This study tested the effects of the methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) rs110692574 polymorphism and rumen-protected choline and methionine supplementation on biochemical parameters, milk yield, reproductive performance and health status during the transition period in Holstein cows raised in Türkiye. Genotypes of 356 cows were determined using the tetra-primer amplification refractory mutation system–polymerase chain reaction (ARMS-PCR) method. Following genotyping, 80 cows were selected and assigned to four groups based on nucleotide genotype at two loci (homozygous CC and heterozygous CT) and dietary supplement (choline or choline + methionine). Blood samples were collected on day 21 prepartum, on the day of parturition (day 0), and on day 21 postpartum to measure homocysteine, folic acid, vitamin B12, and non-esterified fatty acid concentrations. beta-hydroxybutyric acid (BHBA) values and production data were obtained from the farms’ routine monitoring records. Statistical analyses were performed using repeated-measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) to assess time-dependent effects, and a general linear model was used for between-group comparisons at the same time points. The frequency of the CT genotype was 12.64%. The polymorphism significantly affected folic acid and vitamin B12 concentrations across different stages of the transition period. Feed supplementation had a significant effect on folic acid concentrations on calving day and on day 21 postpartum, as well as on milk yield on days 100, 200 and 305. Moreover, the polymorphism was significantly associated with folic acid and vitamin B12 concentrations on day 21 prepartum and with BHBA values on day 7 postpartum. This variation was linked to specific health issues that could lead to decreased productivity. In conclusion, genotype-based nutritional strategies were found to play a key role in maintaining metabolic balance and enhancing productivity during the transition period.

This article is the winning entry of the 2025 THINK Philosophy Essay prize, which is open to high school students worldwide. There were over 600 entries in 2025.

How does racism structure the patterns of cooperation and contestation in international relations? We propose a theory of institutional racism in international relations, examining how international organizations perpetuate racial disparities despite their nominally race-neutral principles. Based on our original data, language in the founding charters of international organizations has shifted from open expressions of racism to the espousal of antiracism. However, membership patterns suggest a persistent bias in favor of white-majority countries: (1) such countries remain overrepresented as inception members of newly formed organizations, and (2) even after accounting for a variety of potential confounders, organizations that overrepresent white-majority countries tend to disproportionately draw new members from other white-majority countries. International organizations that explicitly profess antiracist principles, such as the International Criminal Court, exhibit similar bias. The findings suggest that understanding the structure and biases of the international order requires careful attention to the role of race.

Despite two hundred years of interethnic coupling and domestic migration into the Betsiboka valley in north-western Madagascar, Sakalava are still considered the autochthonous ‘masters of the land’ (tompontany). Some migrant families whose ancestors from the central highlands settled in the valley broke custom by burying kin in new tombs near their residence rather than returning them to ancestral tombs upcountry, in their purported place of origin. In so doing, these settlers disembedded themselves from the social and financial expectations of distant kin in the highlands. While new tombs reinforced their claims of belonging in the valley, neighbours understood these families’ actions as paradoxically signifying lowly social status and possibly enslaved origins. These migrants doubled down on their outsider ethnic identity rather than attempting to incorporate themselves into host communities. Ritual and kinship techniques such as new tomb construction and heterosexual marital alliances with Sakalava women allowed this allochthonous community to master the land and the cash crops that it produced. These migrant families reversed the well-established model of ‘autochthonization through incorporation’ commonly described in scholarship on African agrarian societies by refusing to become absorbed into the first-comer Sakalava communities. In gaining symbolic and political ascendancy over the Sakalava, these migrants achieved allochthonous dominance and challenged prevailing assumptions about the directionality of assimilation and belonging.

Lactotransferrin (LTF), a critical multifunctional glycoprotein, plays an essential role in the immune defence, growth and development, and milk quality of dairy cows. The regulatory mechanisms governing gene expression are intricate, with sequence variations in the promoter region potentially exerting a substantial impact on gene expression. In this study, sequencing analysis of the bovine lactotransferrin promoter region was conducted, leading to the identification of two linked single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) sites. A significant association between these SNPs and lactotransferrin content was observed in a cohort of 301 Holstein cows. Subsequently, further investigation into the transcriptional activity of various lactotransferrin genotypes was performed by constructing promoter fragments encompassing different lactotransferrin genotypes. The findings reveal that the two SNPs significantly influence the activity of the lactotransferrin promoter, thereby affecting lactotransferrin expression. These results hold substantial implications for advancing our understanding of the regulatory mechanisms underlying lactotransferrin expression and for the genetic enhancement of dairy cows.

This article examines the circulation, recording, preservation and archiving of music during the Eritrean liberation struggle from the 1970s to the 1990s, with a focus on the role of diaspora community support. It argues that the Eritrean People’s Liberation Front (EPLF) strategically leveraged music to foster a sense of national identity and unity, recognizing its powerful role in mobilizing support and galvanizing the Eritrean populace. Despite the challenges posed by war, the EPLF made significant efforts to record and archive music, understanding its importance for cultural preservation and morale. Post-independence, these efforts were continued through a digitization project, ensuring that the themes of national unity cultivated during the struggle persisted into the contemporary era. This article highlights the innovative strategies employed by the EPLF to utilize music as a tool for political and social cohesion, and the enduring impact of these efforts on Eritrean national identity. The preservation and digitization of liberation-era music not only safeguard a crucial aspect of Eritrea’s cultural history but also underscore the vital role of music in the broader narrative of the nation’s fight for independence and its ongoing journey towards unity and self-determination.

This research paper addresses the hypothesis that the in vivo criterion of bovine somatic cell count (SCC) < 200,000 cells/ml milk as a diagnostic marker for healthy mammary tissue is not suitable to be adopted to milk samples taken post slaughter. To study immune mechanisms associated with intramammary infections, we developed a mammary explant model. As SCC is routinely applied to differentiate between healthy and inflamed mammary tissue, donor cows were selected based on their milk SCC obtained in vivo. Furthermore, milk cell differentiation for early mastitis detection via flow cytometry allows identification of leucocyte subpopulations and complements SCC. To replace in vivo examination and allow for post mortem selection of donor cows, this explorative study aimed to investigate how slaughter influences the reliability of SCC and differential milk cell count (DMCC) and to assess their validity as diagnostic markers for udder health in bovine milk samples obtained post slaughter. Therefore, quarter milk samples from cows were obtained in vivo and post mortem and analysed to determine SCC and DMCC and identify major mastitis pathogens. The logarithmized numbers of SCC, non-viable cells, viable cells, lymphoid cells, polymorphonuclear (PMN) and large cells per ml milk were compared using linear mixed-effects models in milk samples obtained from cows in vivo and post mortem. The number of lymphoid cells, PMN and large cells was significantly higher in milk samples obtained post mortem than in vivo, with PMN being the most prominent cell population. Higher milk SCC values measured post mortem might be explained by migration of leucocytes into the periphery during slaughter. This should be considered when modelling intramammary infection in vitro using udder tissue. Reflecting these findings, it is not feasible to endorse SCC as a reliable marker for post mortem selection of donor cows with healthy mammary tissue for in vitro models.