bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Sunspot activity influences tree growth: Molecular evidence and ecological implications
Authors: Molina‐Montenegro Marco A. , Egas Claudia , Ballesteros Gabriel , Acuña‐Rodríguez Ian S. , San Martín Filoromo , Gianoli Ernesto 
Published: December 2022

AbstractSolar activity has a significant influence on Earth's climate and may drive many biological processes. Here, we measured growth in 11 tree species distributed along an ≈600‐km latitudinal gradient in South‐Central Chile, recording the width of their growth‐rings among periods of maximum (highest number of sunspots) and minimum (lowest number of sunspots) solar activity. In one of these species, Quillaja saponaria, we experimentally assessed three ecophysiological traits (CO2 fixation through photosynthesis [Amax], growth and leaf production) as well as the expression of five genes related to cell wall elongation and expansion following exposure to high and low levels of UV‐B radiation, simulating scenarios of maximum and minimum solar activity, respectively. We found lower tree growth during the periods of maximum solar activity, with this trend being more evident at lower latitudes, where UV‐B radiation is higher. Exposure of Q. saponaria to higher levels of UV‐B affected the ecophysiological parameters, revealing a decrease in Amax, growth and leaf production. In addition, higher levels of UV‐B led to repression in four of the five genes studied. Our results may help foresee environmental scenarios for different plant species associated with solar activity.
The leucine‐responsive regulatory protein SCAB_Lrp modulates thaxtomin biosynthesis, pathogenicity, and morphological development in Streptomyces scabies
Authors: Liu Jing , Wang Yunxia , He Haoyang , Dong Shengnan , Tang Lijuan , Yang Endong , Wang Weiyun , Zhang Buchang 
Published: December 2022

AbstractStreptomyces scabies is the best‐characterized plant‐pathogenic streptomycete, which is a special species among the large genus Streptomyces. The pathogenicity of S. scabies relies on the production of the secondary metabolite thaxtomin A. Little is known about the molecular mechanisms underlying the regulation of thaxtomin biosynthesis in S. scabies beyond the pathway‐specific activator TxtR and the cellulose utilization repressor CebR. The leucine‐responsive regulatory protein (Lrp) family modulates secondary metabolism in nonpathogenic streptomycetes. However, the regulatory relationship between the Lrp and pathogenic streptomycetes remains unknown. In this study, we demonstrated that SCAB_Lrp (SCAB_77931) from S. scabies significantly affects thaxtomin biosynthesis, pathogenicity, and morphological development. SCAB_Lrp deletion resulted in a dramatic decline in thaxtomin A production and a low‐virulence phenotype of S. scabies. An in‐depth dissection of the regulatory mechanism of SCAB_Lrp revealed that it positively regulates the transcription of the thaxtomin biosynthetic gene cluster by directly binding to the promoter of the cluster‐situated regulator gene txtR. SCAB_Lrp also controls the morphological development of S. scabies by directly activating the transcription of amfC, whiB, and ssgB. SCAB_Lrp directly controls the transcription of its own gene by binding a specific sequence (5′‐GGACAGTCGCCGTGCTACG‐3′). Moreover, phenylalanine and methionine have been characterized as SCAB_Lrp effectors by strengthening the binding affinity and complex status between SCAB_Lrp and DNA. Our findings characterize a multifunctional regulatory protein, SCAB_Lrp, that controls secondary metabolism, pathogenicity, and sporulation in S. scabies and provide new insights into the complex regulatory network that modulates thaxtomin phytotoxins in pathogenic Streptomyces.
Multiscale microscopy to decipher plant cell structure and dynamics
Authors: Cui Yaning , Zhang Xi , Li Xiaojuan , Lin Jinxing 
Published: December 2022

SummaryNew imaging methodologies with high contrast and molecular specificity allow researchers to analyze dynamic processes in plant cells at multiple scales, from single protein and RNA molecules to organelles and cells, to whole organs and tissues. These techniques produce informative images and quantitative data on molecular dynamics to address questions that cannot be answered by conventional biochemical assays. Here, we review selected microscopy techniques, focusing on their basic principles and applications in plant science, discussing the pros and cons of each technique, and introducing methods for quantitative analysis. This review thus provides guidance for plant scientists in selecting the most appropriate techniques to decipher structures and dynamic processes at different levels, from protein dynamics to morphogenesis.
New insights into the origin of buckwheat cultivation in southwestern China from pollen data
Authors: Yao Yi‐Feng , Song Xiao‐Yan , Xie Gan , Tang Ye‐Na , Wortley Alexandra H. , Qin Feng , Blackmore Stephen , Li Cheng‐Sen , Wang Yu‐Fei 
Published: December 2022

Summary

Buckwheat is an important crop which originated in China and spread widely across Eurasia. However, exactly where in China domestication took place remains controversial. Archaeological and palynological records suggest a longer cultivation history of buckwheat in northern China than in southwestern China, but this conflicts with phylogenetic evidence implicating southwestern China as the centre of origin and diversity of buckwheat.

We investigate alternative methodologies for inferring the occurrence of buckwheat cultivation and suggest that relative abundance could provide a reliable measure for distinguishing between wild and cultivated buckwheat in both present‐day and fossil samples.

Approximately 12 800‐yr palaeoecological record shows that Fagopyrum pollen occurred only infrequently before the early Holocene. As southwestern China entered the early agricultural period, c. 8000–7000 yr ago, a slight increase in abundance of Fagopyrum pollen was observed. Approximately 4000 yr ago, concurrent with the Pu minority beginning to develop dry‐land agriculture, the abundance of Fagopyrum pollen increased significantly, suggesting the cultivation of this crop. Fagopyrum pollen rose to a maximum value c. 1270 yr ago, suggesting an intensification of agricultural activity.

These findings fill a gap in the Fagopyrum pollen record in southwestern China and provide new indications that early cultivation may have occurred in this region.
Breeding and adoption of biofortified crops and their nutritional impact on human health
Authors: Kumar Sachin , DePauw Ron M. , Kumar Sudhir , Kumar Jitendra , Kumar Sourabh , Pandey Madhav P. 
Published: December 2022

AbstractMicronutrient malnutrition has affected over two billion people worldwide and continues to be a health risk. A growing human population, poverty, and the prevalence of low dietary diversity are jointly responsible for malnutrition, particularly in developing nations. Inadequate bioavailability of key micronutrients, such as iron (Fe), zinc (Zn), and vitamin A, can be improved through agronomic and/or genetic interventions. The Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research prioritizes developing biofortified food crops that are rich in minerals and vitamins through the HarvestPlus initiative on biofortification. The objective of this review is to provide an overview of biofortified food crops along with evidence supporting their acceptability and adoption. Between 2004 and 2019, 242 biofortified varieties belonging to 11 major crops were released in 30 countries across Asia, Africa, and Latin America. These conventionally bred biofortified crops include Fe‐enriched beans, pearl millet, and cowpea; Zn‐enriched rice, wheat, and maize; both Fe‐ and Zn‐enriched lentil and sorghum; and varieties with improved vitamin A in orange‐fleshed sweet potato, maize, cassava, and banana/plantain. In addition to ongoing efforts, breeding innovations, such as speed breeding and CRISPR‐based gene editing technologies, will be necessary for the next decade to reach two billion people with biofortified crops.
Long‐Term Clinical and Imaging Results of Oblique Lateral Interbody Fusion for Degenerative Lumbar Spondylolisthesis: A Systematic Review and Meta‐Analysis
Authors: Ma Huan , Zhang Fanyi , Ying Qijie , Pan Baoze , Li Yuting , Ge Hongping , Cao Yu , Jiang Tingfei , Dai Meifen , Ji Conghua 
Published: December 2022

The efficacies and safety of oblique lateral interbody fusion (OLIF) for degenerative lumbar spondylolisthesis (DLS) remains controversial, and long‐term clinical efficacies in particular need to be explored. This study is designed accordingly, therefore, we searched PubMed, Embase, Scopus, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, ProQuest, OVID, and SinoMed for literature, regardless of publication date or language. Taking 12 months after operation as the shortest limit, the outcome measures were extracted, including visual analog scale (VAS), Oswetry dysfunction index (ODI), Japanese Orthopaedic Association (JOA) score, intervertebral disk height (IDH), foraminal height (FH), lumbar lordosis (LL), segment lordosis (SL), slip ratio, and incidence of surgical complications. Meta‐analysis was performed by RevMan 5.4 and Stata 16.0, and results were expressed with MD and 95% CI, and two‐sided p‐values with p < 0.05 being statistically significant. In total, 17 clinical studies (n = 689 patients) were screened, with an average patient age of 63.4 years. Our study revealed that VAS decreased by 4.55 (low back pain) and 5.46 (leg pain) points, respectively. And ODI score decreased by an average of 33.82% while JOA score increased by an average of 11.56 points. In terms of imaging indicators, mean IDH and FH increased by 4.18 and 4.91 mm, mean LL and SL improved by 9.22° and 2.46°, respectively. Besides, mean slip ratio decreased by 10.45%. The incidence of complications was statistically analyzed in 18 studies, with a rate of 4%–54% and an overall incidence of 19%. To sum up, our study was the first to focus on the long‐term efficacies of OLIF treatment for DLS, and to provide further clinical evidence. However, long‐term follow‐up multicenter randomized controlled trials are still needed for further evaluation.
Metamorphism as the cause of bone alteration in the Jarrow assemblage (Langsettian, Pennsylvanian) of Ireland
Authors: Gogáin Aodhán Ó , O'Sullivan Gary , Clements Thomas , Hoare Brendan C. , Murray John , Wyse Jackson Patrick N. 
Published: December 2022

AbstractThe Jarrow assemblage is a Lagerstätte of Pennsylvanian tetrapods and fish preserved in the Leinster Coalfield, Ireland. Fossils from this site have an interesting taphonomy that is not observed in other Pennsylvanian coal swamp assemblages. Jarrow tetrapod bone material has undergone alteration and eventual coalification, causing specimens to become poorly defined from the surrounding coal matrix. Bone alteration at Jarrow has traditionally been linked to early diagenesis. A multi‐analytical approach, combining x‐ray scanning electron microscopy, cathodoluminescence, micro computed tomography and laser ablation quadrupole inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry, was used to investigate the origin of alteration within the Jarrow fossil specimens. Original bone morphology is no longer present, being replaced by bituminous material and sphalerite surrounded by tabular apatite (a morphology atypical of bone apatite). Direct U–Pb dating of this recrystallized apatite provides an age of 302.03 ± 11.38 Ma. In this recrystallized apatite, core‐to‐rim variation in halogen elements, variably positive and negative Eu‐anomalies and depletion in light rare earth elements (REEs) suggest an influence of hydrothermal fluids sourced during the maturation of the Leinster Coalfield. A new taphonomic model for the Jarrow assemblage is proposed: alteration of primary fossil bone occurred primarily due to burial heating of the Leinster Coalfield caused by Variscan deformation. Bone apatite was dissolved and subsequently recrystalized as tabular crystals, probably concurrent with mineralization of sphalerite and during coalification, giving the Jarrow assemblage fossils their unique appearance.
Integration of reactive oxygen species and nutrient signalling to shape root system architecture
Authors: Tarkowski Łukasz P. , Signorelli Santiago , Considine Michael J. , Montrichard Françoise 
Published: December 2022

AbstractYield losses due to nutrient deficiency are estimated as the primary cause of the yield gap worldwide. Understanding how plant roots perceive external nutrient status and elaborate morphological adaptations in response to it is necessary to develop reliable strategies to increase crop yield. In the last decade, reactive oxygen species (ROS) were shown to be key players of the mechanisms underlying root responses to nutrient limitation. ROS contribute in multiple ways to shape the root system in response to nutritional cues, both as direct effectors acting on cell wall architecture and as second messengers in signalling pathways. Here, we review the mutual interconnections existing between perception and signalling of the most common forms of the major macronutrients (nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium), and ROS in shaping plant root system architecture. We discuss recent advances in dissecting the integration of these elements and their impact on morphological traits of the root system, highlighting the functional ductility of ROS and enzymes implied in ROS metabolism, such as class III peroxidases.
High‐throughput identification of novel heat tolerance genes via genome‐wide pooled mutant screens in the model green alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii
Authors: Mattoon Erin M. , McHargue William E. , Bailey Catherine E. , Zhang Ningning , Chen Chen , Eckhardt James , Daum Chris G. , Zane Matt , Pennacchio Christa , Schmutz Jeremy , O'Malley Ronan C. , Cheng Jianlin , Zhang Ru 
Published: December 2022

AbstractDifferent high temperatures adversely affect crop and algal yields with various responses in photosynthetic cells. The list of genes required for thermotolerance remains elusive. Additionally, it is unclear how carbon source availability affects heat responses in plants and algae. We utilized the insertional, indexed, genome‐saturating mutant library of the unicellular, eukaryotic green alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii to perform genome‐wide, quantitative, pooled screens under moderate (35°C) or acute (40°C) high temperatures with or without organic carbon sources. We identified heat‐sensitive mutants based on quantitative growth rates and identified putative heat tolerance genes (HTGs). By triangulating HTGs with heat‐induced transcripts or proteins in wildtype cultures and MapMan functional annotations, we presented a high/medium‐confidence list of 933 Chlamydomonas genes with putative roles in heat tolerance. Triangulated HTGs include those with known thermotolerance roles and novel genes with little or no functional annotation. About 50% of these high‐confidence HTGs in Chlamydomonas have orthologs in green lineage organisms, including crop species. Arabidopsis thaliana mutants deficient in the ortholog of a high‐confidence Chlamydomonas HTG were also heat sensitive. This work expands our knowledge of heat responses in photosynthetic cells and provides engineering targets to improve thermotolerance in algae and crops.
The hot science in rice research: How rice plants cope with heat stress
Authors: Li Jin‐Yu , Yang Chuang , Xu Jiming , Lu Hai‐Ping , Liu Jian‐Xiang 
Published: December 2022

AbstractGlobal climate change has great impacts on plant growth and development, reducing crop productivity worldwide. Rice (Oryza sativa L.), one of the world's most important food crops, is susceptible to high‐temperature stress from seedling stage to reproductive stage. In this review, we summarize recent advances in understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying heat stress responses in rice, including heat sensing and signalling, transcriptional regulation, transcript processing, protein translation, and post‐translational regulation. We also highlight the irreversible effects of high temperature on reproduction and grain quality in rice. Finally, we discuss challenges and opportunities for future research on heat stress responses in rice.
Double challenges: How working from home affects dual‐earner couples’ work‐family experiences
Authors: Hu Jia (Jasmine) , Chiang Jack Ting‐Ju , Liu Yihao , Wang Zheng , Gao Yating 
Published: December 2022

AbstractAgainst the backdrop of COVID‐19 pandemic, we draw on family systems theory to elucidate how daily work‐from‐home status (WFH) affects both members in dual‐earner couples. We propose that the WFH exerts intra‐individual and inter‐individual influences on employees’ and their partners’ work task and family task completion and their subsequent reactions to their work and family experiences. We examined the hypothesized relationships with two daily survey studies on dual‐earner couples conducted during the pandemic (i.e., 1,559 daily responses of 165 dual‐earner couples from China in Study 1, and 773 daily responses of 57 dual‐earner couples from South Korea in Study 2). The two studies provide converging results that working from home (vs. office) increased employees’ family task completion for both husbands and wives and that wives working from home (vs. office) decreased husbands’ family task completion. Further, in both studies, daily work task completion increased felt guilt toward family (for wives only) through increased work‐family conflict, and daily family task completion increased psychological withdrawal from work through increased family‐work conflict for both husbands and wives. Moreover, we found in Study 2 that on days when husbands had flexible work schedule, wives completed more work tasks when working from home (vs. office) and that on days when wives had inflexible work arrangement, husbands completed more family tasks when working from home (vs. office). Across the two studies, there were no clear gender‐difference patterns in husbands’ and wives’ work and family experiences.
Product‐line pricing with dual objective of profit and consumer surplus
Authors: Huh Woonghee T. , Li Hongmin 
Published: December 2022

In many settings, consumer surplus directly impacts a firm or organization's objective, and the profit‐only objective becomes inadequate. Our paper is the first to consider the dual objective of profit and consumer surplus in multi‐product pricing under the multinomial logit demand, where the prices are continuously set. We define a firm's marginal consumer surplus as its marginal contribution to the expected customer utility transformed into monetary unit. Although the profit is concave in the choice probability space, the marginal consumer surplus is convex, complicating the analysis. We identify the optimal monopoly pricing solution and develop solution approaches for the equilibrium solutions of both price‐competition and quantity‐competition oligopolies. In the monopolistic setting, we solve the optimal solution in a near‐closed‐form expression, and show that the firm's markup and profit decline as its emphasis for marginal consumer surplus increases and eventually drops to zero when the firm turns into a social welfare maximizer. Therefore, social welfare is maximized only when the monopolist is willing to endure zero profit. In competitive settings, if one firm's emphasis on marginal consumer surplus increases, then the improvement in marginal consumer surplus can magnify through competitive forces, reflected in reduced equilibrium prices for all firms. Moreover, we find that, while the overall marginal consumer surplus always increases with any firm's weight on marginal consumer surplus in its objective (referred to as the CS weight), a firm's marginal consumer surplus increases in its own CS weight but decreases in other firms' CS weight. Finally, we prove that, all else equal, a firm with a higher CS weight can earn a higher profit than its profit‐maximizing competitors, which is counterintuitive. In the quantity competition, a firm may even increase its absolute profit level by increasing its CS weight.
Sustainability outcomes of aquaculture eco‐certification: Challenges and opportunities
Authors: Rector Megan E. , Filgueira Ramon , Bailey Megan , Walker Tony R. , Grant Jon 
Published: December 2022

AbstractBoth the aquaculture industry and eco‐certification of aquaculture have grown significantly over the past 20 years, but the extent to which aquaculture eco‐certification is effective in creating positive environmental and societal outcomes is uncertain. Therefore, a scoping review of research on the effectiveness of eco‐certification in improving aquaculture sustainability outcomes, based on systematic search and inclusion criteria, was conducted. Challenges in producing sustainability outcomes through eco‐certification were identified, including (1) choosing which components of sustainability to reflect in eco‐certification criteria, (2) the risk of limiting improvements in sustainability by labelling a product ‘sustainable’, (3) accounting for different spatial scales of aquaculture effects, and (4) designing and applying sustainability criteria that work across different local environments. Potential approaches to these challenges include applying an ecosystem services framework to the identification of issues that could be addressed by eco‐certification criteria, supporting continuous improvement of industry best practices, incorporating criteria related to the far‐field effects of aquaculture, and recognising and accounting for the impact of local conditions on farming and eco‐certification. Although alternate governance approaches may be better suited to ensuring improved sustainability outcomes, potential improvements to eco‐certification criteria and processes are presented as opportunities to match the effectiveness of eco‐certification in creating positive sustainability outcomes to its success in creating a market for eco‐certified farmed seafood. However, some of these improvements may require the addition of criteria or complexity within the eco‐certification process, and their impact on market outcomes, particularly the participation of producers, should be considered.
BRXL4‐LAZY1 interaction at the plasma membrane controls Arabidopsis branch angle and gravitropism
Authors: Che Ximing , Splitt Bessie L. , Eckholm Magnus T. , Miller Nathan D. , Spalding Edgar P. 
Published: December 2022

SUMMARYGravitropism guides growth to shape plant architecture above and below ground. Mutations in LAZY1 impair stem gravitropism and cause less upright inflorescence branches (wider angles). The LAZY1 protein resides at the plasma membrane and in the nucleus. The plasma membrane pool is necessary and sufficient for setting branch angles. To investigate the molecular mechanism of LAZY1 function, we screened for LAZY1‐interacting proteins in yeast. We identified BRXL4, a shoot‐specific protein related to BREVIS RADIX. The BRXL4‐LAZY1 interaction occurred at the plasma membrane in plant cells, and not detectably in the nucleus. Mutations in the C‐terminus of LAZY1, but not other conserved regions, prevented the interaction. Opposite to lazy1, brxl4 mutants displayed faster gravitropism and more upright branches. Overexpressing BRXL4 produced strong lazy1 phenotypes. The apparent negative regulation of LAZY1 function is consistent with BRXL4 reducing LAZY1 expression or the amount of LAZY1 at the plasma membrane. Measurements indicated that both are true. LAZY1 mRNA was three‐fold more abundant in brxl4 mutants and almost undetectable in BRXL4 overexpressors. Plasma membrane LAZY1 was higher and nuclear LAZY1 lower in brxl4 mutants compared with the wild type. To explain these results, we suggest that BRXL4 reduces the amount of LAZY1 at the plasma membrane where it functions in gravity signaling and promotes LAZY1 accumulation in the nucleus where it reduces LAZY1 expression, possibly by suppressing its own transcription. This explanation of how BRXL4 negatively regulates LAZY1 suggests ways to modify shoot system architecture for practical purposes.