bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Two dramatically distinct archaeal type IV pili structures formed by the same pilin
Authors: Liu Junfeng , Eastep Gunnar N , Cvirkaite-Krupovic Virginija , Rich-New Shane T. , Kreutzberger Mark A.B. , Egelman Edward H. , Krupovic Mart , Wang Fengbin 
Published: August 2023

AbstractType IV pili (T4P) represent one of the most common varieties of surface appendages in archaea. These filaments, assembled from relatively small pilin proteins, can be many microns long and serve diverse functions, including adhesion, biofilm formation, motility, and intercellular communication. Using cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM), we determined atomic structures of two dramatically different T4P fromSaccharolobus islandicusREY15A. Unexpectedly, both pili were assembled from the same pilin protein but under different growth conditions. One filament, denoted mono-pilus, conforms to canonical archaeal T4P structures where all subunits are equivalent, whereas in the other filament, the tri-pilus, the same protein exists in three different conformations. The three conformations involve different orientations of the outer immunoglobulin (Ig)-like domains, mediated by a very flexible linker, and all three of these conformations are very different from the single conformation found in the mono-pilus. Remarkably, the outer domains rotate nearly 180° between the mono- and tri-pilus conformations, formally similar to what has been shown for outer domains in bacterial flagellar filaments, despite lack of homology between bacterial flagella and archaeal T4P. Interestingly, both forms of pili require the same ATPase and TadC-like membrane pore for assembly, indicating that the same secretion system can produce structurally very different filaments. However, the expression of the ATPase and TadC genes was significantly different under the conditions yielding mono- and tri-pili. While archaeal T4P are homologs of archaeal flagellar filaments, our results show that in contrast to the rigid supercoil that the flagellar filaments must adopt to serve as helical propellers, archaeal T4P are likely to have fewer constraints on their structure and enjoy more internal degrees of freedom.
A single domain intrabody targeting the follicle-stimulating hormone receptor (FSHR) impacts FSH-induced G protein-dependent signalling
Authors: Raynaud Pauline , Jugnarain Vinesh , Vaugrente Océane , Vallet Amandine , Boulo Thomas , Gauthier Camille , Inoue Asuka , Sibille Nathalie , Gauthier Christophe , Jean-Alphonse Frédéric , Reiter Eric , Crépieux Pascale , Bruneau Gilles 
Published: August 2023

AbstractIntracellular variable fragments from heavy-chain antibody from camelids (intra-VHH) have been successfully used as chaperones to solve the 3D structure of active G protein-coupled receptors bound to their transducers. However, their effect on signalling has been poorly explored, although they may provide a better understanding on the relationships between receptor conformation and activity. Here, we isolated and characterized iPRC1, the first intra-VHH recognizing a member of the large glycoprotein hormone receptors family, the follicle-stimulating hormone receptor (FSHR). This intra-VHH recognizes the FSHR 3rdintracellular loop and decreases cAMP production in response to FSH, without altering Gαs recruitment. Hence, iPRC1 behaves as an allosteric modulator and provides a new tool to complete structure/activity studies performed so far on this receptor.
Self-regulation of learning in the context of modern technology: a review of empirical studies
Authors: Junaštíková Julie 
Published: August 2023

Purpose
Self-regulation is the level of learning where the learner becomes an active agent in their learning process in terms of activity and aspects of motivation and metacognition. The current paper mostly deals with the metacognitive aspect. The purpose of this study is to gain insight into self-regulation of learning in the context of modern technology in higher education. This study also aims to highlight the direction, tendencies and trends toward which self-regulation of learning is moving in relation to modern technologies.

Design/methodology/approach
The review study was compiled via searches in three databases: Scopus, Web of Science and ERIC. A filter was used to search for empirical studies solely in English, published over the past decade on the topics of self-regulation of learning and technology in higher education.

Findings
The findings clearly show a correlation between self-regulation of learning and modern technology, especially after a significant event such as the Covid-19 pandemic. However, in the wake of this change, the field of education has seen the emergence of methods and new platforms that can provide support for the development of self-regulated learning strategies.

Originality/value
The originality of the study lies in the fact that it focuses on the link between self-regulation of learning and modern technologies in higher education, including some predictions of the future direction of self-regulation of learning in this context.
Self-reported antisocial behaviour of 10-year-old boys in Zhuhai (China) versus Pittsburgh (USA)
Authors: Farrington David P. , Liu Jianhong 
Published: August 2023

Purpose
The purpose of this study is to compare self-reported antisocial (SRA) behaviour of 10-year-old boys in China (in Zhuhai) and the USA (in Pittsburgh).

Design/methodology/approach
In Pittsburgh, 868 boys were given a SRA behaviour questionnaire in 1987–1988. In Zhuhai, 1,154 boys were given the same questionnaire in 2017.

Findings
The prevalence of 23 acts in the two countries was significantly correlated (r = 0.69), showing that the acts that were admitted by most boys in one country also tended to be admitted by most boys in the other country. Also, the mean prevalence in the two countries was very similar, at about 13%. However, several acts (e.g. stealing) were more prevalent in Zhuhai, while violent acts were more prevalent in Pittsburgh. The frequencies of the acts in the two countries were also significantly correlated (r = 0.51), although frequency was usually greater in Pittsburgh.

Research limitations/implications
While most theories and research in criminology and psychology are based on Western industrialised countries, it is important to carry out more cross-cultural comparisons of antisocial behaviour in other countries. These results show encouraging generalizability and replicability, despite differences in time and place.

Originality/value
To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study presents the first comparison of age-matched Chinese and American children on the prevalence and frequency of specific antisocial acts.
Population‐level food availability affects postcopulatory sexual selection dynamics in the guppy
Authors: Morbiato Elisa , Cattelan Silvia , Pilastro Andrea 
Published: August 2023

Abstract

Postcopulatory sexual selection (PCSS), namely sperm competition and cryptic female choice, is typically investigated in benign environments, with a fixed number of partners, which mate at the same time intervals; all conditions that are rarely met in natural populations.

Although there is increasing evidence that environmental fluctuations affect sexual selection before mating, whether and to which extent they influence postcopulatory trajectories is still little explored.

PCSS was investigated in replicate populations of guppies (Poecilia reticulata) in which males and females mated after maintained for 2 weeks on either restricted (RE) or ad libitum (AL) diet and the paternity of the offspring produced by multiply mated females was assigned using microsatellite markers.

Compared to AL fish, RE females (i) had fewer mating partners, but the time interval between the first and the last mating was not affected; (ii) produced broods with a lower variance in male fertilization success (a measure of the opportunity for PCSS); and (iii) produced broods with a paternity bias towards the first mate (reversing the last sperm precedence observed in AL populations), and associated more towards males with higher courtship rate.

Our results demonstrate that short‐term limitation in food availability significantly influence PCSS by modifying both fertilization success variance and sperm precedence pattern. Environmental variation should therefore become part of the research paradigm to improve our understanding of postcopulatory evolutionary dynamics.

Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog.
Metagenomic and network analyses reveal key players in nitrification in upland agricultural soils
Authors: Zhao Huicheng , Li Yue , Liu Meiyu , Song Xiaotong , Liu Binbin , Ju Xiaotang 
Published: August 2023

AbstractNitrification, a key step in soil nitrogen cycling, is a biologically mediated process crucial to the ecological environment. However, how nitrifiers drive nitrification under different soil properties and climatic factors at large spatial scales is poorly understood. Here, using metagenomic sequencing and network‐based approaches, we identified key nitrifying species of upland agricultural soils in northern China, which spans a wide range of climates and geographic distances. We found that potential nitrification rates (PNRs) varied in different soils and were positively correlated with soil pH (5.42–8.46) and mean annual temperature (MAT) and negatively correlated with the C/N ratio. Network analysis revealed that one module (module 3) was significantly correlated with PNR. In this module, 16 dominant nodes were associated with AOB Nitrosomonas and most nodes were significantly correlated with environmental factors, suggesting that abiotic conditions are important for determining the assembly of these key nitrifiers. Our study advanced the understanding of the key nitrifying populations and their environmental drivers in upland agricultural soil across different soil and climate types.
Polysaccharide‐based biosorbents for cholesterol and bile salts in gastric‐intestinal passage: Advances and future trends
Authors: Chen Luyao , He Xu , Pu Yijing , Cao Jiankang , Jiang Weibo 
Published: August 2023

AbstractCholesterol is one of the hazard elements for many cardiovascular diseases, but many cholesterol‐lowering drugs are expensive and unhealthy. Therefore, it is necessary to develop edible and safe biosorbents to reduce excess cholesterol and bile salts in the gastric‐intestinal passage. Polysaccharide‐based biosorbents offer a feasible strategy for decreasing them. This review summarized polysaccharide‐based biosorbents that have been developed for adsorbing cholesterol and bile salts from the gastric‐intestinal passage and analyzed common modification methods for these adsorbents. Finally, the adsorption models were also elucidated. Polysaccharides, including β‐cyclodextrin, pectin, chitin/chitosan, dietary fiber extract, and cellulose, have been proposed for adsorbing cholesterol and bile salts in the gastric‐intestinal passage as biosorbents. This is mainly due to the retention of pores, the capture of the viscosity network, and the help of hydrophobic interactions. In spite of this, the adsorption capacity of polysaccharides is still limited. Therefore, the modifications for them became the most popular areas in the recent studies of in vitro cholesterol adsorption. Chemical approaches namely grafting, (1) acetylation, (2) hydroxypropylation, (3) carboxymethylation, and (4) amination are considered to modify the polysaccharides for higher adsorption ability. Moreover, ultrasonic/microwave/pressure treatment and micron technology (microfluidization, micronization, and ball milling) are effective physical modification methods, while the biological approach mainly refers to enzymatic hydrolysis and microbial fermentation. The adsorption models are generally explained by two adsorption isotherms and two adsorption kinetics. In sum, it is reckoned that further food applications will follow soon.
Specific surface modification of liposomes for gut targeting of food bioactive agents
Authors: Zhang Tingting , Xu Xiankang , Pan Yujie , Yang Hui , Han Jianzhong , Liu Jianhua , Liu Weilin 
Published: August 2023

AbstractLiposomes have become a research hotspot in recent years as food delivery systems with attractive properties, including the bilayer structure assembled like the cell membrane, reducing the side‐effect and improving environmental stability of cargos, controlling release, extending duration of functional ingredients, and high biodegradable and biocompatible abilities in the body. However, the conventional liposomes lack stability during storage and are weak in targeted absorption in the gastrointestinal track. At present, surface modification has been approved to be an effective platform to shield these barricades and help liposomes deliver the agents safely and effectively to the ideal site. In this review, the gastrointestinal stability of conventional liposomes, cargo release models from liposomes, and the biological fate of the core materials after release were emphasized. Then, the strategies in both physical and chemical perspectives to improve the stability and utilization of liposomes in the gastrointestinal tract, and the emerging approaches for improving gut targeting by specifically modified liposomes and the intestinal receptors relative to liposomes/cargos absorption were highlighted. Last but not the least, the safety, challenges, and opportunities for the improvement of liposomal bioavailability were also discussed to inspire new applications of liposomes as oral carriers.
Down (my) Memory Lane: Has Economic Analysis Impacted CAP Reforms?
Authors: Haniotis Tassos 
Published: August 2023

SummaryThis article elaborates the role of economic analysis in influencing the reform path of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) between 1992 and 2022 on the basis of publicly available information from a personal career experience in the European Commission. Analyses about the trade distorting impact of the pre‐1992 CAP were dominant in influencing the internal Commission debate before the Uruguay Agreement on Agriculture, and were mostly external from academia and international organisations. Developments leading to the Fischler reform in 2003 led to the broadening of analytical scope to cover the impact of food safety issues on market developments, non‐tariff barriers to trade, or alternative scenarios about an enlarged EU based on the increasing use of internal and external models. Evaluations and Impact Assessments played a major role in assessing options for CAP reforms after 2007, with the increasing role of NGOs and think tanks gradually shifting the analytical and policy focus in identifying CAP weaknesses in its environmental delivery. The new institutional reality of co‐decision complicated the link between analysis and policy decision making. However, though economic analysis is clearly not sufficient, it is still necessary and essential to jointly address the twin challenges of food security and climate change.
Do European Agricultural Policies Still Aim to Support the Living Standards of the Agricultural Community?
Authors: Hill Berkeley 
Published: August 2023

SummaryThere is a continuing mismatch in the EU between a key official stated objective of the latest form of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), which still refers to ensuring a ‘fair standard of living for the agricultural community’ (clearly a social aim), and the way that farmer incomes are officially monitored and interventions designed. Poor targeting at low‐income cases where standards of living could be expected to be less than ‘fair’ is likely to make the CAP vulnerable to criticism for being wasteful of public resources, yet this has been ignored for political reasons. Following the UK's withdrawal from the EU (‘Brexit’), the CAP no longer applies in the UK, and UK agricultural policies have been able to abandon the explicit aim of guaranteeing living standards of farm households. There is no reliable evidence that, as a group, UK farm households are characterised by relative income‐poverty; though instability is a problem, they frequently have multiple income sources and hold substantial wealth, both of which impact on their potential standard of living. In the absence of evidence of low household incomes among its farmers, should the EU follow the UK's example and, in effect, transfer responsibility for alleviating poverty to national systems designed to tackle that problem in the community?
Nutrient content and cost of canned and dried legumes and plant‐based meat analogues available in New Zealand supermarkets
Authors: Young Leanne , Mackay Sally , Bradbury Kathryn E. 
Published: August 2023

AbstractAimsPlant‐based eating patterns are recommended for human and planetary health. Plant‐based protein sources in supermarkets include traditional options and plant‐based meat analogues. This cross‐sectional survey examined the nutritional content, healthiness, cost and labelling of these products.MethodsNutrient content and claims on canned legumes (plain [N = 64] and flavoured [N = 25]), canned baked beans (N = 23), dried legumes (N = 21), tofu (plain [N = 8] and flavoured [N = 5]), falafels (N = 14), meat analogues (meat‐free burgers [N = 11], meat‐free sausages [N = 10] and ‘other’ meat‐free products [N = 20]) were obtained from a database of packaged foods in New Zealand. Mean (SD) energy, protein, total fat, saturated fat, sodium and dietary fibre content (per 100 g) was calculated for each category. Healthiness was assessed using an estimated Health Star Rating (Rating ≥3.5 considered ‘healthy’). Product data were linked with household purchasing data from the 2019 Nielsen IQ® consumer panel to calculate mean purchase price/100 g/category. The number and type of nutrition claims were compared across categories.ResultsThe highest mean protein content was ‘other’ meat‐free products (14.8 ± 6.9 g/100 g). Meat‐free sausages had the highest sodium and saturated fat content (643 ± 148 mg/100 g, 3.7 ± 4.5 g/100 g). Overall, few meat analogues (N = 5, 12%) scored an estimated Health Star Rating ≥3.5. Dried legumes were the cheapest plant protein (mean ± SD) purchase price = NZ $0.30 ± 0.16/100 g), compared with ‘other’ meat‐free products (purchase price = NZ $2.57 ± 0.88/100 g). The most common nutrition claims on meat analogues were about protein content. Dietary fibre claims were the most common on canned and dried legumes.ConclusionMeat analogues offer convenience, however, may be less healthy and more expensive than traditional plant‐based proteins. This study assists dietitians in providing accurate consumer messaging about healthy plant‐based proteins.
Omega‐3 long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids as a potential treatment for reducing dysmenorrhoea pain: Systematic literature review and meta‐analysis
Authors: Snipe Rhiannon M. J. , Brelis Benjamin , Kappas Christina , Young Julie K. , Eishold Lucy , Chui Jie M. , Vatvani Meher D. , Nigro Gabriella M. D. , Hamilton D. Lee , Convit Lilia , Carr Amelia , Condo Dominique 
Published: August 2023

AbstractAimThis systematic literature review with meta‐analysis aimed to determine the effect of omega‐3 long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids on prostaglandin levels and pain severity in women with dysmenorrhoea and identify adverse side effects.MethodsA literature search was conducted in Embase, Scopus, Web of Science, MEDLINE complete, CINAHL and AMED databases (PROSPERO CRD42022340371). Included studies provided omega‐3 long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids compared to a control in women with dysmenorrhoea and reported pain and/or prostaglandin levels. A random effects meta‐analysis with Cohen's d effect size (95% confidence interval) was performed in SPPS for studies that reported pain outcomes. Study quality was assessed using the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Quality Criteria Checklist.ResultsTwelve studies (n = 881 dysmenorrhoeal women) of predominantly neutral quality (83%) were included that provided daily supplementation of 300–1800 mg omega‐3 long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids over 2 or 3 months. Meta‐analysis (n = 8 studies) showed a large effect of omega‐3 long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (d = −1.020, 95% confidence interval −1.53 to −0.51) at reducing dysmenorrhoea pain. No studies measured prostaglandin levels, 86% of studies measuring analgesic use showed a reduction with omega‐3 long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids and few studies reported mild adverse side effects in individual participants.ConclusionsFindings suggest that daily supplementation of 300–1800 mg omega‐3 long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids over 2–3 months are generally well tolerated and reduces pain and analgesic use in women with dysmenorrhoea. However, the neutral quality of research is limited by methodological issues and the mechanism of action remains to be determined.
Optimization of antioxidant and lycopene extraction from tomato pomace using Hansen solubility parameters and its application in chicken meat preservation
Authors: Karoui Iness Jabri , Chaabani Emna , Dali Imen , Aydi Abdelkarim , Hammami Majdi , Abderrabba Manef 
Published: August 2023

AbstractTomato pomace, composed of peels and seeds, is often discarded or used as animal feed. However, it contains valuable phytochemicals, including lycopene. Lycopene, a natural pigment, is an antioxidant known for reducing the risk of chronic diseases like cardiovascular ailments and cancer. In this study, we aimed to study the possibility of valorizing tomato pomace by quantifying phenolic compounds, evaluating the antioxidant activity of their extracts, as well as extracting and quantifying lycopene, and studying the effect of tomato peel extract on the oxidative stability of chicken patties during storage. The effectiveness of different solvent mixtures for the extraction of lycopene was evaluated using Hansen solubility parameters (HSPs). The obtained results showed that the best solvent mixture was hexane/acetone (50/50) with a Hansen theoretical distance of 7.2, indicating its favorable solvation power. It also achieved a notable extraction yield of 3.12% and the highest lycopene yield of 20.05 mg/100 g. This combination demonstrated the highest values in terms of total phenolic (24.06 mg equivalent gallic acid/100 g dry matter) and flavonoid content (30.55 mg equivalent catechin/100 g dry matter), indicating a significant presence of these compounds. However, its 1,1‐diphenyl‐2‐picrylhydrazyl (13.51 µg/mL) and ABTS, 2,2'‐azino‐bis(3‐ethylbenzothiazoline‐6‐sulfonic acid, (8.52 µg/mL) IC50 values were comparatively lower than the other mixes. The use of this fraction as a food additive and antioxidant showed significant competitiveness with the conventional preservative, 2,6‐di‐tert‐butyl‐4‐methylphenol. Tomato extract can be considered a potential natural preservative in food preparations due to its high lycopene content.Practical ApplicationThis research provides valuable insights into optimizing the extraction of antioxidants from tomato pomace, using HSPs. The findings have the potential to benefit the food industry by developing improved methods for preserving chicken meat through the application of these optimized antioxidant extracts. By enhancing the preservation process, this study may contribute to extending the shelf life and maintaining the quality of chicken meat, leading to reduced food waste and improved consumer satisfaction.