11615 research outputs found
Sort by
Assessing Management Tools to Mitigate Carbon Losses Using Field-Scale Net Ecosystem Carbon Balance in a Ley-Arable Crop Sequence
Get PDFAgricultural land management is a major determinant of terrestrial carbon (C) fluxes and has substantial implications for greenhouse gas (GHG) mitigation strategies. This study evaluated the net ecosystem carbon balance (NECB) of an agricultural field in an organic integrated crop–livestock system (ICLS) with a ley-arable rotation in northern Germany over two years (2021–2023). Carbon dioxide (CO2) fluxes were measured using the eddy covariance (EC) method to derive net ecosystem exchange (NEE), gross primary production (GPP), and ecosystem respiration (RECO). This approach facilitated an assessment of the temporal dynamics of CO2 exchange, alongside detailed monitoring of field-based C imports, exports, and management activities, of a crop sequence including grass-clover (GC) ley, spring wheat (SW), and a cover crop (CC). The GC ley acted as a consistent C sink (NECB: −1386 kg C ha−1), driven by prolonged photosynthetic activity and moderate biomass removal. In contrast, the SW, despite high GPP, became a net source of C (NECB: 120 kg C ha−1) due to substantial export via harvest. The CC contributed to C uptake during the winter period. However, cumulatively, it acted as a net CO2 source, likely due to drought conditions following soil cultivation and CC sowing. Soil cultivation events contributed to short-term CO2 pulses, with their magnitude modulated by soil water content (SWC) and soil temperature (TS). [...] This underscores the climate mitigation potential of management practices such as GC ley systems under moderate grazing, spring soil cultivation, and the application of organic fertilizers. To optimize CC benefits, their use should be combined with reduced soil disturbance during sowing or establishment as an understory. Additionally, C exports via harvests could be offset by retaining greater amounts of harvest residues onsite
Effect of Climate Change on Food Industry Supply Chain Resilience in China on the Basis of Double Machine Learning Models
Get PDFIn recent years, global climate fluctuation has been obvious and has had a significant impact on the food industry system, which makes the impact of climate change on the resilience of the food industry supply chain of great concern. Based on this, this paper selects the panel data of 30 provinces in China from 2011 to 2022; it takes the relationship between climate change and the toughness of the food industry supply chain as the entry point, and probes deeply into the intrinsic mechanism of the impact of climate change on the toughness of the food industry supply chain. The study found the following: First, climate change has a significant negative impact on the food industry supply chain resilience, and in climate change, the impact of temperature on the food industry supply chain resilience is significantly higher than the impact of rainfall on the food industry supply chain resilience. Second, the mechanism of the effect of climate change on food industry supply chains exhibits substantial heterogeneity between major food-producing regions and non-major food-producing ones and varies across different levels of mechanization. Third, crop diversification within the study scope remarkably mitigates the negative effect of temperature fluctuations on the resilience of the food industry supply chain. Therefore, the food supply chain system must enhance its capacity to withstand climate change, and current and future resilience should be strengthened by advancing the implementation of adaptation policies, plans, and actions that drive transformation
Design and Synthesis of Novel Candidate CK1δ Proteolysis Targeting Chimeras (PROTACs)
Get PDFThe dysregulation of CK1 isoforms is linked to various types of diseases, including neurodegeneration and different types of neoplasia such as colon, pancreatic, breast, and ovarian cancer. For CK1 isoforms, a plethora of effective small molecule inhibitors are available. However, only a few degraders of CK1α and, more recently, proteolysis targeting chimeras (PROTACs) for CK1δ/CK1ε have been reported. In this study, we applied the PROTAC concept by harnessing molecular modelling to design and synthesize a series of candidate CK1δ-targeting PROTACs based on a highly specific and potent benzothiazole-based CK1δ inhibitor that we previously developed in our lab. In the present study, we established a modular synthetic platform to systematically generate a set of PROTAC degrader candidates consisting of the CK1δ-specific inhibitor scaffold, alkyl and PEG linker motifs with various lengths, and Cereblon (CRBN)-engaging pomalidomide and thalidomide derivatives as E3 ligase binders. We demonstrate that several PROTACs degrade CK1δ/ε in various cells. The most potent PROTAC P1d inhibits the phosphorylation of downstream substrates through CK1δ/ε degradation. We establish the requirement of CUL4ACRBN and the proteasome for the P1d-mediated degradation of CK1δ/ε
Assessing Irritability in Primary School-Aged Children: How to Test and Whom to Ask
Get PDFBackground/Objectives: An increasing number of children and adolescents with mental health issues across many countries highlights the need for effective, accessible prevention strategies. Within the Research Domain Criteria framework, irritability—an emotional response to expected but blocked rewards—has been identified as an early indicator of declining mental well-being before the onset of mental disorders. Developing reliable yet resource-efficient methods to assess irritability is an important first step toward targeted prevention. Methods: We tested the German Version of a frustration Go/No-Go task enabling to deliberately induce frustration through expected but blocked rewards in N = 68 children aged eight to ten (mean age = 8.9 years, SD = 0.7; 36 females) and parallelly assessed irritability with the 7-item low cost Affective Reactivity Index (ARI) with ratings of parents, teachers and children. Results: The German Version of the frustration Go/No-Go task proved reliable and valid. Teacher ratings demonstrated the highest predictive validity for irritability among all informants. Conclusions: Both the 7-item ARI, rated by teachers, and the frustration Go/No-Go task are recommended for assessing irritability. In the future, irritability assessments should be implemented for all primary school-aged children. Based on the components that contribute to irritability, targeted prevention measures should be offered
Analysis of Transport Properties of Dusty Plasmas
Get PDFThis dissertation investigates diffusion, viscosity, and melting in strongly coupled dusty plasmas, emphasizing finite-system effects and binary-mixture dynamics. A Short-Time-Regime DDM (STR-DDM) method is developed to measure diffusion reliably in strongly correlated systems by isolating short-time scale dynamics before caging and collective modes dominate. It achieves high accuracy and robustness compared with traditional DDM and particle tracking. For viscosity, the Green–Kubo relation is reassessed in finite two-dimensional systems. By reconstructing and removing macroscopic flow fields, reliable thermal fluctuations are recovered, and the resulting viscosities agree with infinite-system predictions after appropriate normalization. Transport in binary mixtures is analyzed using effective parameters based on averaged charge, spacing, and frequency. Diffusion and viscosity collapse onto a universal curve when scaled by the Einstein frequency, and the Stokes–Einstein relation holds over a broad coupling range, with deviations emerging near the cold-liquid regime. Finally, melting in binary mixtures is resolved using local interparticle distance fluctuations and particle hopping analysis. Smaller particles melt earlier due to lower local potential barriers, revealing a microscopic, component-dependent melting pathway. Overall, the dissertation provides robust diagnostic tools and unified physical insights into transport and melting in finite and binary strongly coupled systems
Further evidence of biallelic NAV3 variants associated with recessive neurodevelopmental disorder with dysmorphism, developmental delay, intellectual disability, and behavioral abnormalities
Get PDFNeuron navigators (NAVs) are cytoskeleton-associated proteins well known for their role in axonal guidance, neuronal migration, and neurite growth necessary for neurodevelopment. Neuron navigator 3 (NAV3) is one of the three NAV proteins highly expressed in the embryonic and adult brain. However, the role of the NAV3 gene in human disease is not well-studied. Recently, five bi-allelic and three mono-allelic variants in NAV3 were reported in 12 individuals from eight unrelated families with neurodevelopmental disorder (NDD). Here, we report five patients from three unrelated consanguineous families segregating autosomal recessive NDD. Patients have symptoms of dysmorphism, intellectual disability, developmental delay, and behavioral abnormalities. Exome sequencing (ES) was performed on two affected individuals from one large family, and one affected individual from each of the other two families. ES revealed two homozygous nonsense c.6325C > T; p.(Gln2109Ter) and c.6577C > T; p.(Arg2193Ter) and a homozygous splice site (c.243 + 1G > T) variants in the NAV3 (NM_001024383.2). Analysis of single-cell sequencing datasets from embryonic and young adult human brains revealed that NAV3 is highly expressed in the excitatory neurons, inhibitory neurons, and microglia, consistent with its role in neurodevelopment. In conclusion, in this study, we further validate biallelic protein truncating variants in NAV3 as a cause of NDD, expanding the spectrum of pathogenic variants in this newly discovered NDD gene
The Role of the Type VI Secretion System of Pseudomonas aeruginosa as Target of the Host Adaptive Immune Response: A Microbiological and Immunological Approach
No full textThe type VI secretion system (T6SS) enables Gram-negative bacteria, including Pseudomonas aeruginosa, to secrete effector proteins into the environment or target cells, aiding in microbial competition, host manipulation, and nutrient uptake. While the molecular mechanisms of T6SS are increasingly understood, little is known about the host immune response to its secreted proteins. In this study, we investigated this interplay in people with cystic fibrosis (pwCF), whose lungs are chronically colonised by P. aeruginosa. This study investigates the adaptive immune response to T6SS proteins in a local cohort of over 100 pwCF. We established a unique biobank linking host biomaterials with individual P. aeruginosa isolates, enabling parallel analysis of immune profiles and bacterial genotypes. Serological assays suggest that pwCF develop specific antibody responses to secreted T6SS proteins, and revealed distinct immune profiles for the different T6SSs. These patterns may be associated with bacterial phylogeny and effector diversity, which appear to differ between major P. aeruginosa phylogroups. Overall, this study enhances our understanding of the interactions between P. aeruginosa T6SSs and the human immune system, and lays the groundwork for future research into their roles in chronic infection and clinical outcomes
Partizipation in der Klinik für Kinder- und Jugendpsychiatrie und -psychotherapie
No full textParticipation in a Hospital for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy: What are the Connections Between the Participatory Attitude of Employees and their Personality Factors? Abstract: Previous studies have demonstrated a great desire for participation among underage patients. The implementation of participative elements in child and adolescent psychiatry and psychotherapy is influenced by the staff's attitude. The present study investigated the attitude toward the participation of the clinical staff working in a child and adolescent psychiatric hospital department via a questionnaire survey and assessed personality traits that may potentially affect their attitude toward participation. All respondents (N = 54) indicated a positive attitude toward participation, independent of the participants' age and professional background. Participants scoring higher on the personality trait "agreeableness" considered "trust" a more important factor of participation. More research is needed to identify factors that hinder and promote participation in child and adolescent psychiatric treatment and to implement participation in clinical practice
Detection of dynamic communities in temporal networks with sparse data
Get PDFTemporal networks are a powerful tool for studying the dynamic nature of a wide range of real-world complex systems, including social, biological and physical systems. In particular, detection of dynamic communities within these networks can help identify important cohesive structures and fundamental mechanisms driving systems behaviour. However, when working with real-world systems, available data is often limited and sparse, due to missing data on systems entities, their evolution and interactions, as well as uncertainty regarding temporal resolution. This can hinder accurate representation of the system over time and result in incomplete or biased community dynamics. In this paper, we consider established methods for community detection and, using synthetic data experiments and real-world case studies, we evaluate the impact of data sparsity on the quality of identified dynamic communities. Our results give valuable insights on the evolution of systems with sparse data, which are less studied in existing literature, but are frequently encountered in real-world applications
Lower cardiorespiratory fitness is associated with an altered gut microbiome. The Study of Health in Pomerania (SHIP)
Get PDFSedentarism is characterized by low levels of physical activity, a risk factor for obesity and cardio-metabolic diseases. It can also adversely affect the composition and diversity of the gut microbiome which may result in harmful consequences for human health. While cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) is inversely and independently associated with cardiovascular risk factors and diseases and all-cause mortality, the relationship between low CRF and the gut microbiome is not well known. A total of 3,616 individuals from two independent population-based cohorts of the Study of Health in Pomerania (SHIP-START and SHIP-TREND) performed standardized, symptom-limited cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET) and had faecal samples collected to determine gut microbiota profiles (16S rRNA gene sequencing). We analysed cross-sectional associations of CRF with the gut microbiome composition controlling for confounding factors. Lower CRF was associated with reduced microbial diversity, loss of beneficial short-chain fatty acid producing bacteria (i.e. Butyricoccus, Coprococcus, unclassified Ruminococcaceae or Lachnospiraceae) and an increase in opportunistic pathogens such as Escherichia/Shigella, or Citrobacter. Decreased cardiorespiratory performance was associated with a gut microbiota pattern that has been previously related to a proinflammatory state. These associations were independent of body weight or glycemic control