bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Upregulation of Phosphodiesterase 7A Contributes to Concurrent Pain and Depression via Inhibition of cAMP-PKA-CREB-BDNF Signaling and Neuroinflammation in the Hippocampus of Mice
Authors: Chen Shi-cai , Chen Yan-han , Song Yan , Zong Shu-hua , Wu Ming-xia , Wang Wei , Wang Hao , Zhang Feng , Zhou Yan-meng , Yu Hai-yang , Zhang Han-ting , Zhang Fang-fang
Published: September 2024

Background

Phosphodiesterases (PDEs) are enzymes that catalyze the hydrolysis of cyclic adenosine monophosphate AMP (cAMP) and/or cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP). PDE inhibitors can mitigate chronic pain and depression when these disorders occur individually; however, there is limited understanding of their role in concurrent chronic pain and depression. We aimed to evaluate the mechanisms of action of PDE using 2 mouse models of concurrent chronic pain and depression.

Methods

C57BL/6J mice were subjected to partial sciatic nerve ligation (PSNL) to induce chronic neuropathic pain or injected with complete Freund’s adjuvant (CFA) to induce inflammatory pain, and both animals showed depression-like behavior. First, we determined the change in PDE expression in both animal models. Next, we determined the effect of PDE7 inhibitor BRL50481 or hippocampal PDE7A knockdown on PSNL- or CFA-induced chronic pain and depression-like behavior. We also investigated the role of cAMP-protein kinase A (PKA)-cAMP response element binding protein (CREB)-brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) signaling and neuroinflammation in the effect of PDE7A inhibition on PSNL- or CFA-induced chronic pain and depression-like behavior.

Results

This induction of chronic pain and depression in the 2 animal models upregulated hippocampal PDE7A. Oral administration of PDE7 inhibitor, BRL50481, or hippocampal PDE7A knockdown significantly reduced mechanical hypersensitivity and depression-like behavior. Hippocampal PDE7 inhibition reversed PSNL- or CFA-induced downregulation of cAMP and BDNF and the phosphorylation of PKA, CREB, and p65. cAMP agonist forskolin reversed these changes and caused milder behavioral symptoms of pain and depression. BRL50481 reversed neuroinflammation in the hippocampus in PSNL mice.

Conclusions

Hippocampal PDE7A mediated concurrent chronic pain and depression in both mouse models by inhibiting cAMP-PKA-CREB-BDNF signaling. Inhibiting PDE7A or activating cAMP-PKA-CREB-BDNF signaling are potential strategies to treat concurrent chronic pain and depression.
Antimicrobial resistance profiles of and associated risk factors for Pseudomonas aeruginosa nosocomial infection among patients at two tertiary healthcare facilities in Lusaka and Copperbelt Provinces, Zambia
Authors: Mukomena Patrice Ntanda , Simuunza Martin , Munsaka Sody , Kwenda Geoffrey , Bumbangi Flavien , Yamba Kaunda , Kabwe Josephine , Kayembe Jean-Marie , Muma John Bwalya
Published: September 2024

Background

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) of pathogens such as Pseudomonas aeruginosa is among the top 10 threats to global health. However, clinical and molecular data are scarce in Zambia. We, therefore, evaluated the AMR profiles of P. aeruginosa nosocomial infections (NIs).

Methods

A year-long hospital-based cross-sectional study was conducted at two large tertiary-level hospitals in Zambia. Patients with current or previous hospital contact were screened for NIs. The current study focused on patients diagnosed with P. aeruginosa NIs. Clinical specimens were collected for bacteriological culture, and PCR amplification of 16S rRNA gene fragments was performed on pure isolates. Hospital or NIs were defined as infections that arise during hospitalization, occurring at least 48 h after admission. The Kirby–Bauer’s disk diffusion method was used to evaluate antibiotic resistance patterns. The association between AMR and risk factors was analysed using the χ2 test.

Results

Eight hundred and forty-one patients were screened, and clinical specimens were collected and analysed. Of them, 116 (13.7%) were diagnosed with P. aeruginosa NIs. The participants’ ages ranged from 15 to 98 years, with a mean of 51 (SD ± 18). Catheter-associated urinary tract infections (57%) were the most common, followed by pressure sores (38.7%). P. aeruginosa isolates were primarily susceptible to amikacin, which had the highest resistance to FEP. We observed a high prevalence of multidrug resistance (73.6%). The AMR was associated with carbapenem-hydrolysing β-lactamase gene blaOXA-51 and surgical care.

Conclusions

This study has demonstrated that multidrug-resistant P. aeruginosa is prevalent in hospitals in Zambia’s Lusaka and Ndola districts and possibly countrywide.
Drafting History*
Authors: Khan Daniel-Erasmus
Published: September 2024

This chapter traces the drafting history of the UN Charter from the genesis of the United Nations at the time the collapse of the League of Nations became evident and the war triggered by the aggression of Nazi Germany widened into a world war thus raising the inevitable question of a new legal world order for the post-war era. The chapter then identifies four phases in which the constitutive instrument of the UN was conceived, negotiated, drafted, signed, and ratified. It looks at the stages in the creation of the new world organization, considering the Dumbarton Oaks Conference, the Yalta compromise, and the Founding Conference. The chapter also discusses the selection of the site of the UN headquarters as well as the transition from the League of Nations to the United Nations.
Reform
Authors: Rensmann Thilo
Published: September 2024

This chapter begins by looking at the concept of reform, a process in which political and legal elements are inextricably intertwined. What measures will improve the UN’s effectiveness and efficiency and hence constitute a ‘change for the better’ is largely a matter of political judgement. Indeed, the process of reforming the UN has a distinct political dimension insofar as it responds to changes in political reality, requires political judgement and initiative, and is dependent on mustering the requisite political support amongst the member States. At the same time, however, it remains firmly embedded in the ‘constitutional’ framework of the Charter. The role of the Charter within this process encompasses three dimensions: the Charter is a programme for reform; it imposes limits on reform; and it may itself be the object of reform. The chapter then identifies different phases of reform, considering the Cold War and collective security; decolonization; administrative and budgetary reform; the 2005 World Summit; and the Sustainable Development Goals.
Article 1
Authors: Kleinlein Thomas
Published: September 2024

This chapter evaluates Art 1 of the UN Charter. Article 1 defines four ‘purposes’ of the United Nations: to maintain international peace and security; to develop friendly relations among nations based on respect for the principle of equal rights and self-determination of peoples; to achieve international cooperation in solving international problems of an economic, social, cultural, or humanitarian character; and to be a centre for harmonizing the actions of nations in the attainment of these common ends. These four purposes are obviously vague and thus contribute to the nature of the UN as a political organization. However, the purposes of the Organization are legally binding both for its member States as State parties to the Charter and for its organs and agencies. From the case law, it is not clear whether the enumeration of purposes attributes powers to the UN and is per se sufficient authorization for its organs to act.
Article 2 (2)
Authors: Kolb Robert
Published: September 2024

This chapter assesses Art 2 (2) of the UN Charter. Article 2 (2) lays down the obligation for all members of the UN to fulfil their obligations ‘in accordance with the present Charter’. Technically, two interpretations of this sentence are possible. First, that the members are called upon to fulfil all—but only—the obligations under international law that can be reconciled with the law of the Charter. Conversely, obligations contrary to the Charter should not so be fulfilled. Second, that the members shall apply all their obligations under international law against the backdrop of the Charter by using the latter as a touchstone of interpretation. Both interpretations can be squared with the text of Art 2 (2). The chapter then looks at the specific content of the obligation of good faith in the framework of the Charter, as well as its application in UN practice.
Article 2 (3)
Authors: Tomuschat Christian
Published: September 2024

This chapter addresses Art 2 (3) of the UN Charter. The core element of Art 2 (3) is constituted by the concept of dispute and the means suited to bring about a peaceful settlement to any such disturbance in international relations. No distinction is made in Art 2 (3) between ‘political’ and ‘legal’ disputes in departure from a traditional line of doctrinal thinking. Obviously, however, any dispute brought before the International Court of Justice must be related to some legal norm and cannot be derived solely from political claims. All disputes between and among States contain political elements that do not impede their assessment according to legal standards. The chapter then looks at the elaboration of the principle of the peaceful settlement of disputes in the practice of the United Nations.
Article 2 (7)*
Authors: Nolte Georg
Published: September 2024

This chapter discusses Art 2 (7) of the UN Charter. According to its text, Art 2 (7) protects member States only against acts of the UN and not against acts of other member States. It was originally intended to strengthen the protection of States against incursions by the new collective security organization into their domestic affairs. In practice, however, Art 2 (7) has been increasingly eroded and emptied of substance. This not so much because the term ‘intervention’ has been narrowly interpreted but rather because more and more matters are no longer recognized as belonging to the domestic jurisdiction of States. This development raises the question of whether Art 2 (7) has become largely obsolete or whether a new interpretation is necessary.
Self-Determination
Authors: Oeter Stefan
Published: September 2024

This chapter discusses the right of self-determination as a concept of the UN Charter. The right of self-determination is mentioned in the UN Charter in Art 1 (2). With this reference, guaranteeing self-determination of all nations became a central political purpose of the United Nations, inextricably linked with the purpose of achieving friendly relations among nations. Such friendly relations should be based—according to the Charter—on respect for the principle of equal rights and self-determination of peoples. Such wording already indicates that the drafters considered self-determination to be a fundamental principle of international law. Although Art 1 (2), due to its programmatic character, cannot define in detail the content and scope of a right to self-determination, it sets beyond dispute that it forms part of the law of the Charter and is binding upon all members of the UN. Self-determination is also explicitly mentioned in Art 55 of the Charter.
Article 4
Authors: Riznik Donald , Fastenrath Ulrich
Published: September 2024

This chapter evaluates Art 4 of the UN Charter, which governs subsequent membership in the United Nations. It sets out the material requirements for subsequent UN membership and the associated procedure involving the two main organs of the UN, the Security Council and the General Assembly. From the beginning, it had been undisputed that the UN, as an organization to preserve world peace and security, should have as broad a membership as possible. Nevertheless, the San Francisco Conference did not opt for the idea of automatic membership for all States, which would have guaranteed the UN’s absolute universality. Instead, it was thought that the objectives of the UN would be better and more effectively realized under a concept of conditional universality. In the course of decolonization, however, the concept of conditional universality seems to have been largely replaced by a concept of automatic admission. With the admission of (mostly decolonized) developing States, the UN assumed responsibility for providing multilateral support to States characterized by weak statehood.
Article 14
Authors: Thielbörger Pierre
Published: September 2024

This chapter examines Art 14 of the UN Charter. At its core, Art 14 gives the General Assembly the competence to recommend the adjustment of any situation—including, arguably, treaties—if otherwise the general welfare or international relations between States were likely to be impaired. The background to this provision is the idea that at times a given situation can become incompatible with the changed political, economic, or cultural reality so that international tensions could arise. The question then is should and can the situation be brought ‘up to date’, and by which mechanism and on whose initiative? Article 14 is sometimes said to have become more or less irrelevant today. Indeed, a large part of the GA’s work today lies in making recommendations for peaceful change.
Article 15
Authors: Tichy Helmut , Bittner Philip
Published: September 2024

This chapter evaluates Art 15 of the UN Charter, which is one of the provisions of the Charter that define the central position of the General Assembly within the structure of the Organization. The GA is the only principal organ that receives and considers reports from all other principal organs and, therefore, exercises the ‘function of overall review of the work of the Organization’. All other principal organs are accountable to the GA, although to varying degrees. The GA exercises its review function primarily through the consideration of the annual reports of the other principal organs. Each of these annual reports is structured differently, according to the specific needs of the respective organ, but they all give an account of the activities of the organ during the reporting period. These reports are essential for deliberations in the GA and for taking action in the form of resolutions and decisions.
Article 17
Authors: Mangelsdorf Hans-Christian
Published: September 2024

This chapter focuses on Art 17 of the UN Charter. The first two paragraphs of Art 17 circumscribe the fiscal powers of the General Assembly to approve the budget and to apportion the expenses of the Organization. Together with the requirement of a two-thirds majority present and voting on budgetary questions prescribed by Art 18 (2), and the loss of voting rights according to Art 19 of a member whose contributions are in arrears for the two preceding years, they represent the foundation pillars of the fiscal constitution of the Organization. Both the financial management and general management of the Organization have evolved significantly over the last decades. The Organization has developed or incorporated various governance practices leading to a rich set of rules, regulations, and policies. The chapter then considers the third paragraph of Art 17, which defines the authority of the GA in administrative, financial, and budgetary matters with regard to specialized agencies.
Article 22
Authors: Khan Daniel-Erasmus , Kirchmair Lando
Published: September 2024

This chapter studies Art 22 of the UN Charter, which provides an important legal basis for the complex organizational structure of the UN. Under Art 22, ‘the General Assembly may establish such subsidiary organs as it deems necessary for the performance of its functions’. Today, diversity is still the dominant feature of the GA’s organizational sub-structure. Indeed, due to an enormously wide range of organizational forms; of the fields and scope of activities; of duration and methods of appointment and termination; of the legal, institutional, and factual ties with the GA itself; and the lack of any kind of uniformity in the terminology used for denomination purposes, attempts to put the subsidiary organs established under Art 22 into the straitjacket of doctrinal ‘typology’ have hitherto failed to produce satisfying results. Even the UN itself has not succeeded in producing any kind of classification.
Article 23
Authors: von Arnauld Andreas
Published: September 2024

This chapter discusses Art 23 of the UN Charter. Following the Dumbarton Oaks Proposals, the original version of Art 23 (1) provided that the Security Council should consist of eleven members, five permanent and six non-permanent. The significant rise in UN membership in the course of decolonization pressed for an amendment to the Charter which was effected in 1965. Thus, the number of non-permanent members was raised to ten. To keep the SC small and capable of acting, according to Art 23 (3), each SC member has only one representative. As State representatives, these ‘are bound to act in conformity with the instructions given to them by the competent organs of their states’. Ultimately, the SC’s composition of two groups of members, permanent and non-permanent, influences the distribution of power within the SC.
Article 28
Authors: Bühler Konrad
Published: September 2024

This chapter focuses on Art 28 of the UN Charter. Learning the lessons from the failures of the League of Nations, the main idea behind Art 28 was to create a more effective executive organ of the new Organization that would be able to act promptly in order to discharge its primary responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security. Article 28 is composed of three separate paragraphs: Art 28 (1) stipulates the ‘continuous functioning’ of the Security Council, for which purpose the members of the SC shall be ‘represented at all times’ at the seat of the UN. Article 8 (2) deals with SC meetings at which the SC members are, as a rule, represented by ‘a member of the government or by some other specially designated representative’. Article 28 (3), which covers both ordinary and extraordinary meetings, deals with the places where the meetings may be held.
Article 29
Authors: Lippold Matthias , Paulus Andreas
Published: September 2024

This chapter assesses Art 29 of the UN Charter. In line with the general authority contained in Art 7 (2) of the Charter, Art 29 empowers the Security Council to establish subsidiary organs to perform its functions effectively. Due to the limited size of its membership, the SC has greater leeway for effective action than the General Assembly. The SC depends on the support of more flexible subsidiary organs in carrying out its duties of investigating, negotiating, administering, and offering services. In addition, subsidiary organs such as the international criminal tribunals for the former Yugoslavia and Rwanda, the International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals (IRMCT), or the UN Compensation Commission can perform tasks which the SC cannot perform itself, namely the adjudication of claims and the prosecution of alleged offenders of international criminal law. While Art 29 focuses on the procedural aspect of subsidiary organs and their establishment, it does not set out their substantive limits.
Article 30
Authors: Rodiles Alejandro
Published: September 2024

This chapter addresses Art 30 of the UN Charter, the normative content of which is brief. The first section provides that the Security Council, and no other UN body, has the competence to adopt its rules of procedure. The second section makes clear that the rules concerning the President of the SC form part of the rules of procedure which come under the first section and are thus also to be decided by the SC. In this way, the Charter implicitly provides that the SC shall have a president. As a corollary to these provisions, it is often said that the SC is ‘master of its procedure’ and, in any event, it is not subordinate to any other UN body.
Article 37*
Authors: Giegerich Thomas
Published: September 2024

This chapter discusses Art 37 of the UN Charter, which supplements cases in which the parties to a dispute with the potential of endangering the maintenance of international peace and security have been unable to settle the dispute on their own. It points out that the use of force is no longer an acceptable means of settling disputes in the UN era. It also describes the League Covenant that placed greater emphasis on the actual settlement of disputes, while the UN Charter is primarily concerned with preventing breaches of the peace to which they may give rise. The chapter explores how serious disputes that remain unsettled can lead to tensions that may ultimately lead to armed conflict. It explains that the UN Charter was conceived to ensure that armed force will not be used.
Peacekeeping
Authors: Bothe Michael
Published: September 2024

This chapter discusses the term ‘peacekeeping’, which describes a type of military action used as a tool in the United Nations system of collective security. It explains that peace was designed as an alternative to enforcement action or enforcement measures that imply the use of military force. It also details how the League of Nations and the UN Charter established a system of collective security where coercion exercised by the international community against a State threatening or breaking the peace has been an essential element. The chapter recounts the case of the attacks by North Korea and China on South Korea in 1950, where the Security Council recommended that member States assist the victim and allowed the coalition to use the flag of the United Nations. It describes the concept of the use of military components based on consent and cooperation.
Introduction to Chapter VII: The General Framework
Authors: de Wet Erika
Published: September 2024

This chapter highlights Chapter VII of the UN Charter, wherein the Security Council enjoys greater powers than any other international organ in the history of international organizations. It details how the SC may take enforcement action and resort to military measures in order to deal effectively with threats to the peace and how the UN Charter poses few express limitations to such action. It also discusses the decision to grant the SC broad powers, which was mainly a reaction to the unsatisfactory experience with the system of sanctions in the framework of the League of Nations. The chapter describes the League Covenant that had enforced international responsibilities by the community of nations. It emphasizes that member States were obligated to take independent measures against a law-breaker.
Article 39
Authors: de Wet Erika
Published: September 2024

This chapter covers Art 39 of the UN Charter, which opens the way for the adoption of enforcement measures in cases of threats to the peace and breaches of the peace or acts of aggression. It considers Art 39 as the single most important provision of the Charter. It also discusses the travaux préparatoires for Art 39 which allow the Security Council to take enforcement action in a broad range of cases and not to subject it to severe restrictions in its decision of when to act. The chapter describes various States that have sought to ensure consistent and predictable enforcement action by defining its prerequisites. It emphasizes how the SC enjoys considerable discretion in determining whether a threat to the peace, a breach of the peace, or an act of aggression exists.
Article 42
Authors: de Wet Erika
Published: September 2024

This chapter discusses Art 42 of the UN Charter, which represents a fundamental innovation with respect to the League of Nations Covenant and its unanimous adoption at the San Francisco Conference where States made forces available to the SC for the purpose of military enforcement. It also discusses States that criticized the United Kingdom, the United States, and France for their abusive interpretation of the mandate to use force in Libya. The chapter recounts the Libya fallout and lingering resentment about the abusive interpretation of the resolutions that preceded the 2003 Iraq invasion, which have made it difficult to adopt any type of measures in relation to any major conflict. It points how the Security Council can opt for Art 42 on the basis of a mere prognosis of the ineffectiveness of other measures.
Article 52
Authors: Walter Christian
Published: September 2024

This chapter discusses Art 52 of the UN Charter, which recognizes member States’ freedom to create regional arrangements or agencies. It considers the concept of region and the question of the institutional structures required for an organization to qualify as a regional arrangement or agency as a matter of debate. It also deals with the respective roles of regional organizations and the UN regarding peaceful settlement of international disputes. The chapter addresses the obligations of member States and looks at the relationship between the UN and regional organizations from the perspective of the Security Council. It describes the legal effects of Art 52, which do not extend beyond recognizing that regional security arrangements are compatible with the UN Charter.
Article 53
Authors: Walter Christian
Published: September 2024

This chapter reviews Art 53 of the UN Charter, which has the function of regulating the permissibility of enforcement action by regional arrangements or agencies. It mentions the possibility of the Security Council to decide on the necessity of enforcement measures and utilize regional arrangements to carry them out. It also discusses regional arrangements that may decide on the necessity of enforcement measures and seek the SC’s authorization in order to be able to carry them out legally. The chapter covers specific measures with regard to former enemy States. It deals with the relationship between the UN and regional organizations for enforcement action.
Climate Change
Authors: Rajamani Lavanya
Published: September 2024

This chapter describes how the international community has been grappling with the complex, polycentric challenge of climate change since the late 1980s. It covers the three instruments the States have negotiated under the auspices of the United Nations: the 1992 UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (FCCC), the 1997 Kyoto Protocol, and the 2015 Paris Agreement. It also traces how the States have experimented with different treaty design and regulatory approaches in response to evolving geo-political imperatives, increasing scientific certainty and gathering popular and political salience of climate change. The chapter provides an overview of international regulatory efforts to address climate change and seeks to answer the question to what extent the UN climate regime is suited to extracting the deep cooperation necessary to address the existential threat of climate change.
Article 58
Authors: Nesi Nicola , Waibel Michael
Published: September 2024

This chapter discusses Art 58 of the UN Charter, which is concerned with how to coordinate the policies and activities of specialized agencies with the UN. It considers recommendations as the only tool for coordination mentioned in Art 58. It also covers the principal organs of the UN, the variety of forms that recommendations take in the practice of UN, and the substantive coordination in areas of overlapping competences. The chapter details how Art 58 places the UN in a hierarchically superior position to the specialized agencies, which themselves are international organizations. It explains that the Organization in the practice of the UN under Art 58 refers only to the General Assembly, Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), and the Secretary-General.
Article 59
Authors: Nesi Nicola , Waibel Michael
Published: September 2024

This chapter explores Art 59 of the UN Charter, which empowers the UN to initiate negotiations to create new specialized agencies. It points out how the UN has no meaningful obligation to initiate negotiations and in practice retains discretion over when to do so. It also provides a template rooted in multilateralism and cooperation, which may play a greater role in the future. The chapter details how Art 59 is premised on the impossibility and undesirability of the UN being a single, all-encompassing international organization. It looks at the rationale for Art 59 and its initiation of new specialized agencies in order to address the emergence of new challenges that require international cooperation.
Article 63
Authors: Dey Shuvra , Krajewski Markus
Published: September 2024

This chapter highlights Art 63 of the UN Charter, which contains the instruments through which the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) coordinates the relationship between the Organization and the specialized agencies. It clarifies that paragraph 1 provides the legal basis for formal agreements between the UN and the specialized agencies, while paragraph 2 refers more generally to coordination of activities. It also points out how Art 63 enables the UN to establish the institutional framework constituting the network of international organizations and institutions commonly referred to as the ‘UN family’. The chapter describes various groups of relationship agreements, such as relationship agreements with most specialized agencies in order to establish close relationships.
Article 64
Authors: Klimke Romy , Tietje Christian
Published: September 2024

This chapter discusses Art 64 of the UN Charter, which concerns the relationship between the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) and the specialized agencies, the member States of the UN, and the General Assembly. It notes paragraph 1 of Art 64 that serves to satisfy the informational needs on the part of ECOSOC and also points out that Art 64 is designed to create its preconditions, enabling ECOSOC to carry out the functions assigned to it by Art 63. The chapter emphasizes the importance of Art 64 in coordinating economic and social affairs as a central task of the UN. It outlines the transmission of information by the specialized agencies through regular reporting on their activities that contributes to the quality of ECOSOC’s action and to the overall achievement of the UN’s goals.
Article 66
Authors: Klimke Romy , Tietje Christian
Published: September 2024

This chapter mentions the inclusion of Art 65 of the UN Charter, which is explained by the intention to round off and summarize the Economic and Social Council’s (ECOSOC) functions and powers under Chapter X. It points out that paragraphs 1 and 3 deal with the nature of ECOSOC’s subordinate relationship to the General Assembly, while paragraph 2 concerns the organizational basis of the UN’s development policy. It also reviews the relationship of ECOSOC and the GA, which has been characterized as a major source of confusion and overlap. The chapter discusses the establishment of the subordination of ECOSOC to the GA by Art 60, which is confirmed by the fact that all the services which ECOSOC performs require approval by the GA. It details how Art 66 (1) expresses the fact that ECOSOC is to perform all functions within its competence, including directly governing their implementation by the GA.
Article 68
Authors: Binder Christina , Hofbauer Jane
Published: September 2024

This chapter discusses the Economic and Social Council’s (ECOSOC) areas of competence and how this relates to its powers under Art 68 of the UN Charter to establish subsidiary organs. It provides an overview of the current subsidiary organs and their general role in aiding ECOSOC in its functions. It also gives an insight into the operational framework of the different types of subsidiary organs which lay the groundwork for the functions and responsibility of those bodies. The chapter includes an outline of reforms directed at the functioning of ECOSOC’s subsidiary bodies. It describes Art 68 as part of ECOSOC’s procedural rules that must be read in conjunction with Art 7 (2), which authorizes the principal organs to establish subsidiary organs.
Article 70
Authors: Chaitidou Eleni , Landwehr Oliver
Published: September 2024

This chapter highlights Art 70 of the UN Charter, which deals with a very specific aspect of the relationship of the UN with the specialized agencies. It emphasizes that Art 70 must be read systematically together with other provisions of the UN Charter that determine and specify this relationship. It also details the specification of Art 70 of the Economic and Social Council’s (ECOSOC) power to make arrangements with the specialized agencies concerning reciprocal representation. The chapter describes ECOSOC’s power under Art 70 from a systematic point of view, which is a special manifestation of its general power to conclude relationship agreements. It discusses the reciprocal representation under Art 70 that assists in coordinating the activities of the specialized agencies with those of the UN.
Article 76
Authors: Goldmann Matthias
Published: September 2024

This chapter looks at the provisions of Art 76 of the UN Charter. The Article primarily stipulates the objectives of the international trusteeship system, which form the substantive core of its legal framework. Moreover, Art 76 mentions independence as an alternate objective of trusteeships besides self-government and explicitly refers to human rights. Generally, the objectives of the trusteeship system listed in the provision are comprised of objectives pursuing the interests of the inhabitants of the territories concerned and their objectives in the interest of the international community. The chapter explains how Art 76 establishes a developmental agenda for the advancement and emancipation of the trust territories.
Article 82
Authors: Goldmann Matthias
Published: September 2024

This chapter covers the provisions of Art 82 of the UN Charter. It defines strategic areas as trust territories for which the supervisory functions incumbent upon the UN were exercised by the Security Council. The concept of strategic areas in trust territories reflects a compromise resulting from two countervailing political objectives of the US government. The chapter clarifies that Art 82 does not prescribe substantive conditions for the establishment of a strategic area. It looks at the Pacific Islands as a strategic area, citing that it was the only trust territory designated as a whole as a strategic area on a proposal by the United States.
Article 84
Authors: Goldmann Matthias
Published: September 2024

This chapter explores Art 84 of the UN Charter. It explains that trusteeship agreements contained provisions corresponding to Art 84, clarifying that the military clauses were of no importance for the maintenance of international peace. Moreover, the provision originated in a proposal by the United Kingdom and Australia to remove restrictions on the fortification of trust territories formerly applicable to class B mandates under Art 22(5) of the League Covenant. In any event, Art 84 does not prohibit using conscripts for non-military labour. The chapter mentions the use of volunteer forces from the trust territories being limited to the defence of the trust territory or adjacent trust territories.
Article 92
Authors: d‘Argent Pierre
Published: September 2024

This chapter examines Art 92 of the UN Charter. It introduces the International Court of Justice as the principal judicial organ of the United Nations. The ICJ functions in accordance with its Statute, which is based on the Statute of the Permanent Court of International Justice and forms an integral part of the present Charter. The chapter looks into the ICJ as an organ of the United Nations before detailing its organization and jurisdiction. It also provides an overview of the historical development of the ICJ’s establishment and an outline of the ICJ’s procedures.
Article 94
Authors: d‘Argent Pierre
Published: September 2024

This chapter covers Art 94 of the UN Charter. Article 94 is divided into two paragraphs which both address the issue of compliance with a decision of the International Court of Justice (ICJ). While the first paragraph is primarily concerned with the obligation to comply with decisions, the second paragraph is concerned with the enforcement of judgments in the absence of voluntary compliance. The chapter discusses the historical development of the provision, which highlights the execution of decisions of international courts and tribunals as a central issue. It discusses the competence and action of the Security Council in the case of non-compliance with a judgment by the ICJ.
Article 95
Authors: Pulkowski Dirk
Published: September 2024

This chapter discusses Art 95 of the Charter of the UN. It explains how Art 95 expresses the long-standing principle that States have the free choice of means for peacefully settling their international disputes. The freedom of choice between arbitration and judicial settlement was a constant at all stages of the elaboration of the Charter provisions about the peaceful settlement of disputes. The chapter notes that the practice of international dispute settlement since 1945 has been characterized by a high degree of institutional diversity. The chapter also looks at the courts and tribunals in the international dispute-settlement architecture.
Article 96
Authors: Lagrange Evelyne , Oellers-Frahm Karin
Published: September 2024

This chapter elaborates on the provisions in Art 96 of the UN Charter. It starts with the historical and functional developments of Art 96, which involves the possibility for the Permanent Court of International Justice (PCIJ) to deliver non-binding judicial statements on legal questions, although a State can only request an advisory opinion through an organ authorized under Art 96 of the Charter. The chapter then discusses the main jurisdictional and procedural issues concerned with the provision. It notes how the International Court of Justice remained faithful to the original function of the advisory proceedings principally conceived of as a mechanism for the implementation of the UN Charter.
Article 97
Authors: Chesterman Simon
Published: September 2024

This chapter looks at Art 97 of the UN Charter which is focused on the structure of the UN Secretariat, which comprises a Secretary-General and the staff needed by the Organization. The General Assembly handles the appointment of the Secretary-General on the recommendation of the Security Council. Article 97 defines the Secretary-General as the ‘chief administrative officer’ of the United Nations Organization. The Secretary-General and the Secretary have two distinct roles: one is as a service staff to facilitate the effective functioning of the UN as a continuously operating organization and the other is to administer the Organization in such a way as to advance its stated goals. The chapter then elaborates on the Preparatory Commission of the UN concluding that the Charter has assigned six groups of functions which can be grouped into broad categories of the administrative and political functions of the Secretary-General.
Article 102
Authors: Martens Ernst
Published: September 2024

This chapter outlines the provisions in Art 102 of the UN Charter. It starts with the origins of Art 102, which include the modality of the provision’s application and the League of Nations. The Article’s first section outlines the framework primarily concerned with the registration and publication of treaties and international agreements and the prohibition in Art 102(2) of invoking an unregistered treaty. The chapter explains that the sanctions provided for in Art 102 (2) have barely played any role in the practice of UN organs, although on various occasions they have had to deal with unregistered agreements.
Article 106
Authors: Couzigou Irène
Published: September 2024

This chapter discusses transitional security arrangements in line with Art 106 of the UN Charter. It expounds on the early views and drafting of Art 106, which involved the Dumbarton Oaks Proposals and the San Francisco Conference. Article 106 became legally and politically irrelevant following the proposal in the Sixth Committee of the General Assembly; however, repealing Art 106 would have been too cumbersome and would not essentially have affected the status quo. The chapter considers how Art 106 was applied for the missions of the UN, such as the outbreak of the Korean War and the peacekeeping operations in Congo.
Article 111
Authors: Kotzur Markus
Published: September 2024

This chapter focuses on Art 111 of the Charter of the UN. It provides an overview of the law, language, and Charter of the United Nations by considering its historical development and legal significance. Language enables and empowers, while international law depends on its ability to articulate existing transformative commitment in the language of rights and duties. The procedure of deposition plays a significant role in the administration of multilateral treaties as it designates a central recipient for all instruments of ratification. The chapter notes the possibility of increasing the number of authentic languages of the United Nations in order to improve the technical facilities of fast translation and to adapt to changes in international law in line with the twenty-first century’s globalized world.
Characterization, Phylogenetic Analyses, and Pathogenicity of Eutiarosporella dactylidis on Sorghum in China
Authors: Zhang Xiaojie , Wang Linying , Yang Tianyu , Shi Shangli , Guo Cheng
Published: September 2024

Sorghum, the fifth-largest cereal crop globally and a C4 crop, mainly grows in arid and semiarid areas. In 2021 to 2023, a new foliar disease of sorghum occurred in China. The diseased leaves showed water-soaked symptoms in the leaf tip and margins, resulting in half- and full-leaf desiccation and necrosis, thus affecting plant photosynthesis. A total of 24 Eutiarosporella strains were isolated from symptomatic leaves. Based on morphological characteristics, multilocus phylogenetic analysis involving ITS, LSU, and EF1-α sequences, and the pathogenicity test, the pathogen of sorghum causing leaf blight in China was identified as Eutiarosporella dactylidis. The virulence of all E. dactylidis strains was evaluated using the spray-mycelium method. Different strains showed significantly different pathogenicities toward a susceptible cultivar, Longza 10, with disease indexes ranging from 23.76 to 60.37. This study first reported leaf blight of sorghum caused by E. dactylidis and named it “Eutiarosporella leaf blight,” which provides a theoretical basis for farmers in disease management.
Hip Instability in Children With Spinal Muscular Atrophy: A Retrospective Study
Authors: Krajewski Kellen T. , Coomer Wade , Gerk Alexis , Miller Scott C. , Kwok Cosmo , Pan Zhaoxing , Oleszek Joyce L. , Stratton Anne T. , Chang Frank , De Sayan
Published: September 2024

Purpose:

Hip subluxation and dislocation are known problems for children with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA). Medical complexity of these children typically results in absence of monitoring and intervention for pathologic hips. Patterns of hip migration and acetabular morphology in SMA have not been described. This study examines the natural progression of hip instability across all types of SMA in a pediatric population.

Methods:

Following institutional review board approval, a retrospective chart review of all children with SMA at our institution was performed. All x-rays taken before the age of 18 years containing adequate projections of the pelvis were measured for Reimer migration index (MI), acetabular depth ratio (ADR), and acetabular index (AI). Demographics and clinical data were collected including use of nusinersen, ambulatory status, contractures, and hip pain. Linear mixed effects model was fit to serial MI measures of individual hips with fixed effects consisting of SMA type, age at x-ray, and their interaction. ADR and AI measures were similarly modeled following conversion of raw values to z-scores based on the model developed by Novais et al Slope indicated rate of measure change as a function of age.

Results:

Forty-five children (22 males) with SMA types 1 to 3 were included in this retrospective study. Six children were classified as type 1, 25 were type 2, and 14 were type 3. The interaction of age by SMA type was statistically significant (P=0.01), indicating a difference in the rate of hip subluxation between the 3 SMA types as measured by MI. By age 4, MI values were different from one another across all 3 groups (P<0.01). ADR decreased with age across all SMA types. The slopes of ADR regression lines were negative and statistically significant between the 3 groups (P=0.002). AI values were higher for all types of SMA, which is the opposite of expected in normal hips.

Conclusions:

Hip subluxation occurs across all SMA types, most rapidly in SMA type 1. Regression lines of ADR and AI compared with those seen in unaffected populations suggest hips in children with SMA demonstrate a difference in morphology of the acetabulum and do not follow normal adaptive remodeling. As treatments advance and the population of SMA patients becomes more mobile, there is an increased need to monitor hip instability in children with SMA, thus making orthopaedic management an important consideration.
Racial Equity in Family Approach for Patients Medically Suitable for Deceased Organ Donation*
Authors: Rodrigue James R. , Schold Jesse D. , Glazier Alexandra , Mone Tom D. , Hasz Richard D. , Dils Dorrie , Grandas Jill , Orlowski Jeffrey , Gill Santokh , Prinz Jennifer
Published: September 2024

OBJECTIVES:

To conduct a contemporary analysis of the association between family approach of medically suitable potential organ donors and race/ethnicity.

DESIGN:

Retrospective review of data collected prospectively by Organ Procurement Organizations (OPOs).

SETTING:

Ten OPOs representing eight regions of the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network and 26% of all deceased donor organs recovered in the United States.

SUBJECTS:

All hospitalized patients on mechanical ventilation and referred to OPOs as potential donors from January 1, 2018, to December 31, 2022.

INTERVENTIONS:

None.

MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS:

OPOs provided data on referral year, race, sex, donor registration status, screening determination, donation medical suitability, donation type (brain death, circulatory death), and family approach. We evaluated factors associated with family approach to discuss donation using descriptive statistics and multivariable logistic models. Of 255,429 total cases, 138,622 (54%) were screened-in for further evaluation, with variation by race/ethnicity (50% White, 60% Black, 69% Hispanic, and 60% Asian). Among those screened-in, 31,253 (23%) were medically suitable for donation, with modest variation by race/ethnicity (22% White, 26% Black, 23% Hispanic, and 21% Asian). Family approach rate by OPOs of medically suitable cases was 94% (n = 29,315), which did not vary by race/ethnicity (94% White, 93% Black, 95% Hispanic, and 95% Asian). Family approach by OPOs was lower for circulatory death (95%) vs. brain death (97%) cases but showed minimal differences in approach rate based on race/ethnicity between medically suitable patients with different death pathways. In contrast, donor registration status of medically suitable potential donors was highly variable by race/ethnicity (37% overall; 45% White, 21% Black, 29% Hispanic, and 25% Asian). Multivariable models indicated no significant difference of family approach between White and Black (odds ratio [OR], 1.09; 95% CI, 0.95–1.24) or Asian (OR, 1.23; 95% CI, 0.95–1.60) patients.

CONCLUSIONS:

Findings indicate racial equity in OPO family approach rates among patients who were medically suitable for organ donation.