Deeksha, Santosh K. Shah, Nivedita Mehrotra
et al.
A Dendrochronological study of teak (<i>Tectona grandis</i>) was conducted at two sites in northern Chhattisgarh, central India, and resulted in the development of two tree-ring width chronologies. We examined the relationships between tree-ring chronologies and gridded monthly and daily climate variables (mean temperature, total precipitation and drought indices) as well as monthly soil moisture. We performed spatial correlations using monthly climate data and used the nearest climate grid point for daily climate correlations. Both chronologies showed negative correlations with temperature and positive correlations with soil moisture, rainfall, and drought indices. These relationships highlight the dominant role of soil moisture availability in influencing teak growth in the monsoon-dominated climate of Chhattisgarh. Based on this relationship, we reconstructed average soil moisture from February to October, extending the gridded soil moisture record by 62 years (1920–1981 CE). This reconstruction represents the first tree-ring-based long-term soil moisture record from central India. Our findings provide a comprehensive hydroclimatic perspective for a region lacking historical tree-ring data and demonstrate the potential of teak as a proxy for investigating long-term soil moisture variability. Further research using older samples from this species will enhance understanding of past climate variability and hydroclimatic changes in central India.
Late Pleistocene coastal deposits on the southeastern coast of Formentera (Es Ram–Es Estufadors) provide a high-resolution record of sea-level and climatic fluctuations associated with Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 5. Three distinct beach levels (Sef-1, Sef-2, Sef-3) were identified, corresponding to substages MIS 5e, 5c, and possibly 5a, based on sedimentological features, fossil assemblages, and Optically Stimulated Luminescence (OSL) dating. The oldest beach level (Sef-1) is attributed to MIS 5e (ca. 128–116 ka) and is characterised by the widespread presence of thermophilic Senegalese fauna—including <i>Thetystrombus latus</i>, <i>Conus ermineus</i>, and <i>Linatella caudata</i>—which mark the onset of this interglacial phase and are associated with two peaks in relative sea-level highstand. A subsequent cooling event during MIS 5d is recorded by the development of thin palaeosols and the disappearance of these warm-water taxa. The second beach level (Sef-2) reflects renewed sea-level rise and warmer conditions during MIS 5c, with abundant macrofauna and red algae. The transition to MIS 5b (~97 ka) is marked by a significant sea-level drop (down to –60 m), cooler climate, and enhanced colluvial sedimentation linked to increased runoff and erosion. In total, 54 macrofaunal species were identified—16 from Sef-1 and 46 from Sef-2—highlighting ecological shifts across substages. These results improve our understanding of coastal response to sea-level oscillations and paleoenvironmental dynamics in the western Mediterranean during the Late Pleistocene.
Conrad Schmidt, Tara Beuzen-Waller, Dana Pietsch
et al.
The Early Bronze Age in southeastern Arabia is characterized by a significant shift in the archaeological record that coincides with the regional deterioration of climatic conditions associated with the end of the Holocene Humid Period. This study presents evidence for human modification of the local landscape around Building VII, a large circular structure at Al-Khashbah, Oman dating to the late third millennium BC. Through multiproxy analyses combining archaeological, geophysical, geomorphological, pedological and malacological, geochemical, palynological, and archaeobotanical datasets, we found evidence for the excavation of sediments at the foot of Building VII during the Umm an-Nar period. This excavation was subsequently filled by sediment presenting evidence for soil development, increased organic carbon, salt enrichment, microcharcoal, and snails. We suggest that both the excavation and subsequent aggradation may be related to gardening activities, though archaeobotanical and palynological analyses did not yield sufficient preserved material for local vegetation reconstruction. Nevertheless, our results contribute valuable insights into local human-environmental interactions and show that investigations beyond the visible archaeology of the monumental buildings of Early Bronze Age Oman can record a wide range of human activities and land modification near these important sites. These results have the potential to provide information on the resilience and adaptation to climate aridification by Umm an-Nar period peoples in central Oman and landscape modification during this period of economic transformation, increasing sedentarization, and growing social differentiation.
Abstract Background Respiratory modulation is generally observed in the inferior vena cava (IVC). If similar respiratory modulation exists in peripheral superficial veins, it would be possible to dilate the vein diameter by respiratory control. This may improve the success rate of venipuncture in clinical practices. Hence, the present study aimed to investigate the respiratory modulation in peripheral superficial veins. Methods This study included 21 healthy female volunteers (mean age 21.8 ± 0.9 years). Participants performed spontaneous breathing (SB) and paced breathing (PB). B-mode ultrasound imaging was used to continuously monitor the cutaneous veins of the left elbow fossa for 50 s. Results Vein diameter demonstrated a clear modulation consistent with paced breathing, and the amplitude of vein diameter modulation was greater at 10 s-PB than at 3 s-PB. Additionally, PB affected the baseline of modulation (mean vein diameter). The baseline exhibited the largest diameter in SB, followed by 3 s-PB and 10 s-PB. The baseline for SB and 10 s-PB demonstrated a statistically significant difference (p = 0.03). Respiratory modulation was confirmed in peripheral superficial veins; however, tonic change in baseline diameter was dominant over phasic modulation. Even when vein diameter was most dilated at 10 s-PB, the diameter at that time was smaller than the mean diameter at SB. Conclusions This study demonstrated that the peripheral superficial vein diameter exhibited respiratory modulation, similar to the IVC. Although respiratory modulation of the IVC has been well documented in previous studies, the present findings provide novel evidence of this phenomenon in the peripheral superficial veins. Additionally, this study identified tonic changes in the mean vein diameter, which were more dominant than phasic modulations. Furthermore, the mean vein diameter during SB was greater than the maximum diameter observed during 10 s-PB. These findings suggested that PB for 50 s during venipuncture did not enhance venous access.
Abstract Cervical intervertebral disc degeneration (IVDD) is a broad term encompassing a range of lesions caused by degenerative changes in the cervical intervertebral discs. The purpose of this study was to explore and validate an acupuncture treatment protocol aligned with the principles of syndrome differentiation and treatment in veterinary medicine through the analysis of epidemiological characteristics observed in clinical cases. This retrospective study included 82 canine patients with cervical IVDD who received acupuncture treatments. Among these cases, 70% were small-breed canines, 76% were male, and the mean age was 10.07 ± 3.99 years. In most cases, the affected region was located between C5 and C7, and a correlation was found between monthly incidence and temperature variation. Applying the principle of point selection based on syndrome differentiation, the total effective rate of acupuncture treatment in this group was 79%. In a prospective study, the same acupuncture treatment scheme achieved a total effective rate of 93%, indicating outcomes compared to the retrospective data. The high recovery rate observed suggests that acupuncture may be a viable treatment option for canine cervical IVDD.
Physical anthropology. Somatology, Veterinary medicine
Derived from the disease-avoidance model is the hypothesis that people may direct negative cognitive and behavioural responses towards individuals with physical disfiguring conditions, including physical disabilities. According to the behavioral immune system, physical disability—a non-contagious physical disfigurement—may falsely activate cognitive disease-avoidance processes, resulting in prejudicial or negative responses toward individuals with physical disabilities. For the first time this hypothesis is put to the test by investigating whether ratings of attractiveness and comfort for a social interaction vary systematically with physical disability (Studies 1 and 2). In addition, we tested whether these ratings were associated with individual differences in pathogen disgust and perceived vulnerability to disease. In Study 3 we overcame possible methodological limitations by employing a virtual reality (VR) environment. A fourth study was conducted to extend the first two studies by using a more diverse set of avatars. Results from Studies 1 and 2 indicated that disability did not significantly impact comfort ratings for social interactions, although non-disabled stimuli were rated as more attractive. However, Study 3 showed that in a VR environment, participants preferred closer proximity to non-disabled avatars over disabled ones, a preference not mitigated by the presence of prosthetics. Study 4 replicated these findings with varied 2D avatars, showing that disability significantly affected both comfort and attractiveness ratings, with non-disabled avatars rated highest, followed by those with prosthetics, and finally disabled avatars. Despite these findings, the expected relationship between comfort ratings and individual differences in pathogen disgust or perceived infectability did not emerge, challenging the behavioural immune system proposal. The discomfort associated with physical disability may be more related to social stigma or preconceived notions than to an innate disease-avoidance response.
Ashish S. Nair, Narendra Singh, Marco Panesi
et al.
Modeling rarefied hypersonic flows remains a fundamental challenge due to the breakdown of classical continuum assumptions in the transition-continuum regime, where the Knudsen number ranges from approximately 0.1 to 10. Conventional Navier-Stokes-Fourier (NSF) models with empirical slip-wall boundary conditions fail to accurately predict nonequilibrium effects such as velocity slip, temperature jump, and shock structure deviations. We develop a physics-constrained machine learning framework that augments transport models and boundary conditions to extend the applicability of continuum solvers in nonequilibrium hypersonic regimes. We employ deep learning PDE models (DPMs) for the viscous stress and heat flux embedded in the governing PDEs and trained via adjoint-based optimization. We evaluate these for two-dimensional supersonic flat-plate flows across a range of Mach and Knudsen numbers. Additionally, we introduce a wall model based on a mixture of skewed Gaussian approximations of the particle velocity distribution function. This wall model replaces empirical slip conditions with physically informed, data-driven boundary conditions for the streamwise velocity and wall temperature. Our results show that a trace-free anisotropic viscosity model, paired with the skewed-Gaussian distribution function wall model, achieves significantly improved accuracy, particularly at high-Mach and high-Knudsen number regimes. Strategies such as parallel training across multiple Knudsen numbers and inclusion of high-Mach data during training are shown to enhance model generalization. Increasing model complexity yields diminishing returns for out-of-sample cases, underscoring the need to balance degrees of freedom and overfitting. This work establishes data-driven, physics-consistent strategies for improving hypersonic flow modeling for regimes in which conventional continuum approaches are invalid.
The stochastic gravitational-wave background (SGWB), arising from the incoherent superposition of numerous compact binary coalescences, serves as a powerful probe of both astrophysical populations and fundamental physics. In this work, we investigate the influence of gravitational lensing on the SGWB, focusing on primordial black holes (PBHs) as potential lenses. Assuming PBHs as dark matter candidates with a broad cosmic distribution, we show that their lensing optical depth can be significantly enhanced, producing pronounced effects with relative deviations at the 10^-1 level. By systematically varying the PBH mass (M_PBH) and abundance (f_PBH), we demonstrate that the mass predominantly determines the frequency-dependent diffraction features of the spectrum, while the abundance primarily amplifies the overall lensing-induced deviation. Although the SGWB from binary black holes has not yet been observed, our analytical results provide theoretical insight into the possible imprint of lensing on its spectrum and suggest that future detections could offer a novel avenue to constrain dark matter scenarios.
Researches into the Physical History of Man (1813) of ‘the founder of modern anthropology’, James Cowles Prichard, codified the comparative-historical approach that was based on the study of languages and other aspects of culture. However, it also already responded to the fledgling physical anthropology, or craniology, as practiced by such figures as Petrus Camper and Johann Friedrich Blumenbach. Camper and Blumenbach among other things explored diagrams for their possibilities of experimentation. Both men used diagrams to suggest the feasibility of morphing human varieties into each other. Like Prichard’s ethnography, Camper’s and Blumenbach’s diagrammatics aimed to demonstrate the single origin and unity of humankind.
The mate guarding theory of conservative clothing posits that veiling reduces women's physical allure and sexual attractiveness, thereby diminishing men's attraction towards them and deterring potential rivals for a woman's partner. This theory argues that the importance of veiling is influenced by ecological factors in a way that it is of higher importance to control women's sexuality in harsher environments to secure paternal investment. A prediction of this theory is that the importance of veiling should be influenced by community size, where individuals’ reputations, specifically men's, might have different weightings, and their perceived sense of controlling a partner's activity may differ. Using pre-existing data from seven countries encompassing over 9000 individuals, the current study explored the association of town size and importance of veiling for women. Results showed a U-shaped relationship where in small towns and large cities, individuals, specifically men, give more importance to the veiling of women. This finding not only has multiple implications in terms of the effect of community size on male policing behaviours of women and sexual restrictions, but it also might point to a wider relationship regarding the association of community size and moral values.
Maria Gisela Lefebvre, Diego Alejandro Sampietro, Alejandro Fabian Zucol
et al.
El presente trabajo de investigación tiene como objetivo la utilización de los fitolitos como proxy para realizar la reconstrucción paleoambiental de la sección media del valle de Santa María (Tucumán - Argentina) durante el Holoceno superior. Además, considerar esto en el contexto paleoambiental regional y global. Para ello, se tomaron muestras de sedimento extraídas en perfiles ubicados en diferentes localidades: Molle Yaco, Yasyamayo y El Pichao. Las asociaciones fitolíticas encontradas muestran la existencia de secciones y subsecciones en las que se divide cada uno de los perfiles. Estas reflejan la presencia de condiciones húmedas y frías desde momentos previos a la era cristiana hasta aproximadamente 1.000 AP cuando las mismas se tornan áridas y cálidas, contemporáneamente a la Anomalía Cálida Medieval, para luego retomar los episodios templados y fríos correlacionables a la Pequeña Edad del Hielo. Las condiciones ambientales actuales están representadas por asociaciones fitolíticas que describen una vegetación árida y semiárida.
Önder Gürcan, Nataliya Yakymets, Sara Tucci-Piergiovanni
et al.
Failure Mode, Effects and Criticality Analysis (FMECA) is one of the safety analysis methods recommended by most of the international standards. The classical FMECA is made in a form of a table filled in either manually or by using safety analysis tools. In both cases, the design engineers have to choose the trade-offs between safety and other development constraints. In the case of complex cyber-physical systems (CPS) with thousands of specified constraints, this may lead to severe problems and significantly impact the overall criticality of CPS. In this paper, we propose to adopt optimization techniques to automate the decision making process conducted after FMECA of CPS. We describe a multi-agent based optimization method which extends classical FMECA for offering optimal solutions in terms of criticality and development constraints of CPS.
Kyriakos Flouris, Anna Volokitin, Gustav Bredell
et al.
The autoencoder model typically uses an encoder to map data to a lower dimensional latent space and a decoder to reconstruct it. However, relying on an encoder for inversion can lead to suboptimal representations, particularly limiting in physical sciences where precision is key. We introduce a decoder-only method using gradient flow to directly encode data into the latent space, defined by ordinary differential equations (ODEs). This approach eliminates the need for approximate encoder inversion. We train the decoder via the adjoint method and show that costly integrals can be avoided with minimal accuracy loss. Additionally, we propose a $2^{nd}$ order ODE variant, approximating Nesterov's accelerated gradient descent for faster convergence. To handle stiff ODEs, we use an adaptive solver that prioritizes loss minimization, improving robustness. Compared to traditional autoencoders, our method demonstrates explicit encoding and superior data efficiency, which is crucial for data-scarce scenarios in the physical sciences. Furthermore, this work paves the way for integrating machine learning into scientific workflows, where precise and efficient encoding is critical. \footnote{The code for this work is available at \url{https://github.com/k-flouris/gfe}.}
We report the magnetic properties of CaCo$_2$TeO$_6$ as a Kitaev candidate. CaCo$_2$TeO$_6$ was synthesized through a topochemical process, wherein all Na$^+$ ions in Na$_2$Co$_2$TeO$_6$ were replaced with half the amount of Ca$^{2+}$ ions. This substitution brings the CoO$_6$ octahedra closer to an approximate cubic symmetry. CaCo$_2$TeO$_6$ exhibits antiferromagnetic ordering at $T_N \sim 13$ K, which is lower than $\sim$ 27 K observed for Na$_2$Co$_2$TeO$_6$. Notably, its magnetic order is suppressed in a relatively low magnetic field of approximately 4 T, indicating that non-Kitaev interactions can be restrained by reducing trigonal distortion. Our findings highlight the potential of CaCo$_2$TeO$_6$ as a viable platform for exploring Kitaev quantum spin liquids and pave the way for a deeper understanding of the fundamental mechanisms in Kitaev physics.
Daniel Edgardo Udrizar Sauthier, Daniela de Tommaso, Pablo Teta
Se da a conocer la conformación de los ensambles de micromamíferos no voladores para cinco secuencias paleontológicas del Holoceno ubicadas en la cuenca del río Chubut. Con la información obtenida se propone una hipótesis ambiental para los últimos miles de años en Patagonia central. Se realizaron 13 dataciones radiocarbónicas con métodos convencionales. Entre las cinco secuencias se contabilizaron 12.644 individuos (MNI). En conjunto, se registraron al menos 18 taxones de micromamíferos. El estudio de los yacimientos nos permitió inferir que desde los 5,5 ka hasta los 4,0 ka se encontraban en la región ambientes de estepa patagónica. A partir de los 4,0 ka, especialmente en el valle inferior del río Chubut, empieza a notarse la influencia del Monte, alternando condiciones frías y húmedas con más cálidas y secas como las actuales. Los micromamíferos sugieren la existencia de dos tendencias principales durante los últimos 5,0 ka. Para buena parte del segmento temporal, se mantiene la estructura taxonómica (cuantitativa y cualitativa) con cambios sutiles en las abundancias de algunas especies. Hacia los últimos 0,15 ka se hace evidente una modificación más profunda de los ensambles, signada tanto por desapariciones locales como por incrementos o decrementos marcados de algunas especies. Las evidencias disponibles indican a las actividades antrópicas como las principales responsables de estos cambios.
Both parameters in the Higgs field's potential, its mass and quartic coupling, appear fine-tuned to near-critical values, which gives rise to the hierarchy problem and the metastability of the electroweak vacuum. Whereas such behavior appears puzzling in the context of particle physics, it is a common feature of dynamical systems, which has led to the suggestion that the parameters of the Higgs potential could be set through some dynamical process. In this article, we discuss how this notion could be extended to physics beyond the Standard Model (SM). We first review in which sense the SM Higgs parameters can be understood as near-critical and show that this notion can be extrapolated in a unique way for a generic class of SM extensions. Our main result is a prediction for the parameters of such models in terms of their corresponding Standard Model effective field theory Wilson coefficients and corresponding matching scale. For generic models, our result suggests that the scale of new (bosonic) physics lies close to the instability scale. We explore the potentially observable consequences of this connection, and illustrate aspects of our analysis with a concrete example. Lastly, we discuss implications of our results for several mechanisms of dynamical vacuum selection associated with various Beyond-Standard-Model (BSM) constructions.
We derive a relativistic-covariant spin operator for massive case directly from space-time symmetry in Minkowski space-time and investigate the physical properties of a derived spin operator. In the derivation we require only two conditions: First, a spin operator should be the generator of the SU(2) little group of the Poincare group. Second, a spin operator should covariantly transform under the Lorentz transformation. A space inversion transformation is shown to play a role to derive a unique relativistic-covariant spin operator, we call the field spin operator, whose eigenvalue labels the spin of a massive (classical) field that provides the irreducible representation space of the Poincare group. The field spin becomes the covariant spin in the covariant Dirac representation, which is shown to be the only spin that describes the Wigner rotation properly in the covariant Dirac representation. Surprisingly, the field spin also gives the non-covariant spin, which is the FW spin for the positive energy state. We also show that the field spin operator is the unique spin operator that generate the (internal) SU(2) little group transformation of the Poincare group properly.
Climate classification allows an efficient encapsulation of climate data into climate units. For North America and most of Central America during 20, 14, 13, 11, 10, 7, 5, and 1 thousand years ago (ka) and recent years, I applied a Köppen-Trewartha classification system, but with dry classes subsumed under primary thermal classes to preserve information. The boreal and polar classes decreased from a combined 70% of area during 20 ka until reaching 42% of area at 7 ka, after which the area remained relatively stable. Conversely, the subtropical and temperate classes increased from 25% of area until reaching 53% of area at 7 ka, with slight increase of the tropical class. The combined dry subclasses increased from 7.5% to 15% of area, primarily in the subtropical and temperate classes, displaying unique trends over time. Based on ordination, the classes since 5 ka are similar; the 1950 interval is most similar to 1 and 5 ka and the intervals of 1600 and 1800 are most similar. The climate classes and transitions generally corresponded with major vegetation distributions. Visually, political boundaries appeared to parallel climate classes, which might indicate the influence of long-standing ecological differences on human land use and settlement. A future research need is identifying the influence of climate on directing settlement and political boundary establishment.
Introduction. In the article the life of a female orangutan named "Phryne" is described. Phryne lived in the Moscow Zoo in 1927–1937. Now her body, preserved by taxidermy, is kept in the Museum of Anthropology of the Lomonosov Moscow State University. The experience of keeping monkeys and apes in captivity can explain the influence of nutrition, restriction of mobility, deprivation on the physical and mental health of human. Materials and methods. Materials from scientific and popular publications, as well as archival materials are used in this work. Analytical and chronological research methods were used. Results. Data on Phryne's physical development and blood counts are given in the article. Phryne had such traits of character as curiosity and attachment to the keeper, among others. The article contains information of her skills and abilities, favorite games and relationships with other apes and with people. In December 1933 a fire occurred in the monkey house. The female chimpanzee Mimosa and the male orangutan Moritz died from carbon monoxide. Phryne was the only one left. She died in 1937 of dysentery at the age of ten. Conclusion. Phryne was a true legend of the Moscow Zoo, she was often written about in newspapers, photos were published. The experience in keeping her made an invaluable contribution to the development of Russian primatology. Phryne was stuffed by the famous taxidermist N.K. Nazimov.