Middle Ear Mechanics in the Barn Owl.

The barn owl is a common research subject in auditory science due to its exceptional capacity for high frequency hearing and superb sound source localization capabilities. Despite longstanding interest in the auditory performance of barn owls, the function of its middle ear has attracted remarkably little attention. Here, we report the middle ear transfer function measured by laser Doppler vibrometry and direct measurements of inner ear pressures.

Beauty is in the eye of your cohort: Structured individual differences allow predictions of individualized aesthetic ratings of images.

In the last few years, there has been an increasing interest in computational models that are capable of predicting the aesthetic ratings of images based on objective image features. Given that aesthetic ratings vary across individuals, models that predict the average aesthetic ratings ignore the unique taste of an individual. In this paper, our goal is to better understand the individual differences in aesthetic ratings by investigating if individual differences follow structural rules or if taste is due to a random component of an individual's ratings.

Upper bill bending as an adaptation for nectar feeding in hummingbirds.

Observations of maxillary (upper bill) bending in hummingbirds have been considered an optical illusion, yet a recent description of out-of-phase opening and closing between their bill base and tip suggests a genuine capacity for bill bending. We investigate bill kinematics during nectar feeding in six species of hummingbirds. We employed geometric morphometrics to identify bending zones and combined these data with measurements of bill flexural rigidity from micro-computed tomography scans to better understand the flexing mechanism.

Cretaceous bird from Brazil informs the evolution of the avian skull and brain.

A dearth of Mesozoic-aged, three-dimensional fossils hinders understanding of the origin of the distinctive skull and brain of modern (crown) birds. Here we report Navaornis hestiae gen. et sp.

Recognising and responding to the community needs of gay and bisexual men around mpox.

Background: In May 2022, a global surge in mpox cases, typically endemic to Western and Central Africa, particularly affected gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men (gbMSM). This study examines gbMSM communities' experiences and perceptions around Ireland's public health response to the outbreak.

Methods: A cross-sectional mixed-methods online survey was conducted.