Constitutional Law - Due Process - Parolee\u27s Right under the Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment to an Opportunity to Be Heard Prior to Revoking His Parole

The United States Supreme Court has held that a parolee\u27s liberty involves significant values within the protection of the due process clause of the fourteenth amendment, and termination of that liberty requires an informal hearing to give assurance that the finding of a parole violation is based on verified facts to support the revocation. Morrissey v. Brewer, 408 U.S. 471 (1972)

Mutations in the KCNA1 gene associated with episodic ataxia type-1 syndrome impair heteromeric voltage-gated K+ channel function

Episodic ataxia type-1 syndrome (EA-1) is an autosomal dominant neurological disorder that manifests itself during infancy and results from point mutations in the voltage-gated potassium channel gene hKv1.1. The hallmark of the disease is continuous myokymia and episodic attacks of spastic contractions of the skeletal muscles, which cause permanent disability. Coexpression of hKv1.1 and hKv1.2 subunits produces heteromeric potassium channels with biophysical and pharmacological properties intermediate between the respective homomers. By using tandemly linked subunits, we demonstrate that hKv1.1 subunits bearing the EA-1 mutations V408A and E325D combine with hKv1.2 to produce channels with altered kinetics of activation, deactivation, C-type inactivation, and voltage dependence. Moreover, hKv1.1V408A single-channel analysis reveals a ~threefold reduction of the mean open duration of the channel compared with the wild-type, and this mutation alters the open-state stability of both homomeric and heteromeric channels. The results demonstrate that human Kv1.2 and Kv1.1 subunits coassemble to form a novel channel with distinct gating properties that are altered profoundly by EA-1 mutations, thus uncovering novel physiopathogenetic mechanisms of episodic ataxia type-1 myokymia syndrome

Tourist perception of recreational environment and management in a marine protected area

A person’s socio-economic status, cultural ties, and past experiences influence how people perceive environmental quality. In the case of tourism, people using protected areas can differ in many ways, including their personal characteristics and perception about the recreation environment. This research addresses the general problem of tourist perception in a marine protected area (MPA), focusing on tourists’ awareness of being in a MPA, tourists’ opinion on management activities, the importance of natural attractiveness components, tourists’ satisfaction with recreational experience and willingness to come back, and on tourists’ awareness of their environmental impacts. Data were collected by means of questionnaires, and statistical analyses were performed according to four main variables: awareness to be in a MPA, gender, education level, and place of residence. Answers, and consequently, perceptions were highly dependent on education level and the place of residence, and surprisingly the unaware tourists came from neighbouring municipalities, in particular from the province of Brindisi where the MPA is located. This research put in evidence that a different perception can be due to environmental and park related attitudes, but also to the profile of visitors who frequent protected areas. In this respect, we stress the importance of a better identification of visitors’ profile, for a better management of tourism development in a MPA