bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Inventories
Authors: Cornu Marie , Smeets Rieks
Published: August 2024

This chapter covers Article 12. Here, the legal scope of Article 12 is considered from the angle of obligations and indications deriving from the 2003 Convention. Since the entry into force of the Convention, its scope has been further determined by the Convention’s Operational Directives (‘ODs’), by other decisions taken by the Committee, and by approaches advocated by the Committee and the UNESCO Secretariat, including the recently adopted set of Ethical Principles. The inventorying processes that take place in the States Parties have been increasingly commented upon, and influenced by the Committee and the Secretariat. This chapter demonstrates how the Committee created itself a powerful tool for influencing inventorying processes in the States Parties, by regulating in the ODs that only elements of ICH that have been included in official inventories can be submitted for inscription on the lists of the Convention. This chapter also pays attention to implementation processes and their legal embedding in the States Parties. Finally, special attention is given to the ways in which States Parties deal with the leeway that is granted to them in Article 12(1).
Article 3
Authors: Thornberry Patrick
Published: August 2024

This chapter looks at the provisions of Article 3, which condemns racial segregation and apartheid. In light of its emergence from a matrix of argument regarding equality and discrimination, segregation has essentially been regarded as a concentrated form of discrimination through exclusion and the implicit or explicit ranking of populations. Apartheid represents a further concentration of the segregation phenomenon, possessing additional characteristics in terms of domination, imposition of hierarchy, assignment of racial identity by fiat, all holistically integrated into a determinate public policy. While segregation is the broader concept, neither it nor apartheid is defined in the Convention. These provisions also deliver a short lesson in the history and ethics of the Convention.
Article 20
Authors: Thornberry Patrick
Published: August 2024

This chapter details the reservations clause in the Convention—Article 20—which had been a subject of controversy and contradictory stances by the drafting bodies. The making of reservations is a power that derives from the sovereign prerogative of States to refuse to give their consent to particular provisions in a treaty. Proponents of the clause visualized it as saving the Convention from destruction; opponents argued the case for deleting the clause and encouraging the greatest number of ratifications of a ‘controversial’ Convention, leaving the matter of reservations to be addressed under general international law. The chapter notes, however, that it is too early to conclude that Article 20 has not worked. Generally speaking, challenges to the Committee’s understanding of the Convention have tended to come through the options for dialogue and comment available to State parties under the ‘regular’ procedures, rather than through the medium of reservations.
European Directorate for the Quality of Medicines and Healthcare (EDQM)
Authors: Uerpmann-Wittzack Robert
Published: August 2024

This chapter presents an overview of the European Directorate for the Quality of Medicines and Healthcare (EDQM). The EDQM designates a partial agreement established by the Council of Europe (CoE) Member States parties to the European Pharmacopoeia Convention, comprising four intergovernmental steering committees operating in the public health field. From an administrative point of view, the EDQM is the secretariat of the European Pharmacopoeia Commission and the intergovernmental bodies set up under the partial agreement. The European Pharmacopoeia is furthermore at the core of the EDQM activities. Hence, this chapter deals first with the European Pharmacopoeia and then with other EDQM activities, before it goes on to address institutional issues. It then seeks to evaluate the impact of the European Pharmacopeia and the EDQM, and concludes with a final assessment.
Convention on Human Rights and Biomedicine
Authors: Uerpmann-Wittzack Robert
Published: August 2024

This chapter details the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Dignity of the Human Being with regard to the Application of Biology and Medicine: Convention on Human Rights and Biomedicine (the Convention). The Convention is the first legally binding international instrument with regard to biomedicine. It is a so-called framework Convention, laying down some basic principles and leaving further regulation for a series of additional protocols. This chapter first outlines relevant Council of Europe action in general and the Convention on Biomedicine with its Protocols in particular, before the institutional framework for these activities is addressed. It then looks at the impact of CoE bioethical standard setting on States, other international organisations, and European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) case-law. Finally, a short assessment concludes the chapter.
Core Monitoring Mechanisms and Related Activities
Authors: Drzemczewski Andrew
Published: August 2024

This chapter examines the Council of Europe’s (CoE’s) diverse monitoring mechanisms. It provides overviews on the Council’s statutory organs, its key mechanisms, and other related topics. In recent years measures have been undertaken to coordinate and reinforce the work of several monitoring and evaluation mechanisms. They include, in addition to the provision of additional logistical back-up to the key human rights monitoring bodies, the putting into place of informal meetings of their presidents, a shared monitoring visits calendar and, above all, efforts to focus on the manner in which the follow-up of their findings can be reinforced. However, it is generally recognised that there is still a need to better process monitoring and evaluation data into the Council’s mainstream intergovernmental activities and assistance programmes.
The Temporal Scope of Application of the Conventions
Authors: Venturini Gabriella
Published: August 2024

This chapter deals with the temporal scope of application of the Geneva Conventions. Based on state practice and on the case law of international tribunals it details the beginning and end of applicability of the Conventions in international and non-international armed conflicts and peacekeeping operations. It argues that it is necessary for military doctrine and instructions to find a way to regulate the behaviour of the armed forces so that they are able to identify the events that trigger the application of different sets of rules, and to act accordingly. It also covers the temporal limits of international and individual criminal responsibility for violations of the Geneva Conventions and concludes with a discussion of the challenges of co-ordinating the application of the Conventions with human rights law, which continues to apply during armed conflict.
Final Provisions, Including the Martens Clause
Authors: Distefano Giovanni , Henry Etienne
Published: August 2024

This chapter discusses the final provisions of the Geneva Conventions. These provisions appear at the end of the text of the treaty, after its normative content. These may generally refer to the duration of the treaty; the means by which it is adopted; the means by which states are allowed to express their consent to be bound by it; the conditions under which a state can—perhaps—denounce it; the terms of its entry into force; the regime (if any) of reservations (and objections) to it; the official languages; the designation of the depository (if any); its registration with the United Nations (UN) secretariat, and so on. The chapter also describes the Martens Clause, covering its origins, context of adoption, and functions.
The Concept of Non-International Armed Conflict
Authors: Moir Lindsay
Published: August 2024

This chapter focuses on the identification and regulation of non-international armed conflict (NIAC). It discusses Common Article 3, the first legal regulation of NIAC in an international instrument; the categories of NIAC; geographical scope; and determination of whether an armed conflict exists. It shows that the identification of NIAC is not necessarily a straightforward exercise: Common Article 3 is vague in relation to its scope of application, and alternative/competing definitions of the concept of NIAC in Additional Protocol II, the International Criminal Court Statute, international (and national) case law, and by other international bodies do not always appear entirely consistent. Also, the neat classification of armed conflict as either international armed conflict (IAC) or NIAC is not always possible due to the complex nature of many contemporary conflicts.
Good Offices, Conciliation, and Enquiry
Authors: Boutruche Théo
Published: August 2024

This chapter discusses procedures on conciliation and enquiry under the Geneva Conventions. Conciliation and enquiry have a common aim of clarifying disputes, and they involve establishing the veracity of claims. Enquiry focuses specifically on cases of violations of the Geneva Conventions, whereas conciliation covers all disputes pertaining to their application and interpretation. Conceptually, conciliation would tend to seek a solution for the future, while enquiry looks at what has happened. The chapter also addresses the proliferation of fact-finding and inquiry missions, notably the formal and substantive challenges these institutions face.
The Complex Relationship Between the Geneva Conventions and International Human Rights Law
Authors: Clapham Andrew
Published: August 2024

This chapter explains the relationship between the 1949 Geneva Conventions and international human rights law (IHRL), relying in part on the multiple decisions of international bodies that have applied one, the other, or both branches of the law to a specific situation in a particular context. It first considers how certain relevant treaties explicitly deal with their relationship with the Geneva Conventions. Secondly, it explores how one set of human rights treaties have been interpreted in the light of the treaties from the other branch; thirdly, it tackles the perception that, in some circumstances, decision-makers may be left with an apparent choice as to which regime should prevail. It concludes by looking in detail at the recent controversy over detention by states in non-international armed conflict (NIAC), and whether we should assume that IHL provides a legal basis for prolonged detention, or whether such an issue might remain dependent on human rights law.
Relations with the Outside World
Authors: Weill Sharon
Published: August 2024

The Geneva Convention Relative to the Treatment of Prisoners of War of 12 August 1949 (GC III) provides very detailed instructions for ensuring the contact of prisoners of wars (POWs) with the outside world. This chapter discusses these rights and their procedural requirements. It covers the main institutions and information agencies entrusted with implementing them; the obligation of states to register POWs and to transmit notification of their capture to their families and to the special agencies; specific notifications—judicial proceedings, death, and enquiries to determine the location of POWs or enquiries regarding a death; the instructions applicable to the creation of official documents and their transmission; POWs’ communication with the outside world through either Red Cross messages or modern communication facilities; and the POWs’ right to receive relief supplies.
Penal or Disciplinary Proceedings Brought against a Prisoner of War
Authors: Rowe Peter
Published: August 2024

This chapter discusses the provisions for penal or disciplinary proceedings brought against a prisoner of war. It considers the meaning and effect of Articles 82–108 of Geneva Convention (GC) III in light of modern conditions where states are involved in an international armed conflict (IAC). It covers the principle that POWs are to be treated in the same way as the detaining state would treat its own armed forces; preference for disciplinary over judicial measures wherever possible; prisoners of war normally to be tried by military courts; proceedings for acts committed prior to capture; rules on penalties; and fair trial and procedural rights for prisoners of war.
The Prohibition of Collective Punishment
Authors: Darcy Shane
Published: August 2024

This chapter discusses the prohibition of collective punishment under international humanitarian law. The prohibition of collective punishment applies to all armed conflicts as a matter of both treaty and customary international law. The relevant provisions of Article 33 of Geneva Convention IV were included without hesitancy in the treaty, demonstrating a decisive negation by the drafters of the Geneva Conventions of any perceived lawfulness or legitimacy of wartime practices of collective punishment. Both civilians and prisoners of war are protected from collective punishment, and subsequent legal developments have seen the prohibition extended to non-international armed conflict and designated as a punishable war crime under international criminal law.
The Transfer and Deportation of Civilians
Authors: Chetail Vincent
Published: August 2024

This chapter examines the forced displacement of civilians in an occupied territory or within the territory of a state party to an international armed conflict or a non-international armed conflict. It shows that Geneva Convention IV and Additional Protocol II are not the only source of protection for displaced persons. In this field, as in many others, international humanitarian law has been considerably enriched and reinforced by international human rights law, international refugee law, and international criminal law. This inclusive approach offers a comprehensive and systemic overview of the international protection against forcible displacement in times of armed conflict.
The Concept and the Beginning of Occupation
Authors: Sassòli Marco
Published: August 2024

This chapter focuses on the concept and the beginning of military occupation. It first discusses the traditional criteria that must be fulfilled for a territory to be considered occupied: the establishment of effective control over territory by a belligerent power, loss of effective control by its adversary, and absence of consent by the latter. Subsequently, those criteria which are not relevant for determining whether a territory is occupied are discussed. On this basis, the chapter then addresses the controversy on whether, and to what extent, the rules of international humanitarian law (IHL) on military occupation already apply during an invasion. Lastly, the chapter deals with special cases, such as occupation without armed resistance and national liberation wars, the relevance of occupation in non-international armed conflicts, and the particular legal consequences of a violation of IHL on military occupation.
Principle 4
Authors: Barral Virginie , Dupuy Pierre-Marie
Published: August 2024

This chapter analyses the rationale, travaux préparatoires, conceptual scope, and normative and jurisprudential influence of Principle 4 of the Rio Declaration. Principle 4 is one of the main expressions of sustainable development within the Declaration, and it takes the specific form of integration of environmental considerations in the formulation of policies.
Principle 10
Authors: Ebbesson Jonas
Published: August 2024

This chapter analyses the rationale, travaux préparatoires, conceptual scope, and normative and jurisprudential influence of Principle 10 of the Rio Declaration. It pays particular attention to how the rights of access to environmental information, participation in environmental decision-making and access to justice have played a major role both in the development of treaties or soft law instruments and it a growing body of domestic and international jurisprudence.
Settling Investment Disputes
Authors: Dolzer Rudolf , Schreuer Rudolf
Published: August 2024

This chapter begins with a discussion of state v state disputes, covering diplomatic protection and direct disputes between states. The second section discusses investor v state disputes. Topics covered include the role of domestic courts, arbitration and conciliation, arbitration institutions and regimes, subject matter of the dispute, parties to the dispute, and the applicability of MFN clauses to dispute settlement.
Standards of Protection
Authors: Dolzer Rudolf , Schreuer Rudolf
Published: August 2024

This chapter discusses standards of protection. Topics covered include the concept of fair and equitable treatment, full protection and security, the umbrella clause; access to justice, fair procedure, and denial of justice; emergency, necessity, armed conflicts, and force majeure; preservation of rights, arbitration or discriminatory measures, national treatment, and most-favoured-nation treatment.
State Responsibility and Attribution
Authors: Dolzer Rudolf , Schreuer Rudolf
Published: August 2024

This chapter begins with a discussion of organs, provinces, and municipalities. It then considers state entities, covering their role; structure, function, and control; judicial practice on attribution, and state responsibility for failure to protect. Finally, party status for constituent subdivisions or agencies under the ICSID Convention is discussed.
Antitrust and Patent Law
Authors: Devlin Alan
Published: August 2024

This chapter sets out the book’s main purpose, which is to serve all of those interested in the application of antitrust law to technology. There is an intricate relationship between competition law and the patent system. The difficulty stems from the patent regime’s efforts to accommodate new technologies that are heterogeneous and respond to different innovation incentives. Policymakers increasingly call on competition law to ameliorate problems that are a function of patent law, making it important for practitioners in this space to understand both antitrust and patent law at a substantive level. Further, as antitrust–patent law is an international affair, this book explores the world’s most important competition regimes: the United States and European Union. It discusses the unique challenges accompanying antitrust in the new economy; outlines differences between EU and US antitrust regimes; and explains why antitrust analysis of patent issues is more complex than most objects of competition policy.
The Patent Crisis and its Antitrust Implications
Authors: Devlin Alan
Published: August 2024

This chapter explores contemporary issues in the patent system. It begins by explaining how patents have evolved to play distinct roles in various industries, and how that phenomenon may implicate competition law. Long a bulwark of life-sciences innovation, patents also play important roles in other technology industries. Nevertheless, although patents may be critical to biopharmaceutical R&D, feature prominently in firm strategy in high-tech industries, and play a material role in allowing startups to attract venture capital, they appear generally to be ancillary to larger incentives to invent such as competition, first-mover advantage, and trade secrecy. The remainder of the chapter discusses US and EU patent law, the economic function that patents serve, the critical importance of strong intellectual property rights (IPRs) over certain innovations and in particular industries, and the damage that a partially malfunctioning US system has wrought on the high-technology sector.
Market Definition, Monopoly Power, and Patented Technology
Authors: Devlin Alan
Published: August 2024

Market definition is antitrust’s first port of call in analysing nonhardcore offences. It is the foundation on which almost all competition analysis rests. Defence lawyers who convince agencies or courts to define the relevant market expansively often defeat liability or merger challenges, while plaintiffs who show a narrow market often establish sufficient market power to trigger application of the pertinent US or EU antitrust statute. This chapter deals with market definition and monopoly power, addressing US and EU laws in turn. It first contextualizes that discussion by exploring the idiosyncratic market-definition questions that are unique to the antitrust–patent space. It then discusses US and EU law on market power, focusing in particular on how authorities try to separate the fact and legality of monopoly power held by a patentee. Next, it explains how the law defines markets that feature patented technology. It separately addresses upstream technology-licensing and downstream product markets.
Patent Misuse
Authors: Devlin Alan
Published: August 2024

This chapter explains the patent-misuse doctrine, which all US patent litigators and antitrust lawyers working in the patent space should understand. Under that doctrine, if a patentee extends the scope of his or her lawful monopoly with anticompetitive effect, the patent is unenforceable until the patentee purges the effects of the misuse. Misuse features routinely as an affirmative defence in patent-infringement lawsuits. Although the Federal Circuit has curtailed the defence, the US Supreme Court breathed new life into it in its 2015 decision in Kimble v. Marvel. EU law has no close parallel to the misuse doctrine. The chapter begins with a concise articulation of the rules governing misuse today. It concludes by historically tracing the doctrine’s evolution and offers some thoughts on how best to understand it.
Technology Transfer
Authors: Devlin Alan
Published: August 2024

This chapter addresses technology transfer, through which patentees license their claimed technologies in upstream licensing markets. Many competition lawyers who practise in the patent space advise clients on intellectual property (IP)-licensing contracts and on the various clauses that can create antitrust issues. The chapter provides such attorneys with an account of both EU and US law, and explains why the law deems certain restraints to be problematic. It also explores a common patent-licensing arrangement taking the form of patent pools and portfolio cross-licensing deals. Such mechanisms are distinct from technology-transfer agreements, as they predominantly entail competitors in downstream product markets cross-licensing one another—and, in the case of a patent pool, licensing third parties—to create a clearing position.
Closing Thoughts
Authors: Devlin Alan
Published: August 2024

This chapter summarizes the book’s main themes and presents some final thoughts. This book explored the restraints that a patentee may lawfully impose on its licensees; the circumstances in which a patentee must license its technology; limits on patent procurement and aggregation; when a patent owner loses antitrust immunity in filing suit; and how owners of standard-essential technologies may wield their patents. Further, it considered market definition in the technology space and how competition policy and the patent system interact at a theoretical level. While no book can capture every nuance of the antitrust–patent relationship, let alone convey every detail potentially relevant to practising law in this fascinating area, the hope here is that students of competition law in the new economy will find valuable insights in this book and seek to pursue the subject at a deeper level.
Regulating algorithmic care in the European Union: evolving doctor–patient models through the Artificial Intelligence Act (AI-Act) and the liability directives
Authors: Solaiman Barry , Malik Abeer
Published: August 2024

This article argues that the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) into healthcare, particularly under the European Union’s Artificial Intelligence Act (AI-Act), poses significant implications for the doctor–patient relationship. While historically paternalistic, Western medicine now emphasises patient autonomy within a consumeristic paradigm, aided by technological advancements. However, hospitals worldwide are adopting AI more rapidly than before, potentially reshaping patient care dynamics. Three potential pathways emerge: enhanced patient autonomy, increased doctor control via AI, or disempowerment of both parties as decision-making shifts to private entities. This article contends that without addressing flaws in the AI-Act’s risk-based approach, private entities could be empowered at the expense of patient autonomy. While proposed directives like the AI Liability Directive (AILD) and the revised Directive on Liability for Defective Products (revised PLD) aim to mitigate risks, they may not address the limitations of the AI-Act. Caution must be exercised in the future interpretation of the emerging regulatory architecture to protect patient autonomy and to preserve the central role of healthcare professionals in the care of their patients.
Identifying Suicide-Related Predictors Using Overseas Airborne Infantry Brigade Serious Incident Reports
Authors: Paul Benjamin T , Greeno Catherine G , Kloepper Michael F
Published: August 2024

Introduction

Suicidal ideation and attempts are considered to be graduated risks for suicide, yet they remain under studied. Suicide is among the leading causes of death in the U.S. for all individuals between the ages of 10 and 64 years. Suicide is a critical problem in the U.S. Military. The U.S. Army suicide rates surpassed civilian rates in 2008 and continue to climb steadily; with U.S. Army soldiers at more than twice the risk than U.S. civilians, and enlisted personnel at more than twice the risk of officers. Suicidal ideation and attempts are routinely reported within U.S. Army brigades using suicide-related serious incident reports (SR-SIRs). These reports could form a useful source of information for prevention planning, but to date there have been no efforts to summary these reports. This paper analyzes SR-SIRs among enlisted personnel for a 4-year period for 1 Army brigade, to test the usefulness of this information and to explore whether risk factors for attempts compared to ideation can be identified.

Materials and Methods

This report analyzes 130 de-identified reports of suicidal ideation (n = 102) and suicide attempts (n = 28) reported as SR-SIRs from August 2018 to June 2022 among enlisted personnel in an airborne infantry brigade combat team (BCT) outside the continental U.S. Analysis of de-identified data was not considered research by brigade and university human subject/IRB authorities. Fourteen soldier characteristics and context factors were examined to determine if they differentiate the two types of incidents, suicidal ideations and suicide attempts.

Results

Unit location and alcohol use at the time of the incident were strongly associated with suicide attempts compared to ideation. Attempts occurred disproportionately during off duty hours, and attempters were less likely to have had prior contact with behavioral health services than ideators; however, these differences did not attain conventional statistical significance.

Conclusions

The study can help inform unit-specific suicide prevention and intervention strategies. Off duty hours and alcohol use are risk factors for attempts. Plans to engage and support soldiers who have sought behavioral health care during off duty hours, and information regarding the risks of alcohol use, could meaningfully reduce their risk. This is the first known attempt to examine active duty U.S. Army brigade combat team SR-SIRs, and they are a potentially valuable source of health and mental health-related information.
Chemical synthesis of 2″OMeNAD+ and its deployment as an RNA 2′-phosphotransferase (Tpt1) ‘poison’ that traps the enzyme on its abortive RNA-2′-PO4-(ADP-2″OMe-ribose) reaction intermediate
Authors: Arnold Jakob , Ghosh Shreya , Kasprzyk Renata , Brakonier Marcel , Hanna Markus , Marx Andreas , Shuman Stewart
Published: August 2024

RNA 2′-phosphotransferase Tpt1 catalyzes the removal of an internal RNA 2′-PO4 via a two-step mechanism in which: (i) the 2′-PO4 attacks NAD+ C1″ to form an RNA-2′-phospho-(ADP-ribose) intermediate and nicotinamide; and (ii) transesterification of the ADP-ribose O2″ to the RNA 2′-phosphodiester yields 2′-OH RNA and ADP-ribose-1″,2″-cyclic phosphate. Although Tpt1 enzymes are prevalent in bacteria, archaea, and eukarya, Tpt1 is uniquely essential in fungi and plants, where it erases the 2′-PO4 mark installed by tRNA ligases during tRNA splicing. To identify a Tpt1 ‘poison’ that arrests the reaction after step 1, we developed a chemical synthesis of 2″OMeNAD+, an analog that cannot, in principle, support step 2 transesterification. We report that 2″OMeNAD+ is an effective step 1 substrate for Runella slithyformis Tpt1 (RslTpt1) in a reaction that generates the normally undetectable RNA-2′-phospho-(ADP-ribose) intermediate in amounts stoichiometric to Tpt1. EMSA assays demonstrate that RslTpt1 remains trapped in a stable complex with the abortive RNA-2′-phospho-(ADP-2″OMe-ribose) intermediate. Although 2″OMeNAD+ establishes the feasibility of poisoning and trapping a Tpt1 enzyme, its application is limited insofar as Tpt1 enzymes from fungal pathogens are unable to utilize this analog for step 1 catalysis. Analogs with smaller 2″-substitutions may prove advantageous in targeting the fungal enzymes.
Using recurrent neural networks to detect supernumerary chromosomes in fungal strains causing blast diseases
Authors: Gyawali Nikesh , Hao Yangfan , Lin Guifang , Huang Jun , Bika Ravi , Daza Lidia Calderon , Zheng Huakun , Cruppe Giovana , Caragea Doina , Cook David , Valent Barbara , Liu Sanzhen
Published: August 2024

The genomes of the fungus Magnaporthe oryzae that causes blast diseases on diverse grass species, including major crops, have indispensable core-chromosomes and may contain supernumerary chromosomes, also known as mini-chromosomes. These mini-chromosomes are speculated to provide effector gene mobility, and may transfer between strains. To understand the biology of mini-chromosomes, it is valuable to be able to detect whether a M. oryzae strain possesses a mini-chromosome. Here, we applied recurrent neural network models for classifying DNA sequences as arising from core- or mini-chromosomes. The models were trained with sequences from available core- and mini-chromosome assemblies, and then used to predict the presence of mini-chromosomes in a global collection of M. oryzae isolates using short-read DNA sequences. The model predicted that mini-chromosomes were prevalent in M. oryzae isolates. Interestingly, at least one mini-chromosome was present in all recent wheat isolates, but no mini-chromosomes were found in early isolates collected before 1991, indicating a preferential selection for strains carrying mini-chromosomes in recent years. The model was also used to identify assembled contigs derived from mini-chromosomes. In summary, our study has developed a reliable method for categorizing DNA sequences and showcases an application of recurrent neural networks in predictive genomics.
Espying sarcopenia in gastric cancer: squaring the circle
Authors: Abdulsalam Ahmad J , Kara Murat
Published: August 2024

This letter to the editor remarks on the recently published article by Chan et al on the association of sarcopenia with chemotherapy toxicities in patients with gastric cancer.
Home ranges, habitat selection, and energy expenditure of Strix varia (Barred Owls): Understanding the full diel cycle matters for enhancing urban landscapes
Authors: Jirinec Vitek , Bresnan Alessandra M , Clément Marion A , Colón Melanie R , Long Ashley M , Rhyne Garrett S , Rodrigues Patricia F , Stein Eliza D , Pérez-Umphrey Anna A , Varian Christina P , Williams S Tyler , Taylor Sabrina S
Published: August 2024

We integrated GPS and accelerometer data to examine habitat selection and energy expenditure patterns across the diel cycle in Strix varia (Barred Owls), addressing a critical gap in wildlife research that often overlooks activity during the “inactive” phase. Owls in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, selected forests with tall canopies and open understories, particularly in affluent neighborhoods, supporting the “luxury effect” in urban biodiversity. Nocturnal home ranges were larger (31.8 ha) compared to diurnal home ranges (8.9 ha), indicating broader habitat use at night. The total area of preferred nocturnal habitat was 33% of the Baton Rouge study area, whereas preferred diurnal habitat comprised only 5%. Energy expenditure was inversely related to preference in nocturnal home ranges but increased with preference in diurnal home ranges. Our models were validated using independent data from Clemson, South Carolina, supporting the robustness of our analysis and revealing generalities in owl habitat selection across these regions. This research contributes to a deeper understanding of urban ecology, highlighting habitat components preferred by owls and possibly other forest-dwelling species. It emphasizes the difference in nocturnal and diurnal home range sizes, the scarcity of daytime refuges for S. varia in urban landscapes, and the variation in energy expenditure in preferred habitats. Our findings advocate for urban designs that accommodate wildlife activity throughout the day and night, and highlight the positive correlation between preferred owl habitat and affluent neighborhoods, underscoring the need for equitable distribution of green spaces to foster biodiversity across socioeconomic gradients. These insights will help develop strategies to enhance the ecological value of urban environments and the conservation of S. varia and associated forest-dwelling species in rapidly urbanizing areas.
Quantifying the emergence of moral foundational lexicon in child language development
Authors: Ramezani Aida , Liu Emmy , Lee Spike W S , Xu Yang
Published: August 2024

Theorists have argued that morality builds on several core modular foundations. When do different moral foundations emerge in life? Prior work has explored the conceptual development of different aspects of morality in childhood. Here, we offer an alternative approach to investigate the developmental emergence of moral foundations through the lexicon, namely the words used to talk about moral foundations. We develop a large-scale longitudinal analysis of the linguistic mentions of five moral foundations (in both virtuous and vicious forms) in naturalistic speech between English-speaking children with ages ranging from 1 to 6 and their caretakers. Using computational methods, we collect a dataset of 1,371 human-annotated moral utterances and automatically annotate around one million utterances in child-caretaker conversations. We discover that in childhood, words for expressing the individualizing moral foundations (i.e. Care/Harm, Fairness/Cheating) tend to emerge earlier and more frequently than words for expressing the binding moral foundations (i.e. Authority/Subversion, Loyalty/Betrayal, Purity/Degradation), and words for Care/Harm are expressed substantially more often than the other foundations. We find significant differences between children and caretakers in how often they talk about Fairness, Cheating, and Degradation. Furthermore, we show that the information embedded in childhood speech allows computational models to predict moral judgment of novel scenarios beyond the scope of child-caretaker conversations. Our work provides a large-scale documentation of the moral foundational lexicon in early linguistic communication in English and forges a new link between moral language development and computational studies of morality.
A legend in one's own mind: The link between ambition and leadership evaluations
Authors: Alzahawi Shilaan , Reit Emily S , Flynn Francis J
Published: August 2024

Individuals who have more ambition—a persistent striving for success, attainment, and accomplishment—are more likely to become leaders. But are these ambitious individuals also more effective in leadership roles? We hypothesize that leader ambition is related to positive self-views of leader effectiveness that remain uncorroborated by relevant third-party actors. In a multiwave, preregistered study, we find evidence for this hypothesis using a sample of executives (N = 3,830 ratings of 472 leaders) who were rated by peers, subordinates, managers, and themselves on ten leadership competencies, including their ability to motivate others, manage collaborative work, coach and develop people, and present and communicate ideas. We consider the implications of our findings for both scholars and practitioners interested in leadership selection and development.
Correcting misperceptions of partisan opponents is not effective at treating democratic ills
Authors: Dias Nicholas C , Aarslew Laurits F , Frederiksen Kristian Vrede Skaaning , Lelkes Yphtach , Pradella Lea , Westwood Sean J
Published: August 2024

Many warn that the United States is on the brink of democratic collapse, because partisan animosity, support for partisan violence, and support for undemocratic practices are on the rise. Quelling some fears, scholars have offered interventions that use messages to correct misperceptions about citizens’ partisan opponents (the “out-party”). In this article, we provide evidence that the effects of these interventions are not as robust or consistent as hoped. First, we use panel data (n=9,810) to show that perceptions of the out-party are highly variable. This suggests that these perceptions are weakly held and thus unlikely to be a significant cause of hostile attitudes. The oscillation of perceptions over time also suggests that, for many, any effect of corrections would likely be overwhelmed in just 1 month. Second, in a meta-analysis of 67 statistical tests from 12 studies in eight papers, we document that current evidence on the efficacy of corrections is weak. Third and finally, in pre-registered experiments (n=2,846), we find that changing Americans’ perceptions of the out-party’s demographics, policy attitudes, and support for undemocratic practices has no consistent effect on partisan animosity, support for partisan violence, or support for undemocratic practices. These observations suggest that correcting misperceptions of the out-party is not a panacea for our democratic ills.
Balancing Equitable Enforcement and Property Rights: Revisiting Section 23 of the Maintenance and Welfare of Parents and Senior Citizens Act, 2007 of India
Authors: Yadav Mohit , Pathak Gaurav , Ganesh Anush
Published: August 2024

The Maintenance and Welfare of Parents and Senior Citizens Act, 2007 (hereinafter “MWPSC Act”) of India, specifically section 23, addresses the responsibility of heirs towards their parents’ maintenance and the consequences of failure in such obligations. This article critically evaluates the interpretation and application of section 23, focusing on the judicial reasoning, implications on property rights, and comparisons with international jurisprudence. The article proposes a balanced approach to ensure equitable enforcement while safeguarding third-party interests and the broader legal landscape. It advocates for a nuanced understanding of the statute, emphasizing the need for explicit conditions, limitations on resorting to section 23, and harmonizing maintenance obligations with property rights. Drawing from foreign legal systems, this article underscores the uniqueness of Indian legislation while highlighting the absence of similar provisions in other jurisdictions. By analysing the interpretation and application of section 23 of the MWPSC Act, this article contributes to the broader discourse on balancing legislative intent, public policy, familial obligations, and property rights in the context of elder care in India.
Efficacy and safety of mesenchymal stem cell therapies for ischemic stroke: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Shen Zhiyuan , Tang Xian , Zhang Yaxin , Jia Yicun , Guo Xin , Guo Xiaosu , Bao Junqiang , Xie Xiongwei , Xing Yuan , Xing Jun , Tian Shujuan
Published: August 2024

Background

The efficacy and safety of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) in the treatment of ischemic stroke (IS) remains controversial. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of MSCs for IS.

Methods

A literature search until May 23, 2023, was conducted using PubMed, EMBASE, the Cochrane Library, and the Web of Science to identify studies on stem cell therapy for IS. Interventional and observational clinical studies of MSCs in patients with IS were included, and the safety and efficacy were assessed. Two reviewers extracted data and assessed the quality independently. The meta-analysis was performed using RevMan5.4.

Results

Fifteen randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and 15 non-randomized trials, including 1217 patients (624 and 593 in the intervention and control arms, respectively), were analyzed. MSCs significantly improved patients’ activities of daily living according to the modified Rankin scale (mean difference [MD]: −0.26; 95% confidence interval [CI]: −0.50 to −0.01; P = .04) and National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score (MD: −1.69; 95% CI: −2.66 to −0.73; P < .001) in RCTs. MSC treatment was associated with lower mortality rates in RCTs (risk ratio: 0.44; 95% CI: 0.28-0.69; P < .001). Fever and headache were among the most reported adverse effects.

Conclusions

Based on our review, MSC transplantation improves neurological deficits and daily activities in patients with IS. In the future, prospective studies with large sample sizes are needed for stem cell studies in ischemic stroke. This meta-analysis has been registered at PROSPERO with CRD42022347156.
Hierarchical Heuristic Species Delimitation Under the Multispecies Coalescent Model with Migration
Authors: Kornai Daniel , Jiao Xiyun , Ji Jiayi , Flouri Tomáš , Yang Ziheng
Published: August 2024

The multispecies coalescent (MSC) model accommodates genealogical fluctuations across the genome and provides a natural framework for comparative analysis of genomic sequence data from closely related species to infer the history of species divergence and gene flow. Given a set of populations, hypotheses of species delimitation (and species phylogeny) may be formulated as instances of MSC models (e.g., MSC for 1 species versus MSC for 2 species) and compared using Bayesian model selection. This approach, implemented in the program bpp, has been found to be prone to over-splitting. Alternatively, heuristic criteria based on population parameters (such as population split times, population sizes, and migration rates) estimated from genomic data may be used to delimit species. Here, we develop hierarchical merge and split algorithms for heuristic species delimitation based on the genealogical divergence index (gdi) and implement them in a Python pipeline called hhsd. We characterize the behavior of the gdi under a few simple scenarios of gene flow. We apply the new approaches to a dataset simulated under a model of isolation by distance as well as 3 empirical datasets. Our tests suggest that the new approaches produced sensible results and were less prone to oversplitting. We discuss possible strategies for accommodating paraphyletic species in the hierarchical algorithm, as well as the challenges of species delimitation based on heuristic criteria.
Rethinking non-conformity of a serious nature: From the CISG and the PICC’s concept of fundamental breach towards a Nachfrist principle—learning from the amendments to Catalan sales law’s cure regime
Authors: Mirambell Fargas Miquel
Published: August 2024

Whereas the European Commission’s endeavours to codify European contract law are at an impasse, the harmonization effect of European Union (EU) Directive 2019/771 should not be under-estimated. Such effect extends beyond consumer legislation and is particularly remarkable in EU jurisdictions that did not enact ad hoc consumer acts. This article takes the amendments to Catalan sales law after the transposition of Article 13 of the Directive as a benchmark. It delves into the recently introduced seriousness threshold under Article 13(4) lit. (c) of the Directive as an additional basis for contract avoidance in case of the delivery of non-conforming goods. The article further discusses whether such a serious nature threshold should (or can) coexist with the previous notion of fundamental breach and rethinks the contours of these legal thresholds from a cure perspective.
The Soybean Cyst Nematode Effector Cysteine Protease 1 (CPR1) Targets a Mitochondrial Soybean Branched-Chain Amino Acid Aminotransferase (GmBCAT1)
Authors: Margets Alexandra , Foster Jessica , Kumar Anil , Maier Tom R. , Masonbrink Rick , Mejias Joffrey , Baum Thomas J. , Innes Roger W.
Published: August 2024

The soybean cyst nematode (SCN; Heterodera glycines) facilitates infection by secreting a repertoire of effector proteins into host cells to establish a permanent feeding site composed of a syncytium of root cells. Among the diverse proteins secreted by the nematode, we were specifically interested in identifying proteases to pursue our goal of engineering decoy substrates that elicit an immune response when cleaved by an SCN protease. We identified a cysteine protease that we named Cysteine Protease 1 (CPR1), which was predicted to be a secreted effector based on transcriptomic data obtained from SCN esophageal gland cells, the presence of a signal peptide, and the lack of transmembrane domains. CPR1 is conserved in all isolates of SCN sequenced to date, suggesting it is critical for virulence. Transient expression of CPR1 in Nicotiana benthamiana leaves suppressed cell death induced by a constitutively active nucleotide binding leucine-rich repeat protein, RPS5, indicating that CPR1 inhibits effector-triggered immunity. CPR1 localizes in part to the mitochondria when expressed in planta. Proximity-based labeling in transgenic soybean roots, co-immunoprecipitation, and cleavage assays identified a branched-chain amino acid aminotransferase from soybean (GmBCAT1) as a substrate of CPR1. Consistent with this, GmBCAT1 also localizes to mitochondria. Silencing of the CPR1 transcript in the nematode reduced penetration frequency in soybean roots, while the expression of CPR1 in soybean roots enhanced susceptibility. Our data demonstrates that CPR1 is a conserved effector protease with a direct target in soybean roots, highlighting it as a promising candidate for decoy engineering.

[Formula: see text] Copyright © 2024 The Author(s). This is an open access article distributed under the CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 International license .
The interplay between lymphatic vessels and macrophages in inflammation response
Authors: Zhou Cheng , Sun TianYi , Dong ZiQing , Lu Feng , Li Bin
Published: August 2024

Both lymphatic vessels and macrophages are key factors influencing the inflammatory response. During the inflammatory response, lymphatic vessels undergo dilation and growth, playing a beneficial role in alleviating inflammation by facilitating the drainage of exudate, inflammatory mediators, and leukocytes. Consequently, the promotion of lymphangiogenesis has emerged as a novel therapeutic approach to treating inflammation. Macrophages play a crucial role in promoting lymphangiogenesis by secreting several pro‐lymphatic growth factors, including vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)‐C, and undergoing transdifferentiation into lymphatic endothelial cell progenitors (LECP), which integrate into newly formed lymphatic vessels. Macrophages exhibit heterogeneity and perform diverse functions based on their phenotypes. The regulation of macrophage polarization is crucial in inflammatory responses. Notably, macrophages promote lymphangiogenesis, while lymphatic vessels, in turn, serve as a conduit for macrophages to drain out inflamed tissue and also affect macrophage polarization. Thus, there is an interactive relationship between them. In this review, we discuss current work on the effects of macrophages on lymphangiogenesis as well as lymphatic vessel recruitment of macrophages and regulation of macrophage polarization. Furthermore, we explore the roles of lymphatic vessels and macrophages in various inflammation‐related diseases, emphasizing potential therapeutic targets within the context of lymphatic–macrophage interactions.