Legalize for Legal Highs: How Georgia Can Address Racial Disparities in the Criminal Legal System by Legalizing Recreational Cannabis

Cannabis prohibition is a policy failure that nevertheless continues to impact more than half of Americans, including Georgians. Remaining true to its roots in racism and xenophobia, cannabis criminalization has disparate impacts, with Black Americans being more likely to be arrested or incarcerated for a cannabis related offense. Furthermore, cannabis criminalization results in tens of millions of missed tax dollars for the state. This article argues for a clear policy solution; it is time for Georgia to legalize cannabis. As demonstrated by the 21 states that have legalized recreational cannabis as of Fall 2022, legalizing recreational cannabis creates both economic and social justice benefits to the states. Georgia should legalize recreational cannabis, borrowing from Colorado’s taxation scheme, Alaska’s diversion of cannabis revenue for its recidivism fund, and Illinois’s criminal record expungement plan. Legalization of recreational cannabis is the epitome of a “win-win,” decreasing the overcriminalization of Black and Hispanic Georgians while adding to Georgia’s tax base. Cannabis prohibition is a policy failure that nevertheless continues to impact more than half of Americans, including Georgians. Remaining true to its roots in racism and xenophobia, cannabis criminalization has disparate impacts, with Black Americans being more likely to be arrested or incarcerated for a cannabis related offense. Furthermore, cannabis criminalization results in tens of millions of missed tax dollars for the state. This article argues for a clear policy solution; it is time for Georgia to legalize cannabis. As demonstrated by the 21 states that have legalized recreational cannabis as of Fall 2022, legalizing recreational cannabis creates both economic and social justice benefits to the states. Georgia should legalize recreational cannabis, borrowing from Colorado’s taxation scheme, Alaska’s diversion of cannabis revenue for its recidivism fund, and Illinois’s criminal record expungement plan. Legalization of recreational cannabis is the epitome of a “win-win,” decreasing the overcriminalization of Black and Hispanic Georgians while adding to Georgia’s tax base

Job Recruitment Variables and Employment of Library Staff in Federal University of Technology (FUTO) and Imo State University (IMSU), Owerri, Libraries, Nigeria.

Abstract This study investigated job recruitment variables and employment of library staff in Federal University of Technology and Imo State University, Owerri libraries. The study was guided by four research questions and three hypotheses. The survey design was adopted for the study. The population of this study comprised of 133 staff of the institutions. The rating scale was used to collect data for the study. Data collected were analyzed using descriptive statistics comprising of mean and standard deviation. The null hypotheses were tested at 0.05 level of significance using t-test. The major findings were that qualification, experience, age, salary and state of origin are considered to a high extent in the recruitment of library staff; experience to a high extent influence employment of library staff in the university libraries; qualification does not to a high extent influence employment of library staff in the university libraries; and age does not to a high extent influence employment of library staff in the university libraries. The researchers recommended that: modality should be set by library employers to accommodate fresh graduates of LIS in the employment quota, membership of professional bodies should be emphasized as it will encourage participation in Nigerian Library Association which will help in the growth of the association and much emphasis should not be led on age since it does not have influence on the recruitment of library staff. It has been observed that when emphasis is led on age. it leads to falsification of age

Policy Support and Agricultural Development Within China’s First 10 Years of Reform: Strategies and Achievements

The authors are grateful to the Chinese Scholarship Council (CSC) for supporting this work through the Chinese University Programme (CUP) PhD Scholarship (2017GXZ024554). Abstract The utilization of agricultural resources to satisfy the basic needs of man is a great remedy to the worlds challenging problems of food insufficiency, poverty, unemployment and overall economic development among developed countries of the world today. It has been established that agriculture contributes up to 60 % to the world’s economy making it the foundation of the world’s economy. In China, agricultural policies have played very significant roles in the overall development of their economy. This study aimed at understanding and examining the role policy change in agriculture played over the years in shaping the Chinese agricultural sector. The study revealed how policy change in the Chinese rural agricultural production system occurred, the implementation strategies that were adopted that led to tremendous growth in the Chinese economy and finally revealed lessons learnt within the first 10 years of reform which can serve as a lesson to developing countries. Keywords: Policy change; agricultural development; household responsibility system; Chinese great reform DOI: 10.7176/PPAR/9-11-06 Publication date: November 30th 201

Uptake of Automobile Fluids by Dynamically Vulcanized Recycled Polyethylene/natural Rubber (rPE/NR) Biocomposites

Abstract This study presents long term sorption properties of automobile fluids -premium motor spirit (PMS) and automotive gas oil (AGO) in dynamically vulcanized recycled polyethylene/natural rubber (rPE/NR) thermoplastic elastomer biocomposites. The effect of oil palm empty fruit bunch (OPEFB) filler and maleic anhydride graft polyethylene (MAPE) as compartibilizer on the rPE/NR blends were also studied. The automobile fluids uptake trend was observed to reducewith OPEFB incorporation. Uptake of the automobile fluids by the biocompositesincreased rapidlywithin the first 24 hours and subsequently increased gradually within the 7 days period studied.The analysed results also showed that both the uncompartibilized and compartibilized thermoplastic elastomer biocomposites absorbed more PMS than AGO at same OPEFB loading and immersion time. Diffusion, sorption, and permeation coefficients of both PMS and AGO for the compatibilizedbiocompositesdecreased with increasing OPEFB content. The mode of transport of the automobile fluids into the filled rPE/NR blends has been found to be Fickianwhere the n values ranges from 0.1 to 0.4 for the various systems. This study also revealed greater degree of interaction between the PMS and the biocomposites than the AGO and the biocomposites

Hepatitis C virus infection upregulates CD55 expression on the hepatocyte surface and promotes association with virus particles

CD55 limits excessive complement activation on the host cell surface by accelerating the decay of C3 convertases. In this study, we observed that hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection of hepatocytes or HCV core protein expression in transfected hepatocytes upregulated CD55 expression at the mRNA and protein levels. Further analysis suggested that the HCV core protein or full-length (FL) genome enhanced CD55 promoter activity in a luciferase-based assay, which was further augmented in the presence of interleukin-6. Mutation of the CREB or SP-1 binding site on the CD55 promoter impaired HCV core protein-mediated upregulation of CD55. HCV-infected or core protein-transfected Huh7.5 cells displayed greater viability in the presence of CD81 and CD55 antibodies and complement. Biochemical analysis revealed that CD55 was associated with cell culture-grown HCV after purification by sucrose density gradient ultracentrifugation. Consistent with this, a polyclonal antibody to CD55 captured cell culture-grown HCV. Blocking antibodies against CD55 or virus envelope glycoproteins in the presence of normal human serum as a source of complement inhibited HCV infection. The inhibition was enhanced in the presence of both the antibodies and serum complement. Collectively, these results suggest that HCV induces and associates with a negative regulator of the complement pathway, a likely mechanism for immune evasion

Asymmetric Reproductive Isolation between Two Sympatric Annual Killifish with Extremely Short Lifespans

BACKGROUND: Interspecific reproductive isolation is typically achieved by a combination of intrinsic and extrinsic barriers. Behavioural isolating barriers between sympatric, closely related species are often of primary importance and frequently aided by extrinsic factors causing spatial and temporal interspecific separation. Study systems with a severely limited role of extrinsic factors on reproductive isolation may provide valuable insights into how reproductive isolation between sympatric species is maintained. We used no-choice experimental set-up to study reproductive barriers between two closely related sympatric African killifish species, Nothobranchius furzeri and Nothobranchius orthonotus. These fish live in small temporary savannah pools and have complete spatial and temporal overlap in reproductive activities and share a similar ecology. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: We found that the two species display largely incomplete and asymmetric reproductive isolation. Mating between N. furzeri males and N. orthonotus females was absent under standard experimental conditions and eggs were not viable when fish were forced to mate in a modified experimental setup. In contrast, male N. orthonotus indiscriminately mated with N. furzeri females, the eggs were viable, and offspring successfully hatched. Most spawnings, however, were achieved by male coercion and egg production and embryo survival were low. Behavioural asymmetry was likely facilitated by mating coercion from larger males of N. orthonotus and at relatively low cost to females. Interestingly, the direction of asymmetry was positively associated with asymmetry in post-mating reproductive barriers. SIGNIFICANCE: We showed that, in fish species with a promiscuous mating system and multiple matings each day, selection for strong mate preferences was relaxed. This effect was likely due to the small proportion of resources allocated to each single mating and the high potential cost to females from mating refusal. We highlight and discuss the fact that males of rarer species may often coercively mate with females of a related, more abundant species

A functional SNP in the regulatory region of the decay-accelerating factor gene associates with extraocular muscle pareses in myasthenia gravis

Complement activation in myasthenia gravis (MG) may damage muscle endplate and complement regulatory proteins such as decay-accelerating factor (DAF) or CD55 may be protective. We hypothesize that the increased prevalence of severe extraocular muscle (EOM) dysfunction among African MG subjects reported earlier may result from altered DAF expression. To test this hypothesis, we screened the DAF gene sequences relevant to the classical complement pathway and found an association between myasthenics with EOM paresis and the DAF regulatory region c.-198C>G SNP (odds ratio=8.6; P=0.0003). This single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) results in a twofold activation of a DAF 5′-flanking region luciferase reporter transfected into three different cell lines. Direct matching of the surrounding SNP sequence within the DAF regulatory region with the known transcription factor-binding sites suggests a loss of an Sp1-binding site. This was supported by the observation that the c.-198C>G SNP did not show the normal lipopolysaccharide-induced DAF transcriptional upregulation in lymphoblasts from four patients. Our findings suggest that at critical periods during autoimmune MG, this SNP may result in inadequate DAF upregulation with consequent complement-mediated EOM damage. Susceptible individuals may benefit from anti-complement therapy in addition to immunosuppression

Legalize for Legal Highs: How Georgia Can Address Racial Disparities in the Criminal Legal System by Legalizing Recreational Cannabis

Cannabis prohibition is a policy failure that nevertheless continues to impact more than half of Americans, including Georgians. Remaining true to its roots in racism and xenophobia, cannabis criminalization has disparate impacts, with Black Americans being more likely to be arrested or incarcerated for a cannabis related offense. Furthermore, cannabis criminalization results in tens of millions of missed tax dollars for the state. This article argues for a clear policy solution; it is time for Georgia to legalize cannabis. As demonstrated by the 21 states that have legalized recreational cannabis as of Fall 2022, legalizing recreational cannabis creates both economic and social justice benefits to the states. Georgia should legalize recreational cannabis, borrowing from Colorado’s taxation scheme, Alaska’s diversion of cannabis revenue for its recidivism fund, and Illinois’s criminal record expungement plan. Legalization of recreational cannabis is the epitome of a “win-win,” decreasing the overcriminalization of Black and Hispanic Georgians while adding to Georgia’s tax base. Cannabis prohibition is a policy failure that nevertheless continues to impact more than half of Americans, including Georgians. Remaining true to its roots in racism and xenophobia, cannabis criminalization has disparate impacts, with Black Americans being more likely to be arrested or incarcerated for a cannabis related offense. Furthermore, cannabis criminalization results in tens of millions of missed tax dollars for the state. This article argues for a clear policy solution; it is time for Georgia to legalize cannabis. As demonstrated by the 21 states that have legalized recreational cannabis as of Fall 2022, legalizing recreational cannabis creates both economic and social justice benefits to the states. Georgia should legalize recreational cannabis, borrowing from Colorado’s taxation scheme, Alaska’s diversion of cannabis revenue for its recidivism fund, and Illinois’s criminal record expungement plan. Legalization of recreational cannabis is the epitome of a “win-win,” decreasing the overcriminalization of Black and Hispanic Georgians while adding to Georgia’s tax base

What's Yours Is Mine — Anti-abortion Advocacy's Roots in Controlling Our Bodies

Advocacy often boils down to messaging. It frankly doesn’t matter how right or wrong you are if you can persuade an audience on other grounds. There is no better persuasion tool than a child representative of a cause; children invoke a sense of vulnerability and a desire to protect that become stronger the younger the child is. Fetuses are the epitome of this phenomenon, making them the natural foundation for anti-abortion activists to base their messaging. This tactic has been frustratingly effective due to its tendency to shield unassuming and ambivalent individuals from the truth: those who oppose abortion do so out of a desire to exert control over an individual’s—usually a woman’s—body. If the façade of protecting children is stripped away, anti-abortion activism maintains its roots in denying individuals with uteruses full control over their bodies and reproduction

What's Yours Is Mine — Anti-abortion Advocacy's Roots in Controlling Our Bodies

Advocacy often boils down to messaging. It frankly doesn’t matter how right or wrong you are if you can persuade an audience on other grounds. There is no better persuasion tool than a child representative of a cause; children invoke a sense of vulnerability and a desire to protect that become stronger the younger the child is. Fetuses are the epitome of this phenomenon, making them the natural foundation for anti-abortion activists to base their messaging. This tactic has been frustratingly effective due to its tendency to shield unassuming and ambivalent individuals from the truth: those who oppose abortion do so out of a desire to exert control over an individual’s—usually a woman’s—body. If the façade of protecting children is stripped away, anti-abortion activism maintains its roots in denying individuals with uteruses full control over their bodies and reproduction