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Human DNA, the capacity for self-awareness or for symbolic language, a sense of mortality, plasticity and adaptability, the disposition to pray, being created in the image of God. These are only a few of the answers that science, philosophy, (philosophical) anthropology, psychology, and theology have offered to the question of what makes us human. The relevance of the question contrasts sharply with the difficulty of understanding what exactly we are asking.

This article examines how medical secrecy, family silence, and nascent activism produce distinct spatial-cultural regimes that shape health outcomes, care pathways, and health inequities for intersex people in Chile. It contributes a spatial-analytic framework to medical anthropology debates on clinical secrecy, contested diagnostic nomenclature, and epistemic injustice in healthcare. Multi-sited reflexive ethnography was conducted in Chile between October 2020 and December 2023, primarily in Santiago. The study draws on 30 semi-structured interviews-14 with intersex individuals (aged 19-45), of whom one additionally provided a life history interview; 5 specialist physicians, 7 parents/guardians, 2 academic researchers, 1 government official, and 1 international activist-supplemented by approximately 340 h of participant observation across virtual, institutional, domestic, and café-based settings. Analysis followed a constructivist grounded theory approach. Medical institutions, families, and activist organizations produce distinct 'geographies of secrecy' that render intersex bodies selectively visible and impose specific health consequences: clinical spaces generate epistemic injustice through information hoarding and paternalistic consent practices; family spaces enforce silence that isolates individuals from diagnosis, community, and healthcare; activist spaces offer collective recognition while simultaneously producing new exclusions. The concept of 'calibrated disclosure' captures how intersex people strategically manage visibility across spatial contexts with direct implications for healthcare access and wellbeing. The article introduces 'embodied accountability' as a methodological principle for reflexive research with small, geographically concentrated marginalized communities. Findings highlight the need for healthcare systems to address not only clinical protocols but the spatial-institutional conditions that produce epistemic injustice and impede informed consent for intersex people.

Over six decades of research on wild baboons and their close relatives (collectively, the African papionins) have uncovered substantial variation in their behavior and social systems. While most papionins form discrete social groups (single-level societies), a few others form small social units that are nested within larger supergroups (multi-level societies). These two systems are generally thought to be qualitatively distinct, but data from wild populations increasingly suggest that there may be areas of overlap. To quantify this potential gradient in social structure, a more systematic, comparative analysis is needed. Here, we constructed a database of behavioral and demographic records spanning 135 group-years, 28 social groups, 13 long-term field studies, and 11 species to quantify variation in grooming network structure and identify the individual and dyadic properties (e.g., kinship and social status effects) that underlie this variation. Consistent with accumulating field observations, the single-level species could be divided into two categories: cohesive and cliquish. Cohesive single-level networks were dense, kin-biased, and moderately rank-structured, while cliquish single-level networks were more differentiated, slightly more kin-biased, and strongly rank-structured. As expected, multi-level networks were very modular and shaped by females' ties to specific dominant males but varied in their kin biases. Taken together, these data suggest that in the African papionins i) kin and rank biases are widespread but vary in their strength; ii) male-centered subgroups are exclusive to multi-level systems; and iii) increases in network modularity can emerge in response to heightened nepotism and male-centered clustering.

This study explores the role of open-source large language models (LLMs) in promoting artificial intelligence (AI) health equity from the perspective of the health service triangle model. First, it defines AI health, categorizes AI-supported decision-making patterns, and assesses the status quo of AI health inequalities. Second, by comparing open-source and closed-source LLMs in terms of patient privacy, data security, accessibility, and use, it demonstrates the distinct advantages of open-source LLMs for AI-enabled health services. Finally, based on the health service triangle model, this study demonstrates how open-source LLMs drive the democratization of AI-enabled health services-particularly benefiting low-resource regions-by expanding service types, improving accessibility, enhancing quality, and reducing costs. This study concludes that, while open-source LLMs must address challenges such as hallucination risks and ethical responsibilities, they ultimately enable AI health equity through technological sharing.

The emergence of new political and social structures in Western and Central Europe during the transition from Antiquity to the Middle Ages has long been attributed to large-scale migrations. Yet emerging evidence increasingly emphasizes the role of small-group mobility in reshaping the Roman world1-3. Here we present 258 ancient genomes from the former Roman frontier of southern Germany, which we analyse alongside 2,500 ancient and 379 modern genomes. Population genetic analyses reveal a major demographic shift coinciding with the late fifth century collapse of Roman state structures, when a founding population of northern European ancestry mixed with genetically diverse Roman provincial groups. Pedigree reconstruction and filia, a method for inferring the ancestry of unsampled relatives, indicate widespread intermarriage and minimal cultural differentiation. Genetic structure persisted through the sixth century, with admixture forming a population resembling modern Central Europeans by the early seventh century. Using Chronograph to refine the chronology of genealogically linked individuals, we estimate a generation time of 28 years, life expectancies of 39.8 years for women and 43.3 years for men, high infant mortality, and a society in which nearly one quarter of children lost at least one parent by age 10, yet most still grew up with grandparents. Pedigrees further reveal a society centred on nuclear families that practiced lifelong monogamy, strict incest avoidance, flexible lineage continuation and no levirate unions, indicating continuity with Late Roman social practices that later shaped the European family.

The ability of bacterial pathogens to colonise indwelling medical devices, particularly urinary catheters, and to establish drug-resistant biofilms accounts for approximately 60 % of all nosocomial infections, underscoring the urgent need for effective strategies to mitigate biofilm development on catheter surfaces. In this study, we developed a multilayer nano-composite coating for urinary catheters, assembled via sequential deposition of bioadhesive catechol-functionalised chitosan (catCS), hyaluronic acid (HA), and antimicrobial aminated lignin nanoparticles (N-LigNPs). Sono-enzymatically phenolated, aminated, and formulated lignin nanoparticles (NPs) served as both structural and functional components within the coatings, whose assembly was monitored in real time using a quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation. Atomic force microscopy was employed to characterise the coating topography, complemented by surface zeta potential measurements and lubricity analysis. Cross-linking of N-LigNPs with catCS, catalysed by the oxidative enzyme laccase, increased the mechanical integrity of the coating beyond that afforded by electrostatic interactions alone. This translated into durable antimicrobial and antibiofilm performance of the functionalised catheters over 7 days in a hydrodynamic model simulating a catheterised human bladder, reducing S. aureus and E. coli biofilm formation by more than 60 %, while exhibiting no cytotoxic effects on mammalian cells. Moreover, the clinical, histological, and microbiological data obtained from in vivo studies in a rabbit model demonstrated that the coating was biocompatible and effectively prevented catheter-associated urinary tract infections during a 10-day indwelling period. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: Catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTIs) remain a major clinical challenge due to biofilm formation and rising antimicrobial resistance. This study presents a bio-based, multilayer nanocomposite coating for urinary catheters that combines catechol-functionalised chitosan, hyaluronic acid, and aminated lignin nanoparticles, stabilised through laccase-mediated cross-linking. Unlike conventional electrostatic coatings, this enzymatically reinforced system exhibits enhanced mechanical durability, sustained antimicrobial and antibiofilm activity under physiologically relevant hydrodynamic conditions, and biocompatibility. Importantly, its efficacy is demonstrated both in vitro and in vivo. This work highlights a sustainable, antibiotic-sparing strategy with strong translational potential for preventing CAUTIs and could be extended to other biofilm-prone medical devices.

Triphala, a traditional Ayurvedic formulation, has garnered significant research interest for its diverse therapeutic potential. However, a comprehensive analysis of its research landscape remains limited. To conduct a comprehensive bibliometric analysis of Triphala research from 2000 to 2024, examining publication trends, research hotspots, and evolving research themes. Publications related to Triphala were retrieved from the Web of Science core collection database (2000-2024). Bibliometric analysis utilized CiteSpace and VOSviewer to analyze publication trends, collaboration networks, and research hotspots. Visualization tools mapped the temporal evolution of research themes and collaboration patterns. The analysis of 417 publications unveiled a complex landscape of research development, identifying 5 major research themes that progressively evolved from 2006 to 2024, including apoptosis, radiation effects, oxidative stress, oral therapeutics, and molecular docking studies. Each theme demonstrated varying research strengths, with oral therapeutics showing the highest research intensity at strength = 3.1. Geographically, the research was predominantly concentrated in India, which produced 271 publications, significantly outpacing the United States (34 publications) and China (33 publications). The research was primarily disseminated through specialized journals, with the International Journal of Ayurvedic Medicine, Journal of Ayurveda and Integrative Medicine, and Indian Journal of Traditional Knowledge emerging as the most influential publication platforms. Key research institutions, including the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Chiang Mai University, and Mahidol University, played pivotal roles in advancing Triphala research. This bibliometric analysis demonstrates the progressive evolution of Triphala research from traditional applications to sophisticated scientific investigations. The study reveals a significant transformation in research focus, transitioning from basic mechanistic studies to advanced molecular investigations and clinical applications, particularly in oral health.

The study evaluated whether a single oral administration of lectin extracted from common beans (Phaseolus vulgaris) at 12 weeks of age influences intestinal morphology and bone structure in roosters and capons. A total of 320 male birds were allocated to four experimental groups based on hormonal status and lectin treatment. Birds in the lectin-supplemented groups received a single gastric dose of lectin at 100 mg/kg body weight. Growth performance, carcass traits, intestinal histomorphometry, and tibial geometry and mechanical properties were assessed at 24 weeks of age. Lectin administration induced significant changes in jejunal morphology, with the most pronounced effects observed in capons. These effects were less pronounced in hormonally intact roosters. The effects on bone were limited and included slight differences in marrow cavity dimensions, without improvements in mineralization or mechanical strength. The findings indicate that a single oral dose of lectin primarily affects intestinal structure under conditions of androgen deficiency, whereas its influence on bone properties remains modest. Further studies are required to determine the optimal dosing strategy and the potential relevance of lectin supplementation for practical poultry production.

This paper offers an active inference narrative that considers discriminatory behaviour in relation to the cognitive concept of zones of bounded surprisal (ZBS). It is argued that narrow ZBS band-widths characterise the discriminatory minds of people who see themselves as an in-group. They tend not to be indignant or outspoken, but acquiescent when they witness poor behaviour of those whom otherwise they regard as members of their in-group. When such behaviour harms other people, its perpetrators have a very narrow ZBS band-width: one that likely is a characteristic of dehumanising minds. Because such perpetrators see themselves as members of an in-group with entitlement to control aspects of society, they humiliate or abuse out-groups to which they assign others, and have no compunction about violating their dignity or human rights. We briefly consider policies that could lessen the unwelcome social repercussions of the behaviour of people with discriminatory and dehumanising minds.

This study evaluates the applicability of the Iscan method to Post-Mortem Computed Tomography (PMCT) for age estimation through morphological analysis of the sternal end of the fourth right rib. Employing a double-blind design, two observers independently assessed a sample of 112 fragments of fourth ribs from individuals of European origin, isolated and processed before CT imaging. The findings indicate that Iscan's method applied via CT scans demonstrates strong reproducibility and substantial inter-operator reliability, as shown by weighted Cohen's kappa values ranging from 0.75 (inter-operator) to 0.92-0.98 (intra-operator). The method exhibited higher accuracy and consistency for middle-aged and older individuals, particularly in phases 3 to 5, whereas younger and elderly age groups showed lower reliability, with phase 8 requiring further refinement due to significant variability. Furthermore, the study introduced and evaluated a new CT-specific parameter-joint fossa sclerosis-to enhance age-at-death predictions. Regression analysis incorporating this parameter demonstrated improved accuracy and refined age-range estimations, particularly highlighting sex-specific variations: in males, sclerosis tended to shift estimates toward higher age phases, while in females, it primarily improved precision within established phase limits without significantly altering phase assignments. These observations underscore potential sex-based differences in bone remodeling dynamics that influence the Iscan phase classification. This research paves the way for future identification, introduction, and refinement of additional morphological parameters aimed at enhancing predictive accuracy. The substantial age-range overlaps inherent to Iscan's traditional method significantly limit its practical forensic applicability, emphasizing the need for methodological advancements to ensure reliable and accurate age estimation in forensic settings.

There is extensive evidence that the spread of innovation via social learning can facilitate uptake of new foraging behaviours in populations. In comparison, social learning about novel food types has received comparatively little attention. Yet the adoption of novel food is vital to persistence in, or colonisation of, novel environments. Here, we present a novel food (almonds in the shell, coloured either blue or red) in a two-option and control cultural diffusion experiment to five neighbouring roosts of 705 individually-marked sulphur-crested cockatoos (Cacatua galerita) living in a highly urbanised environment. From 4 initially trained individuals, a total of 349 individuals across all roosts learned to feed on the novel food within 10 days of first exposure. Using network-based diffusion-analysis (N = 214 learners out of 322 individuals with available social information), we demonstrated that this spread occurred almost exclusively through social learning, with information spreading through social network ties. Second, using experience-weighted attraction models, we described age-differences in social learning strategies, with juveniles, but not adults, exhibiting a conformist bias to prefer the most frequently chosen food colour. Third, when analysing 539 opening techniques of the novel food by 147 individuals across the five roosts, we found that opening techniques were more similar between roost communities when the distance between sites was small, or the degree of movement between sites was high. In addition, when focusing on a subset for which social association data were available (273 openings by 78 individuals), techniques tended to be more similar between close associates. Taken together, our study suggests that the adoption of novel food in urban-living sulphur-crested cockatoos is facilitated by social transmission of knowledge through networks, with food choice further influenced in juveniles by a conformist learning bias. Social networks influenced both food choice and acquisition of foraging techniques within and between roosting communities, leading to differences at surprisingly local scales. The utilisation of new food resources is a fundamental component of adaptive behavioural responses to novel environments. Our study demonstrates how cognitive and social influences can be vital determinants of this adaptive flexibility.

Pregnancy rates among adolescents and young people in South Africa remain high despite the widespread availability of sexual and reproductive health information and contraception being free of charge. Knowledge gaps, misconceptions, and insufficient attention to youth voices are critical barriers to informed decision-making. Support for adolescents and young people is often negatively framed, focusing on sexual abstinence before marriage. This paper explores youth perspectives on sexual and reproductive health information and support. It also examines gaps in contraceptive knowledge, providing insights for public health programmes and interventions. Findings highlight significant gaps in contraceptive knowledge, which contribute to low uptake. The quality and nature of relationships between young people and adults also shapes the support and information provided. For adolescents and young people, trust and feeling understood impact whether adults are perceived as valuable sources of information. Suitable interventions include the creation of safe support spaces for adolescents and young people to develop sexual and reproductive health knowledge and communication skills, access accurate information, and address socioeconomic constraints.

While the drug-related risks and harms associated with being unhoused have been previously identified, little is known about the drug-related impacts of displacement from housing. This qualitative and community-based participatory research study explores drug use patterns and risks among people living with HIV (PLHIV) displaced from housing in the West End and the Downtown Eastside neighbourhoods of Vancouver, British Columbia. Between May 2023 and June 2024, semi-structured interviews (n = 29) and participant observations (n = 6) were conducted with PLHIV who use drugs displaced within the last six months from housing in the West End and/or the Downtown Eastside. Data were analyzed thematically and interpreted by drawing on the intersectional risk environment framework. Two illustrative cases that exemplified broader themes across the data were selected to better contextualize participants' experiences of displacement and drug use. Participants positioned drug use as critical to managing their health and survival needs, which were amplified by displacement. Coupled with increased drug use, participants experienced reduced access to safer environments for drug use and changes to their risk environment in ways that exacerbated their post-displacement overdose risk. Cases rendered visible how this was particularly true for participants experiencing intersecting oppressions based on race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, and class. This study advances our understanding of displacement and its impacts on drug use patterns and risks across and within diverse communities of PLHIV. Our findings underscore the urgent need for housing and urban policies to complement harm reduction efforts. We call for participatory planning approaches that foster genuine collaboration between policymakers and marginalized communities to co-create housing and urban policies that are responsive to the needs of those most affected.

The Younger Dryas (YD; ~12.9 to 11.7 thousand years) marks an abrupt return to near-glacial conditions during the last deglaciation, yet its cause remains debated. One possible scenario, the YD impact hypothesis, proposes an extraterrestrial trigger. However, growing geochemical and stratigraphic evidence points toward a volcanic origin. This study presents the 187Os/188Os isotope and highly siderophile element (HSE) data from the Page-Ladson (PL) site (8JE591) in Florida, a well-dated, continuous sedimentary record spanning the YD onset. The onset in the PL profile is marked by unradiogenic osmium coincident with elevated Os and Re concentrations and a Cl-chondrite-normalized HSE pattern with a compositional range and signature closely matching volcanic aerosol patterns. When integrated with comparable records from Hall's Cave and the Debra L. Friedkin site in Texas, the unradiogenic 187Os/188Os ratios align across multiple depositional environments and correlate with a cluster of major bipolar volcanic eruptions (~12.98 to 12.87 thousand years) documented in Greenland and Antarctic ice cores whose cumulative radiative forcing exceeds the most volcanically active intervals of the Common Era. The magnitude and hemispheric asymmetry of this volcanic activity imply forcing of sufficient magnitude capable of disrupting the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation and triggering rapid Northern Hemisphere cooling. These findings provide multiproxy, regionally consistent evidence for a volcanically driven perturbation at the onset of the YD, offering a robust alternative to impact-based explanations.

Aging and increased life expectancy generate growing challenges for end-of-life care in old age, particularly in rural contexts marked by territorial and health inequalities. From the perspective of gerontological geography and the notions of autonomy and agency of older adults, this study aims to generate an understanding of end-of-life as a lived experience from the subjective worlds of and with the people involved. To this end, a qualitative study, with an ethnographic approach and case study strategy, was conducted in the Los Lagos Region of Chile between 2022 and 2023. This included semi-structured interviews and ethnographic observation of rural older adults in the end-of-life stages, their caregivers, and rural health teams. The results show that remaining at home is a central desire and organizes care, sustained primarily by feminized family networks and rural primary care. The home becomes a space of care, and health teams play a key role in providing clinical and relational support at the end-of-life. It is concluded that end-of-life care in rural areas requires territorial approaches that recognize autonomy in old age and the structural inequalities of these processes. El envejecimiento y aumento de la esperanza de vida generan desafíos crecientes para los cuidados de fin de vida en la vejez, particularmente en contextos rurales marcados por desigualdades territoriales y sanitarias. Desde la geografía gerontológica, y las nociones de autonomía y agencia de las personas mayores, este estudio se propone generar una comprensión del fin de vida como experiencia vital desde los mundos subjetivos de y con las personas implicadas. Para ello, se realizó un estudio cualitativo, de enfoque etnográfico y estrategia de estudio de caso, en la Región de Los Lagos, Chile, entre 2022 y 2023, que incluyó entrevistas semiestructuradas y observación etnográfica a personas mayores rurales en etapas de fin de vida, las personas cuidadoras y los equipos de salud rural. Los resultados muestran que la permanencia en el hogar constituye un deseo central y organiza los cuidados, sostenidos principalmente por redes familiares feminizadas y por la atención primaria rural. El hogar se transforma en un espacio de cuidado y los equipos de salud cumplen un rol clave en acompañamiento clínico y relacional del fin de vida. Se concluye que los cuidados de fin de vida en la ruralidad requieren enfoques territoriales que reconozcan autonomía en la vejez y las desigualdades estructurales de estos procesos.

Detection and tracking of animals is an important first step for automated behavioral studies using videos. Animal tracking is currently done mostly using deep learning frameworks based on keypoints, which show remarkable results in lab settings with fixed cameras, backgrounds, and lighting. However, multi-animal tracking in the wild presents several challenges such as high variability in background and lighting conditions, complex motion, and occlusion. We propose PriMAT, an approach for tracking nonhuman primates in the wild. PriMAT learns to detect and track primates and other objects of interest from labeled videos or single images using bounding boxes instead of keypoints. Using bounding boxes significantly facilitates data annotation and robustness. Our one-stage model is conceptually simple but highly flexible, and we add a classification branch that allows us to train individual identification. To evaluate the performance of our approach, we applied it in two case studies with Assamese macaques (Macaca assamensis) and redfronted lemurs (Eulemur rufifrons) in the wild. Additionally, we show transfer to other settings and species, particularly, Barbary macaques (Macaca sylvanus), Guinea baboons (Papio papio), chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes), and gorillas (Gorilla spp.). We show that with only a few hundred frames labeled with bounding boxes, we can achieve robust tracking results. Combining these results with the classification branch for the lemur videos, the lemur identification model shows an accuracy of 84% in predicting identities. Our approach presents a promising solution for accurately tracking and identifying animals in the wild, offering researchers a tool to study animal behavior in their natural habitats. Our code, models, training images, and evaluation video sequences are publicly available at https://github.com/ecker-lab/PriMAT-tracking, facilitating their use for animal behavior analyses and future research in this field.

The goal of the current study was to explore attachment theory and reproductive success across the three cultural contexts of Japan, Canada and the USA. We investigate how adult attachment styles (secure, fearful, preoccupied and dismissive) are associated with reproductive success, as measured by the number of children. Using data collected from 15,120 participants via an online survey, we found fearful and preoccupied attachment styles were positively associated with reproductive success across all three samples, indicating that these insecure attachment styles may promote behaviours linked to larger family sizes. Conversely, secure attachment negatively predicted reproductive success in Canada and the USA but showed no significant relationship in Japan. Sex differences in attachment were observed, with women scoring higher in preoccupied attachment across cultures and men scoring higher in fearful attachment. We propose attachment styles are associated with reproductive strategies, with cultural norms moderating these associations. Collectivist values in Japan may attenuate individual attachment associations with family planning, while individualistic cultures such as Canada and the USA align secure attachment with deliberate, resource-intensive reproductive strategies. This study advances the understanding of attachment theory by discussing its relevance to life history strategies and reproductive outcomes within diverse cultural settings.

Recent technical and methodological advances have provided new insights into Neandertal thorax morphology, revealing significant differences compared to modern humans, both in terms of the individual elements (vertebrae, ribs, and sternum), and in the thorax as a whole. However, the thorax morphology of immature Neandertals remains poorly understood, due to the limited and fragmentary fossil record. The Roc de Marsal (RdM) infant is one of the few cases in which the vertebrae and ribs are both relatively well preserved. Previous research has characterised the ribs of the RdM individual as having shafts with low robusticity and short necks. They also have a large radius of curvature (i.e., they are less curved) and a pronounced anterior flare. Theoretically, this would result in a thorax that was more anteroposteriorly projected than that of Homo sapiens, with a maximum width at the 7th rib. Here, we reassess the anatomical position of the thoracic vertebrae and ribs of RdM, evaluating previous observations using a combination of traditional measurements and 3D geometric morphometrics. A morphological assessment of the most complete ribs (7, 9, 10 and 11) reveals marked differences between the ribs of RdM and those of modern human children. These differences include less curvature of the shaft in cranial view, more vertically oriented and straighter (i.e., less sinuous, with less torsion) shafts in external view. At least for ribs 9-11, the shaft portion sternal to the posterior angle is also longer. In some instances, these differences are similar to those present in adult Neandertals, suggesting that the Neandertal thorax was distinct from that of H. sapiens since infancy. This study reinforces the idea that the size and shape of the individual elements (the ribs and vertebrae) provide information about the distinctiveness of the entire thorax.

Cooperation is the cornerstone of human societies, and its emergence is firmly linked to enhanced tolerance and egalitarianism. However, evidence of profuse cooperation in less tolerant and despotic societies challenges this predominant view. The overarching interdependency hypothesis may resolve the conundrum. It posits that group-level interdependencies, like strength in numbers in colonially nesting species or allomaternal care in cooperatively breeding species, promote indiscriminate cooperation through enhanced tolerance. Crucially, this hypothesis also predicts that dyadic interdependence like friendships, nepotistic biases, or coalitions, selectively enhance tolerance, fostering discriminate cooperation in despotic species. Species belonging to Macaca, which have a similar social organization, yet remarkable variation in tolerance, hierarchy steepness, nepotistic biases, and coalitionary tendencies, provide an opportunity for testing the interdependency hypothesis. In social group settings, we experimentally study cooperation, prosociality, and tolerance in six macaque species spanning a tolerance gradient. Our findings reveal high dyadic cooperation in despotic societies, yet this cooperation is restricted to a few partners. Dyadic prosociality, kinship, and tolerance positively predict cooperation. Further, our agent-based models demonstrate that despotic societies have fewer but more stable bonds and, thus, higher dyadic interdependencies than in egalitarian societies. Our results suggest that interdependencies facilitate the emergence and maintenance of cooperation.