Lawyers, Faith, and Peacemaking: Jewish Perspectives of Peace

We can only consider the role of peacemaking in Jewish law after examining the meaning and place of peace. Accuracy prevents me from opening with some platitude about how peace occupies a central, pivotal position in Jewish thought. It doesn\u27t. Peace and peacemaking have a curious habit of not turning up in the middle of things, but all the way at the end. There are too many instances of this to be coincidental. There are nineteen blessings in the Amidah, the central (indeed!) prayer that Jews recite three times a day, every weekday of their lives. The very last blessing is about peace. Kaddish, the familiar prayer recited many times a day through the long period of mourning for close relatives, ends with a statement that He Who makes peace on high will bring peace to us. The Priestly Blessing, three sparse Biblical verses used in the Jerusalem Temple and beyond to channel Divine beneficence to Man, concludes with the word shalom, peace. The last offering mentioned in Levticus is the shelamim, or peace-offering. The Mishnah, which serves as the backbone of the Talmud from which virtually all Jewish law emanates, concludes with a thought about peace, which is also its absolutely final word

Towards a Process Domain‐Sensitive Substrate Habitat Model for Sea Lampreys in Michigan Rivers

Habitat mapping is a common and often useful tool in the ecological management of rivers. The complex nature of fluvial processes, however, makes it difficult to predict the reach‐scale distribution of substrate habitat from landscape‐scale covariates. An option is to identify and partition a data set on boundaries of geomorphic process domains, within which the globally complex relationships between landscape, climate, and instream habitat may potentially be approximated by a simpler model. In this study, we used regression trees as a machine learning method for partitioning and identifying useful strata in a geographically extensive substrate habitat model for larvae of the sea lamprey Petromyzon marinus, an invasive and economically harmful species in the Laurentian Great Lakes. We used field survey data from over 5,000 substrate habitat transects collected in 43 watersheds of the Lower Peninsula of Michigan, and we created a geographic database of geographical information systems‐derived covariates that represent the principal geomorphic influences on substrate habitat. We created three trees in which tree splits delineated (1) spatially contiguous units, (2) noncontiguous units defined by values of the covariates, and (3) both contiguous and noncontiguous units. The adjusted R2 values of the three trees were 0.30, 0.30, and 0.32, respectively, and all three trees outperformed a single model fitted to the entire data set and a set of models fitted to each watershed individually. The trees identified useful stratifications of Michigan’s Lower Peninsula, important geomorphic influences on substrate habitat, and variation in the influence of geomorphic processes on substrate habitat across our study region. Conservation and management applications of our model predictions and tree‐based stratifications include sea lamprey population modeling, habitat survey design, and evaluation of dam removal.Peer Reviewedhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/141668/1/tafs0313.pd

Estimating Seasonal Movements of Chinook Salmon in Lake Huron from Efficiency Analysis of Coded Wire Tag Recoveries in Recreational Fisheries

The decline of hatchery‐reared Chinook salmon Oncorhynchus tshawytscha stocks in Lakes Huron and Michigan during the 1980s prompted mass‐tagging programs to investigate reproduction, poststocking survival, and movements. In Lake Huron, millions of smolts implanted with coded wire tags (CWTs) were released in Michigan waters and recovered from charter and noncharter fisheries, surveys, and weirs. Using generalized linear models (GLMs), we investigated Chinook salmon seasonal movements based on the spatial and temporal distributions of recoveries by fishing trips in U.S. recreational fisheries and recovery efficiency. We used models incorporating area, month, year, and recovery source; creel‐clerk and “headhunter” (CWT collection specialist) samples; and charter captain reports. We implemented models for recoveries regardless of release area and from one particular area. All model predictors and interactions between month and area were significant. The variation in recovery levels among recovery sources was larger than temporal or spatial variation. Headhunters were 7 times more efficient than captains in recovering CWTs from charter‐boat catch and 11 times more efficient than clerks in recovering CWTs from non‐charter‐boat catch; this was due to the higher catches experienced in charter than in noncharter trips and to different recovery program goals. The spatial and temporal distribution of GLM‐standardized recovery levels suggested that Chinook salmon released along the western coast of Lake Huron moved near shore during early spring and north during summer, returning mostly to nearby stocking areas in summer and fall. To complement our GLM analysis, we evaluated the distributions of CWT salmon released and recovered in U.S. and Canadian waters by all sources. Data supported previous conclusions on longitudinal movements and indicated that in spring fish moved from eastern locations to near shore in western Lake Huron then back to overwinter locations in autumn. These movement patterns coincided with seasonal prey species concentrations and favorable temperatures. The implications of our results for salmon fisheries management and the design of future tagging studies are discussed.Peer Reviewedhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/142006/1/nafm0792.pd

Seasonal Movements of Chinook Salmon in Lake Michigan Based on Tag Recoveries from Recreational Fisheries and Catch Rates in Gill‐Net Assessments

There are no specific studies of the movements of introduced Chinook salmon Oncorhynchus tshawytscha in Lake Michigan, despite the need for such information for population assessments and stocking allocations. We investigated the seasonal distribution of hatchery‐reared Chinook salmon between May and September based on fishery‐dependent (recoveries from recreational fisheries of fish marked with coded wire tags [CWTs]) and fishery‐independent sources (catches in assessment gill‐net surveys). We modeled recoveries by fishing trips in Michigan waters of Lake Michigan to estimate spatially and temporally explicit abundance indices using generalized linear models (GLMs) and accounted for the efficiency among recovery sources (charter boat captain reports, creel clerk interviews, and headhunter collections of CWT samples from charter boat and non‐charter boat catches). Recovery levels varied among areas, months, years, and recovery sources, and distribution among areas also varied by month. We used CWT data with lakewide geographical coverage and evaluated the distributions of the absolute numbers of coded‐wire‐tagged fish recovered in Michigan and Wisconsin waters of Lake Michigan from all possible recovery sources. From both analyses we found that the distribution of Chinook salmon varied seasonally, with displacements from southern areas toward the north from May through summer, from inshore to offshore areas toward the west during summer, and movement back east in the fall. For the analysis of Chinook salmon catch rates in gill‐net assessments, we used GLMs to compare levels among months, statistical districts, years, nearshore and offshore areas, and different depths. The temporal and spatial trends were similar to those from the CWT analyses, and the distribution shifted toward deeper waters in July and August. Movement patterns coincided with favorable temperature and prey distribution and were consistent with those exhibited by the Pacific Ocean Chinook salmon population from which the Lake Michigan population originated. Seasonal changes in Chinook salmon distribution influence recreational fisheries, and stocking strategies should consider the influences of movement patterns on fishing opportunities in Lake Michigan.Peer Reviewedhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/142273/1/tafs0736.pd

Ethidium bromide as a marker of mtDNA replication in living cells.

Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) in tumor cells was found to play an important role in maintaining the malignant phenotype. Using laser scanning confocal fluorescence microscopy (LSCFM) in a recent work, we reported a variable fluorescence intensity of ethidium bromide (EB) in mitochondria nucleoids of living carcinoma cells. Since when EB is bound to nucleic acids its fluorescence is intensified; a higher EB fluorescence intensity could reflect a higher DNA accessibility to EB, suggesting a higher mtDNA replication activity. To prove this hypothesis, in the present work we studied, by LSCFM, the EB fluorescence in mitochondria nucleoids of living neuroblastoma cells, a model system in which differentiation affects the level of mtDNA replication. A drastic decrease of fluorescence was observed after differentiation. To correlate EB fluorescence intensity to the mtDNA replication state, we evaluated the mtDNA nascent strands content by ligation-mediated real-time PCR, and we found a halved amount of replicating mtDNA molecules in differentiating cells. A similar result was obtained by BrdU incorporation. These results indicate that the low EB fluorescence of nucleoids in differentiated cells is correlated to a low content of replicating mtDNA, suggesting that EB may be used as a marker of mtDNA replication in living cells. © 2012 Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers (SPIE)

Estado del arte y criterios orientadores para la elaboración de políticas de formación y desarrollo profesional de docentes de primera infancia en América Latina y el Caribe : estrategia regional sobre docentes

Contiene un estado del arte sobre las políticas para la formación y desarrollo profesional de docentes de primera infancia en América Latina y el Caribe, así como un conjunto de criterios orientadores para la formulación de políticas públicas en este ámbito. Este trabajo se ubica en el marco de la iniciativa “Proyecto Estratégico Regional sobre Docentes para América Latina y el Caribe”, el que, a su vez, es parte de la iniciativa a nivel mundial de UNESCO “Profesores para una Educación para Todos”. Dieciséis países participaron, de distintas maneras, en este estudio: Argentina, Brasil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Chile, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, México, Nicaragua, Panamá, Perú, República Dominicana, Trinidad y Tobago, y Venezuela. El documento está organizado en doce capítulos. La Introducción ofrece una presentación del estudio como un intento por identificar grandes tendencias relativas al desarrollo de la docencia de la primera infancia en la Región, situándolo dentro del debate sobre calidad de la educación inicial, el derecho a la educación desde el nacimiento, y los desafíos de la docencia de primera infancia como campo profesional. El capítulo Metodología describe el método de trabajo empleado para este estudio, el cual fue definido por la Secretaría Técnica de la Estrategia Regional y se basa en datos secundarios, específicamente, informes elaborados por consultores para siete países, reuniones de grupos nacionales de discusión, seminarios internacionales de discusión de documentos preliminares con actores claves del campo de los países participantes, y una encuesta aplicada en algunos de ellos. El capítulo Mapa de Tensiones identifica un conjunto de ejes temáticos definidos por posiciones divergentes en torno a la educación de la primera infancia, señalando los dilemas que deben ser considerados en el diseño de políticas dirigidas a este campo. A continuación, los siguientes cinco capítulos abordan dimensiones claves para entender a las docentes de primera infancia como profesión en la actualidad. Para cada uno de ellos se realiza un análisis de la evidencia recabada para los países participantes en este estudio, el cual es complementado con una breve reseña del debate internacional al respecto. Se identifican, además, un conjunto de temas críticos, los que identifican nudos claves para avanzar en cada ámbito. El capítulo Elementos de Contexto describe el sistema de educación para la primera infancia en que se desempeñan las docentes de este nivel en cada país, enfocándose en su institucionalidad, su obligatoriedad, currículum oficial, los programas de atención y la cobertura. Como tema crítico sobre este aspecto, se plantea la necesidad de superar la visión de la educación de la primera infancia como una colección de programas exitosos, para avanzar hacia la conformación de un sistema que opera sobre una institucionalidad coherente y coordinada. El capítulo Características Sociodemográficas describe a las docentes de la primera infancia de acuerdo a su composición en términos de género, distribución geográfica, y asociación a organizaciones, entre otros aspectos, vinculando estos atributos con los desafíos para su mayor profesionalización. Como tema crítico se plantea el importante desequilibrio en la distribución de la fuerza laboral de docentes de primera infancia, y la alta fragmentación de este grupo ocupacional, siendo estos dos nudos lo fundamental a resolver para avanzar en su profesionalización. El capítulo Formación Inicial de Docentes de Primera Infancia analiza tres aspectos centrales de este proceso en los países participantes en el estudio. Estos son: los perfiles profesionales presentes en la formación, la regulación de los programas de formación inicial, y el currículum de la formación inicial. Como temas críticos en esta dimensión, se señalan la baja selectividad en el ingreso a la formación inicial, la heterogeneidad curricular en la formación inicial, la debilidad institucional de las instituciones formadoras, y la formación de docentes en el nivel secundario. El capítulo Desarrollo Profesional Continuo de las Docentes de Primera Infancia analiza las instancias existentes en este ámbito en los países participantes, concentrándose en la legislación que las respalda y las características de los programas de desarrollo profesional continuo. Además, se identifican como temas críticos la insuficiente regulación estatal, la dispersión de la oferta de perfeccionamiento, y la escasa sistematización de la información sobre desarrollo profesional continuo. El capítulo Condiciones Laborales y Carrera Profesional de las Docentes de Primera Infancia analiza sus condiciones de trabajo, las carreras profesionales y la evaluación del desempeño en los países participantes. Además, se identifican como temas críticos la precariedad de sus condiciones de trabajo, sus carreras profesionales fragmentarias, y la inadecuación de las evaluaciones del desempeño. El capítulo Orientaciones para la Elaboración de Políticas sobre Docentes de Primera Infancia propone, a partir de los nudos críticos identificados en los capítulos anteriores, algunos criterios generales para la formulación de políticas públicas para las docentes de la primera infancia. Cierran el documento una sección de Conclusiones y un capítulo de Referencias Bibliográficas Citadas que incluye aquellas publicaciones citadas en el documento, incluyendo los informes nacionales, la encuesta y los grupos nacionales de discusión realizados para este estudio. Finalmente, en un Anexo, se entregan las referencias bibliográficas contenidas en los informes nacionales de Argentina, Brasil, Colombia, Chile, México, Perú y Trinidad y Tobago, las cuales no fueron incluidas en el capítulo precedente

Distribution and habitat of unionid mussels and invasive sea lamprey larvae in the Paw Paw River, a tributary of Lake Michigan

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/91129/1/j.1365-2427.2012.02777.x.pd

FLAG assay as a novel method for real-time signal generation during PCR: application to detection and genotyping of KRAS codon 12 mutations

Real-time signal generation methods for detection and characterization of low-abundance mutations in genomic DNA are powerful tools for cancer diagnosis and prognosis. Mutations in codon 12 of the oncogene KRAS, for example, are frequently found in several types of human cancers. We have developed a novel real-time PCR technology, FLAG (FLuorescent Amplicon Generation) and adapted it for simultaneously (i) amplifying mutated codon 12 KRAS sequences, (ii) monitoring in real-time the amplification and (iii) genotyping the exact nucleotide alteration. FLAG utilizes the exceptionally thermostable endonuclease PspGI for real-time signal generation by cleavage of quenched fluorophores from the 5′-end of the PCR products and, concurrently, for selecting KRAS mutations over wild type. By including peptide-nucleic-acid probes in the reaction, simultaneous genotyping is achieved that circumvents the requirement for sequencing. FLAG enables high-throughput, closed-tube KRAS mutation detection down to ∼0.1% mutant-to-wild type. The assay was validated on model systems and compared with allele-specific PCR sequencing for screening 27 cancer specimens. Diverse applications of FLAG for real-time PCR or genotyping applications in cancer, virology or infectious diseases are envisioned