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Spitzer “hidden” observations of the background are used to construct a catalog of 4090 spectra and examine the signature of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) molecules and their connection to extinction by dust. A strong positive correlation is recovered between WISE12, E ( B − V ), and the 11.2 μ m PAH band. For 0.06 ≤ E ( B − V ) ≤ 5.0, correlations of the 6.2, 11.2, and 12.7 μ m PAH band are positive with E ( B − V ). Three dust temperature regimes are revealed. Correlations with WISE12 are well constrained and that with 12.7/11.2 is flat. Decomposition with the NASA Ames PAH IR Spectroscopic Database reveals a tentative positive correlation between the 6.2/11.2 and the PAH ionization fraction, while that with 12.7/11.2 is slightly negative, suggesting PAH structural changes. The relation with PAH size and 6.2/11.2 is negative, while that with 12.7/11.2 is positive. Averaging spectra into five E ( B − V ) and three T _dust bins shows an evolution in PAH emission and variations in 12.7/11.2. Database-fits show an increase in f _i and the PAH ionization parameter γ , but a more stable large PAH fraction. While the largest γ s are associated with the highest T _dust , there is no one-to-one correlation. The analysis is hampered by low-quality data at short wavelengths. There are indications that PAHs in the more-diffuse backgrounds behave differently from those in the general interstellar medium. However, they are often still associated with larger scale filamentary cloud-like structures. The spectra and auxiliary data have been made available through the Ames Background Interstellar Medium Spectral Catalog and may guide JWST programs.

After a long device enhancement phase, scientific operation resumed in 2022. The main new device components are the water cooling of all plasma facing components and the new water-cooled high heat flux divertor units. Water cooling allowed for the first long-pulse operation campaign. A maximum discharge length of 8 min was achieved with a total heating energy of 1.3 GJ. Safe divertor operation was demonstrated in attached and detached mode. Stable detachment is readily achieved in some magnetic configurations but requires impurity seeding in configurations with small magnetic pitch angle within the edge islands. Progress was made in the characterization of transport mechanisms across edge magnetic islands: Measurement of the potential distribution and flow pattern reveals that the islands are associated with a strong poloidal drift, which leads to rapid convection of energy and particles from the last closed flux surface into the scrape-off layer. Using the upgraded plasma heating systems, advanced heating scenarios were developed, which provide improved energy confinement comparable to the scenario, in which the record triple product for stellarators was achieved in the previous operation campaign. However, a magnetic configuration-dependent critical heating power limit of the electron cyclotron resonance heating was observed. Exceeding the respective power limit leads to a degradation of the confinement.

We provide an overview of activities carried out at the TJ-II stellarator for improving our understanding of- and developing plasma physics models for particle density profiles in stellarators. Namely, we report on recent progress in turbulent particle transport simulation, validation of pellet deposition models, density profile shaping for performance control and new experimental techniques for edge turbulence and plasma-neutral interaction.

A systematic study was performed on the spectral properties of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) with edge defects using harmonic density functional theory calculations. Their potential astronomical relevance was assessed through direct comparison with NIRSpec and MIRI-MRS spectra of the atomic photodissociation region of the Orion Bar from the JWST Early Release Science PDRs4All program. It is found that the astronomical 6.2 μ m PAH emission band, including its blue side, is well reproduced by PAHs with edge defects, when taking into account the effects of polarization in the computations, and without a need for PAHs that contain nitrogen. Small neutral PAHs with edge defects explain the blue wing of the 3.3 μ m band. A low number of edge defects is required to reproduce the 8.6 and 11.2 μ m band profiles, while the 11.0 + 11.2/12.7 μ m band intensity ratio is a measure for the number of edge defects. A blind database fit to the Orion Bar spectrum reproduces the 6–15 μ m region with an error of 9.9% and shows a clear delineation of charge, with the 6–10 μ m PAH bands being carried by PAH cations and the 10–15 μ m region by predominantly neutral PAHs. The contribution of anions is negligible. Armchair PAHs fit the 12.7 μ m band, simultaneously producing a very weak broad emission feature centered at 3.225 μ m. Zigzag PAHs fit the 11.2 μ m band. It is concluded that PAHs with a low number of edge defects, in addition to armchair and zigzag PAHs, all contribute to the observed interstellar infrared emission.

eShadow is a digital storytelling platform inspired by traditional Shadow Theatre. It enables the creation of digital stories within a project-based approach that may start from scenario development and include the creation of digital puppets and sceneries, the set-up and recording of story scenes and the final assembly of a digital story. This paper presents details about eShadow architecture, features and how its use has been enhanced, employing the PerFECt framework, to combine it with immersive technologies such as projection mapping, to create mixed reality installations that offer rich learning experiences to participants in informal learning settings. Two installations are described and compared. The evaluation results demonstrate the effectiveness of the approach towards engaging learning experiences that combine mixed reality approaches with arts such as black light theatre.

The purpose of this study is to investigate the risk factors of intracranial complications in adult patients with Pott Puffy Tumor (PPT). A systematic review was conducted of clinical studies from January 1983 to December 2022 that reported on PPT adult patients. The full-text articles were reviewed for the patients’ ages, sex, cultured organisms, surgical procedures, clinical sequalae, and underlying diseases that may affect the onset of intracranial complications in PPT adult patients. A total of 106 studies were included. Medical data were reviewed for 125 patients (94 males, 31 females). The median age was 45 years. A total of 52% had comorbidities, mostly head trauma (24.5%), sinus/neurosurgical operations (22.4%), immunosuppression conditions (13.3%), diabetes mellitus (9.1%), cocaine use (7.1%), or dental infections (6.1%). A total of 28 cultures revealed Streptococcus (22.4%), 24 contained staphylococci (19.2%), and 22 cultures contained other pathogens (17.6%). An amount of 30.4% developed intracranial complications, with the most common being epidural abscesses or empyemas (55.3%), as well as subdural (15.7%) and extradural lesions (13.2%). Age, DM, and immunosuppression conditions are significantly associated with intracranial complications (p < 0.001, p = 0.018 and p = 0.022, respectively). Streptococcus infection is associated with intracranial complications (p = 0.001), although Staphylococcus and other microorganisms are not. Surgical intervention, mainly ESS, and broad-spectrum antibiotics remain the cornerstones of treatment.

Anharmonic quantum chemical computations reveal a strong, narrow (width = 0.075 |$\mu$| m) band in the 4.3–4.5 |$\mu$| m region of the absorption spectra of the cyano-substituted polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (CN-PAHs) cyanonaphthalene, cyanoanthracene, cyanophenanthrene, and cyanopyrene. This narrow window with intense IR lines implies that CN-PAHs of various shapes and sizes offer little variation in both wavelength and intensity in this region. Subsequently, this band can be used as a tracer for CN-PAHs. The distinct features making up the band are assigned to mixed vibrational states consisting of the CN stretch fundamental and various combination bands, including in-plane CH bends, CC skeletal bends, and CC skeletal breathing motions. The extraordinarily large intrinsic intensity of the fundamental CN stretch is redistributed to nearby states via anharmonic coupling, which is readily captured when using second order vibrational perturbation theory with resonance polyad matrices. This redistribution of intensity leads to a complex spectrum. The intense bands in this wavelength region may contribute to the baseline continuum and undulating macroscopic structure seen in recent JWST NIRSpec observations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A first look is taken at the NIRSpec 1–5 μ m observations from James Webb Space Telescope program 1591 that targets seven objects along the low-mass stellar life cycle with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) emission. Spectra extracted from a 1.″5 radius circular aperture are explored, showing a wealth of features, including the 3 μ m PAH complex, the PAH continuum, and atomic and molecular emission lines from H i , He, H _2 , and other species. CO _2 - and H _2 O-ice absorption and CO emission is also seen. Focusing on the bright-PDR position in M17, the PAH CH stretch falls at 3.29 μ m (FWHM = 0.04 μ m). Signs of its 1.68 μ m overtone are confused by line emission in all targets. Multicomponent decomposition reveals a possible aliphatic deuterated PAH feature centered at 4.65 μ m (FWHM = 0.02 μ m), giving [D/H] _alip. = 31% ± 12.7%. However, there is little sign of its aromatic counterpart between 4.36 and 4.43 μ m. There is also little sign of PAH nitrile emission between 4.34 and 4.39 μ m. A PAH continuum rises from ∼1 to 3.2 μ m, after which it jumps by about a factor of 2.5 at 3.6 μ m, with bumps at 3.8, 4.04, and 4.34 μ m adding structure. The CO _2 absorption band in M17 is matched with 10:1 H _2 O:CO _2 ice at 10 K. The v = 0 pure rotational molecular hydrogen population diagram reveals >2200 K UV-pumped gas. The hydrogen Pfund series runs from levels 10 to >30. Considering Br α /Br β = 0.381 ± 0.01966 and Case B recombination results in A _V ≃ 8. CO emission in IRAS 21282+5050 originates from 258 K gas. In-depth spectral–spatial analysis of all features and targets is planned for a series of forthcoming papers.

Coursevo (http://coursevo.com/) is a multilingual multimedia information system for managing courses, supporting learning processes and learning communities through the Web. Its multi-tenant architecture supports multiple instances of the underlying server infrastructure using the same core to serve the needs of multiple communities. An advantage of Coursevo in comparison with other eLearning systems is the emphasis that is given in the use of multimedia as a powerful learning means. Learning activities using multiple media can be more effective than doing it through a single medium (such as text), but what is important is combining media effectively. Coursevo is used in several vocational training and life-long-learning initiatives to establish and continuously support Onlife Communities. An Onlife Community is an aggregation that emerges in hyperconnected spaces when humans engage with other humans as well as with machines and natural entities in mindful interactions with sufficient human feeling to form webs of personal relationships. The paper presents how Coursevo is extended with gamification facilities to enable game-based learning scenarios within the context of the GAME IT project and beyond.

Context. JWST has taken the sharpest and most sensitive infrared (IR) spectral imaging observations ever of the Orion Bar photodis-sociation region (PDR), which is part of the nearest massive star-forming region the Orion Nebula, and often considered to be the 'prototypical' strongly illuminated PDR. Aims. We investigate the impact of radiative feedback from massive stars on their natal cloud and focus on the transition from the H II region to the atomic PDR – crossing the ionisation front (IF) –, and the subsequent transition to the molecular PDR – crossing the dissociation front (DF). Given the prevalence of PDRs in the interstellar medium and their dominant contribution to IR radiation, understanding the response of the PDR gas to far-ultraviolet (FUV) photons and the associated physical and chemical processes is fundamental to our understanding of star and planet formation and for the interpretation of any unresolved PDR as seen by JWST. Methods. We used high-resolution near-IR integral field spectroscopic data from NIRSpec on JWST to observe the Orion Bar PDR as part of the PDRs4All JWST Early Release Science programme. We constructed a 3″ × 25″' spatio-spectral mosaic covering 0.97– 5.27 μm at a spectral resolution R of ~2700 and an angular resolution of 0.075″–0.173″. To study the properties of key regions captured in this mosaic, we extracted five template spectra in apertures centred on the three H2 dissociation fronts, the atomic PDR, and the H II region. This wealth of detailed spatial-spectral information was analysed in terms of variations in the physical conditions-incident UV field, density, and temperature – of the PDR gas. Results. The NIRSpec data reveal a forest of lines including, but not limited to, He I, H I , and C I recombination lines; ionic lines (e.g. Fe III and Fe II); O I and N I fluorescence lines; aromatic infrared bands (AIBs, including aromatic CH, aliphatic CH, and their CD counterparts); pure rotational and ro-vibrational lines from H2; and ro-vibrational lines from HD, CO, and CH+, with most of them having been detected for the first time towards a PDR. Their spatial distribution resolves the H and He ionisation structure in the Huygens region, gives insight into the geometry of the Bar, and confirms the large-scale stratification of PDRs. In addition, we observed numerous smaller-scale structures whose typical size decreases with distance from θ1 Ori C and IR lines from C I , if solely arising from radiative recombination and cascade, reveal very high gas temperatures (a few 1000 K) consistent with the hot irradiated surface of small-scale dense clumps inside the PDR. The morphology of the Bar, in particular that of the H2 lines, reveals multiple prominent filaments that exhibit different characteristics. This leaves the impression of a 'terraced' transition from the predominantly atomic surface region to the CO-rich molecular zone deeper in. We attribute the different characteristics of the H2 filaments to their varying depth into the PDR and, in some cases, not reaching the C+/C/CO transition. These observations thus reveal what local conditions are required to drive the physical and chemical processes needed to explain the different characteristics of the DFs and the photochemical evolution of the AIB carriers. Conclusions. This study showcases the discovery space created by JWST to further our understanding of the impact radiation from young stars has on their natal molecular cloud and proto-planetary disk, which touches on star and planet formation as well as galaxy evolution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Combination band and overtone transitions of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) cations in the 2000–2900 cm-1 (5-3.5 µm) region are implicated as carriers of the 'quasi-continuum' observed in the near-infrared (IR) emission spectra of many astronomical objects. In neutral PAHs, the strongest absorption features are concentrated in the 700–900 cm-1 (14–11 µm) range, which are associated with CH out-of-plane bending motions. Upon ionization, this shifts to the 1000–1600 cm-1 (10–6 µm) range, where bands are associated with C=C stretches and CH in-plane bends. Anharmonicity is required to accurately characterize the IR absorption spectrum of PAHs, indicated herein by the ability to directly assign the bands in high-resolution experimental absorption spectra of neutral and cationic phenanthrene, pyrene, and pentacene. Neutral PAHs are indicated as the source of the strong 3.3 and 11.2 µm astronomical PAH features, while the broad features in the 6–10 µm region and the 'quasi-continuum' from 3.5–5 µm stem from PAH cations. This study reinforces the need for including anharmonicity in the computation of IR absorption and emission spectra of larger and more complex PAHs. This is particularly pertinent to the interpretation of data returned by JWST. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND Heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) is a major health issue with high morbidity and mortality. The epidemiology and the factors that cause HFpEF have not been fully clarified, while accurate predictive biomarkers are lacking. Our aim was to determine whether levels of microRNA-21 (miR-21) in peripheral blood monocytes, which play a critical role in many pathophysiological pathways of hypertensive heart disease, can predict the occurrence of HFpEF in older hypertensives, as well as the associated mortality and morbidity. METHODS We enrolled 151 elderly patients >60 years old with essential hypertension but without HF at baseline. miRs expression levels in peripheral blood mononuclear cells had been quantified by real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. RESULTS During a median follow-up of 8.2 years, 56 patients (37%) had an event. Levels of miR-21 in peripheral mononuclear blood cells proved to be significantly associated with the occurrence of HFpEF. More specifically, the median HFpEF-free period was 110 months for those with miR-21 >2.1 and 114 months for those with miR-21 <2.1. In addition, multivariate analysis showed that miR-21 (hazard ratio 11.14), followed by hemoglobin (Hg) (hazard ratio 0.56 for Hg >13.6 g/dl, a 45% risk reduction), were independent and the most significant predictors of HFpEF events. CONCLUSIONS miR-21 levels in peripheral blood monocytes are associated with the development of future HFpEF. Our findings may alter the risk models of HFpEF and support the rationale for further research into the modulation of miRs as biomarkers and treatment targets for HFpEF. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Alternaria spp. have emerged as opportunistic pathogens particularly in immunosuppressed patients. A case of a breakthrough acute invasive fungal rhinosinusitis (AIFRS), caused by Alternaria alternata, is reported in a patient with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) on anidulafungin therapy, who was successfully treated with liposomal amphotericin B and surgical intervention. To date, 20 cases of AIFRS due to Alternaria spp. have been described, 19 in the USA and 1 in Chile, making this case report the first case of AIFRS due to Alternaria in Europe. The patients had median (range) age 25 (2–56) years (65% female), almost all of them (19/20) with hematological diseases and severe neutropenia (8–41 days pre-infection). Amphotericin B was the most frequently used antifungal agent, either alone or in combination. In all of the cases, systemic antifungal therapy was combined with surgery. Despite stabilization or improvement of the AIFRS, mortality was 38% (5 days to 8 months post-surgical debridement) due to their underlying disease or other infections without sign of AIFRS at autopsy.

This paper presents how the PerFECt Framework for establishing and sustaining learning communities can be combined with innovative approaches of teaching mathematics using drama, to develop unplugged activities to introduce the binary system in primary and secondary school students. The resulting Human Calculator theatrical game enables students, using their bodies, to learn the binary representation of numbers and discover the algorithms of addition, subtraction, multiplication and division.

The formation of the radial electric field, $E_\textrm{r}$ in the scrape-off layer (SOL) has been experimentally studied for attached divertor conditions in stellarator W7-X. The main objective of this study is to test the validity in a complex three-dimensional (3D) island divertor of simple models, typically developed in tokamaks, relating $E_\textrm{r}$ in the SOL to the sheath potential drop gradient at the target. Additionally, we investigate the effect of the edge $E_\textrm{r}$ shear on the reduction of density fluctuation amplitude, a well-established phenomenon according to the existing bibliography. The main diagnostic for measurements in the SOL is a V-band Doppler reflectometer that can provide the measurement of the $E_\textrm{r}$ and density fluctuations with good spatial resolution. 3D measurements of divertor parameters have been carried out using infrared cameras, with the exponential decay length of the divertor heat flux ( $\lambda_\mathrm{q}$ ) resulting in a suitable proxy for the model-relevant $\lambda_\mathrm{T}$ , the exponential decay length of the temperature at the divertor. In the investigated attached regimes, it is shown for the first time that the formation of the $E_\textrm{r}$ in the SOL depends on parameters at the divertor, following a $E_\textrm{r} \propto T_\mathrm{e}/\lambda_\mathrm{q}$ qualitatively similar to that found in a tokamak. Then, from the analyzed plasmas, the observed $E_\textrm{r}$ shear at the edge is linked to a moderate local reduction of the amplitude of density fluctuations.

The Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic continues to spread worldwide with over 260 million people infected and more than 5 million deaths, numbers that are escalating on a daily basis. Frontline health workers and scientists diligently fight to alleviate life-threatening symptoms and control the spread of the disease. There is an urgent need for better triage of patients, especially in third world countries, in order to decrease the pressure induced on healthcare facilities. In the struggle to treat life-threatening COVID-19 pneumonia, scientists have debated the clinical use of ionizing radiation (IR). The historical literature dating back to the 1940s contains many reports of successful treatment of pneumonia with IR. In this work, we critically review the literature for the use of IR for both diagnostic and treatment purposes. We identify details including the computed tomography (CT) scanning considerations, the radiobiological basis of IR anti-inflammatory effects, the supportive evidence for low dose radiation therapy (LDRT), and the risks of radiation-induced cancer and cardiac disease associated with LDRT. In this paper, we address concerns regarding the effective management of COVID-19 patients and potential avenues that could provide empirical evidence for the fight against the disease.

A first look is taken at the NIRSpec 1–5 μ m observations from James Webb Space Telescope program 1591 that targets seven objects along the low-mass stellar life cycle with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) emission. Spectra extracted from a 1.″5 radius circular aperture are explored, showing a wealth of features, including the 3 μ m PAH complex, the PAH continuum, and atomic and molecular emission lines from H i, He, H2, and other species. CO2- and H2O-ice absorption and CO emission is also seen. Focusing on the bright-PDR position in M17, the PAH CH stretch falls at 3.29 μ m (FWHM = 0.04 μ m). Signs of its 1.68 μ m overtone are confused by line emission in all targets. Multicomponent decomposition reveals a possible aliphatic deuterated PAH feature centered at 4.65 μ m (FWHM = 0.02 μ m), giving [D/H]alip. = 31% ± 12.7%. However, there is little sign of its aromatic counterpart between 4.36 and 4.43 μ m. There is also little sign of PAH nitrile emission between 4.34 and 4.39 μ m. A PAH continuum rises from ∼1 to 3.2 μ m, after which it jumps by about a factor of 2.5 at 3.6 μ m, with bumps at 3.8, 4.04, and 4.34 μ m adding structure. The CO2 absorption band in M17 is matched with 10:1 H2O:CO2 ice at 10 K. The v = 0 pure rotational molecular hydrogen population diagram reveals >2200 K UV-pumped gas. The hydrogen Pfund series runs from levels 10 to >30. Considering Br α /Br β = 0.381 ± 0.01966 and Case B recombination results in A V ≃ 8. CO emission in IRAS 21282+5050 originates from 258 K gas. In-depth spectral–spatial analysis of all features and targets is planned for a series of forthcoming papers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We examine the dependence of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) band intensity ratios as a function of the average number of carbon atoms and assess their effectiveness as tracers for PAH size, utilizing the data, models, and tools provided by the NASA Ames PAH Infrared Spectroscopic Data base. To achieve this, we used spectra from mixtures of PAHs of different ionization fractions, following a size distribution. Our work, congruent with earlier findings, shows that band ratios that include the 3.3 μ m PAH band provide the best PAH size tracers for small-to-intermediate sized PAHs. In addition, we find that band ratios that include the sum of the 15–20 μ m PAH features (I |$_{\Sigma _{15-20}}$|⁠) and the 6.2 or 7.7 μ m bands also serve as good tracers for PAH size in the case of small-to-intermediate sized PAHs, for objects under a similar PAH size distribution as with the presented models. For different PAH size distributions, the application of a scaling factor to the I6.2/I |$_{\Sigma _{15-20}}$| ratio can provide estimates for the size of the small-to-intermediate PAH population within sources. Employment of the I6.2/I |$_{\Sigma _{15-20}}$| and I7.7/I |$_{\Sigma _{15-20}}$| ratios can be of particular interest for JWST observations limited only to ∼5–28 μ m MIRI(MRS) coverage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Current national and international guidelines, including those of the European Society of Cardiology, recognize that the assessment of prognosis should be a part of the standard management for patients with chronic heart failure (CHF). However, these same guidelines recognize the inherent difficulty of this process. A variety of factors contribute to this difficulty, including the varying etiology, frequent co-morbidity and, perhaps most importantly, huge inter-individual variability in the disease progression and outcome. Although CHF is chronic, it is also a condition in which significant proportions of patients experience apparently ‘sudden’ death, which almost certainly contributes to our difficulty in assessing individual patient prognosis. A useful tool for the risk stratification of heart failure patients is dobutamine stress echocardiography (DSE), which determines the myocardial viability in ischemic cardiomyopathy and myocardial contractile reserve in idiopathic cardiomyopathy.