The Influence of Christian Nationalism on U.S. Public Educators’ Speech: Implications from Meriwether vs. Hartop

Public school educators must navigate very complex intersections of the First Amendment’s Establishment, Free Exercise, and Free Speech clauses. The 6th Circuit’s ruling in Meriwether vs. Hartop created a slippery slope that could create a hostile learning environment and be discriminatory speech while trying to balance public-school educators’ sincerely held religious beliefs. This article examines the Meriwether case and court ruling while providing a background of U.S. Christian nationalism and its implications in American public education.

THE RIGHT OF COMMON SHARED OWNERSHIP: THE ESSENCE AND PROBLEMS OF PROTECTION

The article attempts to rethink the phenomenon of shared ownership, taking into account the conceptof multiple ownership rights to one thing at the same time existing in civil law. The widespread view ofthe right of shared ownership as one right to the same thing belonging to several persons at the same timeis critically evaluated. It is concluded that each co-owner has his own property right, which is limited bythe same rights of other co-owners. The construction of shared ownership is considered in the contextof possession protection proposed in the Concept of the Development of Civil Legislation of the RussianFederation: competition arises between the rights of co-owners, which is won by the possessing co-owner,if, for example, the issue of access to things by other co-owners is resolved. The practical significance of the ideas that common property is a plurality (system) of ownership rights to one thing is shown. In particular, itis proposed to use such a model when resolving conflicts between co-owners when moving into a residentialpremises: the owner who actually uses the residential premises has an advantage over other co-owners andhas the right to prevent other co-owners from moving in until a court decision. The share in the ownershipright is proposed to be considered as a measure of the free exercise by the owner of his rights in the conditionsof multiple ownership rights to one thing.

Law, State and Religious Freedom in Brazil: A Historical and Constitutional Analysis of Freedom of Belief and Religion

This research sees to discuss the position of the State regarding Freedom of Belief, under the legal perspective. In other words, as the Brazilian Constitution guarantees freedom and the free exercise of religion in its art. 5, item VI, the question is: May the Brazilian State interfere with the freedom of individual belief, or can it provide legal guarantees so that this freedom is ensured? By the deductive method and by the analysis of recent judgments of the Brazilian Federal Supreme Court in cases of extraordinary appeals, the limits of the State of action or inaction in relation to religious freedom will be upheld, concluding that the State must always ensure the sovereignty of secularity and neutrality in religious matters, observing freedom of belief. Keywords: Religious freedom; Brazilian State; Law

Structured pain-free exercise progressively improves ankle-brachial index and walking ability in patients with claudication and compressible arteries: an observational study

In patients with peripheral artery disease (PAD), supervised exercise at near-moderate pain improves walking ability but not ankle-brachial index (ABI) values. In a retrospective observational study, we determined vascular and functional effects of a 6-month structured pain-free exercise program in patients with claudication and compressible vessels. Four-hundred and fifty-nine consecutive patients were studied. Segmental limb pressures were measured and ABI calculated during circa-monthly hospital visits. The 6-min (6MWD) and the pain-free walking distance (PFWD) during the 6-min walking test were determined. Two daily 8-min sessions of slow–moderate in-home walking at increasing metronome-paced speed were prescribed. After excluding patients with unmeasurable ABI or incompletion of the program, 239 patients were studied. Safe and satisfactory (88%) execution of the prescribed training sessions was reported. During the visits, bilateral ABI improved (+ 0.07; p < 0.001) as well as the segmental pressures in the more impaired limb, with changes already significant after 5 weeks of slow walking. Both systolic and diastolic blood pressure decreased overtime (F = 46.52; p < 0.001; F = 5.52; p < 0.001, respectively). 6MWD and PFWD improved (41[0‒73]m p < 0.001 and 107[42‒190]m p < 0.001, respectively) with associated decrease of walking heart rate (F = 15.91; p < 0.001) and Physiological Cost Index (F = 235.93; p < 0.001). The variations of most parameters at different visits correlated to the training load calculated. In a regression model, the PFWD variations directly correlated with rate sessions completed, training load and ABI change and inversely with the baseline value (R2 = 0.27; p < 0.001). In the PAD population studied, moderate pain-free exercise improved ABI with associated progressive functional and cardiovascular changes occurring regardless of subjects characteristics.

(Non)Religious Freedom: A Critical Perspective on the Contemporary Understanding of Freedom of Conscience and Religion

Nowadays, liberty of conscience as an inalienable right is a standard of demoliberal constitutionalism. It is an obvious component of a well-organized society and state. However, at the very beginning of its presence in the political discourse, it was more a product of Christian theology (the free conscience perceived as a gift of God) than a legal category; more an endowment of divinity than an intrinsic human value. In the contemporary, secularized world, our understanding of freedom of religion includes not only free exercise of religion but also freedom from religion. An increasing number of non-believers changes our expectations of the state that is obliged to protect the freedom of conscience of all citizens regardless of their beliefs. The goal of the article is to consider the difficulties faced by people with a theistic worldview in the reality of a state founded on the principle of ideological neutrality.

Effectiveness of Home-Based Pain-Free Exercise versus Walking Advice in Patients with Peripheral Artery Disease: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Exercise therapy in the intermediate stages of peripheral artery disease (PAD) represents an effective solution to improve mobility and quality of life (QoL). Home-based programs, although less effective than supervised programs, have been found to be successful when conducted at high intensity by walking near maximal pain. In this randomized trial, we aim to compare a low-intensity, pain-free structured home-based exercise (SHB) program to an active control group that will be advised to walk according to guidelines. Sixty PAD patients aged > 60 years with claudication will be randomized with a 1:1 ratio to SHB or Control. Patients in the training group will be prescribed an interval walking program at controlled speed to be performed at home; the speed will be increased weekly. At baseline and after 6 months, the following outcomes will be collected: pain-free walking distance and 6-min walking distance (primary outcome), ankle-brachial index, QoL by the VascuQoL-6 questionnaire, foot temperature by thermal camera, 5-time sit-to-stand test, and long-term clinical outcomes including revascularization rate and mortality. The home-based pain-free exercise program may represent a sustainable and cost effective option for patients and health services. The trial has been approved by the CE-AVEC Ethics Committee (898/20). Registration details: Clinicaltrials.gov NCT04751890 [Registered: 12 February 2021].