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  • Four Brookhaven Scientists Receive Early Career Research Awards

    Four Brookhaven Scientists Receive Early Career Research Awards

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    Newswise — UPTON, NY—Four scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Brookhaven National Laboratory have been selected by DOE’s Office of Science to receive significant funding through its Early Career Research Program. The program, which began in 2010, bolsters the nation’s scientific workforce by supporting exceptional researchers at the outset of their careers, when many scientists do their most formative work.

    The awards are a part of the DOE’s long-standing efforts to develop the next generation of STEM leaders to solidify America’s role as the driver of science and innovation around the world.

    “Supporting America’s scientists and researchers early in their careers will ensure the United States remains at the forefront of scientific discovery,” said U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer M. Granholm. “The funding announced today gives the recipients the resources to find the answers to some of the most complex questions as they establish themselves as experts in their fields.”

    DOE is recognizing a total of 93 awardees representing 47 universities and 12 DOE National Laboratories in 27 states. Awardees were selected based on peer review by outside scientific experts.

    The projects announced today are selections for negotiation of a financial award, and cover projects lasting up to five years in duration. The final details for each are subject to final grant and contract negotiations between DOE and the awardees. The Early Career Research Program is funded by DOE’s Office of Science.

    Information about the 93 awardees and their research projects is available on the Early Career Research Program webpage.

    This year’s Brookhaven Lab awardees are:

    Elizabeth (Liza) Brost, “Shining Light on the Higgs Self-Interaction”

    Elizabeth Brost, an associate scientist in Brookhaven Lab’s Physics Department, will receive funding through the DOE’s Office of High Energy Physics to study properties of the Higgs boson, including its self-interaction.

    Discovered in 2012 at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at CERN in Switzerland, the Higgs boson is the fundamental particle associated with the Higgs field, which imparts mass to other fundamental particles. The Standard Model of particle physics, scientists’ best understanding of the particles and forces that make up our world, predicts that the Higgs field can interact with itself. This self-interaction should contribute to the production of pairs of Higgs bosons at the LHC. Brost’s studies of Higgs pair production will provide a path towards measuring the Higgs self-interaction—and ultimately a deeper understanding of the Higgs boson’s role in the Standard Model.

    One major challenge is that pair production of Higgs bosons is extraordinarily rare in proton-proton collisions at the LHC—more than 1000 times rarer than collisions producing single Higgs bosons! In this project, Brost will lead the development of novel techniques to select fruitful collision data in real time using machine learning algorithms. Using data from the LHC’s ATLAS detector, she and her collaborators will search for the direct and indirect effects of “new physics” beyond the Standard Model on Higgs pair production. These measurements may confirm that the Higgs behaves as expected in the Standard Model. Or they may point to the influences of new physics, which must then be incorporated into explanations of the Higgs mechanism and other areas of physics.

    “I am honored to receive this Early Career Award, which will enable me to pursue some of the most interesting open questions in high energy physics,” Brost said. “The analysis and data-collection techniques developed through this project will advance our understanding of the Higgs boson at unprecedented scales, not only at the LHC but also at proposed future colliders.”

    Brost earned her undergraduate degree in physics and French from Grinnell College in 2010 and her Ph.D. in physics from the University of Oregon in 2016. After serving as a postdoctoral research associate at Northern Illinois University from 2016 to 2019, she joined Brookhaven National Laboratory as an assistant physicist. She was promoted to associate physicist in 2021. Stationed at Europe’s CERN laboratory, home to the LHC, Brost has led groups of hundreds of ATLAS physicists on a range of analyses and detector upgrades, many associated with “di-Higgs” searches. She also has extensive experience mentoring students and postdocs, who will play important roles in executing the goals of this Early Career Award project.

    Esther Tsai, “Virtual Scientific Companion for Synchrotron Beamlines” 

    Esther Tsai, a scientist in the Electronic Nanomaterials Group of the Center for Functional Nanomaterials (CFN), aims to strengthen the interactions between human scientists and the artificial intelligence/machine learning (AI/ML) tools that can accelerate their research. With funding from the DOE Office of Basic Energy Sciences, she is developing a revolutionary system that will allow scientists to launch experiments and analyze data using a conversational interface.

    She’s particularly interested in alleviating bottlenecks at the National Synchrotron Light Source II (NSLS-II)—a source of extremely intense x-rays used by more than 1,700 researchers from universities, industry, and other national laboratories each year to study the properties of a wide range of materials. Currently, CFN and NSLS-II staff collaborate with these facility “users,” assisting in the setup, scientific planning/discussion, and analysis of data from experiments at several beamlines run in partnership by these two DOE Office of Science user facilities. Their research on complex materials has the potential to improve the performance of electronics, solar cells, batteries, and other applications. But the beamlines are often understaffed and oversubscribed.

    “Beamline scientists have the daunting mission of supporting various aspects of beamline operation and user science through tireless and sleepless efforts,” Tsai said.

    Her goal is to develop a virtual scientific companion, known as VISION, that will synergistically connect researchers with computational tools to speed up the experimentation so everyone can make more discoveries—and possibly get more sleep.

    The virtual assistant will leverage modern developments in natural language (NL) processing and language models—the technology underpinning the revolutionary capabilities of chatbots and AI assistants. Tsai will tailor these methods to scientific experiments, allowing researchers to input queries in ordinary language without the need for complex coding. VISION will transcribe NL voice to text, acquire and analyze data, visualize results, and provide advanced learning algorithms and physics modeling to suggest optimal experiment design or hypotheses for further exploration. This powerful, general approach can be extended to a host of scientific instruments to accelerate the pace of discovery across the DOE complex.

    “We’re not taking humans out of the picture; we’re actually making it easier for humans to use their natural form of expression, whether speaking or texting, to leverage the strengths of powerful AI/ML programming. We envision a new era where human NL-based communication will be the only needed interface for scientific experimentation and design,” said Tsai.

    “It is a great honor and responsibility to receive this Early Career Award. I am so very grateful for the support I’ve received from colleagues at Brookhaven and especially my group leader, Kevin Yager,” Tsai said. “I will continue to need their support to introduce this new paradigm of NL-controlled scientific expedition.”

    Tsai earned a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering in 2009 and a Ph.D. in electrical and computer engineering in 2014, both from Purdue University. Before joining Brookhaven Lab’s CFN as an assistant scientist in 2018, she conducted postdoctoral research and provided user support at the Swiss Light Source at the Paul Scherrer Institute from 2015 to 2018. She was promoted to associate scientist at Brookhaven in 2021, and to scientist in 2023.

    Derong Xu, “Luminosity Maximization with Flat Hadron Beams”

    Derong Xu, an assistant physicist working on the future Electron-Ion Collider (EIC) at Brookhaven Lab, is striving to maximize the collider’s most important figure of merit by maintaining the flatness of a beam of ions travelling at nearly the speed of light.

    The EIC will collide two beams—one containing electrons and the other containing protons or other atomic nuclei. The collisions between individual electrons and other ions will produce data that scientists will use to study the internal structure of protons and nuclei, including the arrangement of those particles’ quarks and gluons. If more particle collisions occur, scientists can produce and analyze more data that contribute to our understanding of how visible matter evolved from the quark-gluon plasma studied over the past two decades at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC), an Office of Science user facility at Brookhaven.

    Physicists can increase the likelihood of these collisions occurring by reducing beam size—packing the same number of particles into a smaller space. This methodology, known as maximizing “luminosity,” is exactly what Xu will work on for the EIC with funding from DOE’s Office of Nuclear Physics. According to calculations by Xu and his colleagues, flattening the ion beam of the EIC will help attain the maximum luminosity. This approach has never been used in a hadron collider—a machine that collides composite particles made of quarks and gluons.

    Though scientists can generate flat ion beams, maintaining this flatness as trillions of charged particles whirl around a collider is a challenge. There are numerous potential interactions, such as those between beams and the superconducting accelerator magnets, that could compromise the quality of the beam and make it harder to focus it to a small, flat spot size at the collision point. Xu’s work will dissect the interactions that could alter beam flatness and investigate methods to reduce or eliminate these effects to maintain high luminosity.

    “Our efforts to improve the luminosity for the EIC will also benefit other future colliders,” said Xu. “I am excited to contribute to this important research endeavor.”

    “I am deeply honored to receive this award and express my heartfelt gratitude for this exceptional opportunity,” Xu added. “The challenge of using a flat beam in future colliders captivates me, and I am eager to explore this topic further.”

    Xu studied accelerator physics at the University of Science and Technology of China (USTC), receiving a bachelor’s degree in 2011 and a Ph.D. in 2016. Xu was a postdoctoral fellow from 2017 to 2018 and then a research fellow from 2018 to 2019 at the National Synchrotron Radiation Laboratory at USTC. Xu’s work on the EIC began at Michigan State University in 2019 and continued at Brookhaven when he joined the Lab in 2021 as an assistant physicist.

    Joanna M Zajac, “Interactions of QDs’ Fast Light in Rb Vapors for Hybrid Quantum Information Science and Technology” 

    Joanna M Zajac, a quantum scientist in the Instrumentation Division, is tackling one of the biggest challenges in quantum networking—developing a fundamental understanding of fast light-matter interconnects that could one day facilitate long distance quantum networks.

    With funding from the DOE Office of Basic Energy Sciences, she will design and build systems that use quantum dots (QD) to generate identical single photons (the simplest fundamental portions of light) in the wavelengths used for optical telecommunication. Quantum dots are light-emitting semiconductor nanostructures whose emission can be tuned to different wavelengths. They could potentially generate photons suitable to work at telecommunication and atomic wavelengths. That would help to reduce the high losses currently experienced when quantum information travels through the telecommunication optical fibers network. 

    The goal is then to couple QD single photons with alkali vapors, such as rubidium (Rb), which can reliably store quantum information. These light-matter interconnects may one day operate as a basis for quantum repeaters that receive and then re-emit quantum information making up nodes of quantum network connected by optical links over long distances. This research could be applied to a range of areas in quantum information science and technology such as quantum computing, quantum communications, and quantum sensing.

    “Fast light-matter interconnects made of alkali atomic ensembles and photons from quantum dots (QDs) create a heterogenous system that combines the advantages of its homogenous components’, Zajac said. “Within this project we are going to develop fundamental understanding of interactions therein allowing us to develop components of long-distance quantum networks in the future. This DOE award gives me a fantastic opportunity to explore this important topic among the vibrant scientific community in Brookhaven Lab’s Instrumentation Division and beyond.”

    Zajac pursued her education in the United Kingdom, earning her master’s degree in physics from Southampton University in 2008 and her Ph.D. in physics from Cardiff University in 2013. She was a postdoctoral research associate at Heriot-Watt University from 2013 to 2016 and a research fellow at St. Andrews University in 2016. Before joining Brookhaven Lab’s Instrumentation Division as a quantum scientist in 2021, she was a senior researcher at Oxford University (2020-21), United Kingdom.

    Brookhaven National Laboratory is supported by the Office of Science of the U.S. Department of Energy. The Office of Science is the single largest supporter of basic research in the physical sciences in the United States and is working to address some of the most pressing challenges of our time. For more information, visit science.energy.gov.

    Follow @BrookhavenLab on social media. Find us on Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook.

    Denise Yazak and Danielle Roedel contributed to the writing of this news release.

     

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    Brookhaven National Laboratory

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  • Novel Metric Examines the Role of Organic Matter and Microbes in Ecological Communities

    Novel Metric Examines the Role of Organic Matter and Microbes in Ecological Communities

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    The Science

    Ecological researchers study the relationships among different organisms and between organisms and their surroundings. This makes it critical to understand how individual features in a community, like microbes or types of chemicals, affect the overall community’s development. By examining individual features, researchers can begin to identify those community or assemblage members that drive similarities across communities. To assist in this goal, scientists developed a novel ecological metric, called βNTIfeat. Many microbes do not grow in laboratory conditions. The new metric found that these “unculturable” microbes shape the microbial communities in river corridors. The metric also revealed that organic matter is influenced by a variety of compounds that contain nitrogen and phosphorus.

    The Impact

    βNTIfeat will help researchers answer longstanding questions about ecosystems. For example, βNTIfeat can help uncover a common group of microbes that significantly affect various river corridors at different local or global scales. This will allow researchers to incorporate the dynamics of these microbes into models. In turn, these models will help scientists to generate predictions about how ecosystems may change due to climate change, wildfires, and other future disturbances.

    Summary

    Evaluating how ecological communities develop and change is one of the primary goals of ecology. By examining processes that give rise to specific community configurations across varied conditions, researchers will have a better understanding of the fundamental principles that govern community structure and will be able to improve predictions. Unfortunately, comparatively few studies examine the effects that individual features within a community or assemblage play on its overall structure. As part of this study, researchers from Pacific Northwest National Laboratory and California Lutheran University developed a new metric, called βNTIfeat, that investigates the contributions that these features make within a community.

    Researchers used βNTIfeat to evaluate feature-level ecological processes in a riverine ecosystem to reveal some key dynamics. First, the team observed that unclassified and unculturable microbial lineages often contribute to differences across the microbial communities; this observation suggests that these unclassified/uncultured lineages play an outsized role relative to their abundance. Secondly, the organic matter assemblages were often driven by nitrogen- and phosphorus-containing molecular formulas, indicating a potential connection to nitrogen/phosphorus-biogeochemical cycles. Finally, by relating the βNTIfeat values for microbes and molecular formulas using a network analysis, researchers determined that members of the microbial family Geobacteraceae often had coordinated contributions to ecological structure with both nitrogen- and phosphorous-containing molecular formulas. This observation suggests there is a complex network of ecological interactions across community types.

     

    Funding

    The initial experimental stages of this work were supported by the PREMIS Initiative at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) with funding from the Laboratory Directed Research and Development Program at PNNL. The later stages of this work (e.g., data analysis, conceptual interpretation manuscript development) were supported by the Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Science, Biological and Environmental Research program, as part of an Early Career Award to James C. Stegen at PNNL. A portion of the research was performed at the Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory, a DOE Office of Science user facility at PNNL.


    Journal Link: Frontiers in Microbiology, Feb-2022

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    Department of Energy, Office of Science

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  • Capitalist reforms in China led to higher extreme poverty

    Capitalist reforms in China led to higher extreme poverty

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    Newswise — It is widely believed that China’s socialist economy had relatively high rates of extreme poverty, while the capitalist reforms of the 1980s and 1990s delivered rapid progress, with extreme poverty declining from 88% in 1981 to zero by 2018.

    This belief has been challenged by a research project carried out by the Institute of Environmental Science and Technology of the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (ICTA-UAB) in collaboration with Macquarie University in Australia and Maastrich University in the Netherlands. The researchers point out that the data used to make these claims relies on the World Bank’s extreme poverty line of $1.90 per day (2011 PPP). However, the World Bank’s method has come under sustained critique in recent years, as it does not account for the cost of meeting basic needs, which varies across countries and over time, even when measured in PPP terms.

    To correct for this, researchers Jason Hickel of ICTA-UAB, Dylan Sullivan of Macquarie University and Michail Moatson of Maastricht University reviewed evidence on the share of the population unable to afford a basic subsistence basket – data which was recently published by the OECD. The researchers show that from 1981 to 1990, when many of China’s socialist provisioning systems were still in place, China’s extreme poverty rate was only around 5.6%, substantially lower than in capitalist economies of comparable size and income at the time: 51 per cent in India, 36.5 percent in Indonesia, and 29.5 per cent in Brazil. This is because China’s system of price controls and subsidies for food and housing kept the cost of basic needs low relative to economy-wide prices, and relative to working-class incomes.

    The researchers found that China’s relatively strong performance on basic-needs poverty during the socialist period is consistent with its performance on a range of social indicators, including life expectancy, infant mortality, death rate from malnutrition and poor sanitation, mean years of schooling, and access to electricity.

    Moreover, researchers found that extreme poverty in China increased during the capitalist reforms of the 1990s, reaching a peak of 68 per cent in 1995, as the privatisation of China’s public provisioning systems caused the price of essential goods to increase. While access to basic needs recovered during the 2000s, rough estimates for 2018 suggest that the extreme poverty rate remains at roughly the same level as during the 1980s.

    The study’s lead author, Sullivan, explained that “this research has important implications for policymakers and the development sector. Our findings suggest that socialist policies of public provisioning, subsidies, and price controls can be effective at reducing or preventing extreme poverty. Meanwhile, market-based policies and privatisation may threaten people’s ability to meet basic needs.”

    This research also suggests that rapid economic growth and improvements in aggregate income – as important as these may be in many contexts – cannot be relied upon to reduce extreme poverty. China’s experience during the 1990s suggests that economic growth may occur simultaneously with rising poverty under conditions of privatisation and commodification. According to Hickel, “when it comes to reducing extreme poverty in low-income countries, improving people’s access to public services and social guarantees is at least as important as increasing productive capacity”.

    The authors point out that, according to the cost-of-basic-needs data they review, the world’s governments failed to achieve the first Millenium Development Goal – i.e., to reduce by half the share of people in extreme poverty between 1990 and 2015. Moatsos said that “this represents a failure of global economic governance and suggests that new policy approaches are needed in order to eradicate extreme poverty for all people everywhere”.

    Sullivan D., Moatsos, M., & Hickel, J. Capitalist reforms and extreme poverty in China: unprecedented progress or income deflation? New Political Economy. (2023) https://doi.org/10.1080/13563467.2023.2217087

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    Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona

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  • Long Covid not caused by COVID-19 immune inflammatory response, new research finds

    Long Covid not caused by COVID-19 immune inflammatory response, new research finds

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    Newswise — Long Covid, which affects nearly two-million people in the UK1, is not caused by an immune inflammatory reaction to COVID-19, University of Bristol-led research finds.  Emerging data demonstrates that immune activation may persist for months after COVID-19.

    In this new study, published in eLife today [4 July], researchers wanted to find out whether persistent immune activation and ongoing inflammation response could be the underlying cause of long Covid.  

    To investigate this, the Bristol team collected and analysed immune responses in blood samples from 63 patients hospitalised with mild, moderate or severe COVID-19 at the start of the pandemic and before vaccines were available. The team then tested patients’ immune responses at three months and again at eight and 12 months post hospital admission. Of these patients, 79% (82%, 75%, and 86% of mild, moderate, and severe patients, respectively) reported at least one ongoing symptom with breathlessness and excessive fatigue being the most common.

    Dr Laura Rivino, Senior Lecturer in Bristol’s School of Cellular and Molecular Medicine and the study’s lead author, explained: “Long Covid occurs in one out of ten COVID-19 cases, but we still don’t understand what causes it.  Several theories proposed include whether it might be triggered by an inflammatory immune response towards the virus that is still persisting in our body, sending our immune system into overdrive or the reactivation of latent viruses such as human cytomegalovirus (CMV) and Epstein Barr virus (EBV).”

    The team found patients’ immune responses at three months with severe symptoms displayed significant dysfunction in their T-cell profiles indicating that inflammation may persist for months even after they have recovered from the virus. Reassuringly, results showed that even in severe cases inflammation in these patients resolved in time. At 12 months, both the immune profiles and inflammatory levels of patients with severe disease were similar to those of mild and moderate patients.

    Patients with severe COVID-19 were found to display a higher number of long Covid symptoms compared to mild and moderate patients. However, further analysis by the team revealed no direct association between long Covid symptoms and immune inflammatory responses, for the markers that were measured, in any of the patients after adjusting for age, sex and disease severity.

    Importantly, there was no rapid increase in immune cells targeting SARS-CoV-2 at three months, but T-cells targeting the persistent and dormant Cytomegalovirus (CMV) — a common virus that is usually harmless but can stay in your body for life once infected with it— did show an increase at low levels. This indicates that the prolonged T-cell activation observed at three months in severe patients may not be driven by SARS-CoV-2 but instead may be “bystander driven” i.e. driven by cytokines. 

    Dr Rivino added: “Our findings suggest that prolonged immune activation and long Covid may correlate independently with severe COVID-19. Larger studies should be conducted looking at both a larger number of patients, including if possible vaccinated and non-vaccinated COVID-19 patients, and measuring a larger range of markers and cytokines.  

    “Understanding whether inflammation and immune activation associate with long Covid would allow us to understand whether targeting these factors may be a useful therapy for this debilitating condition.”

    The study was supported by the Elizabeth Blackwell Institute (EBI) with funding from the University of Bristol’s alumni and friends and Southmead Hospital Charity.

    Paper

    ‘Prolonged T-cell activation and long COVID symptoms independently associate with severe COVID-19 at 3 months’ by Marianna Santopaolo, Michaela Gregorova, Laura Rivino et al. in eLife [open access]

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    University of Bristol

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  • Escaping exploitation with nowhere to go: Barriers in accommodating survivors of human trafficking and modern slavery

    Escaping exploitation with nowhere to go: Barriers in accommodating survivors of human trafficking and modern slavery

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    Newswise — Survivors of human trafficking and modern slavery are struggling to find places to live with some people becoming homeless and facing risks of re-entering exploitative environments.

    This is the harsh reality for people in Australia who have escaped serious exploitation such as forced labour, sex trafficking or forced marriage.

    A review by the University of South Australia and the Australian Red Cross has found that human trafficking and modern slavery survivors face several barriers accessing housing or accommodation after escaping exploitation.

    These include their immigration status, with more than half of human trafficking and modern slavery survivors supported by the Red Cross on a temporary visa.

    UniSA PhD candidate Kyla Raby says Australia has seen an increase in the number of people formally identified as survivors of human trafficking and slavery during the same period as Australia’s housing crisis has intensified.

    A recent article published by The Conversation and co-authored by Raby and UniSA’s Dr Nerida Chazal reflects on the rapidly growing issue, with the number of people living in modern slavery more than doubling in the past four years, rising to an estimated 41,000.

    “Access to stable housing has a significant impact on survivors – it’s crucial to their recovery but there is a shortage of available and suitable accommodation” says Raby.

    “We know we are in the middle of a severe housing crisis, worsened by the COVID-19 pandemic, which has affected housing affordability and the availability of rental properties and accommodation services.”

    Research conducted by the Australian Red Cross in collaboration with UniSA involved a survey of more than 100 accommodation providers across the country operating in homelessness, domestic violence, youth, and refugee settlement sectors, as well as modern slavery case workers supporting survivors.

    It found the most significant barriers that survivors face when trying to find accommodation or housing after escaping exploitation are related to their immigration status and their inability to secure an ongoing income through either employment or social benefits.

    The wait time for social housing in many states is more than 10 years and there are strict guidelines on who can apply. In New South Wales, Victoria, Tasmania and the Australia Capital Territory, applicants must be permanent residents or Australian citizens to be eligible, with a few exceptions. Survivors on a temporary visa or those with an irregular immigration status cannot apply.

    UniSA’s Dr Nerida Chazal says the government’s Human Trafficking Visa Framework (HTVF) is intended to support survivors who are foreign nationals, but its design is limited.

    “Survivors are only eligible for longer term visas and support if they participate in the investigation of a human trafficking or slavery offence,” she says.

    “This leaves behind survivors who are unwilling to engage with authorities due to their trauma – leaving them unsupported and vulnerable to homelessness.”

    Immigration status was also a barrier for survivors being able to access a stable income to pay for accommodation or housing services.

    Three quarters of the surveyed accommodation providers require no proof of immigration status.

    However, a survivor’s immigration status may not allow them to legally work in Australia, meaning they can’t demonstrate ongoing income to pay for the accommodation.

    Some survivors of modern slavery and workplace exploitation might also not be ready to re-enter the workforce after being forced to work excessive overtime, having restricted freedom, or threats or severe violence made against them.

    This can manifest in symptoms of depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder. For many survivors, workplaces are simply not neutral spaces, but reminders of previous mental and physical violence.

    Lina Garcia-Daza, Australian Red Cross’ Acting Lead for Trafficking, Forced Marriage, and Forced Labour says it’s a complex issue that requires a holistic approach to supporting survivors in their recovery.

    “We need an approach that includes accommodation services, but also ties in other supports tailored to survivors’ needs that help with their recovery,” she says.

    “The lack of accommodation for survivors of modern slavery cannot be addressed in a vacuum. Homelessness is the result of multiple variables including lack of income, immigration status, the lack of specialised trauma informed and person centre accommodation services, and limited resources available.

    “Ongoing partnerships and collaborative work between the housing, migrant and modern slavery civil society sectors is vital in overcoming identified barriers in accommodating survivors of modern slavery and working towards safe, suitable and sustainable housing.”

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    University of South Australia

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  • New Insights on the Prevalence of Drizzle in Marine Stratocumulus Clouds

    New Insights on the Prevalence of Drizzle in Marine Stratocumulus Clouds

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    The Science

    Drizzle is light precipitation in droplets smaller than rain drops. Detecting drizzle in its early stages in marine stratocumulus clouds is important for studying how water in these clouds becomes rainfall. These clouds form off the west coasts of large land areas and are important to the Earth’s energy balance.  Drizzle and rain formation can alter their lifetime, structure, and how much sunlight they reflect to space. However, detecting the initial stages of drizzle is challenging for ground-based remote-sensing observations. Researchers developed a machine learning-based approach using unique radar Doppler spectra observations to identify the early stage of drizzle drops.

    The Impact

    The results demonstrate that drizzle is far more frequent than previously recognized by traditional methods. The method also provides essential information on light precipitation. This information challenges the detection limits of satellite-borne observations used in precipitation climate analyses for global climate model (GCM) evaluation.

    Summary

    Researchers commonly use radar reflectivity from millimeter-wavelength radar for drizzle detection, but it is unable to identify weak drizzle signals. Doppler skewness—a measure of Doppler spectral symmetry—has proven to be a more sensitive quantity for the detection of drizzle embryos. In this study, researchers from Brookhaven National Laboratory and Stony Brook University detected small drizzle droplets using a newly developed machine-learning technique from unique drizzle retrievals based on radar reflectivity and skewness from millimeter-wavelength radars operated by the Department of Energy’s Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) user facility. The researchers evaluated the drizzle detection algorithm on aircraft in situ measurements and then applied them to ARM observational campaigns at three different sites (Eastern North Atlantic [ENA], Measurements of Aerosols, Radiation, and Clouds over the Southern Ocean [MARCUS], and Marine ARM GPCI Investigation of Clouds [MAGIC]) to investigate drizzle occurrence in marine stratocumulus clouds.

    The results show that drizzle is far more ubiquitous than previously recognized, and that the traditional approach significantly underestimates the drizzle occurrence, especially in thin clouds with low liquid water paths. Drizzle occurrence in marine boundary-layer clouds differs among the three ARM campaigns, indicating that drizzle formation and distribution is regime dependent, controlled by microphysical and dynamical processes in the local region. Further, spaceborne radar (i.e., CloudSat) observations used to generate precipitation climatologies have low sensitivity in the light precipitation region. The new method provides essential information in this region to challenge the conventional light precipitation climatology and can be used to improve the warm rain parameterization in GCMs.

     

    Funding

    Zeen Zhu’s contributions have been supported by the Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Science, Atmospheric System Research (ASR) program’s Eastern North Atlantic Site Science award. Pavlos Kollias, Edward Luke, and Fan Yang have been supported by the DOE Office of Science ASR Program (contract no. DE-SC0012704).


    Journal Link: Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics, Jun-2022

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    Department of Energy, Office of Science

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  • New nationwide modeling points to widespread racial disparities in urban heat stress

    New nationwide modeling points to widespread racial disparities in urban heat stress

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    Newswise — RICHLAND, Wash.— From densely built urban cores to sprawling suburbia, cities are complex. This complexity can lead to temperature hot spots within cities, with some neighborhoods (and their residents) facing more heat than others.

    Understanding this environmental disparity forms the spirit of new research led by scientists at the Department of Energy’s Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. In a new paper examining all major cities in the U.S., the authors find that the average Black resident is exposed to air that is warmer by 0.28 degrees Celsius relative to the city average. In contrast, the average white urban resident lives where air temperature is cooler by 0.22 degrees Celsius relative to the same average.

    The new work, published last week in the journal One Earth, involved a two-part effort. The study’s authors aimed to produce a more useful nationwide estimate of urban heat stress—a more accurate account of how our body responds to outdoor heat. By creating and comparing these estimates against demographic data, they also tried to better understand which populations are most exposed to urban heat stress.

    The findings reveal pervasive income- and race-based disparities within U.S. cities. Nearly all the U.S. urban population—94 percent, or roughly 228 million people—live in cities where summertime peak heat stress exposure disproportionately burdens the poor.

    The study’s authors also find that people who now live within historically redlined neighborhoods, where loan applicants were once denied on racially discriminatory grounds, would be exposed to higher outdoor heat stress than their neighbors living in originally non-redlined parts of the city. 

    The work also highlights shortcomings in the typical approach scientists take in estimating urban heat stress at these scales, which frequently relies on satellite data. This conventional satellite-based method can overestimate such disparities, according to the new work. As the world warms, the findings stand to inform urban heat response plans put forward by local governments who seek to help vulnerable groups. 

    What is heat stress? 

    The human body has evolved to operate within a relatively narrow temperature range. Raise your core body temperature beyond just six or seven degrees and drastic physiological consequences soon follow. Cellular processes break down, the heart is taxed, and organs begin to fail.

    Sweating helps. But the cooling power of sweating depends partly on how humid the environment is. When both heat and humidity are omnipresent and difficult to escape, the body struggles to adapt.

    How is heat stress measured? 

    To measure heat stress, scientists use a handful of indicators, many of which depend on air temperature and humidity. Weather stations provide such data. Because most weather stations are outside of cities, though, scientists often rely on other means to get some idea about urban heat stress, including using sensors on satellites.

    Those sensors infer the temperature of the land surface from measurements of thermal radiation. But such measurements fall short of delivering a full picture of heat stress, said lead author and Earth scientist TC Chakraborty. Measuring just the skin of the Earth, like the surface of a sidewalk or a patch of grass, said Chakraborty, offers only an idea of what it’s like to lay flat on that surface. 

    “Unless you’re walking around barefoot or lying naked on the ground, you’re not really feeling that,” said Chakraborty. “Land surface temperature is, at best, a crude proxy of urban heat stress.” 

    Indeed, most of us are upright, moving through a world where air temperature and moisture dictate how heat actually feels. And these satellite data are only available for clear-sky days—another limiting factor. More complete and physiologically relevant estimates of heat stress incorporate a blend of factors, which models can provide, said Chakraborty.

    To better understand differences between satellite-derived land surface temperature and ambient heat exposure within cities, Chakraborty’s team examined 481 urbanized areas across the continental United States using both satellites and model simulations.

    NASA’s Aqua satellite provided the land surface temperature; and through model simulations that account for urban areas, the authors generated nationwide estimates of all variables required to calculate moist heat stress. Two such metrics of heat stress—the National Weather Service’s heat index and the Humidex, often used by Canadian meteorologists—allowed the scientists to capture the combined impacts of air temperature and humidity on the human body.

    They then identified heat stress hotspots across the country for summer days between 2014 and 2018. Overlaying maps of both historically redlined neighborhoods and census tracts, the team identified relationships between heat exposure and communities.

    How is heat distributed within cities?

    Residents in poorer neighborhoods often face greater heat stress. And a greater degree of income inequality in any given city often means greater heat stress exposure for its poorer residents.

    Most U.S. cities, including heavily populated cities like New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, and Philadelphia, show this disparity. But the relationship between heat stress and race-based residential segregation is even more stark. 

    Roughly 87.5 percent of the cities studied show that Black populations live in parts of the city with higher land surface temperatures, warmer air, and greater moist heat stress. Moreover, the association between the degree of heat stress disparity and the degree of segregation between white and non-white populations across cities is particularly striking, said Chakraborty.

    “The majority—83 percent—of non-white U.S. urban residents live in cities where outdoor moist heat stress disproportionately burdens them,” said Chakraborty, “Further, higher percentages of all races other than white are positively correlated with greater heat exposure no matter which variable you use to assess it.”

    In the 1930s, the U.S. federal government’s Home Owners’ Loan Corporation graded neighborhoods in an effort to rank the suitability of real estate investments. This practice is known as “redlining,” where lower grades (and consequently fewer loans) were issued to neighborhoods composed of poorer and minority groups. The authors find that these redlined neighborhoods still show worse environmental conditions.

    Neighborhoods with lower ratings face higher heat exposure than their non-redlined neighbors. Neighborhoods with higher ratings, in contrast, generally get less heat exposure. 

    This is consistent with previous research on originally redlined urban neighborhoods showing lower tree cover and higher land surface temperature. Chakraborty, however, notes that using land surface temperature would generally overestimate these disparities across neighborhood grades compared to using air temperature or heat index.

    “Satellites give us estimates of land surface temperature, which is a different variable from the temperature we feel while outdoors, especially within cities,” said Chakraborty. “Moreover, the physiological response to heat also depends on humidity, which satellites cannot directly provide, and urbanization also modifies.”

    What can be done?

    Planting more trees often comes up as a potential solution to heat stress, said Chakraborty. But densely built urban cores, where poorer and minority populations in the U.S. often live, have limited space for trees. And many previous estimates of vegetation’s potential to cool city surroundings are also based solely on land surface temperature—they are perhaps prone to similar overestimation, the authors suggest.

    More robust measurements of urban heat stress would help, they added. Factors like wind speed and solar insolation contribute to how heat actually affects the human body. But those factors are left out of most scientific assessments of urban heat stress because they are difficult to measure or model at neighborhood scales.

    In addition to Chakraborty, PNNL authors of the new work include Yun Qian. Andrew Newman at the National Center for Atmospheric Research, Angel Hsu at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, and Glenn Sheriff at Arizona State University are also authors. This work was supported by DOE’s Office of Science and the National Institutes of Health.

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  • Long COVID, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Share Biological Abnormalities

    Long COVID, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Share Biological Abnormalities

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    Newswise — Long COVID and myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome are debilitating conditions with similar symptoms. Neither condition has diagnostic tests or treatments approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and each cost the United States billions of dollars each year in direct medical expenses and lost productivity. Doctors and researchers have wondered what are the underlying biological abnormalities that may cause symptoms, and whether these abnormalities are similar in the two illnesses.

    A review article authored by senior investigators at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, and the Mailman School of Public Health and Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons of Columbia University, addresses these questions. In it, the authors review 559 scientific publications. The authors compared the symptoms of both conditions, noting their great similarity, and then showed that very similar underlying biological abnormalities have been found in both conditions, abnormalities involving the brain, immune system, heart, lungs, gut, and energy metabolism.

    “By making a side-by-side comparison of what is known about each type of abnormality, in each of these two illnesses, our review serves as a ‘road map’ to identify areas that require further research,” said Anthony L. Komaroff, MD, senior physician in the Brigham Department of Medicine and professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School.  “We hope that identifying those abnormalities for which the evidence is strongest will help focus the search for improved diagnostic tests and effective treatments.”

    Read more in Frontiers in Medicine.

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  • Metformin reduces long COVID risk

    Metformin reduces long COVID risk

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    Newswise — MINNEAPOLIS/ST. PAUL (06/09/2023) — In a new study published in The Lancet Infectious Diseases, University of Minnesota researchers found that metformin, a drug commonly used to treat diabetes, prevents the development of long COVID. 

    The study, called COVID-OUT, investigated if early outpatient COVID-19 treatment with metformin, ivermectin or fluvoxamine could prevent long COVID. Long COVID is a chronic illness that can affect up to 10% of people who have had COVID-19. 

    “The results of this study are important because long COVID can have a significant impact on people’s lives,” said Carolyn Bramante, MD, principal investigator and an assistant professor at the U of M Medical School. “Metformin is an inexpensive, safe and widely available drug, and its use as a preventive measure could have significant public health implications.”

    This was a large, placebo-controlled randomized clinical trial which enrolled volunteers across the United States. The study found: 

    • Those who received metformin were more than 40% less likely to develop long COVID than those who received an identical looking placebo. 
    • For participants who started metformin less than four days after their COVID symptoms started, metformin decreased the risk of long COVID by 63%. 
    • The effect was consistent across different demographic populations of volunteers who participated and across multiple viral variants, including the Omicron variant. 
    • Ivermectin and fluvoxamine did not prevent long COVID.

    The study included more than 1,200 participants who were randomly chosen to receive either metformin or placebo, and an additional subset received ivermectin, fluvoxamine or their placebos. Participants were between 30 and 85 years old who qualified as overweight or obese. Over 1,100 of the participants reported on their symptoms for up to 10 months after their initial COVID-19 diagnosis. 

    “This long-term outcome from a randomized trial is high-quality evidence that metformin prevents harm from the SARS-CoV-2 virus,” said Dr. Bramante, who is also an internist and pediatrician with M Health Fairview. “While half of our trial had been vaccinated, none had been previously infected with the COVID-19 virus. Further research could show whether it is also effective in those with previous infection or in adults with lower body mass index.” 

    Metformin’s ability to stop the virus was predicted by a simulator developed by U of M Medical School and College of Science and Engineering Biomedical Engineering faculty. The model has been highly accurate to date, successfully predicting, among others, the failure of hydroxychloroquine and the success of remdesivir before the results of clinical trials testing these therapies were announced.

    Funding was provided by the Parsemus Foundation, Rainwater Charitable Foundation, Fast Grants and the United Health Foundation.This research was also supported by the National Institutes of Health’s National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences under award number [UL1TR002494, KL2TR002492, and UM1TR004406]. 

    -30-

    The University of Minnesota Medical School, School of Public Health, College of Science and Engineering and M Health Fairview served as the lead site. The trial was also conducted at Northwestern University; University of Colorado, Denver; Olive View – UCLA Education & Research Institute in Los Angeles; Optum Health, and with scientific collaboration from partners at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Vanderbilt University, and Emory University School of Medicine. 

    The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health’s National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences.

    About the University of Minnesota Medical School
    The University of Minnesota Medical School is at the forefront of learning and discovery, transforming medical care and educating the next generation of physicians. Our graduates and faculty produce high-impact biomedical research and advance the practice of medicine. We acknowledge that the U of M Medical School, both the Twin Cities campus and Duluth campus, is located on traditional, ancestral and contemporary lands of the Dakota and the Ojibwe, and scores of other Indigenous people, and we affirm our commitment to tribal communities and their sovereignty as we seek to improve and strengthen our relations with tribal nations. For more information about the U of M Medical School, please visit med.umn.edu.

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  • COVID-19 Linked to Brain Cell Fusion

    COVID-19 Linked to Brain Cell Fusion

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    Newswise — Scientists at The University of Queensland have unveiled that viruses like SARS-CoV-2 can induce fusion among brain cells, triggering dysfunctions that result in persistent neurological symptoms.

    Professor Massimo Hilliard and Dr Ramon Martinez-Marmol, researchers at the Queensland Brain Institute, have delved into the mechanisms by which viruses disrupt the functioning of the nervous system.

    SARS-CoV-2, the culprit behind COVID-19, has been identified in the brains of individuals experiencing persistent symptoms, commonly referred to as ‘long COVID,’several months after their initial infection.

    “COVID-19 induces a novel cell fusion process in neurons, a phenomenon we have uncovered,” Professor Hilliard remarked.

    “Following neuronal infection with SARS-CoV-2, the neuronal cells exhibit the presence of spike S protein, and remarkably, upon fusion, these neurons do not undergo cell death,” explained the researcher.

    “They either start firing synchronously, or they stop functioning altogether.”

    Drawing an analogy, Professor Hilliard compared the function of neurons to the wiring that connects switches to the lights in a kitchen and a bathroom.

    “Once fusion occurs, each switch has the potential to either activate both the kitchen and bathroom lights simultaneously or leave them both unlit,” he elaborated.

    “It’s bad news for the two independent circuits.”

    The discovery offers a potential explanation for persistent neurological effects after a viral infection.

    “In the prevailing understanding of viral entry into the brain, there are typically two outcomes: either cell death or inflammation,” noted Dr. Martinez-Marmol.

    “But we’ve shown a third possible outcome, which is neuronal fusion.”

    Dr. Martinez-Marmol highlighted that various viruses not only induce cell fusion in other tissues but also infect the nervous system, potentially leading to similar issues in that particular context.

    “These viruses include HIV, rabies, Japanese encephalitis, measles, herpes simplex virus and Zika virus,” he said.

    “Our research reveals a new mechanism for the neurological events that happen during a viral infection.

    “This is potentially a major cause of neurological diseases and clinical symptoms that is still unexplored.”

    The researchers gratefully acknowledge the collaborative contributions of Professor Lars Ittner and Associate Professor Yazi Ke from Macquarie University, Associate Professor Giuseppe Balistreri from the University of Helsinki, and Associate Professor Kirsty Short and Professor Frederic Meunier from The University of Queensland.

    The research was published in Sciences Advances.

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  • WHO chief warns of deadlier post-COVID disease

    WHO chief warns of deadlier post-COVID disease

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    Newswise — The leader of the World Health Organization (WHO) emphasized the need for global readiness in addressing a disease outbreak with a potential even greater than COVID-19. This statement came following the launch of a worldwide network by the UN agency to closely monitor and respond to threats posed by various diseases.

    During his address at the World Health Assembly (WHA) held in Geneva, Switzerland, on Monday, May 22, the Director-General of the WHO, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, cautioned that the conclusion of the COVID-19 pandemic as a global health emergency did not imply that the global health risks had subsided.

    Addressing the annual decision-making meeting of the World Health Organization’s 194 member states, he stressed that the possibility of another variant arising and leading to fresh waves of illness and fatalities persists.

    Furthermore, the persistent risk of another pathogen emerging, possessing an even greater capacity for devastation, continues to loom.

    Commencing the 76th session of the World Health Assembly (WHA) on Saturday, May 20, the WHO inaugurated the International Pathogen Surveillance Network (IPSN). This global initiative leverages genomics to facilitate the detection and timely response to emerging disease threats.

    Genetic data derived from viruses, bacteria, and other pathogens responsible for diseases plays a vital role in enabling scientists to identify and monitor diseases, as well as in developing effective treatments and vaccines. This information provides insights into the infectiousness and lethality of specific strains, as well as their patterns of transmission.

    During the launch, Tedros emphasized that the objective of the network is to provide every country with access to pathogen genomic sequencing and analytics as an integral component of their public health system.

    The IPSN Secretariat, which will be housed within the WHO Hub for Pandemic and Epidemic Intelligence, will serve as a collaborative platform uniting genomics and data analysis experts from various regions across the globe. This inclusive network will comprise governments, philanthropic foundations, multilateral organizations, civil society, academia, and the private sector.

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  • Resolving a Mathematical Puzzle in Quarks and Gluons in Nuclear Matter

    Resolving a Mathematical Puzzle in Quarks and Gluons in Nuclear Matter

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    The Science

    The building blocks of atomic nuclei are protons and neutrons, which are themselves made of even more fundamental particles: quarks and gluons. These particles interact via the “strong” force, one of the four fundamental forces of nature. They make up the nuclei at the heart of every atom. They also make up forms of hot or dense nuclear matter that exhibit exotic properties. Scientists study the properties of hot and cold nuclear matter in relativistic heavy ion collision experiments and will continue to do so using the future Electron-Ion Collider. The ultimate goal is to understand how complex forms of matter emerge from elementary particles affected by strong forces.

    The Impact

    Theoretical calculations involving the strong force are complex. One aspect of this complexity arises because there are many ways to perform these calculations. Scientists refer to some of these as “gauge choices.” All gauge choices should produce the same result for the calculation of any quantity that can be measured in an experiment. However, one particular choice, called “axial gauge,” has puzzled scientists for years because of difficulties in obtaining consistent results upon making this choice. This recent study resolves this puzzle and paves the way for reliable calculations of hot and cold nuclear matter properties that can be tested in current and future experiments.

    Summary

    The exotic form of nuclear matter that physicists study in relativistic heavy ion collisions is called the quark-gluon plasma (QGP). This form of matter existed in the early universe. Physicists explore its properties in heavy ion collision experiments by recreating the extremely high temperatures last seen microseconds after the Big Bang. By analyzing experimental data from the collisions and comparing them with theoretical calculations, physicists can ascertain various properties of the QGP. Using a calculation method called “axial gauge” had previously seemed to imply that two QGP properties that describe how heavy quarks move through the QGP were the same. 

    Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the University of Washington have now found this implication to be incorrect. The study also carefully analyzed the subtle conditions for when axial gauge can be employed and explained why the two properties are different. Finally, it showed that two distinct methods for measuring how gluons are distributed inside nuclei must yield different results. Gluons are the particles that carry the strong force, This prediction will be tested at the future Electron-Ion Collider.

     

    Funding

    This work is supported by the Department of Energy Office of Science, Office of Nuclear Physics and by the Office of Science, Office of Nuclear Physics, InQubator for Quantum Simulation (IQuS).


    Journal Link: Physical Review Letters, Feb-2023

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    Department of Energy, Office of Science

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  • New Insights on the Interplay of Electromagnetism and the Weak Nuclear Force

    New Insights on the Interplay of Electromagnetism and the Weak Nuclear Force

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    The Science

    Outside atomic nuclei, neutrons are unstable particles, with a lifetime of about fifteen minutes. The neutron disintegrates due to the weak nuclear force, leaving behind a proton, an electron, and an antineutrino. The weak nuclear force is one of the four fundamental forces in the universe, along with the strong force, the electromagnetic force, and the gravitational force. Comparing experimental measurements of neutron decay with theoretical predictions based on the weak nuclear force can reveal so-far undiscovered interactions. To do so, researchers must achieve extremely high levels of precision. A team of nuclear theorists has uncovered a new, relatively large effect in neutron decay that arises from the interplay of the weak and electromagnetic forces. 

    The Impact

    This research identified a shift in the strength with which a spinning neutron experiences the weak nuclear force. This has two major implications. First, scientists have known since 1956 that due to the weak force, a system and one built like its mirror image do not behave in the same way. In other words, mirror reflection symmetry is broken. This research affects the search for new interactions, technically known as “right-handed currents,” that, at very short distances of less than one hundred quadrillionths of a centimeter, restore the universe’s mirror-reflection symmetry. Second, this research points to the need to compute electromagnetic effects with higher precision. Doing so will require the use of future high-performance computers.

    Summary

    A team of researchers computed the impact of electromagnetic interactions on neutron decay due to the emission and absorption of photons, the quanta of light. The team included nuclear theorists from the Institute for Nuclear Theory at the University of Washington, North Carolina State University, the University of Amsterdam, Los Alamos National Laboratory, and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. 

    The calculation was performed with a modern method, known as “effective field theory,” that efficiently organizes the importance of fundamental interactions in phenomena involving strongly interacting particles. The team identified a new percent-level shift to the nucleon axial coupling, gA, which governs the strength of decay of a spinning neutron. The new correction originates from the emission and absorption of electrically charged pions, which are mediators of the strong nuclear force. While effective field theory provides an estimate of the uncertainties, improving on the current precision will require advanced calculations on Department of Energy supercomputers. The researchers also assessed the impact on searches of right-handed current. They found that after including the new correction, experimental data and theory are in good agreement and current uncertainties still allow for new physics at a relatively low mass scale.

     

    Funding

    This research was supported by the Department of Energy Office of Science, Office of Nuclear Physics; the Laboratory Directed Research and Development program at Los Alamos National Laboratory; the National Science Foundation; and the Dutch Research Council.

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    Department of Energy, Office of Science

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  • American Tinnitus Association elects Wayne State researcher as new chair

    American Tinnitus Association elects Wayne State researcher as new chair

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    Newswise — DETROIT – The American Tinnitus Association (ATA) has elected Jinsheng Zhang, Ph.D., professor and chair of the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders in Wayne State University’s College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, as the new chair of its board of directors. With decades of experience in tinnitus research and work with the ATA, Zhang aims to assist with proactive recruitment of scientists to the field of tinnitus and engage more researchers in ATA grant opportunities that will spur progress toward more effective treatments and cures.

    Tinnitus is a common auditory condition that affects millions of people in the United States and can present as a variety of sounds — including ringing, buzzing or clicking — that can be heard only by the person with the condition. Whereas some habituate quickly to the sound, others find it difficult to ignore, which can lead to insomnia, increased anxiety, depression and suicidal ideation. Evidence-based interventions are available to alleviate the negative effects of tinnitus, but access to care remains an obstacle, as does consistent care within the health care industry. 

    “I’ve been affiliated with the ATA for nearly two decades, as a seed grant recipient early in my career, chair of the Scientific Advisory Committee in more recent years and board member,” said  Zhang. “I believe in the work of the ATA and want to lead the way toward more significant investment in cutting-edge research and attracting new talent to the field.”

    It is often difficult to retain researchers in the field of tinnitus research because of limited funding and the challenge of understanding the underlying mechanisms of a condition with no objective measure, which can be caused by numerous factors such as hormonal imbalances, high blood pressure, stress and noise exposure. Zhang emphasized that the ATA seed grant he received in 2005 was pivotal in his decision to stay in the field.

     Zhang currently leads an $8.6 million Department of Defense-funded multicenter clinical trial to develop a pharmaceutical treatment for tinnitus, which is the leading disability among veterans. Along with his department chair role, he also serves as research director in the Department of Otolaryngology in Wayne State’s School of Medicine and as director of laboratories for tinnitus and auditory neuroscience research.

    “We’re thrilled to have Dr. Zhang as our new board chair as of July 1, at a time when the ATA has sufficient funds for research grant investment. Thanks to individual donors and the generosity of Texas Roadhouse — which has hosted two extraordinary fundraisers for the ATA in honor of their late founder, Kent Taylor, who struggled with severe tinnitus the last year of his life — we’re able to review grants throughout the year, not just once a year,” said David Hadley, current chair of the board of directors.  

    The ATA’s Innovative Grants Program fills a critical need for researchers pursuing novel investigations that require funds to test a theory and, if successful, produce data that can be used to apply for funding from larger institutions. The ATA funding model enables individuals to contribute directly to research and encourages researchers to explore the boundaries of what is currently known.

    The ATA Board of Directors guides the organization in its mission and efforts to meet the needs of the public, including educating physicians on how tinnitus can be managed, helping patients find qualified health care providers, and providing seed funding for research that could lead to breakthroughs.

    The ATA operates the Tinnitus Advisors Program call line, a free, one-time 15-minute consultation intended to help callers understand management strategies, direct them to appropriate health care providers and answer questions. The ATA does not provide medical guidance, and always recommends that people be properly evaluated by their physician when tinnitus develops or changes, since that can indicate an underlying medical issue, which, when addressed, may result in the elimination or reduction of the sound. To speak with an ATA advisor, call 1-800-634-8978, ext. 3. If tinnitus symptoms are causing severe distress, call 911 or the 988 crisis hotline for immediate help.

    ###

     

    About the American Tinnitus Association

    The core purpose of the American Tinnitus Association is to promote relief and to prevent and find cures for tinnitus, as evidenced by its core values of compassion, credibility, and responsibility. The leading cause of tinnitus is exposure to loud sound that damages an individual’s auditory system; the second leading cause is head or neck trauma. Tinnitus also is the leading service-connected disability for U.S. veterans. The ATA is funded by individual donors and a handful of companies to fulfill its critical mission. Please donate and/or consider becoming a member so the ATA can continue to improve the quality of life for those living with tinnitus and to educate the public on prevention of the condition. To learn more, visit ATA.org.  

     

    About Wayne State University

    Wayne State University is one of the nation’s pre-eminent public research universities in an urban setting. Through its multidisciplinary approach to research and education, and its ongoing collaboration with government, industry and other institutions, the university seeks to enhance economic growth and improve the quality of life in the city of Detroit, state of Michigan and throughout the world. For more information about research at Wayne State University, visit research.wayne.edu.

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  • Study: New York’s Bail Reform Law Did Not Increase Crime

    Study: New York’s Bail Reform Law Did Not Increase Crime

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    Newswise — ALBANY, N.Y. (May 26, 2023) — New York’s bail reform law had a negligible effect on crime, a study by a recent PhD recipient and a professor in UAlbany’s School of Criminal Justice (SCJ) found.

    Bail reform has been a hotly debated issue in New York and throughout the United States, with proponents arguing that a cash bail system is unfair to poorer defendants and opponents arguing that setting bail for those arrested deters crime. In 2019 New York lawmakers passed a law eliminating bail for most misdemeanors and some non-violent felony charges, with the accused allowed to go free until a court hearing or released with conditions such as electronic monitoring. An amendment that went into effect in July 2020 rolled back some aspects of the reform, expanding the list of offenses eligible for cash bail.

    The SCJ study, “Does Bail Reform Increase Crime in New York State: Evidence from Interrupted Time-Series and Synthetic Control Methods,” was published earlier this month in Justice Quarterly. Led by Sishi Wu, who received her PhD from SCJ in April, it’s the first study to evaluate the effects of New York’s bail reform law on the entire state and “the first attempt to disentangle the effects of bail reform and national historic events” such as the COVID-19 pandemic, according to Wu and co-author David McDowall, a distinguished teaching professor at SCJ.

    Their study found that murder, larceny and auto theft increased after bail reform, but that bail reform itself did not contribute to that increase.

    “We used data from the New York State index crimes, consisting of monthly crime counts for seven offenses: murder, rape, robbery, aggravated assault, burglary, larceny and motor vehicle theft,” Wu said. “Monthly crime data from other states were also collected from the FBI Uniform Crime Reporting program to create a control group to compare with New York.”

    Jail population dropped in the state from 2019 to 2020 — one of the goals of bail reform. During the same period, violent crime rose by 1% in the state and murders increased by nearly 47%, from 570 in 2019 to 836 in 2020. However, this increase could be attributed to the pandemic, which caused disruptions ranging from a lack of work and income to a lack of social services.

    To account for the pandemic, the authors compared New York crime data with a control group constructed of other states similarly affected by the pandemic that did not reform their bail laws. That comparison showed “NYS experienced 0.02 more murder, 6.16 more larcenies, and 1.16 more motor vehicle thefts per 100,000 people per month than its control series after the bail reform” – not a statistically significant increase, the study found.

    “Using findings such as ours, legislators and stakeholders can better address public safety concerns when continuing the implementation of bail reform,” McDowall said.

    Read the Justice Quarterly article here.

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  • Immigration experts on Title 42, analysis of immigration policies, and other migrant news in the Immigration Channel

    Immigration experts on Title 42, analysis of immigration policies, and other migrant news in the Immigration Channel

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    Title 42, the United States pandemic rule that had been used to immediately deport hundreds of thousands of migrants who crossed the border illegally over the last three years, has expired. Those migrants will have the opportunity to apply for asylum. President Biden’s new rules to replace Title 42 are facing legal challenges. The US Homeland Security Department announced a rule to make it extremely difficult for anyone who travels through another country, like Mexico, to qualify for asylum. Border crossings have already risen sharply, as many migrants attempted to cross before the measure expired on Thursday night. Some have said they worry about tighter controls and uncertainty ahead. Immigration is once again a major focus of the media as we examine the humanitarian, political, and public health issues migrants must face. 

    Below are some of the latest headlines in the Immigration channel on Newswise.

    Expert Commentary

    Experts Available on Ending of Title 42

    George Washington University Experts on End of Title 42

    ‘No one wins when immigrants cannot readily access healthcare’

    URI professor discusses worsening child labor in the United States

    Biden ‘between a rock and a hard place’ on immigration

    University of Notre Dame Expert Available to Comment on House Bill Regarding Immigration Legislation, Border Safety and Security Act

    American University Experts Available to Discuss President Biden’s Visit to U.S.-Mexico Border

    Title 42 termination ‘overdue’, not ‘effective’ to manage migration

    Research and Features

    Study: Survey Methodology Should Be Calibrated to Account for Negative Attitudes About Immigrants and Asylum-Seekers

    A study analyses racial discrimination in job recruitment in Europe

    DACA has not had a negative impact on the U.S. job market

    ASBMB cautions against drastic immigration fee increases

    Study compares NGO communication around migration

    Collaboration, support structures needed to address ‘polycrisis’ in the Americas

    TTUHSC El Paso Faculty Teach Students While Caring for Migrants

    Immigrants Report Declining Alcohol Use during First Two Years after Arriving in U.S.

    How asylum seeker credibility is assessed by authorities

    Speeding up and simplifying immigration claims urgently needed to help with dire situation for migrants experiencing homelessness

    Training Individuals to Work in their Communities to Reduce Health Disparities

    ‘Regulation by reputation’: Rating program can help combat migrant abuse in the Gulf

    Migration of academics: Economic development does not necessarily lead to brain drain

    How has the COVID-19 pandemic affected immigration?

    Immigrants with Darker Skin Tones Perceive More Discrimination

     

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  • Student researchers explore Creighton University’s COVID experience

    Student researchers explore Creighton University’s COVID experience

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    Newswise — Documenting “lessons learned,” a staple of military after-battle analysis, found a useful civilian expression last year when a coalition of students reviewed Creighton University’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

    They wanted to learn how those students fared during the 2020-2021 academic year who were required by pandemic protocols to quarantine or otherwise self-isolate, what concerns they experienced, how they rated Creighton’s COVID policies, and how those policies might be improved.

    The investigation emerged from the recruitment of social work students by Creighton’s Student Health Services to work as contact tracers.

    Cathy Fox, MSW, assistant professor in the Department of Cultural and Social Studies, says social work undergraduates possess skills pertinent to reaching out and monitoring psychosocial needs, so they were natural participants.

    “Student Health was interested in learning more about the experience of quarantine and isolation, so we signed on and then enlisted our colleagues in medical anthropology to help with the research piece,” she says.

    The research was led by six interdisciplinary students under the direction of Fox; Laura Heinemann, PhD, associate professor and director of the medical anthropology undergraduate program; Angela Maynard, then-associate director of student health education; Alexander Roedlach, PhD, professor in the Department of Cultural and Social Studies; and Monica White, MSW, assistant professor of cultural and social studies and director of Creighton’s social work program.

    “Seeing this research come together before my own eyes has been a one-in-a-million chance.” — Megan Loh, neuroscience senior

    Titled “Learning from Times of Restriction: College Student Experiences of Stressors and Supports in COVID Quarantine/Isolation,” the project demonstrated the importance of bringing students together from different disciplines — in this case, social work, medical anthropology, neuroscience and health administration and policy.

    “Students learned if you want to succeed in life you have to collaborate with people who have a different academic and professional background,” Roedlach says. “We are all good at something, and we have to bring these things together.”

    The collaboration found that quarantined students were concerned about their personal health and well-being but also that of their peers. Some worried that online learning might impair their academic progress, while others regretted missing the social experiences that are an important part of university life.

    Others, in contrast, valued the opportunity to catch up on sleep or to pursue their studies quietly without interruption by a roommate.

    “Just the experience of being isolated and having to be in a space by yourself, or with just a small number of people, in itself became a source of stress for some students,” Heinemann says. “But for those who were able to quarantine or isolate in their own homes, who mentioned having good support from their family, friends, and professors, for them it was sometimes an opportunity to recharge.”

    While understanding that pandemics can arrive without warning, the survey nonetheless found that future response planning could benefit from greater student involvement.

    Alissa Jeffrey (pictured above), a junior in medical anthropology, and Anna Kotula, a senior in biology and medical anthropology, were among six students involved in the project, the others being Chloe Cassens, BA’22; Jamaica Dulluog, a junior in health administration and policy; Megan Loh, a senior in neuroscience; and Thea Pflum, BA’21. Others lending a hand were Chelsea Riediger, BSW ’21 and Holly Stokes, BSW ’21.

    Jeffrey and Kotula presented a research poster summing up their findings at the annual meeting of the American Anthropological Association held in Seattle in November 2022. Presenting at the largest conference of anthropologists in the United States was a weighty challenge, and although Roedlach stood ready to assist, he says the students fared well without him.

    Jeffrey, in partnership with Heinemann, also gave an oral presentation.

    “Going to the American Anthropological Association Conference in Seattle was inspiring,” she says. “I was captivated by the variety of projects there, and I loved being able to meet fellow students and professional anthropologists.”

    For Loh, whose classes in biology taught her about the mechanisms of the COVID-19 virus, the opportunity to explore the pandemic’s social impact was a rare opportunity.

    “Seeing this research come together before my own eyes has been a one-in-a-million chance to learn more about the communities I belong to as well as the communities I wish to serve in the near future,” she says.

    For Kotula, the opportunity to attend a major professional conference proved ample reward for time invested.

    “I highly valued networking opportunities, listening to other presentations, and engaging with other students from various universities,” she says. “Seattle also had many cultural and educational opportunities to experience. I am forever thankful for this opportunity with my classmates and professors.”

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    Creighton University

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  • Ultralow temperature terahertz microscope capabilities enable better quantum technology

    Ultralow temperature terahertz microscope capabilities enable better quantum technology

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    Newswise — A team of scientists from the Department of Energy’s Ames National Laboratory have developed a way to collect terahertz imaging data on materials under extreme magnetic and cryogenic conditions. They accomplished their work with a new scanning probe microscope. This microscope was recently developed at Ames Lab. The team used the ultralow temperature terahertz microscope to take measurements on superconductors and topological semimetals. These materials were were exposed to high magnetic fields and temperatures below liquid helium (below 4.2 Kelvins or -452 degrees Fahrenheit).

    According to Jigang Wang, a scientist at Ames Lab, professor of Physics and Astronomy at Iowa State University, and the team leader, the team has been improving their terahertz microscope since it was first completed in 2019. “We have improved the resolution in terms of the space, time and energy,” said Wang. “We have also simultaneously improved operation to very low temperatures and high magnetic fields.”

    To expand their terahertz microscope’s capabilities to operate at extreme cryogenic and magnetic environments, Wang explained that his team developed a custom microscopy insert for a cryostat. A cryostat is a device used to maintain extremely cold temperatures. This insert was designed specifically for use with the cryogenic terahertz microscope.

    The new microscope capabilities allowed the team to examine superconductors and topological semimetals, both which operate at these low temperatures. These materials can also move electricity with almost zero energy loss and are important for furthering quantum computing technology.

    Based on their research so far, Wang said that the microscope could lead to development of new, improved materials for highly coherent quantum devices and a better understanding of superconducting and topological materials.

    This research is further discussed in the paper, “A sub-2 Kelvin Cryogenic Magneto-Terahertz Scattering-type Scanning Near-Field Optical Microscope (cm-THz-sSNOM),” written by R. H. J. Kim, J.-M. Park, S. J. Haeuser, L. Luo, and J. Wang, and published in Review of Scientific Instruments.

     

     

    Ames National Laboratory is a U.S. Department of Energy Office of Science National Laboratory operated by Iowa State University. Ames Laboratory creates innovative materials, technologies, and energy solutions. We use our expertise, unique capabilities, and interdisciplinary collaborations to solve global problems.

    Ames Laboratory is supported by the Office of Science of the U.S. Department of Energy. The Office of Science is the single largest supporter of basic research in the physical sciences in the United States and is working to address some of the most pressing challenges of our time. For more information, please visit https://energy.gov/science.

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    Ames National Laboratory

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  • Study Uncovers Post-Vaccine Heart Inflammation Risks

    Study Uncovers Post-Vaccine Heart Inflammation Risks

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    Newswise — New Haven, Conn. — When new COVID-19 vaccines were first administered two years ago, public health officials found an increase in cases of myocarditis, an inflammation of the heart muscle, particularly among young males who had been vaccinated with mRNA vaccines. It was unclear, however, what exactly was causing this reaction.

    In a new study, Yale scientists have identified the immune signature of these heart inflammation cases.

    These findings, published May 5 in the journal Science Immunology, rule out some of the theorized causes of the heart inflammation and suggest potential ways to further reduce the incidence of a still rare side effect of vaccination, the authors say.

    Myocarditis is a generally mild inflammation of heart tissue which can cause scarring but is usually resolved within days. The increased incidence of myocarditis during vaccination was seen primarily in males in their teens or early 20s, who had been vaccinated with mRNA vaccines, which are designed to elicit immune responses specifically to the SARS-CoV-2 virus.

    According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), among males aged 12 to 17, about 22 to 36 per 100,000 experienced myocarditis within 21 days after receiving a second vaccine dose. Among unvaccinated males in this age group, the incidence of myocarditis was 50.1 to 64.9 cases per 100,000 after infection with the COVID-19 virus.

    For the new study, the Yale research team conducted a detailed analysis of immune system responses in those rare cases of myocarditis among vaccinated individuals. The team was led by Carrie Lucas, associate professor of immunobiology, Akiko Iwasaki, Sterling Professor of Immunobiology, and Inci Yildirim, associate professor of pediatrics and epidemiology.

    They found that the heart inflammation was not caused by antibodies created by the vaccine, but rather by a more generalized response involving immune cells and inflammation.

    “The immune systems of these individuals get a little too revved up and over-produce cytokine and cellular responses,” Lucas said.

    Earlier research had suggested that increasing the time between vaccination shots from four to eight weeks may  reduce risk of developing myocarditis.

    Lucas noted that, according to CDC findings, the risk of myocarditis is significantly greater in unvaccinated individuals who contract the COVID-19 virus than in those who receive vaccines. She emphasized that vaccination offers the best protection from COVID-19-related disease.

    “I hope this new knowledge will enable further optimizing mRNA vaccines, which, in addition to offering clear health benefits during the pandemic, have a tremendous potential to save lives across numerous future applications,” said Anis Barmada, an M.D./Ph.D. student at Yale School of Medicine, who is a co-first author of the paper with Jon Klein, also a Yale M.D./Ph.D. student.

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    Yale University

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  • The Association of Biomolecular Resource Facilities 2023 Annual Meeting, May 7-10, Boston

    The Association of Biomolecular Resource Facilities 2023 Annual Meeting, May 7-10, Boston

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    Newswise — May 5, 2023 (Lexington, KY) – The Association of Biomolecular Resource Facilities (ABRF) 2023 Annual Meeting will be held May 7-10 at the Sheraton Boston Hotel.  This year’s meeting focuses on Driving Collaborative Science, and features dozens of sessions on timely topics on the latest technology and strategies for shared research resources. With close to 1000 attendees from more than 200 leading academic research institutions and commercial manufacturers attending, the ABRF 2023 Annual Meeting will be the largest event for shared research resources, or Core, facilities.

    Among the notable sessions at the 2023 ABRF Annual Meeting are:

    ABRF Award for Outstanding Contributions to Biomolecular Technologies  – presented to Dr. Chris Enke and Richard Yost for the development of the triple quadrupole mass spectrometer and the tremendous impact triple quads have made for a wide range of biomedical research applications.

    ABRF Diversity Equity and Inclusion Award – presented to Dr. Tshaka Cunningham with Polaris Genomics and Future Kings, a regional nonprofit which serves boys and girls of color from economically challenged communities through a unique, year-long afterschool educational program that guides young men and women in grades 6-12 from underserved communities to explore exciting career opportunities in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). Their targeted focus is on cybersecurity, computer game design, biomedical sciences, and engineering.

    Keynote speakers: Beth Cimini, Ph.D., Senior Group Leader, Broad Institute will present Making More from Your Microscopy:  Advances in High-Content Image Analysis

    Ed Boyden, Ph.D., HHMI and MIT,  will close the meeting with an engaging presentation on Optical Tools for Analyzing and Controlling Biological Systems.

    Along with these key sessions, the ABRF Annual Meeting will include dozens of workshops on current developments in specific technology areas, including Genomics, Imaging, Mass Spectrometry, Flow Cytometry, and Proteomics, as well as best practices for Core Facilities Management and Leadership.  Attendees will also engage with over 70 biotechnology manufacturers and systems developers to view the latest advances in research instrumentation and tools to support their ground-breaking work. Visit the meeting web site for the latest information or contact ABRF to learn more.

     

    About the Association of Biomolecular Resource Facilities

    The Association of Biomolecular Resource Facilities is a unique membership association comprising over 2000 members working within or in the support of resource and research biotechnology laboratories. Our members represent over 400 laboratories and administrative offices in government, academia, research, industry and commercial settings. ABRF promotes education and career advancement for scientists, core administrators, and staff through conferences, a quarterly journal, publication of research group studies and conference scholarships. The society also sponsors multi-center research studies designed to help members incorporate new biotechnologies into their laboratories.

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    Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology (FASEB)

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