The phrase "are thought to be maintained" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used when discussing beliefs or assumptions about the ongoing preservation or support of something.
Example: "These traditions are thought to be maintained by the community to preserve their cultural heritage."
Alternatives: "are believed to be upheld" or "are considered to be sustained."
Relaxed and transcriptionally active chromatin regions are thought to be maintained by H2AZ and H3.330.
RM systems are thought to be maintained by prokaryotes as defensive tools against invasion by foreign DNA.
Several cancers are thought to be maintained by "cancer stem cells" in a similar manner as healthy tissue is maintained by regular stem cells [7] [10].
These three female morphs are thought to be maintained by frequency-dependent sexual conflict, in which common morphs suffer from excessive male mating harassment and apostatic selection, since males form search images directed towards common morphs [15], [26].
In nature, the 2 subspecies are thought to be maintained in distinct but incompletely defined cycles (10 – 10 ).
Polymorphisms within the ABS of MHC genes are thought to be maintained by balancing selection imposed by pathogens/parasites.
Similarly, in HCC, HBx expression is thought to be maintained.
Such environment is thought to be maintained mainly through GSH [54].
Hydrophobicity in leaves is thought to be maintained due to a number of advantages, including that a layer of water reduces photosynthetic gas exchange, promotes pathogen infection and enhances pollutant deposition [15], [16].
MPXV is thought to be maintained in wild rodents in the rain forests of Central and West Africa, causing sporadic human outbreaks in remote villages probably as a result of direct cutaneous contact or mucosal exposure to infected animals [2] [5].
The polymorphism has been thought to be maintained by natural selection in wild populations because the arrangements cycle seasonally, form altitudinal clines [2], and form stable geographical clines [3] despite extensive gene flow [4] [6].
