bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Syntax of European Union Law
Authors: Nowak-Far Artur
Published: September 2023

The article investigates the significance of syntax in the multilingual EU law. It attempts to respond to the question whether syntax is apt to contribute to the uniformity of that law and how, with regard to this function, it relates to the (widely disputed yet uncontested) semantic and pragmatic methods of achieving such a uniformity. In order to respond to this question, the article firstly, recalls fundamental concepts which would help conceptualize the endeavour and, secondly, presents examples of analysis of syntax arrangements which can be deemed representative for the study of the said problem of contribution. The study finds that EU law (expressed in 24 official languages which have equal authentic status) relies on diversified syntax of its respective constitutive languages. Syntax structures used in respective language versions of EU law represent narrower, law-specific, form of syntax structures available in these languages. Its specificity is determined mostly by legislative traditions of respective EU member states. Syntactic structures of EU law produced in different official languages do not represent a single pattern because of diversified mode of producing illocutionary value of provisions in which strongly idiomatic modal verbs (modal operators) and even special modal structures (not necessarily containing modal verbs) are used to express legal norms. They also differ when it comes to their law-specific compositionality, i.e. flexibility of different syntax structure to produce the same meaning and, in the same time, to preserve their genre/register informational value. Notwithstanding, these structures have well pronounced and system-significant common features within respective Germanic, Romanic, and Slavic families of languages in which EU law is mostly reproduced. The sentence structure and the relevant register of EU law provisions are the same for respective versions of EU texts of law expressed in the languages belonging to the respective three language families which were examined for the sake of this study. These common features are re-enforced by the synoptic mode of producing EU law which imposes formal resemblance of provisions reproduced in respective EU official languages to each other. The multilingual EU legislator also uses patterns which grant legal text the relevant register, yet its specific EU character ultimately transpires through semantic aspects of EU texts rather than their mere syntax. The unity of the system is achieved most strongly through the EU specific interpretation, where the teleological methods (which can be conceived as a language means to achieve EU law goals and objectives at the pragmatic level) are of utmost importance. Thus, there is no EU-specific syntax which would, as such, contribute to unity of EU law. Instead, unity is achieved in the area of semantics and pragmatics. The well exposed anaphoric character of EU law (as any other type of law) may contribute to narrowing down possibility for differentiation of respective language versions of EU law.
Short-Term Stock Performance of Health Care Companies in Times of Viral Epidemics and Pandemics
Authors: Alberti Eugen , Herberger Tim Alexander , Ender Manuela
Published: September 2023

The spread of Coronavirus Disease 2019 significantly influenced the global economy. Companies from the health care industry could emerge as potential winners in health crises, and their listed stocks could potentially outperform. For the first time in the English and German language literatures, this study investigates whether this occurred and which factors influenced the short-term stock price performance of companies from the health care industry during epidemics and pandemics. An event study of virus-related epidemics and pandemics from 2000 to 2020 was conducted. The results show that the stocks of companies from the health care industry tend to outperform the market during pandemics. The selection of the subindustry in the health care industry and the region of the stock markets significantly influenced abnormal returns. The results are especially relevant for investors seeking short-term trading opportunities but also provide implications for diversifying their portfolios during epidemics and pandemics.
Assessment of robotic telesurgery system among surgeons: a single-center study
Authors: Rudiman Reno , Mirbagheri Alireza , Candrawinata Valeska Siulinda
Published: September 2023

The field of robotic-assisted surgery is expanding rapidly; therefore, future robotic surgeons will need to be trained in an organized manner. Here, we aimed to examine surgeon performance on the Sinaflex Robotic Telesurgery System for correlation with training hours spent in training program. This is a prospective study of a single-center experience at the Hasan Sadikin Hospital, Bandung City of West Java, Indonesia. We included 43 surgeons from 11 departments, all invited to train using the Sinaflex Robotic Telesurgery system at the Hasan Sadikin Hospital. All study cohorts have never performed a robotic surgery procedure beforehand and have had at least five years of field experience. The surgeons were free to choose their training duration and simulation. After finishing the training session, they were asked to perform several tasks with increasing difficulty levels. There were nine training tasks in total with increasing levels of difficulty. A total of 43 surgeons from 11 different department were included in this prospective study. Our study was separated into 3 different batches and most surgeons failed to pass the examination (n = 12, 8, and 9, for batches 1, 2, and 3, respectively). The “failed” surgeon, additionally, tended to be older than the “passed” cohort (49.3 ± 7.4 vs 42.1 ± 7.3 years old, p = 0.005). In terms of duration of hours spent training on the robot, there was little difference training hours between the cohort that passed and the cohort that failed cohort (10.0 [8.4–10.1] vs 10.0 [8.0–10.0], respectively) with a p value of 0.265. We found no correlation between the total hours spent in the training program and surgeon performance on the Sinaflex robotic telesurgery system. Structured robot surgical training courses must be incorporated into the training programs.
Complementary Proof Nets for Classical Logic
Authors: Pulcini Gabriele , Varzi Achille C.
Published: September 2023

A complementary system for a given logic is a proof system whose theorems are exactly the formulas that are not valid according to the logic in question. This article is a contribution to the complementary proof theory of classical propositional logic. In particular, we present a complementary proof-net system, $$\textsf{CPN}$$
CPN
, that is sound and complete with respect to the set of all classically invalid (one-side) sequents. We also show that cut elimination in $$\textsf{CPN}$$
CPN
enjoys strong normalization along with strong confluence (and, hence, uniqueness of normal forms).
Safety and Efficacy of DT-DEC01 Therapy in Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy Patients: A 12 - Month Follow-Up Study After Systemic Intraosseous Administration
Authors: Siemionow Maria , Biegański Grzegorz , Niezgoda Adam , Wachowiak Jacek , Czarnota Jarosław , Siemionow Krzysztof , Ziemiecka Anna , Sikorska Maria H. , Bożyk Katarzyna , Heydemann Ahlke
Published: September 2023

Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD) is a progressive and fatal muscle-wasting disease with no known cure. We previously reported the preliminary safety and efficacy up to six months after the administration of DT-DEC01, a novel Dystrophin Expressing Chimeric (DEC) cell therapy created by fusion of myoblasts of DMD patient and the normal donor. In this 12-month follow-up study, we report on the safety and functional outcomes of three DMD patients after the systemic intraosseous administration of DT-DEC01. The safety of DT-DEC01 was confirmed by the absence of Adverse Events (AE) and Severe Adverse Events (SAE) up to 21 months after intraosseous DT-DEC01 administration. The lack of presence of anti-HLA antibodies and Donors Specific Antibodies (DSA) further confirmed DT-DEC01 therapy safety. Functional assessments in ambulatory patients revealed improvements in 6-Minute Walk Test (6MWT) and timed functions of North Star Ambulatory Assessment (NSAA). Additionally, improvements in PUL2.0 test and grip strength correlated with increased Motor Unit Potentials (MUP) duration recorded by Electromyography (EMG) in both ambulatory and non-ambulatory patients. DT-DEC01 systemic effect was confirmed by improved cardiac and pulmonary parameters and daily activity recordings. This follow-up study confirmed the safety and preliminary efficacy of DT-DEC01 therapy in DMD-affected patients up to 12 months after intraosseous administration. DT-DEC01 introduces a novel concept of personalized myoblast-based cellular therapy that is irrespective of the mutation type, does not require immunosuppression or the use of viral vectors, and carries no risk of off target mutations. This establishes DT-DEC01 as a promising and universally effective treatment option for all DMD patients.

Graphical Abstract
Hyaluronan-CD44 Interaction Regulates Mouse Retinal Progenitor Cells Migration, Proliferation and Neuronal Differentiation
Authors: Ma Jian , Fang Xiaoyun , Chen Min , Wang Yao , Zhang Li
Published: September 2023

Cell-based therapies have shown great potential because of their abilities to replace dying retinal neuron cells and preserve vision. The migration, proliferation and differentiation of retinal progenitor cells(RPCs) plays a vital role in the integration of the RPCs into the retina when transplanted into the host. Our study aimed to explore the effects of Hyaluronan(HA)-CD44 interactions on the regulation of RPCs migration, proliferation and differentiation, and investigate the underlying regulatory mechanisms. We found that CD44 was expressed in RPCs, and the HA-CD44 interaction markedly improved RPCs adhesion and migration. The stimulation of microRNA-21(miR-21) expression by the HA-CD44 interaction was protein kinase C (PKC)/Nanog-dependent in RPCs. Treatment of RPCs with PKC- or Nanog-specific ASODN or miR-21 antagomir effectively blocked HA-mediated RPCs adhesion and migration. Moreover, Rho-Kinase(ROK)/ Grb2-associated binders(Gab-1) associated phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase(PI3K)/AKT signalling activation was required for HA-CD44 interaction mediated RPCs proliferation and neuronal differentiation. Our findings demonstrated new roles for the HA-CD44 interaction in regulating the migration, proliferation and neuronal differentiation of RPCs. HA-CD44 signalling could represent a novel approach to controlling RPC fates, and the findings may be instructive for the application of RPCs for future therapeutic applications.

Graphical Abstract
Identification of galactosamine-(N-acetyl)-6-sulfatase (GALNS) as a novel therapeutic target in progression of nasopharyngeal carcinoma
Authors: Zhang Jin , Ran Hong , Wang Zhen , Liu Peng , Kang Chenglin , Zeng Xianhai , Qiu Shuqi , Zhang Peng
Published: September 2023

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is a commonly diagnosed malignancy in southern China and southeast Asia. Previous studies have identified galactosamine-(N-acetyl)-6-sulfatase (GALNS) as a potential biomarker for multiple cancers. However, it is unknown whether GALNS plays a role in NPC development, and the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. In this study, we found that GALNS is overexpressed in NPC cell lines and tissues compared to the normal nasopharyngeal counterparts. Knocking down GALNS expression in the NPC cells significantly decreased their proliferation in vitro, and inhibited xenograft growth in a mouse model. Mechanistically, the anti-proliferative effect of GALNS silencing was the result of autophagy induction via the inhibition of PI3K–AKT–mTOR signaling pathway. Taken together, GALNS drives the progression of NPC via PI3K–AKT–mTOR signaling-mediated autophagy, and is therefore a promising therapeutic target.
Albinism in the common shrew Sorex araneus
Authors: Wójcik Jan M. , Kowalczyk Rafał , Rybiałek Jerzy , Herman Jeremy
Published: September 2023

Albinism is a hypopigmentation disorder which occurs as a consequence of mutations in genes involved in melanin biosynthesis. It is recorded in many mammalian species but is generally considered to be rare in natural populations. Here, we describe a fully albino individual of the common shrew Sorex araneus found in south-western Poland. We also present previous findings of albino specimens of this species in Europe. Since the 1960s, there have only been three confirmed records of wholly albino individuals of common shrews in mainland Europe; however, albinism has been recorded more frequently in this species from Britain. In other shrew species, wholly albino individuals are also recorded very rarely.
Satellite Manoeuvre Detection with Multistatic Radar
Authors: da Graça Marto Simão , Díaz Riofrío Sebastián , Ilioudis Christos , Clemente Carmine , Vasile Massimiliano
Published: September 2023

Traditional radar sensors used for surveillance rely on monostatic radar principles. However, recently the use of remote radio frequency telescopes as bistatic receivers represents an interesting way to reuse existing facilities while providing additional information to improve tracking accuracy. In this paper we study the benefits of using such a system for the task of manoeuvre detection in satellites in LEO and MEO. We investigate the conditions in which a multistatic radar is advantageous for this purpose, and show concrete results based on simulated data. Moreover, we propose novel manoeuvre detection methods, and compare their accuracy to methods found in the literature. A more general way of assessing the accuracy of these manoeuvre detection methods is also proposed, with the aim of taking into account that the parameters of the manoeuvre that actually takes place also have an effect on the accuracy. These can be split into optimal control based methods, and statistical methods. We found the addition of multistatic radar to allow considerable improvement in the accuracy of the manoeuvre detection process, an improvement that is shown to be greater the greater the baseline, i.e., the distance of the receiver to the transmitter. Furthermore, the manoeuvre detection methods that accurately model the uncertainty in the measurements were found to be the most accurate.
Verhinderte Öffentlichkeit und dunkle Machenschaften
Authors: Jäger Nadine
Published: September 2023

Unter den disparaten Deutungsansätzen, die für Kaufringers Märe Die Unschuldige Mörderin vorgeschlagen wurden, hat sich bislang die Lesart des Textes als Verhandlung juristischer Grundüberlegungen durchgesetzt. Der vorliegende Beitrag schlägt vor, den Text stattdessen aus einer anderen Perspektive zu beleuchten, die die soziale Dimension des Erzählten fokussiert: Kaufringers Unschuldige Mörderin setzt die Frage nach responsiblem Handeln im Gefüge sozialer Abhängigkeiten narrativ um. Ausgehend von der ›Versuchsanordnung‹ eines sozialen Verstoßes, der eine öffentliche Verhandlung a priori ausschließt, tritt die Dysfunktionalität privater, (hierarchisch-)sozialer Verbindlichkeiten und Heteronomien hervor. Die Protagonistin sieht sich Figuren gegenüber, die sich eigenmächtig aus dem Netz gegenseitiger Verantwortung lösen und, getrieben vom Streben nach sozialer Superiorität, zu ihren Opponenten avancieren. Die Schieflage hierarchischen Opportunismus’ und feudalen Ausgeliefertseins findet in der Handlung eine mehrfach variierende Umsetzung, während Pro- und Epimythion dagegen in Form eines Korrektivs anarbeiten. Dort wird eine Welt vollkommener, mutualer Absicherung und trewe entworfen und das kontingente Geschehen göttlicher Verantwortung zugeschrieben sowie sinnhaft aufgeladen.
To Seek Program Accreditation, Innovation, or Both?—Examining the Interdependencies in High-Reliability Health Care Organizations
Authors: Brand Tim , Goetjes Eva , Blankart Katharina
Published: September 2023

In dynamic markets, organizations have to be ambidextrous to adapt to constant change. Simultaneously, organizations are increasingly required to adopt quality management accreditation. Standardization through accreditation bares the risk of limiting an organization’s dynamic capabilities. In this study, we aim to evaluate the determinants of organizational decision-making to seek accreditation and pursue innovation activities, whether accreditation and innovation activities help organizations reach their strategic goals, and if accreditation affects the ability to achieve ambidexterity. We explore these relationships in high-reliability health care organizations. We conducted semi-structured interviews with 11 physicians and 14 quality managers in hospitals that provide specialized cancer care in Germany. In an inductive grounded theory approach, we develop a conceptual model of the relationship between accreditation and innovation activities. We find that hospitals engaged in both activities to achieve quality and financial goals. For smaller hospitals, accreditation was a necessary condition to be able to compete in market environments. Regardless of competition, smaller hospitals benefitted from a positive effect of accreditation on incremental process and product innovation. For larger hospitals, obtaining accreditation was a necessary condition to acquire additional funding, but the influence on innovation activities was limited because these were already being pursued with high intensity. Ideally, program accreditation and innovation activities can be aligned to achieve superior quality and financial performance through organizational ambidexterity. Organizational decision-makers must align both activities while taking account of costs and benefits. Policy makers can support access to high quality care by setting incentives to acquire accreditation.
Accelerated fracture healing by osteogenic Ti45Nb implants through the PI3K–Akt signaling pathway
Authors: Tan Jia , Li Jiaxin , Ran Zhaoyang , Wu Junxiang , Luo Dinghao , Cao Bojun , Deng Liang , Li Xiaoping , Jiang Wenbo , Xie Kai , Wang Lei , Hao Yongqiang
Published: September 2023

The key to managing fracture is to achieve stable internal fixation, and currently, biologically and mechanically appropriate internal fixation devices are urgently needed. With excellent biocompatibility and corrosion resistance, titanium–niobium alloys have the potential to become a new generation of internal fixation materials for fractures. However, the role and mechanism of titanium–niobium alloys on promoting fracture healing are still undefined. Therefore, in this study, we systematically evaluated the bone-enabling properties of Ti45Nb via in vivo and in vitro experiments. In vitro, we found that Ti45Nb has an excellent ability to promote MC3T3-E1 cell adhesion and proliferation without obvious cytotoxicity. Alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity and alizarin red staining and semiquantitative analysis showed that Ti45Nb enhanced the osteogenic differentiation of MC3T3-E1 cells compared to the Ti6Al4V control. In the polymerase chain reaction experiment, the expression of osteogenic genes in the Ti45Nb group, such as ALP, osteopontin (OPN), osteocalcin (OCN), type 1 collagen (Col-1) and runt-related transcription factor-2 (Runx2), was significantly higher than that in the control group. Meanwhile, in the western blot experiment, the expression of osteogenic-related proteins in the Ti45Nb group was significantly increased, and the expression of PI3K–Akt-related proteins was also higher, which indicated that Ti45Nb might promote fracture healing by activating the PI3K–Akt signaling pathway. In vivo, we found that Ti45Nb implants accelerated fracture healing compared to Ti6Al4V, and the biosafety of Ti45Nb was confirmed by histological evaluation. Furthermore, immunohistochemical staining confirmed that Ti45Nb may promote osteogenesis by upregulating the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway. Our study demonstrated that Ti45Nb exerts an excellent ability to promote fracture healing as well as enhance osteoblast differentiation by activating the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway, and its good biosafety has been confirmed, which indicates its clinical translation potential.

Graphic abstract
A comparative study of biology and morphometrics of two different species of Earias on okra crop
Authors: Sheoran Sindhu , Kalkal Deepika , Rolania Krishna , Kumar Rakesh , Kumari Pritam
Published: September 2023

Okra shoot and fruit borers, Earias insulana and Earias vittella are the major pests of economically important crops like okra and cotton. It is important to understand pest biology and ecology before initiating control measures, however little is known about their comparative biology on okra. Therefore, we studied biometrics of E. insulana and E. vittella in laboratory conditions on okra fruits and recorded the duration of different life stages along with their morphological parameters, to differentiate both the species. Oviposition was comparable in both species, however, incubation period and oviposition period was shorter in E. vittella. Although incubation, oviposition, post-oviposition period were at par in both the species, but there was a significant difference in larval and pupa periods. Total life cycle being comparable in both species, the larval period was significantly longer in case of E. insulana (13.8 days), while its pupal period (8.5 days) was significantly shorter in comparision to E. vittella (9.9 days). Sex ratio in E. insulana and E. vittella was recorded as 1:0.72 and 1: 0.61 (male: female) respectively. Both species were slightly different in terms of their morphological parameters. This study provides basic knowledge about the biology of these pests that may be helpful while formulating IPM strategies against them in okra as well as cotton.
Zinc solubilizing bacteria synergize the effect of zinc sulfate on growth, yield and grain zinc content of rice (Oryza sativa)
Authors: Shakeel Muhammad , Hafeez Fauzia Yusuf , Malik Imran Riaz , Rauf Abdur , Jan Farooq , Khan Ikramullah , Ijaz Iram , Elsadek Mohamed Farouk , Ali Muhammad Ajmal , Rashid Kamran , Muzammal Muhammad , Munir Muhammad , Khan Nasr Ullah , Mohibullah Muhammad , Yasin Muhammad
Published: September 2023

Zinc solubilizing bacteria inhabiting root endosphere possesses great potential to enhance plant yield by solubilizing the nutrients. The potential of Zn solubilizing bacteria Bacillus sp. SH-10 and Bacillus cereus SH-17 to improve yield and grain zinc content of rice was investigated under different regimes of individual and co-inoculation in the presence and absence of chemical fertilizer zinc sulfate (ZnSO4). The strains were applied to the rice varieties basmati 385 and super basmati under field conditions for two consecutive years. A significantly improved growth of rice plants, such as plant height (102–118 cm), number of tillers per plant (8.5–11.5), chlorophyll content (29.5–35.1), zinc requiring enzymes, i.e., superoxide dismutase (396–570 per gram fresh weight (g−1 FW)), carbonic anhydrase activity (CA) (10–15.06 U g−1 FW) and grain yield (3.0–3.8 tons ha−1), was observed in the plants inoculated with Bacillus sp. in the presence of chemical fertilizer (ZnSO4). Consortium of zinc solubilizing bacteria also caused higher grain Zn content (25.0–30.5 mg kg−1) of the rice varieties basmati 385 and super basmati as compared to that of un-inoculated plants. Hence, it can be concluded that Zn solubilizing bacteria has immense potential to be used as agricultural crop inoculants as they synergize the effect of chemical Zn, increase yield and improve the nutritional value of crops.
A machine learning approach for predicting hurricane evacuee destination location using smartphone location data
Authors: Anyidoho Prosper K. , Ju Xinglong , Davidson Rachel A. , Nozick Linda K.
Published: September 2023

Evacuation destination choice modeling is an integral aspect of evacuation planning. Outputs from such models are required to estimate the clearance times on which evacuation orders are based. The number of evacuees arriving at each destination also informs allocation of resources and shelter planning. Despite its importance, evacuee destination modeling has not received as much attention as identifying who evacuates and when. In this study, we present a new approach to identify evacuees and determine where they go and when using privacy-enhanced smartphone location data. We demonstrate the method using data from four recent U.S. hurricanes affecting multiple geographies (Florence 2018, Michael 2018, Dorian 2019, and Ida 2021). We then build on those results to develop a new machine learning model that predicts the number of evacuees that move between pairs of metropolitan statistical areas. The machine learning model incorporates hurricane characteristics, which have not been thoroughly exploited by existing methods. The model’s predictive power is comprehensively evaluated through a tenfold cross validation, holdout validation using Hurricane Ida (2021), and comparison with the traditional gravity model. Results suggest that the new model substantially outperforms the traditional gravity model across all performance indicators. Analysis of feature importance in the machine learning model indicates that in addition to distance and population, hurricane characteristics are important in evacuee destination choices.
Subverting the selective tradition? A self-exploration of text selection in pre-service teacher education
Authors: Quick Joanne
Published: September 2023

Children’s literature can be both a reflective mirror to readers’ lives and a window to new worlds, making teachers’ selection of texts for students an important professional activity. Researchers have consistently found that teachers’ choices of literature contain limited representations of ethnicities, cultures, and disabilities, and reinforce gender stereotypes. Teacher educators, when working with pre-service teachers in university settings, utilize children’s literature for literary, critical, and cultural pedagogical purposes. However, teacher educators rarely interrogate their text selections to explore patterns of representation, identity, and power. This paper describes and discusses a self-study into five children’s picture books selected for modeling aspects of early literacy teaching in a pre-service teacher education unit. Critical content analysis was used to explore representation, identity, and power in the texts. The analysis showed some connections with trends found in research into early years and school teachers’ selective traditions in the use of an older text and two texts without human characters. Other findings differed; agentive female characters, together with some variation of social, cultural, and ethnic groups and lives, were depicted in the three texts with human characters, likely because of the author’s own bias towards expanding representation in texts. This article reports on an example of one teacher educator’s selective literary tradition and shows how the texts used in education settings represent windows to specific worlds rather than standing in for “diversity.” It makes suggestions for other educators interested in interrogating their text selections and invites dialog with other educators about representation, identity, and power in the texts they teach with.
Remain useful life forecasting for roller bearings using sparse auto-encoder
Authors: Tang Yifeng , Xu Fan , Xu Lu , Zhou Chao , Deng Yaling
Published: September 2023

A method based on sparse auto-encoder (SAE) in deep learning (DL) for roller bearings remain useful life (RUL) prediction is presented in this paper. Firstly, the roller bearings vibration signals were calculated by different time and frequency domain factors, in which reflect the vibration signals information well. Therefore, the time and frequency domain features were regarded as the input of SAE, then the SAE model in deep learning was used to extract the features through several hidden layers and the sigmoid function was selected as the output function for calculate the prediction value. Finally, compared with other different prediction methods, such as support vector machine (SVM), back propagation (BP) neural network and random forest (RF), the performance of SAE is better than that those models by using mean absolute error (MAE) and root mean square error (RMSE) these two indicators.
Wetland Ecology
Authors: Keddy Paul A.
Published: September 2023

Richly illustrated in colour and packed with examples from every major continent and wetland type, this third edition has been completely rewritten to provide undergraduates with a thoroughly accessible introduction to the basic principles. It divides the world's wetlands into six principal types and presents six major causal environmental factors, arranged by importance and illustrated with clear examples, making it easy for instructors to plan tailored lectures and field trips and avoid overwhelming students with unnecessary detail. It retains its rigor for more advanced students with sections on research methods and experiments, and over a thousand classic and contemporary references. Each chapter ends with questions that review the content covered and encourage further investigation. With expanded sections on topical issues such as sea level rise, eutrophication, facilitation and the latest approaches to restoration and conservation, the new edition of this prize-winning textbook is a vital resource for wetland ecology courses.
Res. 2664 (U.N.S.C.) and Res. 52/13 (U.N.H.R.C.)
Authors: Shelton Dinah
Published: September 2023

Under Article 41 of the UN Charter, the Security Council has established 31 sanctions regimes since 1966. Sanctions measures encompass a broad range of enforcement actions not involving the use of armed force. The measures have ranged from comprehensive economic and trade sanctions to more targeted measures such as arms embargoes, travel bans, and financial or commodity restrictions. In recent years, there have been increasing numbers of complaints from humanitarian organizations that sanctions cause or exacerbate humanitarian crises. The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) has estimated that at least 222 million people were experiencing acute food insecurity at the end of 2022, the largest global food crisis in modern history. At the same time, the countries that need the most assistance are often subject to international sanctions regimes. As of March 2023, UN sanctions applied in nine of the top ten operations of the International Committee of the Red Cross.
Constructing precisely quasi-isodynamic magnetic fields
Authors: Goodman A.G. , Camacho Mata K. , Henneberg S.A. , Jorge R. , Landreman M. , Plunk G.G. , Smith H.M. , Mackenbach R.J.J. , Beidler C.D. , Helander P.
Published: September 2023

We present a novel method for numerically finding quasi-isodynamic stellarator magnetic fields with excellent fast-particle confinement and extremely small neoclassical transport. The method works particularly well in configurations with only one field period. We examine the properties of these newfound quasi-isodynamic configurations, including their transport coefficients, particle confinement and available energy for trapped-electron-instability-driven turbulence, as well as the degree to which they change when a finite pressure profile is added. We finally discuss the differences between the magnetic axes of the optimized solutions and their respective initial conditions, and conclude with the prospects for future quasi-isodynamic optimization.
Evoregions of fleas and their small mammalian hosts: Do they coincide?
Authors: Krasnov Boris R. , Shenbrot Georgy I.
Published: September 2023

Combining the biogeography and phylogenetic patterns of parasite-host associations allows a better understanding of the history of parasite–host interactions, which can be achieved via biogeographic regionalization incorporating phylogenetic information. Recently, the concepts of evoregions (regions where a majority of species evolved from one or several ancestors inhabiting these regions) and evolutionary transition zones (regions of high phylogenetic turnover) have been proposed, coupled with a classification approach for these concepts. We applied this approach to 206 flea species and 265 host species of the Palearctic and aimed to identify evoregions and evolutionary transition zones for both fleas and hosts and to understand whether these evoregions and transition zones match each other. We identified 5 evoregions with 3 transition zones for either fleas or hosts, but neither the positions and boundaries of the flea and host evoregions nor the transition zones coincided. Indications of multiple geographic centres of diversification of the same flea lineages suggested that (a) the common evolutionary history of fleas and hosts was characterized by multiple events other than codiversification and that (b) dispersal played an important role in flea and host assemblies. Barriers to dispersal could be represented by landscape features (deserts and mountain ranges) and/or climate differences.
The representative capacity of interest groups: explaining how issue features shape membership involvement when establishing policy positions
Authors: Albareda Adrià , Fraussen Bert
Published: September 2023

Interest groups are key intermediary actors that communicate societal interests and preferences to public officials. Given public officials’ reliance on interest groups’ input in public policy processes, it is essential to understand how groups establish policy positions and assess the democratic nature of this process. Focusing on the leadership perspective, this article examines how interest groups involve their membership base in the process of defining their policy positions. The article relies on qualitative data from interviews with the leaders of interest groups active at the EU level and the statutes of these organizations. The findings show that the nature of policy issues under discussion and unequal resources of members lead to biased membership involvement in policy position-taking. While leaders are aware of these dynamics, their efforts to mitigate unequal participation seem limited, which raises questions about the representative potential of interest groups and the legitimacy of their policy claims.
Crowded White Spaces: Dîner en Blanc and the Place-Based Contingencies of Choreography
Authors: Gerecke Alana
Published: September 2023

This spatial and contextual approach to the performance of assembly takes Dîner en Blanc, an annual pop-up picnic, as a case study. Ethnographic and choreographic analyses of the 2018 picnic event in Vancouver, Canada, ground a critique of the dynamics of site specificity and host/guest relations that drive this local expression of a global event. Drawing on a range of performance and decolonial theorists, this place-based movement analysis of the event foregrounds the recolonizing implications of staging aesthetically whitewashed culinary choreographies on the unceded and traditional territories of the Squamish, Musqueam, and Tsleil-Waututh First Nations.
Exploring the relationship of working memory to the temporal distribution of pausing and revision behaviors during L2 writing
Authors: Révész Andrea , Michel Marije , Lee Minjin
Published: September 2023

This study examined the extent to which L2 writers with varied working memory display differential pausing and revision behaviors at different periods during writing. The participants were 30 advanced Chinese L2 users of English, who wrote an argumentative essay. While composing, participants’ keystrokes and eye-gaze movements were recorded to capture their pausing, revision, and eye-gaze behaviors. The working memory battery included tests of phonological and visual short-term memory and executive functions. We divided the writing process into five equal periods. The results revealed that participants’ pausing and revision patterns were consistent with previous findings that planning, linguistic encoding, and monitoring processes dominate the initial, middle, and later composing periods, respectively. Various working memory components had differential effects on pausing depending on period, largely reflecting the predictions of Kellogg’s (1996, 2001) model. However, we identified no differences in the temporal distribution of revision behaviors contingent on working memory.
All that glitters is not pyrite: A geochemical assessment of iron-ore objects used by the Classic Maya
Authors: Barrientos Q. Tomás , Sandoval Andrea , Iizuka Yoshiyuki , Carías P. Tanya
Published: September 2023

Different types of iron ore and pyrite were used to craft a wide variety of reflective artifacts in pre-Columbian Mesoamerica, including “mirrors,” pectorals, necklaces, and dental inlays, among others. In the Maya region, most of these have only been visually assessed, without using analytical techniques. Consequently, our understanding of the diversity of raw materials used in artifact production has been limited. This article presents preliminary results from a pilot study aiming to identify the raw materials used in the manufacture of different reflective objects from a small sample of finds from the sites of La Corona and Cancuen, located in Guatemala, through the use of scanning electron microscopy with EDS detectors (SEM-EDS), energy-dispersive X-ray fluorescence (EDXRF), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and Raman spectroscopy. Although further analyses are needed to confirm the representativeness of the sample, these results indicate the use of hematite and goethite (iron oxides), but not pyrite (iron sulfide). This study also shows how improved knowledge of raw material use can elicit previously unknown patterns of distribution and exchange, and highlight patterns of inter- and intrasite variability in the production, use, and exchange of reflective objects over time in the Maya region throughout the Classic period.
Mediating Whiteness: Triangular Racialization in the Anglo-Indian Picaresque
Authors: Romanow Jacob
Published: September 2023

This article takes up the social production of race in nineteenth-century India through picaresque fiction. Through readings of Rudyard Kipling, Dion Boucicault, and W. M. Thackeray, it shows how picaresque form served as a specific mechanism of racial stabilization, a means of producing a consciously stopgap racial binary through the intervention of a third, triangulating racial term: Irishness. Understanding the triangular structure of whiteness’ “shapeshifting” brings into sharper relief the connections between three important scholarly foci regarding race in India: the ambiguous and fluid boundaries of Anglo-Indian whiteness, the belated assignment of “blackness” to native Indian populations, and the constant resignifications of Irish identity that demographic overrepresentation in India entailed. The case study of the picaresque reveals an imperialist culture more strategic and more self-aware about its own racial construction than is sometimes supposed; the genre served as a key means by which nonmetropolitan colonialist Victorians theorized and constructed their own relation to whiteness.
Taking gains from trade (more) seriously: the effects of consumer perspective on free trade in contemporary Japan
Authors: Woo Yujin , Kume Ikuo
Published: September 2023

Why do people's preferences towards trade liberalization fluctuate? And why do we observe the eventual return of public support towards free trade? The traditional literature in international political economy has typically calculated individuals' preferences based on their comparative advantage as income-earners, which arises from their specific or general skill level or employment status. What needs to be taken into account, however, is that their economic preferences are constructed based upon their intertwined identities as both income-earners and consumers. We designed and conducted an experiment in Japan (2015) that would impartially elicit answers regarding respondents' daily consumption patterns or (and) employment concerns rather than deliberately or artificially informing them of the potential benefits or harms of trade liberalization. The results display that consumer priming offsets negative impacts arising from employment priming. The consumer effect reduces individuals' concerns on income level or employment when they are exposed to consumer and employment primings simultaneously. Furthermore, our subgroup analyses reveal that the consumer effect remains even among those experiencing economic fragility such as low income or job insecurity. This suggests that potential losers have incentives to support free trade by appreciating consumer benefits.
The Worst or the Best Treaty? Analysing the Equitable and Reasonable Utilization Principle in the Legal Arrangements of the Helmand River
Authors: NAGHEEBY Mohsen
Published: September 2023

After protracted conflicts, Afghanistan and Iran agreed on a treaty in 1973 to share the waters of the Helmand River. However, this legal arrangement became a source of controversy over its equitable and reasonable utilization principle. The 1973 Helmand River Water Treaty reflects a history of legal and political controversy and strongly contrasting views, with some labelling it the “worst” treaty and others the “best”. This paper scrutinizes the history of legal arrangements of the Helmand River within its underlying political context to search for evidence of the aforementioned equitable and reasonable utilization principle. The findings indicate that the 1973 Treaty provides a grey space for legality and illegality, being a greatly restricted instrument to uphold the principle of equity. Examination of the principle of equity in the 1973 Treaty contributes to developing constructive controversy over the Helmand River and offers valuable lessons for other international watercourses facing similar challenges.
C. C. Li and Quasi-Random Mating
Authors: Stark Alan E.
Published: September 2023

A simple model by which Hardy-Weinberg proportions are attained in a single generation while maintaining gene frequencies is stated and illustrated. The title ‘Quasi-random mating’ is proposed. Confusion about the Hardy-Weinberg principle can be avoided only if there is clear separation between the basic deterministic model and factors influencing a population’s structure. Eighty years passed before C. C. Li coined the term ‘pseudo-random mating’. The lesson taught by Li has not been taken on board.
Heatwave Characteristics in the Recent Climate and at Different Global Warming Levels: A Multimodel Analysis at the Global Scale
Authors: Al‐Yaari A. , Zhao Y. , Cheruy F. , Thiery W.
Published: September 2023

The representation of heatwaves (HWs) in the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project phase 6 (CMIP6) models is analyzed. This study (a) evaluates the performance of CMIP6 simulations against global reanalysis and observations regarding time‐ and intensity‐related criteria and (b) investigates how HWs are projected to change at different global warming levels (GWLs). During 1979–2014, the dispersion of the models is comparable to the observational uncertainty for the time indices (duration, frequency, number of events). It is of the order of one event per year, 1 day for the duration of the events and 2 days for the frequency, with tendencies for over‐ or underestimation, depending on the reference data set and the region considered. For the HW magnitude, the models' dispersion can reach 15°C for a given region and is significantly higher than the observational uncertainty. The mean intensity of HWs tends to be overestimated, which is partly attributed to overly pronounced drying of the soil during HW events. The contribution of the soil moisture anomaly to the temperature anomaly during recent specific HWs is shown to reach up to 30% of the signal. For a given GWL, intensification of HW occurrence, spatial extension, and duration is detected worldwide, but it is modulated at the regional scale and strongly model dependent. For time‐related indices, tropical regions and the Arabian Peninsula will be most impacted, but the maximum temperature will strongly increase in mid‐latitude regions. Time–space analyses of the evolution of HW properties for a given GWL are discussed.
Upland Hillslope Groundwater Subsidy Affects Low‐Flow Storage–Discharge Relationship
Authors: Li Hongyi , Ameli Ali A.
Published: September 2023

Large‐scale cross‐site scientific synthesis on low‐flow storage–discharge relation can promote developing transferable hypotheses on the interactions among critical zone attributes and on how such interactions affect catchments’ water vulnerabilities. This study leverages cross‐site empirical and theoretical analyses and develops a similarity index, based on the interactions among critical zone attributes, to help determine the less‐explored influence of upland hillslope groundwater subsidy on storage–discharge relation. We show that an increase in the relative extent of upland hillslope groundwater subsidy to low‐flow discharge, occurring through deep slow low‐moving (e.g., bedrock) storage unit, leads to (a) an increase in the nonlinearity of low‐flow discharge sensitivity to storage (β1) and (b) an increase in the convexity of low‐flow storage–discharge relation. Our findings also raise new hypotheses on the applicability of Boussinesq‐based hydraulic groundwater theory at low‐flow condition. Empirical results show that in a portion of our study catchments, particularly in those with a relatively small extent of upland hillslope groundwater subsidy, the theory’s proposed range of nonlinearity sufficiently explains the nonlinearity of low‐flow storage–discharge relation. However, in catchments with a strong influence of upland hillslope groundwater subsidy through deep slow‐moving storage unit, the current state of hydraulic groundwater theory, using one single (non)linear representative storage unit, may not be sufficient to explain the large nonlinearity and convexity of low‐flow storage–discharge relation (or the long tail of hydrograph late recession). Considering β1 informs the low‐flow vulnerability of catchments, the findings of this study deepen and generalize our understanding of where low‐flow discharge is vulnerable to storage’s change.
Accelerating the Renewable Energy Revolution to Get Back to the Holocene
Authors: Abbott Benjamin W. , Abrahamian Chelsea , Newbold Nicholas , Smith Peter , Merritt Marina , Sayedi Sayedeh Sara , Bekker Jeremy , Greenhalgh Mitchell , Gilbert Sophie , King Michalea , Lopez Gabriel , Zimmermann Nils , Breyer Christian
Published: September 2023

The UN's Paris Agreement goal of keeping global warming between 1.5 and 2°C is dangerously obsolete and needs to be replaced by a commitment to restore Earth's climate. We now know that continued use of fossil fuels associated with 1.5–2°C scenarios would result in hundreds of millions of pollution deaths and likely trigger multiple tipping elements in the Earth system. Unexpected advances in renewable power production and storage have radically expanded our climate response capacity. The cost of renewable technologies has plummeted at least 30‐year faster than projected, and renewables now dominate energy investment and growth. This renewable revolution creates an opportunity and responsibility to raise our climate ambitions. Rather than aiming for climate mitigation—making things less bad—we should commit to climate restoration—a rapid return to Holocene‐like climate conditions where we know humanity and life on Earth can thrive. Based on observed and projected energy system trends, we estimate that the global economy could reach zero emissions by 2040 and potentially return atmospheric CO2 to pre‐industrial levels by 2100–2150. However, this would require an intense and sustained rollout of renewable energy and negative emissions technologies on very large scales. We describe these clean electrification scenarios and outline technical and socioeconomic strategies that would increase the likelihood of restoring a Holocene‐like climate in the next 100 years. We invite researchers, policymakers, regulators, educators, and citizens in all countries to share and promote this positive message of climate restoration for human wellbeing and planetary stability.