bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Overexpression of OsACL5 triggers environmentally‐dependent leaf rolling and reduces grain size in rice
Authors: Mai Huafu , Qin Tian , Wei Huan , Yu Zhen , Pang Gang , Liang Zhiman , Ni Jiansheng , Yang Haishan , Tang Haiying , Xiao Lisi , Liu Huili , Liu Taibo 
Published: November 2023

SummaryMajor polyamines include putrescine, spermidine, spermine and thermospermine, which play vital roles in growth and adaptation against environmental changes in plants. Thermospermine (T‐Spm) is synthetised by ACL5. The function of ACL5 in rice is still unknown. In this study, we used a reverse genetic strategy to investigate the biological function of OsACL5. We generated several knockout mutants by pYLCRISPR/Cas9 system and overexpressing (OE) lines of OsACL5. Interestingly, the OE plants exhibited environmentally‐dependent leaf rolling, smaller grains, lighter 1000‐grain weight and reduction in yield per plot. The area of metaxylem vessels of roots and leaves of OE plants were significantly smaller than those of WT, which possibly caused reduction in leaf water potential, resulting in leaf rolling with rise in the environmental temperature and light intensity and decrease in humidity. Additionally, the T‐Spm contents were markedly increased by over ninefold whereas the ethylene evolution was reduced in OE plants, suggesting that T‐Spm signalling pathway interacts with ethylene pathway to regulate multiple agronomic characters. Moreover, the osacl5 exhibited an increase in grain length, 1000‐grain weight, and yield per plot. OsACL5 may affect grain size via mediating the expression of OsDEP1, OsGS3 and OsGW2. Furthermore, haplotypes analysis indicated that OsACL5 plays a conserved function on regulating T‐Spm levels during the domestication of rice. Our data demonstrated that identification of OsACL5 provides a theoretical basis for understanding the physiological mechanism of T‐Spm which may play roles in triggering environmentally dependent leaf rolling; OsACL5 will be an important gene resource for molecular breeding for higher yield.
Presidential hawkishness, domestic popularity, and diplomatic normalization
Authors: Kim James D. 
Published: November 2023

AbstractWhen does the United States normalize its diplomatic relations with its adversaries? This article introduces a theory of diplomatic normalization, focusing on the interaction between the hawkishness of presidents and their domestic popularity. I argue that dovish presidents are more likely to pursue normalization when their domestic approval ratings plummet, as this makes them shift their priorities toward policies they find themselves more comfortable and confident handling. Doves are less likely to pursue normalization when they enjoy high popularity, so as not to jeopardize favorable public support. In contrast, hawkish presidents typically do not support normalization, regardless of their domestic standing, as it does not align with their top policy priorities. The exception arises in the rare instance of a president with an exceptionally high degree of hawkishness who is able to pursue reconciliation without losing his support. I test my theoretical expectations using data on U.S. presidents' latent hawkishness and their diplomatic normalization decisions from 1950 to 2005. The empirical evidence supports all hypotheses, underscoring the importance of understanding the interaction between a leader's personal attributes and the domestic political climate when studying foreign policy decisions.
Machines meet humans on the social road: Risk implications
Authors: Liu Peng 
Published: November 2023

AbstractHuman drivers and machine drivers (i.e., automated vehicles or AVs) will share roads and interact with each other, creating mixed traffic. In this perspective, we develop two mental models about them and their social interactions, aiming to understand the risk implications of AVs and mixed traffic. Based on Mental Model I (i.e., machine drivers are superior drivers without human weaknesses), many simulation‐based safety assessments, which often overlook or oversimplify human‐AV social interactions, have predicted significant safety benefits when machine drivers interact with or replace human drivers. In contrast, Mental Model II considers human and machine drivers as heterogeneous and incompatible, suggesting that their interactions may lead to unexpected and occasionally negative outcomes, particularly in imminent mixed traffic. This perspective gains support from recent comparative empirical studies that employ various methods such as survey experiments, driving simulators, test‐tracks, on‐road observations, and AV accident analysis. These studies provide initial evidence of emerging traffic risks arising from human‐AV social interactions, including human drivers’ aggression and road rage toward AVs, human drivers exploiting AVs, AVs exerting negative peer influences on human drivers, and their incompatibility increasing human drivers’ challenges in joining mixed traffic and thus risky behaviors. We propose specific suggestions to mitigate problematic human‐AV social interactions and the associated emerging risks.
The Islamic State and the independence referendum: The role of foreign policy in maintaining the de facto Kurdish entity in Iraq
Authors: Sadoon Hajar Bashir 
Published: November 2023

AbstractThe onslaught of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (hereafter ISIS) on the Kurdishde factoentity in Iraq in 2014 and the independence referendum in 2017 constituted two important episodes that impacted on the foreign policy of the Kurdish entity in multiple ways. This article analyzes and describes the foreign policies of the entity during and after these two episodes until the end of 2022. It attempts to answer the following two questions: How did the ISIS offensive briefly change the priorities of the Kurdish entity's leadership in terms of its foreign policy goals? Secondly, how did the independence referendum in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq and the subsequent events shape the foreign policy priorities of the Kurdish entity in Iraq? Through conducting interviews with high‐level Kurdish politicians and using recently published secondary source materials, this article argues that foreign policy and paradiplomacy played vital roles in the preservation of the KRI during these two very tough periods and that the Kurdish entity had to alter its domestic policy goals to achieve its foreign policy aims and ensure the survival of the Kurdish facto entity in Iraq.
The accessibility analysis of multiple public facilities in the central urban areas based on multi‐transportation modes: A study in Chengdu
Authors: Zhang Menghan , Li Zhenpei , Peng Hao 
Published: November 2023

AbstractWith the rapid development of social economy in Chengdu, it is of great significance to analyze the accessibility of a public facilities resources, and services in respective regions for the spatial planning of public facilities and the optimization of urban construction in Chengdu. Most existing studies only consider the accessibility of a single public facility under a single transportation mode studying facilities at the same level. In this research, with the consideration of all these factors mentioned above, an improved 3‐step floating catchment area (3SFCA) model of multi‐transportation modes is introduced to analyze the accessibility and spatial distribution of multiple types of public facilities under multiple traffic modes. The new model classifies the grade of public facilities and calculates the service accessibility of public facilities under the driving, public transport, cycling, and walking modes in the five dimensions of education, medical care, commerce, transportation, and leisure in the central urban areas of Chengdu. Through the comparative analysis of multiple models, we found that the improved 3SFCA can more accurately evaluate the accessibility of all dimensions of public facilities in central urban areas of Chengdu. The accessibility of compound public facilities in the central city is excellent. With the gradual expansion to the outward areas, the diversity and accessibility of compound public facilities gradually decreases. Furthermore, the accessibility distribution of public facilities in the study area is not balanced. The accessibility between the central urban areas and the marginal areas differs greatly and the spatial differentiation is substantial.
On a body‐switching argument in defence of the immateriality of human nature
Authors: Fatoorchi Pirooz 
Published: November 2023

AbstractIn an earlier paper in Theoria, I discussed an argument based on the idea of “soul‐switching” that attempted to undermine the immaterialist account of human beings. The present paper deals with a parity argument against that argument in which the idea of “body‐switching” plays a pivotal role. I call these two arguments, that have been reported by Razi (d. 1210), respectively “the soul‐switching argument” and “the body‐switching argument”. After some introductory remarks, section 2 of the paper describes the structure of the latter argument. Section 3 considers some philosophical discussions in the ancient, modern, and contemporary eras in which the idea of body‐switching (or some similar conception) plays a major role. In the following section 4, some criticisms of the argument are discussed and a general response that is meant to cover a broad range of objections is considered. This paper shows that the body‐switching argument reported by Razi is a methodological antecedent of several contemporary arguments in defence of substance dualism.
Melatonin confers tolerance to nitrogen deficiency through regulating MdHY5 in apple plants
Authors: Gao Tengteng , Liu Xiaomin , Xu Shuo , Yu Xi , Zhang Danni , Tan Kexin , Zhou Yi , Jia Xumei , Zhang Zhijun , Ma Fengwang , Li Chao 
Published: November 2023

SUMMARYNitrogen (N) is an essential nutrient for crop growth and development, significantly influencing both yield and quality. Melatonin (MT), a known enhancer of abiotic stress tolerance, has been extensively studied. However, its relationship with nutrient stress, particularly N deficiency, and the underlying regulatory mechanisms of MT on N absorption remain unclear. In this study, exogenous MT treatment was found to improve the tolerance of apple plants to N deficiency. Apple plants overexpressing the MT biosynthetic gene N‐acetylserotonin methyltransferase 9 (MdASMT9) were used to further investigate the effects of endogenous MT on low‐N stress. Overexpression of MdASMT9 improved the light harvesting and heat transfer capability of apple plants, thereby mitigating the detrimental effects of N deficiency on the photosynthetic system. Proteomic and physiological data analyses indicated that MdASMT9 overexpression enhanced the trichloroacetic acid cycle and positively modulated amino acid metabolism to counteract N‐deficiency stress. Additionally, both exogenous and endogenous MT promoted the transcription of MdHY5, which in turn bound to the MdNRT2.1 and MdNRT2.4 promoters and activated their expression. Notably, MT‐mediated promotion of MdNRT2.1 and MdNRT2.4 expression through regulating MdHY5, ultimately enhancing N absorption. Taken together, these findings shed light on the association between MdASMT9‐mediated MT biosynthesis and N absorption in apple plants under N‐deficiency conditions.
Dynamic transcriptome landscape of maize pericarp development
Authors: Zhang Jihong , Yue Yang , Hu Mingjian , Yi Fei , Chen Jian , Lai Jinsheng , Xin Beibei 
Published: November 2023

SUMMARYAs a maternal tissue, the pericarp supports and protects for other components of seed, such as embryo and endosperm. Despite the importance of maize pericarp in seed, the genome‐wide transcriptome pattern throughout maize pericarp development has not been well characterized. Here, we developed RNA‐seq transcriptome atlas of B73 maize pericarp development based on 21 samples from 5 days before fertilization (DBP5) to 32 days after fertilization (DAP32). A total of 25 346 genes were detected in programming pericarp development, including 1887 transcription factors (TFs). Together with pericarp morphological changes, the global clustering of gene expression revealed four developmental stages: undeveloped, thickening, expansion and strengthening. Coexpression analysis provided further insights on key regulators in functional transition of four developmental stages. Combined with non‐seed, embryo, endosperm, and nucellus transcriptome data, we identified 598 pericarp‐specific genes, including 75 TFs, which could elucidate key mechanisms and regulatory networks of pericarp development. Cell wall related genes were identified that reflected their crucial role in the maize pericarp structure building. In addition, key maternal proteases or TFs related with programmed cell death (PCD) were proposed, suggesting PCD in the maize pericarp was mediated by vacuolar processing enzymes (VPE), and jasmonic acid (JA) and ethylene‐related pathways. The dynamic transcriptome atlas provides a valuable resource for unraveling the genetic control of maize pericarp development.
The monotonicity and convexity of the incompressible rotational cavity flow
Authors: Cheng Jianfeng , Pei Zhenlei 
Published: November 2023

AbstractThis paper is concerned with the monotonicity and convexity of the incompressible rotational cavity flow past a fixed obstacle. More precisely, we first establish the single intersection property of the free boundary by the Serrin's under–over theorem, and prove the monotonicity of the free boundary with respect to the obstacle. If the obstacle is concave to the fluid, it is proved that the free boundary is convex to the fluid.
Static Stability of Planar Contacting Systems: Analytical Treatment in Euclidean Space
Authors: Dan Alinjar , Rama Krishna K. , Saha S. K. 
Published: November 2023

Abstract
This paper gives an exact theory in Euclidean space for studying the static stability of planar rigid systems held by one or more frictional and frictionless contacts under gravity. Static stability analysis deals with determining the feasible locations of the center of gravity (CG) which ensure stability. The analysis is performed here in two steps—finding the equilibrium region and finding the stability region as a subset of the equilibrium region. The stability region is determined through the analytical treatment of an elegant geometric characterization. These results are also verified through elegant geometric reasoning based on curvature theory in-plane kinematics. In the end, stability analyses of some physical systems containing generic contacting curves are illustrated, and the results are presented with physical interpretations.
Contezolid can replace linezolid in a novel combination with bedaquiline and pretomanid in a murine model of tuberculosis
Authors: Almeida Deepak , Li Si-Yang , Lee Jin , Hafkin Barry , Mdluli Khisimuzi , Fotouhi Nader , Nuermberger Eric L. 
Published: November 2023

ABSTRACT

Contezolid is a new oxazolidinone with
in vitro
and
in vivo
activity against
Mycobacterium tuberculosis
comparable to that of linezolid. Pre-clinical and clinical safety studies suggest it may be less toxic than linezolid, making contezolid a potential candidate to replace linezolid in the treatment of drug-resistant tuberculosis. We evaluated the dose-ranging activity of contezolid, alone and in combination with bedaquiline and pretomanid, and compared it with linezolid at similar doses, in an established BALB/c mouse model of tuberculosis. Contezolid had an MIC of 1 µg/mL, similar to linezolid, and exhibited similar bactericidal activity in mice. Contezolid-resistant mutants selected
in vitro
had 32- to 64-fold increases in contezolid MIC and harbored mutations in the
mce3R
gene. These mutants did not display cross-resistance to linezolid. Our results indicate that contezolid has the potential to replace linezolid in regimens containing bedaquiline and pretomanid and likely other regimens.
Measuring beta-lactam minimum inhibitory concentrations in
Staphylococcus aureus
in the clinical microbiology laboratory: pinning the tail on the donkey
Authors: Sakoulas George , Nizet Victor 
Published: November 2023

ABSTRACT

Significant shortcomings have been identified in standard methods of susceptibility testing in bacteriological media, not only because the media fails to recapitulate the
in vivo
environment, but susceptibility testing itself fails to capture sub-MIC effects that significantly attenuate bacterial virulence properties. Until susceptibility testing conditions better recapitulate the
in vivo
environment, attempts to establish the quantitative relevance of beta-lactam MIC using current clinical microbiology standards in
Staphylococcus aureus
infections will likely prove unsuccessful.
Peroxisome dynamics determines host-derived ROS accumulation and infectious growth of the rice blast fungus
Authors: Zhang Jun , Li Huimin , Gu Wangliu , Zhang Kexin , Liu Xinyu , Liu Muxing , Yang Leiyun , Li Gang , Zhang Zhengguang , Zhang Haifeng 
Published: November 2023

ABSTRACT

During the early stages of host-pathogen interaction, the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in host cells is a critical strategy to halt the spread of pathogens. Pathogens have to minimize the deleterious effects of host-generated ROS for successful invasion. However, the underlying mechanism remains largely elusive. Here, we report that a peroxisomal 3-ketoacyl-CoA thiolase of rice blast fungus
Magnaporthe oryzae
, MoKat2, functions in host ROS homeostasis likely through regulating fungal peroxisome morphology during infection.
M. oryzae
peroxisome elongates in response to ROS stress, and this is attributed to the function of peroxisome localized MoKat2. MoKat2 forms homodimer
in vivo
while the homodimer is dissociated into monomer in response to host-derived ROS. The MoKat2 monomer binds to peroxisome membranes through its amphipathic helices to control peroxisome elongation, resulting in host ROS depletion and subsequent
M. oryzae
invasion in rice cells. Our findings shed light on the interplay between pathogenic peroxisome dynamics and host ROS accumulation, expanding the crucial role of organelle-mediated infection in plant-microbe interactions.

IMPORTANCE

The interplay between plant and pathogen is a dynamic process, with the host’s innate defense mechanisms serving a crucial role in preventing infection. In response to many plant pathogen infections, host cells generate the key regulatory molecule, reactive oxygen species (ROS), to limit the spread of the invading organism. In this study, we reveal the effects of fungal peroxisome dynamics on host ROS homeostasis, during the rice blast fungus
Magnaporthe oryzae
infection. The elongation of the peroxisome appears contingent upon ROS and links to the accumulation of ROS within the host and the infectious growth of the pathogen. Importantly, we identify a peroxisomal 3-ketoacyl-CoA thiolase, MoKat2, responsible for the elongation of the peroxisome during the infection. In response to host-derived ROS, the homodimer of MoKat2 undergoes dissociation to bind peroxisome membranes for peroxisome elongation. This process, in turn, inhibits the accumulation of host ROS, which is necessary for successful infection. Overall, our study is the first to highlight the intricate relationship between fungal organelle dynamics and ROS-mediated host immunity, extending the fundamental knowledge of pathogen-host interaction.
Complete genome sequence of the pandrug-resistant
Vibrio cholerae
strain KBR06 isolated from a cholera patient in Bangladesh
Authors: Kabir Md. Mohiuddin , Imam Md. Rayhan , Farzana Zinat , Hossain Chowdhury Faiz 
Published: November 2023

ABSTRACT

Vibrio cholerae
poses a serious hazard to global health and causes cholera disease in humans. Here, we present the full-genome sequence of a pandrug-resistant
V. cholerae
strain KBR06 isolated from a cholera patient in Bangladesh that exhibited intermediate resistance to only two antibiotics out of 39 among 14 antibiotic categories.
The interplay between the polar growth determinant DivIVA, the segregation protein ParA, and their novel interaction partner PapM controls the
Mycobacterium smegmatis
cell cycle by modulation of DivIVA subcellular distribution
Authors: Matusiak Izabela , Strzałka Agnieszka , Wadach Patrycja , Gongerowska-Jac Martyna , Szwajczak Ewa , Szydłowska-Helbrych Aleksandra , Kepplinger Bernhard , Pióro Monika , Jakimowicz Dagmara 
Published: November 2023

ABSTRACT

Bacterial chromosome segregation is facilitated by the ParABS system. The ParB protein binds centromere-like
parS
sequences and forms nucleoprotein complexes. These nucleoprotein complexes are segregated by the dynamic ATPase ParA. In mycobacteria, ParA also interacts with the polar growth determinant DivIVA (Wag31). This interaction was earlier shown not only to facilitate the segregation of ParB complexes but also to affect cell extension. Here, we identify an additional partner of ParA in
Mycobacterium smegmatis
, named PapM. Using
E. coli
-based analysis, we show that PapM likewise interacts with DivIVA and that the tripartite interaction of ParA-PapM-DivIVA is phosphorylation dependent: ParA binding to DivIVA is diminished, while PapM binding is promoted upon phosphorylation of DivIVA. The presence of PapM enhances the dissociation of ParA from the DivIVA complex upon its phosphorylation. Studies of
M. smegmatis
mutant strains reveal that altered PapM levels influence chromosome segregation and cell length. The elimination of PapM affects ParA dynamics. Furthermore, ParA and, to a lesser extent, PapM modulate the subcellular distribution of DivIVA. Altogether, our studies show that the tripartite interplay between ParA-DivIVA and PapM controls the switch between cell division and cell elongation and, in this way, affects the mycobacterial cell cycle.

IMPORTANCE

The genus of
Mycobacterium
includes important clinical pathogens (
M. tuberculosis
). Bacteria of this genus share the unusual features of their cell cycle such as asymmetric polar cell elongation and long generation time. Markedly, control of the mycobacterial cell cycle still remains not fully understood. The main cell growth determinant in mycobacteria is the essential protein DivIVA, which is also involved in cell division. DivIVA activity is controlled by phosphorylation, but the mechanism and significance of this process are unknown. Here, we show how the previously established protein interaction partner of DivIVA in mycobacteria, the segregation protein ParA, affects the DivIVA subcellular distribution. We also demonstrate the role of a newly identified
M. smegmatis
DivIVA and ParA interaction partner, a protein named PapM, and we establish how their interactions are modulated by phosphorylation. Demonstrating that the tripartite interplay affects the mycobacterial cell cycle contributes to the general understanding of mycobacterial growth regulation.