tbuckley/cabot-search huggingface dataset:
Societies of the open ocean without territories
Authors: Hal Whitehead, Sam F Walmsley
Journal: Behavioral and Brain Sciences (2025)

Abstract Shared group identifications can significantly subdivide populations. However, groups with mutual recognition may not be territorial. In the deep ocean, territoriality is absent but some species have important groups based upon shared identification. Control over access to physical space should be dropped from the definition of “society,” although “territorial society” could be retained as an important subcategory.
Societal inferences from the physical world
Authors: Rodney Tompkins, Julian Jara-Ettinger, Adena Schachner
Journal: Behavioral and Brain Sciences (2025)

Abstract Moffett points to humans' use of physical markers to signal group identity as crucial to human society. We characterize the developmental and cognitive bases of this capacity, arguing that it is part of an early-emerging, intuitive socio-physical interface which allows the inanimate world to encode rich social meaning about individuals' identities, and the values of the society as a whole.
Philosophy or science of societies?
Authors: Marion Blute
Journal: Behavioral and Brain Sciences (2025)

Abstract While ambitious, interesting, and generally corresponding to usage in archaeology history, and anthropology, Moffett's paper seems more philosophy of science (conceptual analysis) than science (their use in explanations). It avoids explanations of how “markers of identity” and “their recognition” are acquired (e.g., by biological evolution, individual learning, social learning, or sociocultural evolution) and what the concept of “a society” explains.
Identity groups, perceived group continuity, and schism
Authors: Fabio Sani
Journal: Behavioral and Brain Sciences (2025)

Abstract Moffett's outstanding paper offers a thought-provoking definition of a human society as an identity group. This commentary reflects on the centrality of shared group identification in societies, and discusses two important phenomena related to group identity, that is (i) the perceived temporal persistence of the group, and (ii) the processes leading to group fragmentation and schism.
Do boundaries matter so much for societies?
Authors: Colin A Chapman
Journal: Behavioral and Brain Sciences (2025)

Abstract Moffett's definition of society is broadly applicable to all group-living animals from insects to nation states. Presenting examples from primates, I illustrate difficulties in defining boundaries between societies and even what societies defend to demonstrate the complexity of using an understanding of the processes effecting primate societies to understand those effecting human societies. However, finding similarities and differences in processes shaping societies is intriguing and Moffett's definition provides an excellent starting point.
Psychological mechanisms for individual recognition- and anonymous-societies in humans and other animals
Authors: Christopher Krupenye, Luz Carvajal, Amalia P M Bastos
Journal: Behavioral and Brain Sciences (2025)

Abstract To understand the nature and evolution of different kinds of societies, we must characterize the psychological mechanisms members use to identify who belongs. Across both individual recognition- and anonymous-societies, these range from physiological responses to individuals up to powerful conceptual representations of the group that license generalization and novel predictions. Sketching these mechanisms helps us understand the transition from the individual recognition societies of our ape ancestors to uniquely human forms of anonymous society.
A society as a clearly membered, enduring, territory-holding group
Authors: Mark W Moffett
Journal: Behavioral and Brain Sciences (2025)

Abstract I have attempted to provide a concept of societies that will foster productive cross-disciplinary discussions, namely one incorporating these three elements: (1) A mechanism for group identification, by which members distinguish those who belong from those who do not; (2) the potential for this membership to last for generations; and (3) control over a shared physical space. Herein, I respond to thoughtful commentaries from academics across the social and biological sciences, addressing their insights on the importance of identity in determining society boundaries, how institutions and nations relate to identity, the complications of territoriality as a definition component, how societies fragment, the workings of multitier sociality, and the significance of cooperation.
What is a society in the case of multilevel societies?
Authors: Cyril C Grueter, Larissa Swedell
Journal: Behavioral and Brain Sciences (2025)

Abstract We expand on Moffett's discussion of societies in the context of multilevel social systems, for which Moffett proposes the core unit to constitute a society. Moffett's definition of a society, however, suggests that it is more parsimonious to assign this label to the upper (band) level. An understanding of multilevel systems is critical for informing discussions about what a society is.
Collective memories and understandings of human societies
Authors: Ana Figueiredo, Magdalena Bobowik, Emanuele Politi
Journal: Behavioral and Brain Sciences (2025)

Abstract Moffett's article asserts that human societies are distinct from other social groups because they must maintain control over specific territories. In our commentary, we challenge this argument, aiming to enrich it by highlighting the pivotal role of history and collective memories and their underestimated significance in shaping societies across time and beyond territorial ownership and resource control.
Societies have functions for individuals and collectives
Authors: Paul E Smaldino
Journal: Behavioral and Brain Sciences (2025)

Abstract The definition of society as identity group is most likely to be useful when combined with the instrumental functions of identity groupings. These take two key forms, with important differences. First, identity groupings are useful for individual decision making. Second, societies can be units of collective behavior and information processing. Disentanglement of these forms is needed.
Multi-species societies
Authors: Kristin Andrews, Christopher Kelty, Kulbhushansingh Suryawanshi
Journal: Behavioral and Brain Sciences (2025)

Abstract Research in community ecology, anthropology, and ethnoprimatology has identified mixed-species animal groups, and we argue that Moffett's definition of society allows these groups to qualify as societies. The existence of mixed-species society has two implications – that societies are structured by social norms, and that it may be more common to belong to multiple societies than Moffett suggests.
Belonging to a community of moral values as a key criterion of society
Authors: Konrad Szocik
Journal: Behavioral and Brain Sciences (2025)

Abstract One of the key features of society is a sense of belonging to the same thing. But what should “what is the same” be? The article points out that categories, social roles, and place in power structures are primary to the sense of belonging, not secondary. And the criterion for belonging in society should be shared moral values.
Vocalizations are ideal identity signals
Authors: Juliet C Barry, Edward H Hagen, Samuel A Mehr
Journal: Behavioral and Brain Sciences (2025)

Abstract If human societies are understood as identity groups, then our psychology should include design for the production and detection of credible identity signals. We argue that vocalizations are ideal identity signals because the human auditory system is sensitive to subtle acoustic features; vocal signals are efficient; and speech and song are highly complex, enabling the embedding therein of identity signals.
Societies, identities, and macrodemes
Authors: Marilynn B Brewer, Linnda R Caporael
Journal: Behavioral and Brain Sciences (2025)

Abstract We examine the similarities and differences between Moffett's conceptualization of society and the core configuration model of social groupings. Anonymous societies correspond to the macrodeme level of coordination in the core configuration model, and recognizing that identity-based groups are defined by shared distinctiveness rather than territory encourages a more organic understanding of social groups.
How an interdisciplinary study of societies can develop a comprehensive understanding of the function of deceptive behavior
Authors: Panagiotis Mitkidis
Journal: Behavioral and Brain Sciences (2025)

Abstract Moffett presents a robust proposal for a comparative study of societies as the basis for studying the human condition and behavior. This theoretical framework has implications for the study of deceptive behavior. I discuss how this framework might describe the adaptation of deceptive behavior within human societies and shed light on the dynamics of collaborative deceptive behavior through interpersonal commitment.
Beyond biology: A sociological stance on what is society
Authors: Péter Bodor, Dániel Havrancsik
Journal: Behavioral and Brain Sciences (2025)

Abstract We discuss some of the most central problems and concepts elaborated within the social sciences, especially sociology, which are not or only tangentially exposed by Moffett. Then, we will exemplify of how identity, which is a central constituent of Moffett's definition of society, cannot be opposed to interaction despite his claims. Rather it is to be studied as interactional achievement.
A nation by any other name: A failure to focus on function
Authors: Henry Cerbone, Isabella Turilli
Journal: Behavioral and Brain Sciences (2025)

Abstract Moffett's interdisciplinary definition of society seeks to distinguish itself from the prevalent, political understanding of the term. Through engagement with international relations literature, we outline how Moffett's proposed “society” results in a recapitulation of the definition of a nation-state. We suggest that this tension could be addressed by adopting a functional, rather than identity-based, approach.
Group identity without social interactions?
Authors: Gabriel Ramos-Fernandez, Sandra E Smith Aguilar, Edoardo Pietrangeli, Cristina Jasso-Del Toro, José R Nicolás-Carlock, Denis Boyer, Braulio Pinacho-Guendulain, Augusto Montiel Castro, Filippo Aureli
Journal: Behavioral and Brain Sciences (2025)

Abstract We present several arguments for the preeminence of social interactions in determining and giving shape to societies. In our view, a society can emerge from social interaction and relationship patterns without the need for establishing an a priori limit on who actually belongs to it. Markers of group identity are one element among many that allow societies to persist.
Revisiting the spaces of societies and the cooperation that sustains them
Authors: James Brooks, Liran Samuni
Journal: Behavioral and Brain Sciences (2025)

Abstract We embrace Moffett's call for more rigorous definitions of social organizations but raise two intersecting critiques: (1) The spaces controlled by societies are not exclusively physical, and (2) cooperation is required to maintain control over spaces, physical or otherwise. We discuss examples of non-physical societal spaces across species and highlight the top-down group cooperation challenge that is maintaining them.
Why societies are important and grow so large: Tribes, nations, and teams
Authors: Roy F Baumeister, Danny Southwick
Journal: Behavioral and Brain Sciences (2025)

Abstract Moffett's definition of societies could be augmented by recognizing society's organizing systems that coordinate diverse individuals' behavior for collective good. Viewing humans as cultural animals indicates three reasons for ever larger societies: More shared information, bigger and better marketplace for exchange, and military superiority in numbers. Sports teams are societies offering a promising venue for empirical work.
The family as the primary social group
Authors: Jack W Klein
Journal: Behavioral and Brain Sciences (2025)

Abstract Moffett contends that societies should be considered the “primary” group with respect to their social ramifications. Although intriguing, this claim suffers from insufficient clarity and evidence. Rather, if any group is to be crowned supreme it should surely be the family, with its unique capacity to encourage pro-group behavior, shape other groups, and provide meaning.
Unlocking the power of the microbiome for successful cancer immunotherapy
Authors: Maria A Clavijo-Salomon, Giorgio Trinchieri
Journal: Journal for ImmunoTherapy of Cancer (2025)

In recent years, evidence has shown that the gut microbiome significantly influences responses to immunotherapy. This has sparked interest in targeting it to improve therapy outcomes and predictions of response and toxicity. Research has demonstrated that dysbiosis, often resulting from antibiotic use, can diminish the effectiveness of immune checkpoint inhibitors, and this lack of efficacy could be linked to systemic inflammation. Certain bacterial species have been identified as having beneficial and harmful effects on immunotherapy in the clinic. While a clear consensus has yet to emerge on the optimal species for therapeutic use, introducing a new microbiome into immunotherapy-refractory patients may boost their chances of responding to further treatment attempts. State-of-the-art interventions targeting the microbiome—such as fecal microbiota transplantation—are being assessed clinically for their safety and potential to enhance treatment outcomes, with promising results. Additionally, the microbiome has been leveraged for its power to predict clinical outcomes using machine learning, and surprisingly, its predictive capability is comparable to that of other described multi-biomarker clinical scores. Here, we discuss developing knowledge concerning the microbiome’s significance in cancer immunotherapy and outline future strategies for maximizing its potential in immuno-oncology.
Impact of tumor localization on antitumor immunity with conditionally activated CTLA-4 blockade
Authors: Marcel Arias-Badia, Chien-Chun Steven Pai, Yee May Lwin, PeiXi Chen, Aahir Srinath, Miho Tanaka, Emily Musser, Andrew Goodearl, Jacob V Gorman, Wendy Ritacco, Lawrence Fong
Journal: Journal for ImmunoTherapy of Cancer (2025)

Background Immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) can induce antitumor efficacy but also induces immune-related adverse events. Systemically administered ICB can activate immune cells throughout the host. Conditionally active ICB with proteolytically cleaved masking domains can potentially reduce the adverse events seen with anti-cytotoxic T-lymphocyte associated protein 4 (CTLA-4) antibody. Methods We examined how different formats of a conditionally activated dual variable domain IgG (DVD) that binds CTLA-4 and the tumor-associated antigen prostate stem cell antigen (PSCA) can lead to efficacy in syngeneic subcutaneous and metastatic murine tumor models. We also defined the capacity of these DVDs to modulate immune responses by multiparameter flow cytometry. Results Conditionally active DVDs can uncouple antitumor efficacy from toxicity. A fully cleavable construct (symmetric DVD, sDVD), which can be released from the target tumor cells, showed superior antitumor efficacy compared with asymmetric DVD, which retains its tumor antigen binding. The sDVD elicited the highest tumor-antigen-specific T-cell responses detected in tumors and tumor-draining lymph nodes, as well as presenting the highest rate of intratumoral and splenic “non-exhausted” antigen-specific CD8 T cells. SDVD also induced the highest degrees of T-cell memory and self-renewal potential. These effects were dependent on PSCA expression by the tumors. Conclusions These findings support the notion that ICB modulation of antitumor immunity away from the tumor cells is critically important for optimal antitumor immunity. The bispecific sDVD antibody design may enable improved systemic antitumor responses than traditional ICB in both primary tumors and metastases.
Editor’s Note: TRIM59 Promotes Gliomagenesis by Inhibiting TC45 Dephosphorylation of STAT3
Authors: Youzhou Sang, Yanxin Li, Lina Song, Angel A. Alvarez, Weiwei Zhang, Deguan Lv, Jianming Tang, Feng Liu, Zhijie Chang, Shigetsugu Hatakeyama, Bo Hu, Shi-Yuan Cheng, Haizhong Feng
Journal: Cancer Research (2025)
Correction: Comprehensive DNA Methylation Analysis Indicates That Pancreatic Intraepithelial Neoplasia Lesions Are Acinar-Derived and Epigenetically Primed for Carcinogenesis
Authors: Emily K.W. Lo, Brian M. Mears, H. Carlo Maurer, Adrian Idrizi, Kasper D. Hansen, Elizabeth D. Thompson, Laura D. Wood, Ralph H. Hruban, Kenneth P. Olive, Andrew P. Feinberg
Journal: Cancer Research (2025)
Phase I study on neoadjuvant combination immunotherapy with mogamulizumab and nivolumab for solid tumors
Authors: Koichi Jinushi, Takuro Saito, Koji Kurose, Susumu Suzuki, Takashi Kojima, Taishi Takahara, Tomoki Makino, Tetsuya Ogawa, Hiroyoshi Nishikawa, Kazuhiro Kakimi, Shinsuke Iida, Jun Nakajima, Yuichiro Doki, Mikio Oka, Ryuzo Ueda, Hisashi Wada
Journal: Journal for ImmunoTherapy of Cancer (2025)

Background Effector regulatory T cells expressing C-C chemokine receptor 4 (CCR4) suppress antitumor immune responses. We conducted a phase I clinical trial to evaluate the safety and efficacy of preoperative combination therapy with mogamulizumab (an anti-CCR4 antibody) and nivolumab (an anti-programmed death-1 antibody) in patients with solid tumors. Methods Patients with operable solid tumors were enrolled in a 3+3 design, with preoperative nivolumab (3.0 mg/kg) administered intravenously every 2 weeks three times and mogamulizumab at 0.1 mg/kg (cohort 1), 0.3 mg/kg (cohort 2), or 1.0 mg/kg (cohort 3) every week four times. The primary endpoints were safety and the effects of depleting Forkhead box P3 + (FoxP3 + ) T cells in the tumor. Results 16 patients were enrolled between June 2016 and April 2020, including those with renal (n=7), lung (n=5), esophageal (n=3), and oral (n=1) cancers. Grade 3–4 treatment-related adverse events were observed in 6 of 16 patients, with lymphopenia (25%) and maculopapular rash (13%) being the most frequent. Grade 5 interstitial pneumonia was observed in one patient; however, the cause of death was disease progression. There were three partial responses (PRs) (one lung and two esophageal cancers) among clinical responses and one complete response (one lung cancer) and nine PRs (five kidney, two lung, and two esophageal cancers) among pathological responses. CCR4 + FoxP3 + T cells were depleted in the tumors of all patients and increases in lymphocytes in tumor tissue according to the tumor immune microenvironment classification were observed in 50% of the patients, which correlated with a better prognosis. Conclusions The preoperative combination of mogamulizumab and nivolumab was safely managed, exerted antitumor effects, and may be an effective option in the preoperative setting. Trial registration number The present study was registered with ClinicalTrials.gov as NCT02946671 (registration date 2016-10-05).
The continuous actuation of liquid metal with a 3D-printed electrowetting device
Authors: Samannoy Ghosh, Rajan Neupane, Dwipak Prasad Sahu, Jian Teng, Yong Lin Kong
Journal: Med-X (2025)

Abstract The ability of liquid metals (LMs) to recover from repeated stretching and deformation is a particularly attractive attribute for soft bioelectronics. In addition to their high electrical and thermal conductivity, LMs can be actuated, potentially enabling highly durable electro-mechanical and microfluidics systems for applications such as cooling, drug delivery, or reconfigurable electronics. In particular, continuous electrowetting (CEW) phenomena can actuate liquid metal at relatively low voltage and affordable power requirements for wearable systems (~ &lt; 10 V, ~ 10 – 100 µW) by inducing a surface tension gradient across the LM. However, sustaining LM actuation remains challenging due to factors such as electrolyte depletion, polarity changes in multi-electrode systems, and limitations related to LM composition. Here, we demonstrate LM actuation in a circular conduit for prolonged durations of at least nine hours. We enabled sustained actuation by sequentially applying short, direct current (DC) pulses through a multi-electrode system based on the dynamics of LM actuation. As a proof of concept, we also demonstrated the ability of LM to transport electrically conducting, non-conducting, and magnetic materials within a microchannel and show the liquid metal actuation system can be potentially miniaturized to the size of a wearable device. We envision that with further miniaturization of the device architectures, our CEW platform can enable future integration of low-voltage electro-mechanical systems into a broad range of wearable form factors. Graphical Abstract
Outcomes of Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement in Low-Risk Patients in the United States: A Report From the STS/ACC TVT Registry
Authors: Andrew M. Vekstein, Zachary K. Wegermann, Pratik Manandhar, Michael J. Mack, David J. Cohen, G. Chad Hughes, J. Kevin Harrison, Tsuyoshi Kaneko, Samir R. Kapadia, Konstantinos Stathogiannis, William F. Fearon, Suzanne Arnold, Andrzej S. Kosinski, Martin B. Leon, Wayne B. Batchelor, Vinod H. Thourani, Sreekanth Vemulapalli
Journal: Circulation (2025)

BACKGROUND: Real-world low-risk transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) outcomes in the United States have not been assessed comprehensively versus pivotal trials, which is a key component of measuring the quality of clinical technology adoption. METHODS: We identified heart team–designated low-risk patients undergoing TAVR for trileaflet severe, symptomatic aortic stenosis in the Society of Thoracic Surgeons/American College of Cardiology Transcatheter Valve Registry, as well as a subset of patients who met low-risk trial inclusion and exclusion criteria, from January 2020 to March 2024. Outcomes (mortality, stroke, new pacemaker, and “alive and well,” defined as alive at 1 year with Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questionnaire score ≥60 and ≤10-point decrease from baseline) at 30 days and 1 year were assessed. Multivariable models were developed to assess predictors of death within 1 year after TAVR. RESULTS: Among 383 030 patients who underwent TAVR during the study period, 108 407 (28%) were designated low risk by the heart team, and 68 194 (18%) met other study inclusion and exclusion criteria. Of these, 62% (n=42 093) would have been eligible for the low-risk trials. In the overall heart team–designated low-risk population, 30-day outcomes included 0.8% mortality, 1.5% stroke, and 8.4% new permanent pacemaker requirement; 1-year outcomes included 4.6% mortality, 2.6% stroke, and 90% alive and well. In the trial-eligible population, 0.6% mortality, 1.4% stroke, and 8.0% new permanent pacemaker requirement had occurred by 30 days; values at 1 year included 3.1% mortality, 2.4% stroke, and 92% alive and well. Notable multivariable predictors of 1-year mortality were atrial fibrillation, nontransfemoral access, and lower baseline Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questionnaire score. CONCLUSIONS: One-year outcomes among real-world trial-eligible patients are excellent, but adverse events are higher compared with published clinical trial data, likely because of greater comorbidity burden and lower baseline Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questionnaire score. These data can help inform expected outcomes and health status after low-risk TAVR.