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Following the recent rejection of a formal Anthropocene series/epoch by the Subcommission on Quaternary Stratigraphy (SQS) of the International Commission on Stratigraphy (ICS), and its subsequent confirmation by the International Union of Geological Sciences (IUGS), the opportunity arises to reset the definition of the Anthropocene. The case for informally recognizing the Anthropocene to be a major planetary event of Earth system transformation offers a promising way forward, but this has been criticized by proponents of an Anthropocene series/epoch. In order to move on from the assumption that it must be a time interval, and to foster a more transdisciplinary and inclusive approach, the main points of the critique must be directly addressed. Plain Language Summary The Anthropocene is best understood as an unfolding and intensifying event of human‐influenced Earth system change. Here we respond to criticisms of the case for the Anthropocene Event and explain why attention should be shifted away from the narrow question of date of start which has dominated debate up to now. The Anthropocene, we argue, is more than just a time interval. It is first and foremost a material happening or physical transformation which unfolds through time. Interdisciplinary research on the Anthropocene is more important than ever and must continue apace. Key Points The Anthropocene is best studied as an ongoing event of human‐influenced planetary transformation rather than a time interval The Great Acceleration is an intensification of a larger unfolding Anthropocene Event that is spatially and temporally heterogeneous Interdisciplinary research on the Anthropocene is now more important than ever

The claim that the Anthropocene is de facto a new epoch is disputed, along with the suggestion that Earth system transformation from one state to another can be pinned down to a single year. The epoch proposal was formally rejected in 2024 but, crucially, that was not a rejection of the Anthropocene itself. As the material event of human‐induced planetary transformation continues to unfold at increasing rates all about us, research into the Anthropocene is as vital and relevant as ever. It is important to realize, however, that the concept of the Anthropocene is evolving. The long‐standing assumption that it must be a time interval, and must therefore be accorded a precisely‐defined date of start, is being called into question. The interdisciplinary field of Anthropocene research is straining to break free from the confines of rigid definitions and the imposition of an isochronous timeline to mark the supposed start, which cuts out vast amounts of relevant pre‐1952 evidence from consideration. A broader, more flexible and less exclusive definition of the Anthropocene is in order. In this reply we respond to criticisms by epoch proponents and further outline the Anthropocene as an unfolding event of major significance in Earth history. Plain Language Summary Following recent rejection of the epoch proposal, a broader definition of the Anthropocene is required that does not exclude diachronous stratigraphic evidence. In reply to the charge by epoch proponents that the Anthropocene Event definition is too loose, we point out that a flexible definition (rather than a rigid one that prioritizes precision over accuracy) is what is needed for the growing interdisciplinary field of Anthropocene research to continue to develop. Key Points The Anthropocene is not de facto a new epoch with fixed start as claimed, but a material transformation that unfolds in real time As the ongoing event of the Anthropocene continues to develop, conceptual frames for understanding it are evolving Following recent rejection of the epoch proposal, it is time to move on from the assumption that the Anthropocene must be a time interval

Letter to the Editor

Letter to the Editor

This volume proposes a new approach to the Arab conquests and the spread of Islam in North Africa. In recent years, those studying the Islamic world have shown that the coming of Islam was not marked by devastation or decline, but rather by considerable cultural and economic continuity. In North Africa, with continuity came significant change. Corisande Fenwick argues that the establishment of Muslim rule also coincided with a phase of intense urbanization, the appearance of new architectural forms (mosques, housing, hammams), the spread of Muslim social and cultural practices, the introduction of new crops and manufacturing techniques and the establishment of new trading links with sub-Saharan Africa, Europe and the Middle East. This concise and accessible book offers the first assessment of the archaeology of early Islamic North Africa (7th-9th centuries), drawing on a wide range of new evidence from Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia and Libya. It lays out current debates about its interpretation and suggests new ways of thinking about this crucial period in world history. Essential reading for those interested in understanding the impact of the Arab conquests and the spread of Islam on daily life, it will also challenge students of archaeology and history to think in new ways about North Africa, the earliest Islamic empires and states and the transition from the Roman to the medieval Mediterranean.

The use of mass spectrometry to study of proteins and their non-covalent complexes has grown during the last few decades thanks to the introduction of soft ionisation techniques capable of preserving the weak molecular bonds present in higher order protein structure. The integration of the shape selective technique ion mobility with mass spectrometry has allowed the study of conformation and dynamics of native proteins. The work presented in this thesis focuses on the use of ion mobility mass spectrometry to investigate both protein conformation, and conformational differences induced by mutation. Prolyl oligopeptidase family enzymes are proteases characterised by their unique function; these enzymes are only capable of digesting short amino acid sections of no more than thirty amino acids. These proteins have been implicated in a number of neurological disorders and have been targeted as potential drug candidates. PREP is an 80.7 kDa monomeric protein that has been targeted as a potential drug candidate. PREP has been crystallised in two distinct conformations, open and closed, and it has been suggested that the protein exists in equilibrium between the two states in solution, with only the open conformation allowing substrate entry via a domain separation mechanism. Ion mobility mass spectrometry has been used to confirm the presence of both conformations, and to investigate the effect of ligand binding on conformation. It was found that, at lower energy states, PREP was only capable of adopting a single conformation, and that more extended conformations were only present following activation of the protein. Binding of ligand appeared to increase the relative stability of the protein. DPP IV, is a larger, dimeric, protein from the same family. Unlike PREP, DPP IV has only been crystallised in a single conformation and it was proposed that small loop movements, rather than domain separation, allowed substrate entry. Ion mobility measurements show only a single conformation of DPP IV, consistent with no large conformational changes, supporting this hypothesis. Haemoglobin is the main protein involved in gas transport in mammalian systems, taking oxygen from the lungs to the tissues of the body. Disorders of haemoglobin represent the most common of all inherited disorders, with an estimated 7% of the global population being carriers for a haemoglobin disorder. A previous study by Scarff et al used ion mobility mass spectrometry to identify conformational differences between normal HbA and HbS, the haemoglobin mutant responsible for sickle cell disease. Recent experimental improvements in sample preparation, data collection and data processing have been used in this research to provide improved experimental information. HbA, HbS and HbC, a third haemoglobin variant known to form crystals within erythrocytes, were investigated using ion mobility mass spectrometry. Calibration of ion mobility data using native protein standards indicated that the structural differences between HbA and HbS were smaller than previously reported, and that the CCS measurements of the two proteins were similar for the native charge states. The HbC molecule does however adopt a smaller conformation. All three proteins unfold as a factor of increased protonation, with HbS and HbC showing evidence of adopting a more extended conformation at lower charge states when compared to HbA, suggesting possible differences in protein stability. These stability differences were investigated using collision-induced activation of the protein, the results suggesting that HbA is more resistant to unfolding that either HbS or HbC. Monoclonal antibodies represent a new generation of biotherapeutic capable of high specificity and selectivity, with diminished risk of inducing a host immune response. Antibodies therapeutics have an added benefit of interacting with host cellular systems, promoting host immune response. Engineering of antibodies has become well established to improve or diminish antibody-receptor binding in order to increase or abolish this interaction. Four antibody Fc variants have been studied using a combination of ion mobility mass spectrometry and hydrogen deuterium exchange mass spectrometry; a wild type, a TM mutant, a YTE mutant and a TMYTE double mutant. Previous studies have shown that the introduction of both TM and YTE mutations leads to a decrease in the thermal stability of the protein, and it was an aim of the study to provide structural information to explain this thermal destabilisation. Ion mobility mass spectrometry measurements suggest that there is little change in global conformation between the four variants. HDX results show that mutation introduces changes in local conformation across the protein, with increases in deuterium uptake observed at sites distant to the mutation sites. One region, located between the TM and YTE mutation sites, showed a greater than additive increase in deuterium uptake in TMYTE mutant compared with either TM or YTE mutants, indicating a region that hade become destabilised in the double mutant. These changes could be responsible for the observed loss of thermal stability.

Current methods for differentiating isolates of predominant lineages of pathogenic bacteria often do not provide sufficient resolution to define precise relationships. Here, we describe a high-throughput genomics approach that provides a high-resolution view of the epidemiology and microevolution of a dominant strain of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). This approach reveals the global geographic structure within the lineage, its intercontinental transmission through four decades, and the potential to trace person-to-person transmission within a hospital environment. The ability to interrogate and resolve bacterial populations is applicable to a range of infectious diseases, as well as microbial ecology.

Prognostic characteristics inform risk stratification in intensive care unit (ICU) patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). We obtained blood samples ( n  = 474) from hospitalized COVID-19 patients ( n  = 123), non-COVID-19 ICU sepsis patients ( n  = 25) and healthy controls ( n  = 30). Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) RNA was detected in plasma or serum (RNAemia) of COVID-19 ICU patients when neutralizing antibody response was low. RNAemia is associated with higher 28-day ICU mortality (hazard ratio [HR], 1.84 [95% CI, 1.22–2.77] adjusted for age and sex). RNAemia is comparable in performance to the best protein predictors. Mannose binding lectin 2 and pentraxin-3 (PTX3), two activators of the complement pathway of the innate immune system, are positively associated with mortality. Machine learning identified ‘Age, RNAemia’ and ‘Age, PTX3’ as the best binary signatures associated with 28-day ICU mortality. In longitudinal comparisons, COVID-19 ICU patients have a distinct proteomic trajectory associated with mortality, with recovery of many liver-derived proteins indicating survival. Finally, proteins of the complement system and galectin-3-binding protein (LGALS3BP) are identified as interaction partners of SARS-CoV-2 spike glycoprotein. LGALS3BP overexpression inhibits spike-pseudoparticle uptake and spike-induced cell-cell fusion in vitro. Here the authors use RT-qPCR and mass spectrometry to analyze longitudinal blood samples from intensive care unit (ICU) COVID-19 patients and controls. They find that viral RNA and pentraxin-3 predict 28-day ICU mortality and that galectin-3-binding protein is an interaction partner of SARS-CoV-2 spike glycoprotein with antiviral properties.

Background Gait impairment is a common consequence of stroke and typically involves a hemiparetic or asymmetric walking pattern. Asymmetric gait patterns are correlated with decreased gait velocity and efficiency as well as increased susceptibility to serious falls and injuries. Research Question This paper presents an innovative device worn on a foot for gait rehabilitation post stroke. The device generates a backward motion to the foot, which is designed to exaggerate the existing step length asymmetry while walking over ground. We hypothesize this motion will decrease gait asymmetry and improve functional walking in individuals with chronic stroke. Methods Six participants with chronic stroke, more than one year post stroke, received four weeks of gait training with three sessions per week. Each session included 30 min of walking over ground using the wearable device. Gait symmetry and functional walking were assessed before and after training. Results All participants improved step length symmetry, and four participants improved double limb support symmetry. All participants improved on all three functional outcomes (gait velocity, Timed Up and Go Test, and 6-Minute Walk Test), and five participants improved beyond the minimal detectable change or meaningful change in at least one functional outcome. Conclusion The results indicate that the presented device may help improve stroke patients’ walking ability and warrant further study. A gait training approach using this new device may enable and expand long-term continuous gait rehabilitation outside the clinic following stroke. Trial registration NCT02185404. Registered July 9, 2014, https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02185404