bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Variability of the Turkana Low‐Level Jet in Reanalysis and Models: Implications for Rainfall
Authors: King James A. , Engelstaedter Sebastian , Washington Richard , Munday Callum 
Published: April 2021

AbstractThe complex topography of East Africa poses challenges for accurate modeling of regional climate. The Turkana Channel in northwestern Kenya is an important feature because of a persistent low‐level jet (LLJ) that blows through it, which has complex interactions with local and regional rainfall. We establish the annual cycle and interannual variability of the LLJ in the ERA5, MERRA‐2, and JRA‐55 reanalyses. The jet is strongest during wet seasons in the surrounding region. Results suggest a statistically significant weakening of the LLJ over the last 30–40 years in two out of the three reanalyses. We propose an explanation based on the jet's relationship with regional warming patterns and zonal surface pressure gradients, which link the jet to larger‐scale climate dynamics including the Walker Circulation. If these changes continue in the future, there may be significant implications for rainfall including increases in northwest Kenya and decreases further inland. However, the global models used to produce climate projections vary in their simulations of the LLJ in part because they represented topography. Consequently, it is not possible to assess how future LLJ changes will affect regional climate using CMIP5 models alone. Differences between the reanalyses preclude their direct use for model evaluation. Improving the processes by which topographical observations are mapped onto model grids could lead to improvements in the simulation of the East African climate. A field campaign to measure the LLJ directly could resolve uncertainties in the literature, help constrain reanalyses, and determine which models have the most realistic LLJ representation.
Wafer-scale transfer route for top–down III-nitride nanowire LED arrays based on the femtosecond laser lift-off technique
Authors: Yulianto Nursidik , Refino Andam Deatama , Syring Alina , Majid Nurhalis , Mariana Shinta , Schnell Patrick , Wahyuono Ruri Agung , Triyana Kuwat , Meierhofer Florian , Daum Winfried , Abdi Fatwa F. , Voss Tobias , Wasisto Hutomo Suryo , Waag Andreas 
Published: April 2021

AbstractThe integration of gallium nitride (GaN) nanowire light-emitting diodes (nanoLEDs) on flexible substrates offers opportunities for applications beyond rigid solid-state lighting (e.g., for wearable optoelectronics and bendable inorganic displays). Here, we report on a fast physical transfer route based on femtosecond laser lift-off (fs-LLO) to realize wafer-scale top–down GaN nanoLED arrays on unconventional platforms. Combined with photolithography and hybrid etching processes, we successfully transferred GaN blue nanoLEDs from a full two-inch sapphire substrate onto a flexible copper (Cu) foil with a high nanowire density (~107 wires/cm2), transfer yield (~99.5%), and reproducibility. Various nanoanalytical measurements were conducted to evaluate the performance and limitations of the fs-LLO technique as well as to gain insights into physical material properties such as strain relaxation and assess the maturity of the transfer process. This work could enable the easy recycling of native growth substrates and inspire the development of large-scale hybrid GaN nanowire optoelectronic devices by solely employing standard epitaxial LED wafers (i.e., customized LED wafers with additional embedded sacrificial materials and a complicated growth process are not required).
Extracellular matrix and its therapeutic potential for cancer treatment
Authors: Huang Jiacheng , Zhang Lele , Wan Dalong , Zhou Lin , Zheng Shusen , Lin Shengzhang , Qiao Yiting 
Published: April 2021

AbstractThe extracellular matrix (ECM) is one of the major components of tumors that plays multiple crucial roles, including mechanical support, modulation of the microenvironment, and a source of signaling molecules. The quantity and cross-linking status of ECM components are major factors determining tissue stiffness. During tumorigenesis, the interplay between cancer cells and the tumor microenvironment (TME) often results in the stiffness of the ECM, leading to aberrant mechanotransduction and further malignant transformation. Therefore, a comprehensive understanding of ECM dysregulation in the TME would contribute to the discovery of promising therapeutic targets for cancer treatment. Herein, we summarized the knowledge concerning the following: (1) major ECM constituents and their functions in both normal and malignant conditions; (2) the interplay between cancer cells and the ECM in the TME; (3) key receptors for mechanotransduction and their alteration during carcinogenesis; and (4) the current therapeutic strategies targeting aberrant ECM for cancer treatment.
Metallic phase transition metal dichalcogenide quantum dots showing different optical charge excitation and decay pathways
Authors: Kim Bo-Hyun , Jang Min-Ho , Yoon Hyewon , Kim Hyun Jun , Cho Yong-Hoon , Jeon Seokwoo , Song Sung-Ho 
Published: April 2021

AbstractThe charge excitation and decay pathways of two-dimensional heteroatomic quantum dots (QDs) are affected by the quantum confinement effect, bandgap structure and strong exciton binding energy. Recently, semiconducting transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) have been intensively studied; however, the charge dynamics of metallic phase QDs (mQDs) of TMDs remain relatively unknown. Herein, we investigate the photophysical properties of TMD-mQDs of two sizes, where the TMD-mQDs show different charge excitation and decay pathways that are mainly ascribed to the defect states and valence band splitting, resulting in a large Stokes shift and two excitation bands for maximum photoluminescence (PL). Interestingly, the dominant excitation band redshifts as the size increases, and the time-resolved PL peak redshifts at an excitation wavelength of 266 nm in the smaller QDs. Additionally, the lifetime is shortened in the larger QDs. From the structural and theoretical analysis, we discuss that the charge decay pathway in the smaller QDs is predominantly affected by edge oxidation, whereas the vacancies play an important role in the larger QDs.
Thalamocortical excitability modulation guides human perception under uncertainty
Authors: Kosciessa Julian Q. , Lindenberger Ulman , Garrett Douglas D. 
Published: April 2021

AbstractKnowledge about the relevance of environmental features can guide stimulus processing. However, it remains unclear how processing is adjusted when feature relevance is uncertain. We hypothesized that (a) heightened uncertainty would shift cortical networks from a rhythmic, selective processing-oriented state toward an asynchronous (“excited”) state that boosts sensitivity to all stimulus features, and that (b) the thalamus provides a subcortical nexus for such uncertainty-related shifts. Here, we had young adults attend to varying numbers of task-relevant features during EEG and fMRI acquisition to test these hypotheses. Behavioral modeling and electrophysiological signatures revealed that greater uncertainty lowered the rate of evidence accumulation for individual stimulus features, shifted the cortex from a rhythmic to an asynchronous/excited regime, and heightened neuromodulatory arousal. Crucially, this unified constellation of within-person effects was dominantly reflected in the uncertainty-driven upregulation of thalamic activity. We argue that neuromodulatory processes involving the thalamus play a central role in how the brain modulates neural excitability in the face of momentary uncertainty.
Reaction-diffusion in a growing 3D domain of skin scales generates a discrete cellular automaton
Authors: Fofonjka Anamarija , Milinkovitch Michel C. 
Published: April 2021

AbstractWe previously showed that the adult ocellated lizard skin colour pattern is effectively generated by a stochastic cellular automaton (CA) of skin scales. We additionally suggested that the canonical continuous 2D reaction-diffusion (RD) process of colour pattern development is transformed into this discrete CA by reduced diffusion coefficients at the borders of scales (justified by the corresponding thinning of the skin). Here, we use RD numerical simulations in 3D on realistic lizard skin geometries and demonstrate that skin thickness variation on its own is sufficient to cause scale-by-scale coloration and CA dynamics during RD patterning. In addition, we show that this phenomenon is robust to RD model variation. Finally, using dimensionality-reduction approaches on large networks of skin scales, we show that animal growth affects the scale-colour flipping dynamics by causing a substantial decrease of the relative length scale of the labyrinthine colour pattern of the lizard skin.
Imperceptible energy harvesting device and biomedical sensor based on ultraflexible ferroelectric transducers and organic diodes
Authors: Petritz Andreas , Karner-Petritz Esther , Uemura Takafumi , Schäffner Philipp , Araki Teppei , Stadlober Barbara , Sekitani Tsuyoshi 
Published: April 2021

AbstractEnergy autonomy and conformability are essential elements in the next generation of wearable and flexible electronics for healthcare, robotics and cyber-physical systems. This study presents ferroelectric polymer transducers and organic diodes for imperceptible sensing and energy harvesting systems, which are integrated on ultrathin (1-µm) substrates, thus imparting them with excellent flexibility. Simulations show that the sensitivity of ultraflexible ferroelectric polymer transducers is strongly enhanced by using an ultrathin substrate, which allows the mounting on 3D-shaped objects and the stacking in multiple layers. Indeed, ultraflexible ferroelectric polymer transducers have improved sensitivity to strain and pressure, fast response and excellent mechanical stability, thus forming imperceptible wireless e-health patches for precise pulse and blood pressure monitoring. For harvesting biomechanical energy, the transducers are combined with rectifiers based on ultraflexible organic diodes thus comprising an imperceptible, 2.5-µm thin, energy harvesting device with an excellent peak power density of 3 mW·cm−3.
Arbitrary linear transformations for photons in the frequency synthetic dimension
Authors: Buddhiraju Siddharth , Dutt Avik , Minkov Momchil , Williamson Ian A. D. , Fan Shanhui 
Published: April 2021

AbstractArbitrary linear transformations are of crucial importance in a plethora of photonic applications spanning classical signal processing, communication systems, quantum information processing and machine learning. Here, we present a photonic architecture to achieve arbitrary linear transformations by harnessing the synthetic frequency dimension of photons. Our structure consists of dynamically modulated micro-ring resonators that implement tunable couplings between multiple frequency modes carried by a single waveguide. By inverse design of these short- and long-range couplings using automatic differentiation, we realize arbitrary scattering matrices in synthetic space between the input and output frequency modes with near-unity fidelity and favorable scaling. We show that the same physical structure can be reconfigured to implement a wide variety of manipulations including single-frequency conversion, nonreciprocal frequency translations, and unitary as well as non-unitary transformations. Our approach enables compact, scalable and reconfigurable integrated photonic architectures to achieve arbitrary linear transformations in both the classical and quantum domains using current state-of-the-art technology.
RANKL regulates male reproductive function
Authors: Blomberg Jensen Martin , Andreassen Christine Hjorth , Jørgensen Anne , Nielsen John Erik , Juel Mortensen Li , Boisen Ida Marie , Schwarz Peter , Toppari Jorma , Baron Roland , Lanske Beate , Juul Anders 
Published: April 2021

AbstractInfertile men have few treatment options. Here, we demonstrate that the transmembrane receptor activator of NF-kB ligand (RANKL) signaling system is active in mouse and human testis. RANKL is highly expressed in Sertoli cells and signals through RANK, expressed in most germ cells, whereas the RANKL-inhibitor osteoprotegerin (OPG) is expressed in germ and peritubular cells. OPG treatment increases wild-type mouse sperm counts, and mice with global or Sertoli-specific genetic suppression of Rankl have increased male fertility and sperm counts. Moreover, RANKL levels in seminal fluid are high and distinguishes normal from infertile men with higher specificity than total sperm count. In infertile men, one dose of Denosumab decreases RANKL seminal fluid concentration and increases serum Inhibin-B and anti-Müllerian-hormone levels, but semen quality only in a subgroup. This translational study suggests that RANKL is a regulator of male reproductive function, however, predictive biomarkers for treatment-outcome requires further investigation in placebo-controlled studies.
Brain-specific lipoprotein receptors interact with astrocyte derived apolipoprotein and mediate neuron-glia lipid shuttling
Authors: Yin Jun , Spillman Emma , Cheng Ethan S. , Short Jacob , Chen Yang , Lei Jingce , Gibbs Mary , Rosenthal Justin S. , Sheng Chengyu , Chen Yuki X. , Veerasammy Kelly , Choetso Tenzin , Abzalimov Rinat , Wang Bei , Han Chun , He Ye , Yuan Quan 
Published: April 2021

AbstractLipid shuttling between neurons and glia contributes to the development, function, and stress responses of the nervous system. To understand how a neuron acquires its lipid supply from specific lipoproteins and their receptors, we perform combined genetic, transcriptome, and biochemical analyses in the developing Drosophila larval brain. Here we report, the astrocyte-derived secreted lipocalin Glial Lazarillo (GLaz), a homolog of human Apolipoprotein D (APOD), and its neuronal receptor, the brain-specific short isoforms of Drosophila lipophorin receptor 1 (LpR1-short), cooperatively mediate neuron-glia lipid shuttling and support dendrite morphogenesis. The isoform specificity of LpR1 defines its distribution, binding partners, and ability to support proper dendrite growth and synaptic connectivity. By demonstrating physical and functional interactions between GLaz/APOD and LpR1, we elucidate molecular pathways mediating lipid trafficking in the fly brain, and provide in vivo evidence indicating isoform-specific expression of lipoprotein receptors as a key mechanism for regulating cell-type specific lipid recruitment.
Genetic interactions among Brca1, Brca2, Palb2, and Trp53 in mammary tumor development
Authors: Huo Yanying , Selenica Pier , Mahdi Amar H. , Pareja Fresia , Kyker-Snowman Kelly , Chen Ying , Kumar Rahul , Da Cruz Paula Arnaud , Basili Thais , Brown David N. , Pei Xin , Riaz Nadeem , Tan Yongmei , Huang Yu-Xiu , Li Tao , Barnard Nicola J. , Reis-Filho Jorge S. , Weigelt Britta , Xia Bing 
Published: April 2021

AbstractInherited mutations in BRCA1, BRCA2, and PALB2 cause a high risk of breast cancer. Here, we conducted parallel conditional knockout (CKO) of Brca1, Palb2, and Brca2, individually and in combination, along with one copy of Trp53, in the mammary gland of nulliparous female mice. We observed a functional equivalence of the three genes in their basic tumor-suppressive activity, a linear epistasis of Palb2 and Brca2, but complementary roles of Brca1 and Palb2 in mammary tumor suppression, as combined ablation of either Palb2 or Brca2 with Brca1 led to delayed tumor formation. Whole-exome sequencing (WES) revealed both similarities and differences between Brca1 and Palb2 or Brca2 null tumors. Analyses of mouse mammary glands and cultured human cells showed that combined loss of BRCA1 and PALB2 led to high levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and increased apoptosis, implicating oxidative stress in the delayed tumor development in Brca1;Palb2 double CKO mice. The functional complementarity between BRCA1 and PALB2/BRCA2 and the role of ROS in tumorigenesis require further investigation.
Persistent dyskinesias in patients with fetal tissue transplantation for Parkinson disease
Authors: Greene Paul E. , Fahn Stanley , Eidelberg David , Bjugstad Kimberly B. , Breeze Robert E. , Freed Curt R. 
Published: April 2021

AbstractCell transplants are being developed for patients with Parkinson disease (PD) who have insufficient benefit with standard medical treatment. We describe the clinical features of five patients who developed persistent dyskinesias after fetal dopaminergic tissue transplantation. All had levodopa-induced dyskinesias preoperatively. We implanted fetal mesencephalic dopaminergic tissue into the putamina bilaterally in 34 patients with advanced PD. They were not immunosuppressed. Five of 34 patients (15%) developed troublesome choreic or dystonic dyskinesias that persisted despite lowering or discontinuing medications. Attempts to treat the involuntary movements with amantadine, clozapine, anticholinergics, dopamine depletors and other medicines had limited success. Metyrosine eliminated dyskinesias but led to the parkinsonian “off” state. Increasing the dose of levodopa worsened the dyskinesias. Three patients required placement of pallidal stimulators, bilaterally in two and unilaterally in one patient who had only contralateral dyskinesias. The two with the bilateral stimulators had improvement in dyskinesias. The patient with the unilateral pallidal stimulator had a substantial reduction of the dyskinesias, but attempts to treat residual “off” symptoms with levodopa were limited by worsening dyskinesias. Although the number of patients developing these persistent dyskinesias was small, these five patients had dramatic improvement after transplant. As a group, they had milder Parkinson signs at baseline and improved to the point of having minimal parkinsonism, with reduction or elimination of levodopa therapy prior to developing persistent dyskinesias. These involuntary movements establish the principle that fetal dopaminergic tissue transplants can mimic the effects of levodopa, not only in reducing bradykinesia, but also in provoking dyskinesias.
An integrated landscape of protein expression in human cancer
Authors: Jarnuczak Andrew F. , Najgebauer Hanna , Barzine Mitra , Kundu Deepti J. , Ghavidel Fatemeh , Perez-Riverol Yasset , Papatheodorou Irene , Brazma Alvis , Vizcaíno Juan Antonio 
Published: April 2021

AbstractUsing 11 proteomics datasets, mostly available through the PRIDE database, we assembled a reference expression map for 191 cancer cell lines and 246 clinical tumour samples, across 13 lineages. We found unique peptides identified only in tumour samples despite a much higher coverage in cell lines. These were mainly mapped to proteins related to regulation of signalling receptor activity. Correlations between baseline expression in cell lines and tumours were calculated. We found these to be highly similar across all samples with most similarity found within a given sample type. Integration of proteomics and transcriptomics data showed median correlation across cell lines to be 0.58 (range between 0.43 and 0.66). Additionally, in agreement with previous studies, variation in mRNA levels was often a poor predictor of changes in protein abundance. To our knowledge, this work constitutes the first meta-analysis focusing on cancer-related public proteomics datasets. We therefore also highlight shortcomings and limitations of such studies. All data is available through PRIDE dataset identifier PXD013455 and in Expression Atlas.
Population cluster data to assess the urban-rural split and electrification in Sub-Saharan Africa
Authors: Khavari Babak , Korkovelos Alexandros , Sahlberg Andreas , Howells Mark , Fuso Nerini Francesco 
Published: April 2021

AbstractHuman settlements are usually nucleated around manmade central points or distinctive natural features, forming clusters that vary in shape and size. However, population distribution in geo-sciences is often represented in the form of pixelated rasters. Rasters indicate population density at predefined spatial resolutions, but are unable to capture the actual shape or size of settlements. Here we suggest a methodology that translates high-resolution raster population data into vector-based population clusters. We use open-source data and develop an open-access algorithm tailored for low and middle-income countries with data scarcity issues. Each cluster includes unique characteristics indicating population, electrification rate and urban-rural categorization. Results are validated against national electrification rates provided by the World Bank and data from selected Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS). We find that our modeled national electrification rates are consistent with the rates reported by the World Bank, while the modeled urban/rural classification has 88% accuracy. By delineating settlements, this dataset can complement existing raster population data in studies such as energy planning, urban planning and disease response.
Predictive value of tyrosine phosphatase receptor gamma for the response to treatment tyrosine kinase inhibitors in chronic myeloid leukemia patients
Authors: Ismail Mohamed A. , Vezzalini Marzia , Morsi Hisham , Abujaber Ahmad , Al Sayab Ali , Siveen Kodappully , Yassin Mohamed A. , Monne Maria , Samara Muthanna , Cook Richard , Sorio Claudio , Modjtahedi Helmout , Al-Dewik Nader I. 
Published: April 2021

AbstractProtein tyrosine phosphatase receptor gamma (PTPRG) is a member of the receptor-like family protein tyrosine phosphatases and acts as a tumor suppressor gene in different neoplasms. Recent studies reported the down-regulation of PTPRG expression levels in Chronic Myeloid Leukemia disease (CML). In addition, the BCR-ABL1 transcript level is currently a key predictive biomarker of CML response to treatment with Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitors (TKIs). The aim of this study was to employ flow cytometry to monitor the changes in the expression level of PTPRG in the white blood cells (WBCs) of CML patients at the time of diagnosis and following treatment with TKIs. WBCs from peripheral blood of 21 CML patients were extracted at diagnosis and during follow up along with seven healthy individuals. The PTPRG expression level was determined at protein and mRNA levels by both flow cytometry with monoclonal antibody (TPγ B9-2) and RT-qPCR, and BCR-ABL1 transcript by RT-qPCR, respectively. PTPRG expression was found to be lower in the neutrophils and monocytes of CML patients at time of diagnosis compared to healthy individuals. Treatment with TKIs nilotinib and Imatinib Mesylate restored the expression of PTPRG in the WBCs of CML patients to levels observed in healthy controls. Moreover, restoration levels were greatest in optimal responders and occurred earlier with nilotinib compared to imatinib. Our results support the measurement of PTPRG expression level in the WBCs of CML patients by flow cytometry as a monitoring tool for the response to treatment with TKIs in CML patients.