Corporate Personhood and the Putative First Amendment Right to Discriminate

Corporations increasingly assert the right to discriminate, based either on free speech claims, religious freedom claims, or statutory claims arising from the Religious Freedom Restoration Act. Such claims have been considered by the Supreme Court in Hobby Lobby (RFRA) and Masterpiece Cakeshop (First Amendment), and in both cases the Court held in favor of the business. In neither case, however, did the Court address a fundamental flaw with the arguments of the company asserting the speech and religion claims: that the claims depend on the rejection of corporate personhood. The putative religious and speech claims arose not from the beliefs of the companies but of their dominant shareholders. But corporate “personhood” means the interests of the firm are distinct from those of the shareholders. Allowing companies to assert the beliefs of shareholders as their own contradicts established doctrine and risks corporate manipulation of regulations designed to be generally applicable. The authors have been active as amici in various cases in which corporations have asserted right to discriminate. This chapter marks the first time that these arguments have appeared in a scholarly format

Preserved Priming of Novel Objects in Patients with Memory Disorders

Amnesic patients perform poorly on explicit memory tests that require conscious recollection of recent experiences, but frequently show preserved facilitations of performance or priming effects on implicit memory tasks that do not require conscious recollection. We examined implicit memory for novel visual objects on an object decision test in which subjects decide whether structurally possible and impossible objects could exist in three-dimensional form. Patients with organic memory disorders showed robust priming effects on this task---object decision accuracy was higher for previously studied objects than for nonstudied objects---and the magnitude of priming did not differ from matched control subjects or college students. However, patients showed impaired explicit memory for novel visual objects on a recognition test. We argue that priming is mediated by the structural description system, a subsystem of the perceptual representation system, that operates at a presemantic level and is preserved in amnesic patients.Psycholog

Innovative improvement of sintered ceramic electrolytes by salt infiltration

Previously sintered (1500 °C, 4 h) dense pellets of Ce0.9Gd0.1O1.95 (GDC) were covered and heat treated with eutectic mixtures of Na2CO3 and Li2CO3 (NLC), and their electrical performance was assessed against pure GDC and chemically synthesized GDC + NLC. Microstructural analysis of NLC impregnated samples confirmed slight migration of the molten phase to the interior of the GDC pellets via grain boundaries, resulting in a significant improvement of the grain boundary conductivity, increasing with duration of heat treatment (0.5–2 h) and temperature (600–800 °C range). The observed total conductivity exceeded in almost 20% the corresponding values obtained for standard GDC samples. Cells tested before and after direct current polarization (0.5 V, 500 °C) showed the same electrical performance, discarding the possibility of parallel contributions of salt ions to the total conductivity. Grain boundary engineering using salt infiltration is an effective tool to improve the electrical performance of ceramic electrolytes.publishe

El cambio climático y el impacto en la producción de alimentos: algunos elementos del análisis de la realidad brasileña y argentina

El tema central de este ensayo es sobre el Cambio Climático y su impacto en la agricultura y ganadería brasileña y argentina, especialmente en lo que respecta a la geopolítica del cambio climático y la producción de alimentos. Tomando como metodología de trabajo el análisis crítico de documentos y legislación que sustentan el modelo actual de desarrollo de la agricultura y ganadería, en monocultivos de gran escala, con el fin de comprender los alcances de la adopción de prácticas orientadas a la productividad de los procesos cuantitativos y el abandono de la dimensión cualitativa del modelo de desarrollo. El enfoque de la sostenibilidad emerge en el texto como principio rector del análisis y como objetivo a buscar y trabajar como resultado de prácticas que deben ser implementadas como condición sine qua non, para mitigar los impactos del cambio climático y los procesos de adaptación. Las posibles conclusiones apuntan a la necesidad de cambios en la racionalidad económica y la adopción de prácticas identificadas con la racionalidad ambiental, que se enfoquen en satisfacer las necesidades alimentarias de la región, comprometidas con el bienestar de las generaciones presentes yO tema central do presente ensaio versa sobre a mudança climática e seu impacto na agricultura e pecuária brasileira e argentina, espe-cialmente no que respeita à geopolítica da mudança climática e a produção de alimentos. A metodologia de trabalho foi a análise crítica de documentos e legislações que dão o suporte ao atual modelo de desenvolvimento da agricultura e pecuária nos monocultivos de grande extensão, com o objetivo de compreender o alcance da adoção de práticas voltadas para a produtividade de quantitativos e o abandono da dimensão qualitativa do modelo de desenvolvimento. O enfoque da sustentabilidade emerge no texto como princípio norteador da análise e como objetivo a ser buscado e trabalhado como resultado de práticas que devem ser introduzidas como condição sine qua non para a mitigação dos impactos da mudança climática e processos de adaptação. As possíveis conclusões apontam para a necessidade de mudanças na racionalidade econômica e adoção de práticas identificadas com a racionalidade ambiental, que primem por atender às necessidades alimentares da região, comprometidas com o bem-estar das gerações presentes e futuras, promovendo sustentabilidade O tema central do presente ensaio versa sobre a Mudança Climática e seu impacto na agricultura e pecuária brasileira e argentina, especialmente no que respeita a geopolítica da mudança climática e a produção de alimentos. Tomando como metodologia de trabalho a análise crítica de documentos e legislações que dão o suporte ao atual modelo de desenvolvimento da agricultura e pecuária, nos monocultivos de grande extensão, com o objetivo de compreender o alcance da adoção de práticas voltadas para a produtividade de quantitativos e o abandono da dimensão qualitativa do modelo de desenvolvimento. O enfoque da sustentabilidade emerge no texto como princípio norteador da análise e como objetivo a ser buscado e trabalhado como resultado de práticas que devem ser implementadas como condição sine qua non, para a mitigação dos impactos da mudança climática e processos de adaptação. As possíveis conclusões apontam para a necessidade de mudanças na racionalidade econômica e adoção de práticas identificadas com a racionalidade ambiental, que primem por atender as necessidades alimentares da região, comprometidas com o bem estar das gerações presentes e futuras, promovendo sustentabilidade.Fil: Cenci, Daniel Rubens. Universidade Regional Do Noroeste Do Estado Do Rio Grande Do Sul; BrasilFil: Lorenzo, Cristian A.. Universidad Nacional de Tierra del Fuego; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Austral de Investigaciones Científicas; Argentin

Proposal of a new slit-lamp shield for ophthalmic examination and assessment of its effectiveness using computational simulations

PURPOSE: This study aimed to use computational models for simulating the movement of respiratory droplets when assessing the efficacy of standard slit-lamp shield versus a new shield designed for increased clinician comfort as well as adequate protection. METHODS: Simulations were performed using the commercial software Star-CCM+. Respiratory droplets were assumed to be 100% water in volume fraction with particle diameter distribution represented by a geometric mean of 74.4 (±1.5 standard deviation) μm over a 4-min duration. The total mass of respiratory droplets expelled from patients' mouths and droplet accumulation on the manikin were measured under the following three conditions: with no slit-lamp shield, using the standard slit-lamp shield, and using our new proposed shield. RESULTS: The total accumulated water droplet mass (kilogram) and percentage of expelled mass accumulated on the shield under the three aforementioned conditions were as follows: 5.84e-10 kg (28% of the total weight of particle emitted that settled on the manikin), 9.14e-13 kg (0.045%), and 3.19e-13 (0.015%), respectively. The standard shield could shield off 99.83% of the particles that would otherwise be deposited on the manikin, which is comparable to 99.95% for the proposed design. Conclusion: Slit-lamp shields are effective infection control tools against respiratory droplets. The proposed shield showed comparable effectiveness compared with conventional slit-lamp shields, but with potentially enhanced ergonomics for ophthalmologists during slit-lamp examinations

NiO–CGO in situ nanocomposite attainment: One step synthesis

AbstractThe CeO2-based electrolyte low temperature SOFCs require special electrodes with a higher performance and compatibility. The performance of the CeO2-based composite anodes depends on microstructural features such as particle size, tripe phase boundaries (TPB), surface area, and percolation. Some of the primary parameter can be manipulated during the materials synthesis. In this work the compound NiO–Ce0.9Gd0.1O1.95 (NiO–CGO), used as anode in SOFC, was synthesized by two different processes. Both of them are based on the polymeric precursor method. Characterized by simultaneous thermogravimetry-differential thermal analysis, X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and dilatometry. The refinement of the XRD data indicated that the composite sample synthesized by the process called “one step synthesis” produced smaller crystallite size in comparison to the sample attained by the two steps process. Simple preliminary performance tests were done with single cells in which such I–V curves indicated that the cell with one step anode had better performance. “One step synthesis” product, in situ nanocomposite, presented similar fine grained particle sizes for both phases Ni and CGO, which would be beneficial to the electrochemical activity, also indicated by first performance tests

Battery-like behavior of Ni-ceria based systems: synthesis, surface defects and electrochemical assessment

NiO, CeO2 and respective composites are extensively used in energy storage devices due to mostly their high electrochemical activity. However, the assessment of battery-like behavior of Ni-ceria based systems comprising (Ni or Gd)-doped ceria combined with NiO seems to be neglected in the literature. In this work, NiO and ceria-based solid solutions composite powders were obtained by a co-precipitation synthesis method. The structure and particle size of the calcined powders were investigated by X-ray diffractometry (XRD) and field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), respectively. Oxidative states of composites were inspected by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The electrochemical performance of powders was evaluated by cyclic voltammetry, galvanostatic charge-discharge and impedance spectroscopy. Refinement of the XRD patterns showed that powders have nanosized crystallites and mean size of particles within 20 – 70 nm were revealed by FESEM. The improved specific capacity of the NiO-CeO2 electrode material (about 2.5 times higher than that of NiO-CGO at 5 mV s−1) is due to an increase in Faradic reactions taken place on its surface with a higher fraction of defects (namely Ni3+, Ce3+ and oxygen vacancies), as determined by XPS. The superior electrochemical performance of the NiO-CeO2 electrode is also confirmed by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy.publishe

Environmentally friendly synthesis methods to obtain the misfit [Ca2CoO3-δ]0.62[CoO2] thermoelectric material

This work reports the microstructural and thermoelectric characterization of the misfit [Ca2CoO3-δ]0.62[CoO2] compound obtained by a solid-state synthesis using mollusk shells and a proteic sol-gel method, which uses gelatin as a polymerizing agent. The results clearly demonstrate the capability of these routes to produce pure Ca3Co4O9 with plate-like morphology. Sintered ceramic samples show randomly oriented grains and relative densities in the range of 63–67%. The obtained microstructures provide reasonable electrical properties and result in competitive thermoelectric performance for the material prepared by the proteic sol-gel synthesis (P.F. of 205 μW/K2 m at 700 °C).publishe

Effects of different tooth bleaching systems on the roughness and superficial morphology of enamel and a restorative composite resin

Objetivo: Avaliar as alterações de rugosidade e morfologia superficial do esmalte e da resina composta após diferentes técnicas de clareamento dental. Material e método: incisivos bovinos íntegros foram selecionados, sendo que cavidades padronizadas foram confeccionadas na face vestibular, as quais foram restauradas com resina composta. Os dentes foram distribuídos em grupos, de acordo com o tratamento proposto: G1-clareamento com peróxido de carbamida (PC) 10%; G2 - clareamento com peróxido de hidrogênio (PH) a 38%; G3- clareamento com PH a 38% associado à foto-ativação com LED. Para G1, o agente clareador foi aplicado por 8 horas diárias durante 21 dias. Para\ud G2 e G3, foram realizadas 3 sessões de clareamento, caracterizadas por 3 aplicações do gel clareador por 15 minutos, com intervalos de 7 dias entre as sessões, sendo que em G3 o gel clareador foi ativado com LED (470nm) por 6 minutos. As superfícies do esmalte e da resina composta foram avaliadas antes e após o procedimento clareador através de um rugosímetro e de um microscópio de força atômica. Resultados: Os resultados demonstraram diferença significante da rugosidade do esmalte antes e após o clareamento apenas para G1, em relação ao controle (Wilcoxon, p<0,05). Para a resina composta, nenhum dos grupos apresentou diferença estatística em relação ao controle (Mann-Whitney, p>0,05). Conclusão: O aumento da rugosidade do esmalte aconteceu apenas quando o clareamento foi realizado através da aplicação de um gel com 10% de PC. Nenhum dos procedimentos clareadores avaliados nesta pesquisa interferiram na rugosidade e morfologia da resina composta.CNPq (135181/2010-0; 30129/2010-1