This article estimates separate individual and partisan incumbencyeffects in Uruguay’s regional elections (1971–2020). It contributes tothe limited evidence on incumbency effects in developing countries andto the emerging Differences-in-Discontinuities (Diff-in-Disc)literature, which addresses endogeneity and disentangles candidatefrom party effects within the same institutional setting. Exploitingconstitutionally mandated term limits and strong electoralenforcement, we identify clean causal effects using close electionsunder open and closed races. Results show a large and statisticallysignificant individual incumbency effect of approximately 74%,alongside non-significant partisan effects. These findings suggestthat incumbency in Uruguay is primarily personal rather thanparty-based. The results contribute to debates on personalization ofpolitics, proportional representation, and institutional developmentin Latin America, highlighting how strong democratic institutions cancoexist with highly individualized electoral dynamics.

This paper explores the ontological relationship between descriptive and normative by drawing on the perspectives of Ludwig Wittgenstein and Martin Heidegger. Through Wittgenstein’s concept of “grammar” and Heidegger’s notion of das Man, we see that normativity shapes human perception and interpretation, making descriptive neutrality unattainable. Descriptions are always informed by norms and norms evolve by descriptions. This intertwined relationship has significant implications for business ethics, since ethical conflicts can now be reframed as lack of normative references. Ultimately, the paper proposes a perspective of moral perspectivism.

Limpets are abundant and ecologically important gastropods in intertidal and some riverine ecosystems, yet their role in trematode transmission remains comparatively understudied. We investigated trematode infection in intertidal limpets from Otago Harbour, New Zealand, using a molecular approach. Two species were identified: the avian schistosome Gigantobilharzia cf. patagonensis in Siphonaria australis and Acanthoparyphium sp. A metacercariae in Notoacmea sp. Gigantobilharzia cf. patagonensis was detected at all five sampling sites, with prevalence ranging from 2.6% to 100%. Haplotype network analysis using cox1 revealed high haplotype diversity and a star-like topology, suggesting a recent population expansion. This study expanded the known diversity of marine schistosomes in the region and raises potential public health concerns with cercarial dermatitis. We also conducted a literature synthesis further demonstrating that limpets contribute to trematode transmission across 12 superfamilies and 23 families, with distinct parasitism profiles between freshwater and marine environments. These findings highlight limpets as overlooked but significant hosts in trematode ecology and emphasize the need for broader surveys and definitive host screening to resolve incomplete life cycles and assess epidemiological risks in coastal ecosystems.

We propose a bio-psycho-socio-anthropological (BPSA) model that mainstreams cultural formulation and power-aware practice across training, interventions and evaluation. Contrasting it with transcultural and community models, we show UK examples where embedding cultural insight in statutory decisions reduced detentions and improved engagement, aligning with national equality priorities.

The thesis of this article is that the understanding of the vocation of an artist in the writings of Jacques Maritain emerges as to develop habitus (practical virtues of the intellect) in order to direct their inspirations in order to make beautiful things that convey the spiritual heritage of the nation and the civilization and inspire others to contemplate God. This vocation to be an associate of God in creating beautiful works is a powerful reminder of the close relationship between all personal vocations and the common good. First I explore Maritain’s conversion to Catholicism, including through the arts. I next clarify Maritain’s Thomistic understanding of art as one expression of the illuminating intellect. I then review Maritain’s writings about the arts in education. I conclude with theological and pastoral reflections on the vocation of an artist.

We characterize dynamics of every distortion element in the group of diffeomorphisms of the 2-sphere that has at least two fixed points and another recurrent point. The key result is that if f is such a diffeomorphism, then the homeomorphism $\check {f}_{\mathrm { ann}}$, which is a lift of the homeomorphism of the closed annulus $\overline {\mathcal {A}}$ obtained from $\mathbb {S}^2$ by blowing up two fixed points of f to the universal covering space of $\overline {\mathcal {A}}$, has a unique rotation number. Moreover, we find the differential of such a distortion element in the group of diffeomorphisms of the 2-sphere at each fixed point up to conjugacy.

We propose a deep reinforcement learning (RL) framework designed to optimize the hedging of specific, user-defined risk factors—referred to as targeted risks—in financial instruments affected by multiple sources of uncertainty. Our methodology uses Shapley value decompositions to establish source of risk grouping’s contribution to the projected contract cash flows, providing a clear attribution of the profit and loss to distinct risk categories. Leveraging this decomposition, we apply deep RL to hedge only the targeted risks, while leaving non-targeted risks mostly unaffected. In addition, we introduce a joint neural network architecture in which the agent network utilizes risk estimates from a risk measurement neural network to stabilize the hedging strategy, taking into account local risk dynamics. Numerical experiments show that our approach outperforms traditional methods, such as delta hedging and traditional deep hedging, significantly reducing targeted risks in variable annuities while maintaining flexibility for broader applications.

We investigate the developmental consequences of slave-raiding in Eastern Europe, the largest source of slaves in the early modern world after West Africa. Drawing on a wide-ranging new dataset, we estimate that at least five million people were captured from hundreds of locations across Eastern Europe between the fifteenth and eighteenth centuries. We hypothesize that, over time, raids encouraged an economically advantageous process of defensive state-building linked to raided societies’ resistance to and lack of integration into the slave trade. Using difference-in-differences and instrumental variables strategies, we find that exposure to raids is positively associated with long-run urban growth and related indicators of demographic and commercial development. Consistent with our posited mechanism, raided areas constructed more robust defensive infrastructures and attained higher levels of military, administrative, and fiscal capacity. Our findings suggest that the structure of slave production conditions its developmental legacies, cautioning against drawing generalizations from the African context.

This paper examines how tourism served as a vehicle for informal political propaganda in postwar Taiwan under Guomindang (GMD) rule. Following the Second World War, when the GMD began governing Taiwan, the government recognized tourism’s potential for ideological projection and national legitimation. Through analysis of tourism promotional materials, policy documents, and news reports from Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Southeast Asia, this paper demonstrates how Taiwan deliberately positioned itself as the authentic guardian of ‘Cultural China’ within a competitive regional context. The GMD government strategically deployed Chinese cultural traditions and landmarks as tourism attractions to establish Taiwan’s cultural legitimacy, particularly targeting overseas Chinese communities through ‘returning home tourism’ initiatives that framed Taiwan as the authentic homeland for all ethnic Chinese. Significantly, while Hong Kong promoted itself under the banner ‘The Orient is Hong Kong’ primarily to Western tourists, Taiwan’s dual strategy sought to attract both international visitors interested in experiencing ‘mysterious China’ and overseas Chinese through tourism experiences that showcased ‘Free China’ or ‘Cultural China’. This approach constituted a systematic attempt to legitimize Taiwan’s claim to represent China proper, even as its formal diplomatic position deteriorated in the 1970s. The paper argues that Taiwan’s tourism strategy represented a deliberate political calculation that transcended economic objectives, transforming cultural tourism into a powerful tool for asserting sovereignty and maintaining international relevance despite growing diplomatic isolation.

The black soldier fly (BSF) (Hermetia illucens) has gained global economic relevance as a sustainable resource for animal feed, organic waste bioconversion, and the production of nutrient-rich frass for agricultural use. Its ability to convert low-value waste streams into high-value proteins, lipids, and fertilisers makes BSF a key component of emerging circular-economy models. However, the influence of vegetable and fruit waste (VFW) substrates on insect performance, nutrient composition, frass quality, and economic efficiency remains poorly defined. This study evaluated five substrate levels obtained by mixing laying hen feed with VFW at 0%, 25%, 50%, 75%, and 100%, assessing their effects on the growth performance, body measurements, chemical composition, frass characteristics, and economic traits of BSF larvae and prepupae. The results showed that up to 75% VFW can be used to rear BSF up to 23 days of age without compromising growth traits. Substrate reduction ranged from 67.2% to 89.4%, and larval-to-prepupal conversion increased with feed intake. VFW level significantly affected larval and prepupal nutrient profiles, including dry matter, crude protein, ether extract, nitrogen-free extract, and chitin. Frass from the 100% VFW substrate exhibited the highest nutrient concentration, although this inclusion level impaired feed conversion due to elevated fibre content. Economic analysis indicated that using VFW can reduce substrate costs without negatively affecting revenue. Overall, a VFW inclusion level of up to 75% is recommended as the optimal balance between insect growth efficiency, nutrient recycling, and frass fertilising potential.