Does aggressive policing worsen infant health disparities? Evidence from 'Stop and Frisk' in New York City.

The rapid expansion of cross-border telework has exposed structural frictions between the European Union’s (EU’s) coordination of social security and the international allocation of taxing rights. This article examines how the simultaneous application of Regulation No. 883/2004 and double tax conventions affects the financing of social security systems. It first situates Member States’ heterogeneous financing models – ranging from contribution-based to tax-funded and documents cross-country divergences. It then sets out the principles of Regulation No. 883/ 2004 (notably lex loci laboris and the single-state principle) and analyses their application to cross-border telework under Articles 12, 13 and 16, including the 2023 Framework Agreement on Cross-border Telework. Turning to the OECD Model Tax Convention (OECD MC), the article explains the allocation of taxing rights in Article 15 and the role of frontier-worker clauses. Building on CJEU case law, it identifies two levels of conflict: the divergent definition of social security contributions and the structural mismatch between single-state affiliation for contributions and split taxing rights for income tax. Using threshold-based telework scenarios, it shows how double or zero financing of a social security system can arise. The article is concluded with a discussion on how potential problems arising from simultaneous application be overcome.

DNA-regulated structural engineering of metal nanomaterials: A strategy for advanced optical biosensing.

Microbial-mycotoxin interactions in food: A review of ecotoxicological implications and omics approaches for understanding detoxification mechanisms.

Cancer-related financial toxicity has been recognized as a growing survivorship issue, even in high income countries with established social welfare systems. However, data on the financial impact of head and neck cancers, particularly oral cavity carcinoma (OSCC), remain scarce in Germany. This study aims to quantify the financial burden experienced by OSCC patients following surgical and/or multimodal treatment within the German healthcare system. We conducted a prospective, cross-sectional study at a single university hospital. Patients with OSCC undergoing oncological follow-up were included. Financial toxicity was measured using the Financial Index of Toxicity (FIT) questionnaire along with 11 additional items addressing changes in income, employment, rehabilitation, and social participation. 101 patients with OSCC were included. The mean overall FIT score was 23.8 (SD 15.9), indicating a moderate financial burden. Subscores revealed a financial stress score of 10.8 (SD 16.9), a financial strain score of 33.6 (SD 19.5), and a lost productivity score of 22.8 (SD 31.2). Patients with advanced tumor stages (UICC III/IV) showed higher financial toxicity, particularly in the domains of lost productivity and strain. Additional socioeconomic items revealed reduced household income and significant difficulties in returning to work or accessing rehabilitation. Our study provides the first structured assessment of financial toxicity in OSCC patients within the German healthcare system. Even in a publicly funded health system, substantial financial distress occurs-particularly in patients with advanced-stage disease and impaired speech function. These findings underscore the need for systematic financial risk screening and the development of German-specific assessment tools to address the socioeconomic burden in cancer care.

Shortage of healthcare workers is a growing challenge and financial remuneration may influence recruitment efforts. In Austria, self-employed physicians can either work as contracted or non-contracted physicians. While non-contracted practices are expanding, sickness funds face increasing difficulties in recruiting contracted physicians. To analyze physician income, its key determinants and whether financial incentives could help SHI funds address recruitment challenges. We used data from the Federal Ministry of Finance and the Federation of Social Security Institutions to derive descriptive statistics for self-employed physicians. In-depth data on contracted physicians enabled us to explore determinants of their income using quantile regressions. In 2022, contracted GPs had median annual earnings of EUR 191,649 before taxes, while contracted specialists earned EUR 210,988. Among GPs, an additional consultation was associated with an increase in earnings of EUR 11.70. Being a male GP corresponded with higher earnings of EUR 6763 compared to female GPs. For specialists, each additional consultation increased earnings by EUR 27.94, and being female was associated with decreased earnings of EUR 13,413. Due to missing data on key variables, regression analysis was not possible for non-contracted physicians, but their median income was EUR 100,849. Given higher earnings of contracted physicians compared to their non-contracted peers, it seems unlikely that increased financial incentives would help SHI funds in recruiting contracted physicians.

This decade, type 2 diabetes and its complications present a major global public health crisis and a significant economic burden, even though it is chronic and often asymptomatic. The global prevalence of diabetes continues to increase at an alarming rate. The International Diabetes Federation estimated that 588.7 million adults aged 20-79 years were living with diabetes worldwide in 2024, with projections reaching 852.5 million by 2050 [1]. The consequences of this issue can lead to serious complications such as amputations, blindness, cardiovascular diseases, heart attacks, cognitive decline, and Alzheimer's disease, all of which place a significant strain on health and social security systems. Therefore, prevention is the key to avoiding this substantial health and economic pressure. In the prevention and overall management of type 2 diabetes, phytotherapy can be highly effective. The current challenge is to identify practical and safe products that contain plant extracts. Our goal is to develop a dietary supplement aimed at preventing Type 2 Diabetes (T2D), particularly during the prediabetes phase, which currently lacks effective therapies. Therefore, the creation of nutraceutical products to support patient care is essential. In this context, we conducted a study presenting original research on the green optimization of polyphenol extraction from Salvia officinalis and Olea europaea for an adjuvant dietary supplement, with a focus on the treatment of type 2 diabetes. The present study aimed to optimize the green ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE) process to maximize the recovery of bioactive polyphenols from Salvia officinalis and Olea europaea leaves, two Mediterranean plants used in traditional care for diabetic patients in northern Algeria, with well-documented antioxidant and antidiabetic properties. A Box-Behnken response surface methodology (RSM) was employed to evaluate the effects of glycerol concentration (10-90% v/v), temperature (20-80°C), and sonication time (5-15min) on total polyphenol content (TPC, mg GAE g-1). The polynomial model was statistically significant, with a p-value of 0.0029 and a coefficient of determination (R²) of 0.9292, indicating high predictive accuracy. Among the variables analyzed, glycerol concentration had the most significant effect (p < 0.001), whereas sonication temperature had a moderate effect. The optimal extraction conditions were determined to be 50% glycerol, 50°C, and 10 minutes of sonication. Under these conditions, the maximum total phenolic content (TPC) achieved was 185 mg GAE per gram. This result is comparable to that obtained with ethanol-based extraction but was achieved under milder and safer conditions. A comparative analysis showed that glycerol-based ultrasound-assisted extraction yielded polyphenol levels and antioxidant activity similar to those achieved with ethanol extraction. However, glycerol offers additional benefits such as biodegradability, energy efficiency, and safety suitable for drug use. The extract demonstrated strong DPPH scavenging and α-glucosidase inhibitory activities, highlighting its potential as a functional ingredient for the management of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). This study presents a validated framework for green extraction to produce high-value phytochemical extracts. By integrating sustainable solvents with optimized processes, we establish a strong foundation for developing nutraceutical formulations that balance environmental responsibility with therapeutic effectiveness. Specifically, the use of Salvia officinalis and Olea europaea offers the opportunity to supply high-quality raw materials in sufficient quantities to support future enhancements in the pharmaceutical and agri-food sectors.

ABSTRACT Despite rapid railway expansion across Africa, integrated impact appraisals remain limited. This study evaluates Kenya’s Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) using a multidimensional framework that links financial performance to social welfare and environmental outcomes. Cost-Benefit Analysis is operationalised through three linked Net Present Value (NPV) models (monetary, socio-economic, and Decoupled Net Present Value) applied to both completed and proposed corridor sections. Spatial interaction modelling simulates passenger and freight flows for incomplete segments, while the DNPV framework decouples risk and inflation by treating risk as an explicit cost. Results show consistently positive NPVs, with social user benefits, employment and inclusion effects, and carbon emission reductions substantially reinforcing modestly positive financial performance. The analysis also highlights exposure to governance, fiscal, and environmental risks, underscoring the need for targeted mitigation and robust implementation that safeguards distributional outcomes and environmental performance over the project life cycle. By explicitly valuing carbon, accessibility, and jobs alongside financial flows, and by treating socio-environmental effects as core benefit streams rather than ancillary co-benefits, the paper demonstrates how CBA can be embedded within broader environmental and social appraisal, advancing integrated methods for project evaluation in the Global South.

Purpose The purpose of this study is to empirically examine the financial structure, legal foundations and social role of Ottoman cash waqfs using a rare fully audited ledger from Kocaeli (1872). Moving beyond the predominantly normative and jurisprudential orientation of the existing literature, this study offers evidence-based insights into how these institutions operated as community-based financial intermediaries, mobilized endowed capital through Sharia-compliant mechanisms such as istiglal and broadened access to finance in local communities. Design/methodology/approach The analysis uses a streamlined mixed-methods framework that combines qualitative institutional assessments with transparent, descriptive quantitative tools. The audited ledger was examined using historical accounting methods and analyzed using descriptive statistics, concentration measures (Gini coefficients and Lorenz curves) and correlation analysis to assess the distributions of capital, financial sustainability and borrower characteristics. All techniques were selected to match the structure and limitations of the historical data. Findings The audited ledger records 39 cash waqfs administering a combined principal of 1,093,620 gurus. More than 97% of this capital was allocated through Sharia-compliant istiglal contracts, which generated returns in the range of 10%–20%. The distribution of credit reveals a wide socioeconomic and cross-communal outreach: peasants constituted the largest category of borrowers (41%), followed by artisans and traders (26%). Although larger mosque waqfs controlled the bulk of the total capital, smaller neighborhood waqfs exhibited markedly higher lending efficiency. The resulting surpluses were systematically reinvested in educational, infrastructural and welfare-oriented initiatives. Practical implications The operational features of Ottoman cash waqfs reflect principles that are central to contemporary Islamic microfinance and ethical finance, including local resource mobilization, risk sharing, community-based governance and the integration of financial activity with social welfare provision. These historical insights offer meaningful design implications for modern Islamic microfinance institutions, waqf-based social investment frameworks and community-oriented fintech initiatives. Originality/value Empirical studies that reconstruct the financial operations of Ottoman cash waqfs remain scarce. Most existing research relies on foundation deeds or court records rather than audited financial data. By analyzing a fully audited ledger, this study provides rare quantitative evidence on operational performance, capital allocation and socioeconomic outreach. It thereby offers a more robust empirical assessment of historical Islamic financial institutions and contributes new insights to both Ottoman economic history and modern Islamic finance literature.

The article aims to discuss social policies in the context of the intensification of ultraneoliberalism in Brazil since 2016 and the consequences for the configuration of Social Welfare Policy and the world of work. The analyses carried out were based on a critical and dialectical theoretical framework, through a bibliographic study with reflections on the contemporary Brazilian scenario and the repercussions of State action in the scope of social policies, in the world of work and consequently in the lives of the population in a situation of social vulnerability. The results showed that there is a regressive scenario for social policies, with deepening inequalities of class, race/ethnicity and gender, historically and socially constructed in the Brazilian reality, with significant limits for democracy and citizenship. Regarding the new trends of exploitation of the working class in the ultraneoliberal context, destructive processes are underway, increasingly perverse and precarious, with the offer of labor force under any conditions and at any cost for the extraction of surplus value; This scenario includes the new information and communication technologies that have been absorbed by social assistance policy in the execution of services, programs and projects and that promote the exclusion of a large portion of the population in a situation of social vulnerability due to their lack of access to digital tools. That said, understanding the current format of social policies in contemporary times is essential to analyze how economic and political changes impact the way in which people access essential services and promote greater social inequality.

Without professional assistance, patients cannot accurately identify their severity and thus often make inappropriate choice among tiered care providers. Recently, artificial intelligence- based diagnosis (AI-based diagnosis) is widely used to help patients make better treatment choice in addition to traditional financial incentives. In this paper, we develop a strategic queueing model, where a low-level provider (GP) may refer patients to a high-level provider (SP) and the patients can strategically choose where to go for initial treatment after seeking AI advice. We find that the common practice of discounting the SP's treatment fees for referred patients may not be able to close the social welfare gap between market equilibrium and social optimum while this gap can always be closed by adjusting the SP's treatment fees together with such referral discounts. Moreover, social welfare can be improved by increasing the AI diagnostic accuracy. This effect becomes more significant when the GP has a higher error probability of treating a truly severe patient but may be less significant when the GP is more likely to refer a truly non-severe patient, depending on the SP's capacity. Finally, the two-tier healthcare system may be worse off using AI-based diagnosis under some circumstances.

This article analyses the impact of the Great Patriotic War on the population, its composition and structure. The focus of this study is Sverdlovsk Oblast, a rear region of the country, where demographic processes are distinguished by their unique characteristics and the interplay of demographic and non-demographic factors in population reproduction. The body of sources on demographic development is quite extensive, primarily consisting of mass sources: population censuses, current records of population movement (registry office records of births, deaths, marriages and divorces, and migration records kept by police authorities). Documents from the Peoples Commissariats of the RSFSR, regional executive committees of the Soviets of Workers’ Deputies, departments of health, public education, social security, etc. are rich in information about the demographic system. The author identifies three sets of historical sources that were utilized in the research: records of the gender and age composition of the rural population from a specific point in time; data from the Department for Evacuee Affairs; and information on the registration of voters for the Supreme Soviet of the USSR from February 1946. The analysed historical sources make it possible to assess changes in the vectors of demographic development in the region and show the impact of the war on population dynamics, the composition and structure of the region’s population, assess the deformation of reproduction, the role of the migration factor in the formation of the population, and changes in the sex-age composition and gender imbalance. The long-term impact on the region’s demographic sphere became the legacy of the war.

ABSTRACT This paper investigates the causal impact of administrative decentralization on firm entry by exploiting China’s County Power Expansion (CPE) reform as a quasi-natural experiment. Using a difference-in-differences framework with Annual Surveys of Industrial Firms and county-level data from 1998–2013, we find that the CPE reform increases firm entry rates by 1.5% (10.6% relative to the mean) in treated counties, robust to alternative specifications, placebo tests, and machine learning estimators. Mechanism analysis reveals that decentralization incentivized county governments to compete for firms by lowering effective corporate tax rates, strategically reducing industrial land prices, and expanding infrastructure investment, thus reducing barriers to entry. Heterogeneity analysis indicates that the reform’s effects are more pronounced in counties with higher human capital endowments and lower levels of economic development. Additionally, new entrants post-reform are more likely to be unaffiliated, non-SOEs operating in low-pollution or low-technology industries. These findings elucidate how administrative decentralization fosters entrepreneurship, yet necessitate regulatory frameworks to mitigate fiscal distortions and calibrate growth with social welfare imperatives.

ABSTRACT This study explores how structural forces influence young Chinese journalists in forming a journalistic habitus regarding the controversial practice of accepting red envelopes. Drawing on Bourdieu’s field theory, we interviewed 22 journalists working in traditional media outlets. Our findings identify three heteronomous forces. Politically, closer ties between party media and propaganda institutions increase opportunities for red envelope practices. Economically, stagnating salaries in commercial media render red envelopes essential income supplements. Technologically, digital platforms have expanded the space for red envelope journalism, while commercial-oriented media’s greater reliance on metrics tends to disadvantage certain reporting beats, thereby reframing red envelopes as covert work subsidies. Under structural pressures and limited forms of capital, journalists’ habitus is negotiated based on their positions within the field. Only a few news organizations maintain strict refusal policies, while journalists share tacit presuppositions regarding professional boundaries. They distinguish between hard news and soft promotional content, print and online versions, as well as between red envelope acceptance and paid news or hush money. Journalists justify this practice as a lesser ethical violation compared to more unprofessional behaviors. They frame red envelope acceptance as a pragmatic adaptation to structural constraints rather than an ethical lapse or overall unprofessionalism.

Background: Marital adjustment is vital to both individual and social welfare in collectivist societies such as Pakistan that is characterized by a high number of arranged marriages, joint families, and sociocultural rules. The present study examines the connections between the Big Five personality traits (extraversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness, neuroticism, openness) and interpersonal patterns (pathologizing, deteriorating, healing, wellness, sociocultural) with marital adjustment and how these variables could mediate the cultural stressors and relationship processes among urban Pakistani couples. Procedure: The cross-sectional design was used which was correlational design involving 1,100 married adults (50% male, 50% female; mean age 30.35 years) in Lahore, Pakistan, were recruited through stratified random sampling. The Big Five Personality Inventory (Urdu version), Interpersonal Pattern Scale and revised Dyadic Adjustment Scale were filled in by the participants. The data were explored with the SPSS version 26, using descriptive statistics and Pearson correlations, and the normality was verified with the help of skewness and kurtosis. Results: Pathologizing (r = -.67, p <.01), and deteriorating patterns (r = -.64, p <.01) had negative correlations to marital adjustment and healing (r =.55, p <.01) and wellness patterns (r =.50, p <.01) had positive correlations. Sociocultural patterns, which are negatively related (r = -.31, p <.01). The predictors of adjustment were negative with neuroticism (r = -.09, p < .05) but positive with agreeableness (r = .09, p < .05) and conscientiousness (r =.18, p<.01). It had a positive correlation with extraversion (r =.09, p = less than.05) but not with openness. Conclusion: Adaptive interpersonal patterns and positive personality traits improve the marital quality which offers protection to cultural pressures in Pakistan. The results suggest the use of culturally sensitive interventions to enhance empathy and decrease maladaptive exchange and, possibly, enhance and increase mental health and decrease relational distress.

This study examines the ontological security of the individuals in relation to the realization of human rights and analyzes the impact of violations of rights on individuals’ perceptions of ontological security. After outlining the historical and conceptual foundations of security, the study explores how ontological security is constructed at both the individual and societal levels. Focusing on the relationship between ontological security and human rights, the research demonstrates that access to fundamental rights and freedoms plays a decisive role in individuals’ psychological and social security. In this context, the study emphasizes that feeling secure is not limited to protection from physical threats, but must also be supported by social, economic, and legal guarantees. The findings reveal that modern security policies particularly in the areas of counterterrorism, refugee policies, ethnic and religious discrimination, and global pandemics can undermine individuals’ senses of identity and belonging, thereby producing conditions of ontological insecurity. Ultimately, the study highlights the crucial role of human rights based security policies in protecting individuals’ ontological security and fostering social stability and peace.

Ageing is an inevitable biological process associated with increasing health vulnerabilities. This study assesses the health issues of older adults (aged 60 and above) in Tansen Municipality, Nepal, with a focus on gender disparities, the impact of literacy, and access to social security. A descriptive survey design was employed, with data collected from 147 respondents through a self-administered questionnaire. Findings revealed that 82.5% of females and 62.2% of males reported health problems, indicating the vivid gender disparities in the elders’ health. Approximately dozens of diseases are prevalent among the respondents, where hypertension (46.6%), diabetes (22.3%), gastritis (16.5%), and arthritis (14.56%) ranked in the top four positions, respectively. Illiterate elders faced higher health issues (84.4%). Elders from the Magar community have remarkably high rates of health problems (92.7%), followed by the Brahmin, Newar, and Kshetri, underscoring the need for health education intervention programs to address the socio-cultural practices of elders from an ethnic perspective. About 87% respondents have reported varied suggestions to the government, focusing on the provision of reliable cum accessible social security services regarding the care of the elderly. Results showed that older adults’ health problems were significantly associated with sex, caste, and literacy status. Due to the cross-sectional design, the study lacks the establishment of causal relationships, indicating the need for future longitudinal studies to explore the varied cum deeper findings related to the elders’ health problems. The study highlights the urgent need for gender-sensitive health policies, literacy-based health education, and strengthened elder care programs in Nepal.

Abstract Animal agriculture faces increasing moral and societal scrutiny. The GEroNIMO project aims to address challenges such as sustainability, welfare, and genetic diversity through genomic innovations. The ongoing debate about genome editing is mostly driven by experts from few disciplines with an emphasis on technical and science-based arguments resembling consequentialist reasoning without making systematic comparisons. To increase the range of arguments and stakeholders, we conducted eight focus groups ( n = 70) in Germany, the Netherlands, France, and Slovenia, representing rural and urban groups. Furthermore, we discussed alternative or complementary technologies to genome editing such as cultivated meat to both allow for systematic comparisons and to scrutinise the extent to which attitudes towards specific food technologies rely on general attitudes towards food technology. Guided by Critical Applied Ethics and Moral Foundation Theory, we identified underlying moral intuitions of the participants without uncritically adopting their arguments. Across all groups, benefits for animal welfare, fairness and transparency in economic motives, and trust in institutions emerged as key conditions for responsible use of genome editing in animal agriculture. While these concerns were broadly shared, participants from the Netherlands and Germany expressed relatively more openness towards technological food innovation, compared to those from France and Slovenia, within the scope of this qualitative study. Our findings highlight the need to understand the cultural and intuitive dimensions of moral reasoning for effective public engagement and responsible development of emerging food and breeding technologies. In particular, concerns rooted in feelings of disgust deserve deeper scrutiny rather than being addressed with harm-based arguments, which fail to address the moral roots of disgust.

The article presents an endeavour to distinguish, describe, and research a new class of economic effects, manifistating as deterioration of public and private welfare resulting from arising additional alternatives for rationally behaving economic actors. Due to existence of analogies in natural sciences and a patented invention based on a similar physical effect it is suggested to name this effect after its discoverer — Nikola Tesla. Particular cases of manifestation were reflected in economics and related sciences (Braess paradox, Downs—Thomson paradox, Dutch disease, etc.), however, globalization processes and erosion of supranational regulation provide for proliferation of this category in the foreseeable future. The significance and scale of energetics as a key area of economic activity turns it into an interesting research object in terms of Tesla effect prospects. Despite attempts of many nations to decrease energy dependence on external supplies, mineral fuels are still dominant goods being traded worldwide; while boosting alternative energy can cause unforeseeable outcomes. At a current stage of global economy and energetics development a number of countries have faced a variety of new challenges and opportunities. Although some alternatives and ways of developing national energy system seem to be attractive, some of them can cause Tesla effect on a global scale.

This study examines the effectiveness of zakat distribution during the leadership of Umar bin Abdul Aziz and its relevance to poverty alleviation models in Indonesia. Structural poverty remains a persistent challenge in Indonesia’s economic development, requiring systematic and sustainable solutions. Within Islamic economic thought, zakat functions not only as a religious obligation but also as a fiscal instrument capable of promoting social welfare and economic independence. This research employs a qualitative approach through historical and literature study methods, analyzing classical Islamic governance practices alongside contemporary zakat management in Indonesia. The findings reveal that the success of zakat distribution under Umar bin Abdul Aziz was supported by centralized governance, strong institutional reform of Baitul Mal, strict supervision, and integrity-based leadership, resulting in effective wealth redistribution and significant poverty reduction. The study further finds that productive zakat distribution, institutional integration, regulatory reinforcement, and digital transparency are crucial elements for enhancing the performance of zakat institutions in Indonesia. The implications suggest that strengthening governance, accountability, and productive empowerment programs can transform zakat into a strategic socio-economic policy instrument capable of addressing structural poverty in a sustainable manner.