This research shows that droughts are robustly associated with city-level unrest in Europe over the years 900 to 1800 ce. This relationship is non-linear, with disproportionately greater increases in the probability of a conflict among droughts in the upper tail of the severity distribution. Elected city governments are relatively immune to drought-induced conflict, while those based on representation by burghers or guilds are not. These results suggest that local governments are key to maintaining social stability during economic shocks, and are most successful when they have a greater degree of democratic legitimacy.

The 58th Annual Scientific Conference of the Nutrition Society of New Zealand, held in Christchurch in 2024, brought together 187 delegates under the theme “Kotahitanga: Bridging Research, Industry, and Practice”. This theme reflected the Society’s commitment to uniting diverse sectors to address key nutrition challenges across the life course. Kotahitanga refers to unity and collective action. Topics included nutrition in ageing and chronic disease, infant and toddler nutrition, gut health, sustainable food systems, and food safety. Presentations on sarcopenia and Parkinson’s disease emphasised the need for greater awareness and tailored nutrition strategies for older adults. The Muriel Bell Lecture celebrated the legacy of New Zealand’s first State Nutritionist and called for continued leadership in evidence-based nutrition and encouraged nutritionists to communicate research to the public. A panel on science communication offered practical strategies for engaging the public and countering misinformation. The conference reinforced the importance of collaboration, advocacy, and practical application in advancing nutrition.

In 2022, a Tunisian citizen was arrested in Oslo when he tried to sell 30 Carthaginian bronze coins to a local antiques dealer. The dealer had previously alerted the police after receiving an email inquiry asking him whether he was interested in buying a ‘large number’ of Punic coins from an alleged underwater find, presumably a hoard, off the coast of Tunisia. The University of Oslo’s Museum of Cultural History, which cooperates with law-enforcement agencies and the authorities in cases involving illicit cultural artefacts, assisted with the identification of the coins. Eventually, the latter were returned to Tunisia, and Norwegian prosecutors dropped the charges against the Tunisian national. This article discusses the relevant legal framework of the case and the process that unfolded from the time when an attempt was made to sell the coins until they were returned to their country of origin. The broader numismatic implications of this find are also examined.

This single-center retrospective analysis evaluated the yield of blood cultures in patients with febrile neutropenia during a supply shortage. The detection rate of true bacteremia was observed to increase with the number of sets obtained, although this increase was not statistically significant. Findings support limiting repeat cultures within 48 hours.

For decades, party politics literature has argued that populist radical right (PRR) parties must distance themselves from their countries’ authoritarian pasts to achieve electoral relevance in a Sartorian sense. Yet, we now observe the growing success and influence of PRR parties that not only embrace nostalgia for this past but also maintain ties to it. The use of what we term ‘authoritarian nostalgia’ is not only becoming more widespread across politics but it has proven effective across diverse segments of the electorate. This study examines the extent to which (populist radical) right supporters approve of their countries’ authoritarian histories and view these past regimes favourably. Using original survey data fielded in Spain and Portugal and a novel set of survey items measuring authoritarian nostalgia, we find that supporters of VOX and Chega are more likely to express a broad sense of collective nostalgia, particularly through a longing for their country’s ‘old, glorious days’, but demonstrate strong nostalgia for Franco and Salazar’s authoritarian regimes more specifically. Furthermore, we observe similar affinities for the authoritarian past amongst traditional right-wing supporters, primarily among Partido Popular (PP) supporters in Spain, with weaker evidence for PPD/PSD supporters in Portugal. Our findings suggest that, rather than hindering electoral performance, authoritarian nostalgia can, in fact, stimulate (populist radical) right-wing electorates.

In the past few decades, long-term basic research and clinical practice of surgical treatment for tetralogy of Fallot have been carried out at home and abroad, and the treatment effect has been improved, the complications and mortality have been gradually decreased. Pulmonary regurgitation is a common complication after traditional radical repair of tetralogy of Fallot, which is an important factor leading to many adverse outcomes. Valve-sparing repair has gradually become the first choice for the treatment of tetralogy of Fallot, which can effectively prevent the occurrence of postoperative pulmonary regurgitation, maintain right ventricular function, and improve the prognosis of children. However, there are controversies about the application indications and surgical strategies of valve-sparing repair, and a lack of clear clinical guidelines. This article reviews the research progress on the advantages, surgical indications, surgical techniques, prognosis and prospects of valve-sparing repair for tetralogy of Fallot, in order to provide evidence-based medical evidence for when to undergo valve-sparing repair for tetralogy of Fallot patients and to better improve the quality of life of patients.

The genesis and significance of epsilon waves still remains an enigma. In this case report, we document occurrence of epsilon waves in a neonate with left ventricular diverticulum and its disappearance after the surgical division of the diverticulum. We postulate that the presence of myocardial cells in the diverticulum was the cause for epsilon waves.

The adoption of corpus technology in school classroom settings remains limited, largely due to insufficient technological pedagogical content knowledge (TPACK) training for pedagogical corpus use. To address this gap, we investigated how teacher education in corpus-based language pedagogy (CBLP), a subdomain of TPACK for corpus technology tailored to language teachers, influenced student TESOL teachers’ self-efficacy for independent language learning and teaching. Employing a mixed-methods approach, including a CBLP training intervention (n = 120), survey data (n = 96), and interviews (n = 8) with student teachers at a university in Hong Kong SAR, China, the research validates a theoretical model through confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modelling. Results demonstrate that corpus literacy (CL) is foundational for effective CBLP implementation and development of independent learning self-efficacy, which in turn fosters innovative, resource-rich instructional strategies. CBLP also enhances teachers’ self-efficacy for student engagement, fostering more interactive and motivating classrooms. These findings emphasise the value of embedding CL and CBLP within TESOL teacher-education programmes to prepare future language teachers for self-efficacy within dynamic, technology-enhanced classrooms.

The young, urban, and highly educated professionals who comprise the knowledge economy class are often portrayed as the champions of progressive politics in Europe. However, the coexistence of socially progressive attitudes and more conservative economic tendencies within this class deserves more scrutiny among political scientists because such tendencies, I argue, may reveal differences of consequence for electoral and policy outcomes. I point to two analytical blind spots in research on progressive politics: (1) the separation of sociocultural from economic issues, which can conceal critical policy preferences within the knowledge economy class, and (2) the prevailing dichotomy of knowledge economy “winners” and “losers,” which can lead scholars to underestimate status concerns in the knowledge economy class. To illustrate why addressing both blind spots matters for research on electoral outcomes and progressive policy agendas, I apply my claims to the issue of immigration. I show how the interaction of sociocultural progress and economic change—manifesting in this case as status gains among ethnoracial minorities—can underpin a politics of status preservation among “winners” that calls for as much attention as that dedicated to the politics of status loss among “losers.” Using cross-national survey data, I show that members of the knowledge economy class adopt a politics of status preservation in contexts in which ethnoracial minorities, although not on a par with advantaged white majorities, are better represented in high-status positions. I conclude by considering the implications for research on progressive politics in Europe.

This research article addresses the hypothesis that vehicles used for cattle transport are contaminated with Escherichia coli, a potential foodborne pathogen, despite current regulations on sanitation practices. Dairy cattle and calves are regularly transported to auction markets, calf rearers and slaughterhouses. UK Government guidelines require livestock transport vehicles to be cleaned and disinfected within 24 hours of use or before re-use within that period. It is feasible, however, that if cleaning fails to eradicate bacteria, then transport vehicles can act as a fomite in the spread of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) pathogens. In this study, 13 trailer-loads (TLs) of calves were transported for 40–60 minutes. Trailers were then cleaned and disinfected within 20 minutes of unloading. Five sites within the trailer were swabbed after pressure washing and again 30 minutes after application of disinfectant. A bacterial count for E. coli was performed through growth on selective agar, and species identification was confirmed by MALDI-TOF. A subset of 30 isolates was selected for antibiotic susceptibility screening to a panel of veterinary and human antibiotics. E. coli were recovered from all TLs and sites; however, not all sites were contaminated in each TL. E. coli count was significantly reduced, but not eliminated, following application of disinfectant. Furthermore, high prevalence of resistance to sulphonamides, first-generation cephalosporins, and tetracyclines was observed. Forty percent of screened isolates were also classified as multidrug-resistant (MDR) (i.e. resistant to at least one antibiotic from three or more antibiotic classes). Application of disinfectant did not increase the risk of recovering an MDR isolate. This study demonstrates that livestock trailers can harbour potential zoonotic pathogens with AMR properties. Disinfection in accordance with current guidelines is an important step in reducing, but not eradicating, bacterial populations in these vehicles. Improved cleaning and/or disinfection policies are required to mitigate the potential for AMR transmission.

Slim et al.’s paper provided an insight into the differences between repaired tetralogy of Fallot and isolated pulmonary regurgitation in their strain. Repaired tetralogy of Fallot had higher right ventricular circumferential strain, while isolated pulmonary regurgitation relied on longitudinal strain more. This allowed the authors to infer that repaired tetralogy of Fallot can withstand more chronic regurgitation before valve replacement is necessary. We highlighted new findings relevant to this paper. Arrhythmia in repaired tetralogy of Fallot is associated with a reduced global circumferential strain of the right ventricle. Specifically, a value of below -14% was associated with a 6.3 times increase in the risk for an arrhythmic event. We believe this would be beneficial for patients when considered for valve replacements, suggesting modification of current valve replacement guidelines to include strain thresholds alongside current volumetric thresholds. However, the data for isolated pulmonary regurgitation remains scarce. Further investigation is needed to provide clearer timelines for valve replacement. We emphasised the importance of exploring the underlying architecture of repaired tetralogy of Fallot patients’ hearts and why they could generate more global circumferential strain. We acknowledged the broader effect of this paper and its specific benefit in our country, Egypt. This paper provided insights useful for broader global health impact, especially in low-income countries.

Recent years have seen growing interest in applying the Evolutionary Transitions in Individuality (ETI) framework to human sociocultural evolution. Proponents argue that human societies exhibit features—such as multilevel organisation, cooperation, and division of labour—sufficiently analogous to biological ETIs to warrant theoretical extension. This paper critically assesses such claims and argues that they rest on a fundamental misapplication of the ETI framework. Drawing on recent work in cultural evolution, I show that sociocultural systems typically lack the core conditions required for an ETI, including autonomous reproduction at the group level and the operation of natural selection in the reproductive mode. Attempts to relax these criteria risk undermining the coherence of the framework itself. I conclude that while the broader MET framework may still have value for understanding sociocultural change, the specific explanatory structure of ETI theory does not transfer.

Research on strokes using genetics and neurobiobanking has highlighted some ethical, legal and social implications. Blood donation, brain donation, blood storage, re-use and sample sharing, data sharing, return of individual results, disclosure of incidental findings, pattern and causes of preference for informed consent, governance and regulation, and biorights are some of the legal problems presented. This study, therefore, explores this aspect in Sub-Saharan Africa using Nigeria and Ghana as case studies. In exploring this aspect, a qualitative method was adopted. In addition, the general jurisprudence of law and society was adopted as the theoretical framework and applied to the findings made. It was found that the law to a high level mirrors people’s expectations and that there was an existing social order to which the law was a contributor. It is therefore argued that any need for the intervention of the law must take cognizance of these findings.

2,3-Diphosphoglycerate (2,3-DPG), found primarily in red blood cells, plays a key role in regulating hemoglobin’s (Hb) affinity for oxygen. Increased 2,3-DPG levels shift the oxygen dissociation curve to the right, reducing Hb’s oxygen affinity and enhancing oxygen delivery to tissues—particularly important in conditions like anemia and high-altitude adaptation. Despite its physiological significance, research on 2,3-DPG is outdated and limited. This review aims to summarize current knowledge and identify research gaps. Measuring 2,3-DPG is challenging due to its instability and the need for careful sample handling. Chromatography and enzymatic methods are commonly used. Several factors influence 2,3-DPG levels, including diet, physiological state, and disease. Dietary phosphorus, for example, can acutely affect 2,3-DPG levels, though the impact of different meal compositions remains unexplored. Age, pregnancy, and physical activity also modulate 2,3-DPG, yet little is known about its role in infants and children. While changes in 2,3-DPG levels under various pathological conditions have been described, the molecular mechanisms behind these alterations remain poorly understood and warrant further investigation.