Office of Multidisciplinary Activities

As society works to reduce carbon emissions and phase out fossil fuels, new and sustainable energy sources are increasingly sought. Hydrogen is typically viewed as an energy carrier, but naturally occurring geogenic hydrogen has emerged as a potential primary energy source. Its appeal, namely zero carbon footprint and continuous generation through subsurface processes, is tempered by major uncertainties. Although the mechanisms that produce natural hydrogen are reasonably well understood, successful exploration cases remain rare and its migration pathways and interactions within the subsurface are poorly constrained.This project investigates hydrogen migration from a likely ophiolitic source along an active, highly segmented strike‑slip fault system in the Neogene Lavanttal Basin (Austria). We combine short‑term and long‑term soil‑gas measurements with subsurface information from the recently completed Koralm railway tunnel and vintage 2D seismic data. The integrated dataset suggests a possible link between elevated near‑surface hydrogen concentrations and structural features such as subsurface faults and surface lineaments. If confirmed, these results would improve our understanding of hydrogen migration in faulted crust and support more reliable site selection for future natural hydrogen exploration and production.

Automated question generation in practical classroom usage saves teachers' time to develop various and individual questions, as well as the time they use in interactive learning. It also comes with immediate feedback and personalised results for students, hence improving their learning and comprehension. Also, it facilitates the implementation of differentiated learning by providing questions with levels of difficulty in order to address the needs of all learners. Automatic question generation and categorisation focus on the generation and classification of questions from text; it is used in developing education assistants, improving client support solutions, and creating other forms of learning and interaction aids. This technology is used in personalised tutoring agents and intelligent FAQ (Frequently Asked Question) databases to increase efficiency and effectiveness in knowledge management and acquisition. It can be time- and cost-effective for the organisations to implement and offer user-specific services. The rate of generated questions using the rule-based method was quite high, with 84.5 % accuracy. This development means the creation of solutions that are stronger and more suitable for different applications.

In this paper, we present a systematic investigation into the intrinsic correlations among Gouy phase dynamics, wavefront spacings, and topological reactions in a high-numerical-aperture (NA) parabolic mirror system. Since the NA can theoretically approach 2 in such a system, a paradox is observed between the behaviors of Gouy phase and wavefront spacing by using the conventional definition when the semi-aperture angle is greater than 90∘ (i.e., NA >1). To resolve this issue, we analyze the underlying physical mechanism of the paradox and subsequently propose an adapted redefinition of the Gouy phase. When a vortex is embedded in the incident beam, abrupt phase transitions and anomalous wavefront spacings are observed. These phenomena are attributed to the topological reactions of two-dimensional phase singularities in the vicinity of the optical axis, with close associations to the propagation properties of three-dimensional singularities (i.e., spin density phase singularities and spin density vector singularities). Furthermore, we demonstrate that strategic modulation of the semi-aperture angle and beam size parameter enables programmable control over wavefront spacing from 0.9λ to 5λ. These findings may establish parabolic mirrors as versatile platforms for topological photonics and quantum metrology, bridging singular optics with phase-front engineering to advance light-matter interaction control and nanoscale phase gradient applications.

Anhedonia is a core feature of major depressive disorder (MDD), yet the clinical burden in real-world settings is not well understood. This retrospective cohort study assessed depression symptoms and treatment patterns among patients with MDD with and without prominent anhedonia. Patients with MDD were selected from a real-world dataset of electronic health records from mental health specialists and linked medical and pharmacy claims (OM1, Inc. Boston MA) between January 2013 through August 2023. Patients were included if the first Patient Health Questionnaire 9-item (PHQ-9) score indicated moderate to severe depression (≥ 10) with a MDD diagnosis +/-30 days. The date of the patients’ first PHQ-9 score was used as the index date. Patients with a score ≥ 2 on PHQ-9 item 1 (anhedonia) at the index date were classified as MDD with prominent anhedonia (MDD-ANH) (n = 4,255). The remaining patients were classified as Other-MDD (n = 1,454). Treatment patterns were assessed using prescription records in the year following the index date. The last PHQ-9 score in the year following the index date was used to assess remission rates (PHQ-9 score < 5) or persistence of moderate to severe depression. A total of 5,709 patients with MDD were assessed; 74.5% were in MDD-ANH and 25.5% were in the Other-MDD cohort (met criteria for MDD but not prominent anhedonia). The mean index PHQ-9 score was 18.2 (SD = 4.2) for MDD-ANH patients and 13.5 (SD = 2.9) for Other-MDD patients. The percentage of patients treated with antidepressants was 86.4% in the MDD-ANH group and 84.7% in the Other-MDD group. After adjusting for baseline characteristics, patients with MDD-ANH were more likely to have been treated with atypical antipsychotics (OR = 1.51, p < 0.001), more likely to have switched medication (OR = 1.24, p = 0.004), and more likely to have augmented antidepressant therapy (OR = 1.16, p = 0.021) than Other-MDD patients. Patients with MDD-ANH were less likely to have achieved remission (OR = 0.82, p = 0.003) and were more likely to have persistent depression (OR = 1.50, p < 0.001) than patients with Other-MDD. Overall, MDD-ANH patients had higher clinical burden reflected in more depressive symptoms, higher treatment utilization and lower rates of remission compared to Other-MDD.

ObjectiveTreatment for distant metastases (DM) of differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC) aims to improve the prognosis and quality of life (QOL). Radioactive iodine and molecular targeted therapies are the primary systemic treatments for DM. Combining these with local treatments, such as surgery and radiotherapy targeting metastatic sites, may provide additional benefits to systemic therapy.MethodsThis study reviewed the additional effects of local therapies on common metastatic sites of DTC, such as pulmonary or bone metastases (BM), the efficacy of bone-modifying agents (BMAs) for BM, and the therapeutic effects of local treatments for less common brain metastases.ResultsAlthough based on retrospective studies with no definitive conclusions on the effectiveness of each treatment, local therapy for DM in DTC patients has been shown to enhance prognosis and QOL in several studies. Considering the results of clinical trials for metastatic tumors, local therapy for one or a few pulmonary or BM in DTC should be considered, if expected to improve prognosis and QOL. Surgical intervention is recommended for spinal metastases presenting with spinal compression symptoms or for long BM in extremities at risk of pathological or impending fractures. BMAs are also recommended to reduce the risk of skeletal-related events. Surgery, stereotactic radiotherapy, and whole-brain radiotherapy are suggested for brain metastases to improve the prognosis and QOL.ConclusionIncorporating local therapy alongside systemic treatment can enhance the prognosis and QOL and should be considered a viable treatment option.

Single-axis trackers in AgriVoltaics (APV) systems traditionally face East-West (E-W) to track the sun's path. This study investigates the viability of North-South (N-S) oriented trackers for optimising irradiance distribution in tree plantations. Using a modelling framework and meteorological data from Aix-en-Provence, France, we demonstrate that N-S trackers create distinct shading patterns on the ground that shift throughout the year due to varying solar zenith angles. By strategically positioning photovoltaic (PV) panels relative to tree canopies, our simulations show potential for minimising shading on sun-loving crops like apricot trees, crucial for maintaining photosynthesis levels. We propose innovative tracking algorithms to mitigate shading effects during different seasons, preserving both electrical output and agricultural productivity. Our simulations indicate that N-S trackers offer comparable electricity production to E-W configurations in sun-tracking mode and outperform fixed arrays-oriented South, with minimal losses in irradiance during critical growth periods. Additionally, N-S trackers show promise in reducing soil evaporation, which could enhance water balance in agricultural settings. Future research employing 3D modelling and integrated PV-crop simulations is recommended to optimise design parameters and assess the Land Equivalent Ratio (LER) for further validation.

Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) is a chronic immune system disease caused by human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), first reported in 1981, and continues to interfere with the body's ability to fight infection and disease. There is no cure for HIV/AIDS, but medication can control infection and prevent disease progression. Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) taken orally, or as intramuscular injection, is safe and effective in reducing the chances of acquiring HIV. United States Preventive Services Task Force (U.S.P.S.T.F.) and Center of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines recommend providing behavioral counseling as well as prescribing PrEP for all sexually active adolescents and adults to decrease risk of HIV acquisition. In light of the United States (U.S.) Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) goal for ending the HIV epidemic, all healthcare providers should be familiar with recommending PrEP as indicated to aid in disease eradication. The goal is to reduce new HIV infections in the U.S. by 75% in 2025 and 90% in 2030. In 2021, CDC data showed 30% of people who could benefit from PrEP were prescribed medication, an improvement from 13% in 2017. Although progress has been made in preventing and treating HIV, prevention efforts must further improve to reach all populations equitably to achieve a national PrEP coverage goal of 50%, by the end of this year, 2025. In this review, we highlight the urgency for all healthcare providers to offer PrEP to their sexually active patients, we provide the supportive data behind PrEP use, and we guide the clinician through safely ordering and monitoring its use in routine patient care. Continued education for providers and the public will help facilitate early intervention and better management to end the HIV epidemic.

Abstract Background Group A Streptococcus (GAS) causes a large spectrum of disease, including invasive, pharyngeal and skin / soft tissue (SSTI)1. Penicillin remains the mainstay therapy but recently, resistance to second-line therapies has steadily increased, especially after COVID19, with macrolide-resistant GAS as an emerging threat2. Given recent surges of GAS associated with later stages of the pandemic,4 we sought to compare pre-pandemic (2013-2019) and pandemic (2020-2023) GAS epidemiology and antimicrobial resistance patterns.Figure 1Total number of isolates and distribution of disease types per year. Methods GAS isolates were collected from Texas Children’s Hospital laboratory from January 2013-December 2023 and grouped into pre-pandemic and pandemic periods. Disease type [invasive (INV), skin and soft tissue infection (SSTI), or pharyngeal (PHG)] was determined from the medical record. Isolates were grown, stocked and emm typed5. Resistance to tetracycline, erythromycin, and clindamycin was determined by disk diffusion. Intermediate and resistant strains were collectively considered non-susceptible (NS).Figure 2Frequency of antibiotic non-susceptibility by year Results We analyzed 2,717 isolates (pre-pandemic n=1640; pandemic n=1077) and observed a similar distribution of disease types between the two periods (Figure 1). Distribution of emm types differed with emm12 (1.7-fold) and emm3 (1.6-fold) increasing significantly and emm89 (0.6-fold), emm4 (0.6-fold), emm87 (0.4-fold) and emm6 (0.3-fold) decreasing significantly. Overall NS to any antibiotic increased from 19% to 39% between the two periods (P&amp;lt; 0.0001). NS in the pandemic period was primarily driven by NS to clindamycin, increasing by &amp;gt;3-fold (6% vs 20%) (Figure 2). Among emm types showing NS to clindamycin pre vs pandemic, emm28 increased 10-fold (3% vs 31%, P&amp;lt; 0.0001), emm1 increased 5-fold (5% vs 24%, P =&amp;lt; 0.001), and emm12 increased 2.6-fold (6% vs 16%, P&amp;lt; 0.001) (Figure 3). NS to any antibiotic increased independent of disease type between the two periods. Figure 3 Frequency of clindamycin non-susceptibility by emm type Conclusion NS increased significantly in pandemic period, mostly driven by NS to clindamycin. A small subset of emm types disproportionately contributed to clindamycin NS in pandemic period, although the mechanism remains unknown. Clinicians should be aware of the possible reduced effectiveness of clindamycin in pediatric GAS infections. Disclosures Jonathon C. McNeil, MD, Nabriva: site investigator on clinical trial Anthony R. Flores, MD, MPH, PhD, GlycosBio, Inc: Grant/Research Support