In New York, organic production of muskmelon (Cucumis melo) and other cucurbits is limited by pests, diseases, and weeds. Among the most important pests are striped (Acalymma vittatum) and spotted (Diabrotica undecimpunctata howardi) cucumber beetles that cause damage through feeding. Cucumber beetles also transmit the bacterium, Erwinia tracheiphila, the causal agent of bacterial wilt. Mesotunnels are a modified row cover system consisting of nylon mesh netting supported by hoops approximately 1-m high, which have potential for incorporation into organic muskmelon production systems. The netting is an effective barrier for pests and insect-vectored diseases and also prevents insect-mediated pollination and in-season weed management in inter-bed areas. Two separate experiments were conducted in 2021 and 2022 to: (a) evaluate mesotunnels for organic muskmelon production and methods to control weeds in inter-bed areas (experiment 1), and (b) evaluate selected pollination treatments for integration into a mesotunnel production system (experiment 2). In experiment 1, there were four treatments: (i) landscape fabric in the inter-bed area with a mesotunnel, (ii) landscape fabric in the inter-bed area without a mesotunnel, and a (iii) ryegrass/white clover in the inter-bed area with a mesotunnel; or (iv) ryegrass cover crop in the inter-bed area with a mesotunnel. In experiment 1, mesotunnels significantly reduced cucumber beetle populations and bacterial wilt epidemic progress but did not affect the incidence of the foliar diseases, powdery mildew, or Alternaria leaf spot. In the mesotunnel and non-covered treatments, landscape fabric, applied for weed control between beds, resulted in greater fruit weight and more marketable fruit compared to mesotunnels with cover crops in the inter-bed area. In experiment 2, treatments were on/off/on (removal of netting during flowering followed by replacement), open ends (open ends during flowering), and a closed mesotunnel (with the insertion of a commercial bumblebee hive). Although the on/off/on treatment increased cucumber beetle populations and bacterial wilt epidemic progress compared to the open ends and closed treatments, it conferred significant yield benefits in both years. These findings emphasize the importance of systems-level analysis for evaluating the suitability of mesotunnels in organic muskmelon production.

Prenatal glucocorticoid exposure has been negatively associated with infant neurocognitive outcomes. However, questions about developmental timing effects across gestation remain. Participants were 253 mother-child dyads who participated in a prospective cohort study recruited in the first trimester of pregnancy. Diurnal cortisol was measured in maternal saliva samples collected across a single day within each trimester of pregnancy. Children (49.8% female) completed the Bayley Mental Development Scales, Third Edition at 6, 12, and 24 months and completed three observational executive function tasks at 24 months. Structural equation models adjusting for sociodemographic covariates were used to test study hypotheses. There was significant evidence for timing sensitivity. First-trimester diurnal cortisol (area under the curve) was negatively associated with cognitive and language development at 12 months and poorer inhibition at 24 months. Second-trimester cortisol exposure was negatively associated with language scores at 24 months. Third-trimester cortisol positively predicted performance in shifting between task rules (set shifting) at 24 months. Associations were not reliably moderated by child sex. Findings suggest that neurocognitive development is sensitive to prenatal glucocorticoid exposure as early as the first trimester and underscore the importance of assessing developmental timing in research on prenatal exposures for child health outcomes.

Background: Candida auris, an emerging multidrug-resistant fungus, is often difficult to control in hospital outbreaks. We report the hospital investigation and findings of a transmission of C. auris from patients hospitalized in an adult unit to a pediatric unit, the first in Maryland. Methods: Between June and September 2023, C. auris was recovered from two patients admitted to an adult Neuroscience Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and a patient admitted to a pediatric ICU. Infection control initiated an investigation involving staff interviews, observations and chart reviews. Cases were defined as any patient with clinical or surveillance cultures growing C. auris. Point prevalence surveillance was conducted by collecting nares and composite axilla/groin swabs from patients on the affected units. Environmental cultures collected using moistened E-Swabs (Copan, Murrieta, CA) from shared supplies were plated on CHROMagar Candida (BD, Sparks, MD). C. auris isolates from patients hospitalized at the facility between February 2022 and October 2023 were analyzed by WGS for relatedness. WGS was performed using Illumina NextSeq 300 bp paired-end sequencing (Illumina, San Diego, CA). Single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) analysis was performed by comparing raw reads to the reference C. auris B8441 genome for subsequent clustering analysis (Ares Genetics, Vienna, Austria). Results: WGS demonstrated isolates from two adults and one pediatric patient were less than three SNPs different, suggesting a shared isolate. One additional pediatric case was identified from surveillance cultures collected from 27 patients. Investigation into possible transmission routes revealed healthcare personnel serving both units, specifically clinical teams and continuous electroencephalography (cEEG) technologists. Additionally, cEEG equipment was used on both adult and pediatric patients and twelve equipment surface swabs and three samples each of measuring tape and gel were collected. C. auris was not isolated, however sensitivity of environmental sampling is unclear and suspicion for possible fomite/environmental transmission persisted. Other possible transmission routes included gaps in hand hygiene, isolation, disinfection of shared equipment, and reuse of single-use items. Interventions included improving and monitoring infection prevention practices, educating multi-disciplinary personnel and heightened environmental cleaning. Conclusion: This case highlights the feasibility of transmission of C. auris between patients admitted to a geographically distant unit. Our investigation revealed multiple possible routes of transmission including direct contact (from healthcare personnel or equipment) or indirect environmental sources. Prevention of hospital-associated C. auris transmission likely necessitates meticulous adherence to hand hygiene, contact precautions, and careful cleaning and disinfection of patient environments and equipment used by all disciplines.

Disclosure: Patricia Simner: Research Contracts: BD Diagnostics, OpGen Inc., Qiagen Sciences Inc, T2 Diagnostics, Accelerate Diagnostics; Research Collaborators:Ares Genetics, CosmosID, IDbyDNA, Illumina; Consulting: OpGen Inc., BD Diagnostics, Shionogi Inc., GeneCapture, Qiagen Sciences Inc, Entasis, Day Zero Diagnostics, Next Gen Diagnostics

The International Law Commission (ILC) held its seventy-third session from April 18 to June 3 and from July 4 to August 5, 2022 in Geneva, under the chairmanship of Dire Tladi (South Africa). This session was the final one of the quinquennium, which originally would have occurred in the summer of 2021. (Since the Commission did not meet in the summer of 2020 due to the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2020 and 2021 sessions were postponed to 2021 and 2022 respectively.) Although the pandemic continued in 2022, the members faced fewer health risks and travel difficulties; consequently, the Commission held its session with almost all members physically present in Geneva, and just a few occasionally participating online by means of Zoom.

Pale swallowwort [Vincetoxicum rossicum (Kleopow) Barbar.; syn.: Cynanchum rossicum (Kleopow) Borhidi] and black swallowwort [Vincetoxicum nigrum (L.) Moench; syn.: Cynanchum louiseae Kartesz & Gandhi] are invasive perennial viny milkweeds that have become prevalent across natural and managed habitats in northeastern North America. Southern blight of V. rossicum caused by the fungus Athelia rolfsii (Curzi) C. C. Tu & Kimbr. was reported at a New York county park in 2008, resulting in a decline in V. rossicum stands. The disease outbreak and persistence of the pathogen highlighted the potential of A. rolfsii for Vincetoxicum spp. control. To better characterize A. rolfsii’s pathogenicity and biology, we studied virulence to adult Vincetoxicum spp., spatiotemporal attributes of the Southern blight epidemic at the discovery site over 4 yr, and sclerotial survival over 2 yr. Disease incidence and severity were high for both Vincetoxicum spp. in misting chamber experiments. The spatiotemporal spread patterns of Southern blight in V. rossicum suggest the epidemic in the first year of monitoring (2016) was already highly aggregated and that subsequent spread was limited and resulted in significant local aggregation. Sclerotial survival studies at two locations (Pittsford and Ithaca, NY) demonstrated the A. rolfsii isolates can overwinter in upstate New York and are pathogenic to Vincetoxicum spp. the subsequent season. However, shallow burial of sclerotia more rapidly reduced survival compared with placement on the soil surface. Overwinter survival of A. rolfsii sclerotia in New York is notable, as this pathogen is typically associated with subtropical and tropical regions. Broadcast applications of the pathogen would be needed for widespread Vincetoxicum control at a site, but even restricting releases to select locations would not prevent pathogen movement off-site via water or machinery. The known risks of the A. rolfsii isolate to other broadleaf plants in natural and agricultural settings suggest a low feasibility of use for the biological control of Vincetoxicum spp.

The International Law Commission (ILC) held its seventy-second session from April 26 to June 4 and from July 5 to August 6, 2021 in Geneva, under the chairmanship of Mahmoud Hmoud (Jordan). This session was originally scheduled for the summer of 2020, but had to be postponed due to the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. The pandemic continued in 2021 to present health risks and travel difficulties for certain members; consequently, the Commission for the first time in its history held its session in a hybrid manner, with many members physically present in Geneva, while others participated online by means of Zoom. That approach required certain adjustments to the Commission's methods of work, but allowed the Commission to move forward in addressing the several topics on its current program of work.

Welcome, everyone, to this late breaking session of the American Society of International Law's annual conference entitled “Democracy Under Threat.” My name is Sean Murphy. I am the Manatt/Ahn Professor of International Law at George Washington University. I am also a member of the UN International Law Commission, and of particular note for this conference, I am the immediate past president of the American Society of International Law.

Our conversation might begin by looking backward a bit. The human rights movement from 1945 onward has been one of the signature accomplishments of the field of international law, one that refocused our attention from a largely interstate system to a system where the individual moved in from the periphery to the center. Human rights champions point to numerous landmark treaties, numerous institutions, and the rise of NGOs as a critical vehicle for developing and monitoring human rights rules. Yet others look at the international human right system and still see the state as overly central, tolerating and paying lip service to human rights, but too easily discarding them when they prove to be inconvenient. The persistence of racism comes to mind. As a general matter, how would you assess the strengths and weaknesses of the system that was built essentially during your lifetime?

Anecdotal evidence suggests the use of bolus tube feeding is increasing in the long-term home enteral tube feed (HETF) patients. A cross-sectional survey to assess the prevalence of bolus tube feeding and to characterise these patients was undertaken. Dietitians from ten centres across the UK collected data on all adult HETF patients on the dietetic caseload receiving bolus tube feeding (n 604, 60 % male, age 58 years). Demographic data, reasons for tube and bolus feeding, tube and equipment types, feeding method and patients’ complete tube feeding regimens were recorded. Over a third of patients receiving HETF used bolus feeding (37 %). Patients were long-term tube fed (4·1 years tube feeding, 3·5 years bolus tube feeding), living at home (71 %) and sedentary (70 %). The majority were head and neck cancer patients (22 %) who were significantly more active (79 %) and lived at home (97 %), while those with cerebral palsy (12 %) were typically younger (age 31 years) but sedentary (94 %). Most patients used bolus feeding as their sole feeding method (46 %), because it was quick and easy to use, as a top-up to oral diet or to mimic mealtimes. Importantly, oral nutritional supplements (ONS) were used for bolus feeding in 85 % of patients, with 51 % of these being compact-style ONS (2·4 kcal (10·0 kJ)/ml, 125 ml). This survey shows that bolus tube feeding is common among UK HETF patients, is used by a wide variety of patient groups and can be adapted to meet the needs of a variety of patients, clinical conditions, nutritional requirements and lifestyles.

Nuclear rings are excellent laboratories to study star formation (SF) under extreme conditions. We compiled a sample of 9 galaxies that exhibit bright nuclear rings at 3-33 GHz radio continuum observed with the Jansky Very Large Array, of which 5 are normal star-forming galaxies and 4 are Luminous Infrared Galaxies (LIRGs). Using high frequency radio continuum as an extinction-free tracer of SF, we estimated the size and star formation rate of each nuclear ring and a total of 37 individual circumnuclear star-forming regions. Our results show that majority of the SF in the sample LIRGs take place in their nuclear rings, and circumnuclear SF in local LIRGs are much more spatially concentrated compared to those in the local normal galaxies and previously studied nuclear and extra-nuclear SF in normal galaxies at both low and high redshifts.

Welcome everyone. I am Sean Murphy, the President of the American Society of International Law, and I am delighted to have everyone here for what has become a signature event of our annual meeting.

I welcome you all to this closing panel for the 113th Annual Meeting of the American Society of International Law.

In the summer of 2017, the UN International Law Commission adopted Draft Article 7 and an associated draft annex for its project on immunity of state officials from foreign criminal jurisdiction. The draft article identifies six “crimes under international law in respect of which immunity ratione materiae shall not apply”: genocide; crimes against humanity; war crimes; crime of apartheid; torture; and enforced disappearance. Given the divergences within the Commission when considering and adopting Draft Article 7 (as evidenced by the plenary debate in 2016 and 2017, the unusual recorded vote on whether to refer the matter to the Commission's drafting committee, and the Commentary), it is difficult to conclude that the Commission is expressing a view that Draft Article 7 reflects lex lata.