bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Leakage dynamics of fault zones: experimental and analytical study with application to CO2 storage
Authors: Gilmore Kieran A. , Sahu Chunendra K. , Benham Graham P. , Neufeld Jerome A. , Bickle Mike J.
Published: November 2021

Fault zones have the potential to act as leakage pathways through low permeability structural seals in geological reservoirs. Faults may facilitate migration of groundwater contaminants and stored anthropogenic carbon dioxide (CO

$_2$

), where the waste fluids would otherwise remain securely trapped. We present an analytical model that describes the dynamics of leakage through a fault zone cutting multiple aquifers and seals. Current analytical models for a buoyant plume in a semi-infinite porous media are combined with models for a leaking gravity current and a new model motivated by experimental observation, to account for increased pressure gradients within the fault due to an increase in Darcy velocity directly above the fault. In contrast to previous analytical fault models, we verify our results using a series of analogous porous medium tank experiments, with good matching of observed leakage rates and fluid distribution. We demonstrate the utility of the model for the assessment of CO

$_2$

storage security, by application to a naturally occurring CO

$_2$

reservoir, showing the dependence of the leakage rates and fluid distribution on the fault/aquifer permeability contrast. The framework developed within this study can be used for quick assessment of fluid leakage through fault zones, given a set of input parameters relating to properties of the fault, aquifer and fluids, and can be incorporated into basin-scale models to improve computational efficiency. The results show the utility of using analytical methods and reduced-order modelling in complex geological systems, as well as the value of laboratory porous medium experiments to verify results.
Using local ecological knowledge to locate the western long-beaked echidna Zaglossus bruijnii on the Vogelkop Peninsula, West Papua, Indonesia
Authors: Pattiselanno Freddy , Iriansul  , Barnes Paul A. , Arobaya Agustina Y. S.
Published: November 2021

The Critically Endangered western long-beaked echidna Zaglossus bruijnii is believed to be distributed throughout the Vogelkop Peninsula in the Indonesian Province of West Papua, but there had formerly been no confirmed sightings of the species since the 1980s. We aimed to establish whether the species survives in this area. Fieldwork was carried out during January–April 2018 in Tambrauw Regency in the north and Teluk Bintuni Regency in the south. Fieldwork involved informal interviews with people, identified through chain referral sampling, who were knowledgeable about local animals and plants. Interviewees were asked about their knowledge of the western long-beaked echidna and if they had encountered them locally. Thirteen interviewees were familiar with the species and we were able to confirm informant records of one individual in Tambrauw Regency and three in Teluk Bintuni Regency. Measurements of the three individual echidnas in Teluk Bintuni Regency corroborated previous descriptions of the species. Interviewees described how echidnas are often seen in the forests around villages, especially during the wet season during January–April, when their foraging signs are easy to distinguish from those of other animals. These four records of the western long-beaked echidna are the first confirmed sightings since the 1980s. They suggest the species persists on the Vogelkop Peninsula, and anecdotal information from the interviewees suggests the species remains common. Nevertheless, detailed systematic surveys are required before any assertion about the status of this species can be made with confidence.
A proof-of-concept study applying machine learning methods to putative risk factors for eating disorders: results from the multi-centre European project on healthy eating
Authors: Krug I. , Linardon J. , Greenwood C. , Youssef G. , Treasure J. , Fernandez-Aranda F. , Karwautz A. , Wagner G. , Collier D. , Anderluh M. , Tchanturia K. , Ricca V. , Sorbi S. , Nacmias B. , Bellodi L. , Fuller-Tyszkiewicz M.
Published: November 2021

Background

Despite a wide range of proposed risk factors and theoretical models, prediction of eating disorder (ED) onset remains poor. This study undertook the first comparison of two machine learning (ML) approaches [penalised logistic regression (LASSO), and prediction rule ensembles (PREs)] to conventional logistic regression (LR) models to enhance prediction of ED onset and differential ED diagnoses from a range of putative risk factors.

Method

Data were part of a European Project and comprised 1402 participants, 642 ED patients [52% with anorexia nervosa (AN) and 40% with bulimia nervosa (BN)] and 760 controls. The Cross-Cultural Risk Factor Questionnaire, which assesses retrospectively a range of sociocultural and psychological ED risk factors occurring before the age of 12 years (46 predictors in total), was used.

Results

All three statistical approaches had satisfactory model accuracy, with an average area under the curve (AUC) of 86% for predicting ED onset and 70% for predicting ANv.BN. Predictive performance was greatest for the two regression methods (LR and LASSO), although the PRE technique relied on fewer predictors with comparable accuracy. The individual risk factors differed depending on the outcome classification (EDsv.non-EDs and ANv.BN).

Conclusions

Even though the conventional LR performed comparably to the ML approaches in terms of predictive accuracy, the ML methods produced more parsimonious predictive models. ML approaches offer a viable way to modify screening practices for ED risk that balance accuracy against participant burden.
‘Why would I want sex now?’ A qualitative study on older women's affirmative narratives on sexual inactivity in later life
Authors: Gore-Gorszewska Gabriela
Published: November 2021

The existing research tries to understand the reasons for discontinuing sex in later life with the assumption that people want to be sexual. Although the growing body of literature informs that sex remains an integral part of older adults’ lives, a substantial number of older adults declare not being sexually active. This study aimed at exploring motives for deliberately choosing sexual inactivity among older women. Semi-structured interviews with 16 Polish women (aged 65–82) were thematically analysed in relation to the sexual scripts theory and the participants’ specific socio-cultural background. Three main themes regarding the reasons for cessation of their sex life were identified: ‘I am glad that sex does not concern me anymore’, ‘I am satisfied with my memories’ and ‘The right one’ or no one. The results indicate that some women give up sex for good, with no regrets or feeling of a loss; for others, it may be a temporary decision, its duration dependent on meeting the right partner. Developing sexual agency may encourage discontinuing their sex life – a choice perceived as optimal and liberating. Personal factors and the memories of marital relationships seem to shape older women's (a)sexual expectations. Acknowledging these nuances may contribute to a better understanding of older women's sexual functioning; implications for consideration in further research and practice are also discussed.
Karl Marx and the Global History of the Civil War: The Slave Movement, Working-Class Struggle, and the American State within the World Market
Authors: Battistini Matteo
Published: November 2021

This essay stitches together the fragments of Marx's work on the United States that are scattered in newspaper articles, letters, notes, in some digressions in his early writings, in his economic manuscripts and in Capital (1867). The main aim is to show that what we can call a “global history of the Civil War” emerges from his pen: a history that is global not simply in a geographical sense, that is, because it expands the European space beyond the Atlantic and towards the Pacific, but also because of the general meaning it takes on in the history of capitalism. The essay highlights how the Civil War opened the Marxian issue of emancipation, his vision of class struggle and his view of the working class, to the presence of a black proletariat that interacted with the struggle of the white working classes, the latter of which until then had been the main focus of his work. It also highlights how the different and disarticulated voices of labor – slave and free, black and white – on both sides of the Atlantic effected a revolutionary shift in the Civil War: interjecting a “revolutionary turn” into what we can call the “long constitutional history” of the political conflict between North and South that changed the economic and social shape of the nation. More importantly, the essay reconstructs what can be termed the “state moment,” which was entangled with the “long constitutional history” and the “revolutionary turn” of the Civil War. As the transnational calls for emancipation from slavery and wage labor impacted the transnational processes of accumulation of industrial capital, the American state became a player in the world market: its financial and fiscal policies became socially linked to the government of industrial capital. In this sense, as the essay underlines in the conclusion, the “global history of the Civil War” that Marx effectively drafted, outlined the theoretical and political hypothesis that formed the basis of his mature reflection in the pages of Capital: the “emancipation of labour” should be thought of as a global issue, “neither a local nor a national, but a social problem.”
Religious Liberty Sacralized: The Persistence of Christian Dissenting Tradition and the Cincinnati Bible War
Authors: Przybyszewski Linda
Published: November 2021

In 1869, the Cincinnati school board ended a forty-year tradition of Bible reading in the schools in an attempt to encourage Catholics to use them, thus provoking national controversy and a lawsuit brought by pro-Bible advocates. Scholars regularly cite the Ohio Supreme Court decision in favor of the school board as a landmark in the legal separation of church and state. This article interrogates the meaning of the secularization of law by examining expressions of juristic, pedagogic, and popular consciousness in the multiple levels and spaces where individuals raised and resolved constitutional questions on education. Dissenting Christian tradition shaped the legal brief of Stanley Matthews, the school board's lead attorney. Matthews' sacralized the religious liberty guarantee found in the Ohio Constitution within a post-millennialist framework. Ohio Chief Justice John Welch hybridized Christian dissenting tradition with deistic rationalism in Board of Education v. Minor, et al, thus appealing to as broad a constituency as had the right to elect justices to the Ohio Supreme Court. The limited, technical ruling allowed for a metropole/periphery divide in educational practice, so that Bible reading and prayer in Ohio public schools continued well into the 20th century. Far from a landmark in secularization of the law, the Bible War case demonstrates the persistent power of religion to frame law, including the law of religious liberty.
Human Extinction and Moral Worthwhileness
Authors: Finneron-Burns Elizabeth
Published: November 2021

In this article I make two main critiques of Kaczmarek and Beard's article ‘Human Extinction and Our Obligations to the Past’. First, I argue that there is an ambiguity in what it means to realise the benefits of a sacrifice and that this ambiguity affects the persuasiveness of the authors’ arguments and responses to various objections to their view. Second, I argue that their core argument against human extinction depends on an unsupported assumption about the existence and importance of existential benefits.
Respectability and race between the suburb and the city: an argument about the making of ‘inner-city’ London
Authors: Waters Rob
Published: November 2021

This article concentrates on the development of an inner-city imaginary, and a linked suburban imaginary, in the era of post-war reconstruction and post-colonial migration. It argues that these two historical processes – reconstruction and migration – need to be seen as interlinked phenomena, which bound the histories of race and class together. First, it proposes that understanding how the inner city developed and was lived as a structure of feeling requires attending to its meaning both among those who peopled its often-nebulous borders, and among those who escaped it but nonetheless measured their escape by it. Second, it proposes that understanding the popular force of inner city and suburb as imaginative spaces means recognizing how they became crucial landscapes in a revived culture of respectability, which in the second half of the twentieth century became a racialized culture. This was the other migration that defined what the inner city meant.
Neurodevelopmental Outcomes in Preterm Children with Sickle Cell Disease
Authors: Bills Sarah E. , Schatz Jeffrey , Hunt Erin , Varanasi Sreya , Johnston Julia , Bradshaw Jessica
Published: November 2021

Objectives:

To explore the combined effect of pediatric sickle cell disease (SCD) and preterm birth on cognitive functioning.

Methods:

Cognitive functioning was examined in children ages 6–8 with high risk SCD genotypes born preterm (n = 20) and full-term (n = 59) and lower risk SCD genotypes/no SCD born preterm (n = 11) and full-term (n = 99) using tests previously shown to be sensitive to SCD-related neurocognitive deficits. Factorial ANOVAs and log linear analyses were conducted to examine the relationship between SCD risk, preterm birth status, and cognitive outcomes. Continuous scores were examined for specific tests. Children were categorized as having an abnormal screening outcome if at least one cognitive score was ≥1.5 standard deviations below the population mean.

Results:

Children with elevated risk due to high risk SCD and preterm birth performed worse than other groups on a test of expressive language but not on tests that emphasize processing speed and working memory. There was a three-way interaction between preterm status, SCD risk, and abnormal screening outcome, which was largely driven by the increased likelihood of abnormal cognitive scores for children with high risk SCD born preterm.

Conclusions:

The combination of SCD and preterm birth may confer increased risk for language deficits and elevated rates of abnormal cognitive screenings. This suggests that neurodevelopmental risk imparted by comorbid SCD and preterm birth may manifest as heterogenous, rather than specific, patterns of cognitive deficits. Future studies are needed to clarify the domains of cognitive functioning most susceptible to disease-related effects of comorbid SCD and preterm birth.
Recent developments of the pragmatic markerskind ofandsort ofin spoken British English
Authors: REICHELT SUSAN
Published: November 2021

This study reports on recent changes in the use of the hedgeskind ofandsort ofin spoken British English over the past twenty years. A quantitative analysis of these features within subsets of the original BNC 1994 (BNC Consortium 2007) and BNC 2014 (Loveet al. 2017) suggests a systematic encroaching ofkind ofinto contexts that are traditionally occupied bysort of. This is highlighted in apparent-time patterns in which younger speakers are leading in use as well as real-time patterns that show a significant increase in use between 1994 and 2014.

The hedgessort ofandkind ofare often treated as semantically equivalent, yet show distributional differences across different varieties of English. This article reports on an ongoing shift in the use ofkind ofas well as a relatively stable use ofsort of. Its main focus is a detailed sociolinguistic analysis of both variants, which, in addition to social factors involved, teases apart some of the linguistic aspects of this shift.

In line with the theme of this special issue, the article draws attention to the usefulness of comparable, or comparably made, corpora that allow for focused studies of linguistic change across speakers, generations, registers and communities.
SMALL-SCALE EQUIDISTRIBUTION OF RANDOM WAVES GENERATED BY AN UNFAIR COIN FLIP
Authors: LEONHARDT MIRIAM J. , TACY MELISSA
Published: November 2021

In this paper we study the small-scale equidistribution property of random waves whose coefficients are determined by an unfair coin. That is, the coefficients take value
$+1$
with probability p and
$-1$
with probability
$1-p$
. Random waves whose coefficients are associated with a fair coin are known to equidistribute down to the wavelength scale. We obtain explicit requirements on the deviation from the fair (
$p=0.5$
) coin to retain equidistribution.
Reducing political polarization in Hong Kong: a pilot experiment of deliberation
Authors: Shen Fei , Yu Wenting
Published: November 2021

Contemporary Hong Kong is riven by serious political and social polarization. Hong Kong's problem does not lie in ideological differences among citizens; rather, the major issue is that people of different political stripes view each other as enemies. In this study, we conducted two experiments to compare the impacts of deliberation and discussion on political depolarization. In study 1, we invited participants of opposing views toward the Article 23 legislation and conducted a 90-min discussion session. The participants were divided into two groups: deliberation and causal discussion. The deliberation group received an information booklet on the issue and had to strictly follow rules of deliberation whereas the causal discussion group had no such stimuli. In study 2, we used video recordings from study 1 and presented the videos to two groups of participants. One group of participants watched the deliberation video and the other group watched the causal discussion video. The main finding of the study is both deliberation and causal discussion had mixed effects on reducing political polarization. After discussion, issue attitude and issue polarization remained largely the same, but people's attitude toward others with opposing views became more favorable and affective polarization was reduced. No systematic differences were found between deliberation and discussion. And watching discussion and deliberation will deliver similar effects but to a lesser extent.
Sex-related differences in outcome after endovascular	revascularization for lower extremity artery disease
Authors: Barenbrock Henrike , Feld Jannik , Lakomek Antonia , Volkery Kristina , Köppe Jeanette , Makowski Lena , Engelbertz Christiane M. , Reinecke Holger , Malyar Nasser , Freisinger Eva
Published: November 2021

Summary: Background: Sex-related differences may influence the outcome of endovascular revascularization (EVR) in patients with lower extremity arterial disease (LEAD) even under optimized healthcare supply. Patients and methods: LEAD patients who underwent EVR at the Department of Cardiology I – Coronary and Peripheral Vascular Disease, Heart Failure, University Hospital Muenster, Germany between 2014 and 2016 were included into the retrospective study. Detailed information on risk factors and co-morbidities, medication, LEAD related measures, and interventional parameters were assessed. Outcome defined as technical success rate, complications, and mortality was analyzed up to 12 months follow-up. Results: In total, 165 female and 437 male LEAD patients were included. Women and men presented with comparable severity of LEAD in terms of critical limb threatening ischemia (46.2%), wound status (34.9%), and amputation rate (9.6%, all n.s.) at index. Intake of platelet inhibitors (65.8% female vs. 70.0% male), oral anticoagulants (21.3% vs. 25.4%), and statins (65.6% vs. 76.0%) was observed less frequently in female patients. Against the background of high technical success (85%), in-hospital death (0.8%), severe adverse cardiac (MCE; 1.7%), and limb events (MALE; 6.1%) occurred at low rates in either sex. Adjusted long-term mortality was not affected by patients’ sex (female HR 0.755; p=0.312). Conclusions: Despite critical LEAD stages in every second patient, EVR was performed safe with high technical success rates in female and male patients. Long-term outcomes were observed at comparatively low rates in both sexes at the specialized vascular center. During aftercare, supply with statin therapy turned out improvable particularly in female LEAD patients.
Optical information processing using dual state quantum dot lasers: complexity through simplicity
Authors: Kelleher Bryan , Dillane Michael , Viktorov Evgeny A.
Published: November 2021

We review results on the optical injection of dual state InAs quantum dot-based semiconductor lasers. The two states in question are the so-called ground state and first excited state of the laser. This ability to lase from two different energy states is unique amongst semiconductor lasers and in combination with the high, intrinsic relaxation oscillation damping of the material and the novel, inherent cascade like carrier relaxation process, endows optically injected dual state quantum dot lasers with many unique dynamical properties. Particular attention is paid to fast state switching, antiphase excitability, novel information processing techniques and optothermally induced neuronal phenomena. We compare and contrast some of the physical properties of the system with other optically injected two state devices such as vertical cavity surface emitting lasers and ring lasers. Finally, we offer an outlook on the use of quantum dot material in photonic integrated circuits.
Chemotoxicity-induced exosomal lncFERO regulates ferroptosis and stemness in gastric cancer stem cells
Authors: Zhang Haiyang , Wang Meng , He Yi , Deng Ting , Liu Rui , Wang Weixue , Zhu Kegan , Bai Ming , Ning Tao , Yang Haiou , Liu Ying , Wang Junyi , Ba Yi
Published: November 2021

Cancer stem cells (CSCs) are an important cause of tumor recurrence and drug resistance. As a new type of cell death that relies on iron ions and is strictly regulated by intracellular and extracellular signals, the role of ferroptosis in tumor stem cells deserves extensive attention. Mass spectrum was applied to screen for ferroptosis-related proteins in gastric cancer (GC). Sphere-formation assay was used to estimate the stemness of gastric cancer stem cells (GCSCs). Exosomal lnc-ENDOG-1:1 (lncFERO) was isolated by ultracentrifugation. Ferroptosis was induced by erastin and was assessed by detecting lipid ROS, mitochondrial membrane potential, and cell death. Furthermore, a series of functional in vitro and in vivo experiments were conducted to evaluate the effects of lncFERO on regulating ferroptosis and chemosensitivity in GCSCs. Here, we showed that stearoyl-CoA-desaturase (SCD1) played a key role in regulating lipid metabolism and ferroptosis in GCSCs. Importantly, exosomal lncFERO (exo-lncFERO) derived from GC cells was demonstrated to promote SCD1 expression by directly interacting with SCD1 mRNA and recruiting heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein A1 (hnRNPA1), which resulted in the dysregulation of PUFA levels and the suppression of ferroptosis in GCSCs. Moreover, we found that hnRNPA1 was also involved in lncFERO packing into exosomes in GC cells, and both in vitro and in vivo data suggested that chemotoxicity induced lncFERO secretion from GC cells by upregulating hnRNPA1 expression, leading to enhanced stemness and acquired chemo-resistance. All these data suggest that GC cells derived exo-lncFERO controls GCSC tumorigenic properties through suppressing ferroptosis, and targeting exo-lncFERO/hnRNPA1/SCD1 axis combined with chemotherapy could be a promising CSC-based strategy for the treatment of GC.
Ankle-brachial index and ocular diseases in a Russian population
Authors: Bikbov Mukharram M. , Gilmanshin Timur R. , Zainullin Rinat M. , Rakhimova Ellina M. , Rusakova Iuliia A. , Fakhretdinova Albina A. , Tuliakova Azaliia M. , Kazakbaeva Gyulli M. , Panda-Jonas Songhomitra , Safiullina Kamilia R. , Bolshakova Nataliia I. , Gizzatov Ainur V. , Ponomarev Ildar P. , Nikitin Nikolai A. , Baimukhametov Nail E. , Jonas Jost B.
Published: November 2021

Background

To assess potential associations between the ankle-brachial blood pressure index (ABI) and ocular disorders.

Methods

In the population-based cross-sectional Russian Ural Eye and Medical Study including 5,899 (80.5%) out of 7328 eligible participants aged 40+ years, the participants underwent a series of ocular and medical examinations including measurement of ABI.

Results

Blood pressure measurements of both arms and ankles were available for 3187 (54.0%) individuals. The mean ABI was 1.26 ± 0.19 (median:1.20; range: 0.61, 2.20). In multivariate analysis, a higher ABI was associated with younger age (P < 0.001; non-standardized regression coefficient B: −0.001; 95% confidence interval (CI): −0.002, −0.001), female sex (P < 0.001; B: 0.03; 95% CI: 0.02, 0.04), lower body mass index (P < 0.001; B: −0.004; 95% CI: −0.006, −0.003), lower waist-to-hip ratio (P = 0.01; B: −0.10; 95% CI: −0.17, −0.02), lower glucose serum concentration (P = 0.008; B: −0.005; 95% CI: −0.009, −0.001), lower prevalence of arterial hypertension (P < 0.001; B: −0.14; 95% CI: −0.16, −0.12), higher mean systolic blood pressure (P < 0.001; B: 0.003; 95% CI: 0.002, 0.003), and higher prevalence of any alcohol consumption (P < 0.001; B: 0.03; 95% CI: 0.02, 0.04). In that multivariate model, prevalence of glaucoma (P = 0.67) as a whole, open-angle glaucoma (P = 0.86) and angle-closure glaucoma (P = 0.54), stage of glaucomatous optic neuropathy (P = 0.57), prevalence of age-related macular degeneration (P = 0.88), prevalence and stage of diabetic retinopathy (P = 0.30, and P = 0.29, respectively), nuclear cataract (P = 0.32, and P = 0.41, resp.), cortical cataract (P = 0.33, and P = 0.92, resp.), subcapsular cataract (P = 0.74 and P = 0.60, resp.), and pseudoexfoliation (P = 0.44 and P = 0.47, resp.), intraocular pressure (P = 0.52), axial length (P = 0.20), and peripapillary retinal nerve fibre layer thickness (P = 0.55) were not significantly associated with the ABI.

Conclusions

In this ethnically mixed population from Russia, none of the major ocular diseases was associated with ABI suggesting that subclinical atherosclerosis is not markedly associated with the aetiology of these ocular disorders.
Noise-induced barren plateaus in variational quantum algorithms
Authors: Wang Samson , Fontana Enrico , Cerezo M. , Sharma Kunal , Sone Akira , Cincio Lukasz , Coles Patrick J.
Published: November 2021

Variational Quantum Algorithms (VQAs) may be a path to quantum advantage on Noisy Intermediate-Scale Quantum (NISQ) computers. A natural question is whether noise on NISQ devices places fundamental limitations on VQA performance. We rigorously prove a serious limitation for noisy VQAs, in that the noise causes the training landscape to have a barren plateau (i.e., vanishing gradient). Specifically, for the local Pauli noise considered, we prove that the gradient vanishes exponentially in the number of qubitsnif the depth of the ansatz grows linearly withn. These noise-induced barren plateaus (NIBPs) are conceptually different from noise-free barren plateaus, which are linked to random parameter initialization. Our result is formulated for a generic ansatz that includes as special cases the Quantum Alternating Operator Ansatz and the Unitary Coupled Cluster Ansatz, among others. For the former, our numerical heuristics demonstrate the NIBP phenomenon for a realistic hardware noise model.
The NUCKS1-SKP2-p21/p27 axis controls S phase entry
Authors: Hume Samuel , Grou Claudia P. , Lascaux Pauline , D’Angiolella Vincenzo , Legrand Arnaud J. , Ramadan Kristijan , Dianov Grigory L.
Published: November 2021

Efficient entry into S phase of the cell cycle is necessary for embryonic development and tissue homoeostasis. However, unscheduled S phase entry triggers DNA damage and promotes oncogenesis, underlining the requirement for strict control. Here, we identify the NUCKS1-SKP2-p21/p27 axis as a checkpoint pathway for the G1/S transition. In response to mitogenic stimulation, NUCKS1, a transcription factor, is recruited to chromatin to activate expression of SKP2, the F-box component of the SCFSKP2 ubiquitin ligase, leading to degradation of p21 and p27 and promoting progression into S phase. In contrast, DNA damage induces p53-dependent transcriptional repression of NUCKS1, leading to SKP2 downregulation, p21/p27 upregulation, and cell cycle arrest. We propose that the NUCKS1-SKP2-p21/p27 axis integrates mitogenic and DNA damage signalling to control S phase entry. The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) data reveal that this mechanism is hijacked in many cancers, potentially allowing cancer cells to sustain uncontrolled proliferation.
Bone marrow sinusoidal endothelium controls terminal erythroid differentiation and reticulocyte maturation
Authors: Heil Joschka , Olsavszky Victor , Busch Katrin , Klapproth Kay , de la Torre Carolina , Sticht Carsten , Sandorski Kajetan , Hoffmann Johannes , Schönhaber Hiltrud , Zierow Johanna , Winkler Manuel , Schmid Christian David , Staniczek Theresa , Daniels Deborah E. , Frayne Jan , Metzgeroth Georgia , Nowak Daniel , Schneider Sven , Neumaier Michael , Weyer Vanessa , Groden Christoph , Gröne Hermann-Josef , Richter Karsten , Mogler Carolin , Taketo Makoto Mark , Schledzewski Kai , Géraud Cyrill , Goerdt Sergij , Koch Philipp-Sebastian
Published: November 2021

Within the bone marrow microenvironment, endothelial cells (EC) exert important functions. Arterial EC support hematopoiesis while H-type capillaries induce bone formation. Here, we show that BM sinusoidal EC (BM-SEC) actively control erythropoiesis. Mice with stabilized β-catenin in BM-SEC (Ctnnb1OE-SEC) generated by using a BM-SEC-restricted Cre mouse line (Stab2-iCreF3) develop fatal anemia. While activation of Wnt-signaling in BM-SEC causes an increase in erythroblast subsets (PII–PIV), mature erythroid cells (PV) are reduced indicating impairment of terminal erythroid differentiation/reticulocyte maturation. Transplantation of Ctnnb1OE-SEC hematopoietic stem cells into wildtype recipients confirms lethal anemia to be caused by cell-extrinsic, endothelial-mediated effects. Ctnnb1OE-SEC BM-SEC reveal aberrant sinusoidal differentiation with altered EC gene expression and perisinusoidal ECM deposition and angiocrine dysregulation with de novo endothelial expression of FGF23 and DKK2, elevated in anemia and involved in vascular stabilization, respectively. Our study demonstrates that BM-SEC play an important role in the bone marrow microenvironment in health and disease.
Observation of elastic spin with chiral meta-sources
Authors: Yuan Weitao , Yang Chenwen , Zhang Danmei , Long Yang , Pan Yongdong , Zhong Zheng , Chen Hong , Zhao Jinfeng , Ren Jie
Published: November 2021

Directional routing of one-way classical wave has raised tremendous interests about spin-related phenomena. This sparks specifically the elastic wave study of pseudo-spin in meta-structures to perform robust manipulations. Unlike pseudo-spin in mathematics, the intrinsic spin angular momentum of elastic wave is predicted quite recently which exhibits selective excitation of unidirectional propagation even in conventional solids. However, due to the challenge of building up chiral elastic sources, the experimental observation of intrinsic spin of elastic wave is still missing. Here, we successfully measure the elastic spin in Rayleigh and Lamb modes by adopting elaborately designed chiral meta-sources that excite locally rotating displacement polarization. We observe the unidirectional routing of chiral elastic waves, characterize the different elastic spins along different directions, and demonstrate the spin-momentum locking in broad frequency ranges. We also find the selective one-way Lamb wave carries opposite elastic spin on two plate surfaces in additional to the source chirality.
Two-colour single-molecule photoinduced electron transfer fluorescence imaging microscopy of chaperone dynamics
Authors: Schubert Jonathan , Schulze Andrea , Prodromou Chrisostomos , Neuweiler Hannes
Published: November 2021

Many proteins are molecular machines, whose function is dependent on multiple conformational changes that are initiated and tightly controlled through biochemical stimuli. Their mechanistic understanding calls for spectroscopy that can probe simultaneously such structural coordinates. Here we present two-colour fluorescence microscopy in combination with photoinduced electron transfer (PET) probes as a method that simultaneously detects two structural coordinates in single protein molecules, one colour per coordinate. This contrasts with the commonly applied resonance energy transfer (FRET) technique that requires two colours per coordinate. We demonstrate the technique by directly and simultaneously observing three critical structural changes within the Hsp90 molecular chaperone machinery. Our results reveal synchronicity of conformational motions at remote sites during ATPase-driven closure of the Hsp90 molecular clamp, providing evidence for a cooperativity mechanism in the chaperone’s catalytic cycle. Single-molecule PET fluorescence microscopy opens up avenues in the multi-dimensional exploration of protein dynamics and allosteric mechanisms.
Immune response against SARS-CoV-2 variants: the role of neutralization assays
Authors: Chmielewska Alicja Maria , Czarnota Anna , Bieńkowska-Szewczyk Krystyna , Grzyb Katarzyna
Published: November 2021

Since the emergence of the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 in late 2019, the COVID-19 pandemic has hindered social life and global economic activity. As of July 2021, SARS-CoV-2 has caused over four million deaths. The rapid spread and high mortality of the disease demanded the international scientific community to develop effective vaccines in a matter of months. However, unease about vaccine efficacy has arisen with the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern (VOCs). Time- and cost-efficient in vitro neutralization assays are widely used to measure neutralizing antibody responses against VOCs. However, the extent to which in vitro neutralization reflects protection from infection remains unclear. Here, we describe common neutralization assays based on infectious and pseudotyped viruses and evaluate their role in testing neutralizing responses against new SARS-CoV-2 variants. Additionally, we briefly review the recent findings on the immune response elicited by available vaccines against major SARS-CoV-2 variants, including Alpha, Beta, Gamma, and Delta.
Genetically encoded photo-switchable molecular sensors for optoacoustic and super-resolution imaging
Authors: Mishra Kanuj , Fuenzalida-Werner Juan Pablo , Pennacchietti Francesca , Janowski Robert , Chmyrov Andriy , Huang Yuanhui , Zakian Christian , Klemm Uwe , Testa Ilaria , Niessing Dierk , Ntziachristos Vasilis , Stiel Andre C.
Published: November 2021

Reversibly photo-switchable proteins are essential for many super-resolution fluorescence microscopic and optoacoustic imaging methods. However, they have yet to be used as sensors that measure the distribution of specific analytes at the nanoscale or in the tissues of live animals. Here we constructed the prototype of a photo-switchable Ca2+ sensor based on GCaMP5G that can be switched with 405/488-nm light and describe its molecular mechanisms at the structural level, including the importance of the interaction of the core barrel structure of the fluorescent protein with the Ca2+ receptor moiety. We demonstrate super-resolution imaging of Ca2+ concentration in cultured cells and optoacoustic Ca2+ imaging in implanted tumor cells in mice under controlled Ca2+ conditions. Finally, we show the generalizability of the concept by constructing examples of photo-switching maltose and dopamine sensors based on periplasmatic binding protein and G-protein-coupled receptor-based sensors.
Jumping with adhesion: landing surface incline alters impact force and body kinematics in crested geckos
Authors: Higham Timothy E. , Hofmann Mara N. S. , Modert Michelle , Thielen Marc , Speck Thomas
Published: November 2021

Arboreal habitats are characterized by a complex three-dimensional array of branches that vary in numerous characteristics, including incline, compliance, roughness, and diameter. Gaps must often be crossed, and this is frequently accomplished by leaping. Geckos bearing an adhesive system often jump in arboreal habitats, although few studies have examined their jumping biomechanics. We investigated the biomechanics of landing on smooth surfaces in crested geckos, Correlophus ciliatus, asking whether the incline of the landing platform alters impact forces and mid-air body movements. Using high-speed videography, we examined jumps from a horizontal take-off platform to horizontal, 45° and 90° landing platforms. Take-off velocity was greatest when geckos were jumping to a horizontal platform. Geckos did not modulate their body orientation in the air. Body curvature during landing, and landing duration, were greatest on the vertical platform. Together, these significantly reduced the impact force on the vertical platform. When landing on a smooth vertical surface, the geckos must engage the adhesive system to prevent slipping and falling. In contrast, landing on a horizontal surface requires no adhesion, but incurs high impact forces. Despite a lack of mid-air modulation, geckos appear robust to changing landing conditions.
HLA-G genetic diversity and evolutive aspects in worldwide populations
Authors: Castelli Erick C. , de Almeida Bibiana S. , Muniz Yara C. N. , Silva Nayane S. B. , Passos Marília R. S. , Souza Andreia S. , Page Abigail E. , Dyble Mark , Smith Daniel , Aguileta Gabriela , Bertranpetit Jaume , Migliano Andrea B. , Duarte Yeda A. O. , Scliar Marília O. , Wang Jaqueline , Passos-Bueno Maria Rita , Naslavsky Michel S. , Zatz Mayana , Mendes-Junior Celso Teixeira , Donadi Eduardo A.
Published: November 2021

HLA-Gis a promiscuous immune checkpoint molecule. TheHLA-Ggene presents substantial nucleotide variability in its regulatory regions. However, it encodes a limited number of proteins compared to classical HLA class I genes. We characterized theHLA-Ggenetic variability in 4640 individuals from 88 different population samples across the globe by using a state-of-the-art method to characterize polymorphisms and haplotypes from high-coverage next-generation sequencing data. We also provide insights regarding theHLA-Ggenetic diversity and a resource for future studies evaluatingHLA-Gpolymorphisms in different populations and association studies. Despite the great haplotype variability, we demonstrated that: (1) most of theHLA-Gpolymorphisms are in introns and regulatory sequences, and these are the sites with evidence of balancing selection, (2) linkage disequilibrium is high throughout the gene, extending up toHLA-A,(3) there are few proteins frequently observed in worldwide populations, with lack of variation in residues associated with majorHLA-Gbiological properties (dimer formation, interaction with leukocyte receptors). These observations corroborate the role ofHLA-Gas an immune checkpoint molecule rather than as an antigen-presenting molecule. UnderstandingHLA-Gvariability across populations is relevant for disease association and functional studies.
Linear response theory in stock markets
Authors: Puertas Antonio M. , Trinidad-Segovia Juan E. , Sánchez-Granero Miguel A. , Clara-Rahora Joaquim , de las Nieves F. Javier
Published: November 2021

Linear response theory relates the response of a system to a weak external force with its dynamics in equilibrium, subjected to fluctuations. Here, this framework is applied to financial markets; in particular we study the dynamics of a set of stocks from the NASDAQ during the last 20 years. Because unambiguous identification of external forces is not possible, critical events are identified in the series of stock prices as sudden changes, and the stock dynamics following an event is taken as the response to the external force. Linear response theory is applied with the log-return as the conjugate variable of the force, providing predictions for the average response of the price and return, which agree with observations, but fails to describe the volatility because this is expected to be beyond linear response. The identification of the conjugate variable allows us to define the perturbation energy for a system of stocks, and observe its relaxation after an event.
Early operative morbidity in 184 cases of anterior vertebral body tethering
Authors: Meyers James , Eaker Lily , von Treuheim Theodor Di Pauli , Dolgovpolov Sergei , Lonner Baron
Published: November 2021

Fusion is the current standard of care for AIS. Anterior vertebral body tethering (AVBT) is a motion-sparing alternative gaining interest. As a novel procedure, there is a paucity of literature on safety. Here, we report 90-day complication rates in 184 patients who underwent AVBT by a single surgeon. Patients were retrospectively reviewed. Approaches included 71 thoracic, 45 thoracolumbar, 68 double. Major complications were those requiring readmittance or reoperation, prolonged use of invasive materials such as chest tubes, or resulted in spinal cord or nerve root injury. Minor complications resolved without invasive intervention. Mean operative time and blood loss were 186.5 ± 60.3 min and 167.2 ± 105.0 ml, respectively. No patient required allogenic blood transfusion. 6 patients experienced major (3.3%), and 6 had minor complications (3.3%). Major complications included 3 chylothoracies, 2 hemothoracies, and 1 lumbar radiculopathy secondary to screw placement requiring re-operation. Minor complications included 1 patient with respiratory distress requiring supplementary oxygen, 1 superficial wound infection, 2 cases of prolonged nausea, and 1 Raynaud phenomenon. In 184 patients who underwent AVBT for AIS, major and minor complication rates were both 3.3%.
Subduction zone fluids and arc magmas conducted by lithospheric deformed regions beneath the central Andes
Authors: Contreras-Reyes E. , Díaz D. , Bello-González J. P. , Slezak K. , Potin B. , Comte D. , Maksymowicz A. , Ruiz J. A. , Osses A. , Ruiz S.
Published: November 2021

Dehydration of the oceanic subducting slab promotes the formation of magmatic arcs, intra-slab intermediate-depth seismicity, and hydration of the overlying mantle wedge. However, the complex permeability structure of the overriding plate controls the magma and fluid migration and their accumulation at shallower depths. In this regard, mapping the inner structure of the overriding crust and mantle is crucial to understand the magmatic and hydrological processes in subduction zones. We integrate 3-D P-wave, $$V_p/V_s$$

V
p

/

V
s

, and electrical resistivity tomographic models of the northern Chilean subduction zone to map the magmatic and fluids derived from the subducting oceanic Nazca plate. Results show a continental crust relatively thick (50–65 km) characterized by a lower zone of high $$V_p$$

V
p

values (7.2–7.6 km/s), which is interpreted as the presence of plutonic rocks. The mantle lithospheric wedge is weakly hydrated ($$V_p/V_s$$

V
p

/

V
s

= 1.75–1.8) while the forearc continental crust is traversed by regions of reduced electrical resistivity values ($$< 10^2$$

<

10
2

$$\Omega m$$

Ω
m

) interpreted as zones of relatively high permeability/fracturing and fluid content. These regions spatially correlate with upper plate trans-lithospheric deformation zones. Ascending melts accumulate preferentially in the back-arc, whereas hydrothermal systems form trenchward of the volcanic arc. The results highlight the complex permeability structure of the upper South American plate.
Insights into the palaeobiology of an early Homo infant: multidisciplinary investigation of the GAR IVE hemi-mandible, Melka Kunture, Ethiopia
Authors: Le Cabec Adeline , Colard Thomas , Charabidze Damien , Chaussain Catherine , Di Carlo Gabriele , Gaudzinski-Windheuser Sabine , Hublin Jean-Jacques , Melis Rita T. , Pioli Laura , Ramirez-Rozzi Fernando , Mussi Margherita
Published: November 2021

Childhood is an ontogenetic stage unique to the modern human life history pattern. It enables the still dependent infants to achieve an extended rapid brain growth, slow somatic maturation, while benefitting from provisioning, transitional feeding, and protection from other group members. This tipping point in the evolution of human ontogeny likely emerged from earlyHomo.The GAR IVE hemi-mandible (1.8 Ma, Melka Kunture, Ethiopia) represents one of the rarely preserved earlyHomoinfants (~ 3 years at death), recovered in a richly documented Oldowan archaeological context. Yet, based on the sole external inspection of its teeth, GAR IVE was diagnosed with a rare genetic disease–amelogenesis imperfecta (AI)–altering enamel. Since it may have impacted the child’s survival, this diagnosis deserves deeper examination. Here, we reassess and refute this diagnosis and all associated interpretations, using an unprecedented multidisciplinary approach combining an in-depth analysis of GAR IVE (synchrotron imaging) and associated fauna. Some of the traits previously considered as diagnostic of AI can be better explained by normal growth or taphonomy, which calls for caution when diagnosing pathologies on fossils. We compare GAR IVE’s dental development to other fossil hominins, and discuss the implications for the emergence of childhood in earlyHomo.
Fast acquisition protocol for X-ray scattering tensor tomography
Authors: Kim Jisoo , Kagias Matias , Marone Federica , Shi Zhitian , Stampanoni Marco
Published: November 2021

Microstructural information over an entire sample is important to understand the macroscopic behaviour of materials. X-ray scattering tensor tomography facilitates the investigation of the microstructural organisation in statistically large sample volumes. However, established acquisition protocols based on scanning small-angle X-ray scattering and X-ray grating interferometry inherently require long scan times even with highly brilliant X-ray sources. Recent developments in X-ray diffractive optics towards circular pattern arrays enable fast single-shot acquisition of the sample scattering properties with 2D omnidirectional sensitivity. X-ray scattering tensor tomography with the use of this circular grating array has been demonstrated. We propose here simple yet inherently rapid acquisition protocols for X-ray scattering tensor tomography leveraging on these new optical elements. Results from both simulation and experimental data, supported by a null space analysis, suggest that the proposed acquisition protocols are not only rapid but also corroborate that sufficient information for the accurate volumetric reconstruction of the scattering properties is provided. The proposed acquisition protocols will build the basis for rapid inspection and/or time-resolved tensor tomography of the microstructural organisation over an extended field of view.