Showing papers by "Kent State University published in 2021"

Software for the frontiers of quantum chemistry: An overview of developments in the Q-Chem 5 package

Abstract: This article summarizes technical advances contained in the fifth major release of the Q-Chem quantum chemistry program package, covering developments since 2015. A comprehensive library of exchange-correlation functionals, along with a suite of correlated many-body methods, continues to be a hallmark of the Q-Chem software. The many-body methods include novel variants of both coupled-cluster and configuration-interaction approaches along with methods based on the algebraic diagrammatic construction and variational reduced density-matrix methods. Methods highlighted in Q-Chem 5 include a suite of tools for modeling core-level spectroscopy, methods for describing metastable resonances, methods for computing vibronic spectra, the nuclear-electronic orbital method, and several different energy decomposition analysis techniques. High-performance capabilities including multithreaded parallelism and support for calculations on graphics processing units are described. Q-Chem boasts a community of well over 100 active academic developers, and the continuing evolution of the software is supported by an "open teamware" model and an increasingly modular design.

Electrocatalytic Refinery for Sustainable Production of Fuels and Chemicals

Abstract: Compared to modern fossil-fuel-based refineries, the emerging electrocatalytic refinery (e-refinery) is a more sustainable and environmentally benign strategy to convert renewable feedstocks and energy sources into transportable fuels and value-added chemicals. A crucial step in conducting e-refinery processes is the development of appropriate reactions and optimal electrocatalysts for efficient cleavage and formation of chemical bonds. However, compared to well-studied primary reactions (e.g., O2 reduction, water splitting), the mechanistic aspects and materials design for emerging complex reactions are yet to be settled. To address this challenge, herein, we first present fundamentals of heterogeneous electrocatalysis and some primary reactions, and then implement these to establish the framework of e-refinery by coupling in situ generated intermediates (integrated reactions) or products (tandem reactions). We also present a set of materials design principles and strategies to efficiently manipulate the reaction intermediates and pathways.

Nickel ferrocyanide as a high-performance urea oxidation electrocatalyst

Abstract: Urea is often present in waste water but can be used in powering fuel cells and as an alternative oxidation substrate to water in an electrolyser. However, an insufficient mechanistic understanding and the lack of efficient catalysts for the urea oxidation reaction have hampered the development of such applications. Here we demonstrate that a nickel ferrocyanide (Ni2Fe(CN)6) catalyst supported on Ni foam can drive the urea oxidation reaction with a higher activity and better stability than those of conventional Ni-based catalysts. Our experimental and computational data suggest a urea oxidation reaction pathway different from most other Ni-based catalysts that comprise NiOOH derivatives as the catalytically active compound. Ni2Fe(CN)6 appears to be able to directly facilitate a two-stage reaction pathway that involves an intermediate ammonia production (on the Ni site) and its decomposition to N2 (on the Fe site). Owing to the different rate-determining steps with more favourable thermal/kinetic energetics, Ni2Fe(CN)6 achieves a 100 mA cm−2 anodic current density at a potential of 1.35 V (equal to an overpotential of 0.98 V). Urea oxidation could be a lower-energy alternative to water oxidation in hydrogen-producing electrolysers, but improved catalysts are required to facilitate the reaction. Geng et al. report nickel ferrocyanide as a promising catalyst and suggest that it operates via a different pathway to that of previous materials.

SARS-CoV-2 Transmission Dynamics Should Inform Policy

Abstract: It is generally agreed that striking a balance between resuming economic and social activities and keeping the effective reproductive number (R0) below 1 using nonpharmaceutical interventions is an important goal until and even after effective vaccines become available. Therefore, the need remains to understand how the virus is transmitted in order to identify high-risk environments and activities that disproportionately contribute to its spread so that effective preventative measures could be put in place. Contact tracing and household studies, in particular, provide robust evidence about the parameters of transmission. In this Viewpoint, we discuss the available evidence from large-scale, well-conducted contact-tracing studies from across the world and argue that severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) transmission dynamics should inform policy decisions about mitigation strategies for targeted interventions according to the needs of the society by directing attention to the settings, activities, and socioeconomic factors associated with the highest risks of transmission.

Cutting-edge technologies for small business and innovation in the era of COVID-19 global health pandemic

Abstract: The adoption of cutting-edge technologies to steer business activities during community lockdown to contain the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, even if involuntarily, provides evidence that technologies not only offer competitive advantages but also provides a means for survival, by improvising existing business models. In June 2019, we issued a call for papers to address the awareness, adoption, and implementation challenges of technologies that can drive businesses of all sizes in the fourth industrial revolution. We intended to identify as critical elements the “must-have” and a “nice to have” technologies for small businesses and innovation. Then the ongoing COVID-19 global health pandemic struck in December 2019, forcing the need for digitization of business activities and remote operations, which was considered a “nice to have” to immediately become a “critical to have” to survive in the ever increasingly uncertain business environment. This paper identifies the technologies, evaluates disruptive software platforms, and strategies needed for creating and managing small business innovation and highlighting the complexity of that process and the context within which this process takes place. We integrate this discussion alongside a summary of the articles included in the Special Issue. The current realities show that technologies that enable social business creation, customer relationship management systems, new communications channels, virtual reality technologies for remote operations, and the Internet of Things (IoT) are crucial to lowering the costs of doing business. Big data and predictive and visual analytics are critical enablers to aiding complex business decisions in the current challenging business climate.

GW190814 as a massive rapidly rotating neutron star with exotic degrees of freedom

Abstract: In the context of the massive secondary object recently observed in the compact-star merger GW190814, we investigate the possibility of producing massive neutron stars from a few different equation of state models that contain exotic degrees of freedom, such as hyperons and quarks. Our work shows that state-of-the-art relativistic mean-field models can generate massive stars reaching $\ensuremath{\gtrsim}2.05\phantom{\rule{0.16em}{0ex}}{\mathrm{M}}_{\mathrm{Sun}}$, while being in good agreement with gravitational-wave events and x-ray pulsar observations, when quark vector interactions and nonstandard self-vector interactions are introduced. In particular, we present a new version of the Chiral Mean Field (CMF) model in which a different quark-deconfinement potential allows for stable stars with a pure quark core. When rapid rotation is considered, our models generate stellar masses that approach, and in some cases surpass $2.5\phantom{\rule{0.16em}{0ex}}{\mathrm{M}}_{\mathrm{Sun}}$. We find that in such cases fast rotation does not necessarily suppress exotic degrees of freedom due to changes in stellar central density, but require a larger amount of baryons than what is allowed in the nonrotating stars. This is not the case for pure quark stars, which can easily reach $2.5\phantom{\rule{0.16em}{0ex}}{\mathrm{M}}_{\mathrm{Sun}}$ and still possess approximately the same amount of baryons as stable nonrotating stars. We also briefly discuss possible origins for fast rotating stars with a large amount of baryons and their stability, showing how the event GW190814 can be associated with a star containing quarks as one of its progenitors.

Nonmonotonic Energy Dependence of Net-Proton Number Fluctuations

Abstract: Nonmonotonic variation with collision energy (sqrt[s_{NN}]) of the moments of the net-baryon number distribution in heavy-ion collisions, related to the correlation length and the susceptibilities of the system, is suggested as a signature for the quantum chromodynamics critical point. We report the first evidence of a nonmonotonic variation in the kurtosis times variance of the net-proton number (proxy for net-baryon number) distribution as a function of sqrt[s_{NN}] with 3.1 σ significance for head-on (central) gold-on-gold (Au+Au) collisions measured solenoidal tracker at Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider. Data in noncentral Au+Au collisions and models of heavy-ion collisions without a critical point show a monotonic variation as a function of sqrt[s_{NN}].

Differentiation and Regulation of TH Cells: A Balancing Act for Cancer Immunotherapy.

Abstract: Current success of immunotherapy in cancer has drawn attention to the subsets of TH cells in the tumor which are critical for activation of anti-tumor response either directly by themselves or by stimulating cytotoxic T cell activity. However, presence of immunosuppressive pro-tumorigenic TH subsets in the tumor milieu further contributes to the complexity of regulation of TH cell-mediated immune response. In this review, we present an overview of the multifaceted positive and negative effects of TH cells, with an emphasis on regulation of different TH cell subtypes by various immune cells, and how a delicate balance of contradictory signals can influence overall success of cancer immunotherapy. We focus on the regulatory network that encompasses dendritic cell-induced activation of CD4+ TH1 cells and subsequent priming of CD8+ cytotoxic T cells, along with intersecting anti-inflammatory and pro-tumorigenic TH2 cell activity. We further discuss how other tumor infiltrating immune cells such as immunostimulatory TH9 and Tfh cells, immunosuppressive Treg cells, and the duality of TH17 function contribute to tip the balance of anti- vs pro-tumorigenic TH responses in the tumor. We highlight the developing knowledge of CD4+ TH1 immune response against neoantigens/oncodrivers, impact of current immunotherapy strategies on CD4+ TH1 immunity, and how opposing action of TH cell subtypes can be explored further to amplify immunotherapy success in patients. Understanding the nuances of CD4+ TH cells regulation and the molecular framework undergirding the balancing act between anti- vs pro-tumorigenic TH subtypes is critical for rational designing of immunotherapies that can bypass therapeutic escape to maximize the potential of immunotherapy.

Colloquium: Physical properties of group-IV monochalcogenide monolayers

Abstract: Monolayers of group-IV monochalcogenides, such as GeS, GeSe, SnS, SnSe, and SnTe, display interesting properties such as ferroelectricity, ferroelasticity, and unusual spin textures. This makes these materials interesting from both fundamental and applied perspectives. This Colloquium explains recent progress in the experimental characterization and theoretical understanding as well as their potential for device applications.

Secondary Traumatization Outcomes and Associated Factors Among the Health Care Workers Exposed to the COVID-19.

Abstract: Background:Secondary traumatization exposure and mental health conditions of health care workers gained importance during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) epidemic period.Aims:In our study, ...

Detecting the Coronavirus (COVID-19)

Abstract: The COVID-19 pandemic has created huge damage to society and brought panic around the world. Such panic can be ascribed to the seemingly deceptive features of COVID-19: Compared to other deadly viral outbreaks, it has medium transmission and mortality rates. As a result, the severity of the causative coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2, was deeply underestimated by society at the beginning of the COVID-19 outbreak. Based on this, in this review, we define the viruses with features similar to those of SARS-CoV-2 as the Panic Zone viruses. To contain those viruses, accurate and fast diagnosis followed by effective isolation and treatment of patients are pivotal at the early stage of virus breakouts. This is especially true when there is no cure or vaccine available for a transmissible disease, which is the case for the current COVID-19 pandemic. As of July 2020, more than 100 kits for COVID-19 diagnosis on the market have been surveyed in this review, while emerging sensing techniques for SARS-CoV-2 are also discussed. It is of critical importance to rationally use these kits for efficient management and control of the Panic Zone viruses. Therefore, we discuss guidelines to select diagnostic kits at different outbreak stages of the Panic Zone viruses, SARS-CoV-2 in particular. While it is of utmost importance to use nucleic acid based detection kits with low false negativity (high sensitivity) at the early stage of an outbreak, the low false positivity (high specificity) gains importance at later stages of the outbreak. When society is set to reopen from the lockdown stage of the COVID-19 pandemic, it becomes critical to have immunoassay based kits with high specificity to identify people who can safely return to society after their recovery from SARS-CoV-2 infections. Finally, since a massive attack from a viral pandemic requires a massive defense from the whole society, we urge both government and the private sector to research and develop affordable and reliable point-of-care testing (POCT) kits, which can be used massively by the general public (and therefore called massive POCT) to contain Panic Zone viruses in the future.

Engineering of Yolk/Core-Shell Structured Nanoreactors for Thermal Hydrogenations.

Abstract: Heterogeneous hydrogenation reactions are of great importance for chemical upgrading and synthesis, but still face the challenges of controlling selectivity and long-term stability. To improve the catalytic performance, many hydrogenation reactions utilize special yolk/core-shell nanoreactors (YCSNs) with unique architectures and advantageous properties. This work presents the developmental and technological challenges in the preparation of YCSNs that are potentially useful for hydrogenation reactions, and provides a summary of the properties of these materials. The work also addresses the scientific challenges in applications of these YCSNs in various gas and liquid-phase hydrogenation reactions. The catalyst structures, catalytic performance, structure-performance relationships, reaction mechanisms, and unsolved problems are discussed too. Also, a brief outlook and opportunities for future research in this field are presented. This work on the advancements in YCSNs might inspire the creation of new materials with desired structures for achieving maximal hydrogenation performances.

Noise Stability of Weighted Majority

Abstract: Benjamini et al. (Inst Hautes Etudes Sci Publ Math 90:5–43, 2001) showed that weighted majority functions of n independent unbiased bits are uniformly stable under noise: when each bit is flipped with probability 𝜖, the probability p𝜖 that the weighted majority changes is at most C𝜖1∕4. They asked what is the best possible exponent that could replace 1∕4. We prove that the answer is 1∕2. The upper bound obtained for p𝜖 is within a factor of \(\sqrt {\pi /2}+o(1)\) from the known lower bound when 𝜖 → 0 and n𝜖 →∞.

Engineering nanoreactors for metal–chalcogen batteries

Abstract: Metal–chalcogen batteries (MCBs) are promising alternatives to the commonly used lithium-ion batteries, because they can provide remarkable capacities while using cheaper and more versatile electrodes. Nevertheless, the rational design and controllable synthesis of electrode materials is still a great challenge. The essential functions of MCB electrodes include: (1) electrical conduction, (2) cathode species encapsulation, (3) intermediate species immobilization, (4) cathode redox reaction acceleration and (5) anode species stabilization. Design of nanoreactors for MCBs has been proven as a highly feasible strategy for integrating some or all of these features into an individual electrode material, to be used in these batteries. In this review, the concept and features of nanoreactors are firstly introduced. Afterwards, we present the major synthetic strategies for constructing nanoreactors with different morphologies and dimensions. Next, we present the main functions of MCBs and how they can be imparted upon the electrode nanostructures via nanoreactor design and engineering. The follow-up section reviews examples of typical nanoreactors for applications in MCBs. Finally, the perspectives and future directions are discussed in this exciting field of research.

A multi-country test of brief reappraisal interventions on emotions during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Abstract: The COVID-19 pandemic has increased negative emotions and decreased positive emotions globally. Left unchecked, these emotional changes might have a wide array of adverse impacts. To reduce negative emotions and increase positive emotions, we tested the effectiveness of reappraisal, an emotion-regulation strategy that modifies how one thinks about a situation. Participants from 87 countries and regions (n = 21,644) were randomly assigned to one of two brief reappraisal interventions (reconstrual or repurposing) or one of two control conditions (active or passive). Results revealed that both reappraisal interventions (vesus both control conditions) consistently reduced negative emotions and increased positive emotions across different measures. Reconstrual and repurposing interventions had similar effects. Importantly, planned exploratory analyses indicated that reappraisal interventions did not reduce intentions to practice preventive health behaviours. The findings demonstrate the viability of creating scalable, low-cost interventions for use around the world.

Measurement of $e^+e^-$ Momentum and Angular Distributions from Linearly Polarized Photon Collisions

Abstract: The Breit-Wheeler process which produces matter and antimatter from photon collisions is experimentally investigated through the observation of 6085 exclusive electron-positron pairs in ultraperipheral Au + Au collisions at $\sqrt{s_{NN}} = 200$ GeV. The measurements reveal a large fourth-order angular modulation of cos 4 Δ ϕ = ( 16.8 ± 2.5 ) % and smooth invariant mass distribution absent of vector mesons ( ϕ , ω , and ρ ) at the experimental limit of ≤ 0.2 % of the observed yields. The differential cross section as a function of $e^+e^-$ pair transverse momentum $P_{\perp}$ peaks at low value with $\sqrt{\left \langle P^2_\perp \right \rangle} = 38.1 \pm 0.9$ MeV and displays a significant centrality dependence. These features are consistent with QED calculations for the collision of linearly polarized photons quantized from the extremely strong electromagnetic fields generated by the highly charged Au nuclei at ultrarelativistic speed. The experimental results have implications for vacuum birefringence and for mapping the magnetic field which is important for emergent QCD phenomena.

Diagnostic Accuracy of Point-of-Care Fluorescence Imaging for the Detection of Bacterial Burden in Wounds: Results from the 350-Patient Fluorescence Imaging Assessment and Guidance Trial

Abstract: Objective: High bacterial load contributes to chronicity of wounds and is diagnosed based on assessment of clinical signs and symptoms (CSS) of infection, but these characteristics are poor predict...

Land use mapping using Sentinel-1 and Sentinel-2 time series in a heterogeneous landscape in Niger, Sahel

Abstract: Land use maps describe the spatial distribution of natural resources, cultural landscapes, and human settlements, serving as an important planning tool for decision makers. In the Sahel area, such information is valuable for risk management and mitigation in challenging sectors like food security, flood control, and urban planning. Due to its uniform quality across large areas in regular time steps, remote sensing imageries are essential input for producing land use maps. However, spatially and temporally heterogeneous landscapes in Sahel make classification of landscape features difficult. Our overall goal is to create an accurate, high resolution land use map covering Niamey, the capital of Niger and its surroundings which represents the unique landscape features in the Sahel using Sentinel-1 and Sentinel-2 archives. We assessed the performance of three commonly used classifiers (i.e. Maximum Likelihood (ML), Support Vector Machine (SVM) and Random Forest (RF)) for land use classification. To understand the utility of different features from Sentinel-1 and Sentinel-2 imagery for classification, we performed feature selection and compared mapping accuracies with and without feature selection. To leverage the strength of each classifier, we developed a classifier ensemble (CE) map based on the mapping accuracy of each land use class and each classifier. The results of this study showed that the performance of individual classifiers depends on feature selection method and accuracies can be improved by combining different classifiers. The ensemble map had an overall accuracy of 72 ± 3.9% and it was found superior in terms of accuracy particularly with respect to built-up areas compared to the existing global land cover products in the study area. Our classification scheme also better characterized the regional environment in the Sahel. For example, we mapped rice and bare rocks that have important regional implication, which are not included in the existing products. Overall, our approach highlights the potentiality of combining multi-modal imageries and multiple classifiers for mapping a heterogenous environment such as the Sahel with high spatial resolution.

K-12 Virtual Schooling, COVID-19, and Student Success.

Abstract: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has significantly affected K-12 education in 2020.1 To protect students and staff, as well as to flatten the infection curve, parents, teachers, and policy makers endorsed and implemented a modified version of homeschooling in the spring in the US and across the globe. Teachers used some form of paper mailings and electronic technology (eg, video conferencing, emailing) to deliver content to students, while parents assumed a coteaching responsibility. Most parents, schools, and teachers were unprepared and untrained to handle the complexities inherent to educating as well as the demands of the technology needed to support these efforts. Although teachers deserve high praise for their rapid response, the educational outcomes were unsatisfying, families were burdened, and most are hesitant to repeat the same format. As government officials attempt to plan for the fall, the American Academy of Pediatrics released a statement supporting the return to traditional school as soon as possible to preserve education and socialization while limiting the exacerbation of existing educational disparities for high-risk populations.2 This unprecedented spring transition was an introduction to K-12 online learning for many educators and families. However, K-12 online learning started in the mid1990s under the broad label of K-12 online and blended instruction (blended refers to the use of both face-toface and online formats). While more than a billion children worldwide newly experienced this pandemicrelated abrupt transition to online education, at least 2% of US students and many more globally had already been participating in online instruction from K-12 online or virtual schools.3 As policy makers, health care professionals, and parents prepare for the fall semester and as public and private schools grapple with how to make that possible, a better understanding of K-12 virtual learning options and outcomes may facilitate those difficult decisions. Virtual schooling is the delivery of instruction through technology to students physically separated from their teachers. Formal virtual schools exist nationwide at all levels from kindergarten through 12th grade for both general and special education. At the elementary school level, online learning typically requires parental involvement and facilitation. Students at the middle school and high school levels often independently communicate via email, text, telephone, or video for group and individualized learning. Virtual schooling classes are frequently asynchronous, where students and teachers do not have to be online at the same time, allowing for learning anytime and any place.4 Unlike the rapid transfer of face-to-face curriculum into an online format in spring 2020, virtual schools use curriculum designed specifically for online instruction. These schools mostly employ teachers who are experienced online educators and often have online teaching certificates and graduate degrees that specifically include online education. Virtual schools also focus their ongoing professional development around online teaching and learning practices.5 Just like the myriad options that are available for face-to-face schooling in the US, virtual schooling exists in a complex landscape of for-profit, charter, and public options. For example, in Florida, school districts have partnered with Florida Virtual School, a state-funded public entity. Florida Virtual School provides counties with curricula and, in some cases, both curriculum and instruction for K-12 online classes. Students can take 1 or all Florida Virtual School classes channeled through their local public school. This partnership, which includes highly trained online instructors and high-quality curriculum specifically adapted for online delivery, produces similar or better performance when compared with face-to-face high school students on required state end-of-course examinations.6 However, not all virtual schools are created or maintained equally. Parents need to seek reviews and ask for educational outcomes from each virtual school system to assess the quality of the provided education. Importantly, K-12 virtual schooling is not suited for all students or all families. Individual students need to be motivated, organized, and supported. Differences in their environment, meaning their access to instructional support as well as their internet access, can cause significant variations in student success. Finally, while research is scant, 1 review indicates that specific teaching strategies used in online and blended environments can have a dramatically positive effect on outcomes.7 One of the more recent and promising advantages of virtual K-12 schooling is to meet the educational needs of children with special health care needs. Research supports that online learning can be a more suitable solution than attending a face-to-face school, especially when a student may experience frequent absences due to illness and/or frequent visits for chronic health management. Preliminary work by these authors has found that children who qualified for hospital homebound programs and chose to enroll in a K-12 course performed at least as well, or potentially better, than their nonhospital homebound peers. Moreover, children with special health care needs felt more in control of their education when participating in online learning.8 Many schools are still considering online or blended instruction as a necessary alternative or hybrid as this pandemic evolves. Also, many families may be considering whether some or all of their child’s current or future education could take place online. As such, parents should evaluate the unique strengths and needs of their children by considering the following questions: VIEWPOINT

Bottomonium suppression in an open quantum system using the quantum trajectories method

Abstract: We solve the Lindblad equation describing the Brownian motion of a Coulombic heavy quark-antiquark pair in a strongly coupled quark-gluon plasma using the highly efficient Monte Carlo wave-function method. The Lindblad equation has been derived in the framework of pNRQCD and fully accounts for the quantum and non-Abelian nature of the system. The hydrodynamics of the plasma is realistically implemented through a 3+1D dissipative hydrodynamics code. We compute the bottomonium nuclear modification factor and compare with the most recent LHC data. The computation does not rely on any free parameter, as it depends on two transport coefficients that have been evaluated independently in lattice QCD. Our final results, which include late-time feed down of excited states, agree well with the available data from LHC 5.02 TeV PbPb collisions.

Spatio-temporal dynamic land cover changes and their impacts on the urban thermal environment in the Chittagong metropolitan area, Bangladesh

Abstract: The rapid urbanization and industrialization along with the expansion of cities in developing countries like Bangladesh converting vegetation and bare land into built-up area that remarkably boost up the land surface temperature (LST). This study has been conducted for correlating and monitoring the changes of landuse–landcover change (LULC) and LST of rapidly expanding Chittagong metropolitan area from 1989 to 2018 utilizing four Landsat satellite images (TM, ETM+, OLI, and TIRS). The Present study combines the techniques of remote sensing and geographic information system (GIS) to find out the spatial variation of LST and identify its relationship with LULC. Supervised classification technique has been employed in ERDAS IMAGINE 14.0 software to retrieve LULC data. The images of the study area were categorized into four different classes namely vegetation, urban structures, bared lands and water bodies. LSTs were estimated using the single thermal infrared band of Landsat TM, ETM+, and the band 10 and 11 of the TIRS sensor’s image for the split-window algorithm method. Concerning the relationship between LULC and LST, it has been found that vegetation and water bodies shows lowest LST while bared lands and urban structures indicates highest LST. LULC analysis shows a dramatic increase in urban structures (from 20.83 to 58.93%), decrease in vegetation (from 56.54 to 20.24%) and bared lands (from 16.67 to 11.90%) and a further small increase in water bodies after the 80s, because of digging new ponds. LST in the study area has been increasing as high-temperature LU types have increased and low temperature LU types have decreased. Consequently, the mean annual temperature showed 6.5 °C increase, the minimum and maximum LST increased by 9 °C and 4 °C throughout the study period. The highest maximum and lowest minimum LST has found 40 °C during the years of 2010 to 2018 and 15 °C in the year of 1989, respectively. The study will assist the decision-maker to understand the impacts of unplanned urbanization for future city planning and urban management.

Mental Health among Adults during the COVID-19 Pandemic Lockdown: A Cross-Sectional Multi-Country Comparison.

Abstract: Despite the global impact of COVID-19, studies comparing the effects of COVID-19 on population mental health across countries are sparse. This study aimed to compare anxiety and depression symptoms during the COVID-19 lockdown among adults from 11 countries and to examine their associations with country-level COVID-19 factors and personal COVID-19 exposure. A cross-sectional survey was conducted among adults (≥18 years) in 11 countries (Brazil, Bulgaria, China, India, Ireland, North Macedonia, Malaysia, Singapore, Spain, Turkey, United States). Mental health (anxiety, depression, resilient coping, hope) and other study data were collected between June-August 2020. Of the 13,263 participants, 62.8% were female and 51.7% were 18-34 years old. Participants living in Brazil had the highest anxiety and depression symptoms while participants living in Singapore had the lowest. Greater personal COVID-19 exposure was associated with increased anxiety and depression symptoms, but country-level COVID-19 factors were not. Higher levels of hope were associated with reduced anxiety and depression; higher levels of resilient coping were associated with reduced anxiety but not depression. Substantial variations exist in anxiety and depression symptoms across countries during the COVID-19 lockdown, with personal COVID-19 exposure being a significant risk factor. Strategies that mitigate COVID-19 exposure and enhance hope and resilience may reduce anxiety and depression during global emergencies.

The roles of experienced and internalized weight stigma in healthcare experiences: Perspectives of adults engaged in weight management across six countries

Abstract: Background/Objectives Considerable evidence from U.S. studies suggests that weight stigma is consequential for patient-provider interactions and healthcare for people with high body weight. Despite international calls for efforts to reduce weight stigma in the medical community, cross-country research is lacking in this field. This study provides the first multinational investigation of associations between weight stigma and healthcare experiences across six Western countries. Methods Participants were 13,996 adults residing in Australia, Canada, France, Germany, the UK, and the US who were actively enrolled in an internationally available behavioral weight management program. Participants completed identical online surveys in the dominant language for their country that assessed experienced weight stigma, internalized weight bias, and healthcare behaviors and experiences including perceived quality of care, avoidance or delay of seeking care, experiences with providers, and perceived weight stigma from doctors. Results Among participants who reported a history of weight stigma (56–61%), two-thirds of participants in each country reported experiencing weight stigma from doctors. Across all six countries, after accounting for demographics, BMI, and experienced stigma, participants with higher internalized weight bias reported greater healthcare avoidance, increased perceived judgment from doctors due to body weight, lower frequency of obtaining routine checkups, less frequent listening and respect from providers, and lower quality of healthcare. Additionally, experienced weight stigma (from any source) was indirectly associated with poorer healthcare experiences through weight bias internalization, consistently across the six countries. Conclusions Weight stigma in healthcare is prevalent among adults actively engaged in weight management across different Western countries, and internalized weight bias has negative implications for healthcare even after controlling for BMI. The similar findings across all six countries underscore the negative consequences of weight stigma on healthcare behaviors and experiences, and emphasize the need for collective international efforts to address this problem.

Directional self-locomotion of active droplets enabled by nematic environment

Abstract: Active matter composed of self-propelled interacting units holds a major promise for the extraction of useful work from its seemingly chaotic dynamics. Streamlining active matter is especially important at the microscale, where the viscous forces prevail over inertia and transport requires a non-reciprocal motion. Here we report that microscopic active droplets representing aqueous dispersions of swimming bacteria Bacillus subtilis become unidirectionally motile when placed in an inactive nematic liquid-crystal medium. Random motion of bacteria inside the droplet is rectified into a directional self-locomotion of the droplet by the polar director structure that the droplet creates in the surrounding nematic through anisotropic molecular interactions at its surface. Droplets without active swimmers show no net displacement. The trajectory of the active droplet can be predesigned by patterning the molecular orientation of the nematic. The effect demonstrates that broken spatial symmetry of the medium can be the reason for and the means to control directional microscale transport. Active matter particles self-propel but controlling their direction of motion can be challenging. Here the authors place motile bacteria inside microdroplets and control their propulsion by exploiting the asymmetric director structure of the surrounding liquid crystal.

Equation of state of hot dense hyperonic matter in the Quark–Meson-Coupling (QMC-A) model

Abstract: We report a new equation of state (EoS) of cold and hot hyperonic matter constructed in the framework of the quark–meson-coupling (QMC-A) model. The QMC-A EoS yields results compatible with available nuclear physics constraints and astrophysical observations. It covers the range of temperatures from T = 0 to 100 MeV, entropies per particle S/A between 0 and 6, lepton fractions from Y_L = 0.0 to 0.6, and baryon number densities n_B = 0.05–1.2 fm^−3. Applications of the QMC-A EoS are made to cold neutron stars (NSs) and to hot proto-neutron stars (PNSs) in two scenarios: (i) lepton-rich matter with trapped neutrinos (PNS-I) and (ii) deleptonized chemically equilibrated matter (PNS-II). We find that the QMC-A model predicts hyperons in amounts growing with increasing temperature and density, thus suggesting not only their presence in PNS but also, most likely, in NS merger remnants. The nucleon–hyperon phase transition is studied through the adiabatic index and the speed of sound c_s. We observe that the lowering of (c_s/c)^2 to and below the conformal limit of 1/3 is strongly correlated with the onset of hyperons. Rigid rotation of cold and hot stars, their moments of inertia and Kepler frequencies are also explored. The QMC-A model results are compared with two relativistic models, the chiral mean field model (CMF), and the generalized relativistic density functional (GRDF) with DD2 (nucleon-only) and DD2Y-T (full baryon octet) interactions. Similarities and differences are discussed.

Global Polarization of Ξ and Ω Hyperons in Au+Au Collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=200 GeV.

Abstract: Global polarization of Ξ and Ω hyperons has been measured for the first time in Au+Au collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=200 GeV. The measurements of the Ξ^{-} and Ξ[over ¯]^{+} hyperon polarization have been performed by two independent methods, via analysis of the angular distribution of the daughter particles in the parity violating weak decay Ξ→Λ+π, as well as by measuring the polarization of the daughter Λ hyperon, polarized via polarization transfer from its parent. The polarization, obtained by combining the results from the two methods and averaged over Ξ^{-} and Ξ[over ¯]^{+}, is measured to be ⟨P_{Ξ}⟩=0.47±0.10(stat)±0.23(syst)% for the collision centrality 20%-80%. The ⟨P_{Ξ}⟩ is found to be slightly larger than the inclusive Λ polarization and in reasonable agreement with a multiphase transport model. The ⟨P_{Ξ}⟩ is found to follow the centrality dependence of the vorticity predicted in the model, increasing toward more peripheral collisions. The global polarization of Ω, ⟨P_{Ω}⟩=1.11±0.87(stat)±1.97(syst)% was obtained by measuring the polarization of daughter Λ in the decay Ω→Λ+K, assuming the polarization transfer factor C_{ΩΛ}=1.