Parallel Systems and Human Resource Management in India's Public Health Services: A View from the Front Lines

There is building evidence in India that the delivery of health services suffers both from an actual shortfall in trained health professionals and from unsatisfactory results of existing service providers working in the public and private sectors. This study focuses on the public sector and examines de facto institutional and governance arrangements that may give rise to well‐documented provider behaviors such as absenteeism that can adversely affect service delivery processes and outcomes. We analyze four human resource management (HRM) subsystems: postings, transfers, promotions and disciplinary practices from the perspective of front‐line workers—physicians working in rural healthcare facilities operated by two state governments. We sampled physicians in one “post‐reform” state that has instituted HRM reforms and one “pre‐reform” state that has not. The findings are based on both quantitative and qualitative measurements. The results show that formal rules are undermined by a parallel modus operandi in which desirable posts are often determined by political connections and side payments. The evidence suggests an institutional environment in which formal rules of accountability are trumped by a parallel set of accountabilities. These systems appear so entrenched that reforms have borne no significant effect. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

猪瘟野毒E2基因同源性比较

以人工感染发病猪的脾为材料提取总RNA ,根据已报道的猪瘟病毒基因组序列 ,设计合成了 2对引物 ,以总RNA为模板 ,利用反转录聚合酶链式反应 (RT PCR)、套组聚合酶链式反应(nPCR)及测序技术 ,对流行于我国甘肃省、陕西省、宁夏和广西自治区的 5株野毒株的主要外膜糖蛋白E2基因的核苷酸序列进行了测定 ,用DNAstar软件比较分析了 5株野毒之间及其与猪瘟兔化弱毒株 (C ST株 )E2基因的核苷酸序列和推导的氨基酸序列的同源性。结果发现 ,5株野毒与C ST株核苷酸序列的同源性为 81.7%～ 83.1% ,氨基酸同源性为 87.3%～ 88.6 % ,表明它们之间存在较大的差异 ;但 5株野毒之间核苷酸序列的同源性高达 98.8%～ 99.3% ,氨基酸同源性为96 .6 %～ 99.2 % ,表明它们之间的差异较小     

Analytical studies on some nitrogenous hallucinogens

Detection and identification of six members of the nitrogenous hallucinogens (glycolates, benzilates and phenyl acetamides) using thin-layer and gas-liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry were attempted. The methods used are sensitive, valuable and applicable in routine forensic analyses.     

Defined contusion marks caused by the knife handle]

If in inflicting a stab wound the knife is vigorously pushed in up to the end of the blade, this does not only cause cutting of the tissue, but also a blunt traumatization. The resulting abrasions can correspond with the respective construction parts (handle, handguard, devices for fixing the open blade) as to position, shape and size, thus allowing conclusions as to the shape of the instrument used. Incomplete, one-sided marks of the handle suggest an oblique-angled stab. The presence of a contusion mark shows that the blade penetrated completely, which makes it easier to draw conclusions as to the length of the blade from the depth of penetration. The reconstruction possibilities are demonstrated on the basis of three autopsies (homicide cases with different types of knives).     

Family Closeness and Domestic Abuse Among Caribbean and South American Women in South Florida

This paper focuses on the importance of family member closeness as a protective factor against domestic abuse. We explore the link between long-lasting relations within the family and intra-familial violence perpetrated against women in Latino households in South Florida. We use data from an Inter-generational Transmission of Drug Use between Latina Mothers and Daughters (ITDMD) study. The study includes data on family relations and domestic abuse. We estimate a series of multivariate regressions to obtain the probability of abuse against women, the types of abuse inflicted and the relationship with the abusers. Our results indicate that among abused women, the effects of long-lasting relations within the family differ depending on the type of relationship between the abuser and the victim and the degree of closeness the victim feels towards other family members. Given these findings, there is a need to further study family relations and abuse in Latino households.     

Attention‐Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder in Young French Male Prisoners

While forensic studies have reported higher than community rates of mental disorders in imprisoned populations, few studies have focused on attention‐deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in these subjects. The aim of this study was to investigate ADHD prevalence among young French male prisoners. A specific diagnostic interview (Conners' Adult ADHD Diagnostic Interview for DSM‐IV, CAADID) was used. Correlations between ADHD, subsyndromal ADHD, and criminal features were investigated. 11% of young male prisoners among 93 male subjects aged 18–35 years met the criteria for actual ADHD, and 17% met those for childhood ADHD. Considering ADHD and subsyndromal ADHD, prevalence was about 43% in adulthood. ADHD and subsyndromal ADHD in adulthood were significantly associated with a higher number of imprisonments and a younger age at first arrest. It could be advisable to better identify subjects with ADHD symptoms among prison populations.     

Analysis of UN Resolutions Relating to North Korea: A Comparison with Resolutions Relating to the Second Gulf War

This work attempts to understand whether it is possible to talk about the emergence of specific recurring linguistic patterns in UN resolutions, used as a political strategy. The paper presents a comparative analysis between a corpus of resolutions related to the Second Gulf War and to the 2011 North Korean nuclear crisis, focussing on ethic adjectives and preambulatory and operative phrases used in these resolutions. It is attempted to show how vague and weak expressions can be used either to lead to intentionally biased interpretations of the law as was supposed in the Iraqi case, or to mitigate international tensions, though maintaining a firm position against international threats, as supposed for North Korea.     

Dealing with natural disasters

Over the past two decades, natural disasters have severely hit the Southeast Asian region causing dramatic environmental, economic and social consequences. Through the lens of Beck's risk society framework and the theory of reflexive modernization, this article attempts at empirically taking stock of how the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) is addressing disaster risk through the creation of new regional institutions and mechanisms. In particular, it argues that the accumulation of the experience of catastrophes is leading ASEAN members towards the development of new precautionary initiatives to deal with disasters, and to forge a new way forward for the promotion of disaster cooperation and joint emergency response. The article is divided into five sections, which will only consider initiatives endorsed within the ASEAN framework. The first introduces risk societies as forms of modern societies and of the insecurities of the present world. In the second section attention is drawn to natural disasters as a paradigmatic example of Beck's risk society. The third section explores how ASEAN normative governance is evolving to include the issue of disaster management within its security and social agenda. Then the main institutional and operational innovations and tools through which ASEAN is preparing to deal with disaster risk are explored. Finally, the article suggests that despite ASEAN overall institutional innovations, the practice of cooperation still is effected by several factors, above all the lack of adequate resources and the difficulty of reconciling principles of solidarity with national sovereignty, which hinder ASEAN effectiveness in this area.     

Partner Violence Entrapment Scale: Development and Psychometric Testing

This article describes the development and testing of the psychometric properties of the Partner Violence Entrapment Scale (PVES), an instrument that evaluates the women’s perceived reasons for staying in violent partner relationships. After initial pilot testing, the scale was administered to 213 Spanish women who were victims of intimate partner violence (IPV). An exploratory factor analysis identified six factors: Socio-Economic Problems, Attachment and Fear of Loneliness, Blaming Oneself and Resignation, Impact on Children, Fear of Harm and Worry for the Partner, and Feelings of Confusion. Discriminant validity was established by demonstrating associations between PVES factors and socio-demographic, clinical and abuse variables. The scale appears to be a useful assessment tool for social and clinical settings. Its factor structure, reliability, and validity need to be replicated in other populations and samples.