706 research outputs found
Naturalization and Naturalization Law: Some Empirical Observations
Ian F. Haney López, White by Law: The Legal Construction of Race. New York: New York University Press, 1996. Pp. xiv, 296. 17.95 (paper).
Fourteen years ago, Robert Gordon noted that scholars associated with the Critical Legal Studies movement pay a lot of attention to history. In fact, wrote Gordon, Critical Legal Studies scholars have probably devoted more pages to historical description - particularly the intellectual history of legal doctrine - than to anything else. Much the same could be said today of the academic movement known as Critical Race Theory. Although Critical Race theorists are concerned above all with alleviating current racial injustice, they devote a good deal of their intellectual energy to examining the past. In the following Book Note, I consider one of the most recent and celebrated historical contributions to Critical Race Theory, Ian Haney López\u27s White by Law: The Legal Construction of Race. Unlike other evaluations of White by Law, this Book Note focuses not on Haney López\u27s theoretical objectives, but on one of his central empirical claims. In particular, it examines Haney López\u27s pathbreaking discussion of the role anthropological evidence played in determining the outcome of two Supreme Court decisions of the 1920s: Ozawa v. United States and United States v. Thind. Both decisions clarified the racial requirements for becoming a naturalized U.S. citizen under federal law.
I have divided this Book Note into three brief sections. First, I describe the subject of White by Law and explain why Haney López\u27s analysis of Ozawa and Thind forms the foundation on which he constructs his more general historical and normative conclusions. Second, by considering the language of Ozawa and Thind and the jurisprudence of Justice George Sutherland, the author of both decisions, I suggest how that analysis is open to empirical critique. My remarks on Justice Sutherland focus on his consistent wariness toward the use of social science by the Supreme Court, as well as on his drive to consolidate federal authority over international affairs. Finally, I propose an alternative perspective on Ozawa and Thind that I hope might supplement Haney López\u27s trenchant interpretation
Distinct Retinohypothalamic Innervation Patterns Predict the Developmental Emergence of Species-typical Circadian Phase Preference in Nocturnal Norway Rats and Diurnal Nile Grass Rats
How does the brain develop differently to support nocturnality in some mammals, but diurnality in others? To answer this question, one might look to the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN), which is entrained by light via the retinohypothalamic tract (RHT). However, because the SCN is more active during the day in all mammals studied thus far, it alone cannot determine circadian phase preference. In adult Norway rats (Rattus norvegicus), which are nocturnal, the RHT also projects to the ventral subparaventricular zone (vSPVZ), an adjacent region that expresses an in-phase pattern of SCN-vSPVZ neuronal activity. In contrast, in adult Nile grass rats (Arvicanthis niloticus), which are diurnal, an anti-phase pattern of SCN-vSPVZ neuronal activity is expressed. We hypothesized that these species differences result in part from a weak or absent RHT-to-vSPVZ projection in grass rats. Here, using a developmental comparative approach, we assessed species differences in behavior, hypothalamic activity, and RHT anatomy. We report that a robust retina-to-vSPVZ projection develops in Norway rats around the end of the second postnatal week when nocturnal wakefulness and the in-phase pattern of neuronal activity emerge. In grass rats, however, such a projection does not develop and the emergence of the anti-phase pattern during the second postnatal week is accompanied by increased diurnal wakefulness. When considered within the context of previously published reports on RHT projections in a variety of species, the current findings suggest that how and when the retina connects to the hypothalamus differentially shapes brain and behavior to produce animals that occupy opposing temporal niches
Development of Twitching in Sleeping Infant Mice Depends on Sensory Experience
SummaryMyoclonic twitches are jerky movements that occur exclusively and abundantly during active (or REM) sleep in mammals, especially in early development [1–4]. In rat pups, limb twitches exhibit a complex spatiotemporal structure that changes across early development [5]. However, it is not known whether this developmental change is influenced by sensory experience, which is a prerequisite to the notion that sensory feedback from twitches not only activates sensorimotor circuits but modifies them [4]. Here, we investigated the contributions of proprioception to twitching in newborn ErbB2 conditional knockout mice that lack muscle spindles and grow up to exhibit dysfunctional proprioception [6–8]. High-speed videography of forelimb twitches unexpectedly revealed a category of reflex-like twitching—comprising an agonist twitch followed immediately by an antagonist twitch—that developed postnatally in wild-types/heterozygotes, but not in knockouts. Contrary to evidence from adults that spinal reflexes are inhibited during twitching [9–11], this finding suggests that twitches trigger the monosynaptic stretch reflex and, by doing so, contribute to its activity-dependent development [12–14]. Next, we assessed developmental changes in the frequency and organization (i.e., entropy) of more-complex, multi-joint patterns of twitching; again, wild-types/heterozygotes exhibited developmental changes in twitch patterning that were not seen in knockouts. Thus, targeted deletion of a peripheral sensor alters the normal development of local and global features of twitching, demonstrating that twitching is shaped by sensory experience. These results also highlight the potential use of twitching as a uniquely informative diagnostic tool for assessing the functional status of spinal and supraspinal circuits
Biomarkers of Tuberculosis Severity and Treatment Effect: A Directed Screen of 70 Host Markers in a Randomized Clinical Trial.
More efficacious treatment regimens are needed for tuberculosis, however, drug development is impeded by a lack of reliable biomarkers of disease severity and of treatment effect. We conducted a directed screen of host biomarkers in participants enrolled in a tuberculosis clinical trial to address this need. Serum samples from 319 protocol-correct, culture-confirmed pulmonary tuberculosis patients treated under direct observation as part of an international, phase 2 trial were screened for 70 markers of infection, inflammation, and metabolism. Biomarker assays were specifically developed for this study and quantified using a novel, multiplexed electrochemiluminescence assay. We evaluated the association of biomarkers with baseline characteristics, as well as with detailed microbiologic data, using Bonferroni-adjusted, linear regression models. Across numerous analyses, seven proteins, SAA1, PCT, IL-1β, IL-6, CRP, PTX-3 and MMP-8, showed recurring strong associations with markers of baseline disease severity, smear grade and cavitation; were strongly modulated by tuberculosis treatment; and had responses that were greater for patients who culture-converted at 8weeks. With treatment, all proteins decreased, except for osteocalcin, MCP-1 and MCP-4, which significantly increased. Several previously reported putative tuberculosis-associated biomarkers (HOMX1, neopterin, and cathelicidin) were not significantly associated with treatment response. In conclusion, across a geographically diverse and large population of tuberculosis patients enrolled in a clinical trial, several previously reported putative biomarkers were not significantly associated with treatment response, however, seven proteins had recurring strong associations with baseline radiographic and microbiologic measures of disease severity, as well as with early treatment response, deserving additional study
Performance Measures Using Electronic Health Records: Five Case Studies
Presents the experiences of five provider organizations in developing, testing, and implementing four types of electronic quality-of-care indicators based on EHR data. Discusses challenges, and compares results with those from traditional indicators
The Clustering of Extremely Red Objects
We measure the clustering of Extremely Red Objects (EROs) in ~8 deg^2 of the
NOAO Deep Wide Field Survey Bo\"otes field in order to establish robust links
between ERO z~1.2 and local galaxy z<0.1 populations. Three different color
selection criteria from the literature are analyzed to assess the consequences
of using different criteria for selecting EROs. Specifically, our samples are
(R-K_s)>5.0 (28,724 galaxies), (I-K_s)>4.0 (22,451 galaxies) and (I-[3.6])>5.0
(64,370 galaxies). Magnitude-limited samples show the correlation length (r_0)
to increase for more luminous EROs, implying a correlation with stellar mass.
We can separate star-forming and passive ERO populations using the (K_s-[24])
and ([3.6]-[24]) colors to K_s=18.4 and [3.6]=17.5, respectively. Star-forming
and passive EROs in magnitude limited samples have different clustering
properties and host dark halo masses, and cannot be simply understood as a
single population. Based on the clustering, we find that bright passive EROs
are the likely progenitors of >4L^* elliptical galaxies. Bright EROs with
ongoing star formation were found to occupy denser environments than
star-forming galaxies in the local Universe, making these the likely
progenitors of >L^* local ellipticals. This suggests that the progenitors of
massive >4L^* local ellipticals had stopped forming stars by z>1.2, but that
the progenitors of less massive ellipticals (down to L^*) can still show
significant star formation at this epoch.Comment: 19 pages, 16 figures, 4 tables, Accepted to ApJ 27th November 201
On the Evolution of the Velocity-Mass-Size Relations of Disk-Dominated Galaxies over the Past 10 Billion Years
We study the evolution of the scaling relations between maximum circular
velocity, stellar mass and optical half-light radius of star-forming
disk-dominated galaxies in the context of LCDM-based galaxy formation models.
Using data from the literature combined with new data from the DEEP2 and AEGIS
surveys we show that there is a consistent observational and theoretical
picture for the evolution of these scaling relations from z\sim 2 to z=0. The
evolution of the observed stellar scaling relations is weaker than that of the
virial scaling relations of dark matter haloes, which can be reproduced, both
qualitatively and quantitatively, with a simple, cosmologically-motivated model
for disk evolution inside growing NFW dark matter haloes. In this model optical
half-light radii are smaller, both at fixed stellar mass and maximum circular
velocity, at higher redshifts. This model also predicts that the scaling
relations between baryonic quantities evolve even more weakly than the
corresponding stellar relations. We emphasize, though, that this weak evolution
does not imply that individual galaxies evolve weakly. On the contrary,
individual galaxies grow strongly in mass, size and velocity, but in such a way
that they move largely along the scaling relations. Finally, recent
observations have claimed surprisingly large sizes for a number of star-forming
disk galaxies at z \sim 2, which has caused some authors to suggest that high
redshift disk galaxies have abnormally high spin parameters. However, we argue
that the disk scale lengths in question have been systematically overestimated
by a factor \sim 2, and that there is an offset of a factor \sim 1.4 between
H\alpha sizes and optical sizes. Taking these effects into account, there is no
indication that star forming galaxies at high redshifts (z\sim 2) have
abnormally high spin parameters.Comment: 19 pages, 10 figures, accepted to MNRAS, minor changes to previous
versio
Redshift-Space Enhancement of Line-of-Sight Baryon Acoustic Oscillations in the SDSS Main-Galaxy Sample
We show that redshift-space distortions of galaxy correlations have a strong
effect on correlation functions with distinct, localized features, like the
signature of the baryon acoustic oscillations (BAO). Near the line of sight,
the features become sharper as a result of redshift-space distortions. We
demonstrate this effect by measuring the correlation function in Gaussian
simulations and the Millennium Simulation. We also analyze the SDSS DR7
main-galaxy sample (MGS), splitting the sample into slices 2.5 degrees on the
sky in various rotations. Measuring 2D correlation functions in each slice, we
do see a sharp bump along the line of sight. Using Mexican-hat wavelets, we
localize it to (110 +/- 10) Mpc/h. Averaging only along the line of sight, we
estimate its significance at a particular wavelet scale and location at 2.2
sigma. In a flat angular weighting in the (pi,r_p) coordinate system, the noise
level is suppressed, pushing the bump's significance to 4 sigma. We estimate
that there is about a 0.2% chance of getting such a signal anywhere in the
vicinity of the BAO scale from a power spectrum lacking a BAO feature. However,
these estimates of the significances make some use of idealized Gaussian
simulations, and thus are likely a bit optimistic.Comment: 17 pages, 27 figures. Minor changes to match final version accepted
to Ap
VennVax, a DNA-prime, peptide-boost multi-T-cell epitope poxvirus vaccine, induces protective immunity against vaccinia infection by T cell response alone
The potential for smallpox to be disseminated in a bioterror attack has prompted development of new, safer smallpox vaccination strategies. We designed and evaluated immunogenicity and efficacy of a T-cell epitope vaccine based on conserved and antigenic vaccinia/variola sequences, identified using bioinformatics and immunological methods. Vaccination in HLA transgenic mice using a DNA-prime/peptide-boost strategy elicited significant T cell responses to multiple epitopes. No antibody response pre-challenge was observed, neither against whole vaccinia antigens nor vaccine epitope peptides. Remarkably, 100% of vaccinated mice survived lethal vaccinia challenge, demonstrating that protective immunity to vaccinia does not require B cell priming
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