Country Club Sports: The Disparate Impact of Athlete Admissions at Elite Universities

While conservative advocacy groups criticize affirmative action as anti-meritocratic, many universities give similar admissions preferences based on ostensibly race-neutral characteristics that highly correlate with wealth and whiteness. Using data made public through the recent legal challenge to Harvard’s affirmative action policies, statisticians have shown that the greatest boost to an applicant’s admission chances at elite universities is not minority status or high test scores, but rather appearing on a coach’s list of potential recruits. At Harvard, where 70% of athletes are white, these athletic recruitment lists are often for “country club sports” that require expensive tutoring and are rarely played outside of predominantly white suburbs. Our current legislative framework is insufficient to challenge facially race-neutral admissions policies that have the effect of discriminating on the basis of race, like athlete preferences. In response, I propose legislative modifications to Title VI and internal policy changes within the Ivy League to limit this indirect discrimination

Forrest B. Fordham Letter

A letter sent by Forrest B. Fordham, pastor of Holmesburg Baptist Church, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on December 30, 1942 to the First Christian Church of Morehead, Kentucky.https://scholarworks.moreheadstate.edu/mfcc_ww2_letters/1099/thumbnail.jp

Cell-Type Specific Changes in Glial Morphology and Glucocorticoid Expression During Stress and Aging in the Medial Prefrontal Cortex.

Repeated exposure to stressors is known to produce large-scale remodeling of neurons within the prefrontal cortex (PFC). Recent work suggests stress-related forms of structural plasticity can interact with aging to drive distinct patterns of pyramidal cell morphological changes. However, little is known about how other cellular components within PFC might be affected by these challenges. Here, we examined the effects of stress exposure and aging on medial prefrontal cortical glial subpopulations. Interestingly, we found no changes in glial morphology with stress exposure but a profound morphological change with aging. Furthermore, we found an upregulation of non-nuclear glucocorticoid receptors (GR) with aging, while nuclear levels remained largely unaffected. Both changes are selective for microglia, with no stress or aging effect found in astrocytes. Lastly, we show that the changes found within microglia inversely correlated with the density of dendritic spines on layer III pyramidal cells. These findings suggest microglia play a selective role in synaptic health within the aging brain

Glenoid Dysplasia: Radiographic, Direct MR Arthrographic and Arthroscopic Appearances

AbstractGlenoid dysplasia is an uncommon developmental abnormality of the scapula that is frequently overlooked. We report a case of severe glenoid dysplasia in a 55 year old man and demonstrate its radiographic, direct MR arthrographic and arthroscopic appearances

Posterior longitudinal ligament status in cervical spine bilateral facet dislocations

Objective: It is generally accepted that cervical spine bilateral facet dislocation results in complete disruption of the posterior longitudinal ligament. The goal of this study was to evaluate the integrity of numerous spine-stabilizing structures by MRI, and to determine if any associations between injury patterns exist with respect to the posterior longitudinal ligament status. Design: Retrospective case series. Patients: A retrospective review was performed of 30 cervical spine injury subjects with bilateral facet dislocation. Assessment of 1.5T MRI images was carried out for: intervertebral disc disruption, facet fracture, and ligamentous disruption. Statistical analyses were performed to evaluate for associations between various injury patterns and posterior longitudinal ligament status. Results: The frequency of MRI abnormalities was: anterior longitudinal ligament disruption (26.7%), disc herniation or disruption (90%), posterior longitudinal ligament disruption (40%), facet fracture (63.3%) and disruption of the posterior column ligament complex (97%). There were no significant associations between injury to the posterior longitudinal ligament and other structures. Compared to surgical reports, MRI was accurate for determining the status for 24 of 26 ligaments (three of three anterior longitudinal ligament, seven of nine posterior longitudinal ligament, and 14 of 14 posterior column ligament complex) but generated false negatives in two instances (in both MRI showed an intact posterior longitudinal ligament that was torn at surgery). Conclusions: In contradis¬tinction to the existing concept, the posterior longitudinal ligament can remain intact in a substantial propor¬tion of hyperflexion injuries that produce bilateral cervical facet dislocation. Posterior longitudinal ligament integrity is not associated with any other injury pattern related to the anterior longitudinal ligament, intervertebral disc or facet fracture

Impedance Noise Identification for State-of-Health Prognostics

Impedance Noise Identification is an in-situ method of measuring battery impedance as a function of frequency using a random small signal noise excitation source. Through a series of auto- and cross-correlations and Fast Fourier Transforms, the battery complex impedance as a function of frequency can be determined. The results are similar to those measured under a lab-scale electrochemical impedance spectroscopy measurement. The lab-scale measurements have been shown to correlate well with resistance and power data that are typically used to ascertain the remaining life of a battery. To this end, the Impedance Noise Identification system is designed to acquire the same type of data as an on-board tool. A prototype system is now under development, and results are being compared to standardized measurement techniques such as electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. A brief description of the Impedance Noise Identification hardware system and representative test results are presented

Bone stress injury of the ankle in professional ballet dancers seen on MRI

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Ballet Dancers have been shown to have a relatively high incidence of stress fractures of the foot and ankle. It was our objective to examine MR imaging patterns of bone marrow edema (BME) in the ankles of high performance professional ballet dancers, to evaluate clinical relevance.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>MR Imaging was performed on 12 ankles of 11 active professional ballet dancers (6 female, 5 male; mean age 24 years, range 19 to 32). Individuals were imaged on a 0.2 T or 1.5 T MRI units. Images were evaluated by two musculoskeletal radiologists and one orthopaedic surgeon in consensus for location and pattern of bone marrow edema. In order to control for recognized sources of bone marrow edema, images were also reviewed for presence of osseous, ligamentous, tendinous and cartilage injuries. Statistical analysis was performed to assess the strength of the correlation between bone marrow edema and ankle pain.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Bone marrow edema was seen only in the talus, and was a common finding, observed in nine of the twelve ankles imaged (75%) and was associated with pain in all cases. On fluid-sensitive sequences, bone marrow edema was ill-defined and centered in the talar neck or body, although in three cases it extended to the talar dome. No apparent gender predilection was noted. No occult stress fracture could be diagnosed. A moderately strong correlation (phi = 0.77, p= 0.0054) was found between edema and pain in the study population.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Bone marrow edema seems to be a specific MRI finding in the talus of professional ballet dancers, likely related to biomechanical stress reactions, due to their frequently performed unique maneuvers. Clinically, this condition may indicate a sign of a bone stress injury of the ankle.</p

A novel method to obtain three-dimensional urban surface temperature from ground-based thermography

Urban geometry and materials combine to create complex spatial, temporal and directional patterns of longwave infrared (LWIR) radiation. Effective anisotropy (or directional variability) of thermal radiance causes remote sensing (RS) derived urban surface temperatures to vary with RS view angles. Here a new and novel method to resolve effective thermal anisotropy processes from LWIR camera observations is demonstrated at the Comprehensive Outdoor Scale MOdel (COSMO) test site. Pixel-level differences of brightness temperatures reach 18.4 K within one hour of a 24-h study period. To understand this variability, the orientation and shadowing of surfaces is explored using the Discrete Anisotropic Radiative Transfer (DART) model and Blender three-dimensional (3D) rendering software. Observed pixels and the entire canopy surface are classified in terms of surface orientation and illumination. To assess the variability of exitant longwave radiation (M_LW) from the 3D COSMO surface (M_LW^3D), the observations are prescribed based on class. The parameterisation is tested by simulating thermal images using a camera view model to determine camera perspectives of M_LW^3D fluxes. The mean brightness temperature differences per image (simulated and observed) are within 0.65 K throughout a 24-h period. Pixel-level comparisons are possible with the high spatial resolution of M_LW^3D and DART camera view simulations. At this spatial scale (< 0.10 m), shadow hysteresis, surface sky view factor and building edge effects are not completely resolved by M_LW^3D. By simulating apparent brightness temperatures from multiple view directions, effective thermal anisotropy of M_LW^3D is shown to be up to 6.18 K. The developed methods can be extended to resolve some of the identified sources of sub-facet variability in realistic urban settings. The extension of DART to the interpretation of ground-based RS is shown to be promising

FAQS Re: FFPS : Frequently Asked Questions About Federal Forum Provisions

Federal Forum Provisions (FFPs) direct all Securities Act litigation filed in state court to federal court. Delaware’s Supreme Court has ruled that FFPs are facially valid. To date, each state court that has addressed the merits of the question has enforced the FFP before it as lawful and reasonable. Questions regarding FFP mechanics nonetheless abound, and this Article addresses the most common FAQs about FFPs. In particular, corporations should consider adopting an FFP now. Waiting has no benefit. Publicly traded corporations can most conveniently adopt an FFP in the form of a bylaw. Privately held entities face potential Securities Act liability in connection with registration violations and section 12(a)(2) liability and can adopt FFPs either as charter or bylaw provisions. We view the charter-bylaw distinction as a matter of close-to-indifference. It is also reasonable for corporations chartered outside of Delaware to adopt FFP provisions, inasmuch as most state courts draw substantial guidance from Delaware precedent. A California trial court recently held that claims against underwriters were not covered by the FFP at issue in that matter. We disagree and welcome California Court of Appeals review of that issue. Other California trial courts have disagreed, as well, finding that substantially identical FFPs do apply to underwriters. However, an essentially costless revision of the form of FFP considered by the California trial courts would eliminate any risk, and we provide two alternative forms of FFP that achieve that result. Corporations with FFPs already in their charters can adopt an additional bylaw to address this risk, or they can amend their charters. Some FFPs designate a specific federal district court, typically the district in which the corporate headquarters is located, as the venue in which litigation is to proceed. Arguably, federal law governing venue will likely cause the case to proceed in the headquarters district in any event, so companies considering specifying a certain federal district court in the FFP should weigh the risks and rewards of such a provision. For certain foreign issuers, designating a specific federal district court, such as the Southern District of New York, as the venue for all Securities Act claims can be sensible. Large Securities Act liabilities often also arise in the context of registered debt offerings. Companies should therefore consider including FFPs in the indentures in debt offerings as well. Jury trial waivers are common in depositary agreements and indentures. To avoid enforceability challenges based on these waivers, particularly in California, these agreements and indentures should either include a severability provision, or the corporation should be prepared, if necessary, to stipulate not to enforce the jury waiver in federal court when moving to enforce an FFP in California or in other states hostile to such waivers