Recent Decisions

Arbitration--Transnational Antitrust Claims are Nonarbitrable under the Federal Arbitration Act and Article II (1) of the Convention on the Recognition and Enforcement of Foreign Arbitral Awards--Mitsubishi Motors Corp. v. Soler Chrysler-Plymouth, Inc., 723 F.2d 155 (1st Cir.1983), cert. granted, 105 S. Ct. 291 (1984). Comment The instant decision marks the first time a court has considered whether to apply the United States domestic policy of preserving antitrust issues for judicial determination to an international contract containing a mandatory arbitration clause. The First Circuit\u27s decision to apply domestic policy undermines the preeminent goal of the Convention, which is to encourage arbitration of international commercial disputes, and diminishes the advantages traditionally associated with arbitration. A policy encouraging litigants to raise minor and possibly fabricated antitrust claims will encumber an already overloaded judicial system. The party who perceives a disadvantage in prompt and certain arbitration before a predetermined forum can now opt to delay the proceeding by raising a collateral antitrust claim. The court reached its conclusion by applying a dormant provision of the Convention and distinguishing the precedent established by the Supreme Court in Scherk. Its reasoning on both counts is not persuasive. Lucy C. Gratz ===================== International Banking--The International Banking Act of 1978 Limits the States\u27 Ability to Regulate Foreign Bank Entry, Conference of State Bank Supervisors v. Conover, 715 F.2d 604 (D.C. Cir. 1983), cert. denied, 104 S. Ct. 1708 (1984). Comment The instant decision is the first to address whether the IBA permits states to exercise their reciprocity laws to prohibit the entry of foreign banks operating pursuant to federal charter. In determining whether section 4(a) enables states to prohibit foreign bank entry on a discretionary basis, the court of appeals prudently declined to rely on either the language or the legislative history of that section because neither offers a clear indication of Congressional intent. Instead, the court based its decision on the overriding objective of Congress to accord foreign banks national treatment through the IBA. The legislative history of the IBA clearly indicates Congressional intent to treat foreign banks essentially the same as similarly situated domestic banks . Accordingly, consideration of the broad legislative policy was a sound basis for the court\u27s decision. If Congress had wanted to enable states to exercise their reciprocity laws to prohibit the entry of federally chartered branches or agencies, it could have made that purpose explicit in the statute. Without an unequivocal mandate, a policy that would allow individual states to discriminate in regulating foreign bank entry would be inconsistent with the IBA\u27s goal of national treatment. The instant decision supports the general United States policy to treat foreign enterprises doing business in the United States as the competitive equals of their domestic counterparts. Laurel Comstock William

Recent Decisions

Arbitration Transnational Antitrust Claims are Nonarbitrable under the Federal Arbitration Act and Article II (1) of the Convention on the Recognition and Enforcement of Foreign Arbitral Awards--Mitsubishi Motors Corp. v. Soler Chrysler-Plymouth, Inc., 723 F.2d 155 (1st Cir.1983), cert. granted, 105 S. Ct. 291 (1984). Lucy C. Gratz =================================== International Banking--The International Banking Act of 1978 Limits the States\u27 Ability to Regulate Foreign Bank Entry, Conference of State Bank Supervisors v. Conover, 715 F.2d 604 (D.C. Cir. 1983), cert. denied, 104 S. Ct. 1708 (1984). Laurel Comstock William

Benthic Macroinvertebrate Subsampling Effort and Taxonomic Resolution for Bioassessments of Streams in the James River Watershed of Virginia

Benthic macroinvertebrate diversity influences stream food web dynamics, nutrient cycling and material exchange between the benthos and the water column. Stream bioassessment has moved to the forefront of water quality monitoring in terms of benthic macroinvertebrate diversity in the recent past. The objectives of this study were to determine optimum subsample size and level of taxonomic resolution necessary to accurately and precisely describe macroinvertebrate diversity in streams flowing in the Piedmont province of the James River watershed in Virginia. Forty-nine sampling sites were selected from streams within the Piedmont Physiographic Province of the James River watershed. Ten sites were randomly selected to have all macroinvertebrates in the sample identified to the genus level whenever possible. Optimum subsampling intensities and Virginia Stream Condition Index (VSCI) metrics and scores were determined. For samples with the total number of individuals at less than 500, the genus level of taxonomy provided lower overall optimum subsampling intensities. However, for samples with total individuals over 1000, optimum subsampling intensities at the genus level of taxonomy were higher than the family level for more than 50% of the metrics. For both family and genus levels of taxonomy, the majority of optimum subsampling intensities were well over 50% of the total individuals in the sample, with some as high as 100% of the individuals. While optimum subsampling intensities were valuable in comparing family and genus level taxonomy, they are not reasonable for stream bioassessment protocols; the cost:benefit ratio would be highly unbalanced. A minimum subsample size of 200 individuals is optimum for determining VSCI scores, while optimum taxonomic resolution is dependent on several factors. Thus, the level of taxonomic resolution for a particular study should be determined by the study objectives, level of site impairment and sample size

Effectiveness of Splinting in Adults with Radial Nerve Palsy

The final portfolio contains 5 research articles from national and international journals. The study designs included in this portfolio are one small-scale RTC, one retrospective pretest posttest design, and three case studies. The studies included help answer our PICO question and help draw conclusions about how to care for adults with radial nerve palsy in regards to splinting. Three of the articles compared static splinting and dynamic splinting in regards to improvements in hand function. Two of the articles focused on dynamic splinting as a means of treatment for adults with radial nerve palsy

Project Reach: Implementation of Evidence-Based Psychotherapy Within Integrated Healthcare for Hurricane Harvey Affected Individuals

Project Reach was established to deliver evidence-based mental healthcare services to children and adults affected by Hurricane Harvey and its aftermath. Through Project Reach, an innovative multi-component assessment and treatment service is utilized to identify and treat in integrated healthcare settings both children and adults exhibiting significant behavioral health concerns in Houston. The aim is to provide sustainable, integrated mental health services through primary care and school-based settings to post-Harvey affected individuals whose emotional needs remain unmet. This paper describes the design and implementation of Project Reach as well as special considerations for implementation. The overall goal of Project Reach is to form a platform for expanding integrated services for those affected by Harvey that will maximize behavioral health outcomes while reducing cost and improving access

Discapacidad visual y orientación urbana. Estudio piloto sobre planos táctiles producidos en Impresión 3D

[EN] This article presents a pilot study conducted in Barcelona with blind and visually-impaired people. The aim was to analyze the use and efficacy of tactile maps produced by means of 3D printing. For this purpose, structured interviews were used, along with direct observation, the creation of cognitive maps and tasks with prototypes. The aim has been to examine the instrumental and communicative value of these products in terms of interpreting, memorizing and understanding a certain urban route, comparing this with experience in situ, focusing on the difficulties faced by the visually disabled when visiting new places. Findings show the utility of this type of technique in aiding visually disabled users to memorize routes. As a limitation, this study shows that tactile maps are not wholly efficient since they require verbal support, which makes it hard for them to be used autonomously.[ES] El trabajo aquí expuesto presenta un estudio piloto llevado a cabo en Barcelona con personas invidentes y deficientes visuales. El objetivo del mismo ha sido analizar el uso y la eficacia de los planos táctiles producidos mediante Impresión en 3D. Para ello se han empleado entrevistas estructuradas, observación directa, realización de mapas cognitivos y tareas con prototipos. De esta manera se ha tratado deprofundizar en elvalor instrumentalycomunicativo de estosproductos a la hora de interpretar, memorizar y comprender un determinado recorrido urbano, contrastándolo con la experiencia in situ, atendiendo a las dificultades que este tipo de personas presentan a la hora de visitar nuevos lugares. Los resultados obtenidos demuestran la utilidad de este tipo de técnica para memorizar recorridos por parte de este tipo de usuarios. Como limitación, el estudio muestra que los planos táctiles no resultan del todo eficientes pues precisan de apoyo verbal, hecho que dificulta su uso autónomo.This research has been funded by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation as part of the National Fundamental Research Programme, the National R&D/Innovation Plan, within the project “Study and design of orientation elements, communication support and other accessories to improve accessibility in different spheres of interpreting natural and/or built heritage’ (DPI2008-03981/DPI). The authors would also like particularly to thank the following for their selfless collaboration: the ONCE Educational Resources Centre in Barcelona and staff from the Disabled Service Programme at the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya. The study was also carried out as part of the Research Staff Mobility Programme at Universitat Jaume I (E-2010-32) funded by the Caixa Castelló-Bancaixa Foundation.Gual Ortí, J.; Puyuelo Cazorla, M.; Lloveras, J.; Merino Sanjuan, L. (2012). Visual Impairment and urban orientation. Pilot study with tactile maps produced through 3D Printing. Psyecology. 3(2):239-250. https://doi.org/10.1174/217119712800337747S2392503

Activation of Cytosolic Phospholipase A\u3csub\u3e2\u3c/sub\u3eα in Resident Peritoneal Macrophages by Listeria Monocytogenes Involves Listeriolysin O and TLR2

Eicosanoid production by macrophages is an early response to microbial infection that promotes acute inflammation. The intracellular pathogen Listeria monocytogenes stimulates arachidonic acid release and eicosanoid production from resident mouse peritoneal macrophages through activation of group IVA cytosolic phospholipase A2 (cPLA2α). The ability of wild type L. monocytogenes (WTLM) to stimulate arachidonic acid release is partially dependent on the virulence factor listeriolysin O; however, WTLM and L. monocytogenes lacking listeriolysin O (ΔhlyLM) induce similar levels of cyclooxygenase 2. Arachidonic acid release requires activation of MAPKs by WTLM and ΔhlyLM. The attenuated release of arachidonic acid that is observed in TLR2-/- and MyD88-/- macrophages infected with WTLM and ΔhlyLM correlates with diminished MAPK activation. WTLM but not ΔhlyLM increases intracellular calcium, which is implicated in regulation of cPLA2α. Prostaglandin E2, prostaglandin I 2, and leukotriene C4 are produced by cPLA 2α+/+ but not cPLA2α-/- macrophages in response to WTLM and ΔhlyLM. Tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α production is significantly lower in cPLA2α +/+ than in cPLA2α-/- macrophages infected with WTLM and ΔhlyLM. Treatment of infected cPLA 2α+/+ macrophages with the cyclooxygenase inhibitor indomethacin increases TNFα production to the level produced by cPLA 2α-/- macrophages implicating prostaglandins in TNFα down-regulation. Therefore activation of cPLA2α in macrophages may impact immune responses to L. monocytogenes

Hernia hiatal gigante: presentación de un caso clínico

Giant hiatal hernia is a condition in which more than 30 % of the stomach is displaced upward toward the thorax, thusproducing an abnormal protrusion above the diaphragmatic clamp. This can occur by various mechanisms such as alterationsat the gastroesophageal junction or diaphragmatic atrophy that can take place due to a number of reasons, includinginvolutional changes, extensive trauma or damage to the phrenic nerve.Most cases are usually asymptomatic; however, when clinical manifestations occur, they vary depending on the size of theherniation and range from chest pain (also epigastric pain), nausea, vomiting to abdominal distension. In case of presentingcomplications such as gastric volvulus or Cameron lesions, the symptoms include Borchardt’s triad, which consists ofabdominal pain and distension, violent vomiting and difficulty passing a nasogastric tube.We present the case of an 82-year-old male patient who was admitted to the emergency room for severe abdominal pain,severe hematemesis and sensory disorder. On physical examination, pale facies and diaphoresis were observed; on palpation,the main indication was abdominal pain in the epigastric area. Emergency endoscopy was requested, finding a deep ulcerwith congestive edges and active bleeding in the lower portion of the esophagus, in addition to observing that part of thegastric fundus and the cardias were herniated toward the thorax. This confirmed the diagnosis of a giant hiatal hernia;however, the treatment was interrupted by the patient when he asked for voluntary discharge after refusing to undergosurgery.La hernia hiatal gigante consiste en el desplazamiento hacia el tórax de más del 30 % del estómago, lo que origina unaprotrusión anormal por encima de la pinza diafragmática. Esto puede ocurrir por varios mecanismos como la apariciónde alteraciones a nivel de la unión gastroesofágica o por atrofia diafragmática, que puede darse por varias razones comocambios involutivos, traumatismos extensos o daños ocasionados al nervio frénico.La mayoría de casos suelen ser asintomáticos, sin embargo, cuando se presentan manifestaciones clínicas, estas varían dependiendo del tamaño que presente la herniación, y van desde dolor torácico (también epigástrico), náuseas, vómitos o distensión abdominal. En caso de presentar complicaciones como vólvulo gástrico o úlceras de Cameron, los síntomas incluyen la tríada de Borchardt, que consta de dolor y distensión abdominal, vómitos violentos y dificultad para pasar lasonda nasogástrica. Se presenta el caso de un paciente masculino de 82 años que ingresó por emergencia por presentar dolor abdominal intenso, hematemesis abundante y trastorno del sensorio. En el examen físico se observa una facies pálida y diaforesis; a la palpación, el indicativo principal es el dolor abdominal en la zona epigástrica. Se solicita endoscopia de emergencia, que revela una úlcera profunda con bordes congestivos y sangrado activo en la porción inferior del esófago, además de observar también que parte del fondo gástrico y el cardias se hernian hacia el tórax. Esto confirmó el diagnóstico de unahernia hiatal gigante, sin embargo, el tratamiento es interrumpido por el paciente al pedir el alta voluntaria tras negarsea una intervención quirúrgica

Remote physiological monitoring: Clinical, financial, and behavioral outcomes in a heart failure population

This article reports on the outcomes associated with remote physiological monitoring (RPM) conducted as part of a heart failure disease management program. Claims data, medical records, data transmission records, and survey results for 91 individuals ages 50–92 (mean 74 years) successfully completing a heart failure RPM program were analyzed for time periods before, during, and after the monitoring intervention. The program was associated with significant reductions in per member per month costs and emergency room and hospital utilization. More detailed analyses were performed for specific gender and age subgroups. Participant surveys indicated high levels of satisfaction, and improvements in self-perceived health status, self-efficacy, and self-management behaviors. This study is the first to assess the impact of a RPM program following removal of the monitoring equipment. The results indicate that RPM, as a component of a traditional disease management program, has a sustained, beneficial effect on participants’ lifestyles after the monitoring period has ended

Is the High-resolution Coronal Imager Resolving Coronal Strands? Results from AR 12712

Following the success of the first mission, the High-Resolution Coronal Imager (Hi-C) was launched for a third time (Hi-C 2.1) on 2018 May 29 from the White Sands Missile Range, NM, USA. On this occasion, 329 s of 17.2 nm data of target active region AR 12712 were captured with a cadence of ≈4 s, and a plate scale of 0farcs129 pixel−1. Using data captured by Hi-C 2.1 and co-aligned observations from SDO/AIA 17.1 nm, we investigate the widths of 49 coronal strands. We search for evidence of substructure within the strands that is not detected by AIA, and further consider whether these strands are fully resolved by Hi-C 2.1. With the aid of multi-scale Gaussian normalization, strands from a region of low emission that can only be visualized against the contrast of the darker, underlying moss are studied. A comparison is made between these low-emission strands and those from regions of higher emission within the target active region. It is found that Hi-C 2.1 can resolve individual strands as small as ≈202 km, though the more typical strand widths seen are ≈513 km. For coronal strands within the region of low emission, the most likely width is significantly narrower than the high-emission strands at ≈388 km. This places the low-emission coronal strands beneath the resolving capabilities of SDO/AIA, highlighting the need for a permanent solar observatory with the resolving power of Hi-C