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Logical predictions about relationships between school aptitude and standardized achievement, aptitude and teachers' grades, and teachers' grades and standardized achievement can be made from the literature. These predictions are that (1) conventional school aptitude measures should predict standardized achievement test scores equally well for boys and girls but better for advantaged than disadvantaged children; (2) teachers' marks are more accurate for girls than for boys when judged against the sexes' standardized achievement test scores; are more accurate for middle-class than for disadvantaged children; and are least accurate for disadvantaged black males; and (3) teachers consistently give girls higher grades than boys but there are no important differences between boys' and girls' achievement when measured by standard achievement tests. The present study was conducted to test the strength of the relationships between pupil aptitude, standardized achievement and teachers' grades and to determine the percent of variance in grade point average accounted for by aptitude and standardized achievement in a representative sample of fifth- and ninth-grade Mexican-American, Black and Anglo students. (Author/RC)

Hypothesis: Pre-operative cochlear implant (CI) electrode array (EL) insertion plans created by automated image analysis methods can improve positioning of slim pre-curved EL. Background: This study represents the first evaluation of a system for patient-customized EL insertion planning for a slim pre-curved EL. Methods: Twenty-one temporal bone specimens were divided into experimental and control groups and underwent cochlear implantation. For the control group, the surgeon performed a traditional insertion without an insertion plan. For the experimental group, customized insertion plans guided entry site, trajectory, curl direction, and base insertion depth. An additional 35 clinical insertions from the same surgeon were analyzed, 7 of which were conducted using the insertion plans. EL positioning was analyzed using post-operative imaging auto-segmentation techniques, allowing measurement of angular insertion depth (AID), mean modiolar distance (MMD), and scalar position. Results: In the cadaveric temporal bones, 3 scalar translocations, including 2 foldovers, occurred in 14 control group insertions. In the clinical insertions, translocations occurred in 2 of 28 control cases. No translocations or folds occurred in the 7 experimental temporal bone and the 7 experimental clinical insertions. Among the non-translocated cases, overall AID and MMD were 401(41) degrees and 0.34(0.13) mm for the control insertions. AID and MMD for the experimental insertions were 424(43) degrees and 0.34(0.09) mm overall and were 432(19) and 0.30(0.07) mm for cases where the planned insertion depth was achieved. Conclusions: Trends toward improved EL positioning within scala tympani were observed when EL insertion plans are used. Variability in MMD was significantly reduced (0.07mm vs 0.13 mm, p=0.039) when the planned depth was achieved., Comment: First two listed authors are co-first authors

We study the interactive effects (IE) model as an extension of the conventional additive effects (AE) model. For the AE model, the fixed effects estimator can be obtained by applying least squares to a regression that adds a linear projection of the fixed effect on the explanatory variables (Mundlak, 1978; Chamberlain, 1984). In this paper, we develop a novel estimator -- the projection-based IE (PIE) estimator -- for the IE model that is based on a similar approach. We show that, for the IE model, fixed effects estimators that have appeared in the literature are not equivalent to our PIE estimator, though both can be expressed as a generalized within estimator. Unlike the fixed effects estimators for the IE model, the PIE estimator is consistent for a fixed number of time periods with no restrictions on serial correlation or conditional heteroskedasticity in the errors. We also derive a statistic for testing the consistency of the two-way fixed effects estimator in the possible presence of iterative effects. Moreover, although the PIE estimator is the solution to a high-dimensional nonlinear least squares problem, we show that it can be computed by iterating between two steps, both of which have simple analytical solutions. The computational simplicity is an important advantage relative to other strategies that have been proposed for estimating the IE model for short panels. Finally, we compare the finite sample performance of IE estimators through simulations.

On 2022 March 10, a coronal mass ejection (CME) erupted from the Sun, resulting in Solar Orbiter observations at 0.45 au of both dispersive solar energetic particles arriving prior to the interplanetary CME (ICME) and locally accelerated particles near the ICME-associated shock structure as it passed the spacecraft on 2022 March 11. This shock was later detected on 2022 March 14 by the Advanced Composition Explorer (ACE), which was radially aligned with Solar Orbiter, at 1 au. Ion composition data from both spacecraft -- via the Solar Orbiter Energetic Particle Detector/ Suprathermal Ion Spectrograph (EPD/SIS) and the Ultra Low Energy Isotope Spectrometer (ULEIS) on ACE -- allows for in-depth analysis of the radial evolution of species-dependent ICME shock-associated acceleration processes for this event. We present a study of the ion spectra observed at 0.45 and 1 au during both the gradual solar energetic particle (SEP) and energetic storm particle (ESP) phases of the event. We find that the shapes of the spectra seen at each spacecraft have significant differences that were likely caused by varying shock geometry: Solar Orbiter spectra tend to lack spectral breaks, and the higher energy portions of the ACE spectra have comparable average flux to the Solar Orbiter spectra. Through an analysis of rigidity effects on the spectral breaks observed by ACE, we conclude that the 1 au observations were largely influenced by a suprathermal pool of $\mathrm{He}^{+}$ ions that were enhanced due to propagation along a stream interaction region (SIR) that was interacting with the ICME at times of observation., Comment: 15 pages, 7 figures, submitted to A&A

Perovskite oxides hetero-structures are host to a large number of interesting phenomena such as ferroelectricity and 2D-superconductivity. Ferroelectric perovskite oxides have been of significant interest due to their possible use in MOSFETs and FRAM. SrHfO$_3$ (SHO) is a perovskite oxide with pseudo-cubic lattice parameter of 4.1 $\mathring{A}$ that previous DFT calculations suggest can be stabilized in a ferroelectric P4mm phase, similar to STO, when stabilized with sufficient compressive strain. Additionally, it is insulating, possesses a large band gap, and a high dielectric constant, making it an ideal candidate for oxide electronic devices. In this work, SHO films were grown by hybrid molecular beam epitaxy with a tetrakis(ethylmethylamino)hafnium(IV) source on GdScO$_3$ and TbScO$_3$ substrates. Equilibrium and strained SHO phases were characterized using X-ray diffraction, X-ray absorption spectroscopy, and scanning transmission electron microscopy to determine the perovskite phase of the strained films, with the results compared to density functional theory models of phase stability versus strain. Contrary to past reports, we find that compressively-strained SrHfO$_3$ undergoes octahedral tilt distortions and most likely takes on the I4/mcm phase with the a$^0$a$^0$c$^-$ tilt pattern., Comment: 36 pages, 11 figures

We report direct numerical simulation (DNS) results of the rough-wall channel, focusing on roughness with high $k_{rms}/k_a$ statistics but small to negative $Sk$ statistics, and we study the implications of this new dataset on rough-wall modelling. Here, $k_{rms}$ is the root-mean-square, $k_a$ is the first order moment of roughness height, and $Sk$ is the skewness. The effects of packing density, skewness and arrangement of roughness elements on mean streamwise velocity, equivalent roughness height ($z_0$) and Reynolds and dispersive stresses have been studied. We demonstrate that two-point correlation lengths of roughness height statistics play an important role in characterizing rough surfaces with identical moments of roughness height but different arrangements of roughness elements. Analysis of the present as well as historical data suggests that the task of rough-wall modelling is to identify geometric parameters that distinguish the rough surfaces within the calibration dataset. We demonstrate a novel feature selection procedure to determine these parameters. Further, since there is not a finite set of roughness statistics that distinguish between all rough surfaces, we argue that obtaining a universal rough-wall model for making equivalent sand-grain roughness ($k_s$) predictions would be challenging, and that each rough-wall model would have its applicable range. This motivates the development of group-based rough-wall models. The applicability of multi-variate polynomial regression and feedforward neural networks for building such group-based rough-wall models using the selected features has been shown., Comment: 34 pages, 29 figures

Over the last 3 decades, the Direct Loan program has grown in size and complexity, with over $1.3 trillion in outstanding loans as of September 2023. This program provides financial assistance to help students and their parents pay for postsecondary education. The Government Accountability Office (GAO) was asked to review issues related to Education's Direct Loan program cost estimates. This report examines: (1) the status of Education's planned model for estimating Direct Loan costs; (2) how certain federal and private sector estimation approaches would affect Direct Loan budgetary costs over time; and (3) the extent to which Education provides key information about the performance and risks of the Direct Loan program. GAO reviewed documentation on Education's current student loan model and plans for its new model. GAO analyzed the potential budgetary impact over time of four approaches for estimating the cost of a selected group of loans. GAO identified relevant reports, reviewed reporting guidance for federal loan programs, and interviewed officials from Education, other agency officials, and stakeholders with relevant expertise.

The stellar obliquity distribution of warm-Jupiter systems is crucial for constraining the dynamical history of Jovian exoplanets, as the warm Jupiters' tidal detachment likely preserves their primordial obliquity. However, the sample size of warm-Jupiter systems with measured stellar obliquities has historically been limited compared to that of hot Jupiters, particularly in hot-star systems. In this work, we present newly obtained sky-projected stellar obliquity measurements for warm-Jupiter systems, TOI-559, TOI-2025, TOI-2031, TOI-2485, TOI-2524, and TOI-3972, derived from the Rossiter-McLaughlin effect, and show that all six systems display alignment with a median measurement uncertainty of 13 degrees. Combining these new measurements with the set of previously reported stellar obliquity measurements, our analysis reveals that single-star warm-Jupiter systems tend to be aligned, even around hot stellar hosts. This alignment exhibits a 3.4-$\sigma$ deviation from the $T_{\rm eff}-\lambda$ dependency observed in hot-Jupiter systems, where planets around cool stars tend to be aligned, while those orbiting hot stars show considerable misalignment. The current distribution of spin-orbit measurements for Jovian exoplanets indicates that misalignments are neither universal nor primordial phenomena affecting all types of planets. The absence of misalignments in single-star warm-Jupiter systems further implies that many hot Jupiters, by contrast, have experienced a dynamically violent history., Comment: 18 pages, 2 figures, accepted for publication in ApJL

The Sun drives a supersonic wind which inflates a giant plasma bubble in our very local interstellar neighborhood, the heliosphere. It is bathed in an extremely variable background of energetic ions and electrons which originate from a number of sources. Solar energetic particles (SEPs) are accelerated in the vicinity of the Sun, whereas shocks driven by solar disturbances are observed to accelerate energetic storm particles (ESPs). Moreover, a dilute population with a distinct composition forms the anomalous cosmic rays (ACRs) which are of a mixed interstellar-heliospheric origin. Particles are also accelerated at planetary bow shocks. We will present recent observations of energetic particles by Solar Orbiter and Parker Solar Probe, as well as other spacecraft that allow us to study the acceleration and transport of energetic particles at multiple locations in the inner heliosphere., Comment: 10 pages, one figure, proceedings IAU Symposium 388

The Segment Anything Model 2 (SAM 2) is the latest generation foundation model for image and video segmentation. Trained on the expansive Segment Anything Video (SA-V) dataset, which comprises 35.5 million masks across 50.9K videos, SAM 2 advances its predecessor's capabilities by supporting zero-shot segmentation through various prompts (e.g., points, boxes, and masks). Its robust zero-shot performance and efficient memory usage make SAM 2 particularly appealing for surgical tool segmentation in videos, especially given the scarcity of labeled data and the diversity of surgical procedures. In this study, we evaluate the zero-shot video segmentation performance of the SAM 2 model across different types of surgeries, including endoscopy and microscopy. We also assess its performance on videos featuring single and multiple tools of varying lengths to demonstrate SAM 2's applicability and effectiveness in the surgical domain. We found that: 1) SAM 2 demonstrates a strong capability for segmenting various surgical videos; 2) When new tools enter the scene, additional prompts are necessary to maintain segmentation accuracy; and 3) Specific challenges inherent to surgical videos can impact the robustness of SAM 2., Comment: The first work evaluates the performance of SAM 2 in surgical videos

We demonstrate nearly a microsecond of spin coherence in Er3+ ions doped in cerium dioxide nanocrystal hosts, despite a large gyromagnetic ratio and nanometric proximity of the spin defect to the nanocrystal surface. The long spin coherence is enabled by reducing the dopant density below the instantaneous diffusion limit in a nuclear spin-free host material, reaching the limit of a single erbium spin defect per nanocrystal. We observe a large Orbach energy in a highly symmetric cubic site, further protecting the coherence in a qubit that would otherwise rapidly decohere. Spatially correlated electron spectroscopy measurements reveal the presence of Ce3+ at the nanocrystal surface that likely acts as extraneous paramagnetic spin noise. Even with these factors, defect-embedded nanocrystal hosts show tremendous promise for quantum sensing and quantum communication applications, with multiple avenues, including core-shell fabrication, redox tuning of oxygen vacancies, and organic surfactant modification, available to further enhance their spin coherence and functionality in the future., Comment: 26 pages, 5 figures

We report direct measurements of the magnetic field screening at the limits of the Meissner phase for two superconducting Nb samples. The samples are processed with two different surface treatments that have been developed for superconducting radio-frequency cavity applications -- a "baseline" treatment and an oxygen-doping ("O-doping") treatment. The measurements show: 1) that the screening length is significantly longer in the "O-doping" sample compared to the "baseline" sample; 2) that the screening length near the limits of the Meissner phase increases with applied field; 3) the evolution of the screening profile as the material transitions from the Meissner phase to the mixed phase; and 4) a demonstration of the absence of any screening profile for the highest applied field, indicative of the full flux entering the sample. Measurements are performed utilizing the $\beta$-detected nuclear magnetic resonance ($\beta$-NMR) technique that allows depth resolved studies of the local magnetic field within the first 100 nm of the surface. The study takes advantage of the $\beta$-SRF beamline, a new facility at TRIUMF, Canada, where field levels up to 200 mT are available parallel to the sample surface to replicate radio frequency (RF) fields near the Meissner breakdown limits of Nb.

We describe the Stagger Code for simulations of magneto-hydrodynamic (MHD) systems. This is a modular code with a variety of physics modules that will let the user run simulations of deep stellar atmospheres, sunspot formation, stellar chromospheres and coronae, proto-stellar disks, star formation from giant molecular clouds and even galaxy formation. The Stagger Code is efficiently and highly parallelizable, enabling such simulations with large ranges of both spatial and temporal scales. We, describe the methodology of the code, and present the most important of the physics modules, as well as its input and output variables. We show results of a number of standard MHD tests to enable comparison with other, similar codes. In addition, we provide an overview of tests that have been carried out against solar observations, ranging from spectral line shapes, spectral flux distribution, limb darkening, intensity and velocity distributions of granulation, to seismic power-spectra and the excitation of p modes. The Stagger Code has proven to be a high fidelity code with a large range of uses., Comment: accepted for the Astrophysical Journal

In this paper, we consider the generation and utilization of helper data for physical unclonable functions (PUFs) that provide real-valued readout symbols. Compared to classical binary PUFs, more entropy can be extracted from each basic building block (PUF node), resulting in longer keys/fingerprints and/or a higher reliability. To this end, a coded modulation and signal shaping scheme that matches the (approximately) Gaussian distribution of the readout has to be employed. A new helper data scheme is proposed that works with any type of coded modulation/shaping scheme. Compared to the permutation scheme from the literature, less amount of helper data has to be generated and a higher reliability is achieved. Moreover, the recently proposed idea of a two-metric helper data scheme is generalized to coded modulation and a general S-metric scheme. It is shown how extra helper data can be generated to improve decodability. The proposed schemes are assessed by numerical simulations and by evaluation of measurement data. We compare multi-level codes using a new rate design strategy with bit-interleaved coded modulation and trellis shaping with a distribution matcher. By selecting a suitable design, the rate per PUF node that can be reliably extracted can be as high as 2~bit/node.

Computing power, or "compute," is crucial for the development and deployment of artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities. As a result, governments and companies have started to leverage compute as a means to govern AI. For example, governments are investing in domestic compute capacity, controlling the flow of compute to competing countries, and subsidizing compute access to certain sectors. However, these efforts only scratch the surface of how compute can be used to govern AI development and deployment. Relative to other key inputs to AI (data and algorithms), AI-relevant compute is a particularly effective point of intervention: it is detectable, excludable, and quantifiable, and is produced via an extremely concentrated supply chain. These characteristics, alongside the singular importance of compute for cutting-edge AI models, suggest that governing compute can contribute to achieving common policy objectives, such as ensuring the safety and beneficial use of AI. More precisely, policymakers could use compute to facilitate regulatory visibility of AI, allocate resources to promote beneficial outcomes, and enforce restrictions against irresponsible or malicious AI development and usage. However, while compute-based policies and technologies have the potential to assist in these areas, there is significant variation in their readiness for implementation. Some ideas are currently being piloted, while others are hindered by the need for fundamental research. Furthermore, naive or poorly scoped approaches to compute governance carry significant risks in areas like privacy, economic impacts, and centralization of power. We end by suggesting guardrails to minimize these risks from compute governance., Comment: Figures can be accessed at: https://github.com/lheim/CPGAI-Figures

We present a dedicated transit and radial velocity survey of planets orbiting subgiant stars observed by the TESS Mission. Using $\sim$$16$ nights on Keck/HIRES, we confirm and characterize $12$ new transiting planets -- $\rm TOI-329\,b$, $\rm HD\,39688\,b$ ($\rm TOI-480$), $\rm TOI-603\,b$, $\rm TOI-1199\,b$, $\rm TOI-1294\,b$, $\rm TOI-1439\,b$, $\rm TOI-1605\,b$, $\rm TOI-1828\,b$, $\rm HD\,148193\,b$ ($\rm TOI-1836$), $\rm TOI-1885\,b$, $\rm HD\,83342\,b$ ($\rm TOI-1898$), $\rm TOI-2019\,b$ -- and provide updated properties for 9 previously confirmed TESS subgiant systems ($\rm TOI-197$, $\rm TOI-954$, $\rm TOI-1181$, $\rm TOI-1296$, $\rm TOI-1298$, $\rm TOI-1601$, $\rm TOI-1736$, $\rm TOI-1842$, $\rm TOI-2145$). We also report the discovery of an outer, non-transiting planet, $\rm TOI-1294\,c$ ($P=160.1\pm2.5$ days, $M_{\mathrm{p}}=148.3^{+18.2}_{-16.4} \,M_{\oplus}$), and three additional stars with long-term RV trends. We find that at least $19\pm8\%$ of subgiants in our sample of $21$ stars have outer companions, comparable to main-sequence stars. We perform a homogeneous analysis of the stars and planets in the sample, with median uncertainties of $3\%$, $8\%$ and $15\%$ for planet radii, masses and ages, doubling the number of known planets orbiting subgiant stars with bulk densities measured to better than $10\%$. We observe a dearth of giant planets around evolved stars with short orbital periods, consistent with tidal dissipation theories that predict the rapid inspiral of planets as their host stars leave the main sequence. We note the possible evidence for two distinct classes of hot Jupiter populations, indicating multiple formation channels to explain the observed distributions around evolved stars. Finally, continued RV monitoring of planets in this sample will provide a more comprehensive understanding of demographics for evolved planetary systems., Comment: 22 pages, 9 figures, 9 tables

We provide a construction of binary pseudorandom sequences based on Hardy fields $\mathcal{H}$ as considered by Boshernitzan. In particular we give upper bounds for the well distribution measure and the correlation measure defined by Mauduit and S\'ark\"ozy. Finally we show that the correlation measure of order $s$ is small only if $s$ is small compared to the ``growth exponent'' of $\mathcal{H}$., Comment: 15 pages

Deviations between macrorheological and particle-based microrheological measurements are often considered a nuisance and neglected. We study aqueous poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) hydrogels for varying PEO concentrations and chain lengths that contain microscopic tracer particles and show that these deviations in fact reveal the nanoscopic viscoelastic properties of the particle-hydrogel interface. Based on the transient Stokes equation, we first demonstrate that the deviations are not due to finite particle radius, compressibility or surface-slip effects. Small-angle neutron scattering rules out hydrogel heterogeneities. Instead, we show that a generalized Stokes-Einstein relation, accounting for a nanoscopic interfacial shell around tracers with viscoelastic properties that significantly deviate from bulk, consistently explains our macrorheological and microrheological measurements. The extracted shell diameter is comparable with the PEO end-to-end distance, indicating the importance of dangling chain ends. Our methodology reveals the nanoscopic interfacial rheology of hydrogels and is generally applicable to different kinds of viscoelastic fluids and particles., Comment: 25 pages, 4 figures, 52 pages of Supporting Information

The classical scattering of cylindrical gravitational waves is exactly solvable. The motivation for this paper is to understand if the quantum scattering problem is also exactly solvable. The classical dynamics is governed by a two dimensional sigma model. We study this sigma model's $S$-matrix. We construct a conserved nonlocal charge and derive the associated tree-level $S$-matrix conservation law. We check our conservation law directly using Feynman diagrams. The existence of this symmetry is a hint that cylindrical gravitational waves might have an exactly solvable $S$-matrix., Comment: 7 pages

The investigation of partitions of integers plays an important role in combinatorics and number theory. Among the many variations, partitions into powers $0<\alpha<1$ were of recent interest. In the present paper we want to extend our considerations of the length of a random partition by providing a local limit theorem., Comment: 20 pages

By coupling the EUropean Heliospheric FORcasting Information Asset (EUHFORIA) and the improved Particle Acceleration and Transport in the Heliosphere (iPATH) model, two energetic storm particle (ESP) events, originating from the same active region (AR 13088) and observed by Solar Orbiter (SolO) on August 31 2022 and September 05 2022, are modelled. While both events originated from the same active region, they exhibited notable differences, including: 1) the August ESP event lasted for 7 hours, while the September event persisted for 16 hours; 2) The time intensity profiles for the September event showed a clear cross-over upstream of the shock where the intensity of higher energy protons exceeds those of lower energy protons, leading to positive (``reverse'') spectral indices prior to the shock passage. For both events, our simulations replicate the observed duration of the shock sheath, depending on the deceleration history of the CME. Imposing different choices of escaping length scale, which is related to the decay of upstream turbulence, the modelled time intensity profiles prior to the shock arrival also agree with observations. In particular, the cross-over of this time profile in the September event is well reproduced. We show that a ``reverse'' upstream spectrum is the result of the interplay between two length scales. One characterizes the decay of upstream shock accelerated particles, which are controlled by the energy-dependent diffusion coefficient, and the other characterizes the decay of upstream turbulence power, which is related to the process of how streaming protons upstream of the shock excite Alfv\'{e}n waves. Simulations taking into account real-time background solar wind, the dynamics of the CME propagation, and upstream turbulence at the shock front are necessary to thoroughly understand the ESP phase of large SEP events., Comment: Accepted by A&A. 16 pages, 11 figures

NASA's all-sky survey mission, the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS), is specifically engineered to detect exoplanets that transit bright stars. Thus far, TESS has successfully identified approximately 400 transiting exoplanets, in addition to roughly 6000 candidate exoplanets pending confirmation. In this study, we present the results of our ongoing project, the Validation of Transiting Exoplanets using Statistical Tools (VaTEST). Our dedicated effort is focused on the confirmation and characterization of new exoplanets through the application of statistical validation tools. Through a combination of ground-based telescope data, high-resolution imaging, and the utilization of the statistical validation tool known as \texttt{TRICERATOPS}, we have successfully discovered eight potential super-Earths. These planets bear the designations: TOI-238b (1.61$^{+0.09} _{-0.10}$ R$_\oplus$), TOI-771b (1.42$^{+0.11} _{-0.09}$ R$_\oplus$), TOI-871b (1.66$^{+0.11} _{-0.11}$ R$_\oplus$), TOI-1467b (1.83$^{+0.16} _{-0.15}$ R$_\oplus$), TOI-1739b (1.69$^{+0.10} _{-0.08}$ R$_\oplus$), TOI-2068b (1.82$^{+0.16} _{-0.15}$ R$_\oplus$), TOI-4559b (1.42$^{+0.13} _{-0.11}$ R$_\oplus$), and TOI-5799b (1.62$^{+0.19} _{-0.13}$ R$_\oplus$). Among all these planets, six of them fall within the region known as 'keystone planets,' which makes them particularly interesting for study. Based on the location of TOI-771b and TOI-4559b below the radius valley we characterized them as likely super-Earths, though radial velocity mass measurements for these planets will provide more details about their characterization. It is noteworthy that planets within the size range investigated herein are absent from our own solar system, making their study crucial for gaining insights into the evolutionary stages between Earth and Neptune., Comment: Accepted: Publications of the Astronomical Society of Australia

How thermal particles are accelerated to suprathermal energies is an unsolved issue, crucial for many astrophysical systems. We report novel observations of irregular, dispersive enhancements of the suprathermal particle population upstream of a high-Mach number interplanetary shock. We interpret the observed behavior as irregular "injections" of suprathermal particles resulting from shock front irregularities. Our findings, directly compared to self-consistent simulation results, provide important insights for the study of remote astrophysical systems where shock structuring is often neglected., Comment: Accepted in ApJL

Biocompatible and functionalizable hydrogels have a wide range of (potential) medicinal applications. In contrast to conventional hydrogels formed by interconnected or interlocked polymer chains, self-assembled hydrogels form from small building blocks like short peptide chains. This has the advantage that the building blocks can be functionalized separately and then mixed to obtain the desired properties. However, the hydrogelation process for these systems, especially those with very low polymer weight percentage (< 1 wt%), is not well understood, and therefore it is hard to predict whether a given molecular building block will self-assemble into a hydrogel. This severely hinders the rational design of self-assembled hydrogels. In this study, we demonstrate the impact of an N-terminal chromophore label amino-benzoic acid on the self-assembly and rheology of hydrogel hFF03 (hydrogelating, fibril forming) using molecular dynamics simulations, which self-assembles into {\alpha}-helical coiled-coils. We find that the chromophore and even its specific regioisomers have a significant influence on the microscopic structure and dynamics of the self-assembled fibril, and on the macroscopic mechanical properties. This is because the chromophore influences the possible salt-bridges which form and stabilize the fibril formation. Furthermore we find that the solvation shell fibrils by itself cannot explain the viscoelasticity of hFF03 hydrogels. Our atomistic model of the hFF03 fibril formation enables a more rational design of these hydrogels. In particular, altering the N-terminal chromophore emergesas a design strategy to tune the mechanic properties of these self-assembled peptide hydrogels., Comment: 15 pages, 15 including appendix

Solar Orbiter, a mission developed by the European Space Agency, explores in situ plasma across the inner heliosphere while providing remote-sensing observations of the Sun. Our study examines particle observations for the 30 October 2021 shock. The particles provide clear evidence of ion reflection up to several minutes upstream of the shock. Additionally, the magnetic and electric field observations contain complex electromagnetic structures near the shock, and we aim to investigate how they are connected to ion dynamics. The main goal of this study is to advance our understanding of the complex coupling between particles and the shock structure in high Mach number regimes of interplanetary shocks. We used observations of magnetic and electric fields, probe-spacecraft potential, and thermal and energetic particles to characterize the structure of the shock front and particle dynamics. Furthermore, ion velocity distribution functions were used to study reflected ions and their coupling to the shock. To determine shock parameters and study waves, we used several methods, including cold plasma theory, singular-value decomposition, minimum variance analysis, and shock Rankine-Hugoniot relations. To support the analysis and interpretation of the experimental data, test-particle analysis, and hybrid particle in-cell simulations were used. The ion velocity distribution functions show clear evidence of particle reflection in the form of backstreaming ions several minutes upstream. The shock structure has complex features at the ramp and whistler precursors. The backstreaming ions may be modulated by the complex shock structure, and the whistler waves are likely driven by gyrating ions in the foot. Supra-thermal ions up to 20 keV were observed, but shock-accelerated particles with energies above this were not.

We present the spectroscopic confirmation and precise mass measurement of the warm giant planet TOI-199 b. This planet was first identified in TESS photometry and confirmed using ground-based photometry from ASTEP in Antarctica including a full 6.5$\,$h long transit, PEST, Hazelwood, and LCO; space photometry from NEOSSat; and radial velocities (RVs) from FEROS, HARPS, CORALIE, and CHIRON. Orbiting a late G-type star, TOI-199\,b has a $\mathrm{104.854_{-0.002}^{+0.001} \, d}$ period, a mass of $\mathrm{0.17\pm0.02 \, M_J}$, and a radius of $\mathrm{0.810\pm0.005 \, R_J}$. It is the first warm exo-Saturn with a precisely determined mass and radius. The TESS and ASTEP transits show strong transit timing variations, pointing to the existence of a second planet in the system. The joint analysis of the RVs and TTVs provides a unique solution for the non-transiting companion TOI-199 c, which has a period of $\mathrm{273.69_{-0.22}^{+0.26} \, d}$ and an estimated mass of $\mathrm{0.28_{-0.01}^{+0.02} \, M_J}$. This period places it within the conservative Habitable Zone., Comment: 33 pages, 23 figures. Accepted for publication in AJ