1,743 research outputs found
When Patent Litigators Become Neurosurgeons
Patent law is where the law meets the most cutting-edge and innovative technology of its time. Usually, subject matter experts, with the help of lawyers, are the ones applying for patents. But when it comes to granting and enforcing patent rights, the job falls onto lawyers and judges, who, for the most part, are likely not experts in the relevant technical field. Bridging the gap between technological expertise and legal expertise has been a pain point in patent litigation, one that Congress has tried to rectify for many years. This Comment primarily examines one of Congressâs solutionsâthe Patent Pilot Programâand discusses the changes that such a program could have in the event a similar system is implemented in the future. One potential change to note is that such a system should institute a standard set of guidelines and rules for each district to follow when it comes to patent infringement cases. This would ensure more uniformity across federal district jurisprudence in the field
Intimate-Partner and Client-Initiated Violence among Female Street-Based Sex Workers in China: Does a Support Network Help?
Background
Globally, female street-based sex workers are vulnerable to gender-based violence. Previous research has shown having a peer social network can reduce sex workersâ risks of victimization. However, mechanisms of how social network impacts violence among female street-based sex workers are still far from clear.
Methods
Our study was based on data abstracted from a paper-and-pencil survey administered among 218 female street-based sex workers in Shanghai, China. We focused on self-reported client-initiated violence and intimate-partner violence in emotional, physical, and sexual forms. Social networks were characterized by the size and sources of financial and psychosocial support (e.g. family, friends, and peers). Multi-variable logistic regression was used to estimate adjusted odds ratios (AOR) of each type of violence exposure by social network structure after the adjustment of age, education, and years in Shanghai.
Results
The street-based female sex workers in our study were primarily rural-to-urban migrants (95.7%) with an average age of 41 years old. 24.3% and 62.8% of the sex workers reported intimate-partner violence and client-initiated violence respectively. Lack of financial support, as defined by having only one individual or none in her peer support system to help financially, was significantly associated with self-reported intimate-partner violence (AOR: 2.5; 95% CI: 1.1â5.9). Respondents who reported client-initiated violence, by contrast, were more likely to report lacked psychosocial support from family (AOR: 2.2, 95% CI: 1.0â4.6) and peers (AOR: 5.1, 95% CI: 2.2â11).
Conclusion
This study is one of the first to systematically analyze the associations between social network and gender-based violence among street-based female sex worker. We reported a high prevalence of both types of gender-based violence and their complex associations with family, friends, and peer support network. Policies with goals to reduce violence against women may apply these findings to leverage social network in the interventions against gender-based violence
Moving Beyond Dichotomies: How the Intersection of Race, Class and Place Impacts High School Graduation Rates for African American Students
Over thirty years ago, William Julius Wilson declared that class trumped race as the more significant determinant of social mobility and economic opportunity. Despite the acclaim and scrutiny for Wilson\u27s work, the United States has grown increasingly divided by intersecting factors of race, class and other demographic factors such as place (Massey, 2007). These divisions are especially evident in the public education system. We analyze how race, class and place interact to predict high school graduation rates in a national sample of schools and students. Results confirm that a singular focus on race, class, or locale is insufficient to explain high school graduation rates. However, a more contextualized focus on the interactions between multiple determinants of inequality (e.g. race, class and place) can yield a more nuanced understanding of the indicators driving educational inequalities. Scholars and practitioners need to focus on the manner in which multiple positionalities influence the academic achievement of African American children and young adults
Preventing Teen Relationship Abuse and Sexual Assault through Bystander Training: Intervention Outcomes for School Personnel
The purpose of the current study was to examine the impact of exposure to Bringing in the BystanderâHigh School Curriculum (BITB-HSC) on school personnel, which included a seven session classroom curriculum for ninth through twelfth graders (student curriculum), a bystander training workshop for school personnel (school personnel workshop), and reading materials (handout). We examined how exposure to these various BITB-HSC intervention components was associated with school personnelâs knowledge and bystander efïŹcacy, intentions, and barriers speciïŹc to student relationship abuse (RA) and sexual assault (SA). Participants were 488 school personnel from 12 high schools in upper New England who completed the 4-month follow-up survey that assessed for intervention exposure (284 participants completed both the baseline and follow-up survey). Whereas 53% of participants were exposed to no intervention components, the other half of the sample were exposed to a combination of intervention components. Higher baseline knowledge and reactive bystander intentions were associated with subsequent exposure to both the student curriculum and the handout, and fewer barriers to bystander action predicted exposure to the school personnel workshop. Exposure to the school personnel workshop, student curriculum, and handout was associated with subsequent greater knowledge, exposure to the student curriculum predicted reactive bystander intentions, and exposure to the handout predicted higher reactive bystander intentions and bystander efïŹcacy. Findings suggest that despite challenges with engagement, exposure to the BITB-HSC components may be a useful tool in improving school personnelâs responses to RA and SA among high school students
Cervical auscultation in the diagnosis of oropharyngeal aspiration in children: a study protocol for a randomised controlled trial
BackgroundOropharyngeal aspiration (OPA) can lead to recurrent respiratory illnesses and chronic lung disease in children. Current clinical feeding evaluations performed by speech pathologists have poor reliability in detecting OPA when compared to radiological procedures such as the modified barium swallow (MBS). Improved ability to diagnose OPA accurately via clinical evaluation potentially reduces reliance on expensive, less readily available radiological procedures. Our study investigates the utility of adding cervical auscultation (CA), a technique of listening to swallowing sounds, in improving the diagnostic accuracy of a clinical evaluation for the detection of OPA. MethodsWe plan an open, unblinded, randomised controlled trial at a paediatric tertiary teaching hospital. Two hundred and sixteen children fulfilling the inclusion criteria will be randomised to one of the two clinical assessment techniques for the clinical detection of OPA: (1) clinical feeding evaluation only (CFE) group or (2) clinical feeding evaluation with cervical auscultation (CFE + CA) group. All children will then undergo an MBS to determine radiologically assessed OPA. The primary outcome is the presence or absence of OPA, as determined on MBS using the Penetration-Aspiration Scale. Our main objective is to determine the sensitivity, specificity, negative and positive predictive values of ‘CFE + CA’ versus ‘CFE’ only compared to MBS-identified OPA. DiscussionEarly detection and appropriate management of OPA is important to prevent chronic pulmonary disease and poor growth in children. As the reliability of CFE to detect OPA is low, a technique that can improve the diagnostic accuracy of the CFE will help minimise consequences to the paediatric respiratory system. Cervical auscultation is a technique that has previously been documented as a clinical adjunct to the CFE; however, no published RCTs addressing the reliability of this technique in children exist. Our study will be the first to establish the utility of CA in assessing and diagnosing OPA risk in young children
Effects of physical exercise in older adults with reduced physical capacity: meta-analysis of resistance exercise and multimodal exercise
Older adults with reduced physical capacity are at greater risk of progression to care dependency. Progressive resistance strength exercise and multimodal exercise have been studied to restore reduced physical capacity. To summarize the best evidence of the two exercise regimes, this meta-analysis study appraised randomized-controlled trials from published systematic reviews. Medline, Embase, and the Cochrane Database of Systematic Review and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Clinical Trials were searched for relevant systematic reviews. Two reviewers independently screened the relevant systematic reviews to identify eligible trials, assessed trial methodological quality, and extracted data. RevMan 5.3 software was used to analyze data on muscle strength, physical functioning, activities of daily living, and falls. Twenty-three eligible trials were identified from 22 systematic reviews. The mean age of the trial participants was 75 years or older. Almost all multimodal exercise trials included muscle strengthening exercise and balance exercise. Progressive resistance exercise is effective in improving muscle strength of the lower extremity and static standing balance. Multimodal exercise is effective in improving muscle strength of the lower extremity, dynamic standing balance, gait speed, and chair stand. In addition, multimodal exercise is effective in reducing falls. Neither type of exercise was effective in improving activities of daily living. For older adults with reduced physical capacity, multimodal exercise appears to have a broad effect on improving muscle strength, balance, and physical functioning of the lower extremity, and reducing falls relative to progressive resistance exercise alone
Effect of Diabetes and Glycemic Control on Ischemic Stroke Risk in AF Patients ATRIA Study
BackgroundDiagnosed diabetes mellitus (DM) is a consistently documented risk factor for ischemic stroke in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF).ObjectivesThe purpose of this study was to assess the association between duration of diabetes and elevated hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) with risk of stroke among diabetic patients with AF.MethodsWe assessed this association in the ATRIA (Anticoagulation and Risk Factors in Atrial Fibrillation) California community-based cohort of AF patients (study years 1996 to 2003) where all events were clinician adjudicated. We used Cox proportional hazards regression to estimate the rate of ischemic stroke in diabetic patients according to time-varying measures of estimated duration of diabetes (â„3 years compared with <3 years) and HbA1c values (â„9.0% and 7.0% to 8.9% compared with <7.0%), focusing on periods where patients were not anticoagulated.ResultsThere were 2,101 diabetic patients included in the duration analysis: 40% with duration <3 years and 60% with duration â„3 years at baseline. Among 1,933 diabetic patients included in the HbA1c analysis, 46% had HbA1c <7.0%, 36% between 7.0% and 8.9%, and 19% â„9.0% at baseline. Duration of diabetes â„3 years was associated with an increased rate of ischemic stroke compared with duration <3 years (adjusted hazard ratio [HR]: 1.74, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.10 to 2.76). The increased stroke rate was observed in older (age â„75 years) and younger (age <75 years) individuals. Neither poor glycemic control (HbA1c â„9.0%, adjusted HR: 1.04, 95% CI: 0.57 to 1.92) nor moderately increased HbA1c (7.0% to 8.9%, adjusted HR: 1.21, 95% CI: 0.77 to 1.91) were significantly associated with an increased rate of ischemic stroke compared with patients who had HbA1c <7.0%.ConclusionsDuration of diabetes is a more important predictor of ischemic stroke than glycemic control in patients who have diabetes and AF
2015-2016 Master Class - Penderecki String Quartet
The Penderecki String Quartet Performance (February 27, 2016) - Programhttps://spiral.lynn.edu/conservatory_masterclasses/1020/thumbnail.jp
Calcium-sensing receptor (version 2019.4) in the IUPHAR/BPS Guide to Pharmacology Database
The calcium-sensing receptor (CaS, provisional nomenclature as recommended by NC-IUPHAR [44]) responds to multiple endogenous ligands, including extracellular calcium and other divalent/trivalent cations, polyamines and polycationic peptides, L-amino acids (particularly L-Trp and L-Phe), glutathione and various peptide analogues, ionic strength and extracellular pH (reviewed in [74]). While divalent/trivalent cations, polyamines and polycations are CaS receptor agonists [14, 106], L-amino acids, glutamyl peptides, ionic strength and pH are allosteric modulators of agonist function [34, 44, 58, 104, 105]. Indeed, L-amino acids have been identified as "co-agonists", with both concomitant calcium and L-amino acid binding required for full receptor activation [143, 51]. The sensitivity of the CaS receptor to primary agonists is increased by elevated extracellular pH [17] or decreased extracellular ionic strength [105]. This receptor bears no sequence or structural relation to the plant calcium receptor, also called CaS
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