The Failure of Domestic and International Mechanisms to Redress the Harmful Effects of Australian Immigration Detention

Australia\u27s Migration Act explicitly permits the government to detain non-citizens seeking entry without visas, including those who request asylum. Detainees wait up to five years for their immigration claims to be processed in detention centers managed by Australasian Correctional Management ( ACM ), a subsidiary of U.S. corporation Wackenhut Corrections. Arriving asylum-seekers often suffer the lasting effects of torture, threats of death, and other traumatic conditions-effects that are exacerbated by detention conditions. This Comment emphasizes detention\u27s effects on children, who suffer health and other problems while detained. Detainees, Australian citizens, and overseas commentators are now protesting against the detention policy. The government\u27s response has been unsympathetic and legal challenges have been largely eliminated by Migration Act amendments that have virtually foreclosed judicial review. Further, while international claims are possible under treaties to which Australia is a party, such as the Convention on the Rights of the Child ( CRC ), they are generally difficult to enforce. Even the Alien Tort Claims Act ( ATCA ), which grants jurisdiction to United States Federal District Courts over international claims by foreign citizens, fails to offer redress for torts endured while in immigration detention, despite a recent development from the Ninth Circuit that further extends the ATCA\u27s reach over multinational corporations. The ATCA remains ineffective because of difficulties in holding the U.S. parent, Wackenhut, liable for the actions of its foreign subsidiary, the detention management firm, ACM

Alien Registration- Mcentee, Lottie D. (Wade, Aroostook County)

https://digitalmaine.com/alien_docs/32488/thumbnail.jp

A Place to Meet: Living with Critical Theory as a Mode of Care in Everyday Artistic Practice

This essay is a place where the everyday meets critical artistic practice meets theory. Within a critical artistic researcher’s everyday practice, critical theory is lived and practiced in modes that are material and felt. Building on the of critical theorists who write explicitly about their relationships with theory, three researchers write vignettes detailing small moments in their practice. The vignettes make visible the ways the everyday and critical theory interlock and show how critical artistic research asks us to consider ways of caring, being accountable, attending to, and growing sensibilities for living with critical theories

Arterial pathology in canine mucopolysaccharidosis-I and response to therapy.

Mucopolysaccharidosis-I (MPS-I) is an inherited deficiency of α-L-iduronidase (IdU) that causes lysosomal accumulation of glycosaminoglycans (GAG) in a variety of parenchymal cell types and connective tissues. The fundamental link between genetic mutation and tissue GAG accumulation is clear, but relatively little attention has been given to the morphology or pathogenesis of associated lesions, particularly those affecting the vascular system. The terminal parietal branches of the abdominal aorta were examined from a colony of dogs homozygous (MPS-I affected) or heterozygous (unaffected carrier) for an IdU mutation that eliminated all enzyme activity, and in affected animals treated with human recombinant IdU. High-resolution computed tomography showed that vascular wall thickenings occurred in affected animals near branch points, and associated with low endothelial shear stress. Histologically these asymmetric 'plaques' entailed extensive intimal thickening with disruption of the internal elastic lamina, occluding more than 50% of the vascular lumen in some cases. Immunohistochemistry was used to show that areas of sclerosis contained foamy (GAG laden) macrophages, fibroblasts and smooth muscle cells, with loss of overlying endothelial basement membrane and claudin-5 expression. Lesions contained scattered cells expressing nuclear factor-κβ (p65), increased fibronectin and transforming growth factor β-1 signaling (with nuclear Smad3 accumulation) in comparison to unaffected vessels. Intimal lesion development and morphology was improved by intravenous recombinant enzyme treatment, particularly with immune tolerance to this exogenous protein. The progressive sclerotic vasculopathy of MPS-I shares some morphological and molecular similarities to atherosclerosis, including formation in areas of low shear stress near branch points, and can be reduced or inhibited by intravenous administration of recombinant IdU

Splinting Proximal Interphalangeal Joint Flexion Contractures: A New Design (contracture, therapy; hand injuries, rehabilitation; splints, finger)

Proximal interphalangeal joint flexion contracture is a common an

Lunar hand tools

Tools useful for operations and maintenance tasks on the lunar surface were determined and designed. Primary constraints are the lunar environment, the astronaut's space suit and the strength limits of the astronaut on the moon. A multipurpose rotary motion tool and a collapsible tool carrier were designed. For the rotary tool, a brushless motor and controls were specified, a material for the housing was chosen, bearings and lubrication were recommended and a planetary reduction gear attachment was designed. The tool carrier was designed primarily for ease of access to the tools and fasteners. A material was selected and structural analysis was performed on the carrier. Recommendations were made about the limitations of human performance and about possible attachments to the torque driver

The role of metaphor in shaping the identity and agenda of the United Nations: the imagining of an international community and international threat

This article examines the representation of the United Nations in speeches delivered by its Secretary General. It focuses on the role of metaphor in constructing a common ‘imagining’ of international diplomacy and legitimising an international organisational identity. The SG legitimises the organisation, in part, through the delegitimisation of agents/actions/events constructed as threatening to the international community and to the well-being of mankind. It is a desire to combat the forces of menace or evil which are argued to motivate and determine the organisational agenda. This is predicated upon an international ideology of humanity in which difference is silenced and ‘working towards the common good’ is emphasised. This is exploited to rouse emotions and legitimise institutional power. Polarisation and antithesis are achieved through the employment of metaphors designed to enhance positive and negative evaluations. The article further points to the constitutive, persuasive and edifying power of topic and situationally-motivated metaphors in speech-making

A phase 1b study of Selumetinib in combination with Cisplatin and Gemcitabine in advanced or metastatic biliary tract cancer: the ABC-04 study

BACKGROUND: Combined treatment with cisplatin and gemcitabine (CisGem) is the standard of care for patients with advanced biliary tract cancer (ABC). Selumetinib (AZD6244, ARRY-142886) potently and selectively inhibits MEK1/2, an intracellular kinase and has shown activity in ABC. The objective of the ABC-04 trial was to establish the recommended dose of selumetinib in combination with CisGem in patients with ABC. METHODS: Eligible patients were ≥ 18 years, had histologically or cytologically-confirmed unresectable recurrent or metastatic biliary tract, gallbladder or ampullary carcinoma, WHO performance status 0-2, and adequate major organ function. Patients may have had prior surgery, radiotherapy or adjuvant chemotherapy, but no prior CisGem and no prior chemotherapy for locally advanced or metastatic disease. Patients received cisplatin 25 mg/m(2) plus gemcitabine 1000 mg/m(2) intravenously on days 1 and 8 of a 21-day cycle. Selumetinib capsules were taken daily. Patients received up to 8 cycles of CisGem and could receive selumetinib until disease progression. A dose de-escalation scheme was used to determine the recommended dose of selumetinib. The first dose level was 75 mg bd. Patients were recruited in cohorts of 3 and assessed for dose limiting toxicity (DLT) during the first cycle of treatment. RESULTS: Thirteen patients were recruited, of whom 12 were evaluable for DLT (1 did not start treatment). All evaluable patients received the starting dose of selumetinib 75 mg bd and one patient experienced a DLT (cardiac chest pain). The median number of days selumetinib was taken (adjusted for the number of days of dose interruptions) was 171.5 (IQR: 75.5 to 344). Two patients remained on treatment at 14 and 19 months post registration. There were 3 temporary and 1 permanent interruptions of selumetinib in cycle 1. Eight patients were evaluable for objective response (RECIST v1.1): 3 had a partial response and 5 stable disease. The median PFS was 6.4 months (IQR 5.2 to 13.7). Toxicities related to selumetinib were mostly related to oedema and rash, grade 1-2 and manageable. Pharmacokinetic analysis showed that the AUC(0-t), AUC(0-∞) and Cmax of selumetinib increased by 12, 11 and 30 % respectively when it was administered with CisGem, while Cmax for the N-desmethyl metabolite of selumetinib decreased by 40 %. There was no evidence that the time of Cmax for selumetinib or N-desmethyl metabolite of selumetinib were different when selumetinib was administered alone or with CisGem. CONCLUSION: The recommended dose of selumetinib when combined with CisGem was 75 mg bd. Translational studies are underway to identify biomarkers that may predict outcome (ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT01242605 July 6(th) 2010)

21st Century Cures Act: Patient Perceptions on Open Information Sharing in Vermont Primary Care Clinics

Introduction: The 21st Century Cures Act federally mandated the release of progress notes, laboratory test results, and radiology/pathology reports to the patient’s electronic health record (EHR) portal. This study investigates patient perspectives on shared notes and addresses provider concerns about patient uptake due to potential factors like worry, confusion, and distress at the University of Vermont Medical Center. Materials and Methods: An electronic cross-sectional survey was designed and distributed to 7,240 eligible patients, adults who logged into MyChart on Epic and had an outpatient/telemedical visit at either the Colchester Family Medicine and South Burlington Primary Care locations in Vermont within one year prior to the study. Results: The survey response rate was 4.6%. Of the respondents, 90% agreed that the use of shared notes is a good idea, 76% found accessing notes easy, and 2% felt more worried about their health because of shared notes. 89%, 85%, and 82% of respondents found visit notes important for understanding their health, remembering their care plan, and feeling in control of their care, respectively. Conclusions: Based on this survey, provider concerns about patient stress may be overstated, as patients appear to benefit from shared notes through increased engagement with their health, communication with providers, and adherence to care plans