Nuclear Size Research Articles

Cytologic Parameters in Predicting the Outcome of Atypical Glandular Cells on Papanicolaou Smears: A Single-Institutional Experience.

Atypical glandular cells (AGCs) diagnosis on Pap (Papanicolaou) smears are uncommon and may represent various benign and malignant lesions. This study aims to report the incidence of AGC on Pap smear, to study the relationship of AGC with malignancy, and to determine cytomorphological features that help in predicting malignancy. Retrospective analytical study conducted in the Department of Oncopathology at Tertiary Cancer and Research Institute. In this retrospective study, we included cases diagnosed with AGC between July 2017 to July 2022. All slides were reviewed and subclassified according to the Bethesda 2014 classification system (TBS). The predetermined cytomorphological features observed in the smears were recorded. The follow-up histopathological diagnoses of the cases were retrieved. The significant cytomorphological and clinicopathological findings for malignancy were determined. Pearson χ2 test with SPSS software version 22 to compare cytologic features of cases with benign and malignant follow-up. The significant cytomorphological features observed in neoplastic cases were cells in 3-dimensional clusters, nuclear overlapping, reniform nucleus, irregular nuclear membrane, increased nuclear size, single macronucleoli, engulfed neutrophils, and prominently vacuolated cytoplasm. The diagnosis of AGC on cytology is associated with clinically significant lesions, and cytomorphologic parameters can be used to predict the benign and malignant outcome.

Hartree-Fock Calculations of 12C Nucleus at Equilibrium and Under Static Compression

Abstract: The ground state features of the semi-doubly magic 12C nucleus (i.e. binding energy, nuclear radius, radial density distribution, and single particle energies) are estimated using ab initio calculations at equilibrium and under high static compression. Nijmegen and Reid soft-core (RSC) potentials are used as input nucleon-nucleon interactions. Within the framework of the constrained spherical Hartree-Fock approximations, we do the calculations in no-core shell-model space, which consists of six major oscillator shells (i.e. 21 single particle orbitals). The sensitivity of the ground state features of the 12C nucleus to the degree of compression and the sensitivity of the equation of state to the two potentials are investigated. We also discovered that the nuclear binding energy calculated using the Nijmegen potential is higher than that calculated using the RSC potential. When utilizing the Nijmegen potential, the curve reaches zero binding energy faster than when using the RSC potential. Besides, in the case of Nijmegen, the spectrum of single-particle energies increases more quickly than in the case of RSC potential under compression. The space between single-particle energy shells is also visible in the energy spectrum. At high compression, the radial density distribution becomes higher than that in the interior zone when the RSC potential is applied. Keywords: Nijmegen potential, RSC potential, Ab-initio calculations model, Radial density distribution, Ground state, 12C nucleus.

An empirical confinement model for ANFO explosive

AbstractAmmonium‐nitrate‐fuel‐oil (ANFO) explosive, one of the most used mining explosives, exhibits highly non‐ideal behaviour. The non‐ideality of the detonation is manifested in the strong dependence of the detonation velocity on the charge radius and existence and the characteristics of confinement. This can lead to the detonation velocities as low as one‐third of the ideal velocity. The literature reported experimental detonation velocities of cylindrical ANFO charges confined in different confiners (aluminium, copper, steel, polymethyl methacrylate, and polyvinyl chloride) are analysed in this paper. An empirical confinement model, which relates the detonation velocity to the charge radius and the mass of the confiner to the mass of explosive ratio per unit length, is proposed. The model predicts the detonation velocity of unconfined and confined ANFO charges with a mean average percentage error of 8.8 %.

Abstract 4340: Profiling the evolutionary history of giant cancer cells in sarcomas: Hopeful monsters or an evolutionary dead end

Abstract Background: As tumors evolve, they accumulate somatic mutations that serve as an archeological record of their evolutionary past. Undifferentiated pleomorphic sarcomas (USARCs) are malignant soft tissue tumors that often contain scattered giant cancer cells, or potential ‘hopeful monster cells’, histologically. As USARCs frequently undergo whole genome doubling (WGD) and chromothripsis (Steele et al, 2019), both mutational events are likely to contribute to the formation of giant cancer cells, which frequently display atypical nuclear features such as polyploidy, micronuclei and extrachromosomal DNA. Giant cancer cells are also a common histological finding in other sarcoma types, such as dedifferentiated liposarcomas. Aims: This study aims to leverage single cell sequencing approaches to determine the evolutionary history and genomic landscape of giant cancer cells in sarcomas. Methods: 112 giant cancer cells identified in 8 USARCs, 1 dedifferentiated liposarcoma (DDLPS) and 1 myxofibrosarcoma by histology (i.e. nuclear size and shape, as well as multi-nucleation) were isolated via laser capture microdissection thereby retaining important spatial and morphological information. Once isolated, single cell DNA was extracted and amplified using the Ampli1 whole genome amplification (WGA) kit and underwent WGS. DNA was also estimated at a single cell level in one USARC using FACS. Once sorted into different ploidy populations, single nuclei also underwent WGS. Allele specific copy number aberrations (CNAs) were inferred in all single cells. Bulk tumour and normal WGS was also performed. Results: LCM isolated giant cancer cells exhibited extreme sub-clonal heterogeneity with some demonstrating de novo chromothripsis events that was not present in bulk WGS. FACS analysis and copy number inference of single cancer cells in one USARC also revealed the presence of three ploidy populations, including a haploid, a near diploid and a WGD population. Single cell WGS and copy number profiling demonstrated that following near genome scale haploidisation, multiple haploid cells underwent successive rounds of WGD. Conclusions: Chromothripsis and WGD emerges as major contributors to intra-tumor heterogeneity in sarcoma giant cancer cells. Single cell LCM and WGS revealed that some giant cancer cells contained de novo chromothripsis events that were not observed in bulk WGS. Multiple sub-clonal WGD events also permitted one USARC to continue to explore its fitness landscape contributing to ongoing tumor heterogeneity and lethality. Citation Format: Amy Bowes, Tom Lesluyes, Sara Waise, Annelien Verfaillie, Adrienne Flanagan, Jonas Demeulemeester, Maxime Tarabichi, Nischalan Pillay, Peter Van Loo. Profiling the evolutionary history of giant cancer cells in sarcomas: Hopeful monsters or an evolutionary dead end [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2024; Part 1 (Regular Abstracts); 2024 Apr 5-10; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2024;84(6_Suppl):Abstract nr 4340.

Abstract 6224: Drop-like deformation of nuclei in cancer patient tissue

Abstract In this study, we investigated nuclear deformations in cancer tissues and their clinical relevance to diagnostics. Introduction: Cancers are graded by pathologists examining biopsy slides stained with hematoxylin and eosin for factors including nuclear atypia, which can include features like lobules, invaginations, large nuclear size, and prominent nucleoli. While the importance of nuclear atypia has been known for centuries, its cause remains unclear. Nuclear shaping has been studied extensively in vitro, leading to the liquid drop model of nuclear shaping, which states that nuclear shape changes can occur due to excess area in the form of wrinkles or folds in the lamina. When the lamina becomes fully taut, the nucleus reaches a limiting steady shape. Wrinkles allow the nuclear shape to mirror the cell shape such as in invading cancer cells. The applicability of this model to nuclei in cancer tissues from human patients is untested. Here, tissues were stained for nuclear lamina proteins to test for the presence of excess area in the lamina. Diagnostic relevance of the drop model was assessed by quantitative Fourier analysis of high-resolution images of lamin-stained nuclei. Methods: Deidentified patient tissues from breast, colon, head and neck, and skin were immunostained for lamin B1 and imaged at high resolution (60X, 1.5 NA). Nuclei were then roughly segmented by the deep learning program Cellpose, followed by segmentation with a custom approach that sensitively detects micron-scale variations in the laminar contour. An Elliptical Fourier Analysis was performed to quantify nuclear irregularity by describing nuclear shape with a series of elliptical harmonics. More irregular nuclei are described by larger Fourier coefficients at higher frequencies. Results: Folds and wrinkles in the nuclear lamina were observed in healthy tissue from all four tissue types studied, indicating the presence of excess area in the lamina. The presence of irregular nuclear shape including wrinkling/folds in the lamina was quantified with the Elliptical Fourier Coefficient (EFC) ratio. Posterior probability analysis related EFC ratio to tumor grade to assess the clinical value of the excess area found in the nuclear lamina. This revealed cancer-type dependent trends between EFC ratio and tumor grade. Conclusions: Observations of wrinkling/folds in the nuclear lamina in healthy and cancerous tissue are consistent with the liquid drop model of nuclear deformation. Quantification of nuclear lamina wrinkling with the EFC ratio, along with other nuclear shape parameters, can be a powerful approach for computer-based, explainable, clinical grading. Our findings reveal a fundamental principle of nuclear deformation in cancer tissues and suggest a new approach for improving the accuracy in cancer grading. Citation Format: Christina R. Dubell, Ting-Ching Wang, Ishita Singh, Daniel G. Rosen, Saptarshi Chakraborty, Tanmay P. Lele. Drop-like deformation of nuclei in cancer patient tissue [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2024; Part 1 (Regular Abstracts); 2024 Apr 5-10; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2024;84(6_Suppl):Abstract nr 6224.

Abstract 888: Uncovering clinically relevant omics signatures from pan-cancer imaging and multi-omics data integration

Abstract Despite advancements in deep learning for histopathology, integrating these insights with multi-omics data to uncover clinically relevant omics pathway-level signatures remains a challenge. Our study addresses this gap by applying unsupervised learning techniques on pan-cancer multi-omics data, leveraging 3,080 Hematoxylin and Eosin (H&E) images from 1,010 patients in Clinical Proteomic Tumor Analysis Consortium (CPTAC) to uncover omics pathway-level signatures that drive discernable morphology phenotypes at the tissue level. First, imaging models were trained to predict clinical and mutation outcomes, and thereafter, integrated with transcriptomic and proteomic expression data using sparse canonical correlation analysis. Our findings reveal that images of TP53 mutated samples exhibited increased nuclear size and dense lymphoplasmacytic infiltration. These morphological changes correlated with neutrophil and macrophage signaling at the proteomic level, and IL-1 mediated signaling at the transcriptomic level, highlighting the complementary perspectives different omics can provide. To further elucidate immune interactions, we applied multi-omics deconvolution to identify 7 immune subtypes, characterizing each with gene set enrichment, germline DNA variations, and kinase activations. We show that imaging models trained to predict these subtypes differentiate tissue morphologies corresponding to immune enrichment (AUROC: 0.84). To further confirm the robustness of our approach, we trained models to predict co-regulated proteomic modules clustered by independent component analysis. We demonstrate a signature in pan-squamous tumors, consisting of T cell markers and interferon-gamma response proteins like CD4, CD48, and GBP5, which imaging models can successfully predict from histopathology. Manual review from pathologists confirmed lymphocytic T-cell density as a differentiator in samples with the highest and lowest T-cell signaling. Together, these approaches demonstrate that genomic characteristics discovered via unbiased mining of pan-cancer multi-omics data manifest as quantitative imaging phenotypes. These results underscore the potential of multi-omics and digital pathology to integratively uncover and confirm new cancer biology. Our ongoing work will explore predicting drug response and survival from morphology patterns related to multi-omics signatures. Citation Format: Joshua Wang, Runyu Hong, Jimin Tan, Wenke Liu, David Fenyȯ. Uncovering clinically relevant omics signatures from pan-cancer imaging and multi-omics data integration [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2024; Part 1 (Regular Abstracts); 2024 Apr 5-10; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2024;84(6_Suppl):Abstract nr 888.

Nuclear charge radius predictions based on eXtreme Gradient Boosting

Nuclear charge radii with 8 ≤ Z ≤ 100 are studied based on the eXtreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost) method. Besides the proton, neutron, and mass numbers, the physical quantities related to the isospin, shell, and pairing effects are important to improve the performance of the XGBoost method by including them as the input variables. The XGBoost method describes the nuclear charge radii better than the Skyrme-Hartree–Fock-Bogoliubov (HFB)-21 model, especially for odd-Z nuclei. The root-mean-square deviation with respect to the experimental data is reduced from 0.025 fm of the HFB-21 model to 0.012 fm of the XGBoost method in the learning set. It is found that the XGBoost method has reliable extrapolation ability at least for the nuclei not far from the learning region, which is verified by comparison with the data in the newly measured experimental data. When extrapolated to the unknown region, the XGBoost predictions of charge radii are close to the HFB-21 results, and the deviations between them are generally less than 0.1 fm even within about 20 steps from the known region.

STUDYING INELASTIC TRANSVERSE ELECTRON SCATTERING FORM FACTORS OF THE ISOSCALAR TRANSITIONS IN 10B NUCLEUS

The inelastic transverse electron scattering form factors are studied for the fourisoscalar transitions for the states of 10B nucleus. These states are specifiedby J T  =1+0 (0.718 MeV), 1 0 2 (2.154 MeV), 2+0 (3.587 MeV) and 3 0 2 (4.774MeV). These form factors are analyzed in the framework of the harmonic oscillatorshell model.The transverse form factors have been calculated in the framework of the multinucleonconfiguration mixing shell model using the two-body interaction of Cohenand Kurath (C-K) to generate the 1p-shell wave function. The core polarization (CP)effects are included in the calculations through effective g-factors. A higherconfiguration effect outside the 1p-shell model space enhances the form factors forq-values and reasonably reproduces the data. The value of the size parameter (b) ischosen to reproduce the root mean square charge radius. The present results arecompared with available experimental data and with that of other models.PACS:21.60-n,21.60 Cs, 25.30Dh,27.20 th

FAK, vinculin, and talin control mechanosensitive YAP nuclear localization

Focal adhesions (FAs) are nanoscale complexes containing clustered integrin receptors and intracellular structural and signaling proteins that function as principal sites of mechanotransduction in part via promoting the nuclear translocation and activation of the transcriptional coactivator yes-associated protein (YAP). Knockdown of FA proteins such as focal adhesion kinase (FAK), talin, and vinculin can prevent YAP nuclear localization. However, the mechanism(s) of action remain poorly understood. Herein, we investigated the role of different functional domains in vinculin, talin, and FAK in regulating YAP nuclear localization. Using genetic or pharmacological inhibition of fibroblasts and human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) adhering to deformable substrates, we find that disruption of vinculin-talin binding versus talin-FAK binding reduces YAP nuclear localization and transcriptional activity via different mechanisms. Disruption of vinculin-talin binding or knockdown of talin-1 reduces nuclear size, traction forces, and YAP nuclear localization. In contrast, disruption of the talin binding site on FAK or elimination of FAK catalytic activity did not alter nuclear size yet still prevented YAP nuclear localization and activity. These data support both nuclear tension-dependent and independent models for matrix stiffness-regulated YAP nuclear localization. Our results highlight the importance of vinculin-talin-FAK interactions at FAs of adherent cells, controlling YAP nuclear localization and activity.

Kaon structure in the nuclear medium within the light front approach

We study the properties of the charged kaon in symmetric nuclear matter using a Bethe-Salpeter amplitude to model the quark-antiquark bound state, which is well constrained by previous studies of its vacuum properties. The electromagnetic form factor, charge radius, decay constant, and the light-front valence component probability are investigated in symmetric nuclear matter. In order to describe the constituent up and antistrange quarks in nuclear matter, we adopt the “quark-meson coupling (QMC) model,” which has been widely applied to various hadronic and nuclear phenomena in the nuclear medium. Published by the American Physical Society 2024

Combined use of multiparametric high-content-screening and in vitro circadian reporter assays in neurotoxicity evaluation.

Accumulating evidence indicates that chronic circadian rhythm disruption is associated with the development of neurodegenerative diseases induced by exposure to neurotoxic chemicals. Herein, we examined the relationship between cellular circadian rhythm disruption and cytotoxicity in neural cells. Moreover, we evaluated the potential application of an in vitro cellular circadian rhythm assay in determining circadian rhythm disruption as a sensitive and early marker of neurotoxicant-induced adverse effects. To explore these objectives, we established an in vitro cellular circadian rhythm assay using human glioblastoma (U87 MG) cells stably transfected with a circadian reporter vector (PER2-dLuc) and determined the lowest-observed-adverse-effect levels (LOAELs) of several common neurotoxicants. Additionally, we determined the LOAEL of each compound on multiple cytotoxicity endpoints (nuclear size [NC], mitochondrial membrane potential [MMP], calcium ions, or lipid peroxidation) using a multiparametric high-content screening (HCS) assay using transfected U87 MG cells treated with the same neurotoxicants for 24 and 72h. Based on our findings, the LOAEL for cellular circadian rhythm disruption for most chemicals was slightly higher than that for most cytotoxicity indicators detected using HCS, and the LOAEL for MMP in the first 24h was the closest to that for cellular circadian rhythm disruption. Dietary antioxidants (methylselenocysteine and N-acetyl-l-cysteine) prevented or restored neurotoxicant-induced cellular circadian rhythm disruption. Our results suggest that cellular circadian rhythm disruption is as sensitive as cytotoxicity indicators and occurs early as much as cytotoxic events during disease development. Moreover, the in vitro cellular circadian rhythm assay warrants further evaluation as an early screening tool for neurotoxicants.

Synthesis and tensile properties of biomass‐based cis‐1,4‐polybutadiene using erythritol‐derived 1,3‐butadiene as a monomer

AbstractTransition metal–catalyzed polymerization of 1,3‐butadiene obtained from the erythritol, a kind of biomass product, was investigated to evaluate the effect of byproducts in the synthesis of 1,3‐butadiene from erythritol. Nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy and size exclusion chromatography results show that cis‐1,4‐polybutadiene can be selectively obtained using biomass 1,3‐butadiene model gas, which contains 1‐butene, cis‐2‐butene, and trans‐2‐butene, or erythritol‐derived 1,3‐butadiene, and no effect of butenes on the conversion rate or the microstructure of the resulting polymer was observed compared with using naphtha‐derived 1,3‐butadiene. The vulcanizate of the cis‐1,4‐polybutadiene obtained using 1,3‐butadiene having a biomass model gas containing butenes has mechanical properties equivalent to those of naphtha‐derived polybutadiene in tensile tests. This demonstrates that erythritol can be used as a new raw material for cis‐1,4‐polybutadiene.

Isovector Axial Charge and Form Factors of Nucleons from Lattice QCD

A survey of the calculations of the isovector axial vector form factor of the nucleon using lattice QCD is presented. Attention is paid to statistical and systematic uncertainties, in particular those due to excited state contributions. Based on a comparison of results from various collaborations, a case is made that lattice results are consistent within 10%. A similar level of uncertainty is in the axial charge gAu−d, the mean squared axial charge radius ⟨rA2⟩, the induced pseudoscalar charge gP∗, and the pion–nucleon coupling gπNN. Even with the current methodology, a significant reduction in errors is expected over the next few years with higher statistics data on more ensembles closer to the physical point. Lattice QCD results for the form factor GA(Q2) are compatible with those obtained from the recent MINERνA experiment but lie 2–3σ higher than the phenomenological extraction from the old ν–deuterium bubble chamber scattering data for Q2>0.3 GeV2. Current data show that the dipole ansatz does not have enough parameters to fit the form factor over the range 0≤Q2≤1 GeV2, whereas even a z2 truncation of the z expansion or a low order Padé are sufficient. Looking ahead, lattice QCD calculations will provide increasingly precise results over the range 0≤Q2≤1 GeV2, and MINERνA-like experiments will extend the range to Q2∼2 GeV2 or higher. Nevertheless, improvements in lattice methods to (i) further control excited state contributions and (ii) extend the range of Q2 are needed.

Investigation of the Reaction between a Homemade PEEK Oligomer and an Epoxy Prepolymer: Optimisation of Critical Parameters Using Physico-Chemical Methods.

Several researchers have examined the interest in using a thermoplastic to increase thermoset polymers' shock resistance. However, fewer studies have examined the nature of the mechanisms involved between both kinds of polymers. This was the objective of our work, which was carried out using a gradual approach. First, we describe the synthesis of a poly(ether ether ketone) oligomer (oPEEK) with hydroxyl terminations from the reaction of hydroquinone and 4,4'-difluorobenzophenone in N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone. Then, the main physicochemical properties of this oligomer were determined using different thermal analyses (i.e., differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), thermogravimetric (ATG), and thermomechanical analyses) to isolate its response alone. The chemical characterisation of this compound using conventional analytical chemistry techniques was more complex due to its insolubility. To this end, it was sulfonated, according to a well-known process, to make it soluble and enable nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and size exclusion chromatography (SEC) experiments. Additional information about the structural and chemical characteristics of the oligomer and its average molecular weight could thus be obtained. The synthesis of an oligoPEEK with α,ω-hydroxyl end-groups and a molecular weight of around 5070 g/mol was thus confirmed by NMR. This value was in accordance with that determined by SEC analysis. Next, the reaction of oPEEK with an epoxy prepolymer was demonstrated using DSC and dynamic rheometry. To this end, uncured mixtures of epoxy prepolymer (DGEBA) with different proportions of oPEEK (3, 5, 10 and 25%) were prepared and characterised by both techniques. Ultimately, the epoxy-oPEEK mixture was cured with isophorone diamine. Finally, topological analyses were performed by atomic force microscopy (AFM) in tapping mode to investigate the interface quality between the epoxy matrix and the oPEEK particles indirectly. No defects, such as decohesion areas, microvoids, or cracks, were observed between both systems.

Precision-Spectroscopic Determination of the Binding Energy of a Two-Body Quantum System: The Hydrogen Atom and the Proton-Size Puzzle.

Precision measurements in Rydberg states of H with principal quantum number n in the range between 20 and 30 are reported. In the presence of homogeneous electric fields with strengths below 2 V cm^{-1}, these Rydberg states are subject to a linear Stark effect with accurately calculable Stark shifts. From the spectral positions of field-independent and field-dependent Rydberg-Stark states, we derive the n=20 and 24 Bohr energies, and the ionization energy with respect to the 2 ^{2}S_{1/2}(f=0,1) [short 2S(0,1)] metastable states. Combining these results with the 2S(1)-1S(1) transition frequency [C. G. Parthey et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 107, 203001 (2011)PRLTAO0031-900710.1103/PhysRevLett.107.203001; A. Matveev et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 110, 230801 (2013)PRLTAO0031-900710.1103/PhysRevLett.110.230801] and the 1S hyperfine splitting [L. Essen et al., Nature (London) 229, 110 (1971)NATUAS0028-083610.1038/229110a0], we determine the ionization frequency of the 1S(0) ground state to be 3 288 087 922 407.2(3.7)_{stat}(1.8)_{syst} kHz, which is the most precise value ever determined for the binding energy of a two-body quantum system. Using the 2S(0)-2P_{1/2}(1) interval [N. Bezginov et al., Science 365, 1007 (2019)SCIEAS0036-807510.1126/science.aau7807], we determine the Rydberg frequency to be cR_{∞}=3 289 841 960 204(15)_{stat}(7)_{syst}(13)_{2S-2P} kHz in a procedure that is insensitive to the value of the proton charge radius. These new results are discussed in the context of the proton-size puzzle.

Nuclear matter radii from molecular rotations using ultra-high-resolution spectroscopy

The rotational constant parametrizes the relative spacing between a molecule's rotational energy levels. It depends on the molecule's classical moments of inertia, which, in all studies, are expressed by treating the constituent nuclei as point masses separated by the bond length. We point out that treating the finite nuclear size leads to a correction to the rotational constant at the hertz level, which is resolvable with recently developed ultra-high-resolution molecular spectrometers. Nuclear-model-independent measurements of nuclear matter radii can thus be envisioned in the future using such apparatuses, advancing beyond the existing hadronic scattering experiments and further developing the intersection of nuclear and molecular physics. At the present time, it appears that the computational ability of quantum chemistry might be the limiting factor to the technical readiness of the approach. To test the premises of the proposed method, we call for benchmark experiments using HD+ that are feasible with state-of-the-art experiment and theory. Published by the American Physical Society 2024

Exploring the Nexus between Women's Literacy Rates and Family Size: A Case Study of Nepal

The literacy rate of a nation serves as a pivotal indicator of its developmental trajectory across the globe . However, in many developing countries, including those in South Asia, a notable gender disparity persists in literacy rates, with women lagging behind men. This study focuses on Nepal, a representative country in this region, utilizing data spanning thr ee decades from the National Population Census (1991 to 2021). The findings reveal a considerable rise in women's literacy rates over the thr ee decade period, marking a noteworthy shift from the substantially low rates observed in 1991. The trend consisten tly ascended in subsequent years 2001, 2011, and 2021 indicating a positive trajectory in female literacy. Crucially, an intriguing relationship emerged between women's literacy rates and family size. Historically, when female literacy rates were considera bly lower, the national average family size tended to be higher. However, with the progressive increase in female literacy rates in recent y ears, a marked shift toward smaller, nuclear family sizes, averaging around four members, was observed. This shift i mplies that literate women exhibit heightened self awareness regarding family planning, influencing the move toward maintaining smaller nuclear families. Notably, while male literacy rates exceeded 50% even three decades prior, solely bolstering male liter acy did not correlate with maintaining nuclear family sizes. The study emphasizes the unique effectiveness of female literacy in shaping and mainta ining the transition toward smaller nuclear family structures. These findings underscore the critical role of women's education in influencing family planning and size, marking a pivotal factor in shaping societal structures and developmental paradigms.

KAKU4 regulates leaf senescence through modulation of H3K27me3 deposition in the Arabidopsis genome

Lamins are the major components of the nuclear lamina, which regulate chromatin structure and gene expression. KAKU4 is a unique nuclear lamina component in the nuclear periphery, modulates nuclear shape and size in Arabidopsis. The knowledge about the regulatory role of KAKU4 in leaf development remains limited. Here we found that knockdown of KAKU4 resulted in an accelerated leaf senescence phenotype, with elevated levels of H2O2 and hormones, particularly SA, JA, and ABA. Our results demonstrated the importance of KAKU4 as a potential negative regulator in age-triggered leaf senescence in Arabidopsis. Furthermore, we conducted combination analyses of transcriptomic and epigenomic data for the kaku4 mutant and WT leaves. The knockdown of KAKU4 lowered H3K27me3 deposition in the up-regulated genes associated with hormone pathways, programmed cell death, and leaf senescence, including SARD1, SAG113/HAI1, PR2, and so forth. In addition, we found the functional crosstalks between KAKU4 and its associated proteins (CRWN1/4, PNET2, GBPL3, etc.) through comparing multiple transcriptome datasets. Overall, our results indicated that KAKU4 may inhibit the expression of a series of genes related to hormone signals and H2O2 metabolism by affecting the deposition of H3K27me3, thereby suppressing leaf senescence.

Improved relaxor ferroelectrics and energy storage performance of polycrystalline Ba0.95Sr0.05Ti2O5 ceramics modified with La dopants

Lead-free relaxor ferroelectrics are useful in energy storage applications. In particular, BaTi2O5-based dielectric materials may have great potential for such applications. In this study, polycrystalline Ba0.95Sr0.05Ti2O5-xLa (BST2-xLa) ceramics were synthesized using a standard solid-state reaction method with as-prepared nanoparticles prepared via a modified Pechini polymeric precursor method. The structural and electrical properties of the BST2-xLa ceramics were systematically investigated using a series of measurements. The phase analysis results confirm that La3+ is a donor dopant that replaced Ba2+ sites in the structure, which results in a decrease in oxygen vacancies to maintain charge neutrality. The intrinsic electronic conduction mechanism for electrical conductivity was evaluated from the fitted activation energy based on the Arrhenius equation. The relaxor ferroelectric behaviour and energy storage density and efficiency are improved by the addition of a small amount of lanthanum (<3.6 mol%) because of the charge and ionic radius mismatch in the structure. These results suggest that lanthanum can effectively optimise the relaxor ferroelectrics of BST2-xLa ceramics, which have promising potential as energy storage materials.

Giants among Cnidaria: Large Nuclear Genomes and Rearranged Mitochondrial Genomes in Siphonophores.

Siphonophores (Cnidaria: Hydrozoa) are abundant predators found throughout the ocean and are important constituents of the global zooplankton community. They range in length from a few centimeters to tens of meters. They are gelatinous, fragile, and difficult to collect, so many aspects of the biology of these roughly 200 species remain poorly understood. To survey siphonophore genome diversity, we performed Illumina sequencing of 32 species sampled broadly across the phylogeny. Sequencing depth was sufficient to estimate nuclear genome size from k-mer spectra in six specimens, ranging from 0.7 to 2.3 Gb, with heterozygosity estimates between 0.69% and 2.32%. Incremental k-mer counting indicates k-mer peaks can be absent with nearly 20× read coverage, suggesting minimum genome sizes range from 1.4 to 5.6 Gb in the 25 samples without peaks in the k-mer spectra. This work confirms most siphonophore nuclear genomes are large relative to the genomes of other cnidarians, but also identifies several with reduced size that are tractable targets for future siphonophore nuclear genome assembly projects. We also assembled complete mitochondrial genomes for 33 specimens from these new data, indicating a conserved gene order shared among nonsiphonophore hydrozoans, Cystonectae, and some Physonectae, revealing the ancestral mitochondrial gene order of siphonophores. Our results also suggest extensive rearrangement of mitochondrial genomes within other Physonectae and in Calycophorae. Though siphonophores comprise a small fraction of cnidarian species, this survey greatly expands our understanding of cnidarian genome diversity. This study further illustrates both the importance of deep phylogenetic sampling and the utility of k-mer-based genome skimming in understanding the genomic diversity of a clade.