Meiosis produces haploid gametes through a succession of chromosomal events, including pairing, synapsis, and recombination. Mechanisms that orchestrate these events remain poorly understood. We ...found that the SUMO (small ubiquitin-like modifier)–modification and ubiquitin-proteasome systems regulate the major events of meiotic prophase in mouse. Interdependent localization of SUMO, ubiquitin, and proteasomes along chromosome axes was mediated largely by RNF212 and HEI10, two E3 ligases that are also essential for crossover recombination. RNF212-dependent SUMO conjugation effected a checkpointlike process that stalls recombination by rendering the turnover of a subset of recombination factors dependent on HEI10-mediated ubiquitylation. We propose that SUMO conjugation establishes a precondition for designating crossover sites via selective protein stabilization. Thus, meiotic chromosome axes are hubs for regulated proteolysis via SUMO-dependent control of the ubiquitin-proteasome system.
Fertile soil is fundamental to our ability to achieve food security, but problems with soil degradation (such as acidification) are exacerbated by poor management. Consequently, there is a need to ...better understand management approaches that deliver multiple ecosystem services from agricultural land. There is global interest in sustainable soil management including the re-evaluation of existing management practices. Liming is a long established practice to ameliorate acidic soils and many liming-induced changes are well understood. For instance, short-term liming impacts are detected on soil biota and in soil biological processes (such as in N cycling where liming can increase N availability for plant uptake). The impacts of liming on soil carbon storage are variable and strongly relate to soil type, land use, climate and multiple management factors. Liming influences all elements in soils and as such there are numerous simultaneous changes to soil processes which in turn affect the plant nutrient uptake; two examples of positive impact for crops are increased P availability and decreased uptake of toxic heavy metals. Soil physical conditions are at least maintained or improved by liming, but the time taken to detect change varies significantly. Arable crops differ in their sensitivity to soil pH and for most crops there is a positive yield response. Liming also introduces implications for the development of different crop diseases and liming management is adjusted according to crop type within a given rotation. Repeated lime applications tend to improve grassland biomass production, although grassland response is variable and indirect as it relates to changes in nutrient availability. Other indicators of liming response in grassland are detected in mineral content and herbage quality which have implications for livestock-based production systems. Ecological studies have shown positive impacts of liming on biodiversity; such as increased earthworm abundance that provides habitat for wading birds in upland grasslands. Finally, understanding of liming impacts on soil and crop processes are explored together with functional aspects (in terms of ecosystems services) in a new qualitative framework that includes consideration of how liming impacts change with time. This holistic approach provides insights into the far-reaching impacts that liming has on ecosystems and the potential for liming to enhance the multiple benefits from agriculturally managed land. Recommendations are given for future research on the impact of liming and the implications for ecosystem services.
Display omitted
•Liming has numerous far reaching impacts on soil and plant processes and function.•Liming impacts on soils are positive such as increased nutrients and biota.•Liming crops and grassland is beneficial to yield and quality and for grazing stock.•Liming impacts on biodiversity vary significantly with evidence of positive effects.•A qualitative framework shows how liming impacts change with time.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
Context.
On 2020 April 19 a coronal mass ejection (CME) was detected in situ by Solar Orbiter at a heliocentric distance of about 0.8 AU. The CME was later observed in situ on April 20 by the Wind ...and BepiColombo spacecraft whilst BepiColombo was located very close to Earth. This CME presents a good opportunity for a triple radial alignment study, as the spacecraft were separated by less than 5° in longitude. The source of the CME, which was launched on April 15, was an almost entirely isolated streamer blowout. The Solar Terrestrial Relations Observatory (STEREO)-A spacecraft observed the event remotely from −75.1° longitude, which is an exceptionally well suited viewpoint for heliospheric imaging of an Earth directed CME.
Aims.
The configuration of the four spacecraft has provided an exceptionally clean link between remote imaging and in situ observations of the CME. We have used the in situ observations of the CME at Solar Orbiter, Wind, and BepiColombo and the remote observations of the CME at STEREO-A to determine the global shape of the CME and its evolution as it propagated through the inner heliosphere.
Methods.
We used three magnetic flux rope models that are based on different assumptions about the flux rope morphology to interpret the large-scale structure of the interplanetary CME (ICME). The 3DCORE model assumes an elliptical cross-section with a fixed aspect-ratio calculated by using the STEREO Heliospheric Imager (HI) observations as a constraint. The other two models are variants of the kinematically-distorted flux rope (KFR) technique, where two flux rope cross-sections are considered: one in a uniform solar wind and another in a solar-minimum-like structured solar wind. Analysis of CME evolution has been complemented by the use of (1) the ELEvoHI model to compare predicted CME arrival times and confirm the connection between the imaging and in situ observations, and (2) the PREDSTORM model, which provides an estimate of the
Dst
index at Earth using Solar Orbiter magnetometer data as if it were a real–time upstream solar wind monitor.
Results.
A clear flattening of the CME cross-section has been observed by STEREO-A, and further confirmed by comparing profiles of the flux rope models to the in situ data, where the distorted flux rope cross-section qualitatively agrees most with in situ observations of the magnetic field at Solar Orbiter. Comparing in situ observations of the magnetic field between spacecraft, we find that the dependence of the maximum (mean) magnetic field strength decreases with heliocentric distance as
r
−1.24 ± 0.50
(
r
−1.12 ± 0.14
), which is in disagreement with previous studies. Further assessment of the axial and poloidal magnetic field strength dependencies suggests that the expansion of the CME is likely neither self-similar nor cylindrically symmetric.
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FMFMET, NUK, UL, UM, UPUK
Objective: Retrospective comparisons of selected patients undergoing off-pump versus conventional on-pump coronary artery bypass grafting have yielded inconsistent results and raised concerns about ...completeness of revascularization in off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting. Methods: Two hundred unselected patients referred for elective primary coronary artery bypass grafting were randomly assigned to undergo off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting with an Octopus tissue stabilizer (Medtronic, Inc, Minneapolis, Minn) or conventional coronary artery bypass grafting with cardiopulmonary bypass by a single surgeon. Revascularization intent determined before random assignment was compared with the revascularization performed. All management followed strict, unbiased, criteria-driven protocols. Patients and nonoperative care providers were blinded to surgical group. Results: Baseline characteristics were similar. The number of grafts performed per patient (mean ± SD 3.39 ± 1.04 for off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting, 3.40 ± 1.08 for conventional coronary artery bypass grafting) and the index of completeness of revascularization (number of grafts performed/number of grafts intended, 1.00 ± 0.18 for off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting, 1.01 ± 0.09 for conventional coronary artery bypass grafting) were similar. Likewise, the index of completeness of revascularization was similar between groups for the lateral wall. Combined hospital and 30-day mortalities and stroke rates were similar. Postoperative myocardial serum enzyme measures were significantly lower after off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting, suggesting less myocardial injury. Adjusted postoperative thromboelastogram indices, fibrinogen, international normalized ratio, and platelet levels all showed significantly less coagulopathy after off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting. Patients undergoing off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting received fewer units of blood, were more likely to avoid transfusion altogether, and had a higher hematocrit at discharge. Cardiopulmonary bypass was an independent predictor of transfusion (odds ratio 2.42, P =.0073) by multivariate analysis. More patients undergoing off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting were extubated in the operating room and within 4 hours. Postoperative length of stay (in days) was shorter for off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting (5.1 ± 6.5 for off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting, 6.1 ± 8.2 for conventional coronary artery bypass grafting, P =.005 by Wilcoxon test). One patient (in the conventional coronary artery bypass grafting group) required angioplasty for graft closure within 30 days. Conclusions: When compared with conventional coronary artery bypass grafting with cardiopulmonary bypass, off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting achieved similar completeness of revascularization, similar in-hospital and 30-day outcomes, shorter length of stay, reduced transfusion requirement, and less myocardial injury.
J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg 2003;125:797-808
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
Mastcam-Z is a multispectral, stereoscopic imaging investigation on the Mars 2020 mission’s
Perseverance
rover. Mastcam-Z consists of a pair of focusable, 4:1 zoomable cameras that provide broadband ...red/green/blue and narrowband 400-1000 nm color imaging with fields of view from 25.6° × 19.2° (26 mm focal length at 283 μrad/pixel) to 6.2° × 4.6° (110 mm focal length at 67.4 μrad/pixel). The cameras can resolve (≥ 5 pixels) ∼0.7 mm features at 2 m and ∼3.3 cm features at 100 m distance. Mastcam-Z shares significant heritage with the Mastcam instruments on the Mars Science Laboratory
Curiosity
rover. Each Mastcam-Z camera consists of zoom, focus, and filter wheel mechanisms and a 1648 × 1214 pixel charge-coupled device detector and electronics. The two Mastcam-Z cameras are mounted with a 24.4 cm stereo baseline and 2.3° total toe-in on a camera plate ∼2 m above the surface on the rover’s Remote Sensing Mast, which provides azimuth and elevation actuation. A separate digital electronics assembly inside the rover provides power, data processing and storage, and the interface to the rover computer. Primary and secondary Mastcam-Z calibration targets mounted on the rover top deck enable tactical reflectance calibration. Mastcam-Z multispectral, stereo, and panoramic images will be used to provide detailed morphology, topography, and geologic context along the rover’s traverse; constrain mineralogic, photometric, and physical properties of surface materials; monitor and characterize atmospheric and astronomical phenomena; and document the rover’s sample extraction and caching locations. Mastcam-Z images will also provide key engineering information to support sample selection and other rover driving and tool/instrument operations decisions.
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DOBA, EMUNI, FIS, FZAB, GEOZS, GIS, IJS, IMTLJ, IZUM, KILJ, KISLJ, MFDPS, NLZOH, NUK, OBVAL, OILJ, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, SBMB, SBNM, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK, VKSCE, ZAGLJ
ABSTRACT We present a carefully vetted equatorial ( 30 decl.) sample of all known single (within 4″) mid M dwarfs (M2.5 V-M8.0 V) extending out to 10 pc; their proximity and low masses make them ...ideal targets for planet searches. For this sample of 58 stars, we provide VJ, RKC, and IKC photometry, new low-dispersion optical (6000-9000 ) spectra from which uniform spectral types are determined, multi-epoch H equivalent widths, and gravity-sensitive Na i indices. For 12 of these 58 stars, strict limits are placed on the presence of stellar and substellar companions based on a pioneering program described here that utilizes precise infrared radial velocities (RVs) and optical astrometric measurements in an effort to search for Jupiter-mass, brown dwarf, and stellar-mass companions. Our infrared RV precision using CSHELL at NASA's Infrared Telescope Facility is ∼90 m s−1 over timescales from 13 days to 5 yr. With our spectroscopic results the mean companion masses that we rule out of existence are 1.5 MJUP or greater in 10 day orbital periods and 7 MJUP or greater in 100 day orbital periods. We use these spectra to determine rotational velocities and absolute RVs of these 12 stars. Our mean astrometric precision using Research Consortium on Nearby Stars (RECONS; www.recons.org) data from the 0.9 m telescope at Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory is ∼3 mas over baselines ranging from 9 to 13 yr. With our astrometric results the mean companion masses that we rule out of existence are greater than 11.5 MJUP with an orbital period of 4 yr and greater than 7.5 MJUP with an orbital period of 8 yr. Although we do not detect companions around our subsample of 12 stars, we demonstrate that our two techniques probe a regime that is commonly missed in other companion searches of late-type stars.
Critical care medicine is a natural environment for machine learning approaches to improve outcomes for critically ill patients as admissions to ICUs generate vast amounts of data. However, ...technical, legal, ethical, and privacy concerns have so far limited the critical care medicine community from making these data readily available. The Society of Critical Care Medicine and the European Society of Intensive Care Medicine have identified ICU patient data sharing as one of the priorities under their Joint Data Science Collaboration. To encourage ICUs worldwide to share their patient data responsibly, we now describe the development and release of Amsterdam University Medical Centers Database (AmsterdamUMCdb), the first freely available critical care database in full compliance with privacy laws from both the United States and Europe, as an example of the feasibility of sharing complex critical care data.
University hospital ICU.
Data from ICU patients admitted between 2003 and 2016.
We used a risk-based deidentification strategy to maintain data utility while preserving privacy. In addition, we implemented contractual and governance processes, and a communication strategy. Patient organizations, supporting hospitals, and experts on ethics and privacy audited these processes and the database.
AmsterdamUMCdb contains approximately 1 billion clinical data points from 23,106 admissions of 20,109 patients. The privacy audit concluded that reidentification is not reasonably likely, and AmsterdamUMCdb can therefore be considered as anonymous information, both in the context of the U.S. Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act and the European General Data Protection Regulation. The ethics audit concluded that responsible data sharing imposes minimal burden, whereas the potential benefit is tremendous.
Technical, legal, ethical, and privacy challenges related to responsible data sharing can be addressed using a multidisciplinary approach. A risk-based deidentification strategy, that complies with both U.S. and European privacy regulations, should be the preferred approach to releasing ICU patient data. This supports the shared Society of Critical Care Medicine and European Society of Intensive Care Medicine vision to improve critical care outcomes through scientific inquiry of vast and combined ICU datasets.
Chronic hyperglycemia and diabetes lead to impaired cardiac repolarization, K
+
channel remodeling and increased arrhythmia risk. However, the exact signaling mechanism by which diabetic ...hyperglycemia regulates cardiac K
+
channels remains elusive. Here, we show that acute hyperglycemia increases inward rectifier K
+
current (I
K1
), but reduces the amplitude and inactivation recovery time of the transient outward K
+
current (I
to
) in mouse, rat, and rabbit myocytes. These changes were all critically dependent on intracellular
O
-GlcNAcylation. Additionally, I
K1
amplitude and I
to
recovery effects (but not I
to
amplitude) were prevented by the Ca
2+
/calmodulin-dependent kinase II (CaMKII) inhibitor autocamtide-2-related inhibitory peptide, CaMKIIδ-knockout, and
O
-GlcNAc-resistant CaMKIIδ-S280A knock-in. I
to
reduction was prevented by inhibition of protein kinase C (PKC) and NADPH oxidase 2 (NOX2)-derived reactive oxygen species (ROS). In mouse models of chronic diabetes (streptozotocin,
db
/
db
, and high-fat diet), heart failure, and CaMKIIδ overexpression, both I
to
and I
K1
were reduced in line with the downregulated K
+
channel expression. However, I
K1
downregulation in diabetes was markedly attenuated in CaMKIIδ-S280A. We conclude that acute hyperglycemia enhances I
K1
and I
to
recovery via CaMKIIδ-S280
O
-GlcNAcylation, but reduces I
to
amplitude via a NOX2-ROS-PKC pathway. Moreover, chronic hyperglycemia during diabetes and CaMKII activation downregulate K
+
channel expression and function, which may further increase arrhythmia susceptibility.
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EMUNI, FIS, FZAB, GEOZS, GIS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, MFDPS, NLZOH, NUK, OBVAL, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, SBMB, SBNM, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK, VKSCE, ZAGLJ
A nearby multiplanet system
Exoplanets can interact gravitationally with other objects orbiting the same star, affecting their evolution and stability. Studying these effects requires locating ...systems with multiple planets. Monitoring the nearby red dwarf star GJ 887, Jeffers
et al.
detected periodic radial velocity signals, indicating the presence of two planets on orbits with periods of about 9 and 22 days and a further candidate planet (see the Perspective by Davies). The inclinations of the orbits are unknown, so only minimum masses could be determined, but those were consistent with both planets being super-Earths—more massive than Earth but less than Neptune. This system is only 3.3 parsecs from the Sun, which should facilitate follow-up with other techniques.
Science
, this issue p.
1477
; see also p.
1432
Two super-Earth exoplanets orbit GJ 887, a red dwarf star located only 3.3 parsecs from the Sun.
The closet exoplanets to the Sun provide opportunities for detailed characterization of planets outside the Solar System. We report the discovery, using radial velocity measurements, of a compact multiplanet system of super-Earth exoplanets orbiting the nearby red dwarf star GJ 887. The two planets have orbital periods of 9.3 and 21.8 days. Assuming an Earth-like albedo, the equilibrium temperature of the 21.8-day planet is ~350 kelvin. The planets are interior to, but close to the inner edge of, the liquid-water habitable zone. We also detect an unconfirmed signal with a period of ~50 days, which could correspond to a third super-Earth in a more temperate orbit. Our observations show that GJ 887 has photometric variability below 500 parts per million, which is unusually quiet for a red dwarf.
OBJECTIVE:Atherosclerosis is the underlying cause of most cardiovascular disease, but mechanisms underlying atherosclerosis are incompletely understood. Ultrasound measurement of the carotid ...intima-media thickness (cIMT) can be used to measure vascular remodeling, which is indicative of atherosclerosis. Genome-wide association studies have identified many genetic loci associated with cIMT, but heterogeneity of measurements collected by many small cohorts have been a major limitation in these efforts. Here, we conducted genome-wide association analyses in UKB (UK Biobank; N=22 179), the largest single study with consistent cIMT measurements.
APPROACH AND RESULTS:We used BOLT-LMM software to run linear regression of cIMT in UKB, adjusted for age, sex, and genotyping chip. In white British participants, we identified 5 novel loci associated with cIMT and replicated most previously reported loci. In the first sex-specific analyses of cIMT, we identified a locus on chromosome 5, associated with cIMT in women only and highlight VCAN as a good candidate gene at this locus. Genetic correlations with body mass index and glucometabolic traits were also observed. Two loci influenced risk of ischemic heart disease.
CONCLUSIONS:These findings replicate previously reported associations, highlight novel biology, and provide new directions for investigating the sex differences observed in cardiovascular disease presentation and progression.
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