Limited cadaver availability and health risks from formaldehyde-treated cadavers have increased the need for alternative learning materials in veterinary anatomy education. Two studies were conducted to investigate whether low-fidelity 3D-printed models provide comparable learning outcomes to real specimens. In study 1, veterinary students were assigned to two groups to study the equine distal limb on a real specimen (n = 67) or a 3D model (n = 68). In study 2, students were divided into four groups to study the canine forelimb on a real specimen (n = 44), a 3D model (n = 45), a 3D model followed by a real specimen (n = 47), or the reverse combination (n = 47). Learning outcomes were measured through a knowledge assessment. Afterwards, learning materials were evaluated by students. Both studies showed significantly higher learning outcomes in the groups learning with real specimens compared to other test groups. While students preferred to start learning with 3D models before switching to real specimens, this method had the lowest learning outcomes. However, students emphasized the value of 3D models for independent learning outside the dissection hall and desired further 3D models of other anatomical specimens. Findings indicated that low-fidelity 3D-printed models cannot replace real specimens but are a useful complementary tool in veterinary anatomy education.

The overrepresentation of positive results in psychology is often attributed in part to publication bias. However, the impact of research group output on the prevalence of positive results has not yet been investigated. The present study examines whether German clinical psychology research groups with high versus low publication outputs differ in the prevalence of positive outcomes in their publications. Scientific productivity was defined as the ratio of quantitative-empirical publications to the number of academic staff per chair. We analyzed publications authored by clinical psychology researchers at German universities from 2013 to 2022, sourced from PubMed and OpenAlex. After excluding meta-analyses, reviews, and non-empirical studies, 2,280 empirical studies from 99 research groups were identified. We then randomly sampled and coded 300 papers, evenly split between the highest and lowest output quartiles, and examined the first hypothesis. There was no statistically significant difference between the highest and the lowest output quartiles, with both reporting approximately 90% positive results. Higher group paper counts were not associated with more positive results. Exploratory abstract-level analyses showed no significant differences in positive result rates between all four output quartiles. Our results suggest a general excess of positive results in clinical psychology. Contrary to our hypothesis, German clinical psychology research groups with high and low publication outputs do not differ in the prevalence of positive outcomes in their publications.

Marek’s disease virus (MDV) is a highly oncogenic alphaherpesvirus that causes fatal T cell lymphomas in chickens. Oncogenic MDV strains can integrate their genome into the host telomeres of latently infected and tumor cells. This integration process is facilitated by telomeric repeat arrays (TMR) present at the ends of the MDV genome, which consist of the hexanucleotide (TTAGGG)n that is identical to host telomere sequences. In addition, integration of the virus genome is crucial for the development of lymphomas. Live-attenuated vaccines play a vital role in protecting chickens against this deadly disease, yet our understanding of their biology remains limited. Intriguingly, the commercial gold standard MDV vaccine, the live-attenuated MDV strain CVI988, also possesses TMR at the ends of its genome. In this study, we investigated the role of the multiple TMR arrays (mTMR) in vaccine virus integration, latency, reactivation, and protection against very virulent MDV. Our data revealed that the mTMR present in CVI988 are important for virus genome integration and maintenance in latently infected cells in vitro. In addition, virus latency, reactivation, and vaccine efficacy were reduced in an mTMR deleted mutant compared to the wild-type vaccine. These results provide valuable insights into the biology of this important vaccine virus and shed light on the roles of the mTMR in vaccine integration, latency, and protection against very virulent MDV.

Neuroscientific research has shown that perceptual decision-making occurs in brain regions that are associated with the required motor response. Recent functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) studies that dissociated decisions from coinciding processes, such as the motor response, partly challenge this, indicating that perceptual decisions are represented in an abstract or sensory-specific manner that might vary across sensory modalities. However, comparisons across sensory modalities have been difficult since most task designs differ not only in modality but also in effectors, motor response, and level of abstraction. Here, we describe an fMRI experiment where participants compared frequencies of two sequentially presented visual flicker stimuli in a delayed match-to-comparison task, which controlled for motor responses and stimulus sequence. A whole-brain searchlight support vector machine analysis of multi voxel patterns was used to identify brain regions containing information on perceptual decisions. Furthermore, a conjunction analysis with data from an analogue vibrotactile study was conducted for a comparison between visual and tactile decision-making processes. Both analyses revealed above-chance decoding accuracies in the left dorsal premotor cortex (PMd) as well as in the left intraparietal sulcus (IPS). While previous primate and human imaging research have implicated these regions in transforming sensory information into action, our findings indicate that the IPS processes abstract decision signals while the PMd represents an effector-dependent, but motor response independent encoding of perceptual decisions that is similar across sensory domains.

Wie war es möglich, dass die Colonia Dignidad mehr als vier Jahrzehnte lang bestehen konnte – obwohl die dort begangenen Verbrechen öffentlich bekannt waren? Eine Antwort auf diese Frage sucht Evelyn Hevia Jordán mit ihrer Forschungsarbeit über das Krankenhaus der „Sociedad Benefactora y Educacional Dignidad“ (SBED). In einer historiografischen Rekonstruktion betrachtet die Autorin diese Einrichtung aus verschiedenen Perspektiven: als medizinische Einrichtung und als Ort der Repression. Die Colonia Dignidad rechtfertigte die Gründung ihres Krankenhauses mit dem offensichtlichen Mangel an Gesundheitsversorgung in einer abgelegenen Region im Süden Chiles, die in den 1960er Jahren von Armut geprägt war. Evelyn Hevia Jordán zeigt jedoch auf, dass ein entscheidender Beweggrund für die Errichtung des Krankenhauses auch ein „Schussunfall“, gewesen sein könnte, den Paul Schäfer 1963 erlitt. Denn das Überleben des Anführers der Siedlung sollte unbedingt gesichert werden. Rund um das Krankenhaus entwickelte die Führungsgruppe der Colonia Dignidad Diskurse, Technologien und Praktiken zur Unterwerfung der Bewohnerinnen und Bewohner der Siedlung. Als aufrührerisch geltende Personen wurden mit Psychopharmaka misshandelt und monatelang im Krankenhaus eingesperrt. Sogar Kinder wurden dort mit Elektroschocks gequält. Das Krankenhaus war außerdem Teil einer „Tarnstrategie“, mit der die Colonia Dignidad rechtsextreme Kreise unterstützte, die 1973 den Putsch in Chile beförderten, und es spielte eine Schlüsselrolle bei verschiedenen Formen der politischen Repression während der Diktatur (1973–1990). Dieses Buch beleuchtet die Phasen der Errichtung und Institutionalisierung (1961–1972), der Konsolidierung (1972–1989) sowie der Krise und Schließung des Krankenhauses (1989–2005). Es beleuchtet die zentrale Bedeutung des Krankenhauses für das Verständnis der komplexen Geschichte der Colonia Dignidad seit ihrer Gründung in Chile, die die Aufarbeitung in Chile und Deutschland bis heute prägt.

This paper offers a philosophical account of the specific form of romantic love underlying the ideal of love-based marriages. Rather than examining the institution of marriage, it considers marriage as the promise of infinite love between finite persons. Although this promise may seem irrational, even those who never formally marry still invoke phrases like ‘I love you forever’. In three steps, this paper explores what we could possibly mean by infinite love and how it can be rationally promised throughout a finite life. First, I trace the concept of infinite love back to the metaphysical discussions surrounding the emergence of the love-based marriage among German Idealists and Jena Romanticists. Next, drawing on John Searle’s speech act theory, I examine how the ideal of infinite love can be articulated as a promise. Finally, I turn to early existentialist thought—particularly the notions of passion (Lidenskab, Leidenschaft), repetition (Gjentagelsen, Wiederkehr), and the moment (Øjeblik, Augenblick) as developed by Kierkegaard and Nietzsche—to justify the meaning of the marital promise. In short, I propose that instead of interpreting the marital promise as a description of an expected reality, we should approach it as a passionate necessity that discloses the world in a fundamentally indeterminate way. By reframing the marital promise in this light, I aim to show that marital love is compatible both with the ideal of personal autonomy and with an alternative conception of rationality and temporality.

Clathrin-mediated endocytosis (CME) is the predominant endocytic pathway in eukaryotic cells and a major regulator of cell physiology as it facilitates the internalization of receptors, channels, and transporters and viral entry. The clathrin terminal domain acts as a central protein interaction hub within the endocytic protein network. Previously described inhibitors of CME display off-target activities that result in cytotoxicity, providing limitations to their use. We report the development and characterization of next-generation small molecule inhibitors of clathrin terminal domain function. These compounds termed Pitstop 2c and Pitstop 2d occupy the binding site within the clathrin terminal domain for endocytic protein ligands including epsin, resulting in potent inhibition of receptor-mediated endocytosis and reduced entry of vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) with minimal cytotoxic side effects. Next-generation Pitstops thus provide an improved toolset to address clathrin function in cell physiology with potential applications as inhibitors of virus and pathogen entry.

A multi-element isotope (N, O, Ti, and Cr) study was conducted on C1 and CM-like clasts hosted in achondrites and chondrite breccias to understand the genesis of these chondritic clasts. The mineralogy, O, and N isotopes confirm that CM-like clasts in howardites and polymict eucrites closely resemble CM chondrite-like material. The O and Cr isotope composition of C1 clasts in CR chondrites overlaps with those of CR chondrites, implying either formation in a similar nebular environment or resemblance to local CR material that underwent more extensive in situ alteration. Notably, these clasts are less enriched in 15N than bulk CR chondrites. In contrast, C1 clasts in ureilites are enriched in 15N relative to the Earth's atmosphere by ~100‰ setting them apart from any other known solar system material. They display elevated 17O and 18O values and lie along the CCAM line. In addition, a C1 clast from an ureilite represents the most 54Cr-enriched and 50Ti-depleted endmember among the carbonaceous chondrites. Altogether, these isotopic characteristics suggest that C1 clasts in ureilites represent material not sampled by any known meteorite group. Overall, this study highlights the presence of primitive, isotopically distinct materials in the early outer solar system, some of which were transported to the inner solar system to the accretion region of the host parent bodies.

Domestic animals are moved for reasons that are mutually beneficial to the animal and the farmer. Some examples include the need for fresh grazing grounds and watering points, or the need to access livestock markets for income to sustain farmers’ livelihoods. However, livestock mobility is a key risk factor for the transmission of transboundary animal diseases. Contact tracing of individual animals and flocks is very challenging, especially in most low-income countries, due to a lack of efficient livestock traceability systems. Despite these challenges, low-income countries, such as Uganda, issue paper-based animal movement permits (AMPs) to ensure only clinically healthy animals are moved following a physical inspection. In this study, we used national approximately 9 years of (2012–2020) small ruminant movement data obtained from archived AMPs in Uganda to describe small ruminant movement networks. The movement networks were described using social network analysis (SNA) approaches implemented in R software to identify and visualize relationships between individual and groups districts in Uganda. Lira, Kaberamaido, Nabilatuk, Mbarara, Kiruhura, Kampala, and Wakiso were identified as districts with the highest degree (in and out-degree) and betweenness among other centrality measures. Our results suggest these districts could be the most important bridges connecting the various regions of the country. Tailoring control interventions to such districts with high incoming and high outgoing shipments, or bridges, would accelerate the nation’s ability to timely detect outbreaks, prevent or mitigate further spread, and contain diseases in their original foci, respectively. We also identified areas for active surveillance, vaccination, quarantine, and biosecurity measures-staging depending on prevailing circumstances. These findings will be used to guide the national small ruminant infectious diseases control strategies and subsequently contribute to national and global initiatives, such as the 2030 Peste des petits ruminants (PPR) eradication program.

Dynamical backaction cooling has been demonstrated to be a successful method for achieving the motional quantum ground state of a mechanical oscillator in the resolved-sideband regime, where the mechanical frequency is significantly larger than the cavity decay rate. Nevertheless, as mechanical systems increase in size, their frequencies naturally decrease, thus bringing them into the unresolved-sideband regime, where the effectiveness of the sideband cooling approach decreases. Here we demonstrate, however, that this cooling technique in the unresolved-sideband regime can be significantly enhanced by utilizing a nonlinear cavity as shown in the experimental work of Zoepfl et al. [Phys. Rev. Lett. 130, 033601 (2023)]. The above arises due to the increased asymmetry between the cooling and heating processes, thereby improving the cooling efficiency. In addition, we show that injecting a squeezed vacuum into the nonlinear cavity paves the way to ground-state cooling of the mechanical mode. Notably, the required squeezing parameters are far less stringent than in the linear case, simplifying experimental implementation.

Prevailing anthropocentric frameworks of animal husbandry in archaeological research are increasingly critiqued for their inability to capture the full spectrum of human–non-human systems. In west Siberia and northern Mongolia, reindeer herding communities practise an entwined multi-species lifeways with the subarctic boreal and forest ecosystems—but these practices lack secure archaeological chronologies and time depth in northeast Asia. Traces of reindeer herding and reindeer remains themselves are often under-represented in the depositional record, requiring alternative avenues for tracing the archaeology of reindeer herding. Here, we explore the potential of documenting these complex dynamics archaeologically through a proof-of-concept analysis of stable isotopic carbon and nitrogen in faunal bone collagen, which can represent a possible nexus of multi-species practices. In doing so, we seek to expand investigative potentials into both human and non-human community members, providing valuable, nuanced insights into past practices, hunter–herder interactions and domestication dynamics.

We investigate quotients by radical monomial ideals for which T2, the second cotangent cohomology module, vanishes. The dimension of the graded components of T2, and thus their vanishing, depends only on the combinatorics of the corresponding simplicial complex. We give both a complete characterization and a full list of one dimensional complexes with T2=0. We characterize the graded components of T2 when the simplicial complex is a uniform matroid. Finally, we show that T2 vanishes for all matroids of corank at most two and conjecture that all connected matroids with vanishing T2 are of corank at most two.

Background

Effective biosecurity measures prevent the spread of pathogens, thereby reducing the need for antibiotic use on livestock farms. However, quantitative data on these practices and health outcomes in semi-intensive broiler farms in low-income settings is limited. A longitudinal study in Wakiso, Uganda, aimed to evaluate biosecurity practices, health performance, and antibiotic use in such farms.

Methods

The FarmUSE survey tool was used to collect data from 19 farms over two production cycles. A biosecurity risk assessment tool was used to quantify biosecurity. Blood samples (n = 342) were collected and analyzed using the ProFLOK® assay to assess antibody responses to vaccines for Newcastle disease (NCD), Infectious Bronchitis (IB), and Infectious bursal disease (IBD).

Results

Median biosecurity scores were 26.3 % for external measures, 55.6 % for internal measures, and an overall score of 38.5 %. Sixteen farms reported respiratory signs, and 12 had gastrointestinal issues, with median mortality rates of 2.9 % in the first cycle and 4.6 % in the second. Antibiotic use was reported by 84 % and 77 % of farms in the first and second cycles, respectively. The most used antibiotics were tetracyclines, fluoroquinolones, and macrolides, with the highest usage occurring during the brooding phase. Good antibody responses were reported in only 10.5 % of flocks for NCD and 16 % for IBD, while all farms had poor responses against IB.

Conclusion

Recurrent clinical signs could be attributed to insufficient biosecurity and inadequate vaccination outcomes, resulting in high antibiotic usage despite low mortality rates. Improving diagnostic access and strengthening the vaccine supply chain are essential. Identifying feasible and cost-effective biosecurity practices for semi-intensive broiler farms can enhance health outcomes, reduce antibiotic use, and boost productivity.

The main goal of this work is to provide a description of transitions from uniform to non-uniform snychronization in diffusions based on large deviation estimates for finite time Lyapunov exponents. These can be characterized in terms of moment Lyapunov exponents which are principal eigenvalues of the generator of the tilted (Feynman–Kac) semigroup. Using a computer assisted proof, we demonstrate how to determine these eigenvalues and investigate the rate function which is the Legendre–Fenchel transform of the moment Lyapunov function. We apply our results to two case studies: the pitchfork bifurcation and a two-dimensional toy model, also considering the transition to a positive asymptotic Lyapunov exponent.

Variational quantum algorithms (VQAs) are hybrid quantum-classical approaches used for tackling a wide range of problems on noisy intermediate-scale quantum (NISQ) devices. Testing these algorithms on relevant hardware is crucial to investigate the effect of noise and imperfections and to assess their practical value. Here, we implement a variational algorithm designed for optimized parameter estimation on a continuous variable platform based on squeezed light, a key component for high-precision optical phase estimation. We investigate the ability of the algorithm to identify the optimal metrology process, including the optimization of the probe state and measurement strategy for small-angle optical phase sensing. Two different optimization strategies are employed, the first being a gradient descent optimizer using Gaussian parameter shift rules to estimate the gradient of the cost function directly from the measurements. The second strategy involves a gradient-free Bayesian optimizer, fine-tuning the system using the same cost function and trained on the data acquired through the gradient-dependent algorithm. We find that both algorithms can steer the experiment towards the optimal metrology process. However, they find minima not predicted by our theoretical model, demonstrating the strength of variational algorithms in modelling complex noise environments, a non-trivial task.

The coupling between electrons and phonons is one of the fundamental interactions in solids, underpinning a wide range of phenomena, such as resistivity, heat conductivity and superconductivity. However, direct measurements of this coupling for individual phonon modes remain a substantial challenge. In this work, we introduce a new technique for mapping phonon dispersions and electron–phonon coupling (EPC) in van der Waals (vdW) materials. By generalizing the quantum twisting microscope1 (QTM) to cryogenic temperatures, we demonstrate its capability to map not only electronic dispersions through elastic momentum-conserving tunnelling but also phononic dispersions through inelastic momentum-conserving tunnelling. Crucially, the inelastic tunnelling strength provides a direct and quantitative measure of the momentum and mode-resolved EPC. We use this technique to measure the phonon spectrum and EPC of twisted bilayer graphene (TBG) with twist angles larger than 6°. Notably, we find that, unlike standard acoustic phonons, whose coupling to electrons diminishes as their momentum tends to zero, TBG exhibits a low-energy mode whose coupling increases with decreasing twist angle. We show that this unusual coupling arises from the modulation of the interlayer tunnelling by a layer-antisymmetric ‘phason’ mode of the moiré system. The technique demonstrated here opens the way for examining a large variety of other neutral collective modes that couple to electronic tunnelling, including plasmons2, magnons3 and spinons4 in quantum materials.

Designing nanomaterials for drug encapsulation is a crucial, yet challenging, aspect for pharmaceutical development. An important step is synthesizing amphiphiles that form stable supramolecular systems for efficient drug loading. In the case of fluorinated drugs, these have superior properties and also a tendency toward reduced water solubility. For the first time, we report here fluorinated hexosome carriers made from nonionic dendritic amphiphiles, capable of encapsulating the fluorinated drug Leflunomide with high efficiency (62 ± 3%) and increasing its solubility by 12-fold. We synthesized amphiphiles with varying tail groups (fluorinated/alkylated), and their supramolecular self-assembly was investigated using cryogenic transmission electron microscopy and small-angle X-ray scattering. Furthermore, Leflunomide and its equivalent nonfluorinated counterpart were encapsulated within fluorinated and nonfluorinated assemblies. Self-assembly and encapsulation mechanisms were well supported by coarse-grained molecular simulations, yielding a fundamental understanding of the new systems.

Electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) is an accurate and efficient technique to probe unpaired electrons in many applications across materials science, chemistry, and biology. Dynamic processes are investigated using EPR; however, these applications are limited by the use of resonator-based spectrometers such that the entire process must be confined to the resonator. The EPR-on-a-chip (EPRoC) device circumvents this limitation by integrating the entire EPR spectrometer into a single microchip. In this approach, the coil of a voltage-controlled oscillator (VCO) is used as the microwave source and detector simultaneously, operating under a protective coating such that the device may be placed in the sample solution directly. Additionally, improvements in sensitivity via rapid scan EPR (RS-EPR/RS-EPRoC) increase the accessible applications where SNR per measurement time is the fundamental limit. The herein reported device combines a dipstick EPRoC sensor with the enhanced sensitivity of frequency-swept frequency modulated rapid scan to measure triarylmethyl (trityl, Ox071) oxygen-sensitive probes dissolved in aqueous solutions. EPR spectra of Ox071 solutions were recorded using the RS-EPRoC sensor while varying the oxygen concentration of the solution between normal atmosphere and after purging the solution with nitrogen gas. We demonstrate that EPRoC may be employed to monitor dissolved oxygen in fluid solution in an online fashion.

Scholars and pundits focusing on the changing international order and its possible fragmentation often pay little attention to the manifold relationships between international organizations (IOs). Neglecting inter-organizational relationships, we argue, biases discussions towards doomsday predictions and reinforces the perception of global fragmentation. In this Forum, we address these biases by bringing together two strands of IR scholarship: power rivalry/transition and regime complexity. We do so by introducing the concept of organizational (dis)entanglements. An examination of how more and less powerful national and international policymakers engage and disengage IOs, highlights processes of reinforcing, muddling through, or undermining various ongoing order-making initiatives. The individual contributions examine organizational (dis)entanglements by highlighting actors’ various multilateral order-making attempts across IOs, global and regional ordering dynamics through IOs, and the roles international bureaucrats play in these processes. These contributions help identify new directions of inquiry in the study of IOs and international order by, for example, demonstrating that actors can engage with competition and cooperation simultaneously. Not all ordering attempts are equally likely to radically change global politics.

In the recent years, studies on health consequences of smartphone usage time have increased, yet findings on the effectiveness of usage interventions remain unclear. This preregistered study investigates the effectiveness of a planning intervention to reduce total smartphone usage time. Additionally, it examines the interventions’ underlying mechanisms of self-efficacy, intention, action, and coping planning. A primary analysis of a randomized controlled trial, with data collected at three measurement points was conducted. Three cohorts of university students were recruited during the period prior to the end-of-term exams. A total of N = 787 participants were allocated to either an intervention condition (n = 389) or a control condition (n = 398). At baseline measurement (T1) the intervention condition formed up to three actions and three coping plans. Self-reported self-efficacy, intention, action, and coping planning as well as objectively measured smartphone usage were assessed up to a three-weeks follow-up. The effectiveness of the intervention and the mediating mechanisms were evaluated using linear mixed models. The analysis revealed no significant effect on total smartphone usage time. With respect to the interventions underlying mechanisms, results show a significant indirect effect of self-efficacy at T2, on a reduction in total smartphone usage time at T3 but no evidence for intention, action, or coping planning.