Human Rights of Conscientious Objectors vis-à-vis Armed Non-State Actors and De Facto Authorities

This article aims at elucidating the human rights of conscientious objectors to military service and offers detailed substantive guidance for protecting their rights vis-à-vis armed non-State actors and de facto authorities. Persons who live in territory controlled by armed groups or de facto authorities often face human rights protection gaps, for example their freedom of conscientious objection may not be recognized or fully implemented. This article analyzes the practice by international human rights mechanisms in their engagement with de facto authorities in Afghanistan (Taliban), Cyprus (northern part), the Republic of Moldova (Transnistrian region), and Azerbaijan (Nagorno-Karabakh region), along with the related international law on State responsibility and the case-law of the European Court of Human Rights. At the normative level, this article proposes guidelines, following a gradated approach with differentiated obligations based on the capacities of the relevant States, de facto authorities with exclusive control over territory, and armed non-State actors. The article concludes that everyone’s freedom of conscientious objection must be properly protected, irrespective of whether the conscientious objectors happen to live in a territory that is under the control of a State or whether their human rights are negatively affected either through the acts or omissions of a de facto authority or an armed non-State actor

Who Is the Next “Wolf of Wall Street”? Detection of Financial Intermediary Misconduct

Financial intermediaries are essential for investors’ participation in financial markets. Because of their position within the financial system, intermediaries who commit misconduct not only harm investors but also undermine trust in the financial system, which ultimately has a significant negative impact on the economy as a whole. Building upon information manipulation theory and warranting theory and making use of self-disclosed data with different levels of external verification, we propose different classifiers to automatically detect financial intermediary misconduct. In particular, we focus on self-disclosed information by financial intermediaries on the business network LinkedIn. We match user profiles with regulator-disclosed information and use these data for classifier training and evaluation. We find that self-disclosed information provides valuable input for detecting financial intermediary misconduct. In terms of external verification, our classifiers achieve the best predictive performance when also taking regulator-confirmed information into account. These results are supported by an economic evaluation. Our findings are highly relevant for both investors and regulators seeking to identify financial intermediary misconduct and thus contribute to the societal challenge of building and ensuring trust in the financial system

The adequacy of long-chain n-3 fatty acid intakes in primary school children

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Genotypic and functional properties of early infant HIV-1 envelopes

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Understanding the properties of HIV-1 variants that are transmitted from women to their infants is crucial to improving strategies to prevent transmission. In this study, 162 full-length <it>envelope </it>(<it>env</it>) clones were generated from plasma RNA obtained from 5 HIV-1 Clade B infected mother-infant pairs. Following extensive genotypic and phylogenetic analyses, 35 representative clones were selected for functional studies.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Infant quasispecies were highly homogeneous and generally represented minor maternal variants, consistent with transmission across a selective bottleneck. Infant clones did not differ from the maternal in <it>env </it>length, or glycosylation. All infant variants utilized the CCR5 co-receptor, but were not macrophage tropic. Relatively high levels (IC₅₀≥ 100 μg/ml) of autologous maternal plasma IgG were required to neutralize maternal and infant viruses; however, all infant viruses were neutralized by pooled sera from HIV-1 infected individuals, implying that they were not inherently neutralization-resistant. All infant viruses were sensitive to the HIV-1 entry inhibitors Enfuvirtide and soluble CD4; none were resistant to Maraviroc. Sensitivity to human monoclonal antibodies 4E10, 2F5, b12 and 2G12 varied.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>This study provides extensive characterization of the genotypic and functional properties of HIV-1 <it>env </it>shortly after transmission. We present the first detailed comparisons of the macrophage tropism of infant and maternal <it>env </it>variants and their sensitivity to Maraviroc, the only CCR5 antagonist approved for therapeutic use. These findings may have implications for improving approaches to prevent mother-to-child HIV-1 transmission.</p

Mandibular fractures in short-finned pilot whales, \u3ci\u3eGlobicephala macrorhynchus\u3c/i\u3e

This study’s objective was to investigate mandibular fractures in 50 short-finned pilot whales, Globicephala macrorhynchus, from two mass strandings. Based on current theories that this species is sexually dimorphic and polygynous, hypotheses were: (1) males should suffer more frequent or more substantial mandibular fractures than should females, and (2) fracture occurrence should increase with male reproductive maturity and potential correlates of maturity, such as age and length. Fractures were described and correlated with physical characteristics to infer possible explanations for injuries. Mandibular fractures were surprisingly common in males and females, being found in more than half of the animals examined (27/50, or 54% overall; 17/36 or 47% of females and 10/14 or 71% of males). Length was the only correlate of fracture presence; the proportion of animals showing evidence of fracture increased with length. These results offer some support to initial hypotheses, but there must be another set of consequences that contribute to mandibular fractures in females. A combination of intra- and interspecific interactions and life history characteristics may be responsible for fractures. Further research from a larger sample of this and other cetacean species are suggested to help elucidate both the causes and implications of mandibular fractures

Daily nutrient intake based on lunchtime meal type in a group of 11-14 year old Scottish schoolchildren

Background: The introduction of Scottish Nutrient Standards for School Lunches is a key component in improving the diet of the nation's schoolchildren. Lunchtime meal options for Scottish schoolchildren include school meals, packed lunches and lunches purchased beyond the school gate. Methods: To investigate the daily nutrient intake of secondary school children based on the three lunch types above and compare this with the nutrient standards. A cross-sectional analysis of 5-day estimated food diaries from 332 secondary school pupils aged 11-14 years was conducted. Results: All lunch types had poor intakes of NSP, iron, and fruit and vegetables, both at lunchtime and over the whole day. Mean daily energy intake was 7.85 MJ (SD 2.48) for canteen lunches, 8.33 MJ (SD 2.18) for packed lunches and 9.1 MJ (SD 2.38) for street lunches. Mean daily saturated fat intake was for canteen lunches: 29.8 g (SD 13.4), packed lunches: 34.1 g (SD 14.3) and street lunches: 35.0 g (SD 13.6). On canteen lunch days children consumed the least fat, SFA and NMES, and the most folate and calcium. On packed lunch days children had the highest intakes of NSP, vitamin A, iron and fruit and vegetables. Conclusions: Canteen lunch days showed the most favourable nutrient profile in terms of fat, SFA, NMES, folate and calcium. Packed lunch days showed the most favourable intakes of NSP, vitamin A, iron and fruit and vegetables. Findings suggest that children should be encouraged to have canteen lunches.sch_die4pub4304pub

Assessing the validity and acceptability of DietPhone as a dietary measurement tool in adolescent girls

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School meal contribution to nutrient intake amongst 11-14 year old Scottish schoolchildren

Objective: To assess nutrient intake of children who buy lunch in school, outside school, or bring a packed lunch to school, and compare this with the nutrient standards. Methods: Secondary school pupils aged 11-14 years (n 332) from two secondary schools in Fife, Scotland, were asked to complete food diaries for a period of five days (Monday to Friday) to record foods and drinks consumed and portion sizes. Nutritional analysis of the diaries was carried out in respect to ten key nutrients/foods for which standards had been defined in the Scottish Nutrient School Standards for Lunches (SNSSL). Descriptive statistics were complied for each lunch type and analysis was conducted to investigate the importance of the lunchtime meal. Results: Around a third of pupils (32.8%) habitually had canteen lunches. The mean energy intake of canteen lunches was 504kcal (2109kJ), compared with 556kcal (2326kJ) for packed lunches and 707kcal (2958kJ) for lunches bought outside of school ('street lunches'). Canteen lunches provided the 'most nutritious lunch', with street lunches providing the 'least nutritious lunch'. Conclusions: The findings from this study emphasise the importance in canteen lunches in terms of nutritional quality as well as quantity, especially in terms of fat and SFA. Even if the overall menu, considered over a week, may meet SNSSL, this study indicates that (owing to food choices made by children in the canteen) the actual lunchtime nutrient intakes of children consuming canteen lunches were often far from achieving the nutritional standards.sch_die4pub4305pub

Rational modification of an HIV-1 gp120 results in enhanced neutralization breadth when used as a DNA prime

Background The identification of phenotypic features of the HIV-1 envelope glycoprotein that correlate with neutralization breadth is an important goal of HIV vaccine research. Recently we compared the immunogenic potential of two gp120s differing in their ability to utilize CD4; B33 (highly macrophage topic) and LN40 (non-macrophage tropic). Using a DNA prime protein boost regimen in New Zealand White Rabbits, LN40-primed sera displayed enhanced breadth compared to the B33-primed group, with differences in immunogenicity between groups modulated by specific residues within and flanking the V3 loop and the CD4bs. To better understand the role of these residues in eliciting breadth, we introduced reciprocal mutations between LN40 and B33 at these critical positions. Methods Three groups of four rabbits were primed with one of three chimeric LN40/B33 gp120 DNAs, followed by a polyvalent protein boost. Time course and endpoint titers were determined via ELISA. Neutralization breadth was analyzed by Monogram against a panel of sixteen viruses using a Phenosense neutralization assay. Anti-gp120 serum specificities were determined using a set of overlapping peptides spanning the entire gp120 via ELISA. Results We found that sera primed with a B33 chimera containing specific LN40 residues within the V3 loop and the CD4 binding loop displayed enhanced neutralization breadth against a cross-clade panel of Tier 1 and 2 viruses compared to the B33-primed group. Interestingly, a second B33 chimera containing two additional LN40 substitutions (Stu-Bsu R373/N386) within C3/V4 primed the broadest response, being broader than even the LN40-primed group. Additionally, peptide ELISAs showed differences in reactivity between priming groups which were most pronounced for the C3/V4 region, suggesting an important role for these regions in modulating serum antibody responses against gp120

“Peas in a pod”: Oral History Reflections on Autistic Identity in Family and Community by Late-Diagnosed Adults

In this paper, we report on a participatory oral history study documenting the lives of late-diagnosed autistic adults in Australia. We interviewed 26 autistic adults about their life history and the impact of late diagnosis. All were diagnosed after the age of 35, growing up in an era when autism was not well known. Using reflexive thematic analysis, we uncovered a rich body of reflections on shared Autistic identity and identified three major themes within that data set: 'conceptualising the Autistic family', 'creating Autistic community', and 'contesting Autistic identity'. Overall, the study provides insights into the active creation of shared Autistic identity and the importance of Autistic community to these late-diagnosed autistic adults