US Priority Research Articles

Military aspects of cooperation between Finland and the USA: challenges for Russia

The article analyses military and political factors of cooperation between Finland and the United States since 1990s up to the present. The author attempts to show the role Finnish defence forces in the US military reinforcement plans in the Northern European Theater of Operations. The author focuses on the American security interests in Finnish territories, as well as expert views on the US priority in Finland’s foreign policy, including the latest public opinion polls. The aim of US military reinforcement in Finland is twofold. First, to pose a threat to Russia. Second, to help the US military improve surveillance, intelligence and analysis capabilities in real time in north-west Europe and the North Atlantic. Within the context of challenges to Russia’s security, the major institutional arrangements, military trends and consequences of cooperation are discussed. Finally, scenarios for the development of Finnish-US relations within NATO are proposed.

Економічні аспекти посилення захисту прав інтелектуальної власності

The present stage of development of the world economy is characterized by a spread of innovation, a rapid development of global and national protection systems and, especially, the protection of intellectual property. The dynamism of interstate relations is accompanied by an increase of various violations of intellectual property rights, including counterfeiting, falsification, piracy, and plagiarism. The purpose of the study is to generalize the global trends in the violation of intellectual property rights, identify the main problems in the protection of intellectual property rights in Ukraine within the context of strengthening the fight against violation of copyright and industrial property rights by the world's leading countries. Violations of intellectual property rights, including patent theft, trademark counterfeiting, copyright piracy, and trade secret theft, cause considerable material and financial damage to the rights holders. The problem of counterfeiting is currently spreading on a global scale and occurs in the production, transshipment and in the sale of large quantities of counterfeit goods. Counterfeit goods, especially foodstuffs and pharmaceuticals, bear risks to the health and safety of consumers. Online sales have become the newest channel for trading fraudulent and counterfeited goods. The bulk of counterfeited produce originate from a small group of economies, among which China, Hong Kong (province of China), Turkey, Singapore and the United Arab Emirates are in the lead. Escalated violations of intellectual property rights lead to a stronger protection of intellectual property rights in the USA and EU countries, and the appearance of special reports based on the results of monitoring and supervision of violations in trading partner countries. In recent years, Ukraine has been included in the US Priority Watch List of countries that do not ensure a proper protection of intellectual property rights and are monitored by the Office of the US Trade Representative. Besides, this country is in the second category of the European Commission’s Counterfeit and Piracy Watch List, which includes countries with the most serious problems in intellectual property protection. The status of a candidate country for EU membership requires Ukraine to harmonize its national legislation with the EU legislation in the field of intellectual property protection.

Ideology, Threat Perception, and Foreign Policy Preference

This article investigates the role of ideological difference in shaping threat perception and foreign policy preference in South Korea and the United States. Increasing ideological polarization has created different threat perceptions and foreign policy priorities within and between these allies, particularly regarding the geostrategic challenge of China.
 This research analyzes how strongly ideological differences are associated with threat perception, especially regarding China, and how such different ideologies lead to different foreign policy preferences in addressing those threats. To this end, this study analyzes survey data on the South Korean and American voters' understanding of the ROK-US alliance. Empirical analysis reveals threat perception varies by ideological difference in both countries. Data analysis also shows that both conservatives and progressives in South Korea view the US as a preferable foreign policy partner and support South Korea's joining the Quad, which contradicts the conventional understanding that progressives are not closer to the US. Meanwhile, conservative respondents both in South Korea and the US are pessimistic about the future coordination of the alliance as conservatives in South Korea prioritize North Korea's denuclearization, which might be in conflict with the US priority of countering China, while the conservatives in the US are concerned by South Korea's closer relationship with China. These results thereby necessitate the imperative of closer coordination to address pressing issues in the region but also a deeper investigation of the longer-lasting determinants of ideological differences in the two countries.

Selective Engagement of US Naval Power in Maritime Conflicts: The Guardian of Freedom of Navigation

Since the Second World War, the United States has deterred conflictual behaviors over maritime claims that can impede the freedom of navigation, because it is essential for maintaining its leading position in the global system. Basically, many US naval warships operating in the sea clearly shows the US intention to maintain status quo and to prevent the occurrence of any types of disruptions in disputed maritime areas. However, it does not necessarily mean that the pacifying effect of US naval power is homogeneous to all maritime claims. When considering the vast area of the sea and the limited number of US naval warships, it is impossible to deploy an equal number of naval warships to all maritime areas. Therefore, the influence of US naval power in maintaining order in the sea is conditional based on the characteristic of maritime claims which can determine the US priority to use its naval power. This research finds that when maritime claims are related to the freedom of navigation, the pacifying effect of US naval power to maintain stability in the sea is increased.

Collective insights of public-private partnership impacts and sustainability: A qualitative analysis.

The global Coronavirus or COVID-19 pandemic exposed the weakness of healthcare systems including laboratory systems and is a call to action for unprecedented collaboration and partnerships to deal with the global crisis. The United States (U.S.) President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) establishes the global HIV/AIDS treatment agenda in alignment with the UNAIDS 90-90-90 treatment targets to achieve epidemic control related to enhanced testing, treatment, and viral suppression. A strategic PEPFAR priority area recognizes that large-scale collective efforts and sharing of resources bear greater potential impact for lasting change than any single organization or entity can achieve alone. An important vehicle utilized within the global public health context is the public-private partnership (PPP) model whereby multiple international organizations forge unified project charters to collectively reach mutually agreed goals. While touted as an ideal mechanism to synthesize resources and maximize gain in numerous applications, little is known from a seasoned stakeholder perspective regarding PPP implementation and sustainability issues. The purpose of this research is to holistically examine perceptions of PPP model sustainability related to inputs and impacts among a collective network of stakeholders experienced with PEPFAR workforce development, laboratory-system strengthening project implementation. Interviews were conducted with frontline stakeholders from public and private sector organizations based in the US and select PEPFAR-supported priority countries. Analysis revealed three dominant themes: PPP impacts, keys of successful collaboration, and logistical challenges and opportunities to enhance sustainability of PPP outcomes in the future.

Botanic Gardens Are Important Contributors to Crop Wild Relative Preservation

ABSTRACTHumans rely on crop wild relatives (CWRs) for sustainable agriculture and food security through augmentation of crop yield, disease resistance, and climatic tolerance, among other important traits. Many CWRs are underrepresented in crop gene banks. With at least one‐third of known plant species maintained in botanic garden living collections, the botanic garden community serves as an important global ex situ network that supports plant conservation and research around the world. We sought to characterize botanic garden holdings of CWRs and demonstrate capacity for cross‐sector coordination in support of CWR ex situ preservation. To do this, Botanic Gardens Conservation International US (BGCI‐US), in partnership with the United States Botanic Garden, used the BGCI PlantSearch database to conduct an ex situ survey of CWRs maintained in botanic gardens. We found 28.6% of global priority CWR taxa and 75.4% of US priority CWR taxa represented in botanic gardens. By comparing with priority CWR holdings in crop gene banks, botanic gardens maintain 22 global priority and 108 US priority CWR taxa not reported by crop gene banks. A combination of crop gene bank and botanic garden holdings results in broader taxonomic coverage. Looking more closely at 10 US priority CWR species, findings demonstrate that botanic gardens have the capacity to fill critical CWRs gaps in crop gene bank collections, and botanic gardens maintain samples from wild populations not represented in crop gene banks. We call on the crop gene bank and botanic garden communities to use an integrated collections development approach for further coordination, complementarity, and duplication of ex situ CWR plant genetic resources.

The Difference between Financial Support and International Capacity Cooperation under the “Belt and Road Initiative”

In recent years, the anti-globalization trend and populist forces has been undercurrent, especially the United States to implement protectionism and unilateralism policies, seek US priority interests, and suppress the development of China's high-tech industries. It is necessary to strengthen the “Belt and Road” capacity cooperation, give it a new mission to help countries along the line to participate in and reconstruct the international industrial chain and value chain, and play its positive role in promoting the high-quality development of China's economy in the fourth industrial revolution. To this end, it is necessary to provide strong financial support for the “Belt and Road” industrial cooperation, innovate financial support models, and establish and improve the “Belt and Road” industrial cooperation financial support system. This paper first introduces the status quo and financial support direction of international capacity cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative, and the issue of capacity cooperation of the “Belt and Road Initiative” initiative. This paper proposes a differentiated analysis of international capacity cooperation based on industry complementarity, and finally gives recommendations on financial support for international capacity cooperation under the “Belt and Road Initiative”. This paper provides a new impetus for the continued sluggish global economic growth, and provides new solutions and China programs for the current global economic and trade development dilemma and the maintenance of the status of the multilateral trading system..

Microbial mediated arsenic biotransformation in wetlands

Arsenic (As) is a pervasive environmental toxin and carcinogenic metalloid. It ranks at the top of the US priority List of Hazardous Substances and causes worldwide human health problems. Wetlands, including natural and artificial ecosystems (i.e. paddy soils) are highly susceptible to As enrichment; acting not only as repositories for water but a host of other elemental/chemical moieties. While macroscale processes (physical and geological) supply As to wetlands, it is the micro-scale biogeochemistry that regulates the fluxes of As and other trace elements from the semi-terrestrial to neighboring plant/aquatic/atmospheric compartments. Among these fine-scale events, microbial mediated As biotransformations contribute most to the element’s changing forms, acting as the ‘switch’ in defining a wetland as either a source or sink of As. Much of our understanding of these important microbial catalyzed reactions follows relatively recent scientific discoveries. Here we document some of these key advances, with focuses on the implications that wetlands and their microbial mediated transformation pathways have on the global As cycle, the chemistries of microbial mediated As oxidation, reduction and methylation, and future research priorities areas.

An Answer to the Plant Variety Controversy in Chile

Chile has failed to ratify the 1991 International Convention for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants (UPOV) as stipulated in the free trade agreement (FTA) with the United States. Since Chile is amongst the US Priority Watch List countries, it is imperative for Chile to emanate a UPOV 1991‐compliant law. The ratification of UPOV 1991, however, has encountered strong resistance within the country and it is not yet clear when and how Chile will adopt UPOV 1991 provisions. Through an analysis of legal and economic aspects of the domestic plant variety law, this paper explains that Chile should make better use of UPOV flexibilities and gives recommendations in order to accommodate the interests of all stakeholders.

DISCLOSURE OF EVIDENCE IN CARTEL LITIGATIONS IN THE EU: IS BALANCE OF VICTIMS’ RIGHTS AND PUBLIC INTERESTS POSSIBLE?

The research focus is an assessment of disclosure rules in the European Union and a perspective for implementation of the US discovery rules to improve European private enforcement. For these purposes the EU disclosure rules are compared with the US discovery rules; the influence of tension between disclosure of evidence and leniency programme on the effectiveness of protection of information is analyzed in order to propose areas for improvement and solutions to find a balance between some inconsistencies of the EU disclosure rules with interests of European plaintiffs in cartel litigations. The research method is not limited to a doctrinal approach to the EU and US legislation, but includes case law, and secondary sources. This paper does not deal with particular types of evidence and generic issues of disclosure unrelated to the cartel cases. The author contends that the American model of discovery in cartel cases cannot be transferred to the European context completely, even though disclosure of evidence in the EU is rather inefficient, and new rules are unlikely to protect consumers’ interests. In terms of consumers’ interests, protection facilitating follow-on actions looks more relevant on the EU level. Practically, the design of the US disclosure rules and priority of consumers’ rights effectively allow victims from the EU to sue in the US and obtain all necessary documents in the US proceeding. In this context convergence of the US and EU positions on disclosure of leniency materials could bring more certainty both to plaintiffs and defendants in cartel litigations.

A Conceptual Model of the Role of Complexity in the Care of Patients With Multiple Chronic Conditions

Effective healthcare for people with multiple chronic conditions (MCC) is a US priority, but the inherent complexity makes both research and delivery of care particularly challenging. As part of AHRQ Multiple Chronic Conditions Research Network (MCCRN) efforts, the Network developed a conceptual model to guide research in this area. To synthesize methodological and topical issues relevant to MCC patient care into a framework that can improve the delivery of care and advance future research about caring for patients with MCC. The Network synthesized essential constructs for MCC research identified from roundtable discussion, input from expert advisors, and previously published models. The AHRQ MCCRN conceptual model defines complexity as the gap between patient needs and healthcare services, taking into account both the multiple considerations that affect the needs of MCC patients, as well as the contextual factors that influence service delivery. The model reframes processes and outcomes to include not only clinical care quality and experience, but also patient health, well being, and quality of life. The single-condition paradigm for treating needs one-by-one falls apart and highlights the need for care systems to address dynamic patient needs. Defining complexity in terms of the misalignment between patient needs and services offers new insights in how to research and develop solutions to patient care needs.

The Impact of the US Priority Review Voucher on Private-Sector Investment in Global Health Research and Development

Diseases such as trypanosomiasis, leishmaniasis, and lymphatic filariasis impose substantial health burdens in developing countries [1], [2]. These diseases are widely neglected because there is little financial incentive for biopharmaceutical companies to invest in developing new treatments, vaccines, and diagnostics. Most of the 1,000,000,000 people affected by neglected diseases are poor and live in low-income countries [3]. Although there is a significant need for new cost-effective drugs and vaccines, from 1975–1999 less than 1%–2% of new chemical entities marketed were for tropical diseases and tuberculosis [1], [4]. Market incentives play an important role in mobilizing companies toward neglected tropical disease (NTD) research. Pharmaceutical companies have a fiduciary responsibility to shareholders to maximize profits. Absent of other incentives, companies will focus research and development (R&D) on products and programs that possess a profitable market, have a sufficient likelihood of technical success, and are likely to achieve a maximum return on investment. In contrast, the global burden of neglected infectious diseases is concentrated in developing countries with inadequate health budgets and poor patients who can pay only low prices for drugs, if they can afford to pay at all. Drugs and vaccines that target neglected diseases thus typically cannot compete with potentially profitable products for internal company or investor R&D dollars. Governments and foundations have recognized the dearth of private-sector incentives for investment in NTD research and have responded with “push” funding (up-front funding for drug development) and “pull” mechanisms (rewards for output) to promote successful development [5], [6]. The priority review voucher (PRV) program, currently administered by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), was passed into United States law in 2007 as a pull mechanism to help promote R&D for new medicines targeting NTDs, malaria, and tuberculosis [7]. Under this law, companies that receive FDA approval for a novel drug or vaccine targeting one of 16 tropical diseases are awarded a transferable voucher. This voucher can be sold to a second organization or can be redeemed to grant the bearer priority six-month review for a future medicine of their choosing [8]. As average standard review periods can range between 10–16 months, the voucher could potentially allow drugs to reach the market up to eight months earlier. Economic models have predicted that this faster time to market could be worth between US$50 million to US$300 million [9], [10]. However, the impact of the PRV incentive in developing new medicines for NTDs has been questioned, in part due to uncertainty around the value of the voucher among pharmaceutical and biotech companies [11], [12]. The PRV program as implemented carries restrictions that make earning or using a voucher difficult or impractical, such as a requirement that developers provide notice to the FDA at least one year prior to the use of a voucher (often before clinical trials have concluded). Further, the voucher has not resulted in demonstrated value for any company to date. At writing, Novartis is the only company to have received a PRV, which they used in 2011 to accelerate the review of a supplemental new drug application (sNDA) for their gouty arthritis drug candidate Ilaris (canakinumab) [13]. The FDA fulfilled their responsibilities under the PRV program to conduct a six-month priority review, but ultimately denied approval of Ilaris citing the need for further data to assess the overall safety profile [14]. It is possible that Novartis gained some benefit from the use of the PRV for the review of Ilaris, but this value is difficult to quantify.

US Rapprochement with Laos and Cambodia: A Response

Professor Thayer cites three main areas of cooperation that have influenced US rapprochement with Laos: Missing Action/ Prisoner of War (MIA/POW) issue, reduction of opium production and counter-terrorism. As he rightly contends, MIA issue remains at top of America's agenda Laos. To date, 240 sets of remains of American service personnel have been found and identified; search, led by US teams with Lao logistical support, for a further 355 MIAs continues. (1) Positive collaboration on this issue has unquestionably helped to improve relations between two countries. However, another legacy--unexploded ordnance (UXO)--of war constitutes a greater concern for Lao government. In 2009, United States committed around $5 million to UXO clearance and training programmes. Though funding represents one of largest US aid budgets Laos that year and an increase from previous year's $3.5 million, it still falls short of what is required. As recently as July 2010, a letter to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, a group of former US Ambassadors to Laos called on United States to make an annual commitment of $10 million over next ten years for UXO removal Laos. It may well be true that Laos agreed to cooperate with US on MIA issue order to get latter's assistance to clear country's rural areas of UXO, although one may argue that Laos has moral right to request this help. From 1964 to 1973 US aircraft dropped over two million tons of ordnance during nearly 600,000 bombing missions over country. (2) At end of war, it was estimated that 78 million unexploded cluster bomblets littered country's rural areas. (3) A recent survey by National Regulatory Authority (NRA) for UXO/Mine Action sector Laos indicates that some 50,000 people were maimed or killed by UXO between 1964 and 2008. (4) Counter-narcotics operations also remain a US priority Laos. With significant decline of opium cultivation, flow of, and addiction to, methamphetamines and amphetamines have emerged as another front US anti-drugs struggle Laos, though country is considered less as a site of production than as a pivotal transit area between Myanmar, Thailand and China. On other hand, counter-terrorism, another US priority Southeast Asia, is unlikely to generate much opportunity for cooperation between two countries: Laos is not known for being a place of shelter for individuals or groups that may be classified as terrorists or having international terrorist connections. In other words, United States does not have to devote many resources to cover Laos its global campaign against terrorism. Professor Thayer cites three sources of international influence on Lao regime: western countries and development agencies; international organizations; and China and Vietnam. With regard to Lao foreign policy, these sources are not of equal weight. Vietnam and China are, by far, Laos' closest political allies. Despite recurrent comments by foreign analysts on Sino-Vietnamese rivalry Laos, it seems exaggerated that Vietnam would encourage Laos to develop relations with US in order to counter increasing Chinese influence. In foreign policy, Vietnam has made remarkable progress since early 1990s, emerging from US embargo and international isolation to establish diplomatic and economic relations with many partners, including international organizations. However, regime's leaders--in particular within conservative circles--remain suspicious of US diplomatic and strategic intentions region, and, like Lao leadership, wary of the plot of peaceful evolution. It is therefore doubtful that Vietnamese would consider US as alternative influence to China such a close (both geographical and political terms) neighbouring country as Laos. More likely, Vietnamese regime supports Laos developing friendly relations with US (as with other developed countries) so as to ensure a stable regional environment conducive to economic growth and development. …

Exploring the quality of environmental technology in Europe: evidence from patent citations

In this paper we carry out an empirical analysis to address some questions concerning the production and quality of technology in environmental sectors. The methodology involves patents as a measure of the generation of new knowledge, and patent citations as a proxy for the quality of a technological invention. The sample contains more than 12,000 environmental European patents from firms and government institutions from 1998 to 2004. From our econometric analysis, we found that environmental patents applied by individual inventors present on average less quality that those applied by institutional inventors. The size of family patent is relevant to explain forward patent citation. Furthermore, patents coming from abroad (out of Europe), in particular with US and Japan priority, are more cited on average than local patents (with European priority). Lastly, the specialization in environmental fields of a patent plays a negative role in determining the frequency of forward citation.

Patent inflation in Europe

Patent filings worldwide have been subject to a combined growth in terms of the number of applications filed and their size. This is putting patent systems under tremendous pressure, as witnessed by the evolution of backlogs at several patent offices. The present article presents an analysis of the evolution in patent voluminosity observed at the European Patent Office (EPO) over the past two decades. The results demonstrate that the average size of applications has doubled during this period and that the largest influence comes from applications filed via the PCT route and/or with a US priority application. Voluminosity indicators are clearly influenced by geographical origins and technological areas. The increasing voluminosity has a significant impact on EPO workload and processing efficiency. There is therefore a justified need for regulatory action. Evidence from recent changes in US patent fee policy is shown to have a significant knock-off effect on voluminosity indicators.

When small is beautiful: Measuring the evolution and consequences of the voluminosity of patent applications at the EPO

The joint increase in the number and size of patents filed around the world puts patent systems under pressure. This paper addresses issues in measuring the voluminosity of patent applications and highlights patterns in its evolution. The results, based on a database of 2 million EPO applications, show that the average size of applications has doubled over the past 20 years and that this is mainly associated with PCT applications having a US priority. Voluminosity indicators are influenced by geographical origins and technological areas and strongly impact the workload of the EPO, justifying the need for regulatory and policy actions.

2006 Call for Abstracts

2006 Call for Abstracts

Evaluation of anti-pyrene and anti-fluorene immunosorbent clean-up for PAHs from sludge and sediment reference materials followed by liquid chromatography and diode array detection

The determination of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in complex matrices such as sludges or sediments was performed by off-line enrichment using four different immunosorbents (IS). These IS are anti-fluorene and anti-pyrene antibodies immobilized on silica. The method involves the extraction of PAHs from water samples onto either two anti-fluorene or two anti-pyrene IS followed by analysis using liquid chromatography with diode array detection (LC-DAD) and its validation using gas chromatography coupled to a mass spectrometer (GC-MS). The procedure also uses a solubilizer to limit unwanted adsorption on vessels or tubing. In order to be able to evaluate the four IS, we have analyzed environmental sediments and sludge reference materials containing PAHs. Sediments were extracted by sonication with dichloromethane–methanol (2∶1) and the extracts were brought up to a volume of 100 mL of water in order to perform the extraction with the anti-fluorene and anti-pyrene IS. This method was optimized for 13 of 16 PAHs included in the Environmental Protection Agency US (EPA) priority list. The selectivity of the IS cleanup and the LC-DAD spectra allowed a good identification and quantification in the analysis of sediment and sludge complex samples containing the priority PAHs established by the EPA. The results obtained with the four IS were compared after determination of PAHs in complex sewage sludge and sediment reference matrices. Moreover, clean-up using IS was compared with conventional clean-up procedures and showed a better selectivity for PAHs by the IS procedures.