The High Price of Poverty in Arkansas’s Courts: Rethinking the Utility of Municipal Fines and Fees

The opposite of poverty is not wealth. It is justice. Beginning in the 1980s, a trail of tax cuts led to budget shortfalls and revenue gaps throughout the United States. These budgetary problems resulted in many cities and towns shifting their burden of funding courts and the justice system at large to the \u27users\u27 of the courts, including those least equipped to pay. Although jailing an indigent person for a fine-only, low-level offense is unconstitutional, it is still an ongoing practice in many states, including Arkansas. In 1995, Arkansas passed new legislation to govern its circuit courts\u27 collection and enforcement of fines and fees. One subsection of this chapter explicitly provides that the court shall inquire into the defendant\u27s ability to pay and shall make a determination of the defendant\u27s financial ability to pay the fine. Although this procedural safety net is embedded in the statue, it has not served its intended purpose for several reasons

How Capitalism Creates and Profits from Women\u27s Insecurities

Capitalism is defined by the singular motive of profit production. But this profit comes with a price: the degradation of women, a degradation that sustains the profit, or “economic growth,” that capitalism needs to survive. This degradation of women is the root of female insecurities in our capitalist society, but in this environment who really cares about such insecurities so long as the economy is growing, that is, profit is expanding? This research illustrates how capitalism not only creates but also profits from women’s insecurities. This will be explored through the corporate use of media, including advertisements, television, models, and other related outlets. Conveniently, these insecurities can be “fixed” with the almost too perfect products that large corporations produce. These products consist of everything targeted toward women, including makeup, haircare, waist trainers, and dieting supplements, all of which fuel profit from the very insecurities they create.https://orb.binghamton.edu/research_days_posters_2023/1054/thumbnail.jp

The Role of Dietary Folate Intake in Metabolism of Arsenic in Wild-Type C57BL/6N Mice and C57BL/6N Mice Carrying the Human AS3MT Gene

Chronic exposure to inorganic arsenic (iAs) is a public health concern and is associated with type 2 diabetes. iAs metabolism consists of methylation reactions catalyzed by arsenic methyltransferase (AS3MT) in most mammals. In humans, folate intake has been shown to affect iAs metabolism efficiency. Mouse models are commonly used to study iAs exposure, but mice are more efficient at metabolizing iAs than humans. This study examined a new mouse model carrying human AS3MT to better represent human iAs metabolism. We also assessed the role of folate in iAs metabolism and development of diabetic phenotypes in humanized and wild-type mice fed a folate deficient, adequate, or supplemented diet. We found that the humanized mice are a suitable model for human iAs metabolism but do not exhibit the same effects of folate intake on iAs metabolism seen in humans. Folate intake did not alter iAs metabolism efficiency in mice of either genotype.Master of Scienc

Garbage Disposal

The purpose of this report is to outline a new design for a sink garbage disposal system. The goal of this design is to develop a garbage disposal that could be made for less money, which would turn into a cost savings for the consumer and would lead to an increase in the amount of garbage disposal systems being used throughout the world. This allows the garbage disposal system to be marketed to different parts of the world that currently can’t afford the systems available on the market. The increased use of garbage disposals, help reduce the amount of organic material in landfills. This will reduce the amount of greenhouse gases emitted into the atmosphere, which would just be another step in the direction of helping preserve the planet. This design utilizes a stack up of seven blades that spin on a shaft ran by a small, but high powered motor. The motor is attached on the side of the food chamber, to help protect it from the water and food that passes through the system. All of the parts would be injection molded if the design is taken to production, with the exception of the motor, seals, and fasteners. This design attaches to sinks different than the current models on the market. Rather than having the garbage disposal installed directly to the sink, it installs directly into the drainage pipes. This allows installation to be easier than the current market garbage disposals. Overall, this report outlines a design for a garbage disposal system to be installed into the drain pipes, specifically under a sink. The design is compact and light, but still powerful. This allows the design to be a cost reduction for the manufacturing process, which will allow it to be marketed to consumers for less money

Racial & ethnic disparities in prenatal care & pregnancy outcomes - an ongoing challenge

Objective: The aim of this study is to compare adequacy of prenatal care among various races and ethnicities in the state of Michigan and associated pregnancy and birth outcomes. Study Design: A population-based retrospective cohort study was performed using the state of Michigan’s birth registry data for the years 2019-2020. Inclusion was made for all women who delivered after 20 weeks of gestation. Pregnancy and birth outcomes were compared by race and ethnicity. Results: A total of 211,801 births took place in Michigan between 2019 and 2020. The cohort included 143,400 (67.7%) who identified as non-hispanic White, 39,139 (18.5%) who identified as non-hispanic Black, 14,704 (6.9%) who identified as hispanic, and 14,557 (6.9%) who identified as others. Adequate prenatal care received, defined by the Kessner Index, was highest among non-hispanic White women at 71.9% (n=103,127), followed by hispanic women at 61.2% (n=9,006), followed by non-hispanic Black women at 56.1% (n=21,969), p\u3c 0.0001. The incidence of preterm birth was highest among non-hispanic Black women at 16.7% (n=6,525), followed by non-hispanic White women and hispanic women at 10.0% (n=14,358) and 10.8% (n=1,582) respectively, p\u3c 0.0001. The incidence of preeclampsia was also highest among non-hispanic Black women at 9.1% (n=3,550), followed by hispanic women and non-hispanic White women at 6.4% (n=948) and 1.3% (n=1,858) respectively, p\u3c 0.0001. The incidence of maternal ICU admission was 39% higher among non-hispanic Black women compared to non-hispanic White women (0.17% vs 0.12%). The incidence of neonatal ICU admission was 62% higher among non-hispanic Black women compared to non-hispanic White women (11.4% vs 7.0%). Conclusion: Disparities in prenatal care, pregnancy complications, and birth outcomes remain prevalent to our current day where non-hispanic Black women are receiving the least adequate prenatal care and having the most significant adverse pregnancy outcomes. More efforts should focus on access to care for Black women, as a modifiable step towards improving health outcomes for this population

Higher rates of false-positive HIV antigen/antibody screens during the COVID-19 pandemic: implications for pregnant patients

Objective: To compare the rates of false-positive HIV 4th generation screens among pregnant patients before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Study Design: A retrospective study evaluating the rates of false-positive HIV 4th generation screens among 44,187 pregnant patients was conducted. Pregnant patients from 3/2017-3/2019 were assigned to the “pre-COVID” cohort, and pregnant patients from 3/2020-3/2022 were assigned to the “COVID” cohort. Data including the date(s) and results of HIV 4th generation Ag/Ab combination tests and SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR assays were ascertained via chart review. An HIV 4th generation test result was deemed “false-positive” if subsequent HIV-1/HIV-2 antibody differentiation immunoassays and/or HIV-1 nucleic acid tests were non-reactive. Results: 42/22,073 (0.19%) patients with pre-COVID pregnancies who had HIV 4th generation tests were found to have abnormal results. In comparison, 71/22,114 (0.32%) patients with pregnancies during the pandemic had abnormal test results. 16/42 (38.1%) patients with abnormal results pre-COVID had false-positive HIV screens. In comparison, 48/71 (67.6%) COVID cohort patients with abnormal results had false-positive HIV screens. Overall, the rate of false-positive HIV 4th generation tests was significantly higher in the COVID cohort compared to the pre-COVID cohort (p=0.002). Among the 48 patients with false-positive HIV screens in the COVID cohort, 13 (27.1%) had a PCR-proven COVID-19 diagnosis during pregnancy preceding their false positive result. Interestingly, 9/13 patients (69.2%) also had at least one negative HIV 4th generation screening result predating their COVID-19 diagnosis. Conclusion: Considering the maternal and neonatal implications of a positive HIV test result, OB/GYNs should be cognizant that false-positive results can occur in the setting of new/prior COVID-19 infections. Shared decision making should be used when considering the initiation of combination antiretroviral therapy, route of delivery and/or delay of breastfeeding for patients with a newly positive HIV 4th generation tests, particularly in the absence of other risk factors

Simulated Winter Incubation of Soil With Swine Manure Differentially Affects Multiple Antimicrobial Resistance Elements

Gastrointestinal bacteria that harbor antibiotic resistance genes (ARG) become enriched with antibiotic use. Livestock manure application to cropland for soil fertility presents a concern that ARG and bacteria may proliferate and be transported in the environment. In the United States, manure applications typically occur during autumn with slow mineralization until spring planting season. A laboratory soil incubation study was conducted mimicking autumn swine manure application to soils with concentrations of selected ARG monitored during simulated 120-day winter incubation with multiple freeze-thaw events. Additionally, the effects of two soil moistures [10 and 30% water holding capacity (WHC)] and two manure treatments [raw versus hydrated lime alkaline stabilization (HLAS)] were assessed. Fourteen tetracycline resistance genes were evaluated; tet(D), tet(G), and tet(L) were detected in background soil while swine manure contained tet(A), tet(B), tet(C), tet(G), tet(M), tet(O), tet(Q), and tet(X). By day 120, the manure-borne tet(M) and tet(O) were still detected while tet(C), tet(D), tet(L), and tet(X) genes were detected less frequently. Other tet resistance genes were detected rarely, if at all. The sum of unique tet resistance genes among all treatments decreased during the incubation from an average of 8.9 to 3.8 unique tet resistance genes. Four resistance elements, intI1, blactx−m−32, sul(I), erm(B), and 16s rRNA genes were measured using quantitative PCR. ARG abundances relative to 16S abundance were initially greater in the raw manure compared to background soil (−1.53 to −3.92 log abundance in manure; −4.02 to \u3c−6.7 log abundance in soil). In the mixed manure/soil, relative abundance of the four resistance elements decreased (0.87 to 1.94 log abundance) during the incubation largely because 16S rRNA genes increased by 1.21 log abundance. Throughout the incubation, the abundance of intI1, blactx−m−32, sul(I), and erm(B) per gram in soil amended with HLAS-treated manure was lower than in soil amended with raw manure. Under low initial soil moisture conditions, HLAS treatment reduced the abundance of intI1 and resulted in loss of blactx−m−32, sul(I), and erm(B)] compared to other treatment-moisture combinations. Although one might expect antibiotic resistance to be relatively unchanged after simulated winter manure application to soil, a variety of changes in diversity and relative abundance can be expected

Optical and mechanical design of the extreme AO coronagraphic instrument MagAO-X

Here we review the current optical mechanical design of MagAO-X. The project is post-PDR and has finished the design phase. The design presented here is the baseline to which all the optics and mechanics have been fabricated. The optical/mechanical performance of this novel extreme AO design will be presented here for the first time. Some highlights of the design are: 1) a floating, but height stabilized, optical table; 2) a Woofer tweeter (2040 actuator BMC MEMS DM) design where the Woofer can be the current f/16 MagAO ASM or, more likely, fed by the facility f/11 static secondary to an ALPAO DM97 woofer; 3) 22 very compact optical mounts that have a novel locking clamp for additional thermal and vibrational stability; 4) A series of four pairs of super-polished off-axis parabolic (OAP) mirrors with a relatively wide FOV by matched OAP clocking; 5) an advanced very broadband (0.5-1.7micron) ADC design; 6) A Pyramid (PWFS), and post-coronagraphic LOWFS NCP wavefront sensor; 7) a vAPP coronagraph for starlight suppression. Currently all the OAPs have just been delivered, and all the rest of the optics are in the lab. Most of the major mechanical parts are in the lab or instrument, and alignment of the optics has occurred for some of the optics (like the PWFS) and most of the mounts. First light should be in 2019A.Comment: 10 pages, proc. SPIE 10703, Adaptive Optics IV, Austin TX, June 201