bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
MatP local enrichment delays segregation independently of tetramer formation and septal anchoring inVibrio cholerae
Authors: Espinosa Elena , Challita Jihane , Desfontaines Jean-Michel , Possoz Christophe , Val Marie-Eve , Mazel Didier , Marbouty Martial , Koszul Romain , Galli Elisa , Barre François-Xavier 
Published: February 2024

AbstractVibrio choleraeharbours a primary chromosome derived from the monochromosomal ancestor of the Vibrionales (ChrI) and a secondary chromosome derived from a megaplasmid (ChrII). The coordinated segregation of the replication terminus of both chromosomes (TerIandTerII)determines when and where cell division occurs. ChrI encodes a homolog ofEscherichia coliMatP, a protein that binds to a DNA motif (matS) that is overrepresented in replication termini. Here, we use a combination of deep sequencing and fluorescence microscopy techniques to show thatV. choleraeMatP structures TerI and TerII into macrodomains, targets them to mid-cell during replication, and delays their segregation, thus supporting that ChrII behaves as a bona fide chromosome. We further show that the extent of the segregation delay mediated by MatP depends on the number and local density ofmatSsites, and is independent of its assembly into tetramers and any interaction with the divisome, in contrast to what has been previously observed inE. coli.
Local and global changes in cell density induce reorganisation of 3D packing in a proliferating epithelium
Authors: Barone Vanessa , Tagua Antonio , Andrés-San Román Jesus Á. , Hamdoun Amro , Garrido-García Juan , Lyons Deirdre C. , Escudero Luis M. 
Published: February 2024

ABSTRACTTissue morphogenesis is intimately linked to the changes in shape and organisation of individual cells. In curved epithelia, cells can intercalate along their own apicobasal axes adopting a shape named “scutoid” that allows energy minimization in the tissue. Although several geometric and biophysical factors have been associated with this 3D reorganisation, the dynamic changes underlying scutoid formation in 3D epithelial packing remain poorly understood. Here we use live-imaging of the sea star embryo coupled with deep learning-based segmentation, to dissect the relative contributions of cell density, tissue compaction, and cell proliferation on epithelial architecture. We find that tissue compaction, which naturally occurs in the embryo, is necessary for the appearance of scutoids. Physical compression experiments identify cell density as the factor promoting scutoid formation at a global level. Finally, the comparison of the developing embryo with computational models indicates that the increase in the proportion of scutoids is directly associated with cell divisions. Our results suggest that apico-basal intercalations appearing just after mitosis may help accommodate the new cells within the tissue. We propose that proliferation in a compact epithelium induces 3D cell rearrangements during development.Summary statementThe study uses sea star embryogenesis as a model of a proliferating epithelium to highlight how cell division induces 3D cell rearrangements during development.
Site-specific sulfations regulate the physicochemical properties of papillomavirus-heparan sulfate interactions for entry
Authors: Bano Fouzia , Soria-Martinez Laura , van Bodegraven Dominik , Thorsteinsson Konrad , Brown Anna M. , Fels Ines , Snyder Nicole L. , Bally Marta , Schelhaas Mario 
Published: February 2024

AbstractCertain human papillomaviruses (HPVs) are etiological agents for several anogenital and oropharyngeal cancers. During initial infection, HPV16, the most prevalent cancer-causing type, specifically interacts with heparan sulfates (HS), not only enabling initial cell attachment but also triggering a crucial conformational change in viral capsids termed structural activation. It is unknown, whether such HS-HPV16 interactions depend on HS sulfation patterns. Thus, we probed potential roles of HS sulfations using cell-based functional and physicochemical assays, including single molecule force spectroscopy. Our results demonstrate that N-sulfation of HS is crucial for virus binding and structural activation by providing high affinity sites, and that additional 6O-sulfation is required to mechanically stabilize the interaction, whereas 2O-sulfation and 3O-sulfation are mostly dispensable. Together, our findings identify the contribution of HS sulfation patterns to HPV16 binding and structural activation and reveal how distinct sulfation groups of HS synergize to facilitate HPV16 entry, which, in turn, likely influences the tropism of HPVs.TeaserDistinct heparan sulfations facilitate HPV16 binding and structural activation through their physico-chemical properties.
Mycobacterium ulceranschallenge strain selection for a Buruli ulcer controlled human infection model
Authors: Muhi Stephen , Buultjens Andrew H. , Porter Jessica L. , Marshall Julia L. , Doerflinger Marcel , Pidot Sacha J. , O’Brien Daniel , Johnson Paul D. R. , Lavender Caroline , Globan Maria , McCarthy James , Osowicki Joshua , Stinear Timothy P. 
Published: February 2024

AbstractCritical scientific questions remain regarding infection withMycobacterium ulcerans, the organism responsible for the neglected tropical disease, Buruli ulcer (BU). A controlled human infection model has the potential to accelerate our knowledge of the immunological correlates of disease, to test prophylactic interventions and novel therapeutics. Here we present microbiological evidence supportingM. ulceransJKD8049 as a suitable human challenge strain. This non-genetically modified Australian isolate is susceptible to clinically relevant antibiotics, can be cultured in animal-free and surfactant-free media, can be enumerated for precise dosing, and has stable viability following cryopreservation. Infectious challenge of humans with JKD8049 is anticipated to imitate natural infection, asM. ulceransJKD8049 is genetically stable followingin vitropassage and produces the key virulence factor, mycolactone. Also reported are considerations for the manufacture, storage, and administration ofM. ulceransJKD8049 for controlled human infection.
A double ovulation protocol for Xenopus laevis produces doubled fertilisation yield and moderately transiently elevated corticosterone levels without loss of egg quality
Authors: Moss Chloe , Vacca Barbara , Arnold Jo , Hubens Chantal , Lynch Dominic M. , Pegge James , Green Michael A.R. , Hosie Charlotte A. , Smith Tessa E. , Green Jeremy B.A. 
Published: February 2024

AbstractThe African claw-toed frog,Xenopus laevis, is a well-established laboratory model for the biology of vertebrate fertilisation and development. For ovulation,X. laevisfemales are usually injected with chorionic gonadotropin, whereupon they lay typically hundreds to thousands of eggs in a day. Animals are re-used after being rested for a minimum of three months,. The literature suggests that adult females can lay much larger numbers of eggs in a short period. Here, we compared the standard “single ovulation” protocol with a “double ovulation” protocol, in which females were ovulated, then re-ovulated after seven days and then rested for three months before re-use. We quantified egg number, fertilisation rate (development to cleavage stage), and corticosterone secretion rate (a measure of stress response) over seven 3-month cycles. We found no differences in egg number-per-ovulation or fertilisation, and no long-term changes in any measures over the trial period. Corticosterone secretion was elevated by ovulation, similarly for the single ovulation as for the first ovulation in the double-ovulation protocol, but more highly for the second ovulation (to a level comparable to that seen following shipment). However, both groups exhibited the same baseline secretion rates by the time of the subsequent cycle. Double ovulation is thus transiently more stressful/demanding than single ovulation but within levels routinely experienced by laboratoryX. laevis. Noting that “stress hormone” corticosterone/cortisol secretion is linked to physiological processes, such as ovulation, that are not necessarily harmful to the individual, we suggest that the benefits of a doubling in egg yield-per-cycle per animal without loss of egg quality or signs of acute or long-term harm may outweigh the relatively modest and transient corticosterone elevation we observed. The double ovulation protocol therefore represents a potential new standard practice for promoting the “3Rs” (animal use reduction, refinement and replacement) mission for Xenopus research.
Laser Scanning Confocal printing, a new simple method for micro-device fabrication (LSCprint method)
Authors: Megías D , Gómez J , Ortega J , Mata G , Pérez-Martínez M. 
Published: February 2024

AbstractMicro-devices and lab-on-a-chip technologies have revolutionized cell biology research, enabling a plethora of applications from single-cell sorting to organ-on-a-chip assays. However, their construction remains laborious, requiring specialized equipment and trained personnel, thereby restricting their accessibility to specialized laboratories. The conventional protocol for micro-device printing involves intricate steps, including master cast/mold production and device fabrication, leading to high costs and time consumption.Here, we present a novel, simplified method utilizing a laser scanning confocal microscope (LSCM) and commercially available photosensitive resins. By using the UV or violet excitation laser lines of an LSCM, we eliminate the need for external suppliers and complex equipment, enabling any conventional cell biology laboratory to fabricate micro-devices swiftly and inexpensively.Our method not only enhances the capabilities of standard confocal microscopes but also democratises microfluidic device fabrication, making it accessible to non-specialized laboratories. With minimal reagent consumption and high scalability, our approach offers a cost-effective solution for rapid prototyping and production of micro-devices, circumventing previous barriers to widespread adoption. Moreover, our method allows direct printing of micro-devices onto substrates, eliminating the need for molds and intermediate steps, thus facilitating greater design flexibility and accessibility for non-specialized laboratories.
Consequences of Cancer on ZebrafishDanio rerio: Insights into Sex Determination, Sex Ratio, and Offspring Survival
Authors: Boutry Justine , Douhard Mathieu , Asselin Klara , Dujon Antoine M. , Meliani Jordan , De Backer Olivier , Nicolas Delphine , Schultz Aaron G. , Biro Peter A. , Beckmann Christa , Fontenille Laura , Kissa Karima , Ujvari Beata , Thomas Frédéric 
Published: February 2024

ABSTRACTOffspring sex ratio has been proposed as an indicator of the risk of developing certain cancers in humans, but offspring sex ratio may also be a consequence of the disease. In this study, we delve into this subject using the fishDanio rerioas a model system. First, we explore whether inducing skin cancer at an early stage of the host’s life (embryonic stage) has the potential to influence sex determination and/or sex-specific mortality. Second, we investigate whether the sex ratio in offspring produced by tumor-bearing adult females differs from that of healthy females. Third, we compare the survival (until sexual maturity) of offspring produced by cancerous and non-cancerous females. We found that skin cancer did not influence sex ratio in both experiments. However, consistent with previous studies on other model systems, the survival of offspring from cancerous females was higher, suggesting that diseased females allocate more resources to current reproductive efforts compared to their healthy counterparts. This study makes a significant contribution to our understanding of the ecological and evolutionary consequences of host-tumor interactions in animals.
Electrospun Poly (ε-caprolactone) Membranes Modified with Heparin and Essential Fatty Acids for Biomedical Applications
Authors: Farias Taisa , Ricardo Joelma , Cunha Jessica , Barcelay Yonny , Dip Ariamna , Ruzo Camila , Bastos Ivanildes , Segala Karen , Junior Joel Silva , Ţălu Ştefan , Paula Marco , Brito Walter 
Published: February 2024

AbstractThe study aimed to enhance wound healing by modifying poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL) membranes with sodium heparin (HS) and Essential Fatty Acids (EFA). Electrospinning was used to prepare the membranes containing the maximum concentration of HS and AGE, which were then sterilized with ozone. Microbiological tests confirmed effective sterilization. The membrane characterization included scanning electron microscopy (SEM) for morphological analysis, wettability studies for contact angle determination, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) analysis, and thermogravimetry (TGA) for thermal analysis. Results indicated successful preparation and sterilization of PCL membranes modified with HS and EFA. Morphological analysis showed well-formed and randomly distributed fibers, although the PCL+HS membrane exhibited beads on its fibers. Adding HS and EFA affected the fiber diameter, with PCL+HS fibers having a smaller diameter than pure PCL and PCL+EFA fibers. Wettability analysis demonstrated modified surface properties with reduced contact angles. FT-IR analysis showed slight contributions of HS and EFA in the modified PCL membranes, while thermal analysis revealed no substantial changes in thermal stability. In conclusion, PCL membranes modified with HS and EFA can potentially accelerate wound healing, presenting an innovative and cost-effective approach to treating skin injuries.
Inserting Pre-Analytical Chromatographic Priming Runs Significantly Improves Targeted Pathway Proteomics With Sample Multiplexing
Authors: Shuken Steven R. , Yu Qing , Gygi Steven P. 
Published: February 2024

ABSTRACTGoDig, a recent platform for targeted pathway proteomics without the need for manual assay scheduling or synthetic standard peptides, is a relatively flexible and easy-to-use method that uses tandem mass tags (TMT) to increase sample throughput up to 18-fold relative to label-free targeted proteomics. Though the protein quantification success rate of GoDig is generally high, the peptide-level success rate is more limited, hampering the extension of GoDig to assays of harder-to-quantify proteins and site-specific phenomena. In order to guide the optimization of GoDig assays as well as improvements to the GoDig platform, we created GoDigViewer, a new stand-alone software that provides detailed visualizations of GoDig runs. GoDigViewer guided the implementation of “priming runs,” an acquisition mode with significantly higher success rates due to improved elution order calibration. In this mode, one or more chromatographic priming runs are automatically performed to determine accurate and precise target elution orders, followed by analytical runs which quantify targets. Using priming runs, peptide-level quantification success rates exceeded 97% for a list of 400 peptide targets and 95% for a list of 200 targets that are usually not quantified using untargeted mass spectrometry. We used priming runs to establish a quantitative assay of 125 macroautophagy proteins that had a >95% success rate and revealed differences in macroautophagy protein expression profiles across four human cell lines.
Sub-second and multi-second dopamine dynamics underlie variability in human time perception
Authors: Sadibolova Renata , DiMarco Emily K. , Jiang Angela , Maas Benjamin , Tatter Stephen B. , Laxton Adrian , Kishida Kenneth T. , Terhune Devin B. 
Published: February 2024

AbstractTiming behaviour and the perception of time are fundamental to cognitive and emotional processes in humans. In non-human model organisms, the neuromodulator dopamine has been associated with variations in timing behaviour, but the connection between variations in dopamine levels and the human experience of time has not been directly assessed. Here, we report how dopamine levels in human striatum, measured with sub-second temporal resolution during awake deep brain stimulation surgery, relate to participants’ perceptual judgements of time intervals. Fast, phasic, dopaminergic signals were associated with underestimation of temporal intervals, whereas slower, tonic, decreases in dopamine were associated with poorer temporal precision. Our findings suggest a delicate and complex role for the dynamics and tone of dopaminergic signals in the conscious experience of time in humans.
Meta-Analysis and Systematic Review of the Measures of Psychological Safety
Authors: Liu Jenny JW , Ein Natalie , Plouffe Rachel A. , Gervasio Julia , St. Cyr Kate , Nazarov Anthony , Richardson J. Don 
Published: February 2024

AbstractPurposeIn a psychologically safe environment, individuals feel safe to share thoughts, acknowledge errors, experiment with new ideas, and exhibit mutual respect. However, there is little consensus on how psychological safety should be measured and the constructs that make up psychological safety. This meta-analysis and systematic review sought to evaluate the quality of measures used to assess psychological safety.MethodologyThe meta-analysis and systematic review were conducted using Cochrane’s guidelines as a framework for data synthesis. A total of 217 studies were included in this review.FindingsAcross 217 studies, the average internal consistency value ranged from Cronbach’s alpha of .77 to .81, with considerable heterogeneities across samples (I2 = 99.92, Q[221] = 259632.32, p < .001). Together, findings suggest that the quality of existing measures evaluating psychological safety may be acceptable.OriginalityThere is room for improvement with respect to examinations of factor structures within psychological safety, the degree of association between psychological safety and other constructs, and opportunities for exploring similarities and differences across populations and contexts.
Not leaving your unsatisfactory job: analyzing female, migrant, elderly and lower-educated employees
Authors: Mandemakers Luuk , Jaspers Eva , van der Lippe Tanja 
Published: February 2024

PurposeEmployees facing challenges in their careers – i.e. female, migrant, elderly and lower-educated employees – might expect job searches to have a low likelihood of success and might therefore more often stay in unsatisfactory positions. The goal of this study is to discover inequalities in job mobility for these employees.Design/methodology/approachWe rely on a large sample of Dutch public sector employees (N = 30,709) and study whether employees with challenges in their careers are hampered in translating job dissatisfaction into job searches. Additionally, we assess whether this is due to their perceptions of labor market alternatives.FindingsFindings show that non-Western migrant, elderly and lower-educated employees are less likely to act on job dissatisfaction than their advantaged counterparts, whereas women are more likely than men to do so. Additionally, we find that although they perceive labor market opportunities as limited, this does not affect their propensity to search for different jobs.Originality/valueThis paper is novel in discovering inequalities in job mobility by analyzing whether employees facing challenges in their careers are less likely to act on job dissatisfaction and therefore more likely to remain in unsatisfactory positions.
Design and development of a digital diagnostic clinical pathway: evidence from an action research study
Authors: Calabrese Armando , D'Uffizi Antonio , Levialdi Ghiron Nathan , Berloco Luca , Pourabbas Elaheh , Proudlove Nathan 
Published: February 2024

PurposeThe primary objective of this paper is to show a systematic and methodological approach for the digitalization of critical clinical pathways (CPs) within the healthcare domain.Design/methodology/approachThe methodology entails the integration of service design (SD) and action research (AR) methodologies, characterized by iterative phases that systematically alternate between action and reflective processes, fostering cycles of change and learning. Within this framework, stakeholders are engaged through semi-structured interviews, while the existing and envisioned processes are delineated and represented using BPMN 2.0. These methodological steps emphasize the development of an autonomous, patient-centric web application alongside the implementation of an adaptable and patient-oriented scheduling system. Also, business processes simulation is employed to measure key performance indicators of processes and test for potential improvements. This method is implemented in the context of the CP addressing transient loss of consciousness (TLOC), within a publicly funded hospital setting.FindingsThe methodology integrating SD and AR enables the detection of pivotal bottlenecks within diagnostic CPs and proposes optimal corrective measures to ensure uninterrupted patient care, all the while advancing the digitalization of diagnostic CP management. This study contributes to theoretical discussions by emphasizing the criticality of process optimization, the transformative potential of digitalization in healthcare and the paramount importance of user-centric design principles, and offers valuable insights into healthcare management implications.Originality/valueThe study’s relevance lies in its ability to enhance healthcare practices without necessitating disruptive and resource-intensive process overhauls. This pragmatic approach aligns with the imperative for healthcare organizations to improve their operations efficiently and cost-effectively, making the study’s findings relevant.
Understanding users' voice assistant exploration intention: unraveling the differential mechanisms of the multiple dimensions of perceived intelligence
Authors: Zhao Yiming , Chen Yu , Sun Yongqiang , Shen Xiao-Liang 
Published: February 2024

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to develop a framework for the perceived intelligence of VAs and explore the mechanisms of different dimensions of the perceived intelligence of VAs on users’ exploration intention (UEI) and how these antecedents can collectively result in the highest level of UEI.Design/methodology/approachAn online survey on Amazon Mechanical Turk is employed. The model is tested utilizing the structural equation modeling (SEM) and fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) approach from the collected data of VA users (N = 244).FindingsAccording to the SEM outcomes, perceptual, cognitive, emotional and social intelligence have different mechanisms on UEI. Findings from the fsQCA reinforce the SEM results and provide the configurations that enhanced UEI.Originality/valueThis study extends the conceptual framework of perceived intelligence and enriches the literature on anthropomorphism and users’ exploration. These findings also provide insightful suggestions for practitioners regarding the design of VA products.