Unmixing inducing polymerization of a sodium-molybdenum borosilicate network

Glass network polymerization critically influences rheological behavior and with it the kinetics and dynamics of nuclear waste immobilization. Molybdenum-bearing borosilicate melts may undergo unmixing and rheological changes, which is dominantly controlled by the associated chemical modifications of the melt network. Here, we obtain in-situ (500–940 °C) Raman spectra to probe structural changes of a sodium-molybdenum borosilicate melt undergoing unmixing. The extraction of alkali and molybdenum to form droplets induces polymerization of the residual borosilicate network. Conversely, the opposite phenomenon is observed during droplet re-dissolution. This work provides new insights into the polymerization of a molybdenum-bearing borosilicate composed of two composition sets due to a miscibility gap and has direct contributions for the immobilization of nuclear wastes

The evolution of child-related gender inequality in Germany and the role of family policies, 1960–2018

Using German administrative data from the 1960s onward, this paper (i) examines the long-term evolution of child-related gender inequality in earnings and (ii) assesses the impact of family policies on this inequality. Our first (methodological) contribution is a decomposition approach that separates changes in child-related inequality into three components: the share of mothers, child penalties, and potential earnings of mothers (absent children). Our second contribution is a comprehensive analysis of child-related gender inequality in Germany. We derive three sets of findings. First, child penalties (i.e., the share of potential earnings mothers lose due to children) have increased strongly over the last decades. Mothers who had their first child in the 1960s faced much smaller penalties than those who gave birth in the 2000s. Second, the fraction of overall gender inequality in earnings attributed to children rose from 14% to 64% over our sample period. We show that this trend resulted not only from growing child penalties but also from rising potential earnings of mothers. Intuitively, in later decades, mothers had more income to lose from child-related career breaks. Third, we show that parental leave expansions between 1979 and 1992 amplified child penalties and explain nearly a third of the increase in child-related gender inequality. By contrast, a parental benefit reform in 2007 mitigated further increases

Fixing sustainability through technoscience and diversity: The case of EU agriculture policy

Sustainability is a conveniently vague boundary term with which a variety of interest groups can identify. Over time, it has grown together with a technoscientific paradigm which demands a closer look at how actors envision science, technology, digitization, and innovation to foster said sustainability, and how the latter has shifted as a result. Sustainability also continues to hold strong value and political weight in the EU, where technoscientific optimism has had a binding effect, particularly in efforts of environmental protection in agriculture (in light of the Green Deal), in an increasingly decentralized political union. This paper discusses these processes in the recent reform of the Common Agriculture Policy (CAP; 2023–2027) by focusing on the one hand on how sustainability’s three pillars – the environmental, the social, and the economic – are ‘reconciled,’ and on the other, on the new ‘eco-schemes’ as an instrument to achieve a more sustainable agriculture. Empirical data gleaned from participant observation, expert interviews and policy document analysis show how in EU agriculture policy science, digitization/technology and innovation are imagined as fixtures that cohere these pillars, thereby maintaining a growth paradigm imminent to dominant sustainability discourses. This technoscientific sustainability is also evident in agriculture measures on the ground, in the new eco-schemes, which offer a diversity of farming approaches for EU's member states, ranging from agroforestry to precision farming. In this technocratic instrument, holistic systems, like agroecology, are rendered technical ‘tools’ that member states can combine at will, fostering a politics of toolkit diversity that accommodates diverse farming approaches and philosophies while evading environmental compliance. Scientific epistemology, technical quantification, digital tools and innovation thus act as wider discursive fixture that not only hold together the holy trinity of sustainability, but also accommodates diverse landscapes and member states, and through that the political union of an increasingly decentralized EU

Selection for altruistic defense in structured populations

We model natural selection for or against an anti-parasite (or anti-predator) defense allele in a host (or prey) population that is structured into many demes. The defense behavior has a fitness cost for the actor compared to non defenders (“cheaters”) in the same deme and locally reduces parasite growth rates. Hutzenthaler et al. (2022) have analytically derived a criterion for fixation or extinction of defenders in the limit of large populations, many demes, weak selection and slow migration. Here, we use both individual-based and diffusion-based simulation approaches to analyze related models. We find that the criterion still leads to accurate predictions for settings with finitely many demes and with various migration patterns. A key mechanism of providing a benefit of the defense trait is genetic drift due to randomness of reproduction and death events leading to between-deme differences in defense allele frequencies and host population sizes. We discuss an inclusive-fitness interpretation of this mechanism and present in-silico evidence that under these conditions a defense trait can be altruistic and still spread in a structured population

A juvenile pleurosaurid (Lepidosauria: Rhynchocephalia) from the Tithonian of the Mörnsheim Formation, Germany

Late Jurassic rhynchocephalians from the Solnhofen Archipelago have been known for almost two centuries. The number of specimens and taxa is constantly increasing, but little is known about the ontogeny of these animals. The well-documented marine taxon Pleurosaurus is one of such cases. With over 15 described (and many more undescribed) specimens, there were no unambiguous juveniles so far. Some authors have argued that Acrosaurus, another common component of the Solnhofen Archipelago herpetofauna, might represent an early ontogenetic stage of Pleurosaurus, but the lack of proper descriptions for this taxon makes this assignment tentative, at best. Here, we describe the first unambiguous post-hatchling juvenile of Pleurosaurus and tentatively attribute it to Pleurosaurus cf. P. ginsburgi. The new specimen comes from the Lower Tithonian of the Mörnsheim Formation, Germany. This specimen is small, disarticulated, and incomplete, but preserves several of its craniomandibular bones and presacral vertebrae. It shares with Pleurosaurus a set of diagnostic features, such as an elongated and triangular skull, a low anterior flange in its dentition, and an elongated axial skeleton. It can be identified as a juvenile due to the presence of an unworn dentition, well-spaced posteriormost dentary teeth, a large gap between the last teeth and the coronoid process of the dentary, and poorly ossified vertebrae with unfused neural arches. Acrosaurus shares many anatomical features with both this specimen and Pleurosaurus, which could indicate that the two genera are indeed synonyms. The early ontogenetic stage inferred for the new Pleurosaurus specimen argues for an even earlier ontogenetic placement for specimens referred to Acrosaurus, the latter possibly pertaining to hatchlings

MicroRNA-26b protects against MASH development in mice and can be efficiently targeted with lipid nanoparticles

The prevalence of metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH) is increasing, urging more research into the underlying mechanisms. MicroRNA-26b (Mir26b) might play a role in several MASH-related pathways. Therefore, we aimed to determine the role of Mir26b in MASH and its therapeutic potential using Mir26b mimic-loaded lipid nanoparticles (LNPs). Apoe-/-Mir26b-/-, Apoe-/-Lyz2creMir26bfl/fl mice, and respective controls were fed a Western-type diet to induce MASH. Plasma and liver samples were characterized regarding lipid metabolism, hepatic inflammation, and fibrosis. Additionally, Mir26b mimic-loaded LNPs were injected in Apoe-/-Mir26b-/- mice to rescue the phenotype and key results were validated in human precision-cut liver slices. Finally, kinase profiling was used to elucidate underlying mechanisms. Apoe-/-Mir26b-/- mice showed increased hepatic lipid levels, coinciding with increased expression of scavenger receptor a and platelet glycoprotein 4. Similar effects were found in mice lacking myeloid-specific Mir26b. Additionally, hepatic TNF and IL-6 levels and amount of infiltrated macrophages were increased in Apoe-/-Mir26b-/- mice. Moreover, Tgfb expression was increased by the Mir26b deficiency, leading to more hepatic fibrosis. A murine treatment model with Mir26b mimic-loaded LNPs reduced hepatic lipids, rescuing the observed phenotype. Kinase profiling identified increased inflammatory signaling upon Mir26b deficiency, which was rescued by LNP treatment. Finally, Mir26b mimic-loaded LNPs also reduced inflammation in human precision-cut liver slices. Overall, our study demonstrates that the detrimental effects of Mir26b deficiency in MASH can be rescued by LNP treatment. This novel discovery leads to more insight into MASH development, opening doors to potential new treatment options using LNP technology

The Dice Trails Test: A modified Trail Making Test for children and adults with Down Syndrome

Background: Psychometrically sound instruments to assess cognitive flexibility in people with Down Syndrome (DS) are lacking. The Trail Making Test (TMT) is well-established but requires reading letters and numerals, limiting its applicability for people with DS. Aims: To evaluate the psychometric properties and developmental sensitivity of a newly developed TMT adaptation without letters and numerals – the Dice Trails Test (DTT). Methods: The DTT was administered to 39 children (8–14 years, 46 % female) and 57 adults (18–57 years, 47 % female) with DS. We evaluated feasibility (proportion of participants completing the task), distributional properties, construct validity, developmental sensitivity, and split-half reliability. Nineteen individuals were reassessed for test-retest reliability. Individuals with DS were compared to typically developing (TD) groups matched on chronological and mental age. Results: The DTT showed adequate feasibility (≥ 80 %) for individuals with DS and mild intellectual disability (ID), no relevant floor effects, acceptable construct validity, developmental sensitivity, good split-half reliability, and preliminary evidence for good test-retest reliability in DS. DTT performance differed between DS and TD individuals matched on chronological age, but not when matched on mental age. Conclusions: Although limited in applicability for individuals with DS and moderate ID, the DTT shows potential as a direct measure of cognitive flexibility in DS across a broad age range

Von Statusdiagnostik zur prozessorientierten Förderdiagnostik.Pädagogisches Konzept für Seminare und Praktikum zur Diagnostik im Lehramt Sonderpädagogik - Förderschwerpunkt Lernen.

Studierende der Sonderpädagogik mit dem Förderschwerpunkt Lernen erwerben im Studium vertiefte Konzepte zur pädagogischen Diagnostik, um sonderpädagogische Gutachten und Förderplanung in der pädagogischen Praxis durchzuführen. Im Studium wird neben der Statusdiagnostik auch auf prozessorientierte Diagnostik wertgelegt. Daher wird im studienbegleitenden sonderpädagogischen Praktikum die Verknüpfung von Lernverlaufsdiagnostik und individueller Förderung in den Basiskompetenzen Deutsch und Mathematik für einen bis drei Schüler:innen praktiziert. Das nachfolgende Konzept beschreibt daher die Gestaltung der Veranstaltungen zu den Grundlagen der Förderdiagnostik, pädagogische Diagnostik, Testtheorie, Statusdiagnostik, Förderplanentwurf sowie Durchführung von Förderung und Lernverlaufsdiagnostik im sonderpädagogischen Praktikum. Im Anhang sind zudem die Dokumentenvorlagen für die Ausarbeitung einer Kleingruppenförderung mit lernbegleitender Diagnostik zu finden

Designing a Digital Flash Reading Test for Data-Based Decisions in Inclusive Classrooms: Duration and Word Length as Difficulty-Generating-Item Characteristics

Standardized assessment tools are essential for informed, data-driven decision-making. Reading speedily is a crucial early skill that all students should have the opportunity to develop in inclusive classrooms. To facilitate classroom-based reading diagnostics in this area of reading, we developed a flash reading test that reliably measures the performance of students with and without learning disabilities and intellectual disabilities. This test can be administered in the classroom and completed independently by students, taking only a few minutes, without requiring them to read aloud. The test is designed to provide an accurate assessment of the speed of lexical recall for all students. To evaluate the difficulty-generating-item characteristics of the new instrument, 400 primary and special school students participated in the test. The results indicate that students with low abilities and disabilities are particularly differentiated by the combination of a short display duration and short words. We provide information for test developers interested in designing similar assessments and teachers who can use this instrument to make informed decisions in the classroom

Increased serum NfL and GFAP levels indicate different subtypes of neurologic immune‐related adverse events during treatment with immune checkpoint inhibitors

Neurologic 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