This study proposes a novel time-varying, endogenous fiscal reaction function, and investigates whether and how the US government responded to the rising debt to assess the sustainability of its debt over 1916 to 2022. The reaction function is estimated via a state space model using Bayesian methods by treating its coefficient as an unobservable stochastic process. Although there is evidence that the government considered long-term projections of the interest rate in its fiscal decisions, the response to debt was largely driven by unobservable non-economic factors and by large and persistent shocks. We find that the government was more proactive about constraining debt increases during the 20th century than previously thought (such as in Bohn, 1998), but it has become less aggressive ever since. The debt-GDP ratio was sustainable for almost the entire sample period, but its steady state value has been rising consistently in recent years. The government’s response to debt contributed 6.0 percentage points to the surplus-GDP ratio in the postwar 20th century, but only 3.6 percentage points afterward.

The blood-milk barrier (BMB) forms at parturition when the gland switches form a non-lactating state to one of copious milk production and becomes leaky again when milk removal ceases and mammary involution is initiated. In this review the importance of the BMB in milk production and, in particular, its hormonal regulation is explored. Tight junctions (TJ) between adjacent mammary epithelial cells form a barrier to the two-directional paracellular movement of small molecules between the blood and milk and are responsible for establishing and maintaining the BMB. They form part of the cell's junctional complex and consist of transmembrane proteins that are linked to the mammary cell's cytoskeleton. This means that when, during lactation, TJ become “leaky” the resulting perturbation of the cytoskeleton interferes with the cell's secretory function. As such, TJ are involved in regulating and maintaining milk production. Mammary TJ are under hormonal control, with progesterone, glucocorticoids, prolactin, parathyroid hormone-related peptide (PTHrP) and serotonin (5-HT) being the key hormones. Progesterone prevents closure of TJ and the immediate prepartum drop in its concentration is a prerequisite for TJ closure. A simultaneous increase in the levels of glucocorticoids and prolactin is necessary for full TJ closure and initiation and maintenance of lactation. Both PTHrP and 5-HT are important hormones in maintaining extracellular calcium concentrations, a requirement for maintaining TJ integrity. Whereas PTHrP reduces TJ permeability, necessary for establishing and maintaining milk production, 5-HT has an opening effect on TJ. The latter may help speed up mammary involution and facilitate the movement of immune factors into the gland, preventing intramammary infections. In summary, mammary TJ make up the BMB and play a role in establishing and maintaining milk production and are under hormonal control, with progesterone, glucocorticoids, PTHrP and 5-HT being key regulatory hormones and prolactin likely playing a supporting role.

This article examines the theology of Katherine Parr, sixth and surviving wife of Henry VIII, through a close reading of her mature work, The Lamentation of a Sinner. In particular, I treat Parr’s theological use of the epistle to the Romans to inform and structure her doctrine of the work of Christ within The Lamentation. I argue that Parr follows the structure of Romans in her opening lament over sin, her central discussion of the cross of Christ, and her application of this theology to the Christian lives of the people of England’s church. I also posit Parr’s use of several overlapping motifs for Christ’s work within The Lamentation’s treatment of the atonement and its relationship to the Protestant understanding of justification by faith.

The aim of this Research Communication was to develop new flow cytometric tools for the fine identification and characterization of milk somatic cells in water buffalo (Bubalus bubalis). Four multicolour panels of antibodies were designed to identify different subsets of live leukocytes and epithelial cells in bulk milk samples. Panel 1, including the CD18/CD172a/CD14/CD16 markers and Live/Dead vitality dye, allowed us to identify total lymphocytes, polymorphonuclear neutrophils (PMN) and monocyte/macrophage subsets. Panel 2 (CD18/CD4/CD8/δ chain/CD335 and Live/Dead dye) allowed us to identify T helper (CD4+), T cytotoxic (CD8+), γδ lymphocytes and NK cells. Panel 3 (CD18/CD79a/CD21 and Live/Dead dye) allowed us to identify total and CD21+ B lymphocytes. Finally, with Panel 4 (CD18/MHC-I/pan Cytokeratin and Live/Dead dye) the epithelial cells were distinguished from leukocytes. In conclusion, we propose a fine characterization of live milk somatic cell (live differential cell count (LDCC)) in buffalo species. In the future the determination of LDCC could used to identify new markers for detecting early inflammatory states of the mammary gland or for monitoring the technological properties of milks of different somatic cell composition.

On January 20, 2025, President Donald Trump issued a presidential memorandum that mandated all federal employees return to in-person work full time. Implementation guidance from the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) required rapid policy revisions. The order marks a sharp departure from prior federal telework policies, including longstanding efforts to expand flexible work as a tool for recruitment, retention, productivity, and inclusion. Contrary to claims that in-person work boosts efficiency, research shows remote work generally has no adverse impact on productivity and supports performance in both public and private sectors. The return-to-office mandate is likely to lead to turnover, particularly among highly skilled workers, creating risks of brain drain and diminished capacity to compete with the private sector for talent. It also threatens diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts by disproportionately burdening women, caregivers, individuals with disabilities, workers of color, and LGBTQ+ employees. These changes, alongside parallel executive actions undermining DEI programs, reflect a broader return to traditional, centralized models of work built on outdated “ideal worker” norms. These changes have the potential to negatively reshape federal employment for years to come.

On what basis may the International Criminal Court (“ICC”) exercise its jurisdiction over States that have withdrawn from the Rome Statute? Is it enough that the alleged crimes occurred before the State withdrew from the treaty? When acting proprio motu, does the Prosecutor have to seek authorization from a Pre-Trial Chamber before they are allowed to proceed with the criminal investigation post-State withdrawal? This issue has received only cursory attention from the ICC and the academic community but the lack of clarity around the Court’s post-withdrawal jurisdiction is a serious concern, and not only for States that have withdrawn their membership (such as the Philippines). It is important because, as things stand, and given what the Court has said so far, States parties cannot be sure of the parameters of the Court’s temporal jurisdiction, nor of the legal effects of a State’s withdrawal.

Although unconditional cash transfers (UCTs) were an important government intervention during the COVID-19 crisis worldwide, research covering UCTs’ impact on compliance with public health recommendations, at an individual level, remains limited to low-income countries. This study assesses the association between UCTs’ reception and compliance with public health recommendations in the United States. Longitudinal data from the Understanding Coronavirus in America panel are applied to difference-in-differences models to estimate how Economic Impact Payments’ reception, associated with the CARES Act 2020, impacted a variety of pandemic health behaviours. UCTs’ reception was associated with increased uptake of explicitly costly health behaviours, such as facemasks, but not with increased compliance amongst behaviours more generally. Moreover, results document stronger effects amongst poorer households. These findings have theoretical implications for how government transfers impact individual behaviour during periods of crisis and for the direction of future research.

This study longitudinally examined associations between parent and peer relationships, childhood maltreatment, and adolescents’ psychopathology. We expected lower perceived parental relationship quality to predict greater symptomatology and higher perceived friendship quality to buffer this association, with greater buffering effects for maltreated participants. We assessed 545 participants (295 maltreated, 250 non-maltreated; 60.2% male; 52.8% Black, 27.5% White, 12.8% Bi-racial, 13.4% Latin@) across two timepoints (Wave 1, Mage = 13.8 years, Wave 2, Mage = 16.2 years). Department of Human Services records indicated maltreatment status prior to Wave 1. Adolescents self-reported Wave 1 parental relationship and friendship quality and Wave 2 internalizing/externalizing symptoms. Parental relationship quality did not predict psychopathology, and this association did not differ by maltreatment status. We found a significant three-way interaction between maternal relationship quality, maltreatment, and friendship quality on internalizing (β = .10, p = .037) and externalizing (β = .12, p = .010) symptoms. For non-maltreated adolescents, parental relationships and friendship quality differentially predicted symptomatology. Maltreated adolescents with low maternal relationship and friendship quality exhibited the most symptoms, whereas those with low maternal relationship quality and high friendship quality exhibited the least. Findings invite inquiry into parent and peer relationships’ differential roles in adolescents’ psychopathology.

Our aim is to illuminate the persistent problem of evidence in cases of sexual violence in conflict zones by investigating the relationship between archival practices and processes of legal redress. This special issue consists of six essays, with contributors drawn from the disciplines of history and law. In temporal terms, the cases range from the seventeenth century to the late twentieth century; spatially, they address conflicts in Africa, Asia, Europe, and the United States. The case studies each offer an overview of “their archive,” explain its creation and limitations, and address its political logic and uses. As we interrogate archives, where evidence of sexual violence is located, it is critical that we note three things. First, to understand the nature and political construction of the archive. Second, to use this insight to interpret and assess the nexus of power relations within which historical and contemporary actors operate. Finally, to remember the inescapable limits of the evidence that shape the pursuit of justice, past or present.

We report a rare case of a 3-month-old male infant with Down syndrome, severe pulmonary arterial hypertension (a large patent ductus arteriosus, an atrial septal defect, and a giant hepatic arteriovenous malformation). Initial treatment involved hepatic arteriovenous malformation embolisation using 17 Azur® CX Peripheral Coils, resulting in clinical improvement. However, persistent pulmonary arterial hypertension led to patent ductus arteriosus closure using an 8-mm Lifetech Cera™ vascular plug after a successful balloon occlusion test. Post-intervention, the patient showed symptomatic relief, reduced right ventricular overload, and atrial septal defect shunting shifted to left to right. This is the first reported paediatric case combining these features successfully managed through a multidisciplinary and stepwise treatment approach, eliminating the need for liver transplantation.