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Statement on long-term cardiovascular consequences of maternal hypertension: call for urgent action
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Hidden causes of variation in offspring reproductive value: negative effects of maternal breeding age on offspring telomere length persist undiminished across multiple generations
Get PDFOffspring of older breeders frequently show reduced longevity, which has been linked to shorter offspring telomere length. It is
currently unknown whether such telomere reduction persists beyond a single generation, as would be the case if germline trans�mission is involved. In a within-grandmother, multi-generational study using zebra finches, we show that the shorter telomeres
observed in F1 offspring of older mothers are still present in the F2 generation even when the breeding age of their F1 mothers
is young. The effect was substantial: 43% shorter telomeres in grandoffspring from the ‘grandmother old at breeding’ line com�pared with those from the ‘grandmother young at breeding’ line. Shorter telomeres at fledging in this species are associated with
a reduction in lifespan. Our data demonstrate the need to look beyond a single generation to explain inter-individual variation in
ageing rates and thereby variation in optimal allocation of age-specific reproductive effort
Expanding the genomic diversity of human anelloviruses
Get PDFAnelloviruses are a group of small, circular, single-stranded DNA viruses that are found ubiquitously across mammalian hosts. Here, we explored a large number of publicly available human microbiome datasets and retrieved a total of 829 anellovirus genomes, substantially expanding the known diversity of these viruses. The majority of new genomes fall within the three major human anellovirus genera: Alphatorquevirus, Betatorquevirus and Gammatorquevirus, while we also present new genomes of the under-sampled Hetorquevirus, Memtorquevirus and Samektorquevirus genera. We performed recombination analysis and show evidence of extensive recombination across all human anelloviruses. Interestingly, more than 95% of the detected events are between members of the same genus and only 15 inter-genus recombination events were detected. The breakpoints of recombination cluster in hotspots at the ends and outside of the ORF1 gene, while a recombination coldspot was detected within the gene. Our analysis suggests that anellovirus evolution is governed by homologous recombination, however events between distant viruses or ones producing chimaeric ORF1s likely lead to non-viable recombinants. The large number of genomes further allowed us to examine how essential genomic features vary across anelloviruses. These include functional domains in the ORF1 protein and the nucleotide motif of the replication loop region, required for the viruses’ rolling-circle replication. A subset of the genomes assembled in both this, and previous studies are completely lacking these essential elements, opening up the possibility that anellovirus intracellular populations contain non-standard viral genomes (nsVGs). However, low read depth of the metagenomically assembled contigs may partly explain the lack of some features. Overall, our study highlights key features of anellovirus genomics and evolution, a largely understudied group of viruses whose potential in virus-based therapeutics is recently being explored
A practitioner's guide to pragmatic Humeanism
No full textAll Humeans hold that laws of nature are informative summaries of non-lawful matters of fact. Pragmatic Humeans go further: for them, what makes these summaries the laws is their usefulness to agents like. Starting with our specific epistemic interests and constraints, pragmatists contend, we can arrive at satisfying explanations of otherwise surprising features of our actual laws and our actual scientific practice. But this pragmatic shift is not without problems. The more laws depend on our specific psychology, the more susceptible we are to idealistic ratbaggery. Intuitively, what can and must happen does not depend on our particular cognitive architecture; we cannot change the laws by changing us. My aim in this paper is to clarify the role of pragmatic constraints, and develop a Humean account of laws of nature which is both objective, in the sense that we cannot change the laws by changing us, and distinctively pragmatic, in the sense that the laws are determined by features of the epistemic and practical interests of agents
Effects of long-chain n-3 fatty acids supplementation during caloric restriction on body composition in overweight and obese adults: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials
Get PDFThis systematic review aimed to determine whether caloric restriction-induced reduction in body fat and fat-free mass can be amended by supplementation with long-chain n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids. Databases, including PubMed, Google Scholar, Web of Science, and EMBASE, were searched for papers published from the time the databases were created until November 1, 2023. Random-effects model meta-analyses were conducted using Review Manager 5.4.1 software. Statistical heterogeneity was assessed using the I2. A standardized mean difference with a 95% confidence interval was calculated, and pooled effects were assessed. The initial search identified 1527 articles and 11 studies met the review inclusion criteria with 637 participants included. The participants' ages ranged between 18 and 61 years with a mean body mass index ranging between 27 and 36 kg/m2. The changes in fat-free mass (standardized mean difference = 0.12, 95% CI −0.14 to 0.37, p = 0.36; I2:35%) and fat mass (standardized mean difference = − 0.01; 95% CI −0.25 to 0.24; p = 0.96; I2: 46%) were not different between intervention and control groups. The current review indicates that long-chain n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids supplementation during caloric restriction neither attenuates the decline in fat-free mass nor enhances the reduction in fat mass. Considering the small number of studies and interventions included, further research is needed to investigate the effectiveness of long-chain n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids supplementation during caloric restriction
Modularity of Zorya defense systems during phage inhibition
Get PDFBacteria have evolved an extraordinary diversity of defense systems against bacteriophage (phage) predation. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying these anti-phage systems often remain elusive. Here, we provide mechanistic and structural insights into Zorya phage defense systems. Using cryo-EM structural analyses, we show that the Zorya type I and II core components, ZorA and ZorB, assemble in a 5:2 complex that is similar to inner-membrane ion-driven, rotary motors that power flagellar rotation, type 9 secretion, gliding and the Ton nutrient uptake systems. The ZorAB complex has an elongated cytoplasmic tail assembled by bundling the C-termini of the five ZorA subunits. Mutagenesis demonstrates that peptidoglycan binding by the periplasmic domains of ZorB, the structured cytoplasmic tail of ZorA, and ion flow through the motor is important for function in both type I and II systems. Furthermore, we identify ZorE as the effector module of the Zorya II system, possessing nickase activity. Our work reveals the molecular basis of the activity of Zorya systems and highlights the ZorE nickase as crucial for population-wide immunity in the type II system
From A(rt) to Z(ines): An Introduction to Creative Pedagogies for Active Learning
Get PDFThis session was part of the CIVIS workshops on innovative pedagogies. In the workshop we covered different innovative pedagogical approaches and invited the participants from across the globe to create a zine of their thoughts in a hands-on approach
Observation of the open-charm tetraquark candidate Tcs0*(2870)0 in the B−→D−D0KS0 decay
Get PDFAn amplitude analysis of B− → D−D0K0
S decays is performed using proton-proton collision data,
corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 9 fb−1, collected with the LHCb detector at center-of-mass
energies of 7, 8, and 13 TeV. A resonant structure of spin-parity 0+ is observed in the D0K0
S invariant-mass
spectrum with a significance of 5.3σ. The mass and width of the state, modeled with a Breit-Wigner line
shape, are determined to be 2883 ± 11 ± 8 MeV/c2 and 87+22
−47 17 MeV, respectively, where the first
uncertainties are statistical and the second systematic. These properties and the quark content are consistent
with those of the open-charm tetraquark candidate T*
cs0(2870)0 observed previously in the D+K− final state
of the B− → D−D+K− decay. This result confirms the existence of the T*
cs0(2870)0 state in a new decay
mode. The T*
cs1(2900)0 state, reported in the B− → D−D+K− decay, is also searched for in the D0K0
S
invariant-mass spectrum of the B− → D−D0K0
S decay, without finding evidence for it
They are born, age, and survive: the construction of policy models by international organizations; the case of the OECD’s School Autonomy with Accountability
No full textWhile the role of international organizations in the cross-national diffusion of education policy is widely acknowledged, their role in the articulation of policy models remains comparatively under-researched. This paper addresses this gap through a case study on the role of the OECD in the construction of the School Autonomy with Accountability policy model - a governance approach which grants schools greater decision-making capacity in exchange for more intensive and consequential monitoring mechanisms. Informed by a combination of interviews and documentary analysis, our paper shows that the construction of the model within the OECD has followed different stages (demand, theorization, refinement and survival), with the model enjoying varying levels of visibility, contestation and universalist ambition in each of these stages. The paper shows that, far from obeying a clear rationale, model construction is an erratic process impacted by the interplay of different forms of expertise and power hierarchies, and cautions against totalizing narratives that portray international organizations as internally coherent all-powerful entities
An embedded auto-calibrated offset current compensation technique for PPG/fNIRS system
Get PDFOptical sensors play a critical role in biomedical monitoring systems, enabling non-invasive measurement of physiological parameters. However, these systems face a persistent challenge: the small amplitude of physiological signals is often overshadowed by a dominant DC offset current. This offset combines the dark current, ambient light, and reflections from fat and skull. This limits the amplification of signals and degrades the sensitivity of PPG/fNIRS systems. This letter presents a mixed-signal auto-calibrated offset compensation technique using dual discrete loops for PPG and fNIRS systems. Two specialized prototypes -a dedicated PPG system and an fNIRS system -were validated using a 3.3 V supply. The results show that the proposed system can effectively compensate for the offset currents within a range of 1lA to 100 lA. We have recorded PPG and fNIRS signals and performed breathing experiments to validate the results. The results show that the proposed system is able to record the signal accurately
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