Auditory Verbal Hallucinations (AVH) are not exclusive to schizophrenia but also occur in other psychiatric disorders, including Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD). While AVH in SZ has been extensively studied, their neurobiological underpinnings in BPD remain poorly understood. Preliminary evidence suggests structural anomalies in auditory regions among BPD patients experiencing AVH, indicating potential neuroanatomical vu...

Leeches of the genus Placobdella Blanchard, 1893 (Annelida: Rhynchobdellida: Glossiphoniidae) are mainly distributed across North and Central America, but at least two species are also present in the palearctic region: the European turtle leech Placobdella costata Müller, 1846, and the North African turtle leech Placobdella nabeulensis Ben Ahmed et al., 2023. All species of the genus are hematophagous and feed on vertebrates,...

The demand for high-quality steel products has been increasing in recent years. During continuous casting of those steels, the prevention of defect formation is crucial to ensure the highest surface quality. This contribution focuses on the effects of different Mn/S ratios and cooling conditions on the high-temperature embrittlement under continuous casting conditions using the In-Situ Material Characterization by Bending (IMC...

Surface defects are a critical indicator of semi-finished product quality, with the elements Cu and Sn exerting a significant influence through the phenomenon known as hot shortness. The present study quantifies the defect sensitivity caused by Cu and Sn for three different steel grades under continuous casting conditions using the In-situ Material Characterization by Bending (IMC-B) test. Building on this, purposefully pre-da...

Seafloor massive sulphide (SMS) deposits are potential sources of Cu, Zn, Au and Ag, however, how seafloor weathering affects the content of these metals in the deposits remains poorly understood. Key sulphide weathering products, i.e. Fe-oxyhydroxide and atacamite, can provide insight into metal mobilisation during and after oxidation of sulphides. Ten Fe-oxyhydroxide and three massive sulphide samples from the Semenov hydrot...

Ephemeral river systems are vital water resources in semi-arid regions, but remain poorly studied regarding recent sedimentation. Their storage function gains importance under more frequent droughts and rapid population growth. This study addresses this gap by examining the Iishana system in northern Namibia and southern Angola, a transboundary network of ephemeral channels and depressions. The aim is to characterize sediment...

Faecal bile acids (BAs) are increasingly used in archaeological studies to detect domesticated species and reconstruct herding practices. However, it is unclear how environmental factors influence BA profiles and how much these profiles vary across regions. This uncertainty raises questions about their reliability for species-specific identifications across diverse settings. To address this, we analysed faecal BA profiles from...

Genetic variation contributes to intraspecific differences in the chemical defence in many insect species, yet the underlying genetic mechanisms remain poorly understood. The horseradish flea beetle, Phyllotreta armoraciae , sequesters glucosinolates from its horseradish host plant and activates them using endogenous myrosinase enzymes. Of the three known myrosinases in P. armoraciae , PaMyr1 functions primarily in adults, whe...

Invasive plant species present a growing ecological and economic challenge, and often adapt rapidly to their novel environments through complex demographic and evolutionary processes. Invasion genomics offers powerful tools to disentangle these processes, but most studies rely on geographically narrow sampling across native and non‐native ranges. Erigeron canadensis is a cosmopolitan weed native to North America that has succe...

Fish migration through river networks is essential for completing life cycles and accessing critical habitats, but fragmentation increasingly disrupts spawning movements. In Europe, over one million barriers limit connectivity and create trade‐offs between ecological integrity and human uses, such as hydropower, flood control, fisheries and water storage. Furthermore, climate change can decrease habitat suitability, reinforcin...