Death Row Conditions Through an Environmental Justice Lens

Glenn Ford lived on death row at Louisiana State Penitentiary for twenty-nine years, three months and five days. Typically, he was confined in his cell for at least twenty-three hours of a given day, seven days a week. Glenn was convicted of the armed robbery and murder of Isadore Rozeman. After prosecutors Martin Stroud and Carey Schimpf used six of their eight peremptory challenges to exclude African-Americans from the jury venire, Glenn was sentenced to death in 1984 by an allwhite jury. He was a devoted friend to many and, to the extent possible given his incarceration, a committed father and grandfather. Glenn Ford was released in March 2014 after the state conceded that he was wrongly convicted of armed robbery and murder. During his decades on death row, he was involuntarily exposed to hazardous chemicals, sewage, toxic mold, excessive heat, rust, and lead

Mass Functions of Supermassive Black Holes Across Cosmic Time

The black hole mass function of supermassive black holes describes the evolution of the distribution of black hole mass. It is one of the primary empirical tools available for mapping the growth of supermassive black holes and for constraining theoretical models of their evolution. In this review we discuss methods for estimating the black hole mass function, including their advantages and disadvantages. We also review the results of using these methods for estimating the mass function of both active and inactive black holes. In addition, we review current theoretical models for the growth of supermassive black holes that predict the black hole mass function. We conclude with a discussion of directions for future research which will lead to improvement in both empirical and theoretical determinations of the mass function of supermassive black holes.Comment: 40 pages, 7 figures, review paper accepted for the Advances in Astronomy Special Issue "Seeking for the Leading Actor on the Cosmic Stage: Galaxies versus Supermassive Black Holes

Weed control strategies in organically grown carrots

This paper outlines a study to integrate elements of cultural, thermal and mechanical control methods in the production of late maincrop drilled organic carrots. Agronomic and economic findings are discusse

Horticultural weed control in organic systems – a modelling approach

This report was presented at the UK Organic Research 2002 Conference. Weed control is an important yet mainly unaddressed research issue in organic systems. At present there is little agronomic support to underpin weed management decisions. Computer modelling and simulation techniques may provide a valuable tool for understanding the nature and processes of the organic system thus generating knowledge and information of direct benefit to growers, which will aid in short and long term weed management strategies

Presence of arthralgia exacerbates decreased quality of life in hidradenitis suppurativa patients

Hidradenitis suppurativa is characterized by chronic follicular occlusion that presents with recurrent nodules, inflamed abscesses, and scarring. Research has shown that these patients have a decreased quality of life. In addition to its psychosocial effects, hidradenitis suppurativa has recently been associated with joint pathology. In this study, we distributed a survey consisting of the Short Form 12 Health Survey, used for assessing health outcomes, along with additional questions about joint pain to an online hidradenitis suppurativa support group in order to understand the effect of comorbid arthralgia on quality of life in this disease. The respondents in this study had significantly reduced physical health composite scores-12 (PCS-12), (35.8 versus 50, P<0.001) and mental health composite scores-12 (MCS-12), (33.7 versus 50, P<0.001) scores compared to the general population. Additionally, patients reporting severe arthralgia had significantly lower PCS-12 (32.3 versus 36.5; P<0.05) and MCS-12 (33.3 versus 40.5; P<0.001) scores compared to those with mild arthralgia. Despite the effect of comorbid arthralgia on quality of life, only 11% reported having been asked about joint pain by their dermatologist. Routine screening questions concerning associated arthralgia and diminished quality of life may be helpful during clinician assessment and treatment of hidradenitis suppurativa patients

Image to Fit the Clinical Picture: Point-of-care Ultrasound Assessment of Ebstein’s Anomaly in Peru

Ebstein’s anomaly is a congenital heart defect that when left untreated can lead to unique physical exam and ultrasound findings. This case describes a patient who presented with dyspnea and was found to have cyanosis, clubbing, and dilation of right-sided chambers on point-of-care ultrasound. The series of images highlights findings in late-stage Ebstein’s anomaly and serves as a springboard for the discussion of the pathophysiology, diagnosis, and treatment of this rare congenital heart disease