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This paper is based on the research related to regional integration attempts in Latin America and their effect on the economic development of Latin American countries. Recent analyses clarify that the US’ intervention in the politics of Latin America has been the main obstacle of the regional integration process. Most importantly, political fragmentation of the countries in the region affects the success of the organizations that are formed for the regional integration. This is especially visible in the political processes of the countries such as economic crises in Argentina, political instability in Venezuela and increasing migration to the US from Latin American countries. Notable studies reveal that despite the regional integration efforts, the economic benefits to the region has been limited compared to the benefit of the global economic powers. Different from the current literature, this paper focuses on the internal dynamics of Latin American countries. In this respect, this paper investigates the effect of the regional integration attempts for the economic development of the countries in Latin America. In this regard, the rational state behaviour was found as an important element to explain in relation to the Latin American integration attempts. With a liberal intergovernmentalist perspective, this paper aims to reveal the success of regional integration attempts in Latin America with the cases of Latin American Free Trade Association (LAFTA), Southern Common Market (MERCOSUR) and Andean Community (CAN). The main argument of this paper is that increasing economic cooperation and creating a reconstruction model with a financial assistance to the less developed countries in the region have led to a regional economic development in cohesion with the policies of the regional powers of Latin America.

To evaluate the neurovascular bundle preservation grades during robotic-assisted radical prostatectomy and compared to the trifecta combined outcome (oncologic control, continence, and sexual function) twelve months after the surgery.Cohort of patients who underwent nerve-sparing robotic-assisted radical prostatectomy had the neurovascular bundle preservation retrospectively graded from 0 to 8 according to the Hopkins subjective visual classification. Patients then were divided into two groups, according to the median of nerve-sparing grading: those with score six or high and those with score less than six. Main outcome was the trifecta combined outcome and secondary outcomes was the individual trifecta criteria (prospective analysis). A secondary analysis with groups divided according to pre-operatory SHIM score was made.One hundred robotic-assisted nerve-sparing radical prostatectomy were performed, of which 83 were included. There were 53 patients with grading greater than or equal to six (group 1) and 30 patients less than six (group 2). 66.6% patients (35/53) in group 1 had a trifecta combined outcome of compared to 33.3% (10/30) in group 2 (p = 0.017). Individually, the erectile function was higher in group 1 (73.6%) compared to group 2 (46.7%) (p = 0.014). Both the results of the combined endpoint trifecta and erection were also maintained in the group with preoperative SHIM ≥ 17.The grading of preservation of the neurovascular bundle in radical prostatectomy is related to a better combined trifecta outcome one year after surgery.

In the era of climate breakdown and disaster, a book on ruins seems apropos – from the ongoing destruction of the environment to the wreckage of late capitalism, much is to be said about the place of ruins in contemporary visual culture. In Empire of Ruins. American Culture, Photography, and the Spectacle of Destruction, Miles Orvell does more than just pinpoint the current unfolding of man-made ruination. Instead, the book provides a genealogy of a peculiar American fascination with ruins as...

Die Hypothese dieser Arbeit behauptet, dass der Xdh- und Blvrb-vermittelte ROS-Umgang potenziell einen Vorteil für die (Hirn-)Kolonisation darstellt. In dieser Arbeit wurde ein stabiler Knockout von Xdh in der hoch-kolonisierenden Kolonkarzinom Zelllinie CT26 mittels eines CRISPR/Cas9-vermittelten Ansatzes generiert. Zusätzlich wurden Xdh und Blvrb pharmakologisch inhibiert. Die Gen- bzw. Protein-Expression nach der Enzymmodulation wurde mittels qRT-PCR und Western Blot untersucht. Darüber hinaus wurde der Einfluss auf die ROS Produktion der Karzinomzellen analysiert. Interessanterweise rief die genetische Herunterregulation von Xdh große Effekte in der Kolonkarzinom Zelllinie CT26 hervor, während die pharmakologische Inhibition die Expression und/oder Aktivität von beiden Enzymen nicht beeinflussen konnte. Die Generierung des stabilen Xdh-defizienten Klons wird in der Zukunft ermöglichen, dessen Wirkung in einer immunkompetenten Umgebung zu untersuchen, und somit die Einsetzbarkeit als Therapieziel gegen Hirnmetastasen zu testen., The hypothesis of this work is that the Xdh- and Blvrb-mediated ROS coping serves as a potential advantage in (brain-)colonization. In this work, a stable knock-out of Xdh in the cell line CT26 has been generated via a CRISPR/Cas9-mediated approach. Additionally, Xdh and Blvrb have been inhibited pharmacologically. The gene and protein expression after enzymatic modulation were investigated via qRT-PCR and Western Blot. Furthermore, the influence on the ROS production of the tumor cells was analyzed. Interestingly, the genetic downregulation of Xdh in the colon cancer cell line CT26 showed great effects, while the pharmacologic inhibition did not influence expression and/or activity of both enzymes. The generation of the stable Xdh-deficient clone will enable to further investigate its effect in an immunocompetent environment in the future and therefore the potential as a therapeutic target against brain metastasis.

Proton-$\gamma$ coincidences from $(\mathrm{d},\mathrm{p})$ reactions between a $^{66}\mathrm{Ni}$ beam and a deuterated polyethylene target have been analyzed with the inverse Oslo method to find the nuclear level density (NLD) and $\gamma$-ray strength function ($\gamma$SF) of $^{67}\mathrm{Ni}$. The $^{66}\mathrm{Ni}(\mathrm{n},\gamma)$ capture cross section has been calculated using the Hauser-Feshbach model in TALYS using the measured NLD and $\gamma$SF as constraints. We confirm that $^{66}\mathrm{Ni}(\mathrm{n},\gamma)$ acts as a bottleneck when relying on one-zone nucleosynthesis calculations. However, we find that the impact of this reaction is strongly damped in multi-zone low-metallicity AGB stellar models experiencing i-process nucleosynthesis., Comment: Submitted to Phys. Rev. C

In the context of the repeated droughts that have affected central Europe over the last years (2018–2020, 2022), climate-resilient management of water resources, based on timely information about the current state of the terrestrial water cycle and forecasts of its evolution, has gained an increasing importance. To achieve this, we propose a new setup for simulations of the terrestrial water cycle using the integrated hydrological model ParFlow/CLM at high spatial and temporal resolution (i.e., 0.611 km, hourly time step) over Germany and the neighboring regions. We show that this setup can be used as a basis for a monitoring and forecasting system that aims to provide stakeholders from many sectors, but especially agriculture, with diagnostics and indicators highlighting different aspects of subsurface water states and fluxes, such as subsurface water storage, seepage water, capillary rise, or fraction of plant available water for different (root-)depths. The validation of the new simulation setup with observation-based data monthly over the period 2011–2020 yields good results for all major components of the terrestrial water cycle analyzed here, i.e., volumetric soil moisture, evapotranspiration, water table depth, and river discharge. As this setup relies on a standardized grid definition and recent globally available static fields and parameters (e.g., topography, soil hydraulic properties, land cover), the workflow could easily be transferred to many regions of the Earth, including sparsely gauged regions, since ParFlow/CLM does not require calibration.

Accurate soil moisture (SM) measurements are key in hydrological observations and subsequent applications as it can greatly improve our understanding of soil processes. Recently, Cosmic-Ray Neutron Sensors (CRNS) have been recognized as a promising tool in SM monitoring due to its large footprint of several hectares and half a meter in depth. The key characteristic feature of the method is the exceptionally high moderation strength of hydrogen, which makes it nearly independent of the soil chemistry. CRNS has a great potential for irrigation and monitoring applications as to the non-invasive nature of the method and the low-maintenance, independently operating sensors. From the initial focus on hydrological research. CRNS are increasingly used in agriculture, e.g. irrigation management and soil moisture mapping, and have been integrated LoRa or NB-IoT networks for fast data transmission. Two projects are discussed which advance CRNS technologies into monitoring networks. COSMIC-SWAMP aims to provide an open-source water monitoring platform that integrates cosmic ray sensing data with FiWare Smart Application compliant analysis routines. Extending the existing Smart Water Management Platform (swamp-project.org), COSMIC-SWAMP supports dynamic processing of multiple co-located cosmic ray sensor streams to support automated and continuous growth forecasting using Wageningen/WOFOST crop models. ADAPTER involves the development and provision of innovative simulation-based information products. Addressing weather- and climate-resilient agriculture, daily and comprehensive long-term weather and soil information are made available to the agricultural community and all interested parties as easy-to-use analyses, data products, and information interfaces (adapter-projekt.org). The hydrological model ParFlow coupled to its Common Land Model (CLM) module provides a nationwide water balance prediction with 600 m spatial resolution. The data assimilation within the product platform is supported by an independent network of CRNS stations (12 agricultural locations in North Rhine-Westphalia). This contribution provides an overview about the current state of the art in CRNS methodological integration, neutron detection technology and development of IoT interfaces with measurements and forecasts focusing on the water balance, including groundwater.

In the early hours of June 8, 2017, a Weis Market employee in Tunkhannock, Pennsylvania, shot three co-workers and herself. Shortly before the shooting, the perpetrator uploaded vast amounts of dig...

ZusammenfassungDigitale Medien haben mittlerweile einen festen Platz im Alltag von Schülerinnen und Schülern. Sie dienen nicht nur der Vermittlung von Lehrinhalten, sondern werden zunehmend auch für das Erbringen von Leistungsnachweisen und zur Diagnostik eingesetzt. Für die Durchführung und Auswertung etablierter Testverfahren zur Erfassung schulischer Leistungen wäre es wünschenswert, wenn sie in einem digitalen Format vorliegen. Aber sind diese Testleistungen vergleichbar? Um dies zu prüfen, wurden verbreitete Papier- und Bleistift-Testverfahren zur Erfassung der Lesegenauigkeit (Verlaufsdiagnostik sinnerfassenden Lesens, VSL), Dekodiergeschwindigkeit (Würzburger Leise Leseprobe – Revision, WLLP-R) und Rechtschreibung (Weingartener Grundwortschatz Rechtschreib-Test, WRT 3+/4+) digitalisiert und in eine kindgerechte Rahmengeschichte eingebettet. Insgesamt führten 237 Kinder der dritten und vierten Klassenstufe aus Bayern und Hessen die Testverfahren zuerst in digitaler Version (via App am Tablet oder Smartphone) und danach als Papier-und-Bleistift-Version durch. Es zeigt sich ein hoher Zusammenhang zwischen den Testleistungen der beiden Testformate, der unterschiedliche Interpretationen zulässt. Chancen und Grenzen digitalisierter Leistungstests werden diskutiert.

Die öffentliche und wissenschaftliche Auseinandersetzung nimmt seit einer Weile zunehmend Phänomene, die als Terrorismus, Radikalisierung und Extremismus bezeichnet werden, in den Fokus. Dabei wird insbesondere der Frage nachgegangen, wie diese Phänomene besser verstanden und wie schädliche Entwicklungen verhindert oder unterbrochen werden können. Ein besonderes Thema ist (Online-)Hate Speech und ihre mögliche Rolle als zu gewalttätigem Verhalten beitragender Faktor. Darüber hinaus wird oftmals das schädliche Potenzial abwertender Äußerungen und deren Auswirkungen auf Betroffene erörtert. Dieser Beitrag konzentriert sich auf (öffentliche) rechtsextremistische Online-Kommunikation, d.h. auf Sprechakte, die affirmative Elemente einer Ideologie der Ungleichwertigkeit enthalten oder zumindest auf Überzeugungen auf Seiten der sich Äußernden hindeuten. Die in diesem Beitrag vorgestellte Analyse konzentriert sich auf motivationsleitende Strukturen von Online-Hate Speech. Zentrales Ergebnis des qualitativen Ansatzes ist die Identifikation von drei Typen rechtsextremistischer Sprechakte in Online-Medien, die als ‚Propaganda‘, ‚Affektgeleitete Rede‘ und ‚Transgression‘ bezeichnet werden und jeweils durch spezifische Eigenheiten gekennzeichnet sind.

Background In implant prosthetic dentistry, the adhesive connection of individualized ceramic crowns and prefabricated titanium bases leads to several benefits. However, the durability of the bonding could be a weak point and especially depends on sufficient surface pretreatment. Cold atmospheric-pressure plasma (CAP) is a pretreatment method that should improve the surface properties without physical damage. Thus, the purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of CAP treatment on pull-off tensile load in two-piece abutment crowns. Methods Eighty zirconia crowns and titanium bases were divided into eight groups (n = 10) according to their surface pretreatment prior to cementation with Panavia V5: no treatment (A); sandblasting (B); 10-MDP primer (C); sandblasting and primer (D); CAP (AP); sandblasting and CAP (BP); CAP and primer (CP); sandblasting, CAP and primer (DP). The specimens were thermocycled (5°/55°, 5000 cycles), and then the pull-off tensile load (TL) was measured. Statistical analyses were performed using three-way ANOVA with Tukey post-hoc and Fisher’s exact tests. Results The results showed that the TL was highest in group D (p Conclusion Within the limitations of this study, CAP treatment cannot be recommended in this specific field of indication due to its unreliable influence on TL in combination with other pretreatment methods.

Purpose An experimental approach was designed to measure the preload force, the coefficient of friction and the component of the tightening torque that is needed to surmount the thread-friction in an implant–abutment–screw complex that includes a carbon-coated screw. With the determined preload values the coefficient of friction was calculated. Methods 25 unused complexes, containing an implant, an abutment and a carbon-coated titanium alloy abutment screw, were tested. A custom load frame with two load cells and associated electronics was used. The threads were not lubricated. All abutment screws were torqued ten times to 25 Ncm. The produced preload values and a force that was proportional to the thread-friction component of the tightening torque were recorded. Results Mean preload values decreased significantly with the number of repetitions (p Conclusions In the investigated implant–abutment units, repeated use of a coated abutment screw appears to increase the friction of the screw head and thereby decrease the preload. These results indicate that a pre-used coated implant–abutment–screw will fail reaching optimal screw preload. Graphical abstract

Four right-handed, healthy subjects participated in a visual stimulation experiment. Subjects were viewing a dartboardshaped flickering checkerboard stimulus, divided into 4 rings and 12 segments, defining 48 sectors in the visual field. Local contrast in each sector was continuously varying across four levels and updated every 3 s. To maintain fixation, subjects had to respond to a stimulus at the center of the visual field. During the entire experiment, in which subjects performed 8 runs, each consisting of 100 trials, brain activity was measured with functional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Using a 3-T Siemens Trio MRI scanner, 220 echo-planar images were acquired in each run, with a repetition time of 1.5 s and voxel size of 3 x 3 x 3 mm. The dataset is publicly available from OpenNeuro and additionally includes region of interest maps for visual areasV1 to V4, left and right, obtained from another retinotopic mapping experiment. As such, the dataset allows for accu-rate mapping of receptive fields and their properties across several stages of human visual cortex.(C) 2023 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Inc. This is an open access article under the CC BY license ( http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ ), Data in Brief, 47, ISSN:2352-3409

Introduction: By 2050, older adults will constitute 16% of the world population; hence, there is an urgent demand and challenge to design solutions (products and services) that meet the needs of this age group. This study sought to analyse the needs that impact the well-being of Chilean older adults and present possible solutions through the design of products. Methodology: A qualitative study was used, where focus groups were held with older adults, industrial designers, health professionals, and entrepreneurs on the needs and design of solutions for older adults. Results: A general map was obtained that linked the categories and subcategories related to the relevant needs and solutions, which were then classified in a framework. Conclusions: The resulting proposal places the needs in different fields of expertise; and thus, enables positioning, broadening, and expanding upon the map to share knowledge, between the user and key experts, to co-create solutions.

It has been suggested that visual images are memorized across brief periods of time by vividly imagining them as if they still were there. Such visual imagery has been proposed as a key mechanism underlying working memory. However, the ability to evoke visual imagery varies substantially across individuals, raising the question whether people with weak or even absent visual imagery might use other, non-visual strategies for memorization. Here, we systematically investigated this question in two groups of participants, very strong and very weak imagers, that were asked to remember images across brief delay periods. We were able to reliably reconstruct the memorized stimuli from early visual cortex during the delay period. Importantly, the quality of reconstruction was equally accurate for both strong and weak imagers. The decodable information also closely reflected behavioral precision in both groups, suggesting it could potentially contribute to behavioral performance, even in the extreme case of completely aphantasic individuals. Our data thus suggest that strong and weak imagers do not differ in how early visual areas encode memory-related information and that this information might even be equally used in both groups.

In this work, we present new data on the $^{182,183,184}$W($\gamma,n$) cross sections, utilizing a quasi-monochromatic photon beam produced at the NewSUBARU synchrotron radiation facility. Further, we have extracted the nuclear level density and $\gamma$-ray strength function of $^{186}$W from data on the $^{186}$W($\alpha,\alpha^\prime\gamma$)$^{186}$W reaction measured at the Oslo Cyclotron Laboratory. Combining previous measurements on the $^{186}$W($\gamma,n$) cross section with our new $^{182,183,184}$W($\gamma,n$) and ($\alpha,\alpha^\prime\gamma$)$^{186}$W data sets, we have deduced the $^{186}$W $\gamma$-ray strength function in the range of $1 < E_\gamma < 6$ MeV and $7 < E_\gamma < 14$ MeV. Our data are used to extract the level density and $\gamma$-ray strength functions needed as input to the nuclear-reaction code \textsf{TALYS}, providing an indirect, experimental constraint for the $^{185}$W($n,\gamma$)$^{186}$W cross section and reaction rate. Compared to the recommended Maxwellian-averaged cross section (MACS) in the KADoNiS-1.0 data base, our results are on average lower for the relevant energy range $k_B T \in [5,100]$ keV, and we provide a smaller uncertainty for the MACS. The theoretical values of Bao \textit{et al.} and the cross section experimentally constrained on photoneutron data of Sonnabend \textit{et al.} are significantly higher than our result. The lower value by Mohr \textit{et al.} is in very good agreement with our deduced MACS. Our new results could have implications for the $s$-process and in particular the predicted $s$-process production of $^{186,187}$Os nuclei., Comment: 17 pages, 15 figures; to be submitted to Phys. Rev. C

Nuclear level densities (NLDs) and $\gamma$-ray strength functions (GSFs) of $^{120,124}$Sn have been extracted with the Oslo method from proton-$\gamma$ coincidences in the ($p,p^{\prime}\gamma)$ reaction. The functional forms of the GSFs and NLDs have been further constrained with the Shape method by studying primary $\gamma$-transitions to the ground and first excited states.The NLDs demonstrate good agreement with the NLDs of $^{116,118,122}$Sn isotopes measured previously. Moreover, the extracted partial NLD of 1$^{-}$ levels in $^{124}$Sn is shown to be in fair agreement with those deduced from spectra of relativistic Coulomb excitation in forward-angle inelastic proton scattering. The experimental NLDs have been applied to estimate the magnitude of the Porter-Thomas (PT) fluctuations. Within the PT fluctuations, we conclude that the GSFs for both isotopes can be considered to be independent of initial and final excitation energies, in accordance with the generalized Brink-Axel hypothesis. Particularly large fluctuations observed in the Shape-method GSFs present a considerable contribution to the uncertainty of the method, and may be one of the reasons for deviations from the Oslo-method strength at low $\gamma$-ray energies and low values of the NLD (below $\approx1\cdot10^{3}-2\cdot10^{3}$ MeV$^{-1}$)., Comment: 17 pages, 12 figures

International audience; The Advanced GAmma Tracking Array (AGATA) has been installed at Laboratori Nazionali di Legnaro (LNL), Italy. In this installation, AGATA will consist, at the beginning, of 13 AGATA triple clusters (ATCs) with an angular coverage of 1π, and progressively the number of ATCs will increase up to a 2π angular coverage. This setup will exploit both stable and radioactive ion beams delivered by the Tandem–PIAVE-ALPI accelerator complex and the SPES facility. The new implementation of AGATA at LNL will be used in two different configurations, firstly one coupled to the PRISMA large-acceptance magnetic spectrometer and lately a second one at Zero Degrees, along the beam line. These two configurations will allow us to cover a broad physics program, using different reaction mechanisms, such as Coulomb excitation, fusion-evaporation, transfer and fission at energies close to the Coulomb barrier. These setups have been designed to be coupled with a large variety of complementary detectors such as charged particle detectors, neutron detectors, heavy-ion detectors, high-energy γ-ray arrays, cryogenic and gasjet targets and the plunger device for lifetime measurements. We present in this paper the conceptual design, characteristics and performance figures of this implementation of AGATA at LNL.

Proton-$γ$ coincidences from $(\mathrm{d},\mathrm{p})$ reactions between a $^{66}\mathrm{Ni}$ beam and a deuterated polyethylene target have been analyzed with the inverse Oslo method to find the nuclear level density (NLD) and $γ$-ray strength function ($γ$SF) of $^{67}\mathrm{Ni}$. The $^{66}\mathrm{Ni}(\mathrm{n},γ)$ capture cross section has been calculated using the Hauser-Feshbach model in TALYS using the measured NLD and $γ$SF as constraints. We confirm that $^{66}\mathrm{Ni}(\mathrm{n},γ)$ acts as a bottleneck when relying on one-zone nucleosynthesis calculations. However, we find that the impact of this reaction is strongly damped in multi-zone low-metallicity AGB stellar models experiencing i-process nucleosynthesis., Submitted to Phys. Rev. C

In this work, we present new data on the $^{182,183,184}$W($γ,n$) cross sections, utilizing a quasi-monochromatic photon beam produced at the NewSUBARU synchrotron radiation facility. Further, we have extracted the nuclear level density and $γ$-ray strength function of $^{186}$W from data on the $^{186}$W($α,α^\primeγ$)$^{186}$W reaction measured at the Oslo Cyclotron Laboratory. Combining previous measurements on the $^{186}$W($γ,n$) cross section with our new $^{182,183,184}$W($γ,n$) and ($α,α^\primeγ$)$^{186}$W data sets, we have deduced the $^{186}$W $γ$-ray strength function in the range of $1 < E_γ< 6$ MeV and $7 < E_γ< 14$ MeV. Our data are used to extract the level density and $γ$-ray strength functions needed as input to the nuclear-reaction code \textsf{TALYS}, providing an indirect, experimental constraint for the $^{185}$W($n,γ$)$^{186}$W cross section and reaction rate. Compared to the recommended Maxwellian-averaged cross section (MACS) in the KADoNiS-1.0 data base, our results are on average lower for the relevant energy range $k_B T \in [5,100]$ keV, and we provide a smaller uncertainty for the MACS. The theoretical values of Bao \textit{et al.} and the cross section experimentally constrained on photoneutron data of Sonnabend \textit{et al.} are significantly higher than our result. The lower value by Mohr \textit{et al.} is in very good agreement with our deduced MACS. Our new results could have implications for the $s$-process and in particular the predicted $s$-process production of $^{186,187}$Os nuclei., 17 pages, 15 figures; to be submitted to Phys. Rev. C

The use of numerical models for real-time management of water resources is becoming increasingly popular as the increasing frequency and intensity of extreme weather events negatively affect society, agriculture and crop yields. Prolonged droughts are becoming the new normal, which, among other things, increase the need for operational, site-specific soil moisture forecasting. A model that provides accurate site-specific soil moisture forecasts can support agriculture by contributing to precision irrigation and the provision of important information for crop planning, yield maximization and the coordination of field operations. Soil moisture assimilation has proven potential to provide appropriate initial conditions for such a forecast model. However, the operational estimation of an initial condition requires model-specific protocols for continuously incorporating new observational data into models for hydrological, crop, land surface, vadose zone, or subsurface processes that are not yet widely available. In this study, we present an automated data pipeline for operational, site-specific soil moisture ensemble forecasting based on the Community Land Model Version 5.0 (CLM5) taking the TERENO agricultural research station "Selhausen" in western Germany as an example. CLM5 simulates vegetation states, carbon and nitrogen pools prognostically. We compare land surface model prediction quality (e.g., soil moisture, crop yield) with and without weather forecasts and with and without near real-time soil moisture data assimilation. Climatological mean time series and 10-day ensemble weather forecasts from the German Weather Service, aggregated to the grid cell, are the atmospheric forcings in simulating future states. Forecasts start from the states of the last simulation time step with on-site measurements of precipitation, wind speed, air temperature, air pressure, relative humidity, and global radiation as the atmospheric forcings. In parallel with forward simulations from 2011-2021 (open loop experiment), soil moisture assimilation is being performed for 2018-2021 to generate site-specific initial conditions for the land surface model with reduced uncertainty. Forecasts starting from initial conditions based on soil moisture assimilation are more reliable as model bias is reduced. Preliminary results show that the inclusion of site-specific weather forecast uncertainties in the model improves the simulation of soil moisture dynamics at the plot scale and is thus important for optimizing irrigation schedules while keeping crop productivity stable.

The $γ$-ray strength function and the nuclear level density of $^{167}$Ho have been extracted using the Oslo method from a $^{164}\text{Dy}(α,pγ)^{167}$Ho experiment carried out at the Oslo Cyclotron Laboratory. The level density displays a shape that is compatible with %can be approximated with the constant temperature model in the quasicontinuum, while the strength function shows structures indicating the presence of both a scissors and a pygmy dipole resonance. Using our present results as well as data from a previous $^{163}\text{Dy}(α,pγ)^{166}$Ho experiment, the $^{165}\text{Ho}(n,γ)$ and $^{166}\text{Ho}(n,γ)$ MACS uncertainties have been constrained. The possible influence of the low-lying, long-lived 6~keV isomer $^{166}$Ho in the $s$ process is investigated in the context of a 2~$M_\odot$, [Fe/H]=-0.5 AGB star. We show that the newly obtained $^{165}\text{Ho}(n,γ)$ MACS affects the final $^{165}$Ho abundance, while the $^{166}\text{Ho}(n,γ)$ MACS only impacts the enrichment of $^{166,167}$Er to a limited degree due to the relatively rapid $β$ decay of the thermalized $^{166}$Ho at typical $s$-process temperatures., 11 pages, submitted to Physical Reviews C

One of the most important infrastructures in modern industrialized societies is the electricity network. Due to its fundamental role for many aspects of our everyday life, power infrastructures manifest a strong dependence between power suppliers and customers. Customers take the infrastructure for granted; it appears mostly invisible to them as long as it works, but in the case of breakdowns in power supply customers become aware of the dependence on electricity. They join professional actors in the recovery and coping work with regard to the electricity breakdown: Maintenance workers of the power provider, police, firefighters, red cross, etc. These institutions are professionalized for dealing with such situations, but the people affected by a power outage also need to be considered as actors.

Nuclear level densities (NLDs) and $γ$-ray strength functions (GSFs) of $^{120,124}$Sn have been extracted with the Oslo method from proton-$γ$ coincidences in the ($p,p^{\prime}γ)$ reaction. The functional forms of the GSFs and NLDs have been further constrained with the Shape method by studying primary $γ$-transitions to the ground and first excited states.The NLDs demonstrate good agreement with the NLDs of $^{116,118,122}$Sn isotopes measured previously. Moreover, the extracted partial NLD of 1$^{-}$ levels in $^{124}$Sn is shown to be in fair agreement with those deduced from spectra of relativistic Coulomb excitation in forward-angle inelastic proton scattering. The experimental NLDs have been applied to estimate the magnitude of the Porter-Thomas (PT) fluctuations. Within the PT fluctuations, we conclude that the GSFs for both isotopes can be considered to be independent of initial and final excitation energies, in accordance with the generalized Brink-Axel hypothesis. Particularly large fluctuations observed in the Shape-method GSFs present a considerable contribution to the uncertainty of the method, and may be one of the reasons for deviations from the Oslo-method strength at low $γ$-ray energies and low values of the NLD (below $\approx1\cdot10^{3}-2\cdot10^{3}$ MeV$^{-1}$)., 17 pages, 12 figures

Climatic change 176(7), 90 (2023). doi:10.1007/s10584-023-03502-7, Published by Springer Science + Business Media B.V, Dordrecht [u.a.]

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$γ$-ray spectroscopy of fission fragments is a powerful method for studies of nuclear structure properties. Recent results on the spectroscopy of fission fragments, using the combination of the AGATA $γ$-ray tracking array and the VAMOS++ large acceptance magnetic spectrometer at GANIL, are reported. A comparison of the performance of the large germanium detector arrays EXOGAM and AGATA illustrates the advances in $γ$-ray spectroscopy of fission fragments. Selected results are highlighted for prompt $γ$-ray spectroscopy studies, measurements of short lifetimes of excited states with the Recoil Distance Doppler-Shift method, using both AGATA and VAMOS++ and prompt-delayed $γ$-ray spectroscopy studies using AGATA, VAMOS++ and EXOGAM.

Contains fulltext : 293891.pdf (Publisher’s version ) (Open Access) Many studies have identified networks in parietal and prefrontal cortex that are involved in intentional action. Yet, our understanding of the way these networks are involved in intentions is still very limited. In this study, we investigate two characteristics of these processes: context- and reason-dependence of the neural states associated with intentions. We ask whether these states depend on the context a person is in and the reasons they have for choosing an action. We used a combination of functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and multivariate decoding to directly assess the context- and reason-dependency of the neural states underlying intentions. We show that action intentions can be decoded from fMRI data based on a classifier trained in the same context and with the same reason, in line with previous decoding studies. Furthermore, we found that intentions can be decoded across different reasons for choosing an action. However, decoding across different contexts was not successful. We found anecdotal to moderate evidence against context-invariant information in all regions of interest and for all conditions but one. These results suggest that the neural states associated with intentions are modulated by the context of the action. 10 p.

This paper bases on the research related to the change of US - EU relations under Donald Trump administration in the United States and its effect on the EU member states' pursuing autonomous policies. Recent analyses reveal that under the Trump administration, there has been a change of traditional economic and political relations with the EU member states. How this policy change affected the EU member states has not received much attention. The analysis reveals Trump's questioning the function of NATO and putting tariffs on the products of the EU, supporting Brexit process and having close relations with the far-right leaders of Europe present important evidence of this policy change. This change has been visible in parallel with the leading European countries' creating their own foreign and domestic policies related to increasing the power of anti-EU political parties such as in Poland, Hungary, and the United Kingdom. The analysis thus suggests Trump’s approach to these countries encouraged them to pursue autonomous policies. Moreover, current President of the US, Joe Biden’s connivance of European politics shows the continuation of this policy even without direct support to the far-right leaders of Europe. With the neoclassical realist theory informed analysis, this paper aims to present the effect of Trump administration's restructuring attempts of US - EU relations on EU member states' pursuing autonomous policies.

In this paper we discuss the notion of research data for the field of mathematics and report on the status quo of research-data management and planning. A number of decentralized approaches are presented and compared to needs and challenges faced in three use cases from different mathematical subdisciplines. We highlight the importance of tailoring research-data management plans to mathematicians' research processes and discuss their usage all along the data life cycle.

Despite the great potential of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) in catalysis, industrial applications are still scarce. This is mainly due to a lack of performance when changing from idealized lab conditions towards realistic conditions of the actual application. In this work, we demonstrate the applicability and outstanding catalytic performance of an alumina-supported [Pd(2-pymo)2]n MOF catalyst in the selective hydrogenation of acetylene to ethylene under industrial front-end conditions. It shows a competitive performance to an industrial benchmark catalyst and even exceeds it in terms of ethane selectivity due to the combination of well-defined isolated Pd active sites and synergies due to MOF-support-interactions. The high stability was proven for up to 60 h time-on-stream and supported by XPS and XRD structural analysis.

BackgroundDuring the COVID-19 pandemic there has been a strong interest in forecasts of the short-term development of epidemiological indicators to inform decision makers. In this study we evaluate probabilistic real-time predictions of confirmed cases and deaths from COVID-19 in Germany and Poland for the period from January through April 2021.MethodsWe evaluate probabilistic real-time predictions of confirmed cases and deaths from COVID-19 in Germany and Poland. These were issued by 15 different forecasting models, run by independent research teams. Moreover, we study the performance of combined ensemble forecasts. Evaluation of probabilistic forecasts is based on proper scoring rules, along with interval coverage proportions to assess forecast calibration. The presented work is part of a pre-registered evaluation study and covers the period from January through April 2021.ResultsWe find that many, though not all, models outperform a simple baseline model up to four weeks ahead for the considered targets. Ensemble methods (i.e., combinations of different available forecasts) show very good relative performance. The addressed time period is characterized by rather stable non-pharmaceutical interventions in both countries, making short-term predictions more straightforward than in previous periods. However, major trend changes in reported cases, like the rebound in cases due to the rise of the B.1.1.7 (alpha) variant in March 2021, prove challenging to predict.ConclusionsMulti-model approaches can help to improve the performance of epidemiological forecasts. However, while death numbers can be predicted with some success based on current case and hospitalization data, predictability of case numbers remains low beyond quite short time horizons. Additional data sources including sequencing and mobility data, which were not extensively used in the present study, may help to improve performance.Plain language summaryThe goal of this study is to assess the quality of forecasts of weekly case and death numbers of COVID-19 in Germany and Poland during the period of January through April 2021. We focus on real-time forecasts at time horizons of one and two weeks ahead created by fourteen independent teams. Forecasts are systematically evaluated taking uncertainty ranges of predictions into account. We find that combining different forecasts into ensembles can improve the quality of predictions, but especially case numbers proved very challenging to predict beyond quite short time windows. Additional data sources, in particular genetic sequencing data, may help to improve forecasts in the future.

We present the first experimental evidence of the scissors mode in the superheavy nucleus $^{254}$No produced in the $^{208}$Pb($^{48}$Ca, 2nγ))$^{254}$No reaction. The spectrum of γ rays emitted by the excited $^{254}$No nuclei shows an enhanced γ-ray yield for transition energies of ≈2.5 MeV. By measuring the linear polarization properties of the emitted γ rays, we confirm that the transitions in the enhancement region are predominantly of magnetic-dipole character, characteristic for the scissors mode. To further characterize the enhanced γ-ray yield, simulations of the electromagnetic decay of $^{254}$No were performed. The observed enhancement is reproduced by including an M1 component in the γ strength function with total strength B(M1↑)=11.8(19)μN2. This is in good agreement with the integrated M1 strength from sum-rule estimates and new calculations within the quasi-particle random-phase approximation presented here. Our results provide a stringent test of phenomenological formulae for the scissors mode currently used in stellar nucleosynthesis calculations. We find that those formulae are not satisfactory, and we recommend using sum-rule estimates assuming a rigid-body moment of inertia instead for describing the scissors mode in superheavy nuclei.

International audience; Cyanobacteria have massively contributed to carbonate deposition over the geological 27 history. They are traditionally thought to biomineralize CaCO 3 extracellularly as an 28 indirect byproduct of photosynthesis. However, the recent discovery of freshwater 29 cyanobacteria forming intracellular amorphous calcium carbonates (iACC) challenges 30 this view. Despite the geochemical interest of such a biomineralization process, its 31 molecular mechanisms and evolutionary history remain elusive. Here, using comparative 32 genomics, we identify a new gene (ccyA) and protein family (calcyanin) possibly associated 33 with cyanobacterial iACC biomineralization. Proteins of the calcyanin family are 34 composed of a conserved C-terminal domain, which likely adopts an original fold, and a 35 variable N-terminal domain whose structure allows differentiating 4 major types among 36 the 35 known calcyanin homologs. Calcyanin lacks detectable full-length homologs with 37 known function. The overexpression of ccyA in iACC-lacking cyanobacteria resulted in 38 an increased intracellular Ca content. Moreover, ccyA presence was correlated and/or co-39 localized with genes involved in Ca or HCO 3transport and homeostasis, supporting the 40 hypothesis of a functional role of calcyanin in iACC biomineralization. Whatever its 41 function, ccyA appears as diagnostic of intracellular calcification in cyanobacteria. By 42 searching for ccyA in publicly available genomes, we identified 13 additional 43 cyanobacterial strains forming iACC, as confirmed by microscopy. This extends our 44 knowledge about the phylogenetic and environmental distribution of cyanobacterial 45 iACC biomineralization, especially with the detection of multicellular genera as well as a 46 marine species. Moreover, ccyA was probably present in ancient cyanobacteria, with 47 independent losses in various lineages that resulted in a broad but patchy distribution 48 across modern cyanobacteria.