Knocking out barriers to engineered cell activity.

CRISPR-Cas9 gene-edited T cells show safety and long-term engraftment in human

Saving Multilateralism: Renovating the House of Global Economic Governance for the 21st Century

Last December, the eyes of all those with a stake in international affairs turned to Europe. First they looked to Geneva, for signs that the long-running Doha Round of multilateral trade negotiations at the World Trade Organization (WTO) would get back on track after years of stalemate. Then observers turned to Copenhagen, hoping to see a binding and comprehensive agreement reflecting a commitment on the part of the world’s governments to address the pressing global challenge of climate change. They were to be sorely disappointed. Inscribed on the faces of those struggling to reach agreements was a deep frustration with multilateral processes that were proving incapable of delivery. Instead of agreement, the images playing out on television screens and in newspapers around the world were of fractiousness and division, due in part to the large number of participants and contentiousness of the issues faced; of anger, on the part of all those who felt marginalized by the process; and of concern, from those looking for signs that the world still has the capacity to reach accords when it really matters. The failure of these meetings to produce formal agreements—or even specific paths to reaching agreements in the future—despite the high stakes and the political capital that had been invested in advance left many questioning the ability of the world’s leaders to meet global challenges, shedding a spotlight on the institutions and fora that were established for the purpose of achieving multilateral solutions to the most pressing collective problems of the 21st century. Why did these meetings fail? Many had assumed that the most significant economic crisis since the Great Depression and the overwhelming scientific and circumstantial evidence of damaging changes to our climate would compel world leaders to set aside their differences and reach meaningful agreements. But it did not happen. It is not that the problems are not big enough or urgent enough. The failure to reach agreements can best be seen as part of a long-term trend toward increased complexity in the world that makes it nearly impossible to reach traditional multilateral binding accords, combined with a waning of faith on the part of many countries in multilateralism and multilateral institutions

Is the Oral Microbiome Important in HIV-Associated Inflammation?

Alterations in the gut microbiome during HIV infection have been implicated in chronic inflammation, but the role of the oral microbiome in this process is less clear. The article by M. K. Annavajhala, S. D. Khan, S. B. Sullivan, J. Shah, et al. (mSphere 5:e00798-19, 2020, https://doi.org/10.1128/mSphere.00798-19) investigated the relationship between oral and gut microbiome diversity and immune activation in patients with HIV on antiretroviral therapy. In this study, oral microbiome diversity was inversely associated with inflammatory markers such as soluble CD14 (sCD14), but surprisingly similar associations were not seen with gut microbiome diversity. Oral microbiome diversity was also associated with periodontitis in these patients. This study highlights the importance of continuing multisite examinations in studying the gastrointestinal tract microbiome and also stimulates important directions for future research defining the role of the oral-gut axis in HIV-associated inflammation

“Be Carefully Taught”: African Americans in Adams County in the 20th Century

Every year over a million visitors flood Adams County, Pennsylvania to tour the famous, or rather infamous, site of the Battle of Gettysburg. While most visitors primarily come to Gettysburg to learn about the battle, many leave with understandings of the unending impact of the Civil War on race relations. However, for a town that sparks such a progressive mentality in some, Adams County, and specifically Gettysburg, is often criticized for being ‘frozen in time,’ unwilling to keep up with progressive race relations after the battle ended. A panel entitled “Black Experiences in Adams County in the 19th & 20th Centuries” sponsored by the Adams County Historical Society and the Gettysburg College History and Africana Studies departments, addressed the importance of remembering this African American story. The panel included Gettysburg College Professor Scott Hancock, author Peter Levy, and Adams County residents Darryl Jones and Jane Nutter. [excerpt

Powers\u27 Parent engagement in early learning (Book Review)

A review of Powers, J. (2106). Parent engagement in early learning. St. Paul, MN: Redleaf Press. 173 pp. $29.95. ISBN 978160554438

An Emerging International Rule of Law?—The WTO Dispute Settlement System’s Role in its Evolution

More than 2,000 years have passed since the idea of the “rule of law” appeared in Western culture. But only recently has it entered common usage—we have become the “rule of law generation.” With the growth in the number of international courts and tribunals, the question arises whether the same principles surrounding the rule of law that have been developed in many national legal systems also apply in international arenas. Despite the fact that the international system lacks a centralized legislative authority, and despite the scepticism of many observers, I argue that institutions like the dispute settlement system of the World Trade Organization (“WTO”) significantly contribute to moving toward a full-fledged international “rule of law.” In the first part of this Comment, I explore what the concept of “rule of law” means in a domestic setting, and address the problems arising from applying this concept in the international arena. In the second part, I analyse the role of the WTO’s dispute settlement system, and in particular of the Appellate Body, in the progressive development of an international rule of law. In the third part, I address the question of whether the WTO’s dispute settlement system can constitute a valid model for how the rule of law can be applied in other international arenas. In the fourth part, I examine the potential obstacles in the path of establishing a genuine rule of law at the WTO—namely the absence of a balance between a highly functioning adjudicatory system and a weak legislative arm