bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
The Relationship Between Upper‐Limb Lymphedema and Fatigue Among Breast Cancer Survivors
Authors: Soltanipur Masood , Yarmohammadi Hossein , Shahshenas Sina , Abbasvandi Fereshteh , Montazeri Ali , Sheikhi Zahra 
Published: December 2024

Background: Breast cancer survivors (BCSs) often face long‐term complications, with upper‐limb lymphedema and cancer‐related fatigue (CRF) being challenging. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between upper‐limb lymphedema and fatigue among BCSs.Method: This cross‐sectional study was performed on 102 BCSs, of which 31 (30.4%) had breast cancer–related lymphedema. Duration, stage, and excess volume were considered as indicators of breast cancer–related lymphedema severity. QoL was measured using the EORTC QLQ‐C30. The score of the fatigue symptom scale was used based on EORTC QLQ‐C30 for CRF assessment. Also, the brief fatigue inventory was used to measure the severity of fatigue among participants.Results: The mean fatigue symptom scale and brief fatigue inventory scores were 37.90 ± 24.59 and 3.69 ± 1.25, respectively. The mean fatigue symptom scale was significantly different among BCSs with BMI ≤ 25 and BMI > 25 (29.59 ± 24.49 vs. 41.51 ± 23.88, p = 0.026). Also, the mean brief fatigue inventory was significantly different among BCSs with the number of dissected lymph nodes (LNs) ≤ 5 and > 5 (3.52 ± 1.18 vs. 4.08 ± 1.34, p = 0.042). Additionally, women with breast cancer–related lymphedema had significantly higher scores of fatigue symptom scale and brief fatigue inventory (46.59 ± 27.12 vs. 34.11 ± 22.56, p = 0.03, and 4.75 ± 1.21 vs. 3.22 ± 0.96, p = 0.001, respectively). Except for a weak correlation between BMI and fatigue symptom scale and brief fatigue inventory (r: 0.279, p = 0.004, and r: 0.313, p = 0.001, respectively), there was no other significant relationship between CRF and study variables such as breast cancer–related lymphedema duration, stage, and excess volume. Meanwhile, fatigue symptom scale and brief fatigue inventory were significantly correlated with global health and functional scale scores of EORTC QLQ‐C30. The ROC curve which models the diagnostic efficacy for fatigue symptom scale showed an AUC of 0.634 (p = 0.034, 95% CI: 0.510–0.759), while the ROC curve which models the diagnostic efficacy for brief fatigue inventory showed an AUC of 0.821 (p < 0.001, 95% CI: 0.735–0.908).Conclusion: This study highlighted that while breast cancer–related lymphedema was associated with increased CRF, the severity of lymphedema did not significantly correlate with CRF. Additionally, CRF might be an indicator of breast cancer–related lymphedema among BCSs.
Metabolic Inhibition Induces Pyroptosis in Uveal Melanoma
Authors: Varney Scott D. , Erkes Dan A. , Mersky Glenn L. , Mustafa Manal U. , Chua Vivian , Chervoneva Inna , Purwin Timothy J. , Alnemri Emad , Aplin Andrew E. 
Published: December 2024

Abstract
Few treatment options are available for patients with metastatic uveal melanoma. Although the bispecific tebentafusp is FDA approved, immunotherapy has largely failed, likely given the poorly immunogenic nature of uveal melanoma. Treatment options that improve the recognition of uveal melanoma by the immune system may be key to reducing disease burden. We investigated whether uveal melanoma has the ability to undergo pyroptosis, a form of immunogenic cell death. Publicly available patient data and cell line analysis showed that uveal melanoma expressed the machinery needed for pyroptosis, including gasdermins D and E (GSDMD and E), caspases 1, 3, 4, and 8, and ninjurin-1. We induced cleavage of GSDMs in uveal melanoma cell lines treated with metabolic inhibitors. In particular, the carnitine palmitoyltransferase 1 (CPT1) inhibitor, etomoxir, induced propidium iodide uptake, caspase 3 cleavage, and the release of HMGB1 and IL-1β, indicating that the observed cleavage of GSDMs led to pyroptosis. Importantly, a gene signature reflecting CPT1A activity correlated with poor prognosis in patients with uveal melanoma and knockdown of CPT1A also induced pyroptosis. Etomoxir-induced pyroptosis was dependent on GSDME but not on GSDMD, and a pyroptosis gene signature correlated with immune infiltration and improved response to immune checkpoint blockade in a set of patients with uveal melanoma. Together, these data show that metabolic inhibitors can induce pyroptosis in uveal melanoma cell lines, potentially offering an approach to enhance inflammation-mediated immune targeting in patients with metastatic uveal melanoma.
Implications: Induction of pyroptosis by metabolic inhibition may alter the tumor immune microenvironment and improve the efficacy of immunotherapy in uveal melanoma.
Predictive modeling of significance thresholding in activation likelihood estimation meta-analysis
Authors: Frahm Lennart , Patil Kaustubh R. , Satterthwaite Theodore D. , Fox Peter T. , Eickhoff Simon B. , Langner Robert 
Published: December 2024

Abstract
Activation Likelihood Estimation (ALE) employs voxel- or cluster-level family-wise error (vFWE or cFWE) correction or threshold-free cluster enhancement (TFCE) to counter false positives due to multiple comparisons. These corrections utilize Monte-Carlo simulations to approximate a null distribution of spatial convergence, which allows for the determination of a corrected significance threshold. The simulations may take many hours depending on the dataset and the hardware used to run the computations. In this study, we aimed to replace the time-consuming Monte-Carlo simulation procedure with an instantaneous machine-learning prediction based on features of the meta-analysis dataset. These features were created from the number of experiments in the dataset, the number of subjects per experiment, and the number of foci reported per experiment. We simulated 68,100 training datasets, containing between 10 and 150 experiments and computed the vFWE, cFWE, and TFCE significance thresholds. We then used this data to train one XGBoost regression model for each thresholding technique. Lastly, we validated the performance of the three models using 11 independent real-life datasets (21 contrasts) from previously published ALE meta-analyses. The vFWE model reached near-perfect prediction levels (R² = 0.996), while the TFCE and cFWE models achieved very good prediction accuracies of R² = 0.951 and R² = 0.938, respectively. This means that, on average, the difference between predicted and standard (monte-carlo based) cFWE thresholds was less than two voxels. Given that our model predicts significance thresholds in ALE meta-analyses with very high accuracy, we advocate our efficient prediction approach as a replacement for the currently used Monte-Carlo simulations in future ALE analyses. This will save hours of computation time and reduce energy consumption. Furthermore, the reduced compute time allows for easier implementation of multi-analysis set-ups like leave-one-out sensitivity analysis or subsampling.
On joy and sorrow: Neuroimaging meta-analyses of music-induced emotion
Authors: Fuentes-Sánchez Nieves , Espino-Payá Alejandro , Prantner Sabine , Sabatinelli Dean , Pastor M. Carmen , Junghöfer Markus 
Published: December 2024

Abstract
Prior neuroimaging studies of music-evoked emotions have shown that music listening involves the activation of both cortical and subcortical regions. However, these regions could be differentially activated by music stimuli with varying affective valence and arousal. To better understand the neural correlates involved in the processing of pleasant and unpleasant emotions induced by music, while also considering the effect of arousal, we conducted a quantitative activation likelihood estimate (ALE) meta-analysis. We performed separate ALE analyses for the overall brain activation evoked by listening to emotional music (40 studies), for the brain activation during listening to unpleasant music (15 studies), for the brain activation while listening to pleasant music (17 studies), and for the brain activation while listening to emotional contrasted with neutral music (8 studies). Our results revealed the activation of a range of cortical and subcortical regions, including the amygdala, insula, striatum, thalamus, hippocampus, anterior cingulate gyrus, and superior temporal gyrus. Moreover, our findings indicated that certain regions were specifically activated based on the hedonic valence and arousal of the stimuli. Particularly, whereas the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), dorsal striatum, and thalamus were dependent on arousal effects, amygdala activation was dependent on hedonic valence. The identification of brain networks preferentially activated during listening to pleasant and unpleasant music provides valuable clinical insights for the development of therapies targeting psychological disorders associated with emotion reactivity problems.
The Developmental Process of the Heritage Language Parent Tool
Authors: Erenay Amy , Reinders Hayo 
Published: December 2024

Abstract
This article describes the development of a tool for heritage language parents (HLPs) to reflect on and guide their home practices for heritage language development and maintenance. It begins by making a case for better support for HLPs and the need for appropriate resources to empower parents and their children to make informed choices about their own language and identity preservation and development. Next, the article describes how the HLP tool was created, from initial stakeholder engagement through its four design iterations. We detail the processes we engaged in to establish the reliability and validity of the tool to ensure it meets the needs of our communities. We conclude by making some recommendations for others involved in supporting heritage language learners.
Global Early Modern Art in Seven Objects
Authors: Casale Sinem Arcak 
Published: December 2024

Abstract
Globality has remarkably dominated art historical discourse and practice in the past three decades. Within early modern studies, the global turn has highlighted the possibility of and the need for broader, more connected histories. This push has provided us with a range of multivalent conceptual tools, such as mobility, connectivity, entanglement, and interconnectedness. Departing from a single object, each essay in this special issue considers the promising potential and the limitations of globalizing perspectives, and suggests how this line of research may move forward. How global is early modern art? How global are our histories of early modern art? What are the ethical and methodological issues ingrained in our stories of connections and encounters? As art historians, how do we grapple with tensions between universalism and cultural relativism? How can we strike a balance between local and global expressions of materials, space, and lived experience? In this moment of new wars, shifting borders, migrations, and natural and social disasters, we also consider what lessons art historians can draw from the forms of domination, oppression, violence, and conflict inherent in early globalization.
An Analytical Examination of the Extent of Civil Society (Ir)Relevance & Its Historical Materialism in Championing Good Governance
Authors: Simuziya Nsama Jonathan 
Published: December 2024

Abstract
The euphoria of a global momentum of democracy that emerged in the early 1990s came with a belief that civil society would be key drivers in advancing democratic processes. In Zambia, civil society gained traction after the reintroduction of multiparty politics in 1990/1, yet over the years, has created a polarized debate on their relevance. On the one hand, some citizens see them as important actors in the development agenda by way of monitoring good governance practices. For this group, civil society organizations – notwithstanding their administrative shortcomings – are viewed positively as a glass half-full and hence essential for national growth. On the other hand, however, others argue that over time, civil societies have departed from what local people have been made to believe as the core principle of civil society, i.e., to champion the interests of marginalized groups, but instead have turned themselves into mouth pieces and fronts doing the bidding of the capitalist elites’ agendas entrenched in historical materialism. Specifically, from 2021 to 2024, critics have argued that civil societies who previously were very vocal (before the 2021 general elections that ushered in a new government) have now seemed to have hibernated, becoming increasingly mute on critical governance issues. It is further argued that some have been co-opted into the government system as part of a ploy to diffuse critical voices. Many others are perceived to be lumpen briefcase entities; businesses built around cronyism yet masquerading as civil society. This study argues that the extent of the relevance of civil societies depends largely on how (in)competent the incumbent regime is. A diligent regime which is steadfast in delivering on its key manifesto promises (as has seemed to be the case in Zambia from 2021 to 2024 under a new government) invariably makes civil society organizations appear to be less important in development discourse, and ultimately, their relevance might be comparable – metaphorically – to the role of a parish in a city council. To appreciate the essence of civil society and their frequent antagonisms with the state, this study examined a juxtaposed theoretical and conceptual analysis of the origins and ontology of civil society gleaned from Liberal, Marxist, Critical Theory, and Postcolonial theoretical lenses.
Engaging with International Organizations: A Tale of Love and Darkness
Authors: Morlino Elisabetta 
Published: December 2024

Abstract
The article explores the author’s journey of engagement with international organizations, likening it to the phases of love: falling in love, consolidation, disillusionment, and reconciliation. Initially “attracted” to the study of international organizations due to their role in promoting democracy and peace after the dramatic events of the Second World War, the author delves deeper into their characteristics and interactions with states and individuals. In particular, the article discusses the shortcomings in transparency and accountability of international organizations vis-à-vis individuals. In this respect, it argues that international organizations are experimenting a “temporal dissonance” in relation to their operational context. This dissonance, akin to a disconnect between the evolving societal and legal norms on one side and the rules and entrenched practices of these organizations on the other side, poses challenges to their legitimacy and relevance. The article suggests the need for a shift towards “temporal consonance”, where international organizations adapt their rules and practices to align with contemporary norms on transparency and accountability, ensuring their continued legitimacy and effectiveness.
Gaps and Innovation(s) in the Aktau Convention
Authors: Jahromi Sara Eftekhar 
Published: December 2024

Abstract
The number of Caspian littoral States expanded to five with the disintegration of the Soviet Union, encompassing Azerbaijan, Iran, Kazakhstan, the Russian Federation and Turkmenistan. This emergence of new littoral States, coupled with the ambiguous legal status of the Caspian Sea, resulting from historical Soviet-Iranian treaties, exacerbated conflicting interests associated with the Caspian Sea’s utilization. This complex scenario led to over two decades of protracted negotiations aimed at defining the legal status of the Caspian Sea, culminating in the signing of the Aktau Convention in Kazakhstan on 12 August 2018.
This article undertakes a comprehensive examination of the Aktau Convention, a regional agreement that governs the Caspian Sea. Employing a comparative approach, it aligns the Aktau Convention with the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) to discern both its distinctive features and areas where it is inspired by UNCLOS provisions. Subsequently, it delves into an intricate exploration of the Aktau Convention itself. In pursuit of a comprehensive understanding of the Aktau Convention, this dual-focused analysis stands as the most effective method to discern potential gaps and innovations, thus shedding light on aspects within the convention.
Russian Approaches to Post-Soviet Secession: Bad Faith Argumentation and Its Limits
Authors: Miklasová Júlia 
Published: December 2024

Abstract
The paper examines Russia’s language of secession, situates this language in a larger normative and factual context of post-Soviet secessionism and draws legal consequences. It shows how Russia had initially subscribed consistently to the territorial integrity of parent States. Since 2008, Russia has drastically changed its official position, selectively recognizing certain purported secessionist entities in the post-Soviet space. The primary argument of Russia’s recognition policy has been the purported existence of the right to secession deriving from the doctrine of remedial secession, unilateral referenda or the right of peoples to self-determination. Only the remedial secession argument follows up and mirrors previous limited practice, especially concerning Kosovo. The paper then demonstrates that the persistent feature of Russia’s approaches to secession has been raising untenable legal arguments, most prominently remedial secession based on non-existent situations of genocide in the post-Soviet space. It also shows that – regardless of its official discourse on post-Soviet secession – Russia has, ever since the dissolution of the Soviet Union, supported and fuelled post-Soviet secessionism. Therefore, it cannot deny its knowledge of the corrupt bases of the purported post-Soviet secessionist entities (lack of independence and origin in violation of peremptory norms of international law). Raising arguments based on the law of secession is, therefore, obviously made in bad faith. However, the normative impact of Russia’s mala fide arguments regarding the change in the international customary law of secession is limited, as the great majority of the international community rejects them.
There and Back Again, Russia’s Evolving Approach to the Freedom of Navigation
Authors: Rogiers Frederik 
Published: December 2024

Abstract
A State’s position on international law is “determined by the basic principles of its foreign policy.” Soviet international law scholar Gregorii Tunkin’s statement seems as valid as ever today. Russia’s aggression against Ukraine since 2014, the horrors of Bucha and Russia’s increasingly questionable statements leave little room for imagination that it is a nation that cares little for international law as Western nations see it. While Russia’s approach to international law has received increasing attention in recent years, not all fields of international law have been explored in equal depth. This article intends to put the spotlight on Russia’s evolving approach to one of the bedrock principles of the international law of the sea, the freedom of navigation and its corollary, the right of innocent passage, specifically for warships and government vessels. It will become clear that, rather than following in its footsteps, Russia is in many ways backtracking on the more liberal views developed by the Soviet-Union in its final years and is en route to embracing some modern form of closed seas doctrine.
Observed variability of temperature inversions over the Northern Bay of Bengal with emphasis on recent IOD years
Authors: Thomas Antony P. , Suneel V. , Karthika P. S. , Alex M. J. , Papa Fabrice , Rao V. Trinadha , Srinivas G. , Rao E. P. Rama , Sudheesh K. 
Published: December 2024

Abstract
Fourteen years of monthly repeated eXpendable Conductivity Temperature Depth sections across the northeastern Bay of Bengal were used to examine the inter-annual variability of temperature inversions during Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD) years. Data averaged over three regions at the latitude band of 15°-19°N along the Port Blair-Kolkata shipping transect reveal occurrences of temperature inversions during November-February. Notably, inversions with higher thickness (∼92m) and intensity (3.24 °C) occurred at relatively shallow depths (∼50m) during the 2012 positive IOD compared to the 2016 negative IOD (∼25m thickness, 1.91°C intensity, at 86m depth). The intensity of the inversion layer gradually weakened from Kolkata to Port Blair during the 2012 and 2019 positive IOD years and vice-versa during the co-occurrence of IOD with El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) in 2015. The observed stratification was higher during 2012 and 2019 positive IOD years. Salt budget analysis revealed that the advection of freshwater plumes was the primary reason for this observed high stratification. Interestingly, on average, the inversion layer occupied 73-86% of the Barrier Layer during the positive IOD years (2012 and 2019) and 40-55% during the 2016 nIOD year, from Kolkata to Port Blair. Heat budget analysis revealed that the net surface heat flux and penetrative shortwave radiation were the governing factors responsible for the observed inversion characteristics in the study region during different IOD phases. Our analysis indicates that undulations from westward propagating Rossby waves were the driving mechanism behind the shallow and deep occurrences of inversions in our study region during the positive (2012 and 2019) and negative (2016) phases of IOD. The changes in mixed layer temperature caused by these wave-processes were notably more dominant than the effect of the heat trapped in the inversion layer.
Enhanced Emergency Medical Services Case Definition to Identify Suspected Nonfatal Opioid Overdose–Related Incidents in Rhode Island
Authors: Rodriguez McClaren , Basta Melissa , Rhodes Jason , Hallowell Benjamin D. 
Published: December 2024

Objectives: To improve rapid detection and response to spikes in suspected nonfatal opioid overdoses in the community, the Rhode Island Department of Health (RIDOH) sought to modify its case definition to align with newly released guidance from the Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists (CSTE). Methods: RIDOH used CSTE guidance to create 2 alternative criteria (CSTE-guided and RIDOH-modified CSTE) to replace one of RIDOH’s original criteria. We gathered emergency medical services (EMS) records from 4 months in 2022 to determine whether they met any criteria, and we reviewed them to determine the accuracy of identifying an opioid overdose. We calculated the positive predictive value for each criterion individually and as a complete case definition (RIDOH original definition, CSTE-guided definition, and RIDOH-modified CSTE definition). Results: The RIDOH-modified CSTE case definition was adopted because it had a positive predictive value of 91.5% in identifying nonfatal opioid overdose–related EMS incidents, similar to the original definition (91.3%) and higher than the CSTE-guided definition (82.2%). The RIDOH-modified CSTE case definition identified 624 additional nonfatal opioid overdoses in EMS data from 2018 through 2022, a 7% increase from the original definition. Conclusions: The RIDOH-modified CSTE case definition increased RIDOH’s ability to detect suspected nonfatal opioid overdoses while maintaining the accuracy of the case definition. With the new case definition, RIDOH aims to improve allocation of resources to communities experiencing increased overdose burden.