Contiguous erosion of the inactive X in human pluripotency concludes with global DNA hypomethylation

Female human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) routinely undergo inactive X (Xi) erosion. This progressive loss of key repressive features follows the loss of XIST expression, the long non-coding RNA driving X inactivation, and causes reactivation of silenced genes across the eroding X (Xe). To date, the sporadic and progressive nature of erosion has obscured its scale, dynamics, and key transition events. To address this problem, we perform an integrated analysis of DNA methylation (DNAme), chromatin accessibility, and gene expression across hundreds of hPSC samples. Differential DNAme orders female hPSCs across a trajectory from initiation to terminal Xi erosion. Our results identify a cis-regulatory element crucial for XIST expression, trace contiguously growing reactivated domains to a few euchromatic origins, and indicate that the late-stage Xe impairs DNAme genome-wide. Surprisingly, from this altered regulatory landscape emerge select features of naive pluripotency, suggesting that its link to X dosage may be partially conserved in human embryonic development.

Reactivation of the silenced X in human female iPSC/ESCs compromises their utility. Bansal et al. perform an integrated genomics analysis to reveal a prevalent X erosion trajectory that they validate in long-term culture. Starting with XIST loss, this trajectory indicates that reactivation may spread contiguously from escapees to silenced genes.

Controlling light scattering and polarization by spherical particles with radial anisotropy

Based on full-wave electromagnetic theory, we derive the zero-forward and zero-backward scattering conditions for radially anisotropic spheres within the quasi-static limit. We find that the near-field intensity can be tuned dramatically through the adjustment of the radial anisotropy, while the far-field light scattering diagrams are similar under the zero-forward or zero-backward scattering conditions. Generalized "Brewster's angle" for anisotropic spheres is also derived, at which the scattering light is totally polarized. In addition, the high-quality polarized scattering wave and the tunable polarization conversion can be achieved for the radially anisotropic spheres.

Non-Rayleigh scattering behavior for anisotropic Rayleigh particles

Derived from the light scattering by a radially anisotropic sphere, unusual scattering behavior is exhibited, which breaks the Rayleigh law (scattering efficiency Q(sca)~q(4) as q→0, where q is the size parameter). Under certain conditions, we demonstrate an asymptotical relation between Q(sca) and q, i.e., Q(sca)=Fq(8), which is not realizable for isotropic particles in Rayleigh regime. Moreover, suitable adjustment of the anisotropic parameters can further suppress the coefficient F, resulting in enhanced transparency of the anisotropic particle.

Isotropic non-ideal cloaks providing improved invisibility by adaptive segmentation and optimal refractive index profile from ordering isotropic materials

Mimicking the ideal cloak, which is anisotropic and inhomogeneous, can be achieved by alternating homogeneous isotropic materials, whose permittivity and permeability of each isotropic coating can be determined from effective medium theory. An improved two-fold method is proposed by optimally discretizing the cloak and re-ordering the combination of the effective parameters of each layer to form a smooth step-index profile. The roles of impedance matching and index matching are investigated for cloaking effects. Smoothing the index profile leads to better invisibility than that obtained by smoothing the impedance profile, since the forward scattering can be further diminished. Nonlinear-transformationbased spherical ideal cloaks are studied, and improved design method is explored together with different segmentation schemes. Significant improvement in invisibility is always observed for the optimal segmentation in virtual space with the proposed two-fold design method no matter how nonlinear the coordinate transformation is.

Electromagnetic transparency by coated spheres with radial anisotropy

We establish an account of electromagnetic scattering by coated spheres with radial dielectric and magnetic anisotropy. Within full-wave scattering theory, we show that the total scattering cross section Qs is strongly dependent on both the dielectric anisotropy and magnetic anisotropy. As a consequence, by a suitable adjustment of the radius ratio, one may make the anisotropic coated particle nearly transparent or invisible. In the quasistatic case, we take one step forward to derive the effective permittivity and permeability for the coated particle, and the near-zero scattering radius ratio can be well described within effective medium theory. To one's interest, the introduction of radial anisotropy is helpful to achieve better transparency quality such as a much smaller Qs and wider range of near-zero scattering ratio. Moreover, when the coated particle is anisotropic, the position of the near-zero scattering radius ratio can be tunable, resulting in a tunable electromagnetic cloaking.

Shifted resonances in coated metamaterial cylinders: enhanced backscattering and near-field effects

Electromagnetic wave properties in the presence of a thin or thick coating on a cylinder are investigated. The theoretical treatment starts from the formulation of electromagnetic fields in all regions where the coating and the core are allowed to rotate. The angular velocities of the core and coating can be different and even antidirectional. The present general approach can be applied to a wide range of specific cases such as rotating and stationary and left-handed and right-handed core-coating combinations. In particular, the optical resonances due to the surface plolaritons and morphology-dependent resonances are examined. Because of the rotation, the resonances are found to shift, and the effects of velocity on such phenomena are investigated. The backscattering can thus be controlled to achieve suppression or enhancement by using proper metamaterial coatings. Physical insights as well as the numerical results are presented.