This perspective conveys a first-person account of the harsh realities of experiencing homelessness, including constant dampness, hunger, isolation, aimlessness, uncertainty, and emotional hardship. Individuals of all ages and backgrounds have or will confront housing insecurity and homelessness. While factors like finances, job loss, and lack of social support are key drivers, mental health issues and substance abuse also contribute to many people becoming homeless. Unexpected acts of kindness from strangers provided glimmers of human connection and hope. Seeing patients as individual human beings rather than faceless diagnoses is connected to recognizing the humanity and dignity in all community members, including the homeless. Compassionate action and social measures to provide shelter and uplift those without homes are vital, affirming their value and belonging.

Lechner, Hauke, and Zoller proposed a parity-encoded spin-embedding scheme for quantum annealing (QA) with all-to-all connectivity to avoid the issue of limited connectivity in near-term QA hardware and to enable the implementation thereof using only geometrically local interactions between spins fabricated on the planar substrate. Nevertheless, the redundant encoding of logical information, i.e., using a large number of spins to embed the logical information, increases the computational cost and reduces the efficiency. In this study, we show through Monte Carlo simulation that this redundant encoding may be exploited to solve the problems of the inefficiency and computational cost of the parity-encoded scheme by incorporating appropriate decoding, namely classical post-processing, of the spins to retrieve the logical information. Our findings open up the possibility of parity-encoded schemes for realizing the QA with near-term quantum technologies.

Chlorine radical (Cl•) profoundly impacts atmospheric oxidation capacity, and therefore climate change and air pollution. Chloramines, especially trichloramine (NCl 3), is a potentially important Cl• source, while their formation mechanism remains elusive. Here, we present evidence of aerosol aqueous-phase production of chloramines with observations in Beijing and develop a comprehensive box model which incorporates ~40 aerosol aqueous reactions initiated by Cl 2 and NH 3 and multiple phase transfer processes. The model can well reproduce the diurnal variation of NCl 3. We show that this atmospheric production of chloramines could be ubiquitous globally with the coexistence of aerosol water, Cl 2 , and NH 3 , while NCl 3 formation is mainly influenced by Cl 2 and relative humidity as NH 3 is typically in great excess. The contribution of chloramines (mostly NCl 3) to Cl• production is much higher in clean periods (up to 85%) than polluted periods (~5%) in Beijing, and in clean environments (e.g., ~64% in Canada) than polluted areas (e.g., ~1% in India). Therefore, chloramines can play an increasingly important role in a cleaner future and may partially offset the ongoing efforts on air pollution mitigation. The missing representation of chloramines in current models could significantly underestimate the climate, health and ecological impacts of Cl•.

The task of finding the analytical solution of the nonlinear Poisson equation in the inversion layer of a metal-oxide-semiconductor for the most accurate Kingston-Neustadter (KN) model, of electrons and holes, has been a long-standing open problem of the semiconductor physics. We summarize here the new method that makes possible to solve the problem. We obtain the analytical solution for the KN model and compare its physical predictions with those of the numerous ad-libbed compact analytical models where simplified charge densities of only electrons or holes are assumed. As an example of the latter, we consider the Hauser-Littlejohn (HL) model. The charge distribution in the HL model, is closer to a 2D concentration, with a surface density that differs by orders of magnitude from the KN model. The source-drain currents in the inversion layer channel of junctionless (JL) MOSFETs differ also by orders of magnitude and depend on the impurity concentration.

• For the first time, we simulate the bursty bulk flow events with kinetic physics embedded in a global magnetosphere model. • The electron velocity distributions demonstrate different anisotropy features at different locations surrounding the BBF. • Energy dependent electron pitch angle distribution evolutions are identified in the simulation.

Among the over 31,000 recognized species within Basidiomycota, approximately 200 are documented as parasites of other fungi, so-called mycoparasites. They exhibit a remarkable diversity in morphological characteristics, host-parasite interaction structures, and phylogenetic affiliations. Mycoparasitism as a trophic strategy in Basidiomycota has received little attention from the mycological community, with most research performed during the last decades of the previous century. These mycoparasites are documented across three subphyla, encompassing 10 different classes, yet a comprehensive understanding of their evolutionary relationships and host-parasite interaction mechanisms remains limited, and much data are scattered in the literature. This chapter aims to systematically outline the various classes of Basidiomycota known to include mycoparasites, elucidating their diversity, host-parasite interface, life cycle, morphology, and systematic classification. To provide a comprehensive overview of current knowledge on basidiomycetous mycoparasitism, we have compiled a catalogue of presumed mycoparasites, detailing available data for each species.

A document by Sourasekhar Banerjee. Click on the document to view its contents.

Nowadays, simple and cost-effective solutions to extract flexibility from any possible energy asset are being heavily investigated, along with optimal strategies to offer flexibility in different markets. In this context, this work proposes an Electrical Flexibility Forecasting Engine (EFFE) conceived for district heating systems based on centralised heat pumps. The idea is implemented in the case study of Culemborg (ND), demo site of the H2020-ACCEPT project. Here, the engine is run in a typical winter day to forecast and asses both upwards and downwards flexibility, along with the minimum economically viable bids for a local market.

Since the emergence of the internet, IPSEC has undergone significant changes due to changes in the type and behavior of users worldwide. IEEE 802.3ad, while considered a key aspect of the IPSEC model, is predictable and can result in potential design flaws, making it relatively easy to access a secure workstation. Thus, it is critical to leverage the benefits of multiple ISPs (multi-WAN) and a link aggregation model and integrate an aspect of randomization in the network. This facet of the network is highlighted by the proof of concept in the simulation of a double pendulum. The analysis of POC provided a network topology designed to utilize multiple WAN, 802.3ad link aggregation, and other environmental components to create a sense of true randomness within a network system. An analysis of this approach shows that it accounts for the data stream's size, transmission speed, WANs and VPNs' location, and other environmental factors to create a sense of randomness. Based on the proof concept, it can be concluded that attaining randomization using multi-WAN, VPN, and 802.3ad is a highly effective model for improving IPSEC.

A document by José Antonio Apolinário Jr . Click on the document to view its contents.

To explore the potential impacts of climate change on precipitation and mesoscale convective systems (MCSs) in the Peruvian Central Andes, a region with complex terrain, two future and one historical convection-permitting regional climate simulations are conducted using the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model. All simulations adopt consistent model configurations and two nested domains with grid spacings of 15 and 3 km covering the entire South America and the Peruvian Central Andes, respectively. The future simulations are run for 2070-2080 and driven by a bias-corrected global dataset derived from the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 6 (CMIP6) ensemble under the SSP2-4.5 and SSP5-8.5 emission scenarios. Results show geographically dependent changes in annual precipitation, with a consistent rise in the frequency of intense hourly precipitation across all examined regions. The western Amazon Basin shows a decrease in annual precipitation, while increases exist in parts of the Peruvian west coast and the east slope of the Andes under both future scenarios. In the warming scenarios, there is an overall increase in the frequency, precipitation intensity, and size of MCSs east of the Andes, with MCS precipitation volume increasing by up to ~22.2%. Despite consistently enhanced synoptic-scale low-level jets in future scenarios, changes in low-level dynamic convergence are inhomogeneous and predominantly influence annual precipitation changes. The increased convective available potential energy (CAPE), convective inhibition (CIN), and precipitable water (PW) in a warming climate suppress weak convection, while fostering a more unstable and moisture-rich atmosphere facilitating more intense convection and the formation and intensification of heavy precipitation-producing MCSs. The study highlights the value of convection-permitting climate simulations in projecting future severe weather hazards and informing climate adaptation strategies, especially in regions characterized by complex terrain.Keywords severe convective storms, future projections, convection-permitting, regional climate simulations, Peruvian Central AndesKey pointsConvection-permitting regional climate simulations are conducted to investigate the climate change impacts on precipitation and mesoscale convective systems in the Peruvian Central Andes. Intense hourly precipitation and organized convective storms become more frequent in the Peruvian Central Andes under a warming climate. Increased convective available potential energy (CAPE), convective inhibition (CIN), and precipitable water (PW) in a warming climate shift the convection population.

Precipitation exceedance probabilities play a critical role in engineering design, risk assessment, and floodplain management. While climate variability and change impact the frequency and intensity of heavy rainfall, the assumption that extreme precipitation is stationary in time, as implemented in official guidance like Atlas 14, can underestimate present and future hazards. Previous studies show that conditioning the statistical distribution parameters on time-varying climate covariates can improve estimates of nonstationary precipitation frequencies. However, this approach increases the number of parameters to be estimated, exacerbating parametric uncertainty. To address this, we propose a nonstationary and spatially varying model for process-informed precipitation frequency analyses. Specifically, we assume that the robust effects of climate covariates on the probability distribution of extreme rainfall are heterogeneous in space. We employ a hierarchical Bayesian model, leveraging Gaussian processes and extreme value theory, and apply this model to infer nonstationary rainfall exceedance probabilities for the Western Gulf Coast. The proposed approach is highly flexible, naturally allows the use of stations with incomplete observational records, identifies robust temporal trends along with smooth return level estimates, and quantifies parametric uncertainty. This framework can be used to improve adaptation guidance (such as IDF curves) in other regions.

Additional Descriptive StatisticsTables 1 and 2 show basic descriptive variables for both predictor variables and outcome variables used in our analyses.Table 1: Descriptive Statistics of Predictor Variables   Mean Std. Deviation Range 25th percentile 50th percentile 75th percentile Age1stAbortion 22.6 6.4 32.0 18.0 22.0 25.0 EmotionalAttachment 48.8 31.6 100.0 21.3 49.0 75.5 MaternalConflict 46.3 35.1 100.0 9.3 50.0 76.0 MoralConflict 49.1 34.8 100.0 19.0 50.5 76.0 AvgPr 41.8 21.9 100.0 28.0 40.1 56.6 HumanLife 52.6 34.5 100.0 20.0 51.0 82.8 PersonalPref 54.5 32.0 100.0 33.0 52.0 80.0 MoreSupport 41.3 35.7 100.0 3.3 37.0 74.0 MoreFinSecurity 48.5 37.4 100.0 4.3 54.0 83.0 TypeDecision 2.0 0.9 3.0 1.0 2.0 2.0 RiskScale 4.2 2.4 8.0 2.0 4.0 6.0

AUTHORS:Salzman, Shayla1, M.R.L. Whitaker2, A.M. Sierra3, E.D Bustos-Díaz4, A. Cibrián-Jaramillo5, Y. Liu6, F. Barona-Gómez4, S.Z. Zhang6, S.K. Sahu7,9, J.C. Villarreal A.3,8,91 University of Georgia, Entomology, Athens, GA, US2 East Tennessee State University, Biological Sciences, Johnson City, TN, US3 Département de Biologie, Université Laval, G1V 0A6, Québec, Canada4 Institute of Biology, University of Leiden, 2333 BE, Leiden, NL.5 Naturalis Biodiversity Center, Darwinweg 2 2333 CR Leiden, The Netherlands6 Shenzhen & Chinese Academy of Sciences, Fairy Lake Botanical Garden, Shenzhen, CN7 State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Genomics, Key Laboratory of Genomics, Ministry of Agriculture, BGI Research, Shenzhen 518083, China8 Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Ancón, Panamá9 Corresponding authors

Solute transport in unsaturated porous media is of interest in many engineering and environmen- tal applications. The interplay between small-scale, local forces and the porous microstructure exerts a strong control on the transport of fluids and solutes at the larger, macroscopic scales. Heterogeneity in pore geometry is intrinsic to natural materials across a large range of scales. This multiscale nature, and the intricate links between two-phase flow and solute transport, remain far from well understood, by and large. Here, we use high-resolution direct simulation to quantify solute mixing and dispersion behavior within correlated porous media during drainage under an unfavorable viscosity ratio. Through analysis of flow and transport at multiple realizations, we find that increasing spatial correlations in pore sizes increase the size of the required Representative Elementary Volume (REV). We show that increasing the correlation length enhances solute dis- persivity through its impact on the spatial distribution of low-velocity (diffusion-dominated) and high-velocity (advection-dominated) regions. Fluid saturation is shown to directly affect diffusive mass flux among high- and low-velocity zones. Another indirect effect of correlated heterogene- ity on solute transport is through its control of the drainage patterns via repeated alteration in the connectivity of flowing pathways. Our findings improve quantitative understanding of solute mixing and dispersion under two-phase conditions, highly relevant to some of our most urgent environmental problems. 

AbstractWilliam Shakespeare’s timeless plays, Hamlet and Macbeth are celebrated for their exploration of profound philosophical and moral themes. This article delves into the intricate portrayal of Heaven and Hell in these iconic works, revealing their impact on character development, plot progression, and thematic complexity. In Hamlet the interplay between Heaven and Hell is a central element that shapes character conflicts and moral dilemmas. The nuanced depiction of Heaven highlights existential questions and moral quandaries faced by the protagonist, Hamlet, while the portrayal of Hell exposes characters’ lack of remorse and divine judgment. Similarly, in Macbeth the celestial and infernal realms contribute to character actions and narrative dynamics. The divine presence in Macbeth’s castle underscores the interplay between human agency and fate, while emotional turmoil symbolizes the internal Hell characters endure. The symbolism of Heaven and Hell expands beyond the celestial and infernal, encompassing themes of ambition, fate, and moral accountability. These portrayals invite philosophical contemplation, delving into existential inquiries about human nature, choice, and consequence. In both plays, the symbolism of Heaven and Hell deepens the exploration of morality and human experiences, demonstrating Shakespeare’s masterful storytelling and his enduring relevance in probing fundamental ethical questions.

-Parthiva Sinha, Bankura Sammilani College,Bankura,West Bengal

A document by Thomas Gray. Click on the document to view its contents.

AbstractThe term ”Space Opera,” initially coined to define a specific niche within science fiction, has undergone significant semantic evolution, leading to a broad and often misapplied descriptor for speculative narratives. This essay delves into the historical roots, defining traits, interrelation with other opera forms, cultural impact, and challenges in delineating its boundaries. The imprecise definition of Space Opera and its indiscriminate application pose difficulties in categorizing speculative fiction storylines. Originally a subgenre of science fiction, Space Opera now encompasses any narrative set in space, diluting its distinctiveness and hindering critical discussions. This essay explores the genre’s origins, its unique characteristics compared to science fiction, and its evolution from literary roots to television and film. The impact of Space Opera on young adults, the film industry, and its influence on new genres and global industries are also examined. Additionally, the essay investigates Space Opera’s relationship with literary and artistic movements, revealing its thematic depth and narrative complexity. The troubled Kunstleroman theme within Space Opera, emphasizing character development in cosmic settings, is analyzed using examples from notable works. Despite its impactful cultural and technological adaptations, Space Opera remains a challenging and somewhat elusive concept within speculative fiction, necessitating a refined understanding for scholarly discourse and appreciation of its diverse narratives. The conclusion emphasizes the need for a nuanced perspective to navigate the complexities of Space Opera, ensuring a clearer delineation of its setting, thematic elements, and narrative nuances for future scholarly engagement and enjoyment.Keywords- Space Opera, Genre Evolution, Misapplication, Cultural Impact, Kunstleroman

AbstractLittle is known on the migration routes of songbirds breeding in Siberia. We used satellite transmitters to study the migration of two White´s Thrushes Zoothera aurea captured during breeding season in the Ural Mountains, Russia. One of the devices transmitted during spring and the breeding season (May to September) in the following year from the Khangai Mountains of central Mongolia, 3000 km southeast of its former breeding season site. Based on the combination of lack of accurate locations, potentially unsuitable habitat, unusual behaviour, and unusual location outside of the known breeding range we consider it most likely that the bird died there during migration, while the transmitter continued to function. No data on migration routes or non-breeding areas were received, although the movement to Mongolia suggest a migration route east of the Qinghai-Tibetan plateau.

After focusing on individual languages for a long time, multilingual automatic speech recognition has recently become an active area of research. For instance, Whisper by OpenAI is capable of recognizing speech in 99 languages. However, the performance of Whisper is significantly lower for lowresource languages than for high-resource ones. In this work, we aim to address this and present a fine-tuning strategy for the pretrained Whisper model so that its performance is improved for a low-resource language family while maintaining performance for a set of high-resource languages. Specifically, our Söyle model exhibited high performance for both the Turkic language family (11 languages) and the official languages of the United Nations. Our work also presents the first large open-source speech corpus for the Tatar language. We demonstrate that speech recognition performance for Tatar improves with the model trained using the new Tatar Speech Corpus (TatSC). Our model is also trained to be noise-robust. We open-source our model and TatSC to encourage further research. We envision that our fine-tuning approach will guide the creation multilingual speech recognition models for other low-resource language families.

Amidst a trend emphasizing causal explanations in qualitative research, this work challenges a singular focus on causal mechanisms. While acknowledging their importance, it argues for the equal value of constitutive descriptions. Inspired by Pacewicz, it proposes that understanding what phenomena are, their dimensions, and optimal categorization, offers unique insights. Against Pacewicz, it contends that mechanisms can themselves be constituents of social phenomena, and building on a robust definition of social systems from Haslanger and Chang it clarifies why generalizations of constitutive description work beyond good scholars warrants. Drawing on a case study this article demonstrates how non-causal explanations can answer “why” questions. By analyzing Desmond’s work with the urban poor, this example showcases the interplay between constitutive and causal explanations, highlighting the potential of mechanisms to be constitutive elements of certain phenomena. Thus, demonstrating that qualitative explanation occurs not solely by identifying causal mechanisms.

Groundwater overdraft in western U.S. states has prompted water managers to start the development of groundwater management plans that include mandatory reporting of groundwater pumping (GP) to track water use. Most irrigation systems in the western U.S. are not equipped with irrigation water flow meters to record GP. Of those that do, performing quality assurance and quality control (QAQC) of the metered GP data is difficult due to the lack of reliable secondary GP estimates. We hypothesize that satellite (Landsat)-based actual evapotranspiration (ET) estimates from OpenET can be used to predict GP and aid in QAQC of the metered GP data. For this purpose, the objectives of this study are: 1) to pair OpenET estimates of consumptive use (Net ET, i.e., actual ET less effective precipitation) and metered annual GP data from Diamond Valley (DV), Nevada, and Harney Basin (HB), Oregon; 2) to evaluate linear regression and ensemble machine learning (ML) models (e.g., Random Forests) to establish the GP vs Net ET relationship; and 3) to compare GP estimates at the field- and basin-scales. Results from using a bootstrapping technique showed that the mean absolute errors (MAEs) for field-scale GP depth are 12% and 11% for DV and HB, respectively, and the corresponding root mean square errors (RMSEs) are 15% and 14%. Moreover, the regression models explained 50%-60% variance in GP depth and ~90% variance in GP volumes. The estimated average irrigation efficiency of 88% (92% and 83% for DV and HB, respectively) aligns with known center pivot system efficiencies. Additionally, OpenET proves to be useful for identifying discrepancies in the metered GP data, which are subsequently removed prior to model fitting. Results from this study illustrate the usefulness of satellite-based ET estimates for estimating GP, QAQC metered GP data and have the potential to help estimate historical GP.

AbstractType 1 hypersensitivity involves an exaggerated immune reaction triggered by allergen exposure, leading to rapid release of inflammatory mediators. Meanwhile, mechanobiology explores how physical forces influence cellular processes, and recent research underscores its relevance in allergic reactions. This review provides a concise overview of Type 1 hypersensitivity, highlighting the pivotal role of mast cells and immunoglobulin E (IgE) antibodies in orchestrating allergic reactions. Recognizing the dynamic nature of cellular responses in allergies, this study subsequently delves into the emerging field of mechanobiology and its significance in understanding the mechanical forces governing immune cell behavior. Furthermore, molecular forces during mast cell activation and degranulation are explored, elucidating the mechanical aspects of IgE binding and cytoskeletal rearrangements. Next, we discuss the intricate interplay between immune cells and the extracellular matrix, emphasizing the impact of matrix stiffness on cellular responses. Additionally, we examine key mechanosensitive signaling pathways, including the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway, Rho guanosine triphosphatase (GTPase) and integrin-mediated focal adhesion signaling, shedding light on their contributions to hypersensitivity reactions. This interplay of mechanobiology and Type 1 hypersensitivity provides insights into potential therapeutic targets and biomarkers, paving the way for better clinical management of Type 1 hypersensitivity reactions.Keywords: Type 1 hypersensitivity; mechanobiology; mechanosensing; mechanotransduction; allergy.IntroductionType 1 hypersensitivity represents a prototypical allergic reaction characterized by an exaggerated immune response to innocuous substances, known as allergens. This hypersensitivity is classified as an immediate or immunoglobulin E (IgE)-mediated hypersensitivity, involving the immediate release of inflammatory mediators upon re-exposure to specific allergens. The sensitization phase begins when the immune system of individuals prone to Type 1 hypersensitivity responds to the first exposure of specific allergens by producing IgE antibodies [1,2]. These IgE antibodies occupy the high-affinity IgE receptors on the surface of mast cells and basophils. Upon subsequent exposure to these specific allergens, the crosslink between allergens and IgE antibodies activate mast cells and basophils, triggering the release of potent mediators such as histamine, leukotrienes, and cytokines (Figure 1 ) [1,3–5]. The rapid release of these mediators results in the clinical manifestations of allergy, ranging from mild symptoms like itching and sneezing to severe, life-threatening reactions like anaphylaxis [1,6]. Common allergens implicated in Type 1 hypersensitivity span a broad spectrum, including environmental allergens such as pollen, dust mites and animal dander, as well as food allergens like nuts, shellfish and eggs. Additionally, insect venom, certain medications and latex are recognized triggers [7]. The role of allergens in Type 1 hypersensitivity is pivotal, as the immune system perceives them as foreign and mounts an immune response, with subsequent exposures leading to heightened sensitivity and escalating allergic reactions [8].