Paving the way to better understand the effects of prolonged spaceflight on operational performance and its neural bases.

Space exploration objectives will soon move from low Earth orbit to distant destinations like Moon and Mars. The present work provides an up-to-date roadmap that identifies critical research gaps related to human behavior and performance in altered gravity and space. The roadmap summarizes (1) key neurobehavioral challenges associated with spaceflight, (2) the need to consider sex as a biological variable, (3) the use of integrative omics technologies to elucidate mechanisms underlying changes in the brain and behavior, and (4) the importance of understanding the neural representation of gravity throughout the brain and its multisensory processing. We then highlight the need for a variety of target-specific countermeasures, and a personalized administration schedule as two critical strategies for mitigating potentially adverse effects of spaceflight on the central nervous system and performance. We conclude with a summary of key priorities for the roadmaps of current and future space programs and stress the importance of new collaborative strategies across agencies and researchers for fostering an integrative cross- and transdisciplinary approach from cells, molecules to neural circuits and cognitive performance. Finally, we highlight that space research in neurocognitive science goes beyond monitoring and mitigating risks in astronauts but could also have significant benefits for the population on Earth.

Microfluidic quantum sensing platform for lab-on-a-chip applications.

Lab-on-a-chip (LOC) applications have emerged as invaluable physical and life sciences tools. The advantages stem from advanced system miniaturization, thus, requiring far less sample volume while allowing for complex functionality, increased reproducibility, and high throughput. However, LOC applications necessitate extensive sensor miniaturization to leverage these inherent advantages fully. Atom-sized quantum sensors are highly promising to bridge this gap and have enabled measurements of temperature, electric and magnetic fields on the nano- to microscale. Nevertheless, the technical complexity of both disciplines has so far impeded an uncompromising combination of LOC systems and quantum sensors. Here, we present a fully integrated microfluidic platform for solid-state spin quantum sensors, like the nitrogen-vacancy (NV) center in diamond. Our platform fulfills all technical requirements, such as fast spin manipulation, enabling full quantum sensing capabilities, biocompatibility, and easy adaptability to arbitrary channel and chip geometries. To illustrate the vast potential of quantum sensors in LOC systems, we demonstrate various NV center-based sensing modalities for chemical analysis in our microfluidic platform, ranging from paramagnetic ion detection to high-resolution microscale NV-NMR. Consequently, our work opens the door for novel chemical analysis capabilities within LOC devices with applications in electrochemistry, high-throughput reaction screening, bioanalytics, organ-on-a-chip, or single-cell studies.

Unveiling Unequivocal Charge Stripe Order in a Prototypical Cuprate Superconductor.

In the cuprates, high-temperature superconductivity, spin-density-wave order, and charge-density-wave (CDW) order are intertwined, and symmetry determination is challenging due to domain formation. We investigated the CDW in the prototypical cuprate La_{1.88}Sr_{0.12}CuO_{4} via x-ray diffraction employing uniaxial pressure as a domain-selective stimulus to establish the unidirectional nature of the CDW unambiguously. A fivefold enhancement of the CDW amplitude is found when homogeneous superconductivity is partially suppressed by magnetic field. This field-induced state provides an ideal search environment for a putative pair-density-wave state.

Uniaxial pressure induced stripe order rotation in La1.88Sr0.12CuO4.

Static stripe order is detrimental to superconductivity. Yet, it has been proposed that transverse stripe fluctuations may enhance the inter-stripe Josephson coupling and thus promote superconductivity. Direct experimental studies of stripe dynamics, however, remain difficult. From a strong-coupling perspective, transverse stripe fluctuations are realized in the form of dynamic "kinks"-sideways shifting stripe sections. Here, we show how modest uniaxial pressure tuning reorganizes directional kink alignment. Our starting point is La1.88Sr0.12CuO4 where transverse kink ordering results in a rotation of stripe order away from the crystal axis. Application of mild uniaxial pressure changes the ordering pattern and pins the stripe order to the crystal axis. This reordering occurs at a much weaker pressure than that to detwin the stripe domains and suggests a rather weak transverse stripe stiffness. Weak spatial stiffness and transverse quantum fluctuations are likely key prerequisites for stripes to coexist with superconductivity.

Tissue localization of GM-CSF receptor in bovine ovarian follicles and its role on glucose uptake by mural granulosa cells.

The granulocyte-macrophage colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF) is a multifunctional cytokine implicated in proliferation, differentiation, and activation of several cell types including those involved in hematopoiesis and reproduction. In the present study, the expression of the α- and ß-subunit genes of GM-CSF receptor during follicular development in cattle was assessed. The spatial association of α- and ß-subunits of GM-CSF with follicle stimulating hormone receptor (FSHR) and 3ß-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (3ß-HSD), and the temporal associations with gene expression of hexose transporters (GLUTs) in granulosa cells of cattle were also evaluated. The effect of GM-CSF on the functionality of hexose transporters was also determined in an in vitro primary culture of granulosa cells. The spatial association of subunits of the GM-CSF receptor with 3ß-HSD and FSHR suggests a potential steroidogenic regulation of GM-CSF in granulosa cells. Immunodetection of GLUTs and uptake kinetic assays confirmed expression and functionality of these genes for hexose transporters in granulosa cells of cattle. Treatment of granulosa cells with GM-CSF, FSH or insulin- like growth factor-I (IGF-I) alone increased 2-deoxyglucose (DOG) or 3-0-methylglucose (OMG) uptake; however, when cells were treated with various combination of these factors there were no additive effect. Unexpectedly, the combination of GM-CSF and FSH decreased DOG uptake compared to FSH treatment alone. Thus, the expression pattern of GM-CSF receptor subunit genes during follicle development in cattle and promotion of DOG and OMG uptake in granulosa cells indicate a role for GM-CSF, FSH and/or IGF-I alone in regulating granulosa cell metabolic activity, specifically by promoting glucose uptake.

Age and growth of mangrove red snapper Lutjanus argentimaculatus at its cool-water-range limits.

This study investigates the age and growth of Lutjanus argentimaculatus at its southern (cooler) range limits in eastern Australia. Specimens were collected from New South Wales and southern Queensland between November 2011 and December 2013. Fork lengths (LF ) ranged from 190 to 1019 mm, and ages ranged from 2+ to 57+ years. Growth was described by the von Bertalanffy growth function with coefficients L∞ = 874·92 mm, K = 0·087 year(-1) and t0 = -2·76 years. Estimates of the instantaneous natural mortality rate (M) ranged from 0·072 to 0·25. The LF (mm) and mass (W; g) relationship was represented by the equation: W=2·647×10-5LF2·92. The maximum age of 57+ years is the oldest reported for any lutjanid and comparisons with tropical studies suggest that the age-based demography of L. argentimaculatus follows a latitudinal gradient. High maximum ages and low natural mortality rates indicate considerable vulnerability to overexploitation at the species' cool-water-range limits. These results demonstrate the need to identify underlying processes driving latitudinal gradients in fish demography.

Measurement of direct photons in Au+Au collisions at √(s(NN))=200 GeV.

We report the measurement of direct photons at midrapidity in Au+Au collisions at √(s(NN))=200 GeV. The direct photon signal was extracted for the transverse momentum range of 4 GeV/c

Enhanced production of direct photons in Au + Au collisions at square root(S(NN)) = 200 GeV and implications for the initial temperature.

The production of e+ e- pairs for m(e+ e-)<0.3 GeV/c2 and 1

Charged Kaon interferometric probes of space-time evolution in Au+Au collisions at sqrt[S(NN)]=200 GeV.

Bose-Einstein correlations of charged kaons are used to probe Au+Au collisions at sqrt[S(NN)]=200 GeV and are compared to charged pion probes, which have a larger hadronic scattering cross section. Three-dimensional Gaussian source radii are extracted, along with a one-dimensional kaon emission source function. The centrality dependences of the three Gaussian radii are well described by a single linear function of N(part)1/3 with a zero intercept. Imaging analysis shows a deviation from a Gaussian tail at r greater than or approximately equal to 10 fm, although the bulk emission at lower radius is well described by a Gaussian. The presence of a non-Gaussian tail in the kaon source reaffirms that the particle emission region in a heavy-ion collision is extended, and that similar measurements with pions are not solely due to the decay of long-lived resonances.

Age validation and variation in growth, mortality and population structure of Liza argentea and Myxus elongatus (Mugilidae) in two temperate Australian estuaries.

This study investigated variation in the rates of growth and mortality, and age and fork-length (L(F)) compositions of two exploited species of Mugilidae, Liza argentea and Myxus elongatus, in two south-east Australian estuaries (Lake Macquarie and St Georges Basin). An ageing protocol was developed by counting opaque growth zones on sectioned otoliths which was validated by periodically examining the otoliths of captive-reared young-of-the-year fishes, and marginal increment analysis of wild fishes. The maximum recorded age was 17 years for L. argentea and 12 years for M. elongatus, which is greater than generally observed in other species of mugilids. Growth models of each species significantly differed between sexes and, except for male L. argentea, between estuaries. Fishes from Lake Macquarie generally had a greater mean L(F) at age than those from St Georges Basin and females of both species generally attained a greater maximum L(F) and age than males. Gillnet catches of L. argentea were of similar L(F) and age compositions in both estuaries, whereas the age composition of catches of M. elongatus in Lake Macquarie contained a greater proportion of younger fish. Estimates of total, natural and fishing mortality were greater for M. elongatus than L. argentea across both estuaries, and estimates of total mortality were greatest for both species in Lake Macquarie. The data indicate that neither species has been overfished in these estuaries.

Suppression pattern of neutral pions at high transverse momentum in Au + Au collisions at sqrt[sNN]=200 GeV and constraints on medium transport coefficients.

For Au + Au collisions at 200 GeV, we measure neutral pion production with good statistics for transverse momentum, pT, up to 20 GeV/c. A fivefold suppression is found, which is essentially constant for 5 < pT < 20 GeV/c. Experimental uncertainties are small enough to constrain any model-dependent parametrization for the transport coefficient of the medium, e.g., q in the parton quenching model. The spectral shape is similar for all collision classes, and the suppression does not saturate in Au + Au collisions.

Particle-species dependent modification of jet-induced correlations in Au+Au collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=200 GeV.

Measurements in Au+Au collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=200 GeV of jet correlations for a trigger hadron at intermediate transverse momentum (p_{T,trig}) with associated mesons or baryons at lower p_{T,assoc} indicate strong modification of the away-side jet. The ratio of jet-associated baryons to mesons increases with centrality and p_{T,assoc}. For the most central collisions, the ratio is similar to that for inclusive measurements. This trend is incompatible with in-vacuum fragmentation but could be due to jetlike contributions from correlated soft partons, which recombine upon hadronization.

Source breakup dynamics in Au + Au collisions at sqrt[s(NN)]=200 GeV via three-dimensional two-pion source imaging.

A three-dimensional correlation function obtained from midrapidity, low p(T), pion pairs in central Au+Au collisions at sqrt[s(NN)]=200 GeV is studied. The extracted model-independent source function indicates a long range tail in the directions of the pion pair transverse momentum (out) and the beam (long). A proper breakup time tau(0) ~ 9 fm/c and a mean proper emission duration Delta tau ~ 2 fm/c, leading to sizable emission time differences ({|Delta t(LCM)|} approximately 12 fm/c), are required to allow models to be successfully matched to these tails. The model comparisons also suggest an outside-in "burning" of the emission source reminiscent of many hydrodynamical models.

Suppression of high-p{T} neutral pion production in central Pb+Pb collisions at sqrt[S{NN}]=17.3 GeV relative to p+C and p+Pb collisions.

Neutral pion transverse momentum spectra were measured in p+C and p+Pb collisions at sqrt[S{NN}]=17.4 GeV at midrapidity (2.3 less than or approximately equal eta{lab} less than or approximately equal 3.0) over the range 0.7 less than or approximately equal p{T} less than or approximately equal 3.5 GeV/c. The spectra are compared to pi{0} spectra measured in Pb+Pb collisions at sqrt[S{NN}]=17.3 GeV in the same experiment. For a wide range of Pb+Pb centralities (N{part} less than or approximately equal 300), the yield of pi{0}'s with p{T} greater than or approximately equal 2 GeV/c is larger than or consistent with the p+C or p+Pb yields scaled with the number of nucleon-nucleon collisions (N{coll}), while for central Pb+Pb collisions with N{part}greater than or approximately equal 350, the pi{0} yield is suppressed.

Elliptic flow for phi mesons and (anti)deuterons in Au+Au collisions at square root of sNN=200 GeV.

Differential elliptic flow (v(2)) for phi mesons and (anti)deuterons (d)d is measured for Au+Au collisions at square root of sNN=200 GeV. The v(2) for phi mesons follows the trend of lighter pi+/- and K+/- mesons, suggesting that ordinary hadrons interacting with standard hadronic cross sections are not the primary driver for elliptic flow development. The v(2) values for (d)d suggest that elliptic flow is additive for composite particles. This further validation of the universal scaling of v(2) per constituent quark for baryons and mesons suggests that partonic collectivity dominates the transverse expansion dynamics.

J/psi production versus centrality, transverse momentum, and rapidity in Au+Au collisions at square root sNN=200 GeV.

The PHENIX experiment at the BNL Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC) has measured J/psi production for rapidities -2.2

System size and energy dependence of jet-induced hadron pair correlation shapes in Cu+Cu and Au+Au collisions at square root sNN=200 and 62.4 GeV.

We present azimuthal angle correlations of intermediate transverse momentum (1-4 GeV/c) hadrons from dijets in Cu+Cu and Au+Au collisions at square root sNN=62.4 and 200 GeV. The away-side dijet induced azimuthal correlation is broadened, non-Gaussian, and peaked away from Delta phi=pi in central and semicentral collisions in all the systems. The broadening and peak location are found to depend upon the number of participants in the collision, but not on the collision energy or beam nuclei. These results are consistent with sound or shock wave models, but pose challenges to Cherenkov gluon radiation models.

Evidence for a long-range component in the pion emission source in Au+Au collisions at sqrt sNN=200 GeV.

Emission source functions are extracted from correlation functions constructed from charged pions produced at midrapidity in Au+Au collisions at sqrt[s(NN)]=200 GeV. The source parameters extracted from these functions at low k(T) give first indications of a long tail for the pion emission source. The source extension cannot be explained solely by simple kinematic considerations. The possible role of a halo of secondary pions from resonance emissions is explored.

Scaling properties of azimuthal anisotropy in Au+Au and Cu+Cu Collisions at sqrt[s NN]=200 GeV.

Differential measurements of elliptic flow (v2) for Au+Au and Cu+Cu collisions at sqrt[sNN]=200 GeV are used to test and validate predictions from perfect fluid hydrodynamics for scaling of v2 with eccentricity, system size, and transverse kinetic energy (KE T). For KE T identical with mT-m up to approximately 1 GeV the scaling is compatible with hydrodynamic expansion of a thermalized fluid. For large values of KE T mesons and baryons scale separately. Quark number scaling reveals a universal scaling of v2 for both mesons and baryons over the full KE T range for Au+Au. For Au+Au and Cu+Cu the scaling is more pronounced in terms of KE T, rather than transverse momentum.

Expression of the GM-CSF receptor in ovine spermatozoa: GM-CSF effect on sperm viability and motility of sperm subpopulations after the freezing-thawing process.

The granulocyte-macrophage colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF) is a pleiotropic cytokine capable of stimulating proliferation, maturation and function of haematopoietic cells. Receptors for this cytokine are composed of two subunits, alpha and beta, and are expressed in myeloid progenitors and mature mononuclear phagocytes, monocytes, eosinophils and neutrophils, as well as in other non-haematopoietic cells. We have previously demonstrated that bull spermatozoa express functional GM-CSF receptors that signal for increased glucose and vitamin-C uptake and enhance several parameters of sperm motility in the presence of glucose or fructose substrates. In this study, we have analyzed the expression of GM-CSF receptors in ovine spermatozoa and studied the effect of GM-CSF on sperm viability and motility after the freezing-thawing process. Immunolocalization and immunoblotting analyses demonstrated that ovine spermatozoa (Xisqueta race) expressed GM-CSF receptors. In addition, GM-CSF partially counteracted the impairing action of freezing/thawing on the percentage of total motility, as well as on the specific motility patterns of each of the separate, motile sperm subpopulations of ram ejaculates subjected to this protocol. These results suggest that GM-CSF can play a role in the resistance of ram spermatozoa to environmental thermal stress.