Cases of Kava Impairment in Iowa Drivers

Kava is an Oceanic plant in which the root is consumed as a beverage and is becoming increasingly popular. The effects of kava consumption may include sedation, euphoria, and impairment of motor coordination. This article demonstrates kava impairment through four cases of self‐reported kava use supported with Drug Recognition Expert (DRE) evaluations of each subject. Subject's urines screened negative for common drugs of abuse by immunoassay analysis. Urine from cases 3 and 4 were analyzed by liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry, and gas chromatography–mass spectrometry, which yielded the presence of kavalactones. Subjects exhibited poor driving behavior and signs of intoxication. Indicators of impairment from multiple drug categories, central nervous system (CNS) depressants, CNS stimulants, and cannabis were observed, which may be consistent with the presence of multiple kavalactones and their diverse array of mechanisms of action. The consumption of kava can hinder one's ability to operate a vehicle safely.     

Testing for Interaction in Binary Logit and Probit Models: Is a Product Term Essential?

Political scientists presenting binary dependent variable (BDV) models often hypothesize that variables interact to influence the probability of an event, Pr( Y ). The current typical approach to testing such hypotheses is (1) estimate a logit or probit model with a product term, (2) test the hypothesis by determining whether the coefficient for this term is statistically significant, and (3) characterize the nature of any interaction detected by describing how the estimated effect of one variable on Pr( Y ) varies with the value of another. This approach makes a statistically significant product term necessary to support the interaction hypothesis. We show that a statistically significant product term is neither necessary nor sufficient for variables to interact meaningfully in influencing Pr( Y ). Indeed, even when a logit or probit model contains no product term, the effect of one variable on Pr( Y ) may be strongly related to the value of another. We present a strategy for testing for interaction in a BDV model, including guidance on when to include a product term.     

Anatomically detailed dolls and the evaluation of child sexual abuse allegations

Although anatomically detailed dolls are becoming the most commonly used tool in the validation of sexual abuse allegations, their use is not without significant problems. This evaluation of the psychometric properties of the dolls using the existing empirical literature reveals that there is considerable difficulty in the standardization of the dolls, administration and scoring procedures, and training in the doll's use. Furthermore, appropriate norms have not been developed. Although good interobserver reliability has been reported, the construct and criterion-related validity has not been demonstrated consistently. The current lack of an empirically based psychometric foundation does not support the use of the dolls in validation interviews, nor the admissibility of doll-based evidence in legal proceedings.     

A positive interpretation of the expansion of urban services in Latin America,with some Colombian evidence

It is argued that the contemporary phenomenon of rapid urbanisation cum rural‐urban migration with a high share of new urban jobs located in the service sector is likely to be an appropriate response to the agricultural, manufacturing, and service production functions available to the countries in question. There is at present no reason to believe it to be a less efficient process than the historical pattern in now developed countries, where production of goods provided relatively more urban employment than it does today. The nature of technological change between then and now appears to be a key factor in explaining the difference in patterns.     

Utility of a Grief Services Program for Medical Examiners' Offices

Medical examiner/coroner's (ME/C) offices investigate sudden, violent, and unexpected deaths, leaving those close to the deceased suffering traumatic loss with little in terms of support and counseling. We investigated a grief services program (GSP) at the New Mexico Office of the Medical Investigator (OMI) to better understand the needs of bereaved individuals, identify the services provided, and propose our findings as a model for others. A total of 1085 contacts occurred over 1 year, with the majority occurring at OMI (60.5%), followed by telephone (23.1%). Support was primarily provided to those suffering a loss due to homicide (28.8%) and suicide (26.1%). The roles grief counselors play in the setting of a GSP and ME/C office are multiple. Given the frequent utilization of OMI's GSP and diverse reasons for visits, it is apparent there is a need for GSPs at ME/C offices, particularly given the traumatic nature of deaths investigated by ME/Cs.     

Aristotle, Hobbes and Chimpanzees

The article is an exercise in the philosophical anthropology of politics. According to Aristotle, man is a political animal but not uniquely so, whereas, according to Hobbes, politics is artificial and the preserve of humans alone. Both Aristotle and Hobbes draw upon contemporary science. The dominant relevant science today is neo-Darwinism – humans are products of evolution and genetically closely related to the other primates. The argument that chimpanzees are political, thus putatively endorsing an Aristotelian rather than a Hobbesian perspective, is scrutinised. However, at best, chimpanzees are only metaphorically political. While this conclusion may weaken the Aristotelian position, it cannot of itself vindicate the Hobbesian one. The philosophical anthropological endeavour to investigate the relation between politics and human nature still has work to do.     

THEORIES OF REGULATORY IMPACT: THE ROLES OF THE REGULATOR, THE REGULATED, AND THE PUBLIC

Berry reviews the major theories for why legislative intent differs from regulatory output including: (1) theories of commission inadequacy, (2) group theories of political science, and (3) group theories of regulation offered by economists. He reviews the salient literature in each type and concludes that none alone incorporates a sufficient explanation for the wide range of regulatory outcomes. Such an explanation, he maintains, requires an analysis of all three actors, and of the variation in the incentives, resources, and goals of each.