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The furan fatty acids 11M5 and 11D5 can act as activators of human peroxisome proliferator‐activated receptor gamma
Full text linkFuran fatty acids (FuFA) are a minor class of fatty acids in food that are characterized by a furan ring within the alkyl chain. Furan fatty acids have strong antioxidant properties but their biological functions remain largely elusive. Using molecular docking combined with biomolecular validation, we investigated the regulatory activities of the key furan fatty acids 9M5, 11M5, and 11D5 on human nuclear receptors, including PPARγ, LXR, PXR, FXR, and HNF4α. Using computational methods, 11M5 and 11D5 and to a lesser extend 9M5 were predicted to bind to PPARγ. The activation of both PPARγ1 and PPARγ2 was confirmed in human HEK293T cells and structure‐activity experiments revealed that this was dependent on the furan fatty acid backbone. In summary, our data provide novel insights into the biological activities of furan fatty acids in human cells and indicate that activation of peroxisome proliferator‐activated receptor gamma underlies their beneficial health effects. These findings establish a clear mechanistic basis, supported by the inactivity of related compounds, and we are confident that future expanded studies will further confirm this mechanism
Potential pitfalls when using popular chemical extractions to characterize Al‐ and Fe‐containing soil constituents
No full textWet‐chemical extraction of soil to quantify pedogenic species or to remove specific compounds prior to other analyses is an established approach in analytical soil mineralogy and soil chemistry. Interpretation and informational value of data derived from long‐established and frequently used extractions, for instance involving dithionite, oxalate/oxalic acid in the dark (AOD), and pyrophosphate (PYR), suffers from nonuniform practical regulation and missing knowledge about potential methodical limitations. In this review, we analyzed potential pitfalls of these frequently used extractions, with the focus on selectivity and completeness of the methods as derived from effects of time dependency and of phase separation. Major problems we identified comprised that time‐dependency of extraction differed between analytical targets, that a multitude of species is attacked, reducing the selectivity for the original analytical target, and that studies on extraction from model compounds, including analytical targets and nontargets, are not universally present. The latter aspect is crucial for the completeness of AOD and PYR extraction that has not been proven for all potential analytical targets of the methods yet. We practically tested citrate (CIT) extraction of aluminum (Al) and iron (Fe) in organic association, using selected models of soil constituents. Apart from a synthesized poorly ordered Si‐rich short‐range ordered aluminosilicate, CIT did not extract Al from nontarget phases, confirming previous studies, but did extract Al and Fe completely from organic associations. In addition to recommendations on the practical use of dithionite‐based, AOD, citrate‐ascorbate (CA), and CIT extraction, we suggest replacing highly problematic PYR extraction by CIT extraction for metals in organic association in soil and using AOD extraction in combination with CA and CIT extraction to avoid potential misinterpretation of ambiguous data
Sustainability certification in the digital era: a qualitative analysis of sustainability reports across product categories
Full text linkThe food industry faces growing pressure to align sustainability goals with the rapid advance of digital technologies. This study explores how digitalization supports and transforms sustainability certification practices across diverse food product categories. Novelty lies in examining the interplay between digital technologies and sustainability reporting intensity, offering insights into how firms communicate and operationalize sustainability commitments. A qualitative content analysis was conducted on the sustainability reports of 21 companies using MAXQDA software, assessing the frequency and depth of reporting on sustainability focus topics and digital tools applied. The study includes multiple food product categories, such as coffee and tea, chocolate, grain products, dairy products, beverages, meat and fish, and tropical fruits. Results show that larger firms and those with higher turnover report more frequently and comprehensively on sustainability and digitalization. Three clusters of companies were identified, each reflecting shared sustainability challenges rather than specific product categories. The findings suggest that the relevance of digital technologies is more closely linked to addressing these cross-cutting sustainability challenges, and that high-value product segments provide the most promising starting points for integrating digital technologies into certification processes
Does a smarter ChatGPT become more utilitarian?
No full textHundreds of millions of users interact with large language models (LLMs) regularly to get advice on all aspects of life. The increase in LLMs’ logical capabilities might be accompanied by unintended side effects with ethical implications. Focusing on recent model developments of ChatGPT, we can show clear evidence for a systematic shift in ethical stances that accompanied a leap in the models’ logical capabilities. Specifically, as ChatGPT’s capacity grows, it tends to give decisively more utilitarian answers to the two most famous dilemmas in ethics. Given the documented impact that LLMs have on users, we call for a research focus on the prevalence and dominance of ethical theories in LLMs as well as their potential shift over time. Moreover, our findings highlight the need for continuous monitoring and transparent public reporting of LLMs’ moral reasoning to ensure their informed and responsible use.Open Access funding enabled and organized by Projekt DEAL.Universität Hohenheim (3153
From coffee waste to wastewater treatment: optimization of hydrothermal carbonization and H₃PO₄ activation for Cr(VI) adsorption
Full text linkSpent coffee grounds (SCG) are an abundant agro-industrial waste, and their valorization as activated carbon (AC) offers a sustainable approach for wastewater treatment and heavy-metal remediation. However, the high energy demand of SCG activation limits large-scale application. Hydrothermal carbonization (HTC) reduces energy consumption and enhances material properties. This study evaluated the performance of activated carbon (AC) derived from SCG via HTC, followed by H₃PO₄ activation for Cr(VI) removal, and compared it with non-activated carbon obtained by HTC and pyrolysis. The results highlight the effect of chemical activation on enhancing surface area, porosity, and adsorption efficiency. The predicted optimal IN was 1624.7 mg·g⁻¹, closely matching the experimental value of 1640.1 ± 15.5 mg·g⁻¹, achieved at 426 °C, 92 min, and a hydrochar-to-H₃PO₄ ratio of 1:1.6. The optimized AC exhibited a maximum adsorption capacity (Qₑ) of 33 ± 1.1 mg·g⁻¹ and 99.4 ± 0.1 % Cr(VI) removal under pH 2, 25 mg·L⁻¹ initial concentration, and 2 g·L⁻¹ adsorbent dose. In contrast, the non-activated carbon presented a lower iodine number (1411 ± 70 mg·g⁻¹) and inferior adsorption performance, confirming the key role of H₃PO₄ activation in improving surface reactivity and adsorption sites. Chemical activation proved essential for improving Cr(VI) adsorption, with the H₃PO₄-AC exhibiting the highest capacity. These results demonstrate the potential of SCG-derived AC as a low-cost adsorbent for heavy-metal-rich industrial effluents, supporting circular economy strategies
Parents vs. teachers vs. friends: comparing the roles of different socialization agents in children’s and adolescent’s online media use
Full text linkOnline media is deeply embedded in the daily lives of children and adolescents, bringing both opportunities and risks. Throughout their digital journeys, young people rely on and receive guidance from their social environment. This study provides a comparative perspective on the role of different socialization agents (i.e., parents, peers, and teachers) in minors’ general usage, problematic behaviors, and digital literacy. We employ procedures of secondary data analysis using the EU Kids Online 2020 dataset. Our analyses are based on a subset of German children and adolescents aged 9 to 17 years (N = 1,044). Our results suggest that although parental mediation can protect young people from digital harms, it may also hinder the development of digital skills. In contrast, peer mediation fosters digital skills but is likewise associated with higher risk exposure. Mediation provided by teachers appears to have comparatively little direct impact on young people’s online experiences, yet it plays a supportive role when combined with other forms of mediation. We call for integrated approaches to mediation. These address socialization agents not in isolation, but in combination, harnessing the benefits of joint efforts to protect young people from online harms and to equip them with adequate digital literacy
NaMeco - Nanopore full-length 16S rRNA gene reads clustering and annotation
Full text linkBackground: Nanopore sequencing is currently one of the leading third-generation sequencing technologies on the market and is gaining popularity among researchers. Due to its long-read capabilities, full-length 16S rRNA gene metabarcoding using Oxford Nanopore Technologies (ONT) offers great potential for metataxonomic studies. However, the relatively high error rate poses a significant challenge for bioinformatic processing, often limiting taxonomy resolution to the genus level despite the longer read length.
Results: This study presents NaMeco, a novel tool specifically developed to efficiently process long 16S rRNA gene reads sequenced using Oxford Nanopore Technologies, requiring minimal user input. Our tool performs read quality control, primer-specific extraction of sequences and their clustering, followed by taxonomic annotation with percent identity thresholds that minimize the amount of false-positive annotations. It produces several outputs: a table of cluster counts, taxonomic annotations of clusters, their representative sequences in fasta format and taxa counts at each taxonomy rank. Output files are compatible with the Qiime2 pipeline and can be imported into the required format for downstream analyses.
Conclusions: NaMeco, in combination with the full SSU GTDB database, outperforms existing tools such as NanoCLUST and EPI2ME, while delivering taxonomy accuracy and detection rates comparable to Emu.Open Access funding enabled and organized by Projekt DEAL.Universität Hohenheim (3153
Causal machine learning methods for understanding land use and land cover change
Full text linkContext: Understanding the roles of different drivers in land use and land cover change (LULCC) is a critical research challenge. However, as LULCC is the result of complex, socio-ecological processes and is highly context dependent, achieving such understanding is difficult. This is particularly true for causal modelling approaches that are critical for effective policy formulation. Causal machine learning (ML) methods could help address this challenge, but are as yet poorly understood or applied by the LULCC community.
Objectives: To provide an accessible introduction to the state of the art for causal ML methods, their limitations, and their potential applications understanding LULCC.
Methods: We conducted two workshops where we identified the most promising ML methods for increasing understanding of LULCC dynamics.
Results: We provide a brief overview of the challenges to causal modelling of LULCC, including a simple example, and the most relevant causal ML approaches for addressing these challenges, as well as their limitations.
Conclusions: Causal ML methods hold considerable promise for improving causal modelling of LULCC. However, the complexity of LULCC dynamics mean that such methods must be combined with domain understanding and qualitative insights for effective policy design.ERCDutch Research CouncilNatural Environment Research Councilhttps://doi.org/10.13039/501100000270GVA PROMETEOBBSRCBiotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Councilhttps://doi.org/10.13039/50110000026
Regulation of Klotho production by mineralocorticoid receptor signaling in renal cell lines
Full text linkThrough the mineralocorticoid receptor, aldosterone controls extracellular volume and arterial blood pressure by stimulating Na⁺ absorption and K⁺ secretion in epithelial cells of the kidney, colon, and several glands. Hyperaldosteronism promotes fibrosis and inflammation in epithelial and non-epithelial tissues, thereby favoring loss of kidney and heart function. Mineralocorticoid receptor blockade therefore gains relevance especially in renal and cardiac disease. Kidney-derived Klotho is a powerful anti-aging protein with anti-fibrosis and anti-inflammatory effects providing cardio- and nephroprotection. We wondered whether Klotho expression and production is influenced by mineralocorticoid receptor agonists and antagonists. Using four renal cell lines, Madin-Darby canine kidney (MDCK), normal rat kidney, subtype 52E (NRK-52E), human kidney 2 (HK2) cells, and primary renal proximal tubule epithelial cells (RPTECs), and the four most frequently prescribed mineralocorticoid receptor blockers, spironolactone, eplerenone, finerenone, and esaxerenone, we assessed Klotho gene expression by qRT-PCR and Klotho protein by Western blotting. Aldosterone and eplerenone did not significantly affect Klotho expression in either cell line. Spironolactone enhanced Klotho expression in MDCK and NRK-52E cells and downregulated Klotho in HK2 cells and RPTECs. Novel non-steroidal mineralocorticoid receptor antagonist finerenone downregulated Klotho expression in MDCK, NRK-52E, and low-dose finerenone in HK2 cells. To conclude, common mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists are characterized by highly diverse effects on Klotho in four renal cell lines. Further studies are needed to define the role of mineralocorticoid receptor blockade for Klotho production.This research received no external funding
Spillover in sustainable consumer behavior: a matter of commitment
Full text linkConsumers express their commitment to environmental protection by engaging in a variety of environmentally protective behaviors. We thus suggest that strengthening consumers' commitment to environmental protection will cause behavioral spillover, which is the joint change in multiple environmentally protective behaviors. This idea differs from other spillover notions that draw on psychological processes that follow a change in a specific behavior. By reanalyzing data from a pre‐post treatment‐control quasi‐field experiment with customers of a retail company in which one group was exposed to a multiple‐component intervention over the course of 8 months, whereas the other was not, we corroborated a significant commitment gain in the experimental group ( n = 81) that did not occur in the control group ( n = 152). This commitment gain manifested in the expected spillover effect that mirrored the Rasch‐model‐implied likelihood gains in increasingly favorable behavioral expressions of people's commitment to environmental protection. This research complements existing models of behavioral spillover by providing theoretical and empirical arguments that strengthening consumers' commitment to environmental protection can result in spillover. In practical terms, focusing on people's commitment to environmental protection could thus be a promising avenue for directly promoting sustainable lifestyles