bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Geographic Distribution of a Missense Mutation in theKRT38Gene and Its Association with Heat Tolerance in Chinese Indigenous Cattle Breeds
Authors: Chen Jialei , Liu Xin , Liu Jianyong , Zhang Jicai , Huang Bizhi , Lei Chuzhao 
Published: October 2023

ABSTRACTContextChina has a vast area across many temperature zones and a variety of cattle breeds. These cattle resources are ideal models to research their adaptability to the environment. TheKRT38gene is an acidic protein, and its coding product can be used as a component of hair production.AimsThe objective of this study was to investigate the diversity of theKRT38gene in Chinese local cattle and the association of different genotypes with mean temperature (T), relative humidity (RH) and temperature humidity index (THI).MethodsA missense mutation g.41650738 A > G in theKRT38gene was screened from the database of bovine genomic variation (BGVD), was genotyped in a total of 246 samples from 15 local cattle breeds in China by PCR amplification and sequencing. Finally, the correlation between the locus and the three climatic factors was analysed.Key resultsWe successfully obtained the frequency of this SNP in three groups of cattle in northern, central and southern China. The frequency of allele A gradually declined from north to south, while the frequency of allele G showed the opposite trend with a clear geographic distribution.ConclusionsOur results indicate thatKRT38variation in Chinese indigenous cattle might be linked to heat tolerance.ImplicationsOur analysis may support in finding out its importance as a genetic signal for heat tolerance in cattle reproduction and genetics.
Neural and muscular contributions to the age-related loss in power of the knee extensors in men and women
Authors: Wrucke David J. , Kuplic Andrew , Adam Mitchell , Hunter Sandra K. , Sundberg Christopher W. 
Published: October 2023

ABSTRACTThe mechanisms for the loss in limb muscle power in old (60-79 years) and very old (≥80 years) adults and whether the mechanisms differ between men and women are not well-understood. We compared maximal power of the knee extensor muscles between young, old, and very old men and women and identified the neural and muscular factors contributing to the age-related loss of power. 31 young (22.9±3.0 years, 15 women), 83 old (70.4±4.9 years, 39 women), and 16 very old adults (85.8±4.2 years, 9 women) performed maximal isokinetic contractions at 14 different velocities (30- 450°/s) to identify peak power. Voluntary activation (VA) and contractile properties were assessed with transcranial magnetic stimulation to the motor cortex and electrical stimulation of the femoral nerve. The age-related loss in power was ∼6.5 W·year-1for men (R2=0.62,p<0.001), which was a greater rate of decline (p=0.002) than the ∼4.2 W·year-1for women (R2=0.77,p<0.001). Contractile properties were the most closely associated variables with power output for both sexes, such as the rate of torque development of the potentiated twitch (men:R2=0.69,p<0.001; women:R2=0.57,p<0.001). VA was weakly associated with power in women (R2=0.13,p=0.012) but not men (p=0.191), whereas neuromuscular activation (EMG amplitude) during the maximal power contraction was not associated with power in men (p=0.347) or women (p=0.106). These data suggest that the age-related loss in power of the knee extensor muscles is due primarily to factors within the muscle for both sexes, although neural factors may play a minor role in older women.NEW & NOTEWORTHYThe accelerated age-related loss in power relative to the loss in muscle mass of the knee extensors was primarily due to factors altering the contractile properties of the muscle for both old and very old (≥80 yr) adults. The mechanisms for the decrements in power with aging appear largely similar for men and women, although neural factors may play more of a role in older women.
A spatial human thymus cell atlas mapped to a continuous tissue axis
Authors: Yayon Nadav , Kedlian Veronika R. , Boehme Lena , Suo Chenqu , Wachter Brianna , Beuschel Rebecca T. , Amsalem Oren , Polanski Krzysztof , Koplev Simon , Tuck Elizabeth , Dann Emma , Van Hulle Jolien , Perera Shani , Putteman Tom , Predeus Alexander V. , Dabrowska Monika , Richardson Laura , Tudor Catherine , Kreins Alexandra Y. , Engelbert Justin , Stephenson Emily , Kleshchevnikov Vitalii , De Rita Fabrizio , Crossland David , Bosticardo Marita , Pala Francesca , Prigmore Elena , Chipampe Nana-Jane , Prete Martin , Fei Lijiang , To Ken , Barker Roger A. , He Xiaoling , Van Nieuwerburgh Filip , Bayraktar Omer , Patel Minal , Davies Graham E. , Haniffa Muzlifah A. , Uhlmann Virginie , Notarangelo Luigi D. , Germain Ronald N. , Radtke Andrea J. , Marioni John C. , Taghon Tom , Teichmann Sarah A. 
Published: October 2023

AbstractT cells develop from circulating precursors, which enter the thymus and migrate throughout specialised sub-compartments to support maturation and selection. This process starts already in early fetal development and is highly active until the involution of the thymus in adolescence. To map the micro-anatomical underpinnings of this process in pre- vs. post-natal states, we undertook a spatially resolved analysis and established a new quantitative morphological framework for the thymus, the Cortico-Medullary Axis. Using this axis in conjunction with the curation of a multimodal single-cell, spatial transcriptomics and high-resolution multiplex imaging atlas, we show that canonical thymocyte trajectories and thymic epithelial cells are highly organised and fully established by post-conception week 12, pinpoint TEC progenitor states, find that TEC subsets and peripheral tissue genes are associated with Hassall’s Corpuscles and uncover divergence in the pace and drivers of medullary entry between CD4 vs. CD8 T cell lineages. These findings are complemented with a holistic toolkit for spatial analysis and annotation, providing a basis for a detailed understanding of T lymphocyte development.
Pervasive translational control of photosynthesis genes during photomorphogenesis is acquired by C4genes
Authors: Reyna-Llorens Ivan , Lastovka Filip , Schreier Tina B. , Singh Pallavi , Chung Betty Y.W. , Hibberd Julian M. 
Published: October 2023

AbstractC4photosynthesis allows increased efficiency and has evolved in more than sixty-six plant lineages. Underpinning this repeated appearance of the C4pathway is a major transcriptional reprogramming of photosynthesis genes. Here we investigated whether evolution has also significantly modified translational control by defining the translational dynamics of C3rice and C4sorghum during photomorphogenesis. In the dark rice photosynthesis transcripts are low abundance but highly translated. After exposure to light translational efficiency declines. The same phenomena occur in sorghum but in addition C4cycle genes show this response. We propose a model in which translational control of photosynthesis genes permits a rapid response to light and that this translational regulation is gained by C4genes during the evolution of the C4pathway.
ATAC and SAGA histone acetyltransferase modules facilitate transcription factor binding to nucleosomes in an acetylation independent manner
Authors: Chesnutt Kristin , Yayli Gizem , Toelzer Christine , Cox Khan , Gautam Gunjan , Berger Imre , Tora László , Poirier Michael G. 
Published: October 2023

SUMMARYTranscription initiation involves the coordination of multiple events, starting with activators binding specific DNA target sequences, which recruits transcription co-activators to open chromatin and enable binding of general transcription factors and RNA polymerase II to promoters. Two key human transcriptional coactivator complexes, ATAC (ADA-Two-A-Containing) and SAGA (Spt-Ada-Gcn5-acetyltransferase), target genomic loci to increase promoter accessibility. To better understand the function of ATAC and SAGA histone acetyltransferase (HAT) complexes, we usedin vitrobiochemical and biophysical assays to characterize human ATAC and SAGA HAT module interactions with nucleosomes and how a transcription factor (TF) coordinates these interactions. We found that ATAC and SAGA HAT modules bind nucleosomes with high affinity, independent of post-translational modifications (PTMs) and TFs. ATAC and SAGA HAT modules directly interact with the VP16 activator domain and a TF containing this domain enhances HAT module acetylation activity. Surprisingly, ATAC and SAGA HAT modules increase TF binding to its DNA target site within the nucleosome by an order of magnitude independent of histone acetylation. Altogether, our results reveal synergistic coordination between HAT modules and a TF, where ATAC and SAGA HAT modules: (i) acetylate histones to open chromatin, and (ii) facilitate TF targeting within nucleosomes independently of their acetylation activity.
Does transcriptome of freshly hatched fish larvae describe past or predict future developmental trajectory?
Authors: Debernardis Rossella , Palińska-Żarska Katarzyna , Judycka Sylwia , Panda Abhipsa , Jarmołowicz Sylwia , Jastrzębski Jan P. , de Almeida Tainá Rocha , Błażejewski Maciej , Hliwa Piotr , Krejszeff Sławomir , Żarski Daniel 
Published: October 2023

AbstractTranscriptomic analysis of freshly hatched fish larvae offers insights into phenotype development, yet it remains uncertain whether it reflects parental influence or predicts individual growth. This research scrutinizes the transcriptome of 16 Eurasian perch (Perca fluviatilis) larval groups alongside pre- and post-hatching traits. Despite consistent fertilization rates, significant variations in embryonic development and larval performance highlight diverse phenotypes studied. It enabled to bring our attention to the fact that larval transcriptome can serve as a window into both the parental contributions and the future performance of the larvae. Our further analysis shed light on ribosome biogenesis, neurogenesis, and the cell cycle, as important processes shaping early larval performance. Additionally, we propose a set of predictive, validated gene markers associated with further larval performance and key aquaculture traits, such asselenoo(associated with cannibalism),trim16(fulton’s condition factor),slc15a1(specific growth factor), andcipc(final weight). This study delves into the descriptive and predictive nature of the transcriptomic portrait of newly hatched larvae, paving the way to comprehend the intricate developmental pathways from fertilization towards juvenile stage.
Comparative profiling of cellular gait on adhesive micropatterns defines statistical patterns of activity that underlie native and cancerous cell dynamics
Authors: Ahn John C. , Coyle Scott M. 
Published: October 2023

SummaryCell dynamics are powered by patterns of activity, but it is not straightforward to quantify these patterns or compare them across different environmental conditions or cell-types. Here we digitize the long-term shape fluctuations of metazoan cells grown on micropatterned fibronectin islands to define and extract statistical features of cell dynamics without the need for genetic modification or fluorescence imaging. These shape fluctuations generate single-cell morphological signals that can be decomposed into two major components: a continuous, slow-timescale meandering of morphology about an average steady-state shape; and short-lived “events” of rapid morphology change that sporadically occur throughout the timecourse. By developing statistical metrics for each of these components, we used thousands of hours of single-cell data to quantitatively define how each axis of cell dynamics was impacted by environmental conditions or cell-type. We found the size and spatial complexity of the micropattern island modulated the statistics of morphological events—lifetime, frequency, and orientation—but not its baseline shape fluctuations. Extending this approach to profile a panel of triple negative breast cancer cell-lines, we found that different cell-types could be distinguished from one another along specific and unique statistical axes of their behavior. Our results suggest that micropatterned substrates provide a generalizable method to build statistical profiles of cell dynamics to classify and compare emergent cell behaviors.
Neuro-Cognitive Multilevel Causal Modeling: A Framework that Bridges the Explanatory Gap between Neuronal Activity and Cognition
Authors: Grosse-Wentrup Moritz , Kumar Akshey , Meunier Anja , Zimmer Manuel 
Published: October 2023

AbstractExplaining how neuronal activity gives rise to cognition arguably remains the most significant challenge in cognitive neuroscience. We introduce neuro-cognitive multilevel causal modeling (NC-MCM), a framework that bridges the explanatory gap between neuronal activity and cognition by construing cognitive states as (behaviorally and dynamically) causally consistent abstractions of neuronal states. Multilevel causal modeling allows us to interchangeably reason about the neuronal- and cognitive causes of behavior while maintaining a physicalist (in contrast to a strong dualist) position. We introduce an algorithm for learning cognitive-level causal models from neuronal activation patterns and demonstrate its ability to learn cognitive states of the nematodeC. elegansfrom calcium imaging data. We show that the cognitive-level model of the NC-MCM framework provides a concise representation of the neuronal manifold ofC. elegansand its relation to behavior as a graph, which, in contrast to other neuronal manifold learning algorithms, supports causal reasoning. We conclude the article by arguing that the ability of the NC-MCM framework to learn causally interpretable abstractions of neuronal dynamics and their relation to behavior in a purely data-driven fashion is essential for understanding more biological systems whose complexity prohibits the development of hand-crafted computational models.
Plexin-B1 and Plexin-B2 play non-redundant roles in GABAergic synapse formation
Authors: Adel Susannah S. , Pranske Zachary J. , Kowalski Tess F. , Kanzler Nicole , Ray Roshni , Carmona Catherine , Paradis Suzanne 
Published: October 2023

AbstractSynapse formation in the mammalian brain is a complex and dynamic process requiring coordinated function of dozens of molecular families such as cell adhesion molecules (CAMs) and ligand-receptor pairs (Ephs/Ephrins, Neuroligins/Neurexins, Semaphorins/Plexins). Due to the large number of molecular players and possible functional redundancies within gene families, it is challenging to determine the precise synaptogenic roles of individual molecules, which is key to understanding the consequences of mutations in these genes for brain function. Furthermore, few molecules are known to exclusively regulate either GABAergic or glutamatergic synapses, and cell and molecular mechanisms underlying GABAergic synapse formation in particular are not thoroughly understood. However, we previously demonstrated that Semaphorin-4D (Sema4D) regulates GABAergic synapse development in the mammalian hippocampus while having no effect on glutamatergic synapse development, and this effect occurs through binding to its high affinity receptor, Plexin-B1. Furthermore, Plexin-B2 contributes to GABAergic synapse formation as well but is not required for GABAergic synapse formation induced by binding to Sema4D. Here, we perform a structure-function study of the Plexin-B1 and Plexin-B2 receptors to identify the protein domains in each receptor that are required for its synaptogenic function. We also provide evidence that Plexin-B2 expression in presynaptic parvalbumin-positive interneurons is required for formation of GABAergic synapses onto excitatory pyramidal neurons in CA1. Our data reveal that Plexin-B1 and Plexin-B2 function non-redundantly to regulate GABAergic synapse formation and suggest that the transmembrane domain may underlie these functional distinctions. These findings lay the groundwork for future investigations into the precise signaling pathways required for synapse formation downstream of Plexin-B receptor signaling.
Sharia boards, managerial strategies and governance practices in Islamic banks: a Goffmanesque discourse
Authors: Karbhari Yusuf , Benamraoui Abdelhafid , Hassan Ahmad Fahmi Sheikh 
Published: October 2023

PurposeThe study applies Erving Goffman's (1974) “frame analysis” principles to examine how Sharia governance is practiced in Islamic banks and explores the interaction and strategies adopted by bank managers to influence the decisions of Sharia scholars. The study also aims to identify inherent flaws in the Sharia compliance review system.Design/methodology/approachThe study employs the principles of Goffman as a lens to critically analyse a rich dataset obtained through interviews undertaken with 46 key players operating in the governance framework of the Malaysian Islamic banking industry due to its progressive Islamic governance framework.FindingsThe study demonstrates that managers of Islamic banks may engage in “passing” and “covering” strategies while interacting within the governance structure. Concurrently, Sharia boards (SBs) implement “protective practices” during their interactions, adding complexity to their responsibilities within the banks. Consequently, SBs cannot merely be viewed as instruments for legitimising banking operations. This raises questions about the “impression management,” “concealment” and “competence” strategies employed by managers and SB members, as suggested by Goffman's framework. These findings indicate that there is room for further enhancement in the governance practices of Islamic banks.Research limitations/implicationsFuture research could explore aspects related to the governance of Islamic banks, such as investigating the independence and effectiveness of internal Sharia officers. Examining the strategies employed during their interactions with external Sharia boards and other stakeholders could provide further valuable insights.Practical implicationsBy highlighting shortcomings in the governance and compliance review process, the findings could serve as a valuable resource for policymakers. The insights derived could inform the development of regulations aimed at reducing opportunistic behaviour and promoting accountability in the Islamic banking sector.Originality/valueThis study uniquely employs Goffman's concepts of “frontstage” and “backstage” strategies to offer insights into the interactions between Islamic bank managers and SBs and the impact of these interactions on Sharia compliance. The study contributes to the understanding of the dynamics between key players in the governance of Islamic banks and the factors influencing their adherence to Sharia principles.
Replacing the old with the new: long-term issues of teacher professional development reforms in Indonesia
Authors: Revina Shintia , Pramana Rezanti Putri , Bjork Christopher , Suryadarma Daniel 
Published: October 2023

PurposeThis paper is among the first case studies in developing countries that comprehensively investigate the historical evolution of a country's teacher professional development (TPD) system, the outcomes of the current TPD and the factors underlying the stagnation of TPD quality.Design/methodology/approachThe authors collected data from three types of sources—documents, observations and interviews. Documents examined included the handbooks of the TPD program, handouts for teachers, training modules from TPD workshop sessions and research publications or reports on TPD programs in Indonesia introduced from the 1970s to 2018. The authors conducted formal interviews with trainers, education stakeholders and teachers who participated in recent TPD.FindingsThe findings indicate that, on paper, TPD initiatives in Indonesia have included some of the positive features of TPD highlighted in the literature. However, these factors have not been consistently included in the reforms rolled out over the decades, and, indeed, many of the less desirable features of those reforms have endured. The analysis also reveals the absence of four key factors in multiple TPD reforms that led to teachers' and other stakeholders' dissatisfaction with the TPD implementation. These include consideration of teachers' skills, background and capacities; relevance of training; feedback provided to teachers; and workshop follow-up.Originality/valueThe research indicates that the long-term issues of ineffectiveness of TPD in Indonesia are driven by the incoherence of different elements of the education system. This extends beyond the technical and operational elements of the TPD itself. The absence of a clear vision of the purposes of teacher development has created confusion and uncertainty for teachers.
Linking frontline construction workers' perceived abusive supervision to work engagement: job insecurity as the game-changing mediation and job alternative as a moderator
Authors: Wu Xiaoli , Zhang Lianying , Zhang Cailin 
Published: October 2023

PurposeThis research focuses on exploring a psychological mechanism between abusive supervision and job engagement via job insecurity and job alternative to understand how frontline construction workers' perceived abusive supervision impacts on their work engagement.Design/methodology/approachThis study draws on the conservation of resources theory (COR) to postulate that workers' job insecurity acts as a mediation between abusive supervision and work engagement, and the perception of job alternative moderates the impact of abusive supervision on job insecurity. This study empirically tests survey data from 357 frontline construction workers and adopts partial least square structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) to test the proposed model.FindingsThis paper proved the dark-side of abusive supervision, dual character of job insecurity and moderating role of job alternative. The game-changing mediation effects of job insecurity were examined, which suggested that work engagement would be higher when abusive supervision stimulates stronger job insecurity. Furthermore, the result indicated that the relationship between abusive supervision and job insecurity should be weaker when job alternative is high.Practical implicationsThis research suggests construction project managers (CPMs) must take steps such as enhancing supervisors' emotional management skills to control frequency of abuse and thus lessen compromising engagement. Moreover, overall understanding frontline workers' job insecurity is meaningful for better construction performance management.Originality/valueThis research contributes to the disputed leadership style (abusive supervision) and positive psychology knowledge (work engagement) in construction projects by unveiling the psychosocial mechanism (game-changing effects of job insecurity) of construction frontline workers positive engaged feeling. This study highlights the function of personal and job resources in process of resource conservation.