Direct public funding (DPF) is a crucial resource for political parties in many of the world’s democracies. While research into the consequences of DPF has grown in prominence since the turn of the century, few efforts have been made to synthesize its findings. This article takes the first steps in doing so. Viewing DPF as an independent variable, we assess the impacts that party subsidization has on electoral competition, party organizations, party system development, and gender representation, before unpacking the intricacies of the DPF-corruption relationship. Given the inconclusive findings across these domains, the article discusses methodological challenges related to data availability and DPF operationalization, concluding with brief policy recommendations and several avenues for future research.

Gramineous weeds have become increasingly problematic in field crops over the past decade, especially in crops without herbicide tolerance traits, making effective management of them more challenging. The objective of this study was to compare the efficacy of four very-long-chain fatty acid (VLCFA) elongase–inhibiting herbicides for preemergence control of two grass species, large crabgrass and Texas panicum, which produce seeds of different sizes. The results were consistent across locations and rating times. Applications of all evaluated herbicides resulted in >94% visible control of crabgrass, while control of Texas panicum ranged from just 50% to 87%. The greatest level of Texas panicum control occurred after applications of pyroxasulfone + carfentrazone, whereas all treatments demonstrated similar efficacy against large crabgrass compared with plants that served as nontreated controls. Visible weed control ratings aligned with normalized difference vegetation index readings collected from both unmanned aerial vehicles and a handheld GreenSeeker device, as well as with biomass measurements. Furthermore, stand counts of both weed species exhibited no significant differences among the herbicides. These findings indicate that the selectivity of herbicides that inhibit VLCFA elongase on grass species when applied preemergence may be attributable to differences in seed size.

Contrary to the dominant literature on autocracies, this article argues and demonstrates that dictators, in addition to being office-seeking, often are driven by policy-seeking motivation—that is, broader beliefs and ideology. The empirical investigation enlists new original data, based on obituaries, about dictators’ political motives. The dataset contains information on 297 deceased dictators who held power at some point during the period 1945–2008. The results reveal that the dictators had a variety of different motives for being in power. Many were strongly ideologically motivated, several were primarily motivated by money and power ambitions, and others held power to create stability and democratize. Thus, dictators’ motives seem to be substantially more diverse than typically assumed, and the data make it possible to measure motivation. This is key to investigating the direct as well as the conditional impact on political dynamics in autocracies.

We search data from the GLEAM-X survey, obtained with the Murchison Widefield Array (MWA) in 2020, for the presence of radio frequency interference from distant Earth-orbiting satellites, in the form of unintended emissions similar to those recently seen from objects in Low Earth Orbits (LEO). Using the GLEAM-X $\delta=1.6^{\circ}$ pointing, which is stationary in azimuth (on the local Meridian) and elevation (near the celestial Equator), the very wide field of view of the MWA maintains custody of a large number of satellites in geostationary and geosynchronous (GEO) orbits in this direction for long periods of time. We use one night of GLEAM-X data in the 72–231 MHz frequency range to form stacked images at the predicted coordinates of up to 162 such satellites, in order to search for unintended radio emission. In the majority of cases, we reach 4$\sigma$ upper limits of better than 1 mW Equivalent Isotropic Radiated Power (EIRP) in a 30.72 MHz bandwidth (dual polarisation), with the best limits below 10 $\unicode{x03BC}$W. No convincing evidence for unintended emissions at these detection thresholds was found. This study builds on recent work showing an increasing prevalence of unintended emissions from satellites in LEO. Any such emission from objects in GEO could be a significant contributor to radio frequency interference experienced by the low frequency Square Kilometre Array and warrants monitoring. The current study forms a baseline for comparisons to future monitoring.

Physicalism is often characterized by the slogan that “There is nothing over and above the physical.” Thus, making physicalism precise requires making “the physical” precise. In this paper I advance one such way of making the physical precise and in doing so defend a new approach to defining the physical. I argue that a property is physical iff it belongs to the largest strong-component of a causal network that includes exemplary physical properties. This avoids the triviality-problem faced by physics-based accounts and withstands an important argument against accounts that are not physics-based.

Mental illness-related stigma acts as a critical barrier to care by fostering shame, fear of judgment and discrimination, which deters individuals from seeking help, delays treatment and worsens outcomes. This study aimed to investigate the forms, drivers and consequences of mental health-related stigma on help-seeking behavior. A cross-sectional study was conducted from November 2020 to March 2021. Data were collected from 419 participants using structured questionnaires, guided by the Health Stigma and Discrimination Framework and the Attitudes Towards Seeking Professional Psychological Help Scale for validation. Data were analyzed using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences version 22, employing descriptive statistics, chi-square tests and multinomial logistic regression. The average age of participants was 34.5 years. Findings revealed alarmingly high stigma: economic (76.8–80.2%), social (77.1–81.2%) and psychological (71.9–82.8%). Key drivers included stereotypes of dangerousness (58.7%) and systemic healthcare discrimination (65.6%). Multinomial regression confirmed that all stigma forms significantly reduced help-seeking odds. Structural barriers (odds ratio [OR] = 0.48) and internalized shame (OR = 0.53) were the strongest deterrents, with a multiplicative effect for combined economic and psychological stigma (OR = 0.41). This complex, multilayered barrier, driven by socio-cultural beliefs and structural failures, necessitates urgent, multifaceted interventions targeting public education, policy and self-stigma to improve mental health equity in rural Ghana.

Red ochre may be found in igneous, metamorphic, or sedimentary rock, but igneous and metamorphic sources formed in localized geological events are easier to define. In sedimentary landscapes, ochre sources can be thought of as the geologic formations from which ochre is collected. This study provides the first description of red or red-firing ochre sources in the sedimentary Central Great Plains, based on 17 geologic ochre samples from five contexts: Cretaceous Pierre Shale; Cretaceous Niobrara Formation, Smoky Hill Chalk member; Cretaceous Carlile Shale; Cretaceous Dakota Formation; and Permian system siltstone and shale. Ochre analysis with powder X-ray diffraction reveals mineralogical differences—particularly differences in iron and sulfate minerals—between two defined ochre sources. Source 1 is the Cretaceous Dakota formation, with exposures on the eastern side of the study area. Source 2 includes younger strata exposed to the west: the Cretaceous Carlile Shale, Niobrara, and Pierre Formations. Source 2 ochre is yellow but becomes red at 250°C–500°C. Samples from a third potential source, Permian siltstones and shales (“red beds”; Tucker 2001:60), lacked identifiable iron oxides or hydroxides in this analysis and may not have been used as ochre.

This article introduces the first of two international Themed Collections on gender and work, published as, Part A across Volumes 35(4) and 36(2), and as Part B in Volume 36(3) of The Economic and Labour Relations Review. In introducing the 11 Part A articles, we identify three main themes: contexts, impacts, and effects on gender status. Contexts include climate crisis, uncertain gender impacts of artificial intelligence (AI), and ongoing skill under-recognition in feminised ‘ancillary’ occupations. Impacts include increasing care load and violence in traditionally feminised teaching work, LGBTQ+ workers’ intertwined experiences of stigmatisation and job insecurity, and immigrant experience of unregulated care work in private households. Impacts on well-being, safety, and security include restricted access to nutrition, rest, creativity, life cycle, and community participation, and diminished status, agency, voice, and recognition of productivity contribution. An alternative productivity calculus is provided in articles documenting the benefits of Australia’s universal statutory 10 days’ family and domestic violence leave entitlement, a proposed Indian green jobs guarantee programme that could transition millions of women into the formal labour market, and an Australian calculation of the unrecognised GDP contribution of breastmilk. A Sub-Saharan African article shows that legally mandated maternity protections are inaccessible to women in informal labour markets. In the context of the United Nations’ key normative and programme role, and its stocktakes of equality and empowerment milestones, we foreshadow questions of official structure and grassroots agency to be addressed in the Part B exploration in (Volume 36(3)) of informal economy work, community agency, and intersectional voice.

Obesity and depression are highly prevalent diseases that are strongly correlated. At the same time, there is a growing gap in care, and treatment options should be improved and extended. Positive effects of a Mediterranean diet on mental health have already been shown in various studies. In addition to the physiological effects of nutrients, the way food is eaten, such as mindful eating, seems to play a role. The present study investigates the effect of a Mediterranean diet and mindful eating on depression severity in people with clinically diagnosed major depressive disorder and obesity. Participants will be randomised to one of the four intervention groups (Mediterranean diet, mindful eating, their combination and a befriending control group). The factorial design allows investigating individual effects as well as potential synergistic effects of the interventions. The study consists of a 12-week intervention period, where five individual appointments will take place, followed by a 12-week follow-up. The primary outcome is depression severity. Secondary outcomes are remission of depression, assessor-rated depression severity, quality of life, self-efficacy, BMI, waist:hip ratio and body composition; adherence to the Mediterranean diet and mindful eating will also be assessed. Alongside mediator and moderator analysis, a microbiome analysis, a qualitative evaluation and an economic analysis will be conducted. The study investigates an important health issue in a vulnerable target group. It allows to draw valuable conclusions regarding the effectiveness of different interventions and therefore contributes to improving available care options for people suffering from depression and obesity.

Political control is pervasive in authoritarian contexts; however, the use of economic instruments as a means of political repression has been underexplored. Embedded in Hong Kong’s political upheavals triggered by the 2019 extradition bill, this paper underpins the erosion of Hong Kong’s political environment by analysing economic pressure exerted on businesses, or ‘economic repression’, to eliminate, convert, and/or silence their dissenting behaviour. Drawing on Earl’s repression typology, it distinguishes between two forms of repression: economic channelling and economic duress. The former involves covert actions that increase the operational costs of targeted businesses, including administrative inspections and the severance of economic ties, while the latter embodies overt actions that disrupt their operations, such as asset freezes and vandalism of shop premises. Although both businesses and individuals may be subject to economic repression, this paper pays special attention to businesses, as their responses have far-reaching implications for the political and economic landscape. Employing the cases of Cathay Pacific, Taipan Bakery, Apple Daily, and Chickeeduck, which were well-known players in their respective industries in 2019–2021, it is observed that economic channelling was usually deployed at a defiant company first, followed by economic duress if the target did not conform to the new political norms. Economic repression not only stifles political resistance in the marketplace but also hampers the competitiveness of the international financial city.

Electrochemical systems are rapidly evolving beyond traditional water electrolysis, including cathodic hydrogen evolution (HER) and anodic oxygen evolution (OER) reactions, to enhance energy efficiency and generate value-added products simultaneously. Cathodic reactions now facilitate multifunctional reductions – ranging from CO2 conversion into oxygenates and hydrocarbons to nitrogen (N2) fixation, and nitrate (NO3−) reduction – by tuning operational parameters. Hybrid co-reduction approaches, such as CO2/nitrile or CO2/nitrate, further enable the synthesis of valuable amines, amides and urea derivatives, among many others. Notably, even in the most advanced electrochemical configurations, the inclusion of the OER – or a functionally equivalent alternative – remains the most convenient oxidation reaction for maintaining charge balance within the cell. As highlighted in recent studies, alternative oxidation reactions (AORs) coupled with cathodic reduction reactions, such as CO2RR, HER, N2RR and NO3RR, are essential for overcoming the limitations of OER. These AORs include oxidation of biomass-derived alcohols and aldehydes, chlorine and water contaminants. In this perspective, we discuss the emerging promise of AORs – with a particular focus on aldehyde electrooxidation – as innovative alternatives to traditional OER. This strategy not only reduces the energy requirements for electrochemical hydrogen production by circumventing the sluggish and energy-intensive OER, but also enables concurrent hydrogen generation at both electrodes. Additionally, integrating AORs into electrolyzer design enables the direct coupling of CO2 reduction at the cathode with high-value chemical transformations at the anode, offering new opportunities for process intensification and enhanced economic viability in the synthesis of sustainable fuels and chemicals.

The Mayo Clinic Center for Clinical and Translational Science Rural Health Research Core emphasizes community engagement to address healthcare access and delivery. In 2023, the Midwest Rural Health Research Community Advisory Board (CAB) was established to guide research. Eleven of 13 researchers presenting to the CAB in 2023 completed a survey assessing influence of CAB feedback across seven domains. All reported >1 domain influenced by CAB feedback, most commonly on study design, pre-research activities and implementation. CAB feedback shaped many aspects of the rural health research process. CAB members valued seeing how their input contributed to the research process.

Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus may modulate stress-induced anxiety, yet animal evidence has not been systematically evaluated. Following PRISMA guidelines, PubMed, Embase, and Scopus were searched (2011–2024) for animal studies evaluating the role of L. rhamnosus in stress-induced anxiety. Primary outcomes were behavioural anxiety measures; secondary outcomes included neuroendocrine, immune, epithelial, and microbiota changes. Fifteen studies met the inclusion criteria. Species included mice (n=7), rats (n=5), and hens (n=3). Stress models comprised chronic unpredictable mild stress (n=8), social defeat (n=2), maternal separation (n=1), restraint stress (n=1), and severe feather-pecking (n=3). Common strains were JB-1 (n=8), HN001 (n=2), LGG (n=2), LR-32 (n=1), 4B15 (n=1), and LR3201 (n=1). Of the 15 studies, 12 reported significant anxiolytic effects, most frequently in the elevated plus maze (7/10) and open-field test (6/9). JB-1 showed the most consistent behavioural improvement (7/8 studies). Mechanistic findings were reported in subsets of studies: HPA axis modulation in 4/15, monoamine changes in 4/15, GABAergic effects in 4/15, immune/anti-inflammatory changes in 4/15, tight junction restoration in 2/15, and gut microbiota or SCFA-related changes in 7/15. L. rhamnosus, particularly strain JB-1, shows consistent anxiolytic effects and multiple putative mechanistic pathways, though more rigorous and standardised preclinical designs are needed.

This article uses a legal dispute between two families over a small building in semi-rural Jiangsu, and the political scandal it led to during the Socialist Education Movement (1963–1966), as a lens through which to explore the Mao era legacies of two prominent themes in the historiography of late imperial China: concepts and practices of property and contract, and the use of false accusations to enlist the coercive power of the state in economic disputes. It argues that over the course of the 1950s, norms of ownership in rural China were gradually undermined. This went beyond what was intended by the Party leadership, and was followed, in 1961–1962, by an effort to stabilize the conventions of who could own what in socialist China. The article then goes on to consider how the pursuit of property claims through accusations of political crime in the Mao era compares to such practices in the late imperial period.

This article introduces a novel empirical method for estimating the ideological orientations of U.S. regulatory agencies across different presidential administrations. Employing a measurement model based on item response theory and analyzing data on planned regulations from the Unified Agenda and the president’s discretionary review of those regulations, as implemented by the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, the study provides dynamic estimates of agency ideal points from the Clinton through the Trump administrations. The model uses NOMINATE ideal points of presidents to link the estimated agency ideal points to legislative ideal points. The resulting estimates correlate positively with existing measures of agency ideology, highlight controversial regulators, and demonstrate that agency ideologies shift over time due to emerging issues that divide the parties. The study also finds that agencies located ideologically closer to the president are more productive, as evidenced by their regulatory output.

Case C-646/22 Compass Banca SpA v Autorità Garante della Concorrenza e del Mercato (AGCM) Judgment of the Court (Fifth Chamber) of 14 November 2024.

In Compass Banca, the CJEU was asked by the referring Italian court if the concept of the average consumer should extend beyond the traditional notion of homo economicus in light of growing awareness of bounded rationality and the risk of cognitive influence in modern market dynamics. The case was eagerly awaited amid increasingly scholarly criticism of the average consumer concept, particularly in digital contexts, where the model of a rational, informed decision-maker would often fail to account for power imbalances embedded in digital architectures. Whereas the court did not fundamentally alter the benchmark, it added a cautious clarification, acknowledging that cognitive biases may constitute one of many constraints impairing the average consumer’s decision-making capacity. However, the influence of cognitive biases alone on the decision-making capacity would be insufficient to render a commercial practice unfair unless it is ‘duly established’ that ‘in the particular circumstances of a specific situation’, the average consumer’s behaviour has been materially distorted.