Gun Control after Heller: Litigating against Regulation

The “core right” established in D.C. vs. Heller (2008) is to keep an operable handgun in the home for self-defense purposes. If the Court extends this right to cover state and local jurisdictions, the result is likely to include the elimination of the most stringent existing regulations – such as Chicago’s handgun ban – and could also possibly ban regulations that place substantial restrictions or costs on handgun ownership. We find evidence in support of four conclusions: The effect of Heller may be to increase the prevalence of handgun ownership in jurisdictions that currently have restrictive laws; Given the best evidence on the consequences of increased prevalence of gun ownership, these jurisdictions will experience a greater burden of crime due to more lethal violence and an increased burglary rate; Nonetheless, a regime with greater scope for gun rights is not necessarily inferior – whether restrictive regulations would pass a cost benefit test may depend on whether we accept the Heller viewpoint that there is a legal entitlement to possess a handgun; In any event, the core right defined by Heller leaves room for some regulation that would reduce the negative externalities of gun ownership.

Asymmetry and structural system analysis of the proximal femur meta-epiphysis: osteoarticular anatomical pathology

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The human femur is commonly considered as a subsystem of the locomotor apparatus with four conspicuous levels of organization. This phenomenon is the result of the evolution of the locomotor apparatus, which encompasses both constitutional and individual variability. The work therein reported, therefore, underlies the significance of observing anatomical system analysis of the proximal femur meta-epiphysis in normal conditions, according to the anatomic positioning with respect to the right or left side of the body, and the presence of system asymmetry in the meta-epiphysis structure, thus indicating structural and functional asymmetry.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>A total of 160 femur bones of both sexes were compiled and a morphological study of 15 linear and angulated parameters of proximal femur epiphysis was produced, thus defining the linear/angulated size of tubular bones. The parameters were divided into linear and angulated groups, while maintaining the motion of the hip joint and transmission of stress to the unwanted parts of the limb. Furthermore, the straight and vertical diameters of the femoral head and the length of the femoral neck were also studied. The angle between the neck and diaphysis, the neck antiversion and angle of rotation of the femoral neck were subsequently measured. Finally, the condylo-diaphyseal angle with respect to the axis of extremity was determined. To visualize the force of intersystem ties, we have used the method of correlation galaxy construction.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The absolute numeral values of each linear parameter were transformed to relative values. The values of superfluity coefficient for each parameter in the right and left femoral bone groups were estimated and Pearson's correlation coefficient has been calculated (> 0.60). Retrospectively, the observed results have confirmed the presence of functional asymmetry in the proximal femur meta-epiphysis. On the basis of compliance or insignificant difference in the confidence interval of the linear parameters, we have revealed, therefore, a discrepancy in values between the neck and the diaphysis angle and the angle of femoral neck rotation (range displacement of confident interval to a greater degree to the right).</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>This study assessed the observations of a systemic anatomical study encompassing the proximal femur meta-epiphysis behavior in normal condition. This work has significance in medical practice as the theoretical basis is also required in knowing the decreased frequency and degree of severity of osteoarthritic pathologies in the dominant lower extremity.</p

On the shape of an axisymmetric meniscus rising from a static liquid pool

We examine the classical problem of the height of a static liquid interface that forms on the outside of a solid vertical cylinder in an unbounded stagnant pool exposed to air. Gravitational and surface tension effects compete to affect the interface shape as characterized by the Bond number, $B = \rho g R^{2}/\sigma$, where $\rho$ is fluid density, $g$ is the gravitational constant, $R$ is the radius of the cylinder, and $\sigma$ is surface tension. Here, we provide a convergent power series solution for interface shapes that rise above the horizontal pool as a function of Bond number. The power series solution is expressed in terms of a pre-factor that matches the large distance asymptotic behavior -- the modified Bessel function of zeroth order -- and an Euler transformation that moves the influence of convergence-limiting singularities out of the physical domain. The power series solution is validated through comparison with a numerical solution, and the $B\rightarrow0$ matched asymptotic solutions of Lo (1983, J. Fluid Mech., 132, p.65-78). For a benchmark static contact angle of $45$ degrees, the power series approach exceeds the accuracy of matched asymptotic solutions for $B>0.01$; this lower limit on $B$ arises from round-off error in the computation of the series coefficients in double precision arithmetic, and is reduced as the contact angle is increased.Comment: 20 page

A case study with breast cancer and brain metastasis encompassing acute onset of amnesia and altered mental status due to limbic encephalitis - biochemical and proteomic aspects

A biochemical case study is reported on a 50-year old lady known to have breast cancer. The woman was treated by mastectomy and this was followed by unraveling brain metastases three years post-diagnosis of the cancer, which was treated by radiation and chemotherapy. Two months after ending her treatment, she exhibited acute changes in her mental status manifested by severe amnesia and fever. A generalized analytical and biochemical assessment revealed the presence of paraneoplastic limbic encephalitis

Role of surgical hyoid bone repositioning in modifying upper airway collapsibility

Background: Surgical hyoid bone repositioning procedures are being performed to treat obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), though outcomes are highly variable. This is likely due to lack of knowledge regarding the precise influence of hyoid bone position on upper airway patency. The aim of this study is to determine the effect of surgical hyoid bone repositioning on upper airway collapsibility.Methods: Seven anaesthetized, male, New Zealand White rabbits were positioned supine with head/neck position controlled. The rabbit’s upper airway was surgically isolated and hyoid bone exposed to allow manipulation of its position using a custom-made device. A sealed facemask was fitted over the rabbit’s snout, and mask/upper airway pressures were monitored. Collapsibility was quantified using upper airway closing pressure (Pclose). The hyoid bone was repositioned within the mid-sagittal plane from 0 to 5 mm (1 mm increments) in anterior, cranial, caudal, anterior-cranial (45°) and anterior-caudal (45°) directions.Results: Anterior displacement of the hyoid bone resulted in the greatest decrease in Pclose amongst all directions (p = 0.002). Pclose decreased progressively with each increment of anterior hyoid bone displacement, and down by −4.0 ± 1.3 cmH2O at 5 mm. Cranial and caudal hyoid bone displacement did not alter Pclose (p &gt; 0.35). Anterior-cranial and anterior-caudal hyoid bone displacements decreased Pclose significantly (p &lt; 0.004) and at similar magnitudes to the anterior direction (p &gt; 0.68).Conclusion: Changes in upper airway collapsibility following hyoid bone repositioning are both direction and magnitude dependent. Anterior-based repositioning directions have the greatest impact on reducing upper airway collapsibility, with no effect on collapsibility by cranial and caudal directions. Findings may have implications for guiding and improving the outcomes of surgical hyoid interventions for the treatment of OSA

Ongoing neural oscillations influence behavior and sensory representations by suppressing neuronal excitability

The ability to process and respond to external input is critical for adaptive behavior. Why, then, do neural and behavioral responses vary across repeated presentations of the same sensory input? Ongoing fluctuations of neuronal excitability are currently hypothesized to underlie the trial-by-trial variability in sensory processing. To test this, we capitalized on intracranial electrophysiology in neurosurgical patients performing an auditory discrimination task with visual cues: specifically, we examined the interaction between prestimulus alpha oscillations, excitability, task performance, and decoded neural stimulus representations. We found that strong prestimulus oscillations in the alpha+ band (i.e., alpha and neighboring frequencies), rather than the aperiodic signal, correlated with a low excitability state, indexed by reduced broadband high-frequency activity. This state was related to slower reaction times and reduced neural stimulus encoding strength. We propose that the alpha+ rhythm modulates excitability, thereby resulting in variability in behavior and sensory representations despite identical input

Effects of Expert Testimony and Interrogation Tactics on Perceptions of Confessions

Evidence obtained through the process of interrogation is frequently undermined by what can be perceived as overzealous interrogation tactics. Although the majority of psychologically oriented tactics are legally permissible, they nonetheless contribute to innocent suspects confessing to crimes they did not commit. The present study examined the effect of expert testimony and interrogation tactics on perceptions of a confession. 182 undergraduates read a transcript of a homicide trial that varied based on interrogation tactic: implicit threat of punishment (maximization) or leniency (minimization) and expert witness testimony (presence or absence of expert testimony). Analysis indicated that the type of interrogation tactic used in obtaining the confession affected participants\u27 perceptions of the coerciveness of the interrogation process