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Lipolysis is an important metabolic pathway controlling energy homeostasis through degradation of triglycerides stored in lipid droplets and release of fatty acids. Lipid droplets of mammalian cells are coated with one or more members of the PAT protein family, which serve important functions in regulating lipolysis. In this study, we investigate the mechanisms by which PAT family members, perilip

Heparan sulfate 3-O-sulfotransferase transfers sulfate to the 3-OH position of a glucosamine residue of heparan sulfate (HS) to form 3-O-sulfated HS. The 3-O-sulfated glucosamine residue contributes to two important biological functions of HS: binding to antithrombin and thereby carrying anticoagulant activity, and binding to herpes simplex viral envelope glycoprotein D to serve as an entry recept

BACKGROUND: Dysbiosis of the oral mycobiome has been linked to some diseases, including cancers. However, the role of oral fungal communities in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) carcinogenesis has not previously been investigated.METHODS: We characterized the oral salivary fungal mycobiome in 476 untreated incident NPC patients and 537 population-based controls using fungal internal transcribed spac

Climate change mitigation requires rapid expansion of low-carbon electricity but there is a disagreement on whether available technologies such as renewables and nuclear power can be scaled up sufficiently fast. Here we analyze the diffusion of nuclear (from the 1960s), as well as wind and solar (from the 1980-90s) power. We show that all these technologies have been adopted in most large economie

Background: Public trust is central to the collection of genomic and health data and the sustainability of genomic research. To merit trust, those involved in collecting and sharing data need to demonstrate they are trustworthy. However, it is unclear what measures are most likely to demonstrate this. Methods: We analyse the ‘Your DNA, Your Say’ online survey of public perspectives on genomic data

This thesis challenges the prevailing firm-consumer/customer-centric and dyadic perspective that prevails within the brand equity literature, which is based on a linear, straightforward stimulus-response approach to the creation of brand value. Leaning on the literature on interorganisational relationships, stakeholder theory, market emergence/market driving, and firm internationalisation, which s

The widely accepted “Milankovitch theory” explains insolation-induced waxing and waning of the ice sheets and their effect on the global climate on orbital timescales. In the past half century, however, the theory has often come under scrutiny, especially regarding its “100-ka problem.” Another drawback, but the one that has received less attention, is the “monsoon problem,” which pertains to the

Shelterbelts (or windbreaks) can effectively improve the microclimate and soil conditions of adjacent farmland and thus increase crop yield. However, the individual contribution of these two factors to yield changes is still unclear since the short-term effect from the microclimate and the accumulated effect from the soil jointly affect crop yield. The latter (soil effect) is supposed to remain af

Ending the use of unabated coal power is a key climate change mitigation measure. However, we do not know how fast it is feasible to phase-out coal on the global scale. Historical experience of individual countries indicates feasible coal phase-out rates, but can these be upscaled to the global level and accelerated by deliberate action? To answer this question, we analyse 72 national coal power p

Top predators can affect the behaviour of prey species via lethal (direct kill) or non-lethal effects (i.e., through predation risk). For example, prey species may move from areas perceived as risky to safer spaces where predation risk is lower, which can have important consequences for investment in foraging, movement, and mating, and for the behaviour and habitat use of other species, such as me

Accurate monitoring of daily precipitation is essential for many applications, such as simulation and prediction of watershed water-related disasters. However, precipitation data from satellite and gauge-based precipitation products face challenges in capturing true observations because of their large uncertainties. To improve daily precipitation estimates, this study proposed a new merging framew

Hydrological processes in a watershed consist of multiple sub-processes (such as plant growth, evapotranspiration, water yield, and soil–water balance) that have complex interactions. The common practice of calibrating hydrological models against only a single variable (e.g., streamflow) can lead to parameter uncertainty (also known as equifinality), resulting in significant uncertainties in the r

The regional loess stratigraphy in the Vojvodina region, in the southeastern Carpathian Basin, has often been successfully correlated to the global palaeoclimate. This is a quasi-continuous sedimentary record that provides detailed environmental reconstruction during the last four glacial/interglacial cycles. In this study, we present a standardized loess stratigraphy and illustrate how it correla

INTRODUCTION: Reporting of sex and gender analysis in medical research has been shown to improve quality of the science and ensures findings are applicable to women and men. There is conflicting evidence on whether efforts by funding agencies and medical journals to encourage reporting of sex and gender analysis has resulted in tangible improvements. This study mapped the inclusion of sex and gend