In this article, I place the blockchain within competing interpretations of the present as either an emerging technofeudal mode of production, or as a relatively unchanged capitalism. Drawing on a wide literature on zones – spaces in nation-states where the usual rules do not apply – I highlight three reconfigurations of territory, authority, and rights (TAR) associated with the blockchain today. These are: (1) the transnational expansion of crypto-related practices; (2) the national regulation and legitimation of cryptoassets; and (3) the reemergence of a liberal discourse linking human rights to the global exchange of private property. Through these examples, I demonstrate how the blockchain is part of a broader reshaping of accumulation and legal legitimation, mirroring the emergence of capitalism and the nation-state, but on a global scale. I conclude by arguing against the position that the reemergence of fascism is a red herring distracting us from the coming technofeudalism; instead, I claim that technofeudalism obscures the links between today’s techno-authoritarian shift and the enforcement of global corporate private property relations.

Constitutivism is the general view that some class of normative standards can be derived from the constitutive features of agency. The constitutivist claims that all persons, as agents, are bound by certain norms simply because they are agents. The view aims to counter sceptical worries about the bindingness of norms, moral or otherwise. I articulate a Hegelian version of constitutivism, according to which adherence to norms of recognition is both necessary to know what one has done in the past and to guide future action. A person cannot have a coherent conception of themselves as an agent if they do not abide by recognitive norms. Many existing versions of constitutivism promise too much. It is unlikely that we can derive all of morality from the constitutive features of agency. Hegel, however, allows us to see that the foundations of morality can be gleaned from the nature of action.

Loneliness and social isolation represent persisent global public health concerns, particurarly for people in later life, with extensive mental, social, and biological consequences. Both have been associated with increased risk of depression, anxiety, dementia, cardiovascular disease, premature mortality, and greater demand for health and social care services. A growing body of evidence indicates that nature-based interventions are effective in reducing loneliness, enhancing mood, and promoting overall well being, yet they still remain underutilised within health and social care strategies; particularly for older adults and those with limited mobility. One such initiative, Cycling Without Age, a grassroots programme, demonstrates the potential of nature-based interventions. Evidence across multiple contexts indicates improvements in mood, life satisfaction, and social connectedness, alongside benefits for families and care staff. Cycling Without Age illustrates a type of scalable, person-centred intervention that could be integrated into healthy ageing strategies. However, rigourous large-scale research remains scarce, which highlights the need for further evaluation to guide policy adoption and sustainable implementation. Effective responses to loneliness and social isolation require integrated support programmes that foster social connectedness and healthy ageing, delivered through coordinated efforts spanning public health, urban design, and community services.

Metaphysics is the science of what is as such. And what is is the formal object of thought; it is what is thought as such. Hence metaphysics, the science of being, is the self-clarification of thought. The original moment of metaphysics is Parmenides’ pronouncement that being and thinking are the same: ‘τὸ γὰρ αὐτὸ νοεῖν ἐστίν τε καὶ εἶναι’. The moment is recaptured when Hegel writes that, in the idea of being, thought embraces itself in its absolute abstraction. So this is the concern of metaphysics: thinking and being. That concern was central to a certain tradition of analytic philosophy, originating in Frege and Wittgenstein. Thus books belonging in this tradition bear titles like Word and Object, Mind and World. A late book in this tradition is Peacocke’s The Primacy of Metaphysics. It opposes itself to McDowell’s Mind and World and Dummett’s ‘What is a Theory of Meaning?’ In what follows I want to discuss that opposition. I shall do so in a way that, I hope, will show a reader of Hegel that it may be fruitful, in one’s attempts to think about thinking and being, to engage the said analytic tradition. In this qualified way, my contribution will bring today’s metaphysics into communication with Hegel’s philosophy, revealing, hopefully, the relevance of the former.

Childhood adversity is associated with increased engagement in health risk behaviors (HRBs), such as substance use, violence, and risky sexual behaviors during adolescence, which contribute to leading causes of death and disability throughout the lifespan. Threat and deprivation are two dimensions of adversity that impact health and wellbeing through partially distinct developmental pathways, but no studies have examined if and how HRBs differ by adversity dimension. This pre-registered network analysis examined the independent associations between threat, deprivation, and adolescent HRBs using data from the 2023 Youth Risk Behavior Survey. We hypothesized that both adversity dimensions would be associated with HRBs, with stronger associations for threat compared to deprivation. Participants were U.S. high school students (N = 7,691; 52% male, 48% female). Forty-six percent were white, 26% multiple races, 12% Black, 7% American Indian/Alaska Native, 4% Asian, < 1% Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander, and 20% Hispanic. Consistent with our hypotheses, network structures revealed that both threat and deprivation were associated with HRBs, the patterns of such associations varied by dimension, and the overall strength and number of HRB associations was greater for threat. Findings support the utility of dimensional models in linking childhood adversity to adolescent HRBs, with implications for research and clinical practice.

Smooth scouringrush is a deep-rooted, rhizomatous, herbaceous perennial that has been difficult to control in dryland wheat-producing regions in the Pacific Northwest. Long-term field experiments were conducted at Omak, Edwall, and Steptoe, WA, to evaluate herbicide sequences with chlorsulfuron + metsulfuron (21.9 + 4.4 g ai ha-1), triasulfuron (29.5 g ai ha-1), or MCPA ester (780 or 1122 g ae ha-1). The Omak trial (2017-2021) included two 2-year cycles of a winter wheat/chemical summer fallow rotation. The Edwall and Steptoe trials (2019-2025) included two 3-year cycles of winter wheat/spring wheat/chemical summer fallow rotation. Six pre-assigned herbicide sequences tested efficacy of 1) chlorsulfuron + metsulfuron applied in one or both chemical fallow phases and 2) triasulfuron applied only in wheat. MCPA ester was applied as a check treatment. Smooth scouringrush stem density was evaluated in each plot each year. Chlorsulfuron + metsulfuron applied in the first chemical summer fallow phase maintained relatively low stem density in all three trials through the first rotation cycle compared with the check treatment. Chlorsulfuron + metsulfuron applied in the second chemical summer fallow phase extended control through the second rotation cycle. However, in the 3-year rotation trials, chlorsulfuron + metsulfuron was not as effective in the second rotation cycle at Steptoe where stem densities only averaged 6 stems m-2 at time of the second application. Triasulfuron applied in wheat was not effective in controlling smooth scouringrush. Smooth scouringrush reduced wheat yield in the MCPA ester check sequence at Edwall, but no differences were observed at Steptoe or Omak. Chlorsulfuron + metsulfuron applied in chemical fallow is effective for long-term control of smooth scouringrush in wheat-based cropping systems. A subsequent application in chemical fallow can be effective if there are an adequate number of stems present to facilitate foliar uptake.

While financial knowledge and math knowledge have been independently associated with financial capability, there is limited research examining their joint roles in individuals’ financial behaviors. Using survey data from US adults drawn from a nationally representative, probability-based US panel, this brief examined the extent to which respondents’ financial and math knowledge are associated with financial behaviors, both in combination and separately. The results indicated that higher levels of financial and math knowledge are associated with better financial behaviors and that high levels of both financial and math knowledge are sometimes associated with better outcomes than either one alone. This suggests that the combination of math and financial knowledge is a useful topic of study for financial wellbeing.

High-energy mixing offers a novel approach to enhancing the efficiency of Portland cements that incorporate supplementary cementitious materials regarding the hydration time and compressive strength formation. This research focused on monitoring the formation and degradation of mineral phases, as well as the compressive strength development and heat flow of mortars, within the first 48 hours, using clinker-efficient Portland composite cements. This study involved mixing Portland cement containing 20 wt% amorphous blast furnace slag and 10 wt% limestone with water using three different high-energy mixing techniques. The results demonstrated that the compressive strength of the Portland composite cements was comparable to that of ordinary Portland cement within a 48-hour period. Rietveld refinement was employed to track the formation of portlandite and the sum of the amorphous phases quartz and tobermorite, as well as the degradation of tricalcium silicate. The decline in tricalcium silicate and the formation of Portlandite showed a significant increase in reaction speed due to high-energy mixing. Additionally, a reduction in calcite content was observed, suggesting that calcium carbonate contributes to the enhanced compressive strength observed within the first 48 hours.

This article examines how the Australian Liberal-National Coalition party’s (LNP) proposed working from home policy, which would have mandated a return to office for public servants, contributed to a dramatic electoral loss. The 2025 Australian federal election delivered an unexpected landslide victory to the incumbent Australian Labor Party, defying polling predictions that had shown the LNP leading by 10 percentage points just months earlier. We argue that this policy proposal violated an evolving social contract that encompasses hybrid working as a fundamental employment right. Through analysis of media coverage, polling data, and post-election commentary, we demonstrate that the LNP’s failure to recognise this shift in social expectations regarding work arrangements played a significant role in their electoral defeat. Our findings suggest that hybrid working has become institutionalised as part of Australia’s evolving social contract, with implications for future political discourse and employment policy.

As increasing numbers of students disclose mental health conditions, this study is the first to examine mental health status as a critical variable in foreign language anxiety research. Using a mixed-methods approach and drawing on data from 262 languages students at the Open University, it systematically compares foreign language speaking anxiety (FLSA) experiences between students with and without declared mental health conditions. Vocabulary retrieval emerged as the primary anxiety trigger common to all learners, however, significant distinctions emerged: students without mental health conditions expressed more academic-focused anxieties, whereas those with mental health conditions faced confidence and identity-based barriers. Students with mental health challenges are less likely to speak spontaneously and undertake spoken assessments, often opting to avoid online synchronous sessions entirely, requiring different coping strategies. The findings are analysed through a Universal Learning Design lens and reveal the need for tailored support and innovative pedagogical solutions, including AI-powered practice environments and self-compassion interventions specifically designed for online language learning contexts, to address the emotional barriers faced by students with mental health conditions. The study offers broader implications for inclusive (language) course design and learner engagement.

Body composition (BC) offers essential insights into the physical condition and performance capacity of athletes. Several factors can influence athletes' BC, such as nutrition, which can improve lean mass (LM) and body fat percentage (%BF). This longitudinal observational study aimed to investigate the factors influencing BC in professional female football players, including hormones, dietary habits, and physical activity, as these are relevant to their sport performance and health. Data related to dietary habits, DXA measurements, serum hormones, menstruation, and GPS metrics were collected in November 2023 and late March 2024 from 38 female football players from the Real Sociedad team. Of the 38 players enrolled, 35 completed all assessments and were included in the final analyses. Spearman correlations and linear regression analyses were performed. Statistically significant models were executed for %BF and LM (adjusted R2 = 0.55 and 0.47 respectively). For %BF, total testosterone had a positive influence while HSR (high-speed running) per minute, FSH, distance covered per minute, prolactin, and fat intake, influenced negatively. In the LM model, positive associations were total testosterone, progesterone, age, ACTH, and carbohydrate intake, while insulin, distance covered per minute, and, SHBG had negative associations. These results emphasise the complexity of the factors influencing BC in female football players. Personalising and periodising carbohydrate intake and monitoring training loads are crucial to prevent adverse effects like higher %BF and muscle catabolism. Establishing healthy nutritional practices is essential for long-term health and performance.