Universalizing the Law of the Sea in the South China Sea Dispute

This article argues that a resolution of the maritime disputes in the South China Sea must be based upon a universalist framework where the maritime interests of the world are upheld. The article discusses the universalist framework of the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and the universalist approach taken by the Tribunal on 12 July 2016 in the South China Sea Arbitration regarding the extinguishment of a state's “exceptionalist” maritime claims and the adoption of strict criteria for the characterization of features at sea.     

Synthesis and antiproliferative activity of derivatives of the phyllanthusmin class of arylnaphthalene lignan lactones

A series of arylnaphthalene lignan lactones based on the structure of the phyllanthusmins, a class of potent natural products possessing diphyllin as the aglycone, has been synthesized and screened for activity against multiple cancer cell lines. SAR exploration was performed on both the carbohydrate and lactone moieties of this structural class. These studies have revealed the importance of functionalization of the carbohydrate hydroxy groups with both acetylated and methylated analogues showing increased potency relative to those with unsubstituted sugar moieties. In addition, the requirement for the presence and position of the C-ring lactone has been demonstrated through reduction and selective re-oxidation of the lactone ring. The most potent compound in this study displayed an IC₅₀ value of 18?nM in an HT-29 assay with several others ranging from 50 to 200?nM. In an effort to elucidate their potential mechanism(s) of action, the DNA topoisomerase IIa inhibitory activity of the most potent compounds was examined based on previous reports of structurally similar compounds, but does not appear to contribute significantly to their antiproliferative effects.     

Somatic TP53 Mutations Are Detectable in Circulating Tumor DNA from Children with Anaplastic Wilms Tumors

BACKGROUND: Diffuse anaplastic Wilms tumor (DAWT) is a rare, high-risk subtype that is often missed on diagnostic needle biopsy. Somatic mutations in TP53 are associated with the development of anaplasia and with poorer survival, particularly in advanced-stage disease. Early identification of DAWT harboring TP53 abnormalities could improve risk stratification of initial therapy and monitoring for recurrence. METHODS: Droplet digital polymerase chain reaction (ddPCR) was used to evaluate 21 samples from 4 patients with DAWT. For each patient, we assessed TP53 status in frozen tumor, matched germline DNA, and circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) from plasma, serum, and urine collected throughout treatment. RESULTS: Mutant TP53 was detectable in ctDNA from plasma and serum in all patients. We did not detect variant TP53 in the same volume (200 μl) of urine. One patient displayed heterogeneity of TP53 in the tumor despite both histological sections displaying anaplasia. Concentration of ctDNA from plasma/serum taken prenephrectomy varied significantly between patients, ranging from 0.44 (0.05-0.90) to 125.25 (109.75-140.25) copies/μl. We observed variation in ctDNA throughout treatment, and in all but one patient, ctDNA levels fell significantly following nephrectomy. CONCLUSION: We demonstrate for the first time that ddPCR is an effective method for detection of mutant TP53 in ctDNA from children with DAWT even when there is intratumoral somatic heterogeneity. This should be further explored in a larger cohort of patients, as early detection of circulating variant TP53 may have significant clinical impact on future risk stratification and surveillance.     

First record of Terpios fugax Duchassaing and Michelotti, 1864 (Demospongiae: Suberitidae) in the Eastern Pacific Ocean

ABSTRACT

The brightly blue shallow water species Terpios fugax Duchassaing and Michelotti, 1864 was originally described from the Caribbean and has been extensively recorded in the Atlantic Ocean, but rarely found in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. In the Pacific Ocean it has been only reported from Sulawesi, Indonesia and from the Caroline and Marshall Islands. Here we report the first record of Terpios in the Eastern Pacific, based on the presence of T. fugax at Caldera, Región de Atacama, northern Chile. Although this species may have been inadvertently introduced to the area by human activity, it should also be considered that the geographically distant populations of this sponge (from the Caribbean to the Eastern Pacific) may represent different species.     

Midge (Chironomidae,Chaoboridae, Ceratopogonidae) assemblages and their relationship with biological and physicochemical variables in shallow,polymictic lakes

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Declarations and Statements with Respect to the 1982 UNCLOS: Potential Legal Disputes between the United States and China after U.S. Accession to the Convention

This article discusses the implications of U.S. accession to the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) for the future development of Sino-American relations in the areas of ocean law and politics. The declarations and understandings contained in the Senate Resolution of Advice and Consent to U.S. Accession to the UNCLOS are examined in detail in the context of previous maritime conflicts between the United States and China.     

Navigation in Marine Protected Areas: National and International Law

Abstract

World fish resources, fishing methods, and processing operations in the seafood industry are described. The fishery situation in developing countries (LDCs) is discussed, with particular reference to artisanal and other local fisheries, and examples are cited to illustrate the structure of the industry. Technology transfer from developed countries to LDCs is discussed and recommendations are presented for future technology transfer programs. It is concluded that an integrated complex of small projects with defined, attainable objectives and immediate impact on income and food supply of the LDC populations is likely to be more successful than large‐scale programs with little immediate payoff. A case study of fisheries in two developing countries, Thailand and Peru, and extensive tabulation of statistical data on catches, value of catch, and unit value of fish species groups for selected countries, with a discussion of the significance of the data, are presented in an appendix.     

Does diversity damage corporate value? Measuring stock price reactions to a diversity award

Corporate decision-makers have increasingly adopted an approach to firm governance that places share value above other concerns, including meeting the needs of employees. Decision-makers' concerns about shareholder interests may potentially impede internal commitments to implementing diversity-friendly practices and policies. This study analyses how recognition for a company's diversity efforts impacts corporate share price. We rely on data of share price fluctuation following the receipt of Fortune Magazine's ‘Best Companies for Minorities’ Award. We find that companies recognized for their diversity efforts are penalized with a significant decline in share price, though this negative effect is mediated by the ethnic composition of the company's workforce.     

Silurian trace fossils in carbonate turbidites from the Alexander arc of southeastern Alaska

Early to Late Silurian (Llandovery‐Ludlow) body and trace fossils from the Heceta Formation of southeastern Alaska are preserved in the oldest widespread carbonates in the Alexander terrane. These fossils represent the earliest benthos to inhabit diverse shallow and deep subtidal environments in the region and are important indicators of early stages in benthic community development within the evolving Alexander arc. The ichnofossils are particularly significant because they add to a small but growing body of knowledge about trace fossils in deep‐water carbonates of Paleozoic age.

Carbonate turbidites that originated along a deep marine slope within the arc yield a low‐diversity suite of trace fossils consisting of five distinct biogenic forms. Simple burrows (Planolites, two forms), ramifying tunnels (Chondrites), and tiny cylindrical burrows (?Chondrites) represent the feeding activities (fodinichnia) of pre‐turbidite animals that burrowed in the lime mud before the influx of coarser sediment deposited by turbidity currents. These trace fossils are associated locally with cross‐cutting burrows created as domichnia (Palaeophycus). Rarer hypichnial burrows and endichnial traces were created by post‐turbidite animals that fed soon after the deposition of coarse detritus from turbidity flows.

Trace fossils in these deposits reflect much lower diversity levels than in Paleozoic siliciclastic turbidites. This difference may represent unfavorable environmental conditions for infaunas, differential preservation, or significant paleogeographic isolation of the Alexander terrane during the Silurian. Greater utilization of trace fossils in terrane analysis may help to resolve this issue and provide new data for reconstructing the paleogeography of circum‐Pacific terranes.