Using Daubert to Evaluate Evidence-Based Sentencing

Despite its purported positive impact on the criminal justice system, evidence-based sentencing risks fooling judges and juries and further contributing to the overrepresentation of men of color and poor people in prisons. The problems with the creation of these models, namely a lack of replication, potentially unconstitutional use of certain factors, high false positive rates, and issues with G2i abstraction, should all create serious concerns for actors in and around the criminal justice system

Using Daubert to Evaluate Evidence-Based Sentencing

Despite its purported positive impact on the criminal justice system, evidence-based sentencing risks fooling judges and juries and further contributing to the overrepresentation of men of color and poor people in prisons. The problems with the creation of these models, namely a lack of replication, potentially unconstitutional use of certain factors, high false positive rates, and issues with G2i abstraction, should all create serious concerns for actors in and around the criminal justice system

Combined fluorescence lifetime and surface topographical imaging of biological tissue

In this work a combined fluorescence lifetime and surface topographical imaging system is demonstrated. Based around a 126 × 192 time resolved single photon avalanche diode (SPAD) array operating in time correlated single-photon counting (TCSPC) mode, both the fluorescence lifetime and time of flight (ToF) can be calculated on a pixel by pixel basis. Initial tests on fluorescent samples show it is able to provide 4 mm resolution in distance and 0.4 ns resolution in lifetime. This combined modality has potential biomedical applications such as surgical guidance, endoscopy and diagnostic imaging. The system is demonstrated on both ovine and human pulmonary tissue samples, where it offers excellent fluorescence lifetime contrast whilst also giving a measure of the distance to the sample surfac

Relationship of CT densitometry to lung physiological parameters and health status in alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency: initial report of a centralised database of the NIHR rare diseases translational research collaborative.

Funder: Foundation for the National Institutes of Health; FundRef: http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/100000009OBJECTIVES: To establish a database network for the study of alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency (AATD) and compare the results to CT lung density as the most direct measure of emphysema. DESIGN: A central electronic database was established to permit the upload of anonymised patient data from remote sites. Prospectively collected CT data were recorded onto disc, anonymised, analysed at the coordinating centre and compared with the clinical features of the disease. SETTING: Tertiary referral centres with expertise in the management of AATD focused on academic Biomedical Research Units and Wellcome Clinical Research Facilities. PARTICIPANTS: Data were collected from 187 patients over 1 year from eight UK academic sites. This included patient demographics, postbronchodilator physiology, health status and CT. Analysis was undertaken at the coordinating centre in Birmingham. RESULTS: Patient recruitment in the 12 months reached 94% of target (set at 200) covering the whole spectrum of the disease from those with normal lung function to very severe chronic obstructive lung disease. CT scan suitable for analysis was available from 147 (79%) of the patients. CT density, analysed as the threshold for the lowest 15% of lung voxels, showed statistically significant relationships with the objective physiological parameters of lung function as determined by spirometric Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) severity staging (p<0.001) and carbon monoxide gas transfer (p<0.01). Density also correlated with subjective measures of quality of life (p=0.02). CONCLUSIONS: Establishment of the network for data collection and its transfer was highly successful facilitating future collaboration for the study of this rare disease and its management. CT densitometry correlated well with the objective clinical features of the disease supporting its role as the specific marker of the associated emphysema and its severity. Correlations with subjective measures of health, however, were generally weak indicating other factors play a role

Chelating N-heterocyclic carbene-carboranes offer flexible ligand coordination to IrIII, RhIII and RuII: effect of ligand cyclometallation in catalytic transfer hydrogenation

Imidazolium salts linked by an ethyl tether to closo-dicarbadodecaboranes were reacted with [IrCp*Cl2]2, [RhCp*Cl2]2 or [Ru(p-cymene)Cl2]2 in the presence of Ag2O to prepare complexes of the type [MCp*(NHC)Cl2] (M = Ir, Rh; NHC = N-heterocyclic carbene) or [Ru(p-cymene)(NHC)Cl2]. When the NHC contained an N-tBu substituent, C–H activation of the tBu and subsequent alkyl coordination was observed at Ir. Coordination of the closo-dicarbadodecaborane moiety to Ir was possible to give 7-membered metallacycles, coordinated through the carbenic carbon of the NHC and either a carbon atom or a boron atom of the carborane. Examination of the Ir complexes in the transfer hydrogenation of acetophenone to 1-phenylethanol reveals that cyclometallation of the carborane moiety is important for catalytic efficacy, indicating a bifunctional mechanism and involvement of the dicarbadodecaborane anion

Solid-state structure, solution-state behaviour and catalytic activity of electronically divergent C, N-chelating palladium-N-heterocyclic carbene complexes

A family of electronically diverse pyridyl- and picolyl-substituted imidazolium salts have been prepared and coordinated to palladium in a single step, to deliver a variety of palladium(II)–N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) complexes. Neutral Pd(NHC)X2, cationic [Pd(NHC)2X]X and dicationic [Pd(NHC)2]X2-type complexes have been isolated and fully characterised, with single-crystal X-ray analysis revealing a variety of coordination environments around the palladium centres. The pre-formed complexes have been employed in a model Suzuki–Miyaura cross-coupling reaction to yield a sterically congested tetra-ortho-substituted biaryl product, showcasing turnover numbers comparable to Pd-PEPPSI-IPr catalyst

Mortality and pulmonary complications in patients undergoing surgery with perioperative SARS-CoV-2 infection: an international cohort study

Background: The impact of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) on postoperative recovery needs to be understood to inform clinical decision making during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. This study reports 30-day mortality and pulmonary complication rates in patients with perioperative SARS-CoV-2 infection. Methods: This international, multicentre, cohort study at 235 hospitals in 24 countries included all patients undergoing surgery who had SARS-CoV-2 infection confirmed within 7 days before or 30 days after surgery. The primary outcome measure was 30-day postoperative mortality and was assessed in all enrolled patients. The main secondary outcome measure was pulmonary complications, defined as pneumonia, acute respiratory distress syndrome, or unexpected postoperative ventilation. Findings: This analysis includes 1128 patients who had surgery between Jan 1 and March 31, 2020, of whom 835 (74·0%) had emergency surgery and 280 (24·8%) had elective surgery. SARS-CoV-2 infection was confirmed preoperatively in 294 (26·1%) patients. 30-day mortality was 23·8% (268 of 1128). Pulmonary complications occurred in 577 (51·2%) of 1128 patients; 30-day mortality in these patients was 38·0% (219 of 577), accounting for 81·7% (219 of 268) of all deaths. In adjusted analyses, 30-day mortality was associated with male sex (odds ratio 1·75 [95% CI 1·28–2·40], p\textless0·0001), age 70 years or older versus younger than 70 years (2·30 [1·65–3·22], p\textless0·0001), American Society of Anesthesiologists grades 3–5 versus grades 1–2 (2·35 [1·57–3·53], p\textless0·0001), malignant versus benign or obstetric diagnosis (1·55 [1·01–2·39], p=0·046), emergency versus elective surgery (1·67 [1·06–2·63], p=0·026), and major versus minor surgery (1·52 [1·01–2·31], p=0·047). Interpretation: Postoperative pulmonary complications occur in half of patients with perioperative SARS-CoV-2 infection and are associated with high mortality. Thresholds for surgery during the COVID-19 pandemic should be higher than during normal practice, particularly in men aged 70 years and older. Consideration should be given for postponing non-urgent procedures and promoting non-operative treatment to delay or avoid the need for surgery. Funding: National Institute for Health Research (NIHR), Association of Coloproctology of Great Britain and Ireland, Bowel and Cancer Research, Bowel Disease Research Foundation, Association of Upper Gastrointestinal Surgeons, British Association of Surgical Oncology, British Gynaecological Cancer Society, European Society of Coloproctology, NIHR Academy, Sarcoma UK, Vascular Society for Great Britain and Ireland, and Yorkshire Cancer Research