bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Assessment of biochemical biomarkers and environmental stress indicators in some freshwater fish
Authors: Abdallah Salwa M. , Muhammed Reham E. , Mohamed Reda El. , El Daous Hala , Saleh Dina M. , Ghorab Mohamed A. , Chen Shaohua , El-Sayyad Gharieb S.
Published: October 2024

The mechanism by which an organism can adapt to subtle environmental changes is predicated on modifications to biochemical processes within the cellular metabolism in response to such changes. Changes in these processes have the potential to induce alterations in cellular structures and tissue organization, as well as establish a causal link between fluctuations in these parameters and stressors exposure. This investigation's main goal and innovation is to evaluate the environmental stress indicators in the aquatic ecosystem of Lake Qarun. Pesticide residues in freshwater fish should be the primary focus of evaluation of environmental stressor concentrations, since they serve as bioindicators at different times and places on a spatiotemporal scale. A thorough analysis of suggestive biochemical biomarker reactions should also be conducted. The effects of environmental stressors, specifically pesticide contamination in Qarun Lake, have been observed and investigated in relation to two fish species: Solea aejabtiaca and Oreochronis niloticus. The results of a hazard assessment conducted at six sampling sites using spatio-temporal data revealed elevated mean values for the pesticides, persistent organic pollutants (POPs), organochlorines, organophosphates, and pyrethroids that were detected. A multi biomarker approach facilitates a more comprehensive understanding of stress responses induced by exposure to pollutants. As a result, the activities of the biochemical biomarkers CYP-450, GST, GSH, and LDH in the blood and liver of fish samples were found to be notably elevated. The suitability of the identified variables for biomonitoring of aquatic pollution was validated, and the data unveiled variations in sensitivity among species, implying that Nile tilapia could potentially function as a bioindicator with high sensitivity. The findings were correlated with the concentrations of detrimental organochlorines, organophosphorus, and pyrethroids in the muscles and gills. The data indicates that pollutants linked to agricultural wastes, runoff, and municipal effluent may be discharged into the lake ecosystem. Consequently, to safeguard the environment, it is essential to enforce and implement policies, acts, and regulations that already exist. Assessing the effects of additional environmental stressors on aquatic ecosystems is another way in which biomarker screening with an integrative approach improves our comprehension of how toxicants impact various levels of biological organization and is particularly useful in realistic environmental exposure scenarios.
Marketing setting up peer-to-peer electronic platforms to overcome generational barriers to participation in the sharing economy
Authors: Pelech Pavel , Dědková Jaroslava
Published: October 2024

The sharing economy offers potential economic, social, and environmental benefits, yet participation is not universal. Our research, based on a survey of 873 individuals across three generations in the Czech Republic, investigates the barriers that limit engagement and how these vary across different generations. We examine supply and demand side barriers, identifying four key components on each side (Principal Component Analysis). On the supply side, these include user uncertainty, personal uncertainty, uncertainty from lack of information, and uncertainty from the platform. On the demand side, we identified user uncertainty, personal uncertainty, uncertainty from perceived value, and uncertainty from operational risks. Our findings reveal significant generational differences concerning these barriers. On the supply side, the first three components show statistically significant differences between generations. On the demand side, we found substantial differences for the second and fourth components. The implications of our research suggest that peer-to-peer platforms could benefit from employing generational marketing strategies to address these barriers, thereby increasing their e-commerce volume.
Effectiveness of Psychosocial Interventions in Preventing Postpartum Depression Among Teenage Mothers—Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials
Authors: Tenaw Lebeza Alemu , Ngai Fei Wan , Bessie Chan
Published: October 2024

Postpartum depression is a significant public health issue that occurs within the first 12 weeks after childbirth. It is more prevalent among teenage mothers compared to adults. However, the findings of the existing interventional studies cannot be readily applied to teenage mothers due to their unique psychosocial concerns. Furthermore, these findings have shown inconsistencies regarding the benefit of psychological and psychosocial interventions in reducing the incidence of postpartum depression. The current review is aimed at investigating the effectiveness of psychosocial interventions in preventing postpartum depression, specifically among teenage mothers. The preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analysis manuals were utilized to identify and select relevant articles for this review. The articles were retrieved using population, intervention, control, and outcome models. The quality of each article was assessed using the Cochrane risk of bias tool. Statistical analysis was conducted using STATA version 17. The effect size of the intervention was estimated using the standard mean difference in depression scores between the intervention and control groups. Heterogeneity among the studies was assessed using the I2 statistic and Q statistic, while publication bias was evaluated through funnel plot asymmetry and Egger’s test. A total of nine eligible articles were included. While psychosocial interventions have been demonstrated to decrease the incidence of postpartum depression compared to usual maternal health care, it is worth noting that the mean difference in depression scores was significant in only three of the included studies. The meta-analysis revealed that psychosocial interventions were effective at preventing postpartum depression, with a pooled effect size of − 0.5 (95% CI: − 0.95, − 0.06) during the final postpartum depression assessment. The heterogeneity was substantial, with an I2 value of 82.3%. Although publication bias was not observed, small studies had a significant effect on the pooled effect size. The findings of this review suggest that psychosocial interventions can effectively prevent PPD, particularly within the first 3 months of the postpartum period. This review highlights the scarcity of interventional studies in low-income countries, indicating the need for further research in diverse communities.
Unforeseen observations about the homological dimension of Hilbert spaces
Authors: Castillo Jesús M. F. , García Ricardo , Simoes Marilda A.
Published: October 2024

In this note we gather a few observations that connect the homological dimensions of Hilbert spaces with other apparently unrelated Banach space questions, such as: Does $$L_1/\ell _2 $$

L
1

/

ℓ
2

have the Bounded Approximation Property? Is $$L_1/ \ell _2$$

L
1

/

ℓ
2

a subspace of $$L_1$$

L
1

?
Wallet wars or digital public infrastructure? Orchestrating a digital identity data ecosystem from a government perspective
Authors: Degen Konrad , Teubner Timm
Published: October 2024

With the eIDAS 2.0 legislation, the European Union seeks to establish a digital identity data ecosystem and to empower citizens to manage digital credentials from various sources through an ID wallet interface. To achieve this, governments must develop holistic orchestration models integrating technical, regulatory, and economic perspectives. This approach will foster ecosystem value creation, address orchestration tensions, and design sustainable operating models for various ecosystem actors. While IS research has explored private-sector governance mechanisms in platform and data ecosystems, a research gap exists in understanding public–private orchestration where governments act as orchestrators. We address this through a structured document analysis of 80 position papers from various stakeholders participating in a public government consultation process and 14 semi-structured in-depth interviews. By examining ecosystem value creation mechanisms, orchestration tensions, and monetization challenges, we identify two government orchestration standard types for the ID wallet provision. The Government ID-Infrastructure Wallet model embodies an ecosystem-integrated public infrastructure, while the Trust ID Wallet Federation exemplifies a dynamic and competition-driven approach. By bridging the self-sovereign identity ecosystem paradigm with digital identity infrastructure research, our work contributes to the understanding and theoretical development of data ecosystems and digital identity research from a government perspective.
Synergistic photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue using TiO2 composites with activated carbon and reduced graphene oxide: a kinetic and mechanistic study
Authors: Farghaly Ahmed , Maher Eman , Gad Ali , El-Bery Haitham
Published: October 2024

This comprehensive study explored the removal of methylene blue (MB) from aqueous solutions as a model pollutant, utilizing solar-driven photocatalysis with nano-sized titanium dioxide (TiO2) and composites with activated carbon (AC) and reduced graphene oxide (RGO). This research introduces continuous solar reactor instead of conventional batch experiments investigating its design configuration. Utilizing response surface methodology (RSM), the study determined the optimal process conditions (MB concentration at 30 mg/L, pH 8.82, irradiation time 138 min), under which TiO2 achieved a 93.13% MB removal efficiency. The study further revealed that the integration of TiO2 with AC and RGO (5% wt.) significantly enhanced the MB photocatalytic degradation. The TiO2/AC composite achieved 98.3% MB degradation in 138 min of solar exposure, related to its large specific surface area of 146 m2/g and a pore volume of 0.439 cm3/g. Likewise, the TiO2/RGO composite demonstrated 97% removal with a surface area of 102 m2/g and a pore volume of 0.476 cm3/g, significantly better than nano-TiO2. Additionally, the research investigated the role of the solar reactor configuration on MB removal. Using 26 mm Pyrex tube diameter with 15 cm long on parabolic aluminum concentrator inclined at 30° optimally achieved the peak MB degradation efficiency. Recyclability tests shown a noticeable decrease in nano-TiO2 efficiency to 56.03% without regeneration; however, after regeneration following the third cycle, the efficiency significantly recovered to 70.07%. Thereby, this paper introduces an innovative, continuous, and well-designed solar reactor system for dye removal, employing nano-TiO2 and its composites with AC and RGO for improved photocatalytic efficiency under statistically optimized process conditions.
Multi-loaded PLGA microspheres as neuroretinal therapy in a chronic glaucoma animal model
Authors: Aragón-Navas Alba , Rodrigo Maria Jesus , Munuera Inés , García-Herranz David , Subías Manuel , Villacampa Pilar , García-Feijoo Julián , Pablo Luis , Garcia-Martin Elena , Herrero-Vanrell Rocio , Bravo-Osuna Irene
Published: October 2024

This work focused on the co-encapsulation and simultaneous co-delivery of three different neuroprotective drugs in PLGA (poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) microspheres for the treatment of glaucoma. For formulation optimization, dexamethasone (anti-inflammatory) and ursodeoxycholic acid (anti-apoptotic) were co-loaded by the solid-in-oil-in-water emulsion solvent extraction-evaporation technique as a first step. The incorporation of a water-soluble co-solvent (ethanol) and different amounts of dexamethasone resulted critical for the encapsulation of the neuroprotective agents and their initial release. The optimized formulation was obtained with 60 mg of dexamethasone and using an 80:20 dichloromethane:ethanol ratio. In the second step in the microencapsulation process, the incorporation of the glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) was performed. The final prototype showed encapsulation efficiencies for each component above 50% with suitable properties for long-term application for at least 3 months. Physicochemical studies were performed by SEM, TEM, DSC, XRD, and gas chromatography. The evaluation of the kinetic release by the Gallagher-Corrigan analysis with Gorrasi correction helped to understand the influence of the co-microencapsulation on the delivery of the different actives from the optimized formulation. The final prototype was tested in a chronic glaucoma animal model. Rats received two intravitreal injections of the neuroprotective treatment within a 24-week follow-up study. The proposed formulation improved retinal ganglion cell (RGC) functionality examined by electroretinography. Also, it was able to maintain a neuroretinal thickness similar to that of healthy animals scanned by in vivo optical coherence tomography, and a higher RGC count on histology compared to glaucomatous animals at the end of the study.

Graphical Abstract
Screening for endogenous hypercortisolism in patients with osteoporosis and fractures: why, when and how
Authors: Giordano Roberta , Parasiliti Caprino Mirko , Loli Paola , Giustina Andrea
Published: October 2024

Skeletal comorbidities are frequent and clinically relevant findings in Cushing’s syndrome (CS) since an uncoupled suppressed bone formation and enhanced bone resorption leads to a marked skeletal damage with a rapid increase of fracture risk. Reduced Bone Mineral Density (BMD) has been consistently reported and osteopenia or osteoporosis are typical findings in patients with CS. Vertebral Fractures (VFs) are frequently reported and may occur even in patients with an only mild reduction of BMD. Since CS is diagnosed late due to often difficult biochemical and radiological confirmation as well as to signs and symptoms common in other much more frequent diseases an approach suggested for overcoming underdiagnosis is to screen patients with manifestations which may overlap with those of CS such as arterial hypertension, diabetes mellitus and osteoporosis. Our review will focus on the rationale and best practice for screening osteoporotic patients for CS.
Asymptotics of commuting $$\ell $$-tuples in symmetric groups and log-concavity
Authors: Bringmann Kathrin , Franke Johann , Heim Bernhard
Published: October 2024

Denote by $$N_{\ell }(n)$$

N
ℓ

(
n
)

the number of $$\ell $$
ℓ
-tuples of elements in the symmetric group $$S_n$$

S
n

with commuting components, normalized by the order of $$S_n$$

S
n

. In this paper, we prove asymptotic formulas for $$N_\ell (n)$$

N
ℓ

(
n
)

. In addition, general criteria for log-concavity are shown, which can be applied to $$N_\ell (n)$$

N
ℓ

(
n
)

among other examples. Moreover, we obtain a Bessenrodt-Ono type theorem which gives an inequality of the form $$c(a)c(b) > c(a+b)$$

c
(
a
)
c
(
b
)
>
c
(
a
+
b
)

for certain families of sequences c(n).
Navigating the Profession with a “Black Mark”: Discrimination Experiences of Social Workers with Criminal Convictions
Authors: Jackson S. , Chubb L. A.
Published: October 2024

International social work associations lack sufficient guidance to address tensions within social work education, employment, and registration about individuals with criminal convictions. This tension arises from the need to uphold social work principles of human rights and social justice while minimizing the risk of harm to clients. Limited research exists on how social workers with criminal convictions navigate the profession. Until 2019, when data were collected for this study, there was no information on the topic in Aotearoa, New Zealand.

This article reports on an exploratory qualitative study of individuals navigating the social work profession with a criminal history. We aimed to determine whether participants faced discrimination and whether this impacted their careers. An interpretative phenomenological analysis was applied to data collected in 2019 through 11 semi-structured interviews with registered and nonregistered social workers with one or more criminal convictions.

Participants’ experiences highlighted an overarching theme of once a criminal, always a criminal, showcasing discrimination experienced by social workers with criminal convictions when pursuing a social work career. This overarching theme was underpinned by four predominant subthemes relating to stigma and oppression.

Participants’ experiences add to evidence that some practices within social work clash with the profession’s underpinning principles. The authors argue that social work associations, registration bodies, educators, and employers should understand the value people with lived experiences of the criminal legal system can bring to the profession and facilitate supportive access to social work careers as they are representative of populations served by the profession.
Low serum Metrnl levels are associated with increased risk of sarcopenia in the older adults
Authors: Wang Zhi-Yue , Li Yi-Min , Yan Jian-Jun , Wang Quan , Zhao Can , Lu Xiang , Shen Zheng-Kai , Xu Jin-Shui , Gao Wei
Published: October 2024

Purpose

Sarcopenia is a geriatric syndrome characterized by progressive loss of muscle mass and function. Meteorin-like (Metrnl) is a secretory protein that has protective effects on skeletal muscle injury. However, the association of Metrnl level with sarcopenia remains unclear.

Methods

A total of 772 community-dwelling older adults (median age = 76 years), comprising 409 males and 363 females, from both urban and rural areas were enrolled. Serum Metrnl was measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Appendicular skeletal muscle mass index (ASMI), grip strength, and gait speed were measured for the assessment of sarcopenia.

Results

We found that serum Metrnl levels were lower in patients with sarcopenia [median (IQR) = 180.1 (151.3–220.3) pg/mL] than older adults without sarcopenia [211.9 (163.2–270.0) pg/mL, P < 0.001]. Receiver-operating characteristic curve analysis showed that the optimal cut-off value of serum Metrnl level that predicted sarcopenia was 197.2 pg/mL with a sensitivity of 59.2% and a specificity of 63.8% (AUC = 0.63, 95% CI = 0.59–0.67, P < 0.001). Multivariate logistic regression analyses showed that lower serum Metrnl level (< 197.2 pg/mL) was significantly associated with increased risk of sarcopenia (adjusted OR = 2.358, 2.36, 95% CI = 1.528–3.685, P < 0.001). Moreover, serum Metrnl concentration was positively correlated with the components of sarcopenia including ASMI (r = 0.135, P < 0.001), grip strength (r = 0.102, P = 0.005), and gait speed (r = 0.106, P = 0.003).

Conclusions

Taken together, our findings demonstrate that low serum Metrnl level is correlated with increased risk of sarcopenia in the older adults.
Sentiment Analysis Using Improved CT-BERT_CONVLayer Fusion Model for COVID-19 Vaccine Recommendation
Authors: Umair Areeba , Masciari Elio
Published: October 2024

COVID-19 has significantly impacted individuals, communities, and countries worldwide. These effects include health impacts, economics impacts, social impacts, educational, political and environmental impacts. The COVID-19 vaccine development was crucial for disease control and monitoring, yet the threat still looms large. Vaccine recommender systems can help the health practitioners in combating COVID-19 by providing the information and guidance on the benefits and risks of COVID-19 vaccines to individuals based on their preferences and medical history. In this paper, we have proposed sentiment analysis based recommender system for COVID-19 vaccines. We used Twitter data of 10,000 tweets about COVID-19 vaccines and applied pre-processing steps. We propose an ensemble of random forest with CT-BERT_CONVLayerFusion model, a novel algorithm, for classifying the tweets into seven different categories of sentiments. We also performed aspect-based review categorization which works on the queries given by a user. We compared the results of sentiment classification with the state-of-the-art with metrics including accuracy, recall, precision, and F1-score, and found out that our proposed approach outperformed all other state-of-the-art model by achieving maximum accuracy, recall, precision and F1-measure. Hence, such advanced methods can help somehow to fight COVID-19 as well as reducing the vaccine hesitancy by suggesting proper vaccines to patients based on the their specific concerns and questions.
Influence of hot forging on grain formation in Al0.35CoCrFeNi high-entropy alloy: numerical simulation, microstructure and mechanical properties
Authors: Štamborská M. , Pelachová T. , Danko D. , Orovčík L’.
Published: October 2024

One-step (F100) and three-step (F30-60-40) hot forging of Al0.35CoCrFeNi alloy was investigated to achieve a uniform equiaxed grain structure. In the as-cast and forged state, only a single-phase face-centered cubic structure was observed. The formation of twins, recrystallized and partially recrystallized grains in the volume of the samples was observed depending on used forging process. To predict uniform grain-size formation numerical simulation of the hot-forging process was used. The numerical model was calibrated and validated by means of measured compression experimental data of as-cast Al0.35CoCrFeNi alloy before forging. Thermal analysis using finite element analysis was used to simulate cooling of sample during the relocation from the furnace on the lower die. Simulations were run under different thermo-mechanical conditions and the regions for the formation of dynamically recrystallized grains were predicted. Room temperature mechanical properties were evaluated after F100 and F30-60-40 hot-forging process. The F30-60-40 hot forging optimized the grain size, which was evident in the very small dispersion of the room temperature mechanical properties in tension. Elongation after F30-60-40 hot forging increased by 17%. The correlation between temperature, equivalent stress, equivalent plastic strain, microstructure, tensile properties, and strain-hardening behavior is discussed.
Governing Silicon Valley and Shenzhen: Assessing a New Era of Artificial Intelligence Governance in the United States and China
Authors: Hine Emmie
Published: October 2024

This article examines recent developments in artificial intelligence (AI) governance in the United States (US) and China, exploring their implications for each country’s development trajectory. Drawing on a framework informed by the philosophy of technology, the article delves into not only the differences between the two countries’ approaches but also the reasons behind these differences. The US, after years of industry self-regulation, is slowly moving towards concrete legislation, while China is centralizing its development and regulatory initiatives. Despite China’s expressed desire for values-pluralistic international governance, existing tensions between the two, coupled with the US’s burgeoning coalition centered around AI with “democratic values,” might pose challenges to collaboration and international governance. Nonetheless, the article contends that both systems can be accommodated within a values-pluralistic human rights framework, potentially paving the way for meaningful international governance efforts.
The ‘hangar of the future’ for sustainable aviation
Authors: Plastropoulos A. , Fan I.-S. , Avdelidis N.P. , Angus J.P. , Maggiore J. , Atkinson H.
Published: October 2024

Sustainability is becoming a major strategic driver within the aviation industry, which has moved from providing primarily economic benefits to delivering the ‘triple bottom line’, including social and environmental impact as well as financial performance. Sustainable aviation is also being tracked by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) Global Collation for Sustainable Aviation. Operations and Infrastructure is an important near-term opportunity to deliver sustainability benefits. Digital Technologies, Integrated Vehicle Health Management (IVHM) and Maintenance Repair and Overhaul (MRO) play a prominent role in implementing these benefits, with a particular focus on operational efficiencies. As part of this, the sustainable smart hangar of the future is a concept that is becoming more and more important in forming the future of the aviation industry. The Hangar of the Future is an excellent opportunity for innovation, combining the progress in manufacturing, materials, robotics and artificial intelligence technologies. Succeeding in developing a hangar with these characteristics will provide us with potential benefits ranging from reduced downtime and costs to improved safety and environmental impact. This work explores some of the key features related to the sustainable smart hangar of the future by discussing research that takes place in DARTeC’s (Digital Aviation Research and Technology Centre) hangar led by the IVHM Centre in Cranfield. Additionally, the paper touches on some longer-term aspirations.
Characteristics of the 15-year surge of Mittie Glacier, SE Ellesmere Island, Canadian Arctic
Authors: Copland Luke , Hallé Danielle , Van Wychen Wesley , Lauzon Benoît , Dowdeswell Julian A. , Davis Jamie
Published: October 2024

A surge of Mittie Glacier, a 50 km-long tidewater outlet glacier of Manson Icefield, occurred between approximately 1992 and 2007. Velocities increased slowly at first, but then increased rapidly to reach a peak of 4800 m a−1 in early 1996, the highest ever reported for a glacier in the Canadian Arctic. The surge initiated at the terminus and propagated up-glacier, with a maximum terminus advance of 7.3 km between 1994 and 1999. The surge was almost entirely restricted to the lower ~30 km of the glacier, in a region which radio-echo sounding shows to be grounded below sea level. A 3 km-wide crevasse with a 150 m opening occurred at the separation between faster moving ice downstream and slower moving ice upstream. Surge initiation appears to have been triggered by flotation of the lower terminus, caused by long-term thinning of this region during quiescence.
Planetary pictures: historicizing environmental and climate sciences in the Anthropocene
Authors: Simpson Thomas
Published: October 2024

How should historians of environmental and climate sciences respond to the Earth's move from the blank canvas to a foreground feature of ‘big-picture’ scholarship? This article highlights three crucial themes for histories of science in the Anthropocene: categories of scale and methods of scaling, the relationship between history of science and the disciplines it historicizes, and the entanglement of environmental damage and environmental knowledge. Critically engaging a wide range of recent literature across history of science, environmental history, and environmental humanities, alongside an array of case studies, the article puts forward an agenda for ‘planetary pictures’. These are analyses that actively contribute to the vital political and ethical task to make visible, and force a reckoning with, the perpetrators and victims of Anthropocene violence.
Necessary Truths and St. Thomas Aquinas’ Definition of ‘Law’
Authors: Drefcinski Shane D.
Published: October 2024

What is the nature of law? The question that St. Thomas Aquinas answers in Summa Theologica I-II continues to be a crucial question in contemporary philosophy of law. Various scholars of jurisprudence attempt to identify the necessary features of law. Yet they struggle with the question, what kind of necessity is involved? Is it conceptual necessity? Metaphysical necessity? In this paper, I explore an alternative way of distinguishing different kinds of necessity that is found in Aquinas’ Commentary on Aristotle’s Physics. I argue that the three kinds of necessity simpliciter, from the formal, material, and efficient cause, and hypothetical necessity, from the final cause, are relevant for understanding how Aquinas’ definition of ‘law’—an ordinance of reason, for the common good, made by the one who has care for the community, and promulgated—is a necessary truth. This historically interesting approach offers insights for contemporary jurisprudence.
The Coming of Age of Deliberative Constitutionalism
Authors: Giuffré C. Ignacio
Published: October 2024

In a 1998 article, Bohman argued that the contemporary deliberative turn in democratic theory had reached its ‘coming of age’, as deliberative democrats began to show greater interest in the institutionalization of their proposal. Moreover, Bohman referred to this growing interest with an expression that was unprecedented at the time: ‘deliberative constitutionalism’. At present, deliberative constitutionalism has become one of the most original and relevant contemporary proposals. In this context, my article proceeds as follows. I begin by arguing that the contemporary deliberative turn in democratic theory also gave rise to a deliberative turn in constitutionalism—that is, a trend aimed at orienting constitutionalism and judicial review towards democratic deliberation. Next, I argue that, at that embryonic yet promising stage, deliberative constitutionalism had shortcomings that hindered the aim assumed since its origins. Finally, I argue that, over recent decades, these shortcomings have been finessed, which shows that deliberative constitutionalism has also reached its coming of age.
Doctrinal Legal Science: A Science of Its Own?
Authors: Byrne William Hamilton , Olsen Henrik Palmer
Published: October 2024

Doctrinal legal scholarship faces persistent challenges from empirical approaches, but such criticism rarely seeks to encounter doctrine on its own terms. In this article, we seek to excavate the theoretical and methodological basis of doctrinal legal scholarship by situating the discipline in a hermeneutic continuum between theory and practice, or law’s engagement with the social world. We first unfold this dynamic as an exercise in methodological interpretivism and ontological hermeneutics and then turn to explicate our analysis with examples drawn from tort law and international criminal law. We ultimately argue that law can never be strictly circumscribed as an empirical object because law cannot be disassociated from an agent’s reasons, which are continuously bound up in a hermeneutic circle, and which the scholar must enter into to achieve legal understanding. Unavoidably, therefore, doctrinal legal scholarship becomes part of the very object it is investigating.
Consumer Being a Party to the Group Insurance Contract is Not Just a Silent Observer: The CJEU’s Clarification in Ocidental
Authors: Mantrov Vadim
Published: October 2024

If the consumer is insured under the group insurance contract and becomes a party to that contract, the consumer shall enjoy the protection envisaged under the Unfair Terms Directive. As a result, the consumer shall be allowed to get acquainted with the terms of the contract, otherwise the consumer is entitled to rely on protection against unfair terms even if they relate to the insurance cover (author’s summary).
The tension between democracy and populism: an empirical test of Canovan's claims of the two faces of democracy
Authors: Marolla Francesco , Achterberg Peter , Luijkx Ruud , Quaranta Mario
Published: October 2024

This study provides a first empirical test of Margaret Canovan's influential argument on the relationship between democracy and populism, which posits that populism emerges as a consequence of the unresolved conflict between the pragmatic and redemptive faces of democracy. Despite its impact on scholars of populism, the implications of her framework remain untested. Using data from the EVS/WVS Integrated Values Surveys, we test Canovan's claims about the effect of ‘pragmatic politics’ on support for populist parties, operationalized as consensual democracies, economic and political globalization, and checks on government. Our analyses predominantly reveal no significant effects, and where significant results are observed, they indicate directions contrary to Canovan's claims, thus providing no empirical support for her claims. These results challenge long-standing assumptions about the relationship between populism and democracy, urging scholars to reevaluate existing assumptions and explore this intricate connection further. We conclude by suggesting some directions for future research to deepen our understanding of populism.
Maximum likelihood estimation for spinal-structured trees
Authors: Azaïs Romain , Henry Benoît
Published: October 2024

We investigate some aspects of the problem of the estimation of birth distributions (BDs) in multi-type Galton–Watson trees (MGWs) with unobserved types. More precisely, we consider two-type MGWs called spinal-structured trees. This kind of tree is characterized by a spine of special individuals whose BD
$\nu$
is different from the other individuals in the tree (called normal, and whose BD is denoted by
$\mu$
). In this work, we show that even in such a very structured two-type population, our ability to distinguish the two types and estimate
$\mu$
and
$\nu$
is constrained by a trade-off between the growth-rate of the population and the similarity of
$\mu$
and
$\nu$
. Indeed, if the growth-rate is too large, large deviation events are likely to be observed in the sampling of the normal individuals, preventing us from distinguishing them from special ones. Roughly speaking, our approach succeeds if
$r\lt \mathfrak{D}(\mu,\nu)$
, where r is the exponential growth-rate of the population and
$\mathfrak{D}$
is a divergence measuring the dissimilarity between
$\mu$
and
$\nu$
.
Finite element approximations for stochastic control problems with unbounded state space
Authors: Vieten Martin G. , Stockbridge Richard H.
Published: October 2024

A numerical method is proposed for a class of one-dimensional stochastic control problems with unbounded state space. This method solves an infinite-dimensional linear program, equivalent to the original formulation based on a stochastic differential equation, using a finite element approximation. The discretization scheme itself and the necessary assumptions are discussed, and a convergence argument for the method is presented. Its performance is illustrated by examples featuring long-term average and infinite horizon discounted costs, and additional optimization constraints.
How small a nanoplastic can be? A discussion on the size of this ubiquitous pollutant
Authors: Rani-Borges Bárbara , Ando Rômulo Augusto
Published: October 2024

Microplastics pollution is a widely recognized issue, although significant analytical challenges remain to be overcome in order to achieve a more comprehensive ecological understanding. The complex nature of this pollutant, with its variable physical and chemical properties, presents considerable challenges when it comes to establishing standardized methods for studying it. One crucial factor that influences its toxicity is particle size, yet even this parameter lacks a well-established framework, especially in the case of nanoplastics. Although the size range limits are already proposed in the literature, where the most acceptable values for microplastics are from 1 to 5,000 μm and for nanoplastics are from 1 to 1,000 nm, we propose narrowing these limits to 0.1–1,000 μm and 10–100 nm, respectively. We based our discussion on conceptual terminology, polymer structure and toxicity, highlighting the significance of accurately defining their size range. The standardization of these limits will allow the development of more efficient approaches to studying this pollutant, enabling a comprehensive understanding of its ecological consequences and potential risks.
Supercongruences involving Motzkin numbers and central trinomial coefficients
Authors: Liu Ji-Cai
Published: October 2024

Let Mn and Tn denote the nth Motzkin number and the nth central trinomial coefficient respectively. We prove that for any prime $p\ge 5$,
\begin{equation*}
\begin{aligned}\\[-22pt]
&\sum_{k=0}^{p-1}M_k^2\equiv \left(\frac{p}{3}\right)\left(2-6p\right)\pmod{p^2},\\
&\sum_{k=0}^{p-1}kM_k^2\equiv \left(\frac{p}{3}\right)\left(9p-1\right)\pmod{p^2},\\
&\sum_{k=0}^{p-1}T_kM_k\equiv \frac{4}{3}\left(\frac{p}{3}\right)+\frac{p}{6}\left(1-9\left(\frac{p}{3}\right)\right)\pmod{p^2},\\[-6pt]
\end{aligned}
\end{equation*}

where $\left(-\right)$ is the Legendre symbol. These results confirm three supercongruences conjectured by Z.-W. Sun in 2010.
The combinatorics of
$N_\infty$
operads for
$C_{qp^n}$
and
$D_{p^n}$
Authors: Balchin Scott , MacBrough Ethan , Ormsby Kyle
Published: October 2024

We provide a general recursive method for constructing transfer systems on finite lattices. Using this, we calculate the number of homotopically distinct
$N_{\infty} $
operads for dihedral groups
$D_{p^n}$
,
$p \gt 2$
prime, and cyclic groups
$C_{qp^n}$
,
$p \neq q$
prime. We then further display some of the beautiful combinatorics obtained by restricting to certain homotopically meaningful
$N_\infty$
operads for these groups.
Authoritarian governance of academia in Central and Eastern Europe: Chances of a European counter-culture
Authors: Ziegler Tamas Dezso
Published: October 2024

This article highlights the challenges of external reactions to authoritarian higher education governance in certain Central and Eastern European countries, especially Hungary and Poland. It interprets the political change in these countries as an authoritarian cultural backlash, which is not just a legal or political problem, but a kind of post-fascist cultural revolution contesting the liberal script. First, the article explains the framework of authoritarian policing in academia based on the more general works of Bob Altemeyer and Zeev Sternhell. Second, it tries to answer the question: What tools could counter these tendencies from the perspective of the European Union? As the article interprets the rise of authoritarianism as a phenomenon rooted in the cultural deficit of the countries concerned, it argues that a programme for a democratic and pluralist cultural counter-revolution should be implemented. However, no nation can be democratized solely by external actors, and the basics of democratic thinking should be developed from the grassroots level. If the crisis in academia is rooted in a value-crisis within the societies concerned, then measures countering this phenomenon should also include promoting Enlightened pluralism at all levels of these societies.
Effects of Leafy Flexible Vegetation on Bed‐Load Transport and Dune Geometry
Authors: Artini G. , Francalanci S. , Solari L. , Aberle J.
Published: October 2024

The development of sustainable river management strategies requires knowledge of the effect of vegetation on hydrodynamics and sediment transport. To date, the complex physical processes involving the combined effects of leafy flexible vegetation and mobile bedforms are not completely understood. Most sediment transport models have been developed for bare bed conditions so that their performance in the presence of leafy flexible vegetation remains unclear. On the other hand, recently developed models consider vegetated conditions but they typically account only for the presence of rigid cylinders and in some cases scour at their base. For this purpose, laboratory experiments were conducted with mobile dune bed conditions and artificial flexible plants with varying Leaf Area Index to investigate the effect of flexible vegetation on bed morphology and sediment transport. Sediment transport rates and bedform characteristics such as height, wavelength and celerity, were measured in specifically designed experimental runs. The collected data show that the presence of leafy vegetation alters bed morphology, tending to reduce the average dune wavelength and leading to the formation of complex 3D geometries. Bed‐shear‐stress‐based models for predicting sediment transport were verified to be valid under conditions of low vegetation roughness density. On the contrary, the collected data emphasize that the measured bed‐load transport rate increased in the presence of leafy flexible vegetation with higher frontal area. Recent bed‐load models for vegetated channels provide a better interpretation for dense leafy vegetation but are less effective when predominant effects related to dunes are present.
Global Estimates of Particulate Organic Carbon Concentration From the Surface Ocean to the Base of the Mesopelagic
Authors: Fox James , Behrenfeld Michael J. , Halsey Kimberly H. , Graff Jason R.
Published: October 2024

The gravitational settling of organic particles from the surface to the deep ocean is an important export pathway and one of the largest components of the ocean carbon pump. The strength and efficiency of the gravitational pump are often measured using metrics reliant on reference depths and empirical formulations that parameterize the relationship between depth and the flux or concentration of particulate organic carbon (POC). Here, BGC‐Argo profiles were used to identify the isolume where POC concentration, [POC], starts to decline, revealing attenuation trends below this isolume that are remarkably consistent across the global ocean. We developed a simple empirical approach that uses observations from the first optical depth to predict [POC] from the surface ocean to the base of the mesopelagic (1,000 m), allowing assessments of spatial and temporal variability in gravitational pump efficiencies. We find that rates of [POC] attenuation are high in areas of high biomass and low in areas of low biomass, supporting the view that bloom events sometimes result in a relatively weak deep biological pump that is characterized by low transfer efficiency to the base of the mesopelagic. Our isolume‐based attenuation model was applied to satellite data to yield the first remote sensing‐based estimate of integrated global POC stock of 3.02 Pg C over the top 1,000 m, with an uncertainty of 0.69 Pg C. Of this total stock, approximately 1.02 Pg was located above the reference isolume where [POC] begins to attenuate.
Tree Rings Reveal ENSO in the Last Millennium
Authors: Cook Edward R. , Cane Mark A.
Published: October 2024

We present new climate field reconstructions (CFR) of tropical Pacific ENSO sea surface temperatures (HadISST) for the boreal winter season using a circum‐Pacific tree‐ring network from known El Niño rainfall impact regions. We use two different CFR methods: Point‐by‐Point Regression (PPR) and reduced‐space Orthogonal Spatial Regression (OSR). Both methods produce reconstructions with high validation skill, but OSR is preferred because it has less spatial noise and is more efficient. Only the leading EOF of the SST field (EOF1) can be skillfully reconstructed by either method; EOF2 does not validate. The success of EOF1 reflects its importance for ENSO rainfall impacts over land; the failure with EOF2 is from the lack of these impacts. EOF1 allows for the reconstruction of many ENSO indices, including the ENSO Longitudinal Index (ELI). We also find evidence in our reconstructions for a recent increase in ENSO activity.
Organic Carbon Reaction Kinetics in Bioturbated Sediments
Authors: Kuderer Matthias , Middelburg Jack J.
Published: October 2024

Most organic carbon delivered to the seafloor is degraded within the bioturbated layer. Theory and empirical evidence have shown that organic carbon reactivity relates to the age of a particle. However, due to particle mixing, the age‐depth linear relation induced by sediment accretion is obfuscated. Here we combine a Lagrangian particle tracking model that resolves the age distribution of particles in the bioturbated zone and couple it to age‐dependent organic carbon degradation. Depth profiles for organic carbon concentration, reactivity and degradation rate are presented for sediments receiving low and high reactivity organic carbon in coastal, continental slope and deep‐sea environments. Our results show that a simple first‐order kinetics model suffices for well‐mixed sediments and systems receiving pre‐processed materials. A reactive continuum approach is needed for poorly mixed sediments receiving highly reactive organic carbon and for sediments below the bioturbated layer.
The Sensitivity of the Spatial Pattern of Sea Level Changes to the Depth of Antarctic Meltwater Fluxes
Authors: Eisenman Ian , Basinski‐Ferris Aurora , Beer Emma , Zanna Laure
Published: October 2024

Regional patterns of sea level rise are affected by a range of factors including glacial melting, which has occurred in recent decades and is projected to increase in the future, perhaps dramatically. Previous modeling studies have typically included fluxes from melting glacial ice only as a surface forcing of the ocean or as an offline addition to the sea surface height fields produced by climate models. However, observational estimates suggest that the majority of the meltwater from the Antarctic Ice Sheet actually enters the ocean at depth through ice shelf basal melt. Here we use simulations with an ocean general circulation model in an idealized configuration. The results show that the simulated global sea level change pattern is sensitive to the depth at which Antarctic meltwater enters the ocean. Further analysis suggests that the response is dictated primarily by the steric response to the depth of the meltwater flux.
Impact of North Atlantic Tripole and Extratropical North Pacific Extreme SSTs on the 2023/24 El Niño
Authors: Hong Chi‐Cherng , Sullivan Arnold , Chang Chih‐Chun
Published: October 2024

Observations revealed notable discrepancies in the 2023/24 El Niño compared to earlier events, despite registering moderate Niño3.4 index magnitudes. Essential indicators such as the westerly wind burst, thermocline zonal tilting, and eastward propagation of oceanic Kelvin waves were conspicuously weak, indicating a weak air‐sea coupled in contrast to past occurrences, the 2023/24 El Niño coincided with unusually high North Atlantic Tripole and extratropical North Pacific sea surface temperatures (SSTs). The elevated North Atlantic Tripole SST triggered a strong negative Pacific meridional mode and easterly anomalies in the equatorial western‐central Pacific. At the same time, the extratropical North Pacific SST induced a negative Pacific Decadal Oscillation‐like pattern. These anomalies potentially dampened SST‐wind coupling during the developmental stages of El Niño. The negative Pacific meridional mode distinguished the 2023/24 El Niño from previous events and substantially altered its local and remote influences.
Role of Ion Dynamics in Electron‐Only Magnetic Reconnection
Authors: Guan Yundan , Lu Quanming , Lu San , Shu Yukang , Wang Rongsheng
Published: October 2024

Standard magnetic reconnection couples with both ions and electrons on different scales. Recently, a new type of magnetic reconnection, electron‐only reconnection without the coupling of ions, has been observed in various plasma environments. Standard reconnection typically has a reconnection outflow velocity of about one Alfvén speed. According to the scaling analysis, the electron outflow velocity is expected to be about one electron Alfvén speed in electron‐only reconnection. However, observations and simulations both find that the electron outflows are much slower than the electron Alfvén speed. In this letter, by performing two‐dimensional particle‐in‐cell simulations, we show that this is because ions play a role in electron‐only reconnection. The ions move slower than the electrons in the outflow direction, and such charge separation forms an in‐plane Hall electric field, which prevents the electrons from being accelerated to the electron Alfvén speed in electron‐only reconnection.