Top-Down Constitutional Conventions

Many scholars think that all conventions of the constitution emerge from the bottom up, out of the practices of constitutional actors. Here we develop the first systematic account of conventions that are imposed from the top down, through prescriptions by constitutional actors. We show that ‘top‐down conventions’ (as we term them) can be created through the use of normative rule‐making powers; that powers of the right kind are sometimes conferred by ‘bottom‐up conventions’; that these powers are often exercised; and, as a result, that top‐down conventions are increasingly common. We show, too, that as the formal, systematic, and intentional products of a small number of constitutional actors, top‐down conventions are a potentially illegitimate form of constitutional regulation

Critical Strategic Issues For The Integration Of Facilities Management Into The Development Process

Purpose: This paper identifies the critical strategic issues for the integration of facilities management (FM) into the development process (DP). It explains the factors that limit the integration and recognises the best practices applied in the property development industry in the UK. Design/methodology/approach: The study employs a qualitative research approach through semi-structured interviews from the FM and property development industry in the UK. Findings: The study discovered that the recognition of FM in the property development industry is encouraging. However, FM has been given a low priority in the property development industry, resulting in Facilities Managers being inadequately integrated into the development process. Research limitations/implications: Practical implications: Social implications: Originality/value: The paper suggests that it is imperative to understand these strategic issues to promote best practice in the industry that improve the position of FM in the property development industry

Analysing a mechanism of failure in retrieved magnetically controlled spinal rods

PURPOSE: We aim to describe a mechanism of failure in magnetically controlled growth rods which are used for the correction of the early onset scoliosis. METHODS: This retrieval study involved nine magnetically controlled growth rods, of a single design, revised from five patients for metal staining, progression of scoliosis, swelling, fractured actuator pin, and final fusion. All the retrieved rods were radiographed and assessed macroscopically and microscopically for material loss. Two implants were further analysed using micro-CT scanning and then sectioned to allow examination of the internal mechanism. No funding was obtained to analyse these implants. There were no potential conflicts interests. RESULTS: Plain radiographs revealed that three out of nine retrieved rods had a fractured pin. All had evidence of surface degradation on the extendable telescopic rod. There was considerable corrosion along the internal mechanism. CONCLUSIONS: We found that a third of the retrieved magnetically controlled growth rods had failed due to pin fracture secondary to corrosion of the internal mechanism. We recommend that surgeons consider that any inability of magnetically controlled growth rods to distract may be due to corrosive debris building up inside the mechanism, thereby preventing normal function

The Effect of Heat Waves on Mental Health in a Temperate Australian City

Objective: The goal of this study was to identify mental, behavioral, and cognitive disorders that may be triggered or exacerbated during heat waves, predisposing individuals to heat-related morbidity and mortality. Design: Using health outcome data from Adelaide, South Australia, for 1993–2006, we estimated the effect of heat waves on hospital admissions and mortalities attributed to mental, behavioral, and cognitive disorders. We analyzed data using Poisson regression accounting for overdispersion and controlling for season and long-term trend, and we performed threshold analysis using hockey stick regression. Results: Above a threshold of 26.7°C, we observed a positive association between ambient temperature and hospital admissions for mental and behavioral disorders. Compared with non–heat-wave periods, hospital admissions increased by 7.3% during heat waves. Specific illnesses for which admissions increased included organic illnesses, including symptomatic mental disorders ; dementia ; mood (affective) disorders ; neurotic, stress related, and somatoform disorders ; disorders of psychological development ; and senility. Mortalities attributed to mental and behavioral disorders increased during heat waves in the 65- to 74-year age group and in persons with schizophrenia, schizotypal, and delusional disorders. Dementia deaths increased in those up to 65 years of age. Conclusion: Our results suggest that episodes of extreme heat pose a salient risk to the health and well-being of the mentally ill. Relevance to Clinical or Professional Practice: Improvements in the management and care of the mentally ill need to be addressed to avoid an increase in psychiatric morbidity and mortality as heat waves become more frequent.Alana Hansen, Peng Bi, Monika Nitschke, Philip Ryan, Dino Pisaniello and Graeme Tucke

Evaluating the relevance of the 'Real Access' criteria as a framework for rural HCI research

Developing ICT software that is useful and usable in a rural context poses many problems. One of the major difficulties is understanding the real needs of the end users and the constraints imposed by the rural environment. Many techniques exist in the field of Human Computer Interaction (HCI) that attempt to understand the needs of the end users but many are not useful in a rural context, or at least not when applied in a standard way. This paper presents some existing HCI research techniques that are applicable in a rural context and shows how they fit into the bridges.org ‘Real Access’ framework

Neuromechanical and environment aware machine learning tool for human locomotion intent recognition

Current research suggests the emergent need to recognize and predict locomotion modes (LMs) and LM transitions to allow a natural and smooth response of lower limb active assistive devices such as prostheses and orthosis for daily life locomotion assistance. This Master dissertation proposes an automatic and user-independent recognition and prediction tool based on machine learning methods. Further, it seeks to determine the gait measures that yielded the best performance in recognizing and predicting several human daily performed LMs and respective LM transitions. The machine learning framework was established using a Gaussian support vector machine (SVM) and discriminative features estimated from three wearable sensors, namely, inertial, force and laser sensors. In addition, a neuro-biomechanical model was used to compute joint angles and muscle activations that were fused with the sensor-based features. Results showed that combining biomechanical features from the Xsens with environment-aware features from the laser sensor resulted in the best recognition and prediction of LM (MCC = 0.99 and MCC = 0.95) and LM transitions (MCC = 0.96 and MCC = 0.98). Moreover, the predicted LM transitions were determined with high prediction time since their detection happened one or more steps before the LM transition occurrence. The developed framework has potential to improve the assistance delivered by locomotion assistive devices to achieve a more natural and smooth motion assistance.This work has been supported in part by the Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia (FCT) with the Reference Scholarship under Grant SFRH/BD/108309/2015, and part by the FEDER Funds through the Programa Operacional Regional do Norte and national funds from FCT with the project SmartOs -Controlo Inteligente de um Sistema Ortótico Ativo e Autónomo- under Grant NORTE-01-0145-FEDER-030386, and by the FEDER Funds through the COMPETE 2020—Programa Operacional Competitividade e Internacionalização (POCI)—with the Reference Project under Grant POCI-01-0145-FEDER-006941

Cytogenetic analysis of an exposed-referent study: perchloroethylene-exposed dry cleaners compared to unexposed laundry workers

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Significant numbers of people are exposed to tetrachloroethylene (perchloroethylene, PCE) every year, including workers in the dry cleaning industry. Adverse health effects have been associated with PCE exposure. However, investigations of possible cumulative cytogenetic damage resulting from PCE exposure are lacking.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Eighteen dry cleaning workers and 18 laundry workers (unexposed controls) provided a peripheral blood sample for cytogenetic analysis by whole chromosome painting. Pre-shift exhaled air on these same participants was collected and analyzed for PCE levels. The laundry workers were matched to the dry cleaners on race, age, and smoking status. The relationships between levels of cytological damage and exposures (including PCE levels in the shop and in workers' blood, packyears, cumulative alcohol consumption, and age) were compared with correlation coefficients and t-tests. Multiple linear regressions considered blood PCE, packyears, alcohol, and age.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>There were no significant differences between the PCE-exposed dry cleaners and the laundry workers for chromosome translocation frequencies, but PCE levels were significantly correlated with percentage of cells with acentric fragments (R²= 0.488, p < 0.026).</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>There does not appear to be a strong effect in these dry cleaning workers of PCE exposure on persistent chromosome damage as measured by translocations. However, the correlation between frequencies of acentric fragments and PCE exposure level suggests that recent exposures to PCE may induce transient genetic damage. More heavily exposed participants and a larger sample size will be needed to determine whether PCE exposure induces significant levels of persistent chromosome damage.</p

Inspiratory muscle warm-up does not improve cycling time-trial performance

Purpose: This study examined the effects of an active cycling warm-up, with and without the addition of an inspiratory muscle warm-up (IMW), on 10-km cycling time-trial performance