What moves the stars, and what do their movements mean for life on earth? As conventionally divided, even if the distinction of cognates was complicated already in antiquity, the answers to these questions belong respectively to astronomy and astrology. Graeco-Roman astrology generally dispensed with explanations of causes – perhaps because systems proposed by the likes of Aristotle, the topic of B. and C., were taken as given – to focus on describing and linking effects to the dispositions of celestial bodies believed to produce them. This review article considers the substantial contributions of L. as well as B. and C., focused on astrology and astronomy respectively, to a growing field of interdisciplinary inquiry – besides Classics, key contributors are Assyriology, Egyptology and History of Science – on the astral sciences. This field takes account of scholarly engagement with the stars, of their alleged effects on earth and of a wider cultural and historical embedding, reflected in religion, literature and art. The three books under review provide richly contextualised studies of individual sources relevant to the astral sciences, from a primarily philological standpoint, which will be instrumental in assessing the place of their ancient authors in the history of knowledge.

It was known from ancient times that vertigo was a malady and that the inner ears of animals contained an intricate network of structures named the labyrinth, whose function was unknown. The flourishing of human vestibular anatomy in the Renaissance period still adhered to age-old notions of traditional spiritual philosophy. In the post-Renaissance period, when science was being redefined and challenging these traditional thoughts, vestibular physiology was born. Started by Flourens, it gathered momentum with Hogyes, Goltz, Breuer, Mach, Crum Brown, Ewald, Brown Sequard and Baginsky in the 19th century. They discovered the role of the vestibular organ in sensing balance and the fine intricacies of vestibular physiology valid to this day. Ménière shattered the concept of traditional aetiology of vertigo and de Cyon challenged the Kantian concept of space. The science catapulted to the modern century. This article traces the history of these pioneers of vestibular physiology.

This article examines the first tour of Buffalo Bill's Wild West in Italy and the so-called ‘sfida dei butteri’ (the challenge of the Italian cowboys of the Pontine marshes), which took place in Rome in March 1890. Analysing nineteenth-century Italian newspapers and photographs, I demonstrate that populist, anti-capitalist, and anti-American sentiments marked the Italian media's responses to the American show. In the historical context of Italy's socioeconomic crisis and of the first phase of colonial expansion in Africa (1870–1922), the mixed reception of Buffalo Bill's Wild West, amplified by the media event of the sfida, shaped the fate of the western genre in Italy.

We compare the dimension of a non-invertible self-affine set to the dimension of the respective invertible self-affine set. In particular, for generic planar self-affine sets, we show that the dimensions coincide when they are large and differ when they are small. Our study relies on thermodynamic formalism where, for dominated and irreducible matrices, we completely characterise the behaviour of the pressures.

This paper mainly studies an autonomous path-planning and real-time path-tracking optimization method for snake robot. Snake robots can perform search and rescue, exploration, and other tasks in a variety of complex environments. Robots with visual sensors such as LiDAR can avoid obstacles in the environment through autonomous navigation to reach the target point. However, in an unstructured environment, the navigation of snake robot is easily affected by the external environment, causing the robot to deviate from the planned path. In order to solve the problem that snake robots are easily affected by environmental factors in unstructured environments, resulting in poor path-following ability, this paper uses the Los algorithm combined with steering control to plan the robot in real time and control the robot’s steering parameters in real time, ensuring that the robot can stably follow the planned path.

This study investigates whether second language (L2) learners’ language development and accuracy in production are comparable across oral and written modalities on the basis of Pienemann’s processability theory (PT). Eighty-seven English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners, from high beginner to advanced levels, completed comparable speaking and writing tasks designed to elicit particular morphosyntactic structures predicted by PT to correspond to L2 stages of development. Time constraints encouraged participants to respond spontaneously, thus drawing on implicit knowledge. Implicational scaling shows correlations that suggest comparable language development between the modalities. However, accuracy was higher earlier in the written than in the oral modality, and accuracy in the written modality was more stable. The results provide a clearer understanding of the similarities and differences of L2 oral and written development and demonstrate that PT can be applied to L2 writing.

As urbanisation continues to increase, terrestrial arthropod diversity declines. Urban green spaces represent unique opportunities to preserve arthropod diversity in urban environments. We quantify how ground-dwelling arthropod communities vary both seasonally and across three differently maintained stormwater infiltration basins in Ellisville, Missouri, United States of America. One basin was routinely mowed, a second was mowed only seasonally, and a third was intentionally planted to attract pollinators and was not mowed during this study. We expected higher plant diversity to correlate with higher arthropod diversity. Therefore, we expected the unmowed basin to have the highest levels of arthropod diversity and abundance and the mowed basin to have the lowest. Four collection periods spanned spring, early summer, late summer, and fall. During each collection period, five pitfall traps were placed throughout each basin for 48 hours. In total, 5686 specimens were collected and identified, representing 59 families. Arthropod communities did not vary across basins or collection dates, largely contrasting with existing literature. The results of this study do not indicate that different mowing regiments in infiltration basins will affect the ground-dwelling arthropod communities at a family level, although the effect on species-level diversity remains to be investigated.

Euwallacea interjectus, a recently discovered pest in poplar plantations, poses a significant economic threat due to its role in causing widespread tree mortality. This pest's cryptic behaviour has hindered research and control efforts, making laboratory rearing a valuable tool for studying its development and biology. We investigated the development period and biological characteristics of E. interjectus using artificial diets and fungal medium. Our findings revealed that the development time for eggs, larvae, and pupae averages approximately 6, 18, and 6 days, respectively. Notably, first and second instar larvae displayed peak moulting periods at 3.45 ± 0.64 SD and 7.92 ± 1.77 SD days, respectively. Furthermore, we measured head capsule widths of postmolt larvae, yielding values of 318.02 ± 7.38 SD μm for first-instar larvae, 403.01 ± 11.08 SD μm for second-instar larvae, and 549.54 ± 20.74 SD μm for third-instar larvae. Our research also uncovered a positive correlation between the number of progeny (eggs, larvae, pupae, and adults) and the mean length of the gallery system. Interestingly, the haplodiploid reproductive strategy did not significantly affect the number of offspring produced by the foundress. Additionally, we observed that foundresses displayed higher fecundity when subjected to nutrient-rich diets as compared to nutrient-poor diets. Our results will deepen our understanding of the biology of E. interjectus and provide criteria for larval instar classification. Additionally, managing nutrient availability within the colony could be considered a viable approach to regulating population size.

Feng and Huang [Variational principle for weighted topological pressure. J. Math. Pures Appl. (9) 106 (2016), 411–452] introduced weighted topological entropy and pressure for factor maps between dynamical systems and established its variational principle. Tsukamoto [New approach to weighted topological entropy and pressure. Ergod. Th. & Dynam. Sys. 43 (2023), 1004–1034] redefined those invariants quite differently for the simplest case and showed via the variational principle that the two definitions coincide. We generalize Tsukamoto’s approach, redefine the weighted topological entropy and pressure for higher dimensions, and prove the variational principle. Our result allows for an elementary calculation of the Hausdorff dimension of affine-invariant sets such as self-affine sponges and certain sofic sets that reside in Euclidean space of arbitrary dimension.

This cross-sectional and longitudinal study sought to refine the measurement of foreign language learning boredom (FLLB) and examine its links with overall/skill-specific second and foreign language (L2) achievement (curriculum-based course exam scores) and proficiency (Cambridge English test scores). In Substudy 1, we developed and validated an 11-item Foreign Language Learning Boredom Scale–Short Form among secondary and tertiary English as a foreign language (EFL) learners in China (n1 = 2,223, n2 = 504, n3 = 934, n4 = 1,109). The scale showed sound psychometric properties (i.e., construct/criterion/convergent/discriminant/predictive validity, reliability, and measurement invariance across time and groups). In Substudy 2, structural equation modeling results show that FLLB had a consistent modest negative effect on overall and skill-specific (vocabulary and grammar, listening, reading, and writing) L2 achievement and proficiency (n4 = 1,109). Substudy 3 was a 12-month three-semester longitudinal investigation (n4 = 1,109). Cross-lagged panel modeling results show that L2 achievement predicted subsequent FLLB negatively, while FLLB did not predict subsequent L2 achievement.

Simplified cereal-based crop rotations are widely grown due to economic reasons, leading to the cultivation of wheat after wheat and associated yield losses. In this study, a crop rotation trial was conducted in Northern Germany on a Stagnic Luvisol from 2006 to 2018 with winter wheat after the four most widely used preceding crops in the region (sugar beet, winter wheat, silage maize and winter oilseed rape) in different crop rotations to evaluate potential benefits of different preceding crops. Additionally, the effects of two different sowing dates (2016–2018) and higher crop residue input (whole period) were investigated.

While the pre-preceding crop had no effect, preceding crops winter oilseed rape and sugar beet led to a significantly higher yield of about 1.00 and 0.43 t/ha, respectively, compared to wheat after wheat. This was not modified by crop rotational diversity, including wheat monoculture. Wheat yield tended to be higher for the late sowing date after sugar beet, maize and wheat, while there was no effect of sowing date after oilseed rape. Higher crop residue input led to a significantly higher yield (0.30 t/ha) in wheat after wheat (after pre-preceding crop sugar beet). Overall, sugar beet and winter oilseed rape were found to be favourable preceding crops for winter wheat under the given site conditions. The effect of sowing date on yield and potential modifications of the preceding crop effect by sowing date needs further research in appropriate long-term trials.

Obesity is a significant health issue in Aotearoa; effective and pragmatic strategies to facilitate weight loss are urgently required. Growing recognition of the circadian rhythm’s impact on metabolism has popularised diets like time-restricted eating (TRE)(1). The 16:8 TRE method involves limiting food intake to an 8-hour daily eating window and can lead to weight loss without other substantial changes to diet(2). Nonetheless, TRE requires accountability and tolerating hunger for short periods. Continuous glucose monitors (CGM) are small wearable biofeedback devices that measure interstitial glucose levels scanned via smartphones. By providing immediate feedback on the physiological effects of eating and fasting, CGM use may promote adherence to TRE(3). This pilot study aimed to 1) investigate how CGM affects adherence to TRE and 2) assess the feasibility of CGM use while undertaking TRE. This two-arm randomised controlled trial enrolled healthy adults from Dunedin, assigning them to TRE-only or TRE+CGM groups for 14 days. Successful adherence to TRE was defined a priori as maintaining an 8-hour eating window on 80% of days. CGM feasibility was defined a priori as scanning the glucose monitor thrice daily on 80% of days. Secondary outcomes included well-being, anthropometry, glucose levels, and overall TRE and CGM experiences via semi-structured interviews. Twenty-two participants were randomised into two groups: TRE-only (n = 11) and TRE+CGM (n = 11, with n = 2 excluded from analysis post-randomisation for medical reasons). Participants had a diverse range of ethnicities, the mean age was 32 (+/-14.9) years, and 55% were female. The TRE+CGM group adhered to the 8-hour eating window for an average of 10.0 days (range 2-14) compared with 8.6 days (range 2-14) in the TRE-only group. Both groups had similar mean eating window durations of 8.1 hours. Five (56%) participants in the TRE+CGM group achieved the a priori criteria for TRE adherence, compared to 3 (27%) in the TRE-only group. Participants in the TRE+CGM group performed an average of 8.2 (+/-5.6) daily scans, with n = 7 (78%) of participants meeting the a priori CGM feasibility criteria. Neither group reported consistent adverse psychological impacts in DASS-21 and WHO-5 scores. Interviews highlighted that CGM increased hunger tolerance during fasting as participants felt reassured by their normal glucose levels. CGM aided TRE accountability by acting as a biological tracker of food intake. Participants reported that TRE led to improved energy and self-efficacy, a more productive daily routine, and healthier food choices. Promisingly, 72% of participants would use CGM and undertake TRE in future. This study demonstrates that using CGM while undertaking TRE is feasible and can improve adherence by enhancing hunger tolerance and accountability. Overall, participants experienced increased awareness of eating habits and physiological mechanisms. Over the longer term, this simple and synergistic approach may be a helpful weight loss strategy.

While there is a recognised role of optimising lifestyle behaviours such as diet and physical activity in the management of infertility, the best practice for lifestyle management of infertility remains unknown, and factors influencing the lifestyle behaviours of people with infertility are not well understood. The aim of this systematic review is to evaluate the barriers and enablers to a healthy lifestyle in people with infertility, from the perspectives of people with infertility and health professionals, in order to inform optimal behavioural change strategies for lifestyle management of infertility. Ovid MEDLINE(R), PsycINFO, EMBASE, EBM Reviews, and CINAHL Plus were searched from inception to 12th September 2022. Eligible studies were qualitative, quantitative or mixed-methods primary studies which explored barriers and/or enablers to lifestyle for infertility management, from the perspectives of people with infertility and/or health professionals. Two independent reviewers performed quality assessment, using the Centre for Evidence-Based Management Critical Appraisal of a Survey Tool (quantitative and mixed-methods studies) and the Critical Appraisal Skills Programme Qualitative Checklist (qualitative and mixed-methods studies). Data were analysed by inductive thematic analysis with themes mapped to the Capability, Opportunity, Motivation and Behaviour (COM-B) model(1) and Theoretical Domains Framework (TDF)(2). Relevant behaviour change techniques (BCTs)(3) to target the identified enablers and barriers were suggested. After screening 10703 citations and 82 full-texts, 22 studies were included (12 quantitative, 7 mixed-methods and 3 qualitative) with 18 studies including women with infertility (n = 2442), 10 including men with infertility (n = 1372) and 6 including health professionals (n = 261). From the perspectives of people with infertility, themes related to capability (e.g. strategies for behaviour change), opportunity (e.g. limited time, resources and money) and motivation (e.g. interplay between lifestyle and emotional state); themes mapped to 8 TDF domains. From the perspectives of health professionals, themes related to capability (e.g. identification of patients appropriate for lifestyle intervention), opportunity (e.g. mode of delivery) and motivation (e.g. professional responsibility); themes mapped to 6 TDF domains. 34 BCTs were identified across the suggested interventions. This systematic review found that several interacting factors influence lifestyle in people with infertility as well as health professional behaviour with regards to provision of lifestyle interventions for infertility. These factors can be targeted for optimisation of interventions. In light of the limited number of qualitative studies, there is a need for more qualitative research to gain deeper insights into the perspectives of people with infertility and health professionals for further exploration of the complex and interacting factors which shape lifestyle during the fertility journey.

Bitter taste perception plays a dual role in human nutrition and evolutionary biology; being identifiable in nutrient-dense foods such as cruciferous vegetables and historically signalled toxic compounds. The TAS2R38 gene, part of the taste 2 receptor family, is central to individual differences in bitter taste perception(1). While genetic variations are influential, dietary habits and food preparation also impact taste perception. However, research investigating the interplay between these factors and genetic variations in influencing bitter taste sensitivity and food intake is limited. This study aimed to elucidate the relationship between bitter taste sensitivity and TAS2R38 haplotype variations in the context of bitter food consumption among Australian adults. A cross-sectional, mixed-methods study was conducted. Healthy adults who had maintained a stable diet for at least three months were eligible. Data collection was via an online survey (REDCap), capturing self-reported demographics, dietary patterns specific to bitter foods including metrics of bitter food avoidance, frequency, liking and perceived healthfulness, alongside a Dietary Quality Index (DQI) derived from a food frequency questionnaire(2). Bitter taste sensitivity was assessed using self-reported intensity perceptions of 6-n-propylthiouracil (PROP) taste strips(3). Genotyping was conducted via TaqMan qPCR assays on DNA extracted from buccal swabs to ascertain TAS2R38 haplotypes. Data analysis utilised Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA) and regression models, with all tests adjusted for confounding variables such as gender, age, and smoking status. A total of 222 participants (47.5 ± 17.7 years; 86% female; BMI 27.3 ± 7.1 kg/m2) completed the study. PROP sensitivity was strongly correlated with TAS2R38 haplotype, with supertasters predominantly having PAV/PAV, medium tasters with PAV/AVI, and non-tasters with AVI/AVI (p = 0.002). However, no relationship was observed between PROP sensitivity and either the frequency, liking, or avoidance of bitter foods (p>0.05). DQI was significantly related to bitter food consumption; individuals in the lowest DQI quintile consumed bitter foods more frequently than those in the third (p = 0.007) and top quintiles (p = 0.001). The perceived healthfulness of bitter foods was significantly higher in those with AVI/AVI haplotypes (non-tasters) compared to those with PAV/AVI (medium tasters) (p = 0.001). Counterintuitively, participants who reported greater enjoyment of bitter tastes consumed bitter foods less frequently (p<0.001). Our study confirms that TAS2R38 variants are predictive of PROP taste sensitivity, consistent with literature that identifies PAV/PAV individuals as supertasters. However, neither PROP sensitivity nor TAS2R38 haplotype influenced bitter food frequency or preference consumption patterns. Interestingly, those with lower Dietary Quality Index scores and less enjoyment of bitter taste consumed bitter foods more often. These observations highlight the need to investigate other factors influencing bitter food intake, such as additional sensory characteristics or psychological and behavioural aspects.

Associations between obesity and mental illness have been identified, but they are complex and bidirectional(1). Weight loss interventions have been proposed as a potential strategy to improve mental health in individuals with overweight or obesity, but the evidence remains inconclusive(2). Additionally, the role of specific foods in a weight loss diet and mental health outcomes is not well understood(3). This study aimed to explore the association between weight loss (with and without almonds) and self-administered psychological and sleep assessments, including the Profile of Mood States (POMS), the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), the Zung Self-Rating Depression Scale (ZSDS), and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). Participants (n = 140, 47.5 ± 10.8 years) with overweight or obesity (BMI: 30.7 ± 2.3 kg/m2) were randomised to an energy-controlled almond-enriched diet (AED) or nut-free diet (NFD). Psychological and sleep assessments were conducted at baseline, after 3 months of weight loss, and after 6 months of weight maintenance. Data were analysed using mixed-effects models and linear regression. For POMS, total mood disturbance score (TMDS) (60.2%, p = 0.01), fatigue-inertia (21.2%, p = 0.003), and vigor-activity (19.9%, p<0.001) improved over time (with no different between groups), with improvements associated with the magnitude of weight loss (TMDS: β = 0.059, p = 0.02; fatigue-inertia: β = 0.268, p = 0.016; vigor-activity: β=-0.194, p = 0.048). No significant changes were observed in tension-anxiety, depression-dejection, anger-hostility, or confusion-bewilderment. A significant group x time interaction (p = 0.048) was found for the PSS, which increased in the NFD group (10.1%) and decreased in the AED (1%) during the weight maintenance phase. No significant changes were observed for the ZSDS. The PSQI demonstrated significant improvement in both groups over time for sleep quality (11.3%, p<0.001), sleep latency (24.3%, p<0.001), sleep disturbance (39.2%, p = 0.04), and daytime dysfunction (290.4%, p<0.001), but not for sleep duration or habitual sleep efficiency. Summed scores, generating the global sleep score (GSS), demonstrated an overall significant improvement in both groups over time (33.5%, p<0.001), and these improvements were associated with weight loss (GSS: β = 0.863, p<0.001). The findings emphasise the importance of evaluating mental health outcomes in weight loss interventions and highlight the potential influence of weight management on mood and sleep quality. Further research is warranted to explore the impact of diet composition on perceived stress and other mental health outcomes.