Development of techniques to enhance man/machine communication

A four-state random stimulus generator, considered to function as an ESP teaching machine was used to investigate an approach to facilitating interactions between man and machines. A subject tries to guess in which of four states the machine is. The machine offers the user feedback and reinforcement as to the correctness of his choice. Using this machine, 148 volunteer subjects were screened under various protocols. Several whose learning slope and/or mean score departed significantly from chance expectation were identified. Direct physiological evidence of perception of remote stimuli not presented to any known sense of the percipient using electroencephalographic (EEG) output when a light was flashed in a distant room was also studied

Attorney Client Confidentiality in the Criminal Environmental Law Context: Blowing the Whistle on the Toxic Client

Whether an attorney should blow the whistle on a client\u27s violation of environmental law is a question that is likely to confront attorneys with increasing frequency. While the regulation of pollution is not new, the criminalization of the violation is a relatively new development. Recognizing the impact of pollution on human health and the environment, Congress has passed a panoply of laws making certain unauthorized disposal and emission practices, and the failure to keep records of hazardous wastes felony offenses. This Article explores the ethics of disclosure within the context of environmental crimes by examining the following threshold questions: (1) what environmental laws are implicated by the client\u27s actions, and (2) whether those actions reach criminal proportion. The Article explores the general conditions under which an attorney may breach an ethical duty of confidentiality and the policies supporting that duty. The Article advocates an interpretation of both the Model Code of Professional Responsibility and Model Rules of Professional Conduct that would permit reporting a client who is resolute in committing, or commits, an environmental crime which might seriously harm people if timely action is not taken. The Article concludes by providing suggestions on how an attorney should analyze the issue of disclosure of a client\u27s violation and then applies this analysis to a hypothetical

Life testing of metal-ceramic CO2 lasers

The main purpose of this program was to determine the life characteristics of nine space-qualified, metal-ceramic CO2 lasers. Lifetimes ranged between about 400 hours to over 2000 hours (the limit of testing) with a high degree of consistency in like groups. In all cases the tubes which had failed could be restored to near their original power by doubling the cathode current for 30 minutes. Periodic rejuvenation allowed operation for the full 2000 hours on all tubes. The failure mechanism appears to involve formation of NiO and C on the nickel cathode emission surface with subsequent absorption of tube gases

The Link Between Protecting Natural Resources and the Issue of Environmental Justice

Communities frequently raise environmental justice issues when decisions are made without taking into consideration how people, including people living in low-income and minority communities, are linked to their surrounding environment. Different communities use and relate to their environment in different ways and face different levels of environmental harms and risks. Thus, to avoid disproportionate impacts, it is critical that each community’s environmental needs and vulnerabilities be understood and considered before decisions are made. Existing statutory authority provides ample opportunity for decisionmakers to involve communities in the decisionmaking process and to consider how they use and relate to their environment and the natural resources services that their environment provides. This article analyzes the integration of environmental justice concerns into the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s decisionmaking process with special attention given to permits issued under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act. In addition, through case study analysis, the article examines how environmental justice issues have been addressed by: EPA in the establishment of water quality criteria under the Clean Water Act; the Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s and the Department of the Interior’s application of the National Environmental Policy Act; and the Army Corps of Engineers’ decisionmaking process under Section 404 of the Clean Water Act

SLIDES: Environmental Justice: Comprehensive Approach

Presenter: Nicholas Targ, Holland & Knight, former Associate Director for Environmental Justice Integration, Office of Environmental Justice, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency 16 slide

Outcome of Ischaemic Foot Ulcers in Patients with Diabetes, with or without Revascularization

The aim of the studies presented in this thesis was to study patients with diabetes and severe peripheral arterial disease (PAD) in regard to outcomes of foot ulcers, factors related to outcomes, and occurrences of new ulcerations and amputations following healing of the initial ulcer. Patients with diabetes and a foot ulcer, consecutively presenting at a multidisciplinary foot centre, with a systolic toe pressure <45 mm Hg or an ankle pressure <80 mm Hg, were prospectively included, followed up according to a predefined program, and offered vascular intervention when applicable. All patients had continuous follow-up until healing or death, irrespective of the vascular intervention. In total (n=1,151), 36% of patients healed primarily, 16% healed after minor amputation, 13% healed after a major amputation, and 27% died unhealed. At the end of the study, there was a dropout rate of 5%, and 3% of patients were still in treatment. In patients considered not feasible for revascularization (n=602), 38% healed primarily, 12% healed after minor amputation, 17% healed after major amputation, and 33% died unhealed. Comorbidities, the severity of PAD, and the extent of tissue involvement were strongly related to a low probability for ulcer healing, irrespective of revascularization. Angioplasty or reconstructive vascular surgery increased the probability of healing. The time to revascularization after admittance to a diabetic foot centre was also related to the probability of healing without major amputation. After healing from a previous ischaemic ulcer, 34% of patients developed a new ulceration in the same foot within the observation time. Twenty-two percent of patients who developed new ulcers had an amputation before healing from the new ulcers. Lesser maximal tissue destruction during the previous ulcer and open reconstructive vascular surgery were related to a lower risk of new ulcerations. Patients with diabetes and ischaemic foot ulcers had a median survival time of 33 months. In conclusion, this thesis has shown that a substantial number of patients with diabetes, foot ulcers, and severe PAD can heal without a major amputation. The probability of ulcer healing was strongly related to comorbidity, the extent of tissue involvement, and the severity of PAD. Patients with diabetes and ischaemic foot ulcers not feasible for revascularisation are not excluded from healing without major amputation. Not only revascularization per se, but also the timing of revascularization increased the probability of healing without a major amputation. Following healing, these patients had a high risk of developing new ulcers. The extent of tissue involvement of a previous ulcer and reconstructive vascular surgery affected the risk of developing new ulcers