bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Design, Synthesis, and Biological Assessment of Novel Aminobenzidazole Agonists Targeting the Stimulator of Interferon Genes (STING) Receptor Signaling Pathway for Oncology Immunotherapy
Authors: Fan Yiqing , Zeng Zeqi , Mo Jiaxian , Wang Zike , Jiang Hongyu , Liu Juanjuan , Qian Hai , Shi Wei 
Published: December 2024

AbstractThe activation of the STING‐mediated signaling pathway leads to the secretion of type I interferon (IFN) and the activation of tumor‐specific T cells. STING, a pattern recognition receptor located on the endoplasmic reticulum membrane of immune cells, binds with endogenous cyclic dinucleotides. STING undergoes phosphorylation, triggering the STING‐TBK1‐IRF3 pathway and NF‐κB pathway, resulting in the release of IFN‐β and other pro‐inflammatory cytokines, ultimately enhancing the activation of tumor‐specific T cells. This mechanism serves to complement the limitations of immune checkpoint inhibitors and enhances the efficiency of the immune response. This study selected benzimidazole compounds GSK and SR‐717, which exhibit promising potential as patented medicines, as our lead compounds. Aiming to address the challenges associated with the short half‐life of benzimidazole compounds and the limited molecular activity of SR‐717, we designed and synthesized a series of STING agonists (compounds 6~29). The compound 17 showed excellent agonistic activity on hSTING protein in vitro. The cytotoxicity tests of all the synthesized compounds were performed in vitro. Performed in vivo pharmacokinetic studies on the most promising compounds and conducted molecular docking analyses.
Fluorescence Detection of DNA/RNA G‐Quadruplexes (G4s) by Twice‐as‐Smart Ligands
Authors: Ledvinka Jiri , Rota Sperti Francesco , Paragi Gabor , Pirrotta Marc , Chéron Nicolas , Valverde Ibai E. , Menova Petra , Monchaud David 
Published: December 2024

AbstractFluorescence detection of DNA and RNA G‐quadruplexes (G4s) is a very efficient strategy to assess not only the existence and prevalence of cellular G4s but also their relevance as targets for therapeutic interventions. Among the fluorophores used to this end, turn‐on probes are the most interesting since their fluorescence is triggered only upon interaction with their G4 targets, which ensures a high sensitivity and selectivity of detection. We reported on a series of twice‐as‐smart G4 probes, which are both smart G4 ligands (whose structure is reorganized upon interaction with G4s) and smart fluorescent probes (whose fluorescence is turned on upon interaction with G4s). The fine mechanistic details behind the excellent properties of the best prototype N‐TASQ remain to be deciphered: to investigate this, we report here on the synthesis and studies of two analogues, TzN‐TASQ and AlkN‐TASQ, and on a careful analysis of their G4‐interacting properties, investigated both in vitro and in silico. Our results show that fine‐tuning their constitutive structural elements allows for increasing the efficiency of both their ‘off’ (i. e., a conformation with a low fluorescence) and ‘on’ states (i. e., a conformation with a high fluorescence), which opens interesting ways for the design of more efficient fluorogenic G4 probes.
Glucagon‐Like Peptide‐1 Links Ingestion, Homeostasis, and the Heart
Authors: Krieger Jean‐Philippe , Daniels Derek , Lee Shin , Mastitskaya Svetlana , Langhans Wolfgang 
Published: December 2024

ABSTRACTGlucagon‐like peptide‐1 (GLP‐1), a hormone released from enteroendocrine cells in the distal small and large intestines in response to nutrients and other stimuli, not only controls eating and insulin release, but is also involved in drinking control as well as renal and cardiovascular functions. Moreover, GLP‐1 functions as a central nervous system peptide transmitter, produced by preproglucagon (PPG) neurons in the hindbrain. Intestinal GLP‐1 inhibits eating by activating vagal sensory neurons directly, via GLP‐1 receptors (GLP‐1Rs), but presumably also indirectly, by triggering the release of serotonin from enterochromaffin cells. GLP‐1 enhances glucose‐dependent insulin release via a vago‐vagal reflex and by direct action on beta cells. Finally, intestinal GLP‐1 acts on the kidneys to modulate electrolyte and water movements, and on the heart, where it provides numerous benefits, including anti‐inflammatory, antiatherogenic, and vasodilatory effects, as well as protection against ischemia/reperfusion injury and arrhythmias. Hindbrain PPG neurons receive multiple inputs and project to many GLP‐1R‐expressing brain areas involved in reward, autonomic functions, and stress. PPG neuron‐derived GLP‐1 is involved in the termination of large meals and is implicated in the inhibition of water intake. This review details GLP‐1's roles in these interconnected systems, highlighting recent findings and unresolved issues, and integrating them to discuss the physiological and pathological relevance of endogenous GLP‐1 in coordinating these functions. As eating poses significant threats to metabolic, fluid, and immune homeostasis, the body needs mechanisms to mitigate these challenges while sustaining essential nutrient intake. Endogenous GLP‐1 plays a crucial role in this “ingestive homeostasis.”
Robust genomic prediction and heritability estimation using density power divergence
Authors: Chowdhury Upama Paul , Bhattacharjee Ronit , Das Susmita , Ghosh Abhik 
Published: December 2024

AbstractThis manuscript delves into the intersection of genomics and phenotypic prediction, focusing on the statistical innovation required to navigate the complexities introduced by noisy covariates and confounders. The primary emphasis is on the development of advanced robust statistical models tailored for genomic prediction from single nucleotide polymorphism data in plant and animal breeding and multi‐field trials. The manuscript highlights the significance of incorporating all estimated effects of marker loci into the statistical framework and aiming to reduce the high dimensionality of data while preserving critical information. This paper introduces a new robust statistical framework for genomic prediction, employing one‐stage and two‐stage linear mixed model analyses along with utilizing the popular robust minimum density power divergence estimator (MDPDE) to estimate genetic effects on phenotypic traits. The study illustrates the superior performance of the proposed MDPDE‐based genomic prediction and associated heritability estimation procedures over existing competitors through extensive empirical experiments on artificial datasets and application to a real‐life maize breeding dataset. The results showcase the robustness and accuracy of the proposed MDPDE‐based approaches, especially in the presence of data contamination, emphasizing their potential applications in improving breeding programs and advancing genomic prediction of phenotyping traits.
Developing a Fluorinated Benzothiadiazole‐Based Polymer Donor as Guest to Construct High‐Performance Ternary Solar Cells
Authors: Shao Jianfeng , Li Min , Chen Guo , Fang Yu , Young Jeong Sang , Ke Yuqiu , Yi Xiaoqing , Young Woo Han , Huang Bin 
Published: December 2024

AbstractBenzothiadiazole (BT) has shown promising applications in fullerene solar cells. However, few BT‐based polymer donors exhibited a noticeable power conversion efficiency (PCE) for the fused‐ring small molecular acceptor‐based polymer solar cells (PSCs). Herein, we developed a D‐A (D: donor, A: acceptor) polymer donor F‐1 based on fluorinated BT (ffBT) as A unit and chlorinated benzo [1,2‐b : 4,5‐b′] dithiophene (BDT‐2Cl) as D unit. Thanks to the strong electron‐withdrawing of ffBT unit, F‐1 not only exhibited low‐lying energy levels to increase open circuit voltage, but also existence noncovalent S ⋅ ⋅ ⋅ F to enhance molecular planarity and crystallinity. After incorporated F‐1 as guest materials on PM6 : L8‐BO‐based system to construct ternary device, the addition of F‐1 can efficient promote the blend films exhibit excellent morphological compatibility, favorable phase separation, and molecular arrangement. As a result, the F‐1 (5 %) : PM6 : L8‐BO‐based device obtained an impressive PCE up to 19.47 %, which is much higher than the counterparts as PCE is 18.35 % for PM6 : L8‐BO‐based binary device. This study not only provided a practical and promising strategy to develop high‐performance polymer donors by utilizing the advantages of noncovalent conformational locks, but also suggested an efficient strategy to further improve device performance by constructing ternary solar cells for BT unit‐based PSCs.
One‐Pot Depolymerization of Mixed Plastics Using a Dual Enzyme System
Authors: Branson Yannick , Liu Jiawei , Schmidt Louis , Griebel Jan , Prager Andrea , Stieler Lena , Breite Daniel , Bayer Thomas , Besenmatter Werner , Dong Weiliang , Garscha Ulrike , Bornscheuer Uwe T. , Wei Ren 
Published: December 2024

AbstractAs global plastic consumption and littering escalate, innovative approaches to sustainable waste management are crucial. Enzymatic depolymerization has emerged as a promising recycling method for polyesters via monomer recovery under mild conditions. However, current research mainly focuses on using a single plastic feedstock, which can only be derived from complex and costly plastic waste sorting. This study investigated the enzymatic depolymerization of mixed plastics using a dual‐enzyme system in a one‐pot approach. Employing the polyester hydrolase PES‐H1 FY and the (poly)urethanase UMG‐SP‐2, mixed or blended polymers consisting of polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polybutylene adipate‐co‐terephthalate (PBAT), and thermoplastic polyester‐polyurethane (TPU) were depolymerized into their monomers. Chromatographic quantification revealed a total yield of monomeric products of up to 39.8±4.4 % after 96 h reactions, which was consistent with the weight loss measurements of 40.9±2.5 %. In addition, a modified dissolution‐precipitation method was shown to easily blend the three different polymers while improving their degradability. Our findings suggest that using mixed enzymes is a viable method for recycling mixed or blended waste plastics without polymer sorting. Individual monomers can be separated and purified to produce virgin polymers, while their mixture in the hydrolysate can easily serve as feedstock for microbial upcycling into value‐added products.
Nickel‐Based Cocatalysts on Titanium‐Doped Hematite Empower Direct Photoelectrochemical Valorisation of 5‐Hydroxymethylfurfural
Authors: Carrai Irene , Mazzaro Raffaello , Bellatreccia Caterina , Piccioni Alberto , Salvi Marco , Grandi Silvia , Caramori Stefano , Ceroni Paola , Pasquini Luca 
Published: December 2024

AbstractThe photoelectrochemical oxidation of 5‐hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF), a biomass‐derived intermediate, to 2,5‐furandicarboxylic acid (FDCA), a key building block for industrial applications, is a well‐studied anodic reaction. This photoelectrochemical (PEC) conversion typically requires an electron mediator, such as TEMPO, regardless of the semiconductor used. Various electrocatalysts can also perform this reaction electrochemically, without additional organic species in the electrolyte. In this study, Ti‐doped hematite (Ti:Fe2O3) photoanodes were employed for the HMF photoelectrochemical conversion at the anodic side of a two‐compartments PEC cell. To avoid the need of an electron mediator, nickel‐based electrocatalysts were deposited on the electrode′s surface. The Ni(OH)2‐electrodeposited (Ti:Fe2O3−Ni) and the NiMo‐sputtered Ti:Fe2O3 photoanodes (Ti:Fe2O3−NiMo) were characterised and tested for the HMF oxidation in 0.1 M NaOH (pH 13) electrolyte. Partial HMF photoelectrochemical conversion to FDCA was achieved, pointing out the beneficial effect of Ni‐based cocatalyst in shifting the selectivity towards the di‐carboxylic acid. Fixed Energy X‐ray Absorption Voltammetry (FEXRAV) and X‐ray Absorption Near‐Edge Structure (XANES) measurements were conducted to investigate the interaction between HMF and the two deposited electrocatalysts. These techniques offered valuable insights into the oxidation mechanism, which were further validated using a rate deconvolution procedure.
Latitudinal Clines in an Ectothermic Vertebrate: Patterns in Body Size, Growth Rate, and Reproductive Effort Suggest Countergradient Responses in the Prairie Lizard
Authors: Robbins Travis R. , Hegdahl Tiffany R. 
Published: December 2024

ABSTRACTAlthough we have evidence that many organisms are exhibiting declines in body size in response to climate warming, we have little knowledge of underlying mechanisms or how associated phenotypic suites may coevolve. The better we understand coadaptations among physiology, morphology, and life history, the more accurate our predictions will be of organismal response to changing thermal environments. This is especially salient for ectotherms because they comprise 99% of species worldwide and are key to functioning ecosystems. Here, we assess body size, growth rates, and reproductive traits of a vertebrate ectotherm, the prairie lizard, Sceloporus consobrinus, for multiple populations along a latitudinal thermal gradient and compare body size clines between S. consobrinus and eastern fence lizard (S. undulatus) populations. We found that phenotypic values increased as environmental temperatures decreased for all traits examined, resulting in a pattern representative of countergradient variation. The positive covariation of phenotypes across the thermal gradient exemplifies the enigma of “master of all traits.” This enigma was further illustrated by the energy expenditure toward growth and reproduction increasing as phenotypic values increased. The evolutionary responses appear to reveal overcompensation because annual energy expenditure toward growth and reproduction increased even as activity periods decreased. Overall, compensatory responses to cooler thermal environments were exhibited by prairie lizards in body size, growth rate, egg size, and clutch size, resulting in cold‐adapted populations allocating more energy toward maintenance, growth, and reproduction than lower latitude, warm‐adapted populations. If larger body size in ectotherms is a result of intrinsically faster physiological rates compensating for cooler temperatures and shorter activity periods, then smaller body sizes in warmer environments may be a result of greater reliance on available environmental temperatures for physiological rates and time for assimilating resources.
Regeneration Limitations of Hippophae rhamnoides Population After Successfully Encroached on the Qinghai‐Tibetan Plateau
Authors: Fan Baoli , Gao Pengfei , Tian Tingting , Jiang Jinhua , Ding Nana , Wan Yongkuan , Ma Miaojun , Sun Kun 
Published: December 2024

ABSTRACTShrub encroachment can alter the structure and function of grassland ecosystems, leading to their degradation. Therefore, population regeneration dynamics after shrub encroachment on the influence of grassland should not be ignored. H. rhamnoides, as a pioneer species, has significantly encroached with large areas on the Qinghai‐Tibetan Plateau (QTP) due to climate change and over‐grazing. However, few studies have focused on the dynamics of population regeneration following successful encroachment. Therefore, we studied H. rhamnoides natural population in the alpine grasslands, investigating population regeneration pattern, seed, bud production and storage, and limitation imposed by microhabitats (soil, light and feeding). Our aim was to explore population regeneration strategies and identify key limiting factors for population regeneration after successful encroachment. Our findings revealed several key points: (i) H. rhamnoides entered the alpine grassland by relying on seeds, it would seize resources by low‐cost clonal reproduction, then increase sexual reproduction to improve genetic diversity. (ii) The production and storage of seeds and buds was sufficient, seed vigor was high, seed emergence rate was higher due to mechanical restriction of hard seed coat was weakened by the water transport channels in the palisade layer, and formation of seedlings was less restricted. (iii) H. rhamnoides population regeneration was mainly limited by microhabitats light and feeding. However, light and feeding significantly affected seedlings photosynthesis and carbon storage, their interaction significantly reduced the seedlings survival, and further restricted population regeneration. The results can provide theoretical basis for the restoration and management of alpine grassland degradation caused by shrub encroachment.
The Impact of Exclosure Duration on Plant Species Diversity in a Desert Grassland and the Relative Contribution of Plant Groups
Authors: Huang Jiaojiao , Lv Shijie , Liu Hongmei , Ma Shengyun 
Published: December 2024

ABSTRACTPlant species diversity has long been a focal point in ecological studies. In order to study the changes in species diversity at different spatial scales (α, β, and γ diversities) in the restoration process of grassland vegetation in fragile desert steps, this study took desert steppe of Inner Mongolia as the research object and employed a two‐factor experimental design that combined exclosure years (the years when an area was isolated to prevent grazing and other disturbances) with years of monitoring (the years when data were collected). It analyzed the plant groups (dominant species, common species, and rare species) and species diversity, and obtained the preliminary conclusions as follows: The optimal exclosure duration for promoting species diversity balance in desert steppe management is between 16 and 18 years. Short‐term exclosure enhances species diversity by promoting recovery in overgrazed systems, while long‐term exclosure may reduce diversity due to dominant species proliferation and inhibited regeneration. Increasing the duration of exclosure (the period from the initial exclosure year to the year of monitoring) can improve plant species diversity. Exclosure years and years of monitoring exhibited a significantly positive influence on α, β, and γ diversities, with a negative interaction effect between exclosure years and years of monitoring. In addition, plant groups played a significant role in diversity at different spatial scales. Contribution to α diversity ranked as follows: rare species > common species > dominant species; contribution to β diversity ranked as rare species > dominant species > common species; contribution to γ diversity ranked as common species > dominant species > rare species. Rare species played a crucial role in maintaining diversity stability within the community and diminishing gradient differences, and common species were instrumental in upholding landscape features.
Novel Drop‐Sampler for Simultaneous Collection of Stereo‐Video, Environmental DNA and Oceanographic Data
Authors: Thompson Samuel , Jarman Simon , Griffin Kingsley , Spencer Claude , Cummins Gabrielle , Partridge Julian , Langlois Tim 
Published: December 2024

ABSTRACTThere is an increasing interest in environmental DNA (eDNA) as a method to survey marine biota, enhancing traditional survey methods, and a need to ground truth eDNA‐based interpretations with visual surveys to understand biases in both the eDNA and visual datasets. We designed and tested a rapidly deployable, robust method pairing water sampling for eDNA collection and stereo‐video imagery, comparing inferred fish assemblages with interspersed baited remote underwater video (stereo‐BRUV) samples. The system is capable of rapidly collecting simultaneous wide‐field stereo‐video imagery, oceanographic measurements and multiple water samples across a range of habitats and depths (up to 600 m). A platform demonstration was conducted in a no‐take National Park Zone of the Ningaloo Marine Park, Western Australia, with samples being collected whilst the system is resting on the seafloor. Combining simultaneous visual survey data with eDNA species estimates increased the total diversity of the fish assemblage by ca. 6.5% over eDNA estimates alone, whilst the analysis of the assemblage composition sampled by each method revealed significant differences. The platform demonstration highlights the biases of each sampling method and their complementarity to one another. We suggest that these biases will be better understood by advancements that allow eDNA metabarcoding to discriminate the abundance and life stage of marine biota. Furthermore, investigation of the relationship between eDNA metabarcoding data and concomitant imagery‐derived length, age and habitat data is needed.
Short‐Term Effects of Attaching Animal‐Borne Devices on the Behavior of Juvenile Green Turtles
Authors: Robinson Nathan J. , Doñate‐Ordóñez Ruth , Chatzievangelou Damianos , Brooks Annabelle M. L. , Cuffley Jack , Fields Candace Y. A. , Hoefer Sebastian , Pinou Theodora , Smith Alexander , Mills Sophie 
Published: December 2024

ABSTRACTThe use of animal‐borne devices (= biologgers) has revolutionized the study of marine megafauna, yet there remains a paucity of data concerning the behavioral and physiological impacts of biologger attachment and retention. Here, we used animal‐borne cameras to characterize the behavior and dive duration of juvenile green turtles (Chelonia mydas) in The Bahamas for up to 210 min after biologger deployment (n = 58). For a “control,” we used unoccupied aerial vehicles (UAVs) to collect comparable data from nonhandled green turtles (n = 25) in the same habitats. Animal‐borne footage revealed that immediately after release turtles spent 70%–80% of their time swimming with a mean dive duration of 45.3 ± 34.3 s (SD). Over time, the percentage of time spent swimming decreased alongside an increase in dive duration until reaching a plateau around 90 min. However, the “control” UAV data for time spent swimming and dive durations were more comparable to the behaviors observed immediately after biologger deployment than during the plateau. We observed no significant differences in dive durations based on body size, and differences in behaviors based on body size were also minimal. We conclude that the effects of handling stress and biologger attachment on the behavior and dive duration of juvenile green turtles are evident up to 90 min postdeployment. After that, it is possible that either: (1) the effects of biologger deployment and retention are negligible, but UAVs may produce biased data that overestimates the proportion of time turtles typically spend swimming or (2) longer durations (> 210 min) are necessary for turtle behaviors to return to nonhandled levels and UAVs accurately represent the proportion of time turtles typically spend swimming. Answering this question, alongside further research into the physiological and behavioral implications of handling stress and biologger attachment, is essential to improve ethical biologging guidelines for sea turtles.
Follow or Question? Hidden Diversity and Miscellaneous Thought on the Subspecific Classification of Marchantia emarginata Reinw., Blume & Nees (Marchantiaceae, Marchantiophyta) Complex
Authors: Zheng Tian‐Xiong 
Published: December 2024

ABSTRACTMarchantia emarginata Reinw., Blume & Nees, with nearly 30 assigned names, is considered the most taxonomically complex species in the family Marchantiaceae. Currently, this species is segregated into three subspecies, and this subspecific classification is widely accepted since its formal inception. However, due to its extensive morphological variation and ambiguous intraspecific delimitation, many bryologists struggle to accurately identify this species at a subspecific level. Through scrutiny of related literatures and morphological examination of over 200 herbarium specimens, the taxonomic history, issues, and various perspectives on this species were newly summarized. Each subspecies was found to exhibit excessive morphological diversity. Consequently, the prevalent subspecific classification of M. emarginata was partly challenged by the morphological evidence obtained in the present study. This species urgently requires taxonomic revision using an integrative approach.