Sex-specific fundamental and formant frequency patterns in a cross-sectional study

An extensive developmental acoustic study of the speech patterns of children and adults was reported by Lee and colleagues [Lee et al., J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 105, 1455-1468 (1999)]. This paper presents a reexamination of selected fundamental frequency and formant frequency data presented in their report for 10 monophthongs by investigating sex-specific and developmental patterns using two different approaches. The first of these includes the investigation of age- and sex-specific formant frequency patterns in the monophthongs. The second, the investigation of fundamental frequency and formant frequency data using the critical band rate (bark) scale and a number of acoustic-phonetic dimensions of the monophthongs from an age- and sex-specific perspective. These acoustic-phonetic dimensions include: vowel spaces and distances from speaker centroids; frequency differences between the formant frequencies of males and females; vowel openness/closeness and frontness/backness; the degree of vocal effort; and formant frequency ranges. Both approaches reveal both age- and sex-specific development patterns which also appear to be dependent on whether vowels are peripheral or non-peripheral. The developmental emergence of these sex-specific differences are discussed with reference to anatomical, physiological, sociophonetic and culturally determined factors. Some directions for further investigation into the age-linked sex differences in speech across the lifespan are also proposed

Hybridization from Guest-Host Interactions Reduces the Thermal Conductivity of Metal-Organic Frameworks

We experimentally and theoretically investigate the thermal conductivity and mechanical properties of polycrystalline HKUST-1 metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) infiltrated with three guest molecules: tetracyanoquinodimethane (TCNQ), 2,3,5,6-tetrafluoro-7,7,8,8-tetracyanoquinodimethane (F$_{4}$-TCNQ), and (cyclohexane-1,4-diylidene)dimalononitrile (H$_{4}$-TCNQ). This allows for modification of the interaction strength between the guest and host, presenting an opportunity to study the fundamental atomic scale mechanisms of how guest molecules impact the thermal conductivity of large unit cell porous crystals. The thermal conductivities of the guest@MOF systems decrease significantly, by on average a factor of 4, for all infiltrated samples as compared to the uninfiltrated, pristine HKUST-1. This reduction in thermal conductivity goes in tandem with an increase in density of 38% and corresponding increase in heat capacity of ∼48%, defying conventional effective medium scaling of thermal properties of porous materials. We explore the origin of this reduction by experimentally investigating the guest molecules’ effects on the mechanical properties of the MOF and performing atomistic simulations to elucidate the roles of the mass and bonding environments on thermal conductivity. The reduction in thermal conductivity can be ascribed to an increase in vibrational scattering introduced by extrinsic guest-MOF collisions as well as guest molecule-induced modifications to the intrinsic vibrational structure of the MOF in the form of hybridization of low frequency modes that is concomitant with an enhanced population of localized modes. The concentration of localized modes and resulting reduction in thermal conductivity do not seem to be significantly affected by the mass or bonding strength of the guest species

Kissing G Domains of MnmE Monitored by X-Ray Crystallography and Pulse Electron Paramagnetic Resonance Spectroscopy

The authors of this research article demonstrate the nature of the conformational changes MnmE was previously suggested to undergo during its GTPase cycle, and show the nucleotide-dependent dynamic movements of the G domains around two swivel positions relative to the rest of the protein. These movements are of crucial importance for understanding the mechanistic principles of this GAD

A randomised controlled trial of nurse-managed trial conclusion following early phase cancer trial participation

The effect of a nurse-managed intervention, for early phase cancer trial participants at trial conclusion, on psychosocial outcomes was evaluated at two cancer centres in the Midlands, England using a randomised controlled trial. It involved 117 patients who were participating in an early phase cancer clinical trial. It was a nurse-managed trial exit, which included a trial exit interview, trial feedback information leaflet and telephone follow-up compared with standard care at trial conclusion. Psychological distress at 1 week and 4–6 weeks post-trial conclusion, patient's knowledge and understanding and patient's satisfaction were assessed. The results showed there was no significant difference between the two groups regarding scores for anxiety and depression at time one and time two. There is some suggestion that the intervention reduced anxiety from trial conclusion to follow-up (P=0.27). Patients in both groups felt they had contributed to cancer research through trial participation. However, intervention patients were more likely to feel that they knew how the trial was going (P<0.001), knew how other people in the trial were doing (P=0.001), had all the feedback they needed about the trial they took part in (P<0.01) and knew how they would be followed up (P=0.02). Patient satisfaction with the intervention was high (median score=4.5 where 5 is greatest satisfaction). In conclusion, nurse-managed trial conclusion led to positive outcomes for patients who had recently completed a clinical trial

After DART: Using the First Full-scale Test of a Kinetic Impactor to Inform a Future Planetary Defense Mission

NASA’s Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) is the first full-scale test of an asteroid deflection technology. Results from the hypervelocity kinetic impact and Earth-based observations, coupled with LICIACube and the later Hera mission, will result in measurement of the momentum transfer efficiency accurate to ∼10% and characterization of the Didymos binary system. But DART is a single experiment; how could these results be used in a future planetary defense necessity involving a different asteroid? We examine what aspects of Dimorphos’s response to kinetic impact will be constrained by DART results; how these constraints will help refine knowledge of the physical properties of asteroidal materials and predictive power of impact simulations; what information about a potential Earth impactor could be acquired before a deflection effort; and how design of a deflection mission should be informed by this understanding. We generalize the momentum enhancement factor β, showing that a particular direction-specific β will be directly determined by the DART results, and that a related direction-specific β is a figure of merit for a kinetic impact mission. The DART β determination constrains the ejecta momentum vector, which, with hydrodynamic simulations, constrains the physical properties of Dimorphos’s near-surface. In a hypothetical planetary defense exigency, extrapolating these constraints to a newly discovered asteroid will require Earth-based observations and benefit from in situ reconnaissance. We show representative predictions for momentum transfer based on different levels of reconnaissance and discuss strategic targeting to optimize the deflection and reduce the risk of a counterproductive deflection in the wrong direction

Momentum transfer from the DART mission kinetic impact on asteroid Dimorphos

The NASA Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) mission performed a kinetic impact on asteroid Dimorphos, the satellite of the binary asteroid (65803) Didymos, at 23:14 UTC on 26 September 2022 as a planetary defence test1. DART was the first hypervelocity impact experiment on an asteroid at size and velocity scales relevant to planetary defence, intended to validate kinetic impact as a means of asteroid deflection. Here we report a determination of the momentum transferred to an asteroid by kinetic impact. On the basis of the change in the binary orbit period2, we find an instantaneous reduction in Dimorphos’s along-track orbital velocity component of 2.70 ± 0.10 mm s−1, indicating enhanced momentum transfer due to recoil from ejecta streams produced by the impact3,4. For a Dimorphos bulk density range of 1,500 to 3,300 kg m−3, we find that the expected value of the momentum enhancement factor, β, ranges between 2.2 and 4.9, depending on the mass of Dimorphos. If Dimorphos and Didymos are assumed to have equal densities of 2,400 kg m−3, β=3.61−0.25+0.19(1σ). These β values indicate that substantially more momentum was transferred to Dimorphos from the escaping impact ejecta than was incident with DART. Therefore, the DART kinetic impact was highly effective in deflecting the asteroid Dimorphos

Income redistribution in the European Union

We explore the redistributive effects of taxes and benefits in the 27 member states of the European Union (EU) using EUROMOD, the tax-benefit microsimulation model for the EU. As well as describing redistributive effects in aggregate, we assess and compare the effectiveness of eight individual types of policy in reducing income disparities. We derive results for the 27 members of the EU using policies in effect in 2010 and present them for each country separately as well as for the EU as a whole