An analysis of regional solicitors' attitudes to, and the use of, mediation

Since the Woolf Report of 1996, which led to the wholesale reform of the civil justice system in the late 1990s, mediation has had an important role to play in the UK legal framework of dispute resolution. The landscape of civil justice since the attendant legal aid reforms of the late 1990s and continuing into the early part of the millennium, as well as increased court fees have arguably had an adverse impact on access to justice through court-based solutions. This has in turn placed alternative dispute resolution and particularly mediation in the spotlight. Yet for the majority of civil legal disputes, mediation is still arguably under-used and undervalued as a process of dispute resolution. This study develops the research undertaken into the views and attitudes to mediation of legal practitioners practising in Canterbury, Kent and addresses the associated questions regionally. The report begins with a literature review of important research in this field and then goes on to analyse the responses of a number of legal practitioners who were interviewed for this study from the wider Kent region, practising in both the family and commercial law sectors. The participant responses demonstrate legal practitioners’ views on the perceived advantages and disadvantages of mediation and of the use mediation as an alternative dispute resolution process. Although there were some differences, the findings broadly matched those of the study conducted locally in Canterbury. Overall, the findings of this study reveal that legal practitioners view mediation positively, although there were various concerns about the particular circumstances where mediation would be considered inappropriate

A Systems Approach For Car T Cell Therapy Product Characterization

In general, there are three principle parameters by which investigators assess CAR-Ts in the clinical setting: clinical outcome, CAR-T cell persistence, and patient safety. CAR-Ts are “living drugs”; short of clinical trials, it is currently not possible to assess CAR-T safety and efficacy based on in vitro taxonomies of cell phenotype and function. This talk will discuss systems wide analytical strategies that may enable for the more comprehensive and precise characterization of CAR-T products with an overall objective of developing safer and more effective therapies for patients

REFORMING ADMINISTRATIVE LAW IN TRANSITION COUNTRIES - KOSOVO CONTEXT

Countries in transition, such as Kosovo, have as their primary goal the reform of the administration and administrative law in order to ensure democratic governance. This reform turns out to be directly related to the mechanisms of interaction with citizens. The administrative procedure contains mechanisms that should provide legal certainty to citizens when interacting with state institutions. The legal norm that regulates this mutual interaction between the state and the citizens and its effective implementation is of great importance because it is a source of satisfaction and trust of citizens towards public institutions and vice versa. However, the implementation of the law continues to be one of the major challenges for strengthening institutions in the Kosovo context and, consequently, for advancing the rule of law. This article aims, through the analytical, legal-dogmatic, and qualitative method, to analyze the mechanisms of interaction between citizens and public institutions through the law on general administrative procedure and the legal effects caused by the latter. In this context, it was found that the established practices are not in full compliance with the legal provisions and consequently reflect negatively on the mutual relations between citizens and public institutions

The relationship between the dimensions of the internal auditory canal and the anomalies of the vestibulocochlear nerve

Background: Internal auditory canal (IAC) stenosis and vestibulocochlear nerve (VCN) abnormalities have been reported to be associated with sensorineural hearing loss. Previous studies classified the normal dimensions of the IAC and its anomalies with no consideration of the VCN. Other studies categorised the VCN development in only stenotic canals. In the present study, an anatomical classification of the normal dimensions of the IAC and its anomalies and their association with malformations of the VCN and its subdivisions were described. Materials and methods: Retrospective review was undertaken for children ranged from 1 to 10 years. A total of 764 canals were investigated for pre-operative assessment of cochlear implantation. Other 100 canals of normal hearing ears were included as the control group. The maximum anteroposterior diameter, considered the width of the canal, was measured in axial plane and the length of the canal was identified in coronal plane. The canals were categorised normal: if they are from 3 to 8 mm, patulous: if they are more than 8 mm, stenotic: if they are less than 3 mm and atretic if absent, using multislice computed tomography. The VCN trunks and their subdivisions were investigated using magnetic resonance imaging. Results: Internal auditory canals were found normal in 66% with a mean width: 5.27 ± ± 0.68, patulous in 17% with a mean width 113% more than that of the control group (p = 0.000), stenotic in 13% with a mean width 73% less as compared to that of the control group (p = 0.000) and atretic in 4% of the experimental canals. The VCN trunks were found normal with well-developed subdivisions in 77.8% of the normal canals, 98.4% of the patulous canals, and 19.2% of the stenotic canals. The VCN trunks were normal with hypoplastic subdivisions in 11.3% of the normal canals, 1.6% in the patulous canals, and 61.6% in the stenotic canals with a mean width 52% less than that of the normal trunk with developed subdivisions. Hypoplastic VCN trunks with absent subdivisions were reported in 7.3% of the normal canals, 11.1% of the stenotic canals and in 3.2% of the atretic canals. The VCN trunks were not found in 3.6% of the normal canals, in 8.1% of the stenotic canals and in 96.8% of the atretic canals. Conclusions: Internal auditory canal formation was dependent on the process of development and growth of the eighth cranial nerve and its subdivisions that greatly affected the completion of IAC canalisation. This paper could serve as a reference providing a quantitative classification of the relationship between the dimensions of the IAC and the development of the VCN trunk and its subdivisions

Fermentative Gas Production of Different Feeds Collected During Wet and Dry Seasons when Incubated with Rumen Fluid from Timor Deer (Cervus timorensis)

An experiment was done to investigate rumen microbial fermentation of various feeds comonly given to Timor deer (Cervus timorensis) using the in vitro gas production technique. Seven forage feed sample (Sesbania grandiflora, Leucaena leucocephala, Glyricidia sepium, Zea mays, Ipomea aquatica, Pennisetum purpureum, and native grass) collected during dry and wet seasons and three concentrate feed samples (rice bran, copra meal and tofu waste) were dried and ground. The feed sample (200 g) was transferred into incubation syringe which was then added with incubation medium (mixture of rumen fluid and buffer solution). The rumen fluid was collected from 2 Timor deer using a trokar technique. Incubation was run for 72 h, and gas production was read at 2, 4, 6, 12, 24, 48, and 72 h of incubation. Data were fitted to an exponential equation generally used in similar in vitro gas production studies. Results of the study indicated that there was an effect of season on fermentation parameters (values of a, b or c) for the same feed, but this effect was not consistent from one feed to another. From data of total and cummulative gas productions, it was indicated that Zea mays in either dry or wet season showed the highest, while Leucaena leucocephala exhibited the lowest gas production compared to other feeds tested

New Supersymmetric Solutions in N=2 Matter Coupled AdS_3 Supergravities

We construct new 1/2 supersymmetric solutions in D=3, N=2, matter coupled, U(1) gauged supergravities and study some of their properties. We do this by employing a quite general supersymmetry breaking condition, from which we also redrive some of the already known solutions. Among the new solutions, we have an explicit non-topological soliton for the non-compact sigma model, a locally flat solution for the compact sigma model and a string-like solution for both types of sigma models. The last one is smooth for the compact scalar manifold.Comment: 1+21 pages, 2 figures, LaTeX2e, JHEP style; v2: added one reference + made minor changes and added a few comments to clarify the presentatio

Multi-port, optically addressed RAM

A random access memory addressing system utilizing optical links between memory and the read/write logic circuits comprises addressing circuits including a plurality of light signal sources, a plurality of optical gates including optical detectors associated with the memory cells, and a holographic optical element adapted to reflect and direct the light signals to the desired memory cell locations. More particularly, it is a multi-port, binary computer memory for interfacing with a plurality of computers. There are a plurality of storage cells for containing bits of binary information, the storage cells being disposed at the intersections of a plurality of row conductors and a plurality of column conductors. There is interfacing logic for receiving information from the computers directing access to ones of the storage cells. There are first light sources associated with the interfacing logic for transmitting a first light beam with the access information modulated thereon. First light detectors are associated with the storage cells for receiving the first light beam, for generating an electrical signal containing the access information, and for conducting the electrical signal to the one of the storage cells to which it is directed. There are holographic optical elements for reflecting the first light beam from the first light sources to the first light detectors

Dirty Work, Clean Hands: The Moral Psychology of Indirect Agency

When powerful people cause harm, they often do so indirectly through other people. Are harmful actions carried out through others evaluated less negatively than harmful actions carried out directly? Four experiments examine the moral psychology of indirect agency. Experiments 1A, 1B, and 1C reveal effects of indirect agency under conditions favoring intuitive judgment, but not reflective judgment, using a joint/separate evaluation paradigm. Experiment 2A demonstrates that effects of indirect agency cannot be fully explained by perceived lack of foreknowledge or control on the part of the primary agent. Experiment 2B indicates that reflective moral judgment is sensitive to indirect agency, but only to the extent that indirectness signals reduced foreknowledge and/or control. Experiment 3 indicates that effects of indirect agency result from a failure to automatically consider the potentially dubious motives of agents who cause harm indirectly. Experiment 4 demonstrates an effect of indirect agency on purchase intentions.Psycholog

Collecting & Infusing Locally Relevant Video to Support Teacher Learning

Context: Although online teaching videos are easy to find, few demonstrate locally relevant models for our aspiring teachers. Lehman College School of Education began a project in Fall 2014 to collect locally relevant video of teaching and student learning to demonstrate key practices in the field. We identified classrooms of highly competent program graduates as well as Professional Development Network Schools (PDS) teachers working in classrooms with co-teaching models and/or work with English Language Learners. 6 teachers and 2 literacy coaches from our Bronx public school PDS classrooms welcomed us to videotape teaching and student learning. Teachers and Lehman College faculty liaisons collected student consent forms, organized lesson plans, collected student work and allowed a Lehman College video team (Bronx Net funded by MATH-UP) into classrooms for 1 – 3 lessons in a unit. We’ve collected approximately 55 hours of video footage

Diagnosis and treatment of microsporidial keratoconjunctivitis: literature review and case series

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study is to describe the clinical characteristics, microscopic findings, and treatment response to albendazole of microsporidial keratoconjunctivitis among immunocompromised individuals with HIV/AIDS. METHODS: This is a retrospective case series. Diagnosis of microsporidial keratoconjunctivitis was confirmed by subspecialist examination and conjunctival swabs examined by light microscopy. HIV infection was documented, and absolute CD4+ T cell count was determined. Patients were treated with albendazole and followed for clinical response. RESULTS: Light microscopy from the conjunctival swabs demonstrated myriad small, round to oval microsporidial organisms that stained positively with modified acid-fast methods. Two of the patients initially not taking highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) and presenting with an absolute CD4+ T cell count less than 100 cells/μL had a more severe form of keratoconjunctivitis than the third patient (receiving HAART, with a CD4+ T cell count of 259 cells/μL). All patients were started or continued on HAART. Two of the patients responded to oral albendazole, with resolution of symptoms and signs. The third patient did not initially respond, perhaps because of an immune recovery inflammatory syndrome, but subsequently had temporary improvement with albendazole. CONCLUSIONS: Microsporidial keratoconjunctivitis is a rare ocular complication of HIV/AIDS. Light microscopic evaluation of conjunctival swabs may be a useful minimally invasive first step toward diagnosis of microsporidial keratoconjunctivis in settings where electron microscopy is not available. Based on the limited available information, albendazole often is effective for this condition, and is widely available in developing countries at low cost