bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Long-term ambient air pollution exposure and prospective change in sedentary behaviour and physical activity in individuals at risk of type 2 diabetes in the UK
Authors: Goldney Jonathan , Henson Joseph , Edwardson Charlotte L , Khunti Kamlesh , Davies Melanie J , Yates Thomas 
Published: December 2023

Abstract

Background
Air pollution may be a risk factor for physical inactivity and sedentary behaviour (SED) through discouraging active lifestyles, impairing fitness and contributing to chronic diseases with potentially important consequences for population health.

Methods
Using generalized estimating equations, we examined the associations between long-term particulate matter with diameter ≤2.5 μm (PM2.5), ≤10 μm (PM10) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and annual change in accelerometer-measured SED, moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) and steps in adults at risk of type 2 diabetes within the Walking Away from Type 2 Diabetes trial. We adjusted for important confounders including social deprivation and measures of the built environment.

Results
From 808 participants, 644 had complete data (1605 observations; 64.7% men; mean age 63.86 years). PM2.5, NO2 and PM10 were not associated with change in MVPA/steps but were associated with change in SED, with a 1 ugm−3 increase associated with 6.38 (95% confidence interval: 0.77, 12.00), 1.52 (0.49, 2.54) and 4.48 (0.63, 8.34) adjusted annual change in daily minutes, respectively.

Conclusions
Long-term PM2.5, NO2 and PM10 exposures were associated with an annual increase in SED: ~11–22 min/day per year across the sample range of exposure (three standard deviations). Future research should investigate whether interventions to reduce pollution may influence SED.
Does pain hurt more in Spanish? The neurobiology of pain among Spanish–English bilingual adults
Authors: Gianola Morgan , Llabre Maria M , Losin Elizabeth A Reynolds 
Published: December 2023

Abstract
We previously found Spanish-English bilingual adults reported higher pain intensity when exposed to painful heat in the language of their stronger cultural orientation. Here, we elucidate brain systems involved in language-driven alterations in pain responses. During separate English- and Spanish-speaking fMRI scanning runs, 39 (21 female) bilingual adults rated painful heat intermixed between culturally evocative images and completed sentence reading tasks. Surveys of cultural identity and language use measured relative preference for US-American vs Hispanic culture (cultural orientation). Participants produced higher intensity ratings in Spanish compared to English. Group-level whole-brain differences in pain-evoked activity between languages emerged in somatosensory, cingulate, precuneus and cerebellar cortex. Regions of interest associated with semantic, attention and somatosensory processing showed higher average pain-evoked responses in participants’ culturally preferred language, as did expression of a multivariate pain-predictive pattern. Follow-up moderated mediation analyses showed somatosensory activity mediated language effects on pain intensity, particularly for Hispanic oriented participants. These findings relate to distinct (‘meddler’, ‘spotlight’ and ‘inducer’) hypotheses about the nature of language effects on perception and cognition. Knowledge of language influences on pain could improve efficacy of culturally sensitive treatment approaches across the diversity of Hispanic adults to mitigate documented health disparities in this population.
The vocal side of empathy: neural correlates of pain perception in spoken complaints
Authors: Mauchand Maël , Armony Jorge L , Pell Marc D 
Published: December 2023

Abstract
In the extensive neuroimaging literature on empathy for pain, few studies have investigated how this phenomenon may relate to everyday social situations such as spoken interactions. The present study used functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) to assess how complaints, as vocal expressions of pain, are empathically processed by listeners and how these empathic responses may vary based on speakers’ vocal expression and cultural identity. Twenty-four French participants listened to short utterances describing a painful event, which were either produced in a neutral-sounding or complaining voice by both in-group (French) and out-group (French Canadian) speakers. Results suggest that the perception of suffering from a complaining voice increased activity in the emotional voice areas, composed of voice-sensitive temporal regions interacting with prefrontal cortices and the amygdala. The Salience and Theory of Mind networks, associated with affective and cognitive aspects of empathy, also showed prosody-related activity and specifically correlated with behavioral evaluations of suffering by listeners. Complaints produced by in- vs out-group speakers elicited sensorimotor and default mode activity, respectively, suggesting accent-based changes in empathic perspective. These results, while reaffirming the role of key networks in tasks involving empathy, highlight the importance of vocal expression information and social categorization processes when perceiving another’s suffering during social interactions.
The unlikely successful advancement of Japan’s e-government under Suga
Authors: Yamamoto Raymond , Iversen Karen Ejersbo 
Published: December 2023

Abstract
Prime Minister Suga Yoshihide passed a set of digital laws in 2021, which enabled the establishment of the Digital Agency as a central element in the e-government and the digital transition in Japan. Despite its great significance, the laws were prepared and passed in a record-breaking time. This article sets out to determine the factors contributing to the swift acceptance and success of the digital law package utilizing the multiple stream framework by John W. Kingdon. It demonstrates how Suga’s ambitions coincided with a unique policy window opened by an unlikely confluence of the global pandemic and a persistent policy community.
Phylogenetic Biodiversity Metrics Should Account for Both Accumulation and Attrition of Evolutionary Heritage
Authors: Rosindell James , Manson Kerry , Gumbs Rikki , Pearse William D , Steel Mike 
Published: December 2023

Abstract
Phylogenetic metrics are essential tools used in the study of ecology, evolution and conservation. Phylogenetic diversity (PD) in particular is one of the most prominent measures of biodiversity and is based on the idea that biological features accumulate along the edges of phylogenetic trees that are summed. We argue that PD and many other phylogenetic biodiversity metrics fail to capture an essential process that we term attrition. Attrition is the gradual loss of features through causes other than extinction. Here we introduce “EvoHeritage”, a generalization of PD that is founded on the joint processes of accumulation and attrition of features. We argue that while PD measures evolutionary history, EvoHeritage is required to capture a more pertinent subset of evolutionary history including only components that have survived attrition. We show that EvoHeritage is not the same as PD on a tree with scaled edges; instead, accumulation and attrition interact in a more complex non-monophyletic way that cannot be captured by edge lengths alone. This leads us to speculate that the one-dimensional edge lengths of classic trees may be insufficiently flexible to capture the nuances of evolutionary processes. We derive a measure of EvoHeritage and show that it elegantly reproduces species richness and PD at opposite ends of a continuum based on the intensity of attrition. We demonstrate the utility of EvoHeritage in ecology as a predictor of community productivity compared with species richness and PD. We also show how EvoHeritage can quantify living fossils and resolve their associated controversy. We suggest how the existing calculus of PD-based metrics and other phylogenetic biodiversity metrics can and should be recast in terms of EvoHeritage accumulation and attrition.
Leaf nitrogen and phosphorus resorption efficiencies are related to drought resistance across woody species in a Chinese savanna
Authors: Zhang Shu-Bin , Song Yu , Wen Han-Dong , Chen Ya-Jun 
Published: December 2023

Abstract
Leaf nutrient resorption and drought resistance are crucial for the growth and survival of plants. However, our understanding of the relationships between leaf nutrient resorption and plant drought resistance is still limited. In this study, we investigated the nitrogen and phosphorus resorption efficiencies (NRE and PRE), leaf structural traits, leaf osmotic potential at full hydration (Ψosm), xylem water potential at 50% loss of xylem-specific hydraulic conductivity (P50) and seasonal minimum water potential (Ψmin) for 18 shrub and tree species in a semiarid savanna ecosystem, in Southwest China. Our results showed that NRE and PRE exhibited trade-off against drought resistance traits (Ψosm and P50) across woody species. Moreover, this relationship was modulated by leaf structural investment. Species with low structural investment (e.g., leaf mass per area, leaf dry mass content and leaf construction cost [LCC]) tend to have high NRE and PRE, while those with high LCCs show high drought resistance, showing more negative Ψosm and P50.These results indicate that species with a lower leaf structural investment may have a greater need to recycle their nutrients, thus exhibiting higher nutrient resorption efficiencies, and vice versa. In conclusion, nutrient resorption efficiency may be a crucial adaptation strategy for coexisting plants in semiarid ecosystems, highlighting the importance of understanding the complex relationships between nutrient cycling and plant survival strategies.
Nitrogen and phosphorus addition promote invasion success of invasive species via increased growth and nutrient accumulation under elevated CO2
Authors: Zhang Lingling , Luo Xianzhen , Zhang Guihua , Zang Xiaowei , Wen Dazhi 
Published: December 2023

Abstract
In the context of the resource allocation hypothesis regarding the trade-off between growth and defence, compared with native species, invasive species generally allocate more energy to growth and less energy to defence. However, it remains unclear how global change and nutrient enrichment will influence the competition between invasive species and co-occurring native species. Here, we tested whether nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) addition under elevated CO2 causes invasive species (Mikania micrantha and Chromolaena odorata) to produce greater biomass, higher growth-related compounds and lower defence-related compounds than native plants (Paederia scandens and Eupatorium chinense). We grew these native and invasive species with similar morphology with the addition of N and P under elevated CO2 in open-top chambers. The addition of N alone increased the relative growth rate (RGR) by 5.4% in invasive species, and its combination with P addition or elevated CO2 significantly increased the RGR of invasive species by 7.5 or 8.1%, respectively, and to a level higher than that of native species (by 14.4%, P &lt; 0.01). Combined N + P addition under elevated CO2 decreased the amount of defence-related compounds in the leaf, including lipids (by 17.7%) and total structural carbohydrates (by 29.0%), whereas it increased the growth-related compounds in the leaf, including proteins (by 75.7%), minerals (by 9.6%) and total non-structural carbohydrates (by 8.5%). The increased concentrations of growth-related compounds were possibly associated with the increase in ribulose 1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase oxygenase content and mineral nutrition (magnesium, iron and calcium), all of which were higher in the invasive species than in the native species. These results suggest that rising atmospheric CO2 concentration and N deposition combined with nutrient enrichment will increase the growth of invasive species more than that of native species. Our result also suggests that invasive species respond more readily to produce growth-related compounds under an increased soil nutrient availability and elevated CO2.
A neutral theory of plant carbon allocation
Authors: Thompson R Alex 
Published: December 2023

Abstract
How plants use the carbon they gain from photosynthesis remains a key area of study among plant ecologists. Although numerous theories have been presented throughout the years, the field lacks a clear null model. To fill this gap, I have developed the first null model, or neutral theory, of plant carbon allocation using probability theory, plant biochemistry and graph theory at the level of a leaf. Neutral theories have been used to establish a null hypothesis in molecular evolution and community assembly to describe how much of an ecological phenomenon can be described by chance alone. Here, the aim of a neutral theory of plant carbon allocation is to ask: how is carbon partitioned between sinks if one assumes plants do not prioritize certain sinks over others? Using the biochemical network of plant carbon metabolism, I show that, if allocation was strictly random, carbon is more likely to be allocated to storage, defense, respiration and finally growth. This ‘neutral hierarchy’ suggests that a sink’s biochemical distance from photosynthesis plays an important role in carbon allocation patterns, highlighting the potentially adaptive role of this biochemical network for plant survival in variable environments. A brief simulation underscores that our ability to measure the carbon allocation from photosynthesis to a given sink is unreliable due to simple probabilistic rules. While neutral theory may not explain all patterns of carbon allocation, its utility is in the minimal assumptions and role as a null model against which future data should be tested.
A new genus of alphasatellites associated with banana bunchy top virus in Southeast Asia
Authors: Guyot Valentin , Trieu Tien-Dung , Insisiengmay Oudomphone , Zhang Ting , Iskra-Caruana Marie-Line , Pooggin Mikhail M 
Published: December 2023

Abstract
Autonomously replicating alphasatellites (family Alphasatellitidae) are frequently associated with plant single-stranded (ss)DNA viruses of the families Geminiviridae, Metaxyviridae, and Nanoviridae. Alphasatellites encode a single replication-initiator protein (Rep) similar to Rep proteins of helper viruses and depend on helper viruses for encapsidation, movement, and transmission. Costs versus benefits of alphasatellite-helper virus association are poorly understood. Our surveys in Southeast Asia (SEA) for wild and cultivated banana plants infected with banana bunchy top virus (BBTV, Nanoviridae) and Illumina sequencing reconstruction of their viromes revealed, in addition to a six-component BBTV genome, one to three distinct alphasatellites present in sixteen of twenty-four BBTV-infected plants. Comparative nucleotide and Rep protein sequence analyses classified these alphasatellites into four distinct species: two known species falling into the genus Muscarsatellite (subfamily Petromoalphasatellitinae) previously identified in SEA and two novel species falling into the tentative genus Banaphisatellite (subfamily Nanoalphasatellitinae) so far containing a single species recently identified in Africa. The banaphisatellites were found to be most related to members of the genus Fabenesatellite of subfamily Nanoalphasatellitinae and the genus Gosmusatellite of subfamily Geminialphasatellitinae, both infecting dicots. This suggests a dicot origin of banaphisatellites that got independently associated with distinct strains of monocot-infecting BBTV in Africa and SEA. Analysis of conserved sequence motifs in the common regions driving replication and gene expression of alphasatellites and BBTV strains revealed both differences and similarities, pointing at their ongoing co-evolution. An impact of alphasatellites on BBTV infection and evasion of RNA interference–based antiviral defences was evaluated by measuring relative abundance of BBTV genome components and alphasatellites and by profiling BBTV- and alphasatellite-derived small interfering RNAs. Taken together, our findings shed new light on the provenance of alphasatellites, their co-evolution with helper viruses, and potential mutual benefits of their association.
Blockade of OSMRβ signaling ameliorates skin lesions in a mouse model of human atopic dermatitis
Authors: Komori Tadasuke , Hisaoka Tomoko , Kotaki Ayumi , Iwamoto Miki , Miyajima Atsushi , Esashi Eiji , Morikawa Yoshihiro 
Published: December 2023

AbstractAtopic dermatitis (AD) is a chronic inflammatory skin disease characterized by severe pruritus and eczematous skin lesions. Although IL‐31, a type 2 helper T (Th2)‐derived cytokine, is important to the development of pruritus and skin lesions in AD, the blockade of IL‐31 signaling does not improve the skin lesions in AD. Oncostatin M (OSM), a member of IL‐6 family of cytokines, plays important roles in the regulation of various inflammatory responses through OSM receptor β subunit (OSMRβ), a common receptor subunit for OSM and IL‐31. However, the effects of OSM on the pathogenesis of AD remain to be elucidated. When AD model mice were treated with OSM, skin lesions were exacerbated and IL‐4 production was increased in the lymph nodes. Next, we investigated the effects of the monoclonal antibody (mAb) against OSMRβ on the pathogenesis of AD. Treatment with the anti‐OSMRβ mAb (7D2) reduced skin severity score in AD model mice. In addition to skin lesions, scratching behavior was decreased by 7D2 mAb with the reduction in the number of OSMRβ‐positive neurons in the dorsal root ganglia of AD model mice. 7D2 mAb also reduced the serum concentration of IL‐4, IL‐13, and IgE as well as the gene expressions of IL‐4 and IL‐13 in the lymph nodes of AD model mice. Blockade of both IL‐31 and OSM signaling is suggested to suppress both pruritus and Th2 responses, resulting in the improvement of skin lesions in AD. The anti‐OSMRβ mAb may be a new therapeutic candidate for the treatment of AD.
The adverse effects of vitrification on mouse embryo development and metabolic phenotype in offspring
Authors: Chen Qiaoyu , Zhou Dan , Wang Changxin , Ye Mingming , Jia Yanping , Liu Binya , Bukulmez Orhan , Norman Robert J. , Hu Hanxin , Yeung Shu‐Biu , Teng Xiaoming , Liu Wenqiang , Chen Miaoxin 
Published: December 2023

AbstractEmbryo vitrification is a standard procedure in assisted reproductive technology. Previous studies have shown that frozen embryo transfer is associated with an elevated risk of adverse maternal and neonatal outcomes. This study aimed to explore the effects of mouse blastocyst vitrification on the phenotype of vitrified‐warmed blastocysts, their intrauterine and postnatal development, and the long‐term metabolic health of the derived offspring. The vitrified‐warmed blastocysts (IVF + VT group) exhibited reduced mitochondrial activity, increased apoptotic levels, and decreased cell numbers when compared to the fresh blastocysts (IVF group). Implantation rates, live pup rates, and crown‐rump length at E18.5 were not different between the two groups. However, there was a significant decrease in fetal weight and fetal/placental weight ratio in the IVF + VT group. Furthermore, the offspring of the IVF + VT group at an age of 36 weeks had reduced whole energy consumption, impaired glucose and lipid metabolism when compared with the IVF group. Notably, RNA‐seq results unveiled disturbed hepatic gene expression in the offspring from vitrified‐warmed blastocysts. This study revealed the short‐term negative impacts of vitrification on embryo and fetal development and the long‐term influence on glucose and lipid metabolism that persist from the prenatal stage into adulthood in mice.
SUMOylation and coupling of eNOS mediated by PIAS1 contribute to maintenance of vascular homeostasis
Authors: Wang Li , Zeng Wenjing , Wang Chaowen , Lu Yanli , Xiong Xiaowei , Chen Sheng , Huang Qianqian , Yan Feixing , Huang Qiren 
Published: December 2023

AbstractEndothelial dysfunction (ED) is commonly considered a crucial initiating step in the pathogenesis of numerous cardiovascular diseases. The coupling of endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) is important in maintaining normal endothelial functions. However, it still remains elusive whether and how eNOS SUMOylation affects the eNOS coupling. In the study, we investigate the roles and possible action mechanisms of protein inhibitor of activated STAT 1 (PIAS1) in ED. Human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) treated with palmitate acid (PA) in vitro and ApoE−/− mice fed with high‐fat diet (HFD) in vivo were constructed as the ED models. Our in vivo data show that PIAS1 alleviates the dysfunction of vascular endothelium by increasing nitric oxide (NO) level, reducing malondialdehyde (MDA) level, and activating the phosphatidylinositol 3‐kinase‐protein kinase B‐endothelial nitric oxide synthase (PI3K‐AKT‐eNOS) signaling in ApoE−/− mice. Our in vitro data also show that PIAS1 can SUMOylate eNOS under endogenous conditions; moreover, it antagonizes the eNOS uncoupling induced by PA. The findings demonstrate that PIAS1 alleviates the dysfunction of vascular endothelium by promoting the SUMOylation and inhibiting the uncoupling of eNOS, suggesting that PIAS1 would become an early predictor of atherosclerosis and a new potential target of the hyperlipidemia‐related cardiovascular diseases.
Selective block of human Kv1.1 channels and an epilepsy‐associated gain‐of‐function mutation by AETX‐K peptide
Authors: Zhao Ruiming , Qasim Arwa , Sophanpanichkul Punyanuch , Dai Hui , Nayak Maha , Sher Inbal , Chill Jordan , Goldstein Steve A. N. 
Published: December 2023

AbstractDysfunction of the human voltage‐gated K+ channel Kv1.1 has been associated with epilepsy, multiple sclerosis, episodic ataxia, myokymia, and cardiorespiratory dysregulation. We report here that AETX‐K, a sea anemone type I (SAK1) peptide toxin we isolated from a phage display library, blocks Kv1.1 with high affinity (Ki ~ 1.6 pM) and notable specificity, inhibiting other Kv channels we tested a million‐fold less well. Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) was employed both to determine the three‐dimensional structure of AETX‐K, showing it to employ a classic SAK1 scaffold while exhibiting a unique electrostatic potential surface, and to visualize AETX‐K bound to the Kv1.1 pore domain embedded in lipoprotein nanodiscs. Study of Kv1.1 in Xenopus oocytes with AETX‐K and point variants using electrophysiology demonstrated the blocking mechanism to employ a toxin‐channel configuration we have described before whereby AETX‐K Lys23, two positions away on the toxin interaction surface from the classical blocking residue, enters the pore deeply enough to interact with K+ ions traversing the pathway from the opposite side of the membrane. The mutant channel Kv1.1‐L296F is associated with pharmaco‐resistant multifocal epilepsy in infants because it significantly increases K+ currents by facilitating opening and slowing closure of the channels. Consistent with the therapeutic potential of AETX‐K for Kv1.1 gain‐of‐function‐associated diseases, AETX‐K at 4 pM decreased Kv1.1‐L296F currents to wild‐type levels; further, populations of heteromeric channels formed by co‐expression Kv1.1 and Kv1.2, as found in many neurons, showed a Ki of ~10 nM even though homomeric Kv1.2 channels were insensitive to the toxin (Ki > 2000 nM).