Ultrafast optical probing is a widely used method of underdense plasma diagnostic. In relativistic plasma, the motion blur limits spatial resolution in the direction of motion. For many high-power lasers the initial pulse duration of 30–50 fs results in a 10–15 μm motion blur, which can be reduced by probe pulse post-compression. Here we used the compression after compressor approach [Phys.-Usp. 62, 1096 (2019); JINST 17 P07035 (2022)], where spectral broadening is performed in thin optical plates and is followed by reflections from negative-dispersion mirrors. Our initially low-intensity probe beam was down-collimated for a more efficient spectral broadening and higher probe-to-self-emission intensity ratio. The setup is compact, fits in a vacuum chamber and can be implemented within a short experimental time slot. We proved that the compressed pulse retained the high quality necessary for plasma probing.

The present study provides new insight into suitable microsporidian–host associations. It relates regional and continental-wide host specialization in microsporidians infecting amphipods to degraded and recovering habitats across 2 German river catchments. It provides a unique opportunity to infer the persistence of parasites following anthropogenic disturbance and their establishment in restored rivers. Amphipods were collected in 31 sampling sites with differing degradation and restoration gradients. Specimens were morphologically (hosts) and molecularly identified (host and parasites). Amphipod diversity and abundance, microsporidian diversity, host phylogenetic specificity and continental-wide β-specificity were investigated and related to each other and/or environmental variables. Fourteen microsporidian molecular operational taxonomic units (MOTUs), mainly generalist parasites, infecting 6 amphipod MOTUs were detected, expanding the current knowledge on the host range by 17 interactions. There was no difference in microsporidian diversity and host specificity among restored and near-natural streams (Boye) or between those located in urban and rural areas (Kinzig). Similarly, microsporidian diversity was generally not influenced by water parameters. In the Boye catchment, host densities did not influence microsporidian MOTU richness across restored and near-natural sites. High host turnover across the geographical range suggests that neither environmental conditions nor host diversity plays a significant role in the establishment into restored areas. Host diversity and environmental parameters do not indicate the persistence and dispersal of phylogenetic host generalist microsporidians in environments that experienced anthropogenic disturbance. Instead, these might depend on more complex mechanisms such as the production of resistant spores, host switching and host dispersal acting individually or conjointly.

This study describes a new species of Hypotrachyna subgenus Parmelinopsis from the south-eastern Cerrado (Brazilian savannah), a biodiversity hotspot. The species is especially common in open vegetation, including urban environments. Hypotrachyna neohorrescens sp. nov. is morphologically and chemically similar to H. horrescens. Nevertheless, phylogenetic analyses of the nuITS and mtSSU regions revealed that H. neohorrescens is a distinct species and closely related to the North American H. mcmulliniana, differing by the size of the laciniae and ascospores.

Child maltreatment gives rise to atypical patterns of social functioning with peers which might be particularly pronounced in early adolescence when peer influence typically peaks. Yet, few neuroimaging studies in adolescents use peer interaction paradigms to parse neural correlates of distinct maltreatment exposures. This fMRI study examines effects of abuse, neglect, and emotional maltreatment (EM) among 98 youth (n = 58 maltreated; n = 40 matched controls) using an event-related Cyberball paradigm affording assessment of both social exclusion and inclusion across early and mid-adolescence (≤13.5 years, n = 50; >13.5 years, n = 48). Younger adolescents showed increased activation to social exclusion versus inclusion in regions implicated in mentalizing (e.g., superior temporal gyrus). Individual exposure-specific analyses suggested that neglect and EM coincided with less reduction of activation to social exclusion relative to inclusion in the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex/pre-supplementary motor area (dACC/pre-SMA) among younger versus older adolescents. Integrative follow-up analyses showed that EM accounted for this dACC/pre-SMA activation pattern over and above other exposures. Moreover, age-independent results within respective exposure groups revealed that greater magnitude of neglect predicted blunted exclusion-related activity in the parahippocampal gyrus, while EM predicted increased activation to social exclusion in the precuneus/posterior cingulate cortex.

Pathological gambling and multiuser internet gaming is characterized by recurrent maladaptive behaviour that resembles substance-related addictions. Some studies suggest comparable alterations in mesolimbic reward circuitry which characterize drug dependence and pathological gambling.

In a recent study we observed that excessive computer game players exhibit an attentional bias toward game-related as well as positive stimuli. Among the game players, this effect was accompanied by an increased cerebral activity in midbrain, orbitofrontal cortex, medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) and anterior cingulate gyrus. For cue-reactivity, increased activation was found in lingual gyrus, hippocampus and inferior frontal gyrus (IFG). Connectivity analyses revealed a strengthened coupling between right IFG and mPFC in excessive game players.

Further studies from our group focused on anticipation and processing of monetary gain or loss. First analyses of the functional data, controlled for age and brain volume, revealed increased activation in the ventral striatum in pathological gamblers compared to alcohol-dependent patients during anticipation and processing of losses. Further, results from a VBM study point to an increased local gray matter volume in subjects with pathological gambling compared to healthy controls in ventral striatum and ventrolateral prefrontal cortex, both brain areas involved in reward-related decision making. The observed volumetric and functional changes in pathological gambling and multiuser internet gaming may reflect salience attribution to gambling-related stimuli and outcomes and help to explain why subjects decisions making is biased toward gambling-related activities. The question whether these neurobiological changes are a disposition or a consequence of excessive gambling has yet to be clarified.

We report on the EPICA Dronning Maud Land (East Antarctica) deep drilling operation. Starting with the scientific questions that led to the outline of the EPICA project, we introduce the setting of sister drillings at NorthGRIP and EPICA Dome C within the European ice-coring community. The progress of the drilling operation is described within the context of three parallel, deep-drilling operations, the problems that occurred and the solutions we developed. Modified procedures are described, such as the monitoring of penetration rate via cable weight rather than motor torque, and modifications to the system (e.g. closing the openings at the lower end of the outer barrel to reduce the risk of immersing the drill in highly concentrated chip suspension). Parameters of the drilling (e.g. core-break force, cutter pitch, chips balance, liquid level, core production rate and piece number) are discussed. We also review the operational mode, particularly in the context of achieved core length and piece length, which have to be optimized for drilling efficiency and core quality respectively. We conclude with recommendations addressing the design of the chip-collection openings and strictly limiting the cable-load drop with respect to the load at the start of the run.

Water entry tests are conducted with a scale model capsule to explore the sensitivity of splashdown accelerations and motions to impact conditions, to support estimation of splashdown loads and behaviours of the proposed Titan Mare Explorer (TiME) mission. A 3D printed capsule with off-the-shelf USB accelerometer loggers enabled tests to be performed on a tight schedule. Contact impulse and peak loads are presented for a range of impact speeds and geometries, and predicted loads at full-scale on Titan are derived. The observed variation of peak load with impact speed is broadly consistent with the theoretically-expected square law but is surprisingly also consistent with a linear function (in common with some results from the literature). Test execution procedures and the performance of the data acquisition system are reviewed.

The Javalambre-Physics of the Accelerating Universe Astrophysical Survey (J-PAS) is a narrow-band imaging, very wide field cosmological survey. It will last 5 years and will observe 8500 sq. deg. of the sky. There will be 54 contiguous narrow-band filters of 145Å FWHM, from 3,500 to 10,000Å. Two broad-band filters will be added at the extremes, UV and IR, plus the 3–g, r, and i– SDSS filters. Thus, J-PAS can be an important tool to search for new planetary nebulae (PNe) at the halo, increasing their numbers, because only 14 of them have been convincingly identified in the literature. Halo PNe are able to reveal precious information for the study of stellar evolution and the early chemical conditions of the Galaxy. The characteristic low continuum and intense emission lines of PNe make them good objects to be searched by J-PAS. Though covering a significantly smaller sky area, data from the ALHAMBRA survey were used to test our J-PAS strategy to search for PNe. Our first results are shown in this contribution.

Strabismus represents a complex oculomotor disorder characterized by the deviation of one or both eyes and poor vision. A more sophisticated understanding of the genetic liability of strabismus is required to guide searches for associated molecular variants. In this classical twin study of 1,462 twin pairs, we examined the relative influence of genes and environment in comitant strabismus, and the degree to which these influences can be explained by factors in common with refractive error. Participants were examined for the presence of latent (‘phoria’) and manifest (‘tropia’) strabismus using cover–uncover and alternate cover tests. Two phenotypes were distinguished: eso-deviation (esophoria and esotropia) and exo-deviation (exophoria and exotropia). Structural equation modeling was subsequently employed to partition the observed phenotypic variation in the twin data into specific variance components. The prevalence of eso-deviation and exo-deviation was 8.6% and 20.7%, respectively. For eso-deviation, the polychoric correlation was significantly greater in monozygotic (MZ) (r = 0.65) compared to dizygotic (DZ) twin pairs (r = 0.33), suggesting a genetic role (p = .003). There was no significant difference in polychoric correlation between MZ (r = 0.55) and DZ twin pairs (r = 0.53) for exo-deviation (p = .86), implying that genetic factors do not play a significant role in the etiology of exo-deviation. The heritability of an eso-deviation was 0.64 (95% CI 0.50–0.75). The additive genetic correlation for eso-deviation and refractive error was 0.13 and the bivariate heritability (i.e., shared variance) was less than 1%, suggesting negligible shared genetic effect. This study documents a substantial heritability of 64% for eso-deviation, yet no corresponding heritability for exo-deviation, suggesting that the genetic contribution to strabismus may be specific to eso-deviation. Future studies are now needed to identify the genes associated with eso-deviation and unravel their mechanisms of action.

ADS-B provides convenient means of air traffic control (ATC) for its low cost and simple ground station hardware. In a low percentage of cases, aircraft positions transmitted via ADS-B are error prone due to e.g. faulty wiring with onboard navigation systems. In the proposed approach, direction of arrival (DOA) estimation is used to verify ADS-B airborne positions. The potential positioning error of ADS-B is thereby evaluated by comparing DOA estimates to DOA values calculated from ADS-B references and the sensor position and orientation. To prove the accuracy of the applied DOA estimation sensor, an additional measurement campaign using a dedicated measurement aircraft has been conducted.

We report a study of InGaN and InAlN epilayers grown on GaN/Sapphire substrates by microfocused three-dimensional X-ray Reciprocal Space Mapping (RSM). The analysis of the full volume of reciprocal space, while probing samples on the microscale with a focused X-ray beam, allows us to gain uniquely valuable information about the microstructure of III-N alloy epilayers. It is found that “seed” InGaN mosaic nanocrystallites are twisted with respect to the ensemble average and strain free. This indicates that the growth of InGaN epilayers follows the Volmer-Weber mechanism with nucleation of “seeds” on strain fields generated by the a-type dislocations which are responsible for the twist of underlying GaN mosaic blocks. In the case of InAlN epilayer formation of composition gradient was observed at the beginning of the epitaxial growth.

In this work, the damage formation subsequent to Eu implantation at 300 keV has been investigated by coupling the TEM, XRD and RBS/C techniques. It has been found that GaN exhibits a specific damage buildup in three main steps: (i) clustering of point defects and formation of a network of stacking faults defects in the bulk, (ii) propagation of the planar defect network towards the surface and (iii) breakdown of the surface layer. This occurs through different strain saturation regimes. Around 5x1014 Eu/cm2, the strain along the implantation direction saturates to 0.6%. At higher fluence, whereas the peak at 0.6% is maintained, there is an increase of the strain throughout the implanted layer which probably continues to extend. A second saturation occurs when the stacking fault network reaches the layer surface.