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Quasiparticle Interference of Spin-Triplet Superconductors:Application to UTe<sub>2</sub>
No full textQuasiparticle interference (QPI) obtained from scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) is a powerful method to help extract the pairing symmetry of unconventional superconductors. We examine the general properties of QPI on surfaces of spin-triplet superconductors. It is shown how the multicomponent nature of the spin-triplet d-vector and the general existence of topological surface states in triplet condensates both offer important differences from QPI on spin-singlet superconductors. We then turn to a microscopic model relevant for the spin-triplet candidate UTe2 and compare the computed QPI with recent STM measurements. We conclude that the two candidate pairing instabilities B2u and B3u exhibit distinct features in the QPI intensity which allows for distinguishing them using the experimental data. Characteristic features of the emergent topological surface states protected by chiral symmetry in general, and by mirror symmetries in the case of UTe2, provide further unique signatures to help pinpoint the pairing symmetry channel of this material
Potential for integrated monitoring of tick-borne diseases: Indices of tick activity, citizen science, and tick-borne Lyme neuroborreliosis in Denmark from 2017 to 2024
No full textMonitoring programs that track natural fluctuations in tick activity, human exposure, and disease incidence are limited in their ability to detect shifts in tick-borne disease (TBD) risk. We evaluated an integrated approach combining field-based tick surveillance, Google search trends, and national Lyme neuroborreliosis (LNB) records in Denmark from 2017-2024. Tick nymph activity was modelled using meteorological data from six forest sites and validated against independent 2024–2025 data. The model showed strong predictive performance (Pearson’s r = 0.76, normalised root-mean-square error = 0.16), with temperature, relative humidity, and precipitation significantly influencing activity. Predicted tick activity correlated strongly with Danish Google search terms for ticks (“Flåt” and “Tæge”) with a 1-month lag, and with “borrelia” searches without lag. Predicted activity preceded LNB incidence by one month, consistent with known delays in symptom onset and diagnosis. These findings suggest that digital search behaviour may reflect early public awareness and exposure, offering potential as an early warning signal. We adopted a bottom-up modelling approach, using predicted tick activity derived from meteorological data as a shared reference to explore weather-driven congruence across field surveillance, digital search behaviour, and disease records. The strong temporal alignment across data sources supports the feasibility of integrated TBD surveillance and indicates that the six field sites provide a representative signal of tick activity and can therefore act as effective sentinel sites. Combining weather data, sentinel site activity, digital behaviour, and health records offers a scalable, cost-effective complement to traditional monitoring and may improve confidence in detected trends, enabling earlier public health responses
Relative sea-level changes and evidence for a Holocene low stand in southern Greenland
No full textWe present new relative sea-level (RSL) data from southern Greenland, an area critical for understanding the Greenland Ice Sheet's (GrIS) sensitivity to climate change. Our RSL reconstruction from the inner Isortoq Fjord spans the last ~10,000 years and is based on stratigraphic analyses, magnetic susceptibility, X-ray fluorescence core scanning, loss-on-ignition, macrofossil identification, and AMS radiocarbon dating of 10 sediment cores. Isolation and transgression sequences identified in lake and submerged basin sediments reveal a rapid RSL fall during the Early Holocene driven by crustal unloading in response to the retreat of the GrIS. During the Early Holocene, RSL dropped from the regional marine limit at ~36 m above mean sea-level (MSL) to near present-day MSL by ~9 cal. ka BP. A Middle Holocene low stand above 20 m below today's MSL at ~6 cal. ka BP is followed by a gradual Late Holocene transgression, with sea level returning to present-day MSL sometime during the last millennium. Similar to records from Paamiut to the north and Qaqortoq and Nanortalik to the southeast, early isolation of low-lying basins in the Isortoq region reflects rapid isostatic rebound. In contrast, the Late Holocene transgression is more gradual and less well defined, likely reflecting a combination of local glacier and ice sheet advances and perhaps a broader isostatic signal from the retreat of the North American Ice Sheet Complex. Comparison with Huy3 model predictions shows that observed RSL changes in this region were of greater magnitude than simulated, highlighting the need for refined GIA modelling
In vitro gastrointestinal digests of 4-methylbenzoquinone-modified β-lactoglobulin exhibit antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities in macrophages
No full textPolyphenols are recognized for their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects and form reactive o-quinones upon oxidation, which can readily react with proteins. However, the effects of o-quinone-modified proteins on antioxidant and anti-inflammatory functions after digestion remain unclear. Accordingly, in vitro gastrointestinal digests of β-lactoglobulin (β-LG) and its 4-methylbenzoquinone (4MBQ)-modified derivative (β-LQ) were prepared. LC-MS/MS analysis revealed that 4-MBQ-modification altered the peptide profile and thus the distribution of the bioactive peptides, including peptides with potential antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity. The digests were fractionated using a centrifugal filter with a 3 kDa molecular weight cutoff and their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities were evaluated via lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-activated RAW 264.7 cells. The >3 kDa fractions of β-LG digests significantly suppressed generation of ROS and pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-6 and TNF-α), with enhanced inhibition of ROS, IL-6, and TNF-α production in the β-LQ digests. Furthermore, the <3 kDa fractions of β-LQ digests showed decreased antioxidant but increased anti-inflammatory effects relative to β-LG.</p
Transabdominal Intestinal Ultrasonography in Monitoring and Predicting Outcomes in Ulcerative Colitis-A Systematic Review
No full textBackground/Objectives: Intestinal ultrasound (IUS) is increasingly used to monitor ulcerative colitis (UC), but its predictive value remains unclear. This systematic review evaluated the ability of IUS parameters and scores to predict short- and long-term treatment response, remission, and adverse outcomes in hospitalized and outpatient UC populations. Methods: A systematic review was conducted according to Cochrane and PRISMA guidelines. MEDLINE and Embase were searched for prospective studies assessing IUS as a predictor of clinical or endoscopic response, remission, relapse, or adverse outcomes in adult UC. Two reviewers independently performed screening, data extraction, and QUADAS-2 assessment. Results: Eighteen prospective studies were included: eleven outpatient studies and seven involving hospitalized patients treated with intravenous corticosteroids (IVCS). In hospitalized patients, bowel wall thickness (BWT) was the most consistent predictor of treatment failure, rescue therapy, colectomy, and clinical response. Baseline BWT showed variable performance, but once IVCS was initiated, early BWT change within 48–72 h was the strongest marker of disease trajectory. Non-responders had higher BWT and smaller reductions. A BWT ≥ 4 mm, absolute reduction ≤ 1 mm, or relative reduction ≤ 20% at 48 h reliably identified patients needing rescue therapy (area under the curve (AUC) values of 0.77 (95% confidence interval (CI) 0.71–0.74), 0.71 (95% CI 0.56–0.86), and 0.74 (95% CI 0.60–0.88)). Colectomy risk was similarly predicted: BWT < 3 mm at 48 h was associated with no colectomies, whereas BWT ≥ 4 mm or persistently elevated BWT at day 6 markedly increased risk (Odds ratio (OR) 9.5-fold (95% CI 1.4–64.0) and OR 8.3 (95% CI 1.7–40.0), respectively). Other sonographic features (loss of haustration, increased vascularity) added supplementary but less consistent value. In outpatients, BWT also demonstrated the strongest predictive accuracy. BWT ≤ 3.6 mm at 2 weeks and <3.0 mm at 6 weeks were associated with early endoscopic remission (area under the receiver operating characteristic (AUROC) of 0.87 (95% CI 0.71–1.00) and 0.82 (95% CI 0.63–1.00), respectively). Dynamic changes with ≥23–25% relative reduction predicted clinical or endoscopic response (AUROC of 0.81 (95% CI 0.61–1.00) and OR of 13.9 (95% CI 1.13–1986.85), respectively). Persistent BWT > 3.5 mm or minimal reduction (<20% or <1 mm) indicated a low likelihood of long-term remission. Composite vascularity-based indices, particularly the Milan Ultrasound Criteria (MUC), strengthened prediction: MUC ≤ 4.3 or ≥2-point reduction at 12 weeks predicted long-term remission (AUROC 0.88 (95% CI 0.750–0.952) and 0.82 (95% CI 0.68–0.91), respectively), while MUC ≥ 7.7 indicated high risk of treatment failure or colectomy (AUROC 0.77 (95% CI: 0.73–0.82)). Conclusions: Across clinical settings, BWT consistently emerged as the strongest IUS predictor of UC treatment outcomes. Early BWT change within 48–72 h in hospitalized patients and absolute BWT values at 2–6 weeks in outpatients showed high predictive accuracy for response, remission, and colectomy. Composite indices incorporating vascularity further improved prediction. These findings support the incorporation of IUS into early treatment-response algorithms and underscore the need for standardized cut-offs and multicenter validation.Background/Objectives: Intestinal ultrasound (IUS) is increasingly used to monitor ulcerative colitis (UC), but its predictive value remains unclear. This systematic review evaluated the ability of IUS parameters and scores to predict short- and long-term treatment response, remission, and adverse outcomes in hospitalized and outpatient UC populations. Methods: A systematic review was conducted according to Cochrane and PRISMA guidelines. MEDLINE and Embase were searched for prospective studies assessing IUS as a predictor of clinical or endoscopic response, remission, relapse, or adverse outcomes in adult UC. Two reviewers independently performed screening, data extraction, and QUADAS-2 assessment. Results: Eighteen prospective studies were included: eleven outpatient studies and seven involving hospitalized patients treated with intravenous corticosteroids (IVCS). In hospitalized patients, bowel wall thickness (BWT) was the most consistent predictor of treatment failure, rescue therapy, colectomy, and clinical response. Baseline BWT showed variable performance, but once IVCS was initiated, early BWT change within 48-72 h was the strongest marker of disease trajectory. Non-responders had higher BWT and smaller reductions. A BWT ≥ 4 mm, absolute reduction ≤ 1 mm, or relative reduction ≤ 20% at 48 h reliably identified patients needing rescue therapy (area under the curve (AUC) values of 0.77 (95% confidence interval (CI) 0.71-0.74), 0.71 (95% CI 0.56-0.86), and 0.74 (95% CI 0.60-0.88)). Colectomy risk was similarly predicted: BWT < 3 mm at 48 h was associated with no colectomies, whereas BWT ≥ 4 mm or persistently elevated BWT at day 6 markedly increased risk (Odds ratio (OR) 9.5-fold (95% CI 1.4-64.0) and OR 8.3 (95% CI 1.7-40.0), respectively). Other sonographic features (loss of haustration, increased vascularity) added supplementary but less consistent value. In outpatients, BWT also demonstrated the strongest predictive accuracy. BWT ≤ 3.6 mm at 2 weeks and <3.0 mm at 6 weeks were associated with early endoscopic remission (area under the receiver operating characteristic (AUROC) of 0.87 (95% CI 0.71-1.00) and 0.82 (95% CI 0.63-1.00), respectively). Dynamic changes with ≥23-25% relative reduction predicted clinical or endoscopic response (AUROC of 0.81 (95% CI 0.61-1.00) and OR of 13.9 (95% CI 1.13-1986.85), respectively). Persistent BWT > 3.5 mm or minimal reduction (<20% or <1 mm) indicated a low likelihood of long-term remission. Composite vascularity-based indices, particularly the Milan Ultrasound Criteria (MUC), strengthened prediction: MUC ≤ 4.3 or ≥2-point reduction at 12 weeks predicted long-term remission (AUROC 0.88 (95% CI 0.750-0.952) and 0.82 (95% CI 0.68-0.91), respectively), while MUC ≥ 7.7 indicated high risk of treatment failure or colectomy (AUROC 0.77 (95% CI: 0.73-0.82)). Conclusions: Across clinical settings, BWT consistently emerged as the strongest IUS predictor of UC treatment outcomes. Early BWT change within 48-72 h in hospitalized patients and absolute BWT values at 2-6 weeks in outpatients showed high predictive accuracy for response, remission, and colectomy. Composite indices incorporating vascularity further improved prediction. These findings support the incorporation of IUS into early treatment-response algorithms and underscore the need for standardized cut-offs and multicenter validation.</p
Travel Document
No full textTravel documents, particularly passports, play a pivotal role in regulating international mobility and executing border control. Historically, travel was linked to factors like race and class rather than just nationality. The 1920s passport conferences established the first international standards for their formats, shifting from control based on nationality and race to nationality alone. Travel documents allow states to verify identities and eligibility at borders and establish deportation destinations when necessary. They primarily serve as proof of nationality but can also be issued to non-nationals. Some international organizations can issue globally recognized travel documents. Hence, a wide array of travel documents exists, and state practices concerning their recognition also vary. The International Civil Aviation Organization sets and upholds standards regarding the form of travel documents. Despite certain international legal limitations on state discretion in this realm, many individuals are left without the necessary documentation, perpetuating a contemporary ‘passport apartheid’ that hampers global mobility.<br/
A Dane, a German, and a Pole Walk into a Court: National Courts as Critics of the European Court of Justice
No full textCarbon dynamics of a controlled peatland rewetting experiment in the Norwegian boreal zone
No full textA controlled peatland rewetting experiment was conducted on two adjacent drained peatland sites in southeastern Norway. Eddy covariance monitoring of CO2 and CH4 fluxes at both sites began in 2019. In 2021, the Treatment Site was rewetted while the Control Site remained drained. Using nine environmental variables and the processed flux data as training data, Bayesian Additive Regression Tree (BART) models were used to generate annual flux balances for CO2 and CH4. The 4-year mean annual flux at the Control Site was 17.3 ± 10 g CO2-C m− 2 yr− 1 and 4.6 ± 0.1 g CH4-C m− 2 yr− 1. At the Treatment Site, the 2-year mean annual flux before the rewetting was 12.2 ± 3.8 g CO2-C m− 2 yr− 1 and 1.8 ± 0.04 g CH4-C m− 2 yr− 1. In the first year after rewetting the annual flux was 53.3 ± 13 g CO2-C m− 2 yr− 1 and 3.8 ± 0.3 g CH4-C m− 2 yr− 1, and in the second year after rewetting the annual flux was 41.2 ± 18 g CO2-C m− 2 yr− 1 and 3.4 ± 0.4 g CH4-C m− 2 yr− 1. BART counterfactual modeling was able to estimate the effect of the rewetting on CO2 and CH4 fluxes. Two years after the rewetting, the BART counterfactual modeling estimated that the cumulative fluxes had increased by 80.3 ± 49 g CO2-C m− 2 and 3.4 ± 0.47 g CH4-C m− 2 because of the rewetting. Carbon flux monitoring of both sites is ongoing as the Control Site remains drained and the soil and vegetation at the Treatment Site continues to adjust to the altered hydrological regime after rewetting.</p
Hydrodynamic Bend Instability of Motile Particles on a Substrate
No full textThe emergence of hydrodynamic bend instabilities in ordered suspensions of active particles is widely observed across diverse living and synthetic systems, and is considered to be governed by dipolar active stresses generated by the self-propelled particles. Here, using linear stability analyses and numerical simulations, we show that a hydrodynamic bend instability can emerge in the absence of any dipolar active stress and solely due to the self-propulsion force acting on polar active units suspended in an incompressible fluid confined to a substrate. Specifically, we show analytically, and confirm in simulations, that a uniformly ordered state develops bend instability above a critical self-propulsion force. Numerical simulations show that a further increase in the self-propulsion strength leads the system towards a disorderly flow state. The results offer a new route for development of hydrodynamic instabilities in twodimensional self-propelled materials that are in contact with a substrate, with wide implications in layers of orientationally ordered cells and synthetic active particles