bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
A mechanohydraulic model supports a role for plasmodesmata in cotton fiber elongation
Authors: Hernández-Hernández Valeria , Marchand Olivier C. , Kiss Annamaria , Boudaoud Arezki 
Published: July 2023

AbstractPlant cell growth depends on turgor pressure, the cell hydrodynamic pressure, which drives expansion of the extracellular matrix (the cell wall). Turgor pressure regulation depends on several physical, chemical and biological factors, including: vacuolar invertases, which modulate osmotic pressure of the cell, aquaporins, which determine the permeability of the plasma membrane to water, cell wall remodeling factors, which determine cell wall extensibility (inverse of effective viscosity), and plasmodesmata, which are membrane-lined channels that allow free movement of water and solutes between cytoplasms of neighbouring cells, like gap junctions in animals. Plasmodesmata permeability varies during plant development and experimental studies have correlated changes in the permeability of plasmodesmal channels to turgor pressure variations. Here we study the role of plasmodesmal permeability in cotton fiber growth, a type of cell that increases in length by at least 3 orders of magnitude in a few weeks. We incorporated plasmodesma-dependent movement of water and solutes into a classical model of plant cell expansion. We performed a sensitivity analysis to changes in values of model parameters and found that plasmodesmal permeability is among the most important factors for building up turgor pressure and expanding cotton fibers. Moreover, we found that non-monotonic behaviors of turgor pressure that have been reported previously in cotton fibers cannot be recovered without accounting for dynamic changes of the parameters used in the model. Altogether, our results suggest an important role for plasmodesmal permeability in the regulation of turgor pressure.Significance StatementThe cotton fiber is among the plant cells with the highest growth rates. In cultivars, a single fiber cell generally reaches a few centimeters in length. How such size is achieved is still poorly understood. In order to tackle this question, we built a comprehensive mathematical model of fiber elongation, considering cell mechanics and water entry into the cell. Model predictions agree with experimental observations, provided that we take into account active opening and closure of plasmodesmata, the nano-channels that connect the fiber with neighboring cells. Because cotton fiber length is a key factor for yarn quality, our work may help understanding the mechanisms behind an important agronomic trait.
SARS-CoV-2 spike glycosylation affects function and neutralization sensitivity
Authors: Zhang Fengwen , Schmidt Fabian , Muecksch Frauke , Wang Zijun , Gazumyan Anna , Nussenzweig Michel C. , Gaebler Christian , Caskey Marina , Hatziioannou Theodora , Bieniasz Paul D. 
Published: July 2023

AbstractThe glycosylation of viral envelope proteins can play important roles in virus biology and immune evasion. The spike (S) glycoprotein of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) includes 22 N-linked glycosylation sequons and 17 O-linked glycosites. Here, we investigated the effect of individual glycosylation sites on SARS-CoV-2 S function in pseudotyped virus infection assays and on sensitivity to monoclonal and polyclonal neutralizing antibodies. In most cases, removal of individual glycosylation sites decreased the infectiousness of the pseudotyped virus. For glycosylation mutants in the N-terminal domain (NTD) and the receptor binding domain (RBD), reduction in pseudotype infectivity was predicted by a commensurate reduction in the level of virion-incorporated spike protein. Notably, the presence of a glycan at position N343 within the RBD had diverse effects on neutralization by RBD-specific monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) cloned from convalescent individuals. The N343 glycan reduced overall sensitivity to polyclonal antibodies in plasma from COVID-19 convalescent individuals, suggesting a role for SARS-CoV-2 spike glycosylation in immune evasion. However, vaccination of convalescent individuals produced neutralizing activity that was resilient to the inhibitory effect of the N343 glycan.
Rational design of structure-based vaccines targeting misfolded alpha-synuclein conformers of Parkinson’s disease and related disorders
Authors: Flores-Fernandez Jose Miguel , Pesch Verena , Sriraman Aishwarya , Chimal-Juarez Enrique , Amidian Sara , Wang Xiongyao , Reithofer Sara , Ma Liang , Tamgüney Gültekin , Wille Holger 
Published: July 2023

AbstractBackgroundSynucleinopathies, including Parkinson’s disease, multiple system atrophy, and dementia with Lewy bodies, are neurodegenerative disorders caused by the accumulation of misfolded alpha-synuclein protein. Developing effective vaccines against synucleinopathies has been challenging due to the difficulty of stimulating an immune-specific response against alpha-synuclein, conferring neuroprotection without causing harmful autoimmune reactions, and selectively targeting only pathological forms of alpha-synuclein. Previous attempts using linear peptides and epitopes without control of the antigen structure for immunization failed in clinical trials. The immune system was unable to distinguish between the native alpha-synuclein and its amyloid form.ResultsThe prion domain of the fungal HET-s protein was selected as a scaffold to introduce select epitopes from the surface of alpha-synuclein fibrils. Four vaccine candidates were generated by introducing specific amino acid substitutions onto the surface of the scaffold protein in regions that showed structural similarity to alpha-synuclein fibril structures. Each vaccine candidate had unique amino acid substitutions that imitated a specific epitope from alpha-synuclein amyloid fibrils. The approach successfully mimicked the stacking of the parallel in-register beta-sheet structure seen in alpha-synuclein fibrils as the vaccine candidates were found to be structurally stable and self-assembling into the desired conformations. All vaccine candidates induced substantial levels of IgG antibodies that recognized pathological alpha-synuclein fibrils derived from a synucleinopathy mouse model. Furthermore, the resulting anti-sera recognized pathological alpha-synuclein aggregates in brain lysates from patients who died from dementia with Lewy bodies, multiple system atrophy, or Parkinson’s disease, but did not recognize linear alpha-synuclein peptides. Each vaccine candidate induced a unique pattern of reactivity toward alpha-synuclein aggregates contained in distinct disease pathologies.ConclusionsThis new approach, based on the rational design of vaccines using the secondary and tertiary structure of alpha-synuclein amyloid fibrils and strict control over the exposed antigen structure used for immunization, as well as the ability to mimic aggregated alpha-synuclein, provides a promising avenue towards developing effective vaccines against alpha-synuclein fibrils, which may be crucial for the prevention and treatment of synucleinopathies.
TREX reveals proteins that bind to specific RNA regions in living cells
Authors: Dodel Martin , Guiducci Giulia , Dermit Maria , Krishnamurthy Sneha , Stojic Lovorka , Mardakheh Faraz K. 
Published: July 2023

SummaryDifferent regions of RNA molecules can often engage in specific interactions with distinct RNA-binding proteins (RBPs), giving rise to diverse modalities of RNA regulation and function. However, there are currently no methods for unbiased identification of RBPs that interact with specific RNA regions in living cells under endogenous settings. Here, we introduce TREX (Targeted RNase H-mediated extraction of crosslinked RBPs), a highly sensitive approach for identifying proteins that directly bind to specific RNA regions in living cells. We demonstrate that TREX outperforms existing methods in identifying known interactors ofU1snRNA, and reveals endogenous region-specific interactors ofNORADlncRNA. Using TREX, we generated a comprehensive region-by-region interactome for45SrRNA, uncovering both established and novel interactions that regulate ribosome biogenesis. With its applicability to any RNA in any cell-type, TREX is the first RNA-centric tool for unbiased positional mapping of endogenous RNA-protein interactions in living cells.
Wound microbiota-mediated correction of matrix metalloproteinase expression promotes re-epithelialization of diabetic wounds
Authors: White Ellen K. , Uberoi Aayushi , Pan Jamie Ting-Chun , Ort Jordan T. , Campbell Amy E. , Murga-Garrido Sofia M. , Harris Jordan C. , Bhanap Preeti , Wei Monica , Robles Nelida Y. , Gardner Sue E. , Grice Elizabeth A. 
Published: July 2023

AbstractChronic wounds are a common and costly complication of diabetes, where multifactorial defects contribute to dysregulated skin repair, inflammation, tissue damage, and infection. We previously showed that aspects of the diabetic foot ulcer microbiota were correlated with poor healing outcomes, but many microbial species recovered remain uninvestigated with respect to wound healing. Here we focused onAlcaligenes faecalis, a Gram-negative bacterium that is frequently recovered from chronic wounds but rarely causes infection. Treatment of diabetic wounds withA. faecalisaccelerated healing during early stages. We investigated the underlying mechanisms and found thatA. faecalistreatment promotes re-epithelialization of diabetic keratinocytes, a process which is necessary for healing but deficient in chronic wounds. Overexpression of matrix metalloproteinases in diabetes contributes to failed epithelialization, and we found thatA. faecalistreatment balances this overexpression to allow proper healing. This work uncovers a mechanism of bacterial-driven wound repair and provides a foundation for the development of microbiota-based wound interventions.
The efficient induction of human retinal ganglion-like cells provides a platform for studying optic neuropathies
Authors: Liou Roxanne Hsiang-Chi , Chen Shih-Wei , Cheng Hui-Chen , Wu Pei-Chun , Chang Yu-Fen , Wang An-Guor , Fann Ming-Ji , Wong Yu-Hui 
Published: July 2023

ABSTRACTRetinal ganglion cells (RGCs) are essential for vision perception. In glaucoma and other optic neuropathies, RGCs and their optic axons undergo degenerative change and cell death; this can result in irreversible vision loss. Here we developed a rapid protocol for directly inducing RGC differentiation from human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) by the overexpression ofATOH7,BRN3BandSOX4. The hiPSC-derived RGC-like cells (iRGCs) show robust expression of various RGC-specific markers by whole transcriptome profiling. A functional assessment was also carried out and this demonstrated that these iRGCs display stimulus-induced neuronal activity, as well as spontaneous neuronal activity. Ethambutol (EMB), an effective first-line anti-tuberculosis agent, is known to cause serious visual impairment and irreversible vision loss due to the RGC degeneration in a significant number of treated patients. Using our iRGCs, EMB was found to induce significant dose-dependent and time-dependent increases in cell death and neurite degeneration. Western blot analysis revealed that the expression levels of p62 and LC3-II were upregulated, and further investigations revealed that EMB caused a blockade of lysosome-autophagosome fusion; this indicates that impairment of autophagic flux is one of the adverse effects of that EMB has on iRGCs. In addition, EMB was found to elevate intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels increasing apoptotic cell death. This could be partially rescued by the co-treatment with the ROS scavenger NAC. Taken together, our findings suggest that this iRGC model, which achieves both high yield and high purity, is suitable for investigating optic neuropathies, as well as being useful when searching for potential drugs for therapeutic treatment and/or disease prevention.
Governing buyer–supplier relationships to foster relational rents in organic short food supply chains
Authors: Cislaghi Tatiane Pellin , Wegner Douglas , Vieira Luciana Marques , Zanandrea Gabriela 
Published: July 2023

PurposeThis paper aims to analyze the influence of governance mechanisms in the generation of relational rents for supplier in short food supply chains (SFSCs).Design/methodology/approachThis study used data from a survey of 181 organic producers in SFSCs, using partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) with the aid of the SmartPLS® 3 software for the analysis.FindingsThe results show the relationship between formal and informal governance mechanisms and relational rents. The predominance of informal mechanisms enabled a higher explanatory power than that provided by formal governance mechanisms. Further, the authors found that the complementary use of governance mechanisms has a stronger impact on generating relational rents. However, contextual factors such as relationship time, power asymmetry and uncertainty in demand have not shown any influence on governance mechanisms for generating relational rents.Originality/valueThe result sheds new light on the relevance of governance mechanisms to foster relational rents to suppliers in SFSCs. It also shows that contextual factors that affect relationships in traditional supply chains do not play a relevant role in SFSCs due to their specific characteristics.
A strategic approach to sustainable agricultural tourism “case study of Al-Ahsa, Saudi Arabia”
Authors: Ahmed Hanady , Almahish Mohamed , Aleid Haya 
Published: July 2023

PurposeThe percentage of tourism revenues from the national income decreased during the period (2000: 2020) which necessitates diversification in tourism activity and tourism revenues through agricultural tourism as one of the types of tourism activities. On other hand, Al-Ahsa governorate is the largest governorate in Saudi Arabia, covering an area of about 2,500 square kilometers. Moreover, it includes an oasis that is the largest irrigated agricultural oases in the world. It is distinguished by its strategic geographical location, in addition to being one of the most famous palm oasis in the world. Although Al-Ahsa governorate has many ingredients for agricultural tourism; the number of farms approved in the Aryaf program reached about 101 farms at the level of Al-Ahsa with a rate that not exceed about 0.5% of farms in 2018 of the total farms. That means it still Agricultural tourism has not received sufficient attention from investors and farm owners.Design/methodology/approachThe study targeted planning for agricultural tourism activities in Al-Ahsa Governorate using a long-term sustainable approach to achieve sustainable development and diversification of sources income in agriculture sector. The study depended on the sample size was determined from Al-Ahsa farms in light of the fact that the number of farm owners in Al-Ahsa. In addition the study relied on the use of descriptive and quantitative statistical analysis through the use of percentages, chi-square test and Likert's triple test.FindingsThe results of the study strategic plans of farms in Al-Ahsa points to the importance of enhancing agricultural tourism services in Al-Ahsa, including health, environmental, recreational and food services, which may have an impact on increasing the economic return of farms in a better way in order to gain competitive advantage by focusing on developing the farms themselves in line with the Aryaf program of the Ministry of Tourism in the Kingdom to ensure safe and sustainable growth of revenues Economic.Originality/valueThis study is concerned with Agricultural Tourism. The study is helpful in policy formation to target sustainable development and diversification of sources income in Saudi Arabia. The authors whose names are listed immediately below certify that they have NO affiliations with or involvement in any organization or entity with any financial interest (such as honoraria; educational grants; participation in speakers' bureaus; membership, employment, consultancies, stock ownership, or other equity interest; and expert testimony or patent-licensing arrangements), or non-financial interest (such as personal or professional relationships, affiliations, knowledge or beliefs) in the subject matter or materials discussed in this manuscript.
Pathways to corporate entrepreneurship: do HRM practices and organizational learning capability matter?
Authors: Hooi Lai Wan 
Published: July 2023

PurposeThe present study aims to examine which aspects of human resource management (HRM) practices and organizational learning capability (OLC) are crucial for corporate entrepreneurship (CE) of retail small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).Design/methodology/approachA cross-sectional design was adopted, where data were collected from a sample of 271 managerial staff of retail SMEs, utilizing a survey questionnaire. Hypotheses were tested using structural equation modeling.FindingsThe results reveal that both HRM practices and OLC are crucial in influencing CE, albeit partially.Originality/valueThe study advances knowledge on entrepreneurship of retail SMEs by proposing aspects of HRM practices and OLC that enhance each dimension of CE.
The role of artificial intelligence in lean construction management
Authors: Dumrak Jantanee , Zarghami Seyed Ashkan 
Published: July 2023

PurposeThe purpose of this article is to analyze the existing studies on the application of artificial intelligence (AI) in lean construction management (LCM). Further, this study offers a classification scheme that specifies different categories of AI tools, as applied to the field of LCM to support various principles of LCM.Design/methodology/approachThis research adopts the systematic literature review (SLR) process, which consists of five consecutive steps: planning, searching, screening, extraction and synthesis and reporting. As a supplement to SLR, a bibliometric analysis is performed to examine the quantity and citation impact of the reviewed papers.FindingsIn this paper, seven key areas related to the principles of LCM for which AI tools have been used are identified. The findings of this research clarify how AI can assist in bolstering the practice of LCM. Further, this article presents directions for the future evolution of AI tools in LCM based on the current emerging trends.Practical implicationsThis paper advances the LCM systems by offering a lens through which construction managers can better understand key concepts in the linkage of AI to LCM.Originality/valueThis research offers a new classification scheme that allows researchers to properly recall, identify and group various applications of AI categories in the construction industry based on various principles of LCM. In addition, this study provides a source of references for researchers in the LCM discipline, which advances knowledge and facilitates theory development in the field.
Business cycles, stock market wealth, and gambling at the racetracks
Authors: Ramezani Cyrus A. , Ahern James J. 
Published: July 2023

PurposeAs digital technologies expand access to new forms of legalized gambling, including sports betting and online gaming, it is important to assess the impact of macroeconomic and equity market outcomes on fund flows into gambling. The authors’ findings will be of interest to policymakers and the gambling industry, as various forms of gambling, including day trading, gain broad public acceptance.Design/methodology/approachThe authors examine the impact of macroeconomic forces, business cycles, and financial market wealth on gambling. The authors propose a nonlinear model linking aggregate gambling expenditures to macroeconomic, stock market, and gambling industry variables. The authors estimate the proposed model using nonlinear estimation procedures.FindingsThe authors find that price of wagering, incomes, and supply of gambling opportunities are the primary determinants of wagering demand. Aggregate wagering is negatively impacted by realized stock returns and market volatility, but rises during recessions.Originality/valueTo the best of the authors’ knowledge, the questions posed and addressed in this manuscript have not been addressed in prior literature.
It's a comparison game! The roles of social comparison, perceived exclusivity and perceived financial benefits in non-fungible token marketing
Authors: Xie Quan , Muralidharan Sidharth 
Published: July 2023

PurposeNon-fungible tokens (NFTs) are gaining popularity as investments and personal indulgences, prompting brands to integrate them into marketing campaigns. Thus, understanding consumer personality traits toward NFTs is essential for success. This study presents a model that explores how social comparison orientation (SCO) influences perceived exclusivity and financial benefits of NFT marketing, subsequently impacting experiential evaluations, willingness to purchase NFTs and brand loyalty.Design/methodology/approachWe conducted two experiments to test our model. Study 1 used a quasi-experiment with 1,053 participants and tested the model using partial least squares–based structural equation modeling. In Study 2, we aimed to investigate the causal influence of SCO on NFT marketing effectiveness. We employed a one-factor experiment (social comparison prime: high SCO vs. control) with 123 participants.FindingsNFT users frequently engage in social comparisons and prefer branded NFTs that offer exclusivity (social value) and financial benefits (economic value). Social and financial superiority derived from NFTs enhances branded NFT experiences, leading to a stronger willingness to purchase NFTs and building brand loyalty. Perceived exclusivity, financial benefits and experiential evaluation mediate the effects of SCO on willingness to purchase NFTs and brand loyalty.Originality/valueThis study explores the effectiveness of NFT marketing through the lens of social comparison theory. In doing so, we examined the relationship between SCO and NFT marketing outcomes, revealed the causal influence of SCO on perceived exclusivity and perceived benefits in NFT marketing and shed light on the serial mediation of value- and experience-related constructs.