Ending the Silence: Thai H-2A Workers, Recruitment Fees, and the Fair Labor Standards Act

Increasing numbers of Thai workers are coming to the United States using “H-2A” temporary agricultural worker visas. Compared with their Latin American counterparts, Thai H-2A workers are more vulnerable to poor working conditions and other abusive employment practices for two reasons. First, the workers often pay large recruitment fees to labor recruiters in Thailand, and they therefore arrive with a much weightier debt burden. This debt, combined with conditions inherent in the H-2A system, puts intense pressure on workers to remain silent. Second, Thai workers are more culturally and linguistically isolated in rural U.S. communities than their Latin American counterparts. This comment argues that bringing claims under the minimum wage provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act (“FLSA”) can be an effective litigation strategy to protect Thai H-2A workers who have a large recruitment-fee debt burden. Under the doctrines of apparent authority agency and inherent agency, the workers’ employers may be responsible for the fees that recruiters charge. These fees are for the primary benefit of the growers and cannot be counted as wages under the FLSA. Consequently, growers must reimburse workers for recruitment fees during their first week of employment in order to avoid minimum wage violations under the FLSA

“Carbachol Regulation of ERK and the Transcription Factor Elk-1 in MCF-7 Breast Cancer Cells

Abstract Cancer has numerous molecular, biochemical and physiological hallmarks including uncontrolled cell growth and proliferation. Previous studies on MCF-7 breast cancer cells have shown that both intracellular calcium levels and the extracellular signal-regulated protein kinase (ERK) is activated downstream of the G-protein coupled receptor (GPCR) agonist, carbachol. Calcium/calmodulin regulate the calcium/calmodulin-dependent kinase (CaM Ks) family of proteins that have been proposed to regulate ERK and transcription. Our goal was to determine the mechanism of carbachol activation on ERK and the transcription factor Elk-1 in MCF-7 cells. Our results suggest that 10 μM carbachol treatment of MCF-7 cells triggers ERK1/2 phosphorylation (pERK) and activation within 5 minutes. Interestingly, inhibition of the CaM Kinase family of proteins with the selective inhibitor KN-93 blocked carbachol activation of ERK. Similar to ERK regulation, Elk-1 was phosphorylated in response to carbachol treatment in an ERK- and CaM Kinase-dependent manner. Carbachol treatment of MCF-7 cells triggered nearly a 4-fold increase in cell proliferation by 96 hours, a result that was completely blocked by the muscarinic m3-subtype GPCR inhibitor, 4-DAMP. Consistent with these results, blockade of either CaM Kinase or ERK (with U0126) activities resulted in the inhibition of cell growth. Taken together our results suggest that carbachol treatment of MCF-7 cells activates ERK, the transcription factor Elk-1, and cell growth in a CaM kinase-dependent manner

Long-term outcome of ten children with opsoclonus-myoclonus syndrome

Opsoclonus-myoclonus syndrome (OMS) in children is a rare neurological condition with opsoclonus, myoclonus, ataxia and irritability in the first 2 years of life. It can be idiopathic, parainfectious, or paraneoplastic with tumours of the neural crest. Few studies of long-term follow-up after OMS have been published. We investigated the motor, cognitive and behavioural outcome of ten patients (eight girls and two boys) seen between 1987 and 2002. We reviewed the records and reassessed the patients. A ganglioneuroma was found in one patient and a neuroblastoma in another. Tumour resection did not influence the OMS. The age at diagnosis was 10-24months and the follow-up period 1-17years (average 6.5years). The interval between the first signs and symptoms and starting treatment was 2-12weeks: treatment consisted of different immunosupressants. Remission was achieved within 5months in seven, and relapses were present in seven of ten. At follow-up, only one child had mild ataxia. IQ testing was performed in nine with scores below 75 in four and above 85 in four. Attention deficit and visuomotor difficulties led to school problems with special needs, also in those three children with normal IQs. Only two children were attending regular schools. Behavioural problems were reported in seven, and speech difficulties were present in five. In conclusion, the long-term outcome in our patients with OMS was dominated by cognitive and behavioural problems and not by ataxia. Compared with previous reports, our patients were treated earlier. Larger studies and uniform treatment protocols are needed to demonstrate whether early and prolonged immunosupressant therapy has a favourable influence on outcom

PROCESS BASED CLASSIFICATION OF SEDIMENT CONNECTIVITY AT THE RIVER BASIN SCALE.

Novel modelling approaches allow to trace the fate of sediment contributions from individual river reaches throughout the river network and to assess the resulting sediment connectivity at the basin scale. The derived information is an unprecedented source of information to assess from where and over which times a downstream river reach recruits its sediment. This information links strongly to the reach sensitivity to anthropic disturbance or restoration efforts. In this paper, we demonstrate how to make the complex data-sets resulting from basin scale connectivity models accessible for river basin management applications. We introduce the concept of “connectivity signatures” that epitomizes the timing, magnitude, and quality (grain size) domain of connectivity at the reach scale. We use data driven classification techniques to identify a reduced set of typical connectivity classes. Spatial distribution of connectivity classes reveals that these classes represent specific, functional “connectivity styles” with specific locations and functions for sediment routing in the river network. Results concretize the interpretation of sediment connectivity from an operational perspective and open the way for its application to large river basins

M3-Muscarinic Receptor Activation of ERK and Cell Growth Requires Calcium/Calmodulin-dependent Protein Kinases in MCF-7 Cells

Abstract The extracellular signal-regulated protein kinase (ERK) signaling pathway is found in diverse cells throughout the human body. ERK activation has been implicated in breast cancer cell growth and proliferation. Studies have shown that ERK is activated by carbachol, a G Protein-Coupled Receptor (GPCR) agonist, which increases intracellular calcium in MCF-7 cells. The calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase (CaM K) family of proteins including CaM KK, CaM KI, and CaM KII can be activated by increased intracellular calcium. Our goal was to determine whether CaM Ks may be responsible for ERK activation and cell proliferation in carbachol-treated MCF-7 cells and evaluate which GPCR was responsible for these events. Carbachol treatment of MCF-7 cells triggered ERK 1/2 phosphorylation within 5 minutes. Treatment with KN-93, a general CaM Kinase inhibitor and the MEK inhibitor U0126 blocked ERK activation. Carbachol increased MCF-7 cell growth nearly 4-fold, an effect that was also dependent upon CaM Ks and MEK. Interestingly, CaM KK was responsible for ERK activation and cell growth. Pretreatment of MCF-7 cells with 4-DAMP, a selective M3 receptor antagonist, completely blocked carbachol’s activation of ERK and cell growth. Taken together these results suggest that carbachol stimulated ERK phosphorylation and MCF-7 cell growth by the M3 subtype GPCR receptor perhaps through CaM KK

El aborto en Chile: ¿disputa social o jurídica?

Disputes on abortion have been revived with the current project to legalize it. It has been sent by the President Michelle Bachelet, the only one from the Executive Power since the return of democracy. Despite many efforts from parliamentarians for this cause, the political discussion in Chile remains co-opted by the dominance of moral and patriarchal discourse which defends the right of the product of fertilization against the right of women to decide about their bodies and therefore the possibility of rejecting maternity or its conditions. This paper analyzes the development of legislation on this subject from the sociology of law and a feminist perspective. From the biopolitics, it gives a critical reading of the punishment of abortion as an attack on female autonomy.Las controversias sobre el aborto se han reanimado con el actual proyecto de despenalización enviado por la Presidenta Michelle Bachelet, el único enviado desde el Poder Ejecutivo desde el retorno democrático. A pesar de los variados intentos provenientes de parlamentarios para esta causa, la discusión política en Chile permanece cooptada por la hegemonía del discurso moral y patriarcal que defiende el derecho del producto de la fecundación en contra del derecho de las mujeres a decidir sobre sus cuerpos y por tanto, la posibilidad de rechazar una maternidad o sus condiciones. El presente artículo analiza el desarrollo legislativo sobre esta materia desde la sociología del derecho y una perspectiva feminista, ofreciendo desde la biopolítica, una lectura crítica del castigo del aborto como atentado a la autonomía femenin

Impact of the metabolic syndrome on severe mental disorders

Background!#!Primary palmar hyperhidrosis is a severely debilitating condition that can affect patients of any age. We report our experience with thoracoscopic sympathicolysis in a large cohort of children less than 14 years of age.!##!Methods!#!All children who underwent thoracoscopic sympathicolysis from April 2005 through January 2017 were evaluated retrospectively. The procedure entailed bilateral bipolar fulguration of the second and third thoracic ganglia with transverse disruption of collateral nerve fibers along the third and fourth rib. Demographic information, as well as postoperative outcome, complications, and satisfaction were analyzed.!##!Results!#!Over the 12 year study interval, a total of 102 children underwent thoracoscopic sympathicolysis for palmar hyperhidrosis. Complete follow-up was available for 98 patients (median age 12 [range 5-14] years; 38 boys [39%]). Median follow-up was 4 [range 2-12] years. Complete palmar dryness was achieved in 93 (95%) cases. One patient suffered postoperative unilateral ptosis, 6 reported gustatory sweating, and 65 experienced compensatory sweating. Average postoperative rating on a 1 (lowest) to 10 (highest) rating scale was 9, with 97 (99%) patients saying that they would undergo the procedure again.!##!Conclusion!#!Our technique of thoracoscopic sympathicolysis in children was associated with very high postoperative satisfaction, despite a high rate of compensatory sweating and occasional autonomic gustatory sweating. Other more severe complications in this age group were rare

Affected neural networks as basis of disturbed motor function in schizophrenia

Objective!#!To investigate diagnostic accuracy of a nerve ultrasound (US) protocol that is individualized to a patient's clinical deficits for the differentiation of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis with predominant lower motoneuron disease (ALS/LMND) and multifocal motor neuropathy (MMN).!##!Methods!#!Single-center, prospective, examiner-blinded, diagnostic study in two cohorts. Cohort I (model development): Convenience sample of subjects with ALS/LMND or MMN according to revised El-Escorial or EFNS guidelines. Cohort II (model validation): Consecutively recruited treatment-naïve subjects with suspected diagnosis of ALS/LMND or MMN. Cutoffs for 28 different US values were determined by Receiver Operating Curve (ROC) in cohort I. Area Under The Curve (AUC) of US was compared to nerve conduction studies (NCS). Diagnostic accuracy of US protocols, individualized according to clinical deficits, was compared to former rigid non-individualized protocols and to random examination site selection in cohort II.!##!Results!#!48 patients were recruited. In cohort I (28 patients), US had higher ROC AUCs than NCS, US 0.82 (0.12) (mean (standard deviation)), NCS (compound muscle action potential (CMAP) 0.60 (0.09), p < .001; two-sided t-test). US models based on the nerve innervating the clinically most affected muscles had higher correct classification rates (CCRs, 93%) in cohort II than former rigid protocols (85% and 80%), or models with random measurement site selection (66% and 80%).!##!Conclusions!#!Clinically guided US protocols for differentiation of ALS/LMND from MMN increase diagnostic accuracy when compared to clinically unguided protocols. They also require less measurements sites to achieve this accuracy