The COVID-19 Pandemic as an Opportunity for a Permanent Reduction in Civil Rights

<p>The COVID-19 pandemic has had far-reaching effects, which are primarily being felt in the functioning of the health service, the organization of social life, and the state of the national economy. It is also worth paying attention to the legal and political consequences which are less obvious and noticeable for average citizens. One of the most important is the change in legislation which entails limiting civil liberties and rights. This article is on empirical proof of how Polish legislation is reducing fundamental rights. The authorities in combatting the pandemic are not using the solutions that appear in the Polish Constitution, but use the non-constitutional form of special laws. The authors, therefore, when discussing the problem refer to US legislation and policy which has the notable example of the Patriot Act which can be interpreted as being a pretext for limiting civil liberties in the name of combating terrorism. As stated, such emergencies as the current pandemic or the threat of terrorism, are used to permanently and significantly reduce civil rights.</p>

Acute and long-term kidney function after parathyroidectomy for primary hyperparathyroidism

Background In kidney transplant patients, parathyroidectomy is associated with an acute decrease in renal function. Acute and chronic effects of parathyroidectomy on renal function have not been extensively studied in primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT). Methods This retrospective cohort study included 494 patients undergoing parathyroidectomy for PHPT. Acute renal changes were evaluated daily until day 4 post-parathyroidectomy and were stratified according to acute kidney injury (AKI) criteria. Biochemical assessment included serum creatinine, total and ionized calcium, parathyroid hormone (PTH), and 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25OHD). The estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) was calculated using the CKD-EPI equation. We compared preoperative and postoperative renal function up to 5 years of follow-up. Results A total of 391 (79.1%) patients were female, and 422 (85.4%) were non-African American. The median age was 58 years old. The median (first and third quartiles) preoperative serum creatinine, PTH and total calcium levels were 0.81 mg/dL (0.68–1.01), 154.5 pg/mL (106–238.5), and 10.9 mg/dL (10.3–11.5), respectively. The median (first and third quartiles) preoperative eGFR was 86 mL/min/1.73 m2 (65–101.3). After surgery, the median acute decrease in the eGFR was 21 mL/min/1.73 m2 (p<0.0001). Acutely, 41.1% of patients developed stage 1 AKI, 5.9% developed stage 2 AKI, and 1.8% developed stage 3 AKI. The acute eGFR decrease (%) was correlated with age and PTH, calcium and preoperative creatinine levels in univariate analysis. Multivariate analysis showed that the acute change was related to age and preoperative values of ionized calcium, phosphorus and creatinine. The change at 12 months was related to sex, preoperative creatinine and 25OHD. Permanent reduction in the eGFR occurred in 60.7% of patients after an acute episode. Conclusion There was significant acute impairment in renal function after parathyroidectomy for PHPT, and almost half of the patients met the criteria for AKI. Significant eGFR recovery was observed during the first month after surgery, but a small permanent reduction may occur. Patients treated for PHPT seemed to present with prominent renal dysfunction compared to patients who underwent thyroidectomy.

Stagflation, Persistent Unemployment and the Permanence of Economic Shocks

When changes occur, people do not know how long they will persist. Using a simple stochastic structure that incorporates temporary and permanent changes in an augmented IS-LM model, we show that rising prices and rising unemployment – stagflation – is likely to follow a large permanent reduction to productivity. All markets clear and all expectations are rational. People learn gradually the permanent values which the economy will reach following a permanent shock and gradually adjust anticipations. In our model, optimally perceived permanent values take the form of a Koyck lag of past observations.

Methodology of maintenance of arrival flow integrity based on the characteristics of the permanent reduction mode

The article deals with the technique of constructing standard arrival routes using the CDO profile in the airspace of the "approach" zone with increased air traffic intensity. The methodology for calculating the effective values of airspace structure elements is based on the probabilistic characteristics of the arrival flow, on the basis of which the required working areas of the «trombone» and «point merge» are determined in an iterative way in order to maintain the CDO regime. As a result of the application of this technique, an exemplary structure is presented from three standard arrival routes for Sheremetyevo Airport, in which trombones are used on the final sections of the arrival route. The calculation of the probabilistic characteristics of the unimportant functioning of a «trombone» («point merge») is made proceeding from the Poisson law of the arrival flow of the aircraft for each route and the uniform distribution of the random value of the aircraft entry of all routes to an elementary common segment (l). A comparative evaluation of the efficiency of the “trombone” and “point merge” circuits on the working area is made on the basis of the characteristics of the aircraft traffic flow. An important result is obtained, mainly on the “trombone” type, not only on the efficiency of airspace use, but also on the integrity characteristics of the aircraft arrival required for CDO. The obtained results are confirmed by the simulation carried out under the conditions of the problem. In conclusion, the conditions for the practical provision of a constant reduction regime at CDO sections of the standard arrival routes are presented, which includes the exceedance of the calculated ATM, and measures are proposed to minimize the negative consequences from such disturbances of the incoming flow.

Can a Casualty Loss Be Deducted in the Absence of Physical Damage?

ABSTRACT When a casualty event (storm, fire, landslide, etc.) does not cause actual physical damage, can a casualty loss deduction be taken by a taxpayer for a permanent reduction in value? There are conflicting opinions by two federal circuit courts, and the definition of “permanent” is still largely undefined. The relevance of this issue is of increased importance with the numerous recent major casualties affecting the U.S. mainland and territories. The 9th Circuit has adamantly held that actual physical damage must occur to have a deductible casualty loss, whereas the 11th Circuit has held that a permanent decrease in value can qualify as a deductible casualty loss even with little or no actual physical damage to the property.

Khrushchev’s Reforms and the Late (And Post-)Soviet Gulag

This chapter assesses Khrushchev's reforms in the penal sphere. The reforms of the Khrushchev period had an important lasting effect on the Soviet penal system. This certainly holds true in terms of the Gulag's permanent reduction in size, but it also applies to the reorientation of Gulag aims and the resultant improved conditions experienced by its inmates. Although certain inmate privileges were reduced or eliminated in the early 1960s at the culmination of the “camp is not a resort” campaign, many of the most important prisoner-friendly reforms of the 1950s, such as parole and the eight-hour workday, remained. Despite certain continuities, therefore, the Gulag did not return to a state of unchecked (and even abetted) violence, grueling labor, and oppressive living conditions—the defining features of the Stalinist penal system. De-Stalinization in the penal sphere was a real and enduring legacy of the Khrushchev era.

Idiopathic Intracranial Hypertension in a Prepubertal Pediatric Japanese Patient Complicated by Severe Papilledema

Purpose: To report a rare case of idiopathic intracranial hypertension (IIH) in a prepubertal pediatric patient. Case Report: The patient was an 11-year-old Japanese boy. Initially, an ophthalmologist found severe papilledema, and the patient was diagnosed with IIH. He was unresponsive to conservative therapy, and a ventriculoperitoneal shunt was inserted in the Neurosurgery Department because the visual impairment was severe. Twelve months after the shunt, the improvement in vision was limited due to optic disc atrophy. Conclusion: Ophthalmologists need to be more aware of II, especially in cases with severe papilledema that can lead to permanent reduction of vision.

Electrical Stimulation of the Ear, Head, Cranial Nerve, or Cortex for the Treatment of Tinnitus: A Scoping Review

Tinnitus is defined as the perception of sound in the absence of an external source. It is often associated with hearing loss and is thought to result from abnormal neural activity at some point or points in the auditory pathway, which is incorrectly interpreted by the brain as an actual sound. Neurostimulation therapies therefore, which interfere on some level with that abnormal activity, are a logical approach to treatment. For tinnitus, where the pathological neuronal activity might be associated with auditory and other areas of the brain, interventions using electromagnetic, electrical, or acoustic stimuli separately, or paired electrical and acoustic stimuli, have been proposed as treatments. Neurostimulation therapies should modulate neural activity to deliver a permanent reduction in tinnitus percept by driving the neuroplastic changes necessary to interrupt abnormal levels of oscillatory cortical activity and restore typical levels of activity. This change in activity should alter or interrupt the tinnitus percept (reduction or extinction) making it less bothersome. Here we review developments in therapies involving electrical stimulation of the ear, head, cranial nerve, or cortex in the treatment of tinnitus which demonstrably, or are hypothesised to, interrupt pathological neuronal activity in the cortex associated with tinnitus.

The Development And Implementation Of A Concept To Permanent Reduction Of Noise Pollution In Production Taking Into Account The Legal And Economic Framework Conditions

Article deals with the issue of reducing noise impact in real conditions of industrial production. The solution includes measurements and calculations of noise level the person is exposed to and developing proposals for effective reduction of noise levels at the specific workplace. When assessing noise levels and design to reduce it to an acceptable level we will consider the legal, safety and economic conditions.