julilili42/papers huggingface dataset:
Rapid Determination of Hexane Residues in Refined Vegetable Oils Using Semiconducting Metal Oxide-Based Sensors
2024-03-29

A simple, direct method for the determination residual hexane content in refined oils was developed, which makes use of commercial Semiconducting Metal Oxides (SMOX) sensors and is proposed as an alternative to the currently used standards (ISO 9832:2002, ISO 2719:2016). The main advantages are related to the direct measurement of the headspace of oil samples. The measurements are performed at an oil sample temperature of 30 °C and by spiking the samples with hexane in the 8–132 mg·kg<sup>−1</sup> range, which is in line with the requirements of current standard for the maximum residue limit set by European Union regulation. Using separate measurements performed with the help of a computer-controlled gas mixing system it is possible to determine the relationship between the concentration of hexane in oil and in the headspace.
Amiloride vs. furosemide for the treatment of edema in human nephrotic syndrome: a pilot study (AMILOR)
2024-03-29

Abstract In rodent models of nephrotic syndrome (NS), edema formation was prevented by blockade of the epithelial sodium channel ENaC with amiloride. The monocentric randomized controlled AMILOR study investigated the antiedematous effect of amiloride (starting dose 5 mg/d, max. 15 mg/d) in nephrotic patients in comparison to standard therapy with the loop diuretic furosemide (40 mg/d, max. 120 mg/d) over 16 days. Overhydration (OH) was measured by bioimpedance spectroscopy (Body Composition Monitor, Fresenius). Depending on the OH response, diuretic dose was adjusted on days 2, 5, 8 and 12, and if necessary, hydrochlorothiazide (HCT) was added from d8 (start 12.5 mg/d, max. 25 mg/d). The primary endpoint was the decrease in OH on d8. The study was terminated prematurely due to insufficient recruitment and a low statistical power due to a low actual effect size. Median baseline OH was + 26.4 (interquartile range 15.5–35.1) % extracellular water (ECW) in the amiloride arm and + 27.9 (24.1–29.4) % ECW in the furosemide arm and decreased by 1.95 (0.80–6.40) and 5.15 (0.90–8.30) % ECW after 8 days, respectively, and by 10.10 (1.30–14.40) and 7.40 (2.80–10.10) % ECW after 16 days, respectively. OH decrease on d8 and d16 was not significantly different between both arms. In conclusion, the AMILOR study is the first randomized controlled pilot study suggesting a similar antiedematous effect as furosemide. Thus, amiloride emerges as an alternative to the standard therapy with furosemide.
Biographically Anchored Liturgies as a Starting Point for Liturgical Formation
2024-03-29

The liturgical professional development project for pastoral workers and clergy in the Diocese of Rottenburg-Stuttgart has been developed in collaboration with the Department of Liturgical Studies at the University of Tübingen. The concept of biographical learning is the innovative element that explores a new type of liturgical formation (Bildung) where the learning content explores the participant’s unique biography of learning, faith development, and theological education and the impact of these on their understanding of the liturgy and their liturgical practice. The learning process aims to equip professional pastoral theologians to reflect on and be responsive to the liturgical–pastoral contexts in which they work. The Department of Liturgical Studies provides the learning structure and context, while the diocese provides the teaching space and enables the participants to attend. The learning outcomes are unrelated to a specific professional or employment structure or associated with a points system, management, or career progression process. The project provides a learning process rather than a program of learning, distinguishing itself from many traditional approaches to liturgical formation. The challenge for the teaching team is to provide the participants with conceptual or theoretical material to reflect on their biographical narrative of theology and then apply this concept of biographical learning in their specific and diverse pastoral contexts. As part of the biographical learning process, participants contribute to “feedback loops” to the diocese and the teaching team. This paper does not address the competency framework for career development, employment assessment, or learning comprehension. All evaluations of professionalism, role attainment, career development, and competency are employment matters and are the purview of the Diocese of Rottenburg-Stuttgart. However, the learning process provides participants with frameworks for self-assessment and feedback loops to evaluate the teaching team, the process, and the content.
A RALF-Brassinosteroid morpho-signaling circuit regulates Arabidopsis hypocotyl cell shape
2024-03-30

Plant cells survey and modulate their cell wall to control their shape and anisotropic growth. Signaling mediated by the plant steroid hormones brassinosteroids (BR) plays a central role in coordinating cell wall status and cell growth, and alterations in the cell wall BR feedback loop leads to life-threatening defects in tissue and cellular integrity. How the status of the cell wall is relayed to BR signaling remains largely unclear. Increasing evidence shows that RAPID ALKALANIZATION FACTORs (RALFs), a class of secreted peptides, play structural and signaling roles at the cell surface. Here we show that perception of RALF23 promotes the formation and signaling of the main BR receptor complex formed by BRASSINOSTEROID INSENSITIVE 1 (BRI1) and BRI1 BRASSINOSTEROID INSENSITIVE1 BRASSINOSTEROID ASSOCIATED KINASE 1 (BAK1). The loss of the plasma membrane localized RALF receptor complex FERONIA (FER) LORELEI LIKE GPI anchor protein 1 (LLG1) leads to defects in cell expansion and anisotropy, as well as uncontrolled BRI1 BAK1 complex formation and signaling. RALF23 bioactivity relies on pectin status and its perception induces changes in pectin composition and the activity of pectin-modifying enzymes. Our observations suggest a model in which RALF23 functions as a cell wall informed signaling cue initiating a feedback loop that solicits BR signaling, modifies the cell wall, and coordinates cell morphogenesis.
Tuning the Interfacial Electronic Structure of MoS2 by Adsorption of Cobalt Phthalocyanine Derivatives
2024-03-30

We investigate the interfacial electronic structure of n-type bulk MoS2 upon the adsorption of CoPc and CoPcF16 monolayers and few layers using advanced spectroscopic techniques. These include X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS), angle-resolved photoelectron spectroscopy (ARPES), and ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy (UPS). Our findings indicate that the adsorption of CoPc enhances the degree of n-doping at the interface with MoS2. In contrast, CoPcF16 acts as an electron acceptor and results in a nearly intrinsic position of the Fermi level of MoS2. Furthermore, we note the formation of an induced gap state near the valence band maximum for monolayer CoPcF16 on MoS2. These observations underscore the potential to fine-tune the interfacial electronic properties of transition metal dichalcogenides through molecular functionalization for application in optoelectronic devices.
Phenyllactic Acid is Physiologically Released from Skeletal Muscle and Contributes to the Beneficial Effects of Physical Exercise in Humans
2024-03-30

Abstract Aims/hypothesis While physical activity is clearly beneficial in combating type 2 diabetes, the underlying molecular mechanisms are incompletely understood. Moreover, there is a considerable degree of variability in the individual response to exercise-based lifestyle interventions that remains to be explained. We aimed to identify novel exercise-induced metabolites that could mediate the improvement in glycemic control and reduction of obesity and contribute to individual differences in the response to exercise interventions. Methods We studied acute exercise- and training-induced changes in plasma metabolites in sedentary subjects with overweight (8 male, 14 female) participating in an eight-week supervised training program flanked by two acute endurance exercise sessions. Plasma metabolites were quantified using LC- and CE-MS. In a separate study (n=9 lean males), we assessed metabolite fluxes over the leg using arterial and venous catheters. Functional analyses were performed in primary blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) stimulated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) or the saturated fatty acid palmitate. Results The amino acid breakdown products 3-phenyllactic acid (PLA), 4-hydroxyphenyllactic acid and indolelactic acid were increased after both acute exercise and training. All three aromatic lactic acids, which so far mainly received attention as bacterial metabolites, exhibited an efflux from the leg. PLA showed the largest increase after both acute exercise and training, of 57% and 20% respectively. The magnitude of the acute exercise-induced increase in PLA correlated with a decrease in subcutaneous adipose tissue volume and an improvement in insulin sensitivity over the course of the intervention. Furthermore, both isomers, D- and L-PLA, counteracted inflammatory cytokine production in PBMCs. Conclusions/interpretation Our findings indicate that PLA is physiologically released from skeletal muscle and can contribute to the anti-inflammatory effects of exercise as well as to individual difference in the response to lifestyle interventions in humans. PLA and potentially, aromatic lactic acids in general may be particularly relevant metabolic regulators because they can be produced both endogenously and by the microbiome. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03151590
Neural network analysis of neutron and X-ray reflectivity data incorporating prior knowledge
2024-03-31

Due to the ambiguity related to the lack of phase information, determining the physical parameters of multilayer thin films from measured neutron and X-ray reflectivity curves is, on a fundamental level, an underdetermined inverse problem. This ambiguity poses limitations on standard neural networks, constraining the range and number of considered parameters in previous machine learning solutions. To overcome this challenge, a novel training procedure has been designed which incorporates dynamic prior boundaries for each physical parameter as additional inputs to the neural network. In this manner, the neural network can be trained simultaneously on all well-posed subintervals of a larger parameter space in which the inverse problem is underdetermined. During inference, users can flexibly input their own prior knowledge about the physical system to constrain the neural network prediction to distinct target subintervals in the parameter space. The effectiveness of the method is demonstrated in various scenarios, including multilayer structures with a box model parameterization and a physics-inspired special parameterization of the scattering length density profile for a multilayer structure. In contrast to previous methods, this approach scales favourably when increasing the complexity of the inverse problem, working properly even for a five-layer multilayer model and a periodic multilayer model with up to 17 open parameters.
Baseline microbiome composition impacts resilience to and recovery following antibiotics
2024-03-31

The gut microbiome of healthy individuals naturally undergoes temporal changes linked to the dynamics of its community components 1 . These dynamics are only observable in longitudinal studies; they are particularly relevant to understanding ecosystem responses to external environment disturbances. External exposures, such as antibiotic treatment, significantly reshape the gut microbiome, impacting both pathogen and commensal microbes 2 . The gut microbiome plays pivotal roles in digestion, nutrient absorption, and mental health, influencing immune systems, obesity, and various diseases 3-6 . Consequently, beyond the short-term effects on the host gut microbiome dynamics, alterations resulting from antibiotic exposure also have enduring repercussions on human health and physiological equilibrium 7 . Therefore, enhancing gut microbiome resilience during antibiotic treatment is essential, with the goal of mitigating prolonged adverse effects. Here, we explored the impact of pre-antibiotic microbial and functional profiles on resilience, suggesting that specific baseline features exhibit greater resilience to antibiotics-induced changes. Our results identified an uncultured Faecalibacterium prausnitzii taxon as a species at baseline associated with diminished resilience. We demonstrated that this association could be linked to the role of this F. prausnitzii taxon as a keystone species. Additionally, we observed the influence of other commensal bacteria, such as Bifidobacterium animalis and Lactobacillus acidophilus , as well as functional modules, such as multidrug resistance efflux pump, on resilience. This lays the foundations for designing targeted strategies to promote a resilient gut microbiome before antibiotic treatment, alleviating possible prolonged effects on human health.
Antiganglioside antibody frequency in routine clinical care settings
2024-03-31

Abstract Background and purpose Antiganglioside antibodies (AGAs) might be involved in the etiopathogenesis of many neurological diseases, such as Miller–Fisher syndrome (MFS) and Guillain–Barré syndrome (GBS). Available comprehensive reference data regarding AGA positivity rates and cross‐responsiveness among AGAs (where one line immunoblot is positive for ≥1 AGA) during routine clinical care are scant. Methods In this 10‐year monocentric retrospective study, 3560 immunoglobulin (Ig) G and IgM line blots (GA Generic Assays' Anti‐Ganglioside Dot kit) obtained using cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and serum samples from 1342 patients were analyzed for AGA positivity in terms of 14 diagnosis categories and AGA cross‐responsiveness. Results Of all 3560 line blots 158 (4.4%) and of all CSF samples 0.4% (4/924) CSF line blots were AGA positive. For serum IgG, blots with positivity rates higher than the standard deviation of 15.6% were associated with MFS (GD3, GD1a, GT1a and GQ1b) and acute motor axonal neuropathy (AMAN) (GM1, GD1a and GT1a). For serum IgM, blots with positivity rates higher than the standard deviation of 8.1% were associated with AMAN (GM2, GT1a and GQ1b), MFS (GM1, GT1a and GQ1b), multifocal motor neuropathy (MMN) (GM1, GM2 and GQ1b) and chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (CIDP) (GM1). Cross‐responsiveness was observed in 39.6% of all positive serum AGA. Conclusions Testing for AGAs during routine clinical care rarely led to positive findings, both in serum and even less in CSF, except for the diagnoses AMAN, MFS, MMN and CIDP. Nonspecific findings found as cross‐responsiveness between different AGA samples occur frequently, impacting the positivity of most AGA subtypes.
Functional screening of the Arabidopsis 2C protein phosphatases family identifies PP2C15 as a negative regulator of plant immunity by targeting BRI1 ‐associated receptor kinase 1
2024-04-01

Abstract Genetic engineering using negative regulators of plant immunity has the potential to provide a huge impetus in agricultural biotechnology to achieve a higher degree of disease resistance without reducing yield. Type 2C protein phosphatases (PP2Cs) represent the largest group of protein phosphatases in plants, with a high potential for negative regulatory functions by blocking the transmission of defence signals through dephosphorylation. Here, we established a PP2C functional protoplast screen using pFRK1 :: luciferase as a reporter and found that 14 of 56 PP2Cs significantly inhibited the immune response induced by flg22. To verify the reliability of the system, a previously reported MAPK3/4/6‐interacting protein phosphatase, PP2C5, was used; it was confirmed to be a negative regulator of PAMP‐triggered immunity (PTI). We further identified PP2C15 as an interacting partner of BRI1‐associated receptor kinase 1 (BAK1), which is the most well‐known co‐receptor of plasma membrane‐localized pattern recognition receptors (PRRs), and a central component of PTI. PP2C15 dephosphorylates BAK1 and negatively regulates BAK1‐mediated PTI responses such as MAPK3/4/6 activation, defence gene expression, reactive oxygen species bursts, stomatal immunity, callose deposition, and pathogen resistance. Although plant growth and 1000‐seed weight of pp2c15 mutants were reduced compared to those of wild‐type plants, pp2c5 mutants did not show any adverse effects. Thus, our findings strengthen the understanding of the mechanism by which PP2C family members negatively regulate plant immunity at multiple levels and indicate a possible approach to enhance plant resistance by eliminating specific PP2Cs without affecting plant growth and yield.
Aβ oligomers peak in early stages of Alzheimer's disease preceding tau pathology
2024-04-01

Abstract INTRODUCTION Soluble amyloid beta (Aβ) oligomers have been suggested as initiating Aβ related neuropathologic change in Alzheimer's disease (AD) but their quantitative distribution and chronological sequence within the AD continuum remain unclear. METHODS A total of 526 participants in early clinical stages of AD and controls from a longitudinal cohort were neurobiologically classified for amyloid and tau pathology applying the AT(N) system. Aβ and tau oligomers in the quantified cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) were measured using surface‐based fluorescence intensity distribution analysis (sFIDA) technology. RESULTS Across groups, highest Aβ oligomer levels were found in A+ with subjective cognitive decline and mild cognitive impairment. Aβ oligomers were significantly higher in A+T− compared to A−T− and A+T+. APOE ε 4 allele carriers showed significantly higher Aβ oligomer levels. No differences in tau oligomers were detected. DISCUSSION The accumulation of Aβ oligomers in the CSF peaks early within the AD continuum, preceding tau pathology. Disease‐modifying treatments targeting Aβ oligomers might have the highest therapeutic effect in these disease stages. Highlights Using surface‐based fluorescence intensity distribution analysis (sFIDA) technology, we quantified Aβ oligomers in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) samples of the DZNE‐Longitudinal Cognitive Impairment and Dementia (DELCODE) cohort Aβ oligomers were significantly elevated in mild cognitive impairment (MCI) Amyloid‐positive subjects in the subjective cognitive decline (SCD) group increased compared to the amyloid‐negative control group Interestingly, levels of Aβ oligomers decrease at advanced stages of the disease (A+T+), which might be explained by altered clearing mechanisms
Model-independent Approach of the JUNO 8B Solar Neutrino Program
2024-04-01

Abstract The physics potential of detecting 8 B solar neutrinos will be exploited at the Jiangmen Underground Neutrino Observatory (JUNO), in a model-independent manner by using three distinct channels of the charged current (CC), neutral current (NC), and elastic scattering (ES) interactions. Due to the largest-ever mass of 13 C nuclei in the liquid scintillator detectors and the expected low background level, 8 B solar neutrinos are observable in the CC and NC interactions on 13 C for the first time. By virtue of optimized event selections and muon veto strategies, backgrounds from the accidental coincidence, muon-induced isotopes, and external backgrounds can be greatly suppressed. Excellent signal-to-background ratios can be achieved in the CC, NC, and ES channels to guarantee the observation of the 8 B solar neutrinos. From the sensitivity studies performed in this work, we show that JUNO, with 10 yr of data, can reach the 1 σ precision levels of 5%, 8%, and 20% for the 8 B neutrino flux, <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" overflow="scroll"> <mml:msup> <mml:mrow> <mml:mi>sin</mml:mi> </mml:mrow> <mml:mrow> <mml:mn>2</mml:mn> </mml:mrow> </mml:msup> <mml:msub> <mml:mrow> <mml:mi>θ</mml:mi> </mml:mrow> <mml:mrow> <mml:mn>12</mml:mn> </mml:mrow> </mml:msub> </mml:math> , and <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" overflow="scroll"> <mml:mi mathvariant="normal">Δ</mml:mi> <mml:msubsup> <mml:mrow> <mml:mi>m</mml:mi> </mml:mrow> <mml:mrow> <mml:mn>21</mml:mn> </mml:mrow> <mml:mrow> <mml:mn>2</mml:mn> </mml:mrow> </mml:msubsup> </mml:math> , respectively. Probing the details of both solar physics and neutrino physics would be unique and helpful. In addition, when combined with the Sudbury Neutrino Observatory measurement, the world's best precision of 3% is expected for the measurement of the 8 B neutrino flux.
Input and Output Connections of the Crow Nidopallium Caudolaterale
2024-04-01

The avian telencephalic structure nidopallium caudolaterale (NCL) functions as an analog to the mammalian prefrontal cortex. In crows, corvid songbirds, it plays a crucial role in higher cognitive and executive functions. These functions rely on the NCL's extensive telencephalic connections. However, systematic investigations into the brain-wide connectivity of the NCL in crows or other songbirds are lacking. Here, we studied its input and output connections by injecting retrograde and anterograde tracers into the carrion crow NCL. Our results, mapped onto a published carrion crow brain atlas, confirm NCL multisensory connections and extend prior pigeon findings by identifying a novel input from the hippocampal formation. Furthermore, we analyze crow NCL efferent projections to the arcopallium and report newly identified arcopallial neurons projecting bilaterally to the NCL. These findings help to clarify the role of the NCL as central executive hub in the corvid songbird brain.
A comparison of lab- and web-based elicited imitation: Insights from explicit-implicit L2 grammar knowledge and L2 proficiency
2024-04-01

Abstract Elicited imitation (EI) tasks are a practical tool for measuring second language (L2) knowledge and skills. In this study, we implemented a web-based EI task that measures English morphosyntactic knowledge and compared its measurement properties to a traditional laboratory-based EI. A cohort of 149 L2 English learners engaged in the web-based EI task, and 151 participants completed a traditional lab-based EI counterpart. Correlation analyses revealed a significant, comparable relationship between English proficiency and the two EI versions, with the ungrammatical items showing less consistency that neither improved nor harmed the overall EI effectiveness. Factor analyses corroborated the validity of web-programmed EI, with both EI versions relating similarly to time-pressured, implicit knowledge and untimed, explicit knowledge measures. Our results suggest the potential for utilizing web-based EI to substitute lab-based tasks, enabling larger-scale, more diverse sampling. We end with implications for future web-based EI task users and include a coding guideline for customized web-based EI use.