The genus Rhinebothrium (Cestoda: Rhinebothriidea) comprises tapeworm species parasitizing elasmobranch hosts, particularly batoids. Despite numerous recent findings regarding the ecological importance of marine fish parasites throughout the world, the biodiversity of cestodes inhabiting fishes of the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman remains understudied. Here, two new species of Rhinebothrium from stingrays from the Persian Gulf and Gulf of Oman are described: Rhinebothrium gossi sp. nov. and Rhinebothrium palmeri sp. nov. from Maculabatis arabica and Maculabatis randalli, respectively. However, each new cestode species is found with a lower frequency in the other host species, too. These new species were already subjected to a molecular analysis and the revealed genetic distinctiveness requires detailed morphological examinations at the species level. A combination of morphomeristic characteristics including body size, scolex features, proglottid morphology, and reproductive structures distinguish the new species from the other congeners. Although these new species are morphologically similar, however, they differ from each other in the number of testes (6–8 and 8–14), and bothridial loculi (50 and 42 in R. gossi sp. nov. and R. palmeri sp. nov., respectively). These findings contribute to our understanding of marine cestode diversity and underscore the importance of further research in this ecologically significant region.

We solve ‘half’ the problem of finding three-dimensional quasisymmetric magnetic fields that do not necessarily satisfy magnetohydrostatic force balance. This involves determining which hidden symmetries are admissible as quasisymmetries, and then showing explicitly how to construct quasisymmetric magnetic fields given an admissible symmetry. The admissibility conditions take the form of a system of overdetermined nonlinear partial differential equations involving second derivatives of the symmetry's infinitesimal generator.

Iconicity facilitates learning signs, but it is unknown whether recognition of meaning from the sign form occurs automatically. We recorded ERPs to highly iconic (transparent) and non-iconic ASL signs presented to one group who knew they would be taught signs (learners) and another group with no such expectations (non-learners). Participants watched sign videos and detected an occasional grooming gesture (no semantic processing required). Before sign onset, learners showed a greater frontal negativity compared to non-learners for both sign types, possibly due to greater motivation to attend to signs. During the N400 window, learners showed greater negativity to iconic than non-iconic signs, indicating more semantic processing for iconic signs. The non-learners showed a later and much weaker iconicity effect. The groups did not differ in task performance or in P3 amplitude. We conclude that comprehending the form-meaning mapping of highly iconic signs is not automatic and requires motivation and attention.

Established hedgerows of native plants on the borders of crop fields provide a variety of ecosystem service benefits in agricultural landscapes. However, their influence on weed communities is not well understood, and there are concerns that hedgerows could contribute to weed infestations on farms. To address this research gap, we examined the role of established hedgerows of native California plants on weed abundance (weed numbers and cover) and weed species richness in field borders and in adjacent crops, in large-scale, monocropping systems compared with conventionally managed field borders (i.e., no hedgerows). Across 20 farm sites in California’s Central Valley, hedgerows on orchard crop borders reduced weed numbers by 66%, weed species richness by 59%, and weed cover by 74%. On annual field crop borders, hedgerows reduced weed numbers by 71%, weed species richness by 60%, and weed cover by 70%. In orchards, hedgerows also reduced weed intrusion into the adjacent crop interior, with significantly lower weed cover to the first tree row (area directly underneath the trees), weed species richness to the 10 m tree row, and weed numbers to the 10 m avenue (area between the tree rows). Yearly management practices and associated costs for weed control in established hedgerows were significantly less than for conventionally managed field borders. This study highlights the effectiveness of native hedgerows as a sustainable nature-based solution for reducing weed pressure and management inputs on farms.

Imagine that you are given access to an AI chatbot that compellingly mimics the personality and speech of a deceased loved one. If you start having regular interactions with this “thanabot,” could this new relationship be a continuation of the relationship you had with your loved one? And could a relationship with a thanabot preserve or replicate the value of a close human relationship? To the first question, we argue that a relationship with a thanabot cannot be a true continuation of your relationship with a deceased loved one, though it might support one’s continuing bonds with the dead. To the second question, we argue that, in and of themselves, relationships with thanabots cannot benefit us as much as rewarding and healthy intimate relationships with other humans, though we explain why it is difficult to make reliable comparative generalizations about the instrumental value of these relationships.

There is a lack of information from Middle Eastern countries regarding diet-disease associations. We examined dietary glycemic and insulinemic potential in relation to risk of incident diabetes among a large group of Iranian adults. The present study was carried out using data from Yazd Health Study (YaHS)-Taghzieh Mardom Yazd (TAMYZ), a prospective cohort study on adults aged 20 to 70 years in Yazd Greater Area, Iran. This study was initiated in 2014-2016 (baseline examination) and data are collected prospectively at one 5-year intervals. Data on demographic characteristics, dietary intakes, and potential confounders were gathered by interview. During the follow-up phase of the study, diabetes incidence was confirmed by laboratory tests and physician diagnoses. This study included a total of 6178 participants in the cross-sectional analysis and 5105 subjects in the prospective phase. Examining the cross-sectional phase, we failed to find any significant association between dietary glycemic index (GI) and glycemic load (GL) as well as dietary insulin index (DII) or dietary insulin load (DIL) and prevalence of diabetes. No significant relationship was also seen between DII/DIL and risk of T2DM in the prospective phase; however, in the stratified analysis by BMI status, there was an inverse significant association between DII and risk of T2DM (HR for T3 vs. T1: 0.19; 95%CI: 0.04, 0.92; P=0.03) in non-obese (BMI≥25 kg/m2) and overweight (BMI<25 kg/m2)participants. No significant association was found between dietary GI/ dietary GL/ DII/ or DIL with risk of T2DM. More research, particularly with a longer follow-up duration, is needed to confirm these findings.

In this paper, a novel polarization conversion metasurface (PCM) is proposed. Compared with the conventional receiver-transmitter metasurface units, two metallized via holes are set up to correct the current. It can achieve better polarization conversion from linear to circular and maintain a high reflectivity performance. A patch antenna with an L-probe feed is used as a feeder. The circularly polarized Fabry–Perot resonator antenna (CP-FPRA) consists of the PCM with a 5 × 5 array and a feeder. The measurements indicate a 3 dB axial ratio (AR) bandwidth of 8.6% (22.3–24.3 GHz). And it achieves a maximum gain of 14.2 dBic at 24 GHz, compared to the feed antenna has a gain enhancement of 5.5 dBi (from 8.7 dBi to 14.2 dBic). The proposed CP-FPRA has high gain, a wide AR, and a relatively low profile, providing ideas for subsequent antenna designs.

Let X be a smooth, projective and geometrically connected curve defined over a finite field ${\mathbb {F}}_q$ of characteristic p different from $2$ and $S\subseteq X$ a subset of closed points. Let $\overline {X}$ and $\overline {S}$ be their base changes to an algebraic closure of ${\mathbb {F}}_q$. We study the number of $\ell $-adic local systems $(\ell \neq p)$ in rank $2$ over $\overline {X}-\overline {S}$ with all possible prescribed tame local monodromies fixed by k-fold iterated action of Frobenius endomorphism for every $k\geq 1$. In all cases, we confirm conjectures of Deligne predicting that these numbers behave as if they were obtained from a Lefschetz fixed point formula. In fact, our counting results are expressed in terms of the numbers of some Higgs bundles.

Does neorealism contain a conception of human nature? Although neorealists usually claim to sidestep the question of human nature altogether, scholars frequently trace the theory back to the work of Thomas Hobbes, a philosopher who in fact defended a robust account of human motivations. As a result, some scholars have concluded that neorealism contains a Hobbesian view of human nature. Against the conventional wisdom, this article argues that neorealism contains a Rousseauian philosophical anthropology. Whereas Hobbes provides a deeply pessimistic account of human motivations, Rousseau combines optimism about human motivations with pessimism about social structures. Rousseau’s critique of Hobbes profoundly influenced neorealism’s founding father, Kenneth Waltz, a political theorist who later gravitated towards International Relations. After exploring Waltz’s reading of Rousseau and demonstrating Rousseau’s influence on Waltz’s theory, the article investigates what is gained by reading neorealism as Rousseauian. Returning to the Rousseauian roots of neorealism reveals the true character of the tragic heuristic employed in neorealist theory, sheds new light on the role of pity in neorealist foreign policy, and clarifies the logic of the theory itself.

The adjustment period — wherein adopted animals transition to their new home — is a critical time for animal welfare and owner satisfaction, yet literature varies in estimates of how long this period lasts in dogs. This study sought to better characterise the adjustment period in relation to owner experience and canine welfare and clarify its duration as perceived by owners. We used a qualitative approach to examine owner perceptions of duration and their experience of the adjustment period. Twenty-seven interviews were conducted and analysed using thematic content analysis. Six themes were described: adjustment period duration; behavioural indicators during adjustment; behaviours indicative of adjustment; factors influencing adjustment; owner change in routine; and adjustment concerns. Over half of participants perceived the adjustment period to last longer than four months. Behaviours used by owners to assess dog adjustment included: moderation of behavioural extremes (e.g. lethargy and restlessness); play; tail wagging; greeting; and learning their routine. Owners reported that prior experiences and medical needs impacted the adjustment duration, that they adjusted aspects of their lifestyle, and raised concerns about being the right fit for their dog. Future research should incorporate a longer time-frame to better understand how and when dogs adjust to a home, and as there is variation in dog behaviour during adjustment, it must also account for individual differences. As we develop a better understanding of how to characterise this period, adopters can be better prepared for the initial months of dog ownership, and interventions can be individualised to improve owner experience and dog welfare.

The duality of human nature, consisting of positive and negative personality traits, has intrigued scholars in different fields. Despite an overwhelming dominance of research on positive characteristics, particularly in the field of education, negative traits, such as those constituting the Dark Triad (DT; i.e., Psychopathy, Narcissism, and Machiavellianism) have been confirmed to be associated with both positive and detrimental outcomes. This paper aims to investigate the potential influence of these aversive traits on second language (L2) learning outcomes—L2 learning motivation, engagement, achievement, and willingness to communicate. L2 learners from a single country (n = 431) participated in this study. Multiple structural equation models (SEMs) were run to analyze the links and the directionality of significant effects. Overall, among the undesirable DT traits, Psychopathy and Narcissism were both positive and negative predictors of the L2 outcomes, while Machiavellianism unexpectedly emerged solely as a positive predictor. The intricacy of the results underscores the vague nature of the effects, pinpointing the need for more caution while examining negative personality traits in education and the L2 contexts. Based on the results of this study, implications and directions for future research on DT and language learning are suggested.

The Japanese flying squid, Todarodes pacificus, is distributed mainly in the northwest Pacific and the Japan Sea. The present study was conducted for a better understanding of the mechanisms behind its migration routes. The ratios of strontium to calcium (Sr:Ca) in the statoliths can be associated with the water temperatures the squid experienced in the sea. Using specimens collected in the northern Japan Sea in summer and Lagrangian backward tracer experiments, a strong negative correlation was obtained between the Sr:Ca in the statoliths and the empirical water temperatures estimated through a regional ocean model. These backward tracer experiments were continuously conducted at depths of 6, 15, and 30 m. The greatest determination coefficient of the regression expression appeared for a nearshore tracer group of the experiment at a depth of 15 m. In addition, the regression expression provided reasonable lifetime empirical water temperature variations of the squids collected in the sea areas east of Tsushima Island and west of the Goto Islands in winter. The combination of Ca:Sr analytical chemistry and tracer experiments with the ocean dynamic model used in this study improved our understanding of the migration path of T. pacificus.

This paper comprises a brief study of a law firm library in Malaysia, which has utilized an automated library system to organize its collection. The paper aims to demonstrate how the automated library system was implemented and to identify the statistics that can be generated through that system. The particular software used is the Applied Library System (ALS).

Coarctation of the aorta is a rare congenital cardiovascular anomaly. In some patients, one particular vessel in collateral circulation has achieved recognition as the artery of Hamilton and Abbott. This aberrant pathway can create local turbulence, elevating the risk of aneurysm formation. We report the clinical treatment of a 35-year-old patient with coarctation of the aorta combined with an aneurysm originating from the artery of Hamilton and Abbott to highlight the need for attention to the presence of this artery.

Single-use plastic pens are commonly used to mark surgical sites on the skin of patients. In laboratory testing, an ultraviolet-C (UV-C) light device was effective for decontamination of marking pens with plastic caps designed to allow transmission of UV-C. Decontamination of marking pens could reduce plastic and carbon footprints.