Environment, politics and governance in Latin America

No abstract available

The Unite for Diabetes campaign: Overcoming constraints to find a global policy solution

Despite the fact that diabetes and other non-communicable diseases represent a significant proportion of the global burden of disease, proportionate global action has not occurred. A 2003 article reported on global constraints to the implementation of effective policies to curb non-communicable disease epidemics. These constraints include a lack of global advocacy, insufficient attention from funding agencies and governments, partnerships and interactions, capacity and resources, and global norms and standards, as well as orientation of health services to acute care. Building on these ideas, this paper will review the progress that has been made with regards to each constraint, focusing on the International Diabetes Federation's Unite for Diabetes campaign and United Nations resolution on diabetes to show how this event – driven by globalization – has helped remove some of these barriers. Additional progress in diabetes and NCD prevention and control is also highlighted. The paper concludes by outlining what still needs to happen for globalization to be an effective solution for diabetes and non-communicable disease prevention and control

Disabled Perspectives on Legal Education: Reckoning and Reform

This is an Introduction to a Journal of Legal Education symposium on Disabled Law Students and the Future of Legal Education. The symposium\u27s focal point is a set of first-person essays by disabled lawyers. Writing thirty years after the inclusive promise of the Americans with Disabilities Act, but also amidst powerful evidence (via the pandemic) of the devaluation of people with disabilities, contributors reflect on their experiences in law school and the legal profession. The symposium pairs these essays with commentary from some of the nation’s leading scholars of disability law. The overarching goals of the symposium are to help readers evaluate how well existing legal frameworks have met the needs of disabled law students, lawyers, and legal academics and to point the way towards a more just and inclusive educational experience for all aspiring lawyers

Controlling the \u3cem\u3eIn Vitro\u3c/em\u3e Release Profiles for a System of Haloperidol-Loaded PLGA

We have used a systematic methodology to tailor the in vitro drug release profiles for a system of PLGA/PLA nanoparticles encapsulating a hydrophobic drug, haloperidol. We applied our previously developed sonication and homogenization methods to produce haloperidol-loaded PLGA/PLA nanoparticles with 200–1000 nm diameters and 0.2–2.5% drug content. The three important properties affecting release behavior were identified as: polymer hydrophobicity, particle size and particle coating. Increasing the polymer hydrophobicity reduces the initial burst and extends the period of release. Increasing the particle size reduces the initial burst and increases the rate of release. It was also shown that coating the particles with chitosan significantly reduces the initial burst without affecting other parts of the release profile. Various combinations of the above three properties were used to achieve in vitro release of drug over a period of 8, 25 and \u3e40 days, with initial burst \u3c25% and a steady release rate over the entire period of release. Polymer molecular weight and particle drug content were inconsequential for drug release in this system. Experimental in vitro drug release data were fitted with available mathematical models in literature to establish that the mechanism of drug release is predominantly diffusion controlled. The average value of drug diffusivities for PLGA and PLA nanoparticles was calculated and its variation with particle size was established

Production of haloperidol loaded PLGA nanoparticles for extended controlled drug release of haloperidol

This study developed an emulsion-solvent evaporation method for producing haloperidol-loaded PLGA nanoparticles with up to 2% (wt/wt. of polymer) drug content, in vitro release duration of over 13 days and less than 20% burst release. The free haloperidol is removed from the nanoparticle suspension using a novel solid phase extraction technique. This leads to a more accurate determination of drug incorporation efficiency than the typical washing methods. It was discovered that PLGA end groups have a strong influence on haloperidol incorporation efficiency and its release from PLGA nanoparticles. The hydroxyl-terminated PLGA (uncapped) nanoparticles have a drug incorporation efficiency of more than 30% as compared to only 10% with methyl-terminated PLGA (capped) nanoparticles. The in vitro release profile of nanoparticles with uncapped PLGA has a longer release period and a lower initial burst as compared to capped PLGA. By varying other processing and materials parameters, the size, haloperidol incorporation and haloperidol release of the haloperidol-loaded PLGA nanoparticles were controlled

October in Galicia

October in Galicia is a setting of selections from the Czech poet Ewald Murrer’s fantastical book, The Diary of Mr. Pinke, translated into English by Alicie Pi!t’ková. The surreal day-to-day happenings of Mr. Pinke occur in a timeless group of villages revealed by a translator’s note to be modeled on the historical region of Galicia (now part of Poland, Ukraine, and Russia). The tape part (or more accurately the digital audio files), which appears in “October 23rd,” consists of an organ recording that has been manipulated electronically. The electronic manipulations are subtle enough that the original pitches are always recognizable; therefore, the tape part is notated as pitches in the score

Timbral Transformations in Kaija Saariaho\u27s From the Grammar of Dreams

This dissertation is a study of Kaija Saariaho\u27s 1988 vocal work From the Grammar of Dreams, with a focus on timbre. It begins with background on Saariaho, and research on timbre in music theory and psychoacoustics (Chapters 1 and 2). Chapter 3 shows how Saariaho manipulates timbre to expressive and formal ends in From the Grammar of Dreams, including creating timbral tension and release, applying Robert Morris\u27 Contour Theory in its analyses. Chapter 4 then explores how the timbral transformations interact with non-timbral musical elements. The conclusion (Chapter 5) puts the compositional techniques of this work in the context of Saariaho\u27s evolving style, and explores possibilities for future research

Geographic location and ecoregional effects on determinants of avian species richness

Biodiversity studies allow for a more holistic approach to the conservation of species. Using one measure ofbiodiversity, that ofspecies richness, this study investigates the correlations between bird species richness and a set ofvariables. These variables represent climate, productivity/available energy, habitat heterogeneity, disturbance, and topography. Another aspect ofthis study is to group the data contained within equal-area hexagons according to two levels oforganization. The large scope organized hexagons into the West Coast region and Chesapeake region. At the small scope, there were five groupings according to ecoregions within each ofthe larger regions. The resulting models show that differences in sign/lcant variables occur between regions and each ecoregion. These determinants ofbird species richness vary between the two regions because climate, landscape structure, and topography are processes that are acting differently to shape the distributions in richness. Determinants also vary between each ofthe ecoregion groups because these same processes producing different richness patterns. Further emphasized by this study is the importance of acknowledging the connectivity between ecosystems and species, this being important for the management and conservation ofbird species richness

Community-Clinical Integration in the Connecticut Medicaid Context

It is well established that interventions that address social determinants of health (SDHs) are an optimal strategy to improve health equity, however the efficacy of these interventions is limited by the challenges of addressing SDHs in clinical care. As a result, building linkages between clinical providers and community-based providers of social services, formally known as community-clinical integration, is crucial to helping vulnerable populations achieve holistic, long-term health. Our team employed a mixed-methods design to understand community-clinical integration in the Connecticut Medicaid context. We conducted a realist literature review to identify models of community-clinical integration throughout the United States. We supplemented our literature review with 7 semi-structured interviews with staff from federally qualified health centers to identify best practices for and barriers to integrating community-based services into clinical care. Using insights gained from our literature review and qualitative interviews, we provide a set of recommendations to improve community-clinical integration implementation for Medicaid enrolled children and families throughout Connecticut.https://elischolar.library.yale.edu/ysph_pbchrr/1025/thumbnail.jp