159370 research outputs found
Sort by
When dark matter heats up: a model-independent search for noncold behavior
Get PDFThis article questions the common assumption of cold dark matter (DM) by exploring the possibility of a nonzero equation of state (EOS) without relying on any parametric approach. In standard cosmological analyses, DM is typically modeled as pressureless dust with wDM ¼ 0, an assumption that aligns with largescale structure formation, supports the empirical success of the Λ-cold dark matter model, and simplifies cosmological modeling. However, there is no fundamental reason to exclude a nonzero wDM from the cosmological framework. In this work, we explore this possibility through nonparametric and parametric reconstructions based on Gaussian process regression. The reconstructions use Hubble parameter measurements from cosmic chronometers, the Pantheon þ sample of Type Ia supernovae, and baryon acoustic oscillation (BAO) data from DESI DR1 and DR2. Our findings suggest that a dynamical EOS for DM, although only mildly supported statistically, cannot be conclusively ruled out. Notably, we observe a mild tendency (∼1σ) toward a negative wDM at the present epoch, which is most likely due to inconsistencies between the BAO data from DESI and other datasets
HpBoRB, a helminth-derived CCP domain protein which binds RELMβ
Get PDFHelminth infections persist by influencing host immunity through the release of immunomodulatory proteins which prevent immune ejection. The intestinal nematode Heligmosomoides polygyrus bakeri (Hpb) secretes multiple families of immunomodulatory proteins, many of which are composed of consecutive Complement Control Protein (CCP) domains. We hypothesised that further CCP domain proteins are secreted by the parasite to interact with the host. We identified an unusually large number of CCP domain-containing proteins in the genome of Hpb, and cloned a range of these for screening in an Avidity-based Extracellular Interaction Screening (AVEXIS) assay, focussing on interactions with host immune proteins. This screen confirmed the binding of known immunomodulators (HpBARI, TGM1) for their targets (ST2, TGFBR2) and identified a new interaction between a 2 CCP domain Hpb protein and mouse resistin-like molecule beta (RELMβ), a host protein demonstrated to have anti-helminth properties. This protein was named Binder of RELMβ (HpBoRB). This interaction was specific and heat-labile, and was confirmed in ELISA, competition assays, size exclusion chromatography and surface plasmon resonance experiments, identifying a subnanomolar affinity interaction between HpBoRB and RELMβ. These data may indicate that Hpb interferes with the potent anti-helminth host protein RELMβ and adds to our knowledge of the host-parasite interactions mediated by Hpb secreted proteins
Identification of Prompt Proton Emission in N=Z-1 Ga 61:Isospin Symmetry at the Limit of Nuclear Binding
Get PDFExcited states in the proton drip line nucleus Ga61 were populated via the fusion-evaporation reaction Mg24(Ca40,p2n)Ga61. The experimental setup at Argonne National Laboratory comprised a novel combination of the Gammasphere array with two CD-shaped double-sided Si-strip detectors inside the Microball CsI(Tl) charged-particle detection array, as well as the Neutron-Shell liquid scintillators and the Fragment Mass Analyzer. Owing to the setup's unprecedented in-beam proton spectroscopy and tracking capabilities, a coincidence between a 957.6(5)-keV γ ray and a 1.876(24)-MeV proton line was observed, which identifies the quasibound proton πg9/2 single-particle state in Ga61 at Ex=2150(34) keV. This probes isospin symmetry at the limit of nuclear binding by providing a unique challenge for the shell-model interpretation of mirror nuclei beyond doubly magic Ni56
No Justice, No Peace: The Ethics of Violent Protests, by Avia Pasternak. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2025. Pp. 288.
No full text
"We are running on the fumes of goodwill" Professionals' experiences of delivering 24/7 end-of-life care to children and their families:a qualitatitive study
Get PDFBACKGROUND: Despite recent improvements, there is still stark inequity in the funding and provision of 24/7 end-of-life care for children, resulting in many families not receiving the support they need. To inform, plan and implement service changes it is important to take account of what works in current contexts and existing models of care, and to learn how professionals 'on the ground' are currently experiencing 24/7 care delivery. METHODS: The study aimed to explore professionals' perspectives of delivering 24/7 paediatric palliative care and their expectations and needs of a new service. This qualitative study used focus groups, and a thematic framework approach to analyse the data. Participants were healthcare professionals (HCPs) involved in the delivery of care to children (0-18 years) with palliative care needs and their families. RESULTS: Fifty-three healthcare professionals, (25 doctors, 19 nurses, 6 managerial/administration and 3 allied professionals), took part in 11 focus groups. Three themes with sub-themes were developed: (1) Working within a fragmented landscape (Responding to the need for 24/7 end-of-life care, Coordination across teams without infrastructure, Building 24/7 continuity through integration); (2) Constraints on choice: default not preferred choice? (Limits to family choice, Critical yet inconsistent provision of community nursing, Inequality of access to specialist support); and (3) The personal cost of making it work (Gaps in confidence and experience, The price of goodwill). Professionals navigated a disjointed system to deliver 24/7 care to families. They strived to offer care in families' preferred place; however, choice was constrained by the availability of local services. Professionals stretched themselves to provide around the clock care, often sacrificing their personal wellbeing and in doing so, inadvertently sustaining a broken system. CONCLUSION: Stepping up to support families with 24/7 end-of-life care for their child, has resulted in an unsustainable physical and emotional toll on professionals. The impact of delivering care in an inequitable system is causing significant moral distress, and there is a growing realisation that their goodwill is masking current systemic shortcomings. Integrated Care Boards must work jointly to find economies of scale to establish equitable and sustainable models of delivery that meet national standards and to ensure all children have access to high quality 24/7 end-of-life care
Increased Holocene Diversity in Europe Linked to Human-Associated Vegetation Change
Get PDFAim: It is widely reported that aspects of present-day global biodiversity are declining, with humans largely to blame. However— perhaps paradoxically—in Europe, floristic diversity and human populations have grown in tandem for millennia. Disturbance intensity and habitat heterogeneity potentially explain this phenomenon, though we lack understanding of how human land use intensity affected biodiversity at numerous spatial scales over the Holocene. Here, we examine the relationships between anthropogenic vegetation change and floristic diversity over the last 12 millennia in Europe, at multiple spatial scales. Location: Europe. Time Period: The Holocene (11,700–100 cal yr BP). Major Taxa Studied: Plants. Methods: We examined the spatio-temporal dynamics of, and relationships between, floristic richness, evenness and compositional turnover with an index of anthropogenic vegetation change since 11,700 cal yr. BP, analysing 7853 pollen samples from 213 records (sites). We evaluated how changes to the proportional site occupancies of human-associated and other taxa related to diversity patterns. Results: (1) Floristic richness, evenness, and compositional turnover increased from 9000 years ago to 1850CE. (2) Temporal increases in richness and evenness were positively associated with the anthropogenic vegetation index in the majority of vegetation zones and sites, whereas compositional turnover was only associated with the anthropogenic index at the site level. (3) Holocene site occupancies of all human-associated taxa were positively associated with biodiversity gains, whereas the results for other taxa (that were not associated with people) were mixed. Main Conclusions: Following the onset of warmer Holocene conditions, floristic diversity initially declined, while subsequent increases were positively associated with human impacts over the vast majority of Europe. From the mid-Holocene onwards, farming populations increasingly disturbed European landscapes—perhaps replicating the now-lost megafaunal disturbance regimes—to produce patchy and increasingly diverse vegetative communities, the legacies of which are still present toda
Economic trajectories of women: the relationship between abortion and women’s salary growth.
Get PDFWomen’s reproductive rights are intensely debated, with abortion laws in the United States constantly changing. However, the long-term economic consequences of abortion remain largely unknown due to a lack of robust research in this area. Drawing on lifespan career theory, we theorize that pregnancy during the early-career period represents a pivotal inflection point. It initiates divergent reproductive pathways with lasting, path-dependent effects on women’s economic trajectories. We conceptualize abortion as a distinct and constrained early-career event that may be associated with career development in ways that differ meaningfully from both parenthood and nonpregnancy. Using national longitudinal data from 6,218 participants in the United States (1979–2020), we examine how having an abortion, compared with becoming a parent or not experiencing pregnancy at all, is related to women’s long-term economic trajectories. Results show that women who had an abortion, and those who did not becomepregnant,earned significantly more over a 30-year period than those who became mothers by an estimated 495,000 in 2025 dollars) and 556,000 in 2025 dollars), respectively. These findings extend lifespan career theory by conceptualizing reproductive decisions during one’s early career as critical but understudied career-defining events that are associated with women’s economic mobility. The results also suggest several potential policy implications: Protecting access to contraception and abortion, and providing mothers with structural family support mechanisms such a job-protected paid parental leave and subsidized childcare, may help women achieve sustained economic stability and career advancement
Heritage, power and policy in Liverpool's post-industrial transformation (2004–2021)
No full textPurpose
This article critically examines how Liverpool's UNESCO World Heritage status was used to support urban regeneration agendas, highlighting the tensions between heritage conservation and neoliberal planning that ultimately led to the city's delisting.
Design/methodology/approach
This study uses a qualitative research approach combining document analysis, interview data and archival research. It examines planning documents, heritage reports and policy texts related to Liverpool's urban development and World Heritage Site status. Twenty-two semi-structured interviews were conducted with planners, heritage professionals, private developers and community members. The analysis is guided by discourse theory, political economy and heritage governance frameworks. The study investigates how institutional actors constructed competing visions of heritage and regeneration, identifying key discursive strategies and structural dynamics that contributed to policy conflict, governance fragmentation and the eventual removal of World Heritage Site status.
Findings
The study finds that heritage in Liverpool was reframed as a tool for economic regeneration rather than protected cultural value. Planning documents and decisions prioritised visual branding and investment attraction, sidelining conservation responsibilities. Conflicting interpretations of heritage value led to institutional misalignment, limited coordination and weak enforcement. Developers and city officials dominated decision-making, while heritage agencies and communities were marginalised. The result was a pattern of symbolic recognition without substantive protection. These tensions contributed directly to the eventual loss of World Heritage status, revealing deep structural contradictions within the city's governance of heritage and urban development.
Research limitations/implications
The study focuses on a single case, which limits its broader applicability but allows in-depth exploration of complex governance dynamics. It relies on retrospective interviews and existing planning documents, which may reflect institutional justifications following the delisting. However, the triangulation of multiple data sources strengthens its reliability. The findings suggest a need for future comparative studies to examine similar urban contexts where heritage and development collide. They also underline the importance of stronger alignment between international conservation guidelines and local planning frameworks to avoid symbolic compliance and ensure meaningful preservation of heritage in regeneration processes.
Practical implications
The findings highlight the need for clear legal mechanisms to embed heritage conservation within urban planning systems. Planning authorities should be required to integrate international conservation standards into statutory frameworks rather than treat them as optional. Heritage bodies must be engaged at the early stages of development proposals with meaningful decision-making power. Community participation should move beyond consultation towards shared authority. The Liverpool case demonstrates that without binding coordination and transparency, heritage frameworks may fail in the face of economic pressure, resulting in irreversible damage to cultural assets and reputational costs at both local and international levels.
Social implications
The research reveals how urban regeneration in Liverpool reinforced social exclusion by marginalising community voices in heritage planning. While public benefit was repeatedly claimed, local residents had little influence on decisions that reshaped their environment. Heritage narratives focused on visual appeal and investment value, erasing working-class and culturally embedded histories. The exclusion of communities weakened trust in planning processes and deepened perceptions of inequality. The study shows the need for participatory heritage governance that values diverse identities and local memory, ensuring that regeneration processes are socially inclusive and culturally responsive rather than driven solely by market logic.
Originality/value
This study offers an original contribution by linking critical discourse analysis with governance theory to examine heritage as a contested space shaped by economic and political interests. It reveals how symbolic heritage designations can be co-opted for development agendas and disconnected from conservation practice. The research moves beyond technical planning analysis by foregrounding power, inequality and institutional disjunction. It demonstrates that heritage governance must be understood not as neutral management but as a site of negotiation, conflict and meaning-making. The study provides valuable insights for cities facing similar tensions between international heritage frameworks and urban growth pressures
Data sources:
Access Repository Dashboard
Do you manage Open Research Online? Become a CORE Member to access insider analytics, issue reports and manage access to outputs from your repository in the CORE Repository Dashboard! 👇