bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Obligation of States Parties to Examine the Recommendations of National Preventive Mechanisms
Authors: Krisper Stephanie
Published: June 2024

This chapter discusses Article 22 of the Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture and other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, covering the chronology of draft texts, analysis of Working Group discussions, and issues of interpretation. Article 22 states that, ‘ The competent authorities of the State party concerned shall examine the recommendations of the national preventive mechanism and enter into a dialogue with it on possible implementation measures’. It derives from the principle of cooperation between the States parties, the Subcommittee (SPT) and national preventive mechanisms that the recommendations by both visiting bodies have to be taken seriously by the authorities. This duty of States parties vis-à-vis the SPT was laid down in Article 12(d) of the Optional Protocol, which formed the model for an identical provision in relation to the national preventive mechanisms in Article 22 OP.
Temporary Opting-Out Declaration
Authors: Buchinger Kerstin
Published: June 2024

This chapter discusses Article 24 of the Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture and other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, covering the chronology of draft texts, analysis of Working Group discussions, and issues of interpretation. Article 24 of the Optional Protocol provides States parties with the opportunity to make a declaration to the effect that the competences of the Subcommittee on Prevention of Torture or of the respective national preventive mechanism will be postponed for a maximum of three years. If need be, this period may be extended for another two years. This particular ‘opting-out declaration’ was introduced by the Chairperson-Rapporteur in 2002 as a compromise for those States, including the United States and Saudi Arabia, which opposed the general prohibition of reservations to the Protocol. As of November 2017, only seven States parties to the Optional Protocol have made use of the possibility to postpone the implementation of their obligations under the Protocol.
Validity in Federal States
Authors: Krisper Stephanie
Published: June 2024

This chapter discusses Article 29 of the Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture and other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, covering the chronology of draft texts, analysis of Working Group discussions, and issues of interpretation. Article 29 uses the same wording as Article 50 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and Article 10 of the first Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. This provision, which might be called an ‘anti-federal clause’, clearly indicates that the Protocol and its provisions shall be binding for the whole territory of each State party, irrespective of its actual given (political) structure. This interpretation is in line with Article 29 of the Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties, referring to the ‘[t]erritorial scope of treaties’ and stipulating that: ‘Unless a different intention appears from the treaty or is otherwise established, a treaty is binding upon each party in respect of its entire territory’.
Principles of International Energy Transition Law
Authors: Sourgens Frédéric G , Sempertegui Leonardo
Published: June 2024

Energy transition is a complex global problem. Complicating energy transition governance and energy transition policies cut across multiple legal silos (human rights law, environmental law, international economic law, finance law, energy law, law of the sea, transnational commercial law, etc.). As of yet, there is no succinct treatment of the legal principles that govern energy transition as a phenomenon seen as a whole (rather than through the fragmented lens of different legal discourses). This book fills this gap and provides a single resource that brings all these different legal regimes under one roof. It outlines the interactions between them and gives direction on how they can be reconciled. The book introduces the energy transition problem by situating the climate emergency in its broader energy context, showing how global energy value chains are deeply enmeshed in and drive global economic and human development. Energy transition is faced with a trilemma between energy equity to provide access to energy needed to fuel human development around the world, energy security to provide for resilient and reliable energy systems, and environmental sustainability. In response to this, the book develops thirty-two international legal principles governing different aspects of the trilemma. It then uses a commons governance perspective, to assist in a holistic approach to balancing the different limbs of the trilemma—and the different legal principles—against each other. Its integrated and solution-oriented approach makes the book an important addition for the field. Special sections summarize the most important concepts and ideas for easy reference, making the title particularly accessible for students and policy-makers as well as law practitioners.
Why Energy Transition?
Authors: Sourgens Frédéric G , Sempertegui Leonardo
Published: June 2024

This chapter highlights the importance of energy transition in correlation with energy equity and energy security. Since energy plays a central role in the global economy today, it is vital to understand the climate imperative and how global energy supply chains underlie global economic value chains in general. As energy transition reshapes the global economy and globalized economic value chains, energy transition responds to other policy imperatives beyond climate change. Energy equity requires more than simply the construction of power plants as it needs integration into global economic value chains together with fair access to energy. Moreover, energy security primarily refers to the resilience of global energy systems.
Governance of Energy Transition Policies
Authors: Sourgens Frédéric G , Sempertegui Leonardo
Published: June 2024

This chapter focuses on the governance of energy transition policies while considering the idea of polycentric and bottom-up governance. It cites the importance of understanding the actors that participate in international standards setting affecting the energy transition. Bottom-up governance brings in more than just traditional state regulators, while also inviting a great number of other stakeholders to the table, like international organizations and private sectors. The main actors that determine the international energy transition pathways are authors of international norms. The chapter mentions that polycentric governance is a key feature of any successful approach to complex resource problems like the energy transition.
International Law-making and Fragmentation
Authors: Sourgens Frédéric G , Sempertegui Leonardo
Published: June 2024

This chapter discusses international law-making and fragmentation in correlation to the complexity of energy transition. The polycentric nature of energy transition governance increases the potential norm authors contributing to the development of relevant international legal rules. Thus, the ‘fragmentation’ of international law indeed frustrates the attempt to conceive a hierarchical, axiomatic international law of energy transition. The chapter considers the chief regimes governing energy transition, such as general international law and international environmental law. It acknowledges the danger of overriding the fundamental values of any one enterprise is a dangerous proposition since each value is weight-bearing in the international system.
The Climate Principles
Authors: Sourgens Frédéric G , Sempertegui Leonardo
Published: June 2024

This chapter provides an overview of the substantive international legal principles governing energy transition. It enumerates the principles of international climate law, wherein the first two principles were the climate-specific no harm principle and the sovereign choice of means principle. The principles developed here in the relevant provisions of the Paris Agreement, the Katowice Protocol, and the Glasgow Climate Pact. The chapter offers a historical perspective to further the understanding of how the principles were established despite the implementation of international environmental law. It cites that the conceptual linkages between principles present a coherent climate perspective for the governance of future energy transition pathways.
The Energy Equity Principles
Authors: Sourgens Frédéric G , Sempertegui Leonardo
Published: June 2024

This chapter provides an overview of the substantive international legal principles governing energy transition. It enumerates the principles of international climate law, wherein the first two principles were the climate-specific no harm principle and the sovereign choice of means principle. The principles developed here in the relevant provisions of the Paris Agreement, the Katowice Protocol, and the Glasgow Climate Pact. The chapter offers a historical perspective to further the understanding of how the principles were established despite the implementation of international environmental law. It cites that the conceptual linkages between principles present a coherent climate perspective for the governance of future energy transition pathways.
Due Diligence
Authors: Sourgens Frédéric G , Sempertegui Leonardo
Published: June 2024

This chapter elaborates on the notion of due diligence, which is the thread weaving through energy transition and the Energy Transition Principles. It considers the perspective of due diligence as a minimum obligation of conduct to avoid liability with a view of due diligence as a practice aiming at the fulfilment of valued outcomes. The four distinct phases of due diligence are information gathering, risk mitigation planning, monitoring, and adaptation. The chapter explains how due diligence is capable of both providing and digesting the inputs necessary to govern energy resources through a correlative rights lens. It clarifies that due diligence alone does not suffice to implement the Energy Transition Principles.
Liability and Dispute Settlement
Authors: Sourgens Frédéric G , Sempertegui Leonardo
Published: June 2024

This chapter covers the role of dispute resolution in the broader framework of realizing a successful energy transition. International lawyers frequently consider that one of their chief contributions to energy transition is dispute resolution. The chapter then discusses the role of national courts and tribunals as agents of energy transition and as implementers of the Energy Transition Principles in a bottom-up, networked governance system. Courts also provide a safeguard for an orderly process of decision-making by governments. The chapter then outlines a rubric of how international dispute resolution can be a successful engine of energy transition outcomes consistent with the Energy Transition Principles.
Cultural Landscapes
Authors: Amy Strecker
Published: June 2024

The chapter explains the origins and development of Cultural Landscapes within the World Heritage Convention from 1992 to the present day. It defines cultural landscape as cultural properties representing the combined works of nature and of man. The World Heritage Convention's categories were extended in an effort to include Cultural Landscapes. Moreover, the category of Cultural Landscapes marked a shift towards accepting communities and their relationship with the environment as part of cultural heritage. The chapter mentions that the majority of Cultural Landscapes are inscribed under cultural criteria, and there is no possibility for natural landscapes to acknowledge a human dimension in their nomination file.
Protection of Properties Not Inscribed on the World Heritage List
Authors: Federico Lenzerini
Published: June 2024

This chapter focuses on the purpose of Article 12 regarding the protection of properties not inscribed on the World Heritage List. Article 12 aims to express the principle that a cultural or natural property may be of outstanding universal value. Moreover, the article's scope is reserved for properties falling within the areas delineated by the definitions established in Articles 1 and 2. The chapter elaborates on the importance of Article 12, which revolves around the regime established by the 1972 Convention applies to inscribed properties and non-inscribed properties. It explains that the Convention may be invoked when an act at odds with the spirit and the purpose of the Convention itself is perpetrated or simply planned to the prejudice of an important cultural or natural property.
The Secretariat and Support of the World Heritage Committee
Authors: Ana Filipa Vrdoljak
Published: June 2024

This chapter covers the role of the Secretariat under the World Heritage Committee as indicated in the 1972 Convention's Article 14. The Secretariat is intended to facilitate the work of the World Heritage Committee by preparing the documentation and agenda for the meetings of the Committee and implementing its decisions. Moreover, the Secretariat's responsibilities are circumscribed by resolutions, decisions and documents subsequently adopted by the General Assembly and the World Heritage Committee. The chapter also notes the provision allowing the Director-General of UNESCO to appoint a Secretariat to assist the World Heritage Committee. It considers the sustainability of the Secretariat concerned with resourcing, such as staffing and financing.
World Heritage Fund
Authors: Federico Lenzerini
Published: June 2024

This chapter details the 1972 Convention's articles concerning the World Heritage Fund. It starts with the nature of the World Heritage Fund, which supports States Parties to the World Heritage Convention in need of international assistance. The Fund is governed by special financial regulations established by the UNESCO Director-General in accordance with Regulation 6.7 of the Financial Regulations of the Organization. The chapter looks into the other funds available and penalties imposed by the World Heritage Fund. It then discusses the management of the World Heritage Fund allocated by the World Heritage Committee while also taking into account the urgency of requests for assistance, with priority for the most threatened World Heritage sites.
The World Heritage Convention and the Rights of Indigenous Peoples
Authors: Federico Lenzerini , Dalee Sambo Dorough
Published: June 2024

This chapter explicates the interrelation between the World Heritage Convention and the rights of Indigenous peoples. The World Heritage Convention does not include any specific provisions on the rights of Indigenous peoples. However, the impact of the Convention on such rights is progressively growing, especially in consideration of the special significance of cultural heritage for, and in, the lives of Indigenous peoples. The chapter highlights that all elements of heritage should be managed and protected as a single, interrelated and integrated whole. It explores the affirmation of Indigenous people's rights in international law, citing how cultural rights and heritage remain at the core of Indigenous cosmology, ways of life, and identity.
Past and Present of the International Economic Order
Authors: Herdegen Matthias
Published: June 2024

This chapter provides an overview of the history of the International Economic Order. It starts with the principles affecting international economic relations. The gap between industrialized and developing countries catalysed the demand for a new equilibrium in the international economic system and enhanced the consideration of the needs and interests of developing countries. The chapter elaborates on the system of the World Trade Organization (WTO) and the regional integration of markets before detailing the chances, risks, and asymmetries of economic relations' globalization. It then considers the complex and controversial relationship between economic interdependence and international security, which references the economic incentive to avoid military conflicts with trade partners.
Sovereignty and International Economic Relations
Authors: Herdegen Matthias
Published: June 2024

This chapter examines the correlation between sovereignty and international economic relations. The modern concept of sovereignty often involves the response to globalization and deference to democratic choice. The principle of non-intervention, universally recognized as one of the cornerstones of international law, was often mobilized against the conditions for credits and other financial benefits by the World Bank and other lenders. The chapter cites that the sovereign equality of States is also the root of State immunity from jurisdiction and enforcement measures of other States. It also considers the specifics surrounding the regulation of cyberspace and the application of foreign laws.
Human Rights and International Economic Relations
Authors: Herdegen Matthias
Published: June 2024

This chapter tackles the significance of human rights in correlation with international economic relations. In recent decades, the right to food, the right to health, and the right to water have emerged as social standards with implications for international economic law. Similar to fundamental rights on the national level, international human rights simultaneously protect the private sphere of life alongside entrepreneurial activities and property. The chapter then considers the treaties on economic cooperation and economic integration primarily concerned with human rights issues. It presents the current state of international law wherein private companies, as non-state actors, are not directly bound by human rights.
Environmental Protection and Sustainable Development
Authors: Herdegen Matthias
Published: June 2024

This chapter explores the framework of international economic law concerned with environmental protection and sustainable development. In the modern world, environmental protection has become of paramount importance as the regulatory framework for environmental protection reflects sensitivity to environmental concerns and the degree of risk aversion prevailing in a country. Additionally, according to the precautionary principles, States are not always mandated to ascertain a scientifically proven risk before taking measures of protection and prevention. The chapter notes the treaties on pollution control, liability for environmental contaminations, atmosphere and climate protection, biodiversity, and biosafety. It also examines the dynamic development of biotechnology and its utilization in line with international law.
History and Development of World Trade Law
Authors: Herdegen Matthias
Published: June 2024

This chapter provides an overview of the history and development of World Trade Law. It starts with the Uruguay Round that brought comprehensive reform of the world trading system, which involves a new institutional framework based on the World Trade Organization (WTO), dispute settlement mechanism, and new agreements extending the scope of world trade law. As of present times, the number of WTO members has increased from 125 in 1994 to 164 members. Thus, the WTO fronts a considerable degree of economic and political diversity regardless of whether the great industrial market economies led by the United States continue to hold preponderant influence. The chapter also considers the perspectives on the aftermath of the Uruguay Round and the future challenges it poses for the WTO system.
The World Trade Organization
Authors: Herdegen Matthias
Published: June 2024

This chapter tackles the key concepts of the World Trade Organization (WTO). It explains that the WTO is the centre of the new world trade system, which then acts as the institutional basis for the relations among its members. The members of WTO include States and other separate customs territories possessing full autonomy in trade relations covered by the WTO law. Moreover, the supreme organ of the WTO is the Ministerial Conference with representatives of all the members, which shall meet at least once every two years. The chapter also mentions a salient institutional feature of the WTO system: the Dispute Settlement Body (DSB), established under the Dispute Settlement Understanding (DSU).
The Multilateral and the Plurilateral Agreements on Trade
Authors: Herdegen Matthias
Published: June 2024

This chapter explains how the World Trade Organization (WTO) Agreement distinguishes between multilateral and plurilateral agreements on trade. Multilateral agreements are binding on all WTO and members and must be ratified. In contrast, plurilateral agreements are primarily optional in character and only obligate the members that ratify them. The interplay of the various trade agreements adds to the complex texture of WTO law, but the varying definitions of certain terms and exceptions often result in difficulty in understanding trade agreements. The chapter then tackles the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) 1994, amendments and new agreements in line with the WTO Agreements.
The GATT
Authors: Herdegen Matthias
Published: June 2024

This chapter explores the significance of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) 1994. GATT aims for international trade liberalization by progressively eliminating or restricting barriers to trade and other protectionist interferences with competition on the world market as well as the national markets. The fundamental principles of GATT revolve around non-discrimination, liberalization, and reciprocity, while one of the elementary instruments of the GATT regime is the most-favoured-nation treatment. The chapter then provides an overview of the conditions and exceptions within GATT. It further elaborates on several GATT provisions in correlation with its principles, such as the reduction of tariffs and non-tariff barriers to trade.
International Competition Law
Authors: Herdegen Matthias
Published: June 2024

This chapter details the international competition law. It explains competition law is a framework of rules to promote and maintain undistorted competition. In accordance with the application of national competition laws, the effects doctrine sets up the jurisdiction of any State over behaviour that has anticompetitive effects in its territory. The chapter notes that the United States and the European Union entered numerous bilateral agreements and memoranda of understanding on cooperation with other States. It covers the convergence and divergence between EU competition law and US antitrust law, which are recognized as the most developed and influential systems of competition law.
Customary International Law
Authors: Herdegen Matthias
Published: June 2024

This chapter examines customary international law. It starts with the interplay between customary standards and foreign standards. Under customary international law, States are free to decide whether or not or not they admit foreign investments within their territory. The international minimum standard, which ensures the treatment of foreign persons, overlaps with the standards of fair and equitable treatment and full protection and security contained in modern investment treaties. The chapter then discusses the key concepts of expropriation and compensation before considering the extraterritorial effects of expropriations, which references the minor role customary law plays in the conditions for lawful expropriation.
Concessions and Investment
Authors: Herdegen Matthias
Published: June 2024

This chapter considers the notion of concessions and investment in line with agreements between States and foreign companies. Regulations of the host State in favour of foreign investors are always subject to potential alterations in case of political change. The chapter then explains the importance and controversy of stabilization and internationalization clauses under customary international law. Additionally, agreements between a State and a foreign investor are subject to the rules on a fundamental and unforeseeable change of circumstances, which may affect the validity of contractual commitments. The chapter explains that concession agreements refer to the extraction of raw materials, the provision of water and energy, or the operation of infrastructures.
Treaties on Investment Protection
Authors: Herdegen Matthias
Published: June 2024

This chapter looks into the treaties focused on investment protection. It examines the bilateral and multilateral agreements on the protection of investments, such as the Traditional Treaties of Friendship, Commerce and Navigation (FCN treaties). Modern investment treaties provide for the settlement of disputes between a party and a private investor through arbitration. The chapter enumerates the modern standards of investment protection, which include the admissions and establishment of investments, national treatment, and ‘most-favoured-nation’ (MFN) treatment. It cites that, in recent years, strong criticism emerged in developing and industrialized countries that translates as a call for enhanced regulatory freedom of States.
The International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes
Authors: Herdegen Matthias
Published: June 2024

This chapter introduces the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID). The ICSID provides a reliable and effective mechanism for the investment dispute settlement between a contracting State to the Convention and a national of another contracting State through conciliation and arbitration. By consenting to arbitrate under the ICSID Convention, the parties submit to the exclusive jurisdiction of the ICSID, which primarily extends to any legal dispute from an investment dispute. Moreover, the ICSID Convention defers to the application of the rules of law chosen by the parties. In investment disputes in which only one of the States is involved, the dispute is settled under the Additional Facility of the ICSID.
Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency
Authors: Herdegen Matthias
Published: June 2024

This chapter focuses on the extent of the Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA) Convention of 1985. MIGA was established to encourage foreign investment in developing member countries by providing insurance for foreign investments against non-commercial risks. Moreover, MIGA aims to encourage the flow of investments for productive purposes among member countries, and developing member countries. The chapter provides an overview of the MIGA Convention’s Article 11, which offers insurance against the risk of breach of contract by the host government, and Article 13, which highlights the provision for eligible investors. However, investments shall only be guaranteed if they are to be realized in a developing country as per Article 14 of the MIGA Convention.
The World Bank and Other International Financial Institutions
Authors: Herdegen Matthias
Published: June 2024

This chapter covers the interplay between the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD), commonly called the World Bank, and other international financial institutions. The World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) formed the institutional backbone of the international monetary system and the international finance architecture designed at Bretton Woods. The IBRD was established to promote economic reconstruction after the Second World War, and to help less developed or war-afflicted countries while promoting international trade. The chapter explains how the World Bank operates on capital markets as a kind of investment bank. It also considers the work of regional development banks and other financial institutions.
Speech Related to National Security: Espionage and Official Secrets Laws
Authors: Clooney Amal , Gardoll Alice
Published: June 2024

Espionage and official secrets laws which regulate the disclosure of ‘secret’ material on the basis of national security exist across the globe. But legal responses to the disclosure of ‘secret’ material vary widely, and leading democracies that are generally considered protective of speech are among the governments with particularly harsh practices. This chapter analyses emblematic domestic cases and international standards governing espionage and official secrets laws. It explores the way that these laws can punish and deter state officials, citizens and journalists from reporting on legitimate stories of public interest at odds with the government’s perspective. This chapter also analyses international law obligations pertaining to officials secrets laws, including that the ‘public interest’ in speech must be a relevant factor in the determination of whether it is necessary to penalize its publication. It makes recommendations as to how such laws should be drafted, interpreted and applied to comply with international law and best practices.
Compensating Image Distortions in a Commercial Reflectron-Type Atom Probe
Authors: Heller Martina , Ott Benedict , Felfer Peter
Published: June 2024

In atom probe tomography, the spatial resolution and accuracy of the data critically depend on the 3D reconstruction of the 2D detector data. Atom probes with a reflectron have an improved mass resolving power and must include a model of the imaging properties of the reflectron. However, for modern wide-angle reflectron instruments, these imaging properties are not trivial and need to be determined for the reflectron used. This is typically done by the instrument manufacturer, and due to the proprietary nature of the instrument design, the imaging properties are opaque to the user. In this paper, we provide a method to determine the imaging properties of a reflectron that can easily be carried out on commercial instrumentation. This method is used to provide the user with a transformation function from the provided detector data, which can already contain some corrections applied, to a virtual detector placed before the reflectron. From there on, 3D reconstructions can be carried out analogous to straight flight path instruments. Correction algorithms and reference data for Imago/CAMECA LEAP 3000, 4000, 5000, and 6000 series instruments are also provided.
Foreword: U.S. Marine Gender Integration in Recruit Training
Authors: Friedl Karl E
Published: June 2024

The 2020 National Defense Authorization Act mandated that the Marine Corps not segregate recruit training by gender. This Military Medicine supplement details an independent academic study contracted by the Marine Corps Training and Education Command to inform the Marine Corps’ future approaches to gender integration at recruit training. The authors conclude that with proper science-based training and an intentional approach to gender integration, the Marine Corps can bolster gender integration without losing its traditions, high standards, or warrior ethos in recruit training. A feasible path lies ahead to enhance the Corps’ legacy of success. This special issue supports the Marine Corps Training and Education Command 2030 posture statement for leveraging science and technology for policy and doctrine to prepare and modernize the Marine Corps for the future operating environment.
Comparative efficacies of the three echinocandins for Candida auris candidemia: real world evidence from a tertiary centre in India
Authors: Prayag Parikshit S , Patwardhan Sampada A , Joshi Rasika S , Dhupad Surabhi , Rane Tejashree , Prayag Amrita P
Published: June 2024

Though echinocandins are the first line of therapy for C. auris candidemia, there is little clinical data to guide the choice of therapy within this class. This was the first study to compare the three echinocandins in terms of efficacy and outcomes for C. auris candidemia. This was a retrospective analysis of 82 episodes of candidemia caused by C. auris comparing outcomes across the three echinocandins. Majority patients in our study were treated with micafungin. Susceptibility rates were the lowest for caspofungin (35.36% resistance), with no resistance reported for the other two echinocandins. When a susceptible echinocandin was chosen, caspofungin resistance was not a factor significantly associated with mortality. Also, when a susceptible echinocandin was used for therapy, the choice within the class did not affect clinical cure, microbiological cure, or mortality (P > 0.05 for all). Failure to achieve microbiological cure (P = 0.018) and receipt of immune-modulatory therapy (P = 0.01) were significantly associated with increased mortality. Significant cost variation was noted among the echinocandins. Considering the significant cost variation, comparable efficacies can be reassuring for the prescribing physician.
Deep JWST/NIRCam imaging of Supernova 1987A
Authors: Matsuura Mikako , Boyer M , Arendt Richard G , Larsson J , Fransson C , Rest A , Ravi A P , Park S , Cigan P , Temim T , Dwek E , Barlow M J , Bouchet P , Clayton G , Chevalier R , Danziger J , De Buizer J , De Looze I , De Marchi G , Fox O , Gall C , Gehrz R D , Gomez H L , Indebetouw R , Kangas T , Kirchschlager F , Kirshner R , Lundqvist P , Marcaide J M , Martí-Vidal I , Meixner M , Milisavljevic D , Orlando S , Otsuka M , Priestley F , Richards A M S , Schmidt F , Staveley-Smith L , Smith Nathan , Spyromilio J , Vink J , Wang Lifan , Watson D , Wesson R , Wheeler J C , Woodward C E , Zanardo G , Alp D , Burrows D
Published: June 2024

JWST/NIRCam obtained high angular resolution (0.05–0.1 arcsec), deep near-infrared 1–5 $\mu$m imaging of Supernova (SN) 1987A taken 35 yr after the explosion. In the NIRCam images, we identify: (1) faint H2 crescents, which are emissions located between the ejecta and the equatorial ring, (2) a bar, which is a substructure of the ejecta, and (3) the bright 3–5 $\mu$m continuum emission exterior to the equatorial ring. The emission of the remnant in the NIRCam 1–2.3 $\mu$m images is mostly due to line emission, which is mostly emitted in the ejecta and in the hotspots within the equatorial ring. In contrast, the NIRCam 3–5 $\mu$m images are dominated by continuum emission. In the ejecta, the continuum is due to dust, obscuring the centre of the ejecta. In contrast, in the ring and exterior to the ring, synchrotron emission contributes a substantial fraction to the continuum. Dust emission contributes to the continuum at outer spots and diffuse emission exterior to the ring, but little within the ring. This shows that dust cooling and destruction time-scales are shorter than the synchrotron cooling time-scale, and the time-scale of hydrogen recombination in the ring is even longer than the synchrotron cooling time-scale. With the advent of high sensitivity and high angular resolution images provided by JWST/NIRCam, our observations of SN 1987A demonstrate that NIRCam opens up a window to study particle-acceleration and shock physics in unprecedented details, probed by near-infrared synchrotron emission, building a precise picture of how an SN evolves.
Repeating nuclear transients as candidate electromagnetic counterparts of LISA extreme mass ratio inspirals
Authors: Kejriwal Shubham , Witzany Vojtěch , Zajaček Michal , Pasham Dheeraj R , Chua Alvin J K
Published: June 2024

Extreme mass ratio inspirals (EMRIs) are one of the primary targets for the recently adopted millihertz gravitational-wave observatory LISA. Some previous studies have argued that a fraction of all EMRIs form in matter-rich environments, and can potentially explain the dozens of soft X-ray band ($\sim 10^{-1}\,\rm keV$), low-frequency ($\sim 0.1$ mHz) periodic phenomena known as quasi-periodic eruptions (QPEs) and quasi-periodic oscillations (QPOs). Here, using a representative EMRI population retrofitted with cutoffs on LISA-band SNRs and luminosity distances to account for the sensitivity of current instruments, we estimate the mean frequency band in which QPEs and QPOs originating from detectable LISA EMRIs may be emitting an X-ray signal ‘today’ (i.e. in 2024) to be $0.46 \pm 0.22$ mHz. We also model the well-known QPO source, RE J1034+396, which falls in this frequency band, as an EMRI assuming its primary black hole mass to be $10^6{-}10^7 \,{\rm M}_\odot$. Through a prior-predictive analysis, we estimate the orbiting compact object’s mass to be $46^{+ 10}_{-40} \,{\rm M}_\odot$ and the source’s LISA-band SNR as $\approx 14$, highlighting it as a candidate multimessenger EMRI target. We also highlight the role of current and near-future X-ray and UV observatories in enabling multimessenger observations of EMRIs in conjunction with LISA, and conclude with a discussion of caveats of the current analysis, such as the exclusion of eccentricity and inclination from the model, and the measurability of subsolar mass compact object EMRIs.
Comparing Phylogeographies to Reveal Incompatible Geographical Histories within Genomes
Authors: Singer Benjamin , Di Nardo Antonello , Hein Jotun , Ferretti Luca
Published: June 2024

Modern phylogeography aims at reconstructing the geographic movement of organisms based on their genomic sequences and spatial information. Phylogeographic approaches are often applied to pathogen sequences and therefore tend to neglect the possibility of recombination, which decouples the evolutionary and geographic histories of different parts of the genome. Genomic regions of recombining or reassorting pathogens often originate and evolve at different times and locations, which characterize their unique spatial histories. Measuring the extent of these differences requires new methods to compare geographic information on phylogenetic trees reconstructed from different parts of the genome. Here we develop for the first time a set of measures of phylogeographic incompatibility, aimed at detecting differences between geographical histories in terms of distances between phylogeographies. We study the effect of varying demography and recombination on phylogeographic incompatibilities using coalescent simulations. We further apply these measures to the evolutionary history of human and livestock pathogens, either reassorting or recombining, such as the Victoria and Yamagata lineages of influenza B and the O/Ind-2001 foot-and-mouth disease virus strain. Our results reveal diverse geographical paths of migration that characterize the origins and evolutionary histories of different viral genes and genomic segments. These incompatibility measures can be applied to any phylogeography, and more generally to any phylogeny where each tip has been assigned either a continuous or discrete “trait” independent of the sequence. We illustrate this flexibility with an analysis of the interplay between the phylogeography and phylolinguistics of Uralic-speaking human populations, hinting at patrilinear language transmission.
DNA binding and bridging by human CtIP in the healthy and diseased states
Authors: Lokanathan Balaji Shreya , De Bragança Sara , Balaguer-Pérez Francisco , Northall Sarah , Wilkinson Oliver John , Aicart-Ramos Clara , Seetaloo Neeleema , Sobott Frank , Moreno-Herrero Fernando , Dillingham Mark Simon
Published: June 2024

The human DNA repair factor CtIP helps to initiate the resection of double-stranded DNA breaks for repair by homologous recombination, in part through its ability to bind and bridge DNA molecules. However, CtIP is a natively disordered protein that bears no apparent similarity to other DNA-binding proteins and so the structural basis for these activities remains unclear. In this work, we have used bulk DNA binding, single molecule tracking, and DNA bridging assays to study wild-type and variant CtIP proteins to better define the DNA binding domains and the effects of mutations associated with inherited human disease. Our work identifies a monomeric DNA-binding domain in the C-terminal region of CtIP. CtIP binds non-specifically to DNA and can diffuse over thousands of nucleotides. CtIP-mediated bridging of distant DNA segments is observed in single-molecule magnetic tweezers experiments. However, we show that binding alone is insufficient for DNA bridging, which also requires tetramerization via the N-terminal domain. Variant CtIP proteins associated with Seckel and Jawad syndromes display impaired DNA binding and bridging activities. The significance of these findings in the context of facilitating DNA break repair is discussed.
Complete remission following pembrolizumab in a man with mCRPC with both microsatellite instability and BRCA2 mutation
Authors: Moore Casey , Naraine Isabel , Zhang Tian
Published: June 2024

Prostate cancer is one of the most prevalent malignancies in men. In the United States, 1 in 8 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer in their lifetime. Specifically, studies have delved into male subgroups that present a heightened risk for prostate cancer. Despite such high prevalence, prostate cancer can be heterogeneous and carry complexities that manifest differently between individuals. Metastatic hormone-sensitive prostate cancer (mHSPC) often has an abbreviated, aggressive disease course, and can have varying presentations with different molecular profiles that determine response/resistance to the approved treatments targeting the androgen-receptor pathway (eg, enzalutamide, apalutamide, darolutamide, and abiraterone acetate). We present a case of mHSPC quickly progressing to mCRPC, found to have microsatellite instability in mCRPC and excellent response to pembrolizumab, which raises the critical issues of early molecular testing and treatments personalized for the individual patient.
High expression of phosphoglycerate dehydrogenase predicts poor outcome in patients with high-grade serous ovarian cancer
Authors: van Wagensveld Lilian , Van Nyen Tom , Annibali Daniela , Sonke Gabe S , Kruitwagen Roy F P M , Amant Frederic , Horlings Hugo M
Published: June 2024

Introduction

High-grade serous ovarian cancer (HGSOC) is characterized by high mortality and prevalent recurrences. This study investigates the prognostic value of phosphoglycerate dehydrogenase (PHGDH) in HGSOC which has been linked to metabolic reprogramming and recurrences in other cancers.

Methods

Data from 306 patients with advanced-stage HGSOC treated between 2008 and 2015 were analyzed. PHGDH expression levels were determined using immunohistochemistry and categorized as “low” or “high.”

Results

PHGDH-high was associated with higher FIGO stage and increased use of neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Patients with PHGDH-high tumors had significantly worse survival than PHDH-low, even after adjusting for confounding factors.
Bioengineering secreted proteases converts divergent Rcr3 orthologs and paralogs into extracellular immune co-receptors
Authors: Kourelis Jiorgos , Schuster Mariana , Demir Fatih , Mattinson Oliver , Krauter Sonja , Kahlon Parvinderdeep S , O’Grady Ruby , Royston Samantha , Bravo-Cazar Ana Lucía , Mooney Brian C , Huesgen Pitter F , Kamoun Sophien , van der Hoorn Renier A L
Published: June 2024

Secreted immune proteases “Required for Cladosporium resistance-3” (Rcr3) and “Phytophthora-inhibited protease-1” (Pip1) of tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) are both inhibited by Avirulence-2 (Avr2) from the fungal plant pathogen Cladosporium fulvum. However, only Rcr3 acts as a decoy co-receptor that detects Avr2 in the presence of the Cf-2 immune receptor. Here, we identified crucial residues in tomato Rcr3 that are required for Cf-2-mediated signaling and bioengineered various proteases to trigger Avr2/Cf-2-dependent immunity. Despite substantial divergence in Rcr3 orthologs from eggplant (Solanum melongena) and tobacco (Nicotiana spp.), minimal alterations were sufficient to trigger Avr2/Cf-2-mediated immune signaling. By contrast, tomato Pip1 was bioengineered with 16 Rcr3-specific residues to initiate Avr2/Cf-2-triggered immune signaling. These residues cluster on one side of the protein next to the substrate-binding groove, indicating a potential Cf-2 interaction site. Our findings also revealed that Rcr3 and Pip1 have distinct substrate preferences determined by two variant residues and that both are suboptimal for binding Avr2. This study advances our understanding of Avr2 perception and opens avenues to bioengineer proteases to broaden pathogen recognition in other crops.
Filling the gaps on root hair development under salt stress and phosphate starvation using current evidence coupled with a meta-analysis approach
Authors: Ibeas Miguel Angel , Salinas-Grenet Hernán , Johnson Nathan R , Pérez-Díaz Jorge , Vidal Elena A , Alvarez José Miguel , Estevez José M
Published: June 2024

Population expansion is a global issue, especially for food production. Meanwhile, global climate change is damaging our soils, making it difficult for crops to thrive and lowering both production and quality. Poor nutrition and salinity stress affect plant growth and development. Although the impact of individual plant stresses has been studied for decades, the real stress scenario is more complex due to the exposure to multiple stresses at the same time. Here we investigate using existing evidence and a meta-analysis approach to determine molecular linkages between 2 contemporaneous abiotic stimuli, phosphate (Pi) deficiency and salinity, on a single plant cell model, the root hairs (RHs), which is the first plant cell exposed to them. Understanding how these 2 stresses work molecularly in RHs may help us build super-adaptable crops and sustainable agriculture in the face of global climate change.
Cucumber JASMONATE ZIM-DOMAIN 8 interaction with transcription factor MYB6 impairs waterlogging-triggered adventitious rooting
Authors: Pan Jiawei , Sohail Hamza , Sharif Rahat , Hu Qiming , Song Jia , Qi Xiaohua , Chen Xuehao , Xu Xuewen
Published: June 2024

Waterlogging is a serious abiotic stress that drastically decreases crop productivity by damaging the root system. Jasmonic acid (JA) inhibits waterlogging-induced adventitious root (AR) formation in cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.). However, we still lack a profound mechanistic understanding of how JA governs AR formation under waterlogging stress. JASMONATE ZIM-DOMAIN (JAZ) proteins are responsible for repressing JA signaling in a transcriptional manner. In this study, we showed that overexpressing CsJAZ8 inhibited the formation of ARs triggered by waterlogging. Molecular analyses revealed that CsJAZ8 inhibited the activation of the R2R3-MYB transcription factor CsMYB6 via direct interaction. Additionally, silencing of CsMYB6 negatively impacted AR formation under waterlogging stress, as CsMYB6 could directly bind to the promoters of 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate oxidase 2 gene CsACO2 and gibberellin 20-oxidase gene CsGA20ox2, facilitating the transcription of these genes. The overexpression of CsACO2 and CsGA20ox2 led to increased levels of ethylene and gibberellin, which facilitated AR formation under waterlogging conditions. On the contrary, silencing these genes resulted in contrasting phenotypes of AR formation. These results highlight that the transcriptional cascade of CsJAZ8 and CsMYB6 plays a critical role in regulating hormonal-mediated cucumber waterlogging-triggered AR formation by inhibiting ethylene and gibberellin accumulation. We anticipate that our findings will provide insights into the molecular mechanisms that drive the emergence of AR in cucumber plants under waterlogging stress.
Unthinkable actions
Authors: Steinberg Etye
Published: June 2024

For each person, some actions are unthinkable: performing them requires crossing a line that one's conscience cannot allow crossing. This article explores what such unthinkability is. In doing so, it introduces a novel categorization of theories of action and practical reason. The article argues that an action is unthinkable if and only if the agent judges that she should never treat any consideration as a reason in favor of performing this action. This view meets two important tests. The first is ‘Failure’: a theory of unthinkable action must allow for the conceptual possibility of doing the unthinkable and explain what is special about the failure implicated in doing the unthinkable, especially in comparison to the failure implicated in akratic action. The second is ‘Incapacity’: a theory of unthinkability must distinguish between not doing something because it is unthinkable and not doing something because of an extremely negative psychological reaction.