bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Refined movement analysis in the Staircase test reveals differential motor deficits in mouse models of stroke
Authors: Skrobot Matej , Sa Rafael De , Walter Josefine , Vogt Arend , Paulat Raik , Lips Janet , Mosch Larissa , Mueller Susanne , Dominiak Sina , Sachdev Robert , Böhm-Sturm Philipp , Dirnagl Ulrich , Endres Matthias , Harms Christoph , Wenger Nikolaus 
Published: October 2023

AbstractAccurate assessment of post-stroke deficits is vital in translational research. Recent advances in machine learning provide unprecedented precision in quantifying rodent motor behavior post-stroke. However, the extent to which these tools can detect lesion-specific upper extremity deficits remains unclear. Using proximal middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) and cortical photothrombosis (PT), we assessed post-stroke impairments in mice through the Staircase test. Lesion locations were identified using 7T-MRI. Machine learning was applied to reconstruct kinematic trajectories usingMouseReach, a data-processing toolbox. This yielded 30 refined outcome parameters effectively capturing motor deficits. Lesion reconstructions located ischemic centers in the striatum (MCAO) and sensorimotor cortex (PT). Pellet retrieval was altered in both cases but did not correlate with stroke volume or ischemia extent. Instead, cortical ischemia was characterized by increased hand slips and modified reaching success. Striatal ischemia led to progressively prolonged reach durations, mirroring delayed symptom onset in basal ganglia strokes. In summary, refined machine learning-based movement analysis revealed specific deficits in mice after cortical and striatal ischemia. These findings emphasize the importance of thorough behavioral profiling in preclinical stroke research to increase translational validity of behavioral assessments.
Unveiling the Anti-Adhesive Potential of Tetraspanin CD9 Peptides againstPseudomonas aeruginosain Human Keratinocytes
Authors: Murad Khairiyah , Ab-Rahim Sharaniza , Al-Talib Hassanain 
Published: October 2023

AbstractMultidrug-resistantP. aeruginosastrains are becoming a public health problem worldwide, causing numerous nosocomial infections. Adhesion of bacteria to host cells is a crucial step in infection, hence interruption of this stage can reduce bacterial infection. Tetraspanin CD9 was chosen for this study as it has been implicated in the pathogenesis of bacterial infections in a previous study. The aim of this study is to investigate the adhesion inhibition of tetraspanin CD9 peptides againstP. aeruginosain human keratinocytes. HaCaT cells were infected withP. aeruginosa, prior to treatment with CD9 peptides. The CD9 peptides cytotoxicity testing was determined by MTT assay. Bacterial adhesion was also determined quantitatively by counting viable bacterial cells and qualitatively by Giemsa staining and transmission electron microscope. Inflammatory markers (IL-8 and IL-6) expression was measured by Elisa assay. CD9 peptides did not affect HaCaT cell viability and inflammatory markers release. This study successfully demonstrated that CD9 peptides reducedP. aeruginosaadherence. Colonies produced byP. aeruginosaisolates treated with CD9 peptides were significantly reduced. Giemsa staining and TEM showed that treated samples had lower bacterial density and were located farther from the cells. These data suggest that tetraspanin CD9 peptides as the potential therapeutic approach againstP. aeruginosadue to its property that inhibits bacterial adhesion without killing the bacteria, whereby at the same time does not adversely affect the nature of host cells.
Behavioral and genetic correlates of heterogeneity in learning performance in individual honeybees,Apis mellifera
Authors: Chakroborty Neloy Kumar , Leboulle Gérard , Einspanier Ralf , Menzel Randolf 
Published: October 2023

AbstractLearning an olfactory discrimination task leads to heterogeneous results in honeybees with bees performing very well and others at low rates. Here we investigated this behavioral heterogeneity and asked whether it is associated with particular gene expression patterns. Bees were individually conditioned in a sequential conditioning protocol involving several phases of olfactory learning and retention tests. The rate of CS+ odor learning was found to correlate highest with a cumulative performance score extracted from all learning and retention tests. The cumulative score was used to sort the tested bees into high and low performers. Microarray analysis of gene expression in the mushroom body area of the brains of these bees disclosed a list of genes, which were differentially expressed between the high and low performers. These candidate genes are implicated in diverse biological functions, such as neurotransmission, memory formation, cargo trafficking and development.
Bacterial diversity and composition on the rinds of specific melon cultivars and hybrids from across different growing regions in the United States
Authors: Goforth Madison , Obergh Victoria , Park Richard , Porchas Martin , Crosby Kevin M. , Jifon John L. , Ravishankar Sadhana , Brierley Paul , Leskovar Daniel L. , Turini Thomas A. , Schultheis Jonathan , Coolong Timothy , Miller Rhonda , Koiwa Hisashi , Patil Bhimanagouda S. , Cooper Margarethe A. , Huynh Steven , Parker Craig T. , Guan Wenjing , Cooper Kerry K. 
Published: October 2023

AbstractThe goal of this study was to characterize the bacterial diversity on different melon varieties grown in different regions of the US, and determine the influence that region, rind netting, and variety of melon has on the composition of the melon microbiome. Assessing the bacterial diversity of the microbiome on the melon rind can identify antagonistic and protagonistic bacteria for foodborne pathogens and spoilage organisms to improve melon safety, prolong shelf-life, and/or improve overall plant health. Bacterial community composition of melons (n = 603) grown in seven locations over a four-year period were used for 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing and analysis to identify bacterial diversity and constituents. Statistically significant differences in alpha diversity based on the rind netting and growing region (p < 0.01) were found among the melon samples. Principal Coordinate Analysis based on the Bray-Curtis dissimilarity distance matrix found that the melon bacterial communities clustered more by region rather than melon variety (R2value: 0.09 & R2value: 0.02 respectively). Taxonomic profiling among the growing regions foundEnterobacteriaceae,Bacillaceae,Microbacteriaceae,andPseudomonadaceaepresent on the different melon rinds at an abundance of ≥ 0.1%, but no specific core microbiome was found for netted melons. However, a core ofPseudomonadaceae,Bacillaceae, andExiguobacteraceaewere found for non-netted melons. The results of this study indicate that bacterial diversity is driven more by the region that the melons were grown in compared to rind netting or melon type. Establishing the foundation for regional differences could improve melon safety, shelf-life, and quality as well as the consumers’ health.
Increased intrinsic membrane excitability is associated with hypertrophic olivary degeneration in spinocerebellar ataxia type 1
Authors: Morrison Logan M. , Huang Haoran , Handler Hillary P. , Fu Min , Bushart David D. , Pappas Samuel S. , Orr Harry T. , Shakkottai Vikram G. 
Published: October 2023

AbstractOne of the characteristic areas of brainstem degeneration across multiple spinocerebellar ataxias (SCAs) is the inferior olive (IO), a medullary nucleus that plays a key role in motor learning. In addition to its vulnerability in SCAs, the IO is also susceptible to a distinct pathology known as hypertrophic olivary degeneration (HOD). Clinically, HOD has been exclusively observed after lesions in the brainstem disrupt inhibitory afferents to the IO. Here, for the first time, we describe HOD in another context: spinocerebellar ataxia type 1 (SCA1). Using the genetically-precise SCA1 knock-in mouse model (SCA1-KI; both sexes used), we assessed SCA1-associated changes in IO neuron structure and function. Concurrent with degeneration, we found that SCA1-KI IO neurons are hypertrophic, exhibiting early dendrite lengthening and later somatic expansion. Unlike in previous descriptions of HOD, we observed no clear loss of IO inhibitory innervation; nevertheless, patch-clamp recordings from brainstem slices reveal that SCA1-KI IO neurons are hyperexcitable. Rather than synaptic disinhibition, we identify increases inintrinsicmembrane excitability as the more likely mechanism underlying this novel SCA1 phenotype. Specifically, transcriptome analysis indicates that SCA1-KI IO hyperexcitability is associated with a reduced medullary expression of ion channels responsible for spike afterhyperpolarization (AHP) in IO neurons – a result that has a functional consequence, as SCA1-KI IO neuron spikes exhibit a diminished AHP. These results reveal membrane excitability as a potential link between disparate causes of IO degeneration, suggesting that HOD can result from any cause, intrinsic or extrinsic, that increases excitability of the IO neuron membrane.Significance statementLittle is known about the factors that make inferior olive (IO) neurons susceptible to degeneration in the spinocerebellar ataxias (SCAs), a group of inherited neurodegenerative movement disorders. Another well-described form of IO degeneration, known as hypertrophic olivary degeneration (HOD), results from inhibitory denervation of the IO after brainstem injury. Here, we describe a novel finding of HOD in SCA1 without inhibitory denervation, in association with increased intrinsic membrane excitability and reduced potassium channel transcripts. This suggests that increased membrane excitability may be the underlying primary mechanism of HOD. Identifying hyperexcitability as the mechanistic driver of HOD would imply that reducing intrinsic IO excitability could be an effective strategy for treating diverse causes of both inherited and sporadic olivary degeneration.
Migraine inhibitor olcegepant reduces weight loss and IL-6 release in SARS-CoV-2 infected older mice with neurological signs
Authors: Rahman Shafaqat M. , Buchholz David W. , Imbiakha Brian , Jager Mason C. , Leach Justin , Osborn Raven M. , Birmingham Ann O. , Dewhurst Stephen , Aguilar Hector C. , Luebke Anne E. 
Published: October 2023

AbstractCOVID-19 can result in neurological symptoms such as fever, headache, dizziness, and nausea. However, neurological signs of SARS-CoV-2 infection have been hardly assessed in mouse models. Here, we infected two commonly used wildtype mice lines (C57BL/6 and 129S) with mouse-adapted SARS-CoV-2 and demonstrated neurological signs including motion- related dizziness. We then evaluated whether the Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide (CGRP) receptor antagonist, olcegepant, used in migraine treatment could mitigate acute neuroinflammatory and neurological responses to SARS-COV-2 infection. We infected wildtype C57BL/6J and 129/SvEv mice, and a 129 αCGRP-null mouse line with a mouse-adapted SARS- CoV-2 virus, and evaluated the effect of CGRP receptor antagonism on the outcome of that infection. First, we determined that CGRP receptor antagonism provided protection from permanent weight loss in older (>12 m) C57BL/6J and 129 SvEv mice. We also observed acute fever and motion-induced dizziness in all older mice, regardless of treatment. However, in both wildtype mouse lines, CGRP antagonism reduced acute interleukin 6 (IL-6) levels by half, with virtually no IL-6 release in mice lacking αCGRP. These findings suggest that migraine inhibitors such as those blocking CGRP signaling protect against acute IL-6 release and subsequent inflammatory events after SARS-CoV-2 infection, which may have repercussions for related pandemic and/or endemic coronaviruses.ImportanceCOVID-19 can cause neurological symptoms such as fever, headache, dizziness, and nausea. However, such neurological symptoms of SARS-CoV-2 infection have been hardly assessed in mouse models. Here, we first infected two commonly used wildtype mice lines (C57BL/6 and 129S) with mouse-adapted SARS-CoV-2 and demonstrated neurological signs including motion-related dizziness. Further, we showed that migraine treatment drug olcegepant could reduce long-term weight loss and IL-6 release associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection. These findings suggest that a migraine blocker can be protective for at least some acute SARS-CoV-2 infection signs and raise the possibility that it may also impact long-term outcomes of infection.
A Pipeline for a Primate Projectome: mapping every individual myelinated axon across the whole brain
Authors: Wildenberg Gregg , Boergens Kevin , Nikitin Viktor , Deriy Alex , De Carlo Francesco , De Andrade Vincent , Xiao Xianghui , Kasthuri Narayan 
Published: October 2023

1AbstractWe developed a pipeline to detail the morphology and complete trajectory of every long distance projecting neuron in large volumes of the non-human primate brain - a projectome. A projectome would organize how the hundreds of brain regions in a primate brain communicate with each other and provide a comprehensive classification of long distance neurons. The reason such projectomes do not exist already is that there is no single imaging technique with the resolution and sampling depth capable of producing one in primates. Here we address that gap by combining new ways to cut brains with minimal tissue loss, nanoscale x-ray microscopy imaging that reveals every individual myelinated axon (MA) and the location, size, and morphology of every neuron, and algorithms for tracing individual myelinated axons for millimeters to centimeters, across tissue gaps.
Roles of SNORD115 and SNORD116 ncRNA clusters in neuronal differentiation
Authors: Helwak Aleksandra , Turowski Tomasz , Spanos Christos , Tollervey David 
Published: October 2023

ABSTRACTPrader-Willi syndrome shows features linked to brain development and hypothalamus-related endocrine abnormalities. The smallest clinical deletions fall within the large (∼650Kb) SNHG14 gene, removing 29 consecutive introns that each generate SNORD116. SNHG14 also includes 48 tandem introns encoding SNORD115 and generates multiple, extended snoRNA-related species. SNORD115 and SNORD116 resemble box C/D small nucleolar RNAs (snoRNAs) but lack known targets. Both snoRNAs strongly accumulated during neuronal differentiation. SNORD116 accumulation apparently reflected stabilization, potentially linked to the appearance of FBLL1, a homologue of the ubiquitous snoRNA-associated protein Fibrillarin (FBL). In contrast, SNORD115 was selectively transcribed, apparently due to regulated termination. For functional characterization we created cell lines lacking only the expressed, paternal, SNORD115 or SNORD116 cluster. Analyses during neuronal development indicated changes in RNA stability and protein synthesis. Altered mRNAs includedMAGEL2, mutation of which causes the PWS-like disorder Schaaf-Yang syndrome. Comparison of SNORD115 and SNORD116 mutants indicated overlapping or interacting functions. Most changes in mRNA and protein abundance appeared relatively late in development, with roles including cytoskeleton formation, extracellular matrix, neuronal arborization. Comparison with human embryonic midbrain development suggested enhanced progression in neuronal development in the snoRNA mutants. Subtle impairment of relative neuronal maturation during development, might generate the clinical phenotypes.
What does the performance appraisal approach tell us about the organizational culture's basic assumptions?
Authors: Ben-Hador Batia 
Published: October 2023

PurposePerformance appraisal (PA) is an organizational practice whose ultimate goal is to improve employee performance. This goal can be achieved using two approaches: the administrative approach, which emphasizes materialistic incentives and rewards excellent performers, and the developmental approach, which focuses on employee personal and professional development. The literature points out that organizations cannot utilize both approaches at the same time, but the reason for this is vague. Therefore, the research purpose is to bridge this gap by exploring the basic assumptions behind the administrative and developmental PA approaches as part of the hidden layers of organizational culture.Design/methodology/approachA qualitative document analysis (QDA) was used to analyze 124 Israeli organizations' PA forms and employee reports.FindingsThe organization's PA approaches were diagnosed as a first step in revealing the reason for the inability to use both approaches simultaneously. In the next step, it was revealed that organizational culture assumptions are the reason for the contradiction of the PA approaches. Eventually, McGregor's theory X is the basic assumption behind the administrative approach, and theory Y is the assumption behind the developmental approach. Since these two approaches contradict each other, it explains the difficulty of using both approaches simultaneously.Originality/valueThis study dives into the hidden levels of organizational culture and attempts to bridge a long-standing but still current research gap, as well as extend and refine organizational culture and performance appraisal theories.
Hospital ownership and admission rates from the emergency department, evidence from Florida
Authors: Howard David H. , David Guy 
Published: October 2023

AbstractObjectiveIn light of Department of Justice investigations of for‐profit chains for over‐admitting patients, we sought to evaluate whether for‐profit hospitals are more likely to admit patients from the emergency department.Data SourcesWe used statewide visit‐level inpatient and emergency department records from Florida's Agency for Healthcare Administration for 2007–2019.Study DesignWe calculated differences in admission rates between for‐profit and other hospitals, adjusting for patient and hospital characteristics. We also estimated instrumental variables models using differential distance to a for‐profit hospital as an instrument.Data Collection/Extraction MethodsOur main analysis focuses on patients ages 65 and older treated in hospitals that primarily serve adults.Principal FindingsAdjusted admission rates among patients ages 65 and older were 7.1 percentage points (95% CI: 5.1–9.1) higher at for‐profit hospitals in 2019 (or 18.8% of the sample mean of 37.8%). Differences in admission rates have remained constant since 2009.ConclusionOur results are consistent with allegations that for‐profit hospitals maintain lower admission thresholds to increase occupancy levels.
LP309 a new strain of Lactiplantibacillus pentosus that improves the lactic fermentation of Spanish‐style table olives
Authors: Rodríguez‐Gómez Francisco , Valero Antonio , Vives Lara Elena , Marín Ana , Ramírez Eva María 
Published: October 2023

AbstractDifferent varieties of table olives have suitable morphological characteristics that allow them to be processed as Spanish‐style green table olives. However, the Campiñesa cultivar presents difficulties when submitted to a lactic fermentation, in spite of being inoculated with dedicated starter cultures such as OleicaStarter. The strategy followed in this study to facilitate the start of lactic fermentation was to reinforce the OleicaStarter culture with the use of the Lactoplantibacillus pentosus Lp309 a strain that enhanced the survival of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) at the beginning of fermentation, reaching final pH values (4.08 ± 0.01), free acidity (1.00 ± 0.01 g/100 mL of brine), LAB population (6.17 ± 0.09 log CFU/mL), nutrient depletion (0.80 ± 0.09 g/kg of pulp), and lactic acid production (11.85 ± 0.72 g/L). These values allowed stabilization of the final product, thus complying with the quality and food safety standards established by the Codex Alimentarius for table olives.
Journeying towards best practice data management in biodiversity genomics
Authors: Forsdick Natalie J. , Wold Jana , Angelo Anton , Bissey François , Hart Jamie , Head Mitchell , Liggins Libby , Senanayake Dinindu , Steeves Tammy E. 
Published: October 2023

AbstractAdvances in sequencing technologies and declining costs are increasing the accessibility of large‐scale biodiversity genomic datasets. To maximize the impact of these data, a careful, considered approach to data management is essential. However, challenges associated with the management of such datasets remain, exacerbated by uncertainty among the research community as to what constitutes best practices. As an interdisciplinary team with diverse data management experience, we recognize the growing need for guidance on comprehensive data management practices that minimize the risks of data loss, maximize efficiency for stand‐alone projects, enhance opportunities for data reuse, facilitate Indigenous data sovereignty and uphold the FAIR and CARE Guiding Principles. Here, we describe four fictional personas reflecting differing user experiences with data management to identify data management challenges across the biodiversity genomics research ecosystem. We then use these personas to demonstrate realistic considerations, compromises and actions for biodiversity genomic data management. We also launch the Biodiversity Genomics Data Management Hub (https://genomicsaotearoa.github.io/data‐management‐resources/), containing tips, tricks and resources to support biodiversity genomics researchers, especially those new to data management, in their journey towards best practice. The Hub also provides an opportunity for those biodiversity researchers whose expertise lies beyond genomics and are keen to advance their data management journey. We aim to support the biodiversity genomics community in embedding data management throughout the research lifecycle to maximize research impact and outcomes.
Holistic care in healthy aging: Caring for the wholly and holy human
Authors: Acosta Lealani Mae Y. , Ely E. Wesley 
Published: October 2023

AbstractHealth care should address the holistic gap between health outcomes, spirituality, religion, and humanistic care to optimize patient care. Treating the whole person encompasses both physical and metaphysical elements. Patients want health care professionals to recognize their spiritual and religious preferences, because these matter in their approach to illness, coping, and long‐term outcomes.