julilili42/papers huggingface dataset:
Body image differs in weight-based stereotypes between patients with bulimia nervosa and binge eating disorder: findings from the BodyTalk project
2025-02-17

Abstract Bulimia Nervosa (BN) and Binge Eating Disorder (BED) have considerable symptom overlap, and prior studies observed similiarities in respect to patient’s body image. However, weight-based stereotypes have so far not been considered together with other facets of body image. This study investigated body image, body size estimation accuracy and weight-based stereotypes in a German-Italian sample of 22 patients with BN, 22 patients with BED and 44 weight-matched controls who had no eating disorder. Patients with BN and BED reported significantly more negative body image than controls and were not differently accurate in estimating their body size than the controls. However, patients with BN showed stronger weight-based stereotypes compared to patients with BED and controls, suggesting that these patients hold stronger stereotypes and apply weight-based stereotypes to lower weight excessively. Observations from this study suggest that clinical treatment of body image disturbance in patients with BN and BED should address negative body image and weight-based stereotypes in a differentiated way.
68Ga-Labeled Glycopeptides as Effective Tools for Liver Function Imaging
2025-02-17

[<sup>99m</sup>Tc]Tc-GSA, an albumin-based glycoprotein, is routinely used in Japan to measure the asialoglycoprotein receptor (ASGR) density via single photon emission tomography. Here we describe the development of <sup>68</sup>Ga-labeled peptide-based alternatives. Peptides were assembled on a solid support using a fragment coupling strategy. Glycosylation was carried out via a click chemistry approach resulting in a set of three peptides with increasing amounts of d-galactose (<i>n</i> = 3, 6, and 9) as well as one glycopeptide bearing nine <i>N</i>-acetylgalactosamine residues. <sup>68</sup>Ga-labeling of all compounds could be achieved in high radiochemical yields (>95%). Radiotracers exhibited high hydrophilicity, good metabolic stability in human serum and protein binding between 12 and 22%. The IC<sub>50</sub> values improved in the series tri-, hexa-, and nonamer with an IC<sub>50</sub> of 50 ± 30 pM for the latter one. In analogy, the <i>in vivo</i> biodistribution studies revealed increased liver uptake in the series of [<sup>68</sup>Ga]Ga-<b>NODAGA-TriLysan</b> (9.4 ± 2.0% ID/g, 30 min p.i.), [<sup>68</sup>Ga]Ga-<b>NODAGA-HexaLysan</b> (55.5 ± 7.4% ID/g, 30 min p.i.), and [<sup>68</sup>Ga]Ga-<b>NODAGA-NonaLysan</b> (79.6 ± 8.0% ID/g, 30 min p.i.). [<sup>68</sup>Ga]Ga-NODAGA-GalNAc-NonaLysan reached comparable liver uptake to [<sup>68</sup>Ga]Ga-<b>NODAGA-NonaLysan</b>, but showed higher accumulation in nontarget organs. The impressive imaging properties of [<sup>68</sup>Ga]Ga-<b>NODAGA-NonaLysan</b> were also confirmed by the PET/MR imaging studies in mice. Hence, [<sup>68</sup>Ga]Ga-<b>NODAGA-NonaLysan</b> represents a new PET radiopharmaceutical with even better imaging properties than [<sup>99m</sup>Tc]Tc-GSA.
Small molecule treatment alleviates photoreceptor cilia defects in LCA5-deficient human retinal organoids
2025-02-17

<title>Abstract</title> Bialleleic pathogenic variants in <italic>LCA5</italic> cause one of the most severe forms of Leber congenital amaurosis, an early-onset retinal disease that results in severe visual impairment. Here, we report the use of gene editing to generate isogenic <italic>LCA5</italic> knock-out (LCA5 KO) induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC) and their differentiation to retinal organoids. The molecular and cellular phenotype of the LCA5 KO retinal organoids was studied in detail and compared to isogenic controls as well as patient-derived retinal organoids. The absence of LCA5 was confirmed in retinal organoids by immunohistochemistry and western blotting. There were no major changes in retinal organoid differentiation or ciliation, however, the localisation of CEP290 and IFT88 was significantly altered in LCA5 KO and patient photoreceptor cilia with extension along the axoneme. The LCA5-deficient organoids also had shorter outer segments and rhodopsin was mislocalised to the outer nuclear layer. We also identified transcriptomic and proteomic changes associated with the loss of LCA5. Importantly, treatment with the small molecules eupatilin, fasudil or a combination of both drugs reduced CEP290 and IFT88 accumulation along the cilia. The treatments also improved rhodopsin traffic to the outer segment and reduced mislocalisation of rhodopsin in the outer nuclear layer. The improvements in cilia-associated protein localisation and traffic were accompanied by significant changes in the transcriptome towards control gene expression levels in many of the differentially expressed genes. In summary, iPSC-derived retinal organoids are a powerful model for investigating the molecular and cellular changes associated with loss of LCA5 function and highlight the therapeutic potential of small molecules to treat retinal ciliopathies.
‘It’s Enough That the Goddess Knows’: About Vows and Spectacular Offerings in Popular South Indian Hinduism
2025-02-17

Votive offerings are one of the most common devotional practices in Hindu temples of Kerala and are today resorted to by an ever-growing number of worshippers seeking divine help in times of need. As this article will show, these offerings are deeply embedded in the logics of the hyper-personalized and unmediated devotion that characterizes popular Hinduism in this part of India. They are also markers of the recent opening of religion to individual contribution and intervention, as well as active tools for the intimate worshipper–deity relationship. Ritual arts conducted as votive offerings allow us to dive even deeper into these considerations and open up new alleys of analysis, for they connect public and private worlds in specific ways and introduce unique aesthetic and transactional dimensions. This article draws on extensive ethnographic fieldwork conducted in the south Indian state of Kerala, with particular focus on the ritual performing art muṭiyēṯṯu’, which is mainly conducted as a votive offering in high-caste temples devoted to the goddess Bhadrakāḷi. It pulls together anthropology, performance, and religious studies to analyze the current grassroot-level realities of lived popular religion through the prism of votive offerings in general and of ritual performing arts conducted as votive offerings in particular.
On the values of microbes: An ethical investigation of relational values associated with the microbial world
2025-02-17

Abstract Current microbiome research has revealed that microbes support nearly all life on Earth, are essential for food production, affect human physical health and psychological well‐being and maintain ecological processes. Consequently, there are many reasons to value them, especially in times of ecological crises and the pending end of the so‐called antibiotic era. However, a theoretical analysis of the existing values regarding microorganisms is still missing in environmental ethics and the environmental humanities. In this paper, we provide such an ethical analysis. Therefore, we briefly introduce different value types (Section 2.1) and then discuss what values exist with respect to the microbial world, focusing on the various instrumental and especially relational values (Section 2.2). The different values we examine are the direct use value, life support and ecological function value, scientific value, transformative and religious/spiritual value, existence value and aesthetic value. To introduce the latter, we use the example of visual and poetic art that humans co‐create with microorganisms to illustrate what this value encompasses. Concluding, in Section 3, we argue why such values could be used as a cornerstone to establish distinct microbial ethics and human–microbe relations that do justice to the complexity of our human entanglement with microbes. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog.
Multiomics analysis of immune correlatives in hepatocellular carcinoma patients treated with tremelimumab plus durvalumab
2025-02-18

Background Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a leading cause of cancer-related mortality. The combination of tremelimumab and durvalumab is now a standard treatment option for advanced HCC. Objective To study immune responses in HCC patients treated with tremelimumab and durvalumab. Design We treated 28 HCC patients with durvalumab, tremelimumab and locoregional therapies. We performed a high-dimensional multiomics analysis including whole exome sequencing, single-cell RNA seq, CO-Detection by indEXing, flow cytometry and multiplex cytokine/chemokine analysis of patients’ blood and tumour samples and integrated this data to elucidate immune correlatives and response mechanisms. Mice with syngeneic HCC were treated with anti-PD-L1 plus anti-CTLA4 for hepatic lymphocytes, tumour-infiltrating lymphocytes and peripheral blood mononuclear cell analysis. Results The median overall survival was 19.2 months. Tumour tissue analysis revealed enhanced interferon responses, with stronger effects in responders. Gene set variation analysis indicated enhanced antigen presentation in responders. Spatial analysis revealed that non-responder tumours had higher numbers of Tregs located in neighbourhoods enriched with immune cells and expressed higher levels of ICOS and PD-1. Conversely, non-responder PD1+CD8+T in these Treg-enriched neighbourhoods expressed lower ICOS. Cell-communication analysis demonstrated that Treg-CD8+T interaction was enhanced in non-responder tissue. Peripheral blood analysis showed increased classical monocytes in responders and Tregs in non-responders. Treg-CD8+T interaction was confirmed in preclinical models. Finally, single-patient computational analysis from the all-across analysis was performed on 860 features, which led to the identification of multiomics feature sets including Treg features. Conclusion Our study provides a blueprint for in-depth analysis of immune correlates in immunotherapy studies and demonstrates the importance of Treg distribution in HCC. Trial registration numbers NCT02821754 and the EudraCT identifier: 2019-002767-98.
Intraseasonal synchronization of extreme rainfall between North India and the Sahel
2025-02-18

Abstract The Indian Summer Monsoon (ISM) and the West African Monsoon (WAM) are dominant drivers of boreal summer precipitation variability in tropical and subtropical regions. Although the regional precipitation dynamics in these two regions have been extensively studied, the intraseasonal interactions between the ISM and WAM remain poorly understood. Here, we employ a climate network approach based on extreme rainfall events to uncover synchronously occurring extreme rainfall patterns across the two monsoon systems. We reveal strong synchronization of extreme rainfall events during the peak monsoon period in July and August, linking heavy rainfall over North India to that over the Sahel with a lag of around 12 days. We find that La Niña like conditions in combination with the Boreal Summer Intraseasonal Oscillation (BSISO) and an enhanced Tropical Easterly Jet (TEJ) foster the synchronization between the ISM and the WAM. The northward‐propagating BSISO triggers African Easterly Wave activity, bounded between a reduced African Easterly Jet and the TEJ. These induce westward‐traveling anomalous deep convection over the Sahel, which causes extreme rainfall events to occur.
In Vivo Vascularization of Cell-Supplemented Spider Silk-Based Hydrogels in the Arteriovenous Loop Model
2025-02-18

The goal of reconstructive surgery in treating tissue defects is to achieve a stable reconstructive outcome while minimizing donor site morbidity. As a result, tissue engineering has emerged as a key focus in the pursuit of this goal. One approach is to create a tissue container that can be preconditioned and later transplanted into the defect area. The characteristics of the matrices used in the tissue container are critical to this approach’s success. Matrices generated with recombinant, functionalized spider silk (eADF4(C16)-RGD) have been reported to be biocompatible and easy to vascularize. However, the effect of exogenously added proangiogenic cells, such as endothelial cells (T17b), on the vascularization process of matrices generated with this hydrogel in vivo has not been described yet. In this study, we implanted arteriovenous (AV) loop containers filled with a spider silk hydrogel consisting of an eADF4(C16)-RGD matrix and encapsulated, differentiated endothelial T17b cells producing the reporter protein TNFR2-Fc-Flag-GpL. The histological and μCT analyses revealed spontaneous angiogenesis and fibrovascular tissue formation in the container at 2 and 4 weeks post-implantation. The reporter protein was detected after 4 weeks. No severe immune response was observed. Altogether, this study demonstrates that cell-supplemented recombinant spider silk is a highly promising hydrogel to produce matrices for tissue engineering applications.
The Performance of a Rapid Coronavirus Disease 2019 Antigen Test in Rural Gabon
2025-02-18

ABSTRACT. Access to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) testing is limited in rural sub-Saharan Africa. We evaluated the performance of the Siemens CLINITEST ® rapid coronavirus disease 2019 antigen test under real-life conditions during the pandemic in rural Gabon. From August 2021 to February 2022, 277 participants were tested in Sindara and Lambaréné, Gabon, via outpatient mobile services. Of these participants, 54.6% were female, with a median age of 29 years (interquartile range: 12–55). The test performance was analyzed for the main population and for SARS-CoV-2 infected sub-populations at both study sites (Lambaréné and Sindara). We further evaluated subpopulations with higher viral loads using a cycle threshold (Ct) value restricted to &lt;35, 30, 25, and 20. Overall test sensitivity in the main population was 33.3% (95% CI: 23.6–44.3%), improving to 83.3% (95% CI: 35.9–99.6%) with a Ct value of &lt;20. Specificity across all populations was 100% (190/190; 95% CI: 98.1–100%). The prevalence of polymerase chain reaction-defined SARS-CoV-2 was 31.4%. The positive predictive value was 100% (95% CI: 88.1–100%), and negative predictive value was 76.6% (95% CI: 70.8–81.7%). Sensitivity in Sindara was 71.4% (95% CI: 29–96.3%) and 30% (95% CI: 20.3–41.3%) in Lambaréné. The Siemens CLINITEST ® demonstrated high specificity but low sensitivity overall. However, it exceeded the WHO-defined quality criteria of 80% in participants with high viral loads, making it a useful tool in resource-limited settings.
Göttingen minipigs present with significant regeneration kinetics after sphincter injury compared to German landrace gilts; a feasibility study
2025-02-18

Abstract Background Animals serve as important models for exploring the pathology, diagnosis, and therapy of different diseases and injuries. While smaller animals are preferred for bulk cohort studies, larger animals offer opportunities to investigate surgical procedures at proportions close to the human situation. Therefore, in a feasibility study, we investigated urethral sphincter deficiency in German landrace gilts and Göttingen minipigs to develop a model of urinary incontinence as a basis for future preclinical studies of incontinence therapies. Urethral sphincter deficiency was induced surgically by transurethral electrocautery and balloon dilatation, and the deficiency was determined by urodynamics after injury and during follow-up. In cryosections, sphincter injury was visualized by histochemistry. Results Sphincter deficiency was induced in two cohorts and groups of four female Göttingen minipigs each (total n = 20) by two different treatments. One cohort of minipigs showed an initially significant urethral sphincter deficiency (treatment 1; n = 16, p &lt; 0.001). However, spontaneous sphincter regeneration was observed within one to two weeks. The other cohort of minipigs (treatment 2; n = 4) displayed a non-significant reduction of urethral sphincter pressure and an increase in muscle strength over time as well. In contrast, German landrace gilts presented immediately after treatment with significant sphincter deficiency (treatment 1; n = 6, 21%, p &lt; 0.001) and suffered from significant loss of sphincter function for at least five weeks (67%, p &lt; 0.01). Conclusion Göttingen minipigs inherit significantly superior sphincter regeneration capacities compared to landrace pigs. This difference may bias preclinical studies in urology and other fields and explain in part seemingly contradictory results from different animal studies.
Validation of the German form of the Classroom Community Scale (CCS-D)
2025-02-18

Background: An important prerequisite for collaborative learning is the integration of learners into a community. This supports individual learning processes and creates a common learning culture. The “sense of community” construct includes feelings of belonging and socio-emotional bonds with key elements including interdependence, trust, interactivity, and shared values. “Learning communities” in educational environments consist of two components: a sense of connectedness among members and shared learning expectations. The “Classroom Community Scale (CCS)” was developed to capture sense of community in collaborative learning environments. So far, this instrument is not available in German. Aim of this work is the translation and internal construct validation of a German form of the Classroom Community Scale (CCS-D). Methods: The questionnaire was administered to N=334 first semester students in the programs of human medicine, dentistry, and molecular medicine at the Eberhard Karls University of Tuebingen, Germany. Descriptive analysis, as well as a confirmatory and principal component analysis were performed. Results: Cronbach’s α=.87 could be recorded for the overall questionnaire, with reliabilities of α=.85 for the subscale Connectedness and α=.76 for the subscale Learning. In confirmatory factor analysis, the model achieves moderate (CFI=.85; TLI=.83) to acceptable (χ2 [169, n=334]=455.368, p&lt;.000; χ2/df=2.694; RMSEA=.071; SRMR=.0605) model fit. Discussion: The reliability of the CCS-D demonstrates results similar to those found in existing literature. The two-factor structure of the model could be confirmed, with moderate to acceptable model-fit. Therefore, the CCS-D is a usable instrument to measure sense of community in learning environments.
Conserved immunomodulation and variation in host association by Xanthomonadales commensals in Arabidopsis root microbiota
2025-02-19

Abstract Suppression of chronic Arabidopsis immune responses is a widespread but typically strain-specific trait across the major bacterial lineages of the plant microbiota. We show by phylogenetic analysis and in planta associations with representative strains that immunomodulation is a highly conserved, ancestral trait across Xanthomonadales, and preceded specialization of some of these bacteria as host-adapted pathogens. Rhodanobacter R179 activates immune responses, yet root transcriptomics suggest this commensal evades host immune perception upon prolonged association. R179 camouflage likely results from combined activities of two transporter complexes ( dssAB ) and the selective elimination of immunogenic peptides derived from all partners. The ability of R179 to mask itself and other commensals from the plant immune system is consistent with a convergence of distinct root transcriptomes triggered by immunosuppressive or non-suppressive synthetic microbiota upon R179 co-inoculation. Immunomodulation through dssAB provided R179 with a competitive advantage in synthetic communities in the root compartment. We propose that extensive immunomodulation by Xanthomonadales is related to their adaptation to terrestrial habitats and might have contributed to variation in strain-specific root association, which together accounts for their prominent role in plant microbiota establishment.
General‐purpose genotypes and evolution of higher plasticity in clonality underlie knotweed invasion
2025-02-19

Summary Many widespread invasive plant species express high phenotypic variation across novel environments, providing a unique opportunity to examine ecological and evolutionary dynamics under global change. However, studies often lack information about the origin of introduced populations, limiting our understanding of post‐introduction evolution. We assessed the responses of Reynoutria japonica from 128 populations spanning latitudinal transects in the native (China and Japan), and introduced (North America and Europe) ranges when grown in two common gardens. Plants from introduced populations differed in almost all traits from those from Chinese populations, but were similar to plants from the putative origin in Japan. Compared to Chinese populations, North American, European and Japanese populations expressed lower trait values and plasticity in most traits. However, plants from both introduced and Japanese populations expressed higher clonality and plasticity in clonality than plants from Chinese populations. Further, introduced populations expressed higher plasticity in clonality but lower plasticity in basal diameter compared to Japanese populations. Our findings emphasize the potential role of clonality and plasticity in clonality for invasion success. In addition, our study highlights the importance of comparisons to source populations within the native range to identify evolutionary responses of introduced plants to novel environments.
Intravenous immunoglobulin prevents thrombosis in an endothelialized disease model of heparin-induced thrombocytopenia
2025-02-19

Our endothelialized ex vivo flow chamber system effectively recapitulates the immunothrombotic phenotype of HIT and offers a reliable tool to urgently validate the efficacy of IVIG intervention against HIT-IgG-induced thrombosis in patients.
Long-Range Interacting Systems Are Locally Noninteracting
2025-02-19

Enhanced experimental capabilities to control nonlocal and power-law decaying interactions are currently fueling intense research in the domain of quantum many-body physics. Compared to their counterparts with short-ranged interactions, long-range interacting systems display novel physics, such as nonlinear light cones for the propagation of information or inequivalent thermodynamic ensembles. In this work, we consider generic long-range open quantum systems in arbitrary dimensions and focus on the so-called strong long-range regime. We prove that in the thermodynamic limit local properties, captured by reduced quantum states, are described by an emergent noninteracting theory. Here, the dynamics factorizes and the individual constituents of the system evolve independently such that no correlations are generated over time. In this sense, long-range interacting systems are locally noninteracting. This has significant implications for their relaxation behavior, for instance, in relation to the emergence of long-lived quasistationary states or to the absence of thermalization.