Direct Democracy at the Local Level in Switzerland

Switzerland's more than 2,200 municipalities enjoy a high degree of autonomy and strongly developed direct democratic rights. The diversity of communal forms of direct democracy is correspondingly large. This chapter aims to trace the basic structures of these local democracies. One important distinction is at the centre of the argument. While the majority of municipalities are organised in direct democratic assemblies, the parliamentary system dominates in the larger cities and in many municipalities in French- and Italian-speaking Switzerland. However, equating parliaments with representative democracy and municipal assemblies with radical, direct democracy falls short of the mark. In fact, the local level reveals a vibrant and diverse mix of models of democracy. Depending on the cultural area and the situation of the individual municipalities, different approaches are taken to involve the voters in democratic decision making.

Comparison of dynamical features between the fast H-L and the H-I-L transition for EAST RF-heated plasmas

In this paper, a comparison of dynamical features between the fast H-L and the H-I-L transition, which can be identified by the intermediate phase, or ‘I-phase’, has been made for radio-frequency (RF) heated deuterium plasmas in EAST. The fast H-L transition is characterized by a rapid release of stored energy during the transition transient, while the H-I-L transition exhibits a ‘soft’ H-mode termination. One important distinction between the transitions has been observed by dedicated probe measurements slightly inside the separatrix, with respect to the radial gradient of the floating potential, which corresponds to the E×B flow and/or the electron temperature gradient. The potential gradient inside the separatrix oscillates and persists during the stationary I-phase, and shows a larger amplitude than that before the fast H-L transition. The reduction of the gradient leads to the final transition to the L-mode for both the fast H-L and the H-I-L transition. These findings indicate that the mean E×B flow shear and/or edge electron temperature gradient play a critical role underlying the H-L transition physics. In addition, the back transition in EAST is found to be sensitive to magnetic configuration, where the vertical configuration, i.e., inner strike-point located at vertical target, favours access to the H-I-L transition, while the horizontal shape facilitates achievement of the fast H-L transition. The divertor recycling level normalized to electron density is higher before the fast H-L transition, as compared to that before the I-phase, which strongly suggest that the density of the recycled neutrals is an important ingredient in determining the back transition behaviour.

Quantum Correlations

This chapter analyzes the phenomenon of quantum mechanical correlations using the BST notions of transitions, propensities, and funny business. It considers two ways of understanding such correlations: First, as modal correlations (exhibited, e.g., in the GHZ setup) and, second, as probabilistic correlations (exhibited, e.g., in the Bell-Aspect setup). Having introduced the notion of structure extensions, it asks if it is possible to extend an initial BST structure harboring correlations (modal or probabilistic) in such a way that the resulting extended structure harbors no such correlations. An important distinction, rigorously stated in BST, is that between agents-induced indeterminism and Nature-induced indeterminism. A main result concerning structure extensions is that in the mentioned cases, the procedure is not possible unless the extended structure violates the initially given division between cases of agents-induced indeterminism and cases of Nature-induced indeterminism.

Henry’s law constants (IUPAC Recommendations 2021)

Henry’s law states that the abundance of a volatile solute dissolved in a liquid is proportional to its abundance in the gas phase. It applies at equilibrium and in the limit of infinite dilution of the solute. For historical reasons, numerous different definitions, names, and symbols are used in the literature to express the proportionality coefficient, denoted the “Henry’s law constant”. Here, a consistent set of recommendations is presented. An important distinction is made between two new recommended reciprocal quantities: “Henry’s law solubility constant” (H s) and “Henry’s law volatility constant” (H v). Eight recommended variants of H s and H v are described and relations among them presented.

Weak Alfvénic turbulence in relativistic plasmas. Part 1. Dynamical equations and basic dynamics of interacting resonant triads

Alfvén wave collisions are the primary building blocks of the non-relativistic turbulence that permeates the heliosphere and low- to moderate-energy astrophysical systems. However, many astrophysical systems such as gamma-ray bursts, pulsar and magnetar magnetospheres and active galactic nuclei have relativistic flows or energy densities. To better understand these high-energy systems, we derive reduced relativistic magnetohydrodynamics equations and employ them to examine weak Alfvénic turbulence, dominated by three-wave interactions, in reduced relativistic magnetohydrodynamics, including the force-free, infinitely magnetized limit. We compare both numerical and analytical solutions to demonstrate that many of the findings from non-relativistic weak turbulence are retained in relativistic systems. But, an important distinction in the relativistic limit is the inapplicability of a formally incompressible limit, i.e. there exists finite coupling to the compressible fast mode regardless of the strength of the magnetic field. Since fast modes can propagate across field lines, this mechanism provides a route for energy to escape strongly magnetized systems, e.g. magnetar magnetospheres. However, we find that the fast-Alfvén coupling is diminished in the limit of oblique propagation.

Legacies of Slavery and their Enduring Harms

This article provides a much needed inquiry into the legacy of slavery from an interdisciplinary perspective, including the historical, socioeconomic, political, and the epistemic. It makes an important distinction between the legacy of slavery and its persisting damages. By investigating this legacy’s effects on peoples, communities, and societies, it highlights the imperative of situating the pains and sufferings of historical traumas within contemporary structural oppression and institutional discrimination that have perpetuated these harms. The article consists of four sections: it first outlines the legacy of slavery, comprised in instrumentalizing black bodies for economic gains, employing political aggression to colonize both lands and minds, applying racialized discourse to demean and dehumanize, and oppressing people of African descent through structural violence. It then discusses the legacy’s injuries as transgenerational and cultural traumas, and how these wounds are experienced by the relevant communities. The third section focuses on racism as a significant harm, analyzing different forms of racism (internalized, interpersonal, and institutional) as interconnected and mutually reinforcing. To conclude, this article considers challenges in addressing the legacy of slavery and puts forward tentative ideas for collective healing.

Taxation of Ride-hailing

This report is a guide to the practice of taxing ride-hailing at the state and local levels in the United States. The information is based on a survey of legislation, news articles, journal articles, revenue data, and interviews. We first review the literature and provide a history of ride-hailing and the practice of ride-hailing. We then profile all ride-hailing taxes in the United States, classifying these taxes according to common attributes and pointing out what details of legislation or history distinguishes each tax. One important distinction is between ad valorem taxes, levied as a percentage of fare or revenues, and “per-ride” taxes levied as a flat charge per ride. Another distinction is the differential treatment of shared and single rides. We provide extensive references to laws and ordinances as well as propose a system to classify the state legal environments under which ride-hailing is taxed. States fall into five regimes: (1) a “hands-off” regime wherein local governments are permitted wide leeway; (2) a “tax-free” regime wherein local taxes are prohibited and the state does not impose a tax; (3) a “state-tax-only” regime wherein local taxes are prohibited but the state levies taxes for its own use; (4) a “revenue-sharing” regime wherein the state levies taxes and distributes them to local governments; and (5) a “local-option” regime wherein local governments can opt into participating in a tax system regulated by the state. We make nine recommendations for Illinois policymakers considering taxes on ride-hailing, with the most important being that the state pass legislation clarifying and regulating the rights of local governments to levy such taxes.

4. Peoples of the Arctic

‘Peoples of the Arctic’ focuses on the 4 million people that live north of the Arctic Circle, providing an important distinction between indigenous and settler residents, as over 1 million indigenous peoples live in the eight Arctic states. Archaeological evidence suggests that the first people in the Arctic arrived about 40,000 years ago as there were Upper Palaeolithic hunting communities in north-eastern Siberia. There is considerable diversity of indigenous peoples that have called the Arctic home. Arctic demographers predict that more and more Arctic peoples will be based in towns and cities, but in the Russian and North American Arctic there will still be dispersed and small-scale settlements. Indigenous peoples of the Arctic are culturally, economically, and politically active in all the Arctic states.

Extending Our Scientific Reach in Arboreal Ecosystems for Research and Management

The arboreal ecosystem is vitally important to global and local biogeochemical processes, the maintenance of biodiversity in natural systems, and human health in urban environments. The ability to collect samples, observations, and data to conduct meaningful scientific research is similarly vital. The primary methods and modes of access remain limited and difficult. In an online survey, canopy researchers (n = 219) reported a range of challenges in obtaining adequate samples, including ∼10% who found it impossible to procure what they needed. Currently, these samples are collected using a combination of four primary methods: (1) sampling from the ground; (2) tree climbing; (3) constructing fixed infrastructure; and (4) using mobile aerial platforms, primarily rotorcraft drones. An important distinction between instantaneous and continuous sampling was identified, allowing more targeted engineering and development strategies. The combination of methods for sampling the arboreal ecosystem provides a range of possibilities and opportunities, particularly in the context of the rapid development of robotics and other engineering advances. In this study, we aim to identify the strategies that would provide the benefits to a broad range of scientists, arborists, and professional climbers and facilitate basic discovery and applied management. Priorities for advancing these efforts are (1) to expand participation, both geographically and professionally; (2) to define 2–3 common needs across the community; (3) to form and motivate focal teams of biologists, tree professionals, and engineers in the development of solutions to these needs; and (4) to establish multidisciplinary communication platforms to share information about innovations and opportunities for studying arboreal ecosystems.

Shared and Distinct Genetic Features in Human and Canine B-Cell Lymphomas

Introduction Animal models of human cancers are an important tool for the development and preclinical evaluation of new treatments. Canine B-cell lymphoma (cBCL) is an appealing alternative to murine preclinical models due to its frequent, spontaneous incidence and its clinical and histological similarity to human B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL). The potential utility of cBCL as a veterinary model of human B-cell lymphomas would be bolstered by a more complete understanding of the genetic features found in cBCL. Methods To study the genetics of cBCL, we obtained fresh frozen and matched plasma/serum from 86 patients from the Canine Comparative Oncology Genomic Consortium(CCOGC) with 65 confirmed as B-cell lymphomas by immunophenotyping. Tumor DNA was prepared into libraries using the QIAseq FX DNA Library Kit (Qiagen). Plasma and serum DNA was prepared into libraries using the NebNext Ultra II DNA Library Prep Kit. Targeted hybridization enrichment was performed on the libraries using our custom baits and sequencing reads were aligned to canFam3.1 using Geneious and each mutation was visually confirmed. Variants were annotated with Variant Effect Predictor and human-dog pairwise alignments were extracted from Ensembl to identify the orthologous human amino acid for all canine variants. Results Our analysis confirmed the previously reported high frequency of mutations in TRAF3 and FBXW7. We also observed mutations in POT1, TP53, and SETD2 at similar frequencies to those reported in previous studies. DDX3X was mutated in 20% of cases, which is substantially higher than previously reported. MYC mutations were also more frequent (13%) than has been previously described in cBCL. In human lymphomas, MYC is commonly deregulated by translocation to a potent enhancer and these events are often associated with point mutations in MYC that are induced by aberrant somatic hypermutation (aSHM). Interestingly, we identified a more focal pattern of MYC mutations in cBCL that implies they do not result from aSHM and are likely functional. This finding implicates the conserved MYC phosphodegron sequence, a motif commonly mutated among additional aSHM-associated mutations, as the target of bona fide driver mutations in both human and cBCLs. Mutations in FBXW7 primarily affected the substrate recognition domain responsible for MYC degradation. The observation that MYC and FBXW7 mutations did not co-occur in any canine patient is consistent with the notion that FBXW7 mutations operate as an alternative path to MYC stabilization which is not frequently observed in human NHL. DDX3X was one of the most frequently mutated genes in our cohort (20%). DDX3X mutations are common in human Burkitt lymphoma and, though less abundant in hDLBCL, tend to be observed in samples with MYC translocations. In Burkitt lymphoma, these mutations display a sex-specific pattern, wherein females show mainly missense mutations, while males are affected by loss-of-function mutations. Interestingly, all DDX3X mutations in cBCL are missense variants and are presumed to be dominant acting. This lack of sex difference in DDX3X mutations is an important distinction between human and canine B-cell lymphomas that warrants further exploration. Conclusions Our study has revealed key differences in the mutational profiles of canine and human B-cell lymphomas and provides an impetus for enhanced genomic characterization of canine lymphomas as a model for human NHL, particularly in clinical trial settings. Disclosures Grande: Sage Bionetworks: Current Employment. Alcaide: GA Diagnostics AB: Current Employment. Morin: Celgene: Consultancy; Foundation for Burkitt Lymphoma Research: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Epizyme: Patents & Royalties. Coyle: Allakos, Inc.: Consultancy.