Does a Marriage Really Need Sex?: A Critical Analysis of the Gender Restriction on Marriage

This Note discusses the issues surrounding intersex persons and the right to marry. The Comment first discusses the constitutional protection of the right to marry, intersex conditions, and case law regarding intersex, transsexual, and same-sex marriage. It further addresses the consequences for marriage when it is narrowly defined. Further, the Comment proposes an alternative solution to the one many courts have used. This solution allows an intersex person to self-designate her gender and be able to marry either a man or a woman. Finally, this Comment argues that if an intersex person can marry either a man or a woman, then a male-to-female transsexual and a genetic woman must also be able to marry either a man or a woman because all are similarly situated and must be treated alike under the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment

Denied: Community College Students Lack Access to Affordable Loans

Highlights the racial/ethnic gaps in community college students' access to federal loans, and outlines various loan terms. Addresses the fear of defaults and consequent sanctions that has caused some community colleges to opt out of the federal program

Improved Working Memory but No Effect on Striatal Vesicular Monoamine Transporter Type 2 after Omega-3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acid Supplementation

Studies in rodents indicate that diets deficient in omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 PUFA) lower dopamine neurotransmission as measured by striatal vesicular monoamine transporter type 2 (VMAT2) density and amphetamine-induced dopamine release. This suggests that dietary supplementation with fish oil might increase VMAT2 availability, enhance dopamine storage and release, and improve dopamine-dependent cognitive functions such as working memory. To investigate this mechanism in humans, positron emission tomography (PET) was used to measure VMAT2 availability pre- and post-supplementation of n-3 PUFA in healthy individuals. Healthy young adult subjects were scanned with PET using [11C]-(+)-α-dihydrotetrabenzine (DTBZ) before and after six months of n-3 PUFA supplementation (Lovaza, 2 g/day containing docosahexaenonic acid, DHA 750 mg/d and eicosapentaenoic acid, EPA 930 mg/d). In addition, subjects underwent a working memory task (n-back) and red blood cell membrane (RBC) fatty acid composition analysis pre- and post-supplementation. RBC analysis showed a significant increase in both DHA and EPA post-supplementation. In contrast, no significant change in [11C]DTBZ binding potential (BPND) in striatum and its subdivisions were observed after supplementation with n-3 PUFA. No correlation was evident between n-3 PUFA induced change in RBC DHA or EPA levels and change in [11C]DTBZ BPND in striatal subdivisions. However, pre-supplementation RBC DHA levels was predictive of baseline performance (i.e., adjusted hit rate, AHR on 3-back) on the n-back task (y = 0.19+0.07, r2 = 0.55, p = 0.009). In addition, subjects AHR performance improved on 3-back post-supplementation (pre 0.65±0.27, post 0.80±0.15, p = 0.04). The correlation between n-back performance, and DHA levels are consistent with reports in which higher DHA levels is related to improved cognitive performance. However, the lack of change in [11C]DBTZ BPND indicates that striatal VMAT2 regulation is not the mechanism of action by which n-3 PUFA improves cognitive performance. © 2012 Narendran et al

What can linear interpolation of neural network loss landscapes tell us?

Studying neural network loss landscapes provides insights into the nature of the underlying optimization problems. Unfortunately, loss landscapes are notoriously difficult to visualize in a human-comprehensible fashion. One common way to address this problem is to plot linear slices of the landscape, for example from the initial state of the network to the final state after optimization. On the basis of this analysis, prior work has drawn broader conclusions about the difficulty of the optimization problem. In this paper, we put inferences of this kind to the test, systematically evaluating how linear interpolation and final performance vary when altering the data, choice of initialization, and other optimizer and architecture design choices. Further, we use linear interpolation to study the role played by individual layers and substructures of the network. We find that certain layers are more sensitive to the choice of initialization and optimizer hyperparameter settings, and we exploit these observations to design custom optimization schemes. However, our results cast doubt on the broader intuition that the presence or absence of barriers when interpolating necessarily relates to the success of optimization

Reverse shoulder arthroplasty: methodology improvement through personalized modelling techniques and FDM technology

[EN] Reverse shoulder arthroplasty (RSA) is a surgical technique that relieves pain and functional incapacity in certain shoulder pathologies. Adequate sizing and positioning parameters are very sensitive to each individual patient's shoulder features, such as: degenerative stage and glenoid morphology among others. The interplay of different shoulder features is often nuanced, nontrivial, and highly nonlinear. Therefore, general guidelines can often fall short at delivering the best possible clinical outcomes. To overcome this, a new trend uses imaging techniques to manufacture bespoke mechanical guiding tools customized to each patient's shoulder features. The application of FDM technologies allows doctors to obtain physical models of the patient's bone geometry in anticipation of surgery and, consequently, the manufacturing of a patient-specific guide to be used to guarantee the correct position of the glenoid base plate during surgery. This paper focuses on the design and further manufacturing process developing a protocol that controls and minimizes the manufacturing deviations, in order to get to the optimal product design using the patient's Computed Tomography (CT) information. The modelling and parametrization of the customized guide is based on the study and optimization of the bone reconstruction as well as the variables of the manufacturing process. In this research both the CAD information analysis and the FDM process are focused on the application of new design techniques and the optimization of bones geometry analysis in order to obtain a specific surgery guiding tool to be manufactured by FDM with limited deviations.The authors wish to acknowledge the support and assistance of Dr. Fernando Martínez, Consultant at the Hospital San Juan (Alicante, Spain) for his assistance in the medical analysis of the arthropathy. This work was funded by the Polisabio Funding (UPV-Fisabio 2017).Piles, L.; Reig-Pérez, MJ.; Segui Llinares, VJ.; Pla-Ferrando, R. (2019). Reverse shoulder arthroplasty: methodology improvement through personalized modelling techniques and FDM technology. Procedia Manufacturing. 41:755-762. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.promfg.2019.09.067S75576241Smithers, C. J., Young, A. A., & Walch, G. (2011). Reverse shoulder arthroplasty. Current Reviews in Musculoskeletal Medicine, 4(4), 183-190. doi:10.1007/s12178-011-9097-4Javaid, M., & Haleem, A. (2018). Additive manufacturing applications in medical cases: A literature based review. Alexandria Journal of Medicine, 54(4), 411-422. doi:10.1016/j.ajme.2017.09.003D.V.C. Stoffelen, K. Eraly, P. Debeer, The use of 3D printing technology in reconstruction of a severe glenoid defect: a case report with 2.5 years of follow-up, Journal of Shoulder Elbow Surgery, 24 (2015) e218-e22

Análisis de la eficiencia del gasto municipal y de sus determinantes

In this study we analyzed the efficiency of the spending of 1686 Peruvian municipalities for the year 2003 through the evaluation to the municipal public activities as a process of production which transforms inputs in outputs (Bradford et. al., 1969 y Fisher, 1996). In doing so, we established several "best-practice" production frontiers in order to estimate the extent of municipal spending that seems to be wasted relative to that frontier. Five methodologies for the production frontier estimations were used (i) 3 non parametric: (i) Free Disposal Hull (FDH) and Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA-CRS and DEA-VRS) and (ii) 2 parametric: one deterministic and the other stochastic, which were estimated through 10 categories of municipalities (4 groups of provincial and 6 of district municipalities) defined through a cluster methodology. Finally, using TOBIT regression models, we analyzed the fiscal, socioeconomics and demographic determinants of the efficiency levels. We found different levels of efficiency and although we identified some good practices, the result at the national level is matter of concern because the same results could have been obtained with 57.6% less resources. Among the main determinants of this inefficiency spending the FONCOMUN and canon transfers were found, mainly at the district municipal level. One of the factors that allowed for a more efficient provision of local services was the civil participation, represented in the study by the Local Coordination Council. The results of the study show that there is a need to make more efforts to improve the local government spending. Even more so, after the promulgation of the Supreme Decree No. 068-2006-PCM in October 2006, by virtue of which the culmination of the competences and function transfers process, initially programmed for 2006-20010, brought forward to the end of 2007.