bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Laserchirurgie: Aktueller Stand und Neue Trends: Mit Einstein in den OP
Authors: Schädel Daniela
Published: November 2017

Einstein? Richtig! Den meisten als Erfinder der Relativitätstheorie bekannt, wissen die wenigsten, dass Einstein auch die theoretischen Grundlagen des Lasers formulierte, der dem Chirurgen heute als ein hochpräzises Werkzeug dient.
Patientendaten: Machtwechsel!
Authors: König Romy
Published: November 2017

Lange lag die Hoheit über Patientendaten bei Klinik und Arzt. Das könnte sich bald ändern: Industrie, Kassen, Länder und Stiftungen arbeiten an elektronischen Gesundheitsakten, die Daten patientengesteuert aufnehmen. Die ersten gehen nun an den Start.
Gestaltung von Kinderstationen: Gute Besserung
Authors: Kucera Martin
Published: November 2017

Knapp 70 Millionen Euro hat die neue Kinderklinik der Uniklinik Hamburg-Eppendorf gekostet. Entstanden ist ein Haus, das höchste medizinische Qualität bietet und gleichzeitig den Bedürfnissen der kleinen Patienten Rechnung trägt. Das unterstützt nicht nur den Genesungsprozess, sondern ist auch ein Wettbewerbsvorteil.
Finanzierung: Fremdkapital für die Modernisierung
Authors: Mewis Dirk
Published: November 2017

Bei vielen Banken wächst das Kreditgeschäft für Krankenhäuser. Denn der Investitionsstau bei Neu- oder Anbauten, OP-Ausstattungen, Klimatisierungs- und Küchentechnik oder der IT ist groß.
Großbaustelle: … das „Häuschen“ wird bald fertig sein.
Authors: Thalmayr Maria
Published: November 2017

9 000 Kubikmeter Beton und weitere 550 Kubikmeter Fertigbetonteile wurden für den zentralen Neubau an der Universitätsmedizin Rostock verbaut. Die Bewehrung besteht aus 4 500 Tonnen Stahl. Das 143-Millionen-Projekt ist aktuell die größte öffentliche Baustelle Mecklenburg-Vorpommerns.
Risk Factors for Dystonia after Selective Dorsal Rhizotomy in Nonwalking Children and Adolescents with Bilateral Spasticity
Authors: Vermeulen R. , van 't Westende Charlotte , van Schie Petra , Bolster Eline , van Ouwerkerk Pim , Strijers Rob , Becher Jules , Stadhouder Agnita , de Graaf Pim , Buizer Annemieke , van de Pol Laura
Published: November 2017

We recently showed a beneficial effect of selective dorsal rhizotomy (SDR) on daily care and comfort in nonwalking children with severe bilateral spasticity. However, despite careful selection, some patients showed dystonia after the intervention, in which cases caregivers tended to be less satisfied with the result.

The aim of this study is to identify risk factors for dystonia after SDR in children and adolescents with severe bilateral spasticity (GMFCS levels IV/V).

Clinical and MRI risk factors for dystonia after SDR were studied in our cohort of 24 patients. Patients with clinical evidence of dystonia and brain MRI showing basal ganglia abnormalities were excluded for SDR.

Nine of 24 patients (38%) showed some degree of dystonia after SDR. There was a significant association between the cause of spasticity and dystonia after SDR; in six (67%) patients with a congenital disorder, dystonia was present versus three (20%) with an acquired disorder (Chi-squared test: C(1) = 5.23, p = 0.02).

This study allows more optimal selection of patients that may benefit from SDR. Patients with an acquired cause of spasticity, when selected carefully on clinical examination and MRI, rarely show dystonia after SDR. However, patients with an underlying congenital disorder have a considerable risk of dystonia after SDR.
Radioembolization in Colorectal Metastases: A Review
Authors: Mahvash Armeen , Madoff David , Odisio Bruno , Kuban Joshua , Avritscher Rony , Murthy Ravi , Abdelsalam Mohamed
Published: November 2017

Radioembolization has gained wide acceptance as a safe and efficient treatment for unresectable liver-dominant metastatic colorectal cancer. In this comprehensive article, we focus on clinical outcomes and dosimetry models in the era of personalized medicine.
Use of Incisional Negative Pressure Wound Therapy in Skin-Containing Free Tissue Transfer
Authors: Bi Hongda , Khan Mija , Pestana Ivo , Li Junhui
Published: November 2017

Background Negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT) was initially introduced for wound management, but its benefits have stimulated the investigation of its use in new clinical scenarios. Most recently, incisional NPWT has been shown to be a benefit. Incisional NPWT applied to skin-containing free tissue transfer has not been well defined. This may originate from concerns of dressing material obscuring frequent examination of the newly transferred tissue or risk of pedicle compression and potential for increased risk of tissue loss. We aim to describe incisional NPWT in cutaneous free tissue transfer.

Methods An institutional review board-approved retrospective review of consecutive free tissue transfer patients was completed over a 3-year period. Free tissue transfer procedures were performed in standard manner. After fixation of the flap to the donor site with interrupted sutures, one or two drainage tubes were inserted in the subflap position. The surface of the flap was protected with Vaseline gauze followed by a 1 cm thick layer of sterile cotton. The vacuum-assisted closure (VAC) sponge (KCI, TX) was then placed in the standard fashion and negative pressure at −125 mm Hg was initiated in a continuous mode. A window was routinely made over the flap's distal region to allow for serial flap examination. For extremity procedures, no splints were utilized, and patients were limited to motion in the hospital bed. NPWT was employed continuously for 7 days and subsequently removed along with operative drains.

Results A total of 24 consecutive patients underwent free tissue transfer. The average patient age was 39.8 years with a mean body mass index of 23. Tobacco use was noted in 58% of patients in the series. The indication for the free tissue transfer included trauma (N = 21), malignancy (N = 2), and burn reconstruction (N = 1). The areas of reconstruction included scalp (N = 5), lower extremity (N = 11), and upper extremity (N = 8). Skin-containing free flaps employed consisted of the latissimus dorsi myocutaneous free flap (N = 16), anterolateral thigh free flap (N = 6), thoracodorsal artery perforator free flap (N = 1), and radial forearm free flap (N = 1). The average defect size reconstructed was 238.3 cm2 with a mean operative time of 501 minutes. Postoperatively, patients remained in the hospital an average of 15.5 days (range: 9–32 days) with a mean follow-up of 8.1 months. No hematomas, seromas, surgical-site infections, or deep vein thrombosis/pulmonary embolism occurred in the series. None of the flaps required return to the operating room. There were no documented cases of partial or complete flap loss.

Conclusions NPWT may be employed in a fashion similar to the standard incisional application. With this technique, serial flap examination remains possible and is not associated with pedicle compression or increased rates of flap loss. Interestingly, no splints were utilized with the VAC device which itself may serve as a relative immobilizer of an extremity.
Vergleich der Sicherheit der perkutan gastralen Punktion im Rahmen der PEG-Anlage zwischen Ärzten und spezialisierten Pflegenden – eine nicht randomisierte, interventionelle Pilotstudie an Simulatoren
Authors: Engelke Monika , Grund Karl-Ernst , Schilling Dieter , Beilenhoff Ulrike , Kern-Waechter Elisabeth , Engelke Olaf , Stebner Ferdinand , Kugler Christiane
Published: November 2017

Die Anlage einer perkutan endoskopisch kontrollierten Gastrostomie (PEG) ist weltweit ein häufig durchgeführtes und anerkanntes Verfahren zur Sicherstellung der enteralen Ernährung. Im klinischen Alltag kommt es manchmal zur Delegation der perkutan gastralen Punktion bei der PEG an Pflegende. In Deutschland gibt es bisher keine Studien, inwieweit Unterschiede bezogen auf die Sicherheit der perkutan gastralen Punktion im Rahmen einer PEG-Anlage zwischen Ärzten und spezialisierten Pflegenden bestehen.

In einer nicht randomisierten, quasiexperimentellen Interventionsstudie wurde die Sicherheit der perkutan gastralen Punktion im Rahmen der PEG-Anlage zwischen Ärzten sowie Pflegenden mit Weiterbildung Endoskopie an Simulatoren verglichen. Sensomotorische Fähigkeiten (technical skills) wurden dabei mit Videokameras dokumentiert und stellen die Grundlage für die folgenden Analysen dar. Die Studie umfasste (1) eine theoretische Vorbereitungsphase; (2) das Training am Simulationsmodell mit wiederholtem Einüben der Fähigkeiten; (3) die perkutan gastrale Anlage am Simulationsmodell mit Videodokumentation der Handlungsschritte. Teil des Konzepts war die gemeinsame Schulung von Ärzten und Pflegenden. Die Auswertung der Videosequenzen erfolgte mit einem neu konzipierten Assessmentinstrument – Perkutan Endoskopische Gastrostomie (AS-PEG). An der Pilotstudie nahmen 7 Ärzte und 17 Pflegende teil. Im Durchschnitt erreichten die Ärzte 36,4 ± 2,2 (33 – 39) Punkte und die Pflegenden 37,4 ± 2 (32 – 40) von 42 maximal zu erreichenden Punkten. Die Auswertung der auf Video aufgezeichneten sensomotorischen Fähigkeiten mit dem erarbeiteten Assessmentinstrument (AS-PEG) zeigte in der Tendenz keine signifikanten Unterschiede in den einzelnen Items zwischen den Berufsgruppen Ärzte und Pflegende, nachdem diese in einer gemeinsamen theoretischen und praktischen Schulung auf das Anlageprozedere vorbereitet worden waren. Die Studie kann einen ersten Beitrag zur objektiven Beurteilung der sensomotorischen Fähigkeiten („technical skills“) bei der perkutan gastralen Punktion im Rahmen einer PEG-Anlage durch das erarbeitete Assessmentinstrument AS-PEG leisten.
Embedded dielectric water “atom” array for broadband microwave absorber based on Mie resonance
Authors: Gogoi Dhruba Jyoti , Bhattacharyya Nidhi Saxena
Published: November 2017

A wide band microwave absorber at X-band frequency range is demonstrated numerically and experimentally by embedding a simple rectangular structured dielectric water “atom” in flexible silicone substrate. The absorption peak of the absorber is tuned by manipulating the size of the dielectric water “atom.” The frequency dispersive permittivity property of the water “atom” shows broadband absorption covering the entire X-band above 90% efficiency with varying the size of the water “atom.” Mie resonance of the proposed absorber provides the desired impedance matching condition at the air-absorber interface across a wide frequency range in terms of electric and magnetic resonances. Multipole decomposition of induced current densities is used to identify the nature of observed resonances. Numerical absorptivity verifies that the designed absorber is polarization insensitive for normal incidence and can maintain an absorption bandwidth of more than 2 GHz in a wide-angle incidence. Additionally, the tunability of absorption property with temperature is shown experimentally.
Universality of local dissipation scales in turbulent boundary layer flows with and without free-stream turbulence
Authors: Alhamdi Sabah F. H. , Bailey Sean C. C.
Published: November 2017

Measurements of the small-scale dissipation statistics of turbulent boundary layer flows with and without free-stream turbulence are reported for Reτ ≈ 1000 (Reθ ≈ 2000). The scaling of the dissipation scale distribution is examined in these two boundary conditions. Results demonstrated that the local large-scale Reynolds number based on the measured longitudinal integral length scale fails to properly normalize the dissipation scale distribution near the wall in these two free-stream conditions due to the imperfect characterization of the upper bound of the inertial cascade by the integral length scale. A surrogate found from turbulent kinetic energy and mean dissipation rate only moderately improved the scaling of the dissipation scales, relative to the measured integral length scale. When a length scale based on the distance from the wall [as suggested by Bailey and Witte, “On the universality of local dissipation scales in turbulent channel flow,” J. Fluid Mech. 786, 234–252 (2015)] was utilized to scale the dissipation scale distribution, in the region near the wall, there was a noticeable improvement in the collapse of the normalized distribution of dissipation scales. In addition, unlike in channel flows, in the outer layer of the turbulent boundary layer, the normalized distributions of the local dissipation scales were observed to be dependent on the wall-normal position. This was found to be attributable to the presence of external intermittency in the outer layer as the presence of free-stream turbulence was found to restore the scaling behavior by replacing the intermittent laminar flow with turbulent flow.
Effective secondary electron emission coefficient in DC abnormal glow discharge plasmas
Authors: Arumugam Saravanan , Alex Prince , Sinha Suraj Kumar
Published: November 2017

In this work, a self-consistent model has been used to estimate the effective secondary electron emission coefficient (γE) of the cathode in typical abnormal dc glow discharge conditions. Using this model, the value of γE has been obtained for tungsten (W), copper (Cu), and stainless steel (SS304) cathode samples for argon (Ar) and nitrogen (N2) discharges. The γE for W is lower than the Cu cathode under identical operating conditions. The results show possible dependence of γE on the Fermi energy of the cathode material since it influences the probability of electron to be emitted by the incident ion. In addition to this, we found, significant contribution of cathode directed species other than ion to γE. Further, the effect of pressure on γE for the N2 discharge has been investigated in the pressure range of 0.5 mbar to 2.0 mbar and its value increases from 0.38 to 0.47 with pressure for the SS304 cathode. The knowledge of γE successfully explains the governing processes in abnormal glow discharge plasma that cannot be explained by the value of the ion induced secondary electron emission coefficient γi. The measurement of the γE value of the cathode material in typical abnormal glow discharge plasma conditions presents possibilities of exciting advancement in various applications by accurate estimation of discharge characteristics including flux of species, fraction of power carried by ions and electrons, plasma density, discharge current density, etc.
Surface enhanced Raman spectroscopic substrate utilizing gold nanoparticles on carbon nanotubes
Authors: Basu Srismrita , Maulik Subhodip , Hou Hsuan-Chao , Daniels-Race Theda , Feldman Martin
Published: November 2017

This paper reports a new low cost technique for fabricating Surface Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy substrates. A Gold (Au) nano-metallic structure for surface enhancement is created by depositing Au nanoparticles on a Multi-wall Carbon Nanotube layer previously deposited on the etched Aluminum foil. A low cost, simple method is used to deposit the nanotubes. Huge enhancements have been observed in both in vitro and in vivo measurements.
About background plasma effects on excitation and generation of the waves in a cylindrical metallic waveguide with anisotropic dielectric rod
Authors: Zahedi S. , Jazi B. , Rahmani Z.
Published: November 2017

In this work, the dispersion relation of hybrid electromagnetic waves propagating in a novel plasma cylindrical waveguide with a cold collisionless unmagnetized plasma column and a transverse anisotropy dielectric rod (TADR) is investigated. The dispersion diagram of the hybrid waves in this configuration is obtained. The effects of dielectric permittivity coefficients of TADR on the dispersion relation of slow waves are studied. Excitation of the waves by a thin annular relativistic electron beam (TAREB) will be presented. Furthermore, the diagrams of the operating frequency and time growth rate are obtained. In continuation, the accelerating voltage, the current density of TAREB, and the radius of the plasma column on the growth rate will be discussed.
Thermal stability of simple tetragonal and hexagonal diamond germanium
Authors: Huston L. Q. , Johnson B. C. , Haberl B. , Wong S. , Williams J. S. , Bradby J. E.
Published: November 2017

Exotic phases of germanium, that form under high pressure but persist under ambient conditions, are of technological interest due to their unique optical and electrical properties. The thermal evolution and stability of two of these exotic Ge phases, the simple tetragonal (st12) and hexagonal diamond (hd) phases, are investigated in detail. These metastable phases, formed by high pressure decompression in either a diamond anvil cell or by nanoindentation, are annealed at temperatures ranging from 280 to 320 °C for st12-Ge and 200 to 550 °C for hd-Ge. In both cases, the exotic phases originated from entirely pure Ge precursor materials. Raman microspectroscopy is used to monitor the phase changes ex situ following annealing. Our results show that hd-Ge synthesized via a pure form of a-Ge first undergoes a subtle change in structure and then an irreversible phase transformation to dc-Ge with an activation energy of (4.3 ± 0.2) eV at higher temperatures. St12-Ge was found to transform to dc-Ge with an activation energy of (1.44 ± 0.08) eV. Taken together with results from previous studies, this study allows for intriguing comparisons with silicon and suggests promising technological applications.
Extracting the field-effect mobilities of random semiconducting single-walled carbon nanotube networks: A critical comparison of methods
Authors: Schießl Stefan P. , Rother Marcel , Lüttgens Jan , Zaumseil Jana
Published: November 2017

The field-effect mobility is an important figure of merit for semiconductors such as random networks of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs). However, owing to their network properties and quantum capacitance, the standard models for field-effect transistors cannot be applied without modifications. Several different methods are used to determine the mobility with often very different results. We fabricated and characterized field-effect transistors with different polymer-sorted, semiconducting SWNT network densities ranging from low (≈6 μm−1) to densely packed quasi-monolayers (≈26 μm−1) with a maximum on-conductance of 0.24 μS μm−1 and compared four different techniques to evaluate the field-effect mobility. We demonstrate the limits and requirements for each method with regard to device layout and carrier accumulation. We find that techniques that take into account the measured capacitance on the active device give the most reliable mobility values. Finally, we compare our experimental results to a random-resistor-network model.
Structure and function of yeast Atg20, a sorting nexin that facilitates autophagy induction
Authors: Popelka Hana , Damasio Alejandro , Hinshaw Jenny E. , Klionsky Daniel J. , Ragusa Michael J.
Published: November 2017

Significance

Autophagy is a cellular process that results in the capture of cytosolic material in double-membrane vesicles, which subsequently fuse with lysosomes to degrade the captured contents. Autophagy is essential to maintain cellular homeostasis, respond to cellular stress, and prevent the accumulation of material that could damage the cell. The initiation of autophagy is carried out by the Atg1 complex. Whereas recent work has provided functional and mechanistic insight into many components of the Atg1 complex, one member of this complex—Atg20—has remained relatively uncharacterized. Here we report a detailed investigation into the structure and function of Atg20, including the identification of an amphipathic helix in Atg20 that is required for efficient autophagy and membrane tubulation.
Idealistic incentives in non-governmental organization innovativeness: bridging theoretical gaps
Authors: Lindberg Malin , Nahnfeldt Cecilia
Published: November 2017

This paper bridges the theoretical gap between traditional innovation studies and more recent studies of innovation among civil society actors and contexts. The paper presents a study of the nature and function of idealistic incentives in innovativeness of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) based on case studies of two national NGOs in Sweden, the Sensus Study Association and the Church of Sweden. The results show that the idealistic incentives of a basic view of human beings focusing on dignity and solidarity in the studied cases are closely related to various forms of NGO innovativeness, including the identification of challenges and needs, the aspired change at individual, organizational and societal levels, the involvement of concerned groups, and in cross-organizational and cross-sectoral cooperation. This contributes new knowledge not only of what NGO innovation entails and how it is brought about, but also of why such processes are initiated and thus why individual, organizational and societal transformation is essential in such processes. As part of this, the probable impact of beliefs, norms, ideologies and identities on all innovation processes, regardless of sectoral context, is highlighted.
Receptor tyrosine kinase activation of RhoA is mediated by AKT phosphorylation of DLC1
Authors: Tripathi Brajendra K. , Grant Tiera , Qian Xiaolan , Zhou Ming , Mertins Philipp , Wang Dunrui , Papageorge Alex G. , Tarasov Sergey G. , Hunter Kent W. , Carr Steven A. , Lowy Douglas R.
Published: November 2017

We report several receptor tyrosine kinase (RTK) ligands increase RhoA–guanosine triphosphate (GTP) in untransformed and transformed cell lines and determine this phenomenon depends on the RTKs activating the AKT serine/threonine kinase. The increased RhoA-GTP results from AKT phosphorylating three serines (S298, S329, and S567) in the DLC1 tumor suppressor, a Rho GTPase-activating protein (RhoGAP) associated with focal adhesions. Phosphorylation of the serines, located N-terminal to the DLC1 RhoGAP domain, induces strong binding of that N-terminal region to the RhoGAP domain, converting DLC1 from an open, active dimer to a closed, inactive monomer. That binding, which interferes with the interaction of RhoA-GTP with the RhoGAP domain, reduces the hydrolysis of RhoA-GTP, the binding of other DLC1 ligands, and the colocalization of DLC1 with focal adhesions and attenuates tumor suppressor activity. DLC1 is a critical AKT target in DLC1-positive cancer because AKT inhibition has potent antitumor activity in the DLC1-positive transgenic cancer model and in a DLC1-positive cancer cell line but not in an isogenic DLC1-negative cell line.
3. Critical theory and modernism
Authors: Bronner Stephen Eric
Published: November 2017

The end of the nineteenth century witnessed the birth of an international avant-garde that focused upon alienation, standardization, and the liberation of the individual from constrictive social norms. Impressionists, Cubists, Expressionists, Futurists, Dadaists, Surrealists, and representatives from many other styles provided a blizzard of philosophical–aesthetic manifestos that blended political with cultural resistance to mass society. The Frankfurt School’s inner circle was sympathetic from the start; modernism provided a response to the ontology of false conditions and, indeed, an avant-garde opposition to mass culture provided inspiration and cohesion. ‘Critical theory and modernism’ explains how the unflinching support of modernism and experimental art by the Frankfurt School confirmed both its cultural radicalism and contempt for totalitarianism.
Perception: A Very Short Introduction
Authors: Rogers Brian
Published: November 2017

Perception is concerned with how we use the information reaching our senses to guide and control our behaviour and create our particular, subjective experiences of the world. Perception: A Very Short Introduction discusses the philosophical question of what it means to perceive, and describes how we are able to perceive the particular characteristics of objects and scenes such as their lightness, colour, form, depth, and motion. The study of illusions can be useful in telling us something about the nature and limitations of our perceptual processes. This VSI explores perception from an evolutionary perspective, explaining how evolutionary pressures have shaped the perceptual systems of humans and other animals.
The future
Authors: Rogers Brian
Published: November 2017

Perception is one of the best understood topics in psychology and yet there is still no universal agreement as to how we should understand the purpose or objective of perceptual processes. Should it be to explain how we see, hear, smell, taste, and touch—our subjective experiences—or should it be to explain how sensory information guides and controls action? ‘The future’ considers to what extent our perceptual processes are cognitively penetrable, that is, affected by higher-level processes of attention, expectations, emotions, and knowledge. It also explains the important consequences of ecological validity for the kinds of experiments we use to study perception.
Environmental Law: A Very Short Introduction
Authors: Fisher Elizabeth
Published: November 2017

Environmental law is the law concerned with environmental problems. It is a vast area of law that operates from the local to the global, involving a range of different legal and regulatory techniques. In theory, environmental protection is obvious and ethically desirable. Yet, in practice, environmental law is a messy and complex business fraught with conflict. Environmental Law: A Very Short Introduction discusses the nature and practice of environmental law, and explores the role of lawmakers, courts, and regulators. It analyses why environmental law is both a fundamental and controversial area of law, dealing with multiple interests, socio-political conflicts, and the limits of knowledge about the environment, using examples from across the globe.
Consciousness: A Very Short Introduction
Authors: Blackmore Susan
Published: November 2017

Consciousness is ‘the last great mystery for science’. How can a physical brain create our experience of the world? What creates our identity? Do we really have free will? Could consciousness itself be an illusion? Exciting new developments in brain science are continuing these debates, and the field has now expanded to include biologists, neuroscientists, psychologists, and philosophers. Consciousness: A Very Short Introduction clarifies the potentially confusing arguments, and the major theories, whilst also outlining the amazing pace of neuroscience discoveries. Covering areas such as construction of self in the brain, mechanisms of attention, neural correlates of consciousness, and physiology of altered states of consciousness, it highlights the latest findings.
1. Why the mystery?
Authors: Blackmore Susan
Published: November 2017

What is consciousness? What does it do? Could we have evolved without it? ‘Why the mystery?’ considers the definition of consciousness and how psychologists, neuroscientists, and philosophers have tried to explain it. From the Cartesian dualism of René Descartes to the ‘hard problem’ of consciousness, a phrase coined in 1994 by the Australian philosopher David Chalmers, and the question ‘What is it like to be a bat?’ of American philosopher Thomas Nagel, it is shown that there is no generally agreed definition of consciousness. Subjectivity (or phenomenality), qualia, and the ideas of philosopher Daniel Dennett are also discussed.
6. Conscious will
Authors: Blackmore Susan
Published: November 2017

Do we have free will? ‘Conscious will’ considers this question and shows that the issue raises strong feelings because freedom implies responsibility. Part of the problem lies with determinism, which some philosophers accept is incompatible with free will. They argue that either determinism is false or free will must be an illusion. The timing of conscious acts, using the experiments of Benjamin Libet, and psychologist Daniel Wegner’s theories on the illusion of conscious will are discussed. Even if free will is an illusion, it is a very powerful illusion and so the feeling of being free carries on, especially for those people who fear that society would collapse without it.
8. The evolution of consciousness
Authors: Blackmore Susan
Published: November 2017

‘The evolution of consciousness’ begins with two questions. First, which living creatures are conscious and in what way? Secondly, when and how did consciousness evolve? Consciousness could be an all-or-nothing phenomenon, with some creatures having it and others not. Or it might be a continuous variable, with some having more than others. Different theories of evolution of consciousness are considered alongside the function of consciousness. Why are we conscious at all? Is consciousness an adaptation or a useless by-product of some other adaptation? It concludes with the suggestion that consciousness is an enticing and compelling illusion that lures us into believing that our minds are separate from our bodies.
Names and quantifiers: is nothing something?
Authors: Priest Graham
Published: November 2017

There are lots of inferences we can make and they work in different ways from each other, such as in the case where neither the premiss nor the conclusion has a part which is itself a whole sentence. ‘Names and quantifiers: is nothing something?’ looks at the structure of grammar in issues of logic and uses what logicians call quantifiers, words such as ‘nobody’, ‘someone’, and ‘everyone’ to illustrate various logical problems. Names and quantifiers work differently. Simple grammatical form may be misleading. Not all grammatical subjects are equal. What is the Cosmological Argument and how does it apply to logic? At its heart, there is an enormous logical fallacy.
Descriptions and existence: did the Greeks worship Zeus?
Authors: Priest Graham
Published: November 2017

There is a certain kind of phrase that can be the subject of a sentence. This is a definite description. Generally, descriptions have the form: the thing satisfying such and such a condition. ‘Descriptions and existence: did the Greeks worship Zeus?’ examines definite descriptions, how they can be combined with predicates to make whole sentences, and examples of how logic can be used. Descriptions are names, not quantifiers, as they usually refer to objects. However, descriptions are a special kind of name. Unlike proper names like ‘Annika’ or ‘the Big Bang’, they carry information about the object referred to and are often central to important arguments in mathematics and physics.
The future and the past: is time real?
Authors: Priest Graham
Published: November 2017

We are familiar with the concept of time: past, present, and future. We make many inferences about time. It might seem simple, but if we start thinking about time, we can get very confused. ‘The future and the past: is time real?’ examines time in relation to logic. One particularly puzzling thing is: time seems to flow. How can time change? Time measures the rate at which everything else changes. This problem is central to several interesting time conundrums. Every situation comes with an associated collection of earlier and later situations. Where does space come into thoughts about time? Space does not flow in the same way that time does.
Halt! What goes there?
Authors: Priest Graham
Published: November 2017

‘Halt! What goes there?’ looks at some results about what formal reasoning can and can’t do, and some of the philosophical implications of these facts. It considers the workings of computers and explains computations—or algorithms. It asks if there is an algorithm we can apply to a program and inputs to determine whether or not a computation with that program and those inputs terminates, discussing Georg Cantor’s Halting Theorem along with diagonalization. The answer is no and this is what Alan Turing proved. The Church–Turing Thesis, which claims that one can write a computer program for every algorithm, is also considered.
Is it Good to Have Options? The 2014 Farm Bill Program Decisions
Authors: Taylor Mykel R , Tonsor Glynn T , Paulson Nicholas D , Ellison Brenna , Coppess Jonathan , Schnitkey Gary D
Published: November 2017

The 2014 Farm Bill continued the trend towards more risk management‐based support for U.S. farmers. However, it also represents a major departure from previous legislation by introducing multiple program options among which producers had the ability to choose. While allowing producers to have choices creates flexibility, the design of the program required producers to consider potential outcomes for crop prices and production levels in future periods when making their decisions. Experience over the first two years of program implementation suggests that while programs are working as designed, not all producers are fully satisfied with their enrollment decisions. This will lead to proposals for further modification to programs, and to questions about whether program choice should be a component of the next Farm Bill.
A leaflet plication clip is an effective surgical template for mitral valve foldoplasty
Authors: Wamala Isaac , Saeed Mossab , Ghelani Sunil J , Gauvreau Kimberlee , Hammer Peter E , Vasilyev Nikolay V , del Nido Pedro J
Published: November 2017

OBJECTIVES

During mitral valve repair using the foldoplasty technique, correct judgement of the necessary dimensions and orientation of the leaflet fold is a critical but challenging step that can affect the chances of successful repair. In this study, we investigated whether a leaflet plication clip can be used to guide suture foldoplasty for posterior leaflet prolapse of the mitral valve.

METHODS

Complete posterior leaflet prolapse was created in both in vivo and ex vivo pig hearts by severing the chordae supporting the middle scallop. A plication clip was applied to perform leaflet foldoplasty. Sutures were then placed using the clip as a template and the clip was removed. Leaflet width after flail creation, clip application and suture placement was determined in an ex vivo test. In vivo repair and evaluation was then performed in 7 pigs to determine the repair efficacy under normal physiological loading, at 1 and 6 h after recovery from cardiopulmonary bypass.

RESULTS

Leaflet width after suture placement was comparable to the clip alone (7.0 ± 1.4 vs 9.0 ± 1.6) and both were significantly less than the flail width 15.7± 2.5 mm. In vivo, average coaptation height following repair was restored to 4.7 ± 1.4 mm and 4.2 ± 1.3 mm at 1 and 6 h, respectively, after recovery compared with the baseline height of 5.5 ± 0.9 mm. Mitral regurgitation was reduced from moderate–severe to mild or less, and addition of a De-Vega annuloplasty in the last 3 animals abolished residual leaks to trivial or none.

CONCLUSIONS

Application of the adjustable leaflet plication clip facilitated accurate determination of the correct position, width, height and orientation of the foldoplasty. Any necessary clip repositioning was made prior to the placement of sutures avoiding the need to redo the sutures. This approach could potentially help improve the ease and reproducibility of the foldoplasty repair.
The Supreme Court of Canada and Appointment of Judges in Canada
Authors: Dodek Adam , Way Rosemary Cairns
Published: November 2017

This chapter explains the constitutional status of the Supreme Court of Canada with attention to the Court’s composition, jurisdiction, and procedure. The chapter discusses the Supreme Court’s 2014 decision in Reference re Supreme Court Act, ss 5 and 6 and considers whether and how that decision limits Parliament’s authority to make changes to the Court. Both the process for appointing Supreme Court of Canada justices and the process for appointing other federal judges to the country’s superior courts are explained. The authors argue that both appointment processes are inconsistent with democratic ideals of transparency and accountability. They examine the emerging scholarly and professional consensus on the importance of institutional diversity on the bench, and conclude that the continuing lack of diversity in the federal judiciary raises legitimate political and constitutional concerns.
The Form and Substance of Aboriginal Title
Authors: Macklem Patrick
Published: November 2017

This chapter highlights law’s participation in the colonizing projects that initiated the establishment of the Canadian constitutional order. Imperial and subsequently Canadian law deemed legally insignificant the deep connections that Indigenous peoples had with their ancestral territories, and imposed alien norms of conduct on diverse Indigenous ways of life. In doing so, law legitimated the manifold political, social, and economic acts of dispossession and dislocation that collectively bear the label of colonialism. The constitutional entrenchment of Aboriginal and treaty rights in 1982 formally recognized a distinctive constitutional relationship between Indigenous peoples and Canada. The judiciary has begun to see the purpose of formal constitutional recognition to be a process of substantive constitutional reconciliation of the interests of Canada and Indigenous peoples. This chapter argues that constitutional reconciliation can only commence by comprehending Aboriginal rights and title as protecting Indigenous interests associated with culture, territory, treaties, and sovereignty in robust terms.
The Spending Power in Canada
Authors: Kong Hoi L.
Published: November 2017

In this chapter, I will argue that the Canadian Constitution authorizes the federal government to spend in areas of provincial jurisdiction and constrains the scope of this power. I will, moreover claim that effective enforcement of these limits requires that the judiciary recognize its institutional limits and that the political branches act with restraint. The arguments advanced will seek to occupy a middle ground, between proponents of an unlimited spending power and critics who would bind federal spending to the limits imposed by the legislative division of powers, strictly interpreted. In staking out this ground, I will undertake an approach to constitutional interpretation that closely examines the sources of constitutional law and carefully considers issues of institutional competence and constitutional legitimacy.
Federalism and Health Care in Canada
Authors: Flood Colleen , Lahey William , Thomas Bryan
Published: November 2017

Canadian federalism fragments health system governance. Although the Constitution has been interpreted as providing shared jurisdiction over health generally, with respect to health care, the courts have interpreted it as giving direct jurisdiction to the provinces. The federal role in health care is therefore indirect, but nevertheless potentially powerful. For example, the federal government has used its spending powers to establish the Canada Health Act (CHA), which commits funding to provinces on condition they provide first-dollar public coverage of hospital and physician services. However, in recent times, as federal contributions have declined, the CHA has been weakly enforced. Further, the failure to broaden the CHA to include prescription drugs, dentistry, and other important aspects of health care have contributed to Canada’s abysmal record on Aboriginal health and its increasingly poor rankings in international comparisons. Progress requires enforcement of an adequately funded CHA, national pharmacare, and concerted action on Aboriginal health.
The Environment, Federalism, and the Charter
Authors: Scott Dayna Nadine
Published: November 2017

This chapter reviews the key jurisprudential developments in relation to the division of powers in Canada, exploring how the shared jurisdiction over the “environment” created by sections 91 and 92 of the Constitution has historically shaped and continues to shape environmental law and policy. In addition to this federal-provincial struggle, the chapter considers the current trend towards local regulation of environmental matters according to the principle of “subsidiarity”, and the growing recognition of the “inherent jurisdiction” of Indigenous peoples. The contemporary dynamics are explored through two critical policy case studies highlighting barriers to environmental justice: safe drinking water on reserves, and climate change mitigation. The review reveals that Canada’s constitutional framework, although not solely responsible, has contributed to our collective failure to achieve a coordinated and effective set of environmental laws and policies, which translates to unequal distribution of environmental benefits and burdens on the ground.
Marriage, Family, and Federal Concerns
Authors: Leckey Robert , Rogerson Carol
Published: November 2017

This chapter takes a broad view of the legal location of the family in the Canadian federation. We examine the interaction of the division of legislative powers—and its tension between uniformity and diversity—with other parts of our constitutional structure, such as Aboriginal rights and rights in the entrenched Charter. We look beyond formal constitutional text to consider the ways in which institutional structures and practices affect governance in this area. Sociologically, our chapter acknowledges the effect of overlapping legal traditions, two official languages, and the dramatic social changes that have driven recent reform of family law. What emerges is a complex picture of the regulatory framework that governs families. Elements of uniformity and diversity—within and outside our constitutional structure—coexist and interact in ways that defy easy categorization and offer insights for comparative constitutionalists more broadly.
The Politics of Constitutional Law
Authors: Hutchinson Allan
Published: November 2017

After almost 25 years of jurisprudence under the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, many of the fears expressed by critics of the Charter have come to pass—judicial review under the Charter of Rights and Freedoms operates as an institutional device to curb more than advance democratic politics and to entrench more than challenge a conservative ideology. The Charter is indeed a potent political weapon, but one that has been and continues to be used to benefit vested interests in society and to debilitate further an already imperfect democratic process of government. For such critics, whether or not that was the intention of its proponents and drafters is beside the point. Indeed, despite some of the best intentions of the ‘Charter-party’, the courts have not delivered on the touted democratic promise of the Charter. This chapter canvasses different critical challenges to the Charter.
The Rule of Law, the Separation of Powers and Judicial Independence in Canada
Authors: Newman Warren J.
Published: November 2017

This chapter considers the meaning, scope, and application of three constitutional principles of surpassing importance in Canada. The rule of law is foundational to Canada’s constitutional framework and may properly be characterized as the first principle of Canadian constitutional law. It is linked to, and in some respects, forms the underpinning for other fundamental principles, including constitutionalism, federalism, democracy, and parliamentary sovereignty. As the latter principles are the focus of chapters by other commentators in this Handbook, this chapter will examine the rule of law primarily in relation to the separation of powers and judicial independence. The principle of judicial independence is also essential to the functioning and structure of the Constitution, given the role the courts are called upon to play in policing the constitutional limits of legislative power and administrative action. The separation of powers is still an emerging principle in Canada, but also increasingly viewed as fundamental.
Understanding Dialogue Theory
Authors: Hogg Peter W. , Amarnath Ravi
Published: November 2017

This chapter discusses Charter dialogue theory, tracing its evolution within the academic literature, as well as how it has been interpreted by Canadian courts. The authors define the concept of Charter dialogue, or legislative responses to decisions of Canadian courts involving fundamental human rights and freedoms. They describe the features of the Canadian Charter which make the process of Charter dialogue possible, as well as its limitations. The chapter tells how the concept of Charter dialogue addresses concerns with the process of judicial review, and the criticisms that have been levelled against Charter dialogue theory. The authors also describe how the concept of Charter dialogue has been interpreted by Canadian courts. Specifically, they discuss how Charter dialogue has impacted the remedial decisions of courts, and how these decisions impact subsequent responses from legislatures.
The Canadian Constitution and the World
Authors: Choudhry Sujit
Published: November 2017

This chapter examines the influence of elements of Canada’s constitutional model abroad, in three areas: (1) the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms as an innovative way to institutionalize the relationship among legislatures, executives, and courts with respect to the enforcement of a constitutional bill of rights, as justified by “dialogue theory”, that contrasts starkly with its leading alternatives, the American and German systems of judicial supremacy; (2) Canada’s plurinational federalism as a strategy to accommodate minority nationalism and dampen the demand for secession and independence within the context of a single state, by divorcing the equation of state and nation; and (3) the complex interplay between a constitutional bill of rights and minority nation-building, as reflected in the constitutional politics surrounding the recognition of Quebec’s distinctiveness, and the role of the Supreme Court of Canada in adjudicating constitutional conflicts over official language policy arising out of Quebec.
The Law and Politics of International Organizations
Authors: Dunoff Jeffrey L.
Published: November 2017

This chapter describes the contours of the international law (IL) and international relations (IR) scholarship on international organizations (IOs), as well as some of its key characteristics and debates. It proceeds in three parts. Part I briefly surveys the major theoretical approaches to the creation and functions of IOs found in the IL and IR literature. Part II analyzes the most important conceptual debates that have occupied IO scholars in recent years, including debates over the autonomy, accountability, and legitimacy of IOs. Part III explores a cluster of policy dilemmas, including the political implications of institutional fragmentation, how to manage IO interactions, and why IOs increasingly seem unable to effectively address matters of pressing international concern.
Private Transnational Governance
Authors: Mattli Walter
Published: November 2017

This chapter discusses the key drivers and risks of private transnational governance. It shows that private governance rarely seems to stay purely private. When it fails to consider wider societal interests and concerns, private governance will draw unwanted attention from governments, potentially leading to oversight and regulation or public-private partnerships — what is referred to as ‘joint or hybrid’ governance. A trend towards hybrid governance appears to be detectable both in the cases of privatization of global regulation and the rise of transnational private justice. In the former case, states have taken steps to improve procedural transparency and broaden the range of partners involved in transnational rule-making. In the latter case, the constitutionalization of international arbitration governance promises to integrate and safeguard fundamental public policy norms in private judicial processes. Future research on global governance will have to carefully examine the significance and effectiveness of ‘joint or hybrid’ governance.