bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
An integrated model of prosecutor decision-making
Authors: Bowman Rachel , Lowrey-Kinberg Belén , Gould Jon
Published: October 2024

Sociolegal scholarship has long noted the many ways in which the law is interpreted and selectively applied by human decision-makers. Yet, the processes underlying one of the most significant discretionary waypoints in the criminal legal process – prosecutorial charging decisions – remain opaque. Using data from interviews and focus groups with prosecutors in three midsized jurisdictions, we propose a model of charging that integrates legal considerations, social identity, and organizational constraints. We find that felony prosecutors weave together legal and extralegal factors, often relying heavily on criminal history, to evaluate defendants’ moral character. Based on their evaluation of a defendant’s character, prosecutors charge strategically to secure a final disposition and sentence they view as appropriate for the defendant. Prosecutors’ identities and experiences act as lenses through which they interpret case facts in their evaluation of defendants’ character. However, the level of discretion provided by their chief prosecutor and the culture of the court community in which they work condition the process by which prosecutors achieve their desired outcomes for cases.
Legal actuation: how ex ante legal behavior drives inequality
Authors: Taylor Poppe Emily S. , Bea Megan Doherty
Published: October 2024

Individuals routinely engage in instrumental transactional legal behavior, from generating tax returns to signing leases to negotiating employment terms. While some individuals undertake these activities equipped with the skills, knowledge, and capacity to behave strategically, others do not. In this article, we introduce the concept of legal actuation to describe this legal behavior and theorize its role as a source of inequality under the law. Using estate planning as an empirical example, we consider how variation in legal actuation may serve to reproduce economic inequalities and investigate the role of legal socialization, knowledge, and capability as mechanisms of advantage. In doing so, we draw attention to an understudied dimension of everyday legal behavior that has important implications for equal justice and the relationship between law and inequality.
Litigation politics: social movement activity in campus sexual assault litigation
Authors: Levitsky Sandra R. , Yeh Jesse , Armstrong Elizabeth A.
Published: October 2024

Critics point to increasing private lawsuits filed by students accused of campus sexual assault as evidence that Obama-era Title IX guidance overcorrected and favored victims at the expense of the due process rights of the accused. This overcorrection narrative powerfully reshaped the debate surrounding campus sexual assault and ultimately contributed to the rescinding of the guidance. Existing analytical tools from legal mobilization scholarship – emphasizing the deployment of litigation by social movement actors – are not equipped to identify the origins and dissemination of this political narrative. Drawing from legal complaints, media coverage and interviews with lawyers, we show how private practice attorneys with no visible movement ties helped craft the overcorrection narrative from individual lawsuits by (1) embedding political claims in legal filings, (2) amplifying the narrative in media and (3) collaborating with advocates in quantifying the litigation trend. We extend prior scholarship and illustrate how lawsuits can be both a vehicle of political storytelling and the story itself. We further argue that the ideology of liberal legalism can mask the politics of private lawsuits, making litigation a useful tool for social movement efforts to mobilize support for legal reform.
Force majeure in the Supreme Court: MUR Shipping BV v RTI Ltd [2024] UKSC 18
Authors: Goldby Miriam
Published: October 2024

Force majeure (FM) clauses are designed to free both parties to a contract from liability when an event beyond their control prevents one or both of them from performing the contract. Examples of such events include inclement weather, natural catastrophes, political upheaval, changes in applicable rules or regulations, or unavailability of essential supplies or services. It is common to include FM clauses in manufacturing, construction or transportation contracts, where there is a high risk of such events occurring due to the length of time required to perform the contract, or the complexity of the performance obligations. Often a lot of money is at stake and pre-allocating the risk of such events is crucial to avoid disputes further down the line. While disputes regarding the meaning and effect of FM clauses may not be unusual, such disputes rarely reach the Supreme Court. MUR Shipping was one such rare case.
Probing magneto-ionic microstructure towards the Vela pulsar using a prototype SKA-Low station
Authors: Lee C. P. , Bhat N. D. R. , Sokolowski M. , Meyers B. W. , Magro A.
Published: October 2024

The Vela pulsar (J0835

$-$

4510) is known to exhibit variations in Faraday rotation and dispersion on multi-decade timescales due to the changing sightline through the surrounding Vela supernova remnant and the Gum Nebula. Until now, variations in Faraday rotation towards Vela have not been studied on timescales less than around a decade. We present the results of a high-cadence observing campaign carried out with the Aperture Array Verification System 2 (AAVS2), a prototype SKA-Low station, which received a significant bandwidth upgrade in 2022. We collected observations of the Vela pulsar and PSR J0630

$-$

2834 (a nearby pulsar located outside the Gum Nebula), spanning

$\sim$

1 and

$\sim$

0.3 yr, respectively, and searched for linear trends in the rotation measure (RM) as a function of time. We do not detect any significant trends on this timescale (

$\sim$

months) for either pulsar, but the constraints could be greatly improved with more accurate ionospheric models. For the Vela pulsar, the combination of our data and historical data from the published literature have enabled us to model long-term correlated trends in RM and dispersion measure (DM) over the past two decades. We detect a change in DM of

$\sim$

0.3

$\mathrm{cm}^{-3}\,\mathrm{pc}$

which corresponds to a change in electron density of

$\sim$

$10^5\,\mathrm{cm}^{-3}$

on a transverse length scale of

$\sim$

1–2 au. The apparent magnetic field strength in the time-varying region changes from

$240^{+30}_{-20}\,\mu\mathrm{G}$

to

$-6.2^{+0.7}_{-0.9}\,\mu\mathrm{G}$

over the time span of the dataset. As well as providing an important validation of polarimetry, this work highlights the pulsar monitoring capabilities of SKA-Low stations, and the niche science opportunities they offer for high-precision polarimetry and probing the microstructure of the magneto-ionic interstellar medium.
Moral equality and reprogenetic autonomy in the genomic era
Authors: Gurcan Ozan
Published: October 2024

In this paper, I question the argument from human dignity found in the Universal Declaration on the Human Genome and Human Rights (UDHGHR) and in the recent views of the International Bioethics Committee (IBC). I focus on what this argument says about the permissibility of two broad categories of reprogenetic choices that may be available to prospective parents in the genomic era. The argument from human dignity holds that non-medical genetic selection and somatic enhancements ought to be prohibited because they violate the principle of human dignity. I argue that human dignity need not be violated by the enterprise of human genetic selection/somatic enhancement if reasonable social safeguards are established. In particular, I argue that respecting the reprogenetic choices of the decision-maker is paramount within the boundaries of (i) prohibiting the infliction of a shortened lifespan or pain upon the child; (ii) prohibiting the actualization of demeaning beliefs or intentions such as viewing certain groups as inferior; (iii) prohibiting the choice resulting from an expression of unwillingness to love and care for the child; and, with respect to somatic gene enhancements in particular, (iv) the potentially unjustified effects of the enhancement on others, if any, are reasonably addressable (and addressed) via social modifications so as to ensure the enhancement no longer risks adversely affecting them. With these limits, reprogenetic autonomy cannot be said to undermine the dignity of humans by creating unjustified harms or expressing demeaning ideas.
Association between dietary tea consumption and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease: a study based on Mendelian randomisation and National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2005-2018) association between tea and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease
Authors: Liu Shuyu , Li Quanpeng , Chen Peng , Wang Yuting , Ge Xianxiu , Wang Fei , Zhou Mengyue , Xu Jianing , Zhu Yingting , Miao Lin , Deng Xueting
Published: October 2024

Tea can improve the progression of some metabolic diseases through anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects, but its impact on non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is still controversial. The aim of this paper is to identify the relationship between tea and NAFLD by Mendelian randomisation (MR) and complete clinical validation using National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) database. MR used data from Genome Wide Association Study, with inverse-variance weighted (IVW) as principal analytical methods. The reliability of the results was verified by a series of sensitivity and heterogeneity tests. Subsequently, clinical validation was conducted using NHANES (2005–2018), involving 22 257 participants, grouped by the type of tea. Green tea drinkers were categorised into four groups (Q1–Q4) by quartiles of green tea intake, from lowest to highest (similar for black tea drinkers and other tea drinkers). Models were constructed by logistic regression to estimate the role of tea consumption (Q1–4) on NAFLD. Finally, using fibrosis-4 index (FIB-4) to evaluate the severity of hepatic fibrosis, the effect of tea consumption (Q1–4) on the degree of hepatic fibrosis was investigated by linear regression. IVW method (OR = 0·43, 95 % CI: 0·21, 0·85, P = 0·01) and weighted median method (OR = 0·35, 95 % CI: 0·14, 0·91, P = 0·03) revealed there was a causal relationship between tea and NAFLD. An array of sensitivity analyses validated the reliability of results. Analysis of NHANES indicated tea drinker present a slightly lower prevalence of NAFLD than non-tea drinker (green tea drinkers: 47·6 %, black tea drinkers: 46·3 %, other tea drinker: 43·2 %, non-tea drinkers: 48·1 %, P < 0·05). After adjusting for confounders, compared with the lowest black tea consumption (Q1), the population with the highest black tea consumption (Q4) was independently related to lower presence of NAFLD (Q4: OR = 0·69, 95 % CI: 0·50, 0·93, P < 0·05), such association remained stable in the overweight subgroup. As further analysed, Q4 also displayed a significant negative correlation with the level of hepatic fibrosis in patients with NAFLD (β = –0·073, 95 % CI: –0·126, −0·020, P < 0·01).Tea reduces the morbidity of NAFLD and ameliorates hepatic fibrosis degree in those already suffering from the disease.
British Military Music and the Legacy of the Napoleonic Wars
Authors: O’Keeffe Eamonn
Published: October 2024

Historians have increasingly stressed the impact of the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars on Britain and Ireland. Less attention, however, has been paid to the legacies of martial mobilization after 1815. Drawing on hitherto unused press and archival sources, this article assesses the implications of wartime military expansion for the music profession, and musical culture more generally, in the decades after Waterloo. It demonstrates that men and boys who honed their instrumental skills in uniform embarked on a variety of civilian musical careers, becoming instructors, wind performers, composers, and even opera singers. The article traces the post-war circulation of regimental instruments and reveals that a multitude of militia and volunteer bands remained active long after demobilization. The wartime proliferation of military bands, moreover, encouraged the subsequent spread of quasi-martial wind ensembles in wider society. Finally, the article proves that brass bands were first introduced to Britain and Ireland in a regimental guise. The influence of the military on musical culture after 1815, in short, was palpable and often profound, and manifested itself in numerous ways and settings.
Product Liability in an Age of Development Risks: Should South Africa Reconsider Adopting a Development Risk Defence?
Authors: Tennant Sarah-Lynn , Van Heerden Corlia
Published: October 2024

To provide protection against harm caused by defective, unsafe products and to promote product safety, the law of product liability has developed as a specialized area of the law of delict (tort). The vexing question is, who should bear such liability? This contribution interrogates the notorious EU development risk defence, which exonerates manufacturers that meet certain stringent requirements for undiscoverable development risks in products that consequently inflict harm on consumers. In particular, it considers the election by South Africa, which recently adopted a “strict” product liability regime with the introduction of the Consumer Protection Act 2008, not to adopt such a defence. The purpose of this contribution is to consider the nature and scope of the development risk defence as contained in article 7(e) of the European Union (EU) Product Liability Directive and to determine whether it was prudent for South Africa to steer clear of incorporating a similar defence in its new statutory product liability regime.
One Offence, Different Intentions: The Judicial Controversy of the Mens Rea for the Offence of Attempted Murder in Botswana
Authors: Dambe Baboki Jonathan , Balule Badala Tachilisa
Published: October 2024

Certainty is a cornerstone of every criminal justice system. In instances where controversy arises as to the application of any law, it is essential for it to be addressed promptly. Contrary to this need for certainty, there is judicial ambiguity regarding the mens rea for the offence of attempted murder in Botswana. There are cases which hold that the mens rea required is a specific intention to kill, and that nothing else suffices. However, some cases hold that an intention to cause grievous harm and recklessness are also sufficient. Unfortunately, the Court of Appeal, the apex court in Botswana, has made decisions that support each of these divergent positions. This article addresses the controversy of the mens rea for attempted murder in Botswana and argues that the Court of Appeal should resolve the issue by specifically overruling some of its previous decisions.
How a Nazi occupied India’s first chair in International Relations
Authors: Thakur Vineet , Choudhary Ladhu Ram
Published: October 2024

This article contributes to disciplinary histories of International Relations (IR) by revealing a little-known history: how a Nazi diplomat, Curt Max Prüfer, occupied the first chair in IR in India. While the paper documents how Prüfer, a discredited diplomat, landed in Delhi through his connections with peripatetic Indian anti-colonial networks and spent slightly over two years as the first IR chair at Delhi University, it also makes broader claims about how we narrate disciplinary histories. Intellectual genealogies, the predominant way in which disciplinary histories are written, often miss the contingent factors that play a considerable role in the fashioning of the discipline. Contingency-filled narratives also point towards the fact that International Relations/Affairs, at least in its early period of formation, operated as a term of mythical heft – a placeholder to fit anyone with academic or practical expertise in varied fields such as international law, colonial administration, anthropology, diplomacy, history, political economy, and military strategy.
Optimal design of a new redundant spherical parallel manipulator with an unlimited self-rotation capability
Authors: Lahdiri Chaima , Saafi Houssem , Mlika Abdelfattah , Laribi Med Amine
Published: October 2024

This paper deals with the optimization of a new redundant spherical parallel manipulator (New SPM). This manipulator consists of two spherical five-bar mechanisms connected by the end-effector, providing three degrees of freedom, and has an unlimited self-rotation capability. Three optimization procedures based on the genetic algorithm method were carried out to improve the dexterity of the New SPM. The first and the second optimizations were applied to a symmetric New SPM structure, while the third was applied to an asymmetric New SPM structure. In both cases, the optimization was performed using an objective function defined by the quadratic sum of link angles. In addition, certain criteria and constraints were implemented. The obtained results demonstrate significant improvements in the dexterity of the New SPM and its capability of an unlimited self-rotate in an extended workspace. A comparison of the self-rotation performances between the classical 3-RRR SPM (R for revolute joint) and the New SPM is also presented.
Towards understanding capacity development as a system: perceptions from multiple conservation stakeholder groups in Bhutan
Authors: Brooks Jeremy S , Wang Sonam Wangyel , Namgyel Ugyen , Zavaleta Cheek Jennifer , Nakamura Lam Katia , Eklund Johanna , Katel Om , Miller Daniel C
Published: October 2024

Capacity development is crucial for enduring conservation success. Recent scholarship has called for a systems perspective based on input from local stakeholders to better understand and develop conservation capacity. However, few studies have adopted such an approach to explore interactions among capacities or how capacity development needs and priorities evolve. We address this gap through a case study from Bhutan, centred on perceptions from 52 local conservation practitioners, planners, funders and community members. We use mixed methods to identify which capacities have been important for conservation success, which capacities are needed for future success, which capacities are foundational and how capacities interact. We find that capacity needs have shifted from individual-level knowledge and skills to community- and societal-level capacities in response to changing political and economic dynamics. Participants identified political support and leadership, reliable and sufficient funding, strengthening the research base, and increasing community awareness and engagement as critical future needs. Investing in these capacities holds the promise of further augmenting capacity development, thus increasing the value of limited resources. Our results demonstrate that capacity development should be viewed as a dynamic process and supported by strategic investment even in countries with track records of conservation success.
Prenatal maternal subjective distress predicts higher autistic-like traits in offspring: The Iowa Flood Study
Authors: Lapierre Mylène , Elgbeili Guillaume , Laplante David P. , O’Hara Michael W. , D’Antono Bianca , King Suzanne
Published: October 2024

Autism spectrum disorder prevalence more than quadrupled in the United States between 2000 and 2020. Ice storm-related prenatal maternal stress (PNMS) predicts autistic-like trait severity in children exposed early in gestation. The objective was to determine the extent to which PNMS influences the severity and trajectory of autistic-like traits in prenatally flood-exposed children at ages 4–7 years and to test moderation by sex and gestational timing. Soon after the June 2008 floods in Iowa, USA, 268 women pregnant during the disaster were assessed for objective hardship, subjective distress, and cognitive appraisal of the experience. When their children were 4, 5½, and 7 years old, mothers completed the Social Communication Questionnaire (SCQ) to assess their children’s autistic-like traits; 137 mothers completed the SCQ for at least one age. The final longitudinal multilevel model showed that the greater the maternal subjective distress, the more severe the child’s autistic-like traits, controlling for objective hardship. The effect of PNMS on rate of change was not significant, and there were no significant main effects or interactions involving sex or timing. Prenatal maternal subjective distress, but not objective hardship or cognitive appraisal, predicted more severe autistic-like traits at age 4, and this effect remained stable through age 7.
Small-scale forest restoration in peri-urban areas provides immediate benefits for birds
Authors: Brambilla Mattia , Foglini Claudio , Vitulano Severino
Published: October 2024

Forests of urban/suburban areas are being increasingly restored, but before/after-control/impact studies addressing effects on biodiversity in peri-urban forest restorations are virtually lacking. Using a before/after-control/impact (BACI) design, we explored the effects on birds (commonly used as indicators for restoration impacts) of small-scale restoration interventions in 2019 targeting residual forests north of Milan, in the largest Italian conurbation, with trees and shrub planting around existing patches or in formerly cultivated areas. Birds were surveyed in 2018, 2019, and 2021, at 20 intervention and 20 control sites. We evaluated the short-term effects of restoration by analysing changes in avian communities (i.e. richness, richness and abundance of forest specialists, single species’ abundance), considering the effect of year and intervention (i.e. before/during/after intervention). Species richness of breeding birds was largely unaffected by on-going interventions, while it was positively related to concluded restoration. The abundance of five individual species varied according to restoration: on-going interventions had positive effects on two species, Common Blackbird Turdus merula and Hooded Crow Corvus corone cornix, and negative effects on Barn Swallow Hirundo rustica, while concluded restoration positively affected two species, Common Blackbird Turdus merula again, and the forest specialist Marsh Tit Poecile palustris. Even small-scale interventions in peri-urban areas may provide tangible benefits to breeding birds in the short term: peri-urban forest restoration could contribute to biodiversity conservation.
Sports Law 101
Authors: Easterbrook Lereesa , Sufi Said
Published: October 2024

Abtract

When sport gets complicated, which it tends to do these days, it's time to call on the specialists, such as sports law lawyers. But just what is sports law, what are the rules of the game, what sort of cases crop up, and what do the lawyers need in terms of resources. Lereesa Easterbrook and Said Sufi of Bird & Bird give us a fascinating – and in this Olympic year timely – insight into this burgeoning legal field.
Chicago Police Torture and the Limits of Human Rights Enforcement in Liberal Democracies
Authors: Berlin Mark S.
Published: October 2024

From 1972 to 1991, a network of Chicago Police detectives used torture to force confessions from over 100 criminal suspects. Almost all were Black men, and many were wrongly convicted, some for capital offenses. I synthesize insights from comparative research on human rights, state abuse, and police violence in democracies to explain why, for nearly two decades, liberal institutions in Chicago failed to stop the torture. I argue that the nature of state violence in this case—targeting marginalized individuals uninvolved in political activity—intensified the practical, affective, and informational obstacles that are inherent to activating liberal institutions—courts, elected officials, media, and civil society—to fulfill their roles as rights enforcers. Applying these literatures to a type of case they typically overlook—a wealthy liberal democracy—contributes to understanding why state violence persists in such states and why it tends to concentrate on marginalized populations.
‘The Work That Reconnects’: a groupwork methodology for enhancing adaptive responses to the climate and ecological crisis
Authors: Jones Rosie , Johnstone Chris
Published: October 2024

The dominant economic, political and sociocultural system is leading the Earth towards climate and ecological breakdown (IPCC, 2023) as well as causing adverse mental, physical and social health consequences (Eisenberg-Guyot and Prins, 2022). To address these inter-related crises there is an urgent need for cultural evolution to life-sustaining ways of living and organising human life (Brooks et al., 2018). This requires concurrent psychological and ideological shifts and psychological contexts of support, in which people can explore their relationship with, and response to, the planetary predicament and the roles they would like to play in its transformation. The Work That Reconnects (WTR) (Macy and Brown, 2014) is a groupwork methodology developed to address this need. It consists of a set of philosophical and psychological teachings and experiential practices drawn from deep ecology, living systems thinking, Buddhism, and indigenous, spiritual and other wisdom traditions. It originated outside the field of CBT and psychotherapy, within activist movements, within which it is an increasingly well-known methodology for psychological support. The WTR has many characteristics which align with cognitive behavioural approaches with regard to processes, techniques and mechanisms of change. The WTR has, as yet, received minimal scientific research attention. The aim of this paper is to raise awareness of the methodology within the cognitive behavioural field, introducing philosophies, concepts, and techniques that may be of utility to CBT practitioners and stimulate research and evaluation of a methodology with potential to address psychological needs at this time.

Key learning aims

(1)

To learn about a groupwork methodology, the Work That Reconnects (WTR), for developing adaptive resilience, motivation, agency and wellbeing when facing concerns about the world.

(2)

To learn about the four stages of the spiral of practices of the Work That Reconnects: gratitude, honouring our pain for the world, seeing with new and ancient eyes, and going forth.

(3)

To understand the key concepts of the model including cultural schemas such as ‘the three stories of our time’ and application of living systems thinking to create cognitive and behavioural shifts towards adaptive action.

(4)

To explore the parallels with cognitive behavioural approaches, review the evidence base, highlight the need for further research, and outline areas for investigation.

(5)

To suggest ways in which the WTR can inform individual therapy for climate and ecological concerns.
What happens in Climate Cafés? Exploring responses to the psychological burdens of climate change in seven UK women
Authors: Calabria Luis , Marks Elizabeth
Published: October 2024

As humanity faces a future of rising global temperatures, and associated extreme weather events, distressing emotional responses are understandable, but often silenced. Climate Cafés are unique, dedicated spaces where such responses can be shared and validated with others. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with attendees of Climate Cafés facilitated by the Climate Psychology Alliance (CPA). An initial interview of 45 minutes was followed by a shorter follow-up interview 3 months later. Interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) methodology was used with seven female participants. Four superordinate themes were identified: (1) Having a keen awareness of threats to planetary health, (2) Action taken in the face of climate change, (3) Journeying from isolation to connection, and (4) Legacy of Climate Cafés. Participants described positive experiences both during and after the Climate Cafés, particularly having their concerns heard and validated, being with others who share their worldview, and feeling more connected. Attending Climate Cafés appears to offer important support to people experiencing distress related to the climate and ecological emergencies. Findings are discussed in light of the compassion-focused therapy (CFT) ‘Three Systems’ model, which offers a unifying theoretical conceptualisation that could support future development and research in this area.

Key learning aims

(1)

To understand the idiosyncratic experiences of seven UK women at Climate Cafés.

(2)

To begin to conceptualise and apply psychological models to current Climate Café practices, especially compassion-focused modalities.

(3)

To use the experiences reported here to add to the growing understanding of eco-emotions.
My climate journey: one cognitive behavioural psychotherapist’s account, and a commentary linking to the scientific and practice literature
Authors: Willsher Claire , Freeston Mark
Published: October 2024

Climate change distress is a challenge to people seeking help, and to those providing help. Those providing help are working in a new area of clinical practice where little is known, but they may also be experiencing climate change distress. The aim of this article is to highlight the personal and professional implications of the unfolding climate crisis and how we might better understand and support those with understandable, yet intense, emotional reactions to the climate crisis. This article consists of a first-person narrative by the first author, and a commentary on the narrative based on the psychology of climate change literature by the second author. We have worked independently on the narrative and commentary; each is responsible for their own contribution. The narrative highlights the first author’s personal experience of moving from denial to facing the truth of the climate crisis and the impact on professional practice. The commentary by the second author found that literature is scarce, but more familiar areas of practice may help to understand and respond to climate change distress. Practitioners face a situation where they may experience similar emotions to their clients, analogous to the shared threat of the pandemic. Awareness of the crisis is daunting, but therapy, self-reflection and action can help hold our emotions and support our clients. The evidence is limited but experience of the pandemic suggests that CBT can respond, adapt, innovate, and even revolutionise mental healthcare. These two perspectives suggest, despite the challenges, there may be reasons for hope.

Key learning aims

(1)

To increase familiarity with climate change distress and its multi-faceted presentations.

(2)

To understand the importance of self-care for climate activists and the different forms this may take.

(3)

To consider the implications of being a practitioner helping people with climate change distress, while also experiencing climate change distress.

(4)

To reflect on the tensions between, and the potential integration of, the personal and the professional in the context of climate change.
US military legal doctrine and the emerging wartime cyber environment
Authors: Bobenrieth Emily , Watts Sean
Published: October 2024

Newly emerging US cyberspace warfighting concepts highlight the need to update US legal doctrine. Concepts adapted to future high-intensity, high-paced armed conflict, including command post dispersal and integration of cyberspace into other targeting domains, present opportunities to refine US understandings of the law of war attack threshold and overlooked rules applicable to destruction and seizure. The advantages of staking out clear and current opinio juris on these and other matters extend beyond providing responsible and consistent operational law advice. Updated and authoritative military cyber legal doctrine will serve the strategic and diplomatic legal interests of the United States and the international legal system as a whole.
Synergistic effect of pyridate-based herbicide mixtures for controlling multiple herbicide-resistant kochia
Authors: Dhanda Sachin , Kumar Vipan , Geier Patrick W. , Currie Randall S. , Dille J. Anita , Obour Augustine , Yeager Elizabeth A. , Holman Johnathan
Published: October 2024

Multiple herbicide classes resistant (MHCR) kochia poses a serious concern for producers in the Central Great Plains, including western Kansas. Greenhouse and field experiments were conducted at Kansas State University Research and Extension Centers near Hays and Garden City, KS to evaluate pyridate-based postemergence (POST) herbicide mixtures for controlling MHCR kochia. One previously confirmed MHCR population (resistant to atrazine, glyphosate, dicamba, and fluroxypyr) and a susceptible (SUS) kochia population were tested in a greenhouse study. The kochia population at Hays field site was resistant to atrazine, dicamba, and glyphosate while kochia population at Garden City site was resistant to atrazine and glyphosate. Colby’s analysis revealed synergistic interactions when pyridate was mixed with atrazine, dicamba, dichlorprop-p, fluroxypyr, glyphosate, or halauxifen/fluroxypyr and resulted in ≥94% control and shoot dry biomass reduction of MHCR kochia in a greenhouse study. Similarly, synergistic interactions were observed for MHCR kochia control in fallow field studies at both sites when pyridate was mixed with glyphosate or atrazine. Kochia control was increased from 26% to 90% with the application of glyphosate + pyridate and from 28% to 95% with atrazine + pyridate at both sites as compared to separate applications of glyphosate or atrazine. This is the first report for such a strong synergistic effect for both glyphosate and atrazine mixtures with pyridate on a weed resistant to both. All other pyridate-based herbicide mixtures showed an additive interaction and resulted in better control of MHCR kochia (87 to 100%) as compared to their individual applications (23 to 92%) across both sites except 2,4-D. These results suggest that pyridate can play a crucial role in various POST herbicide mixtures for effective control of MHCR kochia.
Effect of simulated 2,4-D and dicamba drift on strawberry plant and fruit development
Authors: Sims Kira C. , Jennings Katherine M. , Monks David W. , Jordan David L. , Hoffmann Mark , Mitchem Wayne E.
Published: October 2024

Greenhouse studies were conducted from 2020 to 2021 to evaluate the effect of simulated drift rates of 2,4-D and dicamba on strawberry growth, fruit development and fruit quality in Raleigh, NC. Treatments included 2,4-D choline and dicamba DGA plus Vapor Grip at 1/2x, 1/20x, and 1/200x of the 1x field rate of 1.09 and 0.8 kg ae ha-1, respectively. Treatments were applied to strawberry at three reproductive stages, including bud, flower, and fruit. Averaged across both herbicides, strawberry canopy size was reduced by the 1/2x rate 18, 25, 30, and 36% at 3, 6, 9, and 11 wk after treatment (WAT). The 1/2x rate of both herbicides caused greater injury to strawberry than the 1/20x or 1/200x, with maximum stunting from 2,4-D and dicamba of 54 and 36%, respectively. Fruit pH and SSC increased due to the 1/2x rate of dicamba compared to the 1/20x and 1/200x rates and the nontreated. Treated fruit (across all herbicides) were larger than fruit developing following herbicide application to flowers or buds but were similar to nontreated fruit.
Primary metabolic profiling of four broomrapes belonging to Orobanche and Phelipanche species
Authors: Dor Evgenia , Guy Aviv , Amir Rachel , Hacham Yael
Published: October 2024

Genera of the Orobanchaceae family are holoparasites that parasitize various hosts. Several members of this family cause severe damage to diverse crop plants. While the biological and life cycles of these parasites have been studied, their metabolism has received little attention, most of which focused on Egyptian broomrape [Orobanche aegyptiaca Pers.; syn.: Phelipanche aegyptiaca (Pers.) Pomel]. This study aimed at obtaining more knowledge about the primary metabolic profiling of four parasite species belonging to the Orobanchaceae family—sunflower broomrape (Orobanche cumana Wallr.), Orobanche cernua, P. aegyptiaca, and branched broomrape [Orobanche ramosa L.; syn.: Phelipanche ramosa (L.) Pomel.]—that developed on tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) as a host. Gas chromatography–mass spectrometry analysis demonstrated that significant differences in metabolite content occur between species belonging to Orobanche compared with those belonging to Phelipanche. This finding adds another layer to the separation of these two genera in addition to morphological separation. Moreover, each of these four species exhibits different metabolic profiles, indicating that the parasites can absorb the host’s metabolites but also have the ability to self-regulate their metabolites in order to grow and develop.
Evaluation of ALS-resistant yellow nutsedge (Cyperus esculentus) in Georgia peanut
Authors: Lindell Hannah C. , Prostko Eric P. , McElroy Scott , Patel Jinesh D. , Blankenship Jason D. , Grey Timothy L. , Basinger Nicholas T.
Published: October 2024

Accounting for 53% of U.S. peanuts (Arachis hypogaea L.), Georgia is the top peanut-producing state, with approximately 1.42 billion kg produced in 2023. Peanut producers often use the acetolactate synthase (ALS) imidazolinone herbicide imazapic, but reduced yellow nutsedge (Cyperus esculentus L.) control was reported in Georgia peanuts after 4 yr of continuous imazapic use. This study aimed to determine the level of resistance (LD50, I50, and GR50) and potential cross-resistance for the suspected resistant population and to identify the associated genetic mutations conferring resistance. A susceptible biotype was treated with 0, 0.0088, 0.0175, 0.035, 0.07, 0.14, 0.28, and 0.56 kg ai ha−1, and a resistant biotype was sprayed with 0, 0.07, 0.14, 0.28, 0.56, 1.13, 2.26, and 4.5 kg ai ha−1 of imazapic. To determine whether the suspected resistant biotype was cross-resistant to halosulfuron-methyl, an ALS herbicide used to control Cyperus spp., both biotypes were treated with 0, 0.0117, 0.0233, 0.0466, 0.0933, 0.187, 0.373, and 0.746 g ai ha−1 of halosulfuron-methyl. Plants were rated for injury at 7, 14, and 28 d after treatment (DAT), and aboveground biomass was harvested at 28 DAT. For imazapic, LD50 was 0.041 and 1.503 kg ai ha−1 and the GR50 was estimated to be 0.0128 and 1.853 kg ha−1 for Sus and Res biotypes, respectively, indicating 36- and 145-fold increase in resistance of the Res biotype for I50 and GR50, respectively. Both biotypes responded similarly to applications of halosulfuron-methyl, with biomass reduction at rates greater than 0.023 kg ai ha−1. Transcriptome profiles revealed a mutation in the target-site gene of the resistant biotype causing an amino acid substitution from alanine to valine at position 205 (Ala-205-Val). Growers should continue to rotate chemistries and implement integrated weed management approaches for control of C. esculentus, as the use of imazapic over consecutive years has led to resistance in C. esculentus.
A Rare Tropical Cyclone Associated With Southwest Monsoon Over the Northern Part of the South China Sea—Tropical Storm Maliksi
Authors: He J. Y. , Chan P. W. , Choy C. W. , Cheung P. , Lam C. C. , He Y. H. , Pan C. K. , Lai K. K. , Su H. , Zhang E. Z. , Sun C. J. , Huang C. J.
Published: October 2024

This study examines the characteristics and development of Tropical Storm Maliksi, which is a special case of tropical cyclone developed in the northwestern part of the South China Sea during a southwest monsoon outbreak. Detailed analyses were conducted using observational data and forecast products. Surface observations, radar wind profilers, aircraft data, and satellite products were used to evaluate Maliksi's wind structure, revealing multiple circulation centers and gale force winds. Vertical wind profiles, warm core structure, wind waves, and the influence of sea temperatures and salinity on Maliksi's intensification were investigated. Regarding forecasting, AI‐based models outperformed conventional numerical weather prediction (NWP) models in predicting Maliksi's initial development, though both struggled to capture the persistence of strong winds as the system moved inland. High‐resolution NWP simulations were employed to examine terrain‐induced wind variability around Hong Kong International Airport, revealing the mountain wake effect and uneven wind and turbulence distribution. These findings provide insights into the challenges of forecasting and monitoring such tropical cyclones, and highlight the need for enhanced observational platforms and forecasting tools along coastlines vulnerable to these systems.
The North Atlantic Is Getting Saltier
Authors: Bolakhe Saugat
Published: October 2024

The Atlantic is already the saltiest of Earth’s oceans, and parts of it are getting saltier. Winds and warming may be to blame.
How Does Tropical Cyclone‐Induced Remote Moisture Transport Affect Precipitation Over East Asia
Authors: Xiao Shiqi , Zhang Aoqi , Chen Yilun , Chen Shumin , Li Weibiao
Published: October 2024

Analyzing tropical cyclone‐induced remote moisture transport clusters (TRCs) and their effects on precipitation is crucial for understanding precipitation formation and enhancing forecast precision. Prior research, primarily case‐based, did not fully grasp the nature of TRCs. Utilizing an objective TRC identification method, we categorized 65 TRC tracks in East Asia into five types and examined their traits and precipitation links. The findings indicate that the moisture transport height of TRCs varies due to multiple factors, with higher transport linked to the warm conveyor belt and lower transport attributed to Taiwan’s mountain range influencing low‐level moisture. The precipitation peak altitudes of TRCs at higher latitudes are greater, and their precipitation intensity is positively correlated with terrain type, especially coastlines. This study underscores the diversity in TRC characteristics and related precipitation, suggesting that future research should consider the directionality of TRC tracks.
Influence of SST‐Precipitation Relationship Over the Equatorial Western Pacific on Simulation of the Madden‐Julian Oscillation
Authors: Chen Guiwan , Ling Jian , Xiao Ziniu , Li Chongyin , Zhang Chidong
Published: October 2024

Capabilities of 43 models of the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 6 (CMIP6) to simulate the Madden‐Julian Oscillation (MJO) were compared in this study. Models with higher MJO simulation skills reproduce organized large‐scale convection more frequently over the equatorial western Pacific (EWP), suggesting that MJO simulations are tightly connected to organization of large‐scale precipitation over the EWP. MJO simulation skills are not significantly correlated with the mean sea surface temperature (SST) over the EWP, but tightly connected to SST threshold for convection there. The top simulations exhibit lower SST threshold and more realistic SST‐precipitation relationship over the EWP, suggesting that convection can be organized more efficiently and intensified more rapidly with the increasing SST in these simulations. Our results emphasize that reproducing the relationship between SST and large‐scale precipitation over the EWP is critical to MJO simulations.
Variations of Heat Flux and Elastic Thickness of Mercury From 3‐D Thermal Evolution Modeling
Authors: Fleury Aymeric , Plesa Ana‐Catalina , Tosi Nicola , Walterová Michaela , Breuer Doris
Published: October 2024

Mercury's low obliquity and 3:2 spin‐orbit resonance create a surface temperature distribution with large latitudinal and longitudinal variations. These propagate via thermal conduction through the thin silicate shell influencing the interior temperature distribution. We use 3‐D thermal evolution models to investigate the effects of lateral variations of surface temperature and crustal thickness on the surface and core‐mantle boundary (CMB) heat fluxes, and elastic thickness distribution. Surface temperature variations cause a long‐wavelength perturbation of the heat fluxes, as well as of the elastic lithosphere thickness, while variations in crustal thickness affect these quantities at small spatial scales. Like the surface temperature, the present‐day CMB heat flux pattern is characterized primarily by spherical harmonics of degrees two and four, which could affect dynamo generation. Placing robust constraints on the thermal evolution based on the available estimates of the age and thickness of the elastic lithosphere remains challenging due to their large uncertainties.
Spatial Persistence of High Strain Events During Brittle Failure
Authors: McBeck Jessica , Cordonnier Benoît , Zhu Wenlu , Renard François
Published: October 2024

The onset of brittle failure in rocks includes dilatancy and strain localization. To better understand this nucleation process, we analyze the evolution of the local three‐dimensional strain tensor using X‐ray tomograms acquired during triaxial compression experiments on granite and sandstone. The onset of the localization of the compaction, dilation, and shear strain occurs when ∼65% of the rock volume experiences dilation. Tracking the locations of the high strains throughout loading suggests that the deformation that occurs early in loading influences the location of the system‐sized fracture network that produces macroscopic failure. This influence is larger in the sandstone experiments than the granite experiments, likely due to the microstructure of the sandstone. These results have important implications for detecting precursors to catastrophic failure.
Optimising Interannual Sea Ice Thickness Variability Retrieved From CryoSat‐2
Authors: Nab Carmen , Mallett Robbie , Nelson Connor , Stroeve Julienne , Tsamados Michel
Published: October 2024

Satellite radar altimeters like CryoSat‐2 estimate sea ice thickness by measuring the return‐time of transmitted radar pulses, reflected from the sea ice and ocean surface, to measure the radar freeboard. Converting freeboard to thickness requires an assumption regarding the fractional depth of the snowpack from which the radar waves backscatter . We derive sea ice thickness from CryoSat‐2 radar freeboard data with incremental values for , for the 2010–2021 winter periods. By comparing these to sea ice thickness estimates derived from upward‐looking sonar moorings, we find that values between 35%–80% result in the best representation of interannual variability observed over first‐year ice, reduced to 55% over multi‐year ice. The underestimating bias in retrievals caused by optimizing this metric can be removed by reducing the waveform retracking threshold to 20%–50%. Our results pave the way for a new generation of ‘partial penetration’ sea ice thickness products from radar altimeters.