Equality Now

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effectiveness of intervention strategies for primary and secondary prevention of knee osteoarthritis (OA). DESIGN: Intervention systematic review of randomized controlled trials (RCTs). DATA SOURCES: The Medline, EMBASE, CINAHL, PEDro, and The Cochrane Library databases were searched from inception to June 10, 2025. ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA FOR SELECTING STUDIES: RCTs evaluating interventions for primary/secondary knee OA prevention. Eligible trials targeted populations at-risk of developing knee OA or population with knee OA, and the outcome of interest must not have been present at study entry. Primary outcomes were self-reported knee pain and associated disability. Secondary outcomes included imaging features of knee joint structure and the incidence of knee arthroplasty. Data were synthesized narratively and reported as relative risks (RRs) with 95% Confidence Intervals (CIs). RESULTS: Five published reports from three RCTs (1481 participants) were included. We found evidence that a self-management lifestyle program for community-based women with BMI ≥ 25 kg/m 2 may reduce the risk of developing pain associated with knee OA at 12-months, when compared to a single education session (RR: 0.27, 95%CI: 0.16-0.46). There was uncertain evidence from four reports to draw conclusions about the effects of diet & exercise, glucosamine supplements, diet & exercise plus glucosamine supplements, and intra-articular sprifermin interventions for preventing or reducing Knee OA progression or arthroplasty. CONCLUSION: A self-management lifestyle program may be effective for reducing the risk of developing pain associated with knee OA in women with a BMI ≥ 25 kg/m 2 . Evidence for other preventive interventions remains uncertain.

By blending student-centered, project-based learning with offline edtech in low-resource classrooms, Flying Colors turns learning into a joyful, engaging experience while building foundational, social-emotional, and digital skills. All without the internet.

Abstract We investigate how (the timing of) economic support measures during the COVID‐19 pandemic affected household financial distress across Europeans aged 50 and older. Using SHARE data, we track changes in financial well‐being before, during and after the pandemic. Using policy data from the Oxford COVID‐19 Government Response Tracker, we distinguish between countries that implemented support at an early versus a later stage. Exploiting a triple‐difference identification strategy, we show that timely government interventions significantly reduced financial distress for working‐age households experiencing job interruption, while delayed responses led to increased financial strain. The effect is robust to different specificities of the identification strategy. Our findings highlight the importance not only of the generosity, but also of timing of fiscal support in times of crisis.

Synapses are sites of intercellular communication between neurons and from neurons to target organs, and of signal integration that underly physiological and behavioral responses. We have developed a modular platform, Interluminescence (Int), for experimental control of synaptic transmission: bioluminescent light, generated by a luciferase oxidizing a luciferin, from a presynaptic neuron is used to activate transsynaptic optogenetic ion channels in the postsynaptic neuron. Two strategies can activate or silence postsynaptic neurons in vivo in the presence of luciferin. In the ‘Act-Int’ approach, a luciferase is genetically expressed in synaptic vesicles and released during depolarization-induced presynaptic vesicle fusion and exocytosis. In the ‘Persist-Int’ approach, a luciferase is tethered to the presynaptic membrane where it can support sustained transsynaptic signaling. Both strategies can activate postsynaptic neurons with similar efficacy. By design, the modularity of the platform permits the use of luciferases and opsins ranging in brightness and light sensitivity, and the luciferase can be targeted to different subcellular regions of the presynaptic neuron. Our results demonstrate the utility and versatility of Interluminescence to mediate synapse-specific transmission that is either activity-dependent or activity-independent.

Since the onset of war in Syria, the occurrence of child marriage has risen from 13% in pre-war Syria, to approximately 35% among Syrian refugee girls. Economic instability, societal norms, and safety concerns all contribute to this practice. This study examines the underlying causes of child marriage by analyzing the association between participant sex and perceptions of child marriage among Syrian refugees in Lebanon. Data were obtained from a cross-sectional, mixed-methods study conducted in Lebanon in 2016. Multivariate logistic regression was used to evaluate the association between participant sex and attributing child marriage to safety concerns or, independently, attributing child marriage to financial insecurity. We analyzed 560 micronarratives, 52.1% of which were provided by women, with the majority of participants being under the age of 35 (78.2%). Men were found to have lower odds of attributing child marriage to safety concerns (OR = 0.54, 95% CI = 0.29–0.98), and higher odds of attributing child marriage to financial insecurity (OR = 1.76, 95% CI = 1.06–2.92), compared to women. When stratified by location in Lebanon, men in Tripoli had a higher odds of attributing child marriage to financial insecurity (OR = 2.68, 95% CI = [1.11, 6.50]). Given these differences in perceived reasons for child marriage between men and women, gender-specific messaging and initiatives could be utilized to address the underlying issues that lead to child marriage, and reduce the occurrence of this practice, particularly in Tripoli.

Background: Test preparation has been widely used to optimize test-takers’ potential on large-scale educational tests; meanwhile, people questioned its effect and raised concerns that it may narrow students’ learning. Methods: This meta-analysis provided a statistical synthesis of existing experimental and quasi-experimental studies on the effects of test preparation interventions on students’ test performance on large-scale educational tests. Results: Results from 28 included studies suggested that students’ test performance can be significantly improved by test preparation (g = . 26, 95% CI = . 10–.42). Using workbooks, developing students’ socio-affective strategies, and teaching test-taking skills were found to be significant moderators of the test preparation effect. Little evidence of practice effect (i.e., using sample items and practice tests) on test preparation was found in the current study. Discussion: The effect of test preparation could be attributed to an increase in domain-specific knowledge or test-specific cognitive skills. However, the current framework of test preparation effect was mainly built upon evidence of the retest effect on cognitive ability tests. We believe that learning and cognition theories provide hints as to how to explain findings in this study, though more evidence from future research is needed.

ABSTRACTIn the economic history of post‐unification Italy, the question of wealth has been largely neglected. We fill this gap with a new set of estimates of wealth concentration from 1863 to 1914, using national inheritance tax tabulations, combined with existing micro‐data for the cities of Milan and Naples. While the level of our estimates for this period is among the highest ever recorded for Italy, we find no trend, nor the classic North–South divide. The wealth of present‐day billionaires—derived using a novel long‐run “rich list” as a multiple of GDP per capita—is higher than that of the past. Private wealth and bequest flow as a share of national income follow a U‐turn dynamic, with historical and present levels aligned. Overall, the paper lays the basis for a long‐run view of wealth in modern Italy and reconsiders the impact of its industrialization at the end of the Liberal period.

Abstract In the wake of COVID-19, several high-profile initiatives emerged at the global and regional level promoting greater attention to and investments in the care economy. This article locates the seemingly sudden breakthrough of the care agenda on a longer trajectory of feminist institutional advocacy in international organizations, drawing attention to the role of care policy entrepreneurs and the networks of feminist expertise they have tapped into (or not) when framing care to “fit” the mandates of their respective organizations. It argues that greater access by feminist academics to the knowledge production processes of international organizations and stronger relationships with supportive policy entrepreneurs on the inside has led some organizations to adopt more expansive notions of care. Differences in institutional and relational resources, in turn, are shaping the strategies of policy entrepreneurs within each organization for translating new ideas about care into policy action and influence.

With 25% of teenagers pregnant by age of 19 and about half of these married before their 18th birth day, Uganda exhibits one of the highest rates of teenage pregnancy and child marriage globally. Comprehensive data on the drivers and barriers to addressing repeat teenage pregnancies and early child marriages remains limited. Using the narrative inquiry approach, the paper explores the key socio-cultural drivers and barriers to addressing repeat teenage pregnancies and early/forced marriages among stakeholders in the districts of Mbale, Kween, Namayingo and Kalangala. Guided by purposive sampling, a total of 125 qualitative interviews (80 key informant interviews (KIIs) and 45 focus group discussions (FGDs) were conducted. Data analysis was done using deductive thematic analysis in Atlas ti software. The drives of repeat teenage pregnancy (RPT) include the distorted community understanding of repeat teenage pregnancy; poverty at the household; norms, traditions and beliefs; cultural and traditional practices; lack of comprehensive sex education, school dropout, Peer pressure and influence, and vulnerable populations. The results point to a strong relationship between teenage pregnancy, early child/forced marriage and repeat teenage pregnancy across all the four districts and to poverty as the driving force.