bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
The geometry of prey capture in praying mantis forelegs
Authors: Dan Shu D. , Taylor Danielle S. , Yockey Jaime , Svenson Gavin J. , Martin Joshua P. 
Published: April 2024

AbstractThe form of an animal’s limbs has to balance multiple functions: locomotion, grasping, climbing, and jumping, among others. For cryptic animals, especially those that resemble elements of their habitat like sticks or grasses, the limbs may also be modified to enhance the camouflage. The performance of a limb in one category may require a tradeoff, reducing performance in another category. Praying mantises provide a diverse group of insects who all use their forelegs for one function, capturing prey, while some species use them as part of their camouflage. Here we use a large database of images of mantis species to capture the variation in morphology across the order, and to calculate the largest prey that their forelegs can hold. We find that the length and thickness of the femur and the length of the tibia comprise most of the variability across species. The majority of species have similar foreleg morphology, with two large groups extending into areas of the morphospace with thicker or thinner forelegs. A geometric relationship between dimensions of the foreleg and the optimal prey diameter maps directly onto the variability across species determined by principal components analysis; legs with thinner femurs and shorter tibia can’t hold large prey, and the distribution of the species across the morphospace follows the gradient of optimum prey size. These results suggest that some species trade ability to grasp larger prey for benefits including crypsis, and the praying mantises are an ideal system for studying morphological and functional variation in limbs.
Sex differences in sensitivity to dopamine receptor manipulations of risk-based decision making in rats
Authors: Wheeler Alexa-Rae , Truckenbrod Leah M. , Boehnke Adrian , Orsini Caitlin A. 
Published: April 2024

AbstractRisky decision making involves the ability to weigh risks and rewards associated with different options to make adaptive choices. Previous work has established a necessary role for the basolateral amygdala (BLA) in mediating effective decision making under risk of punishment, but the mechanisms by which the BLA mediates this process are less clear. Because this form of decision making is profoundly sensitive to dopaminergic (DA) manipulations, we hypothesized that DA receptors in the BLA may be involved in risk-taking behavior. To test this hypothesis, male and female Long-Evans rats were trained in a decision-making task in which rats chose between a small, safe food reward and a larger food reward that was associated with a variable risk of footshock punishment. Once behavioral stability emerged, rats received intra-BLA infusions of ligands targeting distinct dopamine receptor subtypes prior to behavioral testing. Intra-BLA infusions of the dopamine D2 receptor (D2R) agonist quinpirole decreased risk taking in females at all doses, and this reduction in risk taking was accompanied by an increase in sensitivity to punishment. In males, decreased risk taking was only observed at the highest dose of quinpirole. In contrast, intra-BLA manipulations of dopamine D1 or D3 receptors (D1R and D3R, respectively) had no effect on risk taking. Considered together, these data suggest that differential D2R sensitivity in the BLA may contribute to the well-established sex differences in risk taking. Neither D1Rs nor D3Rs, however, appear to contribute to risky decision making in either sex.
Hypoactivation of ventromedial frontal cortex in major depressive disorder: an MEG study of the Reward Positivity
Authors: Pirrung Christopher J.H. , Singh Garima , Hogeveen Jeremy , Quinn Davin , Cavanagh James F. 
Published: April 2024

AbstractBackgroundThe Reward Positivity (RewP) is sensitive and specific electrophysiological marker of reward receipt. These characteristics make it a compelling candidate marker of dysfunctional reward processing in major depressive disorder. We previously proposed that the RewP is a nexus of multiple aspects of reward variance, and that a diminished RewP in depression might only reflect a deficit in some of this variance. Specifically, we predicted a diminished ventromedial contribution in depression in the context of maintained reward learning.MethodsHere we collected magnetoencephalographic (MEG) recordings of reward receipt in 43 individuals with major depressive disorder (MDD group) and 38 healthy controls (CTL group). MEG allows effective source estimation due to the absence of volume conduction that compromises electroencephalographic recordings.ResultsThe MEG RewP analogue was generated by a broad set of cortical areas, yet only right ventromedial and right ventral temporal areas were diminished in MDD. These areas correlated with a principal component of anhedonia derived from multiple questionnaires. Compellingly, BA25 was the frontal region with the largest representation in both of these effects.ConclusionsThese findings not only advance our understanding underlying the computation of the RewP, but they also dovetail with convergent findings from other types of functional source imaging in depression, as well as from deep brain stimulation treatments. Together, these discoveries suggest that the RewP may be a valuable marker for objective assessment of reward affect and its disruption in major depression.
Cytosolic Class I J-domain proteins aid mitochondrial protein import and influence homeostasis inArabidopsis thaliana
Authors: Lal Silviya S. , Neha  , Yadav Yadvendradatta Rajendra Prasad , P. Sreehari , Verma Amit K. , Sahi Chandan 
Published: April 2024

AbstractMitochondrial homeostasis heavily relies on import of numerous nuclear encoded proteins. Multiple chaperone machineries operate at the cytosolic and mitochondrial side of the bilayer to ensure the efficacy of this process. While the mechanisms and components involved in translocation of polypeptides into the mitochondria are known in great detail, the cytosolic events of mitochondrial protein import are poorly understood in plants. This study explores the role of two cytosolic Class I J-domain proteins (JDPs), atDjA1 and atDjA2, in mitochondrial homeostasis inArabidopsis thaliana. We show that atDjA1 and atDjA2 uniquely interacted with outer mitochondrial surface receptors, Tom9, Metaxin, and OM64, which guide the import of numerous mitochondrial precursors. Knockout of atDjA1 or atDjA2 impeded seed germination under multiple abiotic stress conditions, with atDjA1 mutant being more sensitive. Both the mutants demonstrated decreased respiratory rates and enhanced accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), indicating compromised mitochondrial function. Further, knockout of atDjA1 resulted in a significant decline in the number of active mitochondria as well as import of MTS-GFP. While atDjA2 mutants did not show a reduction in mitochondrial number, both the mutants had an activated mitochondrial retrograde signaling (MRS) further underscoring compromised mitochondrial homeostasis in these mutants. Our findings suggest that evolutionarily conserved cytosolic Class I JDPs preserve mitochondrial homeostasis by targeting specific receptors on the outer mitochondrial surface, facilitating the import of cytosolically synthesized mitochondrial precursors inArabidopsis thaliana.
Nanodisc reconstitution and characterization of amyloid-β precursor protein C99
Authors: Krishnarjuna Bankala , Sharma Gaurav , Hiiuk Volodymyr M , Struppe Jochem , Nagorny Pavel , Ivanova Magdalena I , Ramamoorthy Ayyalusamy 
Published: April 2024

ABSTRACTAmyloid precursor protein (APP) plays a pivotal role in the pathology of Alzheimer’s disease. Since the fragmentation of the membrane-bound APP that results in the production of amyloid-beta peptides is the starting point for amyloid toxicity in AD, it is important to investigate the structure and dynamics of APP in a near-native lipid-bilayer environment. However, the reconstitution of APP into a stable/suitable membrane-mimicking lipid environment is a challenging task. In this study, the 99-residue C-terminal domain of APP is successfully reconstituted into polymer nanodiscs and characterized using size-exclusion chromatography, mass spectrometry, solution NMR, and magic-angle spinning solid-state NMR. In addition, the feasibility of using lipid-solubilizing polymers for isolating and characterizing APP in nativeE. colimembrane environment is demonstrated.
Long non-coding RNAs regulate the expression of cell surface receptors in plants
Authors: Bhasin Hemal , Khan Hasna , Kileeg Zachary , Mott G. Adam 
Published: April 2024

AbstractPlants are exposed to a variety of growth, developmental, and environmental cues during their lifespan. To survive and thrive, plants have developed sophisticated ways of responding to these signals that involve regulation at the transcriptional, post-transcriptional, translational, and post-translational levels. Leucine-rich repeat receptor-like kinases are the largest family of receptor-like kinases in plants and respond to a range of external and internal stimuli. They act as crucial regulators of plant growth, development, and immunity. To fully understand LRR-RLK function, it is essential to understand how their expression is regulated under different conditions. While there have been numerous studies on post-translational regulation of LRR-RLKs through phosphorylation and ubiquitination, there is little known about the mechanisms of transcriptional and post-transcriptional regulation of LRR-RLKs. In this study, we show that natural antisense transcript long non-coding RNAs are central regulators of LRR-RLK expression at the transcriptional and post-transcriptional levels. LRR-RLK genes are almost universally associated with cis-NATs and we confirm cis-NAT expressionin plantausing strand-specific RT-PCR. We leverage several well-studied LRR-RLKs to demonstrate that cis-NATs regulate LRR-RLK expression and function. For cis-NATs to fine-tune LRR-RLK expression, their expression and regulatory activity must be tightly controlled and cell autonomous. Using a combination of GUS reporter assays and tissue-specific promoters, we provide evidence that cis-NATs have these characteristics, positioning them as key regulators of LRR-RLK function. We also demonstrate that the association of LRR-RLK genes with cis-NATs is conserved across much of plant evolution, suggesting that this previously unexplored regulatory mechanism serves an important and ancient purpose.
Ne21
energy levels approaching the
α
-particle threshold
Authors: Angus C. , Frost-Schenk J. , Laird A. M. , Adsley P. , Longland R. , Barton C. J. , Diget C. Aa. , Marshall C. , Portillo Chaves F. , Setoodehnia K. 
Published: April 2024

Nuclei around Ne20 exhibit an interplay of different excitations caused by different aspects of nuclear structure, including single-particle and multiparticle configurations and collective rotations. One-nucleon transfer reactions selectively probe single-particle structures in these nuclei. These nuclei are also important to astrophysics, with a number of important reactions proceeding through this mass region.
Energy levels approaching the α-particle threshold in Ne21 are of importance to nuclear structure. The Ne20(d,p)Ne21 reaction was measured and the corresponding spectroscopic nuclear information was extracted.
States in Ne21 were populated using the Ne20(d,p)Ne21 reaction in forward kinematics. Protons were identified in the Triangle Universities Nuclear Laboratory (TUNL) Enge split-pole spectrograph and angular distributions were extracted. Spin-party assignments were made and neutron partial widths were determined based on distorted-wave Born approximation (DWBA) analysis.
Several new energy levels were observed at energies of 7176, 7235, 7250, and 7337 keV, and spin-parities are reported which generally agree with previous results where literature was available. Spin and parity assignments are reported for several energy levels along with estimated neutron widths for those states above the neutron threshold (Sn=6761keV).
Results from this study are placed in context with a review of the available literature on all known states in this energy region of Ne21.Published by the American Physical Society2024
Study of topological quantities of lattice QCD with a modified Wasserstein generative adversarial network
Authors: Gao Lin , Ying Heping , Zhang Jianbo 
Published: April 2024

We propose a modified Wasserstein generative adversarial network (M-WGAN) to study the distribution of the topological charge in lattice QCD based on Monte Carlo simulations. We construct new generator and discriminator in M-WGAN to support the generation of high-quality distribution. Our results show that the M-WGAN scheme of machine learning should be helpful for us to calculate efficiently the 1D distribution of topological charge compared with the method by the Monte Carlo simulation alone.

Published by the American Physical Society
2024
What makes viewers loyal toward streamers? A relationship building perspective and the gender difference
Authors: Li Yingxia , Kamal Basha Norazlyn , Ng Siew Imm , Lin Qiaoling 
Published: April 2024

PurposeCultivating loyal customers is a pressing concern for streamers. The present study investigates how to build interpersonal relationships with streamers and whether different interpersonal relationship factors lead to repurchase intention and WOM intention in live streaming commerce. The moderating effect of gender is also examined.Design/methodology/approachA self-administered questionnaire was completed by 429 live streaming commerce users in mainland China. Partial least squares structural equation modeling was used to test the research hypotheses.FindingsThe results indicate that all four streamer attributes (expertise, authenticity, attractiveness, and homophily) have a positive influence on swift guanxi, and swift guanxi is effective in predicting both calculative commitment and affective commitment. In addition, all interpersonal relationship factors (swift guanxi, calculative commitment, and affective commitment) significantly affect repurchase intentions, with only affective commitment being linked to WOM intention. Also, the moderating role of gender was confirmed in expertise – swift guanxi, attractiveness – swift guanxi, cognitive commitment – repurchase intention and affective commitment – repurchase intention linkages.Originality/valueThis paper contributes to the live streaming commerce literature by integrating swift guanxi, calculative commitment, and affective commitment to understand the repurchase intention and WOM intention from the relationship-building process perspective. In addition, this paper enriches the source credibility and source attractiveness models by identifying gender boundaries on the effectiveness of these models in predicting swift guanxi.
An AcciMap approach to analyse the Chinese melamine milk scandal
Authors: Soon-Sinclair Jan Mei , Nayak Rounaq , Manning Louise 
Published: April 2024

PurposeThe 2008 Chinese melamine milk scandal resulted in six reported fatalities and affected around 300,000 children, of whom 54,000 were hospitalised. Previous studies have used linear approaches to examine the root causes of the melamine milk scandal.Design/methodology/approachIn the present study, we applied a systems approach to the melamine milk scandal to identify the complex systems-level failures across the supply chain leading to the incident and why food fraud incidents such as this occurred in the dairy sector. Additionally, systemic failures associated with food fraud vulnerability factors were considered (i.e. opportunities, motivation and control measures).Findings48 contributory factors of influence were identified and grouped across six sociotechnical levels across the Chinese dairy system, from government to equipment and surroundings. Lack of vertical integration (processes and communication) contributed to the failure. When viewed from a broader perspective, the melamine milk scandal can be linked to a series of human errors and organisational issues associated with government bodies, the dairy supply chain, individual organisations and management decisions and individual actions of staff or processes.Practical implicationsThis approach is of value to policymakers and the industry as it supports public health investigations of food fraud incidents and proactive food safety management.Originality/valueTo the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to analyse a food safety or fraud incident using the AcciMap approach and the food fraud vulnerability assessment (FFVA) technique. AcciMap analysis is applied to both unintentional and intentional aspects of the incident.
Brazilian Stagflation
Authors: Murphy Daniel 
Published: April 2024

Alexandre Tombini, the governor of the Central Bank of Brazil, faced a difficult situation in July 2015. Inflation was in the double digits, well above the target rate of 4.5%, and unemployment had increased from around 4.5% a year prior to nearly 8%. Any actions Tombini took to control inflation would most likely exacerbate unemployment, at least in the short run. To further complicate matters, Tombini's office was not independent of the executive branch of Brazil's government, and Tombini faced the possibility that any of his actions that were not aligned with the priorities of the current administration could cost him his job.This case follows classes on fiscal and monetary policy in normal times and is the first class in a sequence on macroeconomic challenges–in this case, stagflation–high inflation and high unemployment. Students are pushed to consider why macroeconomic stabilization involves such acute and unpleasant tradeoffs during episodes of high inflation and unemployment. Students use the IS/LM AD/AS model as a reference.
Emerging market multinationals’ embeddedness in Global South countries: an empirical study of Chinese MNEs in Peru
Authors: Mazé Dominique , Alcaraz Jorge , Buitrago R. Ricardo E. 
Published: April 2024

Purpose
This paper aims to investigate how emerging market multinational enterprises (EMNEs) are integrating and expanding into other emerging market host countries, focusing on Chinese mining companies in Peru.

Design/methodology/approach
Adopting a qualitative approach, an in-depth analysis of two Chinese state-owned enterprises’ strategies was conducted, building on stakeholder theory and the business ecosystem perspective.

Findings
This study reveals a reliance on high-level political lobbying rather than localized engagement strategies. However, findings point to increasing grassroots resistance among local stakeholders, undermining EMNEs’ bargaining power.

Originality/value
This paper argues for a paradigm shift toward inclusive, cooperative “translocal governance” approaches as empowered communities gain voice. Key contributions include advancing theoretical understanding of changing stakeholder relationships and power configurations in emerging countries, underscoring the rising significance of microlevel sociocultural embeddedness for MNE success and highlighting practical imperatives for EMNEs to embark on rapid localization strategies in Latin America. By elucidating multilayered integration realities in Peru, this interdisciplinary study yields contextualized insights and enriches perspective on the conditions and pathways for EMNEs to build sustainability in Global South emerging market environments.
Discretionary HR practices and happiness at work (HAW): a sequential mediation model of perceived organizational support and meaning of work
Authors: Hamid Zeeshan , Kundi Yasir Mansoor 
Published: April 2024

PurposeThis paper aims to explore the mechanisms by which employees’ happiness at work (HAW) can be promoted. Drawing on the social exchange theory (SET), this study examined the relationships among discretionary human resource (HR) practices, perceived organizational support (POS), meaning of work (MOW) and HAW.Design/methodology/approachA three-path mediation model was developed to test the proposed relationships. The data were collected from Pakistani business professionals (n = 361), and hypotheses were tested using the PROCESS macro for SPSS .FindingsThe results suggest that POS mediates the relationship between discretionary HR practices and HAW. Also, MOW mediated the relationship between discretionary HR practices and HAW. Hence, both POS and MOW were found to be independent mediators. Further, the data provided support for the serial mediation of POS and MOW in the relationship between discretionary HR practices and HAW.Practical implicationsThis research provides insights to organizations and their management on how discretionary HR practices can enhance employees’ POS, MOW and HAW.Originality/valueThe findings show that discretionary HR practices are associated with employees’ HAW. In addition, two mediators (POS and MOW) were found to serially mediate the aforesaid relationships. These findings are novel, as no prior research has used this nascent methodological approach to deepen our understanding by examining the associations between discretionary HR practices, POS, MOW and employees’ HAW.
Introducing a novel decision support system to enhance performance in infrastructure sanitation projects within the construction industry
Authors: Shided Keniwe Mahmoud Sabry , Ali Ali Hassan , Abdelaal Mostafa Ali , Yassin Ahmed Mohamed , Kineber Ahmed Farouk , Nosier Ibrahim Abdel-Rashid , El Monayeri Ola Diaa , Elsayad Mohamed Ashraf 
Published: April 2024

PurposeThis study focused on exploring the performance factors (PFs) that impact Infrastructure Sanitation Projects (ISSPs) in the construction sector. The aim was twofold: firstly, to identify these crucial PFs and secondly, to develop a robust performance model capable of effectively measuring and assessing the intricate interdependencies and correlations within ISSPs. By achieving these objectives, the study aimed to provide valuable insights into and tools for enhancing the efficiency and effectiveness of sanitation projects in the construction industry.Design/methodology/approachTo achieve the study's aim, the methodology for identifying the PFs for ISSPs involved several steps: extensive literature review, interviews with Egyptian industry experts, a questionnaire survey targeting industry practitioners and an analysis using the Relative Importance Index (RII), Pareto principle and analytic network process (ANP). The RII ranked factor importance, and Pareto identified the top 20% for ANP, which determined connections and interdependencies among these factors.FindingsThe literature review identified 36 PFs, and an additional 13 were uncovered during interviews. The highest-ranked PF is PF5, while PF19 is the lowest-ranked. Pareto principle selected 11 PFs, representing the top 20% of factors. The ANP model produced an application for measuring ISSP effectiveness, validated through two case studies. Application results were 92.25% and 91.48%, compared to actual results of 95.77% and 97.37%, indicating its effectiveness and accuracy, respectively.Originality/valueThis study addresses a significant knowledge gap by identifying the critical PFs that influence ISSPs within the construction industry. Subsequently, it constructs a novel performance model, resulting in the development of a practical computer application aimed at measuring and evaluating the performance of these projects.