Introduction to Public Trust and Confidence in the Courts

This special issue is fortunate in its timing. The topic of public perceptions of the courts is having a rare moment in the limelight thanks to the drama of Florida’s ballots and what can count as a vote (or what opportunities there are for recounting ballots) in the U.S. Presidential election. The outcome of the political election seemed to rest on successive decisions by the judicial system: in particular, Florida’s trial and appellate courts, the federal court of appeals, and ultimately the U.S. Supreme Court. Each of these courts addressed the propriety of electoral ballot counts for Presidential candidates in various Florida counties. The apparent political nature of the legal decisions in virtually each case fueled concern about the solidity of public support for the judiciary. In particular, claims were made that the results were partisan and would cause an abrupt decline in public support for the courts and in the value given to the judiciary’s independence of other branches of government. Our initial call for papers for this special issue preceded the Florida events by more than a year. Nonetheless, the resulting issue is very relevant to the questions raised in news reports and debated in list-serves of social scientists and legal professionals interested in the law and legal institutions. What do the articles have in common? All seven articles are empirical. Six of the seven rely on data from surveys conducted in the United States and analyze opinion on “state and local courts” or “courts in your community” or “the courts of State X”. The U.S. Supreme Court, the staple of political science and sociological examination of American courts, is rarely mentioned. This may, in part, reflect, the availability of new data. Fifteen states have commissioned opinion surveys since 1995. In addition, in recent years three national surveys focused on state, but not federal, courts. There are other similarities among the articles. All seven studies refer to racial and ethnic diff erences in opinions about the courts and legal institutions, and four of the seven explicitly seek to explain those diff erences, including the sole non-U.S. study, a consideration of ethnic differences in Israel

Effects of geodynamic setting on the redox state of fluids released by subducted mantle lithosphere

Magnetite breakdown during subduction of serpentinised ultramafic rocks may produce oxidised fluids that oxidise the deep Earth and/or the sub-arc mantle, either via direct transport of ferric iron, or via redox reactions between ferric iron and other elements, such as sulfur. However, so far, there is no consensus on the oxidation state of fluids released during subduction of ultramafic rocks, or the factors that control this oxidation state. Subducted samples from a magma-poor rifted margin and a supra-subduction zone geodynamic setting were compared to examine evidence of changes in opaque phase assemblage and ferric iron content as a consequence of subduction, and as a function of geodynamic setting. Thermodynamic calculations in the system Fe–Ni–O–H–S and Fe–Ni–O–S at the pressures and temperatures of interest were used to constrain oxygen activities and fluid compositions. Samples from New Caledonia, which exemplify supra-subduction zone mantle, contain awaruite (FeNi3) and equilibrated with hydrogen-bearing fluids at oxygen activity less than the FMQ (fayalite–magnetite–quartz) buffer. In contrast, samples from the Zermatt Saas Zone ophiolite, Western Alps, which are thought to represent mantle from a subducted magma-poor rifted margin, contain magnetite plus sulfur-rich phases such as pyrite (FeS2), and are inferred to have equilibrated with hydrogen-poor fluids at oxygen activity greater than FMQ. This major difference is independent of differences in subduction pressure–temperature conditions, variation in peridotite protolith composition, or the nature of adjacent units. We propose that the Zermatt Saas Zone samples would have undergone more complete serpentinisation prior to subduction than the supra-subduction zone (SSZ) New Caledonian samples. This difference explains the different fluid compositions, because incompletely serpentinised rocks containing olivine and brucite retain or evolve awaruite-bearing assemblages that buffer fluid compositions to high hydrogen activity (aH2). Ultramafic rocks are associated with two distinctly different fluid compositions during pre-subduction and subduction serpentinisation. Initially, while olivine is in equilibrium with infiltrating fluid, mineral assemblages that include awaruite in the rocks buffer fluids to H2-bearing, low aO2 compositions. Deserpentinisation of incompletely serpentinised rocks in which awaruite is present also produces H2-bearing fluids. Once awaruite is exhausted, H2-poor, high aO2 fluids co-exist with awaruite-absent assemblages, and deserpentinisation of such rocks would produce H2O-rich fluids. Thus, deserpentinisation of ultramafic rocks could produce either hydrogen-bearing fluids that could infiltrate and reduce the sub-arc mantle, or more oxidised fluids, which could transfer redox budget to other geochemical reservoirs such as the sub-arc mantle. Therefore, the redox contribution of subducted ultramafic rocks to the deep Earth and sub-arc mantle depends on the extent of protolith serpentinisation. Pre-subduction settings that promote extensive serpentinisation by oxidised fluids at high fluid:rock ratios in open systems, such as slow and ultraslow spreading ridges, transform faults, oceanic core complexes, and exhumed mantle at rifted continental margins, may produce more oxidised fluids than those associated with less pervasive serpentinisation and fluids that may be rock-buffered to a reduced state

Perceptions of Well-Being Among Rural Nebraskans

Nebraska’s economy has been relatively stable during the past year. However, some rural areas continue to be economically challenged. How do rural Nebraskans perceive their quality of life? Do their perceptions differ by community size, the region in which they live, or their occupation? This report details 2,482 responses to the 2006 Nebraska Rural Poll, the eleventh annual effort to understand rural Nebraskans’ perceptions. Respondents were asked a series of questions regarding their individual well-being. Trends for these questions are examined by comparing data from the ten previous polls to this year’s results. In addition, comparisons are made among different respondent subgroups, that is, comparisons by age, occupation, region, etc. Based on these analyses, some key findings emerged: • More rural Nebraskans report being satisfied with their job opportunities this year as compared to previous years. After reaching a low of 34 percent in 2004, the proportion satisfied with their job opportunities increased to 42 percent this year (the highest proportion in all 11 years). (page 5) • Persons with the highest household incomes are more likely than persons with lower incomes to feel they are better off compared to five years ago, are better off compared to their parents when they were their age, and will be better off ten years from now. For example, 52 percent of respondents with household incomes of $60,000 or more think they will be better off ten years from now. However, only 22 percent of respondents with household incomes under$20,000 believe they will be better off ten years from now. (page 6) • More rural Nebraskans believe people are powerless to control their own lives this year as compared to past years. The proportion that either strongly agree or agree with the statement that people are powerless to control their own lives each year has averaged about 34 percent. The proportion agreeing with the statement increased slightly, to 38 percent this year, which matches the highest proportion in the 11 years of the Poll (1997 and 1999 were the other two years). (page 4) • Persons with lower education levels are more likely than persons with more education to believe that people are powerless to control their own lives. Forty-six percent of persons with a high school diploma or less education agree that people are powerless to control their own lives. However, only 25 percent of persons with a four-year college degree share this opinion. (page 9) • Rural Nebraskans continue to be generally positive about their current situation. Except in 2003, each year the proportion of rural Nebraskans that say they are better off than they were five years ago has been greater than the proportion saying they are worse off than they were five years ago. Approximately 36 percent each year have reported that they were better off than they were five years ago. This year, 35 percent believe they are better off then they were five years ago and 21 percent think they are worse off. (page 2) • Similarly, rural Nebraskans continue to be generally positive about their future. The proportion that say they will be better off ten years from now has always been greater than the proportion saying they will be worse off ten years from now (although the two were virtually identical in 1996). The proportion stating they will be better off ten years from now has generally remained about 36 percent. This year, the proportion was 34 percent. Twenty-one percent believe they will be worse off ten years from now. (page 3) • Following trends in previous years, rural Nebraskans are most satisfied with their marriage, family, friends, religion/spirituality and the outdoors. They continue to be less satisfied with job opportunities, current income level and financial security during retirement. (page 5

Validating the FLASH Code: Vortex-Dominated Flows

As a component of the Flash Center's validation program, we compare FLASH simulation results with experimental results from Los Alamos National Laboratory. The flow of interest involves the lateral interaction between a planar Ma=1.2 shock wave with a cylinder of gaseous sulfur hexafluoride (SF_6) in air, and in particular the development of primary and secondary instabilities after the passage of the shock. While the overall evolution of the flow is comparable in the simulations and experiments, small-scale features are difficult to match. We focus on the sensitivity of numerical results to simulation parameters.Comment: 10 pages, 5 figures, presented at the 5th International Conference on High Energy Laboratory Astrophysics, Tucson, AZ, March 10-13, 200

Perceptions of Latin American Immigration Among Rural Nebraskans

In an earlier Nebraska Rural Poll report (August 2006), rural Nebraskans were asked their opinions of newcomers in general to their community. Some parts of rural Nebraska have seen significant growth of a specific group of newcomers, Latin American immigrants. How do rural Nebraskans view recent immigrants from Latin America? How do they view various immigration policies? Do their views differ by community size, the region in which they live, or their education level? This report details 2,482 responses to the 2006 Nebraska Rural Poll, the eleventh annual effort to understand rural Nebraskans’ perceptions of current issues and conditions. Respondents were asked a series of questions regarding immigrants from Latin America and immigration policies. Comparisons are made among different respondent subgroups, that is, comparisons by age, occupation, region, etc

National counter-terrorism (C-T) policies and challenges to human rights and civil liberties: Case study of United Kingdom

In the UK the rise post-2005 in “home-grown” terrorism, relying to a significant extent on strikes on soft targets by “self-starters,” means that the search for effective preventive measures remains a continuing concern. Below a number of the preventive counter-terror measures adopted post-9/11, and incrementally strengthened in response to the current threat, are found to fall into three categories and represent interventions at the stages in the path toward attacks. This chapter focuses on selected examples of these preventive measures. In terms of three key stages, firstly, there is the attempt to prevent radicalization, under the “Prevent” strategy. A second strategy relies on taking certain measures to control the activities of those considered likely – on the balance of probabilities – to engage in terrorist-related activity. A third preventive strategy relies on the special terrorism offences under the Terrorism Acts 2000 and 2006, as amended, intended to allow for intervention at a very early stage in terrorist plots and in preparing or instigating terrorist acts (“precursor” offences)

'Redlands for Regions': Producer demonstration sites of psyllid-resistant leucaena across north Queensland

Leucaena, a tree legume with potential to greatly improve cattle performance, has not been readily adopted in northern Queensland primarily due to prevalence of the psyllid (Heteropsylla cubana) insect in higher rainfall zones. Psyllids reduce edible biomass in leaves by 40–52%, combined with a 46–83% reduction of stem yield (Bray and Woodroffe 1991). Losses to the Central Queensland beef industry due to psyllid impact on animal performance are estimated at $2 M per year (Mullen et al. 1998). Cultivar Redlands is a psyllid-resistant leucaena variety recently developed by Meat and Livestock Australia (MLA) and the University of Queensland

Evidence of sub-arc mantle oxidation by sulphur and carbon

The oxygen fugacity (ƒO2) of the Earth’s mantle at subduction zones exerts a primary control on the genesis of mineral deposits in the overlying magmatic arcs and on speciation of volcanic gases emitted into the atmosphere. However, the processes governing mantle ƒO2 such as the introduction of oxidised material by subduction are still unresolved. Here, we present evidence for the reduction of oxidised fluid-borne sulphur and carbon during alteration of depleted mantle by slab fluids at ultra-high pressure in the Bardane peridotite (Western Gneiss Region, Norway). Elevated ferric iron in metasomatic garnet, determined using synchrotron X-ray absorption near edge structure (XANES) spectroscopy, indicates that this process drove oxidation of the silicate assemblage. Our finding indicates that subduction oxidises the Earth’s mantle by cycling of sulphur and carbon.This research was funded by a Monash Research Accelerator Grant to A. Tomkins and by a Society of Economic Geologists (SEG) student research grant to A. Rielli. O. Nebel was supported through an ARC DECRA fellowship (DE120100513)