The Ethics of Resisting Deportation

Can anti-deportation resistance be justified, and if so how and by whom may, or perhaps should, unjust deportations be resisted? In this paper, I seek to provide an answer to these questions. The paper starts by describing the main forms and agents of anti-deportation action in the contemporary context. Subsequently, I examine how different justifications for principled resistance and disobedience may each be invoked in the case of deportation resistance. I then explore how worries about the resister’s motivation for engaging in the action and their epistemic position apply in the specific context of anti-deportation action and consider in what circumstances there is not merely a right but a duty to resist deportation. The upshot of this argument, I conclude, is that the liberal state ought to respond to anti-deportation action not by criminalising disobedience and resistance in this field, but rather by creating legal avenues for such actors to influence deportation decision-making. DOI 10.17879/95189423213

Should eye protection be worn during dermatological surgery: prospective observational study

Background There is a potential risk of infection with blood-borne viruses if a doctor receives a blood splash to a mucous membrane. The quantification of facial contamination with blood has never been documented in the context of dermatological surgery. Objectives (i) To identify the number of facial blood splashes that occur during skin surgery and to identify the procedures that present higher risks for the operator and assistant. (ii) To assess the provision of eye protection and attitudes to its use in dermatological surgery in the U.K. Methods (i) Prospective, observational study in the skin surgery suite of a U.K. teaching hospital assessing 100 consecutive dermatological surgery procedures, plus 100 consecutive operations in which an assistant was present. Primary outcome: number of face-mask visors with at least one blood splash. Secondary outcomes: to identify if any of the following variables influenced the occurrence of a blood splash: grade of operator, site and type of procedure, and the use of electrocautery. (ii) A postal survey of all U.K.-based members of the British Society of Dermatological Surgery (BSDS) was conducted assessing facilities available and the attitudes of U.K.-based clinicians to the use of face masks during surgery. Results (i) In 33% of all surgical procedures there was at least one facial splash to the operator (range 1–75) and in 15% of procedures the assistant received at least one splash (range 1–11). Use of monopolar electrocautery was significantly less likely to result in splashes to the mask compared with bipolar electrocautery [odds ratio (OR) 0Æ04; 95% confidence interval (CI) 0Æ01–0Æ19]. Compared with the head/neck, operations on the body were significantly more likely to result in splashes to the mask (OR 6Æ52) (95% CI 1Æ7–25Æ07). The type of procedure and the status of the operator did not have a bearing on the likelihood of receiving a splash to the mask. (ii) From the survey, 33 of 159 (20Æ8%) of BSDS members had no face masks available and 54 of 159 (34Æ0%) did not wear any facial protection while operating. The majority (53Æ5%) thought they received a splash in £ 1% of procedures. Conclusions There is a substantial risk of a splash of blood coming into contact with the face during dermatological surgery for both the operator and assistant, regardless of the procedure. The risk of receiving a blood splash to the face may be substantially underestimated by U.K.-based dermatologists. The use of protective eyewear is advisable at all times, but particularly when using bipolar electrocautery, or when operating on high-risk individuals

Assessing student perceptions of the Pharm.D. degree at a private tertiary medical university in India

Background: Pharmacy education in India has expanded to include the Doctorate of Pharmacy degree (Pharm.D.). With clinical practice in early development, job opportunities in India are limited. Graduates often consider pharmacy opportunities abroad. Aims: This study compares Indian students’ career aspirations related to the Pharm.D. degree before and after beginning their programmes. Methods: A 5-point Likert scale paper survey with open ended questions was distributed to all Pharm.D. students (Year 1- 6) at a medical university in India. Results: With a response rate of 83% (144/173), over half of the students’ primary goal was to pursue careers abroad post-graduation (54.2% before, 51.4% after). Data from the last three graduating classes indicated that 28.3% travelled abroad for future studies while 62.3% secured positions in India. Conclusions: Opportunities abroad remain challenging for Indian trained Pharm.D.s’; graduates may consider the expanding clinical opportunities in India

Investigation of forestry resources and other remote sensing data. 1: LANDSAT. 2: Remote sensing of volcanic emissions

Computer classification of LANDSAT data was used for forest type mapping in New England. The ability to classify areas of hardwood, softwood, and mixed tree types was assessed along with determining clearcut regions and gypsy moth defoliation. Applications of the information to forest management and locating potential deer yards were investigated. The principal activities concerned with remote sensing of volcanic emissions centered around the development of remote sensors for SO2 and HCl gas, and their use at appropriate volcanic sites. Two major areas were investigated (Masaya, Nicaragua, and St. Helens, Washington) along with several minor ones

An investigation of vegetation and other Earth resource/feature parameters using LANDSAT and other remote sensing data. 1: LANDSAT. 2: Remote sensing of volcanic emissions

There are no author-identified significant results in this report

An investigation of vegetation and other Earth resource/feature parameters using LANDSAT and other remote sensing data. 1: LANDSAT. 2: Remote sensing of volcanic emissions

A fanning technique based on a simplistic physical model provided a classification algorithm for mixture landscapes. Results of applications to LANDSAT inventory of 1.5 million acres of forest land in Northern Maine are presented. Signatures for potential deer year habitat in New Hampshire were developed. Volcanic activity was monitored in Nicaragua, El Salvador, and Guatemala along with the Mt. St. Helens eruption. Emphasis in the monitoring was placed on the remote sensing of SO2 concentrations in the plumes of the volcanoes

Buaidh leasachaidhean cànain air reat crìonadh na Gàidhlig

On na h-80-an tha iomairtean air an cur air chois gus suidheachadh na Gàidhlig a neartachadh agus adhartachadh. Anns an taisbeanadh seo thèid buaidh nan leasachaidhean seo air àireamh luchd-labhairt na Gàidhlig a sgrùdadh ann an dòigh matamataigeach. Cruthaichear modail matamataigeach, a’ cleachdadh toraidhean nan cunntasan-sluaigh, gus reat crìonaidh a stèidheachadh agus an uair sin thèid seo a chleachadh gus tuairmse a thoirt air àireamh luchd-labhairt ris am biodhte an dùil gun eadar-theachdan aig àm nan cunntasan-sluaigh bho 1981 air adhart. Nithear coimheas eadar an tuairmse a rèir a’ mhodail mhatamataigeach agus toraidhean nan cunntasan-sluaigh ann an Albainn air fad ach cuideachd air a’ Ghalltachd agus air a’ Ghàidhealtachd. Tha an sgrùdadh seo a’ sealltainn gu bheil lùghdachadh reat crìonaidh ann an Albainn air fad na thoradh àrdachadh àireamh luchd-labhairt air a’ Ghalltachd, cho fad ̓s tha an àireamh luchd-labhairt na Gàidhlig air a’ Ghàidhealtachd fhathast air crìonadh

A conserved metalloprotease mediates ecdysis in Caenorhabditis elegans

Molting is required for progression between larval stages in the life cycle of nematodes. We have identified four mutant alleles of a <i>Caenorhabditis elegans</i> metalloprotease gene, <i>nas-37</i>, that cause incomplete ecdysis. At each molt the cuticle fails to open sufficiently at the anterior end and the partially shed cuticle is dragged behind the animal. The gene is expressed in hypodermal cells 4 hours before ecdysis during all larval stages. The <i>NAS-37</i> protein accumulates in the anterior cuticle and is shed in the cuticle after ecdysis. This pattern of protein accumulation places NAS- 37 in the right place and at the right time to degrade the cuticle to facilitate ecdysis. The nas-37 gene has orthologs in other nematode species, including parasitic nematodes, and they undergo a similar shedding process. For example, <i>Haemonchus contortus</i> molts by digesting a ring of cuticle at the tip of the nose. Incubating <i>Haemonchus</i> larvae in extracted exsheathing fluids causes a refractile ring of digested cuticle to form at the tip of the nose. When <i>Haemonchus</i> cuticles are incubated with purified NAS-37, a similar refractile ring forms. NAS-37 degradation of the <i>Haemonchus</i> cuticle suggests that the metalloproteases and the cuticle substrates involved in exsheathment of parasitic nematodes are conserved in free-living nematodes

The Relationship Between Prior Experiences in Mathematics and Pharmacy School Success

Objective. To assess students’ pre-pharmacy math experiences, confidence in math ability, and relationship between experiences, confidence, and grades in math-based pharmacy courses. Methods. A cross-sectional survey of first year to third year pharmacy students was conducted. Students reported type of pre-pharmacy math courses taken, when they were taken [high school (HS) vs. college] and year of HS and college graduation. Students rated their confidence in math ability using the previously validated 11-item Fogerty Math Confidence Scale (Cronbach alpha=0.92). Math grade point average (GPA), Pharmacy College Admission Test quantitative (PCAT quant) scores, and grades (calculations and kinetics) were obtained from transcripts and school records. Spearman correlation and multivariate linear regression were used to compare math experiences, confidence, and grades. Results. There were 198 students who reported taking math courses 7.1 years since HS graduation and 2.9 years since their last schooling prior to pharmacy school. Students who took math courses with more time since HS/last schooling had lower calculations and kinetics grades. Students reporting having taken more HS math courses had better calculations grades. Students with higher math GPA, and PCAT quant scores also had higher calculations and kinetics grades. Greater confidence in math ability was associated with higher calculations grades. In multivariate regressions, PCAT quant scores and years since HS independently predicted calculations grades, and PCAT quant scores independently predicted kinetics grades. Conclusion. The number of pre-pharmacy math courses and time elapsed since they were taken are important factors to consider when predicting a pharmacy student’s success in math-based pharmacy school courses