Judicial Elections: Recent Developments, Historical Perspective, and Continued Viability

In the United States today the vast majority of states conduct elections in some form or fashion to select members of the judiciary. These elections bring into conflict two ideals of American government: officials who are accountable to the people, and the idea of a fair and impartial judiciary. Organizations such as the American Bar Association and the American Judicature Society have expressed misgivings about judicial elections for years; however, judicial elections continue to have support from voters. Judicial elections raise a myriad of ethical and political questions that have been the source of heated debate for years; however, several recent state and federal court decisions may have brought the debate to a head. Addressing issues such as the Voting Rights Act, and the First Amendment issues of campaign spending limits and restrictions on campaign speech, the courts have taken the position that competitive judicial elections are subject to the same laws as all other elections. This line of cases recently culminated in the Supreme Court\u27s decision in Republican Party of Minnesota v. White

Judicial Elections: Recent Developments, Historical Perspective, and Continued Viability

In the United States today the vast majority of states conduct elections in some form or fashion to select members of the judiciary. These elections bring into conflict two ideals of American government: officials who are accountable to the people, and the idea of a fair and impartial judiciary. Organizations such as the American Bar Association and the American Judicature Society have expressed misgivings about judicial elections for years; however, judicial elections continue to have support from voters. Judicial elections raise a myriad of ethical and political questions that have been the source of heated debate for years; however, several recent state and federal court decisions may have brought the debate to a head. Addressing issues such as the Voting Rights Act, and the First Amendment issues of campaign spending limits and restrictions on campaign speech, the courts have taken the position that competitive judicial elections are subject to the same laws as all other elections. This line of cases recently culminated in the Supreme Court\u27s decision in Republican Party of Minnesota v. White

Helicobacter pylori infection and gastric dysbiosis: Can probiotics administration be useful to treat this condition?

Helicobacter pylori (Hp) is responsible for one of the most common infections in the world. 'e prevalence exceeds 50% of the population in developing countries, and approximately one-third of the adults are colonized in North Europe and North America. It is considered a major pathogenic agent of chronic gastritis, peptic ulcer, atrophic gastritis, gastric cancer, and mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue lymphoma (MALT). Hp colonization modifies the composition of gastric microbiota that could drive the development of gastric disorders. Currently, an emerging problem in Hp treatment is represented by the increasing rate of antimicrobial therapy resistance. In this context, the search for adjuvant agents can be very useful to overcome this issue and probiotics administration can represent a valid option. The aim of this review is to describe the gastric microbiota changes during Hp colonization, the mechanisms of action, and a possible role of probiotics in the treatment of this infection

State of the art of the literature on definitions of self-criticism: a meta-review

BackgroundSeveral authors have developed important theoretical models on an important transdiagnostic factor in psychopathology: self-criticism (SC). Currently, there are substantial variations in the theoretical definition of SC. The lack of awareness of similarities and differences between models may in turn impact the comparison between empirical results, limiting their clinical implications.PurposeThe purpose of this study was to identify current trends in the field of SC and to explore whether these were approached and shaped by different conceptualizations of SC.MethodsCore components of the most influential models of SC were identified. A meta-review was conducted searching for systematic reviews and/or meta-analyses in the following databases: PsycINFO, PsycARTICLES, MEDLINE, Scopus, Web of Science, and PubMed (all years up to 28 April 2023).ResultsContributions were heterogeneous with respect to the definition of SC and the theoretical framework. Almost all systematic reviews poorly addressed the multidimensionality of SC. In addition, discrepancies between the definitions of SC provided and their operationalizations emerged.ConclusionsThe lack of dialogue between the different theoretical perspectives emerged from key contributions in the field of SC. Potential research questions to answer to stimulate this dialogue are proposed

Role of Fibre in Nutritional Management of Pancreatic Diseases

The role of fibre intake in the management of patients with pancreatic disease is still controversial. In acute pancreatitis, a prebiotic enriched diet is associated with low rates of pancreatic necrosis infection, hospital stay, systemic inflammatory response syndrome and multiorgan failure. This protective effect seems to be connected with the ability of fibre to stabilise the disturbed intestinal barrier homeostasis and to reduce the infection rate. On the other hand, in patients with exocrine pancreatic insufficiency, a high content fibre diet is associated with an increased wet fecal weight and fecal fat excretion because of the fibre inhibition of pancreatic enzymes. The mechanism by which dietary fibre reduces the pancreatic enzyme activity is still not clear. It seems likely that pancreatic enzymes are absorbed on the fibre surface or entrapped in pectin, a gel-like substance, and are likely inactivated by anti-nutrient compounds present in some foods. The aim of the present review is to highlight the current knowledge on the role of fibre in the nutritional management of patients with pancreatic disorders

Vicarious Trauma Coping and Self-Care Practices Among Trauma Therapists.

Therapists who specialize in trauma therapy are indirectly exposed traumatic events presented by clients within the therapeutic relationship. The potential consequences for trauma therapists may be the risk of vicarious trauma. Effective coping and self-care are essential in the practice of trauma work. The research question for this study is: Do coping skills and self-care practices in trauma therapists moderate the disruptive effect of vicarious trauma on the fulfillment of their psychological needs (trust/dependence and control)? The purpose of this research study was to examine quantitatively, the role of trauma therapists\u27 beliefs in the effectiveness of coping skills and time spent devoted to self-care practices as moderators of the disruptive effect of vicarious trauma on their fulfillment of psychological needs of trust/dependence and control. Based on the constructive self-development theory, this study explored 2 psychological needs areas including trust/dependence and control. A sample of therapists with 10 years or more experience in the field and who primarily treated traumatized populations were recruited. A survey design methodology via a customized internet-based system was used to administer the trauma and attachment belief scale and the coping inventory scale. A hierarchical multiple regression analysis was completed to address the research question and hypotheses. The results of regression analysis supported the research question. Contributions to positive social change include increased awareness of the risk of vicarious trauma and potential coping strategies necessary to address this phenomenon. Therapists may then enhance their therapeutic effectiveness and organizational service delivery to traumatized client populations

Multiplexed label-free electronic biosensors for clinical diagnostics

The development of a highly sensitive, label-free, multiplexed biosensor platform for point-of-care diagnostics is presented. The sensor surface of a non-faradaic electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) immuno-sensor platform was developed and fully characterised. Optimisation of the binding of monoclonal antibodies (mAb) towards the model target human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) to the OEG self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) was carried out. Optimal conditions for immobilisation were found for buffer pH approximately one unit below the pI of the antibody. The same condition resulted in both higher antibody density on the sensor surface as well as higher response to the antigen. At the same time the surface showed good resistance to non-specific adsorption of proteins. Based on these principles, a biosensor to detect hCG in full serum was demonstrated. By using the phase of the impedance at 100 mHz as the sensor response, a linear relationship of the phase shift vs the logarithm of hCG concentration was established between 2.6 x 10�14 M and 2.6 x 10�10 M with a sensitivity of 0.6 degree per decade, which is a significant improvement over current state-of-the-art biosensor systems. Finally, The dielectric properties of COOH-terminated hexa(ethylene glycol)undecanethiol (OEG) and 11-mercaptoundecanol (MUD) and mixed MUD:OEG SAMs, at different ratios, were studied by means of EIS. The study demonstrates that small amounts of MUD in the mixed MUD:OEG SAMs lead to a considerable decrease of the phase of the impedance as well as a significant increase in the resistivity of the SAM at low frequencies, indicating a significant improvement of the dielectric properties. Furthermore, a considerable change in the formation of clusters of OEG molecules for mixed MUD:OEG SAMs with increasing MUD content was shown by AFM imaging

Label-free electrochemical biosensors for clinical diagnostic

We present the development of a high sensitivity, label-free, biosensor platform suitable for multiplexed point-of-care diagnostics. A sensor surface based on a carboxy-terminated oligo ethylene-glycol (OEG) self-assembled monolayer (SAM) was developed and fully characterised. Optimal conditions for antibody immobilisation were found for a buffer pH approximately one unit below the pI of the antibody, which yielded both higher antibody density on the sensor surface as well as higher sensor response to the antigen. At the same time the surface showed good resistance to non-specific adsorption of high concentrations of proteins. A non-faradaic electrochemical impedance spectroscopy biosensor to detect human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) in full serum was demonstrated as a proof of concept. By using the phase of the impedance at 100 mHz as the sensor response, a linear relationship of the phase shift vs the logarithm of hCG concentration was established between 26 fM and 0.26 nM with a sensitivity of 0.6 degree per decade, which is a significant improvement over current state-of-the-art biosensor systems