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Red, gold, and green: comparative genomics of polymorphic leopards from South Africa
No full textAn important goal of comparative and functional genomics is to connect genetic polymorphisms to phenotypic variation. Leopards (Panthera pardus) from northern South Africa are particularly diverse, as here a unique color morph occurs, as well as two deeply diverged southern (SA) and central African (CA) mitochondrial clades, stemming from Pleistocene refugia. Here, we present the first whole genomes of a red leopard and a black (captive) leopard, and wildtypes belonging to the CA and SA mitochondrial clades, to evaluate genome-wide diversity, divergence, and high-impact mutations that may relate to their phenotype. In the black leopard, we found long runs of homozygosity (ROHs), low nucleotide diversity across the genome, and a large number of homozygous structural variants, likely resulting from inbreeding to maintain this color morph in captivity. In red leopards, runs of homozygosity were slightly longer compared to wildtype leopards, with potential deleterious mutations relating to its phenotype, including impaired vision. When assessing population structure, we found no divergence between CA and SA leopards and the rest of Africa, whether comparing single nucleotide or structural variants. This illustrates the homogenizing effect of introgression, and highlights that although leopards in northern South Africa may be phenotypically unique, they are not genetically different
Psychological support system for assize court jurors
No full textAssize court jurors, as lay citizens in the judicial system, are exposed to intense stress due to their participation in criminal trials. Given this specific context, the Emergency Medical-Psychological Unit of the Marne (CUMP 51) has implemented an innovative support system aimed at preventing and addressing potential psychopathological reactions. This article describes the foundations, structure, and clinical evaluation of this three-component system: a preventive and psychoeducational intervention, immediate psychological support in the form of debriefing, and post-immediate follow-up for jurors presenting with persistent symptoms. Clinical observations confirm the psychological impact of the juror's role and highlight the relevance of such a support system, while also identifying areas for improvement. In this interview with Jean-Pierre Bouchard, Josué Masson, Karine Mintoff, Émilie Philippe, and Mélanie Hermand discuss the development and implementation of the support psychological system for assize court jurors, its perception by jurors, and its future perspectives. They present the system, its benefits, limitations, and the challenges they have encountered throughout their experience
Contaminant denialism in water governance
No full textNoting that contaminant denialism is an increasing problem in environmental governance globally, this study describes public communication strategies that inappropriately minimize the problem of contaminants in respect of sewage discharges in and around water‐bodies in Cape Town, South Africa. The article describes four kinds of contaminant denialism encountered in official public communications: data foreclosure; misinformation; the weaponization of science, and the use of point data instead of flow models. Interpreting these with reference to the sociology of science known as agnogenesis, the study of the production of public ignorance, the study demonstrates that contaminant denialism is exacerbated in contexts where scientific findings are expected to support marketing of tourism or excellence in a political administration. This is further exacerbated where there is reluctance to recognize that public infrastructure designed prior to the increased influx of toxic, non‐biodegradable compounds that bioaccumulate in the open environment, generates new hazards; a political culture has difficulty acknowledging human waste; point‐based data is regarded as definitive empirical fact without regard to the hydrological reality of water flows, and science provision derives from a privatized and market‐driven service sector. The study concludes with proposals to minimize contaminant denialism in the public sector, inter alia removing institutionalized conflicts of interest; using predictive modeling; re‐assessment of inherited infrastructure design in light of the challenges presented by new toxins, and subjecting for‐profit scientific consultancies and official public science communications to regular peer review and/or audits by statutory scientific bodies that are independent of regional governance. Plain Language Summary The study identifies strategies that have been used by authorities in one city to dismiss or downplay contamination issues, including secrecy, withholding data, and attacking the credibility of independent scientists
The de dicto account of moral worth
No full textThe de re/de dicto debate takes as its starting point the observation that not all morally correct actions have moral worth; the agent has to act for the right reasons in order to be morally praiseworthy. According to the traditional de dicto view, the “right reason” is that the agent recognises that the action is the morally correct one, that it falls under the description “…is morally right”; whereas, according to the de re view that has recently supplanted it, the “right reason” is that the agent recognises the action’s right-making features, the reasons that make the action right in the first place. The de re view currently holds sway, with Nomy Arpaly being its main advocate.
Many of the key arguments in the de re/de dicto literature appeal to thought experiments, such as Arpaly’s Huck Finn and Williams’ ‘one thought too many’. However, several experimental philosophers, such as Edouard Machery, have critiqued traditional analytic philosophy’s reliance on thought experiments. For this reason, I designed a simple study to empirically test our de re/de dicto intuitions. This is the first time this literature has been subjected to empirical testing.
Over one hundred participants of a range of ages, races, genders and familiarity with formal Philosophy were polled randomly. The results are presented in this paper. As we will see, though the de re view continues to be the predominant one amongst contemporary philosophers, empirical testing reveals that there is more intuitive support for the de dicto view than the literature has assumed. I hope in this paper to show that the traditional, de dicto account of moral worth deserves a second chance
Generalizing β- and λ-maps
No full textWe generalize the notions of β- and λ-maps in terms of selections of sublocales, obtaining different classes of localic maps. These new classes of maps are used to characterize almost normal, extremally disconnected, F- and Oz-locales, among other types of locales, in a manner akin to the characterization of normal locales via β-maps. As a byproduct we obtain a characterization of localic maps that preserve the completely below relation (that is, the right adjoints of assertive frame homomorphisms)
Expanding covariant cosmography of the local universe: incorporating the snap and axial symmetry
No full textStudies show that the model-independent, fully non-perturbative covariant cosmographic approach is suitable for analyzing the local Universe (z ≲ 0.1). However, accurately characterizing large and inhomogeneous mass distributions requires the fourth-order term in the redshift expansion of the covariant luminosity distance dL (zn ). We calculate the covariant snap parameter S and its spherical harmonic multipole moments using the matter expansion tensor and the evolution equations for lightray bundles. The fourth-order term adds 36 degrees of freedom, since the highest independent multipole of the snap is the 32-pole (dotriacontapole) (ℓ=5). Including this term helps to de-bias estimations of the covariant deceleration parameter. Given that observations suggest axially symmetric anisotropies in the Hubble diagram for z ≲ 0.1 and theory shows that only a subset of multipoles contributes to the signal, we demonstrate that only 12 degrees of freedom are needed for a model-independent description of the local universe. We use an analytical axisymmetric model of the local Universe, with data that matches the Zwicky Transient Facility survey, in order to provide a numerical example of the amplitude of the snap multipoles and to forecast precision
Extraposition and optionality: an investigation of information packaging in Paarl-Kaaps
No full textPresently, (Paarl-) Kaaps is an under-documented linguistic system. This applies to all levels of language, including syntax, which is the focus of this study. In particular, this dissertation aims to investigate the phenomenon of extraposition, which is the displacement of constituents from their canonical position in the middle of the clause, to the right of the verb. Importantly, extraposition represents one area in which grammar seems to permit some optionality, as both extraposed and non-extraposed structures are frequently grammatical. Grammatical and information packaging properties are considered as factors conditioning extraposition. A major strength of this dissertation is that it considers actual cases of extraposition in a spoken corpus of Paarl-Kaaps, as well as cases where extraposition was (im-)possible. In other words, a three-way distinction is made between actual cases of extraposition, cases in which extraposition would still yield a grammatical expression, and cases in which extraposition would have resulted in ungrammaticality. Viewing the data in this way highlights the optionality in grammar. Furthermore, this dissertation also aims to determine how extraposition can be used by speakers as a variable to construct their identity depending on the nature of their relationship with the interlocutor
Who is at the table and who has the power? Case study analysis of decision-making processes for the Global Financing Facility in Tanzania
No full textBackground: In 2015, Tanzania joined the Global Financing Facility (GFF), a global health initiative for Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn, Child, and Adolescent Health and Nutrition (RMNCAH-N). Despite its resource mobilization goals, little is known about power dynamics in GFF policy processes. This paper presents the first power analysis of Tanzania’s GFF engagement. Objective: To examine policy processes in developing GFF documents during its first two phases in Tanzania. Methods: An exploratory qualitative case study using document reviews (*n* = 22) and key informant interviews (*n* = 21) conducted in 2022–2023. Data were thematically analyzed and interpreted using Gaventa’s power cube (levels, spaces, and forms of power). Results: Stakeholders praised the GFF’s country-led, evidence-based approach and local autonomy. However, closed-door decision-making in phase one excluded civil society and the private sector. Invisible power imbalances in funding allocations left stillbirths and adolescent health without dedicated budgets, while vulnerable groups (e.g. people with disabilities) were overlooked
Meerkat discovery of a mightee odd radio circle
No full textWe present the discovery of a new Odd Radio Circle (ORC J0219−0505) in 1.2 GHz radio continuum data from the MIGHTEE survey taken with the MeerKAT telescope. The radio-bright host is a massive elliptical galaxy, which shows extended stellar structure, possibly tidal tails or shells, suggesting recent interactions or mergers. The radio ring has a diameter of 35 arcsec, corresponding to 114 kpc at the host galaxy redshift of zspec = 0.196. This MIGHTEE ORC is a factor 3–5 smaller than previous ORCs with central elliptical galaxies. The discovery of this MIGHTEE ORC in a deep but relatively small-area radio survey implies that more ORCs will be found in deeper surveys. While the small numbers currently available are insufficient to estimate the flux density distribution, this is consistent with the simplest hypothesis that ORCs have a flux density distribution similar to that of the general population of extragalactic radio sources
A study of satellite contamination for single dish Hi intensity mapping with MeerKAT
No full textHI Intensity Mapping is a novel technique that involves detecting the 21 cm emission lines from a large sky area without resolving individual sources, which proves to be a powerful probe for large scale structure cosmology. However, due to the weak nature of the 21 cm line, the majority of the received signal is dominated by astrophysical foregrounds and instrumental systematics that are several orders of magnitude stronger than the HI signal. Therefore, it becomes essential to mitigate these foregrounds and study their properties with respect to parameters such as frequency, scale, and redshift. The data used for this work has been obtained from the MeerKAT pilot survey which was collected from 62 hours of observation using the MeerKAT telescope’s 64 dish array in single dish mode. In this work, we attempt to use the higher L-Band frequency data (1300 - 1500 MHz) and understand the foreground behavior at higher frequencies. We use a foreground removal pipeline used for previous works with the lower L-band frequencies and make additions to it which allow us to identify and remove lowlevel RFI from the data and also compare the noise level estimates with theoretical values. We present the final results in the form of 1D power spectra and residual maps that indicate a decrease in amplitude due to the removal of foregrounds. We also conclude that the noise levels for most of the frequencies are higher than their theoretical estimates, which can be attributed to the presence of low-level contamination still be present in the dataset. Moreover, we conclude that the combined band results show noise levels an order of magnitude higher than individual bands, possibly due to cross-contamination between the foregrounds leading to a more complex structure