Amicus Curiae Briefs: An Insight into Outside Influences on Decisions of the Supreme Court

The modern-day United States Supreme Court is composed of nine Justices each with a lifetime appointment. This reason for a lifetime appointment is for a Justice to be as neutral as possible when evaluating cases in the highest court in the land, which has been a place of contention in recent American history. Many scholars often wonder just how neutral a Justice can be and what the implications of this neutrality is with the natural biases of being human. One of these hypothesized influences are amicus curiae briefs. Amicus curiae is Latin for “friend of the court” and the brief, in general, is a document filed by an outside party who can show support for either the petitioner or respondent that the Justices must read before coming to their conclusion. With this outside influence, my research question is, “To what extent will the introduction of an amicus curiae brief influence the outcome of modern-day Supreme Court decisions?”Bachelor of Art

Minimally Invasive Surgery for Septic Arthritis of the First Metatarsophalangeal Joint: An Uncommon Approach Utilizing Small Joint Arthroscopy

Small joint arthroscopy can be utilized for septic arthritis, synovitis, osteochondral lesions, arthritis, and various other pathologies. However, information regarding arthroscopy of the first metatarsophalangeal joint (MTPJ) is limited in the literature. This case report discusses the use of arthroscopy for septic arthritis of the 1st MTPJ

PLAIN RADIOGRAPHY & MRI CORRELATION IN SOFT TISSUE INJURIES OF THE KNEE JOINT

Introduction: The primary aim is to identify and establish new signs in plain radiography of the knee joint that could indicate soft tissue abnormalities that are established on Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI). To correlate the plain radiographic features to that of the MRI findings which is the gold standard in the evaluation of the knee disorders. Methodology: A prospective cross sectional study was done on a total of 50 patients including both the sexes and of all age groups who presented with knee joint pain and subsequently underwent plain radiographic evaluation followed by MRI of the knee joint. The data is analyzed and the findings on plain radiographs correlated with that of MRI. Results: The most common soft tissue injuries as identified on MRI of the knee joint were that of Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) and medial meniscus (MM). Knee joint effusion was found to be a common occurrence in cases of trauma. These findings were also identified on plain radiographs. Conclusion: Sign complexes on plain radiograph with regard to joint space, inter condylar region of tibia, tibial plateaus, soft tissue planes at the tibio femoral joint, supra and infra patellar regions on lateral radiograms, and calcifications in soft tissue planes indicate various soft tissue injuries of the knee as detected and confirmed on MRI. Thus plain radiograph stands as a primary imaging modality in diagnosing not only the osseous abnormalities of the knee joint but also soft tissue abnormalities in comparison to MRI

Prevention of initiation of smokeless tobacco (SLT) consumption among rural children

Background: India Global Youth Tobacco Survey 2019 observed that 8.5% of the young age group (13-15 years) consume tobacco (9.6 % are boys and 7.4 % are girls). No interventional studies among adolescents were conducted before the initiation of the SLT use. Aims & Objectives: To estimate the prevalence of consumption of tobacco and non-tobacco products and to provide school based interventions to bring behavioral changes. Materials and Methods: An interventional study was carried out in Primary Schools. For estimation of the prevalence of tobacco and non tobacco use all the students of 1st to 5th while for the interventions, 4th and 5th standard were selected. Baseline data and change in the behavior at the end of one year was collected. FGD with key informants were also conducted. Descriptive Statistics was conducted. Results: The prevalence of smokeless tobacco consumption and non-tobacco product was found to be 1.3% and 36.5% respectively. After intervention 40.5% students had quit non tobacco products. Findings of FGD suggested that children should not be sent to purchase tobacco products on behalf of their parents. Conclusion: School based intervention and sensitization of the field workers along with knowing their perceptions for the predictors of consumption could be useful

Clinical Trial Readiness for Spinal Muscular Atrophy: Experience of an International Educational-Training Initiative

Several successful clinical trials have been conducted in spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) over recent years which have led to the approval of splicing modifiers and gene transfer therapies. With an increasing number of other agents progressing through pre-clinical and clinical development, increasing worldwide clinical trial readiness is becoming essential.SMA Europe initiated a clinical trial readiness project, which included the development of a pilot face-to-face educational-training initiative for clinical specialists and physiotherapists involved in SMA, with an emphasis on the patient perspective. Participants were selected through two surveys and, ahead of the meeting, a mock protocol with specific questions was provided. The initiative involved a series of presentations, role-play and interactive exercises. We describe here our experience and evaluation of this educational-training initiative, emphasising scientific aspects, psychosocial implications and level of satisfaction.From a participant, patient and industry perspective, such training was considered successful and met the objective, which was to improve clinical trial readiness in emerging sites. Resource planning, ethical considerations and communication with patients were identified as three important topics for future training. This initiative highlights the need to develop a training programme to achieve clinical trial readiness across Europe and showcases a collaborative effort with different stakeholders, clinicians, patient advocacy groups and sponsors to address an important issue

Antibacterial properties of plant extracts from curanderismo (Mexican herbal medicine) on pathogenic strains of Vibrio Vulnificus isolated from the Coastal Bend region of Texas

Vibrio vulnificus, a Gram-negative mesophilic bacterium that belongs to the gamma Proteobacteria phylum and family Vibrionaceae, is halophilic and asporogenous and is autochthonous to marine and estuarine environments. Between April and October, the organism reaches peak levels in the Gulf of Mexico. Previous studies indicate that antibiotic resistance is increasing in Vibrio vulnificus. Finding a solution to this antibiotic resistance problem is critical for both aquaculture and medical care with persons exposed to Vibrio. One possible treatment modality to control the effects of antibiotic resistant bacteria is Curanderismo, a popular alternative plant-based medicine derived from Mexican culture, which has been overlooked by scientific investigation and may be used in lieu of pharmacologic antimicrobial agents. This study hypothesizes that certain plants may be used for treatment of antimicrobial-resistant strains (AMR) of Vibrio vulnificus. The objectives are to (1) investigate the effect of active plant extracts and tinctures on strains of Vibrio vulnificus by Kirby-Bauer disk diffusion susceptibility testing; (2) Investigate the effect of active plant extracts on the ability of Vibrio vulnificus to form biofilms, which indirectly observe quorum-sensing (QS)-regulated virulence traits. Ten typical herbal treatments of Curanderismo used to treat wounds and infections in south Texas were made as tinctures in against the four Vibrio vulnificus strains. In addition, biofilm assays revealed these six plant extracts showed better antimicrobial and anti-biofilm activity compared to the bacterial control. These findings demonstrate that certain plant tinctures may be plausible treatment methods and future studies will investigate specific plant tinctures on a wider range of south Texas Vibrio vulnificus strains.Life SciencesCollege of Science and Engineerin

Multidisciplinary teamworking

The multidisciplinary team (MDT) as a concept is viewed as a best practice or gold standard in cancer healthcare services globally. It evolved initially when (i) patient outcomes were seen to improve when based on available evidence; (ii) treatments for cancer such as surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy were combined; and (iii) the medical experts in these fields were working together. With the growing awareness that this approach improved patient care, disciplines such as nursing and allied health professionals were acknowledged as members of the MDT. The objective of the MDT is to consider all relevant treatment options; from these, an individual treatment plan is developed collectively. However, effective teamworking can be challenging due to organisational structures and demands. The clinical nurse specialist is a vital member of the MDT and is best placed to advocate for the patient. More research is required to ensure that the MDT and MDT meetings are effective in delivering the best treatment plans for individuals with cancer.<br/

Week 4 - Data Set

<p>In a group with Keerthana, Amena,Taylor and Anthony this experiment was performed on York University Keele campus in Dambi woods and near the grasslands surrounding Dambi woods. At 4:08 pm – 4:40 pm (time of when the experiment was conducted) the weather was sunny with variable clouds around 15 degrees and there was a wind speed of 12 km/ hour. A transect was laid out at a distance of 42 m length and 5m on both sides of the transect was observed for any birds that flew over the Transect area. Dambi forest consisted of trees but was not heavily dense and transect was laid out in part of the forest that had leveled ground and not a lot of vegetation or trees covering the ground. In the grassland transect was laid out in the same method at a length of 42 m with the area of 5 m on both sides of transect being watched for bird activity. Distance – sampling method was selected because birds are mobile and easier to watch than capture and release or means of sampling. There were two main bird species sighted and the data collected was sorted into categories by the type of birds sighted. It was hypothesised that due to the weather season being fall and colder that not many birds would be sighted, and the species of birds remained unknown until sighting while doing the experiment.</p

Investigation of anti-bacterial properties of some plant extracts on vibrio vulnificus strains

Vibrio vulnificus is a Gram-negative mesophilic bacterium that is halophilic and asporogenous. It belongs to the gamma Proteobacteria phylum and family Vibrionaceae. It lives in coastal and estuary environments, and between April and October, it reaches peak levels in the Gulf of Mexico. Various environmental conditions, such as temperature, salinity, and pH, influence the activation of virulence genes in Vibrio vulnificus bacteria. Some literature reports state that antibiotic resistance is increasing in Vibrio vulnificus. Curanderismo, a popular alternative medicine derived from Mexican culture, has been overlooked by scientific investigation and may be used in lieu of pharmacologic antimicrobial agents. This study looked at the antibacterial capabilities of 10 typical herbal treatments used to treat wounds and infections in south Texas. This study investigated the effects of active plant extracts on strains of Vibrio vulnificus by Kirby-Bauer disk diffusion susceptibility testing; and whether active plant extracts affected on quorum-sensing-regulated virulence traits which manifests as biofilm formation against strains of Vibrio vulnificus. Each plant’s ethanolic tinctures were made and applied on blank diffusion disks, which were then dehydrated and tested for susceptibility to four strains of Vibrio vulnificus bacteria using Kirby-Bauer disk diffusion susceptibility tests: VV27562 ATCC (type strain) and three strains isolated from the Coastal Bend region, VVARA0040407-40, BS0607- 5 and NB0507-7, were then analyzed in triplicate. In addition, cultures of the four strains were grown for 96 hours in minimal medium in vitro, then cultures were grown in the absence or presence of plant tinctures. Cultures were then stained with 0.4% crystal violet to determine biofilm formation. Among selected plants, six plant tinctures exerted significant antimicrobial effect against the four Vibrio vulnificus strains. Preliminary evidence suggested that there may be some effect of certain plant tinctures on biofilm formation. This project suggests a new alternative in Vibrio vulnificus treatment for potentially increasing antibiotic resistance against Vibrio vulnificus bacterial strains