University of Konstanz

How populations adapt to their environment is a fundamental question in biology. Yet, we know surprisingly little about this process, especially for endangered species, such as nonhuman great apes. Chimpanzees, our closest living relatives, are particularly notable because they inhabit diverse habitats, from rainforest to woodland-savannah. Whether genetic adaptation facilitates such habitat diversity remains unknown, despite it having wide implications for evolutionary biology and conservation. By using newly sequenced exomes from 828 wild chimpanzees (388 postfiltering), we found evidence of fine-scale genetic adaptation to habitat, with signatures of positive selection in forest chimpanzees in the same genes underlying adaptation to malaria in humans. This work demonstrates the power of noninvasive samples to reveal genetic adaptations in endangered populations and highlights the importance of adaptive genetic diversity for chimpanzees.

We present Bluebell, a program logic for reasoning about probabilistic programs where unary and relational styles of reasoning come together to create new reasoning tools. Unary-style reasoning is very expressive and is powered by foundational mechanisms to reason about probabilistic behavior like independence and conditioning . The relational style of reasoning, on the other hand, naturally shines when the properties of interest compare the behavior of similar programs (e.g. when proving differential privacy) managing to avoid having to characterize the output distributions of the individual programs. So far, the two styles of reasoning have largely remained separate in the many program logics designed for the deductive verification of probabilistic programs. In Bluebell, we unify these styles of reasoning through the introduction of a new modality called “joint conditioning” that can encode and illuminate the rich interaction between conditional independence and relational liftings ; the two powerhouses from the two styles of reasoning.

Compared with their free-ranging counterparts, wild animals in captivity experience different conditions with lasting physiological and behavioural effects. Although shifts in gene expression are expected to occur upstream of these phenotypes, we found no previous gene expression comparisons of captive versus free-ranging mammals. We assessed gene expression profiles of three brain regions (cortex, olfactory bulb and hippocampus) of wild shrews (Sorex araneus) compared with shrews kept in captivity for two months and undertook sample dropout to examine robustness given limited sample sizes. Consistent with captivity effects, we found hundreds of differentially expressed genes in all three brain regions, 104 overlapping across all three, that enriched pathways associated with neurodegenerative disease, oxidative phosphorylation and genes encoding ribosomal proteins. In the shrew, transcriptomic changes detected under captivity resemble responses in several human pathologies, including major depressive disorder and neurodegeneration. While interpretations of individual genes are tempered by small sample sizes, we propose captivity influences brain gene expression and function and can confound analyses of natural processes in wild individuals under captive conditions.

Numbers are associated with space, but it is unclear how flexible these associations are. We investigated whether the SNARC effect (Spatial-Numerical Association of Response Codes; Dehaene et al. 1993 J. Exp. Psychol. 122, 371–396. (doi:10.1037/0096-3445.122.3.371); i.e. faster responses to small/large number magnitude with the left/right hand, respectively) is fully flexible (depending only on relative magnitude within a stimulus set) or not (depending on absolute magnitude as well). Evidence for relative-magnitude dependency came from studies observing that numbers 4 and 5 were associated with the right in a 0–5 range but with the left in a 4–9 range (Dehaene et al. 1993; Fias et al. 1996 Math. Cogn. 2, 95–110 (doi:10.1080/135467996387552). Within this Registered Report, we conducted two online experiments running Bayesian analyses with optional recruitment stopping at moderate evidence (BF10 above 3 or below 1/3). Experiment 1 (n = 200) replicated relative-magnitude dependency using the original stimuli. However, Experiment 2 (n = 300) additionally demonstrated absolute-magnitude dependency, while considering recent advances in SNARC research using 1–5 excluding 3 and 4–8 excluding 6. In contrast to the frequently perpetuated notion of fully flexible Spatial-Numerical Associations, some fixed relation to absolute magnitude prevails. These findings have important consequences for understanding how Spatial-Numerical Associations might support numerical processing.

Two approaches to movement selection, if-then rules versus prospective planning, were investigated. Studies have shown that the rule-based approach leads to more efficient movement selection than the plan-based approach, though the resulting movements are the same. This dual-tasking study investigates two hypotheses explaining this discrepancy: The efficiency hypothesis states that the rule-based approach to movement selection is more efficient, and its advantage over the plan-based approach increases under any kind of enhanced task demands. The dual-mechanisms hypothesis states that the two approaches to movement selection are based on distinct mechanisms and that they can be differentially affected by secondary tasks. Forty-eight participants selected a grip in order to comfortably rotate a dowel to a target position using the rule- or the plan-based approach. Four dual-tasking conditions were added: Identifying the activity underlying an object-interaction sound, identifying and categorizing the object underlying an object-interaction sound, identifying one of four words that does not match the others semantically, and solving calculations. The rule-based approach led to more efficient movement selection in most dual-tasking conditions. However, its advantage disappeared when the secondary task was to identify and categorize objects. These results strengthen the dual-mechanisms hypothesis, and possible factors distinguishing the approaches are discussed. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1038/s41598-024-81630-5.

Coherent anti‐Stokes Raman scattering (CARS) and stimulated Raman scattering (SRS) microscopy are key techniques for label‐free vibrational imaging. However, their application is often limited by poor sensitivities. Recent advancements have shown that similar to spontaneous resonance Raman spectroscopy, SRS microscopy sensitivity can be greatly enhanced under electronic preresonance conditions. While electronic enhancement of CARS signals in spectroscopy was reported in the 1970s, its application in microscopy remains less explored. This study presents experimental results demonstrating significant sensitivity enhancements in CARS microscopy by choosing excitation wavelengths near electronic transitions in sample molecules, achieving detection levels down to low micromolar concentrations. We also conducted both experimental and theoretical investigations on spectra with and without electronic resonances, addressing the background signals encountered when using this method. Our findings advance the understanding of electronic preresonance effects in CARS and offer practical sensitivity enhancements, broadening the scope for coherent Raman imaging at lower concentrations.

The present study comprehensively scrutinizes the complex magnetism and hyperthermia efficiency of greenly synthesized Zn0.25Ca0.25Fe2.5O4 nanoparticles (ZNCF NPs). ∼23 nm sized ZNCF NPs in single phase fcc-spinel symmetry were successfully produced through sugarcane juice-mediated self-combustion tactics. Biocompatibility examination against BEAS-2B cell lines indicated a safer limit of ZNCF NPs as 1 mg. Exhaustive field (upto ±70 kOe) and temperature-dependent (10 K to 300 K) dc-magnetization measurements showed that ZNCF NPs are in the ferrimagnetic (FiM) phase at low temperatures and superparamagnetic (SPM) along with minute magnetically hard FiM component at 300 K. ⁵⁷Fe-Mössbauer analysis validated SPM (43%) and FiM (57%) at 293 K and FiM state at low temperatures. Observed isomer shift revealed that the majority of Fe ions are in a high spin Fe³⁺ state along with Fe²⁺ ions in ZNCF NPs. Shifting in the real part of ac—susceptibility data toward the higher temperature side upon increasing frequency and obeying Vogel–Fulcher law affirmed collective freezing of superspins below freezing temperature (Tf = 200 K). Dynamic scaling fit yielded relaxation time of ∼10⁻¹² s, Mydosh parameter (=0.021) and critical exponent (8.9) ascertaining superspin glass (SSG) state in ZNCF NPs below glass temperature (Tg = 220 K). Furthermore, SSG phase at low temperatures is approved by archetypal experimental signatures like ageing, memory and rejuvenation. The induction heating characteristics of ZNCF NPs probed via infrared thermography yielded intrinsic loss parameter in the 0.26 nHm² kg⁻¹–5.10 nHm² kg⁻¹ range. Linear response theory provided non-zero power dissipation for ZNCF (suspension in de-ionized water) functioning range of 6–8 nm with an optimum particle size of ∼7 nm. A prudent analysis asserted that only 18% of NPs contribute to a non-zero SAR value. Overall, this research is an exhaustive investigation of the complex magnetism and hyperthermia efficiency suitable for mild hyperthermia applications.

Marine heatwaves (MHWs), defined as extreme ocean warming episodes, have strengthened over the past decades. High-resolution climate models improve understanding of MHWs under global warming, but such events in the future Arctic are currently overlooked. In a high-resolution climate model, we find Arctic MHWs intensify on orders of magnitude during the warming twenty-first century, following sea ice retreat. However, with little sea ice coverage, strong interannual variability emerges, which could surpass the amplitude of former intensification. Furthermore, the enhancement of MHWs correlates with an order of magnitude increase in the rate of change in the temperature anomaly. Additionally, MHWs are found to be accompanied by stratification enhancement, which could surpass interannual variability of future stratification. Such extreme temperature fluctuations combined with stratification enhancement suggest major challenges for Arctic ecosystems, and may negatively impact food webs through direct physiological temperature effects, as well as indirectly through nutrient supply and taxonomic shifts.

Dormancy is a wide-spread key life history trait observed across the tree of life. Many plankton species form dormant cells stages that accumulate in aquatic sediments and under anoxic conditions, form chronological records of past species and population dynamics under changing environmental conditions. Here we report on the germination of a microscopic alga, the abundant marine diatom Skeletonema marinoi that had remained dormant for up to 6871 ± 140 years in anoxic sediments of the Baltic Sea and resumed growth when exposed to oxygen and light. Resurrected diatom strains, representing cohorts from 6 different time points of the past 6871 ± 140 years, are genetically differentiated and fundamental physiological functions such as growth and photosynthesis had remained stable through time, despite distinct environmental dynamics. Showing that resurrection and full functional recovery, in comparison to 3 ± 2 years of dormancy, is possible after millennial resting, we emphasize the relevance of dormancy and living sediment archives. For the future, sediment archives, together with the resurrection approach would offer a powerful tool to trace adaptive traits over millennia under distinct climatic conditions and elucidate the underlying mechanisms.

Long-distance migration, common in passerine birds, is rare and poorly studied in bats. Piloting a 1.2-gram IoT (Internet of Things) tag with onboard processing, we tracked the daily location, temperature, and activity of female common noctules ( Nyctalus noctula ) during spring migration across central Europe up to 1116 kilometers. Over 3 years, 71 bats migrated tens to hundreds of kilometers per night, predominantly with incoming warm fronts, which provided them with wind support. Bats also showed unexpected flexibility in their ability to migrate across a wide range of conditions if needed. However, females leaving toward the end of the season showed higher total activity per distance traveled, a possible cost for their flexible migration timing.

To ensure the correct euploid state of embryos, it is essential that vertebrate oocytes await fertilization arrested at metaphase of meiosis II. This MII arrest is mediated by XErp1/Emi2, which inhibits the ubiquitin ligase APC/C (anaphase-promoting complex/cyclosome). Cyclin B3 in complex with Cdk1 (cyclin-dependent kinase 1) is essential to prevent an untimely arrest of vertebrate oocytes in meiosis I by targeting XErp1/Emi2 for degradation. Yet, the molecular mechanism of XErp1/Emi2 degradation in MI is not well understood. Here, by combining TRIM-Away in oocytes with egg extract and in vitro studies, we demonstrate that a hitherto unknown phosphate-binding pocket in cyclin B3 is essential for efficient XErp1/Emi2 degradation in meiosis I. This pocket enables Cdk1/cyclin B3 to bind pre-phosphorylated XErp1/Emi2 facilitating further phosphorylation events, which ultimately target XErp1/Emi2 for degradation in a Plk1- (Polo-like kinase 1) dependent manner. Key elements of this degradative mechanism are conserved in frog and mouse. Our studies identify a novel, evolutionarily conserved determinant of Cdk/cyclin substrate specificity essential to prevent an untimely oocyte arrest at meiosis I with catastrophic consequences upon fertilization.

The unusual magnetic properties of van der Waals‐type antiferromagnetic semiconductors such as transition metal thiophosphates make them highly attractive for spintronics and optoelectronics. However, a link between the magnetic and optical properties of these materials, required for practical applications, has not yet been established. A combined experimental and theoretical study of magnetic, optical, and structural properties of CrPS4 samples is reported. It is found that the magnetic‐field‐dependent circular polarization degree of the photoluminescence is a direct measure of the net magnetization of CrPS4. Complementary Raman scattering measured as a function of magnetic field and temperature enables the determination of the magnetic susceptibility curve of the material. Experimental results are supported by density functional theory calculations that take as input the lattice parameters determined from temperature‐dependent X‐ray diffraction measurements. This allows the impact of spin ordering on the spectral position of Raman transitions in CrPS4 to be explained, as well as the anomalous temperature shifts of some of them. The presented method for all‐optical determination of magnetic properties is highly promising for studies of spin ordering and magnetic phase transitions in single‐ or few‐layer samples of magnetic layered materials, for which a poor signal‐to‐noise ratio precludes reliable neutron scattering or magnetometry measurements.

Evolutionary change within community members and shifts in species composition via species sorting contribute to community and trait dynamics. However, we do not understand when and how both processes contribute to community dynamics. Here, we estimated the contributions of species sorting and evolution over time (60 days) in bacterial communities of 24 species under selection by a ciliate predator. We found that species sorting contributed to increased community carrying capacity, while evolution contributed to decreased anti‐predator defences. The relative roles of both processes changed over time, and our analysis indicates that if initial trait variation was in the direction of selection, species sorting prevailed, otherwise evolution drove phenotypic change. Furthermore, community composition, population densities and genomic evolution were affected by phenotypic match–mismatch combinations of predator and prey evolutionary history. Overall, our findings help to integrate when and how ecological and evolutionary processes structure communities.

Given the ubiquitous nature of love, numerous theories have been proposed to explain its existence. One such theory refers to love as a commitment device, suggesting that romantic love evolved to foster commitment between partners and enhance their reproductive success. In the present study, we investigated this hypothesis using a large-scale sample of 86,310 individual responses collected across 90 countries. If romantic love is universally perceived as a force that fosters commitment between long-term partners, we expected that individuals likely to suffer greater losses from the termination of their relationships—including people of lower socioeconomic status, those with many children, and women—would place a higher value on romantic love compared to people with higher status, those with fewer children, and men. These predictions were supported. Additionally, we observed that individuals from countries with a higher (vs. lower) Human Development Index placed a greater level of importance on romantic love, suggesting that modernization might influence how romantic love is evaluated. On average, participants worldwide were unwilling to commit to a long-term romantic relationship without love, highlighting romantic love’s universal importance.

Background Employment and relationship are crucial for social integration. However, individuals with major psychiatric disorders often face challenges in these domains. Aims We investigated employment and relationship status changes among patients across the affective and psychotic spectrum – in comparison with healthy controls, examining whether diagnostic groups or functional levels influence these transitions. Method The sample from the longitudinal multicentric PsyCourse Study comprised 1260 patients with affective and psychotic spectrum disorders and 441 controls (mean age ± s.d., 39.91 ± 12.65 years; 48.9% female). Multistate models (Markov) were used to analyse transitions in employment and relationship status, focusing on transition intensities. Analyses contained multiple multistate models adjusted for age, gender, job or partner, diagnostic group and Global Assessment of Functioning (GAF) in different combinations to analyse the impact of the covariates on the hazard ratio of changing employment or relationship status. Results The clinical group had a higher hazard ratio of losing partner (hazard ratio 1.46, P < 0.001) and job (hazard ratio 4.18, P < 0.001) than the control group (corrected for age/gender). Compared with controls, clinical groups had a higher hazard of losing partner (affective group, hazard ratio 2.69, P = 0.003; psychotic group, hazard ratio 3.06, P = 0.001) and job (affective group, hazard ratio 3.43, P < 0.001; psychotic group, hazard ratio 4.11, P < 0.001). Adjusting for GAF, the hazard ratio of losing partner and job decreased in both clinical groups compared with controls. Conclusion Patients face an increased hazard of job loss and relationship dissolution compared with healthy controls, and this is partially conditioned by the diagnosis and functional level. These findings underscore a high demand for destigmatisation and support for individuals in managing their functional limitations.

This paper uses suicidality in bipolar disorder (BD) to illustrate that multidimensional frameworks account for complex phenomena with cognitive, psychological, socioenvironmental and physiological components better than their reductionist counterparts. We challenge level‐based reductionist models that regard a particular dimension as fundamental. To comprehensively understand complex psychiatric phenomena, multidimensional models that acknowledge the heterogeneity of aetiological factors, rather than homogenising them under a single dimension, must be utilised. Multidimensional models allow a better understanding of the individual context under which a psychiatric phenomenon arises, and the interrelationships between its different aetiological dimensions. Suicidality in BD is used as a case study because it particularly highlights the interplay between biological, psychological, sociocultural and experiential factors. The multidimensional nature of suicidality is reflected by the heterogeneous strategies by which it is managed. Although similar to suicidality in other contexts, in BD suicidality has distinctive structural characteristics that emphasise its multidimensionality. Consequently, investigating suicidality in BD yields claims generalisable to suicidality as a whole alongside novel insights on BD‐specific features. For instance, suicidality in BD has physiological causal factors, e.g., genetic predisposition and aggravation by symptomatic periods. However, its other features underscore the causal roles of cognitions. In persons with BD, suicidality can persist beyond depression and is sometimes experienced during mania, possibly due to suicidal ideation persisting beyond symptomatic periods. This indicates the need to account for cognitive or psychological causal factors. Models of suicidality in BD typically adopt a non‐level‐based, non‐reductionist approach, reflected in the diverse clinical strategies for managing suicidality in BD.

Body checking is a common behavior in both the general population and individuals with body image disturbances. Cognitive-behavioral theories postulate that body checking reduces negative emotions in the short term, but over time contributes to the development and maintenance of eating disorder pathology. So far, few experimental studies have assessed these longer-term consequences, mostly under laboratory conditions, yielding inconsistent findings, and without considering individual vulnerability and specific personality traits. In a naturalistic experimental cross-over design, women with low (n = 76) vs. high (n = 103) body concern completed an online survey on trait characteristics (e.g., intolerance of uncertainty). After a two-day baseline to assess the daily amount of habitual body checking, participants underwent two three-day experimental conditions in randomized order, in which they were asked to exhibit typical vs. threefold increased body checking. Before and after conditions, participants completed state measures of eating disorder symptoms, body dissatisfaction, affect, and general pathology online. In women with high body concern, body image-related symptoms (i.e., drive for thinness, body dissatisfaction) and negative affect worsened in the increased body checking condition, whereas in the typical body checking condition, positive affect increased and no negative impact emerged. Conversely, women with low body concern remained unaffected, except for higher drive for thinness following the increased condition. Bulimic and depressive symptoms did not change in either group. The inclusion of intolerance of uncertainty from an exploratory perspective generally did not impact the results. Our findings regarding the high-risk group underscore the potential etiological relevance of body checking for body image disturbances and eating disorders. For individuals at risk and those already affected by eating disorders, it seems important to address individual body checking as early as possible within psychoeducation to prevent a presumably harmful increase in this behavior. Personality factors influencing vulnerability to body checking need to be further examined.