bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Keystone species determine the productivity of synthetic microbial biofilm communities
Authors: Sun Xinli , Xie Jiyu , Zheng Daoyue , Xia Riyan , Wang Wei , Xun Weibing , Huang Qiwei , Zhang Ruifu , Kovács Ákos T. , Xu Zhihui , Shen Qirong 
Published: January 2022

AbstractMicrobes typically reside in multi-species communities, whose interactions have considerable impacts on the robustness and functionality of such communities. To manage microbial communities, it is essential to understand the factors driving their assemblage and maintenance. Even though the community composition could be easily assessed, interspecies interactions during community establishment remain poorly understood. Here, we combined co-occurrence network analysis with quantitative PCR to examine the importance of each species within synthetic communities (SynComs) of pellicle biofilms. Genome-scale metabolic models andin vitroexperiments indicated that the biomass of SynComs was primarily affected by keystone species that are acting either as metabolic facilitators or as competitors. Our study sets an example of how to construct a model SynCom and investigate interspecies interactions.
Alternative Assembly of Qβ Virus Like Particles
Authors: Shaw Vincent , Sungsuwan Suttipun , McFallBoegeman Hunter , Huang Xuefei , Jin Xiangshu 
Published: January 2022

AbstractQβ virus like particles (VLPs) are versatile platforms for grafting functional groups for vaccine development. The structure of Qβ VLPs at atomic detail are critical for design of more effective vaccines. While the structures of native Qβ VLPs have been determined previously, the structure of VLPs assembled from a recombinantly expressed Qβ coat protein, which are extensively used as platforms have not been studied. We sought to determine the crystal structures of VLPs assembled from recombinantly expressed Qβ coat protein of wild type and two mutants: A38K and A38K/A40C/D102C. The structures of Qβ VLPs assembled from recombinantly expressed Qβ coat proteins showed that VLPs can be assembled both in T=1 and T=3 symmetry.
The amyloid precursor protein modulates the position and length of the axon initial segment offering a new perspective on Alzheimer’s disease genetics
Authors: Ma Fulin , Xu Jianquan , Liu Yang , Popova Dina , Youssef Mark M. , Hart Ronald P. , Herrup Karl 
Published: January 2022

AbstractThe small Aβ peptide has been hypothesized to be the main driver of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Aβ is a proteolytic cleavage product of a larger protein, the amyloid precursor protein (APP), whose normal functions remain largely unexplored. We report here activities of the full-length APP protein that relate directly to the etiology of AD. Increasing neuronal activity leads to a rapid increase in App gene expression. In both cultures of mouse cortical neurons and human iPSC-derived neurons, elevated APP protein changes the structure of the axon initial segment (AIS), the site of action potential initiation. In neurons with elevated APP, the AIS shortens in length and shifts in position away from the cell body. Both changes would be expected to reduce neuronal excitability. The AIS effects are due to the cell-autonomous actions of APP; exogenous Aβ – either fibrillar or oligomeric – has no effect. The findings relate directly to AD in several ways. In culture, APP carrying the Swedish familial AD mutation (APPSwe) induces stronger AIS changes than wild type APP. Ankyrin G and βIV-spectrin, scaffolding proteins of the AIS, both physically associate with APP, and APPSwe binds more avidly than wild type APP. Finally, neurons in the frontal cortex of humans with sporadic AD reveal histologically elevated levels of APP protein that invade the domain of the AIS, whose length is significantly shorter than that found in healthy control neurons. The findings offer an alternative explanation for the effects of at least some familial AD mutations.SignificanceIn familial Alzheimer’s disease (AD) the linkage between the genetics of APP, the neuropathology of the amyloid plaques and the symptoms of dementia are one of the strongest pieces of evidence supporting the amyloid cascade hypothesis – a conceptualization that marks the Aβ peptide as the root cause of AD. Yet, formally, the genetics only point to APP, not its Aβ breakdown product. We report here that the full-length APP protein affects the properties of the axon initial segment and through these changes serves as a dynamic regulator of neuronal activity. We propose that this newly discovered APP function offers a different, Aβ-independent, view of the genetic evidence.
Interpreting the Evolutionary Echoes of a Protein Complex Essential for Inner-Ear Mechanosensation
Authors: Nisler Collin R. , Narui Yoshie , Choudhary Deepanshu , Bowman Jacob D. , Lynch Vincent J. , Sotomayor Marcos 
Published: January 2022

AbstractThe sensory epithelium of the inner ear, found in all extant lineages of vertebrates, has been subjected to over 500 million years of evolution, resulting in the complex inner ear of modern vertebrates. Inner-ear adaptations are as diverse as the species in which they are found, and such unique anatomical variations have been well studied. However, the evolutionary details of the molecular machinery that are required for hearing are less well known. Two molecules that are essential for hearing in vertebrates are cadherin-23 and protocadherin-15, proteins whose interaction with one another acts as the focal point of force transmission when converting sound waves into electrical signals that the brain can interpret. This interaction exists in every lineage of vertebrates, but little is known about the structure or mechanical properties of these proteins in most non-mammalian lineages. Here, we use various techniques to characterize the evolution of this protein interaction. Results show how evolutionary sequence changes in this complex affect its biophysical properties both in simulations and experiments, with variations in interaction strength and dynamics among extant vertebrate lineages. Evolutionary simulations also characterize how the biophysical properties of the complex in turn constrain its evolution and provide a possible explanation for the increase in deafness-causing mutants observed in cadherin-23 relative to protocadherin-15. Together, these results suggest a general picture of tip-link evolution in which selection acted to modify the tip-link interface, while subsequent neutral evolution combined with varying degrees of purifying selection drove additional diversification in modern tetrapods.
Nascent Polypeptide Associated Complex–alphaand Signal Recognition Particle are required for cardiac development and remodeling
Authors: Schroeder Analyne M. , Vogler Georg , Colas Alexandre R. , Bodmer Rolf 
Published: January 2022

ABSTRACTCongenital Heart Disease (CHD) is driven by a strong genetic predisposition, yet only a small subset of patients (∼20%) are diagnosed with a precise genetic cause. Therefore, expanding the pool of genes associated with CHD and establishing the functional relationships between genes can assemble a more comprehensive genetic network to better understand cardiac development and pathogenesis. In our studies, we identified protein biogenesis cofactors Nascent polypeptide Associated Complex (NAC) and Signal Recognition Particle (SRP) that bind disparate subsets of emerging nascent polypeptides at the ribosome exit site to direct polypeptide fates, as novel regulators of cell differentiation and cardiac morphogenesis. Knockdown (KD) of the alpha-(Nacα)or beta- subunit (bicaudal, bic)of NAC in the developingDrosophilaheart led to disruption of cardiac remodeling during pupal stages resulting in an adult fly with no heart. Heart loss was rescued by combined KD ofNacαwith theHoxgeneAbd-B.Consistent with a central role for this interaction in the regulation of cardiogenesis, KD ofNacαin Cardiac Progenitors derived from human iPSCs impaired cardiac differentiation while co-KD with mammalianHoxgenesHOXC12 and HOXD12rescued this phenotype. The effect ofNacαKD on the fly heart was temporally regulated, in that KD in embryo or in pupae caused only a partial loss of the heart, whereas KD during both stages led to heart loss similar to continuous KD throughout life. This suggests thatNacαKD already in the embryo may reprogram cells leading to aberrant cardiac remodeling during pupal stages. Lastly, KD of several SRP subunits individually in the fly heart produced a range of cardiac phenotypes that targeted specific segments and cell types, indicating spatially regulated activities of SRP components in the heart. Together, these data suggest that despite NAC and SRP ubiquitous presence, they displayed spatially and temporally fine-tuned activities for proper cardiac morphogenesis.Nacα’sinteraction with cardiac-specificHoxgene functions builds upon the novel role of this pathway and expands our understanding of the complex genetic networks involved in cardiac development and pathogenesis.
Atomic model validation using the CCP-EM software suite
Authors: Joseph Agnel Praveen , Olek Mateusz , Malhotra Sony , Zhang Peijun , Cowtan Kevin , Burnley Tom , Winn Martyn D. 
Published: January 2022

Recently, there has been a dramatic improvement in the quality and quantity of data derived using cryogenic electron microscopy (cryo-EM). This is also associated with a large increase in the number of atomic models built. Although the best resolutions that are achievable are improving, often the local resolution is variable, and a significant majority of data are still resolved at resolutions worse than 3 Å. Model building and refinement is often challenging at these resolutions, and hence atomic model validation becomes even more crucial to identify less reliable regions of the model. Here, a graphical user interface for atomic model validation, implemented in the CCP-EM software suite, is presented. It is aimed to develop this into a platform where users can access multiple complementary validation metrics that work across a range of resolutions and obtain a summary of evaluations. Based on the validation estimates from atomic models associated with cryo-EM structures from SARS-CoV-2, it was observed that models typically favor adopting the most common conformations over fitting the observations when compared with the model agreement with data. At low resolutions, the stereochemical quality may be favored over data fit, but care should be taken to ensure that the model agrees with the data in terms of resolvable features. It is demonstrated that further re-refinement can lead to improvement of the agreement with data without the loss of geometric quality. This also highlights the need for improved resolution-dependent weight optimization in model refinement and an effective test for overfitting that would help to guide the refinement process.
Challenges negating virtual construction project team performance in the Middle East
Authors: Sagar Sukhwant Kaur , Arif Mohammed , Oladinrin Olugbenga Timo , Rana Muhammed Qasim 
Published: January 2022

PurposeOver the last couple of decades, many organisations are increasingly adopting virtual team concepts, and construction companies in the Middle East are no exception. Members of a virtual team are geographically scattered and represent a diverse range of cultures. Thus, challenging issues emerge more frequently than in a traditional team. There are challenges associated with space and time as well as high client's demand. Therefore, this study aims to identify and probe the causes of the challenges in virtual project teams in the construction industry of the Middle East.Design/methodology/approachA list of challenges was derived through a comprehensive review of relevant literature. Questionnaire survey was conducted with professionals who are involved in construction virtual project teams. Further, the factor analysis technique was used to analyse the survey responses.FindingsThe results show that the challenges in virtual team arrangement in the Middle East construction industry can be grouped into seven categories, namely, organisational culture, conflict within the team, characteristics of the team members, trust within the team members diversity of the team, communication and training, and cohesion in the team. Understanding of these factors will drive the needed platform to support effective virtual project teams in the Middle East.Originality/valueThis study raises the prospect that organisations may establish an environment for team members to achieve higher levels of virtual cooperation by concentrating on these potentially crucial factors. This, in turn, will encourage further innovation and performance within construction organisations.
Well-being and its associated factors among migrant workers in food and beverage industry: a cross-sectional study in China
Authors: Zhang Bo , Cai Xiaomei , Li Jun (Justin) , He Biao 
Published: January 2022

PurposeDrawing upon Hofstede's cultural dimensions theory, a comprehensive model exploring the relationships among four distinct culture values and their influence on employees' turnover intention through the mediating roles of organizational commitment and organizational citizenship behavior was developed and tested.Design/methodology/approachThis study covers 585 migrant workers from nine countries who work in the food and beverage industry in Guangzhou, China. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to analyze the data collected from these migrant workers.FindingsThe results reveal that (1) among the four culture values, only uncertainty avoidance, collectivism orientation and masculinity orientation significantly affect organizational commitment and organizational citizenship behavior, (2) organizational commitment is significantly positively related to organizational citizenship behavior and (3) both organizational commitment and organizational citizenship behavior have a negative direct effect on turnover intention, while organizational citizenship behavior has a stronger impact on migrants' turnover intention than organizational commitment.Originality/valueThe issue of cultural diversity, particularly among relevant migrant workers in the hospitality industry in developing countries, such as China, needs more attention than ever.
Green innovation in the Latin American agri-food industry: understanding the influence of family involvement and business practices
Authors: Muller Claudio G. , Canale Fernanda , Discua Cruz Allan 
Published: January 2022

PurposeOver the past few years, several scholars have focused on green innovation in the agri-food industry. In line with this research stream, the purpose of this paper is to cover some unexplored areas regarding if stakeholder pressures have a positive influence on family engagement to implement green innovation practices and socially responsible practices.Design/methodology/approachBy adopting a qualitative research methodology, mainly based on a multiple case study, this paper seeks to cover some unexplored areas regarding the understanding the relationship between stakeholders, family involvement and business practices in green innovation. The authors analyze eight cases from five Latin American countries selected, all are family firms focused on agricultural production.FindingsLatin American family firms from agri-food industry, have a positive influence from internal/external stakeholder to implement green innovation initiatives and socially responsible practices, that result in short/long term business practices.Originality/valueThe originality of the proposed conceptual model stems from the need to overcome the previous theoretical models based on the stakeholder theory, which deals separately with internal/external influence over the firm.
The why, what and how of career research: a review and recommendations for future study
Authors: Baruch Yehuda , Sullivan Sherry E. 
Published: January 2022

PurposeThe field of careers studies is complex and fragmented. The aim of this paper is to detail why it is important to study careers, what we study and how we study key issues in this evolving field.Design/methodology/approachKey theories, concepts and models are briefly reviewed to lay the groundwork for offering an agenda for future research.FindingsThe authors recommend ten key directions for future research and offer specific questions for further study.Research limitations/implicationsThis paper contributes to the development of the theoretical underpinning of career studies.Practical implicationsThe authors hope that the proposed agenda for future research will help advance the field and encourage more research on understudied, but important, topics.Originality/valueThis paper presents a comprehensive view of research on contemporary careers.
Finite element models of dynamic-WPTS: a field-circuit approach
Authors: Bertoluzzo Manuele , Di Barba Paolo , Forzan Michele , Mognaschi Maria Evelina , Sieni Elisabetta 
Published: January 2022

Purpose
The paper aims to propose a a field-circuit method for investigating the magnetic behavior of a wireless power transfer system (WPTS) for the charge of batteries of electric vehicles. In particular, a 3D model for finite element analysis (FEA) for the field simulation of a WPTS is developed. Specifically, the effects of aluminum shield and steel layer, representing the car frame, on the self and mutual inductances are investigated. An equivalent electric circuit is then built, and the relevant lumped parameters are identified by means of the FEAs.

Design/methodology/approach
The finite element model is used to evaluate self and mutual inductances in several transmitting-receiving coil configurations and relative positions. In particular, the FEA simulates the aluminum and steel layers as shell elements in a 3D domain. The self and mutual inductance values in the aligned coil case are also used as input parameters in a circuit model to evaluate the onload current.

Findings
The use of shell elements in FEA substantially reduces the number of mesh elements needed to simulate the eddy currents in the steel and aluminum layer, so putting the ground for low-cost field analysis. Moreover, the FEA gives an accurate computation of the self and mutual inductance to be used in a circuit model, which, in turn, provides a fast update of the onload induced current.

Originality/value
To save computational time, the use of 2D shell elements to model thin conductive regions introduces a simplified FEA that could be used in the WPTS simulation. Moreover, the dynamic behavior of WPTS, i.e. the operation when the receiving coil is moving with respect to the transmitting one, is considered. Because of the lumped parameters’ dependence upon the relative positions of the two coils, the proposed method allows identifying the circuit parameters for several configurations so substantially reducing the computational burden.
Board's gender diversity and international entrepreneurship: intensity versus quality?
Authors: Wang Kai , Pellegrini Massimiliano Matteo , Wang Cizhi , Fan Hejun , Sun Jiamu 
Published: January 2022

PurposeAn increased globalisation pushes forward the study of international entrepreneurship that however has been mainly analysed at a macro-environmental and an individual level. The authors want instead identify the determinants of international entrepreneurship from a firm-level perspective, specifically in relation to the key decision-making entity – the board of directors. The authors focused on the overall composition of the board of directors in terms of gender diversity and how this affects multi-subject decision-making when it comes to international entrepreneurship.Design/methodology/approachBased on entrepreneurial decision-making and the neo-institutional theory, the authors analyse the relationship between gender diversity in boards of directors and firms' international entrepreneurship, assessing how state ownership and ownership concentration moderate this relationship. Using a sample made up of China's listed companies from 2009 to 2018, the authors empirically test the main effect and the moderating effects.FindingsInternational entrepreneurship is less prevalent in firms with more female directors, but in terms of quality of the decisions, these boards perform better. State ownership and ownership concentration can strengthen and weaken the relationship between the presence of female directors and the intensity of international entrepreneurship, respectively.Originality/valueFirstly, the authors draw attention to the implications of gender diversity in boards of directors, calling for further studies on communication and collaboration patterns within multi-subject decision-making. Secondly, the authors’ conclusions enrich academic literature on female directors by exploring the roles they play in firms' decision-making when it comes to international entrepreneurship.
The new not normal
Authors: Hirsch Peter Buell 
Published: January 2022

Purpose
This study aims to examine the impact of an extended multi-year COVID-19 pandemic on corporate planning.

Design/methodology/approach
A review of trends in supply chain, manufacturing and human capital management arising from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Findings
Companies need to initiate fundamental review of their existing business models to adjust to long-term changes to the business environment created by the pandemic.

Originality/value
To the best of the author’s knowledge, there have been few comprehensive examinations of the business impact of a 5–10-year continuation of the COVID-19 pandemic.
From mine industries to a place of culture, tourism, research and higher education: case study of the great mine Serbariu
Authors: Pau Sara , Contu Giulia , Rundeddu Vincenzo 
Published: January 2022

PurposeThis study aims to explore how closed factories could be transformed and provide a path for sustainable development for a territory. The authors focus on the case of the Great Mine Serbariu, located in Carbonia (Sardinia), which used to be the largest coal mine in Italy between 1939 and 1964.Design/methodology/approachThe authors adopt a qualitative research design based on an exploratory single-case study, drawing on interviews with the main stakeholders, on a survey conducted among 5,158 visitors, and on administrative documentation of the City Council.FindingsThe analysis of the Great Mine Serbariu case showed that the regeneration of an exhausted mine serves a model of sustainable development, especially for the redevelopment of other urban and industrial degraded areas. The Great mine Serbariu was restored and turned into a place of culture, tourism, research and higher education, with the Italian Cultural Centre of Coal Mining (ICCCM) establishing its headquarters in the heart of the former mine. It attracted almost 220,000 visitors, generating both domestic and international tourist flows and making an industrial heritage a real resource for the area.Originality/valueThis article advances the authors’ understanding of how closed industries could become an instrument for sustainable development on the social, economic, touristic and cultural levels. This study would help local governments with examples to enhance the historical resources to create a new identity that led to a sustainable development of an urban landscape, and to create networks with other comparable museums all over Europe to better exploit the touristic and cultural potential.