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Observation of χcJ → 3(K⁺K⁻)
(2024)
By analyzing (27.12±0.14)×108 𝜓(3686) events collected with the BESIII detector operating at the BEPCII collider, the decay processes 𝜒𝑐𝐽→3(𝐾+𝐾−) (𝐽=0, 1, 2) are observed for the first time with statistical significances of 8.2𝜎, 8.1𝜎, and 12.4𝜎, respectively. The product branching fractions of 𝜓(3686)→𝛾𝜒𝑐𝐽, 𝜒𝑐𝐽→3(𝐾+𝐾−) are presented and the branching fractions of 𝜒𝑐𝐽→3(𝐾+𝐾−) decays are determined to be ℬ𝜒𝑐0→3(𝐾+𝐾−)=(10.7±1.8±1.1)×10−6, ℬ𝜒𝑐1→3(𝐾+𝐾−)=(4.2±0.9±0.5)×10−6, and ℬ𝜒𝑐2→3(𝐾+𝐾−)=(7.2±1.1±0.8)×10−6, where the first uncertainties are statistical and the second are systematic.
Using data samples with an integrated luminosity of 6.4~fb−1 collected by the BESIII detector operating at the BEPCII storage ring, the process of e+e−→γϕJ/ψ is studied. The processes of e+e−→ϕχc1,c2, χc1,c2→γJ/ψ are observed with a significance of more than 10σ. The s√-dependent cross section of e+e−→ϕχc1,c2 is measured between 4.600 and 4.951~GeV, and evidence of a resonance structure is found for the first time in the ϕχc2 process. We also search for the processes of e+e−→γX(4140), γX(4274) and γX(4500) via the γϕJ/ψ final state, but no obvious structures are found. The upper limits on the production cross section times the branching fraction for these processes at the 90% confidence level are reported.
The cross section of the process e+e−→K+K− is measured at a number of center-of-mass energies s√ from 2.00 to 3.08 GeV with the BESIII detector at the Beijing Electron Positron Collider (BEPCII). The results provide the best precision achieved so far. A resonant structure around 2.2 GeV is observed in the cross section line shape. A Breit-Wigner fit yields a mass of M=2239.2±7.1±11.3~and a width of Γ=139.8±12.3±20.6 MeV, where the first uncertainties are statistical and the second ones are systematic. In addition, the time-like electromagnetic form factor of the kaon is determined at the individual center-of-mass energy points.
Using a 3.19 fb−1 data sample collected at an 𝑒+𝑒− center-of-mass energy of 𝐸cm=4.178 GeV with the BESIII detector, we measure the branching fraction of the leptonic decay 𝐷+𝑠→𝜇+𝜈𝜇 to be ℬ𝐷+𝑠→𝜇+𝜈𝜇=(5.49±0.16stat±0.15syst)×10−3. Combining our branching fraction with the masses of the 𝐷+𝑠 and 𝜇+ and the lifetime of the 𝐷+𝑠, we determine 𝑓𝐷+𝑠|𝑉𝑐𝑠|=246.2±3.6stat±3.5syst MeV. Using the 𝑐→𝑠 quark mixing matrix element |𝑉𝑐𝑠| determined from a global standard model fit, we evaluate the 𝐷+𝑠 decay constant 𝑓𝐷+𝑠=252.9±3.7stat±3.6syst MeV. Alternatively, using the value of 𝑓𝐷+𝑠 calculated by lattice quantum chromodynamics, we find |𝑉𝑐𝑠|=0.985±0.014stat±0.014syst. These values of ℬ𝐷+𝑠→𝜇+𝜈𝜇, 𝑓𝐷+𝑠|𝑉𝑐𝑠|, 𝑓𝐷+𝑠 and |𝑉𝑐𝑠| are each the most precise results to date.
Using a data sample of 448.1×106 𝜓(3686) events collected at √𝑠=3.686 GeV with the BESIII detector at the Beijing Electron-Positron Collider II, we search for the rare decay 𝐽/𝜓→𝜙𝑒+𝑒− via 𝜓(3686)→𝜋+𝜋−𝐽/𝜓. No signal events are observed and the upper limit on the branching fraction is set to be ℬ(𝐽/𝜓→𝜙𝑒+𝑒−)<1.2×10−7 at the 90% confidence level, which is still about one order of magnitude higher than the Standard Model prediction.
Five new species of the spider genus Heteropoda Latreille, 1804 (Araneae: Sparassidae) from China
(2024)
Five new species of Heteropoda (Araneae, Sparassidae, Heteropodinae) are described from China: H. bawanglingensis sp. nov. (female; Hainan), H. dulongensis sp. nov. (male, female; Yunnan), H. hainanensis sp. nov. (male, female; Hainan), H. longa sp. nov. (female; Guizhou), and H. vaginalis sp. nov. (female; Yunnan). We provide descriptions and illustrations for each species as well as a distribution map in the current paper.
Scalibregmatidae Malmgren, 1867 is a family of annelids, with only few taxa reported from Brazil. In this work, we describe two new species of Asclerocheilus Ashworth, 1901. The new species A. geiseae sp. nov. and A. blakei sp. nov. were collected during scientific expeditions to the Espírito Santo and Campos sedementary basins. These expeditions were coordinated by PETROBRAS/CENPES. The species A. geiseae sp. nov. is unique among its congeners by the presence of acicular spines with rounded and curved tips in two rows. The second species, A. blakei sp. nov., differs from its congeners by the combination of the presence of a trapezoidal prostomium, acicular spines on chaetigers 1–3, lyrate chaetae from chaetiger 3 on notopodia and 2 on neuropodia. Moreover, we report the species A. tropicus Blake, 1981 from the localities sampled on this study. We also provide an identification key to all species of Asclerocheilus of the world.
Sipunculans are a poorly studied group in the Tropical Eastern Pacific. For the Southern Mexican Pacific (SMP) there is only one record of a sipunculan species. The main objective of this work was to determine the species composition of the phylum Sipuncula present in the SMP. The study area covered three Mexican states: Guerrero, Oaxaca and Chiapas; specimens from 28 localities were examined from both intertidal and subtidal zones. A total of 551 specimens were reviewed, from which 11 species were identified. Five of them have previously been recorded in the Tropical Eastern Pacific (TEP): Apionsoma (A.) hespera comb. nov., A. (Edmondsius) pectinatum, Aspidosiphon (A.) elegans, Phascolosoma (P.) puntarenae and Themiste (T.) hennahi; four species are similar to nominal species: Sipunculus (S.) cf. polymyotus, Siphonosoma cf. vastum, Siphonosoma cf. cumanense and Phascolosoma (P.) cf. perlucens; and two new species are described: Aspidosiphon (Paraspidosiphon) cutleri sp. nov. and Aspidosiphon (Paraspidosiphon) pastori sp. nov. A checklist and an identification key for all sipunculan species from the TEP are presented. The checklist includes 53 taxa, 25 of which are questionable records. This work generated 11 new records of sipunculans in the SMP and five new records in the TEP.
A taxonomic study on the Afrotropical genera Afrepipona Giordani Soika, 1965 and Afrepsilon gen. nov. is presented. Twenty new species are described, of which 15 are in Afrepipona (Afrepipona anomala sp. nov., Afrepipona cellularis sp. nov., Afrepipona clonata sp. nov., Afrepipona cuprea sp. nov., Afrepipona lamellata sp. nov., Afrepipona lamptula sp. nov., Afrepipona lobulata sp. nov., Afrepipona meridionalis sp. nov., Afrepipona occidentalis sp. nov., Afrepipona orientalis sp. nov., Afrepipona punctatissima sp. nov., Afrepipona scabra sp. nov., Afrepipona segregata sp. nov., Afrepipona ulterior sp. nov., Afrepipona vulcanica sp. nov.) and five are in Afrepsilon (Afrepsilon aterrimum gen. et sp. nov., Afrepsilon ferrugineoaureum gen. et sp. nov., Afrepsilon hybridum gen. et sp. nov., Afrepsilon minor gen. et sp. nov., and Afrepsilon pictum gen. et sp. nov.). Afrepipona lamptoensis Giordani Soika, 1965 is withdrawn from synonymy with A. angusta (de Saussure, 1863) and subsequently revalidated. Afrepipona unifasciata Gusenleitner, 2012 is transferred to the genus Antodynerus de Saussure, 1855 (Antodynerus unifasciatus comb. nov.). Keys to all known species are provided.
Description of four new species of the Neotropical genus Scione Walker, 1850 (Diptera: Tabanidae)
(2024)
After 94 years after the last revision of the genus and after 22 years since the last species was named, we describe four new species of Scione from Ecuador and Peru: S. cooperi sp. nov., S. gertrudeae sp. nov., S. kroeberi sp. nov. and S. merianae sp. nov. We provide diagnoses, descriptions, photographs and discussions for each of the species.
Members of the arginine–serine-rich protein family (SR proteins) are multifunctional RNA-binding proteins that have emerged as key determinants for mRNP formation, identity and fate. They bind to pre-mRNAs early during transcription in the nucleus and accompany bound transcripts until they are translated or degraded in the cytoplasm. SR proteins are mostly known for their essential roles in constitutive splicing and as regulators of alternative splicing. However, many additional activities of individual SR proteins, beyond splicing, have been reported in recent years. We will summarize the different functions of SR proteins and discuss how multifunctionality can be achieved. We will also highlight the difficulties of studying highly versatile SR proteins and propose approaches to disentangle their activities, which is transferrable to other multifunctional RBPs.
Cell-free (CF) synthesis with highly productive E. coli lysates is a convenient method to produce labeled proteins for NMR studies. Despite reduced metabolic activity in CF lysates, a certain scrambling of supplied isotope labels is still notable. Most problematic are conversions of 15N labels of the amino acids L-Asp, L-Asn, L-Gln, L-Glu and L-Ala, resulting in ambiguous NMR signals as well as in label dilution. Specific inhibitor cocktails suppress most undesired conversion reactions, while limited availability and potential side effects on CF system productivity need to be considered. As alternative route to address NMR label conversion in CF systems, we describe the generation of optimized E. coli lysates with reduced amino acid scrambling activity. Our strategy is based on the proteome blueprint of standardized CF S30 lysates of the E. coli strain A19. Identified lysate enzymes with suspected amino acid scrambling activity were eliminated by engineering corresponding single and cumulative chromosomal mutations in A19. CF lysates prepared from the mutants were analyzed for their CF protein synthesis efficiency and for residual scrambling activity. The A19 derivative “Stablelabel” containing the cumulative mutations asnA, ansA/B, glnA, aspC and ilvE yielded the most useful CF S30 lysates. We demonstrate the optimized NMR spectral complexity of selectively labeled proteins CF synthesized in “Stablelabel” lysates. By taking advantage of ilvE deletion in "Stablelabel", we further exemplify a new strategy for methyl group specific labeling of membrane proteins with the proton pump proteorhodopsin.
Measurements of vertical velocity from vertically pointing Doppler lidars are used to derive the profiles of vertical velocity variance. Observations were taken during the FESSTVaL (Field Experiment on Submesoscale Spatio-Temporal Variability in Lindenberg) campaign during the warm seasons of 2020 and 2021. Normalized by the square of convective velocity scale, the average vertical velocity variance profile follows the universal profile of Lenschow et al. (1980), however, daily profiles still show a high day-to-day variability. We found that moisture transport and the content of moisture in the boundary layer could explain the remaining variability of the normalized vertical velocity variance. The magnitude of the normalized vertical velocity variance is highest on clear-sky days, and decreases as the relative humidity increase and surface latent heat flux decrease in cloud-topped and rainy days. This suggests that moisture content and moisture transport are limiting factors for the intensity of turbulence in the convective boundary layer. We also found that the intensity of turbulence decreases with an increase in boundary layer cloud fraction during FESSTVaL, while the latent heating in the cloud layer was not a relevant source of turbulence in this case. We conclude that a new vertical velocity scale has to be defined that would take into account the moist processes in the convective boundary layer.
Measurements of vertical velocity from vertically pointing Doppler lidars are used to derive the profiles of normalized vertical velocity variance. Observations were taken during the FESSTVaL (Field Experiment on Submesoscale Spatio-Temporal Variability in Lindenberg) campaign during the warm seasons of 2020 and 2021. Normalized by the square of the convective velocity scale, the average vertical velocity variance profile follows the universal profile of Lenschow et al. (1980). However, daily profiles still show a high day-to-day variability. We found that moisture transport and the content of moisture in the boundary layer could explain the remaining variability of the normalized vertical velocity variance. The magnitude of the normalized vertical velocity variance is highest on clear-sky days and decreases as the absolute humidity increases and surface latent heat flux decreases on cloud-topped days. This suggests that moisture content and moisture transport are limiting factors for the intensity of turbulence in the convective boundary layer. We also found that the intensity of turbulence decreases with an increase in the boundary layer cloud fraction during FESSTVaL, while the latent heating in the cloud layer was not a relevant source of turbulence in this case. We conclude that a new vertical velocity scale has to be defined that would take into account the moist processes in the convective boundary layer.
Highlights
• Linking ecological and ecotoxicological data from 30 river sites.
• Bioassays indicate complex mixture of chemicals with different modes of action.
• Macroinvertebrate community deteriorates along a toxicity gradient.
• Macroinvertebrate response has low potential for toxicity-specific bioindicators.
• Effect-based methods could isolate toxicity effects from multiple stressors.
Abstract
Chemical pollution is one of the most important threats to freshwater ecosystems. The plethora of potentially occurring chemicals and their effects in complex mixtures challenge standard monitoring methods. Effect-based methods (EBMs) are proposed as complementary tools for the assessment of chemical pollution and toxic effects. To investigate the effects of chemical pollution, the ecological relevance of EBMs and the potential of macroinvertebrates as toxicity-specific bioindicators, ecological and ecotoxicological data were linked. Baseline toxicity, mutagenicity, dioxin-like and estrogenic activity of water and sediment samples from 30 river sites in central Germany were quantified with four in vitro bioassays. The responses of macroinvertebrate communities at these sites were assessed by calculating 16 taxonomic and functional metrics and by investigating changes in the taxonomic and trait composition. Principal component analysis revealed an increase in toxicity along a joint gradient of chemicals with different modes of action. This toxicity gradient was associated with a decrease in biodiversity and ecological quality, as well as significant changes in taxonomic and functional composition. The strength of the effects suggested a strong impact of chemical pollution and underlined the suitability of EBMs in detecting ecological relevant effects. However, the metrics, taxa, and traits associated with vulnerability or tolerance to toxicity were found to also respond to other stressors in previous studies and thus may have only a low potential as toxicity-specific bioindicators. Because macroinvertebrates respond integratively to all present stressors, linking both ecological and environmental monitoring is necessary to investigate the overall effects but also isolate individual stressors. EBMs have a high potential to separate the toxicity of chemical mixtures from other stressors in a multiple stressor scenario, as well as identifying the presence of chemical groups with specific modes of action.
We investigate the early time dynamics of heavy ion collisions studying the time evolution of the energy-momentum tensor as well as energy-momentum correlations within a uniformly thermalizing holographic QGP. From these quantities, we suggest a far-from equilibrium definition of shear viscosity, which is a crucial property of QCD matter as it significantly determines the generation of elliptic flow already at early times. During an exemplary initial heating phase of the holographic QGP the shear viscosity of entropy density ratio decreases down to 60%, followed by an overshoot to 110% of the near-equilibrium value, η/s=1/(4π). Implications for the QCD QGP are discussed. Subsequently, we consider a holographic QGP which is Bjorken-expanding. Its energy-momentum tensor components have a known hydrodynamic attractor to which all time evolutions collapse independent of the initial conditions. Based on this, we propose a definition for a far from equilibrium speed of sound, and analytically compute its hydrodynamic attractor. Subjecting this Bjorken-expanding plasma to an external magnetic field and an axial chemical potential, we study the chiral magnetic effect far from equilibrium.
Heavy quarks are useful probes to investigate the properties of the Quark-Gluon Plasma (QGP) produced in heavy-ion collisions at the LHC, since they are produced in initial hard scattering processes. To single out the signals that are characteristic of the QGP, it is nevertheless crucial to understand the primordial heavy-quark production in vacuum, and to disentangle hot from cold nuclear matter effects. Moreover, observations of collective effects in high-multiplicity pp and p-Pb collisions show surprising similarities with those in heavy-ion collisions. Heavy-flavour production in such collisions could give further insight into the underlying processes. The heavy-flavour production can be studied with e+e− pairs from correlated semileptonic decays of heavy-flavour hadrons. Compared to single heavy-flavour measurements, the dielectron yield contains information about the initial kinematical correlations between the charm and anti-charm quarks, which is otherwise not accessible, and is sensitive to soft heavy-flavour production. We report results on correlated e+e− pairs in pp collisions recorded by the ALICE detector at different collision energies. The production of heavy quarks is discussed by comparing the yield of dielectrons from heavy-flavour hadron decays as a function of invariant mass, pair transverse momentum and distance of closest approach to the primary vertex with different Monte Carlo event generators. The heavy-flavour production cross sections are also presented. Results from high-multiplicity pp collisions at √s=13 TeV and the status of the p-Pb analysis at √sNN=5.02 TeV are reported as well.
Electromagnetic probes such as photons and dielectrons (e+e− pairs) are a unique tool to study the space-time evolution of the hot and dense matter created in ultrarelativistic heavy-ion collisions. At low dielectron invariant mass (mee), thermal radiation from the hot hadronic phase contributes to the dielectron spectrum via decays of ρ mesons, whose spectral function is sensitive to chiral-symmetry restoration. At larger mee, thermal radiation from the quark–gluon plasma carries information about the early temperature of the medium. At LHC energies, it is nevertheless dominated by a large background from correlated heavy-flavor hadron decays affected by energy loss and flow in the medium. Complementary to the real photon measurements, dielectron data also allow the extraction of the real direct photon fraction, including thermal photons at low pair transverse momentum pT,ee. The latest ALICE results on dielectron studies in Pb-Pb, and in inelastic and high-multiplicity pp collisions, at √sNN = 5.02 TeV and at √s = 13 TeV, respectively, are presented and compared to simulations and expectations from theory. The status of the Run 3 analysis is also reported.
Three Nearctic species of Episyron Schiødte (Hymenoptera: Pompilidae: Pompilinae: Pompilini) were examined morphologically, geographically, and ecologically with intent to infer an aposematic correlation with habitat type, protarsal digging rake morphology, and host spider association. Episyron quinquenotatus quinquenotatus (Say) and E. conterminus cressoni (Dewitz), two subspecies with extensive aposematic markings and more and longer protarsal comb spines, were associated with bare or sparsely vegetated sandy soils near water courses. Episyron biguttatus biguttatus (Fabricus), with few aposematic markings and less and shorter protarsal comb spines, was associated with more densely vegetated terrain and gravelly and loamy soils. Three subspecies of Anoplius apiculatus (Smith) (Hymenoptera: Pompilidae: Pompilinae: Pompilini) are discussed as an aposematic-habitat comparison.
ZooBank registration. urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:6A128918-F0FC-4B58-BDDF-992DEDCD2755
Therates tuberosus Fleutiaux, 1893 and Calochroa octogramma octogramma (Chaudoir, 1852) (Coleoptera: Cicindelidae) are newly recorded for Vietnam. Ten additional species are reported to have new provincial records in Vietnam.
ZooBank registration. urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:53ADD674-7C16-40E7-ADF2-D9766125867C
Pulchriphyllium anangu Cumming et al., 2023 is here reported for the first time from Maharashtra state, India. Also, this is the first record of a leaf insect (Phasmatodea: Phylliidae) for Phansad Wildlife Sanctuary, District Raigad, Maharashtra. This sighting represents the northernmost distribution in the Western Ghats for Pulchriphyllium anangu.
ZooBank registration. urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:7A6F51C4-A097-4C63-B4F7-81252007F055
Homocopris Burmeister, 1846 (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) is a small genus of South American dung beetles composed of four species distributed in Argentina, Brazil, and Chile. Recently, a neotype was designated for Copris torulosus Eschscholtz, 1822 (currently H. torulosus) based on the assumption that the original type series had been lost. However, this designation is invalid for failing to comply with articles 75.2, 75.3, 75.3.1, and 75.3.4. of the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature. Furthermore, even if it had been nomenclaturally valid, the neotype now loses its type status because we found a syntype in the material of the Johann Friedrich Eschscholtz collection, preserved in the collection of Zoological Museum, Moscow Lomonosov State University, Moscow, Russia. We present evidence supporting the recognition of this specimen as a syntype and newly designate it as the lectotype. Photographs of the lectotype and its labels are provided. Additionally, the geographic distributions of H. punctatissimus (Curtis, 1844) and H. torulosus (Eschscholtz, 1822) in Chile are corrected.
ZooBank registration. urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:2E05482A-282E-4206-8FE5-D3C59C5F149A
Fifteen new species of longhorned beetles (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae, Disteniidae) from Hispaniola (the Dominican Republic and Haiti) are diagnosed, described, and illustrated: Novantinoe pilithorax Lingafelter, new species (Disteniini); Eburiola ciferrii Lingafelter, new species (Eburiini), Eburiola konstantinovi Lingafelter, new species (Eburiini), Elaphidion jaragua Lingafelter, new species (Elaphidiini), Linsleyonides guerreroi Lingafelter, new species (Elaphidiini), Compsibidion iviei Lingafelter, new species (Tropidini: Subtribe Neoibidionina), Hormathus albisetosus Lingafelter, new species (Tropidini: Subtribe Compsina), Trichrous eryphoides Lingafelter, new species (Dichophyiini), Plectrocerum woodruffi Lingafelter, new species (Dichophyiini), Oreodera nearnsi Lingafelter, new species (Acrocinini/Acanthoderini), Acrepidopterum fuscum Lingafelter, new species (Apomecynini), Acrepidopterum giesberti Lingafelter, new species (Apomecynini), Estola touroulti Lingafelter, new species (Desmiphorini), Eupogonius baorucensis Lingafelter, new species (Desmiphorini), and Eupogonius nigroapicalis Lingafelter, new species (Desmiphorini). Callidium biguttatum Sallé, 1856 is transferred to Calliclytus Fisher, 1932 new combination. The tribe Callidiini is thus removed from the West Indian fauna. Smodicum miserum Thomson, 1878 is a new synonym of Enosmaeus cubanus Thomson, 1878. Heterops hispaniolae Fisher, 1932 is a new synonym of Eburiola geminata (Fabricius, 1787) and the Dominican Republic is a new country record for the species. Linsleyonides portoricensis (Fisher, 1932) is newly recorded for Hispaniola and the Dominican Republic, new country and island record. Mallosoma bicolor Sallé, 1856 (formerly Trichrous) is transferred to Pseudothonalmus Guerrero in Lingafelter and Micheli, 2004, new combination. Trichrous bicolor Fisher, 1932 (now Trichrous fisheri Monné and Giesbert, 1992 due to homonymy) is a new synonym of Trichrous jaegeri Chevrolat, 1858. Rhopalophora baracoana Zayas, 1975 is transferred to Plectrocerum Dejean, 1835, new combination, and this removes Rhopalophorini from the West Indian fauna. Plectrocerum cribratum Sallé, 1856 is a new synonym of Plectrocerum spinicorne (Olivier, 1800). Plinthocoelium virens (Linnaeus, 1758) is reestablished as the proper name for the West Indian species previously known as Plinthocoelium columbinum (Guérin-Méneville, 1838). The African species called Philematium virens (Linnaeus) should use the senior-most synonym and be called Philematium sansibaricum (Gerstaecker, 1871). Plinthocoelium domingoensis (Fisher, 1922) is a new synonym of Plinthocoelium virens (Linnaeus, 1758). Neoclytus pallidicornis Fisher, 1932 is a new synonym of Neoclytus podagricus White, 1855.
ZooBank registration. urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:B6A71A8B-0730-4ECA-B0EC-6128421D40AB
Based on the examination of an extensive series of specimens and available type material, three out of the six species of Aleyrodes Latreille (Hemiptera: Sternorrhyncha: Aleyrodidae) described from California, A. diasemus Bemis, 1904, A. essigi Penny, 1922, and A. osmaroniae Sampson, 1945, are newly synonymized under A. spiraeoides Quaintance, 1900. The species of Aleyrodes reported from California are keyed and diagnosed based on characters from puparia and male genitalia, and character variability is documented and illustrated.
ZooBank registration. urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:EE1FB0AE-45B7-40D6-8B6F-4B2509A08FDC
The genera Lophalia Casey, 1912, Mannophorus LeConte, 1854 and Ischnocnemis Thomas, 1864 (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae: Cerambycinae: Trachyderini) are recharacterized by providing additional morphological features to enhance the delineation of these genera. Two species Lophalia cribricollis Bates, 1892 and Ischnocnemis luteicollis (Bates, 1885) are transferred to a new genus Lophaliamorpha Eya with Lophaliamorpha luteicollis (Bates) new combination as the type species. Ischnocnemis skillmani Chemsak and Hovore, 2010 is transferred to a new genus Paramannophorus Eya with Paramannophorus skillmani (Chemsak and Hovore) new combination as the type species. A new genus Microteroschema is created to accommodate two additional species from Mexico: Microteroschema parvum Eya new species (Oaxaca and Chiapas) and Microteroschema pseudolaetum Eya new species (Chiapas) with M. parvum as the type species. Additional new species from Mexico include: Lophalia nigricollis Eya new species (Morelos and Michoacán), Mannophorus tricostatus Eya new species (Chiapas), Ischnocnemis edmundi Eya new species (Chiapas), and Ischnocnemis brevis Eya new species (Michoacán and Guerrero). Other new combinations include: three species previously included in Neotaranomis Chemsak and Linsley, 1982 (N. australis, Chemsak and Linsley, 1982, N. sinaloae Chemsak and Linsley, 1982 and N. atropurpurea Chemsak and Noguera, 2001) are transferred to Cyphosterna Chevrolat, 1862; Lophalia auricomis Chemsak and Linsley, 1979 is transferred to Zalophia Casey, 1912; and two species, Chemsakiella virgulata (Chemsak, 1987) and Ischnocnemis minor Bates, 1880 are transferred to Mannophorus LeConte, 1854. Furthermore, Ischnocnemis virescens Eya, 2010 is also transferred to Mannophorus as a new combination and new subspecies of Mannophorus virgulata (Chemsak). New synonymies include two species previously in Ischnocnemis, i.e., I. cribellatus (Bates, 1892), and I. cyaneus Bates, 1892 synonymized with Mannophorus laetus LeConte, 1854 and I. caerulescens Bates, 1885, respectively. A key to Sphaenothecus-like trachyderines, which includes all the above-mentioned genera, and keys to species of Lophalia, Lophaliamorpha, Mannophorus, Ischnocnemis, Microteroschema, and Cyphosterna are provided. Illustrations of the available species in color are included.
ZooBank registration. zoobank: urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:5671A77B-2ECB-445F-8F61-246A9E442CDE
A new species of Gaindaphodius Král and Mencl from Nepal (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Aphodiinae)
(2024)
A new species from Nepal, Gaindaphodius marigold (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Aphodiinae), is described, illustrated and compared with G. gainda Král and Mencl, 2024, the only other species in the genus Gaindaphodius Král and Mencl, 2024.
ZooBank registration. urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:C18D0E89-34D2-452F-B836-BA6A1A6411C5
We reanalyze some critical exponents of the 𝑂(𝑁) model within the functional renormalization group (FRG) approach in the local potential approximation (LPA). We use recent advances which are based on the observation that the FRG flow equation in LPA can be put into the form of an advection-diffusion equation. This allows to employ well-tested hydrodynamical algorithms for its solution to better estimate various sources of errors. Our results complement previous results for the critical exponents obtained within the FRG approach in LPA and compare favorably with those obtained via other methods.
Highlights
• We propose a framework to address landscape effects on ecosystem services.
• We expect ecosystem service flows to be modulated by the amount and configuration of supply and demand areas.
• We stress the role of neutral areas in facilitating or hindering ecosystem service flows.
• Supply/demand ratios, spatial overlap, and ES characteristics need to be accounted for when assessing flows.
• We propose a research agenda with challenges to couple the effects of landscape configuration on ES flow.
Abstract
Despite advances in understanding the effects of landscape structure on ecosystem services (ES), many challenges related to these complex spatial interactions remain. In particular, the integration of landscape effects on different components of the service provision chain (supply, demand, and flow) remains poorly understood and conceptualized. Here we propose a theoretical framework to further explore how the spatial flow of ES can vary according to landscape structure (i.e. composition and configuration) emphasizing the role played by the configuration of supply, demand, and neutral areas, as well as individual characteristics of ES (e.g., service rivalry). For this, we expand the discussion on how landscape changes can affect ES flows and propose a theoretical representation of ES flows variation led by different supply-demand ratios. Additionally, we expand this discussion by integrating the potential effects of neutral areas in the landscape as well as of supply/demand spatial overlap. This novel approach links the spatial arrangement (e.g. fragmentation, network complexity, matrix resistance) usually captured by landscape metrics, and ratios of ES supply and demand areas to potential effects on spatial flows of ES. We discuss the application of this model using widely studied ES, such as pollination, pest control by natural enemies, and microclimate regulation. Finally, we propose a research agenda to connect the presented ideas with other prominent research topics that must be further developed to support landscape management targeting ES provision. The prominence of ES science calls for contributions such as this to give the scientific community the opportunity to reflect on the underlying mechanisms of ES and avoid oversimplified spatial assessments.
A comprehensive study of sillenite Bi12SiO20 single-crystal properties, including elastic stiffness and piezoelectric coefficients, dielectric permittivity, thermal expansion and molar heat capacity, is presented. Brillouin-interferometry measurements (up to 27 GPa), which were performed at high pressures for the first time, and ab initio calculations based on density functional theory (up to 50 GPa) show the stability of the sillenite structure in the investigated pressure range, in agreement with previous studies. Elastic stiffness coefficients c11 and c12 are found to increase continuously with pressure while c44 increases slightly for lower pressures and remains nearly constant above 15 GPa. Heat-capacity measurements were performed with a quasi-adiabatic calorimeter employing the relaxation method between 2 K and 395 K. No phase transition could be observed in this temperature interval. Standard molar entropy, enthalpy change and Debye temperature are extracted from the data. The results are found to be roughly half of the previous values reported in the literature. The discrepancy is attributed to the overestimation of the Debye temperature which was extracted from high-temperature data. Additionally, Debye temperatures obtained from mean sound velocities derived by Voigt-Reuss averaging are in agreement with our heat-capacity results. Finally, a complete set of electromechanical coefficients was deduced from the application of resonant ultrasound spectroscopy between 103 K and 733 K. No discontinuities in the temperature dependence of the coefficients are observed. High-temperature (up to 1100 K) resonant ultrasound spectra recorded for Bi12MO20 crystals revealed strong and reversible acoustic dissipation effects at 870 K, 960 K and 550 K for M = Si, Ge and Ti, respectively. Resonances with small contributions from the elastic shear stiffness c44 and the piezoelectric stress coefficient e123 are almost unaffected by this dissipation.
Arbeit und Spiel fungieren im allgemeinen Sprachgebrauch als Gegensätze. Spielen wird im Kontext dieser Oppositionsbeziehung als autotelische Handlung, also als eine freiwillige Beschäftigung mit unproduktivem Charakter, definiert, die primär der Freude oder Entspannung dient. Arbeiten hingegen wird als zweckorientierte Tätigkeit gefasst, die mit Ernsthaftigkeit und Mühsal assoziiert wird. In einer sich verändernden Arbeitswelt lösen sich diese binären Zuordnungen, sofern sie in dieser Schärfe überhaupt jemals bestanden haben, jedoch zunehmend auf. Arbeit und Spiel verschränken sich, sie bilden Hybridformen aus, bei denen sich Verschiebungen von Spielenden zu Arbeitenden und umgekehrt beobachten lassen. Die Etablierung der Spieleindustrie als Wirtschaftsbranche oder die Professionalisierung des Wettkampfsports bringen beispielsweise Formen des Play-as-Work hervor: "Sämtliche Tätigkeiten mit einer unterstellten Wirkabsicht können demnach als Arbeit begriffen werden. Daher können auch aus traditionellen Gründen oder aus Unterhaltungs- und Zerstreuungsgründen ausgeführte Tätigkeiten nunmehr als Arbeit verstanden werden, wenn ihnen eine Wirkabsicht unterstellt werden kann." Zudem werden in Arbeitsbereichen der postfordistischen Wissensökonomie ludische Elemente wie Kreativität, Improvisation oder Risikobereitschaft in einer Abwendung von der normierten Rationalisierung von Arbeit des Taylorismus aufgewertet und spielhaftes Arbeiten ohne kodifizierte Regeln (wieder) als Mittel wirtschaftlicher Produktivität erkannt. Seit den 1990er Jahren lassen sich ferner Tendenzen einer zunehmenden Entgrenzung und Subjektivierung von Erwerbstätigkeit ausmachen; hierbei wird die mit der Industrialisierung entstandene Trennung von Arbeit und Leben abgeschwächt und das Konzept Arbeit neu definiert, denn diese wird nun nicht mehr vornehmlich negativ als Plage oder göttliche Strafe gerahmt, sondern positiv als Mittel der Selbstverwirklichung konnotiert. Arbeit soll infolgedessen spielend von der Hand gehen und Vergnügen bereiten. Auf diese Weise wird eine work-as-play-Mentalität erzeugt, die die Differenz von Ernst und Spiel in der Betrachtungsweise der Handlung festmacht: Es hängt vom Ausführenden ab, ob eine Tätigkeit als Spiel oder als Arbeit klassifiziert wird. So kann letztlich jede Aktivität einfach zum Spiel erklärt werden. [...] Im Fokus dieses Artikels soll jedoch eine andere Form der Hybridisierung von Arbeit und Spiel stehen: die Repräsentation von Büroarbeit im Computerspiel. [...] Untersucht werden soll im Folgenden, welche Inszenierungsstrategien und Spielmechaniken eingesetzt werden, um das Büro spielbar zu machen. Wie wird das Setting für das Gameplay funktionalisiert und wie werden Arbeitsprozesse ludifiziert? Zu welcher Form des Spiels lädt das Büro ein? Welche Aspekte des Büroalltags werden aufgegriffen und welche Erzählungen sowie Figuren werden mit dem Schauplatz verbunden? Des Weiteren soll analysiert werden, wie über die räumliche Ästhetik inhaltliche Aussagen über die kulturelle Bedeutung und gesellschaftliche Wahrnehmung des Büros transportiert werden.
Der Begriff der Verblendung, ein oft implizit immer wiederkehrendes Thema in der Literatur, Philosophie, und auch in der Religion, hat eine komplexe Bedeutungsebene, die es vielleicht wohl zu bewahren gilt, anstatt sie zu fixieren und damit die Lesemöglichkeiten, die er eröffnen kann, zu reduzieren. Das Wort, das Offenes (etwa eine Hingabe an einen Glauben, die auch eine Selbsttäuschung, ein Fehler sein kann, aber auch Mut bedeuten kann) und Verborgenes (eine mehr oder weniger bewusste Täuschung anderer) zugleich andeutet, entzieht sich durch diese doppelte Struktur von 'Oberfläche' und 'Hintergrund' in gewisser Weise, ohnehin einer festen BeDeutungsgebung. In besonderer Weise bleibt der Begriff mit dem als 'Verliebtheit' umschriebenen Zustand als einer ambivalenten un/wahren, irrational und affektiv besetzten, relationalen, inneren Vorstellung und äußeren Projektion des Selbst und eines Anderen verbunden. Der Begriff kann die Hingabe an eine (trügerische) Romantik oder eine (trügerische) Hingabe an eine Romantik meinen, der ein Selbst und ein Anderes in eine affektive Beziehung zueinander setzt, und so auch die Möglichkeit des Unheimlichen, das Hineinbrechen eines Trug(-Bild)-es kennzeichnen. Dies wiederum ist engstens mit Angst und Wut, den oft als destruktiv dargestellten Affekten und affektiv besetzten Effekten verbunden. Verblendung ist somit auch ein Begriff, der Vorstellungen von 'Rationalität' und (affektiv-besetzter) 'Irrationalität', von 'Richtigkeit' und 'Falschheit' beinhaltet.
E.T.A. Hoffmanns Erzählung "Der Sandmann" ist dank Freuds Interpretation zu einem seiner wichtigsten Werke geworden. Die Novelle, die die Leser mit dem jungen Studenten Nathanael, der mit sich ein Kindheitstrauma trägt, bekannt macht, ist ein komplexes Werk, das auch den weltbekannten Mediziner fasziniert hat. Diese Arbeit befasst sich mit der schon erwähnten Novelle, mit Freuds Artikel "Das Unheimliche" und mit der sehr relevanten Verfilmung aus dem Jahr 2012. Das Motiv des Unheimlichen kommt in dieser Arbeit als eine Kontaktstelle vor, die auf drei verschiedenen Ebenen interpretiert wird: aus der Perspektive des Unheimlichen in der Novelle, aus Sigmund Freuds Perspektive und wie es im Film auftaucht. Ziel dieser Arbeit ist es zu beweisen, dass das Motiv des Unheimlichen in der Verfilmung anders als im Buch begriffen werden kann, d.h. dass Freuds Motiv des Unheimlichen im Text als gruseliger und verwirrender empfunden werden kann.
This paper relies on an unedited and unpublished nineteenth century love correspondence of a heterosexual couple from the German speaking area. The aim of this study is to contribute to the knowledge regarding the nineteenth century love experience of ordinary and unknown lovers. In fact, while there are plenty of books on love correspondences of famous personalities, little research has been dedicated to love letters and romantic experiences of 'ordinary and unknown' people. For this reason the main aim of this article is to shed light on love stories and love experiences that otherwise will fall into the abyss of oblivion. A new theory regarding the love experience in the nineteenth will be proposed: in this century love was perceived more in its material than in its abstract nature; I argue that in the nineteenth love was more about what people did, than to what they said. Lovers are in constant need of material and 'seeable' proof in order to perceive the love of their partners as real and authentic. The examples extrapolated from the following correspondence will corroborate this statement. Furthermore, this article has the purpose to underline the great value of love letters not only from an historical perspective (being evidence of past lives and dynamics), but also and more importantly from a cultural and societal one: analyzing love letters means to acquire knowledge not only about cultural and societal dynamics, but also and more importantly to add knowledge to the love discourse. In fact, they say a lot about the way people talked, expressed and materialized love in their daily lives. Correspondences without any publication in view are the most precious ones because they represent an unregulated and more spontaneous expression 'of the language of the heart'.
L'obiettivo del presente articolo è quello di offrire una visione complementare a quella abituale del romanzo "Die Entdeckung der Currywurst" di Uwe Timm in cui vengano privilegiati gli aspetti del romanzo che lo identificano come opera di World Literature. Se fino ad ora il romanzo è stato principalmente letto come un romanzo tedesco di guerra, con questa lettura si intende far emergere gli aspetti che di esso oltrepassano i confini nazionali e linguistici. Per fare questo si osserveranno in breve i punti di contatto fra la WL e la letteratura postcoloniale, dalla quale la WL stessa ha origine. In particolare si concentrerà l'attenzione sugli elementi del romanzo che evidenziano il rapporto con le letterature e culture di oltre confine, come la cornice narrativa, in cui la narrazione principale si iscrive; le contaminazioni letterarie che emergono dal racconto e infine i numerosi esempi di relazione fra centro e periferia. Inoltre, verrà evidenziato come il periodo storico in cui il romanzo è ambientato, ovvero quello della 'Stunde Null', abbia esso stesso dei contatti intrinseci con le teorie postcoloniali. Si mostrerà come la tesi dell'afferenza del presente romanzo alla WL, sia sostenuta dal fatto che anche attraverso romanzi precedenti, Uwe Timm mostra un interesse spiccato nei confronti delle realtà degli altri paesi e continenti e dell’eredità coloniale dell'Europa.
A search for a massless dark photon 𝛾′ is conducted using 4.5 fb−1 of 𝑒+𝑒− collision data collected at center-of-mass energies between 4.600 and 4.699 GeV with the BESIII detector at BEPCII. No significant signal is observed, and the upper limit on the branching fraction ℬ(Λ+𝑐→𝑝𝛾′) is determined to be 8.0×10−5 at 90% confidence level.
We report the first observation of the decay Λ+c→Σ−π+π+π0, based on data obtained in e+e− annihilations with an integrated luminosity of 567~pb−1 at s√=4.6~GeV. The data were collected with the BESIII detector at the BEPCII storage rings. The absolute branching fraction B(Λ+c→Σ−π+π+π0) is determined to be (2.11±0.33(stat.)±0.14(syst.))%. In addition, an improved measurement of B(Λ+c→Σ−π+π+) is determined as (1.81±0.17(stat.)±0.09(syst.))%.
We measured the Born cross sections for the process e+e− → ωη′ at 22 center-of-mass energies from 2.000 to 3.080 GeV with the BESIII detector at the BEPCII collider. We observed a resonant structure with a statistical significance of 9.6σ. A Breit-Wigner fit determines its mass to be MR = (2153 ± 30 ± 31) MeV/c2 and its width to be ΓR = (167 ± 77 ± 7) MeV, where the first uncertainties are statistical and the second are systematic.
Measurement of the absolute branching fraction of the singly Cabibbo suppressed decay Λc⁺ → pη′
(2022)
The singly Cabibbo suppressed decay Λ+𝑐→𝑝𝜂′ is measured using 4.5 fb−1 of 𝑒+𝑒− collision data collected at center-of-mass energies between 4.600 and 4.699 GeV with the BESIII detector at BEPCII. Evidence for Λ+𝑐→𝑝𝜂′ with a statistical significance of 3.6𝜎 is reported with a double-tag approach. The Λ+𝑐→𝑝𝜂′ absolute branching fraction is determined to be (5.62+2.46−2.04±0.26)×10−4, where the first and second uncertainties are statistical and systematic, respectively. Our result is consistent with the branching fraction obtained by the Belle collaboration within the uncertainty of 1𝜎.
Based on 7.33 fb−1 of 𝑒+𝑒− collision data collected at center-of-mass energies between 4.128 and 4.226 GeV with the BESIII detector, the experimental studies of the doubly Cabibbo-suppressed decays 𝐷+𝑠→𝐾+𝐾+𝜋− and 𝐷+𝑠→𝐾+𝐾+𝜋−𝜋0 are reported. We determine the absolute branching fraction of 𝐷+𝑠→𝐾+𝐾+𝜋− to be (1.24+0.28−0.26(stat)±0.06(syst))×10−4. No significant signal of 𝐷+𝑠→𝐾+𝐾+𝜋−𝜋0 is observed and the upper limit on its decay branching fraction at 90% confidence level is set to be 1.7×10−4.
Improved measurement of the branching fractions of the inclusive decays D⁺ → Kₛ⁰X and D⁰ → Kₛ⁰X
(2023)
By analyzing 2.93 fb−1 of 𝑒+𝑒− collision data taken at the center-of-mass energy of 3.773 GeV with the BESIII detector, the branching fractions of the inclusive decays 𝐷+→𝐾0 𝑆𝑋 and 𝐷0→𝐾0 𝑆𝑋 are measured to be (33.11±0.13±0.36)% and (20.75±0.12±0.20)%, respectively, where the first uncertainties are statistical and the second are systematic. These results are consistent with the world averages of previous measurements, but with much improved precision.
Using 5.9 pb−1 of e+e− annihilation data collected at center-of-mass energies from 3.640 to 3.701 GeV with the BESIII detector at the BEPCII Collider, we measure the observed cross sections of e+e−→K0SX (where X=anything). From a fit to these observed cross sections with the sum of continuum and ψ(3686) and J/ψ Breit-Wigner functions and considering initial state radiation and the BEPCII beam energy spread, we obtain for the first time the inclusive decay branching fraction B(ψ(3686)→K0SX)=(16.04±0.29±0.90)%, where the first uncertainty is statistical and the second is systematic.
We report the first measurements of absolute branching fractions for the W -exchange-only processes + c → 0K + and + c → (1530)0K + with the double-tag technique, by analyzing an e+e− collision data sample, that corresponds to an integrated luminosity of 567 pb−1 collected at a center-of-mass energy of 4.6 GeV by the BESIII detector. The branching fractions are measured to be B(+c → 0K +) = (5.90 ± 0.86 ± 0.39) × 10−3 and B(+c → (1530)0K +) = (5.02 ± 0.99 ± 0.31) × 10−3, where the first uncertainties are statistical and the second systematic. Our results are more precise than the previous relative measurements.
Using 2.93 fb−1 of 𝑒+𝑒− annihilation data collected at a center-of-mass energy √𝑠=3.773 GeV with the BESIII detector operating at the BEPCII collider, we search for the semileptonic 𝐷0(+) decays into a 𝑏1(1235)−(0) axial-vector meson for the first time. No significant signal is observed for either charge combination. The upper limits on the product branching fractions are ℬ𝐷0→𝑏1(1235)−𝑒+𝜈𝑒·ℬ𝑏1(1235) −→ 𝜔𝜋−<1.12×10−4 and ℬ𝐷+→𝑏1(1235)0𝑒+𝜈𝑒·ℬ𝑏1(1235)0→𝜔𝜋0<1.75×10−4 at the 90% confidence level.
Using a data sample of (1.0087±0.0044)×1010 𝐽/𝜓 decay events collected with the BESIII detector at the center-of-mass energy of √𝑠=3.097 GeV, we present a search for the hyperon semileptonic decay Ξ0→Σ−𝑒+𝜈𝑒 which violates the Δ𝑆=Δ𝑄 rule. No significant signal is observed, and the upper limit on the branching fraction ℬ(Ξ0→Σ−𝑒+𝜈𝑒) is determined to be 1.6×10−4 at the 90% confidence level. This result improves the previous upper limit result by about one order of magnitude.
Utilizing the data set corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 3.19 fb−1 collected by the BESIII detector at a center-of-mass energy of 4.178 GeV, we perform an amplitude analysis of the 𝐷+
𝑠→𝜋+𝜋−𝜋+ decay. The sample contains 13,797 candidates with a signal purity of ∼80%. The amplitude and phase of the contributing 𝜋𝜋 𝒮 wave are measured based on a quasi-model-independent approach, along with the amplitudes and phases of the 𝒫 and 𝒟 waves parametrized by Breit-Wigner models. The fit fractions of different intermediate decay channels are also reported.
Using data samples with an integrated luminosity of 19 fb−1 at twenty-eight center-of-mass energies from 3.872 GeV to 4.700 GeV collected with the BESIII detector at the BEPCII electron-positron collider, the process e+e− → ηπ+π− and the intermediate process e+e− → ηρ0 are studied for the first time. The Born cross sections are measured. No significant resonance structure is observed in the cross section lineshape.
We report a measurement of the cross section for the process e+e−→π+π−J/ψ around the X(3872) mass in search for the direct formation of e+e−→X(3872) through the two-photon fusion process. No enhancement of the cross section is observed at the X(3872) peak and an upper limit on the product of electronic width and branching fraction of X(3872)→π+π−J/ψ is determined to be Γee×B(X(3872)→π+π−J/ψ)<7.5×10−3eV at 90% confidence level under an assumption of total width of 1.19±0.21 MeV. This is an improvement of a factor of about 17 compared to the previous limit. Furthermore, using the latest result of B(X(3872)→π+π−J/ψ), an upper limit on the electronic width Γee of X(3872) is obtained to be <0.32eV at the 90% confidence level.
If service providers can identify reasons users are in favor of or against a service, they have insightful information that can help them understand user behavior and what they need to do to change such behavior. This article argues that the novel text-mining technique referred to as information-seeking argument mining (IS-AM) can identify these reasons. The empirical study applies IS-AM to news articles and reviews about electric scooter-sharing systems (i.e., a service enabling the short-term rentals of electric motorized scooters). Its results point to IS-AM as a promising technique to improve service; the data enable the authors to identify 40 reasons to use or not use electric scooter-sharing systems, as well as their importance to users. Furthermore, the results show that news articles are better data sources than reviews because they are longer and contain more arguments and, thus, reasons.
The archaeal ATP synthase is a multisubunit complex that consists of a catalytic A(1) part and a transmembrane, ion translocation domain A(0). The A(1)A(0) complex from the hyperthermophile Pyrococcus furiosus was isolated. Mass analysis of the complex by laser-induced liquid bead ion desorption (LILBID) indicated a size of 730 +/- 10 kDa. A three-dimensional map was generated by electron microscopy from negatively stained images. The map at a resolution of 2.3 nm shows the A(1) and A(0) domain, connected by a central stalk and two peripheral stalks, one of which is connected to A(0), and both connected to A(1) via prominent knobs. X-ray structures of subunits from related proteins were fitted to the map. On the basis of the fitting and the LILBID analysis, a structural model is presented with the stoichiometry A(3)B(3)CDE(2)FH(2)ac(10).
The properties of compact stars and in particular the existence of twin star solutions are investigated within an effective model that is constrained by lattice QCD thermodynamics. The model is modified at large baryon densities to incorporate a large variety of scenarios of first order phase transitions to a phase of deconfined quarks. This is achieved by matching two different variants of the bag model equation of state, in order to estimate the role of the Bag model parameters on the appearance of a second family of neutron stars. The produced sequences of neutron stars are compared with modern constrains on stellar masses, radii, and tidal deformability from astrophysical observations and gravitational wave analyses. It is found that those scenarios in our analysis, in which a third family of stars appeared due to the deconfinement transition, are disfavored from astrophysical constraints.
The thermodynamic properties of the interacting particle–antiparticle boson system at high temperatures and densities were investigated within the framework of scalar and thermodynamic mean-field models. We assume isospin (charge) density conservation in the system. The equations of state and thermodynamic functions are determined after solving the self-consistent equations. We study the relationship between attractive and repulsive forces in the system and the influence of these interactions on the thermodynamic properties of the bosonic system, especially on the development of the Bose–Einstein condensate. It is shown that under “weak” attraction, the boson system has a phase transition of the second order, which occurs every time the dependence of the particle density crosses the critical curve or even touches it. It was found that with a “strong” attractive interaction, the system forms a Bose condensate during a phase transition of the first order, and, despite the finite value of the isospin density, these condensate states are characterized by a zero chemical potential. That is, such condensate states cannot be described by the grand canonical ensemble since the chemical potential is involved in the conditions of condensate formation, so it cannot be a free variable when the system is in the condensate phase.
An independent Taiwanese lineage of powdery mildew on the endemic host species Koelreuteria henryi
(2024)
Background: Powdery mildews (Erysiphaceae, Ascomycota) are common plant disease agents and also cause stress for forest and fruit trees worldwide as well as in Taiwan. The powdery mildew Erysiphe bulbouncinula on Koelreuteria host trees was considered an endemic species in China. While in China the host was K. paniculata and only the teleomorph stage found, the anamorph and the teleomorph were both recorded for the host in Taiwan, K. henryi. We aimed to clarify the relationship of the powdery mildews recorded under E. bulbouncinula with an apparently disjunct distribution.
Results: Specimens of powdery mildew on K. henryi from Taiwan were characterized based on the anamorph morphology and DNA sequences. They revealed a new record of Sawadaea koelreuteriae for this host species and Taiwan and a new species of Erysiphe, E. formosana, sister to E. bulbouncinula from China.
Conclusions: In Erysiphe on Koelreuteria hosts, speciation of plant parasitic fungi seems to be correlated with disjunct host and geographic distribution possibly shaped by extinction of potential host species which are known only as fossils. Two of the three extant East Asian species of Koelreuteria are now known as hosts of specific Erysiphe species. We may predict a further not yet discovered Erysiphe species on the third East Asian species, K. bipinnata, in South and Southwest China. In the speciation in Sawadaea, the extinction events in Koelreuteria can be excluded from being involved.
Purpose: The stomachs and spiral valves of sharks and rays were examined for their trypanorhynch (Cestoda) parasite fauna and dietary items to infer feeding ecology. In Indonesia, sharks and rays have been experiencing increasing awareness and conservation in the recent years due to high fisheries activities and to avoid future species extinction.
Methods: The samples were collected in 2009 from two different sampling sites at the southern coasts of Java and Bali in Indonesia. The parasite fauna was studied for 41 elasmobranch fishes. Amongst these, three shark species, Carcharhinus sorrah, Carcharhinus sp. I and Squalus megalops and seven ray species, Brevitrygon heterura, B. cf. heterura, Gymnura zonura, Maculabatis gerrardi, Mobula kuhlii, Neotrygon cauruleopuncatata and Rhinobatos penggali were studied. Four additional specimens, belonging to the shark species Carcharhinus sp. II and Mustelus cf. manazo and the ray species Maculabatis gerrardi were studied from the waters of South Bali.
Results: Analyses of the feeding ecology of the ray M. gerrardi revealed distinct differences between both sampling sites, indicating the presence of ecological differences between the geographically independent regions. A total of 11 different trypanorhynch species/taxa belonging to the five families Eutetrarhynchidae (5), Gilquiniidae (1), Lacistorhynchidae (1), Pterobothriidae (1) and Tentaculariidae (3) were found. Ten trypanorhynch species from Penyu Bay and four species from South Bali could be identified. Two taxa that might represent new species were collected: Dollfusiella sp. from Brevitrygon heterura and Prochristianella sp. from Maculabatis gerrardi.
Conclusions: The present paper gives insights in using the trypanorhynch cestode community in combination with feeding ecology analyses to support conservation of elasmobranchs in Indonesian waters.
One like all? Behavioral response range of native and invasive amphipods to neonicotinoid exposure
(2024)
Highlights
• Short-time neonicotinoid exposure causes behavioral responses in non-target species.
• Environmentally relevant concentrations can induce changes in invertebrate behavior.
• Different baseline activity of ecological similar crustacean amphipods.
• Species respond specifically to thiacloprid exposure.
• Acantocephalan infection affects locomotion of intermediate host Gammarus roeselii.
Abstract
Native and invasive species often occupy similar ecological niches and environments where they face comparable risks from chemical exposure. Sometimes, invasive species are phylogenetically related to native species, e.g. they may come from the same family and have potentially similar sensitivities to environmental stressors due to phylogenetic conservatism and ecological similarity. However, empirical studies that aim to understand the nuanced impacts of chemicals on the full range of closely related species are rare, yet they would help to comprehend patterns of current biodiversity loss and species turnover. Behavioral sublethal endpoints are of increasing ecotoxicological interest. Therefore, we investigated behavioral responses (i.e., change in movement behavior) of the four dominant amphipod species in the Rhine-Main area (central Germany) when exposed to the neonicotinoid thiacloprid. Moreover, beyond species-specific behavioral responses, ecological interactions (e.g. parasitation with Acanthocephala) play a crucial role in shaping behavior, and we have considered these infections in our analysis. Our findings revealed distinct baseline behaviors and species-specific responses to thiacloprid exposure. Notably, Gammarus fossarum exhibited biphasic behavioral changes with hyperactivity at low concentrations that decreased at higher concentrations. Whereas Gammarus pulex, Gammarus roeselii and the invasive species Dikerogammarus villosus, showed no or weaker behavioral responses. This may partly explain why G. fossarum disappears in chemically polluted regions while the other species persist there to a certain degree. But it also shows that potential pre-exposure in the habitat may influence behavioral responses of the other amphipod species, because habituation occurs, and potential hyperactivity would be harmful to individuals in the habitat. The observed responses were further influenced by acanthocephalan parasites, which altered baseline behavior in G. roeselii and enhanced the behavioral response to thiacloprid exposure. Our results underscore the intricate and diverse nature of responses among closely related amphipod species, highlighting their unique vulnerabilities in anthropogenically impacted freshwater ecosystems.
Highlights
• The higher the extinction risk, the fewer exposure-effect data are available.
• Lack of studies in the Southern Hemisphere shows a spatial bias in the literature.
• Commonly studied pollutants are persistent organic pollutants, metals, pesticides.
• Pollution-effect studies focus on molecular and cellular levels.
• In silico and in vitro approaches aid in assessing in vivo effects.
Abstract
Marine mammals, due to their long life span, key position in the food web, and large lipid deposits, often face significant health risks from accumulating contaminants. This systematic review examines published literature on pollutant-induced adverse health effects in the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) red-listed marine mammal species. Thereby, identifying gaps in literature across different extinction risk categories, spatial distribution and climatic zones of studied habitats, commonly used methodologies, researched pollutants, and mechanisms from cellular to population levels. Our findings reveal a lower availability of exposure-effect data for higher extinction risk species (critically endangered 16%, endangered 15%, vulnerable 66%), highlighting the need for more research. For many threatened species in the Southern Hemisphere pollutant-effect relationships are not established. Non-destructively sampled tissues, like blood or skin, are commonly measured for exposure assessment. The most studied pollutants are POPs (31%), metals (30%), and pesticides (17%). Research on mixture toxicity is scarce while pollution-effect studies primarily focus on molecular and cellular levels. Bridging the gap between molecular data and higher-level effects is crucial, with computational approaches offering a high potential through in vitro to in vivo extrapolation using (toxico-)kinetic modelling. This could aid in population-level risk assessment for threatened marine mammals.
Beside mosquitoes, ticks are well-known vectors of different human pathogens. In the Northern Hemisphere, Lyme borreliosis (Eurasia, LB) or Lyme disease (North America, LD) is the most commonly occurring vector-borne infectious disease caused by bacteria of the genus Borrelia which are transmitted by hard ticks of the genus Ixodes. The reported incidence of LB in Europe is about 22.6 cases per 100,000 inhabitants annually with a broad range depending on the geographical area analyzed. However, the epidemiological data are largely incomplete, because LB is not notifiable in all European countries. Furthermore, not only differ reporting procedures between countries, there is also variation in case definitions and diagnostic procedures. Lyme borreliosis is caused by several species of the Borrelia (B.) burgdorferi sensu lato (s.l.) complex which are maintained in complex networks including ixodid ticks and different reservoir hosts. Vector and host influence each other and are affected by multiple factors including climate that have a major impact on their habitats and ecology. To classify factors that influence the risk of transmission of B. burgdorferi s.l. to their different vertebrate hosts as well as to humans, we briefly summarize the current knowledge about the pathogens including their astonishing ability to overcome various host immune responses, regarding the main vector in Europe Ixodes ricinus, and the disease caused by borreliae. The research shows, that a higher standardization of case definition, diagnostic procedures, and standardized, long-term surveillance systems across Europe is necessary to improve clinical and epidemiological data.
Highlights
• Stomach content analyses, parasitological and fecal examinations were performed on 73 raccoon dogs from Germany.
• 9 ecto- and 11 endoparasitic species could be identified of which 6 endoparasitic species have a human pathogenic potential.
• Stomach content was composed of one-third vegetable and two-thirds animal components.
• Invasive alien species can have negative impact on native animal species and can act as a carrier of various parasites.
Abstract
Originally from Asia, the raccoon dog Nyctereutes procyonoides is an invasive alien species in Europe, listed since 2019 on the List of invasive alien species of Union concern. The raccoon dog is considered to have negative impact on native biodiversity, as well as a crucial role in hosting and transmitting diverse parasites and pathogens of human and veterinary importance. In the present study, stomach content analyses and parasitological examinations were performed on 73 raccoon dogs from Germany. In addition, fecal samples were analyzed. The results of the study confirm the assumption that the examined raccoon dogs were infested with a various ecto- and endoparasite fauna. A total of 9 ecto- and 11 endoparasites were detected, with 6 of the endoparasites having human pathogenic potential. Trichodectes canis (P = 53.42%), Toxocara canis (P = 50.68%) and Uncinaria stenocephala (P = 68.49%) were the most abundant parasite species. The stomach contents consisted of approximately one-third vegetable and two-thirds animal components, composed of various species of amphibians, fish, insects, mammals and birds. Among them were specially protected or endangered species such as the grass frog Rana temporaria. The study shows that the raccoon dog exerts predation pressure on native species due to its omnivorous diet and, as a carrier of various parasites, poses a potential risk of infection to wild, domestic and farm animals and humans.
Evidence of predation pressure on sensitive species by raccoons based on parasitological studies
(2024)
Highlights
• Parasitological analyses were carried out on 108 free-ranging raccoons in Germany.
• Three endoparasite species were newly discovered, alongside 13 parasites already known.
• A high prevalence of the pathogenic nematode Baylisascaris procyonis was identified.
• Uncovering endoparasites provides insights into predation events from the past.
• Stomach contents show serious negative impact of raccoons on native amphibians.
Abstract
To demonstrate predation and potential impacts of raccoons on various species, a total of 108 raccoons from aquatic-associated nature reserves and natural areas in three federal states of Germany, Hesse (n = 36), Saxony-Anhalt (n = 36) and Brandenburg (n = 36), were investigated from a dietary ecological perspective in the present study. Fecal analyses and stomach content examinations were conducted for this purpose. Additionally, as a supplementary method for analyzing the dietary spectrum of raccoons, the parasite fauna was considered, as metazoan parasites, in particular, can serve as indicators for the species and origin of food organisms. While stomach content analyses allow for a detailed recording of trophic relationships solely at the time of sampling, parasitological examinations enable inferences about more distant interaction processes. With their different developmental stages and heteroxenous life cycles involving specific, sometimes obligate, intermediate hosts, they utilize the food web to reach their definitive host. The results of this study clearly demonstrate that spawning areas of amphibians and reptiles were predominantly utilized as food resources by raccoons in the study areas. Thus, common toad (Bufo bufo), common newt (Lissotriton vulgaris), grass frog (Rana temporaria), and grass snake (Natrix natrix) were identified as food organisms for raccoons. The detection of the parasite species Euryhelmis squamula, Isthmiophora melis, and Physocephalus sexalatus with partially high infestation rates also suggests that both amphibians and reptiles belong to the established dietary components of raccoons from an ecological perspective, as amphibians and reptiles are obligate intermediate hosts in the respective parasitic life cycles of the detected parasites. The study clearly demonstrates that raccoons have a significant impact on occurrence-sensitive animal species in certain areas and, as an invasive species, can exert a negative influence on native species and ecosystems.
Highlights
• 234 raccoons were dissected, 23 parasite species could be detected.
• 14 new parasite species have been identified for raccoons in Europe.
• Compared to literature, a very high prevalence (95%) of B. procyonis was detected.
• The human pathogenic trematode P. muris was detected in raccoons for the first time.
Abstract
The invasive raccoon (Procyon lotor) is an abundant carnivore and considered as an important potential vector of infectious diseases and parasites in Europe. Raccoons show a broad, opportunistic, omnivorous food spectrum. Food supply and habitat quality in urban areas are very attractive for the generalist raccoon. This inevitably leads to increased interaction with humans, domestic animals and livestock, making the raccoon a potentially suitable zoonosis vector. In its autochthonous range, especially in the Eastern and Midwestern United States, the raccoon has been studied very intensively since the beginning of the 20th century. Whereas, basic field biology and parasitology studies in Germany and Europe are lacking and have only been conducted sporadically, regionally and on small sample sizes. In the presented study 234 raccoons from central Germany were comprehensively examined for their metazoan parasite fauna. The present study shows for the first time an extremely diverse parasite fauna in raccoons outside their native range and proves their essential role as intermediate hosts and hosts for ecto- and endoparasites. A total of 23 different parasite species were identified, five of which are human pathogens, 14 of which are new for the parasite fauna of raccoons in Europe. The human pathogenic raccoon roundworm Baylisascaris procyonis is the most common parasite species in this study, with a prevalence of up to 95%. The digenetic trematode Plagiorchis muris, another human pathogenic parasite species, was detected for the first time in raccoons. The ongoing spread of invasive carnivores and the associated spread and transmission of their parasites and other pathogens increases the potential health risk of wild and farmed animals as well as humans. An increase in parasitic diseases in humans (e.g. raccoon roundworm) is to be expected, especially in urban areas, where raccoons are becoming more and more abundant.
Highlights
• Floating ability facilitates water dispersal.
• Hydrochorous seed dispersal is more effective than wind dispersal.
• Storage in water induced germination rate.
Abstract
In many Central European countries Fraxinus pennsylvanica is an invasive species that spreads rapidly in floodplain forests. The aim of this study was to analyse anemochorous and hydrochorous dispersal distances and to compare the findings with dispersal data for the native Fraxinus excelsior. A simulation revealed that wind dispersal distances are similar for both species, reaching to 120–250 m. By contrast, the mean floating time (50% floating samaras) measured in an experiment was 2 days in the case of F. pennsylvanica and 0.5 days for F. excelsior. This high floating ability facilitates water dispersal over several kilometres in both species, but for the invasive species the modelled mean dispersal distance was 3.7 times higher. A germination test of F. pennsylvanica seeds revealed that the rate, onset and speed of germination increase with the duration of the inundation. After a maximum storage time in water of about 15 days the germination rate amounts to 78%, which was higher than the germination rate of seeds without storage in water (53%). We also found that regeneration was enhanced in flooded areas. Hydrochory, therefore, may be viewed as an important factor explaining the successful invasion of F. pennsylvanica in floodplain forests in Central Europe.
Seed dispersal is hard to measure, and there is still a lack of knowledge about dispersal-related traits of plant species. Therefore, we developed D3, the Dispersal and Diaspore Database (available at
www.seed-dispersal.info), which aims at simplifying ecological and evolutionary analyses by providing and integrating various items related to seed dispersal: empirical studies, functional traits, image analyses and ranking indices (quantifying the adaptation to dispersal modes).
Currently, the database includes data for more than 5000 taxa and 33 items as well as digital images of diaspores (i.e. the dispersal units), seeds, fruits and infructescences. The included items cover common traits like diaspore mass, size, shape, terminal velocity and seed number per diaspore. Furthermore, we present newly or further developed items like ecomorphological categorizations of the diaspore and fruit as well as information from literature on prevailing dispersal modes. Finally, we introduce several items which are not covered in other databases yet: surface structure and form of the diaspore, the exposure of the diaspores in the infructescence and dispersal rankings. Dispersal rankings allow estimations of how well certain species are adapted to a specific dispersal mode in comparison to a larger species set. They are calculated as the percentile rank of an indicator of species’ dispersal potential in relation to a larger species set.
Especially for the new and further developed items we outline the basic concepts in detail, describe the measurement and categorization methods and show how to interpret and integrate these data for single species as well as for larger species sets. Thereby, we calculate baseline statistics of seed dispersal of the Central European flora. We found that diaspores of 72% of the taxa show specializations related to long-distance dispersal, i.e. most often elongated appendages or nutrient-rich tissues. Diaspore masses, sizes and terminal velocities vary over several orders of magnitude and can be approximated by lognormal distributions.
The raccoon is listed among the invasive alien species of EU concern requiring management actions. Projections of its global distribution have been mainly based on climatic variables so far. In this study, we aim to address the impact of land cover (LC) on the raccoon distribution in North America and Europe. First, we identified the LC types in which the observation sites are predominantly located to derive preferred LC types. Second, we used an ecological niche modelling (ENM) approach to evaluate the predictive power of climatic and LC information on the current distribution patterns of raccoons in both ranges. Raccoons seem to be more often associated to forested areas and mixed landscapes, including cropland and urban areas, but underrepresented in vegetation-poor areas, with patterns largely coinciding in both ranges. In order to compare the predictive power of climate variables and land cover variables, we conducted principal component analyses of all variables in the respective variable sets (climate variables and land cover variables) and used all PC variables that together explain 90% of the total variance in the respective set as predictors. Land cover only models resulted in patchy patterns in the projected habitat suitabilities and showed a higher performance compared to the climate only models in both ranges. In Europe, the land cover habitat suitability seems to exceed the current observed occurrences, which could indicate a further spread potential of the raccoon in Europe. We conclude that information on land cover types are important drivers, which explain well the spatial patterns of the raccoon. Consideration of land cover could benefit efforts to control invasive carnivores and contribute to better management of biodiversity, but also human and animal health.
A modification of the Einstein–Hilbert theory, the Covariant Canonical Gauge Gravity (CCGG), leads to a cosmological constant that represents the energy of the space–time continuum when deformed from its (A)dS ground state to a flat geometry. CCGG is based on the canonical transformation theory in the De Donder–Weyl (DW) Hamiltonian formulation. That framework modifies the Einstein–Hilbert Lagrangian of the free gravitational field by a quadratic Riemann–Cartan concomitant. The theory predicts a total energy-momentum of the system of space–time and matter to vanish, in line with the conjecture of a “Zero-Energy-Universe” going back to Lorentz (1916) and Levi-Civita (1917). Consequently, a flat geometry can only exist in presence of matter where the bulk vacuum energy of matter, regardless of its value, is eliminated by the vacuum energy of space–time. The observed cosmological constant Λobs is found to be merely a small correction attributable to deviations from a flat geometry and effects of complex dynamical geometry of space–time, namely torsion and possibly also vacuum fluctuations. That quadratic extension of General Relativity, anticipated already in 1918 by Einstein, thus provides a significant and natural contribution to resolving the “cosmological constant problem”.
This short paper gives a brief overview of the manifestly covariant canonical gauge gravity (CCGG) that is rooted in the De Donder-Weyl Hamiltonian formulation of relativistic field theories, and the proven methodology of the canonical transformation theory. That framework derives, from a few basic physical and mathematical assumptions, equations describing generic matter and gravity dynamics with the spin connection emerging as a Yang Mills-type gauge field. While the interaction of any matter field with spacetime is fixed just by the transformation property of that field, a concrete gravity ansatz is introduced by the choice of the free (kinetic) gravity Hamiltonian. The key elements of this approach are discussed and its implications for particle dynamics and cosmology are presented. New insights: Anomalous Pauli coupling of spinors to curvature and torsion of spacetime, spacetime with (A)dS ground state, inertia, torsion and geometrical vacuum energy, Zero-energy balance of the Universe leading to a vanishing cosmological constant and torsional dark energy.
An extension to the Einstein–Cartan (EC) action is discussed in terms of cosmological solutions. The torsion incorporated in the EC Lagrangian is assumed to be totally anti-symmetric, represented by a time-like axial vector Sμ. The dynamics of torsion is invoked by a novel kinetic term. Here we show that this kinetic term gives rise to dark energy, while the quadratic torsion term, emanating from the EC part, represents a stiff fluid that leads to a bouncing cosmology solution. A constraint on the bouncing solution is calculated using cosmological data from different epochs.
A partial-wave analysis of the decay 𝐽/𝜓→𝐾+𝐾−𝜋0 has been made using (223.7±1.4)×106 𝐽/𝜓 events collected with the BESIII detector in 2009. The analysis, which is performed within the isobar-model approach, reveals contributions from 𝐾*2(1430)±, 𝐾*2(1980)± and 𝐾*4(2045)± decaying to 𝐾±𝜋0. The two latter states are observed in 𝐽/𝜓 decays for the first time. Two resonance signals decaying to 𝐾+𝐾− are also observed. These contributions cannot be reliably identified and their possible interpretations are discussed. The measured branching fraction 𝐵(𝐽/𝜓→𝐾+𝐾−𝜋0) of (2.88±0.01±0.12)×10−3 is more precise than previous results. Branching fractions for the reported contributions are presented as well. The results of the partial-wave analysis differ significantly from those previously obtained by BESII and BABAR.
We study the hadronic decays of Λ+c to the final states Σ+η and Σ+η′, using an e+e− annihilation data sample of 567 pb−1 taken at a center-of-mass energy of 4.6 GeV with the BESIII detector at the BEPCII collider. We find evidence for the decays Λ+c→Σ+η and Σ+η′ with statistical significance of 2.5σ and 3.2σ, respectively. Normalizing to the reference decays Λ+c→Σ+π0 and Σ+ω, we obtain the ratios of the branching fractions B(Λ+c→Σ+η)B(Λ+c→Σ+π0) and B(Λ+c→Σ+η′)B(Λ+c→Σ+ω) to be 0.35±0.16±0.03 and 0.86±0.34±0.07, respectively. The upper limits at the 90\% confidence level are set to be B(Λ+c→Σ+η)B(Λ+c→Σ+π0)<0.58 and B(Λ+c→Σ+η′)B(Λ+c→Σ+ω)<1.2. Using BESIII measurements of the branching fractions of the reference decays, we determine B(Λ+c→Σ+η)=(0.41±0.19±0.05)% (<0.68%) and B(Λ+c→Σ+η′)=(1.34±0.53±0.21)% (<1.9%). Here, the first uncertainties are statistical and the second systematic. The obtained branching fraction of Λ+c→Σ+η is consistent with the previous measurement, and the branching fraction of Λ+c→Σ+η′ is measured for the first time.
Neutron star mergers (NSMs) are one of the astrophysical sites for the occurrence of the rapid neutron capture process (r-process). After a merger, the ejected neutron-rich matter hosts the production of radioactive heavy nuclei located far from the stability valley. Their nuclear physics properties are key inputs for r-process nucleosynthesis calculations. Here, we focus on the importance of neutron-capture rates and perform a sensitivity study for typical outflows from NSMs. We identify the rates with the highest impact on the final r-process abundance pattern and the nuclear energy release, therefore determining the nucleosynthesis in NSMs. A list of major n-capture rates affecting individual isotopes and elements production is also provided.
The sympathetic nervous system (SNS) is a major regulatory mediator connecting the brain and the immune system that influences accordingly inflammatory processes within the entire body. In the periphery, the SNS exerts its effects mainly via its neurotransmitters norepinephrine (NE) and epinephrine (E), which are released by peripheral nerve endings in lymphatic organs and other tissues. Depending on their concentration, NE and E bind to specific α- and β-adrenergic receptor subtypes and can cause both pro- and anti-inflammatory cellular responses. The co-transmitter neuropeptide Y, adenosine triphosphate, or its metabolite adenosine are also mediators of the SNS. Local pro-inflammatory processes due to injury or pathogens lead to an activation of the SNS, which in turn induces several immunoregulatory mechanisms with either pro- or anti-inflammatory effects depending on neurotransmitter concentration or pathological context. In chronic inflammatory diseases, the activity of the SNS is persistently elevated and can trigger detrimental pathological processes. Recently, the sympathetic contribution to mild chronic inflammatory diseases like osteoarthritis (OA) has attracted growing interest. OA is a whole-joint disease and is characterized by mild chronic inflammation in the joint. In this narrative article, we summarize the underlying mechanisms behind the sympathetic influence on inflammation during OA pathogenesis. In addition, OA comorbidities also accompanied by mild chronic inflammation, such as hypertension, obesity, diabetes, and depression, will be reviewed. Finally, the potential of SNS-based therapeutic options for the treatment of OA will be discussed.
The dynamics of the torsion field is analyzed in the framework of the Covariant Canonical Gauge Theory of Gravity (CCGG), a De Donder–Weyl Hamiltonian formulation of gauge gravity. The action is quadratic in both, the torsion and the Riemann–Cartan tensor. Since the latter adds the derivative of torsion to the equations of motion, torsion is no longer identical to spin density, as in the Einstein–Cartan theory, but an additional propagating degree of freedom. As torsion turns out to be totally anti-symmetric, it can be parametrised via a single axial vector. It is shown in this paper that, in the weak torsion limit, the axial vector obeys a wave equation with an effective mass term which is partially dependent on the scalar curvature. The source of torsion is thereby given by the fermion axial current which is the net fermionic spin density of the system. Possible measurable effects and approaches to experimental analysis are addressed. For example, neutron star mergers could act as a dipoles or quadrupoles for torsional radiation, and an analysis of radiation of pulsars could lead to a detection of torsion wave background radiation.
We introduce a Cannings model with directional selection via a paintbox construction and establish a strong duality with the line counting process of a new Cannings ancestral selection graph in discrete time. This duality also yields a formula for the fixation probability of the beneficial type. Haldane’s formula states that for a single selectively advantageous individual in a population of haploid individuals of size N the probability of fixation is asymptotically (as N→∞) equal to the selective advantage of haploids sN divided by half of the offspring variance. For a class of offspring distributions within Kingman attraction we prove this asymptotics for sequences sN obeying N−1≪sN≪N−1/2, which is a regime of “moderately weak selection”. It turns out that for sN≪N−2/3 the Cannings ancestral selection graph is so close to the ancestral selection graph of a Moran model that a suitable coupling argument allows to play the problem back asymptotically to the fixation probability in the Moran model, which can be computed explicitly.
Highlights
• Reduced evoked theta activity in the deaf.
• Reduced theta-gamma and alpha-gamma cross-frequency couplings in the deaf.
• Stronger delta-alpha coupling in the deaf.
Abstract
Neurons within a neuronal network can be grouped by bottom-up and top-down influences using synchrony in neuronal oscillations. This creates the representation of perceptual objects from sensory features. Oscillatory activity can be differentiated into stimulus-phase-locked (evoked) and non-phase-locked (induced). The former is mainly determined by sensory input, the latter by higher-level (cortical) processing. Effects of auditory deprivation on cortical oscillations have been studied in congenitally deaf cats (CDCs) using cochlear implant (CI) stimulation. CI-induced alpha, beta, and gamma activity were compromised in the auditory cortex of CDCs. Furthermore, top-down information flow between secondary and primary auditory areas in hearing cats, conveyed by induced alpha oscillations, was lost in CDCs. Here we used the matching pursuit algorithm to assess components of such oscillatory activity in local field potentials recorded in primary field A1. Additionally to the loss of induced alpha oscillations, we also found a loss of evoked theta activity in CDCs. The loss of theta and alpha activity in CDCs can be directly related to reduced high-frequency (gamma-band) activity due to cross-frequency coupling. Here we quantified such cross-frequency coupling in adult 1) hearing-experienced, acoustically stimulated cats (aHCs), 2) hearing-experienced cats following acute pharmacological deafening and subsequent CIs, thus in electrically stimulated cats (eHCs), and 3) electrically stimulated CDCs. We found significant cross-frequency coupling in all animal groups in > 70% of auditory-responsive sites. The predominant coupling in aHCs and eHCs was between theta/alpha phase and gamma power. In CDCs such coupling was lost and replaced by alpha oscillations coupling to delta/theta phase. Thus, alpha/theta oscillations synchronize high-frequency gamma activity only in hearing-experienced cats. The absence of induced alpha and theta oscillations contributes to the loss of induced gamma power in CDCs, thereby signifying impaired local network activity.
Libra — a global virtual currency project initiated by Facebook — has been the subject of many controversial discussions since its announcement in June 2019. This paper provides a differentiated view on Libra, recognising that different development scenarios of Libra are conceivable. Libra could serve purely as an alternative payment system in combination with a dedicated payment token, the Libra coin. Alternatively, the Libra project could develop into a broader financial infrastructure for advanced financial services such as savings and loan products operating on the Libra Blockchain. Based on a comparison of the Libra architecture with other cryptocurrencies, the opportunities and challenges for the development of the respective Libra ecosystems are investigated from a commercial, regulatory and monetary policy perspective.
The importance of agile methods has increased in recent years, not only to manage IT projects but also to establish flexible and adaptive organisational structures, which are essential to deal with disruptive changes and build successful digital business strategies. This paper takes an industry-specific perspective by analysing the dissemination, objectives and relative popularity of agile frameworks in the German banking sector. The data provides insights into expectations and experiences associated with agile methods and indicates possible implementation hurdles and success factors. Our research provides the first comprehensive analysis of agile methods in the German banking sector. The comparison with a selected number of fintechs has revealed some differences between banks and fintechs. We found that almost all banks and fintechs apply agile methods in IT projects. However, fintechs have relatively more experience with agile methods than banks and use them more intensively. Scrum is the most relevant framework used in practice. Scaled agile frameworks are so far negligible in the German banking sector. Acceleration of projects is apparently the most important objective of deploying agile methods. In addition, agile methods can contribute to cost savings and lead to improved quality and innovation performance, though for banks it is evidently more challenging to reach their respective targets than for fintechs. Overall our findings suggest that German banks are still in a maturing process of becoming more agile and that there is room for an accelerated adoption of agile methods in general and scaled agile frameworks in particular.
The financial sector plays an important role in financing the green transformation. Various regulatory initiatives in the EU aim to improve transparency in relation to the sustainability of financial products and the sustainability of economic activities of non-financial and financial undertakings. For credit institutions, the Green Asset Ratio (GAR) has been established by the European regulatory authorities as a key performance indicator (KPI) for measuring the proportion of Taxonomy-aligned on-balance-sheet exposure in relation to the total assets. The breakdown of the total GAR by type of counterparty, environmental objective and type of asset provides in-depth information about the sustainability profile of a credit institution. This information, which has not been available to date, may also initiate discussions between management and shareholders or other stakeholders regarding the future sustainability strategy of credit institutions. This paper provides an overview of the regulatory background and the method of calculating the GAR along different dimensions. Finally, the potential benefits and limitations of the GAR are discussed.
Advances in distributed ledger technology are leading to a growing decentralisation of financial services (“decentralised finance”) that can be offered largely without intermediation by financial institutions. An important driver for this development is the ongoing tokenisation of assets, payments and rights, which enables the digital encryption of “crypto assets” on distributed ledgers. This article elaborates the foundations and fields of application of decentralised financial services with crypto assets that could challenge the established business models of financial institutions. This trend not only affects payment systems based on controversial crypto currencies such as Bitcoin, but also exchange platforms, capital markets solutions and corporate financing. A rapidly growing ecosystem of start-ups, tech companies and financial institutions is emerging, yet this ecosystem lacks a consistent regulatory framework. The European initiative MiCA (Markets in Crypto Assets) points in the right direction but needs to be adopted soon to ensure the future competitiveness of the European financial sector.
The financial sector plays an important role in supporting the green transformation of the European economy. A critical assessment of the current regulatory framework for sustainable finance in Europe leads to ambiguous results. Although the level of transparency on environmental, social and governance aspects of financial products has improved significantly, it is questionable whether the complex, mainly disclosure-oriented architecture is sufficient to mobilise more private capital into sustainable investments. It should be discussed whether a minimum taxonomy ratio or Green Asset Ratio has to be fulfilled to market a financial product as “green”. Furthermore, because of the high complexity of the regulation, it could be helpful for private investors to establish a simplified green rating, based on the taxonomy ratio, to facilitate the selection of green financial products.
With a notional amount outstanding of more than USD 500 trillion, the market for OTC derivatives is of vital importance for global financial stability. A growing proportion of these contracts are cleared via central counterparties (CCPs), which means that CCPs are gaining in importance as critical financial market infrastructures. At the same time, there is growing concern that a new „too big to fail" problem could arise, as the CCP industry is highly concentrated due to economies of scale. From a European perspective, it should be noted that the clearing of euro-denominated OTC derivatives mainly takes place in London, hence outside the EU in the foreseeable future. For some time there has been a controversial discussion as to whether this can remain the case post Brexit. CCPs, which clear a significant proportion of euro OTC derivatives and are systemically relevant from an EU perspective, should be subject to direct supervision by EU authorities and should be established in the EU. This would represent an important building block for a future Capital Markets Union in Europe, as regulatory or supervisory arbitrage in favour of systemically important third-country CCPs could be prevented. In addition, if a systemically relevant CCP handling a considerable portion of the euro OTC derivatives business were to run into serious difficulties, this may impact ECB monetary policy. This applies both to demand for central bank money and to the transmission of monetary policy measures, which can be significantly impaired, particularly in the event that the repo market or payment systems are disrupted. It is therefore essential for the ECB to be closely involved in the supervision of CCPs. Against this background, the draft amendment of EMIR (European Market Infrastructure Regulation) presented on 13 June 2017 is a step in the right direction. In addition, there is an urgent need to introduce a recovery and resolution mechanism for CCPs in the EU to complement the existing single resolution mechanism (SRM) for banks in the eurozone. Only then can the diverse interdependencies between banks and CCPs be adequately taken into account in the recovery and resolution programmes required in a financial crisis.
The German federal government intended to alleviate the burden of increasing fuel prices by introducing a temporary reduction of energy taxes on gasoline and diesel. In order to evaluate the impact of this measure on consumer prices at the filling stations the development of procurement costs for crude oil as well as the downstream development of refinery and distribution margins have to be taken into account. It turns out that about 80 % of the tax reduction has been passed on to end consumers on and around the effective date of the tax relief. However, within the first month the impact of the tax reduction has been wiped out for diesel completely as the gross margin of the mineral oil groups have substantially improved since then. On the other hand, for gasoline (E10) at least part of the impact can still be observed as the initial margin improvement has come down in the meantime. For a detailed analysis the German antitrust authority should look into the pricing algorithms of all 14,000 filling stations in Germany.
Mehr Nachhaltigkeit im deutschen Leitindex DAX : Reformvorschläge im Lichte des Wirecard-Skandals
(2020)
Im Rahmen der Aufarbeitung des Wirecard-Skandals wird auch eine Änderung der Kriterien zur Aufnahme in den deutschen Leitindex DAX diskutiert. Die bislang von der Deutschen Börse vorgesehenen Maßnahmen gehen in die richtige Richtung, sind aber nicht weitreichend genug. Es bedarf eines deutlichen Zeichens, dass sich künftig nur solche Unternehmen für den DAX qualifizieren können, die ein zumindest befriedigendes Maß an Nachhaltigkeit gemessen durch einen ESG-Risk-Score (Environment, Social, Governance) in ihrer Geschäftstätigkeit erreichen. Eine Simulation verdeutlicht, dass nach ESG-Kriterien seit langem kritisch betrachtete Unternehmen dem DAX nicht mehr angehören würden. Damit könnte mehr Kapital in nachhaltig wirtschaftende Unternehmen und Sektoren fließen.
We analyze the experimental data on nuclei and hypernuclei yields recently obtained by the STAR collaboration. The hybrid dynamical and statistical approaches which have been developed previously are able to describe the experimental data reasonably. We discuss the intriguing difference between the yields of normal nuclei and hypernuclei which may be related to the properties of hypermatter at subnuclear densities. New (hyper)nuclei could be detected via particle correlations. Such measurements are important to pin down the production mechanism.
We report on new measurements of Cabibbo-suppressed semileptonic D+s decays using 3.19 fb−1 of e+e− annihilation data sample collected at a center-of-mass energy of 4.178~GeV with the BESIII detector at the BEPCII collider. Our results include branching fractions B(D+s→K0e+νe)=(3.25±0.38(stat.)±0.16(syst.))×10−3 and B(D+s→K∗0e+νe)=(2.37±0.26(stat.)±0.20(syst.))×10−3 which are much improved relative to previous measurements, and the first measurements of the hadronic form-factor parameters for these decays. For D+s→K0e+νe, we obtain f+(0)=0.720±0.084(stat.)±0.013(syst.), and for D+s→K∗0e+νe, we find form-factor ratios rV=V(0)/A1(0)=1.67±0.34(stat.)±0.16(syst.) and r2=A2(0)/A1(0)=0.77±0.28(stat.)±0.07(syst.).
he process e+e−→pK0Sn¯K−+c.c. and its intermediate processes are studied for the first time, using data samples collected with the BESIII detector at BEPCII at center-of-mass energies of 3.773, 4.008, 4.226, 4.258, 4.358, 4.416, and 4.600 GeV, with a total integrated luminosity of 7.4 fb−1. The Born cross section of e+e−→pK0Sn¯K−+c.c. is measured at each center-of-mass energy, but no significant resonant structure in the measured cross-section line shape between 3.773 and 4.600 GeV is observed. No evident structure is detected in the pK−, nK0S, pK0S, nK+, pn¯, or K0SK− invariant mass distributions except for Λ(1520). The Born cross sections of e+e−→Λ(1520)n¯K0S+c.c. and e+e−→Λ(1520)p¯K++c.c. are measured, and the 90\% confidence level upper limits on the Born cross sections of e+e−→Λ(1520)Λ¯(1520) are determined at the seven center-of-mass energies.
An amplitude analysis of the 𝐾𝑆𝐾𝑆 system produced in radiative 𝐽/𝜓 decays is performed using the (1310.6±7.0)×106 𝐽/𝜓 decays collected by the BESIII detector. Two approaches are presented. A mass-dependent analysis is performed by parametrizing the 𝐾𝑆𝐾𝑆 invariant mass spectrum as a sum of Breit-Wigner line shapes. Additionally, a mass-independent analysis is performed to extract a piecewise function that describes the dynamics of the 𝐾𝑆𝐾𝑆 system while making minimal assumptions about the properties and number of poles in the amplitude. The dominant amplitudes in the mass-dependent analysis include the 𝑓0(1710), 𝑓0(2200), and 𝑓′2(1525). The mass-independent results, which are made available as input for further studies, are consistent with those of the mass-dependent analysis and are useful for a systematic study of hadronic interactions. The branching fraction of radiative 𝐽/𝜓 decays to 𝐾𝑆𝐾𝑆 is measured to be (8.1±0.4)×10−4, where the uncertainty is systematic and the statistical uncertainty is negligible.
Species lists play an important role in biology and practical domains like conservation, legislation, biosecurity and trade regulation. However, their effective use by non-specialist scientific and societal users is sometimes hindered by disagreements between competing lists. While it is well-known that such disagreements exist, it remains unclear how prevalent they are, what their nature is, and what causes them. In this study, we argue that these questions should be investigated using methods based on taxon concept rather than methods based on Linnaean names, and use such a concept-based method to quantify disagreement about bird classification and investigate its relation to research effort. We found that there was disagreement about 38% of all groups of birds recognized as a species, more than three times as much as indicated by previous measures. Disagreement about the delimitation of bird groups was the most common kind of conflict, outnumbering disagreement about nomenclature and disagreement about rank. While high levels of conflict about rank were associated with lower levels of research effort, this was not the case for conflict about the delimitation of bird groups. This suggests that taxonomic disagreement cannot be resolved simply by increasing research effort.
Using an 𝑒+𝑒− collision data sample with a total integrated luminosity of 3.19 fb−1 collected with the BESIII detector at a center-of-mass energy of 4.178 GeV, the branching fraction of the inclusive decay of the 𝐷+𝑠 meson to final states including at least three charged pions is measured for the first time to be ℬ(𝐷+𝑠→𝜋+𝜋+𝜋−𝑋)=(32.81±0.35stat±0.63syst)%. In this measurement the charged pions from 𝐾0𝑆 meson decays are excluded. The partial branching fractions of 𝐷+𝑠→𝜋+𝜋+𝜋−𝑋 are also measured as a function of the 𝜋+𝜋+𝜋− invariant mass.
The process 𝑒+𝑒−→Σ+¯Σ− is studied from threshold up to 3.04 GeV/𝑐2 via the initial-state radiation technique using data with an integrated luminosity of 12.0 fb−1, collected at center-of-mass energies between 3.773 and 4.258 GeV with the BESIII detector at the BEPCII collider. The pair production cross sections and the effective form factors of Σ are measured in eleven Σ+¯Σ− invariant mass intervals from threshold to 3.04 GeV/𝑐2. The results are consistent with the previous results from Belle and BESIII. Furthermore, the branching fractions of the decays 𝐽/𝜓→Σ+¯Σ− and 𝜓(3686)→Σ+¯Σ− are determined and the obtained results are consistent with the previous results of BESIII.
The differential cross section for 𝑍0 production, measured as a function of the boson’s transverse momentum (𝑝T), provides important constraints on the evolution of the transverse momentum dependent parton distribution functions (TMDs). The transverse single spin asymmetry (TSSA) of the 𝑍0 is sensitive to one of the polarized TMDs, the Sivers function, which is predicted to have the opposite sign in 𝑝 + 𝑝 → 𝑊 ∕𝑍 + 𝑋 from that which enters in semi-inclusive deep inelastic scattering. In this Letter, the STAR Collaboration reports the first measurement of the 𝑍0∕𝛾∗ differential cross section as a function of its 𝑝T in 𝑝+𝑝 collisions at a center-of-mass energy of 510 GeV, together with the 𝑍0∕𝛾∗ total cross section. We also report the measurement of 𝑍0∕𝛾∗ TSSA in transversely polarized 𝑝+𝑝 collisions at 510 GeV.
Graph4Med: a web application and a graph database for visualizing and analyzing medical databases
(2022)
Background: Medical databases normally contain large amounts of data in a variety of forms. Although they grant significant insights into diagnosis and treatment, implementing data exploration into current medical databases is challenging since these are often based on a relational schema and cannot be used to easily extract information for cohort analysis and visualization. As a consequence, valuable information regarding cohort distribution or patient similarity may be missed. With the rapid advancement of biomedical technologies, new forms of data from methods such as Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) or chromosome microarray (array CGH) are constantly being generated; hence it can be expected that the amount and complexity of medical data will rise and bring relational database systems to a limit.
Description: We present Graph4Med, a web application that relies on a graph database obtained by transforming a relational database. Graph4Med provides a straightforward visualization and analysis of a selected patient cohort. Our use case is a database of pediatric Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL). Along routine patients’ health records it also contains results of latest technologies such as NGS data. We developed a suitable graph data schema to convert the relational data into a graph data structure and store it in Neo4j. We used NeoDash to build a dashboard for querying and displaying patients’ cohort analysis. This way our tool (1) quickly displays the overview of patients’ cohort information such as distributions of gender, age, mutations (fusions), diagnosis; (2) provides mutation (fusion) based similarity search and display in a maneuverable graph; (3) generates an interactive graph of any selected patient and facilitates the identification of interesting patterns among patients.
Conclusion: We demonstrate the feasibility and advantages of a graph database for storing and querying medical databases. Our dashboard allows a fast and interactive analysis and visualization of complex medical data. It is especially useful for patients similarity search based on mutations (fusions), of which vast amounts of data have been generated by NGS in recent years. It can discover relationships and patterns in patients cohorts that are normally hard to grasp. Expanding Graph4Med to more medical databases will bring novel insights into diagnostic and research.
Monitoring woody cover by remote sensing is considered a key methodology towards sustainable management of trees in dryland forests. However, while modern very high resolution satellite (VHRS) sensors allow woodland mapping at the individual tree level, the historical perspective is often hindered by lack of appropriate image data. In this first study employing the newly accessible historical HEXAGON KH-9 stereo-panoramic camera images for environmental research, we propose their use for mapping trees in open-canopy conditions. The 2–4 feet resolution panchromatic HEXAGON satellite photographs were taken 1971–1986 within the American reconnaissance programs that are better known to the scientific community for their lower-resolution CORONA images. Our aim is to evaluate the potential of combining historical CORONA and HEXAGON with recent WorldView VHRS imagery for retrospective woodland change mapping on the tree level. We mapped all trees on 30 1-ha test sites in open-canopy argan woodlands in Morocco in the field and from the VHRS imagery for estimating changes of tree density and size between 1967/1972 and 2018. Prior to image interpretation, we used simulations based on unmanned aerial system (UAS) imagery for exemplarily examining the role of illumination, viewing geometry and image resolution on the appearance of trees and their shadows in the historical panchromatic images. We show that understanding these parameters is imperative for correct detection and size-estimation of tree crowns. Our results confirm that tree maps derived solely from VHRS image analysis generally underestimate the number of small trees and trees in clumped-canopy groups. Nevertheless, HEXAGON images compare remarkably well with WorldView images and have much higher tree-mapping potential than CORONA. By classifying the trees in three sizes, we were able to measure tree-cover changes on an ordinal scale. Although we found no clear trend of forest degradation or recovery, our argan forest sites show varying patterns of change, which are further analysed in Part B of our study. We conclude that the HEXAGON stereo-panoramic camera images, of which 670,000 worldwide will soon be available, open exciting opportunities for retrospective monitoring of trees in open-canopy conditions and other woody vegetation patterns back into the 1980s and 1970s.
Climate forecasts show that in many regions the temporal distribution of precipitation events will become less predictable. Root traits may play key roles in dealing with changes in precipitation predictability, but their functional plastic responses, including transgenerational processes, are scarcely known. We investigated root trait plasticity of Papaver rhoeas with respect to higher versus lower intra-seasonal and inter-seasonal precipitation predictability (i.e., the degree of temporal autocorrelation among precipitation events) during a four-year outdoor multi-generation experiment. We first tested how the simulated predictability regimes affected intra-generational plasticity of root traits and allocation strategies of the ancestors, and investigated the selective forces acting on them. Second, we exposed three descendant generations to the same predictability regime experienced by their mothers or to a different one. We then investigated whether high inter-generational predictability causes root trait differentiation, whether transgenerational root plasticity existed and whether it was affected by the different predictability treatments. We found that the number of secondary roots, root biomass and root allocation strategies of ancestors were affected by changes in precipitation predictability, in line with intra-generational plasticity. Lower predictability induced a root response, possibly reflecting a fast-acquisitive strategy that increases water absorbance from shallow soil layers. Ancestors’ root traits were generally under selection, and the predictability treatments did neither affect the strength nor the direction of selection. Transgenerational effects were detected in root biomass and root weight ratio (RWR). In presence of lower predictability, descendants significantly reduced RWR compared to ancestors, leading to an increase in performance. This points to a change in root allocation in order to maintain or increase the descendants’ fitness. Moreover, transgenerational plasticity existed in maximum rooting depth and root biomass, and the less predictable treatment promoted the lowest coefficient of variation among descendants’ treatments in five out of six root traits. This shows that the level of maternal predictability determines the variation in the descendants’ responses, and suggests that lower phenotypic plasticity evolves in less predictable environments. Overall, our findings show that roots are functional plastic traits that rapidly respond to differences in precipitation predictability, and that the plasticity and adaptation of root traits may crucially determine how climate change will affect plants.
Zehn Jahre sub\urban sind ein Grund zum Feiern. Die kritische interdisziplinäre Stadtforschung in deutscher Sprache hat dank sub\urban einen Ort, an dem wir die mannigfaltigen Prozesse diskutieren und theoretisieren können, die Städte auf allen räumlichen Maßstabsebenen prägen. Kein Grund zum Feiern ist hingegen, dass viele dieser Prozesse dazu beitragen, dass wir in Verhältnissen leben, „in denen der Mensch ein erniedrigtes, ein geknechtetes, ein verlassenes, ein verächtliches Wesen ist“ (Marx 1976: 385). Noch immer gilt, dass es radikaler Kritik bedarf, um diese „Verhältnisse umzuwerfen“ (ebd.). Noch immer bedarf es dafür eines Verständnisses des Kapitalismus in seiner je konkreten Ausprägung und in seiner Verwobenheit mit sich wandelnden Herrschaftsformen von Patriarchat, Rassismus und Nationalismus, Homo-, Queer- und Transfeindlichkeit sowie all den anderen Formen des hierarchisierenden Ausschlusses, die für so viele Menschen das Leben zur Hölle machen (Arruzza/Bhattacharya/Fraser 2020; Brown 2018; Federici 2012; Harvey 2017). Radikale Kritik hinterfragt diese im Zeitverlauf sich wandelnden und zwischen Räumen sich unterscheidenden herrschenden Verhältnisse, betreibt mithin Aufklärung über sie, um sie in emanzipatorischer Weise zu verändern, ja zu überwinden.
In recent decades, a rapid range expansion of the golden jackal (Canis aureus) towards Northern and Western Europe has been observed. The golden jackal is a medium-sized canid, with a broad and flexible diet. Almost 200 different parasite species have been reported worldwide from C. aureus, including many parasites that are shared with dogs and cats and parasite species of public health concern. As parasites may follow the range shifts of their host, the range expansion of the golden jackal could be accompanied by changes in the parasite fauna in the new ecosystems. In the new distribution area, the golden jackal could affect ecosystem equilibrium, e.g., through changed competition situations or predation pressure. In a niche modeling approach, we project the future climatic habitat suitability of the golden jackal in Europe in the context of whether climatic changes promote range expansion. We use an ensemble forecast based on six presence-absence algorithms to estimate the climatic suitability of C. aureus for different time periods up to the year 2100 considering different IPCC scenarios on future development. As predictor variables, we used six bioclimatic variables provided by worldclim. Our results clearly indicate that areas with climatic conditions analogous to those of the current core distribution area of the golden jackal in Europe will strongly expand towards the north and the west in future decades. Thus, the observed range expansion may be favored by climate change. The occurrence of stable populations can be expected in Central Europe. With regard to biodiversity and public health concerns, the population and range dynamics of the golden jackal should be surveyed. Correlative niche models provide a useful and frequently applied tool for this purpose. The results can help to make monitoring more efficient by identifying areas with suitable habitat and thus a higher probability of occurrence.
The effect of race/ethnicity on cancer-specific mortality after salvage radical prostatectomy
(2022)
Background: To test the effect of race/ethnicity on cancer-specific mortality (CSM) after salvage radical prostatectomy (SRP).
Material and methods: We relied on the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results database (SEER, 2004–2016) to identify SRP patients of all race/ethnicity background. Univariate and multivariate Cox regression models addressed CSM according to race/ethnicity.
Results: Of 426 assessable SRP patients, Caucasians accounted for 299 (69.9%) vs. 68 (15.9%) African-Americans vs. 39 (9.1%) Hispanics vs. 20 (4.7%) Asians. At diagnosis, African-Americans (64 years) were younger than Caucasians (66 years), but not younger than Hispanics (66 years) and Asians (67 years). PSA at diagnosis was significantly higher in African-Americans (13.2 ng/ml), Hispanics (13.0 ng/ml), and Asians (12.2 ng/ml) than in Caucasians (7.8 ng/ml, p = 0.01). Moreover, the distribution of African-Americans (10.3%–36.6%) and Hispanics (0%–15.8%) varied according to SEER region. The 10-year CSM was 46.5% in African-Americans vs. 22.4% in Caucasians vs. 15.4% in Hispanics vs. 15.0% in Asians. After multivariate adjustment (for age, clinical T stage, lymph node dissection status), African-American race/ethnicity was an independent predictor of higher CSM (HR: 2.2, p < 0.01), but not Hispanic or Asian race/ethnicity. The independent effect of African-American race/ethnicity did not persist after further adjustment for PSA.
Conclusion: African-Americans treated with SRP are at higher risk of CSM than other racial/ethnic groups and also exhibited the highest baseline PSA. The independent effect of African-American race/ethnicity on higher CSM no longer applies after PSA adjustment since higher PSA represents a distinguishing feature in African-American patients.
Background: The assessment of therapeutic adherence and competence is essential to understand mechanisms that contribute to treatment outcome. Nevertheless, their assessment is often neglected in psychotherapy research.
Aims/Objective: To develop an adherence and a treatment-specific competence rating scale for Dialectical Behaviour Therapy for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (DBT-PTSD), and to examine their psychometric properties. Global cognitive behavioural therapeutic competence and disorder-specific therapeutic competence were assessed using already existing scales to confirm their psychometric properties in our sample of patients with PTSD and emotion regulation difficulties.
Method: Two rating scales were developed using an inductive procedure. 155 videotaped therapy sessions from a multicenter randomised controlled trial were rated by trained raters using these scales, 40 randomly chosen videotapes involving eleven therapists and fourteen patients were doubly rated by two raters.
Results: Both the adherence scale (Patient-level ICC = .98; αs = .65; αp = .75) and the treatment-specific competence scale (Patient-level ICC = .98; αs = .78; αp = .82) for DBT-PTSD showed excellent interrater – and good reliability on the patient level. Content validity, including relevance and appropriateness of all items, was confirmed by experts in DBT-PTSD for the new treatment-specific competence scale.
Conclusion: Our results indicate that both scales are reliable instruments. They will be useful to examine possible effects of adherence and treatment-specific competence on DBT-PTSD treatment outcome.