Beyond Graduation: Economic Sanctions and Structural Reform

In recent years, increased attention is being paid to the dangers of imposing economic sanctions in felony, misdemeanor, juvenile, municipal, and traffic courts because the imposition of unmanageable fines, fees, surcharges, restitution, and forfeitures can be financially devastating for people and their families. One reform that has gained traction is the graduation of economic sanctions to account for their financial effect. To date, considerations of the efficacy of graduated sanctions focus on the individual benefits that would accrue from a properly designed graduation mechanism. In other words, the value of graduation is measured by comparing it to the serious negative consequences for individuals that may result from the imposition of ungraduated sanctions. This Article uses abolitionism as a heuristic because it changes the baseline, measuring graduation against a fundamentally different set of goals: the dismantling of the carceral state and its replacement with systems of “transformative justice.” Doing so indicates that graduation is in some ways consistent with and in other ways in opposition to structural reforms of criminal legal systems writ large. This Article uses those insights to identify potential complementary reforms designed to bring graduation in better alignment with structural reform efforts

Evaluación de la eficacia de la angioplastia transluminal percutánea en pacientes con isquemia crónica de miembros inferiores

El presente trabajo tiene como propósito demostrar la utilidad de la angioplastia transluminal percutánea (ATP) como una opción terapéutica en pacientes con isquemia crítica de miembros inferiores (MsIs). Se realizó un estudio descriptivo retrospectivo con serie de casos. Durante un período de 33 meses, entre mayo de 2008 y enero de 2011, fueron tratados por vía endovascular por medio de ATP como primera opción terapéutica, 46 pacientes, de los cuales fueron 26 hombres (56%) y 20 mujeres (44%) con isquemia crítica de MsIs según clasificación de Fontaine (grados III y IV), no revascularizables quirúrgicamente. El manejo y control postoperatorio fueron realizados por un grupo de especialistas en Cirugía Vascular y Radiología Intervencionista durante un periodo de 3 meses. El estudio permitió determinar que la ATP, es una excelente opción terapéutica de primera elección en pacientes con isquemia crítica de MsIs que tienen un elevado riesgo de amputació

Estimación del carbono almacenado en el bosque natural en la cuenca media - baja. Municipio de río quito chocó, colombia

En el ecosistema de bosque natural del Helobioma Pacífico –Atrato situado en la cuenca Media y Baja del municipio de Río Quito, se estimó la cantidad de biomasa aérea y carbono almacenado para el ecosistema y diez especies con mayor valor de importancia. Este ecosistema presenta precipitaciones anuales de 4000 a 8000 mm. Los cálculos se realizaron con base en trece modelos alométricos que estiman biomasa en función del diámetro y altura total. Se utilizó un muestreo bietápico sobre 250 parcelas circulares de 0.05 ha. Los modelos seleccionados se basaron en los recomendados por el IPCC (2005); para la mayoría de las especies el modelo de mejor ajuste fue el de Chave et al. (2001). El cálculo del carbono almacenado se estimó con base en la fracción del 50% de la biomasa aérea. Los resultados obtenidos de biomasa y carbono fueron de 439.72 t/0.05 ha para biomasa y 219.86 t/0.05 ha para carbono almacenado siendo la especie de mayor aporte en biomasa Osteophloeum platyspermum con un 12.14% del total del ecosistema y el carbono almacenado fue de 26.70 t/0.05 ha. Las especies Osteophloeum platyspermum y Michropholis guyanensis presentan mayor número de individuos por hectárea

Structural Phase Transition and Superconductivity in 2H-BaGaGe with Buckled Honeycomb Layers

We report on the structural and superconducting properties of the intermetallic compound BaGaGe. We find that this material undergoes a structural second-order phase transition from the distorted AlB$_2$-type structure (1H, $a$ = 4.3254(2) \r{A}, $c$ = 5.1078(3) \r{A}, P6/mmm) into the CaIn$_2$-type structure (2H, $a$ = 4.3087(3) \r{A}, $c$ = 10.2117(6) \r{A}, P6$_3$/mmc) at a transition temperature of $T_{\rm S}$ = 253 K. We find that the structural phase-transition corresponds to a coherent buckling of the honeycomb layers, which we can interpret as a disorder-to-order transition of the atoms located within this layer. We show that the 2H-BaGaGe phase becomes superconducting at a critical temperature of $T_{\rm c}$ = 2.1 K. The bulk nature of the superconductivity in 2H-BaGaGe is confirmed by means of specific heat measurements, where we determine a value of $\Delta C$/$\gamma T_{\rm c}$ = 1.59, which is close to the expected BCS value in the weak coupling limit

Copper(II) defect-cubane water oxidation electrocatalysts: from molecular tetramers to oxidic nanostructures

We report on the synthesis and spectroscopic evidence for a sequence of structural transformations of a new defect-cubane type copper complex, [Cu4(pyalk)4(OAc)4](ClO4)(HNEt3), which acts as a pre-catalyst for water oxidation. In situ and post-catalytic studies showed that the tetrameric complex undergoes a structural transformation into dimeric and monomeric species, induced by water molecules and carbonate anions, respectively. Further, the observed electrocatalytic water oxidation activity has been confirmed to arise from in situ-generated Cu(II) oxidic nanostructures at the electrode interface

Modulating Carrier Kinetics in BiVO4 Photoanodes through Molecular Co4O4 Cubane Layers

Understanding the role and immobilization of molecular catalysts on photoelectrodes is essential to use their full potential for efficient solar fuel generation. Here, a CoII4O4 cubane with proven catalytic performance and an active H2O─Co2(OR)2─OH2 edge-site moiety is immobilized on BiVO4 photoanodes through a versatile layer-by-layer assembly strategy. This delivers a photocurrent of 3.3 mA cm−2 at 1.23 VRHE and prolonged stability. Tuning the thickness of the Co4O4 layer has remarkable effects on photocurrents, dynamic open circuit potentials, and charge carrier behavior. Comprehensive-time and frequency-dependent perturbation techniques are employed to investigate carrier kinetics in transient and pseudo-steady-state operando conditions. It is revealed that the Co4O4 layer can prolong carrier lifetime, unblock kinetic limitations at the interface by suppressing recombination, and enhance charge transfer. Additionally, its flexible roles are identified as passivation/hole trapping/catalytic layer at respective lower/moderate/higher potentials. These competing functions are under dynamic equilibrium, which fundamentally defines the observed photocurrent trends

Dynamics and control of active sites in hierarchically nanostructured cobalt phosphide/chalcogenide-based electrocatalysts for water splitting

The rational design of efficient electrocatalysts for industrial water splitting is essential to generate sustainable hydrogen fuel. However, a comprehensive understanding of the complex catalytic mechanisms under harsh reaction conditions remains a major challenge. We apply a self-templated strategy to introduce hierarchically nanostructured “all-surface” Fe-doped cobalt phosphide nanoboxes (Co@CoFe–P NBs) as alternative electrocatalysts for industrial-scale applications. Operando Raman spectroscopy and X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) experiments were carried out to track the dynamics of their structural reconstruction and the real catalytically active intermediates during water splitting. Our operando analyses reveal that partial Fe substitution in cobalt phosphides promotes a structural reconstruction into P–Co–O–Fe–P configurations with low-valence metal centers (M0/M+) during the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). Results from density functional theory (DFT) demonstrate that these in situ reconstructed configurations significantly enhance the HER performance by lowering the energy barrier for water dissociation and by facilitating the adsorption/desorption of HER intermediates (H*). The competitive activity in the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) arises from the transformation of the reconstructed P–Co–O–Fe–P configurations into oxygen-bridged, high-valence CoIV–O–FeIV moieties as true active intermediates. In sharp contrast, the formation of such CoIII/IV–O–FeIII/IV moieties in Co–FeOOH is hindered under the same conditions, which outlines the key advantages of phosphide-based electrocatalysts. Ex situ studies of the as-synthesized reference cobalt sulfides (Co–S), Fe doped cobalt selenides (Co@CoFe–Se), and Fe doped cobalt tellurides (Co@CoFe–Te) further corroborate the observed structural transformations. These insights are vital to systematically exploit the intrinsic catalytic mechanisms of non-oxide, low-cost, and robust overall water splitting electrocatalysts for future energy conversion and storage

Desarrollo de una plataforma computacional para el modelado metabólico de microorganismos

La Biología Sintética (BS) se centra en el diseño y la construcción de sistemas genéticos artificiales, capaces de desarrollar una función específica después de haber sido introducidos en un sistema vivo. Con el desarrollo de la BS, se observa una nueva generación de bioingenieros que desarrollan complejos circuitos biológicos genéticos con un alto nivel de integración. La mejora de esta disciplina científica tiene por objeto establecer un marco computacional y conceptual que dé asistencia al desarrollo de sistemas biológicos artificiales modulares basándose en una metodología ingenieril y sistemática, para lo que se necesita proveer a la próxima generación de diseñadores en Biología Sintética y a los futuros biotecnólogos e ingenieros biológicos de nuevas herramientas computacionales integradas en un entorno común para el análisis de fenotipos metabólicos, el diseño de nuevos circuitos genéticos complejos y la visualización de mapas metabólicos. Como resultado de esta investigación se obtiene la plataforma Hydra (Hybrid Draw and Routes Analysis), que integra diversas herramientas para el diseño, análisis y visualización de las redes metabólicas.Synthetic biology focuses on the design and construction of artificial genetic systems that are capable of carrying out a specific function after being inserted into a living system. With the development of synthetic biology a new generation of bioengineers has appeared who develop complex, highly integrated genetic biological pathways. The improvement of this scientific discipline aims to establish a computational and conceptual framework that will support the development of modular artificial biological systems based on an engineering and systematic methodology. To achieve this, it will be necessary to provide new integrated computational tools in a common environment for the analysis of metabolic phenotypes, the design of new complex genetic pathways and the visualisation of metabolic maps to the next generation of designers in synthetic biology and future biotechnologists and biological engineers. A result of this research is the Hydra platform (Hybrid Draw and Routes Analysis) that integrates various tools for the design, analysis, and visualisation of metabolic networks.Ciencias Experimentale

El dossier copia/sur: problemas económicos, políticos, e ideológicos del copyright (derecho de autor) en el sur global

In 2005, a group of scholars and activists, mostly from the global South, created the Copy/South Research Group to analyse, criticise, and confront the oppressive nature of current global copyright regimes, such as those defended by the World Intellectual Property Organisation, and similar ones around the globe. In May 2006, 22 of us, including 15 people from the global South, published THE COPY/SOUTH DOSSIER: Issues in the economics, politics, and ideology of copyright in the global South. The aim of the Dossier was to open up a critical and radical debate on the real impact of copyright laws and how they affect the daily lives of people living in more than 150 developing countries of the global South. We also highlighted issues that are not unique to the Global South, but also affect both sides of the North-South divide. This publication of more than 50 articles was addressed to researchers, educators, librarians, musicians, activists, organizations concerned about access to knowledge, and all of those who want to learn more about the oppressive global role of copyright laws and, in particular, their largely negative role in the developing countries of the global South. Given the democratic objectives of the Copy/South Research Group, the Dossier was not restricted by copyright. Therefore, it has been accessed openly and freely in both electronic and paper formats by thousands of readers from around the world in English. But English is not spoken by all citizens in the global South. With this in mind, the entire 200-page Dossier was translated into Spanish in late 2007 by an enthusiastic team of voluntary translators from Argentina, Bolivia, Cuba, Mexico, Spain, and Venezuela. As for this Spanish version, made with the support of the Intellectual Property Automous Service (SAPI), from the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, we must acknowledge the prior SAPI's General Director Eduardo Samán for promoting the making of this translation. Besides the general revision of Gerardo Cárdenas and his labor as main translator, some other volunteers translated or revised important sections of the Spanish edition: María Jesús Morillo (Spain), Oscar Pérez Peña and Gilda Gil (Cuba), Edgardo Civallero (Argentina) and Rafael Carreño (Venezuela), who coordinated the process of translation in 2007. Also it is worth to mention the additional colaboration of Ana Lía López (Bolivia), Richard Castro, Rafael Bellota and Carmen Chirinos (Venezuela), Zapopan Muela and Gonzalo Lara (Mexico), and Lilian Álvarez (Cuba). But what is still more extraordinary about this Spanish translation is that it was completely coordinated and edited by the Servicio Autonomo de la Propiedad Intelectual (SAPI) of the democratic government of the Venezuelan Bolivarian Republic. The Dossier provides “useful material to introduce this topic to teachers and students” and does a good job of “summarizing a complex and conflicting situation” for developing countries, Jumersi La Rosa, SAPI’s new director, said last week in announcing the release of the Spanish edition. She has written a special new introduction for the Spanish-language edition. The Copy South Research Group is very pleased that the radical message of resistance found in the Dossier can now be read by thousands of Spanish-language speakers who are questioning the current copyright regime and who hopefully will be ignited by the ideas in the Dossier to take up the fight against oppressive regimes based on copyright. You can get a copy of the Dossier in Spanish and English by downloading it, free of charge, at http://www.copysouth.org . We also still have a limited number of printed and bound copies of the English-language version of the Dossier. If you would to be mailed a copy of the English-language version, which contains eight posters, send us an e-mail ([email protected]) and include your full postal details. COPY/SOUTH RESEARCH GROUP, 28 April 2008