bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Immunities, Amnesties, and Statutes of Limitation
Authors: Mettraux Guénaël
Published: August 2024

This chapter examines the immunities, amnesties, and statutes of limitation pertaining to international law on genocide. It first discuses immunities under customary law. A significant issue to address is whether the exclusion of immunities for genocide is limited to the two jurisdictions provided for under the Genocide Convention or whether it has broader application. The chapter also considers the customary law exclusion of immunities with respect to civil suits against states. The provisions of the International Criminal Court (ICC) are also considered. For amnesties, the chapter considers the lack of general exclusion of amnesties for all international crimes, as well as the lack of acquired rights under international law. Here, international law does not endow amnesties with legal force. Nor does it create enforceable rights for its beneficiaries that would arise from international law. Instead, international law provides for a number of basic criteria that national amnesties need to satisfy lest they be regarded as invalid from the point of view of international law. Finally, this chapter explores the statute of limitations under both the Genocide Convention and the ICC.
Establishing Genocidal Intent
Authors: Mettraux Guénaël
Published: August 2024

This chapter explores the methods and challenges in establishing the genocidal intent of the accused. The evidential challenge generally involved is accentuated in the case of genocide by a number of factors specific to that offence. First, the requisite genocidal intent is eminently specific and evidentially demanding. It requires proof of three discrete sub-elements: an intent; to destroy; a group as such. In effect, these three elements imply not one level of special intent, but two — one in regards to the ultimate target of their action, the group; and one in regards to the intended fate of the group, i.e., its physical or biological destruction. Secondly, an intent to destroy a group of human beings is rarely publicized and is often dissimulated by the perpetrators. In such cases, the culpable intent will have to be inferred from what might have trickled from the words and actions of the accused and those of others involved in the commission of the crime.
Genocide and Other International Crimes
Authors: Mettraux Guénaël
Published: August 2024

This chapter looks at how genocide overlaps with other international crimes. It argues that genocide is characterized by a number of important definitional features, which set it apart from other international core crimes. Unlike war crimes and crimes against humanity, the primary focus of its protection are groups, rather than individuals. Unlike genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity are not as restricted and are generally broader in scope because their protected interests are significantly more diverse. And unlike war crimes and crimes against humanity, genocide does not require proof of a particular contextual or chapeau element. But despite their different origins and reach, the international core crimes significantly overlap. What constitutes genocide also often satisfies the requirements of other international crimes and evidence relevant to establishing genocide may also be relevant to establishing other core crimes. As a group, these crimes offer an impressive tool box of penal prohibitions that cover a wide range of criminality.
The Institutional Setting
Authors: Moloney Niamh
Published: August 2024

This chapter examines the main features of EU financial markets regulation and its institutional setting. It places the regulatory regime in the context of the objectives of financial markets regulation and the distinct objectives pursued by EU financial markets regulation, in particular the integration of financial markets and the support of market finance. It examines the evolution of the regulatory regime from its initial development in the 1970s, to the 1999 Financial Services Action Plan reforms, to the outbreak of the global financial crisis in 2008 and the related reform agenda, and on to the 2015 adoption of the Capital Markets Union agenda and its updating in 2020, and to the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic. It considers the institutional setting of EU financial markets regulation, examining the law-making process and its key institutional actors (as regards legislation, administrative rules, and soft law), and how the regulatory scheme is supervised and enforced within the European System of Financial Supervision and the role of the European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA). It closes by looking to the future, including in light of the sustainable finance agenda.
The concept and definition of minorities
Authors: Hannum Hurst
Published: August 2024

This chapter explores the legal and political definitions of a ‘minority’, providing a historical perspective on the many definitions the term has accumulated over the years, as well as presenting its current definitions and the proposals made to expand on them. This book in particular considers the minority as an individual distinguished via ethnic, religious, linguistic, cultural, or ‘national’ characteristics. Yet, although the rights of such minorities have been the subject of international legal instruments for centuries, none has thus far included a definition of minorities in general. This is explained primarily by historical reasons, which the chapter examines in greater depth. Nowadays, however, the great majority of states appear to define minorities according to the traditional concept of groups that share certain objective characteristics, combined with a subjective understanding of themselves as a group or community that desires to develop and perpetuate those attributes that define them.
Expression, assembly, association
Authors: Gilbert Geoff
Published: August 2024

This chapter examines the fundamental rights of expression, assembly, and association in the context of minority rights. In the case of minorities, it is important that the right to expression entails a requirement that the communication might be in the mother tongue of the minority group, and that receiving and imparting information and ideas should take place regardless of frontiers. In addition, the right to assembly is required by most international instruments to be exercised peacefully. And while assembly and association are very closely related rights, in the area of minority rights association has a much more substantive role to play. Vis-à-vis the state, individuals can use their freedom of association in order to preserve and protect the group.
Government Procurement
Authors: Matsushita Mitsuo , Schoenbaum Thomas J , Mavroidis Petros C , Hahn Michael
Published: August 2024

This chapter focuses on WTO rules on government procurement contained in the Government Procurement Agreement. It discusses the Government Procurement Agreement as a Plurilateral Agreement; the background of the Government Procurement Agreement; the 2012 Government Procurement Agreement; domestic implementation; and dispute settlement in relation to the Agreement on Government Procurement.
A Practitioner’s Guide to Maritime Boundary Delimitation
Authors: Fietta Stephen , Cleverly Robin
Published: August 2024

This book provides a guide to the modern law of maritime boundary delimitation. The law of maritime boundaries has seen substantial evolution in recent decades. The book provides an overview of the law in this field, and its development through the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), which set out the framework of the modern law in 1982. The Convention itself has since been substantially built upon and clarified by a series of judicial and arbitral decisions in boundary disputes between sovereign states, which themselves also built upon earlier case law. The book dissects each of the leading international judgments and awards since the North Sea Continental Shelf cases in 1969, providing a full analysis of the issues and context in each case, explaining their fundamental importance to shaping the law. Technological developments in the exploitation of maritime natural resources (including oil and gas) have provided a significant impetus for recent boundary disputes, as they have made the resources found in remote areas of the ocean and seabed more accessible. However, these resources cannot effectively be exploited at the moment, as hundreds of maritime boundaries worldwide remain undelimited. The book also identifies key issues in maritime delimitation which have yet to be resolved, and sets out the possible future direction the law may take in resolving them.
Methodology
Authors: Fietta Stephen , Cleverly Robin
Published: August 2024

This chapter presents some essential preliminaries in the delimitation process—the fundamental question being whether there is a delimitation in force. In most situations, the existence of a delimitation agreement between two States will be clear, but the history of maritime boundary delimitation disputes is replete with situations where it has not been. An important principle of international law in the context of the interpretation of historic delimitation treaties is that of intertemporal law, pursuant to which the law to be applied to a given situation must be the law in force at the time when it arose. Coastlines are the foundation for maritime claims. Delimitation is an exercise of resolving competing claims over maritime areas over which two States have overlapping legal title. Such legal title over maritime space follows from the coastal State’s sovereignty over land territory and as a result of that territory’s coastal projection. The process of delimitation inevitably leads to one or, quite often, both States being deprived of areas over which they would otherwise have legal title. The ‘third-stage approach’ to methodology in maritime delimitations is also examined. The chapter ends with some special considerations in the delimitation of specific maritime zones.
North Sea Continental Shelf Cases (Judgment of the International Court of Justice, 20 February 1969)
Authors: Fietta Stephen , Cleverly Robin
Published: August 2024

The case described here concerned the delimitation of the North Sea continental shelf between the adjacent coasts of the Federal Republic of Germany, and Denmark and the Netherlands. The court commented that the North Sea has the general look of an enclosed sea without actually being one. Its waters are shallow and the whole seabed consists of a continental shelf mostly less than 200 metres deep. Much of the shelf had already been delimited between the littoral States, largely by way of agreements based on equidistance. These included an agreement made between Denmark and the Netherlands on 31 March 1966, after negotiations with West Germany had broken down, which reflected those two States’ view that delimitation should be based on equidistance. Beforehand, Germany had agreed boundaries immediately adjacent to its coasts with the Netherlands and Denmark by way of agreements dated 1 December 1964 and 9 June 1965, respectively, also based on equidistance. The chapter explains why the concave piece of coastline between the three disputing states was particularly important, and outlines in detail the subsequent events relating to the case.
Bangladesh v. Myanmar (Judgment of the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea, 14 March 2012)
Authors: Fietta Stephen , Cleverly Robin
Published: August 2024

The chapter starts by introducing the area in question in this case. Bangladesh and Myanmar are States with adjacent coasts in the Bay of Bengal, which is in the north-eastern Indian Ocean and is bordered by Sri Lanka, India, Bangladesh, and Myanmar. Bangladesh and Myanmar engaged in a series of maritime boundary negotiations between 1974 and 1986, and again between 2008 and 2010. The chapter examines the case in detail and presents some concluding remarks. Some eighteen years after the entry into force of UNCLOS, the Bangladesh v. Myanmar judgment represented the first foray of ITLOS into the field of maritime boundary delimitation. The territorial sea delimitation was notable for its treatment of St Martin’s Island, a significant Bangladesh feature located close to the Myanmar coast. This aspect of the judgment confirms the tendency in modern territorial sea boundary delimitation to give full effect to all but the most insignificant island features in territorial sea delimitations.
Introduction
Authors: Bodansky Daniel , Brunnée Jutta , Rajamani Lavanya
Published: August 2024

This introductory chapter provides an overview of international climate change law. It begins by discussing the factors that make climate change a challenge for international policymakers. The chapter then looks at three perspectives that have dominated the international policy response to climate change — climate change as an environmental problem, as an economic problem, and as an ethical one. In addition, it charts out the broad scope of international climate change law into a vast and complex web of principles, rules, regulations and institutions that will henceforth be referred to as ‘the UN climate regime’. The chapter also tackles the recurring themes and subject matter of international climate change law, before turning to the ways in which international climate change law engages with a multitude of treaty regimes, actors, and other international bodies.
Jurisdiction and Admissibility (Complementarity)
Authors: Ambos Kai
Published: August 2024

This chapter looks at the jurisdiction and admissibility of international criminal proceedings. Given that the International Criminal Court (ICC) has international legal personality and is subject to international law, its jurisdiction is governed by the respective rules of international law, although it is not subject to the same limitations as that of a State. Thus the chapter explores the ‘genuine links’ between the person and the State, as well as the principles governing the freedoms and limits of the Court’s jurisdiction. The chapter then considers the question of a factual concurrence between the international and national jurisdictions, in which rules of priority have to be established along the following basic lines: either the international tribunal enjoys primacy, or it is subsidiary (complementary) to the respective national jurisdiction. In the second part the chapter looks into the admissibility and the concept of positive complementarity.
Evidence and Disclosure
Authors: Ambos Kai
Published: August 2024

This chapter examines the principles governing the taking and admission of evidence and the obligations of disclosure in international criminal procedure. The main areas of evidence before international criminal tribunals, i.e. witness and documentary evidence, are analysed. Some specific rules and issues are explored before concluding the first part with the important problem of the inadmissibility (exclusion) of evidence due to rights violations. The second part of the chapter analyses the disclosure regime, distinguishing between prosecution and defence disclosure and discussing disclosure restrictions. The focus is on the ICC although its case law on the matter is still incipient and therefore the international law of evidence is largely informed by the case law of the ad hoc tribunals.
History of International Migration Law
Authors: Chetail Vincent
Published: August 2024

This chapter sketches the long and turbulent history of international migration law from the 16th to the 20th century. It covers the movement of persons in the doctrine of the Law of Nations (16th–18th century); the rise and fall of free movement (19th–20th century); and the development of human rights of migrants from minimum standards to fundamental rights (20th–21st century). The chapter concludes that, as a result of long-standing evolution, the traditional law of aliens grounded in diplomatic protection and state responsibility has been progressively marginalized and absorbed by human rights law. This process is not confined to the specific situation of migrants, but reflects a broader evolution of general international law during the last century. Migrants’ rights have become the epitome of human rights for better or for worse.
The General Rule: (1) The Treaty, its Terms, and their Ordinary Meaning
Authors: Gardiner Richard
Published: August 2024

This chapter analyses the principal elements of the general rule for treaty interpretation under Article 31 of the Vienna Convention. It focuses on the components of article 31(1): (1) a treaty; (2) good faith; (3) ordinary meaning of terms; (4) context; and (5) object and purpose. These components constitute the first part of the general rule for interpretation of treaties. The chapter explains the history and development of the provision. Each of the terms is interpreted and its role is analysed in the light of the practice of courts and tribunals as well as by reference to academic studies.
International Criminal Law
Authors: O’Keefe Roger
Published: August 2024

The book gives an account of international criminal law from the perspective of a formalist, positivist public international lawyer. It complements the usual consideration of the customary international crimes of genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes, and aggression and of the workings of the various international criminal courts and tribunals, past and present, with a fuller-than-usual treatment of the customary international rules governing national jurisdiction to prescribe and to enforce criminal law; of the raft of universal multilateral treaties defining and creating obligations for states parties in respect of international crimes and of the so-far unsuccessful attempts to conclude a comprehensive universal criminal convention on international terrorism; of the prosecution and adjudication of international crimes at the national level, including by special domestic criminal courts; and of the legal bars, both international and domestic, to the prosecution and adjudication of international crimes at the national level. The book also features detailed conceptual analyses of the notions of an ‘international crime’ and an ‘international criminal court’, as well as an analytical account of the rise of individual criminal responsibility under international law.
Grounds for Excluding Responsibility
Authors: O’Keefe Roger
Published: August 2024

The chapter considers the general grounds for the exclusion of criminal responsibility, more commonly known as defences, under customary international criminal law. It examines first the various accepted or more-or-less accepted defences, namely mental incapacity; intoxication; self-defence, defence of others, and defence of certain property; duress; mistake of fact and mistake of law; and superior orders. It then touches on a number of consistently-rejected defences, namely military necessity, the plea known as ‘tu quoque’, and official capacity. The chapter concludes with a brief look at the various mitigating circumstances taken into account when sentencing individuals convicted of crimes under customary international law.
The Crimes and Their Modes of Responsibility
Authors: O’Keefe Roger
Published: August 2024

The chapter examines in detail the wide variety of international crimes provided for by multilateral treaty, restricting its focus to those multilateral treaties concluded after 1945 and open to the participation of all states. It sketches the background to and scope of application ratione materiae of each of these universal international criminal conventions and outlines the essentials of the different crimes and the modes of responsibility (other than commission in its most basic form) specified in relation to them. The chapter also looks at the protracted and, to date, fruitless efforts at the universal level to conclude a comprehensive criminal convention on international terrorism.
Nationality
Authors: McLachlan Campbell , Shore Laurence , Weiniger Matthew
Published: August 2024

The chapter starts with a review of the nationality controversy and a discussion of the function of nationality in the law of international claims. The diplomatic protection practice is reviewed. The chapter then considers the definition of nationality in investment treaties for both individuals and corporations. It concludes by considering how nationality has been treated in investment arbitration awards by reference to 3 main issues: corporate nationality, continuous nationality and control by foreign nationals.
Compensation
Authors: McLachlan Campbell , Shore Laurence , Weiniger Matthew
Published: August 2024

The final chapter is concerned with the approach to be taken to the determination of the appropriate level of compensation for breach of treaty rights. The law on this topic is an amalgam of the provisions of general international law with the specific provisions of the treaties themselves. Compensation is a potential form of reparation for any internationally wrongful act of a State. This part of the work is therefore closely linked to the international law of State responsibility. But the specific provisions of investment treaties, as lex specialis, have resolved a number of contentious issues as to the appropriate approach to be taken to the calculation of the amount of compensation. Nevertheless, the detailed principles to be applied to determining the amount of compensation, both for expropriation claims, as for other claims to breach of treaty, has continued to raise difficulties for arbitral tribunals. This chapter discusses the range of options adopted in actual practice by tribunals dealing in addition with interest and costs.
Belief that Privacy Concerns Differ from Competition Policy Objectives
Authors: Stucke Maurice E , Grunes Allen P
Published: August 2024

This chapter describes the difficulty in incorporating the intangible, non-economic injury from invasions of privacy interests into the analysis of competition agencies with regards to Big Data. The intersection of privacy and competition law raises several looming, unresolved issues. One unresolved issue is defining privacy. Another issue is whether and when there is a need to show harm, and if so, what type of harm. Even if competition authorities could identify the privacy interest and harm, a third unresolved issue is how competition agencies and courts should balance privacy interests with other interests. Privacy interests are rarely absolute. Once competition policy is added into the mix, privacy interests at times can be difficult to reconcile with other interests, such as promoting economic efficiency.
Understanding and Assessing Data-Driven Efficiencies Claims
Authors: Stucke Maurice E , Grunes Allen P
Published: August 2024

This chapter analyses the significant procompetitive efficiencies that emerge from data-driven mergers. As companies undertake data-driven business strategies, one might expect them to raise data-driven efficiencies. Big Data and data-driven network effects can be characterized as entry barriers or efficiencies. An enforcement agency may characterize the need to continually update a significant volume and variety of data as an entry barrier. The merging parties on the other hand may characterize the combining of the volume and variety of their data, and the increase in the velocity in processing data as a procompetitive efficiency, enabling them to deliver value to consumers, such as better quality products. The chapter evaluates several potential data-driven efficiencies, using the three criteria employed in the US and EU, namely whether the efficiencies benefit consumers, are merger-specific, and are verifiable.
Enhancing Prehospital Care During the Conflict in Ukraine: NATO’s Role in Global Health Engagement
Authors: Onderková Anna , Quinn John , Meoli Michael , Taylor Daniel , Nesterenko Sergiy , Schramm Jessica M , Gimpelson A J , O’Kelly Aebhric , Parks Steven , Rizek Jamla , Davis Terri , Surkov Denys , Cherniawski Bohdan , Fernando Rajeev
Published: August 2024

Introduction

The conflict in Ukraine, ongoing since 2014 and escalating with the Russian invasion in 2022, has unveiled profound challenges in prehospital care essential for the survival and recovery of warfighters and civilians alike, necessitating a detailed examination of the current medical response mechanisms and their effectiveness.

Materials and Methods

This study provides an overview of these challenges and examines how these critical vulnerabilities have impacted the delivery of medical care in war-torn regions. It also explores the role of NATO and its member states in addressing these challenges, focusing on the efforts to standardize prehospital care, enhance training, and foster interoperability among medical services. Furthermore, it explores the role of global heath engagement through NGOs in addressing these prehospital care gaps within the Ukrainian conflict zone, drawing from direct observations, expert testimonials, and secondary data.

Results

Findings reveal significant enhancements in prehospital care through improved training, interoperability, and logistics management, despite ongoing challenges in medical infrastructure and extended evacuation times, which continue to impact the quality of care.

Conclusions

The study underscores the critical role of international collaboration and standardized protocols in bolstering prehospital medical responses in conflict settings, highlighting the need for continuous adaptation and support to mitigate the complexities of modern warfare. The insights gained from the Ukraine conflict offer valuable lessons for future military and humanitarian medical responses in similar conflict settings.
Relation between hydroxychloroquine dose and continuation rate in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus
Authors: Takeyama Shuhei , Kono Michihito , Aso Kuniyuki , Kamada Kazuro , Tada Maria , Tarumi Masato , Kosumi Yui , Yoshimura Masaru , Ninagawa Keita , Hisada Ryo , Fujieda Yuichiro , Kato Masaru , Amengual Olga , Atsumi Tatsuya
Published: August 2024

Objectives

Hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) is recommended at a target dose of 5 mg/kg per actual body weight to reduce the risk of retinopathy in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). However, the efficacy of HCQ has been established at doses of 6.5 mg/kg per ideal body weight. This study aimed to clarify the effects of the HCQ dose on the continuation rate in Japanese patients, who generally have a lower body mass index than Western patients.

Methods

This retrospective single-centre observational study enrolled patients with SLE on HCQ therapy. Patients were divided into two groups with a dose per actual body weight [the low-dose (<5 mg/kg) group and the high-dose (≥5 mg/kg) group], and continuation rates were compared. The efficacy of 1-year HCQ therapy was assessed in patients without additional immunosuppressive agents and biologics.

Results

Of the 231 patients enrolled, 48 (20.8%) discontinued HCQ. The HCQ dose per actual body weight was identified as an independent risk factor for discontinuation. The low-dose group showed a significantly higher 1-year HCQ continuation rate than the high-dose group (83.2% vs. 72.8%, respectively). Both groups showed reductions in glucocorticoid requirement and serological activity after 1-year HCQ therapy.

Conclusions

HCQ <5 mg/kg per actual body weight may facilitate greater continuation.
Despite regional variation, Gymnorhinus cyanocephalus (Pinyon Jay) densities generally increase with local pinyon–juniper cover and heterogeneous ground cover
Authors: Van Lanen Nicholas J , Monroe Adrian P , Aldridge Cameron L
Published: August 2024

Traditionally, local-scale habitat relationship models are developed over small spatial extents, limiting model transferability and inference outside the study area. Thus, habitat managers frequently lack fine-scale information regarding the influence of vegetation composition and structure on site suitability or species abundance. Gymnorhinus cyanocephalus (Pinyon Jay) represents one declining species for which managers have limited information regarding the influence that vegetation composition and structure have on abundance at broad scales. To address this need, we developed a hierarchical Bayesian abundance model using summertime bird and vegetation data collected under the Integrated Monitoring in Bird Conservation Regions program to explain jay abundance as a function of local conditions. Our G. cyanocephalus abundance model allowed abundance relationships with pinyon pine (Pinus edulis and P. monophylla) and juniper (Juniperus spp.) to vary by ecoregion, thereby accounting for potential regional differences in habitat associations. We found G. cyanocephalus abundance was generally positively associated with pinyon pine and juniper cover; however, habitat relationships varied by ecoregion. Additionally, we found positive associations between jay abundance and grass cover, sagebrush cover, and percent bare ground. Our results agree with prior research suggesting mechanical removal of pinyon pine and juniper trees for sagebrush restoration or fuel treatments may negatively affect G. cyanocephalus. Managers wishing to reduce pinyon and juniper tree cover without negatively affecting G. cyanocephalus may benefit from targeting sites where both large-scale distribution models and our local habitat relationships suggest G. cyanocephalus are likely to occur in low numbers. Additionally, our modeled relationships indicate restoration that increases grass cover, sagebrush cover, and bare ground, while maintaining pinyon and (or) juniper cover, may lead to increased local densities of G. cyanocephalus.
Reduced representation sequencing reveals weak genetic differentiation between Canadian and European Larus hyperboreus (Glaucous Gull)
Authors: Lachance Linklater Emma , Sonsthagen Sarah A , Robertson Gregory J , Colston-Nepali Lila , Vigfúsdóttir Freydís , Friesen Vicki L
Published: August 2024

Climate change poses a significant threat to Arctic ecosystems. Evaluation of genetic diversity within and differentiation among populations is needed to effectively conserve Arctic species and ensure genetic variation is appropriately managed. This research examined the population genetic structure in Larus hyperboreus (Glaucous Gull), a circumpolar Arctic species that is declining in parts of its range. Population genetic information is needed to help delineate management units, including information on genetic differences among related species, among subspecies (currently distinguished by subtle morphometric and plumage differences), and among colonies in North America. We conducted double-digest restriction site-associated DNA sequencing for 62 L. hyperboreus, 18 L. argentatus smithsonianus (American Herring Gull), 6 L. a. argentatus (European Herring Gull), and 15 L. glaucescens (Glaucous-winged Gull) sampled across the Canadian and European Arctic. Interspecific analyses using 2,145 loci were unable to distinguish between all members of this species complex. Despite the geographic distance among sampling locations, molecular assignments and principal coordinates analyses based on 621 loci uncovered only weak population genetic differentiation among sampled European and Canadian colonies of L. hyperboreus. As L. hyperboreus occupying the eastern Canadian Arctic appears to be acting as a single panmictic population, conservation plans that protect Arctic habitat may help slow or reverse population declines. Proactive conservation strategies will benefit both L. hyperboreus and associated coastal Arctic ecosystems.
β-Carotene and its derivatives regulate pollen fertility in tomato
Authors: Rao Sombir , O’Hanna Franz Joseph , Saar Lily , Hazra Abhijit , Hullihen Olivia , Giovannoni James J , Li Li
Published: August 2024

β-carotene promotes pollen germination and tube growth via a mechanism that regulates reactive oxygen species homeostasis in tomato.
Promoting γ-aminobutyric acid accumulation to enhances saline-alkali tolerance in tomato
Authors: Wang Jingrong , Zhang Yong , Wang Junzheng , Ma Fang , Wang Linyang , Zhan Xiangqiang , Li Guobin , Hu Songshen , Khan Abid , Dang Haoran , Li Tianlai , Hu Xiaohui
Published: August 2024

Saline-alkali stress is a widely distributed abiotic stress that severely limits plant growth. γ-Aminobutyric acid (GABA) accumulates rapidly in plants under saline-alkali stress, but the underlying molecular mechanisms and associated regulatory networks remain unclear. Here, we report a MYB-like protein, I-box binding factor (SlMYBI), which positively regulates saline-alkali tolerance through induced GABA accumulation by directly modulating the glutamate decarboxylase (GAD) gene SlGAD1 in tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.). Overexpression of SlGAD1 increased GABA levels and decreased reactive oxygen species accumulation under saline-alkali stress, while silencing of SlGAD1 further suggested that SlGAD1 plays an active role in GABA synthesis and saline-alkali tolerance of tomato. In addition, we found that SlMYBI activates SlGAD1 transcription. Both overexpression of SlMYBI and editing of SlMYBI using CRISPR–Cas9 showed that SlMYBI regulates GABA synthesis by modulating SlGAD1 expression. Furthermore, the interaction of SlNF-YC1 with SlMYBI enhanced the transcriptional activity of SlMYBI on SlGAD1 to further improve saline-alkali tolerance in tomato. Interestingly, we found that ethylene signaling was involved in the GABA response to saline-alkali stress by RNA-seq analysis of SlGAD1-overexpressing lines. This study elucidates the involvement of SlMYBI in GABA synthesis regulation. Specifically, the SlMYBI–SlNF-YC1 module is involved in GABA accumulation in response to saline-alkali stress.
Endogenous dynamics of denunciation: Evidence from an inquisitorial trial
Authors: Estévez José Luis , Salihović Davor , Sgourev Stoyan V
Published: August 2024

We develop an endogenous approach to the practice of denunciation, as an alternative to exogenous historical and sociological accounts. It analyzes denunciation as a response to increasing pressure, which in turn increases pressure on social contacts. The research context is the trial of Waldensians in Giaveno, Italy, in 1335, headed by the inquisitor Alberto de Castellario. A dynamic network actor model attests that coercive pressure not only raises the rate of denunciation but also compels denouncers to implicate individuals who are socially closer to them. We find that coercive pressure starts yielding diminishing returns relatively quickly, with the degree of redundancy of information escalating as a result of preferential attachment, increasingly targeting those already denounced by others, publicly announced suspects, and those having absconded from the trial.
Diminished GALNS activity in induced pluripotent stem cells of mucopolysaccharidosis IVA caused by compound p.S162Y and p.C165F mutation
Authors: Jiang X , Chen S , Jiang Z , Chen D , Chen H , Bai G , Yu L , Chen W
Published: August 2024

Background

Mucopolysaccharidosis (MPS) IVA is a lysosomal storage disorder caused by mutations in the gene encoding the galactosamine (N-acetyl)-6-sulfatase (GALNS) enzyme. Children with MPS IVA usually develop pectus carinatum, genu valgum and multiple skeletal abnormalities.

Aim

To establish a patient-derived induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) disease model to investigate the effects of two GALNS missense mutations.

Methods

The medical history and clinical manifestations of a patient with MPS IVA were first inspected. The effects of the identified GALNS mutations were predicted through bioinformatic analysis. iPSCs were then generated by using Sendai virus to introduce Yamanaka reprogramming factors to urinary cells isolated from the patient. The pluripotency, karyotypic integrity, genetic mutations and differentiation ability of the iPSCs were tested. The effects of the GALNS mutations were further experimentally characterized using patient-derived cells.

Results

The patient exhibited a typical MPS IVA phenotype. Enzyme replacement therapy could not correct her skeletal abnormalities. GALNS c.485C>A (p.S162Y) and c.494G>T (p.C165F) mutations, inherited from her father and mother, respectively, were identified in the patient. These two mutations were predicted to disturb the hydrophobic core of the GALNS catalytic domain. Patient-derived iPSCs were successfully generated, and further characterization indicated that the two missense mutations significantly diminished GALNS activity without affecting its amount at both the RNA and protein levels.

Conclusions

We established a novel clinically relevant MPS IVA disease model that will be useful not only for investigating the pathogenic mechanisms of MPS IVA variants but also for drug screening and preclinical evaluation of novel therapies.
Optimizing epilepsy treatment: the impact of circadian rhythms and medication timing on conversion rates and survival
Authors: Cheng N , Liu J , Kan X , Wang J , Hui Z , Chen J
Published: August 2024

Background

The progression from isolated seizures to status epilepticus (SE) is a critical clinical issue. This study explores the influence of circadian rhythms on this transition and assesses the impact of medication timing on SE conversion rates and patient survival.

Aim

To determine the circadian patterns in the transition from isolated seizures to SE and to evaluate the efficacy of medication timing in reducing this conversion and improving survival outcomes.

Design and Methods

Utilizing the eICU Collaborative Research Database v2.0, a retrospective analysis was performed on patients at risk of SE conversion. The study analyzed the correlation between SE conversion timing and AEDs administration in relation to circadian rhythms, using a Logit model to evaluate the impact of medication timing on SE conversion and survival.

Results

The transition from isolated seizures to SE showed distinct circadian patterns, with a delayed acrophase. Early night-time AEDs administration significantly reduced conversion rates. Medication timing also influenced survival rates, with higher survival during specific periods.

Conclusion

Circadian rhythms significantly affect the transition from isolated seizures to SE. Timely AEDs administration is crucial for reducing conversions and improving survival. A chronotherapeutic approach aligning AEDs administration with individual circadian vulnerabilities could advance epilepsy management in ICU settings. Future research should focus on personalized medication strategies that utilize circadian rhythms to optimize treatment effects.
Bounded cohomology and homotopy colimits
Authors: Raptis George
Published: August 2024

The comparison map from bounded cohomology to singular cohomology plays an important role in the study of bounded cohomology theory and its applications. The vanishing and covering theorems of Gromov and Ivanov show interesting and useful properties of the comparison map under appropriate assumptions. We discuss an approach to these theorems, based on the general homotopy-theoretic properties of the comparison map, and obtain new proofs and refined versions of these results.
The Value of ETF Liquidity
Authors: Khomyn Marta , Putniņs̆ Tālis , Zoican Marius
Published: August 2024

We analyze how ETFs compete. Drawing on a new model and empirical analysis, we show that ETF secondary market liquidity plays a key role in determining fees. More liquid ETFs for a given index charge higher fees and attract short-horizon investors who are more sensitive to liquidity than to fees. Higher turnover from these investors sustains the ETF’s high liquidity, allowing the ETF to extract a rent through its fee, and creating a first-mover advantage. Liquidity segmentation through clientele effects generates welfare losses. Our findings resolve the apparent paradox that higher-fee ETFs not only survive but also flourish in equilibrium.
“Where is Home?” Perceptions of Home and Future among Ukrainian Refugees in Norway
Authors: Oleksandra Deineko , Aasland Aadne
Published: August 2024

This article illuminates how Ukrainian refugees residing in Norway perceive “home” in spatial and temporal dimensions. By synthesising the “here and there” dichotomy with the concept of “home constellations”, the authors elaborate a theoretical scheme illustrating the nuanced and multifaceted notions of home that emerged during interviews conducted with Ukrainian refugees in Norway in 2022–2023. The variety of home notions reveals at least four possible scenarios of interactions between “home A” and “home B”: (1) Home “where I am from” (home A in Ukraine); (2) Home “where I am now” (home B in Norway); (3) Double home (both home A and home B); (4) Absence of home (no home). This article shows that Ukrainian refugees’ “homing desire” to create, feel, and believe in a home existing in the present serves to overcome the multilevel uncertainties of the future caused by the temporary nature of collective protection and the unknown prospects of a safe return to their homeland.
Pupil dilation reflects the social and motion content of faces
Authors: Ricou Camille , Rabadan Vivien , Mofid Yassine , Aguillon-Hernandez Nadia , Wardak Claire
Published: August 2024

Human facial features (eyes, nose, and mouth) allow us to communicate with others. Observing faces triggers physiological responses, including pupil dilation. Still, the relative influence of social and motion content of a visual stimulus on pupillary reactivity has never been elucidated. A total of 30 adults aged 18–33 years old were recorded with an eye tracker. We analysed the event-related pupil dilation in response to stimuli distributed along a gradient of social salience (non-social to social, going from objects to avatars to real faces) and dynamism (static to micro- to macro-motion). Pupil dilation was larger in response to social (faces and avatars) compared to non-social stimuli (objects), with surprisingly a larger response for avatars. Pupil dilation was also larger in response to macro-motion compared to static. After quantifying each stimulus’ real quantity of motion, we found that the higher the quantity of motion, the larger the pupil dilated. However, the slope of this relationship was not higher for social stimuli. Overall, pupil dilation was more sensitive to the real quantity of motion than to the social component of motion, highlighting the relevance of ecological stimulations. Physiological response to faces results from specific contributions of both motion and social processing.
The tissue virome of black-spotted frogs reveals a diversity of uncharacterized viruses
Authors: Li Chenxi , Hu Yazhou , Liu Yuhang , Li Nan , Yi Le , Tu Changchun , He Biao
Published: August 2024

Amphibians are an essential class in the maintenance of global ecosystem equilibrium, but they face serious extinction risks driven by climate change and infectious diseases. Unfortunately, the virus diversity harbored by these creatures has been rarely investigated. By profiling the virus flora residing in different tissues of 100 farmed black-spotted frogs (Rana nigromaculata) using a combination of DNA and RNA viromic methods, we captured 28 high-quality viral sequences covering at least 11 viral families. Most of these sequences were remarkably divergent, adding at least 10 new species and 4 new genera within the families Orthomyxoviridae, Adenoviridae, Nodaviridae, Phenuiviridae, and Picornaviridae. We recovered five orthomyxovirus segments, with three distantly neighboring two Chinese fish-related viruses. The recombination event of frog virus 3 occurred among the frog and turtle strains. The relative abundance and molecular detection revealed different tissue tropisms of these viruses, with the orthomyxovirus and adenoviruses being enteric and probably also neurotropic, but the new astrovirus and picornavirus being hepatophilic. These results expand the spectrum of viruses harbored by anurans, highlighting the necessity to continuously monitor these viruses and to investigate the virus diversity in a broader area with more diverse amphibian species.
Discordance between mitochondrial, nuclear, and symbiont genomes in aphid phylogenetics: who is telling the truth?
Authors: Jousselin Emmanuelle , Coeur d’acier Armelle , Clamens Anne-Laure , Galan Maxime , Cruaud Corinne , Barbe Valérie , Manzano-Marín Alejandro
Published: August 2024

Aphids (Aphididae) are intensively studied due to their significance as pests and their captivating biological traits. Despite this interest, the evolutionary history of this insect family is poorly understood. Recent phylogenomic analyses have produced conflicting topologies, complicating our understanding of aphid trait evolution. In this work, we aimed to unravel the backbone phylogeny of aphids. We sequenced partial and whole mitochondrial genomes from 87 species. We additionally sequenced 42 nuclear loci across 95 aphid species and sourced 146 genes from 12 new and 61 published genomes from aphid obligate endosymbiont, Buchnera aphidicola. We obtained data from these three sources for a subset of aphid species, facilitating a comparative analysis of their signal. Our analyses confirm the monophyly of most subfamilies, validating current taxonomic classifications. However, relationships between subfamilies remain contentious in both mitochondrial and nuclear phylogenies. The topologies obtained with Buchnera are fully resolved but disagree with host phylogenies at deep evolutionary scales and conflict with views on the evolution of aphid morphology. We discuss alternative hypotheses for these discrepancies. Finally, the paucity of phylogenetic information at deep timescales may stem from an initial rapid radiation. Though challenging to establish, this scenario may inherently hinder resolution in aphid phylogenetics.
Including the Sustainable Development Goals in Nursing Scholarship
Authors: Hawkins Janice Evans , Tremblay Beth
Published: August 2024

A call to action
Intersectionality in Nursing Practice
Authors: Kirton Carl A.
Published: August 2024

Developing an intersectionality-informed stance
Factors Affecting Lateral Overgrowth in Operatively Treated Lateral Condyle Fractures in Children
Authors: Bloodworth Adele , Nihalani Shrey , McGwin Gerald , Williams Kevin A. , Conklin Michael J.
Published: August 2024

Background:

The most frequent sequelae of pediatric lateral condyle fractures is lateral condyle overgrowth (LCO). The purpose of our study was to investigate LCO in relation to age, quality of reduction, type of fixation, and fracture displacement.

Methods:

We retrospectively analyzed operatively treated lateral condyle fractures in children. The percent change in interepicondylar width (IEW) ((final − initial)/ initial x 100) was used to quantify LCO. IEW was measured from the medial and lateral epicondyles of the distal humerus, using the AP radiographs taken at admission (initial) and follow-up visits (final). The Song classification was used to classify fractures. Fixation was classified as pins, screws or both. The quality of reduction was defined as anatomic or nonanatomic (>2 mm of displacement). Patients were stratified into mild (0% to 10% overgrowth), moderate (10% to 20% overgrowth), and severe (>20% overgrowth) subgroups for further analysis.

Results:

Two hundred one patients were included in the study with an average time between initial and final radiograph measurements of 11.32 weeks. There was an average 11.84 %LCO. Using multivariable analysis, three variables demonstrated significant, independent associations with %LCO: age, race, and quality of reduction. Increasing age remained inversely associated with %LCO. Compared with White patients, Black and Asian patients had significantly greater %LCO. Patients with nonanatomic reductions had a significantly greater %LCO compared with anatomic reductions. When patients were stratified into mild, moderate, and severe groups, age in the mild group, nonanatomic reduction in the moderate group, and race in the severe group were found to be independently associated with increased %LCO using multivariable analysis.

Conclusions:

The amount of LCO was found to be related to nonanatomic reduction, younger age, and Black and Asian race. Interestingly, it was not related to the amount of initial displacement or type of hardware used. To date, this is the largest study investigating LCO in surgically treated lateral condyle fractures.

Level of Evidence:

Level III—retrospective cohort study.