bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Double dissociation of visuomotor interaction mediated by visual feedback during continuousde novomotor learning
Authors: Kim Junghyun , Park Sungbeen , Yoo Kwangsun , Kim Sungshin 
Published: November 2023

AbstractWhile the sensorimotor cortices are central neural substrates for motor control and learning, how the interaction between their subregions with visual cortices contributes to acquiringde novovisuomotor skills is poorly understood. We designed a continuous visuomotor task in fMRI where participants learned an arbitrary visuomotor mapping. To dissociate motor and somatosensory cortices functions, we manipulated visual feedback of a cursor such that they learned to control using fingers under two alternating conditions: online cursor feedback is available or unavailable except when a target is reached. We found double dissociation of fMRI activity in subregions of the sensorimotor and visual cortices and their interaction, which were mediated by the visual feedback. We also found a significant reduction in functional connectivity between somatosensory cortices and early visual cortices, which was highly correlated with performance improvement. These findings support the distinct interaction between subregions of sensorimotor cortices and visual cortices while highlighting the more dominant role of somatosensory cortices over motor cortices duringde novomotor learning.
Analysis of different strains of the turquoise killifishNothobranchius furzeriidentifies transcriptomic signatures associated with heritable lifespan differences
Authors: Mazzetto Mariateresa , Reichwald Kathrin , Sacramento Erika Kelmer , Koch Philipp , Ori Alessandro , Groth Marco , Cellerino Alessandro 
Published: November 2023

AbstractThe killifishNothobranchius furzeriis the shortest-lived vertebrate model organism and is characterized by laboratory strains differing in lifespan by more than a factor of two. The genetic architecture underlying this difference is complex and the pathways responsive remain elusive. We performed an analysis inN. furzeriof public transcritomic datasets comprehensive of four different tissues and one embryonic stage in two strains: the shorter-lived GRZ and the longer-lived MZM0410. Remarkably, the two strains differ in their transcriptome profile already at the embryonic stage. The short-lived strain GRZ shows an anticipated aging profile consistently in all tissues investigated, with differences in expression of aging-related genes detected already at sexual maturity. In addition, analysis of a longitudinal dataset revealed that genes whose expression is prognostic of longer lifespan at the individual level are also differentially expressed between strains at an early adult age, suggesting antagonistic pleiotropism.
OM2Seq: Learning retrieval embeddings for optical genome mapping
Authors: Nogin Yevgeni , Sapir Danielle , Zur Tahir Detinis , Weinberger Nir , Belinkov Yonatan , Ebenstein Yuval , Shechtman Yoav 
Published: November 2023

AbstractMotivationGenomics-based diagnostic methods that are quick, precise, and economical are essential for the advancement of precision medicine, with applications spanning the diagnosis of infectious diseases, cancer, and rare diseases. One technology that holds potential in this field is optical genome mapping (OGM), which is capable of detecting structural variations, epigenomic profiling, and microbial species identification. It is based on imaging of linearized DNA molecules that are stained with fluorescent labels, that are then aligned to a reference genome. However, the computational methods currently available for OGM fall short in terms of accuracy and computational speed.ResultsThis work introduces OM2Seq, a new approach for the rapid and accurate mapping of DNA fragment images to a reference genome. Based on a Transformer-encoder architecture, OM2Seq is trained on acquired OGM data to efficiently encode DNA fragment images and reference genome segments to a common embedding space, which can be indexed and efficiently queried using a vector database. We show that OM2Seq significantly outperforms the baseline methods in both computational speed (by two orders of magnitude) and accuracy.Availability and implementationhttps://github.com/yevgenin/om2seqContactyoavsh@bm.technion.ac.il
Comparative analysis of gene regulatory networks identifies conserved regulators in seed plants
Authors: Wulf Donat , Bräutigam Andrea 
Published: November 2023

AbstractGene regulatory networks based on transcription factors control development and environmental responses in plants. Networks calculated by the machine learning algorithm random forest decision tree-based regression for the grasses barley, maize, wheat, Brachypodium, sorghum, and rice compared with Arabidopsis and an alga show substantial conservation. The degree of conservation depends on phylogenetic closeness. The processes, which are conserved between all species include basic cellular functions while the processes conserved in the grasses also more specific gene ontology terms. In the three species with a carbon concentration mechanism, photorespiration is partially disassociated from photosynthetic regulation. In contrast, in the C4 species, the regulation of C4 genes associates with photosynthetic regulation. The comparative analyses reveal conserved transcription factors, which control photosynthesis in seed plants but not in the alga. An analysis pipeline for the general transfer of information between the small weed Arabidopsis and the commercially relevant grasses is presented.
Prenatal inflammation reprograms hyperactive ILC2s that promote allergic lung inflammation and airway dysfunction
Authors: López Diego A. , Griffin Aleah , Aguilar Lorena Moreno , Rice Cassandra-Deering , Myers Elizabeth J. , Warren Kristi J. , Welner Robert , Beaudin Anna E. 
Published: November 2023

AbstractAllergic asthma is a chronic respiratory disease that initiates in early life, but causal mechanisms are poorly understood. Here we examined how prenatal inflammation shapes allergic asthma susceptibility by reprogramming lung immunity from early development. Induction of Type I interferon-mediated inflammation during development provoked expansion and hyperactivation of group 2 innate lymphoid cells (ILC2s) seeding the developing lung. Hyperactivated ILC2s produced increased IL-5 and IL-13, and were associated with acute Th2 bias, eosinophilia, and decreased Tregs in the lung. The hyperactive ILC2 phenotype was recapitulated by adoptive transfer of a fetal liver precursor following exposure to prenatal inflammation, indicative of developmental programming. Programming of ILC2 function and subsequent lung immune remodeling by prenatal inflammation led to airway dysfunction at baseline and in response to papain, indicating increased asthma susceptibility. Our data provide a link by which developmental programming of progenitors by early-life inflammation drives lung immune remodeling and asthma susceptibility through hyperactivation of lung-resident ILC2s.One Sentence SummaryPrenatal inflammation programs asthma susceptibility by inducing the production of hyperactivated ILC2s in the developing lung.
The DNA Damage Response (DDR) landscape of endometrial cancer defines discrete disease subtypes and reveals therapeutic opportunities
Authors: Zhang Xingyuan , Joseph Sayali , Wu Di , Bowser Jessica L. , Vaziri Cyrus 
Published: November 2023

AbstractGenome maintenance is an enabling characteristic that allows neoplastic cells to tolerate the inherent stresses of tumorigenesis and evade therapy-induced genotoxicity. Neoplastic cells also deploy mis-expressed germ cell proteins termed Cancer Testes Antigens (CTAs) to promote genome maintenance and survival. Here, we present the first comprehensive characterization of the DNA Damage Response (DDR) and CTA transcriptional landscapes of endometrial cancer in relation to conventional histological and molecular subtypes. We show endometrial serous carcinoma (ESC), an aggressive endometrial cancer subtype, is defined by gene expression signatures comprising members of the Replication Fork Protection Complex (RFPC) and Fanconi Anemia (FA) pathway and CTAs with mitotic functions. DDR and CTA- based profiling also defines a subset of highly aggressive endometrioid endometrial carcinomas (EEC) with poor clinical outcomes that share similar profiles to ESC yet have distinct characteristics based on conventional histological and genomic features. Using an unbiased CRISPR-based genetic screen and a candidate gene approach, we confirm that DDR and CTA genes that constitute the ESC and related EEC gene signatures are required for proliferation and therapy-resistance of cultured endometrial cancer cells. Our study validates the use of DDR and CTA-based tumor classifiers and reveals new vulnerabilities of aggressive endometrial cancer where none currently exist.
Unexpected suppression of neural responses to natural foreground versus background sounds in auditory cortex
Authors: Hamersky Gregory R. , Shaheen Luke A. , Espejo Mateo López , Wingert Jereme C. , David Stephen V. 
Published: November 2023

AbstractIn everyday hearing, listeners encounter complex auditory scenes containing overlapping sounds that must be grouped into meaningful sources, or streamed, to be perceived accurately. A common example of this problem is the perception of a behaviorally relevant foreground stimulus (speech, vocalizations) in complex background noise (environmental, machine noise). Studies using a foreground/background contrast have shown that high-order areas of auditory cortex in humans pre-attentively form an enhanced representation of the foreground over background stimulus. Achieving this invariant foreground representation requires identifying and grouping the features that comprise the background noise so that they can be removed from the representation of the foreground. To study the cortical computations underlying representation of concurrent background (BG) and foreground (FG) stimuli, we recorded single unit responses in the auditory cortex (AC) of ferrets during presentation of natural sound excerpts from these two categories. In primary and secondary AC, we found overall suppression of responses when BGs and FGs were presented concurrently relative to the sum of responses to the same stimuli in isolation. Surprisingly, and in contrast to percepts that emphasize dynamic FGs, responses to FG sounds were suppressed relative to the paired BG sound. The degree of relative FG suppression could be explained by spectro-temporal statistics unique to each natural sound. Moreover, systematic degradation of the same spectro-temporal features decreased FG suppression as the sound categories became progressively less statistically distinct. The strongly suppressed representation of FG sounds in single units of AC in the presence of BG sound reveals a novel insight into how complex acoustic scenes are encoded at early stages of auditory processing.
Smell and Aftersmell: Fast Calcium Imaging Dynamics of Honey Bee Olfactory Coding
Authors: Paoli Marco , Wystrach Antoine , Ronsin Brice , Giurfa Martin 
Published: November 2023

AbstractOdour processing exhibits multiple parallels between vertebrate and invertebrate olfactory systems. Insects, in particular, have emerged as relevant models for olfactory studies because of the tractability of their olfactory circuits. Here, we used fast calcium imaging to track the activity of projection neurons in the honey bee antennal lobe (AL) during olfactory stimulation at high temporal resolution. We observed a heterogeneity of response profiles and an abundance of inhibitory activities, resulting in various response latencies and stimulus- specific post-odour neural signatures. Recorded calcium signals were fed to a mushroom body (MB) model constructed implementing the fundamental features of connectivity between olfactory projection neurons, Kenyon cells (KC), and MB output neurons (MBON). The model accounts for the increase of odorant discrimination in the MB compared to the AL and reveals the recruitment of two distinct KC populations that represent odorants and their aftersmell as two separate but temporally coherent neural objects. Finally, we showed that the learning- induced modulation of KC-to-MBON synapses can explain both the variations in associative learning scores across different conditioning protocols used in bees and the bees’ response latency. Thus, it provides a simple explanation of how the time contingency between the stimulus and the reward can be encoded without the need for time tracking. This study broadens our understanding of olfactory coding and learning in honey bees. It demonstrates that a model based on simple MB connectivity rules and fed with real physiological data can explain fundamental aspects of odour processing and associative learning.
iLAM: imaging Locomotor Activity Monitor for circadian phenotyping of large-bodied flying insects
Authors: Dayton Jacob N. , Owens Avalon C.S. 
Published: November 2023

AbstractPractical ToolsHistorically, most insect chronoecological research has used direct observations, cameras, or infrared beam-based monitors to quantify movement across timed intervals. Although some alternative DIY systems are cheaper than the current standard locomotor activity monitor, these options remain complicated to build and/or computationally intensive.We developed theimagingLocomotorActivityMonitor (iLAM), an affordable (∼ $75 USD/unit) system for activity quantification. The iLAM utilizes a Raspberry Pi Zero W computer and night-vision camera inside a flight cage to photograph a population of insects at user-defined intervals. Open-source, modular R-scripts process the images and output a file containing the number, size, coordinate location, and timing for all movements (blobs) identified between consecutive images. Output can be analyzed directly or converted into the standard TriKinetics DAM format.We demonstrated the flexibility and power of the iLAM system by comparing diel and circadian activity of different insect species (fireflies:Photinus marginellus, P. greeni, P. obscurellus), ecotypes (moths:Ostrinia nubilalis), and sexes (moths:O. nubilalis). Data captured by only six iLAMs ($450) identified that peak activity ofO. nubilalisfemales (AZT: 19.2 hr) occurs significantly earlier than males (22.0 hr). Additionally, male moths from a univoltine population exhibited a significantly shorter endogenous period length (AZT: 21.3 hr) than males from a bivoltine genetic background (22.6 hr).The iLAM will serve as a valuable tool for future researchers seeking to measure locomotor activity across diverse species, sexes, and populations in constant and changing environments.
Structure and mechanism of the human CTDNEP1-NEP1R1 membrane protein phosphatase complex necessary to maintain ER membrane morphology
Authors: Gao Shujuan , Rodríguez Jake W. Carrasquillo , Bahmanyar Shirin , Airola Michael V. 
Published: November 2023

ABSTRACTC-terminal Domain Nuclear Envelope Phosphatase 1 (CTDNEP1) is a non-canonical protein serine/threonine phosphatase that regulates ER membrane biogenesis. Inactivating mutations in CTDNEP1 correlate with development of medulloblastoma, an aggressive childhood cancer. The transmembrane protein Nuclear Envelope Phosphatase 1 Regulatory Subunit 1 (NEP1R1) binds CTDNEP1, but the molecular details by which NEP1R1 regulates CTDNEP1 function are unclear. Here, we find that knockdown of CTDNEP1 or NEP1R1 in human cells generate identical phenotypes, establishing CTDNEP1-NEP1R1 as an evolutionarily conserved membrane protein phosphatase complex that restricts ER expansion. Mechanistically, NEP1R1 acts as an activating regulatory subunit that directly binds and increases the phosphatase activity of CTDNEP1. By defining a minimal NEP1R1 domain sufficient to activate CTDNEP1, we determine high resolution crystal structures of the CTDNEP1-NEP1R1 complex bound to a pseudo-substrate. Structurally, NEP1R1 engages CTDNEP1 at a site distant from the active site to stabilize and allosterically activate CTDNEP1. Substrate recognition is facilitated by a conserved Arg residue that binds and orients the substrate peptide in the active site. Together, this reveals mechanisms for how NEP1R1 regulates CTDNEP1 and explains how cancer-associated mutations inactivate CTDNEP1.
Impact of customers' needs on online information search of upscale restaurant attributes and customer satisfaction
Authors: Lo Siu-Kam Jamie , Tavitiyaman Pimtong , Tsang Wing-Sze Lancy 
Published: November 2023

PurposeThis research investigates the effects of consumers' online information searching on their dining satisfaction in upscale restaurants during the pandemic. Customers frequently rely on online sources to gather information about upscale restaurants prior to their visits.Design/methodology/approachData from 307 diners across the top ten popular upscale restaurants in Hong Kong were analysed by using SEM to explore the links between customers' needs, information search, restaurant attributes and customer satisfaction.FindingsThis study uncovers customers' online search behaviours and identifies restaurant attributes that are associated with customer satisfaction, which were not typically emphasised before the COVID-19 pandemic. Driven by their social and psychological needs, customers devoted more time to reading written comments by other consumers compared to visual images or self-descriptions from restaurants. Only service attribute significantly influenced customer satisfaction, while food and price attributes were not significant.Research limitations/implicationsThe findings of this study provide valuable insights for researchers and practitioners, shedding light on the altered needs and preferences of consumers following the unprecedented health crisis.Originality/valueThis study contributes to the development of expectancy disconfirmation theory and needs theory through the investigation of consumers' online information searching behaviours and dining satisfaction in upscale restaurants during the pandemic. By identifying the most important attributes influencing customer satisfaction, this research can aid upscale restaurants in developing effective marketing strategies and enhancing customer experiences.
Is a critical mass of women always enough to improve firm performance? The importance of the institutional context
Authors: Zaccone Maria Cristina , Argiolas Alessia 
Published: November 2023

Purpose
This paper aims to present a comprehensive theoretical framework that seeks to explore the impact of cultural, legal and social factors within the external environment on the relationship between women on corporate boards and firm performance. By investigating these boundary conditions, the paper aims to shed light on how these pressures influence the aforementioned relationship.

Design/methodology/approach
To build the sample of companies, the authors selected companies listed on the stock exchanges of countries that represent a diverse range of institutional contexts. These contexts encompass countries with individualistic cultures, collectivist cultures, environments with mandatory gender quotas, environments without gender quotas, contexts with substantial progress toward gender equality and contexts with limited progress in achieving gender equality. To test the hypotheses, the authors used linear regression analysis as a primary analytical approach. Furthermore, they used the propensity score matching technique to address potential issues of reverse causality and unobserved heterogeneity.

Findings
The findings indicate that the positive influence of a critical mass of women on corporate boards on firm performance is contingent upon the institutional context. Specifically, the authors observed that this relationship is strengthened in institutional contexts characterized by an individualistic culture, whereas it is not as pronounced in collectivist cultural contexts. Furthermore, this research provides compelling evidence that the presence of a critical mass of women on boards leads to enhanced firm performance in institutional settings where gender quotas are not binding, as opposed to settings where such quotas are enforced. Lastly, the results demonstrate that the presence of a critical mass of women on boards is associated with improved firm performance in institutional settings characterized by low progress in achieving gender equality. However, the authors did not observe the same effect in institutional contexts that have made significant strides toward gender equality.

Originality/value
This research offers a unique perspective by investigating the relationship between women’s presence on corporate boards and firm performance across different institutional contexts. In this investigation, the authors recognize that gender diversity on corporate boards is not a one-size-fits-all solution and that its effects can be shaped by the unique institutional contexts in which companies operate.
European Artificial Intelligence Act: an AI security approach
Authors: Kalodanis Konstantinos , Rizomiliotis Panagiotis , Anagnostopoulos Dimosthenis 
Published: November 2023

Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to highlight the key technical challenges that derive from the recently proposed European Artificial Intelligence Act and specifically, to investigate the applicability of the requirements that the AI Act mandates to high-risk AI systems from the perspective of AI security.

Design/methodology/approach
This paper presents the main points of the proposed AI Act, with emphasis on the compliance requirements of high-risk systems. It matches known AI security threats with the relevant technical requirements, it demonstrates the impact that these security threats can have to the AI Act technical requirements and evaluates the applicability of these requirements based on the effectiveness of the existing security protection measures. Finally, the paper highlights the necessity for an integrated framework for AI system evaluation.

Findings
The findings of the EU AI Act technical assessment highlight the gap between the proposed requirements and the available AI security countermeasures as well as the necessity for an AI security evaluation framework.

Originality/value
AI Act, high-risk AI systems, security threats, security countermeasures.