bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Multifaceted role and regulation of aquaporins for efficient stomatal movements
Authors: Ding Lei , Fox Ana Romina , Chaumont François 
Published: May 2024

AbstractStomata are micropores on the leaf epidermis that allow carbon dioxide (CO2) uptake for photosynthesis at the expense of water loss through transpiration. Stomata coordinate the plant gas exchange of carbon and water with the atmosphere through their opening and closing dynamics. In the context of global climate change, it is essential to better understand the mechanism of stomatal movements under different environmental stimuli. Aquaporins (AQPs) are considered important regulators of stomatal movements by contributing to membrane diffusion of water, CO2 and hydrogen peroxide. This review compiles the most recent findings and discusses future directions to update our knowledge of the role of AQPs in stomatal movements. After highlighting the role of subsidiary cells (SCs), which contribute to the high water use efficiency of grass stomata, we explore the expression of AQP genes in guard cells and SCs. We then focus on the cellular regulation of AQP activity at the protein level in stomata. After introducing their post‐translational modifications, we detail their trafficking as well as their physical interaction with various partners that regulate AQP subcellular dynamics towards and within specific regions of the cell membranes, such as microdomains and membrane contact sites.
Optimizing pediatric periprocedural pain management part I—Evolving ethics and topical anesthetics
Authors: Henkel Emily D. , Haller Courtney N. , Diaz Lucia Z. , Ricles Victoria , Wong Grossman Ashley V. , Nemergut Michael E. , Krakowski Andrew C. 
Published: May 2024

AbstractPediatric procedure‐related pain management is often incompletely understood, inadequately addressed, and critical in influencing a child's lifelong relationship with the larger health care community. We highlight the evolution of ethics and expectations around optimizing periprocedural pain management as a fundamental human right. We investigate the state‐of‐the‐art of topical anesthetics, reviewing their mechanisms of action and providing comparisons of their relative safety and efficacy data to help guide clinical selection. In total, this two‐part review offers a combination of conventional approaches and innovative techniques that should be used multimodally—in series and in parallel—to help optimize pain management and provide alternatives to sedation medication and general anesthesia.
Cysteine oxidation as a regulatory mechanism of Arabidopsis plastidial NAD‐dependent malate dehydrogenase
Authors: Cosse Maike , Rehders Tanja , Eirich Jürgen , Finkemeier Iris , Selinski Jennifer 
Published: May 2024

AbstractMalate dehydrogenases (MDHs) catalyze a reversible NAD(P)‐dependent‐oxidoreductase reaction that plays an important role in central metabolism and redox homeostasis of plant cells. Recent studies suggest a moonlighting function of plastidial NAD‐dependent MDH (plNAD‐MDH; EC 1.1.1.37) in plastid biogenesis, independent of its enzyme activity. In this study, redox effects on activity and conformation of recombinant plNAD‐MDH from Arabidopsis thaliana were investigated. We show that reduced plNAD‐MDH is active while it is inhibited upon oxidation. Interestingly, the presence of its cofactors NAD+ and NADH could prevent oxidative inhibition of plNAD‐MDH. In addition, a conformational change upon oxidation could be observed via non‐reducing SDS‐PAGE. Both effects, its inhibition and conformational change, were reversible by re‐reduction. Further investigation of single cysteine substitutions and mass spectrometry revealed that oxidation of plNAD‐MDH leads to oxidation of all four cysteine residues. However, cysteine oxidation of C129 leads to inhibition of plNAD‐MDH activity and oxidation of C147 induces its conformational change. In contrast, oxidation of C190 and C333 does not affect plNAD‐MDH activity or structure. Our results demonstrate that plNAD‐MDH activity can be reversibly inhibited, but not inactivated, by cysteine oxidation and might be co‐regulated by the availability of its cofactors in vivo.
It is, uh, very likely? The impact of prosodic uncertainty cues on the perception and interpretation of spoken verbal probability phrases
Authors: Vromans Ruben D. , van de Ven Charlot C. M. , Willems Sanne J. W. , Krahmer Emiel J. , Swerts Marc G. J. 
Published: May 2024

AbstractPeople typically use verbal probability phrases when discussing risks (“It is likely that this treatment will work”), both in written and spoken communication. When speakers are uncertain about risks, they can nonverbally signal this uncertainty by using prosodic cues, such as a rising, question‐like intonation or a filled pause (“uh”). We experimentally studied the effects of these two prosodic cues on the listener's perceived speaker certainty and numerical interpretation of spoken verbal probability phrases. Participants (N = 115) listened to various verbal probability phrases that were uttered with a rising or falling global intonation and with or without a filled pause before the probability phrase. For each phrase, they gave a point estimate of their numerical interpretation in percentages and indicated how certain they thought the speaker was about the correctness of the probability phrase. Speakers were perceived as least certain when the verbal probability phrases were spoken with both prosodic uncertainty cues. Interpretation of verbal probability phrases varied widely across participants, especially when rising intonation was produced by the speaker. Overall, high probability phrases (e.g., “very likely”) were estimated as lower (and low probability phrases, such as “unlikely,” as higher) when they were uttered with a rising intonation. The effects of filled pauses were less pronounced, as were the uncertainty effects for medium probability phrases (e.g., “probable”). These results stress the importance of nonverbal communication when verbally communicating risks and probabilities to people, for example, in the context of doctor–patient communication.
Toward a middle‐range theory of environmental morality
Authors: Hannigan John 
Published: May 2024

AbstractNearly three decades ago, Gramling and Freudenburg (1996) urged that greater attention be given to middle‐range efforts in environmental sociology. In this article, I will argue that since Gramling and Freudenburg offered their advice, there has been a critical mass of work in environmental sociology undertaken from the perspective of middle‐range theory, but this has been undervalued in our never‐ending odyssey in search for grand theory. To illustrate this, I review sociological enquiry into risk and risk communication. To make a case of my own for a middle‐range sociology appropriate to the second quartile of the 21st century, I advocate the development of a “sociology of environmental morality” (see Farrell, 2015; Hannigan forthcoming, 2024; Stock, 2020) to be pursued via a middle‐range perspective. I conclude by outlining two strategies for pursuing a middle‐range sociology of environmental morality.
A call for a sociology of adaptation
Authors: Falzon Danielle , Sen Raka 
Published: May 2024

AbstractInterest in examining climate change adaptation has arisen in many disciplines in the past two decades; however to date, sociologists have given only sparse attention to the issue. This is both a missed opportunity for sociologists and a detriment to the study of adaptation. In this paper, we set out the following research agenda: bringing core concerns of sociology into the critically important conversation of how society will respond to climate change. We identify five broad themes in which sociologists can begin their work on adaptation: (1) structures and resource access, (2) social cohesion and future planning, (3) constraints of social stratifications, (4) power and agency in decision‐making, and (5) justice in process and outcomes. After summarizing existing sociological work on adaptation and detailing our research agenda, we draw examples from our own work in Bangladesh to illustrate how this agenda might be taken up. In doing so, we point to several places where sociological insights come into play in questions related to development, organizations, expertise, migration, gender, and labor. We believe a robust sociological analysis can produce a clarified, reparative, and just conceptualization of adaptation that will contribute to the growing global discourse on the topic.
Molecular mechanisms underlying low temperature inhibition of grain filling in maize (Zea mays L.): coordination of growth and cold responses
Authors: Xu Chenchen , Wang Xin , Wu Yi , Gao Jia , Zhang Ping , Zhao Yating , Liu Xiaoli , Wang Pu , Huang Shoubing 
Published: May 2024

SUMMARYLow temperature (LT) greatly restricts grain filling in maize (Zea mays L.), but the relevant molecular mechanisms are not fully understood. To better understand the effect of LT on grain development, 17 hybrids were subjected to LT stress in field trials over 3 years, and two hybrids of them with contrasting LT responses were exposed to 30/20°C and 20/10°C for 7 days during grain filling in a greenhouse. At LT, thousand‐kernel weight declined, especially in LT‐sensitive hybrid FM985, while grain‐filling rate was on average about 48% higher in LT‐tolerant hybrid DK159 than FM985. LT reduced starch synthesis in kernel mainly by suppression of transcript levels and enzyme activities for sucrose synthase and hexokinase. Brassinolide (BR) was abundant in DK159 kernel, and genes involved in BR and cytokinin signals were inducible by stress. LT downregulated the genes in light‐harvesting complex and photosystem I/II subunits, accompanied by reduced photosynthetic rate and Fv/Fm in ear leaf. The LT‐tolerant hybrid could maintain a high soluble sugar content and fast interconversion between sucrose and hexose in the stem internode and cob, improving assimilate allocation to kernel at LT stress and paving the way for simultaneous growth and LT stress responses.
Mitochondrial respiration is lower in the intrauterine growth‐restricted fetal sheep heart
Authors: Chang Eileen I. , Stremming Jane , Knaub Leslie A. , Wesolowski Stephanie R. , Rozance Paul J. , Sucharov Carmen C. , Reusch Jane E. B. , Brown Laura D. 
Published: May 2024

AbstractFetuses affected by intrauterine growth restriction have an increased risk of developing heart disease and failure in adulthood. Compared with controls, late gestation intrauterine growth‐restricted (IUGR) fetal sheep have fewer binucleated cardiomyocytes, reflecting a more immature heart, which may reduce mitochondrial capacity to oxidize substrates. We hypothesized that the late gestation IUGR fetal heart has a lower capacity for mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation. Left (LV) and right (RV) ventricles from IUGR and control (CON) fetal sheep at 90% gestation were harvested. Mitochondrial respiration (states 1–3, LeakOmy, and maximal respiration) in response to carbohydrates and lipids, citrate synthase (CS) activity, protein expression levels of mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation complexes (CI–CV), and mRNA expression levels of mitochondrial biosynthesis regulators were measured. The carbohydrate and lipid state 3 respiration rates were lower in IUGR than CON, and CS activity was lower in IUGR LV than CON LV. However, relative CII and CV protein levels were higher in IUGR than CON; CV expression level was higher in IUGR than CON. Genes involved in lipid metabolism had lower expression in IUGR than CON. In addition, the LV and RV demonstrated distinct differences in oxygen flux and gene expression levels, which were independent from CON and IUGR status. Low mitochondrial respiration and CS activity in the IUGR heart compared with CON are consistent with delayed cardiomyocyte maturation, and CII and CV protein expression levels may be upregulated to support ATP production. These insights will provide a better understanding of fetal heart development in an adverse in utero environment.
imageKey points
Growth‐restricted fetuses have a higher risk of developing and dying from cardiovascular diseases in adulthood.
Mitochondria are the main supplier of energy for the heart. As the heart matures, the substrate preference of the mitochondria switches from carbohydrates to lipids.
We used a sheep model of intrauterine growth restriction to study the capacity of the mitochondria in the heart to produce energy using either carbohydrate or lipid substrates by measuring how much oxygen was consumed.
Our data show that the mitochondria respiration levels in the growth‐restricted fetal heart were lower than in the normally growing fetuses, and the expression levels of genes involved in lipid metabolism were also lower. Differences between the right and left ventricles that are independent of the fetal growth restriction condition were identified.
These results indicate an impaired metabolic maturation of the growth‐restricted fetal heart associated with a decreased capacity to oxidize lipids postnatally.
Arg1 from
Cryptococcus neoformans
lacks PI3 kinase activity and conveys virulence roles via its IP
3-4
kinase activity
Authors: Desmarini Desmarini , Liu Guizhen , Jessen Henning , Bowring Bethany , Connolly Angela , Crossett Ben , Djordjevic Julianne Teresa 
Published: May 2024

ABSTRACT

Inositol tris/tetrakis phosphate kinases (IP
3-4
K) in the human fungal priority pathogens,
Cryptococcus neoformans
(
Cn
Arg1) and
Candida albicans
(
Ca
Ipk2), convey numerous virulence functions, yet it is not known whether the IP
3-4
K catalytic activity or a scaffolding role is responsible. We therefore generated a
C. neoformans
strain with a non-functional kinase, referred to as the dead-kinase (dk)
Cn
Arg1 strain (dkArg1). We verified that, although dk
ARG1
cDNA cloned from this strain produced a protein with the expected molecular weight, dkArg1 was catalytically inactive with no IP
3-4
K activity. Using recombinant
Cn
Arg1 and
Ca
Ipk2
,
we confirmed that, unlike the IP
3-4
K homologs in humans and
Saccharomyces cerevisiae
,
Cn
Arg1 and
Ca
Ipk2 do not phosphorylate the lipid-based substrate, phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate, and therefore do not function as class I PI3Ks. Inositol polyphosphate profiling using capillary electrophoresis-electrospray ionization-mass spectrometry revealed that IP
3
conversion is blocked in the dkArg1 and
ARG1
deletion (
Cnarg1
Δ) strains and that 1-IP
7
and a recently discovered isomer (4/6-IP
7
) are made by wild-type
C. neoformans
. Importantly, the dkArg1 and
Cnarg1
Δ strains had similar virulence defects, including suppressed growth at 37°C, melanization, capsule production, and phosphate starvation response, and were avirulent in an insect model, confirming that virulence is dependent on IP
3-4
K catalytic activity. Our data also implicate the dkArg1 scaffold in transcriptional regulation of arginine metabolism but via a different mechanism to
S. cerevisiae
since
Cn
Arg1 is dispensable for growth on different nitrogen sources. IP
3-4
K catalytic activity therefore plays a dominant role in fungal virulence, and IPK pathway function has diverged in fungal pathogens.

IMPORTANCE

The World Health Organization has emphasized the urgent need for global action in tackling the high morbidity and mortality rates stemming from invasive fungal infections, which are exacerbated by the limited variety and compromised effectiveness of available drug classes. Fungal IP
3-4
K is a promising target for new therapy, as it is critical for promoting virulence of the human fungal priority pathogens,
Cryptococcus neoformans
and
Candida albicans
, and impacts numerous functions, including cell wall integrity. This contrasts to current therapies, which only target a single function. IP
3-4
K enzymes exert their effect through their inositol polyphosphate products or via the protein scaffold. Here, we confirm that the IP
3-4
K catalytic activity of
Cn
Arg1 promotes all virulence traits in
C. neoformans
that are attenuated by
ARG1
deletion
,
reinforcing our ongoing efforts to find inositol polyphosphate effector proteins and to create inhibitors targeting the IP
3-4
K catalytic site, as a new antifungal drug class.
Aspartyl peptidase May1 induces host inflammatory response by altering cell wall composition in the fungal pathogen
Cryptococcus neoformans
Authors: Li Yeqi , Chadwick Benjamin , Pham Tuyetnhu , Xie Xiaofeng , Lin Xiaorong 
Published: May 2024

ABSTRACT

Cryptococcus neoformans
causes cryptococcal meningoencephalitis, a disease that kills more than 180,000 people annually. Contributing to its success as a fungal pathogen is its cell wall surrounded by a capsule. When the cryptococcal cell wall is compromised, exposed pathogen-associated molecular pattern molecules (PAMPs) could trigger host recognition and initiate attack against this fungus. Thus, cell wall composition and structure are tightly regulated. The cryptococcal cell wall is unusual in that chitosan, the acetylated form of chitin, is predominant over chitin and is essential for virulence. Recently, it was shown that acidic pH weakens the cell wall and increases exposure of PAMPs partly due to decreased chitosan levels. However, the molecular mechanism responsible for the cell wall remodeling in acidic pH is unknown. In this study, by screening for genes involved in cryptococcal tolerance to high levels of CO
2
, we serendipitously discovered that the aspartyl peptidase May1 contributes to cryptococcal sensitivity to high levels of CO
2
due to acidification of unbuffered media. Overexpression of
MAY1
increases the cryptococcal cell size and elevates PAMP exposure, causing a hyper-inflammatory response in the host while
MAY1
deletion does the opposite. We discovered that May1 weakens the cell wall and reduces the chitosan level, partly due to its involvement in the degradation of Chs3, the sole chitin synthase that supplies chitin to be converted to chitosan. Consistently, overexpression of
CHS3
largely rescues the phenotype of
MAY1
oe
in acidic media. Collectively, we demonstrate that May1 remodels the cryptococcal cell wall in acidic pH by reducing chitosan levels through its influence on Chs3.

IMPORTANCE

The fungal cell wall is a dynamic structure, monitoring and responding to internal and external stimuli. It provides a formidable armor to the fungus. However, in a weakened state, the cell wall also triggers host immune attack when PAMPs, including glucan, chitin, and mannoproteins, are exposed. In this work, we found that the aspartyl peptidase May1 impairs the cell wall of
Cryptococcus neoformans
and increases the exposure of PAMPs in the acidic environment by reducing the chitosan level. Under acidic conditions, May1 is involved in the degradation of the chitin synthase Chs3, which supplies chitin to be deacetylated to chitosan. Consistently, the severe deficiency of chitosan in acidic pH can be rescued by overexpressing
CHS3
. These findings improve our understanding of cell wall remodeling and reveal a potential target to compromise the cell wall integrity in this important fungal pathogen.
Oligocene and Miocene blowtorch volcanism within the California Borderland and its influence on the plate-boundary transition
Authors: Balbas Andrea , Konrad Kevin , Onderdonk Nathan , Castillo Paterno R. , Behl Richard 
Published: May 2024

Abstract
The California Borderland is a uniquely broad and complex region of the North American–Pacific transform margin. Oligocene to Miocene structural reorganization, including large-magnitude extension and vertical-axis rotation of crustal blocks, formed a network of submerged fault-bounded basins, ridges, and islands offshore of southern California during its evolution from a convergent to transform boundary. Here, we report new 40Ar/39Ar incremental heating age determinations and geochemical analyses of volcanic rocks in the California Borderland, as well as a reconciled regional tectonic model. The California Borderland volcanic rocks are calc-alkaline in composition and mostly silica-oversaturated and represent relatively large-degree partial melts of the asthenosphere that incorporated hydrated forearc lithospheric components. A temporal reconciliation of these records shows that subduction of an active spreading center starting in the Oligocene and again in the Miocene was the critical control on the observed volcanism at ca. 31–30 Ma and 19–13 Ma. We posit that prolonged trench-ridge interaction generated a blowtorch effect, which resulted in widespread forearc volcanism and weakening of the crust to facilitate the unique deformation styles documented in the borderland that did not occur elsewhere along the North American–Pacific plate boundary.
Socioeconomic gradients in 24-hour movement patterns across weekends and weekdays in a working-age sample: evidence from the 1970 British Cohort Study
Authors: Blodgett Joanna M , Bann David , Chastin Sebastien F M , Ahmadi Matthew , Stamatakis Emmanuel , Cooper Rachel , Hamer Mark 
Published: May 2024

BackgroundSocioeconomic differences in movement behaviours may contribute to health inequalities. The aim of this descriptive study was to investigate socioeconomic patterns in device-measured 24-hour movement and assess whether patterns differ between weekdays and weekends.Methods4894 individuals aged 46 years from the 1970 British Cohort Study were included. Participants wore thigh-worn accelerometers for 7 days. Movement behaviours were classified in two 24-hour compositions based on intensity and posture, respectively: (1) sleep, sedentary behaviour, light-intensity activity and moderate-vigorous activity; and (2) sleep, lying, sitting, standing, light movement, walking and combined exercise-like activity. Four socioeconomic measures were explored: education, occupation, income and deprivation index. Movement behaviours were considered compositional means on a 24-hour scale; isometric log ratios expressed per cent differences in daily time in each activity compared with the sample mean.ResultsAssociations were consistent across all socioeconomic measures. For example, those with a degree spent more time in exercise-like activities across weekdays (10.8%, 95% CI 7.3 to 14.7; ref: sample mean) and weekends (21.9%, 95% CI 17.2 to 26.9). Other patterns differed markedly by the day of the week. Those with no formal qualifications spent more time standing (5.1%, 95% CI 2.3 to 7.1), moving (10.8%, 95% CI 8.6 to 13.1) and walking(4.0%, 95% CI 2.2 to 6.1) during weekdays, with no differences on weekends. Conversely, those with no formal qualifications spent less time sitting during weekdays (−6.6%, 95% CI −7.8 to –4.8), yet more time lying on both weekends (8.8%, 95% CI 4.9 to 12.2) and weekdays (7.5%, 95% CI 4.0 to 11.5).ConclusionsThere were strong socioeconomic gradients in 24-hour movement behaviours, with notable differences between weekdays/weekends and behaviour type/posture. These findings emphasise the need to consider socioeconomic position, behaviour type/posture and the day of the week when researching or designing interventions targeting working-age adults.