Science

Early studies attempting interspecies communication with great apes trained to use sign language and Augmented Interspecies Communication (AIC) devices were limited by methodological and technological constraints, as well as restrictive sample sizes. Evidence for animals’ intentional production of symbols was met with considerable criticisms which could not be easily deflected with existing data. More recently, thousands of pet dogs have been trained with AIC devices comprising soundboards of buttons that can be pressed to produce prerecorded human words or phrases. However, the nature of pets’ button presses remains an open question: are presses deliberate, and potentially meaningful? Using a large dataset of button presses by family dogs and their owners, we investigate whether dogs’ button presses are (i) non-accidental, (ii) non-random, and (iii) not mere repetitions of their owners’ presses. Our analyses reveal that, at the population level, soundboard use by dogs cannot be explained by random pressing, and that certain two-button concept combinations appear more often than expected by chance at the population level. We also find that dogs’ presses are not perfectly predicted by their owners’, suggesting that dogs’ presses are not merely repetitions of human presses, therefore suggesting that dog soundboard use is deliberate.

: The representation of disabled individuals in museum spaces worldwide has sparked substantial debate in recent decades. It has become increasingly evident that disabled people’s lives and experiences have been overlooked, under/misrepresented in museum narratives, or as museum professionals and academics have highlighted, ‘buried in the footnotes’ of history. Museums can either challenge or continue such exclusion through their actions. This marginalization of disabled people from our present museums narratives contributes to the perpetuation of prejudice and systematic biases that reinforce their exclusion in contemporary society. Nevertheless, the call for change has never been more pressing. Museums, as ‘agents of social change’, are required to not only address the absence of disabled people in their narratives but to combat prejudicial ideas about disability and drive societal changes to support social inclusion. This paper intends to use the recent movement of disability representation to envisage how national museums in Egypt can challenge societal prejudice by representing disability narratives from ancient Egypt in their exhibitions. The historical perspective of disability in ancient Egypt is a compelling example for illustrating social acceptance and the level of inclusion for disabled individuals in contrast to the negative stereotypes prevalent in contemporary Egyptian society. By adopting the new emergent approach of ‘Representing Disability’. Egyptian museums can stimulate discussions on disability issues and advocate for social change while connecting disabled individuals with a history that acknowledges their contributions and existence. The paper employed qualitative research methods to answer the following research question: what impact do representations of disability from ancient Egypt have on the way national museums engage with societal discourses about disability? Please note the article includes images of human remains.

: Class III malocclusions, a dentofacial deformity requiring early intervention, pose significant challenges due to the need for prolonged use of facemasks by young patients. The SuperPowerMe project aims to improve compliance with the orthodontic treatment by integrating personalised, sensor-equipped facemasks with gamification. Through a design thinking process, the facemasks were custom-fitted using 3D facial scanning and 3D-printed with biocompatible materials to ensure comfort and ergonomic fit. Sensors embedded in the mask monitored wear time, and data collected were used to engage children in a video game allowing children to progress through game challenges as they complied with the treatment. Observational studies were conducted, evaluating patients’ adherence and comfort levels. The results indicated a substantial increase in daily wear time and patient satisfaction, with self-reported compliance closely matching sensor data. The personalised design and gamified elements fostered higher patient autonomy over the treatment period, although minor technical issues with the facemasks were noted. In conclusion, the results suggest that gamification paired with custom devices holds promise as a strategy for improving adherence to long-term orthodontic treatments in children. Further refinement of the system and broader trials are promoted to fully validate the efficacy of therapy gamification.

White flour may be directly electrospun, providing a starch nanofiber alternative which avoids unnecessary industrial extraction and purification. By dissolving 17 wt% flour in warm formic acid and cooling, a dope can be created which can be electrospun into porous mats of 372 nm fibers of pasta.