What Can Congress Do: The Second Amendment versus the Commerce and Equal Protection Clauses

This research project explores the Second Amendment debate through the lens of Congress\u27s power to enact legislation. It evaluates whether or not Congress has power through the Commerce Clause and/or Equal Protection Clause to create gun control legislation, placing these rights and powers in conversation with Second Amendment rights. This paper provides a legal groundwork for gun control, using case briefs, law reviews, and Supreme Court rulings. It analyzes the implications of precedent on the legal response to potential future legislation regarding gun control. With this framework, a response to case history will provide a legal argument for why Congress can, and should, pursue reasonable gun control regulations. My thesis statement is that Congress, by powers enumerated in Article I, Section 8 of the Constitution (the Commerce Clause), and to protect rights laid out to citizens in the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment, can constitutionally enact federal gun control legislation in America. This project is significant because it provides a specific and actionable legal outline for federal gun control

Extreme Precision Antenna Reflector Study Results

Thermal and mechanical distortion degrade the RF performance of antennas. The complexity of future communications antennas requires accurate, dimensionally stable antenna reflectors and structures built from materials other than those currently used. The advantages and disadvantages of using carbon fibers in an epoxy matrix are reviewed as well as current reflector fabrications technology and adjustment. The manufacturing sequence and coefficient of thermal expansion of carbon fiber/borosilicate glass composites is described. The construction of a parabolic reflector from this material and the assembling of both reflector and antenna are described. A 3M-aperture-diameter carbon/glass reflector that can be used as a subassembly for large reflectors is depicted. The deployment sequence for a 10.5M-aperture-diameter antenna, final reflector adjustment, and the deployment sequence for large reflectors are also illustrated

Bacterial Transposons containing Markers for Fungal Gene Disruption

We have constructed 2 tn5-containing plasmids, pLH1 and pLH3, specialized towards mutagenesis of genes from fungi which are auxotrophic for arginine or sensitive to hygromycin (such as the filamentous fungi Aspergillus nidulans and Magnaporthe grisea.) These plasmids are also a useful means of integrating additional marker genes in the plasmid backbone

Effect and Distribution of Contrast Medium after Injection into the Anterior Suprachoroidal Space in Ex Vivo Eyes

PURPOSE: To determine the effects and posterior distribution of injections made into the anterior suprachoroidal space (SCS). METHODS: The anterior SCS of adult porcine and canine ex vivo eyes was cannulated. Latex injections and high frequency ultrasound (50 MHz) was used to image the effect and distension of the SCS. Flow characteristics and percentage maximal distribution of microbubble contrast injection into the SCS were assessed by 2D and 3D ultrasound. RESULTS: Mean (SD) distension of the SCS with PBS increased from 1.57 (0.48) mm after injection of 250 μL to 3.28 (0.57) mm with 1000 μL PBS. Eyes injected at physiologic IOP had no significant difference in SCS distension. In real-time 2D ultrasound, the contrast agent flowed from the injection site to the opposite ventral anterior SCS and the posterior SCS. Contrast arrived at the opposite and posterior SCS 7.8 (4.6) and 7.7 (4.6) seconds after injection, respectively. In sagittal images, contrast was visible in 24.0%to 27.2% of the SCS; in 10 of 12 eyes, contrast reached the posterior pole of the eye. In 3D images, contrast medium occupied 39.0% to 52.1% of the entire SCS. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that the SCS can expand, in a dose-dependent manner, to accommodate various volumes of fluid and that it is possible to image the SCS with ultrasound contrast. The authors' hypothesis that a single anterior SCS injection can reach the ocular posterior segment was supported. Further development of SCS injections for treatment of the ocular posterior segment is warranted

Equine infectious keratitis in Finland : Associated microbial isolates and susceptibility profiles

Objective To retrospectively describe laboratory findings, treatment, and outcome associated with equine infectious keratitis in Finland. Animals and procedures Medical records of horses diagnosed with infectious keratitis in University of Helsinki Equine Hospital from January 2007 to June 2018 were reviewed. Results Forty-seven cases were included. Keratomycosis was diagnosed in 27 eyes and bacterial keratitis in 20 eyes. Aspergillus flavus was the most frequent fungal isolate (9/17, 53%), followed by Cylindrocarpon sp. (3/17, 18%) and Aspergillus fumigatus (2/17, 12%). Susceptibility was tested for 10/11 Aspergillus sp. isolates; all were susceptible to voriconazole while only two were susceptible to amphotericin B. Cylindrocarpon sp. isolates were resistant to both agents. Streptococcus equi subsp. zooepidemicus was the most frequent bacterial isolate (9/19, 47%), followed by other streptococci (4/19, 21%). All 13 Streptococcus sp. isolates were susceptible to penicillin, and all tested isolates (n = 11) were also susceptible to chloramphenicol. Mean duration of medical treatment was longer in fungal keratitis (38 days) than in bacterial keratitis (25 days) (P <.001). Twenty-six of the eyes underwent globe-sparing surgery in addition to medical therapy. Recovery was achieved in 66% (31/47) of all cases and in 59% (16/27) and 75% (15/20) (P = .264) of cases with keratomycosis and bacterial keratitis, respectively. Conclusions Although Aspergillus sp. and S zooepidemicus were the most frequently encountered isolates, cytology, culture, and susceptibility testing are essential to differentiate bacterial and fungal keratitis and guide the clinician to choose the most efficient treatment.Peer reviewe

Esomeprazole for the treatment of erosive esophagitis in children: an international, multicenter, randomized, parallel-group, double-blind (for dose) study

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Acid suppression with a proton pump inhibitor is standard treatment for gastroesophageal reflux disease and erosive esophagitis in adults and increasingly is becoming first-line therapy for children aged 1-17 years. We evaluated endoscopic healing of erosive esophagitis with esomeprazole in young children with gastroesophageal reflux disease and described esophageal histology.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Children aged 1-11 years with endoscopically or histologically confirmed gastroesophageal reflux disease were randomized to esomeprazole 5 or 10 mg daily (< 20 kg) or 10 or 20 mg daily (≥ 20 kg) for 8 weeks. Patients with erosive esophagitis underwent an endoscopy after 8 weeks to assess healing of erosions.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Of 109 patients, 49% had erosive esophagitis and 51% had histologic evidence of reflux esophagitis without erosive esophagitis. Of the 45 patients who had erosive esophagitis and underwent follow-up endoscopy, 89% experienced erosion resolution. Dilation of intercellular space was reported in 24% of patients with histologic examination.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Esomeprazole (0.2-1.0 mg/kg) effectively heals macroscopic and microscopic erosive esophagitis in this pediatric population with gastroesophageal reflux disease. Dilation of intercellular space may be an important histologic marker of erosive esophagitis in children.</p> <p>Trial Registration</p> <p>D9614C00097; ClinicalTrials.gov identifier NCT00228527.</p

AAV Gene Therapy for MPS1-associated Corneal Blindness

Although cord blood transplantation has significantly extended the lifespan of mucopolysaccharidosis type 1 (MPS1) patients, over 95% manifest cornea clouding with about 50% progressing to blindness. As corneal transplants are met with high rejection rates in MPS1 children, there remains no treatment to prevent blindness or restore vision in MPS1 children. Since MPS1 is caused by mutations in idua, which encodes alpha-L-iduronidase, a gene addition strategy to prevent, and potentially reverse, MPS1-associated corneal blindness was investigated. Initially, a codon optimized idua cDNA expression cassette (opt-IDUA) was validated for IDUA production and function following adeno-associated virus (AAV) vector transduction of MPS1 patient fibroblasts. Then, an AAV serotype evaluation in human cornea explants identified an AAV8 and 9 chimeric capsid (8G9) as most efficient for transduction. AAV8G9-opt-IDUA administered to human corneas via intrastromal injection demonstrated widespread transduction, which included cells that naturally produce IDUA, and resulted in a >10-fold supraphysiological increase in IDUA activity. No significant apoptosis related to AAV vectors or IDUA was observed under any conditions in both human corneas and MPS1 patient fibroblasts. The collective preclinical data demonstrate safe and efficient IDUA delivery to human corneas, which may prevent and potentially reverse MPS1-associated cornea blindness