Medicare program; peer review organization contracts: solicitation of statements of interest from in-state organizations--Alaska, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Kentucky, Maine, Nebraska, Nevada, South Carolina, Vermont, and Wyoming--HCFA. Notice

This notice, in accordance with section 1153(i) of the Social Security Act, gives at least 6 months' advance notice of the expiration dates of contracts with out-of-State Utilization and Quality Control Peer Review Organizations. It also specifies the period of time in which in-State organizations may submit a statement of interest so that they may be eligible to compete for these contracts.     

Detection of amphetamine in bloodstains,semen, seminal stains,saliva, and saliva stains

Low nanogram quantities of amphetamine were detected in 100μl samples of dried bloodstains using radioimmunoassay. Saliva, saliva stains, semen, and seminal stains also contained measurable quantities of the drug.     

Medicare program; Peer Review Organizations: revised scopes of work for the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, and all states except Delaware, Florida, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, Oklahoma, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Washington, and Wyoming--HCFA. Final notice

This notice describes requirements for the review activities of Utilization and Quality Control Peer Review Organizations (PROs) under contract extensions of the Scope of Work for the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands and all States except Delaware, Florida, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, Oklahoma, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Washington, and Wyoming. Section 1153(h)(1) of the Social Security Act requires us to publish any new policy or procedure adopted by the Secretary that affects substantially the performance of PRO contract obligations at least 30 days before the date the policy or procedure is to be used. Specifically, this notice describes the way in which PRO contract requirements are changed and explains significant changes in the PRO program (e.g., the way in which cases will be selected for review) and also describes continuing requirements. This notice also implements provisions of the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1990.     

Assessing Correlates of Onset, Escalation, Deescalation, and Desistance of Delinquent Behavior

This article evaluates the utility of social development model constructs toassess the correlates of onset, escalation, deescalation, and desistance ofdelinquent behavior, from age 12 to age 15, using a dynamic classificationapproach. Dynamic classification places individuals into categories basedon changes in levels of delinquent behavior over time. These analyses assessthe extent to which specific constructs are associated with changes in thedelinquency status of individuals. Constructs of the social developmentmodel (SDM), including opportunities for conventional involvement, skillsfor conventional involvement, rewards for conventional involvement,proactive family management, bonding to conventional society, opportunitiesfor antisocial involvement, antisocial interactions, perceived rewards forantisocial involvement, and norms against drug use, were significantlyassociated with change in delinquent behavior over time. Many of theconstructs were particularly salient in distinguishing between youths whoremained involved in delinquency and youths who deescalated or desisted fromdelinquent behavior during this period. Implications for preventiveinterventions and criminological theory are discussed.     

Race,Ethnicity, Threat,and the Designation of Career Offenders

Florida statutes allow for the application of enhanced sentences to defendants designated as “Career Offenders.” The application of these laws is discretionary and as such, prosecutors seek the designation for a fraction of the defendants who qualify. Utilizing Hierarchical Generalized Linear Modeling, this paper examines whether individual attributes, such as race and ethnicity, impact an individual's likelihood of receiving the Career Offender designation for 13,704 males sentenced to prison between 2002 and 2004. The second-level analysis incorporates county characteristics into the equation and tests whether these predictors have either a direct or a cross-level effect on the relationship. The broad theoretical framework that guides the present research is grounded in the social threat and social control perspective, which argues that minorities on both the individual and aggregate levels may be perceived as threatening in ways that can mobilize or enhance social controls.     

Medicare program; Peer Review Organizations: revised scopes of work for Delaware, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Jersey, Nevada, Oklahoma, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Washington, and Wyoming--HCFA. Final notice

This notice describes requirements for the review activities of Utilization and Quality Control Peer Review Organizations (PROs) for the next contract cycle in the States listed above. Section 1153(h)(1) of the Social Security Act requires us to publish any new policy or procedure adopted by the Secretary that affects substantially the performance of PRO contract obligations at least 30 days before the date the policy or procedure is to be used. Specifically, this notice describes significant changes in the way in which cases will be selected for review and also describes continuing requirements. This notice also implements provisions of the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1990 and announces the future direction of the PRO program.     

The Rights of Victims: Participation, Representation, Protection, Reparation

Victims have the right under Cambodian law to participate inthe Cambodian Extraordinary Chambers’ trials. The mannerin which they will exercise this right remains unsettled, butwill affect whether these trials are eventually fair, theirimpact on national reconciliation, and the establishment ofprecedents for future Cambodian litigation. The exercise ofvictims’ rights should be adapted to the context of trialsfor mass crimes, affecting victim participation, representation,protection and reparation.     

Organ weight effects of drowning and asphyxiation on the lungs,liver, brain,heart, kidneys,and spleen

An examination of the organ weights associated with victims of drowning, asphyxiation and trauma was undertaken to determine (a) the effects of asphyxiation compared to a trauma group, and in turn, (b) the effects of drowning compared to an asphyxiation group. Included in the study were 217 drowning deaths, 166 pure asphyxiation deaths and 381 trauma deaths. The effects of asphyxiation (compared to trauma) resulted in elevated mean organ weights for the lungs, liver, kidneys and spleen (with mean increases of 17.8, 10.5, 10.3 and 23.4%, respectively). Effects of drowning (compared to asphyxiation) resulted in elevated mean organ weights only with the lungs and kidneys (with mean increases of 30.0 and 4.4%, respectively). Only the mean heart and brain weight remained constant across all experimental groups. A picture of drowning is suggested in which elevated lung and kidney weights are the result of both asphyxiation and the aspiration of water that occurs with drowning, whereas elevated spleen and liver weights in drowning victims are associated with only the effects of asphyxiation. In addition, the common autopsy finding of a small, anemic spleen in drowning, rather than caused by some pathophysiological mechanism of death, is hypothesized to be a postmortem phenomenon.