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Ly α Nebulae in HETDEX: The Largest Statistical Census Bridging Lyα Halos and Blobs across Cosmic Noon
No full textThe Hobby–Eberly Dark Energy Experiment (HETDEX) is an untargeted ∼540 deg2 spectroscopic survey of Lyα emission in the 1.9 6 LAE population with ancillary data have radio counterparts, but 64% of those are found to be extended, with the radio fraction increasing with Lyα size. We present a catalog of all modeled sources, with their positions, redshifts, luminosities, and structural parameters for over 70,000 LAEs consisting of 33,000 spatially extended LAN. The catalog can be found at https://hetdex.org/data-results/ and in the online version of this paper
Sparcs-combining radiation hydrodynamics with non-equilibrium metal chemistry in the Swift astrophysical code
Full text linkWe present Sparcs, which combines the moment-based radiative transfer method Sph-m1rt with the non-equilibrium metal chemistry solver Chimes in the modern highly parallel astrophysical code Swift. Sparcs enables on-the-fly radiation hydrodynamic simulations, with multifrequency ultraviolet radiative transfer coupled with all ionization states of 11 major elements, in the presence of dust, cosmic ray ionization and heating, and self-gravity. Direct radiation pressure on gas and dust is also accounted for. We validate Sparcs against analytic solutions and standard photoionization codes such as cloudy in idealized tests. As an example application, we simulate an ionization front propagating through an inhomogeneous interstellar medium with solar metallicity. We produce mock optical emission line observations with the level population calculation code HyLight and the diagnostic radiative transfer code Radmc3D. We find that non-equilibrium effects and inhomogeneities can boost the low ion fractions by up to an order of magnitude. Possible applications of Sparcs include studying the dynamical impact of radiation on gas in star-forming regions, and in the interstellar, intergalactic, and circumgalactic medium, as well as interpreting line diagnostics in such environments, and galactic or active galactic nucleus outflows
Prudence in project handover: a multi-method exploration of risk readiness capability interdependence in predicting successful handover of major infrastructure projects
Full text linkDrawing on a nuanced perspective of prudence theory, we examine the interdependence among risk readiness capability factors in predicting the successful handover of major infrastructure projects We first apply ISM–MICMAC analysis to identify key risk readiness sub-factors explaining handover failures. Next, Structural equation modelling is employed to explore the underlying structure of the interdependencies of these risk readiness sub-factors reframed within temporal dimensions of ‘foresight’and ‘oversight’. The analysis shows marked differences in comparative factor importance, with ‘foresight’ showing strong dominance over ‘oversight’. Finally, using Artificial Neural Networks, we test the predictive validity of the identified readiness structure by assessing its ability to predict successful handover, measured in terms of ‘timeliness’ and ‘functionality’. Results show that while both ‘foresight’ and ‘oversight’ predict handover success, ‘foresight’ emerged as the stronger predictor. The study’s originality lies in integrating prudence theory and risk readiness literature to theorise the frameworks guiding project-to-operations handover
comBO: A combined human bone and lympho-myeloid bone marrow organoid for preclinical modeling of hematopoietic disorders
Full text linkThe bone marrow is the primary site of blood and immune cell production in postnatal life. Current human models do not capture lympho-myeloid hematopoiesis and the stromal diversity needed for lifelong blood and immune maintenance. Here, we introduce comBO (combined bone and lympho-myeloid bone marrow organoid), a scalable induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived system that generates osteolineage, vascular, lymphoid, and myeloid compartments within a single organoid. Developed under physioxia in granular microgel scaffolds, comBOs improve scalability and reproducibility and sustain long-term lympho-myeloid potential in serial organoid re-seeding assays. Incorporating healthy or malignant donor cells produces “chimeroids” that model physiological and pathological states. Using multiple myeloma as an exemplar, comBOs recapitulate niche remodeling and identify macrophage inhibitory factor (MIF) signaling as a disease driver. MIF inhibition reduces inflammation and myeloma proliferation, highlighting its therapeutic potential. comBOs offer a physiologically faithful bone marrow platform for disease modeling and therapeutic discovery in translational hematology and immunology
Unravelling the plot: Co-producing visualisations of palaeo-data to improve their utility in conservation practice
Full text link1.Palaeoecological research can provide valuable long-term information to support conservation efforts but is often poorly communicated to practitioners. One component of this challenge is the way in which data and results are visualised – often in complex stratigraphic plots that are unfamiliar to most conservation practitioners.2.We conducted a survey of palaeoecological researchers to understand their perceptions about the ways in which palaeo-data are visualised, and their experiences of co-producing data visualisations with conservation practitioners. Two case studies were provided by the survey respondents.3.The majority of respondents (97%) agreed that it was important for palaeo-data to be well presented for non-expert audiences but only 34% thought that this was currently done successfully. The most important issues with presentation were identified as: i) the plot being too busy and overwhelming; ii) inclusion of complex statistical subplots; and iii) no explanation of acronyms or technical language.4.Through examination of responses and case studies, we suggest several ways to improve the accessibility of palaeo-data graphics, including decreasing use of technical language, considering alternative presentations of temporal scaling, enhancing training in areas of visual display, design and science communication, and exploring options for post-publication dissemination of research. Importantly, we recommend that these practices be developed through close collaboration with intended end-users. 5.Practical implication: Adopting the recommendations in this paper could help ensure that palaeoecological research findings are communicated to practitioners in clearer, more accessible ways, thereby improving their integration into conservation management and decision-making
Optimising delivery of integrated palliative care and heart failure services: A realist evaluation protocol (PalliatHeartSynthesis II)
Full text linkBackground Inequality in palliative care provision is an ongoing problem for underserved groups, such as those with heart failure (HF) placing a burden on patients, their caregivers and health services due to frequent, often avoidable hospitalisations. Our realist synthesis of integrated palliative care (PC) and HF literature found that integrated HF and PC services work best when service providers are motivated and have the opportunity and capacity to support behaviour change. However, we identified significant knowledge gaps with most studies completed in United States of America (USA) and based primarily on the views of nurses and physicians. We developed strategies to help services provide integrated PC and HF services but identified the need for United Kingdom (UK) primary data to better understand the context-specific implementation of palliative care and HF care. Methods This project will use co-design and realist evaluation to generate data from five PC and HF integrated services in the UK, purposively sampled to provide variation in geography and service design (Research Registry 10624). The research comprises three work packages (WPs). WP1 will deliver a realist evaluation of each site including documentary analysis, observations and semi-structured interviews with service providers and users. WP2 uses co-design methods to develop a guide to help others set up and improve integrated PC and HF services. Data from both WPs will be analysed and synthesised using a realist logic of analysis. WP3 will facilitate the development of a community of practice to support those who wish to set up, sustain and embed integrated PC and HF services. Discussion This realist evaluation of a complex intervention will improve understanding of how to tailor and implement integrated PC and HF services. The co-designed ‘how-to guide’ and community of practice will facilitate knowledge translation and ensure that evidence-based guidance is provided to assist in service development
What is the quality of care at the end of life? Qualitative findings from a nationally-representative post-bereavement survey across England and Wales
Full text linkObjectives: To explore the quality of end-of-life care in England and Wales using the experiences of bereaved family carers, and to develop person-centred quality of care domains for end-of-life care. Methods: Qualitative analysis of free-text responses from a nationally-representative cross-sectional post-bereavement survey. Inductive thematic analysis of free-text responses to open-ended questions about care in last 3 months of life, circumstances of death, and experiences of care and bereavement, guided by the Institute of Medicine’s quality domains. Participants were adults who registered the death of an adult relative in England and Wales between August and December 2022, identified using mortality data and stratified sampling (by age, gender, cause of death, place of death and geographical area). Results: Of 1194 respondents, 1083 (90.7%) gave at least one free-text response. Six themes about quality of end-of-life care were identified: (1) accessing care; (2) timely and coordinated care; (3) individualised care; (4) the nature of communication and care; (5) family-centred care and support; and (6) safe and equitable care. Difficulty accessing care, challenges navigating a complex system, and poorly-coordinated care were interpreted as leading to a lack of physical and psychological safety. Timeliness of care was considered paramount but often not achieved. How care was provided was as important as what was provided: empathic relational care (in contrast to transactional, task-based care) led to dying people and their families reporting feeling reassured, supported and safe. Conclusions: We identify aspects of quality important for care which are currently not always achieved, and provide a refined model of the quality of end-of-life care to guide policy and research
The Proteome of Dictyostelium discoideum Across Its Entire Life Cycle Reveals Sharp Transitions Between Developmental Stages
Full text linkBackground: Dictyostelium discoideum is widely used in developmental and evolutionary biology due to its ability to transition from a single cell to a multicellular organism in response to starvation. While transcriptome information across its life cycle is widely available, only early-stage data exist at the proteome level. This study characterizes and compares the proteomes of D. discoideum cells at the vegetative, aggregation, mound, culmination and fruiting body stages. Methods: Samples were collected from cells developing synchronously on nitrocellulose filters. Proteins were extracted and digested with trypsin, and peptides were analyzed by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrom-etry. Data were processed using Proteome Discoverer TM for protein identification and label free quantification. Results: A total of 4502 proteins were identified, of which 1848 (41%) were present across all stages. Pairwise comparisons between adjacent stages revealed clear transitions, the largest ones occurring between the culmination and fruiting body and between the fruiting body and vegetative stage, involving 29% and 52% of proteins , respectively. Hierarchical clustering assigned proteins to one of nine clusters, each displaying a distinct pattern of abundances across the life cycle. Conclusions: This study presents the first complete developmental proteomic time series for D. discoideum, revealing changes that contribute to multicellularity, cellular differentiation and morphogene-sis
Risk of hospitalization and death among autistic young people in England during the Covid-19 pandemic
Full text linkBackground: Autistic people experience increased health vulnerability and risk of premature mortality; the Covid-19 pandemic posed a serious health risk globally. The present study estimated risks of (i) first hospitalization, (ii) first hospitalization with a positive Covid-19 test, (iii) all-cause death, and (iv) Covid-19 associated death from 1 January 2020–31 March 2021 among autistic people compared to matched peers in England. Methods: We leveraged National Health Service records from 45,756 individuals, including 15,252 autistic individuals, via the Clinical Practice Research Datalink. Participants were matched 1:2 on birth year (± 2 years), gender, and general practitioner practice to 30,504 non-autistic people. The sample primarily comprised males and younger individuals, with a median age of 19.0 years (IQR = 12.0 years), which was expected based on the demographics of clinically diagnosed autistic people. For all outcomes, cox proportional hazards regression models were performed, accounting for matching criteria of gender, birth year, and clustering across GP practices. Additional models adjusting for matching criteria, as well as socioeconomic status, intellectual disability, obesity, alcohol misuse, and smoking were performed to assess risks of all-cause and Covid-19 related hospitalizations. However, due to perfect separation, it was not possible to conduct analyses for mortality that were adjusted for additional covariates (beyond matching factors), and Covid-19 related mortality modelling only assessed risk for male individuals. Results: Autistic individuals had increased likelihood of all-cause hospitalization (HR: 1.32, 95% CI: 1.22–1.42, p <.001) compared to matched peers, even after adjusting for intellectual disability, obesity, alcohol misuse, smoking, socioeconomic status, and matching factors. Autistic individuals had increased risk of Covid-19 related hospitalizations compared to matched non-autistic individuals when only accounting for matching factors; however, after adjusting for additional covariates of interest, autism did not remain a significant predictor of Covid-19 related hospitalization. In addition, while only models adjusting for matching factors could be performed, the results provide some evidence of heightened all-cause mortality risk for autistic individuals compared to matched non-autistic individuals during the covid period (HR = 2.47, 95% CI: 1.31–4.66, p =.005) and was inconclusive for Covid-19 associated deaths due to sparse events (HR = 1.26, 95% CI: 0.15–4.14, p =.79). Limitations: The study included a relatively young sample; thus, these results may be less applicable to older individuals and may underestimate effects for older individuals, as increasing age is a well-established risk factor for severe disease due to Covid-19 infection. In addition, due to low counts, analyses for mortality could only be adjusted for matching factors and the Covid-19 mortality analysis could only be conducted among males. Due to the nature of historically collected clinical data, we could not account for all potential confounders (e.g., residence type) and cannot eliminate the possibilities of missingness and/or provider differences in clinical coding. Conclusions: Autistic young people had increased risks of all-cause hospitalization, with some evidence of increased risks of Covid-19 related hospitalization and all-cause death, during the first 15 months of the Covid-19 pandemic compared to matched non-autistic young people. The study bolsters existing evidence of increased health vulnerability among autistic people, including within the Covid-19 period; however, the results do not provide clarity on whether autism remains an independent predictor of Covid-19 related hospitalization or death. These findings provide the first targeted, clinically-representative, and UK-specific statistics on the health vulnerability of autistic young people during the Covid-19 pandemic, and this issue must be addressed in individual patient care, as well as national and international public health policy
The Information Meta Model for Machine Learning IM³L: A Structured Approach to ML Integration in Engineering Systems
No full textMachine learning (ML) has become an essential technology in the development of modern software-intensive systems, particularly in safety-critical domains such as autonomous driving. However, despite the maturity of model-driven and software engineering practices in these domains, the integration of ML components often remains unsystematic and poorly aligned with established engineering workflows. To address this challenge, this paper proposes the Information Meta Model for Machine Learning (IM3L), a conceptual modeling language that supports the structured design of ML components in complex system contexts. IM3L enables engineers to systematically capture and reason about key characteristics of ML-based functionality—including data structure and semantics, class and feature relationships, learning method, and relevant quality metrics—in a way that aligns with established model-driven engineering (MDE) practices. This approach fosters interdisciplinary alignment and establishes a robust foundation for traceability, comparability, and quality assurance within existing model-driving engineering (MDE) practices. To illustrate the practical application of the proposed approach, the paper presents a representative example utilizing the German Traffic Sign Recognition Benchmark (GTSRB) dataset within a prototypical object detection scenario. The example demonstrates how IM3L can be used to systematically document and structure the critical properties and underlying assumptions of an ML-based system. This facilitates a well-grounded understanding of the system’s intended functionality and its integration within the broader system context prior to implementation