First charge collection and position-precision data on the medium-resistivity silicon strip detectors before and after neutron irradiation up to 2x10(14) n/cm(2)

Test strip detectors of 125 mu m, 500 mu m, and 1 mm pitches with about 1 cm(2) areas have been made on medium-resistivity silicon wafers (1.3 and 2.7 k Ohm cm). Detectors of 500 mu m pitch have been tested for charge collection and position precision before and after neutron irradiation (up to 2 x 10(14) n/cm(2)) using 820 and 1030 nm laser lights with different beam-spot sizes. It has been found that for a bias of 250 V a strip detector made of 1.3 k Ohm cm (300 mu m thick) can be fully depleted before and after an irradiation of 2 x 10(14) n/cm(2). For a 500 mu m pitch strip detector made of 2.7 k Ohm cm tested with an 1030 nm laser light with 200 mu m spot size, the position reconstruction error is about 14 mu m before irradiation, and 17 mu m after about 1.7 x 10(13) n/cm(2) irradiation. We demonstrated in this work that medium resistivity silicon strip detectors can work just as well as the traditional high-resistivity ones, but with higher radiation tolerance. We also tested charge sharing and position reconstruction using a 1030 nm wavelength (300 mu m absorption length in Si at RT) laser, which provides a simulation of MIP particles in high-physics experiments in terms of charge collection and position reconstruction, (C) 1999 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.

First principles investigation on the structural, mechanical and electronic properties of OsC2

The structural, mechanical and electronic properties Of OsC2 were investigated by use of the density functional theory. Seven structures were considered, i.e., orthorhombic Cmca (No. 12, OsSi2), Pmmn (No. 59, 002) and Pnnm (No. 58, OsN2); tetragonal P4(2)/mnm (No. 136, OsO2) and 14/mmm (No. 139, CaC2); cubic Fm-3m (No. 225, CaF2) and Pa-3 (No. 205, PtN2). The results indicate that Cmca in OsSi2 type structure is energetically the most stable phase among the considered structures. It is also stable mechanically. OsC2 in Pmmn phase has the largest bulk modulus 319 GPa and shear modulus 194 GPa. The elastic anisotropy is discussed. (C) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

First molluscan TNFR homologue in Zhikong scallop: Molecular characterization and expression analysis

Tumor necrosis factor receptors (TNFRs) are a superfamily of proteins characterized by the unique cysteine-rich domain (CRD) and their important roles in diverse physiological and pathological events such as inflammation, apoptosis, autoimmunity and organogenesis. The first member of the molluscan TNFR family, designated as CfTNFR, was identified from Zhikong scallop Chlamys farreri by expressed sequence tag (EST) and rapid amplification of cDNA ends (RACE) approaches. The full-length cDNA of CfTNFR was of 1334 bp, consisting of a 5' UTR of 17 bp, a 3'UTR of 69 by with a poly (A) tail, and an open reading frame (ORE) of 1248 by encoding a polypeptide of 415 amino acids with a theoretical isoelectric point of 8.33 and predicted molecular weight of 47.07 kDa. There were a signal peptide, a CRD, a transmembrane region and a death domain in the deduced amino acid sequence of CfTNFR, suggesting that it was a typical type 1 membrane protein. The high identities (22-40%) of CfTNFR with other TNFR superfamily members indicated that CfTNFR should be a member of TNFR superfamily, and moreover, it should be the first death domain-containing TNFR found in invertebrates. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that CfTNFR was closely related to TNFR-like proteins from Strongylocentrotus purpuratus, Drosophila melanogaster and Ciona intestinalis, and they formed a separate branch apart from vertebrate TNFRs. The spatial expression of CfTNFR transcripts in healthy and bacteria challenged scallops was examined by quantitative real-time PCR. CfTNFR transcripts could be detected in all tested tissues, including haemocytes, gonad, gill, mantle and hepatopancreas, and significantly up-regulated in the tissues of gonad, gill, mantle and hepatopancreas after Listonella anguillarum challenge, indicating that CfTNFR was constitutive and inducible acute-phase protein involved in immune defence. The present results suggested the existence of the TNFR-like molecules and TNF-TNFR system in low invertebrates, and provided new insights into the role of CfTNFR in scallop innate immune responses to invading microorganisms. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Complete mitochondrial genome of the sea cucumber Apostichopus japonicus (Echinodermata: Holothuroidea): The first representative from the subclass Aspidochirotacea with the echinoderm ground pattern

Complete mitochondrial genome plays an important role in the accurate revelation of phylogenetic relationships among metazoans. Here we present the complete mitochondrial genome sequence from a sea cucumber Apostichopus japonicus (Echinodermata: Holothuroidea), which is the first representative from the subclass Aspidochirotacea. The mitochondrial genome of A. japonicus is 16,096 bp in length. The heavy strand consists of 31.8% A, 20.2% C, 17.9% G, and 30.1% T bases (AT skew = 0.027: GC skew = 0.062). It contains thirteen protein-coding genes (PCGs), twenty-two transfer RNA genes, and two ribosomal RNA genes. There are a total of 3793 codons in all thirteen mitochondrial PCGs, excluding incomplete termination codons. The most frequently used amino acid is Leu (15.77%), followed by Set (9.73%), Met (8.62%), Phe (7.94%), and Ala (7.28%). Intergenetic regions in the mitochondrial genome of A. japonicus are 839 bp in total, with three relatively large regions of Unassigned Sequences (UAS) greater than 100 bp. The gene order of A. japonicus is identical to that observed in the five studied sea urchins, which confirms that the gene order shared by the two classes (Holothuroidea and Echinoidea) is a ground pattern of echinoderm mitochondrial genomes. Bayesian tree based on the cob gene supports the following relationship: (outgroup, (Crinoids, (Asteroids, Ophiuroids, (Echinoids, Holothuroids)))). (C) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The first molluscan TCTP in Venerupis philippinarum: Molecular cloning and expression analysis

Translationally controlled tumor protein (TCTP) is one of the abundant and ubiquitously expressed proteins in metazoans In the present study, the first molluscan TCTP (denoted as VpTCTP) was identified from Venerupis philippinarum haemocytes by EST and RACE approaches The full-length cDNA of VpTCTP consisted of 1148 nucleotides with an open-reading frame of 555 bp encoding 184 amino acids The deduced amino acid sequence of VpTCTP shared high similarity with TCTPs from other species, indicating that VpTCTP should be a new member of TCTP family Several highly conserved motifs, including 5'terminal ologopyrimidine (5'TOP) starting sequence and rich AU and AUUT elements in 3'UTR, were also identified in VpTCTP The tissue and temporal expression of VpTCTP after Vi boo anguillarum challenge was recorded by quantitative real-time RT-PCR. VpTCTP transcript could be detected in all examined tissues with the highest expression level in haemocytes and the lowest in hepatopancreas Concerning the time-course expression in haemocytes, the relative expression of VpTCTP mRNA was down-regulated sharply from 6 h to 12 h post-infection. Then, the expression level was obviously up-regulated and reached 3.4-fold to that in the control group at 48 h post challenge As time progressed, the expression of VpTCTP recovered to the original level at 96 h. All these results indicated that VpTCTP was an acute-phase protein involved in the Immune response of V philippinarum (C) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Effects of delayed first feeding on growth and survival of rock bream Oplegnathus fasciatus larvae

The effects of the timing of first feeding (0, 1 and 2 days after yolk exhaustion) and starvation on the point-of-no-return (PNR), survival and growth of laboratory-reared rock bream larvae were studied under controlled conditions. Larvae began to feed exogenously at 3 days after hatching (dah) and reached PNR on 54 h after yolk exhaustion at 22 +/- 1.5 degrees C. Larvae growth was significantly affected by the time of first exogenous feeding. The growth of 0 day delayed first feeding larvae was obviously faster than those of the other delayed first feeding larvae (P<0.05) whether at 7 dab (SL=3.40 mm, SGR=5.7, CV=4.0) or at 15 dah (SL=4.85 mm, SGR=6.1, CV=8.2) with a more uniform size distribution. Survival of 0 day delayed first feeding larvae and I day delayed first feeding larvae was 13% and 8% at the end of experiment, respectively, while no larvae survived up to 7 dah for 2 days delayed first feeding larvae and unfed larvae. Food resulted in a progressive deterioration of the larval digestive system and atrophy of skeletal muscle fibre. The ratios of head length to SL (standard length), body height to SL and eye diameter to SL were the most sensitive morphometric indices to detect the effects of fasting on larval condition. Present results showed that the combination of morphological and morphometric variables could be used to evaluate the nutritional condition of rock bream larvae. In order to avoid the potential mortality and gain better development, survival and growth in industrial production, the rock bream larvae must establish successful first feeding within 2 days after yolk exhaustion. (C) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A study of the extent to which Irish law, policy and practice allow for Ireland's application of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, 1989 to pre-natal children

The central research question of this thesis asks the extent to which Irish law, policy and practice allow for the application of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) to pre-natal children. First, it is demonstrated that pre-natal children can fall within the definition of ‘child’ under the Convention and so the possibility of applying the Convention to children before birth is opened. Many State Parties to the CRC have interpreted it as applicable to pre-natal children, while others have expressed that it only applies from birth. Ireland has not clarified whether or not it interprets it as being applicable from conception, birth, or some other point. The remainder of the thesis examines the extent to which Ireland interprets the CRC as applicable to the pre-natal child. First, the question of whether Ireland affords to the pre-natal child the right to life under Article 6(1) of the Convention is analysed. Given the importance of the indivisibility of rights under the Convention, the extent to which Ireland applies other CRC rights to pre-natal children is examined. The rights analysed are the right to protection from harm, the right to the provision of health care and the procedural right to representation. It is concluded that Ireland’s laws, policies and practices require urgent clarification on the issue of the extent to which rights such as protection, health care and representation apply to children before birth. In general, there are mixed and ad hoc approaches to these issues in Ireland and there exists a great deal of confusion amongst those working on the frontline with such children, such as health care professionals and social workers. The thesis calls for significant reform in this area in terms of law and policy, which will inform practice.

The Transnational Geography of Sexual Rights

Among the signal developments of the last third of the twentieth century has been the emergence of a new politics of human rights. The transnational circulation of norms, networks, and representations has advanced human rights claims in ways that have reshaped global practices. Just as much as the transnational flow of capital, the new human rights politics are part of the phenomenon that has come to be termed globalization. Shifting the focus from the sovereignty of the nation to the rights of individuals, regardless of nationality, the interplay between the local and the global in these new human rights claims are fundamentally redrawing the boundaries between the rights of individuals, states, and the international community. Truth Claims brings together for the first time some of the best new work from a variety of disciplinary and geographic perspectives exploring the making of human rights claims and the cultural politics of their representations. All of the essays, whether dealing with the state and its victims, receptions of human rights claims, or the status of transnational rights claims in the era of globalization, explore the potentialities of an expansive humanistic framework. Here, the authors move beyond the terms -- and the limitations -- of the universalism/relativism debate that has so defined existing human rights literature.

Contemporary subject: human rights and democracy

The aim of this paper is to show that only in a society where human rights are honored and democracy is vigorous, the process of subjectivation be possible. It is a critical sociology research. The article is presented in two parts, the first, subject and subjectivity in contemporary times, analyze the obstacles that individuals have for subjective process, and the second, subject and human rights and subject and democracy we argue about the need for human rights and democracy for the process of subjectivation.

Finding Common Ground: A Critical Review of Land Use and Resource Management Policies in Ontario, Canada and their Intersection with First Nations

This article provides an in-depth analysis of selective land use and resource management policies in the Province of Ontario, Canada. It examines their relative capacity to recognize the rights of First Nations and Aboriginal peoples and their treaty rights, as well as their embodiment of past Crown–First Nations relationships. An analytical framework was developed to evaluate the manifest and latent content of 337 provincial texts, including 32 provincial acts, 269 regulatory documents, 16 policy statements, and 5 provincial plans. This comprehensive document analysis classified and assessed how current provincial policies address First Nation issues and identified common trends and areas of improvement. The authors conclude that there is an immediate need for guidance on how provincial authorities can improve policy to make relationship-building a priority to enhance and sustain relationships between First Nations and other jurisdictions.

First dielectronic recombination measurements with H-like uranium

In this report we show first results on dielectronic recombination (DR) measurements with H-like uranium U91+. The experiments were conducted at the heavy ion storage ring ESR of GSI. The electron cooler of the ESR was used as a target for free electrons. Stochastic pre-cooling of the stored ion beam was employed in order to accomplish high-energy resolution at the necessary high electron-ion collision energies of more than 64 keV. For the DR of U91+ this novel technique enabled us to measure for the first time the KLL-DR process and even to resolve the individual j-j' fine structure components of the KLjLj' resonances. The experimental data are compared with fully relativistic Multi-Configuration Dirac-Fock (DR-MCDF) calculations. (c) 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A “very limited” effect or a “seismic” impact? A study of the impact of the Human Rights Act 1998 on the Courts of Northern Ireland

This article focuses on the question of what impact the Human Rights Act 1998 has had in practice on the courts of Northern Ireland. How frequently are human rights arguments made in the course of cases in this jurisdiction, and to what extent do such arguments affect outcomes of cases? In order to assess the impact of the Act, the use of the European Convention on Human Rights in the Northern Irish courts during four periods of time is examined. These are, firstly, prior to the passing of the Act in November 1998; secondly, between the Act’s passing and its coming into force in October 2000; thirdly, the first three years after the coming into force of the Act (October 2000 until October 2003); and fourthly, the three years between October 2006 and October 2009.

‘Governing (Through) Rights: Statistics as Technologies of Governmentality’

An increasing amount of attention is being given to the use of human rights measurement indicators in monitoring ‘progress’ in rights and there is consequently a growing focus on statistics and information. This article concentrates on the use of statistics in rights discourse, with reference to the new human rights institution for the European Union: the Fundamental Rights Agency. The article has two main objectives: first, to show that statistics operate as technologies of governmentality – by explaining that statistics both govern rights and govern through rights. Second, the article discusses the implications that this has for rights discourse – rights become a discourse of governmentality, that is a normalizing and regulating discourse. In doing so, the article stresses the importance of critique and questioning new socio-legal methodologies, which involve the collection and dissemination of information and data (statistics), in rights discourse.