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This article tracks a speech the author gave inMay 2023 at the 38th Annual ICC SIA QMUL Joint Symposium of Arbitrators, which focused on ideas to improve the international arbitration process. Arbitrators frequently complain about written submissions. Their most common complaint is that they are too long. They frequently have a hard time motivating to read them when they come in, if at all. While there is little prospect of written submissions becoming materially shorter, artificial intelligence (AI) may soon revolutionize the speed with which parties can produce them, resulting in proceedings becoming frontloaded. It may also help arbitrators isolate the material legal and factual issues and expedite the preparation of awards. AI is not a substitute for human expertise and judgment, but rather a tool that promises to augment human abilities and allow legal teams and arbitrators to work more efficiently and effectively. If you have yet to familiarize yourself with ChatGPT and the like, you would be well advised to do so sooner rather than later.

Although written before the COVID-19 pandemic, Amy Seimetz’s She Dies Tomorrowis widely regarded as speaking to collective social anxiety. In the film, Amy is convinced that she will die the next day. She tells her friend, Jane, who becomes convinced that she too will die. Everyone that Jane tells catches the conviction and it spreads like a virus. This article offers an alternative reading, analysing the film as a meditation on (horror) cinema as a vehicle for affective bodily contagion. Filmic images and sounds are intangible and do not physically touch viewers yet can nevertheless carry affect that makes bodies respond to and sometimes replicate what is shown on screen. Similarly, in She Dies Tomorrow, an intangible idea causes affective response and mimesis, as well as audio-visual hallucinations. The article explores how contagious anxiety might be spread through cinematic objects, drawing from affect, phenomenology and object-oriented ontology (OOO). Finally, it explores the film’s engagement with both Derrida’s spectrality of cinema and the nature of the horror genre.

Imagine this: You're at an eye-care conference, waiting for the lecturer to begin, when you start talking with a fellow practitioner sitting just a few seats away. She tells you [...]

Have you been feeling frustrated, angry and irritable as a result of interaction with your patients and staff? Have you been experiencing physical symptoms, such as digestive problems, headaches and [...]

Contact lens industry data reveal good news and bad news for the contact lens portion of your practice. The good news? There is a large upswing in male and middle-aged [...]

The ability to prove to a bank that you deserve a loan for the purchase of new space for your ever-growing practice is a real pain in the neck--that is, [...]

If HGTV (Home and Garden Television) ever runs out of segments for its Generation Renovation program--a show about renovating old and unique places--the network should give optometrist Robert Strohecker and [...]

Safe harbors are regulations that protect people or businesses from legal problems that could result from their actions, provided they meet certain conditions. For optometry, safe harbor first referred to [...]

Each year, the American Dialect Society--an organization dedicated to the study of how languages and dialects influence the English language--releases a list of the words and phrases they say have [...]

Optometrist Glenda Secor, of Huntington Beach, Calif., hadn't planned on specializing in contact lenses. Rather, she fell into this niche in 1978, when she got her first job. She worked [...]

When optometrist Bill F. Hefner, of Topeka, Kan., graduated from optometry school in 1997, he felt fairly confident he'd get his foot in the door at a private practice. Why? [...]

Eleven years ago, then 39-year-old Chip Goehring of Doylestown, Pa., saw his ophthalmologist for his regular yearly checkup (he is near-sighted), when his doctor diagnosed him with dry age-related macular [...]

On January 11, 2002, a New Jersey optometrist was sentenced to seven years in state prison, and was fined more than $1 million dollars for three counts of defrauding 29 [...]

When asked to discuss a memorable case of matching a pair of ophthalmic lenses to a patient's lifestyle, optometrist Carl Gaterbaum of Orlando Eye Associates fondly recalls the case of [...]

The thing about watching Smallville as ultimately, the viewers know how it's going to end. Clark Kent will move to Metropolis, become a mild-mannered reporter with the Daily Planet and [...]

When Dr. Star Anthony and her husband, Larry Greenstein, welcomed their new baby boy Kevin into the world ten years ago, they didn't know that a new career for Anthony [...]

Background Postoperative glycemic control improves cardiac surgery outcomes but insulin protocols are limited by complexity and inflexibility. We sought to evaluate the effect of implementing an electronic glycemic management system (eGMS) in conjunction with a cardiac surgery endocrinology consult service on glycemic control and outcomes after cardiac surgery.Methods All patients with a calculated preoperative risk of mortality who underwent cardiac surgery before and after implementation of an eGMS and an endocrinology consult service were identified. Glycemic control and surgical outcomes were compared using univariate analysis, and multivariate regression was used to model the risk-adjusted effects of the interventions on glycemic control, surgical outcomes, and resource utilization. The health care–related value added by the interventions was calculated by dividing risk-adjusted outcomes by total hospital costs.Results A total of 2612 patients were identified, with 1263 patients in the preimplementation cohort and 1349 in the postimplementation cohort. Multivariate regression demonstrated fewer postoperative hyperglycemic events (odds ratio [OR] 0.8, 95% CI, 0.65-0.99) after protocol implementation without an increase in hypoglycemic events (OR 0.96, 95% CI, 0.71-1.3). Average day-weighted mean glucose decreased from 144 to 138 mg/dL (P< .001). The improved glycemic control correlated with a risk-adjusted decrease in composite morbidity or mortality (OR 0.61, 95% CI, 0.47-0.79). Although hospital costs increased after implementation, the protocol increased health care–related value by 38%.Conclusion Implementation of a protocol consisting of an eGMS paired with a cardiac surgery–specific endocrinology consult service was associated with improved glycemic control and reduced morbidity. Despite higher costs health care–related value increased as a result of eGMS implementation.

As of June 2005, Hispanics comprised 41.3 million of the 294 million total U.S. population--one-seventh of all those living in the United States, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Also, [...]

Type in "contact lenses" on your favorite search engine, and within seconds, your screen is invaded by a barrage of discount mail-order contact lens companies. On Google, this search brings [...]

When approached by his publisher (Elsevier) to do a third edition of Manual of Contact Lens Prescribing and Fitting with CD-ROM, optometrist Milton M. Hom, of Azusa, Calif., was reluctant. [...]

When asked to discuss a case involving premium lenses and add-ons, optician Amy King talks about a female patient who came in for an eye exam and then chose to [...]

Optometrist Elisa Perreault literally started out in the basement and worked her way up. Six-and-a-half years ago, Dr. Perreault purchased a practice in the lower level of a professional building, [...]

What: You and your dad seem really close. Has he been overprotective since you've become a star? Pink: He was the least overprotective out of anybody. I went to Atlanta [...]

YOU REALLY CAN have too much mulch around your trees and shrubs. Yes, a layer of bark mulch or other organic matter will control weeds, retain moisture, and moderate soil [...]

For allergy patients, fall often means relief from the lush summer foliage that's responsible for much of their misery. But, just because the fall doesn't look like the summer or [...]

Parents of children who have special needs have not always been able to achieve "one-stop shopping" convenience at hospitals. But when it comes to complex orthopedic and neuromuscular conditions, the [...]

After going through script after script looking for the perfect first project for her film production company, Blaspheme Films, actress Christina Ricci chose Pumpkin because of its strong message about [...]

Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass (RYGB) is well known to ameliorate type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), and recent work suggests that the preoperative DiaREM model predicts successful remission up to 1 year post-RYGB. However, no data exist for long-term validity. Therefore, we sought to determine the utility of this score on long-term RYGB effectiveness for T2DM resolution at 2 and 10 years, respectively. T2DM patients (Age: 48, BMI: 49, HbA1C: 8.1) undergoing RYGB at the University of Virginia between 2004–2006 (n= 42) and 2012–2014 (n= 59) were evaluated prospectively to assess preoperative DiaREM score, defined from insulin use, age, HbA1C, and type of antidiabetic medication. T2DM partial remission status was based on the American Diabetes Association guidelines (HbA1C< 6.5 % and fasting glycemia <125 mg/dL, and no anti-diabetic medications). Chi-square test was used to compare patient’s T2DM status to their DiaREM probability of remission. Among RYGB patients with 2-year postoperative data, 2 were lost (n= 1 no follow-up and n= 1 died) resulting in 57 patients for analysis. For the 10-year postoperative data, 11 were lost (n= 6 no follow-up and n= 5 died), thereby resulting in only 31 patients for analysis. Patients were distributed by DiaREM score to correlate with the predicted probability of remission as follows: 0–2 (Predicted 94 %, 2-year 100 % p= 0.61, 10-year 100 % p= 0.72), 3–7 (Predicted 76 %, 2-year 94 % p= 0.08, 10-year 83 % p= 0.57), 8–12 (Predicted 36 %, 2-year 47 % p= 0.38, 10-year 43 % p= 0.72), 13–17 (Predicted 22 %, 2-year 20 % p= 0.92, 10-year 33 % p= 0.64), and 18–22 (Predicted 9 %, 2-year 15 % p= 0.40, 10-year 14 % p= 0.64). Preoperative DiaREM scores are a good tool for predicting both short- and long-term T2DM remissions following RYGB. This study highlights the need to identify strategies that improve T2DM remission in those at highest risk.

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AbstractThis study investigated women’s lived experience of becoming less obsessed with their bodily appearance. Written narrative accounts were collected from seven women co-participants and a phenomenological analysis of these descriptive protocols was then performed in order to reveal the prereflective structure of the focal phenomenon, seven essential constituents of which emerged. A major goal of this research was to contribute to the undernourished area of phenomenological research regarding the experience of body image.

Patients who have early-stage age-related macular degeneration are almost twice as likely to have a stroke than those who do not have this ocular disease, according to a study in [...]

The article offers step-by-step instructions for instrumentalists in adjusting the English horn which include differentiation between the terms key and vent, the effect of adjustment screws on the height of a key or keys, and the use of ungummed cigarette paper for testing the seal of pads.

The American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery says it will limit registration of optometrists attending its annual symposium. Only two types of O.D.s will be able to attend: O.Ds [...]

According to the Center for Contact Lens Research (CCLR) at University of Waterloo College of Optometry, some 2.7 million patients become dropouts each year. The good news? You can prevent [...]

The most you can get for suing your doctor in Virginia will remain $1 million, the state's highest court has ruled. The Virginia Supreme Court in January unanimously upheld the [...]

Passengers may maintain "run of the mill" state law personal injury suits against airlines, an en banc panel of the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals has unanimously held. The decision [...]

A worker may recover damages for fear of contracting AIDS resulting from a needle stick even when it is not possible to prove that the material on the needle was [...]

The Maryland Court of Appeals held in October that pre-impact fright suffered by an accident victim who dies instantly on impact is a legally compensable element of damages in a [...]

Several genes expressed in the initial segment of the epididymis depend on factors from the testis that reach the epididymis via the luminal system. These include gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase mRNA IV (Ggt_pr4), steroid 5 alpha reductase (Srd5a1), glutathione peroxidase 5 (Gpx5), and cystatin-related epididymal spermatogenic (Cst8) genes. Promoter analyses indicated that these genes contain several ETS DNA-binding sites. Members of the polyomavirus enhancer activator 3 (ETV4) family bind to ETS sites on the promoter of target genes to regulate transcription. In this study, the role of ETV4 family members (ETV4, ETV5, ETV1) in the transcription of initial segment specific genes was evaluated. All three ETV4 family mRNAs are expressed in the principal cells of the initial segment and depend upon the presence of testicular luminal fluid factors. ETV4 protein was localized to principal cell nuclei and displayed the highest expression in the most proximal region of the initial segment. In addition, ETV4 protein levels were diminished after loss of testicular luminal fluid factors. A dominant-negative construct of ETV5 was in vivo electroporated into the initial segment to determine if ETV4 family members can regulate the transcription of testicular luminal fluid factor-regulated genes. Quantitative PCR indicated that 1 day postelectroporation, all three ETV4 family member mRNAs were significantly decreased. In addition, Ggt_pr4, Srd5a1, and Gpx5mRNA levels were also significantly decreased. The data suggest that ETV4 family members regulate their own expression, and that they regulate transcription of a subset of genes that are dependent upon testicular luminal fluid factors.

Ischemia-reperfusion (IR) of the testis results in germ cell-specific apoptosis and can lead to aspermatogenesis. Germ cell-specific apoptosis after IR of the testis has been shown to be correlated with and dependent on neutrophil recruitment to the testis after IR. Studies that used E-selectin-deficient mice have demonstrated that E-selectin expression is critical for neutrophil recruitment to subtunical venules in the testis after IR and for the resultant germ cell-specific apoptosis. The present study investigates the in vivo signaling pathway that exists after IR that leads to neutrophil recruitment in the murine testis. Mice were subjected to a 2-h period of testicular ischemia followed by reperfusion. Results demonstrate that the proinflammatory cytokines, tumor necrosis factor α (TNFα) and interleukin 1β (IL-1β), are stimulated after IR as is the phosphorylation of c-jun N-terminal kinase (JNK). The downstream transcription factors of JNK, ATF-2 and c-jun are also phosphorylated at specific times after IR of the testis. Activation of the JNK stress-related kinase pathway is correlated with an increase in E-selectin expression and neutrophil recruitment to the testis after IR. Intratesticular injection of IL-1β also caused JNK phosphorylation and neutrophil recruitment to the testis. These results suggest that testicular IR injury stimulates IL-1β expression, which leads to activation of the JNK signaling pathway and ultimately E-selectin expression and neutrophil recruitment to the testis. This provides the first evidence of a cytokine/stress-related kinase signaling pathway to E-selectin expression in vivo.

Studies from our laboratory support a model in which growth factors produced in the testis reach the epididymis via the luminal system and play an important role in maintaining the function of epithelial cells, particularly in the initial segment. Previous work showed that γ-glutamyl transpeptidase (GGT) mRNA IV, which is highly expressed in the rat initial segment, may be under the control of luminal fibroblast growth factor 2 (FGF-2) from the testis. The current studies were undertaken to identify which fibroblast growth factor receptors (FGFRs) are present in the principal cells of the rat initial segment and to identify other potential ligands for these receptors in rat rete testis fluid (RTF). Immunoblot analysis revealed that FGFRs 1–4 were present, and reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) analysis confirmed that both the IIIb and IIIc splice variants of FGFRs 1–3 were expressed. However, RT-PCR using RNA isolated from principal cells collected by laser capture microdissection revealed only FGFR-1 IIIc. Additional PCR analysis established that both the α and β forms of FGFR-1 IIIc were expressed in principal cells. Both FGF-4 and FGF-8 were present in rat RTF, as determined by immunoblotting. Thus, FGF-2, -4, and -8, found in RTF, may act upon FGFR-1 IIIc in the principal cells of the initial segment to regulate GGT mRNA IV expression.

The author discusses Eric Ewazen's "Concerto for Oboe and Wind Ensemble," performed by the Indiana University Wind Ensemble and premiered by Linda Strommen, professor of oboe at the university's Jacob School of Music. According to the author, the concerto was a collaboration between director Stephen Pratt, Ewazen and Strommen. The original vision of Strommen was to commission a work for oboe and wind ensemble that is accessible, enjoyable and rewarding.