Majid Majidi and New Iranian Cinema

The films of Majid Majidi act as a looking glass to a religion and culture that has been under much scrutiny and has been greatly discussed in recent years. This article dissects Majidi\u27s most popular recent films, in order to gain a better understanding of Iran and the Islamic tradition. It explores how Majidi\u27s films demystify an Islamic culture for a western audience

Police Bias in the Enforcement of Drug Crimes: Evidence from Low Priority Laws

We consider the impact of adoption of a low priority initiative in some jurisdictions within Los Angeles County on police behavior. Low priority initiatives instruct police to make the enforcement of low level marijuana possession offenses their ``lowest priority.\u27\u27 Using detailed data from the Los Angeles County Sheriff\u27s Department and a difference-in differences strategy, we show that the mandate resulted in a lower arrest rate for misdemeanor marijuana possession in adopting areas. However, the lower relative arrest rate is driven by a spike in the arrest rate in areas not affected by the mandate rather than a reduction in adopting areas

Learning to live sustainably - reflections based on the paryavaran mitra programme

What is the difference between awareness and education? The reason we have been asking this question is due to the widespread realisation of environmental concerns, but not enough reflection on how the issues are to be addressed. But the moment we ask if awareness can solve the problem then why did most of the people who came on a two wheeler for the session, not wear helmets (this was in Ahmedabad but would be true for most of the places), there is an immediate realisation that we are talking about education that is internalised, solves problems and help take action instead of just being aware of the advantages of wearing helmets and writing essays on i

The brain's kryptonite : overview of punctate white matter lesions in neonates

With increasing advances in the field of medical brain imaging, the known spectrum of white matter lesions hasexpanded, and we can now assess the presence of punctate white matter lesions (PWML). These focal smalllesions are quite frequently detected in the preterm infant and in full-term infants with congenital heart mal-formations with, some studies reporting a link between these lesions and adverse long-term outcomes. Theetiology of PWML has sparked a lot of questions over the years, some of which still remain unanswered. Thisnarrative review will bring an overview of current knowledge and their significant clinical importance in thenewborn brain

Phosphatidylinositol 3,5-bisphosphate: A Molecular Switch of Vacuolar Fusion and Fission

Abstract Vacuoles purified from Saccharomyces cerevisiae are a well-studied model for membrane fusion and fission as the machinery is highly conserved throughout eukaryotes. Vacuole membranes undergo cycles of fusion and fission which have distinct mechanisms but are in part controlled by overlapping regulators. Both processes are dependent on proteins, ion concentrations, and lipid composition, highlighting the complex regulation of vacuole homeostasis. Previous studies have shown the lipid PI(3,5)P2 (phosphatidylinositol 3,5-bisphosphate) is a crucial activator of vacuolar fission. PI(3,5)P2 is generated by the PI3P 5-kinase Fab1 . Fab1 is activated in response to osmotic stress leading to a sharp rise in PI(3,5)P2 levels. Increases in PI(3,5)P2 activates the calcium channel Yvc1, causing calcium to efflux from the vacuole. This, along with PI(3,5)P2 activation of Vph1 (a subunit of a vacuolar V-ATPase) results in fragmentation of the vacuole. Here we show that PI(3,5)P2 is a novel inhibitor of vacuolar fusion. Additionally we found PI(3,5)P2 does not prevent fusion by inhibiting priming and trans-SNARE pairing (the early steps of fusion). In order to look at the later steps of fusion, we conducted lipid mixing experiments to measure it’s effects on hemi-fusion, the precursor step to vacuolar fusion. Our results show that PI(3,5)P2 inhibits hemi-fusion, but the exact mechanism is still unclear. We also hypothesized that PI(3,5)P2 acts to inhibit fusion through either the Yvc1 calcium efflux or the Vph1 V-ATPase pathway. Vph1 interactions promote either vacuolar fusion or fission depending on binding partners. We predicted PI(3,5)P2 to disrupt Vph1 fusion complexes while promoting fission complexes. But, experiments using TAP-tagged Vph1 were inconclusive. Also, experiments with Yvc1 knockout yeast retained sensitivity to PI(3,5)P2 - interestingly, the calcium influx pump Pmc1 was found to be enhanced by PI(3,5)P2, which may explain decreased calcium influx.Ope

Inter-annual and seasonal trends in cetacean distribution, density and abundance off southern California

The article of record as published may be located at https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dsr2.2014.10.008Funded by Naval Postgraduate SchoolTrends in cetacean density and distribution off southern California were assessed through visual line- transect surveys during thirty-seven California Cooperative Oceanic Fisheries Investigations (CalCOFI) cruises from July 2004–November 2013. From sightings of the six most commonly encountered cetacean species, seasonal, annual and overall density estimates were calculated. Blue whales (Balaenoptera musculus), fin whales (Balaenoptera physalus) and humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) were the most frequently sighted baleen whales with overall densities of 0.91/1000 km2 (CV 1⁄4 0.27), 2.73/ 1000 km2 (CV 1⁄4 0.19), and 1.17/1000 km2 (CV 1⁄4 0.21) respectively. Species specific density estimates, stratified by cruise, were analyzed using a generalized additive model to estimate long-term trends and correct for seasonal imbalances. Variances were estimated using a non-parametric bootstrap with one day of effort as the sampling unit. Blue whales were primarily observed during summer and fall while fin and humpback whales were observed year-round with peaks in density during summer and spring respectively. Short-beaked common dolphins (Delphinus delphis), Pacific white-sided dolphins (Lagen- orhynchus obliquidens) and Dall’s porpoise (Phocoenoidesdalli) were the most frequently encountered small cetaceans with overall densities of 705.83/1000 km2 (CV1⁄40.22), 51.98/1000 km2 (CV1⁄40.27), and 21.37/1000 km2 (CV 1⁄4 0.19) respectively. Seasonally, short-beaked common dolphins were most abun- dant in winter whereas Pacific white-sided dolphins and Dall’s porpoise were most abundant during spring. There were no significant long-term changes in blue whale, fin whale, humpback whale, short- beaked common dolphin or Dall’s porpoise densities while Pacific white-sided dolphins exhibited a significant decrease in density across the ten-year study. The results from this study were fundamentally consistent with earlier studies, but provide greater temporal and seasonal resolution.Funding was provided by the Chief of Naval Operations Environmental Readiness Division, the United States Navy’s Pacific Fleet, the Naval Postgraduate School Grant #N00244-11-1-027, and the Naval Facilities Engineering Command Living Marine Resources Pro- gramFunding was provided by the Chief of Naval Operations Environmental Readiness Division, the United States Navy’s Pacific Fleet, the Naval Postgraduate School Grant #N00244-11-1-027, and the Naval Facilities Engineering Command Living Marine Resources Pro- gra

Reforming Restrictive Housing: The 2018 ASCA-Liman Nationwide Survey of Time-in-Cell

Reforming Restrictive Housing: The 2018 ASCA-Liman Nationwide Survey of Time-in-Cell is the fourth in a series of research projects co-authored by the Association of State Correctional Administrators (ASCA) and the Arthur Liman Center at Yale Law School. These monographs provide a unique, longitudinal, nationwide database. The topic is “restrictive housing,” often termed “solitary confinement,” and defined as separating prisoners from the general population and holding them in cells for an average of 22 hours or more per day for 15 continuous days or more. The 2018 monograph is based on survey responses from 43 prison systems that held 80.6% of the U.S. prison population. They reported that 49,197 individuals—4.5% of the people in their custody—were in restrictive housing. Extrapolating, we estimate that some 61,000 individuals were in isolation in U.S. prisons. This number does not include people in most jails or juvenile, military, or immigration facilities. Two areas of special concern are the impact of mental illness and the length of time individuals spend in restrictive housing. Correctional systems use a variety of definitions for serious mental illness. Using their own descriptions, jurisdictions counted more than 4,000 prisoners identified as seriously mentally ill and in restrictive housing. Within the 36 jurisdictions that reported on the length of time people had been in segregation, most people were held for a year or less. Twenty-five jurisdictions counted more than 3,500 individuals held more than three years. Reforming Restrictive Housing details policy changes tracking the impact of the 2016 American Correctional Association’s (ACA) Restrictive Housing Performance Based Standards. The ACA Standards call for limiting the use of isolation for pregnant women, juveniles, and seriously mentally ill individuals. This monograph also compares the responses of the 40 prison systems that answered the ASCA-Liman surveys in both 2015 and 2017. See ASCA-Liman, Aiming to Reduce Time-in-Cell (Nov. 2016), SSRN No. 2874492. The number in restrictive housing was reported to have decreased from 56,000 in 2015 to 47,000 in 2017. Looking at specific states, in more than two dozen systems, the numbers in segregation decreased. In 11 systems, the numbers went up. A related monograph, Working to Limit Restrictive Housing: Efforts in Four Jurisdictions to Make Changes, details the work of four correctional administrations to limit—and in one state abolish—holding people in cells 22 hours a day for 15 days or more