This article analyses the representation of Spanish history in the operas ‘Fernand Cortez’ (1809) and ‘Pélage’ (1814), along with their ambivalent political uses and economic dynamics at the Paris Opéra during the transition from the First Empire to the Bourbon Restoration. It seeks to complement historiographical interpretations that often view these operas primarily as vehicles of Napoleonic or Bourbon propaganda, by examining the artistic careers of their authors – especially the composer Gaspare Spontini (1774–1851) and librettist Etienne de Jouy (1764–1846). A closer look at their personal and professional paths reveals a multi-layered space of symbolic conflict, shaped by disputes over reputation and competition for positions within the Parisian musical milieu. Drawing on archival and press sources, this paper studies the interplay between official political agendas and individual ambitions, considering how the self-serving staging of Spanish medieval and imperial history was incorporated into French narratives of power.

Nutrition plays a pivotal role in cancer survivorship, influencing not only long-term health outcomes but also quality of life and risk of recurrence. As advances in early detection and treatment have led to a growing global population of cancer survivors, attention has increasingly shifted from acute care to the promotion of sustained well-being and prevention of secondary health challenges. Despite growing evidence linking dietary patterns, body composition and metabolic health with survivorship outcomes, there remains significant variability in nutritional guidance, access to evidence-based interventions and integration of nutrition into oncology care. This review explores the current state of knowledge on nutrition in cancer survivorship, highlights key challenges faced by healthcare systems and patients and presents a new proposed model of care to optimise nutrition within survivorship care, bridging the evidence-practice gap.

Urban tourism has expanded dramatically in recent decades, reshaping European cities economically, socially and culturally. Yet its roots run much deeper, as (early) modern urban centres – especially in the Low Countries – developed distinctive traditions of tourism and place promotion. This special issue highlights how civic boosterism, marketing innovations and inter-urban competition shaped these early practices. Bringing together new research on Belgium and the Netherlands, the special issue uncovers the actors, tools and narratives that fashioned urban tourism long before the late twentieth-century boom. Collectively, the contributions rethink the genealogy of urban tourism by analysing its ‘orgware’, ‘hardware’ and ‘software’ from the late eighteenth to twentieth centuries.

Attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). However, whether this is a causal relation and how ADHD may predispose to a higher risk of CVD needs to be determined. We aimed to assess the causal association between ADHD and both coronary artery disease (CAD) and heart failure (HF), and to quantify the mediating effects of potential modifiable mediators. We conducted a two-step, two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) study using SNPs as genetic instruments for exposure and potential mediators. Leveraging summary data on the latest genomewide association studies for ADHD, proposed mediators (i.e., metabolic factors, inflammatory factors, lifestyle behaviors, psychiatric disorders, and educational attainment), CAD and HF, we decomposed the total effect of ADHD on each outcome into direct and indirect effects through multiple mediators. Genetically predicted ADHD was associated with increased odds of CAD (OR 1.13; 95% CI [1.07, 1.19]), with educational attainment (EA) being the largest contributor (32.27% mediation, 95% CI [18.33%, 56.93%]). Body mass index (BMI), type 2 diabetes (T2D), EA, smoking initiation (SI), and depression jointly explained 83.59% (95% CI [63.95%, 101.49%]) of the association. Genetically predicted ADHD was associated with increased odds of HF (OR 1.11; 95% CI [1.05, 1.19]), with SI being the largest contributor (35.87% mediation, 95% CI [13.75%, 100.14%]). BMI, T2D, and SI jointly explained 82.39% (95% CI [45.90%, 131.60%]) of the association. The findings support a causal relationship between ADHD and both CAD and HF. Several modifiable risk factors substantially mediate these associations, suggesting potential targets for interventions aimed at reducing CVD risk in individuals with ADHD.

This study investigated the hypothesis that a natural biopolymer system could simultaneously mitigate and detect aflatoxin M1 (AFM1) contamination in milk. AFM₁, the hydroxylated metabolite of aflatoxin B₁, is a potent carcinogen that remains stable during milk processing and continues to pose significant food safety concerns. The research therefore aimed to determine the prevalence of moulds and AFM1 in raw buffalo and cow milk from Giza Governorate, Egypt, and to evaluate the performance of a novel natural biopolymer complex composed of chitosan, β-cyclodextrin, AFM₁-specific antibodies and anthocyanins, designed for dual functionality in AFM₁ adsorption and diagnostic signal enhancement. Total mould counts were assessed following the ISO protocol, while milk composition and somatic cell count (SCC) were determined by Bentley 150 scan. AFM1 detection was initially performed by thin-layer chromatography (TLC) and subsequently quantified by a validated reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method. The HPLC method exhibited excellent performance with linearity (R2 = 0.99999), sensitivity (LOD 0.002 µg/L, LOQ 0.007 µg/L) and precision (RSD ≤ 1.5%). The lowering in milk compositional quality was statistically significant (P < 0.05) with elevated SCC in AFM₁-positive samples. Screening revealed AFM1 contamination in 28% of buffalo and 56% of cow milk samples, with mean concentrations of 0.084 µg/L and 0.188 µg/L, respectively. Application of the natural biopolymer achieved AFM1 reductions of 65–73% in buffalo milk and 83–90% in cow milk, while anthocyanins within the polymer provided concentration-dependent diagnostic signals. Sensory evaluation indicated that treated milk maintained acceptable organoleptic properties without adverse effects on compositional quality. These findings emphasise the prospective use of natural biopolymers as dual-function analytical and mitigation tools for AFM1 in milk, offering a reliable approach for routine milk safety monitoring.

Revolutionary-era state constitutions reflected an unsettling tension in the history of American liberty. This article captures how revolutionary-era Americans accommodated moral liberty with religious establishment. Their notions of liberty were paradoxical, but it is possible to track their moral reasoning.

The west coast of India is highly productive during the southwest monsoon (SWM; June–September), primarily due to coastal upwelling. While the SWM enhances pelagic productivity, it can also induce ecological disturbances in benthic habitats. Here, we report the negative impact of the SWM on the polychaete tube worm Spiochaetopterus sp., which inhabits translucent chitin-based tubes fixed in sandy/muddy subtidal zones. Monthly sampling and fortnightly onshore surveys were carried out along the central west coast of India (Goa) from May 2022 to July 2022. Pre-monsoon conditions in early May were characterized by weak wind, calm sea, and the absence of chitin tube deposition onshore. From late May to early June, increasing wind speed and wave height coincided with the large-scale dislodgement and accumulation of tubes along the shoreline (0.3–499 g/m2; 7–12,197 tubes/m2). In contrast, deposition along estuarine shores (Mandovi and Zuari) was delayed, likely due to weaker waves. Notably, no comparable deposition was observed on the northern (Mumbai) and southern (Kochi) sectors of the west coast. These findings demonstrate that the onset of the SWM triggers hydrodynamic disturbances that dislodge inter-tidal tube-dwelling polychaetes, with potential repercussions for benthic community structure, trophic pathways, and benthic-pelagic coupling. This study provides the first evidence linking SWM-driven hydrodynamics to large-scale dislodgement of chitin tubes along the central west coast of India. Future research should include in-situ time series observations to assess the fate of dislodged tube worms and to evaluate the biochemical properties and economic potential of their tubes for the blue economy.

A 1.7 m marine sediment core was extracted from the Ek Way Nal underwater site to evaluate the impact of sea-level rise on the site. The location of the core was a narrow strip of land covered by living red mangroves (Rhizophora mangle) that bisects Ek Way Nal. If the site continued under the strip of land, then the core would have cultural material. Alternatively, the strip of land may have been present when the site was occupied. Loss-on ignition and microscopic sorting of sediment from the core were carried out to evaluate if the sediment was red mangrove peat—a proxy for sea-level rise and if the cultural material was present at depths similar to those at underwater portions of the site.

This article reassesses the history of reparations after World War I from the perspective of organized labour in early Weimar Germany. It does so by investigating trade union proposals to send German construction workers to Northern France in an effort to rebuild French villages damaged or destroyed in the war. The article argues that organized workers in early Weimar Germany rallied behind these proposals not only because they hoped that sending fellow workers abroad would contribute to international reconciliation, ease the overall reparations burden, and create employment opportunities, as previous research has suggested. Rather, it shows that Weimar’s “free” (that is, socialist) trade union movement supported the idea of “reparation through labour power” because its members were convinced that it would prevent the rebuilding of Northern France from becoming a playground for private builders. Analysing various German trade union sources, the article suggests that, by involving the country’s nascent Bauhütten movement, a network of building companies owned and controlled by organized labour, trade union functionaries hoped to turn Northern France into a laboratory for non-profit construction. In doing so, they sought to advance a broader transformation of the building sector from a profit-seeking industry benefiting a few wealthy builders into a public service that promoted the interests of workers and the wider community alike. By exploring these trade union proposals for the reconstruction of Northern France, the article also sheds light on a neglected episode in transnational labour history that witnessed the first timid attempts at trade union representation across borders.

This article examines the work of Emil Schlagintweit (1835–1904), one of Germany's most prominent nineteenth-century Tibetologists in order to challenge some common assumptions regarding Orientalist scholarship and its relationship to nineteenth-century nationalism and imperialism. Schlagintweit began to work on Tibetan religion and language in the wake of an expedition led by three of his brothers in the 1850s, and his work can provide important nuances to existing understandings of German Orientalism in the second half of the nineteenth century. It demonstrates that German scholars did indeed emphasize rigorous analysis in line with the notion of Wissenschaftlichkeit, yet it also demonstrates that their work could go beyond this and rely on a wider array of methodologies and traditions. Interpretations which treat German Orientalists as fundamentally different from other European scholars should therefore be treated with caution. At the same time, the relationship between Orientalist knowledge and imperial realities remained ambivalent for scholars such as Schlagintweit.

This article presents the first sustained narratological analysis of the embedded stories in Nikephoros Bryennios’ Material for History. It argues that pleasure in storytelling was a valued feature of Byzantine historiography and that Bryennios’ anecdotes derive their appeal from four interrelated features: eventfulness, tellability, narrativity, and immersion. The article further contends that, by mimicking oral storytelling through rhetorical questions, direct speech, and vivid sensory detail, Bryennios crafts narratives suited to performative settings while preserving a sense of authenticity. It concludes by proposing narratological criteria for identifying and analysing anecdotes across Byzantine historiography and reassessing the role of pleasure in historical writing.

Organomontmorillonite-type (O-Mnt) antibacterial agents are less susceptible to development of resistance by bacteria. The aim of the present study was to test the effects of O-Mnt samples, which were reported to be effective against Staphlococcus aureus and Streptococcus mutans in previous studies and to act as a scavenger for opportunistic pathogenic microorganisms, Actinomyces viscosus and Bacteroides fragilis, which cause severe infections such as periodontal diseases, endocarditis, and lung infections. O-Mnt samples with single and mixed surfactant layers, namely benzethonium montmorillonite (Mnt-BZT) and cetylpyridinium and N-lauroyl sarcosinate montmorillonite (Mnt-CP-SR), were subjected to X-ray diffraction, thermogravimetric analysis, attenuated total reflectance-fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR) and zeta potential analyses to determine some key structural properties. Within the scope of the present study, detailed X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analyses were performed to elucidate the external surface structures, which are important in explaining their antibacterial properties. There have been few studies on XPS analysis in terms of types of surfactants used in O-Mnt preparation. These analyses made it possible to estimate the interaction between the surfactants on the external surface and the bacterial cell wall leading to lysis. A. viscosus, a facultative anaerobe, and B. fragilis, a strict anaerobe, required specific culture conditions, and their antibacterial susceptibility testing was conducted with caution due to challenges in isolation and antimicrobial resistance. Antibacterial susceptibility tests including the agar well diffusion test, minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) determinations and time-kill assay showed that both OMnt samples were effective against the bacteria used. The XPS analyses of the exterior surface structure of O-Mnt revealed that contact killing was the mechanism of antibacterial effect. In vitro cytotoxicity and in vivo animal studies indicated that both O-Mnt samples can be used safely as antibacterial agents in oral and topical applications.

This paper presents a multiple input multiple output (MIMO) system for sub-6 GHz using a two-port cylindrical dielectric resonator (CDR). This band is ideal for 5G applications, providing a balanced combination of coverage and capacity, as well as offering high data rates and low latency. The proposed MIMO is excited by an aperture-coupled feed structure composed of driven elements consisting of an elliptical-shaped step impedance transform line to enhance CDR coupling. Aperture coupling is used to excite the HEM11δ mode without the involvement of any hybrid mode. The purpose of the aperture coupling in the CDR antenna is to launch the HEM11δ mode, which is a magnetic dipole that provides a stable radiation pattern in the 3.2–3.7 GHz band, allowing for efficient transmission and reception of the data. Symmetrically oriented CDR and the presence of orthogonal fields provide good isolation, which can be further improved by the insertion of an asymmetric cross slot. The designed CDR-based MIMO antenna achieves excellent isolation of over 20 dB and demonstrates improved envelope correlation coefficient (ECC) values, resulting from low field correlation, across the entire frequency band of operation. Almost all the major diversity analysis was carried out for the desired sub-6 GHz band while maintaining a relatively compact size. Based on the measured results, it is confirmed that the proposed CDR-based MIMO antenna is appropriate for sub-6 GHz applications.

We investigate the impact of the academic environment on directed technical change and economic growth. We develop a heterogeneous Schumpeterian growth model in which innovation is categorized into radical and incremental types. A supportive environment for academic exploration enhances scientists’ autonomy utility in basic research, thereby motivating basic research and reducing the R&D difficulty of radical innovations through knowledge spillovers. We identify two major effects of the academic environment on economic growth: a positive directed technical change effect fostering growth through radical innovation, and a negative applied research crowding-out effect. Numerical analysis based on Chinese data reveals a negative autonomy utility (−0.37), indicating insufficient autonomy in basic research exploration. Promoting economic growth necessitates institutional reforms. The optimal autonomy utility for maximizing growth is 0.80. Welfare analysis further shows that the optimal autonomy utility is 0.87 for basic research labor and 0.75 for non-basic research labor.