The Legacy of Operation Allied Force: A Reflection on its Legality Under United States and International Law

Article published in the Michigan State International Law Review

The Nature of a Passport at the Intersection of Customary International Law and American Judicial Practice

In order to fully develop the argument that the DHS’s confiscation and impoundment of passports is a violation of customary international law, we begin by examining the history of a passport and its treatment in the international community. Next, we survey general principles of customary international law and analyze German case law holding that one State’s confiscation or impounding of a valid foreign passport constitutes an encroachment upon the passport jurisdiction of the foreign State issuing the documents which is impermissible under customary international law. Thereafter, we discuss case law where courts avoided addressing the international implications of passport seizures. We then examine the United States government’s view of passports by tracking the shift in its behavior from adhering to international norms to placing domestic prerogatives over customary international law. In doing so, we survey United States law pertaining to confiscation of passports. We conclude that the United States government’s impounding of a foreign passport violates general principles of customary international law because the United States government’s act of impounding a foreign passport is an encroachment upon the personal jurisdiction of the issuing State. However, we acknowledge that the rationale behind the DHS’s continued practice of impounding passports in violation of customary international law suggests that the United States government believes ensuring the return of the foreign national is more important than a State’s personal jurisdiction over its property. Accordingly, we recommend that the United States codify the authority, means, and methods by which such impounding can be carried out in order to avoid international retaliation

The Nature of a Passport at the Intersection of Customary International Law and American Judicial Practice

In order to fully develop the argument that the DHS’s confiscation and impoundment of passports is a violation of customary international law, we begin by examining the history of a passport and its treatment in the international community. Next, we survey general principles of customary international law and analyze German case law holding that one State’s confiscation or impounding of a valid foreign passport constitutes an encroachment upon the passport jurisdiction of the foreign State issuing the documents which is impermissible under customary international law. Thereafter, we discuss case law where courts avoided addressing the international implications of passport seizures. We then examine the United States government’s view of passports by tracking the shift in its behavior from adhering to international norms to placing domestic prerogatives over customary international law. In doing so, we survey United States law pertaining to confiscation of passports. We conclude that the United States government’s impounding of a foreign passport violates general principles of customary international law because the United States government’s act of impounding a foreign passport is an encroachment upon the personal jurisdiction of the issuing State. However, we acknowledge that the rationale behind the DHS’s continued practice of impounding passports in violation of customary international law suggests that the United States government believes ensuring the return of the foreign national is more important than a State’s personal jurisdiction over its property. Accordingly, we recommend that the United States codify the authority, means, and methods by which such impounding can be carried out in order to avoid international retaliation

Locally erasable couplers for optical device testing in silicon on insulator

Wafer scale testing is critical to reducing production costs and increasing production yield. Here we report a method that allows testing of individual optical components within a complex optical integrated circuit. The method is based on diffractive grating couplers, fabricated using lattice damage induced by ion implantation of germanium. These gratings can be erased via localised laser annealing, which is shown to reduce the outcoupling efficiency by over 20 dB after the device testing is completed. Laser annealing was achieved by employing a CW laser, operating at visible wavelengths thus reducing equipment costs and allowing annealing through thick oxide claddings. The process used also retains CMOS compatibility

The Legacy of Operation Allied Force: A Reflection on its Legality Under United States and International Law

Article published in the Michigan State International Law Review

Modeling study of human renal chloride channel (hCLC-5) mutations suggests a structural-functional relationship

Modeling study of human renal chloride channel (hCLC-5) mutations suggests a structural-functional relationship.BackgroundDent's disease, a renal tubular disorder characterized by low-molecular-weight proteinuria, hypercalciuria, and nephrolithiasis, is due to inactivating mutations in the X-linked renal-specific chloride channel, hCLC-5. The x-ray crystal structures of two bacterial chloride channels (CLCs) have recently been established, thereby allowing us to construct a model for hCLC-5 and further examine the role of its mutations.MethodsThe data regarding 49 hCLC-5 mutations were reviewed. Thirty-four mutations that predicted absent or truncated channels were excluded. The remaining 15 mutations (one in-frame insertion and 14 missense mutations), 12 of which have been studied electrophysiologically, were assessed. The hCLC-5 sequence was aligned with the Salmonella typhimurium and Escherichia coli sequences and used to map the hCLC-5 mutations onto a three-dimensional model.ResultshCLC-5 is a homodimeric protein, with each subunit consisting of 18 helices. None of the missense mutations involved the chloride (Cl−) selectivity filter, but 12 of the 15 mutations were found to be clustered at the interface of the two subunits. Six of these mutations occurred in two of the helices that either form part of the interface or lie in close proximity to the interface, and three other mutations that did not lead to complete loss of Cl− conductance were at the edge of the interface.ConclusionThese results demonstrate a crucial role for the interaction between the two subunits at the interface of the homodimeric hCLC-5

Metabolomic Evidence for a Field Effect in Histologically Normal and Metaplastic Tissues in Patients with Esophageal Adenocarcinoma

Patients with Barrett's esophagus (BO) are at increased risk of developing esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC). Most Barrett's patients, however, do not develop EAC, and there is a need for markers that can identify those most at risk. This study aimed to see if a metabolic signature associated with the development of EAC existed. For this, tissue extracts from patients with EAC, BO, and normal esophagus were analyzed using 1H nuclear magnetic resonance. Where possible, adjacent histologically normal tissues were sampled in those with EAC and BO. The study included 46 patients with EAC, 7 patients with BO, and 68 controls who underwent endoscopy for dyspeptic symptoms with normal appearances. Within the cancer cohort, 9 patients had nonneoplastic Barrett's adjacent to the cancer suitable for biopsy. It was possible to distinguish between histologically normal, BO, and EAC tissue in EAC patients [area under the receiver operator curve (AUROC) 1.00, 0.86, and 0.91] and between histologically benign BO in the presence and absence of EAC (AUROC 0.79). In both these cases, sample numbers limited the power of the models. Comparison of histologically normal tissue proximal to EAC versus that from controls (AUROC 1.00) suggests a strong field effect which may develop prior to overt EAC and hence be useful for identifying patients at high risk of developing EAC. Excellent sensitivity and specificity were found for this model to distinguish histologically normal squamous esophageal mucosa in EAC patients and healthy controls, with 8 metabolites being very significantly altered. This may have potential diagnostic value if a molecular signature can detect tissue from which neoplasms subsequently arise

Soil water measurements relevant to agronomic and environmental functions of chemically treated soil

Modern agricultural, turf, and landscape management routinely apply and depend upon chemical applications to optimize system function for specific outcomes. The effectiveness of these applied chemicals to achieve desired outcomes usually depends upon their interaction with and transport by water. To fully and accurately assess the role of water as a chemical delivery and activation system requires a good understanding of how the applied chemicals, soil, and water interact, the scale at which a phenomenon is important, the nature of soil variability, and which of the three dominant soil water properties ?content, movement, or potential energy? is most suited to assessing water’s role. The science of this assessment process is extensive and its literature is voluminous. For the uninitiated, however, it is worth being aware at least of the basics of soil water assessment and where some of the pitfalls lie. This presentation describes soil as a three-phase system ?solids, liquid, and gases? and highlights some of the key measurements and measurement considerations necessary to appropriately characterize treatment efficacy for specific, and especially, non-intuitive effects. The presentation cannot be comprehensive or substitute for requisite university-level courses in soil physics and soil chemistry, but can, perhaps, alert applicators to situations and considerations that demand more than mere cursory assessment for proper evaluation and interpretation

Fibers and global geometry of functions

Since the seminal work of Ambrosetti and Prodi, the study of global folds was enriched by geometric concepts and extensions accomodating new examples. We present the advantages of considering fibers, a construction dating to Berger and Podolak's view of the original theorem. A description of folds in terms of properties of fibers gives new perspective to the usual hypotheses in the subject. The text is intended as a guide, outlining arguments and stating results which will be detailed elsewhere