bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
LA DÉCLARATION UNIVERSELLE DES DROITS DE L’HOMME ET LA DÉCLARATION AMÉRICAINE DES DROITS ET DES DEVOIRS DE L’HOMME ONT CINQUANTE ANS
Authors: Gros Espiell Héctor
Published: February 2024

La Déclaration universelle des droits de l’Homme (DUDH) et la Déclaration américaine des droits et devoirs de l’homme (DADDH) ont maintenant cinquante ans. Elles s’inscrivent dans un long processus — à ce jour inachevé — d’affirmation et de protection des droits de l’homme, et en sont devenues, en fait, le fondement. Avant 1948, aucun instrument international n’avait encore défini ni précisé quels étaient ces droits. Les Déclarations de 1948 donnaient enfin à ceux-ci une assise, qu’ils soient de nature civile et politique, ou qu’il s’agisse de droits économiques, sociaux ou culturels. Elles ne constituaient pas cependant des traités et n’imposaient donc pas aux États de contraintes spécifiques.

Par un processus du plus haut intérêt juridique, elles ont mené à l’affirmation de la pleine exigibilité juridique des droits y affirmés, en dépit de la réticence initiale d’États alors soucieux de leur souveraineté. Divers pactes, conventions et protocoles ont au fil des ans raffermi ce parti pris, consolidé par l’établissement de systèmes universel et régionaux de promotion et de protection des droits de l’homme et l’ont complété tout récemment par l’avènement d’un appareil judiciaire international. Le développement normatif dont les Déclarations ont constitué le point de départ est attesté par l’existence aujourd’hui d’une centaine de conventions multilatérales adoptées dans le cadre de l’Organisation des Nations Unies et portant sur les droits de l’homme.

La DADDH, quant à elle, aura posé de manière plus précise le problème de l’application de la notion de devoirs dans le domaine des droits de l’homme. Selon l’auteur, il suffit même d’observer l’évolution récente de l’humanité au cours des dernières décennies pour constater jusqu’à quel point l’élaboration d’instruments relatifs aux devoirs des hommes s’avère pertinente à notre époque. Nul ne doute, aujourd’hui de l’interdépendance et de l’intégralité des droits de l’homme, ni de leur caractère universel, lequel procède de l’essence même de ces deux grandes Déclarations. Célébrer le cinquantième anniversaire de celles-ci suppose qu’on soit conscient de leur caractère historique, mais surtout, cela implique que l’on soit averti du fait que le processus reste inachevé et qu’il faut persister, travailler à l’établissement de nouveaux mécanismes internationaux de protection des droits, et se consacrer résolument à la lutte contre la pauvreté comme à la lutte pour l’élimination de l’injustice, de l’exclusion et de la discrimination. Viser à l’harmonie entre la réalité et le corps normatif développé à ce jour demeure un idéal constant.
LE STATUT DE LA DÉCLARATION AMÉRICAINE DES DROITS ET DES DEVOIRS DE L’HOMME, REFLET DE L’ÉVOLUTION DU SYSTÈME INTERAMÉRICAIN DE PROTECTION DES DROITS DE LA PERSONNE
Authors: Hilling Carol
Published: February 2024

Promulguées à la même époque, la Déclaration universelle des droits de l’Homme et la Déclaration américaine des droits et devoirs de l’homme, ont chacune eu une évolution différente. Alors que le cinquantenaire de la première a été largement souligné, celui de la seconde s’est fait plus discret. Pourtant, la Déclaration américaine s’est imposée à tous les États membres de l’Organisation des États américains de manière exceptionnelle. De plus, loin d’être éclipsée par l’adoption de la Convention américaine relative aux droits de l’homme, son autorité a plutôt été renforcée.

L’article de Carol Hilling souligne le rôle de la Commission interaméricaine des Droits de l’Homme dans l’évolution du statut juridique de la Déclaration américaine. L’article fait également état de la portée tout à fait particulière du système interaméricain de protection des droits de la personne qui offre même au Canada la possibilité d’obtenir des réponses à ses interrogations concernant la Convention américaine avant de la ratifier.
EL DERECHO DE ACCESO A LA JURISDICCIÓN EN MÉXICO Y OTROS PAISES DE AMERICA LATINA
Authors: Sarre Miguel
Published: February 2024

«La Declaración Americana de los Derechos y Deberes del Hombre, (DADDH) y las declaraciones subsecuentes, representan un catálogo de expectativas insatisfechas para los pueblos de América». Así empieza este eficaz análisis del autor sobre la aplicación concreta de la noción del acceso a la jurisdicción en el campo penal, situación protegida por muchas disposiciones de la DADDH. El autor observa seis aspectos de esta protección que confronta con la realidad de la justicia penal en México y en algunos otros países de América latina. Esos aspectos, que giran en torno a ciertos derechos mas fundamentales reconocidos en la DADDH son, en el orden : 1) El derecho de justicia o sea el derecho de toda persona acusada de hacer valer sus derechos, 2) El derecho a proceso regular, o sea, a ser juzgado por tribunales anteriormente establecidos de acuerdo con leyes pre-existentes, y 3) De gozar de la presunción de inocencia así como de ser oldo en forma imparcial y pública, 4) El derecho a disponer de un procedimiento sencillo y breve, de la naturaleza del recurso de amparo o de Habeas corpus, por el cual la justicia lo ampare contra actos de autoridad que violen algunos de los derechos fundamentales consagrados constitucionalmente; 5) el derecho de no verse imponer penas crueles, infamantes o inusitadas así como de gozar de un tratamiento humano durante su privación de libertad y, en fin, 6) el derecho para las víctimas de la comisión de un delito de ocurrir a los tribunales para hacer valer sus derechos tanto con lo que respecta al Estado como lo que respecta a los particulares. El articulo se concentra sobre los procedimientos legales y la práctica cotidiana en México y demuestra como los desarrollos recientes en ese país conducen el sistema penal mexicano hacia un sistema inquisitorial más bien que acusatorio, y eso, en detrimento, según el autor, de una plena protección de los derechos individuales, como, de forma más especifica, los derechos de los acusados.
FOSTERING COMPLIANCE WITH WOMEN’S RIGHTS IN THE INTER-AMERICAN SYSTEM
Authors: Cook Rebecca J.
Published: February 2024

This article explores why the practice of states in the Americas has been slow to comply with the human rights of women since the adoption of the American Declaration of the Rights and Duties of Man in 1948. The article explains that since states tend to obey international law as a result of repeated interaction among transnational actors, a first step toward fostering compliance is to empower more actors concerned with women, particularly marginalized women, to participate in the process. A next step is to explore how the available forums at both the regional and international levels have been and could be used to apply human rights to the harms experienced by women. Consistent with this step, the article reviews the case law concerning women developed by the Inter-American Court of Human Rights, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights and the international treaty bodies. A third step toward fostering compliance is to assess strategies of how best to internalize women’s rights into domestic laws, policies and practices. Pursuant to this step, the article identifies some of the key concluding observations in the country reports of treaty bodies, and notes that most states have yet to change their laws to comply with these observations. The article concludes by examining how sanctions and rewards, or a mixture of the two, could be used to improve compliance with the human rights of women in the future.
EN BÚSQUEDA DEL NUEVO DERECHO INDÍGENA
Authors: Stavenhagen Rodolfo
Published: February 2024

En años recientes la redefinición de las relaciones entre los pueblos indígenas y el estado nacional en America Latina, basadas en el indigenismo, está al orden del dia. Como parte de ese nuevo debate, el tema de los derechos humanos ha llegado a ser prioritario y, de hecho, el marco de referencia obligado para la discusión. En este articulo el autor muestra como en ese debate resulta significativa la discusión que ha tenido lugar en las Naciones Unidas, en el marco de la construcción de un sistema internacional de protección a los derechos humanos. Esta actividad se caracteriza por diferentes marcos referenciales. Primero el marco de la protección universal de los derechos humanos, más que todo en materia de discriminación racial. El segundo eje está constituido por los trabajos relativos a la protección de minorías. Además ese instrumental internacional contiene un tercer elemento, el derecho de todos los pueblos a la libre determinación. El autor nos recuerda que se procedió a un extenso estudio sobre la discriminación contra poblaciones indígenas a raíz del cual se creó un Grupo de Trabajo sobre Poblaciones lndígenas en el seno de la ONU y se elaboró un proyecto de Declaración de los Derechos de los Pueblos Indígenas (DPI). Por otra parte resulta incongruente que en la actualidad sólo el Convenio 169 sobre Pueblos Indígenas y Tribales en Países Independientes adoptado por la Organización Internacional del Trabajo (OIT) sea el único instrumento jurídico internacional ya ratificado que se refiere específicamente a los derechos de los pueblos indígenas. Finalmente, el autor nos procura una visión de los esfuerzos en pro de los derechos indígenas en el sistema regional interamericano, cuyos resultados son magros, a pesar del hecho que la Comisión Interamericana de Derechos Humanos de la OEA ha preparado también un Proyecto de Declaración Interamericano sobre los Derechos de los Pueblos Indígenas. Para el autor, el reconocimiento progresivo de los derechos indígenas en el marco del derecho internacional constituye sin duda un paso adelante en la consolidación de los derechos humanos. Las luchas indígenas por sus derechos se inscriben en un largo proceso de democratización y concientización. Lo que le permite de concluir que «más allá de los derechos humanos de los pueblos indígenas, las sociedades nacionales y la comunidad mundial serán más democráticas en la medida en que estos derechos sean reconocidos y respetados».
LA PROTECTION ET LA GESTION DES ZONES CÔTIÈRES
Authors: Grandbois Maryse
Published: February 2024

Cet article s’intéresse à la fois au contrôle juridique des pollutions d’origine maritime, à celui des pollutions d’origine terrestre, et au droit relatif à la gestion des zones côtières, pour décrire l’effet des textes internationaux et de la pratique des États sur la protection de l’environnement côtier. Comment ces trois régimes, différents et souvent parallèles, dont les objectifs sont communs, mais inspirés de principes parfois divergents ou contradictoires, coexistent-ils ? Pour décrire le portrait juridique général des zones côtières qu’ils concourent à composer, l’auteur tient compte de l’ordre chronologique de l’adoption des principaux textes et ensuite de l’importance relative de ceux-ci.

La première partie de ce texte traitera du contrôle juridique des pollutions provenant de la mer (1), principalement les marées noires; la deuxième partie, du droit relatif aux pollutions côtières d’origine terrestre (2) et la troisième partie portera sur la gestion des zones côtières (3). Au-delà des différences conceptuelles, l’auteur tente de faire ressortir les points de convergence entre les principaux régimes de protection des zones côtières, de même que les points forts et les faiblesses de ces efforts de globalisation.

Les façons de contrôler la pollution côtière diffèrent selon la provenance de cette pollution. D’une part, le contrôle de la pollution dont les navires sont la source se caractérise d’abord par son aspect préventif, surtout dans le cas d’hydrocarbures : ce texte décrit l’évolution du régime de réparation qui existe en ces circonstances, de même que le régime de prévention qui s’est développé, en les inscrivant dans une perspective globale. La sécurité du transport maritime ayant des répercussions importantes sur la protection des zones côtières, cet article traite de la sécurité de la navigation et de la responsabilisation des États.

Ensuite, le contrôle de la pollution côtière provenant des activités terrestres, soit le contrôle des polluants atmosphériques d’une part et le traitement des eaux usées de même que l’immersion de déchets d’autre part font l’objet de cette étude.

Enfin, la protection de l’environnement côtier, soit par la gestion intégrée des zones côtières, soit par l’aménagement d’aires protégées sera décrite : la première apparaît de plus en plus comme une voie de conciliation des approches contradictoires existant entre le droit de l’urbanisme et le droit de l’environnement.
L’EX-YOUGOSLAVIE COMME THÉÂTRE DU RENOUVEAU CONCEPTUEL DES MISSIONS ONUSIENNES DE
MAINTIEN DE LA PAIX
Authors: Dufresne Robert
Published: February 2024

Le conflit en ex-Yougoslavie a mobilisé la communauté internationale dont la
réaction a notamment consisté en l’envoi de casques bleus sous l’égide de l’ONU.
Très vite, les forces onusiennes ont été confrontées à de sérieuses limites en ce
qui a trait à leur capacité à mener à bien leur mission.

Le mandat des missions de maintien de la paix déployées fut élargi : de force
strictement neutre sur le terrain, les casques bleus se sont vus confier des tâches
par lesquelles ils ont tenter de briser le cycle des violations en chaîne du droit
humanitaire dont la population était l’objet. C’est ainsi qu’ils durent protéger les
populations civiles, rouvrir un aéroport et assurer la sécurité des convois d’aide
humanitaire. Parallèlement à cet élargissement de leur mandat, remarquable sur le
plan conceptuel, le Conseil de Sécurité a permis une expansion de leurs moyens
d’action, notamment de leur capacité coercitive, pour s’assurer de briser le statu
quo sur le terrain. De plus, l’ex- République yougoslave de Macédoine a accueilli
sur son territoire le premier déploiement militaire préventif qu’ait fait l’ONU. Il
s’agit là d’une autre façon de marquer le renouveau conceptuel dont les missions
onusiennes sont l’objet.

Est-ce que ces changements sont appelés à perdurer ou à ne constituer qu’une
parenthèse dans l’histoire onusienne ? Il s’agit assurément d’un moyen intéressant
d’obtenir que les missions onusiennes puissent accomplir leur mandat dans le respect
et la collaboration de la part des belligérants. De plus, il importe de réinscrire
le rôle des casques bleus dans la réalité des conflits modernes, soit des conflits
internes. En ce sens, l’expérience yougoslave est une source d’apprentissage sans
commune mesure. Il faut cependant admettre que l’incertitude et l’imprécision nées
de la fluctuation des mandats confiés a coûté beaucoup aux casques bleus. C’est
cette incertitude qu’il importe désormais de lever.
Journeys, Merged Objects, and Public Art: Situating Practices of Salish Weaving as Research-Creation
Authors: Ariss Alison
Published: February 2024

Dans l’histoire de l’art, les textiles autochtones coutumiers ont été ignorés en tant qu’artisanat domestique « traditionnel » et objets fonctionnels. Axé sur la documentation du tissage salish depuis les années 1960 et sur l’intégration des méthodologies de recherche autochtones et non autochtones, cet essai explorera la résurgence du tissage salish en tant que forme salish de recherche-création. Dans cet essai, une approche féministe autochtone centre l’expérience des tisserands salish pour changer les perceptions du tissage salish et pour déstabiliser les omissions structurelles dans les discours de l’art autochtone. Les tissages et les pratiques du tisserand deviennent visibles en tant que sites de partage des connaissances intergénérationnelles, d’innovation, de relations sociales complexes et de continuité.
How to Use Colonial Discourse Against Colonialism: Strategies of Research-Creation in French Symbolist Art, ca. 1890
Authors: Deyasi Marco
Published: February 2024

Cet article propose d’examiner l’art symbolisme en France vers 1890, plus précisément certains artistes ayant utilisé un savoir colonial imprégné de racisme dans leurs productions, sous l’angle de caractéristiques liées à la recherche-création et aux théories postcoloniales. Cette perspective permettra d’éclairer et d’identifier certains éléments de la production symboliste, associés à l’occultisme et à la théosophie et influencés par la mise en place d’une institutionnalisation du colonialisme. Des artistes, tels que Paul Ranson, impatients de découvrir l’art de l’Asie du Sud-Est, ne pouvaient le faire que par le biais de la propagande présentée lors des expositions universelles, ou au sein des sciences dites coloniales. La recherche-création combinée aux théories postcoloniales permet ainsi de révéler de quelle manière le travail de ces artistes a su s’approprier et subvertir cette propagande raciste et coloniale de la fin du XIXe siècle.
Trouble dans le positivisme, la création en tant que recherche : le cas de La zona del silencio
Authors: Pageot Édith-Anne
Published: February 2024

This article proposes to study research-creation by considering our embodied relationship to the world. It is an approach that tends to reject the ontological distance implied by positivism. Often subversive, research-creation itself blurs disciplinary thresholds and undermines positivist logic. The lesser-known La zona del silencio collective project, set up in the Mexican desert between 1984 and 1985, bought together twelve artists with diverse disciplinary backgrounds from Mexico, Germany, Canada, and the Cree Nation. The environmental complexity of the site, the transnational dimension of the project and the cultural plurality of the group incited the artists to connect and to form a community. La zona del silencio offers an alternative vision of contemporary art that can be compared to Arturo Escobar’s concept of sentipensar con la tierra and that, in some ways, resonates with the words of Édouard Glissant. This case study demonstrates how research-creation has a disruptive and transformative potential.
RBP-J regulates homeostasis and function of circulating Ly6Clo monocytes
Authors: Kou Tiantian , Kang Lan , Zhang Bin , Li Jiaqi , Zhao Baohong , Zeng Wenwen , Hu Xiaoyu
Published: February 2024

Notch-RBP-J signaling plays an essential role in maintenance of myeloid homeostasis. However, its role in monocyte cell fate decisions is not fully understood. Here we showed that conditional deletion of transcription factor RBP-J in myeloid cells resulted in marked accumulation of blood Ly6C
lo
monocytes that highly expressed chemokine receptor CCR2. Bone marrow transplantation and parabiosis experiments revealed a cell intrinsic requirement of RBP-J for controlling blood Ly6C
lo
CCR2
hi
monocytes. RBP-J-deficient Ly6C
lo
monocytes exhibited enhanced capacity competing with wildtype counterparts in blood circulation. In accordance with alterations of circulating monocytes, RBP-J deficiency led to markedly increased population of lung tissues with Ly6C
lo
monocytes and CD16.2
+
interstitial macrophages. Furthermore, RBP-J deficiency-associated phenotypes could be genetically corrected by further deleting
Ccr2
in myeloid cells. These results demonstrate that RBP-J functions as a crucial regulator of blood Ly6C
lo
monocytes and thus derived lung-resident myeloid populations, at least in part through regulation of CCR2.
Neuronal NPR-15 modulates molecular and behavioral immune responses via the amphid sensory neuron-intestinal axis in C. elegans
Authors: Otarigho Benson , Butts Anna Frances , Aballay Alejandro
Published: February 2024

The survival of hosts during infections relies on their ability to mount effective molecular and behavioral immune responses. Despite extensive research on these defense strategies in various species, including the model organism
Caenorhabditis elegans
, the neural mechanisms underlying their interaction remain poorly understood. Previous studies have highlighted the role of neural G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) in regulating both immunity and pathogen avoidance, which is particularly dependent on aerotaxis. To address this knowledge gap, we conducted a screen of mutants in neuropeptide receptor family genes. We found that loss-of-function mutations in
npr-15
activated immunity while suppressing pathogen avoidance behavior. Through further analysis, NPR-15 was found to regulate immunity by modulating the activity of key transcription factors, namely GATA/ELT-2 and TFEB/HLH-30. Surprisingly, the lack of pathogen avoidance of
npr-15
mutant animals was not influenced by oxygen levels. Moreover, our studies revealed that the amphid sensory neuron ASJ is involved in mediating the immune and behavioral responses orchestrated by NPR-15. Additionally, NPR-15 was found to regulate avoidance behavior via the TRPM gene, GON-2, which may sense the intestinal distension caused by bacterial colonization to elicit pathogen avoidance. Our study contributes to a broader understanding of host defense strategies and mechanisms underlining the interaction between molecular and behavioral immune responses.
Synthetic Eco-Evolutionary Dynamics in Simple Molecular Environment
Authors: Casiraghi Luca , Mambretti Francesco , Tovo Anna , Paraboschi Elvezia Maria , Suweis Samir , Bellini Tommaso
Published: February 2024

The understanding of eco-evolutionary dynamics, and in particular the mechanism of coexistence of species, is still fragmentary and in need of test bench model systems. To this aim we developed a variant of SELEX in-vitro selection to study the evolution of a population of ∼ 10
15
single-strand DNA oligonucleotide ‘individuals’. We begin with a seed of random sequences which we select via affinity capture from ∼ 10
12
DNA oligomers of fixed sequence (‘resources’) over which they compete. At each cycle (‘generation’), the ecosystem is replenished via PCR amplification of survivors. Massive parallel sequencing indicates that across generations the variety of sequences (‘species’) drastically decreases, while some of them become populous and dominate the ecosystem. The simplicity of our approach, in which survival is granted by hybridization, enables a quantitative investigation of fitness through a statistical analysis of binding energies. We find that the strength of individual-resource binding dominates the selection in the first generations, while inter and intra-individual interactions become important in later stages, in parallel with the emergence of prototypical forms of mutualism and parasitism.
Prior probability cues bias sensory encoding with increasing task exposure
Authors: Walsh Kevin , McGovern David P. , Dully Jessica , Kelly Simon , O’Connell Redmond
Published: February 2024

When observers have prior knowledge about the likely outcome of their perceptual decisions, they exhibit robust behavioural biases in reaction time and choice accuracy. Computational modelling typically attributes these effects to strategic adjustments in the criterion amount of evidence required to commit to a choice alternative - usually implemented by a starting point shift - but recent work suggests that expectations may also fundamentally bias the encoding of the sensory evidence itself. Here, we recorded neural activity with EEG while participants performed a contrast discrimination task with valid, invalid, or neutral probabilistic cues across multiple testing sessions. We measured sensory evidence encoding via contrast-dependent steady-state visual-evoked potentials (SSVEP), while a read-out of criterion adjustments was provided by effector-selective mu-beta band activity over motor cortex. In keeping with prior modelling and neural recording studies, cues evoked substantial biases in motor preparation consistent with criterion adjustments, but we additionally found that the cues produced a significant modulation of the SSVEP during evidence presentation. While motor preparation adjustments were observed in the earliest trials, the sensory-level effects only emerged with extended task exposure. Our results suggest that, in addition to strategic adjustments to the decision process, probabilistic information can also induce subtle biases in the encoding of the evidence itself.
Machine learning of dissection photographs and surface scanning for quantitative 3D neuropathology
Authors: Gazula Harshvardhan , Tregidgo Henry F. J. , Billot Benjamin , Balbastre Yael , William-Ramirez Jonathan , Herisse Rogeny , Deden-Binder Lucas J , Casamitjana Adrià , Melief Erica J. , Latimer Caitlin S. , Kilgore Mitchell D. , Montine Mark , Robinson Eleanor , Blackburn Emily , Marshall Michael S. , Connors Theresa R. , Oakley Derek H. , Frosch Matthew P. , Young Sean I. , Leemput Koen Van , Dalca Adrian V. , Fischl Bruce , Mac Donald Christine L. , Keene C. Dirk , Hyman Bradley T. , Iglesias Juan Eugenio
Published: February 2024

We present open-source tools for 3D analysis of photographs of dissected slices of human brains, which are routinely acquired in brain banks but seldom used for quantitative analysis. Our tools can:
(i)
3D reconstruct a volume from the photographs and, optionally, a surface scan; and
(ii)
produce a high-resolution 3D segmentation into 11 brain regions per hemisphere (22 in total), independently of the slice thickness. Our tools can be used as a substitute for
ex vivo
magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), which requires access to an MRI scanner,
ex vivo
scanning expertise, and considerable financial resources. We tested our tools on synthetic and real data from two NIH Alzheimer
’
s Disease Research Centers. The results show that our methodology yields accurate 3D reconstructions, segmentations, and volumetric measurements that are highly correlated to those from MRI. Our method also detects expected differences between
post mortem
confirmed Alzheimer
’
s disease cases and controls. The tools are available in our widespread neuroimaging suite
“
FreeSurfer
”
(https://surfer.nmr.mgh.harvard.edu/fswiki/PhotoTools).
Sorting of secretory proteins at the trans-Golgi network by human TGN46
Authors: Lujan Pablo , Garcia-Cabau Carla , Wakana Yuichi , Lillo Javier Vera , Rodilla-Ramírez Carmen , Sugiura Hideaki , Malhotra Vivek , Salvatella Xavier , Garcia-Parajo Maria F. , Campelo Felix
Published: February 2024

Secretory proteins are sorted at the trans-Golgi network (TGN) for export into specific transport carriers. However, the molecular players involved in this fundamental process remain largely elusive. Here, we identified the human transmembrane protein TGN46 as a receptor for the export of secretory cargo protein PAUF in CARTS – a class of protein kinase D-dependent TGN-to-plasma membrane carriers. We show that TGN46 is necessary for cargo sorting and loading into nascent carriers at the TGN. By combining quantitative fluorescence microscopy and mutagenesis approaches, we further discovered that the lumenal domain of TGN46 encodes for its cargo sorting function. In summary, our results define a cellular function of TGN46 in sorting secretory proteins for export from the TGN.
Neural network emulation of the human ventricular cardiomyocyte action potential: a tool for more efficient computation in pharmacological studies
Authors: Grandits Thomas , Augustin Christoph M. , Haase Gundolf , Jost Norbert , Mirams Gary R. , Niederer Steven A. , Plank Gernot , Varró András , Virág László , Jung Alexander
Published: February 2024

Computer models of the human ventricular cardiomyocyte action potential (AP) have reached a level of detail and maturity that has led to an increasing number of applications in the pharmaceutical sector. However, interfacing the models with experimental data can become a significant computational burden. To mitigate the computational burden, the present study introduces a neural network (NN) that emulates the AP for given maximum conductances of selected ion channels, pumps, and exchangers. Its applicability in pharmacological studies was tested on synthetic and experimental data. The NN emulator potentially enables massive speed-ups compared to regular simulations and the forward problem (find drugged AP for pharmacological parameters defined as scaling factors of control maximum conductances) on synthetic data could be solved with average root-mean-square errors (RMSE) of 0.47 mV in normal APs and of 14.5 mV in abnormal APs exhibiting early afterdepolarizations (72.5% of the emulated APs were alining with the abnormality, and the substantial majority of the remaining APs demonstrated pronounced proximity). This demonstrates not only very fast and mostly very accurate AP emulations but also the capability of accounting for discontinuities, a major advantage over existing emulation strategies. Furthermore, the inverse problem (find pharmacological parameters for control and drugged APs through optimization) on synthetic data could be solved with high accuracy shown by a maximum RMSE of 0.21 in the estimated pharmacological parameters. However, notable mismatches were observed between pharmacological parameters estimated from experimental data and distributions obtained from the Comprehensive in vitro Proarrhythmia Assay initiative. This reveals larger inaccuracies which can be attributed particularly to the fact that small tissue preparations were studied while the emulator was trained on single cardiomyocyte data. Overall, our study highlights the potential of NN emulators as powerful tool for an increased efficiency in future quantitative systems pharmacology studies.
The European Landscape of Institutional Publishing
Authors: Arasteh Sona , Frantsvåg Jan Erik , Aspaas Per Pippin
Published: February 2024

NOTE: Download from this platform not possible at the moment due to a technical problem. Meanwhile, please visit to https://soundcloud.com/opensciencetalk to stream the episode.
This episode of Open Science Talk deals with Diamond Open Access publishing services provided by instutitions. The EU-funded project DIAMAS (Developing Institutional Open Acces Publisihing Models to Advance Scholarly Communication) has recently published a 240-page landscape report on «Institutional Publishing in the E[uropean] R[esearch] A[rea]; results from the DIAMAS survey». Work Package leader Jan Erik Frantsvåg discusses the main findings of the report together with Sona Arasteh, co-author of a synopsis of the same report, comprising 30 richly illustrated pages. In the discussion, the landscape report and its synopsis is contextualized alongside an earlier study on the global landscape of Diamond Open Access Publishing; on-going projects such as DIAMAS’ sister projects CRAFT-OA and PALOMERA; and plans for capacity building for Diamond Open Access Publishing on global, regional and national levels.
Digital recording, unfortunately with problematic sound quality. First published online: Feb 13, 2024.
Defining and Grading an Obstructive Ventilatory Impairment: American Thoracic Society/ European Respiratory Society Interpretive Strategies of 2005 Versus 2022
Authors: Barkous Balsam , Kchaou Khouloud , Briki Chaima , Jamli Sirine , Jameleddine Saloua Ben Khamsa
Published: February 2024

Background: The American Thoracic Society (ATS) and the European Respiratory Society (ERS) have issued several updates to their guidelines for lung function testing between 2005 and 2022.

Objective: We aimed to compare ATS/ERS recommendations for 2005(R1) and 2022(R2) in defining Obstructive Ventilatory Impairment (OVI) and in classifying its severity.

Patients and Methods: It was a retrospective comparative study including 1129 patients. All patients underwent spirometry with measurement of Forced Expiratory Volume in 1 second (FEV1) and Forced Vital Capacity (FVC). An OVI was considered according to R1 when FEV1/FVC ratio is under the Lower Limit of Normal (LLN) and when the z-score of FEV1/FVC ratio is under -1.645 according to R2. For the severity levels of airflow obstruction: ATS/ERS previously recommended the use of percent predicted FEV1 with 5 levels using cut values of 70%, 60%, 50% and 35%. Recently updated for z-scores with cut values of -2, -2.5 and -4. Mean age was 54.23±19.23 years.

Results: For defining an OVI, both definitions were comparable (529 patients with OVI). For the severity classification, the following proportions were assessed: 151 mild, 86 moderate,84 moderately severe, 133 severe and 75 very severe vs 148 mild, 238 moderate, 76 severe and 67 cases having a normal FEV1 (z-score of FEV1 above -1.645), which were classified as mild according to R1. Mild OVI(R2) were distributed according to R1 into 74 mild, 51 moderate, 16 moderately severe and 7 severe. Moderate OVI (R2) were dispatched using R1 to 10 mild, 34 moderate, 66 moderately severe, 103 severe and 25 very severe. Severe OVI(R2) were classified as 1 moderate, 2 moderately severe, 23 severe and 50 very severe.

Conclusion: ATS/ERS new and previous recommendations seem to be comparable in defining OVI. However, discrepancies were assessed in classifying its severity.
Yield Predication by DSSAT Model of Wheat Crop: A Review
Authors: Lal Devi , Niwas Ram
Published: February 2024

The DSSAT model predicts crop productivity under different crop management scenarios and fluctuating climate circumstances, necessitating the identification of a crop cultivar's genetic coefficient. The precision with which various parameters are calibrated and validated is essential to the effective application of crop models. The model was calibrated using the data on irrigation and nitrogen's impact on wheat yield, and it was validated using the date of sowing. The closer estimation of crop growth time, grain yields, and biomass yields was demonstrated by the model findings. The percentage error discrepancy between the simulated and actual wheat variety grain yields was 8.70% to 10.98%, respectively. There is a substantial correlation with a higher R2 value between the simulated and observed grain yields and crop duration during both the calibration and validation processes.
Flexor Tendon Sheath Ganglion of the A1 Pulley Causing Trigger Thumb: A Case Report
Authors: Abhishek Sugumar K.  , Sagar Vidya , Raviraj A.  , Anand Ashish
Published: February 2024

Ganglion as cause of triggering of fingers have been described previously but they are not commonly described for the Thumb. We present the case of a 34-year-old lady who presented with triggering of the right thumb of few months duration. Patient chose to decline further imaging work up or injections. She elected to proceed with surgery. Surgical exploration revealed a 4x2mm ganglion in the A-1 pulley which was excised and resulted in complete resolution of the symptoms. To the best of our knowledge this is only the second described case report in English Literature.
Effect of Organic and Inorganic Fertilizers on Growth, Nutrient Uptake and Yield of Okra (Abelmoschus esculentus L. Moench) in Bundelkhand
Authors: Fogawat Manju , Singh Harpal , Panday Santosh , Sharma Vishnu Kumar , Yadav Sanjeev , Yadav Shubham , Kumar Suneel
Published: February 2024

The present investigation was carried out at Organic Research Farm, Department of Horticulture, Institute of Agricultural Sciences, Bundelkhand University, Karguanji, Jhansi, Uttar Pradesh during the Kharif-2023 with a view to identify the effects of different combinations of organic and inorganic fertilizers and its role in growth, yield and quality of Okra variety Pusa A4. The experiment was laid in Randomized block design with 9 treatments and 3 replications with different combination in RDF and application of organic nutrition.  Under this experiment, overall, 9 treatment was taken T0 Control (water spray), T1 (Ash 100%), T2 (MOP 100%), T3 (MOP 50% + Ash 50%), T4 (Presmud 5 t/ha), T6 (Presmud 1.5 t/ha), T7 (MOP 50% + Presmud 50%) and T8 (Presmud 50% + Ash 50%). From the above experimental finding it may be concluded that the treatment T2 (MOP 100%) was found to be best in the terms of growth yield and quality of Okra. The highest net return was found in the T2 (MOP 100%) with (Rs 111378/ha) and the highest B: C ratio was found in the same with 2.11.
Effects of nucleating agents on physical properties of poly(trimethylene terephthalate)/glass‐fiber composites
Authors: Zhang Jialiang , Wu Ling , Zhao Minglei , Li Jichao , Wang Chunlei
Published: February 2005

Poly(trimethylene terephthalate) (PTT)/glass‐fiber composites were investigated in the presence of nucleating agents. Sodium ionomer of poly(ethylene‐co‐methacrylic acid), disodium p‐phenolsulfonate, and disodium p‐hydroxybenzoate were adopted as the nucleating agents. Modified composites were systematically studied, including crystallization behaviors and both mechanical and melt viscosities, and were compared with PTT and poly(butylene terephthalate) composites without nucleating agents. All three sodium salts were found to be effective in accelerating the crystallization, but showed quite different characteristics upon closer investigation. Their efficacy at promoting the crystallization rates ranked in the order of disodium p‐hydroxybenzoate, disodium p‐phenolsulfonate, and sodium ionomer. Besides the accelerating effects, sodium ionomer increased the melt viscosity and disodium p‐phenolsulfonate showed nearly no influence on the melt viscosity of the PTT composite, whereas disodium p‐hydroxybenzoate resulted in significant polymer decomposition. High crystallization rates and good mechanical properties were successfully obtained simultaneously, by suitably using p‐phenolsulfonate or a combination of the other two agents. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 96: 883–893, 2005
The effect of SEBS on interfacial tension and rheological properties of LDPE/PS blend
Authors: Nam G. J. , Kim K. Y. , Lee J. W.
Published: February 2005

The effects of SEBS as a compatibilizer on the interfacial tension and rheological properties of LDPE/PS blend have been studied. Interfacial tension was measured by the breaking thread method. The measured interfacial tension of the LDPE/PS blend was 8.26 dyn/cm. It decreased rapidly with SEBS contents to 1 wt % and then leveled off to a saturation value, 3.6 dyn/cm. Dynamic oscillatory shear, elongational viscosity, and recovery after elongation were measured as the rheological properties. Storage modulus at low frequencies decreased with SEBS contents to 1 wt %. More addition of SEBS, however, increased the storage modulus at low frequencies. Similar behaviors could be observed in elongation viscosity and recovery after elongation. Hardening of elongational viscosity and recovery after elongation were reduced with 1 wt % SEBS, and they enhanced again with more SEBS contents. This means that there is a critical concentration of SEBS that acts as a compatibilizer and reduces the interfacial tension. More SEBS than the critical concentration saturates the interface and increases the elasticity of the LDPE/PS blend, while maintaining the interfacial tension between LDPE and PS constant. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 96: 905–911, 2005
Chemical silver plating and its application to textile fabric design
Authors: Jiang S. Q. , Newton E. , Yuen C. W. M. , Kan C. W.
Published: February 2005

Metalization is one of the finishing processes in textile treatments that can produce fabrics with a unique appearance. It has great potential for textiles and garments, including functional and decorative effects. Chemical plating is an autocatalytic deposition method for precision work in conventional manufacturing. In this study, the operation and final properties of the chemical silver plating of cotton and polyester fabrics were investigated. The results showed that a specific performance of silver‐plated fabric could be obtained if the optimum chemical‐plating conditions were chosen. In addition, a fabric design practice employed by this chemical technique with a craft approach achieved a diverse effect. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 96: 919–926, 2005
Synthesis and permeability properties of crosslinkable elastomeric poly(vinyl allyl dimethylsilane)s
Authors: Kim Taek‐Joong , Bryantseva I. S. , Borisevich O. B. , Syrtsova D. A. , Khotimsky V. S. , Roizard D. , Teplyakov V. V.
Published: February 2005

This article presents the results of a systematic synthesis study of elastomeric crosslinkable polysilicon olefins, the related thermal crosslinking kinetics, and the main permeability parameters recorded for inorganic gases (He, N2, O2, and CO2) and C1–C7 hydrocarbons. Poly(vinyl allyl dimethylsilane) (PVADMS; glass‐transition temperature < 273°K) was obtained by the anionic polymerization of bifunctional vinyl allyl dimethylsilane monomer. The polymers were amorphous, high molecular compounds with mixed carbo‐heterochain structures containing double bonds capable of intermolecular crosslinking under a thermal treatment. Thus, thermally crosslinked polymers exhibited a high resistance toward exposure to organic vapors, unlike noncrosslinked PVADMS. IR spectroscopy was used to investigate the polymer structural changes induced by the thermal treatment. An original technique based on a differential method was used to measure gas permeability during thermal crosslinking. PVADMS possessed higher permeability for C1–C7 hydrocarbons than for inorganic gases (excluding CO2), even after crosslinking. Permeability coefficients ranging from 140 to 1780 Barrer for He and CH4 were found before crosslinking; the thermal crosslinking induced a nonlinear permeability decrease that could be correlated with the disappearance of the double bonds in the polymer structures, that is, cis‐CHCH, trans‐CHCH, and CH2CH in the side‐chain position. According to the found properties, PVADMS could be used as a prospective material for the preparation of highly permeable selective membranes suitable for lower hydrocarbon and volatile organic compound recovery from various chemical and petrochemical process streams. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 96: 927–935, 2005
Human and murine class I histocompatibility antigens: Four years after cloning
Authors: Jordan Bertrand R.
Published: February 2005

The serological properties of the major histocompatibility (class I) antigens of mammals have raised many questions about the structure and function of these molecules. Over the past four years the cloning of their gene sequences has begun to provide some of the answers to these questions. The structural analyses have demonstrated close similarities between class I genes of man and mouse, established the existence of numerous class I pseudogenes in human and murine genomes, and indicated the importance of gene conversion events in regulating the sequence diversity of this gene family. In addition, the ability to construct new class I genes in vitro and to transfect cultured murine cells with the synthetic sequences is permitting new tests of the functional organization of these genes in relation to their structure.
The analysis of protein structures: New insights from a growing data base
Authors: Lesk Arthur M.
Published: February 2005

We now know the structures of over 200 proteins to atomic resolution. Despite the impressive extent and quality of the results, crystal‐structure analysis has often been thought of as limited in scope, not only in its restriction to samples that can be crystallized, but in the more important respect that taking ‘snapshots’ of proteins does not directly address the complex spatio‐temporal organization of the processes in which proteins participate. It is suggested here that, as the field has matured, this second limitation is gradually being overcome. As we gain increased access to structures of proteins in different conformational states – for example, in conformations produced by different states of ligation – and to families of homologous proteins, we can proceed from the statics of protein structure to the dynamics of conformational change, function, and evolution.

A new scientific speciality has grown up around the solved structures: it has as its goal the elucidation of general principles of protein structure and function, to provide a theoretical framework for understanding the properties of proteins revealed by experiment. In this article we shall discuss some of the activity in this field. It will emerge clearly, I believe, that the increasing number and variety of solved structures is exerting a cumulative force. General principles are emerging from comparisons of related proteins and contrasts of dissimilar ones: the whole corpus of data is greater than the sum of the parts.
Specialized Nucleoprotein Structures in high‐fidelity DNA transactions
Authors: Echols Harrison
Published: February 2005

Three proteins used to initiate DNA replication and carry out site‐specific recombination in E. coli generate organized nucleoprotein structures at their target sites. The association of proteins bound at multiple sites on DNA presumably folds or winds the DNA to produce a specific three‐dimensional conformation. This specialized nucleoprotein structure may be a general mechanism for achieving very high fidelity in DNA transactions in which even a rare mistake must be avoided. The overall interaction is more complex than that of prokaryotic transcription regulators studied so far, but might be characteristic of eukaryotic transcription regulators, for which the problem of site‐localization is more difficult.
Designing microorganisms for insect control
Authors: Lüthy Peter , Arif Basil M.
Published: February 2005

Microorganisms belong to the main regulators of insect populations under natural conditions. They perform this function in several ways. In the first place, bacterial metabolites exist which are as potent as chemical insecticides. In the second, entomopathogenic fungi and viruses spread deadly infections among insect populations. The use of advanced techniques in molecular biology, genetic engineering and biotechnology is increasingly expanding the potential of microorganisms as agents of insect pest control.
Hormones, second messengers and the reversible phosphorylation of proteins: An overview
Authors: Cohen Philip
Published: February 2005

The interconversion of key regulatory proteins between phosphorylated and dephosphorylated forms is an extremely versatile mechanism for reversible altering their activities, and in mammalian cells may be almost as common as allosteric regulation. It is now evident that protein phosphorylation is the basis of a complex network of interlocking systems which allow a variety of hormones and other extracellular signals, acting through just a few second messengers to coordinate biochemical functions.
The coordination of cell growth and division — intentional or Incidental?
Authors: Tyson John J.
Published: February 2005

During balanced growth of cells in culture all extensive properties of the culture — e.g. cell number, total mass, total DNA content — increase exponentially at the same specific growth rate. Therefore, in some average sense, each component of a cell must double between birth and division. For DNA there exists an elaborate mechanism to ensure precise replication of the genetic material and accurate partitioning of identical copies of the genome to the two daughter cells. Do cells possess another mechanism that intentionally relates the timing of cell division to overall increase in cell size, or is the coordination of growth and division an incidental consequence of size‐independent rules for progress through the cell cycle?.
Modulation of cAMP effects by Ca2+/calmodulin
Authors: Pallen Catherine J. , Sharma Rajendra K. , Wang Jerry H.
Published: February 2005

The second messenger molecules cAMP and Ca2+ regulate a large number of eukaryotic cellular events. cAMP acts on protein kinases and Ca2+ works through a ubiquitous calcium‐binding protein, calmodulin. The two systems are not independent, however, but interact in several important fashions. These interactions, and, in particular, the modulation of the cAMP signal by two Ca2+/calmodulin‐regulated proteins, cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterase and calcineurin, are described here.
What' New: More advances in DNA sequencing technology
Authors: Wilde Deborah
Published: February 2005

Since their introduction about ten years ago the rapid methods for sequencing DNA based either on selective chemical degradation1 or primed enzymatic synthesis2 have been subject to a number of modifications and improvements.3, 4 Two recently published papers describe further advances in these technologies: a method for obtaining information about DNA sequences directly from uncloned mammalian genomic DNA5 and a possible first step towards the automation of DNA sequencing6.