bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Gut-derived lipopolysaccharide remodels tumoral microenvironment and synergizes with PD-L1 checkpoint blockade via TLR4/MyD88/AKT/NF-κB pathway in pancreatic cancer
Authors: Yin Hanlin , Pu Ning , Chen Qiangda , Zhang Jicheng , Zhao Guochao , Xu Xuefeng , Wang Dansong , Kuang Tiantao , Jin Dayong , Lou Wenhui , Wu Wenchuan 
Published: October 2021

AbstractLipopolysaccharide (LPS) as an important inflammatory mediator activates the innate/adaptive immune system. The existence of LPS in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) has been reported, however, its biological function in PDAC remains unclear. Here, we demonstrated that circulating and tumoral LPS was significantly increased by intestinal leakage in the orthotopic murine PDAC model, and LPS administration promoted T cell infiltration but exhaustion paradoxically in the subcutaneous murine PDAC model. By bioinformatic analysis, Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4), LPS receptor, was further found to enrich in immune tolerance signaling in PDAC tissues. Then, a significant positive correlation was found between TLR4 and programmed death ligand-1 (PD-L1) in clinical PDAC tissues, as well as serum LPS and tumoral PD-L1. Meanwhile, LPS stimulation in vitro and in vivo obviously upregulated tumor PD-L1 expression, and effectively promoted cancer cells resistance to T cell cytotoxicity. Mechanistically, the activation of TLR4/MyD88/AKT/NF-κB cascade was found to participate in LPS mediated PD-L1 transcription via binding to its promoter regions, which was enhanced by crosstalk between NF-κB and AKT pathways. Finally, PD-L1 blockade could significantly reverse LPS-induced immune escape, and synergized with LPS treatment. Taken together, LPS can remodel tumor microenvironment, and synergize with PD-L1 blockade to suppress tumor growth, which may be a promising comprehensive strategy for PDAC.
A preliminary study of KAT2A on cGAS-related immunity in inflammation amplification of systemic lupus erythematosus
Authors: Tang Youzhou , Li Xinyu , Wei Yafang , Sun Yongchao , Yang Yeyi , Zhang Xianming , Gao Zhihao , Liu Jishi , Zhuang Quan 
Published: October 2021

AbstractPrevious studies demonstrated that cGAS pathway is related to the inflammation amplification in a variety of autoimmune diseases. Lysine acetyltransferase family (KATs) can regulate the nuclear transcription or cytoplasmic activation of cGAS through different mechanisms. However, its role and related immunity patterns in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) have not been explored. In this study, RNA-seq and scRNA-seq profiling were performed for peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from patients with SLE. R packages were used for bioinformatic analysis. Cell culture, RT-PCR, western blotting, immunofluorescence, immunohistochemistry, and ELISA were used to explore gene expression in vitro or clinical specimens. Plasmid transfection and mass spectrometry were used to detect protein modifications. Eight acetyltransferase and deacetylase family members with significantly differential expression in SLE were found. Among them, KAT2A was abnormally upregulated and positively correlated with disease activity index. Further, KAT2A-cGAS pathway was aberrantly expressed in specific immune cell subsets in SLE. In vitro studies showed KAT2A modulated cGAS through increasing expression and post-translational modification. Our research provides novel insights for accurately positioning specific immune-cell subgroups in which KAT2A-cGAS reaction mainly works and KAT2A regulation patterns.
MicroRNA-106a regulates autophagy-related cell death and EMT by targeting TP53INP1 in lung cancer with bone metastasis
Authors: Han Lei , Huang Zeyong , Liu Yan , Ye Lijuan , Li Dongqi , Yao Zhihong , Wang Cao , Zhang Ya , Yang Hang , Tan Zunxian , Tang Jiadai , Yang Zuozhang 
Published: October 2021

AbstractBone metastasis is one of the most serious complications in lung cancer patients. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) play important roles in tumour development, progression and metastasis. A previous study showed that miR-106a is highly expressed in the tissues of lung adenocarcinoma with bone metastasis, but its mechanism remains unclear. In this study, we showed that miR-106a expression is dramatically increased in lung cancer patients with bone metastasis (BM) by immunohistochemical analysis. MiR-106a promoted A549 and SPC-A1 cell proliferation, migration and invasion in vitro. The results of bioluminescence imaging (BLI), micro-CT and X-ray demonstrated that miR-106a promoted bone metastasis of lung adenocarcinoma in vivo. Mechanistic investigations revealed that miR-106a upregulation promoted metastasis by targeting tumour protein 53-induced nuclear protein 1 (TP53INP1)-mediated metastatic progression, including cell migration, autophagy-dependent death and epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT). Notably, autophagy partially attenuated the effects of miR-106a on promoting bone metastasis in lung adenocarcinoma. These findings demonstrated that restoring the expression of TP53INP1 by silencing miR-106a may be a novel therapeutic strategy for bone metastatic in lung adenocarcinoma.
Activation of G protein coupled estrogen receptor prevents chemotherapy-induced intestinal mucositis by inhibiting the DNA damage in crypt cell in an extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1- and 2- dependent manner
Authors: Chen Guanyu , Zeng Honghui , Li Xinyun , Liu Jianbo , Li Zhao , Xu Runze , Ma Yuntao , Liu Chuanyong , Xue Bing 
Published: October 2021

AbstractChemotherapy-induced intestinal mucositis (CIM) is a common adverse reaction to antineoplastic treatment with few appropriate, specific interventions. We aimed to identify the role of the G protein coupled estrogen receptor (GPER) in CIM and its mechanism. Adult male C57BL/6 mice were intraperitoneally injected with 5-fluorouracil to establish the CIM model. The selective GPER agonist G-1 significantly inhibited weight loss and histological damage in CIM mice and restored mucosal barrier dysfunction, including improving the expression of ZO-1, increasing the number of goblet cells, and decreasing mucosal permeability. Moreover, G-1 treatment did not alter the antitumor effect of 5-fluorouracil. In the CIM model, G-1 therapy reduced the expression of proapoptotic protein and cyclin D1 and cyclin B1, reversed the changes in the number of TUNEL+ cells, Ki67+ and bromodeoxyuridine+ cells in crypts. The selective GPER antagonist G15 eliminated all of the above effects caused by G-1 on CIM, and application of G15 alone increased the severity of CIM. GPER was predominantly expressed in ileal crypts, and G-1 inhibited the DNA damage induced by 5-fluorouracil in vivo and vitro, as confirmed by the decrease in the number of γH2AX+ cells in the crypts and the comet assay results. Referring to the data from GEO dataset we verified GPER activation restored ERK1/2 activity in CIM and 5-fluorouracil-treated IEC-6 cells. Once the effects of G-1 on ERK1/2 activity were abolished with the ERK1/2 inhibitor PD0325901, the effects of G-1 on DNA damage both in vivo and in vitro were eliminated. Correspondingly, all of the manifestations of G-1 protection against CIM were inhibited by PD0325901, such as body weight and histological changes, the mucosal barrier, the apoptosis and proliferation of crypt cells. In conclusion, GPER activation prevents CIM by inhibiting crypt cell DNA damage in an ERK1/2-dependent manner, suggesting GPER might be a target preventing CIM.
TNF-α-induced protein 8-like 2 negatively regulates the immune function of dendritic cells by suppressing autophagy via the TAK1/JNK pathway in septic mice
Authors: Liu Shuang-Qing , Ren Chao , Yao Ren-Qi , Wu Yao , Luan Ying-Yi , Dong Ning , Yao Yong-Ming 
Published: October 2021

AbstractTumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α-induced protein 8-like 2 (TIPE2) is a newly discovered negative immunoregulatory protein that is involved in various cellular immune responses to infections. However, the underlying mechanism by which TIPE2 affects the immune function of dendritic cells (DCs) is not yet understood. This study aimed to determine the correlations among DCs TIPE2 expression, autophagic activity and immune function in the context of sepsis. In addition, the signaling pathway by which TIPE2 regulates autophagy in DCs was investigated. We reported for the first time that TIPE2 overexpression (knock-in, KI) exerted an inhibitory effect on autophagy in DCs and markedly suppressed the immune function of DCs upon septic challenge both in vitro and in vivo. In addition, TIPE2 knockout (KO) in DCs significantly enhanced autophagy and improved the immune response of DCs in sepsis. Of note, we found that the transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β)-activated kinase-1 (TAK1)/c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) pathway was inhibited by TIPE2 in DCs, resulting in downregulated autophagic activity. Collectively, these results suggest that TIPE2 can suppress the autophagic activity of DCs by inhibiting the TAK1/JNK signaling pathway and further negatively regulate the immune function of DCs in the development of septic complications.
High variability in SSU rDNA gene copy number among planktonic foraminifera revealed by single-cell qPCR
Authors: Milivojević Tamara , Rahman Shirin Nurshan , Raposo Débora , Siccha Michael , Kucera Michal , Morard Raphaël 
Published: October 2021

Abstract
Metabarcoding has become the workhorse of community ecology. Sequencing a taxonomically informative DNA fragment from environmental samples gives fast access to community composition across taxonomic groups, but it relies on the assumption that the number of sequences for each taxon correlates with its abundance in the sampled community. However, gene copy number varies among and within taxa, and the extent of this variability must therefore be considered when interpreting community composition data derived from environmental sequencing. Here we measured with single-cell qPCR the SSU rDNA gene copy number of 139 specimens of five species of planktonic foraminifera. We found that the average gene copy number varied between of ~4000 to ~50,000 gene copies between species, and individuals of the same species can carry between ~300 to more than 350,000 gene copies. This variability cannot be explained by differences in cell size and considering all plausible sources of bias, we conclude that this variability likely reflects dynamic genomic processes acting during the life cycle. We used the observed variability to model its impact on metabarcoding and found that the application of a correcting factor at species level may correct the derived relative abundances, provided sufficiently large populations have been sampled.
Dominant frequency component tracking of noisy time‐varying signals using the linear predictive coding pole processing method
Authors: Xu Jin , Davis Mark , de Fréin Ruairí 
Published: October 2021

AbstractThe linear predictive coding pole processing (LPCPP) method proposed in our previous work overcomes the shortcomings of the LPC method, especially its sensitivity to noise and the filter order. The LPCPP method is a parameterised method that involves processing the LPC poles to produce a series of reduced‐order filter transfer functions to estimate the dominant frequency components of a signal. This paper analyses the ability of the LPCPP method to track the frequency changes of noisy, time‐varying signals in real‐time. Linear chirped frequency modulation signals are used in a series of experiments to simulate signals with different rates of frequency change. The results show that the LPCPP method can achieve real‐time tracking of the dominant frequency in the signal and outperforms the LPC method under different frequency change rates and different noise levels. Specifically, the valid estimate percentage of LPCPP is up to 41.3% higher than that of LPC which indicates that the LPCPP method significantly improves the validity of frequency estimates.
Block‐based procurement model between retailers and wind farms in medium‐long term market
Authors: Zhao Tianhui , Wang Jianxue , Ding Tao , Zhang Yao 
Published: October 2021

AbstractWith the fast development of wind power generation, many countries actively encourage wind power to trade in the medium‐long term market. However, the traditional forward contracts from medium‐long term markets are only suitable to conventional power generation enterprises, instead of wind farms. To facilitate the accommodation of wind power in the medium‐long term market, this paper focuses on two problems: The framework of the block‐based forward contract trading method and the procurement strategy of retailers with block‐based contracts. First, a novel block‐based forward contract is proposed, where the time attributes, that is, starting and ending time, and power during each period are stipulated. Aggregating all the block‐based forward contracts will naturally form the power supply curve, which can provide boundary information for wind farms when they take part in other markets. Secondly, a chance‐constrained procurement strategy model is proposed for retailers, where the uncertainty of wind power generation, constraints of block‐based contracts, and quota obligations of retailers are considered. Furthermore, a bilinear Benders decomposition algorithm with a variant of Jensen's inequalities is applied to solve the proposed model. Finally, experimental results demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed model and method, which is computationally efficient in solving the chance‐constrained procurement strategy problem.
Effects of smart meter privacy protection management on the lifetime performance of 18,650 lithium‐ion batteries
Authors: Pham Cong‐Toan , Månsson Daniel 
Published: October 2021

AbstractConcerns over privacy leaks through real‐time monitoring in smart meters (SMs) raise questions about how to effectively protect the user power consumption data. As one potential solution, energy storage systems have been suggested to physically manipulate SM readings to hide the true load pattern. Lithium‐ion batteries (LiBs) are commonly utilised in the residential area in various applications such as solar and home batteries. Its use in a privacy‐focussed operation has shown potential with reasonable system sizes in the range of commercially available products. However, batteries are subjected to ageing and the deterioration of performance over the course of time, which can limit the feasibility in such application. Hence, this work aims to investigate the ageing influence on LIBs' performance to deduce the life expectancy and how well privacy is protected over time. The study includes ageing tests with a specifically designed cycle life test procedure for the privacy protection scheme to extract relevant model parameters for the equivalent circuit battery model.
An optimal algorithm for better efficiency in WMSN for multimedia applications
Authors: Abed AL‐Asadi Hamid Ali 
Published: October 2021

AbstractThe recent trends in wireless network sensor technology are moving towards multimedia applications. Multimedia sensor nodes are difficult to communicate, but communication is necessary. Multimedia service offers both video monitoring and voice over wireless sensor networks. This causes severe problems with usage of data, power, bandwidth, energy usage and wireless sensor network deployment costs. The key restriction for the expansion of a network is the energy conservation. The nodes are distributed in the field to collect audio, video and density information so as to collect the information from sensors. The network of wireless sensors provides different layer nodes depending on their power level. In this work, Enhanced Greedy Forwarding with efficient Multi‐path and Dynamic Routing (EGFMDR) protocol was proposed and the results were compared with existing state‐of‐the‐art protocols like Ad‐hoc On‐demand Distance Vector and DYMO. Depending on how powerful they are, multi‐stage architectures were employed in various areas such as observation, military, media and traffic surveillance. They retain the effectiveness of wireless sensor network in multimedia applications. Service quality protocol parameters were analysed, and from the simulation results attained, the proposed EGFMDR protocol displays reduced end‐to‐end delay, lesser packet loss ratio and increased energy efficiency.
Trends in exposures to physically demanding working conditions in France in 2003, 2010 and 2017
Authors: Havet Nathalie , Penot Alexis 
Published: October 2021

Abstract

Background
To explore trends in social and occupational inequalities in terms of exposures to physically demanding working conditions for French employees.

Methods
Our study assessed data from the French national cross-sectional survey of occupational hazards (SUMER) that was conducted in 2003, 2010 and 2017. Trends in the prevalence of several types of physically demanding working conditions (lifting of heavy loads, awkward postures, vibrations, harmful noise, extreme temperatures, and carcinogenic, mutagenic and reprotoxic agents) were explored. Temporal changes in associations of individual and job characteristics with these factors of hardship at work were examined using multilevel logistic regressions.

Results
We estimated that 53.5% of French workers from all industries in the private sector and in public hospitals were exposed to at least one of the adverse physical working conditions considered in 2017. While the prevalence of exposure to severe physical constraints increased between 2003 and 2017 (+4.2 pp), the exposure associated with a hazardous physical environment decreased sharply (−6.3 pp). These observed trends did not occur similarly for all workers. Several inequalities in exposure increased over the period, particularly to the detriment of blue-collar workers. The situation of shift workers deteriorated in terms of the exposure to vibrations and awkward postures.

Conclusion
Our study indicates that more stringent interventions are needed to reduce the prevalence of pronounced physical constraints that contribute to MSDs. Future prevention strategies, in addition to seeking to achieve a general reduction in exposure to all physically demanding working conditions, should aim to reduce disparities that adversely affect vulnerable populations.
Volume functions for Shorea robusta Gaertn. in Nepal
Authors: Baral Sony , Neumann Mathias , Basnyat Bijendra , Sharma Ram P , Silwal Ramesh , Shrestha Him Lal , Subedi Thakur , Vacik Harald 
Published: October 2021

Abstract
In Nepal, there is currently no volume function for economically valuable tree species like Shorea robusta Gaertn. prepared based on destructive sampling for stem and branches. Existing functions rely on solely diameter and height, despite research indicating the importance of crown dimensions for stem taper. The objective of this study was to collate harmonized data from destructive sampled S. robusta trees from far-west to east Nepal, spanning about 500 km and to prepare new stem and branch volume functions. For every tree (n = 219) diameter at breast height (DBH) and tree height (H) was measured. Thereof 188 trees had measurements of crown length (CL). For a subsample (n = 100) volume of branches (&gt;10 cm diameter) were measured too. We fitted functions for stem and branch volume using regression mixed models with DBH, slenderness and crown ratio as covariates/predictors. We hypothesized that crown ratio is needed for accurate stem and branch volume predictions. Our results indicate that DBH and slenderness were the most important variables for predicting stem volume (marginal coefficient of determination R2 0.948), whereas the inclusion of crown ratio did not increase the explained variance. Crown ratio significantly increased explained variance in branch volume functions, suggesting that crown dimensions are needed to obtain accurate branch volume predictions (marginal R2 0.766). Estimating volume with only DBH, e.g. if more detailed H and CL measurements are missing, resulted in more precise estimates for stem (marginal R2 0.908) and fair estimates for branch volume (marginal R2 0.554). Our mixed model approach revealed that there were only small differences in volume from the different sampling sites and a similar accuracy can be assumed when applying the presented functions in other part of the country. Additionally, we demonstrated that log-transformation and currently used volume functions lead to biased volume estimates, in particular for large-sized trees. This study helps to provide reliable growing stock estimates of S. robusta (and in combination with density the carbon content) and considers the effects of wider spacing and longer crowns on stem taper and allocation patterns.
The Death of a Child and Parents’ Psychological Distress in Mid to Later Life: Racial/Ethnic Differences in Exposure and Vulnerability
Authors: Umberson Debra , Donnelly Rachel 
Published: October 2021

Abstract

Objectives
This study considered whether experiencing the death of a child is associated with subsequent psychological distress in older populations, as well as variation in both exposure and vulnerability to the death of a child among Black, Hispanic, and White older parents.

Methods
We used multilevel models to link the death of a child with subsequent distress for 9,763 non-Hispanic White, 2,496 non-Hispanic Black, 1,014 foreign-born Hispanic, and 712 U.S.-born Hispanic parents from the Health and Retirement Study, 2006–2016.

Results
The death of a child is associated with increased psychological distress in mid to later life for Black, White, and Hispanic parents, with greater vulnerability for foreign-born Hispanic parents. Notably, Black and U.S.-born Hispanic parents are disadvantaged because of the additive effects of their greater exposure to bereavement and their higher distress levels regardless of bereavement status. These effects persist net of additional stressors associated with race/ethnicity.

Discussion
The death of a child is a traumatic life course event associated with lasting psychological distress for aging parents. Black and U.S.-born Hispanic parents are disadvantaged in that they are more likely than White parents to experience the death of a child, and foreign-born Hispanic parents may be disadvantaged by greater vulnerability to distress following child death.