Table Of Contents Page, PNAS Volume 120, Number 32
This Week in PNAS
Opinion
Inner Workings
Commentary
Perspective
Transfusion of red blood cells (RBCs) is one of the most valuable and widespread treatments
in modern medicine. Lifesaving RBC transfusions are facilitated by the cold storage
of RBC units in blood banks worldwide. Currently, RBC storage and subsequent ...
Letters
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The SLC25A47 locus controls gluconeogenesis and energy expenditure
Brief Reports
Transformer neural networks have revolutionized structural biology with the ability
to predict protein structures at unprecedented high accuracy. Here, we report the
predictive modeling performance of the state-of-the-art protein structure prediction
...
This paper presents an approach to Solar Radiation Management (SRM) using a tethered
solar shield at the modified gravitational L1 Lagrange point. Unlike previous proposals,
which were constrained by the McInnes bound on shield surface density, our ...
The highly influential theory of “Motivated System 2 Reasoning” argues that analytical,
deliberative (“System 2”) reasoning is hijacked by identity when considering ideologically
charged issues—leading people who are more likely to engage in such ...
Physical Sciences
Applied Mathematics
The instability of Stokes waves, steady propagating waves on the surface of an ideal
fluid of infinite depth, is a fundamental problem in the field of nonlinear science.
The dominant instability of these waves depends on their steepness. For small ...
Applied Physical Sciences
We show that unconstrained asymmetric dissolving solids floating in a fluid can move
rectilinearly as a result of attached density currents which occur along their inclined
surfaces. Solids in the form of boats composed of centimeter-scale sugar and salt
...
Critical state and continuum plasticity theories have been used in research and engineering
practice in soil and rock mechanics for decades. These theories rely on postulated
relationships between material stresses and strains. Some classical postulates ...
Polyelectrolyte complexation plays an important role in materials science and biology.
The internal structure of the resultant polyelectrolyte complex (PEC) phase dictates
properties such as physical state, response to external stimuli, and dynamics. ...
Biophysics and Computational Biology
Traditionally, nuclear spin is not considered to affect biological processes. Recently,
this has changed as isotopic fractionation that deviates from classical mass dependence
was reported both in vitro and in vivo. In these cases, the isotopic effect ...
Chemistry
Electrochemical nitrate reduction reaction (NO3RR) to ammonia has been regarded as a promising strategy to balance the global nitrogen
cycle. However, it still suffers from poor Faradaic efficiency (FE) and limited yield
rate for ammonia production on ...
Computer Sciences
It is well established that midbrain dopaminergic neurons support reinforcement learning
(RL) in the basal ganglia by transmitting a reward prediction error (RPE) to the striatum.
In particular, different computational models and experiments have shown ...
Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences
Oceanic lithosphere moves over a mechanically weak layer (asthenosphere) characterized
by low seismic velocity and high attenuation. Near mid-ocean ridges, partial melting
can produce such conditions because of the high-temperature geotherm. However, ...
The scaling law for slow earthquakes, which is a linear relationship between seismic
moment and duration, was proposed 15 y ago and initiated a debate on the difference
in physical processes governing slow vs. fast (ordinary) earthquakes. Based on new
...
Paleomagnetic records of iron meteorites of the IVA group suggest that their parent
body (an inward-solidified metal asteroid) possessed an internal magnetic field. The
origin of this magnetism is enigmatic because inward solidification typically leads
to ...
Whole-soil-profile warming does not change microbial carbon use efficiency in surface and deep soils
The paucity of investigations of carbon (C) dynamics through the soil profile with
warming makes it challenging to evaluate the terrestrial C feedback to climate change.
Soil microbes are important engines driving terrestrial biogeochemical cycles; their
...
Engineering
Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a spectrum of autoimmune diseases affecting the
gastrointestinal tract characterized by a relapsing and remitting course of gut mucosal
inflammation. Disease flares can be difficult to predict, and the current practice
...
The large-scale implementation of renewable energy systems necessitates the development
of energy storage solutions to effectively manage imbalances between energy supply
and demand. Herein, we investigate such a scalable material solution for energy ...
When a water drop is placed on a hot solid surface, it either undergoes explosive
contact boiling or exhibits a stable state. In the latter case, the drop floats over
an insulating layer of vapor generated by rapid vaporization of water at the surface/...
Lignin with controlled structural properties by N-heterocycle-based deep eutectic solvent extraction
The complex and heterogeneous nature of the lignin macromolecule has presented a lasting
barrier to its utilization. To achieve high lignin yield, the technical lignin extraction
process usually severely modifies and condenses the native structure of ...
The process of phase separation in elastic solids and viscous fluids is of fundamental
importance to the stability and function of soft materials. We explore the dynamics
of phase separation and domain growth in a viscoelastic material such as a polymer
...
Environmental Sciences
The electrochemical oxidation process has the unique advantage of in-situ •OH generation
for deep mineralization of organic pollutants, which is expected to provide a solution
for the globally decentralized wastewater treatment and reuse. However, it is ...
Physics
Time-resolved, angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (TR-ARPES) is a one-particle
spectroscopic technique that can probe excitons (two-particle excitations) in momentum
space. We present an ab initio, time-domain GW approach to TR-ARPES and apply it ...
Solid-state defects are attractive platforms for quantum sensing and simulation, e.g.,
in exploring many-body physics and quantum hydrodynamics. However, many interesting
properties can be revealed only upon changes in the density of defects, which ...
Placed in cavity resonators with three-dimensionally confined electromagnetic wave,
the interaction between quasiparticles in solids can be induced by exchanging virtual
cavity photons, which can have a nonlocal characteristic. Here, we investigate the
...
In quantum gases, two-body interactions are responsible for a variety of instabilities
that depend on the characteristics of both trapping and interactions. These instabilities
can lead to the appearance of new structures or patterns. We report on the ...
Physical interpretations of the time-symmetric formulation of quantum mechanics, due
to Aharonov, Bergmann, and Lebowitz are discussed in terms of weak values. The most
direct, yet somewhat naive, interpretation uses the time-symmetric formulation to
...
Statistics
Multimodal single-cell technologies profile multiple modalities for each cell simultaneously,
enabling a more thorough characterization of cell populations. Existing dimension-reduction
methods for multimodal data capture the “union of information,” ...
Social Sciences
Environmental Sciences
The electrochemical oxidation process has the unique advantage of in-situ •OH generation
for deep mineralization of organic pollutants, which is expected to provide a solution
for the globally decentralized wastewater treatment and reuse. However, it is ...
Psychological and Cognitive Sciences
How low is the ideal first offer? Prior to any negotiation, decision-makers must balance
a crucial tradeoff between two opposing effects. While lower first offers benefit
buyers by anchoring the price in their favor, an overly ambitious offer increases
...
Social Sciences
Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, policymakers have proposed risk metrics, such as
the CDC Community Levels, to guide local and state decision-making. However, risk
metrics have not reliably predicted key outcomes and have often lacked transparency
in ...
Sustainability Science
Land inequality stalls economic development, entrenches poverty, and is associated
with environmental degradation. Yet, rigorous assessments of land-use interventions
attend to inequality only rarely. A land inequality lens is especially important to
...
Biological Sciences
Applied Biological Sciences
Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a spectrum of autoimmune diseases affecting the
gastrointestinal tract characterized by a relapsing and remitting course of gut mucosal
inflammation. Disease flares can be difficult to predict, and the current practice
...
Optogenetic tools respond to light through one of a small number of behaviors including
allosteric changes, dimerization, clustering, or membrane translocation. Here, we
describe a new class of optogenetic actuator that simultaneously clusters and ...
Biochemistry
Motile bacteria have a chemotaxis system that enables them to sense their environment
and direct their swimming toward favorable conditions. Chemotaxis involves a signaling
process in which ligand binding to the extracellular domain of the chemoreceptor ...
Drosophila Smaug and its orthologs comprise a family of mRNA repressor proteins that exhibit
various functions during animal development. Smaug proteins contain a characteristic
RNA-binding sterile-α motif (SAM) domain and a conserved but uncharacterized ...
Small heat shock proteins (sHsps) act as ATP-independent chaperones that prevent irreversible
aggregate formation by sequestering denatured proteins. IbpA, an Escherichia coli sHsp, functions not only as a chaperone but also as a suppressor of its own ...
Biophysics and Computational Biology
Traditionally, nuclear spin is not considered to affect biological processes. Recently,
this has changed as isotopic fractionation that deviates from classical mass dependence
was reported both in vitro and in vivo. In these cases, the isotopic effect ...
Multimodal single-cell technologies profile multiple modalities for each cell simultaneously,
enabling a more thorough characterization of cell populations. Existing dimension-reduction
methods for multimodal data capture the “union of information,” ...
The 70-kD heat shock protein (Hsp70) chaperone system is a central hub of the proteostasis
network that helps maintain protein homeostasis in all organisms. The recruitment
of Hsp70 to perform different and specific cellular functions is regulated by the
...
Plasmodium falciparum multidrug resistance protein 1 (PfMDR1), an adenosine triphosphate (ATP)-binding
cassette (ABC) transporter on the digestive vacuole (DV) membrane of the parasite,
is associated with the resistance to antimalarial drugs. To ...
Cell Biology
The endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and mitochondria form a unique subcellular compartment
called mitochondria-associated ER membranes (MAMs). Disruption of MAMs impairs Ca2+ homeostasis, triggering pleiotropic effects in the neuronal system. Genome-wide ...
Cellular senescence and senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP) in stromal
cells within the tumor microenvironment promote cancer progression. Although cellular
senescence has been shown to induce changes in the higher-order chromatin structure
...
Body fat distribution is a heritable risk factor for cardiovascular and metabolic
disease. In humans, rare Inhibin beta E (INHBE, activin E) loss-of-function variants are associated with a lower waist-to-hip ratio
and protection from type 2 diabetes. ...
Ecology
Whole-soil-profile warming does not change microbial carbon use efficiency in surface and deep soils
The paucity of investigations of carbon (C) dynamics through the soil profile with
warming makes it challenging to evaluate the terrestrial C feedback to climate change.
Soil microbes are important engines driving terrestrial biogeochemical cycles; their
...
Loss of flockmates weakens winter site fidelity in golden-crowned sparrows (Zonotrichia atricapilla)
Animal social interactions have an intrinsic spatial basis as many of these interactions
occur in spatial proximity. This presents a dilemma when determining causality: Do
individuals interact socially because they happen to share space, or do they share
...
Herbivorous arthropods are the most diverse group of multicellular organisms on Earth.
The most discussed drivers of their inordinate taxonomic and functional diversity
are high niche availability associated with the diversity of host plants and dense
...
Environmental Sciences
We assess wheat yield losses occurring due to ozone pollution in India and its economic
burden on producers, consumers, and the government. Applying an ozone flux–based risk
assessment, we show that ambient ozone levels caused a mean 14.18% reduction in ...
Evolution
Polyphenism is a type of developmental plasticity that translates continuous environmental
variability into discontinuous phenotypes. Such discontinuity likely requires a switch
between alternative gene-regulatory networks, a principle that has been borne ...
Genetics
Living longer without simultaneously extending years spent in good health (“health
span”) is an increasing societal burden, demanding new therapeutic strategies. Hydrogen
sulfide (H2S) can correct disease-related mitochondrial metabolic deficiencies, and ...
Fungi in the basidiomycete genus Malassezia are the most prevalent eukaryotic microbes resident on the skin of human and other
warm-blooded animals and have been implicated in skin diseases and systemic disorders.
Analysis of Malassezia genomes revealed ...
Immunology and Inflammation
Amplification of chromosome 7p11 (7p11) is the most common alteration in primary glioblastoma
(GBM), resulting in gains of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) copy number in 50 to 60% of GBM tumors. However, treatment strategies targeting
EGFR have ...
The diversity of COVID-19 disease in otherwise healthy people, from seemingly asymptomatic
infection to severe life-threatening disease, is not clearly understood. We passaged
a naturally occurring near-ancestral SARS-CoV-2 variant, capable of infecting ...
Medical Sciences
Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, policymakers have proposed risk metrics, such as
the CDC Community Levels, to guide local and state decision-making. However, risk
metrics have not reliably predicted key outcomes and have often lacked transparency
in ...
We analyzed transcriptional data from 104 HPV+ (Human papillomavirus) HNSCC (head
and neck squamous cell carcinoma) tumors together with two publicly available sources
to identify highly robust transcriptional programs (modules) which could be detected
...
Mbtd1 (mbt domain containing 1) encodes a nuclear protein containing a zinc finger domain and four malignant brain
tumor (MBT) repeats. We previously generated Mbtd1-deficient mice and found that MBTD1 is highly expressed in fetal hematopoietic stem
cells ...
To date, no study has explored the extent to which genetic susceptibility modifies
the effects of air pollutants on the risk of atrial fibrillation (AF). This study
was designed to investigate the separate and joint effects of long-term exposure to
air ...
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a fatal disease affecting upper and lower motor
neurons. Microglia directly interact with motor neurons and participate in the progression
of ALS. Single-cell mass cytometry (CyTOF) analysis revealed prominent ...
Neuroscience
It is well established that midbrain dopaminergic neurons support reinforcement learning
(RL) in the basal ganglia by transmitting a reward prediction error (RPE) to the striatum.
In particular, different computational models and experiments have shown ...
Small molecules directly targeting the voltage-gated sodium channel (VGSC) NaV1.7 have not been clinically successful. We reported that preventing the addition
of a small ubiquitin-like modifier onto the NaV1.7-interacting cytosolic collapsin response ...
Studying dynamic spatiotemporal patterns of early brain development in macaque monkeys
is critical for understanding the cortical organization and evolution in humans, given
the phylogenetic closeness between humans and macaques. However, due to huge ...
While sensory representations in the brain depend on context, it remains unclear how
such modulations are implemented at the biophysical level, and how processing layers
further in the hierarchy can extract useful features for each possible contextual
...
Alterations in fMRI-based brain functional network connectivity (FNC) are associated
with schizophrenia (SCZ) and the genetic risk or subthreshold clinical symptoms preceding
the onset of SCZ, which often occurs in early adulthood. Thus, age-sensitive FNC ...
The thylacine, or Tasmanian tiger, is the largest of modern-day carnivorous marsupials
and was hunted to extinction by European settlers in Australia. Its physical resemblance
to eutherian wolves is a striking example of evolutionary convergence to ...
Cell-type-specific tools facilitate the identification and functional characterization
of the distinct cell types that form the complexity of neuronal circuits. A large
collection of existing genetic tools in Drosophila relies on enhancer activity to ...
Segmentation, the computation of object boundaries, is one of the most important steps
in intermediate visual processing. Previous studies have reported cells across visual
cortex that are modulated by segmentation features, but the functional role of ...
Physiology
The ovarian follicle reserve, formed pre- or perinatally, comprises all oocytes for
lifetime reproduction. Depletion of this reserve results in infertility. Steroidogenic
factor 1 (SF-1; Nr5a1) and liver receptor homolog 1 (LRH-1; Nr5a2) are two orphan ...
Plant Biology
In plants, host–pathogen coevolution often manifests in reciprocal, adaptive genetic
changes through variations in host nucleotide-binding leucine-rich repeat immune receptors
(NLRs) and virulence-promoting pathogen effectors. In grass powdery mildew (PM) ...
Intracellular plant immune receptors, termed NLRs (Nucleotide-binding Leucine-rich
repeat Receptors), confer effector-triggered immunity. Sensor NLRs are responsible
for pathogen effector recognition. Helper NLRs function downstream of sensor NLRs
to ...
Psychological and Cognitive Sciences
The brain employs distinct circuitries to encode positive and negative valence stimuli,
and dysfunctions of these neuronal circuits have a key role in the etiopathogenesis
of many psychiatric disorders. The Dorsal Raphè Nucleus (DRN) is involved in ...
Human face recognition is highly accurate and exhibits a number of distinctive and
well-documented behavioral “signatures” such as the use of a characteristic representational
space, the disproportionate performance cost when stimuli are presented upside ...
Correction
Cover image: Pictured is a backscattered image of a fractured carbon-cement supercapacitor overlaid with a representation of electrical discharge. Nicolas Chanut et al. assessed the potential of supercapacitors composed of cement, water, and carbon black for bulk electrical energy storage. The authors found that the inexpensive mixture had high energy storage capacity and high-rate capabilities suitable for use at structural scales. Potential applications of the supercapacitors include self-charging roads for electric vehicles and intermittent energy storage for wind turbines or tidal power stations. See the article by Chanut et al., e2304318120. Image credit: James Weaver.
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