When speakers of different languages are in contact, they often borrow features like sounds, words, or syntactic patterns from one language to the other. However, the lack of historical data has hampered estimation of this effect at a global scale. We overcome this hurdle by using genetic admixture and shared geohistorical location as a proxy for population contact. We find that language pairs whose speaker populations underwent genetic admixture or that are located in the same geohistorical area exhibit notable similar increases in shared linguistic patterns across world regions and different demographic relationships, suggesting a consistent trend in borrowing rates. At the same time, the effect varies strongly across specific linguistic features. This variation is only partly explained by cognitive differences in lifelong learnability and by social functions of signaling assimilation through borrowing, leaving much randomness in which specific features are borrowed. Additionally, we find that, for some features, admixture decreases sharing, likely reflecting signals of divergence (schismogenesis) under contact.

Subduction megathrusts release stress not only seismically through earthquakes, but also through creep and transient slow deformation, called slow slip events (SSEs). Understanding the interplay between fast and slow slip is essential for illuminating the deformation processes on the subduction interface. The Chilean subduction margin, while one of the most seismically active regions worldwide, has few reports of SSEs. Furthermore, there are no comprehensive reports of tectonic tremors or low-frequency earthquakes (LFEs), seismic signals typically accompanying SSEs, tracking deformation at small spatial and temporal scales. Here, we perform a systematic search for tectonic tremors and LFEs in the Atacama segment in Northern Chile, a region hosting both shallow and deep SSEs. Using dense seismic networks, we investigate 3.3 years between November 2020 and February 2024. Due to the network geometry, we focus on deep tremor and LFEs. We apply two complementary methods, envelope correlation for tremor search and deep learning detection for LFEs, to generate initial catalogs. To validate the potential detections, we use clustering, matched filtering, heuristics, and extensive manual inspection. While our initial search provides numerous candidates, after verification, we find no evidence for tectonic tremor or LFEs in the region. In contrast, our approaches successfully recover tremors and LFEs in two reference regions outside Chile with known tremor and LFE activity. Our observations show that tremors and LFEs in Northern Chile are either of lower moment rate than in other regions, have substantially longer recurrence rates, or are absent altogether, potentially due to the cold subduction.

Terahertz polarizers are needed for advanced spectroscopic systems, but they have drawbacks such as low transmission, short bandwidths, and low extinction ratios. A method for the development of ultrabroadband THz polarizers based on the nanoimprint lithography technique is reported here, in which high performance is achieved for a double-wire-grid polarizer (DWGP) structures on cyclic olefin copolymer (COC) substrates. Over the 0.1–25 THz frequency range, the polymer DWGPs exhibited more than twice the TM-polarized transmittance of their silicon-based counterparts. The degree of polarization was greater than 98% in the 0.1–16 THz range, and the extinction ratio was greater than 65.4 dB at 4.2 THz. THz time-domain spectroscopy (THz-TDS) and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) were also employed to characterize the optical properties of materials over the frequency ranges of 0.1–40 THz and 0.9–20 THz, respectively. The nanofabricated polymer DWGP showed better optical properties than the Si DWGP in terms of enhanced TM transmittance and reduced TE leakage. In addition, the prepared COC polarizers exhibited cost-effectiveness, scalability, and durability and can be considered environmentally friendly alternatives to conventional Si-based polarizers. This study opens up the possibility of using polymer-based DWGPs as important high-performance components in THz imaging and sensing applications and in wireless communication systems.

The Bahariya Formation of the northern Western Desert, Egypt, is well-known for its plentiful and diverse vertebrate fossil assemblages, especially dinosaurs, and also eminent for its rich fossil macroflora. Unraveling the taxonomic and climatic inferences of this macroflora will undoubtedly provide essential insights into reconstructing this significant ecosystem and understanding plant life in the region during the early Cenomanian period. In this study, a taxonomic revision of the recovered fossil leaves, a crucial aspect of our research, enables the identification of fourteen morphotypes closely resembling those recently recovered from adjacent profiles of the Bahariya Formation. This taxonomic revision significantly contributes to our understanding of the Cenomanian floras from Egypt and their Neo-Tethys counterparts. The results from the current macrofloral record largely confirm previous data regarding the same ancient vegetation preserved in the palynological record. Moreover, sedimentological investigations, including petrography and X-ray diffraction of rock samples from the type section of the Bahariya Formation in the Gebel El Dist profile, a section closely similar to the location where the leaf fossils were recovered—play a crucial role in supporting climatic models, thereby providing reassurance and confidence in the research findings.

Objective

Despite evidence-based interventions for psychiatric disorders that often precede suicidality, suicide remains a leading cause of death among youth. There has been increased interest in whether preventive interventions targeting early risk factors lead to decreased distal risk for suicidal thoughts and behaviors (STBs). This study examined the impact of Coping Power (CP), a school-based preventive intervention targeting externalizing problems, on STBs.

Method

The sample included 3,182 youths (36.4% female; 77.3% Black) who participated in 1 of 11 randomized controlled trials of CP. Individual-level data across trials were harmonized using integrative data analysis to address cross-study variation in measurement of STBs. The study used meta-analysis of individual participant data for modeling cross-study variation in intervention effects and propensity score weighting for addressing covariate imbalance arising from combining intervention arms across studies. Hypothesis tests were conducted for parent- and teacher-reported STBs under propensity score–weighted multilevel modeling.

Results

Compared with school as usual, youth participating in mindfulness-enhanced CP demonstrated significant decreases in parent-reported STBs over time (b = −.08 [.02], p < .001; after 1 year: d = −0.13; after 2 years: d = −0.25), and youth participating in Internet-enhanced CP demonstrated significant decreases in teacher-reported STBs over time (b = −.08 [.03], p = .003; after 1 year: d = −0.20; after 2 years: d = −0.40). Inconsistent results for standard CP and individual CP in sensitivity analyses preclude clear conclusions for these 2 intervention formats.

Conclusion

Synthesis of the reported findings highlights the promise of digital health and mindfulness-based interventions for youth with externalizing problems in reducing STBs. Additional research is needed to better understand the nature of for whom, how, and under what conditions preventive interventions impact later STBs.

Previous studies have applied a variable-centered approach to conduct extensive investigations of preservice early childhood teachers’ (PECTs’) epistemic beliefs in the domain of mathematics (application-related beliefs, process-related beliefs, static orientation), enjoyment of mathematics, mathematics anxiety, mathematical content knowledge, and mathematics pedagogical content knowledge. However, person-centered approaches, which have been fruitfully applied to other constructs and domains concerning pre- and inservice teachers, have not yet been applied to the aforementioned constructs. We addressed this research gap by investigating relationships between mathematics-related beliefs, emotions, and knowledge in terms of the well-established control-value theory in combination with a mixture distribution path analysis. About 1,851 PECTs took part in the study. Participants worked on tests and questionnaires during regular class time in teacher education. The results yielded two latent classes with structural differences in the coefficients of the path model, which we termed the application and static learning classes. In Class 1, higher levels of application-related beliefs were in line with lower levels of anxiety and higher levels of knowledge. In Class 2, higher levels of static orientation were in line with lower levels of enjoyment and higher levels of anxiety and knowledge. These novel results indicate two pathways for learning, with implications for research and practice. For research, the results are interesting with regard to static orientation and show the need for further research. For practice, they indicate the need to respect individual differences even during teacher education.

In societies experiencing declining birth rates, understanding factors that influence childbearing decisions is of interest. We used a factorial survey experiment to investigate how scenarios of future caregiving responsibilities toward aging parents and employment uncertainties shape the expected childbearing behavior of a fictitious couple. Respondents from the nationally representative German Socio-Economic Panel Innovation Sample (SOEP-IS) ( n  = 1,750) were randomly assigned to five vignettes, each describing a hypothetical couple with varying levels of caregiving responsibilities towards an aging parent and employment uncertainties. Respondents subsequently rated their expectations about the hypothetical couple’s childbearing behavior within the next three years using an 11-point scale. Results show that high caregiving responsibilities and dual employment uncertainties reduce expected childbearing behavior by 2.8 and 1.9 units respectively, compared to when these are absent. The negative effect of high caregiving responsibilities is more pronounced among women, while respondents’ own caregiving and employment experiences do not moderate these effects. These results demonstrate how both future-oriented caregiving responsibilities and employment uncertainties alter expectations about family formation and highlight the scenarios that are regarded as more or less favorable for childbearing.

Increased surface-water temperatures and nutrient enrichment are predicted to alter planktonic communities, impacting biodiversity and ecosystem functioning. While short-term mesocosm studies have reported temperature- and nutrient-driven effects, long-term observations from natural systems remain limited. We studied seasonal plankton communities in 10 lakes in central Poland, five warmed by power plant discharge for six decades and ~ 2°C warmer (annual mean) than control lakes. Based on environmental DNA (eDNA) relative read abundance, green algae (Chlorophyta) were up to 15% more abundant in heated lakes, while golden algae (Chrysophyceae) were up to 7% more abundant in control lakes. Heated lakes exhibited higher diversity of diatoms, green algae, golden algae, cercozoans, basidiomycetes, and chytrids, especially in summer. Their plankton assemblages were compositionally distinct and showed reduced seasonal variability. Multiple regression revealed that rising temperature, interacting with elevated nutrients, reduced diversity in many plankton groups. Warming favored heat-adapted taxa, driving compositional shifts. By providing insights into the long-term impacts of anthropogenic warming, this study underscores the importance of integrating temperature-nutrient interactions in predicting ecosystem responses to climate change.

Nanoplastics (NPs) are emerging contaminants that have received worldwide attention due to their threats to human health. Although NPs have been reported to cause adverse effects on animal retinas, their potential effects on the human retina are poorly understood. This study aims to investigate the impact of polystyrene-NPs (PS-NPs) on human neural retina organoids (hNROs), which mimic the early developing neural retina. hNROs were generated and exposed to PS-NPs with diameters of 100, 200, and 500 nm at concentrations of 0.04, 0.1, and 0.25 mg/mL for two weeks. Smaller-sized PS-NPs induced more severe neurotoxicity to hNROs, as evidenced by decreased organoid size, reduced cell proliferation, increased apoptosis, and altered gene expression profiles. All sizes of PS-NPs exerted toxic effects on retinal development by disrupting axon guidance, anatomical structure development, differentiation, and neurogenesis. PS-NPs exhibited concentration-dependent neurotoxicity, with increasing severity at higher concentrations. Compared with early-stage exposure, pre-early-stage exposure to PS-NPs resulted in a more pronounced inhibition in organoid growth and development. Moreover, we investigated the combined neurotoxic effects of PS-NPs and cadmium (one of the most common heavy metals) exposure. Co-exposure was found to enhance the retinal toxicity of PS-NPs. Collectively, this study demonstrates that NP-induced retinal toxicity exhibits size-, dose-, and developmental stage-dependent effects, advancing our understanding of their health risks.

Eukaryotic algae-dominated microbiomes thrive on the Greenland Ice Sheet (GrIS) in harsh environmental conditions, including low temperatures, high light, and low nutrient availability. Chlorophyte algae bloom on snow, while streptophyte algae dominate bare ice surfaces. Empirical data about the cellular mechanisms responsible for their survival in these extreme conditions are scarce. This knowledge gap was addressed by quantifying proteins for both algal taxa from samples on the southern margin of the GrIS. We show that the streptophyte glacier ice algae have a relative enrichment in proteins involved in environmental signaling and nutrient transport, indicative of cellular readiness to dynamically respond to extreme GriS environmental cues, linked, for example, to photoprotection and the rapid update of scarce nutrients. In contrast, the chlorophyte snow algae have a high abundance of proteins linked to lipid and nitrogen metabolisms, providing evidence for the biological processes sustaining the cellular carbon and nitrogen stores necessary for survival in an oligotrophic environment. We also identify proteins in both taxa linked to the synthesis and breakdown of key cellular pigments. Our study gives novel insights into the cellular biology of these algae and their adaptation to extreme environments.

Spiritual healers in contemporary Germany comprise a heterogeneous and growing group, yet little data exists about them. Therefore, one aim of this study was to learn about which biographical aspects and events were important to the process of becoming a healer and which biographical aspects drove clients to consult a healer. The study was based on semi-structured interviews combined with participant observations. All data were recorded digitally, transcribed, entered into the software program MAXQDA and analysed subjected to Content Analysis. In total, 15 healers (nine male, six female) and 16 clients (13 female, three male) were included. According to the healers, a talent for healing can be inborn, inherited or developed through life experiences. Most of the healers experienced a crisis, which prompted their transformation to healers (the wounded healer type). A smaller group became healers mainly out of interest without going through crisis and by focusing on the spiritual attitude itself (the healer by interest type). The basis of healing is seen as a connection to a transcendent reality, which enables an open, loving and empathetic attitude. The experience of crises and illnesses and the importance of spirituality are major biographical similarities between healers and clients. Near-death experiences as an extreme form of crisis were reported from a few healers and clients. The connections between healing talents and crises, including a deepened exploration of near-death experiences and questions regarding inclining towards spirituality could be of interest in further studies.

Although the enzymatic mechanisms of terpene synthases have been extensively characterized through experimental and computational studies, the atomistic details underlying the product release process have remained elusive. In this study, we present the first atomistic simulations of the initial stages of product release in a terpene synthase, using the bacterial diterpene cyclase CotB2 as a model system. CotB2 catalyzes the complex cyclization of geranylgeranyl diphosphate (GGDP) to the tricyclic diterpene cyclooctat-9-en-7-ol in a single active site through an 11-step reaction cascade. Our MD simulations focus on three model systems representing CotB2 with bound GGDP and cyclooctat-9-en-7-ol, the latter in two states—with the diphosphate fully deprotonated (P2O74−) and protonated diphosphate (HP2O73−). Analysis of the MD trajectories clearly shows that product release is initiated by the dislocation of the diphosphate group, which in turn triggers active site opening via coordinated C-terminal motions. Notably, protonation of the diphosphate moiety appears to be the key event that weakens its interactions with the active site and enables product release. These findings provide crucial mechanistic insight into the final phase of terpene biosynthesis and open new avenues for rational enzyme engineering targeting product release.

Enterococcus spp. are commensal bacteria with increasing clinical relevance due to their role in antimicrobial resistance (AMR). This was a cross-sectional study conducted on broiler chickens in the Soroti and Wakiso districts. It assessed the prevalence, species distribution, AMR profiles, and the presence of mutations in the gyrA gene in antibiotic-resistant Enterococci spp. A total of 402 environmental samples were collected, and 75 % (303/402) tested positive for Enterococcus spp. The most frequently isolated species were E. faecalis (33.1 %), followed by E. faecium (21.4 %) and E. lactis (13.4 %). Phenotypic resistance was observed to sulfamethoxazole-trimethoprim (21.2 %), fluoroquinolone (11.9 %), tigecycline (11.8 %), ampicillin (4.1 %), glycopeptides (2.3 %), gentamicin (2.0 %), and linezolid (1.0 %). Resistance to fluoroquinolones, tigecycline, and sulfamethoxazole-trimethoprim was significantly associated with the semi-intensive system (Fisher’s exact p < 0.001). Only 3.3 % of the isolates were multidrug-resistant. Eleven acquired resistance genes were detected, with tetL and tetM showing significant distribution differences between systems. Mutations in gyrA associated with fluoroquinolone resistance were also identified. While overall AMR levels were low, the detection of resistance to critically important antibiotics not approved for use in poultry highlights potential public health risks. These findings underscore the importance of routine AMR surveillance in poultry. It also highlights the need for deeper investigation into its role in AMR transmission and strategic interventions to limit the development of resistance in food animal production.

While the introduction of wheat into early full-scale farming systems of northern China has received much research attention over the past two decades, few studies have looked at when and how the cultivation of barley, which is better adapted to colder climates, spread across East Asia. New radiocarbon (14C) dates obtained from archaeological barley grains together with material evidence suggest that the crop was introduced to Primorye (Russia’s border region with China and North Korea) no later than the 2nd century BCE, although an earlier arrival sometime between the 4th and 3rd centuries BCE seems possible. From Primorye, the crop probably spread further eastward to Hokkaido. The combined archaeological and chronological evidence suggests that barley-cultivating cultural groups may have migrated to southern Primorye from areas to the west or from southern Liaoning/north-western Korea, which rules out a dispersal via the northern Eurasian steppes or the Japanese archipelago. We propose that a combination of cultural and climatic factors was the driving force behind this migration. While we identify the eastward expansion of the Warring State of Yan around 300 BCE as the primary driver that pushed barley-cultivating populations to migrate, it seems possible that long-term cooling and drying less favourable for farming during 1000–300 BCE added to the political unrest at the northern and eastern boundaries of the Chinese Warring States, or may even have amplified their policies of territorial expansion.

Recent empirical results have linked the N400 ERP with predictive language comprehension processes based on statistical learning (SL). However, links between SL abilities and N400 on the level of individual differences have so far been underexplored. The present study tested SL performance in 29 participants using speech segmentation and artificial grammar learning tasks, followed by EEG recordings of their N400 responses to sentences varying in cloze probability (high, intermediate, low). Mixed-effects models revealed that better online SL performance (SL-ON) was associated with larger N400 amplitudes across conditions. Additionally, working memory showed a significant main effect and interacted with SL-ON in modulating N400 amplitude, while cloze probability also had a robust, independent effect on it. These results demonstrate that individual differences in SL abilities contribute to N400 response variability, supporting the view that the semantic operations reflected by the N400 may involve some form of statistical learning as well. Our findings also raise the possibility that SL and CP tap into distinct levels of predictive mechanisms in language comprehension.

Fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva (FOP) is an ultra-rare genetic disorder caused by mutations in ACVR1, most commonly the R206H variant. These mutations lead to heterotopic ossification (HO) in soft tissues, such as muscles, tendons, and ligaments. While people with FOP appear healthy at birth, they progressively develop HO starting in childhood, resulting in severe disabilities. Heterotopic ossification can be triggered by injuries, flare-ups, or occur spontaneously, and currently, there are limited medical or surgical treatment options available. To address these challenges, we generated a novel inducible Acvr1R206H knock-in mouse model (C57BL/6 background) that accurately replicates both injury- and non-injury-induced (spontaneous) HO. This model was engineered using an inducible CreERT2 system to express the R206H mutation following Cre-mediated recombination. As expected, muscle injury in these mice resulted in the formation of HO via endochondral ossification, a process in which cartilage is converted into bone. When induced by doxycycline administration employing the rt;tetO-Cre system the same Acvr1ARC-R206H floxed allele also led to the development of similar HO upon muscle injury. Furthermore, we developed a protocol to induce non-injury-induced HO in these mice and determined that HO progresses more slowly in the absence of injury. This mouse model holds great potential as a valuable tool to explore cellular processes underlying disease progression and to serve as pre-clinical model to test the efficacy of therapeutic interventions aimed at preventing HO in FOP.

Wildfires strongly alter soil properties, which in turn affect ecosystem recovery over extended periods, though long-term impacts are less certain. This study investigated a 14-year post-fire chronosequence in Chile’s mediterranean and temperate humid forests, revealing ecosystem-specific soil properties and nutrient recovery mechanisms. By analysing sites at successional stages, the chronosequence approach assessed temporal changes and ecosystem recovery, revealing long-term wildfire effects on soil dynamics and nutrients recovery. Wildfires raised soil bulk density to 0.9 g cm−3 in humid temperate and 1.2 g cm−3 in mediterranean ecosystems. Mediterranean soils experienced greater compaction from organic matter loss, soil aggregate destruction, ash-clogged pores, and topsoil erosion. Soil texture shifts were ecosystem-dependent: mediterranean soils increased 10–12 % in clay and silt through ash redistribution and aggregation, while temperate soils saw sand content rise by 0.74 % and 0.32 % yearly at 0–5 and 5–10 cm depths from thermal disaggregation and erosion. Ground vegetation recovers quickly, but physical soil properties like bulk density require over 14 years to return to pre-fire conditions. In humid temperate forests, ash input initially increased soil pH (4.8 to 5.8), reducing acidity, mitigating aluminium toxicity, while increasing nutrient availability. Base cation stocks increased in mediterranean woodlands (e.g., Ca: up to 0.41 Mg ha−1 y−1) due to ash retention, lower leaching, and ash infiltration into subsoil. Nutrient stocks in humid forests recovered slowly (Ca: 0.087–0.13 Mg ha−1 y−1) due to rainfall-driven leaching and low subsoil reserves. Carbon and N losses were restricted to the litter horizon in temperate forests, recovering via fire-resistant tree inputs, whereas mediterranean soils suffered severe C and N depletion from vegetation loss, erosion, and low N fixation. Fire effects and recovery are ecosystem-specific, shaped by landscape, geology, hydrology, and vegetation resilience. Understanding how fire regimes affect soil and nutrient recovery is vital for improving projections in fire-prone regions.

Recent academic and activist critiques raise important points about the ways in which coloniality, migration and racialization are often overlooked in global health research and practice. In particular, these critiques highlight how such structural forces perpetuate inequalities and exclusions, as well as processes of epistemic violence in global health. While agreeing with these critical interventions, this paper argues for a focus on care and the importance that concrete acts and systems of care in postcolonial, migratory and racialized contexts have on the suffering and vulnerability of individuals and communities. Drawing on case studies from multiple different geographic and social contexts, we argue that the perspective of racialization can highlight how multi-layered inequalities in global healthcare are shaped by the intertwined processes of coloniality and migration; thereby explaining the contextual, structural vulnerability of specific groups of people to certain health conditions and their exclusion from adequate healthcare resources. We argue that social scientists and critical global health scholars and practitioners can play a central role in bringing the three strands of research – coloniality, migration and racialization – into conversation to explore their potential for jointly advancing the care and well-being of individuals and communities in different geographical and social contexts.

In quantum metrology, a major application of quantum technologies, the ultimate precision of estimating an unknown parameter is often stated in terms of the Cramér-Rao bound. Yet, the latter fails to completely characterize the distribution of estimates in the nonasymptotic regime. Optimizing metrology protocols with respect to the Cramér-Rao bound can therefore lead to surprisingly poor finite-sample performance. This can be avoided by quantifying the quality of a metrology protocol by the probability of obtaining an estimate with a given accuracy. Using this intrinsically single-shot quantity naturally accommodates the finite-sample regime. We show that the fundamental limits of this figure of merit can be quantified through a multihypothesis testing problem between quantum states. Building on this connection, we derive an analogue of the Cramér-Rao bound that contains explicit corrections relevant to the finite-sample regime. We apply the finite-sample metrology framework to the example task of phase estimation with an ensemble of spin-1/2 particles, giving unambiguous evidence that large quantum Fisher information does not guarantee that a metrology protocol has a good finite-sample performance. Overall, analyzing the probability of success allows the reliable study of quantum metrology in the finite-sample regime and opens up a plethora of new avenues for research at the interface of quantum information theory and quantum metrology.

Representations are a foundational component of any modeling protocol, including on molecules and molecular solids. For tasks that depend on knowledge of both molecular conformation and 3D orientation, such as the modeling of molecular dimers, clusters, or condensed phases, we desire a rotatable representation that is provably complete in the types and positions of atomic nuclei and roto-inversion equivariant with respect to the input point cloud. In this paper, we develop, train, and evaluate a new type of autoencoder, molecular O(3) encoding net (Mo3ENet), for multi-type point clouds, for which we propose a new reconstruction loss, capitalizing on a Gaussian mixture representation of the input and output point clouds. Mo3ENet is end-to-end equivariant, meaning the learned representation can be manipulated on O(3), a practical bonus. An appropriately trained Mo3ENet latent space comprises a universal embedding for scalar, vector, and tensorial molecule property prediction tasks, as well as other downstream tasks incorporating the 3D molecular pose, and we demonstrate its fitness on several such tasks.