bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Host-bacteriome transplants of the schistosome snail host Biomphalaria glabrata reflect species-specific associations
Authors: Schols Ruben , Vanoverberghe Isabel , Huyse Tine , Decaestecker Ellen
Published: August 2023

Microbial symbionts can affect host phenotypes and, thereby, ecosystem functioning. The microbiome is increasingly being recognized as an important player in the tripartite interaction between parasitic flatworms, snail intermediate hosts, and the snail microbiome. In order to better understand these interactions, transplant experiments are needed, which rely on the development of a reliable and reproducible protocol to obtain microbiome-disturbed snails. Here, we report on the first successful snail bacteriome transplants, which indicate that Biomphalaria glabrata can accrue novel bacterial assemblies depending on the available environmental bacteria obtained from donor snails. Moreover, the phylogenetic relatedness of the donor host significantly affected recipients’ survival probability, corroborating the phylosymbiosis pattern in freshwater snails. The transplant technique described here, complemented by field-based studies, could facilitate future research endeavors to investigate the role of specific bacteria or bacterial communities in parasitic flatworm resistance of B. glabrata and might ultimately pave the way for microbiome-mediated control of snail-borne diseases.
Investigating the Relationship Between Marital Status and Ethnicity on Neurocognitive Functioning in a Rural Older Population: A Project FRONTIER Study
Authors: Singer Jonathan , Rerick Peter , Elliott Lauren , Fadalla Carol , McLean Elisabeth , Jump Alayna , Molinar-Lopez Veronica , Neugebauer Volker
Published: August 2023

Objectives

Research indicates being married is related to better physical and psychological health. Little is known regarding the relationship between marital status and neurocognitive functioning and whether it differs based on ethnicity (Hispanic vs non-Hispanic). This is the first study to examine this relationship in a sample of aging adults in rural Texas.

Methods

Data from 1,864 participants (Mage = 59.68, standard deviation [SD]age = 12.21), who were mostly Hispanic (n = 1,053), women (n = 1,295), and married (n = 1,125) from Project Facing Rural Obstacles to Healthcare Now Through Intervention, Education, & Research were analyzed. Neuropsychological testing comprised Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status, Trails Making Test, and Clock Drawing. Participants were dichotomized, married, and unmarried.

Results

There was a significant interaction between Hispanic identity and marital status on overall neurocognitive functioning (F(1, 1,480) = 4.79, p < .05, ηp2 = 0.003). For non-Hispanic individuals, married individuals had higher overall neurocognitive functioning compared to unmarried individuals, whereas neurocognitive functioning for Hispanic individuals did not significantly differ between married and unmarried individuals. There were significant main effects as married individuals (M = 84.95, SD = 15.56) had greater overall neurocognitive functioning than unmarried individuals (M = 83.47, SD = 15.86; F(1, 1,480) = 14.67, p < .001, ηp2 = 0.01), Hispanic individuals (M = 78.02, SD = 14.25) had lower overall neurocognitive functioning than non-Hispanic individuals (M = 91.43, SD = 15.07; F(1, 1,480) = 284.99, p < .001, ηp2 = 0.16).

Discussion

Hispanics living in rural areas experience additional stressors that could lead to worse neurocognitive functioning, which is supported by the Lifespan Biopsychosocial Model of Cumulative Vulnerability and Minority Health, which postulates that race/ethnicity/socioeconomic-status-related stressors exacerbate the impact of other life stressors. Reduction of stress on rural Hispanics should be a priority as it could positively affect their neurocognitive functioning.
Neither the Third Nor the Fourth Age: Viewing Old Age Through the Philosophical Lens of Ambiguity
Authors: Pickard Susan
Published: August 2023

This paper argues that the philosophy of ambiguity, associated with Maurice Merleau-Ponty and Simone de Beauvoir, provides a helpful framework for understanding the complex and paradoxical nature of old age outside the dominant categories of the “third” and “fourth” ages. Building on philosophical literature in cultural gerontology including that focused on the “art of living” and other approaches that draw on existentialist thought, it suggests “ambiguity” as a theme that has been overlooked in such literature. The advantage of this approach is that it can accommodate contradictory elements and thus underpin an integrated approach to old age. At the same time, in distinguishing between ontological and social dimensions of ambiguity, the conceptual framework offers a new perspective on ageism that can help clarify the distinction between ageism as oppression and the negative aspects of deep old age itself. The paper is structured as follows. After making the case for the value and importance of “ambiguity” as a framework for viewing old age, I set out the key aspects of this philosophy as found in the work of Merleau-Ponty and particularly Beauvoir. I then apply this framework to a discussion of 2 literary memoirs of deep old age, by Diana Athill and Florida Scott-Maxwell, respectively. I argue that the picture of old age that emerges contrasts with the hegemonic discourses enframed by successful aging and frailed old age and offers the possibility not only of a true appreciation of old age but also of a more meaningful life course itself.
The founding charter of the Omic Biodiversity Observation Network (Omic BON)
Authors: Meyer Raïssa , Davies Neil , Pitz Kathleen J , Meyer Chris , Samuel Robyn , Anderson Jane , Appeltans Ward , Barker Katharine , Chavez Francisco P , Duffy J Emmett , Goodwin Kelly D , Hudson Maui , Hunter Margaret E , Karstensen Johannes , Laney Christine M , Leinen Margaret , Mabee Paula , Macklin James A , Muller-Karger Frank , Pade Nicolas , Pearlman Jay , Phillips Lori , Provoost Pieter , Santi Ioulia , Schigel Dmitry , Schriml Lynn M , Soccodato Alice , Suominen Saara , Thibault Katherine M , Ung Visotheary , van de Kamp Jodie , Wallis Elycia , Walls Ramona , Buttigieg Pier Luigi
Published: August 2023

Omic BON is a thematic Biodiversity Observation Network under the Group on Earth Observations Biodiversity Observation Network (GEO BON), focused on coordinating the observation of biomolecules in organisms and the environment. Our founding partners include representatives from national, regional, and global observing systems; standards organizations; and data and sample management infrastructures. By coordinating observing strategies, methods, and data flows, Omic BON will facilitate the co-creation of a global omics meta-observatory to generate actionable knowledge. Here, we present key elements of Omic BON's founding charter and first activities.
Near-surface characterization using distributed acoustic sensing in an urban area: Granada, Spain
Authors: Li Yang , Perton Mathieu , Gaite Beatriz , Ruiz-Barajas Sandra , Spica Zack J
Published: August 2023

The Granada Basin in southeast Spain is an area of moderate seismicity. Yet, it hosts some of the highest seismic hazards in the Iberian Peninsula due to the presence of shallow soft sediments amplifying local ground motion. In urban areas, seismic measurements often suffer from sparse instrumentation. An enticing alternative to conventional seismometers is the distributed acoustic sensing (DAS) technology that can convert fibre-optic telecommunication cables into dense arrays of seismic sensors. In this study, we perform a shallow structure analysis using the ambient seismic field interferometry method. We conduct a DAS array field test in the city of Granada on the 26 and 27 August 2020, using a telecommunication fibre. In addition to the existing limitations of using DAS with unknown fibre-ground coupling conditions, the complex geometry of the fibre and limited data recording duration further challenge the extraction of surface-wave information from the ambient seismic field in such an urban environment. Therefore, we develop a processing scheme that incorporates a frequency–wavenumber (f−k) filter to enhance the quality of the virtual shot gathers and related multimode dispersion images. We are able to use this data set to generate several shear-wave velocity (VS) profiles for different sections of the cable. The shallow VS structure shows a good agreement with different geological conditions of soil deposits. This study demonstrates that DAS could provide insights into soil characterization and seismic microzonation in urban areas. In addition, the results contribute to a better understanding of local site response to ground motion.
Proteomics of human spermatozoa
Authors: Castillo Judit , de la Iglesia Alberto , Leiva Marina , Jodar Meritxell , Oliva Rafael
Published: August 2023

Proteomic methodologies offer a robust approach to identify and quantify thousands of proteins from semen components in both fertile donors and infertile patients. These strategies provide an unprecedented discovery potential, which many research teams are currently exploiting. However, it is essential to follow a suitable experimental design to generate robust data, including proper purification of samples, appropriate technical procedures to increase identification throughput, and data analysis following quality criteria. More than 6000 proteins have been described so far through proteomic analyses in the mature sperm cell, increasing our knowledge on processes involved in sperm function, intercommunication between spermatozoa and seminal fluid, and the transcriptional origin of the proteins. These data have been complemented with comparative studies to ascertain the potential role of the identified proteins on sperm maturation and functionality, and its impact on infertility. By comparing sperm protein profiles, many proteins involved in the acquisition of fertilizing ability have been identified. Furthermore, altered abundance of specific protein groups has been observed in a wide range of infertile phenotypes, including asthenozoospermia, oligozoospermia, and normozoospermia with unsuccessful assisted reproductive techniques outcomes, leading to the identification of potential clinically useful protein biomarkers. Finally, proteomics has been used to evaluate alterations derived from semen sample processing, which might have an impact on fertility treatments. However, the intrinsic heterogeneity and inter-individual variability of the semen samples have resulted in a relatively low overlap among proteomic reports, highlighting the relevance of combining strategies for data validation and applying strict criteria for proteomic data analysis to obtain reliable results. This mini-review provides an overview of the most critical steps to conduct robust sperm proteomic studies, the most relevant results obtained so far, and potential next steps to increase the impact of sperm proteomic data.
Epidemiology of Medically Attended Respiratory Syncytial Virus Lower Respiratory Tract Infection in Japanese Children, 2011–2017
Authors: Simões Eric A F , Botteman Marc , Chirikov Viktor
Published: August 2023

Background

The objective was to report critical respiratory syncytial virus (RSV)–related epidemiological and healthcare resource utilization measures among Japanese children stratified by gestational and chronological age groups.

Methods

The JMDC (formerly the Japan Medical Data Center) was used to retrospectively identify infants with or without RSV infection (beginning between 1 February 2011 and 31 January 2016, with follow-up through 31 December 2017). The incidence of RSV medically attended lower respiratory tract infection (MALRI) was captured by flagging hospitalizations, outpatient, and emergency department/urgent care visits with an RSV diagnosis code during the season.

Results

Of 113 529 infants and children identified, 17 022 (15%) had an RSV MALRI (14 590 during the season). The RSV MALRI and hospitalization rates in the first 5 months were 14.3/100 child-years (CY) and 6.0/100 CY, respectively (13.4/100 and 5.8/100 CY for full-term infants and 20/100 and 6.8/100 CY for late preterm infants, respectively). Among those with ≥1 type of MALRI event during the RSV season, >80% of children had it by 24 months of chronological age, although this observation differed by prematurity status. Sixty percent of healthcare resource utilization measures started in the outpatient setting.

Conclusions

This study emphasizes the RSV burden in young children and critically highlights the data needed to make decisions about new preventive strategies.
Old Stories, New Victims: Possession of Men in A Nightmare on Elm Street 2 (1985) and Demon (2015)
Authors: Chavez William Samuel
Published: August 2023

Horror operates as social history and social practice, regularly sacrificing symbolic threats to normalcy and proper socialization to the altar of hegemony. Possession/exorcism cinema, which likewise functions through iterative scapegoating, is typically studied according to its exploitation of young women/girls—with little consideration of possessed young men and those embedded within other social dynamics. This article analyzes A Nightmare on Elm Street 2 (1985) and Demon (2015), as the possession of Jesse in the former corresponds to his suggested homosexuality, while the possession of Piotrek in the latter dramatizes his expatriate resistance to a coercive family culture. Suffering in horror is typically justified through a dispossession of quality traits and a possession of discursive liabilities. Though one might expect such victim choices to undermine the conservative sensibilities of the genre, these films leverage and reinforce the very mechanisms upon which horror depends.
Development and evaluation of visualizations of smoking data for integration into the Sense2Quit app for tobacco cessation
Authors: Brin Maeve , Trujillo Paul , Huang Ming-Chun , Cioe Patricia , Chen Huan , Xu Wenyao , Schnall Rebecca
Published: August 2023

Importance

Due to insufficient smoking cessation apps for persons living with HIV, our study focused on designing and testing the Sense2Quit app, a patient-facing mHealth tool which integrated visualizations of patient information, specifically smoking use.

Objectives

The purpose of this paper is to detail rigorous human-centered design methods to develop and refine visualizations of smoking data and the contents and user interface of the Sense2Quit app. The Sense2Quit app was created to support tobacco cessation and relapse prevention for people living with HIV.

Materials and Methods

Twenty people living with HIV who are current or former smokers and 5 informaticians trained in human-computer interaction participated in 5 rounds of usability testing. Participants tested the Sense2Quit app with use cases and provided feedback and then completed a survey.

Results

Visualization of smoking behaviors was refined through each round of usability testing. Further, additional features such as daily tips, games, and a homescreen were added to improve the usability of the app. A total of 66 changes were made to the Sense2Quit app based on end-user and expert recommendations.

Discussion

While many themes overlapped between usability testing with end-users and heuristic evaluations, there were also discrepancies. End-users and experts approached the app evaluation from different perspectives which ultimately allowed us to fill knowledge gaps and make improvements to the app.

Conclusion

Findings from our study illustrate the best practices for usability testing for development and refinement of an mHealth-delivered consumer informatics tool for improving tobacco cessation yet further research is needed to fully evaluate how tools informed by target user needs improve health outcomes.
A broadly applicable approach to enrich electronic-health-record cohorts by identifying patients with complete data: a multisite evaluation
Authors: Klann Jeffrey G , Henderson Darren W , Morris Michele , Estiri Hossein , Weber Griffin M , Visweswaran Shyam , Murphy Shawn N
Published: August 2023

Objective

Patients who receive most care within a single healthcare system (colloquially called a “loyalty cohort” since they typically return to the same providers) have mostly complete data within that organization’s electronic health record (EHR). Loyalty cohorts have low data missingness, which can unintentionally bias research results. Using proxies of routine care and healthcare utilization metrics, we compute a per-patient score that identifies a loyalty cohort.

Materials and Methods

We implemented a computable program for the widely adopted i2b2 platform that identifies loyalty cohorts in EHRs based on a machine-learning model, which was previously validated using linked claims data. We developed a novel validation approach, which tests, using only EHR data, whether patients returned to the same healthcare system after the training period. We evaluated these tools at 3 institutions using data from 2017 to 2019.

Results

Loyalty cohort calculations to identify patients who returned during a 1-year follow-up yielded a mean area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of 0.77 using the original model and 0.80 after calibrating the model at individual sites. Factors such as multiple medications or visits contributed significantly at all sites. Screening tests’ contributions (eg, colonoscopy) varied across sites, likely due to coding and population differences.

Discussion

This open-source implementation of a “loyalty score” algorithm had good predictive power. Enriching research cohorts by utilizing these low-missingness patients is a way to obtain the data completeness necessary for accurate causal analysis.

Conclusion

i2b2 sites can use this approach to select cohorts with mostly complete EHR data.
Healthcare Utilization After Thermal Injury: An Analysis Using a Commercial Claims Database
Authors: Lewis Aislinn E , Horns Joshua J , Fleming Irma D , Lewis Giavonni M , Thompson Callie M
Published: August 2023

Burn injuries affect more than 500,000 people per year in the United States but no previous studies have looked at the impact on the healthcare system. Several prior studies have shown decreased unplanned healthcare utilization after acute care discharge and increased healthcare costs for patients who have undergone burn injury grafting. This study describes postacute care hospitalization healthcare use in burn patients. A retrospective commercial claims database review was performed utilizing Truven MarketScan (MS) database. In a 10-year MS sample, 23,262 patients with burn injuries were identified and matched to a control population in a 1:1 ratio based on age, sex, and total time in the MS database. Pre- and postburn utilization of therapy, emergency department, nutritional support, psychiatry/psychology, home health, skilled nursing facility, inpatient, and outpatient visits were recorded. For controls, pre- and postburn periods were defined using the burn event date of the matched case adjusted by the pair’s relative difference in enrollment into the MS database. A series of negative binomial regressions were completed to evaluate the data. For every outcome, except skilled nursing facility, healthcare utilization was greater in the preinjury burn group relative to controls. Healthcare utilization for the burn cohort postinjury was greater for every outcome compared to controls and remained higher for at least 25-month postinjury and did not return to preinjury levels during this time frame. Relatively higher healthcare utilization prior to injury in burn patients may indicate an important difference in baseline health, and an opportunity for injury prevention.
Dissecting Idiosyncratic Earnings Risk
Authors: Halvorsen Elin , Holter Hans A , Ozkan Serdar , Storesletten Kjetil
Published: August 2023

This paper examines whether nonlinear and non-Gaussian features of earnings dynamics are caused by hours or hourly wages. Our findings from the Norwegian administrative and survey data are as follows: (i) Nonlinear mean reversion in earnings is driven by the dynamics of hours worked rather than wages since wage dynamics are close to linear, while hours dynamics are nonlinear—negative changes to hours are transitory, while positive changes are persistent. (ii) Large earnings changes are driven equally by hours and wages, whereas small changes are associated mainly with wage shocks. (iii) Both wages and hours contribute to negative skewness and high kurtosis for earnings changes, although hour-wage interactions are quantitatively more important. (iv) When considering household earnings and disposable household income, the deviations from normality are mitigated relative to individual labor earnings: changes in disposable household income are approximately symmetric and less leptokurtic.
Graphical neural networks based on physical information constraints for solving the eikonal equation
Authors: Zhan Kai , Wen Xiaotao , Wang Xuben , Song Ping , Kong Chao , Li Atao
Published: August 2023

Accurate temporal resolution of the eikonal equation forms the cornerstone of seismological studies, including microseismic source localization, and travel-time tomography. Physics-informed neural networks (PINNs) have gained significant attention as an efficient approximation technique for numerical computations. In this study, we put forth a novel model named Eiko-PIGCNet, a graph convolutional neural network that incorporates physical constraints. We demonstrate the effectiveness of our proposed model in solving the 3D eikonal equation for travel-time estimation. In our approach, the discretized grid points are converted into a graph data structure, where every grid point is regarded as a node, and the neighboring nodes are interconnected via edges. The node characteristics are defined by incorporating the velocity and spatial coordinates of the respective grid points. Ultimately, the efficacy of the Eiko-PIGCNet and PINNs is evaluated and compared under various velocity models. The results reveal that Eiko-PIGCNet outshines PINNs in terms of solution accuracy and computational efficiency.
Feeding potential of adult Systena frontalis (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) on leaves of Hydrangea paniculata (Cornales: Hydrangeaceae)
Authors: Lane Eleanor L , Del Pozo-Valdivia Alejandro I
Published: August 2023

Systena frontalis (F.) (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae), also known as the red-headed flea beetle, is a defoliating pest of a variety of crop systems, such as ornamentals and food crops. Leaf consumption by this beetle renders ornamental nursery plants, such as hydrangeas (Hydrangea paniculata Siebold, Hydrangeaceae), unsaleable. In Virginia, this insect has become a major pest at commercial nurseries, and their feeding potential on affected crops has not been quantified. In this study, the extent of their damage to individual leaves and host preference between leaf ages were determined. The rate of defoliation on mature and young hydrangea leaves was measured over 24 and 48 h and between different numbers of adults. A single adult caused up to 10% damage to a young leaf or 5% to a whole mature leaf in 24 h. Without choice, there was a higher percent damage to young leaves. When the size of leaves was controlled by cut-out mature leaves, the area damaged was still higher in young leaves when compared with mature leaves. Adult feeding between mature or young leaves was further investigated by choice assays on a caged plant and within a containerized system. In these choice assays, adults inflicted higher percent damage on mature leaves in both caged plant assays and containerized direct choice assays. The choice assays were more similar to field conditions than the nonchoice assays. This demonstrates that S. frontalis showed a preference for mature leaves over young leaves within hydrangeas.
Middle eastern energy and climate ambitions: Vision 2030 in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the influence of the legal environmental principles
Authors: Alomari Mohammad A , Heffron Raphael J
Published: August 2023

Environmental principles with their various forms, natures and different legal roles across jurisdictions are gaining increasing attention in energy and climate scholarship. The trend in the literature has been to discuss these principles in the context of developed countries, considering, for example, the impact of and significant literature on the polluter-pays principle. This article offers an original review with a contribution in discussing the new Middle Eastern energy and climate ambitions of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). These goals are contained within the promising policy document known as Vision 2030, and this review explores these energy and climate ambitions in the legal context of environmental principles. The study reviews the literature on the environmental principles in the Middle Eastern context of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and utilizes doctrinal and socio-legal methods (including expert interviews) to explore the practice of Vision 2030. This article advocates that, with the advent of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Vision 2030, the application of these principles can fill an existing lacuna in legal scholarship and advance governance in the areas of energy and climate change.
Penicillium and Talaromyces spp. emerging pathogens in dogs since 1990s
Authors: Monpierre Lorra , Soetart Nicolas , Valsecchi Isabel , Brément Thomas , Brunelat Philippe , Drut Amandine , David Manon , Roux Cécile , Hubert Floriane , Razafimandimby Bienvenue , Jouvion Grégory , Miclard Julien , Chermette René , Botterel Françoise , Guillot Jacques
Published: August 2023

Penicillium and Talaromyces spp. are environmental saprophytic molds rarely encountered as infectious agents in humans and animals. This article summarizes the clinical features, treatment, and outcomes of proven infections caused by Penicillium or Talaromyces in four dogs in France. Two dogs had disseminated infections, while the other two had a localized form. All dogs had positive histopathological results showing the presence of hyaline septate hyphae and a positive fungal culture with typical Penicillium conidiophores. Talaromyces georgiensis (n = 1), Penicillium labradorum (n = 2), and Penicillium from section Ramosa series Raistrickiorum (n = 1), were identified based on Internal Transcribed Spacer (ITS) Sanger sequencing. The dogs were initially treated with ketoconazole or itraconazole. Second-line treatment was initiated in three dogs, but after several relapses, the prognosis remained poor. Since the 1990s, 18 cases of Penicillium or Talaromyces infections in dogs have been described worldwide. This series of four reports brings new cases to those already reported in the literature, which are probably underestimated in the world.
Photometry and astrometry with JWST – III. A NIRCam-Gaia DR3 analysis of the open cluster NGC 2506
Authors: Nardiello D , Bedin L R , Griggio M , Salaris M , Scalco M , Cassisi S
Published: August 2023

In the third paper of this series aimed at developing the tools for analysing resolved stellar populations using the cameras on board of the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), we present a detailed multiband study of the 2 Gyr Galactic open cluster NGC 2506. We employ public calibration data sets collected in multiple filters to: (i) derive improved effective Point Spread Functions (ePSFs) for 10 NIRCam filters; (ii) extract high-precision photometry and astrometry for stars in the cluster, approaching the main sequence (MS) lower mass of ∼0.1 M⊙; and (iii) take advantage of the synergy between JWST and Gaia DR3 to perform a comprehensive analysis of the cluster’s global and local properties. We derived a MS binary fraction of ∼57.5 per cent, extending the Gaia limit (∼0.8 M⊙) to lower masses (∼0.4 M⊙) with JWST. We conducted a study on the mass functions (MFs) of NGC 2506, mapping the mass segregation with Gaia data, and extending MFs to lower masses with the JWST field. We also combined information on the derived MFs to infer an estimate of the cluster present-day total mass. Lastly, we investigated the presence of white dwarfs (WDs) and identified a strong candidate. However, to firmly establish its cluster membership, as well as that of four other WD candidates and of the majority of faint low-mass MS stars, further JWST equally deep observations will be required. We make publicly available catalogues, atlases, and the improved ePSFs.
Constraining the assembly time of the stellar haloes of nearby Milky Way-mass galaxies through AGB populations
Authors: Harmsen Benjamin , Bell Eric F , D’Souza Richard , Monachesi Antonela , de Jong Roelof S , Smercina Adam , Jang In Sung , Holwerda Benne W
Published: August 2023

The star formation histories (SFHs) of galactic stellar haloes offer crucial insights into the merger history of the galaxy and the effects of those mergers on their hosts. Such measurements have revealed that while the Milky Way’s most important merger was 8–10 Gyr ago, M31’s largest merger was more recent, within the last few Gyr. Unfortunately, the required halo SFH measurements are extremely observationally expensive outside of the Local Group. Here, we use asymptotic giant branch (AGB) stars brighter than the tip of the red giant branch (RGB) to constrain stellar halo SFHs. Both stellar population models and archival data sets show that the AGB/RGB ratio constrains the time before which 90 per cent of the stars formed, t90. We find AGB stars in the haloes of three highly inclined roughly Milky Way-mass galaxies with resolved star measurements from the Hubble Space Telescope; this population is most prominent in the stellar haloes of NGC 253 and NGC 891, suggesting that their stellar haloes contain stars born at relatively late times, with inferred t90 ∼ 6 ± 1.5 Gyr. This ratio also varies from region to region, tending towards higher values along the major axis and in tidal streams or shells. By combining our measurements with previous constraints, we find a tentative anticorrelation between halo age and stellar halo mass, a trend that exists in models of galaxy formation but has never been elucidated before, i.e. the largest stellar haloes of Milky Way-mass galaxies were assembled more recently.
Characterizing the calibration systematics in radio interferometry due to partially modelled extended emission
Authors: Jackson Jason P , Grobler Trienko L
Published: August 2023

Calibration is the process by which we try to remove atmospheric and instrumental errors that corrupt the observations made by interferometers. Calibration is however an imperfect process and when we calibrate with an incomplete sky model systematics or artefacts manifest in our final images. One of the more striking artefacts that can appear in images are ghost sources. This paper explores these ghost artefacts in greater depth. We are particularly interested in the systematics or artefacts that are created if we partially model extended emission. A theoretical model that utilizes an east–west layout is developed (and empirically validated) that can give insight into the systematics so formed. The results from this study reveal that when we only partially model extended emission then the calibration systematics that form can manifest as extended emission in images. The aforementioned systematics alter the original extended source in various ways; the flux density of the extended source is modified and becomes comparable to the flux density of the source in the calibration sky model and its profile is slightly modified (it becomes more point like). More importantly, we found that the shorter baselines that are more sensitive to extended emission are in general more affected by the calibration systematics than the longer baselines are. In related works, it was found that the number of antennas greatly influence the brightness of the created systematics. For the use case, we investigate in the paper, however, we found this to not be the case.
FOREVER22: the first bright galaxies with Population III stars at redshifts z ≃ 10–20 and comparisons with JWST data
Authors: Yajima Hidenobu , Abe Makito , Fukushima Hajime , Ono Yoshiaki , Harikane Yuichi , Ouchi Masami , Hashimoto Takuya , Khochfar Sadegh
Published: August 2023

We study the formation of the first galaxies in overdense regions modelled by the FORmation and EVolution of galaxies in Extremely overdense Regions motivated by SSA22 (FOREVER22) simulation project. Our simulations successfully reproduce the star formation rates and the MUV–Mstar relations of candidate galaxies at z ∼ 10–14 observed by the JWST. We suggest that the observed galaxies are hosted by dark matter haloes with Mh ≳ 1010 M⊙ and are in short-period starburst phases. On the other hand, even simulated massive galaxies in overdense regions cannot reproduce the intense star formation rates and the large stellar masses of observed candidates at z ∼ 16. Also, we show that the contribution of Population III stars to the ultraviolet (UV) flux decreases as the stellar mass increases and it is a few per cent for galaxies with Mstar ∼ 107 M⊙. Therefore, a part of the observed flux by JWST could be the light from Population III stars. Our simulations suggest that the UV flux can be dominated by Population III stars and the UV slope shows β ≲ −3 if future observations would reach galaxies with Mstars ∼ 105 M⊙ at z ∼ 20 of which the mass fraction of Population III stars can be greater than 10 per cent.
Evidence for late-time dust formation in the ejecta of supernova SN 1995N from emission-line asymmetries
Authors: Wesson R , Bevan A M , Barlow M J , De Looze I , Matsuura M , Clayton G , Andrews J
Published: August 2023

We present a study of the dust associated with the core-collapse supernova SN 1995N. Infrared emission detected 14–15 yr after the explosion was previously attributed to thermally echoing circumstellar material (CSM) associated with the supernova (SN) progenitor. We argue that this late-time emission is unlikely to be an echo, and is more plausibly explained by newly formed dust in the SN ejecta, indirectly heated by the interaction between the ejecta and the CSM. Further evidence in support of this scenario comes from emission-line profiles in spectra obtained 22 yr after the explosion; these are asymmetric, showing greater attenuation on the red wing, consistent with absorption by dust within the expanding ejecta. The spectral energy distribution and emission-line profiles at epochs later than ∼5000 d are both consistent with the presence of about 0.4 M⊙ of amorphous carbon dust. The onset of dust formation is apparent in archival optical spectra, taken between 700 and 1700 d after the assumed explosion date. As this is considerably later than most other instances where the onset of dust formation has been detected, we argue that the explosion date must be later than previously assumed.
BCG alignment with the locations of cluster members and the large-scale structure out to 10 R200
Authors: Smith Rory , Hwang Ho Seong , Kraljic Katarina , Calderón-Castillo Paula , Jackson Thomas M , Pasquali Anna , Shin Jihye , Ko Jongwan , Yoo Jaewon , Kim Hyowon , Kim Jae-Woo
Published: August 2023

Using a sample of >200 clusters, each with typically 100–200 spectroscopically confirmed cluster members, we search for a signal of alignment between the position angle (PA) of the Brightest Cluster Galaxy (BCG) and the distribution of cluster members on the sky about the cluster centre out to projected distances of 3 R200. The deep spectroscopy, combined with corrections for spectroscopic incompleteness, makes our sample ideal to determine alignment signal strengths. We also use an SDSS based skeleton of the filamentary large-scale structure (LSS), and measure BCG alignment with the location of the LSS skeleton segments on the sky out to projected distances of 10 R200. The alignment signal is measured using three separate statistical measures; Rao’s spacing test (U), Kuiper’s V parameter (V), and the Binomial probability test (P). The significance of the BCG alignment signal with both cluster members and LSS segments is extremely high (1 in a million chance or less to be drawn randomly from a uniform distribution). We investigate a wide set of parameters that may influence the strength of the alignment signal. Clusters with more elliptical-shaped BCGs show stronger alignment with both their cluster members and LSS segments. Also, selecting clusters with closely connected filaments, or using a luminosity-weighted LSS skeleton, increases the alignment signal significantly. Alignment strength decreases with increasing projected distance. Combined, these results provide strong evidence for the growth of clusters and their BCGs by preferential feeding along the direction of the filaments in which they are embedded.
QUIJOTE scientific results – X. Spatial variations of Anomalous Microwave Emission along the Galactic plane
Authors: Fernández-Torreiro M , Rubiño-Martín J A , López-Caraballo C H , Génova-Santos R T , Peel M W , Guidi F , Harper S E , Artal E , Ashdown M , Barreiro R B , Casas F J , de la Hoz E , Herranz D , Hoyland R , Lasenby A , Martínez-Gonzalez E , Piccirillo L , Poidevin F , Rebolo R , Ruiz-Granados B , Tramonte D , Vansyngel F , Vielva P , Watson R A
Published: August 2023

Anomalous microwave emission (AME) is an important emission component between 10 and 60 GHz that is not yet fully understood. It seems to be ubiquitous in our Galaxy and is observed at a broad range of angular scales. Here we use the new QUIJOTE-MFI wide survey data at 11, 13, 17, and 19 GHz to constrain the AME in the Galactic plane (|b| < 10°) on degree scales. We built the spectral energy distribution between 0.408 and 3000 GHz for each of the 5309 0.9° pixels in the Galactic plane, and fitted a parametric model by considering five emission components: synchrotron, free–free, AME, thermal dust and CMB anisotropies. We show that not including QUIJOTE-MFI data points leads to the underestimation (up to 50 per cent) of the AME signal in favour of free–free emission. The parameters describing these components are then intercompared, looking for relations that help to understand AME physical processes. We find median values for the AME width, WAME, and for its peak frequency, νAME, respectively of $0.560^{+0.059}_{-0.050}$ and $20.7^{+2.0}_{-1.9}$ GHz, slightly in tension with current theoretical models. We find spatial variations throughout the Galactic plane for νAME, but only with reduced statistical significance. We report correlations of AME parameters with certain ISM properties, such as that between the AME emissivity (which shows variations with the Galactic longitude) and the interstellar radiation field, and that between the AME peak frequency and dust temperature. Finally, we discuss the implications of our results on the possible molecules responsible for AME.
Novel conservative methods for adaptive force softening in collisionless and multispecies N-body simulations
Authors: Hopkins Philip F , Nadler Ethan O , Grudić Michael Y , Shen Xuejian , Sands Isabel , Jiang Fangzhou
Published: August 2023

Modelling self-gravity of collisionless fluids (e.g. ensembles of dark matter, stars, black holes, dust, and planetary bodies) in simulations is challenging and requires some force softening. It is often desirable to allow softenings to evolve adaptively, in any high-dynamic range simulation, but this poses unique challenges of consistency, conservation, and accuracy, especially in multiphysics simulations where species with different ‘softening laws’ may interact. We therefore derive a generalized form of the energy-and-momentum conserving gravitational equations of motion, applicable to arbitrary rules used to determine the force softening, together with consistent associated time-step criteria, interaction terms between species with different softening laws, and arbitrary maximum/minimum softenings. We also derive new methods to maintain better accuracy and conservation when symmetrizing forces between particles. We review and extend previously discussed adaptive softening schemes based on the local neighbour particle density, and present several new schemes for scaling the softening with properties of the gravitational field, i.e. the potential or acceleration or tidal tensor. We show that the ‘tidal softening’ scheme not only represents a physically motivated, translation and Galilean invariant and equivalence-principle respecting (and therefore conservative) method but also imposes negligible time-step or other computational penalties, ensuring that pairwise two-body scattering is small compared to smooth background forces and can resolve outstanding challenges in properly capturing tidal disruption of substructures (minimizing artificial destruction) while also avoiding excessive N-body heating. We make all of this public in the GIZMO code.
On the observability and identification of Population III galaxies with JWST
Authors: Trussler James A A , Conselice Christopher J , Adams Nathan J , Maiolino Roberto , Nakajima Kimihiko , Zackrisson Erik , Austin Duncan , Ferreira Leonardo , Harvey Tom
Published: August 2023

We utilize theoretical models of Population III stellar + nebular spectra to investigate the prospects of observing and accurately identifying Population III galaxies with JWST using both deep imaging and spectroscopy. We investigate a series of different colour cuts, finding that a combination of NIRCam and MIRI photometry through the F444W−F560W, F560W−F770W colours offers the most robust identifier of potential z = 8 Pop III candidates. We calculate that NIRCam will have to reach ∼28.5–30.0 AB mag depths (1–20 h), and MIRI F560W must reach ∼27.5–29.0 AB mag depths (10–100 h) to achieve 5σ continuum detections of M* = 106 M⊙ Pop III galaxies at z = 8. We also discuss the prospects of identifying Pop III candidates through slitless and NIRSpec spectroscopic surveys that target Lyα, Hβ, and/or He ii λ1640. We find small differences in the Hβ rest-frame equivalent width (EW) between Pop III and non-Pop III galaxies, rendering this diagnostic likely impractical. Instead, we find that the detection of high EW He ii λ1640 emission will serve as the definitive Pop III identifier, requiring (ultra-)deep integrations (5–150 h) with NIRSpec/G140M for M* = 106 M⊙ Pop III galaxies at z = 8. However, MIRI F770W detections of Pop III galaxies will require substantial gravitational lensing (μ = 10) and/or fortuitous imaging of exceptionally massive (M* = 107 M⊙) Pop III galaxies. Thus, NIRCam medium-band imaging surveys that can search for high EW He ii λ1640 emitters in photometry may perhaps be a viable alternative for finding Pop III candidates.
The MUSE Ultra Deep Field (MUDF). IV. A pair of X-ray weak quasars at the heart of two extended Lyα nebulae
Authors: Lusso Elisabeta , Nardini Emanuele , Fumagalli Michele , Fossati Matteo , Arrigoni Battaia Fabrizio , Revalski Mitchell , Rafelski Marc , D’Odorico Valentina , Peroux Celine , Cristiani Stefano , Dayal Pratika , Haardt Francesco , Lofthouse Emma K
Published: August 2023

We present the results obtained from follow-up observations of the MUSE Ultra Deep Field (MUDF) at X-ray energies with XMM–Newton. The MUDF is centred on a unique field with two bright, physically associated quasars at z ≃ 3.23, separated by ∼500 kpc in projection. Both quasars are embedded within extended Lyα nebulae (${\gtrsim}100\,{\rm kpc}$ at a surface brightness flux level of ≈6 × 10−19 ${\rm erg\,s^{-1}\,cm^{-2}\,arcsec^{-2}}$), whose elongated morphology is suggestive of an extended filament connecting the quasar haloes. The new X-ray observations presented here allow us to characterize the physical properties (e.g. X-ray slope, luminosities, gas column densities) in the innermost region of the MUDF quasars. We find that both quasars are X-ray underluminous compared to objects at similar ultraviolet luminosities. Based on our X-ray spectral analysis, absorbing columns of NH(z) ≳ 1023 cm−2 appear unlikely therefore such a weakness is possibly intrinsic. When also including literature data, we do not observe any detectable trend between the area of the nebulae and nuclear luminosities at both the rest-frame 2 keV and 2500 Å. The area is also not correlated with the X-ray photon index nor with the integrated band flux in the hard band (2–10 keV). We also do not find any trend between the extended Lyα emission of the nebulae and the nuclear X-ray luminosity. Finally, the properties of the MUDF quasars’ nebulae are consistent with the observed relation between the Lyα integrated luminosity of the nebulae and their area. Our results suggest that the quasar ionization power is not a strong driver of the morphology and size of the nebulae.
A jolt to the system: ram pressure on low-mass galaxies in simulations of the Local Group
Authors: Samuel Jenna , Pardasani Bhavya , Wetzel Andrew , Santistevan Isaiah , Boylan-Kolchin Michael , Moreno Jorge , Faucher-Giguère Claude-André
Published: August 2023

Low-mass galaxies are highly susceptible to environmental effects that can efficiently quench star formation. We explore the role of ram pressure in quenching low-mass galaxies ($M_{*}\sim 10^{5}{-}10^{9}\, \rm {M}_{\odot }$) within 2 Mpc of Milky Way (MW) hosts using the FIRE-2 simulations. Ram pressure is highly variable across different environments, within individual MW haloes, and for individual low-mass galaxies over time. The impulsiveness of ram pressure – the maximum ram pressure scaled to the integrated ram pressure prior to quenching – correlates with whether a galaxy is quiescent or star forming. The time-scale between maximum ram pressure and quenching is anticorrelated with impulsiveness, such that high impulsiveness corresponds to quenching time-scales <1 Gyr. Galaxies in low-mass groups ($M_\mathrm{*,host}10^{7}{-}10^{9}\, \rm {M}_{\odot }$) outside of MW haloes experience typical ram pressure only slightly lower than ram pressure on MW satellites, helping to explain effective quenching via group preprocessing. Ram pressure on MW satellites rises sharply with decreasing distance to the host, and, at a fixed physical distance, more recent pericentre passages are typically associated with higher ram pressure because of greater gas density in the inner host halo at late times. Furthermore, the ram pressure and gas density in the inner regions of Local Group-like paired host haloes are higher at small angles off the host galaxy disc compared to isolated hosts. The quiescent fraction of satellites within these low-latitude regions is also elevated in the simulations and observations, signaling possible anisotropic quenching via ram pressure around MW-mass hosts.
Multimessenger parameter inference of gravitational-wave and electromagnetic observations of white dwarf binaries
Authors: Johnson Peyton T , Coughlin Michael W , Hamilton Ashlie , Bustamante-Rosell María José , Ashton Gregory , Corey Samuel , Kupfer Thomas , Littenberg Tyson B , Reed Draco , Zimmerman Aaron
Published: August 2023

The upcoming Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA) will detect a large gravitational-wave foreground of Galactic white dwarf binaries. These sources are exceptional for their probable detection at electromagnetic wavelengths, some long before LISA flies. Studies in both gravitational and electromagnetic waves will yield strong constraints on system parameters not achievable through measurements of one messenger alone. In this work, we present a Bayesian inference pipeline and simulation suite in which we study potential constraints on binaries in a variety of configurations. We show how using LISA detections and parameter estimation can significantly improve constraints on system parameters when used as a prior for the electromagnetic analyses. We also provide rules of thumb for how current measurements will benefit from LISA measurements in the future.