Single-crystal synchrotron X-ray diffraction data were collected up to 10 GPa at room temperature on a natural omphacite with composition close to Jd43Di57, at the Xpress beamline at Elettra Synchrotron, using a diamond anvil cell. A second-order Birch-Murnaghan equation of state (EoS) fit to the unit-cell volumes determined at 20 pressure points yielded V0 = 422.85(15) Å3, and K0 = 121.3(1.2) GPa. These elastic parameters are consistent with the general trend of the diopside–jadeite join. The structural evolution with pressure was determined from both ab initio simulations and structure refinements to the X-ray intensity data. The consistency between experimental findings and local geometrical distortions identified through ab initio calculations is discussed. A distortion variation at the M1 polyhedron occurs at ∼3 GPa, which correlates with the TILT angle of the T2 tetrahedron which stabilises at a similar pressure, coinciding with a decrease in the rate of M1 deformation under pressure.

These results revealing the structural evolution with pressure correlate with changes observed previously in some Raman shifts in the same pressure range in the same material.

The conventional historiography of eighteenth-century Prussia portrays peasants as completely dominated by their imperious Junker superiors. Since the 1980s, a revisionist tendency has challenged this asymmetrical picture of lord-peasant relations, downplaying the oppressiveness of the manorial system and arguing that peasants were equally capable competitors in the “tug-of-war” with their lords. This article evaluates the revisionists’ claims using the historical findings they, and others, have produced about the relationship of lords and peasants in rural Prussia. The evidence supports the contention that peasants were, to a significant extent, the victims of the Prussian manorial system.

We explore debt and debt management among older Americans (ages 51–61 years) using the 2018 National Financial Capability Study. Though these individuals should have been at the peak of their retirement savings, we show that many were heavily indebted, often due to unpaid medical bills and student loans. Additionally, fewer than half (43%) could correctly answer three basic financial literacy questions; importantly, less financially literate people were more likely to hold excessive debt, be contacted by debt collectors, and carry medical debt or student loans. Our findings show that, even before the pandemic, a sizable proportion of older Americans was financially distressed, underscoring the need for researchers and policymakers to devote attention to specific types of debt that burden the older population. Particularly vulnerable groups include African-Americans, women, and the least-educated.

The gambler’s ruin problem for correlated random walks (CRWs), both with and without delays, is addressed using the optional stopping theorem for martingales. We derive closed-form expressions for the ruin probabilities and the expected game duration for CRWs with increments $\{1,-1\}$ and for symmetric CRWs with increments $\{1,0,-1\}$ (CRWs with delays). Additionally, a martingale technique is developed for general CRWs with delays. The gambler’s ruin probability for a game involving bets on two arbitrary patterns is also examined.

Unlike many other industrial societies, the partisan fights on the vaccination against COVID-19 in Taiwan centred on its brand choice rather than acceptance. Did the incumbent DPP supporters adhere to their party line of Medigen to vaccinate against COVID-19 during the pandemic? We argue that individual COVID-19 vaccine brand choices as gradually updated judgements during the pandemic were not solely determined by the party line, but jointly shaped by the strength of party affiliation and the level of government trust to facilitate decision-making in the highly uncertain information environment at the early stage of the pandemic. More specifically, when choosing COVID-19 vaccine brand, the incumbent DPP supporters, particularly weak ones, were more likely to adhere to their party line of Medigen as they trusted government more; however, this was only for the highly uncertain first shot, due to the absence of reliable information for making informed judgements about COVID vaccine brand choice at the early stage of the pandemic, not for the informationally rich booster shot. We report empirical findings consistent with our argument from statistical analyses of original data from a survey of 1642 Taiwanese adult respondents conducted in the fall of 2022.

Nutrition education is crucial for improving nutritional knowledge. This study aims to evaluate the impact of healthy nutrition education on hedonic hunger, adherence to the Mediterranean diet and self-efficacy for healthy eating among early adolescence. This one-group, pre-test-post-test, quasi-experimental study included 202 middle-school students. Data were collected using a researcher-designed survey that included demographic variables, the Children’s Power of Food Scale, the Self-Efficacy for Healthy Eating Scale, the Mediterranean Diet Score and the Brief Nutritional Knowledge Assessment Form. Anthropometric measurements (weight, height, waist circumference, hip circumference and neck circumference) were also taken. After the pre-test, each student received 2 h of healthy nutrition education. A follow-up survey was administered 4 weeks later. The study revealed that most early adolescents exhibited unhealthy dietary habits, such as skipping main meals (15·3 % all the time and 60·2 % occasionally), snacking on sweet treats (33·3 %) and having irregular eating patterns (47·4 %). Additionally, the early adolescents had higher weights, BMI, neck circumferences and heights compared with reference values (P < 0·01). Significant changes were observed post-intervention: lower hedonic hunger scores (beginning: 2·90 (sd 0·68), follow-up: 2·70 (sd 0·76), P < 0·01), decreased self-efficacy for healthy eating (beginning: 5·41 (sd 3·50), follow-up: 4·33 (sd 3·61), P < 0·01) and increased knowledge about healthy nutrition (beginning: 67·23 (sd 14·39), follow-up: 80·00 (sd 17·22), P < 0·01). This study highlighted that healthy nutrition education enhances nutritional knowledge and decreases hedonic dietary tendencies among early adolescents. Continued nutrition education may further improve children’s preferences for healthy foods.

This paper presents the design, implementation, and characterization of a compact two-stage analog phase-shifter for the Ka-band, based on thin-film technology. The design utilizes a reflective-type configuration, employing four metal-insulator-graphene diodes as reflective loads. The fabricated prototype is realized on an 8-µ m-thick flexible polyimide substrate and occupies less than 0.7 mm2 of chip area including the contact pads. Performance evaluation of the fabricated circuit reveals an S11 of better than −13 dB and an S21 of −3.3 dB with a tolerance of ± 0.5 dB across the frequency band from 28 to 36 GHz, along with a tunable phase difference ($\Delta\phi$) exceeding 70∘. The introduced flexible thin-film technology promotes the realization of flexible cost-effective beam steering for smart surfaces implementations for communication and biomedical applications.

The advent of new technologies, particularly artificial intelligence (AI), has expanded the array of options and enhanced performance in addressing biothreats. This article provides a comprehensive overview of the specific applications of AI in addressing biothreats, aiming to inform and enhance future practices. Research indicates that AI has significantly contributed to infectious disease surveillance and emergency responses, as well as bioterrorism mitigation; despite its limitations, it merits ongoing attention for further study and exploration. The effective deployment of next-generation AI in mitigating biothreats will largely hinge on our ability to engage in continuous experiential learning, acquire high-quality data, refine algorithms, and iteratively update practices. Meanwhile, it is essential to assess the operational risks associated with AI in the context of biothreats and develop robust solutions to mitigate potential risks.

The article examines the drivers of migrant atypical employment in the manufacturing sector of Emilia-Romagna, an Italian region that is well known for its high-quality manufacturing productions and industrial relations. By drawing on administrative data based on mandatory communications, we document that, even in such an institutional context, migrants have a disproportionately higher likelihood of being hired through either fixed-term or agency contracts than native workers. We interpret this evidence through a set of different theories, including human capital theory, dual labour market processes, the use of precarious contracts as screening devices, and institutional segmentation theories. The empirical analysis reveals that while migrant employment through fixed-term contracts is consistent with dual processes and screening practices, the hiring of migrants with agency contracts is driven by processes of institutional segmentation, through which employers shift the costs of flexibility to the most vulnerable and less organized segments within the labour force, such as migrants. Managerial and policy implications are discussed.

The fields of archaeology and museology are working to encourage and enforce research methodologies and policies that center reciprocity and respect among archaeologists, institutions, and Native Nations. This shift in approach is grounded in part by the inclusion of the Duty of Care clause in the revised NAGPRA regulations and partly by a revised awareness of ethical standards. Policy-level changes around research access are the most impactful but can also be the most challenging to initiate. In this article, we address shifts in both institutional research policies and researchers’ approaches and practices that actively incorporate Native perspectives. The framework presented was developed as a complement to the Indigenous Collections Care Guide and is grounded in case studies from three institutions that have changed their research policies. The resulting prompts, tips, examples, and challenges are provided for both researchers and institutions to evaluate research and access practices and how they intersect with Native perspectives. Seeking input and consent from Native Nations adds challenging layers to research, but the depth, quality, and impact of the research and the strengthening of relationships and trust with the communities significantly outweigh the extra time and effort.

Research informed by sociological neoinstitutionalism often frames organizational reactions to legal norms as either loose coupling, where formal legal commitments are only weakly aligned with actual practices, or tight coupling, where strong internal or external compliance pressures drive close alignment. This article introduces a third pattern – contentious coupling – where some organizational members attempt to realign practices with legal commitments, but these very efforts provoke pushback from others, resulting in substantive yet constrained success. This paradox is key to understanding the widespread yet limited effects of legal rights. I illustrate contentious coupling by examining how international human rights law has shaped solitary confinement reform in Taiwan. While hierarchical enforcement led by rights advocates and policymakers has successfully reduced prolonged solitary confinement, it has also alienated frontline correctional officers by triggering a sense of relative deprivation and perception of hypocrisy, encapsulated in their complaints of a “human rights upsurge.” In response, these officers engage in two forms of passive resistance – formalistic care and resistance spillover – both of which undermine the authority of human rights and hinder their capacity to transform correctional culture.

This study examined the motivational factors influencing African immigrants in New Zealand to become entrepreneurs and the factors that ensured their business success. Data were collected from 117 participants through survey questions employing the Qualtrics platform and its link was sent to participants in the Auckland region. Auckland was decided on for data collection, being the most populated city and the business nerve centre of New Zealand. The research was conducted using a descriptive and quantitative approach. From the analysis, the study found that passion for business entrepreneurship, flexibility, financial independence, generic independence, autonomy, and being one’s own boss are the most highly motivational factors for influencing African immigrants in New Zealand to opt for business ownership. The study also found that the six highest-rated reasons for African immigrants’ entrepreneurial business success in New Zealand were readiness to make sacrifices to succeed, always giving the best in everything that had to be done, the importance of action, a belief that everything is possible if the entrepreneur believes he/she can do it, the challenge of taking on new projects, and learning lessons from past failure. These findings are the most important factors helping African immigrant business owners in New Auckland Zealand to attain entrepreneurial and business success. This research maintains that the results shed light on why African migrants adopt business entrepreneurship and gear themselves up for success in New Zealand.