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Background: The current coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic began in Ireland with the first confirmed positive case in March 2020. In the early stages of the pandemic clinicians and researchers in two affiliated Dublin hospitals identified the need for a COVID-19 biobanking initiative to support and enhance research into the disease. Through large scale analysis of clinical, regional, and genetic characteristics of COVID-19 patients, biobanks have helped identify, and so protect, at risk patient groups The STTAR Bioresource has been created to collect and store data and linked biological samples from patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection and healthy and disease controls. Aim: The primary objective of this study is to build a biobank, to understand the clinical characteristics and natural history of COVID-19 infection with the long-term goal of research into improved disease understanding, diagnostic tests and treatments. Methods: This is a prospective dual-site cohort study across two tertiary acute university teaching hospitals. Patients are recruited from inpatient wards or outpatient clinics. Patients with confirmed COVID-19 infection as well as healthy and specific disease control groups are recruited. Biological samples are collected and a case report form detailing demographic and medical background is entered into the bespoke secure online Dendrite database. Impact: The results of this study will be used to inform national and international strategy on health service provision and disease management related to COVID-19. In common with other biobanks, study end points evolve over time as new research questions emerge. They currently include patient survival, occurrence of severe complications of the disease or its therapy, occurrence of persistent symptoms following recovery from the acute illness and vaccine responses.

Accurate OCLC holdings are vital for interlibrary loan transactions. However, over time weeding projects, replacing lost or damaged materials, and human error can leave a library with a catalog that is no longer reflected through OCLC. While OCLC offers reclamation services to bring poorly maintained collections up-to-date, the associated fee may be cost prohibitive for libraries with limited budgets. This article will describe the process used at Austin Peay State University to identify, isolate, and update holdings using OCLC Collection Manager queries, MarcEdit, Excel, and Python. Some portions of this process are completed using basic coding; however, troubleshooting techniques will be included for those with limited previous experience.

Ketamine, a nonselective NMDA receptor antagonist, is used widely in medicine as an anesthetic agent. However, ketamine’s mechanisms of action lead to widespread physiological effects, some of which are now coming to the forefront of research for the treatment of diverse medical disorders. This paper aims at reviewing recent data on key nonanesthetic uses of ketamine in the current literature. MEDLINE, CINAHL, and Google Scholar databases were queried to find articles related to ketamine in the treatment of depression, pain syndromes including acute pain, chronic pain, and headache, neurologic applications including neuroprotection and seizures, and alcohol and substance use disorders. It can be concluded that ketamine has a potential role in the treatment of all of these conditions. However, research in this area is still in its early stages, and larger studies are required to evaluate ketamine’s efficacy for nonanesthetic purposes in the general population.

Here we report the complete genome sequence of Teredinibacter turnerae T7901. T. turnerae is a marine gamma proteobacterium that occurs as an intracellular endosymbiont in the gills of wood-boring marine bivalves of the family Teredinidae (shipworms). This species is the sole cultivated member of an endosymbiotic consortium thought to provide the host with enzymes, including cellulases and nitrogenase, critical for digestion of wood and supplementation of the host's nitrogen-deficient diet. T. turnerae is closely related to the free-living marine polysaccharide degrading bacterium Saccharophagus degradans str. 2-40 and to as yet uncultivated endosymbionts with which it coexists in shipworm cells. Like S. degradans, the T. turnerae genome encodes a large number of enzymes predicted to be involved in complex polysaccharide degradation (>100). However, unlike S. degradans, which degrades a broad spectrum (>10 classes) of complex plant, fungal and algal polysaccharides, T. turnerae primarily encodes enzymes associated with deconstruction of terrestrial woody plant material. Also unlike S. degradans and many other eubacteria, T. turnerae dedicates a large proportion of its genome to genes predicted to function in secondary metabolism. Despite its intracellular niche, the T. turnerae genome lacks many features associated with obligate intracellular existence (e.g. reduced genome size, reduced %G+C, loss of genes of core metabolism) and displays evidence of adaptations common to free-living bacteria (e.g. defense against bacteriophage infection). These results suggest that T. turnerae is likely a facultative intracellular ensosymbiont whose niche presently includes, or recently included, free-living existence. As such, the T. turnerae genome provides insights into the range of genomic adaptations associated with intracellular endosymbiosis as well as enzymatic mechanisms relevant to the recycling of plant materials in marine environments and the production of cellulose-derived biofuels.

This article considers whether a loving embodied self-relation is of theological relevance and the possibility of a metaphorical conception of self-love as an inherent part of faith by means of Paul Tillich read through a phenomenology with a strong awareness of human embodiment. Additionally, it reflects on whether a theological focus on true self-love sheds light on a predominant and larger problem of normativity in the relationship between self and the world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ILLiad, an online interlibrary loan service widely used in libraries, generates detailed reports that support the assessment of interlibrary loan workflows and services. The data generated by these reports may also be utilized in nontraditional ways to inform e-resource troubleshooting workflows and collection development procedures. Louisiana State University assessed ILLiad data over the span of a year to determine best practices for e-resource troubleshooting, as well as to enhance staff training. Austin Peay State University reviewed ILLiad data to develop and implement a new collection development program. This combined presentation details the impact of ILLiad data in shaping new procedures for each respective university and provides insight into the potential of nontraditional applications of ILLiad report data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Excessive inflammation-associated coagulation is a feature of infectious diseases, occurring in such conditions as bacterial sepsis and COVID-19. It can lead to disseminated intravascular coagulation, one of the leading causes of mortality worldwide. Recently, type I interferon (IFN) signaling has been shown to be required for tissue factor (TF; gene name F3) release from macrophages, a critical initiator of coagulation, providing an important mechanistic link between innate immunity and coagulation. The mechanism of release involves type I IFN-induced caspase-11 which promotes macrophage pyroptosis. Here we find that F3 is a type I IFN-stimulated gene. Furthermore, F3 induction by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) is inhibited by the anti-inflammatory agents dimethyl fumarate (DMF) and 4-octyl itaconate (4-OI). Mechanistically, inhibition of F3 by DMF and 4-OI involves suppression of Ifnb1 expression. Additionally, they block type I IFN- and caspase-11-mediated macrophage pyroptosis, and subsequent TF release. Thereby, DMF and 4-OI inhibit TF-dependent thrombin generation. In vivo, DMF and 4-OI suppress TF-dependent thrombin generation, pulmonary thromboinflammation, and lethality induced by LPS, E. coli, and S. aureus, with 4-OI additionally attenuating inflammation-associated coagulation in a model of SARS-CoV-2 infection. Our results identify the clinically approved drug DMF and the pre-clinical tool compound 4-OI as anticoagulants that inhibit TF-mediated coagulopathy via inhibition of the macrophage type I IFN-TF axis. Infectious disease associated with excessive inflammation can result in coagulopathy. Here the authors show use of the clinically approved therapy dimethyl fumarate, as well as the pre-clinical tool compound 4- octyl itaconate, modulate tissue factor related coagulopathy via inhibition of the myeloid type I interferon pathway-tissue factor axis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While the Class Action Fairness Act (CAFA) establishes a bright‐line jurisdictional amount in controversy for removing cases from state to federal court, calculating that quantitative threshold in practice is a fraught and heavily litigated exercise. This article examines removals under CAFA to show the substantial lack of clarity in how state‐law causes of action and damage claims interact to reach the jurisdictional threshold. It compiles cases illustrating the challenges surrounding removal litigation that flow from these uncertainties, particularly in how the structure of CAFA incentivizes defendants to chain together tail‐event precedent to inflate theoretical amounts in controversy. It then applies a Coasean analysis to suggest these uncertainties impede efficient resolutions to litigation. Finally, it suggests a series of practical amendments to CAFA and its interpretive case law that would provide clarity, decrease forum‐selection litigation, and enhance the efficacy of class litigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the in vitro lung dissolution of amorphous and crystalline powder formulations of rifampicin in polyethylene oxide (PEO) and 1,2-dipalmitoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphatidylcholine (DPPC), and to predict the in vivo plasma concentration–time profiles using the in vitro data. Methods: The in vitro dissolution and permeation profiles of respirable rifampicin particles were studied using a custom-made dissolution apparatus. Data from the in vitro dissolution test were used to estimate the parameters to be used as the input for the simulation of in vivo plasma concentration–time profiles using STELLA® software. For prediction of in vivo profiles, a one-compartment model either with a first order elimination or with a Michaelis–Menten kinetics-based elimination was used. Results: Compared to the crystalline formulation, the amorphous formulation showed rapid in vitro dissolution suggesting their possible faster in vivo absorption and higher plasma concentrations of rifampicin following lung delivery. However, the simulations suggested that both powder formulations would result in similar plasma-concentration time profiles of rifampicin. Conclusions: Use of an in vitro dissolution test coupled with a simulation model for prediction of plasma-concentration time profiles of an inhaled drug was demonstrated in this work. These models can also be used in the design of inhaled formulations by controlling their release and dissolution properties to achieve desired lung retention or systemic absorption following delivery to the lungs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Clinical outcomes from infection with SARS-CoV-2, the cause of the COVID-19 pandemic, are remarkably variable ranging from asymptomatic infection to severe pneumonia and death. One of the key drivers of this variability is differing trajectories in the immune response to SARS-CoV-2 infection. Many studies have noted markedly elevated cytokine levels in severe COVID-19, although results vary by cohort, cytokine studied and sensitivity of assay used. We assessed the immune response in acute COVID-19 by measuring 20 inflammatory markers in 118 unvaccinated patients with acute COVID-19 (median age: 70, IQR: 58-79 years; 48.3% female) recruited during the first year of the pandemic and 44 SARS-CoV-2 naïve healthy controls. Acute COVID-19 was associated with marked elevations in nearly all pro-inflammatory markers, whilst eleven markers (namely IL-1β, IL-2, IL-6, IL-10, IL-18, IL-23, IL-33, TNF-α, IP-10, G-CSF and YKL-40) were associated with disease severity. We observed significant correlations between nearly all markers elevated in those infected with SARS-CoV-2 consistent with widespread immune dysregulation. Principal component analysis highlighted a pro-inflammatory cytokine signature (with strongest contributions from IL-1β, IL-2, IL-6, IL-10, IL-33, G-CSF, TNF-α and IP-10) which was independently associated with severe COVID-19 (aOR: 1.40, 1.11-1.76, p=0.005), invasive mechanical ventilation (aOR: 1.61, 1.19-2.20, p=0.001) and mortality (aOR 1.57, 1.06-2.32, p = 0.02). Our findings demonstrate elevated cytokines and widespread immune dysregulation in severe COVID-19, adding further evidence for the role of a pro-inflammatory cytokine signature in severe and critical COVID-19. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lai et al showed that 33% of OAB patients reported pain, pressure or discomfort in the bladder, and hypothesized that OAB patients with pain resemble OAB-dry patients without UUI (Lai et al 2014). Aidin Abedi SP 9 sp , Kofi Agyeman SP 1 sp , Darrin J Lee SP 2 sp , Evgeniy Kreydin SP 3 sp , David Chapman SP 3 sp , Jonathan J Russin SP 4 sp , Wooseong Choi SP 5 sp , Hui Zhong SP 6 sp , V Reggie Edgerton SP 6 sp , Charles Y Liu SP 7 sp , Vassilios N Christopoulos SP 8 sp SP I 1 i sp I Department of i I Bioengineering, UC Riverside, USA i , SP I 2 i sp I Department of Neurological Surgery, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA; USC Neurorestoration Center, Keck School of Medicine of USC, Los Angeles, CA, USA i , SP I 3 i sp I University of Southern California, Institute of Urology, Keck School of Medicine, Los Angeles, CA i , SP I 4 i sp I Department of Neurological Surgery, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA; USC Neurorestoration Center, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California i , SP I 5 i sp I Department of Neurological Surgery, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA i , SP I 6 i sp I Department of Neurobiology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA i , SP I 7 i sp I USC Neurorestoration Center, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA; Department of Neurological Surgery, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA i , SP I 8 i sp I Department of Bioengineering, UC Riverside, Riverside, CA, USA i , SP I 9 i sp I USC Neurorestoration Center, Department of Neurological Surgery, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California i Presented By: Aidin Abedi, MD B Introduction b : Neurogenic bladder dysfunction is a debilitating sequela of various neurological disorders. [Extracted from the article]

Background: Several studies have previously reported the presence of altered cerebral perfusion during sepsis. However, the role of non-invasive neuromonitoring, and the impact of altered cerebral perfusion, in sepsis patients with delirium remains unclear. Methods: We performed a systematic review of studies that used near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) and/or transcranial Doppler (TCD) to assess adults (-18 years) with sepsis and delirium. From study inception to July 28, 2020, we searched the following databases: Ovid MedLine, Embase, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science. Results: Of 1546 articles identified, 10 met our inclusion criteria. Although NIRS-derived regional cerebral oxygenation was consistently lower, this difference was only statistically significant in one study. TCD-derived cerebral blood flow velocity was inconsistent across studies. Importantly, both impaired cerebral autoregulation during sepsis and increased cerebrovascular resistance were associated with delirium during sepsis. However, the heterogeneity in NIRS and TCD devices, duration of recording (from 10 seconds to 72 hours), and delirium assessment methods (e.g., electronic medical records, confusion assessment method for the intensive care unit), precluded meta-analysis. Conclusion: The available literature demonstrates that cerebral perfusion disturbances may be associated with delirium in sepsis. However, future investigations will require consistent definitions of delirium, delirium assessment training, harmonized NIRS and TCD assessments (e.g., consistent measurement site and length of recording), as well as the quantification of secondary and tertiary variables (i.e., Cox, Mxa, MAPOPT), in order to fully assess the relationship between cerebral perfusion and delirium in patients with sepsis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although many SCD patients show increased ferritin levels with repeated RBC transfusions and some patients with RBCEx because of iron in RBC units and constant hemolysis, some patients on maintenance RBCEx therapy have low ferritin levels. Among them, 24 patients received maintenance RBCEx, and 7 patients (13.2% of a total number of patients, 29.2% of patients on maintenance RBCEx) had experienced low ferritin levels at least one point during their maintenance RBCEx treatment courses. THE FIRST REPORT OF THE AMERICAN SOCIETY FOR APHERESIS THROMBOTIC THROMBOCYTOPENIC PURPURA MU... Jay S Raval, MD, 1 Yara Park, MD, 3 Erin Garrett, MD, 3 Tina S Ipe, MD, 4 Poyyapakkam R Sriva... 1 Pathology, University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, Albuquerque, New Mexico 2 Medic... B Purpose: b Treatment of immune thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP) is heterogeneous. Little is known about the characteristics and outcomes of patients undergoing ECP treatment with MF or SS, as not all MF patients have blood involvement whereas all SS patients, by definition, have blood involvement and a poorer prognosis. We sought to characterize tandem procedures including: patients demographics, primary diagnosis, ASFA category indications, blood product utilization, adverse events during the procedures and patient outcomes at 24 hours and 30 days after completion of tandem procedures. [Extracted from the article]

Disconnected aggregates of allochthonous fossil Nypa fruits occur in the Ammonite Hill Member of the Dakhla Formation (Maastrichtian), exposed at the Bir Abu Minqar section, south Western Desert of Egypt. In a pale brown, calcareous siltstone and/or fine-grained sandstone layer, the fossil fruits found are densely infested by the borings Teredolites clavatus and Apectoichnus longissimus. In the specimens described, wood borings assigned to A. longissimus are more abundant than T. clavatus. Remains of the boring bivalves are not preserved. These aggregates of bored fruits likely accumulated in a warm, shallow, well-oxygenated marine environment. Prior to final accumulation, Nypa fruits drifted in seawater only for a short time and exhibit evidence of biostratinomic alterations. The present study is the first to systematically describe the occurrence of both nominal ichnotaxa from the Maastrichtian rocks in Egypt. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Dietary fiber is not traditionally considered to have anti-inflammatory actions in skeletal muscle. This study aims to test the hypothesis that oat β-glucans fiber intake can inhibit exercise-induced inflammation. Design/methodology/approach: Young adult males (age 18-30 years) consumed either oat bran β-glucans (2 × 1.5 g fiber/day) or placebo for 4 weeks (Trial 1: N = 11 for placebo, N = 9 for glucan; Trial 2: N = 7 for placebo, N = 8 for glucan). Muscle inflammatory stress was induced at baseline and post-intervention using a leg extension regimen. Findings: Ingestion of β-glucans, but not placebo, protected against inflammation based on subjective soreness scores (two trials), as well as on plasma myeloperoxidase readings (one trial). Scores were subject ratings from 0 (no soreness) to 10 (injury that impairs movement). Mean soreness score was lower at 48 h after exercise stress: post-glucan treatment vs pre-treatment: Trial 1: 1.9 + 2.4 vs 3.3 + 2.2 (p = 0.05); Trial 2: 1.2 + 0.7 vs 3.9 + 2.7 (p < 0.05). Myeloperoxidase just after exercise stress increased for both groups pre-treatment, but only for the placebo group post-treatment: 62 + 12 vs 81 + 15 (p < 0.05). Originality/value: This pilot study found that at least one type of dietary fiber can exert anti-inflammatory effects in skeletal muscle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ketamine, a nonselective NMDA receptor antagonist, is used widely in medicine as an anesthetic agent. However, ketamine's mechanisms of action lead to widespread physiological effects, some of which are now coming to the forefront of research for the treatment of diverse medical disorders. This paper aims at reviewing recent data on key nonanesthetic uses of ketamine in the current literature. MEDLINE, CINAHL, and Google Scholar databases were queried to find articles related to ketamine in the treatment of depression, pain syndromes including acute pain, chronic pain, and headache, neurologic applications including neuroprotection and seizures, and alcohol and substance use disorders. It can be concluded that ketamine has a potential role in the treatment of all of these conditions. However, research in this area is still in its early stages, and larger studies are required to evaluate ketamine's efficacy for nonanesthetic purposes in the general population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A list of peer reviewers for the magazine in 2019 is presented that include Gregory A. Abel, Benjamin S. Abella, Karolina Aberg, Jamil A. Aboulhosn, Amanda J. Abraham, Bahaa Abu Raya, Azza AbuDagga, Ala Abudayyeh, Stefan Acosta and Leon Adams.

In the summer of 2020, Austin Peay State University's Woodward Library added a report feature to all catalog records, allowing library users to alert technical services personnel of any errors discovered while searching, including broken links or incorrect information. With the implementation of the report feature, spot checking efforts were crowdsourced to library users, and data were collected on the types of errors appearing most often in catalog records. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In an online Qualtrics panel survey experiment (N = 1620), we found that scientists posting self-portraits (“selfies”) to Instagram from the science lab/field were perceived as significantly warmer and more trustworthy, and no less competent, than scientists posting photos of only their work. Participants who viewed scientist selfies, especially posts containing the face of a female scientist, perceived scientists as significantly warmer than did participants who saw science-only images or control images. Participants who viewed selfies also perceived less symbolic threat from scientists. Most encouragingly, participants viewing selfies, either of male or female scientists, did not perceive scientists as any less competent than did participants viewing science-only or control images. Subjects who viewed female scientist selfies also perceived science as less exclusively male. Our findings suggest that self-portraiture by STEM professionals on social media can mitigate negative attitudes toward scientists. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS) is a common malignancy of soft tissue, subclassified as alveolar (ARMS), pleomorphic (PRMS), spindle cell/sclerosing (SRMS), and embryonal (ERMS) types. The Yes-associated protein (YAP) is a member of the Hippo pathway and a transcriptional regulator that controls cell proliferation. We have studied the immunohistochemical expression of YAP in different RMSs, arranged in tissue microarray (TMA) and whole slide formats. Pertinent clinical data including patient age, gender, tumor location, and clinical stage were collected. Out of 96 TMA cases, 30 cases (31%) were pleomorphic, 27 (28%) were embryonal, 24 (25%) alveolar, and 15 (16%) spindle cell. Positive nuclear YAP staining was seen in the PRMS (17/30, 56.7%), SRMS (7/15, 46.7%), ERMS (19/27 or 70%), and less in ARMS (37.5%). YAP nuclear staining was significantly more prevalent in ERMS than ARMS (p =0.02). Of the 41 whole slide cases, nuclear staining was detected in all ARMS but was restricted in distribution to <30% of the cells, in contrast to ERMS and SRMS, which had diffuse or >30% staining. These results highlight the role of YAP in RMS tumorigenesis, a fact that can be useful in engineering targeted therapy. Restricted nuclear YAP staining (<30% of cells) may be of value in the diagnosis of ARMS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article lists the new members of universities and colleges Phi Alpha Theta organization initiation rite ceremonies including Asbury University, Ashland University, and Bridgewater College.

The article lists the authors and the Editorial Board of the periodical including Valentina Bambini, Claire Howlin, and Daniel Mullensiefen.

Teredinibacter turnerae is a cultivable intracellular endosymbiont of xylotrophic (wood-feeding) bivalves of the Family Teredinidae (shipworms). Although T. turnerae has been isolated from many shipworm taxa collected in many locations, no systematic effort has been made to explore genetic diversity within this symbiont species across the taxonomic and geographical range of its hosts. The mode of symbiont transmission is unknown. Here, we examine sequence diversity in fragments of six genes (16S rRNA, gyrB, sseA, recA, rpoB and celAB) among 25 isolates of T. turnerae cultured from 13 shipworm species collected in 15 locations in the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. While 16S rRNA sequences are nearly invariant between all examined isolates (maximum pairwise difference <0.26%), variation between examined protein-coding loci is greater (mean pairwise difference 2.2-5.9%). Phylogenetic analyses based on each protein-coding locus differentiate the 25 isolates into two distinct and well-supported clades. With five exceptions, clade assignments for each isolate were supported by analysis of alleles of each of the five protein-coding loci. These exceptions include (i) putative recombinant alleles of the celAB and gyrB loci in two isolates (PMS-535T.S.1b.3 and T8510), suggesting homologous recombination between members of the two clades; and (ii) evidence for a putative lateral gene transfer event affecting a second locus (recA) in three isolates (T8412, T8503 and T8513). These results demonstrate that T. turnerae isolates do not represent a homogeneous global population. Instead, they indicate the emergence of two lineages that, although distinct, likely experience some level of genetic exchange with each other and with other bacterial species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The primary aim of this study was to enhance our understanding of the functional architecture of the cortico-basal ganglia circuitry during motor task execution. Twenty right-handed female subjects without any history of neuropsychiatric illness underwent fMRI at 3 T. The activation paradigm was a complex motor task completed with the nondominant hand. Analyses of functional connectivity strength were conducted for pairs of structures in input, intrinsic, and output segments of the circuitry. Next, connectivity strengths were correlated with results of neurocognitive testing conducted outside of the scanner, which provided information about both motor and cognitive processes. For input pathways, results indicate that SMA-striatum interactions are particularly relevant for motor behavior and disruptions may impact both motor and cognitive functions. For intrinsic pathways, results indicate that thalamus (VA nucleus) to striatum feedback pathway appears to have an important role during task execution and carries information relevant for motor planning. Together, these findings add to accumulating evidence that the GPe may play a role in higher order basal ganglia processing. A potentially controversial finding was that strong functional connectivity appears to occur across intrinsic inhibitory pathways. Finally, output (thalamus to cortex) feedback was only correlated with motor planning. This result suggests circuit processes may be more relevant for future behaviors than the execution of the current task. Hum Brain Mapp, 2013. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Article 43 of the Arab Charter on Human Rights states, "Nothing in this Charter may be construed or interpreted as impairing the rights and freedoms protected by the domestic laws of the States parties or those set forth in the international and regional human rights instruments which the states parties have adopted or ratified, including the rights of women, the rights of children and the rights of minorities." Article 43 thus addresses the interaction between the Arab Charter on Human Rights and the domestic laws of Arab states. It also addresses the relationship between the Charter and international law. In analyzing these interactions, I argue that interpretation of the rights stipulated in the Charter should not be impaired by domestic laws that may restrict such rights. Instead, I explain that the Charter, as a regional convention, should be read in accordance with the principles of international treaty interpretation. I conclude that the Article 43 mandate requires a review of domestic legislation to ensure compatibility with the Charter as well as the incorporation of international law in domestic courts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article lists members initiated into the Phi Alpha Theta history honors society, including Taylor Bartholomew from State University of New York (SUNY) at Stony Brook, John Paul Beck from California Polytechnic State University at San Luis Obispo, and Heather Michelle Lebedoff from Metropolitan State College of Denver.

This article presents a list of new Phi Alpha Theta initiates from various universities and colleges in the U.S. as of September 2005.

This article interprets the icon of the Playboy Playmate in terms of the tough woman. Although our culture most often conceptualizes Playmates as highly sexualized, commercialized objects, they are not just busty pinup girlie-girls. Playmates have unexpected elements of toughness in their collective nature, and in reality, Playboy presents them as possessing much more complex characters than popular wisdom would allow. In her book Tough Girls, Sherrie Inness examines the representation of tough women in popular culture. She identifies early instantiations of the tough girl in 1970s television, specifically Charlie's Angels, the bionic woman, and Emma Peel in The Avengers. Ultimately, however, Inness asserts that the containment of the toughness of women is never absolute. According to Inness, one way to conceptualize toughness in women is through their ability to take on stereotypically masculine traits. However, not all Playmates might earn the moniker tough, but the great majority had attributes consistent with the identity of the tough women, as defined by Inness. Only a handful of Playmates seemed to lack any attributes of toughness. In her analysis of tough women and tough girls, Sherrie Inness identifies four broad characteristics that contribute to the new tough woman. These characteristics are body, attitude, actions, and authority.

This article criticizes African genital cutting as primitive, irrational, harmful and deserving of condemnation. For the past twenty-five years, feminists in the U. S. and elsewhere have been attempting to eliminate the cutting of women's genitals that is practiced in a number of African (and some Asian) societies. The central point of this Article is that neither of these depictions is accurate. North American medicine is not free of cultural influence, and FGC practices are not bound by culture at least not in the uniform way imagined by opponents. Finally, the relationship between female circumcision and intersex cutting implicates broader theoretical and practical questions about the interconnections between systems of subordination and the possibility of meaningful collaboration between antisubordination organizations and movements. In condemning African genital cutting but not intersex surgery, anti-FGC discourse conveys the message that, unlike scientific North American doctors, medical practitioners (often midwives) who perform African female circumcisions are backward, ignorant, and superstitious. This Article has argued that intersex surgery, like female circumcision, is a cultural practice that enacts patriarchal gender norms. To acknowledge this point is to challenge the fundamentally exceptionalist assumptions that ground the mainstream anti-FGC discourse--assumptions about the superiority of Western culture and the uncivilized nature of African societies.

Persecution for reasons of religion is one of the five grounds enumerated in the 1951 Convention relating to the Status of Refugees. The travaux préparatoires do not include any discussion of religion as a Convention ground for protection. The Handbook on Procedures and Criteria for Determining Refugee Status contains three paragraphs (71–73) addressing religious persecution, which demonstrate the intent that the Convention ground be interpreted by reference to international norms on freedom of thought, conscience and religion. To date there has been very little interpretive guidance on religion-based claims. The approach to determining the key elements in a refugee adjudication — what is a religion, what constitutes persecution in the context of religious practice, when is the persecution ‘for reasons of’ the individual's religious beliefs — are less clear today than they were when the 1951 Refugee Convention was drafted. This article surveys the jurisprudence of religion-based claims of four State parties to the Convention (the United States, Canada, New Zealand and the United Kingdom), identifies relevant issues and trends, and proposes an analytical framework for religion-based claims which is derived from international norms of protection for religion and belief. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Column by Nicole Wood, staff reporter, "The Russ," SDHC San Diego High School students have a member of the Society of Professional Journalists on their campus. His name is Leo […]