Communities and citizens: Identity and difference in discourses of Asia‐pacific regionalism

In the post‐Cold War world era, increasing attention is being given to forces of regionalism in global politics. These forces raise the possibility of thinking about citizenship beyond the usual borders of the political communities of nation‐states. Yet the extension of questions of citizenship to regional levels does not dispel the problems of identity formation and the suppression or exclusion of difference in the construction of communities. In the burgeoning discourses of Asia‐Pacific regionalism there is a new orthodoxy which combines elements of neo‐realism, neo‐liberalism and what is often referred to as an ‘Asian way’. But this new orthodoxy neither surrenders nor disturbs sovereign statehood. As a result, discourses of Asia‐Pacific regionalism reinforce the kinds of citizenship granted by political communities of existing nation‐states of the region and fail to recognize difference within and between these communities.     

Attentional and intellectual deficits in unmedicated behavior-disordered adolescent inpatients

The authors examined the hypothesis that impairments in attention and verbal intelligence are associated with seriously maladaptive social behavior in behavior-disordered, hospitalized adolescents. Twenty-five unmedicated inpatients with disruptive behavior disorder diagnoses were rated during a one-month period for frequency of severe disruptive episodes, or critical incidents (CI); these included assaults, behavior resulting in the use of restraints, etc. All subjects independently received intelligence testing and continuous performance testing (CPT). Based on CI scores, subjects were divided into a high-CI group (CI>5; N=9) and a low-CI group (CI<4; N=16). On the CPT, the high-CI group showed more impairment in perceptual sensitivity (d; this group also had lower verbal IQ scores. (Both findings were significant at the p<.05 level.) The latter result was largely due to differences in Comprehension subtest scores. These results support the hypothesis, and may have implications for the treatment of behavior-disordered adolescents.Received M.D. from the University of Wisconsin, Major research interests are adolescent psychopathology, disruptive behavior disorders, and information processing.Received Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin. Major research interests are outcomes measurement, psychosis proneness, and psychodiagnostic assessment.Received Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin. Major research interests is adolescent psychopathology.Received M.A. from the State University of New York at Buffalo. Major research interests are adult attachment and mental representation.Received M.D. from the University of Pennsylvania. Major research interests are schizophrenia, personality disorders, and trauma.     

Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting Diary

Commonwealth Heads of Government convened in Malta from 27 to 29 November 2015 under the theme ‘The Commonwealth: adding Global Value’. They reaffirmed their shared and enduring commitment on behalf of the Commonwealth to the values and principles of the Commonwealth Charter. In a year of exceptional global challenges and opportunities, Heads addressed issues such as climate change, sustainable development, trade and investment, migration, and countering violent extremism and radicalism. They also deliberated on safeguarding the interests of Commonwealth small states and emphasised that the unique nature of the Commonwealth adds value in responding to contemporary global challenges. (http://thecommonwealth.org/sites/default/files/news-items/documents/CHOGM%202015%20Communique.pdf0)     

The Reliability of Pattern Classification in Bloodstain Pattern Analysis—PART 2: Bloodstain Patterns on Fabric Surfaces,

This study was designed to produce the first baseline measure of the reliability of bloodstain pattern classifications on fabric surfaces. Experienced bloodstain pattern analysts classified bloodstain patterns on pairs of trousers that represented three fabric substrates. Patterns also varied in type (impact, cast‐off, expiration, satellite stains from dripped blood, and transfer) and extent. In addition, case summaries that accompanied each pattern contained contextual cues that either supported the correct answer (i.e., positive bias), were misleading toward an incorrect answer (i.e., negative bias), or contained no directional information (i.e., neutral). Overall, 23% percent of the resulting classifications were erroneous. The majority (51%) of errors resulted from analysts misclassifying satellite stains from dripped blood. Relative to the neutral information, the positive‐bias information increased correct classifications and decreased erroneous classifications, and the negative‐bias information decreased correct classifications and increased erroneous classifications. The implications of these findings for BPA are discussed.     

Antipsychotic Use and Foster Care Placement Stability Among Youth With Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity/ Disruptive Behavior Disorders

The objective of this study was to investigate the association between antipsychotic initiation and placement transitions among youth in foster care with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and other disruptive behavior disorders (ADHD/DBD). Data were obtained from child welfare administrative records and Medicaid claims in one Mid-Atlantic state from January 1, 2010, through March 31, 2014. Cox proportional hazard model was conducted to estimate the risk of time to first placement transition during the 180-day follow-up among new antipsychotic users and propensity score matched nonusers. Results showed youth initiating antipsychotics had no significant reduction in foster placement transitions within the 180-day follow up (Hazard Ratio = 1.1; 95% CI = 0.7–1.6). Although antipsychotics are widely used for aggressive behaviors, a better understanding of clinical management of youth in foster care is needed to promote stable foster placement.     

The Effect of Microneighborhood Conditions on Adult Educational Attainment in a Subsidized Housing Intervention

The ACHIEVEability model of affordable housing aims to promote self-sufficiency by requiring enrollment in postsecondary education in exchange for subsidized housing. In this study, we exploit the quasi random assignment of ACHIEVEability participants (N = 84) to subsidized housing units to evaluate whether microneighborhood environments moderated participants’ progress in postsecondary education. Participants progressed in their educational pursuits in line with program requirements, earning about 12 college credits per year. Neighborhood block group characteristics moderated this progress. Participants who were assigned to housing located in poorer, more violent, and less educated block groups earned credits at a significantly slower rate than participants assigned housing in more advantaged block groups. Our results suggest that the micro environments immediately surrounding residents of subsidized housing matter, even if they are situated within broader contexts of spatial and personal disadvantage.     

行政伦理学应关注的四个重大问题

本文认为行政伦理学的发展必须倡导对该领域内重大问题的关注以及学者们在此类研究中的合作努力,作者提出四个值得关注的重要问题公共行政伦理学研究的规范性基础、全球化、组织设计、平等问题。