bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Less Surface Sea Ice Melt in the CESM2 Improves Arctic Sea Ice Simulation With Minimal Non‐Polar Climate Impacts
Authors: Kay Jennifer E. , DeRepentigny Patricia , Holland Marika M. , Bailey David A. , DuVivier Alice K. , Blanchard‐Wrigglesworth Ed , Deser Clara , Jahn Alexandra , Singh Hansi , Smith Madison M. , Webster Melinda A. , Edwards Jim , Lee Sun‐Seon , Rodgers Keith B. , Rosenbloom Nan
Published: March 2022

This study isolates the influence of sea ice mean state on pre‐industrial climate and transient 1850–2100 climate change within a fully coupled global model: The Community Earth System Model version 2 (CESM2). The CESM2 sea ice model physics is modified to increase surface albedo, reduce surface sea ice melt, and increase Arctic sea ice thickness and late summer cover. Importantly, increased Arctic sea ice in the modified model reduces a present‐day late‐summer ice cover bias. Of interest to coupled model development, this bias reduction is realized without degrading the global simulation including top‐of‐atmosphere energy imbalance, surface temperature, surface precipitation, and major modes of climate variability. The influence of these sea ice physics changes on transient 1850–2100 climate change is compared within a large initial condition ensemble framework. Despite similar global warming, the modified model with thicker Arctic sea ice than CESM2 has a delayed and more realistic transition to a seasonally ice free Arctic Ocean. Differences in transient climate change between the modified model and CESM2 are challenging to detect due to large internally generated climate variability. In particular, two common sea ice benchmarks—sea ice sensitivity and sea ice trends—are of limited value for comparing models with similar global warming. More broadly, these results show the importance of a reasonable Arctic sea ice mean state when simulating the transition to an ice‐free Arctic Ocean in a warming world. Additionally, this work highlights the importance of large initial condition ensembles for credible model‐to‐model and observation‐model comparisons.
Water Resource Management Implications for a Desert Oasis From Tree‐Ring δ18O Variations in Populus Euphratica in Northwest China
Authors: Li Qiang , Liu Yu , Meko David M. , Nakatsuka Takeshi , Pan Yingnan , Song Huiming , Liu Ruoshi , Sun Changfeng , Fang Congxi
Published: March 2022

Paleoclimatic data has often been applied to demonstrate the influence of anthropogenic activities on runoff to desert rivers, and such features as reservoirs are clearly known to influence available water in downstream riparian settings. The impact of human activities on the hydrology of a downstream desert oasis is, however, an open question. High‐resolution hydroclimate paleo‐reconstructions for desert oases are lacking, partly because paleoclimate proxies in extremely dry deserts are insensitive to extremely low precipitation. Here, we first attempt to reconstruct regional precipitation (r = −0.743, p < 0.001, n = 49) for the interval 1886–2009 from the stable oxygen isotope ratio (δ18O) of five Populus euphratica trees growing in the Ejina Oasis, on the lower reaches of the Heihe River in extremely arid Northwest China. The δ18O series for P. euphratica in the oasis (∼900 m a.s.l) abruptly increases relative to an δ18O series of Qinghai spruce (Picea crassifolia) growing in upper limit of forest (∼3,000 m a.s.l) in Longshou Mountain (middle reaches of the Heihe River) after about 2000, when the Ecological Water Diversion Project on the Heihe River was implemented. This finding implies that the Ejina Oasis suffered from serious drought during the last decade, or at least that the Oasis is stressed more than expected by current climate conditions. Other evidence also indicates that human activities contributed to a decrease in air moisture in the Ejina Oasis after 2000. To mitigate water stress on the oasis, we recommend some practical measures to ensure the rational development of the desert oasis.
Acousto-optically driven lensless single-shot ultrafast optical imaging
Authors: Touil Mohamed , Idlahcen Saïd , Becheker Rezki , Lebrun Denis , Rozé Claude , Hideur Ammar , Godin Thomas
Published: March 2022

Driven by many applications in a wide span of scientific fields, a myriad of advanced ultrafast imaging techniques have emerged in the last decade, featuring record-high imaging speeds above a trillion-frame-per-second with long sequence depths. Although bringing remarkable insights into various ultrafast phenomena, their application out of a laboratory environment is however limited in most cases, either by the cost, complexity of the operation or by heavy data processing. We then report a versatile single-shot imaging technique combining sequentially timed all-optical mapping photography (STAMP) with acousto-optics programmable dispersive filtering (AOPDF) and digital in-line holography (DIH). On the one hand, a high degree of simplicity is reached through the AOPDF, which enables full control over the acquisition parameters via an electrically driven phase and amplitude spectro-temporal tailoring of the imaging pulses. Here, contrary to most single-shot techniques, the frame rate, exposure time, and frame intensities can be independently adjusted in a wide range of pulse durations and chirp values without resorting to complex shaping stages, making the system remarkably agile and user-friendly. On the other hand, the use of DIH, which does not require any reference beam, allows to achieve an even higher technical simplicity by allowing its lensless operation but also for reconstructing the object on a wide depth of field, contrary to classical techniques that only provide images in a single plane. The imaging speed of the system as well as its flexibility are demonstrated by visualizing ultrashort events on both the picosecond and nanosecond timescales. The virtues and limitations as well as the potential improvements of this on-demand ultrafast imaging method are critically discussed.
Suppressing thermal quenching via defect passivation for efficient quasi-2D perovskite light-emitting diodes
Authors: Zhang Dezhong , Fu Yunxing , Zhan Hongmei , Zhao Chenyang , Gao Xiang , Qin Chuanjiang , Wang Lixiang
Published: March 2022

Emission thermal quenching is commonly observed in quasi-2D perovskite emitters, which causes the severe drop in luminescence efficiency for the quasi-2D perovskite light-emitting diodes (PeLEDs) during practical operations. However, this issue is often neglected and rarely studied, and the root cause of the thermal quenching has not been completely revealed now. Here, we develop a passivation strategy via the 2,7-dibromo-9,9-bis (3′-diethoxylphosphorylpropyl)-fluorene to investigate and suppress the thermal quenching. The agent can effectively passivate coordination-unsaturated Pb2+ defects of both surface and bulk of the film without affecting the perovskite crystallization, which helps to more truly demonstrate the important role of defects in thermal quenching. And our results reveal the root cause that the quenching will be strengthened by the defect-promoted exciton-phonon coupling. Ultimately, the PeLEDs with defect passivation achieve an improved external quantum efficiency (EQE) over 22% and doubled operation lifetime at room temperature, and can maintain about 85% of the initial EQE at 85 °C, much higher than 17% of the control device. These findings provide an important basis for fabricating practical PeLEDs for lighting and displays.
No obesity paradox in patients with community-acquired pneumonia – secondary analysis of a randomized controlled trial
Authors: Borisov Angel N. , Blum Claudine A. , Christ-Crain Mirjam , Ebrahimi Fahim
Published: March 2022

Background

Obesity is associated with an increased risk for several chronic conditions and mortality. However, there are data in support of beneficial outcome in acute medical conditions such as community-acquired pneumonia (CAP), termed “obesity paradox”. The aim of this study was to test the association of BMI with clinical outcomes in a large randomized clinical trial of patients hospitalized with CAP.

Design and Methods

In total, 773 patients hospitalized with CAP were included in this study. Patients were stratified into four groups according to their baseline BMI (underweight <18.5, normal weight 18.5–25, overweight 25–30, and obese >30 kg/m2). The primary endpoint was time to clinical stability (TTCS). Secondary endpoints included 30-day mortality, ICU admission rate, CAP complications, and duration of antibiotic treatment.

Results

BMI and TTCS had a U-shaped association with shortest TTCS among patients at an overweight BMI of 28 kg/m2. In patients with obesity, there was a trend towards reduced hazards to reach clinical stability when compared to patients with normal weight (HR 0.82; 95%CI, 0.67–1.02; p = 0.07). In underweight BMI group TTCS was prolonged by 1 day (HR 0.63; 95%CI, 0.45–0.89; p = 0.008). There was no difference in mortality or ICU admission rates between BMI groups (p > 0.05). While in the underweight BMI group the total duration of antibiotic treatment was prolonged by 2.5 days (95%CI, 0.88–4.20, p = 0.003), there was no difference in patients with obesity.

Conclusions

The overweight BMI group had shortest time to clinical stability. While underweight patients face adverse clinical outcomes, there is neither beneficial, nor adverse outcome in patients with obesity hospitalized for CAP.

ClinicalTrials.gov (registration no. NCT00973154).
Metabolite differences in the medial prefrontal cortex in schizophrenia patients with and without persistent auditory verbal hallucinations: a 1H MRS study
Authors: Wang Qianjin , Ren Honghong , Li Chunwang , Li Zongchang , Li Jinguang , Li Hong , Dai Lulin , Dong Min , Zhou Jun , He Jingqi , O’Neill Joseph , Liao Yanhui , He Ying , Liu Tieqiao , Chen Xiaogang , Tang Jinsong
Published: March 2022

Studies of schizophrenia (SCZ) have associated auditory verbal hallucinations (AVH) with structural and functional abnormalities in frontal cortex, especially medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC). Although abnormal prefrontal network connectivity associated with language production has been studied extensively, the relationship between mPFC dysfunction (highly relevant to the pathophysiology of SCZ) and AVH has been rarely investigated. In this study, proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy was used to measure metabolite levels in the mPFC in 61 SCZ patients with persistent AVH (pAVH), 53 SCZ patients without AVH (non-AVH), and 59 healthy controls (HC). The pAVH group showed significantly lower levels of N-acetyl-aspartate + N-acetyl-aspartyl-glutamate (tNAA) and glutamate + glutamine (Glx), compared with the non-AVH (tNAA: p = 0.022, Glx: p = 0.012) and HC (tNAA: p = 0.001, Glx: p = 0.001) groups. No difference was found in the levels of tNAA and Glx between non-AVH and HC. The levels of tNAA and Glx in the mPFC was negatively correlated with the severity of pAVH (tNAA: r = −0.24, p = 0.014; Glx: r = −0.30, p = 0.002). In conclusion, pAVH in SCZ patients might be related to decreased levels of tNAA and Glx in the mPFC, indicating that tNAA or Glx might play a key role in the pathogenesis of pAVH.
Treatment patterns and outcomes according to cytogenetic risk stratification in patients with multiple myeloma: a real-world analysis
Authors: Atrash Shebli , Flahavan Evelyn M. , Xu Tao , Ma Esprit , Karve Sudeep , Hong Wan-Jen , Jirau-Lucca Gilbert , Nixon Michael , Ailawadhi Sikander
Published: March 2022

A clearer understanding of the prognostic implications of t(11;14) in multiple myeloma (MM) is needed to inform current and future therapeutic options. We utilized real-world data from a US database to examine treatment patterns and outcomes in patients by t(11;14) status compared with high- and standard-risk subgroups across different lines of therapy (LoT). This retrospective, observational cohort study used de-identified patient-level information from adults with MM and first-line treatment initiation between January 2011 and January 2020, followed until February 2020. The high-risk cohort comprised patients with high-risk genetic abnormalities per mSMART criteria (including those with co-occurring t(11;14)). Among 6138 eligible patients, 6137, 3160, and 1654 received first-, second-, and third-line treatments, respectively. Of 645 patients who had t(11;14), 69.1% had t(11;14) alone, while 30.9% had co-occurring high-risk abnormalities. Altogether, 1624 and 2544 patients were classified as high- and standard-risk, respectively. In the absence of biomarker-driven therapy, treatment patterns remain similar across LoT in high-risk, t(11;14)+, and standard-risk subgroups. Across all LoT, patient outcomes in the high-risk subgroup were less favorable than those in the t(11;14)+ and standard-risk subgroups. Thus, there is an opportunity for novel therapeutics targeted to t(11;14) and other defined subgroups to personalize MM therapy and optimize patient outcomes.
Measuring protected-area effectiveness using vertebrate distributions from leech iDNA
Authors: Ji Yinqiu , Baker Christopher C. M. , Popescu Viorel D. , Wang Jiaxin , Wu Chunying , Wang Zhengyang , Li Yuanheng , Wang Lin , Hua Chaolang , Yang Zhongxing , Yang Chunyan , Xu Charles C. Y. , Diana Alex , Wen Qingzhong , Pierce Naomi E. , Yu Douglas W.
Published: March 2022

Protected areas are key to meeting biodiversity conservation goals, but direct measures of effectiveness have proven difficult to obtain. We address this challenge by using environmental DNA from leech-ingested bloodmeals to estimate spatially-resolved vertebrate occupancies across the 677 km2Ailaoshan reserve in Yunnan, China. From 30,468 leeches collected by 163 park rangers across 172 patrol areas, we identify 86 vertebrate species, including amphibians, mammals, birds and squamates. Multi-species occupancy modelling shows that species richness increases with elevation and distance to reserve edge. Most large mammals (e.g. sambar, black bear, serow, tufted deer) follow this pattern; the exceptions are the three domestic mammal species (cows, sheep, goats) and muntjak deer, which are more common at lower elevations. Vertebrate occupancies are a direct measure of conservation outcomes that can help guide protected-area management and improve the contributions that protected areas make towards global biodiversity goals. Here, we show the feasibility of using invertebrate-derived DNA to estimate spatially-resolved vertebrate occupancies across entire protected areas.
A distinct mechanism of C-type inactivation in the Kv-like KcsA mutant E71V
Authors: Rohaim Ahmed , Vermeulen Bram J. A. , Li Jing , Kümmerer Felix , Napoli Federico , Blachowicz Lydia , Medeiros-Silva João , Roux Benoît , Weingarth Markus
Published: March 2022

C-type inactivation is of great physiological importance in voltage-activated K+ channels (Kv), but its structural basis remains unresolved. Knowledge about C-type inactivation has been largely deduced from the bacterial K+ channel KcsA, whose selectivity filter constricts under inactivating conditions. However, the filter is highly sensitive to its molecular environment, which is different in Kv channels than in KcsA. In particular, a glutamic acid residue at position 71 along the pore helix in KcsA is substituted by a valine conserved in most Kv channels, suggesting that this side chain is a molecular determinant of function. Here, a combination of X-ray crystallography, solid-state NMR and MD simulations of the E71V KcsA mutant is undertaken to explore inactivation in this Kv-like construct. X-ray and ssNMR data show that the filter of the Kv-like mutant does not constrict under inactivating conditions. Rather, the filter adopts a conformation that is slightly narrowed and rigidified. On the other hand, MD simulations indicate that the constricted conformation can nonetheless be stably established in the mutant channel. Together, these findings suggest that the Kv-like KcsA mutant may be associated with different modes of C-type inactivation, showing that distinct filter environments entail distinct C-type inactivation mechanisms.
Lower novelty-related locus coeruleus function is associated with Aβ-related cognitive decline in clinically healthy individuals
Authors: Prokopiou Prokopis C. , Engels-Domínguez Nina , Papp Kathryn V. , Scott Matthew R. , Schultz Aaron P. , Schneider Christoph , Farrell Michelle E. , Buckley Rachel F. , Quiroz Yakeel T. , El Fakhri Georges , Rentz Dorene M. , Sperling Reisa A. , Johnson Keith A. , Jacobs Heidi I. L.
Published: March 2022

Animal and human imaging research reported that the presence of cortical Alzheimer’s Disease’s (AD) neuropathology, beta-amyloid and neurofibrillary tau, is associated with altered neuronal activity and circuitry failure, together facilitating clinical progression. The locus coeruleus (LC), one of the initial subcortical regions harboring pretangle hyperphosphorylated tau, has widespread connections to the cortex modulating cognition. Here we investigate whether LC’s in-vivo neuronal activity and functional connectivity (FC) are associated with cognitive decline in conjunction with beta-amyloid. We combined functional MRI of a novel versus repeated face-name paradigm, beta-amyloid-PET and longitudinal cognitive data of 128 cognitively unimpaired older individuals. We show that LC activity and LC-FC with amygdala and hippocampus was higher during novelty. We also demonstrated that lower novelty-related LC activity and LC-FC with hippocampus and parahippocampus were associated with steeper beta-amyloid-related cognitive decline. Our results demonstrate the potential of LC’s functional properties as a gauge to identify individuals at-risk for AD-related cognitive decline.
Photonic heat transport in three terminal superconducting circuit
Authors: Gubaydullin Azat , Thomas George , Golubev Dmitry S. , Lvov Dmitrii , Peltonen Joonas T. , Pekola Jukka P.
Published: March 2022

We report an experimental realization of a three-terminal photonic heat transport device based on a superconducting quantum circuit. The central element of the device is a flux qubit made of a superconducting loop containing three Josephson junctions, which can be tuned by magnetic flux. It is connected to three resonators terminated by resistors. By heating one of the resistors and monitoring the temperatures of the other two, we determine photonic heat currents in the system and demonstrate their tunability by magnetic field at the level of 1 aW. We determine system parameters by performing microwave transmission measurements on a separate nominally identical sample and, in this way, demonstrate clear correlation between the level splitting of the qubit and the heat currents flowing through it. Our experiment is an important step towards realization of heat transistors, heat amplifiers, masers pumped by heat and other quantum heat transport devices.
Magnetotransport signatures of antiferromagnetism coexisting with charge order in the trilayer cuprate HgBa2Ca2Cu3O8+δ
Authors: Oliviero V. , Benhabib S. , Gilmutdinov I. , Vignolle B. , Drigo L. , Massoudzadegan M. , Leroux M. , Rikken G. L. J. A. , Forget A. , Colson D. , Vignolles D. , Proust C.
Published: March 2022

Multilayered cuprates possess not only the highest superconducting temperature transition but also offer a unique platform to study disorder-free CuO2 planes and the interplay between competing orders with superconductivity. Here, we study the underdoped trilayer cuprate HgBa2Ca2Cu3O8+δ and we report quantum oscillation and Hall effect measurements in magnetic field up to 88 T. A careful analysis of the complex spectra of quantum oscillations strongly supports the coexistence of an antiferromagnetic order in the inner plane and a charge order in the outer planes. The presence of an ordered antiferromagnetic metallic state that extends deep in the superconducting phase is a key ingredient that supports magnetically mediated pairing interaction in cuprates.
Emergent quasiparticles at Luttinger surfaces
Authors: Fabrizio Michele
Published: March 2022

In periodic systems of interacting electrons, Fermi and Luttinger surfaces refer to the locations within the Brillouin zone of poles and zeros, respectively, of the single-particle Green’s function at zero energy and temperature. Such difference in analytic properties underlies the emergence of well-defined quasiparticles close to a Fermi surface, in contrast to their supposed non-existence close to a Luttinger surface, where the single-particle density-of-states vanishes at zero energy. We here show that, contrary to such common belief, dispersive ‘quasiparticles’ with infinite lifetime do exist also close to a pseudo-gapped Luttinger surface. Thermodynamic and dynamic properties of such ‘quasiparticles’ are just those of conventional ones. For instance, they yield well-defined quantum oscillations in Luttinger surface and linear-in-temperature specific heat, which is striking given the vanishing density of states of physical electrons, but actually not uncommon in strongly correlated materials.
Design of stable and self-regulated microbial consortia for chemical synthesis
Authors: Li Xianglai , Zhou Zhao , Li Wenna , Yan Yajun , Shen Xiaolin , Wang Jia , Sun Xinxiao , Yuan Qipeng
Published: March 2022

Microbial coculture engineering has emerged as a promising strategy for biomanufacturing. Stability and self-regulation pose a significant challenge for the generation of intrinsically robust cocultures for large-scale applications. Here, we introduce the use of multi-metabolite cross-feeding (MMCF) to establish a close correlation between the strains and the design rules for selecting the appropriate metabolic branches. This leads to an intrinicially stable two-strain coculture where the population composition and the product titer are insensitive to the initial inoculation ratios. With an intermediate-responsive biosensor, the population of the microbial coculture is autonomously balanced to minimize intermediate accumulation. This static-dynamic strategy is extendable to three-strain cocultures, as demonstrated with de novo biosynthesis of silybin/isosilybin. This strategy is generally applicable, paving the way to the industrial application of microbial cocultures.
Self-consistent determination of long-range electrostatics in neural network potentials
Authors: Gao Ang , Remsing Richard C.
Published: March 2022

Machine learning has the potential to revolutionize the field of molecular simulation through the development of efficient and accurate models of interatomic interactions. Neural networks can model interactions with the accuracy of quantum mechanics-based calculations, but with a fraction of the cost, enabling simulations of large systems over long timescales. However, implicit in the construction of neural network potentials is an assumption of locality, wherein atomic arrangements on the nanometer-scale are used to learn interatomic interactions. Because of this assumption, the resulting neural network models cannot describe long-range interactions that play critical roles in dielectric screening and chemical reactivity. Here, we address this issue by introducing the self-consistent field neural network — a general approach for learning the long-range response of molecular systems in neural network potentials that relies on a physically meaningful separation of the interatomic interactions — and demonstrate its utility by modeling liquid water with and without applied fields.
Extremely wet summer events enhance permafrost thaw for multiple years in Siberian tundra
Authors: Magnússon Rúna Í. , Hamm Alexandra , Karsanaev Sergey V. , Limpens Juul , Kleijn David , Frampton Andrew , Maximov Trofim C. , Heijmans Monique M. P. D.
Published: March 2022

Permafrost thaw can accelerate climate warming by releasing carbon from previously frozen soil in the form of greenhouse gases. Rainfall extremes have been proposed to increase permafrost thaw, but the magnitude and duration of this effect are poorly understood. Here we present empirical evidence showing that one extremely wet summer (+100 mm; 120% increase relative to average June–August rainfall) enhanced thaw depth by up to 35% in a controlled irrigation experiment in an ice-rich Siberian tundra site. The effect persisted over two subsequent summers, demonstrating a carry-over effect of extremely wet summers. Using soil thermal hydrological modelling, we show that rainfall extremes delayed autumn freeze-up and rainfall-induced increases in thaw were most pronounced for warm summers with mid-summer precipitation rainfall extremes. Our results suggest that, with rainfall and temperature both increasing in the Arctic, permafrost will likely degrade and disappear faster than is currently anticipated based on rising air temperatures alone.
Perovskite metasurfaces with large superstructural chirality
Authors: Long Guankui , Adamo Giorgio , Tian Jingyi , Klein Maciej , Krishnamoorthy Harish N. S. , Feltri Elena , Wang Hebin , Soci Cesare
Published: March 2022

Recent attempts to synthesize hybrid perovskites with large chirality have been hampered by large size mismatch and weak interaction between their structure and the wavelength of light. Here we adopt a planar nanostructure design to overcome these limitations and realize all-dielectric perovskite metasurfaces with giant superstructural chirality. We identify a direct spectral correspondence between the near- and the far- field chirality, and tune the electric and magnetic multipole moments of the resonant chiral metamolecules to obtain large anisotropy factor of 0.49 and circular dichroism of 6350 mdeg. Simulations show that larger area metasurfaces could yield even higher optical activity, approaching the theoretical limits. Our results clearly demonstrate the advantages of nanostructrure engineering for the implementation of perovskite chiral photonic, optoelectronic, and spintronic devices.
Rotating neurons for all-analog implementation of cyclic reservoir computing
Authors: Liang Xiangpeng , Zhong Yanan , Tang Jianshi , Liu Zhengwu , Yao Peng , Sun Keyang , Zhang Qingtian , Gao Bin , Heidari Hadi , Qian He , Wu Huaqiang
Published: March 2022

Hardware implementation in resource-efficient reservoir computing is of great interest for neuromorphic engineering. Recently, various devices have been explored to implement hardware-based reservoirs. However, most studies were mainly focused on the reservoir layer, whereas an end-to-end reservoir architecture has yet to be developed. Here, we propose a versatile method for implementing cyclic reservoirs using rotating elements integrated with signal-driven dynamic neurons, whose equivalence to standard cyclic reservoir algorithm is mathematically proven. Simulations show that the rotating neuron reservoir achieves record-low errors in a nonlinear system approximation benchmark. Furthermore, a hardware prototype was developed for near-sensor computing, chaotic time-series prediction and handwriting classification. By integrating a memristor array as a fully-connected output layer, the all-analog reservoir computing system achieves 94.0% accuracy, while simulation shows >1000× lower system-level power than prior works. Therefore, our work demonstrates an elegant rotation-based architecture that explores hardware physics as computational resources for high-performance reservoir computing.
Unveiling RCOR1 as a rheostat at transcriptionally permissive chromatin
Authors: Rivera Carlos , Lee Hun-Goo , Lappala Anna , Wang Danni , Noches Verónica , Olivares-Costa Montserrat , Sjöberg-Herrera Marcela , Lee Jeannie T. , Andrés María Estela
Published: March 2022

RCOR1 is a known transcription repressor that recruits and positions LSD1 and HDAC1/2 on chromatin to erase histone methylation and acetylation. However, there is currently an incomplete understanding of RCOR1’s range of localization and function. Here, we probe RCOR1’s distribution on a genome-wide scale and unexpectedly find that RCOR1 is predominantly associated with transcriptionally active genes. Biochemical analysis reveals that RCOR1 associates with RNA Polymerase II (POL-II) during transcription and deacetylates its carboxy-terminal domain (CTD) at lysine 7. We provide evidence that this non-canonical RCOR1 activity is linked to dampening of POL-II productive elongation at actively transcribing genes. Thus, RCOR1 represses transcription in two ways—first, via a canonical mechanism by erasing transcriptionally permissive histone modifications through associating with HDACs and, second, via a non-canonical mechanism that deacetylates RNA POL-II’s CTD to inhibit productive elongation. We conclude that RCOR1 is a transcription rheostat.
Boron clusters as broadband membrane carriers
Authors: Barba-Bon Andrea , Salluce Giulia , Lostalé-Seijo Irene , Assaf Khaleel. I. , Hennig Andreas , Montenegro Javier , Nau Werner M.
Published: March 2022

The membrane translocation of hydrophilic substances constitutes a challenge for their application as therapeutic compounds and labelling probes1–4. To remedy this, charged amphiphilic molecules have been classically used as carriers3,5. However, such amphiphilic carriers may cause aggregation and non-specific membrane lysis6,7. Here we show that globular dodecaborate clusters, and prominently B12Br122−, can function as anionic inorganic membrane carriers for a broad range of hydrophilic cargo molecules (with molecular mass of 146–4,500 Da). We show that cationic and neutral peptides, amino acids, neurotransmitters, vitamins, antibiotics and drugs can be carried across liposomal membranes. Mechanistic transport studies reveal that the carrier activity is related to the superchaotropic nature of these cluster anions8–12. We demonstrate that B12Br122− affects cytosolic uptake of different small bioactive molecules, including the antineoplastic monomethyl auristatin F, the proteolysis targeting chimera dBET1 and the phalloidin toxin, which has been successfully delivered in living cells for cytoskeleton labelling. We anticipate the broad and distinct delivery spectrum of our superchaotropic carriers to be the starting point of conceptually distinct cell-biological, neurobiological, physiological and pharmaceutical studies.
The development and evolution of inhibitory neurons in primate cerebrum
Authors: Schmitz Matthew T. , Sandoval Kadellyn , Chen Christopher P. , Mostajo-Radji Mohammed A. , Seeley William W. , Nowakowski Tomasz J. , Ye Chun Jimmie , Paredes Mercedes F. , Pollen Alex A.
Published: March 2022

Neuroanatomists have long speculated that expanded primate brains contain an increased morphological diversity of inhibitory neurons (INs)1, and recent studies have identified primate-specific neuronal populations at the molecular level2. However, we know little about the developmental mechanisms that specify evolutionarily novel cell types in the brain. Here, we reconstruct gene expression trajectories specifying INs generated throughout the neurogenic period in macaques and mice by analysing the transcriptomes of 250,181 cells. We find that the initial classes of INs generated prenatally are largely conserved among mammals. Nonetheless, we identify two contrasting developmental mechanisms for specifying evolutionarily novel cell types during prenatal development. First, we show that recently identified primate-specificTAC3striatal INs are specified by a unique transcriptional programme in progenitors followed by induction of a distinct suite of neuropeptides and neurotransmitter receptors in new-born neurons. Second, we find that multiple classes of transcriptionally conserved olfactory bulb (OB)-bound precursors are redirected to expanded primate white matter and striatum. These classes include a novel peristriatal class of striatum laureatum neurons that resemble dopaminergic periglomerular cells of the OB. We propose an evolutionary model in which conserved initial classes of neurons supplying the smaller primate OB are reused in the enlarged striatum and cortex. Together, our results provide a unified developmental taxonomy of initial classes of mammalian INs and reveal multiple developmental mechanisms for neural cell type evolution.
Parental praise and children’s exploration: a virtual reality experiment
Authors: Brummelman Eddie , Grapsas Stathis , van der Kooij Katinka
Published: March 2022

When children practice a new skill and fail, it is critical for them to explore new strategies to succeed. How can parents encourage children’s exploration? Bridging insights from developmental psychology and the neuroscience of motor control, we examined the effects of parental praise on children’s motor exploration. We theorize that modest praise can spark exploration. Unlike inflated praise, modest praise acknowledges children’s performance, without setting a high standard for future performance. This may be reassuring to children with lower levels of self-esteem, who often doubt their ability. We conducted a novel virtual-reality experiment. Children (N = 202, ages 8–12) reported self-esteem and performed a virtual-reality 3D trajectory-matching task, with success/failure feedback after each trial. Children received modest praise (“You did well!”), inflated praise (“You did incredibly well!”), or no praise from their parent. We measured motor exploration as children’s tendency to vary their movements following failure. Relative to no praise, modest praise—unlike inflated praise—encouraged exploration in children with lower levels of self-esteem. By contrast, modest praise discouraged exploration in children with higher levels of self-esteem. Effects were small yet robust. This experiment demonstrates that modest praise can spark exploration in children with lower levels of self-esteem.
Long-distance, synchronized and directional fall movements suggest migration in Arctic hares on Ellesmere Island (Canada)
Authors: Caron-Carrier Jacob , Lai Sandra , Vézina François , Tam Andrew , Berteaux Dominique
Published: March 2022

Animal migration contributes largely to the seasonal dynamics of High Arctic ecosystems, linking distant habitats and impacting ecosystem structure and function. In polar deserts, Arctic hares are abundant herbivores and important components of food webs. Their annual migrations have long been suspected, but never confirmed. We tracked 25 individuals with Argos satellite telemetry to investigate the existence of migration in a population living at Alert (Ellesmere Island, Nunavut, Canada). During fall, 21 hares undertook directional, long-distance movements in a southwestern direction towards Lake Hazen. Daily movement rates averaged 1.3 ± 0.5 km, 4.3 ± 1.6 km, and 1.7 ± 0.9 km before, during, and after relocation, respectively. Straight-line and minimum cumulative distances traveled averaged 98 ± 18 km (range: 72–148 km) and 198 ± 62 km (range: 113–388 km), respectively. This is the first report of large-scale seasonal movements in Arctic hares and, surprisingly, in any lagomorph species. These movements may be part of an annual migratory pattern. Our results redefine our understanding of the spatial ecology of Arctic hares, demonstrate unsuspected mobility capacities in lagomorphs, and open new perspectives regarding the ecological dynamics of the northern polar deserts.
Changes in adverse pregnancy outcomes in women with advanced maternal age (AMA) after the enactment of China’s universal two-child policy
Authors: Li Hui , Nawsherwan  , Fan Cuifang , Yin Shanshan , Haq Ijaz ul , Mubarik Sumaira , Nabi Ghulam , Khan Suliman , Hua Linlin
Published: March 2022

The universal two-child policy (TCP; 2016) in China has affected many aspects of maternal-neonatal health. A tertiary hospital-based retrospective study (2011–2019) was used to find the association of these policy changes with maternal age and pregnancy outcomes in women with AMA (≥ 35 years) in the Hubei Province, China. The proportion of neonatal births to women with AMA increased by 68.8% from 12.5% in the one-child policy (OCP) period to 21.1% in the universal TCP period [aOR 1.76 (95% CI: 1.60, 1.93)]. In the univariate analysis, the proportion of preterm births (29.4% to 24.1%), low birth weight (LBW) (20.9% to 15.9%), and hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP) (11.5% to 9.2%) significantly (p < 0.05) decreased in women with AMA from the OCP period to universal TCP period. However, the proportion of intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) (0.2% to 0.7%) and gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) (1.7% to 15.6%) was significantly (p < 0.05) increased over the policy changes. After adjusting for confounding factors, only the risk of GDM increased [aOR 10.91 (95% CI: 6.05, 19.67)] in women with AMA from the OCP period to the universal TCP period. In conclusion, the risk of GDM increased in women with AMA from the OCP period to the universal TCP period.
Metabolomics-based profiling of 4 avocado varieties using HPLC–MS/MS and GC/MS and evaluation of their antidiabetic activity
Authors: Younis Inas Y. , Khattab Amira R. , Selim Nabil M. , Sobeh Mansour , Elhawary Seham S. , Bishbishy Mahitab H. El
Published: March 2022

Seven avocado “Persea americana” seeds belonging to 4 varieties, collected from different localities across the world, were profiled using HPLC–MS/MS and GC/MS to explore the metabolic makeup variabilities and antidiabetic potential. For the first time, 51 metabolites were tentatively-identified via HPLC–MS/MS, belonging to different classes including flavonoids, biflavonoids, naphthodianthrones, dihydrochalcones, phloroglucinols and phenolic acids while 68 un-saponified and 26 saponified compounds were identified by GC/MS analysis. The primary metabolic variabilities existing among the different varieties were revealed via GC/MS-based metabolomics assisted by unsupervised pattern recognition methods. Fatty acid accumulations were proved as competent, and varietal-discriminatory metabolites. The antidiabetic potential of the different samples was explored using in-vitro amylase and glucosidase inhibition assays, which pointed out to Gwen (KG) as the most potent antidiabetic sample. This could be attributed to its enriched content of poly-unsaturated fatty acids and polyphenolics. Molecular docking was then performed to predict the most promising phytoligands in KG variety to be posed as antidiabetic drug leads. The highest in-silico α-amylase inhibition was observed with chrysoeriol-4′-O-pentoside-7-O-rutinoside, apigenin-7-glucuronide and neoeriocitrin which might serve as potential drug leads for the discovery of new antidiabetic remedies.
An efficient density peak cluster algorithm for improving policy evaluation performance
Authors: Yu Zhenhua , Yan Yanghao , Deng Fan , Zhang Fei , Li Zhiwu
Published: March 2022

In recent years, the XACML (eXtensible Access Control Markup Language) is widely used in a variety of research fields, especially in access control. However, when policy sets defined by the XACML become large and complex, the policy evaluation time increases significantly. In order to improve policy evaluation performance, we propose an optimization algorithm based on the DPCA (Density Peak Cluster Algorithm) to improve the clustering effect on large-scale complex policy sets. Combined with this algorithm, an efficient policy evaluation engine, named DPEngine, is proposed to speed up policy matching and reduce the policy evaluation time. We compare the policy evaluation time of DPEngine with the Sun PDP, HPEngine, XEngine and SBA-XACML. The experiment results show that (1) when the number of requests reaches 10,000, the DPEngine evaluation time on a large-scale policy set with 100,000 rules is approximately 2.23%, 3.47%, 3.67% and 4.06% of that of the Sun PDP, HPEngine, XEngine and SBA-XACML, respectively and (2) as the number of requests increases, the DPEngine evaluation time grows linearly. Compared with other policy evaluation engines, the DPEngine has the advantages of efficiency and stability.
Mandible shape variation and feeding biomechanics in minks
Authors: Gálvez-López Eloy , Cox Philip G.
Published: March 2022

European and American minks are very similar in ecology, behavior and morphology. Both species hunt terrestrial vertebrates and aquatic prey, but the American mink is a more generalist predator which, among other factors, allows it to outcompete the European mink in areas where it has been introduced. We used 3D geometric morphometrics and estimates of muscle mechanical advantage to assess the degree of variation in mandibular morphology, and to determine whether such variation reflects dietary differences between the two species. The three main axes of variation represented interspecific differences, a common allometric trajectory between species and sexes, and the interspecific effect of sexual size dimorphism, with males having overall stronger bites than females. Differences in mandible shape and biomechanical parameters suggest that American minks are better equipped for preying on terrestrial vertebrates, while the features seen in European mink could be related to tougher prey, fish capture, or both. Additionally, within each species, the larger specimens of each sex present indicators of a higher percentage of terrestrial prey in their diet. These results indicate a low potential dietary overlap between both species, suggesting that factors other than prey competition may have a role in the decline of the European mink.
Diversity of the lysozyme fold: structure of the catalytic domain from an unusual endolysin encoded by phage Enc34
Authors: Cernooka Elina , Rumnieks Janis , Zrelovs Nikita , Tars Kaspars , Kazaks Andris
Published: March 2022

Endolysins are bacteriophage-encoded peptidoglycan-degrading enzymes with potential applications for treatment of multidrug-resistant bacterial infections. Hafnia phage Enc34 encodes an unusual endolysin with an N-terminal enzymatically active domain and a C-terminal transmembrane domain. The catalytic domain of the endolysin belongs to the conserved protein family PHA02564 which has no recognizable sequence similarity to other known endolysin types. Turbidity reduction assays indicate that the Enc34 enzyme is active against peptidoglycan from a variety of Gram-negative bacteria including the opportunistic pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO1. The crystal structure of the catalytic domain of the Enc34 endolysin shows a distinctive all-helical architecture that distantly resembles the α-lobe of the lysozyme fold. Conserved catalytically important residues suggest a shared evolutionary history between the Enc34 endolysin and GH73 and GH23 family glycoside hydrolases and propose a molecular signature for substrate cleavage for a large group of peptidoglycan-degrading enzymes.
Territorial bias in university rankings: a complex network approach
Authors: Bellantuono Loredana , Monaco Alfonso , Amoroso Nicola , Aquaro Vincenzo , Bardoscia Marco , Loiotile Annamaria Demarinis , Lombardi Angela , Tangaro Sabina , Bellotti Roberto
Published: March 2022

University rankings are increasingly adopted for academic comparison and success quantification, even to establish performance-based criteria for funding assignment. However, rankings are not neutral tools, and their use frequently overlooks disparities in the starting conditions of institutions. In this research, we detect and measure structural biases that affect in inhomogeneous ways the ranking outcomes of universities from diversified territorial and educational contexts. Moreover, we develop a fairer rating system based on a fully data-driven debiasing strategy that returns an equity-oriented redefinition of the achieved scores. The key idea consists in partitioning universities in similarity groups, determined from multifaceted data using complex network analysis, and referring the performance of each institution to an expectation based on its peers. Significant evidence of territorial biases emerges for official rankings concerning both the OECD and Italian university systems, hence debiasing provides relevant insights suggesting the design of fairer strategies for performance-based funding allocations.
CRISPR-mediated knockout of cardinal and cinnabar eye pigmentation genes in the western tarnished plant bug
Authors: Heu Chan C. , Gross Roni J. , Le Kevin P. , LeRoy Dannialle M. , Fan Baochan , Hull J. Joe , Brent Colin S. , Fabrick Jeffrey A.
Published: March 2022

The western tarnished plant bug, Lygus hesperus, is a key hemipteran pest of numerous agricultural, horticultural, and industrial crops in the western United States and Mexico. A lack of genetic tools in L. hesperus hinders progress in functional genomics and in developing innovative pest control methods such as gene drive. Here, using RNA interference (RNAi) against cardinal (LhCd), cinnabar (LhCn), and white (LhW), we showed that knockdown of LhW was lethal to developing embryos, while knockdown of LhCd or LhCn produced bright red eye phenotypes, in contrast to wild-type brown eyes. We further used CRISPR/Cas9 (clustered regularly interspaced palindromic repeats/CRISPR-associated) genome editing to generate germline knockouts of both LhCd (Card) and LhCn (Cinn), producing separate strains of L. hesperus characterized by mutant eye phenotypes. Although the cardinal knockout strain Card exhibited a gradual darkening of the eyes to brown typical of the wild-type line later in nymphal development, we observed bright red eyes throughout all life stages in the cinnabar knockout strain Cinn, making it a viable marker for tracking gene editing in L. hesperus. These results provide evidence that CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing functions in L. hesperus and that eye pigmentation genes are useful for tracking the successful genetic manipulation of this insect.
The monoacylglycerol acyltransferase pathway contributes to triacylglycerol synthesis in HepG2 cells
Authors: McFie Pamela J. , Patel Apurv , Stone Scot J.
Published: March 2022

The monoacylglycerol acyltransferase (MGAT) pathway has a well-established role in the small intestine where it facilitates the absorption of dietary fat. In enterocytes, MGAT participates in the resynthesis of triacylglycerol using substrates (monoacylglycerol and fatty acids) generated in the gut lumen from the breakdown of triacylglycerol consumed in the diet. MGAT activity is also present in the liver, but its role in triacylglycerol metabolism in this tissue remains unclear. The predominant MGAT isoforms present in human liver appear to be MGAT2 and MGAT3. The objective of this study was to use selective small molecule inhibitors of MGAT2 and MGAT3 to determine the contributions of these enzymes to triacylglycerol production in liver cells. We found that pharmacological inhibition of either enzyme had no effect on TG mass in HepG2 cells but did alter lipid droplet size and number. Inhibition of MGAT2 did result in decreased DG and TG synthesis and TG secretion. Interestingly, MGAT2 preferentially utilized 2-monoacylglycerol derived from free glycerol and not from exogenously added 2-monoacylglycerol. In contrast, inhibition of MGAT3 had very little effect on TG metabolism in HepG2 cells. Additionally, we demonstrated that the MGAT activity of DGAT1 only makes a minor contribution to TG synthesis in intact HepG2 cells. Our data demonstrated that the MGAT pathway has a role in hepatic lipid metabolism with MGAT2, more so than MGAT3, contributing to TG synthesis and secretion.