The Optimal Currency Area (OCA) theory is utilized to evaluate if Brexit is supported in the context of economic integration. In brief, the greater the conformity to the criteria motivated by the OCA model, the greater the feasibility of a monetary integration between the UK and the EU. Logically, if conditions are conducive for a monetary integration, Brexit – which is a disintegration – is thus unsupported. On the other hand, if circumstances are unfavourable for monetary integration, further economic integration with the current customs union of the EU is not indicated, hence Brexit is not contradicted.

Legumes are a large and diverse family of plants that provide us with food, feed, fuel and feedstocks for industry. They can use atmospheric di-nitrogen for growth, via symbiotic nitrogen fixation (SNF) with bacteria called rhizobia, making them key to sustainable agricultural systems. There are opportunities to increase SNF in legumes to help tackle critical challenges related to the overuse of fertilizer nitrogen in agriculture. The last two decades have seen enormous progress in our understanding of the genetics of SNF, although this is yet to be leveraged to improve SNF in legumes. In principle, two main plant-based approaches exist to improve SNF, one involving genetic engineering and the other using existing natural variation in this complex trait. These approaches are not mutually exclusive and now is an opportune time to attempt to increase SNF in legumes via plant genetics and genomics.

This article advances the ‘historical turn’ in Europeanization research by tracing the intellectual trajectory of Europeanization within the broader intellectual movements and debates. Using collocation and temporal analyses, the study identifies key patterns and significant shifts in the usage of Europeanization in social-humanities discourse over the past century. Initially, Europeanization referred to outward cultural changes, later evolving into a more inward-looking focus on policy and politics. Europeanization emerges as a multifaceted, multidirectional, and often contested process, marked by reversibility and adaptability. It is best understood as a complex, long-term, and non-linear process of interaction and diffusion, spanning racial, cultural, social, economic, political, as well as spatial and historical dimensions.

Corruption is observed in various processes of human activities, from governance to private life. An important element of preventing corruption is the implementation of codes of ethics, which by the very nature of these codes declare high ethical standards and principles and are consistent with the applicable laws. The effectiveness of codes of ethics in the field of labour relations as a tool for preventing corruption is also reinforced by other auxiliary anti-corruption instruments. The purpose of this article is to determine the role of codes of ethics in shaping corporate culture, outline the importance of ethical principles in labour relations, conduct a detailed analysis of the effectiveness of codes of ethics in the field of labour relations in the framework of corruption prevention, and analyse the application of comprehensive codes of ethics and disciplinary codes as a stimulating tool for the effectiveness of the codes of ethics. As a result, we have drawn conclusions about the importance of using other auxiliary tools alongside codes of ethics to increase efficiency, and in the course of studying the problematic aspects of implementing codes of ethics in the framework of corruption prevention, we have formulated recommendations for their elimination.

This article discusses the history of wine in (what is now) Portugal, within the global history of the region. The Phoenicians brought wine and viticulture to the southern and western coasts of Iberia in the eighth century bce. The Romans expanded viticulture to the entire Peninsula in the late second century bce. Wine survived the ‘Barbarian’ invasions and centuries of Islamic rule. A revival of viticulture followed the capture of Lisbon by Afonso Henriques in 1147. In the early days of the age of exploration, Portugal developed trade routes to Africa, India, the Far East, and South America. The long-distance sailing was facilitated by the colonization of the Madeira and Açores (Azores) archipelagos. The wines produced there became famous, especially in England and North America. The fortification of wine in the late seventeenth century resulted in the emergence of modern Madeiras and Ports. Following the 1755 ‘Lisbon’ earthquake, Pombal imposed strict geographical delimitations and winemaking rules in the Douro. Napoleon’s Peninsular War devastated the Portuguese economy, and then viticulture was badly hit by oïdium and phylloxera, the First World War, the Great Depression, Prohibition, and the Second World War. Portuguese wines finally emerged on the world scene after the Salazar dictatorship.

Earth System Science stands as the future operating framework to monitor the pulse of the Earth, and to diagnose and address the challenges of global change. Magmatism and volcanism are primary processes connecting the solid Earth to the atmosphere, hydrosphere, and biosphere. In addition to regulating the Earth system, they are both an unavoidable source of hazards and a tremendous resource of energy and raw materials. Accessing magma is the necessary next step in the exploration of our planet. It will enable us to develop next-generation geothermal energy (magma energy), to transform volcano monitoring strategies, and perhaps even to alleviate volcanic activity. Recent exploratory geothermal drilling activities around the world have serendipitously encountered shallow magma bodies in the Earth. Following these remarkable magma drilling occurrences, the Krafla Magma Testbed (KMT) has been established in Iceland in order to create the first magma observatory – a world-class international in situ magma laboratory with access to the magma-rock-hydrothermal boundary through wells suitable for advanced studies and experiments. Here we review the importance of magma in the Earth system, present the multifaceted need for magma observatories and introduce the benefits of KMT as we enter a new generation of energy demands and resilience strategies.

Infertility affects 10–15% of couples at the age of conception. Mounting evidence supports that not only are paternal factors crucial during fertilization, but also for embryogenesis. This review aims to provide some clues about the contribution of male factors to reproductive success and live birth, as such contributions can be as important as that of the female. Semen is composed of two fractions: sperm and seminal plasma. Regarding the former, the integrity of sperm components (i.e., centrioles, DNA integrity and methylation, histone-to-protamine ration, specific proteins, etc.) has been proven to be essential for some of the events occurring upon engulfment of the spermatozoon into the oocyte cytoplasm. The metabolic status of sperm also seems to shape their potential fertilizing capacity. Furthermore, seminal plasma appears to modulate the female reproductive tract, and has been suggested to support embryo implantation. In spite of the aforementioned, it remains largely unaddressed how paternal factors interact with maternal ones, and whether the latter may mask the former. While assisted reproductive techniques (ART) are useful to rescue infertility, a better understanding about the contribution of semen to fertilization, embryo development and implantation can increase the efficiency of these techniques, and address further the causes of total fertilization failure, implantation deficiency and recurrent miscarriage.