Neurodegenerative diseases (NDDs) are a group of complex disorders marked by pathophysiological mechanisms involving protein aggregation, mitochondrial dysfunction, oxidative stress and neuroinflammation. Irrespective of extensive research advances, NDDs have become a serious global concern and persist as a major therapeutic challenge. In recent years, microRNAs (miRNAs), a class of small non-coding RNAs, have established a pivotal role in combating NDDs. The altered expression of miRNAs is reported to be associated with the progression of various NDDs. This review aims to discuss miRNA biogenesis; dysregulation in NDDs, specifically Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease (PD) and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis; their potential as biomarkers; and promising therapeutic targets. Additionally, there are various emerging technologies discussed that are advanced approaches to enhance miRNA-based diagnostics and therapeutics.

Let $A\ \mathrm{and}\ B$ be subsets of $(\mathbb {Z}/p^r\mathbb {Z})^2$. In this note, we provide conditions on the densities of A and B such that $|gA-B|\gg p^{2r}$ for a positive proportion of $g\in SO_2(\mathbb {Z}/p^r\mathbb {Z})$. The conditions are sharp up to constant factors in the unbalanced case, and the proof makes use of tools from discrete Fourier analysis and results in restriction/extension theory.

Highlights from the International Symposium on Twins, held at the University of Crete on May 23−24, 2025, are summarized. The symposium, organized by Dr Maria Markodimitraki, Professor in the Department of Preschool Education at the University of Crete, attracted scholars and practitioners from Greece and around the world. Meetings with a pair of reunited monozygotic female twins, and a female twin in search of her sister, also from Greece, are described. This review is followed by summaries of twin research on neonatal outcomes, growth discordance and restriction, and romantic partners and alcohol use. Human interest stories include a book documenting the extraordinary lives of identical twins Celia and Mamaine Paget, a museum wing honoring the lost Rockefeller twin, a remarkable conjoined twinning case in India, the death of an Australian sports icon, and a most unusual triplet birth.

Legacy collections frequently originate from Indigenous archaeological sites with extensive histories of investigation and removal by numerous institutions and individuals. These “split” collections complicate institutional compliance with the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA; 25 U.S.C. § 3001-13) , in part by hindering the identification of cultural items, including associated and unassociated funerary objects. In aligning with the spirit of NAGPRA and following guidance received during consultation with Tribal Nations, institutional NAGPRA practitioners strive to repatriate the Ancestors removed from these locations whole, both in body and cultural items, facilitating a respectful return to living communities. Moreover, collaborating across institutions and in coordination with Tribal Nations has the potential both to lessen the burden on Tribal Nations and minimize repetitive trauma brought about by multiple repatriations of Ancestors and cultural items from the same site. Accomplishment of this repatriation goal often requires cross-institutional collaboration to reconcile these legacy “split collections.” In this article, we present the roadmap developed and used by the University of Wisconsin–Oshkosh and the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee for repatriation with split collections, with some considerations for fruitful interinstitutional collaboration.

Effective performance of oil-based drilling fluids (OBFs) in demanding high-temperature environments hinges on the stability of their rheological properties. However, conventional organoclays (OCs) utilized to control these properties often exhibit thermal degradation at elevated temperatures, necessitating the development of more robust alternatives. Therefore, the present study aimed to develop a high-temperature-resistant OC to enhance OBF rheological stability. To address the thermal instability issues of conventional quaternary organo-montmorillonites (OMts), which manifest as interlayer structural collapse and particle aggregation, an innovative dual modification strategy was developed through the synergistic combination of quaternary ammonium intercalation and silane grafting. Montmorillonite (Mnt) was modified with dioctadecyl dimethyl ammonium chloride (1821) and stearyl dimethyl benzyl ammonium chloride (1827) at a mass ratio of 2:1 to yield 1821+1827-OMt, which was subsequently further modified with dodecyl trimethoxy silane (DTMS) to form 1821+1827+DTMS-OMt. Comparison of the properties of 1821+1827-OMt and 1821+1827+DTMS-OMt after high temperatures revealed the following. (1) Thermogravimetric (TG) and derivative thermogravimetric (DTG) analysis and gel volume tests demonstrated that the Si–O–Si bonds in 1821+1827+DTMS-OMt were thermally stable up to ~440°C, and the gel volume of the 1821+1827+DTMS-OMt suspension remained stable at 100 mL following high-temperature aging treatments. (2) X-ray diffraction and elemental analysis revealed that 1821+1827+DTMS-OMt exhibited a larger basal spacing and larger nitrogen content compared with ungrafted 1821+1827-OMt. (3) The suspension containing 1821+1827+DTMS-OMt demonstrated enhanced thermal stability at 260°C, evidenced by its narrower rheological parameter ranges of apparent viscosity (6–12 mPa s), plastic viscosity (5–9 mPa s), and yield point (1–3 Pa), compared with those of the suspension containing 1821+1827-OMt. (4) Optical microscopy demonstrated that 1821+1827+DTMS-OMt exhibited greater resistance to agglomeration at high temperatures than 1821+1827-OMt. The high-temperature-resistant OC developed in this study overcomes the thermal instability of traditional OCs, providing a robust approach for enhancing the efficiency and reliability of oil-based drilling fluids in high-temperature drilling applications.

In March 1933, the United States Congress declared beer up to 3.2 percent alcohol by weight to be “non-intoxicating,” thus allowing it to be produced and sold while the nation was still under the 18th Amendment’s ban of intoxicating liquors. Brewers had long argued that beer was a temperance beverage that should be regulated with a lighter touch than harder liquor. In fact, the declaration that 3.2 beer was non-intoxicating opened several markets that would otherwise have been closed to brewers. In the decades that followed Repeal, 3.2 beer continued to be treated differently than stronger alcohol with respect to who, when, where, and how it was legally available. This paper explores the important—and continuing—role that 3.2 beer has played in the post-Prohibition United States.

Cryptosporidium parvum is a well-established cause of gastrointestinal illness in both humans and animals and often causes outbreaks at animal contact events, despite the availability of a code of practice that provides guidance on the safe management of these events. We describe a large C. parvum outbreak following a lamb-feeding event at a commercial farm in Wales in 2024, alongside findings from a cohort study to identify high-risk exposures. Sixty-seven cases were identified, 57 were laboratory-confirmed C. parvum, with similar genotypes. Environmental investigations found a lack of adherence to established guidance. The cohort study identified 168 individuals with cryptosporidiosis-like illness from 540 exposure questionnaires (distributed via email to 790 lead bookers). Cases were more likely to have had closer contact with lambs (odds ratio (OR) kissed lambs = 2.4, 95% confidence interval (95% CI): 1.2–4.8). A multivariable analysis found cases were more likely to be under 10 years (adjusted OR (aOR) = 4.5, 95% CI: 2.0–10.0) and have had visible faeces on their person (aOR = 3.6, 95% CI: 2.1–6.2). We provide evidence that close contact at lamb-feeding events presents an increased likelihood of illness, suggesting that farms should limit animal contact at these events and that revisions to established codes of practice may be necessary. Enhancing risk awareness among farmers and visitors is needed, particularly regarding children.

Here we present the first single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis of zolenskyite, a chromium-bearing sulfide mineral (FeCr2S4) and newly identified polymorph of daubréelite, discovered in the Muonionalusta meteorite, a well-characterized IVA iron meteorite. Zolenskyite occurs as rare micron-scale grains associated closely with daubréelite and stishovite, within a troilite matrix. Chemical analysis confirms a pure, homogeneous FeCr2S4 composition. The crystal structure was refined in the monoclinic C2/m space group, revealing a framework of face-sharing octahedra, consistent with a cation-deficient NiAs-type structure, distinct from the spinel-type structure of daubréelite. Zolenskyite forms under high-pressure (>7 GPa) and high-temperature (>1000 K) conditions, probably through solid-state transformation from daubréelite during shock events. The serendipitous recognition of zolenskyite emphasizes the value of careful micron-scale mineralogical investigations in revealing transient or metastable phases that record otherwise inaccessible physicochemical conditions. These findings contribute to understanding the thermal and shock history of meteorite parent bodies and the stability of Fe–Cr sulfides in extraterrestrial environments.

In this paper we study the optimal multiple stopping problem with weak regularity for the reward, where the reward is given by a set of random variables indexed by stopping times. When the reward family is upper semicontinuous in expectation along stopping times, we construct the optimal multiple stopping strategy using the auxiliary optimal single stopping problems. We also obtain the corresponding results when the reward is given by a progressively measurable process.

Many countries struggle to heal the wounds caused by past governmental discrimination against minorities, a process sometimes made difficult by continuing instances of injustice. One tool to improve majority-minority relations is Truth and Reconciliation Commissions (TRCs), which document historical injustices. We collect data before and after the release of the Norwegian TRC report on the treatment of the Sámi and other national minorities, which allows us to investigate its effects on reconciliatory attitudes. We further leverage the unrelated outbreak of demonstrations against current injustices, allowing us to examine responses to both past and current injustices. We find greater support for some aspects of reconciliation, but mainly in areas with a small presence of national minorities. Our results show the limits of TRCs when current conflicts shape the interpretation of historical injustice.

This article aims at facilitating the widespread application of Energy Management Systems (EMSs), especially in buildings and cities, in order to support the realization of future carbon-neutral energy systems. We claim that economic viability is a severe issue for the utilization of EMSs at scale and that the provisioning of forecasting and optimization algorithms as a service can make a major contribution to achieving it. To this end, we present the Energy Service Generics software framework that allows the derivation of fully functional services from existing forecasting or optimization code with ease. This work documents the strictly systematic development of the framework, beginning with requirement analysis, from which a sophisticated design concept is derived, followed by a description of the implementation of the framework. Furthermore, we present the concept of the Open Energy Services community, our effort to continuously maintain the service framework but also provide ready-to-use forecasting and optimization services. Finally, an evaluation of our framework and community concept, as well as a demarcation between our work and the current state of the art, is presented.

This study uniquely explores the impact of militarization on carbon emissions in North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) countries from 1985 to 2019 using panel econometric techniques. NATO countries, characterized by substantial defense budgets, advanced technologies, high industrialization, and significant energy consumption, offer a unique context for examining these factors. Employing the Pooled Mean Group Autoregressive Distributed Lag (PMG-ARDL) and FMOLS models, the research analyzes the long-term and short-term dynamics across three groups: traditional NATO members (Group 1), new NATO members (Group 2), and a combined group (Group 3). Relevant variables used in the estimation are industrialization, technological innovation, energy consumption, and economic growth. Findings reveal that in Group 1, military expenditure and energy consumption significantly increase carbon emissions, while industrialization and technological innovation reduce them. In Group 2, increased military spending and industrialization reduce emissions, but energy consumption and technological innovation increase them. For Group 3, economic growth significantly drives emissions, whereas industrial advancements and selective technological innovations mitigate them. The study underscores the need for tailored environmental policies and technological advancements to reduce carbon emissions, contributing to sustainable development within military alliances. These insights are crucial for policymakers aiming to balance defense needs with environmental sustainability in NATO countries.

While the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) were being negotiated, global policymakers assumed that advances in data technology and statistical capabilities, what was dubbed the “data revolution”, would accelerate development outcomes by improving policy efficiency and accountability. The 2014 report to the United Nations Secretary General, “A World That Counts” framed the data-for-development agenda, and proposed four pathways to impact: measuring for accountability, generating disaggregated and real-time data supplies, improving policymaking, and implementing efficiency. The subsequent experience suggests that while many recommendations were implemented globally to advance the production of data and statistics, the impact on SDG outcomes has been inconsistent. Progress towards SDG targets has stalled despite advances in statistical systems capability, data production, and data analytics. The coherence of the SDG policy agenda has undoubtedly improved aspects of data collection and supply, with SDG frameworks standardizing greater indicator reporting. However, other events, including the response to COVID-19, have played catalytic roles in statistical system innovation. Overall, increased financing for statistical systems has not materialized, though planning and monitoring of these national systems may have longer-term impacts. This article reviews how assumptions about the data revolution have evolved and where new assumptions are necessary to advance the impact across the data value chain. These include focusing on measuring what matters most for decision-making needs across polycentric institutions, leveraging the SDGs for global data standardization and strategic financial mobilization, closing data gaps while enhancing policymaker analytic capabilities, and fostering collective intelligence to drive data innovation, credible information, and sustainable development outcomes.

Life cycle assessment (LCA) reports are commonly used for sustainability documentation, but extracting useful information from them is challenging and requires expert oversight. Designers frequently face technical obstacles and time constraints when interpreting LCA documents. As AI-driven tools become increasingly integrated into design workflows, there is an opportunity to improve access to sustainability data. This study used a mixed-methods approach to develop life cycle design heuristics to help non-LCA experts acquire relevant design knowledge from LCA reports. Developed through in-depth interviews with LCA experts (n = 9), these heuristics revealed five prominent categories of information: (1) scope of analysis, (2) priority components, (3) eco hotspots, (4) key metrics, and (5) design strategies. The utility of these heuristics was tested in a need-finding study with designers (n = 17), who annotated an LCA report using the heuristics. Findings suggest a need for additional support to help designers contextualize quantitative metrics (e.g., carbon footprints) and suggest relevant design strategies. A follow-up reflective interview study with LCA experts gathered feedback on the heuristics. These heuristics offer designers a framework for engaging with sustainability data, supporting product redesign, and a foundation for AI-assisted knowledge extraction to integrate life cycle information into design workflows efficiently.

Older adults often experience a decline in functional abilities, affecting their independence and mobility at home. Wearable lower-limb exoskeletons (LLEs) have the potential to serve as both assistive devices to support mobility and training tools to enhance physical capabilities. However, active end-user involvement is crucial to ensure LLEs align with users’ needs and preferences. This study employed a co-design methodology to explore home-based LLE requirements from the perspectives of older adults with mobility impairments and physiotherapists. Four older adults with self-reported mobility limitations participated by creating personas to represent different user needs and experiences (i.e., PERCEPT methodology), alongside four experienced physiotherapists who contributed their professional insights. As assistive devices, LLEs were seen as valuable for promoting independence, supporting mobility, and facilitating social participation, with essential activities including shopping, toileting, and outdoor walking. Physiotherapists expressed enthusiasm for integrating LLEs into remote rehabilitation programs, particularly to improve strength, balance, coordination, and walking speed. Key design considerations included a lightweight, discreet device that is easy to don and doff and comfortable for extended wear. Physiotherapists highlighted the potential of digital monitoring to assess physical parameters and personalize therapy. Fatigue emerged as a significant challenge for older adults, reinforcing the need for assistive LLEs to alleviate exhaustion and enhance functional independence. A shortlist of LLE features was drafted and scored, covering activity and design applications. These findings provide valuable insights into the design and usability of home-based LLEs, offering a foundation for developing devices that improve acceptance, usability, and long-term impact on healthy ageing.

World-historical analyses often view the “Asian” empires that survived into the twentieth century (the Russian, Qing, and Ottoman empires) as anomalies: sovereign “archaic” formations that remained external to the capitalist system. They posit an antagonistic relationship between state and capital and assume that modern capitalism failed to emerge in these empires because local merchants could not take over their states, as they did in Europe. Ottoman economic actors, and specifically the sarraf as state financier, have accordingly been portrayed as premodern intermediaries serving a “predatory” fiscal state, and thus, as external to capitalist development. This article challenges these narratives by uncovering the central role of Ottoman sarrafs, tax-farmers, and other merchant-financiers in the expanding credit economy of the mid-nineteenth century, focusing on their investment in the treasury bonds of Damascus. I show how fiscal change and new laws on interest facilitated the expansion of credit markets while attempting to regulate them by distinguishing between legitimate interest and usury. I also discuss Ottoman efforts to mitigate peasant indebtedness and the abuse of public debt by foreigners, amid the treasury bonds’ growing popularity. In this analysis, global capitalism was forged in the encounter between Ottoman imperial structures, geo-political concerns, and diverse, interacting traditions of credit, while the boundaries between public and private finance were being negotiated and redefined. Ultimately, Ottoman economic policies aimed to retain imperial sovereignty against European attempts to dominate regional credit markets—efforts often recast by the latter as “fanatical” Muslim resistance.