Coercion and Non-State Law

The aim of this paper is to introduce some elements of a research project in legal philosophy. Its goal is to identify some crucial topics for the definition of law. In the first part (§§ 1 & 2) I analyse some methodological difficulties of the dominant research on the definition of law. In the second part (§§ 3 & 4) I refer to some current development of law and sketch some characteristics of the object to be defined, corresponding to what can be called the process of law differentiation. In the last part of this contribute I try to sum up some elements to be taken in account in the definition of a differentiated law

Why (Ever) Define Law and How To Do It

The article examines different methods for defining law in the past and in current times, considering the evolution of law and its differentiation

Genetic Characterization and Relatedness among Cherry Cultivars in a Germplasm Bank by Randomly Amplified Polymorphic DNA Analysis

Random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) analysis was performed on 38 cultivars of cherry (Prunus avium L.) grown in the Jerte Valley, Cáceres, Spain. Thirty five selected decamer primers produced 69 reproducible polymorphic amplification products. The degree of polymorphism detected made possible the identification of all the cultivars by combining the RAPD banding patterns of only seven primers: OPK-08, OPQ-14, OPR-09, OPS-19, OPX-02, OPX-15 and OPZ-13. Eleven unique markers allowed identification of nine cultivars while 15 cultivars were identified by unique banding patterns. A similarity matrix derived from the RAPD amplification products generated by all the primers was obtained using the index of similarity of Jaccard. The similarity coefficients among cultivars ranged from 0.27 to 0.81 with an average of 0.50. A dendrogram based on UPGMA clustering method was constructed using the similarity matrix. The dendrogram showed a good correlation between the clustering of cherry cultivars and their geographic origin, especially revealing a stronger genetic proximity between some of the most characteristic cultivars of the Jerte Valley. This result supports the autochthonous origin hypothesis for these cultivars

Derechos y falsos derechos: derechos razonables y no razonables

Si esaminano le critiche che si rivolgono alla teoria della indivisibilit\ue0 del diritti, in particolare, quelle volte a distinguere tra i diritti di libert\ue0 e i diritti sociali. L'argomentazione serve a discutere alcuni elementi di una teoria dei diritti fondamentali

Cronotopos y autobiografía epistolar como mecanismos de autorreflexión en Memoria por correspondencia, de Emma Reyes

En el libro Memoria por correspondencia (2012), la artista plástica Emma Reyes, cuenta una historia que inicia en sus primeros recuerdos y que va hasta sus 20 años, usando el género de la autobiografía epistolar -- Este análisis busca, tomando como base la teoría de cronotopos de Mijail Bajtin y del mismo género literario, encontrar y describir los diversos elementos que ayudan a dar cuenta del proceso de autorreflexión experimentado por la autora -- Así, se hallarán y describirán las herramientas literarias que ejecuta Reyes en los tres cronotopos hallados: el del encierro, el del desamparo y el del cuarto con objetos, y los elementos del doble pacto epistolar (Lejuene y Guillén) -- Apoyada entonces en la construcción y contenido de los cronotopos y en la elección de la autobiografía epistolar, la narradora profundiza la experiencia de lectura gracias a su mirada de artista plástica - pintura, dibujos y murales –, en un proceso, más que autobiográfico, autorreflexiv

The Legal Balance Between Liberty and Equality

The paper explores the specific legal balance between liberty and equality, distinguishing it from political theories and constitutional settings, where they are often considered in opposition. In order to find the specific legal balance between liberty and equality, and after identifying some of their relevant meanings for the purpose, it becomes necessary to focus on the rule of law, and to examine the relationship between liberty and equality in its different versions. Once the core meaning of the rule of law in terms of liberty and equality is enucleated, it is possible to consider extending it to the international field

Which Foundation for Human Rights?

The article argues the thesis according to which the problem of the foundation of human rights is not well formulated in the classic debate on it. The reason is that there are different kinds of foundations, depending on the different concepts of human rights, but also in consideration of the different aspects of their practice. The question is then which foundation fits with a notion of human rights as a legal and social practice. The second part is dedicated to the analysis of the idea that the practice of human rights is part of the current jus gentium. It aims at showing the implications of that relationship in terms of their appropriate legal grounds

Brain lateralization and neural plasticity for musical and cognitive abilities in an epileptic musician

The use of intracarotid propofol procedure (IPP) when assessing musical lateralization has not been reported in literature up to now. This procedure (similar to Wada Test) has provided the opportunity to investigate not only lateralization of language and memory functions on epileptic patients but also offers a functional mapping approach with superior spatial and temporal resolution to analyze the lateralization of musical abilities. Findings in literature suggest that musical training modifies functional and structural brain organization. We studied hemispheric lateralization in a professional musician, a 33 years old woman with refractory left medial temporal lobe (MTL) epilepsy (TLE). A longitudinal neuropsychological study was performed over a period of 21 months. Before epilepsy surgery, musical abilities, language and memory were tested during IPP by means of a novel and exhaustive neuropsychological battery focusing on the processing of music. We used a selection of stimuli to analyze listening, score reading, and tempo discrimination. Our results suggested that IPP is an excellent method to determine not only language, semantic, and episodic memory, but also musical dominance in a professional musician who may be candidate for epilepsy surgery. Neuropsychological testing revealed that right hemisphere's patient is involved in semantic and episodic musical memory processes, whereas her score reading and tempo processing require contribution from both hemispheres. At one-year follow-up, outcome was excellent with respect to seizures and professional skills, meanwhile cognitive abilities improved. These findings indicate that IPP helps to predict who might be at risk for postoperative musical, language, and memory deficits after epilepsy surgery. Our research suggests that musical expertise and epilepsy critically modifies long-term memory processes and induces brain structural and functional plasticity

Use of a new enrichment nanosorbent for speciation of mercury by FI-CV-ICP-MS

Mercury is one of the most toxic environmental pollutants and its effects on human and ecosystem health are well known. All mercury species are toxic, with organic mercury compounds generally being more toxic than inorganic species. Chromatography techniques (GC, HPLC) coupled to element specific detectors, are able to separate mercury species in order to elucidate mercury transformation and transport processes where the determination of all mercury species is desirable. However, in practice, especially in sampling campaigns for sea water analysis where a large number of samples are collected over a longer period of time, a combination of methods is usually applied to accurately determine the most toxic mercury species. These include non-chromatographic methods based on the different chemical and/or physical behavior of the mercury species. These non-chromatographic methods can be less time consuming, more cost effective and available, and present competitive limits of detection. Especially when mercury could vapor (CV) generation technique is employed, which reduces salt effect on the analytical signal and improve the sensibility. Among non-chromatographic methods, solid phase extraction and microextraction (SPE and SPME) which is becoming increasingly popular for sample preparation in organic analysis, found its way to speciation analysis of organometals. SPE/SPME is the most popular sample preconcentration method for its simplicity, high enrichment factor, low or no consumption of organic solvents and feasibly to be automated. On the other hand, the exploration of new materials, especially nanometer sized materials, as the support phase is another active research area in SPE/SPME for mercury determination. The use of nanoparticles leads to higher extraction capacity/efficiency and rapid dynamics of extraction originated from the higher surface area to volume ratio and short diffusion route. In this work, a new enrichment nanosorbent functionalized with 1,5 bis (2-pyridyl) methylene thiocarbohidrazide was synthesized and characterized. From the study of its adsorption capacity toward metal ions, Hg2+ was observed to be one of the most retained 173.1 µmol g-1 at pH 5. Thus, a flow injection solid phase extraction and cold vapor generation method for its determination and speciation based on the use of this new chelating nanosorbent was optimized. The method developed has showed to be useful for the automatic pre-concentration and sequential speciation of mercury and methylmercury in environmental and biological samples. The system was based on chelating retention of the analytes onto a mini-column filled with the new nanosorbent and their sequential elution by using two different eluents, 0.2 % HCl for CH3Hg+ and 0.1 % thiourea in 0.5 % HCl for Hg2+. The determination was performed using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. Under the optimum conditions and 120 s preconcentration time, the enrichment factors were 4.7 and 11.0; the detection limits (3σ) were 0.002 and 0.004 µg L-1; the determination limits (10σ) were 0.011 and 0.024 µg L-1; and the precisions (calculated for 10 replicate determinations at a 2 µg L-1 standard of both species) were 2.8 and 2.6 % (RSD); for CH3Hg+ and Hg2+, respectively. Linear calibration graphs were obtained for both species from the determination limits to at least 70 µg L-1. For the quality control of the analytical performance and the validation of the newly developed method, the analysis of two certified samples, LGC 6016 estuarine water and SRM 2976 mussel tissue were addressed. The results showed good agreement with the certified values. The method was successfully applied to the speciation of mercury in sea-water samples collected in the Málaga Bay.Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tech