The conflict between the ethics of th individual and the ethics governing public health: practical sustainability of health care in jeopardy?

The "health rights movement" has reconstructed the clinical relationship between health care workers and patients by simultaneously demanding more from traditional medical care and challenging the perceived power differential between doctors and patients by rejecting the paternalistic medical model in favour of an individual patients' rights model. However, the growth in individual expectations of a right to health care creates a potential conflict with the ethics that prioritise public health and guide the rationing of its limited financial and human capital resources. This, in turn, creates a practical dilemma which requires public health institutions to become service orientated while sacrificing their integral role in training and educating the medical workforce and potentially compromising the practical sustainable delivery of public health in Australia. However, the law can play a role in resolving this conflict through legislation, regulations, codes, administrative law and common law in an effort to ensure the quality and future sustainability of public health in Australia.     

Accumulation of explosives in hair--Part 3: Binding site study

This study extends previous work on the sorption of explosives to the hair matrix. Specifically, we have studied the interaction of 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (TNT) and triacetone triperoxide (TATP) as a function of chemical pretreatment with acetonitrile, neutral and alkaline hydrogen peroxide, methanolic KOH and potassium permanganate, and the morphological changes that accompany these treatments. While differences in vapor pressure can account for quantitative differences between TNT and TATP sorption, both are markedly affected by the chemical rinses. Examination of the hair surface shows different degrees of smoothening following rinsing, suggesting that the attachment to hair is largely a surface phenomenon involving the 18-methyleicosanoic acid lipid layer. Density functional theory calculations were employed to explore possible nucleation sites of TATP microcrystals on the hair. We conclude that some of the sites on melanin granular surfaces may support nucleation of TATP microcrystals. Moreover, the calculations support the experimental finding that dark hair adsorbs explosives better than light hair.     

Prospective associations among borderline personality disorder symptoms, interpersonal problems, and aggressive behaviors

This study examined the prospective relationships among borderline personality disorder (BPD) symptoms, interpersonal problems, and types of aggressive behaviors (i.e., experiencing psychological and physical victimization and perpetrating psychological and physical aggression) in a psychiatric sample (N = 139) over the course of 2 years. We controlled for other PD symptoms and demographic variables. BPD symptoms at baseline were associated with interpersonal sensitivity, interpersonal ambivalence, interpersonal aggression, need for social approval, and lack of sociability 6 months later. In turn, interpersonal sensitivity predicted not experiencing physical aggression, interpersonal aggression predicted experiencing physical aggression and perpetrating both psychological and physical aggression, need for social approval predicted experiencing both psychological and physical aggression, and lack of sociability predicted perpetrating physical aggression 2 years later. Results demonstrated that interpersonal problems mediated the relationship between BPD and later violent behaviors. Our findings suggest the importance of distinguishing between these groups of aggressive behaviors in terms of etiological pathways, maintenance processes, and treatment interventions.     

Effectiveness of school-based programs to reduce bullying: a commentary

Objectives

Recent decades have seen a focus on intervention programs to reduce school bullying, in light of the severe negative consequences of such behavior. A recent meta-analysis by Ttofi and Farrington (Journal of Experimental Criminology 7: 27?C56, 2011) provided encouraging findings in terms of some significant reductions in bullying and victimization achieved by many programs. They also report analyses of effect sizes associated with specific program elements and design features of the interventions. While this is an important step forward, we critique some of the strong policy implications which they draw from these latter analyses.

Methods

We discuss four important areas to substantiate this critique: analytical procedure, definitional issues, historical issues, and recent empirical data. As context, we use two particular program elements described by Ttofi and Farrington, namely use of disciplinary measures and work with peers, and one design feature, namely age of pupils.

Results

The findings for the program elements and design feature examined are complex and do not justify strong policy implications at this stage.

Conclusions

We conclude with suggestions for future research directions.     

The Nature of Law and Potential Coercion

This paper argues for a novel understanding of the relationship between law and coercion. It firstly refutes Kenneth Himma’s claim that the authorisation of coercive enforcement mechanisms is a conceptually necessary feature of law. It then claims that the best way to understand the law is as coercion‐apt. The “coercion‐aptness” of law is clarified, in part, by appealing to an essential distinction between law and morality: Whereas it can be reasonable for the law to appeal to coercive means in order to motivate compliance, it seems decidedly unreasonable for morality to do so.