A Snowball\u27s Chance in \u3cem\u3eHeller\u3c/em\u3e: Why \u3cem\u3eDecastro\u27s\u3c/em\u3e Substantial Burden Standard is Unlikely to Survive

On June 1, 2012, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit in United States v. Decastro analyzed a Second Amendment challenge to a firearm regulation using a substantial burden standard. In so doing, the Second Circuit ignored much of the Supreme Court’s guidance in its 2008 decision in District of Columbia v. Heller. This Comment argues that the Decastro substantial burden standard offers insufficient protection for Second Amendment rights, and is therefore unlikely to survive

Moreiros 2 (Arronches) : as leituras possíveis dos fossos interiores

O presente trabalho tem como objetivo estudar os recipientes provenientes das intervenções de 1998 e 1999 em Moreiros 2, um sítio de fossos em Arronches, no Nordeste Alentejano. Pretende-se abordar os mesmos de um ponto de vista ligado à tipologia e à forma e enquadra-los culturalmente e cronologicamente no âmbito do tema dos recintos de fossos e da pré-história recente do Sudoeste da Península Ibérica. Com este propósito serão feitas comparações entre os resultados das análises do sítio em si e outros sítios cujas características permitam uma certa base de comparação. Será também efetuada uma tentativa de relacionar os dados com as características do sítio em si, avançando propostas para o seu faseamento.The present paper is subjected to the study and analysis of the pottery recovered in the 1998 and 1999 excavations of Moreiros 2, a ditched site in Arronches in north-eastern Alentejo. The pottery will be studied from an essentially typological and formal point of view aimed at establishing their chronological and cultural framework and framing them within the themes of enclosures recent prehistory in the Iberian Southwest. To this end, comparison will be carried out between the analyses of the site in question and the results from other, relevant sites. A phasing proposal will also be established, crossing the data available with the sites layout

Toxicological effects of prolonged exposure of soot-polluted air on some haematological and biochemical parameters of residents of Port Harcourt

Background: Soot is a by-product of incomplete combustion of carbon derived from substances that contains carbon like hydrocarbons, which is associated with various human diseases. The objectives of the studies are to evaluate the toxicological effects of prolonged exposure of soot polluted air on some haematological and biochemical parameters.Methods: One hundred apparently healthy residents of Port Harcourt residing in soot polluted environment for a minimum of 12 months and one hundred apparently healthy subjects residing in non-soot polluted environment outside Port Harcourt were recruited for this study. 5ml of venous blood was collected from each subject after 10hours of overnight fast to estimate the PCV, Hb, RBC, WBC, lymphocytes, neutrophils, bicarbonate, total cholesterol, triglyceride, low density lipoprotein and high density lipoprotein using automated autoanalyzer.Results: There was a statistically significant decrease in the PCV, Hb, RBC and increase in WBC, Lymphocytes and neutrophils. There was also a significant increase in the bicarbonate, total cholesterol and LDL with a decrease in HDL cholesterol as compared to the control.Conclusions: It is concluded that prolong exposure to soot polluted air is harmful and associated with deterioration of haematological parameters and also induces oxidative stress and lipid peroxidation which may increase morbidity and mortality

Comparison and validation of three versions of a forest wind risk model

Predicting the probability of wind damage in both natural and managed forests is important for understanding forest ecosystem functioning, the environmental impact of storms and for forest risk management. We undertook a thorough validation of three versions of the hybrid-mechanistic wind risk model, ForestGALES, and a statistical logistic regression model, against observed damage in a Scottish upland conifer forest following a major storm. Statistical analysis demonstrated that increasing tree height and local wind speed during the storm were the main factors associated with increased damage levels. All models provided acceptable discrimination between damaged and undamaged forest stands but there were trade-offs between the accuracy of the mechanistic models and model bias. The two versions of the mechanistic model with the lowest bias gave very comparable overall results at the forest scale and could form part of a decision support system for managing forest wind damage risk

TACE/ADAM17 substrates associate with ACS (Ep-CAM, HB-EGF) and follow-up MACE (TNFR1 and TNFR2)

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: TACE/ADAM17 is a membrane bound metalloprotease, which cleaves substrates involved in immune and inflammatory responses and plays a role in coronary artery disease (CAD). We measured TACE and its substrates in CAD patients to identify potential biomarkers within this molecular pathway with potential for acute coronary syndrome (ACS) and major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) prediction. METHODS: Blood samples were obtained from consecutive patients (n = 229) with coronary angiographic evidence of CAD admitted with ACS or electively. MACE were recorded after a median 3-year follow-up. Controls (n = 115) had a <10% CAD risk as per the HeartSCORE. TACE and TIMP3 protein and mRNA levels were measured by ELISA and RT-qPCR respectively. TACE substrates were measured using a multiplex proximity extension assay. RESULTS: TACE mRNA and cell protein levels (p < 0.01) and TACE substrates LDLR (p = 0.006), TRANCE (p = 0.045), LAG-3 (p < 0.001) and ACE2 (p < 0.001) plasma levels were significantly higher in CAD patients versus controls. TACE inhibitor TIMP3 mRNA levels were significantly lower in CAD patients and tended to be lower in the ACS population (p < 0.05). TACE substrates TNFR1 (OR:3.237,CI:1.514–6.923,p = 0.002), HB-EGF (OR:0.484,CI:0.288–0.813,p = 0.006) and Ep-CAM (OR:0.555,CI:0.327–0.829,p = 0.004) accurately classified ACS patients with HB-EGF and Ep-CAM levels being lower compared to electively admitted patients. TNFR1 (OR:2.317,CI:1.377–3.898,p = 0.002) and TNFR2 (OR:1.902,CI:1.072–3.373,p = 0.028) were significantly higher on admission in those patients who developed MACE within 3 years. CONCLUSIONS: We demonstrate a possible role of TACE substrates LAG-3, HB-EGF and Ep-CAM in atherosclerotic plaque development and stability. We also underline the importance of measuring TNFR1 and TNFR2 earlier than previously appreciated for MACE prediction. We report an important role of TIMP3 in regulating TACE levels