STRSeq: FAQ for submitting

The STR sequencing project was developed due to the necessity of publicly sharing sequencing information about Short Tandem Repeats (STR) associated with human identification. Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) or Massively Parallel Sequencing (MPS) is becoming more prevalent in forensics. Having a publicly accessible centralized location to maintain this forensic-specific type of sequencing information is useful for the community. It is also important that the community participate in providing information to strengthen this resource. Here we answer common questions about the STRSeq BioProject and encourage community engagement.     

Towards Justice for Girls:

Feminist critics of American juvenile justice have often observed the presence of a sexual double standard. Young men, it seems, may explore their sexuality with impunity. The sexually active young women, however, is likely to be defined as “incorrigible” or “uncontrolled” and charged with the youthful crime of status offending. The plight and Australian girls charged with such offences is less well documented. This paper examines and contrasts American and Australian policies in relation to young women before the courts and finds strong parallels. Though the general trend in both countries had been towards greater parity to treatment of the sexes, there is evidence to suggest a recent return to more paternalistic forms of juvenile justice.     

Request for comments: technical assistance to rural hospitals--HRSA. Notice: request for comments

The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), Office of Rural Health Policy (ORHP), is interested in obtaining public comments and suggestions to assist the Office in planning a program of technical assistance to rural hospitals. The ORHP is anticipating that funds may become available in Fiscal Year 1991 for technical assistance to rural hospitals. The ORHP invites comments on the needs of rural hospitals for technical assistance and support.     

Jurisdiction for Consumer Contracts: European Union: Modified Rules of Jurisdiction for Electronic Consumer Contracts

The Brussels Convention on Jurisdiction and the Recognition of Judgments in Civil and Commercial Matters (the Brussels Convention) is to be replaced in 2002 by a Community Instrument: The Council Regulation (EC) No 44/2001 of 22 December 2000 on jurisdiction and the recognition and enforcement of judgments in civil and commercial matters (the Regulation).¹ The Regulation is an important measure approved by the European Union to simplify rules of jurisdiction and recognition of judgments for the benefit of the Internal Market. Amongst other matters, the Regulation updates existing jurisdiction rules for a consumer contracts. The rules for consumer contracts apply where a consumer and a business are domiciled in a Member State or the business has a:“branch, agency or other establishment” in a Member State. Importantly, the Regulation clarifies jurisdiction rules for consumer contracts conducted over the World Wide Web (WWW). These rules are to be welcomed, as they provide guidance on what rules of jurisdiction apply to consumer contracts over the Web, albeit that they are limited to where the parties are domiciled in Europe. This article outlines the rules of jurisdiction for consumer contracts provided by the Regulation, and where appropriate, highlights some aspects of the new rules that will possibly require further discussion and clarification by the European Court of Justice once the new rules are in force.     

Maintaining change programmes for offenders: some suggestions for practice

Abstract

Despite the widespread acceptance that follow-up or maintenance sessions are an important part of the change process for those who have completed offender rehabilitation programmes, there have been few attempts to articulate the basis upon which such sessions might be developed. This paper reviews the current theoretical and empirical literature relating to maintenance programmes, concluding that whilst there are a number of theories which might be relevant to the design of effective maintenance programmes, there is almost no empirical basis from which to make any assessment of their likely value or effectiveness.     

Local Venues for Change: Legal Strategies for Healthy Environments

Mounting evidence documents the extraordinary toll on human health resulting from the consumption of unhealthy food products and physical inactivity. In response to America's growing obesity problem, local policymakers have been looking for legal strategies that can be adopted in their communities to encourage healthful behaviors. In order to provide practical tools to policymakers, this article examines four possible venues for local policy change to improve the health of a community: (1) the school environment (2) the built environment (3) community facilities and (4) the point of sale environment. Finally, the article examines the use of taxes or fees as a means of paying for nutrition policy work as well as potentially reducing the consumption of unhealthy products. This article illustrates that local laws and policies can be a valuable tool in changing a community's environment in order to improve nutritional options and increase opportunities for physical activity.     

Kyoto Mechanisms: Key Issues for Policy-makers for COP-6

This article provides an assessment of the "Kyoto mechanisms" – joint implementation, Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) and emissions trading established pursuant to Articles 6, 12 and 17 of the Kyoto Protocol. It focuses on significant policy issues raised by supplementarity, liability, equity and the design considerations relevant to operationalizing the mechanisms nationally and internationally.