This study analyzes the gender gap in self- and peer evaluations based on a laboratory experiment. Five players performed a creative task in a high-stakes winner-takes-all tournament. The treatment without validation informed all players that evaluations that they will conduct determine who will win. The treatment with public validation additionally informed them that they can see an objective performance measure of all players (including themselves) at the end of the experiment which is irrelevant for winning. The results show that men give themselves better self-evaluations compared to women when there is no validation. This gender difference vanishes completely when providing public validation.

Toll-like receptors (TLRs) 7 and 8 are intracellular pattern recognition receptors that play a crucial role in the innate immune system, making them promising targets for the treatment of viral infections, autoimmune diseases and cancer. In this study, we present the synthesis and biological evaluation of quinazolin-4(3H)-one derivatives as a new class of dual TLR7/8 agonists. In a comprehensive structure-activity relationship (SAR) study, different substitutions on the quinazoline ring and modifications of the aliphatic side chain were investigated. Several compounds showed significantly improved potency compared to the original hit compound, with EC50 values in the nanomolar and low micromolar range for TLR7 and TLR8, respectively. The most potent compounds significantly increased the secretion of the proinflammatory cytokines TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-8 and interferon γ in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs). In addition, increased secretion of TNF-α and upregulated CD86 expression in dendritic cells were also observed, indicating their immunomodulatory properties. Notably, the most potent compound 69 significantly suppressed tumor growth in vivo in the CT26 mouse tumor model after intratumoral administration. These results highlight the potential of quinazolinone-based compounds as promising candidates for further development of new immunomodulatory agents targeting TLR7 and TLR8.

Computational Social Science (CSS) increasingly engages in critical discussions about bias in and through computational methods. Two developments drive this shift: first, the recognition of bias as a societal problem, as flawed CSS methods in socio-technical systems can perpetuate structural inequalities; and second, the field’s growing methodological resources, which create not only the opportunity but also the responsibility to confront bias. In this editorial to our Special Issue on CSS and bias, we introduce the contributions and outline a research agenda. In defining bias, we emphasize the importance of embracing epistemological pluralism while balancing the need for standardization with methodological diversity. Detecting bias requires stronger integration of bias detection into validation procedures and the establishment of shared metrics and thresholds across studies. Finally, addressing bias involves adapting established and emerging error-correction strategies from social science traditions to CSS, as well as leveraging bias as an analytical resource for revealing structural inequalities in society. Moving forward, progress in defining, detecting, and addressing bias will require both bottom-up engagement by researchers and top-down institutional support. This Special Issue positions bias as a central theme in CSS – one that the field now has both the tools and the obligation to address.

Tire wear particles (TWP) are a complex mixture of rubber and chemical additives, and the release of these chemicals from TWP can be influenced by the physical properties and chemical composition of TWP as well as the degradation or ageing conditions of the particles. Given that soil is considered the largest reservoir of TWP emitted into the environment, we established a soil laboratory experiment using TWP leachates with three different ageing treatments (mechanical-, thermal-, and UV irradiation), and measured nine soil parameters (soil microbial activities and physicochemical properties) to investigate how ageing conditions influence the effects of TWP leachates on soil. We found that leachates from aged TWP induced considerable effects on soil parameters while non-aged treatment significantly influenced only one soil parameter. We found that the leachates of the mechanical-ageing treatments significantly decreased β-1,4-N-acetyl-glucosaminidase activity and C/N ratio, and the thermal-ageing treatment slightly increased litter decomposition but largely decreased water stable aggregates and pH. UV-ageing treatments decreased 1,4-N-acetyl-glucosaminidase activity, water stable aggregates and C/N ratio. TWP leachates of different ageing treatments induced distinct effects compared to leachates from pristine TWP, and each ageing treatment showed different response patterns in different soil parameters. This has further refined our knowledge of the ecological impacts of TWP, and highlighted the necessity of considering ageing condition as a crucial factor investigating the environmental effects of TWP.

Congenital anomalies affecting the spinal column are frequently observed in certain dog breeds. One such condition occurs at the junction between the lower back and the sacrum, where vertebrae exhibit mixed structural characteristics. This retrospective study analysed imaging records of Rhodesian Ridgebacks collected over 28 years, selecting only those that met strict positioning standards for evaluation. A total of 2 012 cases were analysed using established classification methods, identifying three distinct structural variations: a typical junction, a bilaterally altered morphology, and an asymmetrical form affecting one side. The prevalence of these variations was 7.4%, with symmetrical alterations found in 5% of cases and asymmetrical alterations in 2.4%. Statistical analysis did not reveal a significant association between these anatomical variations and canine hip dysplasia (CHD) (P = 0.170 0). These findings support previous research indicating that there is no direct link between these structural variations and joint disorders in this breed. The study represents the most extensive investigation of its kind in this canine population, highlighting that such vertebral variations are frequently observed in routine radiographic screenings, but despite decades of research, consistent clinical correlations remain elusive – underscoring the need for further systematic investigation.

Impacts of land use activities on the water quality of a large karst spring (Blautopf, Germany) were identified by extensive spatiotemporal water quality analysis, and for the first time, a paired-catchment approach was successfully transferred to a subsurface karst and cave system. Water quality changes in karst springs are often rapid, strong, and influenced by a number of factors. This comprehensive study was performed by means of long-term (30-month) monitoring, intensive sampling during a rainfall event, and spatial sampling across the cave system. The spring showed moderate seasonal variations for most parameters but a strong response to the rainfall event, where fecal bacteria (E. coli) increased 120-fold, with a most probable number (MPN) of up to 17,168 per 100 mL. The catchment area (165 km2) was subdivided into two sub-catchments of similar size and morphology but differing in land use. The subsurface paired-catchment approach demonstrated that major ions, trace elements, rare earth elements and fecal bacteria differed significantly between both sub-catchments and could be attributed to different land use activities. Nitrate was linked to agriculture, whereas potassium, chloride, gadolinium, and fecal bacteria could be identified as indicators for wastewater effluents. Significant influences on water quality included winter application of road salt, (potential) sewer overflows and, to a lesser extent, nitrogen fertilization. This study underlines the susceptibility of karst springs to contamination and demonstrates the applicability of a subsurface paired-catchment approach as a promising tool to identify spatially resolved impacts of land use activities to a karst aquifer.

Die jüngere Vergangenheit Südosteuropas ist von einer Vielzahl von gewaltsamen Konflikten geprägt, von denen auch religiöse Gemeinschaften stark betroffen waren. Demnach kann davon ausgegangen werden, dass sie bestimmte Mechanismen entwickelt haben, um diese Konflikte auch öffentlich zu verarbeiten. Der Artikel soll deskriptiv einen Überblick über die Positionen der bedeutenden Religionsgemeinschaften in neun Staaten Südosteuropas zum russischen Angriffskrieg gegen die Ukraine zwischen Februar 2022 und September 2023 geben. Zusätzlich wird ein Vergleich gezogen, der sich auf Inhalte und Struktur der Stellungnahmen bezieht. Werden Zustimmung, Enthaltung, oder Ablehnung zum Krieg gegen die Ukraine deutlich? Welche inhaltlichen Argumentationsmuster für eine bestimmte Haltung lassen sich erkennen? Welche grundlegenden Parallelen, und welche Unterschiede sind in den Argumentationen festzustellen? Die Resultate des multireligiösen Vergleichs zeigen erstens, dass keine Zustimmung, und mehrheitlich eine starke Ablehnung des Krieges und Verurteilung Russlands unter den Gemeinschaften zu verzeichnen ist. So erscheint die Russisch-Orthodoxe Kirche aus südosteuropäischer Perspektive isoliert, auch aus der Sicht der orthodoxen Kirchen. Zweitens zeigt sich eine große Bandbreite von Positionen im Spektrum zwischen Ausblenden des Krieges bis hin zu direkter und starker Verurteilung Russlands. Hier kommen, drittens, teilweise auch große Unterschiede innerhalb von Konfessionen auf (sunnitischer Islam, orthodoxes Christentum). Viertens zeigen sich in den Argumentationen der Verurteilung Russlands vielfach Bezüge zu weltlichen Ordnungsstrukturen wie dem Völkerrecht.

Cyanobacteria are prokaryotic organisms that can form large monospecific blooms, which pose a risk to human and animal health as some species produce toxic secondary metabolites called cyanotoxins. Multiclass cyanotoxin analysis is challenging due to varying chemical and physical properties between classes, as well as potentially large numbers of analogues within each class. Incorporating anatoxins (ATXs) into multiclass methods can be particularly challenging due to their small molecular size, potential interferences, polarity, and a lack of chemical standards for most analogues. Here, we present the development of a multiclass LC–MS/MS method and a quantitative calibration solution for aetokthonotoxin (AETX), an emerging cyanotoxin linked to mass mortalities of bald eagles in the Eastern United States. The developed method is capable of detecting 17 microcystins (MCs), nodularin-R, three cylindrospermopsins (CYNs), AETX, and 17 ATXs, including recently tentatively identified 10-hydroxy analogues. Analytes were identified by retention time and product ion ratio matching with available standards. The method was evaluated with respect to limits of detection (LODs), linear range, accuracy, and precision using neat and matrix matched standards. LODs in wet cyanobacterial biofilms ranged from 0.14 ng/g for CYN to 2.8 ng/g for [Dha7]MC-LR with accuracies ranging from 65% for [Leu1]MC-LY to 116% for CYN. Finally, the method’s application was demonstrated through analysis of cyanobacterial field samples, a dietary supplement matrix reference material, and passive sampler extracts to assess versatility within different matrices.

Developing low-cost, sustainable, and environmentally friendly top absorber layers for tandem solar cells is essential to advancing photovoltaic technologies and accelerating the transition to renewable energy. In this work, we explore the potential of tetravalent (Cu2Zn(GexSi1−x)Se4) cation mutations in chalcogenide compound semiconductors with the aim of finding a material with increased band gap and reduced structural disorder. A combination of high-resolution synchrotron powder diffraction and neutron powder diffraction was used to determine the atomic positions and monoclinic angles in monoclinic wurtz–kesterite type Cu2Zn(GexSi1−x)Se4 mixed crystals as well as to determine the cation distribution in the crystal structure of Ge-rich kesterite-type and Si-rich wurtz–kesterite type mixed crystals. These investigations enabled us to deduce the structural transition scenario within the Cu2Zn(GexSi1−x)Se4 series. The transition occurs via a region where two phases with different crystal structures, tetragonal and monoclinic and thus a different distortion of the coordination tetrahedra, but the same cation distribution within the element specific cation sites co-exist. Thus, the structural transition between the kesterite and the wurtz–kesterite structure within the Cu2Zn(GexSi1−x)Se4 series is a distortion driven transition. The study identifies cation mutation in quaternary chalcogenides as a promising strategy beyond chalcopyrites and kesterites for low cost and environmentally friendly top absorbers in tandem solar cells.

Retroviruses that colonize the host germline can be passed on as inherited genetic variants. The koala ( Phascolarctos cinereus ) is currently experiencing germline colonization by two retroviruses, the koala retrovirus (KoRV) and phaCin-β. We analyze the integration site segregation and diversity of endogenous KoRV, phaCin-β, and the related phaCin-β-like in 111 pedigreed koalas from the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance and seven European Zoos. The use of multigenerational pedigrees and the inclusion of health information for each individual koala reveal elimination of retroviruses from proto-oncogenes and the generation and spread of new germline integrations. Seven-hundred-and-fourteen integrations do not persist in the living population. For the 55 triads examined, 21 unique integrations identified in individual koalas are absent in their parents. Retroviral integrations associated with leukemia, fertility, and longevity are used to estimate genetic risk scores and develop a longevity breeding index to minimize neoplasia risk in the captive koala population.

White adipose tissue primarily stores energy while brown adipose tissue dissipates energy as heat, holding promise for therapeutic use. Brown adipose tissue in the anterior trunk is believed to derive from the somitic mesoderm, although some depots are of partially unknown origin. Here we show that the subscapular, lateral, cervical and peri-aortic brown adipose depots, but not the interscapular depot, are in part formed by a non-somitic source. Single-cell sequencing along with genetic lineage tracing indicates that at embryonic day 9.5 the dorsal aorta compartment harbors multipotent mesenchymal progenitors expressing the transcription factor Osr1. Spreading laterally from the dorsal aortic midline, these cells contribute to adipose, cartilage and myogenic lineages. This study uncovers an alternative source of brown adipose tissue and suggests that a fraction of dorsal aorta-associated mesenchymal Osr1 + cells may represent the in vivo correlate of a multipotent progenitor cell type so far only characterized in vitro, the mesoangioblast.

The Periodic Event Scheduling Problem (PESP) is the central mathematical tool for periodic timetable optimization in public transport. PESP can be formulated in several ways as a mixed-integer linear program with typically general integer variables. We investigate the split closure of these formulations and show that split inequalities are identical with the recently introduced flip inequalities. While split inequalities are a general mixed-integer programming technique, flip inequalities are defined in purely combinatorial terms, namely cycles and arc sets of the digraph underlying the PESP instance. It is known that flip inequalities can be separated in pseudo-polynomial time. We prove that this is best possible unless P = NP, but also observe that the complexity becomes linear-time if the cycle defining the flip inequality is fixed. Moreover, introducing mixed-integer-compatible maps, we compare the split closures of different formulations, and show that reformulation or binarization by subdivision do not lead to stronger split closures. Finally, we estimate computationally how much of the optimality gap of the instances of the benchmark library PESPlib can be closed exclusively by split cuts, and provide better dual bounds for five instances.

The article shows that Fichte's conception of human rights implies concrete guidelines for the economic organization of states and international relations. First, I elucidate Fichte's view on human rights at the domestic level. Fichte's complex theory of human rights consists in a meta-right to live in a state that secures at least two “original rights”: a right to bodily inviolability and a right to sufficient property. I focus on the latter. Due to Fichte's unorthodox view of property rights as rights to actions rather than objects, this amounts to a right to work. This right, according to Fichte, must be realized in a planned economy. Second, I focus on the global level. Fichte's right to sufficient (unorthodox) property has implications for three dimensions of global justice: cosmopolitan right, the right of nations and commercial relations. Third, I draw some insights from thinking through Fichte's global material constitution for long observed conceptual tensions regarding his political and legal philosophy, namely between freedom and security as well as cosmopolitanism and nationalism, and for current debates in politics and political theory.

We investigate the evolution of dynamic phase-field fracture in the finite-strain setting, extending our previous work in the small-strain viscoelastodynamic regime. The elastodynamic equations are coupled with a dissipative damage evolution for the phase-field variable 𝑧. The material response is described with a polyconvex stored energy density 𝑊 =𝑊 ( 𝑧,𝐅 ,𝐇 , 𝐽) , where 𝐅 denotes the gradient of the deformation, 𝐇 its cofactor, and 𝐽its determinant. This ensures compatibility with the principles of nonlinear elasticity. A fully discrete time-staggered approximation scheme is proposed, along with associated stability of discrete solutions. We present compactness results and analyze the convergence of the discrete approximations. While convergence of the phase-field variable and the compatibility of the kinematic variables can be demonstrated, the identification of the limit stress in the momentum balance remains open. To address this, two strategies are outlined: an extension of the classical (weak) framework using generalized Young or defect measures, and an alternative formulation via energetic-variational solutions that avoids the explicit measure construction. Partial results on existence and the structure of the limit system are discussed.

This pilot study investigated the presence of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and third-generation cephalosporin-resistant (3GC-R) Enterobacterales in conventionally kept domestic pigs and their environment across four districts in Rwanda. A total of 114 swabs (nasal, rectal, manure, dust) from 29 farms were collected and processed to isolate resistant bacteria. Thirty-two 3GC-R Enterobacterales were detected. Escherichia coli predominantly harboring blaCTX-M group 1 β-lactamase genes, alongside Klebsiella pneumoniae isolates, all displaying extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL) phenotypes. Four MRSA isolates, all belonging to clonal complex 398 and SCCmec type IV, the typical livestock MRSA, were recovered from nasal and environmental samples. Multidrug resistance was frequently observed. The co-occurrence of β-lactamase genes, non-β-lactam resistance genes, and virulence factors such as fimH and loci associated with extraintestinal pathogenic and enteropathogenic E. coli. The detection of both MRSA and 3GC-R Enterobacterales in the present study indicates pigs and their farm environments as reservoirs of WHO priority pathogens in Rwanda, highlighting a potential public health risk in the context of extensive human–animal–environment interaction. These findings emphasize the urgent need for integrated One Health surveillance and comprehensive AMR control strategies addressing both animal and environmental reservoirs to support Rwanda’s National Action Plan on Antimicrobial Resistance.

In this article, I present the main research objectives, questions, and data elicitation methods used in a project regarding the acquisition of word-internal geminates in Italian as a second/foreign language (L2). Extending beyond geminate consonants, a corpus-based approach to document various segmental and suprasegmental phenomena in L2 Italian is proposed. The study introduces the research protocol, which entailed multiple tasks to collect both perception and production data efficiently within a manageable timeframe. A detailed description of the individual tasks, the selection of the materials and the participants, and the practical aspects of the data collection are provided; the limitations and challenges associated with collecting data pertaining to the acquisition of L2 speech are also discussed. While the primary focus is on L2 Italian, the method can also be adopted for research on first language (L1) Italian varieties, thus making it widely applicable. The ultimately aim of the project is to present a transparent and adaptable methodological approach that can serve as a foundation for future research.

In grammaticalization studies, reanalysis is understood as the assignment of new meaning to formally unchanged elements, supported by bridging contexts compatible with the old and the reanalyzed meaning. The source determination hypothesis (SDH) predicts that parallel grammaticalization trajectories occur crosslinguistically, as similar source meanings give rise to similar inferences. One such pattern is the development of recent past markers from FINISH constructions. While grammaticalization pathways are well-documented crosslinguistically, the SDH has never been tested experimentally. In this study, we examine whether modern English speakers are sensitive to inferences arising from a bridging context identified as relevant to the grammaticalization of Old Spanish FINISH into a recent past marker. In a temporal distance judgment task, we examined whether the bridging context identified for Old Spanish facilitates an inference of temporal immediacy in contemporary English, where the construction has not been grammaticalized. In line with the SDH, the bridging context enhanced an inference of immediacy in contemporary English (Exp. 1), with specific grammatical features of the source determining its strength (Exp. 2). These results not only demonstrate the viability of testing hypotheses about language change using experimental pragmatics but also call for empirically refining the concept of source determination.

Variations in the solar spectral irradiance (SSI) with the 11-year sunspot cycle have been shown to have a significant impact on temperatures and the mixing ratios of atmospheric constituents in the stratosphere and mesosphere. Uncertainties in modelling the effects of SSI variations arise from uncertainties in the empirical models reconstructing the prescribed SSI data set as well as from uncertainties in the chemistry–climate model (CCM) formulation. In this study CCM simulations with the ECHAM/MESSy Atmospheric Chemistry (EMAC) model and the Community Earth System Model 1 (CESM1)–Whole Atmosphere Chemistry Climate Model (WACCM) have been performed to quantify the uncertainties of the solar responses in chemistry and dynamics that are due to the usage of five different SSI data sets or the two CCMs. We apply a two-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) to separate the influence of the SSI data sets and the CCMs on the variability of the solar response in shortwave heating rates, temperature, and ozone. The solar response is derived from climatological differences of time slice simulations prescribing SSI for the solar maximum in 1989 and near the solar minimum in 1994. The SSI values for the solar maximum of each SSI data set are created by adding the SSI differences between November 1994 and November 1989 to a common SSI reference spectrum for near-solar-minimum conditions based on ATLAS-3 (Atmospheric Laboratory of Applications and Science-3). The ANOVA identifies the SSI data set with the strongest influence on the variability of the solar response in shortwave heating rates in the upper mesosphere and in the upper stratosphere–lower mesosphere. The strongest influence on the variability of the solar response in ozone and temperature is identified in the upper stratosphere–lower mesosphere. However, in the region of the largest ozone mixing ratio, in the stratosphere from 50 to 10 hPa, the SSI data sets do not contribute much to the variability of the solar response when the Spectral And Total Irradiance REconstructions-T (SATIRE-T) SSI data set is omitted. The largest influence of the CCMs on variability of the solar responses can be identified in the upper mesosphere. The solar response in the lower stratosphere also depends on the CCM used, especially in the tropics and northern hemispheric subtropics and mid-latitudes, where the model dynamics modulate the solar responses. Apart from the upper mesosphere, there are also regions where the largest fraction of the variability of the solar response is explained by randomness, especially for the solar response in temperature.

The Eocene/Oligocene Transition represents a period of profound changes in diatom productivity and evolutionary history within the Cenozoic era. Unraveling how these changes correlate with climatic shifts during this transition is crucial for understanding the potential role of diatoms in the cooling trends observed at the Eocene/Oligocene boundary (∼ 33.9 Ma). Current research predominantly relies on bulk opal accumulation measurements to assess productivity dynamics, which fails to distinguish the contribution of different biosiliceous (e.g., diatom versus radiolarian) plankton to total biogenic silica productivity. Furthermore, despite the fundamental role of community composition and diversity in diatom productivity and carbon sequestration, these factors are often not incorporated in existing studies focusing on the late Paleogene diatom productivity. The main objective of our work is to explore the potential roles of diatom communities in the Late Eocene climatic changes by focusing on diatom- and radiolarian-specific productivity across multiple Southern Ocean sites, rather than bulk opal measurements, and by incorporating total diatom abundance into the analysis of diatom diversity evolution throughout the Eocene/Oligocene transition. By quantifying diatom and radiolarian abundances across four Southern Ocean sites in the Atlantic and Indian Ocean sectors, and analyzing diatom productivity through recent reconstructions of diatom diversity from approximately 40–30 Ma interval, our findings reveal a significant increase in diatom abundance coupled with notable shifts in community diversity. These changes suggest a potential ecological shift, likely associated with the development of stronger circum-Antarctic currents in the Late Eocene. Such shifts could have influenced the efficiency of the biological carbon pump by enhancing organic carbon export to the deep ocean and thus potentially contributing to reduced atmospheric CO2 levels. While our findings indicate that the expansion of diatoms may have been a part of the mechanisms underlying the Late Eocene cooling, they also highlight the importance of integrating diatom diversity and community evolution into diatom productivity research. Furthermore, our results offer valuable insights into the complex relationship between diatom abundance and diversity in the geological record, reflecting the intricate interplay of environmental and climatic factors.