The Use of Torture as a Tool of Anti-terrorism: Deriving Lessons for the Future through a Comparison of Argentina’s Dirty War to the United States’ Global War on Terror

KENT DOUGLAS FORD: The Use of Torture as a Tool ofAnti-Terrorism: Deriving Lessons for the Future through a Comparison of Argentina’s Dirty War to the United States’ Global War on Terror (Under the direction ofDr. Douglass Sullivan-Gonzalez) A frequent criticism ofinternational law, particularly the area concerning human rights, is that it attempts to create order in an anarchic state without the analogous counterpart of domestic law’s enforcement agents. This thesis looks at how the international human rights legal regime has developed since World War II in order to understand its role in the systematic use of enforced disappearances and torture in Argentina’s 1970s dirty war and the United States’ current global war on terror. Chapter one provides a history ofthe development ofthe law and some analysis as to its efficacy. Chapter two offers a significant background ofthe events that took place in Argentina, an understanding of which is necessary for chapter three to draw parallels between the Argentine and the U.S. cases. Building on the Argentine background, chapter three shows that the trajectory of events in the United States case was the same as in Argentina’s, even though the scale of abuse was not as severe. Chapter four concludes the comparison by taking lessons from Argentina’s attempts at reconciliation and applying them to suggestions for the current U.S. government to move America past this dark chapter in its history

Stochastic Theory of Relativistic Particles Moving in a Quantum Field: II. Scalar Abraham-Lorentz-Dirac-Langevin Equation, Radiation Reaction and Vacuum Fluctuations

We apply the open systems concept and the influence functional formalism introduced in Paper I to establish a stochastic theory of relativistic moving spinless particles in a quantum scalar field. The stochastic regime resting between the quantum and semi-classical captures the statistical mechanical attributes of the full theory. Applying the particle-centric world-line quantization formulation to the quantum field theory of scalar QED we derive a time-dependent (scalar) Abraham-Lorentz-Dirac (ALD) equation and show that it is the correct semiclassical limit for nonlinear particle-field systems without the need of making the dipole or non-relativistic approximations. Progressing to the stochastic regime, we derive multiparticle ALD-Langevin equations for nonlinearly coupled particle-field systems. With these equations we show how to address time-dependent dissipation/noise/renormalization in the semiclassical and stochastic limits of QED. We clarify the the relation of radiation reaction, quantum dissipation and vacuum fluctuations and the role that initial conditions may play in producing non-Lorentz invariant noise. We emphasize the fundamental role of decoherence in reaching the semiclassical limit, which also suggests the correct way to think about the issues of runaway solutions and preacceleration from the presence of third derivative terms in the ALD equation. We show that the semiclassical self-consistent solutions obtained in this way are ``paradox'' and pathology free both technically and conceptually. This self-consistent treatment serves as a new platform for investigations into problems related to relativistic moving charges.Comment: RevTex; 20 pages, 3 figures, Replaced version has corrected typos, slightly modified derivation, improved discussion including new section with comparisons to related work, and expanded reference

The rotation curves shapes of late-type dwarf galaxies

We present rotation curves derived for a sample of 62 late-type dwarf galaxies that have been observed as part of the Westerbork HI Survey of Spiral and Irregular Galaxies (WHISP) project. The rotation curves were derived by interactively fitting model data cubes to the observed cubes, taking rotation curve shape, HI distribution, inclination, and the size of the beam into account. This makes it possible to correct for the effects of beam smearing. The dwarf galaxies in our sample have rotation-curve shapes that are similar to those of late-type spiral galaxies, in the sense that their rotation curves, when expressed in units of disk scale lengths, rise as steeply in the inner parts and start to flatten at two disk scale lengths. None of the galaxies in our sample have solid-body rotation curves that extend beyond three scale lengths. The logarithmic outer rotation curve slopes are similar between late-type dwarf and spiral galaxies. Thus, whether the flat part of the rotation curve is reached seems to depend more on the extent of the rotation curve than on its amplitude. We also find that the outer rotation curve shape does not strongly depend on luminosity, at least for galaxies fainter than M_R~-19. We find that in spiral galaxies and in the central regions of late-type dwarf galaxies, the shape of the central distribution of light and the inner rise of the rotation curve are related. This implies that galaxies with stronger central concentrations of light also have higher central mass densities, and it suggests that the luminous mass dominates the gravitational potential in the central regions, even in low surface brightness dwarf galaxies.Comment: 22 pages, 2009 A&A 493, 87

A cardiovascular disease policy model:part 2-preparing for economic evaluation and to assess health inequalities

Objectives This is the second of two papers introducing a cardiovascular disease (CVD) policy model. The first paper described the structure and statistical underpinning of the state transition model, demonstrating how life expectancy estimates are generated for individuals defined by ASSIGN risk factors. This second paper describes how the model is prepared to undertake economic evaluation. Design To generate quality adjusted life expectancy (QALE), the Scottish Health Survey was used to estimate background morbidity (health utilities) and the impact of CVD events (utility decrements). The SF-6D algorithm generated utilities and decrements were modelled using ordinary least squares (OLS). To generate lifetime hospital costs the Scottish Heart Health Extended Cohort (SHHEC) was linked to the Scottish morbidity and death records (SMR) to cost each Continuous Inpatient Stay (CIS). OLS and restricted cubic splines estimated annual costs before and after each of the first four events. A Kaplan Meier Sample Average (KMSA) estimator was then used to weight expected health related quality of life and costs by the probability of survival. Results The policy model predicts the change in QALE and lifetime hospital costs as a result of an intervention(s) modifying risk factors. Cost effectiveness analysis and a full uncertainty analysis can be undertaken, including probabilistic sensitivity analysis. Notably, the impacts according to socioeconomic deprivation status can be made. Conclusions The policy model can conduct cost effectiveness analysis and decision analysis to inform approaches to primary prevention, including individually targeted and population interventions, and to assess impacts on health inequalities. </p

Attitudes towards emotional expression mediate the relationship between childhood invalidation and adult eating concern

Previous research has suggested that invalidating childhood environments are positively related to the symptoms of eating disorders. However, it is unclear how childhood environments might impact upon the development of eating disorder symptoms. This study examined the relationship between parental invalidation and eating disorder-related attitudes in a nonclinical sample and tested the mediating effect of attitudes towards emotional expression. Two hundred women, with a mean age of 21 years, completed measures of invalidating childhood environments, attitudes towards emotional expression, and eating pathology. Eating concerns were positively associated with recollections of an invalidating parental environment. The belief that the expression of emotions is a sign of weakness fully mediated the relationship between childhood maternal invalidation and adult eating concern. Following replication and extension to a clinical sample, these results suggest that targeting the individual's attitude towards emotional expression might reduce eating attitudes among women who have experienced an invalidating childhood environment

An Exploratory Study into the Factors Impeding Ethical Consumption

Although consumers are increasingly engaged with ethical factors when forming opinions about products and making purchase decisions, recent studies have highlighted significant differences between consumers’ intentions to consume ethically, and their actual purchase behaviour. This article contributes to an understanding of this “ethical purchasing gap” through a review of existing literature, and the inductive analysis of focus group discussions. A model is suggested which includes exogenous variables such as moral maturity and age which have been well covered in the literature, together with further impeding factors identified from the focus group discussions. For some consumers, inertia in purchasing behaviour was such that the decision-making process was devoid of ethical considerations. Several manifested their ethical views through post-purchase dissonance and retrospective feelings of guilt. Others displayed a reluctance to consume ethically due to personal constraints, a perceived negative impact on image or quality, or an outright negation of responsibility. Those who expressed a desire to consume ethically often seemed deterred by cynicism, which caused them to question the impact they, as an individual, could achieve. These findings enhance the understanding of ethical consumption decisions and provide a platform for future research in this area

Genetic risk prediction of atrial fibrillation

Background—Atrial fibrillation (AF) has a substantial genetic basis. Identification of individuals at greatest AF risk could minimize the incidence of cardioembolic stroke. Methods—To determine whether genetic data can stratify risk for development of AF, we examined associations between AF genetic risk scores and incident AF in five prospective studies comprising 18,919 individuals of European ancestry. We examined associations between AF genetic risk scores and ischemic stroke in a separate study of 509 ischemic stroke cases (202 cardioembolic [40%]) and 3,028 referents. Scores were based on 11 to 719 common variants (≥5%) associated with AF at P-values ranging from &lt;1x10-3 to &lt;1x10-8 in a prior independent genetic association study. Results—Incident AF occurred in 1,032 (5.5%) individuals. AF genetic risk scores were associated with new-onset AF after adjusting for clinical risk factors. The pooled hazard ratio for incident AF for the highest versus lowest quartile of genetic risk scores ranged from 1.28 (719 variants; 95%CI, 1.13-1.46; P=1.5x10-4) to 1.67 (25 variants; 95%CI, 1.47-1.90; P=9.3x10-15). Discrimination of combined clinical and genetic risk scores varied across studies and scores (maximum C statistic, 0.629-0.811; maximum ΔC statistic from clinical score alone, 0.009-0.017). AF genetic risk was associated with stroke in age- and sex-adjusted models. For example, individuals in the highest versus lowest quartile of a 127-variant score had a 2.49-fold increased odds of cardioembolic stroke (95%CI, 1.39-4.58; P=2.7x10-3). The effect persisted after excluding individuals (n=70) with known AF (odds ratio, 2.25; 95%CI, 1.20-4.40; P=0.01). Conclusions—Comprehensive AF genetic risk scores were associated with incident AF beyond associations for clinical AF risk factors, though offered small improvements in discrimination. AF genetic risk was also associated with cardioembolic stroke in age- and sex-adjusted analyses. Efforts are warranted to determine whether AF genetic risk may improve identification of subclinical AF or help distinguish between stroke mechanisms

An inverse problem approach to identify the internal force of a mechanosensation process in a cardiac myocyte

Mechanosensation and mechanotransduction are fundamental processes in understanding the link between physical stimuli and biological responses which currently still remain not well understood. The precise molecular mechanism involved in stress and strain detection in cells is unclear. Sarcomeres are the contractile machines of a cardiac myocyte and two main sarcomeric components that are directly involved in the sensation and transmission of mechanical stimuli are titin and filaments (thin and thick). Titin is known as the largest protein in biology with a mass of up to 4.2 MDa. Its flexible region (I-band region) may function as a length sensor (ε=l/l0) while its Z-disc domain may be involved in the sensation of tension and stress (σView the MathML source). Filaments act as contractile machineries by converting biochemical signals into mechanical work which in response cells either shorten or relax. Based on these considerations and a qualitative understanding of the maladaptation contribution to the development of heart failure, an inverse problem approach is taken to evaluate the contractile force in a mathematical model that describes mechanosensation in normal heart cells. Different functional forms to describe the contractile force are presented and for each of them we study the computational efficiency and accuracy of two numerical techniques

A Baseline for the Multivariate Comparison of Resting-State Networks

As the size of functional and structural MRI datasets expands, it becomes increasingly important to establish a baseline from which diagnostic relevance may be determined, a processing strategy that efficiently prepares data for analysis, and a statistical approach that identifies important effects in a manner that is both robust and reproducible. In this paper, we introduce a multivariate analytic approach that optimizes sensitivity and reduces unnecessary testing. We demonstrate the utility of this mega-analytic approach by identifying the effects of age and gender on the resting-state networks (RSNs) of 603 healthy adolescents and adults (mean age: 23.4 years, range: 12–71 years). Data were collected on the same scanner, preprocessed using an automated analysis pipeline based in SPM, and studied using group independent component analysis. RSNs were identified and evaluated in terms of three primary outcome measures: time course spectral power, spatial map intensity, and functional network connectivity. Results revealed robust effects of age on all three outcome measures, largely indicating decreases in network coherence and connectivity with increasing age. Gender effects were of smaller magnitude but suggested stronger intra-network connectivity in females and more inter-network connectivity in males, particularly with regard to sensorimotor networks. These findings, along with the analysis approach and statistical framework described here, provide a useful baseline for future investigations of brain networks in health and disease