Roe at Thirty-Six and Beyond: Enhancing Protection for Abortion Rights Through State Constitutions

In a series of decisions over the past three decades, the Supreme Court has seriously undermined Roe v. Wade\u27s promise of full and meaningful federal constitutional protection for women\u27s access to abortion. While the new Obama administration will enhance protection for reproductive rights at the federal level, the reality remains that reconstituting the Supreme Court with a majority of Justices amenable to fully restoring Roe\u27s strict protections will likely take many years. This Article considers whether state constitutions are a promising avenue for enhancing protection for abortion rights. This Article looks back on thirty years of reproductive rights litigation under state constitutions to evaluate the strategy of using state constitutions to advance protection for abortion rights. Part I of the Article provides an overview of the major jurisprudential developments on abortion at the federal level, highlighting the steady erosion of protection under the Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment and the multiple obstacles to successful legal challenges under current law. Part II reviews the sources of protection for abortion rights available under state constitutions and describes the history of reproductive rights litigation in the state courts, highlighting both selected state court decisions that have provided expansive protection for abortion rights and those that have not. Part III evaluates the advantages and drawbacks of a state constitutional law litigation strategy and offers suggestions for future reproductive rights litigation in the state courts. The Article concludes that state constitutions are playing an important role in safeguarding abortion rights in individual states in an era of diminished federal constitutional protection and hold promise for influencing a return to expanded protection at the federal level. Although independent state constitutional adjudication is not without limitations and pitfalls, it offers a fruitful alternative venue for continued litigation as one component of a broad-based strategy that includes litigation in federal courts, legislative advocacy, public education, political action, and grass roots organizing

The repleta group

The evidence accumulating on the nature of the evolutionary process in the genus Drosophila has assumed two broad aspects. The first is concerned with the nature and effect of chromosome balance and organization in Drosophila; the second phase, undertaken in the light of the first, is a study of the problem of speciation. Fundamental investigations along both of these lines are being carried out at the University of Texas, and the cumulative results of these studies offer a convincing body of facts. The study of the repleta group, which is presented in this paper, employs both of the aforementioned lines of analysis. This complex group, representing a large number of divergent, yet closely related, species is peculiarly suited to a comparison of chromosome morphology. Of some twenty-eight described, and one undescribed member of the group, twenty-four are included in this analysis which constitutes the first division of the present study. The second section considers the species Drosophila replete, its intraspecific and interspecific relationshipsEcology, Evolution and Behavio

The visual performance of the Cooper Vision Frequency 55 aspheric contact lens

Aberration-reducing aspheric soft contact lenses are intended to provide enhanced visual performance, particularly for patients with small amounts of astigmatism. This study was designed to compare visual performance and patient preferences for aspheric soft contact lenses versus spherical soft contact lenses in low astigmats. The aims of the study were: (1) to determine if aspheric soft contact lenses offer better visual performance and patient satisfaction in comparison to standard spherical lenses and, (2) to determine if a difference in the type or magnitude of astigmatism affects the visual performance and patient satisfaction with both types of contact lenses. Satisfaction ratings of overall vision was statistically better with the aspheric design (p=O.Ol). This was especially true for distance tasks including daytime driving and low light, nighttime driving. At the end of the study subjects preferred the Frequency 55 Aspheric lens with regard to vision (p=0.002), and overall. No matter what type of astigmatism, the final preference for the aspheric lens was significant and this was particularly evident for subjects manifesting oblique and against-the-rule cylinder. Objectively, there were no differences demonstrated in visual performance between the two lens designs. Although a correlation was not observed between subjective preference and objective performance, clinically it is most often the patient\u27s perception of the quality of their vision that ultimately determines the final lens choice. This study clearly demonstrates that even though differences in recorded visual acuity may not be observed during an eye examination, low astigmatic patients can perceive better vision with this aberration-reducing aspheric lens design in comparison to standard spherical soft contact lenses

the Bad, and the Ugly: Using Experiential Learning in the Classroom Page 68

Abstract Academic experiences designed to promote active learning can be thrilling and memorable educational opportunities for students and their instructors. Unfortunately, they can also be miserable failures for students lacking necessary skills and motivation, and for instructors lacking necessary resources and support. This paper describes two active learning projects, both successful in many ways, and draws from them observations and lessons on the failings of active education for some students, and the burdens placed on instructors

Exile Vol. XIX No. 2

POETRY speckled day by Richard Carothers 3 Looking-Glass by Doug Cox 3 February fog scooves in by H. 8 Surface Tension by Glenn Bard 9 Closing by Doug Cox 10 southwest bazaar by Val Evans 16 Haiku sequence By Suzanne B. Dean 17 summertime by Richard Carothers 18 The Desirability of Being a Line by Laurie Wharton 18 The Blatant Morning by Phil Mercurio 23 sweet nothings by Linda Anderson 23 Alone In Bed by Val Evans 24 Walls and the Fallen Woman by H. 26-27 A Victim of Need by Suzanne B. Dean 28 PHOTOGRAPHY by Tamera Iverson 1, 18 by John Bildahl 9, 15 by Anne G. English 25 by Richard E. Bergen 27 by Bruce Andre 28 ARTWORK The Road to Calvary by Sheila Rollit 4 Norwegian Sadness by Tamera Iverson 11 by Ann Merrill 16 by Jude Hasel 17 by Pat Victory 22 by Wilson R. Baldridge 26 FICTION To My Grandmother by Robb Knuepfer 5-8 First Monday in July by Joe L. Bolster III 12-14 Glad About A Lot Today by John Fergus 19-22 A city stands by Suzanne B. Dean 24-2

Neuronal markers are expressed in human gliomas and NSE knockdown sensitizes glioblastoma cells to radiotherapy and temozolomide

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Expression of neuronal elements has been identified in various glial tumors, and glioblastomas (GBMs) with neuronal differentiation patterns have reportedly been associated with longer survival. However, the neuronal class III β-tubulin has been linked to increasing malignancy in astrocytomas. Thus, the significance of neuronal markers in gliomas is not established.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>The expressions of class III β-tubulin, neurofilament protein (NFP), microtubule-associated protein 2 (MAP2) and neuron-specific enolase (NSE) were investigated in five GBM cell lines and two GBM biopsies with immunocytochemistry and Western blot. Moreover, the expression levels were quantified by real-time qPCR under different culture conditions. Following NSE siRNA treatment we used Electric cell-substrate impedance sensing (ECIS) to monitor cell growth and migration and MTS assays to study viability after irradiation and temozolomide treatment. Finally, we quantitated NSE expression in a series of human glioma biopsies with immunohistochemistry using a morphometry software, and collected survival data for the corresponding patients. The biopsies were then grouped according to expression in two halves which were compared by survival analysis.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Immunocytochemistry and Western blotting showed that all markers except NFP were expressed both in GBM cell lines and biopsies. Notably, qPCR demonstrated that NSE was upregulated in cellular stress conditions, such as serum-starvation and hypoxia, while we found no uniform pattern for the other markers. NSE knockdown reduced the migration of glioma cells, sensitized them to hypoxia, radio- and chemotherapy. Furthermore, we found that GBM patients in the group with the highest NSE expression lived significantly shorter than patients in the low-expression group.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Neuronal markers are aberrantly expressed in human GBMs, and NSE is consistently upregulated in different cellular stress conditions. Knockdown of NSE reduces the migration of GBM cells and sensitizes them to hypoxia, radiotherapy and chemotherapy. In addition, GBM patients with high NSE expression had significantly shorter survival than patients with low NSE expression. Collectively, these data suggest a role for NSE in the adaption to cellular stress, such as during treatment.</p

Effectiveness of a national quality improvement programme to improve survival after emergency abdominal surgery (EPOCH): a stepped-wedge cluster-randomised trial

Background: Emergency abdominal surgery is associated with poor patient outcomes. We studied the effectiveness of a national quality improvement (QI) programme to implement a care pathway to improve survival for these patients. Methods: We did a stepped-wedge cluster-randomised trial of patients aged 40 years or older undergoing emergency open major abdominal surgery. Eligible UK National Health Service (NHS) hospitals (those that had an emergency general surgical service, a substantial volume of emergency abdominal surgery cases, and contributed data to the National Emergency Laparotomy Audit) were organised into 15 geographical clusters and commenced the QI programme in a random order, based on a computer-generated random sequence, over an 85-week period with one geographical cluster commencing the intervention every 5 weeks from the second to the 16th time period. Patients were masked to the study group, but it was not possible to mask hospital staff or investigators. The primary outcome measure was mortality within 90 days of surgery. Analyses were done on an intention-to-treat basis. This study is registered with the ISRCTN registry, number ISRCTN80682973. Findings: Treatment took place between March 3, 2014, and Oct 19, 2015. 22 754 patients were assessed for elegibility. Of 15 873 eligible patients from 93 NHS hospitals, primary outcome data were analysed for 8482 patients in the usual care group and 7374 in the QI group. Eight patients in the usual care group and nine patients in the QI group were not included in the analysis because of missing primary outcome data. The primary outcome of 90-day mortality occurred in 1210 (16%) patients in the QI group compared with 1393 (16%) patients in the usual care group (HR 1·11, 0·96–1·28). Interpretation: No survival benefit was observed from this QI programme to implement a care pathway for patients undergoing emergency abdominal surgery. Future QI programmes should ensure that teams have both the time and resources needed to improve patient care. Funding: National Institute for Health Research Health Services and Delivery Research Programme