This article links the human concern for relative social standing with technological developments, and the future of work. We argue that to the extent that the desire for social status retains its importance in human behaviour, technological advancements affecting the production of goods and services will not necessarily lead to a diminishment of the demand for human labour. This essay makes two principal contributions. First, it links two different literatures: that regarding status-driven consumption, and that regarding the effects of technological change on labour markets. Second, it offers an alternative justification for the conclusion that radical technological shocks will not eliminate the importance of work.

This paper presents and analyzes antipassive constructions in the Mayan language Kaqchikel. Through various syntactic tests, we show that antipassive constructions differ from both active transitive and Agent Focus structures in that they do not syntactically project a DP-sized object. Thus, we should think of antipassives as a type of unergative. When an object seems to disappear or become less important in an antipassive, this is not a special feature of antipassives – it is simply what happens in any intransitive structure. In other words, the ‘suppression’ or ‘demotion’ of thematic object is not an inherent characteristic of the construction but rather a byproduct of its intransitive nature. To better understand how transitive and intransitive constructions function cross-linguistically, we propose a novel framework for categorizing the functional heads v and Voice. We show that the external argument behaves differently in transitive versus intransitive clauses, appearing in different structural positions, which is backed up by evidence from causatives in Kaqchikel and scope patterns in other languages. While transitive and passive structures include a Voice projection, Agent Focus and antipassive structures do not. We compare our analysis to previous work on antipassives and explore what our findings might mean for understanding antipassives in other languages.

Temperature is the most significant abiotic factor that affects the growth and behaviour of insects. However, the mechanism by which the olfactory system senses thermal stimulus and combines temperature and chemical signals to trigger certain behavioural outputs is unclear. This study aimed to clarify the mechanism by which environmental temperature affects olfactory perception in Apis cerana cerana (Hymenoptera: Apidae). We used quantitative reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction and western blotting to analyse the expression of AcerOr1 and AcerOr2. We also used electroantennography (EAG) assays to detect bee antennal responses to odorants at different temperatures. The results revealed that the mRNA expression of AcerOr1 and AcerOr2 was significantly influenced by temperature. These genes exhibited both increases and decreases in expression over time, with the most significant differential observed at 25 °C. Protein expression was similarly affected at 2 hours after different temperature treatments. Electroantennography responses from the antennae revealed that six odorant volatiles – N-(4-ethylphenyl)-2-((4-ethyl-5-(3-pyridinyl)-4H-1,2,4-triazol-3-yl)thio)acetamide (VUAA1), linolenic acid, eugenol, hexyl acetate, 1-nonanol, and lauroleic acid – had the most dramatic effect at 25 °C. The results indicate that environmental factors affecting the expression of AcerOr1 and AcerOr2 modulate olfactory recognition behaviour in A. cerana cerana, suggesting that changes in environmental temperature can affect bees’ olfactory preferences.

Pulmonary vasodilators increased the systemic-to-pulmonary collateral flow in two single-ventricle cases, causing haemodynamic decline. Discontinuation reversed the collateral flow and improved heart failure, highlighting the need for careful monitoring. Serial cardiac MRI, as a non-invasive tool, may be essential to detect changes in collateral flow and guide vasodilator use for optimal management in this population.

Bilingual speakers are prompted to remain in a single language, switch between languages, or codeswitch by regulating the concurrent activation of their language systems and adapting to the demands of the communicative context. Unlike studies that compare language switching in bilinguals in distinct interactional and geographical contexts, this study investigates heritage bilinguals who may be required to manage their home and societal languages differently within the course of a day. We examined how this variation affects linguistic and cognitive factors in spoken production. Critically, picture naming in Spanish and English appeared to rely on different mechanisms of cognitive control: greater reliance on proactive control led to decreased performance in Spanish picture naming but increased performance in English. Although convergent with findings that L2-immersed bilinguals prefer proactive control strategies, the findings with heritage bilinguals suggest that recruitment of cognitive control during speech planning is more dynamic than has been previously reported.

Limited evidence on relative effectiveness is common in Health Technology Assessment (HTA), often due to sparse evidence on the population of interest or study-design constraints. When evidence directly relating to the policy decision is limited, the evidence base could be extended to incorporate indirectly related evidence. For instance, a sparse evidence base in children could borrow strength from evidence in adults to improve estimation and reduce uncertainty. In HTA, indirect evidence has typically been either disregarded (‘splitting’; no information-sharing) or included without considering any differences (‘lumping’; full information-sharing). However, sophisticated methods that impose moderate degrees of information-sharing have been proposed. We describe and implement multiple information-sharing methods in a case-study evaluating the effectiveness, cost-effectiveness and value of further research of intravenous immunoglobulin for severe sepsis and septic shock. We also provide metrics to determine the degree of information-sharing. Results indicate that method choice can have significant impact. Across information-sharing models, odds ratio estimates ranged between 0.55 and 0.90 and incremental cost-effectiveness ratios between £16,000–52,000 per quality-adjusted life year gained. The need for a future trial also differed by information-sharing model. Heterogeneity in the indirect evidence should also be carefully considered, as it may significantly impact estimates. We conclude that when indirect evidence is relevant to an assessment of effectiveness, the full range of information-sharing methods should be considered. The final selection should be based on a deliberative process that considers not only the plausibility of the methods’ assumptions but also the imposed degree of information-sharing.

This essay argues that what distinguishes a negatively valenced phenomenal experience from suffering is an ability to make meaning of the experience. In this sense, intellectual ability influences the extent and nature of suffering. But this connection is not a straightforward one, since intellectual ability cuts both ways. On the one hand, those with higher levels of intellectual functioning are better able to make meaning of negative experiences, thereby reducing their suffering. On the other, intellectual ability can influence the depth and breadth of one’s negative experiences, thereby increasing suffering. This means that we cannot make any assumptions about a person’s susceptibility to suffering based on their level of intellectual functioning alone.

This article presents a novel framework for analysing the politics of eco-social policies, focusing on the political conflicts surrounding this third generation of social risks. We distinguish two key dimensions of conflict: an ideational approach dimension, which focuses on conflicts among political actors over the possible synergies and trade-offs between social and ecological goals and their potential integration through eco-social policies, and a design dimension with several sub-dimensions related to the formulation and implementation of eco-social policies. To illustrate the merit of this analytical framework, we apply it to the analysis of party manifestos for the 2021 German federal election. Our findings reveal a striking divergence in the first dimension: While most parties emphasise the synergy potential of eco-social policies, albeit to varying degrees, the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) stands out by opposing this narrative. The second dimension largely reflects established welfare positions, with centre-left and left-wing parties advocating state involvement and social consumption (the Social Democratic Party of Germany [SPD], the Greens, and The Left) and selective/needs-oriented measures (SPD and The Left) to a greater extent than centre-right parties (Christian Democratic Union of Germany [CDU]/Christian Social Union in Bavaria [CSU] and Free Democratic Party [FDP]). Furthermore, pro-growth approaches dominate, but there are signs that positions on degrowth policies may emerge as a significant conflict line in the future. Our analysis shows that eco-social policy conflicts are multidimensional, partly reshaping the political landscape around welfare policies, and are about not only how eco-social policies should be designed but whether they can and should be pursued at all.

We evaluate the roles general relativistic assumptions play in simulations used in recent observations of black holes including LIGO-Virgo and the Event Horizon Telescope. In both experiments simulations play an ampliative role, enabling the extraction of more information from the data than would be possible otherwise. This comes at a cost of theory-ladenness. We discuss the issue of inferential circularity, which arises in some applications; classify some of the epistemic strategies used to reduce the extent of theory-ladenness; and discuss ways in which these strategies are model independent.

The development of father leave policies marks a critical step toward gender equality in family policy. Despite promising policy developments, father leave policies continue to face resistance and negative feedback from various stakeholders, constraining their development. Their implementation has exhibited considerable variation across countries, ranging from mere symbolic gestures to substantive reforms. This article provides a comprehensive framework for understanding their evolution, emphasising that progress depends not solely on public support but on a mix of factors, including electoral competition, policy diffusion, negative feedback, and crises. The contrasting outcomes observed in South Korea and the Czech Republic highlight how similar drivers can produce divergent policy responses, challenging the view that drivers (like crises or electoral competition) have a predictable effect on policy change. This complexity necessitates a re-evaluation of existing theoretical frameworks to more accurately reflect the intricate dynamics at play in policy development.

Jones [‘Two subfactors and the algebraic decomposition of bimodules over $II_1$ factors’, Acta Math. Vietnam 33(3) (2008), 209–218] proposed the study of ‘two subfactors’ of a $II_1$ factor as a quantization of two closed subspaces in a Hilbert space. Motivated by this, we initiate a systematic study of a special class of two subfactors, namely a pair of spin model subfactors. We characterize which pairs of distinct complex Hadamard matrices in $M_n(\mathbb {C})$ give rise to distinct spin model subfactors. Then, a detailed investigation is carried out for $n=2$, where the spin model subfactors correspond to $\mathbb {Z}_2$-actions on the hyperfinite type $II_1$ factor R. We observe that the intersection of the pair of spin model subfactors in this case is a nonirreducible vertex model subfactor and we characterize it as a diagonal subfactor. A few key invariants for the pair of spin model subfactors are computed to understand their relative positions.

Effect modification occurs when a covariate alters the relative effectiveness of treatment compared to control. It is widely understood that, when effect modification is present, treatment recommendations may vary by population and by subgroups within the population. Population-adjustment methods are increasingly used to adjust for differences in effect modifiers between study populations and to produce population-adjusted estimates in a relevant target population for decision-making. It is also widely understood that marginal and conditional estimands for non-collapsible effect measures, such as odds ratios or hazard ratios, do not in general coincide even without effect modification. However, the consequences of both non-collapsibility and effect modification together are little-discussed in the literature.

In this article, we set out the definitions of conditional and marginal estimands, illustrate their properties when effect modification is present, and discuss the implications for decision-making. In particular, we show that effect modification can result in conflicting treatment rankings between conditional and marginal estimates. This is because conditional and marginal estimands correspond to different decision questions that are no longer aligned when effect modification is present. For time-to-event outcomes, the presence of covariates implies that marginal hazard ratios are time-varying, and effect modification can cause marginal hazard curves to cross. We conclude with practical recommendations for decision-making in the presence of effect modification, based on pragmatic comparisons of both conditional and marginal estimates in the decision target population. Currently, multilevel network meta-regression is the only population-adjustment method capable of producing both conditional and marginal estimates, in any decision target population.