Heroes, Villains, and Blackouts: A Rhetorical Criticism of the News Media Narrative of the 2021 Texas Power Crisis

The present study sought to determine what social reality news media broadcasts created for their audiences during the 2021 Texas power freeze. The study was conducted through a rhetorical criticism of applying symbolic convergence theory to four communication artifacts from news broadcasts from February 2021. The results of this study indicate three fantasy themes that contributed to the overall rhetorical vision, or social reality, for the audience of the crisis. First, Texas was portrayed as the fallen hero. Second, heroes were identified as active participants in the crisis who represented a large group of people, while villains were identified as passive. Third, there was always someone to blame. Finally, these three fantasy themes led to the rhetorical vision that when established organizations fail, it is up to the individual to take responsibility and step into hero-hood. Given its recency, more research should be done to determine the effects of this social reality on survivors of the crisis

Purification and characterisation of a non-plant myrosinase from the cabbage aphid Brevicoryne brassicae (L.)

Plant myrosinases and glucosinolates constitute a defence system in cruciferous plants towards pests and diseases. We have purified for the first time a non-plant myrosinase from the cabbage aphid Brevicoryne brassicae (L.) to homogeneity. The protein was N-terminally blocked and protease (trypsin and lys c) degradation gave peptides of which five were sequenced. The protein is a dimer with subunits of mass 54 kDa±500 Da. Western blot analysis with an anti-aphid myrosinase antibody showed a strong cross reaction with a protein extract from the Brassica specialist, B. brassicae. The anti-aphid myrosinase antibody does not cross react with plant myrosinase neither does an anti-plant myrosinase antibody cross react with aphid myrosinase

Characterization and evolution of a myrosinase from the cabbage aphid Brevicoryne brassicae

The aphid myrosinase gene has been elucidated using Rapid Amplification of cDNA Ends—PCR. Sequencing has shown that aphid myrosinase has significant sequence similarity (35%) to plant myrosinases and other members of glycosyl hydrolase family 1 (GHF1). The residues acting as proton donor and nucleophile, in the hydrolysis of glucosinolates by aphid myrosinase, are identified as Glu 167 and Glu 374 respectively. The equivalent residues in plant myrosinase are Gln 187 and Glu 409 and for the cyanogenic β-glucosidase Glu 183 and Glu 397. Thus it would appear that the absence of a proton donor is not necessary for the hydrolysis of glucosinolates as was thought to be the case for the plant myrosinases. Aphid myrosinase appears to be more similar to animal β-O-glucosidases than to plant myrosinases, as assessed by sequence similarity and phylogenetic techniques. These results strongly suggest that myrosinase activity has twice arisen from β-O-glucosidases in plants and animals. Comparison of aphid myrosinase with plant myrosinase has highlighted Lys 173 and Arg 312 as possibly playing a crucial role in the hydrolysis of glucosinolates by aphid myrosinase

Spatial organization of the glucosinolate-myrosinase system in brassica specialist aphids is similar to that of the host plant.

Secondary metabolites are important in plant defence against pests and diseases. Similarly, insects can use plant secondary metabolites in defence and, in some cases, synthesize their own products. The paper describes how two specialist brassica feeders, Brevicoryne brassicae (cabbage aphid) and Lipaphis erysimi (turnip aphid) can sequester glucosinolates (thioglucosides) from their host plants, yet avoid the generation of toxic degradation products by compartmentalizing myrosinase (thioglucosidase) into crystalline microbodies. We propose that death, or damage, to the insect by predators or disease causes disruption of compartmentalized myrosinase, which results in the release of isothiocyanate that acts as a synergist for the alarm pheromone E-beta-farnesene