Kear v. Hilton: Enforcing the Treaty On Extradition Between the United States and Canada

This Note examines the justness of the Kear decision. The current provisions of the Extradition Treaty, the powers of bounty hunters, and the role of the courts in regulating extradition are discussed. The Note concludes that extradition was not only proper, but necessary in order to maintain the Extradition Treaty\u27s goal of suppressing crime through cooperation between Canada and the United States

metaSHARK: a WWW platform for interactive exploration of metabolic networks

The metaSHARK (metabolic search and reconstruction kit) web server offers users an intuitive, fully interactive way to explore the KEGG metabolic network via a WWW browser. Metabolic reconstruction information for specific organisms, produced by our automated SHARKhunt tool or from other programs or genome annotations, may be uploaded to the website and overlaid on the generic network. Additional data from gene expression experiments can also be incorporated, allowing the visualization of differential gene expression in the context of the predicted metabolic network. metaSHARK is available at

Ecological condition of coastal ocean waters along the U.S. Mid-Atlantic Bight: 2006

In May 2006, the NOAA National Ocean Service (NOS), in conjunction with the EPA National Health and Environmental Effects Laboratory (NHEERL), conducted an assessment of the status of ecological condition of soft-bottom habitat and overlying waters throughout the mid-Atlantic Bight (MAB) portion of the eastern U.S. continental shelf. The study area encompassed the region from Cape Cod, MA and Nantucket Shoals in the northeast to Cape Hatteras in the south, and was defined using a one nautical mile buffer of the shoreline extended seaward to the shelf break (~100-m depth contour). A total of 50 stations were targeted for sampling using standard methods and indicators applied in prior NOAA coastal studies and EPA’s Environmental Monitoring and Assessment Program (EMAP) and National Coastal Assessment (NCA). A key feature adopted from these studies was the incorporation of a random probabilistic sampling design. Such a design provides a basis for making unbiased statistical estimates of the spatial extent of ecological condition relative to various measured indicators and corresponding thresholds of concern. Indicators included multiple measures of water quality, sediment quality, and biological condition (benthic fauna). Through coordination with the NOAA Fisheries Service/Northeast Fisheries Science Center (NFS/NEFSC), samples of summer flounder (Paralichthys dentatus) also were obtained from 30 winter 2007 bottom-trawl survey stations in overlapping portions of the study area and used for analysis of chemical-contaminant body burdens

Dynamic control of neurochemical release with ultrasonically-sensitive nanoshell-tethered liposomes

The unique surface plasmon resonance of hollow gold nanoshells can be used to achieve drug release from liposomes upon laser stimulation, and adapted to mimic the intricate dynamics of neurotransmission ex vivo in brain preparations. However, to induce a physiological response in vivo requires the degree of temporal precision afforded by laser stimulation, but with a greater depth of penetration through tissue. Here we report that the attachment of hollow gold nanoshells to the surface of robust liposomes results in a construct that is highly sensitive to ultrasonic stimulation. The resulting construct can be remotely triggered by low intensity, therapeutic ultrasound. To our knowledge, this is the first example of nanoparticle-liposome system that can be activated by both laser and acoustic stimulation. The system is capable of encapsulating the neurochemical dopamine, and repeatedly releasing small amounts on-demand in a circulating environment, allowing for precise spatiotemporal control over the release profile

Changes in the red giant and dusty environment of the recurrent nova RS Ophiuchi following the 2006 eruption

We present near-infrared spectroscopy of the recurrent nova RS Ophiuchi (RS Oph) obtained on several occasions after its latest outburst in 2006 February. The 1–5 μm spectra are dominated by the red giant, but the H i, He i and coronal lines present during the eruption are present in all our observations. From the fits of the computed infrared spectral energy distributions to the observed fluxes, we find Teff= 4200 ± 200 K for the red giant. The first overtone CO bands at 2.3 μm, formed in the atmosphere of the red giant, are variable. The spectra clearly exhibit an infrared excess due to dust emission longward of 5 μm; we estimate an effective temperature for the emitting dust shell of 500 K, and find that the dust emission is also variable, being beyond the limit of detection in 2007. Most likely, the secondary star in RS Oph is intrinsically variable

Effect of Smoke-Free Legislation on Adult Smoking Behaviour in England in the 18 Months following Implementation

Comprehensive smoke-free legislation covering all enclosed public places and workplaces was implemented in England on 1 July 2007. This study examines the impact of this legislation on smoking prevalence, number of cigarettes smoked and location of smoking, controlling for secular trends through the end of 2008.Repeat cross sectional survey using nationally representative data from the Health Survey for England (HSE). In total there are 54,333 respondents from 2003-2008. Logit and linear regression models were used to examine the effect of the legislation on smoking prevalence and the number of cigarettes smoked daily among continuing smokers which took the underlying trend into account. Our finding suggest that smoking prevalence (current smoker) decreased from 25% in 2003 to 21% in 2008 (AOR = 0.96 per year, 95% CI = 0.95-0.98, P<0.01) and the mean number of cigarettes consumed daily by smokers decreased from 14.1 in 2003 to 13.1 in 2008 (coefficient for time trend = -0.28±0.06 SE cig/day per year, P<0.01). After adjusting for these trends the introduction of smoke-free legislation was not associated with additional reductions in smoking prevalence (AOR = 1.02, 95% CI = 0.94-1.11, P = 0.596) or daily cigarette use in smokers (0.42±0.28 SE; P = 0.142). The percentage of respondents reporting smoking 'at work' and 'inside pubs or bars' decreased significantly from 14% to 2% (p<0.001) and from 34% to 2% (p<0.001), respectively, after the legislation. The percentage reporting smoking 'inside restaurants, cafes, or canteens' decreased significantly from 9% to 1% (p<0.001) and 'inside their home' decreased significantly from 65% to 55% (p<0.01).There is widespread compliance with the smoke-free legislation in England, which has led to large drops in indoor smoking in all venues, including at home. Declines in smoking prevalence and consumption continued along existing trends; they did not accelerate during the 18 months immediately following implementation

Thermodynamic analysis of humidification dehumidification desalination cycles

Humidification–dehumidification desalination (HDH) is a promising technology for small-scale water production applications. There are several embodiments of this technology which have been investigated by researchers around the world. However, from a previous literature [1], we have found that no study carried out a detailed thermodynamic analysis in order to improve and/ or optimize the system performance. In this paper, we analyze the thermodynamic performance of various HDH cycles by way of a theoretical cycle analysis. In addition, we propose novel high performance variations on those cycles. These high-performance cycles include multi-extraction, multi-pressure and thermal vapor compression cycles. It is predicted that the systems based on these novel cycles will have gained output ratio in excess of 5 and will outperform existing HDH systems.King Fahd University of Petroleum and MineralsCenter for Clean Water and Clean Energy at MIT and KFUP

Second-hand smoke in four English prisons: an air quality monitoring study

BACKGROUND: To measure levels of indoor pollution in relation to smoking in four English prisons. METHODS: TSI SidePak AM510 Personal Aerosol Monitors were used to measure concentrations of particulate matter less than 2.5 mum in diameter (PM2.5) for periods of up to 9 h in selected smoking and non-smoking areas, and personal exposure monitoring of prison staff during a work shift, in four prisons. RESULTS: PM2.5 data were collected for average periods of 6.5 h from 48 locations on 25 wing landings where smoking was permitted in cells, on 5 non-smoking wings, 13 prisoner cells, and personal monitoring of 22 staff members. Arithmetic mean PM2.5 concentrations were significantly higher on smoking than non-smoking wing landings (43.9 mug/m(3) and 5.9 mug/m(3) respectively, p < 0.001) and in smoking than non-smoking cells (226.2 mug/m(3) and 17.0 mug/m(3) respectively, p < 0.001). Staff members wore monitors for an average of 4.18 h, during which they were exposed to arithmetic mean PM2.5 concentration of 23.5 mug/m(3). CONCLUSIONS: The concentration of PM2.5 pollution in smoking areas of prisons are extremely high. Smoking in prisons therefore represents a significant health hazard to prisoners and staff members