Socioeconomic change and suicide: a time-series study from the Republic of Ireland

This ecological study examined the association between seven socioeconomic indicators (GDP, unemployment rate, female labor force participation rate, alcohol expenditure, marriage rate, percentage of births outside of marriage, and indictable crime rate) and total, male, and female rates of suicide and suicide plus undetermined death in Ireland during the period 1968-2000. Analysis of the data expressed as absolute values showed highly significant associations between the socioeconomic indicators and the total, male, and female suicide rates. However, these associations were explained by the strongly trended data. The trended nature of the data was removed by using year-to-year differences. Analysis of the first-differenced data showed that none of the socioeconomic indicators was associated with the total, male, or female suicide rates with the exception of indictable crime, which had a significant independent effect on the female suicide rate (coefficient = 2.0, p < .01) but not on suicide plus undetermined death. This study highlights the need to use econometric methods in time-trend analyses, the lack of age-sex specific exposure data in this area, and the challenge of understanding trends in suicide in their socioeconomic context.     

Public/private information sharing in healthcare fraud investigations

Private insurers have good reason, both in their private interest and in the public interest, for pursuing and rooting out fraud in the healthcare system; moreover, they often have sophisticated data systems, substantial investigative information, and management expertise that can be useful to prosecutors. It makes sense, as a public policy matter, to undertake steps to encourage insurers to be aggressive in pursuing legitimate fraud cases, and to provide a framework for effective cooperation and information sharing with law enforcement. At the same time, prosecutors are responsible for enforcing equal justice under the law; thus, any such relationship must be handled in an appropriate manner, with safeguards to protect privacy and the reputation of investigative subjects. While the courts have not yet explored many of the relevant legal and factual issues in this area, the author surveys existing guidance under governing laws and policies applicable to state and federal prosecutors, and suggests techniques to prevent inappropriate communication or use of such information.     

Police officer attitudes toward peers, supervisors, and citizens: A comparison between field training officers and regular officers

This article assesses whether police Field Training Officers (FTOs) display patterns of attitudes that distinguish them from non-field training officers. The analysis focuses on attitudes toward four important groups: fellow officers, immediate supervisors, top managers, and neighborhood residents. Interview data used were collected from Indianapolis Police Department (IPD) during the summer of 1996. Findings show that FTOs are more critical of their immediate supervisors and district managers than non-FTOs, whereas FTOs and non-FTOs hold similar attitudes toward their co-workers and neighborhood residents. Implications for future research and policy are discussed.     

哈萨克斯坦如何应对“荷兰病”

根据Corden和Neary提出的"荷兰病"理论模型及国内外相关研究,文章分别从世界石油价格波动是否直接影响哈萨克斯坦货币的汇率、外商直接投资是否更倾向于能源部门、能源行业是否存在工资上涨效应三个方面,对制造业等非能源型行业是否存在"去工业化"现象进行研究,发现哈萨克斯坦已经存在"荷兰病"的征兆。为此,对目前哈国政府所采取的建立哈国国民基金、促进经济结构转型等应对"荷兰病"的政策措施进行了分析。     

Computer simulation of the accident with nine victims

In the paper we wish to emphasise the significance of vehicle driving dynamics analysis in the collision phase and occupant load analysis by means of using a software environment. Thereby we also wish to present the results of the simulation of the course of a traffic accident with nine victims that arose from a collision between an Audi A6 passenger car and the VW Caravelle van. In treating the traffic accident the forensic expert was faced with the questions about what caused the injuries to the front passenger in the Audi A6 passenger car, about the way the two vehicles had collided, about their collision velocities, about the way the two vehicles were handled and about the causes that originated the traffic accident. The critical situation on the road was a consequence of the tiredness of the van driver, the inadequate use of the passive safety systems and overloading the van.