Digital Commons Network^™

We Can’T Afford To Turn A Blind Eye To Myopia, Christine Marie Bourke, James Loughman, Daniel Ian Flitcroft, Ekaterina Loskutova, Colm O’Brien

Articles

Background

Myopia is becoming increasingly prevalent throughout the world. It is an overlooked but leading cause of blindness, particularly among the working aged population. Myopia is often considered benign because it is easily corrected with glasses, contact lenses, or refractive surgery. Traditionally myopia has been classified into physiological and pathological subtypes based on the degree of myopia present. Higher levels of myopia are associated with increased risk of pathological complications but it is important to note that there is no safe level of myopia. Even low levels of myopia increase the risk of retinal detachment and other ocular comorbidities which …

Peace And Subjectivity, Louis E. Wolcher

Articles

So long as there is law there can be no universal human right to peace. This is because legalized violence, whether in threat or in deed, constitutes the very antithesis of peaceful relations from the point of view of those whom law represses. Law cannot define peace as the absence of all violence—and still less as the absence of all legalized suffering—without gainsaying justice, for as Pascal says, “Justice without might is helpless; might without justice is tyrannical.” Although legal outcomes, like falling boulders and pouncing lions, can always be imputed to historical causes, experience teaches that legal actors generally …

Regulating Bot Speech, Madeline Lamo, Ryan Calo

Articles

We live in a world of artificial speakers with real impact. So-called “bots” foment political strife, skew online discourse, and manipulate the marketplace. Concerns over bot speech have led prominent figures in the world of technology to call for regulations in response to the unique threats bots pose. Recently, legislators have begun to heed these calls, drafting laws that would require online bots to clearly indicate that they are not human.

This work is the first to consider how efforts to regulate bots might run afoul of the First Amendment. At first blush, requiring a bot to self-disclose raises little …

The Role Of Mineral And Trace Element Supplementation In Exercise And Athletic Performance: A Systematic Review, Shane Heffernan, Katy Horner, Giuseppe De Vito, Gillian Conway

Articles

Minerals and trace elements (MTEs) are micronutrients involved in hundreds of biological processes. Deficiency in MTEs can negatively affect athletic performance. Approximately 50% of athletes have reported consuming some form of micronutrient supplement; however, there is limited data confirming their efficacy for improving performance. The aim of this study was to systematically review the role of MTEs in exercise and athletic performance. Six electronic databases and grey literature sources (MEDLINE; EMBASE; CINAHL and SportDISCUS; Web of Science and clinicaltrials.gov) were searched, in accordance with PRISMA guidelines. Results: 17,433 articles were identified and 130 experiments from 128 studies were included. Retrieved …

Investigation Of Mechanisms Involved In Germination Enhancement Of Wheat (Triticum Aestivum) By Cold Plasma: Effects On Seed Surface Chemistry And Characteristics, Agata Los, Dana Ziuzina, Daniela Boehm, Patrick J. Cullen, Paula Bourke

Articles

Recent reports indicate that atmospheric cold plasma (ACP) treatment of seeds can enhance their germination, however, the mechanisms of action are not yet entirely clear. In the present work, we report on the effects of plasma treatment on wheat seed germination and seedling growth. Additionally, changes in the surface chemistry and characteristics of the wheat seeds exposed to plasma were investigated. Treatments of 30–60 s significantly enhanced the germination rate and showed positive effects on seedling growth. ACP resulted in changes of seed surface and chemical characteristics including water uptake and contact angle values. Changes in seed pH and total …

Effect Of Cold Plasma On The Techno-Functional Properties Of Animal Protein Food Ingredients, Juan M. Pérez-Andrés, Carlos Álvarez, Patrick J. Cullen, Brijesh K. Tiwari

Articles

Proteins, as food ingredients, are employed in the food industry, not only for their high nutritional value, but also because of their techno-functional properties. Modifications of their native structure due to the action of external factors such as pH, temperature or processing by emerging technologies, can lead to changes in their functionality; and consequently, their applicability. The present study investigates the effects of cold atmospheric air plasma on the techno-functional properties of two common food ingredients (haemoglobin and gelatine from pork), and a novel source of functional proteins extracted from a meat co-product (bovine lung protein). Significant effects were found …

How U.S. Family Law Might Deal With Spousal Relationships Of Three (Or More) People, Edward D. Stein

Articles

For much of this nation's history, the vast majority of people have believed that being married to more than one person at the same time is deeply problematic. Further, polygamous marriage has never been legal in the United States. Despite this, some people have been in plural or group relationships and some of these people have wished to gain legal recognition for these relationships. The arguments for recognizing such relationships are persuasive, but the prospects for legalization of polygamous marriage seem slim in the near future. This Article offers a suggestion of how the law of domestic relations might deal …

Erie Doctrine, State Law, And Civil Rights Litigation, Alexander A. Reinert

Articles

How should state law questions and claims be resolved when they arise in federal civil rights litigation? In prior work, I have criticized the given wisdom that the Erie doctrine, while originating in diversity cases, applies in all cases whatever the basis for federal jurisdiction. In that work, I proposed a framework, “Erie Step Zero,” to place Erie questions in their jurisdictional context. As I have argued, the concern with forum shopping and unequal treatment that prompted Erie have less salience in federal question cases. Different concerns emerge when one focuses on the presence of state law issues in …

Synchrotron Macro Atr-Ftir Microspectroscopy For High Resolution Chemical Mapping Of Single Cells, Jitraporn Vongsvivut, David Perezguaita, Bayden Wood, Phil Heraud, Karina Khambatta, David Hartnell, Mark J. Hackett, Mark J. Tobin

Articles

Attenuated total reflection Fourier transform infrared (ATR-FTIR) spectroscopy has been used widely for probing the molecular properties of materials. Coupling a synchrotron infrared (IR) beam to an ATR element using a high numerical aperture (NA) microscope objective enhances the spatial resolution, relative to transmission or transflectance microspectroscopy, by a factor proportional to the refractive index (n) of the ATR element. This work presents the development of the synchrotron macro ATR-FTIR microspectroscopy at Australian Synchrotron Infrared Microspectroscopy (IRM) Beamline, and demonstrates that high quality FTIR chemical maps of single cells and tissues can be achieved at an enhanced spatial …

Pineapple Poetry - Studying Literature Through A Food Studies Lens, Anke Klitzing

Articles

In his essay 'A Winter Feast', literature professor Paul Schmidt unveils the layers of meaning that Pushkin wove into the description of a New Year’s feast in Eugene Onegin. But unusually, Schmidt continues his essay making the jump from literary criticism to food studies by musing on the various items on the menu without reference to Onegin, but rather to the cultural and philosophical context of food, bringing in such varied references as Brillat-Savarin and Arnold Schwarzenegger. Studying food writing through the lens of literary criticism allows us to penetrate the social and symbolic meanings of food more deeply, while …

Solvent Stable Microbial Lipases: Current Understanding And Biotechnological Applications, Barry Ryan, Priyanka Priyanka, Yeqi Tan, Gemma K Kinsella, Gary T. Henehan

Articles

Objective: This review examines on our current understanding of microbial lipase solvent tolerance, with a specific focus on the molecular strategies employed to improve lipase stability in a non-aqueous environment.

Results: It provides an overview of known solvent tolerant lipases and of approaches to improving solvent stability such as; enhancing stabilising interactions, modification of residue flexibility and surface charge alteration. It shows that judicious selection of lipase source supplemented by appropriate enzyme stabilisation, can lead to a wide application spectrum for lipases.

Conclusion: Organic solvent stable lipases are, and will continue to be, versatile and adaptable biocatalytic workhorses commonly employed …

Criminal Justice, Inc., John Rappaport

Articles

No abstract provided.

Sitaraman’S Mistaken Case For The Middle-Class Constitution, Richard A. Epstein

Articles

No abstract provided.

Antitrust Remedies For Labor Market Power, Suresh Naidu, Eric A. Posner, E. Glen Weyl

Articles

No abstract provided.

The Keyes Of Constitutional Law, Justin Driver

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No abstract provided.

On The Exactitude Of Big Data: La Bêtise And Artificial Intelligence, Noel Fitzpatrick, John D. Kelleher

Articles

This article revisits the question of ‘la bêtise’ or stupidity in the era of Artificial Intelligence driven by Big Data, it extends on the questions posed by Gille Deleuze and more recently by Bernard Stiegler. However, the framework for revisiting the question of la bêtise will be through the lens of contemporary computer science, in particular the development of data science as a mode of analysis, sometimes, misinterpreted as a mode of intelligence. In particular, this article will argue that with the advent of forms of hype (sometimes referred to as the hype cycle) in relation to big data and …

Risks Of Excess Iodine Intake In Ghana: Current Situation, Challenges, And Lessons For The Future, Brenda A.Z. Abu, Wilna Oldewage‐Theron,, Richmond N.O. Aryeetey

Articles

In Ghana, iodine deficiency was first reported in 1994 among 33% of the population. A nationwide Universal Salt Iodization (USI) program plus other complementary interventions were subsequently implemented as a response. Our paper reviews the current risks of excess iodine status in Ghana and identifies policy and research gaps. A mixed methods review of 12 policies and institutional reports and 13 peer‐reviewed articles was complemented with consultations with 23 key informants (salt producers and distributors, food processors, regulatory agency officials, and healthcare providers) purposively sampled between May and August 2017. The findings show a strong policy environment indicated by regulations …

Diet-Induced Insulin Resistance Elevates Hippocampal Glutamate As Well As Vglut1 And Gfap Expression In Aβpp/Ps1 Mice., Erin R Hascup, Sarah O Broderick, Mary K Russell, Yimin Fang, Andrzej Bartke, Heather A Boger, Kevin N Hascup

Articles

The symptomologies of Alzheimer's disease (AD) develop over decades suggesting modifiable lifestyle factors may contribute to disease pathogenesis. In humans, hyperinsulinemia associated with type 2 diabetes mellitus increases the risk for developing AD and both diseases share similar age-related etiologies including amyloidogenesis. Since we have demonstrated that soluble Aβ₄₂ elicits glutamate release, we wanted to understand how diet-induced insulin resistance alters hippocampal glutamate dynamics, which are important for memory formation and consolidation. Eight to twelve-week-old C57BL/6J and AβPP/PS1 mice were placed on either a low-fat diet or high-fat diet (HFD) for 8 months. A HFD led to significant weight …

Eros And Polemos: Eroticized Combat In The Trojan War Myth, John Dayton

Articles

The connections between belligerence and sexuality are well known to ethologists and anthropologists and have received some attention in literary analysis. This study examines the Trojan War, in the mythical matter itself and in its treatment by Homer, as a figurative amatory conquest. We note first the element of female eroticism in the background: the war begins with a beauty contest and Helen’s abduction, and Homer’s Iliad begins in a symmetrical pattern with a quarrel over desirable captive women. These events reflect a primal relationship between combat and access to females. But we also notice that the Trojan males are …

From Sagebrush Law To A Modern Profession, Kristina J. Running

Articles

No abstract provided.

The Restoration Remedy In Private Law, Omri Ben-Shahar, Ariel Porat

Articles

No abstract provided.

A Review On Bioconversion Of Agro-Industrial Wastes To Industrially Important Enzymes, Rajeev Ravindran, Shady S. Hassan, Gwilym A. Williams, Amit K, Jaiswal

Articles

Agro-industrial waste is highly nutritious in nature and facilitates microbial growth. Most agricultural wastes are lignocellulosic in nature; a large fraction of it is composed of carbohydrates. Agricultural residues can thus be used for the production of various value-added products, such as industrially important enzymes. Agro-industrial wastes, such as sugar cane bagasse, corn cob and rice bran, have been widely investigated via different fermentation strategies for the production of enzymes. Solid-state fermentation holds much potential compared with submerged fermentation methods for the utilization of agro-based wastes for enzyme production. This is because the physical–chemical nature of many lignocellulosic substrates naturally …

Re-Playing Maimonides’ Codes: Designing Games To Teach Religious Legal Systems, Owen Gottlieb

Articles

Lost & Found is a game series, created at the Initiative for

Religion, Culture, and Policy at the Rochester Institute of

Technology MAGIC Center.1 The series teaches medieval

religious legal systems. This article uses the first two games

of the series as a case study to explore a particular set of

processes to conceive, design, and develop games for learning.

It includes the background leading to the author's work

in games and teaching religion, and the specific context for

the Lost & Found series. It discusses the rationale behind

working to teach religious legal systems more broadly, then

discuss the …

Raman Spectroscopy Detects Biochemical Changes Due To Different Cell Culture Environments In Live Cells In Vitro, Mahmoud Gargotti, Esen Efeoglu, Hugh Byrne, Alan Casey

Articles

The in vitro cell culture environment can impact on cell biochemistry and cell cycle. The manifestation of such substrate-induced changes in cell cycle in the Raman microspectroscopic profiles of cell cultures is investigated at the level of nucleolus, nucleus and cytoplasm. HeLa immortalised human cervical cells and HaCaT dermal cells were cultured on three different substrates, conventional polystyrene cell culture dishes, CaF2 slides as a commonly used Raman substrate, and glass slides coated with Collagen Rat Tail, as a mimic of the extra cellular matrix (ECM) environment. A cell cycle study, based on percentage DNA content, as determined using Propidium …

Physical Models Can Provide Superior Learning Opportunities Beyond The Benefits Of Active Engagements, Dina L. Newman, Megan Stefkovich, Catherine Clasen, Margaret A. Franzen, Leslie Kate Wright

Articles

The essence of molecular biology education lies in understanding of gene expression, with subtopics including the central dogma processes, such as transcription and translation. While these concepts are core to the discipline, they are also notoriously difficult for students to learn, probably because they cannot be directly observed. While nearly all active learning strategies have been shown to improve learning compared with passive lectures, little has been done to compare different types of active learning. We hypothesized that physical models of central dogma processes would be especially helpful for learning, because they provide a resource that students can see, touch, …

Introduction, Shari S. Diamond, Richard O. Lempert

Articles

Experts bedeviled the legal system long before seventeenth-century Salem, when the town's good citizens relied on youthful accusers and witchcraft experts to identify the devil's servants in their midst. As in Salem, claims of expertise have often been questioned and objections raised about the bases of expert knowledge. Expertise, then and now, did not have to be based on science; but the importance of science and the testimony of scientific experts has since medieval times been woven into the fabric of the English jurisprudence that Americans inherited. In cases as long ago as 1299 we find examples of courts seeking …

Theobromine And Related Methylxanthines As Inhibitors Of Primary Amine Oxidase, Padraig Shanahan, Jeffrey O’Sullivan, Keith Tipton, Gemma Kinsella, Barry Ryan, Gary Henehan

Articles

Methylxanthines are the most widely consumed drugs in the world and evidence of their health benefits has been growing in recent years. Primary Amine Oxidase (PrAO) has been recognised as a therapeutic target for amelioration of inflammatory, vascular and neurodegenerative diseases. Previous work in our laboratories showed that caffeine inhibited Bovine PrAO with a Ki of 1.0mM using benzylamine as substrate.

This study aimed to extend our previous work and explore the possibility that related methylxanthines might influence PrAO activity. While paraxanthine, theophylline and 7-methylxanthine had little effect on PrAO, theobromine was a noncompetitive inhibitor with a Ki of 276±44µM. …

Section 4968 And Taxing All Charitable Endowments: A Critique And A Proposal, Edward A. Zelinsky

Articles

No abstract provided.

Antitrust's Unconventional Politics, Daniel A. Crane

Articles

Antitrust law stands at its most fluid and negotiable moment in a generation. The bipartisan consensus that antitrust should solely focus on economic efficiency and consumer welfare has quite suddenly come under attack from prominent voices calling for a dramatically enhanced role for antitrust law in mediating a variety of social, economic, and political friction points, including employment, wealth inequality, data privacy and security, and democratic values. To the bewilderment of many observers, the ascendant pressures for antitrust reforms are flowing from both wings of the political spectrum, throwing into confusion a conventional understanding that pro-antitrust sentiment tacked left and …

Discordant Alternans Mechanism For Initiation Of Ventricular Fibrillation In Vitro, Laura M. Muñoz, Anna R.M. Gelzer, Flavio H. Fenton, Wei Qian, Weiye Lin, Robert F. Gilmour Jr, Niels F. Otani

Articles

Background: Ventricular tachyarrhythmias are often preceded by short sequences of premature ventricular complexes. In a previous study, a restitution-based computational model predicted which sequences of stimulated premature complexes were most likely to induce ventricular fibrillation in canines in vivo. However, the underlying mechanism, based on discordant-alternans dynamics, could not be verified in that study. The current study seeks to elucidate the mechanism by determining whether the spatiotemporal evolution of action potentials and initiation of ventricular fibrillation in in vitro experiments are consistent with model predictions. Methods and Results: Optical mapping voltage signals from canine right-ventricular tissue (n=9) were obtained simultaneously …