Chronic kidney disease (CKD) affects >10% of the adult population. Each year, approximately 120,000 Americans develop end-stage kidney disease and initiate dialysis, which is costly and associated ...with functional impairments, worse health-related quality of life, and high early-mortality rates, exceeding 20% in the first year. Recent declarations by the World Kidney Day and the U.S. Government Executive Order seek to implement strategies that reduce the burden of kidney failure by slowing CKD progression and controlling uremia without dialysis. Pragmatic dietary interventions may have a role in improving CKD outcomes and preventing or delaying dialysis initiation. Evidence suggests that a patient-centered plant-dominant low-protein diet (PLADO) of 0.6–0.8 g/kg/day composed of >50% plant-based sources, administered by dietitians trained in non-dialysis CKD care, is promising and consistent with the precision nutrition. The scientific premise of the PLADO stems from the observations that high protein diets with high meat intake not only result in higher cardiovascular disease risk but also higher CKD incidence and faster CKD progression due to increased intraglomerular pressure and glomerular hyperfiltration. Meat intake increases production of nitrogenous end-products, worsens uremia, and may increase the risk of constipation with resulting hyperkalemia from the typical low fiber intake. A plant-dominant, fiber-rich, low-protein diet may lead to favorable alterations in the gut microbiome, which can modulate uremic toxin generation and slow CKD progression, along with reducing cardiovascular risk. PLADO is a heart-healthy, safe, flexible, and feasible diet that could be the centerpiece of a conservative and preservative CKD-management strategy that challenges the prevailing dialysis-centered paradigm.
Polyploidy is generally not tolerated in animals, but is widespread in plant genomes and may result in extensive genetic redundancy. The fate of duplicated genes is poorly understood, both ...functionally and evolutionarily. Soybean (Glycine max L.) has undergone two separate polyploidy events (13 and 59 million years ago) that have resulted in 75% of its genes being present in multiple copies. It therefore constitutes a good model to study the impact of whole‐genome duplication on gene expression. Using RNA‐seq, we tested the functional fate of a set of approximately 18 000 duplicated genes. Across seven tissues tested, approximately 50% of paralogs were differentially expressed and thus had undergone expression sub‐functionalization. Based on gene ontology and expression data, our analysis also revealed that only a small proportion of the duplicated genes have been neo‐functionalized or non‐functionalized. In addition, duplicated genes were often found in collinear blocks, and several blocks of duplicated genes were co‐regulated, suggesting some type of epigenetic or positional regulation. We also found that transcription factors and ribosomal protein genes were differentially expressed in many tissues, suggesting that the main consequence of polyploidy in soybean may be at the regulatory level.
Utilizing infrared vibrational spectroscopy we have investigated dimerized two-dimensional organic salts in order to search for possible charge redistribution that might constitute electronic dipoles ...and ferroelectricity: the quantum spin liquid Kappa -(BEDT-TTF) sub(2) Cu sub(2) (CN) sub(3) BEDT-TTF: bis-(ethylenedithio)tetrathiafulvalene, the antiferromagnetic Mott insulator Kappa -(BEDT-TTF) sub(2) CuN(CN) sub(2)Cl, and the superconductor Kappa (BEDT-TTF) sub(2) CuN(CN) sub(2)Br. None of them exhibit any indication of charge disproportionation. Upon cooling to low temperatures all BEDT-TTF molecules remain homogeneously charged within + or -0.005e. No modification in the charge distribution is observed around T = 6 K where a low-temperature anomaly has been reported for the spin-liquid material Kappa -(BEDT-TTF) sub(2) Cu sub(2) (CN) sub(3). In this compound the in-plane optical response and vibrational coupling are rather anisotropic, indicating that the tilt of the BEDT-TTF molecules in c direction and their coupling to the anion layers has to be considered in the explanation of the electromagnetic properties.
This article synthesizes and compares environmental governance theories. For each theory we outline its main tenets, claims, origin, and supporting literature. We then group the theories into focused ...versus combinatory frameworks for comparison. The analysis resonates with many types of ecosystems; however, to make it more tangible, we focus on coastal systems. First, we characterize coastal governance challenges and then later link salient research questions arising from these challenges to the theories that may be useful in answering them. Our discussion emphasizes the usefulness of having a diverse theoretical toolbox, and we argue that if governance analysts are more broadly informed about the theories available, they may more easily engage in open-minded interdisciplinary collaboration. The eight theories examined are the following: polycentricity, network governance, multilevel governance, collective action, governmentality (power / knowledge), adaptive governance, interactive governance theory (IGT), and evolutionary governance theory (EGT). Polycentricity and network governance both help examine the links or connections in governance processes. Polycentricity emphasizes structural configurations at a broader level, and network governance highlights agency and information flow within and between individuals or organizations. Collective action theory is helpful for examining community level governance, and helps analyze variables hindering or enabling self-organization and shared resource outcomes. In contrast, multilevel governance helps understand governance integration processes between localities, regions, and states across administrative, policy, or legal dimensions. Governmentality is helpful for understanding the role of discourse, power, knowledge, and narratives in governance, such as who creates them and who becomes governed by them with what effect. Adaptive governance helps analyze the links between context, change, and resilience. IGT helps examine the interdependencies between the systems being governed and the governing systems. EGT is helpful for unpacking how coevolutionary processes shape governance and the options for change.
Summary
Outer membrane extensions are common in many marine bacteria. However, the function of these surface enlargements or extracellular compartments is poorly understood. Using a combined approach ...of microscopy and subproteome analyses, we therefore examined Pseudoalteromonas distincta ANT/505, an Antarctic polysaccharide degrading gamma‐proteobacterium. P. distincta produced outer membrane vesicles (MV) and vesicle chains (VC) on polysaccharide and non‐polysaccharide carbon sources during the exponential and stationary growth phase. Surface structures of carbohydrate‐grown cells were equipped with increased levels of highly substrate‐specific proteins. At the same time, proteins encoded in all other polysaccharide degradation‐related genomic regions were also detected in MV and VC samples under all growth conditions, indicating a basal expression. In addition, two alkaline phosphatases were highly abundant under non‐limiting phosphate conditions. Surface structures may thus allow rapid sensing and fast responses in nutritionally deprived environments. It may also facilitate efficient carbohydrate processing and reduce loss of substrates and enzymes by diffusion as important adaptions to the aquatic ecosystem.
Many global health risks are related to what and how much we eat. At the same time, the production of food, especially from animal origin, contributes to environmental change at a scale that ...threatens boundaries of a safe operating space for humanity. Here we outline viable solutions how to reconcile healthy protein consumption and sustainable protein production which requires a solid, interdisciplinary evidence base. We review the role of proteins for human and ecosystem health, including physiological effects of dietary proteins, production potentials from agricultural and aquaculture systems, environmental impacts of protein production, and mitigation potentials of transforming current production systems. Various protein sources from plant and animal origin, including insects and fish, are discussed in the light of their health and environmental implications. Integration of available knowledge is essential to move from a dual problem description (“healthy diets versus environment”) towards approaches that frame the food challenge of reconciling human and ecosystem health in the context of planetary health. This endeavor requires a shifting focus from metrics at the level of macronutrients to whole diets and a better understanding of the full cascade of health effects caused by dietary proteins, including health risks from food-related environmental degradation.
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•The Leibniz Position synthesizes evidence on healthy and sustainable protein supply.•Projected protein demand contests the safe operating space for food systems.•Animal proteins have a high biological value, but large environmental footprints.•The biological value of protein does not capture overall health effects of food.•Solving the protein dilemma requires multidisciplinary concepts.
In this study, we present a strategy for the synthesis of catecholamine functionalised gold nanoparticles and investigated their multivalent interactions with adrenergic receptors in different ...biological systems. The catecholamines adrenaline and noradrenaline represent key examples of adrenergic agonists. We used gold nanoparticles as carriers and functionalised them on their surface with a variety of these neurotransmitter molecules. For this purpose, we synthesised each ligand separately using mercaptoundecanoic acid as a bifunctional linking unit and adrenaline (or noradrenaline) as a biogenic amine. This ligand was then immobilised onto the surface of presynthesised spherical monodispersive gold nanoparticles in a ligand exchange reaction. After detailed analytical characterisations, the functionalised gold nanoparticles were investigated for their interactions with adrenergic receptors in intestinal, cardiac and respiratory tissues. Whereas the contractility of respiratory smooth muscle cells (regulated by β
2
-receptors) was not influenced, (nor)adrenaline functionalised nanoparticles administered in nanomolar concentrations induced epithelial K
+
secretion (mediated
via
different β-receptors) and increased contractility of isolated rat cardiomyocytes (mediated by β
1
-receptors). The present results suggest differences in the accessibility of adrenergic agonists bound to gold nanoparticles to the binding pockets of different β-receptor subtypes.
Adrenaline functionalised gold nanoparticles had no influence on respiratory smooth muscle cells which are regulated by β
2
-receptors, while the stimulation of β
1
-receptors led to an increased contractility of cardiomyocytes.
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