bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Optimisation of Syngas Composition for Emissions Minimisation and Cost Reduction through Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) and Gas Mixtures in a Gas Turbine
Authors: Jo-Han Ng , Xian Lim Zi , Yao Wong Kang , Tung Chong Cheng
Published: July 2019

The fuel flexibility of a gas turbine allows it to operate on a large variety of fuels, with syngas gaining prominence in recent years due to its versatility to be produced from any hydrocarbon-based feedstock. The feedstock versatility also meant that the syngas produced could be hydrogen-rich or carbon monoxide-rich in its composition. In this experimental study, the emissions characteristics of syngas combustion in a gas turbine, and their associated cost to minimise emissions using the selective catalytic reduction (SCR) method and gas mixtures were investigated. The syngas composition comprised of four gases, namely H2, CO, CO2 and CH4. The syngas mixture is combusted under an equivalence ratio (ER) range of 0.4-0.9. Using Design of Experiments (DOE) optimisation procedures for simultaneous NOx-CO reduction, the emission indices of the NOx and CO pollutants for the best H2-rich syngas (ER=0.5) were found to be 0.0189 g/kWh and 0.0028 g/kWh lower than that of the optimum CO-rich syngas (ER=0.5), respectively. This implies that H2-rich syngas has greater potential for emissions reduction. However, the general combined costs for an optimum H2-rich syngas mixture with the SCR post-treatment method is about six folds greater than the CO-rich syngas counterparts. The actual cost is even greater on a cost per mass reduction basis, with the NOx and CO emissions being 21.6 and 8.9 times more for the H2-rich mixture. It was also determined that the combined use of SCR method and optimum gas mixture is a more cost-effective emissions control measure than purely using direct gas mixture.
Welding current effect of welded joints of base metal st37 on characteristics: corrosion rate and hardness
Authors: Jannifar A , Ichsan T A , Nurdin Hamdani , Mukhtar Fakhriza , Wahyudi Wahdania
Published: July 2019

This study aims to determine the effect of welding current on corrosion rate and hardness on welded joint, Heat Affected Zone (HAZ) and base metal of steel grade st37. Welding is the process of metal attachment by dilution through heating. Due to the heat of the metal around the weld will undergo thermal cycles that cause metallurgical changes in microstructure, which will affect corrosion rate and the mechanical properties such as hardness. Weld joints are one of the critical parts of a structure. The weld joints that get excessive friction will be worn fast and corrosion rate higher than the base metal. The steel grade st37 strips are treated with welding current variations of 75, 85, and 95 Amperes. The method used for corrosion rate testing is ASTM G31-72 standard where this test is based on weight loss test and corrosion solution used NaCl solution with 3% concentration. The results showed that the highest average corrosion rate of 0.10516 mmpy occurred in the strip welded to the current of 95 Ampere, followed by 85 Ampere at 0.06772 mmpy, and the current of 75 Ampere was 0.06152 mmpy. Testing of material hardness at current 75, 85, and 95 Amperes shows that the highest hardness value occurs in weld metal area with 75 Ampere with average hardness at 74.00 HRC. Current selection to during welding process has shown a significant effect on corrosion rate and hardness on the welded joint (weld metal).
A Simple Clinical Application for Locating the Frontotemporal Branch of the Facial Nerve Using the Zygomatic Arch and the Tragus
Authors: Green Sanderson Kit , Conti Alyssa , Colussi Mariah , Connolly Cara
Published: June 2019

Background

The seventh cranial nerve (CN VII), also known as the facial nerve, is an anatomically intricate structure the branches of which serve several physiologic functions. CN VII innervates the muscles of facial expression which are crucial for eye protection, oral competence, and social interaction. The temporal branch, clinically referred to as the frontotemporal branch (FTB), is the most superior of the 5 branches and is at risk during cutaneous surgery of the parotid gland and in the temporal region. Several methods for delineating the FTB trajectory exist, the most widely known being Pitanguy’s Line, which is defined as running from 0.5 cm below the tragus to 1.5 cm above the lateral eyebrow. However, variations in eyebrow location, often affected by modern-day cosmetic trends, complicate the accuracy of this approach.

Objectives

The aim of this study was to develop a surgical landmark to identify FTB location without relying on soft tissue structures.

Methods

To minimize variation, we chose landmarks that were both consistent and easy to locate based on simple surface anatomy. Twenty-one cadaver hemifaces were dissected in order to locate the FTB in relation to the inferior border of the zygomatic arch and the apex of the tragus.

Results

We found that the mean ± SEM distance from the apex of the tragus to the point where the FTB crossed the inferior border of the zygomatic arch was 3.21 ± 0.05 cm.

Conclusions

Through the use of this measurement, we aim to avoid the pitfalls of previous techniques by providing a widely applicable clinical tool based on landmarks easily found on any patient.

Level of Evidence: 4
Network control principles for identifying personalized driver genes in cancer
Authors: Guo Wei-Feng , Zhang Shao-Wu , Zeng Tao , Akutsu Tatsuya , Chen Luonan
Published: June 2019

To understand tumor heterogeneity in cancer, personalized driver genes (PDGs) need to be identified for unraveling the genotype–phenotype associations corresponding to particular patients. However, most of the existing driver-focus methods mainly pay attention on the cohort information rather than on individual information. Recent developing computational approaches based on network control principles are opening a new way to discover driver genes in cancer, particularly at an individual level. To provide comprehensive perspectives of network control methods on this timely topic, we first considered the cancer progression as a network control problem, in which the expected PDGs are altered genes by oncogene activation signals that can change the individual molecular network from one health state to the other disease state. Then, we reviewed the network reconstruction methods on single samples and introduced novel network control methods on single-sample networks to identify PDGs in cancer. Particularly, we gave a performance assessment of the network structure control-based PDGs identification methods on multiple cancer datasets from TCGA, for which the data and evaluation package also are publicly available. Finally, we discussed future directions for the application of network control methods to identify PDGs in cancer and diverse biological processes.
Entrepreneurial ecosystems and public policy in action: a critique of the latest industrial policy blockbuster
Authors: Brown Ross , Mawson Suzanne
Published: June 2019

Efforts to develop entrepreneurial ecosystems (EEs) have proliferated in recent years, marking it out as the latest industrial policy ‘blockbuster’. This article reports the findings from the first comprehensive empirical analysis of EE policy approaches. It posits a basic typology of different policy frameworks deployed under the ecosystem rubric. The findings suggest the concept is fraught with conceptual ambiguity and is predominantly (and rather crudely) used to promote ‘more’ entrepreneurship. The research suggests the concept is a ‘messy metaphor’, open to wide-ranging misinterpretation and misuse by policymakers. In terms of recommendations, eradicating network failures, avoiding crude policy isomorphism and tailoring bespoke interventions to the specific nature of EEs are viewed as key policy lessons.
A comparative assessment of orthodontic treatment outcomes using the quantitative light-induced fluorescence (QLF) method between direct bonding and indirect bonding techniques in adolescents: a single-centre, single-blind randomized controlled trial
Authors: Atilla Aykan Onur , Ozturk Taner , Eruz Mustafa Murat , Yagci Ahmet
Published: June 2019

Introduction

The aim of this two-arm parallel trial was to evaluate enamel demineralization in fixed orthodontic treatment using an indirect bonding technique in comparison to a direct bonding technique by the quantitative light-induced fluorescence (QLF) method.

Design, settings and participants

Fifty-six patients who needed fixed orthodontic treatment were randomly separated into either the direct bonding group or the indirect bonding group. The presence and extent of lesions on the buccal surfaces of all teeth, except the molar teeth, were assessed. The percentage of fluorescence loss (ΔF and ΔFmax), the degree of demineralization (ΔQ) and lesion area (WS area) were determined using the system’s software. The data were analysed with the Wilcoxon signed-rank and Mann–Whitney U-tests (P < 0.05).

Interventions

Treatment with a direct bonding or an indirect bonding technique.

Results

This study was completed with 25 patients in the indirect bonding group (12 females, 13 males; mean age: 15.42 ± 1.71 years) and 26 patients in the direct bonding group (12 females, 14 males; mean age: 14.73 ± 1.65 years). In the indirect bonding technique, a few teeth (especially mandibular left canine: 50.45 ± 93.48; 95% confidence interval: −12.35 and 113.26) were found to develop significant white spot lesion (WSL) formation (P < 0.05). However, the number of teeth with demineralization was higher in the direct bonding group (P < 0.05).

Conclusion

The bonding procedures used in the indirect bonding technique contribute to reducing the degree of WSL formation. Further, the use of flowable composite adhesives in this bonding process is more effective at reducing the appearance of WSLs than in cases where conventional composite adhesives are used.

Limitations

The limitation of our trial may be the small sample size and the short follow-up time for the patients.

Harms

No harms were detected during the study.

Protocol

The protocol was not published before trial commencement.

Registration

This trial was registered post hoc at ‘Clinical Trials’ (http://www.clinicaltrials.gov), registration number (ID): NCT03738839.
Do parties make a difference? A review of partisan effects on health and the welfare state
Authors: Falkenbach Michelle , Bekker Marleen , Greer Scott L
Published: June 2019

Background

Do political parties matter to health? Do they affect population health either directly or through welfare states’ social policies and the eligibility, affordability and quality of health systems? And if they do, how? These are crucial questions if we are to understand health politics or shape public health policy, particularly given the changing landscape of political parties, party dominance in the executive and the mediating influence of the legislature.

Methods

Using a systematic approach, this review examines 107 peer-reviewed articles and books published after 1978 focusing on high-income countries asking the overarching question: Do political parties matter to health and the welfare state?

Results

The literature relating parties to health directly was surprisingly thin, thus, the welfare state was used as a ‘proxy’ variable. An overwhelming majority of the literature sample suggests that Left parties are inclined to expand the welfare state without cutting benefits, while the Right does not expand and tends to reduce benefits. There was an inflection in the 1980s when Left parties shifted from expansion to maintaining the status quo.

Conclusion

Considering current health trends in the form of measles outbreaks, the ‘Deaths of Despair’, the rise of previous eradicated infectious diseases and the declining health expectancy rates in some Western countries as well as the rise of Populist Radical Right parties in office we question the current partisanship thesis that political parties matter less and less.
Association Between Adverse Childhood Events and Multimorbidity in a Racial and Ethnic Diverse Sample of Middle-Aged and Older Adults
Authors: Vásquez Elizabeth , Quiñones Ana , Ramirez Stephanie , Udo Tomoko
Published: June 2019

Background and Objectives

Adverse childhood events (ACEs) have been associated with increased health risks later in life. However, it is unclear whether ACEs may be associated with multimorbidity among diverse racial/ethnic middle-aged and older adults. We evaluated whether there were racial and ethnic differences in the association between ACEs and the number of somatic and psychiatric multimorbidity in a sample of U.S. middle-aged and older adults.

Research Design and Methods

Data from the 2012–2013 National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions (N = 10,727; ≥55 years) were used to test whether the number of self-reported somatic conditions (i.e., heart disease, hypertension, stroke, diabetes, arthritis, cancer, osteoporosis, and chronic lung problems) as well as DSM-5 psychiatric disorders (i.e., depression) during the past 12 months differed by history of ACEs while stratifying by age (i.e., 55–64 or ≥65) and racial/ethnic group (i.e., non-Hispanic White [NHW; n = 7,457], non-Hispanic Black [NHB; n = 1,995], and Hispanic [n=1275]).

Results

The prevalence of reporting more than two somatic conditions and psychiatric disorders was 48.8% and 11.4% for those with a history of ACEs, and 41.1% and 3.3% for those without a history of ACEs. Adjusting for sociodemographic and other health risk factors, ACEs was significantly associated with greater numbers of somatic multimorbidity among racial and ethnic middle-aged adults but this was not the case for older adults.

Discussion and Implications

Our findings suggest that middle-aged adults with a history of ACEs are more likely to suffer from somatic and psychiatric multimorbidity, highlighting the importance of screening for ACEs in promoting healthy aging.
Determining the carbon footprint for a new earthen-based finish
Authors: Aranda-Jimenez Yolanda G , Suarez-Dominguez Edgardo J
Published: June 2019

In the present work the carbon footprint for a material developed in the Faculty of Architecture, Design and Urbanism of the Autonomous University of Tamaulipas (UAT) constituted by argillaceous earth, aloe juice and fiber of ixtle with utility like the inner coating of walls in buildings was determined. The objective of this paper is the calculation of the contribution of carbon dioxide (CO2) by the plant, considering the stoichiometry of CO2 absorption accompanied by the determination at the laboratory level.

It was found that the use of organic materials in mortar mixtures, when they are produced manually by the person who will use them, and that is common in cases of self-construction, can generate approximately −0.45 kg of CO2 equivalent for each kilogram of plant produced for the preparation of mixtures. In addition, the equivalent CO2 was calculated for the elaboration of a cubic meter of useful mixture as a wall covering obtaining a value below the equivalent 14 kg of CO2.
Protective Efficacy of Nucleic Acid Vaccines Against Transmission of Zika Virus During Pregnancy in Mice
Authors: Jagger Brett W , Dowd Kimberly A , Chen Rita E , Desai Pritesh , Foreman Bryant , Burgomaster Katherine E , Himansu Sunny , Kong Wing-Pui , Graham Barney S , Pierson Theodore C , Diamond Michael S
Published: June 2019

Zika virus (ZIKV) caused an epidemic of congenital malformations in 2015–2016. Although many vaccine candidates have been generated, few have demonstrated efficacy against congenital ZIKV infection. Here, we evaluated lipid-encapsulated messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccines and a DNA plasmid vaccine encoding the prM-E genes of ZIKV in mouse models of congenital infection. Although the DNA vaccine provided comparable efficacy against vertical transmission of ZIKV, the mRNA vaccines, including one that minimizes antibody-dependent enhancement of infection, elicited higher levels of antigen-specific long-lived plasma cells and memory B cells. Despite the induction of robust neutralizing antibody titers by all vaccines, breakthrough seeding of the placenta and fetal head was observed in a small subset of type I interferon signaling–deficient immunocompromised dams. In comparison, evaluation of one of the mRNA vaccines in a human STAT2-knockin transgenic immunocompetent mouse showed complete protection against congenital ZIKV transmission. These data will inform ongoing human ZIKV vaccine development efforts and enhance our understanding of the correlates of vaccine-induced protection.
Effect of patient genetics on etonogestrel pharmacokinetics when combined with efavirenz or nevirapine ART
Authors: Neary Megan , Chappell Catherine A , Scarsi Kimberly K , Nakalema Shadia , Matovu Joshua , Achilles Sharon L , Chen Beatrice A , Siccardi Marco , Owen Andrew , Lamorde Mohammed
Published: July 2019

Background

We previously demonstrated that etonogestrel concentrations were 82% lower in women using etonogestrel contraceptive implants plus efavirenz-based ART compared with women not receiving ART.

Objectives

To investigate the genetic contribution to this previously observed drug–drug interaction through studying SNPs in genes known to be involved in efavirenz, nevirapine or etonogestrel metabolism in the same group of women.

Patients and methods

Here, we present a secondary analysis evaluating SNPs involved in efavirenz, nevirapine and etonogestrel metabolism and associated etonogestrel pharmacokinetics among 57 women, 19 not receiving ART (control group), 19 receiving efavirenz- (600 mg daily) based ART and 19 receiving nevirapine- (200 mg twice daily) based ART. Associations between patient genotype and etonogestrel pharmacokinetic parameters were determined through univariate and multivariate linear regression. This study was registered at clinicaltrials.gov (NCT02082652).

Results

Within the control group, CYP2B6 983 T>C was associated with 27% higher etonogestrel Cmax and 28% higher AUC0–24weeks. In the efavirenz group CYP2B6 516 G>T was associated with 43% lower etonogestrel Cmin and 34% lower AUC0–24weeks. For participants receiving nevirapine, NR1I2 63396 C>T was associated with 39% lower etonogestrel Cmin and 37% lower AUC0–24weeks.

Conclusions

This study demonstrates the influence of pharmacogenetics on the extent of drug–drug interactions between etonogestrel and efavirenz- or nevirapine-based ART. Efavirenz plus the etonogestrel contraceptive implant results in a detrimental drug–drug interaction irrespective of patient genetics, which is worsened in women possessing variant alleles for these CYP2B6 SNPs.
A Factful Perspective on Capital Punishment
Authors: Johnson David T
Published: June 2019

Substantial progress has been made towards worldwide abolition of capital punishment, and there are good reasons to believe that more progress is possible. Since 2000, the pace of abolition has slowed, but by several measures the number of executions in the world has continued to decline. Several causes help explain the decline, including political leadership from the front and an increased tendency to regard capital punishment as a human rights issue rather than as a matter of domestic criminal justice policy. There are significant obstacles in the movement to eliminate state killing in the world, but some strategies could contribute to additional decline in the years to come.
The Role of Periplaneta americana (Blattodea: Blattidae) in Modern Versus Traditional Chinese Medicine
Authors: Zeng Chenjuan , Liao Qi , Hu Ye , Shen Yongmei , Geng Funeng , Chen Lijuan
Published: July 2019

The purpose of this review is to elaborate the role of Periplaneta (P.) americana L. in modern and traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and compare the use of the species in these two forms of medical treatments. From searches on Google Scholar, PubMed, and Web of Science databases, studies were identified involving TCMs with P. americana, which have a history of use over several thousand years, and demonstrate how extracts from this insect play a role in the treatment of diseases through antibacterial, antiviral, antitumor activity, and enhancement of immune function. Extracts from P. americana have not been fully developed for clinical use because the active components have not been completely purified or their molecular mechanisms thoroughly understood. The development of extraction technology in modern Chinese medicine has revealed that many extracts from P. americana are able to play an important role in the control of diseases such as cancer. Drugs such as ‘Kangfuxin Solution’ and ‘Xinmailong Injection’ are now widely used for gastrointestinal ulcers and chronic heart failure, having achieved beneficial curative effects in clinical studies. Based on this, the information from studies of P. americana in TCM and modern medicine should be combined and their respective advantages applied. This review provides an overview of the role of P. americana in modern and TCM and thus contributes to identification of further applications and area requiring drug development.
Efficient fluorescence recovery using antifade reagents in correlative light and electron microscopy
Authors: Toyooka Kiminori , Shinozaki-Narikawa Naeko
Published: June 2019

Correlative light and electron microscopy (CLEM) enables ultrastructural-level analysis of fluorescence-labeled proteins by combining images obtained from both fluorescence and electron microscopies. A technical challenge with the CLEM method is the effective detection of fluorescence from samples embedded in resins, which generally cause fluorescence decay. To overcome this issue, we developed a method for fluorescence recovery of green fluorescent protein (GFP) in resin-embedded semi-thin sections using commercially available antifade reagents. By applying this method, we successfully obtained CLEM images using field-emission scanning electron microscopy with moderately enhanced GFP signals, demonstrating the efficacy of this simple fluorescence recovery method.
Culture
Authors: Scovazzi Tullio
Published: July 2019

Based on the assumptions that culture contributes to the maintenance of peace and that the protection of culture is a general interest of the international community as a whole, UNESCO has promoted the conclusion of a number of treaties of global application that follow a broad concept of “cultural heritage” as the expression of the spirituality and creativity of individuals and peoples. They relate to the protection of cultural heritage during conflict, the illicit movements of cultural properties, the tangible cultural heritage, the underwater cultural heritage, the intangible cultural heritage, and the diversity of cultural expressions. In other cases, such as the intentional destruction of cultural heritage, declarations have been adopted within the UNESCO framework. Despite some gaps and criticisms, the UNESCO action is an indispensable tool for the protection and enhancement of cultural heritage at the international level.
Health
Authors: Taylor Allyn
Published: July 2019

The evolution of United Nations treaties in the domain of public health over the last two decades is one of the most significant developments in public international law. Although public health is one of the earliest fields of international legal cooperation and one of the first domains in which an intergovernmental organization was created, the scope of international legal cooperation in public health was, until recently, highly limited. This chapter provides an overview of the contribution of United Nations treaties in the evolving field of international health law. It examines the historical origins and the factors contributing to its contemporary evolution. In addition, the chapter briefly reviews the contribution of UN organizations, especially the World Health Organization, to the codification efforts in this realm.
Health
Authors: Burci Gian Luca
Published: July 2019

This chapter provides an overview of the conception, negotiation, and normative development of the WHO Framework Convention for Tobacco Control (FCTC) based on the professional experience of the author, a former Legal Counsel of WHO. The FCTC must be appreciated against the background of the normative role of WHO and its reluctance to use international lawmaking as a tool for global health governance. The FCTC is a groundbreaking instrument for the protection and promotion of public health; it was conceived as a framework convention in order to accommodate diverse regulatory measures at national and international levels and to create a normative space to facilitate progressive agreement on evidence-based interventions. The negotiation of the convention as well as of its Protocol on Illicit Trade in Tobacco Products was influenced by the relative lack of treaty-making experience on the part of public health officials in national delegations and by the uncompromising hostility of the tobacco control community against the tobacco industry. The resulting tension with strong commercial interests linked to tobacco trade led to a number of difficult and sometimes awkward compromises. At the same time, it led to the establishment of a strong institutional framework that has been instrumental in developing the FCTC through the adoption of far-reaching guidelines and the monitoring of compliance. Notwithstanding its success, there has been no serious discussion in WHO on the negotiation of new conventions, and the FCTC may remain an isolated achievement enabled by a unique set of circumstances.
The Committees on Human Rights and Economic, Social and Cultural Rights
Authors: Keller Helen , Heri Corina
Published: July 2019

The Human Rights Committee and the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights are treaty-implementing—and not treaty-making—bodies. However, they have an essential role to play in monitoring states’ compliance with their respective treaties and developing the standards under these instruments. In fact, it can be argued that innovative approaches taken by these two bodies have aided significant leaps in the protection of human rights internationally and have led the two committees to play a leading role in terms of treaty development. This chapter explores the ways in which the two bodies, through their various methods of work, have contributed to the further development of the conceptual framework of human rights as a “special” treaty regime.
International Criminal Law
Authors: Abtahi Hirad , Kirsch Philippe
Published: July 2019

By virtue of its longevity, territorial scope, mandate, and resources, the UN has been pivotal in the development of international criminal justice. While its contribution has been mostly institutional, in terms of genesis, establishment, and functioning of international and hybrid criminal courts, the UN has also shaped their procedural and substantive law. Starting with the first to be established—the ad hoc tribunals—the UN Security Council, acting under Chapter VII, adopted the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) and International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) statutes and fully managed them. To a lesser extent, the same could be said of Timor Leste’s Special Panel for Serious Crimes. Regarding the creation of hybrid criminal courts, that is, the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia (ECCC), Special Court for Sierra Leone (SCSL), and Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL), the UN served as a bilateral treaty-making forum for the negotiation and conclusion of UN-member states’ agreements. Through the ICTY completion strategy and rule 11bis, the UN also internationalized domestic courts (War Crimes Chambers) to enhance national judicial capacity building to prosecute international crimes. Finally, the UN served as the ultimate multilateral treaty-making body in the ICC’s half-century-long creation; starting with the Genocide Convention, and continuing with the ILC and subsequent negotiations leading to the adoption of the ICC Statute, which created a complex institutional and jurisdictional relationship with the UN. Institutionally, this has included cooperation and judicial assistance, dispute settlement functions, UN treaty functions, and adherence to the UN common system. Jurisdictionally, this has involved Chapter VII referrals and deferrals and jurisdiction over a range of crimes close to other UN created tribunals.
International Commercial Arbitration
Authors: Montineri Corinne
Published: July 2019

Arbitration has long been deeply rooted in the ideals of a universal organization, going back to the Covenant of the League of Nations. The United Nations has contributed to the development of international commercial arbitration over the past decades. The United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL) has promoted and developed various legal instruments in international commercial arbitration. Noteworthy, two conventions have been adopted by the United Nations: the Convention on the Recognition and Enforcement of Foreign Arbitral Awards (New York, 1958) and the United Nations Convention on Transparency in Treaty-based Investor-State Arbitration, also known as the Mauritius Convention on Transparency. This chapter provides a cross-cutting thematic analysis of the genesis, procedural history, and implementation of the two conventions. It further provides an assessment of whether they have been successful, and of the challenges that continue to be faced in their successful implementation. The chapter also briefly provides insights on the way forward, in light of the convention on international settlement agreements resulting from mediation finalized by UNCITRAL at its 51st session, in 2018, and the work undertaken by UNCITRAL on possible reform of the investor-state dispute settlement regime.
The Negotiation of Multilateral Treaties at the United Nations a negotiator’s view
Authors: Wood Sir Michael
Published: July 2019

This chapter reviews options for treaty-making at the UN from the point of view of negotiating parties. The focus is on the negotiation of treaties within the UN itself, with examples taken from a range of UN organs, rather than from codification conferences. A large number of treaties have been negotiated within or under the auspices of various UN organs, and a variety of processes and rules of procedure have been employed. The roles of the UN Secretariat and the UN International Law Commission (ILC) are highlighted. Each negotiation is different, and flexibility is of the essence. The importance of good preparation, choice of decision-making procedures, and the human element is emphasized. The UN remains at the heart of multilateral treaty-making, including as regards “law-making” treaties.
The Role of the Secretary-General of the United Nations as Depositary of Multilateral Treaties
Authors: Hinojal-Oyarbide Arancha
Published: July 2019

While the responsibilities of the depositary of a multilateral treaty are indispensable to the treaty functioning, the role of the depositary is commonly unknown. The chapter discusses the role and key features of the practice of the UN Secretary-General, as depositary of multilateral treaties, in the aspects that correspond to the general depositary functions as codified in the Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties. Beginning at the turn of the century, the UN Secretary-General—by far the largest depositary in the world—began to engage in initiatives that have modernized and expanded the traditional depositary role. The UN Secretary-General has increasingly been involved in treaty-making during treaty negotiations, and in promoting participation in and dissemination of UN treaties, including through treaty events. The chapter also discusses key features of the depositary role in those aspects that are more innovative and peculiar to the UN Secretary-General.
Germany
Authors: Dilling Olaf , Köck Wolfgang
Published: July 2019

This chapter examines the main characteristics of German environmental law. It first explains how powers are allocated with regards to environmental law in Germany, focusing on environmental protection as a so-called national objective, anchored in the German Federal Constitution, the Basic Law (Grundgesetz); the devolution of legislative and executive competences with respect to German environmental law; and how the law is shaped by international obligations. The discussion then turns to the structure and substance of German environmental law, particularly as it applies to air pollution control, water management and water protection, waste management, nature and species protection, and nuclear energy. The chapter concludes with an analysis of the implementation framework for German environmental law, taking into account how the government resorts to the concept of ‘normative concretization’ to address implementation-related issues arising from complex projects.
United States of America
Authors: Salzman James
Published: July 2019

This chapter examines environmental law in the United States. It begins with a discussion of the US approach to environmental law, describing it as a system striving for balance, including balance in terms of the allocation of powers between federal and state legislatures. The chapter provides an overview of the constitutional bases of US environmental law, delegation of authority to regulatory agencies, and environmental regulation in relation to private property. It then considers the structure and substance of environmental law, focusing on five pieces of legislation: Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act, National Environmental Policy Act, Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, and Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA). The chapter concludes with an analysis of the implementation framework and how it affects environmental law in practice, taking into account the role of agency authorities, administrative enforcement, civil remedies, criminal sanctions, and relevant provisions on citizen suits.
Waste Regulation
Authors: Jones Natalie , van Calster Geert
Published: July 2019

This chapter examines the structures and principles of waste management law, using several jurisdictions including China, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, the European Union, and the United States for comparison. It first provides an overview of the so-called macrostructures of waste management laws, focusing on three ways in which the broad structure of waste laws can be contrasted: centralized systems versus delegated systems, unified systems versus fragmented systems, and integrated versus specific systems. It then considers the principles of waste management law, with emphasis on approaches taken to define ‘waste’, waste hierarchy, waste streams, and waste classifications. It also describes management principles such as reduction of waste generation, treatment near the source, standards of waste treatment, prohibitions and restrictions of movement, and extended producer responsibility. Finally, it explores the emerging trend of circular economy approaches to waste management.
Regulatory Organization
Authors: Preston Brian
Published: July 2019

This chapter examines the institutional organization of environmental regulatory systems. It considers traditional regulatory organization in the executive branch of government as well as the roles played by the legislature, the judiciary, and the fourth integrity branch of government in the regulatory system. The chapter first provides a brief overview of regulatory organization in the modern world before explaining how the legislature shapes the institutional regulatory architecture that governs environmental protection and conservation. It then looks at three internationally prevalent types of executive regulator that are entrusted with protecting and conserving the environment: single versus multiple agencies, integrated versus function agencies, and concentrated versus devolved systems. It also describes the regulatory roles of the judicial branch of government, the fourth (integrity) branch of government, ‘third parties as surrogate regulators’ (environmental non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and community associations, specialist ‘third party surrogate regulators’), and ‘the regulated as regulator’.
Sciences, Environmental Laws, and Legal Cultures: Fostering Collective Epistemic Responsibility
Authors: Fisher Elizabeth
Published: July 2019

This chapter examines the roles of sciences in environmental law and the challenges created by the sciences/environmental law interface. It begins with a discussion of three roles played by the sciences in different areas of environmental law. First, the sciences can help identify environmental problems, their causes, and their possible solutions. Second, the sciences are a key component of the practice of environmental law and regulation. Third, the sciences play a symbolic role in the process of legitimizing environmental action by the state. The chapter goes on to consider the challenges involved in the interrelationship between the sciences and environmental law, the different ways in which science has been ‘contained’ as a response to those challenges, and how this leads to a failure of communities to take collective epistemic responsibility and legal culture seriously. It also explores the issue of kettling the sciences in environmental law.
Environmental Taxation
Authors: Milne Janet
Published: July 2019

This chapter examines the comparative merits of environmental taxation as an environmental policy instrument. It first provides a brief background on the theoretical foundation for merging environmental protection with taxation before discussing two categories of environmental taxation instruments: environmental taxes (e.g. emissions or effluent taxes, product taxes, energy taxes, pollution taxes) and environmental tax expenditures (also known as tax preferences or tax incentives). It then considers the legal authority of governments to create and administer an environmental taxation instrument, along with the basic legal design features of environmental taxes. It also cites specific examples that illustrate the diversity of environmentally related taxes. Finally, it demonstrates the use of environmental taxation in practice by presenting case studies of carbon taxes in several jurisdictions such as British Columbia, Ireland, Japan, the United Kingdom, Canada, and the European Union, as well as the United States’ income tax credit for wind farms.
A Cartography of Environmental Human Rights
Authors: Kotzé Louis J. , Daly Erin
Published: July 2019

This chapter presents a cartography of environmental human rights, with particular emphasis on the current and potential contribution of human rights in augmenting global environmental protection and justice. It first provides a short account of the relationship between human rights and the environment, including the increased popularity of human rights as environmental protection measures, and explains the reasons the convergence between them. It then considers the historical milestones in the development of environmental human rights, along with the different manifestations of the rights-based approach (substantive political environmental rights, socio-economic environmental rights, procedural environmental rights, substantive right to a healthy environment, and rights of nature). Specific examples in international, regional, and domestic law where these forms of the rights-based approach occur are given. The chapter concludes with a discussion of three overarching criticisms of environmental human rights, one of which asserts that rights-based approaches have been ineffective in securing human rights.
Environmental Law and Criminal Law
Authors: Lees Emma
Published: July 2019

This chapter examines the tensions that exist between the principles of environmental law and criminal law. It first considers the ways in which environmental law and criminal law are mutually supportive and how they can complement one another by discussing the purpose of criminalization and the modes of interaction between public law and criminal law in relation to the environment. The chapter describes three ways in which criminal law interacts with different forms of the regulatory system: ‘one-step’ criminal offences, ‘two-step’ criminal offences, and ‘three-step’ criminal offences. It also explores the sanction of last resort and enforcement policy and how criminal law can be used as a substitute for environmental standards before concluding with an analysis of the conflicts in the principles of environmental law and criminal law with regards to strict liability, risk-based regulation, questions of interpretation, the harm principle, and moral certainty and symbolism.
Runaway climate cooling of ocean planets in the habitable zone: a consequence of seafloor weathering enhanced by melting of high-pressure ice
Authors: Nakayama A , Kodama T , Ikoma M , Abe Y
Published: July 2019

Terrestrial planets covered globally with thick oceans (termed ocean planets) in the habitable zone were previously inferred to have extremely hot climates in most cases. This is because H2O high-pressure (HP) ice on the seafloor prevents chemical weathering and, thus, removal of atmospheric CO2. Previous studies, however, ignored melting of the HP ice and horizontal variation in heat flux from oceanic crusts. Here, we examine whether high heat fluxes near the mid-ocean ridge melt the HP ice and thereby remove atmospheric CO2. We develop integrated climate models of an Earth-size ocean planet with plate tectonics for different ocean masses, which include the effects of HP ice melting, seafloor weathering, and the carbonate–silicate geochemical carbon cycle. We find that the heat flux near the mid-ocean ridge is high enough to melt the ice, enabling seafloor weathering. In contrast to the previous theoretical prediction, we show that climates of terrestrial planets with massive oceans lapse into extremely cold ones (or snowball states) with CO2-poor atmospheres. Such extremely cold climates are achieved mainly because the HP ice melting fixes seafloor temperature at the melting temperature, thereby keeping a high weathering flux regardless of surface temperature. We estimate that ocean planets with oceans several tens of the Earth’s ocean mass no longer maintain temperate climates. These results suggest that terrestrial planets with extremely cold climates exist even in the habitable zone beyond the Solar system, given the frequency of water-rich planets predicted by planet formation theories.
Functional interplay between Mediator and RNA polymerase II in Rad2/XPG loading to the chromatin
Authors: Georges Adrien , Gopaul Diyavarshini , Denby Wilkes Cyril , Giordanengo Aiach Nathalie , Novikova Elizaveta , Barrault Marie-Bénédicte , Alibert Olivier , Soutourina Julie
Published: June 2019

Transcription and maintenance of genome integrity are fundamental cellular functions. Deregulation of transcription and defects in DNA repair lead to serious pathologies. The Mediator complex links RNA polymerase (Pol) II transcription and nucleotide excision repair via Rad2/XPG endonuclease. However, the functional interplay between Rad2/XPG, Mediator and Pol II remains to be determined. In this study, we investigated their functional dynamics using genomic and genetic approaches. In a mutant affected in Pol II phosphorylation leading to Mediator stabilization on core promoters, Rad2 genome-wide occupancy shifts towards core promoters following that of Mediator, but decreases on transcribed regions together with Pol II. Specific Mediator mutations increase UV sensitivity, reduce Rad2 recruitment to transcribed regions, lead to uncoupling of Rad2, Mediator and Pol II and to colethality with deletion of Rpb9 Pol II subunit involved in transcription-coupled repair. We provide new insights into the functional interplay between Rad2, Mediator and Pol II and propose that dynamic interactions with Mediator and Pol II are involved in Rad2 loading to the chromatin. Our work contributes to the understanding of the complex link between transcription and DNA repair machineries, dysfunction of which leads to severe diseases.
Differences in proximal tubular solute clearance across common etiologies of chronic kidney disease
Authors: Wang Ke , Zelnick Leila R , Hoofnagle Andrew N , Chen Yan , de Boer Ian H , Himmelfarb Jonathan , Kestenbaum Bryan
Published: June 2019

Background

Laboratory measures of glomerular function such as the glomerular filtration rate (GFR) contribute toward clinical evaluation of chronic kidney disease (CKD). However, diverse CKD etiologies have distinct pathological mechanisms that may differentially impact the kidney tubules. Little is known regarding how tubular function changes with varying kidney disease types.

Methods

We used targeted mass spectrometry to quantify paired serum and urine concentration of 11 solutes of proximal tubular secretion in 223 patients from an outpatient CKD cohort. We reviewed clinic notes to ascertain the primary CKD diagnosis and categorized these as vascular, diabetic, glomerular or tubulointerstitial. We used one-way analysis of variance to compare secretory solute clearance across diagnoses setting a false discovery threshold of ≤5% and used linear regression to compare differences after adjustments for estimated GFR, age, race, sex, body mass index and urine albumin excretion.

Results

After full adjustment, glomerular disease was associated with higher clearances of three tubular secretory solutes compared with vascular disease: 48% higher isovalerylglycine clearance [95% confidence interval (CI) 18–87%], 28% higher kynurenic acid clearance (95% CI 3–59%) and 33% higher tiglylglycine clearance (95% CI 7–67%). Diabetic kidney disease (DKD) was associated with 39% higher isovalerylglycine clearance compared with vascular disease (95% CI 13–72%).

Conclusion

Glomerular disorders and DKD are associated with higher net clearances of several secretory solutes compared with vascular causes of kidney disease. These findings suggest that different underlying etiologies of CKD may differentially impact proximal tubular secretory pathways.
Plasma galactose-deficient immunoglobulin A1 and loss of kidney function in patients with immunoglobulin A vasculitis nephritis
Authors: Zhang Xue , Xie Xinfang , Shi Sufang , Liu Lijun , Lv Jicheng , Zhang Hong
Published: July 2019

Background

Immunoglobulin A (IgA) vasculitis nephritis (IgAV-N) is the most common secondary IgA nephropathy (IgAN). Many studies have demonstrated that galactose-deficient IgA1 (Gd-IgA1) in the IgA1 hinge region is associated with the development and also progression of primary IgAN. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the roles of Gd-IgA1 in kidney disease progression in a large Chinese cohort of IgAV-N patients.

Methods

This cohort study enrolled 112 patients with IgAV-N, 15 patients with IgA vasculitis (IgAV) without kidney involvement and 108 patients with IgAN. Plasma IgA1 and Gd-IgA1 levels at kidney biopsy were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The primary endpoint was a 30% decline in estimated glomerular filtration rate or end-stage renal disease or death.

Results

The levels of Gd-IgA1 in IgAV-N and IgAN patients were higher than in healthy controls (mean ± SD, 302.86 ± 54.93 U/mL versus 303.16 ± 59.43 U/mL versus 281.30 ± 43.74 U/mL, respectively; P = 0.047), as well as compared with those with IgAV without kidney involvement (272.65 ± 53.14 U/mL; P = 0.036). After adjusting clinical data, higher levels of Gd-IgA1 were found to be independently associated with a greater risk for kidney failure [hazard ratio (HR) = 1.703 per 1 SD, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.233–2.352; P = 0.001]. Compared with the first Gd-IgA1 quartile group (as reference), the fourth Gd-IgA1 quartile group retained a predictive value for poor renal outcome (HR = 3.740, 95% CI 1.204–11.619; P = 0.023).

Conclusions

These data indicate that Gd-IgA1 levels were similarly elevated in adult patients with IgAN and those with IgAV-N. Moreover, increased Gd-IgA1 levels were associated with both the development and progression of IgAV-N, as observed in IgAN.