Order in the Steinhaus case

In April 1986, one-month-old Lance Tyler Steinhaus sustained serious injuries, attributed to abuse by his father, that left him comatose. His mother and his physicians agreed that he should not be treated aggressively. The Redwood County (Minnesota) Welfare Department obtained a temporary order restraining withdrawal of Lance's antibiotic therapy. Lance's mother and Dr. David Steinhorn, a pediatrician, appealed to the County Court to dissolve the temporary injunction. Judge George I. Harrelson in this decision denied their request on the grounds that both state and federal law establish that infants with life-threatening conditions have a right to medically-indicated treatment and that Lance Steinhaus had such a right because he was in a "vegetative state" rather than technically "comatose." [Editor's note: After conducting another hearing on Lance's neurological status, the court ruled on 18 October that Lance was irreversibly comatose and ordered only "comfort care."]     

Rogers v. Whitaker

The High Court of Australia affirmed the Supreme Court of New South Wales' determination that a doctor has a duty to warn a patient of any material risk involved in a proposed treatment. A risk is considered material if a reasonable person in similar circumstances would attach significance to the risk, or if the doctor is, or should be, cognizant that the particular patient would express concern about the risk. The trial court overruled the precept that a doctor could not be found negligent in warning a patient if the doctor acted within the purview of common practice, even though other practitioners may follow different procedures and regardless of the particular patient's concerns. In this case, Maree Whitaker became essentially blind after an unsucessful operation on her right eye caused sympathetic ophthalmia in her left eye. Although there was no question that the surgery had been performed with the requisite skill and care, Ms. Whitaker petitioned the court for relief due to the failure of the ophthalmologist, Dr. Christopher Rogers, to warn her of the possibility (approximately 1 in 14,000) that the sympathetic ophthalmia condition could develop. The trial court's award of damages was affirmed because, in spite of Ms. Whitaker's expressed specific concern that her "good eye" not be harmed, Dr. Rogers did not inform her of the potential risks associated with the surgery.     

我国新股发行定价市场化问题探讨

资本市场的效率很大程度上取决于市场的定价效率,理论分析表明最有效的定价方式是市场化的发行定价.我国的资本市场效率在新股发行方式的不断变换中得到改善,但是新股的发行定价还没有真正实现市场化.本文力图找出适合于现阶段我国股市的发行定价方式,逐步实现市场化的发行和定价方式,提高资本市场的资源配置效率.     

广州公民政治参与状况调查

公民政治参与是衡量政治文明发展程度的重要标志。调查显示当前广州公民政治参与呈现引人关注的若干基本特点 :党和政府的基层组织、职能部门以及领导人是党群、政群沟通的第一线力量 ;报纸、电视等成为公民政治参与的主流渠道 ,互联网在参与中的作用加强 ;国有和三资企业中的中高级管理人员、个体经营者成为政治生活的一支重要力量 ;选举机制的不完善和沟通渠道的不畅通阻碍公民政治参与的热情 ;多数公民倾向于以正式途径和理智行动解决纠纷 ,但对激烈手段的认同率有所上升 ;必须重视由利益受损、失业压力及腐败问题造成的群众性事件