Contents
September 2019
Vol 5, Issue 9
Vol 5, Issue 9
Contents
Research Articles
- The ferroportin Q248H mutation protects from anemia, but not malaria or bacteremia
The FPN Q248H mutation protects children from anemia, hemolysis, and iron deficiency, but not malaria or bacterial infection.
- Rapid ablation zone expansion amplifies north Greenland mass loss
Increased summer cloudiness triggers rapid ablation zone expansion in north Greenland, amplifying the mass loss.
- Multidecadal increase in plastic particles in coastal ocean sediments
Microplastics in ocean sediments increased exponentially from 1945 to 2009, serving as a geological proxy for the Anthropocene.
- Chimpanzee face recognition from videos in the wild using deep learning
Wild ape face recognition using artificial intelligence opens the way for fully automated analysis of large-scale video datasets.
- Gravity surveys using a mobile atom interferometer
A mobile atomic gravimeter based on atom interferometry has been driven for surveying gravity in the hills.
- New power of self-assembling carbonic anhydrase inhibitor: Short peptide–constructed nanofibers inspire hypoxic cancer therapy
Self-assembly of CA inhibitor offers strategic therapy for hypoxic tumors, with marked selectivity and interesting mode of action.
- Acupuncture attenuates alcohol dependence through activation of endorphinergic input to the nucleus accumbens from the arcuate nucleus
We provide evidence for the effectiveness of acupuncture in an animal model of alcohol dependence.
- Oxygen supersaturation protects coastal marine fauna from ocean warming
Hyperoxia extends heat tolerance in marine ectotherms.
- Disruption of cardiac thin filament assembly arising from a mutation in LMOD2: A novel mechanism of neonatal dilated cardiomyopathy
Similarities between a mouse model and human patient informed diagnosis and management of a novel cause of dilated cardiomyopathy.
- Biomanufacturing of organ-specific tissues with high cellular density and embedded vascular channels
We report a biomanufacturing method for creating perfusable human tissues composed of stem cell–derived organ building blocks.
- Different languages, similar encoding efficiency: Comparable information rates across the human communicative niche
Human languages encode similar average information rates (~39 bits/s) despite their remarkable differences.
- ITGA5 inhibition in pancreatic stellate cells attenuates desmoplasia and potentiates efficacy of chemotherapy in pancreatic cancer
This study proposes a novel strategy to reduce fibrotic barrier and enhance efficacy of chemotherapy in pancreatic cancer.
- Antibodies to the conserved region of the M protein and a streptococcal superantigen cooperatively resolve toxic shock-like syndrome in HLA-humanized mice
Antibodies to the M protein and SpeC resolve streptococcal toxic shock syndrome in HLA-humanized mice.
- GWAS on longitudinal growth traits reveals different genetic factors influencing infant, child, and adult BMI
Longitudinal data find a new variant controlling BMI in infancy and reveal genetic differences between infant and adult BMI.
- Electrode-free nanopore sensing by DiffusiOptoPhysiology
Microscopic imaging methods facilitate single-molecule nanopore sensing without the need of electronic connections.
- Population structure of modern-day Italians reveals patterns of ancient and archaic ancestries in Southern Europe
A population in a natural crossroad within Europe reveals multiple ancient contributions and substantial population structure.
- Human adenovirus type 26 uses sialic acid–bearing glycans as a primary cell entry receptor
Human adenovirus type 26 uses sialic acid as a primary cellular receptor—structural insights for this phase 3 vaccine vector.
- Giant impacts stochastically change the internal pressures of terrestrial planets
Pressure changes due to giant impacts require reinterpretation of the geochemical tracers of accretion.
- Mechanism of the allosteric activation of the ClpP protease machinery by substrates and active-site inhibitors
We decipher how an allosteric inhibitor activates the ClpP protease machinery by binding to the catalytic site.
- Morphology of the Denisovan phalanx closer to modern humans than to Neanderthals
The Denisovans had a genome close to Neanderthals, molars close to Homo erectus, and a phalanx close to Homo sapiens.
- Ultrafast optical field–ionized gases—A laboratory platform for studying kinetic plasma instabilities
Optical field–ionized gases are used to study kinetic instabilities ubiquitous in ionospheric, cosmic, and terrestrial plasmas.
- Excited state intramolecular proton transfer in hydroxyanthraquinones: Toward predicting fading of organic red colorants in art
The chemical structure of red dye affects response to light, helping to understand fading and inform protection of works of art.
- Boom boom pow: Shock-facilitated aqueous alteration and evidence for two shock events in the Martian nakhlite meteorites
Evidence for impact-generated water on Mars ~633 Ma ago predicts two craters at the nakhlite meteorite’s ejection site.
- Quantum computation with universal error mitigation on a superconducting quantum processor
Probabilistic error cancellation is experimentally demonstrated on a superconducting quantum processor.
- A deep UV trigger for ground-state ring-opening dynamics of 1,3-cyclohexadiene
Dynamics of a ground-state chemical reaction are revealed by ultrafast x-ray scattering.
- The Temple Scroll: Reconstructing an ancient manufacturing practice
Analysis of the Temple Scroll reveals another technology used to produce the Dead Sea Scrolls and potential preservation concerns.
- Genomically informed small-molecule drugs overcome resistance to a sustained-release formulation of an engineered death receptor agonist in patient-derived tumor models
Precision medicine strategy enables rational design of small molecule/protein drug combinations to overcome intrinsic resistance.
- Does the U.S. public support using gene drives in agriculture? And what do they want to know?
With gene drives for agricultural pest control on the horizon, a survey suggests the public is receptive but concerned about risk.
- Analysis of hygroscopic self-shaping wood at large scale for curved mass timber structures
Insight into mechanics of biomimetic self-shaping wood leads to revolutionizing manufacturing of curved structural timber.
- Age- and sex-dependent effects of metformin on neural precursor cells and cognitive recovery in a model of neonatal stroke
Metformin expands the neural precursor pool in adult females, but not males, and is correlated with cognitive recovery.
- Flexible graphene photodetectors for wearable fitness monitoring
Flexible and transparent graphene photodetector technology allows non-invasive monitoring of vital signs.
- Surface tension determines tissue shape and growth kinetics
Growing tissues exhibit liquid-like behavior, which allows them to respond to macroscopic surface curvatures.
- Deconvolution of transcriptional networks identifies TCF4 as a master regulator in schizophrenia
TCF4 acts as a master regulator affecting expression of other genes, which may contribute to the development of schizophrenia.
- Quantum Hall–based superconducting interference device
Pushing superconductivity to the edge: Physicists make a SQUID using quantum Hall edge states.
- 3D-printed automation for optimized PET radiochemistry
3D printing, robotics, and a series of digital sequences combine for the automated production of radioactive pharmaceuticals.
- Structure of human Vitronectin C-terminal domain and interaction with Yersinia pestis outer membrane protein Ail
The blood protein Vitronectin forms a four-bladed propeller that is a hub for multiple functions and binds pathogenic bacteria.
- Unexpected fish diversity gradients in the Amazon basin
Atypical fish diversity gradients suggest a recent formation of the Amazon system such as we know it today.
- Optical generation of high carrier densities in 2D semiconductor heterobilayers
We realize Mott transition from interlayer exciton to charge-separated electron/hole plasmas in 2D WSe2/MoSe2 heterobilayers.
- Aluminum-26 chronology of dust coagulation and early solar system evolution
Time scales of dust condensation and coagulation are inferred from the refractory inclusions in the Allan Hills A77307 meteorite.
- Mitochondrial protein import is regulated by p17/PERMIT to mediate lipid metabolism and cellular stress
Stress-induced trafficking of ceramide synthase 1 to mitochondria is mediated by previously unidentified protein, p17/PERMIT.
- Unfolding adsorption on metal nanoparticles: Connecting stability with catalysis
Simple and powerful physics-based adsorption model on nanoparticles is developed using statistics, DFT, and tabulated properties.
- High-performance suction feeding in an early elasmobranch
Paleozoic sharks evolved innovative jaw apparatus in extinction aftermath, tens of millions of years in advance of bony fishes.
- Size-dependent thermodynamic structural selection in colloidal crystallization
Diffusionless transformations between different crystal structures of DNA-functionalized colloids are driven by thermodynamics.
- Boutique neutrons advance 40Ar/39Ar geochronology
Use of deuteron-deuteron fusion neutrons may substantially improve applicability and accuracy of the 40Ar/39Ar technique.
- Canadia spinosa and the early evolution of the annelid nervous system
Exceptional fossils reveal annelid nervous system evolution.
- Mitochondrial PE potentiates respiratory enzymes to amplify skeletal muscle aerobic capacity
Mitochondrial membrane lipids adapt to exercise or disuse, underscoring an essential role for PE in energy transduction.
- Biomimetic composites with enhanced toughening using silk-inspired triblock proteins and aligned nanocellulose reinforcements
Silk-like proteins produced in bacteria are used as adhesives for cellulose nanofibrils to make a new biological material.
- Decadal-scale shifts in soil hydraulic properties as induced by altered precipitation
Climate change may alter the physical properties that control soil water storage and fluxes in terrestrial ecosystems.
- Albumin-chaperoned cyanine dye yields superbright NIR-II fluorophore with enhanced pharmacokinetics
Complexation of cyanine dye with albumin produces efficient NIR-II fluorophore improving the resolution of in vivo bioimaging.
- A novel P300 inhibitor reverses DUX4-mediated global histone H3 hyperacetylation, target gene expression, and cell death
DUX4 drives global histone H3 hyperacetylation; and a new P300 inhibitor, iP300w, blocks DUX4-mediated transcription and toxicity.
- Paramagnon drag in high thermoelectric figure of merit Li-doped MnTe
Neutrons spot magnetic fluctuations that propel charges in a novel class of paramagnetic thermoelectrics.
- Porosity production in weathered rock: Where volumetric strain dominates over chemical mass loss
Subsurface porosity production is dominated by volumetric strain in deeply weathered granitic saprolite of the Sierra Nevada.
- Small-molecule inhibitor targeting the Hsp90-Cdc37 protein-protein interaction in colorectal cancer
Directly disrupting the Hsp90-Cdc37 complex can selectively down-regulate kinase clients of Hsp90 and achieve cell cycle arrest.
- An extraterrestrial trigger for the mid-Ordovician ice age: Dust from the breakup of the L-chondrite parent body
The disruption of a 150-km large asteroid filled the inner solar system with dust that cooled Earth and caused faunal turnovers.
- Could revenue recycling make effective carbon taxation politically feasible?
Effective carbon taxation is politically feasible when combining international involvement and revenue recycling.
- The essential role of the transporter ABCG2 in the pathophysiology of erythropoietic protoporphyria
The transporter ABCG2 determines phototoxicity and hepatotoxicity in erythropoietic protoporphyria.
- Nanoscale stacking fault–assisted room temperature plasticity in flash-sintered TiO2
Flash-sintered ceramics exhibit unexpected room temperature plasticity due to the high density preexisting defects.
- SLC36A1-mTORC1 signaling drives acquired resistance to CDK4/6 inhibitors
We identified unique molecular mechanisms of resistance to CDK4/6 inhibitors, an area of intense biomedical investigation.
- BAP1 regulates epigenetic switch from pluripotency to differentiation in developmental lineages giving rise to BAP1-mutant cancers
BAP1 regulates developmental switch in lineages commonly affected by BAP1-mutant cancers.
- Multiplexed analysis of the secretin-like GPCR-RAMP interactome
We used a multiplexed suspension bead array immunoassay to map GPCR-receptor activity–modifying protein (RAMP) complexes.
- Multiplicity conversion based on intramolecular triplet-to-singlet energy transfer
We demonstrate conversion of an excited triplet state to an excited singlet state through resonance energy transfer.
- Structural basis of sterol recognition by human hedgehog receptor PTCH1
Cryo-EM structure of PTCH1-ShhNC24II complex reveals multiple sterol binding sites and a possible sterol translocation pathway.
- Electrostatically controlled surface boundary conditions in nematic liquid crystals and colloids
Controlling surface charging and ionic content within a nematic liquid crystal enables variation of boundary conditions.
- Multimodal x-ray and electron microscopy of the Allende meteorite
Multimodal x-ray and electron microscopy are developed to provide structural, elemental and chemical insights into heterogeneous systems.
- Experimental test of local observer independence
In the quantum domain, there may not be an objective story to tell.
- Valuing time over money predicts happiness after a major life transition: A preregistered longitudinal study of graduating students
People who value time may emerge from major life transitions happier than people who value money.
- Large-scale RNAi screen identified Dhpr as a regulator of mitochondrial morphology and tissue homeostasis
Dhpr regulates mitochondrial morphology by modulating S-nitrosylation of Drp1.
- Simulation of Eocene extreme warmth and high climate sensitivity through cloud feedbacks
A state-of-the-art climate model successfully simulates Early Eocene extreme warmth and high climate sensitivity during the PETM.
- Higher probability of compound flooding from precipitation and storm surge in Europe under anthropogenic climate change
More intense precipitation will increase the flood potential from concurring storm surges and precipitation in the future.
- Experimental and theoretical evidence for molecular forces driving surface segregation in photonic colloidal assemblies
Particle size and chemistry determine surface segregation in colloidal assemblies, leading to unique control of structural colors.
- Under-expanded supersonic CO2 freezing jets during champagne cork popping
During champagne cork popping, the gaseous jet expelled from the bottleneck behaves as a rocket plume exhaust.
- Learning to read recycles visual cortical networks without destruction
Reading co-opts existing cortical visual feature representation without destruction.
- Spin-orbit torque–driven propagating spin waves
Propagating spin waves generated by a metal-based spin Hall nano-oscillator for highly energy-efficient spin wave technology.
- Synthetic self-assembling ADDomer platform for highly efficient vaccination by genetically encoded multiepitope display
ADDomer is a synthetic, self-assembling, virus-like particle platform that enables highly efficient vaccination.
- Building and exploring libraries of atomic defects in graphene: Scanning transmission electron and scanning tunneling microscopy study
AI-assisted construction of functional defect libraries directly from atom-resolved experimental observations.
- Genes lost during the transition from land to water in cetaceans highlight genomic changes associated with aquatic adaptations
Several genes lost in the ancestors of whales and dolphins likely contributed to adapting to a fully aquatic environment.
- Discontinuous spread of millet agriculture in eastern Asia and prehistoric population dynamics
Early millet-based farming facilitated exponential population growth and spread discontinuously across eastern Asia.
- Point-of-care biomarker quantification enabled by sample-specific calibration
Calibration using the same sample being measured enables quantitative in-the-field diagnostics for complex biological samples.
- Correlated insulating and superconducting states in twisted bilayer graphene below the magic angle
Two graphene layers twisted at 0.93° host superconducting and correlated insulating states, expanding the “magic” range of angles.
- Mitigation efforts will not fully alleviate the increase in water scarcity occurrence probability in wheat-producing areas
The risk of severe water scarcity events simultaneously affecting key wheat-producing areas doubles despite CO2 mitigation efforts.
- Disruptive variants of CSDE1 associate with autism and interfere with neuronal development and synaptic transmission
CSDE1 disruptive mutations are associated with autism.
- Stiff isotropic lattices beyond the Maxwell criterion
We validate the predicted performance of new lattice materials that are stiff despite appearing to violate the Maxwell criterion.
- How do phonons relax molecular spins?
The intramolecular components of acoustic phonons and the Zeeman interaction make electronic spins relax in an external field.
- Mechanical regulation of bone homeostasis through p130Cas-mediated alleviation of NF-κB activity
p130Cas translocates into the nucleus upon fluid shear stress application and alleviates NF-κB activity in osteocytes.
- IgM in human immunity to Plasmodium falciparum malaria
IgM is an important and long-lived component of anti-malarial immunity in humans and blocks infection of red blood cells.
- Initial soil microbiome composition and functioning predetermine future plant health
Soil microbiome composition and functioning determine the outcome of plant-pathogen interactions under natural field conditions.
- Ruminococcin C, a promising antibiotic produced by a human gut symbiont
A human-bacterium symbiosis leads to the production of an antipathogenic and safe RiPP with a novel thioether network.
- Delivery of RIPK4 small interfering RNA for bladder cancer therapy using natural halloysite nanotubes
HNTs/siRIPK4 nanoparticles have been shown to be an effective treatment for bladder cancer.
- Manipulating optical nonlinearities of molecular polaritons by delocalization
The macroscopic control of optical nonlinearity is achieved in a cavity polariton due to its delocalized nature.
- Conjugated polymers optically regulate the fate of endothelial colony-forming cells
Light and semiconducting polymers induce angiogenesis in vitro.
- Near-equilibrium growth from borophene edges on silver
Borophene exhibits reconstructed edges, along which kinetic growth extends the given lattice and results in elongated hexagons.
- Structural insights into the EGO-TC–mediated membrane tethering of the TORC1-regulatory Rag GTPases
The crystal structure of the EGO complex elucidates the membrane recruitment of the TORC1-regulatory Gtr1-Gtr2 Rag GTPases.
- Coupled afterslip and transient mantle flow after the 2011 Tohoku earthquake
Crustal deformation after the 2011 Tohoku earthquake illuminates the complex interplay between transient mantle flow and afterslip.
- Measurement of the cosmic ray proton spectrum from 40 GeV to 100 TeV with the DAMPE satellite
DAMPE satellite has directly measured the cosmic ray proton spectrum from 40 GeV to 100 TeV and revealed a new feature at about 13.6 TeV.
- Photoswitchable single-walled carbon nanotubes for super-resolution microscopy in the near-infrared
Single-molecule photoswitchable emitters are demonstrated in the near-infrared based on single-wall carbon nanotube hybrids.
- Quantizing single-molecule surface-enhanced Raman scattering with DNA origami metamolecules
Plasmonic nanostructures supporting strong spatially confined field enhancement are developed to probe single-molecule SERS.
- No evidence of ongoing HIV replication or compartmentalization in tissues during combination antiretroviral therapy: Implications for HIV eradication
Long-term persistence, not ongoing virus replication, is primarily responsible for maintaining HIV during antiretroviral therapy.
- Synthetic networks with tunable responsiveness, biodegradation, and molecular recognition for precision medicine applications
Modular hydrogel nanoparticles could be an enabling drug delivery technology for precision medicine applications.
Review
- Advances in the science and treatment of alcohol use disorder
Pharmacological and behavioral treatments exist for alcohol use disorder, but more are needed, and several are under development.
Technical Comments
- Response to Comment on “A commensal strain of Staphylococcus epidermidis protects against skin neoplasia” by Nakatsuji et al.
Common strains of Staphylococcus epidermidis on the human skin inhibit UV-induced neoplasia without adverse effects.
- Comment on “A commensal strain of Staphylococcus epidermidis protects against skin neoplasia” by Nakatsuji et al.
6-N-hydroxylaminopurine produced by the commensal skin bacterium Staphylococcus epidermidis MO34 is strongly mutagenic.
Editorial
About The Cover
ONLINE COVER Alcohol addiction remains a major health issue worldwide. It has been shown that chronic ethanol consumption reduces β-endorphin neuron activity and input to a region of the brain associated with reward and stress responses. Acupuncture at a treatment point located on the wrist is believed to activate β-endorphin neurons in the hypothalamus, suggesting that it may help suppress alcohol dependence. Chang et al. provide direct evidence that acupuncture therapy triggered brain activity that reduced alcohol dependence symptoms in rats, including withdrawal tremors, anxiety-like behaviors and ethanol self-administration. While additional research is needed, the findings suggest acupuncture could also be useful for treating alcohol addiction in humans. The authors say it will be important for future studies to identify specific links between acupuncture-induced sensory stimulation and hypothalamic β-endorphin neurons. [CREDIT: ENMYO/ALAMY STOCK PHOTO]
