194 research outputs found
A "data sharing trust" model for rapid, collaborative science
Complex datasets provide opportunities for discoveries beyond their initial scope. Effective and rapid data sharing andmanagement practices are crucial to realize this potential; however, they are harder to implement than post-publication access. Here, we introduce the concept of a "data sharing trust'' tomaximize the value of large datasets
Links between environment, diet, and the hunter-gatherer microbiome
The study of traditional populations provides a view of human-associated microbes unperturbed by industrialization, as well as a window into the microbiota that co-evolved with humans. Here we discuss our recent work characterizing the microbiota from the Hadza hunter-gatherers of Tanzania. We found seasonal shifts in bacterial taxa, diversity, and carbohydrate utilization by the microbiota. When compared to the microbiota composition from other populations around the world, the Hadza microbiota shares bacterial families with other traditional societies that are rare or absent from microbiotas of industrialized nations. We present additional observations from the Hadza microbiota and their lifestyle and environment, including microbes detected on hands, water, and animal sources, how the microbiota varies with sex and age, and the short-term effects of introducing agricultural products into the diet. In the context of our previously published findings and of these additional observations, we discuss a path forward for future work
Isomorphs in model molecular liquids
Isomorphs are curves in the phase diagram along which a number of static and
dynamic quantities are invariant in reduced units. A liquid has good isomorphs
if and only if it is strongly correlating, i.e., the equilibrium
virial/potential energy fluctuations are more than 90% correlated in the NVT
ensemble. This paper generalizes isomorphs to liquids composed of rigid
molecules and study the isomorphs of two systems of small rigid molecules, the
asymmetric dumbbell model and the Lewis-Wahnstrom OTP model. In particular, for
both systems we find that the isochoric heat capacity, the excess entropy, the
reduced molecular center-of-mass self part of the intermediate scattering
function, the reduced molecular center-of-mass radial distribution function to
a good approximation are invariant along an isomorph. In agreement with theory,
we also find that an instantaneous change of temperature and density from an
equilibrated state point to another isomorphic state point leads to no
relaxation. The isomorphs of the Lewis-Wahnstrom OTP model were found to be
more approximative than those of the asymmetric dumbbell model, which is
consistent with the OTP model being less strongly correlating. For both models
we find "master isomorphs", i.e., isomorphs have identical shape in the
virial/potential energy phase diagram.Comment: 20 page
GateFinder: projection-based gating strategy optimization for flow and mass cytometry
Motivation: High-parameter single-cell technologies can reveal novel cell populations of interest, but studying or validating these populations using lower-parameter methods remains challenging.Results: Here, we present GateFinder, an algorithm that enriches high-dimensional cell types with simple, stepwise polygon gates requiring only two markers at a time. A series of case studies of complex cell types illustrates how simplified enrichment strategies can enable more efficient assays, reveal novel biomarkers and clarify underlying biology
Expression of specific inflammasome gene modules stratifies older individuals into two extreme clinical and immunological states
Low-grade, chronic inflammation has been associated with many diseases of aging, but the mechanisms responsible for producing this inflammation remain unclear. Inflammasomes can drive chronic inflammation in the context of an infectious disease or cellular stress, and they trigger the maturation of interleukin-1β (IL-1β). Here we find that the expression of specific inflammasome gene modules stratifies older individuals into two extremes: those with constitutive expression of IL-1β, nucleotide metabolism dysfunction, elevated oxidative stress, high rates of hypertension and arterial stiffness; and those without constitutive expression of IL-1β, who lack these characteristics. Adenine and N4-acetylcytidine, nucleotide-derived metabolites that are detectable in the blood of the former group, prime and activate the NLRC4 inflammasome, induce the production of IL-1β, activate platelets and neutrophils and elevate blood pressure in mice. In individuals over 85 years of age, the elevated expression of inflammasome gene modules was associated with all-cause mortality. Thus, targeting inflammasome components may ameliorate chronic inflammation and various other age-associated conditions
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Landscape of coordinated immune responses to H1N1 challenge in humans
Influenza is a significant cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Here we show changes in the abundance and activation states of more than 50 immune cell subsets in 35 individuals over 11 time points during human A/California/2009 (H1N1) virus challenge monitored using mass cytometry along with other clinical assessments. Peak change in monocyte, B cell, and T cell subset frequencies coincided with peak virus shedding, followed by marked activation of T and NI< cells. Results led to the identification of C038 as a critical regulator of plasmacytoid dendritic cell function in response to influenza virus. Machine learning using study-derived clinical parameters and single-cell data effectively classified and predicted susceptibility to infection. The coordinated immune cell dynamics defined in this study provide a framework for identifying novel correlates of protection in the evaluation of future influenza therapeutics
Engineering reconnaissance following the August 24, 2016 M6.0 Central Italy earthquake
An earthquake with a moment magnitude reported as 6.0 from INGV (Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia);
occurred at 03:36 AM (local time) on 24 August 2016 in the central part of Italy. The epicenter was located at the borders of
the Lazio, Abruzzi, Marche and Umbria regions, about 2.5 km north-east of the village of Accumoli and about 100 km from
Rome. The hypocentral depth was about 8 km (INGV). We summarize preliminary findings of the Italy-US GEER
(Geotechnical Extreme Events Reconnaissance) team, on damage distribution, causative faults, earthquake-induced landslides
and rockfalls, building and bridge performance, and ground motion characterization. Our reconnaissance team used multidisciplinary approaches, combining expertise in geology, seismology, geomatics, geotechnical engineering, and structural
engineering. Our approach was to combine traditional reconnaissance activities of on-ground recording and mapping of field
conditions, with advanced imaging and damage detection routines enabled by state-of-the-art geomatics technology. We
anticipate that results from this study, will be useful for future post-earthquake reconnaissance efforts, and improved
emergency respons
Type I interferon autoantibodies are associated with systemic immune alterations in patients with COVID-19
Neutralizing autoantibodies against type I interferons (IFNs) have been found in some patients with critical coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), the disease caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). However, the prevalence of these antibodies, their longitudinal dynamics across the disease severity scale, and their functional effects on circulating leukocytes remain unknown. Here, in 284 patients with COVID-19, we found type I IFNâspecific autoantibodies in peripheral blood samples from 19% of patients with critical disease and 6% of patients with severe disease. We found no type I IFN autoantibodies in individuals with moderate disease. Longitudinal profiling of over 600,000 peripheral blood mononuclear cells using multiplexed single-cell epitope and transcriptome sequencing from 54 patients with COVID-19 and 26 nonâCOVID-19 controls revealed a lack of type I IFNâstimulated gene (ISG-I) responses in myeloid cells from patients with critical disease. This was especially evident in dendritic cell populations isolated from patients with critical disease producing type I IFNâspecific autoantibodies. Moreover, we found elevated expression of the inhibitory receptor leukocyte-associated immunoglobulin-like receptor 1 (LAIR1) on the surface of monocytes isolated from patients with critical disease early in the disease course. LAIR1 expression is inversely correlated with ISG-I expression response in patients with COVID-19 but is not expressed in healthy controls. The deficient ISG-I response observed in patients with critical COVID-19 with and without type I IFNâspecific autoantibodies supports a unifying model for disease pathogenesis involving ISG-I suppression through convergent mechanisms
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