Comparative architecture of the tessellated boxfish (Ostracioidea) carapace.

Tessellations (surface architectures of arrays of hard tiles) are common in natural and man-made designs. Boxfishes (Ostracioidea) are almost completely encased in a tessellated armor and have evolved a plethora of cross-sectional carapace shapes, yet whether the scutes constructing these exhibit comparable variation is unknown. Using high-resolution microCT and semi-automatic segmentation algorithms, we quantitatively examined thousands of scutes from 13 species of diverse body form.

Sex-dependent effects of ethanol withdrawal from a single- and repeated binge episode exposures on social anxiety-like behavior and neuropeptide gene expression in adolescent rats.

Ethanol withdrawal sensitivity is a risk factor for the development of alcohol use disorder. Heavy episodic drinking during adolescence often encompasses repeated periods of withdrawal. Adolescent intermittent ethanol exposure of laboratory rodents produces several neurobiological deficits that differ between sexes, but the sensitivity to withdrawal as a contributor to the observed sex differences is not clear.

Prelimbic cortex perineuronal net expression and social behavior: Impact of adolescent intermittent ethanol exposure.

Adolescent intermittent ethanol (AIE) exposure in rats leads to social deficits. Parvalbumin (PV) expressing fast-spiking interneurons in the prelimbic cortex (PrL) contribute to social behavior, and perineuronal nets (PNNs) within the PrL preferentially encompass and regulate PV interneurons. AIE exposure increases PNNs, but it is unknown if this upregulation contributes to AIE-induced social impairments.

AEDES ALBOPICTUS IN-HOUSE WINTER BREEDING IN GERMANY-A CASE STUDY.

In February 2024, a resident of Mannheim, Germany, collected aggressively attacking mosquitoes in her home and forwarded them to the "Mueckenatlas" citizen science recording scheme. The specimens turned out to be Aedes albopictus. Upon discussing the situation and consultation on the biology of the Asian tiger mosquito, the submitter found numerous developmental stages in the water of a flowerpot with an orchid in her living room.

Synthesis and Structures of Oxide -Centred Alkali Metal (K, Li)/Lanthanoid (Ln3 or 4) 3,5-Dimethylpyrazolate Cages - Herbert Schumann Revisited.

Reaction of lanthanoid tris(3,5-dimethylpyrazolate) compounds, [Ln(Mepz)(thf)] (Ln=La 1 a, Ce, Pr, Dy 1 b, Yb, Lu) with potassium or lithium bistrimethylsilylamide and with or without added 3,5-dimethylpyrazole, or of lanthanoid tris(bistrimethylsilyl)amide complexes with potassium bistrimethylsilylamide and 3,5-dimethylpyrazole have yielded a variety of oxide centred Ln or Ln/(K or Li) multinuclear cages, namely, [LaO(Mepz) K(thf)] (2 a), [LaO(Mepz)Li(MepzH)]⋅0.5Hexane (2 b), [LaO(Mepz)(MepzH)] (2 c) (from heating 1 a in toluene), [CeO(Mepz)K(dme)] (3 a), [CeO(Mepz)Li(thf)]⋅0.5Hexane (3 b) and [Ce(Mepz)Li(thf)] (3 c), which crystallized together, [CeO(Mepz)K(thf)] (3 d), [PrO(Mepz)K(thf)] (4), [DyO(Mepz)K(thf)]⋅THF (5), [YbO(Mepz)K(thf)]⋅THF (6), and [LuO(Mepz)K(thf)]⋅THF (7).

Winter activity of Culicoides (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) inside and outside stables in Germany.

Culicoides biting midge species (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) of the Obsoletus Group and the Pulicaris Complex are considered the major vectors of bluetongue and Schmallenberg viruses in Europe. Overwintering strategies of these arboviruses are controversially discussed, with the ongoing activity of vector species and a non-disrupted transmission cycle during winter being a plausible explanation. Although data on Culicoides winter activity are relatively scant, a seasonal vector-free period (SVFP), during which adult Culicoides are not or hardly active, is questionable.

Implementation of an Approach to Equitable Allocation of SARS-CoV-2 Monoclonal Antibodies for Preexposure Prophylaxis: Experience From a Single Medical Center.

Background: During the COVID-19 pandemic, SARS-CoV-2 monoclonal antibodies for preexposure prophylaxis (SMA-PrEP) offered patients who were immunocompromised another option for protection. However, SMA-PrEP posed administrative, operational, and ethical challenges for health care facilities, resulting in few patients receiving them. Although the first SMA-PrEP medication, tixagevimab and cilgavimab, had its authorization revoked due to compromised in vitro efficacy, new SMA-PrEP medications are currently completing clinical trials.

A new and threatened species of from the Brazilian cloud forests.

A new and threatened polypore species, , is described from the cloud forests of southern Brazil. It is characterized by single-pileate basidiomata that grow on dead branches and along living stems of standing trunks and present a context with dark lines and resinous tubes. When growing in axenic culture, this species also develops chlamydospores.

Bluetongue Virus Serotype 3 and Schmallenberg Virus in Culicoides Biting Midges, Western Germany, 2023.

In October 2023, bluetongue virus serotype 3 (BTV-3) emerged in Germany, where Schmallenberg virus is enzootic. We detected BTV-3 in 1 pool of Culicoides biting midges collected at the time ruminant infections were reported. Schmallenberg virus was found in many vector pools.

Patterns of neuronal activation following ethanol-induced social facilitation and social inhibition in adolescent cFos-LacZ male and female rats.

Alcohol-associated social facilitation together with attenuated sensitivity to adverse alcohol effects play a substantial role in adolescent alcohol use and misuse, with adolescent females being more susceptible to adverse consequences of binge drinking than adolescent males. Adolescent rodents also demonstrate individual and sex differences in sensitivity to ethanol-induced social facilitation and social inhibition, therefore the current study was designed to identify neuronal activation patterns associated with ethanol-induced social facilitation and ethanol-induced social inhibition in male and female adolescent cFos-LacZ rats. Experimental subjects were given social interaction tests on postnatal day (P) 34, 36, and 38 after an acute challenge with 0, 0.

Superscattering of electromagnetic waves from subwavelength dielectric structures.

Superscattering, corresponding to the scattering cross section of a scatterer being significantly larger than its single-channel limit, has attracted increasing attention due to its huge potential for practical applications. The realization of superscattering relies on the overlapping of multiple resonance modes in a scatterer. Accordingly, superscattering phenomena have been observed primarily in alternating plasmonic/dielectric layered structures which support surface plasmons.

Improvements of weaned pigs barn hygiene to reduce the spread of antimicrobial resistance.

The spread of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in animal husbandry is usually attributed to the use of antibiotics and poor hygiene and biosecurity. We therefore conducted experimental trials to improve hygiene management in weaned pig houses and assessed the impact on the spread. For each of the two groups examined, the experimental group (EG) and the control group (CG), three replicate batches of piglets from the same pig breeder, kept in pre-cleaned flat decks, were analyzed.

Enhancing arthropod occurrence in wheat cropping systems: the role of non-chemical pest management and nitrogen optimization.

This study analyzes arthropod biomass and abundance to track the changes in arthropod occurrence in relation to pesticide use in three winter wheat cropping systems managed at different intensities (organic, conventional, and hybrid). Arthropod occurrence was surveyed using three collection tools: sweeping nets, eclector traps, and yellow traps. Sampling was conducted over three years from 2020 to 2022 with 588 samples collected.

Numerically Exact Simulation of Photodoped Mott Insulators.

A description of long-lived photodoped states in Mott insulators is challenging, as it needs to address exponentially separated timescales. We demonstrate how properties of such states can be computed using numerically exact steady state techniques, in particular, the quantum Monte Carlo algorithm, by using a time-local ansatz for the distribution function with separate Fermi functions for the electron and hole quasiparticles. The simulations show that the Mott gap remains robust to large photodoping, and the photodoped state has hole and electron quasiparticles with strongly renormalized properties.

Activated carbon amendment of sand in the base of a permeable pavement reduces total nitrogen and nitrate leaching.

Urban runoff from impermeable surfaces contains various pollutants. Stormwater samples were collected for one year from car parks on the campus of Newcastle University, located in northeast England, to monitor seasonal variation in stormwater properties and leachate quality following stormwater percolation through pilot-scale, outdoor permeable pavements. The pilot study compared an innovative 'pollution munching' permeable pavement with 2 % activated carbon (AC) amendment in the sand base with a conventional, un-amended sand base permeable pavement.

The emergence of 3D-printed firearms: An analysis of media and law enforcement reports.

3D-printed firearms, an emerging category of privately made firearms (PMF) produced beyond government control, have become increasingly prevalent due to technological advancements. They are now emerging as a cost-effective and reliable alternative to conventional firearms. Raised to public awareness following the 2013 release of the 3D-printed Liberator, these firearms are now more commonly encountered by police forces.

Reliability of an Instrumented Pressure Walkway for Measuring Walking and Running Characteristics in Young, Athletic Individuals.

Background: Spatiotemporal parameters of gait are useful for identifying pathological gait patterns and presence of impairments. Reliability of the pressure-sensitive Zeno Walkway has not been established in young, active individuals without impairments, and no studies to this point have included running.

Purpose: The purposes of this study were to 1) determine if up to two additional trials of walking and running on the Zeno Walkway are needed to produce consistent measurements of spatiotemporal variables, and 2) establish test-retest reliability and minimal detectable change (MDC) values for common spatiotemporal variables measured during walking and running.

Large-Scale Cytochrome C Oxidase Subunit I Gene Data Analysis for the Development of a Multiplex Polymerase Chain Reaction Test Capable of Identifying Biting Midge Vector Species and Haplotypes (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) of the Subgenus Fox, 1955.

The emergence of culicoid-transmitted bluetongue and Schmallenberg viruses in several European countries demonstrated the ability of indigenous biting midge species to transmit pathogens. Entomologic research programs identified members of the Obsoletus Group ( subgenus ) as keyplayers in disease epidemiology in Europe. However, morphological identification of potential vectors is challenging due to the recent discovery of new genetic variants (haplotypes) of sensu stricto (s.

Lower limb squat biomechanics and select clinical measures in chronic ankle instability.

Background: Individuals with chronic ankle instability often present with clinical and biomechanical abnormalities, however squat biomechanics have not been investigated. The purpose of this study was to compare select clinical assessments and squat biomechanics between individuals with and without chronic ankle instability.

Methods: Fifteen individuals with chronic ankle instability and a matched control group were studied.

Perylenetetracarboxylic Diimide Composite Electrodes as Organic Cathode Materials for Rechargeable Sodium-Ion Batteries: A Joint Experimental and Theoretical Study.

The organic semiconductor 3,4,9,10-perylenetetracarboxylic diimide (PTCDI), a widely used industrial pigment, has been identified as a diffusion-less Na-ion storage material, allowing for exceptionally fast charging/discharging rates. The elimination of diffusion effects in electrochemical measurements enables the assessment of interaction energies from simple cyclic voltammetry experiments through the theoretical work of Laviron and Tokuda. In this work, the two N-substituted perylenes, ,'-dimethyl-3,4,9,10-perylenetetracarboxylic diimide (MePTCDI) and ,'-diphenyl-3,4,9,10-perylenetetracarboxylic diimide (PhPTCDI), as well as the parent molecule 3,4,9,10-perylenetetracarboxylic diimide (HPTCDI) are investigated as thin-film composite electrodes on carbon fibers for sodium-ion batteries.

Chiral optical solitons in an electrically active multiferroic guiding structure.

A stack of a dielectric planar waveguide with a Kerr-type nonlinearity, sandwiched between two oxide-based helical multiferroic layers is shown to support electrically-controlled chiral solitons. These findings follow from analytical and full numerical simulations. The analytical scheme delivers explicit material parameters for the guided mode soliton and unveils how the soliton propagation characteristics are controlled by tuning the multiferroic helicity and amplitude of the injected electromagnetic wave.

Effective removal of iron, nutrients, micropollutants, and faecal bacteria in constructed wetlands cotreating mine water and sewage treatment plant effluent.

Regulators in England and Wales have set new targets under the Environment Act 2021 for freshwater quality by 2038 that include halving the length of rivers polluted by harmful metals from abandoned mines and reducing phosphorus loadings from treated wastewater by 80%. In this context, an intriguing win-win opportunity exists in the removal of iron from abandoned mines and phosphate from small sewage treatment plants by coprecipitation in constructed wetlands (CWs). We investigated such a CW located at Lamesley, Northeast England, which cotreats abandoned coal mine and secondary-treated sewage treatment plant effluents.