bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Right to Life
Authors: Hsu Jimmy Chia-Shin 
Published: January 2024

Abstract
This chapter examines the right to life in East and Southeast Asia. It discusses three issues: capital punishment, the right to life of the unborn, and euthanasia. The chapter contends that the development of the right to life can be divided into two generations. In the first generation, the right to life is typically part and parcel of a constitutional due process clause. In the second generation, which emerged after the Second World War, the right to life is an entrenched free-standing right. Further, the early second generation allows capital punishment as an exception to the right to life, while the late second generation abolishes the exception. With respect to Asia, the chapter argues that the first and early second generations are the mainstay. On abortion, religious traditions matter. While countries in the Confucian cultural sphere are more permissive of abortion, countries with strong Islamic and Catholic influence are more restrictive. Lastly, active euthanasia and assisted suicide remain illegal in all East and Southeast Asian countries, while passive euthanasia is conditionally allowed in some.
Bodily Diversity and the Right to Bodily Integrity
Authors: O’Brien Wendy 
Published: January 2024

Abstract
Variations in sex characteristics are a naturally occurring part of the broader diversity of human biology and a powerful reminder that biological sex is a spectrum of variety that is falsely constructed as dimorphic. In the absence of broader community knowledge about naturally occurring variations in human biology, individuals with intersex traits are at risk of being characterized as troubling departures from the normative expectation that sexed bodies be either male or female. Individuals with bodily characteristics that exceed the dichotomous classifications on which both the medical and legal professions rely are regularly subjected to hyper-regulation in the form of unnecessary and harmful medical interventions including surgery and other acts of violence and exclusion. In the context of increasing recognition, internationally, of the harms of discrimination on the grounds of sex characteristics, this chapter identifies the importance of legal recognition and legal protections for persons with variations in sex characteristics.
Non-Discrimination on the Basis of Sexual Orientation in the Context of the Inter-American Human Rights System
Authors: Gutiérrez Castillo Victor Luis 
Published: January 2024

Abstract
The non-discrimination principle does not have a strict definition in the inter-American system. This category was included by the Inter-American Court of Human Rights within the term ‘any other social condition’ and so it was protected by the Inter-American Convention. The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights has repeatedly stated that the principle of nondiscrimination is one of the pillars of any democratic system and that it is one of the fundamental bases of the human rights protection system installed by the Organization of American States. The Inter-American Court of Human Rights has adopted many decisions on sexual orientation discrimination. This chapter analyses the role of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights and the Inter-American Court of Human Rights in upholding and protecting this principle. The chapter describes the evolution of key jurisprudence in this area over the past decade within the inter-American human rights system.
Italy
Authors: Chiussi Curzi Ludovica , Tanzi Attila 
Published: January 2024

Abstract
The essence of Italy’s approach to international law is dominated by ‘moderation’. The soul of the country in the matter can be distilled in three elements: moderate openness of its domestic legal order to international law; moderate stands in multilateral forums; a prolific academic community informed by temperate positions and by a moderate involvement in international practice. The chapter first unravels the permeability of the Italian legal system to international rules, as emerges from the post-World War II Constitution. It then singles out shadows of domestic legal protectionism, with special regard to the Italian judiciary. Italy’s compromising attitude in multilateral forums will also be highlighted, alongside some of the distinguishing features of Italian scholarship. The chapter concludes by emphasizing how, despite the frequent turnovers in government, moderation has allowed elements of continuity in the country’s stance on international law.
Ukraine
Authors: Gnatovskyy Mykola 
Published: January 2024

Abstract
The chapter on Ukraine, written amidst Russia’s full-scale war of aggression and territorial conquest waged against this country, seeks to provide elements for defining Ukraine’s place on the international law map of Europe. As references to history, or rather Russia’s own version of it, have been extensively relied on by Russia to deny Ukraine the right of sovereign existence, the chapter offers an overview of various stages of historical development of Ukraine’s international legal personality, from the beginnings of its statehood until the transformation of the atypical international legal personality of the Ukrainian SSR, a constituent part of the Soviet Union and simultaneously a founding member of the United Nations, into a fully sovereign State. It also highlights some of the key features of Ukraine’s international legal practice and broadly describes the development of the country’s own scholarship of the field.
Schools as Cultural Reproduction Devices
Authors: Fong Frankie T. K. , Erut Alejandro , Legare Cristine H. 
Published: January 2024

Abstract
A prevailing view of education is that schools are designed to teach academic content knowledge. Schools are thus predominantly studied in the context of content mastery and rarely from a cultural evolutionary perspective. The authors propose that schools should be studied as devices of cultural reproduction that foster cultural contact, transmission, and change, where children acquire specific cultural adaptations (e.g., learning a lingua franca) to be reproduced to fulfil particular cultural and ecological demands. They use historical examples to illustrate how schools support cultural stability and how they serve as the point of contact to deliver content. They discuss how schools contribute to cultural reproductions of knowledge and skills as well as values and identities. Finally, the authors raise important questions about the suitability of most traditional schools in satisfying current global changes and cultural demands.
Changing Dynamics of Untouchability
Authors: Waghmore Suryakant 
Published: January 2024

Abstract
This chapter argues that the traditional forms and ideas of untouchability are under severe duress due to migration, urbanization, protective-preventive and compensatory legal measures and more importantly due to assertion and activism of ex-untouchable castes. Paradoxically withering of the caste system and eradication of untouchability is accompanied with increased violence against untouchables in rural areas and newer forms of exclusion of untouchables in urban areas. Despite limitations, urban India promises better possibilities of dignity and equality for ex-untouchables.
Dalit Movements in India
Authors: Gorringe Hugo , Damodaran Karthikeyan 
Published: January 2024

Abstract
This chapter focuses on Dalit mobilisation across India. Following a recent directive from the BJP government against using ‘Dalit’ in official communication, it begins by discussing the meaning and history of the term ‘Dalit’. It then explores the history of anti-caste protest and looks at more contemporary developments and debates. Against accounts of a ‘harmonious’ past, we detail pre-colonial proto-movements, examine the role of Dalit movements in debates around Independence, and then bring readers up to date with contemporary mobilisations. We conclude by engaging with claims that Dalits are engaged in ‘reverse-casteism’, and highlight the continued need for movements against caste for social justice.
Caste and the Diaspora
Authors: Modi Radha 
Published: January 2024

Abstract
The significance of caste within the South Asian diaspora continues to be a contested issue. The ongoing debate and inquiry point to a fundamental question in caste scholarship. Can the caste system endure outside of the South Asian subcontinent? If caste does endure, what are the mechanisms of that reproduction? This chapter answers both questions by exploring multiple factors such as the type of migration (indentured or free), caste status at the time of migration, quality and continuity of networks in both sending and receiving countries, immigration policies in host countries, family unification and structure, religious practices, intercaste relations, and caste discrimination. I conclude that caste continues to be a significant social organizing tool for South Asian diasporic communities and it has a meaningful impact on important life outcomes.
Genomic analysis reveals phylogeny of Zygophyllales and mechanism for water retention of a succulent xerophyte
Authors: Ma Qing , Liu Hai-Shuang , Li Hu-Jun , Bai Wan-Peng , Gao Qi-Fei , Wu Sheng-Dan , Yin Xiu-Xia , Chen Qin-Qin , Shi Ya-Qi , Gao Tian-Ge , Bao Ai-Ke , Yin Hong-Ju , Li Li , Rowland Owen , Hepworth Shelley R , Luan Sheng , Wang Suo-Min 
Published: January 2024

Abstract
Revealing the genetic basis for stress-resistant traits in extremophile plants will yield important information for crop improvement. Zygophyllum xanthoxylum, an extant species of the ancient Mediterranean, is a succulent xerophyte that can maintain a favorable water status under desert habitats; however, the genetic basis of this adaptive trait is poorly understood. Furthermore, the phylogenetic position of Zygophyllales, to which Z. xanthoxylum belongs, remains controversial. In this study, we sequenced and assembled the chromosome-level genome of Z. xanthoxylum. Phylogenetic analysis showed that Zygophyllales and Myrtales form a separated taxon as a sister to the clade comprising fabids and malvids, clarifying the phylogenetic position of Zygophyllales at whole-genome scale. Analysis of genomic and transcriptomic data revealed multiple critical mechanisms underlying the efficient osmotic adjustment using Na+ and K+ as “cheap" osmolytes that Z. xanthoxylum has evolved through the expansion and synchronized expression of genes encoding key transporters/channels and their regulators involved in Na+/K+ uptake, transport, and compartmentation. It is worth noting that ZxCNGC1;1 (cyclic nucleotide-gated channels) and ZxCNGC1;2 constituted a previously undiscovered energy-saving pathway for Na+ uptake. Meanwhile, the core genes involved in biosynthesis of cuticular wax also featured an expansion and upregulated expression, contributing to the water retention capacity of Z. xanthoxylum under desert environments. Overall, these findings boost the understanding of evolutionary relationships of eudicots, illustrate the unique water retention mechanism in the succulent xerophyte that is distinct from glycophyte, and thus provide valuable genetic resources for the improvement of stress tolerance in crops and insights into the remediation of sodic lands.
Marriage Market and Labour Market Sorting
Authors: Calvo Paula , Lindenlaub Ilse , Reynoso Ana 
Published: January 2024

Abstract
We develop a new equilibrium model in which households’ labour supply choices form the link between sorting on the marriage market and sorting on the labour market. We first show that in theory, the nature of home production—whether partners’ hours are complements or substitutes—shapes equilibrium labour supply as well as marriage and labour market sorting. We then estimate our model using German data to empirically assess the nature of home production, and find that spouses’ home hours are complements. We investigate to what extent complementarity in home hours drives sorting and inequality. We find that home production complementarity strengthens positive marriage sorting and reduces the gender gap in hours and in labour sorting. This puts significant downward pressure on the gender wage gap and on within-household income inequality, but fuels between-household inequality. Our estimated model sheds new light on the sources of inequality in today’s Germany, and—by identifying important shifts in home production technology toward more complementarity—on the evolution of inequality over time.
Integrated bioinformatics analysis identifies a Ferroptosis-related gene signature as prognosis model and potential therapeutic target of bladder cancer
Authors: Liu Zonglai , Du Dan , Zhang Shizhong 
Published: January 2024

AbstractBackgroundBladder cancer (BLCA) is one of the most prevalent cancers worldwide. Ferroptosis is a newly discovered form of non-apoptotic cell death that plays an important role in tumors. However, the prognostic value of ferroptosis-related genes (FRGs) in BLCA has not yet been well studied.Method and materialsIn this study, we performed consensus clustering based on FRGS and categorized BLCA patients into 2 clusters (C1 and C2). Immune cell infiltration score and immune score for each sample were computed using the CIBERSORT and ESTIMATE methods. Functional annotation of differentially expressed genes were performed by Gene Ontology (GO) and KEGG pathway enrichment analysis. Protein expression validation were confirmed in Human Protein Atlas. Gene expression validation were performed by qPCR in human bladder cancer cell lines lysis samples.ResultC2 had a significant survival advantage and higher immune infiltration levels than C1. Additionally, C2 showed substantially higher expression levels of immune checkpoint markers than C1. According to the Cox and LASSO regression analyses, a novel ferroptosis-related prognostic signature was developed to predict the prognosis of BLCA effectively. High-risk and low-risk groups were divided according to risk scores. Kaplan–Meier survival analyses showed that the high-risk group had a shorter overall survival than the low-risk group throughout the cohort. Furthermore, a nomogram combining risk score and clinical features was developed. Finally, SLC39A7 was identified as a potential target in bladder cancer.DiscussionIn conclusion, we identified two ferroptosis-clusters with different prognoses using consensus clustering in BLCA. We also developed a ferroptosis-related prognostic signature and nomogram, which could indicate the outcome.
The benefits of woody plant stem photosynthesis extend to hydraulic function and drought survival in Parkinsonia florida
Authors: Ávila-Lovera Eleinis , Haro Roxana , Choudhary Manika , Acosta-Rangel Aleyda , Pratt R Brandon , Santiago Louis S 
Published: January 2024

Abstract
As climate change exacerbates drought stress in many parts of the world, understanding plant physiological mechanisms for drought survival is critical to predicting ecosystem responses. Stem net photosynthesis, which is common in arid environments, may be a drought survival trait, but whether the additional carbon fixed by stems contributes to plant hydraulic function and drought survival in arid land plants is untested. We conducted a stem light-exclusion experiment on saplings of a widespread North American desert tree species, Parkinsonia florida L., and after shading acclimation, we then subjected half of the plants to a drought treatment to test the interaction between light exclusion and water limitation on growth, leaf and stem photosynthetic gas exchange, xylem embolism assessed with micro-computed tomography and gravimetric techniques, and survival. Growth, stem photosynthetic gas exchange, hydraulic function and survival all showed expected reductions in response to light exclusion. However, stem photosynthesis mitigated the drought-induced reductions in gas exchange, xylem embolism (percent loss of conductivity, PLC) and mortality. The highest mortality was in the combined light exclusion and drought treatment, and was related to stem PLC and native sapwood-specific hydraulic conductivity. This research highlights the integration of carbon economy and water transport. Our results show that additional carbon income by photosynthetic stems has an important role in the growth and survival of a widespread desert tree species during drought. This shift in function under conditions of increasing stress underscores the importance of considering stem photosynthesis for predicting drought-induced mortality not only for the additional supply of carbon, but also for its extended benefits for hydraulic function.
Morphological change and genome-wide transcript analysis of Haloxylon ammodendron leaf development reveals morphological characteristics and genes associated with the different C3 and C4 photosynthetic metabolic pathways
Authors: Zhang Lingling , Peng Jieying , Zhang Anna , Zhang Sheng 
Published: January 2024

Abstract
C4 photosynthesis outperforms C3 photosynthesis in natural ecosystems by maintaining a high photosynthetic rate and affording higher water-use and nitrogen-use efficiencies. C4 plants can survive in environments with poor living conditions, such as high temperatures and arid regions, and will be crucial to ecological and agricultural security in the face of global climate change in the future. However, the genetic architecture of C4 photosynthesis remains largely unclear, especially the genetic regulation of C4 Kranz anatomy. Haloxylon ammodendron is an important afforestation tree species and a valuable C4 wood plant in the desert region. The unique characteristic of H. ammodendron is that, during the seedling stage, it utilizes C3 photosynthesis, while in mature assimilating shoots (maAS), it switches to the C4 pathway. This makes an exceptional opportunity for studying the development of the C4 Kranz anatomy and metabolic pathways within individual plants (identical genome). To provide broader insight into the regulation of Kranz anatomy and non-Kranz leaves of the C4 plant H. ammodendron, carbon isotope values, anatomical sections and transcriptome analyses were used to better understand the molecular and cellular processes related to the development of C4 Kranz anatomy. This study revealed that H. ammodendron conducts C3 in the cotyledon before it switches to C4 in AS. However, the switching requires a developmental process. Stable carbon isotope discrimination measurements on three different developmental stages showed that young AS have a C3-like δ13C even though C4 Kranz anatomy is found, which is inconsistent with the anatomical findings. A C4-like δ13C can be measured in AS until they are mature. The expression analysis of C4 key genes also showed that the maAS exhibited higher expression than the young AS. In addition, many genes that may be related to the development of Kranz anatomy were screened. Comparison of gene expression patterns with respect to anatomy during leaf ontogeny provided insight into the genetic features of Kranz anatomy. This study helps with our understanding of the development of Kranz anatomy and provides future directions for studies on key C4 regulatory genes.
Detection and Characterization of Endplate Structural Defects on CT
Authors: Lawan Aliyu , Leung Andrew , Leung Stephanie , Faul James , Umoh Joseph U. , Holdsworth David W. , Bryant Dianne M. , Battié Michele C. 
Published: January 2024

Study Design.
Diagnostic test study.

Objective.
To determine the reliability and validity or diagnostic accuracy of two previously described endplate structural defect (EPSD) assessment methods.

Summary of Background Data.
Studies of EPSD may further the understanding of pathoanatomic mechanisms underlying back pain. However, clinical imaging methods used to document EPSD have not been validated, leaving uncertainty about what the observations represent.

Materials and Methods.
Using an evaluation manual, 418 endplates on CT sagittal slices obtained from 19 embalmed cadavers (9 men and 10 women, aged 62–91 yr) were independently assessed by two experienced radiologists and a novice for EPSD using the two methods. The corresponding micro-CT (µCT) from the harvested T7-S1 spines were assessed by another independent rater with excellent intra-rater reliability (k=0.96).

Results.
Inter-rater reliability was good for the presence (k=0.60–0.69) and fair for specific phenotypes (k=0.43-0.58) of EPSD. Erosion, for which the Brayda-Bruno classification lacked a category, was mainly (82.8%) classified as wavy/irregular, while many notched defects (n=15, 46.9%) and Schmorl’s nodes (n=45, 79%) were recorded as focal defects using Feng’s classification. When compared to µCT, endplate fractures (n=53) and corner defects (n=28) were routinely missed on CT. Endplates classified as wavy/irregular on CT corresponded to erosion (n=29, 21.2%), jagged defects (n=21, 15.3%), calcification (n=19, 13.9%), and other phenotypes on µCT. Some focal defects on CT represented endplate fractures (n=21, 27.6%) on µCT. Overall, with respect to the presence of an EPSD, there was a sensitivity of 70.9% and a specificity of 79.1% using Feng's method, and 79.5% and 57.5% using Brayda-Bruno's method. Poor to fair inter-rater reliability (k=0.26–0.47) was observed for defect dimensions.

Conclusion.
There was good inter-rater reliability and evidence of criterion validity supporting assessments of EPSD presence using both methods. However, neither method contained all needed EPSD phenotypes for optimal sensitivity, and specific phenotypes were often misclassified.
Phalloplasty Flap Salvage Using a Superficial Circumflex Iliac Artery Perforator Propeller Flap
Authors: Rochlin Danielle H. , Lin Walter , Reitz Robert J. , Chen Mang , Buntic Rudy , Watt Andrew , Safa Bauback 
Published: January 2024

Background:
Partial phalloplasty flap loss presents an evolving challenge, largely due to the complex demands required for both aesthetics and function. We describe our novel experience using the superficial circumflex iliac perforator (SCIP) propeller flap for neophallus salvage when skin grafting alone provides insufficient soft tissue bulk or coverage.

Methods:
We retrospectively reviewed patients who underwent SCIP propeller flap reconstruction after phalloplasty partial flap loss. After suprafascial dissection, superficial circumflex iliac vessel perforator(s) were isolated toward the femoral origin. The flap was rotated 180 degrees and inset into the ventral or distal neophallus depending on the region of flap loss. If glans reconstruction was required, the flap was tubularized before inset. Division and inset were performed at a second stage, followed by subsequent glansplasty, urethral creation, and/or penile implant placement.

Results:
SCIP propeller flap reconstruction was performed for four patients after one to six debridements at a mean of 6.5 (range 1.0-19.2) months following the initial phalloplasty. Three patients had lost the ventral phallus due to venous insufficiency, arterial insufficiency, and excessive postoperative swelling, respectively. The fourth patient experienced near-total loss of the glans following penile implant insertion. Division and inset was performed at an average of 7.5 (range 5.0-12.0) weeks after SCIP flap. There were no complications related to SCIP flap viability.

Conclusion:
The SCIP propeller flap allows salvage of partial flap loss following phalloplasty by providing thin, pliable soft tissue bulk and skin coverage with minimal donor site morbidity, without the need for microsurgery, allowing progression with subsequent reconstructive stages.