Cyathostoma lari is a parasite of the nasal and orbital sinuses of gulls and other hosts in Europe and Canada. Here, we provide an overview of previously published data on the prevalence and infection intensity of C. lari in gulls. Furthermore, based on our data, we analyze the spatiotemporal trends in the prevalence and intensity of infection by C. lari in Chroicocephalus ridibundus in Czechia (central Europe; data from 1964 to 2014) and compare them with those obtained from five species of gulls in Karelia (Northwest Russia; data from 2012–2020). Based on our preliminary observations, we hypothesized that C. lari is subject to a decline in certain regions, but this decline is not necessarily applicable throughout its distribution range. We found that the C. lari population crashed in specific parts of its distribution range. The reasons are unknown, but the observed population changes correspond with the diet switch of their core host in Czechia, C. ridibundus. We previously observed a diet switch in Czech C. ridibundus from earthworms (intermediate hosts of C. lari) to other types of food. This diet switch affected both young and adult birds. Nevertheless, it may not necessarily affect populations in other regions, where they depend less on earthworms collected from agrocenoses affected by agrochemicals and trampling. Correspondingly, we found that these changes were limited only to regions where the gulls feed (or fed) on arable fields. In Karelia, where arable fields are scarce, gulls likely continue to feed on earthworms and still display high infection rates by C. lari. Therefore, C. lari, a parasite of the nasal and orbital sinuses of gulls, nearly disappeared from their central European nesting grounds but is still present in better-preserved parts of its distribution range.

Administrative agencies have undertaken an increasingly substantial role in policymaking. Yet the influence-seeking that targets these agencies remains poorly understood. Reporting exceptions under the Lobbying Disclosure Act allow many of the most powerful advocates to characterize their activity as lawyering, not lobbying, and thereby fly under the radar. Using agency-generated records on lobbying activity, financial reporting, and personnel databases specific to lawyers, as well as LinkedIn, we describe a vast subterranean world of regulatory influence-seeking that the social-science literature has (mostly) ignored. Regulatory lobbying is systematically different from legislative lobbying. It involves different kinds of people and different lobbying firms that bring specific forms of expertise and distinct networks. Our key findings about how regulatory lobbying differs include the following: (1) the regulatory lobbying sector is highly segregated from the reported lobbying sector, with many regulatory advocates failing to consistently register or report earnings commensurate with their activity level, (2) the number of unregistered regulatory advocates working on the implementation of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform Act plausibly exceeds 150% of the registered lobbyists working on that law, (3) the most effective regulatory lobbyists and law firms involved with regulatory lobbying have incomes that dramatically outpace leading reported lobbying firms (which are also mostly law firms), and (4) back-of-the-envelope calculations and more sophisticated decomposition regressions imply that aggregate expenditure on lawyer-lobbying is several multiples of reported lobbying spending. We introduce the case of a particular lawyer-lobbyist and provide a theoretical discussion to situate and contextualize these findings. Collectively, this work opens a window into neglected domains of politics and reveals an important and understudied form of political inequality.

The linkages between the Arctic and the rest of the world have become more profound and the region is increasingly attracting attention, also from non-Arctic state actors. Parallel to this development, the discussion about the future Arctic is taking place in various arenas, forums and among an increasing number of actors with interest in the region. At a time of high tension in international relations, and an increased likelihood of spill-over to Arctic cooperation, issues of governance of the Arctic region are potentially at stake. This makes it important that scholars are accurate in their analyses; confusing the mandate, responsibilities and purposes of different arenas for cooperation can be unfortunate. This article finds support in the literature on regime complexes and aims to show and analyse the differences between three key players in the Arctic: the Arctic Council, Arctic Frontiers and the Arctic Circle Assembly. In addition to exploring their differences, we ask what role these entities play in shaping policy in and for the Arctic. From mapping out the mandates, roles and responsibilities of the Arctic Council, Arctic Frontiers and Arctic Circle Assembly, and by nuancing their formal and informal aspects, we aim to contribute to clarifying misunderstandings regarding their functions and positions vis-à-vis each other.

Although knowledge of their fossil record continues to improve, multituberculates nonetheless remain one of the more poorly understood mammalian clades, which can be attributed to a record comprised of isolated teeth and fragmentary jaws. Fortunately, the p4 of multituberculates is the most common form of remains for this group and is a principal source of diagnostic characters in systematic studies, the p4 of cimolodontan multituberculates is both common and a source of diagnostic characters in systematic studies. The results of a recent morphometric study on the neoplagiaulacid Mesodma suggest that p4 size may be more useful than shape in diagnosing the various species referred to this genus. We tested this hypothesis by applying two different morphometric methods (2D geometric morphometrics and linear measurements) to two samples: (1) one including the p4s of four known species of Mesodma (M. ambigua, M. thompsoni, M. formosa, and M. pygmaea), and (2) a sample of unidentified p4s of Mesodma from the Bug Creek Anthills locality of northeastern Montana. Our results indicate that while form explains most of the morphological variation in p4s of the various species of Mesodma, linear-measurement data support differences in p4 morphology that are not recovered by form data alone. Depending on the methods used, we found evidence for the presence of one or more species of Mesodma in the Bug Creek Anthills fauna. Although shape and size both contribute to morphological variation in the p4 of Mesodma, our results suggest that the diagnostic power of each varies with the type of methodology employed.

Large stratovolcanoes in the Cascade Range have high equilibrium-line altitudes that support glaciers whose Holocene and latest Pleistocene advances are amenable to dating. Glacier advances produced datable stratigraphic sequences in lateral moraines, which complement dating of end moraines. New mapping of glacial deposits on Mount Rainier using LIDAR and field observations supports a single latest Pleistocene or early Holocene advance. Rainier R tephra overlies deposits from this advance and could be as old as >11.6 ka; the advance could be of Younger Dryas age. Radiocarbon ages on wood interbedded between tills in the lateral moraines of Nisqually, Carbon, and Emmons glaciers and the South Tahoma glacier forefield suggest glacier advances between 200 and 550 CE, correlative with the First Millennium Advance in western Canada, and during the Little Ice Age (LIA) beginning as early as 1300 CE.

These results resolve previous contradictory interpretations of Mount Rainier's glacial history and indicate that the original proposal of a single pre-Neoglacial cirque advance is correct, in contrast to a later interpretation of two advances of pre- and post-Younger Dryas age, respectively. Meanwhile, the occurrence of the pre-LIA Burroughs Mountain Advance, interpreted in previous work as occurring 3–2.5 ka, is questionable based on inherently ambiguous interpretations of tephra distribution.

It is known that in an infinite very weakly cancellative semigroup with size $\kappa $, any central set can be partitioned into $\kappa $ central sets. Furthermore, if $\kappa $ contains $\lambda $ almost disjoint sets, then any central set contains $\lambda $ almost disjoint central sets. Similar results hold for thick sets, very thick sets and piecewise syndetic sets. In this article, we investigate three other notions of largeness: quasi-central sets, C-sets, and J-sets. We obtain that the statement applies for quasi-central sets. If the semigroup is commutative, then the statement holds for C-sets. Moreover, if $\kappa ^\omega = \kappa $, then the statement holds for J-sets.

In Mapudungun, the suffix -fu- typically indicates the unsuccessful realization of either an event or its expected consequences. As is the case for frustrative morphemes in several unrelated languages, when applied to a stative VP, the interpretation tends to be linked to non-continuation. Interestingly, in addition to these core readings, -fu- also occurs in conditionals conveying counterfactuality, and in a large subclass of deontic and bouletic constructions, such as the ones that express weak necessity and unattainable desires. Following recent developments in the study of both frustratives and conditionals, this article shows how a modal analysis of -fu- can integrate these different readings into a unified account.

The object of this article is to present Christian theology as a case of a Harrean theory, as a mapping which links the members of one set of entities to those of another in a systematic way. I will divide the article into four parts. The first one will be devoted to a brief presentation of the main characteristics of Harré's proposal. Once the fundamentals of the Harrean perspective are presented, the second section will be the presentation of Christian theology as a case of a Harrean theory. The third and fourth sections are concerned with showing how two classic theological topics, conversion and prophecy, can be framed within this perspective in a cohesive and fruitful way.

In 1999, a roundtable entitled ‘The Problems of Slovenian Historiography in the Twentieth Century’ took place at the Institute for Contemporary History (Inštitut za novejšo zgodovino) in Ljubljana. The event was envisioned as a moment where Slovenian historians could collectively confront the state of Slovenian historiography. The organisers asked the invited participants to reflect on the main shortcomings of Slovenian historiography produced in and about the twentieth century. In particular, the following themes and issues were placed at the centre of reflection: research pitfalls in Slovenian historiography; historical processes and problems that should urgently be put on the research agenda; methodological and epistemological quandaries; and, last but not least, external pressures on historiography and the interference of civil society and political actors in the work of professional historiography. As a starting point for the discussion, participants presented written position papers that were later published as a thin booklet.1

Five Plagiorchis spp. parasitize bats in European Russia: Plagiorchis elegans, Plagiorchis koreanus, Plagiorchis mordovii, Plagiorchis muelleri, and Plagiorchis vespertilionis. Their identification is difficult due to a high morphological similarity. The morphological variability of these species is poorly studied. The taxonomic position of P. mordovii remains debatable. The purpose of our study was to analyse Plagiorchis spp. from European bats using a combination of morphological and molecular-phylogenetic approaches and to establish the taxonomic position of the problematic species P. mordovii. Plagiorchis spp. were shown to be variable morphologically and morphometrically both from various host species and from different specimens of the same species. We presented a new taxonomic key for identification of the Plagiorchis spp. from European bats, provided a complete description of Plagiorchis mordovii, and confirmed the validity and the generic affiliation of this species.

Prehistoric and historic iron metallurgy in the Holy Cross Mountains in central Poland developed along with human Przeworsk Culture activity (during the Roman period) and within the boundaries of the Old-Polish Industrial District (OPID) during the Middle Ages and during recent centuries. At the Świślina catchment, there are many archaeological sites showing intense prehistoric metallurgical activity. The later medieval and modern iron industry was significantly smaller. At the Doły Biskupie site, slags and microscopic iron spherules (hammerscales) were found in alluvia. The microscopic spherules separation method (MSS) enabled analysis of these small artefacts created during iron ore smelting and forging. Iron spherules were detected in floodplain sediments, which are characterized by increased content of trace elements. The presence of these artefacts in shallow sediment layers in the confluence section of the river may be an indicator of archaeologically confirmed prehistoric metallurgical activity in the catchment area. Study of these residues enabled an attempt to reconstruct the river valley environment during the prehistoric and historical period. The MSS method can be used to detect iron spherules in alluvia in other river catchments, confirming the presence of yet-undiscovered bloomery sites.

In this study, we address interpersonal violence during the transition between the Middle and the Late Formative periods in the Central Andes, a critical period of political disintegration, hypothesized population pressure, and reorganization of the belief systems that is poorly known from a bioarchaeological viewpoint. Our objective is to understand the nature of the violence and associated factors in this context based on a detailed description of skeletal trauma in 67 well-preserved individuals (20 adolescents and adults and 47 subadults) recovered from Quebrada Chupacigarro cemetery (500–400 BC); this site is located in the middle valley of Supe on the Peruvian north-central coast. To detect patterns and potential causes, we registered the prevalence of traumatic injury according to age, sex, anatomic location, mechanisms (blunt, sharp, mixed, etc.), timing (antemortem or perimortem), and manner (inflicted or accidental). The results show a high prevalence of fractures in the whole population, but especially in adolescents and adults. Eighty percent of the adolescents and adults perished due to the intentional trauma and show patterns that suggest repetitive episodes of interpersonal violence. Perimortem injuries in the skull, face, and thorax are compatible with lethal interpersonal violence. The findings support a probable scenario of intercommunity violence in the middle valley of Supe around 500–400 BC.

This article provides an empirical study of the inner workings of an institution at the ideological heart of the Nazi state, the SS courts, and analyses how they applied SS law in cases involving unlawful sexual conduct, and how they evaluated the racial characteristics of SS men standing trial. The article demonstrates (1) that the SS courts promoted what has been referred to as an ‘unlimited’, radical ideology. However, the analysis will also reveal how the SS courts during the war (2) gradually climbed down from a position of ideological purity when faced with realities at the front; and (3) despite their ideological core features, in several ways operated as a legal-rational bureaucracy. Towards the end of the article, the ramifications of these findings will be discussed in light of literature concerning the role of law and ideology in the Nazi state and the Third Reich's complicated relationship with modernism.

Myxomatous degeneration of one or more cardiac valves has been reported in trisomy 18, Noonan, Marfan, and Ehlers-Danlos syndromes. 6q25.1 (TAB2) deletion is one of the notable causes for myxomatous degeneration of cardiac valves. Whole exome sequencing must be considered in these subsets of cases for effective prenatal counselling. A 23-week fetus presented with cardiomegaly, redundant myxomatous tricuspid, mitral valve leaflets, thickened pulmonary valve, and bicuspid aortic valves detected to have 6q25.1 (TAB2) deletion was presented with literature review.

A new eryopid temnospondyl, Stenokranio boldi n. gen. n. sp. is described based on well-preserved cranial and postcranial material from fluvio-lacustrine deposits of the Permo-Carboniferous (Gzhelian/Asselian) Remigiusberg Formation at the Remigiusberg quarry near Kusel, Saar–Nahe Basin, southwest Germany. The new taxon is characterized by three autapomorphies within the Eryopidae: (1) the relatively narrow posterior skull table, therefore nearly parallel lateral margins of the skull; (2) the short postparietals and tabulars; and (3) the wide ectopterygoid. Phylogenetic analysis reveals a monophyletic Eryopidae with the basal taxa Osteophorus, Glaukerpeton, and Onchiodon labyrinthicus forming a polytomy. Actinodon may be either a basal eryopid or a stereospondylomorph, and the genus Onchiodon is not monophyletic. Stenokranio n. gen. is found as a more derived eryopid forming the sister taxon to Eryops. Stenokranio n. gen. was among the largest predators of the Saar–Nahe Basin. Its semiaquatic lifestyle enabled Stenokranio n. gen. to browse riverbanks and lake shorelines for prey, but most likely it fed on aquatic vertebrates. Stenokranio n. gen. was part of a faunal assemblage of aquatic, semiaquatic, and fully terrestrial vertebrates, such as sarcopterygian and actinopterygian fishes, xenacanthid sharks, a dvinosaurian temnospondyl, different “lepospondyls”, diadectomorphs, and synapsids. This is in general accordance with the vertebrate community from the Permo-Carboniferous of North America and from the early Permian localities of Manebach (Thuringian Forest Basin) and Niederhäslich (Döhlen Basin). It is notable that the occurrence of Stenokranio n. gen. and other eryopids in these localities excluded the presence of other large temnospondyls such as Sclerocephalus. However, a previously described isolated eryopid mandible from the Remigiusberg locality differs from that of Stenokranio n. gen. in several characters, implying that probably two different eryopid taxa lived at the same locality.

UUID: www.zoobank.org/88a52547-d6fc-40af-965c-a6786c252ed5

Calabrian ‘illegitimacy’ in the (inter)national imaginary today is largely the result of the region's association with the ’ndrangheta. Using analysis of oral history interviews, this research examines how this ‘illegitimacy’ influences the self-perception of Calabrians. It argues that a spectrum of prejudice and its effects can be mapped out both metaphorically and geographically. This spectrum incorporates Italy's position in relation to northern Europe, the South's position within Italy, Calabria's position within the South and the position within Calabria of certain communities. A number of towns in the Locride are at the extreme end of this spectrum: Locri, San Luca, Africo and Platì. Analysis of the (mis)recognition of inhabitants of these communities, including by other Calabrians, demonstrates how the experience of shame may be layered. This paper also considers how interviewees appear to deny their social and cultural proximity with the ’ndrangheta and the role this plays in a self-perpetuating cycle involving stereotypes, ’ndrangheta growth and extreme socioeconomic conditions.

Via molecular and morphological analyses, we describe adult specimens of a new species of Versteria (Cestoda: Taeniidae) infecting mink and river otter (Carnivora: Mustelidae) in Western Canada, as well as larval forms from muskrat and mink. These sequences closely matched those reported from adult specimens from Colorado and Oregon, as well as larval infections in humans and a captive orangutan. We describe here a new species from British Columbia and Alberta (Canada), Versteria rafei n. sp., based upon morphological diagnostic characteristics and genetic distance and phylogeny. Versteria rafei n. sp. differs from the three other described species of the genus in the smaller scolex and cirrus sac. It also differs from V. mustelae (Eurasia) and V. cuja (South America) by having an armed cirrus, which is covered in hair-like bristles, and in the shape of its hooks, with a long thorn-like blade, and short or long handle (vs. a short sharply curved blade and no difference in handle size in previously described species). The poorly known V. brachyacantha (Central Africa) also has an armed cirrus and similarly shaped hooks. However, it differs from the new species in the number and size of hooks. Phylogenetic analysis of the cox1 and nad1 mitochondrial regions showed that our specimens clustered with isolates from undescribed adults and larval infections in North America, and separate from V. cuja, confirming them to be a distinct species from the American Clade.