Law School Programs that Reduce Poverty: The Example of the Chiapas Human Rights Practicum

The purpose of the Chiapas Human Rights Practicum of DePaul University College of Law is to expose students to poverty in the hopes that they will choose careers in human rights or public service. Reasons why traditional law school programs do not encourage public service are delineated. The practicum’s history and the experiences and observations of students who have participated are described. The program encourages students to think about the causes of poverty, how they might effect change as lawyers, and how the legal system might better serve poor persons. The Chiapas experience has inspired students to undertake many different types of projects on their return to raise awareness about what is happening there and to help persons who are poor in general. Many suggestions are made about how students might learn from other kinds of vulnerable communities, how else they might be inspired to work in public service, and what DePaul and other law schools should be doing toward this end

Optimal path planning for nonholonomic robotics systems via parametric optimisation

Abstract. Motivated by the path planning problem for robotic systems this paper considers nonholonomic path planning on the Euclidean group of motions SE(n) which describes a rigid bodies path in n-dimensional Euclidean space. The problem is formulated as a constrained optimal kinematic control problem where the cost function to be minimised is a quadratic function of translational and angular velocity inputs. An application of the Maximum Principle of optimal control leads to a set of Hamiltonian vector field that define the necessary conditions for optimality and consequently the optimal velocity history of the trajectory. It is illustrated that the systems are always integrable when n = 2 and in some cases when n = 3. However, if they are not integrable in the most general form of the cost function they can be rendered integrable by considering special cases. This implies that it is possible to reduce the kinematic system to a class of curves defined analytically. If the optimal motions can be expressed analytically in closed form then the path planning problem is reduced to one of parameter optimisation where the parameters are optimised to match prescribed boundary conditions.This reduction procedure is illustrated for a simple wheeled robot with a sliding constraint and a conventional slender underwater vehicle whose velocity in the lateral directions are constrained due to viscous damping

Version 2 Ozone Monitoring Instrument SO2 product (OMSO2 V2): New anthropogenic SO2 vertical column density dataset

The Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI) has been providing global observations of SO2 pollution since 2004. Here we introduce the new anthropogenic SO2 vertical column density (VCD) dataset in the version 2 OMI SO2 product (OMSO2 V2). As with the previous version (OMSO2 V1.3), the new dataset is generated with an algorithm based on principal component analysis of OMI radiances but features several updates. The most important among those is the use of expanded lookup tables and model a priori profiles to estimate SO2 Jacobians for individual OMI pixels, in order to better characterize pixel-to-pixel variations in SO2 sensitivity including over snow and ice. Additionally, new data screening and spectral fitting schemes have been implemented to improve the quality of the spectral fit. As compared with the planetary boundary layer SO2 dataset in OMSO2 V1.3, the new dataset has substantially better data quality, especially over areas that are relatively clean or affected by the South Atlantic Anomaly. The updated retrievals over snow/ice yield more realistic seasonal changes in SO2 at high latitudes and offer enhanced sensitivity to sources during wintertime. An error analysis has been conducted to assess uncertainties in SO2 VCDs from both the spectral fit and Jacobian calculations. The uncertainties from spectral fitting are reflected in SO2 slant column densities (SCDs) and largely depend on the signal-to-noise ratio of the measured radiances, as implied by the generally smaller SCD uncertainties over clouds or for smaller solar zenith angles. The SCD uncertainties for individual pixels are estimated to be 0.15-0.3DU (Dobson units) between 40 S and 40 N and to be 0.2-0.5DU at higher latitudes. The uncertainties from the Jacobians are approximately 50 %-100% over polluted areas and are primarily attributed to errors in SO2 a priori profiles and cloud pressures, as well as the lack of explicit treatment for aerosols. Finally, the daily mean and median SCDs over the presumably SO2-free equatorial east Pacific have increased by only 0.0035DU and 0.003DU respectively over the entire 15-year OMI record, while the standard deviation of SCDs has grown by only 0.02DU or 10%. Such remarkable long-term stability makes the new dataset particularly suitable for detecting regional changes in SO2 pollution

Embryonic expression and cloning of the murine GATA-3 gene.

We describe the embryonic expression pattern as well as the cloning and initial transcriptional regulatory analysis of the murine (m) GATA-3 gene. In situ hybridization shows that mGATA-3 mRNA accumulation is temporally and spatially regulated during early development: although found most abundantly in the placenta prior to 10 days of embryogenesis, mGATA-3 expression becomes restricted to specific cells within the embryonic central nervous system (in the mesencephalon, diencephalon, pons and inner ear) later in gestation. GATA-3 also shows a restricted expression pattern in the peripheral nervous system, including terminally differentiating cells in the cranial and sympathetic ganglia. In addition to this distinct pattern in the nervous system, mGATA-3 is also expressed in the embryonic kidney and the thymic rudiment, and further analysis showed that it is expressed throughout T lymphocyte differentiation. To begin to investigate how this complex gene expression pattern is elicited, cloning and transcriptional regulatory analyses of the mGATA-3 gene were initiated. At least two regulatory elements (one positive and one negative) appear to be required for appropriate tissue-restricted regulation after transfection of mGATA-3-directed reporter genes into cells that naturally express GATA-3 (T lymphocytes and neuroblastoma cells). Furthermore, this same region of the locus confers developmentally appropriate expression in transgenic mice, but only in a subset of the tissues that naturally express the gene

Acceleration of the universe, vacuum metamorphosis, and the large-time asymptotic form of the heat kernel

We investigate the possibility that the late acceleration observed in the rate of expansion of the universe is due to vacuum quantum effects arising in curved spacetime. The theoretical basis of the vacuum cold dark matter (VCDM), or vacuum metamorphosis, cosmological model of Parker and Raval is revisited and improved. We show, by means of a manifestly nonperturbative approach, how the infrared behavior of the propagator (related to the large-time asymptotic form of the heat kernel) of a free scalar field in curved spacetime causes the vacuum expectation value of its energy-momentum tensor to exhibit a resonance effect when the scalar curvature R of the spacetime reaches a particular value related to the mass of the field. we show that the back reaction caused by this resonance drives the universe through a transition to an accelerating expansion phase, very much in the same way as originally proposed by Parker and Raval. Our analysis includes higher derivatives that were neglected in the earlier analysis, and takes into account the possible runaway solutions that can follow from these higher-derivative terms. We find that the runaway solutions do not occur if the universe was described by the usual classical FRW solution prior to the growth of vacuum energy-density and negative pressure (i.e., vacuum metamorphosis) that causes the transition to an accelerating expansion of the universe in this theory.Comment: 33 pages, 3 figures. Submitted to Physical Review D15 (Dec 23, 2003). v2: 1 reference added. No other change

Lingual kinematic strategies used to increase speech rate: Comparisons between younger and older adults

The primary objective of this study was to assess the lingual kinematic strategies used by younger and older adults to increase rate of speech. It was hypothesised that the strategies used by the older adults would differ from the young adults either as a direct result of, or in response to a need to compensate for, age-related changes in the tongue. Electromagnetic articulography was used to examine the tongue movements of eight young (M526.7 years) and eight older (M567.1 years) females during repetitions of /ta/ and /ka/ at a controlled moderate rate and then as fast as possible. The younger and older adults were found to significantly reduce consonant durations and increase syllable repetition rate by similar proportions. To achieve these reduced durations both groups appeared to use the same strategy, that of reducing the distances travelled by the tongue. Further comparisons at each rate, however, suggested a speed-accuracy trade-off and increased speech monitoring in the older adults. The results may assist in differentiating articulatory changes associated with normal aging from pathological changes found in disorders that affect the older population

Setting the Standards: Examining Research Productivity Among Academic Urologists in the USA and Canada in 2019.

BACKGROUND: Research productivity among academic urologists is strongly encouraged, but little data are available on productivity metrics within the field. OBJECTIVE: To provide the first comprehensive survey of research productivity among academic urologists in the USA and Canada. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: Using the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education, the Canadian Resident Matching Service, and individual program websites, all active accredited urology faculties were identified. For each individual, we collected data on American Urological Association section, title, gender, fellowship training, Scopus H-index, and citations. Comprehensive searches were completed during March-May 2019. OUTCOME MEASUREMENTS AND STATISTICAL ANALYSIS: Descriptive statistics for demographic comparisons were performed using analysis of variance for continuous variables and chi-square test for categorical variables. Multivariable logistic regressions were used to identify the predictors of H-index greater than the median. RESULTS AND LIMITATIONS: A total of 2214 academic urology faculties (2015 in USA and 199 in Canada) were identified. The median and mean H-indices for the entire cohort of physicians were 11 and 16.1, respectively. On multivariable analysis, physicians in the North Central and Western Sections (vs mid-Atlantic), who were fellowship trained (vs no fellowship training), and of higher academic rank (professor and associate professor vs clinical instructor) were more likely to have H-index values greater than the median. Additionally, female physicians (vs male) were more likely to have H-index values less than the median. CONCLUSIONS: This study represents the first comprehensive assessment of research productivity metrics among academic urologists. These represent key benchmarks for trainees considering careers in academics and for practicing physicians gauging their own productivity in relation to their peers. PATIENT SUMMARY: In this study, we provide the first comprehensive assessment of research productivity among academic urologists in the USA and Canada. Our results help provide key benchmarks for trainees considering careers in academics and for practicing physicians gauging their own productivity in relation to peers

Evaluation of a home monitoring application for follow up after lung transplantation—a pilot study

Home spirometry after lung transplantation is common practice, to monitor graft function. However, there is little experience with online home monitoring applications with direct data transfer to the hospital. We evaluated the feasibility and patient experiences with a new online home monitoring application, integrated with a Bluetooth-enabled spirometer and real-time data transfer. Consecutive lung transplant recipients were asked to evaluate this home monitoring application for three months in a pilot study. Home spirometry measurements were compared with in-hospital lung function tests (the forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1) and forced vital capacity (FVC)) at the end of the study. Ten patients participated. The home and hospital spirometry measurements showed a high correlation, for both the FEV1 (r = 0.99, p < 0.01) and FVC (r = 0.99, p < 0.01). The adherence and patient satisfaction were high, and the patients preferred the home monitoring application over the current home spirometer, with a difference of 1.4 ± 1.5 points on a scale from 0 to 10 (p = 0.02). Online home monitoring with direct data transfer is feasible and reliable after lung transplantation and results in high patient satisfaction. Whether the implementation of online home monitoring enables the earlier detection of lung function decline and improves patient and graft outcomes will be the subject of future research

Radioimmunotherapy of B-cell lymphoma with radiolabelled anti-CD20 monoclonal antibodies

CD20 has proven to be an excellent target for the treatment of B-cell lymphoma, first for the chimeric monoclonal antibody rituximab (Rituxan™), and more recently for the radiolabelled antibodies Y-90 ibritumomab tiuxetan (Zevalin™) and I-131 tositumomab (Bexxar™). Radiation therapy effects are due to beta emissions with path lengths of 1–5 mm; gamma radiation emitted by I-131 is the only radiation safety issue for either product. Dose-limiting toxicity for both radiolabelled antibodies is reversible bone marrow suppression. They produce response rates of 70%–90% in low-grade and follicular lymphoma and 40%–50% in transformed low-grade or intermediate-grade lymphomas. Both products produce higher response rates than related unlabelled antibodies, and both are highly active in patients who are relatively resistant to rituximab-based therapy. Median duration of response to a single course of treatment is about 1 year with complete remission rates that last 2 years or longer in about 25% of patients. Clinical trials suggest that anti- CD20 radioimmunotherapy is superior to total body irradiation in patients undergoing stem cell supported therapy for B-cell lymphoma, and that it is a safe and efficacious modality when used as consolidation therapy following chemotherapy. Among cytotoxic treatment options, current evidence suggests that one course of anti-CD20 radioimmunotherapy is as efficacious as six to eight cycles of combination chemotherapy. A major question that persists is how effective these agents are in the setting of rituximab- refractory lymphoma. These products have been underutilised because of the complexity of treatment coordination and concerns regarding reimbursement