ethicalabs/Research-Intent-Collab huggingface dataset:
The role of pastoral activities in conflict resolution and peace-building among the Maasai community in Lolgorian parish, Ngong Catholic Diocese, Kenya

The general aim of this study was to assess the role of the Catholic Church in conflict resolution and peace-building in the Maasai community in Lolgorian Parish, Catholic Diocese of Ngong in Kenya. The Maasai community in Lolgorian Parish face recurring conflicts driven by land disputes, resource competition, political and socio-economic challenges, which have hindered economic growth and investment. These conflicts disrupt education, healthcare, social cohesion, exacerbating poverty and social inequalities in the region. Despite interventions by local leaders and the government, the conflicts have persisted, undermining sustainable development efforts. The Catholic Church plays a significant role in peace-building, but its effectiveness in addressing the root causes of conflict and fostering sustainable peace remains a challenge. The study integrated Karl Marx’s, Paul Lederach’s, and Montville’s peace building models.  The researcher reviewed related literature on the study themes and summarised the study variables into a conceptual framework. A mixed-method approach involving quantitative and qualitative research designs was used. The study applied the Yamane formula to calculate a sample size, with primary data being collected through questionnaires from 114 community respondents. Purposive sampling was used to select four key informants.   The results are presented in tables and charts. The researcher believes that this study may enhance conflict resolution and peace-building mechanisms in Lolgorian Parish. By providing a deeper understanding of the underlying causes of conflict, the study’s insights could inform the development of more targeted and effective strategies for mediation, community dialogue, and sustainable peace initiatives. In order to enhance the effectiveness of its pastoral activities, the study recommends that the Catholic Church should strengthen collaborations with local leaders and expand its social initiatives. These could be in healthcare and community development to meet the peoples’ needs. The study also suggests that leveraging innovative strategies, such as sporting activities and social media campaigns, could improve the Catholic Church’s engagement with the Maasai community. Furthermore, non-governmental organisations, religious groups, and the Government of Kenya, need to support these efforts by providing resources, technical assistance, and policy backing to improve the Catholic Church’s impact on peace-building, social services, and conflict resolution.
GENERATIVE AI AS CREATIVE COLLABORATORS IN VISUAL ART AND FILM: A POSTHUMANISM PERSPECTIVE

The current accelerated development of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) has radically reformed the practices of creativity in visual art and film, questioning the author and originality and creative agency. In the current paper, I will analyze the position of generative AI as a creative partner in the context of posthumanism, a theoretical framework that separates creativity out of the purely human-centered frameworks. The paper discusses the ways AI-controlled systems, generative models, like GANs, diffusion models, and transformer-based designs, can support artistic creation by allowing new types of expression, enhancing the efficiency of their creation, and supporting the creative process through repetition. The paper employs a qualitative and conceptual approach of research and examines the available literature and case studies, as well as real-life examples of the use of AI-assisted art and filmmaking. A posthumanist theoretical paradigm is created to comprehend creativity as a process that is distributed and relational created as a result of an interaction between human intuition and machine intelligence. The paper also suggests a model of human-AI creative collaboration, the key points of which are shared agency, co-creation, and the generation of hybrids. The findings indicated that human creativity is required to guarantee the contextual knowledge, emotional richness, and critical thinking but AI is significant in matters of innovativeness, magnitude, and exploration. The comparative analysis is utilized to demonstrate that the human-AI collaboration has better performance in various areas related to creativity, particularly, the domains of innovation and efficiency. The implementation of AI, in its turn, brings up the required aspects of challenging issues, including the problem of ethics concerning the authorship, intellectual property, biased data and potential homogenization of artworks. Concluding the paper, it is stated that generative AI should not be viewed as a danger to human creators rather as a creative collaborator that transforms the creative ecosystem. It illuminates the need to have cross-functional models, codes of ethics, and policy solutions that would ensure the responsible and sustainable use of AI in the creative sector.
SGDFuse: SAM-Guided Diffusion Model for High-Fidelity Infrared and Visible Image Fusion

Infrared and visible image fusion (IVIF) is essential for integrating thermal saliency with textural details to support downstream perception. However, most existing approaches suffer from "semantic blindness," leading to the erroneous suppression of thermal targets and the introduction of visual artifacts. To address this, we propose SAM-Guided Diffusion Fusion Network (SGDFuse), a novel Semantic-Guided Generation (SGG) framework that reframes IVIF as a semantically-steered generative task rather than simplistic pixel mapping. Our method uniquely couples high-level semantic priors from the Segment Anything Model (SAM) with the high-fidelity generative power of a conditional diffusion model. We employ a deliberate two-stage strategy to decouple multimodal alignment from iterative refinement: Stage I establishes a robust structural foundation via preliminary fusion, while Stage II utilizes dual-modality semantic masks as spatial anchors to guide the diffusion process toward a semantically coherent, high-fidelity reconstruction. Comprehensive experiments demonstrate that SGDFuse not only delivers state-of-the-art image quality but also enhances downstream task performance, confirming its effectiveness as a new Methodological Framework for semantically aware image fusion. The code is available at https://github.com/boshizhang123/SGDFuse.
About new trends in analytical philosophy in metaethics, ethics, and political philosophy, and about philosophizing in the era of artificial intelligence

Artykuł poświęcony jest wybranym nowym trendom w metaetyce, etyce, filozofii polityki oraz uprawianiu filozofii z wykorzystaniem sztucznej inteligencji. Składa się z pięciu części. W części pierwszej analizuję sens pytania o nowe trendy w filozofii analitycznej. W części drugiej prezentuję najnowsze trendy w metaetyce. W trzeciej części skrótowo charakteryzuję etykę sztucznej inteligencji. Czwarta część poświęcona filozofii politycznej zawiera prezentację najnowszych publikacji na temat merytokracji. Artykuł zamykają rozważania na temat uprawiania filozofii w dobie sztucznej inteligencji.
Advancing conservation biological control as a component of integrated pest management of horticultural crops

Conservation biological control is commonly considered to be a key component of IPM because it is compatible with and complementary to many other approaches available in the IPM ‘toolbox’. However, despite significant study of conservation biological approaches in horticultural systems, uptake has been limited. Furthermore, whilst there are many studies that provide examples of positive implementations, there are as many studies in which the evidence for benefits to pest control is either inconsistent or absent. We suggest that careful consideration needs to be given to the scale at which studies of conservation biological control are conducted (both spatial and temporal) and the metrics that are recorded. To-date there has been a bias towards ecological studies, with relatively scant consideration of the economic impacts of conservation biological control measures. We propose a framework for the future study of conservation biological control approaches, which centres around economic costs and benefits.
Central bank digital currency : centralized versus decentralized approaches

Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDCs) are a key innovation in finance, with centralized models enabling quick implementation, regulatory compliance, and effective monetary control. However, this model also raises concerns about privacy and centralization of power. The decentralized version, using blockchain, increases transparency and autonomy but struggles with scalability and governance issues. Switzerland as a major financial hub, known for its stability and innovation, is currently evaluating the potential and risks of introducing a wholesale- and retail CBDC. The implementation of either model presents various challenges, such as picking the right technology, integrating said technology into the existing payment landscape, addressing privacy and security concerns, as well as governance questions. Additionally, the demand for international interoperability needs to be evaluated, which further complicates the issue. Given these complexities, what variation of CBDC would be most suitable for Switzerland? More specifically, for both wholesale- and retail CBDC, what technology and governance model should be pursued in either a domestic or international context. For a domestic wholesale CBDC, the implementation of a permissioned network building on the SIX Digital Exchange platform is recommended. Decentralized node hosting allows for resilient infrastructure while maintaining the current centralized governance approach. To benefit from international interoperability an independent and both in infrastructure and governance decentralized ledger promises a feasible solution. Domestic retail CBDC poses the bigger challenge, as potential of disrupting the current the payment landscape through competing with traditional finance along with public privacy concerns arise. Given these conditions, the further development of eCash, which offers cash-like privacy characteristics while allowing for regulatory compliance is advocated. The choice of this centralized technology is supported by the favoring of existing centralized control mechanisms. In the international context, domestic policies determine technical and governance possibilities such as permissioned swapping solutions ensuring compliance or independent decentralize-finance-inspired exchanges.
The isotope, trace element, and major element geochemistry of the Mesozoic Appalachian tholeiite province

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences, 1986. ; MICROFICHE COPY AVAILABLE IN ARCHIVES AND LINDGREN. ; Bibliography: leaves 598-622. ; by William Joseph Pegram. ; Ph.D.
Blaming Jhum, denying Jhumia : challenges of indigenous peoples land rights in the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) of Bangladesh : a case study on Chakma and Tripura

The special focus in this thesis is about the challenges of the indigenous peoples land rights in the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) in Bangladesh. Traditionally, indigenous peoples practiced jhum cultivation. The notion of the ownership of the land for the practices of jhum cultivation is distinct from wet-rice cultivation. The jhum cultivator must every year change the places to plant from one field to another. On the other hand, jhum cultivation has been blamed for environmental problems since the British period, while justifying taking the land in relation to profit or a commercial perspective. Jhumia Indigenous Peoples in the CHT have been ruled over from the British to the successive Bangladesh period. The approach of the entire ruler has centrally focused on the land and natural resources in the CHT. Furthermore, the policy on the Jhumia indigenous people’s economy and livelihoods has been imposed by outsiders throughout time. In this context, I especially concentrated on how the Jhumia Indigenous Peoples have been alienated from their land from the British period to the present state of Bangladesh. That is why, I focused on how the indigenous peoples have been displaced and lost control and their rights to their own land. Jhumia Indigenous peoples are still being dislocated from their land due to the state policy, particularly Bengali settlement with the state security support. The myth of vacant land was established during the British period and the Bangladesh state still has been allying the concept of vacant land. However, behind the myth of vacant land what is the State policy and how it affects on the Jhumia indigenous peoples, which has not been discussed as much. Hence, I have discussed the historical context for the imposition of the “doctrine of terra nullius” during the British period and its implication in the successive nation states of Pakistan and Bangladesh. By the imposition of the “doctrine of terra nullius” the land has been used for the State’s own interests and its impacts on the indigenous peoples have been the focused in this thesis. In this study I will present the general picture of the root causes of the land alienation of the Jhumia indigenous peoples and the conflict therein. Thus, to analyze the present context, I have focused on the changing trends of land ownership patterns and the hidden interests when they blame jhum cultivation since colonial authority to the nation-state of Bangladesh. The major findings in my thesis are that the local people’s existence has been violated by the imposition of power for the extraction of the land and natural resources. Using the author’s own subjective experience as a point reference, it brings into focus the present reality of indigenous peoples in the CHT of Bangladesh.
‘With a minimum of bitterness’: decolonization, the right to self-determination, and the Arab-Asian group

AbstractIn the late 1940s, postcolonial elites expanded the activities of the United Nations (UN) by using it as a platform to advance decolonization and foster Third World solidarity. The Arab-Asian group was the earliest manifestation of institutional cooperation among postcolonial nations after 1945. Initially comprised of twelve Arab and Asian UN member-states, the Arab-Asian group coordinated their diplomatic activities as part of an effort to bring national self-determination to the forefront of international debate. However, the emergence of the Arab-Asian group at the UN revealed a confluence of different political ideologies and approaches to decolonization in the early postwar era. Forging a network of postcolonial elites brought out divergent visions for the postwar international order, illustrated by the frictions within the Arab-Asian group even as it played key roles in the UN debates on the questions of Indonesia, the former Italian colonies in Africa, and the Korean War. The Arab-Asian group, an important antecedent to Afro-Asianism, Third Worldism, and non-alignment, encountered challenges over parallel projects pursued by its members, such as Carlos Romulo’s campaign for a Pacific Pact among non-communist Asian states or Jawaharlal Nehru’s articulation of neutralism. Therefore, while postwar international organizations were a formative setting for the emergence of postcolonial internationalism and South-South solidarity, the common goals pursued by these states did not always translate into uniformity or consensus on decolonization.
A Study of Heliospheric Modulation and Periodicities of Galactic Cosmic Rays During Cycle 24

Galactic cosmic rays (GCRs) are energetic, charged particles coming from outside the solar system. These particles encounter an outward-moving turbulent solar wind with cyclic magnetic-field fluctuations when entering the heliosphere. This causes convection and diffusion in the heliosphere. The GCR counts detected by the ground-based neutron-monitor stations show intensity changes with a fluctuation of ∼ 11 years and are anti-correlated with the sunspot numbers with some time lags. GCRs experience various types of modulation from different solar activity features and are important components of space weather. The previous solar cycle, Cycle 23, has shown anomalous behavior with a prolonged deep minimum, which was characterized by a record-setting high Galactic cosmic-ray flux observed at Earth. Solar Cycle 24 started much later than expected and progressed sluggishly toward its maxima. In this paper, we study the heliospheric modulation and intermediate-term periodicities of GCRs during the ascending phase of Cycle 24. We utilize simultaneous solar, interplanetary plasma, magnetic field, and geomagnetic activity data including the tilt angle of the heliospheric current sheet, and we study their relation with GCRs. The wavelet power spectrum of GCRs exhibits the presence of a variety of prominent short- and mid-term periodicities including the well-known Rieger and quasi-biennial periodicities. Possible explanations of the observed results are discussed in the light of numerical models.
Global Convergence of Data Privacy Standards and Laws: Speaking Notes for the European Commission Events on the Launch of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) in Brussels &amp; New Delhi, 25 May 2018

The presentation covered the following six aspects of the relationship between new data protection standards such as the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and what is being enacted in the rest of the world.   (1) The global diffusion of data privacy laws since 1970, seen through five key facts: (i) 126 countries (as at June 2018) now have data privacy laws which at least meet the ten minimum standards set by international agreements as early as 1980: (ii) 60% of these laws (75) are from outside Europe; (iii) 45 of the 126 laws have been enacted this decade, an average of 5 new laws per annum; (iv) At least 34 further countries have official Bills in the legislative process; and (v) Many countries (not only in the EU) are now enacting, or have already enacted, new laws to strengthen their original DP laws. Maps of the 126 laws and 34 Bills are included.   (2) Global convergence on higher standards is occurring, not chaotic development. My estimate is that the average enactment of the distinctive new principles in the 1995 EU general data protection Directive, across all 75 non-European data privacy laws is at least 7/10 of those principles. Within European jurisdictions it is closer to 10/10. Data protection laws outside Europe already converge on more than ½ of the higher standards that have been required in Europe since the 1990s.   (3) The GDPR is already influencing a higher level of legislative convergence. An incomplete study of over 30 countries outside Europe (in Africa, Asia and elsewhere), shows that six new ‘GDPR principles’ have been enacted by at least 10 countries, and all new GDPR principles by at least one.   (4) ‘GDPR creep’, voluntary convergence by businesses where there is no legal obligation, is a new global phenomenon.   (5) There is convergence on a global treaty, (Global) Data Protection Convention 108, which originated with the Council of Europe, but is being acceded to by non-European countries since 2011. It has also last week (18 May) been ‘modernised’ with new standards including many but not all of the GDPR’s new elements. ‘GDPR Lite’ may be the new global standard.   (6) There are potential impediments to adoption of high global standards, First, countries may make commitments to regional agreements requiring lower standards, including to allow data exports, and then legislate to implement them. Second, Free Trade Agreements may place stronger prohibitions on personal data export restrictions than does the global GATS agreement, creating clashing standards.
Variational Quantum Circuits for Pesticide Environmental Fate Prediction: A Comparative Study with Classical Machine Learning on the EU SPIN Database

Predicting pesticide environmental fate properties—specifically soil degradation halflife (DegT50) and organic carbon sorption coefficient (Koc)—is essential for regulatory risk assessment under EC 1107/2009. Classical QSAR models achieve moderate predictive power for Koc but struggle with DegT50 due to its dependence on complex soil microbial processes. This work investigates whether variational quantum circuits (VQCs) can capture non-linear molecular descriptor relationships that elude classical regressors. We encode 21 physicochemical descriptors for 110 EU-registered pesticides into per-target quantum circuits: an 8-qubit circuit for DegT50 (17 core features) and a 12-qubit circuit for Koc (all 21 features), each with IQP-style encoding and data re-uploading. Leave-one-out crossvalidation benchmarks reveal that Random Forest (RF) achieves R2 = 0.287 for DegT50 and 0.759 for Koc, while Gradient Boosting (GB) reaches 0.283 and 0.752, respectively. An MLP neural network achieves only 0.075 and 0.497. The VQC alone underperforms all classical baselines (R2 = −0.028 for DegT50, 5-fold CV). A hybrid stacking framework with nested LOO-CV for leakage-free α optimization yields α = 0.20±0.02, but the resulting hybrid R2 (0.288 for DegT50) improves over standalone RF by only +0.001—a negligible and statistically insignificant margin. These results demonstrate that near-term VQCs on small regulatory datasets (N ≈ 110) cannot outperform properly feature-engineered classical models, and caution against premature claims of quantum advantage in chemistry applications with limited training data.
Modelling of building performance under the UK climate change projections and the prediction of future heating and cooling design loads in building spaces

New climate change projections for the UK were published by the United Kingdom Climate Impacts Programme in 2009. They form the 5th and most comprehensive set of predictions of climate change developed for the UK to date. As one of main products of UK Climate Projections 2009 (UKCP09),the Weather Generator, can generate a set of daily and hourly future weather variables at different time periods (2020s to 2080s) and carbon emission scenarios (low, medium, high) on a 5 km grid scale. In a radical departure from previous methods, the 2009 Projections are statistical- probabilistic in nature.\ud \ud A tool has been developed in Matlab to generate future Test Reference Year (TRY) and Design Reference Years (DRY) weather files from these Projections and the results were verified against results from alternative tools produced by Manchester University and Exeter University as well as with CIBSE's Future Weather Years (FWYs) which are based on earlier (4th generation) climate change scenarios and are currently used by practitioners. The Northumbria tool is computationally efficient and can extract a single Test Reference Year and 2 Design Reference Years from 3000 years of raw data in less than 6 minutes on a typical modern PC. It uses an established ISO method for generating Test Reference Year data and an alternative method of constructing future Design Reference data is proposed.