Aid and Assistance as a “Use of Force” Under the Jus Ad Bellum

Although the prohibition of the use of force is a cornerstone of international law, our understanding of what constitutes a “use of force” under Article 2(4) of the UN Charter nonetheless continues to evolve. While the term was traditionally understood to mean armed force, emerging interpretations are expanding our understanding of the prohibition’s breadth. The Charter’s text, travaux préparatoires, and subsequent interpretations and practice by States, reinforced by the persuasive reasoning of the International Court of Justice, all confirm that the notion of force extends to indirect force, which includes military support provided to parties to a conflict. Yet, to date, States have failed to meaningfully contend with the notion of indirect force, much less clarify its precise threshold. Accordingly, through the lens of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, this article examines whether and, if so, when a State\u27s military aid or assistance that contributes to another State\u27s use of force constitutes a separate and distinct use of force under international law. After concluding that aid or assistance can, under certain conditions, qualify as a use of force, the article proposes several non-exclusive factors that States are likely to consider when assessing whether aid or assistance from a supporting State crosses the prohibition’s threshold

Prisoner of War Status and Nationals of a Detaining Power

This article examines whether a Detaining State is obliged to recognize prisoner of war status for its own nationals under Article 4A of the 1949 Geneva Convention III. It begins with an assessment of that article from the perspective of established principles for construing treaty provisions. It then adds context to that assessment by examining relevant scholarship and State practice regarding its prescriptions before and after the Convention’s negotiation and adoption. Although it concludes that denying prisoner of war status to a national of the Detaining Power is the more persuasive interpretation of Article 4A, it concludes by highlighting the practical challenges of determining nationality that Detaining States may confront

Body Weight Support on Anti-Gravity Treadmill Induces Less Physiological Strain While Running

The anti-gravity treadmill developed by AlterG® can be used as an alternative to traditional treadmill running. The AlterG® unloads an individual’s body weight through lower body positive pressure (LBPP) and can support up to 80% of an individual’s body weight. The cardiorespiratory response resulting from a bout of exercise on an AlterG® treadmill may be attenuated compared to similar exercise on a traditional treadmill. PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to compare the physiological responses of running at 0%, 15%, 30%, and 45% of body weight support (BWS) on the AlterG® to a traditional treadmill. METHODS: Ten healthy, active males (n = 3) and females (n = 7) (mean ± SD; age 23 ± 3 yrs, weight 60 ± 9.4 kg, height 167.6 ± 6.4 cm) completed two separate treadmill sessions in a randomized order. The exercise sessions included running on an AlterG® treadmill at 6 mph and 1% grade with 0%, 15%, 30% and 45% BWS for 8 min each. The other exercise session included running on a traditional treadmill (TT) at 6 mph and 1% grade for 8 min. Oxygen consumption (VO2) and respiratory exchange ratio (RER) were measured every minute through indirect calorimetry. Heart rate (HR) was measured every minute with a heart rate monitor and values were averaged during the last five minutes of each exercise trial. Rating of perceived exertion (RPE) was measured every other minute. Multivariate ANOVA was used for statistical analysis for each dependent variable (p \u3c 0.05). RESULTS: BWS at 15%, 30% and 45% on the AlterG® treadmill significantly reduced VO2 18.5%, 28.3 and 33.7% compared to TT and 0%. Additionally, HR with BWS at 15%, 30% and 45% was significantly reduced 8.9%, 13.1% and 17.9% compared to TT and 0%. RER during 30% and 45% was significantly different (-8.6% and -7.4%) from TT. Perceived exertion during 45% BWS was significantly lower (10-20%) than all protocols. There was no significant difference in VO2 or HR reported between 30% and 45%. 0% BWS displayed no significant difference in VO2 or HR when compared to the traditional treadmill. CONCLUSION: Increasing the percentage of BWS while running on the AlterG® treadmill reduced VO2 and HR compared to TT and 0%. Greater levels of BWS (30% and 45%) resulted in lowered RER and perceived exertion (45% only). The AlterG® treadmill appears to lessen the physiological demands of running compared to a traditional treadmill

Prisoner of war status and nationals of a detaining power

This article examines whether a Detaining State is obliged to recognize prisoner of war status for its own nationals under Article 4A of the 1949 Geneva Convention III. It begins with an assessment of that article from the perspective of established principles for construing treaty provisions. It then adds context to that assessment by examining relevant scholarship and State practice regarding its prescriptions before and after the Convention’s negotiation and adoption. Although it concludes that denying prisoner of war status to a national of the Detaining Power is the more persuasive interpretation of Article 4A, it concludes by highlighting the practical challenges of determining nationality that Detaining States may confront

Influenza-like Illness, the Time to Seek Healthcare, and Influenza Antiviral Receipt During the 2010–2011 Influenza Season— United States

Background. Few data exist describing healthcare-seeking behaviors among persons with influenza-like illness (ILI) or adherence to influenza antiviral treatment recommendations. Methods. We analyzed adult responses to the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System in 31 states and the District of Columbia (DC) and pediatric responses in 25 states and DC for January–April 2011 by demographics and underlying health conditions. Results. Among 75 088 adult and 15 649 child respondents, 8.9% and 33.9%, respectively, reported ILI. ILI was more frequent among adults with asthma (16%), chronic obstruction pulmonary disease (COPD; 26%), diabetes (12%), heart disease (19%), kidney disease (16%), or obesity (11%). Forty-five percent of adults and 57% of children sought healthcare for ILI. Thirty-five percent of adults sought care ≤2 days after ILI onset. Seeking care ≤2 days was more frequent among adults with COPD (48%) or heart disease (55%). Among adults with a self-reported physician diagnosis of influenza, 34% received treatment with antiviral medications. The only underlying health condition with a higher rate of treatment was diabetes (46%). Conclusions. Adults with underlying health conditions were more likely to report ILI, but the majority did not seek care promptly, missing opportunities for early influenza antiviral treatment

Zyflamend, a polyherbal mixture, down regulates class I and class II histone deacetylases and increases p21 levels in castrate-resistant prostate cancer cells

Background Zyflamend, a mixture containing extracts of ten herbs, has shown promise in a variety of preclinical cancer models, including prostate cancer. The current experiments were designed to investigate the effects of Zyflamend on the expression of class I and II histone deacetylases, a family of enzymes known to be over expressed in a variety of cancers. Methods CWR22Rv1 cells, a castrate-resistant prostate cancer cell line, were treated with Zyflamend and the expression of class I and II histone deacetylases, along with their downstream target the tumor suppressor gene p21, was investigated. Involvement of p21 was confirmed with siRNA knockdown and over expression experiments. Results Zyflamend down-regulated the expression of all class I and II histone deacetylases where Chinese goldthread and baikal skullcap (two of its components) appear to be primarily responsible for these results. In addition, Zyflamend up regulated the histone acetyl transferase complex CBP/p300, potentially contributing to the increase in histone 3 acetylation. Expression of the tumor suppressor gene p21, a known downstream target of histone deacetylases and CBP/p300, was increased by Zyflamend treatment and the effect on p21 was, in part, mediated through Erk1/2. Knockdown of p21 with siRNA technology attenuated Zyflamend-induced growth inhibition. Over expression of p21 inhibited cell growth and concomitant treatment with Zyflamend enhanced this effect. Conclusions Our results suggest that the extracts of this polyherbal combination increase histone 3 acetylation, inhibit the expression of class I and class II histone deacetylases, increase the activation of CBP/p300 and inhibit cell proliferation, in part, by up regulating p21 expression

Audience responses to representations of family-assisted suicide on British television

Reflecting on different generic conventions, this study highlights the strengths and weaknesses of documentaries and soap operas in addressing the societal and the personal dimensions of family-assisted suicide. Based on an analysis of YouTube user comments, this study compares how audience members respond to representations of family-assisted suicide in British documentaries and soap operas broadcast between 2010 and 2016. The thematic analysis of comments shows key differences between audience engagement with factual and fictional representations. Markers of a political engagement with this sensitive social issue occur more frequently in comments on documentaries than in comments on soap operas. Comments on soap operas are frequently expressions of emotion, or displays of specialist soap opera knowledge

An accurate test for homogeneity of odds ratios based on Cochran's Q-statistic

Background: A frequently used statistic for testing homogeneity in a meta-analysis of K independent studies is Cochran's Q. For a standard test of homogeneity the Q statistic is referred to a chi-square distribution with K - 1 degrees of freedom. For the situation in which the effects of the studies are logarithms of odds ratios, the chi-square distribution is much too conservative for moderate size studies, although it may be asymptotically correct as the individual studies become large. Methods: Using a mixture of theoretical results and simulations, we provide formulas to estimate the shape and scale parameters of a gamma distribution to t the distribution of Q. Results: Simulation studies show that the gamma distribution is a good approximation to the distribution for Q. Conclusions: : Use of the gamma distribution instead of the chi-square distribution for Q should eliminate inaccurate inferences in assessing homogeneity in a meta-analysis. (A computer program for implementing this test is provided.) This hypothesis test is competitive with the Breslow-Day test both in accuracy of level and in power

Using outbreak science to strengthen the use of models during epidemics.

Infectious disease modeling has played a prominent role in recent outbreaks, yet integrating these analyses into public health decision-making has been challenging. We recommend establishing ‘outbreak science’ as an inter-disciplinary field to improve applied epidemic modeling

Risk Estimation of Sexual Transmission of Zika Virus-United States, 2016-2017

BACKGROUND: Zika virus (ZIKV) can be transmitted sexually but the risk of sexual transmission remains unknown. Most evidence of sexual transmission is from partners of infected travelers returning from areas with ZIKV circulation. METHODS: We used data from the US national arboviral disease surveillance system on travel- and sexually acquired ZIKV disease cases during 2016-2017 to develop individual-level simulations for estimating risk of male-to-female, male-to-male, and female-to-male sexual transmission of ZIKV via vaginal and/or anal intercourse. We specified parametric distributions to characterize individual-level variability of parameters for ZIKV persistence and sexual behaviors. RESULTS: Using ZIKV RNA persistence in semen/vaginal fluids to approximate infectiousness duration, male-to-male transmission had the highest estimated probability (1.3% [95% confidence interval, CI, .4%-6.0%] per anal sex act), followed by male-to-female and female-to-male transmission (0.4% [95% CI, .3%-.6%] per vaginal/anal sex act and 0.1% [95% CI, 0%-.8%] per vaginal sex act, respectively). Models using viral isolation in semen vs RNA detection to approximate infectiousness duration predicted greater risk of sexual transmission. CONCLUSIONS: While likely insufficient to maintain sustained transmission, the estimated risk of ZIKV transmission through unprotected sex is not trivial and is especially important for pregnant women, as ZIKV infection can cause severe congenital disorders