The archaeological site of Edzna, located in the Peninsula of Yucatan, Mexico, provides insights into the ways in which ancient Maya used sound in ceremonial activities, and serves as evidence for the architectural and acoustic ability developed by ancient societies. This study employs data from acoustic measurements at key Edzna locations such as the Main Plaza, Great and Small Acropolises, to explore sound propagation in these areas. This research analyzes acoustic data using techniques to better understand this archaeological site as a dynamic space that offers profound insights into the interplay of sound, space, and society. The findings reveal that its architecture was probably designed to enhance auditory experiences, from public ceremonies to private meetings. The data show that sound played a crucial role in Maya societal and political functions, and archaeological evidence, including hieroglyphs, stelae, and sound-making instruments, supports this interpretation. The methodological approach, involving rigorous acoustic measurements and data analysis, underscores the impact of environmental factors such as wind and temperature on sound propagation. This research contributes to a broader understanding of ancient Maya culture and its integration of acoustics into architectural and ceremonial contexts.

The association between armed conflict and intimate partner violence (IPV) is well established. However, the mechanisms or drivers of this relationship are less well understood. This review provides a systematic synthesis of published literature on the factors driving the association between violence in the public and private spheres. Five databases (Web of Science, EMBASE, CINAHL, PsycINFO and PubMed) were systematically searched to identify all studies examining potential drivers. Inclusion criteria specified that studies should be based on adult samples, should measure or analyse the impact of conflict exposure, and should provide some insight into the drivers of the association between armed conflict and IPV, rather than only documenting the association. A total of 49 studies (25 qualitative and 24 quantitative) met the inclusion criteria. Identified drivers included individual, relational and structural factors. Among the most empirically supported drivers were conflict-related trauma and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), stress associated with the economic effects of conflict and changes to gender roles and norms in the post-conflict setting. The intersection of these factors, particularly gender roles and economic factors, also emerged as a significant dynamic across multiple studies. The findings highlight the importance of integrating gender considerations, including IPV prevention and response, into humanitarian programming. There is a need for further research and theory-building to better integrate the factors operating at both individual and societal levels, and to better incorporate consideration of the influence of historical factors such as legacies of imperialism and colonial violence.

The principles of replication, randomization and local control as put forward by R.A. Fisher a century ago are all well known and adhered to in most experiments. In some applications, however, lack of randomization is still practised. One particular area where this is common is on-farm experimentation. Hence, revisiting these important principles seems useful. In this paper, we particularly consider the use of uniformity trial data to empirically assess the validity of experimental designs in terms of the estimation of error and empirical Type 1 error rates. We compare classical designs such as the completely randomized design and the randomized complete block design to systematic designs. Moreover, following a suggestion in Fisher’s 1925 book, we propose a design optimized for a positional covariate of the plots. These designs are compared to two systematic designs. In addition to simple linear models, we consider a specific kind of spatial model for analysing systematic designs. Our results show that properly randomized designs yield valid inferences, whereas with systematic designs there is a risk of biased estimates of error. The design optimized for the positional covariate, while entailing some mild restriction on randomization, still provided valid inferences. In conclusion, our recommendation is to always use properly randomized designs.

The mammalian skull plays important roles in sensing, communication, and obtaining and processing food. These diverse functions make the skull a natural target for investigating how developmental processes and selective pressures related to ecology interact to produce patterns of morphological evolution. Here, we investigate the evolution of the equid skull through the lens of craniofacial evolutionary allometry (CREA), a pattern of relative facial elongation in larger mammals that has been hypothesized to result from similar patterns of facial elongation over ontogeny. Using 3D geometric morphometrics and linear measurements, we describe the major axes of shape variation in the equid skull, test whether equids follow or deviate from the CREA pattern over the clade’s evolutionary history, and assess whether the evolution of high-crowned teeth (hypsodonty) is related to relative facial proportions, all in an explicitly phylogenetic context. We find that equids deviate from the CREA pattern and that the evolution of hypsodont dentition did not significantly influence facial proportions in the group. Importantly, these results are only apparent when using statistics appropriate for phylogenetic data. Comparison with previously published data on facial proportions from modern equids indicates that ontogenetic patterns of facial elongation do not scale to produce patterns of facial proportions observed at the intraspecific and evolutionary levels. Taken together, our results complicate the historic narrative that a single set of selective factors drove patterns of morphological evolution within the group.

Voters must often resolve dilemmas between choosing their favorite candidate and the one likeliest to win an election. Researchers know surprisingly little about how voters even conceptualize electability, let alone make these decisions. We use two novel survey experiments to evaluate how voters trade off policy agreement and electability in their decisions. The first experiment presents respondents with policy agreement between themselves and candidates and candidates’ electability rankings on the same scale, allowing us to directly compare. We show that while making electability information salient modestly reduces support for candidates with limited prospects, respondents remain primarily policy-motivated. Additionally, we show that respondents actually construe electability as a signal about a candidate’s qualifications rather than as a signal about getting votes.

Philosophers of science are increasingly pursuing engaged work that addresses scientific and societal challenges. Previous scholarship has mapped forms of engagement and proposed reforms to enhance its impact. This paper examines the methodological decisions structuring engaged inquiry through qualitative content analysis of 40 peer-reviewed publications from Socially Relevant/Socially Engaged Philosophy of Science (SRPoS/SEPoS), Field Philosophy, and Philosophy in Science. I identify five recurring heuristics: problem-oriented framing, audience-tailored framing, context-sensitive integration, methodological modulation, and normative structuring. These capture higher-order methodological decisions with implications for how engaged philosophy of science is understood, evaluated, and taught.

Preterm-born children are at increased risk for executive function (EF) deficits, particularly in inhibitory control. While bilingualism has been linked to enhanced EF in term-born children, its effects on preterm populations are less understood. This study explored whether bilingualism supports inhibitory control in preterm-born children using behavioral and functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) data during a Go/No-Go task. Sixteen preterm-born children (ages 6–7), both bilingual and monolingual, were assessed. Bilingual participants demonstrated faster reaction times (RTs) without compromising accuracy and showed lower levels of oxygenated hemoglobin (HbO) in the frontal lobe, indicating more efficient neural effort. Results underscore a distinct neural and behavioral profile in bilingual preterm children during inhibitory control tasks, emphasizing the role of language experience in shaping EF outcomes. These findings suggest that bilingualism may offer cognitive benefits for inhibitory control in preterm-born children and highlight the potential for bilingualism to support EF development in at-risk groups.

American politics scholars have long argued for the centrality of Black group consciousness in political decision-making for African Americans, regardless of class. However, what has not been completely explored is whether there are specific circumstances in which class-based concerns are prioritized for middle-class African Americans over racial group considerations. This paper explores whether the specific circumstance of direct economic threat heightens the relevance of class considerations over racial group considerations for local redistributive policy preferences among Black homeowners. Utilizing a novel survey experiment, I directly pit economic self-interest against racial group solidarity to analyze the prioritized political consideration for affluent Black political decision-making. I argue that the strength of racial group solidarity will extend to African American homeowners foregoing their own economic self-interest, defined as their property value, for the benefit of the overall racial group. Findings support my hypotheses and demonstrate that Black homeowners higher in linked fate are most likely to show the highest levels of support for the redistributive policy when low-income tenants are explicitly described as Black, as compared to the White condition or the control. These findings point to the effects and non-effects of economic self-interest in Black political decision-making depending on the racialized context. Lastly, this inquiry points to the resilience of Black group racial solidarity and its role in the formation of Black policy preferences irrespective of class-based intra- group differences.

The β-galactoside-binding protein galectin-3 is currently a hotly pursued therapeutic target in cancer, inflammation and fibrosis-associated diseases due to its multi-mode actions and broad impact on the pathogenesis and progress of the diseases. Various natures of galectin-3 inhibitors have been developed and investigated, and several have shown promising results in early-phase clinical trials. All these galectin-3 antagonists were designed to target the canonical carbohydrate-binding site, the S-face, of the galectin-3 carbohydrate recognition domain (CRD). This review discussed the current galectin-3 antagonists and explored their modes of actions, focusing particularly on their targeting regions on galectin-3. It discussed the tri-modular structure of galectin-3 and the roles of different segments in galectin-3 actions. It proposed that, in addition to the canonical carbohydrate-binding sites on the S-face, the non-canonical carbohydrate-binding interface, the F-face of the galectin-3 CRD as well as its flexible N-terminal domain are also targetable in the design of galectin-3-targeted therapeutics. Given the high degree of structural similarities of CRDs among galectin family members but unique nature of galectin-3 N-terminus, antagonists developed against the N-terminal domain of galectin-3 can potentially offer greater target specificity by avoiding cross-reactivity with other galectin members. Antagonists that can interact with more than one segment of galectin-3, or a combination of antagonists against different galectin-3 segments, may potentially provide improved efficacy and therapeutic effectiveness for treatment of galectin-3-mediated pathologies and diseases.

This article discusses a case of how epistemic friction, discomfort and disagreement can become generative resources for interdisciplinary Responsible artificial intelligence (AI) research in health. Drawing on a four-year collaboration (2022–2026) on Responsible AI for health decision-making between AI Research, Medicine, Humanities and Law at a Dutch University and its University Medical Center, the article analyzes specific moments of “disconcertment” arising from interdisciplinary discussions on three central and interrelated concepts within the research group: (1) bias, (2) ground truth and (3) error. By analytically narrating the epistemic tensions produced by discipline-specific approaches to these concepts, the article shows how moments of disconcertment can create productive spaces for deepening interdisciplinary engagement. These moments may enable participating groups to address epistemological differences and reflect on taken-for-granted research relationships between their disciplines. Building on this insight, the article argues that moments of disconcertment can be mobilized as “little tools of friction” in interdisciplinary AI research more broadly. Such tools of friction support practices of “doing difference together” and may generate new possibilities and potentials for (inter)disciplinary thinking on AI, fostering new directions of doing interdisciplinary AI-based medicine and beyond.

The proof of Proposition 2 in Feddersen and Pesendorfer (1998, American Political Science Review 92(1): 23–35) is flawed. This note presents an elementary direct proof of the result.

Improvisation is widely recognised as a musical creative activity, yet it remains infrequently used in classroom practice. This qualitative study examines how eight Dutch primary music teachers understand, implement, and evaluate improvisation. Drawing on semi-structured interviews, classroom observations, and field notes, two themes emerged: implementation, including commonly used improvisation activities, perceived effectiveness of improvisation activities, and feedback, and evaluation, including perceived benefits, challenges, and reflections for improvement. Findings show teachers value improvisation for fostering creativity and confidence but face considerable challenges, including managing classroom dynamics and limited pedagogical training, suggesting that teachers’ engagement with improvisation is shaped by both pedagogical beliefs and contextual constraints.

The increasing integration of outer space technologies into both civilian life and military operations poses significant challenges to the application of the principles of international humanitarian law. Although these technologies may strengthen military operations, the repurposing of civilian space assets for military ends increases their vulnerability to hostile actions, thereby creating risks that could ultimately impair the civilian infrastructure that is reliant upon them. The present article sets out to explore the growing reliance on space-based assets, such as satellites, for communication, navigation and surveillance purposes in modern conflicts, and explores the evolving role of outer space in armed conflict, emphasizing the humanitarian risks posed by its militarization and the absence of robust legal protections. The article puts forward that the international community’s primary focus should be the protection of civilians, achieved through the safeguarding of space-based assets and the prevention of outer space’s weaponization. Protecting these technologies from the effects of armed conflict is imperative for civilian safety as well as for maintaining global stability and ensuring that outer space remains a domain of peaceful cooperation.