Wesleyan University

Psychological trauma is an increasingly prominent construct in contemporary culture, invoked across diverse contexts of policy, practice, and public discourse. However, little is known about how laypeople conceptualise trauma in everyday life. This qualitative study explored social representations of trauma among residents of the Republic of Ireland. Twenty participants completed interviews that elaborated their associations with the term ‘trauma’. Thematic analysis identified three overarching themes, which represented trauma as (a) an individual journey, (b) a byproduct of social ills, and (c) a cultural construct. More specifically, participants viewed trauma as highly subjective, shaped by individual differences in experiences, responses and outcomes. In parallel, trauma was linked to societal-level phenomena such as war and violence, with social support positioned as key to coping and recovery. Participants were highly sensitive to the growing cultural prominence and widening uses of trauma and expressed ambivalence regarding this trend, welcoming trauma’s de-stigmatisation but decrying its potential trivialisation. These findings offer original insights into how trauma is understood beyond clinical settings, informing responsible uses of the concept and ongoing debates about its cultural significance. • Psychological trauma is an increasingly prominent construct in contemporary culture • Qualitative interviews explored lay associations with the concept of trauma • Trauma was construed as an individual journey, byproduct of social ills, and cultural construct • Lay understandings of trauma have potential implications for clinical, personal and societal contexts

Historically, neural variability observed during task was interpreted as “noise,” assumed to obscure meaningful signal and thus something to be minimized both analytically by researchers and functionally by the brain. Changes to this signal-to-noise ratio have been proposed as a possible neural mechanism behind the increased reaction-time variability (RTV) in attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). However, not all variability is the same – in some cases, variability can have some underlying “statistical structure” that can be beneficial to information processing. The challenge lies in distinguishing meaningful variability from random noise. The edge-of-synchrony critical point, which describes a system poised between synchronous and asynchronous regimes, could be a good theoretical framework to study these different types of neural variability. In this study, we investigate whether changes in criticality and oscillatory dynamics preceded slower behavioral responses during a bimodal continuous performance task in ADHD. We find evidence that, prior to slower responses, neural dynamics shift toward criticality in both ADHD and control groups, suggesting that increase variability in ADHD and during attention lapses are related to structured variability and not necessarily random noise. Notably, these findings run counter predictions based on the proposed model and previous literature on neural noise in this population, challenging predictions of edge-of-synchrony criticality as a unifying account of neural variability and behavioral performance. Furthermore, this effect did not emerge at the between-subject level, underscoring the limitations of relying on between-subject correlations to infer neural mechanisms.

We investigate the impact of soft furnace annealing (250–450 °C) on the optoelectronic performance of Ti-hyperdoped Si photodiodes. The annealing step, introduced between Ti ion implantation and nanosecond pulsed laser melting (ns-PLM), was designed to improve the crystalline quality of the seed layer from which ns-PLM recrystallizes the implanted region. For Ti doses of 1 × 1015 and 2 × 1015 cm−2, soft annealing enhanced the minority carrier lifetime and reduced the diffusion saturation current, leading to improved external quantum efficiency (EQE) above the Si absorption edge (photon energies higher than 1.12 eV). At higher implantation doses, however, these improvements were less pronounced, suggesting a dose-dependent interplay between defect passivation and recrystallization dynamics. However, EQE in the sub-bandgap range slightly decreased after annealing for both dose levels, while high-dose samples consistently exhibited stronger photoresponse, indicating that process-induced defects may contribute beneficially to sub-bandgap absorption in Ti-hyperdoped Si. These findings highlight soft annealing as a practical means of tailoring carrier dynamics and optical response in Ti-hyperdoped Si. By balancing defect passivation and controlled defect retention, this approach opens new opportunities for optimizing Ti-hyperdoped Si photodiodes toward applications in broadband light detection, short-wave infrared sensing, and CMOS-compatible optoelectronics.

Abstract This article examines the book-collecting endeavors of Stephan Gerlach, a young Protestant who resided in Istanbul from 1573 to 1578 as chaplain for the Habsburg diplomatic mission. Gerlach’s diary sheds light on the realities of hunting for Greek manuscripts absent from other idealized accounts. While previous diplomatic envoys, such as Ogier Ghiselin de Busbecq, achieved legendary success in procuring Greek texts, Gerlach’s efforts were fraught with obstacles, including exorbitant costs, the monopolistic practices of intermediaries, and the Greek community’s protective stance toward their manuscripts. Through Gerlach’s often-frustrated accounts, this article explores the material and logistical challenges of manuscript collection, from financial negotiations to the reliance on opportunistic intermediaries, as possible reflections of broader shifts in the book trade and attitudes toward Byzantine textual heritage. Gerlach’s diary thus provides a unique window into the interplay of scholarship, diplomacy, and cultural exchange between early modern Europe and the Ottoman Greeks.

Abstract We present new Hubble Space Telescope (HST) UV spectra of the K2 V star HD 166620, the first star clearly recognized to be in a “magnetic grand minimum” state analogous to the Sun’s “Maunder minimum” in the late 1600s. The stellar H I Ly α surface fluxes are extremely low, about a factor of 2 below fluxes observed during solar minimum, and also significantly lower than those of τ Ceti (G8 V) and HD 191408 (K2.5 V), two stars more similar to HD 166620 in spectral type and age (∼10 Gyr) than the Sun. The τ Ceti data that are compared with HD 166620 include both old archival data and a new HST observation as well. The Ly α data are used to confirm a nondetection of astrospheric Ly α absorption for this star, suggesting a very weak wind with M ̇ < 0.1 M ̇ ⊙ . The very compact astrosphere inferred for τ Ceti indicates that the star’s debris disk is at least partly exposed to the interstellar medium (ISM), and we discuss possible consequences.

Abstract The sediments of “Iceberg Alley,” north of the Weddell Sea Embayment of Antarctica, are a key archive of Antarctic Ice Sheet and Southern Ocean history but are challenging to date at orbital timescales due to lack of foraminifera. We present a relative paleomagnetic intensity (RPI) chronology for sediments deposited across the Pliocene‐Pleistocene Transition (3.14–1.75 Ma) at Dove Basin, International Ocean Discovery Program (IODP) Sites U1536 and U1537. Leveraging the well‐defined magnetizations of these deep‐sea contourite deposits, for the first time we correlate a Dove Basin RPI proxy to a North Atlantic RPI template that is intercalibrated with benthic δ 18 O and lithologic signals that record the history of Northern Hemisphere glaciation intensification (iNHG) from ∼2.7 Ma. Our new RPI chronology demonstrates a close relationship between sedimentation rates and physical lithology, with high accumulation occurring at times of high biogenic silica concentrations. This relationship is found at both long periods that reflect the amplitude modulation of orbital forcing and at glacial‐interglacial timescales. Moreover, the chronology indicates a transition in the pacing of lithologic variability during iNHG from having greater precession‐paced variations than benthic δ 18 O prior to 2.8 Ma and obliquity‐paced variations after 2.6 Ma that are nearly identical to benthic δ 18 O. A clear and persistent influence of precession, especially during extreme early Pleistocene interglacial intervals (high biogenic silica and high accumulation rates) nevertheless persisted during times of high variance in both precession and obliquity forcing—most notable during Marine Isotope Stages 87, 89, and 91.

Surface adhesion is critical to the survival of pathogenic bacteria both in natural niches and during infections, often via forming matrix-embedded communities called biofilms. Vibrio cholerae, the causal agent of pandemic cholera, is capable of forming biofilms adhering to both biotic and abiotic surfaces and the biofilm lifestyle has been implicated in promoting the survival of V. cholerae both in the natural reservoir and during host colonization. Previously, a 57-amino acid loop in the biofilm-specific adhesin Bap1 (Bap1-57aa) has been identified as a key contributor to the adhesion of V. cholerae biofilms to various surfaces including lipid membranes. However, the mechanism underlying its interaction with lipids, as well as its secondary structures, remain unresolved. Here, we combined biophysical, computational, and genetic approaches to elucidate the molecular mechanism of how this adhesive peptide interacts with lipids and lipid-coated surfaces. We found that a central aromatic-rich motif anchors the peptide to lipid bilayers while peripheral pseudo repeats enhance binding through avidity. Surprisingly, the core motif undergoes a lipid-induced conformational transition into a β-hairpin, enabling robust membrane insertion. We confirmed these findings both in vitro and in the biofilm context. Moreover, we demonstrated that the adhesive peptide can adhere to model host surfaces and is sensitive to membrane curvature. Finally, we show that the biofilm-derived peptide is found in several other Vibrio species, and its sequence is well-conserved. Our results provide molecular insight into biofilm adhesion and may lead to new strategies for targeted biofilm removal, as well as the design of bioinspired underwater adhesives.

High-need populations face substantive barriers to accessing primary care, leading to disproportionately poor health outcomes. This descriptive, observational study details the implementation of a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) program designed to improve engagement in care and enabling services by leveraging mobile health units (MHUs) to provide comprehensive, low-barrier primary care services to residents who were previously unable or unwilling to engage with the traditional healthcare system. The program sought to overcome common access challenges such as lack of transportation, lack of insurance, and mistrust of healthcare institutions. We describe the operational framework of this program, examine the types of care delivered, and offer recommendations from the perspective of a large multi-site FQHC experienced in reengaging people back to the healthcare system but new to providing mobile health care. We describe our program's focus on prioritizing patient engagement and access and its consideration of operational and technical infrastructure. Based on our FQHC's experience, we provide recommendations on how to address patients' health and social needs. FQHCs have the potential to implement MHUs, drawing on their existing infrastructure and community relationships. Our MHU program is well-aligned with our FQHC's commitment and priority to deliver essential care and foster continuity within hard-to-reach communities, strengthening the local healthcare safety net and improving healthcare for high-need populations.