Search

Fusion is inherently safer than fission due to the absence of nuclear chain reactions. However, operating fusion power plants will not be risk free. There will still be numerous hazards that will need careful management in order to safely build, operate and ultimately decommission a fusion power plant. Ensuring a robust safety demonstration that covers all radiological and non-radiological hazards is therefore vitally important for the future permissioning and consenting of fusion power plants. The safety case for the STEP prototype plant will be developed in line with a set of safety philosophies, safety functional requirements and design safety principles to ensure that the safety case production process is consistent and robust. This article is part of the theme issue 'Delivering Fusion Energy – The Spherical Tokamak for Energy Production (STEP)'. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Arizona has a long history of groundwater use, and there is concern about long term groundwater sustainability across the state. We explore groundwater trends across Arizona and how they vary with respect to: (1) whether groundwater pumping is regulated, and (2) relative access to local or imported surface water. Well observations from the Arizona Department of Water Resources are used to quantify water table depth trends and groundwater drilling patterns. There are more than 85,000 groundwater wells in Arizona, and new wells are routinely being drilled. The number of new shallow wells (<200 ft) has decreased over time in all parts of the state. But midrange (200–500 ft) to deep (>500 ft) wells have increased in the past 10 years in regulated and groundwater dominated areas. Most wells are small with low pumping capacities that fall below the regulatory limit; however, there are still large wells being drilled in unregulated areas. Results show statewide decreasing water storage and groundwater levels. Groundwater declines are less severe in the parts of the state that have groundwater regulation. However, looking closer at this trend, groundwater recovery is strongest in areas receiving imported Colorado River water which also implement managed groundwater recharge with the imported water. Our findings indicate that groundwater recovery is very localized and driven more by managed recharge from surface water as opposed to decreased groundwater pumping. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractAlthough land use planning in the United States has long privileged single-family homes, the dominance of single-family zoning is weakening. At least eight states have passed laws opening single-family neighborhoods to accessory dwelling units and, in some cases, to middle housing, such as townhouses, duplexes, triplexes, and quadplexes. Opponents of laws liberalizing single-family zoning often seek to prohibit for-profit developers from densifying single-family neighborhoods, by restricting development to owner-occupiers. Often these opponents invoke concerns about gentrification and social equity. But for recent zoning reforms to put a meaningful dent in the housing affordability problems confronting many regions, the planning profession must accept that the physical transformation of neighborhoods at scale will require significant, though by no means exclusive, involvement of for-profit builders. In this Viewpoint we explain why the relevant empirical evidence from cities such as Houston (TX), Portland (OR), and Auckland (New Zealand) indicates that single-family zoning reform can foster more affordable types of housing through for-profit development, while allaying fears concerning gentrification and displacement. Cities and states should promote equity and neighborhood stability through tools such as tenant protections, but they should eliminate owner-occupancy restrictions and other regulations that bar for-profit developers from building middle housing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article generates new insights into the changing profession of journalism. Empirically, we present the findings of 21 interviews with journalists working in the Irish and UK sports beats on their experiences of online abuse. Conceptually, we address the under-theorising of emotions in journalism by extending the utility and entanglement of emotion work and emotional labour. In doing so, we posit future lines of theoretical enquiry about individual and social regulation. Several key discoveries are presented. First, sports journalism is a distinctive profession because significant authentic emotional work is undertaken. This is only accentuated when online abuse occurs. Journalists are deeply affected by this abuse, personally and professionally. Second, online abuse towards sports journalists is now so ubiquitous as to be habitually accepted, and it has obscured the distinction between public and private spaces. Third, in response, sports journalists have been compelled to develop their own emotional strategies, including self-censorship, to cope with and manage online abuse. The findings presented here also pose practical and existential questions about the sustainability of the profession, especially in the absence of formal institutional supports or even an informal code of practice about how to cope with and respond to online abuse. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many nations have food contact material (FCM) legislation purporting to protect citizens from hazardous chemicals, often specifically by regulating genotoxic carcinogens. Despite such regulations, cancers that are associated with harmful chemical exposures are highly prevalent, especially breast cancer. Using the novel Key Characteristics of Toxicants framework, Kay et al. found 921 substances that are potential mammary carcinogens. By comparing Kay et al.'s chemicals list with our own Database on migrating and extractable food contact chemicals (FCCmigex), we found that 189 (21%) of the potential mammary carcinogens have been measured in FCMs. When limiting these results to migration studies published in 2020-2022, 76 potential mammary carcinogens have been detected to migrate from FCMs sold in markets across the globe, under realistic conditions of use. This implies that chronic exposure of the entire population to potential mammary carcinogens from FCMs is the norm and highlights an important, but currently underappreciated opportunity for prevention. Reducing population-wide exposure to potential mammary carcinogens can be achieved by science-based policy amendments addressing the assessment and management of food contact chemicals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Regulation that develops the Law on Immigration is one of the legal instruments that regulates the operation and organization of the public administration in relation to immigration issues. This regulation is currently being modified and will experience a profound transformation. Recently, the draft reform has been published to be submitted to public hearing and information in order to gather the opinion of the citizens. On this occasion and using the contributions developed by the Movimiento por la Paz -MPDL-, a few observations on the main sections of this project from a human rights-based approach will be done. The comments will be focused on some of the issues in which the regulation is most harmful to the interests and rights of the migrant population. Specifically, humanitarian visas as a mechanism to stop migrant deaths, safe reporting mechanisms for undocumented migrants and, finally, forms of regularization for displaced children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The Jun proto-oncogene (JUN), also referred to as C-JUN, is an integral component of the JNK signaling pathway, which is crucial for the formation and differentiation of spermatogonial stem cells (SSCs). Investigations into the transcriptional regulation of chicken JUN can offer a molecular foundation for elucidating its mechanistic role in SSCs. Methods: In this study, we successfully cloned a 2000 bp upstream sequence of the JUN transcription start site and constructed a series of pGL3 recombinant vectors containing JUN promoters of varying lengths. Results: We verified the promoter activity of the 2000 bp upstream sequence by assessing the fluorescence intensity of DF-1 and identified the promoter activities of different regions via dual-luciferase assays. The transcription of JUN and its promoter region spanning −700 to 0 bp was modulated by an activator of the JNK signaling pathway. Bioinformatics analysis revealed that this −700 to 0 bp region was highly conserved among avian species and predicted the presence of binding sites for Wilms tumor 1 (WT1) and CCAAT/enhancer binding protein alpha (CEBPA). The JNK signaling pathway activator was found to upregulate the expression of these transcription factors in DF-1 cells. Through the deletion of binding sites and the overexpression of WT1 and CEBPA, we demonstrated that WT1 inhibited the transcription of JUN, while CEBPA promoted it. Conclusions: In conclusion, the −700 to 0 bp region is the key region of the JUN promoter, with WT1 inhibiting JUN transcription. The results of the study not only provide ideas for exploring the regulatory mechanism of JUN in chicken SSCs, but also lay an important foundation for the study of avian SSCs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Machine learning (ML) is utilized increasingly in health care, and can pose harms to patients, clinicians, health systems, and the public. In response, regulators have proposed an approach that would shift more responsibility to ML developers for mitigating potential harms. To be effective, this approach requires ML developers to recognize, accept, and act on responsibility for mitigating harms. However, little is known regarding the perspectives of developers themselves regarding their obligations to mitigate harms. Methods: We conducted 40 semi-structured interviews with developers of ML predictive analytics applications for health care in the United States. Results: Participants varied widely in their perspectives on personal responsibility and included examples of both moral engagement and disengagement, albeit in a variety of forms. While most (70%) of participants made a statement indicative of moral engagement, most of these statements reflected an awareness of moral issues, while only a subset of these included additional elements of engagement such as recognizing responsibility, alignment with personal values, addressing conflicts of interests, and opportunities for action. Further, we identified eight distinct categories of moral disengagement reflecting efforts to minimize potential harms or deflect personal responsibility for preventing or mitigating harms. Conclusions: These findings suggest possible facilitators and barriers to the development of ethical ML that could act by encouraging moral engagement or discouraging moral disengagement. Regulatory approaches that depend on the ability of ML developers to recognize, accept, and act on responsibility for mitigating harms might have limited success without education and guidance for ML developers about the extent of their responsibilities and how to implement them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article suggests distinguishing between illegality as a practical phenomenon and informal regulations as a structuring feature of everyday life. This allows rethinking the role of the law and regulation in contexts of urban informality, showing that the law, and formality more generally, is connected to the informal in that the formal only receives its meaning and relevance through the informal. The concepts are illustrated by case material from informal housing and what is known as 'beds in sheds' in London. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper describes hospital, insurance, and pharmaceutical price transparency policies and applications in the United States and in selected countries around the world. Many of these policies apply to self-insured employers. So far, the experience in the United States and elsewhere is clear that federal and state price transparency regulations have had little impact on whether employees or dependents search for low-cost or high-quality providers or on the cost and quality of their health care. This is because of weak regulatory oversight, conflicting federal and state reporting requirements, and few economic incentives for providers and insurance companies to supply easily readable or analyzable price information. However, price transparency requirements are here to stay. This paper therefore offers several recommendations to maximize the utility of price transparency tools provided for employees and other insureds, by their employers, providers, commercial insurance carriers, or technology firms. From a policy perspective, coupling reporting requirements with clearer technological guidance and much stronger regulatory oversight would increase the utility of price transparency efforts. For individual employers, the impact of price transparency efforts may increase by coupling price transparency tools with health plan network and design strategies, behavioral economic nudges, and programs designed to improve health, well-being, and quality of care. Many program vendor partners, consultants, and actuarial, technology, and research firms can help make these efforts useful. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Political action has a long history in the health workforce. There are multiple historical examples, from civil disobedience to marches and even sabotage that can be attributed to health workers. Such actions remain a feature of the healthcare community to this day; their status with professional and regulatory bodies is far less clear, however. This has created uncertainty for those undertaking such action, particularly those who are engaged in what could be termed 'contentious' forms of action. This study explored how advocacy and activism were presented in nursing and medical codes of ethics, comparing disciplinary and temporo‐spatial differences to understand how such action may be promoted or constrained by codes. The data for this study comes from 217 codes of ethics. Because of the size of the corpus and to facilitate analysis, natural language processing was utilised, which allowed for an automated exploration of the data and for comparisons to be drawn between groups. This was complemented by a manual search and contextualisation of the data. While there were noticeable differences between medical and nursing codes, overall, advocacy, activism and even politics were rarely discussed explicitly in most codes. When such action was spoken about, this was often vague and imprecise with codes speaking of 'political action' and 'advocacy' in general terms. While some codes were far more forthright in what they meant about advocacy or broader political action (i.e., Nursing codes in Denmark, Norway, Canada) more forceful language that spoke in specific terms or in terms of oppositional or specific actions (e.g., civil disobedience or marches) was almost completely avoided. These results are discussed in relation to the broader literature on codes and the normative questions they raise, namely whether such action should be included in codes of ethics at all. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pharmacogenetic variants of the steroid hormone‐metabolizing enzyme cytochrome P450 2B6 (CYP2B6) were reported to be associated with breast cancer (BC) risk and prognosis. CYP2B6 expression is inducible by estradiol (E2) but induction was demonstrated only under steroid hormone‐deprived medium conditions. Physiological conditions, however, even under endocrinological BC treatment, do not correspond to complete steroid hormone depletion. The aim of this study was to investigate the E2‐mediated CYP2B6 and CYP1B1 regulation under various steroid hormone conditions, including physiological concentrations, in human oestrogen receptor positive (T47D, MCF‐7) and negative (MDA‐MB‐231) BC cell lines. We confirm that steroid‐deprived pre‐cultivation led to CYP2B6 upregulation in T47D, but not in MCF‐7. However, when pre‐cultivated with steroid‐containing medium CYP2B6 was downregulated in T47D and MCF‐7, while the addition of physiological E2 concentrations to steroid‐deprived medium resulted in a downregulation in T47D. In contrast, CYP1B1 was never downregulated in any culture condition. Thus, we show that E2‐mediated CYP2B6 regulation in BC cells depends on steroid hormone exposure in a cell line‐specific manner. Our data indicates the importance of being careful with conclusions drawn from CYP2B6 induction findings in vitro, as we demonstrate potential influences of hormonal changes on CYP2B6 expression, which could impact steroid hormone homeostasis and, consequently, BC risk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Artificial intelligence (AI) not only holds immense potential for improving quality of life but also creates complex ethical, legal, and societal challenges. AI has gained significant attention recently, particularly by introducing ChatGPT and other emerging applications. This paper offers a comprehensive overview of public opinion trends on AI, drawing from fifteen surveys conducted in the USA over the past 4 years. The findings reveal a divided American public regarding AI's applications. Americans generally call for more regulation and government oversight, expressing a need for increased measures before fully embracing AI. While specific AI applications, such as skin cancer screening, have been welcomed, most Americans emphasize the importance of addressing societal concerns such as racial bias and inequities before the widespread implementation of AI. The evolving landscape of AI necessitates ongoing monitoring of public sentiment and the consideration of societal implications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transporters for organic cations (OCs) facilitate exchange of positively charged molecules through the plasma membrane. Substrates for these transporters encompass neurotransmitters, metabolic byproducts, drugs, and xenobiotics. Consequently, these transporters actively contribute to the regulation of neurotransmission, cellular penetration and elimination process for metabolic products, drugs, and xenobiotics. Therefore, these transporters have significant physiological, pharmacological, and toxicological implications. In cells of renal proximal tubules, the vectorial secretion pathways for OCs involve expression of organic cation transporters (OCTs) and multidrug and toxin extrusion proteins (MATEs) on basolateral and apical membrane domains, respectively. This review provides an overview of documented regulatory mechanisms governing OCTs and MATEs. Additionally, regulation of these transporters under various pathological conditions is summarized. The expression and functionality of OCTs and MATEs are subject to diverse pre‐ and post‐translational modifications, providing insights into their regulation in various pathological conditions. Typically, in diseases, downregulation of transporter expression is observed, probably as a protective mechanism to prevent additional damage to kidney tissue. This regulation may be attributed to the intricate network of modifications these transporters undergo, shedding light on their dynamic responses in pathological contexts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This Long-Covid disease, mild or severe, is multiorgan or system-wide, spanning from fatigue to clotting abnormalities and autoantibody. The spectrum of different symptoms in Long-Covid diseases makes it difficult to point to a common immunopathogenic etiology. Different immune pathways are presented and critically evaluated. A hypothesis is advanced that indicates autoimmune reactions as cause for Long-Covid disease. The immune network pathway describes a redirection of the nominal anti-SARS-CoV response towards an autoimmune target. Several therapeutic interventions are suggested to suppress the autoimmune pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Drawing on critical capitalism theory and the social responsibility theory of media, this paper explores the role of the state as a news media owner in contemporary European media systems and the capitalist context. It focuses on accountability and the relationships between the state, state-owned media outlets, and the public. Academic research to date has predominantly examined public service media (PSM) and the dichotomy of private versus public media, thereby overlooking other models of state ownership. The lack of clear regulations on the state's accountability as a media owner outside PSM at the EU level, along with uncertainties in national regulatory frameworks (such as those seen in Slovenia, and the recent reinstatement of state ownership of media in Serbia) raise concerns about the potential for abuse of power. These issues are particularly relevant in the current context of illiberal and authoritarian tendencies within modern European capitalist societies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Technological advances in analytics, as well as scientific and regulatory knowledge and experience gained from biosimilar development/approvals over the last decade, enabled the World Health Organization (WHO) in 2022 to revise its guidelines on the evaluation of biosimilars. Among the revisions, there is more reliance on analytical and functional aspects to prove similarity (and likely fewer clinical requirements). WHO international reference standards for biosimilars provide additional confidence to regulators looking for evidence‐ and data‐based regulatory convergence in scientific and technical measures of quality attributes. These standards serve as a benchmark for harmonizing the bioactivity or potency of biosimilars, ensuring their future sustainability. This article discusses the availability and role of WHO international reference standards throughout the product life cycle of biosimilars. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bacillus species act as plant growth‐promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) that can produce a large number of bioactive metabolites. Bacillaene, a linear polyketide/nonribosomal peptide produced by Bacillus strains, is synthesized by the trans‐acyltransferase polyketide synthetase. The complexity of the chemical structure, particularity of biosynthesis, potent bioactivity, and the important role of competition make Bacillus an ideal antibiotic weapon to resist other microbes and maintain the optimal rhizosphere environment. This review provides an updated view of the structural features, biological activity, biosynthetic regulators of biosynthetic pathways, and the important competitive role of bacillaene during Bacillus survival. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

La colère est une émotion universelle dont l'expérience quotidienne varie en fréquence, en intensité et en durée chez les individus. De multiples termes peuvent caractériser et nuancer son vécu. Elle englobe ainsi un certain nombre de manifestations cognitives et comportementales (directement observables ou non), et des modifications internes telles que l'activation physiologique. Expérience subjective, son expression est multidimensionnelle et entraîne des tendances d'action qui peuvent aller jusqu'à des comportements agressifs. Plusieurs termes connexes sont utilisés pour caractériser ses différentes facettes. L'ensemble de ces construits se chevauchent, entraînant parfois une certaine confusion. À juste titre, ils sont souvent corrélés et s'entretiennent les uns les autres. Les affects agressifs qui regroupent le sentiment de colère, l'irritabilité et l'hostilité sont ainsi des construits fortement liés. Toutefois, ils renvoient soit à un état d'humeur soit à une attitude et se distinguent de la colère en tant qu'émotion, tout comme l'impulsivité qui est davantage considérée comme un trait de personnalité. L'agressivité est par ailleurs à distinguer des actes violents qui sont caractérisés par le risque de provoquer des dommages significatifs chez autrui. Les croyances, les évaluations des situations, ou encore les ruminations, qui provoquent la colère et qui en découlent, vont également jouer un rôle important dans sa régulation. Enfin, de nombreux aspects sociaux et culturels, comme le genre ou la société, vont influencer son expression. À notre connaissance, à ce jour aucune revue en langue française n'a présenté le concept de colère alors même que cette émotion peut avoir des conséquences néfastes sur la santé et la qualité de vie des individus. Certains auteurs parlent de la colère comme l'émotion « méconnue » qui mériterait davantage d'attention. Cette revue de portée a donc pour objectif de définir l'émotion de colère et d'explorer les concepts qui s'y rattachent. Les limites de cette revue seront détaillées. Anger is a universal emotion whose daily experience varies in frequency, intensity and duration among individuals. Multiple emotional terms such as "frustrated" or "furious" can characterize it and nuance its experience. It thus encompasses a number of cognitive and behavioral manifestations (directly observable or not), and internal modifications such as physiological activation. It is also associated with facial expressions. As a subjective experience, its expression is therefore multidimensional. It leads, for example, to action tendencies such as shouting or withdrawing from a situation. The latter can extend to aggressive behavior. Several related terms are used to characterize its different facets, such as hostility, irritability and aggressiveness. These aggressive affects are closely related and sometimes overlap, leading to confusion. Rightly so, they are often correlated and mutually supportive. However, they refer either to a state of mood or an attitude, and are distinct from anger as an emotion. Aggression is also to be distinguished from violent acts, which are characterized by the risk of causing significant harm to others. Impulsivity is also mentioned, but is seen more as a personality trait that seems to correlate with the experience of anger. What's more, it's considered by many to be an aversive emotion. Compared to other emotions such as sadness or fear, however, it is more likely to lead to an active approach. It is also triggered in a variety of situations, notably when the individual feels blocked or frustrated in achieving a goal. The question of injustice and the responsibility of others will also be central. In fact, beliefs and evaluations of situations will play a vital role, whether or not they are conscious. The ruminations that provoke and result from it can also play an important role in regulating it. Finally, many social and cultural aspects influence its expression. Anger is a universal human emotion, regardless of culture. However, certain display rules will influence the emotional response of anger to maintain a certain social framework. In other words, anger plays a part in regulating social behavior within groups. What's more, the literature is homogeneous on the effect of gender, but it is acknowledged that there are differences between men and women in the way anger is displayed. The social context and social desirability play a definite role in distinguishing certain reactions according to the gender of the individuals expressing anger. To our knowledge, to date, no French-language journal has presented the concept of anger, despite the fact that it is an emotion that can have harmful consequences on the quality of life of individuals and in the sphere of relationships. Some authors refer to anger as the "unrecognized" emotion that deserves more attention. The aim of this review is therefore to define the emotion of anger and explore related concepts. However, there are certain limitations to this review. Indeed, the literature highlights a strong link between anger and certain psychological disorders. Other elements, such as the consequences of dysfunctional anger or the assessment tools available, should be studied in greater depth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Assisted reproductive technologies (ARTs) have become a widely utilized medical technology for treating infertility worldwide. However, societies and countries have applied these technologies in accordance with their cultural practices and belief systems. This paper presents an overview of ART providers in Bangladesh and analyzes their online content in addressing potential infertile couples. Examining the topic within the context of socio-economic and public health challenges in Bangladesh, particularly overpopulation, poverty, and lack of education, the research conducted a web content analysis of ART providers in Bangladesh from July 1 to September 1, 2023. Twenty active ART providers were identified using Google searches and an exploratory key. The analysis considered locations, landing page information, ethical standards, quality certification, foreign affiliations, and success rates. The findings revealed a concentration of centers in urban areas, raising concerns about equitable access. The absence of regulation and guidelines, coupled with the lack of ART clinic registration, highlighted potential risks to patient well-being. Landing page statements utilized highly emotive language and ambiguous terms, raising ethical concerns. The absence of explicit mention of quality standards, including ISO 9001:2000 certification, indicated potential gaps in transparency. Foreign affiliations were employed for credibility, raising concerns of misleading advertising. Limited and ambiguous reporting of success rates posed challenges for informed decision-making. Evident exploitative and commercialized practices raised concerns about potentially commodifying reproductive services. The study emphasizes the need for regulatory frameworks, transparency in reporting, adherence to ethical advertising, and increased cultural sensitivity to enhance the ethical standards of ART providers in Bangladesh. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Public policy addressing biodiversity loss is most likely to be effective when it is informed by appropriate evidence and considers potential unintended consequences. We evaluate key evidence relating to the Hunting Trophies (Import Prohibition) Bill that was discussed in the UK Parliament between 2022 and 2024. We characterize the UK's role in international hunting trophy trade by analyzing CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) trade data for 2000–2021 and 2015–2021. For CITES‐listed species imported to/exported from the UK as hunting trophies in these periods we use data from the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species to determine whether hunting designated as "trophy hunting" is (i) likely a major threat contributing to species being of elevated conservation concern, (ii) likely or possibly causing localized declines, or (iii) not a threat. We then use the Red List to determine whether such hunting provides, or potentially provides, benefits for species and/or people. Finally, we evaluate the UK Government's impact assessment of the bill. In 2000–2021 an estimated 3494 hunting trophies from 73 CITES‐listed species and subspecies were exported to the UK involving an estimated 2549 whole organism equivalents (WOEs), that is, individual animals. Imports involved 158.86 ± 66.53 (mean ± SD) trophies/year (115.83 ± 32.27 WOEs/year). In 2015–2021, 79% of imports were from countries where populations of the hunted species are stable, increasing, or abundant. Legal hunting for trophies is not a major threat to any of the species or subspecies imported to the UK, but likely or possibly represents a local threat to some populations of eight species. This hunting does, or could potentially, benefit 20 species and subspecies, and people. Among other concerns, the impact assessment failed to adequately consider the costs and benefits to local communities in countries where such hunting occurs. Informed by these analyses we discuss alternative regulatory options. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Contributing to recent academic and public debates on how European democracies should respond to a scenario of "post-truth politics", this article explores the idea of democracy that underlies current regulatory responses in the "European Democracy Action Plan" (EDAP). It offers a conceptual analysis of the institutional narratives in the EDAP illustrating normative expectations of the public sphere and transformations of the basic concepts in the European polity. It revisits the famous Habermasian systemic view of deliberation emphasizing the interconnections of the social and institutional realms through the public sphere in democracies. We argue that previous scholarship has focused too much on the presumed loss of consensus originated from the digital transformations in the public sphere without taking into consideration other institutional changes within the EU. The analysis of the key concepts illustrates the normative expectations of specific measures and shows that there is evidence of a systemic view in the EDAP, with different modes of intervention, partially coherent with Habermas' normative expectations. We conclude that the vision of democracy in the EDAP has been developed for decades to legitimate the EU's development and initiatives, but that it also incorporates a reformulation of some concepts justified by a post-truth scenario. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: This study aims to explore the opportunities offered by non‐thermal food processing technologies, including high‐pressure processing, pulsed electric fields, ultraviolet light, ultrasound, and microwave that could be viable for the agriculture commodities produced in the ASEAN region. The applications of these technologies across various food product categories (from dairy to fruits and vegetables, meat and seafood, beverages, condiments, fermented foods, edible oil, and ready‐to‐eat meals) focusing on microbial inactivation and mass transfer process enhancement, are systematically discussed to highlight their potential to foster the production of safe, nutritious, and fresh‐like quality food products from the region. The adoption of non‐thermal technologies can face several challenges that hinder the integration of these technologies in ASEAN, including high start‐up costs, limited access to stable electricity and clean water, and inconsistencies in food regulations across countries. Information gaps related to the adoption of non‐thermal technologies within the diverse food‐related scenarios in ASEAN were identified and recommendations were given to improve the state of knowledge in the region. Overall, this work offers critical insights for policymakers, industry stakeholders, and researchers to consider inclusion of non‐thermal technologies in food production as strategic approaches and tailored solutions to enhance the competitiveness of regional food products globally. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

When does business support corporate transparency laws, and how do they succeed despite opposition from other powerful business groups? Existing research converges on a common causal pathway: Crises increase public issue salience and open windows of opportunity for policy entrepreneurs to pressure politicians into adopting transparency laws. Examining the case of beneficial ownership transparency (BOT) laws, I theorize an alternative causal pathway where past policy decisions mandating information collection by certain industries produce inter-industry divergence in their policy preferences and undermine opposition business lobbying. Civil society groups can then engage in policy entrepreneurship to integrate supportive regulated industries into new coalitions. Large, organizationally diverse 'strange coalitions' increase political pressure on policymakers, leading to the adoption of corporate transparency laws. I conduct a structured, focused comparison of the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia as parallel demonstrations of this causal pathway. I combine primary and secondary source documentation with 44 semi-structured interviews to trace failed and successful attempts to adopt BOT laws during the 2010s and early 2020s. I center endogenous feedback processes as a primary cause of transparency, provide further evidence of when firms prefer stronger regulation, and highlight the continued importance of domestic interests in transnational policy issues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: This study investigated exposures involving ∆8-tetrahydrocannabinol (∆8-THC) reported to US poison centers (PCs), including variation among states and regions. It evaluated whether the ∆8-THC exposure rate was lower among states with ∆8-THC regulations and states where cannabis (∆9-THC) use was legal. Methods: National Poison Data System data for ∆8-THC exposures in 2021–2022 were analyzed, including comparisons of state and regional population-based exposure rates. Results: There were 4,925 exposures involving ∆8-THC as the primary substance reported to US PCs from January 1, 2021, to December 31, 2022, with 69.8% of these reported in the US South. The rate of exposure per 100,000 US population increased by 79.2% from 0.53 in 2021 to 0.95 in 2022. In 2022, the mean rate of ∆8-THC exposures in states where cannabis use was illegal was 1.64 per 100,000 population (95% CI: 1.08–2.20) compared with 0.52 (95% CI: 0.29–0.76) in states where cannabis use was legal (P = 0.0010). In 2022, the mean rate of ∆8-THC exposures in states where ∆8-THC was unregulated was 1.36 per 100,000 population (95% CI: 0.95–1.77) compared with 0.17 (95% CI: 0.06–0.27) in states where ∆8-THC was banned (P < 0.0001). Conclusions: The rate of ∆8-THC exposures reported to US PCs increased by 79% from 2021 to 2022, with the US South accounting for more than two-thirds of exposures. The rate of ∆8-THC exposures reported to PCs was significantly lower among states where ∆8-THC was banned and among states where cannabis use was legal. Consistent regulation of ∆8-THC across all states should be adopted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In achievement contexts like end-of-semester exam preparation, students experience a variety of positive and negative achievement emotions, and their regulation is crucial. Despite its relevance, the interplay between, and dynamics of, emotions and their regulation is still little understood, particularly as prior research primarily relied on between-person research. In the present study, we use a situated assessment approach and a novel statistical approach, dynamic network modeling, to simultaneously analyze between-person associations, contemporaneous within-person associations as well as temporal lagged within-person associations and stability of achievement emotions and emotion regulation strategies in multivariate models. We used a total of 6,915 assessments of 201 German undergraduate students on six emotions (joy, pride, hope, satisfaction, anxiety, anger, and boredom) and eight emotion regulation strategies (activation, social support, positive refocusing, rumination, reappraisal, suppression, expression, taking action) during exam preparation in two assessment waves (5 weeks prior, and 1 week before important exams). The results uncovered distinct communities of emotions and emotion regulation strategies, wherein taking action and reappraisal held a particularly central position in explaining their linkages. We found evidence for effects from emotions on the use of emotion regulation strategies, and vice versa, and identified self-enforcing loops and carryover effects. We also observed differences in the stability of the assessed constructs over time, and between the week before the exam and 5 weeks before, that emphasize the consideration of not only person and situation-specific components, but also the respective context at hand, to which end dynamic network analyses emerge as a promising research avenue. Educational Impact and Implications Statement: This study sheds light on how students navigate their emotions during exam preparation and underscores the critical role of effective emotion regulation. By examining real-time emotional experiences and regulation strategies, we uncovered distinct communities of emotions and emotion regulation strategies, with "taking action" (i.e., actively acting to improve the situation) and "reappraisal" (i.e., changing the way one thinks about a situation) emerging as particularly central strategies. Following up on these networks of emotions and regulation strategies can pave the way for the development of personalized emotion regulation skills, enhancing students' overall exam preparation and academic success. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Significance Statement: This work analyses multi‐omics and stable isotope labeling data and provides a comprehensive overview on C3‐plant acclimation to high light. We show that Arabidopsis thaliana in abscene of a clockwise TCA cycle accumulates large amounts of C4 acids in vacuoles, which form a secondary pool of reduced carbon that exceeds the plastidic accumulation of carbon in form of starch. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The World Health Organization has been involved in male contraceptive development for over 50 years. In line with its functions and mandate, World Health Organization works with diverse stakeholders to support research, develop norms and standards, engage member states, facilitate prequalification, introduction and scale up, measurement, and tracking of contraceptives. World Health Organization has a key role in galvanizing global efforts to ensure universal access to contraception services irrespective of income group. Regarding male contraceptive development, World Health Organization has provided technical leadership, supported early research, created and supported research centers, built research capacity in various countries, and standardized semen analysis procedures. In this paper, a detailed description is provided with examples across the various stages of male contraceptive development. Limited funding to World Health Organization is a key challenge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recommender Systems (RecSys) have been around since the early days of the Internet, helping users navigate the vast ocean of information and the increasingly available options that have been available for us ever since. The range of tasks for which one could use a RecSys is expanding as the technical capabilities grow, with the disruption of Machine Learning representing a tipping point in this domain, as in many others. However, the increase of the technical capabilities of AI-powered RecSys did not come with a thorough consideration of their ethical implications and, despite being a well-established technical domain, the potential impacts of RecSys on their users are still under-assessed. This paper aims at filling this gap in regards to one of the main impacts of RecSys: personal autonomy. We first describe how technology can affect human values and a suitable methodology to identify these effects and mitigate potential harms: Value Sensitive Design (VSD). We use VSD to carry out a conceptual investigation of personal autonomy in the context of a generic RecSys and draw on a nuanced account of procedural autonomy to focus on two components: competence and authenticity. We provide the results of our inquiry as a value hierarchy and apply it to the design of a speculative RecSys as an example. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the role of anaesthesia associates in the UK and their scope of practice. The findings from the National Audit Project of the Royal College of Anaesthetists show that anaesthesia associates have a wide range of responsibilities, including inducing anaesthesia without direct supervision, leading a cardiac arrest, and providing anaesthesia for high-risk patients and major surgeries. However, these responsibilities go beyond the agreed scope of practice for anaesthesia associates. The article explores the implications of these findings for future healthcare delivery and discusses the concerns and opinions of doctors regarding the role of anaesthesia associates. It also highlights the need for clear identification of roles, titles, and qualifications to ensure patient safety and transparency. The article suggests that collaboration between anaesthetists and anaesthesia associates is crucial for the successful implementation of these roles. It also mentions the international perspective on non-physician anaesthetists and the importance of learning from other countries' experiences. The article concludes by emphasizing the need for regulation and the importance of addressing the concerns of doctors and patients in order to ensure safe and effective healthcare delivery. [Extracted from the article]

This study explored the sequential interplay between challenges and regulatory processes in high- and low-performing collaborative groups. 66 students from a Finnish higher education institution participated in a collaborative task in groups of three. Approximately 34 h of video data were coded. The sequential analysis revealed that both groups had higher sequential transitions between cognitive regulation and emotional/motivational regulation, rather than cognitive challenges. The high-performing groups demonstrated a stronger sequential link between emotional/motivational regulation and cognitive regulation than the low-performing groups did when faced with cognitive challenges. The study establishes a theoretical grounding and advances our understanding of regulated learning. Since collaborative learning tasks are highly adopted in the higher education context, especially in the Nordic region, this study has practical implications for higher education in these countries and beyond as they seek to develop pedagogical methodologies and customised support to help collaborative groups resolve challenges by initiating regulatory processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An increase in GDH activity has been established in the first six hours after plants are exposed to hypoxic conditions, which ensures the formation of an adaptive response of cellular metabolism to the lack of oxygen in the cell. A difference in the transcriptional activity of homologous GDH-1 genes in wheat leaves under stress conditions was shown. An increase in the mRNA content of the GDH-1(5A) gene in wheat leaves after plants are exposed to hypoxic conditions is observed in the first hours of the experiment, which correlates with a change in the catalytic activity of glutamate dehydrogenase. Regulation of this gene is carried out by the transcription factor HIF, the specific landing site of which is found in the transcription initiation site of the promoter of this gene. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on Hill dynamics and Michaelis Menten equation,a theoretical model was established to study a physical mechanism of hairy and enhancer of split 1 ( Hes1) regulating Protein Kinase B ( AKT)-Murine Double Minute2 ( MDM2)-p53-phosphatase and tensin homolog deleted on chromosome ten ( PTEN) pathway.We found that HES1 inhibits the expression of PTEN and regulates AKT signal by combining with PTEN. It shows that the kinetics of Hes1 protein synthesis and the interaction between Hes1 and PTEN to regulate AKTMDM2-p53-PTEN pathway signal will effectively control cell results. As an important factor in upstream regulation of AKT-MDM2-p53-PTEN signal pathway,Hes1 can also change the inhibition of p53 on tumor by affecting the function of p53 protein to a certain extent. The theoretical results can be used to predict the carcinogenicity induced by abnormal Notch signal pathway,and further reveal the mechanism of Notch signal pathway affecting the activation of AKT-MDM2-p53-PTEN pathway in cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As of August 2024, California's agricultural tractor safety regulations, developed over half a century ago, are still focused on classic tractors with human operators. These regulations are problematic when applied to autonomous equipment. Since agricultural equipment has advanced, producers have faced challenges in complying with existing regulations for autonomous machinery in California. A petition (No. 596) was submitted in December 2021 to the State of California Department of Industrial Relations and reviewed in March 2023. The petition requesting modification of the agricultural tractor's traditional regulation was recently submitted to the Occupational Safety and Health Standards Board (OSHSB). The OSHSB denied both petitions. This article discusses more details related to California agricultural tractor safety regulations, the petition to modify the traditional regulations, discussions on OSHSB meetings regarding the petition, and several suggestions to resolve the current issue. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Researchers primarily focus on the formal practices used by event organizers to establish temporary spaces like Host Event Zones, characterized as a unilateral process that ignores community interests. Yet little research investigates both the formal and informal interactions between stakeholders. Interviews with London 2012 senior organizers after the "fog of organizing" has lifted–and without political pressure to toe‐the‐line–reveals how two‐way dialogue was facilitated through various communicative mechanisms, from "road shows" to more inclusive Olympic Organizing Committee meetings. This counters previous arguments and contributes new knowledge by revealing–and more accurately representing–how event zones are cocreated through negotiation between the event and community. Consequently, scholars should be wary of extrapolating from formal practices on paper and interrogate the more complex and messy informalities of planning to improve veracity of claim(s). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As governments around the world are shaping policy responses to advance adolescent well-being and protect their rights, the tools and resources to strengthen policy foundations, and ultimately improve their effectiveness, remain limited. This paper proposes a framework to support policy action with an explicit adolescent focus and applies it to two illustrative case studies to unpack the underlying policy conditions for success. We develop an analytic framework with an adolescent lens that focuses on the full policy life-course, from development, to implementation, to evaluation. We then choose two illustrative case studies to apply this framework — 1) abolition of secondary school fees policy in Kenya and 2) age of marriage law in Mexico. These cases were chosen based on the existence of rigorous causal evidence of effect, alignment of salience with expert opinions, broad-based implications for adolescents across contexts, and varied levels of success at achieving intended outcomes. Our framework identified six key components as critical foundations for adolescent-focused policies: (1) policy features and costs, (2) implementation considerations, (3) participatory approach, (4) inclusion and coverage, (5) policy appropriateness, and (6) monitoring and evaluation, each with key adolescent-specific elements. We find that the majority of the essential policy elements are addressed in the school fees abolition policy (Kenya), but are sparser in the age of marriage law (Mexico). The results also highlight the lack of decentralized monitoring as well as meaningful adolescent engagement at any level of policy development as potential drivers of ineffectiveness of adolescent-centric policies. Our adolescent policy analysis framework can serve as an important tool to define principles in the development of effective adolescent policies. It also can serve as a useful evaluation tool to unpack the 'black box' of policy effectiveness when combined with robustly estimated effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During the 1980s and 1990s, international medical graduates (IMGs) sought legal and educational measures aimed at obtaining licensure as physician associates/assistants (PAs). Proponents of IMGs asserted that their ethnic backgrounds and identification with their respective communities could increase access to care for some segments of the population and therefore should be permitted pathways to qualify as PAs. A variety of legal measures were introduced into state legislatures in at least five states and were firmly opposed and defeated by the PA profession. Recent attempts by IMGs to obtain licensure as PAs have occurred in Puerto Rico and Arizona. In their haste to address healthcare access and satisfy various constituencies, state legislators and regulatory boards fail to recognize established professional norms. This is occurring as medical organizations are examining alternative pathways for state licensure of physicians who have completed training and/or practiced outside of the United States. PA organizations, particularly state chapters, must be vigilant in upholding qualifications for practice and licensure standards, and state PA organizations must work to convince legislators to avoid using PA professional regulations to solve a workforce issue that is essentially an issue of physician medical education remediation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Central line-associated bloodstream infections (CLABSIs) can result in worse outcomes and high hospitalization cost for patients. This study aimed to assess the effectiveness of multi-department cooperation, intelligent prevention, and supervision (MDCIPS) in reducing the incidence of CLABSIs and improving the clinical outcomes of the patients. Key issues were identified through a literature review and survey on the status quo. A MDCIPS model was thus built. A total of 440 patients with indwelling central venous catheters (CVCs) were enrolled in the study. The control group (n = 219) received conventional infection-control managements, while the intervention group (n = 221) received MDCIPS interventions in addition to conventional infection-control managements. The number of CLABSIs patients, incidence of CLABSIs, average length of hospital stay, average total hospitalization cost, and disease outcomes were compared between the two groups. The intervention group had a significant reduction in the number and incidence of CLABSIs (0[0%] vs. 4[1.33%], P < 0.05). Two of the four patients with CLABSIs in the control group died. The average length of hospital stay was significantly longer in the control group than the intervention group (17 days vs. 13 days, P < 0.001). The average hospitalization cost in the control group was much higher than that in the intervention group (92.8 thousand yuan vs. 65.2 thousand yuan, P < 0.001). Patient outcome was improved in the intervention group than the control group (P = 0.001). In summary, the MDCIPS model effectively reduces the incidence of CLABSIs, alleviates the patients' economic burden, and improves the clinical outcomes of the patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Phthalates have been characterized as endocrine disruptors and migrated from plastic products for food use. The migration of five phthalates: di‐butylphthalate (DBP), butyl‐benzyl‐phthalate (BBP), bis(2‐ethylhexyl)phthalate (DEHP), di‐isononylphthalate (DINP) and di‐isodecylphthalate (DIDP), from various plastic products for food use into different food simulant (3% acetic acid, 10% ethyl alcohol and oil) through different polymer coating [(polypropylene (PP), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polyethylene (PE), polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and polyethylene terephthalate (PETE)] was studied. This study showed that phthalates are found in all plastic products for food use that are common in Turkey. DBP, DINP and DIDP were not detected or detected at lower levels than their limit of quantification (LOQ) values in all analyzed samples. The results showed that DEHP was the predominant phthalate in only acetic acid and ethyl alcohol food simulants, followed by BBP, found in only samples analyzed in ethyl alcohol simulants. The concentration of DEHP in the samples, higher than the LOQ value, was within 5.23–8.89 µg/kg, while BBP was only detected in ethyl alcohol simulant, ranging between 5.31 to 6.49 µg/kg. However, the concentration of DEHP and BBP did not exceed their specific migration limits established by Regulation of the Commission (EU) No. 10/2011: 0.6 mg/kg for DEHP and 6 mg/kg for BBP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Artificial intelligence systems (AISs) gain relevance in dentistry, encompassing diagnostics, treatment planning, patient management, and therapy. However, questions about the generalizability, fairness, and transparency of these systems remain. Regulatory and governance bodies worldwide are aiming to address these questions using various frameworks. On March 13, 2024, members of the European Parliament approved the Artificial Intelligence Act (AIA), which emphasizes trustworthiness and human-centeredness as relevant aspects to regulate AISs beyond safety and efficacy. This review presents the AIA and similar regulatory and governance efforts in other jurisdictions and lays out that regulations such as the AIA are part of a complex ecosystem of interdependent and interwoven legal requirements and standards. Current efforts to regulate dental AISs require active input from the dental community, with participation of dental research, education, providers, and patients being relevant to shape the future of dental AISs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Purpose] During the post-liberalization era, the Indian legal system introduced multiple laws with the objective of safeguarding the interests of Indian consumers and fostering equitable competition within the telecommunications sector. Notably, the Indian legal system has demonstrated a significant commitment to the resolution of telecommunications-related disputes, exemplified by the enactment of the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) Act in 1997 and the Competition Act in 2002. Both legislative measures were designed to advance the cause of fair competition in the telecommunications industry. The primary purpose of this article is to conduct an examination of whether the objectives set forth by these two Acts have been effectively realized over the past decade (2012-2021). Additionally, this article will undertake a comparative analysis of these Acts in relation to legal frameworks in other countries beyond India. [Methodology] The foundational methodology employed in this research centers on the analysis of cases adjudicated by both the Telecom Regulatory Authority and the Competition Regulatory Authority in India, particularly in instances involving disputes within the telecommunications sector. This article offers a concise data analysis concerning the evolution of the Indian telecommunications market over the past decade (2012-2021). The primary aim is to undertake a critical evaluation of the effectiveness of the Acts in place for the preservation of fair competition within this industry. [Findings] Based on the legal analysis, this article argues that there is an unresolved territorial dispute between the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) Under section 3 of the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India Act, 1997, the Indian government established the regulatory agency to oversees the telecommunications industry in India and the Competition Act, 2002 establishes the Competition Commission of India being primary national competition regulator in India. It is an official department of the Ministry of Corporate Affairs tasked with upholding the Competition. The findings also suggest that the Government of India should overhaul its institutional framework in order to insert the "collective dominance" concept in the Competition Act. This concept/amendment was about to be passed in the India Congress by the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) Government in 2014. However, it failed due to dissolution of the Lok Sabha, the lower house of India's bicameral Parliament. Consequently, numerous disputes and concerns remained unresolved. Lastly, Reliance JIO Infocomm Limited is a Public Company that was established on February 15, 2007, is categorized as a Non-Government Company, and is registered with the Registrar of Companies in Mumbai, India. It applied a "zero pricing" strategy which created market distortion which reduced most of the rivals from the telecom market. This kind of strategy was previously ordered void in the NSE1 case but the same was allowed to the JIO on the premises that it was a new entrant and not dominant. The Competition laws mostly address "predatory pricing", however, in the matter of "penetrative pricing" they have remained silent. The "penetrative pricing" is allowed for the promotion, but the benchmark of promotion has not yet been regulated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effects of soluble ions on the morphology and crystal growth of calcium sulfate hemihydrate whiskers are very significant. In order to gain a deeper understanding of the basic theory of regulating whiskers, this paper summarises the progress of research on the effects of different types and concentrations of soluble cations in desulfurization gypsum on the whisker preparation. The low concentration of Na+ has a small effect on the calcium sulfate hemihydrate whiskers and barely affects the morphology and surface smoothness of the whiskers. The content of K+ is suitable to be 3% (mass fraction) or below, and the higher content has a detrimental effect on the growth of calcium sulfate hemihydrate whiskers. Mg2+ makes the whisker surface more homogeneous and crystalline. And the trace amount of selective adsorption of Al3+ has no effect on the whisker length-to-diameter ratio. Similar to K+, Fe3+ also has the optimal concentration, which is lower than 2 mmol / L. Unlike the cations mentioned above, Cu2+ is not from the raw material, but is an additional ion introduced in the doping of the appropriate amount of Cu2+ is conducive to the formation of whiskers with a smooth and uniform surface. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Regulators are increasingly concerned about deceptive, online choice architecture, including dark patterns and behavioral sludge. From a behavioral science perspective, fostering a regulatory environment which reduces the economic harm caused by deceptive designs, while safeguarding the benefits of well‐meaning behavioral insights, is essential. This article argues for a principles‐based approach and proposes behavioral audits as a tool to support this approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article analyzes the public comments submitted to the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), 2010–2014, in response to proposed rules for implementing the Dodd‐Frank reforms. By addressing a fine‐grained typology of commenting organizations to a topic model of the combined comments, we illuminate a new pattern of public engagement in financial regulation. Contrary to the economic concept of regulatory capture, our data show no sharp divide between the suppliers of complex derivatives (the dealer banks) and their customers in other parts of the finance industry. In keeping with the general concept of financialization—but contrary to its strongest versions—our data show distinctly delimited evidence of a convergence between the banks and other sectors. Instead of either capture or all‐embracing financialization, the comments submitted to the CFTC display an overriding opposition in the justifications used by commenters to explain their preferences. Commenters from the financial services and allied sectors consistently adopt a language of technical legitimation. Commenters in agriculture, livestock, retail energy, and many nonmarket organizations adopt a language of moral justification. The clarity of the divide between these two idioms indicates that the underlying purposes of new financial instruments are now being questioned. Even in the realm of esoteric financial instruments such as derivatives, the moral economy of market competition is once again subject to debate among market participants as well as observers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The International Atomic Energy Agency asserts that the regulation of the safety of civil nuclear power requires national regulatory agencies to be effectively independent. However, in the early years of national civil nuclear power programs national nuclear industries were dominated by iron triangles or subgovernments of powerful actors with an interest in promoting the industry. The creation of an independent safety regulator requires a radical restructuring of the national governance framework. Windows of opportunity or critical junctures for such reform occur only occasionally. This paper examines the cases of France, Japan, and India to identify the factors that determine the degree of success in attempts to break the power of nuclear iron triangles or subgovernments and create an effectively independent regulator. This analysis shows a serious nuclear accident can create the opportunity to dismantle an iron triangle. The extent and speed with which reforms can be implemented depend greatly on pre‐existing and prevailing conditions. Key determinants include the power structures and attitudes toward nuclear power in elite politics, the degree of engagement of civil society, and pressures from international organizations. Of these, the first, elite politics, appears to be the most important in these three cases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We examine the relationship between industry‐specific regulations and startup birth rates (entry) and startup 'deaths' (closings) in the United States and Canada during 2012–19. Our sample contains data on thousands of active and closed technology startups in the United States and Canada that were founded between January 2012 and June 2019. We use the Mercatus Center's RegData database to capture the intensity of national‐level regulations. Our findings suggest that more regulated industries may exhibit lower rates of entry and that more regulated industries are associated with a greater likelihood of a startup closing. These findings seem more robust for the US than for Canada. We discuss startup funding as a potential mechanism by which regulation may impact startup closings, using our fieldwork interviews with over 100 technology startup executives and venture capital investors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Occupational licensing laws are designed to improve service quality and protect consumers from harm by establishing entry requirements and oversight of practising professionals. Evidence on the effects of licensing is mixed. The quality of services is difficult to measure objectively, complicating attempts to compare costs and benefits of regulation. A 2017 executive order in the US state of Idaho required licensing boards to report disciplinary actions against professionals. This new source of data provides some insight into the type of enforcement undertaken by licensing boards. We find that disciplinary actions directly related to quality are rare. Between 0.01 and 0.38 per cent of licensees are disciplined for quality‐related issues; 36 to 53 per cent of total disciplinary actions are directly related to quality, with the rest covering technical breaches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ferroptosis is a new form of cell death that differs from traditional forms of death. It is ferroptosis-dependent lipid peroxidation death. Colorectal cancer(CRC) is the most common tumor in the gastrointestinal tract with a long occultation period and a poor five-year prognosis. Exploring effective systemic treatments for CRC remains a great challenge worldwide. Numerous studies have demonstrated that ferroptosis can participate in the biological malignant process of various tumor, including CRC, so understanding the role and regulatory mechanisms of ferroptosis in CRC plays a crucial role in the treatment of CRC. In this paper, we reviews the mechanisms of ferroptosis in CRC, the associated regulatory factors and their interactions with various immune cells in the immune microenvironment. In addition, targeting ferroptosis has emerged as an encouraging strategy for CRC treatment. Finally, to inform subsequent research and clinical diagnosis and treatment, we review therapeutic approaches to CRC radiotherapy, immunotherapy, and herbal therapy targeting ferroptosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present an empirical analysis of the relationship between trading permits, informal entrepreneurship and unemployment. We exploit a unique regulatory framework of the informal sector in South Africa to estimate the effects of trading permits in the informal sector using individual panel data. To provide a causal effect of these regulations, we apply a difference-in-difference strategy. Trading permits decreased informal entrepreneurship and informal trading by respectively 11.5 per cent and 9.6 per cent for those who were working in the informal sector. We investigate potential indirect effects on formal entrepreneurship, unemployment, and informal wage employment. The adoption of trading permits in the informal sector significantly increases the probability of being unemployed by 4.5 per cent and significantly decreases the probability of being informally employed by 15.5 per cent for those who were in the informal sector. The results suggest that a policy increasing the costs of informality might reduce informality but at the cost of rising unemployment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Most research on resilience has been conducted in North America and Western Europe, limiting our understanding of the processes of overcoming trauma in other cultural settings. This study explored the process of resilience through in-depth interviews with 19 emerging adults in Kosovo, a collectivist and post-conflict society. The study also included an examination of resilience among LGBTQ+ young adults in Kosovo. We used the resilience portfolio model as a framework, which in addition to being one of the few theoretical models previously applied to Kosovo resilience research, is also designed to be adaptable for different cultural contexts. The three domains of the resilience portfolio model, meaning making, regulatory, and interpersonal strengths, manifested in numerous ways in this sample. Participants described relying on some psychosocial strengths that are commonly identified in resilience research in other settings, such as social support and future orientation, as well as some factors, such as dignity, that have been less studied and may reflect more unique aspects of Kosovar culture. LGBTQ+ participants mentioned peer support as important, especially as many received limited support from family members. The process of coming out and activism were also highlighted as key strengths for LGBTQ+ participants. The results highlight the need to consider cultural settings in resilience research. Moreover, the study underscores the importance of supporting LGBTQ+ communities in Kosovo by recognizing their challenges, traumas, and capabilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]