The Best Laid Plans: How Administrative Burden Complicates Voting Rights Restoration Law and Policy

Despite significant literature on the electoral and democratic implications of laws that restore the right to vote to individuals with felony convictions, few scholars have explored whether these reforms result in practical changes. This Article examines the effect of administrative capacity and individual experience on policy implementation and finds that, even in the face of de jure felon rights restoration, policymakers can (knowingly or unwittingly) alter de facto restoration. Specifically, states have limited administrative capacity to absorb the costs of rights restoration. As a result, the burden of restoration falls onto citizens. Facing learning, compliance, and psychological hurdles to the right to vote, many individuals with felony convictions simply do not have the resources to restore their civil rights. Put simply, even the best laid plans often go awry when it comes to the burden of policy implementation

The Earth as an Engineering System: Addressing Sustainability through Science, Technology and Policy

We combine insights from the two emerging fields of engineering systems and sustainability science to develop an analytical approach for understanding and managing coupled natural and human systems. The Earth system is characterized with reference to the attributes of engineering systems (real-world existence, artificiality, dynamic properties, hybrid state, and some human control). We argue that human influences have become so overwhelming that it is impossible to understand global Earth systems without taking into account both technical and social dimensions. Aspects of sustainability systems that fulfill functional types of engineering systems are enumerated with reference to five processes (transporting, transforming, storing, exchanging and controlling) and operands (living organisms, matter, information, energy and money). Building on methods from sustainability science, we introduce the concept of Spatial-Temporal-Functional (STF) analysis for addressing sustainability problems in an engineering systems context. We illustrate this framework with reference to the case of global transport of hazardous chemicals. Our analysis suggests that efforts to address cross-scale problems should focus on enhancing mechanisms for transforming and exchanging in addition to controlling

Ethnic conflict and gender inequality in education: the case of Turkey

Although conflict remains a major obstacle to development in many areas of the world, its impact on education has been rarely studied. This article investigates the relationship between conflict and gender equality, focusing on the schooling of the girls in the conflict-ridden regions of Turkey. Patriarchy is the most important determinant of low educational levels among girls in Southeastern Turkey. However, ethnic conflict exacerbates male-dominant traditions and blocks economic development, reinforcing patriarchal norms and limiting girls’ school attendance. Yet, by provoking political mobilization around a Kurdish identity, ethnic conflict may undermine patriarchy and unintentionally promote girls’ education

Synthesis and Properties of Inulin Based Microgels

AbstractCross-linked inulin (X-inulin) microparticles were synthesized in reverse micelles using water-in-oil microemulsion polymerization. Linear inulin was crosslinked with divinyl sulfone (DVS) in a sodium bis(2-ethylhexyl) sulfosuccinate (AOT) inverse microemulsion under basic conditions. These particles were demonstrated to be excellent scaffolds for the in situ synthesis of CdS quantum dots (Q-dots). The inulin-based particles were shown to be non-cytotoxic in fibroblast cell culture, and degradable under acidic and basic conditions. Furthermore, gallic acid and caffeine were used as model drugs for loading and release studies from these particles, illustrating their potential as drug carriers with controlled release

T cells in the brain enhance neonatal mortality during peripheral LCMV infection

In adult mice the severity of disease from viral infections is determined by the balance between the efficiency of the immune response and the magnitude of viral load. Here, the impact of this dynamic is examined in neonates. Newborns are highly susceptible to infections due to poor innate responses, lower numbers of T cells and Th2-prone immune responses. Eighty-percent of 7-day old mice, immunologically equivalent to human neonates, succumbed to extremely low doses (5 PFU) of the essentially non-lethal lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (LCMV-Armstrong) given intraperitoneally. This increased lethality was determined to be dependent upon poor early viral control, as well as, T cells and perforin as assessed in knockout mice. By day 3, these neonatal mice had 400-fold higher viral loads as compared to adults receiving a 10,000-fold (5X104 PFU) higher dose of LCMV. The high viral load in combination with the subsequent immunological defect of partial CD8 T cell clonal exhaustion in the periphery led to viral entry and replication in the brain. Within the brain, CD8 T cells were protected from exhaustion, and thus were able to mediate lethal immunopathology. To further delineate the role of early viral control, neonatal mice were infected with Pichinde virus, a less virulent arenavirus, or LCMV was given to pups of LCMV-immune mothers. In both cases, peak viral load was at least 29-fold lower, leading to functional CD8 T cell responses and 100% survival

PC61 (anti-CD25) treatment inhibits influenza A virus-expanded regulatory T cells and severe lung pathology during a subsequent heterologous lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus infection

Prior immunity to influenza A virus (IAV) in mice changes the outcome to a subsequent lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (LCMV) infection and can result in severe lung pathology, similar to that observed in patients that died of the 1918 H1N1 pandemic. This pathology is induced by IAV-specific memory CD8(+) T cells cross-reactive with LCMV. Here, we discovered that IAV-immune mice have enhanced CD4(+) Foxp3(+) T-regulatory (Treg) cells in their lungs, leading us to question whether a modulation in the normal balance of Treg and effector T-cell responses also contributes to enhancing lung pathology upon LCMV infection of IAV-immune mice. Treg cell and interleukin-10 (IL-10) levels remained elevated in the lungs and mediastinal lymph nodes (mLNs) throughout the acute LCMV response of IAV-immune mice. PC61 treatment, used to decrease Treg cell levels, did not change LCMV titers but resulted in a surprising decrease in lung pathology upon LCMV infection in IAV-immune but not in naive mice. Associated with this decrease in pathology was a retention of Treg in the mLN and an unexpected partial clonal exhaustion of LCMV-specific CD8(+) T-cell responses only in IAV-immune mice. PC61 treatment did not affect cross-reactive memory CD8(+) T-cell proliferation. These results suggest that in the absence of IAV-expanded Treg cells and in the presence of cross-reactive memory, the LCMV-specific response was overstimulated and became partially exhausted, resulting in a decreased effector response. These studies suggest that Treg cells generated during past infections can influence the characteristics of effector T-cell responses and immunopathology during subsequent heterologous infections. Thus, in humans with complex infection histories, PC61 treatment may lead to unexpected results

EU Peatlands: Current Carbon Stocks and Trace Gas Fluxes

Peatlands in Europe has formed a significant sink for atmospheric CO2 since the last glacial maximum. Currently they are estimated to hold ca. 42 Gt carbon in the form of peat and are therefore a considerable component in the European carbon budget. Due to the generally wet soil conditions in peatlands they are also significant emitters of the strong greenhouse gas (GHG) methane (CH4) and in some cases also of nitrous oxide (N2O). The EU funded CarboEurope-GHG Concerted Action attempts to develop a reliable and complete greenhouse gas budget for Europe and this report aims to provide a review and synthesis of the available information about GHG exchanges in European peatlands and their underlying processes. A best estimate for all the European countries shows that some are currently sinks for atmospheric CO2 while others are sources. In contrast, for CH4 and N2O, only the sources are relevant. Whilst some countries are CO2 sinks, all countries are net GHG emitters from peatlands. The results presented, however, carry large uncertainties, which cannot be adequately quantified yet. One outstanding uncertainty is the distribution of land use types, particular in Russia, the largest European peat nation. The synthesis of GHG exchange, nevertheless, indicates some interesting features. Russia hosts an estimated 41% of European peatlands and contributes most to all GHG exchanges (CO2: 25%, CH4: 52%, N2O: 26%, Total: 37%). Germany is the second-largest emitter (12% of European total) although it contains only 3.2% of European peatlands. The reason is the use of most of the peatland area for intensive cropland and grassland. The largest CO2 emitters are countries with large agricultural peatland areas (Russia, Germany, Belarus, Poland), the largest N2O emitters are those with large agricultural fen areas (Russia, Germany, Finland). In contrast, the largest CH4 emitters are concentrated in regions with large areas of intact mires, namely Russia and Scandinavia. High average emission densities above 3.5 t C-equiv. ha-1 are found in the Southeast Mediterranean, Germany and the Netherlands where agricultural use of peatlands is intense. Low average emission densities below 0.3 t C-equiv. ha-1 occur where mires and peatland forests dominate, e.g. Finland and the UK. This report concludes by pointing at key gaps in our knowledge about peatland carbon stocks and GHG exchanges which include insufficient basic information on areal distribution of peatlands, measurements of peat depth and also a lack of flux datasets providing full annual budgets of GHG exchanges

Early Epstein-Barr Virus Genomic Diversity and Convergence toward the B95.8 Genome in Primary Infection

Over 90% of the world\u27s population is persistently infected with Epstein-Barr virus. While EBV does not cause disease in most individuals, it is the common cause of acute infectious mononucleosis (AIM) and has been associated with several cancers and autoimmune diseases, highlighting a need for a preventive vaccine. At present, very few primary, circulating EBV genomes have been sequenced directly from infected individuals. While low levels of diversity and low viral evolution rates have been predicted for double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) viruses, recent studies have demonstrated appreciable diversity in common dsDNA pathogens (e.g., cytomegalovirus). Here, we report 40 full-length EBV genome sequences obtained from matched oral wash and B cell fractions from a cohort of 10 AIM patients. Both intra- and interpatient diversity were observed across the length of the entire viral genome. Diversity was most pronounced in viral genes required for establishing latent infection and persistence, with appreciable levels of diversity also detected in structural genes, including envelope glycoproteins. Interestingly, intrapatient diversity declined significantly over time (P \u3c 0.01), and this was particularly evident on comparison of viral genomes sequenced from B cell fractions in early primary infection and convalescence (P \u3c 0.001). B cell-associated viral genomes were observed to converge, becoming nearly identical to the B95.8 reference genome over time (Spearman rank-order correlation test; r = -0.5589, P = 0.0264). The reduction in diversity was most marked in the EBV latency genes. In summary, our data suggest independent convergence of diverse viral genome sequences toward a reference-like strain within a relatively short period following primary EBV infection. IMPORTANCE Identification of viral proteins with low variability and high immunogenicity is important for the development of a protective vaccine. Knowledge of genome diversity within circulating viral populations is a key step in this process, as is the expansion of intrahost genomic variation during infection. We report full-length EBV genomes sequenced from the blood and oral wash of 10 individuals early in primary infection and during convalescence. Our data demonstrate considerable diversity within the pool of circulating EBV strains, as well as within individual patients. Overall viral diversity decreased from early to persistent infection, particularly in latently infected B cells, which serve as the viral reservoir. Reduction in B cell-associated viral genome diversity coincided with a convergence toward a reference-like EBV genotype. Greater convergence positively correlated with time after infection, suggesting that the reference-like genome is the result of selection