bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Thermoelectric performance enhancement by manipulation of Sr/Ti doping in two sublayers of Ca3Co4O9
Authors: Zhang Li , Liu Yichen , Tan Thiam Teck , Liu Yi , Zheng Jian , Yang Yanling , Hou Xiaojiang , Feng Lei , Suo Guoquan , Ye Xiaohui , Li Sean
Published: November 2020

Thermoelectric (TE) performance of Ca3Co4O9 (CCO) has been investigated extensively via a doping strategy in the past decades. However, the doping sites of different sublayers in CCO and their contributions to the TE performance remain unrevealed because of its strong correlated electronic system. In this work, Sr and Ti are chosen to realize doping at the [Ca2CoO3] and [CoO2] sublayers in CCO. It was found that figure of merit (ZT) at 957 K of Ti-doped CCO was improved 30% than that of undoped CCO whereas 1 at% Sr doping brought about a 150% increase in ZT as compared to undoped CCO. The significant increase in electronic conductivity and the Seebeck coefficient are attributed to the enhanced carrier concentration and spin-entropy of Co4+ originating from the Sr doping effects in [Ca2CoO3] sublayer, which are evidenced by the scanning electron microscope (SEM), Raman, Hall, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analysis. Furthermore, the reduced thermal conductivity is attributed to the improved phonon scattering from heavier Sr doped Ca site in [Ca2CoO3] sublayer. Our findings demonstrate that doping at Ca sites of [Ca2CoO3] layer is a feasible pathway to boost TE performance of CCO material through promoting the electronic conductivity and the Seebeck coefficient, and reducing the thermal conductivity simultaneously. This work provides a deep understanding of the current limited ZT enhancement on CCO material and provides an approach to enhance the TE performance of other layered structure materials.
Neither demarcation nor confrontation
Authors: Haker Christoph , Otterspeer Lukas
Published: November 2020

Right-wing populism has strongly polarizing effects in politics, education and science—a problem which this article aims to adress. Instead of claiming a demarcation between science and education on the one hand and right-wing populist ideology on the other, we initially focus on continuities. At the same time, we are concerned with finding a critical distance towards right-wing populism. Using the theoretical framework of boundary-work we therefore analyse a case of right-wing populist educational and scientific efforts. Boundary-work can occur in an institutional, content-related and epistemic dimension. While we identify strong continuities in the institutional and content-related dimensions, we see the main difference in the epistemic dimension. In conclusion, we use the results of our analysis to develop a critical position as scientists and educationists towards right-wing populism, drawing consequences for the epistemic, content-related and institutional dimensions.
Planetary carambolage: The evolutionary political economy of technology, nature and work
Authors: Gruszka Katarzyna , Scholz-Wäckerle Manuel , Aigner Ernest
Published: November 2020

The following editorial introduces the special issue (SI) on “Work, Environment and Planetary-scale Computation in Political-Economic Evolution”. Here, however, we go beyond an outline of what each contribution to the SI addresses, and attempt to draw a more pronounced shared embedding of the arguments that have come to the fore. The original idea of this SI was to synthesize a range of contemporary global political-economic challenges, i.e. (1) technology (esp. digital transformation), (2) nature (esp. ecological crisis) and (3) work (esp. precarization via the evolving platform economy). The main argument developed in this editorial reflection focuses on the common ground and origin of those processes found in the complex evolution of capitalist development. We frame the latter by assigning it a new term, i.e. “planetary carambolage”.
Critical chirality in elliptic systems
Authors: Da Lio Francesca , Rivière Tristan
Published: November 2020

We establish the regularity in 2 dimension of

L^{2}

solutions to critical elliptic systems in divergence form involving chirality operators of finite

W^{1,2}

-energy.
Argumentation
Authors: Nickerson Raymond S.
Published: November 2020

Drawing from the study of human reasoning, Argumentation describes different types of arguments and explains how they influence beliefs and behaviour. Raymond Nickerson identifies many of the fallacies, biases, and other flaws often found in arguments as well as 'stratagems' (schemes, illogical and alogical tactics) that people regularly use to persuade others. Much attention is given to the evaluation of arguments. Readers will learn a new schematic for evaluating arguments based on cognitive science. As a source for understanding and evaluating arguments in decision-making, it is ideal for courses on cognition, reasoning, and psychology.
Zombie Ideas
Authors: Peters Brainard Guy , Nagel Maximilian Lennart
Published: November 2020

Ideas are important in shaping the policy choices of governments. But many ideas that have not been successful in the past continue to be used by policymakers, and some good ideas tend not to be adopted. This Element will focus on why governments make these poor policy choices. We will discuss a number of examples of 'zombie ideas' that refuse to die, and then discuss the factors that are associated with their survival. Those factors occur at the elite, the organizational and the societal level. We will also examine some 'ghost' ideas that may well be successful but have a difficult time being adopted, and the factors that are associated with the exclusion of these ideas from the policy process.
The Logic of Violence in the Polish-Lithuanian Conflict, 1920–1923
Authors: Balkelis Tomas
Published: November 2020

The article is devoted to violence that took place in the Polish-Lithuanian borderland after the Great War. Using the theoretical insights of Stathis Kalyvas (2006), the author explores violent actors, types, and the dynamics of violence in the conflict over the neutral zone between Poland and Lithuania between 1920 and 1923. The focus is on the experiences of civilians and the social impact of violence on the formation of their national identities. The author suggests that violent ways of nation making forced the local populace to adopt national identities to ensure their security, but the process of forced nationalization was limited and may have resulted in the emergence of indifference among certain groups of the population.
Maternal high-fat diet in mice alters immune regulation and lung function in the offspring
Authors: Losol Purevsuren , Mercken Lindert P. , Fisk Helena L. , Calder Philip C. , Holloway John W. , Torrens Christopher
Published: November 2020

PUFA modulate immune function and have been associated with the risk of childhood atopy and asthma. We investigated the effect of maternal fat intake in mice on PUFA status, elongase and desaturase gene expression, inflammatory markers and lung function in the offspring. C57BL/6J mice (n32) were fed either standard chow (C, 20·4 % energy as fat) or a high-fat diet (HFD, 39·9 % energy as fat) for 4 weeks prior to conception and during gestation and lactation. At 21 d of age, offspring were weaned onto either the HFD or C, generating four experimental groups: C/C, C/HF, HF/C and HF/HF. Plasma and liver fatty acid composition were measured by GC and gene expression by quantitative PCR. Lung resistance to methacholine was assessed. Arachidonic acid concentrations in offspring plasma and liver phospholipids were increased by HFD; this effect was greater in the post-natal HFD group. DHA concentration in offspring liver phospholipids was increased in response to HFD and was higher in the post-natal HFD group. Post-natal HFD increased hepatic fatty acid desaturase (FADS) 2 and elongation of very long-chain fatty acid 5 expression in male offspring, whereas maternal HFD elevated expression ofFADS1andFADS2in female offspring compared with males. Post-natal HFD increased expression ofIL-6and C-C motif chemokine ligand 2 (CCL2) in perivascular adipose tissue. The HFD lowered lung resistance to methacholine. Excessive maternal fat intake during development modifies hepatic PUFA status in offspring through regulation of gene expression of enzymes that are involved in PUFA biosynthesis and modifies the development of the offspring lungs leading to respiratory dysfunction.
Differential inhibition of egg hatching in Aedes aegypti populations from localities with different winter conditions
Authors: Campos Raúl E. , Zanotti Gabriela , Di Battista Cristian M. , Gimenez Javier O. , Fischer Sylvia
Published: November 2020

In Argentina, the mosquito Aedes aegypti (L.) (Diptera: Culicidae) is distributed from subtropical to temperate climates. Here, we hypothesized that the expansion of Ae. aegypti into colder regions is favoured by high-phenotypic plasticity and an adaptive inhibition of egg hatching at low temperatures. Thus, we investigated the hatching response of eggs of three populations: one from a subtropical region (Resistencia) and two from temperate regions (Buenos Aires City and San Bernardo) of Argentina. Eggs collected in the field were raised in three experimental colonies. F1 eggs were acclimated for 7 days prior to immersion at 7.6 or 22°C (control eggs). Five immersion temperatures were tested: 7.6, 10.3, 11.8, 14.1 and 16°C (range of mean winter temperatures of the three localities). A second immersion at 22°C was performed 2 weeks later to assess the inhibition to hatch under favourable conditions. After the first immersion, we compared the proportions of hatched eggs and dead larvae among treatment levels, whereas after the second immersion we compared the hatching response among the three populations. The factors that most influenced the egg hatching response were the geographical origin of the populations and the immersion temperature, but not the acclimation temperature. The proportions of hatching and larval mortality at low temperatures were higher for Resistencia than for Buenos Aires and San Bernardo, whereas the hatching response at ambient temperature was lower for San Bernardo than for Buenos Aires and Resistencia. The results support the hypothesis that populations from colder regions show an adaptive inhibition of egg hatching.
Human–agent transfer from observations
Authors: Banerjee Bikramjit , Racharla Sneha
Published: November 2020

Learning from human demonstration (LfD), among many speedup techniques for reinforcement learning (RL), has seen many successful applications. We consider one LfD technique called human–agent transfer (HAT), where a model of the human demonstrator’s decision function is induced via supervised learning and used as an initial bias for RL. Some recent work in LfD has investigated learning from observations only, that is, when only the demonstrator’s states (and not its actions) are available to the learner. Since the demonstrator’s actions are treated as labels for HAT, supervised learning becomes untenable in their absence. We adapt the idea of learning an inverse dynamics model from the data acquired by the learner’s interactions with the environment and deploy it to fill in the missing actions of the demonstrator. The resulting version of HAT—called state-only HAT (SoHAT)—is experimentally shown to preserve some advantages of HAT in benchmark domains with both discrete and continuous actions. This paper also establishes principled modifications of an existing baseline algorithm—called A3C—to create its HAT and SoHAT variants that are used in our experiments.
A phonetic-phonological study of vowel height and nasal coarticulation in French
Authors: Dow Michael
Published: November 2020

The majority of previous studies on nasal coarticulation in French find an inversely proportionate relationship between vowel opening and nasality, such that high vowels are the most nasalized, sometimes exceeding 50% nasality. However, it has been unclear whether this is a mechanical or controlled property of French, given the typically short duration of high vowels in natural speech, as well as the aerodynamic and acoustic factors rendering them more susceptible to spontaneous nasalization. This study uses nasometric data to quantify progressive and regressive nasalization in 20 Northern Metropolitan French speakers as a function of vowel height. Furthermore, the relationship between degree of nasal coupling and overall vowel duration serves as a proxy for distinguishing mechanical from controlled nasalization, in the spirit of Solé (1992, 2007). This study finds evidence that high vowel nasalization in French is mechanical in pre-nasal position, but controlled in post-nasal position. Meanwhile, nasalization of mid and low vowels is blocked in pre-nasal position but, at most, mechanical in post-nasal position. In consequence, French appears to block nasalization in otherwise lexically impossible positions (*ṼN), while passively allowing, though not actively requiring, nasalizing in positions where conflation is possible (both NṼ and NV being permitted in the lexicon).
From classrooms to Centres: Mary and David Medd’s contribution to postwar school design in Britain
Authors: Lacomba Montes Paula , Campos Uribe Alejandro
Published: November 2020

This paper reports on the primary school design processes carried out around the 1940s in the County of Hertfordshire in Great Britain, which later evolved into innovative strategies developed by Mary and David Medd in the Ministry of Education from the late 1950s. The whole process, undertaken during more than three decades, reveals a way of breaking with the traditional spatial conception of a school. The survey of the period covered has allowed an in-depth understanding of how learning spaces could be transformed by challenging the conventional school model of closed rooms, suggesting a new way of understanding learning spaces as a group of Centres rather than classrooms. Historians have thoroughly shown the ample scope of this process, which involved many professionals, fostering a true cross-disciplinary endeavour where the curriculum and the learning spaces were developed in close collaboration. A selection of schools built in the county has been used to typologically analyse how architectural changes began to arise and later flourished at the Ministry of Education. The Medds had indeed a significant role through the development of a design process known as the Built-in variety and the Planning Ingredients. A couple of examples will clarify some of these strategies, revealing how the design of educational space could successfully respond to an active way of learning.
Organic cotton production may alleviate the environmental impacts of intensive conventional cotton production
Authors: Delate Kathleen , Heller Ben , Shade Jessica
Published: November 2020

Conventional cotton production has been associated with the extensive use of agricultural chemicals, leading to environmental and health problems, decreased effectiveness of pesticides and higher costs of production. Organic bans the use of most pesticides while providing premiums for growers, and therefore may be a beneficial alternative for growers. Unfortunately, there has been a paucity of research examining the specific practices used by organic cotton growers and the environmental aspects of those practices. This study surveyed organic cotton producers and processors to document specific approaches and techniques used in organic cotton production and processing, the environmental impacts of those techniques and challenges facing organic cotton growers. We discuss the environmental impacts of organic management techniques and methods for conserving water and reducing dependence on irrigation. We also highlight the challenges to organic production identified in the survey, including management for weeds, insects and diseases, genetic contamination of organic crops from genetically modified cotton, organic seed availability, climate change, chemical drift and marketing of organic cotton. Finally, we suggest that investing in research to produce higher-yielding organic varieties, improved methods for organic weed management, and supporting carbon-sequestering practices will improve conversion to organic production.
Elterliche Erziehungsfähigkeit: Definitionen, Indikatoren und Erfassungsmöglichkeiten
Authors: Zumbach Jelena , Oster Anna
Published: November 2020

Zusammenfassung. Erziehungsfähigkeit ist ein vielseitig verstandener Begriff, der sich auf die elterliche Fähigkeit zur Erfüllung kindlicher Bedürfnisse bezieht. Die Beurteilung der Erziehungsfähigkeit ist ein entscheidender Aspekt in Kinderschutzfragen und oft wesentliche Aufgabe bei psychologischen Begutachtungen in familienrechtlichen Verfahren. Problematisch ist jedoch, dass trotz der Relevanz des Konstrukts der Erziehungsfähigkeit als Einflussfaktor auf die kindliche Entwicklung sowie der regelmäßigen Verwendung des Begriffs in normativen Rechtsentscheidungen in der psychologischen Literatur kaum Einigkeit über die Begriffsdefinition besteht. Das erste Ziel dieser Übersichtsarbeit besteht in der Identifikation, Analyse und Systematisierung nationaler und internationaler Definitionen der Erziehungsfähigkeit sowie zugeordneter Indikatoren. In einer umfassenden Literaturrecherche wurden die Arbeiten von 12 Autorinnen und Autoren in die Analyse miteinbezogen. Insgesamt konnten 58 Indikatoren der Erziehungsfähigkeit identifiziert werden. Hieraus ergab sich eine Systematisierung in 29 unterschiedliche Indikatorengruppen. Das zweite Ziel der Übersichtsarbeit besteht in der Identifikation deutschsprachiger Verfahren, die das Konstrukt der Erziehungsfähigkeit und deren Einschränkung diagnostisch erfassen. Im deutschsprachigen Raum existiert kein Verfahren, welches explizit benennt, das Konstrukt der Erziehungsfähigkeit zu messen. Es wurden fünf Verfahren identifiziert, die inhaltlich verwandte Konstrukte erfassen. Die Verfahren werden hinsichtlich ihrer psychometrischen Güte bewertet. Die diagnostische Relevanz der identifizierten Definitionen und Indikatoren sowie der Einsatz der dargestellten Verfahren im Rahmen der familienrechtspsychologischen Begutachtung werden diskutiert.
Basalt Geochemistry and Mantle Flow During Early Backarc Basin Evolution: Havre Trough and Kermadec Arc, Southwest Pacific
Authors: Gill J. , Hoernle K. , Todd E. , Hauff F. , Werner R. , Timm C. , Garbe‐Schönberg D. , Gutjahr M.
Published: November 2020

The Havre Trough (HT) backarc basin in the southwest Pacific is in the rifting stage of development. We distinguish five types of basalt there based on their amount and kind of slab component: backarc basalts (BAB) with little or no slab component, modified BAB with slight amounts, reararc (RA) with more, remnants of the preexisting arc (Colville Ridge horsts), and arc front volcanoes within the HT. Previous subarc mantle is quickly removed and replaced by more fertile mantle with less slab component. The ambient mantle is “Pacific” isotopically, and more enriched in Nb/Yb and Nd and Hf isotope ratios north of the Central Kermadec Discontinuity at 32°S than to the south. The contrast may reflect inheritance in the south of mantle that was depleted during spreading that formed the southern South Fiji Basin and a higher degree of melting because of a wetter slab‐derived flux. The slab component also differs along strike, more like a dry melt in the north and a supercritical fluid in the south. The mass fraction of slab component increases southward in the backarc as well as the arc front. RA volcanoes have the most slab component (1%–2%) and form indistinct ridges at high angles to, and <50 km behind, frontal volcanoes. Backarc basalts have less and occur throughout the basin. Slab components are distributed further into the backarc, and more irregularly, during the rifting than spreading stage of backarc basin development. The rifting stage is disorganized geochemically as well as spatially.
Lateral Carbon Exports From Drained Peatlands: An Understudied Carbon Pathway in the Sacramento‐San Joaquin Delta, California
Authors: Richardson C. M. , Fackrell J. K. , Kraus T. E. C. , Young M. B. , Paytan A.
Published: November 2020

Degradation of peatlands via drainage is increasing globally and destabilizing peat carbon (C) stores. The effects of drainage on the timing and magnitude of lateral C losses from degraded peatlands remains understudied. We measured spatial and temporal variability in lateral C exports from three drained peat islands in the Sacramento‐San Joaquin Delta in California across the 2017 and 2018 water years using measurements of dissolved inorganic C (DIC), dissolved organic C (DOC), and suspended particulate organic C (POC) concentration combined with discharge. These measurements were supplemented with stable isotope data (δ13C‐DIC, δ13C‐POC, δ15N‐PON, and δ2H‐H2O values) to provide insight into hydrological and biogeochemical controls on lateral C exports from drained peatlands. Drainage DOC and DIC concentrations were seasonally variable with the highest values in the winter rainy season, when discharge was also elevated. Seasonal differences in the mobilization of dissolved C appeared to result from changing water sources and water table levels. Peat island drainage C contributions to surrounding waterways were also greatest during the winter. Although temporal variability in C cycling processes and trends were generally similar across islands, baseline drainage DIC, DOC, and POC concentrations were spatially variable, likely a result of sub‐island‐scale differences in soil organic matter content and hydrology. This spatial variability complicates system‐wide assessments of C budgets. Net lateral C exports were water year dependent and comparable to previously published vertical C emission rates for this system. This work highlights the importance of including lateral C exports from drained peatlands in local and regional C budgets.
High Heterogeneity in Canopy Temperature Among Co‐occurring Tree Species in a Temperate Forest
Authors: Yi Koong , Smith Jake W. , Jablonski Andrew D. , Tatham Elizabeth A. , Scanlon Todd M. , Lerdau Manuel T. , Novick Kimberly A. , Yang Xi
Published: November 2020

Trees regulate canopy temperature (Tc) via transpiration to maintain an optimal temperature range. In diverse forests such as those of the eastern United States, the sensitivity of Tc to changing environmental conditions may differ across species, reflecting wide variability in hydraulic traits. However, these links are not well understood in mature forests, where Tc data have historically been difficult to obtain. Recent advancement of thermal imaging cameras (TICs) enables Tc measurement of previously inaccessible tall trees. By leveraging TIC and sap flux measurements, we investigated how co‐occurring trees (Quercus alba, Q. falcata, and Pinus virginiana) change their Tc and vapor pressure deficit near the canopy surface (VPDc) in response to changing air temperature (Ta) and atmospheric VPD (VPDa). We found a weaker cooling effect for the species that most strongly regulates stomatal function during dry conditions (isohydric; P. virginiana). Specifically, the pine had higher Tc (up to 1.3°C) and VPDc (up to 0.3 kPa) in the afternoon and smaller sensitivity of both ∆T (=Tc − Ta) and ∆VPD (=VPDc − VPDa) to changing conditions. Furthermore, significant differences in Tc and VPDc between sunlit and shaded portions of a canopy implied a non‐evaporative effect on Tc regulation. Specifically, Tc was more homogeneous within the pine canopy, reflecting differences in leaf morphology that allow higher canopy transmittance of solar radiation. The variability of Tc among species (up to 1.3°C) was comparable to the previously reported differences in surface temperature across land cover types (1°C to 2°C), implying the potential for significant impact of species composition change on local/regional surface temperature.
Identification of miR-515-3p and its targets, vimentin and MMP3, as a key regulatory mechanism in esophageal cancer metastasis: functional and clinical significance
Authors: Hu Hui-Fang , Xu Wen Wen , Zhang Wei-Xia , Yan Xin , Li Yang-Jia , Li Bin , He Qing-Yu
Published: November 2020

Metastasis is the main factor of treatment failure in cancer patients, but the underlying mechanism remains to be elucidated and effective new treatment strategies are urgently needed. This study aims to explore novel key metastasis-related microRNAs (miRNAs) in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). By comparing miRNA profiles of the highly metastatic ESCC cell sublines, we established through serial in vivo selection with the parental cells, we found that the expression level of miR-515-3p was lower in ESCC tumor tissues than adjacent normal tissues, further decreased in metastatic tumors, and moreover, markedly associated with advanced stage, metastasis and patient survival. The in vitro and in vivo assays suggested that miR-515-3p could increase the expression of the epithelial markers as well as decrease the expression of the mesenchymal markers, and more importantly, suppress invasion and metastasis of ESCC cells. Mechanistically, we revealed that miR-515-3p directly regulated vimentin and matrix metalloproteinase-3 (MMP3) expression by binding to the coding sequence and 3′untranslated region, respectively. In addition, the data from whole-genome methylation sequencing and methylation-specific PCR indicated that the CpG island within miR-515-3p promoter was markedly hypermethylated in ESCC cell lines and ESCC tumor tissues, which may lead to deregulation of miR-515-3p expression in ESCC. Furthermore, our preclinical experiment provides solid evidence that systemic delivery of miR-515-3p oligonucleotide obviously suppressed the metastasis of ESCC cells in nude mice. Taken together, this study demonstrates that miR-515-3p suppresses tumor metastasis and thus represents a promising prognostic biomarker and therapeutic strategy in ESCC.
Novel COL4A1 mutations identified in infants with congenital hemolytic anemia in association with brain malformations
Authors: Ogura Hiromi , Ohga Shouichi , Aoki Takako , Utsugisawa Taiju , Takahashi Hidehiro , Iwai Asayuki , Watanabe Kenichiro , Okuno Yusuke , Yoshida Kenichi , Ogawa Seishi , Miyano Satoru , Kojima Seiji , Yamamoto Toshiyuki , Yamamoto-Shimojima Keiko , Kanno Hitoshi
Published: November 2020

Genetic causes of undiagnosed hemolytic anemia in nineteen patients were analyzed by whole-exome sequencing, and novel COL4A1 variants were identified in four patients (21%). All patients were complicated with congenital malformations of the brain, such as porencephaly or schizencephaly. In these patients, hemolysis became less severe within 2 months after birth, and red cell transfusion was no longer required after 50 days, whereas chronic hemolysis continued.
3D motion tracking display enabled by magneto-interactive electroluminescence
Authors: Lee Seung Won , Baek Soyeon , Park Sung-Won , Koo Min , Kim Eui Hyuk , Lee Seokyeong , Jin Wookyeong , Kang Hansol , Park Chanho , Kim Gwangmook , Shin Heechang , Shim Wooyoung , Yang Sunggu , Ahn Jong-Hyun , Park Cheolmin
Published: November 2020

Development of a human-interactive display enabling the simultaneous sensing, visualisation, and memorisation of a magnetic field remains a challenge. Here we report a skin-patchable magneto-interactive electroluminescent display, which is capable of sensing, visualising, and storing magnetic field information, thereby enabling 3D motion tracking. A magnetic field-dependent conductive gate is employed in an alternating current electroluminescent display, which is used to produce non-volatile and rewritable magnetic field-dependent display. By constructing mechanically flexible arrays of magneto-interactive displays, a spin-patchable and pixelated platform is realised. The magnetic field varying along the z-axis enables the 3D motion tracking (monitoring and memorisation) on 2D pixelated display. This 3D motion tracking display is successfully used as a non-destructive surgery-path guiding, wherein a pathway for a surgical robotic arm with a magnetic probe is visualised and recorded on a display patched on the abdominal skin of a rat, thereby helping the robotic arm to find an optimal pathway.
Pan-cancer analysis demonstrates that integrating polygenic risk scores with modifiable risk factors improves risk prediction
Authors: Kachuri Linda , Graff Rebecca E. , Smith-Byrne Karl , Meyers Travis J. , Rashkin Sara R. , Ziv Elad , Witte John S. , Johansson Mattias
Published: November 2020

Cancer risk is determined by a complex interplay of environmental and heritable factors. Polygenic risk scores (PRS) provide a personalized genetic susceptibility profile that may be leveraged for disease prediction. Using data from the UK Biobank (413,753 individuals; 22,755 incident cancer cases), we quantify the added predictive value of integrating cancer-specific PRS with family history and modifiable risk factors for 16 cancers. We show that incorporating PRS measurably improves prediction accuracy for most cancers, but the magnitude of this improvement varies substantially. We also demonstrate that stratifying on levels of PRS identifies significantly divergent 5-year risk trajectories after accounting for family history and modifiable risk factors. At the population level, the top 20% of the PRS distribution accounts for 4.0% to 30.3% of incident cancer cases, exceeding the impact of many lifestyle-related factors. In summary, this study illustrates the potential for improving cancer risk assessment by integrating genetic risk scores.
Ubiquitous selection for mecA in community-associated MRSA across diverse chemical environments
Authors: Snitser Olga , Russ Dor , Stone Laura K. , Wang Kathy K. , Sharir Haleli , Kozer Noga , Cohen Galit , Barr Haim M. , Kishony Roy
Published: November 2020

Community-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (CA-MRSA) is threatening public health as it spreads worldwide across diverse environments. Its genetic hallmark, the mecA gene, confers resistance to many β-lactam antibiotics. Here, we show that, in addition, mecA provides a broad selective advantage across diverse chemical environments. Competing fluorescently labelled wild-type and mecA-deleted CA-MRSA USA400 strains across ~57,000 compounds supplemented with subinhibitory levels of the β-lactam drug cefoxitin, we find that mecA provides a widespread advantage across β-lactam and non β-lactam antibiotics, non-antibiotic drugs and even diverse natural and synthetic compounds. This advantage depends on the presence of cefoxitin and is strongly associated with the compounds’ physicochemical properties, suggesting that it may be mediated by differential compounds permeability into the cell. Indeed, mecA protects the bacteria against increased cell-envelope permeability under subinhibitory cefoxitin treatment. Our findings suggest that CA-MRSA success might be driven by a cell-envelope mediated selective advantage across diverse chemical compounds.
MiCas9 increases large size gene knock-in rates and reduces undesirable on-target and off-target indel edits
Authors: Ma Linyuan , Ruan Jinxue , Song Jun , Wen Luan , Yang Dongshan , Zhao Jiangyang , Xia Xiaofeng , Chen Y. Eugene , Zhang Jifeng , Xu Jie
Published: November 2020

Gene editing nuclease represented by Cas9 efficiently generates DNA double strand breaks at the target locus, followed by repair through either the error-prone non-homologous end joining or the homology directed repair pathways. To improve Cas9’s homology directed repair capacity, here we report the development of miCas9 by fusing a minimal motif consisting of thirty-six amino acids to spCas9. MiCas9 binds RAD51 through this fusion motif and enriches RAD51 at the target locus. In comparison to spCas9, miCas9 enhances double-stranded DNA mediated large size gene knock-in rates, systematically reduces off-target insertion and deletion events, maintains or increases single-stranded oligodeoxynucleotides mediated precise gene editing rates, and effectively reduces on-target insertion and deletion rates in knock-in applications. Furthermore, we demonstrate that this fusion motif can work as a “plug and play” module, compatible and synergistic with other Cas9 variants. MiCas9 and the minimal fusion motif may find broad applications in gene editing research and therapeutics.
Large deep-sea zooplankton biomass mirrors primary production in the global ocean
Authors: Hernández-León S. , Koppelmann R. , Fraile-Nuez E. , Bode A. , Mompeán C. , Irigoien X. , Olivar M. P. , Echevarría F. , Fernández de Puelles M. L. , González-Gordillo J. I. , Cózar A. , Acuña J. L. , Agustí S. , Duarte C. M.
Published: November 2020

The biological pump transports organic carbon produced by photosynthesis to the meso- and bathypelagic zones, the latter removing carbon from exchanging with the atmosphere over centennial time scales. Organisms living in both zones are supported by a passive flux of particles, and carbon transported to the deep-sea through vertical zooplankton migrations. Here we report globally-coherent positive relationships between zooplankton biomass in the epi-, meso-, and bathypelagic layers and average net primary production (NPP). We do so based on a global assessment of available deep-sea zooplankton biomass data and large-scale estimates of average NPP. The relationships obtained imply that increased NPP leads to enhanced transference of organic carbon to the deep ocean. Estimated remineralization from respiration rates by deep-sea zooplankton requires a minimum supply of 0.44 Pg C y−1 transported into the bathypelagic ocean, comparable to the passive carbon sequestration. We suggest that the global coupling between NPP and bathypelagic zooplankton biomass must be also supported by an active transport mechanism associated to vertical zooplankton migration.
Transcription-dependent cohesin repositioning rewires chromatin loops in cellular senescence
Authors: Olan Ioana , Parry Aled J. , Schoenfelder Stefan , Narita Masako , Ito Yoko , Chan Adelyne S. L. , Slater Guy St.C. , Bihary Dóra , Bando Masashige , Shirahige Katsuhiko , Kimura Hiroshi , Samarajiwa Shamith A. , Fraser Peter , Narita Masashi
Published: November 2020

Senescence is a state of stable proliferative arrest, generally accompanied by the senescence-associated secretory phenotype, which modulates tissue homeostasis. Enhancer-promoter interactions, facilitated by chromatin loops, play a key role in gene regulation but their relevance in senescence remains elusive. Here, we use Hi-C to show that oncogenic RAS-induced senescence in human diploid fibroblasts is accompanied by extensive enhancer-promoter rewiring, which is closely connected with dynamic cohesin binding to the genome. We find de novo cohesin peaks often at the 3′ end of a subset of active genes. RAS-induced de novo cohesin peaks are transcription-dependent and enriched for senescence-associated genes, exemplified by IL1B, where de novo cohesin binding is involved in new loop formation. Similar IL1B induction with de novo cohesin appearance and new loop formation are observed in terminally differentiated macrophages, but not TNFα-treated cells. These results suggest that RAS-induced senescence represents a cell fate determination-like process characterised by a unique gene expression profile and 3D genome folding signature, mediated in part through cohesin redistribution on chromatin.
β-Pix-dependent cellular protrusions propel collective mesoderm migration in the mouse embryo
Authors: Omelchenko Tatiana , Hall Alan , Anderson Kathryn V.
Published: November 2020

Coordinated directional migration of cells in the mesoderm layer of the early embryo is essential for organization of the body plan. Here we show that mesoderm organization in mouse embryos depends on β-Pix (Arhgef7), a guanine nucleotide exchange factor for Rac1 and Cdc42. As early as E7.5, β-Pix mutants have an abnormally thick mesoderm layer; later, paraxial mesoderm fails to organize into somites. To define the mechanism of action of β-Pix in vivo, we optimize single-cell live-embryo imaging, cell tracking, and volumetric analysis of individual and groups of mesoderm cells. Use of these methods shows that wild-type cells move in the same direction as their neighbors, whereas adjacent β-Pix mutant cells move in random directions. Wild-type mesoderm cells have long polarized filopodia-like protrusions, which are absent in β-Pix mutants. The data indicate that β-Pix-dependent cellular protrusions drive and coordinate collective migration of the mesoderm in vivo.
High-frequency gas effusion through nanopores in suspended graphene
Authors: Rosłoń I. E. , Dolleman R. J. , Licona H. , Lee M. , Šiškins M. , Lebius H. , Madauß L. , Schleberger M. , Alijani F. , van der Zant H. S. J. , Steeneken P. G.
Published: November 2020

Porous, atomically thin graphene membranes have interesting properties for filtration and sieving applications. Here, graphene membranes are used to pump gases through nanopores using optothermal forces, enabling the study of gas flow through nanopores at frequencies above 100 kHz. At these frequencies, the motion of graphene is closely linked to the dynamic gas flow through the nanopore and can thus be used to study gas permeation at the nanoscale. By monitoring the time delay between the actuation force and the membrane mechanical motion, the permeation time-constants of various gases through pores with diameters from 10–400 nm are shown to be significantly different. Thus, a method is presented for differentiating gases based on their molecular mass and for studying gas flow mechanisms. The presented microscopic effusion-based gas sensing methodology provides a nanomechanical alternative for large-scale mass-spectrometry and optical spectrometry based gas characterisation methods.
Two-dimensional electronic spectroscopy of bacteriochlorophyll a with synchronized dual mode-locked lasers
Authors: Kim JunWoo , Jeon Jonggu , Yoon Tai Hyun , Cho Minhaeng
Published: November 2020

How atoms and electrons in a molecule move during a chemical reaction and how rapidly energy is transferred to or from the surroundings can be studied with flashes of laser light. However, despite prolonged efforts to develop various coherent spectroscopic techniques, the lack of an all-encompassing method capable of both femtosecond time resolution and nanosecond relaxation measurement has hampered various applications of studying correlated electron dynamics and vibrational coherences in functional materials and biological systems. Here, we demonstrate that two broadband (>300 nm) synchronized mode-locked lasers enable two-dimensional electronic spectroscopy (2DES) study of chromophores such as bacteriochlorophyll a in condensed phases to measure both high-resolution coherent vibrational spectrum and nanosecond electronic relaxation. We thus anticipate that the dual mode-locked laser-based 2DES developed and demonstrated here would be of use for unveiling the correlation between the quantum coherence and exciton dynamics in light-harvesting protein complexes and semiconducting materials.
Reproductive phasiRNAs regulate reprogramming of gene expression and meiotic progression in rice
Authors: Zhang Yu-Chan , Lei Meng-Qi , Zhou Yan-Fei , Yang Yu-Wei , Lian Jian-Ping , Yu Yang , Feng Yan-Zhao , Zhou Ke-Ren , He Rui-Rui , He Huang , Zhang Zhi , Yang Jian-Hua , Chen Yue-Qin
Published: November 2020

Plant spermatogenesis is a complex process that directly affects crop breeding. A rapid change in gene abundance occurs at early meiosis prophase, when gene regulation is selective. However, how these genes are regulated remains unknown. Here, we show that rice reproductive phasiRNAs are essential for the elimination of a specific set of RNAs during meiotic prophase I. These phasiRNAs cleave target mRNAs in a regulatory manner such that one phasiRNA can target more than one gene, and/or a single gene can be targeted by more than one phasiRNA to efficiently silence target genes. Our investigation of phasiRNA-knockdown and PHAS-edited transgenic plants demonstrates that phasiRNAs and their nucleotide variations are required for meiosis progression and fertility. This study highlights the importance of reproductive phasiRNAs for the reprogramming of gene expression during meiotic progression and establishes a basis for future studies on the roles of phasiRNAs with a goal of crop improvement.
Comparing the effects of climate change labelling on reactions of the Taiwanese public
Authors: Hung Li-San , Bayrak Mucahid Mustafa
Published: November 2020

Scientists and the media are increasingly using the terms ‘climate emergency’ or ‘climate crisis’ to urge timely responses from the public and private sectors to combat the irreversible consequences of climate change. However, whether the latest trend in climate change labelling can result in stronger climate change risk perceptions in the public is unclear. Here we used survey data collected from 1,892 individuals across Taiwan in 2019 to compare the public’s reaction to a series of questions regarding climate change beliefs, communication, and behavioural intentions under two labels: ‘climate change’ and ‘climate crisis.’ The respondents had very similar responses to the questions using the two labels. However, we observed labelling effects for specific subgroups, with some questions using the climate crisis label actually leading to backlash effects compared with the response when using the climate change label. Our results suggest that even though the two labels provoke similar reactions from the general public, on a subgroup level, some backlash effects may become apparent. For this reason, the label ‘climate crisis’ should be strategically chosen.
Temperature and composition dependent screw dislocation mobility in austenitic stainless steels from large-scale molecular dynamics
Authors: Chu Kevin , Foster Michael E. , Sills Ryan B. , Zhou Xiaowang , Zhu Ting , McDowell David L.
Published: November 2020

Extensive molecular dynamics simulations are performed to determine screw dislocation mobility in austenitic Fe0.7NixCr0.3-x stainless steels as a function of temperature ranging from 100 to 1300 K, resolved shear stress from 30 to 140 MPa, and Ni composition from 0.0 to 30.0 at%. These mobility data are fitted to a linear mobility law with a nonzero stress offset, referred to as the threshold stress. We find that both the linear drag coefficient and the threshold stress increase with Ni composition. The drag coefficient increases with temperature, whereas the threshold stress decreases with temperature. Based on these calculations, we determine fitting functions for the linear solute drag coefficient as a function of temperature and composition. The mobility laws determined in this study may serve to inform dislocation dynamics simulations pertinent to dislocation network evolution at elevated temperatures for a wide composition range of austenitic stainless steels.
The dehydrins gene expression differs across ecotypes in Norway spruce and relates to weather fluctuations
Authors: Čepl Jaroslav , Stejskal Jan , Korecký Jiří , Hejtmánek Jakub , Faltinová Zuzana , Lstibůrek Milan , Gezan Salvador
Published: November 2020

Norway spruce has a broad natural distribution range, which results in a substantial variety of its physiological and genetic variation. There are three distinct altitudinal ecotypes described in this tree species. The physiological optimum of each ecotype may be shifted due to ongoing climate change, especially in traits associated with water demand that might be crucial for adaptation. Dehydrins are proteins that help to mitigate the adverse effects of dehydration. Dehydrin gene expression patterns appeared to be a suitable marker for plant stress assessment. Genetically determined differences in response between individuals and populations were formerly studied, however, mainly in controlled conditions. We evaluated ecotypic variation in dehydrin gene expression in a clonal bank comprised of all three ecotypes. A genetic relationship among targeted trees was uncovered utilizing GBS (Genotyping by Sequencing) platform. We sampled 4–6 trees of each ecotype throughout 15 months period. Subsequently, we assessed the RNA expression of dehydrin genes by qRT-PCR. For this study, we deliberately selected dehydrins from different categories. Our findings detected significant differences among ecotypes in dehydrin expression. The association of recorded climatic variables and individual gene expression across the study period was evaluated and revealed, for certain genes, a correlation between dehydrin gene expression and precipitation, temperature, and day-length.
Surface coating and speckling of the human iliotibial tract does not affect its load-deformation properties
Authors: Zwirner Johann , Ondruschka Benjamin , Scholze Mario , Hammer Niels
Published: November 2020

Stochastic surface patterns form an important requirement to facilitate digital image correlation and to subsequently quantify material properties of various tissues when loaded and deformed without artefacts arising from material slippage. Depending on the samples’ natural colour, a surface pattern is created by speckling with colour or dye only, or it requires combined surface coating and speckling before to enhance the contrast, to facilitate high-quality data recording for mechanical evaluation. However, it is unclear to date if the colours deployed for coating and speckling do significantly alter the biomechanical properties of soft tissues. The given study investigated the biomechanical properties of 168 human iliotibial tract samples as a model for collagen-rich soft tissues, separated into four groups: untreated, graphite speckling only, water-based coating plus graphite speckling and solvent-based coating plus graphite speckling following a standardized approach of application and data acquisition. The results reveal that elastic modulus, ultimate tensile strength and strain at maximum force of all groups were similar and statistically non-different (p ≥ 0.69). Qualitatively, the speckle patterns revealed increasing contrast differences in the following order: untreated, graphite speckling only, water-based coating plus graphite speckling and solvent-based coating plus graphite speckling. Conclusively, both coating by water- and solvent-based paints, as well as exclusive graphite speckling, did not significantly influence the load-deformation parameters of the here used human iliotibial tract as a model for collagen-rich soft tissues. In consequence, water- and solvent-based coating paints seem equally suitable to coat collagen-rich soft tissues for digital image correlation, resulting in suitable speckle patterns and unbiased data acquisition.
Evaluating the performance of the Bayesian mixing tool MixSIAR with fatty acid data for quantitative estimation of diet
Authors: Guerrero Alicia I. , Rogers Tracey L.
Published: November 2020

We test the performance of the Bayesian mixing model, MixSIAR, to quantitatively predict diets of consumers based on their fatty acids (FAs). The known diets of six species, undergoing controlled-feeding experiments, were compared with dietary predictions modelled from their FAs. Test subjects included fish, birds and mammals, and represent consumers with disparate FA compositions. We show that MixSIAR with FA data accurately identifies a consumer’s diet, the contribution of major prey items, when they change their diet (diet switching) and can detect an absent prey. Results were impacted if the consumer had a low-fat diet due to physiological constraints. Incorporating prior information on the potential prey species into the model improves model performance. Dietary predictions were reasonable even when using trophic modification values (calibration coefficients, CCs) derived from different prey. Models performed well when using CCs derived from consumers fed a varied diet or when using CC values averaged across diets. We demonstrate that MixSIAR with FAs is a powerful approach to correctly estimate diet, in particular if used to complement other methods.