Lincoln and the Constitution: From the Civil War to the War on Terror

On December 6, 2001, less than three months after the 9/11 terrorist attacks, Attorney General John Ashcroft, testifying before the Senate Committee on the Judiciary, gave a warning: “To those who scare peace-loving people with phantoms of lost liberty, my message is this: Your tactics only aid terrorists—for they erode our national unity and diminish our resolve. They give ammunition to America’s enemies.” Such tough talk was not unprecedented in American history by any means. In fact, one can draw a straight line from President Abraham Lincoln to John Ashcroft on that score. Lincoln offered his sternest warning to the people of the North in a public letter sent to the press on June 12, 1863

Policing Cyber Terrorism

In order to police a crime there must be an act that is considered a crime and punishable under the law. There also must exist the capability to investigate for potential suspects and obtain physical or circumstantial evidence of the crime to be used in criminal proceedings. The act of gaining unauthorized access to a network system is a criminal act under federal law. Several key factors are presented during the course of this discussion and then built upon. Two methods of attack planning are presented. The attack planning cycle for traditional terrorist and then cyber terrorists planning used to penetrate a network system. Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition System (SCADA) are defined and presented as an important critical target within the nation’s infrastructure. Examples of successful attacks are presented. A brief overview is used to present malicious software and the effects of its use against SCADA systems. The path for which data takes through a network is explained. The importance of the data path is vital in understanding the five methods of attribution which serve as methods of investigating cyber terrorism. &nbsp

Modification of Nanoparticles for Designed Interfaces

The work contained herein, is focused on the design, synthesis, and characterization of polymer nanocomposite interfaces and the property enhancement afforded from said interface design. Through the use of reversible addition fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerization for the grafting of polymer chains to silica nanoparticles, the surface of silica nanoparticles can be manipulated to tune the properties of the nanocomposite as a whole. In the first part of this work, heterogeneity is introduced onto the surface of silica nanoparticles via a sequential RAFT polymerization to afford a bimodal brush system. A densely grafted, short brush population is polymerized from the surface in order to provide screening for the enthalpic core-core attraction of the nanoparticles that can lead to agglomeration. Afterwards a second sparsely grafted, long brush population is polymerized to enable the nanoparticle to entangle with the polymer matrix overcoming the entropic preference of the grafted chains dewetting from the matrix chains. These two populations and all their respective molecular variables (graft density, chemistry, end-group chemistry, polydispersity, etc) can be controlled with this approach. With this control in place, the molecular variables were used to produce both bimodal and monomodal samples for comparison of their resulting properties when dispersed in a polymer matrix. It was found that not only do the bimodal samples improve dispersion when compared to monomodal brushes, but that the thermomechanical properties are enhanced as well. Tuning of the long chain graft density determined that very low graft densities were better for improving entanglement. The first bimodal kinetic study was performed to prove that control over the polymerization can still be obtained using RAFT even when a dense brush is already in place. Secondly, following the information gained from our first bimodal samples, it was ascertained that with our bimodal system the enthalpic attraction of the particles and the entropic dewetting of the grafted chains were decoupled. This allowed us to pursue the synthesis of mixed bimodal samples. In a mixed bimodal sample the chemistries of the brush populations are distinct. If the long chains are the only population entangling with the matrix, then it can remain matrix compatible while the short brush can be varied to improve other desired properties of the nanocomposite. In order to test whether monomer/polymer incompatibility would allow for the diffusion of a monomer past a short but dense brush of polymer it phase separates with to the surface, a simple poly(methyl)methacrylate/polystyrene mixed bimodal brush was made. With both variations of either chemistries short or long, bimodal samples were possible with control of all previously mentioned molecular variables. In order to push that testing further, bimodal samples of poly(1H,1H-heptafluorobutyl methacrylate) short brushes and polystyrene long brushes were made. A film of these nanoparticles were drop cast onto various substrates showing increased water contact angle measurements when compared with untreated samples. The drop casting of this film onto a sheet of polystyrene followed by annealing shows that the long polystyrene chains of the mixed bimodal brush can still entangle with the polystyrene of the substrate. For the third section, further work was performed to develop new approaches to the synthesis of bimodal brushes. Taking cues from our testing that showed lower graft densities improved entanglement, it was decided to pursue a one-pot bimodal brush synthesis using a grafting-to approach. While grafting-to is incapable of producing high graft density brushes, this was not needed for our improvement in dispersion and entanglement. Since RAFT polymerization allows for control of the polymer chain end chemistry, the efficiency of post-polymerization modification was compared to using a modified/activated RAFT agent. The activated RAFT agent showed higher graft densities while still allowing the use of a thermally initiated, bulk polymerization without decomposing at the higher temperatures required for it. This allows for decreased solvent use and therefore easier scale-up. Both long and short chains were attached in a one-pot approach. While not having the control of the sequential RAFT polymerization process, it is much simpler, more efficient, and more modular than the multi-stepped procedure. In addition to overcome issues with characterization of bimodal brushes produced via a one-pot procedure, a new anthracene-containing initiator was created and used to end-label one population of chains via a radical cross coupling mechanism. This allows for characterization of each chain population independently using a combination of UV-Vis and TGA. Finally, new synthetic strategies towards the modification of the silica nanoparticle surface via different ligands while also focusing on improving efficiency. Previous approaches used a linear aminosilane for the coupling of the RAFT agent to the surface. While successful, the reactions take hours to complete. In a new approach, an amine-containing cyclic azosilane was used for the modification of the silica surface in under five minutes. This new ligand has the same ability as our previous method to be varied in loading in order to vary the graft density. RAFT polymerizations of poly(methyl)methacrylate and polystyrene were performed at various graft densities to show that the attached RAFT agent retained its viability after attachment

Analyzing the Correlation between Gender Traits and the Perception of Effective Leadership

As the percentage of women managers has risen in the workforce, so have questions of whether women could effectively manage corporations. This curiosity has yielded studies designed to analyze the correlation between gender and management. Additionally, the research has led to contrary views from one research project to another. In their article, Leadership, Education and Gender Roles: Think manager, Think '?'., Coder and Spiller (2013) reviewed three varying trains of thought from the 1970s through the 1990s to examine how various shortcomings in methodology might impact comprehension and remediation of gender issues and management. The article reviews research that appears to substantiate that when people think manager, they think male. This is followed by data, which suggests that when people think research, we think female and finally research endorsing the train of thought that when people think manager, there is no gender specific thought. Two Indexes developed in the 1970s greatly impacted gender and its correlation to management traits. These were the Schein Descriptive Index (SDI) and the BEM Sex Role Index (BSRI). According Coder and Spiller (20113) results of the Schein Descriptive Index, a test developed by Virginia Schein, indicated the characteristics of women managers more closely resembled males than females

Understanding the Importance of Ethical Dilemma with False Confessions

The purpose of this article is to gain a better understanding of the ethical dilemma of false confessions that are created from the use of deceptive interrogation tactics. First, this article will explore various types of interrogation tactics that are used by law enforcement and assess those tactics' ability to influence the suspect in providing a false confession. The various interrogatory tactics that are used by law enforcement in the United States will be analyzed, including the deceptive interrogatory tactics used with the Reid-technique model. In addition, alternative interrogatory tactics, such as the PEACE model will be explored, along with assessing the use of the PEACE model tactics on decreasing the chances of false confessions. Secondly, this article will examine the different types of coercion that may be used in an investigation, such as inherent coercion and psychological manipulation. The ethical concerns regarding false confessions and how these confessions can easily be coerced will be examined. Additionally, the risks involved in creating a false memory with suspects during an interrogation will be discussed; consequently, there is a risk of creating a false memory that could lead to a false confession. Furthermore, the Innocence Project and other court cases that involved false confessions will be discussed. Finally, this article will examine a real life story of an innocent child who falsely confessed to the murder

Fair Value Accounting on the Housing Crisis

The circumstances which led to the development of each of these methods of accounting will be examined to better understand the context in which each technique was to be incorporated and its effect. Analysis will be performed on whether the use of these accounting practices changed since their inception and if so, for what purpose. The researcher will discuss how and if these accounting procedures become instrumental in relation to the valuation of housing assets, particularly in America. As a result of the financial crisis, some experts have expressed the opinion that Fair Value Accounting as opposed to the historical cost approach exacerbated the housing crisis while others have developed opinions that Fair Value Accounting had no negative affect on the crisis and in fact allowed for greater transparency in disclosure. The finding will analyze the effect of Fair Value Accounting on the housing crisis and whether the historical cost valuation method would be more effective and less subject to risk in home asset valuation by bank holding companies. Research findings will determine which method is most effective and whether an alternate model of valuation would provide a more reliable accounting practice for the housing market

Uremic cardiomyopathy is characterised by loss of the cardioprotective effects of insulin

Chronic kidney disease is associated with a unique cardiomyopathy, characterised by a combination of structural and cellular remodelling, and an enhanced susceptibility to ischaemia-reperfusion injury. This may represent dysfunction of the reperfusion injury salvage kinase pathway, due to insulin resistance. Aims: The susceptibility of the uraemic heart to ischaemia-reperfusion injury and the cardioprotective effects of insulin and rosiglitazone were investigated. Methods and Results: Uraemia was induced in Sprague-Dawley rats by subtotal nephrectomy. Functional recovery from ischaemia was investigated in vitro in control and uraemic hearts ±insulin ±rosiglitazone. The response of myocardial oxidative metabolism to insulin was determined by 13C NMR spectroscopy. Activation of reperfusion injury salvage kinase pathway intermediates (Akt and GSK3β) were assessed by SDS-PAGE and immuno-precipitation. Insulin improved post-ischaemic rate pressure product in control but not uraemic hearts, (recovered rate pressure product (%), control 59.6±10.7 vs 88.9±8.5, p<0.05; uraemic 19.3±4.6 vs 28.5±10.4, p=ns). Rosiglitazone resensitised uraemic hearts to insulin-mediated cardio-protection (recovered rate pressure product (%) 12.7±7.0 vs. 61.8±15.9, p<0.05). Myocardial carbohydrate metabolism remained responsive to insulin in uraemic hearts. Uraemia was associated with increased phosphorylation of Akt (1.00±0.08 vs. 1.31±0.11, p<0.05) in normoxia, but no change in post-ischaemic phosphorylation of Akt or GSK3β. Akt2 isoform expression was decreased post-ischaemia in uraemic hearts (p<0.05). Conclusion: Uraemia is associated with enhanced susceptibility to ischaemia-reperfusion injury and a loss of insulin-mediated cardio-protection, which can be restored by administration of rosiglitazone. Altered Akt2 expression in uraemic hearts post ischaemia-reperfusion and impaired activation of reperfusion injury salvage kinase pathway may underlie these findings

Aquilegia, Vol. 11 No. 1, January 1987: Newsletter of the Colorado Native Plant Society

The Colorado Native Plant Society Newsletter will be published on a bimonthly basis. The contents will consist primarily of a calendar of events, notes of interest, editorials, listings of new members and conservation news. Until there is a Society journal, the Newsletter will include short articles also. The deadline for the Newsletter is one month prior to its release.https://epublications.regis.edu/aquilegia/1032/thumbnail.jp