Impact of drug use on inmate misconduct: A multilevel analysis

Despite the importance of drug use problems among offenders, relatively little was known about whether drug use history affected inmate behavior in prison. Using data from the 1997 survey of inmates in state facilities in the U.S., this study examined the following relationships: the effect of drug use prior to incarceration on substance rule violations per month during incarceration and the effect of drug use prior to incarceration on non-substance rule violations per month in prison. This study revealed that the variable drug use history was a significant predictor of substance rule violations per month and of non-substance rule violations per month in prison. The implications of the findings are also discussed.     

Federal old-age, survivors, and disability insurance; earnings test: Social Security Administration. Interim regulations

The Social Security Administration is issuing interim regulations to implement sections 1, 3, and 4 of Pub. L. 96-473 (enacted October 19, 1980) that make a number of changes in the application of the earnings test for retirement purposes. The provisions are designed to eliminate some unintended and harsh effects of the limitations on the use of the monthly earnings test imposed by the Social Security Amendments of 1977. Section 1 permits the use of the monthly earnings test by those beneficiaries entitled to child's benefits, young wife's and young husband's benefits (entitled only by reason of having an entitled child in their care) or mother's and father's benefits, in the year that entitlement terminates, if termination is for a reason other than death and the beneficiary is not entitled to another type of Social Security benefit for the month following the month of termination. Section 3 excludes from gross income, for purposes of the annual earnings test, self-employment income which is received in a year after the initial year of entitlement to insurance benefits under title II (other than disability benefits and childhood disability benefits) and is not attributable to services performed after the month of entitlement. Section 4 provides for all beneficiaries the use of the monthly earnings test in the first taxable year after 1977 in which a beneficiary has a non-service month in or after the month of entitlement to benefits.     

Medicaid program; deduction of incurred medical expenses (spenddown)--HCFA. Final rule with comment period

This final rule with comment period permits States flexibility to revise the process by which incurred medical expenses are considered to reduce an individual's or family's income to become Medicaid eligible. This process is commonly referred to as "spenddown." Only States which cover the medically needy, and States which use more restrictive criteria to determine eligibility of the aged, blind, and disabled, than the criteria used to determine eligibility for Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits (section 1902(f) States) have a spenddown. These revisions permit States to: Consider as incurred medical expenses projected institutional expenses at the Medicaid reimbursement rate, and deduct those projected expenses from income in determining eligibility; combine the retroactive and prospective medically needy budget periods; either include or exclude medical expenses incurred earlier than the third month before the month of application (States must, however, deduct current payments on old bills not previously deducted in any budget period); and deduct incurred medical expenses from income in the order in which the services were provided, in the order each bill is submitted to the agency, by type of service. All States with medically needy programs using the criteria of the SS program may implement any of the provisions. States using more restrict criteria than the SSI program under section 1902(f) of the Social Security Act may implement all of these provisions except for the option to exclude medical expenses incurred earlier than the third month before the month of application.     

Mesh-sided cots — yet another potentially dangerous infant sleeping environment

Two cases of accidental asphyxia involving an 11.5 month old boy and a 3.5 month old boy who each died after being trapped between the elastic mesh side of their cots and the cot mattress are reported. In both cases the original cot mattress had either been replaced or augmented by a less well fitting, thicker mattress. Particular problems that exist with these type of mesh sided cots are the potential for considerable stretching of the side of the cot admitting the relatively larger, poorly supported infant head, with elastic recoil of the mesh holding the head in potentially dangerous positions. To help determine whether accidental asphyxia has occurred, death scene examination in cases of sudden infant death during sleep should include reconstruction of the position of the body in the cot or bed, with careful examination of the structure of the cot/bed.     

Sudden Infant and Early Childhood Death and Sinus of Valsalva Pseudoaneurysms

Two cases of occult pseudoaneurysms of the sinus of Valsalva (SoV) are reported to demonstrate different etiologies and lethal mechanisms. A previously well 9‐month‐old boy who suffered an unexpected fatal cardiorespiratory arrest was found at autopsy to have a ruptured pseudoaneurysm of the left SoV resulting in lethal hemopericardium. A 13.5‐month‐old boy died soon after presenting with a 24‐h history of poor feeding and reduced urine output. At autopsy, destruction of the noncoronary cusp of the aortic valve by bacterial endocarditis was found with extension of the inflammation into a pseudoaneurysm of the SoV with surrounding abscess formation involving the atrioventricular node. Death was most likely due to an arrhythmia. Pseudoaneurysms of the SoV are exceedingly rare but may result in sudden/unexpected death in infancy and early childhood from rupture or involvement of the conduction system or myocardium. Detailed cardiac examination is essential in all unexpected deaths in early life.     

The compliant court — Procedural fairness and social control in compulsory community care

Compulsory community care (CCC) was introduced in Sweden in 2008. This article investigates all written court decisions regarding CCC over a 6 month period in 2009 (N = 541). The purpose is to examine how the legal rights of patients are protected and what forms of social control patients are subjected to.     

Evaluation of the Phoenix TRUCE Project: A Replication of Chicago CeaseFire

The Phoenix TRUCE Project was modeled after the Chicago CeaseFire program. There have been relatively few process and impact evaluations on the model compared to the level of funding and attention the program has rendered. This paper presents findings related to the evaluation of the TRUCE project. We found that the program engaged in a strong media campaign, conducted conflict mediations, and identified high-risk individuals for case management. The program did not, however, establish a coordinated and collaborative relationship with the faith-based community or other community groups. Time-series analysis showed that program implementation corresponded to a significant decrease in overall levels of violence by more than 16 incidents on average per month, a decrease of 16 assaults on average per month, and resulted in a significant increase of 3.2 shootings on average per month, controlling for the comparison areas and the trends in the data.     

A fatal case of pepper poisoning.

An 8 month old infant died as the result of administration of a traditional remedy, given orally as an infusion of a red powder. The symptoms on admission were coughing with diarrhoea and vomiting. Analysis of the powder using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) confirmed the suspicion of capsaicin. Pepper preparations, which are used as traditional medicines, are highly toxic and their use on infants should be discouraged.     

Architecture and Terrorism: A Case Study of the Impact of “The Troubles” on the Architecture of Northern Ireland

Twenty years ago last month “the troubles” began in Northern Ireland. The political, social and economic implications of the problems that now beset the province are well known. What is less familiar is the effect the troubles are having on architecture and environmental design in Northern Ireland. This paper seeks to examine the way the special demands of security and solidity of construction are reconciled with the political policy of playing down the visual impact of the troubles.     

Social Security benefits; disability insurance benefits; deductions, reductions, and nonpayments of benefits--SSA. Final rules with comment period

These regulations amend the existing regulations under which Social Security benefits payable to a disabled worker and his or her family may be reduced because of the worker's concurrent entitlement to workers' compensation benefits. They provide that entitlement to certain other public disability benefits may reduce the disability benefits paid by Social Security; that the reduction applies to the first month of concurrent entitlement regardless of the month in which we are notified of entitlement to the public disability benefit; and that the reduction applies to all months of concurrent entitlement until the disabled worker attains age 65. These regulations also provide that where a public disability law or plan provides for reduction of the public disability benefit on the basis of entitlement to Social Security disability insurance benefits that provision will preclude reduction of the Social Security benefits but only if it was in effect on February 18, 1981. These regulations implement section 2208 of the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1981 (Pub. L. 97-35).     

Personnel leadership in action: doing something about health care cost containment

It's no secret that health care costs are skyrocketing and will continue to do so unless business, particularly personnel professionals, takes responsibility for containing them. This month, we present a panel report whose participants--ranging from the corporate manager of employee benefits at TRW to the director of public relations at Blue Cross Of Milwaukee--are taking concrete action to improve employee health and company expenses.     

Receipt of petition of rulemaking from the American Association of Physicists in Medicine. Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Publication of a petition for rulemaking

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission is publishing a petition for rulemaking submitted by the American Association of Physicists in Medicine. The petition requests an interval longer than the two years between required calibrations of a dosimetry system used to perform full calibration measurements on a teletherapy unit--as long as suitable dosimetry system verification checks are carried out. The suggested amendments are intended to reduce the current six month waiting period for instrument calibration without adversely affecting dosimetry system reliability.     

Civilian Health and Medical Program of the Uniformed Services (CHAMPUS); TRICARE prime enrollment procedures--DOD. Proposed rule

This proposed rule modifies the TRICARE Prime enrollment for active duty families by specifying that the enrollment period is continuous rather than a 12 month enrollment period and it allows monthly installment payments of enrollment fees for those beneficiaries required to pay an annual fee in order to enroll in TRICARE Prime. These modifications are being made because TRICARE will soon be available wordwide for active duty family members.     

Supplemental Security Income for the Aged, Blind and Disabled (SSI) program demonstration project; treatment of cash received and conserved to pay for medical or social services--SSA. Notice

The Commissioner of Social Security will conduct a demonstration project to test how certain altered resources counting rules might apply in the SSI program. The SSI program is authorized by title XVI of the Social Security Act (the Act). The rules which will be tested are those that apply to the treatment of cash received and conserved to pay for medical or social services. Cash which is received for the purposes of payment for medical or social services is not counted as income to the beneficiary when received. If cash received for medical or social services which is not a reimbursement for these services already paid for by the beneficiary is conserved, it is not counted as a resource for the calendar month following the month of receipt, so long as it remains separately identifiable from other resources of the individual. Beginning with the second calendar month following the month of receipt, cash received for the payment of medical or social services becomes a countable resource used in the determination of SSI eligibility. The Health Care Financing Administration of the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) is collaborating with the States of Arkansas, Florida, New Jersey and New York and with the National Program Office at the University of Maryland's Center on Aging, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation of the DHHS, the National Council on Aging and Mathematica Policy Research (the evaluator) on a demonstration project to provide greater autonomy to the consumers of personal assistance services. Personal assistance services are help with the basic activities of daily living, including bathing, dressing, transferring, toileting, and eating, and/or instrumental activities of daily living such as housekeeping, meal preparation, shopping, laundry, money management and medication management. Consumers of personal assistance services who participate in this demonstration will be empowered by purchasing the services they require (including medical and social services) to perform the activities of daily living. In order to accomplish the objective of the demonstration project, cash allowances and information services will be provided directly to persons with disabilities to enable them to choose and purchase services from providers which they feel would best meet their needs. Medicaid is the predominant source of public financing for personal assistance services programs for the aged, blind and disabled. The demonstration which will permit the States of Arkansas, Florida, New Jersey and New York to waive certain requirements under title XIX of the Act to participate in this "Cash and Counseling" demonstration is within the authority granted to the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) by section 1115 of the Act. Medicaid beneficiaries who participate in this demonstration will be given cash to purchase the services they need from traditional and nontraditional providers as they deem appropriate. Counseling will be available for these beneficiaries to assist them in effective use of funds allotted for personal assistance services. Many of the Medicaid beneficiaries who participate in the Cash and Counseling demonstration will be SSI beneficiaries or belong to coverage groups using eligibility methodologies related to those of the SSI program under title XIX of the Act. The Commissioner of Social Security wishes to test the appropriateness of current SSI rules which require counting cash received for the purchase of medical or social services as resources if retained for more than one month after the month of receipt. The test will also be used to assist the Secretary of HHS in testing the possibility of providing greater autonomy to the consumers of personal assistance services by empowering them to purchase the services they require (including medical and social services) to perform their activities of daily living. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED)     

Age-dependent morphologic findings of the thyroid in sudden infant death

Age (eight days to 12 months) and degree of colloid depletion or colloid content of the follicles (normal, partially depleted, depleted) were correlated on the basis of 176 thyroid investigations in cases of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). In the 176 SIDS cases, a resting thyroid gland with normal colloid content could only be found in 14%, whereas partially depleted follicles were found in 35% and depleted follicles in 51%. 60% of all cases showed a large degree of epithelial desquamation up to collapse of all follicles. A marked capillary hyperemia was found in 48%. 80% of the cases showed a normal colloid content in the first month of life, and colloidfree follicles should not be detected in any case. An increased incidence of thyroid activation was obtained in the total number of cases only from the second month of life. The histomorphological appearance of the thyroid gland thus corresponds to that of healthy infants only in the first month of life. The question as to why there is an evidently raised thyroid activity in the subsequent months of life in SIDS cases is discussed.     

The impact of vendorship legislation and interprofessional competition in the market for social workers' services.

The results of this article suggest that, in the short run, vendorship legislation will not result in a large shift of social workers from organized settings into private practice. However, vendorship legislation appears to increase the number of social workers in private practice in areas that have not attracted as many psychiatrists. Thus, vendorship may have a favorable impact on the geographic distribution of mental health providers. Vendorship legislation may result in increases in private practice social workers in underserved areas. The results also suggest that social workers and psychiatrists compete in the market for mental health services. In counties with higher psychiatrist-to-population ratios, fees for social workers' services are lower. Further, in counties with higher psychiatrist-to-population ratios, the number of social workers in private practice decreased after vendorship. Finally, there is a large range of optimal practice size for social workers. Social workers with 20 or more clients per month can provide mental health services at the lowest average cost per client. Thus social workers operating either full-time or part-time practices with more than 20 clients per month can provide mental health services efficiently.     

Expert evidence. Historical perspectives

Nearly 150 years ago, a seaman received a blow on the right side in the liver region, dying a month later. As a result of fresh autopsy findings, the accused was arrested and imprisoned. However, the defense counsel obtained an exhumation order. This led to the discovery of coexisting lethal disease and culminated in full discharge by a grand jury. The various aspects of the case are examined and shown to anticipate modern principles of expert evidence.     

构建民事审前调解程序的思考

现行法院调解制度存在调审合一、律师参与有限、当事人不出庭等方面问题,影响了调解作用的发挥。建议借鉴国外立法,建立审前调解程序,实行调审分离,设立专门调解法官,加强律师功能,规定当事人亲自参与调解,并确定审前调解时限为1个月,裁判程序中不予调解制度等。