Zenith Radio Corp v. United States: The Demise of Congressionally Mandated Countervailing Duties

The countervailing duty has long been a favorite tool of the Congress to achieve what it considers to be fair trade between the United States and her trading partners. Countervailing duties are extra duties imposed upon goods that enjoy subsidies, in whatever form, from a foreign government. In Zenith Radio Corp. v. United States, the Supreme Court agreed with the Department of Treasury that a remission by the Government of Japan of a domestic indirect commodity tax upon electronic goods was not a subsidy requiring a countervailing duty. This Note will suggest that the Court\u27s dependence upon the legislative history of the countervailing duty statute, the longstanding practice of the Treasury Department, and the reliance interests that have arisen because of this practice, are misplaced. Rather, an analysis of circumstances surrounding the case reveals that it is unarticulated political considerations, such as pressure from the Government of Japan and the Department of State, which make logic of an otherwise illogical decision

Zenith Radio Corp v. United States: The Demise of Congressionally Mandated Countervailing Duties

The countervailing duty has long been a favorite tool of the Congress to achieve what it considers to be fair trade between the United States and her trading partners. Countervailing duties are extra duties imposed upon goods that enjoy subsidies, in whatever form, from a foreign government. In Zenith Radio Corp. v. United States, the Supreme Court agreed with the Department of Treasury that a remission by the Government of Japan of a domestic indirect commodity tax upon electronic goods was not a subsidy requiring a countervailing duty. This Note will suggest that the Court\u27s dependence upon the legislative history of the countervailing duty statute, the longstanding practice of the Treasury Department, and the reliance interests that have arisen because of this practice, are misplaced. Rather, an analysis of circumstances surrounding the case reveals that it is unarticulated political considerations, such as pressure from the Government of Japan and the Department of State, which make logic of an otherwise illogical decision

International Trading Companies: Building on the Japanese Model

Passage of the Export Trading Company Act of 1982 provides new opportunities for American business to organize and operate general trading companies. After presenting a thorough history and description of the Japanese sogoshosha, Mr. Dziubla gives several compelling reasons for Americans to establish export trading companies. He also examines the changes in United States banking and antitrust laws that have resulted from passage of the act and offers suggestions for drafting guidelines, rules, and regulations for the Export Trading Company Act

Biocompatibility or Toxicology? Oxidative Stress as a Focal Point of Nanomaterial Design

Of the weapons employed by the body’s defense mechanisms, oxidative stress appears to be the most ubiquitous, non-specific, and damaging. When oxidative mechanisms have been induced (e.g., the leukocyte respiratory burst), it can result in a degenerative cycle of chronic inflammation and cell death, which further stimulates the release of more harsh oxidants. However, under mild conditions, this oxidative stress stimulates tissue regeneration and cellular upregulation of protective mechanisms (e.g., ischemic preconditioning), improving the overall viability and prognosis of tissue health. A delicate balance of pro-oxidant and antioxidant mechanisms constitutively exist to ensure that only the beneficial effects are observed. For nanomaterials, oxidative stress poses an especially troubling challenge to their biocompatibility. Indeed, no material is in all biological settings and situations 100% non-inflammatory, non-toxic, non-teratogenic, non-carcinogenic, non-thrombogenic, and non-immunogenic. Yet, while it is classically considered a mechanism of toxicity, regulation of oxidative stress can be a new tool by which we tune and widen the biocompatibility window of nanomaterials. Here we present some initial efforts in creating materials with inherent antioxidant capabilities to tune and control biocompatibility for the effect of controlling chronic inflammation

Compounds and Methods for Reducing the Occurrence of Post-Surgical Adhesions

Compounds and methods for reducing the occurrence of a post-surgical adhesion are provided. The compounds can include acrylic acid groups and ethylene glycol groups, and can be directed to an area of damaged tissue by the incorporation of a fibrin targeting peptide. The compounds can further include a brush-like portion, capable of creating a steric barrier between a damaged tissue or organ and adjacent tissues or organs, and a targeting portion, capable of directing the compounds to a damaged tissue or organ. Methods of detecting damaged tissue and kits are also provided

Polymeric Prodrug

The presently-disclosed subject matter includes compounds that comprise an initiator and an active agent that is covalently bonded to the initiator through a ring-opening polymerization process, an atom-transfer radical polymerization process, a Michael addition reaction, or a ring-opening metathesis polymerization process. In some embodiments the active agent includes simvastatin. The presently-disclosed subject matter also includes methods for making the compositions and methods for using the compositions to treat tissue wounds

Biopolymeric Mucin and Synthetic Polymer Analogs: Their Structure, Function and Role in Biomedical Applications

Mucin networks are viscoelastic fibrillar aggregates formed through the complex self-association of biopolymeric glycoprotein chains. The networks form a lubricious, hydrated protective shield along epithelial regions within the human body. The critical role played by mucin networks in impacting the transport properties of biofunctional molecules (e.g., biogenic molecules, probes, nanoparticles), and its effect on bioavailability are well described in the literature. An alternate perspective is provided in this paper, presenting mucin’s complex network structure, and its interdependent functional characteristics in human physiology. We highlight the recent advances that were achieved through the use of mucin in diverse areas of bioengineering applications (e.g., drug delivery, biomedical devices and tissue engineering). Mucin network formation is a highly complex process, driven by wide variety of molecular interactions, and the network possess structural and chemical variations, posing a great challenge to understand mucin’s bulk behavior. Through this review, the prospective potential of polymer based analogs to serve as mucin mimic is suggested. These analog systems, apart from functioning as an artificial model, reducing the current dependency on animal models, can aid in furthering our fundamental understanding of such complex structures

Recent Advances on Iron Oxide Magnetic Nanoparticles as Sorbents of Organic Pollutants in Water and Wastewater Treatment

The constant growth in population worldwide over the past decades continues to put forward the need to provide access to safe, clean water to meet human needs. There is a need for cost-effective technologies for water and wastewater treatment that can meet the global demands and the rigorous water quality standards and at the same maximizing pollutant efficiency removal. Current remediation technologies have failed in keeping up with these factors without becoming cost-prohibitive. Most recently, nanotechnology has been sought as the best alternative to increase access to water supplies by remediating those already contaminated and offering ways to access unconventional sources. The use of iron oxide magnetic nanoparticles as nanoadsorbents has led way to a new class of magnetic separation strategies for water treatment. This review focuses on highlighting some of the most recent advances in core-shell iron oxide magnetic nanoparticles and nanocomposites containing iron oxide nanoparticles currently being developed for water and wastewater treatment of organic pollutants. We discuss the novelty of these novel materials and the insight gained from their advances that can help develop cost-effective reusable technologies for scale-up and commercial use

Tuning Properties of Poly(ethylene glycol)-\u3cem\u3eblock\u3c/em\u3e-poly(simvastatin) Copolymers Synthesized via Triazabicyclodecene

Simvastatin was polymerized into copolymers to better control drug loading and release for therapeutic delivery. When using the conventional stannous octoate catalyst in ring-opening polymerization (ROP), reaction temperatures ≥ 200 °C were required, which promoted uncontrollable and undesirable side reactions. Triazabicyclodecene (TBD), a highly reactive guanidine base organocatalyst, was used as an alternative to polymerize simvastatin. Polymerization was achieved at 150 °C using 5 kDa methyl-terminated poly(ethylene glycol) (mPEG) as the initiator. ROP reactions with 2 kDa or 550 Da mPEG initiators were also successful using TBD at 150 °C instead of stannous octoate, which required a higher reaction temperature. Biodegradability of the poly(simvastatin) copolymer in phosphate-buffered saline was also improved, losing twice as much mass than the copolymer synthesized via stannous octoate. The three copolymers exhibited modified rates of simvastatin release, demonstrating tunablity for drug delivery applications