The Arabian leopard Panthera pardus nimr is categorized as Critically Endangered, with < 200 individuals estimated to remain in the wild. Historically the species ranged over an extensive area of western Saudi Arabia but, with no confirmed sightings since 2014, investigating potential continued presence and distribution is of critical conservation importance. We present the results of a comprehensive survey designed to detect any remaining Arabian leopard populations in Saudi Arabia. We conducted 14 surveys, deploying 586 camera-trap stations at 13 sites, totalling 82,075 trap-nights. Questionnaire surveys were conducted with 843 members of local communities across the Arabian leopard's historical range to assess the presence of leopards, other predators and prey species. Predator scats were collected ad hoc by field teams and we used mitochondrial DNA analysis to identify the originating species. We obtained 62,948 independent photographs of animals and people, but none were of Arabian leopards. Other carnivores appeared widespread and domestic animals were numerous, but wild prey were comparatively scarce. Three questionnaire respondents reported sightings of leopards within the previous year, but targeted camera-trap surveys in these areas did not yield evidence of leopards. Of the 143 scats sent for analysis, no DNA was conclusively identified as that of the leopard. From this extensive study, we conclude there are probably no surviving, sustainable populations of Arabian leopards in Saudi Arabia. Individual leopards might be present but were not confirmed. Any future Arabian leopard conservation in Saudi Arabia will probably require reintroduction of captive-bred leopards.

Wortupaite (IMA2022–107) is a new hydrated magnesium nickel tellurite mineral with a zemannite-like structure, described from the Wortupa gold mine, South Australia, Australia. Wortupaite forms needles up to 25 μm in length, generally clustered and sometimes in blocky masses of shorter (10‒15 μm) crystals. Wortupaite is found growing on melonite, from which the component nickel and tellurium are derived, and is associated with calcite. The strongest powder diffraction lines are [dobsÅ(Iobs)(hkl)]: 8.059 (93) (100), 4.034 (92) (200), 2.832 (43) (211 and 121), 2.769 (100) (202) and 1.920 (45) (213 and 123). The empirical formula of wortupaite as determined by electron probe microanalysis is (Mg0.57Ni0.39Mn0.04)Σ1(Ni2+1.87Fe3+0.13)Σ2(Te4+O3)3⋅3H2O, simplified to the ideal formula of MgNi2+2(Te4+O3)3⋅3H2O with H2O content calculated from the crystal structure. The average crystal structure of wortupaite was determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction with synchrotron radiation (R1 = 0.0558 for 100 independent reflections). Wortupaite is hexagonal, crystallising in the space group P63/m, with a = 9.2215(13) Å, c = 7.5150(15) Å, V = 553.43(19) Å3 and Z = 2. Wortupaite has a microporous structure, with the negatively charged zemannite-like framework formed by Te4+O3 trigonal pyramids and Ni2+O6 octahedra. For charge balance, Mg2+ and Ni2+ dominant sites are assumed to be located on central sites in the channels, coordinated by 6 H2O groups. An OW site was refined around the Mg2+ dominant site, but OW position(s) were not locatable around the Ni2+ dominant site. A discussion of the different models for crystallographic arrangement of channel species is provided, taking into account possible Fourier truncation effects. Unlike the other four minerals with zemannite-like structures which have a near 50% split of divalent and trivalent framework cations, wortupaite is the first natural phase to have only divalent cations in the framework sites.

Dogs can be held temporarily or permanently in kennels for a number of reasons, not necessarily for their own benefit. Although restrictive environments have been associated with poor welfare, priorities for research and change cannot be understood unless the various aspects of the kennel environment are appreciated separately. This review critically evaluates the experimental research regarding the physical, social, sensory, occupational, nutritional and psychological aspects of the kennel environment and their effects on canine welfare, with a view to providing a consolidated report on our current state of knowledge on this subject. However, the lack of within-dog, single manipulations and a focus on quantitative measures affects the ability to make valid conclusions about the welfare benefits of several aspects, including social housing, kennel size and location. Despite these criticisms, the evidence for the positive benefits of group housing is strong. There is also considerable evidence for the benefits of positive human contact particularly on sociability and stress responses in other situations. Surprisingly few studies have looked at other forms of enrichment and even less have considered the potential for the kennel to be over-stimulating in an auditory, olfactory and visual sense. Such topics are suggested as priorities for further research, in addition to ways of minimising aggression in group housing and the effect of establishment of predictability on adjustment to kennelling.

Although the term ‘quality of life’ (QoL) is not unfamiliar to veterinary surgeons, only recently has the scientific community attempted to measure it in farm and companion animals. Typically such studies have applied methodologies from the field of human health-related quality of life (HRQoL), without due consideration of the applicability of both the term and its measurement to animals. However, it is necessary to clarify the philosophical basis of QoL if it is to be defended as a rigorous and reliable aid to decision-making in animal welfare science. In this paper we review common concepts in human HRQoL and discuss the value of, and difficulties regarding, the transfer of the concept of human HRQoL to companion animals. Human definitions tend to focus on individuals and their assessment of the state of their life in terms of physical, social and psychological functioning. The use of the term ‘quality of life’ for animals may therefore expand on what is usually considered when using the term ‘welfare’, and thereby improve on current practice, which tends to focus on relatively few outcome measures that are largely indicative of poor welfare. However, failure in the human literature to properly define QoL and defend the choice of measures accordingly, together with the common use of objective indicators and proxies, has led to confusion over the relative roles of objective and subjective measures in the determination and constitution of QoL. A suggestion for an appropriate definition of animal QoL that clarifies these relationships is offered, together with a list of social/environmental and physical/psychological health-related domains that may be suitable for a generic companion animal QoL assessment tool. In the absence of knowledge on both basic needs and individual preferences, particularly for institutionalised animals, QoL tools may be more appropriately designed as outcome-based tools, focussing on observable signs of health and behaviour. The extent to which recent QoL assessment tools for companion animals have covered these domains, and the extent to which the psychometric properties of the tools have been addressed, is also briefly discussed.

The process of generating FMEA following document-centric approach is tedious and susceptible to human error. This paper presents preliminary methodology for robotic manufacturing process modelling in MBSE environment with a scope of automating multiple steps of the modelling process using ontology. This is followed by the reasoning towards automatic generation of process FMEA from the MBSE model. The proposed methodology allows to establish robust and self-synchronising links between process-relevant information, reduce the likelihood of human error, and scale down time expenses.

Archaeologists have pointed to certain architectural or decorative designs as representing “elite styles” that mark status distinctions. We look at one such style—Dogoszhi—that was applied to several pottery wares across the Chaco World of the northern Southwest. Using a large database of ceramics, we test whether this style comprised an elite style or whether it signaled participation in a broader Chaco social network. We compare the distribution of Dogoszhi style to measures of settlement importance, including site size and network centrality, and we investigate whether this style occurs differentially at Chacoan great houses as opposed to small houses, or by subregion. We also compare its spatial distribution to an earlier style, called Black Mesa style, similarly applied to a number of different wares. Our results indicate that both styles were consistently distributed within Chaco communities (whether great houses or small houses) but variably distributed across subareas and most measures of settlement importance. We conclude that Dogoszhi style was used to mark membership in social networks that cross-cut great house communities, a pattern more typical of heterarchical rather than hierarchical social structures. Such variation questions the uniform category of “elites” and points to the ways that representational diversity may be used to interpret different regional histories and alliances.

This article emerged as the human species collectively have been experiencing the worst global pandemic in a century. With a long view of the ecological, economic, social, and political factors that promote the emergence and spread of infectious disease, archaeologists are well positioned to examine the antecedents of the present crisis. In this article, we bring together a variety of perspectives on the issues surrounding the emergence, spread, and effects of disease in both the Americas and Afro-Eurasian contexts. Recognizing that human populations most severely impacted by COVID-19 are typically descendants of marginalized groups, we investigate pre- and postcontact disease vectors among Indigenous and Black communities in North America, outlining the systemic impacts of diseases and the conditions that exacerbate their spread. We look at how material culture both reflects and changes as a result of social transformations brought about by disease, the insights that paleopathology provides about the ancient human condition, and the impacts of ancient globalization on the spread of disease worldwide. By understanding the differential effects of past epidemics on diverse communities and contributing to more equitable sociopolitical agendas, archaeology can play a key role in helping to pursue a more just future.

Treatment resistant schizophrenia (TRS) is one of the most disabling of psychiatric disorders, affecting about 1/3 of patients. First-line treatments include both atypical and typical antipsychotics. The original atypical, clozapine, is a final option, and although it has been shown to be the only effective treatment for TRS, many patients do not respond well to clozapine. Clozapine use is related to adverse events, most notably agranulocytosis, a potentially fatal blood disorder which affects about 1% of those prescribed clozapine and requires regular blood monitoring. This as a barrier to prescription and there is a long delay in access for TRS patients, of five or more years, from first antipsychotic prescription. Better tools to predict treatment resistance and to identify risk of adverse events would allow faster and safer access to clozapine for patients who are likely to benefit from it. The CRESTAR project (www.crestar-project.eu) is a European Framework 7 collaborative project that aims to develop tools to predict i) treatment response, particularly patients who are less likely to respond to usual antipsychotics, indicating treatment with clozapine as early as possible, ii) patients who are at high or low risk of adverse events and side effects, iii) extreme TRS patients so that they can be stratified in clinical trials for novel treatments. CRESTAR has addressed these questions by examining genome-wide association data, genome sequence, epigenetic biomarkers and epidemiological data in European patient cohorts characterized for treatment response, and adverse drug reaction using data from clozapine therapeutic drug monitoring and linked National population medical and pharmacy databases, to identify predictive factors. In parallel CRESTAR will perform health economic research on potential benefits, and ethics and patient-centred research with stakeholders.

Clinical Enterobacteriacae isolates with a colistin minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) ≥4 mg/L from a United States hospital were screened for the mcr-1 gene using real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and confirmed by whole-genome sequencing. Four colistin-resistant Escherichia coli isolates contained mcr-1. Two isolates belonged to the same sequence type (ST-632). All subjects had prior international travel and antimicrobial exposure.

The crystal structure of tlapallite has been determined using single-crystal X-ray diffraction and supported by electron probe micro-analysis, powder diffraction and Raman spectroscopy. Tlapallite is trigonal, space group P321, with a = 9.1219(17) Å, c = 11.9320(9) Å and V = 859.8(3) Å3, and was refined to R1 = 0.0296 for 786 reflections with I > 2σ(I). This study resulted from the discovery of well-crystallised tlapallite at the Wildcat prospect, Utah, USA. The chemical formula of tlapallite has been revised to (Ca,Pb)3CaCu6[Te4+3Te6+O12]2(Te4+O3)2(SO4)2·3H2O, or more simply (Ca,Pb)3CaCu6Te4+8Te6+2O30(SO4)2·3H2O, from H6(Ca,Pb)2(Cu,Zn)3(TeO3)4(TeO6)(SO4). The tlapallite structure consists of layers containing distorted Cu2+O6 octahedra, Te6+O6 octahedra and Te4+O4 disphenoids (which together form the new mixed-valence phyllotellurate anion [Te4+3Te6+O12]12−), Te4+O3 trigonal pyramids and CaO8 polyhedra. SO4 tetrahedra, Ca(H2O)3O6 polyhedra and H2O groups fill the space between the layers. Tlapallite is only the second naturally occurring compound containing tellurium in both the 4+ and 6+ oxidation states with a known crystal structure, the other being carlfriesite, CaTe4+2Te6+O8. Carlfriesite is the predominant secondary tellurium mineral at the Wildcat prospect. We also present an updated structure for carlfriesite, which has been refined to R1 = 0.0230 for 874 reflections with I > 2σ(I). This updated structural refinement improves upon the one reported previously by refining all atoms anisotropically and presenting models of bond valence and Te4+ secondary bonding.

Migration was a key social process contributing to the creation of the ‘Chaco World’ between AD 800 and 1200. Dynamic social network analysis allows for evaluation of several migration scenarios, and demonstrates that Chaco’s earliest ninth-century networks show interaction with areas to the west and south, rather than migration to the Canyon from the Northern San Juan. By the late eleventh century, Chaco Canyon was tied strongly to the Middle and Northern San Juan, while a twelfth-century retraction of networks separated the Northern and Southern San Juan areas prior to regional depopulation. Understanding Chaco migration is important for comprehending both its uniqueness in U.S. Southwest archaeology and for comparison with other case studies worldwide.

Nordgauite, MnAl2(PO4)2(F,OH)2·5H2O, is a new secondary phosphate from the Hagendorf-Süd pegmatite, Bavaria, Germany. It occurs as white to off-white compact waxy nodules and soft fibrous aggregates a few millimetres across in altered zwieselite—triplite. Individual crystals are tabular prismatic, up to 200 μ long and 10 μ wide. Associated minerals include fluorapatite, sphalerite, uraninite, a columbite—tantalite phase, metastrengite, several unnamed members of the whiteite—jahnsite family, and a new analogue of kingsmountite. The fine-grained nature of nordgauite meant that only limited physical and optical properties could be obtained; streak is white; fracture, cleavage and twinning cannot be discerned. D meas. and D caic. are 2.35 and 2.46 g cm–3, respectively; the average RI is n = 1.57; the Gladstone-Dale compatibility is —0.050 (good). Electron microprobe analysis gives (wt.%): CaO 0.96. MgO 0.12, MnO 14.29, FeO 0.60, ZnO 0.24, A12O3 22.84, P2O5 31.62, F 5.13 and H2O 22.86 (by CHNX less F=O 2.16, total 96.50. The corresponding empirical formula is (Mn0.90Ca0.08Fe0.04Zn0.01Mg0.01)-Σi.04Ai2.0i(PO4)2[F1.21,(OH)0.90]Σ2.11·5.25H2O. Nordgauite is triclinic, space group P1̄, with the unit-cell parameters: a = 9.920(4), b = 9.933(3), c = 6.087(2) Å, α = 92.19(3), β = 100.04(3), γ = 97.61(3)°, V = 584.2(9) Å3 and Z = 2. The strongest lines in the XRD powder pattern are [d in Å (I) (hkl)] 9.806 (100)(010), 7.432 (40)(l1̄0), 4.119 (20)(210), 2.951 (16)(031), 4.596 (12)(21̄O), 3.225 (12)(220) and 3.215 (12)(121). The structure of nordgauite was solved using synchrotron XRD data collected on a 60 μm × 3 μm × 4 μm needle and refined to R1 = 0.0427 for 2374 observed reflections with F > 4σ(F). Although nordgauite shows stoichiometric similarities to mangangordonite and kastningite, its structure is more closely related to those of vauxite and montgomeryite in containing zig-zag strings of corner-connected Al-centred octahedra along [011], where the shared corners are alternately in cis and trans configuration. These chains link through corner-sharing with PO4 tetrahedra along [001] to form (100) slabs that are interconnected via edge-shared dimers of MnO6 polyhedra and other PO4 tetrahedra.