Balister, the second author, Groenland, Johnston, and Scott recently showed that there are asymptotically $C4^n/n^{3/4}$ many unordered sequences that occur as degree sequences of graphs with $n$ vertices. Combining limit theory for infinitely divisible distributions with a new connection between a class of random walk trajectories and a subset counting formula from additive number theory, we describe $C$ in terms of Walkup’s number of rooted plane trees. The bijection is related to an instance of the Lévy–Khintchine formula. Our main result complements a result of Stanley, that ordered graphical sequences are related to quasi-forests.

Prenatal exposure to polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) has been associated with child weight at birth and may have a persistent effect on adiposity development across childhood. Fish is the richest source of n-3 PUFAs within the diet; albeit few studies have investigated associations between maternal fish consumption during pregnancy and child weight. This study examines associations between maternal fish consumption and prenatal PUFA status (n-3 and n-6), with longitudinal measures of child weight in the high-fish-eating Seychelles Child Development Study Nutrition Cohort 2. Maternal fish consumption during pregnancy was assessed using a Fish Use Questionnaire administered at 28-weeks’ gestation. Serum PUFAs were quantified in maternal blood collected at 28-weeks’ gestation and in cord blood collected at delivery. Birth weight was measured at delivery and classified according to WHO growth standards (n=1185). Child length/height (m) and weight (kg) were recorded at 20 months (n=1182), 7 (n=1167) and 13 (n=878) years. Child BMI was classified according to child z-scores. Maternal total fish consumption (range: 0.0-584.71 g/day) was not associated with child weight at any age. At 7 and 13 years maternal total n-6 PUFAs were associated with an increased risk of overweight/obesity (7yr; OR=1.62, p=0.037, 13yr; OR=2.05, p=0.005). Lower (<0.071mg/ml) cord docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) concentrations were associated with a greater likelihood of being large for gestational age (LGA; >90th percentile) when compared to higher (>0.129mg/ml) cord DHA concentrations (OR 4.17, p=0.017). This study suggests prenatal maternal n-3 and n-6 PUFA status may influence postnatal outcomes, including child adiposity from birth until adolescence.

Hypoponera Santschi, 1938 is a genus of ponerine ants, well known for its simplified morphology, lacking any clear autopomorphy, and its cosmopolitan distribution. Here, we describe the first Hypoponera in Dominican amber. The discovery of Hypoponera electrocacica new species confirms the long-expected presence of the genus in the Caribbean Miocene. The modern diversity of Hypoponera in the Greater Antilles now stands at five species and two putative subspecies.

UUID: https://zoobank.org/685e8727-72e2-4723-bce3-5d7c53680eee

Metacognition and mentalising are central change mechanisms in psychotherapy, with transdiagnostic relevance. The how, why and when of metacognition creates a roadmap for psychotherapy, enhancing awareness, understanding and options for changing maladaptive behaviours that maintain psychiatric disorders. This offers a framework for psychotherapy, fostering deeper self-understanding and improved interpersonal interactions.

The past few years have seen a steady flow of articles, reports, and media commentary on China and the Middle East. In both popular and academic discourse, there is a growing debate about whether or when China will play a larger role in the region, and what the implications are for regional and global politics.1 With some exceptions, most of these discussions remain within a framework of US economic, foreign policy, and national security concerns, under the assumption that China’s overriding goal is to replicate or counter American influence. In doing so, the conversations often rely upon the narrow view from Washington and reproduce the underlying logic of US foreign policy. Read through this lens, all Chinese initiatives are either a successful or failed attempt to counter US dominance, and without reference to the Chinese and local perspective, critical details are often lost or misread. This is especially pronounced in media coverage of Sino–Iranian relations, which are often framed as a threat to American interests and global security (often conflated), or as part of a multipolar alternative to a hegemonic world order. Although the political, military, and economic implications of China’s relationship with Iran and the wider region are unquestionably important, closer attention to local sources and perspectives can provide an alternative view that both enriches our understanding and tempers our expectations of China’s role in Iran and in the wider region. This dynamic is clearly visible in the discourse surrounding the Iran–China 25-year cooperation agreement, signed on March 27, 2021.

We investigate the EM approximation for $\mathbb{R}^d$-valued ergodic stochastic differential equations (SDEs) driven by rotationally invariant $\alpha$-stable processes ($\alpha\in(1,2)$) with Markovian switching. The coefficient g violates the dissipative condition for certain states of the switching process. Using the Lindeberg principle, we establish quantitative error bounds between the original process $(X_t,R_t)_{t\geqslant 0}$ and its Euler–Maruyama (EM) scheme under a specially designed metric. Furthermore, we derive both a central limit theorem and a moderate derivation principle for the empirical measures of both the SDE and its EM scheme. The theoretical results are subsequently validated through a concrete example.

Portunid crabs of the genus Charybdis De Haan, 1833 are among the most frequently reported marine invaders worldwide. Here, we report the first record of Charybdis (Archias) hoplites (Wood-Mason, 1877) outside its native Indo-West Pacific range, collected from the Test Estuary, Southampton Water, United Kingdom. Morphological and molecular analyses confirm the specimen’s identity and clarify diagnostic features useful for distinguishing C. (A.) hoplites from closely related taxa. This represents the northernmost record of any Charybdis species and suggests a long-distance dispersal event, associated with shipping activities in the Port of Southampton. Environmental data indicate that salinity and turbidity at the collection site are within known tolerances for Charybdis spp., although low winter temperatures may limit survival and establishment. The detection of this warm-water species in a major international port highlights the ongoing need to monitor non-native marine fauna.

Coal balls are our primary source of information about Pennsylvanian tropical peat swamps. They capture plant community composition and the complex ecological interactions between coeval terrestrial arthropods and plants. A small number of borings (or feeding tunnels) have been documented in permineralized and compression fossils from the Carboniferous Period. We report two borings filled with coprolites (fecal material) in a coal ball originating from the Mt. Rorah Coal Member (Tradewater Formation; Middle Pennsylvanian of Illinois, USA). Peels of the coal ball were prepared using the cellulose acetate peel method and digitized with a Zeiss Axio Zoom V16 microscope. The borings, measuring 3 cm and 6 cm in length, follow the transverse margin of Psaronius roots and are filled with two distinct types of uniformly shaped coprolites: type 1, ranging from 0.5–2 mm in diameter, and type 2, <60 μm in diameter. Both coprolite types consist of digested Psaronius root tissue and only occur in borings, with no signs of feeding damage observed in the surrounding plant tissues along the margins of the borings or the peel. The dimensions of the borings and morphology of type 1 coprolites suggest they were made by an early roachoid, millipede, or another terrestrial arthropod group. The distribution and content of type 2 coprolites indicate coprophagy, or secondary feeding on type 1 coprolites, likely by oribatid mites. These borings provide new insight into the life history of the organisms that created these tunnels, their role in litter decomposition, and the food webs of Pennsylvanian peat swamps.