bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Building causal knowledge in behavior genetics
Authors: Madole James W. , Harden K. Paige 
Published: May 2022

Abstract
Behavior genetics is a controversial science. For decades, scholars have sought to understand the role of heredity in human behavior and life-course outcomes. Recently, technological advances and the rapid expansion of genomic databases have facilitated the discovery of genes associated with human phenotypes such as educational attainment and substance use disorders. To maximize the potential of this flourishing science, and to minimize potential harms, careful analysis of what it would mean for genes to be causes of human behavior is needed. In this paper, we advance a framework for identifying instances of genetic causes, interpreting those causal relationships, and applying them to advance causal knowledge more generally in the social sciences. Central to thinking about genes as causes is counterfactual reasoning, the cornerstone of causal thinking in statistics, medicine, and philosophy. We argue that within-family genetic effects represent the product of a counterfactual comparison in the same way as average treatment effects (ATEs) from randomized controlled trials (RCTs). Both ATEs from RCTs and within-family genetic effects are shallow causes: They operate within intricate causal systems (non-unitary), produce heterogeneous effects across individuals (non-uniform), and are not mechanistically informative (non-explanatory). Despite these limitations, shallow causal knowledge can be used to improve understanding of the etiology of human behavior and to explore sources of heterogeneity and fade-out in treatment effects.
Factors structuring lexical development in toddlers: The effects of parental education, language exposure, and age
Authors: SCAFF Camila , FIBLA Laia , CRISTIA Alejandrina 
Published: May 2022

AbstractA growing body of research suggests that individual variation in young children’s word comprehension (indexed by response times and accuracy) is structured and meaningful. In this paper, we assess how children’s word comprehension correlates with three factors: socio-economic status (indexed by maternal education), lingual status (based on language exposure), and age. We present results from 91 2- to 3-year-old children using a paired forced-choice task built on a child-friendly touch screen. Effects associated with maternal education and exposure to the tested language (French) were small, and they were greater for accuracy than response times. This pattern of results is compatible with an interpretation whereby the greatest effects of these two variables are on cumulative knowledge (vocabulary size) rather than on processing. Effects for age were larger and affected both accuracy and response times. Finally, response time variation did not mediate the effects of socio-economic status on accuracy or vice versa.
Risky business in Georgia's wild birds: contact rates between wild birds and backyard chickens is influenced by supplemental feed
Authors: Ayala A. J. , Haas L. K. , Williams B. M. , Fink S. S. , Yabsley M. J. , Hernandez S. M. 
Published: May 2022

Abstract
Backyard chickens are increasingly popular, and their husbandry varies widely. How backyard chickens are housed may influence the accessibility of chicken feed and water to wild birds, and thus, the contact rates between both groups. Increased contacts have implications for pathogen transmission; for instance, Newcastle disease virus or avian influenza virus may be transmitted to and from backyard chickens from contaminated water or feed. Given this potentially increased pathogen risk to wild birds and backyard chickens, we examined which wild bird species are likely to encounter backyard chickens and their resources. We performed a supplemental feeding experiment followed by observations at three sites associated with backyard chickens in North Georgia, USA. At each site, we identified the species of wild birds that: (a) shared habitat with the chickens, (b) had a higher frequency of detection relative to other species and (c) encountered the coops. We identified 14 wild bird species that entered the coops to consume supplemental feed and were considered high-risk for pathogen transmission. Our results provide evidence that contact between wild birds and backyard chickens is frequent and more common than previously believed, which has crucial epidemiological implications for wildlife managers and backyard chicken owners.
The Effects of Surface Curvature and Temperature on Charge Transfer During Ice‐Ice Collisions
Authors: Turner G. J. , Stow C. D. 
Published: May 2022

AbstractRepetitive collisions of sublimating ice surfaces, created by freezing liquid water, produced charge separation Q of a magnitude (pC) comparable to earlier results of vapor‐grown ice crystals repetitively collided in a saturated environment. Those results had been explained by a theory of charge distribution in a quasi‐liquid surface layer quasi‐liquid layer (QLL) mediated at the moment of impact by collisional melting. The present results are from long‐duration contacts (15 ms) with transfer of kinetic energy estimated to be a factor of 104 greater and charging rate 98% slower. They do not support an assumption in the proposed mechanism of collisional melting and are contrary to the basic assumptions of that theory: that significant Q occurs only in growing surfaces (i.e., in a supersaturated condition that implies the presence of liquid water) that were originally grown from vapor, and for which the contact is less than 1 ms. The results are opposite to a rule that in the case of differing surfaces (vapor‐grown and rimed), the greater sublimating surface would charge negatively. Here, for surfaces of frozen water, the surface further from equilibrium becomes positively charged. The results are not inconsistent with recent reports of simulations that suggest that the thickness of a QLL in sublimating surfaces may not be less than the equilibrium value. Apparently, for differing ice surfaces, Q is of the order of 1 fC, whereas for collisions of similar ices on metal substrates (whether both vapor‐deposited, or both frozen liquid water), Q is of the order of 1 pC.
Validity of Global Fog‐Day Trends Indicated by the Global Surface Summary of the Day (GSOD) Data Set
Authors: Lavigne Thomas , Liu Chuntao 
Published: May 2022

AbstractIt has long been understood that fog plays an important role in the atmospheric radiation budget and contributes to many transportation related fatalities and injuries. This study utilizes >8,000 Global Surface Summary of the Day (GSOD) ground stations to investigate trends observed in fog‐days over the past 44‐years, and to examine the validity of these trends under varying observational techniques. Results show strong large‐scale regional trends in the GSOD fog‐day data, with the United States (USA) and much of Europe observing ∼20–25% and ∼3–5% decreases respectively in fog‐day occurrence. However, when comparing fog‐day counts to simultaneous visibility, it is evident that several different fog‐day data collection techniques were used throughout the timeseries in many regions. For example, many stations in the USA made data collection changes in the mid 1990s, and again in the mid 2000s. To identify the artifacts from different data collection techniques, a simple method is developed to determine which stations indeed encountered at least one false deviation to the timeseries. After applying the methodology to all GSOD stations, 1,696 stations are identified as being potentially quality long‐term fog‐day stations. Utilizing these stations, more reliable regional trends can be derived over some specific regions. Spain, Australia, and China show statistically significant decreases in fog‐day occurrence. India and Japan show increases in fog day occurrence. Further analysis shows that the driving factors of fog such as temperature and moisture have changed regionally during the last four decades and could be linked to the long‐term regional fog‐day trends.
Upregulation of the serine palmitoyltransferase subunit SPTLC2 by endoplasmic reticulum stress inhibits the hepatic insulin response
Authors: Kim Goon-Tae , Devi Shivani , Sharma Amitesh , Cho Kyung-Hee , Kim Su-Jung , Kim Bo-Rahm , Kwon Sang-Ho , Park Tae-Sik 
Published: May 2022

AbstractEndoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress is induced by various conditions, such as inflammation and the presence of excess nutrients. Abnormal accumulation of unfolded proteins leads to the activation of a collective signaling cascade, termed the unfolded protein response (UPR). ER stress is reported to perturb hepatic insulin response metabolism while promoting insulin resistance. Here, we report that ER stress regulates the de novo biosynthesis of sphingolipids via the activation of serine palmitoyltransferase (SPT), a rate-limiting enzyme involved in the de novo biosynthesis of ceramides. We found that the expression levels of Sptlc1 and Sptlc2, the major SPT subunits, were upregulated and that the cellular concentrations of ceramide and dihydroceramide were elevated by acute ER stress inducers in primary hepatocytes and HepG2 cells. Sptlc2 was upregulated and ceramide levels were elevated by tunicamycin in the livers of C57BL/6J wild-type mice. Analysis of the Sptlc2 promoter demonstrated that the transcriptional activation of Sptlc2 was mediated by the spliced form of X-box binding protein 1 (sXBP1). Liver-specific Sptlc2 transgenic mice exhibited increased ceramide levels in the liver and elevated fasting glucose levels. The insulin response was reduced by the inhibition of the phosphorylation of insulin receptor β (IRβ). Collectively, these results demonstrate that ER stress induces activation of the de novo biosynthesis of ceramide and contributes to the progression of hepatic insulin resistance via the reduced phosphorylation of IRβ in hepatocytes.
Time-trends in human urinary concentrations of phthalates and substitutes DEHT and DINCH in Asian and North American countries (2009–2019)
Authors: Domínguez-Romero Elena , Komprdová Klára , Kalina Jiří , Bessems Jos , Karakitsios Spyros , Sarigiannis Dimosthenis A. , Scheringer Martin 
Published: May 2022

Abstract
Background
Many phthalates are environmental pollutants and toxic to humans. Following phthalate regulations, human exposure to phthalates has globally decreased with time in European countries, the US and Korea. Conversely, exposure to their substitutes DEHT and/or DINCH has increased. In other countries, including China, little is known on the time-trends in human exposure to these plasticizers.

Objective
We aimed to estimate time-trends in the urinary concentrations of phthalates, DEHT, and DINCH metabolites, in general population from non-European countries, in the last decade.

Methods
We compiled human biomonitoring (HBM) data from 123 studies worldwide in a database termed “PhthaLit”. We analyzed time-trends in the urinary concentrations of the excreted metabolites of various phthalates as well as DEHT and DINCH per metabolite, age group, and country/region, in 2009–2019. Additionally, we compared urinary metabolites levels between continents.

Results
We found solid time-trends in adults and/or children from the US, Canada, China and Taiwan. DEHP metabolites decreased in the US and Canada. Conversely in Asia, 5oxo- and 5OH-MEHP (DEHP metabolites) increased in Chinese children. For low-weight phthalates, the trends showed a mixed picture between metabolites and countries. Notably, MnBP (a DnBP metabolite) increased in China. The phthalate substitutes DEHT and DINCH markedly increased in the US.

Significance
We addressed the major question of time-trends in human exposure to phthalates and their substitutes and compared the results in different countries worldwide.

Impact
Phthalates account for more than 50% of the plasticizer world market. Because of their toxicity, some phthalates have been regulated. In turn, the consumption of non-phthalate substitutes, such as DEHT and DINCH, is growing. Currently, phthalates and their substitutes show high detection percentages in human urine. Concerning time-trends, several studies, mainly in Europe, show a global decrease in phthalate exposure, and an increase in the exposure to phthalate substitutes in the last decade. In this study, we address the important question of time-trends in human exposure to phthalates and their substitutes and compare the results in different countries worldwide.
The natural compound atraric acid suppresses androgen-regulated neo-angiogenesis of castration-resistant prostate cancer through angiopoietin 2
Authors: Ehsani Marzieh , Bartsch Sophie , Rasa Seyed Mohammad Mahdi , Dittmann Jessica , Pungsrinont Thanakorn , Neubert Laura , Huettner Soeren S. , Kotolloshi Roland , Schindler Katrin , Ahmad Aya , Mosig Alexander S. , Adam Lisa , Ori Alessandro , Neri Francesco , Berndt Alexander , Grimm Marc-Oliver , Baniahmad Aria 
Published: May 2022

AbstractCastration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) is an aggressive lethal form of prostate cancer (PCa). Atraric acid (AA) not only inhibits the wild-type androgen receptor (AR) but also those AR mutants that confer therapy resistance to other clinically used AR antagonists, indicating a different mode of AR antagonism. AA induces cellular senescence and inhibits CRPC tumour growth in in vivo xenograft mouse model associated with reduced neo-angiogenesis suggesting the repression of intratumoural neo-angiogenesis by AA. In line with this, the secretome of CRPC cells mediates neo-angiogenesis in an androgen-dependent manner, which is counteracted by AA. This was confirmed by two in vitro models using primary human endothelial cells. Transcriptome sequencing revealed upregulated angiogenic pathways by androgen, being however VEGF-independent, and pointing to the pro-angiogenic factor angiopoietin 2 (ANGPT2) as a key driver of neo-angiogenesis induced by androgens and repressed by AA. In agreement with this, AA treatment of native patient-derived PCa tumour samples ex vivo inhibits ANGPT2 expression. Mechanistically, in addition to AA, immune-depletion of ANGPT2 from secretome or blocking ANGPT2-receptors inhibits androgen-induced angiogenesis. Taken together, we reveal a VEGF-independent ANGPT2-mediated angiogenic pathway that is inhibited by AA leading to repression of androgen-regulated neo-angiogenesis.
Long non-coding RNA MAFG-AS1 promotes proliferation and metastasis of breast cancer by modulating STC2 pathway
Authors: Di Shihao , Bai Rumeng , Lu Die , Chen Chunni , Ma Tianshi , Zou Zigui , Zhang Zhihong 
Published: May 2022

AbstractBreast cancer is the most common cancer worldwide. A number of studies proposed that long non-coding RNA plays an essential role in the regulation of invasion and metastasis of various forms of malignancy, including lung cancer, gastric cancer, and bladder cancer. In this study, a long non-coding RNA(LncRNA) MAFG-AS1 was explored in detail to understand the significance in the etiology of breast cancer. The results indicated that expression of LncRNA MAFG-AS1 in the breast cancer tissues was significantly higher than the adjacent normal breast tissues and elevated expression level of LncRNA MAFG-AS1 was correlated to the larger tumor size, negative expression of ER, PR and lymph node metastasis. The potency of breast cancer proliferation, invasion, and metastasis was inhibited in the absence of LncRNA MAFG-AS1. Mechanically, LncRNA MAFG-AS1 was mainly located in the cytoplasm. The downstream target gene of LncRNA MAFG-AS1 was STC2 which might promote cell proliferation and metastasis in breast cancer and this study provides a new potential therapeutic target for breast cancer.
FAM126A interacted with ENO1 mediates proliferation and metastasis in pancreatic cancer via PI3K/AKT signaling pathway
Authors: Li Yongning , Li Ying , Luo Jun , Fu Xueqin , Liu Peng , Liu Songbai , Pan Yaozhen 
Published: May 2022

AbstractPancreatic cancer (PC) is a common digestive system carcinoma with high mortality rate mostly due to aberrant growth and distant metastasis. Current researches demonstrated that Family Sequence Similarities (FAMs) have been involving in tumor development, and which subfamily has the function of promoting or inhibiting tumors and its in-depth molecular mechanism remains unclear. Based on the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO), the Gene Expression Profiling Interactive Analysis (GEPIA2), we observed that FAM126A is in high expressed level among PC tissues and contributes to worse progression of PC, which was validated by PC tissue microarray. Function assay indicated that overexpression of FAM126A accelerates PC cell proliferation, invasion and migration in vitro, as well as liver cancer metastasis in vivo. Further, we found that FAM126A induces epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), including the downregulation of E-cadherin epithelial marker expression, and the upregulation of N-cadherin, Vimentin, and Snail, mesenchymal marker expression. By co-localization and co-immunoprecipitation assays, we confirmed that FAM126A directly interacts with ENO1, which was a key activator of the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway. Furthermore, ENO1 knockdown reversed cell proliferation, migration, and invasion of PC cells promoted by FAM126A overexpression in vitro and in vivo. In general, these results verified FAM126A is an oncogene interacting with ENO1 in PC by activating PI3K/AKT signaling pathway.
Contrasting influences of biogeophysical and biogeochemical impacts of historical land use on global economic inequality
Authors: Liu Shu , Wang Yong , Zhang Guang J. , Wei Linyi , Wang Bin , Yu Le 
Published: May 2022

AbstractClimate change has significant implications for macro-economic growth. The impacts of greenhouse gases and anthropogenic aerosols on economies via altered annual mean temperature (AMT) have been studied. However, the economic impact of land-use and land-cover change (LULCC) is still unknown because it has both biogeochemical and biogeophysical impacts on temperature and the latter differs in latitudes and disturbed land surface types. In this work, based on multi-model simulations from the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 6, contrasting influences of biogeochemical and biogeophysical impacts of historical (1850–2014) LULCC on economies are found. Their combined effects on AMT result in warming in most countries, which harms developing economies in warm climates but benefits developed economies in cold climates. Thus, global economic inequality is increased. Besides the increased AMT by the combined effects, day-to-day temperature variability is enhanced in developing economies but reduced in developed economies, which further deteriorates global economic inequality.
Synchronization in electric power networks with inherent heterogeneity up to 100% inverter-based renewable generation
Authors: Sajadi Amirhossein , Kenyon Rick Wallace , Hodge Bri-Mathias 
Published: May 2022

AbstractThe synchronized operation of power generators is the foundation of electric power network stability and a key to the prevention of undesired power outages and blackouts. Here, we derive the conditions that guarantee synchronization in power networks with inherent generator heterogeneity when subjected to small perturbations, and perform a parametric sensitivity analysis to understand synchronization with varied types of generators. As inverter-based resources, which are the primary interfacing technology for many renewable sources of energy, have supplanted synchronous generators in ever growing numbers, the center of attention on associated integration challenges have resided primarily on the role of declining system inertia. Our results instead highlight the critical role of generator damping in achieving a stable state of synchronization. Additionally, we report the feasibility of operating interconnected electric grids with up to 100% power contribution from inverter-based renewable generation technologies. Our study has important implications as it sets the basis for the development of advanced control architectures and grid optimization methods that ensure synchronization and further pave the path towards the decarbonization of the electric power sector.
PICASSO allows ultra-multiplexed fluorescence imaging of spatially overlapping proteins without reference spectra measurements
Authors: Seo Junyoung , Sim Yeonbo , Kim Jeewon , Kim Hyunwoo , Cho In , Nam Hoyeon , Yoon Young-Gyu , Chang Jae-Byum 
Published: May 2022

AbstractUltra-multiplexed fluorescence imaging requires the use of spectrally overlapping fluorophores to label proteins and then to unmix the images of the fluorophores. However, doing this remains a challenge, especially in highly heterogeneous specimens, such as the brain, owing to the high degree of variation in the emission spectra of fluorophores in such specimens. Here, we propose PICASSO, which enables more than 15-color imaging of spatially overlapping proteins in a single imaging round without using any reference emission spectra. PICASSO requires an equal number of images and fluorophores, which enables such advanced multiplexed imaging, even with bandpass filter-based microscopy. We show that PICASSO can be used to achieve strong multiplexing capability in diverse applications. By combining PICASSO with cyclic immunofluorescence staining, we achieve 45-color imaging of the mouse brain in three cycles. PICASSO provides a tool for multiplexed imaging with high accessibility and accuracy for a broad range of researchers.
Systematic characterization of gene function in the photosynthetic alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii
Authors: Fauser Friedrich , Vilarrasa-Blasi Josep , Onishi Masayuki , Ramundo Silvia , Patena Weronika , Millican Matthew , Osaki Jacqueline , Philp Charlotte , Nemeth Matthew , Salomé Patrice A. , Li Xiaobo , Wakao Setsuko , Kim Rick G. , Kaye Yuval , Grossman Arthur R. , Niyogi Krishna K. , Merchant Sabeeha S. , Cutler Sean R. , Walter Peter , Dinneny José R. , Jonikas Martin C. , Jinkerson Robert E. 
Published: May 2022

AbstractMost genes in photosynthetic organisms remain functionally uncharacterized. Here, using a barcoded mutant library of the model eukaryotic algaChlamydomonas reinhardtii, we determined the phenotypes of more than 58,000 mutants under more than 121 different environmental growth conditions and chemical treatments. A total of 59% of genes are represented by at least one mutant that showed a phenotype, providing clues to the functions of thousands of genes. Mutant phenotypic profiles place uncharacterized genes into functional pathways such as DNA repair, photosynthesis, the CO2-concentrating mechanism and ciliogenesis. We illustrate the value of this resource by validating phenotypes and gene functions, including three new components of an actin cytoskeleton defense pathway. The data also inform phenotype discovery in land plants; mutants inArabidopsis thalianagenes exhibit phenotypes similar to those we observed in theirChlamydomonashomologs. We anticipate that this resource will guide the functional characterization of genes across the tree of life.