Venus Flytrap Seedlings Show Growth-Related Prey Size Specificity

Venus flytrap (Dionaea muscipula) has had a conservation status of vulnerable since the 1970s. Little research has focussed on the ecology and even less has examined its juvenile stages. For the first time, reliance on invertebrate prey for growth was assessed in seedling Venus flytrap by systematic elimination of invertebrates from the growing environment. Prey were experimentally removed from a subset of Venus flytrap seedlings within a laboratory environment. The amount of growth was measured by measuring trap midrib length as a function of overall growth as well as prey spectrum. There was significantly lower growth in prey-eliminated plants than those utilising prey. This finding, although initially unsurprising, is actually contrary to the consensus that seedlings (traps < 5 mm) do not catch prey. Furthermore, flytrap was shown to have prey specificity at its different growth stages; the dominant prey size for seedlings did not trigger mature traps. Seedlings are capturing and utilising prey for nutrients to increase their overall trap size. These novel findings show Venus flytrap to have a much more complex evolutionary ecology than previously thought

Racial, Ethnic, and Socioeconomic Disparities in Multiple Measures of Blue and Green Spaces in the United States

BACKGROUND: Several studies have evaluated whether the distribution of natural environments differs between marginalized and privileged neighborhoods. However, most studies restricted their analyses to a single or handful of cities and used different natural environment measures. OBJECTIVES: We evaluated whether natural environments are inequitably distributed based on socioeconomic status (SES) and race/ethnicity in the contiguous United States. METHODS: We obtained SES and race/ethnicity data (2015–2019) for all U.S. Census tracts. For each tract, we calculated the Normalized Different Vegetation Index (NDVI) for 2020, NatureScore (a proprietary measure of the quantity and quality of natural elements) for 2019, park cover for 2020, and blue space for 1984–2018. We used generalized additive models with adjustment for potential confounders and spatial autocorrelation to evaluate associations of SES and race/ethnicity with NDVI, NatureScore, park cover, and odds of containing blue space in all tracts ([Formula: see text]) and in urban tracts ([Formula: see text]). To compare effect estimates, we standardized NDVI, NatureScore, and park cover so that beta coefficients presented a percentage increase or decrease of the standard deviation (SD). RESULTS: Tracts with higher SES had higher NDVI, NatureScore, park cover, and odds of containing blue space. For example, urban tracts in the highest median household income quintile had higher NDVI [44.8% of the SD (95% CI: 42.8, 46.8)] and park cover [16.2% of the SD (95% CI: 13.5, 19.0)] compared with urban tracts in the lowest median household income quintile. Across all tracts, a lower percentage of non-Hispanic White individuals and a higher percentage of Hispanic individuals were associated with lower NDVI and NatureScore. In urban tracts, we observed weak positive associations between percentage non-Hispanic Black and NDVI, NatureScore, and park cover; we did not find any clear associations for percentage Hispanics. DISCUSSION: Multiple facets of the natural environment are inequitably distributed in the contiguous United States. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP1116

Molecular Recognition of Insulin by a Synthetic Receptor

The discovery of molecules that bind tightly and selectively to desired proteins continues to drive innovation at the interface of chemistry and biology. This paper describes the binding of human insulin by the synthetic receptor cucurbit[7]uril (Q7) in vitro. Isothermal titration calorimetry and fluorescence spectroscopy experiments show that Q7 binds to insulin with an equilibrium association constant of 1.5 × 106 M−1 and with 50−100-fold selectivity versus proteins that are much larger but lack an N-terminal aromatic residue, and with \u3e1000-fold selectivity versus an insulin variant lacking the N-terminal phenylalanine (Phe) residue. The crystal structure of the Q7·insulin complex shows that binding occurs at the N-terminal Phe residue and that the N-terminus unfolds to enable binding. These findings suggest that site-selective recognition is based on the properties inherent to a protein terminus, including the unique chemical epitope presented by the terminal residue and the greater freedom of the terminus to unfold, like the end of a ball of string, to accommodate binding. Insulin recognition was predicted accurately from studies on short peptides and exemplifies an approach to protein recognition by targeting the terminus

Boundary spanning at the science–policy interface: the practitioners’ perspectives

Cultivating a more dynamic relationship between science and policy is essential for responding to complex social challenges such as sustainability. One approach to doing so is to “span the boundaries” between science and decision making and create a more comprehensive and inclusive knowledge exchange process. The exact definition and role of boundary spanning, however, can be nebulous. Indeed, boundary spanning often gets conflated and confused with other approaches to connecting science and policy, such as science communication, applied science, and advocacy, which can hinder progress in the field of boundary spanning. To help overcome this, in this perspective, we present the outcomes from a recent workshop of boundary-spanning practitioners gathered to (1) articulate a definition of what it means to work at this interface (“boundary spanning”) and the types of activities it encompasses; (2) present a value proposition of these efforts to build better relationships between science and policy; and (3) identify opportunities to more effectively mainstream boundary-spanning activities. Drawing on our collective experiences, we suggest that boundary spanning has the potential to increase the efficiency by which useful research is produced, foster the capacity to absorb new evidence and perspectives into sustainability decision-making, enhance research relevance for societal challenges, and open new policy windows. We provide examples from our work that illustrate this potential. By offering these propositions for the value of boundary spanning, we hope to encourage a more robust discussion of how to achieve evidence-informed decision-making for sustainability.Support for the workshop was provided by Margaret A. Cargill Philanthropies and The Pew Charitable Trusts. PFEA is supported by the U.K. Natural Environment Research Council (NE/N005457/1)

Studying manganese carbonyl photochemistry in a permanently porous metal–organic framework

First published 15 Aug 2023. OnlinePublMn(diimine)(CO)₃X (X = halide) complexes are critical components of chromophores, photo- and electrocatalysts, and photoactive CO-releasing molecules (photoCORMs). While these entities have been incorporated into metal–organic frameworks (MOFs), a detailed understanding of the photochemical and chemical processes that occur in a permanently porous support is lacking. Here we site-isolate and study the photochemistry of a Mn(diimine)(CO)₃Br moiety anchored within a permanently porous MOF support, allowing for not only the photo-liberation of CO from the metal but also its escape from the MOF crystals. In addition, the high crystallinity and structural flexibility of the MOF allows crystallographic snapshots of the photolysis products to be obtained. We report these photo-crystallographic studies in the presence of coordinating solvents, THF and acetonitrile, showing the changing coordination environment of the Mn species as CO loss proceeds. Using time resolved experiments, we report complementary spectroscopic studies of the photolysis chemistry and characterize the final photolysis product as a possible Mn(II) entity. These studies inform the chemistry that occurs in MOF-based photoCORMs and where these moieties are employed as catalysts.Rosemary J. Young, Michael T. Huxley, Lingjun Wu, Jack Hart, James O'Shea, Christian J. Doonan, Neil R. Champness and Christopher J. Sumb

The sexual attitudes and lifestyles of London's Eastern Europeans (SALLEE Project): design and methods.

BACKGROUND: Since May 2004, ten Central and Eastern European (CEE) countries have joined the European Union, leading to a large influx of CEE migrants to the United Kingdom (UK). The SALLEE project (sexual attitudes and lifestyles of London's Eastern Europeans) set out to establish an understanding of the sexual lifestyles and reproductive health risks of CEE migrants. CEE nationals make up a small minority of the population resident in the UK with no sampling frame from which to select a probability sample. There is also difficulty estimating the socio-demographic and geographical distribution of the population. In addition, measuring self-reported sexual behaviour which is generally found to be problematic, may be compounded among people from a range of different cultural and linguistic backgrounds. This paper will describe the methods adopted by the SALLEE project to address these challenges. METHODS: The research was undertaken using quantitative and qualitative methods: a cross-sectional survey of CEE migrants based on three convenience samples (recruited from community venues, sexual health clinics and from the Internet) and semi-structured in-depth interviews with a purposively selected sample of CEE migrants. A detailed social mapping exercise of the CEE community was conducted prior to commencement of the survey to identify places where CEE migrants could be recruited. A total of 3,005 respondents took part in the cross-sectional survey, including 2,276 respondents in the community sample, 357 in the clinic sample and 372 in the Internet sample. 40 in-depth qualitative interviews were undertaken with a range of individuals, as determined by the interview quota matrix. DISCUSSION: The SALLEE project has benefited from using quantitative research to provide generalisable data on a range of variables and qualitative research to add in-depth understanding and interpretation. The social mapping exercise successfully located a large number of CEE migrants for the community sample and is recommended for other migrant populations, especially when little or no official data are available for this purpose. The project has collected timely data that will help us to understand the sexual lifestyles, reproductive health risks and health service needs of CEE communities in the UK

Hexapeptides from mammalian inhibitory hormone hunt activate and inactivate nematode reproduction

© 2022 Hart et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/Background: Biopurification has been used to disclose an evolutionarily conserved inhibitory reproductive hormone involved in tissue mass determination. A (rat) bioassay-guided physicochemical fractionation using ovine materials yielded via Edman degradation a 14-residue amino acid (aa) sequence. As a 14mer synthetic peptide (EPL001) this displayed antiproliferative and reproduction-modulating activity, while representing only a part of the native polypeptide. Even more unexpectedly, a scrambled-sequence control peptide (EPL030) did likewise. Methods: Reproduction has been investigated in the nematode Steinernema siamkayai, using a fermentation system supplemented with different concentrations of exogenous hexapeptides. Peptide structure-activity relationships have also been studied using prostate cancer and other mammalian cells in vitro, with peptides in solution or immobilized, and via the use of mammalian assays in vivo and through molecular modelling. Results: Reproduction increased (x3) in the entomopathogenic nematode Steinernema siamkayai after exposure to one synthetic peptide (IEPVFT), while fecundity was reduced (x0.5) after exposure to another (KLKMNG), both effects being dose-dependent. These hexamers are opposite ends of the synthetic peptide KLKMNGKNIEPVFT (EPL030). Bioactivity is unexpected as EPL030 is a control compound, based on a scrambled sequence of the test peptide MKPLTGKVKEFNNI (EPL001). EPL030 and EPL001 are both bioinformatically obscure, having no convincing matches to aa sequences in the protein databases. EPL001 has antiproliferative effects on human prostate cancer cells and rat bone marrow cells in vitro. Intracerebroventricular infusion of EPL001 in sheep was associated with elevated growth hormone in peripheral blood and reduced prolactin. The highly dissimilar EPL001 and EPL030 nonetheless have the foregoing biological effects in common in mammalian systems, while being divergently pro- and anti-fecundity respectively in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. Peptides up to a 20mer have also been shown to inhibit the proliferation of human cancer and other mammalian cells in vitro, with reproductive upregulation demonstrated previously in fish and frogs, as well as nematodes. EPL001 encodes the sheep neuroendocrine prohormone secretogranin II (sSgII), as deduced on the basis of immunoprecipitation using an anti-EPL001 antibody, with bespoke bioinformatics. Six sSgII residues are key to EPL001’s bioactivity: MKPLTGKVKEFNNI. A stereospecific bimodular tri-residue signature is described involving simultaneous accessibility for binding of the side chains of two specific trios of amino acids, MKP & VFN. An evolutionarily conserved receptor is conceptualised having dimeric binding sites, each with ligand-matching bimodular stereocentres. The bioactivity of the 14mer control peptide EPL030 and its hexapeptide progeny is due to the fortuitous assembly of subsets of the novel hormonal motif, MKPVFN, a default reproductive and tissue-building OFF signal.Peer reviewe