ethicalabs/Research-Intent-Collab huggingface dataset:
From treaty to custom: Shifting paths in the recent development of international humanitarian law

AbstractFrom 1864 to the 1970s, international humanitarian law (IHL) changed through the path of formal treaty revision. Since 1977, however, purported changes to IHL have come not from treaty making but from interpretation, particularly through claims about the attainment of customary status by existing treaty rules. This article explains this shift as the result of the attitudes and choices of key IHL stakeholders under the changed conditions of post-Second World War multilateralism. It argues that the turn toward customary law claims-making was a reaction to the negotiation politics and contested outcomes of the 1977 Additional Protocols (APs) to the Geneva Conventions. After 1977, leading actors looked to custom as a means of arresting or encouraging legal change. The resulting, much-expanded IHL has proved influential and authoritative, even if its precise degree of acceptance by states remains unclear.
SS05-03 COVID-19 AND OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH: PROTECTING WORKERS AND ENSURING WORKPLACE SAFETY FOR HAIRDRESSERS

Abstract                                   Introduction                   Service workers, especially those having close contact with their clients, had an increased risk of infection during the pandemic. Therefore, protection measures were mandated to mitigate infection risk in hair parlours in Germany. In an observational study, we assessed how well these regulations were implemented. In addition, we assessed the number of COVID-19 cases occurring in hairdressers and compared the number to those in other health and welfare workers.                                                   Materials and Methods                   Using a standardized questionnaire, 162 hair parlours were secretly observed by instructed customers. In addition, OSH specialists assessed the IPC measures. The number of COVID-19 related occupational diseases was assessed in the standardized data system of the responsible compensation board (BGW). The rate of COVID-19 cases per 100 fulltime workers (FTW) was calculated.                                                   Results                   The pandemic specific IPC measures were implemented in 98% of the parlours observed secretly. In 92% of the visited parlours, the OSH estimated that the majority of the IPC measures were in place. Of 200,505 COVID-19 cases accepted as an occupational disease (OD), 167 (0.08%) occurred in hairdressers. On average, there were 3.9 ODs per 100 FTW. For hairdressers, the number was 0.1. The highest rates concerned workers in hospitals (7.0), in nursing homes (6.5), or in childcare (6.8).                                                   Conclusions                   Seemingly, the specific IPC measures in hair parlours protected the workers during the pandemic. They helped to mitigate infection risk in close contact situations.
An inconvenient deliberation: the precautionary principle's contribution to the uncertainties surrounding climate change liability

The thesis’ focus is on a legal perspective on the interdisciplinary problem of Climate Change in terms of the responsibility and the liability for damage, which results from the activities of multiple actors. In an integrative, problem‐oriented manner, the book scrutinizes how scientific uncertainties translate into legal uncertainties in a liability claim over the damaging consequences of Climate Change. In this context, it analyzes how the Precautionary Principle, a principle aimed at making uncertainty manageable, can help to overcome some of the legal obstacles in such a claim, whilst, at the same time, potentially creating new liabilities. The book advocates for a consistent application of the principle, taking due account of its flexible interpretation in both public and private decision-making, and in judicial appreciation in Climate Change liability cases.
Aligning Large Language Models with Counterfactual DPO

Advancements in large language models (LLMs) have demonstrated remarkable capabilities across a diverse range of applications. These models excel in generating text completions that are contextually coherent and cover an extensive array of subjects. However, the vast datasets required for their training make aligning response styles during the pretraining and instruction tuning phases challenging. Consequently, an additional alignment phase is typically employed, wherein the model is further trained with human preference data to better align its outputs with human expectations. While this process doesn't introduce new capabilities per se, it does accentuate generation styles innate to the model. This paper explores the utilization of counterfactual prompting within the framework of Direct Preference Optimization (DPO) to align the model's style without relying on human intervention. We demonstrate that this method effectively instils desirable behaviour, mitigates undesirable ones, and encourages the model to disregard inappropriate instructions. Our findings suggest that counterfactual prompting with DPO presents a low-resource way to fine-tune LLMs to meet the demands for responsible and ethically aligned AI systems.
The Human Right to Health and Access to Essential Medicines

Abstract                Living with untreated AIDS is devastating. Patients often suffer from terrible lesions, pneumonia, and nausea; become emaciated; have seizures; and eventually die. The first chapter argues that there should be an enforceable legal human right to health that includes a right to access essential medicines to treat diseases like AIDS. The chapter does not provide a complete account of the right’s basis; the right may also have to protect our basic equality and dignity, for instance. Nevertheless, it argues that health is necessary for, and partly constitutive of, a minimally good life. Lack of access to essential medicines characteristically undermines individuals’ ability to live such lives. So people should have a human right to health that grounds rights to access essential medicines.
Evaluation of Learning Teams Versus Root Cause Analysis for Incident Investigation in a Large United Kingdom National Health Service Hospital

Introduction             Significant resource is invested into investigation of adverse healthcare events. Outcomes of such investigations have varying degrees of effectiveness. The “hierarchy of effectiveness” model proposes system-focused changes have greater impact than person-focused actions. The traditional approach to investigation is root cause analysis (RCA); however, such an approach does not prioritize system-focused action generation. Learning team-based investigations are thought to generate more effective system-focused actions; however, this has not been evaluated.                                   Methods             Retrospective mixed methods evaluation of learning teams compared with RCA. Twenty-two learning team investigations compared with 22 RCA investigations, with quantitative assessment of the number of system-focused and person-focused actions generated. Assignment of the two different methods to incidents was not random, with learning teams being selected for cases, which were initially judged to be process-focused problems. Semistructured interviews were conducted with four learning team facilitators with thematic analysis to identify causes for outcome variations.                                   Results             Learning team investigations yielded a median of 7.5 actions compared with 3.5 actions for RCA: 57% of learning team actions were system focused versus 30% for RCA. We identified variations in personnel involved, culture of the investigation, and differences in the investigative approaches as potential drivers for these differences.                                   Conclusions             We observed that learning team investigations that targeted process-focused problems generated more actions and a higher number of system-focused actions. There is a difference in culture created during learning team investigations. Although learning teams are not suitable for all investigations, they represent a readily reproducible and valuable addition to the investigative toolkit.
Structure of Optimal Samples in Continuous Nonlinear Experimental Design for Parameter Estimation

In the continuous case, Optimal Experimental Design (OED) deals with designs that are described by probability distributions or samples over the experimental domain. An optimal design may correspond to a distribution having finite or infinite support or being continuous. In this paper, the structure of optimal samples for experimental designs is elucidated. It is shown that any design is in fact equivalent to a design with a finite number of support points. The lower bound and upper bound of this number, especially for optimal designs, are given and examples indicate their sharpness. Moreover, we propose an algorithm to construct optimal designs which have finite support. Several applications to OED for dynamic systems with inputs are also discussed.
Illuminating manipulative design: From ‘dark patterns’ to information asymmetry and the repression of free choice under the Unfair Commercial Practices Directive

'Dark patterns' are defined as ‘tricks used in websites and apps that make you do things that you didn’t mean to, like buying or signing up for something.’ The term describes ‘deceptive’ and ‘manipulative’ techniques implemented when designing an app, website, or platform to change a user’s behaviour in a way that would not have happened without the dark pattern. Yet much of the academic scholarship on the regulation of manipulative design has focused on privacy and data protection legislation. This article identifies seventeen common types of ‘dark patterns’. It facilitates critical, legal, and regulatory dialogue by proposing a new taxonomy consistent with the relative provisions of the Unfair Commercial Practices Directive (UCPD). Critical analysis of three respected dark patterns taxonomies provides the basis for analysis of the protections provided to consumers by the UCPD. This approach focuses on the category of dark patterns we refer to as relying on ‘Information Asymmetry’ and an analysis of practices we identify as causing ‘Free Choice Repression.’ The article closes with policy recommendations to improve the regulation of dark patterns for commercial purposes.
Investigating the mediating roles of inventory management and supply chain disruption factors in logistics performance – An evidence from the construction industry from Coastal Karnataka, India

This study investigates the influence of supply chain practices on project performance in the construction industry, focusing on Coastal Karnataka, India. Using a snowball sampling method, data was collected from 347 construction professionals through a structured self-administered online survey, and with Structural Equation Modelling, it examines the impact of material costs, inventory management effectiveness, and supply chain disruptions on logistics performance and project outcomes. The findings reveal that material costs directly affect inventory management and supply chain disruptions, mediating supplier and logistics management and aiding in assessing project performance. By addressing the unique challenges of Coastal Karnataka, such as geographic constraints and resource limitations, the study provides actionable recommendations for construction practitioners to enhance supply chain efficiency, build resilience, and improve regional project outcomes. These insights underscore the critical role of supply chain practices in improving construction performance, offering guidance for the region and similar contexts globally.
The Impact of Physical, Psychological, and Sexual Intimate Male Partner Violence on Women's Mental Health: Depressive Symptoms, Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, State Anxiety, and Suicide

This study aimed to determine the impact of lifetime physical, psychological, and sexual intimate male partner violence (IPV) on the mental health of women, after controlling for the contribution of lifetime victimization. The comorbidity of depressive symptoms and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and their relation to state anxiety and suicide were also assessed.Physically/psychologically (n = 75) and psychologically abused women (n = 55) were compared with nonabused control women (n = 52). Information about sociodemographic characteristics, lifetime victimization, and mental health status (depressive and state anxiety symptoms, PTSD, and suicide) was obtained through face-to-face structured interviews.Women exposed to physical/psychological and psychological IPV had a higher incidence and severity of depressive and anxiety symptoms, PTSD, and thoughts of suicide than control women, with no differences between the two abused groups. The concomitance of sexual violence was associated with a higher severity of depressive symptoms in both abused groups and a higher incidence of suicide attempts in the physically/psychologically abused group. The incidence of PTSD alone was very rare, and depressive symptoms were either alone or comorbid with PTSD. The severity of state anxiety was higher in abused women with depressive symptoms or comorbidity, as was the incidence of suicidal thoughts in the physically/psychologically abused group. Lifetime victimization was not a predictor of the deterioration of mental health in this study.These findings indicate that psychological IPV is as detrimental as physical IPV, with the exception of effects on suicidality, which emphasizes that psychological IPV should be considered a major type of violence by all professionals involved.
Health insurance coverage is associated with access to substance use treatment among individuals with injection drug use: Evidence from a 12-year prospective study

Understand how insurance impacts access to services among people who have injected drugs.1748 adults who have injected drugs were assessed at twice-annual study visits between 2006 and 2017 (18,869 visits). Use of specialty substance use treatment, receipt of buprenorphine, and having a regular source of medical care were assessed for association with concurrent insurance coverage. Random intercept logistic regression was used to adjust for potential confounders.When participants acquired insurance, they were more likely to report specialty substance use treatment (aOR 2.0, 95% CI 1.6 to 2.5), a buprenorphine prescription (aOR 3.3, 95% CI 2.0 to 5.5), and a regular source of medical care (aOR 6.3, 95% CI 5.1 to 7.8).Insurance is associated with increased use of three important services for individuals who inject drugs.Expanding insurance may facilitate access to substance use treatment and other needed health services.
Improved Multiscale Structural Mapping with Supervertex Vision Transformer for the Detection of Alzheimer's Disease Neurodegeneration

Alzheimer's disease (AD) confirmation often relies on positron emission tomography (PET) or cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) analysis, which are costly and invasive. Consequently, structural MRI biomarkers such as cortical thickness (CT) are widely used for non-invasive AD screening. Multiscale structural mapping (MSSM) was recently proposed to integrate gray-white matter contrasts (GWCs) with CT from a single T1-weighted MRI (T1w) scan. Building on this framework, we propose MSSM+, together with surface supervertex mapping (SSVM) and a Supervertex Vision Transformer (SV-ViT). 3D T1w images from individuals with AD and cognitively normal (CN) controls were analyzed. MSSM+ extends MSSM by incorporating sulcal depth and cortical curvature at the vertex level. SSVM partitions the cortical surface into supervertices (surface patches) that effectively represent inter- and intra-regional spatial relationships. SV-ViT is a Vision Transformer architecture operating on these supervertices, enabling anatomically informed learning from surface mesh representations. Compared with MSSM, MSSM+ identified more spatially extensive and statistically significant group differences between AD and CN. In AD vs. CN classification, MSSM+ achieved a 3%p higher area under the precision-recall curve than MSSM. Vendor-specific analyses further demonstrated reduced signal variability and consistently improved classification performance across MR manufacturers relative to CT, GWCs, and MSSM. These findings suggest that MSSM+ combined with SV-ViT is a promising MRI-based imaging marker for AD detection prior to CSF/PET confirmation.
sj-docx-4-css-10.1177_24705470231169106 - Supplemental material for Mental Health Among People Presenting for Care of Physical Symptoms: The Factors Associated with Suicidality and Symptoms of Depression and Anxiety are Similar Across Specialties

Supplemental material, sj-docx-4-css-10.1177_24705470231169106 for Mental Health Among People Presenting for Care of Physical Symptoms: The Factors Associated with Suicidality and Symptoms of Depression and Anxiety are Similar Across Specialties by Sina Ramtin, Kathleen Carberry, Maria Correa, David Ring, Carol Alter and Donna Shanor in Chronic Stress
Genetic Discrimination and Health Insurance: An Urgent Need for Reform

The accelerated pace of gene discovery and molecular medicine portend a future in which information about a plethora of disease genes can be readily obtained. As at-risk populations are identified, research can be done to determine effective prevention and treatment strategies that will lower the personal, social and perhaps the financial costs of disease in the future. We all carry genes that predispose to common illnesses. In many circumstances knowing this information can be beneficial, as it allows individualized strategies to be designed to reduce the risk of illness. But, as knowledge about the genetic basis of common disorders grows, so does the potential for discrimination in health insurance coverage for an ever increasing number of Americans.
Financial Reporting Quality, Pengungkapan Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), dan Efisiensi Investasi

Tujuan dari penelitian ini adalah untuk menganalisis pengaruh kualitas pelaporan keuangan dan pengungkapan CSR terhadap efisiensi investasi, serta pengaruh pengungkapan CSR terhadap efisiensi investasi ketika FRQ dibagi menjadi dua situasi (FRQ tinggi dan FRQ rendah). Populasi dalam penelitian ini adalah seluruh perusahaan yang terdaftar di Bursa Efek Indonesia tahun 2015-2017, kecuali sektor keuangan. Sampel akhir dalam penelitian ini sebanyak 468 perusahaan yang diperoleh dengan menggunakan metode purposive sampling. Analisis data menggunakan regresi data panel dan korelasi Kendall Tau. Hasil analisis dalam penelitian ini menunjukkan bahwa kualitas pelaporan keuangan berpengaruh positif terhadap efisiensi investasi. Sedangkan pengungkapan Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) tidak berpengaruh terhadap efisiensi investasi. Hasil penelitian ini juga membuktikan bahwa pengungkapan CSR tidak berpengaruh terhadap efisiensi investasi baik ketika kualitas pelaporan keuangan tinggi, maupun kualitas pelaporan keuangan rendah pada perusahaan sektor non-keuangan yang terdaftar di Bursa Efek Indonesia selama 2015-2017.   Kata Kunci: Efisiensi Investasi, Kualitas Pelaporan Keuangan, Pengungkapan Tanggung Jawab Sosial Perusahaan.
Protein simulations combining an all-atom force field with a Go term

Using a variant of parallel tempering, we study the changes in sampling within a simulation when the all-atom model is coupled to a Go-like potential. We find that the native structure is not the lowest-energy configuration in the all-atom force field. Adding a Go-term deforms the energy landscape in a way that the native configuration becomes the global minimum.
Dental Caries in the Elderly with Diabetes Mellitus and the Use of Metagenomic Sequencing for Oral Microbiome Analysis

Abstract           Dental caries amongst the elderly is on the rise due to increased life expectancy and the trend that older adults are retaining their teeth for longer. Diabetes mellitus is known to be associated with an increased risk of periodontal disease. However, the relationship between diabetes and dental caries amongst the elderly has received far less attention. Dental caries is a polymicrobial disease, where the eubiosis and dysbiosis of the oral microbiota are key in determining the strategies of diagnosis, prevention and treatment. Dysbiosis of the oral microbiota, for example in the presence of systemic diseases, plays a role in the pathogenesis of dental caries. The advancement of genomic techniques provides a greater understanding of how the oral microbiome is associated with oral and systemic health. Next-generation sequencing using targeted 16S ribosomal RNA gene sequencing allows analysis of the oral microbiota with a relatively lower cost and eliminating the need for culture or polymerase chain reaction amplification to study the broad genomic group of the oral microbiome in health and disease. The purpose of this narrative review is to provide an understanding on the use of metagenomic sequencing in the prediction and control of dental caries.
The right to a healthy environment: a rights based approach to environmental issues

This thesis analyses the Right to a Healthy Environment (RHE) and identifies the added value of rights-based approaches (RBAs) in the broader context of sustainable development. It focuses particularly on the requirement for ‘meaningful participation’ and how a rights-based approach can provide a means to reconcile environmental protection, social development and economic activities. There is an existing consensus over the strong connection between human rights and the environment, but different approaches are used to advance environmental claims in the current human rights framework. Regional approaches have been particularly helpful in contextualizing environmental claims, and adopting different rights-based approaches to environmental protection. Current debates indicate an inclination towards the adoption of the procedural approach, consisting in environmental access rights to information, public participation and justice. The country context of Panama illustrates the opportunities and limitations of the procedural approach to issues of environmental contestation. An in-depth examination of the processes and outcomes of environmental decision-making in four major development projects indicates that the procedural approach cannot deliver substantive outcomes as it stands. This points to a fundamental failure of current RBAs to address environmental protection and sustainable development. ‘Meaningful participation’ is identified as being core to the RHE, but it lacks efficacy within the procedural approach. Public participation has a role in democratizing environmental decision making, but it is also important for promoting rights interdependence, transparency and accountability, and ensuring just distribution of benefits and burdens. The research elaborates on the nature of RBA to the RHE, identifies criteria for procedural rights, and offers a ‘4 As’-based approach to public participation processes in environmental decision making. This research suggests a more expansive interpretation of the RHE that looks to solidarity rights, marking a complementarity with the Right to Development and the recovery of rights indivisibility.