Book Review of Nuclear Deviance: Stigma Politics and the Rules of the Nonproliferation Game by Michal Smetana

In Nuclear Deviance, the author analyzes why some states are harshly treated by the nonproliferation regime, while others are granted exceptionalism in the existing nuclear order. Michal Smetana, with a new theory of nuclear deviance, describes a complex relationship of stigma politics with power and poses an interesting question for scholars to analyze if “deviance” is a neutral concept. In this scholarly contribution, the author explains that norm violation and deviance observed by state actors do not receive even treatment. “The inherently political character of stigma politics brings up the issue of double standards and divergent treatment of different actors in the nuclear order.” The premise of this argument is that nuclear order is based on fragile grounds, and “so are the categories of what constitutes a “normal” or “deviant” conduct in nuclear affairs” (p. 218). This book fills the gap on norms contestation by explaining the effect of norm violators in international politics

Pakistan\u27s Space Program: From Sounding Rockets to Satellite Setbacks

Why did Pakistan struggle for 50 years to launch its satellites into Earth\u27s orbit when it was Asia\u27s third country to send sounding rockets into space? Four years ago, India launched 104 satellites from a single rocket to set a groundbreaking record, whereas Pakistan launched only six satellites with assistance in the design, built, launch, and even funding from China. Pakistan plans to send its first astronaut into space by 2022; India put its first astronaut into space in 1984 as part of a Soviet-led mission. Despite a good head-start, why is Pakistan\u27s space program decades behind when India\u27s space expedition started eight years later? The literature on Pakistan\u27s space program suggests that the country\u27s staggering space performance is because SUPARCO (Pakistan\u27s national space agency) was denied the funding and resources needed to ensure a sustained rate of advancement and innovation. Some scholars argue that the commission was neglected because of bureaucratic hurdles, and mismanagement, while others believe that the political turmoil which enveloped the country for decades caused inadvertent delays. However, the fundamental reason behind Pakistan\u27s inadequate space performance in Asia\u27s space race is the lack of technical expertise to harness indigenous space capabilities. The commission over the years relied on a handful of foreign-trained scientists and engineers, imported technology for quick fixes, and used foreign launch facilities to keep its head above water. These temporary arrangements rang the nonproliferation bells, and in 1991 SUPARCO faced technological denial from the West under sanctions. As a result, the satellites missed deadlines to join the designated orbital slots. This added a financial burden to the debt-trap economy of the country, and the vicious circle was hard to break for decades. After the 1998 nuclear tests and the subsequent military coup (8 October, 1999), SUPARCO among other strategic organizations came under the umbrella institution of the Strategic Plans Division (SPD). Since then, it has been operating under military officers, unlike India\u27s ISRO, which is guided by scientists who lead the agency with task-oriented missions. To spearhead the space-race against India, SUPARCO is circumventing the natural learning curve of research and development under military leadership that observes strict hierarchy within the commission. Seniority supersedes talent, thus making the institution a less attractive career choice for young graduates. This paper address three important questions: First, what are the factors behind SUPARCO\u27s snail\u27s pace? Second, why does Pakistan not have a satellite launch vehicle (SLV), needed to launch satellites into Earth\u27s orbit, when it has already mastered the ballistic missile program? Both SLV and ballistic missiles are very similar technologies. Third, what measures can improve Pakistan\u27s space program

Harmony in Purpose: The Key Role of Organizational Values in Nonprofit Collaboration and Cross-Sector Partnerships

This research paper aims to evaluate the role of organizational values in partner selection for nonprofit collaboration and cross-sector partnerships. In today\u27s complex social landscape, organizations increasingly recognize the need to collaborate across sectors to address multifaceted challenges effectively. Partner selection is a critical process in establishing successful collaborations, as it determines the alignment of values, goals, and working approaches between participating organizations. Drawing upon existing literature on collaboration and organizational values, this study seeks to investigate whether organizational values influence the partner selection process in nonprofit collaboration and cross-sector partnerships. The research will employ a single method approach to gather comprehensive data and insights. The qualitative interviews will be conducted with a select group of participants to gain deeper insights into their experiences and decision-making processes related to partner selection. By analyzing the interview transcripts, this research aims to uncover patterns, themes, and trends regarding the role of organizational values in partner selection. The findings of this research will provide valuable insights into the factors influencing partner selection decisions and shed light on the importance of organizational values in fostering successful and sustainable collaborations. It will contribute to the existing knowledge and understanding of effective partnership formation in the nonprofit and crosssector contexts. Ultimately, this research aims to contribute to the advancement of crosssector collaboration theory and practice by highlighting the significance of organizational values as a key determinant in partner selection

Synthesis of pyrrolo[1,2-<i>a</i>]indole-1,8(5<i>H</i>)-diones as new synthons for developing novel tricyclic compounds of pharmaceutical interest

In the course of our work aimed at developing novel heterocycles of pharmaceutical interest, a new tricycle, the tetrahydropyrrolo[1,2-a]indole-1,8-dione, has been synthesized by an intramolecular Friedel-Crafts acylation, as a synthon suitable to be functionalized to give novel compounds with potential biological properties. Also, an unusual nucleophilic α-addition to methyl propiolate by 1,5,6,7-tetrahydro-4H-indol-4-one was observed and discussed

Exploration of DNA Transfer in the NYC Subway

The ability to detect “touch” DNA has complicated the interpretation of DNA profiles in the field of forensics because it leads to the introduction of the concept of DNA transfer, persistence and background into casework. This project is geared towards understanding DNA transfer in the NYC subways and has relevance in groping and attempted sexual assault cases, where garments are submitted as evidence. The study involved 10 volunteers who were asked to wear a clean jacket during their trips on the subway for one week and the DNA from these jackets was collected, extracted, quantified, amplified and typed. The results showed that negative real-time PCR quantitation results did not predict STR DNA typing outcomes. DNA typing results showed that 62.3% of the alleles detected on the jackets were foreign, however, the wearer was the major component in majority of the loci tested. Most of the samples were mixtures and none of the samples yielded a major foreign component that would have been eligible for the DNA database. This study provides some insight into the amount of background DNA found on clothing in the subway environment, which is critical to determining the probative value of this type of evidence

A new subfamily of fungal subtilases: structural and functional analysis of a Pleurotus ostreatus member

Pleurotus ostreatus produces several extracellular proteases which are believed to be involved in the regulation of the ligninolytic activities of this fungus. Recently, purification and characterization of the most abundant P. ostreatus extracellular protease (PoSl) have been reported. The sequence of the posl gene and of the corresponding cDNA has been determined, allowing the identification of its pre- and pro-sequences. A mature protein sequence has been verified by mass spectrometry mapping, the N-glycosylation sites have been identified and the glycosidic moieties characterized. Mature PoSl shows a cleaved peptide bond in the C-terminal region, which remains associated with the catalytic domain in a non-covalent complex. Reported results indicate that this enzyme is involved in the activation of other P. ostreatus secreted proteases, thus suggesting its leading role in cascade activation mechanisms. Analyses of the PoSl sequence by homology search resulted in the identification of a DNA sequence encoding a new protease, homologous to PoSl, in the Phanerochaete chrysosporium genome. A new subgroup of subtilisin-like proteases, belonging to the pyrolysin family, has been defined, which includes proteases from ascomycete and basidiomycete fungi

PENGARUH PENGUNGKAPAN CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY, LEVERAGE, DAN UKURAN PERUSAHAAN TERHADAP PROFITABILITAS

Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk menguji Pengaruh Pengungkapan Corporate Social Responsibility, Leverage yang diproyeksikan dengan Debt to Equity Ratio, Ukuran Perusahaan terhadap Profitabilitas yang diproyeksikan dengan Return On Asset melalui laporan tahunan keuangan (annual report) yang disusun oleh perusahaan basic industry and chemicals yang terdaftar di Bursa Efek Indonseia. Teknik pengambilan sampel dalam penelitian ini menggunakan purposive sampling pada perusahaan basic industry and chemicals yang terdaftar di Bursa Efek Indonesia (BEI) selama periode 2013-2016. Berdasarkan kriteria yang telah ditentukan maka diperoleh sampel sebanyak 17 perusahaan dengan total keseluruhan sebesar 60 pengamatan. Teknik analisis yang digunakan adalah analisis regresi linier berganda untuk mengetahui variabel independen yang mempengaruhi secara signifikan terhadap variabel dependen dengan menggunakan alat bantu aplikasi SPSS (Statistical Product And Servive Solutions) versi 22. Hasil penelitian ini menggunakan uji Kelayakan Model (uji f) yang menunjukkan bahwa layak digunakan dalam penelitian lebih lanjut. Sedangkan dalam uji hipotesis (uji t) menunjukkan bahwa pengungkapan corporate social responsibility tidak berpengaruh terhadap profitabilitas dengan nilai signifikan sebesar 0,071. Hal tersebut disebabkan masyarakat sebagai konsumen kurang memperhatikan lingkungan sekitar meskipun perusahaan telah melakukan kegiatan CSR. Variabel debt to equity ratio berpengaruh negatif terhadap profitabilitas dengan nilai signifikan sebesar 0,000. Karena besarnya hutang memberikan beban bagi perusahaan ketika tidak mampu membayar kewajibannya. Ukuran perusahaan (size) berpengaruh positif terhadap profitabilitas dengan nilai signifikan sebesar 0,000 menunjukkan semakin besar total asset mencerminkan kemampuan perusahaan dalam meningkatkan profitabilitas. Kata kunci: pengungkapan corporate social responsibility, debt to equity ratio, ukuran perusahaan, dan profitabilita

Repurposing designed mutants: a valuable strategy for computer-aided laccase engineering – the case of POXA1b

The broad specificity of laccases, a direct consequence of their shallow binding site, makes this class of enzymes a suitable template to build specificity toward putative substrates. In this work, a computational methodology that accumulates beneficial interactions between the enzyme and the substrate in productive conformations is applied to oxidize 2,4-diamino-benzenesulfonic acid with POXA1b laccase. Although the experimental validation of two designed variants yielded negative results, most likely due to the hard oxidizability of the target substrate, molecular simulations suggest that a novel polar binding scaffold was designed to anchor negatively charged groups. Consequently, the oxidation of three such molecules, selected as representative of different classes of substances with different industrial applications, significantly improved. According to molecular simulations, the reason behind such an improvement lies in the more productive enzyme–substrate binding achieved thanks to the designed polar scaffold. In the future, mutant repurposing toward other substrates could be first carried out computationally, as done here, testing molecules that share some similarity with the initial target. In this way, repurposing would not be a mere safety net (as it is in the laboratory and as it was here) but rather a powerful approach to transform laccases into more efficient multitasking enzymes.This work was funded by INDOX (KBBE-2013-7-613549) European project and CTQ2013-48287-R Spanish National Project. V. G. and E. M. acknowledge Università degli Studi di Napoli and Generalitat de Catalunya for their respective predoctoral fellowships.Peer ReviewedPostprint (author's final draft

Robust Framework to Combine Diverse Classifiers Assigning Distributed Confidence to Individual Classifiers at Class Level

We have presented a classification framework that combines multiple heterogeneous classifiers in the presence of class label noise. An extension of m-Mediods based modeling is presented that generates model of various classes whilst identifying and filtering noisy training data. This noise free data is further used to learn model for other classifiers such as GMM and SVM. A weight learning method is then introduced to learn weights on each class for different classifiers to construct an ensemble. For this purpose, we applied genetic algorithm to search for an optimal weight vector on which classifier ensemble is expected to give the best accuracy. The proposed approach is evaluated on variety of real life datasets. It is also compared with existing standard ensemble techniques such as Adaboost, Bagging, and Random Subspace Methods. Experimental results show the superiority of proposed ensemble method as compared to its competitors, especially in the presence of class label noise and imbalance classes