Inactive Regions Research Articles

The comparison of Y chromosome microdeletion incidence in blood DNA and sperm cell DNA.

During gamete development and spermatogenesis, certain genes on the Y chromosome (Yq) in the Male-Specific Region (MSR) are responsible for human gametes formation. The long arm Yq is composed of both euchromatin and the genetically inactive heterochromatin regions. This region contains the Azoospermia factors AZFa, AZFb and AZFc. In the case of male infertility, microdeletions on the Yq chromosome appear to be structural chromosomal anomalies linked to sperm abnormality. The present study aimed to look at the incidence, of Asthenospermia (AS), Teratospermia (TS), Oligospermia (OS) and Oligoasthenoteratospermia (OAT) patterns of Y chromosomal microdeletions in Indian infertile men with an (AZF a, b, c). This study was conducted with 75 infertile men as cases and 75 fertile men as a control for AZF locus microdeletion utilizing sequence-tagged sites. The AZFc region of germ cell DNA (50.6%) was the most deleted section in infertile men when compared to blood DNA (21.3%), followed by deletions in the AZFb region (21.3%) in germ cell DNA whereas blood DNA had no microdeletion in the AZFa region in both germ cell DNA and blood DNA. Infertile men displayed significant Yq microdeletion in both AZFb and also AZFc. Around 33% (25) of 75 infertile men had AZF (a, b, c) region microdeletion in blood DNA, compared to it germ cell DNA had a larger percentage of 72% (54) of Y chromosome microdeletions in the study samples. A high-frequency rate of microdeletions seen in germ cell DNA. PCR-based Y chromosome microdeletion screening using germ cell DNA along with Genomic DNA might help in screening for genetic abnormality in infertile men who endure assisted reproductive technology treatments. This study might be attributable to the interplay of lifestyle and genetic factors, both contributing to the risk of developing these germ-line deletions.

Lead Responses and Tolerance Mechanisms of Koelreuteria paniculata: A Newly Potential Plant for Sustainable Phytoremediation of Pb-Contaminated Soil.

Phytoremediation could be an alternative strategy for lead (Pb) contamination. K. paniculata has been reported as a newly potential plant for sustainable phytoremediation of Pb-contaminated soil. Physiological indexes, enrichment accumulation characteristics, Pb subcellular distribution and microstructure of K. paniculata were carefully studied at different levels of Pb stress (0-1200 mg/L). The results showed that plant growth increased up to 123.8% and 112.7%, relative to the control group when Pb stress was 200 mg/L and 400 mg/L, respectively. However, the average height and biomass of K. paniculata decrease when the Pb stress continues to increase. In all treatment groups, the accumulation of Pb in plant organs showed a trend of root > stem > leaf, and Pb accumulation reached 81.31%~86.69% in the root. Chlorophyll content and chlorophyll a/b showed a rising trend and then fell with increasing Pb stress. Catalase (CAT) and peroxidase (POD) activity showed a positive trend followed by a negative decline, while superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity significantly increased with increasing levels of Pb exposure stress. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) showed that Pb accumulates in the inactive metabolic regions (cell walls and vesicles) in roots and stems, which may be the main mechanism for plants to reduce Pb biotoxicity. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) showed that Pb stress increased the content of intracellular -OH and -COOH functional groups. Through organic acids, polysaccharides, proteins and other compounds bound to Pb, the adaptation and tolerance of K. paniculata to Pb were enhanced. K. paniculata showed good phytoremediation potential and has broad application prospects for heavy metal-contaminated soil.

Deep learning-assisted genome-wide characterization of massively parallel reporter assays.

Massively parallel reporter assay (MPRA) is a high-throughput method that enables the study of the regulatory activities of tens of thousands of DNA oligonucleotides in a single experiment. While MPRA experiments have grown in popularity, their small sample sizes compared to the scale of the human genome limits our understanding of the regulatory effects they detect. To address this, we develop a deep learning model, MpraNet, to distinguish potential MPRA targets from the background genome. This model achieves high discriminative performance (AUROC=0.85) at differentiating MPRA positives from a set of control variants that mimic the background genome when applied to the lymphoblastoid cell line. We observe that existing functional scores represent very distinct functional effects, and most of them fail to characterize the regulatory effect that MPRA detects. Using MpraNet, we predict potential MPRA functional variants across the genome and identify the distributions of MPRA effect relative to other characteristics of genetic variation, including allele frequency, alternative functional annotations specified by FAVOR, and phenome-wide associations. We also observed that the predicted MPRA positives are not uniformly distributed across the genome; instead, they are clumped together in active regions comprising 9.95% of the genome and inactive regions comprising 89.07% of the genome. Furthermore, we propose our model as a screen to filter MPRA experiment candidates at genome-wide scale, enabling future experiments to be more cost-efficient by increasing precision relative to that observed from previous MPRAs.

Mean-field games of finite-fuel capacity expansion with singular controls

We study Nash equilibria for a sequence of symmetric N-player stochastic games of finite-fuel capacity expansion with singular controls and their mean-field game (MFG) counterpart. We construct a solution of the MFG via a simple iterative scheme that produces an optimal control in terms of a Skorokhod reflection at a (state-dependent) surface that splits the state space into action and inaction regions. We then show that a solution of the MFG of capacity expansion induces approximate Nash equilibria for the N-player games with approximation error ε going to zero as N tends to infinity. Our analysis relies entirely on probabilistic methods and extends the well-known connection between singular stochastic control and optimal stopping to a mean-field framework.

Estimation of ground motion due to induced seismicity at a geothermal power plant near Munich, Germany, using numerical simulations

In the North Alpine Foreland Basin, especially in the greater Munich area, several geothermal plants exploit a deep hydrothermal reservoir. So far at three sites events with ML>2.0 were detected, in an otherwise seismically inactive region. In this study we investigate a site east of Munich, where moderate seismicity started to appear around five years after the beginning of geothermal circulation. Two larger events (ML2.1/1.8) occurred in December 2016, followed by an additional ML2.1 event about 10 months later in September 2017. All three events occurred at about 3 km depth and were felt by the population. As this is a densely inhabited area, the estimation of the maximum ground motion and its distribution are of great importance for the authorities and the public. We perform 3D seismic simulations of the main events using the spectral element code SALVUS. The results can supplement recorded and macroseismic data in order to estimate the possible seismic impact in the area. In addition, we evaluate the influence of the uncertainties contained in the event parameters and in the subsurface model on the maximum peak ground velocity (PGV) values to calibrate the simulations. The simulated waveforms are mostly in good agreement with the ground motion recordings. Furthermore, the ground motion distribution coincides with the macroseismic data. According to the simulation results, even the largest event in the area did not exceed the critical PGV value of 5 mm/s defined by German norms and therefore had no damage potential. Such a numerical approach can help to improve the seismic monitoring network, identify affected zones and mitigate the seismic risk.

Relating Vertical Velocity and Cloud/Precipitation Properties: A Numerical Cloud Ensemble Modeling Study of Tropical Convection

AbstractFundamental relationships exist between cloud and precipitation development and their dynamic processes. Latent heat released by cloud/precipitation formation affects cloud vertical motions, which in turn affect convective cloud development. Here, a cloud‐resolving model is used to relate cloud properties and latent heating with cloud drafts using 15‐day simulations for an oceanic and continental environment. The results show condensation, deposition, and freezing occur mainly in moderate (3–5 m s−1) to strong (>10 m s−1) updrafts, evaporation and sublimation mainly in weak (1–2 m s−1) to moderate downdrafts, and melting in moderate updrafts and downdrafts. Active updrafts cover only a small percentage of the model domain but contribute significantly to the latent heat release and are associated with large proportions of the hydrometeors. Active updrafts with vertical velocities exceeding 1 and 2 m s−1 account for more than 75% and 50%, respectively, of the condensation, deposition, and freezing in both the oceanic and continental cases. However, active downdrafts with vertical velocity magnitudes exceeding |1 m s−1| account for less than 40% and 25%, respectively, of the evaporation and sublimation. More evaporation and sublimation than condensation and deposition occur in the inactive cloud regions. Sensitivity tests are also conducted to assess the impact of model grid spacing (1,000 m vs. 250 m) and microphysical schemes (3 ice classes vs. 4 ice classes) on latent heat release and hydrometeor amount. The results show that model resolution had more impact than the microphysics on the simulated cloud properties in both cases.

A simplicial analysis of the fMRI data from human brain dynamics under functional cognitive tasks.

The topological analysis of fMRI time series data has recently been used to characterize the identification of patterns of brain activity seen during specific tasks carried out under experimentally controlled conditions. This study uses the methods of algebraic topology to characterize time series networks constructed from fMRI data measured for adult and children populations carrying out differentiated reading tasks. Our pilot study shows that our methods turn out to be capable of identifying distinct differences between the activity of adult and children populations carrying out identical reading tasks. We also see differences between activity patterns seen when subjects recognize word and nonword patterns. The results generalize across different populations, different languages and different active and inactive brain regions.

Evolutionary design of compact counterflow heat exchanger

Abstract This investigation includes a geometric optimization for a compact heat exchanger built from hexagonal channels with the rely of Constructal design. A three-dimensional numerical analysis based on the finite volume method (FVM) are conducted to identify hydrodynamic and thermal behaviors of the counterflow arrays. We considered several configurations for the inactive channel emerged from packing the hexagonal channels within the compact heat exchanger, considering the easier access for the heat from the hot fluid to the cold fluid. The hexagonal arrays considered for the CFD study is first assumed to be well insulated. The hot and cold fluids (water) flow with variable Reynolds numbers; 10, 100, 200 and 300. The results are presented in term of heat transfer effectiveness, thermal conductance, and the thermal-to-flow performances ratio. The CFD code was verified with an experiment work to assess the accuracy of the current numerical analysis. Triangular channels (β = 1) employed in the inactive region showed better performance for the counterflow hexagonal bundle. High pressure drop is associated with the trapezoidal shape especially with smaller hydraulic diameter (small cross-sectional area).

Dust mobilization in the presence of magnetic fields.

We present a study of surface dust mobilization due to photoelectric charging in the presence of a magnetic field. Dust mobilization is observed to be inhibited in certain regions and is correlated with the orientation of the magnetic field. The recent patched charge model, which describes a mechanism for dust charging and mobilization, is extended to explain the effects of magnetic fields seen in our laboratory results. We propose that ambient electrons collected in photoemitting areas precipitate changes in the emission and reabsorption of photoelectrons inside microcavities between dust grains. This affects the charging, repulsion, and subsequent mobilization of the dust grains surrounding the microcavities. The magnetic field controls the movement of ambient electrons across the dusty surface, resulting in active and inactive regions of dust mobilization. Computer simulations show that regions of ambient electron accumulation as imposed by the magnetic field match the areas of high dust activity.

Structural design and experimental analysis for AlN Lamb-wave resonators with different electrical boundary conditions

This paper presents an Aluminum Nitride (AlN) Lamb-wave resonator with high series-resonance quality factors (Qs) and good spectral purity. The influence of the interdigitated (IDT) electrode width and electrical boundary condition was theoretically analyzed to improve effective electro-mechanical coupling coefficient (k2eff) and spectral purity. According to the structural characteristic of the designed resonators, an advanced micro-manufacturing process was designed. A thermal oxide layer was employed to avoid the etching of inactive regions, which contributes to achieving the high Qs and high-yield fabrication. The measured results show the IDT-ground resonators with 12 μm and 6 μm electrode periods exhibit Qs values as high as 4457.1 and 2625.1, and k2eff of 0.61% and 0.33%, respectively. The IDT-IDT resonators have higher k2eff, but their Qs values are severely attenuated. Through observing their section morphologies, the measured shear angles of the bottom IDT electrodes with 12 μm and 6 μm periods are 54.95° and 65.7° respectively, and the surface AlN film has tiny cracks, which induces the performance deterioration of the IDT-IDT resonators. Moreover, the influence of the IDT material on the resonator’s performance was also analyzed.

In Situ Imaging of Catalytic Reactions on Tungsten Oxide Nanowires Connects Surface-Ligand Redox Chemistry with Photocatalytic Activity.

Semiconductor nanocrystals are promising candidates for generating chemical feedstocks through photocatalysis. Understanding the role of ligands used to prepare colloidal nanocrystals in catalysis is challenging due to the complexity and heterogeneity of nanocrystal surfaces. We use in situ single-molecule fluorescence imaging to map the spatial distribution of active regions along individual tungsten oxide nanowires before and after functionalizing them with ascorbic acid. Rather than blocking active sites, we observed a significant enhancement in activity for photocatalytic water oxidation after treatment with ascorbic acid. While the initial nanowires contain inactive regions dispersed along their length, the functionalized nanowires show high uniformity in their photocatalytic activity. Spatial colocalization of the active regions with their surface chemical properties shows that oxidation of ascorbic acid during photocatalysis generates new oxygen vacancies along the nanowire surface. We demonstrate that controlling surface-ligand redox chemistry during photocatalysis can enhance the active site concentration on nanocrystal catalysts.

Spatiotemporal heterogeneity of entanglement in many-body localized systems

We propose a spatio-temporal characterization of the entanglement dynamics in many-body localized (MBL) systems, which exhibits a striking resemblance with dynamical heterogeneity in classical glasses. Specifically, we find that the relaxation times of local entanglement, as measured by the concurrence, are spatially correlated yielding a dynamical length scale for quantum entanglement. As a consequence of this spatio-temporal analysis, we observe that the considered MBL system is made up of dynamically correlated clusters with a size set by this entanglement length scale. The system decomposes into compartments of different activity such as active regions with fast quantum entanglement dynamics and inactive regions where the dynamics is slow. We further find that the relaxation times of the on-site concurrence become broader distributed and more spatially correlated, as disorder increases or the energy of the initial state decreases. Through this spatio-temporal characterization of entanglement, our work unravels a previously unrecognized connection between the behavior of classical glasses and the genuine quantum dynamics of MBL systems.

The competition between the hydrodynamic instability from noise and magnetorotational instability in the Keplerian disks

We venture for the comparison between growth rates for magnetorotational instability (MRI) and hydrodynamics instability in the presence of an extra force in the local Keplerian accretion flow. The underlying model is described by the Orr–Sommerfeld and Squire equations in the presence of rotation, magnetic field, and an extra force, plausibly noise with a nonzero mean. We obtain MRI using the Wentzel–Kramers–Brillouin approximation without extra force for a purely vertical magnetic field and vertical wavevector of the perturbations. Expectedly, MRI is active within a range of magnetic field, which changes depending on the perturbation wavevector magnitude. Next, to check the effect of noise on the growth rates, a quartic dispersion relation has been obtained. Among those four solutions for the growth rate, the one that reduces to the MRI growth rate at the limit of vanishing mean of noise in the MRI active region of the magnetic field is mostly dominated by MRI. However, in the MRI inactive region, in the presence of noise, the solution turns out to be unstable, which is almost independent of the magnetic field. Another growth rate, which is almost complementary to the previous one, leads to stability at the limit of vanishing noise. The remaining two growth rates, which correspond to the hydrodynamical growth rates at the limit of the vanishing magnetic field, are completely different from the MRI growth rate. More interestingly, the latter growth rates are larger than that of the MRI. If we consider viscosity, the growth rates decrease depending on the Reynolds number.

Slip Characteristics of Induced Earthquakes: Insights From the 2015 Mw 4.0 Guthrie, Oklahoma Earthquake

AbstractTo better quantify how injection, prior seismicity, and fault properties control rupture growth and propagation of induced earthquakes, we perform a finite‐fault slip inversion on a Mw 4.0 earthquake that occurred in April 2015, the largest earthquake in an induced sequence near Guthrie, Oklahoma. The slip inversion reveals a rupture with slip patches that are anti‐correlated to the locations of prior seismicity. The prior seismicity driven by low pore pressure changes and static stress changes occurred on weaker portions of the fault, while the Mw 4.0 earthquake likely ruptured relatively stronger portions of the fault. To resolve if pore pressure changes or the initial underlying stress distribution and fault strength controlled the final slip distribution of the Guthrie Mw 4.0 earthquake, we compare strike‐slip events of similar magnitude from tectonically active regions and previously inactive regions. Earthquakes on reactivated faults exhibit different slip distributions than active regions, they have more prominent and well separated slip patches, a behavior often associated with faults of lower fault maturity. Pore pressure shows little effect on the distributions. These observations suggest that the initial underlying stress distribution and fault strength of reactivated faults in low deformation regions is the primary controlling factor of the slip distribution with pore pressure perturbations and earthquake interactions being secondary. Therefore, Guthrie Mw 4.0 earthquakes slip distribution was enhanced by pore‐pressure perturbations and earthquake interactions by creating an optimal stress state for its failure, but the slip distribution itself is controlled by its fault's initial stress and strength state.

Transcription of ncRNAs promotes repair of UV induced DNA lesions in Saccharomyces cerevisiae subtelomeres.

Ultraviolet light causes DNA lesions that are removed by nucleotide excision repair (NER). The efficiency of NER is conditional to transcription and chromatin structure. UV induced photoproducts are repaired faster in the gene transcribed strands than in the non-transcribed strands or in transcriptionally inactive regions of the genome. This specificity of NER is known as transcription-coupled repair (TCR). The discovery of pervasive non-coding RNA transcription (ncRNA) advocates for ubiquitous contribution of TCR to the repair of UV photoproducts, beyond the repair of active gene-transcribed strands. Chromatin rules transcription, and telomeres form a complex structure of proteins that silences nearby engineered ectopic genes. The essential protective function of telomeres also includes preventing unwanted repair of double-strand breaks. Thus, telomeres were thought to be transcriptionally inert, but more recently, ncRNA transcription was found to initiate in subtelomeric regions. On the other hand, induced DNA lesions like the UV photoproducts must be recognized and repaired also at the ends of chromosomes. In this study, repair of UV induced DNA lesions was analyzed in the subtelomeric regions of budding yeast. The T4-endonuclease V nicking-activity at cyclobutene pyrimidine dimer (CPD) sites was exploited to monitor CPD formation and repair. The presence of two photoproducts, CPDs and pyrimidine (6,4)-pyrimidones (6-4PPs), was verified by the effective and precise blockage of Taq DNA polymerase at these sites. The results indicate that UV photoproducts in silenced heterochromatin are slowly repaired, but that ncRNA transcription enhances NER throughout one subtelomeric element, called Y', and in distinct short segments of the second, more conserved element, called X. Therefore, ncRNA-transcription dependent TCR assists global genome repair to remove CPDs and 6-4PPs from subtelomeric DNA.

Volcanic Activity on Venus: How Long Must We Look to Find a Smoking Gun?

AbstractWhile volcanic landforms attest to the numerous and varied volcanic processes on Venus, estimates of the frequency of volcanic eruptions are lacking. Constraints from volcanic resurfacing volumes can be equally satisfied by infrequent large eruptions or numerous smaller events. Recently, Byrne and Krishnamoorthy (2022), https://doi.org/10.1029/2021JE007040, used the 40‐year period from 1980 to 2020 from the Smithsonian Global Volcanism Program (GVP) database (Global Volcanism Program, 2013) to extrapolate the frequency of volcanic events on Earth to Venus. They evaluated the tectonic settings from the GVP database and provided estimates that consider the differences in those settings between Earth and Venus. Byrne and Krishnamoorthy extrapolated the rate of volcanism between Earth and Venus using the mass/volume ratios, freeing their results from the uncertain tectonic evolution of Venus. The assumption that Venus is in a stagnant‐lid tectonic regime with a straight‐forward geodynamic evolution has been challenged by Weller and Kiefer (2020), https://doi.org/10.1029/2019je005960, who showed that a planetary surface may reflect different styles of convection with highly active and sluggish and inactive regions occurring at the same time. The straight‐forward scaling allowed Byrne and Krishnamoorthy to estimate that as many as 120 eruptions might take place on Venus every year, a frequency that should be detectable by upcoming Venus missions.

Abstract OT1-14-01: Zanidatamab in combination with ALX148 in advanced human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-expressing cancers, including breast cancer: A phase 1b/2, multicenter, open-label, dose-finding and cohort-expansion study (ZWI-ZW25-204)

Abstract Background: HER2-targeted therapies have led to marked improvements in survival for patients with HER2-positive breast cancer. Despite the gains obtained with current HER2-targeted therapies, an unmet medical need remains for patients with HER2-expressing (high or low expression) advanced breast cancer that has progressed after prior treatments. Zanidatamab is a novel HER2-targeted bispecific antibody that has multiple mechanisms of action, including immune clearance of HER2-expressing tumor cells through antibody-dependent cellular phagocytosis. Zanidatamab has been shown to be well-tolerated and has demonstrated antitumor activity, both as monotherapy and in combination with chemotherapy, across HER2-expressing solid tumors in a Phase 1 study. ALX148 is a high affinity CD47-blocking fusion protein with an inactive human immunoglobulin Fc region designed to enhance the activity of anticancer therapies, including antibodies, with minimal added hematologic toxicity. Treatment with zanidatamab in combination with ALX148 has the potential to augment the immune clearance of HER2-expressing cancer cells by blocking the CD47-SIRPa interaction that inhibits phagocytosis of the same cancer cells. In a Phase 1 study, ALX148 demonstrated antitumor activity when combined with trastuzumab in patients whose disease had progressed on prior HER2-targeted therapies. Here, we describe a Phase 1b/2 study to investigate the safety and antitumor activity of a chemotherapy-free combination of zanidatamab plus ALX148 in advanced HER2-expressing cancers, including breast cancer. Methods: ZWI-ZW25-204 is a Phase 1b/2, 2-part, open-label, multicenter study to evaluate the safety and antitumor activity of zanidatamab administered in combination with ALX148 in patients with locally advanced/inoperable and/or metastatic HER2-expressing cancer. Part 1 of this study will evaluate safety and tolerability and will establish the recommended doses (RDs) of zanidatamab plus ALX148. It will include patients with either HER2-positive (defined per ASCO/CAP guidelines) or HER2-low (defined as immunohistochemistry [IHC] 1+ or IHC 2+/in situ hybridization (ISH) negative) breast cancer. Part 2 will evaluate the antitumor activity of zanidatamab plus ALX148 (at their combination therapy RDs) in 3 expansion cohorts: HER2-positive breast cancer (Cohort 1), HER2-low breast cancer (Cohort 2) and other HER2-overexpressing advanced malignancies (Cohort 3). Other key eligibility criteria include: prior use of approved agents known to confer clinical benefit, disease progression on or after the most recent systemic therapy, measurable disease per Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors version 1.1 (RECIST 1.1). Patients will receive zanidatamab and ALX148, each administered intravenously once every 2 weeks in a 28-day treatment cycle. Response assessments will be performed every 8 weeks. Primary endpoints include safety and tolerability assessments (Part 1) and confirmed objective response rate per RECIST 1.1 (Part 2). Secondary endpoints in Part 2 include disease control rate, clinical benefit rate, duration of response, progression-free survival, overall survival, safety, pharmacokinetics, and immunogenicity assessments. The study is currently open for enrollment in the United States and may enroll up to 93 patients (NCT: 05027139). Citation Format: Sara A. Hurvitz, Jorge Chaves, Adam Brufsky, Alberto J. Montero, Bruno Fang, Kay Yeung, Manish R. Patel, Ritesh Parajuli, Adam Omidpanah, Elaina Gartner, Abraham Fong, Sophia Randolph, Funda Meric-Bernstam. Zanidatamab in combination with ALX148 in advanced human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-expressing cancers, including breast cancer: A phase 1b/2, multicenter, open-label, dose-finding and cohort-expansion study (ZWI-ZW25-204) [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2021 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2021 Dec 7-10; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2022;82(4 Suppl):Abstract nr OT1-14-01.

Differences in nanoscale organization of regulatory active and inactive human chromatin

Methodological advances in conformation capture techniques have fundamentally changed our understanding of chromatin architecture. However, the nanoscale organization of chromatin and its cell-to-cell variance are less studied. Analyzing genome-wide data from 733 human cell and tissue samples, we identified 2 prototypical regions that exhibit high or absent hypersensitivity to deoxyribonuclease I, respectively. These regulatory active or inactive regions were examined in the lymphoblast cell line K562 by using high-throughput super-resolution microscopy. In both regions, we systematically measured the physical distance of 2 fluorescence in situ hybridization spots spaced by only 5 kb of DNA. Unexpectedly, the resulting distance distributions range from very compact to almost elongated configurations of more than 200-nm length for both the active and inactive regions. Monte Carlo simulations of a coarse-grained model of these chromatin regions based on published data of nucleosome occupancy in K562 cells were performed to understand the underlying mechanisms. There was no parameter set for the simulation model that can explain the microscopically measured distance distributions. Obviously, the chromatin state given by the strength of internucleosomal interaction, nucleosome occupancy, or amount of histone H1 differs from cell to cell, which results in the observed broad distance distributions. This large variability was not expected, especially in inactive regions. The results for the mechanisms for different distance distributions on this scale are important for understanding the contacts that mediate gene regulation. Microscopic measurements show that the inactive region investigated here is expected to be embedded in a more compact chromatin environment. The simulation results of this region require an increase in the strength of internucleosomal interactions. It may be speculated that the higher density of chromatin is caused by the increased internucleosomal interaction strength.

Acoustic Predictors of Active Fluid Expulsion From a Hydrothermal Vent Field, Offshore Taupō Volcanic Zone, New Zealand

Understanding fluid expulsion is key to estimating gas exchange volumes between the seafloor, ocean, and atmosphere; for locating key ecosystems; and geohazard modelling. Locating active seafloor fluid expulsion typically requires acoustic backscatter data. Areas of very-high seafloor backscatter, or “hardgrounds,” are often used as first-pass indicators of potential fluid expulsion. However, varying and inconsistent spatial relationships between active fluid expulsion and hardgrounds means a direct link remains unclear. Here, we investigate the links between water-column acoustic flares to seafloor backscatter and bathymetric metrics generated from two calibrated multibeam echosounders. Our site, the Calypso hydrothermal vent field (HVF) in the Bay of Plenty, Aotearoa/New Zealand, has an extensive catalogue of vents and seeps in <250 m water depth. We demonstrate a method to quantitatively link active fluid expulsion (flares) with seafloor characteristics. This allows us to develop predictive spatial models of active fluid expulsion. We explore whether data from a low (30 kHz), high (200 kHz), or combined frequency model increases predictive accuracy of expulsion locations. This research investigates the role of hardgrounds or surrounding sediment cover on the accuracy of predictive models. Our models link active fluid expulsion to specific seafloor characteristics. A combined model using both the 30 and 200 kHz mosaics produced the best results (predictive accuracy: 0.75; Kappa: 0.65). This model performed better than the same model using individual frequency mosaics as input. Model results reveal active fluid expulsion is not typically associated with the extensive, embedded hardgrounds of the Calypso HVF, with minimal fluid expulsion. Unconsolidated sediment around the perimeter of and between hardgrounds were more active fluid expulsion sites. Fluids exploit permeable pathways up to the seafloor, modifying and refashioning the seafloor. Once a conduit self-seals, fluid will migrate to a more permeable pathway, thus reducing a one-to-one link between activity and hardgrounds. Being able to remotely predict active and inactive regions of fluid expulsion will prove a useful tool in rapidly identifying seeps in legacy datasets, as well as textural metrics that will aid in locating nascent, senescent, or extinct seeps when a survey is underway.

Inhomogeneous electric field-induced structural changes in soft lead zirconate titanate ferroelectric ceramics

Under the application of an external voltage, high electric field concentrations can develop around the interdigitated electrode edges inside multilayer ceramic actuators (MLCAs). The spatial distribution of the local electrical field can create local inhomogeneity in the electromechanical response. To investigate the complex field inhomogeneity in MLCAs, partially electroded Nb-doped PbZrxTi1-xO3 samples were investigated via synchrotron-based high-energy X-ray diffraction (XRD) as a function of applied electric field. These in situ experiments allowed us to probe the structural changes as a function of position relative to the electrode edge and calculate the local degree of domain alignment, from which the local electric field directions were inferred. The domain switching behavior, both in amplitude and orientation, was found to be spatially dependent across the inactive regions in partially electroded samples. Specifically, the degree of domain alignment and field-induced phase transitions are amplified near the electrode edge. The orientation-dependent phase transitions are also amplified for the tetragonal composition near the morphotropic phase boundary (MPB), i.e., the Nb-doped PbZr0.53Ti0.47O3 composition. Finite element analysis (FEA) shows spatially-dependent, inhomogeneous electric field distributions in the partial-electrode samples, which closely match the experimentally inferred local electric field directions from XRD. The correlation of FEA and experimental data from XRD corroborates that the ferroelectric domain orientation distributions are being directed, primarily, in the direction of the electric field.