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

The nexus of population growth and changing diets has increased the demands placed on agriculture to supply food for human consumption, animal feed and fuel. Rising incomes lead to dietary changes, from staple crops, towards commodities with greater land requirements, e.g. meat and dairy products. Despite yield improvements partially offsetting increases in demand, agricultural land has still been

The accumulation of empirical evidence that outward-oriented developing countries have generally performed better than inward-oriented ones in terms of growth, industrialisation, job creation and other macroeconomic indicators provides an essential lesson for both policy-makers and development economists worldwide. The acknowledged importance of trade and non-traditional exports for development an

In recent years, the flash flood occurs frequently and intensively. It has become a world-wide focus in the field of disaster prevention and mitigation. The flash flood critical rainfall determination method, flash floods forecasting model and experience forecasting method are the most commonly used methods. This study focused on the application of hydrological models for flash floods simulation.T

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

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

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

Polycentrism has gradually become a newly emergent dimension of global urbanization. Many countries worldwide have tailored plans suited to functional polycentricity, in light of the prevalent “ghost cities” or “empty towns” as lessons from the morphologically polycentric development practices. However, the subject of defining and measuring functional polycentricity is still in an initial developm

OBJECTIVE: To identify ways that provision of hemophilia care can be maximized at the local level, irrespective of available resources or cultural or geographic challenges.METHODS: The SHIELD group used its multinational experience to share examples of local initiatives that have been employed to deliver optimal hemophilia care.RESULTS: The examples were reviewed and categorized into four key them

Soil freezing/thawing is an important mechanism to control soil water and heat redistribution in mid-to-high latitudes. Salt in the agricultural soil from mid-to-high latitudes can alter characteristics of soil freezing/thawing cycle and then affect soil thermal and hydrological processes in winter and finally cause salinization in spring. To quantify the impacts of soil salinization on soil water

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

BACKGROUND: Post-traumatic syringomyelia (PTS) affects patients with chronic spinal cord injury (SCI) and is characterized by progressive deterioration of neurological symptoms. To improve surgical treatment, we studied the therapeutic effects of neuroepithelial-like stem cells (NESCs) derived from induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) in a rat model of PTS. To facilitate clinical translation, we

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

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