If panpsychism is true then consciousness pervades the cosmos, and there exist many more conscious subjects than other worldviews contemplate. Panpsychism’s explanatory story about how human material composition and complexity grounds human consciousness seems to entail that there exist, notably, various conscious subjects within human organisms. Given the plausibility of the thesis that consciousness confers moral status – a thesis many panpsychists endorse – questions thus arise about the wellbeing of these inner subjects. In this article I raise the possibility that the lives of our inner subjects may not be morally suitable to a sophisticated centre of consciousness of the sort that likely exists, for example, inside various of our brain areas. Panpsychism, indeed, seems on the face of it to generate a good deal more suffering, in this way, than other worldviews. If that is correct, panpsychists who would embrace theism, and theists who would embrace panpsychism – for example pantheists – should be given serious pause. If panpsychism positively compounds the problem of evil, then one may have to choose between panpsychism and theism.

Women and Property inheritance is a complex issue in India. The Hindu Succession Laws give women inheritance rights on ancestral, acquired, and agricultural land. This has led to an increase in their bargaining power and a consequential increase in transaction costs, which ideally should challenge the ex-ante and ex-post HSAA 2005, Coasean cooperative equilibriums. While the normative Coasean theorem propounds the dismantling of cooperation with the rise in bargaining, the Hobbesian framework believes that cooperation can exist through coercion. This process, in which women have bargaining rights yet cooperate, happens through “covert coercion.” Despite increased bargaining powers, women are conflicted between inheritance and maintaining familial ties, where covert coercion forces them to let go of inheritance. The article investigates this conflict women face through the lens of Law, normative Coasean and Hobbesian frameworks, psychological costs, and their Lived Reality. Further, this article investigates various efficiency criteria.

Aprocta bainae Mutafchiev & Kinsella sp. nov, collected from the orbits of a flammulated owl, Psiloscops flammeolus (Kaup) (Strigiformes: Strigidae), from Montana, USA is described based on light and scanning electron microscopies. Additionally, fragments of 18S and 12S rRNA genes of the new species are provided. Based on the molecular data of the 18S gene, A. bainae n. sp. was included in a monophyletic clade of the genus Aprocta. Aprocta ophthalmophaga Stossich, 1902 and Aprocta colaptidis Schuurmans-Stekhoven, 1950 are considered species inquirendae. Aprocta colaptidis Schuurmans-Stekhoven, 1951, a homonym of A. colaptidis Schuurmans-Stekhoven, 1950, is considered a species incertae sedis.

Loneliness is a major health concern for immigrant older adults. This study explores social influences on loneliness in neighbourhoods among immigrant older adults across five major urban centres in Ontario and Alberta, Canada. Data were collected from 435 older immigrants who participated in the Inclusive Communities for Older Immigrants (ICOI) Project. Data were analysed using multiple linear regression (MLR) to identify the influences of neighbourhood factors, family support, duration of residency in Canada, English proficiency, and gender. Results indicate that increased engagement in ethnic enclaves, not being reliant on transportation for social interactions, and perceptions of neighbourhood cohesion are associated with a significant reduction in loneliness. These associations remain significant after accounting for family support and language proficiency. This calls for further research into the interconnections among interpersonal factors, neighbourhood-level factors, and family and community-level support to address key influences on loneliness in this population.

Temporal storm surge clustering refers to a series of events affecting the same region within a short period of time, which can strongly influence coastal flooding impacts and erosion. Here, we analyze global storm surge clustering from tide gauges and a state-of-the-art global model hindcast to identify geographical hotspots of extreme storm surge clusters and assess event frequencies. We study the spatial distribution as well as the contribution of different event intensities to clustering. On average, globally, 92% of coastal locations show significant temporal clustering for 1-year return period events, and 25% for 5-year return level events, although notable spatial differences exist. Our results reveal two distinct clustering regimes: (i) short timescale clustering, where events occur in rapid succession (intra-annual), and (ii) long timescales (inter-annual), providing varying recovery times between events. We also test the validity of assuming a Poisson distribution, commonly used in storm surge frequency analyses. Our results show that >80% of the stations analyzed do not follow a Poisson distribution, at least when including events that are not the most extreme but exceeded, for example, the 1-year return level. These findings offer insights into temporal clustering dynamics of storm surges and their implications for coastal hazard assessments.

Understanding microbial adaptations to the extreme conditions of space is crucial for both astronaut health and the integrity of spacecraft materials. This study comparatively analyses the cosmic radiation resistance and growth responses to simulated microgravity (SMG) of a wild-type strain and an International Space Station (ISS) isolate of Penicillium rubens. Resistance to helium- and iron-ion radiation was determined, alongside growth under SMG using clinorotation. The results revealed that the ISS isolate exhibited higher resistance to both helium- and iron-ion radiation than the wild-type strain, suggesting adaptive mechanisms that enhance survival in space environments. Additionally, while the ISS isolate demonstrated significantly increased growth in SMG compared to normal gravity conditions, the wild-type strain showed no difference between the two conditions. These findings indicate that prolonged exposure to the space environment may select for traits that enhance resistance to cosmic radiation and alter growth dynamics under microgravity. Such adaptations could have implications for microbial monitoring in space habitats, planetary protection policies, and potential biotechnological applications in space. Further investigations into the genetic and metabolic differences between both strains may provide deeper insights into fungal adaptation to space environments.

‘The Generation of the Thirties’ is a term that has been widely applied to Greek artists active in the interwar years and their artistic production. This article argues that the term is misleading due to its conceptual ambiguity. By focusing on Greek artists in Paris during the 1920s, it contends that the concept of the network, describing a dynamic cluster of historical actors sharing common ideologies, aesthetic ideas and interests, elucidates the formation and evolution of artists’ styles, aesthetic ideas, professional interests and cultural identities in a more meaningful way.

A sustainable pathway for valorizing the growing volume of lignin-rich organic feedstocks (LRFs) in emerging economies is to convert them into biochar to sequester carbon and improve soil fertility. However, biochar derived from such LRF may not always show favorable outcomes during soil application. Their interaction with the soil–plant–microbial ecosystem is very complex, and comparative investigations with other common types of biochars are lacking. This study investigated the impact of walnut shell biochar (WSB) and wood chip biochar (WCB) on soil biological properties and crop yield during the growth of Solanum lycopersicum L., and compared them with those of plant waste biochar (PWB) derived from agricultural plant residues. Among biochar variants, only PWB (1% w/w) has increased tomato yield compared to unamended soil. It also showed better carbon mineralization that stemmed from its higher degradability, lower carbon content, and higher H/C ratio. In contrast, WSB showed a relatively higher hydrophobicity, carbonization, and aromaticity that reduced its accessibility to soil microorganisms. Despite these characteristics and higher ash content, WSB did not lower soil enzyme and microbial activity, unlike WCB. At the same time, WSB did not improve crop yield. Mixing WSB (3% w/w) with soil has slightly enhanced the soil carbon stabilization. The high carbon recalcitrance of LRF may necessitate longer aging in soil compared with PWB to showcase any measurable (short/long) benefits to crop yield and soil characteristics.