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The issue of violent extremism has given rise to new policy debates in Norway. A key limitation of these debates, often grounded in naïve assumptions about the peacebuilding effect of education, is the downplay of emotions and dissent in democratic engagement. This article analyses how selected educators in Norway describe encountering and engaging with extremist students for educational interventional purposes. Previous research suggests that educational efforts to counter violent extremism can be exclusionary from the perspective of target audiences. In contrast, this study draws on agonistic pluralism to provide an alternative to understand educational approaches that may help students disengage from violent extremism. The findings show that the selected educators argue the importance of trust, support and tolerance when engaging with extremist students. For these professionals, education should not downplay radical or extreme emotions but rather place them at the centre of educational engagement. Furthermore, it is suggested that educators' empathic engagement may open the path for young people to disengage from violent extremism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Label-free detection of nucleic acids such as microRNAs holds great potential for early diagnostics of various types of cancers. Measuring intrinsic biomolecular charge using methods based on field effect has been a promising way to accomplish label-free detection. However, the charges of biomolecules are screened by counter ions in solutions over a short distance (Debye length), thereby limiting the sensitivity of these methods. Here, we measure the intrinsic magnetic noise of paramagnetic counter ions, such as Mn2+, interacting with microRNAs using nitrogen-vacancy (NV) centers in diamond. All-atom molecular dynamics simulations show that microRNA interacts with the diamond surface resulting in excess accumulation of Mn ions and stronger magnetic noise. We confirm this prediction by observing an increase in spin relaxation contrast of the NV centers, indicating higher Mn2+ local concentration. This opens new possibilities for next-generation quantum sensing of charged biomolecules, overcoming limitations due to the Debye screening. Label-free detection of nucleic acids such as microRNAs holds great potential for early diagnostics of various types of cancers, but insufficient detection limits hamper applicability. Here, the authors use nitrogen-vacancy centers in diamond to measure the intrinsic magnetic noise of paramagnetic counter ions interacting with microRNAs, lowering the detection limit to ~23 miR-21s. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding how anthropogenic activities induce changes in the functional traits of arthropod communities is critical to assessing their ecological consequences. However, we largely lack comprehensive assessments of the long‐term impact of global‐change drivers on the trait composition of arthropod communities across a large number of species and sites. This knowledge gap critically hampers our ability to predict human‐driven impacts on communities and ecosystems.Here, we use a dataset of 1.73 million individuals from 877 species to study how four functionally important traits of carabid beetles and spiders (i.e. body size, duration of activity period, tolerance to drought, and dispersal capacity) have changed at the community level across ~40 years in different types of land use and as a consequence of land use changes (that is, urbanisation and loss of woody vegetation) at the landscape scale in Switzerland.The results show that the mean body size in carabid communities declined in all types of land use, with particularly stronger declines in croplands compared to forests. Furthermore, the length of the activity period and the tolerance to drought of spider communities decreased in most land use types. The average body size of carabid communities in landscapes with increased urbanisation in the last ~40 years tended to decrease. However, the length of the activity period, the tolerance to drought, and the dispersal capacity did not change significantly. Furthermore, urbanisation promoted increases in the average dispersal capacities of spider communities. Additionally, urbanisation favoured spider communities with larger body sizes and longer activity periods. The loss of woody areas at the landscape level was associated with trait shifts to carabid communities with larger body sizes, shorter activity periods, higher drought tolerances and strongly decreased dispersal capacities. Decreases in activity periods and dispersal capacities were also found in spider communities.Our study demonstrates that human‐induced changes in land use alter key functional traits of carabid and spider communities in the long term. The detected trait shifts in arthropod communities likely have important consequences for their functional roles in ecosystems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a result of significant advances in antiretroviral therapy (ART), the number of people living with human immunodeficiency virus (PLWH) who are alive well into their senior years has increased significantly in recent years. While increased life expectancy is a highly desired outcome for PLWH, it brings with it a number of challenges that are only now starting to be understood and fully appreciated. These challenges include higher rates of co‐morbidities, polypharmacy, drug side effects, and cognitive deficits, as well as numerous psychosocial issues such as stigma, loneliness, and depression. Older PLWH also face challenges related to housing, health insurance, and long‐term care. This review will discuss many of the challenges faced by older PLWH and present clinical and public health responses with suggested interventions that may improve outcomes for this population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Meta‐analyses on the relative efficacy of psychodynamic psychotherapy (PDT) and cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) for depressive disorders are limited by heterogeneity in diagnostic samples and comparators and a lack of equivalence testing. Objective: We addressed this through a meta‐analytic test of the equivalence of manualized PDT and CBT in treating adults with depressive disorders as determined by diagnostic interviews. Sensitivity analyses evaluated the impact of pretreatment differences, mixed diagnostic samples, author allegiance, study quality, year of publication and outliers on findings. Method: A comprehensive literature search across multiple databases using reliable screening methods identified nine randomized controlled trials directly comparing manualized PDT and CBT for diagnosed depressive disorders in adults. Following pre‐registration, we employed random effect models for our meta‐analyses and two one‐sided test procedures for equivalence testing. Results: Independent raters determined that all studies were of adequate quality. Immediately posttreatment, depressive symptoms were statistically equivalent across PDT and CBT (k = 9; g = −0.11, 90% confidence interval [90% CI]: −0.24 to 0.02, pequivalence =.048, pNHST =.212, I2 = 32.7). At follow‐up, the longest time point within a year, depressive symptoms were neither statistically equivalent nor statistically different (k = 6; g = −0.16, 90% CI: −0.31 to −0.02, pequivalence =.184, pNHST =.126, I2 = 0.00). Conclusion: The efficacy of manualized PDT is equal to manualized CBT immediately at posttreatment for depressive disorders in the adult general population. Nevertheless, insufficient data exists to reach a conclusion regarding equivalence at follow‐up. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Prionospio complex comprises the most diverse and complex group within the polychaete family Spionidae. The phylogenetic relationships within the group are still poorly understood, and the generic breakdown is unstable. In this study, we assessed the diversity, relationships, and distribution of species of the Prionospio complex occurring in Norwegian waters. We analysed mitochondrial genomes and nuclear ribosomal DNA assembled via whole‐genome shotgun sequencing, and Sanger sequenced fragments of COI and 16S rDNA. Sanger sequencing proved challenging in the group, where COI was only amplified successfully in 14% of specimens. By molecular species delimitation algorithms, our study revealed the presence of four well‐supported but currently undescribed species of Prionospio in Norwegian waters. We observed a novel distribution pattern of polychaetes in coastal waters, where certain species demonstrated distribution ranges spanning over 7000 km. Such wide distribution parallels patterns of deep‐sea Prionospio species, suggesting that factors beyond recent anthropogenic translocations are involved. Our analysis of 38 mitochondrial genomes and ribosomal nuclear DNA enabled us to hypothesise on the phylogenetic relationships of 14 species of the Prionospio complex. The analysis suggested that two characters previously used to designate genera: the beginning of the branchiae from chaetiger 3 and the presence of pinnules on the branchiae, might have evolved more than one time within the complex. We return Aurospio banyulensis to the genus Prionospio according to the diagnosis of Aurospio resulting tree where this species was nested among Prionospio species. Our findings provide new insights into the diversity and distribution patterns of Prionospio species and contribute to a better understanding of marine benthic biodiversity and the importance of taxonomic accuracy in conservation and management practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We conducted experiments using a single non-deformed and two spanwise deformed wing models for a constant chord-based Reynolds number, R e = 20 × 10 3 . We carried out all experiments to consider several angles of attack α lower than the stall value. The lift forces between non-deformed and spanwise deformed wings present differences depending on the angle of attack. A first finding of the experimental study is that, for smaller values of the angle of attack, e.g., α = 4°, the non-deformed wing case has higher lift values than the highest spanwise deformed wing. However, for larger values of the angle of attack, such as α = 8°, we found a higher lift for the spanwise deformed case. Additionally, velocity fields of the trailing vortex have been taken by two-dimensional particle image velocimetry, finding that both theoretical models by Batchelor [J. Fluid Mech. 20, 645 (1964)] and by Moore and Saffman [Proc. R. Soc. Lond. Ser. A 333, 491 (1973)] can be fitted to experimental measurements obtained from non-deformed and spanwise deformed wing models, the latter model giving the best results for all angles of attack. Finally, we computed the circulation of the trailing vortex using two different methods with the same result and observing that this estimated circulation level directly correlates with the measurement of the lift force. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Over the past 30 years, there have been significant advances in the understanding of the mechanisms associated with loss and recovery of consciousness following severe brain injury. This work has provided a strong grounding for the development of novel restorative therapeutic interventions. Although all interventions are aimed at modulating and thereby restoring brain function, the landscape of existing interventions encompasses a very wide scope of techniques and protocols. Despite vigorous research efforts, few approaches have been assessed with rigorous, high-quality randomized controlled trials. As a growing number of exploratory interventions emerge, it is paramount to develop standardized approaches to reporting results. The successful evaluation of novel interventions depends on implementation of shared nomenclature and infrastructure. To address this gap, the Neurocritical Care Society's Curing Coma Campaign convened nine working groups and charged them with developing common data elements (CDEs). Here, we report the work of the Therapeutic Interventions Working Group. Methods: The working group reviewed existing CDEs relevant to therapeutic interventions within the National Institutes of Health National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke database and reviewed the literature for assessing key areas of research in the intervention space. CDEs were then proposed, iteratively discussed and reviewed, classified, and organized in a case report form (CRF). Results: We developed a unified CRF, including CDEs and key design elements (i.e., methodological or protocol parameters), divided into five sections: (1) patient information, (2) general study information, (3) behavioral interventions, (4) pharmacological interventions, and (5) device interventions. Conclusions: The newly created CRF enhances systematization of future work by proposing a portfolio of measures that should be collected in the development and implementation of studies assessing novel interventions intended to increase the level of consciousness or rate of recovery of consciousness in patients with disorders of consciousness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The advent of modern technologies, acquisition of large amounts of crop management and weather data, and advances in computing are reshaping modern agriculture. These advancements have unlocked the power of data by providing valuable insights and more accurate yield predictions. This study utilizes a historic US sweet corn dataset to: (a) evaluate machine learning model performances on sweet corn yield prediction and (b) identify the most influential variables for crop yield predictions. The sweet corn data comprised field-level data for over a quarter-century period (1992–2018) from two primary commercial sweet corn production regions for processing, namely the Upper Midwest and the Pacific Northwest. Several machine learning models were trained to predict field-level sweet corn yield from 67 variables of crop genetics, management, weather, and soil factors. The random forest model outperformed all trained models with the lowest RMSE (3.29 Mt/ha) and the highest Pearson's correlation coefficient (0.77) between predicted and observed yields. Variable importance plots revealed the top three most influential predictor variables as year (time), location (space), and seed source (genetics). Season long total precipitation and average minimum temperature during anthesis were the two most important weather variables in yield prediction. This is the first report of using fine-scale (time and space) crop data and advanced data analytics to leverage insights into commercial sweet corn production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Spatial navigation research in humans increasingly relies on experiments using virtual reality (VR) tools, which allow for the creation of highly flexible, and immersive study environments, that can react to participant interaction in real time. Despite the popularity of VR, tools simplifying the creation and data management of such experiments are rare and often restricted to a specific scope—limiting usability and comparability. To overcome those limitations, we introduce the Virtual Navigation Toolbox (VNT), a collection of interchangeable and independent tools for the development of spatial navigation VR experiments using the popular Unity game engine. The VNT's features are packaged in loosely coupled and reusable modules, facilitating convenient implementation of diverse experimental designs. Here, we depict how the VNT fulfils feature requirements of different VR environments and experiments, guiding through the implementation and execution of a showcase study using the toolbox. The presented showcase study reveals that homing performance in a classic triangle completion task is invariant to translation velocity of the participant's avatar, but highly sensitive to the number of landmarks. The VNT is freely available under a creative commons license, and we invite researchers to contribute, extending and improving tools using the provided repository. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: This study sought to identify the factors associated with the life satisfaction and peace of mind (PoM) of dentists not in full-time clinical training. Materials and methods: Cross-sectional questionnaires were distributed to dentists in Taiwan to collect their life satisfaction, PoM, sociodemographic data, and dental career-related characteristics. Life satisfaction was measured using a 5-item Satisfaction with Life Scale. PoM was measured using a 7-item Peace of Mind Scale. Descriptive statistics and multiple linear regression models were estimated to explore potential associations between the two scales and the examined factors. Results: A total of 1196 dentists (45.6% female; mean age = 44.12) completed the questionnaires. The response rate of completed questionnaires from email invitations was 32.9%. On multivariable analysis, life satisfaction and PoM were associated with age (b = 0.008 in both), better perceived health (b = 0.262 and 0.308, respectively), family interaction (b = 0.264 and 0.207, respectively), and friend relationships (b = 0.076 and 0.091, respectively). Being married (b = 0.191), being specialized (b = 0.127), working in private practice, and spending 10 to 39 h per week with patients (b = 0.101 to 0.162) were associated with a higher level of life satisfaction but not PoM. Conclusions: Specialists working in private practice without working overtime were associated with better life satisfaction. However, the dentists' health and relationships with family were more related to their subjective well-being than their professional achievements. Clinical relevance: Our findings can help policymakers increase awareness of the well-being of general dentists and those in academia or hospitals to promote their mental health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Whole‐genome duplication has long been appreciated for its role in driving phenotypic novelty in plants, often altering the way organisms interface with the abiotic environment. Only recently, however, have we begun to investigate how polyploidy influences interactions of plants with other species, despite the biotic niche being predicted as one of the main determinants of polyploid establishment. Nevertheless, we lack information about how polyploidy affects the diversity and composition of the microbial taxa that colonize plants, and whether this is genotype‐dependent and repeatable across natural environments. This information is a first step towards understanding whether the microbiome contributes to polyploid establishment. We, thus, tested the immediate effect of polyploidy on the diversity and composition of the bacterial microbiome of the aquatic plant Spirodela polyrhiza using four pairs of diploids and synthetic autotetraploids. Under controlled conditions, axenic plants were inoculated with pond waters collected from 10 field sites across a broad environmental gradient. Autotetraploids hosted 4%–11% greater bacterial taxonomic and phylogenetic diversity than their diploid progenitors. Polyploidy, along with its interactions with the inoculum source and genetic lineage, collectively explained 7% of the total variation in microbiome composition. Furthermore, polyploidy broadened the core microbiome, with autotetraploids having 15 unique bacterial taxa in addition to the 55 they shared with diploids. Our results show that whole‐genome duplication directly leads to novelty in the plant microbiome and importantly that the effect is dependent on the genetic ancestry of the polyploid and generalizable over many environmental contexts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Plants rely on cross‐resistance traits to defend against multiple, phylogenetically distinct enemies. These traits are often the result of long co‐evolutionary histories. Biological invasions can force naïve plants to cope with novel, coincident pests, and pathogens. For example, European ash (Fraxinus excelsior) is substantially threatened by the emerald ash borer (EAB), Agrilus planipennis, a wood‐boring beetle, and the ash dieback (ADB) pathogen, Hymenoscyphus fraxineus. Yet, plant cross‐resistance traits against novel enemies are poorly explored and it is unknown whether naïve ash trees can defend against novel enemy complexes via cross‐resistance mechanisms.To gain mechanistic insights, we quantified EAB performance on grafted replicates of ash genotypes varying in ADB resistance and characterized ash phloem chemistry with targeted and untargeted metabolomics.Emerald ash borer performed better on ADB‐susceptible than on ADB‐resistant genotypes. Moreover, changes in EAB performance aligned with differences in phloem chemical profiles between ADB‐susceptible and ADB‐resistant genotypes.We show that intraspecific variation in phloem chemistry in European ash can confer increased cross‐resistance to invasive antagonists from different taxonomic kingdoms. Our study suggests that promotion of ADB‐resistant ash genotypes may simultaneously help to control the ADB disease and reduce EAB‐caused ash losses, which may be critical for the long‐term stability of this keystone tree species. See also the Commentary on this article by Johnson & Whitehill, 240: 912–914. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The wide‐field spectroscopic survey telescope (WST) is proposed to become the next large optical/near infrared facility for the European southern observatory (ESO) once the extremely large telescope (ELT) has become operational. While the latter is optimized for unprecedented sensitivity and adaptive‐optics assisted image quality over a small field of view, WST addresses the need for large survey volumes in spectroscopy with the light‐collecting power of a 10‐m class telescope. Its unique layout will feature the combination of multi‐object and integral field spectroscopy simultaneously. For the intended capacity of this layout, a very large number of detectors are needed. The complexity of the detector systems presents a number of challenges that are discussed with a focus on novel approaches and innovative detector designs that can be expected to emerge over the anticipated 20‐year timeline of this project. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Image sensors, most notably the Charge Coupled Device (CCD), have revolutionized observational astronomy as perhaps the most important innovation after photography. Since the 50th anniversary of the invention of the CCD has passed in 2019, it is time to review the development of detectors for the visible wavelength range, starting with the discovery of the photoelectric effect and the first experiments to utilize it for the photometry of stars at Sternwarte Babelsberg in 1913, over the invention of the CCD, its development at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, to the high‐performance CCD and complementary metal‐oxide‐semiconductor imagers that are available off‐the‐shelf today. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is increasing interest about the fidelity with which interventions are implemented because it is theorized that better implementation fidelity by facilitators is associated with better participant outcomes. However, in the parenting program literature, there is mixed evidence on the relationship between implementation fidelity and outcomes. This paper provides a synthesis of the evidence on the relationship between facilitator delivery and outcomes in the parenting program literature. Following PRISMA guidelines, this paper synthesizes the results of a systematic review of studies on parenting programs aiming to reduce violence against children and child behavior problems. Specifically, it examines associations between observational measures of facilitator competent adherence and parent and child outcomes. A meta-analysis was not feasible due to study heterogeneity. As a result, Synthesis Without Meta-Analysis guidelines were followed. Searches in electronic databases, reference searching, forward citation tracking, and expert input identified 9653 articles. After screening using pre-specified criteria, 18 articles were included. The review found that most studies (n = 13) reported a statistically significant positive relationship with at least one parent or child outcome. However, eight studies reported inconsistent findings across outcomes, and four studies found no association with outcomes. The results suggest that better facilitator competent adherence is generally associated with positive parent and child outcomes. However, this finding is weakened by the methodological heterogeneity of included studies and due to the wide variety of ways in which studies conceptualized competent adherence-outcome relationships. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over the past decades, emerging focus has been on how teachers in Norway can foster citizenship in their classrooms to strengthen democracy. Yet, in conjunction with rising concerns of homegrown terrorism, a new curriculum in Norway draws on democratic education as a bulwark against terrorism. This paper explores the securitisation of the Norwegian educational domain. We analysed three counterterrorism policy documents to explicate the governance of security in school. Analyses of terrorism discourses show a depoliticised and individualised representation in the Norwegian security policy field. These discourses are accompanied by growing urgency where educators are expected to be vigilant towards presumed vulnerable students and report concerns to relevant authorities. This article provides new insight into what security expectations are placed on educators in Norway and their potential consequences for pedagogical practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The issue of violent extremism has given rise to new policy debates in Norway. A key limitation of these debates, often grounded in naïve assumptions about the peacebuilding effect of education, is the downplay of emotions and dissent in democratic engagement. This article analyses how selected educators in Norway describe encountering and engaging with extremist students for educational interventional purposes. Previous research suggests that educational efforts to counter violent extremism can be exclusionary from the perspective of target audiences. In contrast, this study draws on agonistic pluralism to provide an alternative to understand educational approaches that may help students disengage from violent extremism. The findings show that the selected educators argue the importance of trust, support and tolerance when engaging with extremist students. For these professionals, education should not downplay radical or extreme emotions but rather place them at the centre of educational engagement. Furthermore, it is suggested that educators’ empathic engagement may open the path for young people to disengage from violent extremism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Loss of insect biodiversity is widespread, and in forests habitat loss is one of the major drivers responsible. Integrative forest management must consider the preservation and promotion of key habitat features that provide essential microhabitats and resources to conserve biodiversity alongside ecosystem functions and services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Popcorn (Zea mays) is an important crop in the United States; however, genetic analyses of popcorn are limited and tend to utilize relatively few markers that cannot capture the total genomic variation. To improve the genomic resources in popcorn, a panel of 320 popcorn accessions was evaluated using 308,811 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) generated using a genotyping‐by‐sequencing approach. Using this genomic data, several model‐based clustering analyses identified two major groups. The first comprised North American Yellow Pearl Popcorns and accessions of the Chilean Curagua landrace, separated into three subgroups. The second, the Pointed and Latin American Popcorns, included all remaining North American, Latin American, and global accessions. These groups exhibited differences in population structure and genetic diversity. The North American Yellow Pearl Popcorns contain limited genetic diversity compared to the Pointed and Latin American Popcorns. Additionally, phenotypic differences between the two groups were observed in kernel color and nicosulfuron sensitivity. A filtered set of SNPs was curated and used for genome‐wide association studies and popcorn‐specific candidate genes for nicosulfuron tolerance were identified. The genomic characterization described here can be used by breeding programs to accelerate the rate of genetic gain and incorporate genetic diversity into elite popcorn germplasm. Core Ideas: North American Popcorn is composed of two main groups that differ genetically and phenotypically.North American Yellow Pearl Popcorns contain limited genetic diversity and are highly inbred.Pointed and Latin American Popcorns exhibit considerable genetic diversity and rapid linkage disequilibrium decay.Kernel color does not affect nicosulfuron sensitivity and instead reflects differences between the groups.Popcorn‐specific candidate genes for nicosulfuron tolerance are distinct from dent corn. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over the last 30 years, there has been a growing trend in clinical trials towards assessing novel interventions not only against the benchmark of statistical significance, but also with respect to whether they lead to clinically meaningful changes for patients. In the context of Disorders of Consciousness (DOC), despite a growing landscape of experimental interventions, there is no agreed standard as to what counts as a minimal clinically important difference (MCID). In part, this issue springs from the fact that, by definition, DOC patients are either unresponsive (i.e., in a Vegetative State; VS) or non-communicative (i.e., in a Minimally Conscious State; MCS), which renders it impossible to assess any subjective perception of benefit, one of the two core aspects of MCIDs. Here, we develop a novel approach that leverages published, international diagnostic guidelines to establish a probability-based minimal clinically important difference (pMCID), and we apply it to the most validated and frequently used scale in DOC: the Coma Recovery Scale–Revised (CRS-R). This novel method is objective (i.e., based on published criteria for patient diagnosis) and easy to recalculate as the field refines its agreed-upon criteria for diagnosis. We believe this new approach can help clinicians determine whether observed changes in patients' behavior are clinically important, even when patients cannot communicate their experiences, and can align the landscape of clinical trials in DOC with the practices in other medical fields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Strain-controlled fully reversed fatigue testing, or strain-life testing, provides critical information on material lifetime and damage response. Strain-life data in hydrogen gas environments is missing in the literature and could provide valuable insights into hydrogen effects on the mechanical response of metals such as steel. We adapted existing hydrogen-gas-environment mechanical-testing equipment, which had been designed only for tensile loads, to accommodate the large compressive loads needed to perform strain-life testing. The considerations of these adaptations are discussed. Successful strain-life testing data were acquired from a 4130 pressure vessel steel. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Streaked Optical Pyrometer (SOP) is a visible diagnostic widely used to study the warm dense matter regime at high energy laser facilities, gas guns, or ion accelerators. It is usually coupled with a Velocity Interferometer System for Any Reflector (VISAR) diagnostic for simultaneous shock wave velocity, reflectivity, and temperature measurements to study the Equation of State (EOS) of materials. While VISAR is a well-mastered technology that provides velocity measurements with low relative uncertainties (close to percent), SOP diagnostics still suffer from high imprecision. In this article, we present a new calibration method in order to obtain absolute temperature measurements with reduced uncertainties. This approach is based on a novel light source: a Ce:YAG luminescent concentrator pumped by LEDs. This device produces enough optical power for calibration at the nanosecond sweep duration of the streak camera. As a demonstration, it has first been installed at the LULI facility and tested on quartz samples shocked at temperatures above 4000 K. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The prevention of violent extremism in education has given rise to considerable policy debates in Norway. A key feature of this, illustrated in the growing stream of curricular and security policy reforms, is that these debates risk being disconnected from graspable elements in the social lives of young people. Using qualitative document analysis (QDA), this study analysis educational efforts to prevent violent extremism in Norway. The analysis suggests that interventions are structured according to reductionist thinking of cause and effect in which the individual is at the receiving end of security efforts. In particular, the dominant mode of preventing extremism is through therapeutic strategies aimed at helping vulnerable individuals becoming resilient to extreme ideologies and to help them respond to structural grievances. There is less attention on the role of social mechanisms including the reciprocal interplay between structural, social and individual factors in the analysed projects. Based on these findings, the study suggests the importance of exploring social processes in which extremism is engaged and resisted. Furthermore, it is argued that social movement theory (SMT) offers a promising way to understand the role of social processes in pathways into and out of extremism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The demand for energy is increasing every year. For a long time, fossil fuels have been used to satiate this energy demand. However, using hydrocarbon-based fossil fuels has led to an enormous rise of carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere resulting in global warming. It is therefore necessary to look for alternatives to fossil fuels. The research carried out till date have shown biomass and waste-derived fuels as plausible alternatives to fossil fuels. The biomass feedstock includes jatropha oil, Karanja oil, cottonseed oil, and hemp oil among others and wastes include used cooking oil, used engine oil, used tire and used plastics etc. In this study, the authors aim to explore waste lubrication oil as a fuel for the diesel engine. The used lubrication oil was pyrolyzed and diesel-like fuel with 80% conversion efficiency was obtained. A blend of the fuel and diesel in the ratio of 80:20 on volume basis was prepared. Engine experiments at various load conditions was carried out with the blend. As compared to diesel, a 2% increase in thermal efficiency, 6.3%, 16.1% and 13.6% decrease in smoke, CO and HC emissions & 3.2% and 1.8% increase in NOx and CO 2 emission were observed at full load with the blend. With an aim to further improve the engine performance and reduce the overall emissions from the engine exhaust, a zero-carbon fuel namely gaseous hydrogen was inducted in the intake manifold. The flow rate of hydrogen was varied from 3 to 12 Litres per minute (LPM). As compared to diesel, at maximum hydrogen flow rate the thermal efficiency increased by 12.2%. HC, CO and smoke emissions decreased by 42.4%, 51.6% and 16.8%, whereas NOx emissions increased by 22%. The study shows that the combination of pyrolyzed waste lubricant and hydrogen were found to be suitable as a fuel for an unmodified diesel engine. Such fuel combination can be used for stationary applications such as power backups. • Derive liquid fuel from waste lubrication oil. • Observe the performance, emission, and combustion characteristics of fuel from WLO. • Analyze the effect of hydrogen addition on performance, emission, and combustion characteristics. • Compare the different engine parameters with and without hydrogen. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transsexualism concerns the form of found, not freely chosen sexual identity, which is characterized by the fact that biological sex is different from the psychological one. This gender dysphoria cannot be ultimately overcome, because a biological (i.e. genetical) sex cannot be changed, despite the possibility of matching the body phenotypically to psychological gender by hormone therapy or surgery. Therefore, the task of recognition and acceptance of their sexuality can be difficult for transsexuals. So, they needn't only prevention, but they also need support in the process of developing themselves in the corporeal and spiritual unity, so that they could find and develop their identity. This puts the issue in a fundamental debate on the relationship between biological, socio--cultural, and psychological gender identity. These different aspects of sexual identity cannot be separated from each other, but they must be distinguished. Within the right to sexual self-determination, the gender debate does not mean that anyone can freely choose and change their sexual identity, but that their right to recognize, accept and shape their gender identity given to them and conditioned by biological, socio-cultural factors is acknowledged. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sweet corn (Zea mays L. var. rugosa or saccharate), consumed both fresh and processed (primarily canned or frozen), is a popular vegetable crop in the United States. Recent nationwide data have reported declining trends in sweet corn production, which poses serious challenges for the US processing sweet corn producers. Here, we evaluated a processing sweet corn dataset that represents nearly 3 decades (1992–2018) of commercial production in the Upper Midwest and the Pacific Northwest regions in an attempt to understand national trends in US processing sweet corn. The objectives of this study were to (a) quantify trends in processing sweet corn production (harvest area and total green ear mass production); (b) understand trends in planting date, plant population density, and hybrid lifespan; and (c) estimate interannual yield deviations in green ear mass yield. Our results reveal declining trends in sweet corn hectares, particularly in rainfed production systems of the Upper Midwest. For the past 3 decades of commercial sweet corn production, plant population density and planting dates used by vegetable processors have remained unchanged. Our analysis revealed a large range (1 to 20 years) in hybrid lifespan, which can be attributed to wide differences in hybrid yield stability across the diverse production environments in the United States. Rainfed production systems are becoming scarcer because sweet corn yields under rainfed conditions are particularly susceptible to severe weather, including heat and drought stress events. Future research is needed to understand sweet corn yields as a function of climatic and nonclimatic variables to stabilize the industry, particularly given predictions of a future with more frequent weather extremes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Follow-up brain MRI showed progressive asymmetric atrophy predominantly affecting the right frontal and parietal lobes, and positron emission tomography-computed tomography of the brain showed asymmetric cortical and basal ganglia hypometabolism (Fig. Keywords: lingual myoclonus; facial myoclonus; corticobasal syndrome EN lingual myoclonus facial myoclonus corticobasal syndrome 1549 1551 3 10/24/23 20231001 NES 231001 The early clinical features of corticobasal syndrome (CBS) may include limb myoclonus, occurring in approximately 15%.[1] Isolated lingual dystonia was recently reported as a new clinical feature heralding early CBS,[2] and lingual dyskinesia is also a recognized phenomenon in CBS.[3] Here, we add a case with isolated lingual and facial myoclonus that we hypothesize as a potential sole initial manifestation of CBS for more than 3 years before other features emerged. [Extracted from the article]

In territorial species, individual recognition among neighbouring males is likely to reduce energy expenses and risk of injury associated with the costly period of maintaining territory during the breeding season. This study explored neighbour–stranger vocal recognition in male Cape fur seals, one of the most colonial and polygynous mammals. Playback experiments revealed that territorial males were able to recognise the calls of their neighbours, in combination with their relative spatial position to their own harem. No 'dear-enemy' nor 'nasty neighbour' effects were detected. However, the strongest responses observed were towards the calls of familiar neighbours played back from an incongruent location, simulating a situation in which a neighbour is outside its own territory. The colony structure and movements of the seals across the day could explain such results. This study has implications for understanding how vocal signals regulate interactions among males in polygynous mammals, particularly during the competitive mating period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Artificial cells are based on dynamic compartmentalized systems. Thus, remodeling of membrane-bound systems, such as giant unilamellar vesicles, is finding applications beyond biological studies, to engineer cell-mimicking structures. Giant unilamellar vesicle fusion is rapidly becoming an essential experimental step as artificial cells gain prominence in synthetic biology. Several techniques have been developed to accomplish this step, with varying efficiency and selectivity. To date, characterization of vesicle fusion has relied on small samples of giant vesicles, examined either manually or by fluorometric assays on suspensions of small and large unilamellar vesicles. Automation of the detection and characterization of fusion products is now necessary for the screening and optimization of these fusion protocols. To this end, we implemented a fusion assay based on fluorophore colocalization on the membranes and in the lumen of vesicles. Fluorescence colocalization was evaluated within single compartments by image segmentation with minimal user input, allowing the application of the technique to high-throughput screenings. After detection, statistical information on vesicle fluorescence and morphological properties can be summarized and visualized, assessing lipid and content transfer for each object by the correlation coefficient of different fluorescence channels. Using this tool, we report and characterize the unexpected fusogenic activity of sodium chloride on phosphatidylcholine giant vesicles. Lipid transfer in most of the vesicles could be detected after 20 h of incubation, while content exchange only occurred with additional stimuli in around 8% of vesicles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Non-payment for services continues to challenge sustainability in municipal service delivery across South Africa. Literature provides that the culture of non-payment stems from the apartheid era where mass civil disobedience manifested through boycotting the payment of rates. This study examines the impact of the non-payment culture on municipal financial performance in South Africa. Panel data for 28 municipalities for the years 2005–19 is used, and the random-effects model is employed to estimate the relationship between municipal financial performance and non-payment. Results confirm that non-payment has a negative impact on financial performance. For every R1000 increase in bad debts written off, financial performance is reduced by R291. Further, grants from the national government, the number of consumers, and the number of household units receiving free basic electricity positively affect financial performance. These revelations warrant the need for more innovative approaches that transform non-payment into a culture of payment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The dexamethasone suppression test (DST) assesses the functionality of the HPA axis and can be regarded as the first potential biomarker in psychiatry. In 1981, a group of researchers at the University of Michigan published a groundbreaking paper regarding its use for diagnosing melancholic depression, reporting a diagnostic sensitivity of 67% and a specificity of 95%. While this study generated much enthusiasm and high expectations in the field of biological psychiatry, subsequent studies produced equivocal results, leading to the test being rejected by the American Psychiatric Association. The scientific reasons leading to the rise and fall of the DST are assessed in this review, suggestions are provided as to how the original test can be improved, and its potential applications in clinical psychiatry are discussed. An improved, standardized, and validated version of the DST would be a biologically meaningful and useful biomarker in psychiatry, providing a tool for clinicians caring for depressed patients in the areas of diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis, and predicting the risk of suicide. Additionally, such a test could be a crucial part in the generation of biologically homogenous patient cohorts, necessary for the successful development of new psychotropic medications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Insects are declining, but the underlying drivers and differences in responses between species are still largely unclear. Despite the importance of forests, insect trends therein have received little attention. Using 10 years of standardized data (120,996 individuals; 1,805 species) from 140 sites in Germany, we show that declines occurred in most sites and species across trophic groups. In particular, declines (quantified as the correlation between year and the respective community response) were more consistent in sites with many non-native trees or a large amount of timber harvested before the onset of sampling. Correlations at the species level depended on species' life-history. Larger species, more abundant species, and species of higher trophic level declined most, while herbivores increased. This suggests potential shifts in food webs possibly affecting ecosystem functioning. A targeted management, including promoting more natural tree species composition and partially reduced harvesting, can contribute to mitigating declines. Species richness and biomass of insects has declined on average across 140 forest sites sampled over a decade in Germany, with larger, more abundant, and carnivorous species found to be more susceptible to decline. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present in-flight performance measurements of the Ionospheric Connection Explorer EUV spectrometer, ICON EUV, a wide field ( 17 ∘ × 12 ∘ ) extreme ultraviolet (EUV) imaging spectrograph designed to observe the lower ionosphere at tangent altitudes between 100 and 500 km. The primary targets of the spectrometer, which has a spectral range of 54–88 nm, are the Oii emission lines at 61.6 nmand 83.4 nm. In flight calibration and performance measurement has shown that the instrument has met all of the science performance requirements. We discuss the observed and expected changes in the instrument performance due to microchannel plate charge depletion, and how these changes were tracked over the first two years of flight. This paper shows raw data products from this instrument. A parallel paper (Stephan et al. in Space Sci. Rev. 218:63, 2022) in this volume discusses the use of these raw products to determine O+ density profiles versus altitude. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Experimental investigations of three-dimensional dynamic stall on a four-bladed Mach-scaled semielastic rotor with an innovative double-swept rotor blade planform are presented. The study focuses on the coupling between the aeroelastic behavior of the blade and the underlying aerodynamics. Blade bending moment and flap displacement measurements were conducted using strain gauges and optical tracking of blade tip markers. The aerodynamic behavior was characterized by means of unsteady surface pressure measurements using unsteady pressure-sensitive paint (iPSP) across the outer 65% of the blade span and fast response pressure transducers at discrete locations. Different cyclic-pitch settings were investigated at a rotation frequency of frotor = 23.6 Hz that corresponds to blade tip Mach and Reynolds numbers of Mtip = 0.282-0.285 and Retip = 5.84-5.95 x 105. The findings reveal a detailed insight into the nonlinear behavior in the flap movement during downstroke. iPSP and pressure transducer data indicate that this nonlinear flap behavior is caused by a radially phase-shifted dynamic stall process at the forward and backward swept part of the blade. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article discusses the accuracy and usefulness of digital single-operator cholangioscopy in diagnosing indeterminate biliary strictures. The study found that cholangioscopy is a valuable tool in the diagnosis of these strictures, with a high negative predictive value of 95%. Visual findings, such as an irregular surface and absence of anomalous vessels, were strong indicators of malignancy. The article suggests that cholangioscopy can help avoid unnecessary surgery and expedite the diagnosis of malignancy. [Extracted from the article]

Aims. We perform a deep survey of planetary nebulae (PNe) in the spiral galaxy NGC 300 to construct its planetary nebula luminosity function (PNLF). We aim to derive the distance using the PNLF and to probe the characteristics of the most luminous PNe. Methods. We analysed 44 fields observed with MUSE at the VLT, covering a total area of ∼11 kpc2. We find [O III]λ5007 sources using the differential emission line filter (DELF) technique. We identified PNe through spectral classification with the aid of the BPT diagram. The PNLF distance was derived using the maximum likelihood estimation technique. For the more luminous PNe, we also measured their extinction using the Balmer decrement. We estimated the luminosity and effective temperature of the central stars of the luminous PNe based on estimates of the excitation class and the assumption of optically thick nebulae. Results. We identify 107 PNe and derive a most-likely distance modulus (m − M) 0 = 26. 48 − 0.26 + 0.11 $ (m-M)_0 = 26.48^{+0.11}_{-0.26} $ ( d = 1. 98 − 0.23 + 0.10 $ d = 1.98^{+0.10}_{-0.23} $ Mpc). We find that the PNe at the PNLF cutoff exhibit relatively low extinction, with some high-extinction cases caused by local dust lanes. We present the lower limit luminosities and effective temperatures of the central stars for some of the brighter PNe. We also identify a few Type I PNe that come from a young population with progenitor masses > 2.5 M⊙ but do not populate the PNLF cutoff. Conclusions. The spatial resolution and spectral information of MUSE allow precise PN classification and photometry. These capabilities also enable us to resolve possible contamination by diffuse gas and dust, improving the accuracy of the PNLF distance to NGC 300. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sweet corn (Zea mays L.var. rugosa or saccharata) is sown across a wide range of dates to provide a steady supply of marketable ears for fresh market and processing. There is a perception in the sweet corn industry that plant density tolerance declines in late-season plantings in the midwestern United States; however, publicly available data to support this perception cannot be found. Using field experiments, the objectives of this research were to quantify the effect of the sowing date on growth responses to plant density and determine the extent to which the sowing date influences the optimum plant density and maximum yield/profit. There were few main effects or interactions of the sowing date on crop growth. More importantly, there was no effect of the sowing date on the economically optimum plant density or plant density that optimized yield. Although variations exist in sweet corn optimum plant densities in the midwestern United States, these variations are likely driven by several factors other than the sowing date that have not yet been fully characterized. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study explores how cross-cultural practicums can facilitate intercultural learning in Norwegian teacher education. The qualitative research reported here studies teacher-training students carrying out a teaching practicum in Tanzania. The findings indicate that there are several positive intercultural outcomes for these students. However, by analysing their narratives discursively, the study also finds that many students overestimate their progress towards intercultural competence. This is particularly the case when the students experience significant "cultural clashes", which tend to result in them expressing stronger stereotypes about the cultural "other". It is argued that this is due to how the students have received largely monocultural socialisation. Consequently, this study calls for greater scrutiny of the ideologies that underpin globalisation. Thus, in an attempt to shift the focus away from globalisation's drive towards cultural competition, this study argues for the need to infuse critical and comprehensive approaches to internationalisation into teacher education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The way humans treat animals is ambivalent: we bury our pets in animal cemeteries, and we slaughter and eat others. Even though the use of animals and coexistence with them has shaped people’s lives since time immemorial, Theology has long misjudged the importance of a theological reflection on animals. This has also led to blind spots in theological ethics. In the meantime, there are not only important approaches to a theology that takes animals into account but also a range of approaches within Catholic moral theology has been developed that seek to do justice to the intrinsic value of animals. They require a profound change in the human-animal relationship in the light of the Christian faith and call for more humane treatment of animals. This article presents the most important of those approaches from the German-speaking region and attempts to show common concerns but also different figures of argumentation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This interview study discusses how international practicums in teacher education can contribute to the development of teacher-training students’ emotional and intercultural competence. The research is based on how teacher-training students from Norway describe emotional and intercultural experiences from a completed international practicum in Tanzania. A key finding is that international practicums may help students in the development of their intercultural competence. Furthermore, the analysis indicates that emotions mediate intercultural encounters and, thus, regulating emotions is central for teachertraining students’ intercultural competence. The study shows that the students use different emotion regulating strategies. Support from social environments appears to be among the most important emotion regulation strategies towards increased intercultural competence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To evaluate the effect of a deep learning–based computer-aided diagnosis (DL-CAD) system on experienced and less-experienced radiologists in reading prostate mpMRI. Methods: In this retrospective, multi-reader multi-case study, a consecutive set of 184 patients examined between 01/2018 and 08/2019 were enrolled. Ground truth was combined targeted and 12-core systematic transrectal ultrasound-guided biopsy. Four radiologists, two experienced and two less-experienced, evaluated each case twice, once without (DL-CAD-) and once assisted by DL-CAD (DL-CAD+). ROC analysis, sensitivities, specificities, PPV and NPV were calculated to compare the diagnostic accuracy for the diagnosis of prostate cancer (PCa) between the two groups (DL-CAD- vs. DL-CAD+). Spearman's correlation coefficients were evaluated to assess the relationship between PI-RADS category and Gleason score (GS). Also, the median reading times were compared for the two reading groups. Results: In total, 172 patients were included in the final analysis. With DL-CAD assistance, the overall AUC of the less-experienced radiologists increased significantly from 0.66 to 0.80 (p = 0.001; cutoff ISUP GG ≥ 1) and from 0.68 to 0.80 (p = 0.002; cutoff ISUP GG ≥ 2). Experienced radiologists showed an AUC increase from 0.81 to 0.86 (p = 0.146; cutoff ISUP GG ≥ 1) and from 0.81 to 0.84 (p = 0.433; cutoff ISUP GG ≥ 2). Furthermore, the correlation between PI-RADS category and GS improved significantly in the DL-CAD + group (0.45 vs. 0.57; p = 0.03), while the median reading time was reduced from 157 to 150 s (p = 0.023). Conclusions: DL-CAD assistance increased the mean detection performance, with the most significant benefit for the less-experienced radiologist; with the help of DL-CAD less-experienced radiologists reached performances comparable to that of experienced radiologists. Key Points: • DL-CAD used as a concurrent reading aid helps radiologists to distinguish between benign and cancerous lesions in prostate MRI. • With the help of DL-CAD, less-experienced radiologists may achieve detection performances comparable to that of experienced radiologists. • DL-CAD assistance increases the correlation between PI-RADS category and cancer grade. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Romans 12:9--13 has traditionally been viewed as a discreet unit composed of a series of commands, even though there is no clear discourse boundary at 12:9 and the passage does not contain a single imperative form. Careful attention to the Greek text, however, reveals that 12:9--13 is part of a subunit that begins in 12:6 and that 12:1--13 in its entirety is concerned with how to offer our bodies as living sacrifices in genuine worship that is holy and acceptable to God. Paul conveys this profound message using a cluster of lexical forms in 12:1--2, followed by a conjunction that tells us that 12:3--13 serves to strengthen his statement in 12:1--2. And using a single sentence that includes two rhetorical lists in 12:6--13, Paul makes it clear that the strengthening unit that begins in 12:3 extends all the way to verse 13, rather than stopping at the end of verse 8, as most scholars and English translations suppose. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biomarkers are used to assess pain and analgesic drug efficacy in livestock. However, often the diagnostic sensitivity and specificity of these biomarkers for different painful conditions over time have not been described. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves are graphical plots that illustrate the diagnostic ability of a test as its discrimination threshold is varied. The objective of this analysis was to use area under the curve (AUC) values derived from ROC analysis to characterize the predictive value of potential pain biomarkers at specific time points following a painful stimulus. The biomarkers included in the analysis were plasma cortisol, salivary cortisol, hair cortisol, infrared thermography (IRT), mechanical nociceptive threshold (MNT), substance P, kinematic gait analysis, and a visual analog scale for pain. A total of 7,992 biomarker outcomes collected from 7 pain studies involving pain associated with castration, dehorning, lameness, and abdominal surgery were included in the analysis. Each study consisted of 3 treatments: uncontrolled pain (tissue damage), no pain (handled controls), and analgesic use (tissue damage, administered a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug). Results comparing analgesic effects to uncontrolled pain consistently yielded AUC values >0.7 (95% confidence interval: 0.40 to 0.99) for plasma cortisol (time points: 1.5, 2, 3, 4, 6, and 8 h), hair cortisol (time point: 62 d), and IRT (time point: 72 h). Results comparing analgesic effects to uncontrolled pain consistently yielded AUC values <0.7 (95% confidence interval: 0.28 to 0.90) for salivary cortisol (6, 13, 20, 34, 48, and 62 d); MNT (6, 25, and 49 h); substance P (1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, 12, 18, 24, 48, 72, 96, 120, 144, 312, 480, 816, 1,152, and 1,488 h); kinematic gait analysis including area (8, 16, 48, 72, 96, and 120 h), force (8, 16, 24, 48, 72, 96, and 120 h), and pressure (8, 16, 24, 48, 72, 96, and 120 h); and a visual analog scale for pain (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 d). These results indicate that ROC analysis can be used to characterize the predictive value of pain biomarkers and provide new knowledge on the diagnostic accuracy of pain biomarkers within this data set. This analysis, using data from 7 studies, was a preliminary approach to identify biomarkers and collection time points that could inform additional analytical approaches or meta-analyses with larger sample sizes, which are needed to further validate these hypotheses and conclusions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: In early 2020, North American jurisdictions required households (e.g., romantic couples) to isolate together to help mitigate the spread of COVID-19. This study provides a first look at the interplay of depressive symptoms and conflict behaviors among isolating couples, including tests of predictions of the stress generation hypothesis. Methods: Mixed-gender couples residing in Canada (N = 711) completed online measures across two waves. We used the actor-partner interdependence mediation model, with Wave 1 depressive symptoms as the predictor, Wave 1 conflict enactment as the mediator, and Wave 2 depressive symptoms as the outcome. Results: Depressive symptoms showed stability across Wave 1 and 2. Wave 1 depressive symptoms showed associations with Wave 1 conflict enactment. For men (but not women), Wave 1 conflict enactment was associated with their own and their partner's Wave 2 depressive symptoms. For both partners, Wave 1 conflict enacted by men mediated the association between Wave 1 depressive symptoms and Wave 2 depressive symptoms. Discussion: Our study confirms and extends the stress generation hypothesis to the pandemic context, showing that depressive symptoms may partially contribute to conflict for isolating couples and that conflict behaviors enacted by men toward their partner can exacerbate depressive symptoms in both partners. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The NASA Ionospheric Connection Explorer Extreme Ultraviolet spectrograph, ICON EUV, images one-dimensional altitude profiles of the daytime extreme-ultraviolet (EUV) airglow between 54-88 nm. This spectral range contains several OII emission features derived from the photoionization of atomic oxygen by solar EUV. The primary target of the ICON EUV is the bright OII (4P – 4S) triplet emission spanning 83.2-83.4 nm that is used in combination with a dimmer but complementary feature (2P – 2D) spanning 61.6-61.7 nm that are jointly analyzed with an algorithm that uses discrete inverse theory to optimize a forward model of these emissions to infer the best-fit solution of ionospheric O+ density profile between 150-450 km. From this result, the daytime ionospheric F-region peak electron density and height, NmF2 and hmF2 respectively, are inferred. The science goals of ICON require these measurements be made in the regions of interest with a vertical resolution in hmF2 of 20 km and a 20% precision in NmF2 within a 60-second integration corresponding to a 500 km sampling along the orbit track. This paper describes the results from the ICON EUV over the first year of the mission, which occurred primarily under solar minimum conditions. It describes adjustments made to the algorithm to improve not only the quality of data products during this time, but also to improve speed and performance while simultaneously meeting the ICON measurement requirements. It also provides examples of results and an overview of key features and limitations to consider when using these products for scientific studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death worldwide. Studies using the a priori dietary pattern approach have been criticized for the heterogeneity of their scoring methods. This review aimed to evaluate the evidence on the association between a priori dietary patterns and CVD incidence in recent adult population-based studies. Similar to the conclusions of previous systematic reviews and meta-analyses, our review found that the majority of recent studies suggested that Mediterranean diet (6 out of 10 studies), Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension diet (4 out of 6 studies), Dietary Guidelines-based (11 out of 13 studies) patterns, and other emerging dietary patterns, including carbohydrate quality, Dietary Inflammatory Index, Plant-based Diet Index and Healthy Nordic Food Index, were cardioprotective in the general population; however, there was substantial heterogeneity among the studies, possibly due to differences in scoring methods and analytical approaches used and inclusion of different confounders, as well as other methodological drawbacks, such as low numbers of cases and short follow-up periods. Future studies should simultaneously examine and compare multiple a priori dietary patterns in a specific population using a uniform statistical approach. A consensus on the scoring methods for each a priori dietary pattern is also necessary. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]