We present a systematic search for Odd Radio Circles (ORCs) and other unusual radio morphologies using data from the first year of the Evolutionary Map of the Universe (EMU) survey. ORCs are rare, enigmatic objects characterised by edge-brightened rings of radio emission, often found in association with distant galaxies. To identify these objects, we employ a hybrid methodology combining supervised object detection techniques and visual inspection of radio source candidates. This approach leads to the discovery of five new ORCs and two additional candidate ORCs, expanding the known population of these objects. In addition to ORCs, we also identify 55 Galaxies with Large-scale Ambient Radio Emission (GLAREs), which feature irregular, rectangular, or circular shapes of diffuse radio emission mostly surrounding central host galaxies. These GLAREs may represent different evolutionary stages of ORCs and studying them could offer valuable insights into their evolutionary processes. We also highlight a subset of Starburst Radio Ring Galaxies, which are star-forming galaxies exhibiting edge-brightened radio rings surrounding their central star-forming regions. We emphasise the importance of multi-wavelength follow-up observations to better understand the physical properties, host galaxy characteristics, and evolutionary pathways of these radio sources.

EU’s political mediation in internal constitutional matters as part of its evolving vision of the rule of law – Dimensions of the EU’s dialogic rule of law: ontological, organic, and legitimising – The idea of the rule of law as embedded in intrincate political and social processes – The rule of law as the core driving force in creating spaces and boundaries for dialogue, interaction, and definition of the EU’s multilevel constitutional system – Balancing inherent dialogue with decisive and strong action against member states breaching the rule of law – Multiple forms of the ideal of the rule of law within the EU’s composite constitutional framework – No one-size-fits-all response: context-sensitive approaches to rule of law deviations – Institutionalising and legally integrating mediation as an instrument in the EU’s Rule of Law Framework.

Spousal age differences are highest in Sub-Saharan Africa, where trends in age at first marriage indicate an increase for both men and women. However, the net outcome for spousal age difference is difficult to predict without explicit analysis of these distributions. This study examines differentials in spousal age for women in first union. Further, it examines differences within population sub-groups and across countries, focusing on the influence of age at marriage and educational attainment. The analysis pools 144 survey datasets from the Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) and Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys (MICS) conducted between 1980 and 2020 in 34 countries. OLS regression analysis was used to predict the spousal age difference at marriage with five-year cohorts used to study time trends. The analysis finds a decline of 1.7 years in the spousal age difference at first marriage between the earliest (1980–1984) and most recent (2014–2019), indicating that there has been minimal reduction in age at first marriage over four decades, despite rising ages at marriage for females. Increasing age at first marriage and educational attainment of women partly explain the decline observed over time.

While existing research on policy diffusion has provided substantial evidence regarding the drivers of policy adoption across jurisdictions, limited attention has been given to the dynamics of policy textual learning across different levels of government. We fill this gap by using regression analysis to examine the patterns of policy textual learning evident in the clause similarity of seven environmental statutory policies in China. Within China’s decentralized and multilevel environmental governance, our findings reveal that horizontal policy textual learning is more prominent than vertical learning. Temporal distance negatively impacts policy textual learning, whereas spatial distance, contrary to traditional policy diffusion perspectives, does not universally explain multilevel policy textual learning. Additionally, subsequent versions of policy texts are not necessarily similar to earlier ones, challenging conventional assumptions about the adoption and adaptation of policies over time.

The addition and refreezing of liquid water to Greenland’s accumulation area are increasingly important processes for assessing the ice sheet’s present and future mass balance, but uncertain initial conditions, complex infiltration physics and limited field data pose challenges. Satellite-based L-band radiometry offers a promising new tool for observing liquid water in the firn layer, although further validation is needed. This paper compares time series of liquid water amount (LWA) from three percolation zone sites generated by a localized point-model, a regional climate model, in situ measurement, and L-band radiometric retrievals. LWA integrates the interplay of liquid water generation and refreezing, which often occur simultaneously and repeatedly within firn layers on diurnal, episodic, and seasonal scales offering insights into methods for measuring and modeling meltwater processes. The four LWA records showed average discrepancies of up to 62% nRMSE, reflecting shortcomings inherent to each method. Better agreement between series occurred after excluding the regional climate model record, lowering nRMSE to 8–13%. The agreement between L-band radiometry and other LWA records inspires confidence in this observational tool for understanding firn meltwater processes and serving as a validation target for simulations of water processes in Greenland’s melting firn layer.

The first year of university is a developmentally significant transition that involves substantial stressor exposure and, for some, heightened anxiety. Parenting may influence the association between stressor exposure and anxiety symptoms, with some research showing that parental care and overprotection throughout childhood and adolescence are associated with the experience of anxiety. However, how these factors interact and relate to anxiety symptoms in early adulthood is not clear. To address this issue, we examined interactions between parenting characteristics (care and overprotection) and stressors experienced during the transition to university, and how they relate to anxiety symptoms in 240 first-year undergraduates (Mage = 18.2, SD = 1.18, 75% female, 51.7% White). Results revealed a significant interaction between parental overprotection and stressor exposure, such that higher parental overprotection and higher levels of recent stressor exposure were associated with more anxiety symptoms (β = 0.52, p = .008). These findings demonstrate continued evidence for associations between experiences of parenting and psychopathology in emerging adulthood and suggest that overprotective parenting behaviors may exacerbate effects of stress exposure.

Over the past decade the European Union (EU) has transformed sustainability into a dense matrix of legally binding ESG reporting obligations for companies. Compliance increasingly hinges on firms’ ability to collect and verify thousands of datapoints deep into global supply chains – an exercise that is costly, error-prone and may yield non-comparable results. (Semi-)centralised ESG data-sharing arrangements – shared hubs where suppliers post one or more verified sets of sustainability figures that all their customers can reuse – can restore some efficiency by eliminating duplicate requests and supplying standardised, audit-ready inputs, but this amplifies competition-law risk. Drawing on competition law and policy and recent Dutch banking practice, the paper devises a set of legal “firewalls” and access rules that neutralise collusive potential resulting from the information exchange that takes place while safeguarding smaller market players from exclusion. These safeguards are essential to ensure that ESG data collaboration supports – not hinders – the EU’s Twin Transition towards a green and digital economy.

The aim of this study was to describe how the detection of protozoan and helminth parasites has been affected by the introduction of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and changes in test algorithms. We extracted data about faecal samples tested for parasites (n = 114839) at five Norwegian clinical microbiology laboratories. Samples were classified into prePCR or postPCR depending on whether they were submitted before or after the introduction of PCR, and into diagnostic episodes (n = 99320). The number of diagnostic episodes increased 3.7-fold from prePCR to postPCR. Giardia positive episodes doubled, the positivity rate decreased from 2.0% to 1.3%. Cryptosporidium was hardly detected prePCR and increased to a positivity rate of 1.2%. Entamoeba histolytica was rarely found. Episodes examined for helminths decreased 51%, the number of positive episodes decreased 34%. Samples from immigrants were more likely to be positive for Giardia, E. histolytica, or helminths and less likely to be Cryptosporidium positive. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of Giardia and helminth-positive episodes decreased. Cryptosporidium-positive episodes remained unchanged. The implementation of multiplex PCR for protozoa led to a doubling of Giardia cases and a better test for Cryptosporidium. Fewer microscopy examinations raise concerns that helminth infections may be overlooked.

Let n be a positive integer, let $0<p\leqslant p'\leqslant \frac 12$, and let $\ell \leqslant pn$ be a nonnegative integer. We prove that if $\mathcal {F},\mathcal {G}\subseteq \{0,1\}^n$ are two families whose cross intersections forbid $\ell $—that is, they satisfy $|A\cap B|\neq \ell $ for every $A\in \mathcal {F}$ and every $B\in \mathcal {G}$ – then, setting $t:= \min \{\ell ,pn-\ell \}$, we have the subgaussian bound

$$\begin{align*}\mu_p(\mathcal{F})\, \mu_{p'}(\mathcal{G}) \leqslant 2\exp\Big( - \frac{t^2}{58^2\,pn}\Big), \end{align*}$$

where $\mu _p$ and $\mu _{p'}$ denote the p-biased and $p'$-biased measures on $\{0,1\}^n$, respectively.

Multicenter clinical trials are essential for evaluating interventions but often face significant challenges in study design, site coordination, participant recruitment, and regulatory compliance. To address these issues, the National Institutes of Health’s National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences established the Trial Innovation Network (TIN). The TIN offers a scientific consultation process, providing access to clinical trial and disease experts who provide input and recommendations throughout the trial’s duration, at no cost to investigators. This approach aims to improve trial design, accelerate implementation, foster interdisciplinary teamwork, and spur innovations that enhance multicenter trial quality and efficiency. The TIN leverages resources of the Clinical and Translational Science Awards (CTSA) program, complementing local capabilities at the investigator’s institution. The Initial Consultation process focuses on the study’s scientific premise, design, site development, recruitment and retention strategies, funding feasibility, and other support areas. As of 6/1/2024, the TIN has provided 431 Initial Consultations to increase efficiency and accelerate trial implementation by delivering customized support and tailored recommendations. Across a range of clinical trials, the TIN has developed standardized, streamlined, and adaptable processes. We describe these processes, provide operational metrics, and include a set of lessons learned for consideration by other trial support and innovation networks.