Global Networks and International Environmental Lawmaking: A Discourse Approach

The Article\u27s discussion begins in Section II by outlining the discourse approach and explaining why it is arguably superior to the alternatives, especially in the global context where preference aggregation is not a viable option. Section III then turns to examine the involvement of ENGO and BINGO networks in the climate debate, demonstrating how patterns of discursive interaction may be observed both within each network and in the ways in which these networks attempt to channel their respective agendas into the institutional deliberation. In Section IV, this Article argues that the proposed conceptual schema is also useful in responding to commentators who are critical of global networks\u27 involvement in environmental lawmaking. These critics claim that global networks are not legitimate international actors because they answer to no one in their power wielding political activity. Under a discourse approach, the legitimacy of networks-both environmental and business-lies in their ability to infuse the institutional debate with different policy perspectives and arguments, out of which well-informed, consensual decisions may be reached. The Article concludes by pointing to some of the implications flowing from a discourse approach for institutional design

Studying molecule-surface interactions using magnetically manipulated molecular beams

Molecular beam techniques contribute crucial knowledge for a wide range of research fields and applications[1, 2]. The goal of this PhD thesis is to contribute to the development of the new magnetic molec-ular interferometry technique and use it to study fundamentally im-portant molecule-surface systems in their ground state. The thesis describes both surface scattering experiments and the development of new instrumentation and experimental methods which make this technique more powerful and insightful. The development, character-isation and testing of a new direct beam line, capable of magnetically analysing the molecular beam without scattering from a surface, is presented. This new addition to the instrument enables gathering important information about the composition and properties of the molecular beam and its response to magnetic fields. This type of infor-mation will be particularly crucial when extending the interferometry technique to molecules where the magnetic Hamiltonian is not well known. Scattering experiments of hydrogen beams from graphene, copper and salt surfaces were performed, gaining unique quantum in-formation about the scattering process. Using magnetic manipulation, we can characterise the different quantum rotational projection states of the molecules before and after scattering from a surface and detect subtle changes in the quantum state during the scattering event.Both the scattering and the direct beam experiments presented in the thesis, were analysed by solving the magnetic evolution quantum mechanically. The results show that the scattering of hydrogen from a lithium-fluoride (001) surface into different diffraction channels, is highly dependent on the rotational projection states, i.e. the orien-tation of the molecular rotation of the incident molecules. In con-trast, the specular scattering of flat copper, Cu(111), and graphene surfaces shows no obvious change in the rotational state populations upon scattering. Further helium and deuterium beams experiments are presented, enhancing our understanding of the molecular magnetic interferometer and validating our analysis methods

Stopping molecular rotation using coherent ultra-low-energy magnetic manipulations

Rotational motion lies at the heart of intermolecular, molecule-surface chemistry and coldmolecule science, motivating the development of methods to excite and de-excite rotations.Existing schemes involve perturbing the molecules with photons or electrons which supply orremove energy comparable to the rotational level spacing. Here, we study the possibility ofde-exciting the molecular rotation of a D2 molecule, from J = 2 to the non-rotatingJ = 0 state, without using an energy-matched perturbation. We show that passing the beamthrough a 1 m long magnetic field, which splits the rotational projection states by only10−12 eV, can change the probability that a molecule-surface collision will stop a moleculefrom rotating and lose rotational energy which is 9 orders larger than that of the magneticmanipulation. Calculations confirm that different rotational orientations have different deexcitation probabilities but underestimate rotational flips (ΔmJ≠0), highlighting the importance of the results as a sensitive benchmark for further developing theoretical models ofmolecule-surface interactions

Barriers to the profession : inaction in Ontario, Canada and its consequences

The province of Ontario, Canada, has not had a new law school in almost 40 years. Barriers limiting access to the profession have increased during this time due to a combination of factors discussed in this paper. Diversity within the legal profession has not improved, leading to the perception of a profession dominated by “old white males” whose services are increasingly unaffordable. The paper argues that barriers should be removed and that access to the profession should be greatly increased. La provincia de Ontario, Canadá, no ha tenido una nueva facultad de derecho en casi 40 años. Las barreras que limitan el acceso a la profesión han aumentado durante este tiempo debido a una combinación de factores que se analizan en este artículo. La diversidad dentro de la abogacía no ha mejorado, lo que lleva a la percepción de una profesión dominada por "viejos hombres blancos", cuyos servicios son cada vez más prohibitivos. El artículo defiende que se deben eliminar las barreras y que se debe aumentar el acceso a la profesión

Parallel and anti-parallel echoes in beam spin echo experiments

The refocusing of velocity-dependent spin-phase is the basic phenomenon behind helium and neutron spin echo beam experiments. In this paper we present quantum and classical descriptions of the spin echo phenomenon and show that non-adiabatic transitions, such as those which take place during rotation of the magnetic field axis between the two arms of a helium spin echo setup, lead to echo conditions without reversing the magnetic field orientation between the two arms. The usual spin echo conditions, created by reversing the magnetic field orientation, do not require such non-adiabatic transitions. These two echo conditions are termed parallel and anti-parallel spin echoes, respectively. We derive the dependence of the relative intensity of the two echoes on the scattering geometry of the setup and show experimental results which verify the co-existence of the two echo conditions, the theoretically derived expressions for their relative intensity and the effect of an additional spin rotator coil introduced within the non-adiabatic transition region

Voice Activated Display of American Sign Language for Airport Security

Conference proceedings from the Technology and Persons with Disabilities Conference-2003. California State University at Northridge, Los Angeles, CA March 17-22, 2003

Improved Tool for Fingerspelling Recognition

Conference proceedings from the Technology and Persons with Disabilities Conference-2006. California State University at Northridge, Los Angeles, CA March 20-25, 2006

Ammonia-oxidising archaea living at low pH: Insights from comparative genomics

Obligate acidophilic members of the thaumarchaeotal genus Candidatus Nitrosotalea play an important role in nitrification in acidic soils, but their evolutionary and physiological adaptations to acidic environments are still poorly understood, with only a single member of this genus (Ca. N. devanaterra) having its genome sequenced. In this study, we sequenced the genomes of two additional cultured Ca. Nitrosotalea strains, extracted an almost complete Ca. Nitrosotalea metagenome-assembled genome from an acidic fen, and performed comparative genomics of the four Ca. Nitrosotalea genomes with 19 other archaeal ammonia oxidiser genomes. Average nucleotide and amino acid identities revealed that the four Ca. Nitrosotalea strains represent separate species within the genus. The four Ca. Nitrosotalea genomes contained a core set of 103 orthologous gene families absent from all other ammonia-oxidizing archaea and, for most of these gene families, expression could be demonstrated in laboratory culture or the environment via proteomic or metatranscriptomic analyses respectively. Phylogenetic analyses indicated that four of these core gene families were acquired by the Ca. Nitrosotalea common ancestor via horizontal gene transfer from acidophilic representatives of Euryarchaeota. We hypothesize that gene exchange with these acidophiles contributed to the competitive success of the Ca. Nitrosotalea lineage in acidic environments

State and non-state actors in the climate change regime, the power of legitimacy among actors in international environmental institutions

grantor: University of TorontoNon-state actors have become increasingly involved in the formulation, implementation and enforcement of international environmental law, but their influence is not yet reflected in the design of environmental regimes. This thesis outlines a normative framework for the emerging global civil society, based on a horizontal understanding of legitimacy in international lawmaking. After criticizing the case liberal scholars make in favour of non-state actors participation in international lawmaking, which is based on notions of vertical legitimacy, I suggest an alternative understanding of legitimacy between and among state and non-state actors, drawing upon social constructivism, "international society" theories, and the jurisprudential insights provided by the "interactional theory" of international law. While the institutional design of the climate change regime represents a shift away from a formalistic conception of international law, a state-centric view of international law continues to constrain the creativeness of its institutional design, and threatens to impede its successful implementation.LL.M