This work experimentally explores the alignment of the vorticity vector and the strain-rate tensor eigenvectors at locations of extreme upscale and downscale energy transfer. We show that the turbulent von Kármán flow displays vorticity–strain alignment behaviour across a large range of Reynolds numbers, which is very similar to previous studies on homogeneous, isotropic turbulence. We observe that this behaviour is amplified for the largest downscale energy transfer events, which tend to be associated with sheet-like geometries. These events are also shown to have characteristics previously associated with high flow field nonlinearity and singularities. In contrast, the largest upscale energy transfer events display very different structures which showcase a strong preference for vortex compression. Notably, in both cases we find that these trends are strengthened as the probed scales approach the Kolmogorov scale. We then show further evidence for the argument that strain self-amplification is the most salient feature in characterising the cascade direction. Finally, we identify possible invariant behaviour for the largest energy transfer events, even at scales near the Kolmogorov scale.

A number of philosophers have recently argued that there is such a thing as ‘epistemic blame’: blame targeted at epistemic norm violations qua epistemic norm violations. However, Smartt (2024) and Matheson and Milam (2022) have recently provided several arguments in favour of thinking epistemic blame either doesn’t exist or is never justified. This paper argues that these challenges are unsuccessful and along the way evaluates the prospects for various accounts of epistemic blame. It also reflects on the dialectic between sceptics and realists about epistemic blame and what choice points are available for moving the debate forward.

The modal auxiliary form must plus perfect aspect (must have +V-en) has recently acquired the meaning of direct evidentiality in Multicultural London English, the new London dialect. Because the new meaning is a recent innovation we have a rare opportunity to witness its development at first hand, unlike earlier changes in the history of must. Our analysis supports the view that the classic definition of evidentiality in terms of information source is too narrow to explain the expression of evidentiality in spoken interaction, and that a broader definition in terms of epistemic authority is more appropriate. We argue that the direct evidential meaning is a coherent further step in the semantic changes undergone by must during its history. It represents a previously undocumented pathway in the grammaticalisation of evidentiality. It also supports the view that evidentiality is not a purely lexical phenomenon in English.

We propose CTREND, a new trend factor for cryptocurrency returns, which aggregates price and volume information across different time horizons. Using data on more than 3,000 coins, we employ machine learning methods to exploit information from various technical indicators. The resulting signal reliably predicts cryptocurrency returns. The effect cannot be subsumed by known factors and remains robust across different subperiods, market states, and alternative research designs. Moreover, it survives the impact of transaction costs and persists in big and liquid coins. Finally, an asset pricing model that incorporates CTREND outperforms competing factor models, providing a superior explanation of cryptocurrency returns.

Exposure to environmentally transmitted parasites should increase with population density due to accumulation of infective parasites in space. However, resource competition also increases with density, lowering immunity and increasing susceptibility, offering an alternative pathway for density-dependent infection. To test the relationships between these two processes and parasitism, we examined associations between host density, resource availability, immunity, and counts of 3 common helminth parasites using a long-term study of red deer. We found evidence that immunity increased with resource availability while parasite counts declined with immunity. We also found that greater density correlated with reduced resource availability, and while density was positively associated with both strongyle and tissue worm burdens, resource availability was independently and negatively associated with the same burdens. Our results support separate roles of density-dependent exposure and susceptibility in driving infection, providing evidence that resource competition is an important driver of infection, exacerbating effects of density-dependent increases in exposure.

Heartwater is a tick-borne disease (TBD) of wild and livestock ruminants that threatens food security and the economy throughout much of Africa. Furthermore, the geographic range of heartwater is expanding and is predicted to continue doing so. Despite this, our understanding of heartwater dynamics lags far behind that of many other TBDs. We are therefore limited in our ability to design effective disease control strategies. In this study, we derive and analyse a mathematical model of heartwater dynamics. We analyse our model to predict the most influential parameters for disease risk, both in terms of new outbreaks and in heartwater-endemic regions. We show that the host-finding efficiency of ticks is the most influential parameter affecting outbreak risk. Also, outbreak risk is highly sensitive to the impact of the heartwater pathogen on tick fitness – a previously unexplored concept for any TBD system. In areas where heartwater is established, we show that disease can be controlled via enzootic stability (prolonged host immunity attained via frequent pathogen exposure). However, the maintenance of enzootic stability was dependent on several ecological and physiological parameters. Regarding practical output, we suggest prioritizing tick control measures during periods when ticks are most active in terms of dispersing towards hosts, so as to mitigate heightened outbreak risk. In addition, given the specificity of conditions required for enzootic stability, we caution against relying solely on enzootic stability for long-term heartwater protection. More broadly, our study highlights important tick life history parameters that have been neglected by previous TBD models.

Background: Treatment-resistant obsessive compulsive disorder (trOCD) is a condition characterized by intrusive thoughts (obsessions) and uncontrollable behaviours (compulsions) unresponsive to conventional therapies. Lesioning both anterior limbs of the internal capsule is effective in ablating the circuitry underlying trOCD pathophysiology. The newest capsulotomy method is MR-guided focused ultrasound (MRgFUS). Here we measured neural networks changes of trOCD patients after MRgFUS capsulotomy using resting state functional MRI (rs-fMRI). Methods: Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale (YBOCS) scores and rs-fMRI data were collected in 6 trOCD patients preoperatively, postoperatively at 3-months and 1-year, along with rs-fMRI from 6 age and sex-matched controls. Independent component analysis, dual regression using the FMRIB software library, and node-node approaches were used with the CONN Toolbox. We also performed a systematic review of existing studies about trOCD resting state networks. Results: TrOCD patients demonstrated significant improvement 1-year postoperatively (mean YBOCS reduction of 41 ± 7%). Dual regression analysis 3-months postoperatively showed significantly greater sensorimotor network signal in controls compared to trOCD groups. Node-node analysis in trOCD found connectivity changed in networks associated with the cortico-striato-thalamo-cortico loop, particularly the salience and limbic networks at 1-year postoperatively. Conclusions: TrOCD patients who underwent MRgFUS capsulotomy demonstrated differences in sensorimotor and cortico-striatal connectivity and significant clinical improvement postoperatively.

Very long baseline interferometry (VLBI) astrometry is used to determine the three-dimensional position and proper motion of astronomical objects. A typical VLBI astrometric campaign generally includes around ten observations, making it challenging to characterise systematic uncertainties. Our study on two bright pulsars, B0329+54 and B1133+16, involves analysis of broadband Very Long Baseline Array (VLBA) data over $\sim30$ epochs (spanning approximately 3.5 yr). This extended dataset has significantly improved the precision of the astrometric estimates of these pulsars. Our broadband study suggests that, as expected, the primary contribution to systematic uncertainties in L-band VLBI astrometry originates from the ionosphere. We have also assessed the effectiveness of the modified total electron content (TEC) mapping function, which converts vertical TEC to slant TEC, in correcting ionospheric dispersive delays using global TEC maps. The astrometric parameters (parallax and proper motion) obtained from the multiple datasets, calibrated using the traditional and the modified TEC mapping functions, are consistent. However, the reduced chi-square values from least-squares fitting and precision of the fitted astrometric parameters show no significant improvement, and hence, the effectiveness of the new TEC mapping function on astrometry is unclear. For B0329+54, the refined parallax estimate is $0.611^{+0.013}_{-0.013}$ mas, with best-fit proper motion of $\mu_{\alpha} = 16.960^{+0.011}_{-0.010}\, \textrm{mas}\,{\rm yr}^{-1}$ in R.A. and and $\mu_{\delta} = -10.382^{+0.022}_{-0.022}\,\textrm{mas}\,{\rm yr}^{-1}$ in Dec. These correspond to a distance of $1.64^{+0.03}_{-0.03}$ kpc and a transverse velocity of $\sim 154\, \textrm{km}\,{\rm s}^{-1}$. For B1133+16, the new estimated parallax is $2.705^{+0.009}_{-0.009}$ mas, with proper motions of $\mu_{\alpha} = -73.777^{+0.008}_{-0.008}\, \textrm{mas}\,{\rm yr}^{-1}$ and $\mu_{\delta} = 366.573^{+0.019}_{-0.019}\, \textrm{mas}\,{\rm yr}^{-1}$, implying a distance of $370^{+1}_{-1}$ pc and a transverse velocity of $\sim 656\, \textrm{km}\,{\rm s}^{-1}$. The proper motions of B0329+54 and B1133+16 are consistent within $1\sigma$ of the most precise values reported in the literature to date while achieving more than a twofold improvement in precision. Similarly, the parallax measurements for both pulsars show a $\sim 73\%$ enhancement in precision, with differences of approximately $\lt 1\sigma$ compared to the most precise published values to date.

Russian nation-building policy has often been described as ambiguous, blending a rhetorical commitment to the state’s multinational character together with more exclusionary rhetoric and policies. Drawing from original survey questions on national identity commissioned in December 2022, I find that Russian citizens continue to endorse a multinational vision of the Russian state during wartime. Respondents are simultaneously likely to exclude minorities from being fully considered as “true Rossians” [istinnye rossiiane], while socioeconomic and political factors are meaningfully associated with these patterns. In line with previous scholarship, these findings underscore the blurriness of the russkii/rossiiskii distinction in practice: just as russkii should not always be interpreted as an exclusively ethnic term, rossiiskii should not be seen as a non-ethnic category, either. The findings in the Russian case carry implications for understanding how nation-builders in multiethnic contexts may seek to cater to ethnic majorities while simultaneously signaling commitments to ethnic diversity.

This work introduces GalProTE, a proof-of-concept Machine Learning model, leveraging Transformer Encoder architecture to efficiently determine the stellar age, metallicity, and dust attenuation of galaxies from optical spectra. Designed to address the challenges posed by the vast datasets produced by modern astronomical surveys, GalProTE offers a significant improvement in processing speed while maintaining accuracy. Using the E-MILES spectral library, we generate a dataset of 111936 diverse templates by expanding the original 636 simple stellar population models with varying extinction levels, combinations of multiple spectra, and noise modifications. This ensures robust training over the spectral range of 4750–7100 Å at a resolution of 2.5 Å. GalProTE architecture employs four parallel attention-based encoders with varying kernel sizes to capture diverse spectral features. The model demonstrates a mean squared error (MSE) of 0.27% with a standard deviation of 0.10% between the input spectra and the GalProTE-generated spectra for the synthetic test dataset. Performance evaluation against real data from two galaxies in the PHANGS-MUSE survey (NGC4254 and NGC5068) demonstrates its ability to extract physical parameters efficiently, with spectral fit residuals showing a mean of -0.02% and 0.28%, and standard deviations of 4.3% and 5.3%, respectively. To contextualize these results, we compare age, metallicity and dust attenuation maps generated by GalProTE with those of pPXF, a state-of-the-art spectral fitting tool. While pPXF achieves robust results, it requires approximately 11 sec per spectrum. In contrast, GalProTE processes a spectrum in less than 4 ms – a speedup factor exceeding 2750, while also consuming 68 times less power per spectrum. The comparison with pPXF maps from PHANGS-MUSE underscores GalProTE’s capacity to enhance traditional methods through machine learning, paving the way for faster, more energy-efficient, and more comprehensive analyses of galactic properties. This study demonstrates the potential of GalProTE as an efficient, scalable, and sustainable solution for processing large astronomical surveys.

High density should drive greater parasite exposure. However, evidence linking density with infection generally uses density proxies or measures of population size, rather than measures of individuals per space within a continuous population. We used a long-term study of wild sheep to link within-population spatiotemporal variation in host density with individual parasite counts. Although four parasites exhibited strong positive relationships with local density, these relationships were mostly restricted to juveniles and faded in adults. Furthermore, one ectoparasite showed strong negative relationships across all age classes. In contrast, population size – a measure of global density – had limited explanatory power, and its effects did not remove those of spatial density, but were distinct. These results indicate that local and global density can exhibit diverse and contrasting effects on infection within populations. Spatial measures of within-population local density may provide substantial additional insight to temporal metrics based on population size, and investigating them more widely could be revealing.