julilili42/papers huggingface dataset:
Exploring Neural Dynamics in the Auditory Telencephalon of Crows Using Functional Ultrasound Imaging
2025-06-23

Crows, renowned for advanced cognitive abilities and vocal communication, rely on intricate auditory systems. While the neuroanatomy of corvid auditory pathways is partially explored, the underlying neurophysiological mechanisms are largely unknown. This study used functional ultrasound imaging (fUSi) to investigate sound-induced cerebral blood volume (CBV) changes in the Field L complex of the auditory telencephalon in two female crows. fUSi revealed frequency-specific CBV responses, showing a tonotopic organization within the Field L complex, with low frequencies in the posterior dorsal region and high frequencies in the anterior ventral region. Machine learning analyses showed fUSi signals could be used to classify sound types accurately, in both awake and anesthetized states. Variable CBV responses to longer sound stimuli suggest a delineation of subregions within the Field L complex. Together, these findings highlight the potential of fUSi for providing high-resolution insights into functional systems in corvids, enabling future exploration of experimental task-related cognitive dynamics.
Minimising insect mortality during grassland mowing: The potential of insect chasing devices
2025-06-23

Abstract Early and frequent mowing is a threat to grassland arthropods. To date, measures to counteract these losses have largely been limited to extensification concepts, which are not always feasible on intensive grasslands. One option for insect‐friendly mowing is the use of chasing devices, which are designed to chase away arthropods before mowing. Scientific research on their effectiveness is limited to one study on parasitic microhymenoptera. Studies on other groups are lacking. In a 3‐year experiment, we have investigated the effectiveness of three devices, that is, two mechanical flushing bars (truck tarpaulin, hanging down metal brackets) and a blowing device. We tested different driving speeds and distances of the flushing bar from the mower on seven abundant arthropod groups that differ in their escape strategies. We found the blowing device to be the most effective. At the maximum driving speed of 12 km/h, it had an effect on almost all taxonomic groups studied except Araneae and Hymenoptera. At this speed, the metal bracket flushing bar was only effective on Diptera and Coleoptera. The truck tarpaulin flushing bar was only effective at a low driving speed of 5 km/h, albeit on four out of seven taxa. Chasing devices have a great potential to deter arthropods prior to mowing, thereby reducing mortality. Whilst a blowing device works at higher speed, mechanical flushing bars have a limited effectiveness (metal brackets) or only work at low speed (truck tarpaulin).
Synthetic inhibition of the SUMO pathway by targeting the SAE1 component via TAK-981 compound impairs growth and chemosensitizes embryonal and alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma cell lines
2025-06-23

Abstract Rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS) is a highly aggressive pediatric soft tissue sarcoma with limited therapeutic options, particularly for cases resistant to conventional treatments. The SUMOylation pathway, which plays a key role in regulating the cell cycle, apoptosis, and transcription, has emerged as a potential therapeutic target in RMS. Elevated levels of SUMO1 and SUMO2/3 conjugates in RMS cell lines, compared to normal human skeletal muscle cells, underscore the association between upregulated SUMOylation and aggressive cancer phenotypes. Understanding these molecular underpinnings is critical for the development of innovative and effective treatments. The investigation encompassed transcriptomic and protein analyses to profile SUMOylation pathway components across alveolar and embryonal RMS subtypes, aiming to identify heterogeneity that could guide personalized therapy approaches. TAK-981, a small molecule that selectively inhibits the SUMOylation of target proteins, was evaluated in combination with chemotherapeutic agents for additive or synergistic effects. Additionally, its impact on radiosensitivity and key signaling pathways, such as AKT, ERK and CAV1 phosphorylation, was assessed to elucidate its mechanism of action. Transcriptomic and proteomic analyses revealed distinct expression profiles of SUMOylation pathway components across RMS subtypes, highlighting heterogeneity that could guide personalized therapeutic strategies. Notably, SAE1 protein was overexpressed in RMS tissues and cells, positioning it as a potential biomarker for this cancer. Its activity was effectively counteracted by TAK-981, a SUMO inhibitor that demonstrated significant therapeutic potential by suppressing RMS cell proliferation and migration, and enhancing the cytotoxic effects of chemotherapeutic agents actinomycin D and doxorubicin. However, TAK-981 did not increase radiosensitivity, suggesting its selective action through chemical inhibition mechanisms. Mechanistically, TAK-981 reduced phosphorylation of key signaling proteins, including AKT, ERK and CAV1, which are critical for RMS cell survival. The findings of this study establish TAK-981 as a promising therapeutic agent for RMS. The results also provide foundational insights into the role of SUMOylation associated with the new biomarker SAE1 in RMS and its subtypes, paving the way for the development of personalized treatment strategies that leverage SUMO pathway inhibition.
Angularly Resolved Tip‐Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy
2025-06-23

Abstract Despite intensive research in tip‐enhanced Raman spectroscopy (TERS), the angular distribution of Raman scattering in the TERS gap remains experimentally unreported leaving its relevance to the TERS signal formation to be seldomly discussed. Here, we investigate the angular distribution of the tip‐enhanced Raman signal in the Fourier plane using a model system composed of flat‐lying cobalt (II) hexadecafluoro‐phthalocyanine (CoPcF 16 ) molecules physically adsorbed on a smooth gold surface. Both in‐plane and out‐of‐plane vibrational modes are observed, where the out‐of‐plane Raman modes at about 678 and 740 cm −1 have different angular intensity distributions than those of in‐plane Raman modes at 1309 and 1373 cm −1 . We interpret the angular spectrum of the TERS signal considering the molecular vibrational modes computed with density functional theory (DFT) for the free and gold‐deposited molecule, and the directed Raman scattering by the gap‐mode predicted by finite‐difference time‐domain (FDTD) simulations. We contend that the TERS gap directs the Raman vibrational modes differently, leading to distinct angularly distributed Raman scattering intensities. These findings emphasize the nonnegligible role of the TERS detection scheme in understanding spectral features, such as the relative peak intensity ratio variations for studying molecular orientations, or for monitoring chemical reactions.
Evaluating the Contextual Integrity of False Positives in Algorithmic Travel Surveillance
2025-06-23

International air travel is highly surveilled. While surveillance is deemed necessary for law enforcement to prevent and detect terrorism and other serious crimes, even the most accurate algorithmic mass surveillance systems produce high numbers of false positives. Despite the potential impact of false positives on the fundamental rights of millions of passengers, algorithmic travel surveillance is lawful in the EU. However, as the system's processing practices and accuracy are kept secret by law, it is unknown to what degree passengers are accepting of the system's interference with their rights to privacy and data protection. We conducted a nationally representative survey of the adult population of Finland (N=1550) to assess their attitudes towards algorithmic mass surveillance in air travel and its potential expansion to other travel contexts. Furthermore, we developed a novel approach for estimating the threshold, beyond which, the number of false positives breaches individuals' perception of contextual integrity. Surprisingly, when faced with a trade-off between privacy and security, even very high false positive counts were perceived as legitimate. This result could be attributed to Finland's high-trust cultural context, but also raises questions about people's capacity to account for privacy harms that happen to other people. We conclude by discussing how legal and ethical approaches to legitimising algorithmic surveillance based on individual rights may overlook the statistical or systemic properties of mass surveillance.
Nickel Catalyzed C–S Cross Coupling Enhanced by Mechanochemistry
2025-06-23

We report a nickel-catalyzed cross-coupling between aryl (pseudo-)halides and thiols under mechanochemical conditions. The reaction tolerated both alkyl and aryl thiols and required lower catalyst loading than the same catalyst under homogenous conditions. Moreover, the reaction can be set up under air, greatly simplifying and shortening reaction setup. Notably, trialkyl amines proved most efficient as a base under mechanochemical conditions. This class of bases has been rarely used in C–S cross-couplings before. The applicability of this system was demonstrated on numerous examples, including compounds relevant to materials science and pharmaceuticals. Mechanistic studies revealed that the reaction is driven by thermal energy produced by the mixer mill, while no evidence for involvement of mechanical force in the mechanism could be obtained. Using neat NMR and DSC techniques, it could be shown that the catalyst is initially deactivated by excess thiol, forming a mixture of nickel(hydrido)(thiolate) species. Upon reduction by zinc, the active catalyst is formed, able to engage in a Ni(0)/Ni(II) catalytic cycle.
Delineating treeline dynamics and its impact on carbon storage in Alpine region of Nepal
2025-06-23

<title>Abstract</title> Alpine treeline dynamics significantly influence biodiversity and global carbon cycles, yet their responses to climate change and implications for carbon storage remain under studied in the Himalayas. This research work focuses on delineating the treeline elevation shifts (1993–2023) and their impact on above-ground carbon stocks in Rolwaling Valley, Nepal, using Local Indicator of Spatial Association (LISA) autocorrelation, and stratified random sampling across 100-m elevation strata. Results showed minimal upward treeline migration (4.56m over 30 years), with average elevation stabilizing at treeline3961.49 ± 18.30 by 2023. The slight upward trend in the NDVI (0.0011 units/year) indicates improved vegetation density over the 30 years in the study area. Above-ground carbon stocks declined significantly with elevation, ranging from 48.33 Mg/ha (3700-3800m) to 40.52 Mg/ha (3900-4000m), equivalent to a loss of 67.84 kg per meter gained. Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) prioritization identified forest restoration and silviculture interventions as the most effective measures for enhancing carbon benefits. The study provides actionable insights for aligning ecosystem management in alpine areas with Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) -13 (Climate Action) and 15 (Life on Land), with a focus on adaptive strategies to enhance carbon sinks in alpine’s warming climate.
Mapping the Composition of Antarctic Ice Shelves as a Metric for Their Susceptibility to Future Climate Change
2025-06-23

Abstract Antarctic ice shelves control the flow of ice into the ocean, affecting the rate of sea level rise. This flow is regulated by ice‐shelf thickness, which depends on tributary flux across the grounding line and the balance between surface accumulation and ocean‐induced melting. Consequently, ice shelves that are tributary‐sustained will be more susceptible to dynamic changes upstream of the grounding line. In contrast, atmospherically sustained ice shelves will be more susceptible to changing local atmospheric and oceanographic conditions. Our results differentiate between these internal and external regimes by mapping which ice shelves are tributary‐ and which are atmospherically sustained and we compare these findings with published estimates of local ice‐shelf buttressing strength. This approach identifies buttressing relevant areas, particularly near pinning points, in West Antarctica and the Peninsula, which are highly dependent on surface accumulation and therefore vulnerable to the predicted decline of coastal snowfall through the end of the century.
The (dis-)connection between selection research in sports and business literature – a citation network analysis
2025-06-23

Sports associations and companies share a common goal of identifying and selecting top talent, prompting a growing interest in refining their selection processes. Recent decades have witnessed increased attention to predictive valid constructs (e.g., motivation) and predictive assessment methods (e.g., questionnaires). Leveraging an extensive history and empirical evidence from personnel selection research in business, a cross-contextual knowledge transfer could offer potential benefits for both sports and business. To examine the utilization of information between sports and the business context, this study explores the connection between these contexts. Analyzing 20,492 articles from SCOPUS and Web of Science databases, we followed PRISMA guidelines and conducted a citation network analysis ( n = 940 articles). Results reveal limited interconnectivity (3,728 links), with only six articles cited between contexts: three sports articles cited business articles and vice versa. Sports articles referred to business research for talent definition, skill assessment, and methodological concerns. Contrarily, the business domain primarily used sports research as examples and for individual aspects of talent development models. This study highlights the potential for points of connection, including requirement analysis, skill assessment, and research on predictive validity. Future research should systematically explore shared and underrepresented topics in both contexts, such as the use of, for example, situational judgement tests in sports to enhance talent selection in sports, drawing insights from the business domain. Systematic review registration https://aspredicted.org/366x-7cfd.pdf .
Cerebral amyloid angiopathy and amyloid load distribution detected on amyloid–positron emission tomography: A systematic review and meta-analysis
2025-06-24

Introduction: There are limited data regarding the amyloid positron emission tomography (PET) imaging among patients with Cerebral Amyloid Angiopathy (CAA). We sought to assess the amyloid load distribution detected on amyloid-PET among CAA patients compared to patients with Alzheimer’s Disease (AD), patients with hypertension (HTN) related hemorrhage (ICH) and healthy controls (HC). Patients and methods: A systematic review and meta-analysis of published studies with available data on global and regional amyloid-PET uptake was conducted. Comparisons with respect to amyloid load distribution were investigated using random-effects models based on the ratio of mean (RoM) amyloid-PET uptake. RoM &lt; 1 and RoM &gt; 1 indicate lower and higher global or regional amyloid-PET uptake in CAA compared to another population, respectively. Results: We identified 16 cohorts, comprising 271 CAA patients (mean age: 72 years; women: 46%) versus 130 AD patients (mean age: 73 years; women: 44%), 180 patients with HTN-related ICH (mean age: 66 years; women: 36%) and 61 HC (mean age: 71 years; women: 46%) with available data on amyloid-PET. Global amyloid PET ratio differentiated CAA from AD [RoM: 0.93; 95% CI: 0.90–0.96; p &lt; 0.0001], HTN-related ICH [RoM: 1.25; 95% CI: 1.20–1.31; p &lt; 0.0001], and HC [RoM: 1.26; 95% CI: 1.23–1.29; p &lt; 0.0001]. Occipital amyloid-PET uptake [RoM: 1.20; 95% CI: 1.15–1.26; p &lt; 0.0001] was higher in CAA compared to HTN-related ICH, and Occipital-to-global [RoM: 1.05; 95% CI: 1.03–1.07; p &lt; 0.0001] ratio of amyloid-PET uptake differentiated also CAA from AD. Conclusions: CAA is characterized by a distinct amyloid-PET burden and distribution compared to AD patients, patients with HTN-related ICH and HC. These findings may contribute to the design and conduct of future randomized controlled clinical trials, aiming to treat CAA at preclinical stages.
Pharmacogenetic Implementation Studies—Lessons Learned From the PREPARE Study
2025-06-24

The Ubiquitous Pharmacogenomics consortium ( www.upgx.eu ) has recently completed and published the Preemptive Pharmacogenomic Testing for Preventing Adverse Drug Reactions (PREPARE) study on the implementation of panel‐based pharmacogenetic testing. PREPARE has provided interesting lessons for the design, execution, and interpretation of future clinical implementation studies. In this paper, we share our experience and lessons learned from the PREPARE study for future pharmacogenetic implementation studies. Issues addressed are the study population, intervention, endpoint, randomization, blinding, crossover, ethics, real‐world changes during the study, and data analysis and reporting.
“Don’t forget the number 1 in soccer talent research!” – Predictive validity of objectively tested motor attributes and subjectively rated position-specific skills in elite youth goalkeepers
2025-06-24

In the ever-growing body of evidence on relevant talent predictors in soccer, goalkeepers (GKs) remain vastly underrepresented. Therefore, this large-scale prospective study was designed to investigate the predictive validity of objectively tested motor attributes and subjectively rated position-specific skills on GKs' selection into a youth academy (YA) three seasons after data collection. GKs across four age groups (U12-U15; <i>N</i> = 3431) who are part of the German Football Association's talent development program completed five motor tests assessing general speed abilities and position-independent technical skills. GK-specific technical and tactical skills, and GKs' overall performance level, were subjectively assessed via coach ratings. Univariate analyses performed separately for each age group confirmed the predictive validity of the motor tests (<i>Mdn(d)</i> = 0.35), evaluations of GK-specific skills (<i>Mdn(d)</i> = 0.68), and ratings of GKs' overall performance level (Mdn(Φ) = 0.21). Multivariate analyses demonstrated that considering all predictors in combination revealed explanatory power for a YA selection (.13 ≤ Nagelkerke's R<sup>2</sup> ≤ .22), with at least one significant objective and subjective predictor. Yet, except for participants in U14, only one GK-specific predictor reached significance indicating limiting additional explanatory power from other subjectively rated variables. Overall, the findings indicate benefits from the combined consideration of position-independent and GK-specific attributes as predictors of goalkeeping talent.
Multiple regulators control the biosynthesis of brasilicardin in Nocardia terpenica
2025-06-24

Abstract Brasilicardin A, BraA, is a secondary metabolite produced by the bacterium Nocardia terpenica , and a promising drug due to its potent immunosuppressive activity and low cytotoxicity. Currently, a semisynthetic approach confers the production of a complete compound but suffers from limited heterologous biosynthesis of BraA intermediates used in the chemical semi-synthesis steps leading to only lab-scale quantities of the compound. A better understanding of the gene expression regulatory pathways involved within the brasilicardin biosynthetic gene cluster, Bra-BGC, is a prerequisite to improving production titers further. However, the transcriptional regulation of the Bra-BGC has only been superficially analyzed, till now. In this study, we comprehensively analyze the functions of several unstudied transcriptional regulators, KstR, SdpR, and OmpR, encoded within the close vicinity of the Bra-BGC, and delve into the role of the previously described cluster-situated activator Bra12. We present that Bra12 and the novel regulator SdpR bind several DNA sequences located in the promoter regions of the genes essential for BraA biosynthesis. Subsequently, we demonstrate the complex regulatory network through which both regulators can control the activity of those gene promoters and thus gene expression in Bra-BGC. Furthermore, using the heterologous producer strain Amycolatopsis japonicum , we present that Bra12 and SdpR regulators play opposite roles in brasilicardin congener biosynthesis. Finally, we propose a comprehensive model of multilevel gene expression regulation in Bra-BGC and propose the roles of locally encoded transcriptional regulators. Key points • Multiple regulators bind within the brasilicardin gene cluster. • Bra12 and SdpR are key regulators of brasilicardin biosynthesis. • The bra0 - 1 intergenic region is likely a key regulatory “hot-spot.”
Multicolumn Two-Dimensional Liquid Chromatography Screening Platform for Stereopeptidomics and Application to Antimicrobial Peptide Polyene and Lipopeptide
2025-06-24

Therapeutic peptides are a rapidly growing field in research and drug development. While the majority of natural and synthetic therapeutic peptides have l-amino acids as building blocks, d-amino acid-containing peptides are found frequently in nonribosomal peptides or can be formed during peptide synthesis by epimerization. Thus, analytical methods are needed for the quality control of stereointegrity and the determination of absolute configurations. Enantioselective amino acid analysis following complete hydrolysis is indispensable in the field but leads to the loss of sequence information, i.e., the position of d-amino acids can no longer be unambiguously assigned. Here, we propose a multicolumn two-dimensional liquid chromatography-tandem high-resolution mass spectrometry (2D LC-HRMS) platform with multiple reversed-phase type columns (C18, charged surface hybrid C18, mixed-mode C18 AX) in the first dimension (<sup>1</sup>D) and multiple chiral columns in the second dimension (<sup>2</sup>D) (teicoplanin, teicoplanin aglycone, crown ether, and zwitterionic quinine and quinidine carbamate-based chiral stationary phases). It allows the combination of distinct <sup>1</sup>D columns (for peptide epimer/diastereomer separations) and <sup>2</sup>D columns (for peptide enantiomer separations), enabling the full resolution of complex peptide stereoisomer mixtures. The utility of this 2D-LC platform for peptide analyses was demonstrated for a tetrapeptide amide from an antimicrobial peptide polyene natural product and a lipopeptide, digested into dipeptides for middle-down/middle-up stereoselective peptide analysis. Multiple heart-cutting and selective comprehensive 2D-LC, respectively, with active solvent modulation and sequential window acquisition of all theoretical fragment ion spectra mass spectrometry (SWATH-MS) enabled the full separation of all stereoisomers and the clarification of the configurations of all sample peptides. Such a 2D-LC-HRMS screening platform can be valuable as an efficient and fast generic approach for streamlining method development in the pharmaceutical industry.