bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Loss of function of BRCA1 promotes EMT in mammary tumors through activation of TGFβR2 signaling pathway
Authors: Bai Feng , Wang Chuying , Liu Xiong , Hollern Daniel , Liu Shiqin , Fan Cheng , Liu Chang , Ren Sijia , Herschkowitz Jason I. , Zhu Wei-Guo , Pei Xin-Hai 
Published: March 2022

AbstractBRCA1 deficient breast cancers are aggressive and chemoresistant due, in part, to their enrichment of cancer stem cells that can be generated from carcinoma cells by an epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). We previously discovered that BRCA1 deficiency activates EMT in mammary tumorigenesis. How BRCA1 controls EMT and how to effectively target BRCA1-deficient cancers remain elusive. We analyzed murine and human tumors and identified a role for Tgfβr2 in governing the molecular aspects of EMT that occur with Brca1 loss. We utilized CRISPR to delete Tgfβr2 and specific inhibitors to block Tgfβr2 activity and followed up with the molecular analysis of assays for tumor growth and metastasis. We discovered that heterozygous germline deletion, or epithelia-specific deletion of Brca1 in mice, activates Tgfβr2 signaling pathways in mammary tumors. BRCA1 depletion promotes TGFβ-mediated EMT activation in cancer cells. BRCA1 binds to the TGFβR2 locus to repress its transcription. Targeted deletion or pharmaceutical inhibition of Tgfβr2 in Brca1-deficient tumor cells reduces EMT and suppresses tumorigenesis and metastasis. BRCA1 and TGFβR2 expression levels are inversely related in human breast cancers. This study reveals for the first time that a targetable TGFβR signaling pathway is directly activated by BRCA1-deficiency in the induction of EMT in breast cancer progression.
General statistical model shows that macroevolutionary patterns and processes are consistent with Darwinian gradualism
Authors: Pagel Mark , O’Donovan Ciara , Meade Andrew 
Published: March 2022

AbstractMacroevolution posed difficulties for Darwin and later theorists because species’ phenotypes frequently change abruptly, or experience long periods of stasis, both counter to the theory of incremental change or gradualism. We introduce a statistical model that accommodates this uneven evolutionary landscape by estimating two kinds of historical change: directional changes that shift the mean phenotype along the branches of a phylogenetic tree, and evolvability changes that alter a clade’s ability to explore its trait-space. In mammals, we find that both processes make substantial independent contributions to explaining macroevolution, and are rarely linked. ‘Watershed’ moments of increased evolvability greatly outnumber reductions in evolutionary potentials, and large or abrupt phenotypic shifts are explicable statistically as biased random walks, allowing macroevolutionary theory to engage with the language and concepts of gradualist microevolution. Our findings recast macroevolutionary phenomena, illustrating the necessity of accounting for a variety of evolutionary processes simultaneously.
Secondary structural ensembles of the SARS-CoV-2 RNA genome in infected cells
Authors: Lan Tammy C. T. , Allan Matty F. , Malsick Lauren E. , Woo Jia Z. , Zhu Chi , Zhang Fengrui , Khandwala Stuti , Nyeo Sherry S. Y. , Sun Yu , Guo Junjie U. , Bathe Mark , Näär Anders , Griffiths Anthony , Rouskin Silvi 
Published: March 2022

AbstractSARS-CoV-2 is a betacoronavirus with a single-stranded, positive-sense, 30-kilobase RNA genome responsible for the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Although population average structure models of the genome were recently reported, there is little experimental data on native structural ensembles, and most structures lack functional characterization. Here we report secondary structure heterogeneity of the entire SARS-CoV-2 genome in two lines of infected cells at single nucleotide resolution. Our results reveal alternative RNA conformations across the genome and at the critical frameshifting stimulation element (FSE) that are drastically different from prevailing population average models. Importantly, we find that this structural ensemble promotes frameshifting rates much higher than the canonical minimal FSE and similar to ribosome profiling studies. Our results highlight the value of studying RNA in its full length and cellular context. The genomic structures detailed here lay groundwork for coronavirus RNA biology and will guide the design of SARS-CoV-2 RNA-based therapeutics.
Stability bounds on superluminal propagation in active structures
Authors: Duggan Robert , Moussa Hady , Ra’di Younes , Sounas Dimitrios L. , Alù Andrea 
Published: March 2022

AbstractActive materials have been explored in recent years to demonstrate superluminal group velocities over relatively broad bandwidths, implying a potential path towards bold claims such as information transport beyond the speed of light, as well as antennas and metamaterial cloaks operating over very broad bandwidths. However, causality requires that no portion of an impinging pulse can pass its precursor, implying a fundamental trade-off between bandwidth, velocity and propagation distance. Here, we clarify the general nature of superluminal propagation in active structures and derive a bound on these quantities fundamentally rooted into stability considerations. By applying filter theory, we show that this bound is generally applicable to causal structures of arbitrary complexity, as it applies to each zero-pole pair describing their response. As the system complexity grows, we find that only minor improvements in superluminal bandwidth can be practically achieved. Our results provide physical insights into the limitations of superluminal structures based on active media, implying severe constraints in several recently proposed applications.
Maximizing the performance of n-type Mg3Bi2 based materials for room-temperature power generation and thermoelectric cooling
Authors: Liu Zihang , Gao Weihong , Oshima Hironori , Nagase Kazuo , Lee Chul-Ho , Mori Takao 
Published: March 2022

AbstractAlthough the thermoelectric effect was discovered around 200 years ago, the main application in practice is thermoelectric cooling using the traditional Bi2Te3. The related studies of new and efficient room-temperature thermoelectric materials and modules have, however, not come to fruition yet. In this work, the electronic properties of n-type Mg3.2Bi1.5Sb0.5 material are maximized via delicate microstructural design with the aim of eliminating the thermal grain boundary resistance, eventually leading to a high zT above 1 over a broad temperature range from 323 K to 423 K. Importantly, we further demonstrated a great breakthrough in the non-Bi2Te3 thermoelectric module, coupled with the high-performance p-type α-MgAgSb, for room-temperature power generation and thermoelectric cooling. A high conversion efficiency of ~2.8% at the temperature difference of 95 K and a maximum temperature difference of 56.5 K are experimentally achieved. If the interfacial contact resistance is further reduced, our non-Bi2Te3 module may rival the long-standing champion commercial Bi2Te3 system. Overall, this work represents a substantial step towards the real thermoelectric application using non-Bi2Te3 materials and devices.
A nationwide study of the incidence, prevalence and mortality of Parkinson’s disease in the Norwegian population
Authors: Brakedal Brage , Toker Lilah , Haugarvoll Kristoffer , Tzoulis Charalampos 
Published: March 2022

AbstractEpidemiological studies of Parkinson’s disease (PD) show variable and partially conflicting findings with regard to incidence, prevalence, and mortality. These differences are commonly attributed to technical and methodological factors, including small sample sizes, differences in diagnostic practices, and population heterogeneity. We leveraged the Norwegian Prescription Database, a population-based registry of drug prescriptions dispensed from Norwegian pharmacies to assess the incidence, prevalence, and mortality of PD in Norway. The diagnosis of PD was defined based on the prescription of dopaminergic drugs for the indication of PD over a continuous time. During 2004–2017, 12,229 males and 9831 females met our definition for PD diagnosis. PD prevalence increased over the observation period, with larger changes observed in the older age groups. Incidence and prevalence of PD increased with age, peaking at 85 years. The male/female prevalence ratio was 1.5 across all ages, whereas the incidence ratio increased with age, from 1.4 in those 60 years, to 2.03 among those >90 years. While PD mortality was generally higher than that of the general population, mortality odds ratios decreased with age, approaching 1.0 among individuals >90 years old. When adjusted for the sex-specific mortality of the general population, the mortality among females with PD was equal to or higher than the mortality among males with PD. Our findings demonstrate that the epidemiological features of PD, including sex-differences, are age and time-period dependent and indicate that sex differences in PD mortality are unlikely to stem from disease-specific negative impact of survival in males.
A nation-wide twin study of social cognition in schizophrenia spectrum disorders
Authors: Lemvigh Cecilie K. , Glenthøj Birte Y. , Fagerlund Birgitte 
Published: March 2022

AbstractWe examined social cognition in 32 monozygotic (MZ) and 21 dizygotic (DZ) twin pairs concordant or discordant for a schizophrenia spectrum diagnosis and healthy control (HC) twin pairs (29 MZ/20 DZ). All participants were recruited through the Danish registers. Patients showed several deficits in the ability to detect sarcasm. Impairments were also observed in the unaffected MZ co-twins, indicating that social cognitive deficits could be a genetic vulnerability indicator of the disease. Worse social cognition was associated with lower intelligence and higher levels of psychopathology in patients.
Subcortical volume reduction and cortical thinning 3 months after switching to clozapine in treatment resistant schizophrenia
Authors: Krajner Fanni , Hadaya Laila , McQueen Grant , Sendt Kyra-Verena , Gillespie Amy , Avila Alessia , Lally John , Hedges Emily P. , Diederen Kelly , Howes Oliver D. , Barker Gareth J. , Lythgoe David J. , Kempton Matthew J. , McGuire Philip , MacCabe James H. , Egerton Alice 
Published: March 2022

AbstractThe neurobiological effects of clozapine are under characterised. We examined the effects clozapine treatment on subcortical volume and cortical thickness and investigated whether macrostructural changes were linked to alterations in glutamate or N-acetylaspartate (NAA). Data were acquired in 24 patients with treatment-resistant schizophrenia before and 12 weeks after switching to clozapine. During clozapine treatment we observed reductions in caudate and putamen volume, lateral ventricle enlargement (P < 0.001), and reductions in thickness of the left inferior temporal cortex, left caudal middle frontal cortex, and the right temporal pole. Reductions in right caudate volume were associated with local reductions in NAA (P = 0.002). None of the morphometric changes were associated with changes in glutamate levels. These results indicate that clozapine treatment is associated with subcortical volume loss and cortical thinning and that at least some of these effects are linked to changes in neuronal or metabolic integrity.
Removal of drug and dye from aqueous solutions by graphene oxide: Adsorption studies and chemometrics methods
Authors: Yang Jingjie , Shojaei Siroos , Shojaei Saeed 
Published: March 2022

AbstractPharmaceutical products and dyes are the main environmental pollutants in the effluent of textile, cosmetic, and pharmaceutical industries. Therefore, in this study, the central composite design (CCD) based on the response surface methodology (RSM) was used to investigate the operating parameters and determine the optimal conditions for the removal of enrofloxacin (ENF) and Rhodamine B (RhB) by graphene oxide (GO). The structure and morphology of GO were studied using scanning electron microscopes (SEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) techniques. Quadratic model was confirmed to describe each of the removal efficiency responses (%R) a with high correlation coefficient (R2 = 0.9987 for ENF and R2 = 0.9999 for RhB) (R2-Adj = 0.9963 for ENF and R2-Adj = 0.9991 for RhB). In optimal conditions, RhB concentration of 10 mg L−1, adsorbent amount of 0.24 g, sonication time of 23 min, ENF concentration of 10 mg L−1, and pH 7, removal rates of more than 92.5% were obtained for both analytes. Adsorption equilibrium was studied with Langmuir, Freundlich, Langmuir-Freundlich, Redlich-Peterson, Toth and Khan isotherm models. Equilibrium data were best fitted with the Langmuir-Freundlich isotherm model. Maximum adsorption capacity of ENF and RhB on GO were 45.035 mg g−1 and 107.230 mg g−1, respectively. The recyclability of GO was evaluated during the ENF and RhB adsorption process. The results showed that up to 4 cycles of adsorbent, the adsorption efficiency is reduced by a tiny amount. The present study showed that GO is highly effective in removing ENF and RhB from environmental water samples.
Changes in sexual function and vaginal topography using transperineal ultrasound after vaginal laser treatment for women with stress urinary incontinence
Authors: Long Cheng-Yu , Wu Pei-Chi , Chen Hung-Sheng , Lin Kun-Ling , Loo Zixi , Liu Yiyin , Wu Chin-Hu 
Published: March 2022

AbstractWe aim to assess the changes in sexual function and vaginal topography using 3-D transperineal ultrasound in stress-incontinent women treated with Er:YAG vaginal laser. Two hundred and twenty women with stress urinary incontinence (SUI) treated with Er:YAG laser were recruited. Assessment before and 6 months after the treatment included vaginal topography using 3-D transperineal ultrasound and sexual function using female sexual function index questionnaire (FSFI). A total of 50 women with complete data showed that the symptomatic improvement was noted in 37 (74%) women. After Er:YAG vaginal laser treatment, significantly decreased width and cross-sectional area in proximal, middle, and distal vagina were found in women with SUI. Nearly all of the domains of FSFI improved significantly after the vaginal laser treatment, except sexual desire. In conclusion, 3-D transperineal ultrasound can be used to conduct vaginal topography. After Er:YAG vaginal laser treatment, the anatomical changes of vaginal shrinkage and the improvement of female sexual function were both noted. The favorable outcome of sexual function partly related to the tightening of vagina, as evidenced by the measurements of the 3-D transperineal ultrasound.
The structure of microbial communities of activated sludge of large-scale wastewater treatment plants in the city of Moscow
Authors: Begmatov Shahjahon , Dorofeev Alexander G. , Kadnikov Vitaly V. , Beletsky Alexey V. , Pimenov Nikolai V. , Ravin Nikolai V. , Mardanov Andrey V. 
Published: March 2022

AbstractMicrobial communities in wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) play a key role in water purification. Microbial communities of activated sludge (AS) vary extensively based on plant operating technology, influent characteristics and WWTP capacity. In this study we performed 16S rRNA gene profiling of AS at nine large-scale WWTPs responsible for the treatment of municipal sewage from the city of Moscow, Russia. Two plants employed conventional aerobic process, one plant—nitrification/denitrification technology, and six plants were operated with the University of Cape Town (UCT) anaerobic/anoxic/oxic process. Microbial communities were impacted by the technology and dominated by the Proteobacteria, Bacteroidota and Actinobacteriota. WWTPs employing the UCT process enabled efficient removal of not only organic matter, but also nitrogen and phosphorus, consistently with the high content of ammonia-oxidizing Nitrosomonas sp. and phosphate-accumulating bacteria. The latter group was represented by Candidatus Accumulibacter, Tetrasphaera sp. and denitrifiers. Co-occurrence network analysis provided information on key hub microorganisms in AS, which may be targeted for manipulating the AS stability and performance. Comparison of AS communities from WWTPs in Moscow and worldwide revealed that Moscow samples clustered together indicating that influent characteristics, related to social, cultural and environmental factors, could be more important than a plant operating technology.
Public communication can facilitate low-risk coordination under surveillance
Authors: Korman Amos , Crescenzi Pierluigi 
Published: March 2022

AbstractConsider a sub-population of rebels aiming at initiating a revolution. To avoid initializing a failed revolution, rebels would first strive to estimate their “power”, which is often correlated with their number. However, especially in non-democratic countries, rebels avoid disclosing themselves. This poses a significant challenge for rebels: estimating their number while minimizing the risk of being identified as rebels. This paper introduces a distributed computing framework to study this question. Our main insight is that the communication pattern plays a crucial role in achieving such a task. Specifically, we distinguish between public communication, in which each message announced by an individual can be viewed by all its neighbors, and private communication, in which each message is received by one neighbor. We describe a simple protocol in the public communication model that allows rebels to estimate their number while keeping a negligible risk of being identified as rebels. The proposed protocol, inspired by historical events, can be executed covertly even under extreme conditions of surveillance. Conversely, we show that under private communication, protocols of similar simplicity are either inefficient or non-covert. These results suggest that public communication can facilitate the emergence of revolutions in non-democratic countries.
Pore-scale observations of natural hydrate-bearing sediments via pressure core sub-coring and micro-CT scanning
Authors: Lei Liang , Park Taehyung , Jarvis Karl , Pan Lingli , Tepecik Imgenur , Zhao Yumeng , Ge Zhuan , Choi Jeong-Hoon , Gai Xuerui , Galindo-Torres Sergio Andres , Boswell Ray , Dai Sheng , Seol Yongkoo 
Published: March 2022

AbstractBoth intra-pore hydrate morphology and inter-pore hydrate distribution influence the physical properties of hydrate-bearing sediments, yet there has been no pore-scale observations of hydrate habit under pressure in preserved pressure core samples so far. We present for the first time a pore-scale micro-CT study of natural hydrate-bearing cores that were acquired from Green Canyon Block 955 in UT-GOM2-1 Expedition and preserved within hydrate pressure–temperature stability conditions throughout sub-sampling and imaging processes. Measured hydrate saturation in the sub-samples, taken from units expected to have in-situ saturation of 80% or more, ranges from 3 ± 1% to 56 ± 11% as interpreted from micro-CT images. Pore-scale observations of gas hydrate in the sub-samples suggest that hydrate in silty sediments at the Gulf of Mexico is pore-invasive rather than particle displacive, and hydrate particles in these natural water-saturated samples are pore-filling with no evidence of grain-coating. Hydrate can form a connected 3D network and provide mechanical support for the sediments even without cementation. The technical breakthrough to directly visualize particle-level hydrate pore habits in natural sediments reported here sheds light on future investigations of pressure- and temperature-sensitive processes including hydrate-bearing sediments, dissolved gases, and other biochemical processes in the deep-sea environment.
Distinctive effects of executive dysfunction and loss of learning/memory abilities on resting-state brain activity
Authors: Hoshi Hideyuki , Hirata Yoko , Kobayashi Momoko , Sakamoto Yuki , Fukasawa Keisuke , Ichikawa Sayuri , Poza Jesús , Rodríguez-González Víctor , Gómez Carlos , Shigihara Yoshihito 
Published: March 2022

AbstractDementia is a syndrome characterised by cognitive impairments, with a loss of learning/memory abilities at the earlier stages and executive dysfunction at the later stages. However, recent studies have suggested that impairments in both learning/memory abilities and executive functioning might co-exist. Cognitive impairments have been primarily evaluated using neuropsychological assessments, such as the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE). Recently, neuroimaging techniques such as magnetoencephalography (MEG), which assess changes in resting-state brain activity, have also been used as biomarkers for cognitive impairment. However, it is unclear whether these changes reflect dysfunction in executive function as well as learning and memory. In this study, parameters from the MEG for brain activity, MMSE for learning/memory, and Frontal Assessment Battery (FAB) for executive function were compared within 207 individuals. Three MEG parameters were used as representatives of resting-state brain activity: median frequency, individual alpha frequency, and Shannon’s spectral entropy. Regression analysis showed that median frequency was predicted by both the MMSE and FAB scores, while individual alpha frequency and Shannon’s spectral entropy were predicted by MMSE and FAB scores, respectively. Our results indicate that MEG spectral parameters reflect both learning/memory and executive functions, supporting the utility of MEG as a biomarker of cognitive impairment.
Raman spectroscopy combined with machine learning algorithms to detect adulterated Suichang native honey
Authors: Hu Shuhan , Li Hongyi , Chen Chen , Chen Cheng , Zhao Deyi , Dong Bingyu , Lv Xiaoyi , Zhang Kai , Xie Yi 
Published: March 2022

AbstractZhejiang Suichang native honey, which is included in the list of China’s National Geographical Indication Agricultural Products Protection Project, is very popular. This study proposes a method of Raman spectroscopy combined with machine learning algorithms to accurately detect low-concentration adulterated Suichang native honey. In this study, the native honey collected by local beekeepers in Suichang was selected for adulteration detection. The spectral data was compressed by Savitzky–Golay smoothing and partial least squares (PLS) in sequence. The PLS features taken for further analysis were selected according to the contribution rate. In this study, three classification modeling methods including support vector machine, probabilistic neural network and convolutional neural network were adopted to correctly classify pure and adulterated honey samples. The total accuracy was 100%, 100% and 99.75% respectively. The research result shows that Raman spectroscopy combined with machine learning algorithms has great potential in accurately detecting adulteration of low-concentration honey.