bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Trajectories of dietary patterns from pregnancy to 12 years post-pregnancy and associated maternal characteristics: evidence from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children
Authors: Pervin Sonia , Emmett Pauline , Northstone Kate , Townsend Nick , Fatima Yaqoot , Huda M. Mamun , David McIntyre H. , Al Mamun Abdullah
Published: June 2023

Purpose

Dietary patterns (DPs) during pregnancy have been well researched. However, little is known about maternal diet after pregnancy. The aim of the study was to explore maternal DPs longitudinally, examine trajectories over 12 years after pregnancy and identify associated factors.

Methods

Of 14,541 pregnant women enrolled in the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC) complete dietary information was available for 5336 women. Principal components analysis (PCA) was used to derive DPs. DP scores at each time point were used to create DP trajectories using group-based trajectory modelling (GBTM). Multinomial logistic regression assessed the association with maternal factors.

Results

A total of six distinct DPs were identified over time with different numbers of DPs at each time point. The “healthy” and “processed” DPs persisted over the 12-year post-pregnancy. Three trajectories of “healthy” and “processed” DPs were identified from GBTM. Half the women were on the moderately healthy DP trajectory with 37% on the lower trajectory and 9% on the higher healthy DP trajectory. 59% of women were on the lower processed DP trajectory with 38% on the moderate trajectory and 3.3% on the higher processed DP trajectory. Low educational attainment, low social class and smoking in pregnancy were independently associated with being on a less favourable DP trajectory over the 12 years.

Conclusion

Health professionals should provide support on smoking cessation along with healthy eating advice during ante-natal counselling. Continued support on eating healthily after pregnancy would be beneficial for mothers and families.
Diurnal functional and anatomical changes in X-linked retinoschisis
Authors: Mautone Luca , Atiskova Yevgeniya , Druchkiv Vasyl , Spitzer Martin Stephan , Dulz Simon
Published: June 2023

Background

To investigate the changes in macular cystic schisis (MCS) and sensitivity during the day in X-linked retinoschisis (XLRS) patients.

Methods

Treatment-naïve patients with genetically verified XLRS underwent best-correlated visual acuity (BCVA) testing with ETDRS charts, spectral domain optical coherence tomography, and microperimetry (MP) twice a day, at 9 a.m. and 4 p.m., to measure changes in central retinal thickness (CRT), macular volume (MV), average threshold (AT), and fixation stability parameters (P1 and P2).

Results

At baseline, the BCVA of the 14 eyes of 8 patients amounted 0.73 (± 0.23) LogMAR. Between timepoints, the BCVA increased in 3.21 letters (p = .021), the AV improved in 1.84 dB (p = .03, 9.73%), the CRT decreased in 24.43 µm (p = .007, − 4.05%), and the MV dropped in 0.27 µm3 (p = .016, − 2.68%). P1 and P2 did not variate. The collapse of the MCS led to the reduction of macula thickness. CRT at baseline correlated with the decrease of CRT (Spearman’s ρ: − 0.83 [p = .001]). Age and change of BCVA, CRT, and AV did not correlate among one another. Eyes with disrupted ellipsoid zone showed a more prominent change in CRT (p = .050). Photoreceptor outer segment length and integrity of the external limiting membrane and cone outer segment tips were not associated with BCVA, AT, or CRT variation.

Conclusion

Eyes of treatment-naïve XLRS patients show diurnal macular thickness and function changes. Eyes with pronounced macular thickness show a greater reduction of the MCS. These results should be taken into consideration in upcoming clinical trials in XLRS.

Trial registration number

Institutional Review Board of the Hamburg Medical Chamber (Ethik-Kommission der Ärztekammer Hamburg): 2020–10,328.
Maternal separation and its developmental consequences on anxiety and parvalbumin interneurons in the amygdala
Authors: Abraham Mate , Schmerder Kirsten , Hedtstück Malin , Bösing Kimberly , Mundorf Annakarina , Freund Nadja
Published: June 2023

The early postnatal period represents an exceptionally vulnerable phase for the development of neurobiological alterations, aberrant behavior, and psychiatric disorders. Altered GABAergic activity in the hippocampus and the amygdala have been identified in humans diagnosed with depression or anxiety disorders, as well as in respective animal models. Changes in GABAergic activity can be visualized by immunohistochemical staining of parvalbumin (PV) protein. Therewith, alterations in PV intensity as well as in the integrity of the perineural net surrounding PV positive (PV+) interneurons have been reported as consequences of early stress. In the current study, maternal separation (MS) was used to induce early life stress. Female and male Sprague–Dawley rats were subjected to MS over 4 h from postnatal days 2–20. Then, anxiety behavior and PV+ interneurons in the amygdala were analyzed using immunohistochemistry in adolescence or adulthood. MS induced increased anxiety behavior in the marble-burying test in adolescence as well as in the elevated plus maze in adulthood. No effect of sex was found. Concerning alterations of parvalbumin expression in the amygdala, a trend towards a lower number of parvalbumin-positive inhibitory interneurons was shown in the amygdala after MS in adolescence, with no differences in the total number of cells. The current study offers a developmental perspective, suggesting that the kind of anxiety behavior expressed by rats following MS changes over time from active to passive avoidance, indicating that effects of MS are highly dependent on developmental state. Moreover, a cell-type-specific effect of MS on the cellular composition of the amygdala is discussed. The presented study demonstrates the long-lasting consequences of early stress on behavior, offers a possible neurobiological correlate, and discusses possible mediators in the development of these alterations.
Controlling for fixed effects in studies of income underreporting
Authors: Nygård Odd E. , Thoresen Thor O.
Published: June 2023

The expenditure method of Pissarides and Weber (J Public Econ 39(1):17–32, 1989) shows how one backs out measure of income underreporting by the self-employed by using food consumption as trace of true income. In this paper we make a case for using panel data and fixed effects estimation in such analysis, instead of OLS estimation. The main argument is that fixed effects estimation addresses the problem of omitted variable bias in the identification. We demonstrate the use of panel data and fixed effects estimation by using large-scale administrative register data on charitable donations, exploiting that the data can be turned into a panel dataset. The results suggest that the estimation technique matters—fixed effects estimates are smaller than OLS estimates.
Beyond Just Talking Strategy: Using Gaming Simulations to Catalyze Airline Managers’ Buy-in to Novel Strategies that Can Shape or Adapt to Profit Cyclicality
Authors: Langley Paul A.
Published: June 2023

This empirical qualitative study explores the role of gaming simulations in catalyzing changes to organization-wide management’s perspectives on a novel strategy for aircraft orders and retirements. A large US airline developed the new strategy to tackle the pervasive problem of profit cyclicality, driving poor average profit performance across the cycle. Based on the dynamic model used to develop the strategy with senior management, a gaming simulation workshop was designed and delivered in groups of 20 to over 200 organization-wide managers. They tested various strategies for aircraft orders and retirements, under scenarios for market demand and conduct for competitors and regulators.

A qualitative methodology was used to capture the workshop participants’ perspectives on the efficacy of various capacity strategies, before, during and after the workshop. The findings are that managers experiment risk-free with innovations in strategies for capacity orders and retirements and they do indeed discover for themselves that there are counterintuitive alternatives that can achieve large and stable profitable growth. These strategies depend on competitors (role-played by workshops participants in the simulation) cooperating to create a win-win equilibrium. Performance far exceeds the industry benchmark profit cycle.

The contribution is the empirical evidence of the effectiveness of gaming simulations to catalyze managers’ shared beliefs and buy-in to a new strategy or business model. There are implications for practitioners in airlines and other sectors on the use of a gaming simulation workshop toolset, to help create such buy-in for an emerging strategy or business model. Protocols for best practice gaming simulation workshop design are discussed.
Infrastructures of Migrant (Im)mobilities in the Borderland of Burkina Faso and Niger
Authors: Doevenspeck Martin , Donko Kamal
Published: June 2023

Externalized “migration management” in West Africa involves different infrastructures of monitoring, control, and blockage of mobility. By taking the Kantchari/Makalondi borderland between Burkina Faso and Niger as a case, we study infrastructures that condition (im)mobility. We analyze infrastructures that both support migrant mobility and serve the European idea of keeping Africans in their place, but also analyze how these infrastructures are subverted, challenged, and used by the ones who are supposed to be immobilized by them in order to remain mobile. Hence, we develop a relational view of the infrastructure of (im)mobilities as a dynamic network of social organization, economic order, and technological integration.
Surface modification toughening of partially stabilized zirconia ceramics: by sub-eutectoid solution annealing
Authors: Ali M. El-Sayed , El-Houte S. , Ibrahim Omyma H. , Othman Kolthoum I. , Hassan A. A.
Published: June 2023

In this investigation, surface modification toughening of partially stabilized zirconia ceramics, by sub-eutectoid solution annealing, has been performed. The Zr0.918Mg0.068Y0.014O1.925 designated (MZY) was prepared by mixing Magnesia Partially Stabilized Zirconia (MZ9) and Yttria Tetragonal Zirconia (TZ3Y) Polycrystal commercial powders using wet ball milling. The mechanical properties and microstructure of the MZY were investigated. XRD and SEM were used for phase analysis and microstructure examination of the sintered samples’ surfaces. The fracture toughness and hardness of the sintered compacts were determined by the Vickers indentation technique. The physical and mechanical properties of MZY were compared to those of MZ9 ceramics prepared under the same conditions. The results showed that, the Yttria addition inhibited the exaggerated growth of the tetragonal precipitates during sintering. The MZY showed a maximum in the fracture toughness of 12.9 MPa√m upon sub-eutectoid solution annealing at 1000 °C for 150 h, while the tetragonal precipitates in the MZ9 lost coherence due to their spontaneous massive transformation to the monoclinic phase via the decomposition reaction.
The Strauss Dynasty and Habsburg Vienna
Authors: Jones David Wyn
Published: June 2023

The music of the Strauss family – Johann and his three sons, Johann, Josef and Eduard – enjoys enormous popular appeal. Yet existing biographies have failed to do justice to the family's true significance in nineteenth and early twentieth-century musical history. David Wyn Jones addresses this deficiency, engagingly showing that – from Johann's first engagements in the mid-1820s to the death of Eduard in 1916 – the music making of the family was at the centre of Habsburg Viennese society as it moved between dance hall, concert hall and theatre. The Strauss industry at its height was, he demonstrates, greater than any one of the individuals, with serious personal and domestic consequences including affairs, illness, rivalry and fraud. This zesty biography, spanning over a hundred years of history, brings the dynasty brilliantly to life across a large canvas as it offers fresh and revealing insights into the cultural life of Vienna as a whole.
Redefining Development
Authors: Kritz Jessica
Published: June 2023

In 2015, Old Fadama, the largest informal community in Accra, was a government 'no-go zone.' Armed guards accompanied a participatory action research team and stakeholders as they began an empirical research project. Their goals: resolve wicked problems, advance collaboration theory, and provide direct services to vulnerable beneficiaries. In three years, they designed a collaboration intervention based on rigorous evidence, Ghana's culture and data from 300 core stakeholders. Sanitation policy change transformed the community, and government began to collaborate freely. By 2022, the intervention was replicated in Accra, Kumasi and eleven rural communities, providing health services to more than 10,000 kayayei (women head porters) and addressing complex challenges for 15,000 direct and hundreds of thousands of indirect beneficiaries. This collaboration intervention improved community participation, changed policy, and redefined development in theory and practice. This title is also available as Open Access on Cambridge Core.
Alphons Diepenbrock
Authors: Samama Leo
Published: June 2023

The music of the Dutch composer Alphons Diepenbrock (1862-1921) is one of the glories of European late-Romantic culture, although is hardly known outside his native Netherlands. This translation makes Leo Samama's masterly study of Diepenbrock available to non-Dutch readers for the first time.
The Spiritual Consciousness of Carmen Martín Gaite
Authors: Storrs Anne-Marie
Published: June 2023

Spanish writer Carmen Martí­n Gaite (1925-2000) defined religioso as the reconnection of that which was previously united, namely, the day-to-day and supernatural worlds - here defined as consciousness and the unconscious, bringing awareness and wholeness. In this book, Martí­n Gaite's religious outlook is explored through the inner journeys of five female characters in 'El balneario', 'Lo raro es vivir', 'Irse de casa' and 'Nubosidad variable'.
Commerce
Authors: Dufour Geneviève , Thool Valériane
Published: June 2023

Des bouleversements importants ont profondément secoué le monde du commerce international en 2022. Alors que la pandémie de COVID-19 affectait encore les chaînes d’approvisionnement et les déplacements, qu’on faisait face à une pénurie de main-d’œuvre importante et qu’une récession nous menaçait, d’autres événements majeurs sont venus déstabiliser encore plus notre économie. D’abord, le 28 janvier 2022, un convoi de camionneurs a pris d’assaut la capitale nationale et y a paralysé le centre-ville durant près de trois semaines. Ensuite, un autre groupe de camionneurs a bloqué certaines routes, dont le pont Ambassador entre Windsor et Détroit, considéré comme un point de passage névralgique pour la fourniture de pièces automobiles, ayant occasionné des pertes évaluées à plus d’un million de dollars par jour. 1 Enfin, le 24 février 2022, la Fédération de Russie agressait l’Ukraine, marquant le début d’une longue guerre dont les impacts économiques dépassent largement les frontières de la région.2 En effet, le monde a connu une déstabilisation supplémentaire des chaînes d’approvisionnement3 ainsi qu’une hausse importante du prix des matières premières et de l’énergie, ce qui a entraîné une baisse du volume des échanges4 ainsi qu’une crise alimentaire majeure.5 Enfin, face à l’attitude de la Fédération de Russie, de nombreux pays ont adopté des régimes de sanction économique, fragilisant encore plus l’équilibre pour les entreprises. À ce titre, à lui seul, le Canada a adopté plus de 1700 mesures de sanction économique à l’égard d’individus ou d’entités pour réagir à l’agression russe.6 De toute évidence, la résilience des marchés a été fortement sollicitée.
Explosion of continuous-state branching processes with competition in a Lévy environment
Authors: Ma Rugang , Zhou Xiaowen
Published: June 2023

We find sufficient conditions on explosion/non-explosion for continuous-state branching processes with competition in a Lévy random environment. In particular, we identify the necessary and sufficient conditions on explosion/non-explosion when the competition function is a power function and the Lévy measure of the associated branching mechanism is stable.
Socio-demographic factors and ethnobotanical knowledge associated with sesame management practices across agroecological zones in Benin
Authors: Azon Christel F. , Fassinou Hotegni Nicodème V. , Adjé Charlotte A. O. , Agossou Chaldia O. , Sogbohossou Olga E. D. , Nouletope Hermine , Akotchayé Odilon-Parfait K. , Kékpè Pancrace , Aïsso Clavaire , Guirguissou Maboudou A. , Dossa Komivi , Agbangla Clément , Quenum Florent J-B. , Achigan-Dako Enoch G.
Published: June 2023

Sesame is an oilseed crop and source of income for small-scale farmers, particularly in developing countries. In Benin, sesame production is poorly developed and the underlying reasons are still unknown. In this study, we investigated the sesame management practices, socio-demographic factors and ethnobotanical knowledge associated with sesame production, as well as the production constraints across four agroecological zones in Benin. In total, 370 farmers were surveyed based on a structured interview. Qualitative and quantitative data including socio-demographic parameters, management practices and knowledge associated with the crop, were recorded. A binary logistic regression was performed to explain the effects of socio-demographic parameters on management practices. The farm typology was generated through a principal component analysis followed by a cluster analysis. Cultivars were classified based on the seed coat colour and size. To assess the ethnobotanical knowledge related to sesame, use value, plant part used value and fidelity level were calculated. Our results showed that older farmers were more likely to practice intercropping than young farmers. In addition, male farmers applied more fertilisers and used more pesticide than female. Five distinct farm typologies were recorded in the four agroecological zones. Five different cultivars were recorded across the four agroecological zones. Sesame is mostly produced for local consumption as sauce and seed appetiser (mentioned by at least 73.23% of respondents). The seeds were the most used part of the crop. The lack of improved seeds, road impassability to the field, rarity of rain, non-availability of cultivable land for sesame production, lack of cash for farm operations were the main constraints to wide sesame production. We discussed the differences among farm typology and their productivity and proposed future research actions for expanding sesame production in Benin.
Sonication as a pre-processing step to alter acid whey generation during Greek yoghurt manufacture
Authors: Xu Kai , Silva Mayumi , Chandrapala Jayani
Published: June 2023

We investigated sonication as a pre-processing step to reduce acid whey generation during Greek yoghurt manufacture. The generation of a large amount of acid whey during the production of Greek yoghurt is an ongoing problem in the dairy industry and many studies are currently focusing on reducing it. We focused on the use of ultrasonication as a novel approach to minimize the casein fraction in the acid whey stream and simultaneously improve the gel properties. Ultrasound applied before the fermentation modified the structural properties and bonding behaviours of milk proteins, and enhanced the retention of casein in the yoghurt gel after the fermentation and straining steps. Therefore, the use of low-frequency ultrasonication as a pre-processing step may have the potential to provide significant economic benefits to the Greek yoghurt manufacturing process. Moreover, it improved the nutritional and physicochemical properties compared to regular Greek yoghurts.
On the number of error correcting codes
Authors: Dong Dingding , Mani Nitya , Zhao Yufei
Published: June 2023

We show that for a fixed
$q$
, the number of
$q$
-ary
$t$
-error correcting codes of length
$n$
is at most
$2^{(1 + o(1)) H_q(n,t)}$
for all
$t \leq (1 - q^{-1})n - 2\sqrt{n \log n}$
, where
$H_q(n, t) = q^n/ V_q(n,t)$
is the Hamming bound and
$V_q(n,t)$
is the cardinality of the radius
$t$
Hamming ball. This proves a conjecture of Balogh, Treglown, and Wagner, who showed the result for
$t = o(n^{1/3} (\log n)^{-2/3})$
.
Building a Coalition of Makers
Authors: Römer Johanna Ilene
Published: June 2023

How was former U.S. President Donald Trump’s rhetoric crafted to appeal to a public that cross-cut class, racial, and ethnic boundaries? Significant scholarship has addressed the prevalence of racism and xenophobia in Trump’s language; nevertheless Trump was able to build a broad political coalition despite this derogatory speech. This article examines the ways in which Trump leverages producerist discourse by using race as a modality to construct a moral argument about the worthiness of the figure of the ‘maker’—the entrepreneurial protagonist of his rhetoric. Using a discourse analytic framework, it highlights how Trump uses stance to indirectly racialize and gender the subjects of his talk. The aim of this article is twofold. First, furthering scholarship on racialization and colorblind racism, it offers a discourse-based method for analyzing how an explicitly racist and exclusionary discourse can be interpreted by audiences as an inclusive one. Second, building on scholarship on Trump’s rhetoric, it shows how racialized, gendered, and anti-Semitic language is part of a discursive formation that makes the neoliberal ideal of producerism appealing to an expanding political coalition—paradoxically because it is a moralizing discourse that names outsiders. By analyzing stance-taking within discourses ofressentiment, it is possible to understand how racialized and gendered ideologies and anti-Semitism work together to simultaneously include and exclude non-White audiences.
The physical properties of IR-bright Dust-Obscured Galaxies
Authors: Suleiman Nofoz , Toba Yoshiki , Frey Sándor , Tóth L. Viktor
Published: June 2023

This work aims to represent the physical properties of a sample of infrared-bright dust-obscured galaxies (DOGs) studied by Suleiman et al. (2022) by fitting the spectral energy distributions (SEDs). Twenty-eight DOGs were examined at redshifts 0.47 ≤ z ≤ 1.63 discovered by combining images of the Subaru Hyper Suprime-Cam (HSC) survey, VISTA Kilo-degree Infrared Galaxy (VIKING) survey, and the Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) all-sky survey, and detected at Herschel Spectral and Photometric Imaging Receiver (SPIRE) bands. The results show a correlation between the star formation rate (SFR) and the dust luminosity of Suleiman et al. (2022) DOG sample, the SFR ranges of the sample according to different redshifts, and a comparison between Suleiman et al. (2022) sample and other samples of DOGs.
Is star formation in gas-rich bars suppressed?
Authors: Maeda Fumiya
Published: June 2023

Whether the star formation efficiency (SFE) in the bar region is lower than those in the other regions in a barred galaxy has recently been debated. We statistically investigate the SFEs along the bars in nearby gas-rich massive star-forming barred galaxies by distinguishing the center, bar-end, and bar regions for the first time. The molecular gas surface density is derived from archival CO(1–0) and/or CO(2–1) data and the star formation rate surface density is derived from a linear combination of far-ultraviolet and mid-infrared intensities. To distinguish the three regions, we targeted 18 galaxies with a large apparent bar length (≥ 75"). The resulting SFE in the bars is about 0.6 – 0.8 times lower than that in the disks, which suggests the star formation in the bars tends to be systematically suppressed.
High [OIII] luminosities from star formation and shocks in z∼6 quasars
Authors: Lee Bomee , Chary Ranga-Ram
Published: June 2023

We use archival WISE and Spitzer photometry to derive optical emission line fluxes for a sample of distant quasars at z∼6. We find evidence for exceptionally high equivalent width [OIII] emission (rest-frame EW∼400Å) similar to that inferred for star-forming galaxies at similar redshifts. The median Hα and Hβ equivalent widths are derived to be ∼400Å and ∼100Å respectively, and are consistent with values seen among quasars in the local Universe, and at z ∼ 2. After accounting for the contribution of photoionization in the broad line regions of quasars, we suggest that the narrow [OIII] emission likely arises from feedback due to massive star-formation in the quasar host. Forthcoming mid-infrared spectroscopy with the James Webb Space Telescope will help constrain the physical conditions in quasar hosts further.
Star Formation History of Two Fields in the Halo of NGC 5128
Authors: Aghdam Sima T. , Javadi Atefeh , Hashemi Seyedazim , van Loon Jacco Th. , Khosroshahi Habib , Golshan Roya H. , Saremi Elham , Saberi Maryam
Published: June 2023

NGC 5128 galaxy is a giant elliptical galaxy located in the Centaurus group of galaxies at 3.8 Mpc. We aim to study the star formation history (SFH) of two different fields of the galaxy. The northeastern field (Field 1) is located at a distance of 18.8 kpc, while the southern field (Field 2) is at 9.9 kpc. We use a photometric method that is based on identifying long period variable (LPV) stars and asymptotic giant branch (AGB) stars, as they are strong tracers of star formation and galaxy evolution due to their luminosity and variability; 395 LPVs in Field 1 and 671 LPVs in Field 2 have been identified. These two fields present similar SFHs, although the SF rate of Field 2 is more enhanced. We find that the galaxy has three major star formation episodes t ∼ 800 Myr ago, t ∼ 3.2 Gyr ago, and t ∼ 10 Gyr ago, where t is look-back time. The rate of star formation at ∼ 800 Myr ago agrees with previous studies suggesting that the galaxy experienced a merger around that time. Furthermore, NGC 5128 has experienced a lower star formation rate in its recent history which could have been driven by jet-induction star formation and multiple outbursts of AGN activity in this galaxy, as well as a minor merger around 400 Myr ago.
Cloud-scale Analyses on Molecular Gas in Simulated and Observed Galaxy Mergers
Authors: He Hao
Published: June 2023

We employ the Feedback In Realistic Environments (FIRE-2) physics model to study how the properties of giant molecular clouds (GMCs) evolve during galaxy mergers. Due to the rarity of mergers in the local Universe, samples of nearby merging galaxies suitable for studies of individual GMCs are limited. Idealized simulations provide us with a new window to study GMC evolution during a merger, and assist in interpreting observations. We conduct a pixel-by-pixel analysis of the simulated molecular gas properties in both undisturbed control galaxies and galaxy mergers. The simulated GMC-pixels follow a similar trend in a diagram of velocity dispersion (σv) versus gas surface density (Σmol) as observed in normal spiral galaxies in the Physics at High Angular resolution in Nearby GalaxieS (PHANGS) survey. For simulated mergers, we see a significant increase in both the Σmol and σv for GMC-pixels by a factor of 5 – 10, which put these pixels to be above the trend of PHANGS galaxies in the σv vs Σmol diagram. This deviation indicates that GMCs in the simulated merger are more gravitationally unbound and have higher virial parameter (αvir) of 10 – 100, which is much larger than that of simulated control galaxies. Furthermore, we find that the increase in αvir generally happens at the same time as the increase in global star formation rate (SFR), which suggests feedback is playing a role in dispersing the gas. The correspondence between high αvir and SFR also suggests some other physical mechanisms besides self-gravity are helping the GMCs in starburst mergers to collapse and form stars.
A search for correlations between turbulence and star formation in LITTLE THINGS and THINGS galaxies
Authors: Elmegreen Bruce G. , Hunter Deidre , Martinez Zorayda , Archer Haylee , Simpson Caroline E. , Cigan Phil
Published: June 2023

Azimuthal variations in HI velocity dispersion do not correlate with variations in the star formation rate per unit area, SFR/A, suggesting that local star formation does not increase HI turbulence significantly. These variations are determined for each pixel in HI and FUV maps of THINGS and LITTLE THINGS galaxies by subtracting the average radial profiles from the measured quantities. The kinetic energy density and HI surface density increase slightly with SFR/A, suggesting that feedback goes into pushing the local dense gas around without increasing the velocity dispersion. We suggest that star formation feedback does not promote large-scale stability against gravitational forces through turbulence regulation, and that gravitational energy from recurrent instabilities drives turbulence on galactic scales.
Variable metallicity yields as tracers of inflows
Authors: Camps-Fariña Artemi , Sánchez-Blázquez Patricia , Roca-Fàbrega Santi , Sánchez Sebastián F.
Published: June 2023

Pristine gas accretion is expected to be the main driver of sustained star formation in galaxies. We measure the required amount of accreted gas at each moment over a galaxy’s history to produce the observed metallicity at that time given its star-forming history. More massive galaxies tend to have higher accretion rates and a larger drop of the accretion rate towards the present time. Within the same mass bin galaxies that are currently star-forming or in the Green Valley have similar, sustained, accretion histories while retired galaxies had a steep decline in the past. Plotting the T80 of the individual accretion histories, a measure of how sustained they are, versus the stellar mass and current sSFR we see a distribution such that currently star-forming galaxies have sustained or recent accretion and retired galaxies have declined accretion histories.
Bar-Driven Star and Star Cluster Formations and Gas Fueling to Galactic Center
Authors: Matsui Hidenori , Masakawa Toshiyasu , Habe Asao , Saitoh Takayuki R.
Published: June 2023

In order to study gas evolution in the central region of a barred galaxy, we have performed numerical simulations of gas in the potential of the barred galaxy. We have found that the bar potential produces a gas ring within the central 1 kpc region. In the gas ring, active star and star cluster formations take place. Since the gas ring is dense enough to become self-gravitationally unstable, gas clouds form in the ring. These gas clouds interact gravitationally and collide with the other clouds. Such interaction and collision reduces their angular momentums effectively, and finally gas clouds fall into the galactic center. These processes triggers episodic gas fueling to the galactic center.
ALMA observations of the environments of G333.0162+00.7615
Authors: Komesh Toktarkhan , Omar Aruzhan , Garay Guido , Assembay Zhandos , Alimgazinova Nazgul , Zhumabay Nurman , Kyzgarina Meiramgul
Published: June 2023

We have carried out ALMA observations toward the environments of G333.0162+00.7615 which was considered as a candidate of high-mass young stellar object (HMYSO) in previous studies. Our dust continuum, molecular line emission and radio recombination line emission observations show that this source is not HMYSO associated with hypercompact (HC) HII regions. Instead, we discovered two new hot cores associate with earliest stages of high mass star formation region. We estimated the rotational temperatures of these cores about 270 K from J=14→13 rotational transition of CH3CN ladder. The moment maps show velocity gradients confirming that this cores are rotating.
Feedback models in galaxy simulations and probing their impact by cosmological hydrodynamic simulations
Authors: Nagamine Kentaro
Published: June 2023

Feedback effects by supernovae (SNe) and active galactic nuclei (AGNs) are believed to be essential for galaxy evolution and shaping present-day galaxies, but their exact mechanisms on galactic scales and their impact on CGM/IGM are not well understood yet. In galaxy formation simulations, it is still challenging to resolve sub-parsec scales, and we need to implement subgrid models to account for the physics on small scales. In this article, we summarize some of the efforts to build more physically based feedback models, discuss about pushing the resolution to its limits in galaxy simulations, testing galaxy formation codes under the AGORA code comparison project, and how to probe the impact of feedback using cosmological hydrodynamic simulations via Lyα absorption and CGM/IGM tomography technique. We also discuss our future directions of research in this field and how we make progress by comparing our simulations with observations.
The relation between GC systems and SMBH in spiral galaxies: The link to the M• – M* correlation
Authors: González-Lópezlira Rosa A.
Published: June 2023

We explore the relationship between globular cluster total number, NGC, and central black hole mass, M•, in spiral galaxies. Including cosmic scatter, log M• ∝ (1.64 ± 0.24) log NGC. Whereas in ellipticals the correlation is linear [log M• ∝ (1.02 ± 0.10) log NGC], and hence could be due to statistical convergence through mergers, this mechanism cannot explain the much steeper correlation in spirals. Additionally, we derive total stellar galaxy mass, M*, from its two-slope correlation with NGC (Hudson et al. 2014). In the M• versus M* parameter space, with M*derived fromNGC, M• ∝ (1.48 ± 0.18) log M* for ellipticals, and M• ∝ (1.21 ± 0.16) log M* for spirals. The observed agreement between ellipticals and spirals may imply that black holes and galaxies co-evolve through “calm” accretion, AGN feedback and other secular processes.
SWAG: The Maps
Authors: Ott Jürgen , Meier David S. , Candelaria Tierra , Ward Dylan
Published: June 2023

We present maps of the “Survey of Water and Ammonia toward the Galactic center” (SWAG). SWAG was observed over three years (∼550 h) with the Australia Telescope Compact Array (ATCA) and covers the entire Central Molecular Zone (CMZ) at about 26” or ∼1 pc resolution. The observed 21.2–25.6 GHz range contains tens of spectral lines and 4 GHz of continuum. Here, we present some final maps. These include multiple NH3 lines, radio recombination lines, shock tracers like HNCO and methanol (CH3OH), high resolution 22 GHz water masers, and a continuum map. The maps are the foundation for ongoing comprehensive temperature mapping of the CMZ, including the identification of heating mechanisms, the characterization of water maser sources as young stellar objects or AGB stars, as well as chemistry, dynamics, and star formation studies of the ISM in this unique environment.
The Star Formation History and Dust Production in Andromeda IX
Authors: Abdollahi Hedieh , Javadi Atefeh , Taghi Mirtorabi Mohammad , Saremi Elham , Khosroshahi Habib , van Loon Jacco Th. , McDonald Iain , Khalouei Elahe , Aghdam Sima T. , Saberi Maryam
Published: June 2023

Local Group (LG), the nearest and most complete galactic environment, provides valuable information on the formation and evolution of the Universe. Studying galaxies of different sizes, morphologies, and ages can provide this information. For this purpose, we chose the And IX dSph galaxy, which is one of the observational targets of the Isaac Newton Telescope (INT) survey. A total of 50 long-period variables (LPVs) were found in And IX in two filters, Sloan i' and Harris V at a half-light radius of 2.5 arcmin. The And IX’s star formation history (SFH) was constructed with a maximum star formation rate (SFR) of about 0.00082 ± 0.00031 M⊙ yr−1, using LPVs as a tracer. The total mass return rate of LPVs was calculated based on the spectral energy distribution (SED) of about 2.4 × 10−4 M⊙ yr−1. The distance modulus of 24.56−0.15+0.05 mag was estimated based on the tip of the red giant branch (TRGB).
Views on political Islam among Australian converts to Islam: findings of a national survey
Authors: Mitchell Paul , Rane Halim , Duderija Adis
Published: June 2023

Over the past few decades, interest in and conversion to Islam among non-Muslims in the West has been on the rise. There is a view in the scholarly literature that Western converts to Islam are overrepresented in regard to politicized interpretations of the religion, commonly referred to as political Islam or Islamism, and even militancy or jihadism. This article presents the findings of a national survey of Muslim Australians. It focuses on views amongst Australian converts to Islam concerning political Islam, including views and understandings of such concepts as the caliphate, shariah, and jihad, and the relationship between Islam and politics, democracy, and conflict. The findings suggest that in the Australian context, converts to Islam are not more likely, and in some cases less likely, than the broader born-Muslim population, to understand and interpret Islam in accordance with political Islamist ideology.
Mass, Heat, and Freshwater Transport From Transoceanic Sections in the Atlantic Ocean at 30°S and 24.5°N: Single Sections Versus Box Models?
Authors: Caínzos Verónica , Hernández‐Guerra Alonso , Farneti Riccardo , Pérez‐Hernández M. Dolores , Talley Lynne D.
Published: June 2023

The Atlantic meridional overturning circulation (AMOC) is central to the climate of the Atlantic by redistributing mass, heat, and freshwater. Hydrographic sections help monitor its strength at different latitudes, and inverse box models provide estimates of AMOC, heat, and freshwater transports. We have used all available hydrographic zonal sections at 24.5°N and 30°S over the last 30 years to conclude that single section inverse models agree with monthly outputs from an ocean general circulation model at the time of the cruise. In contrast, inverse models using multiple sections at different latitudes and times of the year for each of the last three decades are more consistent with decadal averages from the same model. Therefore, solutions of inverse models with single sections are affected by aliasing and represent the state of the ocean at the time of cruise. However, aliasing is greatly reduced when using multiple sections to assess low‐frequency variability.
Quorum sensing as a mechanism to harness the wisdom of the crowds
Authors: Moreno-Gámez Stefany , Hochberg Michael E. , van Doorn G. S.
Published: June 2023

Bacteria release and sense small molecules called autoinducers in a process known as quorum sensing. The prevailing interpretation of quorum sensing is that by sensing autoinducer concentrations, bacteria estimate population density to regulate the expression of functions that are only beneficial when carried out by a sufficiently large number of cells. However, a major challenge to this interpretation is that the concentration of autoinducers strongly depends on the environment, often rendering autoinducer-based estimates of cell density unreliable. Here we propose an alternative interpretation of quorum sensing, where bacteria, by releasing and sensing autoinducers, harness social interactions to sense the environment as a collective. Using a computational model we show that this functionality can explain the evolution of quorum sensing and arises from individuals improving their estimation accuracy by pooling many imperfect estimates – analogous to the ‘wisdom of the crowds’ in decision theory. Importantly, our model reconciles the observed dependence of quorum sensing on both population density and the environment and explains why several quorum sensing systems regulate the production of private goods.
Multiple mitogenomes indicate Things Fall Apart with Out of Africa or Asia hypotheses for the phylogeographic evolution of Honey Bees (Apis mellifera)
Authors: Carr Steven M.
Published: June 2023

Previous morpho-molecular studies of evolutionary relationships within the economically important genus of honey bees (Apis), including the Western Honey Bee (A. mellifera L.), have suggested Out of Africa or Asia origins and subsequent spread to Europe. I test these hypotheses by a meta-analysis of complete mitochondrial DNA coding regions (11.0 kbp) from 22 nominal subspecies represented by 78 individual sequences in A. mellifera. Parsimony, distance, and likelihood analyses identify six nested clades: Things Fall Apart with Out of Africa or Asia hypotheses. Molecular clock-calibrated phylogeographic analysis shows instead a basal origin of A. m. mellifera in Europe ~ 780 Kya, and expansion to Southeast Europe and Asia Minor ~ 720 Kya. Eurasian bees spread southward via a Levantine/Nilotic/Arabian corridor into Africa ~ 540 Kya. An African clade re-established in Iberia ~ 100 Kya spread thereafter to westerly Mediterranean islands and back into North Africa. Nominal subspecies within the Asia Minor and Mediterranean clades are less differentiated than are individuals within other subspecies. Names matter: paraphyletic anomalies are artefacts of mis-referral in GenBank of sequences to the wrong subspecies, or use of faulty sequences, which are clarified by inclusion of multiple sequences from available subspecies.
Oily fish and raw vegetable consumption can decrease the risk of AQP4-positive neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorders: a Mendelian-randomization study
Authors: Wang Shengnan , Pan Lin , Wu Rui , Shao Yanqing , Xue Mengru , Zhu Hao , Min Wanwan , Zheng Xiangyu , Liang Yekun , Zhu Mingqin
Published: June 2023

Neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorders (NMOSD) are severe inflammatory disorders of the central nervous system targeting aquaporin‐4 (AQP4). The risk factors for NMOSD remain to be determined, though they may be related to diet and nutrition. This study aimed to explore the possibility of a causal relationship between specific food intake and AQP4-positive NMOSD risk. The study followed a two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) design. Genetic instruments and self-reported information on the intake of 29 types of food were obtained from a genome-wide association study (GWAS) on 445,779 UK Biobank participants. A total of 132 individuals with AQP4-positive NMOSD and 784 controls from this GWAS were included in our study. The associations were evaluated using inverse-variance-weighted meta-analysis, weighted-median analysis, and MR-Egger regression. A high consumption of oily fish and raw vegetables was associated with a decreased risk of AQP4-positive NMOSD (odds ratio [OR] = 1.78 × 10−16, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 2.60 × 10−25–1.22 × 10−7, p = 0.001; OR = 5.28 × 10−6, 95% CI = 4.67 × 10−11–0.598, p = 0.041, respectively). The results were consistent in the sensitivity analyses, and no evidence of directional pleiotropy was observed. Our study provides useful implications for the development of AQP4-positive NMOSD prevention strategies. Further research is needed to determine the exact causal relationship and mechanisms underlying the association between specific food intake and AQP4-positive NMOSD.
Gravity-driven controls on fluid and carbonate precipitation distributions in fractures
Authors: Xu Zhenyu , Cao Hongfan , Yoon Seonkyoo , Kang Peter K. , Jun Young-Shin , Kneafsey Timothy , Sheets Julia M. , Cole David , Pyrak-Nolte Laura J.
Published: June 2023

Many challenges related to carbon-dioxide ($$\hbox {CO}_2$$

CO
2

) sequestration in subsurface rock are linked to the injection of fluids through induced or existing fracture networks and how these fluids are altered through geochemical interactions. Here, we demonstrate that fluid mixing and carbonate mineral distributions in fractures are controlled by gravity-driven chemical dynamics. Using optical imaging and numerical simulations, we show that a density contrast between two miscible fluids causes the formation of a low-density fluid runlet that increases in areal extent as the fracture inclination decreases from 90$$^\circ$$

∘

(vertical fracture plane) to 30$$^\circ$$

∘

. The runlet is sustained over time and the stability of the runlet is controlled by the gravity-driven formation of 3D vortices that arise in a laminar flow regime. When homogeneous precipitation was induced, calcium carbonate covered the entire surface for horizontal fractures (0$$^\circ$$

∘

). However, for fracture inclinations greater than 10$$^\circ$$

∘

, the runlet formation limited the areal extent of the precipitation to less than 15% of the fracture surface. These insights suggest that the ability to sequester $$\hbox {CO}_2$$

CO
2

through mineralization along fractures will depend on the fracture orientation relative to gravity, with horizontal fractures more likely to seal uniformly.
Fibroblasts are not just fibroblasts: clear differences between dermal and pulmonary fibroblasts’ response to fibrotic growth factors
Authors: Madsen Sofie Falkenløve , Sand Jannie Marie Bülow , Juhl Pernille , Karsdal Morten , Thudium Christian S. , Siebuhr Anne Sofie , Bay-Jensen Anne-Christine
Published: June 2023

Systemic Sclerosis (SSc) hallmark is skin fibrosis, but up to 80% of the patients have fibrotic involvement in the pulmonary system. Antifibrotic drugs which have failed in a general SSc population have now been approved in patients with SSc-associated interstitial lung disease (ILD). This indicates that the fibrotic progression and regulation of fibroblasts likely depend on local factors specific to the tissue type. This study investigated the difference between dermal and pulmonary fibroblasts in a fibrotic setting, mimicking the extracellular matrix. Primary healthy fibroblasts were grown in a crowded environment and stimulated with TGF-β1 and PDGF-AB. The viability, morphology, migration capacity, extracellular matrix formation, and gene expression were assessed: TGF-β1 only increased the viability in the dermal fibroblasts. PDGF-AB increased the migration capacity of dermal fibroblasts while the pulmonary fibroblasts fully migrated. The morphology of the fibroblasts was different without stimulation. TGF-β1 increased the formation of type III collagen in pulmonary fibroblasts, while PDGF-AB increased it in dermal fibroblasts. The gene expression trend of type VI collagen was the opposite after PDGF-AB stimulation. The fibroblasts exhibit different response profiles to TGF-β1 and PDGF-AB; this suggests that drivers of fibrosis are tissue-dependent, which needs to be considered in drug development.
Fragment size and diversity of mulches affect their decomposition, nutrient dynamics, and mycorrhizal root colonisation
Authors: Gaitanis Dimitrios , Lukac Martin , Tibbett Mark
Published: June 2023

Plant-based mulch has been proposed as a sustainable way of maintaining soil fertility. However, the role of mulch diversity, quality, and size in decomposition dynamics, and their effect on crop yield, has not been fully explored. We investigated how mulch quality, proxied by the constituent plant species diversity, and residue size drive mulch decomposition, nutrient release, crop nutrition, and yield. A rhizotron experiment was set up with barley as a model crop, with the addition of mulch of two particle sizes (1.5 and 30 cm) and four different plant residue mixes of differing biodiversity (17, 12, 6, and 1 species) in a fully factorial design. Soil nutrient dynamics were measured at advanced decomposition stages, together with residue quality, arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal (AMF) root colonisation, and crop yield. Residue mass loss was significantly affected by its chemical composition. Initial NDF content was more restricted factor in C and N mineralisation than C:N or lignin. Long residues retained significantly higher C and N content, than short residues. Crop yield was not affected by residue type or size. Residue size significantly affected barley growth rate, influencing seed protein content. Soil available K was significantly increased by residues with a higher initial C:N ratio. Short residues resulted in higher soil Zn. Residues of higher diversity resulted inhigher AMF root colonisationof the barley plants. Generally, long residue mulches maintain higher fertilisation capacity at advanced stage of decomposition than short ones, without a deleterious effect on crop yield. Further investigation should evaluate the effect of continuous application of long residue mulches on soil fertility and microbial symbiosis.