CRISPR/Cas9‐induced mutation in the OsPALE1 gene. (a) Phenotypes of a representative Ospale1 mutant compared with the wild type (WT) at a similar developmental stage. (b) Schematic diagram of the ...OsPALE1 gene and DNA sequences around the editing site. Colour figure can be viewed at wileyonlinelibrary.com DNA sequence analyses revealed that all 10 transgenic plants have the same biallelic mutation: an A or G single‐nucleotide insertion at the same site (Figure 1b). ...these plants may be derived from the same Ospale1 line during callus regeneration. ...Arabidopsis and rice may have distinct mechanisms to regulate the expression of vitamin B1 biosynthesis genes.
Rice (Oryza sativa) seedlings are particularly sensitive to chilling in early spring in temperate and subtropical zones and in high-elevation areas. Improvement of chilling tolerance in rice may ...significantly increase rice production. MYBS3 is a single DNA-binding repeat MYB transcription factor previously shown to mediate sugar signaling in rice. In this study, we observed that MYBS3 also plays a critical role in cold adaptation in rice. Gain- and loss-of-function analyses indicated that MYBS3 was sufficient and necessary for enhancing cold tolerance in rice. Transgenic rice constitutively overexpressing MYBS3 tolerated 4°C for at least 1 week and exhibited no yield penalty in normal field conditions. Transcription profiling of transgenic rice overexpressing or underexpressing MYBS3 led to the identification of many genes in the MYBS3-mediated cold signaling pathway. Several genes activated by MYBS3 as well as inducible by cold have previously been implicated in various abiotic stress responses and/or tolerance in rice and other plant species. Surprisingly, MYBS3 repressed the well-known DREB1/CBF-dependent cold signaling pathway in rice, and the repression appears to act at the transcriptional level. DREB1 responded quickly and transiently while MYBS3 responded slowly to cold stress, which suggests that distinct pathways act sequentially and complementarily for adapting short- and long-term cold stress in rice. Our studies thus reveal a hitherto undiscovered novel pathway that controls cold adaptation in rice.
Does job satisfaction of street-level bureaucrats depend on intrinsic public service motivation (PSM) or extrinsic performance-contingent pay? Which factor exerts a more substantial impact on job ...satisfaction? Drawing on a data set of 220 frontline public service workers in Hong Kong, this study examines the nuanced relationship among PSM, performance-contingent pay, and job satisfaction. The findings show that both PSM and performance-contingent pay elevate the job satisfaction of street-level bureaucrats through a shared mediator-perceived job control. Furthermore, PSM, as an intrinsic motivator, exerts a stronger impact on job satisfaction than performance-contingent pay.
Recent evidence shows public service motivation (PSM) may be unrelated to one’s consideration of a public service career. In places where civil service examinations prevail, even adverse selection ...(selecting low-PSM individuals) can occur. This leaves public sector managers with tough questions: “Can we improve new recruits’ PSM? Does training matter?” The present study attempts to answer these questions by using a case of onboard training in Taiwan. We hypothesize that PSM, along with public service–related knowledge and a positive attitude toward public service work, improves after training, and that the improvement hinges on trainees’ satisfaction with training and perceived usefulness of training. Analytical results indicate that knowledge and attitudes are more “trainable” than PSM. Meanwhile, training satisfaction is associated with the growth of public service–related knowledge, while perceived training usefulness relates to a positive attitude toward public service work and PSM. Overall, these findings advance our understanding of the effectiveness of public service training, its determinants, and the implications for public employees’ public service orientations.
The existing literature addressing antecedents of public service motivation (PSM) focuses on personal predisposition and institutional shaping. The authors offer a focus that differs from previous ...studies, arguing that workplace trust as a result of human interaction and personal choice has a bearing on PSM. It is postulated that public managers' trust in citizens, trust in colleagues, and trust in agency leaders enhance their PSM. The authors test this proposition by using data collected from middle managers working in the Taiwan central government and it receives strong support. This study brings trust into the study of PSM, facilitates interdisciplinary dialogues, and thus helps make PSM a type of knowledge that pushes back the boundaries of public administration.
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) mainly affects middle-age and elderly adults. It is unclear if the presence of muscle wasting and fat accumulation in patients with COPD is age or ...disease-related. This study investigated the effect of age and COPD disease severity on body composition with the aim of identifying a biomarker(s) for COPD.
Healthy subjects and patients with COPD of different severity were recruited. Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry was used to analyze total and segmental body composition. Subjects included in the analysis were classified into four groups: healthy young (aged 20-45 years) (n = 35), healthy old (aged ≥ 60 years) (n = 37), moderate COPD (n = 40), and severe COPD (n = 14).
In healthy old adults, leg and limb lean masses were lower by 10.6% and 8.5%, respectively, compared with healthy young adults (P < 0.05). Appendicular lean outcomes were significantly lower in the moderate COPD compared to the healthy old group and were significant lower in subjects with severe COPD compared to those with moderate COPD. All fat depots were similar for both young and old healthy subjects and subjects with moderate COPD, but significantly decreased in patients with severe COPD.
This study examined the changes in total and segmental body composition with aging and COPD severity. It found that aging and COPD altered the body composition differently, and the effect was most pronounced in leg lean mass. Remarkably, differences in appendicular lean masses were seen in mild COPD although no changes in body weight or BMI were apparent compared with healthy young adults. In contrast, fat depot changes were only observed in severe COPD. Aging and COPD processes are multifactorial and additional longitudinal studies are required to explore both the quantitative and qualitative changes in body composition with aging and disease process.
Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leakage due to incidental durotomy is an inherent complication of spine surgery. With appropriate treatment, complications of CSF leakage, such as headache and even ...meningitis, can be reduced. CSF leakage could be detected on the basis of correlated clinical symptoms; diagnosis should be based on these symptoms and appropriate imaging studies. However, the diagnosis of CSF leakage remains a challenge, especially if incidental durotomy is unrecognized during surgery; even if incidental durotomy is detected and repaired intraoperatively, the severity of the leakage and quality of the primary dural repair are difficult to evaluate postoperatively. Rapid, inexpensive, and safe methods of detecting CSF-containing samples are currently lacking; hence, the development of a point-of-care test (POCT) method to improve diagnostic efficiency is necessary. We developed a high-sensitivity lateral flow immunoassay with a stacking pad (sLFIA) for quantitative detection of β-trace protein (BTP), a specific CSF marker. The BTP concentration in 39 clinical samples was calculated using a calibration equation for test-line intensity and evaluated by a standard laboratory method. To avoid the hook effect, we diluted each sample prior to testing. The correlation coefficient between the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and our BTP sLFIA method was 0.991 A 75-fold sample dilution was applied owing to the hook effect point, identified as 175 ng mL−1. We established an optimal sample-specific cutoff point at a value of 4.0 μg mL−1 for CSF leakage in subfascial drainage samples following spinal posterior decompression. The sensitivity and specificity of the BTP sLFIA method were 90% and 97%, respectively, according to a receiver operating characteristic curve analysis. In addition, clinical samples from patients who underwent primary dural repair intraoperatively were tested, and CSF leakage was successfully diagnosed using our method. Finally, the quantitation of BTP in samples collected daily provided an accurate assessment of the severity of the residual leakage. Our results demonstrate that the BTP sLFIA method possesses the potential to serve as a POCT method for screening and monitoring postoperative CSF leakage.
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•Intraoperative diagnosis and postoperative screening of cerebrospinal fluid leakage.•Quantitative detection of β-trace protein using lateral flow immunoassay.•The BTP diagnostic threshold of 4.0 μg/mL with 90% sensitivity and 97% specificity.•Clinical validation by testing subfascial drainage samples following spinal surgery.•Our BTP sLFIA is a simple and inexpensive test for reliable and rapid diagnosis.
The literature on knowledge sharing motivation has addressed the importance of both extrinsic and intrinsic motivation to sharing knowledge. However, a theory of knowledge sharing motivation in the ...public sector requires particular consideration since government’s main concern is in public service, not profits. Therefore, the present study introduces the concept of public service motivation (PSM) to the study of knowledge sharing among civil servants. Based on the PSM theory, this study postulates that civil servants’ interest in policy making, commitment to the public interest, compassion, and willingness for self-sacrifice can drive them to share knowledge for a sacred reason – serving the public interest. By using the data collected from middle-level public managers in Taiwan, the authors empirically tested whether PSM predicts knowledge sharing, and our hypotheses received strong support. Thus, PSM opens a new window for researchers interested in the study of knowledge sharing in the public sector.
Points for practitioners
With the introduction of PSM, the present study connects knowledge sharing with public administration. Public service as a calling leads civil servants to share knowledge in order to create more advanced organizational knowledge and accordingly improve public service performance. Compared to situational factors (e.g. the use of information technology and rewards), PSM plays an even more pivotal role in promoting knowledge sharing, according to the results of our empirical research. Thus, altruistic motivation should be addressed and emphasized if knowledge sharing in the public sector is to be encouraged.
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