Stewardship of Test-Free Nuclear Arsenals

Maintaining nuclear arms in the current policy environment that frowns upon weapons testing coexists with a set of unresolved and disquieting issues regarding the disposition of test-free arsenals. Ivan Sanfrachuk, director of the World Security Institute's Moscow office explores the Russian perspective on international policies regarding the safety and reliability of the world's nuclear arsenals

Dominant ferromagnetism in the spin-1/2 half-twist ladder 334 compounds, Ba3Cu3In4O12 and Ba3Cu3Sc4O12

The magnetic properties of polycrystalline samples of Ba3Cu3In4O12 (In-334) and Ba3Cu3Sc4O12 (Sc-334) are reported. Both 334 phases have a structure derived from perovskite, with CuO4 squares interconnected to form half-twist ladders along the c-axis. The Cu-O-Cu angles, ~ 90o, and the positive Weiss temperatures indicate the presence of significant ferromagnetic (FM) interactions along the Cu ladders. At low temperatures, T < 20 K, sharp transitions in the magnetic susceptibility and heat capacity measurements indicate three-dimensional (3D) antiferromagnetic (AFM) ordering at TN. TN is suppressed on application of a field and a complex magnetic phase diagram with three distinct magnetic regimes below the upper critical field can be inferred from our measurements. The magnetic interactions are discussed in relation to a modified spin-1/2 FM-AFM model and the 334 half-twist ladder is compared to other 2-rung ladder spin-1/2 systems.Comment: 20 pages, 7 figure

Subunit iron spin heterogeneity in human aquomethemoglobin A

On the basis of a reaction scheme in which the ligand binding steps are preceded by fast iron spin transitions (Okonjo, K.O. (1980) Eur. J. Biochem. 105, 329-334; Iwuoha, E.I. and Okonjo, K.O. (1985) Biochim. Biophys. Acta 829, 327-334), the spin equilibrium constants of methemoglobin subunits are calculated from kinetic and equilibrium binding parameters with azide ion as ligand. The results demonstrate the existence of thermodynamic spin heterogeneity within the tetramer

York\u27s Roots and wings (Book Review)

A review of York, S. (2016). Roots and wings. St. Paul, MN: Redleaf Press. 334 pp. $44.95. ISBN 978160554455

Aneusomy of chromosomes 7 and 17 predicts the recurrence of transitional cell carcinoma of the urinary bladder

Objective To determine if changes in chromosome 7 and 17 copy number can be used to predict recurrence in patients with primary noninvasive (pTa) or superficially invasive (pT1) transitional cell carcinoma (TCC) of the urinary bladder. Patients and methods Tissue specimens for 129 tumours from 52 patients (38 men and 14 women) with pTa/pT1 TCC at first diagnosis were retrieved from pathology archives. All patient notes were accessed and disease outcome documented for superficial (pTa/ pT1) recurrence or progression to detrusor muscle invasion (greater than or equal to pT2). The rumours were examined for chromosomal copy number of chromosomes 7 and 17 using fluorescence in situ hybridization (PISH) with chromosome-specific probes. The copy number of chromosomes 7 and 17 was determined in interphase nuclei on intact 6 mu m tissue sections. Results Aneusomy of chromosomes 7 and 17 was detected in the index primary tumours of 10 of 32 (31%) patients with subsequent recurrent disease. No aneusomy for these chromosomes was detected in primary tumours from 20 patients with no detectable recurrence (P = 0.0082). The relative risk of recurrence was 3.62 times greater (95% confidence interval 1.6-8.1, Cox's multiple regression P = 0.0019) for patients with chromosomal aneusomy in primary TCC. Neither stage nor grade of the primary tumours was associated with recurrence in these patients, nor was there a significant association with increased grade (G2/3) or stage (greater than or equal to pT2) at recurrence. Conclusion These results suggest that the measurement of aneusomy by FISH, using markers for chromosomes 7 and 17, predict recurrence in a subgroup of patients with pTa/pT1 tumours at presentation. This finding may offer a new objective and quantitative test for patients destined to recur

Reviews

Brian Clegg, Mining The Internet — Information Gathering and Research on the Net, Kogan Page: London, 1999. ISBN: 0–7494–3025–7. Paperback, 147 pages, £9.99

The impact of capital market development on economic growth among MENA region countries

Middle East and North African (MENA) region is home to nearly 60% of the 1.4 trillion barrels of proven crude oil reserves and 46% of the 192 trillion standard cubic meters of natural gas reserves (OPEC, 2010). Although the capital market plays an important role in economic development in many countries, (MENA) region the role is not so clear. The region has participated less in the globalization and integration of international capital markets than have Asian and Latin American countries. Capital flows into the MENA region have been small. Countries in the region have had almost no direct access to the capital markets of industrial countries. The region has made only limited use of market-based income-hedging devices (such as product insurance and forward markets) despite its vulnerability to international price developments. Accordingly capital markets in the region are assumed to have not effectively utilized to generate economic growth due to structural and cultural factors albeit their potential prospects. Hence this study analyses and measures the historical impact of capital market development on the economic growth of four leading countries in the MENA region; Egypt and Tunisia (as non-oil driven economies); and Saudi Arabia and Kuwait (as oil exporter economies). In order to achieve the research aim, a quantitative method approach is adopted. Using 13 time periods (years) from 2002 to 2014 as the annual time-series data of the four countries, this study focuses on indicators that reflect the state of development of the capital market. This study used four variables as a General Index proxy for capital market development; (1) market capitalization ratio to GDP, (2) value of shares traded, (3) Number of shares traded, and (4) number of transactions, while gross domestic product (GDP) was used as a proxy for economic growth. In addition, the study used six macroeconomic variables as control variables, including (GDP/capita), saving rate ratio to GDP, investment rate ratio to GDP, interest rates, inflation, and exchange rates. The data of this study were analysed using Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) regression to examine the capital market development and economic growth relationship for the four countries. Pooled OLS regression analysis was adopted to examine the effects of development of the capital market on the economic growth of the countries as a group. The results of OLS regression indicate that the Egyptian capital market development had significant effects on economic growth, although there were mixed results when different proxies of capital market development indicators were used. In Tunisia, Saudi Arabia, and Kuwait, the level of capital market development had little influence on economic growth, and most of the results were insignificant when different proxies of capital market development indicators were used. However, using the OLS regression analysis model for the four countries combined showed that the development of the capital market had a significant impact on the economic growth of these countries. This study concluded that economic policy options consistent with maximizing economic performance and aiming at elevating economic growth should be developed through the integration of capital markets of the region. Therefore, policy makers should provide incentives to integrate the capital markets and unify economic structures where possible, by diverting funds to investment to further stimulate the growth of their economies. Keywords; Capital market development, Economic growth, Egypt, Tunisia, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, MENA regio

Iowa Developments, April 2003, Vol.12, no.2

Resource to help educate businesses or communities about state-sponsored programs

Mitchell and Seiden\u27s Reviewing the academic library: A guide to selfstudy and external review (Book Review)

A review of Mitchell, E., & Seiden, P. (Eds.) (2015). Reviewing the academic library: A guide to selfstudy and external review. Chicago: ACRL. 334 pp. $65.00. ISBN 978083898783

An argument for the use of Aristotelian method in bioethics

The main claim of this paper is that the method outlined and used in Aristotle's Ethics is an appropriate and credible one to use in bioethics. Here “appropriate” means that the method is capable of establishing claims and developing concepts in bioethics and “credible” that the method has some plausibility, it is not open to obvious and immediate objection. It begins by suggesting why this claim matters and then gives a brief outline of Aristotle's method. The main argument is made in three stages. First, it is argued that Aristotelian method is credible because it compares favourably with alternatives. In this section it is shown that Aristotelian method is not vulnerable to criticisms that are made both of methods that give a primary place to moral theory (such as utilitarianism) and those that eschew moral theory (such as casuistry and social science approaches). As such, it compares favourably with these other approaches that are vulnerable to at least some of these criticisms. Second, the appropriateness of Aristotelian method is indicated through outlining how it would deal with a particular case. Finally, it is argued that the success of Aristotle's philosophy is suggestive of both the credibility and appropriateness of his method.</p