Staphylococcus aureus
, a notorious human pathogen, harbors multiple type II TA systems, both plasmid- and chromosome-encoded, while their potential relation to virulence remains to be addressed. Here, we investigate the co-occurrence of TA systems and antibiotic resistance (AR) determinants in
S. aureus
, focusing on the potential negative impact of type II toxin RNases on antibiotic resistance. We considered both well-characterized and newly characterized TA loci of
S. aureus
. Our findings demonstrate a relationship between TA systems and AR determinants, wherein TA systems negatively affect antibiotic resistance. Due to substantial selective pressure, the migration of TA systems from plasmids to chromosomes results in their inactivation. This observation may be an important factor shaping the spread and evolution of both TA systems and AR determinants in bacteria. We exemplify this phenomenon in detail using the well-known PemIK-Sa1 system and a newly identified SCCmec-related PemIK-Sa6 system characterized in this study.

IMPORTANCE

Toxin–antitoxin (TA) systems are entities unique to bacteria. They are involved in the maintenance of mobile genetic elements (MGEs), regulation of gene expression and bacterial virulence.
Staphylococcus aureus
is a dangerous human pathogen with increasing antibiotic resistance (AR). The maintenance and dissemination of AR determinants is often driven by MGEs, which link AR and TA systems. Our study identified a negative correlation between TA systems and AR determinants in
S. aureus
. Furthermore, we have shown that the expression of a toxic component of an exemplary TA system negatively affects antibiotic resistance. We argue that in particular strains, a selective pressure maintains either the TA system or AR determinant. Alternatively, TA systems are inactivated by mutations when present together with AR determinants to maintain the functionality of the latter. Our observations uncover an important factor shaping the spread and evolution of both TA systems and AR determinants in bacteria, which is especially relevant to pathogenic species.
Involvement of an orphan response regulator of the two-component regulatory system in the formation of physiologically mature sporangia in
Actinoplanes missouriensis
Authors: Akutsu Takuya , Tan Zhuwen , Hirata Aiko , Tezuka Takeaki , Ohnishi Yasuo 
Published: February 2025

ABSTRACT

The actinomycete
Actinoplanes missouriensis
forms terminal sporangia that contain dormant sporangiospores. Upon contact with water, sporangia release zoospores through a process called sporangium dehiscence. In this study, we characterized
asfR
(
AMIS_76070
), which encodes an orphan response regulator receiver domain protein of the two-component regulatory system, as one of 136 genes whose transcription was highly activated during sporangium formation.

A

ctinoplanes
s
porangium
f
ormation
r
egulator (AsfR) homologs are conserved among
Actinoplanes
bacteria. An
asfR
null mutant (Δ
asfR
) strain formed normally shaped sporangia containing apparently normal dormant spores, but they exhibited defective sporangium dehiscence; the number of spores released from the sporangia of the Δ
asfR
strain was four orders of magnitude lower than that from the sporangia of the wild-type strain. This phenotypic change was recovered by introducing
asfR
with its own promoter into the Δ
asfR
strain. Based on the amino acid sequence and predicted structure, the function of AsfR appeared to be controlled by the phosphorylation of Asp-72. Consistently, the phenotypic change observed in the Δ
asfR
strain was not restored by introducing a mutated
asfR
(D72N) gene. Three orphan histidine kinases (HKs) in
A. missouriensis
were found to interact with AsfR by screening using a bacterial two-hybrid assay. However, gene disruption experiments revealed that these three HKs were not required for sporangium dehiscence in
A. missouriensis
. Although the molecular functions of AsfR remain to be elucidated, this study shows that AsfR is involved in the formation of physiologically mature sporangia that are fully prepared to release spores under sporangium dehiscence-inducing conditions.

IMPORTANCE

Actinoplanes missouriensis
undergoes a life cycle involving complex morphological development, including mycelial growth, sporangium formation and dehiscence, swimming as zoospores, germination, and outgrowth to mycelial growth. In this study, we revealed that a stand-alone response regulator receiver domain protein, AsfR, is required for the formation of physiologically mature sporangia that can release spores under sporangium dehiscence-inducing conditions.
A. missouriensis
seems to express genes that are involved in sporangium dehiscence during sporangium formation, considering that an
asfR
null mutant produced normally shaped sporangia, but these sporangia were deficient in sporangium dehiscence. Although the molecular functions of AsfR, as well as the histidine kinase(s) that phosphorylates AsfR, remain to be elucidated, identification of AsfR as a possible key regulator for the preparation of the onset and progression of sporangium dehiscence is significant, because almost no proteins involved in the early stages of sporangium dehiscence have been identified in
A. missouriensis
.