Explore the vast range of titles available.

We examine images of the protoplanetary disk 114–426 with JWST/NIRCam in 12 bands. This large disk is oriented edge on with a dark midplane flanked by lobes of scattered light. The outer edges of the midplane are seen in silhouette against the Orion Nebula, providing a unique opportunity to study planet-forming material in absorption. We discover a dip in the scattered light of the disk at 3 μm—compelling evidence for the presence of water ice. The 3 μm dip is also seen in the silhouette of the disk, where we quantify the ice abundance with models of pure absorption and avoid the complications of disk scattering effects. We find grain ice-to-refractory mass ratios of up to ~0.2, maximum grain sizes of 0.25–5 μm, and a total dust plus ice mass of 0.46 M⊕ in the silhouette region. We also discover excess absorption in the NIRCam bands that include the Paα line, suggesting there may be excited atomic hydrogen in the disk. Examining the morphology of the scattered light lobes reveals that they are laterally offset from each other and exhibit a brightness asymmetry that flips with wavelength—both evidence for a tilted inner disk in this system.

Because MRGPRX2 is now recognized as the mast cell receptor for basic secretagogues, there is currently a tremendous interest in whether MRGRPX2 could play an important role in various pruritic dermatoses such as chronic spontaneous urticaria. Therefore, we sought to identify new potent and selective antagonists to pharmacologically characterize the biological role of MRGPRX2. Various relevant , , and model systems were used to investigate the role of MRGPRX2. This included the study of freshly isolated human skin mast cells and human basophils as well as an human skin microdialysis preparation. The additivity of MRGPRX2 and FcεR1-mediated degranulation was also investigated. Human MRGPRX2 knock-in mice were generated to interrogate pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic relationships because both antagonists studied were shown to be human specific. Two novel and structurally distinct MRGPRX2 antagonists were identified with one, Compound B, being orally active and demonstrating high potency in blocking Substance P-mediated degranulation using freshly isolated human skin mast cells with half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC ) at 0.42 nM. Compound B also potently blocked Substance P-stimulated histamine release from resident mast cells in a human skin explant setup as well as blocking itch in an established behavioral scratching model using MRGPRX2 knock-in mice. Unlike human mast cells, Substance P failed to elicit a functional response in human basophils. These data fully support the investigation of MRGPRX2 receptor antagonists in mast cell-driven allergic skin disorders such as chronic spontaneous urticaria.

Public misinformation about wind farms threatens the global transition to net-zero and a more environmentally sustainable future. This study examines whether conversations with Generative AI (GenAI) can effectively address misinformation and improve attitudes and beliefs about wind farms. In two pre-registered experiments (collective N  = 2405), participants with anti-wind farm beliefs engaged in three-round dialogues with ChatGPT, a widely used GenAI tool. Fact-checking showed no clear cases of the GenAI introducing misinformation. Furthermore, following GenAI conversations, participants displayed reduced agreement with misinformation about wind farms, increased policy support, and reduced confidence in their anti-wind farm views. However, some of these effects decayed over time and were not always more effective than static informational resources. These findings highlight both the potential and limitations of GenAI in combating sustainability misinformation, offering insights for leveraging AI in public communication strategies.

Biofunctionalized polyacrylamide (PAAm) hydrogels are important 2D substrates for studying cell physics and mechanobiology. In this work, an arylmethylsulfone (MS) comonomer is developed that can be incorporated into PAAm gels under aqueous radical polymerization conditions. The resulting hydrogels show similar properties to unmodified PAAm gels, indicating that the comonomer is incorporated without affecting PAAm physical properties. The MS‐containing PAAm hydrogels allow efficient conjugation of thiol derivatized biomolecules and require very low comonomer content (2 mM, 0.18 mol% relative to AAm) and thiol incubation amounts (≥ 0.15 µg per gel) to achieve functional densities that elicit cell responses. Compared to carboxyl‐functionalized PAAm hydrogels, a 10‐fold lower comonomer concentration and a 10‐fold lower ligand feed concentration are sufficient to achieve comparable cell adhesion responses. The new comonomer opens up possibilities for efficient and straightforward biofunctionalization of PAAm hydrogels used in cell biophysical studies. A new methylsulfone comonomer is presented that can be integrated into polyacrylamide hydrogels for efficient biofunctionalization with thiol‐bearing ligands. Very low comonomer and ligand incubation amounts are required to achieve ligand densities that elicit cell responses, offering an efficient pathway to bioactive hydrogel surfaces for cell physics and mechanobiology studies.

While numerous studies have examined factors associated with climate-friendly beliefs and behaviors, a systematic, cross-national ranking of their key correlates is lacking. We use interpretable machine learning to quantify the extent to which different climate-relevant outcomes (climate change belief, policy support, willingness to share information on social media, and a pro-environmental behavioral task) are predictable and to rank 19 individual- and nation-level predictors in terms of their importance across 55 countries (N = 4635). We find notable differences in explained variance for the outcomes (e.g., 57% for climate change belief vs. 10% for pro-environmental behavior). Four predictors had consistent effects across all outcomes: environmentalist identity, trust in climate science, internal environmental motivation, and the Human Development Index. However, most of the predictors show divergent patterns, predicting some but not all outcomes or even having opposite effects. To better capture this complexity, future models should include multi-level factors and consider the different contexts (e.g., public vs private) in which climate-related cognition and action emerge.

Despite the fact that law-breaking or violent climate action tactics receive enormous media coverage, the psychological predictors of intentions to engage in these tactics remain poorly understood. This study examined demographic and psychological factors theoretically associated with conventional and radical climate intentions among 1427 self-identified supporters of climate action, tracked in three waves over 12 months. Conventional activism intentions were predicted by established models emphasising the role of moral conviction, anger, group identification, and group efficacy in shaping action. However, in the case of radical climate action, these variables were either weak predictors or non-significant predictors. Contrary to the notion that radical climate actors are driven by outgroup antipathy and ideological intensity, radical action intentions were positively associated with warmth and empathy toward climate change opponents, unrelated to political ideology, and negatively related to belief in climate change. Radical action intentions were also predicted by youth, personality, and—most strongly—the perception that people who support action on climate change have suffered more than opponents (collective victimhood). These findings suggest that theories require updating to account for the unique motivations associated with support for radical tactics in the climate change context. Findings have implications for activists and researchers seeking to understand the evolving landscape of climate protest and public support for disruptive activism. A 3-wave study of 1427 climate-action supporters tests predictors of conventional versus radical climate activism. Radical intentions were rare and linked most strongly to youth, personality and collective victimhood rather than ideology or efficacy.

Humans have a complex and dynamic mating system, and there is evidence that our modern sexual preferences stem from evolutionary pressures. In the current paper we explore male use of a dual mating strategy: simultaneously pursuing both a long-term relationship (pair-bonding) as well as short-term, extra-pair copulations (variety-seeking). The primary constraint on such sexual pursuits is partner preferences, which can limit male behavior and hence cloud inferences about male preferences. The aim of this study was to investigate heterosexual male mating preferences when largely unconstrained by female partner preferences. In service of this goal, female full-service sex workers (N = 6) were surveyed on the traits and behaviors of their male clients (N = 516) and iterative cluster analysis was used to identify male mating typologies. Two clusters emerged: clients seeking a pair-bonding experience and clients seeking a variety experience. Results also suggested that romantically committed men were more likely to seek a variety experience than a relationship experience. We conclude that men desire both pair-bonding and sexual variety, and that their preference for one might be predicted by fulfilment of the other. These findings have implications for relationships, providing insight into motivations for male infidelity.

The rise in popularity of the Paralympics in recent years has created a need for effective, low-cost sports-prosthetic devices for upper-limb amputees. There are various opportunities for lower-limb amputees to participate in cycling; however, there are only few options for those with upper-limb amputations. If the individual previously participated in cycling, a cycling-specific prosthesis could allow these activities to be integrated into rehabilitation methods. This article describes the processes involved with designing, developing and manufacturing such a prosthesis. The fundamental needs of people with upper-limb amputation were assessed and realised in the prototype of a transradial terminal device with two release mechanisms, including a sliding mechanism (for falls and minor collisions) and clamping mechanism (for head-on collisions). The sliding mechanism requires the rider to exert approximately 200 N, while the clamping mechanism requires about 700 N. The force ranges can be customised to match rider requirements. Experiments were conducted in a controlled environment to demonstrate stability of the device during normal cycling. Moreover, a volunteer test-rider was able to successfully activate the release mechanism during a simulated emergency scenario. The development of this prosthesis has the potential to enable traumatic upper-limb amputees to participate in cycling for rehabilitation or recreation.

We analysed a recently released corpus of climate-related tweets to examine the macro-level factors associated with public declarations of climate change scepticism. Analyses of over 2 million geo-located tweets in the U.S. showed that climate scepticism – and the aggressiveness of climate-related tweets – was greater in states with higher per capita carbon emissions. This pattern remained significant after controlling for political conservatism, GDP per capita, education, and gender, and was replicated across 126 nations from around the world. The findings are consistent with a vested interest hypothesis—misinformation around climate change is most likely to be distributed in regions where there is high fossil fuel reliance, and where the economic stakes of acknowledging climate change are high. Understanding the macro-level patterns that are implicated in climate scepticism can help inform structural interventions for those seeking a low-carbon future.