Connick v. Thompson: Sacrificing Deterrence and Reparations in the Name of Avoiding Respondeat Superior Liability

Death is the ultimate punishment because of its finality; once it is carried out, it can never be revoked. John Thompson came close to this ultimate punishment because a prosecutor failed to turn over exculpatory evidence under the principles that the U.S. Supreme Court enunciated in Brady v. Maryland. In Connick v. Thompson, the Court overturned Thompson’s $14 million award for spending eighteen years in prison (fourteen of those on death row) because previous Brady violations by the Orleans District Attorney’s Office were not enough to put the district attorney on notice regarding the need for further training on Brady’s principles and because the need for training was not so obvious that the district attorney’s office could be held liable under the failure-to-train theory. The Court’s holding is detrimental because an entire district attorney’s office may now be shielded from civil liability in the event of a Brady violation and because individuals like Thompson will have no recourse for spending time in prison due to prosecutorial misconduct. The Court’s holding discourages prosecutors from turning over exculpatory evidence, thus reducing prosecutorial accountability, and runs counter to the deeply rooted American principle that every person has the right to a fair trial

The Future of Direct Potable Reuse in California: Overcoming Public Acceptance Barriers

Due to the water shortages, population growth, and competing demands for water in California, the possibility of incorporating direct potable reuse technology in the state’s water supply portfolio is being considered by various water resource providers. This paper focuses on public acceptance challenges that may be encountered. By evaluating best practices employed by six different potable water reuse case studies, recommendations for future direct potable reuse projects are developed. It is recommended that future project proponents plan early and conduct public opinion surveys regarding this type of technology, develop and implement public outreach and education plans that include best practices defined in the case study analysis, and develop outreach and education materials that meet the interests of various audiences. Specific practices that should be considered include: educating the public about where existing supply sources come from when describing the need for DPR technology, garnering support from health professionals and local politicians, targeting outreach efforts to groups of people that may be wary of this type of technology, and offering public tours of advanced water purification facilities

Master of Science

thesisIn many seasonally snow-covered forests, productivity is highest in the spring period when air temperature is warm enough for photosynthesis to occur and soil moisture is not limiting. Due to the relative importance of this period, even small changes in the onset date of tree activity can have large impacts on annual productivity. Therefore, understanding the environmental controls on the onset of the active season is crucial in predicting the future state of our forests. While most studies to date have focused on measuring the seasonal patterns of forest productivity using eddy-covariance or remote sensing techniques, we employed the use of thermal dissipation sap flux sensors to make year-round continuous measurements of tree activity. This approach has the advantage of allowing us to distinguish between co-located species and to assess how changes in environmental conditions are likely to affect particular tree species. After testing and verifying in a laboratory setting that thermal dissipation sap flux sensors could accurately measure transpiration during cold periods, we installed sap flux sensors in Abies concolor and Populus tremuloides at a low elevation site and A. lasiocarpa and P. tremuloides at a high elevation site to monitor seasonal transpiration patterns. Our study included two spring periods with very different precipitation and air temperature, which allowed us to compare how interannual variability in environmental conditions affected the onset of transpiration and early season transpiration patterns. We found that warmer air temperature and earlier snowmelt advanced the onset of the active season for A. concolor and A. lasiocarpa, but that a shift in timing of precipitation events contributed to a delay in P. tremuloides activity. Overall, variability in tree activity between years was greater at the low elevation site, highlighting the susceptibility of lower elevation montane forests to climate change effects

Vaginal Birth after Cesarean Section: Provider Perspectives and Maternal Decision Making

Although evidence suggests vaginal birth after cesarean section (VBAC) leads to fewer complications in subsequent pregnancies, lower risk of maternal morbidity, and fewer cesarean sections overall, VBAC rates in Florida are at 5.5%, notably lower than the U.S. average of 8.0%. This exploratory study examines the factors contributing to these low VBAC rates through a qualitative investigation using grounded theory. Semi-structured interviews with women and maternity care providers were conducted to explore attitudes, motivations, and experiences regarding VBAC. Findings reveal a distinction between providers\u27 and women\u27s attitudes toward and experiences with VBAC and identify factors involved in decision-making. Three themes emerged: (1) patient-provider interactions; (2) perceptions of risks; and (3) rejection/adoption of biomedical authority. Women weighed the risks and benefits of VBAC through their perceptions and experiences of physical and emotional consequences, whereas providers relied on their experiences with medical practice, legal outcomes, policy, and evidence-based medicine. This exploratory research identifies a critical need for further attention to the disconnects between providers’ and women’s perspectives on and experiences with VBAC to address the tensions between biomedical and alternative forms of birth knowledge better and develop comprehensive VBAC guidelines that integrate the needs and concerns of women and providers

Methotrexate in Atherogenesis and Cholesterol Metabolism

Methotrexate is a disease-modifying antirheumatic drug commonly used to treat inflammatory conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis which itself is linked to increased cardiovascular risk. Treatments that target inflammation may also impact the cardiovascular system. While methotrexate improves cardiovascular risk, inhibition of the cyclooxygenase (COX)-2 enzyme promotes atherosclerosis. These opposing cardiovascular influences may arise from differing effects on the expression of proteins involved in cholesterol homeostasis. These proteins, ATP-binding cassette transporter (ABC) A1 and cholesterol 27-hydroxylase, facilitate cellular cholesterol efflux and defend against cholesterol overload. Methotrexate upregulates expression of cholesterol 27-hydroxylase and ABCA1 via adenosine release, while COX-2 inhibition downregulates these proteins. Adenosine, acting through the A2A and A3 receptors, may upregulate proteins involved in reverse cholesterol transport by cAMP-PKA-CREB activation and STAT inhibition, respectively. Elucidating underlying cardiovascular mechanisms of these drugs provides a framework for developing novel cardioprotective anti-inflammatory medications, such as selective A2A receptor agonists

Usefulness of Delivery Methods for Climate Change Programming: Perspectives of Extension and Research Faculty

Extension is responding to climate change through programming intended to encourage adaptation and mitigation in agricultural production and natural resources management. However, effectively engaging target audiences requires identifying appropriate delivery methods. We conducted a study to identify delivery methods researchers and Extension professionals at land-grant universities in the northeastern United States perceive as useful for climate change outreach. Respondents viewed all delivery methods as only slightly useful, though traditional options, including face-to-face interactions and the use of videos and websites, were perceived as slightly more useful than other delivery methods. Therefore, we in Extension must experiment with various delivery methods to identify those most likely to effect the adoption of adaptation and mitigation practices

Haemoglobin decreases in NSAID users over time: an analysis of two large outcome trials

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/86811/1/j.1365-2036.2011.04790.x.pd