Journals
2025 EN
Tahalová Kamila · Šugerková Monika · Gvoždík Lumír
ABSTRACT Many organisms respond to environmental changes through plastic modifications of their phenotypes. While phenotypic plasticity has been extensively studied in response to single factors in laboratory settings, organisms in nature face the combined effects of diverse biotic and abiotic stressors. These multistressor effects complicate predictions about the impact of environmental changes on population dynamics. One approach to improving predictive accuracy is to identify common mechanistic links to variations in life‐history traits. In this study, we examined how biotic and abiotic stressors influence life‐history variation, using predictions based on the differing thermal sensitivities of differentiation and growth rates in aquatic amphibian larvae and their subsequent impact on the behaviour of terrestrial juveniles. Using a mesocosm experiment, we exposed larvae of two sympatric newt species, Ichthyosaura alpestris and Lissotriton vulgaris , to combinations of a biotic factor (the presence of heterospecifics) and an abiotic factor (simulated drying). Our results revealed that simulated drying increased the availability of high water temperatures, thereby shortening the larval period as predicted by the high thermal sensitivity of differentiation rates. The presence of heterospecifics, not drying regime, increased the size at emergence in the larger species, I. alpestris , consistent with the relatively low thermal sensitivity of growth rates. The impact of drying carried over to the terrestrial juveniles, affecting their covered distance in both taxa, while the presence of heterospecifics influenced maximum voluntary speed during exploratory behaviour in I. alpestris juveniles. This suggests that the additive effects of biotic and abiotic factors on subsets of life‐history and behavioural traits combine at the individual level, depending on species identity. Future research should focus on the interplay between ecologically‐realistic thermal conditions and species interactions within pond larval assemblages to understand the impact of environmental changes on amphibian population dynamics.
Journals
2025 EN
Urban Marek · Kallová Nikola · Avilés Dany Josué Vigil
+2 more
ABSTRACT While extensive research addresses the working conditions of international Ph.D. students in Western countries, only little explores their experiences within Central and Eastern European (CEE) countries. CEE countries favour masculine values, hierarchical structures and conservatism, and English does not serve as a primary language in both academic and non‐academic contexts. This study, involving seventeen international Ph.D. students in the Czech Republic, aimed to elucidate their experiences through in‐depth phenomenological interviews. Inductive analysis uncovered common challenges of international Ph.D. students, including language barriers, cultural misunderstandings, discrimination by university staff and gender biases. Participants also highlighted gaps in support and unclear career prospects, which contributed to increased uncertainty. To remain resilient, the participants emphasised the need for self‐care, intrinsic motivation and self‐regulation. The study suggests that enhancing university language access, equity policies, mental health services and career development programming could dramatically improve inclusiveness.
Journals
2025 EN
Chang Nana · Wang Haiyang · Aisaiti Kamila
+7 more
ABSTRACT Background H9N2 avian influenza viruses (AIVs) donate their genes to other subtype AIVs, posing significant threats to poultry industries and public health due to their endemicity and zoonotic potential. This study investigates the molecular evolution, reassortment, and mutations of the H9N2 isolates from the live poultry markets (LPMs) in Xinjiang, China. Methods AIVs were isolated from oropharyngeal and cloacal swabs, as well as environmental samples collected during the winter of 2017–2018. Full‐genome sequencing and phylogenetic and molecular analysis were conducted to elucidate viral origins, reassortment patterns, and molecular characteristics. Results Thirty H9N2 isolates were obtained, all belonging to the G57 genotype. Phylogenetic analysis revealed three distinct Eurasian lineages: BJ/94‐like (HA, NA), G1‐like (PB2, MP), and F98‐like. Notably, viral genes diverged into two major branches (A/B), with the A branches of HA, PB2, PA, and NS further subdivided into A1/A2 sublineages. In addition to the A and B branches, the viral genes of several isolates formed independent phylogenetic branches. Some of the viral genes clustered together with H9N2 viruses from the poultry/environmental strains in China and Japan, and some viral genes (e.g., PB2 , PB1 , MP , and NS ) showed close phylogenetic relationships with human‐infecting H9N2/H7N9 viruses. The multiple mutations detected in the isolates were associated with viral virulence, mammalian adaptation, and transmission. Conclusion Xinjiang H9N2 viruses display complex reassortment dynamics involving multiple geographic lineages. Their genetic connection to human‐infecting strains underscores the risk of zoonotic spillover. Enhanced surveillance in LPMs is crucial for pandemic preparedness.
Journals
2025 EN
Bátora Jozef · Koníková Kamila
Abstract This article argues that extensive use of private military and security companies (PMSCs) makes the European Union (EU) an enmeshed security and defence actor. This is an actor spanning the public and the private domains as well as the resources, rules and practices of the EU member states and of EU‐level institutions. Enmeshment, in Leander's (2014) terms, leads to recombination and blending of rules, resources and practices from multiple domains. Our findings based on (a) an analysis of the EU's rules for contracting PMSCs and (b) a new data set of 564 PMSCs linked with the EU in the period 2014–2023 suggest that the EU and its member states systematically tap into resources of the private military and security industry in conducting their security and defence policies. The resulting enmeshment processes call for a reconceptualization of the EU as a security and defence actor.
Journals
2025 EN
Santos Kamila L. · GuevaraGuerrero Beatriz · Junior Jovan Marques Lara
+2 more
ABSTRACT Fruit leather is a product obtained from the dehydration of fruit pulp or concentrated juice, with or without additives, resulting in an intermediate moisture content. Since drying is the main stage in its production, it can lead to nutrient loss and undesirable changes in the product's properties, which must be carefully studied. This review aims to discuss recent studies on the role of additives incorporated into fruit leather formulations, the different drying methods used in fruit leather production, and to describe the principles, advantages, and disadvantages of these methods. Finally, the main changes in the physicochemical, functional, sensory properties, and microbiological stability of fruit leather are analyzed. Various challenges arise in applying new drying techniques to fruit leather production, such as high energy requirements, costs, bioactive compound preservation, and final product acceptability. Significant findings from recent research include improvements in fruit leather texture with the addition of gelling agents and reductions in antioxidant loss during low‐temperature drying. However, a persistent challenge remains in implementing these new technologies at an industrial scale.
Journals
2025 EN
Krych Kamila · Müller Daniel B. · Pettersen Johan B.
Abstract Product life extension is often portrayed as one of the pillars of the circular economy since longer lifetimes slow down material turnover rates and thus decrease resource use and associated emissions. Strategies for product longevity can involve addressing the product “nature” (inherent product durability) or “nurture” (external factors). Yet, in most dynamic material flow analysis (dMFA) studies, lifetime is an intrinsic property of the cohort assigned “at birth,” so “nurture” strategies such as repair or reuse cannot be explicitly considered. Here, we introduce a Python‐based tool for comprehensive modeling of lifetime changes in dMFA, including three dimensions of lifetime: age, period (time), and cohort. The tool employs the hazard function, which directly links the outflow to the preceding year's stock, allowing for differentiating the influence of product nature and nurture on lifetimes. The tool supports dynamic stock and flow calculations and is compatible with ODYM, a commonly used dMFA framework. We apply the tool to a case study on dishwashers in Norway to illustrate nature‐ and nurture‐focused lifetime extension strategies. The framework enables linking product lifespans with events such as economic crises and pandemics. It can serve to model life extension scenarios in dMFA that (i) extend the lifetime not only of the new products entering use but also of the products already in use, thus achieving faster effects; and (ii) expand the group of potential stakeholders beyond producers and designers to, for example, consumers, repairers, and resellers. This article met the requirements for a gold‐gold JIE data openness badge described at http://jie.click/badges .
Journals
2025 EN
Krych Kamila · Pettersen Johan Berg
Abstract Longer lifetimes of consumer products are promoted as an element of sustainable consumption, yet there is a widespread notion that lifetimes are currently in decline, often attributed to planned obsolescence or throwaway mentality. However, empirical evidence is inconclusive and often subject to high uncertainties. Here, we explore long‐term trends in the lifetimes of large household appliances using dynamic material flow analysis. We investigate the sales and ownership of these products since their introduction in Norwegian households and use this co‐evolution to estimate the lifetimes. By combining two model types with uncertainty analysis, we show that a significant lifetime decrease was likely experienced only by washing machines (–45%) and ovens (–39%) around the 1990s–2000s. This finding challenges the narratives about planned obsolescence despite their prevalence decreasing consumer incentives for longer product use and repair. We suggest multiple technical, economic, and social factors that could be responsible for the decrease, for example, a reduction in relative prices of appliances or changes in habits surrounding laundry and kitchen use. Our results suggest that factors affecting product lifetimes are not uniform but context‐dependent, which has implications for lifetime extension policy. The presented method could help monitor the long‐term effectiveness of such a policy. This article met the requirements for a gold‐gold JIE data openness badge described at http://jie.click/badges .
Journals
2025 EN
Vidal Luciano S. · Bergqvist Lílian P. · Candeiro Carlos R. A.
+4 more
Abstract Biomechanical studies in sauropod dinosaurs are mainly focused on neck posture and feeding strategy. Few works investigate other aspects such as tail movement and function, especially in the clade Titanosauria, the most diverse within Neosauropoda. This study applied biomechanical concepts of neutral pose (cartilaginous neutral pose) and range of motion to verify the shape and direction of the caudal region of the advanced titanosaurs Adamantisaurus mezzalirai and Baurutitan britoi , in addition to comparing it with other titanosaurs (e.g., Arrudatitan maximus , Lirainosaurus astibiae , and Trigonosaurus pricei ). As a result, the tails analyzed have a sigmoidal‐convex shape, probably close to the ground (but not touching it). The sigmoidal‐convex shape could increase the moment arm for the M. caudofemoralis longus , making it possible to use the tail as a fifth stabilizing member. This work expands our knowledge about sauropod dinosaurs by exposing a diversity of shapes for the tails of titanosaur sauropods and brings new possibilities for how these dinosaurs could use their tails.
Journals
2025 EN
Specht Anja · Betz Linda T. · Riepenhausen Antje
+4 more
Summary Many adults suffer from insomnia. Cognitive‐behavioural therapy for insomnia is the recommended treatment option, but access to it is not readily available. Digital interventions have the potential to close the treatment gap by offering scalable and cost‐efficient options. The present randomised controlled trial aimed at investigating the effectiveness and safety of somnovia , an interactive internet‐based intervention for patients with insomnia. A total of 290 participants with chronic insomnia were randomised to intervention ( n = 149) or the control ( n = 141) condition. Participants of the intervention group received access to somnovia for 6 months in addition to treatment as usual, whereas participants in the control group only had access to treatment as usual for the time of the study. Online questionnaires were filled in before randomisation and after 3 and 6 months. The primary endpoint was the Insomnia Severity Index, with the Patient Health Questionnaire‐9, the Generalised Anxiety Disorder Assessment‐7, and the Work and Social Adjustment Scale as secondary endpoints. After 3 months, the intervention group showed lower insomnia (Cohen's d = 0.71, CI = [0.44, 0.98]), depressive (Cohen's d = 0.66, CI = [0.41, 0.90]), and anxiety (Cohen's d = 0.56, CI = [0.32, 0.81]) symptoms, as well as improved overall functioning (Cohen's d = 0.50, CI = [0.24, 0.76]) compared with participants in the control group. The effects stayed stable after 6 months. The results indicate that next to a therapeutic effect on insomnia symptoms, somnovia might potentially help to prevent the onset of other psychiatric disorders such as depression and anxiety.
Journals
2025 EN
Eynard Sonia E. · Mondet Fanny · Basso Benjamin
+16 more
ABSTRACT Honeybees, Apis mellifera , have experienced the full impacts of globalisation, including the recent invasion by the parasitic mite Varroa destructor , now one of the main causes of colony losses worldwide. The strong selection pressure it exerts has led some colonies to develop defence strategies conferring some degree of resistance to the parasite. Assuming these traits are partly heritable, selective breeding of naturally resistant bees could be a sustainable strategy for fighting infestations. To characterise the genetic determinism of varroa resistance, we conducted the largest genome wide association study performed to date on whole genome sequencing of more than 1500 colonies on multiple phenotypes linked to varroa resistance of honeybees. To take into account some genetic diversity of honeybees, colonies belonging to different ancestries representing the main honeybee subspecies in Western Europe were included and analysed both as separate populations and combined in a meta‐analysis. The results show that varroa resistance is substantially heritable and polygenic: while 60 significant associations were identified, none explain a substantial part of the trait genetic variance. Overall our study highlights that genomic selection for varroa resistance is promising but that it will not be based on managing a few strong effect mutations and rather use approaches that leverage the genome wide diversity of honeybee populations. From a broader perspective, these results point the way towards understanding the genetic adaptation of eusocial insects to parasite load.