Abstract The Ni(II) complex [NiCl(bda)]+ containing the aliphatic PNP pincer ligand bis((2-diphenylphosphino)ethyl)amine (bda) was covalently immobilized on the mesoporous silica SBA-15. SBA-15 was functionalized with (3-chloropropyl)triethoxysilane as an anchoring agent, which was further reacted with the amine group of the Ni-coordinated bda ligand, forming the hybrid material SBA-15@PTES@Ni. The material was characterized using Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, UV-visible-diffuse reflectance spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, low-angle X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, and inductively coupled plasma. SBA-15@PTES@Ni was used as a catalyst for the hydrogenation of 4-nitrophenol to 4-aminophenol using NaBH4 in aqueous solution. With catalyst loadings of 1 to 3 mg, complete conversions were achieved in 6 to 10 min, with rate constants up to 6.92 × 10–3 s–1.
Abstract Organic materials capable of intramolecular charge transfer (ICT) are of considerable interest for photonic, biophysics and medicine applications because of their strong nonlinear optical (NLO) responses and favourable electro-optic properties. In this work, diphenyl-[2-(2-pyridylaminomethyl)phenyl]phosphine oxide (OPPh3py) was investigated as a potential NLO material using experimental characterizaion and density functional theory (DFT) calculations. Structural and electronic properties were examined through molecular electrostatic potential (MEP) analysis, frontier molecular orbitals (FMOs), natural bond orbital (NBO) calculations and intramolecular hydrogen-bonding interactions. Static and frequency-dependent NLO properties were evaluated at λ=∞, 1906, 1341, 1064, 625 and 532 nm. The molecule exhibits pronounced HOMO–LUMO separation, strong donor–acceptor interactions and a stabilizing N38–H39⋯O2 intramolecular hydrogen bond that promotes efficient charge transfer. NBO analysis further confirmed extensive charge delocalization throughout the molecular framework. As a result, OPPh3pydisplays a large dipole moment, high polarizability and enhanced first- and second-order hyperpolarizabilities compared with the benchmark p-nitroaniline. These results demonstrate that OPPh3py combines electronic stability with strong NLO activity, highlighting its potential for future advanced optical and electronic applications.
AbstractReading is core to functioning in our daily lives. Therefore, it is not surprising that numerous tools have been developed to help maximize reading efficiency in both skilled and less skilled readers. In this registered report, we examined the potential of selective bolding of characters within words to improve reading performance in a sample of 90 skilled readers. Building on two pilot studies, we compared reading comprehension, word skipping, landing positions, target word reading times, and sentence reading times under two bolding conditions (start bolded and middle bolded) with an unbolded condition, where sentences contained a four- or eight-letter target word. Based on pilot results, we expected to observe effects of bolding on landing positions within words, but not on comprehension or reading time measures. Results indicated that selective bolding shifted initial landing positions closer to the start of words for longer words. However, this did not translate into performance gains, as we found no evidence for differences in word skipping, word reading times, or overall sentence reading times and comprehension. Ultimately, these results indicate that the selective bolding of characters within words does not facilitate more efficient word identification or enhance overall reading performance in skilled adult readers.
AbstractThe COVID-19 pandemic underscored the need for models that capture heterogeneity in disease transmission and outcomes. We present a deterministic epidemic model that integrates age and socio-economic stratification to examine how population structure influences epidemic thresholds and stability. The framework extends the classic susceptible–exposed–infectious–recovered paradigm to eight compartments: susceptible, exposed, asymptomatic, undetected symptomatic, detected symptomatic, hospitalized, recovered and deceased. Individuals are divided into 21 age groups and 10 deprivation deciles, enabling joint assessment of demographic and socio-economic disparities in transmission. A block-structured age-deprivation contact matrix and a time-dependent testing function reflect evolving test capacity. Analytical results establish positivity and boundedness of solutions, with local and global stability of the disease-free equilibrium (DFE) when the basic reproduction number R01. Using the next-generation matrix (NGM) approach, we derive an explicit expression for R0 and identify key parameters influencing transmission. Contact rates, recovery and hospitalization most strongly affect R0, while testing and isolation alone cannot reduce transmission below threshold levels. The model highlights earlier and higher peaks among deprived populations, informing equitable and targeted control strategies.
AbstractMany studies investigating the proximate causes of evolutionary adaptations dissect potentially adaptive phenotypes under laboratory conditions where organisms are more easily experimentally manipulated. For such models, it remains unclear if organisms maintained long-term under laboratory conditions are representative of relatives in their natural environment. Drosophila sechellia, a fly endemic to the Seychelles that uses the toxic Morinda citrifolia noni fruit as a sole niche, has emerged as a powerful (neuro)genetic model for studying the molecular basis of ecological adaptations. Many studies have investigated the genetic and cellular basis of this species’ specialization in a laboratory setting using inbred strains that were collected many decades ago and have been maintained under conditions very different from those in nature. Here, we compare the phenotypes of these strains with recently collected wild D. sechellia to ask if long-term laboratory maintenance has led to a loss or degradation of phenotypes associated with their specialization. We show that newly derived D. sechellia lines display highly similar anatomical and behavioural phenotypes to long-term laboratory strains, including noni attraction and olfactory sensory neuron numbers, toxin resistance, egg size and circadian plasticity. These results support the use of inbred, genetically manipulatable, strains to study ecological adaptation.
AbstractAmbergris, a rare and valuable by-product of sperm whales, is prized for its distinctive fragrance and may offer insights into whale metabolism and diet. However, identifying ambergris, particularly when recovered as jetsam, is challenging owing to sample heterogeneity and the effects of environmental weathering. Traditional identification techniques, including visual inspection, odour analysis and chemical profiling (e.g. gas chromatography–mass spectrometry and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy), can confirm chemical composition, but cannot determine biological origin. DNA metabarcoding presents a complementary approach for verifying ambergris by detecting species-specific DNA, such as DNA from Physeter macrocephalus, in environmental samples. This study assessed the effectiveness of DNA metabarcoding alongside chemical profiling by analysing curated ambergris specimens from the Western Australian Museum. DNA concentrations varied across samples, with several yielding P. macrocephalus DNA, confirming their origin. However, some samples lacked detectable DNA, probably owing to degradation or possible misidentification. Chemical analysis identified key biomarkers, such as ambrein, in most samples, supporting their classification as ambergris. The findings highlight the value of combining DNA metabarcoding with traditional chemical methods to improve the reliability of ambergris identification.
AbstractRenewable energy deployment is expanding globally owing to rising environmental concerns, rising fuel costs and the need for long-term energy security. However, inadequate evidence-based knowledge and policies to support large-scale renewable energy deployment in developing nations like Nepal are hindering its penetration. Therefore, in this study, high-resolution spatial data in a geographical information system were paired with multi-criteria decision-making and an analytical hierarchy process to identify suitable sites for solar farm development in Nepal. This methodology employs criteria such as climate, economics, topography and environment to assess the spatial suitability of a solar farm. Results showed that only 3% of Nepal's land area is suitable for solar farms, with 1.32% (1798 km2) as highly suitable, 1.6% (2243 km2) as moderately suitable and 0.08% (124 km2) as least suitable. Suitable sites are concentrated in the Terai and hilly regions, reflecting optimal solar radiation, gentle slopes and proximity to infrastructure. Using these areas for solar installations would enhance Nepal's clean energy transition and help achieve its sustainable development goals. In summary, this study provides an analytical basis for the decisions of energy planners, government bodies, specialists and researchers involved in energy planning and policy formulation.
AbstractCopying via imitation (replicating others’ bodily actions) or emulation (replicating others’ action goals) underpins the cultural transmission of social norms and technical skills in humans. Many non-human animals, ranging from mammals to reptiles, have also been observed to socially learn foraging skills by copying others. Macaws are social parrots that engage in social foraging and have been shown to imitate arbitrary intransitive actions of conspecifics in previous experiments. In this study, we investigated whether blue-throated macaws (Ara glaucogularis) are capable of copying conspecifics in two problem-solving tasks: ‘door’ and ‘plug’, each employing a bidirectional procedure that can be solved in either direction. A control group (n = 5), which received no demonstrations, spontaneously solved each device using a consistent preferred method. For the ensuing test, n = 2 control birds were trained to demonstrate the non-preferred action in each apparatus for a test group of n = 5 adult and n = 5 subadult macaws. Significantly more test birds copied the demonstrated action for the ‘door’ device, but not for the ‘plug’, because the subadults were less likely to copy the demonstrated action than the adults. Furthermore, the test birds and the subadults approached and solved the tasks significantly faster than the control and adult birds. Overall, our study shows that macaws can copy conspecifics in problem-solving tasks, facilitating information transfer and potentially supporting emergence of foraging culture.
AbstractOrganic materials capable of intramolecular charge transfer (ICT) are of considerable interest for photonic, biophysics and medicine applications because of their strong nonlinear optical (NLO) responses and favourable electro-optic properties. In this work, diphenyl-[2-(2-pyridylaminomethyl)phenyl]phosphine oxide (OPPh3py) was investigated as a potential NLO material using experimental characterizaion and density functional theory (DFT) calculations. Structural and electronic properties were examined through molecular electrostatic potential (MEP) analysis, frontier molecular orbitals (FMOs), natural bond orbital (NBO) calculations and intramolecular hydrogen-bonding interactions. Static and frequency-dependent NLO properties were evaluated at λ=∞, 1906, 1341, 1064, 625 and 532 nm. The molecule exhibits pronounced HOMO–LUMO separation, strong donor–acceptor interactions and a stabilizing N38–H39⋯O2 intramolecular hydrogen bond that promotes efficient charge transfer. NBO analysis further confirmed extensive charge delocalization throughout the molecular framework. As a result, OPPh3pydisplays a large dipole moment, high polarizability and enhanced first- and second-order hyperpolarizabilities compared with the benchmark p-nitroaniline. These results demonstrate that OPPh3py combines electronic stability with strong NLO activity, highlighting its potential for future advanced optical and electronic applications.
AbstractBuilding information modelling (BIM) has become increasingly important for Türkiye's large-scale geotechnical projects; however, its adoption remains limited owing to inconsistent data-sharing standards, varying organizational readiness and challenges in integrating geological and geotechnical models into design environments. To address this issue, a four-stage decision support framework was developed using the analytic hierarchy process and the decision-making trial and evaluation laboratory (DEMATEL) methods to determine the relative importance and perceived causal-influence roles of criteria associated with BIM-enabled digital transformation in geotechnical projects in Türkiye. Expert evaluations show that adoption level holds the highest importance in the initial stage. In the planning and implementation stages, the importance of data compatibility (weights = 0.31) and technical feasibility (weights ranging from 0.29 to 0.31) increases. In the integration stage, sustainability impact has the highest importance (weight = 0.30). The DEMATEL results indicate that adoption capacity is the main cause factor in the initial stage (D−R = +1.24), while sustainability impact becomes the primary cause factor in the integration stage (D−R = +0.88). Moving beyond static prioritization, the unique value of this study lies in conceptualizing geotechnical digital transformation as a dynamic causal network. It demonstrates how criteria shift from organizational enablers to sustainability drivers, providing a quantified roadmap for engineering management. The four-phase structure is employed as an analytical guide rather than a generalizable transformation sequence, and the reported weights and cause–effect patterns represent the exploratory, aggregated judgments of a six-member expert panel; they are specific to the Türkiye context and should be read as expert-derived indications rather than stable, generalizable sector-wide measurements.
AbstractResearch on interindividual behavioural and cognitive variability has gained momentum over the last few decades. Most studies focused on vertebrates, revealing that individual cognitive performance can be stable across time and tasks and linked to other behavioural traits. Invertebrates, including social insects, have received far less attention despite evidence of interindividual behavioural variability. Here we evaluated the consistency of individual learning behaviour across time and tasks in Formica fusca ants. First, we measured the repeatability over time of exploratory activity (open-field) and learning behaviour in an olfactory discriminative conditioning task at the individual level (Experiment 1). Then, we investigated the consistency of individual behavioural response across two learning tasks (discriminative and reversal learning) and the relationship between exploratory activity and learning (Experiment 2). We show that ants’ behaviour in a learning task is stable over time and that ants can reverse odorant–reward contingencies, providing the first evidence of individual-level reversal learning in ants. Individual learning behaviour in the discrimination task was positively correlated with learning behaviour in the reversal task. However, exploratory activity was not associated to ants’ behaviour in the learning tasks. Our results expand the limited body of evidence for stable cognitive traits and cross-task consistency in invertebrate learning.
AbstractEnvironmental pollution represents a major global threat to biodiversity, interfering with a wide range of biological processes and functions. In recent years, behaviour has gained attention as a key focus for detecting the subtle adverse effects of pollution, as pollutants can modify behaviour at both individual and population levels. Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are among the most pervasive anthropogenic pollutants. In this study, we analysed the effect of 50-day exposure to ecologically relevant concentrations of two PFAS (namely perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and GenX) on the behaviour of male guppies (Poecilia reticulata) using repeated open field tests, with refuge, under controlled laboratory conditions. We measured the latency to emerge from a shelter, activity levels, and risk-taking behaviour, examining both average behavioural changes and among- and within-individual behavioural variation. While GenX-exposed fish showed no detectable differences compared with controls, PFOA-exposed fish exhibited lower temporal plasticity and higher overall activity levels. These results suggest that ecologically realistic concentrations of PFAS can alter behaviour and patterns of within-individual behavioural variation, potentially impacting individual fitness and population resilience. Our findings highlight the importance of incorporating individual-level analysis in behavioural testing to uncover subtle yet ecologically relevant effects of anthropogenic stressors on animals.
AbstractCollective foraging is widespread across the animal kingdom, allowing animals to more effectively discover resources. However, collective foragers need to balance a key trade-off between private exploration and using social information. Social information can come in very distinct forms, ranging from simple positional cues to complex pay-off information. However, how the types of available social cues and environmental volatility shape collective foraging behaviour is not well understood. We address this using a spatially explicit model in which agents track a mobile resource via multi-agent reinforcement learning (MARL). Agents choose between random exploration, private tracking and social attraction. We systematically varied resource volatility and the type of available social cues to analyse their effect on individual and collective behaviour. Our results show that the quality of social information dictates the emerging collective behaviour. Low-quality social cues (e.g. positions and actions) result in a fragile strategy that is effective in stable environments but fails as volatility increases. Conversely, high-quality social information (e.g. pay-offs) enables behavioural diversity: agents selectively copy others and flexibly change between individual tracking or exploration depending on the environmental volatility. Our findings identify the interplay between information quality and ecological context as an important mechanism governing the emergence of distinct forms of collective behaviour from individual decision rules.
AbstractFor wide-ranging or cryptic species, abundance estimation often relies on counts when individuals aggregate during breeding or migration. When these events are asynchronous, counts represent an unknown proportion of the focal component of the population. Grey seals (Halichoerus grypus), colonial breeders with protracted pupping seasons, typify this challenge: a single survey corresponds to an unknown proportion of total pup production (number of pups born in a season). Pups are born with white pelage before moulting and leaving, allowing a time series of counts of white and moulted pups to be derived from serial aerial photography. Current maximum likelihood approaches have limited flexibility to incorporate model extensions or test alternative parameterizations. We developed a Bayesian state-space model that explicitly incorporates mortality and examines effects of misspecifying moult and leave timing. Via simulation, we demonstrate biases from omitting mortality, misspecifying leave timing, and misparametrizing the observation and process models. Incorporating platform-specific (drone and fixed-wing surveys) observation error from Farne Island colonies surveyed in 2023, we refine detection rates and fit the model to these data. This framework has potential to improve abundance estimates for other asynchronously breeding species and be extended to include temporal and spatial variation in survival and phenology.
AbstractPorts are increasingly recognized as distinct urban marine ecosystems (UME) shaped by intense human activities, yet their biodiversity remains poorly documented, particularly in tropical regions. Environmental DNA (eDNA) metabarcoding offers a powerful, non-invasive approach to assessing biodiversity in these complex and highly modified environments. In this study, we conducted, to our knowledge, the first eDNA-based inventory of marine vertebrates within the Grand Port Maritime de la Guadeloupe, a semi-enclosed coastal system embedded in a mosaic of coral reefs, seagrass beds, mangroves and restored habitats. Using a standardized sampling and taxonomic assignment protocol, we characterized vertebrate communities across four sites and compared them with a reference transect outside the port area. We detected 140 teleost taxa, representing more than one-third of the known regional diversity, including several species of management concern. Despite their proximity, sites exhibited compositional and phylogenetic contrasts, revealing fine-scale spatial structuring of eDNA signals within the port. Restored mangrove and seagrass areas combined high taxonomic richness with unexpectedly low phylogenetic diversity, suggesting colonization by closely related opportunistic species. By integrating taxonomic and phylogenetic metrics, our study highlights the unique biodiversity assemblages found in port ecosystems and demonstrates the value of eDNA-derived metrics for future biodiversity monitoring and marine spatial planning in UME.
AbstractPublic sharing of data and analysis code enables independent verification of published findings. While audit studies have examined data and code sharing in psychology, economics and political science, comparable evidence for sociology remains limited. We examine 730 empirical articles published between January 2019 and June 2024 in three leading general-interest journals: American Sociological Review (ASR), American Journal of Sociology (AJS) and Social Forces (SF). For each article, we record whether a publicly accessible replication package is available and, when materials are shared, attempt to computationally reproduce the main-text tables and figures. Overall, 9.9% of articles provide replication packages (12.2% among quantitative articles), with substantial variation across journals (5.2–22.9%) and research types (0% for qualitative studies, 30% for experiments). These rates fall well below those reported for political science and economics. Of the 72 packages examined in detail, more than half cannot be verified owing to missing or incomplete materials. At the same time, no article is wholly non-reproducible and 22% are fully or largely reproducible. Sociology is not unusually prone to errors when materials are shared and runnable—it simply shares them far less often. We discuss implications for journal policies and transparency standards that reflect the field's methodological diversity.
AbstractHallucinations arise from disruptions in neural processes that construct perceptual experience from sensory input. Progress in consciousness science may therefore benefit from methods that precisely characterize their phenomenology. We provide an initial validation of the Six-Dimensional Visual Hallucination Questionnaire (6D-VHQ), a brief instrument designed to quantify visual hallucination content across contexts. The 6D-VHQ measures six dimensions of visual experience: geometric and semantic content, detail level, vividness, entropy and focality. We report three studies: an online image-based validation study, a laboratory-based study with stroboscopically induced hallucinations and an online study in which participants reported closed-eye psychedelic hallucinations which occurred before enrolment. Across 962 responses, the questionnaire showed high internal consistency and a factor structure aligned with the intended dimensions, while also exhibiting substantial inter-item redundancy consistent with an over-complete initial implementation. Compared with the 11-Dimensional Altered States of Consciousness Questionnaire, both instruments captured simple and complex hallucinations, despite differing psychometric profiles. Stroboscopic stimulation was associated with simple geometric phenomena, whereas psychedelic reports showed greater semantic content, vividness and detail. These findings provide an initial operationalization of multi-dimensional visual hallucination content. Future work may expand and improve upon this work, including refinements to the instrument and applications to other hallucinatory contexts.
Abstract Inhibition of return (IOR), an inhibitory after-effect of visuo-spatial orienting, typically results in slower responding to targets presented in recently attended locations. Although IOR has been ubiquitously observed in simple tasks, the extent to which it influences more complex tasks, such as lexical decisions (Chasteen & Pratt 1999 Psychol. Sci. 10, 41–46. (doi:10.1111/1467-9280.00104)), is largely unexplored. There are two forms of IOR: an input form operating to reduce the quality of information, and an output form operating to bias responding. With careful monitoring of eye movements, our first experiment sought to examine how these two forms (generated with and without saccades to the cue) might affect lexical decisions. By contrast to Chasteen & Pratt, we found no main effect of IOR and no interaction between IOR and word frequency. Our second experiment was a direct, pre-registered replication of Chasteen & Pratt to determine whether we would replicate their finding of IOR slowing lexical decisions, and importantly their main finding of an interaction between IOR and word frequency. Consistent with Chasteen & Pratt in Experiment 2, we too found that IOR does delay lexical decisions, but unlike what was reported by them, IOR did not vary with word frequency.
