bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Resting-State fMRI reveals Longitudinal Alterations in Brain Network Connectivity in a Mouse Model of Huntington’s Disease
Authors: Vasilkovska Tamara , Adhikari Mohit H. , Van Audekerke Johan , Pustina Dorian , Cachope Roger , Tang Haiying , Liu Longbin , Munoz-Sanjuan Ignacio , Van der Linden Annemie , Verhoye Marleen 
Published: November 2022

ABSTRACTHuntington’s disease is an autosomal, dominantly inherited neurodegenerative disease caused by an expansion of the CAG repeats in exon 1 of the huntingtin gene. Neuronal degeneration and dysfunction that precedes regional atrophy result in the impairment of striatal and cortical circuits that affect the brain’s large-scale network functionality. However, the evolution of these disease-driven, large-scale connectivity alterations is still poorly understood. Here we used resting-state fMRI to investigate functional connectivity changes in a mouse model of Huntington’s disease in several relevant brain networks and how they are affected at different ages that follow a disease-like phenotypic progression. Towards this, we used the heterozygous (HET) form of the zQ175DN Huntington’s disease mouse model that recapitulates aspects of human disease pathology. Seed- and Region-based analyses were performed at different ages, on 3-, 6-, 10-, and 12-month-old HET and age-matched wild-type mice.Our results demonstrate decreased connectivity starting at 6 months of age, most prominently in regions such as the retrosplenial and cingulate cortices, pertaining to the default mode-like network and auditory and visual cortices, part of the associative cortical network. At 12 months, we observe a shift towards decreased connectivity in regions such as the somatosensory cortices, pertaining to the lateral cortical network, and the caudate putamen, a constituent of the subcortical network. Moreover, we assessed the impact of distinct Huntington’s Disease-like pathology of the zQ175DN HET mice on age-dependent connectivity between different brain regions and networks where we demonstrate that connectivity strength follows a nonlinear, inverted U-shape pattern, a well-known phenomenon of development and normal aging. Conversely, the neuropathologically driven alteration of connectivity, especially in the default mode and associative cortical networks, showed diminished age-dependent evolution of functional connectivity.These findings reveal that in this Huntington’s disease model, altered connectivity starts with cortical network aberrations which precede striatal connectivity changes, which appear only at a later age. Taken together, these results suggest that the age-dependent cortical network dysfunction seen in rodents could represent a relevant pathological process in Huntington’s disease progression.
Spatiotemporal brain hierarchies of auditory memory recognition and predictive coding
Authors: Bonetti L. , Fernández-Rubio G. , Carlomagno F. , Dietz M. J. , Pantazis D. , Vuust P. , Kringelbach M. L. 
Published: November 2022

AbstractOur brain is constantly extracting, predicting, and recognising key spatiotemporal features of the physical world in order to survive. While neural processing of visuospatial patterns has been extensively studied, the hierarchical brain mechanisms underlying conscious recognition of auditory sequences and the associated prediction errors remain elusive. Using magnetoencephalography (MEG), we studied the brain functioning of 83 participants during recognition of previously memorised musical sequences and systematic variations. The results showed feedforward connections originating from auditory cortices, and extending to the hippocampus, anterior cingulate gyrus, and medial cingulate gyrus. Simultaneously, we observed backward connections operating in the opposite direction. Throughout the sequences, the hippocampus and cingulate gyrus maintained the same hierarchical level, except for the final tone, where the cingulate gyrus assumed the top position within the hierarchy. The evoked responses of memorised sequences and variations engaged the same hierarchical brain network but systematically differed in terms of temporal dynamics, strength, and polarity. Furthermore, induced-response analysis showed that alpha and beta power was stronger for the variations, while gamma power was enhanced for the memorised sequences. This study expands on the predictive coding theory by providing quantitative evidence of hierarchical brain mechanisms during conscious memory and predictive processing of auditory sequences.
THE ROLE OF ALPHA- AND BETA-ADRENERGIC RECEPTORS ON COMPULSION-LIKE ALCOHOL DRINKING
Authors: Sergio Thatiane De Oliveira , Wean Sarah , Katner Simon Nicholas , Hopf Frederic W. 
Published: November 2022

AbstractAlcohol Use Disorders (AUD) is characterized by compulsion-like alcohol drinking (CLAD), and this intake despite negative consequences can be a major clinical obstacle. With the quite limited treatment options available for AUD, there is a significant and critical unmet need for novel therapies. The noradrenergic system is an important hub for the stress response as well as maladaptive drives for alcohol, and pre-clinical (including our own) and clinical studies have shown that drugs targeting the α1 adrenenergic receptors (ARs) may represent a pharmacological treatment for pathological drinking. However, the involvement of β ARs for treating human drinking AUD has received somewhat scant investigation, and we sought to provide pre-clinical validation for possible AR utility for CLAD. Thus, we first examined whether β AR antagonist propranolol, betaxolol (β1), and ICI, 118 551 (β2) impacted compulsion-like intake and alcohol-only drinking (AOD) in male Wistar rats through systemic injections. The systemic highest dose of propranolol (10mg/kg) reduced both AOD and CLAD. 5mg/kg propranolol affected CLAD more than AOD, with no effects of 2.5mg/kg. Similar to propranolol, betaxolol also only decreased CLAD at the lower dose (2.5mg/kg). ICI 118.551 had no effects, suggesting propranolol regulates alcohol intake through β1. Also, while AR compounds might have utility for AUD, these compounds can also lead to undesirable cardiovascular system side effects; thus, any strategy incorporating lower doses of these compounds to reduce drinking could have broad utility. Importantly, here we found that a combination of ineffective doses of propranolol and prazosin administrated together did reduce both CLAD and AOD. Finally, we investigated the effect of propranolol and betaxolol into two brain areas related to pathological drinking, the anterior insula (aINS) and medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC). Surprisingly, propranolol (1-10μg) in aINS or mPFC did not affect CLAD or AOD (although with a trend for aINS betaxolol to impact CLAD), suggesting propranolol regulation of alcohol drinking through a target other than aINS and mPFC. Together, our findings provide new pharmacological insights into noradrenergic regulation of alcohol consumption, which may inform AUD therapy.
Smart squirrels use a mortise-tenon structure to fix nuts on understory twigs
Authors: Xu Han , Xia Lian , Spence John R. , Lin Mingxian , Lu Chunyang , Li Yanpeng , Chen Jie , Luo Tushou , Li Yide , Fang Suqin 
Published: November 2022

AbstractSquirrels of temperate zones commonly store nuts or seeds under leaf litter, in hollow logs or even in holes in the ground; however, in humid rainforests, it is an evolutionary challenge for squirrels to hang elliptical or oblate nuts securely on trees to minimize germination or fungal infection. Here, we report a unique behaviour used by two species of small flying squirrels (Hylopetes phayrei electilis(G. M. Allen, 1925) andHylopetes alboniger(Hodgson, 1870)) to cache nuts on Hainan Island. Squirrels intentionally carved grooves encircling ellipsoid nuts or distributed on the bottom of oblate nuts and used these grooves to fix nuts tightly between small twigs 0.1-0.6 cm in diameter and connected at angles of 25-40°. The resulting structures were similar to the mortise-tenon joint of ancient Chinese architecture. Cache sites were on small plants located 10-25 m away from the closest potentially nut-producing tree, a behaviour that likely deters discovery and consumption of the nuts by other animals. Their ability to shape individual nuts to store them more securely suggests it is a smart behavior, which is likely formed by the adaption to life in humid tropical rainforests to guarantee food supply and impacts the distribution of tree species.
Paxlovid-like nirmatrelvir/ritonavir fails to block SARS-CoV-2 transmission in ferrets
Authors: Cox Robert M , Lieber Carolin M , Wolf Josef D , Karimi Amirhossein , Lieberman Nicole A P , Sticher Zachary M , Roychoudhury Pavitra , Andrews Meghan K , Krueger Rebecca E , Natchus Michael G , Painter George R , Kolykhalov Alexander A , Greninger Alexander L , Plemper Richard K 
Published: November 2022

AbstractDespite the continued spread of SARS-CoV-2 and emergence of variants of concern (VOC) that are capable of escaping preexisting immunity, therapeutic options are underutilized. In addition to preventing severe disease in high-risk patients, antivirals may contribute to interrupting transmission chains. The FDA has granted emergency use authorizations for two oral drugs, molnupiravir and paxlovid. Initial clinical trials suggested an efficacy advantage of paxlovid, giving it a standard-of-care-like status in the United States. However, recent retrospective clinical studies suggested a more comparable efficacy of both drugs in preventing complicated disease and case-fatalities in older adults. For a direct efficacy comparison under controlled conditions, we assessed potency of both drugs against SARS-CoV-2 in two relevant animal models; the Roborovski dwarf hamster model for severe COVID-19 in high-risk patients and the ferret model of upper respiratory tract disease and transmission. After infection of dwarf hamsters with VOC omicron, paxlovid and molnupiravir were efficacious in mitigating severe disease and preventing death. However, a pharmacokinetics-confirmed human equivalent dose of paxlovid did not significantly reduce shed SARS-CoV-2 titers in ferrets and failed to block virus transmission to untreated direct-contact ferrets, whereas transmission was fully suppressed in a group of animals treated with a human-equivalent dose of molnupiravir. Prophylactic administration of molnupiravir to uninfected ferrets in direct contact with infected animals blocked productive SARS-CoV-2 transmission, whereas all contacts treated with prophylactic paxlovid became infected. These data confirm retrospective reports of similar therapeutic benefit of both drugs for older adults, and reveal that treatment with molnupiravir, but not paxlovid, may be suitable to reduce the risk of SARS-CoV-2 transmission.
Subtle Structural Translation Remarkably Modulates the Super-Resolution Imaging of Self-blinking Rhodamines
Authors: Zheng Ying , Ye Zhiwei , Xiao Yi 
Published: November 2022

AbstractThe evolution of super-resolution imaging techniques is benefited from the ongoing competition for optimal rhodamine fluorophores. Yet, it seems blinded to select the best one among different rhodamine derivatives for specific labeling and imaging, without the knowledge on imaging impact of even the minimum structural transform. Herein, we have designed a pair of self-blinking sulforhodamines (STMR, SRhB) with the bare distinction of methyl or ethyl substituents, and engineered them with Halo protein ligands. Although the two present similar spectral properties (λab, λfl, □, etc.), they demonstrated unique single-molecule characteristics preferring to individual imaging applications. Experimentally, STMR with high emissive rates was qualified for imaging structures with rapid dynamics (endoplasmic reticulum, mitochondria), and SRhB with prolonged on-times and photostability was suited for relatively “static” nuclei and microtubules. Utilized this new knowledge, the mitochondrial morphology during apoptosis and ferroptosis was first super-resolved by STMR. Our study highlights the significance of even the smallest structural modification to the modulation of super-resolution imaging performance, and would provide insight for future fluorophore design.
Genomic clustering and sequence context of mutations in human monkeypox virus (hMPXV1) genomes
Authors: Forni Diego , Cagliani Rachele , Pozzoli Uberto , Sironi Manuela 
Published: November 2022

AbstractThe ongoing worldwide monkeypox outbreak is caused by viral lineages (globally referred to as hMPXV1) that are related to but distinct from clade IIb MPXV viruses transmitted in Nigeria. Analysis of genetic differences indicated that APOBEC-mediated editing might be responsible for the unexpectedly high number of mutations observed in hMPXV1 genomes. Here, using 1624 hMPXV1 publicly available sequences, we analyzed mutations that accrued since 2017 until the emergence of the current predominant variant (B.1), as well as those that that have been accumulating during the 2022 outbreak. We found that substitutions tend to cluster and mutational hot-spots are observed.Investigation of the sequence context of C to T changes indicated a preference for 5’-TCA/G-3’ motifs, suggesting APOBEC3F- or APOBEC3A-mediated editing. The sequence context has remained unchanged since 2017, indicating that the same mutational mechanism that is driving the accumulation of substitutions during the ongoing human-to-human transmission, was already operating before the virus left Africa. We suggest that APOBEC3A is the most likely candidate, given its expression in the skin and its known role in the editing of human papillomavirus.
Synthesis, crystal structure and biological properties of a fluorophore-labelled mixed-ligand copper(II) complex incorporating N-hydroxynaphthalene-1,8-dicarboximide
Authors: Bhat Satish Shantaram , Kawade Vitthal A. , Revankar Vidyanand K. , Kumbar Vijay , Bhat Kishore 
Published: November 2022

The mixed-ligand fluorophore-labelled copper(II) complex aqua[2,4-dioxo-3-azatricyclo[7.3.1.05,13]trideca-1(12),5,7,9(13),10-pentaen-3-olato-κ2
O
2,O
3](1,10-phenanthroline-κ2
N,N′)copper(II) nitrate, [Cu(C12H6NO3)(C12H8N2)(H2O)]NO3·CH3OH or [Cu(L)(phen)(H2O)]NO3·CH3OH (where phen is 1,10-phenanthroline and HL is N-hydroxynaphthalene-1,8-dicarboximide), (1), was synthesized and structurally characterized. The structure of (1) was confirmed by single-crystal X-ray structure determination. The complex crystallized in the triclinic space group P\overline{1}. The geometry around the copper centre is distorted square pyramidal, with the apical position occupied by a water molecule. The complex is highly fluorescent in organic and aqueous solutions. It has good anticancer activity, with an IC50 value of 17 µM, which is almost five times greater than cisplatin (IC50 = 82 µM) under identical experimental conditions.
Beyond efficiency: the role of lean practices and cultures in developing dynamic capabilities microfoundations
Authors: Gutierrez Leopoldo , Lameijer Bart Alex , Anand Gopesh , Antony Jiju , Sunder M Vijaya 
Published: November 2022

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to theorize and test the relationships among lean operations and lean supply chain practices, learning- and innovation-oriented lean cultures and dynamic capabilities (DCs) microfoundations. Further, this study aims to assess the association of DCs microfoundations with process innovation.Design/methodology/approach The researchers combine primary data collected from 153 manufacturing firms located in five continents using a survey designed for the purpose of this study with archival data downloaded from the Bureau Van Dijk Orbis database and test the hypothesized relationships using structural equation modelling.FindingsResults support the contribution of lean operations and lean supply chain practices to the development of DCs microfoundations, which further lead to greater process innovation. Additionally, while a learning-oriented lean culture positively moderates the relationships between both lean operations and lean supply chain practices and DCs microfoundations, an innovation-oriented lean culture only moderates the relationship between lean operations practices and DCs microfoundations.Practical implicationsThis study identifies DCs microfoundations as the key mechanisms for firms implementing lean practices to achieve greater levels of process innovation and the important role played by lean cultures. This study provides direction for managers to put in place DCs through lean implementations, enabling their firms to be ready to respond to challenges and opportunities generated by environmental changes.Originality/valueWhile previous research has confirmed the positive effects of lean practices on efficiency, the role of lean practices and cultures in developing capabilities for reacting to environmental dynamism has received little attention. This study offers an empirically supported framework that highlights the potential of lean to adapt processes in response to environmental dynamics, thereby extending the lean paradigm beyond the traditional focus on operational efficiency.
Using chatbots in e-retailing – how to mitigate perceived risk and enhance the flow experience
Authors: Silva Susana C. , De Cicco Roberta , Vlačić Božidar , Elmashhara Maher Georges 
Published: November 2022

PurposeChatbots represent an undeniable player between online retailers and customers as they boost operational efficiency and bring cost savings to businesses while offering convenience for customers in terms of timing and immediacy. However, as chatbots represent a new-born online touchpoint in retailing, especially when it comes to online pre-purchase and purchase experience, this study examines whether and how effort expectation, facilitating condition, performance expectancy, social influence, trust, perceived risk and flow affect consumers' intention to use chatbots for online shopping. The purpose of this paper is to address this issue.Design/methodology/approachA total of 226 respondents participated in an online survey. Participants were asked to try a new online service and interact with a chatbot designed using Chatfuel, a platform within the Facebook Messenger setting. Structural equation modelling was used to test the proposed research model regarding the intention to use chatbots.FindingsThis study discusses the importance of offering useful and trustworthy conversational agents for online shopping and argues and explains the insignificant paths amongst other studied factors and intention to use chatbots concluding with the need to explore more drivers for such contemporary technologies. Moreover, the findings indicate that trust turns out to be an important predictor of behavioural intention towards chatbots, in addition to its role in mitigating perceived risk and enhancing flow experience.Originality/valueGiven the lack of empirical evidence related to chatbots applied for business purposes, this paper fills a gap in this research field and provides a deeper understanding of what leverages consumers' intention to use chatbots for online shopping.
The impact of COVID-19 on women and children in the UK who were victims of domestic abuse: a practitioner perspective
Authors: Proudman Charlotte , Lloyd Ffion 
Published: November 2022

Purpose
This study aims to explore the impact of COVID-19 on women and children in the UK who were victims of domestic abuse.

Design/methodology/approach
The authors draw from their experiences of working in the domestic abuse sector to reflect on the impact of lockdown restrictions on women and children, focussing on the impact of government restrictions that created an environment in which abusers could control the movement of victims.

Findings
The impact of the pandemic was significant as victims were locked into the abuse, unable to escape for fear of breaching lockdown rules. The lockdown affected victims of different forms of violence against women and girls in the UK including forced marriage and female genital mutilation, which highlighted the ramifications of intersectional inequalities for abuse victims.

Originality/value
This paper articulates the devastating impact of the pandemic on vulnerable women, and their fair and just access to the family courts. This paper concludes that women were failed by the government and that there was not nearly enough support from support agencies, which has left many at risk and suffering significant harm.
Soil technology and post-harvest losses in Nigeria
Authors: Osabohien Romanus 
Published: November 2022

PurposePost-harvest losses are becoming a huge issue worldwide and are predominantly severe in developing countries. Seeking ways to control post-harvest losses is important because losses decrease farm income by more than 15% for approximately 480 million small-scale farmers.Design/methodology/approachThe study engaged Wave 4 (2018/2019) of the Living Standards Measurement Studies–Integrated Survey on Agriculture, to examine the impact of soil technology such as fertilisers, herbicides, pesticides and certified crops on post-harvest losses in Nigeria. The study engaged descriptive statistics, logit regression and propensity score matching (PSM) to analyse the data.FindingsThe study found that approximately 38% of the household harvest was lost along the value chain. In addition, the results showed that among the indicators of soil technology, crop certification has a significant impact on the reduction of post-harvest losses. The implication is that from the nearest neighbour and kernel-based matching, the use of certified crops by households contributed to 1.62 and 1.36% reduction in post-harvest losses, respectively. In contrast, pesticide, herbicide and fertiliser use had no significant impact on post-harvest losses.Research limitations/implicationsOne of the limitations is that this study applied the PSM, the model did not account for endogeneity. Therefore, in examining this concept, further studies should consider applying other impact model such as the difference-in-difference to account for endogeneity.Originality/valueWhile previous studies have examined how ICT adoption, storage mechanisms and value chain among others help to minimise post-harvest losses, the aspect of how soil technology can reduce post-harvest losses has been a subject of exclusion in the extant literature. This study empirically examines the impact of soil technology adoption on post-harvest losses in Nigeria.