Governing rules and principles of the WTO: Its scope and future development in the context of globalisation

No Abstrac

Can A State Or A Head of State Claim The Benefit Of Immunities In Case An International Crime Has Been Committed?

I propose to deal with a topic which is at the crossroads of what I see as the main tension in international law today. This is the tension-not to say more-between state sovereignty, on one side, and the protection of the human rights of individuals on the other

CONGRESO DE LAS NACIONES UNIDAS SOBRE DERECHO INTERNACIONAL PUBLICO.

Exposición de clausura del Secretario General de las Naciones Unidas en el marco del Congreso de Derecho Internacional Público

Emergency Medicine Research Directors and Research Programs: Characteristics and Factors Associated with Productivity

: Background: Periodic surveys of research directors (RDs) in emergency medicine (EM) are useful to assess the specialty's development and evolution of the RD role. Objectives: To assess associations between characteristics and research productivity of RDs and EM programs. Methods: A survey of EM RDs was developed using the nominal group technique and pilot tested. RDs or surrogate respondents at programs certified by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education were contacted by e-mail in early 2005. The survey assessed programs' research infrastructure and productivity, as well as RD characteristics, responsibilities, and career satisfaction. Three measures of research productivity were empirically defined: research publications, grant awards, and grant revenue. Results: Responses were received from 86% of 123 EM programs. Productivity was associated with the presence of nonclinical faculty, dedicated research coordinators, and reduced clinical hours for research faculty. Programs with an RD did not have greater research productivity, using any measure, than those without an RD. The majority of RDs cited pursuing their own studies, obtaining funding, research mentoring, and research administration to be major responsibilities. The majority characterized internal research funding, grant development support, and support from other faculty as inadequate. Most RDs are satisfied with their careers and expect to remain in the position for three or more years. Conclusions: Research productivity of EM residency programs is associated with the presence of dedicated research faculty and staff and with reduced clinical demands for research faculty. Despite perceiving deficiencies in important resources, most RDs are professionally satisfied.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/72908/1/j.aem.2006.01.027.pd

Differentiation, Quantification and Identification of Abrin and Abrus precatorius Agglutinin

Abrin, the toxic lectin from the rosary pea plant Abrus precatorius, has gained considerable interest in the recent past due to its potential malevolent use. However, reliable and easy-to-use assays for the detection and discrimination of abrin from related plant proteins such as Abrus precatorius agglutinin or the homologous toxin ricin from Ricinus communis are sparse. To address this gap, a panel of highly specific monoclonal antibodies was generated against abrin and the related Abrus precatorius agglutinin. These antibodies were used to establish two sandwich ELISAs to preferentially detect abrin or A. precatorius agglutinin (limit of detection 22 pg/mL for abrin; 35 pg/mL for A. precatorius agglutinin). Furthermore, an abrin-specific lateral flow assay was developed for rapid on-site detection (limit of detection ~1 ng/mL abrin). Assays were validated for complex food, environmental and clinical matrices illustrating broad applicability in different threat scenarios. Additionally, the antibodies turned out to be suitable for immuno-enrichment strategies in combination with mass spectrometry-based approaches for unambiguous identification. Finally, we were able to demonstrate for the first time how the developed assays can be applied to detect, identify and quantify abrin from a clinical sample derived from an attempted suicide case involving A. precatorius.Peer Reviewe

Development of a Genus-Specific Antigen Capture ELISA for Orthopoxviruses – Target Selection and Optimized Screening

Orthopoxvirus species like cowpox, vaccinia and monkeypox virus cause zoonotic infections in humans worldwide. Infections often occur in rural areas lacking proper diagnostic infrastructure as exemplified by monkeypox, which is endemic in Western and Central Africa. While PCR detection requires demanding equipment and is restricted to genome detection, the evidence of virus particles can complement or replace PCR. Therefore, an easily distributable and manageable antigen capture enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for the detection of orthopoxviruses was developed to facilitate particle detection. By comparing the virus particle binding properties of polyclonal antibodies developed against surface-exposed attachment or fusion proteins, the surface protein A27 was found to be a well-bound, highly immunogenic and exposed target for antibodies aiming at virus particle detection. Subsequently, eight monoclonal anti-A27 antibodies were generated and characterized by peptide epitope mapping and surface plasmon resonance measurements. All antibodies were found to bind with high affinity to two epitopes at the heparin binding site of A27, toward either the N- or C-terminal of the crucial KKEP-segment of A27. Two antibodies recognizing different epitopes were implemented in an antigen capture ELISA. Validation showed robust detection of virus particles from 11 different orthopoxvirus isolates pathogenic to humans, with the exception of MVA, which is apathogenic to humans. Most orthopoxviruses could be detected reliably for viral loads above 1 × 103 PFU/mL. To our knowledge, this is the first solely monoclonal and therefore reproducible antibody-based antigen capture ELISA able to detect all human pathogenic orthopoxviruses including monkeypox virus, except variola virus which was not included. Therefore, the newly developed antibody-based assay represents important progress towards feasible particle detection of this important genus of viruses

The Spitzer High Redshift Radio Galaxy Survey

We present results from a comprehensive imaging survey of 70 radio galaxies at redshifts 1<z<5.2 using all three cameras onboard the Spitzer Space Telescope. The resulting spectral energy distributions unambiguously show a stellar population in 46 sources and hot dust emission associated with the active nucleus in 59. Using a new restframe S_3um/S_1.6um versus S_um/S_3um criterion, we identify 42 sources where the restframe 1.6um emission from the stellar population can be measured. For these radio galaxies, the median stellar mass is high, 2x10^11 M_sun, and remarkably constant within the range 13, there is tentative evidence for a factor of two decrease in stellar mass. This suggests that radio galaxies have assembled the bulk of their stellar mass by z~3, but confirmation by more detailed decomposition of stellar and AGN emission is needed. The restframe 500 MHz radio luminosities are only marginally correlated with stellar mass but are strongly correlated with the restframe 5um hot dust luminosity. This suggests that the radio galaxies have a large range of Eddington ratios. We also present new Very Large Array 4.86 and 8.46 GHz imaging of 14 radio galaxies and find that radio core dominance --- an indicator of jet orientation --- is strongly correlated with hot dust luminosity. While all of our targets were selected as narrow-lined, type 2 AGNs, this result can be understood in the context of orientation-dependent models if there is a continuous distribution of orientations from obscured type 2 to unobscured type 1 AGNs rather than a clear dichotomy. Finally, four radio galaxies have nearby (<6") companions whose mid-IR colors are suggestive of their being AGNs. This may indicate an association between radio galaxy activity and major mergers.Comment: 31 pages, 125 figures. Accepted for publication in the Astrophysical Journa