Between The Rock and a Hard Case: Application of the Emoluments Clauses for a New Political Era

The election of Donald Trump in 2016 rewrote some of the traditional rules for electing presidents in the United States. Does his election portend a new breed of presidential candidate, arising from the business and celebrity arena rather than traditional government service? If so, the potential for candidates with more diverse and global business interests (and the conflicts of interest that come along with them) becomes more likely. This Essay discusses the historical intent of the Emoluments Clauses and the issue of potential presidential conflicts of interest. This Essay also examines the litigation efforts filed against President Trump to force him to divest his business interests or transfer them to a blind trust, and the search for a plaintiff with standing to bring a valid claim. Lastly, this Essay discusses potential solutions if a plaintiff with standing cannot be found, or if the courts leave the problem to be solved within the political realm

Responses of Syrphids, Elaterids and Bees to Single-tree Selection Harvesting in Algonquin Provincial Park, Ontario

The species composition of hoverflies (Syrphidae), click beetles (Elateridae), and bees (Apoidea) was studied to determine whether there was a positive response in these flower-seeking insect groups to gaps in the canopy created through single-tree selection harvesting of Sugar Maple (Acer saccharum) and Yellow Birch (Betula alleghaniensis) in hardwood forests of the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence forest region of Algonquin Provincial Park, Ontario. There were significantly more hoverflies and bees collected in forest stands harvested within the previous five years than in wilderness zone (unharvested at least for 40 years) stands or stands harvested 15-20 years previously (old logged stands). Click beetles, especially Selatosomus pulcher (LeConte), were collected most often in old logged stands. Bees and click beetles were collected significantly later in the season in logged than in wilderness zone stands. Malaise traps resulted in higher capture rates for syrphids than pan traps, and only with these higher capture rates did we detect a significant increase in species richness in recently logged stands over that in wilderness stands. Changes in the numbers and phenology of flower-visiting insects may impact on reproductive success of flowering plants of the forest understory and deserves further study

Agriotes oregonensis (Coleoptera: Elateridae) in Canada

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Evidence of established brown marmorated stink bug populations in British Columbia, Canada

We report four new detections of invasive agricultural pest Halyomorpha halys (Stål) (Hempitera: Pentatomidae), the brown marmorated stink bug, in the Lower Mainland and Okanagan Valley regions of British Columbia (BC), Canada, in 2015 and 2016. These finds include two confirmed breeding populations, as well as homeowner collections at the same residence in two consecutive years. Preliminary comparisons of mitochondrial DNA haplotypes from these collections suggest that H. halys populations in BC are the result of movement and spread of existing populations in North America, likely from the Pacific Northwest USA

Getting embedded together: new partnerships for twentieth-century Catholic education

The educational landscape is undergoing a level of change unparalleled since the 1960s. The creation of ‘Free Schools’ and ‘multi-academy trusts’ (MATs), coupled with the changing demographic of urban populations and fiscal constraints, are requiring schools and dioceses to strategically address how to maintain and sustain a successful Catholic educational offer for future generations. In this chapter, we will argue that a cohesive approach between Catholic Higher Education Institutions (HEIs), schools and dioceses affords the best opportunity for delivering success and maintaining Catholic educational distinctiveness. Within a theological framework, we contend that this is realised through the paradigm of the sacramental perspective which interweaves the sacred and the secular and calls all to be ‘embedded together’

Predictive Modeling of Non-Viral Gene Transfer

In non-viral gene delivery, the variance of transgenic expression stems from the low number of plasmids successfully transferred. Here, we experimentally determine Lipofectamine- and PEI-mediated exogenous gene expression distributions from single cell time-lapse analysis. Broad Poisson-like distributions of steady state expression are observed for both transfection agents, when used with synchronized cell lines. At the same time, co-transfection analysis with YFP- and CFP-coding plasmids shows that multiple plasmids are simultaneously expressed, suggesting that plasmids are delivered in correlated units (complexes). We present a mathematical model of transfection, where a stochastic, two-step process is assumed, with the first being the low-probability entry step of complexes into the nucleus, followed by the subsequent release and activation of a small number of plasmids from a delivered complex. This conceptually simple model consistently predicts the observed fraction of transfected cells, the cotransfection ratio and the expression level distribution. It yields the number of efficient plasmids per complex and elucidates the origin of the associated noise, consequently providing a platform for evaluating and improving non-viral vectors.Comment: 20 pages, 6 figures, 12 pages supporting informatio

Coleoptera of Canada

The beetle fauna of Canada was assessed, including estimates of yet unreported diversity using information from taxonomists and COI sequence clusters in a BOLD (Barcode of Life Datasystems) COI dataset comprising over 77,000 Canadian records. To date, 8302 species of Coleoptera have been recorded in Canada, a 23% increase from the first assessment in 1979. A total of 639 non-native beetle species have become established in Canada, with most species in the Staphylinidae (153 spp.), Curculionidae (107 spp.), Chrysomelidae (56 spp.) and Carabidae (55 spp.). Based on estimates from the taxonomic community and our BOLD dataset, we estimate that slightly more than 1000 beetle species remain to be reported from Canada, either as new records or undescribed species. Renewed enthusiasm toward and financial support for surveys, especially in the central and western provinces of Canada will be critical for detecting, documenting and describing these species. The Barcode of Life database is still far from comprehensive for Canadian Coleoptera but substantial progress has been made and the number of Barcode Index Numbers (BINs) (as candidate species) has reached nearly 70% of the number of species reported from Canada. Comparison of BINs to observed species in a group of Canadian Staphylinidae suggests that BINs may provide a good estimate of species diversity within the beetles. Histeridae is a diverse family in Canada that is notably underrepresented in BOLD. Families such as Mordellidae, Scraptiidae, Latridiidae, Ptiliidae and Scirtidae are poorly known taxonomically in Canada and are represented in our BOLD dataset by many more BINs than recorded species

Genetic regulation of pituitary gland development in human and mouse

Normal hypothalamopituitary development is closely related to that of the forebrain and is dependent upon a complex genetic cascade of transcription factors and signaling molecules that may be either intrinsic or extrinsic to the developing Rathke’s pouch. These factors dictate organ commitment, cell differentiation, and cell proliferation within the anterior pituitary. Abnormalities in these processes are associated with congenital hypopituitarism, a spectrum of disorders that includes syndromic disorders such as septo-optic dysplasia, combined pituitary hormone deficiencies, and isolated hormone deficiencies, of which the commonest is GH deficiency. The highly variable clinical phenotypes can now in part be explained due to research performed over the last 20 yr, based mainly on naturally occurring and transgenic animal models. Mutations in genes encoding both signaling molecules and transcription factors have been implicated in the etiology of hypopituitarism, with or without other syndromic features, in mice and humans. To date, mutations in known genes account for a small proportion of cases of hypopituitarism in humans. However, these mutations have led to a greater understanding of the genetic interactions that lead to normal pituitary development. This review attempts to describe the complexity of pituitary development in the rodent, with particular emphasis on those factors that, when mutated, are associated with hypopituitarism in humans