State of Arizona v. Guy James Goodman: On Petition for a Writ of Certiorari to the Arizona Supreme Court

Arizona’s pending certiorari petition in Arizona v. Goodman provides the Supreme Court with an opportunity to review the important issue of the circumstances under which the Constitution permits an accused sex offender to be denied bail pending trial. In 2002, Arizona voters amended their state constitution, rendering a defendant categorically ineligible for bail if “the proof is evident or the presumption great” that he committed sexual assault. In a narrowly divided opinion, the Arizona Supreme Court found that this measure unconstitutional. And yet the Court’s opinion makes clear that the Constitution does not prohibit denying bail to defendants who present (1) “a continuing danger to the community” or (2) “a risk of flight.” Nor does the Constitution prohibit categorically denying bail based on the nature of the charged offense. Indeed, thirty-four states categorically deny bail to persons charged with capital offenses, murder, specified sex offenses, or offenses punishable by life imprisonment. Review of the Arizona Supreme Court’s decision is needed to resolve the conflict between it and the Court’s precedent on an important issue of constitutional law that affects the criminal justice system, crime victims, and community safety in States across the Nation. The Court’s review is especially needed because of the serious implications for victims and their communities if the judgment below is permitted to stand. Given sex offenders’ high recidivism rates, and the life-altering harm suffered by their victims, Arizona’s legislature was entirely reasonable when it opted to categorically deny bail to sexual-assault defendants on the ground that sexual assault is an adequate proxy for future dangerousness - and to build in procedural protections that go above and beyond in ensuring due process. The Constitution does not prohibit States like Arizona and others from taking these steps to ensure sex offenders are brought to justice, victims are protected, and communities are safeguarded

The impact of flooding on aquatic ecosystem services

Flooding is a major disturbance that impacts aquatic ecosystems and the ecosystem services that they provide. Predicted increases in global flood risk due to land use change and water cycle intensification will likely only increase the frequency and severity of these impacts. Extreme flooding events can cause loss of life and significant destruction to property and infrastructure, effects that are easily recognized and frequently reported in the media. However, flooding also has many other effects on people through freshwater aquatic ecosystem services, which often go unrecognized because they are less evident and can be difficult to evaluate. Here, we identify the effects that small magnitude frequently occurring floods (\u3c 10-year recurrence interval) and extreme floods (\u3e 100-year recurrence interval) have on ten aquatic ecosystem services through a systematic literature review. We focused on ecosystem services considered by the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment including: (1) supporting services (primary production, soil formation), (2) regulating services (water regulation, water quality, disease regulation, climate regulation), (3) provisioning services (drinking water, food supply), and (4) cultural services (aesthetic value, recreation and tourism). The literature search resulted in 117 studies and each of the ten ecosystem services was represented by an average of 12 ± 4 studies. Extreme floods resulted in losses in almost every ecosystem service considered in this study. However, small floods had neutral or positive effects on half of the ecosystem services we considered. For example, small floods led to increases in primary production, water regulation, and recreation and tourism. Decision-making that preserves small floods while reducing the impacts of extreme floods can increase ecosystem service provision and minimize losses

Evaluation of kratom opioid derivatives as potential treatment option for alcohol use disorder

Background and Purpose: Mitragyna speciosa extract and kratom alkaloids decrease alcohol consumption in mice at least in part through actions at the δ-opioid receptor (δOR). However, the most potent opioidergic kratom alkaloid, 7-hydroxymitragynine, exhibits rewarding properties and hyperlocomotion presumably due to preferred affinity for the mu opioid receptor (µOR). We hypothesized that opioidergic kratom alkaloids like paynantheine and speciogynine with reduced µOR potency could provide a starting point for developing opioids with an improved therapeutic window to treat alcohol use disorder. Experimental Approach: We characterized paynantheine, speciociliatine, and four novel kratom-derived analogs for their ability to bind and activate δOR, µOR, and κOR. Select opioids were assessed in behavioral assays in male C57BL/6N WT and δOR knockout mice. Key Results: Paynantheine (10 mg∙kg(−1), i.p.) produced aversion in a limited conditioned place preference (CPP) paradigm but did not produce CPP with additional conditioning sessions. Paynantheine did not produce robust antinociception but did block morphine-induced antinociception and hyperlocomotion. Yet, at 10 and 30 mg∙kg(−1) doses (i.p.), paynantheine did not counteract morphine CPP. 7-hydroxypaynantheine and 7-hydroxyspeciogynine displayed potency at δOR but limited µOR potency relative to 7-hydroxymitragynine in vitro, and dose-dependently decreased voluntary alcohol consumption in WT but not δOR in KO mice. 7-hydroxyspeciogynine has a maximally tolerated dose of at least 10 mg∙kg(−1) (s.c.) at which it did not produce significant CPP neither alter general locomotion nor induce noticeable seizures. Conclusion and Implications: Derivatizing kratom alkaloids with the goal of enhancing δOR potency and reducing off-target effects could provide a pathway to develop novel lead compounds to treat alcohol use disorder with an improved therapeutic window

COVID-19 health information needs of older adults from ethnic minority groups in the UK: a qualitative study

Objective This study aimed to identify the COVID- 19 health information needs of older adults from ethnic minority groups in the UK. Study design A qualitative study using semistructured interviews. Setting and participants Indian and Nepalese older adults (≥65 years), their families (≥18 years) and healthcare professionals (HCPs) (≥18 years) engaging with these communities. Participants were recruited between July and December 2020 from Kent, Surrey and Sussex through community organisations. Results 24 participants took part in the study; 13 older adults, 7 family members and 4 HCPs. Thirteen participants were female, and the majority (n=17) spoke a language other than English at home. Older participants mostly lived in multigenerational households, and family and community were key for providing support and communicating about healthcare needs. Participants’ knowledge of COVID- 19 varied widely; some spoke confidently about the subject, while others had limited information. Language and illiteracy were key barriers to accessing health information. Participants highlighted the need for information in multiple formats and languages, and discussed the importance of culturally appropriate avenues, such as community centres and religious sites, for information dissemination. Conclusion This study, undertaken during the COVID- 19 pandemic, provides insight into how health information can be optimised for ethnic minority older adults in terms of content, format and cultural relevance. The study highlights that health information interventions should recognise the intersection between multigenerational living, family structure, and the health and well- being of older adults, and should promote intergenerational discussion

1 Versus 2-cm Excision Margins for pT2-pT4 Primary Cutaneous Melanoma (MelMarT): A Feasibility Study

Abstract Background There is a lack of consensus regarding optimal surgical excision margins for primary cutaneous melanoma &gt; 1 mm in Breslow thickness (BT). A narrower surgical margin is expected to be associated with lower morbidity, improved quality of life (QoL), and reduced cost. We report the results of a pilot international study (MelMarT) comparing a 1 versus 2-cm surgical margin for patients with primary melanoma &gt; 1 mm in BT. Methods This phase III, multicentre trial [NCT02385214] administered by the Australia &amp; New Zealand Medical Trials Group (ANZMTG 03.12) randomised patients with a primary cutaneous melanoma &gt; 1 mm in BT to a 1 versus 2-cm wide excision margin to be performed with sentinel lymph node biopsy. Surgical closure technique was at the discretion of the treating surgeon. Patients’ QoL was measured (FACT-M questionnaire) at baseline, 3, 6, and 12 months after randomisation. Results Between January 2015 and June 2016, 400 patients were randomised from 17 centres in 5 countries. A total of 377 patients were available for analysis. Primary melanomas were located on the trunk (56.9%), extremities (35.6%), and head and neck (7.4%). More patients in the 2-cm margin group required reconstruction (34.9 vs. 13.6%; p &lt; 0.0001). There was an increased wound necrosis rate in the 2-cm arm (0.5 vs. 3.6%; p = 0.036). After 12 months’ follow-up, no differences were noted in QoL between groups. Discussion This pilot study demonstrates the feasibility of a large international RCT to provide a definitive answer to the optimal excision margin for patients with intermediate- to high-risk primary cutaneous melanoma. </jats:sec

Woman-Centered Design through Humanity, Activism, and Inclusion

Women account for over half of the global population, however, continue to be subject to systematic and systemic disadvantage, particularly in terms of access to health and education. At every intersection, where systemic inequality accounts for greater loss of life or limitations on full and healthy living, women are more greatly impacted by those inequalities. The design of technologies is no different, the very definition of technology is historically cast in terms of male activities, and advancements in the field are critical to improve women's quality of life. This article views HCI, a relatively new field, as well positioned to act critically in the ways that technology serve, refigure, and redefine women's bodies. Indeed, the female body remains a contested topic, a restriction to the development of women's health. On one hand, the field of women's health has attended to the medicalization of the body and therefore is to be understood through medical language and knowledge. On the other hand, the framing of issues associated with women's health and people's experiences of and within such system(s) remain problematic for many. This is visible today in, e.g., socio-cultural practices in disparate geographies or medical devices within a clinic or the home. Moreover, the biological body is part of a great unmentionable, i.e., the perils of essentialism. We contend that it is necessary, pragmatically and ethically, for HCI to turn its attention toward a woman-centered design approach. While previous research has argued for the dangers of gender-demarcated design work, we advance that designing for and with women should not be regarded as ghettoizing, but instead as critical to improving women's experiences in bodily transactions, choices, rights, and access to and in health and care. In this article, we consider how and why designing with and for woman matters. We use our design-led research as a way to speak to and illustrate alternatives to designing for and with women within HCI.QC 20200930</p

Volcanic Glass as a Proxy for Cenozoic Elevation and Climate in the Cascade Mountains, Oregon, USA

After deposition, volcanic glass hydrates with ambient water, recording the average hydrogen isotope ratio (δD or δ2H) of local meteoric water during the hydration period. Previous researchers have used ancient glass δD values to reconstruct paleotopography and paleoclimate, while others have questioned the long-term reliability of the proxy as a recorder of ancient meteoric water. In this study, we sampled volcanic glasses ranging in age ~33 Ma to(east) side of the Oregon Cascade Mountains. Our results strongly suggest that volcanic glass acquires and preserves δD values that are proportional to the stable isotopic composition of environmental water at the time of ash deposition based on 1) a 20‰ difference in δD values between samples of different ages (~8 Ma apart) from the same locality, 2) preservation of stable isotopic compositions consistent with lacustrine and non-lacustrine depositional environments in coeval samples, and 3) substantial differences between δD values of ancient volcanic glass (\u3e1 Ma) and local meteoric water (converted to glass δD values) throughout the study area. We propose a paleoenvironmental interpretation of volcanic glass results that resolves previously published isotopic data and agrees well with the petrologic, structural, and stratigraphic record. Namely, the Oregon Cascades have been a significant topographic barrier since at least the mid-Miocene, and likely as far back as the Oligocene. Since reaching a topographic maximum during the eruption of Columbia River flood basalts in the mid-Miocene, surface elevations in Oregon have decreased, while the northern Cascades in Washington continue to rise

State of Arizona v. Guy James Goodman: On Petition for a Writ of Certiorari to the Arizona Supreme Court

Arizona’s pending certiorari petition in Arizona v. Goodman provides the Supreme Court with an opportunity to review the important issue of the circumstances under which the Constitution permits an accused sex offender to be denied bail pending trial. In 2002, Arizona voters amended their state constitution, rendering a defendant categorically ineligible for bail if “the proof is evident or the presumption great” that he committed sexual assault. In a narrowly divided opinion, the Arizona Supreme Court found that this measure unconstitutional. And yet the Court’s opinion makes clear that the Constitution does not prohibit denying bail to defendants who present (1) “a continuing danger to the community” or (2) “a risk of flight.” Nor does the Constitution prohibit categorically denying bail based on the nature of the charged offense. Indeed, thirty-four states categorically deny bail to persons charged with capital offenses, murder, specified sex offenses, or offenses punishable by life imprisonment. Review of the Arizona Supreme Court’s decision is needed to resolve the conflict between it and the Court’s precedent on an important issue of constitutional law that affects the criminal justice system, crime victims, and community safety in States across the Nation. The Court’s review is especially needed because of the serious implications for victims and their communities if the judgment below is permitted to stand. Given sex offenders’ high recidivism rates, and the life-altering harm suffered by their victims, Arizona’s legislature was entirely reasonable when it opted to categorically deny bail to sexual-assault defendants on the ground that sexual assault is an adequate proxy for future dangerousness - and to build in procedural protections that go above and beyond in ensuring due process. The Constitution does not prohibit States like Arizona and others from taking these steps to ensure sex offenders are brought to justice, victims are protected, and communities are safeguarded