What, exactly, is it about jus cogens that distinguishes it from ordinary international law? In answering this question, international lawyers usually resort to the “the Legal-Consequences-as-Criterion Theory”: while ordinary international law can be rebutted or modified in accordance with the duly expressed will of states, jus cogens norms permit no derogation and allow modification only by the c

All companies strive towards lowering their manufacturing costs. Few companies do however succeed in continuously improving their production after the launch of a new production process. This article introduces a method for companies having an established technology to optimize their production in terms of part cost without disrupting the normal, day-to-day production. By incrementally chancing th

In this review essay I examine the central tenets of sociologist Dave Elder-Vass’s recent contribution to social ontology, as put forth in his book The Causal Power of Social Structures: Emergence, Structure and Agency (2010). Elder-Vass takes issue with ontological individualists and maintains that social structures exist and have causal powers in their own right. I argue that he fails to establi

There is increasing evidence that gene copy number (CN) variation influences clinical phenotype. The low-affinity Fc receptor 3B (FCGR3B) located in the FCGR gene cluster is a CN polymorphic gene involved in the recruitment of polymorphonuclear neutrophils to sites of inflammation and their activation. Given the genetic overlap between systemic lupus erythematosus and systemic sclerosis (SSc) and

Exacerbation of ST elevation associated with reperfusion has been reported in patients with myocardial infarction. However, the cause of the "reperfusion peak" and relation of its magnitude to the size of myocardial damage has not been explored. The aim of our study was to assess the correlation between the ST-dynamics during reperfusion, the myocardium at risk (MaR), and the infarct size (IS).

Aromatic molecules are central components of model systems for molecular electronics, with C-60 one of the most studied. Upon adsorption on (metallic) substrates a splitting of the frontier orbitals is commonly observed, with a strong dependence on substrate material, but little dependence on substrate structure. We report the detailed photoelectron angle dependence of C-60/A1(110) over a wide ran

Circadian clocks optimize the timing of physiological processes in synchrony with daily recurring and therefore predictable changes in the environment. Until the late 1990s, circadian clocks were thought to exist only in the central nervous systems of animals; elegant studies in cultured fibroblasts and using genetically encoded reporters in Drosophila melanogaster and in mice showed that clocks a

ObjectiveIn both dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) and Parkinson's disease dementia (PDD), attentional dysfunction is a core clinical feature together with disrupted episodic memory. This study evaluated the cognitive effects of memantine in DLB and PDD using automated tests of attention and episodic memory. MethodsA randomised double-blind, placebo-controlled, 24-week three centre trial of memantin

Developed countries have relied heavily on aid budgets to fulfill their pledges to boost funding for addressing climate change in developing countries. However, little is known about how interaction between aid and other ministries has shaped contributorsâ diverse approaches to climate finance. This paper investigates intra-governmental dynamics in decision-making on climate finance in seven contr

Fast correlation attacks, pioneered by Meier and Staffelbach in 1988, constitute an important class of attacks on stream ciphers. They exploit a correlation between the keystream and the output of a linear feedback shift register (LFSR) within the cipher. Several factors affect the feasibility of such an attack, e.g., the amount of available keystream and the number of taps in the LFSR. Notably, f

PURPOSE: To investigate the accuracy and noise performance of fat quantification with multiple gradient-echo images acquired using bipolar read-out gradients and compare them with those of the well-established unipolar technique. THEORY: The bipolar read-out technique induces phase and amplitude errors caused by gradient delays, eddy currents, and frequency-dependent coil sensitivity. In this stud

On-going research aims at answering the question, which satiety signal is the most potent or which combination of satiety signals is the most potent to stop eating. There is also an aim at finding certain food items or food additives that could be used to specifically reduce food intake therapeutically. Therapeutic attempts to normalize body weight and glycaemia with single agents alone have gener

This article draws on a longitudinal and qualitative study of students in a master’s program in engineering. Interpretative phenomenological analysis was used to analyze annual, semi-structured interviews with ten students, from the first semester until one year after graduation. The program enjoys a high status and has a reputation of being highly demanding. The results show how the students cate

Resection techniques are the established method for posterior mitral valve leaflet repair in degenerative mitral valve disease. However, implantation of expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (ePTFE) neochordae is gaining acceptance. The aim of this study was to compare the durability and clinical outcome following mitral valve repair using ePTFE neochordae or leaflet resection.

Research in family medicine is a well-established entity nationally and internationally, covering all aspects of primary care including remote and isolated practices. However, due to limited capacity and resources in rural family medicine, its potential is not fully exploited yet. An idea to foster European rural primary care research by establishing a practice-based research network has been rece

We report the occurrence of Trichospilus pupivorus Ferriere, 1930 (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae) parasitizing pupae of Thagona tibialis Walker, 1855 (Lepidoptera: Lymantriidae) collected on Terminalia catappa L. (Combretaceae) tree in Vicosa, Minas Gerais, Brazil. Fifty to 75 parasitoids emerged from three pupae of Th. tibialis. This is the first record of Tr. pupivorus for the American continent and a

The aim of this study was to assess knee extensor and flexor muscle torque in individuals with hemiparesis after stroke and determine the relationship with muscle tone. Fifty individuals (mean age 58 +/- 6.4 years), 6 to 48 months after stroke, participated in the study. Maximal concentric knee extension and flexion torque at 60 degrees/s and 120 degrees/s and maximal eccentric knee extension cont

Introduction Bladder exstrophy is a rare congenital malformation of the bladder and is believed to be a complex disorder with genetic and environmental background. We describe a young adult female with an isolated bladder exstrophy and with an X chromosome aberration. Patients and Methods Karyotyping identified an X chromosome rearrangement that was further characterized with array comparative gen

The aim of this study was to assess the long-term effects of a high-energy dense diet, supplemented with Lactobacillus plantarum (Lp) or Escherichia coli (Ec) on weight gain, fattening and the gut microbiota in rats. Since the mother’s dietary habits can influence offspring physiology, the dietary regimes started with the dams at pregnancy and through lactation, and continued with the offspring fo