Search

Summary: Rice grains typically contain relatively high levels of toxic arsenic (As) but low levels of essential micronutrients. Biofortification of essential micronutrients while decreasing As accumulation in rice would benefit human nutrition and health.We generated transgenic rice expressing a gain‐of‐function mutant allele astol1 driven by the OsGPX1 promoter. astol1 encodes a plastid‐localized O‐acetylserine (thiol) lyase (OAS‐TL) with Ser189Asn substitution (OsASTOL1S189N), which enhances cysteine biosynthesis by forming an indissociable cysteine synthase complex with its partner serine acetyltransferase (SAT). The effects on growth, As tolerance, and nutrient and As accumulation in rice grain were evaluated in hydroponic, pot and field experiments.The expression of OsASTOL1S189N in pOsGPX1::astol1 transgenic lines enhanced SAT activity, sulphate uptake, biosynthesis of cysteine, glutathione, phytochelatins and nicotianamine, and enhanced tolerance to As. The expression of OsASTOL1S189N decreased As accumulation while increased the accumulation of multiple macronutrients (especially sulphur, nitrogen and potassium) and micronutrients (especially zinc and selenium) in rice grain in a pot experiment and two field experiments, and had little effect on plant growth and grain yield.Our study provides a new strategy to genetically engineer rice to biofortify multiple essential nutrients, reducing As accumulation in rice grain and enhancing As tolerance simultaneously. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

Introduction: Vaccination readiness refers to psychological motives and beliefs that decisively determine individual and collective vaccination prevention behavior. Readiness to be vaccinated depends on expected individual and social benefits and harms. Differences exist in the perception of the threat of potential influenza vs. COVID-19 infection and its significance for the social environment. The study aimed to compare the 7C components of vaccination readiness for influenza and COVID-19 vaccination in adulthood. Methods: A total of 317 adults answered the 7C vaccination readiness scale in two vaccination-specific versions (influenza vs. COVID-19) in an online survey from September 2022 to March 2023. Data were analyzed using repeated measures, including analysis of covariance, correlations, and multiple regression. Results: For COVID-19, there is a higher readiness to be vaccinated compared to influenza regarding complacencyR (ηp = 0.683), constraintsR (ηp = 0.684), collective responsibility (ηp = 0.782), and compliance (ηp = 0.365). However, confidence (ηp = 0.161) and conspiracyR (ηp = 0.256) indicate an enhanced readiness for influenza vaccination (interaction scales × vaccination type: ηp = 0.602). Individual influenza vaccination recommendations and age do not or only marginally moderate these effects (interaction vaccination type × recommendation: ηp = 155). Discussion: The 7C subscales reveal a differentiated pattern of readiness for the two vaccination types. This emphasizes the relevance of the multidimensional structure of the construct of vaccination readiness as well as the relevance of moderating effects of the respective vaccination type on the underlying motives and beliefs. Vaccination attitudes are influenced by cultural and social conditions as well as medical standards of care. Comparing attitudes to different vaccinations in different countries thus represents an important research desideratum in order to understand the concept of vaccination readiness more comprehensively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

Age-related cognitive decline has become an increasingly relevant public health issue. However, risk and protective factors of cognitive decline have yet to be investigated prospectively taking into account genetic, lifestyle, physical and mental health factors. Population-based data from middle-aged (40 to 59 years; N = 2,764) and older individuals (60 to 80 years; N = 1,254) were drawn from a prospective community cohort study using the Tower of London (TOL) planning task. Assessments were repeated at a 5-year interval to investigate age-related changes in planning performance and to determine the impact of risk and protective factors. Planning performance improved in middle-aged, but declined in older participants over 5 years. SNPs affecting the dopamine system (COMT, DRD2) and APOE polymorphisms differentially predicted cognitive performance in older vs. middle-aged individuals. For older individuals, high alcohol consumption, antidepressant medication and living without a partner had additional negative predictive power on cognition. In contrast, undiagnosed hypertension, no obstructive lung disease, and fewer years of education predicted cognitive decline in the middle-aged group. The results inform screening for individuals particularly vulnerable to cognitive decline and interventions (e.g., focusing on lifestyle factors) to help maintain cognitive performance into old age. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

SUMMARY: Pea is a grain legume crop with a high potential to accelerate the food transition due to its high seed protein content and relatively well‐balanced amino acid composition. The critical role of external sulfur (S) supply in determining seed yield and seed quality in pea makes it essential to understand the impact of whole plant S management on the trade‐off between these two traits. Here, we investigated the physiological relevance of vacuolar sulfate remobilization by targeting PsSULTR4, the only pea sulfate transporter showing substantial similarity to the vacuolar sulfate exporter AtSULTR4;1. Five mutations in PsSULTR4 were identified by TILLING (Targeting Induced Local Lesions IN Genomes), two of which, a loss of function (W78*) and a missense (E568K), significantly decreased seed yield under S deprivation. We demonstrate that PsSULTR4 triggers S distribution from source tissues, especially lower leaves, to reproductive organs to maintain seed yield under S deficiency. Under sufficient S supply, sultr4 seeds display lower levels of the S‐rich storage protein PA1 at maturity. They also overaccumulate sulfate in the endosperm at the onset of seed filling. These findings uncover a role of PsSULTR4 in the remobilization of vacuolar sulfate during embryo development, allowing the efficient synthesis of S‐rich proteins. Our study uncovers that PsSULTR4 functions (i) in source tissues to remobilize stored vacuolar sulfate for seed production under low S availability and (ii) in developing seeds well supplied with S to fine‐tune sulfate remobilization from the endosperm as a critical control point for storage activities in the embryo. Significance Statement: This study identifies PsSULTR4 as the vacuolar sulfate transporter in pea and highlights the role of PsSULTR4 and its STAS domain in controlling cellular S levels and S partitioning between plant organs. Vacuolar sulfate remobilization mediated by the PsSULTR4 transporter enabled the maintenance of seed yield during S deficiency and is vital for the efficient synthesis of S‐rich storage proteins in pea seeds under S sufficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

Background: Mental health and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in children and adolescents deteriorated during the COVID-19 pandemic. The aim of this population-based longitudinal study was to explore whether distinct mental health trajectories in youths can be identified over the course of the pandemic. Methods: Mental health problems (MHP), psychosomatic symptoms and HRQoL were assessed at five time points between May 2020 and October 2022 in 744 children and adolescents aged 7 to 20 years using established instruments. We used generalized mixture modeling to identify distinct mental health trajectories and fixed-effects regressions to analyse covariates of the identified profiles of change. Results: We found five distinct linear latent trajectory classes each for externalising MHP and psychosomatic symptoms and four trajectory classes for internalising MHP. For HRQoL, a single-class solution that indicates a common development process proved to be optimal. The largest groups remained almost stable at a low internalising and externalising symptom level (64 to 74%) and consistently showed moderate psychosomatic symptoms (79%), while 2 to 18% showed improvements across the pandemic. About 10% of the youths had consistently high internalising problems, while externalising problems deteriorated in 18% of youths. Class membership was significantly associated with initial HRQoL, parental and child burden, personal resources, family climate and social support. Conclusions: The mental health of most children and adolescents remained resilient throughout the pandemic. However, a sizeable number of youths had consistently poor or deteriorating mental health. Those children and adolescents need special attention in schools and mental health care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

Shifting midwifery education to a university level is of great importance for healthcare systems worldwide by preparing graduates for current and future challenges. Some of them referring to management, research and teaching tasks as well as advanced practitioner roles, require competences that can only be acquired in a Master's program. The objectives of this narrative review are to outline the differences and commonalities of organizational aspects of Master's programs in selected OECD countries and to point out the competence goals and learning outcomes they are based on. Fifteen Master's programs in twelve OECD countries were identified and analyzed. Considering the organizational characteristics, differences are found in admission requirements and qualification levels, while similarities relate to the awarded title (MSc). All programs aim to develop abilities for research to advance midwifery practice. Leadership and management abilities are addressed through effective teamwork and communication. The programs' aims are to develop abilities for midwifery education tasks. Whereas competence goals mostly align across the programs, they are addressed differently through various learning outcomes. Development and enhancement of Master's programs in midwifery are needed by focusing on core elements, such as common competence goals. It is equally important to adapt them to national healthcare and educational systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

INTRODUCTION The acquisition of academic competencies is one of the main outcomes of the academization of midwifery education. To analyze midwives' views on the key academic competencies of the recently reformed midwifery education in Germany, an existing assessment instrument was adapted to the German context of care and psychometrically analyzed. Furthermore, it was investigated whether the relevance assessments of academic and non-academic midwives differ from each other. METHODS The study design was cross-sectional. A total of 193 (prospective) midwives answered the items on the assessed relevance of midwifery competencies in academic education (59 items); 3 items were added (referring to evidence-based practice and digital literacy). Construct validity was tested using exploratory factor analysis. Item and reliability analysis as well as unpaired t-tests were performed. RESULTS Considering insufficient item-construct associations (20 items), a single factorial solution best fits the data (eigenvalue: 18.36; explained variance: 29.60%). Internal reliability was demonstrated to be very good with Cronbach's a=0.954. The assessed relevance of academic midwifery competencies from academic and nonacademic midwives did not differ significantly from each other for students and trainee midwives (t=0.18; df=6.66; p=0.86), and for for midwives educated at vocational school and university (t= -0.035; df=106; p=0.97). CONCLUSIONS The adapted assessment tool can be used with minor modifications to reliably and validly measure the assessed relevance of academic competence from the midwives' perspective. Combined with data on the assessments of medical practitioners and laypersons, the assessment provides a substantial data basis for the development of a competence profile for academic midwifery education in Germany. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

Cysteine biosynthesis is essential for translation and represents the entry point of reduced sulfur into plant metabolism. The two consecutively acting enzymes serine acetyltransferase (SAT) and O -acetylserine-thiol-lyase catalyse cysteine production and form the cysteine synthase complex, in which SAT is activated. Here we show that tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum) expressing active SAT in plastids (referred to as PSA lines) shows substantial cysteine accumulation in plastids. Remarkably, enhanced cysteine production in plastids entirely abolished granal stack formation, impaired photosynthesis capacity, and decreased the number of chloroplasts in mesophyll cells of the PSA lines. A transgenic tobacco line expressing active SAT in the cytosol accumulated comparable amounts of thiols but displayed no phenotype. To dissect the consequences of cysteine synthase complex formation from enhanced SAT activity in tobacco plastids, we expressed an enzymatically inactive SAT that can still form the cysteine synthase complex in tobacco plastids (PSI lines). The PSI lines were indistinguishable from the PSA lines, although the PSI lines displayed no increase in plastid-localized SAT activity. Neither PSA lines nor PSI lines suffered from an oxidized redox environment in plastids that could have been causative for the disturbed photosynthesis. From these findings, we infer that the association of the plastid cysteine synthase complex itself triggers a signaling cascade controlling sulfur assimilation and photosynthetic capacity in leaves. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

Introduction: Interprofessional collaboration of physicians and midwives is essential for appropriate and safe care of pregnant and parturient women as well as their newborns. The complexity of woman-centered care settings requires the continuous exchange of information and the coordinated implementation of multi-and interprofessional care concepts. To analyze the midwives’ perspective on the multi-and interprofessional care process during pregnancy, birth and postpartum period, we aimed to adapt and psychometrically evaluate the Interprofessional Collaboration Scale (ICS). Methods: The ICS (13 items) was answered by 299 midwives for (i) prenatal and postpartum care as well as (ii) perinatal care. Three items on equitable communication (EC) identified in qualitative interviews with N = 6 midwives were added as further aspects of quality in collaborative midwifery care. Confirmatory factor analysis was used to test competing theoretically hypothesized factorial model structures, including both care settings simultaneously, i.e., birth and prenatal/postpartum. Results: A two-dimensional structure assuming the 13 original ICS items and the 3 items on EC as psychometric distinct item groups accounts for the data best. After deleting 5 ICS items with insufficient indicator reliability, a very good-fitting model structure was obtained for both prenatal/postpartum as well as perinatal care: χ² df = 192 = 226.35, p = 0.045, CFI = 0.991, RMSEA = 0.025 (90%CI: [0.004; 0.037]). Both the reduced ICS-R and the EC scale (standardized response mean = 0.579/1.401) indicate significantly higher interprofessional collaboration in the birth setting. Responsibility in consulting, attitudes toward obstetric care and frequency of collaboration with other professional groups proved to be associated with the ICS-R and EC scale as expected. Discussion: For the adapted ICS-R and the EC scale a good construct validity could be confirmed. Thus, the scales can be recommended as a promising assessment for recording the collaboration of midwives with physicians working in obstetric care from the perspective of midwives. The instrument provides a validated assessment basis in midwifery and obstetric care to identify potentially divergent perspectives within interprofessional care teams in woman’s centered care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

After an introductory overview of the treatment of nothingness in Western philosophy, nothingness is addressed from the perspectives of important doctrines of Mahāyāna Buddhism, espcially the ontological concept of dependent origination (pratītya-samutpāda ; yuanqi 緣起) in its interpretation by Nāgārjuna as emptiness (śūnyatā ; kong 空) and the five manifestations of nothingness in the saṃbhogakāya (baoshen 報身) aspect of the trikāya (sanshen 三身). In the Chan Buddhist tradition, these crucial elements of Mahāyāna teaching have been reinterpreted as meditative tools for emptying the mind. Finally, Daoist elements of the Chan Buddhist interpretation of nothingness/ emptiness are pointed out. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

Summary: Plant submergence stress is a growing problem for global agriculture. During desubmergence, rising O2 concentrations meet a highly reduced mitochondrial electron transport chain (mETC) in the cells. This combination favors the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) by the mitochondria, which at excess can cause damage. The cellular mechanisms underpinning the management of reoxygenation stress are not fully understood.We investigated the role of alternative NADH dehydrogenases (NDs), as components of the alternative mETC in Arabidopsis, in anoxia–reoxygenation stress management.Simultaneous loss of the matrix‐facing NDs, NDA1 and NDA2, decreased seedling survival after reoxygenation, while overexpression increased survival. The absence of NDAs led to reduced maximum potential quantum efficiency of photosystem II linking the alternative mETC to photosynthetic function in the chloroplast. NDA1 and NDA2 were induced upon reoxygenation, and transcriptional activation of NDA1 was controlled by the transcription factors ANAC016 and ANAC017 that bind to the mitochondrial dysfunction motif (MDM) in the NDA1 promoter. The absence of NDA1 and NDA2 did not alter recovery of cytosolic ATP levels and NADH : NAD+ ratio at reoxygenation. Rather, the absence of NDAs led to elevated ROS production, while their overexpression limited ROS.Our observations indicate that the control of ROS formation by the alternative mETC is important for photosynthetic recovery and for seedling survival of anoxia–reoxygenation stress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

Background: People with disabilities and without natural speech often rely on care provided by informal caregivers. The caregiving situation of these informal caregivers has been poorly researched. The objectives of the study are 1) to identify stressors, resources, and coping strategies among informal caregivers of people without natural speech and 2) to examine whether a complex intervention in augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) that is not primarily tailored to the needs of informal caregivers can reduce care-related burden. Methods: The main components of the AAC intervention were (1) initial counselling session, (2) 4 AAC training sessions, (3) 20 AAC therapy sessions and (4) accompanying case management. The control group received only the initial counselling session. Within a quasi-experimental intervention study, survey data on self-perceived burden (Burden Scale for Family Caregivers, BSFC-s) from n = 154 informal caregivers of people without natural speech were collected at three time points between June 2018 and April 2021 from a postal survey. Qualitative interviews with n = 16 informal caregivers were conducted. Results: Caregivers reported various stressors such as limited communication with the cared-for person and concerns about the living situation in adulthood. Diverse resources and effective coping strategies, which the caregivers refer to when dealing with stressors, could also be identified. Burden was significantly reduced in the intervention group compared to the control group. According to the results of the qualitative study, AAC use led to better communication skills and a reduction in behavioural problems and thus a decreased burden. Conclusions: The AAC intervention seems to have a positive impact on self-perceived burden. Linkages between intervention components and burden reduction as well as stressors and coping strategies could be identified and provide an evidence-based foundation for developing future holistic interventions for families with individuals without natural speech. Trial registration: German Clinical Trials Register (DRKS); ID: DRKS00013628 (registered on 05/02/2018). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

Background: For quality-oriented evaluation of prenatal and obstetric care, it is important to systematically consider the perspective of the women receiving care in order to comprehensively assess and optimize quality in a woman-centered manner. Empathy and Shared Decision Making (SDM) are essential components of woman-centered midwifery care. The aim of the study was to analyze measurement invariance of the items of the Consultation and Relational Empathy (CARE) and Shared Decision Making-Questionnaire (SDM-Q-9) scales depending on the prenatal versus obstetric care setting.Methods: One hundred fifty women retrospectively assessed aspects of woman-centered midwifery care in both prenatal and obstetric care setting. The birth of the child was a maximum of 12 months ago. A structural equation modelling approach was adopted to separate true effects from response shift (RS) effects depending on care setting. The latter were analyzed in terms of recalibration (changing women's internal measurement standards), Reprioritization (changing associations of items and construct) as well as Reconceptualization (redefining the target construct).Results: A response shift model was identified for both assessments (pregnancy/birth: CFI = .96/.96; SRMR = .046/.051). At birth, both scales indicated lower quality of care compared with prenatal care (SDM-Q-9-M/CARE-8-M:|d| = 0.190/0.392). Although no reconceptualization is required for the items of both scales, RS effects are evident for individual items. Due to recalibration and reprioritization effects, the true differences in the items are partly underestimated (SDM-Q-9-M/CARE-8-M: 3/2 items) or overestimated (4/2 items).Conclusion: The structure of the constructs SDM and Empathy, indicating woman-centered midwifery care, are moderated by the care settings. To validly assess midwives' empathy and shared decision making from women's perspective, setting-dependent response shift effects have to be considered. The proven item-specific response effects contribute to a better understanding of construct characteristics in woman-centered care by midwives during pregnancy and childbirth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

Plants in nature commonly encounter combined stress scenarios. The response to combined stressors is often unpredictable from the response to single stresses. To address stress interference in roots, we applied salinity, heat, and high light to hydroponically grown sugar beet. Two main patterns of metabolomic acclimation were apparent. High salt of 300 mM NaCl considerably lowered metabolite amounts, for example, those of most amino acids, γ‐amino butyric acid (GABA), and glucose. Very few metabolites revealed the opposite trend with increased contents at high salts, mostly organic acids such as citric acid and isocitric acid, but also tryptophan, tyrosine, and the compatible solute proline. High temperature (31°C vs. 21°C) also frequently lowered root metabolite pools. The individual effects of salinity and heat were superimposed under combined stress. Under high light and high salt conditions, there was a significant decline in root chloride, mannitol, ribulose 5‐P, cysteine, and l‐aspartate contents. The results reveal the complex interaction pattern of environmental parameters and urge researchers to elaborate in much more detail and width on combinatorial stress effects to bridge work under controlled growth conditions to growth in nature, and also to better understand acclimation to the consequences of climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

Diphthamide, a post-translationally modified histidine residue of eukaryotic TRANSLATION ELONGATION FACTOR2 (eEF2), is the human host cell-sensitizing target of diphtheria toxin. Diphthamide biosynthesis depends on the 4Fe-4S-cluster protein Dph1 catalyzing the first committed step, as well as Dph2 to Dph7, in yeast and mammals. Here we show that diphthamide modification of eEF2 is conserved in Arabidopsis thaliana and requires AtDPH1. Ribosomal −1 frameshifting-error rates are increased in Arabidopsis dph1 mutants, similar to yeast and mice. Compared to the wild type, shorter roots and smaller rosettes of dph1 mutants result from fewer formed cells. TARGET OF RAPAMYCIN (TOR) kinase activity is attenuated, and autophagy is activated, in dph1 mutants. Under abiotic stress diphthamide-unmodified eEF2 accumulates in wild-type seedlings, most strongly upon heavy metal excess, which is conserved in human cells. In summary, our results suggest that diphthamide contributes to the functionality of the translational machinery monitored by plants to regulate growth. Diphthamide is a post-translationally modified histidine residue present in animal and yeast TRANSLATION ELONGATION FACTOR2. Here the authors show that diphthamide modification of eEF2 is conserved in Arabidopsis thaliana and contributes to translational fidelity and growth via cell proliferation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

Selenium is an essential trace element required for seleno-protein synthesis in many eukaryotic cells excluding higher plants. However, a substantial fraction of organically bound selenide in human nutrition is directly or indirectly derived from plants, which assimilate inorganic selenium into organic seleno-compounds. In humans, selenium deficiency is associated with several health disorders Despite its importance for human health, selenium assimilation and metabolism is barely understood in plants. Here, we analyzed the impact of the two dominant forms of soil-available selenium, selenite and selenate, on plant development and selenium partitioning in plants. We found that the reference plant Arabidopsis thaliana discriminated between selenate and selenite application. In contrast to selenite, selenate was predominantly deposited in leaves. This explicit deposition of selenate caused chlorosis and impaired plant morphology, which was not observed upon selenite application. However, only selenate triggered the accumulation of the macronutrient sulfur, the sister element of selenium in the oxygen group. To understand the oxidation state-specific toxicity mechanisms for selenium in plants, we quantified the impact of selenate and selenite on the redox environment in the plastids and the cytosol in a time-resolved manner. Surprisingly, we found that selenite first caused the oxidation of the plastid-localized glutathione pool and had a marginal impact on the redox state of the cytosolic glutathione pool, specifically in roots. In contrast, selenate application caused more vigorous oxidation of the cytosolic glutathione pool but also impaired the plastidic redox environment. In agreement with the predominant deposition in leaves, the selenate-induced oxidation of both glutathione pools was more pronounced in leaves than in roots. Our results demonstrate that Se-species dependent differences in Se partitioning substantially contribute to whole plant Se toxicity and that these Se species have subcellular compartment-specific impacts on the glutathione redox buffer that correlate with toxicity symptoms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

Copyright of Public Health Forum is the property of De Gruyter and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.) more...

Background: Based on the theoretical model of medication adherence (WHO, 2003), the aims of the study were (1) to develop and test a theory-based multidimensional model for the predictive power of barriers to and facilitators of medication adherence and (2) to identify the mediating effects of barriers to medication adherence on drug-related patient outcomes (barrier "MedAd- ": forget; facilitator "MedAd + ": regular intake).Methods: Within a cross-sectional study entitled "Increasing medication adherence to improve patient safety in cardiological rehabilitation (PaSiMed)", the model was evaluated in structural analytical terms based on data collected online of N = 225 patients with cardiometabolic diseases. The revised "Freiburg questionnaire on medication adherence (FF-MedAd-R)" was used to measure the latent constructs (e.g., facilitator: communication; barrier: reservations)."Results: The structural equation model proved to exhibit an appropriate data fit (RMSEA: .05; CFI: .92). For all first-order facilitators of medication adherence, a high proportion of variance (62-94%) could be explained by the second-order factor "Physician-patient relationship (PPR)". All paths from "PPR" to the constructs depicting barriers to medication adherence showed significant negative effects. Facilitators ("MedAd + ") and barriers ("MedAd-") accounted for 20% and 12% of the variance, respectively, in global items of medication adherence. Whereas "Carelessness" showed a full mediation for "MedAd-", ''Reservations'' showed a partial mediation for "MedAd + ".Conclusions: "PPR" is an important predictor of patient medication adherence. The results underline the importance of a trustful physician-patient relationship in reducing barriers and enhancing medication adherence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

N-terminal acetylation is one of the most common protein modifications in eukaryotes, and approximately 40% of human and plant proteomes are acetylated by ribosome-associated N-terminal acetyltransferase A (NatA) in a co-translational manner. However, the in vivo regulatory mechanism of NatA and the global impact of NatA-mediated N-terminal acetylation on protein fate remain unclear. Here, we identify Huntingtin Yeast partner K (HYPK), an evolutionarily conserved chaperone-like protein, as a positive regulator of NatA activity in rice. We found that loss of OsHYPK function leads to developmental defects in rice plant architecture but increased resistance to abiotic stresses, attributable to perturbation of the N-terminal acetylome and accelerated global protein turnover. Furthermore, we demonstrated that OsHYPK is also a substrate of NatA and that N-terminal acetylation of OsHYPK promotes its own degradation, probably through the Ac/N-degron pathway, which could be induced by abiotic stresses. Taken together, our findings suggest that the OsHYPK-NatA complex plays a critical role in coordinating plant development and stress responses by dynamically regulating NatA-mediated N-terminal acetylation and global protein turnover, which are essential for maintaining adaptive phenotypic plasticity in rice. N-terminal acetyltransferase A (NatA) acetylates approximately 40% of human and plant proteomes. This study reveals that OsHYPK acts as both a positive regulator and a substrate of NatA to coordinate plant development and stress responses by dynamically regulating NatA-mediated N-terminal acetylation and global protein turnover, thereby promoting adaptive phenotypic plasticity in rice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

Copyright of Der Onkologe is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.) more...

N-terminal protein acetylation (NTA) is a prevalent protein modification essential for viability in animals and plants. The dominant executor of NTA is the ribosome tethered Nαript>-acetyltransferase A (NatA) complex. However, the impact of NatA on protein fate is still enigmatic. Here, we demonstrate that depletion of NatA activity leads to a 4-fold increase in global protein turnover via the ubiquitin-proteasome system in Arabidopsis. Surprisingly, a concomitant increase in translation, actioned via enhanced Target-of-Rapamycin activity, is also observed, implying that defective NTA triggers feedback mechanisms to maintain steady-state protein abundance. Quantitative analysis of the proteome, the translatome, and the ubiquitome reveals that NatA substrates account for the bulk of this enhanced turnover. A targeted analysis of NatA substrate stability uncovers that NTA absence triggers protein destabilization via a previously undescribed and widely conserved nonAc/N-degron in plants. Hence, the imprinting of the proteome with acetylation marks is essential for coordinating proteome stability. N-terminal protein acetylation is required for plant viability. Here the authors show that reducing N-terminal acetylation by NatA leads to an increase in global protein turnover that is facilitated by absent masking of a novel N-degron [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

In Arabidopsis thaliana, the evolutionary conserved N-terminal acetyltransferase (Nat) complexes NatA and NatB co-translationally acetylate 60% of the proteome. Both have recently been implicated in the regulation of plant stress responses. While NatA mediates drought tolerance, NatB is required for pathogen resistance and the adaptation to high salinity and high osmolarity. Salt and osmotic stress impair protein folding and result in the accumulation of misfolded proteins in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). The ER-membrane resident E3 ubiquitin ligase DOA10 targets misfolded proteins for degradation during ER stress and is conserved among eukaryotes. In yeast, DOA10 recognizes conditional degradation signals (Ac/N-degrons) created by NatA and NatB. Assuming that this mechanism is preserved in plants, the lack of Ac/N-degrons required for efficient removal of misfolded proteins might explain the sensitivity of NatB mutants to protein harming conditions. In this study, we investigate the response of NatB mutants to dithiothreitol (DTT) and tunicamycin (TM)-induced ER stress. We report that NatB mutants are hypersensitive to DTT but not TM, suggesting that the DTT hypersensitivity is caused by an over-reduction of the cytosol rather than an accumulation of unfolded proteins in the ER. In line with this hypothesis, the cytosol of NatB depleted plants is constitutively over-reduced and a global transcriptome analysis reveals that their reductive stress response is permanently activated. Moreover, we demonstrate that doa10 mutants are susceptible to neither DTT nor TM, ruling out a substantial role of DOA10 in ER-associated protein degradation (ERAD) in plants. Contrary to previous findings in yeast, our data indicate that N-terminal acetylation (NTA) does not inhibit ER targeting of a substantial amount of proteins in plants. In summary, we provide further evidence that NatB-mediated imprinting of the proteome is vital for the response to protein harming stress and rule out DOA10 as the sole recognin for substrates in the plant ERAD pathway, leaving the role of DOA10 in plants ambiguous. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

Research: Due to the sudden outbreak of COVID-19 and the resulting pandemic situation, universities were forced to rapidly change their traditional pedagogical and didactical approach by shifting from mostly face-to-face teaching to entirely virtual and online teaching methods. Through this, a "forced" distance learning and teaching situation emerged. This study aimed at investigating the effect of these innovations on the implementation, acceptance, and use of the virtual teaching offer within the framework of the technology acceptance model (TAM). Methods: A total of 218 students and 69 lecturers of a German Medical Faculty completed online questionnaires on the acceptance, satisfaction, and usefulness of the forced distance learning (FDL) and teaching (FDT), respectively. An extended version of the TAM was used to assess the acceptance of the students and lecturers of FDL and FDT. In order to estimate the multivariate dependencies, path analysis was employed using structural equation modeling (SEM). Results: In general, students and lecturers reported being satisfied with the implementation of the FDL and FDT. Regarding the TAM model, the fit indices suggested an acceptable model fit for both groups. The model of the students revealed that the perceived usefulness had a strong predictive power on the attitude toward using and the perceived ease of use also predicted the attitude. The existing technical infrastructure as well as the general media affinity and pandemic-related worries proved to be positively associated with the perceived usefulness while data security worries and organization of online teaching predicted the perceived ease of use in students. The strong positive predictive power of the perceived usefulness for the attitude toward using was also evident in the model for the lecturers and the technical infrastructure predicted the perceived ease of use in the lecturers. Conclusion: The TAM is a suitable framework to represent the implementation, acceptance, and use of the virtual teaching offer during the special pandemic situation at the university. However, personal and structural context factors were important predictors for the perceived usefulness and the perceived ease of use in the student group. The forced situation for learning and teaching makes it more difficult to predict the actual use of virtual teaching offers solely based on attitude. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

If information on single items in the Short Form–12 health survey (SF-12) is missing, the analysis of only complete cases causes a loss of statistical power and, in case of nonrandom missing data (MD), systematic bias. This study aimed at evaluating the concordance of real patient data and data estimated by different MD imputation procedures in the items of the SF-12 assessment. For this ends, MD were examined in a sample of 1,137 orthopedic patients. Additionally, MD were simulated (a) in the subsample of orthopedic patients exhibiting no MD (n = 810; 71%) as well as (b) in a sample of 6,970 respondents representing the German general population (95.8% participants with complete data) using logistic regression modelling. Simulated MD were replaced by mean values as well as regression-, expectation-maximization- (EM-), and multiple imputation estimates. Higher age and lower education were associated with enhanced probabilities of MD. In terms of accuracy in both data sets, the EM-procedure (ICC2,1 =.33-.72) outperformed alternative estimation approaches substantially (e.g., regression imputation: ICC2,1 =.18-.48). The EM-algorithm can be recommended to estimate MD in the items of the SF-12, because it reproduces the actual patient data most accurately. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

Purpose: Previous studies found that some breast cancer patients in Germany are invited to participate in a multidisciplinary tumor conference (MTC) during the discussion of their own case. MTCs are regular meetings of a treatment team in which the diagnosis and treatment plan of cancer patients are discussed. Psychological consequences concerning the patients' participation in an MTC have not been examined yet. This study examines the association between patients' participation in MTC and patients' fear of progression (FoP). Methods: This analysis is part of a larger project named "Patient participation in multidisciplinary tumor conferences in Breast Cancer Care" (PINTU) which is a multicenter observational mixed‐methods study. The study was conducted in six breast and gynecological cancer centers in North Rhine‐Westphalia, Germany. Data were collected from 2018 to 2020 by patient survey at three time points. Patients with (n = 81) and without (n = 120) MTC participation were compared. FoP was measured with a 12‐item short form of the FoP Questionnaire (FoP‐Q‐SF) at all three measurement time points. Data analysis included descriptive statistics, a one‐way repeated variance analysis (ANOVA), and a one‐way repeated ANCOVA using the propensity score as a covariate. Results: Data of n = 201 patients were included in the analysis. In general, FoP scores decreased in both groups from T0 to T2 (F = 36.539, p < 0.001, η2 = 0.155). Non‐participating patients did not differ with regard to their FoP from patients who participated in an MTC before and after participation. The results of AN(C)OVA revealed no significant effects concerning the influence of patient participation in an MTC on FoP (F = 0.014, p = 0.907, η2 = <0.001 and (F = 0.013, p = 0.909, η2 = <0.001). Conclusion: Since the FoP is not influenced by participation, the findings do not support recommendations for or against patient participation in an MTC. Further research should focus on the question of which patient groups might benefit from participation in an MTC with regard to which outcome variables. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

Background: The ratings of physician-patient communication are an important indicator of the quality of health care delivery and provide guidance for many important decisions in the health care setting and in health research. But there is no gold standard to assess physician-patient communication. Thus, depending on the specific measurement condition, multiple sources of variance may contribute to the total score variance of ratings of physician-patient communication. This may systematically impair the validity of conclusions drawn from rating data. Objective: To examine the extent to which different measurement conditions and rater perspectives, respectively contribute to the variance of physician-patient communication ratings. Methods: Variance components of ratings of physician-patient communication gained from 32 general practitioners and 252 patients from 25 family practices in Germany were analyzed using generalizability theory. The communication dimensions "shared decision making", "effective and open communication" and "satisfaction" were considered. Results: Physician-patient communication ratings most substantially reflect unique rater-perspective and communication dimension combinations (32.7% interaction effect). The ratings also represented unique physician and rater-perspective combinations (16.3% interaction effect). However, physicians' communication behavior and the observed communication dimensions revealed only a low extent of score variance (1% physician effect; 3.7% communication dimension effect). Approximately half of the variance remained unexplained (46.2% three-way interaction, confounded with error). Conclusion: The ratings of physician-patient communication minimally reflect physician communication skills in general. Instead, these ratings exhibit primarily differences among physicians and patients in their tendency to perceive shared decision making and effective and open communication and to be satisfied with communication, regardless of the communication behavior of physicians. Rater training and assessing low inferential ratings of physician-patient communication dimensions should be considered when subjective aspects of rater perspectives are not of interest. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

Rice grains typically contain high levels of toxic arsenic but low levels of the essential micronutrient selenium. Anthropogenic arsenic contamination of paddy soils exacerbates arsenic toxicity in rice crops resulting in substantial yield losses. Here, we report the identification of the gain-of-function arsenite tolerant 1 (astol1) mutant of rice that benefits from enhanced sulfur and selenium assimilation, arsenic tolerance, and decreased arsenic accumulation in grains. The astol1 mutation promotes the physical interaction of the chloroplast-localized O-acetylserine (thiol) lyase protein with its interaction partner serine-acetyltransferase in the cysteine synthase complex. Activation of the serine-acetyltransferase in this complex promotes the uptake of sulfate and selenium and enhances the production of cysteine, glutathione, and phytochelatins, resulting in increased tolerance and decreased translocation of arsenic to grains. Our findings uncover the pivotal sensing-function of the cysteine synthase complex in plastids for optimizing stress resilience and grain quality by regulating a fundamental macronutrient assimilation pathway. Contamination of paddy soils can lead to toxic arsenic accumulation in rice grains and low levels of the micronutrient selenium. Here the authors show that a gain of function mutant affecting an O-acetylserine (thiol) lyase enhances sulfur and selenium assimilation while reducing arsenic accumulation in grains. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

Summary: In humans and plants, N‐terminal acetylation plays a central role in protein homeostasis, affects 80% of proteins in the cytoplasm and is catalyzed by five ribosome‐associated N‐acetyltransferases (NatA–E). Humans also possess a Golgi‐associated NatF (HsNAA60) that is essential for Golgi integrity. Remarkably, NAA60 is absent in fungi and has not been identified in plants.Here we identify and characterize the first plasma membrane‐anchored post‐translationally acting N‐acetyltransferase AtNAA60 in the reference plant Arabidopsis thaliana by the combined application of reverse genetics, global proteomics, live‐cell imaging, microscale thermophoresis, circular dichroism spectroscopy, nano‐differential scanning fluorometry, intrinsic tryptophan fluorescence and X‐ray crystallography.We demonstrate that AtNAA60, like HsNAA60, is membrane‐localized in vivo by an α‐helical membrane anchor at its C‐terminus, but in contrast to HsNAA60, AtNAA60 localizes to the plasma membrane. The AtNAA60 crystal structure provides insights into substrate‐binding, the broad substrate specificity and the catalytic mechanism probed by structure‐based mutagenesis. Characterization of the NAA60 loss‐of‐function mutants (naa60‐1 and naa60‐2) uncovers a plasma membrane‐localized substrate of AtNAA60 and the importance of NAA60 during high salt stress.Our findings provide evidence for the plant‐specific evolution of a plasma membrane‐anchored N‐acetyltransferase that is vital for adaptation to stress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

Protein acetylation is a highly frequent protein modification. However, comparatively little is known about its enzymatic machinery. N‐α‐acetylation (NTA) and ε‐lysine acetylation (KA) are known to be catalyzed by distinct families of enzymes (NATs and KATs, respectively), although the possibility that the same GCN5‐related N‐acetyltransferase (GNAT) can perform both functions has been debated. Here, we discovered a new family of plastid‐localized GNATs, which possess a dual specificity. All characterized GNAT family members display a number of unique features. Quantitative mass spectrometry analyses revealed that these enzymes exhibit both distinct KA and relaxed NTA specificities. Furthermore, inactivation of GNAT2 leads to significant NTA or KA decreases of several plastid proteins, while proteins of other compartments were unaffected. The data indicate that these enzymes have specific protein targets and likely display partly redundant selectivity, increasing the robustness of the acetylation process in vivo. In summary, this study revealed a new layer of complexity in the machinery controlling this prevalent modification and suggests that other eukaryotic GNATs may also possess these previously underappreciated broader enzymatic activities. Synopsis: A novel protein acetyltransferase family localized or associated to plant plastids is identified and characterised. These GCN5‐related N‐acetyltransferases (GNATs) have unique amino acid sequence characteristics and unambiguously possess dual N‐α‐ and ε‐lysine acetylation activities. An in silico search for putative plastidial N‐terminal and lysine acetyltransferases reveals 10 putative GNAT candidates, showing unique features both at the level of the conserved motifs and key residues.Localization to chloroplasts is confirmed for seven of them, while another one is either associated to chloroplasts or localized within the nucleus.All plastid‐associated GNATs display distinct lysine acetyltransferase and relaxed N‐ terminal acetyltransferase substrate specificities.Inactivation of GNAT2, the plastid GNAT involved in photosynthetic state transitions, results in NTA decreases confined to chloroplast proteins, next to the known decreases on photosynthetic KA target proteins. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

Purpose: The aim of the study was to evaluate an outpatient psychoeducational group program for breast cancer patients aimed to improve various psychosocial parameters, enhancing the patients' competence and reducing fear of recurrence. Methods: The study is based on a multi-center, non-randomized control group design with three measurement time points (T1 baseline, T2 end of the intervention, T3 6-week follow-up). Breast cancer patients were assessed with various standardized questionnaires including fear of progression, self-efficacy, depression, and quality of life. Results: A total of 50 breast cancer patients participated (intervention group n = 27, control group n = 23). The results show a significant reduction in the fear of progression/recurrence (FoPR) (p = 0.003) and a significant increase in self-efficacy (SE) (p = 0.007) for the intervention group with a large (FoPR, Eta2 =.178) and medium (SE, Eta2 =.113) effect size, respectively. For all other outcome criteria such as depressive symptoms, social support, or quality of life, no significant changes over time or differences between both groups were found. Conclusions: The psychoeducational program has been proven to be effective for breast cancer survivors, but further investigation based on a randomized trial is necessary. Practice implications: To improve participation rate assessment of patient's needs and close cooperation with rehabilitation centers, psychosocial counseling services, and medical oncologists are recommended. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

Background: In highly segmented and complex healthcare organizations social capital is assumed to be of high relevance for the coordination of tasks in healthcare. So far, comprehensively validated instruments on social capital in healthcare organizations are lacking. The aim of this work is to validate an instrument measuring social capital in healthcare organizations.Methods: This validation study is based on a cross-sectional survey of 1050 hospital employees from 49 German hospitals which specialize in breast cancer care. Social capital was assessed by a six-item scale. Reliability analyses and confirmatory factor analyses were conducted to determine the content validity of items within the theory-driven one-dimensional scale structure. The scale's associations with measures of the social aspects of the work environment (identification, social support, open communication climate) were estimated to test convergent validity. Criterion-related validity was evaluated by conducting structural equation modelling to examine the predictive validity of the scale with measures of work engagement, well-being and burnout.Results: A one-dimensional structure of the instrument could be identified (CFI = .99; RMSEA = .06). Convergent validity was shown by hypothesis-consistent correlations with social support offered by supervisors and colleagues, a climate of open communication, and employee commitment to the organization. Criterion-related validity of the social capital scale was proved by its prediction of employee work engagement (R2 = .10-.13 for the three subscales), well-being (R2 = .13), and burnout (R2 = .06-.11 for the three subscales).Conclusions: The confirmed associations between social capital and work engagement, burnout as well as well-being stress the importance of social capital as a vital resource for employee health and performance in healthcare organizations. In healthcare organizations this short instrument can be used as an efficient instrument to measure the organizations' social capital. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

Seeds preserve a far developed plant embryo in a quiescent state. Seed metabolism relies on stored resources and is reactivated to drive germination when the external conditions are favorable. Since the switchover from quiescence to reactivation provides a remarkable case of a cell physiological transition we investigated the earliest events in energy and redox metabolism of Arabidopsis seeds at imbibition. By developing fluorescent protein biosensing in intact seeds, we observed ATP accumulation and oxygen uptake within minutes, indicating rapid activation of mitochondrial respiration, which coincided with a sharp transition from an oxidizing to a more reducing thiol redox environment in the mitochondrial matrix. To identify individual operational protein thiol switches, we captured the fast release of metabolic quiescence in organello and devised quantitative iodoacetyl tandem mass tag (iodoTMT)-based thiol redox proteomics. The redox state across all Cys peptides was shifted toward reduction from 27.1% down to 13.0% oxidized thiol. A large number of Cys peptides (412) were redox switched, representing central pathways of mitochondrial energy metabolism, including the respiratory chain and each enzymatic step of the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle. Active site Cys peptides of glutathione reductase 2, NADPH-thioredoxin reductase a/b, and thioredoxin-o1 showed the strongest responses. Germination of seeds lacking those redox proteins was associated with markedly enhanced respiration and deregulated TCA cycle dynamics suggesting decreased resource efficiency of energy metabolism. Germination in aged seeds was strongly impaired. We identify a global operation of thiol redox switches that is required for optimal usage of energy stores by the mitochondria to drive efficient germination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...