Search Results (169)

Supergiants are luminous post-main-sequence massive stars whose effective temperatures ($T_{\mathrm{eff}}$) are key inputs for stellar evolution and feedback studies. We present a photometry-based procedure to derive $T_{\mathrm{eff}}$ for a sample of galactic supergiants of spectral types B and A by fitting the spectral energy distributions (SEDs) in the UV-to-mid-IR range to ATLAS9 model spectra converted into synthetic photometry using the corresponding passband transmission profiles while simultaneously solving for the line-of-sight extinction. The SEDs were constructed from published data taken in different photometric systems (Johnson or Kron–Cousins $UBVRI$, Strömgren $uvby$, $JHK$ magnitudes from various sources, and AllWISE) and supplemented with UV TD-1 fluxes for brighter stars. The interstellar extinction law is based on Cardelli, Clayton & Mathis approximation assuming a total-to-selective ratio $R_V=A_V/E(B-V)=3.1$. The best-fitting parameters are obtained by minimizing a covariance-weighted ${\chi }^2$ statistic in logarithmic flux space over a grid of $A_V$ values and a discrete model grid. We test the method on 20 targets and find generally good agreement with published literature temperature estimates. The main limitations are non-simultaneous photometry for possibly variable objects and the residual coupling between temperature and reddening in broadband SED fitting. This study is intended as a methodological demonstration on a pilot sample rather than a definitive parameter catalog. Full article

We give new concise Lie-theoretic proofs of basic analytic–geometric properties of connected complex Lie groups. Using Matsushima’s biholomorphic splitting $G\simeq {\mathbb{C}}^n\times \tilde{K}$ together with a refined analysis of the center via its Cousin factor, we show that every connected complex Lie group is pseudoconvex. Our approach is structural: it reduces to the reductive factor, separates the semisimple and central parts, and concludes using permanence of pseudoconvexity under products and finite quotients, together with standard triviality results for holomorphic principal bundles over Stein bases. Full article

Saxony was ruled by two cousins in 1544: John Frederick I (Elector of Saxony) and his cousin Maurice (Duke of Saxony). Both rulers’ names appear on each side of the quarter thalers produced in this year. They were enemies involved in religious wars, although they were both Protestants. Two types of quarter thalers from 1544 occur: a pierced random find from Transylvania (Romania) with four shields on the reverse, heavily worn, and another one with three shields on the obverse side, found in the Głogów Hoard (Poland), which is well preserved. Why did they issue two types in the same year? Was it a matter of silver title or other historical factors? Nondestructive investigation methods were used: XRD revealed the phases within the alloy and patina layer; SEM-EDS revealed the morphological aspects and their elemental compositions, which were correlated with XRF results. The results show that both coins have closer silver amounts, from 91 to 96 wt.%. The EDS results were in good agreement with the XRF results. Lead traces indicated a difference between them: the four-shielded coin is lead-free, while the three-shielded coin has a moderate amount of lead, about 0.5 wt.%. The archeological data evidence that the four-shielded coin issued in 1544 is rarer than the three-shielded one because it was issued during specific historical conditions. Black patina is formed by a mixture rich in copper oxides mixed with silver oxides and Ag₂S. The presence of silver sulfide in the patina layer confirms that the pierced coin was in prolonged contact with the skin surface. Also, the finest traces of minerals embedded in the patina layer (e.g., quartz, kaolinite, and calcite) suggest that they were embedded in the patina via prolonged exposure to particulate matter. The mineral inclusions in the patina would have been more numerous if they were formed underground. Thus, the pierced four-shielded coin was probably worn as jewelry by nomads, while the three-shielded coin was most likely treasured in a well-preserved hoard. Full article

Currently, H₂ compression is one of the highest-cost items, both in terms of capital and operating costs, at H₂ refuelling stations. Metal hydride (MH) compressors are an alternative H₂ compression technology, which uses heat rather than electricity to provide the driving force for compression. Where waste heat is available, these compressors have the potential to be lower in cost than current mechanical alternatives. While the development of metal hydride compressors has been underway for the last 40–50 years, only a few have made it through to demonstration at industrial sites. To better understand where these compressors see best potential, we have completed a high-level assessment of the levelised costs associated with MH compression. We explore the impact of cost assumptions (capital and operating cost items) on the overall cost of MH compression over an assumed 10-year life. Results indicate that MH compressors have similar capital costs to currently available mechanical compressors but have a significant advantage in operating costs where waste or solar heat is available. This analysis highlights that it is the cost of energy that has the greatest impact on the cost competitiveness of the metal hydride compressor. Full article

As diets shift towards more plant-based patterns, nutrients mainly supplied by animal-sourced foods are receiving greater attention. Among these are sulphur-containing amino acids (SCAAs) such as taurine, methionine, and cysteine. These compounds play important roles in neuroprotection, antioxidant defence, and cellular signalling; functions that are closely linked to cognitive health. This systematic review examined the effects of SCAA supplementation on cognitive performance in randomised controlled trials (RCTs). Eight RCTs involving 244 healthy participants met the inclusion criteria. All trials focused exclusively on taurine; no studies were found that tested methionine or cysteine. Each used an acute, single-dose design, assessing key cognitive domains and mood outcomes. Overall, acute doses of taurine (typically 1–3 g, up to ~50 mg/kg) produced, at best, small and inconsistent improvements in cognitive function. Most cognitive outcomes showed no effect. Trials that combined taurine with caffeine showed more reliable performance benefits, but they did not isolate taurine’s independent effects. Similarly, any positive effects on mood or well-being were minor, inconsistent, and typically observed only under specific conditions, such as when taurine was combined with caffeine, exercise, or sleep deprivation. Importantly, none of the studies measured participants’ habitual diets, baseline SCAA status, or specifically recruited individuals with low intake of animal-source foods. This means the cognitive effects of reduced SCAA intake in plant-based diets remain unknown. Current evidence from acute taurine trials provides limited support for short-term benefits to cognition or mood. Longer-term, well-designed studies are urgently needed. These should assess habitual diet and baseline SCAA status and focus on populations with lower animal-derived food intake. Only then can we determine whether lower SCAA availability in plant-based diets represents a nutritional ‘green gap’ with implications for brain health. Full article

This study describes the clinical and genetic features of Meesmann epithelial corneal dystrophy (MECD) in two unrelated families and reports new genotype–phenotype associations. Ten patients from a Lebanese family (n = 4) (Family 1) and a Spanish family (n = 6) (Family 2) underwent ophthalmologic evaluation, in vivo confocal microscopy (IVCM), anterior segment optical coherence tomography (AS-OCT) with epithelial thickness mapping (ET-map), and targeted next-generation sequencing (NGS) using a custom-designed 133-gene panel associated with anterior segment dystrophies. In Family 1, a novel homozygous KRT12 c.1181T>C (p.Leu394Pro) variant was identified in the symptomatic proband and his clinically asymptomatic brother, while both parents, who were first cousins, were heterozygous for this nucleotide variant. The proband also carried the heterozygous KRT3 c.250C>T (p.Arg84Trp) variant, which has been previously reported but, to our knowledge, has not been described in co-occurrence until now. In addition, the proband showed a complex phenotype with signs of MECD and epithelial basal membrane alterations consistent with epithelial basement membrane dystrophy (EBMD). In Family 2, four affected members carried the KRT3 c.1492G>A (p.Glu498Lys) variant in heterozygosity, which has been previously described. The elderly members affected showed typical signs of MECD and EBMD. To our knowledge, these concomitant alterations have not been previously described with genetical confirmation. In conclusion, this study provides the first evidence that the co-occurrence of variants in two Meesmann corneal dystrophy-associated genes (KRT3 and KRT12) can jointly account for the disease phenotype. We also highlight the association of MECD with EBMD in both families. Characterization using IVCM and AS-OCT ET-Map provides a deeper understanding of the morphological changes and phenotypic variability in MECD, confirming the utility of this multimodal imaging approach for diagnosis and management. Full article

HTLV-1 and HIV-1 represent biologically significant, structurally close, and equally problematic yet divergent human retroviruses. Although both infect CD4+ T cells and share similar structural elements, they differ markedly in genomic stability, transmission dynamics, clinical progression, and, most importantly, their transcriptional regulatory mechanisms. HTLV-1, an ancient virus with a limited global burden, often remains asymptomatic for decades before potentially causing ATL or HAM/TSP. Conversely, HIV-1, a relatively recent zoonotic transmission, undergoes rapid replication, exhibits high genetic diversity, and causes progressive immunodeficiency unless controlled by antiretroviral therapy (ART). At the molecular level, HTLV-1 maintains proviral latency through a balanced bidirectional transcription of regulatory genes (e.g., Tax and HBZ) that manipulate host transcription and immune evasion pathways, facilitating persistence and oncogenesis. HBZ and Tax were shown to contribute to driving the progressive acquisition of Treg-like and HLA class II phenotype in chronically activated CD4+ T-cells, promoting tolerogenic antigen presentation and immune evasion in ATL cells. This well-controlled differential expression of HTLV-1 regulatory genes is attributed to multiple intragenic virus regulatory mechanisms, which will be discussed in this review. In contrast, HIV-1 transcription is driven by a tightly regulated 5′ LTR promoter involving host factors such as NF-κB, Sp1, AP-1, and NFAT, among others, with strong influence imposed by the landscape of the provirus integration site, playing a pivotal role in latency and reactivation. The distinct regulatory circuitry of each virus suggests a key difference in their essential regulation, with HTLV-1 primarily relying on intragenic mechanisms, while HIV-1 relies more heavily on interactions with the surrounding host environment to control its expression. This difference underscores unique therapeutic challenges in managing viral latency, persistence, and pathogenesis. Full article

Overexpression of protein phosphatase 5 (PP5) is implicated in tumor cell growth, establishing PP5 as a compelling target for small-molecule anticancer therapy. Building on prior success in achieving selectivity within the PP2A domain through scaffold functionalization that maximizes active-site interactions, we propose a parallel strategy for PP5 inhibition. Norcantharidin, the demethylated cousin of cantharidin, is a potent yet unselective phosphatase inhibitor, making its bicyclic framework an attractive platform for systematic derivatization. The approach reported herein exploits anhydride reactivity to generate a carboxylic acid derivative that is transformed into a chloromethyl ester. Chloromethyl ester functionality serves as a strategically activated intermediate enabling downstream functional-group diversification under mild, neutral conditions while preserving scaffold integrity. This modular synthetic strategy establishes a foundation for the development of PP5-selective norcantharidin derivatives with improved tumor selectivity, potency, and synthetic feasibility. Full article

After the Spanish Civil War, the shortage of building materials in the country and the restrictions imposed by the Dirección General de Arquitectura limited the use of steel in construction, encouraging solutions that reduced the consumption of this material. In this context, the thin-tile vault gained new relevance due to its low cost, speed of execution and good structural and fire performance. Among the architects who revisited this system, Ignasi Bosch Reitg (1910–1985) developed an innovative procedure for the construction of continuous ceilings, based on double-curved vaults with a single layer of brick. His cousin, Josep Maria Bosch Aymerich (1917–2015), an industrial engineer and architect trained in the United States, brought a business vision to the table when he discovered the potential of this system. This paper proposes an in-depth study of the patents requested on this system by the two architects, questioning the reasons for their success or failure in different countries, both in terms of dissemination and exploitation, in regard to the historical context in which it was developed. The analysis, based on original documents from the Bosch Aymerich Archive, uncovers the tensions that the reinterpretation and global projection of a traditional technique can generate. Full article

Rare genetic diseases (RGDs) affect individuals, families, and healthcare systems worldwide. Population-scale genomic data remain largely restricted to Western cohorts with an estimated 10,000 RGDs. South Asian populations remain underrepresented in molecular, clinical, and genomic databases. This study presents the first preliminary molecular genetic characterization of RGDs in the Punjabi population of Pakistan. Data were collected from the provincial RGD registry at the Punjab Thalassemia and Other Genetic Disorders Prevention and Research Institute (PTGDPRI), Lahore. Families diagnosed using next-generation sequencing (NGS) between 2021 and 2023 were enrolled. Structured questionnaires captured clinical, demographic, and socioeconomic information, and statistical and genetic analyses were performed to assess allele frequencies, and disease distribution. The registry included 167 families with 72 distinct RGDs, with a mean burden of 0.81 ± 0.24 affected children per family. Niemann–Pick disease (NP), progressive familial intrahepatic cholestasis (PFIC), and mucopolysaccharidosis (MPS) were the most common diseases. Consanguinity was observed in 89% of families, 77% of which involved first-cousin marriages, and was significantly associated with RGD incidence. Most families belonged to low-income groups despite high literacy rates, underscoring inequity in healthcare. The primary and secondary variants included 131 variants, including copy number variants (CNVs) and single nucleotide variants (SNVs), annotated as pathogenic, likely pathogenic, or variants of unknown significance (VUS) across 109 genes, including 24 South Asian-enriched variants. This study provides the first genomic and epidemiological overview of RGDs in the Punjabi population. The findings reveal how genetic, socioeconomic, and cultural factors converge to amplify the RGD burden and highlight the need for affordable molecular diagnostics, inclusive genomic databases, and regional genomic surveillance initiatives in South Asia. Full article

Background and Clinical Significance: Familial short stature is a common reason for referral in clinical genetics. While often attributed to a single genetic cause, genetic heterogeneity can complicate diagnosis and management. This report describes a family in which three distinct pathogenic variants in SHOX, PDE4D and ACAN caused overlapping phenotypes of familial short stature. Case Presentation: Clinical, radiological and molecular data were collected retrospectively at the Reference Centre for Constitutional Bone Diseases at Montpellier University Hospital. Targeted gene panels, whole genome sequencing and Sanger sequencing were employed to identify pathogenic variants. Variant interpretation followed the guidelines of the American College of Medical Genetics. A pathogenic SHOX variant (c.452G>A; p.Ser151Asn) was identified in the proband and her mother, which is consistent with dyschondrosteosis. A de novo PDE4D variant (c.671C>T; p.Thr224Ile) was identified in a cousin presenting with syndromic acrodysostosis. An ACAN splice variant (c.6833-1G>A) was detected in several family members and is associated with short stature and skeletal anomalies. An individual carrying both the SHOX and ACAN variants exhibited a more severe phenotype, suggesting an additive effect. Conclusions: This case study highlights the importance of systematic molecular investigations in families with overlapping yet heterogeneous phenotypes. Comprehensive genetic familial analysis enables personalized care and accurate genetic counselling, particularly when multiple diagnoses coexist. A family history should not preclude molecular testing, since similar phenotypes can result from different genetic causes. Full article

It is crucial to control and comprehend the interaction between elemental adsorbates and two-dimensional materials to drive future generations of electronic, sensing, and energy applications. One such material, particularly interesting from the perspective of tunability, is silicene—the silicon-based cousin of graphene. In this work, we investigate nearly 2000 atomic adsorption models on silicene via a combination of density functional theory (DFT) and machine learning (ML). Different systems with varied adsorption geometries, element identities, and surface coverages were optimized using spin-polarized DFT, and the most stable configurations were selected based on adsorption energy. This information was used to train various ML models, including tree-based models and artificial neural networks, to predict adsorption geometry (classification) and adsorption energy (regression). The current hybrid DFT + ML approach provides a transferable framework for high-throughput screening of element-functionalized silicene and other 2D surfaces, which is of immense importance in directing surface modification strategies in electronic and catalytic device engineering. Full article

Lithium is the first-line treatment for bipolar disorders and a first-line augmentation option for treatment-resistant unipolar depression. Due to its narrow therapeutic window and risk of toxicity, people taking lithium require regular blood testing to monitor lithium levels in the body. However, studies have reported that only half of lithium-treated patients receive adequate lithium monitoring. This protocol describes a trial that will test the feasibility and acceptability of a point-of-care (POC) lithium blood testing programme in patients with unipolar or bipolar affective disorders taking lithium as a maintenance treatment. The primary objectives are to establish whether testing the effectiveness of POC testing is feasible, by assessing recruitment, attrition, and adherence to monitoring guidelines compared to participants randomised to testing as usual; to test whether the programme is acceptable to patients; and to measure potential contamination bias. The secondary objectives are to examine changes in health-related quality of life, the use of healthcare services, and depressive and manic symptoms to inform the design of a larger multi-site randomised controlled trial (RCT). This feasibility RCT will recruit 80 participants with affective disorders who are taking lithium. Participants will be 1:1 randomised to either POC monitoring or monitoring as usual where they will be followed up at three research visits over 30 weeks. The proportion of patients meeting guidelines for lithium monitoring will be examined, alongside measures of acceptability, wellbeing, and health economic data. POC testing has the potential to significantly improve patient safety and satisfaction with lithium treatment. Full article

If one believes that $2+2=4$, then one also believes that either $2+2=4$ or 971 is a cousin prime number. This follows from doxastic logics based on standard Kripke relational semantics, which validate disjunction introduction for belief. However, this principle does not hold in topic-sensitive semantics. An agent who lacks the concept of a ‘cousin prime number’ may be unable to entertain, and thus unable to believe, any proposition involving that concept. I argue that while disjunction introduction may fail for belief—and for other epistemic states that presuppose belief—it does hold for certain states that do not require belief. In this paper, I focus on the notion of commitment to the truth. Drawing on the concept of logical grounding, I propose formal semantics that preserve the requirement of topic-grasping, but weaken it in a way that allows for a more standard treatment of disjunction. Full article

Background: Performance of daily activities (Activities of Daily Living [ADLs] and Instrumental ADLs [IADLs]) is key to independent functioning in dementia, and greater I/ADL dependence contributes to burden in caregivers. We investigated how domains of daily living activities predict previously defined factors of the Zarit Burden Interview (ZBI). Methods: Caregiver and care recipient data for 389 dyads were extracted from outpatient memory clinic records. Results: Four previously defined factors of the ZBI (‘Impact on Life’, ‘Guilt/Uncertainty’, ‘Embarrassment/Frustration’, ‘Overwhelm’) were used in regression analyses, which demonstrated that ADLs predicted Impact on Life and Embarrassment/Frustration while IADLs predicted only Embarrassment/Frustration. Conclusions: Areas of decline in daily performance may differentially contribute to facets of dementia caregiver burden, with ADLs potentially having greater impact than IADLs. Full article