@phdthesis{6546, abstract = {Invasive migration plays a crucial role not only during development and homeostasis but also in pathological states, such as tumor metastasis. Drosophila macrophage migration into the extended germband is an interesting system to study invasive migration. It carries similarities to immune cell transmigration and cancer cell invasion, therefore studying this process could also bring new understanding of invasion in higher organisms. In our work, we uncover a highly conserved member of the major facilitator family that plays a role in tissue invasion through regulation of glycosylation on a subgroup of proteins and/or by aiding the precise timing of DN-Cadherin downregulation. Aberrant display of the truncated core1 O-glycan T-antigen is a common feature of human cancer cells that correlates with metastasis. Here we show that T-antigen in Drosophila melanogaster macrophages is involved in their developmentally programmed tissue invasion. Higher macrophage T-antigen levels require an atypical major facilitator superfamily (MFS) member that we named Minerva which enables macrophage dissemination and invasion. We characterize for the first time the T and Tn glycoform O-glycoproteome of the Drosophila melanogaster embryo, and determine that Minerva increases the presence of T-antigen on proteins in pathways previously linked to cancer, most strongly on the sulfhydryl oxidase Qsox1 which we show is required for macrophage tissue entry. Minerva’s vertebrate ortholog, MFSD1, rescues the minerva mutant’s migration and T-antigen glycosylation defects. We thus identify a key conserved regulator that orchestrates O-glycosylation on a protein subset to activate a program governing migration steps important for both development and cancer metastasis. }, author = {Valosková, Katarina}, issn = {2663-337X}, pages = {141}, publisher = {Institute of Science and Technology Austria}, title = {{The role of a highly conserved major facilitator superfamily member in Drosophila embryonic macrophage migration}}, doi = {10.15479/AT:ISTA:6546}, year = {2019}, } @article{6552, abstract = {When animals become sick, infected cells and an armada of activated immune cells attempt to eliminate the pathogen from the body. Once infectious particles have breached the body's physical barriers of the skin or gut lining, an initially local response quickly escalates into a systemic response, attracting mobile immune cells to the site of infection. These cells complement the initial, unspecific defense with a more specialized, targeted response. This can also provide long-term immune memory and protection against future infection. The cell-autonomous defenses of the infected cells are thus aided by the actions of recruited immune cells. These specialized cells are the most mobile cells in the body, constantly patrolling through the otherwise static tissue to detect incoming pathogens. Such constant immune surveillance means infections are noticed immediately and can be rapidly cleared from the body. Some immune cells also remove infected cells that have succumbed to infection. All this prevents pathogen replication and spread to healthy tissues. Although this may involve the sacrifice of some somatic tissue, this is typically replaced quickly. Particular care is, however, given to the reproductive organs, which should always remain disease free (immune privilege). }, author = {Cremer, Sylvia}, issn = {09609822}, journal = {Current Biology}, number = {11}, pages = {R458--R463}, publisher = {Elsevier}, title = {{Social immunity in insects}}, doi = {10.1016/j.cub.2019.03.035}, volume = {29}, year = {2019}, } @article{6554, abstract = {Due to the importance of zero-shot learning, i.e. classifying images where there is a lack of labeled training data, the number of proposed approaches has recently increased steadily. We argue that it is time to take a step back and to analyze the status quo of the area. The purpose of this paper is three-fold. First, given the fact that there is no agreed upon zero-shot learning benchmark, we first define a new benchmark by unifying both the evaluation protocols and data splits of publicly available datasets used for this task. This is an important contribution as published results are often not comparable and sometimes even flawed due to, e.g. pre-training on zero-shot test classes. Moreover, we propose a new zero-shot learning dataset, the Animals with Attributes 2 (AWA2) dataset which we make publicly available both in terms of image features and the images themselves. Second, we compare and analyze a significant number of the state-of-the-art methods in depth, both in the classic zero-shot setting but also in the more realistic generalized zero-shot setting. Finally, we discuss in detail the limitations of the current status of the area which can be taken as a basis for advancing it.}, author = {Xian, Yongqin and Lampert, Christoph and Schiele, Bernt and Akata, Zeynep}, issn = {1939-3539}, journal = {IEEE Transactions on Pattern Analysis and Machine Intelligence}, number = {9}, pages = {2251 -- 2265}, publisher = {Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE)}, title = {{Zero-shot learning - A comprehensive evaluation of the good, the bad and the ugly}}, doi = {10.1109/tpami.2018.2857768}, volume = {41}, year = {2019}, } @inproceedings{6556, abstract = {Motivated by fixed-parameter tractable (FPT) problems in computational topology, we consider the treewidth tw(M) of a compact, connected 3-manifold M, defined to be the minimum treewidth of the face pairing graph of any triangulation T of M. In this setting the relationship between the topology of a 3-manifold and its treewidth is of particular interest. First, as a corollary of work of Jaco and Rubinstein, we prove that for any closed, orientable 3-manifold M the treewidth tw(M) is at most 4g(M)-2, where g(M) denotes Heegaard genus of M. In combination with our earlier work with Wagner, this yields that for non-Haken manifolds the Heegaard genus and the treewidth are within a constant factor. Second, we characterize all 3-manifolds of treewidth one: These are precisely the lens spaces and a single other Seifert fibered space. Furthermore, we show that all remaining orientable Seifert fibered spaces over the 2-sphere or a non-orientable surface have treewidth two. In particular, for every spherical 3-manifold we exhibit a triangulation of treewidth at most two. Our results further validate the parameter of treewidth (and other related parameters such as cutwidth or congestion) to be useful for topological computing, and also shed more light on the scope of existing FPT-algorithms in the field.}, author = {Huszár, Kristóf and Spreer, Jonathan}, booktitle = {35th International Symposium on Computational Geometry}, isbn = {978-3-95977-104-7}, issn = {1868-8969}, keywords = {computational 3-manifold topology, fixed-parameter tractability, layered triangulations, structural graph theory, treewidth, cutwidth, Heegaard genus}, location = {Portland, Oregon, United States}, pages = {44:1--44:20}, publisher = {Schloss Dagstuhl - Leibniz-Zentrum für Informatik}, title = {{3-manifold triangulations with small treewidth}}, doi = {10.4230/LIPIcs.SoCG.2019.44}, volume = {129}, year = {2019}, } @article{6559, abstract = {Branching morphogenesis is a prototypical example of complex three-dimensional organ sculpting, required in multiple developmental settings to maximize the area of exchange surfaces. It requires, in particular, the coordinated growth of different cell types together with complex patterning to lead to robust macroscopic outputs. In recent years, novel multiscale quantitative biology approaches, together with biophysical modelling, have begun to shed new light of this topic. Here, we wish to review some of these recent developments, highlighting the generic design principles that can be abstracted across different branched organs, as well as the implications for the broader fields of stem cell, developmental and systems biology.}, author = {Hannezo, Edouard B and Simons, Benjamin D.}, issn = {18790410}, journal = {Current Opinion in Cell Biology}, pages = {99--105}, publisher = {Elsevier}, title = {{Multiscale dynamics of branching morphogenesis}}, doi = {10.1016/j.ceb.2019.04.008}, volume = {60}, year = {2019}, } @article{6564, abstract = {Optogenetics enables the spatio-temporally precise control of cell and animal behavior. Many optogenetic tools are driven by light-controlled protein–protein interactions (PPIs) that are repurposed from natural light-sensitive domains (LSDs). Applying light-controlled PPIs to new target proteins is challenging because it is difficult to predict which of the many available LSDs, if any, will yield robust light regulation. As a consequence, fusion protein libraries need to be prepared and tested, but methods and platforms to facilitate this process are currently not available. Here, we developed a genetic engineering strategy and vector library for the rapid generation of light-controlled PPIs. The strategy permits fusing a target protein to multiple LSDs efficiently and in two orientations. The public and expandable library contains 29 vectors with blue, green or red light-responsive LSDs, many of which have been previously applied ex vivo and in vivo. We demonstrate the versatility of the approach and the necessity for sampling LSDs by generating light-activated caspase-9 (casp9) enzymes. Collectively, this work provides a new resource for optical regulation of a broad range of target proteins in cell and developmental biology.}, author = {Tichy, Alexandra-Madelaine and Gerrard, Elliot J. and Legrand, Julien M.D. and Hobbs, Robin M. and Janovjak, Harald L}, issn = {10898638}, journal = {Journal of Molecular Biology}, number = {17}, pages = {3046--3055}, publisher = {Elsevier}, title = {{Engineering strategy and vector library for the rapid generation of modular light-controlled protein–protein interactions}}, doi = {10.1016/j.jmb.2019.05.033}, volume = {431}, year = {2019}, } @inproceedings{6565, abstract = {In this paper, we address the problem of synthesizing periodic switching controllers for stabilizing a family of linear systems. Our broad approach consists of constructing a finite game graph based on the family of linear systems such that every winning strategy on the game graph corresponds to a stabilizing switching controller for the family of linear systems. The construction of a (finite) game graph, the synthesis of a winning strategy and the extraction of a stabilizing controller are all computationally feasible. We illustrate our method on an example.}, author = {Kundu, Atreyee and Garcia Soto, Miriam and Prabhakar, Pavithra}, booktitle = {5th Indian Control Conference Proceedings}, isbn = {978-153866246-5}, location = {Delhi, India}, publisher = {IEEE}, title = {{Formal synthesis of stabilizing controllers for periodically controlled linear switched systems}}, doi = {10.1109/INDIANCC.2019.8715598}, year = {2019}, } @article{6566, abstract = {Methodologies that involve the use of nanoparticles as “artificial atoms” to rationally build materials in a bottom-up fashion are particularly well-suited to control the matter at the nanoscale. Colloidal synthetic routes allow for an exquisite control over such “artificial atoms” in terms of size, shape, and crystal phase as well as core and surface compositions. We present here a bottom-up approach to produce Pb–Ag–K–S–Te nanocomposites, which is a highly promising system for thermoelectric energy conversion. First, we developed a high-yield and scalable colloidal synthesis route to uniform lead sulfide (PbS) nanorods, whose tips are made of silver sulfide (Ag2S). We then took advantage of the large surface-to-volume ratio to introduce a p-type dopant (K) by replacing native organic ligands with K2Te. Upon thermal consolidation, K2Te-surface modified PbS–Ag2S nanorods yield p-type doped nanocomposites with PbTe and PbS as major phases and Ag2S and Ag2Te as embedded nanoinclusions. Thermoelectric characterization of such consolidated nanosolids showed a high thermoelectric figure-of-merit of 1 at 620 K.}, author = {Ibáñez, Maria and Genç, Aziz and Hasler, Roger and Liu, Yu and Dobrozhan, Oleksandr and Nazarenko, Olga and Mata, María de la and Arbiol, Jordi and Cabot, Andreu and Kovalenko, Maksym V.}, issn = {1936-086X}, journal = {ACS Nano}, keywords = {colloidal nanoparticles, asymmetric nanoparticles, inorganic ligands, heterostructures, catalyst assisted growth, nanocomposites, thermoelectrics}, number = {6}, pages = {6572--6580}, publisher = {American Chemical Society}, title = {{Tuning transport properties in thermoelectric nanocomposites through inorganic ligands and heterostructured building blocks}}, doi = {10.1021/acsnano.9b00346}, volume = {13}, year = {2019}, } @inproceedings{6569, abstract = {Knowledge distillation, i.e. one classifier being trained on the outputs of another classifier, is an empirically very successful technique for knowledge transfer between classifiers. It has even been observed that classifiers learn much faster and more reliably if trained with the outputs of another classifier as soft labels, instead of from ground truth data. So far, however, there is no satisfactory theoretical explanation of this phenomenon. In this work, we provide the first insights into the working mechanisms of distillation by studying the special case of linear and deep linear classifiers. Specifically, we prove a generalization bound that establishes fast convergence of the expected risk of a distillation-trained linear classifier. From the bound and its proof we extract three keyfactors that determine the success of distillation: data geometry – geometric properties of the datadistribution, in particular class separation, has an immediate influence on the convergence speed of the risk; optimization bias– gradient descentoptimization finds a very favorable minimum of the distillation objective; and strong monotonicity– the expected risk of the student classifier always decreases when the size of the training set grows.}, author = {Bui Thi Mai, Phuong and Lampert, Christoph}, booktitle = {Proceedings of the 36th International Conference on Machine Learning}, location = {Long Beach, CA, United States}, pages = {5142--5151}, publisher = {ML Research Press}, title = {{Towards understanding knowledge distillation}}, volume = {97}, year = {2019}, } @article{6575, abstract = {Motivated by recent experimental observations of coherent many-body revivals in a constrained Rydbergatom chain, we construct a weak quasilocal deformation of the Rydberg-blockaded Hamiltonian, whichmakes the revivals virtually perfect. Our analysis suggests the existence of an underlying nonintegrableHamiltonian which supports an emergent SU(2)-spin dynamics within a small subspace of the many-bodyHilbert space. We show that such perfect dynamics necessitates the existence of atypical, nonergodicenergy eigenstates—quantum many-body scars. Furthermore, using these insights, we construct a toymodel that hosts exact quantum many-body scars, providing an intuitive explanation of their origin. Ourresults offer specific routes to enhancing coherent many-body revivals and provide a step towardestablishing the stability of quantum many-body scars in the thermodynamic limit.}, author = {Choi, Soonwon and Turner, Christopher J. and Pichler, Hannes and Ho, Wen Wei and Michailidis, Alexios and Papić, Zlatko and Serbyn, Maksym and Lukin, Mikhail D. and Abanin, Dmitry A.}, issn = {10797114}, journal = {Physical Review Letters}, number = {22}, publisher = {American Physical Society}, title = {{Emergent SU(2) dynamics and perfect quantum many-body scars}}, doi = {10.1103/PhysRevLett.122.220603}, volume = {122}, year = {2019}, } @article{6586, abstract = {The bottom-up assembly of colloidal nanocrystals is a versatile methodology to produce composite nanomaterials with precisely tuned electronic properties. Beyond the synthetic control over crystal domain size, shape, crystal phase, and composition, solution-processed nanocrystals allow exquisite surface engineering. This provides additional means to modulate the nanomaterial characteristics and particularly its electronic transport properties. For instance, inorganic surface ligands can be used to tune the type and concentration of majority carriers or to modify the electronic band structure. Herein, we report the thermoelectric properties of SnTe nanocomposites obtained from the consolidation of surface-engineered SnTe nanocrystals into macroscopic pellets. A CdSe-based ligand is selected to (i) converge the light and heavy bands through partial Cd alloying and (ii) generate CdSe nanoinclusions as a secondary phase within the SnTe matrix, thereby reducing the thermal conductivity. These SnTe-CdSe nanocomposites possess thermoelectric figures of merit of up to 1.3 at 850 K, which is, to the best of our knowledge, the highest thermoelectric figure of merit reported for solution-processed SnTe.}, author = {Ibáñez, Maria and Hasler, Roger and Genç, Aziz and Liu, Yu and Kuster, Beatrice and Schuster, Maximilian and Dobrozhan, Oleksandr and Cadavid, Doris and Arbiol, Jordi and Cabot, Andreu and Kovalenko, Maksym V.}, issn = {1520-5126}, journal = {Journal of the American Chemical Society}, number = {20}, pages = {8025--8029}, publisher = {American Chemical Society}, title = {{Ligand-mediated band engineering in bottom-up assembled SnTe nanocomposites for thermoelectric energy conversion}}, doi = {10.1021/jacs.9b01394}, volume = {141}, year = {2019}, } @inproceedings{6590, abstract = {Modern machine learning methods often require more data for training than a single expert can provide. Therefore, it has become a standard procedure to collect data from external sources, e.g. via crowdsourcing. Unfortunately, the quality of these sources is not always guaranteed. As additional complications, the data might be stored in a distributed way, or might even have to remain private. In this work, we address the question of how to learn robustly in such scenarios. Studying the problem through the lens of statistical learning theory, we derive a procedure that allows for learning from all available sources, yet automatically suppresses irrelevant or corrupted data. We show by extensive experiments that our method provides significant improvements over alternative approaches from robust statistics and distributed optimization. }, author = {Konstantinov, Nikola H and Lampert, Christoph}, booktitle = {Proceedings of the 36th International Conference on Machine Learning}, location = {Long Beach, CA, USA}, pages = {3488--3498}, publisher = {ML Research Press}, title = {{Robust learning from untrusted sources}}, volume = {97}, year = {2019}, } @article{6596, abstract = {It is well known that many problems in image recovery, signal processing, and machine learning can be modeled as finding zeros of the sum of maximal monotone and Lipschitz continuous monotone operators. Many papers have studied forward-backward splitting methods for finding zeros of the sum of two monotone operators in Hilbert spaces. Most of the proposed splitting methods in the literature have been proposed for the sum of maximal monotone and inverse-strongly monotone operators in Hilbert spaces. In this paper, we consider splitting methods for finding zeros of the sum of maximal monotone operators and Lipschitz continuous monotone operators in Banach spaces. We obtain weak and strong convergence results for the zeros of the sum of maximal monotone and Lipschitz continuous monotone operators in Banach spaces. Many already studied problems in the literature can be considered as special cases of this paper.}, author = {Shehu, Yekini}, issn = {1420-9012}, journal = {Results in Mathematics}, number = {4}, publisher = {Springer}, title = {{Convergence results of forward-backward algorithms for sum of monotone operators in Banach spaces}}, doi = {10.1007/s00025-019-1061-4}, volume = {74}, year = {2019}, } @article{6601, abstract = {There is increasing evidence that both mechanical and biochemical signals play important roles in development and disease. The development of complex organisms, in particular, has been proposed to rely on the feedback between mechanical and biochemical patterning events. This feedback occurs at the molecular level via mechanosensation but can also arise as an emergent property of the system at the cellular and tissue level. In recent years, dynamic changes in tissue geometry, flow, rheology, and cell fate specification have emerged as key platforms of mechanochemical feedback loops in multiple processes. Here, we review recent experimental and theoretical advances in understanding how these feedbacks function in development and disease.}, author = {Hannezo, Edouard B and Heisenberg, Carl-Philipp J}, issn = {00928674}, journal = {Cell}, number = {1}, pages = {12--25}, publisher = {Elsevier}, title = {{Mechanochemical feedback loops in development and disease}}, doi = {10.1016/j.cell.2019.05.052}, volume = {178}, year = {2019}, } @article{6607, abstract = {Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a heterogeneous disease with respect to its genetic and molecular basis and to patients´ outcome. Clinical, cytogenetic, and mutational data are used to classify patients into risk groups with different survival, however, within-group heterogeneity is still an issue. Here, we used a robust likelihood-based survival modeling approach and publicly available gene expression data to identify a minimal number of genes whose combined expression values were prognostic of overall survival. The resulting gene expression signature (4-GES) consisted of 4 genes (SOCS2, IL2RA, NPDC1, PHGDH), predicted patient survival as an independent prognostic parameter in several cohorts of AML patients (total, 1272 patients), and further refined prognostication based on the European Leukemia Net classification. An oncogenic role of the top scoring gene in this signature, SOCS2, was investigated using MLL-AF9 and Flt3-ITD/NPM1c driven mouse models of AML. SOCS2 promoted leukemogenesis as well as the abundance, quiescence, and activity of AML stem cells. Overall, the 4-GES represents a highly discriminating prognostic parameter in AML, whose clinical applicability is greatly enhanced by its small number of genes. The newly established role of SOCS2 in leukemia aggressiveness and stemness raises the possibility that the signature might even be exploitable therapeutically.}, author = {Nguyen, Chi Huu and Glüxam, Tobias and Schlerka, Angela and Bauer, Katharina and Grandits, Alexander M. and Hackl, Hubert and Dovey, Oliver and Zöchbauer-Müller, Sabine and Cooper, Jonathan L. and Vassiliou, George S. and Stoiber, Dagmar and Wieser, Rotraud and Heller, Gerwin}, journal = {Scientific Reports}, number = {1}, publisher = {Nature Publishing Group}, title = {{SOCS2 is part of a highly prognostic 4-gene signature in AML and promotes disease aggressiveness}}, doi = {10.1038/s41598-019-45579-0}, volume = {9}, year = {2019}, } @article{6608, abstract = {We use the canonical bases produced by the tri-partition algorithm in (Edelsbrunner and Ölsböck, 2018) to open and close holes in a polyhedral complex, K. In a concrete application, we consider the Delaunay mosaic of a finite set, we let K be an Alpha complex, and we use the persistence diagram of the distance function to guide the hole opening and closing operations. The dependences between the holes define a partial order on the cells in K that characterizes what can and what cannot be constructed using the operations. The relations in this partial order reveal structural information about the underlying filtration of complexes beyond what is expressed by the persistence diagram.}, author = {Edelsbrunner, Herbert and Ölsböck, Katharina}, journal = {Computer Aided Geometric Design}, pages = {1--15}, publisher = {Elsevier}, title = {{Holes and dependences in an ordered complex}}, doi = {10.1016/j.cagd.2019.06.003}, volume = {73}, year = {2019}, } @article{6609, abstract = {Mechanical systems facilitate the development of a hybrid quantum technology comprising electrical, optical, atomic and acoustic degrees of freedom1, and entanglement is essential to realize quantum-enabled devices. Continuous-variable entangled fields—known as Einstein–Podolsky–Rosen (EPR) states—are spatially separated two-mode squeezed states that can be used for quantum teleportation and quantum communication2. In the optical domain, EPR states are typically generated using nondegenerate optical amplifiers3, and at microwave frequencies Josephson circuits can serve as a nonlinear medium4,5,6. An outstanding goal is to deterministically generate and distribute entangled states with a mechanical oscillator, which requires a carefully arranged balance between excitation, cooling and dissipation in an ultralow noise environment. Here we observe stationary emission of path-entangled microwave radiation from a parametrically driven 30-micrometre-long silicon nanostring oscillator, squeezing the joint field operators of two thermal modes by 3.40 decibels below the vacuum level. The motion of this micromechanical system correlates up to 50 photons per second per hertz, giving rise to a quantum discord that is robust with respect to microwave noise7. Such generalized quantum correlations of separable states are important for quantum-enhanced detection8 and provide direct evidence of the non-classical nature of the mechanical oscillator without directly measuring its state9. This noninvasive measurement scheme allows to infer information about otherwise inaccessible objects, with potential implications for sensing, open-system dynamics and fundamental tests of quantum gravity. In the future, similar on-chip devices could be used to entangle subsystems on very different energy scales, such as microwave and optical photons.}, author = {Barzanjeh, Shabir and Redchenko, Elena and Peruzzo, Matilda and Wulf, Matthias and Lewis, Dylan and Arnold, Georg M and Fink, Johannes M}, journal = {Nature}, pages = {480--483}, publisher = {Nature Publishing Group}, title = {{Stationary entangled radiation from micromechanical motion}}, doi = {10.1038/s41586-019-1320-2}, volume = {570}, year = {2019}, } @article{151, abstract = {We construct planar bi-Sobolev mappings whose local volume distortion is bounded from below by a given function f∈Lp with p>1. More precisely, for any 1<q<(p+1)/2 we construct W1,q-bi-Sobolev maps with identity boundary conditions; for f∈L∞, we provide bi-Lipschitz maps. The basic building block of our construction are bi-Lipschitz maps which stretch a given compact subset of the unit square by a given factor while preserving the boundary. The construction of these stretching maps relies on a slight strengthening of the celebrated covering result of Alberti, Csörnyei, and Preiss for measurable planar sets in the case of compact sets. We apply our result to a model functional in nonlinear elasticity, the integrand of which features fast blowup as the Jacobian determinant of the deformation becomes small. For such functionals, the derivation of the equilibrium equations for minimizers requires an additional regularization of test functions, which our maps provide.}, author = {Fischer, Julian L and Kneuss, Olivier}, journal = {Journal of Differential Equations}, number = {1}, pages = {257 -- 311}, publisher = {Elsevier}, title = {{Bi-Sobolev solutions to the prescribed Jacobian inequality in the plane with L p data and applications to nonlinear elasticity}}, doi = {10.1016/j.jde.2018.07.045}, volume = {266}, year = {2019}, } @misc{13067, abstract = {Genetic incompatibilities contribute to reproductive isolation between many diverging populations, but it is still unclear to what extent they play a role if divergence happens with gene flow. In contact zones between the "Crab" and "Wave" ecotypes of the snail Littorina saxatilis divergent selection forms strong barriers to gene flow, while the role of postzygotic barriers due to selection against hybrids remains unclear. High embryo abortion rates in this species could indicate the presence of such barriers. Postzygotic barriers might include genetic incompatibilities (e.g. Dobzhansky-Muller incompatibilities) but also maladaptation, both expected to be most pronounced in contact zones. In addition, embryo abortion might reflect physiological stress on females and embryos independent of any genetic stress. We examined all embryos of >500 females sampled outside and inside contact zones of three populations in Sweden. Females' clutch size ranged from 0 to 1011 embryos (mean 130±123) and abortion rates varied between 0 and100% (mean 12%). We described female genotypes by using a hybrid index based on hundreds of SNPs differentiated between ecotypes with which we characterised female genotypes. We also calculated female SNP heterozygosity and inversion karyotype. Clutch size did not vary with female hybrid index and abortion rates were only weakly related to hybrid index in two sites but not at all in a third site. No additional variation in abortion rate was explained by female SNP heterozygosity, but increased female inversion heterozygosity added slightly to increased abortion. Our results show only weak and probably biologically insignificant postzygotic barriers contributing to ecotype divergence and the high and variable abortion rates were marginally, if at all, explained by hybrid index of females.}, author = {Johannesson, Kerstin and Zagrodzka, Zuzanna and Faria, Rui and Westram, Anja M and Butlin, Roger}, publisher = {Dryad}, title = {{Data from: Is embryo abortion a postzygotic barrier to gene flow between Littorina ecotypes?}}, doi = {10.5061/DRYAD.TB2RBNZWK}, year = {2019}, } @article{138, abstract = {Autoregulation is the direct modulation of gene expression by the product of the corresponding gene. Autoregulation of bacterial gene expression has been mostly studied at the transcriptional level, when a protein acts as the cognate transcriptional repressor. A recent study investigating dynamics of the bacterial toxin–antitoxin MazEF system has shown how autoregulation at both the transcriptional and post-transcriptional levels affects the heterogeneity of Escherichia coli populations. Toxin–antitoxin systems hold a crucial but still elusive part in bacterial response to stress. This perspective highlights how these modules can also serve as a great model system for investigating basic concepts in gene regulation. However, as the genomic background and environmental conditions substantially influence toxin activation, it is important to study (auto)regulation of toxin–antitoxin systems in well-defined setups as well as in conditions that resemble the environmental niche.}, author = {Nikolic, Nela}, journal = {Current Genetics}, number = {1}, pages = {133--138}, publisher = {Springer}, title = {{Autoregulation of bacterial gene expression: lessons from the MazEF toxin–antitoxin system}}, doi = {10.1007/s00294-018-0879-8}, volume = {65}, year = {2019}, }