Drugs and oil flow through the Eagle Ford Shale

textThis report is a work of original reporting which investigates the proliferation of drug use and drug trafficking in the Eagle Ford Shale, a region of heavy oil and gas development in South Texas. Since 2008, the Eagle Ford Shale has seen an influx of people, money, and new infrastructure. This has created a "perfect storm" for drug traffickers. The region is historically poor and sparsely populated, and local law enforcement agencies find themselves unprepared to handle the growing drug problem in their communities.Journalis

Ethics in the Multijurisdictional Practice of Admiralty Lawyers

In June 2002 the Commission on Multijurisdictional Practice of the American Bar Association (“ABA”) issued a report which covered a wide range of subjects including state judicial regulation and discipline of lawyers, the special problems of large firms moving lawyers around to work in branch offices, the use of in-house counsel not licensed in the state where they work, the particular problems of federal government and military lawyers practicing as part of their official duties in states where they are not licensed, as well as model rules for admission to practice on motion, for licensing of foreign legal consultants, and for admission pro hac vice in lawsuits. The focus of this Essay, however, is limited to just the activities which admiralty lawyers—and many other international lawyers—routinely engage in, which could be regarded by some courts or licensing authorities as the unauthorized practice of law. (P) ‘In general, a lawyer may not represent clients in court, or otherwise practice law within a particular state, unless the lawyer is licensed by the state to do so. By limiting law practice to those whom the state judiciary, through its admissions process, has deemed to be qualified to practice law in the state, a state government tries to ensure that lawyers who act on behalf of or give advice to clients in the state are competent and do so ethically. States give effect to restrictions through rules of professional conduct, which subject lawyers to the risk of sanction (in some states, criminal sanction) for practicing law within a state where they are not licensed, by treating such lawyers the same as laymen. Needless to say, a lawyer found by out-of-state authorities to have engaged in the unauthorized practice of law will also have many problems at home. (P) Today, every jurisdiction permits pro hac vice admission of out-of-state lawyers appearing in court or before some other tribunal/ But for transactional and counseling work, and other activities—including work done prior to commencement of a formal proceeding—there is no counterpart to pro hac vice admission

Yaws: towards the WHO eradication target.

In 2012 WHO declared a target to eradicate yaws by 2020. The cornerstone of this strategy is community mass treatment with azithromycin. Initial studies suggest this is a very effective tool that may be capable of interrupting transmission. Alongside this there has been progress in the development and validation of diagnostic tests for yaws. Several new challenges have also emerged, in particular, evidence that Haemophilus ducreyi can cause phenotypically similar ulcers in yaws endemic communities, and evidence for a possible non-human primate reservoir. The 2020 eradication target remains ambitious and more challenges should be expected on the journey

ALTERATIONS

My work is an investigation into the physical and cognitive spaces that painting occupies as both image and object. By transplanting fragments of mechanical and digital reproductions into formal and conceptual participation, I seek to disrupt the significations of culturally accepted iconography and probe the locations of acceptance they normally inhabit. I employ strategies of manipulation, framing, and juxtaposition to visually suggest the presence of the original object through the parameters of the reproduced composite and implicate the presence of the institution by incorporating the gallery wall directly into a number of my compositions. By utilizing imagery from the art historical domain and redeploying it in the manner of a quotation out of context, I suggest to the viewer an awareness of the many lenses of cultural criteria that are used to evaluate, appreciate, and understand these images and other works of art. While either directly using or evoking the historical image as a point of departure for this dialogue, this work contributes to an understanding or awareness of our location in the present by considering both the physical and virtual divisions that constitute our contemporaneous understanding of the past. These strategies speak to the difficulties of interpreting the original through the language of the reproduction, the fallibility of this system, and its frequently absurd outcomes. The purpose of this document is to: I.) Introduce and outline the biographical information used to formulate the conceptual procedure of the work, II.) Explicate the characteristics of the reproduction and its manifestation through the mechanisms of the work, III.) Signify the importance of the contemporary institution in our understanding of how images operate culturally, and IV.) Explain the historical and contemporary discourses that inform the work

Low yield of unselected testing in patients with acutely abnormal liver function tests.

OBJECTIVES: To audit the diagnostic yield and cost implications of the use of a 'liver screen' for inpatients with abnormal liver function tests. DESIGN: We performed a retrospective audit of inpatients with abnormal liver function tests. We analysed all investigations ordered including biochemistry, immunology, virology and radiology. The final diagnosis was ascertained in each case, and the diagnostic yield and cost per positive diagnosis for each investigation were calculated. SETTING: St Thomas' NHS Trust. PARTICIPANTS: All inpatients investigated for abnormal liver function tests over a 12-month period. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: We calculated the percentage of courses due to each diagnosis, the yield of each investigation and the cost per positive diagnosis for each investigation. RESULTS: A total of 308 patients were included, and a final diagnosis was made in 224 patients (73%) on the basis of both clinical data and investigations. There was considerable heterogeneity in the tests included in an acute liver screen. History and ultrasound yielded the most diagnoses (40% and 30%, respectively). The yield of autoimmune and metabolic screens was minimal. CONCLUSIONS: Our results demonstrate the low yield of unselected testing in patients with abnormal liver function tests. A thorough history, ultrasound and testing for blood-borne viruses are the cornerstones of diagnosis. Specialist input should be sought before further testing. Prospective studies to evaluate the yield and cost-effectiveness of different testing strategies are needed