Medical Malpractice Overseas: The Legal Uncertainty Surrounding Medical Tourism

Mirrer-Singer explores some of the legal uncertainty surrounding medical tourism specifically in ways medical tourists can seek relief in US courts for malpractice committed abroad and explains why courts probably lack jurisdiction over foreign physicians who have allegedly committed malpractice. Among other things, he discusses theories under which US firms in the medical-tourism business could be held liable for the foreign provider\u27s negligence

What has NMR taught us about stripes and inhomogeneity?

The purpose of this brief invited paper is to summarize what we have (not) learned from NMR on stripes and inhomogeneity in La{2-x}Sr{x}CuO{4}. We explain that the reality is far more complicated than generally accepted.Comment: Accepted for publication in the Proceedings of the LT-23 Conference (invited

Role of Internal Motions and Molecular Geometry on the NMR Relaxation of Hydrocarbons

The role of internal motions and molecular geometry on $^1$H NMR relaxation times $T_{1,2}$ in hydrocarbons is investigated using MD (molecular dynamics) simulations of the autocorrelation functions for in{\it tra}molecular $G_R(t)$ and in{\it ter}molecular $G_T(t)$ $^1$H-$^1$H dipole-dipole interactions arising from rotational ($R$) and translational ($T$) diffusion, respectively. We show that molecules with increased molecular symmetry such as neopentane, benzene, and isooctane show better agreement with traditional hard-sphere models than their corresponding straight-chain $n$-alkane, and furthermore that spherically-symmetric neopentane agrees well with the Stokes-Einstein theory. The influence of internal motions on the dynamics and $T_{1,2}$ relaxation of $n$-alkanes are investigated by simulating rigid $n$-alkanes and comparing with flexible (i.e. non-rigid) $n$-alkanes. Internal motions cause the rotational and translational correlation-times $\tau_{R,T}$ to get significantly shorter and the relaxation times $T_{1,2}$ to get significantly longer, especially for longer-chain $n$-alkanes. Site-by-site simulations of $^1$H's along the chains indicate significant variations in $\tau_{R,T}$ and $T_{1,2}$ across the chain, especially for longer-chain $n$-alkanes. The extent of the stretched (i.e. multi-exponential) decay in the autocorrelation functions $G_{R,T}(t)$ are quantified using inverse Laplace transforms, for both rigid and flexible molecules, and on a site-by-site bases. Comparison of $T_{1,2}$ measurements with the site-by-site simulations indicate that cross-relaxation (partially) averages-out the variations in $\tau_{R,T}$ and $T_{1,2}$ across the chain of long-chain $n$-alkanes. This work also has implications on the role of nano-pore confinement on the NMR relaxation of fluids in the organic-matter pores of kerogen and bitumen

Hubble Space Telescope observations of Mars

Hubble Space Telescope (HST) afforded the possibility of resolving features as small as 100 km on the Martian surface even when it is at the far point of its orbit. Therefore it is ideally suited for monitoring seasonal changes on the red planet. The objectives research include: the study of Martian dust storms; use of images obtained through different filters to study the spectral reflectance of regions on the Martian surface; use of ultraviolet images and spectra to measure the amount of ozone in the planet's atmosphere as a function of location of the planet; use of images to study changes in the albedo of the Mars surface; and use of Planetary Camera images to study Martian clouds and to measure the opacity of the atmosphere

Method and apparatus for determining time, direction, and composition of impacting space particles

A space particle collector for recording the time specific particles are captured, and its direction at the time of capture, utilizes an array of targets, each comprised of an MOS capacitor on a chip charged from an external source and discharged upon impact by a particle through a tab on the chip that serves as a fuse. Any impacting particle creates a crater, but only the first will cause a discharge of the capacitor. A substantial part of the metal film around the first crater is burned off by the discharge current. The time of the impulse which burns the tab, and the identification of the target, is recorded together with data from flight instruments. The metal film is partitioned into pie sections to provide a plurality of targets on each of an array of silicon wafers, thus increasing the total number of identified particles that can be collected. It is thus certain which particles were captured at what specific times

Factors Influencing Consumer Purchases Of Auxiliary Items In Entertainment Venues

This study examines factors that contribute to an individual’s decision to make purchases inside collegiate football stadiums. Specifically, this study focuses on the relationship between industry standard elevated prices for auxiliary items, such as concessions and merchandise, and the consumers’ willingness to pay elevated rates for these items. Results are mixed, but suggest that game and environmental factors, as well as gender, contributed to higher willingness to pay. Results also indicated that consumption of alcoholic beverages before a game is very likely, and that regardless of alcohol consumption before the game, respondents were still likely to purchase alcohol once inside the stadium

Modular Forms and the Cosmological Constant

The vacuum amplitude of the heterotic string in a flat background vanishes for the first twenty orders of string perturbation theory. The proof relies on the algebraic geometry of modular forms

NMR Spin-Rotation Relaxation and Diffusion of Methane

The translational-diffusion coefficient $D_T$ and the spin-rotation contribution to the $^1$H NMR relaxation time $T_{1J}$ for methane (CH$_4$) are investigated using MD (molecular dynamics) simulations, over a wide range of densities $\rho$ and temperatures $T$, spanning the liquid, supercritical, and gas phases. The simulated $D_T$ agree well with measurements, without any adjustable parameters in the interpretation of the simulations. A minimization technique is developed to compute the angular-velocity for non-rigid spherical molecules, which is used to simulate the autocorrelation function $G_{\!J}(t)$ for spin-rotation interactions. With increasing $D_T$ (i.e. decreasing $\rho$), $G_{\!J}(t)$ shows increasing deviations from the single-exponential decay predicted by the Langevin theory for hard spheres, and the deviations are quantified using inverse Laplace transforms of $G_{\!J}(t)$. $T_{1J}$ is derived from $G_{\!J}(t)$ using the kinetic model "km" for gases ($T_{1J}^{km}$), and the diffusion model "dm" for liquids ($T_{1J}^{dm}$). $T_{1J}^{km}$ shows better agreement with $T_1$ measurements at higher $D_T$, while $T_{1J}^{dm}$ shows better agreement with $T_1$ measurements at lower $D_T$. $T_{1J}^{km}$ is shown to dominate over the MD simulated $^1$H-$^1$H dipole-dipole relaxation $T_{1RT}$ at high $D_T$, while the opposite is found at low $D_T$. At high $D_T$, the simulated spin-rotation correlation-time $\tau_J$ agrees with the kinetic collision time $\tau_K$ for gases, from which a new relation $1/T_{1J}^{km} \propto D_T$ is inferred, without any adjustable parameters