How is it that the U.S. Supreme Court is capable of getting most citizens to accept rulings with which they disagree? This analysis addresses the role of the symbols of judicial authority and legitimacy—the robe, the gavel, the cathedral‐like court building—in contributing to this willingness of ordinary people to acquiesce to disagreeable court decisions. Using an experimental design and a nationally representative sample, we show that exposure to judicial symbols (1) strengthens the link between institutional support and acquiescence among those with relatively low prior awareness of the Supreme Court, (2) has differing effects depending upon levels of preexisting institutional support, and (3) severs the link between disappointment with a disagreeable Court decision and willingness to challenge the ruling. Since symbols influence citizens in ways that reinforce the legitimacy of courts, the connection between institutional attitudes and acquiescence posited by Legitimacy Theory is both supported and explained.

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Small intestinal submucosa (SIS) is a biodegradable scaffold that supports bladder regeneration after partial cystectomy. We sought to define the inflammatory response present in a rat bladder augmentation model using distal ileal SIS. Fifteen Sprague-Dawley rats underwent hemi-cystectomy followed by anastomosis of a bladder patch of SIS. Bladders were excised after days 2, 7, 14, 28, and 56. Tissue regeneration was evaluated by standard hematoxylin and eosin. Immunohistochemical staining was used to quantify neutrophils, macrophages, eosinophils, and mast cells. Total cell counts per unit area were compared between native and graft portions of the bladder for each cell type across the entire time course. Statistical analyses were conducted with the Wilcoxon Rank-Sum and Kruskal-Wallis tests. All tests were two-sided with significance set at p < 0.05. These inflammatory responses evolved consistently across all bladders over time. Neutrophil and eosinophil numbers were highest at day 2 and decreased over the 56-day period. In contrast, macrophage and mast cell numbers were low at days 2, 7, and 14; peaked at day 28; and decreased once again at day 56. Cell counts at native and graft sites were equivalent for all cell types, except neutrophils, which were more commonly found in the graft (124 vs. 24 cells/mm(2), p = 0.009). Thus, the inflammatory processes change over time during SIS-mediated bladder regeneration. Similar cell densities are present between the native and SIS portions of the bladder, but neutrophils predominate in the graft areas.

Since courts lack control of the purse and the sword, understanding what causes the public to accept court decisions is essential. Using three studies, this paper shows that the public’s perception of the process judges use to make decisions changes the determinants of acceptance. When judges are perceived as using a principled decision-making process, institutional loyalty determines acceptance. When judges are perceived as using a politicized decision-making process, agreement with the policy implications of a decision determines acceptance. These results emphasize the importance of decision-making process perceptions in ensuring that courts can induce voluntary acceptance of their decisions.

Cystatin C and NGAL both appear to be useful biomarkers of renal injury. Studies with larger numbers are needed, however. Also, allopurinol does exhibit renoprotective effects against ischemic injury.

Our data continue to underscore the need for nephron sparing surgery (NSS), especially in the setting of BRM. The average decline in GFR of 28.9 % after treatment of both kidneys and renal cell carcinoma recurrence-free rate of 92.3 % further support the efficacy of NSS in these patients.

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Judicial elections have two opposing effects on legitimacy perceptions for state supreme courts. Elections not only provide a boost to legitimacy through the chance to hold officials accountable but also involve campaign activity that decreases legitimacy perceptions. This article examines these two opposing effects using a nationally representative survey that includes items assessing diffuse support for state supreme courts. It uses multiple indicators to differentiate between states with highly active election systems involving large amounts of campaign activity and states with less active elections systems that involve little campaign activity. The results from the survey show that the legitimacy of elected courts is higher than appointed courts but only in states with little election activity. In states with high amounts of election activity, the legitimacy of elected courts is lower than appointed courts.