Stable laser-acceleration of high-flux proton beams with plasma collimation.

Laser-plasma acceleration of protons offers a compact, ultra-fast alternative to conventional acceleration techniques, and is being widely pursued for potential applications in medicine, industry and fundamental science. Creating a stable, collimated beam of protons at high repetition rates presents a key challenge. Here, we demonstrate the generation of multi-MeV proton beams from a fast-replenishing ambient-temperature liquid sheet.

Policing Black autistic children: A qualitative approach to understanding Black caregivers' concerns.

In the United States, Black autistic youth face elevated risk of negative outcomes during police interactions. Although the outcomes of these interactions are well-documented, less is known about Black autistic youths' experiences during police encounters, as the current literature has largely examined the experiences of autistic adults, mostly White American samples, and/or autistic youth abroad. This study utilizes qualitative methods to examine the perceptions and concerns of 43 Black caregivers (N = 43; 98% parents; 2% legal guardians; 93% mothers) of Black autistic children (mean age: 16.

Fecal Proteolytic Bacteria and Staphylococcal Superantigens Are Associated With Abdominal Pain Severity in Irritable Bowel Syndrome.

Introduction: Changes in the composition of the gut microbiota have been associated with the development of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). However, to what extent specific bacterial species relate to clinical symptoms remains poorly characterized. We investigated the clinical relevance of bacterial species linked with increased proteolytic activity, histamine production, and superantigen (SAg) production in patients with IBS.

Risk and Resilience Variants in the Retinoic Acid Metabolic and Developmental Pathways Associated with Risk of FASD Outcomes.

Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) is a common neurodevelopmental disorder that affects an estimated 2-5% of North Americans. FASD is induced by prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) during pregnancy and while there is a clear genetic contribution, few genetic factors are currently identified or understood. In this study, using a candidate gene approach, we performed a genetic variant analysis of retinoic acid (RA) metabolic and developmental signaling pathway genes on whole exome sequencing data of 23 FASD-diagnosed individuals.