Maternal ability (milk and environment) in beef cattle is one of the most important traits influencing weaning weight of the calf, but amount and composition of milk produced by the dam is difficult to measure. The assessment of polymorphisms of candidate genes related to milk composition could indirectly enlighten this perspective. In the present study, the frequency of αs1-casein 1175AG and g26181A>G; κ-casein 13068 (CSN3 AB1) and 13104 (CSN3 AB2) loci, β-lactoglobulin variants 3984GA and 5263CT, Diacyl glycerol transferase K232A, and Stearoyl CoA desaturase A702G and A762G polymorphisms were estimated in Gray and Red Brahman, Nellore, Guzerat, Gir, Indubrazil, and Sardo Negro registered sires from Mexico. Most of the documented favourable alleles were found in low frequency in most of the evaluated breeds, except for β-lactoglobulin, in which the presence of favourable alleles might represent an opportunity for marker-assisted introgression. The relevance of the findings for each variation and implications from the outcomes are discussed.

Limb salvage surgery (LSS) with megaprosthesis is a common treatment for distal femur tumors, but its impact on gait remains poorly understood. Traditional gait analysis methods are costly and require specialized equipment. This study aims to compare spatiotemporal gait parameters between patients with distal femur megaprosthesis and healthy controls using an inertial measurement unit (IMU). We conducted a case–control study with 79 participants: 31 patients with distal femur megaprosthesis and 48 healthy controls. Gait data were collected using an IMU placed at L5-S1, capturing metrics such as gait quality index (GQI), pelvic kinematics, propulsion index, and gait speed. Statistical analysis included Student’s t-test, Mann–Whitney U test, and one-way ANOVA to compare gait parameters across groups. Patients with megaprosthesis exhibited significantly lower gait speed, propulsion index and anteroposterior acceleration symmetry index compared to controls (p < .05). GQI was reduced in the healthy legs of the cases (92.3%) compared to control legs (96.6%). Adaptations included prolonged stance phases in healthy legs and decreased single support phases in prosthetic legs. Despite these changes, gait patterns remained within functional ranges. IMU-based gait analysis reveals significant but functional alterations in gait mechanics among patients with distal femoral megaprosthesis. These findings underscore the need for tailored rehabilitation strategies to address compensatory mechanisms, optimize mobility, and enhance long-term outcomes. The use of IMU technology offers a cost-effective and portable alternative for clinical gait assessments.

The Puerto Rico Plain Pigeon Patagioenas inornata wetmorei suffered a severe population decline after hurricanes Irma and Maria in September 2017. We used distance sampling to estimate abundance (density and population size) in April–June 1986−2024, accounting for changes in detection probability. We used the distance-sampling abundance estimates to populate a Bayesian state–space logistic model and update posterior estimates of population carrying capacity, maximum population growth rate, population recovery time, and predicted abundance in April–June 2025−2034, accounting for observation and process variances. In addition, we used predicted abundance to assess potential extinction risk (probability Pr[N2025−2034 = 0|data]), population self-sustainability above 5,000 individuals (Pr[N2025−2034 >5,000|data]), and population surpassing the 2.5th percentile of carrying capacity (Pr[N2025−2034 >30,000|data]). The population has not recovered from the hurricanes, with estimated density averaging 0.0015 individuals/ha (bootstrapped standard error [SE] = 0.0006) and population size averaging 1,097 individuals (SE = 455) at the 749,000-ha survey region in April–June 2018−2024. Posterior mean estimates were 41,580 individuals (Markov Chain Monte Carlo standard deviation [SD] = 8,052) for population carrying capacity, 0.183 (SD = 0.056) for maximum population growth rate, six years (SD = 2) for recovery time, and 7,173 individuals (SD = 12,309) for predicted abundance in April–June 2025−2034. The population may reach self-sustainability levels (range Pr[N2025−2034 >5,000|data] = 0.326−0.631) but currently is undergoing a prolonged bottleneck and may become extinct (range Pr[N2025−2034 = 0|data] = 0.199−0.332), particularly if reproduction continues to be mostly unsuccessful, anthropogenic disturbances remain unabated, and on top of that another devastating hurricane makes landfall during the next 10 years. The Puerto Rico Plain Pigeon subspecies is in urgent need of management aiming to increase and maintain abundance above 5,000 individuals but preferably surpassing the 2.5th percentile of population carrying capacity as in the late 1990s (range Pr[N2025−2034 >30,000|data] = 0.000−0.181).

Two new sites, identified during a survey of the Tajuña River Valley, central Iberia, show evidence of both flint extraction and working, specifically for the production of long blades. These are an important addition to the limited number of such sites known in Eurasia.

Stereotype construction is a complex process, with multiple relations to language processing, that combines collective sociocultural factors with individual cognitive elements. Regarding gendered languages, there is a debate about the effect of grammatical gender on the representation of inanimate entities. To evaluate the potential interaction between gender stereotypes and gender morphology on words that refer to inanimate entities in three different communities of Spanish speakers, we developed a task of conscious judgments on the level of association to men or women of words that refer to objects. In a 3 × 2 × 3 × 2 design, we manipulated Semantic Bias (gender stereotypicality), with three levels (male, e.g., martillo, hammer-M; female, e.g., vestido, dress-M; neutral, e.g., lápiz, pencil-M); Morphology, with two levels (masculine, e.g., vestido, dress-M; feminine, e.g., pulsera, bracelet-F); Linguistic variety, with three levels (Argentine, Chilean and Peninsular) and Questionnaire, with two levels (related to men vs. related to women). The results showed that grammatical gender has an effect on words that refer to inanimate entities when those words do not carry a strong stereotypical association (neutral items), semantic bias related to gender stereotypes overshadows any potential effect of grammatical gender in biased items, and there are differences depending on the community (Argentine, Chilean and Peninsular).

The Nasrid emirate of southern Iberia emanated power through architecture; this project aims to better understand how this was made possible, via an interdisciplinary exploration of the Alhambra monument and other Al-Andalus constructions. Initial results of archaeological campaigns, structure chronologies and communication plans undertaken in 2021 and 2022 are presented.

We present spectroscopic properties of 22 Ly$\alpha$ emitters (LAEs) at $z = 5.5 - 6.6$ with Ly$\alpha$ luminosity $\mathrm{log}( L_{\mathrm{Ly}\alpha} \, [\mathrm{erg} \, \mathrm{s}^{-1}]) = 42.4 - 43.5 $, obtained using VLT/MUSE as part of the Middle Ages Galaxy Properties with Integral Field Spectroscopy (MAGPI) survey. Additionally, we incorporate broad-band photometric data from the Subaru Hyper Suprime-Cam (HSC) Wide layer for 17 LAEs in our sample. The HSC-y band magnitudes show that our LAEs are UV-bright, with rest-frame absolute UV magnitudes $ -19.74 \leq \mathrm{M}_{\mathrm{UV}} \leq -23.27$. We find that the Ly$\alpha$ line width increases with Ly$\alpha$ luminosity, and this trend becomes more prominent at $z \gt 6$ where Ly$\alpha$ lines become significantly broadened ($\gtrsim+260 \, \mathrm{km}\, \mathrm{s}^{-1}$) at luminosities $\mathrm{log}( L_{\mathrm{Ly}\alpha} \, [\mathrm{erg} \, \mathrm{s}^{-1}]) \gt 43 $. This broadening is consistent with previous studies, suggesting that these sources are located inside larger ionised bubbles. We observe a slightly elevated ionising photon production efficiency estimated for LAEs at $z \gt 6$, which indicates that younger galaxies could be producing more ionising photons per UV luminosity. A tentative anti-correlation between ionising photon production efficiency and Ly$\alpha$ rest-frame equivalent width is noticed, which could indicate a time delay between production and escape of ionising photon primarily due to supernovae activity. Furthermore, we find a positive correlation between radius of ionised regions and Ly$\alpha$ line width, which again suggests that large ionised bubbles are created around these LAEs, which are allowing them to self-shield from the scattering effects of the intergalactic medium (IGM). We also detect two very closely separated LAEs at $z = 6.046$ (projected spatial distance between the cores is 15.92 kpc). This is the LAE pair with the smallest separation ever discovered in the reionisation epoch. The size of their respective bubbles suggests that they likely sit inside a common large ionised region. Such a closely separated LAE pair increases the size of ionised bubble, potentially allowing a boosted transmission of Ly$\alpha$ through neutral IGM and also supports an accelerated reionisation scenario.

Species’ declines are caused by a combination of factors that affect survival and/or breeding success. We studied the effects of a set of environmental and anthropogenic variables on the disappearance of Canarian Houbara Bustards Chlamydotis undulata fuertaventurae on Fuerteventura (Canary Islands), once the main stronghold of this endangered bird. Of 83 male display sites detected in 1997–1998, only 29 remained occupied in 2020–2021 (a 65% decrease in only 23 years). We compared habitat quality, density of conspecifics, other steppe birds and crows, presence of human infrastructure, and degree of environmental protection between these 29 extant sites and the 54 extinct sites using univariate analyses and generalised linear models (GLMs). The most influential variable in the abandonment of display sites was the Normalised Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), an indicator of green vegetation productivity, which suggests a strong effect of habitat aridification due to climate change on the population’s extinction process. Powerline density was the second most important factor. This suggests that houbaras have survived where a greater abundance of food resources has enabled a higher breeding success, and where powerline fatalities have caused lower mortality over the years. Higher densities of houbaras, and other steppe birds and crows at extant display sites confirmed the better habitat quality in these areas. Extant display sites, located generally in protected areas, also had lower densities of human infrastructure (e.g. buildings, roads). We discuss the conservation implications of these results and provide management recommendations for this endangered subspecies.

There is increasing recognition of the crucial need for robust community engagement in health research and clinical trials. Despite this awareness, challenges persist in bridging the gap between researchers and communities. Much of the current discourse focuses on addressing issues such as cultural humility and equitable partnerships. To expand this conversation, we conducted community engagement studios, following the model by Joosten et al. We wanted to gather perspectives on research involvement across New Mexico. This process and resultant findings offer valuable insights into effective community engagement practices and advance clinical and translational science by amplifying community voices and needs.

The aim of this study was to compare the levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in Bos taurus and Bos indicus in vitro embryos cryopreserved using either slow freezing or vitrification. Embryos were divided into four groups based on subspecies and freezing method: Bos indicus slow freezing (BiSF; n = 8), Bos indicus vitrification (BiVT; n = 10), Bos taurus slow freezing (BtSF; n = 9), and Bos taurus vitrification (BtVT; n = 6). After thawing, the embryos were incubated with CellRox Green and images were obtained using a confocal microscope. The fluorescence intensity of each cell was measured and expressed as arbitrary units of fluorescence (auf) and compared using a multiple regression and unpaired t-test with α = 0.05. Results showed that subspecies and the freezing method significantly affected auf (P < 0.001; R2 = 0.1213). Bos indicus embryos had higher auf than Bos taurus embryos, whether frozen by slow freezing (67.05 ± 23.18 vs 51.30 ± 16.84, P < 0.001) or vitrification (64.44 ± 23.32 vs 47.86 ± 17.53, P < 0.001). Slow freezing induced higher auf than vitrification in both Bos taurus (51.30 ± 16.84 vs 47.86 ± 17.53, P < 0.001) and Bos indicus (67.05 ± 23.18 vs 64.44 ± 23.32, P < 0.014). In conclusion, Bos taurus embryos had lower ROS levels when frozen using vitrification, while Bos indicus embryos had consistent ROS patterns regardless of the freezing method. However, Bos indicus embryos frozen by slow freezing tended to have a higher number of cells with elevated ROS levels.

Ermeloite is a new aluminium phosphate mineral from Galicia, Spain, in the northwest of the Iberian Peninsula. It is the third formally recognised mineral discovered in Galicia since morenosite and cervantite in the 19th Century. The name and symbol (Erm) were approved by the Commission on New Minerals, Nomenclature and Classification of the International Mineralogical Association (IMA2021–017a) in recognition of the geographical location where it was found. The mineral occurs as a light blue to white fine aggregate over quartz and microcline associated with wardite. Crystals of ~0.04 mm are transparent and have a waxy lustre. The simplified empirical formula determined using electron microprobe analysis is Al1.02P0.95F0.06O3.88⋅1.06 H2O, which is near to the ideal formula Al(PO4)⋅H2O. The mineral is an alteration product within a phosphate pegmatite. Ermeloite is the second phosphate isostructural with the sulfates of the kieserite group. Single-crystal X-ray diffraction showed that ermeloite crystallises in the monoclinic C2/c space group with cell parameters a = 6.5371(4) Å, b = 7.5670(5) Å, c = 7.1146(5) Å, β = 115.335(2)°, V = 318.08(4) Å3 and Z = 4 at room temperature. Comparative analysis of the crystallographic data, with isostructural phosphates, revealed an interesting behaviour for these compounds.

High-risk pregnancies elevate maternal stress, impacting offspring neurodevelopment and behavior. This study, involving 112 participants, aimed to compare perceived stress, neurodevelopment, and behavior in high-risk and low-risk pregnancies. Two groups, high-risk and low-risk, were assessed during pregnancy for stress using hair cortisol and psychological analysis. At 24 months post-birth, their children’s neurodevelopment and behavior were evaluated. Results revealed higher perceived stress and pregnancy-related concerns in high-risk pregnancies, contrasting with low-risk pregnancies. Offspring from high-risk pregnancies displayed elevated internalizing behavior scores, while low-risk pregnancies showed higher externalizing behavior scores. Additionally, women in low-risk pregnancies exhibited increased cortisol concentrations 24 months post-delivery. These findings underscore the necessity for early stress detection and prevention programs during pregnancy, particularly in high-risk cases, to enhance maternal and infant health.