julilili42/papers huggingface dataset:
Layer-optimized SAR processing with a mobile phase-sensitive radar for detecting the deep englacial stratigraphy of Colle Gnifetti, Switzerland/Italy
2023-12-13

Abstract. Radio-echo sounding is a standard technique for imaging the englacial stratigraphy of glaciers and ice sheets. In most cases, internal reflection horizons (IRHs) represent former glacier surfaces and comprise information about past accumulation, ice deformation and allow to link ice core chronologies. IRHs in the lower third of the ice column are often difficult to detect or coherently trace. In the polar ice sheets, progress in IRH detection has been made by using multistatic, phase-coherent radars, enabling synthetic-aperture radar (SAR) processing. However, these radar systems are often not suitable for deployment on mountain glaciers. We present a proof-of-concept study for a lightweight, phase-coherent, and ground-based radar system, based on the phase-sensitive radio echo-sounder (pRES). To improve the detectability of IRHs we additionally adapted a layer-optimized SAR (LO-SAR) processing scheme to this setup. We showcase the system capability at Colle Gnifetti, Switzerland/Italy, and detect significantly deeper and older IRHs compared to previously deployed pulsed radar systems. Continuous IRHs are now apparent down to the base of the glacier. Corresponding reflection mechanisms for this glacier are linked to a stratified acidic impurity which was deposited at a higher rate due to increased industrial activity in the area. Possible improvements of the system are discussed. If successfully implemented, these may provide a new way to map the deep internal structure of Colle Gnifetti and other mountain glaciers more extensively in future deployments.
Karl Popper on Deduction
2023-12-13

Abstract We outline Karl Popper’s theory of deduction, which he developed in the 1940s. In his theory it is assumed that a consequence relation is given or otherwise constructed by postulation. Logical operations, which may be available in this consequence relation, are then characterized by means of relational definitions, and logical operators are introduced as names for these operations by means of inferential definitions. Using logically structured sentences thus introduced, the inference laws for them are immediately obtained from the inferential definitions.
Discovery of a variable energy-dependent X-ray polarization in the accreting neutron star GX 5−1
2023-12-14

We report on the coordinated observations of the neutron star low-mass X-ray binary (NS-LMXB) GX 5−1 in X-rays (IXPE, NICER, NuSTAR , and INTEGRAL), optical (REM and LCO), near-infrared (REM), mid-infrared (VLT VISIR), and radio (ATCA). This Z-source was observed by IXPE twice in March–April 2023 (Obs. 1 and 2). In the radio band the source was detected, but only upper limits to the linear polarization were obtained at a 3 σ level of 6.1% at 5.5 GHz and 5.9% at 9 GHz in Obs. 1 and 12.5% at 5.5 GHz and 20% at 9 GHz in Obs. 2. The mid-IR, near-IR, and optical observations suggest the presence of a compact jet that peaks in the mid- or far-IR. The X-ray polarization degree was found to be 3.7%±0.4% (at 90% confidence level) during Obs. 1 when the source was in the horizontal branch of the Z-track and 1.8%±0.4% during Obs. 2 when the source was in the normal-flaring branch. These results confirm the variation in polarization degree as a function of the position of the source in the color-color diagram, as for previously observed Z-track sources (Cyg X-2 and XTE 1701−462). Evidence of a variation in the polarization angle of ∼20° with energy is found in both observations, likely related to the different, nonorthogonal polarization angles of the disk and Comptonization components, which peak at different energies.
Nucleic acid sensing promotes inflammatory monocyte migration through biased coagulation factor VIIa signaling
2023-12-14

Abstract Protease activated receptors (PARs) are cleaved by coagulation proteases and thereby connect hemostasis with innate immune responses. Signaling of the tissue factor (TF) complex with factor VIIa (FVIIa) via PAR2 stimulates extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) activation and cancer cell migration, but functions of cell autonomous TF-FVIIa signaling in immune cells are unknown. Here, we show that myeloid cell expression of FVII but not of FX is crucial for inflammatory cell recruitment to the alveolar space after challenge with the double-stranded viral RNA mimic polyinosinic:polycytidylic acid [Poly(I:C)]. In line with these data, genetically modified mice completely resistant to PAR2 cleavage but not FXa-resistant PAR2–mutant mice are protected from lung inflammation. Poly(I:C)-stimulated migration of monocytes/macrophages is dependent on ERK activation and mitochondrial antiviral signaling (MAVS) but independent of toll-like receptor 3 (TLR3). Monocyte/macrophage-synthesized FVIIa cleaving PAR2 is required for integrin αMβ2-dependent migration on fibrinogen but not for integrin β1-dependent migration on fibronectin. To further dissect the downstream signaling pathway, we generated PAR2S365/T368A-mutant mice deficient in β-arrestin recruitment and ERK scaffolding. This mutation reduces cytosolic, but not nuclear ERK phosphorylation by Poly(I:C) stimulation, and prevents macrophage migration on fibrinogen but not fibronectin after stimulation with Poly(I:C) or CpG-B, a single-stranded DNA TLR9 agonist. In addition, PAR2S365/T368A-mutant mice display markedly reduced immune cell recruitment to the alveolar space after Poly(I:C) challenge. These results identify TF-FVIIa-PAR2-β-arrestin–biased signaling as a driver for lung infiltration in response to viral nucleic acids and suggest potential therapeutic interventions specifically targeting TF-VIIa signaling in thrombo-inflammation.
Engineered Materials: Bioinspired “Good Enough” versus Maximized Performance
2023-12-14

Abstract Utilizing various materials is fundamental for the production of physical objects. However, processing raw materials during production often leads to complex transformations that hinder the recyclability of modern high‐performance materials. These materials possess increased durability and resilience, challenging their decomposition and limiting their potential for recycling and reuse. In contrast, living Nature manages material utilization without such complications. The emerging discipline of Engineered Living Materials (ELMs) shifts the focus to self‐repairing, self‐supporting growing materials, emphasizing overall sustainability. To effectively address the challenges associated with high‐performance materials, the design process must incorporate considerations of recycling and decomposition from the outset. Environmental challenges associated with material utilization can be addressed by reevaluating material design and prioritizing recycling, decomposition, and embracing Nature's “good enough” principle. The transition toward sustainable resource management requires substantial investment in scientific research that explores the mechanisms by which life sustains itself using solely local resources. Biomimetics and ELMs offer valuable insights, but a deeper understanding of how Nature efficiently utilizes resources is crucial. The integration of engineering advantages not identified in Nature, such as product sub‐unit reuse, can complement these efforts. Paving the way toward a sustainable future requires a comprehensive approach rooted in biological evolution and innovative scientific research.
Clinical, Imaging, Genetic, and Disease Course Characteristics in Patients With GM2 Gangliosidosis
2023-12-14

Age at onset alone seems not sufficient to adequately predict different disease courses in GM2 gangliosidosis, as required for upcoming trial planning. We propose an alternative classification based on age at disease onset and dynamics, predicted by clinical features and biomarkers, into type I-an early-onset, rapid progression cluster-and type II-a variable onset, slow progression cluster. Specific diagnostic workup, including GM2 gangliosidosis, should be performed in patients with combined ataxia plus lower motor neuron weakness to identify type II patients.
eROSITA studies of the Carina nebula
2023-12-14

Context . During the first four all-sky surveys eRASS:4, which was carried out from December 2019 to 2021, the extended Roentgen Survey with an Imaging Telescope Array (eROSITA) on board the Spektrum-Roentgen-Gamma (Spektr-RG, SRG) observed the Galactic H II region, the Carina nebula. Aims . We analysed the eRASS:4 data to study the distribution and spectral properties of the hot interstellar plasma and the bright stellar sources in the Carina nebula. Methods . The spectral extraction regions of the diffuse emission were defined based on the X-ray spectral morphology and multi-wavelength data. The spectra were fit with a combination of thermal and non-thermal emission models. The X-ray bright point sources in the Carina nebula are the colliding wind binary η Car, several O stars, and Wolf–Rayet (WR) stars. We extracted the spectra of the brightest stellar sources, which can be well fit with a multi-component thermal plasma model. Results . The spectra of the diffuse emission in the brighter parts of the Carina nebula are well reproduced by two thermal models, a lower-temperature component (~0.2 keV) and a higher-temperature component (0.6–0.8 keV). An additional non-thermal component dominates the emission above ~1 keV in the Central region around η Car and the other massive stars. Significant orbital variation in the X-ray flux was measured for η Car, WR 22, and WR 25. η Car requires an additional time-variable thermal component in the spectral model, which is associated with the wind-wind collision zone. Conclusions . Properties such as temperature, pressure, and luminosity of the X-ray emitting plasma in the Carina nebula derived from the eROSITA data are consistent with theoretical calculations of emission from superbubbles. This confirms that the X-ray emission is caused by the hot plasma inside the Carina nebula that has been shocked-heated by the stellar winds of the massive stars, in particular, of η Car.
Nucleophilic Addition of Bulky Aryl Substituents to Pentacene‐6,13‐quinone
2023-12-14

Abstract We investigate the introduction of bulky aryl substituents of the biphenyl, terphenyl, and quaterphenyl type at the 6,13 and 5,7,12,14 positions of the pentacene scaffold by reaction of the corresponding quinones with lithium organic reagents. The 1,1′‐biphenyl‐2‐yl substituent could be installed at the 5,7,12,14‐positions and regioselectively either at 6,13 or at the 5,13 positions. The unsymmetrical substitution motif results from concomitant 1,2 and 1,4‐addition to 6,13‐pentacenequinone. A one‐pot protocol leads to isomeric symmetric 6,13‐disubstituted pentacenes and allows installation of two 5′‐phenyl‐[1,1′:3′,1′′‐terphenyl]‐2‐yl substituents. The four new pentacenes differ in crystal packing and photochemical stability.
Revisiting effects of teacher characteristics on physiological and psychological stress: a virtual reality study
2023-12-14

Abstract Identifying personal characteristics associated with teachers’ stress is a longstanding research goal with important implications for practice. The present work revisits the effects of individual characteristics in terms of neuroticism, classroom management self-efficacy, and cognitive (reasoning) abilities on stress using virtual reality (VR). Relying on a sample of 56 German pre-service teachers ( M age = 22.73 , SD age = 4.93; 50.9% females), we capitalized on a VR classroom environment that allowed the integration of experimental control and authentic teaching situations, where pre-service teachers responded to the disruptive behaviors of the student avatars. We focused on stress responses in terms of psychological stress (self-reported stress) assessed after the VR session, and physiological stress (heart rate) assessed during the VR session. A total of 30 (26) participants was assigned to a condition with higher (lower) levels of disruptive student behavior, referred to as higher and lower complexity condition, respectively. Results from linear mixed-effects models revealed that neuroticism positively predicted psychological and physiological stress responses in pre-service teachers, whereas classroom management self-efficacy and cognitive (reasoning) abilities were not significantly related to stress responses. Level of complexity and the interaction between complexity and individual characteristics did not have an effect. This study underlines the value of VR as a tool for psychological research and contributes to existing knowledge on teacher characteristics and stress.
Developing an instrument to assess the satisfaction and frustration of basic psychological needs during the leisure activity of birdwatching (Birding-BPNSF)
2023-12-14

Motivation and well-being are gaining attention in leisure research. However, the analysis of the prerequisites of these variables is lacking. Self-determination theory offers valuable insights into these prerequisites by considering basic psychological needs. However, investigations of the satisfaction and frustration of these needs in leisure activities are scarce and test instruments are limited. To address this, we developed a German instrument to assess basic need satisfaction and frustration during birdwatching. Overall, 542 birdwatchers (Mage = 49.11 ± 17.08 years) completed our survey. We tested three models: (1) satisfaction and frustration, (2) autonomy, competence, and relatedness, and (3) each need with satisfaction and frustration dimension. We found the latter 6-factor model to be most appropriate. Moreover, we found expected correlations between the factors and intrinsic motivation during birdwatching. Besides the possibility to measure and gain insight into birdwatchers’ experiences, our instrument can provide directions to design motivating activities, for example, in the field of conservation.
Cross-continental variation of herbivore resistance in a global plant invader
2023-12-14

Successful plant invasions are often explained with adaptation to novel environments. However, invasive species often occupy broad niches within their native and introduced ranges, and a true understanding of microevolution during invasion therefore requires broad sampling of ranges, ideally with a knowledge of introduction history. We tested for genetic differentiation in herbivore resistance among 128 introduced (Europe, North America) and native (China, Japan) populations of the invasive Japanese knotweed (Reynoutria japonica) in two common gardens in the native range. In both common gardens we found that resistance traits of introduced populations differed from most Chinese native populations, but not from populations in Japan, the putative sources of introduction. Compared to Chinese populations, introduced European populations had thicker leaves with a lower C:N ratio but higher flavonoids contents. In the native range, variation in herbivore resistance was much more strongly associated with climate of origin than in introduced populations. Our results support the idea that founder effects played a key role in the invasion of knotweed into Europe and North America, with introduction of particular resistance phenotypes from Japan. Our study also demonstrates how knowledge of introduction history can avoid drawing wrong conclusions from observed biogeographic divergence.
Mind the gap: Young people and welfare-state related knowledge in deservingness and welfare attitude research
2023-12-14

Welfare deservingness opinions help explain welfare attitudes and hence are crucial for understanding the social legitimacy of the welfare state. However, even when considering deservingness alongside other explanatory frameworks, many open questions remain in the welfare attitude framework. This article argues that a novel research agenda focusing on welfare-state related knowledge and young people could considerably enrich current debates in deservingness and welfare attitude research. Deservingness assessments are made heuristically and could greatly depend on what people know (especially when they are misinformed). Studying this with young people is highly relevant, as the formative years are crucial for welfare attitude formation and change, even later in life. Research with young people provides unique opportunities for disentangling causal mechanisms between welfare-state related knowledge, deservingness and welfare attitudes. Moreover, it could help challenge welfare-state related misinformation and build resilience against disinformation. This thematic review outlines benefits, blind spots, and research trajectories when focusing on knowledge and young people in deservingness and welfare attitude research.
Standardized in vitro bleeding tests in a non-coated novel hybrid prosthesis for frozen elephant trunk demonstrates minimal oozing during full heparinization, supported by clinical data
2023-12-14

Introduction Recent reports have questioned the blood impermeability of the novel frozen elephant trunk (FET) device E-vita Open NEO © (EO-NEO). Therefore, standardized in vitro bleeding tests using porcine heparinized blood were performed, as well as stress testing on the blood tightness of the collar suture line, to investigate this observation. Material and methods EO-NEO prostheses were examined in vitro for blood permeability in three test series. Initially, antegrade perfusion with heparinized porcine blood [activated clotting time (ACT) of 500 s, with a 60 min duration] was performed, followed by ante/retrograde testing via the EO-NEO side port. Testing of the collar suture line under a tension of 10 Newton (N) within a suspension device (blood pressure 120 mmHg, ACT of 560 s, 1 min duration) was carried out with the suture material force fiber white (FFWs) yarn, using standard fixation (5 stitches/cm), FFWh yarn in hemostatic fixation (15 stitches/cm), and flow weave yarn (FWYh). Results Blood permeability testing of EO-NEO through the prosthetic lumen or via the side port demonstrated minor leakage without statistical difference between the standard and hemostatic suture lines or suture materials used, or positioning on the crimped or tapered portion ( p &amp;gt; 0.05). The specific collar anastomosis testing demonstrated leakage volumes of 140 ml/min for FFWs vs. 16 ml/min for FFWh ( p = 0.02), vs. 9 ml/min with the FWYh ( p = 0.01). Conclusion Different blood leakage tests showed minimal oozing and no difference in blood loss through the fabric and different collar suture lines, but unphysiological pressurized retrograde perfusion of the collar region showed significantly less leakage using FWYh and FFWh, prompting production modification of EO-NEO. Clinical results confirmed low blood loss using this novel FET device.
Multimodal aspects of sentence comprehension: Do facial and color cues interact with processing negated and affirmative sentences?
2023-12-14

Negation is usually considered as a linguistic operator reversing the truth value of a proposition. However, there are various ways to express negation in a multimodal manner. It still remains an unresolved issue whether nonverbal expressions of negation can influence linguistic negation comprehension. Based on extensive evidence demonstrating that language comprehenders are able to instantly integrate extralinguistic information such as a speaker's identity, we expected that nonverbal cues of negation and affirmation might similarly affect sentence comprehension. In three preregistered experiments, we examined how far nonverbal markers of negation and affirmation-specifically, the so-called "not face" (see Benitez-Quiroz et al., 2016) and red or green color (see Dudschig et al., 2023)-interact with comprehending negation and affirmation at the sentential level. Participants were presented with photos ("not face" vs. positive control; Experiments 1 and 2) or color patches (red vs. green; Experiment 3). They then read negated and affirmative sentences in a self-paced manner or judged the sensibility of negated and affirmative sentences (e.g., "No, I do not want to sing" vs. "Yes, I would like to buy a sofa"). Both frequentist statistics and Bayes factors resulting from linear mixed-effects analyses showed that processing times for negated and affirmative sentences were not significantly modulated by the nonverbal features under investigation. This indicates that their influence might not extend to sentential negation or affirmation comprehension. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).
Probing Intracellular Potassium Dynamics in Neurons with the Genetically Encoded Sensor lc-LysM GEPII 1.0 in vitro and in vivo
2023-12-14

<title>Abstract</title> Neuronal activity is accompanied by a net outflow of potassium ions (K<sup>+</sup>) from the intra- to the extracellular space. While extracellular [K<sup>+</sup>] changes during neuronal activity are well characterized, intracellular dynamics have been less well investigated due to lack of respective probes. In the current study we characterized the FRET-based K<sup>+</sup> biosensor lc-LysM GEPII 1.0 for its capacity to measure intracellular [K<sup>+</sup>] changes in primary cultured neurons and in mouse cortical neurons <italic>in vivo</italic>. We found that lc-LysM GEPII 1.0 can resolve neuronal [K<sup>+</sup>] decreases <italic>in vitro</italic> during seizure-like and intense optogenetically evoked activity. [K<sup>+</sup>] changes during single action potentials could not be recorded. We confirmed these findings <italic>in vivo</italic> by expressing lc-LysM GEPII 1.0 in mouse cortical neurons and performing 2-photon fluorescence lifetime imaging. We observed an increase in the fluorescence lifetime of lc-LysM GEPII 1.0 during periinfarct depolarizations, which indicates a decrease in intracellular neuronal [K<sup>+</sup>]. Our findings suggest that lc-LysM GEPII 1.0 can be used to measure large changes in [K<sup>+</sup>] in neurons <italic>in vitro</italic> and <italic>in vivo</italic> but requires optimization to resolve smaller changes as observed during single action potentials.