Introduction to session 2: Magnitude of the crisis: The fiscal and human costs

Abstract

Many are looking to California and its state housing law for advice on how to deal with the affordability challenges affecting many metropolitan areas throughout the nation. It is thus critically important to go beyond the laws themselves and examine how state and municipal governance structure affects affordability, supply, and production. Some states give broad freedom to localities to develop policies that can potentially meet a range of goals and objectives. Others directly undermine those efforts by limiting local ability to pursue policy reforms while simultaneously failing to engage on the state level.

The redefinition of federalism on the national level, coupled with continued resistance to growth from some localities, establishes the state as at least an equal partner in dealing with housing supply and affordability issues. Understanding these distinctions is important, and the housing community needs to take them into account as it moves on the state front.     

Reviews

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Prevalence of delusional jealousy in psychiatric disorders

Delusional jealousy is a known risk factor for violence and homicide, but little is known about its prevalence in psychiatric disorders. We therefore reviewed retrospectively the psychopathological symptoms at admission and discharge, assessed with the AMDP system, of all patients admitted to the Psychiatric Hospital, University of Munich, Germany, from January 2000 through December 2008 (n=14,309). We identified 72 cases of delusional jealousy (0.5% of the whole sample). The prevalence was highest in schizophrenia and other psychoses (1.3%), and more of the patients with delusional jealousy were men (43 of 72, 59.7%). One-fifth (15 of 72, 20.8%) of the patients with delusional jealousy were aggressive at admission (vs. 6.2% of the total sample). We conclude that delusional jealousy is a comparatively rare phenomenon that is most frequent in schizophrenia and related psychoses. Quite a number of affected patients are aggressive, which may indicate a risk of future violence.     

The analysis of substituted cathinones. Part 1: chemical analysis of 2-, 3- and 4-methylmethcathinone

The ring substituted methyl isomers of methcathinone, 2-, 3- and 4-methylmethcathinone were analysed. The 2- and 3-isomers were synthesized. The 4-methylmethcathinone isomer is also known as mephedrone and has been widely studied. We present GCMS, NMR and IR data for the three isomers. We show that the three isomers can be separated by GCMS and that the IR spectra for the three compounds can be used to distinguish between them. A seized sample was analysed and it was found to contain 4-methylmethcathinone and benzocaine.