Lengthy Nature Research Articles

Generative named entity recognition framework for Chinese legal domain

Named entity recognition (NER) is a crucial task in natural language processing, particularly challenging in the legal domain due to the intricate and lengthy nature of legal entities. Existing methods often struggle with accurately identifying entity boundaries and types in legal texts. To address these challenges, we propose a novel sequence-to-sequence framework designed specifically for the legal domain. This framework features an entity-type-aware module that leverages contrastive learning to enhance the prediction of entity types. Additionally, we incorporate a decoder with a copy mechanism that accurately identifies complex legal entities without the need for explicit tagging schemas. Our extensive experiments on two legal datasets show that our framework significantly outperforms state-of-the-art methods, achieving notable improvements in precision, recall, and F1 score. This demonstrates the effectiveness of our approach in improving entity recognition in legal texts, offering a promising direction for future research in legal NER.

Complexity-aware principles for agri-food system interventions: Lessons from project encounters with complexity

CONTEXTComplexity has long been recognised as a key feature of agri-food systems. Yet, it remains largely theoretical or poorly addressed in practice, hampering the potential of international development projects to address agriculture and food-related challenges in the Global South. OBJECTIVEThe paper identifies and examines six sources of complexity that can manifest in projects, namely: unpredictability; path dependencies; context-specific dynamics; power relations; multiple temporal and spatial scales. It then proposes and tests six agri-food system principles that could be drawn upon to more successfully navigate this complexity. The aim of the paper is to illustrate how these principles could help projects respond to the changing circumstances and unpredictable turns of agri-food systems contexts in a different way, which flexibly embraces complexity. This flexibility is essential in an age of uncertainty and transformation. METHODSComparative case study analysis of six projects implemented by the CGIAR: aflatoxin control in groundnuts in Malawi (1), pigeonpea in Eastern and Southern Africa (2), sorghum beer in Kenya (3), sweet sorghum for biofuel in India (4), precooked beans in Uganda and Kenya (5), Smart Foods in India and Eastern Africa (6). The projects aimed to either increasing smallholder farmers' incomes or addressing food and nutrition security, or both. They were specifically selected as all they were affected by some of the sources of complexity, which hampered the projects to different extents. This makes the cases relevant for not only illustrating manifestations of complexity, but also help reflect on alternative strategies to tackle it. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONThe analysis of the case studies reveals how complexity can frustrate objectives of development interventions under several aspects. It also serves to discuss how complexity can be more successfully navigated (within but also beyond the selected cases) by applying the set of proposed agri-food system principles. The principles are also presented as ways future interventions could avoid clinging to what is “known to work” and instead venture into more powerful pathways of change. SIGNIFICANCEThe following complexity-aware principle are proposed: Welcome surprises and openly discuss trade-offs; Shun orthodoxies; Engage with context-specificity; Expose patterns of power; Embrace the lengthy nature of change; Understand the multi-scale (in terms of space and time) nature of agri-food systems contexts. These principles could be used by project designers and implementors to cope with the complexity and uncertainty that will inevitably be encountered in agri-food system interventions, and can no longer be ignored.

Translation and Equivalence: An Argumentative Approach

Purpose: This article aims at establishing a dialogue between the Theory of Semantic Blocks (TSB), developed by Ducrot and Carel, and translation theories (the notions of equivalence, skopo, and translators’ role), seeking a possible strategy for solving difficult situations when translating humoristic texts that have polysemy or homonymy relations.
 Methodology: The research methodology involved a literature review, and in the end, a humorous statement containing polysemy was chosen to illustrate how the application of TSB would work in a translation. In this paper, we do not aim to choose the most correct approach but try to match the positive aspects of each one with TSB in order to find strategies that might help translators.
 Findings: We understood that establishing argumentative meaning for enunciates enables a more proper selection of linguistic entities because it is done based on an argumentative equivalence. This study is ongoing. Given its relatively lengthy nature, it may not be applicable in situations requiring simultaneous translation.
 Unique Contribution to Theory, Practice and Policy: However, further investigation could explore its use as a means of assessing the adequacy of written translations. A more comprehensive study is also essential to discover additional ways of streamlining the translator's tasks and to determine if TSB can address various translation challenges across different textual genres. In conclusion, studies like this play a crucial role in expanding the range of possibilities to enhance a translator's work. This enables them to navigate between languages and cultures more confidently, linguistically supported, without the need to remain invisible to be recognized as proficient professionals.

Perceptions of South African plastic surgeons regarding academic education in the field of cleft lip and palate

ABSTRACT Background: Historically, South African plastic surgeons (PSs) have been managing cleft lip/palate (CLP) and craniofacial anomalies (CA). PS lead CL/P teams globally where the need arises. The complex, lengthy nature of CL/P management requires holistic services and collaboration between disciplines. Academic education should provide in-depth knowledge, interdisciplinary participation, and clinical exposure to field experts. Objectives: An investigation into exposure and knowledge of South African PS regarding management of CL/P. An opinion from practicing PS about academic educational needs for working with CL/P patients. Methods: Online survey and telephone interviews (a structured questionnaire) investigating opinions of PS in CL/P to determine satisfaction with the adequacy of academic education and perceived needs. Results: The questionnaire was completed by 41% of practicing PS from Medpages health-care provider database. Most respondents (63.3%) were between 30 and 49. Of them, 74% showed good general knowledge of CL/P. However, 76.5% acknowledged limited clinical training and exposure in this field, preventing them from adequate services provision to CL/P patients. Only 41% offered primary and/or secondary treatment to CL/P patients and 40% had participated in interdisciplinary teams. All agreed on the need for a dedicated training program(s) in CL/P management. The majority recommended subspeciality training through a clinical fellowship or a degree course. Conclusion: PS postgraduate academic training and clinical exposure are limited in the CL/P field. An educational strategy should be established to meet the needs of PS providing CL/P care. Part-time clinical fellowship and/or degree courses would prepare them adequately for a career managing CL/P and CA patients.

The Effect of Dual Diode Laser: (810,980) nm in Acceleration of Orthodontic Tooth Movement:A Case Report

Patients are very concerned about the lengthy nature of orthodontic treatment. It is necessary to find a non-invasive way to quicken physiologic tooth movement. This study's objective was to assess the effectiveness of low-intensity laser therapy in shortening the time and discomfort of orthodontic treatment. Experimental work: Using a split-mouth study to compare tooth movement with conventional treatment and laser-accelerated orthodontic tooth movement. A patient presenting with a class II division I malocclusion characterized by the misalignment of the upper and lower teeth as classified by Angle’s molar classification system was indicated to undergo fixed orthodontic appliance orthodontic treatment. The treatment plan involved bilateral extraction of the upper first premolar teeth on both sides and distalization of the anterior segment to close the created space. For an experimental investigation, a patient was chosen at random and given right-side radiation using a dual diode laser (810,980 nm wavelength, 100 mW output power). Results: The tooth movement was measured over a period of 15 weeks; the first three orthodontic activations on the study side included scheduled laser treatment (the first month, laser-assisted treatment on days (0,3,7, and 14), the following two months, on days (0 and 14) from the day of orthodontic activation, and another 3 months of follow-up only); it was observed that orthodontic tooth movement was significantly higher in the study side than in the control side, as measured clinically using a digital vernier. We also noticed a considerable decrease in pain levels following a visual analog test. Conclusion: LLLT might clinically considerably speed orthodontic tooth movement and greatly lessen discomfort using the parameter settings employed in this investigation.

A Cryptographic based I2ADO-DNN Security Framework for Intrusion Detection in Cloud Systems

Cloud computing's popularity and success are directly related to improvements in the use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT). The adoption of cloud implementation and services has become crucial due to security and privacy concerns raised by outsourcing data and business applications to the cloud or a third party. To protect the confidentiality and security of cloud networks, a variety of Intrusion Detection System (IDS) frameworks have been developed in the conventional works. However, the main issues with the current works are their lengthy nature, difficulty in intrusion detection, over-fitting, high error rate, and false alarm rates. As a result, the proposed study attempts to create a compact IDS architecture based on cryptography for cloud security. Here, the balanced and normalized dataset is produced using the z-score preprocessing procedure. The best attributes for enhancing intrusion detection accuracy are then selected using an Intelligent Adorn Dragonfly Optimization (IADO). In addition, the trained features are used to classify the normal and attacking data using an Intermittent Deep Neural Network (IDNN) classification model. Finally, the Searchable Encryption (SE) mechanism is applied to ensure the security of cloud data against intruders. In this study, a thorough analysis has been conducted utilizing various parameters to validate the intrusion detection performance of the proposed I2ADO-DNN model.

The Refinement of the Diabetic Wound Assessment Learning Tool: A Novel Tool to Assess Competence in Diabetic Wound Assessment and Management

Diabetic foot wounds, a devastating complication of diabetes, are a major burden on patients and the healthcare system. Training in skills to address such wounds is critical. To support competency-based training of critical wound assessment skills, we developed a Diabetic Wound Assessment Learning Tool (DiWALT). While the original tool demonstrated excellent generalizability (generalizability coefficient of 0.871) and reliability (Phi coefficient of 0.866), based on feedback from raters, its utility was noted to be limited by its lengthy nature (23 items). In this study, we aimed to use item-analysis metrics to refine and shorten the assessment tool and examine validity evidence of the abbreviated versions for workplace-based assessment. In phase 1, data from the DiWALT initial validation study was reanalyzed to ascertain redundant items, and items with poor psychometric performance. We conducted item-total/overall score correlations, discriminative index calculations and a generalizability study. Based on these data, we shortened the DiWALT. Four raters were recruited and conducted 60 video-based simulated assessments using the refined tool. In phase 2, the tool was shortened again using results from phase I. Subsequently, 4 raters conducted 60 video-based simulated assessments using this abbreviated version. A generalizability study was conducted for each phase to assess the reliability of each refinement. Based on discriminative index, item-total correlation and generalizability, the DiWALT was initially shortened to 16 items. Analysis of the 60 assessments conducted with this version yielded a generalizability coefficient of 0.87 and a Phi coefficient of 0.75. Based on these results, the tool was abbreviated to 5 items, one for each DiWALT subscale, making it feasible for use as a short workplace-based assessment. Analysis of the second 60 assessments using the 5-item version revealed a generalizability coefficient of 0.90 and a Phi coefficient of 0.86. We were able to refine the DiWALT in a data-driven manner and improve its generalizability as well as its utility. Of note, we found that the 5-item DiWALT performed superiorly to both the 23- and 16-item tools. This was unexpected; decreasing the number of testing items is expected to result in poorer reliability metrics because any error in scoring is amplified. These results likely reflect how the abbreviated DiWALT functioned superiorly from a rater cognition perspective as fewer assessment items have been shown to decrease the intrinsic cognitive load on raters, improving rater performance.

(332) A Head-to-head Ergonomic Risk Assessment of the 4K-3D Exoscope vs. Standard Operating Microscope for Male Fertility Microsurgery

Abstract Introduction Surgery for male fertility is ergonomically demanding secondary to the tedious and lengthy nature of surgeries performed. The standard operating microscope places surgeons in uncomfortable positions including a “heads down” posture which has been demonstrated to predispose microsurgeons to cervical strain and chronic pain. The 4K-3D exoscope eliminates the need for eyepieces allowing for a “heads up” posture. Additionally, given the standing position of surgeons using the 4K-3D exoscope, it is thought that surgeons may be able to maintain a more “neutral” upper arm position therefore reducing upper body stress. Objective This study aims to stratify ergonomic risk amongst infertility surgeons using the 4K-3D exoscope versus the operating microscope with wearable technology. Secondary objectives included surveying for optical differences and teaching utility between surgical modalities during infertility microsurgery. Methods The participating right-handed surgeon was fitted and calibrated with three wearable sensor inertial measurement units (IMUs) on the head and upper arms in the neutral position. Each IMU is comprised of an accelerometer, magnetometer, and gyroscope. This allows for measurement of the surgeon’s joint angle change throughout 4K-3D and operating microscope use. Microscopic surgical procedures which were considered for inclusion were: vasovasostomy, vasoepididymostomy, varicocelectomy, testicular sperm extraction (mTESE), and microsurgical epididymal sperm aspiration (MESA). The previously validated rapid upper limb assessment (RULA) was used to determine the proportion of time spent in ranges of risk. Categories 1-4 were assigned for the head and upper extremities (4= highest ergonomic risk). Finally, a 5-point Likert scale questionnaire related to ergonomic, optical, and teaching metrics was administered to six microsurgeons. Chi-squared analysis was used to test for differences in proportions. Results A total of 500 and 479 microsurgical minutes from 4K-3D exoscope and operating microscope guided surgeries respectively were analyzed. Examination of the bilateral upper extremities showed that the 4K-3D exoscope significantly favored score 1 positioning compared to the operating microscope indicating a lower level of ergonomic stress with 4K-3D exoscope usage (75.3% vs. 51.5%; p < 0.0001). Finally, the operating microscope exposed the surgeon to a higher level 3 flexion (5.5% vs. 1.9%; p <0.0001). When examining the head and neck, significantly more time was spent in the “extension” position (any degree of neck extension past neutral) using the 4K-3D exoscope compared to the operating microscope (51.8% vs. 19.5%; p < 0.0001). During 4K-3D exoscope use, 67% of neck extension time was between 0-10 degrees. Additionally, 0-10 degrees of flexion (score 1) were maintained 33.6% vs. 7.7% of the time in operating microscope vs. 4K-3D exoscope respectively (p < 0.0001). Assessment of the 5-point Likert scale survey demonstrated that most surgeons favored the 4K-3D exoscope in questionnaire topics of ergonomics, optics/clarity, lighting, and teaching. Conclusions The 4K-3D exoscope offers the surgeon favorable ergonomic positioning for the upper extremities which may reduce upper body work stress related injury. Similarly, a greater proportion of operative time was spent with the neck in mild extension with 4K-3D exoscope utilization which may place the patient in a “low risk” position (less than 20 degrees of extension) according to contemporary studies. Disclosure Yes, this is sponsored by industry/sponsor: Investigator Initiated Grant from Olympus. Clarification Industry funding only - investigator initiated and executed study Any of the authors act as a consultant, employee or shareholder of an industry for: Boston Scientific.

Sino U.S. Trade War: Settling the US-China Trade War from the Perspective of International Organization and Regulation

In this intensifying Sino U.S. trade war, only a sound multilateral trading system can promote the economic development of countries in the context of globalization. In addition to avoiding deeper and broader political confrontation, China and the U.S., which will inevitably have various frictions and disputes in the future, should use international law and international rules to deal with complex international trade disputes. Beyond that, recourse to the WTO dispute settlement mechanism is a key step in resolving the Sino U.S. trade dispute, which requires that we first get the Appellate Body back up and running. Given the lengthy nature of the reform, changes to the consensus rule around the U.S. first should be an alternate solution to reinstate the Appellate Body in the short term.

Challenges and opportunities of tablet-based electronic performance data collection and feedback system for artificial insemination delivery in dairy cattle: experience from the land O’Lakes Venture37 PAID project in Ethiopia

Land O’Lakes venture37 (v37) has been using Open Data Kit (ODK) to collect Artificial Insemination (AI) technicians’ field performance within the Public Private Partnership for Artificial Insemination Delivery (PAID) Ethiopia Project from Amhara, Oromia, Southern Nations Nationalities Peoples (SNNP), and Tigray regions. This study assesses the challenges and opportunities of the Tablet-based project field performance data collection and feedback system. Information gathered from AI technicians using a structured questionnaire was analyzed using the crosstabulation procedures of SPSS and index methods. Almost all (96.7%) the interviewees had never used Tablet for data collection before PAID project. After training, about 82% of the respondents were able to use the ODK tool to collect and send data to PAID. However, there were reports on the challenges of using ODK that include poor or interruption of internet connectivity (index = 0.272), lengthy (time taking) nature of the forms (index = 0.241), and difficulty of updating the system (index = 0.093). Almost all the respondents were willing to use ODK in the future, provided internet is available and reliable (index = 0.248), and proper training is given (index = 0.238) for using ODK provides confidence that the report is delivered (index = 0.259), and it is timesaving (index = 0.24).

Structured abstract summarization of scientific articles: Summarization using full‐text section information

AbstractThe automatic summarization of scientific articles differs from other text genres because of the structured format and longer text length. Previous approaches have focused on tackling the lengthy nature of scientific articles, aiming to improve the computational efficiency of summarizing long text using a flat, unstructured abstract. However, the structured format of scientific articles and characteristics of each section have not been fully explored, despite their importance. The lack of a sufficient investigation and discussion of various characteristics for each section and their influence on summarization results has hindered the practical use of automatic summarization for scientific articles. To provide a balanced abstract proportionally emphasizing each section of a scientific article, the community introduced the structured abstract, an abstract with distinct, labeled sections. Using this information, in this study, we aim to understand tasks ranging from data preparation to model evaluation from diverse viewpoints. Specifically, we provide a preprocessed large‐scale dataset and propose a summarization method applying the introduction, methods, results, and discussion (IMRaD) format reflecting the characteristics of each section. We also discuss the objective benchmarks and perspectives of state‐of‐the‐art algorithms and present the challenges and research directions in this area.

The Use of Megaprostheses in Nononcologic Lower-Extremity Total Joint Arthroplasty: A Critical Analysis Review.

As the number of primary total joint arthroplasty (TJA) procedures continues to rise, megaprostheses have found an emerging role in more complex revision arthroplasty cases that require additional reconstruction, stability, and restoration of function. Megaprosthesis options have evolved: in addition to cemented prostheses, cementless and even hybrid fixation designs optimize longevity. Proximal femoral replacement (PFR), distal femoral replacement (DFR), proximal tibial replacement (PTR), and total femoral replacement (TFR) are all limb salvage options in the setting of substantial bone loss, poor bone quality, and soft-tissue compromise. Dislocation is one of the most common complications after PFR, likely due to the loss of soft-tissue integrity, most notably the hip abductor musculature from the greater trochanter. The utilization of dual-mobility constructs, larger femoral heads, elevated acetabular liners, and constrained acetabular liners may reduce the risk of instability and improve overall hip function. Patients with megaprostheses may be more prone to periprosthetic joint infection and surgical site infection given multiple variables, such as the lengthy nature of the surgical procedure, prolonged wound exposure, extensive soft-tissue dissection and resection, poor soft-tissue coverage, and poorer host status. Despite advances in technology, complication and revision rates remain high after megaprosthesis reconstruction. Therefore, thorough attention to patient-specific factors must be considered for appropriate use of these constructs.

External validation of deep learning-based bone-age software: a preliminary study with real world data

Artificial intelligence (AI) is increasingly being used in bone-age (BA) assessment due to its complicated and lengthy nature. We aimed to evaluate the clinical performance of a commercially available deep learning (DL)–based software for BA assessment using a real-world data. From Nov. 2018 to Feb. 2019, 474 children (35 boys, 439 girls, age 4–17 years) were enrolled. We compared the BA estimated by DL software (DL-BA) with that independently estimated by 3 reviewers (R1: Musculoskeletal radiologist, R2: Radiology resident, R3: Pediatric endocrinologist) using the traditional Greulich–Pyle atlas, then to his/her chronological age (CA). A paired t-test, Pearson’s correlation coefficient, Bland–Altman plot, mean absolute error (MAE) and root mean square error (RMSE) were used for the statistical analysis. The intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) was used for inter-rater variation. There were significant differences between DL-BA and each reviewer’s BA (P < 0.025), but the correlation was good with one another (r = 0.983, P < 0.025). RMSE (MAE) values were 10.09 (7.21), 10.76 (7.88) and 13.06 (10.06) months between DL-BA and R1, R2, R3 BA. Compared with the CA, RMSE (MAE) values were 13.54 (11.06), 15.18 (12.11), 16.19 (12.78) and 19.53 (17.71) months for DL-BA, R1, R2, R3 BA, respectively. Bland–Altman plots revealed the software and reviewers’ tendency to overestimate the BA in general. ICC values between 3 reviewers were 0.97, 0.85 and 0.86, and the overall ICC value was 0.93. The BA estimated by DL-based software showed statistically similar, or even better performance than that of reviewers’ compared to the chronological age in the real world clinic.

1.D. Workshop: Emerging behavioral risk factors for mental health: a life-course perspective

Abstract Over the last decades, mental health disorders, including affective and cognitive disorders, have been recognized among the leading non-communicable diseases and have represented the major contributors to lower quality of life and shortened lifespan, in both young and adult population. Noteworthy, these conditions are often associated, if not prodromic, to other non-communicable diseases, such as obesity, cardiovascular disease and cancer. Together with the aforementioned disorders, sleep disorders have been of interest as emerging conditions, mainly due to their possible link to other morbidities. Given the limited access to effective treatments and their rather lengthy and expensive nature, early detection of mental disorders, identification of potential risk factors, and intervention to prevent chronic exposure to these factors is of paramount importance to control the rising globally prevalence. A growing body of literature has focused attention on potential risk factors for mental disorders, comprising environmental, behavioral, and dietary factors. Modern society is facing rapid changes caused by a rise in technological advances, global industrialization and urbanization, leading to the disruption of the circadian cycle due to continuous exposure to stimuli, such as light and acoustic pollution, busy working schedule, and societal challenges. Owing to the lack of adaptions to these transitions, it has led to the rise of non-communicable chronic diseases due to important changes in lifestyle factors, including, among others, adoption of unhealthy dietary patterns, lack of physical activity and worsened sleeping habits. The modern era is characterized by a “nutrition transition” process, a global shift from traditional dietary patterns toward so-called Western-like diets, defined by high intake of processed energy-dense foods containing refined sugars, trans-fatty acids, excessive sodium, and low consumption of plant-derived foods, accompanied by an unbalance between calorie intake and its expenditure through regular physical activity. There is a convincing evidence on the possible link between diet, physical activity and pathophysiology of mental health and sleep disorders that may contribute to the control of their prevalence. The prevention of mental disorders should be a leading task for public health policy makers, mainly as the prevalence of mental health disorders is rising globally, leading to lower life expectancy and generating great costs associated with health care. Given the interconnection between nutrition, physical activity, mental health, and chronic non-communicable diseases, the EUPHA Food and Nutrition Section and the Chronic Diseases Section aim to propose a joint workshop to bring together worldwide experts and to discuss the underrated role of dietary factors, physical activity, sleep features, and mental health in the modern society. Key messages There is growing evidence that modern lifestyle, including dietary and physical activity behaviors, may play an important role in mental health disorders. There is a need to address emerging behavioral risk factors in order to prevent public mental health disorders.

From Hamlet to Holmes: literary detective tradition

Exposed to the mystery of his father’s suspicious death, young Hamlet followed the riddle of solving it in the longest tragedy of Shakespeare. By suspension and the lengthy nature of detective works, Shakespeare seems to have initiated a new subgenre in drama which may have later on been converted into an independent subgenre in the novel by Edgar Allan Poe, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, and Agatha Christie through their imaginative characters, Auguste Dupin, Sherlock Holmes and the pair of Hercules Poirot with Miss Marple respectively. Fyodor Dostoevsky may have also spread the net of Hamletian subtext in his Crime and Punishment. Plotting a perfect crime by the murderers and the public approval of the plan, on one hand, and the inconvincible mind of the hero which ultimately undo the seemingly unsolvable puzzle, on the other, construct the very core of all aforementioned works of Shakespeare, Poe, and Doyle. The unanticipated and unpredicted findings of either Holmes or Hamlet defeat the expectations of the audience and bring the runaway justice back to her groom.

Attachment-Based Therapy for Addiction and Trauma in Children and Adolescents

This article is about why children and adolescents with traumatic experiences are particularly at risk of becoming severely addicted. It addresses the question of why it is so difficult for them to feel safe in therapeutic relationships. It will be examined to what extent the epidemiology of addiction, trauma, and attachment disorder provides evidence as to whether there is a significant relationship among the disorders that contributes to the complicated and lengthy nature of therapy for adolescents who have become severely addicted. It will describe how the reward system, attachment system, and anxiety-stress system (limbic system) interact at the neurobiological level. As a result of the study, it is shown that the role of the reward system in understanding the development of dependence cannot be understood neurophysiologically without the role of attachment and anxiety-stress. One conclusion from this is that this relationship should be taken into account therapeutically in order to be able to expand the spectrum of therapeutic intervention options and to be able to make the therapy of severe dependence disorders in adolescence more successful. Methodologically, two levels of description are compared here: On the first level, the neurobiological research findings are presented as the connection between addiction, trauma and attachment; on the second level, the significance of the research findings for therapeutic practice is concretely described and empirically demonstrated on the basis of a case report. In conclusion, it is shown that understanding the neurobiological function of the implicit memory systems of reward, attachment, and anxiety/stress has a central importance for the further development of addiction therapy for dependent adolescents.

Presidential Subpoenas during the Burr Trials

Between March and October of 1807, Aaron Burr stood for two treason trials arising from the same set of facts: the first, for a felony charge, and the second, for a misdemeanor charge. Chief Justice John Marshall presided over the proceedings in the Circuit Court for Virginia in Richmond. During this period, Marshall issued seventeen written opinions, and delivered several shorter decisions from the bench, that spanned over two-hundred pages in the reporter. In the end, based on Marshall’s narrow construction of the crimes of treason, the jury acquitted Burr of both the felony and the misdemeanor charges. Marshall’s rulings, however, were not limited to technical aspects of criminal law. In both trials, Aaron Burr asked the court to issue a subpoena duces tecum to President Jefferson. Such a subpoena would have required the witness to appear in court, and bring a specific document. Specifically, Burr wanted Jefferson to produce a letter authored by General Wilkinson, dated October 21, 1806. Burr insisted that this transmission to the President was material to his defense. Moreover, the Defendant demanded that Jefferson produce the original copy of Wilkinson’s letter. The United States Attorney, George Hay, would only offer to provide a redacted copy of the letter, with certain portions excluded. As the deliberations proceeded, Hay would frequently write to the President, who traveled between the White House and Monticello. Jefferson, who took a keen interest in the case, would usually write back immediately. The correspondences between Jefferson and Hay outside of court can shed light on the interactions between Hay and Marshall in court. That is, the government’s positions were based on direct instructions from the President himself. In the felony trial, Marshall ordered that Jefferson was required to submit the original copy of the letter, without redaction. Jefferson did not comply with this order. In the misdemeanor trial, Jefferson would provide a redacted copy of the letter. Because of the lengthy nature of the proceedings — in which Marshall and Jefferson took different positions at different junctures — it is difficult to draw too many broad conclusions from the prosecution as a whole. This essay will walk through each phase of the proceedings, with an eye towards understanding the limits on presidential subpoenas.

A survey of South African Maxillofacial &amp; Oral Surgeon opinions regarding the academic education in the field of cleft lip/palate and craniofacial deformities

Maxillofacial and oral surgeons (MFOS) are trained to manage hard and soft tissue conditions affecting the orofacial region. They, therefore, play an essential role in the health care of cleft lip/palate (CLP) and craniofacial deformities (CFD) patients. The complex and lengthy nature of CLP and CFD management requires collaboration between different disciplines. Consequently, it becomes increasingly important that the academic education available to MFOS provides in-depth knowledge, multidisciplinary participation and adequate clinical exposure provided by field experts. This study aimed to investigate the exposure and knowledge level of MFOS regarding the management of CLP and CFD. A second objective was to obtain an opinion from practising MFOS about the academic educational needs of those working with CLP and CFD. An online survey and telephone interviews (using a structured questionnaire) were used to investigate the level and scope of the MFOS academic education and to determine their academic needs. The questionnaire was completed by 53 (of 121) of practising MFOS on the Medpages health care provider database, 64.8% of whom had more than 10 years of professional experience. Of the respondents, 60% showed a good general knowledge of CLP and CFD. However, 66.5% acknowledged that they had received only limited clinical training and exposure, which prevented them from providing adequate services to CLP/CFD patients. Only 41% of the respondents offered primary and/or only secondary treatment for both CLP and CFD patients, and 53.8% of them had participated in multidisciplinary teams. All the respondents agreed on the need for a dedicated training programme(s) in CLP and CFD management, and the majority recommended a subspecialty training either by degree courses or clinical fellowship and / or certification. This study demonstrates that postgraduate academic training and clinical exposure are limited in the CLP and CFD fields. All the respondents agreed that an educational strategy to meet the needs of MFOS providing CLP and CFD care should be established. Participants suggested that part-time clinical and/or degree courses should be developed.

Integration of a Hybrid Method into an Efficient Reliability-Based Design Optimization Technique for Large Structures

The computational burden imposed by the repetitive and lengthy nature of the structural analyses of large structures has lead researches to continuously devise efficient methods for conducting their reliability analysis in addition to powerful methods for solving the design optimization problem. The presence of a considerably large number of random variables in the reliability analyses of large structure is another issue that tends to slow down the design optimization problem. In this paper, a hybrid method that was recently presented by the first author will be integrated into a structural reliability-based design optimization technique for large structures. In this technique, modified concepts of the weighted average simulation method are used to determine the most probable point of failure in a computationally efficient manner. The most probable point of failure is then transferred into the standard normal space, where the reliability index is calculated in closed-form. The firefly algorithm will be used for solving the optimization problem. It will be shown that the integrated approach significantly reduces the computational resources required for solving the design problem. The technique will be tested on a truss bridge. The results will shed light on the efficiency of the proposed technique in solving reliability-based design optimization problems.

Shortening the Home Environment Inventory: A Polytomous Item Response Theory approach

Assessing an Indian home presents a great challenge to researchers because of its’ cultural uniqueness, complex family structure, and social practices. Currently, the home environment inventory (HEI) is the most widely applied Indian scale for assessment of home environment of school-going children. However, administration of the scale becomes cumbersome in a testing situation because of its lengthy nature. The present study aimed at shortening the 100-item HEI so as to reduce the respondents’ burden while preserving the quality of information simultaneously. Data were collected from 548 adolescent school students (Mean age = 14 years; SD = 1.24) from Bengali Hindu middle-class families and analyzed using a polytomous item response theory approach. A shortened version of the scale was derived through Principal Component Analysis and compared with the original scale based on the fit measures obtained through confirmatory factor analysis. Further, a preliminary validation of the shortened scale was done by comparing it with the original scale in another adolescent sample (n = 256). Results bear evidence of statistically valid applicability of the shortened version of HEI.