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Figure data: modeling partially-ionized dense plasma using wavepacket molecular dynamics
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The vertex sets of subtrees of a tree
Full text linkLet be a set of subsets of a set . When is there a tree with vertex set such that each member of is the set of vertices of a subtree of ? It is necessary that has the Helly property and the intersection graph of is chordal. We will show that these two necessary conditions are together sufficient in the finite case, and more generally, they are sufficient if no element of belongs to infinitely many infinite sets in
Hearing and anatomy of the ear of the European hedgehog Erinaceus europaeus
Full text linkA major threat to the declining European hedgehog (Erinaceus europaeus) is road traffic. Devising methods to reduce the number of collisions would increase hedgehog welfare in an urbanized world and serve to protect this flagship species, and this goal might be advanced by an understanding of their hearing. This study investigates the auditory capabilities and anatomy of the ear of the European hedgehog. Using auditory brainstem response testing on 20 live hedgehogs from Danish wildlife rescue centres, we measured hearing thresholds across 4–85 kHz and found a peak sensitivity around 40 kHz, revealing that European hedgehogs can hear sound frequencies of at least 4–85 kHz. Complementary postmortem micro-CT scans enabled a detailed three-dimensional reconstruction of the inner ear, revealing small middle ear bones with a cochlear spiral of approximately 1.7 turns. Results show that hedgehogs can perceive a broad ultrasonic range, which provides important cues for directional hearing and may additionally function in prey detection and communication. These findings provide critical insights into hedgehog sensory biology and inform the potential development of ultrasonic repellents to mitigate traffic collisions and habitat disturbances, contributing to conservation strategies for this declining species
Collective route memories emerge through differential forgetting of navigational information in homing pigeons
Full text linkBetter decision-making in larger groups than smaller groups or individuals has been observed across various taxa. While this phenomenon is thought to result from the pooling of independent information in collective decision-making, an alternative mechanism is the better retention of learned information in larger groups: collective memory. We investigated the emergence of collective memory and its role in collective intelligence by training homing pigeons to navigate home in pairs and testing their retention of learned routes. In a treatment with an eight-week forgetting period between training and memory testing, pairs flew closer to their learned routes than solo-tested birds, likely through differential retention of information across pairs. However, better memory retention in pairs did not translate into better homing efficiency, perhaps because the forgetting period was too short to generate a sufficient drop in efficiency. A second treatment demonstrated that extra training and a shorter forgetting period abolished the difference between paired and solo memory performance. These findings demonstrate that differential retention of information across group members can lead to the emergence of collective memory in animals. This has implications for a wide range of contexts in which the interplay of learning and memory shape individual and collective behaviour
Association between healthy plant-based diet-lifestyle (hPDI-Lifestyle) score and incidence of coronary heart disease, and effect modification by genetic predisposition: a prospective analysis in a population-based cohort
Full text linkBackgroundHealthy plant-based diet has been shown to benefit cardiovascular health and prevent coronary heart disease (CHD). However, association in combination with other ideal health behaviours on CHD prevention has been understudied. Furthermore, limited attention has been given to potential interactions with genetic CHD predisposition, which may add personalized health behaviour recommendations. We evaluated the association between healthy lifestyle and CHD incidence and investigated potential effect modification with genetically determined CHD risk.MethodsWe analysed 7764 participants (mean age 63, 60.1% women) from the population-based Rotterdam Study. The degree of adherence to the healthy lifestyle was quantified by a healthy plant-based diet-lifestyle (hPDI-Lifestyle) score. Multivariable Cox proportional hazard models were used to estimate hazard ratios (HRs) and 95%-confidence intervals (CIs) for CHD according to the hPDI-Lifestyle score, stratified by polygenic risk score of coronary artery disease.FindingsWe documented 918 CHD cases during 116,324 person-years of follow-up. Ideal adherence to the hPDI-Lifestyle was associated with a 20% lower CHD risk among participants at low genetic risk (HR 0.80, 95% CI 0.71-0.90), and a 44% lower CHD risk among those at high genetic risk (HR 0.56, 95% CI 0.49-0.64) compared with participants at high genetic risk but with poor adherence to the hPDI-Lifestyle (p for interaction InterpretationOur findings support recommendations to adopt a healthful plant-based diet in combination with lifestyle (non-smoking, adequate physical activity and moderate sleep duration) for personalized CHD prevention. Potential differences by genetic predisposition of lifestyle on CHD prevention warrants further investigations.FundingThis work was supported by the Erasmus Medical Centre and Erasmus University, Rotterdam, Netherlands
Fast low energy reconstruction using Convolutional Neural Networks
Full text linkIceCube is a Cherenkov detector instrumenting over a cubic kilometer of glacial ice deep under the surface of the South Pole. The DeepCore sub-detector lowers the detection energy threshold to a few GeV, enabling the precise measurements of neutrino oscillation parameters with atmospheric neutrinos. The reconstruction of neutrino interactions inside the detector is essential in studying neutrino oscillations. It is particularly challenging to reconstruct sub-100 GeV events with the IceCube detectors due to the relatively sparse detection units and detection medium. Convolutional neural networks (CNNs) are broadly used in physics experiments for both classification and regression purposes. This paper discusses the CNNs developed and employed for the latest IceCube-DeepCore oscillation measurements [1]. These CNNs estimate various properties of the detected neutrinos, such as their energy, direction of arrival, interaction vertex position, flavor-related signature, and are also used for background classification
Evaluating the dynamic integrity of ruthenium oxide nanoparticles using shock tube: an integrated experimental and DFT study
Full text linkIn the present work, the structural, morphological, molecular, optical, and catalytic features of RuO2 were evaluated for their stability using a tabletop shock tube and compared with results from density functional theory (DFT) calculations. Based on the XRD patterns that were obtained, it was discovered that the average crystalline sizes for the control, 200, and 400 shocked RuO2 nanoparticles were 22.8, 23.7, and 23.6 nm, respectively. RuO2 remained morphologically stable after 400 shocks, and the calculated average grain sizes were 26.98, 24.52, and 25.66 nm. The molecular stability of the nanoparticles was assessed by FTIR, and the results suggest there were no major changes in the RuO2 NPs. XPS analysis confirmed the chemical stability of RuO2 under dynamic shock conditions, with Ru maintaining its predominant Ru4+ oxidation state and showing negligible variation in the oxygen environment. Methylene Blue dye was used with the control and shock-treated RuO2 NPs as a catalyst to evaluate the photo-assisted degradation activity under sunlight exposure. The RuO2 NPs exhibited excellent stability under these extreme conditions
Longitudinal associations between violence exposure and adolescent conduct problems in a high‐adversity, South African setting
Full text linkBackground: Violence exposure is a well‐established risk factor for adolescent conduct problems, yet longitudinal research in high‐adversity, low‐ and middle‐income countries (LMICs) remains limited. This study investigated whether early adolescent violence exposure predicts concurrent and longer‐term conduct problems, and explored potential bidirectional associations and sex differences in a peri‐urban South African community with high rates of poverty and violence. Methods: Data were drawn from the Thula Sana birth cohort (n = 357; 51.5% female), a longitudinal intervention study in Khayelitsha, South Africa. Adolescents were assessed at early (ages 12–14) and late adolescence (ages 16–19). Violence exposure was measured using adolescent self‐report. Conduct problems were measured using adolescent and caregiver report in early adolescence and adolescent self‐report in late adolescence. Multiple linear regressions tested cross‐sectional associations, and cross‐lagged panel models examined longitudinal and bidirectional associations, adjusting for contextual adversity and intervention status. Missing data were addressed using multiple imputation, and findings were confirmed through sensitivity analyses. Results: Violence exposure was associated with higher concurrent conduct problems in early adolescence (β = .15–.19, p .05). Interaction analyses did not provide evidence that associations differed by sex. Conclusions: Violence exposure in early adolescence represents a prospective risk factor for conduct problems in a high‐adversity South African setting. Findings highlight the importance of early, contextually grounded violence prevention and the need for further research to test sex‐specific pathways and inform the development of gender‐responsive intervention strategies
Moral universe of Muslim healthcare practitioners in the UK: balancing Islamic and secular ethics in palliative and end-of-life care
Full text linkIn this paper, we evaluate the ethical challenges faced by Muslim healthcare professionals (HCPs) working in palliative and end-of-life care (P&EOLC) in the UK. Aiming to contribute to an empirical foundation on which ethical support systems for religious HCPs can be built, we compare Islamic moral frameworks with the secular ethics of the NHS (National Health Service) and assess how Muslim HCPs navigate the integration of both. This qualitative study includes 76 semistructured interviews with Muslim patients, family members and a variety of Muslim and non-Muslim palliative care providers. Important themes were the central role of Islam, Islamic beliefs and values surrounding P&EOLC, and difficulties in navigating multiple moral frameworks resulting in significant moral distress among Muslim HCPs. Our study reveals a pressing need for better ethical support systems for religious HCPs and more inclusive workplaces in healthcare. We suggest developing ethical guidance incorporating religious perspectives, offering cultural and religious competence training to staff, and establishing peer support groups to aid Muslim HCPs in aligning their professional duties with their faith, preserving their integrity and well-being. We recommend future research focuses on gathering more empirical data from diverse Muslim populations, developing effective ethical support mechanisms and studying their impact