A Turn for the Worse: Foreign Relations, Corporate Human Rights Abuse, and the Courts

This Note examines recent interventions in corporate human rights lawsuits by the executive branch from both legal and political perspectives. It first identifies a nascent trend in human rights litigation in U.S. courts-namely, the propensity of the Bush administration to intervene on behalf of corporate defendants accused of violating human rights in the developing world-by examining the factual and procedural history of three contemporary lawsuits. It then explores the role of the political question, act of state, and international comity doctrines in these and similar suits, and advances a method for applying all three doctrines in a human rights-friendly manner. Finally, the Note examines the Bush administration\u27s interventions from a human rights policy perspective and concludes that for political, in addition to legal reasons, the executive branch should desist from intervening on behalf of corporate defendants in human rights lawsuits

Design for Additive Manufacturing (3D Printing)

The goal of this project is to study the performance of a 3D printed mechanical part subjected to topology optimization. A part that is somewhat complex in its load bearing and geometry will be selected. That part will then be designed, finite element analysis will be performed on it to optimize its topology, and then it will be 3D printed and tested. The goal of topology optimization is to either save material cost and/or part weight due to the ability of 3D printing to manufacture parts with complex and obscure geometry

Den site selection and movement patterns of female raccoons following removal and exclusion from residences

Raccoons (Procyon lotor) are one of many wildlife species that have adapted to survive in urban/suburban environments. Classified as a rabies vector species in many eastern states, their disposition after being handled by wildlife specialists is often dictated by this human health concern. Specifically, some states prohibit relocation and mandate that raccoons be released on site or euthanized. Although management using nonlethal means is often preferred by some segments of the human population, several questions remain to be addressed before appropriate agency policies regarding the handling of urban wildlife can be determined. There is little information available regarding the fate of lactating raccoons and their offspring that are trapped and released on site or excluded from human structures. Therefore, our objective was to determine habitat use, home range size, and fate of adult females and their offspring following capture, exclusion, and subsequent release on site. Nineteen adult female raccoons were live-trapped, anesthetized, fitted with radio-collars, and released. Raccoons were captured in Hartford County, Connecticut between April and June of 1998 and 1999. Movements and den-site selection were monitored weekly using radio-telemetry equipment. Home ranges averaged 10.5 ha. Sixty-two percent of the raccoons selected human occupied structures for den sites immediately after release. In total, 73% of the den sites selected were human built. Further insight into nuisance raccoon behavior will permit state wildlife agencies to better develop management policies

Dislodged But Not Dead: Survivorship of a High Intertidal Snail Following Wave Dislodgement

Waves breaking on rocky shorelines impart large forces on intertidal organisms, sometimes dislodging individuals. Dislodged individuals may be deposited in habitats that have a greater risk of predation or that prevent return to preferred regions on the shore. Thus, dislodgement is often assumed to be lethal. We experimentally dislodged Littorina keenae snails from high in the intertidal zone to test the likelihood of survival. Under a variety of wave conditions, we measured return rates to the high shore of 54–90%, so in this species, dislodgement is not equal to death. Snails showed a strong preference for returning to the approximate tidal height from which they were dislodged, but we found no evidence of widespread homing behaviour back to the original site of dislodgement

Producers\u27 Opinions on What Makes Demonstrations Effective

Despite the widespread and long-standing use of demonstration sites in Extension, there is little empirical evidence to inform how best to design them. We report data from 513 producers in three regions of Indiana whom we surveyed about sources of information for farm management decisions, the usefulness of demonstrations, and preferences and factors that influence their attendance at demonstrations. In general, respondents had positive opinions about demonstration events and high levels of agreement regarding their usefulness. Lack of awareness of demonstrations was the greatest single factor leading to nonattendance. We provide recommendations for organizing demonstration events based on the preferences of producers we surveyed

Burden of Adverse Metabolic Factors Is Associated With Increased Left Ventricular Concentricity in Adults With Normal-Range Body Mass Index: The Framingham Heart Study

Introduction: Persons with normal-range body mass index (BMI) but adverse metabolic characteristics associated with obesity have been described as metabolically-obese normal weight (MONW). We sought to determine whether adverse metabolic profile is associated with alterations in left ventricular (LV) structure or function among adults with normal BMI. Methods: From the 1794 Framingham Heart Study Offspring cohort adults who underwent cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMRI) , we identified 446 free of non-skin cancer and prevalent clinical cardiovascular disease (CVD) who had 18.5≤BMI\u3c25.0 kg/m2 and complete covariates. We calculated a metabolic score (MS) where 1 point was assigned for each of: a) fasting glucose≥100 mg/dL or diabetes; b) SBP≥140 or DBP≥90 mmHg or antihypertensive treatment; c) TG≥150 or HDL_C \u3c40(M)/\u3c50(W) mg/dL or lipid treatment; d) HOMA-IR≥2.5; e) waist circumference ≥102/88cm for M/W. Participants were classified as MS0 (no points), MS1 (exactly 1 point), or MS2+ (≥2 points). LV mass (LVM), end-diastolic volume (EDV), ejection fraction (EF), and concentricity (LVM/EDV) were measured from breathhold cine SSFP CMR scans; we calculated LVM/BSA. Analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) was used to compare MS1 and MS2+ groups to the MS0 group. CMRI variables were adjusted for sex, age, heart rate (HR) and body size (BSA); LVM/BSA was adjusted for sex, age, HR only. We also tested for linear trend across metabolic groups. Results: LV concentricity increased with worsening metabolic status. This was driven by lower LV EDV, not increased LVM. LVM did not differ across (trend) or between MS-groups. LVEDV decreased across groups but only MS2 differed significantly from MS0. LVEF increased slightly but significantly across MS-groups. Conclusions: In a community-dwelling cohort, among participants who were free of cancer and clinical CVD and had normal BMI, worsening metabolic profile was associated with adverse remodeling of the left ventricle, reflected by greater LV concentricity

Systematic review of prevalence, risk factors, and management of instability following reverse shoulder arthroplasty

Background Since its approval for use, reverse shoulder arthroplasty (RSA) has become the primary treatment for cuff tear arthropathy, with indications expanding more recently to include revision fracture, osteoarthritis with significant glenoid bone loss, tumor, and chronic instability. Instability is a well-described postoperative complication, occurring in 1to 31% of relatively small cohorts and case series. Given the relative infrequency of instability, there remains a need for a comprehensive review of instability with a focus on risk factors and management. Our goal of this systematic review is to describe the prevalence, risk factors, and management strategies for instability following RSA. Methods A systematic review of the PubMed, EMBASE, MEDLINE, Scopus, and Cochrane Library databases was performed according to PRISMA guidelines. Inclusion criteria included primary RSA cohorts ≥ 100 patients, revision RSA cohorts of any size, and minimum 1-year follow-up. The primary outcome of interest was postoperative instability. MINORS criteria were used to assess study bias. Descriptive statistical analysis was performed with data reported as ranges. Results Seventeen studies that included 7885 cases of RSA were reviewed. The mean follow-up ranged from 12 to 84 months. Mean age ranged from 64 to 77 years old, and males represented 19 to 39% of cohorts. There were 204 (2.5%) dislocations in 7885 cases, accounting for a rate of instability from 0.4 to 49% across all studies. By intervention, instability rates ranged from 1 to 5% (primary RSA cases), 1 to 49% (revision RSA cases only), and 0.4 to 10% (mixed cohorts). Subscapularis insufficiency and proximal humerus fractures, and fracture sequelae (malunion and nonunion) were identified as risk factors for instability. Closed reduction and casting and revision RSA were reported as successful treatment strategies with acceptable rates of stable prostheses (28-100% and 55-100%, respectively, across studies). Hemiarthroplasty or resection arthroplasty due to recurrent instability was not uncommon after 2 or more episodes of instability. Conclusion Instability following RSA occurs infrequently (1-5%) following primary RSA and more commonly following revision RSA (1-49%). RSA for acute proximal humerus fracture and fracture sequelae carries a higher risk of instability. Subscapularis repair appears to be a protective factor. While instability may be successfully treated with closed management or revision RSA, recurrent instability may ultimately require hemiarthroplasty or resection arthroplasty

Land Use and Habitat Conditions Across the Southwestern Wyoming Sagebrush Steppe: Development Impacts, Management Effectiveness and the Distribution of Invasive Plants

For the past several years, USGS has taken a multi-faceted approach to investigating the condition and trends in sagebrush steppe ecosystems. This recent effort builds upon decades of work in semi-arid ecosystems providing a specific, applied focus on the cumulative impacts of expanding human activities across these landscapes. Here, we discuss several on-going projects contributing to these efforts: (1) mapping and monitoring the distribution and condition of shrub steppe communities with local detail at a regional scale, (2) assessing the relationships between specific, land-use features (for example, roads, transmission lines, industrial pads) and invasive plants, including their potential (environmentally defined) distribution across the region, and (3) monitoring the effects of habitat treatments on the ecosystem, including wildlife use and invasive plant abundance. This research is focused on the northern sagebrush steppe, primarily in Wyoming, but also extending into Montana, Colorado, Utah and Idaho. The study area includes a range of sagebrush types (including, Artemisia tridentata ssp. tridentata, Artemisia tridentata ssp. wyomingensis, Artemisia tridentata ssp. vaseyana, Artemisia nova) and other semi-arid shrubland types (for example, Sarcobatus vermiculatus, Atriplex confertifolia, Atriplex gardneri), impacted by extensive interface between steppe ecosystems and industrial energy activities resulting in a revealing multiple-variable analysis. We use a combination of remote sensing (AWiFS (1 Any reference to platforms, data sources, equipment, software, patented or trade-marked methods is for information purposes only. It does not represent endorsement of the U.S.D.I., U.S.G.S. or the authors), Landsat and Quickbird platforms), Geographic Information System (GIS) design and data management, and field-based, replicated sampling to generate multiple scales of data representing the distribution of shrub communities for the habitat inventory. Invasive plant sampling focused on the interaction between human infrastructure and weedy plant distributions in southwestern Wyoming, while also capturing spatial variability associated with growing conditions and management across the region. In a separate but linked study, we also sampled native and invasive composition of recent and historic habitat treatments. Here, we summarize findings of this ongoing work, highlighting patterns and relationships between vegetation (native and invasive), land cover, landform, and land-use patterns in the sagebrush steppe