Go East, Young Man

A Review of Go East, Young Man by William O. Dougla

Frank: Marble Palace. The Supreme Court in American Life

A Review of Marble Palace. The Supreme Court in American Life. By John P. Frank

A biogeochemical analysis of the Pocono till barrens and adjacent hardwood forest underlain by Wisconsinan and Illinoian till in northeastern Pennsylvania

We assessed soil and vegetation nutrient capital in the landscape mosaic of till barrens and hardwood forests on the Pocono Plateau in northeastern Pennsylvania. These shrublands, which contain an unusual abundance of rare species, occur primarily on Illinoian-aged glacial till, though some patches grow on Wisconsinan till. We hypothesized that barrens soil and vegetation contain smaller quantities of nutrients than forest soil and vegetation, and under the same vegetation, Illinoian till soils have a smaller nutrient content than Wisconsinan till soils. We measured pH, total C and N, and exchangeable Ca, Mg, K, and Al content of the soils and determined C, N, Ca, Mg, K, and P content of the vegetation. Litter and soil organic matter in the barrens have a higher C/N ratio than the forest. The Illinoian barrens Oa horizon is thicker and contains a greater quantity of exchangeable mineral nutrients than the other Oa horizons. Differences in vegetation nutrient capital strongly mirror differences in biomass. Our results show no strong association of parent material with soil or vegetation nutrient capital. Instead, they suggest that plant community characteristics, not soil nutrient availability, shape the landscape pattern of barrens and forest, particularly plant-driven positive feedbacks primarily involving fire frequency

Political strategies of external support for democratization

Political strategies of external support to democratization are contrasted and critically examined in respect of the United States and European Union. The analysis begins by defining its terms of reference and addresses the question of what it means to have a strategy. The account briefly notes the goals lying behind democratization support and their relationship with the wider foreign policy process, before considering what a successful strategy would look like and how that relates to the selection of candidates. The literature's attempts to identify strategy and its recommendations for better strategies are compared and assessed. Overall, the article argues that the question of political strategies of external support for democratization raises several distinct but related issues including the who?, what?, why?, and how? On one level, strategic choices can be expected to echo the comparative advantage of the "supporter." On a different level, the strategies cannot be divorced from the larger foreign policy framework. While it is correct to say that any sound strategy for support should be grounded in a theoretical understanding of democratization, the literature on strategies reveals something even more fundamental: divergent views about the nature of politics itself. The recommendations there certainly pinpoint weaknesses in the actual strategies of the United States and Europe but they have their own limitations too. In particular, in a world of increasing multi-level governance strategies for supporting democratization should go beyond preoccupation with just an "outside-in" approach

Vitamins and minerals for women: recent programs and intervention trials

Women's nutrition has received little attention in nutrition programming, even though clinical trials and intervention trials have suggested that dietary improvement or supplementation with several nutrients may improve their health, especially in low-income settings, the main focus of this paper. Most attention so far has focused on how improvements in maternal nutrition can improve health outcomes for infants and young children. Adequate vitamin D and calcium nutrition throughout life may reduce the risk of osteoporosis, and calcium supplementation during pregnancy may reduce preeclampsia and low birth weight. To reduce neural tube defects, additional folic acid and possibly vitamin B12 need to be provided to non-deficient women before they know they are pregnant. This is best achieved by fortifying a staple food. It is unclear whether maternal vitamin A supplementation will lead to improved health outcomes for mother or child. Iron, iodine and zinc supplementation are widely needed for deficient women. Multimicronutrient supplementation (MMS) in place of the more common iron-folate supplements given in pregnancy in low-income countries may slightly increase birth weight, but its impact on neonatal mortality and other outcomes is unclear. More sustainable alternative approaches deserve greater research attention

Go East, Young Man

A Review of Go East, Young Man by William O. Dougla