Public Regulation Research Articles

Effect of Craft Competency on the Implementation of the Five Case Model in Zimbabwe

The Five Case Model (FCM) serves as a robust evaluative and decision-making framework within Public Financial Management (PFM), facilitating the systematic justification, structuring, and implementation of public sector projects. Despite its methodological rigor, its efficacy is often compromised by disparities in craft competency among financial managers, particularly within local authorities in Zimbabwe’s Matabeleland North Province. This study empirically investigates the extent to which variations in craft competency influence the implementation of five case model in eight local authorities in Matabeleland North Province, Zimbabwe. This encompassed technical proficiency, strategic financial acumen and industry-specific expertise with an emphasis on resource allocation efficiency, financial sustainability, and strategic alignment. Employing a quantitative methodology, the study utilizes Regression Analysis to establish causal relationships between craft competency and FCM execution, while controlling for variables such as organizational support, regulatory environment, and technological adoption. The findings depict a significant positive correlation between craft competency and FCM implementation efficacy, revealing that well-trained staff and executives exhibit superior decision-making, enhanced compliance with public financial regulations, and greater project success rates. However, rigid regulatory frameworks and economic volatility emerge as substantial impediments, exacerbating inefficiencies in business case formulation and project execution. The study advocates for targeted capacity-building interventions, regulatory reforms to streamline bureaucratic processes, and the integration of digital financial management tools to augment competency-driven PFM outcomes. These findings contribute to the ongoing discourse on public sector financial governance, offering empirical insights into optimizing financial management practices through enhanced professional expertise and strategic policy interventions.

Exploring Policies, Strategies, and Legislations Related to the One Health Approach to Zoonoses, Antimicrobial Stewardship, and Climate Change in Jordan: A Multimethod Study with SWOT Analysis

Background: Mapping policies, strategies, and legislations related to disease prevention in Jordan is pivotal for strengthening the country’s public health infrastructure. The aims of our study were to identify, review, and map the existing national policies, strategies, and legislations related to the One Health approach to zoonoses, antimicrobial stewardship (AMS), and climate change in Jordan. Additionally, we identified the key strengths and major gaps and uncovered opportunities for enhancement. The current paper reports a part of a nationwide project which was jointly executed in 2023 by the Jordan Center for Disease Control and the Health Care Accreditation Council. Methods: A multimethod approach was employed, including a comprehensive desk review of any existing policies, strategies, and legislations, along with key informant interviews involving key stakeholders. The combination of the desk review and key informant interviews allowed for a more nuanced understanding of the gaps, strengths, and challenges in Jordan’s approach to One Health, AMS, and climate change adaptation. By triangulating the findings from both methods, the study was able to cross-validate its results and ensure greater reliability and accuracy in its conclusions. Results: Our analyses revealed that Jordan has made notable progress in integrating the One Health approach within its regulatory framework, particularly in managing zoonotic diseases, AMS, and climate change. Nevertheless, there is a need for more explicit and effective intersectoral coordination. While the country’s AMS initiatives are supported by a national action plan, they are limited by inadequate public awareness, veterinary regulations, and monitoring systems. Moreover, Jordan’s climate change strategies, aligned with broader sustainability goals and integrated into national frameworks like the environmental protection law, are constrained by a lack of emergency preparedness and multisectoral collaboration. The SWOT analysis highlighted strengths, including robust legal structures and international collaborations, while identifying gaps in enforcement and the need for updated guidelines. Opportunities exist to enhance the reporting mechanisms, public awareness, and international partnerships. Conclusions: Jordan’s integration of the One Health approach to zoonotic diseases, AMS, and climate change adaptation into its disease prevention policies is commendable and aligns with global health priorities. To further enhance these initiatives, Jordan could benefit from updating its public health law and the relevant guidelines and policies, strengthening and structuring public awareness campaigns, and developing detailed climate change adaptation strategies.

THE RIGHT TO AUTONOMY: HOW LEGISLATION CAN SUPPORT THE INDEPENDENCE OF CHILDREN WITH AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDER (ASD)

Autonomy is a fundamental human right that plays a pivotal role in the development of personal independence and empowerment. This is particularly important for children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), who often experience significant challenges that impede their ability to perform daily activities and make independent decisions. While autonomy is a universally recognized right, children with ASD frequently require specific accommodations and assistive technologies to support their independence in everyday tasks. Assistive tools, such as adaptive footwear, have shown to be vital in improving the mobility, comfort, and overall ability of these children to navigate their environments with greater ease. These tools can address sensory processing issues, motor coordination difficulties, and help children with ASD gain the independence they need to engage more fully in their daily lives. Public policies, educational frameworks, and legal structures are crucial in ensuring that children with ASD have access to the necessary tools and resources that foster their autonomy. Laws like the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) represent significant strides in securing the rights of children with disabilities, but there are still gaps in the implementation of these laws, especially concerning the provision of assistive devices that cater specifically to the needs of children with ASD. This paper explores how public policies, school regulations, and legal rights can support the autonomy of children with ASD by facilitating their access to assistive tools that enhance independence, with a particular focus on adaptive footwear. The article reviews recent academic studies that discuss these issues and highlights the importance of strengthening legislative efforts to ensure that children with ASD receive the support they need to lead independent and fulfilling lives. Additionally, it examines the role of schools and caregivers in providing these necessary accommodations and the need for further training and resources to ensure proper implementation. The findings suggest that a more integrated approach, involving legal, educational, and healthcare systems, is necessary to provide children with ASD the tools they need for greater independence and societal participation.

(In)coherence between Chagas disease policy and the experiences of those affected in Mexico: The need for a transdisciplinary approach.

Chagas disease, caused by the parasite Trypanosoma cruzi, remains a significant public health challenge in México, symbolizing systemic neglect in healthcare. Despite longstanding efforts to control its transmission, there are critical gaps in the alignment of public health policies with the lived experiences of affected individuals. This study examines these dissonances by analyzing qualitative interviews with 61 individuals diagnosed with T. cruzi and reviewing relevant Mexican public health regulations, including national standards and action programs. Findings reveal that most diagnoses occur incidentally, such as during blood donation or vector control campaigns, with minimal active case detection at the primary healthcare level. Affected individuals often encounter insufficient follow-up care, significant barriers to treatment, and misinformation that exacerbates psychological distress. Among the 14 participants who received etiological treatment, access was frequently due to individual persistence rather than systemic support, highlighting inequities in healthcare delivery. Additionally, structural barriers, including economic constraints and insufficient local healthcare infrastructure, further limit access to timely diagnosis and treatment, particularly in rural areas. Policy gaps include the absence of universal T. cruzi testing for pregnant individuals, lack of vertical transmission prevention strategies, and inadequate communication between healthcare providers and patients. Current public health initiatives disproportionately prioritize vector control and blood bank screening, neglecting the broader social and economic challenges faced by those already diagnosed. The study underscores the urgent need for a transdisciplinary approach to Chagas disease management in México, integrating biomedical, sociocultural, and policy perspectives. Recommendations include implementing universal prenatal screening for T. cruzi, enhancing health communication strategies, reframing Chagas as a manageable condition to reduce stigma, and improving follow-up care protocols. Addressing these challenges requires intersectoral collaboration and an inclusive approach that values the lived experiences of affected communities. By bridging the gap between policy and practice, this research contributes to the development of holistic strategies that not only control Chagas disease transmission but also improve the quality of life for those already impacted. These insights are essential for informing public health reforms in México and other endemic regions, advancing equity and effectiveness in neglected tropical disease management.

Model Regulation of Artificial Intelligence and other Advanced Technologies

The article provides a discussion of legal regulation of social relations by the Interparliamentary Assembly of the CIS Member States with regard to AI and other advanced information technologies, identifiable regulatory gaps, conceptual framework, analysis of possible use scenarios and related risks, as well as the range of problems to be addressed by regulation on a priority basis. It contains a brief overview of how AI-related social relations are regulated in the CIS member states. While all these countries admit the importance of such regulation, none has developed a clear understanding of a number of issues, only to stress the relevance of developing a draft model law on AI technologies. The authors demonstrate the following common problems of regulating these relations in the CIS member states: identifying the regulatory scope and the parties concerned and, importantly, addressing the issues of liability including what party (AI technology rights holder, developer, system operator etc.) and in what case will assume a particular type of liability (administrative, civil, financial, criminal). Another important aspect is also discussed — digitization and advanced digital technologies shaping “new” digital personal rights — with an analysis and brief overview being provided. The study purports to identify the trend and opportunities for public regulation of AI and other advanced digital applications. With this in mind, the authors discuss possible regulatory vectors in the given area in light of the risks related to operational specifics of digital technologies, and identify groups of social relations to be adequately addressed by legal regulation. With digitization covering an ever wider range of social relations, the problems to be addressed by law include the protection of personal rights as well as prevention of non-discrimination of individuals and economic agents. The article employs a number of scientific methods of inquiry, general and special research methods including the formal law method. The general research methods include systemic, dialectic, structural systemic, analytical/synthetic, inductive and deductive methods, abstraction, simulation. The article concludes that, while the CIS countries are at different regulatory stages in the discussed area, there is no comprehensive regulation, with only individual provisions and regulations in place to govern specific aspects of AI use. A model law, once developed, will allow to lay the ground for comprehensive regulation of the discussed relations by the national legislation.

Moderating Effect of Sustainable Innovation on Internal Audit Effectiveness and Sustainability Auditing Practices: Evidence from Libya’s Public Sector

This study aims to investigate how sustainable innovation (SI) influences the relationship between internal audit effectiveness (IAE) and sustainability auditing (SA) practices in Libya’s public sector, providing valuable insights into its implications for public finance governance and financial regulation. Additionally, it examines how audit standards and principles (ASPs) on SA practices emphasising their role in enhancing transparency, environmental, social, and governance (ESG) compliance, and overall financial oversight. A quantitative, cross-sectional survey design was employed, collecting 500 valid responses from financial and governmental institutions in Libya. Hierarchical regression and partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) were used to evaluate the relationships among IAE, SI, ASP, and SA practices, with robustness checks ensuring the reliability of findings. The findings demonstrate that IAE significantly reinforces SA practices, improving ESG accountability and reporting. SI positively moderates this relationship, indicating that innovative processes and tools strengthen the impact of effective internal audits on sustainability outcomes. Although ASP contributes to SA practices, its influence is more pronounced when combined with robust internal audit functions and sustainability initiatives. The results underscore the need to integrate innovation and transparent regulatory frameworks to optimise sustainability auditing and public finance management. While the study is confined to Libya’s public sector—potentially limiting broader generalizability—its insights may inform policy reforms and risk management strategies across diverse regulatory environments. Future research could include comparative analyses to investigate variations in other emerging or developed markets. This study adds to the literature by linking SI and ASP with internal audit frameworks, offering fresh perspectives on enhancing SA practices and ESG compliance in public finance settings.

СОВЕРШЕНСТВОВАНИЕ ОБЕСПЕЧЕНИЯ ОБЩЕСТВЕННОЙ БЕЗОПАСНОСТИ: ОПЫТ ТУРЦИИ И ПЕРСПЕКТИВЫ ДЛЯ УЗБЕКИСТАНА

The article presents a comprehensive comparative-legal, critical, and institutional analysis of the regulatory framework governing public safety in the Republic of Turkey. The study encompasses constitutional-legal norms, legislation on the activities of law enforcement agencies, gendarmerie, intelligence structures, as well as anti-terrorism regulations and legal mechanisms for maintaining public order. Key structural issues have been identified, including the concentration of powers within security agencies, insufficient parliamentary and judicial oversight, and limited mechanisms for civilian monitoring of their activities. Emphasis is placed on the contradiction between stringent national security measures and adherence to democratic standards for human rights protection, which is particularly relevant amid rising terrorist threats and emergency situations. The analysis reveals that Turkey’s law enforcement practices exhibit a tendency toward strengthening repressive mechanisms, which poses risks of institutional imbalance in the public safety system and limits its adaptability to modern challenges. A significant part of the study is dedicated to exploring the potential for adapting Turkey’s best practices to improve the public safety system in Uzbekistan. In this context, the principles of institutional management of law enforcement structures, the normative delineation of functions of state security bodies, and mechanisms for overseeing the implementation of anti-terrorism measures are examined. The study proposes scientifically substantiated recommendations for balancing stringent public regulation norms with international human rights standards, developing legal mechanisms to prevent abuses by security agencies, and enhancing the effectiveness of regulatory frameworks for public safety in light of contemporary social, political, and legal realities.

Long-term exposure to silica nanoparticles induces cardiac hypertrophy through the pyroptosis pathway.

Long-term exposure to silica nanoparticles induces cardiac hypertrophy through the pyroptosis pathway.

“A sporty, healthy twist?”: interrogating the deployment of health and wellness discourses in No and Low alcohol (NoLo) marketing and consumer practices

ABSTRACT Little is known about how No and Low alcohol (NoLo) drinks are promoted and used, making it difficult to draw conclusions about the implications of this expanding market. Drawing on analysis of UK-based marketing materials and semi-structured interviews, this paper adopts a critical social marketing perspective and ‘healthism’ lens to interrogate the alcohol industry’s use of health messaging in NoLo marketing and how these messages are reflected in consumer narratives. References to ‘health’ and ‘responsibility’ were explicit and implicit in NoLo marketing and consumer motivations, contributing to a ‘halo effect’ whereby the industry appears to ‘do good’ but continues to perpetuate alcohol harm (by shifting responsibility for health further onto consumers and away from the industry). Findings have implications for public health, education and regulation.

Towards AI-Assisted Inclusive Language Writing in Italian Formal Communications

Formal communications such as public calls, announcements, or regulations are supposed to exhibit respect for diversity in terms of gender, race, age, and disability. However, human writers often lack adequate inclusive writing skills. For instance, they tend to overuse the masculine as a neutral form, mainly because they are self-trained on biased text examples. To overcome this issue, we propose to leverage Generative Artificial Intelligence to support inclusive language writing. Focusing on formal Italian communications, we have designed and developed an AI-assisted tool for non-inclusive text detection and reformulation. Thanks to the joint work with a team of linguistic experts, we first define a set of linguistic criteria necessary to model inclusive writing forms in Italian. Based on these criteria, we collect and annotate a dataset of Italian administrative documents enriched with fine-grained inclusive annotations. Finally, we train deep learning models on the collected data for non-inclusive language detection and inclusive language reformulation tasks. We perform quantitative and human-driven evaluations on the trained models. The best detection model correctly classifies 89% of the sentences, whereas the best reformulation model produces 73% fully correct reformulations. Both models have been integrated into a writing assistance tool acting as a text proofreader and self-learning tool for non-expert writers, namely Inclusively . Once a non-inclusive piece of text is detected, the proposed approach suggests inclusive reformulations. The tool also provides explanations of the models’ outputs to increase system transparency. Furthermore, it allows expert end-users to provide further annotations for system fine-tuning. The trained models and the writing assistance tool are publicly available for research purposes.

E-Waste Challenges in India: Environmental and Human Health Impacts

E-waste, or electronic waste, refers to discarded electronic devices and components, and the management of e-waste has become a newly arising and challenging issue both in India and globally. Due to the increase in population, urbanization, global demand, and expansion of the digital infrastructure, generation of electronic waste is increasing annually. This study provides a comprehensive and thoroughly reviewed qualitative study on electronic waste management practice. This study highlights an outline of the amount of electronic waste generation in India and the world and examines prevailing approaches in the treatment and management of electronic waste, including unsafe informal recycling and inadequate inventory control. This article focuses on major problems such as child labor, illegal dumping, poor infrastructure, limited knowledge and awareness among the public inadequate legal regulation, and spillage of various toxic heavy metals such as arsenic (As), mercury (Hg), and barium (Ba) via electronic waste. This study analyzes the harmful effects of toxic heavy metals, such as arsenic and mercury, on environmental quality and human well-being. To address these issues, this study outlines various sustainable recommendations, such as technology improvement proper collection; handling, management, and eradication of waste generated by electrical equipment in formal recycling practices; the 3Rs (reduce, reuse, and recycle) following circular economy practice, including collaboration between governmental, non-governmental, business, industries, and civil society; better legislative measures such as extended producer responsibility (EPR) and a single approach method, where collecting, sorting, and dismantling electronic waste is handled by the informal sector, while the formal sector manages extraction of metal, disposal, and recycling.

European Contract Law and Regulation

Abstract This article starts from the assumption that after the landmark decision of the European Court of Justice in Dieselgate of 2023, the relationship between (European) Contract Law, more broadly Private Law, and Regulation has to be revisited – in many ways. It is just as revolutionary for the whole of public good regulation as Courage was for the sub-area of antitrust law in 2001 (which led to the highly important Antitrust Damages Directive). The article tries to explain: that contract law and company law largely run in parallel, as they are the two prime fields of party autonomy, of shaping the economy and hence also of broad public good regulation; and that the development was from a primarily internal market oriented model (black box) to a more participatory model (red box) to one which increasingly gives public autonomy its equally important role besides private autonomy (green box). It sees this development in legislation, case law, but importantly, also in theory: to reach increasingly the Habermasian state of equal importance of private autonomy and public autonomy. This red thread has been little developed in literature even for legislation and case law, but certainly for underpinning social sciences and philosophical theory. Sustainability regulation – both social and ecological – is at the heart of this development. With this background, the article rather pleads for an integration of the two poles – than for a separation – and clearly favours a view, which would allow for private party claims whenever there are identifiable victims and harm (no superiority of the public good over private compensation). Case studies try to deepen these views in certain selected and paradigmatic areas: from regulation of consumer credit, via unfair terms to sales agreements.5

Expert initiative on the construction of smoking cessation ward (2024 edition)

Smoking cessation is a critical component of holistic healthcare for people at risk of chronic diseases, such as those with smoking-related conditions. As one of the long-term benefits of medical interventions, smoking cessation outpatient services are widely implemented across all levels of medical facilities. However, there is still a lack of specific measures to effectively set up smoking cessation wards and implement smoking cessation services for inpatients. Currently, smoking cessation interventions for inpatients face significant challenges: patients often do not fully understand the importance of smoking cessation due to limited awareness, resulting in reliance on unsafe or ineffective methods. In addition, medical staff interacting with hospitalized patients may struggle to regularly suggest effective smoking cessation programs.To address these challenges and advocate for the standardized construction of smoking cessation wards and services, experts from the Tobacco Control Group of the Respiratory Branch of Shanghai Medical Association have proposed four key recommendations: i) Definition of smoking cessation service for inpatients: clearly defining smoking cessation education and support programs is essential to ensure that patients receive comprehensive guidance and resources. ii) Policy support for smoking cessation service for inpatients: Strengthening public health policies and regulations that address the needs of inpatient smoking cessation can provide a framework for implementation and improve patient satisfaction. iii) Suggestions for smoked cessation service support group for inpatients: Developing regular support groups or dialogue sessions between staff and patients focused on smoking cessation issues can promote better understanding and engagement with the services. iv) Whole-process smoking cessation intervention for inpatients: Implementing a comprehensive approach that integrates education, counseling, and treatment strategies can help patients overcome barriers to smoking cessation. These recommendations aim to provide clear guidelines on how to set up smoking cessation wards in hospitals at all levels and how to implement smoking cessation interventions for inpatients more effectively. By systematically addressing these challenges, we can work towards improving smoking cessation services and patient outcomes.

Nairobi’s batteryscape: everyday electricity storage, energy justice, and infrastructural heterogeneity in urban Africa

Abstract Renewable energy transitions, technological advances, and geopolitical disruptions have brought various forms of energy storage to the forefront of sustainability and infrastructure debates. Conversely, the socio-technical intricacies of everyday electricity storage by urban residents have received less attention in these discussions, although batteries have become an essential part of everyday life, especially in cities with heterogeneous infrastructure landscapes. In Nairobi, for example, batteries have become quotidian artefacts that form the basis of broader battery landscapes composed of different batteries and their materialities, idiosyncratic household electricity dispositifs, a broader landscape of private and public actors, and (lack of) regulation and governance. By proposing and using the notion of the batteryscape for these arrangements, this paper elaborates on the infrastructural significance of everyday household electricity storage for sustainable and just energy infrastructures. More specifically, it addresses issues of energy justice—largely, but not only, in terms of distributive injustices—and the heterogenization of individual as well as citywide electricity arrangements. Reflecting on limited state regulation and governance of domestic battery use and disposal in Nairobi, a nuanced reading of ongoing, battery-enabled energy transitions with their micro-materialities and everyday practices in African cities is called for to make pragmatic proposals for sustainability transitions, urban infrastructure planning, and the governance of both.

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in the cryosphere – occurrence, organismic accumulation, ecotoxicological impacts, transformation, and management strategies

The cryosphere faces increasing threats from anthropogenic pollutants, including per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), a class of synthetic chemicals produced in significant quantities and released into the environment for over seven decades. PFAS are widely utilized for their water- and grease-resistant properties in numerous industrial, household, personal care, and medical products. Despite their widespread applications, all PFAS or their degradation and transformation products are environmentally persistent and pose health risks to humans. PFAS are detected ubiquitously, even in remote regions like the Arctic and Antarctica, and they bioaccumulate within polar trophic food chains. The primary transport and transmission mechanisms for PFAS involve atmospheric transport through volatile precursors, atmospheric oxidation, ocean currents, and the formation of sea spray aerosols. Additionally, contamination of surface snow, post-deposition processes in snow, and sediment interactions significantly contribute to PFAS transport. The physical and chemical properties, including density, melting points (Tm), boiling points (Tb), solubility, vapor pressure, electronegativity, low polarizability, chemical stability, and thermal stability, play key roles in determining their environmental fate and transformation. The toxicity of certain PFAS has raised concerns, prompting bans and efforts to develop safer alternatives. Despite increasing public awareness and regulations to limit the production of legacy PFAS, their long-term environmental impacts remain unclear. As global warming accelerates cryosphere shrinkage, which releases PFAS with meltwater, cold-adapted ecosystems and associated biota face unprecedented challenges and uncertainties, particularly regarding the accumulation of non-degradable materials. This situation underscores the urgent need to comprehensively understand the fate of PFAS and adopt effective management strategies for polar systems. This review summarizes current literature on the transport, distribution, and legacy of PFAS, along with their known ecological impacts, bioremediation potential, and other management options in the cryosphere.

Institutional strength, polluting sectors and non-environmentalist tendency: a neo-institutional theory perspective

PurposeThis study aims to redirect attention from traditional analyses of environmental performance towards examining firms that exhibit “zero” environmental performance – those that entirely neglect ecological practices. Specifically, it investigates the institutional drivers (i.e. coercive and mimetic pressure) behind the worldwide tendency of firms to adopt non-environmentalist behaviors. By highlighting the practices of these firms, the research seeks to alert regulators and practitioners to a critical yet under-examined issue, particularly in the context of escalating ecological challenges and the pressing need to address climate change.Design/methodology/approachOur approach is grounded in neo-institutional theory, emphasizing the role of institutional pressures in shaping organizational behavior towards environmentalism. We analyze an extensive international dataset comprising 59,172 firm-year observations collected from 2002 to 2019 by employing a fixed-effects logistic regression model. Our methodology involves examining the impact of coercive pressure, represented by the quality of public governance and mimetic pressure, indicated by affiliation with polluting industries, on firms’ environmental practices or the lack thereof.FindingsThe analysis reveals that public governance quality (a form of coercive pressures) significantly deters firms from neglecting environmental practices, particularly in areas of eco-innovation, emissions and resource consumption reduction. Interestingly, while affiliation with polluting industries (a form of mimetic pressure) generally discourages non-environmental behavior, it paradoxically encourages non-eco-innovative engagement. Over the study period, we observe a gradual decline in the tendency of firms to ignore environmentalism and its three key components, suggesting an increasing institutional influence on corporate environmental practices. However, further analyses also indicate that public regulations are not as impactful in recent periods as they used to be in deterring firms from neglecting environmental practices.Practical implicationsGiven the global nature of climate change and ecological concerns, preventing environmental exploitation should be a collective goal for all nations via strengthening public governance quality. Additionally, while polluting industries tend to adopt eco-friendly practices due to institutional pressures, their resistance to eco-innovation raises questions about long-term ecological solutions.Originality/valueThis research contributes to the existing literature by focusing on a largely unexamined segment of firms – those with “zero” environmental performance. By employing a novel approach that scrutinizes the effects of institutional pressures on the neglect of environmental practices, our study offers fresh insights into how coercive and mimetic forces can either hinder or facilitate non-environmentalist behavior in the business sector.

Microbiology of tattoo-associated infections since 1820.

Microbiology of tattoo-associated infections since 1820.

Blending silos. The Crowdfunding Regulation and the transformation of EU retail financial law

A recurring narrative around Regulation (EU) 2020/1503 on crowdfunding service providers is that the exclusion of consumer credit from its scope is a missed opportunity. However, despite being fully-fledged capital markets law, the Regulation has significant implications for consumer protection. This is particularly due to the provisions in Chapter IV that protect non-sophisticated investors. By analysing this legal regime, this article shows that, unlike other sources of EU financial law, the Regulation contains contract law provisions that directly affect the relationship between retail investors and platforms. It derives two main implications from this. On the one hand, the Regulation reflects the general trends of the consumerization of EU financial law and the convergence between public financial regulation and private consumer law. On the other hand, the non-sophisticated investor protection regime shows that full harmonization of consumer and financial law is hardly achievable under EU law, where the two are based on two fundamentally different regulatory and contract law paradigms.To substantiate these arguments, this article first traces the development of retail financial law as an increasingly cross-sectoral and standardized body of law. It then shows that the Regulation mirrors this transformation in different directions. Not only are unsophisticated investors substantially protected as consumers when they trade on crowdfunding platforms, but the way in which the Regulation interacts with domestic law and proper consumer law bridges the gap between consumer and financial law. Finally, this article discusses the incompleteness of this transformation and identifies its determinants in the EU’s regulatory attitude towards financial markets.

The impact of public participatory environmental regulation on carbon emission intensity: a policy text analysis

Carbon emissions have emerged as a critical global environmental challenge, with public participatory environmental regulation becoming an increasingly vital governance tool in promoting carbon reduction. This study employs panel data from 278 prefecture-level cities in China spanning 2011–2020 to construct a public participatory environmental regulation index through policy text analysis, empirically examining its impact mechanism on carbon emission intensity. The findings reveal that: (1) public participatory environmental regulation significantly reduces carbon emission intensity; specifically, baseline regression results indicate that a one-unit increase in public participatory environmental regulation intensity leads to a 0.05 unit decrease in carbon emission intensity, significant at the 1% level; (2) mediation analysis demonstrates that public environmental participation serves as a significant intermediary between environmental regulation and carbon emission reduction; (3) heterogeneity analysis indicates that official characteristics significantly moderate policy effectiveness, with regulations implemented by non-local, shorter-tenured, and less-educated officials showing stronger inhibitory effects on carbon emissions compared to their counterparts. These findings underscore the importance of strengthening public participation mechanisms in environmental governance and considering official characteristics in policy implementation. This study provides both theoretical foundations for optimizing public participatory environmental regulation policies and practical implications for enhancing carbon reduction effectiveness.

Environmental Exposure, Epitranscriptomic Perturbations, and Human Diseases.

Epitranscriptomics is a rapidly evolving field, and it examines how chemical modifications on RNA regulate gene expression. Increasing lines of evidence support that exposure to various environmental agents can change substantially chemical modifications on RNA, thereby perturbing gene expression and contributing to disease development in humans. However, the molecular mechanisms through which environmental exposure impairs RNA modification-associated proteins ("reader", "writer", and "eraser" or RWE proteins) and alters the landscape of RNA modifications remain poorly understood. Here, we provide our perspectives on the current knowledge about how environmental exposure alters the epitranscriptome, where we focus on dynamic changes in RNA modifications and their regulatory proteins elicited by exposure to environmental agents. We discuss how these epitranscriptomic alterations may contribute to the development of human diseases, especially neurodegeneration and cancer. We also discuss the potential and technical challenges of harnessing RNA modifications as biomarkers for monitoring environmental exposure. Finally, we emphasize the need to integrate multiomics approaches to decipher the complex interplay between environmental exposure and the epitranscriptome and offer a forward-looking viewpoint on future research priorities that may inform public health interventions and environmental regulations.