Of Climate Change, Quantum Physics and Causation: Is it Time for a Probabilistic Approach to Causation in Tort Law?

To date, the requirement that a plaintiff prove causation has hampered the success of tort-based claims against corporate greenhouse gas emitters. The need for an alternative approach to causation is clear. In recent years, courts and academics have engaged with the task of finding viable alternatives to the dominant "but for" test for causation. This article adds to that endeavour by proposing a new line of inquiry, grounded in approaches to causation that have emerged in scientific disciplines. It argues that the demise of deterministic theories of causation in science, and the rise of indeterministic and probabilistic alternatives, could be of interest to lawyers seeking a new approach to causation in law that is better tailored to the challenges of climate change. The article contends that courts' rigid application of the "but for" test is rooted in a Newtonian assumption that all things have a determinate cause. It advocates instead for a probabilistic approach, drawing on Fairchild v Glenhaven Funeral Services Ltd as evidence of its feasibility. Such an approach, it is argued, creates a real prospect of success for climate change litigants

Navigating the First Year: Transition and Adjustment Experiences of International Students of Color at a Predominantly White Institution

International student mobility has been a highly discussed topic in higher education in the United States (U.S.). Yet current geo-political issues necessitate a re-examination of how international students, especially those who would be considered students of Color, are transitioning to U.S. higher education institutions. Findings from three interviews that spanned participants’ first year on campus include the importance of social interactions, challenges with academic adjustments, and navigating the effects of politics. Suggestions for student affairs practice are addressed, including pre-sojourn connections and peer engagement

Seeking help for perinatal psychological distress: a meta-synthesis of women's experiences

Background Women may not seek help for perinatal psychological distress, despite regular contact with primary care services. Barriers include ignorance of symptoms, inability to disclose distress, others’ attitudes, and cultural expectations. Much of the evidence has been obtained from North American populations and may not, therefore, extrapolate to the UK. Aim To understand the factors affecting women’s decision to seek help for perinatal distress. Design and setting Meta-synthesis of the available published qualitative evidence on UK women’s experiences of seeking help for perinatal distress. Method Systematic searches were conducted in accordance with PRISMA guidelines. Databases searched were PubMed, Scopus, PsycINFO, PsycARTICLES, CINAHL, and Academic Search Complete. Searches of grey literature and references were also conducted. Studies were eligible for inclusion if they reported qualitative data on UK women’s experiences of perinatal distress and contact with healthcare professionals. The synthesis was conducted using meta-ethnography. Results In all, 24 studies were eligible for inclusion. Metasynthesis identified three main themes: identifying a problem, the influence of healthcare professionals, and stigma. These themes build on current understanding of help seeking by identifying the need for women to be able to frame their experience, for healthcare professionals to educate women about their roles, the need for continuity of care, and the way that being seen as a ‘bad mother’ causes women to self-silence. Conclusion Perinatal care provision needs to allow for continuity of care and for staff training that facilitates awareness of factors that influence women’s help seeking. Further research is required, particularly in relation to effective means of identifying perinatal psychological distress

Language development after cochlear implantation: an epigenetic model

Growing evidence supports the notion that dynamic gene expression, subject to epigenetic control, organizes multiple influences to enable a child to learn to listen and to talk. Here, we review neurobiological and genetic influences on spoken language development in the context of results of a longitudinal trial of cochlear implantation of young children with severe to profound sensorineural hearing loss in the Childhood Development after Cochlear Implantation study. We specifically examine the results of cochlear implantation in participants who were congenitally deaf (N = 116). Prior to intervention, these participants were subject to naturally imposed constraints in sensory (acoustic–phonologic) inputs during critical phases of development when spoken language skills are typically achieved rapidly. Their candidacy for a cochlear implant was prompted by delays (n = 20) or an essential absence of spoken language acquisition (n = 96). Observations thus present an opportunity to evaluate the impact of factors that influence the emergence of spoken language, particularly in the context of hearing restoration in sensitive periods for language acquisition. Outcomes demonstrate considerable variation in spoken language learning, although significant advantages exist for the congenitally deaf children implanted prior to 18 months of age. While age at implantation carries high predictive value in forecasting performance on measures of spoken language, several factors show significant association, particularly those related to parent–child interactions. Importantly, the significance of environmental variables in their predictive value for language development varies with age at implantation. These observations are considered in the context of an epigenetic model in which dynamic genomic expression can modulate aspects of auditory learning, offering insights into factors that can influence a child’s acquisition of spoken language after cochlear implantation. Increased understanding of these interactions could lead to targeted interventions that interact with the epigenome to influence language outcomes with intervention, particularly in periods in which development is subject to time-sensitive experience

Additional file 1: of How do older people describe their sensory experiences of the natural world? A systematic review of the qualitative evidence

Supplementary Information. (DOCX 39 kb

Cardiovascular and renal disease in the adolescent guinea pig after chronic placental insufficiency

OBJECTIVE:The aim of this study was to determine the long-term effects of chronic placental insufficiency on the metabolic state and organ structure in the fetal and adolescent guinea pig. STUDY DESIGN: The maternal uterine artery was ligated at day 28–30 to reduce placental function and restrict fetal growth. Whole body and tissue weights and plasma metabolites were determined at 60 days of gestation and 8 weeks of age; tissue structure was determined at the latter age in restricted and control offspring. RESULTS: Fetal growth restriction increased fibrosis in the heart and kidneys (P < .05), increased aortic wall thickening (P < .01), reduced the number of glomeruli in the kidneys (P < .05), and increased the plasma urea and chloride in adolescent offspring. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrates that diseases in the heart, aorta, and kidneys that result from an adverse prenatal environment are evident at adolescence and may contribute to subsequent adult disease.Todd A. Briscoe, Alexandra E. Rehn, Sandra Dieni, Jhodie R. Duncan, Mary E. Wlodek, Julie A. Owens and Sandra M. Ree