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Evaluating multiple candidates simultaneously reduces racial disparities in promotion and tenure
Abstract Black and Hispanic faculty – underrepresented minorities (URMs) within academia – face career barriers that come to a crux in promotion and tenure decisions. Leveraging a natural experiment in choice architecture within a dataset of 1804 promotion and tenure decisions across six universities, we find that joint (906 faculty) vs. separate (898 faculty) evaluation reduces racial disparities in faculty outcomes. Specifically, in joint evaluation, an analysis of the simple slopes finds that Black and Hispanic faculty receive, on average, 9% fewer negative votes at the department level than in separate evaluations when controlling for research productivity, school, gender, rank, discipline, department size, and grant acquisition. Using moderated mediation analyses, we calculate that this translates into a 16.2% increase in the likelihood of a Black/Hispanic faculty member receiving a promotion. In a survey of 289 professors who have served on promotion and tenure committees (i.e., the key P&T decision-makers), we find that only 17% of faculty expect joint evaluation to improve underrepresented minority faculty outcomes and, conversely, 43% expect separate evaluation to improve underrepresented minority faculty outcomes. This natural experiment suggests that altering evaluation mode or simulating joint evaluation mode could help address academia’s underrepresentation problem, but not in the way decision-makers expect.
Retraction Note: Elevated FDP levels independently predict poor outcomes in HBV-ACLF patients treated with artificial liver support system therapy
Crystallization-assisted water adsorption in amorphous molecular adsorbents
Metatranscriptomics analysis reveals the cotton virome in the southern United States
Abstract High-throughput sequencing (HTS) has expanded our perspective on the distribution and diversity of plant viruses. Furthermore, improvements in HTS and decreasing sample costs have enabled the discovery of novel plant viruses in field-collected samples. This study examined the putative virome of cotton samples collected from fields across the southern United States. Leaf samples were collected, and total RNA was extracted. Library preparation was performed from pooled samples within locations before sequencing on an Illumina platform. Sequenced libraries were mapped to the cotton reference genome, and the resulting sequences were de novo assembled. A metatranscriptomics analysis revealed complete genome contigs of cotton leafroll dwarf virus in all tested samples. Additionally, 29 putative families of RNA and DNA plant viruses co-infecting cotton were found. Seven families of RNA viruses were more prevalent across all locations. These families included Botourmiaviridae , Hypoviridae , Mitoviridae , Narnaviridae , Partitiviridae , Solemoviridae , and Totiviridae . The information obtained in this investigation will help develop a broader perspective on cotton virus diversity and whether co-infections of viruses can influence (negatively or positively) plant physiology, product quality, and yield.
Flatbands from bound states in the continuum for orbital angular momentum localization
Inspection of stability of a general roll-damping of a ship via non-perturbative approach
Abstract The current study explores nonlinear stability in vessels with roll-damping to ensure safety in realistic maritime conditions, thereby expanding stability. It develops a generalized model that considers operating situations, nonlinearities, and hydrodynamic factors. One degree of freedom (1DOF) of nonlinear ship dynamics is included in the exiting model. The prototypical incorporates inertia, damping, restoring forces, and external forces. The objective is to examine the responsible non-perturbative method (NPA) in determining periodic response of a damped and conservative coupled system. In contrast to all other traditional perturbation techniques, NPA’s goal is to convert a weakly oscillator of nonlinear of ordinary differential equation (ODE) into a linear one without consuming Taylor expansion. A strong agreement with original numerical solution (NS) is validated. Using Galerkin technique, the inquiry produces an advanced, comparable linear ODE. Quantitative comparisons verify that final solution agrees with advanced solution. The resonance area, situated within stability zone and exhibiting complex relationships between forces in the system, is influenced by all physical properties. An approximate solution up to the second order is found by applying the multiple-time scales method (MTSM), which evaluates the system’s stability configuration and highlights both the stable and unstable features. Changes in bifurcation parameters have an impact on curvature of the bifurcation curve. Additionally, phase portraits, Poincaré maps, and bifurcation diagrams are used to perform a bifurcation analysis of the designated models and identify the different motions of the system.
Universal framework for efficient estimation of stability in multi-principal element alloys
FaceScanPaliGemma multi-agent vision language models for facial attribute recognition
Organocatalyzed bottom-up formation of protocells
Abstract The organisation of living systems into cellular structures is a characteristic that enables differentiation from the environment. A pivotal step in the development of life is compartmentalisation, achieved through the formation of vesicle-like structures. Fatty acids - or phospholipids - have been used to simulate prebiotic vesicle and protocell formation. However, a process by which amphiphiles are formed from small prebiotically plausible molecules, which spontaneously self-assemble to protocells, is unknown. Here, we demonstrate that an organocatalytic reaction cascade starting from acetaldehyde with prebiotic imidazolidine-4-thione rapidly yields poly(hydroxy)alkenyl aldehydes that spontaneously self-assemble to protocells. In this process, lipid-like molecules (up to C20) develop a membrane, which additionally incorporates the organocatalyst at the liquid-lipid interface. These catalytically active protocells (11 nm – 7 μm) tolerate external influences such as pH value, temperature and salts. This finding unveils an organocatalytic pathway to selective lipid formation and spontaneous compartmentalisation without the necessity of preformed amphiphiles.
Adaptive multihazard modeling predicts rainfall-driven dam failure: a case study
Investigation of bile salt hydrolase activity in human gut bacteria reveals production of conjugated secondary bile acids
Neural investigation of default effects on decision-making under uncertainty
Normative growth trajectories of fetal brain regions validated by satisfactory maturation of neurodevelopmental domains at 2 years of age
Abstract We previously constructed a qualitative, 3D ultrasound derived atlas of the normative spatiotemporal dynamics of fetal brain maturation. Here, using the same healthy multi-national cohort, we applied deep learning methods to 4205 fetal brain scans from 18–27 weeks’ gestation, to produce an extensive, quantitative description of the growth of 16 fetal brain structures associated with satisfactory domain-specific neurodevelopmental scores at 2 years of age. The methodology, which is publicly available, takes less than 10 seconds per scan. We define 28 region-specific, functionally relevant, normative growth trajectories, a ratio between the relative volumes of the insular (rILV) and parietal (rPLV) lobes reflecting asynchronous maturation of fetal brain regions, and introduce a fetal brain maturation index that quantifies biological age and deviations from chronological age. Finally, the very low percentage of variance explained by between site differences (0.6% to 5.8% of the total variance) reinforces a fundamental biological principle: fetal growth and development across populations with diverse ancestries is similar provided that environmental constraints on growth are minimal.
Enforcing a high success percentage interferes with reward-based motor learning
Amazon deforestation weakens Atlantic Niño variability
Synthetic Applicability Domain (SynAD): Navigating Chemical Space for Reliable AI‐Driven Reaction Prediction
Abstract Organic synthetic chemistry has undergone a paradigm shift driven by breakthroughs in artificial intelligence (AI). Data‐driven methods help accelerate hypothesis evaluation and reduce experimental trial‐and‐error efforts. However, its practical utility is constrained by the out‐of‐distribution (OOD) issue, where predictions usually fail when extrapolating to unseen reactions with new catalysts, substrates, or conditions. Here, we introduce SynAD (synthetic applicability domain), a machine learning framework for assessing the predictive capability of AI models trained with existing data. SynAD combines descriptors with model‐adaptive distance metrics to automatically demarcate reliable and unreliable reactions. Validated on the Ullmann Ligand Dataset (ULD, >5000 reactions), SynAD a priori distinguishes predictable chemical space, resulting in a prediction accuracy of R 2 = 0.90 (at 12.3% coverage) from a baseline of R 2 = −0.21. This capacity to target reliable chemical space is consistently observed across 6 additional datasets. We also enable a SynAD score to quantify reaction class predictability, guiding experimental focus on OOD spaces. By defining model limits, SynAD provides a critical guardrail for chemists to trust AI, allocate resources strategically, and accelerate de novo discovery.
Acceptability of remotely supervised Home-Based transcranial direct current stimulation combined with Cognitive-behavioural-based app for peripartum depression: perspectives from women with lived experience and mental health professionals
Abstract Peripartum depression (PPD) has a global prevalence of 20% significantly impacting societies. Yet, existing treatments face barriers for its uptake. This study examined the acceptability of a remotely supervised home-based transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) solution combined with a CBT-based app (the FLOW Neuroscience solution) for PPD, among women (experts by experience; EEs) and healthcare professionals (HPs). Fifteen EEs and 14 HPs participated in focus groups informed by the Theoretical Framework of Acceptability. Narratives were iteratively refined, using the template analysis method. Participants were overall positive about the treatment considering it supports patients’ autonomy, freedom of choice and a universally accessible perinatal mental health care system. However, they also highlighted several concerns, such as the limitations of exclusively remote/virtual and bot-lead interventions which, on the one hand, may address fear of stigma about perinatal mental health, but on the other may also increase loneliness in depressed patients. Additionally, participants emphasized the need for effective communication strategies to build trust over health innovation and recommended the integration of home-based remotely supervised tDCS treatments combined with a CBT-based app into existing care models. Our findings suggest that while the FLOW solution addresses existing gaps in PPD it also presents some limitations. Here we provide user-centered actionable insights into the adjustment of this innovative, home-based solution to enhance access and engagement in PPD care.
Motor learning and dopamine-dependent striatal synaptic plasticity are controlled by astrocytic MEGF10
Surface Modulated Platinum Electrocatalyst via Single Atom Nickel Promoter for Durable Non‐aqueous Hydrogen Oxidation
Abstract Electrocatalytic hydrogen oxidation reaction (HOR) plays crucial role in various renewable energy conversion processes. Particularly, it offers new opportunities for sustained electrochemical ammonia synthesis when coupled with lithium‐mediated nitrogen reduction. But it remains tremendous challenges due to slow reaction kinetics and rapid poisoning of catalysts in non‐aqueous electrolyte. Here, we report Ni single atom mediated Pt sites on Ni substrate (PtNi 1 /Ni) to boost efficient and durable HOR in organic electrolyte. PtNi 1 /Ni exhibits high performance of nearly 100% Faradaic efficiency (FE) and long‐term stability over 1000 h in tetrahydrofuran (THF) electrolyte, far beyond commercial Pt electrode (<0.2 h). Theoretical calculations combined with spectroscopic characterizations indicated that Ni single atom contributes to tailoring electronic structure of Pt sites via ligand effects, which effectively reduces the energy barrier of the rate‐determining step, and simultaneously as synergistic site in suppressing organic poison species through changing THF adsorption configuration and increasing energy barriers of THF oxidative decomposition. In the lithium‐mediated electrochemical ammonia synthesis electrolyzer, it also exhibits good feasibility with high ammonia FE of ∼62%. This work sheds light on the effective strategy of single atom doping for developing active and durable nonaqueous HOR electrocatalyst and presents insightful understanding of anti‐poisoning mechanism.