This publication focuses on the production of low-cost prototypes of coaxial-waveguide transitions (CWTs) that achieve the performance level of industrial WR90 and WR187 CWTs. The assembly consists of a specially designed coupling element in stripline technology that merges into an SMA connector. It is embedded into a 3D printed housing treated with a metallic surface finishing to achieve compatibility with hollow waveguides. In the first part of this study, a copper spray varnish is used to create a conductive surface on the device under test (DUT). After assembly of the prototypes, network parameters will be extracted for one pair of transitions by carrying out a set of 2-port measurements. The individual performance of a singular DUT is then deembedded by using reference measurements of commercial-grade waveguides. This analysis shows that also S-parameter extraction on connectors with a poor transition is valid. Subsequently, the procedure for the developed WR90 CWT is applied to a WR187 waveguide standard, again followed by a performance analysis. The procedure briefly addresses the modified parameters and illustrates the results as S-parameters. A comparative analysis of the measurement results for each deembedded WR90 and WR187 prototype respectively, indicates a better performance for larger waveguide standards. In consistency with this observation, larger relative tolerances in manufacturing and difficulties in controlling a uniform metallization process are identified as the limiting factors of miniaturization. In the second part of this work, an alternative concept utilizing aluminum coating and a segmented manufacturing approach is developed, targeting reduced insertion loss but keeping the mechanical tolerance level. The redesign is based on the geometry of the prior WR90 prototype, but forming a plug-in kit with each body segment being clad in multiple thin layers of aluminum foil. The measurement results of these samples reveal the effects of increased conductivity and reduced irregularities in terms of significantly improved reflection and transmission parameters. The DUTs investigated in the third part of this work again originate from the initially manufactured variants. To investigate the effects of different metallic coatings, the copper varnish is now replaced by a silver based ink, which provides high conductivity and is therefore commonly used in additive manufacturing. The network measurements are repeatedly carried out with a varying number of layers of lacquer applications on the body's surface. By deembedding a singular part from the measurements, it is shown that increasing surface conductivity leads to a significant impact on transmission parameters. In direct comparison, the silver coated CWT outperforms both preceding variants with copper varnish or aluminum clad. With more than 95 % transmitted power, it is indeed competitive compared to the industrially manufactured WR90 CWT reference. To conclude, the study focuses on a comparison of three different additive manufacturing processes for equal hollow waveguide geometries at moderate frequencies. It proves that CWT parts are producible in a simple and rapid process. The production stages with the strongest impact on performance are identified and demonstrated to be controllable. The variant presented finally is able to achieve competitive performance compared to commercial-grade parts, especially when considering the enormous cost reduction. In addition, it is proven that the RF parameter extraction method for symmetric two-port networks presented earlier by the authors is also applicable when the DUT exhibits high insertion losses. The central aim of this work is to demonstrate that additive manufacturing combined with low-cost metallization techniques can produce coaxial-waveguide transitions that approach the performance of industrial WR90 standards. This novelty highlights the feasibility of achieving near-commercial-grade quality at a fraction of the cost, thereby extending the accessibility of high-frequency components to research and prototyping applications.

Cellular adhesion and contractility are essential for cell movement. In this study, we investigated the effects of actin stabilization on adhesion properties, contractility, and cell migration. For this, we used the recently synthesized actin stabilizer miuraenamide A (MiuA), which has been discussed as a more reliable alternative to the otherwise commonly used actin stabilizer jasplakinolide. We investigated the number and size of focal adhesions in RPE-1 cells and used single-cell force spectroscopy to evaluate the adhesion properties of those cells after MiuA treatment. We showed that MiuA increases the number of focal adhesions while decreasing their size and reduces adhesion energy and force. Additionally, we investigated its effects on the contractility of RPE-1 cells by measuring their contractile energy using pattern-based contractility screening (PaCS). We found no significant change in contractility after MiuA treatment. Finally, we confined RPE-1 cells in PDMS microchannels and analyzed their migration after treatment with MiuA, showing that neither their speed nor their persistence is affected by MiuA. To check that these effects are not specific to RPE-1 cells, we also analyzed the effects of MiuA treatment in MEF cells and neutrophils. Both MEF cells and neutrophils showed the same results as the RPE-1 cells. Our measurements indicate that, although altering focal adhesions significantly reduces adhesion, it does not impact cell contractility. This finding also clarifies why amoeboid migration, which operates independently of adhesion, remains unaffected. Additionally, it explains the previously observed reduction in mesenchymal migration, which relies on adhesion-based mechanisms.

High-renewables grids are planned in min but judged in milliseconds; credible studies must therefore resolve both horizons within a single model. Current adequacy tools bypass fast frequency dynamics, while detailed simulators lack multi-hour optimization, leaving investors without a unified basis for sizing storage, shifting demand, or upgrading transfers. We present a two-layer Hierarchical Model Predictive Control framework that links 15-min scheduling with 1-s corrective action and apply it to Germany’s four TSO zones under a stringent zero-exchange stress test derived from the NEP 2045 baseline. Batteries, vehicle-to-grid, pumped hydro and power-to-gas technologies are captured through aggregators; a decentralized optimizer pre-positions them, while a fast layer refines setpoints as forecasts drift; all are subject to inter-zonal transfer limits. Year-long simulations hold frequency within ±2 mHz for 99.9% of hours and below ±10 mHz during the worst multi-day renewable lull. Batteries absorb sub-second transients, electrolyzers smooth surpluses, and hydrogen turbines bridge week-long deficits — none of which violate transfer constraints. Because the algebraic core is modular, analysts can insert new asset classes or policy rules with minimal code change, enabling policy-relevant scenario studies from storage mandates to capacity-upgrade plans. The work elevates predictive control from plant-scale demonstrations to system-level planning practice. It unifies adequacy sizing and dynamic-performance evaluation in a single optimization loop, delivering an open, scalable blueprint for high-renewables assessments. The framework is readily portable to other interconnected grids, supporting analyses of storage obligations, hydrogen roll-outs and islanding strategies.

Background: Backpacks are essential in the daily lives of children. Carrying a heavy backpack affects trunk posture during standing. It remains unclear, whether this effect is also observed during gait. Research question: How do different backpack weights affect trunk kinematics during walking in children? Methods: Sixteen children stood and walked on a 5 m walkway with a custom load-carrying-system simulating unloaded and loaded backpacks (10 %;20 %;30 % of body mass (BM). A marker-based 3D motion analysis system captured whole-body kinematics (Rizzoli model). During walking, the primary outcomes were the maximum ranges of motion (RoM;[°]) of thoracic and lumbar trunk segmental angles in three planes. During standing, the average angles over 5 s were measured in three planes. Secondary measures included stride length, stride time, and velocity during walking. The children's own backpacks' weights were measured and expressed as a percentage of body mass. Statistical analysis was performed using repeated-measures ANOVA (α=0.05) and Tukey-Kramer post hoc test. Results: The average weight of the children’s own backpack was 15.4 ± 7.4 %BM. For the experimental conditions, the average weights added to the load-carrying system were 3.3 ± 0.8 kg (10 %BM), 6.5 ± 1.7 kg (20 %BM), and 9.8 ± 2.5 kg (30 %BM). During standing, the average trunk flexion angles (sagittal plane) of the lumbar trunk segment significantly increased with increased backpack weight (p = 0.002). During walking, no changes in sagittal plane RoM but significant decreases in lumbar and thoracic transversal and frontal plane RoM (p < 0.001), stride length (p = 0.047) and velocity (p = 0.041) were observed with additional weight. No significant differences were observed for stride time between the conditions. Significance: Added backpack weight led to a more flexed trunk posture during standing and reduced transversal and frontal plane trunk movement, stride length, and gait velocity during walking. These adjustments likely compensate for the dorsally displaced center of mass and minimize energy expenditure by reducing trunk-backpack-angular momentum during walking.

Blue and green spaces in cities provide essential ecosystem services to their inhabitants, including recreational and experiential opportunities. Their importance became further highlighted during the COVID-19 pandemic as urbanites sought to relieve some of the associated pressure. However, urban ecosystems are threatened by degradation and pollution, but also by other activities, including recreation. In this context, protected areas face the challenge of balancing visitor interests with conservation objectives, particularly in peri-urban areas. Social media provides an opportunity to analyse human activities in such areas. This study investigates spatial and temporal patterns in Instagram photos at three case study sites in Vienna, Lainzer Tiergarten, Lobau, and Nussberg with different protection statuses between 2018 and 2022. Automated content labeling using Google's Cloud Vision API and subsequent classification identified 19 clusters from 54,751 downloaded photos. Seasonal variations were observed, such as the prevalence of Plant and Insect photos in spring and summer, and Landscape content in autumn and winter. The COVID-19 pandemic coincided with and contributed to an increase in user activity, but seasonal trends were unaffected. Site-specific patterns also emerged, with Panoramas dominating in Nussberg, the Riverscape characterizing Lobau, and Woodlands dominating in Lainzer Tiergarten. Our findings demonstrate that automated social media photo content analysis can capture spatial and temporal variations in visitor behavior and landscape preferences, providing valuable insights for targeted visitor management and the establishment of conservation strategies in peri-urban ecosystems. Integrating these analyses with other methods, such as surveys or mobile phone tracking, can provide a more comprehensive understanding of human-environment interactions.

In acute stroke patients, arithmetic fact retrieval deficits have been observed due to disrupted white matter connections within a left-hemispheric network centered around the angular gyrus and middle temporal gyrus (Smaczny et al., 2023). However, it remains unclear which specific structural disconnections also hinder successful remediation in the chronic stage of stroke. In this study, 92 patients were examined to determine which impairments continue to affect multiplication performance even in the chronic phase after a first-time unilateral left-hemispheric stroke. Our results revealed a strong association between impaired multiplication performance and the disconnection of left long-term memory (para)hippocampal areas from left frontal and right parietal regions. Thus, unlike previous findings in the acute stroke phase, our results in the chronic phase emphasize the importance of (para)hippocampal regions for successful multiplication performance. We suggest that the affected areas and connections in chronic patients with persistent multiplication problems not only indicate areas that are crucial for the relearning of arithmetic facts, but also those crucial for the learning of arithmetic facts in general. More generally, we suggest that the acquisition of arithmetic facts depends on structural integrity of a network centered around the left (para)hippocampus, while the retrieval of consolidated arithmetic facts from memory relies on the integrity of a left-hemispheric network involving angular gyrus and middle temporal gyrus.

Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) is one of the bacterial species capable of forming multilayered biofilms on implants. Such biofilms formed on implanted medical devices often require the removal of the implant in order to avoid sepsis or, in the worst case, even the death of the patient. To address the problem of unwanted S. aureus biofilm formation, its first step, i.e., adhesion, must be understood and prevented. Thus, the development of adhesion-reducing surface coatings for implant materials is of utmost importance. In this work, we used single-cell force spectroscopy to analyze the adhesion of the biofilm-forming S. aureus strain SA113 on naive and protein-coated silicon surfaces (SiO2). In addition to the wild type, we used the SA113 ΔdltA knockout mutant to further investigate the effect of d-alanylation of lipoteichoic acids of the cell wall. In order to examine how the surface charge affects adhesion, we coated silanized SiO2 surfaces with amphiphilic class II hydrophobins. The naturally occurring hydrophobin HFBI was used as well as the HFBI variant D40Q/D43N, which is less negatively charged at physiological pH due to the exchange of two acidic aspartate residues. These two types of hydrophobin-coated surfaces resemble each other in roughness and wettability but differ only in charge. By measurement of the forces with which each S. aureus strain binds to hydrophobin-coated surfaces, we show that the adhesion of S. aureus at surfaces can be influenced by the charges exposed by the target surfaces. Therefore, in addition to hydrogen bonding, electrostatic interactions between the cell and the hydrophilic surface govern adhesion on these surfaces. Moreover, we found that for both HFBI coatings, the adhesion strength of S. aureus is reduced by nearly a factor of 30 compared to silanized SiO2 surfaces. Therefore, hydrophobin coatings are of great interest for further use in the field of biomedical surface coating.

1. Camera traps can generate huge amounts of images, and thus reliable methods for their automated processing are in high demand: in particular to find those images or image sequences that actually include animals. Automatically filtering out images that are empty or contain humans can be challenging, as images can be taken in different landscapes, habitats and light. Weather and seasonal conditions can vary greatly. Most of the images can be empty, because cameras using passive infrared sensors (PIR) trigger easily due to moving vegetation or rapidly varying shadows and sunny spots. Animals in images are often hiding behind vegetation, and camera traps will see them from previously unseen angles. Therefore, conventional animal image detection methods based on deep learning need huge training sets to achieve good accuracy. 2. We present a novel background removal approach based on movement masked images computed using sequences of images. Our deep vision classifier uses these movement images for classification instead of the original images. Additionally, we apply a deep active learning (active learning for deep models) for collecting training samples to reduce the number of annotations required from the user. 3. Our method performed well in singling out image sequences that actually include animals, thus filtering out the majority of images that were empty or contained humans. Most importantly, the method performed well also for backgrounds and animal species not seen in the training data. Active learning brought good separation between classes already with small training sets, without the need for laborious large-scale pre-annotation. 4. We present a reliable and efficient method for filtering out empty image sequences and sequences containing humans. This greatly facilitates camera trapping research by enabling researchers to restrict the task of animal classification to only those image sequences that actually contain animals.

The food industry is currently undergoing a profound transformation. Growing demands for sustainable production; heightened expectations of safety, quality, and quantity; and the urgent need for greater efficiency call for innovative solutions (see, for example, and the references therein). The transformation of the food system is supported and simultaneously demanded by the UN Sustainable Development Goals and related initiatives such as the Global Panel. An important task in this regard is assigned to production, processing and analysis. This Special Issue on New Methods in Food Processing and Analysis brings together research that highlights how new technologies can help shape the future of food, addressing some of these demands. The articles in this collection present advances that, in part, go beyond incremental improvements. They showcase novel processing technologies, ranging from ultrasound to pulsed electric fields as pretreatment for innovative extraction processes and drying to ethanol pickling. At the same time, state-of-the-art analytical tools, such as laser-induced breakdown and fluorescence spectroscopy (combined with machine learning) for olive oil authentication and real-time-monitoring of dough mixing, open new avenues for controlling and optimizing food production. What unites these diverse approaches is their relevance to current challenges being faced. Ensuring sustainability, maintaining authenticity, and safeguarding traceability in complex supply chains are not merely technical issues—they are a concern of public trust and global food security. The contributions to this Special Issue therefore not only expand the scientific frontier but also provide practical strategies for industry and policy.

Locally extinct since the 1960s, the anadromous allis shad (Alosa alosa) was reintroduced into the Rhine system through a restocking programme beginning in 2007. The population is now showing positive signs of recovery, with natural reproduction occurring for several years and a decreasing proportion of stocked fish. These findings suggest the future establishment of a self-sustaining population. Our study aimed to identify the spawning sites in the Rhine system. We conducted a tank experiment and kept shad larvae in water from four sub-catchments of the Rhine system. We analysed trace substance concentrations in water samples and the microchemical composition of otoliths from reared larvae. Using a random forest model, we were able to correctly attribute the larvae to the sub-catchment where they were raised based on elemental/ratio (Sr/Ca) and strontium isotopes (87Sr/86Sr). From the 66 allis shad caught in the Rhine system between 2017 and 2020, seven individuals (11%) were identified as being stocked. Of the 59 remaining individuals that came from natural reproduction, 37 were attributed to the Rhine, 7 to the Neckar and 4 to the Lippe sub-catchments with high certainty. We also observed allis shads dispersed in adjacent catchment areas and a homing behaviour. A total of 27% of the adults (n = 9) and 8% of the juveniles (n = 2) were assigned to any of the four sub-catchments included in our model, suggesting the need to expand the model and include additional sub-catchments to cover all spawning sites in the Rhine system and adjacent catchments.

Background: Chronic low back pain (CLBP) is prevalent and a multimodal therapy is indicated, including psychological treatment. Effective conventional treatments involve psychoeducation and mindfulness-based body scans, while virtual reality offers superior but temporary pain relief. Augmented Reality (AR), which combines conventional and virtual methods, is a novel therapeutic strategy. Methods: We investigated the viability and acceptability of an AR intervention for CLBP by incorporating psychoeducation and mindfulness-based body scan techniques. 40 participants in two studies with a one-arm design underwent an educational AR intervention (Study I, n1 = 18) and an enhanced version with an additional body scan (Study II, n2 = 22). The studies focused on evaluating technical feasibility and multiple facets of user experience. Results: The results demonstrated high feasibility with low dropout rates (Study I: 10%, Study II: 0%). User experience ratings ranged from “Above Average” to “Excellent,” with the advanced intervention receiving higher ratings. While Study I showed no significant changes in affect pre- vs. post-intervention, Study II exhibited a significant reduction in negative affect and improved valence. Qualitative analysis provided insights into technical requirements and user perceptions. Discussion: The AR prototype emerges as a promising psychoeducational tool for CLBP, aligning with current treatment guidelines and providing a basis for future controlled clinical trials. Limitations include the absence of a high-pain intervention group, as Study I reported a pain intensity of M = 1.05 and Study II reported M = 1.77 (Range: 0–10). Further research such as clinical trials with control groups is required to validate the efficacy of the piloted approach. The AR-based psychoeducation and mindfulness body scan intervention for CLBP demonstrated technical feasibility and a good user experience.

This work explores the combination of direct numerical simulations (DNSs) and experimental approaches for studying technical emulsification processes. Although emulsions have long been used in a variety of industries and many important research papers have been published over the years, quantifying and predicting the dispersion of droplets in another liquid remains challenging because of the complex multiphase nature and microscopic droplet scales. This study focuses on water-in-gasoline emulsions, which have the potential to improve efficiency and reduce emissions in combustion-based power generation. Experimental data from two different emulsion injection systems are complemented with DNS to gain insight into emulsification and the resulting droplet size distribution. In situ shadow imaging is used to acquire the experimental droplet size distributions, whereas DNS is performed via the geometric volume of fluid (VoF) method with the open-source code PARIS. The results indicate consistent agreement between the experimental and simulation results. Additionally, a corresponding trend of increasing droplet size is observed as the volume fraction of the dispersed phase increases. Furthermore, a detailed analysis of various probability density functions for modeling droplet size distributions (DSDs) reveals that the gamma distribution is the most appropriate. Overall, this work demonstrates that DNS can be successfully combined with experiments to increase the understanding of emulsification processes.

This article discusses ethics in times of pandemic crisis (COVID-19) taking into consideration the sustainability paradigm. Two related ethical approaches are discussed and contrasted. On the one hand, the relational embodied ethics of the commons is discussed in the background of the pandemic of COVID-19. On the other hand, "lifeboat ethics" is interpreted in considering the pandemic situation. The main goal of the article is to compare the two ethical approaches as a way of dealing with our shared predicament in times of a pandemic, a state of exception, and based on that, to additionally derive conclusions about their application in further crises in the Anthropocene, whereby the primacy of sustainability is presumed.

This paper analyzes some of the assumptions in which the varied use of technologies to confront the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic and protect people's health has impacted on the fundamental right to the protection of personal data; to do so, it starts from the premise that the use of these technologies cannot mean an affectation to the referred fundamental right, much less an indiscriminate treatment of such data without any minimum control whatsoever.

Covid-19 outbreak had a huge impact on the economy worldwide as businesses had to close or cease their activities due to the lockdown regulations. The “luckiest” firms were able to operate but under restricted conditions. In order to avoid what certain authors called “bankruptcy epidemic” European countries took economic and fiscal measures to help companies compensate their financial losses. In addition to Government Grants, emergency legislations have been adopted with the aim to adapt insolvency and restructuring procedures to the sanitary situation and specific rules relating to company Law have also been implemented. This paper deals with the measures taken by the state of Luxembourg and gives a brief overview of the legal amendments

The following collection of manuscripts emerged from an international and interdisciplinary Virtual Exchange that took place during Covid-19 Pandemic in March/April 2021 organised by Prof. Milena Valeva and Prof. Kathrin Nitschmann. Covid 19 had -and still has in parts of the world- led to severe restrictions of fundamental liberties worldwide and thus enhanced debates on ethics and human rights. This debate appeared as a common denominator connecting citizens in countries all over the world. One of the concrete consequences for students was certainly the reduction of mobility, not only in the sense of not being allowed to visit the university but also in canceling planned international exchanges. In this context, the virtual exchange offered a chance not only to overcome the still lasting restrictions on mobility but also to exchange daily life experiences of students in Covid-times, merging into restrictions and/or violation of human rights in a legal and ethical dimension. Students from Peru, Israel and Bulgaria participated in the virtual exchange, which was supported by the International Teaching Award of Trier University of Applied Sciences, within the frame of of a summer school and had the opportunity to work synchronously and asynchronously in international and interdisciplinary teams on the topic COVID-19 - ETHICAL DILEMMAS AND HUMAN RIGHTS - EXPLORING INTERNATIONAL DIMENSIONS. Colleagues from Cape Town, Peru, Spain and Israel supported the event by their professional presentations. This special issue and at the same time first issue of the JOURNAL OF INTERNATIONAL AND DIGITAL COMMUNICATION: SUSTAINABILITY PERSPECTIVES is a collection of the manuscripts of the speakers, which at the same time reflects the diversity of the topics discussed and the international perspectives. Since this is a compilation of manuscripts, the authors were responsible for the scientific formulation of the texts. Content: Letlhokwa George Mpedi: Freedom of trade, occupation and profession in times of the COVID-19 pandemic in South Africa Larissa Glidja-Yao: Impact of COVID-19 on company & insolvency law: An overview of Luxemburgish responses Kathrin Nitschmann: On the development of compulsory vaccation in Germany in the interplay between general health protection and individual self-determination - a never-ending story? Diego Zegarra Valdivia: The use of technological tools in the fight against COVID-19 & its implications on the fundamental right to the protection of personal data - an approach José Joaquín Fernández Alles: Human rights in the new pact on migration on [and] asylum of European Union: An open society or closed society Milena Valeva & Yotam Lurie: Spinning ethical plates in times of pandemic and sustainability

Following arguments about feasibility of implementing and application of the Rights of Nature, this article is based on the exposition of elements of an economic nature in opposition to the (confirming) proclaimed position, adding a new point of view in relation to the different perspectives. Therefore, the perspectives proposed here will be divided into three argumentative nuclei: the inability to maintain the actual environmental programs as a competitive economy, custom of all these projects to the members of the European Union and the energy crisis, linked to the failure to agree on new plans for energy supplies across.

It's necessary to recognize nature rights in the European Union in order to guarantee an effective protection of natural entities and the common good. According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), at least 1,677 species out of 15,060 European species assessed are threatened with extinction (European Parliament, 2020). Currently, there are many dangers to ecosystems and biodiversity in Europe, such as climate change, urbanization and leisure activities, the pollution of air, water and soil as a consequence from agriculture, illegal killing and hunting, invasive species, and forestry activities (European Environment Agency, 2020). In attention to these issues, we – as a society – need to find an effective way to protect nature. This essay will demonstrate how the recognition of the rights of nature is a valuable tool for achieving effective protection of ecosystems in European countries.

The current global scenario is marked by conflicts, inequalities, and geopolitical tensions, which have created a growing sense of global insecurity, combined with the stagnation of progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the worsening of the climate emergency. This situation presents outcomes completely opposed to the promise of a better future, with greater prosperity and peace, which technological and scientific advances were supposed to bring to both people and the planet. These outcomes also demonstrate that we are wasting the opportunity to use technology, science, and global interconnectedness to achieve the aforementioned improvements (United Nations, 2024, Dec 22nd). The global community needs to find real solutions capable of changing the course we are setting for the future of the planet and humanity. In this regard, during the Summit of the Future, held in September 2024, world leaders made a series of commitments to sustainable development, financing for development, peace, international security, science, technology, innovation and digital cooperation, youth, future generations, and the transformation of global governance, establishing the “Pact for the Future” and its annexes: the “Global Digital Compact” and the “Declaration on Future Generations”, which aim to create international mechanisms to respond to current and future challenges and opportunities, striving for more security, justice, sustainability, and prosperity (United Nations, 2024, Sep). In face to this scenario, environmental protection has become one of the greatest challenges for the global community. To address this, we need to mobilize all the means and resources available across various fields of knowledge. Among the tools available for environmental protection, ecological awareness and the transformative power of legal systems stand out, as well as the influences these instruments can have on each other in a mutual and continuous manner.

Conclusion: Law is, and will ever be, a human (a societal) construct. As such, its instruments will always, tably, require human mediation. Given the seemly unstoppable acceleration of the ecological crisis, it is plausible that innovative proposals start to challenge the human-nature dualism enshrined in Law. Nevertheless, in doing so, some proposals risk fetishizing concepts, being merely performative without demonstrating real capacity to challenge the dualistic structure of the legal order. In fact, rights are a markedly humanistic juridical figure; therefore, transplanting them to non-human subjects generates a series of dogmatic problems, while reproducing the same individualistic worldview. The RoN are congenitally divisive and reductionist, forcing an unnatural enclosure of ecological systems in contained units and putting them in competition with other (human) rights. This is precisely what should be avoided if we take the present predicament seriously. The focus of an authentically transformative legal theory should not be to extend the legal realm to colonize nature. On the contrary, the focus should be on integrating ecological dynamics into the legal order. Instead of giving rights to nature, we should be attributing humans stringent obligations towards nature. If the goal is to affect human behavior, which is the source of the immense devastation unraveling, then the reasonable way forward is to act on human behavior. It is the Law that must “ecologize”, not the other way around.

The debate on whether nature should have its own rights has been carried out for decades, ever since the concept was introduced by Stone (1972). The intention has remained the same: protect natural entities within our anthropocentric world by using our own weapons. Although preserving the environment has become an even more urgent matter with the progressing loss in biodiversity, at the same time, legal instruments for its protection have evolved as well. This raises the question of the necessity of Rights of Nature. Were all those legal tools enforced in an effective and timely manner, would our environment be sufficiently protected from human interferences? The current legal system, especially in European countries, is based on an anthropocentric view of the world. This grants natural entities protection only in their relation and worth to humans. Acknowledging nature’s inherent value might be a new innovative idea within western societies. However, it is a concept that has been practiced by indigenous peoples for a long time. Their ecocentric worldview has been eradicated from international and national law by colonialists (Guzmán, 2019). By introducing Rights of Nature in Europe, this ecocentric approach would be included in a legal system that is still based in a society in which anthropocentric views are deeply rooted. Despite the growing awareness of human effects on nature and the necessity to protect the planet as well as prevent further climate change, granting natural entities intrinsic rights would require a paradigm shift not only in European law systems but also in western societies (Peppoloni, 2024). Since rapid action is vital for preserving our environment, it is questionable whether enough time remains for such a fundamental transition. Using and enhancing existing tools within the current system might be more effective. Therefore, the following article will show legal instruments already in place. As they are partly still lacking in their execution, room for improvement will be demonstrated, which would finally enable them to together provide sufficient protection for European nature. Namely, these tools include the Precautionary Principle, Human Rights, Nature Conservation laws and the possibility of litigation on behalf of the environment. These assessments will be made from a European point of view. It should be noted that analysing legal tools within other parts of the world rooted in different cultures might lead to divergent results.

[AI generated:] This paper examines the development of arguments in favor of recognizing the rights of nature, particularly in the context of recent global social demonstrations supporting this paradigm shift. Despite the initial advantages associated with adopting this position, various theoretical and practical obstacles emerged during the argument compilation process. To ensure a clear and convincing argumentation, the position was divided into four key points. First, the legal possibility of this recognition is discussed from various philosophical theories. Next, the central role of NGOs and other environmental groups is highlighted. The third argument considers the practical perspective of judicial representation and general principles of law. Finally, an economic argument is presented that brings together the main concerns of many states in support of this paradigm shift. The arguments were developed with consideration of the key criticisms from the opposition, aiming not only to counter these questions but primarily to strengthen the position.

During the last decades, several actions have been carried out to try to reduce and even stop the repercussions of climate change, such as the creation of politics, laws, treaties and diverse mechanisms of action to ensure the care and protection of nature, however, such measures have not been enough to reduce the diverse types of impacts that the planetary ecosystem suffers. Throughout this section, the integration of the ecocentric vision in the Law will be developed, with the main objective of recognizing the inherent rights of nature in Europe. This will be achieved through the use of existing legal and juridical figures, with special emphasis on Latin American latitudes, with the purpose of incorporating this modern advance of law in the European normative framework.

This chapter illustrates the interconnections between indigenous peoples’ rights, human rights, and environmental protection, highlighting their potential to reinforce each other within the context of the RoN. Through the case study of the Te Awa Tupua (Whanganui River Claims Settlement) Act 2017, the discussion examines the implementation of RoN in Aotearoa, New Zealand, its alignment with Māori legal and spiritual traditions, and the broader implications for the country’s environmental policy, justice frameworks, and decolonization efforts.

This report summarizes the arguments presented by Prof. Dr. Milena Valeva during the second panel discussion, which was held in preparation for the planned simulated parliamentary debate of the students. The experts, Prof. Dr. Alexandra Aragão and Prof. Dr. Milena Valeva, shared their insights from the fields of political theory, environmental ethics, and human rights on the topic of Democracy, Rights of Nature (RoN) and social norm dynamics. The basis for Valeva’s arguments was provided by the central claim of Aragão to emphasize the role of Environmental Pragmatism, which rejects the notion that effective environmental action requires a radical transformation of human value systems or adherence to one ultimate ethical principle. Instead, it promotes open-ended inquiry and adaptive democratic decision-making to navigate complex, real-world ecological challenges. The Paris Agreement, which employs a bottom-up and iterative approach, favoring flexible “pledge and review” systems, is celebrated as an embodiment of pragmatic climate diplomacy that fosters ambition through mutual accountability and continuous reassessment. To further deliberate on this central claim, Valeva elaborated on the following two central questions, which refer to her paper titled “From Human Dignity and Human Rights to Sustainability within the Context of Democracy," published in Interdisciplinary Perspectives on the Interplay between Human Rights and Sustainability (Special Issue 2/2024). * What are the limits of liberal democracy in dealing with sustainability and RoN? * What is the potential of republican democracy for executing sustainability and RoN?