bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Nonlinear vibration and dynamic buckling responses of stiffened functionally graded graphene‐reinforced cylindrical, parabolic, and sinusoid panels using the higher‐order shear deformation theory
Authors: Minh Tran Quang , Nam Vu Hoai , Duc Vu Minh , Hung Vu Tho , Ly Le Ngoc , Phuong Nguyen Thi
Published: December 2023

The nonlinear vibration and dynamic responses of functionally graded graphene‐reinforced composite (FG‐GRC) laminated cylindrical, parabolic, and sinusoid panels stiffened by FG‐GRC stiffeners in the uniformly distributed temperature variation are presented in this paper. An improved smeared stiffener technique is used to model the added stiffnesses of stiffeners to the total stiffnesses of panels. The higher‐order shear deformation shell theory (HSDT) with the geometrical nonlinearities of von Kármán is applied to establish the governing formulations. The stress function form is estimated using the approximated technique for complex curvature panels. Lagrange function and Euler‐Lagrange equations are applied, and the Rayleigh dissipation function is taken into account to obtain the nonlinear equation of motion. Numerical examples are investigated using the Runge‐Kutta method to obtain the dynamic responses of panels, and the critical dynamic buckling loads of panels are considered using the Budiansky‐Roth criterion. Some significant remarks on the nonlinear vibration and dynamic buckling responses of three types of stiffened panels can be recognized from the numerical examples.
“It Went All the Way Down to the Shoes”: Experiences of Institutionalization in the Danish Special Care System for the Intellectually Disabled, 1933–1980
Authors: Petersen Klaus , Smed Sarah
Published: December 2023

It is difficult to imagine being institutionalized in a mental hospital or asylum without having experienced it yourself. While we have a wealth of institutional source material on the system and formal practices, we only have a few scattered sources describing the experience of living in an institution. In this chapter, we try to get a deeper view of institutional placement in the Danish care system for the intellectually disabled in the period between 1933 and 1980. We use interviews with former inmates (and staff) and the few voices of the institutionalized that emerge from the system’s own archive materials to draw an overall picture of the experience of placement. The interviews and data collection are based on an investigation made for the Danish Ministry of Social Affairs in 2020–2022. We find the key experiences to be a lack of autonomy, the feeling of institutionalization as a way of life, stigmatization, ruptured family relations, and a fear of violence. The chapter also addresses methodological challenges in analyzing experiences of institutionalization. First, there is the problem of the generalization of experiences on the individual level. Second, the existing source materials (both interviews and written sources) are potentially biased. We know that the institutions caring for the intellectually disabled also included persons with very limited cognitive and communicational resources, who typically are silent in the existing sources.
Navigating Imprisonment: Tactics and Experiences in an Eighteenth-Century Danish Prison Workhouse
Authors: Valentin Emilie Luther
Published: December 2023

In the latter decades of the eighteenth century, thousands of inmates were sentenced to the prison workhouse at Christianshavn for crimes ranging from begging and vagrancy to theft and even murder. Situated between the system of poor relief and the penal system, the prison was a complicated, almost hybrid institution featuring both disciplinary and caring obligations to its inmates. Although the inmates shared a common relationship to the authorities and the same constraints of navigating a system of coercion in their favor, their experiences varied greatly. From the perspective of three inmates’ experiences within the prison workhouse and inspired by Michel de Certeau’s concept of tactics and strategies, this chapter examines different experiences of imprisonment. By exploring the differences of experience in the prison workhouse, the chapter underlines the plurality of shared experiences for a more complex and contextual understanding of the ever-evolving prison system.
Managing Disability and Constructing the Nation in Interwar Poland: The Lviv Disabled Veterans’ Home
Authors: Vynnyk Oksana
Published: December 2023

After the proclamation of an independent Polish state, the government organized a welfare system for disabled servicemen of the imperial and the Polish armies and established the Disabled Veterans’ Home in Lviv, the largest city in the eastern borderlands. As these territories were contested by Poles and Ukrainians, the authorities implemented social programs for impaired soldiers as a means to strengthen loyalty to the state. The chapter studies the interconnections between the discourses created by military and civilian bureaucrats and disabled soldiers, and it examines how different visions of institutionalization formed the experience of disability of a diverse group of disabled veterans. It argues that disabled veterans’ agency, activism, and resistance to the disciplinary regimes of the institution became a challenge for the state-promoted institutionalization model and were the main factors in shaping the experience of Disabled Veterans’ Home residents.
Tourism and Visitor Management in Protected Areas Post-pandemic: The English Context
Authors: Hewlett Denise , Gunton Richard , Gray Debra , Terradillos Ainara , Agarwal Sheela , Lavrushkina Natalia , Byrne Danny
Published: December 2023

Protected areas comprise of some of the most precious and sensitive habitats on the planet. However, many of these areas are also used as major tourism and leisure destinations. Managed well, these areas can safeguard biodiversity conservation with multiple positive benefits to local populations and economies. Yet, where not carefully planned and managed, there has long been recognition of the possibility of negative impacts on natural environments and social consequences for local communities. This chapter considers such impacts experienced in Dorset, UK, post the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic. It reviews how effective some of the most commonly used tools for preventing and/or ameliorating impacts can be in a situation that proved to overwhelm many protected area agencies and other key stakeholders. As such insights for both academics and practitioners are provided in terms of what data and how such data might be collated and used to enhance management strategies in reactive situations.
Islandscapes: Tourism, COVID-19, Climate Change and Challenges to Natural Landscapes. A Caribbean Perspective and View from Barbados
Authors: Finneran Niall , Inniss Tara
Published: December 2023

This chapter will examine the pressures on Caribbean islands in the post-COVID-19 world, considering how the demands of tourism and threats of climate change are forcing governments and non-governmental organisations to devise creative and sustainable solutions to the management of fast-disappearing natural landscapes. This is imperative as these small island economies, traditionally geared towards tourism as a key economic activity, seek to rebuild in the wake of almost two years of global COVID-19 lockdown. Furthermore, it is becoming clear that increased hurricane and tropical storm activity, driven by climate change, is resulting in more frequent and destructive weather episodes. The fragile ecosystems of Caribbean landscapes and seascapes are at risk from extreme weather, and also linked to extensive tourism footfall and associated infrastructural development, from human driven factors. Using a series of case studies drawn from Barbados, we examine how an approach to sustainable natural heritage tourism can be framed in the post-COVID-19 and climate changing world.
Artificial Intelligence: Historical Context and State of the Art
Authors: Oliveira Arlindo L. , Figueiredo Mário A. T.
Published: December 2023

The idea that intelligence is the result of a computational process and can, therefore, be automated, is centuries old. We review the historical origins of the idea that machines can be intelligent, and the most significant contributions made by Thomas Hobbes, Charles Babbage, Ada Lovelace, Alan Turing, Norbert Wiener, and others. Objections to the idea that machines can become intelligent have been raised and addressed many times, and we provide a brief survey of the arguments and counter-arguments presented over time. Intelligence was first viewed as symbol manipulation, leading to approaches that had some successes in specific problems, but did not generalize well to real-world problems. To address the difficulties faced by the early systems, which were brittle and unable to handle unforeseen complexities, machine learning techniques were increasingly adopted. Recently, a sub-field of machine learning known as deep learning has led to the design of systems that can successfully learn to address difficult problems in natural language processing, vision, and (yet to a lesser extent) interaction with the real world. These systems have found applications in countless domains and are one of the central technologies behind the fourth industrial revolution, also known as Industry 4.0. Applications in analytics enable artificial intelligence systems to exploit and extract economic value from data and are the main source of income for many of today’s largest companies. Artificial intelligence can also be used in automation, enabling robots and computers to replace humans in many tasks. We conclude by providing some pointers to possible future developments, including the possibility of the development of artificial general intelligence, and provide leads to the potential implications of this technology in the future of humanity.
The Autonomous AI Physician: Medical Ethics and Legal Liability
Authors: Duffourc Mindy Nunez , Giovanniello Dominick S.
Published: December 2023

Artificial intelligence (AI) is currently capable of autonomously performing acts that constitute medical practice, including diagnosis, prognosis, therapeutic decision making, and image analysis, but should AI be considered a medical practitioner? Complicating this question is that fact that the ethical, regulatory, and legal regimes that govern medical practice and medical malpractice are not designed for nonhuman doctors. This chapter first suggests ethical parameters for the Autonomous AI Physician’s practice of medicine, focusing on the field of pathology. Second, we identify ethical and legal issues that arise from the Autonomous AI Physician’s practice of medicine, including safety, reliability, transparency, fairness, and accountability. Third, we discuss the potential application of various existing legal and regulatory regimes to govern the Autonomous AI Physician. Finally, we conclude that all stakeholders in the development and use of the Autonomous AI Physician have an obligation to ensure that AI is implemented in a safe and responsible way.
Ethical Challenges of Artificial Intelligence in Medicine and the Triple Semantic Dimensions of Algorithmic Opacity with Its Repercussions to Patient Consent and Medical Liability
Authors: Nogaroli Rafaella , Faleiros Júnior José Luiz de Moura
Published: December 2023

Artificial intelligence algorithms have the potential to diagnose some types of skin cancer or to identify specific heart-rhythm abnormalities as well as (or even better) than board-certified dermatologists and cardiologists. However, one of the biggest fears in the healthcare sector in the Era of AI in Medicine is the so-called black box medicine, given the obscurity in the way information is processed by algorithms. More broadly, it is observed that there are three different semantic dimensions of algorithmic opacity relevant to Medicine: (1) epistemic opacity for the insufficient physicians understanding of the rules an AI system is applying to make predictions and decisions; (2) opacity for the lack of medical disclosure about the AI systems to support clinical decisions and patient’s unawareness that automated decision-making are being carried out with their personal data; (3) explanatory opacity for the unsatisfactory explanation to patients about the technology used to support professional decision-making. Therefore, the aim of this study is to analyze each type of opacity, considering hypothetical scenarios and its repercussions in terms of medical malpractice and patient’s informed consent. From this, it will be defined ethical challenges of using AI in the healthcare sector and the importance of medical education.
Dismantling Four Myths in AI & EU Law Through Legal Information ‘About’ Reality
Authors: Pagallo Ugo
Published: December 2023

The European Commission has recently proposed several acts, directives and regulations that shall complement today’s legislation on the internet, data governance, and Artificial Intelligence, e.g., the AI Act from May 2021. Some have proposed to sum up current trends of EU law according to catchy formulas, such as (i) digital sovereignty; (ii) digital constitutionalism; (iii) a new Brussels effect; and, (iv) a human-centric approach to AI. Each of these narratives has its merits, but can be highly misleading. They must be taken with four pinches of salt. The aim of this paper is to dismantle these ‘myths’ through legal information ‘about’ reality, that is, knowledge and concepts that frame the representation and function of EU law. We should be attentive to that which current myths overlook, such as the open issues on the balance of power between EU institutions and member states (MS), a new generation of digital rights at both EU and MS constitutional levels, down to the interplay between new models of legal governance and the potential fragmentation of the system, e.g., between technological regulations and environmental law.
AI Modelling of Counterfactual Thinking for Judicial Reasoning and Governance of Law
Authors: Pereira Luís Moniz , Santos Francisco C. , Lopes António Barata
Published: December 2023

When speaking of moral judgment, we refer to a function of recognizing appropriate or condemnable actions and the possibility of choice between them by agents. Their ability to construct possible causal sequences enables them to devise alternatives in which choosing one implies setting aside others. This internal deliberation requires a cognitive ability, namely that of constructing counterfactual arguments. These serve not just to analyse possible futures, being prospective, but also to analyse past situations, by imagining the gains or losses resulting from alternatives to the actions actually carried out, given evaluative information subsequently known.

Counterfactual thinking is in thus a prerequisite for AI agents concerned with Law cases, in order to pass judgement and, additionally, for evaluation of the ongoing governance of such AI agents. Moreover, given the wide cognitive empowerment of counterfactual reasoning in the human individual, namely in making judgments, the question arises of how the presence of individuals with this ability can improve cooperation and consensus in populations of otherwise self-regarding individuals.

Our results, using Evolutionary Game Theory (EGT), suggest that counterfactual thinking fosters coordination in collective action problems occurring in large populations and has limited impact on cooperation dilemmas in which such coordination is not required.
Judicial Decision-Making in the Age of Artificial Intelligence
Authors: Gravett Willem H.
Published: December 2023

Artificial intelligence (AI) has become a pervasive presence in almost every aspect of society and business: from assigning credit scores to people, to identifying the best candidates for an employment position, to ranking applicants for admission to university. One of the most striking innovations in the United States criminal justice system in the last three decades has been the introduction of risk-assessment software, powered by sophisticated algorithms, to predict whether individual offenders are likely to re-offend. The focus of this contribution is on the use of these risk-assessment tools in criminal sentencing. Apart from the broader social, ethical and legal considerations, to date, not much is known about how perceptions of technology influence cognition in decision-making, particularly in the legal context. What research does demonstrate is that humans are inclined to trust algorithms as objective, and, as such, as unobjectionable. This contribution examines two phenomena in this regard: (i) the “technology effect”—the human tendency towards excessive optimism when making decisions involving technology; and (ii) “automation bias”—the phenomenon whereby judges accept the recommendations of an automated decision-making system, and cease searching for confirmatory evidence, perhaps even transferring responsibility for decision-making onto the machine.
Risks Associated with the Use of Natural Language Generation: Swiss Civil Liability Law Perspective
Authors: Lanz Marcel , Mijic Stefan
Published: December 2023

The use and improvement of Natural-Language-Generation (NLG) is a recent development that is progressing at a rapid pace. Its benefits range from the easy deployment of auxiliary automation tools for simple repetitive tasks to fully functional advisory bots that can offer help with complex problems and meaningful solutions in various areas. With fully integrated autonomous systems, the question of errors and liability becomes a critical area of concern. While various ways to mitigate and minimize errors are in place and are being improved upon by utilizing different error testing datasets, this does not preclude significant flaws in the generated outputs.

From a legal perspective it must be determined who is responsible for undesired outcomes from NLG-algorithms: Does the manufacturer of the code bear the ultimate responsibility or is it the operator that did not take reasonable measures to minimize the risk of inaccurate or unwanted output? The answer to this question becomes even more complex with third parties interacting with a NLG-algorithm which may alter the outcomes. While traditional tort theory links liability to the possibility of control, NLG may be an application that ignores this notion since NLG-algorithms are not designed to be controlled by a human operator.
The Impact of Language Technologies in the Legal Domain
Authors: Trancoso Isabel , Mamede Nuno , Martins Bruno , Pinto H. Sofia , Ribeiro Ricardo
Published: December 2023

In the current digital era, language technologies are playing an increasingly vital role in the legal domain, assisting users, lawyers, judges, and legal professionals to solve many real-world problems. While open datasets and innovative deep learning methodologies have led to recent breakthroughs in the area, significant efforts are still being made to transfer the theoretical/algorithmic developments, associated with general text and speech processing, into real applications in the legal-domain. This chapter presents a brief survey on language technologies for addressing legal tasks, covering studies and applications related to both text and speech processing (Manuscript submitted in May 2022).
The “Artificial Intelligence Act” Proposal on European e-Justice Domains Through the Lens of User-Focused, User-Friendly and Effective Judicial Protection Principles
Authors: Covelo de Abreu Joana
Published: December 2023

European e-Justice aims at developing electronic tools to allow national jurisdictions and ECJ to contact through reliable and secure digital channels. The 2019–2023 e-Justice Strategy underlined some new EU general principles directly developed under e-Justice paradigm, deserving particular attention the ones concerning user-focused and user-friendly dimensions. As 2021 is the year where justice digitalization will be under discussion, there is a need to understand how AI will impact on justice fields, not only in MS judicial systems (EU functional jurisdictions, when applying EU law), but also in ECJ, as this disruptive technology is being discussed. The Proposal for an AI Act stresses AI systems intended for the administration of justice should be classified as high-risk, considering their potentially significant impact on effective judicial protection domains. Therefore, this paper intends to understand the need to fully stress AI human-centric approach on justice fields, so effective judicial protection can be deepened through user-focused and user-friendly principles; and to scrutinize, from the e-Justice standpoint, how the Proposal for an AI Act must further address judicial instrumental usage of AI systems, so judicial independence, procedural rights and access to justice are observed in the EU jurisdictional setting.
Before and Beyond Artificial Intelligence: Opportunities and Challenges
Authors: Neves M. Patrão , de Almeida A. Betâmio
Published: December 2023

Artificial intelligence (AI) and digital systems are currently occupying a fundamental place throughout society. They are devices that shape human life and induce significant civilizational changes. Given their huge power, namely systems with autonomous decision-making capacity, it is natural that the potential social effects deserve a critical reflection on the opportunities and challenges addressed by AI. This is the main goal of this text. The authors begin by explaining the philosophical position from which they start, and which contextualizes their reflection on technological innovation in general, then briefly considering the genealogy (“before”) of AI, in its main characteristics and direction of evolution (“Can machines imitate humans?”). It is considering the path of development of AI and its disruptive effects on human life (“beyond”) that it is proposed its systematization in three categories—functional, structural, identity—(“Can humans imitate machines?”).

Regardless of the optimistic or pessimist expectations towards technological evolution, there is a need for a public debate about its current and future regulation. The text also identifies major ethical principles and legal requirements to regulate AI in order to protect fundamental human rights.
Autonomous and Intelligent Robots: Social, Legal and Ethical Issues
Authors: Lima Pedro U. , Paiva Ana
Published: December 2023

The word “robot” was used for the first time in 1921 by the Czech writer Karel Čapek, who wrote a play called R.U.R. (“Rosumovi Univerzální Roboti”), featuring a scientist who develops a synthetic organic matter to make “humanoid autonomous machines”, called “robots”. These so called “robots” were supposed to act as slaves and obediently work for humans. Over the years, as real “robots” actually began to be built, their impact on our lives, our work and our society, has brought many benefits, but also raised some concerns. This paper discusses some of the areas of robotics, its advances, challenges and current limitations. We then discuss not only how robots and automation can contribute to our society, but also raise some of the social, legal and ethical concerns that robotics and automation can bring.
The Ethical and Legal Challenges of Recommender Systems Driven by Artificial Intelligence
Authors: Magrani Eduardo , da Silva Paula Guedes Fernandes
Published: December 2023

In a hyperconnected world, recommendation systems (RS) are one of the most widespread commercial applications of artificial intelligence (AI), initially mostly used for e-commerce, but already widely applied to different areas, for instance, content providers and social media platforms. Due to the current information overload, these systems are designed mainly to help individuals dealing with the infinity of options available, in addition to optimizing companies’ profits by offering products and services that directly meet the needs of their customers. However, despite its benefits, RS based on AI may also create detrimental effects—sometimes unforeseen—for users and society, especially for vulnerable groups. Constant tracking of users, automated analysis of personal data to predict and infer behaviours, preferences, future actions and characteristic, the creation of behavioural profiles and the microtargeting for personalized recommendations may raise relevant ethical and legal issues, such as discriminatory outcomes, lack of transparency and explanation of algorithmic decisions that impact people’s lives and unfair violations of privacy and data protection. This article aims to address these issues, through a multisectoral, multidisciplinary and human rights’-based approach, including contributions from the Law, ethics, technology, market, and society.
Metacognition, Accountability and Legal Personhood of AI
Authors: Ribeiro Beatriz A. , Coelho Helder , Ferreira Ana Elisabete , Branquinho João
Published: December 2023

One of the puzzles yet to be solved regarding Artificial Intelligence (AI) is whether or not robots can be considered accountable and have, eventually, legal personhood. With inputs from Philosophy, Psychology, Computation and Law, the paper proposes an interdisciplinary approach to the question of legal personhood in AI. In this paper, we examine, firstly, the concepts of Object (a mere tool) and Agent, in order to understand in which category AI may belong to. Secondly, we analyze how Metacognition, broadly defined as the cognition about cognition, which results in mental processes that control an entity’s thoughts and behavior, can be applied to law as a minimum requirement for accountability. For instance, we shall see that both children and people with mental diseases, besides being two categories of subjects that have a very restricted legal capacity, also show some limitations when it comes to Metacognition. In other words, we argue that the main difference between a non-responsible and a responsible Agent depends on the metacognitive processes that can be carried out by the entity. Ultimately, we discuss how to transpose this idea to AI, debating the possible terms of legal personhood of AI.
Introduction: Translating and Mediating Feminisms, Travelling Women’s Movements
Authors: Gehmacher Johanna
Published: December 2023

This study investigates how the emergence of a transnational civil society in the decades before the outbreak of the First World War was supported by, and entangled with, practices of travel, translation, and mediation in various forms of (mass) media. It takes one activist from the transnational women’s movements of the West as a case study to explore how political activists employed a variety of transnational strategies to foment activism at home and abroad. The introductory chapter takes the example of one activist’s speech at the feminist congress in Paris in 1896—one of the first larger congresses of its kind—and the media reaction to this appearance to sketch the position of a mediator in a transnational civil space. Following on from this, it lays out the contexts, concepts, and the research questions of this book and presents its main protagonist, Käthe Schirmacher (1865–1930). In particular, the chapter discusses theoretical frameworks of translation, feminism, activism, and trust; contextualises travel in a transnational history of women’s movements of the West; and reflects on the advantages and limitations of a case study approach.
Become a Translator! Formations of an Im/Possible Persona
Authors: Gehmacher Johanna
Published: December 2023

Drawing both on the history of women’s education and on the interdisciplinary concept of the persona, this chapter discusses the discourses and practices that framed and limited young middle-class women’s chances of studying and becoming a learned person in late nineteenth-century Europe. It argues that in connection with the middle-class ideology of a woman’s place, a double standard of male and female scholarship prevailed. Considering the links between accepted models of femininity and new forms of professional identity, the chapter shows the development of new, if hidden, female personae at the fringes of academe, for example the persona of the supportive wife of a male academic or of the translator.
Correspondences: Transnational Journalism
Authors: Gehmacher Johanna
Published: December 2023

This chapter discusses the growing participation of women in journalism in the late nineteenth century. It gives insights into contemporary perceptions of the profession and examines Käthe Schirmacher’s career as a transnational and multilingual journalist. Based on her example, the chapter explores the possibilities and challenges that this position between languages and cultures entailed and analyses particular practices of transnational journalism. It argues that both Schirmacher’s experience in translating and her personal practice of letter-writing were important resources for her activity as a transnational correspondent.
Travel as Political Practice and Economic Strategy
Authors: Gehmacher Johanna
Published: December 2023

This chapter deals with travel and travel writing and posits that travel was an essential practice for the development of social and political movements in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century. Examining Käthe Schirmacher’s travels on her lecture tours and how she organised them, the chapter illustrates the close entanglement of political practice and economic strategy and therefore argues for an analytical perspective that includes both aspects. The chapter also looks at examples of Schirmacher’s travel writing. It analyses how she constructed cultural differences, and thus allows a more nuanced view of her varying uses of the term ‘civilisation’, which also plays an important role in her writing on women’s movements in a global context.
Migration Policies in the OSCE Region
Authors: Abeytia Anisa , Brito Esther , Ojo John Sunday
Published: December 2023

In this chapter, we postulate and argue that the differential responses to Ukrainian, Syrian and Afghan refugees exemplify the discrepancies in the application of international asylum law among OSCE countries, which are rooted in historical animosities. Through case studies, we trace institutional racial biases in immigration policies and the exportation of Global North bordering practices. Identifying the dissonance these differential responses present in both the political sphere and the public provision of social solutions, we critically assess policy needs and affirm the continued impacts of historic, colonial, and racial antecedents in migration policy. Finally, we explore localization as an approach community leaders and social actors may employ to create sites of civic resistance through whole-of-society collaborations and the development of micro-social policies.
Transformations of Georgia, Moldova, and Ukraine Towards EU Membership
Authors: Nakashidze Malkhaz
Published: December 2023

This chapter examines the processes of democratic transformation in Georgia, Moldova, and Ukraine. These countries must meet the political criteria for membership established by the European Union. To achieve this goal, they should implement reforms in the rule of law, protection of human rights, judicial independence, the fight against corruption, and building stable institutions, among others. The chapter discusses the common and differing challenges countries face in democratic transformation, particularly those under consideration for candidate status by the European Union as of June 2022. The chapter's various studies, reports, expert assessments, and documents confirm that these states must make significant changes in the coming years.
Early Warning Models in the OSCE: Adoption and Re-invention
Authors: Isakova Alina
Published: December 2023

In the 1990s, the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) became a pioneer in conflict prevention: from creating the Conflict Prevention Centre (CPC) to signing the Helsinki Summit Declaration and establishing the institutution of the High Commissioner on National Minorities (HCNM). Drawing on sociological neo-institutionalism and constructivism, this paper looks at the construction of conflict early warning in the OSCE as first linked to the relevant world cultural models. These include the norm of conflict prevention, inter-organizational cooperation, and bureaucratization that helped its proliferation. Second, the OSCE example shows that standards such as conflict prevention, reflected in the organization’s mandate, can be interpreted, and implemented in a manner that international bureaucracies see as a better fit to fulfill their mission. Such bodies as the HCNM and the CPC thus contribute to implementation and the construction of a specific understanding and, ultimately, the future of conflict early warning.
Greece’s Response to Russia’s War on Ukraine
Authors: Manoli Panagiota
Published: December 2023

Since the Russian invasion of Ukraine began, Greece has maintained a solid position in support of Ukraine and complete alignment with EU and NATO policy. Greece has actively supported Ukraine, despite a long-standing, bipartisan policy of engagement with Russia and pro-Russian solid sentiments in the society. This chapter delves into the factors influencing Greece's policy regarding the Russian aggression in Ukraine. This policy is constructed upon normative arguments serving national security considerations. It elucidates how the conflict in Ukraine has reinforced traditional principles and axes underpinning Greek foreign and security policy.
NATO and EU Strategic Security Environment
Authors: Yalcin-Ispir Aybike
Published: December 2023

This chapter begins by exploring how the latest NATO and EU strategic documents assessed the strategic security environment. Following this, these documents examine how roles and responsibilities have been defined for better governance of the European security. To find answers to these questions, the historical evolution of both organizations’ security documents is analyzed. This is followed by discussing of how NATO and the EU have defined regional threats and risks in their latest strategic documents, especially in a period transformed by Russian threat. Lastly, strategic security documents are examined under three themes: collective defense, crisis management, and cooperative security. As a result, it is argued that the Russian threat is a fact for both organizations and that NATO is the entity responsible for collective defense. In contrast, the EU is more inclined to assume roles necessitating medium-sized military operations, especially concerning crisis management but also on counter-terrorism and migration-related issues. Because they counter a common security threat, the increased clarity in the latest NATO and EU documents regarding the division of labor for providing security in their areas of responsibility is discussed.
Digital Citizen Activism in Central Asia: Beyond Contestation and Cooperation
Authors: Kurmanov Bakhytzhan
Published: December 2023

The rise of digital activism in the Arab Spring and Euromaidan demonstrated the significance of social media and new technologies in mobilizing civil society activists in authoritarian regimes. Digital citizen activism has also been on the rise in post-Soviet Central Asia, with evidence that the October events in Kyrgyzstan in 2020 and the January riots in Kazakhstan in 2022 were fueled by heightened tension and the mobilization of citizens on social media. This chapter investigates how digital activism evolves and engages with authoritarian states in autocratic post-Soviet Central Asia. It is critical to understand how digital activists negotiate their roles of cooperation, contestation, and legitimation discourse (using the ( Lewis, D. (2013). Civil society and the authoritarian state: cooperation. contestation and discourse. Journal of Civil Society, 9(3), 325–340. https://DOI:10.1080/17448689.2013.818767) framework) in the region's evolving autocracies and whether this leads to democratization.

This chapter aims to answer these questions by uncovering the activities of the digital activist communities through in-depth interviews with activists in Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Tajikistan. Such a broad selection of cases widens the scope of this chapter and contributes to the understanding of digital citizen activism in non-Western settings. Ultimately, this chapter reveals the limits of digital activism in autocracies and how the authoritarian state manages to impose legitimation discourse on such activism.
Exploring supersymmetric wormholes in $$ \mathcal{N} $$ = 2 SYK with chords
Authors: Boruch Jan , Lin Henry W. , Yan Cynthia
Published: December 2023

Abstract

A feature the $$ \mathcal{N} $$
N
= 2 supersymmetric Sachdev-Ye-Kitaev (SYK) model shares with extremal black holes is an exponentially large number of ground states that preserve supersymmetry. In fact, the dimension of the ground state subsector is a finite fraction of the total dimension of the SYK Hilbert space. This fraction has a remarkably simple bulk interpretation as the probability that the zero-temperature wormhole — a supersymmetric Einstein-Rosen bridge — has vanishing length. Using chord techniques, we compute the zero-temperature Hartle-Hawking wavefunction; the results reproduce the ground state count obtained from boundary index computations, including non-perturbative corrections. Along the way, we improve the construction [1] of the super-chord Hilbert space and show that the transfer matrix of the empty wormhole enjoys an enhanced $$ \mathcal{N} $$
N
= 4 supersymmetry. We also obtain expressions for various two point functions at zero temperature. Finally, we find the expressions for the supercharges acting on more general wormholes with matter and present the superchord algebra.
Symmetries and spectral statistics in chaotic conformal field theories. Part II. Maass cusp forms and arithmetic chaos
Authors: Haehl Felix M. , Reeves Wyatt , Rozali Moshe
Published: December 2023

Abstract

We continue the study of random matrix universality in two-dimensional conformal field theories. This is facilitated by expanding the spectral form factor in a basis of modular invariant eigenfunctions of the Laplacian on the fundamental domain. The focus of this paper is on the discrete part of the spectrum, which consists of the Maass cusp forms. Both their eigenvalues and Fourier coefficients are sporadic discrete numbers with interesting statistical properties and relations to analytic number theory; this is referred to as ‘arithmetic chaos’. We show that the near-extremal spectral form factor at late times is only sensitive to a statistical average over these erratic features. Nevertheless, complete information about their statistical distributions is encoded in the spectral form factor if all its spin sectors exhibit universal random matrix eigenvalue repulsion (a ‘linear ramp’). We ‘bootstrap’ the spectral correlations between the cusp form basis functions that correspond to a universal linear ramp and show that they are unique up to theory-dependent subleading corrections. The statistical treatment of cusp forms provides a natural avenue to fix the subleading corrections in a minimal way, which we observe leads to the same correlations as those described by the [torus]×[interval] wormhole amplitude in AdS3 gravity.
Andrographolide inhibits Burkitt’s lymphoma by binding JUN and CASP3 proteins
Authors: Zeng Junquan , Zheng Yongliang , Dong Si , Ding Ting , Zhang Shouhua , Li Kuangfan , Liu Haiyun , Fang Quangang , Yuan Sheng , Wei Yujing , Li Jing , Liu Tingting
Published: December 2023

Background

Burkitt’s lymphoma, one of the most common subtypes of pediatric malignant lymphoma, is notorious for its swift onset, aggressive proliferation, pronounced invasiveness, and marked malignancy. The therapeutic landscape for Burkitt’s lymphoma currently falls short of providing universally effective and tolerable solutions. Andrographolide, a primary active component of Andrographis paniculata, is renowned for its properties of heat-clearing, detoxification, inflammation reduction, and pain relief. It is predominantly used in treating bacterial and viral infections of the upper respiratory tract, as well as dysentery. Various reports highlight the antitumor effects of andrographolide. Yet, its specific impact and the underlying mechanism of action on Burkitt’s lymphoma remain an uncharted area of research.

Method

We employed network pharmacology to pinpoint the targets of andrographolide’s action on Burkitt’s lymphoma and the associated pathways. We then evaluated the impact of andrographolide on Burkitt’s lymphoma using both in vitro and in vivo patient-derived xenograft (PDX) models. Concurrently, we confirmed the molecular targets of andrographolide in Burkitt’s lymphoma through immunofluorescence assays.

Result

Utilizing network pharmacology, we identified 15 relevant targets, 60 interrelationships between these targets, and numerous associated signaling pathways for andrographolide’s action on Burkitt’s lymphoma. In vitro efficacy tests using High-throughput Drug Sensitivity Testing and in vivo PDX model evaluations revealed that andrographolide effectively curtailed the growth of Burkitt’s lymphoma. Moreover, we observed a increased in the expression of JUN (c-Jun) and CASP3 (Caspase 3) proteins in Burkitt’s lymphoma cells treated with andrographolide.

Conclusion

Andrographolide inhibits the growth of Burkitt’s lymphoma by inhibiting JUN and CASP3 proteins.
Cytotoxic lesions of the corpus callosum: a systematic review
Authors: Moors Selina , Nakhostin Dominik , Ilchenko Dariya , Kulcsar Zsolt , Starkey Jay , Winklhofer Sebastian , Ineichen Benjamin V.
Published: December 2023

Objectives

Cytotoxic lesions of the corpus callosum (CLOCC) are a common magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) finding associated with various systemic diseases including COVID-19. Although an increasing number of such cases is reported in the literature, there is a lack of systematic evidence summarizing the etiology and neuroimaging findings of these lesions. Thus, the aim of this systematic review was to synthesize the applied nomenclature, neuroimaging and clinical features, and differential diagnoses as well as associated disease entities of CLOCC.

Materials and methods

A comprehensive literature search in three biomedical databases identified 441 references, out of which 324 were eligible for a narrative summary including a total of 1353 patients.

Results

Our PRISMA-conform systematic review identifies a broad panel of disease entities which are associated with CLOCC, among them toxic/drug-treatment-associated, infectious (viral, bacterial), vascular, metabolic, traumatic, and neoplastic entities in both adult and pediatric individuals. On MRI, CLOCC show typical high T2 signal, low T1 signal, restricted diffusion, and lack of contrast enhancement. The majority of the lesions were reversible within the follow-up period (median follow-up 3 weeks). Interestingly, even though CLOCC were mostly associated with symptoms of the underlying disease, in exceptional cases, CLOCC were associated with callosal neurological symptoms. Of note, employed nomenclature for CLOCC was highly inconsistent.

Conclusions

Our study provides high-level evidence for clinical and imaging features of CLOCC as well as associated disease entities.

Clinical relevance statement

Our study provides high-level evidence on MRI features of CLOCC as well as a comprehensive list of disease entities potentially associated with CLOCC. Together, this will facilitate rigorous diagnostic workup of suspected CLOCC cases.

Key Points

• Cytotoxic lesions of the corpus callosum (CLOCC) are a frequent MRI feature associated with various systemic diseases.

• Cytotoxic lesions of the corpus callosum show a highly homogenous MRI presentation and temporal dynamics.

• This comprehensive overview will benefit (neuro)radiologists during diagnostic workup.
Ultra-processed foods and incident cardiovascular disease and hypertension in middle-aged women
Authors: Pant Anushriya , Gribbin Sarah , Machado Priscila , Hodge Allison , Wasfy Jason H. , Moran Lisa , Marschner Simone , Chow Clara K. , Zaman Sarah
Published: December 2023

Purpose

Ultra-processed food (UPF) intake has increased in recent decades, yet limited knowledge of long-term effects on cardiovascular health persists and sex-specific data is scant. We determined the association of UPF intake with incident cardiovascular disease (CVD) and/or hypertension in a population-based cohort of women.

Methods

In the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women’s Health, women aged 50–55 years were prospectively followed (2001–2016). UPFs were identified using NOVA classification and contribution of these foods to total dietary intake by weight was estimated. Primary endpoint was incident CVD (self-reported heart disease/stroke). Secondary endpoints were self-reported hypertension, all-cause mortality, type 2 diabetes mellitus, and/or obesity. Logistic regression models assessed associations between UPF intake and incident CVD, adjusting for socio-demographic, medical comorbidities, and dietary variables.

Results

We included 10,006 women (mean age 52.5 ± 1.5; mean UPF intake 26.6 ± 10.2% of total dietary intake), with 1038 (10.8%) incident CVD, 471 (4.7%) deaths, and 4204 (43.8%) hypertension cases over 15 years of follow-up. In multivariable-adjusted models, the highest [mean 42.0% total dietary intake] versus the lowest [mean 14.2% total dietary intake] quintile of UPF intake was associated with higher incident hypertension [odds ratio (OR) 1.39, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.10–1.74; p = 0.005] with a linear trend (ptrend = 0.02), but not incident CVD [OR 1.22, 95% CI 0.92–1.61; p = 0.16] or all-cause mortality (OR 0.80, 95% CI 0.54–1.20; p = 0.28). Similar results were found after multiple imputations for missing values.

Conclusion

In women, higher UPF intake was associated with increased hypertension, but not incident CVD. These findings may support minimising UPFs within a healthy diet for women.
Quick and safe: why a k-wire-extension-block-fixation of a bony mallet finger is the favoured treatment
Authors: Stumpfe Maximilian C. , Suffa Nadine , Merkel Pauline , Ludolph Ingo , Arkudas Andreas , Horch Raymund E.
Published: December 2023

Introduction

Mallet fingers are the most common tendon injuries of the hand. Bony avulsion distal finger extensor tendon ruptures causing a mallet finger require special attention and management. In this monocentral study, we analyzed the clinical and individual outcomes succeeding minimal invasive k-wire extension block treatment of bony mallet fingers.

Materials and methods

In a retrospective study, we sent a self-designed template and a QUICK-DASH score questionnaire to all patients, who were treated because of a bony mallet finger between 2009 and 2022 and fulfilled the inclusion criteria. A total of 244 requests were sent out. 72 (29.5%) patients participated in the study. Forty-five men and twenty-seven women were included.

Results

98.7% (n = 75) of the cases were successfully treated. Patients were highly satisfied with the treatment (median 8.0; SD ± 2.9; range 1.0–10.0). Based on the QUICK-DASH score, all patients showed no difficulties in daily life. The extent of avulsion did not influence the outcome.

Conclusion

We conclude that the minimally invasive treatment of a bony mallet finger should be offered to every patient, because it is safe, fast, and reliable. Thus, we propose to perform extension-block pinning independently of the articular area.