bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
On the Adjustment of Mortality Tables
Authors: Higham John Adams
Published: June 2019

During the last session of the Institute of Actuaries, I had the honour to submit a paper, the purpose of which was to devise a method of adjustment as even and correct as that of Mr. Woolhouse, and more easy in application. This was to be done by combining two summations of numbers increasing by third differences; the summations being so chosen as to introduce small factors only into the formula, and to admit of its being worked in columnar shape. (Journal, vol. xxiii, page 335.)

Thereupon, Mr. G. F. Hardy showed that Mr. Woolhouse's formula can be used in columnar shape; and Mr. Ackland, improving on Mr. Hardy's arrangement, contributed a table in which an adjustment of the HM decrement was so calculated. (Journal, xxiii, 354.)

This important and unexpected result of the reading of my paper rendered it of little value, except that it supplied a short formula which may be convenient for use where a rough graduation only is required. Any degree of smoothness can be obtained by repeating the process; but this is tedious, and I would now furnish a formula derived in the same manner, and yielding a satisfactory adjustment by a single operation.
On the grant of Settlement Policies under the provisions of the Married Women's Property Acts, 1870 and 1882
Authors: Sprague T. B.
Published: June 2019

Twelve years have now elapst since the Married Women's Property Act, 1870, gave legislative sanction to the principle that a married man may effect a policy for the benefit of his wife and children, in such a way that the policy will be effectually settled upon them, notwithstanding his subsequent insolvency. I believe that the facilities thus afforded by the Legislature have been greatly appreciated by some classes of the community,—both by the lower middle classes who usually make no settlement upon their marriage, and by professional and mercantile men who have desired to supplement the provisions they made upon marriage, and to settle a portion of their accumulated savings so as to be secured to their families in the event of unforeseen reverses overtaking them.

This principle has since been extended to Scotland. In England the provision was included in an Act dealing generally with the rights and liabilities of married women; but in Scotland the law relating to married women is fundamentally different from that in England, and it was therefore thought better that the provision should be made by a short Act dealing only with this matter, which Act is printed in the Journal for July 1881.

It has now been considered desirable to consolidate and amend the law relating to the property of married women, and for this purpose to repeal the Married Women's Property Act, 1870; and the question of Settlement Life Policies therefore came up for reconsideration. The result has been that the new Married Women's Property Act, which came into operation on 1 January last, re-enacts with some material improvements the clause on the subject in the old Act.
The Mathematical Law of Mortality
Authors: Wittstein Theodor
Published: June 2019

In the following essay we shall attempt the solution of a problem which has hitherto remained unsolved, though it is one of the most important problems connected with the science of life contingencies.

[Dr. Wittstein then explains the notation he uses; but we have substituted for it the usual notation, with which all our readers will be familiar; and he states that the Table B, on page 167, may serve as a specimen of a Mortality Table.]

Mortality Tables are based upon observations. We do not now propose to discuss the mode of collecting these observations. Upon this subject the author's treatise on Mathematical Statistics (Hanover, 1867), may be consulted. By whatever method the observations are made, the data resulting from them are always put in the form given in columns 1–3 of Table A, page 166. This table contains the data which Brune published in the year 1847 from the experience of the Prussian Widows' Fund, and from which he constructed his Mortality Table for Males (Table B); and we select this table in illustration of our subject, simply because it is readily accessible.
On the Rates of Mortality in Australia
Authors: Burridge Arthur Francis
Published: June 2019

The combination of circumstances, which for generations past has impelled large numbers of our countrymen to establish homes in distant lands, has wrought vast changes on the surface of the globe. The progress and welfare of Englishmen call, from every continent, for our interest and sympathy; and, while there is, probably, no portion of “Great Britain” which usually attracts more lively interest than Australasia, special attention is just now directed to that important member of the British Empire. The richness of its soil, its varying and salubrious climate, embracing those degrees of temperature most conducive to health, and, above all, its immense possibilities for the future, combine to fascinate the mind, and inspire a wish for further knowledge.

A comparison of the population returns of Australia with those of the United Kingdom, presents a contrast as striking as can be found in any department of social science. The area of the continent,—which is estimated to be somewhat under three million square miles,—contained at the end of the year 1882 about 2,296,000 inhabitants. The average number of persons to the square mile in each colony was as follows:—
On the Probability that there will hereafter be Issue of a Marriage hitherto Childless
Authors: Sprague Thomas Bond
Published: June 2019

It is sometimes necessary in disentail proceedings to estimate the probability that a husband, who has been married for several years without having any children, will hereafter have issue, either by his present or by a future wife. The probability of issue by a future wife is a subject comparatively well understood, and it is a recognized part of the business of some insurance companies to grant insurances against the contingency of such issue being left surviving at the death of a married man who has no child. The probability of issue by the present wife has been very little considered, and it is this probability that I propose now to discuss. There are very few statistics that will help us in the matter; in fact, I am only aware of two works in which any such statistics are given. Dr. J. Matthews Duncan gives the following table, in his work Fecundity, Fertility, and Sterility (p. 132, 2nd Ed.) :—

Mr. Charles Ansell, Jun., in his Statistics of Families in the Upper and Professional Classes (page 87) gives a table from which columns (1) to (4) of the table on the opposite page are extracted.
Explanation ov a New Formula for Interpolation
Authors: Sprague T. B.
Published: June 2019

When a series ov quantitys proceed by a regular law, ther is no difficulty in interpolating between each ajacent two ov them any number ov terms with any desired degree ov accuracy. The methods to be adopted for this purpos hav been described in varios original and reprinted papers containd in the Jurnl ov the Institute ov Actuarys : (see, for instance, Mr. Woolhouse's paper On Interpolation, Summation, etc., xi, 61 , 301, and xii, 136; Mr. Gray's paper On the Construction ov Tabls by the Method ov Differences, xiii, 61, 149, 293, and xiv, 307; and the translations ov M. Maurice's Essay on Interpolation, xiv, 1; and ov Briggs's explanation ov his Method ov Quintisection, xiv, 73). We somtimes, however, hav to interpolate between quantitys which do not accuratly folio any law. For instance, we may hav calculated premiums for every quinquennial age, and wish to obtain the premiums for the intermediat ages by interpolation. In this case, it wil somtimes happen that the ordinary formulas ov interpolation do not giv satisfactory results, unles we take a very large number ov differences, and then the amount ov labor is offen more than the result is worth. In my paper On the Value ov Anuitys payabl half-yearly, quarterly, etc., I indicated briefly a method ov interpolation which I tho't miht be employd with advantage in such cases (xiii, 322), and it is now my intention to work out the formulas resulting from that method, and giv a practical ilustration ov their use.
On the Construction and Use ov a Series ov Select Mortality Tabls to be Employd in Combination with the Institute HM(5) Tabl.(Continued)
Authors: Sprague T. B.
Published: June 2019

In Part I ov this paper I gave (vol. xxi, page 246) a tabl ov the finally ajusted probabilitys ov deth in the first five insurance years, for quinquennial ages at entry from 20 to 75. I gave also specimen mortality tabls for each ov those ages at entry, so ajusted as to join on, after the laps ov five years, to the Institute HM(5) Tabl; also values ov anuitys at 3 and 4 per-cent during the first five insurance years for lives entering at the same ages; and, lastly, commutation tabls calculated at 3 and 4 per-cent interest. I hav since found that ther is a misprint in the tabl ov the probabilitys ov deth, as q[35]÷3 shoud hav been printed ·010177 insted ov ·010077. This, however, is a mere misprint and dos not afect the other tabls. (It wil be notist that, insted ov riting q35+3, as in the first part ov this paper, I now always enclose the age at entry in square brakets, thus [x].)

In order to make the new tabls practically useful, it is necesary to hav results, not merely for quinquennial ages at entry, but for every age. The first step to be taken for this purpos is the calculation ov the probabilitys ov dying in the first five insurance years, for every age at entry. These calculations wer made by means ov the formula explaind in my paper in the number ov this Jurnl for last July, in which I gave (see page 280) the actual work ov interpolating between q[30]+3 and q[40]+3. But for the two quinquennial intervals at the beginning and at the end ov the series, namely, from age 20 to 30 and 65 to 75, I uzed constant fifth differences insted ov fourth differences as explaind in my paper. Whenever the calculated probability exceeded that acording to the HM(5) Tabl, the latter was substituted.
On the Transformation of Annuities and Annuity-Values payable Yearly, into the like when payable in Fractional Intervals of a Year, by means of Constant Factors; with Specimens of Tables computed for this purpose, and Examples of their application
Authors: McKenzie D. J. McG.
Published: June 2019

It is not to be expected, at this period of time, that anything new remains to be discovered in the Doctrine of Annuities, especially by one not conversant with analysis; yet a useful application may occasionally be found of the results of former investigations, the more so should such have remained in comparative neglect.

The announcement of the relation which subsists between an annuity payable yearly, and when it is payable half-yearly, quarterly, monthly, &c., the rate of interest continuing the same, is due to the illustrious De Moivre, and was made by him in the second edition of his treatise of Annuities on Lives, published in 1743. It was reproduced in the subsequent editions of the same work, and is to be found, with some errors of the press corrected, in that appended to the third edition of his Doctrine of Chances, 1756.

Although I have not strictly followed De Moivre, having computed my factors before I found they were described in his work, I here transcribe his rules with the demonstration of them, remarking that, the notation he employs being at variance with that to which we are now accustomed, and likely, therefore, to cause embarrassment to the student, I have substituted the modern notation throughout.
On the Valuation of Policies subject to Half-yearly and Quarterly Premiums
Authors: Sprague Thos. B. , King George
Published: June 2019

We will now state, with the necessary technical detail, our reasons for the opinion we have already expressed, that it is not permissible to add to the assets, or otherwise bring into the valuation as a credit, the present value of the extra charge made upon half-yearly and quarterly premiums in excess of the aliquot part of an annual premium. This extra charge is made for three different purposes, (1) to cover the cost and trouble of collecting premiums at frequent intervals; (2) to make good the loss of interest on the portion of the premium which is not paid at the beginning of the year; and (3) when the half-yearly or quarterly payments are really premiums, and not instalments of yearly premiums, to compensate for the loss of premium which will occur in some cases through the life assured dying before the full year's premium for the current policy-year has been paid. The proper amount of the extra to be charged for (2) and (3) is easily determined. Since the value of an annuity payable in advance is 1 + a, ¾ + a, or ⅝ + a, according as it is payable yearly, half-yearly, or quarterly, the total yearly net premium for the age x is

according as it is payable yearly, half-yearly, or quarterly.
On the Influence of Selection on the Mortality from different Classes of Diseases amongst Assured Lives
Authors: Dovey William R.
Published: June 2019

Upon the selection of lives depends to a large extent the financial success of a life assurance company, as the acceptance of under-average risks at ordinary rates may be as prejudicial to the well-being of an office as an imprudent investment of its funds. The opposition of interests also suggests the necessity for caution, and calls for the constant exercise of sound judgment. The care taken by life offices to exclude inferior risks, invariably has the effect of reducing the number of deaths in the early years of assurance considerably below those indicated in the tables upon which their calculations are based. The extent and duration of this favourable influence have been repeatedly investigated, and the subject is now well understood. In this paper it is proposed to extend the enquiry to the partial death-rates from various classes of diseases, and thus to ascertain the strength of this self-protecting power in different directions. A somewhat wider meaning will be attached to the term “selection” in the following pages than has usually been associated with it by actuarial writers. It will be regarded as including not only the effects of the medical examination, but also those other selecting causes which impart to the mortality of assured lives the characteristics it is seen to possess when compared with that of the general population.
History of Life Assurance in the United Kingdom
Authors: Walford Cornelius
Published: June 2019

Life assurance is the compound growth, first, of our commercial necessities, aided largely by a love of speculation, and later, of our progressive civilization. For the former, rough and ready means of estimation were resorted to; for the latter, a long and elaborate course of progressive investigation was needed.

The development of the business has extended over some three or four centuries, perhaps more. It has passed through three distinct phases, as (1). The Experimental Period; (2). The Speculative or Transitional Period; (3). The Period of Scientific Exactitude. These periods, of course, more or less overlap each other, but they each possess very marked distinctions.
Office Premium Loadings, and how they are dealt with under the various methods of Valuation and modes of Distribution of Profits
Authors: Crisford George S.
Published: June 2019

In introducing a consideration of this subject to the Institute, I do not purpose putting forward any new theories; many papers have been written upon the different methods of valuation and the modes of distributing profits, which have been most valuable contributions for determining the best theoretical basis to be adopted. I need only refer to the papers of Messrs. Jellicoe, Sprague, Bailey, Meikle, Manly, Valentine, King, and others, all of which are to be found in the Journal of the Institute, in order to remind you how fully these subjects have been considered at different times. The present paper, however, is intended to investigate the practical effect of applying the respective theories, not upon any theoretical assumption, but as they have to be applied in actual practice, and to see how far they are influenced by the different rates of premium actually charged by the different companies.
History of Life Assurance in the United Kingdom (Continued)
Authors: Walford Cornelius
Published: June 2019

Amicable Society.—We now arrive at the period of the formation of the Fourth Mutual Contribution Life Office established in London. This was designated the Amicable Society for a Perpetual Assurance; and it was destined, if not to be perpetual, to live long enough to become famous. It differed in some material respects from its predecessors, the chief distinction being that the contribution to its funds was fixed at £6. 4s. per annum. The first 2,000 members to pay, in addition, 5s. to the registrar and 5s. to the joint stock of the office; and all subsequent members were to pay 10s. to the joint stock. The founder and the registrar of the society was John Hartley; and he was to receive, permanently, 1s. per quarter out of each contribution.
History of Life Assurance in the United Kingdom (Continued)
Authors: Walford Cornelius
Published: June 2019

The second life assurance project in 1710 to be noticed is the following.

2. This day (16th December 1710) are published from the Office, at the Wheat Sheaf, over against Tom's Coffee-House in Russell Street, Covent Garden, proposals for the benefit of the Clergy and Widows of Clergymen, by a Joint Contribution, whereby a Clergyman by a Contribution of 10s. (as in the proposals is at large expressed) may be entitled to the sum of £750 on his being instituted and inducted into a Rectory or Vicarage in England or Ireland, or sent as a Missionary by the Corporation of the Society for Propagating the Gospel in Foreign parts; or by a Contribution of 5s. may be entitled to the sum of £375, or by a Contribution of 2s. 6d. to the sum of £187.10s., in the cases aforesaid, with other advantages for the Widows and Children of the Contributors.
On Average Rates of Mortality as affected by the Grouping of the Numbers exposed to Risk at different Ages
Authors: Gray William Thomas
Published: June 2019

Most persons who have dealt with mortality experiences have, no doubt, observed the variation in the average rates deduced according to the grouping of the exposures, but a few observations thereon, for the benefit of students of life contingencies, may, perhaps, be acceptable.

The first process in the investigation of the rate of mortality among lives assured in an office, or a special class, as annuitants, is to obtain the number exposed to risk of mortality, and the deaths which have actually occurred, at each age, during a certain period of time, as, say, the past five years, or since the company was established. The method to be used for deducing the numbers exposed to risk will depend on the special circumstances of the experience under observation, and need not here be discussed; but, assuming the exposures and deaths to have been ascertained, the mortality experience of the company is deduced by dividing the number of deaths at each age by the corresponding exposures.
Recent Decadal Change in the North Atlantic Subtropical Underwater Associated With the Poleward Expansion of the Surface Salinity Maximum
Authors: Liu Hao , Yu Lisan , Lin Xiaopei
Published: June 2019

Yu et al. (2017, https://doi.org/10.1002/2017GL075772) reported that the annual mean sea surface salinity maximum (SSS‐max) in the North Atlantic expanded northward by 0.35 ± 0.11° per decade over the 34‐year data record (1979–2012). The expansion shifted and expanded the ventilation zone northward and increased the production of the Subtropical Underwater (STUW). As a result, the STUW became deeper, thicker, and saltier. In this study, the seasonal characteristics of the poleward expansion of the North Atlantic SSS‐max and their effects on the STUW are examined. The results show that the SSS‐max expansion occurred primarily during boreal spring (April, May, and June) and expanded northward by 0.43 ± 0.21° per decade over the 34‐year period. The annual volume of the STUW increased by 0.21 ± 0.09 1014 m3 per decade over the same period, and the spring (April, May, and June) volume increased by 0.31 ± 0.02 1014 m3 per decade (a relative increase of 48 ± 1%). The characteristics of the decadal changes in STUW were attributable to the increased subduction rate associated with the northward expansion of the SSS‐max. The annual subduction rate increased by 0.29 ± 0.07 Sv per decade over the 34 years, and the greatest increase of 1.73 ± 0.61 Sv per decade occurred in April. The change in subduction associated with the expansion of the SSS‐max appeared to be consistent with the Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation.
Landscape and Tectonic Evolution of Bayin River Watershed, Northeastern Qaidam Basin, Northern Tibetan Plateau: Implications for the Role of River Morphology in Source Analysis and Low‐Temperature Thermochronology
Authors: Yu Xiangjiang , Guo Zhaojie , Guan Shuwei , Du Wei , Wang Zhendong , Bian Qing , Li Linlin
Published: June 2019

The Bayin River, the largest river in the northeastern Qaidam basin, plays an important role in the source‐to‐sink system and landscape evolution at the basin‐mountain boundary between the Qilian Mountains and the Qaidam basin in the northern Tibetan Plateau. In this study, we conduct field observation, topographic analysis, zircon U–Pb dating, and apatite (U–Th)/He dating to constrain the landscape and tectonic evolution of the Bayin River watershed. Bedrock zircon U–Pb dating indicates the age group of 420–450 Ma for far‐source sediments and the age group of >1,700 Ma for near‐source sediments in the Bayin River watershed. Detrital zircon U–Pb dating results from the Mesozoic and Cenozoic strata in the Bayin River watershed reveal that the most important source transition occurred during the Cretaceous. The Zongwulong Mountains gradually uplifted throughout the Cenozoic, along with decreasing far source and increasing near source based on detrital zircon U–Pb dating. Rapid uplift occurred across the Qilian Mountains during the late Cenozoic, leading to high normalized steepness indices, young apatite (U–Th)/He ages, and deep incised valleys at the basin‐mountain transition zone. The knickpoints caused by the latest headward erosion just reach an elevation of ~3,800 m on the river longitudinal profiles, indicating that the latest uplift magnitude is ~300–400 m relative to the basin surface of the Qaidam basin. Elevation distribution and apatite (U–Th)/He ages reveal that river incision leads to high relief in the Zongwulong Mountains and influences its tectonic evolution.
Stream Gauge Calibration of a Cave Stream Using Water Temperature Variability as a Tracer
Authors: Lüthi M. P.
Published: June 2019

Calibration of stream gauging stations involves water velocity measurements at various water levels to obtain discharge and to determine the rating curve. This process is laborious, often logistically challenging, or even impossible for streams that are only accessible at low flow. Here, we present an alternative method to obtain mean stream velocity by matching temperature variation patterns measured at two positions in the stream. Such water temperature variations are caused by snow melt or rainfall events and serve as natural tracers. The method is successfully applied to a karst cave stream that is only accessible at lowest flow. The installed high‐precision data loggers provide sufficient data to obtain a relationship between water depth and mean velocity. The approximate rating curve, based on reach mean channel width, agrees well with results from dye tracer experiments. This cave stream shows the typical features of a steep step‐pool stream such as a power law relation between mean velocity and discharge.
Year‐Round Transpiration Dynamics Linked With Deep Soil Moisture in a Warm Desert Shrubland
Authors: Szutu D. J. , Papuga S. A.
Published: June 2019

Ecohydrological processes in semiarid shrublands and other dryland ecosystems are sensitive to discrete pulses of precipitation. Anticipated changes in the frequency and magnitude of precipitation events are expected to impact the spatial and temporal distribution of soil moisture in these drylands, thereby impacting their ecohydrological processes. Recent field studies have shown that in dryland ecosystems, transpiration dynamics and plant productivity are largely a function of deep soil moisture available after large precipitation events, regardless of where the majority of plant roots occur. However, the strength of this relationship and how and why it varies throughout the year remains unclear. We present eddy covariance, soil moisture, and sap flow measurements taken over an 18‐month period in conjunction with an analysis of biweekly precipitation, shallow soil, deep soil, and stem stable water isotope samples from a creosotebush‐dominated shrubland ecosystem at the Santa Rita Experimental Range in southern Arizona. Within the context of a hydrologically defined two‐layer conceptual framework, our results support that transpiration is associated with the availability of deep soil moisture and that the source of this moisture varies seasonally. Therefore, changes in precipitation pulses that alter the timing and magnitude of the availability of deep soil moisture are expected to have major consequences for dryland ecosystems. Our findings offer insights that can improve the representation of drylands within regional and global models of land surface atmosphere exchange and their linkages to the hydrologic cycle.
Recent Increases in Water Column Denitrification in the Seasonally Suboxic Bottom Waters of the Santa Barbara Basin
Authors: White Margot E. , Rafter Patrick A. , Stephens Brandon M. , Wankel Scott D. , Aluwihare Lihini I.
Published: June 2019

Denitrification in the anoxic sediments of the Santa Barbara Basin has been well documented in the historic and modern record, but the regulation of and frequency with which denitrification occurs in the overlying water column are less understood. Since 2004, the magnitude and speciation of redox active nitrogen species in bottom waters have changed markedly. Most notable are periods of decreased nitrate and increased nitrite concentrations. Here we examine these changes in nitrogen cycling as recorded by the stable isotopes of dissolved nitrate from 2010–2016. When compared to previous studies, our data identify an increase in water column denitrification in the bottom waters of the basin. Observations from inside the basin as well as data from the wider California Current Ecosystem implicate a long‐term trend of decreasing oxygen concentrations as the driver for these observed changes, with ramifications for local benthic communities and regional nitrogen loss.
Introduction to Science and Exploration of the Moon, Near‐Earth Asteroids, and Moons of Mars
Authors: Glotch Timothy D. , Schmidt Gregory , Pendleton Yvonne
Published: June 2019

This special collection, sponsored by National Aeronautics and Space Administration's Solar System Exploration Research Virtual Institute, includes contributions relevant to the science and exploration of Moon, near‐Earth asteroids, and the moons of Mars. Contributions appear in the Journal of Geophysical Research—Planets, Earth and Space Science, and GeoHealth. Major topics covered by the contributions include, but are not limited to, space weathering, geologic analysis of potential lunar landing sites, field analog investigations, and infrared spectroscopic measurements applied to airless bodies in the solar system.
Inter-partner specificity limits the acquisition of thermotolerant symbionts in a model cnidarian-dinoflagellate symbiosis
Authors: Gabay Yasmin , Parkinson John Everett , Wilkinson Shaun P , Weis Virginia M , Davy Simon K
Published: June 2019

The ability of corals and other cnidarians to survive climate change depends partly on the composition of their endosymbiont communities. The dinoflagellate family Symbiodiniaceae is genetically and physiologically diverse, and one proposed mechanism for cnidarians to acclimate to rising temperatures is to acquire more thermally tolerant symbionts. However, cnidarian-dinoflagellate associations vary in their degree of specificity, which may limit their capacity to alter symbiont communities. Here, we inoculated symbiont-free polyps of the sea anemone Exaiptasia pallida (commonly referred to as ‘Aiptasia’), a model system for the cnidarian-dinoflagellate symbiosis, with simultaneous or sequential mixtures of thermally tolerant and thermally sensitive species of Symbiodiniaceae. We then monitored symbiont success (relative proportional abundance) at normal and elevated temperatures across two to four weeks. All anemones showed signs of bleaching at high temperature. During simultaneous inoculations, the native, thermally sensitive Breviolum minutum colonized polyps most successfully regardless of temperature when paired against the non-native but more thermally tolerant Symbiodinium microadriaticum or Durusdinium trenchii. Furthermore, anemones initially colonized with B. minutum and subsequently exposed to S. microadriaticum failed to acquire the new symbiont. These results highlight how partner specificity may place strong limitations on the ability of certain cnidarians to acquire more thermally tolerant symbionts, and hence their adaptive potential under climate change.
A novel member of Prame family, Gm12794c, counteracts retinoic acid differentiation through the methyltransferase activity of PRC2
Authors: Napolitano Giuliana , Tagliaferri Daniela , Fusco Salvatore , Cirillo Carmine , De Martino Ilaria , Addeo Martina , Mazzone Pellegrino , Russo Nicola Antonino , Natale Francesco , Cardoso Maria Cristina , De Luca Luciana , Lamorte Daniela , La Rocca Francesco , De Felice Mario , Falco Geppino
Published: June 2019

Embryonic stem cells (ESCs) fluctuate among different levels of pluripotency defined as metastates. Sporadically, metastable cellular populations convert to a highly pluripotent metastate that resembles the preimplantation two-cell embryos stage (defined as 2C stage) in terms of transcriptome, DNA methylation, and chromatin structure. Recently, we found that the retinoic acid (RA) signaling leads to a robust increase of cells specifically expressing 2C genes, such as members of the Prame family. Here, we show that Gm12794c, one of the most highly upregulated Prame members, and previously identified as a key player for the maintenance of pluripotency, has a functional role in conferring ESCs resistance to RA signaling. In particular, RA-dependent expression of Gm12794c induces a ground state-like metastate, as evaluated by activation of 2C-specific genes, global DNA hypomethylation and rearrangement of chromatin similar to that observed in naive totipotent preimplantation epiblast cells and 2C-like cells. Mechanistically, we demonstrated that Gm12794c inhibits Cdkn1A gene expression through the polycomb repressive complex 2 (PRC2) histone methyltransferase activity. Collectively, our data highlight a molecular mechanism employed by ESCs to counteract retinoic acid differentiation stimuli and contribute to shed light on the molecular mechanisms at grounds of ESCs naive pluripotency-state maintenance.
Hawks steer attacks using a guidance system tuned for close
pursuit of erratically manoeuvring targets
Authors: Brighton Caroline H. , Taylor Graham K.
Published: June 2019

Aerial predators adopt a variety of different hunting styles, with
divergent flight morphologies typically adapted either to high-speed interception or
manoeuvring through clutter, but how are their sensorimotor systems tuned in
relation to habitat structure and prey behavior? Falcons intercept prey at
high-speed using the same proportional navigation guidance law as homing missiles.
This classical guidance law works well in the open, but performs sub-optimally
against highly-manoeuvrable targets, and may not produce a feasible path through the
cluttered environments frequented by hawks and other raptors. Here we identify the
guidance law of n = 5 Harris’ Hawks Parabuteo unicinctus chasing erratically manoeuvring
artificial targets. Harris’ Hawks use a mixed guidance law, coupling low-gain
proportional navigation with a low-gain proportional pursuit element. This guidance
law promotes tail-chasing and is not thrown off by erratic manoeuvres, making it
well suited to the hawks’ natural hunting style, involving close pursuit of agile
prey through clutter.
Tumor-associated reactive astrocytes aid the evolution of immunosuppressive environment in glioblastoma
Authors: Henrik Heiland Dieter , Ravi Vidhya M. , Behringer Simon P. , Frenking Jan Hendrik , Wurm Julian , Joseph Kevin , Garrelfs Nicklas W. C. , Strähle Jakob , Heynckes Sabrina , Grauvogel Jürgen , Franco Pamela , Mader Irina , Schneider Matthias , Potthoff Anna-Laura , Delev Daniel , Hofmann Ulrich G. , Fung Christian , Beck Jürgen , Sankowski Roman , Prinz Marco , Schnell Oliver
Published: June 2019

Reactive astrocytes evolve after brain injury, inflammatory and degenerative diseases, whereby they undergo transcriptomic re-programming. In malignant brain tumors, their function and crosstalk to other components of the environment is poorly understood. Here we report a distinct transcriptional phenotype of reactive astrocytes from glioblastoma linked to JAK/STAT pathway activation. Subsequently, we investigate the origin of astrocytic transformation by a microglia loss-of-function model in a human organotypic slice model with injected tumor cells. RNA-seq based gene expression analysis of astrocytes reveals a distinct astrocytic phenotype caused by the coexistence of microglia and astrocytes in the tumor environment, which leads to a large release of anti-inflammatory cytokines such as TGFβ, IL10 and G-CSF. Inhibition of the JAK/STAT pathway shifts the balance of pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines towards a pro-inflammatory environment. The complex interaction of astrocytes and microglia cells promotes an immunosuppressive environment, suggesting that tumor-associated astrocytes contribute to anti-inflammatory responses.
Two HEPN domains dictate CRISPR RNA maturation and target cleavage in Cas13d
Authors: Zhang Bo , Ye Yangmiao , Ye Weiwei , Perčulija Vanja , Jiang Han , Chen Yiyang , Li Yu , Chen Jing , Lin Jinying , Wang Siqi , Chen Qi , Han Yu-San , Ouyang Songying
Published: June 2019

Cas13d, the type VI-D CRISPR-Cas effector, is an RNA-guided ribonuclease that has been repurposed to edit RNA in a programmable manner. Here we report the detailed structural and functional analysis of the uncultured Ruminococcus sp. Cas13d (UrCas13d)-crRNA complex. Two hydrated Mg2+ ions aid in stabilizing the conformation of the crRNA repeat region. Sequestration of divalent metal ions does not alter pre-crRNA processing, but abolishes target cleavage by UrCas13d. Notably, the pre-crRNA processing is executed by the HEPN-2 domain. Furthermore, both the structure and sequence of the nucleotides U(-8)-C(-1) within the repeat region are indispensable for target cleavage, and are specifically recognized by UrCas13d. Moreover, correct base pairings within two separate spacer regions (an internal and a 3′-end region) are essential for target cleavage. These findings provide a framework for the development of Cas13d into a tool for a wide range of applications.
Reproducibility of Brain Responses: High for Speech Perception, Low for Reading Difficulties
Authors: Leppänen Paavo H. T. , Tóth Dénes , Honbolygó Ferenc , Lohvansuu Kaisa , Hämäläinen Jarmo A. ,   NEURODYS WP7 group, Bartling Jürgen , Bruder Jennifer , Chaix Yves , Iannuzzi Stephanie , Nenert Rodolphe , Neuhoff Nina , Streiftau Silke , Tanskanen Annika , Tuomainen Jyrki , Demonet Jean-Francois , Schulte-Körne Gerd , Csépe Valéria
Published: June 2019

Neuroscience findings have recently received critique on the lack of replications. To examine the reproducibility of brain indices of speech sound discrimination and their role in dyslexia, a specific reading difficulty, brain event-related potentials using EEG were measured using the same cross-linguistic passive oddball paradigm in about 200 dyslexics and 200 typically reading 8–12-year-old children from four countries with different native languages. Brain responses indexing speech and non-speech sound discrimination were extremely reproducible, supporting the validity and reliability of cognitive neuroscience methods. Significant differences between typical and dyslexic readers were found when examined separately in different country and language samples. However, reading group differences occurred at different time windows and for different stimulus types between the four countries. This finding draws attention to the limited generalizability of atypical brain response findings in children with dyslexia across language environments and raises questions about a common neurobiological factor for dyslexia. Our results thus show the robustness of neuroscience methods in general while highlighting the need for multi-sample studies in the brain research of language disorders.
Bifunctional Fluorescent/Raman Nanoprobe for the Early Detection of Amyloid
Authors: Xia Yang , Padmanabhan Parasuraman , Sarangapani Sreelatha , Gulyás Balázs , Vadakke Matham Murukeshan
Published: June 2019

One of the pathological hallmarks of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the abnormal aggregation of amyloid beta (Aβ) peptides. Therefore the detection of Aβ peptides and imaging of amyloid plaques are considered as promising diagnostic methods for AD. Here we report a bifunctional nanoprobe prepared by conjugating gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) with Rose Bengal (RB) dye. RB is chosen due to its unique Raman fingerprints and affinity with Aβ peptides. After the conjugation, Raman signals of RB were significantly enhanced due to the surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) effect. Upon binding with Aβ42 peptides, a spectrum change was detected, and the magnitude of the spectrum changes can be correlated with the concentration of target peptides. The peptide/probe interaction also induced a remarkable enhancement in the probes’ fluorescence emission. This fluorescence enhancement was further utilized to image amyloid plaques in the brain slices from transgenic mice. In this study, the RB-AuNPs were used for both SERS-based detection of Aβ42 peptides and fluorescence-based imaging of amyloid plaques. Compared to monofunctional probes, the multifunctional probe is capable to provide more comprehensive pathophysiological information, and therefore, the implementation of such multifunctional amyloid probes is expected to help the investigation of amyloid aggregation and the early diagnosis of AD.
Analysis of the artificial vaginal microecology in patients after laparoscopic peritoneal vaginoplasty
Authors: Qin Chenglu , Luo Guangnan , Luo Xin , Lifschutz Brian N. , Zhu Ziwen , Fang Yujiang
Published: June 2019

To investigate the artificial vaginal microecological features in patients who underwent laparoscopic peritoneal vaginoplasty. 54 cases of patients with artificial vagina after laparoscopic peritoneal vaginoplasty were included in this study. Microecosystem evaluation was performed. Artificial vaginal functional tests and biopsy from vaginal walls were performed. After laparoscopic peritoneal vaginoplasty, the artificial vaginal flora intensity was level II∼III (88.9%); the vaginal flora diversity was level II∼III (72.2%); the predominant vaginal bacteria were gram-positive macrobacillus (27.8%); approximately 57.4% of the patients had vaginal pH ≤ 4.5; there was no pathogenic bateria or other pathogens; dysbiosis accounted for 53.7% of the patients (64.5% of the patients who had the vaginoplasty operation less than 2 years ago exhibited dysbiosis; 39.1% of the patients who had the operation at least 2 years ago exhibited dysbiosis). Vaginal dysbiosis is common after laparoscopic peritoneal vaginoplasty. However, as time goes by, the artificial vaginal microecological condition gradually becomes normal. Evaluation of vaginal microenvironment after laparoscopic peritoneal vaginoplasty might play an important role in reproductive tract infection prevention and neovagina health care.
Bone mineral: new insights into its chemical composition
Authors: Von Euw Stanislas , Wang Yan , Laurent Guillaume , Drouet Christophe , Babonneau Florence , Nassif Nadine , Azaïs Thierry
Published: June 2019

Some compositional and structural features of mature bone mineral particles remain unclear. They have been described as calcium-deficient and hydroxyl-deficient carbonated hydroxyapatite particles in which a fraction of the PO43− lattice sites are occupied by HPO42− ions. The time has come to revise this description since it has now been proven that the surface of mature bone mineral particles is not in the form of hydroxyapatite but rather in the form of hydrated amorphous calcium phosphate. Using a combination of dedicated solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance techniques, the hydrogen-bearing species present in bone mineral and especially the HPO42− ions were closely scrutinized. We show that these HPO42− ions are concentrated at the surface of bone mineral particles in the so-called amorphous surface layer whose thickness was estimated here to be about 0.8 nm for a 4-nm thick particle. We also show that their molar proportion is much higher than previously estimated since they stand for about half of the overall amount of inorganic phosphate ions that compose bone mineral. As such, the mineral-mineral and mineral-biomolecule interfaces in bone tissue must be driven by metastable hydrated amorphous environments rich in HPO42− ions rather than by stable crystalline environments of hydroxyapatite structure.
Homeologous regulation of Frigida-like genes provides insights on reproductive development and somatic embryogenesis in the allotetraploid Coffea arabica
Authors: Vieira Natalia Gomes , Ferrari Ilse Fernanda , Rezende Juliana Costa de , Mayer Juliana Lischka Sampaio , Mondego Jorge Maurício Costa
Published: June 2019

Coffea arabica is an allotetraploid of high economic importance. C. arabica transcriptome is a combination of the transcripts of two parental genomes (C. eugenioides and C. canephora) that gave rise to the homeologous genes of the species. Previous studies have reported the transcriptional dynamics of C. arabica. In these reports, the ancestry of homeologous genes was identified and the overall regulation of homeologous differential expression (HDE) was explored. One of these genes is part of the FRIGIDA-like family (FRL), which includes the Arabidopsis thaliana flowering-time regulation protein, FRIGIDA (FRI). As nonfunctional FRI proteins give rise to rapid-cycling summer annual ecotypes instead of vernalization-responsive winter-annuals, allelic variation in FRI can modulate flowering time in A. thaliana. Using bioinformatics, genomic analysis, and the evaluation of gene expression of homeologs, we characterized the FRL gene family in C. arabica. Our findings indicate that C. arabica expresses 10 FRL homeologs, and that, throughout flower and fruit development, these genes are differentially transcribed. Strikingly, in addition to confirming the expression of FRL genes during zygotic embryogenesis, we detected FRL expression during direct somatic embryogenesis, a novel finding regarding the FRL gene family. The HDE profile of FRL genes suggests an intertwined homeologous gene regulation. Furthermore, we observed that FLC gene of C. arabica has an expression profile similar to that of CaFRL genes.
Diffusion of methane in supercritical carbon dioxide across the Widom line
Authors: Guevara-Carrion Gabriela , Ancherbak Sergiy , Mialdun Aliaksandr , Vrabec Jadran , Shevtsova Valentina
Published: June 2019

Diffusion of methane diluted in supercritical carbon dioxide is studied by experiment and molecular simulation in the temperature range from 292.55 to 332.85 K along the isobars 9.0, 12.5 and 14.7 MPa. Measurements of the Fick diffusion coefficient are carried out with the Taylor dispersion technique. Molecular dynamics simulation and the Green-Kubo formalism are employed to obtain Fick, Maxwell-Stefan and intradiffusion coefficients as well as shear viscosity. The obtained diffusion coefficients are on the order of 10−8 m2/s. The composition, temperature and density dependence of diffusion is analyzed. The Fick diffusion coefficient of methane in carbon dioxide shows an anomaly in the near-critical region. This behavior can be attributed to the crossing of the so-called Widom line, where the supercritical fluid goes through a transition between liquid-like and gas-like states. Further, several classical equations are tested on their ability to predict this behavior and it is found that equations that explicitly include the density are better suited to predict the sharp variation of the diffusion coefficient near the critical region predicted by molecular simulation.
Important At-Sea Areas of Colonial Breeding Marine Predators on the Southern Patagonian Shelf
Authors: Baylis Alastair M. M. , Tierney Megan , Orben Rachael A. , Warwick-Evans Victoria , Wakefield Ewan , Grecian W. James , Trathan Phil , Reisinger Ryan , Ratcliffe Norman , Croxall John , Campioni Letizia , Catry Paulo , Crofts Sarah , Boersma P. Dee , Galimberti Filippo , Granadeiro José P. , Handley Jonathan , Hayes Sean , Hedd April , Masello Juan F. , Montevecchi William A. , Pütz Klemens , Quillfeldt Petra , Rebstock Ginger A. , Sanvito Simona , Staniland Iain J. , Brickle Paul
Published: June 2019

The Patagonian Shelf Large Marine Ecosystem supports high levels of biodiversity and endemism and is one of the most productive marine ecosystems in the world. Despite the important role marine predators play in structuring ecosystems, areas of high diversity where multiple predators congregate remains poorly known on the Patagonian Shelf. Here, we used biotelemetry and biologging tags to track the movements of six seabird species and three pinniped species breeding at the Falkland Islands. Using Generalized Additive Models, we then modelled these animals’ use of space as functions of dynamic and static environmental indices that described their habitat. Based on these models, we mapped the predicted distribution of animals from both sampled and unsampled colonies and thereby identified areas where multiple species were likely to overlap at sea. Maximum foraging trip distance ranged from 79 to 1,325 km. However, most of the 1,891 foraging trips by 686 animals were restricted to the Patagonian Shelf and shelf slope, which highlighted a preference for these habitats. Of the seven candidate explanatory covariates used to predict distribution, distance from the colony was retained in models for all species and negatively affected the probability of occurrence. Predicted overlap among species was highest on the Patagonian Shelf around the Falkland Islands and the Burdwood Bank. The predicted area of overlap is consistent with areas that are also important habitat for marine predators migrating from distant breeding locations. Our findings provide comprehensive multi-species predictions for some of the largest marine predator populations on the Patagonian Shelf, which will contribute to future marine spatial planning initiatives. Crucially, our findings highlight that spatially explicit conservation measures are likely to benefit multiple species, while threats are likely to impact multiple species.