bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
YAP1 Status Defines Two Intrinsic Subtypes of LCNEC with Distinct Molecular Features and Therapeutic Vulnerabilities
Authors: Stewart C. Allison , Diao Lixia , Xi Yuanxin , Wang Runsheng , Ramkumar Kavya , Serrano Alejandra G. , Tanimoto Azusa , Rodriguez B. Leticia , Morris Benjamin B. , Shen Li , Zhang Bingnan , Yang Yan , Hamad Samera H. , Cardnell Robert J. , Duarte Alberto , Sahu Moushumi , Novegil Veronica Y. , Weissman Bernard E. , Frumovitz Michael , Kalhor Neda , Solis Soto Luisa , da Rocha Pedro , Vokes Natalie , Gibbons Don L. , Wang Jing , Heymach John V. , Glisson Bonnie , Byers Lauren Averett , Gay Carl M.
Published: August 2024

Purpose:

Large cell neuroendocrine carcinoma (LCNEC) is a high-grade neuroendocrine malignancy that, like small cell lung cancer (SCLC), is associated with the absence of druggable oncogenic drivers and dismal prognosis. In contrast to SCLC, however, there is little evidence to guide optimal treatment strategies, which are often adapted from SCLC and non–small cell lung cancer approaches.

Experimental Design:

To better define the biology of LCNEC, we analyzed cell line and patient genomic data and performed IHC and single-cell RNA sequencing of core needle biopsies from patients with LCNEC and preclinical models.

Results:

In this study, we demonstrate that the presence or absence of YAP1 distinguishes two subsets of LCNEC. The YAP1-high subset is mesenchymal and inflamed and is characterized, alongside TP53 mutations, by co-occurring alterations in CDKN2A/B and SMARCA4. Therapeutically, the YAP1-high subset demonstrates vulnerability to MEK- and AXL-targeting strategies, including a novel preclinical AXL chimeric antigen receptor–expressing T cell. Meanwhile, the YAP1-low subset is epithelial and immune-cold and more commonly features TP53 and RB1 co-mutations, similar to those observed in pure SCLC. Notably, the YAP1-low subset is also characterized by the expression of SCLC subtype–defining transcription factors, especially ASCL1 and NEUROD1, and as expected, given its transcriptional similarities to SCLC, exhibits putative vulnerabilities reminiscent of SCLC, including delta-like ligand 3 and CD56 targeting, as is with novel preclinical delta-like ligand 3 and CD56 chimeric antigen receptor–expressing T cells, and DNA damage repair inhibition.

Conclusions:

YAP1 defines distinct subsets of LCNEC with unique biology. These findings highlight the potential for YAP1 to guide personalized treatment strategies for LCNEC.
Harnessing the Potential of FAP-IL12mut TMEkine for Targeted and Enhanced Antitumor Responses
Authors: Lee Dahea , Kim Dongsu , Kim Donggeon , Kang Jisu , Lee Kiram , Lee Hyunji , Yoon Yujin , Lee Youngin , Kim Nahmju , Cho Byoung Chul , Chang Jihoon , Lee Byoung Chul
Published: August 2024

Although cancer immunotherapy has yielded encouraging outcomes in hematologic malignancies, it has faced challenges in achieving the same level of effectiveness in numerous solid tumors, primarily because of the presence of immunosuppressive tumor microenvironments (TME). The immunosuppressive qualities of the TME have generated considerable interest, making it a focal point for treatments aimed at enhancing immune responses and inhibiting tumor progression. Fibroblast activation protein (FAP), an attractive candidate for targeted immunotherapy, is prominently expressed in the TME of various solid tumors. IL12, recognized as a key mediator of immune responses, has been explored as a potential candidate for cancer treatment. Nevertheless, initial efforts to administer IL12 systemically demonstrated limited efficacy and notable side effects, emphasizing the necessity for innovation. To address these concerns, our molecules incorporated specific IL12 mutations, called IL12mut, which reduced toxicity. This study explored the therapeutic potential of the FAP-IL12mut TMEkine—a novel immunotherapeutic agent selectively engineered to target FAP-expressing cells in preclinical cancer models. Our preclinical results, conducted across diverse murine cancer models, demonstrated that FAP-IL12mut significantly inhibits tumor growth, enhances immune cell infiltration, and promotes a shift toward a cytotoxic immune activation profile. These findings suggest that FAP-IL12mut could offer effective cancer treatment strategies.
Separable Cell Cycle Arrest and Immune Response Elicited through Pharmacological CDK4/6 and MEK Inhibition in RASmut Disease Models
Authors: Wu Jin , Wang Jianxin , O’Connor Thomas N. , Tzetzo Stephanie L. , Gurova Katerina V. , Knudsen Erik S. , Witkiewicz Agnieszka K.
Published: August 2024

The combination of CDK4/6 and MEK inhibition as a therapeutic strategy has shown promise in various cancer models, particularly in those harboring RAS mutations. An initial high-throughput drug screen identified high synergy between the CDK4/6 inhibitor palbociclib and the MEK inhibitor trametinib when used in combination in soft tissue sarcomas. In RAS mutant models, combination treatment with palbociclib and trametinib induced significant G1 cell cycle arrest, resulting in a marked reduction in cell proliferation and growth. CRISPR-mediated RB1 depletion resulted in a decreased response to CDK4/6 and MEK inhibition, which was validated in both cell culture and xenograft models. Beyond its cell cycle inhibitory effects, pathway enrichment analysis revealed the robust activation of interferon pathways upon CDK4/6 and MEK inhibition. This induction of gene expression was associated with the upregulation of retroviral elements. The TANK-binding kinase 1 inhibitor GSK8612 selectively blocked the induction of interferon-related genes induced by palbociclib and trametinib treatment and highlighted the separable epigenetic responses elicited by combined CDK4/6 and MEK inhibition. Together, these findings provide key mechanistic insights into the therapeutic potential of CDK4/6 and MEK inhibition in soft tissue sarcomas.
Table S3 from Development and Application of Genetic Ancestry Reconstruction Methods to Study Diversity of Patient-Derived Models in the NCI PDXNet Consortium
Authors: Lott Paul C. , Chiu Katherine , Quino Juanita Elizabeth , Vang April Pangia , Lloyd Michael W. , Srivastava Anuj , Chuang Jeffrey H. , Carvajal-Carmona Luis G.
Published: August 2024

1000Genomes K=10 Admixture Estimates downloaded from ftp://ftp.1000genomes.ebi.ac.uk/vol1/ftp/release/20130502/supporting/admixture_files/ALL.wgs.phase3_shapeit2_filtered.20141217.maf0.05.10.Q. Super-population designations were added to the partitions by sorting each partition and determining the corresponding designation for each partition.
Table 3 from Development and Application of Genetic Ancestry Reconstruction Methods to Study Diversity of Patient-Derived Models in the NCI PDXNet Consortium
Authors: Lott Paul C. , Chiu Katherine , Quino Juanita Elizabeth , Vang April Pangia , Lloyd Michael W. , Srivastava Anuj , Chuang Jeffrey H. , Carvajal-Carmona Luis G.
Published: August 2024

Number of available models for priority cancer health disparity malignancies
Figure S4 from Development and Application of Genetic Ancestry Reconstruction Methods to Study Diversity of Patient-Derived Models in the NCI PDXNet Consortium
Authors: Lott Paul C. , Chiu Katherine , Quino Juanita Elizabeth , Vang April Pangia , Lloyd Michael W. , Srivastava Anuj , Chuang Jeffrey H. , Carvajal-Carmona Luis G.
Published: August 2024

Figure S4 Shows the Power to identify at least 5 patients with a known driver mutation that is present in populations at varying low frequencies.
Figure S1 from Development and Application of Genetic Ancestry Reconstruction Methods to Study Diversity of Patient-Derived Models in the NCI PDXNet Consortium
Authors: Lott Paul C. , Chiu Katherine , Quino Juanita Elizabeth , Vang April Pangia , Lloyd Michael W. , Srivastava Anuj , Chuang Jeffrey H. , Carvajal-Carmona Luis G.
Published: August 2024

Figure S1 shows the Clustering of 1,990 non-admixed reference samples and 2,387 admixed samples(brown) individuals based on the first three principal components. Colors represent the continental ances
Adoption and Effect of Sealants for Occlusal Noncavitated Caries in a Large Dental Network in the USA
Authors: Shah Nilesh H. , Fellows Jeffrey L. , Polk Deborah E.
Published: August 2024

Introduction: Dental sealants applied to occlusal pit-and-fissure surfaces have been shown to prevent caries and arrest occlusal noncavitated carious lesions (NCCLs). The American Dental Association (ADA) recommends that oral healthcare providers apply sealants on occlusal NCCLs. Though the evidence is clear that sealants are effective, few studies have examined the adoption of the ADA guideline by dentists and the duration of protection provided by sealants in a large real-world setting. Methods: This study used observational electronic health record (EHR) data from a network of dental clinics to follow teeth over a 2 year time period from when they were diagnosed as having an occlusal NCCL until either they were treated with a restoration or the time period ended with no restoration. The objectives of the study were to determine: (1) the degree to which dentists adopted the guideline, (2) whether the duration of protection was different for teeth that received a sealant from teeth that did not receive a sealant, and (3) whether dentists’ experience placing sealants was associated with the duration of protection. Results: Overall, there were 7,299 teeth in the sample. Of those, dentists restored 591 teeth and applied sealants on 164. The sealant application rate for eligible teeth was 2.2%. Sealant application was associated with provider, with 1.9% of providers placing more than half of the sealants. By the end of the observation period, the proportion of teeth progressing to restorations was 8.2% for teeth that had not received a sealant and 3.0% for teeth that had received one (RR = 0.37; 95% CI: 0.16–0.88; p = 0.02). Multilevel survival analysis showed that teeth that had not received a sealant were restored sooner than teeth that had received a sealant (aHR = 0.11; 95% CI: 0.03–0.36; p < 0.01). Overall, teeth that received a sealant had an 89% reduced hazard of restoration within 2 years compared with teeth that did not receive sealants. Conclusion: This study found that by arresting decay, the presence of sealants led to fewer restorations and delayed restorations compared with teeth not receiving a sealant or restoration in the 2 years following diagnosis of occlusal NCCL in clinical settings.
How Perception, Actuation, and Communication Impact the Emergence of Collective Intelligence in Simulated Modular Robots
Authors: Rusin Francesco , Medvet Eric
Published: August 2024

Modular robots are collections of simple embodied agents, the modules, that interact with each other to achieve complex behaviors. Each module may have a limited capability of perceiving the environment and performing actions; nevertheless, by behaving coordinately, and possibly by sharing information, modules can collectively perform complex actions. In principle, the greater the actuation, perception, and communication abilities of the single module are the more effective is the collection of modules. However, improved abilities also correspond to more complex controllers and, hence, larger search spaces when designing them by means of optimization. In this article, we analyze the impact of perception, actuation, and communication abilities on the possibility of obtaining good controllers for simulated modular robots, that is, controllers that allow the robots to exhibit collective intelligence. We consider the case of modular soft robots, where modules can contract, expand, attach, and detach from each other, and make them face two tasks (locomotion and piling), optimizing their controllers with evolutionary computation. We observe that limited abilities often do not prevent the robots from succeeding in the task, a finding that we explain with (a) the smaller search space corresponding to limited actuation, perception, and communication abilities, which makes the optimization easier, and (b) the fact that, for this kind of robot, morphological computation plays a significant role. Moreover, we discover that what matters more is the degree of collectivity the robots are required to exhibit when facing the task.
Evidence for a sustained cerebrovascular response following motor practice
Authors: Patitucci Eleonora , Di Censo Davide , Chiarelli Antonio M. , Germuska Michael , Tomassini Valentina , Wise Richard G.
Published: August 2024

Motor tasks have been extensively used to probe neuroplasticity and the changes in MRI signals are often associated with changes in performance. Changes in performance have been linked to alterations in resting-state fluctuations of BOLD signal after the end of the task. We hypothesize that motor learning will induce localized changes in cerebral blood flow (CBF) sustained even after the execution of a motor learning task. We implemented a new motor task to probe neuroplasticity and mapped the associated cerebrovascular responses. Twenty healthy volunteers underwent two MRI sessions 1-week apart: a task session with a sequence learning task performed with a data glove and a control session. During each session, CBF and BOLD signals were acquired during the task and during two periods of rest, each lasting 8 min, before and after execution of the task. Evoked BOLD and CBF responses to the motor task were seen to decrease in a regionally specific manner as the task proceeded and performance accuracy improved. We observed a localized increase in resting CBF in the right extra-striate visual area that was sustained during the 8-min rest period after the completion of the motor learning task. CBF increase in the area was accompanied by a regional increase in local BOLD signal synchronization. Our observation suggests an important connection between neuroplastic changes induced by learning and sustained perfusion in the apparently resting brain followed task completion.
FAST functional connectivity implicates P300 connectivity in working memory deficits in Alzheimer’s disease
Authors: Roy Om , Moshfeghi Yashar , Ibanez Agustin , Lopera Francisco , Parra Mario A. , Smith Keith M.
Published: August 2024

Measuring transient functional connectivity is an important challenge in electroencephalogram (EEG) research. Here, the rich potential for insightful, discriminative information of brain activity offered by high-temporal resolution is confounded by the inherent noise of the medium and the spurious nature of correlations computed over short temporal windows. We propose a methodology to overcome these problems called filter average short-term (FAST) functional connectivity. First, a long-term, stable, functional connectivity is averaged across an entire study cohort for a given pair of visual short-term memory (VSTM) tasks. The resulting average connectivity matrix, containing information on the strongest general connections for the tasks, is used as a filter to analyze the transient high-temporal resolution functional connectivity of individual subjects. In simulations, we show that this method accurately discriminates differences in noisy event-related potentials (ERPs) between two conditions where standard connectivity and other comparable methods fail. We then apply this to analyze an activity related to visual short-term memory binding deficits in two cohorts of familial and sporadic Alzheimer’s disease (AD)-related mild cognitive impairment (MCI). Reproducible significant differences were found in the binding task with no significant difference in the shape task in the P300 ERP range. This allows new sensitive measurements of transient functional connectivity, which can be implemented to obtain results of clinical significance.
Generative dynamical models for classification of rsfMRI data
Authors: Huckins Grace , Poldrack Russell A.
Published: August 2024

The growing availability of large-scale neuroimaging datasets and user-friendly machine learning tools has led to a recent surge in studies that use fMRI data to predict psychological or behavioral variables. Many such studies classify fMRI data on the basis of static features, but fewer try to leverage brain dynamics for classification. Here, we pilot a generative, dynamical approach for classifying resting-state fMRI (rsfMRI) data. By fitting separate hidden Markov models to the classes in our training data and assigning class labels to test data based on their likelihood under those models, we are able to take advantage of dynamical patterns in the data without confronting the statistical limitations of some other dynamical approaches. Moreover, we demonstrate that hidden Markov models are able to successfully perform within-subject classification on the MyConnectome dataset solely on the basis of transition probabilities among their hidden states. On the other hand, individual Human Connectome Project subjects cannot be identified on the basis of hidden state transition probabilities alone—although a vector autoregressive model does achieve high performance. These results demonstrate a dynamical classification approach for rsfMRI data that shows promising performance, particularly for within-subject classification, and has the potential to afford greater interpretability than other approaches.
Freshwater crabs from Crete: a unique key for the reconstruction of the biogeographical history of Potamon Savigny, 1816 (Brachyura, Potamidae) in the Aegean region
Authors: Gruetzke Svetlana , Ewers Christine , Klaus Sebastian , Brandis Dirk
Published: August 2024

The Aegean region is biogeographically complex for freshwater crabs of the genus Potamon Savigny, 1816. Especially Potamon kretaion Giavarini, 1943 has a remarkably different distribution pattern compared to its congeners: With its exclusive occurrence on the island of Crete, it is the only Potamon species that is endemic to an Aegean island, and its range is geographically disjunct from its sister group, including Potamon ibericum (Bieberstein, 1809) and Potamon bilobatum Brandis, Storch and Türkay, 2000, with a Ponto-Caspian distribution. In addition, the morphology of the first gonopods differs substantially from that of closely related species. Therefore, the aim of this study was to (1) develop a new plausible hypothesis for the dispersal history of the genus Potamon into the Aegean area based on a re-analysis of gonopodal characters and existing phylogenetic data, and under consideration of recent palaeogeographical hypotheses, and (2) test whether the first gonopods of P. kretaion — being substantially different from its closest relatives — represent the ancestral or derived character state within Aegean Potamon. The results revealed a close link between the distribution of freshwater crabs and the biogeographical history of the Aegean region and that P. kretaion shows plesiomorphic characteristics of the first gonopods. These findings indicate that the original population of Pontipotamon (including P. kretaion) was isolated on Crete about 9 Mya, spread northwards during the Messinian salinity crisis and was separated in the original populations of P. kretaion and P. ibericum by the flooding of the Mediterranean Sea 5.33 Mya.
Evolutionary transitions of decapod crustaceans to non-marine, polar, and deep-sea environments: developmental, physiological and biochemical adaptations
Authors: Anger Klaus , Urzúa Ángel
Published: August 2024

In this brief, non-exhaustive essay, we review major adaptive changes in reproductive and developmental traits of decapod crustaceans, which have passed through evolutionary transitions from ancestral life in coastal marine environments to brackish, limnic, polar, or deep-sea habitats. Two major approaches can be recognised in studies of life-history evolution, focussing on: (1) developmental changes in adaptive physiological or biochemical traits of successive ontogenetic stages, comparing, for instance, osmoregulatory capabilities in larvae, juveniles, and adults (“ontogeny of adaptations” perspective); (2) adaptive changes in the modes of reproduction and development, e.g., enhanced maternal energy investment in egg production, abbreviated, non-feeding larval development (“adaptations in ontogeny”). Using both scientific approaches, Christoph D. Schubart has significantly contributed to our understanding of evolutionary transitions in crustaceans. In our essay, we pay particular attention to the significance of nutritional selection factors in relation to presumably adaptive developmental, physiological, and biochemical traits in different life-history stages. In this context, we highlight the key roles of lipids and carotenoid pigments, in particular of essential polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) and astaxanthin. While PUFAs and other lipid compounds have received wide scientific attention, we propose that future studies should further analyse also the potential role of astaxanthin and other essential carotenoids.
Australian pinnotherid crabs: a new species and new records of Arcotheres Manning, 1993 (Brachyura, Pinnotheridae)
Authors: Ahyong Shane T.
Published: August 2024

Prior to the present study, 11 genera and 16 species of pinnotherid crabs were known from Australia, of which two species of the genus Arcotheres were recorded: Arcotheres boninensis and A. similis. The current study extends our knowledge of Australian Arcotheres in a species new to science, significant range extensions for A. boninensis in Australia, and the first national record of A. exiguus. The new species (A. eclecticus) is closest to Arcotheres palaensis, but differs chiefly in features of the carapace. Arcotheres boninensis was formerly known from Western Australia and is now known to span all of northern Australia. To date, A. exiguus has been recorded from the Philippines westwards to Singapore, Malaysia and India; first records from Australia and Hong Kong represent the southern- and northernmost records of the species, respectively. The Australian pinnotherid fauna now stands at 11 genera and 18 species, of which four species belong to Arcotheres. A key to the Australian species of Arcotheres is provided.
Description of a new species of Parahelice Sakai, Türkay & Yang, 2006, from Sulawesi, Indonesia (Decapoda, Brachyura, Varunidae)
Authors: Hsu Jhih-Wei , Shih Hsi-Te
Published: August 2024

A new species of varunid crab genus Parahelice, Parahelice schubarti sp. nov., is described from Sulawesi, Indonesia. This new species can be distinguished from other species in Parahelice and Pseudohelice by the characters of its male suborbital cristae, chelipeds, and first gonopod. Additionally, support for this new species is provided by molecular results obtained from the cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI). Genetic results suggest that two additional genera may need to be recognized within the larger Parahelice/Pseudohelice species complex, necessitating more genetic markers, especially nuclear markers.
A new species of Parahelice (Brachyura, Varunidae, Cyclograpsinae) from Sabah, Malaysia
Authors: Davie Peter J. F. , Ng Ngan Kee
Published: August 2024

A new species of intertidal mangrove crab, Parahelice christophi, is described from two specimens collected from Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia. The new species can be distinguished from congeneric species by differences in the form of the suborbital ridge, carapace, chelae and male gonopod. It is the eighth species recognised in this genus. A new key to Parahelice spp. is provided.
The Christoph Schubart Decapod Collections
Authors: Mercado-Salas Nancy F. , Oettler Jan , Toledano Carrasco Ia Atzimba , Astrin Jonas J.
Published: August 2024

Christoph D. Schubart is remembered as an outstanding carcinologist who left behind an enormous scientific legacy and a huge collaborative network with scientists from all over the world. Throughout his career, Christoph was also able to compile an extremely valuable crustacean collection, including physical specimens, DNA extracts, and tissues of many thousands of specimens. After his sudden death in early 2023, these valuable collections have been transferred from the University of Regensburg to the Leibniz Institute of Biodiversity Change (LIB). Molecular samples are now housed at the LIB Biobank in Bonn (ZFMK), and the physical specimens are deposited at the LIB Crustacea Collection in Hamburg (ZMH). The collections include marine (70%), freshwater (25%) and terrestrial (5%) material from all over the world. A preliminary list of the taxa potentially included in the collections is provided herein, which includes approximately 375 genera, 104 families, nine orders, and two crustacean classes. This note aims to provide the first insights into the Schubart collections and to encourage the scientific community to use this resource extensively, preserving the scientific legacy of Christoph Schubart, thus inspiring new emerging questions on decapod research.
Morphological and molecular evidence support four new Liberonautes Bott, 1955 (Decapoda, Potamonautidae, Liberonautinae) species of freshwater crabs from Sierra Leone, West Africa
Authors: Mvogo Ndongo Pierre A. , von Rintelen Thomas , Clark Paul F. , Cumberlidge Neil
Published: August 2024

Four new Liberonautes species of freshwater crabs are described from material collected during an expedition to the rainforests of Sierra Leone, West Africa. Liberonautes kasonko sp. nov., L. njala sp. nov., L. schubarti sp. nov. and L. sugarloaf sp. nov. are recognized based on a combination of morphological characters including the carapace, adult male chelipeds, and first gonopods, and on genetic evidence involving analyses of partial segments of the mitochondrial genes of COI, 16S rRNA and 12S rRNA. Diagnoses, illustrations, and a tree of phylogenetic relationships based on mtDNA sequences, as well as a map showing the distributions of the new species are provided.
Sexual dimorphism and reproductive strategy of the kelp-dwelling isopod Amphoroidea typa (Isopoda, Sphaeromatidae)
Authors: Thiel Martin , Schubart Christoph D. , Urtubia Ulyces
Published: August 2024

Sexual dimorphism and the reproductive strategy of the isopod Amphoroidea typa were examined and compared with other species from the isopod family Sphaeromatidae. We analyzed populations of A. typa occurring on the kelps Lessonia spp. and Macrocystis pyrifera at six locations on the coast of northern-central Chile. Males could be clearly distinguished from females starting at total body lengths (TL) ⩾ 14 mm, taking as criteria the presence of reproductive appendages and the development of gonopods in males. Females reached substantially larger sizes (up to 22.20 mm) than males (up to 18.25 mm), confirming the existence of sexual size dimorphism in A. typa. Although females had developed oostegites at lengths ⩾ 14 mm TL, only the largest females (⩾17 mm TL) were ovigerous. This suggests that female A. typa reproduce once before dying. At most study sites there were more adult females than males occurring on Lessonia spp., while males dominated on M. pyrifera. Some A. typa individuals had white stripes present on the dorsal part of the pereon, a colour polymorphism apparently independent of the sex of the isopods but becoming more frequent in large individuals, suggesting high predation pressure and that individuals with these stripes have higher survival rates. The results of this study confirm sexual size dimorphism in A. typa, which appears to be a semelparous species. A comparison with other sphaeromatid species indicates that the evolution of semelparity is unrelated to body size, but might be more common in species from habitats with high predation pressure.
Beyond the Shadows: a Public Theology of Disability Inclusion
Authors: Gould James
Published: August 2024

This paper presents a public theology affirming the normalization of adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Religious convictions about human equality and social justice contribute constructively to matters of public concern. While official principles of disability services do, operating practices often do not, accord with a theological vision of God’s desire for human flourishing. The analysis summarizes what is going on (many adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities experience restricted lives), employs socio-ecological theory to explain why (shortcomings at multiple levels of civil society disadvantage them), uses theology and sociology to specify what should be going on (they should be able to live ‘normal’ lives like non-disabled people) and proposes action steps (change in numerous social systems can promote normalization).
A New Constraint to the Entitlement of a Continental Shelf beyond 200 Nautical Miles? – Implications of the Recent Case Law
Authors: Woker Hilde , Bernard Leonardo
Published: August 2024

The recent judgments of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in Nicaragua v. Colombia and of a special chamber of the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea in Mauritius/Maldives provide significant developments to the legal regime of the continental shelf within the law of the sea, as well as its relationship to the exclusive economic zone. Specifically, the ICJ stated that the continental shelf beyond 200 nautical miles cannot overlap with the area within 200 nautical miles of another State’s baselines. This decision potentially creates a new constraint line to a coastal State’s entitlement to a continental shelf beyond 200 nautical miles. Furthermore, the two decisions blur the distinction between delineation and delimitation of the continental shelf. They hold significant implications for the concept of a ‘single continental shelf’ and raise questions about the necessity of establishing grey areas in the future.
Atrocity Crime Responses in Bosnia and Herzegovina: Navigating Tensions in Multifaceted Approaches
Authors: Buljubašić Mirza
Published: August 2024

The post-conflict landscape of Bosnia and Herzegovina remains deeply fragmented, characterized by the interplay of international and domestic responses to atrocity crimes committed during the 1992–1995 war. The Dayton Peace Agreement established frameworks to address these atrocities but also entrenched ethnic divisions. Bosnia and Herzegovina’s judicial measures, led by the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia and domestic courts, aimed to establish accountability but faced significant challenges, including political polarization. Civil society organizations and cultural initiatives have played important roles, yet their efforts are often hindered with, for example, the continuity of ethnic grievances. Drawing on the EU cost Action ca18228 Scoping Survey on states’ interactions with international criminal justice, this paper explores how different actors in BiH navigated the responses to atrocity crimes and assesses what has been fulfilled or left unfulfilled.
The Fiction of Non-entry in European Migration Law
Authors: Rondine Francesca
Published: August 2024

The fiction of non-entry is a legal fiction usually employed by States at their borders. Such a fiction is based on the distinction between the physical presence of a person on the national territory and her legal entitlement to cross the border and reside herewith. More precisely, the fiction of non-entry revolves around the concept of admission and on the premise that unadmitted migrants (i.e. migrants not fulfilling the entry conditions and, therefore, refused entry, or migrants awaiting admission) at the borders, despite being physically present on the territory, are not to be considered so for legal purposes. By this mean, States are able to deny the application of the ordinary legal regime, institutionalizing a detrimental legal framework for unadmitted migrants at the borders as opposed to the one applicable to regular or even irregular migrants within the national territory. The purpose of this article is to explore the role of such a fiction in European migration law, namely in the context of EU law and the ECtHR jurisprudence, with a focus on the issues of admission on national territory, detention and expulsion. Moreover, this contribution aims at showing how this legal construct is to become increasingly central to European migration law. Indeed, the fiction of non-entry is currently at the core of the new “integrated border procedure” proposed within the 2020 new pact on migration and asylum. Therefore, the contribution will analyse the consequences of such an institutionalization on the rights of migrants at the EU external borders.
The ‘Border Security’ Concept in EU Law
Authors: Gustafsson Åsa
Published: August 2024

What ‘border security’ or ‘secure borders’ denote in the EU is not defined. The article explores the concept of border security and how the concept of border security found its way into the supranational EU legislation on border control. The core of the concept of border security can be seen as consisting of ‘border control’, referring to the maintaining of controls of individuals crossing the EU external borders. The developments towards the use of the term border security seemingly encompass, at least, the evolution of the EU internal security domain, a qualitative change in the nature of a number of border control related measures, the perception of insecurities related to the 2004 EU enlargement and the 11 September 2001 attacks. At least at the time when Frontex became operational in 2004, a border security rhetoric began to be used in the EU. Today, the term border security is well established in EU actors’ rhetoric. The supranational EU rules containing the term border security are fundamental elements of the EU border policies and play a crucial role in contributing to the EU discourse on border issues.
The Preface and Catalogue des Docteurs et Conciles in Guy de Brès’ Le baston de la foy chrestienne
Authors: Braghi Gianmarco
Published: August 2024

On occasion of the celebrations for the fifth centenary of Guy de Brès’ birth, as well as the publication of the first volume of the critical edition of his theological works, this article aims at analysing the epistle-like preface and Catalogue des Docteurs et Conciles included in de Brès’ first theological/polemical treatise, entitled Le baston de la foy chrestienne (first published in 1555). The preface is placed within the context of anti-Anabaptist polemics and in continuity with previous Reformed efforts to convince civil authorities across Europe that the Reformed church did not harbour seditious troublemakers or detested heretics; the Catalogue of doctors and councils, alongside the preface, constitutes a summary of the apologetical and polemical reply Le baston expressed against a Roman Catholic work by Nicole Grenier entitled Le bouclier de la foy and directed against Reformed believers and their doctrine. While the patristic and canonical sources used by de Brès for the writing of Le baston remain to be fleshed out more precisely, the critical edition of Le baston will shed new light on this and other matters, representing a further step towards the understanding of the life and theology of a key protagonist of the European Reformation of the mid sixteenth century.
Merit and Justification in Le baston de la foy of Guy de Brès (Chapter 6)
Authors: Lane Anthony N.S.
Published: August 2024

This article builds on two earlier studies, in the light of the new critical edition of Guy de Brès’ Le baston de la foy. It examines the sources of the 62 patristic extracts found in chapter 6, on the theme of merit and justification. 41 of these have been taken from the 1551 French translation of Bodius’s Unio dissidentium and a further extract is also found there, but in a very different translation. Ten extracts have been taken from the 1553 French translation of Calvin’s Institutio and a further extract is also found there, but in a very different translation. The critical edition has located French sources for four of the eleven remaining extracts; the other seven have yet to be traced. Also examined are the doctrinal claims made by de Brès for patristic teaching on justification and merit. These are modest and generally realistic.
An Analysis of Guy de Brès’ Le baston (1559–1565), Chapter 10: Baptism
Authors: Bierma Lyle
Published: August 2024

The chapter on baptism that Guy de Brès added to the fourth edition of Le baston de la foy chrestienne in 1559 is a good illustration of how the work was evolving from a polemical anthology of patristic and biblical quotations to more of a dogmatic compendium. The new chapter also exhibits a number of structural and theological parallels with de Brès’ Belgic Confession of 1561. In its treatment of baptism in relation to original sin and salvation, baptism as a means of grace, and infant baptism, the chapter indicates at the very least that some of the concepts, themes, and theological reasoning that appeared in the Belgic Confession in 1561 were already present, sometimes in fairly developed form, in Le baston two years earlier.
De Brès beyond Le baston
Authors: de Boer Erik A.
Published: August 2024

Guy de Brès, reformer of the southern Low Countries, was tried and condemned for heresy in 1567. In prison he was interrogated by François Richardot, bishop of Arras. De Brès’ notes and letters were published posthumously as Procedures tenues. As he had written Le baston de la foy chrestienne as a guide for the Reformed who had to defend their faith, now de Brès had to defend himself and use his knowledge of the Church Fathers. The critical edition of this work will show what material from Le baston returns and what knowledge he acquired that goes beyond his own anthology. We analyze his use of Scholastic authorities, of the first eucharistic controversy of Radbertus and Ratramus, and of a specific edition of the Opus imperfectum on the Gospel of Matthew, published in Antwerp and thus accessible to the itinerant preacher. De Brès had recourse to a range of treatises on the Lord’s Supper, which were translated into French, from various reformers. He had also developed the skills to go beyond works of reference, study a contemporaneous edition of a Church Father, and make an informed decision of its value.
A Comparison of Guy de Brès’ Le baston de la foy chrestienne and the Belgic Confession on Church and State
Authors: Ahn In-Sub
Published: August 2024

The development from the first edition (1555) to the final edition (1565) of Le baston reflects the theological growth of de Brès, who was a refugee pastor and theologian. Le baston gradually developed into a comprehensive theological work, reflecting Calvin’s theology. The church and state theory of the Belgic Confession showed a more public and universal character, since it was written in response to the need to systematically defend the Reformed Church’s faith. However, Le baston’s thoughts on Church and State provided pastoral comfort to the Reformed Church members of the Southern Netherlands who were suffering from persecution by the state, emphasizing that the Reformed Church’s faith was in continuity with the Early Church. Further, it can be said that Le baston allows us to understand that the Dutch Reformed Church has come to stand in the line of Calvin’s theology. It is noteworthy that de Brès’ theology gradually developed in the historical situation of his time, following Calvin’s theological way.
Al-Bīrūnī on Greek and Indian Philosophy: Divine Action and Reincarnation
Authors: Adamson Peter , Hullmeine Paul
Published: August 2024

In his monumental work on Indian culture and society, al-Bīrūnī (d. around 1048 AD) sets out a multifaceted program. He aims at gathering various Indian religious, philosophical, and scientific beliefs for his Muslim audience, and in a second step compares this material to Greek philosophy and even Islamic doctrines. In this paper, we discuss al-Bīrūnī’s attitude towards his sources and his methodology in distinguishing beliefs held by the masses throughout the various religious traditions from beliefs that are rather established on firmer grounds, namely by way of a rational examination. We approach such questions by two case studies, on divine action and reincarnation.
Emerging Technologies and the Law: from “Catch Me if You Can” to “Law by Design”
Authors: Ibrahim Imad Antoine , Zoppolato Davide Giacomo
Published: August 2024

This article examines the interplay between emerging technologies and law. In recent years, identifying an appropriate regulatory framework for technological advancements has been a significant scholarly debate. Various theories and approaches have been proposed, ranging from soft law to hard law. We explore emerging technologies from both legal and regulatory perspectives, emphasizing the risks associated with them. We discuss how the relationship between law and technology has been approached, including the challenges of emerging technologies, factors influencing the adoption of laws, and strategies for regulation. We challenge the existing reactive approach to regulation in response to technological advancements. Instead, we advocate for a ‘law by design’ approach, which incorporates legal principles during the early stages of technological development, rather than trying to catch up with technology through legislation.
Cross-Border Data Transfer between the gcc Data Protection Laws and the gdpr
Authors: Alhababi Hamad Hamed
Published: August 2024

This article explores the procedures related to data protection laws in the Gulf Cooperation Council States (gcc) and the European Union (EU) regarding the General Data Protection Regulation (gdpr). It draws conclusions about the rules governing the transfer of personal information outside of a country. Transfers of personal data to foreign countries or international organizations are discussed, specifically, transfers based on an ‘adequacy’ judgment, or transfers subject to suitable protections. The article also highlights the primary modifications made to safeguard the outbound transmission of personal information in the EU and the gcc states. The article shows that the gcc nations are concerned about protecting citizens and residents’ personal information and that there is room for development in the legislative process regarding the improvement of personal data protection regulations.
Mas to Mass: Mapping Convergences between Trinidad Carnival Performance and Black Catholic Liturgy
Authors: Symmonds Nicole S.
Published: August 2024

There are various religious experiences if religion is defined as a cultural set of beliefs and practices that people gather around. If part of this is the gathering of persons inspired to give focused attention, adoration, and commitment to a subject, Trinidad Carnival and its attending practices fit into the category of religious experience. I argue that Carnival shares the dynamism of Black Catholic embodied religiosity, particularly regarding its ability to enflesh freedom incarnationally by making a way for African-Caribbean people to embody their spirituality and make sense of their corporeal reality in an unjust world. I explore how Trinidad Carnival became a religious practice of liberation for me that clarifies the significance of the corporeal body of Black people, the unifying effect of music, the healing impact of ecstatic dance, and the connection to God that divine enjoyment of this nature enables.
Finding Words: Risk and Requirements in Theological Ethnographic Writing
Authors: Wolford Jackson
Published: August 2024

Scholars have written extensively on theological ethnographic research. Comparatively little has been written about theological ethnographic representations. Despite influential efforts since 2011 to move methods of theological ethnographic research toward an incarnate mode, the genres of theological ethnographic representation have not similarly advanced. This article argues: 1) That limiting theological ethnographic representations to the genre of the social-scientific case study or treatise risks replicating the analytical violence ethnography was designed to fight against; 2) That if we write in such a way that an abstract such as this one conveys the fullness of our written representation, we have failed to fulfill the obligations of the ethnographic task. Ethnography ought to be non-abstractable; this abstract should fall short. It then proposes two necessary qualities for theological ethnographic writing: 1) Writing in ways that needs to be read; 2) Writing in ways that can be read. I then proceed to get emotional.
Can the Theological Ethnographer Pray?
Authors: Klassen Marie-Claire
Published: August 2024

In academic theology, prayer is often relegated to the theologian’s private life.1 What happens when prayer is integrated in a theologian’s ethnographic research, challenging this divide? In this paper, I explore my experience of reading my own interview transcriptions from research with women in Palestine, utilizing the practice of lectio divina. This form of contemplative prayer forces the reader to slow down and meditate on the text, rather than solely engaging the transcription through an analytical frame. In this way, the words of the interview transcription are engaged as more than information and data; in the context of contemplative prayer, the insights of those I spoke with mediate God’s presence. I further suggest that lectio divina encourages the researcher to continue to encounter her ‘informants’ as full persons, even during the ‘analysis’ stage of her project, as well as calls her to grapple with how this (re)encounter with the interviewee in the transcription may require her to move beyond writing to engage in concrete acts of solidarity.
The Coinage of Maḥmūd b. Sebüktegin: Overview and Update of the Monetary History
Authors: Annucci Arturo
Published: August 2024

The reign of the Ghaznavid emir Maḥmūd b. Sebüktegin (388–421/998–1030) was a turning point in the monetary history of the Iranian territories. The innovations introduced by his father were maintained and further spread thanks, above all, to the numerous military conquests that resulted in an increase in the number of mints. In this study, we offer a summary of his main issues, new readings and contexts of legends on bronze coins and an overview of the official protocol of this ruler.
Bridging Wor(l)ds: the “Grand Theme” of Greece and Japan’s Modernity
Authors: Ghidini Chiara
Published: August 2024

This paper explores the impact and reception of ancient Greek culture in Japan, with particular emphasis on the translation and interpretation of Greek classics by Japanese scholars in the late 19th and 20th centuries. Central to this study are Aoki Iwao and Kubo Masaaki, who translated Thucydides’s History of the Peloponnesian War from ancient Greek into Japanese during and after the Pacific War.
La nascita del commercio librario in Corea
Authors: Kim Wi Seon
Published: August 2024

Korea boasts a rich history of printing that dates back to at least the mid-8th century AD and can even claim the oldest book printed with movable metal type. However, until the 20th century, the most common typographic technique in book production in Korea was the use of the wooden matrix. Movable wooden or metal characters were only marginally used during that time. Why did Koreans forego movable type from the 13th century onwards in favour of xylography for book production, despite the Europeans adopting the former two centuries later? In attempting to answer this question, the present article addresses the history of book circulation in Korea, which was limited and regulated by the government until the 16th century, and the emergence of the book trade with the panggakpon in the 17th century. Tracing the evolution of publishing in Korea from its inception to the early Chosŏn period, it explores the factors that gave rise to panggakpon and its affordable printing characteristics. It thus identifies the main drivers behind panggakpon, as the destruction of the national book heritage following the period of crisis during foreign invasions of Korea and the increasing demand for books from a progressively growing public of potential readers due to political, economic, social and cultural reasons from the early Chosŏn period onwards. Although government policy towards printing evolved during the middle Chosŏn period in favour of the book trade, the causes behind the emergence of panggakpon lay elsewhere. Without these factors, the State would have maintained its monopoly on book production, and panggakpon would never have materialised.