TY - JOUR AB - Adult height inspired the first biometrical and quantitative genetic studies and is a test-case trait for understanding heritability. The studies of height led to formulation of the classical polygenic model, that has a profound influence on the way we view and analyse complex traits. An essential part of the classical model is an assumption of additivity of effects and normality of the distribution of the residuals. However, it may be expected that the normal approximation will become insufficient in bigger studies. Here, we demonstrate that when the height of hundreds of thousands of individuals is analysed, the model complexity needs to be increased to include non-additive interactions between sex, environment and genes. Alternatively, the use of log-normal approximation allowed us to still use the additive effects model. These findings are important for future genetic and methodologic studies that make use of adult height as an exemplar trait. AU - Slavskii, Sergei A. AU - Kuznetsov, Ivan A. AU - Shashkova, Tatiana I. AU - Bazykin, Georgii A. AU - Axenovich, Tatiana I. AU - Kondrashov, Fyodor AU - Aulchenko, Yurii S. ID - 9910 IS - 7 JF - European Journal of Human Genetics SN - 10184813 TI - The limits of normal approximation for adult height VL - 29 ER - TY - JOUR AB - In the customary random matrix model for transport in quantum dots with M internal degrees of freedom coupled to a chaotic environment via 𝑁â‰Ș𝑀 channels, the density 𝜌 of transmission eigenvalues is computed from a specific invariant ensemble for which explicit formula for the joint probability density of all eigenvalues is available. We revisit this problem in the large N regime allowing for (i) arbitrary ratio 𝜙:=𝑁/đ‘€â‰€1; and (ii) general distributions for the matrix elements of the Hamiltonian of the quantum dot. In the limit 𝜙→0, we recover the formula for the density 𝜌 that Beenakker (Rev Mod Phys 69:731–808, 1997) has derived for a special matrix ensemble. We also prove that the inverse square root singularity of the density at zero and full transmission in Beenakker’s formula persists for any 𝜙<1 but in the borderline case 𝜙=1 an anomalous 𝜆−2/3 singularity arises at zero. To access this level of generality, we develop the theory of global and local laws on the spectral density of a large class of noncommutative rational expressions in large random matrices with i.i.d. entries. AU - Erdös, LĂĄszlĂł AU - KrĂŒger, Torben H AU - Nemish, Yuriy ID - 9912 JF - Annales Henri PoincarĂ© SN - 1424-0637 TI - Scattering in quantum dots via noncommutative rational functions VL - 22 ER - TY - JOUR AB - Extending on ideas of Lewin, Lieb, and Seiringer [Phys. Rev. B 100, 035127 (2019)], we present a modified “floating crystal” trial state for jellium (also known as the classical homogeneous electron gas) with density equal to a characteristic function. This allows us to show that three definitions of the jellium energy coincide in dimensions d ≄ 2, thus extending the result of Cotar and Petrache [“Equality of the Jellium and uniform electron gas next-order asymptotic terms for Coulomb and Riesz potentials,” arXiv: 1707.07664 (2019)] and Lewin, Lieb, and Seiringer [Phys. Rev. B 100, 035127 (2019)] that the three definitions coincide in dimension d ≄ 3. We show that the jellium energy is also equivalent to a “renormalized energy” studied in a series of papers by Serfaty and others, and thus, by the work of BĂ©termin and Sandier [Constr. Approximation 47, 39–74 (2018)], we relate the jellium energy to the order n term in the logarithmic energy of n points on the unit 2-sphere. We improve upon known lower bounds for this renormalized energy. Additionally, we derive formulas for the jellium energy of periodic configurations. AU - Lauritsen, AsbjĂžrn BĂŠkgaard ID - 9891 IS - 8 JF - Journal of Mathematical Physics KW - Mathematical Physics KW - Statistical and Nonlinear Physics SN - 0022-2488 TI - Floating Wigner crystal and periodic jellium configurations VL - 62 ER - TY - JOUR AB - Roots are composed of different root types and, in the dicotyledonous Arabidopsis, typically consist of a primary root that branches into lateral roots. Adventitious roots emerge from non-root tissue and are formed upon wounding or other types of abiotic stress. Here, we investigated adventitious root (AR) formation in Arabidopsis hypocotyls under conditions of altered abscisic acid (ABA) signaling. Exogenously applied ABA suppressed AR formation at 0.25 ”M or higher doses. AR formation was less sensitive to the synthetic ABA analog pyrabactin (PB). However, PB was a more potent inhibitor at concentrations above 1 ”M, suggesting that it was more selective in triggering a root inhibition response. Analysis of a series of phosphonamide and phosphonate pyrabactin analogs suggested that adventitious root formation and lateral root branching are differentially regulated by ABA signaling. ABA biosynthesis and signaling mutants affirmed a general inhibitory role of ABA and point to PYL1 and PYL2 as candidate ABA receptors that regulate AR inhibition. AU - Zeng, Yinwei AU - Verstraeten, Inge AU - Trinh, Hoang Khai AU - Heugebaert, Thomas AU - Stevens, Christian V. AU - Garcia-Maquilon, Irene AU - Rodriguez, Pedro L. AU - Vanneste, Steffen AU - Geelen, Danny ID - 9909 IS - 8 JF - Genes TI - Arabidopsis hypocotyl adventitious root formation is suppressed by ABA signaling VL - 12 ER - TY - JOUR AB - DivIVA is a protein initially identified as a spatial regulator of cell division in the model organism Bacillus subtilis, but its homologues are present in many other Gram-positive bacteria, including Clostridia species. Besides its role as topological regulator of the Min system during bacterial cell division, DivIVA is involved in chromosome segregation during sporulation, genetic competence, and cell wall synthesis. DivIVA localizes to regions of high membrane curvature, such as the cell poles and cell division site, where it recruits distinct binding partners. Previously, it was suggested that negative curvature sensing is the main mechanism by which DivIVA binds to these specific regions. Here, we show that Clostridioides difficile DivIVA binds preferably to membranes containing negatively charged phospholipids, especially cardiolipin. Strikingly, we observed that upon binding, DivIVA modifies the lipid distribution and induces changes to lipid bilayers containing cardiolipin. Our observations indicate that DivIVA might play a more complex and so far unknown active role during the formation of the cell division septal membrane. AU - LabajovĂĄ, Naďa AU - Baranova, Natalia S. AU - JurĂĄsek, Miroslav AU - VĂĄcha, Robert AU - Loose, Martin AU - BarĂĄk, Imrich ID - 9907 IS - 15 JF - International Journal of Molecular Sciences SN - 16616596 TI - Cardiolipin-containing lipid membranes attract the bacterial cell division protein diviva VL - 22 ER - TY - JOUR AB - Vaccines are thought to be the best available solution for controlling the ongoing SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. However, the emergence of vaccine-resistant strains may come too rapidly for current vaccine developments to alleviate the health, economic and social consequences of the pandemic. To quantify and characterize the risk of such a scenario, we created a SIR-derived model with initial stochastic dynamics of the vaccine-resistant strain to study the probability of its emergence and establishment. Using parameters realistically resembling SARS-CoV-2 transmission, we model a wave-like pattern of the pandemic and consider the impact of the rate of vaccination and the strength of non-pharmaceutical intervention measures on the probability of emergence of a resistant strain. As expected, we found that a fast rate of vaccination decreases the probability of emergence of a resistant strain. Counterintuitively, when a relaxation of non-pharmaceutical interventions happened at a time when most individuals of the population have already been vaccinated the probability of emergence of a resistant strain was greatly increased. Consequently, we show that a period of transmission reduction close to the end of the vaccination campaign can substantially reduce the probability of resistant strain establishment. Our results suggest that policymakers and individuals should consider maintaining non-pharmaceutical interventions and transmission-reducing behaviours throughout the entire vaccination period. AU - Rella, Simon AU - Kulikova, Yuliya A. AU - Dermitzakis, Emmanouil T. AU - Kondrashov, Fyodor ID - 9905 IS - 1 JF - Scientific Reports TI - Rates of SARS-CoV-2 transmission and vaccination impact the fate of vaccine-resistant strains VL - 11 ER - TY - JOUR AB - Eigenstate thermalization in quantum many-body systems implies that eigenstates at high energy are similar to random vectors. Identifying systems where at least some eigenstates are nonthermal is an outstanding question. In this Letter we show that interacting quantum models that have a nullspace—a degenerate subspace of eigenstates at zero energy (zero modes), which corresponds to infinite temperature, provide a route to nonthermal eigenstates. We analytically show the existence of a zero mode which can be represented as a matrix product state for a certain class of local Hamiltonians. In the more general case we use a subspace disentangling algorithm to generate an orthogonal basis of zero modes characterized by increasing entanglement entropy. We show evidence for an area-law entanglement scaling of the least-entangled zero mode in the broad parameter regime, leading to a conjecture that all local Hamiltonians with the nullspace feature zero modes with area-law entanglement scaling and, as such, break the strong thermalization hypothesis. Finally, we find zero modes in constrained models and propose a setup for observing their experimental signatures. AU - Karle, Volker AU - Serbyn, Maksym AU - Michailidis, Alexios ID - 9903 IS - 6 JF - Physical Review Letters SN - 0031-9007 TI - Area-law entangled eigenstates from nullspaces of local Hamiltonians VL - 127 ER - TY - JOUR AB - Proper control of division orientation and symmetry, largely determined by spindle positioning, is essential to development and homeostasis. Spindle positioning has been extensively studied in cells dividing in two-dimensional (2D) environments and in epithelial tissues, where proteins such as NuMA (also known as NUMA1) orient division along the interphase long axis of the cell. However, little is known about how cells control spindle positioning in three-dimensional (3D) environments, such as early mammalian embryos and a variety of adult tissues. Here, we use mouse embryonic stem cells (ESCs), which grow in 3D colonies, as a model to investigate division in 3D. We observe that, at the periphery of 3D colonies, ESCs display high spindle mobility and divide asymmetrically. Our data suggest that enhanced spindle movements are due to unequal distribution of the cell–cell junction protein E-cadherin between future daughter cells. Interestingly, when cells progress towards differentiation, division becomes more symmetric, with more elongated shapes in metaphase and enhanced cortical NuMA recruitment in anaphase. Altogether, this study suggests that in 3D contexts, the geometry of the cell and its contacts with neighbors control division orientation and symmetry. AU - Chaigne, Agathe AU - Smith, Matthew B. AU - Cavestany, R. L. AU - Hannezo, Edouard B AU - Chalut, Kevin J. AU - Paluch, Ewa K. ID - 9952 IS - 14 JF - Journal of Cell Science SN - 00219533 TI - Three-dimensional geometry controls division symmetry in stem cell colonies VL - 134 ER - TY - JOUR AB - About eight million animal species are estimated to live on Earth, and all except those belonging to one subphylum are invertebrates. Invertebrates are incredibly diverse in their morphologies, life histories, and in the range of the ecological niches that they occupy. A great variety of modes of reproduction and sex determination systems is also observed among them, and their mosaic-distribution across the phylogeny shows that transitions between them occur frequently and rapidly. Genetic conflict in its various forms is a long-standing theory to explain what drives those evolutionary transitions. Here, we review (1) the different modes of reproduction among invertebrate species, highlighting sexual reproduction as the probable ancestral state; (2) the paradoxical diversity of sex determination systems; (3) the different types of genetic conflicts that could drive the evolution of such different systems. AU - Picard, Marion A L AU - Vicoso, Beatriz AU - Bertrand, StĂ©phanie AU - Escriva, Hector ID - 9908 IS - 8 JF - Genes TI - Diversity of modes of reproduction and sex determination systems in invertebrates, and the putative contribution of genetic conflict VL - 12 ER - TY - JOUR AB - In 2020, many in-person scientific events were canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, creating a vacuum in networking and knowledge exchange between scientists. To fill this void in scientific communication, a group of early career nanocrystal enthusiasts launched the virtual seminar series, News in Nanocrystals, in the summer of 2020. By the end of the year, the series had attracted over 850 participants from 46 countries. In this Nano Focus, we describe the process of organizing the News in Nanocrystals seminar series; discuss its growth, emphasizing what the organizers have learned in terms of diversity and accessibility; and provide an outlook for the next steps and future opportunities. This summary and analysis of experiences and learned lessons are intended to inform the broader scientific community, especially those who are looking for avenues to continue fostering discussion and scientific engagement virtually, both during the pandemic and after. AU - Baranov, Dmitry AU - Ć verko, Tara AU - Moot, Taylor AU - Keller, Helena R. AU - Klein, Megan D. AU - Vishnu, E. K. AU - Balazs, Daniel AU - Shulenberger, Katherine E. ID - 9829 IS - 7 JF - ACS Nano SN - 19360851 TI - News in Nanocrystals seminar: Self-assembly of early career researchers toward globally accessible nanoscience VL - 15 ER -