bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
22. Additional chapter: Capacity
Authors: Atkins Ruth
Published: September 2022

This chapter considers the scope of contractual capacity, noting the tension in the law between the need to protect someone who is incapacitated and the desire to not treat too harshly the person dealing fairly with the incapacitated person. The general rule is that a minor will not be bound by a contract, although the person contracting with them will be. There are exceptions which will bind both parties unless the minor repudiates, and on becoming 18 a minor may ratify a contract made before that date. The law recognizes the general incapacity to contract of minors, the mentally incapacitated, and in certain circumstances where an individual is intoxicated. An adult of sound mind has full contractual capacity, although they may be able to claim that the contract is not enforceable on some other basis, for example undue influence.
6. Developing Legal (and Other) Skills
Authors: Moore Imogen , Newbery-Jones Craig
Published: September 2022

This chapter considers approaches to and developments in teaching and learning in law programmes. It looks at the student’s role in the learning process, and how they may be able to enhance their learning in law by understanding learning strengths and working with them. The chapter also considers the importance of critical thinking and analysis in legal learning and beyond, and the notion of ‘thinking like a lawyer’. It considers techniques for responding to legal problems and questions, and the importance of making connections and developing argument and analysis.
8. Preparing for Assessments and Assignments
Authors: Moore Imogen , Newbery-Jones Craig
Published: September 2022

This chapter prepares a student for successful assessment by exploring important considerations and key skills for law assessments. The chapter considers the purpose of assessment and the difference between formative and summative assessments, and how to approach assessment and get the most from each opportunity accordingly. Guidance is provided on different types of assessment, including closed/open book, time-limited assessment, and in-person/online assessment. The chapter examines the importance of preparing effectively for each assessment, including revision, reflection, and understanding assessment criteria. The chapter also summarises ways in which a student can seek to raise their grade; and how to avoid the pitfalls of academic misconduct, plagiarism, and poor academic practice. Guidance is also given on coping with the pressures of assessment.
14. Preparing to Move On
Authors: Moore Imogen , Newbery-Jones Craig
Published: September 2022

This chapter looks at how the student can best prepare themselves to move on beyond their legal studies in order to maximise the opportunities available to them, increase their chances of success in the next stage of their life, and secure the most value from their time as a law student. As well as specific activities relevant to this process such as personal development planning and networking, it looks in particular at the importance of planning and reflection, tips for preparing CVs and applications, and how to deal with setbacks. It also looks at sources of support and guidance such as careers advisors and personal tutors.
4. Equitable remedies in modern English law
Authors: Barr Warren , Picton John
Published: September 2022

This chapter discusses equitable remedies. Equitable remedies apply in all fields of law, from disputes over property or entitlement in contract and intellectual property, to preventing harm, or to the proceeds of wrongdoing being dissipated before a claim can be made against them. Equity evolved these remedies in the Court of Chancery to ameliorate the common law. Sometimes the remedies (like rescission) modified the harshness of the common law rules. Sometimes the remedies (like specific performance and injunction) provide alternative relief to the common law remedy of damages. Key elements of all three actions of recission, specific performance, and injunctions are covered.
5. Certainty
Authors: Barr Warren , Picton John
Published: September 2022

This chapter discusses the role of certainty in questions of trust and power in property management. For an obligation to be legally enforceable, it must be defined with sufficient certainty to allow the courts to control it, and a power conferring authority can only be exercised within the limits subject to which it is created. This range of different types of obligation has implications for the applicable tests for certainty. The court must know who is under an obligation, what the obligation is, to what property the obligation relates, and who can enforce the obligation. In the case of a power, the court needs to know who can exercise the power, how it can be exercised, and whether the power has been validly exercised.
8. Policy limits
Authors: Barr Warren , Picton John
Published: September 2022

This chapter describes some policy limits in the law of equity. The rule against perpetuities prevents owners tying their property up outside of the market for too long a period, otherwise known as the ‘perpetuity period’. The rules of perpetuity also account for accumulations and inalienability. Meanwhile, conditional and determinable interests, where the conditions are designed to influence the beneficiaries’ behaviour in a way that is contrary to public policy, are also restricted. Legislation also provides that trusts may be set aside if they are established with the object of defrauding the creditors of the settlor.
9. Resulting trusts
Authors: Barr Warren , Picton John
Published: September 2022

This chapter examines resulting trusts, which are one of the two main categories of informal trusts in English law. In general, resulting trusts arise to fill gaps in beneficial ownership or to give effect to the implied intention of the owner of property that someone else should not enjoy the benefit of it. Under existing law, a resulting trust arises in two sets of circumstances. One is where A makes a voluntary payment to B or pays (wholly or in part) for the purchase of property which is vested either in B alone or in the joint names of A and B, with a presumption that A did not intend to make a gift to B. The other is where A transfers property to B on express trusts, but the trusts declared do not exhaust the whole beneficial interest.
11. The family home in context
Authors: Barr Warren , Picton John
Published: September 2022

This chapter starts by outlining some of the changes in society that have driven the development of the law on disputes regarding the family home. When a family is living happily together, there are unlikely to be disputes about the ownership of the family home. However, where the relationship fails, or one of the parties dies, the division of assets—including the family home—can be a deeply divisive issue. Where a couple are married, their dispute can often be resolved through the divorce legislation. Even then, the chapter shows how equity may have a part to play.
12. Determining interests in the family home through trusts
Authors: Barr Warren , Picton John
Published: September 2022

This chapter considers the current state of the law in the use of express or implied trusts (constructive and resulting) to give couples interests in the home or to determine the extent of those interests. Express trusts are rarely used, and the reasons for this are explored. Similarly, the residual role that resulting trusts now play is considered. The dominant trust employed is the common intention constructive trust and the majority of the chapter considers the application of these rules, both to the acquisition of an interest in the family home where only one cohabitant is on the legal title to the home, and to the quantification of interests, either following the acquisition of an interest or where there is an alleged departure from the presumption of equal ownership. It considers whether the current approach requires a different approach to both types of cases, and also details the real-world significance of the creation of an interest in the home, including their impact on transactions relating to land (in outline).
14. Proprietary estoppel
Authors: Barr Warren , Picton John
Published: September 2022

This chapter focuses on proprietary estoppel. Proprietary estoppel can confer proprietary rights despite the lack of a formal grant or transfer. It can be used in three situations: where a person mistakenly believes that they have an existing right in land and the real owner acquiesces in this belief, where a person is encouraged by the owner to believe that they have an existing right in land, and where a person is led by the owner to believe that they will have a right in the future if they act in a particular way. It has much in common with common intention constructive trusts, but is capable of operating in different circumstances. Most cases involve rights in land, but the doctrine is not confined to this kind of property.
20. Charitable purposes
Authors: Barr Warren , Picton John
Published: September 2022

This chapter delves further into the legal definitions and provisions for charitable trusts. Charities must follow purposes recognized as such in law, and are required to demonstrate that they carry out their activities to the benefit of the public at large. Similarly, an organization that carries out charitable purposes must be ‘exclusively charitable’, which, in practice, means if it pursues non-charitable activities, they must be ancillary to the main charitable purposes. Charities have no named beneficiaries, so the law is enforced by the Attorney-General and the Charity Commission on behalf of the public. Organizations which nonetheless do good, and may exist for reasons other than private profit are referred to as (non-charitable) voluntary organizations.
21. Public benefit
Authors: Barr Warren , Picton John
Published: September 2022

This chapter looks at the key charity law concept of ‘public benefit’. It is not enough for a gift, or for an organization, to serve a recognized charitable purpose. If it is to be charitable at law, it must also be good for the community. The requirement that a charity be public means that it should not benefit a very small class of people, or a linked nexus of people. The requirement that a charity be beneficial means that it should not cause any direct social harms. The concept of public benefit is often contentious, particularly as it is applied to religious trusts or independent schools. This is because in the modern law, a great deal is asked of the public benefit test. It is used to filter trusts which will benefit from the privileges of charity, including tax advantages, from those that will not.
24. Choosing who benefits
Authors: Barr Warren , Picton John
Published: September 2022

This chapter sketches some of the recurrent themes that run through the equitable mechanisms of fixed and discretionary trusts and powers of appointment. It considers the matter of beneficial entitlement and ownership, which raises questions regarding the nature of the rights in the fund enjoyed by the potential objects of allocation. Next, the chapter shows how trusts must be for the benefit of legal persons and not merely for the object of carrying out purposes. Although purpose trusts are not, as a general rule, valid, it is often the case that owners wish to allocate their property to purposes rather than to specific individuals. The law provides that certain purposes are charitable and gifts and trusts for these purposes are valid, even though there are no beneficiaries as such. The chapter also discusses certainty and the duty to act even-handedly.
27. Discretionary trusts
Authors: Barr Warren , Picton John
Published: September 2022

This chapter considers the key features of a discretionary trust. Unlike a fixed trust, which gives defined shares to the beneficiaries, a discretionary trust gives the trustees a discretion as to how to allocate the beneficial interests. They are mechanisms by which an owner of property can grant to others the power to allocate a fund among a defined class or group. As in a power of appointment, the allocator has complete discretion as to how the fund should be allocated, either, or both, in terms of the persons who should receive shares of the fund and the size of the shares they should receive. However, unlike mere powers of appointment, the allocator is under a mandatory duty to make allocations in accordance with the terms of the trust. The court will intervene to ensure that this duty is discharged.
38. Tracing
Authors: Barr Warren , Picton John
Published: September 2022

This chapter considers the process of tracing. Tracing describes the process by which the law allows the original owner of property to identify and claim as his or her assets in the hands of a third party. Since tracing and following are proprietary concepts, they can only be used if there was initially, and there remains (in its original or any substituted form), an asset or a property to which claim can be made. Tracing is resorted to most frequently when the trustee is insolvent, so that a personal claim is of limited value. It is easy to forget that in most, if not all, cases of tracing or following, the trustee will have acted in breach of trust and will personally be liable.
4. Protection of Legal and Equitable Property Rights in Unregistered Land
Authors: Bogusz Barbara , Sexton Roger
Published: September 2022

Titles in the Complete series combine extracts from a wide range of primary materials with clear explanatory text to provide readers with a complete introductory resource. This chapter discusses the protection of legal and equitable rights in those titles that are still subject to the rules governing unregistered land, including the impact of the Law of Property Act 1925 on equitable interests. Regarding land which is unregistered title, the law divides the existing equitable interests into three groups: those registrable as land charges; those which are ‘overreachable’; and those which are neither registrable as land charges nor overreachable, and are therefore still subject to the doctrine of notice. It investigates the elements of the doctrine of notice and includes cases studies on legal and equitable property rights and constructive notice through failure to investigate. Finally, the position of successors in title to a purchaser without notice is considered.
22. The Creation of Mortgages
Authors: Bogusz Barbara , Sexton Roger
Published: September 2022

Titles in the Complete series combine extracts from a wide range of primary materials with clear explanatory text to provide readers with a complete introductory resource. This chapter discusses mortgage creation. It covers the definition of a mortgage; form of a legal mortgage of a fee simple before 1926; equitable right to redeem; equity of redemption; mortgagor retaining possession; legal mortgages after 1925 where land is unregistered; legal mortgages of registered land; charge by way of legal mortgage; types of mortgages; mortgages of leases; equitable mortgage by deposit of deeds (unregistered land); equitable mortgage of registered title (deposit of land certificate); and legal and equitable mortgages after 1989.
Insights into the antecedents of cyberchondria: a perspective from the USA
Authors: Afrin Rifat , Prybutok Gayle
Published: September 2022

This study establishes a theoretical framework for assessing antecedents of cyberchondria, which is a process of amplified anxiety about one’s health because of excessive online health information seeking. We examined the framework through partial least squares structural equation modeling after collecting data through a cross-sectional online survey. This research contributes to the literature by (i) evaluating the roles of health anxiety (HA) and affective responses (AR) on cyberchondria; (ii) equipping health strategists with understanding about ways to tailor their educational and communication strategies to specific segments by importance–performance map analysis and necessary condition analysis. Finally, by (iii) providing strategic tactics to curb cyberchondria so that it becomes possible to attain a better patient outcome. Findings suggest that the existing association between intolerance of uncertainty and cyberchondria is serially mediated by HA and AR. For healthcare educators and practitioners, the findings of this research deliver a blueprint for effectively controlling cyberchondria.
Engagement with the TCR induces plasticity in antigenic ligands bound to MHC class I and CD1 molecules
Authors: Morita Daisuke , Asa Minori , Sugita Masahiko
Published: September 2022

Complementarity-determining regions (CDRs) of αβ T-cell receptors (TCRs) sense peptide-bound MHC (pMHC) complexes via chemical interactions, thereby mediating antigen specificity and MHC restriction. Flexible finger-like movement of CDR loops contributes to the establishment of optimal interactions with pMHCs. In contrast, peptide ligands captured in MHC molecules are considered more static because of the rigid hydrogen-bond network that stabilizes peptide ligands in the antigen-binding groove of MHC molecules. An array of crystal structures delineating pMHC complexes in TCR-docked and TCR-undocked forms is now available, which enables us to assess TCR engagement-induced conformational changes in peptide ligands. In this short review, we overview conformational changes in MHC class I-bound peptide ligands upon TCR docking, followed by those for CD1-bound glycolipid ligands. Finally, we analyze the co-crystal structure of the TCR:lipopeptide-bound MHC class I complex that we recently reported. We argue that TCR engagement-induced conformational changes markedly occur in lipopeptide ligands, which are essential for exposure of a primary T-cell epitope to TCRs. These conformational changes are affected by amino acid residues, such as glycine, that do not interact directly with TCRs. Thus, ligand recognition by specific TCRs involves not only T-cell epitopes but also non-epitopic amino acid residues. In light of their critical function, we propose to refer to these residues as non-epitopic residues affecting ligand plasticity and antigenicity (NR-PA).
Bioluminescence imaging using
d
-luciferin and its analogs for visualizing Bdnf expression in living mice; different patterns of bioluminescence signals using distinct luciferase substrates
Authors: Fukuchi Mamoru , Mitazaki Satoru , Saito-Moriya Ryohei , Kitada Nobuo , Maki Shojiro A , Izumi Hironori , Mori Hisashi
Published: September 2022

Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) plays a crucial role in numerous brain functions, including memory consolidation. Previously, we generated a Bdnf-Luciferase transgenic (Bdnf-Luc) mouse strain to visualize changes in Bdnf expression using in vivo bioluminescence imaging. We successfully visualized activity-dependent Bdnf induction in living mouse brains using a d-luciferin analog, TokeOni, which distributes to the brain and produces near-infrared bioluminescence. In this study, we compared the patterns of bioluminescence signals within the whole body of the Bdnf-Luc mice produced by d-luciferin, TokeOni and seMpai, another d-luciferin analog that produces a near-infrared light. As recently reported, hepatic background signals were observed in wild-type mice when using TokeOni. Bioluminescence signals were strongly observed from the region containing the liver when using d-luciferin and TokeOni. Additionally, we detected signals from the brain when using TokeOni. Compared with d-luciferin and TokeOni, signals were widely detected in the whole body of Bdnf-Luc mice by seMpai. The signals produced by seMpai were strong in the regions containing skeletal muscles in particular. Taken together, the patterns of bioluminescence signals in Bdnf-Luc mice vary when using different luciferase substrates. Therefore, the expression of Bdnf in tissues and organs of interest could be visualized by selecting an appropriate substrate.
Implementing Modernized Eligibility Criteria in US National Cancer Institute Clinical Trials
Authors: Denicoff Andrea M , Ivy S Percy , Tamashiro Tami T , Zhao Jinxiu , Worthington Katherine H , Mooney Margaret M , Little Richard F
Published: September 2022

In 2018, the Cancer Therapy Evaluation Program (CTEP) at the US National Cancer Institute published new protocol template language that focused on organ function and prior and concurrent cancers in an effort to modernize eligibility criteria for cancer treatment trials. We conducted an analysis of CTEP-supported trials to evaluate the uptake and incorporation of the new language. The analysis included evaluation of 122 protocols approved in the years 2018-2020 for inclusion of the modernized eligibility criteria and consistency with new protocol template language related to 7 major eligibility criteria. These were cardiac function, liver function, kidney function, HIV status, prior and/or concurrent malignancies, treated and/or stable brain metastasis, and new and/or progressive brain metastases. Overall, CTEP trials evaluated in this period demonstrated that eligibility criteria were implemented to a relatively high degree ranging from a low of 54.1% for prior and/or concurrent malignancies to a high of 93.4% for eligibility criteria related to HIV infection. The findings demonstrate that modernized eligibility criteria can be successfully implemented but that consistent implementation requires sustained focused effort. As a result of these findings, CTEP began a new initiative in January 2022 that incorporates a specific review of eligibility criteria for new protocols to promote and improve consistency with the modernization effort.
Investment Facilitation for Development and the Reform of International Investment Dispute Settlement Mechanism: The Choice of Developing Countries
Authors: Tang Yanyan
Published: September 2022

The trend of ‘investment facilitation’ is increasingly attracting lively discussions in the field of international investment policies. The reason for this is that countries expect to use ‘investment facilitation’ as a policy tool to improve the domestic investment environment. In this trend, as an important part of the realization path of ‘investment facilitation’, there is an increasing concern on how to reform the international investment dispute settlement mechanism to achieve amicable settlement of investment frictions between investors and host states. China, Brazil and South Africa have proposed three different options for reforming the international investment dispute settlement mechanism under the trend of ‘investment facilitation’. Based on the analysis of the three countries’ dispute settlement mechanism reform models, this article examines their impact on the international investment governance mechanism and finally proposes inspirations for the design and reform of future international investment dispute settlement models in developing countries.
Vegetation restoration constrained by nitrogen availability in temperate grasslands in northern China
Authors: Zhang Yaowen , Zhang Yunlong , Huo Tianci , Wei Bin , Chen Kangli , Liu Nan , Zhang Yingjun , Liang Junyi
Published: September 2022

Grazing exclusion using fencing has been considered an effective means of vegetation restoration in degraded grasslands. Increased plant growth during recovery requires more nitrogen (N), which is a major limiting factor in northern China. It remains unclear whether soil N supply in this region can support long-term vegetation restoration. In this study, a field inventory was conducted in seven temperate grasslands in northern China. At each site, grassland outside of the fencing experienced continuous grazing, whereas that within the fencing was protected. Results showed that grazing exclusion significantly increased aboveground biomass, species richness and the Shannon–Wiener diversity index by 126.2%, 42.6% and 18.8%, respectively. Grazing exclusion reduced the concentrations of nitrate and total inorganic N by 51.9% and 21.0%, respectively, suggesting that there may be a mismatch between N supply and plant demand during the growing season. The aboveground biomass, species richness and Shannon–Wiener diversity index in the restored grasslands were positively correlated with legume dominance within the community. These results indicate that the vegetation restoration in temperate grasslands could be constrained by soil N availability, which may be supplemented through biological N fixation.
Central Line Access Is Predictive of Diagnostic Blood Loss and Transfusion in the Surgical Intensive Care Unit
Authors: Adkins Brian D , DeAnda Abe , Trieu Judy A , Polineni Srinivas , Okorodudu Anthony , Yates Sean G
Published: September 2022

Background

Most patients in the surgical intensive care unit (SICU) have anemia and undergo extensive diagnostic laboratory testing (DLT). Consequently, patients undergo RBC transfusion, and many are discharged with anemia, both of which are associated with poorer outcomes.

Objective

To characterize DLT blood loss in the SICU.

Materials and Methods

We performed a 1-year retrospective study of 291 patients admitted to a SICU. The number of draws, average volume, and estimated discard volume were recorded, along with clinical and laboratory findings.

Results

Patients who underwent greater amounts of DLT had lower hemoglobin levels at discharge (P ≤ .001). Admissions requiring central venous catheter (CVC) access (49.8%) demonstrated significantly higher DLT draws and rates of transfusion.

Conclusion

Findings from this study suggest that DLT blood loss contributes to anemia in the SICU, and that the presence and duration of CVC leads to increased testing, anemia, and RBC transfusion.
Endogenous Viral Elements in Shrew Genomes Provide Insights into Pestivirus Ancient History
Authors: Li Yiqiao , Bletsa Magda , Zisi Zafeiro , Boonen Ine , Gryseels Sophie , Kafetzopoulou Liana , Webster Joanne P , Catalano Stefano , Pybus Oliver G , Van de Perre Frederik , Li Haotian , Li Yaoyao , Li Yuchun , Abramov Alexei , Lymberakis Petros , Lemey Philippe , Lequime Sébastian
Published: September 2022

As viral genomic imprints in host genomes, endogenous viral elements (EVEs) shed light on the deep evolutionary history of viruses, ancestral host ranges, and ancient viral–host interactions. In addition, they may provide crucial information for calibrating viral evolutionary timescales. In this study, we conducted a comprehensive in silico screening of a large data set of available mammalian genomes for EVEs deriving from members of the viral family Flaviviridae, an important group of viruses including well-known human pathogens, such as Zika, dengue, or hepatitis C viruses. We identified two novel pestivirus-like EVEs in the reference genome of the Indochinese shrew (Crocidura indochinensis). Homologs of these novel EVEs were subsequently detected in vivo by molecular detection and sequencing in 27 shrew species, including 26 species representing a wide distribution within the Crocidurinae subfamily and one in the Soricinae subfamily on different continents. Based on this wide distribution, we estimate that the integration event occurred before the last common ancestor of the subfamily, about 10.8 million years ago, attesting to an ancient origin of pestiviruses and Flaviviridae in general. Moreover, we provide the first description of Flaviviridae-derived EVEs in mammals even though the family encompasses numerous mammal-infecting members. This also suggests that shrews were past and perhaps also current natural reservoirs of pestiviruses. Taken together, our results expand the current known Pestivirus host range and provide novel insight into the ancient evolutionary history of pestiviruses and the Flaviviridae family in general.
Gapped Music in Godard’s 1960s Films
Authors: Baumgartner Michael
Published: September 2022

This chapter discusses isolated musical fragments signaling metafilm music. The three case studies include the song “La chanson d’Angéla” from Une femme est une femme, the main-title music from Vivre sa vie, and the music during the car-theft sequence from Pierrot le fou. All three musical instances have in common the dissection of a completed musical composition into several fragments, which Godard incorporated into these films spaced out from one another with unexpected pauses between them. In the three discussed examples, either the completed musical work was split up into a distinct number of fragmented cues, the instrumental accompaniment was partially cut out, or the tape continued to run silently during postproduction, as Godard switched the music on and off. The results in all three cases are unexpected pauses between a series of fragments which redirect the audio viewer’s attention from the isolated sonic shards to the moments without music. The function of these musical snippets, as manifestations of the postmodern fragmentary, can be analyzed with Wolfgang Iser’s linguistic model dedicated to the act of reading. Iser’s theory confirms that spectators exposed to these musical gaps are equipped with sufficient knowledge from previous film viewings to fill in the “blanks” with the missing musical material. These ellipses between the musical fragments are testimonials that Godard expects active participation from his audience while viewing his films.
Referencing Music-Specific Genres and Genre-Specific Music
Authors: Baumgartner Michael
Published: September 2022

This chapter interprets metafilm music within a specific subcategory of quotation: musical referencing. Through referencing music-specific genres and genre-specific music, Godard explored in several of his 1960s films the music of the two popular Hollywood genres: musical comedy and film noir. In Une femme est une femme, he critically reflects on the Hollywood musical comedy by contradicting common Hollywood musical procedures. By alienating the familiar trope of Hollywood musical songs and dances, Godard accentuates the self-conscious artificiality of song-and-dance performances in musicals. He loosely follows the formulaic narrative strategy in classical Hollywood musicals, such as the self-reflexive model of the backstage musical, the love triangle, and the dual-focus narrative, as described by Rick Altman. A second investigation is devoted to the sci-fi noir thriller Alphaville, in which Godard converted Paul Misraki’s suspense score into a musical pastiche of film noir music. He requested from Misraki music that expressed the general mood of Alphaville at the expense of writing individual cues linked to specific narrative moments. By means of his somewhat unorthodox working method, Godard self-reflexively repurposed Misraki’s music for his sci-fi film noir reflection as a pastiched film noir score. He foregrounded the clichéd characteristics of Misraki’s paraphrasis of quintessential noir music as an ironic and imaginative reinterpretation of archetypical 1940s and 1950s noir B-movie music.
Better Mechanisms Are Needed to Oversee HREC Reviews
Authors: Eckstein Lisa , McWhirter Rebekah , Stewart Cameron
Published: September 2022

Hawe et al. raise concerns about Human Research Ethics Committees (HRECs) taking a risk-averse and litigation-sensitive approach to ethical review of research proposals. HRECs are tasked with reviewing proposals for compliance with the National Statement on Ethical Conduct in Human Research for the purpose of promoting the welfare of participants. While these guidelines intentionally include a significant degree of discretion in HREC decision making, there is also evidence that HRECs sometimes request changes that go beyond the guidance provided by the National Statement. When HRECs request changes outside their remit, inconsistencies between individual HRECs become more common, contributing to delays in ethical review and reducing the quality of HREC decision making. Improvements to the HREC regulatory system are needed to promote transparency and accountability.
The sugar transporter ZmSUGCAR1 of the nitrate transporter 1/peptide transporter family is critical for maize grain filling
Authors: Yang Bo , Wang Jing , Yu Miao , Zhang Meiling , Zhong Yanting , Wang Tianyi , Liu Peng , Song Weibin , Zhao Haiming , Fastner Astrid , Suter Marianne , Rentsch Doris , Ludewig Uwe , Jin Weiwei , Geiger Dietmar , Hedrich Rainer , Braun David M , Koch Karen E , McCarty Donald R , Wu Wei-Hua , Li Xuexian , Wang Yi , Lai Jinsheng
Published: September 2022

Maternal-to-filial nutrition transfer is central to grain development and yield. nitrate transporter 1/peptide transporter (NRT1-PTR)-type transporters typically transport nitrate, peptides, and ions. Here, we report the identification of a maize (Zea mays) NRT1-PTR-type transporter that transports sucrose and glucose. The activity of this sugar transporter, named Sucrose and Glucose Carrier 1 (SUGCAR1), was systematically verified by tracer-labeled sugar uptake and serial electrophysiological studies including two-electrode voltage-clamp, non-invasive microelectrode ion flux estimation assays in Xenopus laevis oocytes and patch clamping in HEK293T cells. ZmSUGCAR1 is specifically expressed in the basal endosperm transfer layer and loss-of-function mutation of ZmSUGCAR1 caused significantly decreased sucrose and glucose contents and subsequent shrinkage of maize kernels. Notably, the ZmSUGCAR1 orthologs SbSUGCAR1 (from Sorghum bicolor) and TaSUGCAR1 (from Triticum aestivum) displayed similar sugar transport activities in oocytes, supporting the functional conservation of SUGCAR1 in closely related cereal species. Thus, the discovery of ZmSUGCAR1 uncovers a type of sugar transporter essential for grain development and opens potential avenues for genetic improvement of seed-filling and yield in maize and other grain crops.
γ-Aminobutyric acid may directly or indirectly regulate Arabidopsis ALMT9
Authors: Gilliham Matthew , Xu Bo
Published: September 2022

The mechanism by which GABA regulates stomatal pore aperture and anion transport activity of ALUMINUM-ACTIVATED MALATE TRANSPORTER 9 is debated.
Divergent leaf and fine root “pressure–volume relationships” across habitats with varying water availability
Authors: Aritsara Amy Ny Aina , Wang Shuang , Li Bei-Ni , Jiang Xin , Qie Ya-Dong , Tan Feng-Sen , Zhang Qi-Wei , Cao Kun-Fang
Published: September 2022

Fine roots and leaves, the direct interfaces of plants with their external environment along the soil–plant–atmosphere continuum, are at the front line to ensure plant adaptation to their growing habitat. This study aimed to compare the vulnerability to water deficit of fine roots and leaves of woody species from karst and mangrove forests—two water-stressed habitats—against that of timber and ornamental woody species grown in a well-watered common garden. Thus, pressure–volume curves in both organs of 37 species (about 12 species from each habitat) were constructed. Fine roots wilted at a less negative water potential than leaves in 32 species and before branch xylem lost 50% of its hydraulic conductivity in the 17 species with available data on branch xylem embolism resistance. Thus, turgor loss in fine roots can act as a hydraulic fuse mechanism against water stress. Mangroves had higher leaf resistance against wilting and lower leaf-specific area than the karst and common garden plants. Their fine roots had high specific root lengths (SRL) and high capacitance to buffer water stress. Karst species had high leaf bulk modulus, low leaf capacitance, and delayed fine root wilting. This study showed the general contribution of fine roots to the protection of the whole plant against underground water stress. Our findings highlight the importance of water storage in the leaves and fine roots of mangrove species and high tolerance to water deficit in the leaves of mangrove species and the fine roots of some karst species.
Modeling root loss reveals impacts on nutrient uptake and crop development
Authors: Schäfer Ernst D , Owen Markus R , Band Leah R , Farcot Etienne , Bennett Malcolm J , Lynch Jonathan P
Published: September 2022

Despite the widespread prevalence of root loss in plants, its effects on crop productivity are not fully understood. While root loss reduces the capacity of plants to take up water and nutrients from the soil, it may provide benefits by decreasing the resources required to maintain the root system. Here, we simulated a range of root phenotypes in different soils and root loss scenarios for barley (Hordeum vulgare), common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris), and maize (Zea mays) using and extending the open-source, functional–structural root/soil simulation model OpenSimRoot. The model enabled us to quantify the impact of root loss on shoot dry weight in these scenarios and identify in which scenarios root loss is beneficial, detrimental, or has no effect. The simulations showed that root loss is detrimental for phosphorus uptake in all tested scenarios, whereas nitrogen uptake was relatively insensitive to root loss unless main root axes were lost. Loss of axial roots reduced shoot dry weight for all phenotypes in all species and soils, whereas lateral root loss had a smaller impact. In barley and maize plants with high lateral branching density that were not phosphorus-stressed, loss of lateral roots increased shoot dry weight. The fact that shoot dry weight increased due to root loss in these scenarios indicates that plants overproduce roots for some environments, such as those found in high-input agriculture. We conclude that a better understanding of the effects of root loss on plant development is an essential part of optimizing root system phenotypes for maximizing yield.
Abscisic acid inhibits primary root growth by impairing ABI4-mediated cell cycle and auxin biosynthesis
Authors: Luo Xiaofeng , Xu Jiahui , Zheng Chuan , Yang Yingzeng , Wang Lei , Zhang Ranran , Ren Xiaotong , Wei Shaowei , Aziz Usman , Du Junbo , Liu Weiguo , Tan Weiming , Shu Kai
Published: September 2022

Cell cycle progression and the phytohormones auxin and abscisic acid (ABA) play key roles in primary root growth, but how ABA mediates the transcription of cell cycle-related genes and the mechanism of crosstalk between ABA and auxin requires further research. Here, we report that ABA inhibits primary root growth by regulating the ABA INSENSITIVE4 (ABI4)-CYCLIN-DEPENDENT KINASE B2;2 (CDKB2;2)/CYCLIN B1;1 (CYCB1;1) module-mediated cell cycle as well as auxin biosynthesis in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana). ABA induced ABI4 transcription in the primary root tip, and the abi4 mutant showed an ABA-insensitive phenotype in primary root growth. Compared with the wild type (WT), the meristem size and cell number of the primary root in abi4 increased in response to ABA. Further, the transcription levels of several cell-cycle positive regulator genes, including CDKB2;2 and CYCB1;1, were upregulated in abi4 primary root tips. Subsequent chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP)-seq, ChIP-qPCR, and biochemical analysis revealed that ABI4 repressed the expression of CDKB2;2 and CYCB1;1 by physically interacting with their promoters. Genetic analysis demonstrated that overexpression of CDKB2;2 or CYCB1;1 fully rescued the shorter primary root phenotype of ABI4-overexpression lines, and consistently, abi4/cdkb2;2-cr or abi4/cycb1;1-cr double mutations largely rescued the ABA-insensitive phenotype of abi4 with regard to primary root growth. The expression levels of DR5promoter-GFP and PIN1promoter::PIN1-GFP in abi4 primary root tips were significantly higher than those in WT after ABA treatment, with these changes being consistent with changes in auxin concentration and expression patterns of auxin biosynthesis genes. Taken together, these findings indicated that ABA inhibits primary root growth through ABI4-mediated cell cycle and auxin-related regulatory pathways.
The industry of therapeutic monoclonal antibodies in Brazil: Public policies as instruments of technology upgrading
Authors: da Silva Renan G L , Fischer Bruno B , Schaeffer Paola R , Novaes Hillegonda M D
Published: September 2022

Therapeutic monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) are biopharmaceuticals prescribed in oncology, rheumatology, and for other chronic and autoimmune diseases. Over the last decade, the demand for MAbs grew significantly in developing countries like Brazil, concomitant to the restructuring of the global biopharmaceutical industry, opening windows of opportunities for catching-up economies. This paper aims to analyze the capacity of a public policy, the so-called Production Development Partnership Program (PDPP), to encourage the generation of national capabilities to the local biopharmaceutical industry and technological upgrading in the biopharmaceutical sector in Brazil. It is a case study supported by qualitative data from twenty-three interviews. By focusing on technology transfer processes rather than on more complex strategies of technological learning and upgrading in domestic agents, the impact of PDPP has been marginal. We draw insights from this empirical appraisal to outline some lessons and challenges involved in the implementation of technology-upgrading policies in developing countries.
Polar day syndrome: differences in growth, photosynthetic traits and sink-size patterns between northern and southern Finnish silver birch (Betula pendula Roth) provenances in native and non-native photoperiods
Authors: Tenkanen Antti , Keinänen Markku , Oksanen Elina , Keski-Saari Sarita , Kontunen-Soppela Sari
Published: September 2022

Continuous light (CL) is available throughout the polar day for plants in the Arctic during the growing season, whereas provenances of the same species experience a very different environment with non-CL (NCL) just a few latitudes to the south. Both provenances need to acclimate to climate warming, yet we lack comprehensive understanding of how their growth, photosynthesis and leaf traits differ. Further, the provenances presumably have morphological and physiological adaptations to their native environments and therefore differ in response to photoperiod. We tested the height growth, leaf longevity, biomass accumulation, biomass allocation and rates of gas exchange of northern (67°N) and southern (61°N) Finnish silver birch (Betula pendula Roth) origins in CL- and NCL-treatments in a 4-month chamber experiment. Irrespective of photoperiod, 67°N had higher area-based photosynthetic rate (Anet), stomatal conductance (gs) and relative height growth rate (RGR), but lower stomatal density and fewer branches and leaves than 61°N. Photoperiod affected height growth cessation, biomass and photosynthetic traits, whereas leaf longevity and many leaf functional traits remained unchanged. In CL, both provenances had lower gs, higher RGR, increased shoot:root ratio and increased sink sizes (more branching, more leaves, increased total plant dry weight) compared with NCL. In NCL, 67°N ceased height growth earlier than in CL, which altered biomass accumulation and distribution patterns. Northern conditions impose challenges for plant growth and physiology. Whether a provenance inhabits and is adapted to an area with or without CL can also affect its response to the changing climate. Northern birches may have adapted to CL and the short growing season with a ‘polar day syndrome’ of traits, including relatively high gas exchange rates with low leaf biomass and growth traits that are mainly limited by the environment and the earlier growth cessation (to avoid frost damage).
A unit pipe pneumatic model to simulate gas kinetics during measurements of embolism in excised angiosperm xylem
Authors: Yang Dongmei , Pereira Luciano , Peng Guoquan , Ribeiro Rafael V , Kaack Lucian , Jansen Steven , Tyree Melvin T
Published: September 2022

The pneumatic method has been introduced to quantify embolism resistance in plant xylem of various organs by applying a partial vacuum to cut-open xylem. Despite the similarity in vulnerability curves between the pneumatic and other methods, a modeling approach is needed to investigate if changes in xylem embolism during dehydration can be accurately quantified based on gas diffusion kinetics. Therefore, a unit pipe pneumatic (UPPn) model was developed to estimate gas extraction from intact conduits, which were axially interconnected by inter-conduit pit membranes to cut-open conduits. The physical laws used included Fick’s law for diffusion, Henry’s law for gas concentration partitioning between liquid and gas phases at equilibrium and the ideal gas law. The UPPn model showed that 91% of the extracted gas came from the first five series of embolized, intact conduits and only 9% from the aqueous phase after 15 s of simulation. Considering alternative gas sources, embolism resistance measured with a pneumatron device was systematically overestimated by 2–17%, which corresponded to a typical measuring error of 0.11 MPa for P50 (the water potential equivalent to 50% of the maximum amount of gas extracted). It is concluded that pneumatic vulnerability curves directly measure embolism of intact conduits due to the fast movement of gas across interconduit pit membranes, while gas extraction from sap and diffusion across hydrated cell walls is about 100 times slower. We expect that the UPPn model will also contribute to the understanding of embolism propagation based on temporal gas dynamics.
Clinico-Laboratory Profile, Intensive Care Needs and Short-Term Outcome of Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children (MIS-C): Experience during First and Second Waves from North India
Authors: Angurana Suresh Kumar , Kumar Vijay , Nallasamy Karthi , Kumar Manoj Rohit , Naganur Sanjeev , Kumar Mahendra , Goyal Kapil , Ghosh Arnab , Bansal Arun , Jayashree Muralidharan
Published: September 2022

Objectives

To describe the clinico-laboratory profile, intensive care needs and outcome of multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) during the first and second waves.

Methodology

This retrospective study was conducted in the paediatric emergency and paediatric intensive care unit (PICU) of a tertiary care teaching hospital in North India involving 122 children with MIS-C admitted during the first wave (September 2020–January 2021, n = 40) and second wave (February 2021–September 2021, n = 82) of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

Results

The median (interquartile range) age was 7 (4–10) years and 67% were boys. Common manifestations included fever (99%), abdominal symptoms (81%), rash (66%) and conjunctival injection (65%). Elevated C-reactive protein (97%), D-dimer (89%), procalcitonin (80%), IL-6 (78%), ferritin (56%), N-terminal pro B-type natriuretic peptide (84%) and positive severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) antibody (81%) were common laboratory abnormalities. Cardiovascular manifestations included myocardial dysfunction (55%), shock (48%) and coronary artery changes (10%). The treatment included intensive care support (57%), non-invasive (33%) and invasive (18%) ventilation, vasoactive drugs (47%), intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) (83%), steroids (85%) and aspirin (87%). The mortality was 5% (n = 6). During the second wave, a significantly higher proportion had positive SARS-CoV-2 antibody, contact with COVID-19 and oral mucosal changes; lower markers of inflammation; lower proportion had lymphopenia, elevated IL-6 and ferritin; lower rates of shock, myocardial dysfunction and coronary artery changes; lesser need of PICU admission, fluid boluses, vasoactive drugs and IVIG; and shorter hospital stay.

Conclusion

MIS-C is a febrile multisystemic disease characterized by hyperinflammation, cardiovascular involvement, temporal relationship to SARS-CoV-2 and good outcome with immunomodulation and intensive care. During the second wave, the severity of illness, degree of inflammation, intensive care needs, and requirement of immunomodulation were less as compared to the first wave.