The Mediterranean diet has emerged as a promising dietary pattern for preventing non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). This study aimed to examine the role of the Mediterranean diet on the risk of NAFLD in Turkish adults. A total of 252 individuals (126 NAFLD and 126 age- and sex-matched controls) participated in this case–control study. Dietary intake was assessed with a 24-h recall, and adherence to the Mediterranean diet was evaluated using the Mediterranean Diet Adherence Screener (MEDAS). Logistic regression models were applied to estimate OR. The prevalence of NAFLD was higher in the lowest tertile (64·6 %) and lower in the highest tertile (30·5 %; P < 0·001). Moderate adherence to the Mediterranean diet was associated with a 57·0 % lower risk of NAFLD after adjusting for age, sex, BMI and energy intake. High adherence conferred an 86·0 % reduction after adjusting for age, sex, BMI, energy intake and co-morbidities. Frequent consumption of butter, margarine, cream (OR = 2·75; 95 % CI 1·72, 6·43) and sugar-sweetened beverages (OR = 2·87; 95 % CI 1·20, 6·87) significantly increased the risk. However, consuming nuts three or more servings per week was protective (OR = 0·46; 95 % CI 0·21, 0·99). In individuals who did not consume ≥ 3 servings of fruit daily, the risk of NAFLD was significantly reduced (OR = 0·28; 95 % CI 0·16, 0·69). Adherence to the Mediterranean diet was strongly associated with a reduced risk of NAFLD, highlighting the importance of limiting saturated fats and sugar-sweetened beverages while promoting nuts as practical strategies for prevention.

Today, the story of the opium trade is an almost archetypal representation of the social, economic and military power dynamics at play in the colonial world. But few, if any, are aware that the European encounter with Chinese opium smoking spurred a European interest in opium vapour therapy, or that its spirited uptake in European medicine inspired a research programme that spanned the continent for more than half a century. Opium smoking was intoxicating, something which experimental science suggested should be impossible, since the chemical properties of opium’s active alkaloids all but precluded the possibility of vaporization. Recalling opium smoking’s entrance into medical practice and the subsequent experimental interest in the chemical constitution of opium vapour, this paper reconstructs the history of European ‘opium science’. In doing so, it realizes opium science as the site of competing definitions of the biomedical reality implicated in the experience of opium intoxication, one centred on the intoxicated experiences of the colonial subjects themselves. Far from being a simple story of exchange between centres and peripheries, it examines the polycentricity of knowledge circulation in the colonial world and the implacable agency of intoxication.

Plant-based diets are favourable for both climate and health. However, not much is known about different barriers to adopting more plant-based diets across sociodemographic groups. This study examined the proportions of the population reporting a shift towards more plant-based diets and identified perceived barriers to these changes across different sociodemographic groups. The study was based on the Healthy Finland Survey 2022–2023, including 5390 participants aged 20–74 years. Participants responded to questions on plant-based diets using pre-defined response options. Results were presented as prevalences and 95% CIs. Women reported that they had changed their diets to more plant-based more often than men did (46% vs. 31%). Urban residents, higher educated participants, and those with higher income were more likely to have adopted more plant-based diets than others. Concerns about nutritional adequacy (women 20%; men 24%) and lacking skills to prepare tasty vegetarian foods (women 30%; men 28%) were common perceived barriers. In men, barriers included a dislike of vegetarian foods (23%) and a lack of interest (28%). In women, 17% cited the preferences of their close ones as a barrier. Barriers also differed between groups. Older participants were more concerned about the nutritional adequacy (29%), while younger participants struggled with cooking skills (35%). One third of men living in rural areas or with basic education reported a lack of interest in the topic. Tailored health promotion and food education strategies are critical to overcoming barriers to adopting plant-based diets in diverse sociodemographic groups.

Climate change is expected to significantly affect the physical, financial, and economic environments over the long term, posing risks to the financial health of general insurers. While general insurers typically use Dynamic Financial Analysis (DFA) for a comprehensive view of financial impacts, traditional DFA as presented in the literature does not consider the impact of climate change. To address this gap, we extend the stationary DFA framework to integrate climate risk, enabling a holistic assessment of the long-term impact of climate change on the general insurance industry and offering a foundational architecture for the DFA of individual insurers. Our framework captures the long-term impact of climate change on the assets and liabilities of general insurers by considering both physical and economic dimensions across different climate scenarios within an interconnected structure. Furthermore, it addresses the uncertainty of climate change impacts using stochastic simulations within climate scenario analysis that are useful for actuarial applications. Our extensions are tailored to the general insurance sector and address its unique characteristics. To demonstrate the practical application of our model, we conduct an extensive empirical study using Australian data and assess the long-term financial impact of climate change on the general insurance market under various climate scenarios. The results are benchmarked against those of a stationary DFA framework and show that the interaction between economic growth and physical risk plays a key role in shaping general insurers’ risk–return profiles. They highlight the advantages of the climate-dependent DFA over the stationary DFA in generating financial projections under climate change impacts. Limitations of our framework are thoroughly discussed.

Let $(Z_{t})_{t \geq 0}$ be a planar Brownian motion running in some domain W and denote by $\tau _{W}$ the exit time of $Z_{t}$ from W. To establish the finiteness of $\mathbf {E}(\sup _{0\leq t\leq \tau _{W}}|Z_{t}|^{p})$ from the finiteness of $\mathbf {E}(|Z_{\tau _{W}}|^{p})$ for some $p>0$, Burkholder [‘Exit times of Brownian motion, harmonic majorization, and Hardy spaces’, Adv. Math. 26(2) (1977), 182–205] imposed an additional condition on the exit time $\tau _{W}$, namely the finiteness of $\mathbf {E}(\log (\tau _{W}))$. Such a condition is typically difficult to verify, since the law of the exit time is often delicate. In this paper, we revisit Burkholder’s condition and propose an alternative viewpoint. Our approach is purely analytic, weaker and formulated in terms of proper analytic maps rather than exit times themselves. This provides a more flexible framework for further applications.

This case note examines the decision of the Court of Justice of the European Union in Slagelse Almennyttige Boligselskab, Afdeling Schackenborgvænge, where the Court found that a distinction between westerners and non-Westerners constituted discrimination under the Council Directive 2000/43/EC of 29 June 2000 implementing the principle of equal treatment between persons irrespective of racial or ethnic origin. The case note shows that while the finding in this case does help address xenophobia under the Directive 2000/43, the interpretive moves made by the Court in reaching this finding are normatively weak in five respects: (i) the meaning of ethnic origin, (ii) the distinction between direct and indirect discrimination, (iii) the meaning of xenophobic discrimination, (iv) the recognition of structural harm, and (v) the use of the narrative of integration in European policy.

This article examines how artificial intelligence (AI) systems displace the foundational structures that uphold legal legitimacy. Traditionally anchored in legal certainty, accountability and enforceability, which this study conceptualizes as the “Tripod of Legal Legitimacy,” law’s normative authority is increasingly undermined by opaque, adaptive and privately governed algorithmic infrastructures. AI systems embed regulatory functions such as adjudication, classification and enforcement directly into technical design, often operating beyond the reach of public oversight or judicial review. Through comparative analysis of public frameworks like the EU’s Digital Services Act and AI Act, alongside private governance regimes such as Meta’s Oversight Board and OpenAI’s safety protocols, the article demonstrates how law is displaced both functionally and structurally. A process-based model contrasts traditional legal governance cycles with AI-induced governance cycles, revealing a recursive erosion of legal authority. The paper advances a theoretical framework called legal displacement to diagnose this shift and proposes policy strategies for reconstructing legal legitimacy through traceability, binding enforcement, and jurisdictional coordination. Ultimately, the study argues that reclaiming legal authority in the age of algorithmic governance requires institutional transformation grounded in procedural transparency and democratic accountability, rather than relying solely on ethical frameworks or voluntary compliance regimes.

Standard Community Assessment for Public Health Emergency Response (CASPER) methods, a type of rapid needs assessment (RNA) for collecting data on household needs and impacts following emergencies, are not always suitable for rural, destroyed, or severely damaged communities, or disasters affecting small geographical areas. The objectives of this modified RNA were to: (1) identify the strengths, limitations, and operational challenges for utilization of modified RNAs for post-disaster, quick response research; and (2) capture the acute mental and physical health impacts and lived experiences of communities affected by the 2024 Arbor Day tornado in Nebraska (USA). This field study tested modifications of the CASPER methodology in rural and inaccessible communities in Washington and Douglas County, Nebraska following the 2024 Arbor Day tornado. A 60-item survey was developed using validated questions, including on mental and physical health impacts. Survey completion rates for Washington and Douglas Counties were 57.3% and 89.3%, respectively. Exacerbation of existing conditions, worsening allergies, and stress were commonly reported following the tornado. Modified RNAs were useful and feasible approaches for capturing perishable data following the 2024 Arbor Day tornado outbreak. These findings can be used to inform not only public health response but also future planning and policy.

A finitely based, finitely generated variety with finitely many subvarieties is a Cross variety. In the present article, it is shown that a variety of J-trivial monoids is Cross if and only if it excludes 14 specific almost Cross varieties. Consequently, these 14 varieties exhaust all almost Cross varieties of J-trivial monoids.

This article contends that meteorology endured a severe crisis in the USSR in 1972. During a devastating drought this year, meteorology lost its reliability as a science able to forecast the weather many weeks and months in advance. Many professional users turned to an alternative weather forecaster, Anatolii D′iakov, who predicted the weather for the next season by observing the sun. The argument made here is threefold. First, the fundamental reason for the crisis in long-range weather forecasting lies in the disruption of a bond of trust between meteorologists and the government, built on unfulfilled prospects of rapid and sudden, but unrealistic, progress in long-range forecasting to help agriculturalists of the steppe regions. Meteorologists could not fulfil the high expectations put in them. Second, journalists covering rural matters were instrumental in extolling D′iakov’s alternative forecasts and in lambasting ‘official’ meteorology; however, they did not succeed in convincing the leadership to purge forecasters and reorganize meteorology. The meteorologists preserved their autonomy to deal with D′iakov. Third, the article reflects on the consequences of the failure of long-term forecasting for the status of science within Soviet governance and ideology.

The agricultural extension system in Alberta, Canada, has undergone significant shifts in recent decades due to a reduction of provincial government oversight. This change highlights the need to assess the effectiveness of currently available extension tools and to explore opportunities for collaboration and growth across the system. The present study employs a scientific survey targeting professionals involved in agricultural entomology extension to identify key challenges and areas for improvement. In addition, we develop a visual map of online entomology resources in Alberta to facilitate user access to information. Although traditional communication methods remain valuable, there is potential to expand the use of digital tools for entomological extension activities. Survey respondents report cost and the loss of chemical control options as the primary pest management challenges, as well as funding, access, and coordination of efforts as significant barriers to extension. Physical or cultural barriers to access extension information and limited public knowledge about insects pose additional hurdles to effective extension. The survey findings offer valuable insights into opportunities to enhance agricultural extension in Alberta, such as the adoption of standardised evaluation methods and the establishment of a centralised information hub. We provide a freely available online hub that consolidates online extension entomology resources in Alberta.

While the agenda setting literature largely focuses on how issues gain the attention of policy-makers, the strategies used to keep certain issues off the governmental agenda remain underexplored. This paper addresses this gap by examining agenda denial in the context of LGBTQ+ equality policies. It analyzes how opponents of such policies employ both strategies of avoidance and non-confrontation, as well as strategies of attack and issue redefinition, in order to prevent LGBTQ+ equality from advancing on the policy agenda. The opponents examined in this study are anti-gender actors, who have increasingly positioned themselves at the forefront of the backlash against gender equality, forming alliances across political and civil society sectors to push back or halt progress on LGBTQ+ policies. By dissecting their opposition arguments, this study examines how they strategically mobilize reason (evoking empirical proofs and factual evidence) and emotion (evoking sensibilities and feelings) to sustain their denial strategies. Focusing on Italy, where parties of the right-wing bloc and anti-gender organizations are increasingly intertwined and have gained significant influence, this study utilizes qualitative, interpretive content analysis of parliamentary debates on laws against homotransphobia, as well as organizational documents from anti-gender actors. The paper contributes to the literature by linking gender studies with agenda denial theory, offering fresh insights into gender backlash dynamics from a public policy perspective.

The rise of “circular economy” discourse in the extractive industries has altered how researchers, laborers, activists, and consumers conceptualize movements of materials. To proponents, building a circular economy around rare earth elements (REE) production will “close the loop” around extraction, processing, design, manufacturing, and disposal practices to minimize and eventually eliminate all “waste” produced through technology development. Articulated through utopian imaginaries projecting environmental and technological futures far beyond mining, however, these conceptualizations of movement also carry far-ranging entailments for the movements of specific groups of people, including their place in future social and political orders and their capacity to plan for multi-generational futures. This article follows activists and university researchers brought into conflict through a REE processing facility in Malaysia, where research on commercial applications for post-processing wastes has been treated alternately as pathways to economic diversification and as threats to minoritized communities’ welfare and senses of national belonging. Both groups correlate “responsible” waste management to mismanaged flows of people: prospective experts drawn overseas for more sophisticated work; children emigrating for university education or middle-class jobs after struggling to find positions in Malaysia. While explicitly offering future stability and a broadened ethics of responsible attention, the visions of circularity undergirding these debates effectively collapse the many forms of movement at stake in industrial transition into a promise of transcendence, obscuring the racialized patterns of exclusion and migration that invariably accompany the extractive industries.

After years of focussing on infectious and degenerative illnesses, U.S. public health turned to the problem of accidents. Over the course of the twentieth century, safety practitioners repurposed the models of infectious disease control, risk-factor medicine, and biomechanics to improve the precision of injury data and to guide its applications. The resulting set of frameworks, methods, and practices, collectively referred to as ‘the epidemiology of accidents’, changed how health professionals analysed injuries but never produced a lasting consensus on appropriate safety interventions. This article uses the understudied history of home accident prevention to explain why mid-twentieth-century public health failed to prioritise injury control and what made home accidents especially intractable. During the 1940s, the American Public Health Association and U.S. Public Health Service collected statistics from communities across the country to determine the causes of home accidents and to inform local safety campaigns. These investigations were comprehensive but nonspecific, seeking to educate families about all the dangers of domestic space. After John Gordon published his influential study on accidents in 1949, this approach shifted from counting cases associated with risky behaviours and conditions to quantifying the extent to which isolable risk factors contributed to injuries. From the 1960s to 1970s, William Haddon changed accident prevention again, defining injuries as ‘abnormal energy exchanges’ and finding ways to minimise harm when accidents happened. Across these iterations, the epidemiology of accidents tried to identify, classify, quantify, and control the causes of home injuries but fell short of translating research into policy.

Candida auris screening in units meeting a prespecified cluster threshold was intensified from biweekly to weekly and paired with rapid in-house PCR (November 2022–March 2024). Monthly incident clinical cases decreased by 32%. Colonization detections increased with weekly screening and declined after in-house testing, supporting earlier case finding and response.

This article studies buybacks with two informed parties: a manager and an outside speculator. Buybacks introduce two countervailing forces. A competition effect reduces speculator profits when buybacks compete against speculative trades. A dispersion effect increases speculator profits: buying undervalued shares generates gains, while buying overvalued shares generates losses, widening the dispersion in per-share value across states. Sufficiently informed buybacks benefit shareholders; uninformed buybacks harm them. These effects vary with shareholders’ liquidity exposures. The desirability of informed buybacks depends on the prevalence of speculation. Authorization depends on ownership, governance, and market conditions. Shareholders might welcome informed buybacks—not merely tolerate them.