Religious Freedom or Freedom to Discriminate?

In April of 2021, students seeking to create a LGBTQ group on the campus of Yeshiva University (“YU”) filed suit against the institution for its flagrant violations of New York City Human Rights Law (“NYCHRL”) when repeatedly rejecting the formation of an LGBTQ student group on campus. Plaintiffs applied to be school-sponsored clubs through the proper channels and were denied recognition at YU by the highest levels of leadership, including Yeshiva’s President Rabbi Dr. Ari Berman. The university argues it is a religious institution, exempt from the NYCHRL. YU’s religious freedom defense fails when considered in light of its primary purpose and incorporation status as an educational institution and given the language of the NYCHRL. This post was originally published on the Cardozo Journal of Equal Rights and Social Justice website on October 3, 2022. The original post can be accessed via the Archived Link button above

Distance constraints on activation of TRPV4 channels by AKAP150-bound PKCα in arterial myocytes.

TRPV4 (transient receptor potential vanilloid 4) channels are Ca2+-permeable channels that play a key role in regulating vascular tone. In arterial myocytes, opening of TRPV4 channels creates local increases in Ca2+ influx, detectable optically as "TRPV4 sparklets." TRPV4 sparklet activity can be enhanced by the action of the vasoconstrictor angiotensin II (AngII). This modulation depends on the activation of subcellular signaling domains that comprise protein kinase C α (PKCα) bound to the anchoring protein AKAP150. Here, we used super-resolution nanoscopy, patch-clamp electrophysiology, Ca2+ imaging, and mathematical modeling approaches to test the hypothesis that AKAP150-dependent modulation of TRPV4 channels is critically dependent on the distance between these two proteins in the sarcolemma of arterial myocytes. Our data show that the distance between AKAP150 and TRPV4 channel clusters varies with sex and arterial bed. Consistent with our hypothesis, we further find that basal and AngII-induced TRPV4 channel activity decays exponentially as the distance between TRPV4 and AKAP150 increases. Our data suggest a maximum radius of action of ∼200 nm for local modulation of TRPV4 channels by AKAP150-associated PKCα

South Shore Vessel Pumpout Evaluation & Outreach Plan, Final Report

During the course of this study, 413 boaters, seven pumpout facility operators and a number of state and municipal officials either were interviewed or completed questionnaires focused on the boat sewage pumpout facilities along the South Shore of Massachusetts. The aims of the boater survey were to:collect data on how boaters disposed of their sewage waste;learn how well informed boaters were regarding the location of sewage pumpouts;determine if boaters were able to find operational pumpout facilities when they needed them;learn what common problems had been experienced when using pumpouts;determine if there were adequate facilities to service the South Shore boating community. The operator survey aimed to:collect data on how frequently pumpouts were used;determine how each marina’s pumpout services worked;to learn what common problems operators experienced with the equipment;to learn how marina operators promoted their services. In addition to providing much needed statistical data on the number and size of boats, where they were used, the frequency at which they were used, etc., this study provided insight into what boaters and marina operators knew about the environmental impacts of vessel sewage in the coastal environment. These data, along with a web search for other outreach efforts and a literature search on environmental education and outreach, were reviewed to assess what future outreach may be needed and the shape it should take

Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) for Cardiothoracic Surgery

Background/Purpose Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) protocols are multi-disciplinary approaches that optimize recovery and reduce surgical outcome variability. This scoping review compares surgical outcomes associated with traditional perioperative care to outcomes associated with an ERAS protocol for patients undergoing cardiothoracic surgery. Methods A literature review evaluating traditional perioperative care versus ERAS protocols in cardiothoracic surgical patients was performed to set inclusion and exclusion criteria based on current peer-reviewed journal articles for qualitative data. Group members selected 14 articles based on inclusion criteria and relevance to the PICOT question for review and placed findings in a synthesis table. Findings included compliance rate to protocol, length of stay (LOS), pain control, perioperative education, and complication rates. Control groups involved patients undergoing similar procedures from the same facilities utilizing traditional perioperative care compared to those enrolled in an ERAS protocol at 1 month, 3 months, and 6 months postoperative. Results Of the included studies (N=14), the most significant outcome from the evidence collection is a decreased LOS with the ERAS protocol (N=13). Postoperative complication rates decreased in 57% of the articles (N=8) and hospitalization costs decreased in half of the articles (N=7) when using ERAS protocols. Hospital readmission rates were either maintained (N=12) or decreased (N=2). These trends indicate that ERAS protocols are associated with improved patient outcomes and decreased hospitalization costs. Implications for Nursing Practice This scoping review shows that ERAS protocols consistently produce positive surgical outcomes. Because ERAS protocols consolidate evidence-based practices known to improve surgical outcomes, they comprise a straightforward plan for hospitals to implement that will effectively improve surgical outcomes for patients. Utilizing ERAS protocols from the pre-admission to post-discharge phases of care should be standard practice for appropriate patient groups

Idiopathic sclerosing orbital inflammation mimicking a malignant spindle cell tumor in a dog

A dog presented with a retrobulbar mass, diagnosed histopathologically as malignant spindle cell neoplasia. Emergence of analogous findings in the contralateral orbit prompted extended immunohistochemistry of the original mass and reassignment to idiopathic sclerosing orbital inflammation. Early incisional biopsy with extended immunohistochemical analysis should be considered for canine orbital tumors