Public advocacy and the regulatory climate

A State's regulatory climate is an important determinant of utility capital costs and construction expenditures. This paper demonstrates the relationship of public (both proxy and qrassroots) advocacy movements with state regulatory climate and the cost of electricity. The perceived indifference of the utility industry and the regulatory process to public advocacy movements may be exploited by politicians seeking public office on an anti-utility platform. The result can be the weakening of the industry's long-run ability to produce a reliable power supply.     

Reviews

Messages and Meanings: An Introduction to Semiotics Marcel Danesi, Canadian Scholars' Press Toronto 1994

Australian Popular Culture Ian Craven (ed), Cambridge University Press Cambridge 1994

Identifying Australia in Postmodern Times Livio Dobrez (ed), Bibliotech Canberra 1994

Text and Context Bev Derewianka & Louise Ravelli (EDGA 976) PAGE SBS University of Wollongong 1995     

Assessing the Influence of Familial Paternalism on Child Neglect Sentencing Decisions

Familial responsibilities have been found to significantly reduce the severity of sentencing outcomes of defendants in the criminal court. Additional research also has suggested that this leniency might be contingent on the type of offense, with defendants who commit crimes which imply that they are unfit parents (e.g., drug offenses) not receiving a significant reduction in their likelihood of incarceration. Utilizing familial paternalism as the theoretical basis, the current study examines whether having children influences the sentences of defendants charged with forms of criminal child neglect. The findings indicate that having children does result in significantly reduced odds of incarceration for defendants charged with child neglect. These findings support the arguments set forth by familial paternalism. However, they do not support the inference that defendants convicted of child neglect are presumed to be unfit parents. Implication of these results and directions for future research are discussed.     

Ultra-trace analysis of illicit drugs from transfer of an electrostatic lift

This article introduces a method of collecting and analysing drug residues that integrates both electrostatic lifting and nanomanipulation-coupled to nanospray ionization mass spectrometry. The application of this hyphenated technique exhibits a useful means of collection and extraction of drug residues with ease and efficiency along with decreased limits of detection. From this method, it will be shown how increased sensitivity of analysis and lower limits of detection for drug analysis can be achieved. The same principles that allow lifting of dust prints by electrostatic lifting can be applied to lifting drug residues. Probing of the drug residues by nanomanipulation occurs directly from the lift, which provides a great platform for extraction. Nanomanipulation-coupled to nanospray ionization-mass spectrometry has been used for the extraction of trace analytes in previous experiments and is known as a very sensitive technique for the detection of ultra-trace residue. This method will demonstrate the electrostatic lifting of drug residue particles from a surface followed by extraction and ionization with nanomanipulation-nanospray ionization. The utility of this novel methodology allows for a more productive analysis when presented with ultra-trace amounts of sample.     

Bundaberg and beyond: duty to disclose adverse events to patients

Although much excellent work has been done in Australia and elsewhere to improve the safety and quality of health care provision, the practice of medicine is inherently risky--adverse events sometimes occur. In Australia, practical guidelines for the open disclosure of adverse events to patients have been developed and are being implemented. State and Territory medical boards have recently adopted Codes of Conduct which include disclosure provisions, although the Australian Medical Association's Code of Ethics does not yet contain express patient disclosure provisions. There is a dearth of authority concerning legal obligations to disclose known or suspected adverse events. Although many Australian jurisdictions have introduced statutory protection for those who apologise or express regret to patients following an adverse event, there is no corresponding express statutory disclosure obligation, unlike in some parts of the United States. The Bundaberg experience illustrates the complex ethical, practical and legal issues which arise in this area.     

Tailoring health programming to clergy: findings from a study of United Methodist clergy in North Carolina

Research indicating high rates of chronic disease among some clergy groups highlights the need for health programming for clergy. Like any group united by similar beliefs and norms, clergy may find culturally tailored health programming more accessible and effective. There is an absence of research on what aspects clergy find important for clergy health programs. We conducted 11 focus groups with United Methodist Church pastors and district superintendents. Participants answered open-ended questions about clergy health program desires and ranked program priorities from a list of 13 possible programs. Pastors prioritized health club memberships, retreats, personal trainers, mental health counseling, and spiritual direction. District superintendents prioritized for pastors: physical exams, peer support groups, health coaching, retreats, health club memberships, and mental health counseling. District superintendents prioritized for themselves: physical exams, personal trainers, health coaching, retreats, and nutritionists. Additionally, through qualitative analysis, nine themes emerged concerning health and health programs: (a) clergy defined health holistically, and they expressed a desire for (b) schedule flexibility, (c) accessibility in rural areas, (d) low cost programs, (e) institutional support, (f) education on physical health, and (g) the opportunity to work on their health in connection with others. They also expressed concern about (h) mental health stigma and spoke about (i) the tension between prioritizing healthy behaviors and fulfilling vocational responsibilities. The design of future clergy health programming should consider these themes and the priorities clergy identified for health programming.     

Harmless error analysis: How do judges respond to confession errors?

In Arizona v. Fulminante (1991), the U.S. Supreme Court opened the door for appellate judges to conduct a harmless error analysis of erroneously admitted, coerced confessions. In this study, 132 judges from three states read a murder case summary, evaluated the defendant's guilt, assessed the voluntariness of his confession, and responded to implicit and explicit measures of harmless error. Results indicated that judges found a high-pressure confession to be coerced and hence improperly admitted into evidence. As in studies with mock jurors, however, the improper confession significantly increased their conviction rate in the absence of other evidence. On the harmless error measures, judges successfully overruled the confession when required to do so, indicating that they are capable of this analysis.