julilili42/papers huggingface dataset:
Biocrust-linked changes in soil aggregate stability along a climatic gradient in the Chilean Coastal Range
2022-12-07

Abstract. Biological soil crusts (biocrusts) composed of cyanobacteria, bacteria, algae, fungi, lichens, and bryophytes stabilize the soil surface. This effect has mainly been studied in arid climates, where biocrusts constitute the main biological agent to stabilize and connect soil aggregates. Besides, biocrusts are an integral part of the soil surface under Mediterranean and humid climate conditions, mainly covering open spaces in forests and on denuded lands. They often develop after vegetation disturbances, when their ability to compete with vascular plants increases, acting as pioneer communities and affecting the stability of soil aggregates. To better understand how biocrusts mediate changes in soil aggregate stability under different climate conditions, we analyzed soil aggregate samples collected under biocrust communities from four national parks in Chile along a large climatic gradient ranging from (north to south) arid (Pan de Azúcar, PA), semi-arid (Santa Gracia, SG), Mediterranean (La Campana, LC) to humid (Nahuelbuta, NA). Biocrust communities showed a stabilizing effect on the soil aggregates in dry fractions for the three northern sites and the wet aggregates for the southernmost site. Here, permanent vascular plants and higher contents of organic carbon and nitrogen in the soil control aggregate stability more than biocrusts, which are in intense competition with higher plant communities. Moreover, we found an increase in stability for aggregate size classes &lt; 2.0 and 9.5–30.0 mm. The geometric mean diameter of the soil aggregates showed a clear effect due to the climatic gradient, indicating that the aggregate stability presents a log-normal instead of a normal distribution, with a trend of low change between aggregate size fractions. Based on our results, we assume that biocrusts affect the soil structure in all climates. Their role in aggregate stability is masked under humid conditions by higher vegetation and organic matter contents in the topsoil.
Genetic diversity of Staphylococcus aureus wall teichoic acid glycosyltransferases affects immune recognition
2022-12-07

Staphylococcus aureus is a leading cause of skin and soft tissue infections and systemic infections. Wall teichoic acids (WTAs) are cell wall-anchored glycopolymers that are important for S. aureus nasal colonization, phage-mediated horizontal gene transfer, and antibiotic resistance. WTAs consist of a polymerized ribitol phosphate (RboP) chain that can be glycosylated with N -acetylglucosamine (GlcNAc) by three glycosyltransferases: TarS, TarM, and TarP. TarS and TarP modify WTA with β-linked GlcNAc at the C-4 (β1,4-GlcNAc) and the C-3 position (β1,3-GlcNAc) of the RboP subunit, respectively, whereas TarM modifies WTA with α-linked GlcNAc at the C-4 position (α1,4-GlcNAc). Importantly, these WTA glycosylation patterns impact immune recognition and clearance of S. aureus . Previous studies suggest that tarS is near-universally present within the S. aureus population, whereas a smaller proportion co-contain either tarM or tarP . To gain more insight into the presence and genetic variation of tarS , tarM and tarP in the S. aureus population, we analysed a collection of 25 652 S . aureus genomes within the PubMLST database. Over 99 % of isolates contained tarS . Co-presence of tarS / tarM or tarS / tarP occurred in 37 and 7 % of isolates, respectively, and was associated with specific S. aureus clonal complexes. We also identified 26 isolates (0.1 %) that contained all three glycosyltransferase genes. At sequence level, we identified tar alleles with amino acid substitutions in critical enzymatic residues or with premature stop codons. Several tar variants were expressed in a S. aureus tar -negative strain. Analysis using specific monoclonal antibodies and human langerin showed that WTA glycosylation was severely attenuated or absent. Overall, our data provide a broad overview of the genetic diversity of the three WTA glycosyltransferases in the S. aureus population and the functional consequences for immune recognition.
The SSTeP-KiZ System—Secure Real-Time Communication Based on Open Web Standards for Multimodal Sensor-Assisted Tele-Psychotherapy
2022-12-07

In this manuscript, we describe the soft- and hardware architecture as well as the implementation of a modern Internet of Medical Things (IoMT) system for sensor-assisted telepsychotherapy. It enables telepsychotherapy sessions in which the patient exercises therapy-relevant behaviors in their home environment under the remote supervision of the therapist. Wearable sensor information (electrocardiogram (ECG), movement sensors, and eye tracking) is streamed in real time to the therapist to deliver objective information about specific behavior-triggering situations and the stress level of the patients. We describe the IT infrastructure of the system which uses open standards such as WebRTC and OpenID Connect (OIDC). We also describe the system’s security concept, its container-based deployment, and demonstrate performance analyses. The system is used in the ongoing study SSTeP-KiZ (smart sensor technology in telepsychotherapy for children and adolescents with obsessive-compulsive disorder) and shows sufficient technical performance.
Effects of the Antidepressant Amitriptyline on Juvenile Brown Trout and Their Modulation by Microplastics
2022-12-07

Pharmaceuticals such as antidepressants are designed to be bioactive at low concentrations. According to their mode of action, they can also influence non-target organisms due to the phylogenetic conservation of molecular targets. In addition to the pollution by environmental chemicals, the topic of microplastics (MP) in the aquatic environment came into the focus of scientific and public interest. The aim of the present study was to investigate the influence of the antidepressant amitriptyline in the presence and absence of irregularly shaped polystyrene MP as well as the effects of MP alone on juvenile brown trout (Salmo trutta f. fario). Fish were exposed to different concentrations of amitriptyline (nominal concentrations between 1 and 1000 μg/L) and two concentrations of MP (104 and 105 particles/L; &lt;50 μm) for three weeks. Tissue cortisol concentration, oxidative stress, and the activity of two carboxylesterases and of acetylcholinesterase were assessed. Furthermore, the swimming behavior was analyzed in situations with different stress levels. Exposure to amitriptyline altered the behavior and increased the activity of acetylcholinesterase. Moreover, nominal amitriptyline concentrations above 300 μg/L caused severe acute adverse effects in fish. MP alone did not affect any of the investigated endpoints. Co-exposure caused largely similar effects such as the exposure to solely amitriptyline. However, the effect of amitriptyline on the swimming behavior during the experiment was alleviated by the higher MP concentration.
Niobium Bis‐ and Mono(Pentafulvene) Complexes: E−H Bond Cleavage and Insertion Reactions (E=C, N, O)
2022-12-07

Abstract Bis( η 5 : η 1 ‐(di‐ para ‐tolyl)pentafulvene)niobium chloride ( 1 ) reacts with methyl lithium via salt metathesis to the methylated bis(pentafulvene)niobium complex 2 , and with lithium 2,6‐diisopropylanilide addition and subsequent N−H bond activation to the imido mono(pentafulvene)niobium complex 3 . Avoiding the competing protonation of the chloride, bis(pentafulvene)niobium complex 2 reacts with primary aromatic and aliphatic amines to form terminal niobocene imido complexes, and with water to form the analog terminal oxo complex. Secondary methyl amines undergo a simultaneous N−H and C−H activation to form niobaaziridines under mild conditions. In contrast to other reported examples, 3 can be employed to investigate the uncontested reactivity of mono(pentafulvene)niobium complexes. Reaction with 4‐ tert ‐butylphenol selectively yields a niobocene phenolate complex. Unprecedented for mono(pentafulvene)niobium complexes, treating 3 with multiple‐bond‐containing substrates (nitriles, isocyanates) smoothly results the insertion into the Nb‐C exo σ‐bond, forming the corresponding alkylidene amido and imidato complexes.
Oxidative Coupling of [Ge9(Si(SiMe3)3)2]2– with f Elements
2022-12-07

We report the reactions of K<sub>2</sub>[Ge<sub>9</sub>(Hyp)<sub>2</sub>] (Hyp = Si(SiMe<sub>3</sub>)<sub>3</sub>) with (thf)<sub>3</sub>YbI<sub>3</sub>, ThI<sub>4</sub>, and UCl<sub>4</sub>, leading to the oxidative coupling of the metalloid germanium cluster to form the dimeric dianion [Ge<sub>18</sub>(Hyp)<sub>4</sub>]<sup>2-</sup>. The novel dimerized Ge<sub>18</sub>-cluster was isolated and characterized by single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis as a component of ionic compounds [Yb(thf)<sub>6</sub>][Ge<sub>18</sub>(Hyp)<sub>4</sub>] (<b>1</b>) and [K(2.2.2-crypt)]<sub>2</sub>[Ge<sub>18</sub>(Hyp)<sub>4</sub>] (<b>2</b>) with two different counterions. The dihedral angle between two intact Ge<sub>9</sub> cages depends on the counterions, which was also studied by quantum-chemical calculations.
Maternal Weight Gain during Pregnancy and the Developing Autonomic Nervous System—Possible Impact of GDM
2022-12-07

Objective: The intrauterine environment is known to affect the offspring’s long-term risk for obesity and diabetes. Previous data show that maternal metabolism and gestational weight gain (GWG) are associated with fetal autonomic nervous system (ANS) function, which can be assessed with heart rate variability (HRV). We investigated whether this association is also present in 2-year-old children and addressed the impact of gestational diabetes (GDM). Research design and methods: We examined the 2-year-old offspring of mothers who had undergone a 5-point, 75 g oral glucose tolerance test during pregnancy. To assess HRV, a 10-minute ECG was recorded, and time domain and frequency domain parameters were analyzed. Body composition was assessed using bioelectrical impedance testing. Results: We examined 67 children (33 girls, 34 boys), 30 of whom were born to mothers with treated GDM and normoglycemic pregnancies (NGT), respectively. No differences were found between the groups with regard to birth weight, weight at the age of 2 years, and body fat content. We observed that GWG was associated with heart rate and HRV, indicating that children of mothers with low GWG had a lower parasympathetic tone. This association was detected in NGT-exposed—but not in GDM-exposed—children. HR and HRV correlated with body fat and fat-free mass in children from normoglycemic pregnancies only. Conclusion: We found that the impact of maternal GWG on offspring ANS function was missing in the presence of treated GDM. The balance of the ANS was related to offspring body composition in children from NGT pregnancies only. Our results suggest that maternal weight gain during pregnancy has a critical impact on the developing ANS, which might be disturbed in the presence of GDM.
Follow-Up Chest X-rays in Minor Chest Trauma with Fewer Than Three Rib Fractures: A Justifiable, Habitual Re-Imaging Industry?
2022-12-07

Objective: We evaluated the necessity of follow-up chest X-rays (CXRs) to exclude a pneumothorax after 1 week of initial hospital presentation in patients with no signs of respiratory distress and fewer than three rib fractures. Materials and Methods: Adult patients with fewer than three fractured ribs who presented at our Level I trauma center between 2015 and 2017 were evaluated retrospectively. Patients with sternal fractures, who had suffered a polytrauma, or were primarily treated with a chest tube were excluded. The patients’ and fractures’ characteristics, trauma mechanism, median follow-up time, and the number of required secondary interventions were recorded. Results: This study included 249 patients, 137 (55.0%) of whom were male, with a median age of 64.34 years. In 150 patients (60.2%) one rib was affected, in 99 patients (39.8%) two ribs were affected, with the fractured ribs being true ribs (1–7) in 72 cases (28.9%), false ribs (8–12) in 151 cases (60.6%), and both in 26 cases (10.4%). The affected thorax half was the left side in 124 cases (49.8%) and both thorax halves in 4 cases (1.6%). The median follow-up time was 9 ± 4 days. In the follow-up CXRs, six patients (1.6%) required delayed intervention (tube thoracostomy): one case of hemopneumothorax and five cases of pneumothorax. All of the patients fully recovered. Conclusions: Planned CXR follow-ups revealed only a small number of complications that needed intervention and therefore seem not to be necessary. Symptom-triggered reappearance seems to be more sufficient and economical compared to habitual reimaging.
Metabolomics Spatial Survey of Modern Stromatolites from South Africa and Characterization of Ibhayipeptolides
2022-12-07

Evidence of life on earth dates back more than 3.4 billion years in the form of lithified layers of complex microbial mats known as microbialites, which are ubiquitous in the fossil record. Modern, extant microbialites are comparatively rare but have been documented globally. Multi-faceted, molecular investigations are required to understand community structure and function, factors that influence formation and growth, and how modern microbialite microbial communities differ from those in non-lithifying microbial mats. In this study we selected living, layered microbialites (stromatolites) in a peritidal environment near Schoenmakerskop in the Eastern Cape of South Africa as a study site for conducting a spatial survey to map the composition and small molecule production of the microbial communities across the system. Substrate cores and water samples were collected from nine sampling stations ranging from the upper point of the freshwater inflow to the lower marine interface where tidal overtopping takes place. Substrate cores provided material for parallel analyses of microbial community diversity by 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing and metabolomics using LC-MS2. Species diversity was correlated with metabolite diversity between the nine sampling stations and prominent specialized metabolites were targeted for characterization. A new series of cyclic hexadepsipeptides, named ibhayipeptolides, was most abundant in substrate cores of submerged microbialites, and we predict that this large molecular family is produced by cyanobacteria belonging to the family Geitlerinemaceae. These data contribute knowledge about, and facilitate future targeted studies of, specialized metabolite function and biosynthesis in microbialite communities.
Data set for "The interfacial structure of InP(100) in contact with HCl and H2SO4 studied by reflection anisotropy spectroscopy"
2022-12-07

&lt;p&gt;This is the experimental raw data set associated with the following publication: M. L&ouml;w, M. Guidat, J. Kim, and MM May, &lt;em&gt;The interfacial structure of InP(100) in contact with HCl and H&lt;sub&gt;2&lt;/sub&gt;SO&lt;sub&gt;4&lt;/sub&gt; studied by reflection anisotropy spectroscopy&lt;/em&gt;, RSC Advances 12 (2022), 32756-32764. &lt;a href="https://doi.org/10.1039/D2RA05159A"&gt;DOI:10.1039/D2RA05159A&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;The data set is organised along the figures of the publication. &#39;.ers&#39;, &#39;.erc&#39;, and &#39;.ert&#39; are spectra, colour plots, and transients, respectively, in the native format of Laytec&#39;s EpiRAS. &#39;.par&#39; files are in the data format from the Princeton Applied Research VersaSTAT 3F potentiostat. Spectra files containing the name &#39;Si100&#39; are from Si(100) wafers with native oxide, used for zero-line correction as described in the paper.&lt;/p&gt;
Data set for "The interfacial structure of InP(100) in contact with HCl and H2SO4 studied by reflection anisotropy spectroscopy"
2022-12-07

This is the experimental raw data set associated with the following publication: M. Löw, M. Guidat, J. Kim, and MM May, <em>The interfacial structure of InP(100) in contact with HCl and H<sub>2</sub>SO<sub>4</sub> studied by reflection anisotropy spectroscopy</em>, RSC Advances 12 (2022), 32756-32764. DOI:10.1039/D2RA05159A The data set is organised along the figures of the publication. '.ers', '.erc', and '.ert' are spectra, colour plots, and transients, respectively, in the native format of Laytec's EpiRAS. '.par' files are in the data format from the Princeton Applied Research VersaSTAT 3F potentiostat. Spectra files containing the name 'Si100' are from Si(100) wafers with native oxide, used for zero-line correction as described in the paper.
bedload from ephemeral channels
2022-12-07

Dataset assembled for analysis and publication alongside Stark et. al., 2023 (in revision). Details of data processing and analysis may be found there. Please cite the original manuscripts from which the data were published.
Identification of a novel C6 protein encoded by tomato leaf curl China virus
2022-12-08

Abstract Begomoviruses cause significant losses to a wide range of crops worldwide, and a great progress has been made in characterizing some noncanonical proteins encoded by begomoviruses. In the present study, a novel viral protein, C6, was detected in Nicotiana benthamiana plants infected with tomato leaf curl China virus (ToLCCNV). Sequence analyses revealed that the C6 ORF is on the complementary strand of approximately 36% reported begomovirus sequences with conserved amino acid sequence. ToLCCNV C6 specifically localizes to mitochondria. Analysis of deletion mutants showed that C6 possesses an internal mitochondrial targeting signal. Overall, these data uncover a novel begomovirus-encoded protein targeting distinct plant cell organelles.
Midlife occupational cognitive requirements protect cognitive function in old age by increasing cognitive reserve
2022-12-08

Introduction Several lifestyle factors promote protection against Alzheimer's disease (AD) throughout a person's lifespan. Although such protective effects have been described for occupational cognitive requirements (OCR) in midlife, it is currently unknown whether they are conveyed by brain maintenance (BM), brain reserve (BR), or cognitive reserve (CR) or a combination of them. Methods We systematically derived hypotheses for these resilience concepts and tested them in the population-based AgeCoDe cohort and memory clinic-based AD high-risk DELCODE study. The OCR score (OCRS) was measured using job activities based on the O*NET occupational classification system. Four sets of analyses were conducted: (1) the interaction of OCR and APOE-ε4 with regard to cognitive decline (N = 2,369, AgeCoDe), (2) association with differentially shaped retrospective trajectories before the onset of dementia of the Alzheimer's type (DAT; N = 474, AgeCoDe), (3) cross-sectional interaction of the OCR and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) AD biomarkers and brain structural measures regarding memory function (N = 873, DELCODE), and (4) cross-sectional and longitudinal association of OCR with CSF AD biomarkers and brain structural measures (N = 873, DELCODE). Results Regarding (1), higher OCRS was associated with a reduced association of APOE-ε4 with cognitive decline (mean follow-up = 6.03 years), consistent with CR and BR. Regarding (2), high OCRS was associated with a later onset but subsequently stronger cognitive decline in individuals converting to DAT, consistent with CR. Regarding (3), higher OCRS was associated with a weaker association of the CSF Aβ42/40 ratio and hippocampal volume with memory function, consistent with CR. Regarding (4), OCR was not associated with the levels or changes in CSF AD biomarkers (mean follow-up = 2.61 years). We found a cross-sectional, age-independent association of OCRS with some MRI markers, but no association with 1-year-change. OCR was not associated with the intracranial volume. These results are not completely consistent with those of BR or BM. Discussion Our results support the link between OCR and CR. Promoting and seeking complex and stimulating work conditions in midlife could therefore contribute to increased resistance to pathologies in old age and might complement prevention measures aimed at reducing pathology.
Advancing Educational Research on Children’s Self-Regulation With Observational Measures
2022-12-08

Self-regulation is crucial for children’s development and learning. Almost by convention, it is assumed that self-regulation is a relatively stable skill, and little is known about its dynamic nature and context dependency. Traditional measurement approaches such as single direct assessments and adult reports are not well suited to address questions around variations of self-regulation within individuals and influences from social-contextual factors. Measures relying on child observations are uniquely positioned to address these questions and to advance the field by shedding light on self-regulatory variability and incremental growth. In this paper, we review traditional measurement approaches (direct assessments and adult reports) and recently developed observational measures. We discuss which questions observational measures are best suited to address and why traditional measurement approaches fall short. Finally, we share lessons learned based on our experiences using child observations in educational settings and discuss how measurement approaches should be carefully aligned to the research questions.
Teachers trust educational science - Especially if it confirms their beliefs
2022-12-08

Teachers around the world are increasingly required by policy guidelines to inform their teaching practices with scientific evidence. However, due to the division of cognitive labor, teachers often cannot evaluate the veracity of such evidence first-hand, since they lack specific methodological skills, such as the ability to evaluate study designs. For this reason, second-hand evaluations come into play, during which individuals assess the credibility and trustworthiness of the person or other entity who conveys the evidence instead of evaluating the information itself. In doing so, teachers' belief systems (e.g., beliefs about the trustworthiness of different sources, about science in general, or about specific educational topics) can play a pivotal role. But judging evidence based on beliefs may also lead to distortions which, in turn, can result in barriers for evidence-informed school practice. One popular example is the so-called confirmation bias, that is, preferring belief-consistent and avoiding or questioning belief-inconsistent information. Therefore, we experimentally investigated (1) whether teachers trust knowledge claims made by other teachers and scientific studies differently, (2) whether there is an interplay between teachers' trust in these specific knowledge claims, their trust in educational science, and their global trust in science, and (3) whether their prior topic-specific beliefs influence trust ratings in the sense of a confirmation bias. In an incomplete rotated design with three preregistered hypotheses, N = 414 randomly and representative sampled in-service teachers from Germany indicated greater trust in scientific evidence (information provided by a scientific journal) compared to anecdotal evidence (information provided by another teacher on a teacher blog). In addition, we found a positive relationship between trust in educational science and trust in specific knowledge claims from educational science. Finally, participants also showed a substantial confirmation bias, as they trusted educational science claims more when these matched (rather than contradicted) their prior beliefs. Based on these results, the interplay of trust, first-hand evaluation, and evidence-informed school practice is discussed.