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The first volume of the Trends in Corrections: Interviews with Corrections Leaders Around the World series introduced readers to the great diversity that exists cross-culturally in the political, social, and economic context of the correctional system. Presenting transcribed interviews of corrections leaders, it offered a comprehensive survey of correctional programming and management styles used across nations. The general conclusion drawn from the inaugural publication was that the correctional leaders interviewed exhibited striking similarities despite vast differences in the social and political climates in which they worked. They all appeared to struggle with some of the same issues. With a fresh set of interviews exploring further cross-cultural differences and similarities, Volume Two extends the reach to several new countries, including Slovenia, Slovakia, Northern Ireland, Switzerland, and France. The interviews are conducted by scholars or practitioners with intimate knowledge of correctional practice and who are familiar with the correctional system in the country of the interviewees. They expand the knowledge base by asking correction leaders specifically about the impact of the economic downturn on corrections in each country, the changes in correctional practice they've experienced, and how they think about and evaluate trends and developments.

In this paper, we examine the effects of subband quantization on the efficacy of an L-shaped gate vertical dopingless tunneling field-effect transistor. The proposed architecture leverages an intrinsic tunneling interface that is fully aligned with the gate metal, resulting in enhanced electrostatic control. We utilized a two-step numerical simulation approach grounded in the Schrödinger-Poisson equations to evaluate the performance of our proposed device and accurately calculate the ON-state current. Additionally, we assessed the influence of defects at the heterojunction on the performance of our device. Under quantum mechanical assumptions, parameters such as I ON = 23.8 µA/µm, SS AVG = 12.03 mV/dec, and the I ON / I OFF ratio = 4.88 × 10 10 indicate that our structure is a promising candidate for high-performance applications.

Despite high biodiversity and the recognized importance of mesophotic habitats, most studies of coral reef community structure have focused on conspicuous taxa such as fishes and corals in shallow habitat <30 m. Here, we examined the variability of crab assemblages from Autonomous Reef Monitoring Structures deployed on shallow reefs across the Hawaiian Islands and a mesophotic depth gradient on O’ahu. We tested the effects of environmental, ecological, and anthropogenic factors on shallow (8–17 m) crab assemblages. These assemblages were significantly different between the densely inhabited high islands (Main Hawaiian Islands) and the relatively pristine uninhabited atolls of the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands. Drivers of these differences include sea-surface temperature, chlorophyll-A, depth, island slope, potential larval immigration, and human impacts. We then compared shallow assemblages to those sampled along a depth gradient (12–90 m) on O’ahu. Despite considerable variability among sites distributed across nearly 10 degrees of latitude, differences along the depth gradient on O’ahu alone were greater than among the shallow assemblages across the entire archipelago. This finding suggests that 90 m of depth is a stronger driver of brachyuran assemblage structure than the latitudinal, environmental, and anthropogenic gradients across the entire ~2500 km span of the Hawaiian Islands.

Graphene nanoribbons (GNRs) have emerged as promising candidates for nanoelectronic devices due to their unique electronic and transport properties. In this study, we investigate the impact of passivation on cove-edge graphene nanoribbon (CGNR) using both cadmium (Cd) and hydrogen (H) atoms. Through a comprehensive density functional theory (DFT) analysis coupled with non-equilibrium Green’s function (NEGF) simulations, we explore the electronic transport properties and device behavior of these passivated CGNRs. Our results reveal a distinctive semiconductor-to-metal transition in the electronic properties of the Cd-passivated CGNRs. This transition, induced by the interaction between Cd atoms and the GNR edges, leads to a modulation of the bandstructure and a pronounced shift in the conductance characteristics. Interestingly, the Cd-passivated CGNR devices exhibit negative differential resistance (NDR) with remarkably high peak-to-valley current ratios (PVCRs). NDR is a phenomenon critical for high-speed switching, enables efficient signal modulation, making it valuable for nanoscale transistors, memory elements, and oscillators. The highest PVCR is measured to be 53.7 for Cd-CGNR-H which is x10 and x17 times higher than strained graphene nanoribbon and silicene nanoribbon respectively. These findings suggest the promising potential of passivated CGNRs as novel components for high-performance nanoelectronic devices.

Background:Home spirometry monitoring has been shown to be a valuable tool in monitoring disease activity in patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF)[1,2]. Little is known about its feasibility and challenges posed for patients with connective tissue diseases related interstitial lung disease (CTD-ILD) who often face impediments due to impaired hand function and Raynaud’s phenomenon, in addition to their respiratory symptoms.Objectives:We explored the acceptability and feasibility of home spirometry and oximetry in patients with CTD-ILD and compared these to patients with IPF.Methods:Patients with CTD-ILD and IPF as controls were recruited from a tertiary referral center in an observational cohort study. Patients were provided a portable handheld spirometer (MIR Spirobank Smart) and a Nonin finger oximeter linked to a smartphone app, and patients were educated on its use. Spirometry and oximetry readings were collated. A survey was conducted at 6 months to assess patients’ perception of home monitoring.Results:Thirty-six patients with CTD-ILD and 47 with IPF were recruited and followed up for 6 months. The median ages were 65 and 71 years respectively (Table 1). According to our survey, 12 (33%) patients in the CTD-ILD cohort and 6 (13.04%) in the IPF cohort reported difficulty obtaining accurate oxygen levels due to cold fingers (p=0.045). Only 6 (17%) from the CTD-ILD cohort but none from the IPF cohort experienced difficulty using the devices due to hand problems (p=0.01). The reported barriers to long-term remote monitoring were forgetting to use the devices, occasional cough or breathlessness (Figure 1). Anxiety contributed by home monitoring results was outlined in less than one-third of our patients. 64% (21/36 vs 32/47) preferred in-person consultations with their doctors rather than virtual consultations. A majority of patients found home monitoring beneficial and insightful, and would recommend this to others.Table 1.Baseline demographics of study patients (n=83) and six-month data on home monitoringCTD-ILD(n=36)IPF(n=47)Age, years, median (IQR)65 (56.5, 73.5)71 (65, 79)Male, n (%)16 (44%)25 (53.2%)Mean BMI27.429.4On Oxygen n (%)5 (14%)10 (21%)Six months of home monitoring Average FVC readings per patient67.5118 Median FVC (L)2.582.61 Median FVC Predicted (%)72.4777.78 Median SpO2 readings71.5108 Mean SpO2 (%)9594.9Figure 1.Charts demonstrating (i) Ease of using home monitoring app and devices between patients with CTD-ILD and IPF; (ii) Reasons for not using the home monitoring devices regularly; (iii) Patients’ perception of the usefulness of monitoring their breathing.Conclusion:Perception towards home spirometry and oximetry monitoring in our cohort was overall positive. Our findings indicated that home monitoring is feasible, acceptable and well-received in patients with CTD-ILD. Remote monitoring should be strongly considered in patients with CTD-ILD as part of standard care.REFERENCES:[1] Russell AM, Adamali H, Molyneaux PL, Lukey PT, Marshall RP, Renzoni EA, et al. Daily Home Spirometry: An Effective Tool for Detecting Progression in Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis. Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 2016;194(8):989-97[2] Khan F, Howard L, Hearson G, Edwards C, Barber C, Jones S, et al. Clinical Utility of Home versus Hospital Spirometry in Fibrotic Interstitial Lung Disease: Evaluation after INJUSTIS Interim Analysis. Ann Am Thorac Soc. 2022;19(3):506-9.Acknowledgements:The authors would like to extend their gratitude to all the patients who took part in this study; the research and ILD specialist nurses and pulmonary function test technicians and patientMpower. WL Ng was funded by a two-year Strategic Academic Research Doctor in Medicine (StAR MD) Programme by the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland in collaboration with Beacon Hospital to carry out this study. WL Ng has also received additional funding from the Irish Society for Rheumatology’s Rheumatology Patient Initiative Fund. KH was supported by the Health Research Board, Ireland, Emerging Clinical Scientist Award (ECSA-2020-011).Disclosure of Interests:None declared.

The American continent was the last to be occupied by modern humans, and native populations bear the marks of recent expansions, bottlenecks, natural selection, and population substructure. Here we investigate how this demographic history has shaped genetic variation at the strongly selected HLA loci. In order to disentangle the relative contributions of selection and demography process, we assembled a dataset with genome-wide microsatellites and HLA-A, -B, -C, and -DRB1 typing data for a set of 424 Native American individuals. We find that demographic history explains a sizeable fraction of HLA variation, both within and among populations. A striking feature of HLA variation in the Americas is the existence of alleles which are present in the continent but either absent or very rare elsewhere in the world. We show that this feature is consistent with demographic history (i.e., the combination of changes in population size associated with bottlenecks and subsequent population expansions). However, signatures of selection at HLA loci are still visible, with significant evidence selection at deeper timescales for most loci and populations, as well as population differentiation at HLA loci exceeding that seen at neutral markers.

Soft γ-ray repeaters exhibit bursting emission in hard X-rays and soft γ-rays. During the active phase, they emit random short (milliseconds to several seconds long), hard-X-ray bursts, with peak luminosities 1 of 10 36 to 10 43 erg per second. Occasionally, a giant flare with an energy of around 10 44 to 10 46 erg is emitted 2 . These phenomena are thought to arise from neutron stars with extremely high magnetic fields (10 14 to 10 15 gauss), called magnetars 1 , 3 , 4 . A portion of the second-long initial pulse of a giant flare in some respects mimics short γ-ray bursts 5 , 6 , which have recently been identified as resulting from the merger of two neutron stars accompanied by gravitational-wave emission 7 . Two γ-ray bursts, GRB 051103 and GRB 070201, have been associated with giant flares 2 , 8 – 11 . Here we report observations of the γ-ray burst GRB 200415A, which we localized to a 20-square-arcmin region of the starburst galaxy NGC 253, located about 3.5 million parsecs away. The burst had a sharp, millisecond-scale hard spectrum in the initial pulse, which was followed by steady fading and softening over 0.2 seconds. The energy released (roughly 1.3 × 10 46 erg) is similar to that of the superflare 5 , 12 , 13 from the Galactic soft γ-ray repeater SGR 1806−20 (roughly 2.3 × 10 46 erg). We argue that GRB 200415A is a giant flare from a magnetar in NGC 253. The γ-ray burst GRB 200415A is probably a giant flare emitted from a magnetar in the nearby starburst galaxy NGC 253.

Mechanically exfoliated multilayer WS2 flakes are used as the channel of field effect transistors for low-power photodetection in the visible and near-infrared (NIR) spectral range. The electrical characterization as a function of the temperature reveals devices with n-type conduction and slightly different Schottky barriers at the drain and source contacts. The WS2 phototransistors can be operated in self-powered mode, yielding both a current and a voltage when exposed to light. The spectral photoresponse in the visible and the NIR ranges shows a high responsivity (4.5 μA/W) around 1250 nm, making the devices promising for telecommunication applications.

The final chapter in the long-standing mystery of the γ-ray bursts (GRBs) centres on the origin of the short-hard class of bursts, which are suspected on theoretical grounds to result from the coalescence of neutron-star or black-hole binary systems. Numerous searches for the afterglows of short-hard bursts have been made, galvanized by the revolution in our understanding of long-duration GRBs that followed the discovery in 1997 of their broadband (X-ray, optical and radio) afterglow emission. Here we present the discovery of the X-ray afterglow of a short-hard burst, GRB 050709, whose accurate position allows us to associate it unambiguously with a star-forming galaxy at redshift z = 0.160, and whose optical lightcurve definitively excludes a supernova association. Together with results from three other recent short-hard bursts, this suggests that short-hard bursts release much less energy than the long-duration GRBs. Models requiring young stellar populations, such as magnetars and collapsars, are ruled out, while coalescing degenerate binaries remain the most promising progenitor candidates. Short gamma-ray bursts Gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) are either ‘long and soft’, or ‘short and hard’. The long-duration type leave a strong afterglow and have been extensively studied. So we have a good idea of what causes them: explosions of massive stars in distant star-forming galaxies. Short GRBs, with no strong afterglow, were harder to pin down. The Swift satellite, launched last November, is designed to study bursts as soon as they happen. Having shown its worth with long GRBs (reported in the 18 August issue of Nature ), Swift has now bagged a short burst, GRB 050509B, precisely measured its location and detected the X-ray afterglow. Four papers this week report on this and another recent short burst. Now, over 20 years after they were first recognized, the likely origin of the short GRBs is revealed as a merger between neutron stars of a binary system and the instantaneous production of a black hole.

Abstract Background We aimed to describe the clinical presentation of individuals presenting with prolonged recovery from coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), known as long COVID. Methods This was an analysis within a multicenter, prospective cohort study of individuals with a confirmed diagnosis of COVID-19 and persistent symptoms >4 weeks from onset of acute symptoms. We performed a multiple correspondence analysis (MCA) on the most common self-reported symptoms and hierarchical clustering on the results of the MCA to identify symptom clusters. Results Two hundred thirty-three individuals were included in the analysis; the median age of the cohort was 43 (interquartile range [IQR], 36–54) years, 74% were women, and 77.3% reported a mild initial illness. MCA and hierarchical clustering revealed 3 clusters. Cluster 1 had predominantly pain symptoms with a higher proportion of joint pain, myalgia, and headache; cluster 2 had a preponderance of cardiovascular symptoms with prominent chest pain, shortness of breath, and palpitations; and cluster 3 had significantly fewer symptoms than the other clusters (2 [IQR, 2–3] symptoms per individual in cluster 3 vs 6 [IQR, 5–7] and 4 [IQR, 3–5] in clusters 1 and 2, respectively; P < .001). Clusters 1 and 2 had greater functional impairment, demonstrated by significantly longer work absence, higher dyspnea scores, and lower scores in SF-36 domains of general health, physical functioning, and role limitation due to physical functioning and social functioning. Conclusions Clusters of symptoms are evident in long COVID patients that are associated with functional impairments and may point to distinct underlying pathophysiologic mechanisms of disease.