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Analyzing dialect (morpho)syntax in Austria: a non-aggregative dialectometric approach
Full text linkThis paper aims to identify and analyze geographical patterns of (morpho)syntactic variation in traditional Austrian dialects using non-aggregative dialectometric methods (factor analysis). Based on a comprehensive dialect corpus obtained by direct dialect interviews including 163 speakers from 40 locations throughout Austria, our analyses of 79 variants of 30 (morpho)syntactic variables not only show geographical patterns in Austria’s dialects, but also address the linguistic basis of the geographical structures revealed. In particular, the results show that variables at the morphology–syntax interface contribute most to geographical structuring. We argue that this finding is related to structural conditions of these variables and the historical development of the respective variants
Children’s moral self-concept relates to moral judgment, but not to arousal
Full text linkWe investigated the relationships among the moral self-concept, arousal reactions to third-party moral situations, and moral judgment in 5- to 7-year-old children (N = 59). Children’s moral self-concept was assessed using a puppet task. In addition, children were shown audiovisual scenes depicting prosocial, antisocial, and neutral interactions between children. We measured phasic pupil dilation responses to the actions and collected children’s judgments of the actions. The results show that children judged antisocial behavior as more negative and prosocial behavior as more positive than neutral behavior. In addition, children showed significantly higher arousal when observing antisocial behavior compared with neutral and prosocial behavior. Moreover, children’s moral judgment related to their arousal: the more negative the moral judgment, the higher the arousal, even in prosocial and neutral scenarios. Finally, children’s moral self-concept correlated with their explicit judgments, but not with their physiological arousal. These results support developmental theories suggesting a relationship between the moral self and moral judgment
Septic tendosynovitis in a breeding ram and isolation of Mycoplasma arginini
Full text linkA breeding ram was submitted to a veterinary hospital due to persistent pneumonia, emaciation and high fever. Upon submission, it also showed severe weight-bearing lameness on all four legs with highly fluid-filled digital flexor tendon sheaths. Additionally, a mild brisket sore was diagnosed. The postmortem examination revealed a chronically active fibrinosuppurative inflammation of the digital flexor tendon sheaths on all four legs. Additionally, a distinctive chronically active necrotising, suppurative and abscess-forming soft tissue inflammation was identified in the sternal area. Microbiological examination of tissue samples from different locations revealed a mixed bacterial colonisation including Escherichia coli, Klebsiella oxytoca and Trueperella pyogenes. Additionally, Mycoplasma arginini was detected in samples of the lung and tendon sheaths. Genome sequencing and characterisation of M. arginini revealed the presence of a prophage associated with arthritogenesis in related Mycoplasma species. However, the contribution of M. arginini to the diagnosed tendosynovitis cannot be conclusively clarified
Increased serum NfL and GFAP levels indicate different subtypes of neurologic immune‐related adverse events during treatment with immune checkpoint inhibitors
Full text linkNeurologic immune-related adverse events (nirAEs) represent rare, yet severe side effects associated with immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) therapy. Given the absence of established diagnostic biomarkers for nirAEs, we aimed to evaluate the diagnostic utility of serum Neurofilament Light Chain (NfL) and Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein (GFAP). Fifty-three patients were included at three comprehensive cancer centers, of these 20 patients with manifest nirAEs and 11 patients with irHypophysitis. Controls included patients without any irAE (n = 8) and other irAEs (n = 14). Using a single-molecule enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (Simoa), serum levels were measured prior to, during and after the manifestation of (n)irAEs in 80 samples. Symptom severity of the (n)irAEs was graded according to the Common Criteria for Adverse Events (CTCAE) version 5.0. Serum NfL levels were significantly higher in the nirAE group (n = 20) compared to irHypophysitis (n = 11; p = .0025) and controls (n = 22; p = .0384). Subgroup analysis demonstrated a significant elevation of NfL in nirAEs of the peripheral nerves (PNirAE) in contrast to neuromuscular syndromes (NMirAE) (p = .0260). GFAP levels were highest in patients with nirAE affecting the central nervous system (CNSirAE) compared to PNirAE and NMirAE (p = .0064). Symptom severity of nirAEs was associated with increased levels of NfL and GFAP (p = .0069, .0092). Individuals with elevated NfL levels exhibited less favorable outcomes of the (n)irAEs (p = .0199). Measurement of NfL and GFAP may be helpful for the differentiation of the broad spectrum of nirAEs and may serve as an indicator of symptom severity. Further investigation is needed to evaluate their potential as diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers
Akten in der Burg. Das Archiv von Simancas
Full text linkDer Aufsatz wendet sich der Frage zu, weshalb die Akten der spanischen Krone in einer in Teilen zum Archiv ausgebauten Burg, der von Simancas, eingelagert wurden. Hypothese ist dabei, dass diese Abgeschiedenheit des Aufbewahrungsortes und die Wehrhaftigkeit der Burg nicht nur pragmatische Funktionen hatte, wie etwa die, einen Brand unwahrscheinlich zu machen. Simancas hatte von Anfang an eine doppelte und widersprüchliche Agenda, zu der auch gehörte, die Akten der Zirkulation und Lektüre zu entziehen
Temporal and spatial evolution of explosive silicic peralkaline eruptions at the Olkaria Volcanic Complex and Longonot volcano in the Southern Kenya Rift
Full text linkThe Olkaria Volcanic Complex and adjacent Longonot volcano in the Southern Kenya Rift host major geothermal resources yet also pose volcanic hazards owing to their long histories of explosive eruptions. Olkaria is a multicentred dome complex consisting of lava domes, craters and fissures produced following the eruption of peralkaline comenditic rhyolites. Longonot is a trachytic caldera hosting a central summit crater, situated <10 km east of Olkaria, with pumice and ash eruptions being a dominant feature. This study reconstructs their evolution through detailed field, geochemical and geochronological investigations of widespread pyroclastic deposits. Logging sequences of pumice and ash fallout and pyroclastic density current deposits enables establishing a regional stratigraphic framework spanning the past 42 ka. Ten key eruptive units record explosive phases at Olkaria and Longonot, with eight 40Ar/39Ar ages and a radiocarbon date providing the first accurate age constraints of both volcanoes. The oldest explosive deposits identified in our field area are associated with the large-magnitude Maiella Pumice (MP) eruptions (338–333 ka), representing one of the first explosive silicic peralkaline eruptions in the Southern Kenya Rift. Within Olkaria, the earliest preserved deposits in our tephrostratigraphic framework are 42–37 ka pyroclastic density currents (OP) and pumice fallouts (OFB) representing early rhyolitic dome eruptions. Overlapping deposits reveal Longonot concurrently experienced repetitive large explosive eruptions emplacing pumice fall deposits from 37 ka to 17 ka (LAP). After 17 ka, LAP eruptions were punctuated by a single eruption of mixed basaltic trachyandesite, trachyandesite and trachyte pumice (LMx), followed by persistent trachyte ash venting at Longonot (LA1). Simultaneously, Olkaria transitioned to localised lava dome construction and collapse generating block-and-ash flows from 17 ka to 14 ka (OD1–2). Younger Longonot ash eruptions (LA2) and recent 191 ± 23 cal yr BP effusive–explosive activity at Olkaria's Ololbutot centre (OD3) reveals both volcanoes have remained active throughout the Holocene. Minimum estimated magnitudes for widespread fall units at both systems range between 4 and 5 (DRE deposit volumes of 0.04–0.35 km3), representing substantial regional hazards, with eruption frequencies averaging up to one moderate–large eruption (magnitude 4–5) every ∼2000 years for Longonot and one small–moderate explosive eruption (magnitude ∼3) every ∼200 years for Olkaria until ca. 10 ka, after which eruptions are significantly smaller and more localised. Statistical analysis of pumice glass geochemistry enables the fingerprinting of Olkaria deposits to likely source vents, tracking spatial-temporal variability across the complex. The larger explosive eruptions at both Olkaria and Longonot dispersed voluminous pyroclastic material (pumice and/or ash), which generated up to 1-m-thick deposits located ∼20 km from its source vent in the case of Longonot, suggesting up to 200,000 people could be impacted from future similar magnitude eruptions, emphasising the necessity to combine eruptive history reconstructions with hazard analysis to advance preparedness and mitigation strategies
Monetary policy interactions: The policy rate, asset purchases, and optimal policy with an interest rate peg
Full text linkWe study monetary policy in a New Keynesian model with a variable credit spread and scope for central bank asset purchases to matter. A novel financial and labor market interaction generates an endogenous cost-push channel in the Phillips curve and a credit wedge in the IS curve. These channels arise due to a liquidity premium to long-term debt present in our model. The “divine coincidence” holds with the nominal short rate and central bank balance sheet available as policy tools—dual-instrument policy. Targeting the liquidity premium using balance sheet policy provides a determinate equilibrium with a fixed policy rate, as does inflation-targeting balance sheet policy. While the liquidity premium in our model depends on unobservable components, the slope of the yield curve serves as a proxy for the liquidity premium when thinking about implementable monetary policy strategies that respond to observable variables alone. We quantify the welfare costs to various monetary policy strategies relative to the analytically derived optimal dual-instrument policy
Frontoparietal theta stimulation causally links working memory with impulsive decision making
Full text linkDelaying gratification in value-based decision making is canonically related to activation in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC), but past research neglected that the dlPFC is part of a larger frontoparietal network. It is therefore unknown whether the dlPFC causally implements delay of gratification in concert with posterior parts of the frontoparietal network rather than in isolation. Here, we addressed this gap by testing the effects of frontoparietal theta synchronization and desynchronization on impulsive decision making using transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS). Healthy participants performed an intertemporal choice task and a 3-back working memory task while left frontal and parietal cortices were stimulated with a 5 Hz theta frequency at in-phase (synchronization), anti-phase (desynchronization), or sham tACS. We found frontoparietal in-phase theta tACS to improve working memory performance, while in the decision task anti-phase tACS was associated with more impulsive choices and stronger hyperbolic discounting of future rewards. Overall, our findings suggest that future-oriented decision making might causally rely on synchronous activation in a frontoparietal network related to working memory
Attentional misguidance from contextual learning after target location changes in natural scenes
Full text linkAttentional orienting in complex visual environments is supported by statistical learning of regularities. For instance, visual search for a target is faster when a distractor layout is repeatedly encountered, illustrating that learned contextual invariances improve attentional guidance (contextual cueing). Although contextual learning is usually relatively efficient, relocating the target (within an otherwise unchanged layout) typically abolishes contextual cueing, while revealing only a slow recovery of learning. However, such a “lack-of-adaptation” was usually only shown with artificial displays with target/distractor letters. The current study in turn used more realistic natural scene images to determine whether a comparable cost would also be evident in real-life contexts. Two experiments compared initial contextual cueing and the subsequent updating after a change in displays that either presented artificial letters, or natural scenes as contexts. With letter displays, an initial cueing effect was found that was associated with non-explicit, incidental learning, which vanished after the change. Natural scene displays either revealed a rather large cueing effect that was related to explicit memory (Experiment 1), or cueing was less strong and based on incidental learning (Experiment 2), with the size of cueing and the explicitness of the memory representation depending on the variability of the presented scene images. However, these variable initial benefits in scene displays always led to a substantial reduction after the change, comparable to the pattern in letter displays. Together, these findings show that the “richness” of natural scene contexts does not facilitate flexible contextual updating
Carcass quality of immunocastrated boars – A retrospective analysis of slaughterhouse data
Full text linkThe aim of the study was to analyze the meat quality of immunocastrated (Improvac®, IC) male in comparison with female (GI), surgically castrated (BA) and entire male (EM) fattening pigs. In contrast to previous experimental studies, this analysis is based on slaughter data from routine slaughtering from one slaughterhouse (Germany), which offered farmers since 2018 the option of voluntarily supplying IC without the usual financial deduction for boars. Carcass parameters were assessed using AutoFOM III™. Until 2022, data from 1,736,684 pigs from 203 farms were available. After checking for completeness, plausibility and gender balance, slaughter data of 1,613,660 pigs with 434,479 IC from 182 farms remained for analysis. Number of IC slaughtered per year increased to 48 % during the study period and largely replaced BA animals (5.4 %) in 2022. Sex had the largest influence on the most important carcass parameters (e.g. lean meat percentage), while carcass weight was mainly influenced by the farm, but also by the change in the price mask. The carcass parameters of IC ranked mainly between GI and BA and within the acceptable range of slaughterhouse requirements, with IC tending to have values closer to GI. The analysis shows that the meat quality of IC animals can meet slaughterhouse requirements comparable to GI and BA. Considering the carcass parameters analyzed in this study immunocastration appears to be a sustainable and future-proof solution to the castration controversy and should be promoted through fair accounting of IC via the standard price masks for BA and GI