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Negative charge acquisition by isolated single microdroplets from plasma exposure at atmospheric pressure
Get PDFCharged liquid microdroplets have generated significant interest recently due to the observation of chemical reaction rate enhancement by orders of magnitude. Droplet charging by plasma irradiation has been observed along with significantly enhanced reaction rates in liquid. In this paper, we measure the charge on fixed size (47 μm) individual droplets, exposed for approximately 4 ms to a low temperature RF-driven plasma operated at atmospheric pressure. The measured charge values ranged from 2.5 to 3.5 × 106 electrons, depending on the droplet trajectory. Results were compared with finite element simulations of plasma charging, which provided estimates of surface electric fields and charge fluxes at the droplet surface and helped advance the development of a theoretical framework for plasma-charged microreactors
Spatial molecular plasticity underpins lethal morphologies in lung adenocarcinoma
Get PDFAdenocarcinoma of the lung (LUAD) is common and highly lethal. Clinical grading of LUAD strongly predicts recurrence and survival after surgery and is determined by morphological assessment of histological growth patterns in resected tumors. In particular, the 2 archetypally lethal morphologies, solid, and micropapillary growth patterns, are highly distinct from each other, but little is known about their defining molecular features or how their appearances are related to their biology and mechanisms of lethality. Pure epithelial growth patterns and subregions were identified within 7 distinct LUAD growth patterns across 51 resected tumors and characterized using NanoString GeoMx digital spatial profiler in 160 epithelially pure regions of interest. Results were validated in 27 cases at the protein level using Akoya PhenoImager multiplex immunofluorescence, in 432 cases at the RNA level with TempO-Seq, and in 30 cases with an independent GeoMx digital spatial profiler. Analyses of gene expression reveal fundamental divergent evolutionary trajectories leading to solid and micropapillary growth. Additionally, we identify recurrent localized intratumoral plasticity in both growth patterns. These states can explain the origins of growth patterns and their mechanisms of virulence. Our work highlights dramatic divergence in gene expression programs between highly lethal modes of LUAD tumor growth. We go on to show how microscopically localized hypoxia in the primary tumor helps to establish and maintain cellular survival strategies and tumor architecture, suggesting morphology-specific mechanisms of LUAD tumor metastasis and suggesting new therapeutic vulnerabilities
ħ-vertex algebras and chiralization of star products
Get PDFWe develop the theory of ħ-vertex algebras, algebraic structures closely related to vertex algebras but with a deformed translation covariance axiom. We establish their structure theory, including analogues of Goddard's Uniqueness Theorem, the Reconstruction Theorem, Borcherds Identity, and the OPE Expansion Formula, and introduce the associated notions of ħ-Lie conformal and ħ-Poisson vertex algebras. The formalism provides a natural and simplified construction of the Zhu algebra. The main application is to the chiralization of classical star-products: we show that every star-product on the symmetric algebra of a Lie algebra (or its central extensions) admits a chiralization, and we derive explicit formulae for these chiral star-products, including the Moyal–Weyl and Gutt star-products. Setting ħ = 0 recovers explicit deformation quantizations of a broad class of Poisson vertex algebras, including the classical limits of free-boson, βγ-system, affine, and Virasoro vertex algebras
Public Integrity: from anti-corruption rhetoric to substantive moral ideal
No full textNo abstract available
Anthropocene Cosmographies: A Human Geography of the Earth and Outer Space
No full textThis book explores relationships between humans and outer space through a geographical lens in the context of the Anthropocene. Presenting a bold and diverse engagement with outer space, the book expands geographical understandings of outer space and reflects upon humankind’s place in the cosmos, all the while shedding light on the linkages between human life and cosmic processes.
Drawing upon literature from across the social sciences, the book offers an innovative interdisciplinary examination of outer space that is grounded in geographic thinking. By delving into a range of materialities and milieus, it unpacks how outer space is framed, encountered and perceived by a variety of social and cultural actors. A new materialist methodology, combined with a mixed-methods approach, is used to investigate meteorites, Dark Sky Parks and science fiction films, an effort that invokes deep pasts, embodied presents and speculative futures. In doing so, the book reveals the interrelatedness of human and cosmos, whilst unsettling the Anthropocene as a bounded and contained planetary condition.
The interdisciplinary nature of this book makes it appealing for anyone engaging with outer space and planetary thinking. This book will be of particular use to scholars and students in geography and the social studies of outer space, as well as those with an interest in the Anthropocene, new materialism and more-than-human studies
Drivers of viral diversity and sharing in marine mammals
Get PDFKnowledge of viral infection in marine mammals, a group severely threatened by human activity, is largely limited to the pathology and epidemiology of few endemic viruses. The recent emergence in marine mammals of high-consequence viruses, such as H5N1 avian influenza and rabies, underscores the importance of understanding the ecology of viral transmission in these species. Metatranscriptomic approaches now enable relatively unbiased characterisation of full viral communities that can reveal ecological and evolutionary drivers of infection. We sequenced RNA from 15 marine mammal species (42 pools, 237 tissues, 128 animals) sampled in Scotland through the Scottish Marine Animal Strandings Scheme. Viral sequences were detected in 41 of 42 pools, representing more than 120 distinct viral taxonomic units (vOTUs). Virus host network analysis showed that viral communities were partly structured by host taxonomy, with clear differences between seals and cetaceans. However, vOTUs were frequently shared between species, mirroring reported ecological interactions, including cross-order sharing between seals and cetaceans. Generalised linear models showed no effect of host taxonomy on viral richness. Instead, age was the strongest predictor: juvenile pools contained roughly twice as many viral taxa as adults and more than neonates, indicating that changing population demography may impact viral transmission in marine mammals. These results provide a basis for understanding how anthropogenic stressors may exacerbate viral transmission in marine mammals and demonstrate the increasing practicality of using genomics to understand ecological and evolutionary drivers of virus infection in natural populations
An impact-based drought classification method using real-world agricultural drought records and explainable automated machine learning
No full textGiven the destructive impacts of drought, the development of accurate and practical drought assessment frameworks is critical for risk mitigation. This study presents a novel impact-based framework that synergizes causal inference algorithm with explainable Automated Machine Learning (AutoML) to classify drought severity and uncover its primary causal drivers in China. By linking observed drought impact records with a comprehensive set of drought-related variables, the AutoML model outperforms conventional machine learning approaches across multiple evaluation metrics. Compared to widely used standardized drought indices, the AutoML-based drought classification model demonstrates superior performance in depicting both in-sample and out-of-sample drought events and well captures drought impacts on vegetation and ecosystems. Explainability and causal analysis, conducted using the Shapley Additive Explanations (SHAP) and the PCMCI+ (Peter and Clark Momentary Conditional Independence plus) algorithm, jointly reveal that (1) two non-climatic variables, latitude and geopotential height, exert the strongest influence on the model’s drought classifications; (2) soil moisture and evaporation from bare soil emerge as the most influential climatic drivers of drought severity, with soil moisture exhibiting particularly strong influence across South China. Trend analysis indicates a significant intensification of drought severity across China between 1980 and 2024, with marked increases observed in Yunnan, Henan, and Hebei. Furthermore, incorporating antecedent climatic information consistently improves classification performance, with AutoML models exhibiting the greatest gains. Collectively, the incorporation of real-world drought impact records enhanced the accuracy and practical relevance of the proposed drought classification model, while the integration of SHAP and PCMCI+ methodologies advanced its transparency and interpretability
Integrating AI into educational game design: an AI-enhanced MDA framework
Get PDFThis study proposes an artificial intelligence (AI)-enhanced framework that integrates AI with the Mechanics, Dynamics, and Aesthetics framework through theory synthesis and framework development. It explores how generative AI, adaptive learning algorithms, and procedural content generation enhance gameplay to advance educational game design. The framework aligns AI capabilities with constructivist learning principles, supporting personalized, engaging, and scalable game-based learning. While the framework offers theoretical and practical guidance for AI-integrated educational games, further research is needed to assess its empirical effectiveness across diverse learning settings
Experiences of piloting integrated bite case management in Zaria Metropolis, Nigeria
Get PDFBackground: Rabies remains a major public health risk in Africa and is estimated to cause over 1,600 deaths annually in Nigeria. Integrated Bite Case Management (IBCM) is recommended as a One Health approach for rabies surveillance but has yet to be implemented within Nigeria.Methods: Our aim was to gain epidemiological and operational understanding of implementing IBCM within Sabon Gari Local Government Area (LGA) of Zaria Metropolis, Kaduna State, Nigeria through an implementation research approach. We developed an IBCM protocol with local practitioners and piloted it from April 2023 until December 2024, and analyzed resulting data.Results: We identified very low access to rabies post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) within the study area. Although incidence of bite patients was low (~0.98/100,000/year, 95% confidence intervals, CI: 0.68-1.42), a large proportion were identified as rabies exposures (41%) and two human rabies deaths occurred (0.11 deaths/100,000/year, 95%CI: 0.031-0.41), corresponding to very low healthcare seeking (0.50 probability of rabies exposures receiving PEP, 95%CI: 0.27-0.86). Investigations triggered by dog bite incidents or community notifications identified probable rabid dogs from clinical signs/history (45% of investigated dogs), with all recoverable samples (8) confirmed positive by rapid testing, including three dogs that died in quarantine. IBCM revealed the dog meat trade as a sentinel for rabies detection, with three rabid dogs sold for consumption. Key aspects of IBCM were refined to improve implementation during the pilot.Conclusions: Piloting IBCM revealed a low incidence of bite presentations reflecting the small dog population (high human: dog ratio) in these communities and very low levels of care seeking among those at risk. We conclude that there is an urgent need to simultaneously improve PEP access and raise awareness about the dangers of rabies. Other critical gaps in rabies control and prevention, include low dog vaccination coverage, limited training in rabies prevention and a lack of resources for surveillance, despite urgent demand and enthusiasm for implementation. The generalizability of our conclusions are limited given our experiences are derived from a single LGA. Nevertheless, this we provide lessons for how to develop IBCM for this local health and veterinary context in accordance with cultural norms and identify considerations for the design and implementation of IBCM elsewhere
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