bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Public Law Directions
Authors: Dennett Anne
Published: August 2024

Public Law Directions provides a balance of depth, detail, context, and critique. The aim is to empower readers to evaluate the law, understand its practical application, and confidently approach assessments. The text offers scene-setting introductions and highlighted case extracts, making the practical importance of the law clear. It shows readers when and how to critically evaluate the law by introducing the key areas of debate and encourages a questioning attitude towards the law. Topics covered include: the UK constitution; constitutional principles and values; power in the UK including an examination of the three arms of state; an analysis of the relationship between the individual and the state; and a close examination of human rights, including a look at the Human Rights Act 1998.
4. How the UK is organised
Authors: Dennett Anne
Published: August 2024

This chapter details how power is allocated in the UK, and its organisation in terms of devolution and regional and local government. Power in the UK is divided into three branches or arms of state: legislature (law-makers), executive (government and administration), and judiciary (courts and judges). Before devolution, the government’s (executive’s) administrative power was centralised and it extended to the whole of the UK, but devolution has made significant changes to the constitution and has brought a substantial rebalancing of power in the government of the UK. Since devolution’s introduction, the power of central government no longer extends to the growing areas of domestic policy that have been devolved to Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. The UK government’s remit therefore now covers England and the whole of the UK on non-devolved matters including the conduct of foreign affairs, defence, national security, and oversight of the Civil Service and government agencies. Devolving legislative powers to the three nations has reduced the scope and extent of the UK Parliament’s law-making, and devolution has raised issues about its effect on parliamentary sovereignty.
8. Rule of law
Authors: Dennett Anne
Published: August 2024

This chapter assesses the rule of law. The rule of law is a constitutional value or principle which measures good governance, fair law-making, and applying law in a just way. It acts as a protecting mechanism by preventing state officials from acting unfairly, unlawfully, arbitrarily, or unreasonably. These are also key terms in judicial review. The rule of law is also regarded as an external measure for what a state does; if the rule of law breaks down in a state, it will fail to function in an internationally acceptable way. Ultimately, the core meaning of the rule of law is that the law binds everyone. This includes those in government, who must obey the law. Moreover, any action taken by the government must be authorised by law, that is, government needs lawful authority to act.
17. The Human Rights Act 1998
Authors: Dennett Anne
Published: August 2024

This chapter addresses the Human Rights Act 1998. The Human Rights Act provides two ways for the courts to ensure compliance with Convention rights: where legislation is not human rights-compliant; and where a public authority has acted incompatibly with an individual’s rights. By providing a new benchmark for measuring UK legislation for compatibility with Convention rights, the Act gives judges a powerful interpreting role which effectively allows them to review Acts of Parliament within specified limits. At the same time, the Act was carefully drafted to respect and preserve parliamentary sovereignty and does not give the UK courts power to invalidate, overrule, or strike down an Act of Parliament that is incompatible with a Convention right; and while the Human Rights Act has special status as a constitutional statute, it is not entrenched and cannot override other statutes.
1. Tort and the tort system
Authors: Brennan Carol
Published: August 2024

Tort is the area of civil law which provides a remedy for a party who has suffered the breach of a protected interest. Different torts deal with different types of harm or wrongful conduct and the ‘ingredients’ for each of these torts are different; each with its own particular characteristics. This chapter discusses the types of loss or harm covered; competing interests; remedies; comparison of tort with contract law, criminal law, and human rights law; the aims of the law of tort (compensation and deterrence); and alternative routes to compensation. The influence of insurance and of the Compensation Act 2006 is included.
2. Negligence
Authors: Brennan Carol
Published: August 2024

This chapter discusses law on duty of care. Duty is the first element in the ‘negligence equation’ and the primary means of limiting liability in negligence. It begins with the fundamental ‘neighbour principle’ of Donoghue v Stevenson and charts its evolution throughout the 20th century. The current ingredients of the test for determining duty of care in novel situations are: foreseeability; proximity; and fairness, justice, and reasonableness. This is the ‘three-stage’ test set out in Caparo v Dickman (1990), used in novel situations. Policy is a major influence on the development of duty in negligence.
3. Duty of care
Authors: Brennan Carol
Published: August 2024

This chapter discusses areas in which the existence of a duty of care is problematic, particularly raising policy reasons for not imposing negligence liability in certain situations. Duty of care is often absent in the case of omissions, that is, when damage resulted from the defendant’s lack of action, rather than directly from a positive act. When the defendant is a public body, concern about operational discretion and financial implications may make it undesirable to impose a duty of care. There is a focus on negligence claims against the police. Duties to the unborn child are included.
4. Pure economic loss and negligent misstatement
Authors: Brennan Carol
Published: August 2024

This chapter discusses the law on pure economic loss, which is loss that is not derived from physical injury, death, or property damage. It may be consequential, that is resulting from the acquisition of a defective product or property. More commonly, the issue arises due to a negligent misstatement, or provision of professional services. This is an area of commercial and professional importance where there has been a trend towards expansion in the area of negligent misstatement. The two key cases in this area are Murphy v Brentwood District Council and Hedley Byrne v Heller.
5. Psychiatric injury
Authors: Brennan Carol
Published: August 2024

This chapter discusses the law on psychiatric injury. Psychiatric injury which is not derived from physical injury is a type of damage which is not always recoverable in negligence. It is an aspect of duty of care. The range of allowable actions has evolved through developments of control mechanisms in the common law, often policy-based. The legal distinction between the primary and secondary victim is explored, as are more atypical situations. The four key cases are McLoughlin v O’Brian (1983), Alcock v Chief Constable of South Yorkshire Police (1991), Page v Smith (1995), and White v Chief Constable of the South Yorkshire Police (1999).
6. Breach of duty
Authors: Brennan Carol
Published: August 2024

This chapter discusses the law on standard of care and breach of duty. To establish that the duty of care has been breached, the standard of care must first be found and then it must be decided if that standard was reached in the circumstances. The general standard of care is objective: the ‘reasonable person’ standard. Variations in the standard of care regarding children and the more skilled or professional are discussed, as are those pertaining to sport and the medical profession. Proof of breach must be established by the claimant on the balance of probabilities; occasionally with the benefit of the evidential tool of res ipsa loquitur.
13. Occupiers’ liability
Authors: Brennan Carol
Published: August 2024

This chapter discusses the law on occupiers’ liability, a form of negligence liability which was governed previously by the common law and now by statute law. The key statutes are the Occupiers’ Liability Act 1957 which governs duty to lawful visitors and the Occupiers’ Liability Act 1984, regarding non-visitors, or trespassers. In determining to whom the duty is owed, it is necessary to identify the status of the entrant onto land. To determine who owes the duty as occupier, the main criterion is control of the land. Exclusion of liability and defences are included.
14. Defamation
Authors: Brennan Carol
Published: August 2024

This chapter presents the tort of defamation. The tort is divided into two causes of action: libel, which concerns communications in permanent form; and slander, which concerns communications in transitory form. Libel has been actionable without proof of damage although serious harm is now a factor. Slander is actionable only with proof of damage except in two exceptional situations. The claimant must establish a defamatory statement, referring to the claimant and its publication. The primary defence to defamation is truth, and defences in this field raise issues under art 10 of the European Convention on Human Rights. The Defamation Acts 1996 and 2013 are covered, as are remedies for defamation.
17. Remedies and principles of compensation
Authors: Brennan Carol
Published: August 2024

This chapter discusses the main remedies for torts: damages and injunctions. In tort, damages are primarily compensatory and are intended to restore to the claimant what he has lost. Damages may be punitive or aggravated. They may be awarded in a lump sum, or in periodic or provisional form, and may be subject to deductions. An injunction is an order of the court requiring the defendant either to do something (mandatory injunction) or to cease doing something (prohibitory injunction). Interim injunctions anticipate trial of the full issue. Upon death, a remedy may be obtainable on behalf of the deceased or his dependants.
2. Registered Land
Authors: Bevan Chris
Published: August 2024

This chapter offers a detailed account of how land registration operates under the Land Registration Act 2002 (LRA 2002). The LRA 2002 is the primary source of our title registration system and provides the statutory framework for the modern law. As of 2023, 88 per cent of titles in the total land mass in England and Wales is registered; that’s over 26 million registered titles, leaving just 12 per cent of titles land unregistered. The significance of this is that, today, the vast majority of dealings with land now engage registered land principles. This chapter unpacks the LRA 2002: its aims and objectives, mechanics of registered land, as well as exploring the implications of registration for the enforceability of interests in land.
8. Proprietary Estoppel
Authors: Bevan Chris
Published: August 2024

The chapter explores the doctrine of proprietary estoppel—a means by which a person may acquire a proprietary interest in another’s land. If made out, a claim to proprietary estoppel allows for the informal creation and acquisition of rights in land. Rather than just being raised as defence against legal claims (as is the case for example in promissory estoppel), it is this that sets proprietary estoppel apart and represents its major point of distinction from other estoppels. This chapter considers the requirements for establishing an estoppel claim and the effect of an estoppel on third parties. You come to the law of proprietary estoppel at a time when it is has hit something of a fertile patch. With a bounty of case law including the recent Supreme Court judgment in Guest v Guest (2022) and new decisions seemingly handed down almost monthly, proprietary estoppel is having its moment in the sun and remains one of the liveliest and most productive areas of land law today.
12. Freehold Covenants
Authors: Bevan Chris
Published: August 2024

A covenant is a promise made in a deed. This chapter considers covenants that exist in relation to freehold land—also known as ‘freehold covenants’. As the name suggests, these are promises made between freehold owners of land. The chapter explores the nature of freehold covenants; how such covenants are created and enforced between the original parties and successive owners of the land. It covers the impact on original parties, the role of land equity, and remedies, and explores the legal and equitable rules governing the enforceability of freehold covenants. Finally, this chapter discusses how freehold covenants can be discharged and modified and reform of the law in this area.
14. Land Law and Human Rights
Authors: Bevan Chris
Published: August 2024

This chapter examines the relationship between land law and human rights. From a distinctly land law perspective, the human rights discourse has given rise to much debate, which continues to fuel much academic commentary including recent examination of the availability of horizontal effect in McDonald v McDonald in the Supreme Court and in the European Court of Human Rights. The chapter focuses chiefly on the two most pertinent provisions of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) for land law; namely Art. 1 of the First Protocol and Art. 8 and reflects on the, at times, difficult relationship between land law and human rights.
Public Law Concentrate
Authors: Faragher Colin
Published: August 2024

Each Concentrate revision guide is packed with essential information, key cases, revision tips, exam Q&As, and more. Concentrates show you what to expect in a law exam, what examiners are looking for, and how to achieve extra marks. Public Law Concentrate looks at all aspects of constitutional law including sources, rule of law, separation of powers, role of the executive, constitutional monarchy, and the Royal Prerogative. It also discusses parliamentary sovereignty and the changing constitutional relationship between the UK and the EU together with the status of EU retained and converted law under the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018 as amended by the 2020 Act, the Agreement on Trade and Cooperation effective from 1 January 2021, and the European Union (Future Relationship) Act 2020. Also covered are: administrative law, judicial review, human rights, police powers, public order, terrorism, the constitutional status of the Sewel Convention, legislative consent motion procedure, use of secondary legislation by the executive to amend law and make regulations creating criminal offences, especially under the Coronavirus Act 2020 and the Public Health (Control of Disease) Act 1984, the separation of powers implications of Henry VIII clauses, the constitutional role of the House of Lords in scrutinizing and amending primary legislation, the Speakers’ Ruling in the House of Commons on Points of Order and the Contempt of Parliament Motion, whip system, backbench revolts, confidence and supply agreements in government formation, and current legislative and executive devolution in Northern Ireland. The book additionally examines the continuing impact of the HRA 1998 and the European Court of Human Rights on parliamentary sovereignty and the significance of the 2021 Independent Review of the HRA.
6. Parliamentary sovereignty
Authors: Faragher Colin
Published: August 2024

Each Concentrate revision guide is packed with essential information, key cases, revision tips, exam Q&As, and more. Concentrates show you what to expect in a law exam, what examiners are looking for, and how to achieve extra marks. This chapter discusses the definition of parliamentary sovereignty, AV Dicey’s views concerning parliamentary sovereignty, the jurisdiction of the courts, whether the substance of an Act of Parliament can be challenged, the enrolled bill rule; whether the jurisdiction of the court over an Act of Parliament can be enlarged; the rule in Pepper v Hart; entrenchment clauses; prospective formula; the effect of the Human Rights Act 1998; the devolution of the legislative process.
7. The monarchy and the Royal Prerogative
Authors: Faragher Colin
Published: August 2024

Each Concentrate revision guide is packed with essential information, key cases, revision tips, exam Q&As, and more. Concentrates show you what to expect in a law exam, what examiners are looking for, and how to achieve extra marks. The UK is a constitutional monarchy: the monarch exercises their legal powers as part of a system of government which is parliamentary and democratic. The chapter discusses the legal source of the monarch’s powers as head of state which is the Royal Prerogative exercised in accordance with binding political rules and practices. The chapter also covers the monarch’s role within the executive. This chapter discusses the special privileges and immunities of the monarch; the powers and duties of the monarch; and the monarch and the organs and functions of government.
8. The executive
Authors: Faragher Colin
Published: August 2024

Each Concentrate revision guide is packed with essential information, key cases, revision tips, exam Q&As, and more. Concentrates show you what to expect in a law exam, what examiners are looking for, and how to achieve extra marks. This chapter discusses the executive branch of government. The executive consists of the reigning monarch who is legally the head of state, the Prime Minister, Cabinet, unanimity of advice and collective cabinet responsibility; Secretaries of State, Ministers of the Crown, departments of state, non-departmental public bodies, the civil service, the Civil Service Commission, parliamentary accountability, the Ministerial Code, the seven principles of public life, legal accountability, devolved administrative organizations in Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, and London, local authorities, the police, and the armed forces, the effect of the Localism Act 2011, the Scotland Acts 1998, 2012, 2014, and 2016, the Cities and Devolution Act 2016, and the Wales Act 2017. This chapter also discusses the relevant provisions of the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018 and the Northern Ireland (Executive Formation and Exercise of Functions) Act 2018.
10. Introduction to administrative law
Authors: Faragher Colin
Published: August 2024

Each Concentrate revision guide is packed with essential information, key cases, revision tips, exam Q&As, and more. Concentrates show you what to expect in a law exam, what examiners are looking for, and how to achieve extra marks. This chapter discusses the concept of judicial review. Judicial review allows a High Court judge to examine the lawfulness of decisions made by public bodies carrying out their public functions and enactments where there is no right of appeal or where all avenues of appeal have been exhausted. The defendant must be a public body, the subject matter of a claim must be a public law matter, and the claimant must have the right to claim. This chapter also looks at the basis procedure for judicial review.
11. Grounds for judicial review
Authors: Faragher Colin
Published: August 2024

Each Concentrate revision guide is packed with essential information, key cases, revision tips, exam Q&As, and more. Concentrates show you what to expect in a law exam, what examiners are looking for, and how to achieve extra marks. This chapter looks at the classification of grounds for judicial review, illegality, ultra vires, jurisdictional and non-jurisdictional error, subjective discretion and the ultra vires doctrine, improper purpose with or without express stipulation in the empowering statute, mixed motives, relevant and irrelevant considerations with or without express stipulation in the empowering statute, lack of evidence, and unlawful failure to exercise a discretionary power by policy, estoppel based on a representation made by an official, agreement, or wrongful delegation.
9. Fraud
Authors: Herring Jonathan
Published: August 2024

This chapter begins with a discussion of the law on fraud, covering fraud by false representation; fraud by failing to disclose information; fraud by abuse of position; fraud and possession offences; obtaining services dishonestly; conspiracy to defraud; and making off without payment. The offence of fraud can be committed where the defendant dishonestly makes a false representation intending to make a gain for themselves or a loss to another. The defendant is only guilty if they know that the statement is, or might be, untrue or misleading. Fraud is also committed where the defendant dishonestly fails to disclose information which they are under a duty to disclose, intending to make a gain for themselves or cause a loss to another. A third way of committing fraud is where the defendant misuses a position of trust in a dishonest way to make a gain or cause a loss. The second part of the chapter focuses on the theory of fraud, covering the extent and nature of fraud, and the Fraud Act 2006.
14. Inchoate Offences
Authors: Herring Jonathan
Published: August 2024

This chapter discusses the law and theory of inchoate offences, which are those that seek to deal with defendants who have taken steps towards the commission of an offence but who have not (yet) committed it. The two best-known examples are attempts and conspiracies. In attempt cases, the defendant has gone beyond mere preparation and taken steps towards carrying out a complete crime. Conspiracy involves agreeing with others to commit an offence. The Serious Crime Act 2007 offences involve encouraging or assisting a person to commit an offence. With all of these inchoate offences the defendant has not themselves performed the actus reus but is sufficiently close to doing so, or persuading others to do so, for the law to find it appropriate to punish them. The second part of the chapter shows that there is much debate about the justification for inchoate offences.
2. Negligence: duty of care
Authors: Brennan Carol
Published: August 2024

Without assuming prior legal knowledge, books in the Directions series introduce and guide readers through key points of law and legal debate. Questions, diagrams, and exercises help readers engage fully with each subject and check their understanding as they progress. Negligence is a tort in its own right and involves an unintentional wrong, as opposed to trespass, which involves an intentional wrong. It has three main elements: duty of care (whether the defendant owes the claimant a duty of care), breach (whether the defendant has breached that duty), and damage (whether that breach has caused damage of a legally recognized kind to the claimant). Duty of care is determined by proximity, foreseeability, and policy and is most likely to be established in cases of positive acts which cause physical injury or property damage. This chapter provides an overview of the history of negligence and discusses the function of duty of care in negligence. It also considers the way duty of care has been defined and developed and applies the principles of duty of care in the areas of omissions and liability of public bodies.
3. Breach of duty
Authors: Brennan Carol
Published: August 2024

Without assuming prior legal knowledge, books in the Directions series introduce and guide readers through key points of law and legal debate. Questions, diagrams, and exercises help readers engage fully with each subject and check their understanding as they progress. The first step in establishing a negligence claim is to prove that the defendant owed the claimant a duty of care. The claimant must then show that the defendant has been negligent, that is, has breached that duty. To determine negligence, one must therefore establish how the defendant ought to have behaved in the circumstances (that is, standard of care) and whether the defendant’s behaviour fell below the desired standard (that is, breach). The basic standard of care in negligence is objectively assessed: that of the reasonable man. The objective standard can at times appear to work particularly harshly against a defendant, as exemplified by the case Nettleship v Weston (1971). This chapter examines breach of duty and the standard of care, the proof of negligence, and the application of the maxim res ipsa loquitur. It also discusses the Compensation Act 2006 which addresses the problem of the so-called compensation culture.
5. Negligence: duty of care problem areas
Authors: Brennan Carol
Published: August 2024

Without assuming prior legal knowledge, books in the Directions series introduce and guide readers through key points of law and legal debate. Questions, diagrams, and exercises help readers engage fully with each subject and check their understanding as they progress. The tort of negligence originated as a remedy for property damage and physical injury. However, recovery of compensation for psychiatric injury and pure economic loss, in cases where they were not caused by physical injury or property damage, has proved difficult. Duty of care for psychiatric injury is contingent upon whether the claimant is a primary or secondary victim. This chapter discusses the policy reasons for limiting duty of care for psychiatric injury, the mechanisms by which the law limits duty of care for psychiatric injury, the meaning of ‘pure economic loss’, and the development of the Hedley Byrne & Co Ltd v Heller & Partners Ltd (1964) principle of liability for negligent statements. The chapter also examines the ‘thin skull’ rule, which applies to psychiatric injury in the same way as to physical injury.
10. Product liability
Authors: Brennan Carol
Published: August 2024

Without assuming prior legal knowledge, books in the Directions series introduce and guide readers through key points of law and legal debate. Questions, diagrams, and exercises help readers engage fully with each subject and check their understanding as they progress. Manufacturers and producers are liable for personal injury or damage to property caused by a defective product. The claimant will not only recover in contract for personal injury and property damage caused by the defective product but also be compensated for the cost of replacing the product itself. The Consumer Protection Act 1987 involves a strict liability regime for defective products on a variety of potential defendants. This discusses the limitations of the tort system in providing compensation to a victim of harm caused by a defective product, and analyses the scope and limitations of the Consumer Protection Act 1987.
11. Trespass to the person and to land
Authors: Brennan Carol
Published: August 2024

Without assuming prior legal knowledge, books in the Directions series introduce and guide readers through key points of law and legal debate. Questions, diagrams, and exercises help readers engage fully with each subject and check their understanding as they progress. Trespass, one of the oldest torts, takes three forms that are all actionable per se: trespass to the person, trespass to land, and trespass to goods. In each case, a claimant is not required to prove damage to bring an action in trespass. Many modern cases of trespass to the person are taken against the police or other public officials, mainly to vindicate the claimant’s rights rather than to obtain an award of damages in compensation. This chapter focuses on trespass to the person and trespass to land, the former of which involves an intentional infliction of harm without a direct interference.
15. Defences to defamation
Authors: Brennan Carol
Published: August 2024

Without assuming prior legal knowledge, books in the Directions series introduce and guide readers through key points of law and legal debate. Questions, diagrams, and exercises help readers engage fully with each subject and check their understanding as they progress. Defences to defamation protect freedom of speech in English law. Some of the defences are ‘absolute’ while others are ‘qualified’. Absolute defence means that regardless of how careless the defendant has been in publishing the statement or whether they have been motivated by malice, they are completely protected. Qualified defence applies to a wider range of situations, but fails if the claimant can show that the statement was made ‘maliciously’. This chapter looks at the amendments to the existing defences to defamation contained in the Defamation Act 2013, and the introduction of new defences to protect operators of websites that host user-generated content are also examined.
17. Remedies and limitation
Authors: Brennan Carol
Published: August 2024

Without assuming prior legal knowledge, books in the Directions series introduce and guide readers through key points of law and legal debate. Questions, diagrams, and exercises help readers engage fully with each subject and check their understanding as they progress. The remedies for torts begin with financial compensation for both pecuniary and non-pecuniary losses, but also include injunctions. Compensation can be claimed by the injured party and also their survivors and dependants following death. Tort compensation is normally paid as a lump sum and will be liable to various deductions. This chapter also discusses how limitation of actions will be a factor which can influence the injured parties’ ability to bring an action in tort.
3. Ending a Marriage or Civil Partnership
Authors: Morgan Polly
Published: August 2024

This chapter starts by tracing the changing laws of divorce over the centuries including up to the Divorce, Dissolution and Separation Act 2020. The chapter then considers the current law on divorce, civil partnership dissolution, and judicial separation, and asks: Why was reform needed? What role does divorce play in our society? What does divorce say about marriage as an institution? Should it be easy to get divorced, or difficult? The chapter uses realistic scenarios to answer these questions.
Injuries to Pacific mackerel (Scomber japonicus) from underwater explosions
Authors: Bowman Victoria , Jenkins A Keith , Dahl Peter H , Kotecki Sarah E , Casper Brandon M , Boerger Christiana , Smith Michael E , Popper Arthur N
Published: August 2024

This study expands previous work examining the effects on fishes from exposure to a single 4.5 kg underwater explosive detonation. Experiments were done in the field, with fish in cages at different distances from the source. Although our earlier work reported high acoustic dosage levels (e.g. based on peak pressure) correlating with severe injuries, dosage levels that result in moderate, or mild injuries were not clearly established. Thus, in this study, caged Pacific mackerel (Scomber japonicus) were placed at targeted ranges of 150–800 m from the source. All procedures were the same as in the earlier study except that animals were left at depth for ∼3 hours post-exposure to determine immediate effects on survival. Fish were then retrieved and assessed for physical damage. The only statistically significant tissue injuries were swim bladder bruising and in a reduction in inner ear sensory hair cell density that lessened with distance from the source. Still, results must be taken with caution since they may vary with different source levels, water depths, location of the fish in the water column, and by species.
Innovation and practice of operation, profit, and management of enterprises from the perspective of economic goals of carbon peak and neutralization
Authors: Fan Yaochong
Published: August 2024

This paper takes the ant colony optimization (ACO) clustering algorithm as the starting point, explores the innovative ways of enterprise strategic management based on the background of economic goals of carbon peak and neutralization, and dynamically adjusts the transition probability according to the average number of node branches to make it ‘explore’ and ‘utilize’. A balance can always be maintained between the two so that the algorithm can provide more technical support in realizing the innovation and practice of operation, profit, and management of enterprises while retaining a high searchability, avoiding stagnation, and ultimately promoting the sustainable development of the enterprise. The experimental results show that compared with the three conventional methods, the proposed algorithm has a robust global analysis ability, so it has a better application effect in operation, profit, and management of enterprise innovation and efficiency improvement. The application of ACO clustering can be seen.
Smoking-Related Increases in Alcohol Outcomes and Preliminary Evidence for the Protective Effect of a Functional Nicotine Receptor Gene (CHRNA5) Variant on Alcohol Consumption in Individuals Without Alcohol Use Disorder
Authors: Venkatesh Shyamala K , Stangl Bethany L , Yan Jia , Quijano Cardé Natalia A , Stein Elliot A , Diazgranados Nancy , Schwandt Melanie L , Sun Hui , Momenan Reza , Goldman David , De Biasi Mariella , Ramchandani Vijay A
Published: August 2024

Background

Alcohol and nicotine interact with the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor system to alter reward-related responses, thereby contributing to the co-use and misuse of these drugs. A missense polymorphism rs16969968 (G>A) in the CHRNA5 gene has shown a strong association with nicotine-related phenotypes. However, less is known about the impact of this variant on alcohol-related phenotypes.

Methods

We assessed the main and interactive effect of smoking and rs16969968 polymorphism on alcohol consumption using the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT), Timeline Follow Back (TLFB), and Lifetime Drinking History (LDH) in 980 healthy adults without alcohol use disorder. We further examined the effect of the rs16969968 polymorphism on acute alcohol consumption using a free-access i.v. alcohol self-administration (IV-ASA) human laboratory paradigm in a subset of 153 nonsmoking participants. Subjective alcohol responses, alcohol sensitivity, and expectancy measures were compared between genotype groups (GG; AA/AG).

Results

We observed a significant association of smoking with AUDIT, TLFB, and LDH measures across genotype groups, with smokers showing higher scores compared with nonsmokers. Additionally, we found an association between genotype and TLFB-total drinks in the IV-ASA subset, with the GG group showing higher scores than AA/AG group. Relatedly, the alcohol negative expectancy score was significantly lower in the GG group than the AA/AG group.

Conclusions

Our findings underscore the association of smoking with alcohol measures. We found preliminary evidence for the protective effect of the functional CHRNA5 polymorphism on alcohol consumption and its association with increased negative alcohol expectancies, which highlights the substantial heterogeneity in alcohol responses.
Emerging Aspergillus lentulus infections in Taiwan: clinical and environmental surveillance
Authors: Chen Pao-Yu , Chao Chien-Ming , Luo Chwan-Yau , Tseng Yau-Lin , Chen Po-Lin , Roan Jun-Neng , Liu Wei-Lun , Chu Chien , Wu Chi-Jung , Wang Hsuan-Chen , Hsieh Ming-I , Choi Pui-Ching , Chen Yee-Chun
Published: August 2024

Objectives

This study aimed to investigate the prevalence and characteristics of Aspergillus lentulus clinical and environmental isolates in Taiwan.

Methods

Aspergillus isolates obtained from patients at three hospitals and from 530 soil samples across Taiwan were screened. A. lentulus, confirmed by calmodulin sequencing, was subjected to antifungal susceptibility testing and cyp51A analyses. Soil samples yielding A. lentulus were analysed for residues of 25 azole fungicides.

Results

Nine A. lentulus isolates were identified, which included seven (1.2%, 7/601) isolates from three antifungal-naïve patients out of 601 Aspergillus section Fumigati clinical isolates and two (0.3%, 2/659) isolates out of 659 Aspergillus soil isolates. All isolates developed white colonies and failed to grow at 48°C. They were susceptible to anidulafungin but showed reduced susceptibility to amphotericin B (AmB), voriconazole and azole fungicides. One heart transplant recipient with proven invasive pulmonary aspergillosis (IPA) initially showed suboptimal response to voriconazole monotherapy but was cured with a combination of voriconazole–caspofungin, liposomal AmB (LAmB)–caspofungin, along with surgery, followed by voriconazole maintenance therapy. Among two critically ill patients with probable IPA, one survived with micafungin, while the other died of aspergillosis despite sequential isavuconazole and LAmB monotherapy. Clinical and environmental isolates sharing identical Cyp51A sequence are identified, matching the Cyp51A sequence of A. lentulus NIID0096. Flusilazole (0.0009 mg/kg) was detected in one soil sample.

Conclusions

This study raises concerns about health threat posed by human pathogenic A. lentulus originating from natural environments and underscores the need for increased clinical and laboratory vigilance regarding A. lentulus infections.
Intelligent neuro-computational modelling for MHD nanofluid flow through a curved stretching sheet with entropy optimization: Koo–Kleinstreuer–Li approach
Authors: Richa  , Sharma Bhupendra K , Almohsen Bandar , Laroze David
Published: August 2024

The present study explores the dynamics of a two-dimensional, incompressible nanofluid flow through a stretching curved sheet within a highly porous medium. The mathematical model is formulated by including external forces such as viscous dissipation, thermal radiation, Ohmic heating, chemical reactions, and activation energy by utilizing a curvilinear coordinate system. The viscosity and thermal conductivity of the nanofluids are examined using the Koo–Kleinstreuer–Li model. The choice of $Al_{2}O_{3}$ and $CuO$ nanoparticles in this model stems from their distinct thermal properties and widespread industrial applicability. By non-dimensionalizing the governing partial differential equations, the physical model is simplified into ordinary differential equations. BVP-5C solver in MATLAB is utilized to numerically solve the obtained coupled non-linear ordinary differential equation. Graphical results are presented to investigate the velocity, temperature, and concentration profiles with entropy generation optimization under the influence of several flow parameters. The artificial neural network backpropagated with Levenberg–Marquardt method (ANN-BLMM) used to study the model. The performance is validated using regression analysis, mean square error and error histogram plots. The outcome illustrates that the velocity and temperature profiles increase with increasing the Forchhiemer parameter. Also, the velocity profile increases with increasing curvature parameter, while, reverse effect is observed for temperature profile. This research augments our comprehension of nanofluid dynamics over curved surfaces, which has implications for engineering applications. The insights gained have the potential to significantly contribute to the advancement of energy-efficient and environmentally sustainable cooling systems in industrial processes.
Plant-based diet and survival among patients with metastatic colorectal cancer
Authors: Cheng En , Ou Fang-Shu , Gatten Clare , Ma Chao , Venook Alan P , Lenz Heinz-Josef , O’Reilly Eileen M , Campbell Peter T , Kuang Chaoyuan , Caan Bette J , Blanke Charles D , Ng Kimmie , Meyerhardt Jeffrey A
Published: August 2024

Background

A plant-based diet is associated with better survival among patients with nonmetastatic colorectal cancer (CRC), but its association in metastatic CRC is unknown.

Methods

Using an National Cancer Institute–sponsored trial (CALGB/SWOG 80405), we included 1284 patients who completed validated food frequency questionnaires at the initiation of metastatic CRC treatment. We calculated 3 indices: overall plant-based diet index (PDI), which emphasized consumption of all plant foods while reducing animal food intake; healthful plant-based diet index (hPDI), which emphasized consumption of healthful plant foods such as whole grains, fruits, and vegetables; and unhealthful plant-based diet index (uPDI), which emphasized consumption of less healthful plant foods such as fruit juices, refined grains, and sugar-sweetened beverages. We estimated the associations of 3 indices (quintiles) with overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) using multivariable Cox proportional hazards regression.

Results

We observed 1100 deaths and 1204 progression events (median follow-up = 6.1 years). Compared with the lowest quintile, patients in the highest quintile of PDI had significantly better survival (hazard ratio [HR] for OS = 0.76 [0.62-0.94], Ptrend = .004; PFS = 0.81 [0.66-0.99], Ptrend = .09). Similar findings were observed for hPDI (HR for OS = 0.81 [0.65-1.01], Ptrend = .053; PFS = 0.80 [0.65-0.98], Ptrend = .04), whereas uPDI was not associated with worse survival (HR for OS = 1.16 [0.94-1.43], Ptrend = .21; PFS = 1.12 [0.92-1.36], Ptrend = .42).

Conclusions

Our study suggests that a plant-based diet, especially when rich in healthful plant foods, is associated with better survival among patients with metastatic CRC. The cause of survival benefits warrants further investigation.
Evaluation of Transplacental Maternal SARS-CoV-2 Antibody Transfer in Small for Gestational Age Infants
Authors: Kachikis Alisa , Pike Mindy , Eckert Linda O , Roberts Emma A , Baranoff Alexis , Kung Sharon , Goecker Erin A , Gravett Michael G , Greninger Alexander L , Englund Janet A
Published: August 2024

Little is known about the potential benefits of maternal immunization in the setting of high-risk pregnancies resulting in small-for-gestational-age (SGA) infants. This study compares transplacental transfer of maternal SARS-CoV-2 anti-Spike antibody in pregnancies with SGA compared to appropriate-for-gestational-age infants.
Avulsion fracture of olecranon treated with McLaughlin-cerclage using an artificial ligament: a case report
Authors: Katsuyama Yusei , Nakamura Shinichiro , Sasaki Kentaro , Umeda Koichi , Takahashi Kenji
Published: August 2024

A 65-year-old woman presented with right elbow pain after a fall. Imaging showed an avulsion fracture of the olecranon. The patient subsequently underwent surgery using the suture bridge technique with anchors. However, loosening was observed intraoperatively. Therefore, a McLaughlin cerclage with an artificial ligament was added, resulting in a rigid fixation. Bone union was achieved at 4 months postoperatively. At 18 months postoperatively, no limitation was observed in the range of motion of the elbow joint; the disabilities of the arm, shoulder and hand score was 0. McLaughlin cerclage with an artificial ligament provided additional fixation, demonstrating greater strength compared with suture anchors and minimizing the risk of cut-through in the osteoporotic bone. This approach offers a promising alternative for such cases by combining firm fixation with a reduced risk of complications, particularly in older patients with osteoporosis.
A rare presentation of cardiac and hepatic hydatid cysts in a young female: a case report
Authors: Khuanbai Yerkhanat , Alataev Bagdat , Kuatbayev Yermagambet , Bikhanov Nurzhan
Published: August 2024

Hydatid disease is an endemic parasitic infection caused by the larval stages of the tapeworm Echinococcus. It is highly endemic in Kazakhstan, with both Echinococcus granulosus and Echinococcus multilocularis widely distributed throughout the country. Hydatid disease can affect almost any organ in the body, with the liver and lung being the most common sites, while cardiac involvement is rare. We report a case of a young female presenting with a 1-year history of stabbing precordial pain, shortness of breath, and weakness. She had a hydatid cyst involving the myocardium of the left ventricle and the left lobe of the liver. The patient underwent surgical resection and received albendazole medication as part of the treatment regimen.
From the Universal Declaration to the Covenant on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights
Authors: Romano Cesare PR , Boggio Andrea
Published: August 2024

This chapter starts by telling the story of how, on the one hand, civil and political rights and, on the other, economic, social, and cultural rights ended up being codified in two separate treaties and how the right to science ended up lumped together with the right to culture in the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR). Then, it proceeds to recount the debates and negotiations regarding the wording of Article 15 of the ICESCR. The long and often intricate history of the genesis of the right to science shows that first, it survived several attempts to be nipped in the bud, indicating that States intended to assert a right to benefit from progress in science and technology. Second, although the right to science ended up being lumped together with the right to culture in the same article, it was not subsumed to it. Third, the right to science was hobbled from the very beginning by a remarkable lack of clarity, due to its complex nature as a cluster of more precise rights. While States agreed that the benefits of science were to be shared, they struggled to explain what those benefits are and how they are to be shared. Lastly, during the foundational years, the question of whether science should be oriented toward any specific goal, such as progress, democracy, international peace, or cooperation, was particularly contested.
The United Nations and the Right to Science
Authors: Romano Cesare PR , Boggio Andrea
Published: August 2024

This chapter maps the right to science within the United Nations after the adoption of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR). It covers both treaty bodies, in particular the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (CESCR), and Charter bodies, including the General Assembly, Security Council, and Human Rights Council. In the case of the CESCR, this chapter describes the right to science as it emerges from a systematic perusal of periodic State reports; from the only individual communication to date claiming violation of the right to science; and from CESCR’s General Comments, including General Comments 17 and 25. As regards the General Assembly, the chapter describes two major themes that have preoccupied it over much of its history: the question of the limits and teleology of science and technology, and the question of the transfer of technology from developed to developing States. Finally, regarding the Human Rights Council, this chapter explains that the right to science is rarely discussed in the context of State reports under the Universal Periodic Review. However, the Human Rights Council’s thematic mandate holders have written important pages about the right to science and several of the rights it includes contributing to deepening the normative content of the right.
Regional Human Rights Regimes and the Right to Science
Authors: Romano Cesare PR , Boggio Andrea
Published: August 2024

This chapter maps the diffusion of the right to science throughout five regional human rights regimes. First, it starts by following the development of the right to science in the Organization of American States, from the adoption of the American Declaration of Human Rights, to the American Convention of Human Rights and its Protocol of San Salvador, and to the Social Charter of the Americas. It discusses the first tentative steps taken by the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights to incorporate the right to science in State reports and the still untapped potential of the system. Second, it explains the political and historical reasons why the right to science is not codified in the European human rights regimes, while illustrating the many ways in which certain of its elements are reflected and implemented, both in the Council of Europe and in the European Union. Then, it explains why the right to science failed to be incorporated as such in the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, identifies elements of the right in several other African legal instruments, and explains what could be done to strengthen the rights in the African region. Finally, the chapter discusses the two most recent human rights regimes, of the Arab League and of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. It shows that although the right of science is codified in the key human rights instruments, it is still largely ignored both by States and by the regimes’ human rights bodies.