Global synthesis and regional insights for mainstreaming urban nature-based solutions.

Nature-based solutions (NbS) have emerged as a key strategy for sustainably addressing multiple urban challenges, with rapidly increasing knowledge production requiring synthesis to better understand whether and how NbS work in different social, ecological, economic, or governance contexts. Insights in this Perspective are drawn from a thematic review of 61 NbS review articles supported by an expert assessment of NbS knowledge in seven global regions to examine key challenges, fill gaps in Global South assessment, and provide insights for scaling up NbS for impact in cities. Eight NbS challenges emerged from our review of NbS reviews including conceptual, thematic, geographic, ecological, inclusivity, health, governance, and systems challenges.

A mitotic bookmark coordinates transcription and replication.

Collisions between advancing replication forks and elongating transcripts pose a universal threat. During the rapid nuclear division cycles in early embryos, coordinating transcription and replication is critical to reduce the risk of collisions. In each cycle, replication begins immediately after mitosis, while transcription starts 3 minutes later, overlapping with replication for the remainder of interphase.

Selfish mutations promote age-associated erosion of mtDNA integrity in mammals.

Mutations in mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) accumulate during aging and contribute to age-related conditions. High mtDNA copy number masks newly emerged recessive mutations; however, phenotypes develop when cellular levels of a mutant mtDNA rise above a critical threshold. The process driving this increase is unknown.

Cell-cycle-regulated transcriptional pausing of replication-dependent histone genes.

Coordinated expression of replication-dependent (RD) histones genes occurs within the Histone Locus Body (HLB) during S-phase, but the molecular steps in transcription that are cell-cycle regulated are unknown. We report that RNA Pol II promotes HLB formation and is enriched in the HLB outside of S-phase, including G-arrested cells that do not transcribe RD histone genes. In contrast, the transcription elongation factor Spt6 is enriched in HLBs only during S-phase.

Cell cycle-regulated transcriptional pausing of replication-dependent histone genes.

Coordinated expression of replication-dependent (RD) histones genes occurs within the Histone Locus Body (HLB) during S phase, but the molecular steps in transcription that are cell cycle regulated are unknown. We report that RNA Pol II promotes HLB formation and is enriched in the HLB outside of S phase, including G1-arrested cells that do not transcribe RD histone genes. In contrast, the transcription elongation factor Spt6 is enriched in HLBs only during S phase.

Selection promotes age-dependent degeneration of the mitochondrial genome.

Somatic mutations in mitochondrial genomes (mtDNA) accumulate exponentially during aging. Using single cell sequencing, we characterize the spectrum of age-accumulated mtDNA mutations in mouse and human liver and identify directional forces that accelerate the accumulation of mutations beyond the rate predicted by a neutral model. "Driver" mutations that give genomes a replicative advantage rose to high cellular abundance and carried along "passenger" mutations, some of which are deleterious.

Stepwise modifications of transcriptional hubs link pioneer factor activity to a burst of transcription.

Binding of transcription factors (TFs) promotes the subsequent recruitment of coactivators and preinitiation complexes to initiate eukaryotic transcription, but this time course is usually not visualized. It is commonly assumed that recruited factors eventually co-reside in a higher-order structure, allowing distantly bound TFs to activate transcription at core promoters. We use live imaging of endogenously tagged proteins, including the pioneer TF Zelda, the coactivator dBrd4, and RNA polymerase II (RNAPII), to define a cascade of events upstream of transcriptional initiation in early Drosophila embryos.

Diverse values of nature for sustainability.

Twenty-five years since foundational publications on valuing ecosystem services for human well-being, addressing the global biodiversity crisis still implies confronting barriers to incorporating nature's diverse values into decision-making. These barriers include powerful interests supported by current norms and legal rules such as property rights, which determine whose values and which values of nature are acted on. A better understanding of how and why nature is (under)valued is more urgent than ever.

Coordinating transcription and replication to mitigate their conflicts in early Drosophila embryos.

Collisions between transcribing RNA polymerases and DNA replication forks are disruptive. The threat of collisions is particularly acute during the rapid early embryonic cell cycles of Drosophila when S phase occupies the entirety of interphase. We hypothesize that collision-avoidance mechanisms safeguard this early transcription.

Mitigation of age-dependent accumulation of defective mitochondrial genomes.

Unknown processes promote the accumulation of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) mutations during aging. Accumulation of defective mitochondrial genomes is thought to promote the progression of heteroplasmic mitochondrial diseases and degenerative changes with natural aging. We used a heteroplasmic model to test 1) whether purifying selection acts to limit the abundance of deleterious mutations during development and aging, 2) whether quality control pathways contribute to purifying selection, 3) whether activation of quality control can mitigate accumulation of deleterious mutations, and 4) whether improved quality control improves health span.

Temporal control of late replication and coordination of origin firing by self-stabilizing Rif1-PP1 hubs in .

In the metazoan S phase, coordinated firing of clusters of origins replicates different parts of the genome in a temporal program. Despite advances, neither the mechanism controlling timing nor that coordinating firing of multiple origins is fully understood. Rif1, an evolutionarily conserved inhibitor of DNA replication, recruits protein phosphatase 1 (PP1) and counteracts firing of origins by S-phase kinases.

Obstetrical and Newborn Outcomes Among Patients With SARS-CoV-2 During Pregnancy.

We report on the perinatal outcomes of pregnant patients with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) from 2 hospitals in Montréal, Québec. Outcomes of 45 patients with SARS-CoV-2 during pregnancy were compared with those of 225 patients without infection. Sixteen percent of patients with SARS-CoV-2 delivered preterm, compared with 9% of patients without (P = 0.

Interphase-arrested Drosophila embryos activate zygotic gene expression and initiate mid-blastula transition events at a low nuclear-cytoplasmic ratio.

Externally deposited eggs begin development with an immense cytoplasm and a single overwhelmed nucleus. Rapid mitotic cycles restore normality as the ratio of nuclei to cytoplasm (N/C) increases. A threshold N/C has been widely proposed to activate zygotic genome transcription and onset of morphogenesis at the mid-blastula transition (MBT).

A Genome-wide Screen Reveals that Reducing Mitochondrial DNA Polymerase Can Promote Elimination of Deleterious Mitochondrial Mutations.

A mutant mitochondrial genome arising amid the pool of mitochondrial genomes within a cell must compete with existing genomes to survive to the next generation. Even weak selective forces can bias transmission of one genome over another to affect the inheritance of mitochondrial diseases and guide the evolution of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA). Studies in several systems suggested that purifying selection in the female germline reduces transmission of detrimental mitochondrial mutations [1-7].

Horizon scanning for South African biodiversity: A need for social engagement as well as science.

A horizon scan was conducted to identify emerging and intensifying issues for biodiversity conservation in South Africa over the next 5-10 years. South African biodiversity experts submitted 63 issues of which ten were identified as priorities using the Delphi method. These priority issues were then plotted along axes of social agreement and scientific certainty, to ascertain whether issues might be "simple" (amenable to solutions from science alone), "complicated" (socially agreed upon but technically complicated), "complex" (scientifically challenging and significant levels of social disagreement) or "chaotic" (high social disagreement and highly scientifically challenging).

Rapid embryonic cell cycles defer the establishment of heterochromatin by Eggless/SetDB1 in .

Acquisition of chromatin modifications during embryogenesis distinguishes different regions of an initially naïve genome. In many organisms, repetitive DNA is packaged into constitutive heterochromatin that is marked by di/trimethylation of histone H3K9 and the associated protein HP1a. These modifications enforce the unique epigenetic properties of heterochromatin.

Impact of repeated hospital accreditation surveys on quality and reliability, an 8-year interrupted time series analysis.

Objective: To evaluate whether hospital re-accreditation improves quality, patient safety and reliability over three accreditation cycles by testing the accreditation life cycle model on quality measures.

Design: The validity of the life cycle model was tested by calibrating interrupted time series (ITS) regression equations for 27 quality measures. The change in the variation of quality over the three accreditation cycles was evaluated using the Levene's test.

A multi-criterion approach for prioritizing areas in urban ecosystems for active restoration following invasive plant control.

Resources for biodiversity conservation and invasive plant management are limited, and restoring invaded vegetation is labour-intensive and expensive. Managers must prioritize their actions to achieve their goals efficiently and effectively. They must distinguish between areas that require only the removal of invasive alien plants ("passive restoration") from those that require additional restoration measures ("active restoration").

Correction to: Managing Urban Plant Invasions: a Multi-Criteria Prioritization Approach.

The original version of the article unfortunately contained an error with the figure captions. The appropriate captions for Fig. 3-6 are published accordingly.

Managing Urban Plant Invasions: a Multi-Criteria Prioritization Approach.

Alien plant invasions in urban areas can have considerable impact on biodiversity and ecosystem services (ES). Managing urban plant invasions is particularly challenging given the complex interactions between ecological, economic and social elements that exist in the urban milieu. Strategic landscape-scale insights are crucial for guiding management, as are tactical site-scale perspectives to plan and coordinate control efforts on the ground.

Perceptions of impact: Invasive alien plants in the urban environment.

Many alien plant species are introduced to urban areas to create, augment or restore ecosystem services (ES). However, many of these species spread beyond original plantings, sometimes causing negative effects on existing ES or creating novel ecosystem disservices (EDS). An understanding of the perceptions of urban residents regarding invasive alien plants (IAPs) and the ES and EDS they provide is needed for the effective prioritisation of IAP management efforts in cities.

Rif1 prolongs the embryonic S phase at the Drosophila mid-blastula transition.

In preparation for dramatic morphogenetic events of gastrulation, rapid embryonic cell cycles slow at the mid-blastula transition (MBT). In Drosophila melanogaster embryos, down-regulation of cyclin-dependent kinase 1 (Cdk1) activity initiates this slowing by delaying replication of heterochromatic satellite sequences and extending S phase. We found that Cdk1 activity inhibited the chromatin association of Rap1 interacting factor 1 (Rif1), a candidate repressor of replication.

Sophisticated lessons from simple organisms: appreciating the value of curiosity-driven research.

For hundreds of years, biologists have studied accessible organisms such as garden peas, sea urchins collected at low tide, newt eggs, and flies circling rotten fruit. These organisms help us to understand the world around us, attracting and inspiring each new generation of biologists with the promise of mystery and discovery. Time and time again, what we learn from such simple organisms has emphasized our common biological origins by proving to be applicable to more complex organisms, including humans.

Sentinel lymph node mapping in endometrial cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Introduction: Appropriate extent of lymphadenectomy in clinically, early stage endometrial cancer remains controversial but sentinel lymph node (SLN) mapping has emerged as an alternative staging strategy, until the advent of molecular prognostic markers. We sought to perform a systematic review of the literature to determine pooled estimates for SLN detection rate and diagnostic accuracy, while exploring impact of the SLN on adjuvant therapy and oncologic outcomes.

Evidence Acquisition: We performed a systematic search utilizing Medline, EMBASE, and Web of Science electronic databases for all studies published in the English language until October 31, 2017.

The Mitochondrial DNA Polymerase Promotes Elimination of Paternal Mitochondrial Genomes.

Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) is typically inherited from only one parent [1-3]. In animals, this is usually the mother. Maternal inheritance is often presented as the passive outcome of the difference in cytoplasmic content of egg and sperm; however, active programs enforce uniparental inheritance at two levels, eliminating paternal mitochondrial genomes or destroying mitochondria delivered to the zygote by the sperm [4-13].