bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Strategic Climate Litigation before National Courts: Can European Union Law be used as a Shield?
Authors: Eckes Christina 
Published: January 2025

AbstractThe climate emergency is unfolding. Efforts to reduced greenhouse gas emissions globally, including the efforts of the European Union and the Member States, are severely insufficient to hold global warming below the 1.5°C temperature limit. In light of this public institutional failure, civil society actors increasingly resort to strategic climate litigation. However, the EU has very restrictive standing requirements for direct actions against general acts. Therefore, most strategic climate litigation is brought to national courts. In 2023 and 2024, national judges have in several cases allowed defendant states to use EU law as a shield against the litigants’ demands to declare national climate targets and policies insufficient. This Article argues that in light of the fact that EU climate policy is inadequate and nearly impossible to challenge, it is highly problematic when national judges accept EU law to be an obstacle to (full) judicial review. First, EU law itself is not an obstacle to judicial review of national climate policy. Second, the European Convention on Human Rights, read in light of KlimaSeniorinnen, imposes higher requirements on Member States than EU law. Third, the European Court of Human Rights would not accept the “EU law as a shield” argument.
What Happens After the Court of Justice Has Given its Ruling? Promises and Pitfalls of Strategic Litigation Against Internal Border Controls in EU Law
Authors: Salomon Stefan 
Published: January 2025

AbstractThis Article inquires into the aftermath of judgments by the CJEU under the preliminary ruling procedure under article 267 TFEU in cases of strategic litigation. As the principal objective of strategic litigants is to effectively achieve broader societal, political, economic, or legal change, the afterlife of a judgment is crucial for them. While excellent scholarship exists on strategic litigation in EU law, much remains unclear on what happens to a case after the Court of Justice of the EU (CJEU) has given its judgment. Does the referring court and other national courts faithfully comply with the judgment of the CJEU? Do governments implement the ruling? This Article takes the decision of the CJEU in Landespolizeidirektion Steiermark, which concerns the reintroduction of internal border controls, as case study to inquire into the different factors that affect the implementation of a preliminary ruling that is the outcome of strategic litigation. The main argument in this Article is that the implementation of preliminary rulings is determined by the interplay between three different factors: The role of strategic litigants to initiate follow-up litigation, the receptivity of national courts to comply with a preliminary ruling, and the European Commission’s willingness to enforce a preliminary ruling.
Who Does and Who Does Not Engage in Strategic Litigation in European Law?
Authors: Hofmann Andreas 
Published: January 2025

AbstractBoth European Union law and the European Convention on Human Rights offer an opportunity structure for a broad array of interests to pursue their objectives through strategic litigation. The spectrum of rights that litigants can claim is sufficiently broad that no consensus has emerged on the general consequences of such litigation. While much research has emphasized European law as a resource for civil society groups, EU law in particular has also been identified as a boon for businesses who challenge cornerstones of coordinated capitalism. This paper sets out to provide a better empirical basis for a normative evaluation of the consequences of strategic litigation in European law by asking who engages in it and who does not. It draws on data from a large-scale survey among interest groups in eight European countries. While results show significant differences in country-level litigation rates, the focus of this analysis is on the impact of group characteristics on the choice of litigation as a strategy. The findings confirm that litigation requires specific resources but highlight that groups with a prior interest in European affairs and those with antagonistic relations to national authorities are the most likely to turn to strategic litigation based in European law.
Beyond EU Law Heroes: Unleashing Strategic Litigation as a Form of Participation in the Union’s Democratic Life
Authors: Alemanno Alberto 
Published: January 2025

AbstractThis Article discusses the emerging strategic litigation practice in the European Union through the lens of participatory democracy. After situating such a practice both historically and conceptually within the specificities of the EU legal order, it explores whether and the extent to which strategic litigation, understood as an additional form of participation in the Union’s democratic life, may contribute to EU participatory democracy and under which conditions. It unveils that while strategic litigation carries the potential to enhance democratic participation in the EU, it also risks—due to limited judicial literacy and unequal access to justice—empowering those already powerful. For strategic litigation to unleash its democratic potential at scale, EU courts must—as required by the “Provisions on Democratic Principles” of the Treaty of Lisbon—ensure a participatory enabling environment capable of proactively catalyzing and facilitating the ability of ordinary citizens—as well as diffuse, under-resourced and traditionally overlooked groups—to be better able to contribute to the Union’s democratic life. Ultimately, no legal order worth of its name should rely on the heroism of its citizens and residents to keep its legal system in check.
Strategic Litigation in a Time of Populism: Poland’s Experience
Authors: Ploszka Adam 
Published: January 2025

AbstractFor strategic litigation, the existence of independent judicial institutions is a prerequisite. In this Article, based on the case of Poland, I analyze what happens when some domestic judicial institutions are weakened and how this affects the ability of different stakeholders to engage in strategic litigation. I argue that strategic litigation was an important tool used by civil society and crucial for countering democratic backsliding in Poland in 2015–2023. In addition to traditional actors involved in strategic litigation in Poland, new ones have joined—such as the Human Rights Commissioner (the “Ombudsman”) or increased their involvement—such as corporate actors. Also, the prosecution office, controlled by the populist government, became active in litigation conducted by right-wing NGOs. Paradoxically, the rule of law crisis also resulted in the popularization of strategic litigation before the Court of Justice of the European Union and some domestic courts, which began to apply the Constitution directly.
Opportunities and Difficulties for Strategic Litigation to Advance Digital Rights in the Internet Audience Economy
Authors: Harris Swee Leng 
Published: January 2025

AbstractInternet tech giants are regulated by multiple overlapping yet distinct pieces of EU legislation that establish a range of substantive digital rights for internet users, and varying legal opportunity structures for strategic litigation within their enforcement architecture. My Article focuses on the digital rights and enforcement architecture of the EU’s new Digital Services Act and Digital Markets Act compared to the General Data Protection Regulation. Consideration of key strategic litigation concerning the existing Regulation informs my exploration of opportunities and barriers for strategic litigation under the new Acts. Analysis of these strategic litigation opportunities necessarily encompasses the EU’s new regime for mass claims under the Representative Action Directive, and interaction between internet users’ digital rights and consumer protection laws. I contend that the new Acts comparatively centralize public enforcement power in the European Commission, marginalizing civil society, and effectively precluding most strategic litigation by civil society with regard to public enforcement. Furthermore, the new Acts could increase regulatory fragmentation and the risk of legal incoherence by establishing additional regulatory authorities and competences alongside existing institutions and regimes. I argue that private enforcement strategic litigation against internet tech giants could empower civil society to influence the development of digital rights. Private enforcement strategic litigation could also aid legal coherence as an enforcement mechanism that allows multiple areas of law to be raised and addressed at the same time, rather than in silos. However there are considerable barriers to such litigation, including legal questions such as cross-border jurisdiction and standing, and the resources needed for effective strategic litigation. Overall, concerning legal analysis for strategic litigation, my article demonstrates that we must consider both public and private dimensions of enforcement architecture across multiple area of law, taking into account the different power dynamics of different enforcement mechanisms, to understand the opportunities for strategic litigation to advance digital rights in the internet attention economy.
Irreducible factors of a polynomial
Authors: Mavi Sneha , Bishnoi Anuj 
Published: January 2025

Abstract
Let (K, v) be a valued field and

$\phi\in K[x]$

be any key polynomial for a residue-transcendental extension w of v to K(x). In this article, using the ϕ-Newton polygon of a polynomial

$f\in K[x]$

(with respect to w), we give a lower bound for the degree of an irreducible factor of f. This generalizes the result given in Jakhar and Srinivas (On the irreducible factors of a polynomial II, J. Algebra556 (2020), 649–655).
Effect of suboptimal growing conditions induced by agroecological practices on the yield of 12 Cavendish banana cultivars
Authors: Rapetti Manon , Ramassamy Régis , Truc Cyril , Dorel Marc 
Published: January 2025

Summary
In the French West Indies (FWI), practices alternative to chemical inputs are implemented to improve the sustainability of banana cropping systems. These agroecological practices are based on organic fertilization, soil covering with weed live mulch and severe prophylactic deleafing to limit sigatoka disease dissemination. However, these practices may impair the availability of soil mineral nutrients and the photosynthetic capacity of the plant and consequently induce suboptimal plant growth conditions. To assess the performance of the different banana cultivars from the Cavendish group in these suboptimal conditions, the yield components of 12 Cavendish banana cultivars were compared with four crop management modalities: i) high mineral fertilization, chemical weed control and minimum prophylactic deleafing (N + L+), ii) high mineral fertilization, chemical weed control and severe prophylactic deleafing (N + L−), iii) low organic fertilization, weed live mulch and minimum prophylactic deleafing (N−L+) and iv) low organic fertilization, weed live mulch and severe prophylactic deleafing (N−L−). The performance of all cultivars varied according to the crop management modalities in the following order: N + L+ > N + L− > N−L+> N−L−. However, the hierarchical order among the cultivars differed according to the crop management modality. Cultivar Americani exhibited the best performance in non-limiting conditions. Cultivars such as Ruby, Gua01 and Mat12 performed better with severe prophylactic deleafing while Gua02 and Ruby performed better with the low soil nutrient availability induced by organic fertilization and weed live mulch. These results can be used to guide the choice of Cavendish cultivar according to production constraints, particularly with regard to agroecological practices or abiotic stresses, such as reduced photosynthesis or limited nitrogen resource. These results suggest that there is a variability in the tolerance to abiotic stresses between the cultivars of the Cavendish group.
The prevalence and immune response to coinfection by avian haemosporidians in wild Eurasian blackbirds Turdus merula
Authors: Lebeau Ellie , Dunn Jenny C. 
Published: January 2025

Abstract
Coinfection of a host by more than 1 parasite is more common than single infection in wild environments and can have differing impacts, although coinfections have relatively rarely been quantified. Host immune responses to coinfection can contribute to infection costs but are often harder to predict than those associated with single infection, due to the influence of within-host parasite–parasite interactions on infection virulence. To first quantify coinfection in a common bird species, and then to test for immune-related impacts of coinfection, we investigated the prevalence and immune response to avian haemosporidian (genera: Plasmodium, Haemoproteus and Leucocytozoon) coinfection in wild blackbirds. Coinfection status was diagnosed using a 1-step multiplex polymerase chain reaction, immune response was quantified through white blood cell counts and heterophil: lymphocyte ratios, and parasitaemia was quantified for each infected sample. We detected high rates of haemosporidian infection and coinfection, although neither impacted immune activity, despite a significantly higher parasitaemia in individuals experiencing double vs single infection. This suggests that immune-related costs of haemosporidian single and coinfection are low in this system. This could be due to long-term host–parasite coevolution, which has decreased infection virulence, or a consequence of reduced costs associated with chronic infections compared to acute infections. Alternatively, our results may obscure immune-related costs associated with specific combinations of coinfecting haemosporidian genera, species or lineages. Future research should investigate interactions that occur between haemosporidian parasites within hosts, as well as the ways in which these interactions and resulting impacts may vary depending on parasite identity.
Intergenerational relationships and trajectories of older parents’ cognitive functioning in multi-child families
Authors: Zhang Yang , Gong Jiaowei , Tang Tianrong , Li Ting 
Published: January 2025

Abstract
High-quality intergenerational relationships positively influence cognitive functioning in older parents. However, there is insufficient information on how they shape the trajectories of mothers’ and fathers’ cognitive functioning decline in multi-child families, owing to the complexity of intergenerational relationships, such as multi-dimensional and ambivalent natures and differences varying across children. Drawing on three waves of data (2014, 2016 and 2018) from a nationally representative survey – the China Longitudinal Ageing Social Survey (N = 9,404) – we used the k-means clustering method to discern patterns of intergenerational relationships in multi-child Chinese families, as well as the growth curve models, to examine the associations between parent–child relationship types and the trajectories of older parents’ cognitive functioning. Five types of intergenerational relationship were identified: alienated, stressfully interacting, independent, beneficially interacting and tight-knit. We then investigated the associations between trajectories of cognitive functioning and the most distant type, the closest type, and the heterogeneity of parent–child relationships across multiple children. The most distant parent–child relationship was significantly related to cognitive functioning trajectories with the alienated (tight-knit) type associated with the lowest (highest) levels of cognitive functioning and the fastest (slowest) cognitive decline. However, the closest parent–child relationship was not significantly related to cognitive functioning trajectories. Moreover, greater variation in relationships with multiple children was correlated with lower levels of cognitive functioning and faster cognitive functioning decline. These associations were stronger among mothers than fathers. This study provides new insights into the potentially protective role of intergenerational relationships in older parents’ cognitive functioning and their gendered differences.
Anti-corruption Efforts, Corruption Perception and Public Evaluation of Local Governments in China
Authors: Zhou Zhou , Zhou Yangxuan , Yuan Meng , Tang Anni 
Published: January 2025

Abstract
China has taken significant steps to combat corruption since the 18th National Congress of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). However, whether and how the anti-corruption efforts influence the public's evaluation of local government performance remain understudied. Using multiple data sources, including panel survey data taken from the China Family Panel Studies from 2010 to 2018, this research examines how anti-corruption efforts improve evaluations of local government performance by reducing public perception of existing corruption. Additional analysis reveals that anti-corruption efforts reduce perceived corruption primarily when the public trusts officials or has had positive experiences with them. The positive impact on local government evaluations has been more pronounced in provinces with high levels of pre-existing corruption and since the 18th CCP National Congress in 2012. Moreover, the effectiveness of anti-corruption efforts has remained consistent across all time periods since 2012.
Effects of Korean water deer (Hydropotes inermis argyropus) feces on seed germination and early seedling growth: insights into their contribution to seed dispersal
Authors: Lee Seung-Kyung , Lee Eun Ju 
Published: January 2025

Abstract
Endozoochory, the dispersal of seeds through the animal gut passage, plays a significant role in vegetation dynamics. The success of endozoochorous seed dispersal depends on each stage of the process: ingestion by animals, gut passage, and post-dispersal events after defecation. After the deposition of seeds through feces, the effects of feces on the initial stages of seedling establishment, including seed germination and seedling growth, can significantly impact overall survival. The pattern of fecal effects on plant species depends on the animal species. In this study, we investigated the effects of feces presence on seed germination and early seedling growth using feces of the Korean water deer (Hydropotes inermis argyropus). We conducted a germination experiment on 12 plant species belonging to 10 plant families, which are known to germinate in the feces of Korean water deer. The study compared the seed germination rate and seedling length after germination between seeds sown with and without feces of the Korean water deer. In general, we found that the presence of deer feces per se had no significant effects on seed germination and early growth stages. However, additional research on post-dispersal events such as long-term growth, fecal type, and germination conditions is needed to fully understand the costs and benefits of endozoochory.
Orthotopic heart transplantation in patient with Williams syndrome: case report and considerations in perioperative and long-term management
Authors: Pettit Alee N. , Nitsche Lindsay J. , Ahmed Humera , Catalano Michael , Mavroudis Constantine D. 
Published: January 2025

AbstractThis report describes the first long-term survival following a heart transplant for Williams syndrome-associated cardiac pathologies. An 11-year-old patient with severe global left ventricular dysfunction presented with heart failure and underwent heart transplantation. Her peri- and post-operative courses were complicated by hypertension related to underlying vascular pathology.
Using fuzzy cognitive mapping to assess the sustainability impacts of transitioning to pasture-fed production in the UK beef sector
Authors: Rowe Elizabeth , Norton Lisa , McVittie Alistair , Watson Christine , Wagner Markus , Waterton Claire , Smith Laurence 
Published: January 2025

Abstract
One hundred percent pasture-fed beef production has been suggested as a promising approach for sustainable ruminant farming, due to the potential benefits that can accrue across a range of sustainability domains. This study aimed to investigate the impacts across the four domains of sustainability of a wholesale switch from conventional to 100% pasture-fed beef production in the UK. We used fuzzy cognitive mapping (FCM) as a method for extracting knowledge from multiple stakeholders to create representative systems models of both conventional and pasture-based beef production systems. We then conducted a scenario analysis to assess how a switch to a pasture-fed system could affect components of sustainability in the UK beef sector. The FCMs indicated that vegetation quality, grass use efficiency, and soil health were central components of the pasture-fed approach, while economic and regulatory aspects, and climate change targets were more central to mainstream production approaches. The most marked changes under the 100% conversion scenario were an increase in income from subsidies (27.3%) in line with ‘public money for public goods’, a decrease in ability to export beef (unless advice to reduce consumption of animal protein is followed) (23.5%), a decrease in land used for farming vs other uses (e.g., natural capital) (11.23%), and a decrease in the use of feed from agricultural co/byproducts (7.5%), freeing up these feed sources for more sustainable monogastric production. Therefore, the mapping and scenario analysis suggests that while upscaling the pasture-fed approach may reduce productivity, it would likely increase public goods provision and reduce feed–food competition in the UK.
Restoring dignity by granting rights: IHL and peacebuilding empowerment for Magdalena River fishing communities in Colombia
Authors: Martinez-Villalba Lucas 
Published: January 2025

Abstract
This article examines the role of international humanitarian law (IHL) in safeguarding artisanal fishing communities residing along the banks of the Magdalena River in Colombia after the recognition of the river as a rights-bearing entity1 and a victim of the armed conflict. The article also explores the potential of targeted peacebuilding interventions for achieving sustainable well-being, ecological restoration and enduring peace. Against the backdrop of historical conflict, the Magdalena River and its adjoining communities have suffered significant harm, requiring widespread reparations that go beyond immediate crisis management. The study proposes a comprehensive approach for achieving sustainable well-being, ecological restoration and enduring peace, acknowledging the complex connections between legal frameworks, environmental considerations and the cultural heritage of the riverine community.
Slowed Response of Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation Not a Robust Signal of Collapse
Authors: Zimmerman C. C. , Wagner T. J. W. , Maroon E. A. , McNamara D. E. 
Published: January 2025

AbstractUsing an idealized model of the Atlantic meridional overturning circulation (AMOC), we test whether changes in the statistical properties of an AMOC time series can reveal Critical Slowing Down (CSD) and serve as early warnings of an upcoming critical transition. We calculate CSD indicators for simulations across varying parameter regimes, investigating the system's steady‐state dynamical structure and its evolution under gradual climate forcing. We find that the modeled AMOC features bistability for relatively weak gyre salinity exchange, but no bistability when the gyres are sufficiently strong. However, CSD indicators consistently warn of a collapse across the gyre strength parameter space, even when no bifurcations occur, thus raising false alarms. We argue that CSD should be applied cautiously in systems where the dynamical structure and physical response to forcing are not fully known (such as the AMOC), specifically where it is not a priori clear whether the system is in a multistable regime.