Spontaneous Emergence of Spatio-Temporal Order in Class 4 Automata

We report surprisingly regular behaviors observed for a class 4 cellular automaton, the totalistic rule 20: starting from disordered initial configurations the automaton produces patterns which are periodic not only in time but also in space. This is the first evidence that different types of spatio-temporal order can emerge under specific conditions out of disorder in the same discrete rule based algorithm.Comment: 5 pages, 6 color figures, Proceedings Medyfinol 2004, Physica A in prin

The Legacy of Operation Allied Force: A Reflection on its Legality Under United States and International Law

Article published in the Michigan State International Law Review

The Nature of a Passport at the Intersection of Customary International Law and American Judicial Practice

In order to fully develop the argument that the DHS’s confiscation and impoundment of passports is a violation of customary international law, we begin by examining the history of a passport and its treatment in the international community. Next, we survey general principles of customary international law and analyze German case law holding that one State’s confiscation or impounding of a valid foreign passport constitutes an encroachment upon the passport jurisdiction of the foreign State issuing the documents which is impermissible under customary international law. Thereafter, we discuss case law where courts avoided addressing the international implications of passport seizures. We then examine the United States government’s view of passports by tracking the shift in its behavior from adhering to international norms to placing domestic prerogatives over customary international law. In doing so, we survey United States law pertaining to confiscation of passports. We conclude that the United States government’s impounding of a foreign passport violates general principles of customary international law because the United States government’s act of impounding a foreign passport is an encroachment upon the personal jurisdiction of the issuing State. However, we acknowledge that the rationale behind the DHS’s continued practice of impounding passports in violation of customary international law suggests that the United States government believes ensuring the return of the foreign national is more important than a State’s personal jurisdiction over its property. Accordingly, we recommend that the United States codify the authority, means, and methods by which such impounding can be carried out in order to avoid international retaliation

The Nature of a Passport at the Intersection of Customary International Law and American Judicial Practice

In order to fully develop the argument that the DHS’s confiscation and impoundment of passports is a violation of customary international law, we begin by examining the history of a passport and its treatment in the international community. Next, we survey general principles of customary international law and analyze German case law holding that one State’s confiscation or impounding of a valid foreign passport constitutes an encroachment upon the passport jurisdiction of the foreign State issuing the documents which is impermissible under customary international law. Thereafter, we discuss case law where courts avoided addressing the international implications of passport seizures. We then examine the United States government’s view of passports by tracking the shift in its behavior from adhering to international norms to placing domestic prerogatives over customary international law. In doing so, we survey United States law pertaining to confiscation of passports. We conclude that the United States government’s impounding of a foreign passport violates general principles of customary international law because the United States government’s act of impounding a foreign passport is an encroachment upon the personal jurisdiction of the issuing State. However, we acknowledge that the rationale behind the DHS’s continued practice of impounding passports in violation of customary international law suggests that the United States government believes ensuring the return of the foreign national is more important than a State’s personal jurisdiction over its property. Accordingly, we recommend that the United States codify the authority, means, and methods by which such impounding can be carried out in order to avoid international retaliation

Equity lending markets and ownership structure

Using proprietary data on equity lending supply, loan fees and quantities, we examine the link between institutional ownership structure and the market for equity lending and stock prices. We find that both total institutional ownership and ownership concentration (measured by the Herfindahl index, single largest holding and number of investors) are important determinants of equity lending supply and short sale constraints. More concentrated ownership structures increase short sale constraints (including loan fees, recall risk and arbitrage risk) and force arbitrageurs to decrease demand for equity borrowing and demand greater compensation for borrowing stock. The results suggest that the impact of institutional ownership structure in the equity lending market may create limits to arbitrage.Equity lending markets; short selling; ownership structure; lending supply;

Naimark-Sacker Bifurcations in Linearly Coupled Quadratic Maps

We report exact analytical expressions locating the $0\to1$, $1\to2$ and $2\to4$ bifurcation curves for a prototypical system of two linearly coupled quadratic maps. Of interest is the precise location of the parameter sets where Naimark-Sacker bifurcations occur, starting from a non-diagonal period-2 orbit. This result is the key to understand the onset of synchronization in networks of quadratic maps.Comment: 6 pages, 3 figures (1 in color), submitted to Physica

The Legacy of Operation Allied Force: A Reflection on its Legality Under United States and International Law

Article published in the Michigan State International Law Review

Anatomy Nights: An international public engagement event increases audience knowledge of brain anatomy

Anatomy Nights is an international public engagement event created to bring anatomy and anatomists back to public spaces with the goal of increasing the public's understanding of their own anatomy by comparison with non-human tissues. The event consists of a 30-minute mini-lecture on the anatomy of a specific anatomical organ followed by a dissection of animal tissues to demonstrate the same organ anatomy. Before and after the lecture and dissection, participants complete research surveys designed to assess prior knowledge and knowledge gained as a result of participation in the event, respectively. This study reports the results of Anatomy Nights brain events held at four different venues in the UK and USA in 2018 and 2019. Two general questions were asked of the data: 1) Do participant postevent test scores differ from pre-event scores; and 2) Are there differences in participant scores based on location, educational background, and career. We addressed these questions using a combination of generalized linear models (R's glm function; R version 4.1.0 [R Core Team, 2014]) that assumed a binomial distribution and implemented a logit link function, as well as likelihood estimates to compare models. Survey data from 91 participants indicate that scores improve on post-event tests compared to pre-event tests, and these results hold irrespective of location, educational background, and career. In the pre-event tests, participants performed well on naming structures with an English name (frontal lobe and brainstem), and showed signs of improvement on other anatomical names in the posttest. Despite this improvement in knowledge, we found no evidence that participation in Anatomy Nights improved participants' ability to apply this knowledge to neuroanatomical contexts (e.g., stroke)

Dendritic cell immunotherapy followed by cART interruption during HIV-1 infection induces plasma protein markers of cellular immunity and neutrophil recruitment

Objectives To characterize the host response to dendritic cell-based immunotherapy and subsequent combined antiretroviral therapy (cART) interruption in HIV-1-infected individuals at the plasma protein level. Design An autologous dendritic cell (DC) therapeutic vaccine was administered to HIV-infected individuals, stable on cART. The effect of vaccination was evaluated at the plasma protein level during the period preceding cART interruption, during analytical therapy interruption and at viral reactivation. Healthy controls and post-exposure prophylactically treated healthy individuals were included as controls. Methods Plasma marker (‘analyte’) levels including cytokines, chemokines, growth factors, and hormones were measured in trial participants and control plasma samples using a multiplex immunoassay. Analyte levels were analysed using principle component analysis, cluster analysis and limma. Blood neutrophil counts were analysed using linear regression. Results Plasma analyte levels of HIV-infected individuals are markedly different from those of healthy controls and HIV-negative individuals receiving post-exposure prophylaxis. Viral reactivation following cART interruption also affects multiple analytes, but cART interruption itself only has only a minor effect. We find that Thyroxine-Binding Globulin (TBG) levels and late-stage neutrophil numbers correlate with the time off cART after DC vaccination. Furthermore, analysis shows that cART alters several regulators of blood glucose levels, including C-peptide, chromogranin-A and leptin. HIV reactivation is associated with the upregulation of CXCR