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Members of the public, journalists, and other stakeholders have a significant interest in maintaining access to government records. This paper examines the current state of open records laws in relation to college athletics. The central finding is the current set of incentives facing institutional leaders, legislators, and athletics department staff members may undermine the public policy goals of open records laws. The topic of open records laws is significant for athletics department employees, journalists, academics, and other stakeholder groups. The foundational principles underlying open records laws can be traced back to the founding of the United States and are a critical aspect of democracy. However, athletic departments use a variety of tactics to avoid or delay providing documents in response to public records requests. These tactics are a product of the incentives faced by coaches and athletics directors, and they contribute to a situation where these stakeholders advocate for policy changes that ultimately undermine the public’s ability to access records relating to intercollegiate sport. The solution to this problem will require a coordinated grassroots effort to ensure access to records in intercollegiate athletics and promote accountability among decision-makers in college athletics for years to come. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report the following seven species (representing five families) of true bugs (Hemiptera: Heteroptera) for the first time from Arkansas: Hesperocorixa minor, Sigara virginiensis (Corixidae); Systelloderes biceps (Enicocephalidae); Hebrus buenoi (Hebridae): Empicoris winnemana, Ploiaria similis (Reduviidae); Microvelia fontinalis (Veliidae). This includes the first report of the family Enicocephalidae (Unique-headed bugs) for Arkansas. All species were collected from flight intercept traps (deployed from April-July 2011) set in Arkansas Oaks Natural Area (Nevada County) located in southwestern Arkansas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Stranded marine mammals provide valuable insight into population health of free‐ranging conspecifics; however, the likelihood of carcass detection by the public or trained observers is not well known. To better understand carcass detection rates (CDR), we placed twelve decoy dolphin carcasses around Dauphin Island, Alabama, for 2 weeks, one during peak tourist season and one during the off season. Decoys were placed in regions representing different habitat types (marsh or beach) and levels of human use (low or high). Calls from the public were recorded, and trained observers actively searched for decoys via drone and visual observation either by vessel or UTV and walking. There were 2.5 times more public reports during the peak (n = 38) compared to off season (n = 15), with most reports being from the high‐traffic beach site during peak season (n = 27). Trained observers found more decoys (CDR = 0.88) than the public (CDR = 0.58), however, the public found two decoys that observers did not. Drone searches were slightly more successful (CDR = 0.83) than other methods (CDR = 0.79). Our results indicate that a combination of surveillance methods will enhance carcass detection, and our novel methods can be used across habitat types to improve stranding surveillance, better estimate stranding rates, and inform mortality estimates of many species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pholcid spiders have been recorded from Chinese, Baltic, Dominican, Bitterfeld and Mexican amber. Pholcophora Banks, 1896 is a short-legged daddy-long-leg pholcid spider genus, not previously known from Mexican amber. In this study, we describe Pholcophora gregorioi sp. nov. based on an adult male specimen found in a piece of amber from Simojovel de Allende town, Chiapas, Mexico. Pholcophora gregorioi nov. sp. can be distinguished from all male Pholcophora by the small size, the distal process, the shape and position of the apophysis, the shape of the procursus and the shape of male cheliceral apophyses. Therefore, P. gregorioi sp. nov. is the first and oldest fossil that can be assigned unequivocally to Pholcophora worldwide. So far, no true extant Pholcophora species have been recorded in the modern state of Chiapas. The fossil species Pholcophora gregorioi nov. sp. lived in a leguminous forest that developed near an ancient estuarine environments during the early Miocene (23 Ma). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Here, I discuss data sharing and re‐use as a moral imperative for research that uses animals in neuroscience. I argue that we are ethically required to make sure that we gain as much knowledge as possible from the animals we use, and that doing so involves making sure that the data from our experiment makes it into the public record of knowledge. I suggest several ways in which journals, grant bodies and policymakers can contribute to making data sharing and re‐use mainstream practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The illegal trade in meat and pets is a well-recognized conservation threat to South Asian tortoises and freshwater turtles. We highlight additional threats from the trade in turtle body parts, particularly in dried calipee of softshell turtles. Evidence from media-reported seizures, publicly available government records, and field-based information suggests that the illegal trade in calipee, which targets endangered softshell turtle species, is more pervasive than previously acknowledged. Between 2007 and January 2024, at least 5351.5 kg of dried calipee (equivalent to 133.8 tons to 246.2 tons of turtles) were seized from South Asia, with several large consignments (more than 500 kg) headed to international destinations, including Hong Kong, China. Given the lack of awareness and enforcement challenges in identifying this product, we expect that the seizures represent a very small percentage of the actual trade. Literature and field-based information suggest that this trade specifically targets endangered softshell turtle species such as Nilssonia gangetica, Nilssonia hurum, Nilssonia leithii, and Chitra indica, further highlighting the conservation concerns surrounding this cryptic trade. We urge the conservation community and law enforcement agencies across Asia, at both source sites and markets, to contribute toward creating a nuanced understanding of this trade and take active measures to mitigate the threat posed by calipee trade to endangered turtles in South Asia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A sickly sweet scent lingers in Arnold Genthe's Old Chinatown photographs (1896–1906). Genthe, a German immigrant who was known for his portraits of presidents of the United States and prominent businessmen, began his artistic career by taking pictures on the streets of San Francisco's Chinatown. While Genthe's archive is celebrated for its soft-focus pictorialist style, less attention has been paid to the racialized discourse on Chinese atmospheres that produced this aesthetic effect. Contextualizing these images within the US anxiety about the "yellow peril" in the early twentieth century, which rendered the Chinese as noxious to the national atmosphere, this essay demonstrates that Genthe's style emerged from these racialized fears of toxic air. Moving between the photographer's images, his published memoir, and contemporaneous public health records, I chart an irresolvable sickly sweet scent in this visual archive through a method that I term "atmo-speculation." Focusing on a lesser-known portrait by Genthe of an anonymous nude woman, I trace fetid air as a critical aesthetic through which we can sense insurgent forms of Chinese femininity in the US. Augmenting recent scholarship on minoritarian form, which approaches race through affect and sensation, I argue that feminist sensorial engagements with Genthe's Old Chinatown photographs disturb national ideals of contained citizenship. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article presents research and experience gathered during a practice-based study to look at how group experience is captured and preserved in care records of children and young people. It discusses the work of the Archiving Residential Children's Homes project (ARCH), a joint Scottish-German research project with teams at the Universities of Stirling and Osnabruck. The article focuses on the Scottish side of the project, examining the steps recently taken in Scotland towards recognizing the value and importance of care records and challenging current recording practices in the care sector. It reflects on the interdisciplinary nature of the project, examining the differing positions taken by key professionals and their approach to record keeping. The article looks beyond the individual case file examining how everyday, group life was historically captured and recorded, drawing out the parallels and differences with contemporary practice and proposing a new reframing of record keeping responsibilities to include the wider responsibility of memory keeping. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding species distribution patterns has been a major quest in biodiversity research. Due to their secretive habits and rarity, snakes have been historically underrepresented in assessments of geographic distribution range. In this work, we employ a pipeline for predictive model‐based species sampling, using Neotropical snakes as a model organism. We employ species distribution models based on verified point records for five candidate snake species of probable occurrence to Rio Grande do Sul state, Brazil: Apostolepis dimidiata (Jan 1862), Erythrolamprus aesculapii (Linnaeus 1758), Helicops leopardinus (Schlegel 1837), Lygophis meridionalis (Schenkel 1901), and Micrurus corallinus (Merrem 1820). Based on the resulting models, we conducted fieldwork on areas with higher overlap of suitable ranges and probability of new records. Our study yields a new state record of A. dimidiata to Rio Grande do Sul and highlights the usefulness of species distribution models in eliciting priority areas for faunal assessments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lethaeini is a diverse tribe within Rhyparochromidae, with Lethaeus Dallas being the most speciose genus. This study is focused on the poorly documented Lethaeus lepidus White, the only species in the genus recorded from the Neotropics. Through a reexamination, this species is considered a new synonym of Petissius spinipes Stål. The examined material is sourced from recent field expeditions in natural areas in Brazil, as well as from entomological collections. In addition, the types of the described species were studied from high-definition photographs. The distribution of P. spinipes is updated, indicating that the species is widely distributed in the Neotropics, and filling a large geographic gap with many new locality records. Distribution map including the new records and high-definition illustrations of the species and diagnostic characters are provided. As a result of the findings presented, there are currently no documented representatives of the genus Lethaeus in the New World. With the previouly significant geographical gap between Argentina and Guyana, the 12 new Brazilian state records substantially amplify our undertanding into the species' range. This emphasizes the indispensable role of entomological collections and the need for dedicaded sampling expeditions to enhance our undertanding of overlooked taxa, as is often the case for Rhyparochromidae. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the present study, specimens of Anacroneuria from the Roncador Mountains, Mato Grosso state, were collected and studied. Eight species were sampled, of which seven represent new records for the state (Anacroneuria corae, A. debilis, A. fittkaui, A. minuta, A. pastaza, A. rondoniae, and A. singularis) and one is a new species that is illustrated and described based in male specimens (Anacroneuria helenae sp. n.). After the contributions of the present study, the total number of species of Anacroneuria recorded for Mato Grosso state increased from four (Anacroneuria dilaticollis, A. jaciara, A. lepida, and A. marlieri) to 12 species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Inspired by collaborative governance theory, this study analyzes the process dynamics, outputs, and perceived impacts of a collaborative initiative launched by the Swedish government in 2014. It draws on extensive empirical sources related to the Swedish government's efforts to develop and implement a National Forest Programme (NFP) from 2014 to 2021. These sources include semistructured interviews, observations, public consultation comments, records of meetings and public hearings, reports from dialogues, and enacted policy documents. The results show that the collaboration initially provided a space for joint deliberation and capacity building on complex and contentious issues related to current land use. However, the final programme endorsed by the government in 2018 failed to initiate ambitious proposals on several key issues raised by participating actors, offering little indication of priorities and policy instruments to address fundamental gaps in current policy goals and their implementation. Consequently, the case reveals that it was not sufficient, and perhaps not even desirable, to address existing conflicts and policy problems in a comprehensive collaborative setting run by the Government Offices. The paper concludes with key insights for research on collaboration and suggests ways to move forward with policy designs that integrate multiple and competing policy goals in contested areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The document discusses Supreme Court decisions, such as Brady v. Maryland, which established prosecutors' duty to disclose exculpatory evidence, known as Brady material, for fair trials. It highlights challenges in accessing potentially withheld Brady material in federal post-conviction proceedings due to FOIA exemptions. The document argues that the FOIA's exemptions could hinder defendants' rights to a fair trial by allowing the withholding of critical evidence, emphasizing the need for judicial review and amendments to align with constitutional requirements. It also addresses the importance of transparency in the criminal justice system and holding prosecutors accountable for violations. [Extracted from the article]

Madeline E. Brown's article in the University of Cincinnati Law Review, "DIGNITY DEFENDED, PRIVACY PRESERVED," examines the legal implications of fertility fraud, using the case of Dr. Donald Cline as a focal point. Victims, referred to as "Secret Children," were unknowingly fathered by Dr. Cline through artificial insemination. The article emphasizes the need for enhanced legal protections to safeguard victims of intimate crimes from public exposure, particularly in cases like Doe v. Netflix, Inc. It calls for a reevaluation of the newsworthiness exception in privacy law and advocates for legislative measures to prevent the unauthorized disclosure of victims' identities. [Extracted from the article]

In the rapidly warming circumpolar Arctic, recent research of lakes has focused on their climatology and ecology but is challenged by sparsity of wintertime data. At the c. 48-m-deep and c. 0.5-km2 large proglacial Darfáljávri (Lake Tarfala), located in an arctic–alpine environment in the Scandinavian Mountains, year-round water temperatures were previously reported for 2016 to 2019. Here, this record is continued for 2019–2020 and 2021–2022, complemented by time-lapse imagery records of the state of the lake surface, as well as degree-day modeling of ice phenology (timing of ice-on and ice-off). Darfáljávri is cryostratified during winter, with interannual variations in the thermocline's thickness and temperature range. The ice season lasts from October to July. Modeled ice-on dates match observed ones reasonably well; however, observed ice-off dates occur much later than modeled ones, likely because of cold impact from Darfáljávri's glacial environment as inferred from a comparison with a close tundra lake. Though new insights into the complex lake mixing and ice phenology are provided, it remains to attribute the characteristics of Darfáljávri's winter stratification to additional potential drivers, such as lake ice thickness, atmospheric heat fluxes, and the water balance of the lake. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During the decades from the 1960s to the late 1980s, the Intelligence Division of the Police of Puerto Rico secretly compiled files on individuals who supported the independence of this Caribbean archipelago from the USA. The public knowledge of the existence of these files, known in Puerto Rico as las carpetas, in 1987 prompted a judicial process that ended in 1992 with a decision that opened a period where individuals were able to claim and receive their files, without any redactions, instead of transferring the records to an archival institution. The files that were not claimed stayed under the custody of the judicial branch until 2003, when after a public debate about its disposition, the records were transferred to the Archivo General de Puerto Rico. In addition, various individuals donated their files to the University of Puerto Rico. The particularity of this case has led to a situation where records from the same provenance, using the classical definition of the concept, are dispersed in various archival institutions and in the homes of hundreds of Puerto Ricans. This paper will use the case of las carpetas, and its particularities regarding custody, to analyze contemporary re-interpretations of provenance in the context of state intelligence records. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since the end the of Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada's Mandate in 2015, archives and archivists are now acknowledging both the role that archives played in the colonization of Canada and the urgent need to decolonize archival practices to accommodate the marginalized voices of those silenced by traditional archival theory and practice. In the case of the archives at the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation, these are the voices of the residential school Survivors, their families, and their home communities. These voices have the power to fill gaps in historical narratives and confront the millions of colonial records created by the government departments and religious entities that ran the schools for more than a century. That said, how do we transition from acknowledging our past role as protectors of colonialism's documented "success" to successfully implementing decolonizing practices? This paper deconstructs colonial records and colonial "truth" to understand the plurality of provenance in archives. This is especially important as Indigenous communities develop their own archives in pursuit of Indigenous data sovereignty and the power associated with archival authority and whose provenance we choose to recognize and preserve. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The Public Records (Scotland) Act 2011, implemented in January 2013, celebrated its 10th anniversary this year. This case study aims to examine the implementation of the Act. The Act was born out of the "Historical Abuse Systemic Review: Residential Schools and Children's Homes in Scotland 1950–1995", published in 2007. This review identified problems for care leavers and abuse survivors attempting to trace records about themselves, family members or medical issues. It demonstrated an urgent need to take action to preserve historical records and protect the information rights of Scottish citizens, particularly those of the most vulnerable. Scottish Ministers wanted the Act not just to regulate recordkeeping but to change the culture of recordkeeping. Is it doing this? Design/methodology/approach: The Act's guiding principle is continuous improvement. It does not presume records management perfection from public authorities but requires that they assess their arrangements, identify gaps in provision and deliver a commitment to close these gaps over time. This case study draws on the Keeper of the Records of Scotland's strategy of affecting change through compliance, engagement and advocacy. We can evidence the impact of the legislation through the various tools created to support its administration: scrutiny mechanisms and statutory penalty embedded in the Act; evidence-based compliance under a "Records Management Plan" (RMP); stakeholder surgeries and conferences that address challenges, examine failings, learn from and share successes and explore development opportunities; Progress Update Review mechanism: a self-assessment tool from which we draw evidence of progress or lapses; and webinars and surveys to remain alert to stakeholder issues. Our engagement provides the qualitative and quantitative data required to accurately update Scottish Ministers. Findings: Undeniably, the Act is making a difference. It has transformed the recordkeeping landscape in Scotland over the past decade. The legislation has given the Keeper of the Records of Scotland influence and has acted as a national lever for change. For example, an authority employing a records manager and establishing a support unit as a consequence of our address to its Board; and the NHS Scotland Records Management Group, established as a consequence of the Act, now advises NHS senior management. Originality/value: There is no doubt about progress on the ground. However, because of the fiscal problems of the 2008 financial crisis, Brexit, COVID and the current cost-of-living crisis, public authority finances are extremely strained. What does this mean for Scottish Ministers' ambition to change the culture of recordkeeping? What are the challenges for the next decade? Good recordkeeping is not only about efficiencies but about accountable, trustworthy and transparent government. Can the Act meet these challenges? [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We describe experiments that evaluated potential sex pheromone components for 6 North American click beetle species. In field trials in Illinois, South Carolina, North Carolina, and Virginia, male beetles of 6 species were strongly attracted to geranyl butyrate (Agriotes insanus Candèze), 5-methylhexyl (Z)-4-decenoate (Elater abruptus Say), 11-dodecenyl butyrate (Melanotus ignobilis Melsheimer), and limoniic acid (Gambrinus griseus [Palisot de Beauvois], G. rudis [Brown], and G. plebejus [Say]). Collection of E. abruptus in South Carolina represents a new state record. For each species, capture rates varied geographically and temporally, possibly due to differences in local population densities and regional phenology, or the efficiency of different trap designs or trap placement. Structural similarities were observed between the tested attractants and previously identified pheromones of closely related species. For example, males of A. insanus were attracted to geranyl butyrate, analogous to the terpenoid ester pheromones of a number of European congeners. The attractant for E. abruptus, 5-methylhexyl (Z)-4-decenoate, is an analog of the pheromone of its European congener E. ferrugineus L., and the attractant for M. ignobilis, 11-dodecenyl butyrate, is an analog of attractants of European and Asian congeners. Attraction of the 3 Gambrinus species to limoniic acid parallels recent reports of attraction of the congeners G. seminudus (Van Dyke) and G. ursinus (Van Dyke) to this compound, which was originally identified from closely related species of Limonius. Full identifications of additional sex pheromones for elaterid species should provide a more complete picture of the diversities/similarities of the semiochemicals mediating reproductive behaviors of this biologically diverse and taxonomically complex group. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper analyzed why South Korea has not joined the United States missile defense system for over 40 years. South Korea is geopolitically surrounded by powerful countries. The military technology of China, Japan, North Korea and Russia is outstanding. In particular, South Korea does not participate in the United States missile defense despite being constantly threatened by North Korea's nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles. This study focused on parts of Glenn H. Snyder's theory that received less attention in analyzing the reasons for South Korea's non-participation in missile defense in the ROK-US alliance. Snyder pointed out that powerful countries mainly fear being implicated in alliances and weak countries fear being abandoned by powerful countries. However, if we look at the case of South Korea's missile defense policy, we can see that even weak countries in alliances are strongly afraid of being involved. This study argues that not only powerful countries but also weak countries do not participate in missile defense for fear of being implicated. To analyze this, this study changed the four variables that Stephen M. Walt suggested as reasons for forming alliances into three. This study established three hypotheses using three variables changed by the author and derived that there was a causal relationship. It was proven by applying it to South Korea's missile defense case through a hypothesis using variables that modified the variables used in Walt's alliance theory. This study supplemented the lack of attention to existing international political theories and supported the argument with evidence. I looked at literature research, government records, interviews with key figures and secret and undisclosed Ministry of Foreign Affairs documents. As a study that provides important insight into pursuing future policies related to South Korea's missile defense, it can lead to policy changes in international politics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The frequency of droughts and heatwaves both increased in the context of climate change. However, due to their different time scales, the impacts, as well as the responses of human systems will vary accordingly. Reconstructions of historical extreme events can help understand the mechanisms of human–environment interactions. From a perspective of human–environment system and based on various historical documents, this study examined the quantity, spatial characteristics, and timeframe of the impacts and government response records of the drought and heatwave in 1743. The results are as follows. (1) The impacts of drought propagated hierarchically, with attenuation across different levels of the human–environment system and a shrinking spatial scale; while the heatwave mainly affected the human system; (2) Government responses to drought were diverse and targeted, involving regional interactions and off-site mitigation measures, whereas responses to heatwave were less diverse and mainly on-site; (3) The impact of drought can be transmitted to higher levels of the social system through food security, with serious consequences, the impacts of heatwave end in human systems. This is why governments treat them differently. Technological conditions further limit response behavior to high temperatures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs) apply massive amounts of untreated waste to nearby farmlands, with severe environmental health impacts of swine CAFOs and proximity to disadvantaged communities well documented in some US regions. Most studies documenting the impacts of CAFOs rely almost exclusively on CAFO locations known from incomplete public records. Poultry CAFOs generate dry waste and operate without federal permits; thus, their environmental justice (EJ) impacts are undocumented. North Carolina (NC), a leading poultry producer, has seen a significant increase in poultry CAFOs, particularly since the 1997 swine CAFO moratorium. Using literature‐derived heuristics, this study refined the locations of poultry CAFOs derived based on Earth Observation (EO) data and deep learning, reducing the overestimation of poultry CAFO density by 54% after heuristic adjustments. We removed 51.8% of misclassified features in NC and 61.5% across the US, significantly improving data set accuracy. Spatial analysis, including Local Indicators of Spatial Association, revealed that poultry CAFOs often cluster in census tracts with high Social Vulnerability Index (SVI) scores, indicating potential EJ issues. Notably, one‐third of NC's census tracts with high poultry CAFO density also have high SVI, primarily in rural eastern regions. Similar patterns were observed in the South and Southeast of the US. However, not all high‐density CAFO areas correspond with high SVI, suggesting a complex relationship between CAFO locations and community vulnerabilities. This study highlights the critical need for comprehensive, high‐quality data on unpermitted poultry CAFOs derived using AI algorithms to fully understand their impacts on communities and accurately inform EJ evaluations. Plain Language Summary: This study explores the environmental and social impacts of poultry concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs) across North Carolina and the United States. These operations, often unregulated, contribute significantly to local pollution levels, particularly in areas with high social vulnerability. Using literature‐derived heuristics on Earth Observation data and deep learning techniques, we identified the precise locations of poultry CAFOs and analyzed their distribution in relation to socially vulnerable communities. The findings reveal a significant concentration of poultry CAFOs in certain regions, particularly where social vulnerabilities are already high, highlighting potential environmental justice concerns. Key Points: Using satellite data and literature‐derived heuristics, we accurately identified unregulated poultry Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs)Advanced data techniques show a significant overestimation of CAFO locations prior to heuristic adjustmentWe found high concentrations of poultry CAFOs in socially vulnerable areas of North Carolina and Southeast US [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article highlights the importance of documenting casualties of armed conflicts. It looks at the Oxford Research Group's list of legal obligations of states to document casualties. This list has been compiled from multiple different laws that are currently in place for conflicts but are often ignored or forgotten due to other pressing matters. It will also look at how mass deaths have been recorded strategically by states, by comparing the record keeping from the COVID-19 pandemic to record keeping in armed conflicts. It examines the work of NGOs, such as Iraq Body Count, and addresses the issue of accountability. Finally, it uses the Bouderbala Commission as a positive example of a government working together with its citizens to help create documentation of a conflict. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Organic electrochemical transistors (OECTs) are promising for neuromorphic architectures as they can generate multiple electrical states through the control of ion transport. However, conventional OECTs face limitations in mimicking a fully functional biological synapse due to their inability to achieve long‐term plasticity. In this study, a metal‐organic framework (MOF)‐enhanced OECT (MOECT) is fabricated by introducing MOF into the ion‐organic semiconductor (OSC) layer. MOFs are synthesized using the layer‐by‐layer (LBL) method, and additional cross‐linked OSC is introduced to prevent damage to the semiconductor layers during synthesis. The synthesized MOF layers hinder the rediffusion of ions in OECT, allowing ions to remain in the OSC for an extended period. In this study, the MOECT showed a change in current depending on the doping level, recording a current state 4.4 × 107 times higher than that of pristine OECT. Ultimately, the developed MOECTs are applied as synaptic transistors. MOECTs show 14% higher excitatory postsynaptic current (EPSC) after 130 s compared to pristine OECT, thereby strengthening the long‐term plasticity characteristics of neuromorphic devices. This method enhances the performance of synaptic transistors by introducing MOF, offering various possibilities through the selection of different MOF structures and ions, indicating it is a methodological approach with high potential. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research in recent decades shows that private military and security contractors have reshaped the tenor and reach of US military power abroad while also accelerating the militarization of domestic policing. Previous work on militarized policing has primarily centered on urban environments. This article examines Blackwater North, a facility in a rural Illinois community, which provided privatized, militarized police training from 2007 through 2010. Drawing from newspaper accounts, government records, and ethnographic fieldwork conducted in the community after the facility's closure, I analyze residents' recollections of the local support of and opposition to Blackwater North. I argue that local supporters promoted a culture of perpetual preparedness that positioned militarized policing as a rational form of harm reduction, as well as one that could yield economic benefits to struggling host communities. I also examine the opposition and analyze the insider/outsider divides that emerged within the debate surrounding Blackwater North. At stake for both supporters and opponents were differing cultural conceptions of what increases, and what erodes, security. This case study focuses on rural spaces' role in the landscape of militarized policing and illuminates the cultural processes by which privatized military power and militarized policing become accepted and resisted at the community level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In groundwater modeling studies, accurate spatial and intensity identification of water sources and sinks is of critical importance. Precise construction data about wells (water sinks) are particularly difficult to obtain. The collection of well log data is expensive and laborious, and government records of historic well log data are often imprecise and incomplete with respect to the precise location or pumping rate. In many groundwater modeling studies, such as groundwater quality assessments, a precise representation of the horizontal and vertical distribution of well screens is required to accurately estimate contaminant breakthrough curves. The number of wells under consideration may be very large, for example, in the assessment of nonpoint source pollution. In this paper, we propose an imputation framework that allows for proper reconstruction of missing well data. Our approach exploits available information and tolerates data gaps and imprecisions. We demonstrate the value of this method for a subregion of the Central Valley aquifer (California, USA). We show that our framework imputes missing values that preserve statistical properties of available data and that remain consistent with the known spatial distribution of well screens and pumping rates in the three‐dimensional aquifer system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Freedom of Information (FOI) or Access to Information (ATI) legislation regulates the right to make written requests for government records. Previous research either interrogates the effectiveness of FOI/ATI legislation for advancing government transparency or positions the requests as a means for gathering data on government institutions. This article intervenes in this debate by treating FOI/ATI mechanisms as the vantage point from which to examine questions about power in public administration. Adopting a transformative approach, this article explores the potential of using FOI/ATI requests as a liberatory tool that enables the analysis of power dynamics in public administration. For this purpose, the author draws upon her experience with Canada's ATI regime and requests from the Immigration and Refugee Board. This article documents how ATI requests reveal policy tensions within the Board related to case and performance management, as well as patterns of front-line staff resistance to these measures. It goes on to examine complaints about delays made to the ATI watchdog which expose the attribution of ATI resources towards non-ATI responsibilities. This article highlights the contribution that FOI/ATI requests can make to public administration research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cadasters are public records of land ownership that facilitate clear assignment of property rights and land demarcation, thereby reducing transaction costs for economic agents and strengthening the state's capacity to tax. Macro-level research on the evolution of formal land registration has largely been lacking. Using a novel dataset on the emergence and development of state-administered cadasters in 159 countries over the past millennium, we analyze empirically the association between the development of cadastral institutions and long-run economic growth. Our findings suggest a substantive positive effect of the introduction of cadasters on modern per capita income levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Starting in 2012, the eastern subpolar North Atlantic experienced the strongest surface freshening in the past 120 years. It is yet unknown whether this salinity anomaly propagated downward into the water column and affected the properties of the boundary currents of the subpolar gyre, which could slow down the overturning. Here, we investigate the imprint of this salinity anomaly on the warm and saline Irminger Current (IC) in the decade thereafter. Using daily mooring data from the IC covering the period 2014–2022 combined with hydrographic sections across the adjacent basins from 1990, the evolving signal of the salinity anomaly over the water column and its imprint on the transport variability is studied. We find that due to the salinity anomaly, the northward freshwater transport of the IC increased by 10 mSv in summer 2016 compared to summer 2015. In 2018, the salinity anomaly covered the water column down to 1,500 m depth. Hydrographic sections across the basin showed that this recent freshening signal spread across the Irminger Sea. Overall, the freshwater transport of the IC increased by a factor of three between 2014–2015 and 2021–2022. The associated density decrease over the upper 1,500 m of the water column resulted in an increase in the northward transport of waters lighter than σ0 = 27.55 kg m−3 from 1.7 to 4.2 Sv. This change in northward IC transport by density class may impact the characteristics of the overturning in the Northeastern Atlantic, its strength and the density at which it peaks. Plain Language Summary: Starting in 2012, the eastern subpolar North Atlantic experienced the strongest surface freshening in the past 120 years. If these changes in salinity propagate downward in the water column and affect the properties of the boundary currents, this may impact the overturning circulation in the North Atlantic which in turn has a large impact for climate. This paper uses moored observations and hydrographic ship sections to investigate the arrival and evolution of this freshening in the Irminger Current (IC): a current along the western flank of the Reykjanes Ridge in the Irminger Sea that brings warm and saline waters northward. Between 2014 and 2022, those low salinity waters freshened the IC over the upper 1,500 m. In comparison to the observations that exist since the 1990s, by 2022, the IC was fresher than ever and the Irminger Sea was in a similarly fresh state as the previous record of the early 1990s. The net amount of freshwater carried northward by the IC drastically increased over the 8‐year time period. This increase in the northward transport of lighter waters could have further implications on overturning in the Irminger Sea. Key Points: Starting in summer 2016, the Irminger Current (IC) freshened over the upper 1,500 m until 2018 and stayed fresh until 2022As a result, the northward freshwater transport of the IC increased by a factor of 3 between 2014–2015 and 2021–2022The volume transport of waters lighter than σ0 = 27.55 kg m−3 increased from 1.7 to 4.2 Sv, potentially impacting the overturning [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The regulation of administrative transparency, already with Law 19/2013, of December 9, on transparency, access to public information and good governance, regional regulations or sectoral legislation such as law 27006, of July 18, by which regulates the rights of access to information, public participation and access to justice in environmental matters, imposes obligations of active publicity in environmental matters. This information is also found in public records or administrative files and is generated in the preparation of plans, studies, reports, administrative authorizations with a significant effect on the environment. But also in the active advertising derived from public sector contracting, in the non-financial information of companies, all of which in turn represents a huge accumulation of data that has (or can) have intrinsic value, but that is also an instrument for better environmental protection. This work only aims to identify some of these sources of obtaining information, in relation to access to environmental information, highlighting that it is made up of the set of documents or contents, whatever their format or support, that are in power of any of the subjects to whom these transparency obligations apply, whether it has been developed or acquired in the exercise of their functions. Information from which data of high environmental value is obtained or generated, all of which has a clear vocation to protect the environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Exogenous reputational information is known to improve cooperation. This study experimentally investigates how people create such information by reporting their partner's action choices, and whether endogenous monitoring helps to sustain cooperation, in an indefinitely repeated prisoner's dilemma game with random matching. The experimental results show that most subjects report their opponents' action choices, thereby successfully cooperating when reporting does not involve costs. However, when reporting is costly, participants are strongly discouraged from doing so. Consequently, they fail to achieve strong cooperative norms when the reported information is conveyed privately only to their next‐round interaction partners. Costly reporting occurs only occasionally even when there is a public record whereby all future partners can check the reported information, but significantly more frequently relative to the condition in which it is sent to the next partner only. With public records, groups can foster cooperative norms aided by reported information that gradually accumulates and becomes more informative over time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Diálogos Pedagógicos is the property of Universidad Catolica de Cordoba and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

In this paper, we have provided more insights on the relationship between under five morbidity in Nigeria and some background characteristics using a Poisson regression model and the most recent 2018 NDHS data on Acute Respiratory Infection (ARI), diarrhoea and fever. Some of our results are that children 36–47 months old have the highest risk of ARI [OR = 1.45; CI (1.31,1.60)] while children less than 6 months old have the lowest risk of ARI [OR = 0.14; CI (0.11,0.17)]. The prevalence of diarrhoea is generally high among children under 48-59 months old but highest among children 6–11 months old [OR = 4.34; CI (3.69,5.09)]. Compared to children 48–59 months old, children in all other age categories except 24–34 months old have a high risk of fever [OR = 0.95; CI (0.73,1.24)]. ARI is more prevalent among female children [OR = 8.88; CI (8.02,9.82)] while diarrhoea [OR = 21.75; (19.10,24.76)] and fever [OR = 4.78; CI (4.31,5.32)] are more prevalent among male children. Children in urban areas are more likely to suffer ARI [OR = 9.49; CI (8.31,10.85)] while children in rural areas are more likely to suffer both diarrhoea [OR = 21.75; CI (19.10,24.76)] and fever [OR = 4.90; CI (4.26,5.63)]. Children in the South-South have the highest risk of ARI [OR = 4.03; CI (3.65,4.454)] while children in the North Central have the lowest risk of ARI [OR = 1.55; CI (1.38,1.74)] and highest risk of diarrhoea [OR = 3.34; CI (2.30,5.11)]. Children in the Northeast have the highest risk of fever [OR = 1.30; CI (1.14,1.48)]. In the Northcentral region, Kogi state has the highest prevalence of fever [OR = 2.27; CI (1.62,3.17)], while Benue state has the lowest [OR = 0.35; CI (0.20,0.60)]. Children in Abuja state face similar risks of fever and diarrhoea [OR = 0.84; CI (0.55,1.27)], with the risk of diarrhoea in Abuja being comparable to that in Plateau state [OR = 1.57; CI (0.92,2.70)]. Nasarawa state records the highest incidence of diarrhoea in the Northcentral [OR = 5.12; CI (3.03,8.65)], whereas Kogi state reports the lowest [OR = 0.29; CI (0.16,0.53)]. In the Northeast, Borno state has the highest rate of fever [OR = 3.28; CI (2.80,3.84)], and Bauchi state the lowest [OR = 0.38; CI (0.29,0.50)]. In Adamawa state, the risks of fever and diarrhoea are nearly equivalent [OR = 1.17; CI (0.97,1.41)], and the risk of fever there is similar to that in Taraba state [OR = 0.92; CI (0.75,1.12)]. Diarrhoea is most prevalent in Yobe state [OR = 3.17; CI (2.37,4.23)] and least prevalent in Borno state [OR = 0.26; CI (0.20,0.33)]. In the Northwest, the risk of fever is similarly high in Zamfara and Kebbi states [OR = 1.04; CI (0.93,1.17)], with Kastina state showing the lowest risk [OR = 0.39; CI (0.34,0.46)]. Children in Zamfara state experience notably different risks of fever and diarrhoea [OR = 0.07; CI (0.05,0.10)]. Kaduna state reports the highest incidence of diarrhoea [OR = 21.88; CI (15.54,30.82)], while Kano state has the lowest [OR = 2.50; CI (1.73,3.63)]. In the Southeast, Imo state leads in fever incidence [OR = 8.20; CI (5.61,11.98)], while Anambra state has the lowest [OR = 0.40; CI (0.21,0.78)]. In Abia state, the risk of fever is comparable to that in Enugu state [OR = 1.03; CI (0.63,1.71)], but the risks of fever and diarrhoea in Abia differ significantly [OR = 2.67; CI (1.75,4.06)]. Abia state also has the highest diarrhoea rate in the Southeast [OR = 2.67; CI (1.75,4.06)], with Ebonyi state having the lowest [OR = 0.05; CI (0.03,0.09)]. In the South-South region, Bayelsa and Edo states have similar risks of fever [OR = 1.28; CI (0.84,1.95)], with Akwa Ibom state reporting the highest fever rate [OR = 4.62; CI (3.27,6.52)] and Delta state the lowest [OR = 0.08; CI (0.02,0.25)]. Children in Bayelsa state face distinctly different risks of fever and diarrhoea [OR = 0.56; CI (0.34,0.95)]. Rivers state shows the highest incidence of diarrhoea in the South-South [OR = 10.50; CI (4.78,23.06)], while Akwa Ibom state has the lowest [OR = 0.30; CI (0.15,0.57)]. In the Southwest, Lagos and Osun states have similar risks of fever [OR = 1.00; CI (0.59,1.69)], with Ogun state experiencing the highest incidence [OR = 3.47; CI (2.28,5.28)] and Oyo state the lowest [OR = 0.18; CI (0.07,0.46)]. In Lagos state, the risks of fever and diarrhoea are comparable [OR = 0.96; CI (0.57,1.64)], and the risk of diarrhoea is similar to those in Ekiti, Ogun, and Ondo states. Oyo state has the highest diarrhoea rate in the Southwest [OR = 10.99; CI (3.81,31.67)], with Ogun state reporting the lowest [OR = 0.77; CI (0.42,1.42)]. Children of mothers with more than secondary education are significantly less likely to suffer ARI [OR = 0.35; CI (0.29,0.42)], whereas children of mothers without any education run a higher risk of diarrhoea [OR = 2.12; CI (1.89,2.38)] and fever [OR = 2.61; CI (2.34,2.91)]. Our analysis also indicated that household wealth quintile is a significant determinant of morbidity. The results in this paper could help the government and non-governmental agencies to focus and target intervention programs for ARI, diarrhoea and fever on the most vulnerable and risky under five groups and populations in Nigeria. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Classic theories of political ambition assume relatively stable and programmatic party systems. However, in many parts of the world, ‘fluid’ or ‘inchoate’ party systems do not provide ambitious legislators with the electoral benefits associated with stable party brands. In this paper, we examine ambition in fluid party systems: What is the frequency of party switching for legislators who seek re‐election, and what are their characteristics? What incentives do parties create to push away or retain legislators? And which parties do ambitious legislators seek out? Using a systems approach, we argue that in fluid party systems, legislators' office‐seeking behavior is driven by their attitudes towards parties and their constituents, their prospective evaluation of party performance, and ideology. Incentives for politicians to switch parties act as negative feedback mechanisms which keep the party system stuck in a fluid state. We test the determinants of party switching using two data sources from Ecuador: a public records dataset of every legislator who earned re‐election from 1979 to 2021, and the Parliamentary Elites in Latin America (PELA) surveys of all legislators from 1994 to 2017. Both sources distinguish between switchers and non‐switchers. The results support the conclusion that ambitious legislators in fluid party systems are strategic actors that seek or keep parties to maximize their probability of re‐election—and thereby further exacerbate the party system's fluidity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multi‐decadal monitoring has revealed dramatic evidence of global decline in arthropod biomass and biodiversity, yet little baseline information exists for Alaska, a region 1/5th the size of the contiguous US states.We documented patterns of aerial arthropod biomass and diversity in a multi‐year investigation of three regions in boreal Alaska—two in central Alaska (Fairbanks and Tetlin) and one in southcentral Alaska (Anchorage). Sampling employed canopy Malaise and near‐ground pollinator traps as part of a parallel study of a steeply declining songbird. Traps yielded 115,078 specimens of 15 orders and 692 unique taxa with body sizes ≥3 mm.During peak summer (15 June–15 July), mean aerial arthropod biomass was more than three times higher in traps in Fairbanks (50.6 mg·d−1, confidence interval [CI]: 34.5–63.7) than Anchorage (15.8 mg·d−1, CI: 9.3–26.4). Tetlin exhibited an intermediate value (35.4 mg·d−1, CI: 18.4–67.4). Temperature correlated positively with captured biomass, whereas wind (above 1.5 m·s−1) correlated negatively.To obtain species‐level diversity data, we focused on beetles, representing a wide range of feeding guilds and taxa. Beetles accounted for 6229 adult specimens, 364 unique (mostly species‐level) taxa and 47 families. Trophic categorizations of beetles were similar for the central Alaskan sites; both had a greater proportion of wood‐feeding beetles than Anchorage. Ten species are potentially new to science and 49 are new state records for Alaska.Our work provides the first insight into regional differences and seasonal trends in aerial arthropod biomass and diversity in boreal Alaska, creating important baselines for the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Documenting the distribution of species is necessary as the first step to assess their responses to both anthropogenic disturbance and ongoing climate change. Among insects, some orders, including butterflies (Lepidoptera), dragonflies (Odonata), and families, such as ladybird beetles (Coccinellidae) and tiger beetles (Cicindelidae), have received both scientific focus and public attention. In particular, tiger beetles are a diverse, charismatic group of insect predators that occur in habitats with bare soil and are generally well-documented. Because of its geographic location and numerous ecoregions, Oklahoma has many insect species that occur at their eastern, western, northern, and southern edges. A total of 36 species of tiger beetles have previously been documented in the state. Here, we report the occurrence of three additional species, which add approximately 10% to the known occurrence of tiger beetles in Oklahoma. We documented Amblycheila picolominii, a large, nocturnal tiger beetle known from the southwestern United States, which has extended its range by more than 300 km. We also documented Cicindela limbalis, a species typically found on clay in northern North America, and Cicindelidia sedecimpunctata, which is found in the southwestern United States into Mexico. Updating the occurrence of the insects' range, especially for popular insects, can lead to increased study and better baseline data for future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We found leafmines of Phytomyza ditmani on Ilex decidua (Possumhaw) in Craighead County, AR, in the spring of 2023. We collected larvae and pupae of P. ditmani in the field and reared them in the lab to obtain adult forms. Through genetic sequencing of a barcoding gene, we confirmed the identity of the flies as P. ditmani. To our knowledge, this is the first confirmed record of P. ditmani in Arkansas and the mid-south region of the US. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Moths (Order Lepidoptera) represent a large and diverse group of insects. To better understand moth diversity in the mountains of western North Carolina, we documented species richness, distribution, and phenology at the Tater Hill Plant Conservation Preserve in Watauga County. From June to August of 2022, we surveyed 6 locations once every other week with bucket traps and documented moth diversity via photography, resulting in 2631 individuals and 223 species. Common eastern species as well as northern species at the southern reaches of their ranges were present. There were 17 species newly recorded in the county, 1 significant state record, and species that had not been recorded in Watauga County in decades. Documenting moth diversity contributes to our knowledge of ecosystems, which has the potential to inform conservation management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Many governments aim for transparency for accountability. Transparency and its processes contribute to governing climate. The transparency agenda focuses on sharing records to inform the public. In the United States, accessible records also add to decision‐making processes since records are useful to contest decisions. Few people put together the two kinds of transparency, sharing and challenging. Analyzing both is critical as calls for acting on climate‐related disasters grow. Method: In the United States, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) shares records. The Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) is one route to access FEMA's records. To assess transparency, I coded FEMA's 2019 FOIA log for requester and record requested. Years of damaging, notable disasters preceded 2019, but 2019 precedes pandemic disruptions. Result: Requesters can make requests likely to be useful instrumentally, concerning assistance and insurance. Journalists and scholars request records useful to conceptualizing governing disaster to include both individual political officials and aggregate bureaucratic policy. Instrumental requests dominate, as they do for other agencies. Conclusion: This article answers the call in recent studies of transparency, policy, and of disaster governance to track how policies embed power. Assessing record requests contributes to understanding the accountability in freedom of information. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Revista Foco (Interdisciplinary Studies Journal) is the property of Revista Foco and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Mukaddime Journal is the property of Mukaddime Journal and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)