julilili42/papers huggingface dataset:
Enabling High-Resolution Wildlife Tracking: A novel antenna beam-based approach including per-position error estimations for Automated Radiotelemetry Systems
2025-09-17

<title>Abstract</title> Background The increasing importance of wildlife movement data in ecology and conservation has fueled the development of Automated Radiotelemetry Systems (ARTS) using very-high-frequency (VHF) transmitters. To make optimal use of this data, highly precise analysis methods are needed to detect even small-scale movement changes and thus provide high data quality. While various approaches have successfully minimized position errors in ARTS, they mostly rely on a single mean error estimate. Methods We present two novel contributions. First, an antenna geometry-based position finding method (antenna beams) that reduces position errors (PE) and increases the number of position estimates.Second, a model for per-position error estimation, predicting error as a function of signal and position characteristics, applicable for data without ground-truth information and across various position finding methods.Using ground-truth data from VHF transmitters recorded simultaneously with the ARTS trackIT and GPS, we validated and compared yield, position errors and predictive performance of our approach with the common angulation and multilateration methods. Results Our antenna beam-based method provided a substantial alternative to angulation for directional set-ups, achieving comparable mean PEs (41 m vs. 44 m) and especially higher yield (up to 99 % vs. 30 to 66 %).The per-position error estimation model demonstrated a strong predictive performance (mean absolute deviation from true error down to 21 m) utilizing parameters such as the number of participating stations and antennas, maximum signal strength, normalized summed up signal strengths and positioning within the study area. Conclusions Our results indicate that (i) our novel antenna beam-based position-finding method outperforms common methods in both accuracy and yield, (ii) the introduced per-position error estimation model reliably reflects measured PE from ground-truth data, and (iii) the resulting setup provides a robust foundation for high-resolution wildlife movement analyses.
Embedding lipid nanodispersions in matrices: preparation of solid dosage forms with high lipid content and structural investigations using atomic force microscopy
2025-09-17

Lipid nanodispersions are a promising formulation strategy for improving the bioavailability of drugs that are poorly water-soluble but highly lipophilic. Since patients prefer solid dosage forms, further processing of the liquid formulations is necessary. In order to expand the range of applications for drugs formulated in lipid nanodispersions, a high lipid content is required in the solid dosage forms. The aim of the current study was to determine the maximum loading capacity of lipid nanoemulsions and nanosuspensions by embedding the dispersions into orodispersible films and lipid-containing powders using spray drying. Atomic force microscopy enabled an assessment of the particle arrangement in the solid dosage forms and identified a stack-like orientation of the platelet-shaped triglyceride particles when embedded in orodispersible films. During the preparation of the powders by spray drying, a random particle arrangement was achieved, which was caused by the melting of the lipid particles during processing. Furthermore, atomic force microscopic images showed that tristearin particles in the metastable α-modification can exist in elongated to platelet-like shape traced back to the particle formulation and preparation process. The highest loading capacity in the solid dosage forms was achieved when the lipid nanodispersions were embedded in a film-forming matrix of PVA, resulting in lipid contents of up to 47 wt.%. Similar high lipid contents were achieved when lactose was used as the matrix material during spray drying.
ComFB, a widespread family of c-di-NMP receptor proteins
2025-09-18

Cyclic dimeric-GMP (c-di-GMP) is a ubiquitous bacterial second messenger that regulates a variety of cellular processes, including motility, biofilm formation, secretion, cell cycle progression, and development, and also contributes to the virulence of many bacterial pathogens. While the genes encoding c-di-GMP cyclases and hydrolases are readily identifiable in microbial genomes, known c-di-GMP receptor domains are quite few, with only PilZ and MshEN broadly distributed across bacterial phyla. Recently, a new c-di-GMP receptor, named CdgR or ComFB, has been identified in cyanobacteria and shown to regulate cell size and natural competence. We demonstrated that CdgR proteins exhibit sequence and structural similarity to the Bacillus subtilis late competence development protein ComFB, a conserved protein of unknown function associated with bacterial competence. This prompted us to hypothesize that ComFB and ComFB-like proteins could also serve as c-di-GMP receptors. Here, we comprehensively investigated the ComFB protein family and demonstrated that ComFB proteins are evolutionarily widespread among bacteria and function as a novel family of c-di-GMP receptors. We showed that ComFB proteins from Gram-positive bacteria ( B. subtilis , Thermoanaerobacter brockii ) and Gram-negative pathogens ( Vibrio cholerae , Treponema denticola ) bind c-di-GMP with high affinity. Several ComFB proteins also bind cyclic di-adenosine monophosphate (c-di-AMP), suggesting that ComFB represents a widely distributed bacterial protein family with dual specificity for c-di-GMP and c-di-AMP. Our physiological studies further showed that ComFB plays vital roles in controlling motility in a c-di-GMP-dependent manner in two phylogenetically distant bacteria, B. subtilis and the gram-negative Shewanella oneidensis , attesting to the biological relevance of ComFB as a c-di-GMP binding protein.
Fully Automated Image-Based Multiplexing of Serial PET/CT Imaging for Facilitating Comprehensive Disease Phenotyping
2025-09-18

Combined PET/CT imaging provides critical insights into both anatomic and molecular processes, yet traditional single-tracer approaches limit multidimensional disease phenotyping; to address this, we developed the PET Unified Multitracer Alignment (PUMA) framework-an open-source, postprocessing tool that multiplexes serial PET/CT scans for comprehensive voxelwise tissue characterization. <b>Methods:</b> PUMA utilizes artificial intelligence-based CT segmentation from multiorgan objective segmentation to generate multilabel maps of 24 body regions, guiding a 2-step registration: affine alignment followed by symmetric diffeomorphic registration. Tracer images are then normalized and assigned to red-green-blue channels for simultaneous visualization of up to 3 tracers. The framework was evaluated on longitudinal PET/CT scans from 114 subjects across multiple centers and vendors. Rigid, affine, and deformable registration methods were compared for optimal coregistration. Performance was assessed using the Dice similarity coefficient for organ alignment and absolute percentage differences in organ intensity and tumor SUV<sub>mean</sub> <b>Results:</b> Deformable registration consistently achieved superior alignment, with Dice similarity coefficient values exceeding 0.90 in 60% of organs while maintaining organ intensity differences below 3%; similarly, SUV<sub>mean</sub> differences for tumors were minimal at 1.6% ± 0.9%, confirming that PUMA preserves quantitative PET data while enabling robust spatial multiplexing. <b>Conclusion:</b> PUMA provides a vendor-independent solution for postacquisition multiplexing of serial PET/CT images, integrating complementary tracer data voxelwise into a composite image without modifying clinical protocols. This enhances multidimensional disease phenotyping and supports better diagnostic and therapeutic decisions using serial multitracer PET/CT imaging.
Minoxidil and nebivolol restore aortic elastic fiber homeostasis in diabetic mice via potassium channel activation
2025-09-18

Background Diabetic patients experience a significant reduction in life expectancy, primarily due to early cardiovascular complications. A key feature is the premature degradation of elastic fibers (EFs), contributing to vascular stiffness. Objective This study evaluates the capacity of two antihypertensive agents, minoxidil (a KATP channel opener) and nebivolol (a β-blocker with KATP activity), to restore EF homeostasis and arterial elasticity in diabetic mice. Methods Mice are treated with two antihypertensive agents: minoxidil (an ATP-sensitive potassium (KATP) channel opener) or nebivolol (a β-blocker also active on KATP channels). The degree of wear and functionality of EF are assessed after these treatments. We complement this analysis by identifying molecular actors from smooth muscle cell cultures. Results Our data show that by applying these antihypertensive agents in cultured vascular smooth muscle cells in vitro and in diabetic mice, we efficiently stimulate elastogenesis and inhibit elastolysis. Therefore, treatments restore functional EFs and limit their degradation. This brings blood pressure values of diseased mice close to normal ones (as in unaffected mice). Elastogenesis pathway stimulation and elastolysis inhibition are induced by the opening of sensitive KATP channels and the regulation of the forkhead box transcription factor (FOXO1). Conclusion Minoxidil and nebivolol restore EF integrity and limit vascular aging in diabetic mice via K+ channel opening and FOXO1 repression. These findings highlight potassium channel–FOXO1 signaling as a therapeutic axis to counteract diabetic vascular complications.
Heterologous prime-boost vaccination with VLA2001 and an ORFV-based vector enhances spike- and nucleocapsid-specific immunity in mice
2025-09-18

Heterologous prime–boost vaccination has emerged as a promising approach to enhance immune responses by combining vaccines with complementary mechanisms of antigen delivery and immune activation. Here, we evaluated the immunogenicity of heterologous regimens combining the licensed inactivated SARS-CoV-2 vaccine (VLA2001) with the replication-deficient Orf virus-based vector vaccine (Prime-2-CoV). Using a mouse model, we compared these regimens to homologous vaccinations with each vaccine alone. Among the combinations tested, priming with VLA2001 followed by boosting with Prime-2-CoV induced the strongest spike-specific antibody responses, superior ACE2-binding inhibition against pre-Omicron variants, and robust Th1-biased immunity, with robust CD4 + and CD8 + T-cell responses. This sequence also enhanced nucleocapsid-specific immunity, underscoring the benefit of multiantigen targeting. These findings highlight the immunological synergy between inactivated whole-virus and ORFV vector vaccines and support the strategic use of Prime-2-CoV as a potent heterologous booster. The ORFV platform’s favorable safety profile and Th1-polarizing capacity make it a valuable candidate for future heterologous vaccine strategies beyond SARS-CoV-2.
Classical density functional theory for nanoparticle-laden droplets
2025-09-18

Droplets of a pure fluid, such as water, in an open container surrounded by gas, are thermodynamically unstable and evaporate quickly. In a recent paper [Archer et al., J. Chem. Phys. 159, 194503 (2023)], we employed lattice density functional theory (DFT) to demonstrate that nanoparticles or solutes dissolved in a liquid droplet can make it thermodynamically stable against evaporation. In this study, we extend our model by using continuum DFT, which allows for a more accurate description of the fluid and nanoparticle density distributions within the droplet and enables us to consider size ratios between nanoparticles and solvent particles up to 10:1. While the results of the continuum DFT agree well with those of our earlier lattice DFT findings, our approach here allows us to refine our understanding of the stability and structure of nanoparticle-laden droplets. This is particularly relevant in light of the recent global COVID-19 pandemic, which has underscored the critical role of aerosol particles in virus transmission. Understanding the stability and lifetime of these virion-laden aerosols is crucial for assessing their impact on airborne disease spread.
Septic Two-Stage Cementless Hip Revision Arthroplasty Is Safe but Has Higher Complication and Mortality Rates in Older Adults
2025-09-18

Background: Two-stage septic hip revision arthroplasty has higher mortality rates than aseptic hip revision arthroplasty, and patients over 75 years have higher fracture rates than younger patients after cementless total hip arthroplasty. Therefore, the aim of this study was to examine whether two-stage septic hip revision arthroplasty in older patients leads to higher complication and mortality rates, as well as whether changing to cementless hip prostheses in older patients could lead to higher fracture and subsidence rates of the stem prosthesis than in younger patients. Material and Methods: In total, 286 two-stage-revision procedures for periprosthetic infections of the hip in 186 patients younger and 118 patients older than 75 years were followed for a minimum of 24 (50.24 ± 20.77) months. A total of 71.3% of procedures were performed via a transfemoral approach using cementless cups and revision stems (93.7%). Complications and mortality were analyzed retrospectively. Results: There was a one-year mortality rate of 1.0% with no difference in the groups, and a general mortality rate of 2.8% with a significantly higher rate in older adults than in the younger group (5.9% vs. 0.6%; p = 0.01). The rate of fractures of the bony flap in transfemoral approaches (9.1%), fissure rate of the isthmus (2.8%), rate of subsidence of cementless stems (1.0%), and rate of reinfections (4.89%) did not differ between the two groups. The general complication rate (not associated with cementless two-stage septic revision) (22.0%) was significantly higher in the older patient group (33.9% vs. 13.7%; p &lt; 0.001). Conclusions: Septic two-stage revision hip arthroplasty, mostly using a transfemoral approach and cementless reimplantation, does not result in a higher one-year mortality rate, reinfection rate, and rate of fissures and fractures of the bony flap, but demonstrates a generally higher mortality and complication rate in older adults. This should be taken into consideration when determining the indication and when offering advice to older adults.
Environmental Drivers of Pesticide Toxicity: Temperature and pH Shift Azoxystrobin’s Effects on Zebrafish (Danio rerio) Early Development
2025-09-18

Azoxystrobin, a widely used strobilurin fungicide, poses a potential risk to aquatic ecosystems due to its frequent detection in surface waters. Although its toxicity to non-target organisms has been extensively studied under standardized conditions, few investigations have considered how environmental factors can modulate the adverse effects of this chemical. In this study, we examined the toxicity of azoxystrobin to zebrafish (Danio rerio) embryos under different pH (5, 7, 9) and temperature (21 °C, 26 °C, 31 °C) conditions. Embryos were exposed to azoxystrobin concentrations ranging from 0 to 1000 μg/L, and endpoints such as survival, hatching rate, heart rate, malformations, developmental delay, and Hsp70 expression were assessed over 96 h post-fertilization. Our results demonstrate that azoxystrobin induces significant malformations (including edema, eye, tail, and spinal defects) and developmental delays at 1000 μg/L across all environmental conditions. Furthermore, both pH and temperature were found to modulate azoxystrobin toxicity: elevated temperature and alkaline pH partly alleviated mortality at high concentrations. The hsp70 expression patterns revealed complex interactions between the effects of the chemical and environmental factors. These findings highlight the importance of incorporating environmental variables into ecotoxicological risk assessments of pesticides to better reflect realistic exposure scenarios and potential ecological impacts.
Incorporation of complex narratives into dreaming
2025-09-18

Abstract Reactivation of waking neuronal activity during sleep holds a functional role in memory consolidation. Reprocessing of daytime memory in dreams might aid later memory performance in a similar way. Numerous findings hint at a link between dreaming and sleep-dependent memory processing, however, studies investigating day-residue incorporation in dreaming led to mixed results so far. In this study, we used a naturalistic learning paradigm aimed at biasing dream content by manipulating pre-sleep experience. Participants listened to one of four different audiobooks while falling asleep and were awoken several times during the night to report their dreams. Afterwards, we tested how well they remembered the content of the audiobook. We then asked three blind raters to guess, based solely on anonymized dream reports, which audiobook someone had listened to before experiencing a dream. Our findings show that dreams across the whole night and from both NREM and REM awakenings contain specific information about the content of narratives studied before sleep. Moreover, participants with stronger incorporation of the audiobook in their dreams showed a tendency to recognize more audiobook content across the sleep period. Together, these findings suggest that salient day-time experiences resurface in dreams and that content selected for consolidation during sleep is more strongly incorporated.
Chronic phantom pain as a rare phenomenon after gender-affirming surgery: a systematic comparison study
2025-09-18

Abstract The occurrence of phantom pain after surgical removal of male reproductive organs is a potential outcome. Indications for surgery may predict the probability of phantom pain after the procedure. These may vary between individuals undergoing tumor orchiectomy and those undergoing gender-affirming surgery. This study investigates the incidence of phantom pain after gender-affirming surgery. A retrospective questionnaire-based study was conducted with 55 transgender women who had undergone gender-affirming surgery, and the results were compared with those of 54 men who had undergone tumor orchiectomy, serving as a control group. The frequency, severity, risk factors, and characteristics of phantom pain in the testes and penis, painless phantom sensations in the genital area, and chronic postsurgical pain incidence were assessed. Phantom pain and painless phantom sensations in the testes were more frequent after tumor orchiectomy than after gender-affirming surgery. Transgender women did not experience persistent phantom pain after gender-affirming surgery. Chronic postsurgical pain incidence did not differ between the 2 groups. Preexisting genital pain affected the risk of chronic postsurgical pain in the tumor orchiectomy group but not the risk of phantom pain. In this study, we assessed whether transgender women experienced phantom pain after undergoing gender-affirming surgery. It appears that transgender women are less prone to phantom pain after gender-affirming surgery than are men after inguinal tumor orchiectomy. This may be attributed to alterations in the central representation of the unaccepted sex organs in the somatosensory cortex.
Tracing truth through conceptual scaling
2025-09-19

Conceptions of truth have shifted considerably, adapting to the changing cultural and intellectual contexts of our time. In this paper we employ a conceptual scaling method (Study 1) to empirically capture laypeople's understanding of truth as spatial relations within individualized conceptual maps. Results indicate that participants most dominantly align with a correspondence notion of truth, followed by authenticity and then coherence. A more fine-grained analysis reveals substantial variation in pluralism: while some participants exhibit a strongly monistic tendency, many others endorse a two-theory blend (most often correspondence and authenticity). In a follow-up study (Study 2) conducted three months later, we confirm the validity and robustness of these findings. Participants' dominant alignment reliably predicts how they apply the concept of truth in a contextualized task.
Mechanistic Insight into the Thermal Ring Opening of the Dewar Isomer of 1,2-Dihydro-1,2-azaborinines
2025-09-19

In contrast to the multichannel photochemistry of benzene, 1,2-dihydro-1,2-azaborinines generally undergo a selective electrocyclic ring-closure reaction, yielding the corresponding Dewar (2-aza-3-borabicyclo[2.2.0]-hex-5-ene) isomers. The Dewar isomers react back to the dihydroazaborinines in unimolecular reactions with long half-lives at room temperature, making this isomer pair of relevance as a molecular solar thermal (MOST) energy storage system. A systematic investigation of the influence of C-backbone functionalization on the photoisomerization or the thermal ring opening has not yet been conducted. We report here a study of the late-stage C3 functionalization of 1,2-dihydroazaborinines by cross-coupling and discuss the electronic impact of aryl substitution at C3 on the properties of 1,2-dihydro-1,2-azaborinines itself, as well as on the photoreaction and the thermal back reaction employing a Hammett analysis for the latter. 3-Aryl-substituted dihydroazaborinines react selectively and reversibly in almost quantitative fashion to the Dewar isomer. The Woodward-Hoffmann forbidden thermal ring-opening reaction proceeds by interaction with the adjacent boron center involving a three-center-two-electron interaction and is accelerated by both electron-withdrawing and electron-donating groups. Through the targeted selection of C3 substituents, both the electronic absorption characteristics of the dihydroazaborinine and the half-life of its Dewar isomer can be addressed.
Localized fertilizer co-applied with biochar suspension increases phosphorus uptake by maize
2025-09-19

<title>Abstract</title> <bold>Background and aims</bold> Integrating biochar (BC) into agriculture promotes sustainable management of farm residues and carbon sequestration in soil. This study evaluates a novel approach combining suspended biochar with phosphorus (P) fertilizer to assess its effectiveness in promoting P nutrition during early maize (<italic>Zea mays </italic>L<italic>.</italic>) growth. <bold>Methods</bold> Biochar suspension (equivalent to 300 kg dry biochar ha<sup>-1</sup>) was mixed with liquid P fertilizer (30 kg P ha<sup>-1</sup>, <sup>33</sup>P-labeled) and band-applied to maize in the rhizobox experiment. Five treatments—control without fertilizer, BC only, P fertilizer only, and combined BC+P with and without plants—aimed to assess the effect of biochar on soil P dynamics and plant P uptake. <bold>Results</bold> Our findings demonstrate that liquid P fertilizer can be effectively combined with biochar suspension without reducing P availability. After 38 days, up to 25% of fertilizer-P was recovered in the soil’s available P pool, regardless of BC presence. <sup>33</sup>P-imaging confirmed that P movement from the fertilizer band was not restricted by BC. Fertilizer increased plant P uptake, height, biomass, leaf area, root length and volume. Biochar significantly increased fertilizer-P recovery in plants from 14.9% to 17.6%, supporting nutrient cycling and fertilizer efficiency. <sup>33</sup>P-imaging revealed higher activity of <sup>33</sup>P in maize roots with BC+P co-application, though P redistribution patterns remained unchanged; plant roots showed neither preference nor suppression near biochar, even upon direct contact. <bold>Conclusion</bold> Localized co-application of biochar and P in suspension promotes maize growth during critical early stages and increases phosphorus use efficiency, supporting sustainable agriculture and a circular economy.