346 articles from THURSDAY 1.10.2020

Extensive heterogeneity in somatic mutation and selection in the human bladder

The extent of somatic mutation and clonal selection in the human bladder remains unknown. We sequenced 2097 bladder microbiopsies from 20 individuals using targeted (n = 1914 microbiopsies), whole-exome (n = 655), and whole-genome (n = 88) sequencing. We found widespread positive selection in 17 genes. Chromatin remodeling genes were frequently mutated, whereas mutations were absent in several...

Giant temperature span in electrocaloric regenerator

Cooling devices based on caloric materials have emerged as promising candidates to become the next generation of coolers. Several electrocaloric (EC) heat exchangers have been proposed that use different mechanisms and working principles. However, a prototype that demonstrates a competitive temperature span has been missing. We developed a parallel-plate active EC regenerator based on lead...

Glymphatic failure as a final common pathway to dementia

Sleep is evolutionarily conserved across all species, and impaired sleep is a common trait of the diseased brain. Sleep quality decreases as we age, and disruption of the regular sleep architecture is a frequent antecedent to the onset of dementia in neurodegenerative diseases. The glymphatic system, which clears the brain of protein waste products, is mostly active during sleep. Yet the...

Impact of strain relaxation on performance of {alpha}-formamidinium lead iodide perovskite solar cells

High-efficiency lead halide perovskite solar cells (PSCs) have been fabricated with α-phase formamidinium lead iodide (FAPbI3) stabilized with multiple cations. The alloyed cations greatly affect the bandgap, carrier dynamics, and stability, as well as lattice strain that creates unwanted carrier trap sites. We substituted cesium (Cs) and methylenediammonium (MDA) cations in FA sites of...

Integrated terrestrial-freshwater planning doubles conservation of tropical aquatic species

Conservation initiatives overwhelmingly focus on terrestrial biodiversity, and little is known about the freshwater cobenefits of terrestrial conservation actions. We sampled more than 1500 terrestrial and freshwater species in the Amazon and simulated conservation for species from both realms. Prioritizations based on terrestrial species yielded on average just 22% of the freshwater benefits...

Macroscopic somatic clonal expansion in morphologically normal human urothelium

Knowledge of somatic mutation accumulation in normal cells, which is essential for understanding cancer development and evolution, remains largely lacking. In this study, we investigated somatic clonal events in morphologically normal human urothelium (MNU; epithelium lining the bladder and ureter) and identified macroscopic clonal expansions. Aristolochic acid (AA), a natural herb-derived...

Microglia modulate neurodegeneration in Alzheimers and Parkinsons diseases

Dementia is a rapidly rising global health crisis that silently disables families and ends lives and livelihoods around the world. To date, however, no early biomarkers or effective therapies exist. It is now clear that brain microglia are more than mere bystanders or amyloid phagocytes; they can act as governors of neuronal function and homeostasis in the adult brain. Here, we highlight the...

Multiplicity of dislocation pathways in a refractory multiprincipal element alloy

Refractory multiprincipal element alloys (MPEAs) are promising materials to meet the demands of aggressive structural applications, yet require fundamentally different avenues for accommodating plastic deformation in the body-centered cubic (bcc) variants of these alloys. We show a desirable combination of homogeneous plastic deformability and strength in the bcc MPEA MoNbTi, enabled by the rugged...