Learning Intuitive Physics and One-Shot Imitation Using State-Action-Prediction Self-Organizing Maps.

Human learning and intelligence work differently from the supervised pattern recognition approach adopted in most deep learning architectures. Humans seem to learn rich representations by exploration and imitation, build causal models of the world, and use both to flexibly solve new tasks. We suggest a simple but effective unsupervised model which develops such characteristics.

Relationship of insect biomass and richness with land use along a climate gradient.

Recently reported insect declines have raised both political and social concern. Although the declines have been attributed to land use and climate change, supporting evidence suffers from low taxonomic resolution, short time series, a focus on local scales, and the collinearity of the identified drivers. In this study, we conducted a systematic assessment of insect populations in southern Germany, which showed that differences in insect biomass and richness are highly context dependent.

Determining the Distinguishing Features of Different Eating Action Types in Germany Using a Mixed-Method Approach.

Food-related behavior is a very complex topic, as it affects the most diverse areas of life. Accordingly, wide varieties of disciplines have already dealt with the topic to understand it better. The result is that there is neither a uniform nutrition knowledge nor a uniform nutrition behavior.

Neuroregenerative Potential of Prenyl- and Pyranochalcones: A Structure-Activity Study.

Loss of neuronal tissue is a hallmark of age-related neurodegenerative diseases. Since adult neurogenesis has been confirmed in the human brain, great interest has arisen in substances stimulating the endogenous neuronal regeneration mechanism based on adult neural stem cells. Medicinal plants are a valuable source of neuroactive small molecules.

Aroma-Active Compounds in Robusta Coffee Pulp Puree-Evaluation of Physicochemical and Sensory Properties.

Wet coffee processing generates a large amount of coffee pulp waste that is mostly disposed of in the processing units. To reduce this waste and the associated environmental burden, an alternative strategy would be to exploit the coffee pulp to produce a durable and stable consumable product. Accordingly, a puree produced from Robusta coffee pulp was investigated in relation to its physicochemical and sensory properties.

PredictProtein - Predicting Protein Structure and Function for 29 Years.

Since 1992 PredictProtein (https://predictprotein.org) is a one-stop online resource for protein sequence analysis with its main site hosted at the Luxembourg Centre for Systems Biomedicine (LCSB) and queried monthly by over 3,000 users in 2020. PredictProtein was the first Internet server for protein predictions.

Stable Isotope Dilution Analysis of the Major Prenylated Flavonoids Found in Beer, Hop Tea, and Hops.

Prenylated flavonoids from hops () have become of interest in recent years due to a range of bioactivities. The potential health benefits of prenylated flavonoids include anti-cancerous activities and treatment of the metabolic syndrome among others. Since prenylated flavonoids from hops have shown pharmaceutical potential in clinical trials, robust analytical methods to determine their concentrations in food, supplements, and beverages are required.

Accurate machine learning-based germination detection, prediction and quality assessment of three grain crops.

Background: Assessment of seed germination is an essential task for seed researchers to measure the quality and performance of seeds. Usually, seed assessments are done manually, which is a cumbersome, time consuming and error-prone process. Classical image analyses methods are not well suited for large-scale germination experiments, because they often rely on manual adjustments of color-based thresholds.

Semi-Synthetic Approach Leading to 8-Prenylnaringenin and 6-Prenylnaringenin: Optimization of the Microwave-Assisted Demethylation of Xanthohumol Using Design of Experiments.

The isomers 8-prenylnaringenin and 6-prenylnaringenin, both secondary metabolites occurring in hops, show interesting biological effects, like estrogen-like, cytotoxic, or neuro regenerative activities. Accordingly, abundant sources for this special flavonoids are needed. Extraction is not recommended due to the very low amounts present in plants and different synthesis approaches are characterized by modest yields, multiple steps, the use of expensive chemicals, or an elaborate synthesis.

Protein for Community-Dwelling Older People: Aspects That Influence the Perception of Commercially Available Protein Drinks.

In an aging population, support for independent living is increasingly critical for older generations. Currently, sarcopenia is a major cause of frailty, which increases the risk of decreased mobility, falls, morbidity, and mortality and leads to dependence on third parties. Sarcopenia is preventable by consumption of adequate protein.

Network-guided search for genetic heterogeneity between gene pairs.

Motivation: Correlating genetic loci with a disease phenotype is a common approach to improve our understanding of the genetics underlying complex diseases. Standard analyses mostly ignore two aspects, namely genetic heterogeneity and interactions between loci. Genetic heterogeneity, the phenomenon that genetic variants at different loci lead to the same phenotype, promises to increase statistical power by aggregating low-signal variants.

Novel molecular cues for dental defects in hypophosphatasia.

Mineralization disorders with a broad range of etiological factors represent a huge challenge in dental diagnosis and therapy. Hypophosphatasia (HPP) belongs to the rare diseases affecting predominantly mineralized tissues, bones and teeth, and occurs due to mutations in the ALPL gene, which encodes tissue-nonspecific alkaline phosphatase (TNAP). Here we analyzed stem cells from bone marrow (BMSCs), dental pulp (DPSCs) and periodontal ligament (PDLSCs) in the absence and presence of efficient TNAP inhibitors.

Where Is Bacosine in Commercially Available Bacopa monnieri?

is an Ayurvedic plant with rising interest in the pharmacological effects of its extract and constituents, including flavonoids, saponins, and triterpenes such as cucurbitacins, betulinic acid, and bacosine. The latter two compounds are isomeric 3-hydroxy lupenoic acids, which vary only in the arrangement of the carboxylic acid group and the methyl group at C-27 and C-28 and the orientation of the hydroxy group at C-3. In this study, we have reinvestigated the contents of betulinic acid and bacosine, respectively, in extracts from various commercially available powders and food supplements.

The importance of herbal medicine use in the German health-care system: prevalence, usage pattern, and influencing factors.

Background: Prevalence rates for herbal medicine (HM) have been increasing worldwide. However, little is known about prevalence, user characteristics, usage pattern and factors influencing HM usage for the general German population.

Methods: A nationwide online survey on HM usage was conducted in Germany.

AraPheno and the AraGWAS Catalog 2020: a major database update including RNA-Seq and knockout mutation data for Arabidopsis thaliana.

Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) are integral for studying genotype-phenotype relationships and gaining a deeper understanding of the genetic architecture underlying trait variation. A plethora of genetic associations between distinct loci and various traits have been successfully discovered and published for the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana. This success and the free availability of full genomes and phenotypic data for more than 1,000 different natural inbred lines led to the development of several data repositories.

Development and Characterization of the Neuroregenerative Xanthohumol C/Hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin Complex Suitable for Parenteral Administration.

The chroman-like chalcone Xanthohumol C, originally found in hops, was demonstrated to be a potent neuroregenerative and neuroprotective natural product and therefore constitutes a strong candidate for further pharmaceutical research. The bottleneck for experiments is the low water solubility of this chalcone. Consequently, we developed and validated a suitable formulation enabling administration.

The virtual doctor: An interactive clinical-decision-support system based on deep learning for non-invasive prediction of diabetes.

Artificial intelligence (AI) will pave the way to a new era in medicine. However, currently available AI systems do not interact with a patient, e.g.

The Prenylflavonoid ENDF1 Overrules Central Nervous System Growth Inhibitors and Facilitates Regeneration of DRG Neurons.

Restoration of neuronal connectivity after lesion of the central nervous system, such as spinal cord injury, is one of the biggest challenges in modern medicine. In particular, the accumulation of axon growth inhibitory factors at the site of injury constitutes a major obstacle to structural and thus functional repair. We previously investigated a group of prenylflavonoids derived from hops for their capacity to promote neuroregeneration.

What motivates new, established and long-term users of herbal medicine: is there more than push and pull?

Background: The use of herbal medicine (HM) has become an essential form of treatment and it is more and more common around the world. Little is known about the reasons that drive people to initially use HM or to maintain their behaviour, and whether the so-called "push and pull factors" known in the context of decision making for complementary and alternative medicine, also play a role for HM use. Here, our goal was to provide answers to these open questions and to analyse the reasons that motivate new, established and long-term HM consumers in detail.

Sensory profiles and immune-related expression patterns of patients with and without neuropathic pain after peripheral nerve lesion.

In this multicenter cross-sectional study, we determined sensory profiles of patients with (NL-1) and without neuropathic pain (NL-0) after nerve lesion and assessed immune-related systemic gene expression. Patients and matched healthy controls filled in questionnaires and underwent neurological examination, neurophysiological studies, quantitative sensory testing, and blood withdrawal. Neuropathic pain was present in 67/95 (71%) patients (NL-1).

Tree species from two contrasting habitats for use in harsh urban environments respond differently to extreme drought.

The role of trees in city cooling has warranted much attention based on concerns over climate change and urban expansion. Simultaneously, there is an interest in introducing species from dry habitats to cope with the increasing risks of drought under climate change. The general understanding is that the evolutionary adaptation to respective resource supplies in species' habitats affects their environmental tolerance.

Trichoderma harzianum: Inhibition of mycotoxin producing fungi and toxin biosynthesis.

A quarter of the world-wide crop is spoiled by filamentous fungi and their mycotoxins and weather extremes associated with the climate change lead to further deterioration of the situation. The ingestion of mycotoxins causes several health issues leading in the worst case to cancer in humans and animals. Common intervention strategies against mycotoxin producing fungi, such as the application of fungicides, may result in undesirable residues and in some cases to a stress induction of mycotoxin biosynthesis.

Why people use herbal medicine: insights from a focus-group study in Germany.

Background: The use of herbal medicine, as one element of complementary and alternative medicine, is increasing worldwide. Little is known about the reasons for and factors associated with its use. This study derives insights for the use of herbal medicine in Germany regarding the usage aims, role played by the type of illness, reasons for preferred usage and sources of information.