Regulatory Level Research Articles

Microplastics in food and drink: perceptions of the risks, challenges, and solutions among individuals in the ‘farm-to-fork’ food chain

Public concerns about the potential effects of plastic pollution on human health are high, especially following evidence of microplastics (MPs) in food and drink. However, scientific evidence on human health effects is unclear, and knowledge gaps remain with respect to sources, pathways, and toxicity. But alongside ‘the public’ and ‘experts’ are various groups in the ‘farm-to-fork’ food chain whose voices are less heard, despite their unique insights into different issues. These ‘involved groups’ or ‘stakeholders’ include people in the harvesting/production, processing/packaging, distribution/hospitality, and regulation sectors. To harness their viewpoints, we conducted 32 semi-structured interviews with members of relevant groups along the food chain. Interviews were recorded, transcribed, and coded using Thematic Qualitative Analysis. Although knowledge levels and beliefs about sources and pathways were diverse, interviewees echoed the wider public’s concerns about human health risks alongside low certainty about underlying processes. Feelings of powerlessness and frustration, and the unavoidability of (micro-)plastics were emphasized. The need for increased awareness and solution know-how was stressed, and systemic changes on the regulatory level were called for (e.g. bans, binding and economic regulations). Relevant conditions for policy acceptance were identified (e.g. feasibility, effectiveness, evidence of risk). Findings highlight the fact that system change requires all actors in a system to understand the issues and be willing to play their part in solutions. The feelings of powerlessness and disenchantment expressed by many involved in the current system suggest greater work is needed to systematically include these groups in solution-finding and decision-making initiatives.

The principle of justice in the construction of a special legal status (historical and theoretical aspect)

The subject of the study is the principle of justice. The idea of justice is revealed in the context of the legal regulation of the rights and obligations of persons with special legal status. The essential aspects of the principle of equity at the individual and regulatory level are analyzed. It is noted that the principle of justice in relation to special legal status means the following: 1) any specific rights and obligations included in it must be established on certain grounds; 2) the content of these rights and obligations must correspond to the nature of these grounds. Thus, violations of justice in the construction of a special legal status can be of two kinds: either arbitrary (groundless) granting of rights or assignment of duties, or, if there are such grounds, excessive or insufficient nature of rights and duties. The research methodology includes the following approaches: comparative analysis, abstraction, deduction, induction, idealization, formalization, axiomatic and logical method. It seems important to distinguish between the aspects of justice: qualitative and quantitative. The qualitative characteristic of justice is to ensure that the grounds of a special legal status, on the one hand, and its content, on the other, are homogeneous in their value nature; for example, that an act of positive social significance (merit) generates a positive legal assessment expressed in the provision of additional benefits (encouragement), and vice versa. The quantitative measurement of justice assumes that the volume of social benefits or encumbrances inherent in a special legal status reflected, at least with some degree of accuracy, the similar significance of what served as the basis for this. From a practical point of view, the fairness of a special legal status can be revealed at two levels: individual (law enforcement) or normative (law-making).

Asthma development is associated with low mucosal IL-10 during viral infections in early life.

Viral infection is a common trigger of severe respiratory illnesses in early life and a risk factor for later asthma development. The mechanism leading to asthma could involve an aberrant airway immune response to viral infections, but this has rarely been studied in a human setting. To investigate insitu virus-specific differences in upper airway immune mediator levels during viral episodes of respiratory illnesses and the association with later asthma. We included 493 episodes of acute respiratory illnesses in 277 children aged 0-3 years from the COPSAC2010 mother-child cohort. Levels of 18 different immune mediators were assessed in nasal epithelial lining fluid using high-sensitivity MesoScale Discovery kits and compared between children with and without viral PCR-identification in nasopharyngeal samples. Finally, we investigated whether the virus-specific immune response was associated with asthma by age 6 years. Viral detection were associated with upregulation of several Type 1 and regulatory immune mediators, including IFN-ɣ, TNF-α, CCL4, CXCL10 and IL-10 and downregulation of Type 2 and Type 17 immune mediators, including CCL13, and CXCL8 (FDR <0.05). Children developing asthma had decreased levels of IL-10 (FDR <0.05) during viral episodes compared to children not developing asthma. We described the airway immune mediator profile during viral respiratory illnesses in early life and showed that children developing asthma by age 6 years have a reduced regulatory (IL-10) immune mediator level. This provides insight into the interplay between early-life viral infections, airway immunity and asthma development.

Paradox of Expanding Renewable Energy Resources: Legal Lag Behind the Advancement of Digital Technology

Advances in digital technology have brought massive changes to various aspects of life, including managing natural resources in renewable energy. Digital technology has become one of the strongest drivers for the energy transition goal. In light of this potential, various government policies are currently underway to facilitate the expansion of these resources. Initially, this expansion initiative appears to be a sound and perfect plan, as the transition towards renewable energy will significantly affect environmental conservation efforts, bolstered by digitalization in the energy management sector. Holistically, there appears to be some confusion from both social and economic perspectives, and particularly from a legal perspective at the regulatory level. Objective of this research is to investigate the relationship between advancements in digital technology on renewable energy expantion. Additionally, it aims to investigate the legal barriers that hinder efforts to expand renewable energy in the country, and to explore the significance of paradoxes in this process. This research was conducted principles of law, synchronisation regulations, historical legal analysis, and comparative jurisprudential study. The findings of the research indicate that digital technology, or digitization, in the management of renewable energy provides a significant positive contribution in terms of improving safety, production processes, increasing access, and sustainable management. On the other side, renewable energy regulations have not been able to accommodate the country's expansion efforts and potential. There are still many legal, social, economic, and environmental conflicts in this process.

Response of lymphoid organs to immunization with Fc fragments of IgG carrying epitopes specific to regulatory rheumatoid factor

Previously, we identified a new factor of autoimmunity downregulation, called regulatory rheumatoid factor (regRF). The production of regRF was associated with the resistance of animals to the experimental autoimmune diseases or with the remission in animals that are sensitive to the autoimmune diseases. The action of regulatory rheumatoid factor is based on the killing of activated CD4 T lymphocytes expressing PD-1, which makes it possible to restrain the expansion of lymphocytes, including autoreactive ones. RegRF-specific epitopes (regRF epitopes) can be induced on IgG Fc fragments. Immunization of rats with homologous IgG Fc fragments bearing regRF epitopes suppresses symptoms, lymphocytic infiltration and target tissue damage in several experimental models of autoimmune diseases. An in vitro study of the mechanisms of regRF-producing lymphocytes activation by IgG Fc fragments carrying regRF epitopes showed that IgG Fc fragments carrying regRF epitopes are T cell-independent antigens type 2. The reactions of the immune system, in particular in lymphoid organs, to T cell-independent antigens type 2, especially having a protein nature, are poorly studied. The purpose of this work is to study the reactions of the spleen and lymph nodes of rats to immunization with IgG Fc fragments carrying regRF epitopes. Wistar rats were immunized subcutaneously with 500 μg of homologous IgG Fc fragments carrying regRF epitopes. Control animals received an injection of phosphate-buffered saline. Immunization with IgG Fc fragments carrying regRF epitopes caused a transient increase of regulatory rheumatoid factor blood level with a maximum on day 7 after immunization. It was found that immunization with IgG Fc fragments carrying regRF epitopes does not cause a reaction in the regional and distal lymph nodes of rats, but induces the development of secondary follicles in spleen that exist for at least 28 days. On day 49, the number of follicles with germinal centers in the spleen of rats immunized with IgG Fc fragments carrying regRF epitopes was lower than in control rats. Consequently, the reaction of splenic follicles in rats immunized with IgG Fc fragments carrying regRF epitopes is transient. No changes were detected in the periarteriolar lymphoid sheaths (splenic T cell zone) in rats immunized with IgG Fc fragments carrying regRF epitopes. Thus, IgG Fc fragments carrying regRF epitopes, being a T cell-independent antigens type 2, do not cause a reaction in the lymph nodes, but induce the development of germinal centers in the spleen that exist for several weeks.

Evaluating the performance of multi-omics integration: a thyroid toxicity case study.

Multi-omics data integration has been repeatedly discussed as the way forward to more comprehensively cover the molecular responses of cells or organisms to chemical exposure in systems toxicology and regulatory risk assessment. In Canzler etal. (Arch Toxicol 94(2):371-388. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00204-020-02656-y ), we reviewed the state of the art in applying multi-omics approaches in toxicological research and chemical risk assessment. We developed best practices for the experimental design of multi-omics studies, omics data acquisition, and subsequent omics data integration. We found that multi-omics data sets for toxicological research questions were generally rare, with no datasets comprising more than two omics layers adhering to these best practices. Due to these limitations, we could not fully assess the benefits of different data integration approaches or quantitatively evaluate the contribution of various omics layers for toxicological research questions. Here, we report on a multi-omics study on thyroid toxicity that we conducted in compliance with these best practices. We induced direct and indirect thyroid toxicity through Propylthiouracil (PTU) and Phenytoin, respectively, in a 28-day plus 14-day recovery oral rat toxicity study. We collected clinical and histopathological data and six omics layers, including the long and short transcriptome, proteome, phosphoproteome, and metabolome from plasma, thyroid, and liver. We demonstrate that the multi-omics approach is superior to single-omics in detecting responses at the regulatory pathway level. We also show how combining omics data with clinical and histopathological parameters facilitates the interpretation of the data. Furthermore, we illustrate how multi-omics integration can hint at the involvement of non-coding RNAs in post-transcriptional regulation. Also, we show that multi-omics facilitates grouping, and we assess how much information individual and combinations of omics layers contribute to this approach.

Gene Expression Shifts in Emperor Penguin Adaptation to the Extreme Antarctic Environment.

Gene expression can accelerate ecological divergence by rapidly tweaking the response of an organism to novel environments, with more divergent environments exerting stronger selection and supposedly, requiring faster adaptive responses. Organisms adapted to extreme environments provide ideal systems to test this hypothesis, particularly when compared to related species with milder ecological niches. The Emperor penguin (Aptenodytes forsteri) is the only endothermic vertebrate breeding in the harsh Antarctic winter, in stark contrast with the less cold-adapted sister species, the King penguin (A. patagonicus). Assembling the first de novo transcriptomes and analysing multi-tissue (brain, kidney, liver, muscle, skin) RNA-Seq data from natural populations of both species, we quantified the shifts in tissue-enhanced genes, co-expression gene networks, and differentially expressed genes characterising Emperor penguin adaptation to the extreme Antarctic. Our analyses revealed the crucial role played by muscle and liver in temperature homeostasis, fasting, and whole-body energy metabolism (glucose/insulin regulation, lipid metabolism, fatty acid beta-oxidation, and blood coagulation). Repatterning at the regulatory level appears as more important in the brain of the Emperor penguin, showing the lowest signature of differential gene expression, but the largest co-expression gene network shift. Nevertheless, over-expressed genes related to mTOR signalling in the brain and the liver support their central role in cold and fasting responses. Besides contributing to understanding the genetics underlying complex traits, like body energy reservoir management, our results provide a first insight into the role of gene expression in adaptation to one of the most extreme environmental conditions endured by an endotherm.

Environmental benefits of ozonated water for sustainable grapevine disease control: A life cycle and carbon sequestration analysis

The oxidative capacity of ozone makes it a highly effective biocide, widely used in the food and processing industry, as well as in drinking water plants. In a context of tighter restrictions on the use of synthetic plant protection products at the regulatory level, wineries are looking for alternative methods to control diseases, making the application of ozonated water an option to consider. To determine the environmental sustainability of this alternative vineyard disease control treatment, an environmental impact assessment was conducted using the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) methodology. The assessment was carried out in a vineyard located in the D.O. Rías Baixas of Galicia, located in northwestern Spain. The analysis was conducted on the basis of two functional units: i) 1 kg of grapes and ii) 1 ha of land managed and using a cradle-to-gate boundary system. Ten impact categories were assessed using the ReCiPe method, except for the water scarcity indicator, which was quantified using AWARE.The environmental sustainability of the vineyard was further analyzed by measuring its carbon sequestration potential to obtain a more complete environmental profile. The RothC-26.3 model was chosen to estimate absolute carbon sequestration and annual sequestration rate from 2020 to 2040. Since the ozone-only scenarios lost all harvest, no environmental assessment was performed for such scenarios. For the remaining scenarios, the findings suggest that those using a combination of ozonated water and fungicides have the worst environmental performance due to notable reductions in grape yield and more frequent disease control interventions, particularly in certain scenarios. When evaluating environmental performance per hectare of land managed, the scenario using ozonated water with a limited number of disease control interventions exhibited the most favorable environmental profile, primarily due to reduced use of fungicides and disease control passes. In addition, the main contributors to the vineyard environmental profile identified were diesel fuel combustion during field operations, fertilizer use and production, and irrigation. In addition, the research indicates that the vineyard sequesters carbon annually, but this alone is insufficient to offset its greenhouse gas emissions. However, it is estimated that through the application of more appropriate soil management practices, the vineyard could achieve carbon neutrality and potentially increase soil carbon stocks over time.

Теоретические и практические аспекты формирования системы индикативных показателей диагностики экономической безопасности холдинговых структур

The article introduces the case of economic security analysis of the Romashin Technology Research and Production Holding, Obninsk, Russia. The author relied on various theoretical and practical aspects of economic security indicators as a system. The holding in Obninsk united seven enterprises, each of which conducted its own business activities. As a result, a timely preventive diagnosis of risks and threats became a rather complicated issue.The research objective was to identify and justify a set of economic security indicators for the holding in question. A comprehensive analysis of financial reports of all organizations within the holding made it possible to identify external and internal threats to the economic security of the entire holding and its parts. The diagnostics was carried out on the basis of safety indicators, which were divided into safety groups. If the indicators were outside the regulatory level, the holding was recommended to stabilize them. The study also revealed some opportunities for further development, as well as yielded measures to eliminate the negative external impact. Government Decree No. 351, March 12, 2022, allowed Russian companies not to publish reports, thus protecting them against potential harm from unfriendly countries. However, the Decree prevented the author from getting access to the current financial data, which made the analysis retrospective.

Characteristics of the Contingent of Specialists Participating in Accreditation for the Position of "Medical Psychologist": Satisfaction with the Procedure and Professional Activity

Accreditation of medical psychologists has become mandatory for all employees of healthcare institutions in this position. Currently, there are a number of contradictions and difficulties, both at the regulatory and organizational level. Nevertheless, the procedure is becoming regular, and an increasing number of specialists undergo it every year. Monitoring the main difficulties and requests from medical psychologists is the main task of the departments performing this procedure.

Analysis of problems and management of in vitro diagnostic reagent clinical trials in medical laboratory

Clinical trials are an important method for evaluating the safety and efficacy of in vitro diagnostic reagents, and are a key basis for product registration review and approval. In order to strengthen the management of clinical trials of in vitro diagnostic reagents, the National Medical Products Administration and relevant departments have formulated a series of regulations at the regulatory level, and require applicants and clinical trial institutions to establish a quality management system for clinical trials of in vitro diagnostic reagents. Medical laboratory is the main department and implementer of in vitro diagnostic reagent clinical trials in medical institutions. In recent years, with the rapid development of the in vitro diagnostic industry, the clinical trial projects of in vitro diagnostic reagents conducted by medical laboratory have been increasing day by day. However, there are currently few discussions on the clinical trial of in vitro diagnostic reagents from the perspective of researchers. Therefore, this article summarizes the characteristics of clinical trials of in vitro diagnostic reagents, analyzes the problems and difficulties in conducting clinical trials of in vitro diagnostic reagents in current medical laboratories, and introduces the laboratory's experience in management; to provide reference for medical testing laboratories that have not yet conducted or have already conducted clinical trials of in vitro diagnostic reagents, in order to improve the quality and efficiency of clinical trials.

Controlled atmosphere as cold chain support for extending postharvest life in cabbage

Postharvest management of cabbage relies on high-intensity cooling to control postharvest physiology, minimising quality loss despite incurring significant energy and environmental costs. As an alternative, we hypothesised that controlled atmosphere (CA) could allow increased storage temperature by supporting physiological regulation, while maintaining quality and reducing energy demand. This study examined the effect CA (1.5 kPa CO2 and 6 kPa O2) at 5 or 10 °C on cabbage quality, with the aim of proposing a more sustainable and resilient supply chain. CA treatment was effective at reducing head respiration at higher temperature, with CA/10 °C treatment achieving lower respiration rates than Control/5 °C. Improved head colour retention and maintenance of stump quality were observed in cabbage under CA conditions. CA effects were seen also at a regulatory level; CA promoted an average of 25.4% reduction in abscisic acid accumulation potentially as part of a wider hypoxia stress response and was successful in decreasing expression of the senescence-coordinating transcription factor BoORE15. This finding was linked with a lower in downstream expression of pheophytinase and subtilisin protease. These results demonstrated that CA treatment fundamentally modified postharvest physiology in cabbage, which can be exploited to enable storage at warmer temperatures, contributing to supply chains with lower energy demand and its associated environmental benefits.

Sustainability in Secondary Use of Health Data - A Scoping Review.

This scoping review investigates sustainability in the reuse of health data on a technological, intra-organizational, inter-organizational, and regulatory level. Thereby, it focuses on the evolutionary, relational, and durational perspective of sustainability. The study highlights various challenges in achieving data sustainability, from regulatory norms such as FAIR principles towards data governance processes and responsibilities in organizations that facilitate data sharing. By highlighting the need for economic sustainability of health data sharing platforms and adapted principles for data sharing, this study aims to analyze current practices that aim for sustainability in the secondary use of health data.

Unveiling the terrain of non-bank Islamic personal financing: current practices, challenges, and future prospects

Purpose This study aims to investigate the current practices among selected non-bank financial institutions (NBFIs) in Malaysia in offering Islamic personal financing and the multiple challenges faced by them. Design/methodology/approach The qualitative research methodology was used, and primary data was collected using semi-structured interviews with 10 respondents consisting of NBFIs’ representatives and Shariah advisors. Findings Most Islamic personal financing practice is based on tawarruq. Among the major challenges faced by NBFIs are the absence of a comprehensive legal framework, Shariah non-compliance risks, cost, human resources and risk management. Recommendations include establishing a proper legal framework and Shariah governance. The study also recommends centralising at the regulatory level aspects such as training, commodity murabahah system and the department performing the Shariah advisory and control functions. Research limitations/implications Online interviews were conducted during the early wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 with a limited number of respondents due to people’s hesitancy to participate during the pandemic. Practical implications The findings will guide regulators and industry players concerning the challenges that must be addressed and the recommendations that can be considered in ensuring complete adherence to Shariah principles for the offering of personal financing. Eventually, Muslim society in need of cash will benefit from the broader choice of Shariah-compliant personal financing. Social implications The research highlights the weaknesses of self-regulation in guaranteeing Shariah compliance and the need for regulatory intervention. Originality/value This is a pioneering empirical study that investigated the offering of Islamic personal financing among NBFIs in Malaysia, the challenges and the way forward.

Detection Limits of Insect Fragments in Spiked Whole Wheat Flour Using Multiplex Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR)

The need for a sensitive molecular method to detect specific species of insect contaminants in food products remains a significant challenge in the food industry. This study evaluated the detection limit of a multiplex end-point PCR assay for detecting insects in food. The assay amplifies two fragments of the cytochrome oxidase subunit I gene (COI-Fa and COI-Fb) and one fragment of the protein-coding wingless (wg) gene found in insects. Five insect species, comprising three vectors of foodborne pathogens (the housefly, Musca domestica, the American cockroach, Periplaneta americana, and the pharaoh ant, Monomorium pharaonis) and two storage insect pests (the red flour beetle, Tribolium castaneum and the Indian meal moth, Plodia interpunctella), were spiked separately and in combination at levels of 1, 0.1, 0.01, and 0.001% in whole wheat flour. At spike levels greater than 0.01%, amplicon bands of expected sizes were seen in 100% of samples containing fragments from distinct insect species. At least 25% of spiked samples at the lowest spike level had amplicon bands, except for samples spiked with M. domestica. Results showed an 18.9% probability (with 11.3% and 30% lower and upper confidence limits, respectively) of detecting insect fragments at the lowest spike level (0.001%, corresponding to 3–22 fragments), which is far below the FDA’s regulatory level of less than 75 fragments per 50 g of wheat flour. The intensity of amplicon bands in the gel images was higher at higher spike levels. However, this method is not quantitative enough to extrapolate the intensity of the amplicon bands to the number of insect fragments present in a sample. This multiplex assay was also evaluated in a variety of market food samples derived from plants and animals, showing its potential use in various food types. Overall, the sensitivity and specificity of this molecular approach suggest that it could be used in the future as a screening tool for detecting insect contaminants in food.

Discursive (mis)alignments in internationalization: The case of International Medical Programmes

Purpose International Medical Programmes (IMPs) form a distinctive modality in medical education, with diverse student populations, English as a language of instruction and ‘globalized’ curricula. A lack of common understanding of IMPs’ purposes and role in the medical education landscape triggers critiques. This study aims to document the effects of different discourses used to justify the purpose of IMPs. Methods We use a discourse analysis approach to explore the different ways in which the purposes of IMPs are constructed at the regulatory, institutional, and individual level, and how these discourses interact. The research situates in two IMPs, in the Netherlands and in Hungary. Key-informant interviews, policy documents, and scholarly literature form the archive. Results The purpose of IMPs is constructed discursively around three distinct narratives and associated practices: around serving the institutions that host them, around serving the (global) public interest, and around serving individual students. Co-existence and misalignments of these three discourses cause conflicting practices and confusion among stakeholders. Conclusions This study illustrates how diverging perspectives on internationalization in medical education create tensions for learners and staff. Articulating a clear and explicit meaning to internationalization may reduce uncertainties, and may reinforce realistic expectations of what constitutes a good outcome.

A Comparative study of the Basel III liquidity framework’s “Liquidity Coverage Ratio”: Compliance and Performance between Islamic Banks and Conventional banks in the State of Kuwait

Aim of the Paper: To propose some recommendations based on the finding for the conventional and Islamic banks in the sample of the study and to submit the experience of the research sample, first, to all the relevant regulatory authorities who deal with the supervision and control of conventional and Islamic banks in their banking system and second, to the decision makers in the conventional and Islamic banks to gain their bank’s compliance and better performance of Liquidity Coverage Ratio.Study Design: Comparative study of Liquidity Coverage Ratio’s compliance and performance between 4 national Islamic banks and 4 national conventional banks.Sample and Data: The sample contains of 4 conventional and 4 Islamic banks in the Kuwaiti national banking system. The data were quantitative “LCR figures” of the sampled banks and were gathered from their official websites (secondary data).Results: Both the conventional and the Islamic banks showed that were compliant and had the same efficient and effective level of LCRs performanceConclusion: the paper presented recommendation on bank solo level, banking sector level, regulatory authority level and international organizations level.

Implementation of the Rules of the Institute of Application of Ciminal Law Measures to Legal Entities in Court Practice: Results of a 10-Year Marathon

The article analyzes both criminal and criminal procedural legislation and court practice with regard to the application of criminal law measures against legal entities. The author establishes that at the regulatory level, the objective reason for the low efficiency of the rules on the application of such measures is, first of all, the dependence established by the criminal procedure legislation of Ukraine between the procedural fate of proceedings against a legal entity and criminal proceedings against an authorized person who committed a relevant criminal offense on behalf of and/or in the interests of a legal entity. The author analyzed 6 verdicts which resolved the issue of application of criminal legal measures against legal entities. As can be seen from the above analysis, during the 10 years of the legal institution on the application of criminal legal measures against legal entities, the court practice is characterized by a progressive movement from primitive decisions on the application of criminal legal measures against legal entities in the wrong procedural order provided for by the Criminal Procedure Code of Ukraine to verdicts that applied such measures procedurally correctly. In our opinion, the reason for such a small number of cases of application of criminal legal measures against legal entities in Ukraine is the fact that the procedural fate of proceedings against a legal entity is completely dependent on the criminal proceedings against its authorized person, and the lack of a single structural part of the Criminal Procedure Code of Ukraine that would regulate the procedural procedure for application of criminal legal measures against legal entities. This situation should be remedied at the regulatory level by introducing appropriate amendments to the Criminal Procedure Code of Ukraine. At the same time, there is a need to develop training activities for stakeholders – investigators, prosecutors, judges, lawyers - aimed at learning the procedure for applying criminal legal measures to legal entities. Key words: criminal law measures against legal entities, proceedings against a legal entity, criminal proceedings against an individual, authorized person of a legal entity, actions on behalf of and/or in the interests of a legal entity, representative of a legal entity in respect of which proceedings are being conducted, criminal offense, training of investigators, prosecutors, attorneys, judges.

Parallel Evolution at the Regulatory Base-Pair Level Contributes to Mammalian Interspecific Differences in Polygenic Traits.

Parallel evolution occurs when distinct lineages with similar ancestral states converge on a new phenotype. Parallel evolution has been well documented at the organ, gene pathway, and amino acid sequence level but in theory, it can also occur at individual nucleotides within noncoding regions. To examine the role of parallel evolution in shaping the biology of mammalian complex traits, we used data on single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) influencing human intraspecific variation to predict trait values in other species for 11 complex traits. We found that the alleles at SNP positions associated with human intraspecific height and red blood cell (RBC) count variation are associated with interspecific variation in the corresponding traits across mammals. These associations hold for deeper branches of mammalian evolution as well as between strains of collaborative cross mice. While variation in RBC count between primates uses both ancient and more recently evolved genomic regions, we found that only primate-specific elements were correlated with primate body size. We show that the SNP positions driving these signals are flanked by conserved sequences, maintain synteny with target genes, and overlap transcription factor binding sites. This work highlights the potential of conserved but tunable regulatory elements to be reused in parallel to facilitate evolutionary adaptation in mammals.

‘Tremendous pressure’: exploring the pressures faced by widening participation evaluators

This paper explores the tensions, disjunctures and politics that evaluators experience when tasked with evaluating widening participation programmes in English Higher Education Institutions (HEI). While much research has been conducted concerning the importance of evaluation in widening participation, comparatively little has been written about how the socio-organisational position that evaluators are situated in may impact the quality and `rigour´ of the evaluation exercises themselves. Consequently, this paper is intended to act as the starting point for discussions within the field of widening participation that critically reflect on the optimal circumstances in which we can evaluate widening participation initiatives. Drawing from the analysis of semi-structured interviews with 21 practitioners at four HEIs, four pressures are identified that act upon evaluators, namely: reputational concerns; personal involvement; accountability for donors, alumni and other interested parties; and position within an organisation. These pressures are outlined and explored in relation to how they shape the evaluation process. The implications of this research concern institutional change at both the HEI and the regulatory body level, movement towards methodological pluralism and an easing of the pressures that confront widening participation practitioners when tasked with evaluation.