Table Of Contents Page, PNAS Volume 121, Number 16
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Perspective
The past 15 y has seen much development in documentation of domestication of plants
and animals as gradual traditions spanning millennia. There has also been considerable
momentum in understanding the dispersals of major domesticated taxa across ...
Letters
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Physical Sciences
Applied Physical Sciences
The distortion by gravity of a quasi-static bubble attached on an upward facing surface
in a quiescent liquid is investigated. The contact angle evolution during the growth
of such a bubble is studied, and the consequences on the motion of the contact ...
Many composites consist of matrices of elastomers and nanoparticles of stiff materials.
Such composites often have superior properties and are widely used. Embedding elastomers
with nanoparticles commonly necessitates intense shear, using machines like ...
Different mechanisms driving a linear temperature dependence of the resistivity ρ ∼ T at van Hove singularities (VHSs) or metal-insulator transitions when doping a Mott
insulator are being debated intensively with competing theoretical proposals. We ...
Biophysics and Computational Biology
Compact chromatin is closely linked with gene silencing in part by sterically masking
access to promoters, inhibiting transcription factor binding and preventing polymerase
from efficiently transcribing a gene. However, a broader hypothesis suggests that
...
Smart polymer materials that are nonliving yet exhibit complex “life-like” or biomimetic
behaviors have been the focus of intensive research over the past decades, in the
quest to broaden our understanding of how living systems function under ...
Tissue development occurs through a complex interplay between many individual cells.
Yet, the fundamental question of how collective tissue behavior emerges from heterogeneous
and noisy information processing and transfer at the single-cell level remains ...
Chemistry
The oxidation of cycloalkanes is important in the combustion of transportation fuels
and in atmospheric secondary organic aerosol formation. A transient carbon-centered
radical intermediate (•QOOH) in the oxidation of cyclohexane is identified through
its ...
In recent decades, peptide amphiphiles (PAs) have established themselves as promising
self-assembling bioinspired materials in a wide range of medical fields. Herein, we
report a dual-therapeutic system constituted by an antimicrobial PA and a cylindrical
...
Engineering
Suction is a highly evolved biological adhesion strategy for soft-body organisms to
achieve strong grasping on various objects. Biological suckers can adaptively attach
to dry complex surfaces such as rocks and shells, which are extremely challenging
for ...
Localized deformation and randomly shaped imperfections are salient features of buckling-type
instabilities in thin-walled load-bearing structures. However, it is generally agreed
that their complex interactions in response to mechanical loading are not ...
Environmental Sciences
The advancement of atomically precise dinuclear heterogeneous catalysts holds great
potential in achieving efficient catalytic ozonation performance and contributes to
the understanding of synergy mechanisms during reaction conditions. Herein, we ...
Sustainability Science
Effective policies for adaptation to climate change require understanding how impacts
are related to exposures and vulnerability, the dimensions of the climate system that
will change most and where human impacts will be most draconian, and the ...
Social Sciences
Anthropology
A central prediction of evolutionary theory is that energy invested into reproduction
comes at the expense of somatic maintenance and repair, accelerating biological aging.
Supporting this prediction are findings that high fertility among women predicts ...
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A life for a (shorter) life: The reproduction–longevity trade-off
Psychological and Cognitive Sciences
Algorithmic bias occurs when algorithms incorporate biases in the human decisions
on which they are trained. We find that people see more of their biases (e.g., age,
gender, race) in the decisions of algorithms than in their own decisions. Research
...
Many mainstream organizations celebrate their historical successes. In their history,
however, they often marginalized racial minorities, women, and other underrepresented
groups. We suggest that when organizations celebrate their histories, even without
...
Childhood maltreatment (CM) leads to a lifelong susceptibility to mental ill-health
which might be reflected by its effects on adult brain structure, perhaps indirectly
mediated by its effects on adult metabolic, immune, and psychosocial systems. Indexing
...
Research on attentional selection of stimulus features has yielded seemingly contradictory
results. On the one hand, many experiments in humans and animals have observed a “global”
facilitation of attended features across the entire visual field, even ...
Social Sciences
Over 45,000 gun deaths occur annually in the United States, a country with more than
100 million gun owners and more than 350 million guns. Nevertheless, passing legislation
to reduce gun violence is difficult because the issue is intensely polarized. ...
Sustainability Science
Effective policies for adaptation to climate change require understanding how impacts
are related to exposures and vulnerability, the dimensions of the climate system that
will change most and where human impacts will be most draconian, and the ...
Biological Sciences
Agricultural Sciences
Organic carbon availability in soil is crucial for shaping microbial communities,
yet, uncertainties persist concerning microbial adaptations to carbon levels and the
ensuing ecological and evolutionary consequences. We investigated organic carbon ...
Anthropology
A central prediction of evolutionary theory is that energy invested into reproduction
comes at the expense of somatic maintenance and repair, accelerating biological aging.
Supporting this prediction are findings that high fertility among women predicts ...
View related content:
A life for a (shorter) life: The reproduction–longevity trade-off
Applied Biological Sciences
Viral outbreaks can cause widespread disruption, creating the need for diagnostic
tools that provide high performance and sample versatility at the point of use with
moderate complexity. Current gold standards such as PCR and rapid antigen tests fall
...
Climate change projections for coral reefs are founded exclusively on sea surface
temperatures (SST). While SST projections are relevant for the shallowest reefs, neglecting
ocean stratification overlooks the striking differences in temperature ...
Differentiation of pancreatic endocrine cells from human pluripotent stem cells (PSCs)
has been thoroughly investigated for application in cell therapy against diabetes.
In the context of induced pancreatic endocrine cell implantation, previous studies
...
Biochemistry
Protecting chromosome ends from misrecognition as double-stranded (ds) DNA breaks
is fundamental to eukaryotic viability. The protein complex shelterin prevents a DNA
damage response at mammalian telomeres. Mammalian shelterin proteins TRF1 and TRF2
and ...
Bacterial collagenases are important virulence factors, secreted by several pathogenic
Clostridium, Bacillus, Spirochaetes, and Vibrio species. Yet, the mechanism by which these enzymes cleave collagen is not well understood.
Based on biochemical and ...
Langya virus (LayV) is a recently discovered henipavirus (HNV), isolated from febrile
patients in China. HNV entry into host cells is mediated by the attachment (G) and
fusion (F) glycoproteins which are the main targets of neutralizing antibodies. We
...
Biophysics and Computational Biology
Secondary-active transporters catalyze the movement of myriad substances across all
cellular membranes, typically against opposing concentration gradients, and without
consuming any ATP. To do so, these proteins employ an intriguing structural mechanism
...
The SNAP receptor (SNARE) proteins syntaxin-1, SNAP-25, and synaptobrevin mediate
neurotransmitter release by forming tight SNARE complexes that fuse synaptic vesicles
with the plasma membranes in microseconds. Membrane fusion is generally explained
by ...
Fluid efflux from the brain plays an important role in solute waste clearance. Current
experimental approaches provide little spatial information, and data collection is
limited due to short duration or low frequency of sampling. One approach shows tracer
...
Cell Biology
Glucose is required for generating heat during cold-induced nonshivering thermogenesis
in adipose tissue, but the regulatory mechanism is largely unknown. CREBZF has emerged
as a critical mechanism for metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver ...
Chromosomal instability (CIN) is the persistent reshuffling of cancer karyotypes via
chromosome mis-segregation during cell division. In cancer, CIN exists at varying
levels that have differential effects on tumor progression. However, mis-segregation
...
Ferroptosis is an iron-dependent type of regulated cell death resulting from extensive
lipid peroxidation and plays a critical role in various physiological and pathological
processes. However, the regulatory mechanisms for ferroptosis sensitivity remain ...
Extracellular vesicles (EVs) facilitate the transfer of proteins, lipids, and genetic
material between cells and are recognized as an additional mechanism for sustaining
intercellular communication. In the epidermis, the communication between melanocytes
...
Developmental Biology
Tissue development occurs through a complex interplay between many individual cells.
Yet, the fundamental question of how collective tissue behavior emerges from heterogeneous
and noisy information processing and transfer at the single-cell level remains ...
GABAergic inhibitory interneurons, originating from the embryonic ventral forebrain
territories, traverse a convoluted migratory path to reach the neocortex. These interneuron
precursors undergo sequential phases of tangential and radial migration before ...
As a result of partial hepatectomy, the remaining liver tissue undergoes a process
of renewed proliferation that leads to rapid regeneration of the liver. By following
the early stages of this process, we observed dramatic programmed changes in the DNA
...
Ecology
Microbes grow in a wide variety of environments and must balance growth and stress
resistance. Despite the prevalence of such trade-offs, understanding of their role
in nonsteady environments is limited. In this study, we introduce a mathematical model
of ...
Communication between insects and plants relies on the exchange of bioactive molecules
that traverse the species interface. Although proteinic effectors have been extensively
studied, our knowledge of other molecules involved in this process remains ...
Fine root lifespan is a critical trait associated with contrasting root strategies
of resource acquisition and protection. Yet, its position within the multidimensional
“root economics space” synthesizing global root economics strategies is largely ...
Genetics
Compact chromatin is closely linked with gene silencing in part by sterically masking
access to promoters, inhibiting transcription factor binding and preventing polymerase
from efficiently transcribing a gene. However, a broader hypothesis suggests that
...
Identification of secretory autophagy as a mechanism modulating activity-induced synaptic remodeling
The ability of neurons to rapidly remodel their synaptic structure and strength in
response to neuronal activity is highly conserved across species and crucial for complex
brain functions. However, mechanisms required to elicit and coordinate the acute,
...
Despite the conservation of genetic machinery involved in eye development, there is
a strong diversity in the placement of eyes on the head of animals. Morphogen gradients
of signaling molecules are vital to patterning cues. During Drosophila eye ...
Developmental phenotypic changes can evolve under selection imposed by age- and size-related
ecological differences. Many of these changes occur through programmed alterations
to gene expression patterns, but the molecular mechanisms and gene-regulatory ...
Many Mendelian disorders, such as Huntington’s disease (HD) and spinocerebellar ataxias,
arise from expansions of CAG trinucleotide repeats. Despite the clear genetic causes,
additional genetic factors may influence the rate of those monogenic disorders. ...
Immunology and Inflammation
Epstein–Barr Virus (EBV) infects more than 90% of the adult population worldwide.
EBV infection is associated with Burkitt lymphoma (BL) though alone is not sufficient
to induce carcinogenesis implying the involvement of co-factors. BL is endemic in
...
Anti-melanoma differentiation–associated gene 5 (MDA5) antibody–positive dermatomyositis
(DM) is characterized by amyopathic DM with interstitial lung disease (ILD). Patients
with anti-MDA5 antibody–associated ILD frequently develop rapidly progression ...
Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is characterized by stenosis and occlusions
of small pulmonary arteries, leading to elevated pulmonary arterial pressure and right
heart failure. Although accumulating evidence shows the importance of interleukin
(IL)-...
Microbiology
In recent decades, peptide amphiphiles (PAs) have established themselves as promising
self-assembling bioinspired materials in a wide range of medical fields. Herein, we
report a dual-therapeutic system constituted by an antimicrobial PA and a cylindrical
...
Many organisms that utilize the Calvin–Benson–Bassham (CBB) cycle for autotrophic
growth harbor metabolic pathways to remove and/or salvage 2-phosphoglycolate, the
product of the oxygenase activity of ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase
(...
Mosquito-borne flaviviruses such as dengue (DENV) and Zika (ZIKV) cause hundreds of
millions of infections annually. The single-stranded RNA genome of flaviviruses is
translated into a polyprotein, which is cleaved equally into individual functional
...
Antimicrobial resistance was estimated to be associated with 4.95 million deaths worldwide
in 2019. It is possible to frame the antimicrobial resistance problem as a feedback-control
problem. If we could optimize this feedback-control problem and ...
Bacteriophages (phages) play critical roles in modulating microbial ecology. Within
the human microbiome, the factors influencing the long-term coexistence of phages
and bacteria remain poorly investigated. Saccharibacteria (formerly TM7) are ubiquitous
...
All forms of life are presumed to synthesize arginine from citrulline via a two-step
pathway consisting of argininosuccinate synthetase and argininosuccinate lyase using
citrulline, adenosine 5’-triphosphate (ATP), and aspartate as substrates. Conversion
...
Urinary tract infections (UTI) account for a substantial financial burden globally.
Over 75% of UTIs are caused by uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC), which have demonstrated an extraordinarily rapid growth rate in vivo. This
rapid growth rate appears ...
Neuroscience
Childhood maltreatment (CM) leads to a lifelong susceptibility to mental ill-health
which might be reflected by its effects on adult brain structure, perhaps indirectly
mediated by its effects on adult metabolic, immune, and psychosocial systems. Indexing
...
Research on attentional selection of stimulus features has yielded seemingly contradictory
results. On the one hand, many experiments in humans and animals have observed a “global”
facilitation of attended features across the entire visual field, even ...
A major aspiration of investors is to better forecast stock performance. Interestingly,
emerging “neuroforecasting” research suggests that brain activity associated with
anticipatory reward relates to market behavior and population-wide preferences, ...
Cortical dynamics and computations are strongly influenced by diverse GABAergic interneurons,
including those expressing parvalbumin (PV), somatostatin (SST), and vasoactive intestinal
peptide (VIP). Together with excitatory (E) neurons, they form a ...
Face pareidolia is a tendency to seeing faces in nonface images that reflects high
tuning to a face scheme. Yet, studies of the brain networks underwriting face pareidolia
are scarce. Here, we examined the time course and dynamic topography of gamma ...
In primates, high-acuity vision is mediated by the fovea, a small specialized central
region of the retina. The fovea, unique to the anthropoid lineage among mammals, undergoes
notable neuronal morphological changes during postnatal maturation. However, ...
For nearly a century, evidence has accumulated indicating that the lateral hypothalamus
(LH) contains neurons essential to sustain wakefulness. While lesion or inactivation
of LH neurons produces a profound increase in sleep, stimulation of inhibitory LH
...
Vesicular release of neurotransmitters and hormones relies on the dynamic assembly
of the exocytosis/trans-SNARE complex through sequential interactions of synaptobrevins,
syntaxins, and SNAP-25. Despite SNARE-mediated release being fundamental for ...
Pharmacology
Type 2 alveolar epithelial cells (AEC2s) are stem cells in the adult lung that contribute
to lower airway repair. Agents that promote the selective expansion of these cells
might stimulate regeneration of the compromised alveolar epithelium, an etiology-...
Physiology
Pores through ion channels rapidly transport small inorganic ions along their electrochemical
gradients. Here, applying single-channel electrophysiology and mutagenesis to the
archetypal muscle nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (AChR) channel, we show that ...
Plant Biology
Adenosine 3′,5′-cyclic monophosphate (cAMP) is a universal signaling molecule that
acts as a second messenger in various organisms. It is well established that cAMP
plays essential roles across the tree of life, although the function of cAMP in land
...
Population Biology
Antibiotics are considered one of the most important contributions to clinical medicine
in the last century. Due to the use and overuse of these drugs, there have been increasing
frequencies of infections with resistant pathogens. One form of resistance, ...
Correction
Cover image: Pictured are shallow coral reef habitats in the northern Great Barrier Reef. Jennifer K. McWhorter et al. downscaled climate models to quantify patterns of ocean warming in the mesophotic zone, at depths of 30–50 meters, in the Great Barrier Reef. Thermal stratification, in which warm water sits atop cool and dense water, insulates corals in the mesophotic zone from surface heatwaves. However, if global warming exceeds 3 °C above pre-industrial levels, water temperatures in the mesophotic zone may exceed 30 °C, a recognized mortality threshold for corals. See the article by McWhorter et al. e2303336121. Image credit: George Roff.
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