Coping with shocks in rural Ethiopia

Abstract

Using survey data and event history interviews undertaken in Ethiopia, we investigate which shocks trigger which coping responses and why. Relatively covariate natural and economic shocks trigger reductions in savings and in food consumption, while relatively idiosyncratic health shocks prompt reductions in savings and a reliance on borrowing. Surprisingly, across all shocks, households do not rely on gifts from family and friends, highlighting the need for formal protection systems. We argue that the insensitivity of food consumption to health shocks does not imply insurability but indicates that it is not a viable response to such a shock.     

The Political Context in Everyday Social Work Practice

Social work is political-normative work (De Boer & Duyvendak, 2004). Hence, the political and policy context in which social work practices take place is crucial in understanding social work as a profession and its social task as a product of the welfare state. The political comes to the fore very explicitly when studying social work interventions with clients of immigrant backgrounds, especially due to the prioritization of the “integration” of migrants on various European political agendas. This article studies how frames on “good citizenship” determine the everyday practices of social workers using data on the Netherlands.     

Validation of an ELISA-based screening assay for the detection of amphetamine, MDMA and MDA in blood and oral fluid

The use of amphetamine and 'ecstasy' (MDMA) has increased exponentially in many European countries since the late nineties, leading to a rapid growth in the number of clinical and forensic analyses. Therefore, a rapid screening procedure for these substances in biological specimens has become an important part of routine toxicological analysis in forensic laboratories. The objective of this study was to evaluate the Cozart amphetamine enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for the screening of plasma samples and oral fluid samples (collected with the Intercept device). Authentic plasma samples from drivers (n=360) were screened, using an 1:5-fold dilution. True positive, true negative, false positive and false negative results were determined relative to the in-house routine GC-MS analysis. Samples consisted of 144 amphetamine-only positives, 141MDMA/MDA-only positives, and 74 negatives when using the limit of quantitation as the cut-off level for confirmation (10 ng/mL). Using these results, receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were generated and optimal cut-off values for the screening assay were calculated. Analysis showed that the ELISA is able to predict the presence of either amphetamine or *MDMA/MDA (*MDMA as its metabolite MDA) in plasma samples with 98.3% sensitivity and 100% specificity at a cut-off value of 66.5 ng/mL d-amphetamine equivalents. A similar analysis was conducted on 216 oral fluid specimens collected from a controlled double blind study. Subjects received placebo or a high (100 mg) or low (75 mg) dose of MDMA. Oral fluid samples were collected at 1.5 and 5.5h after administration. Combined results of the analysis of the high and low dose oral fluid samples indicated a screening cut-off of 51 ng/mL d-amphetamine equivalents with both a sensitivity and specificity of 98.6% (using a LC-MS/MS confirmation cut-off of 10 ng/mL). In conclusion, these data indicate that the Cozart AMP EIA plates constitute a fast and accurate screening technique for the identification of amphetamine and MDMA/MDA positive plasma samples and oral fluid specimens (collected with Intercept. It should be emphasized that method validation should be performed for each type of biological matrix.     

MMPI profiles of males accused of severe crimes: a cluster analysis

Abstract

In studies attempting to classify criminal offenders by cluster analysis of Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2 (MMPI-2) data, the number of clusters found varied between 10 (the Megargee System) and two (one cluster indicating no psychopathology and one exhibiting serious psychopathology). The latter results raise doubts about the suitability of the MMPI-2 for classification in forensic settings. The present study aimed at deriving an empirical classification system using cluster analysis of 247 MMPI-2 profiles of pretrial criminal defendants in a forensic psychiatric observation clinic. Results indicated only a ‘non-disturbed’ and a ‘disturbed’ profile, differing on general elevation of MMPI-2 profiles but displaying no qualitatively distinct profiles. The clusters differed on age at admission and first conviction, indicating a late onset of criminal activity for disturbed offenders. Also, the clusters differed significantly on Axis I diagnosis and borderline significantly on Axis II diagnosis. The absence of distinct personality profiles between the clusters suggests restricted usefulness of the MMPI-2 in a forensic context of diverse and severe psychopathology and serious crimes. Either the investigated population is in fact extremely homogeneous, truly comprising only two kinds of offenders, or the types of offenders in these populations are not effectively distinguished by the MMPI-2.     

The politics of Belgium: Institutions and policy under bipolar and centrifugal federalism

This volume seeks to provide an integrated understanding of the Belgian political system through the prism of comparative politics. The transformation of the political system from a unitary into a federal system is used as a connecting theme linking the contributions. The volume is divided in two parts. The first part touches upon the sociological and institutional determinants of policy-making in Belgium, such as the dynamics of the Belgian federal system, the consociational features of the Belgian polity, the presence of a Belgian political culture (or of two distinct political cultures), the fragmentation of its party system and the role of political parties. The second part addresses policy performance and policy reform within the context of Belgian federalism, with a focus on divergence in policy performance and administrative practices, social security as a contentious federal policy area, policy failure and corruption and the impact of EU policies on the domestic federal order.     

Quantitative analysis of multiple illicit drugs in preserved oral fluid by solid-phase extraction and liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry

We present a validated method for the simultaneous analysis of basic drugs which comprises a sample clean-up step, using mixed-mode solid-phase extraction (SPE), followed by LC–MS/MS analysis. Deuterated analogues for all of the analytes of interest were used for quantitation. The applied HPLC gradient ensured the elution of all the drugs examined within 14 min and produced chromatographic peaks of acceptable symmetry. Selectivity of the method was achieved by a combination of retention time, and two precursor-product ion transitions for the non-deuterated analogues. Oral fluid was collected with the Intercept^®, a FDA approved sampling device that is used on a large scale in the US for workplace drug testing. However, this collection system contains some ingredients (stabilizers and preservatives) that can cause substantial interferences, e.g. ion suppression or enhancement during LC–MS/MS analysis, in the absence of suitable sample pre-treatment. The use of the SPE was demonstrated to be highly effective and led to significant decreases in the interferences. Extraction was found to be both reproducible and efficient with recoveries >76% for all of the analytes. Furthermore, the processed samples were demonstrated to be stable for 48 h, except for cocaine and benzoylecgonine, where a slight negative trend was observed, but did not compromise the quantitation. In all cases the method was linear over the range investigated (2–200 μg/L) with an excellent intra-assay and inter-assay precision (coefficients of variation <10% in most cases) for QC samples spiked at a concentration of 4, 12 and 100 μg/L. Limits of quantitation were estimated to be at 2 μg/L with limits of detection ranging from 0.2 to 0.5 μg/L, which meets the requirements of SAMHSA for oral fluid testing in the workplace. The method was subsequently applied to the analysis of Intercept^® samples collected at the roadside by the police, and to determine MDMA and MDA levels in oral fluid samples from a controlled study.     

Correlation of Delta9-tetrahydrocannabinol concentrations determined by LC-MS-MS in oral fluid and plasma from impaired drivers and evaluation of the on-site Dräger DrugTest

Oral fluid (collected with the Intercept((R)) device) and plasma samples were obtained from 139 individuals suspected of driving under the influence of drugs and analyzed for Delta(9)-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the major psychoactive constituent of cannabis, using a validated quantitative LC-MS-MS method. The first aim of the study was to investigate the correlation between the analytical data obtained in the plasma and oral fluid samples, to evaluate the use of oral fluid as a 'predictor' of actual cannabis influence. The results of the study indicated a good accuracy when comparing THC detection in oral fluid and plasma (84.9-95.7% depending on the cut-off used for plasma analysis). ROC curve analysis was subsequently used to determine the optimal cut-off value for THC in oral fluid with plasma as reference sample, in order to 'predict' a positive plasma result for THC. When using the LOQ of the method for plasma (0.5 ng/mL), the optimal cut-off was 1.2 ng/mL THC in oral fluid (sensitivity, 94.7%; specificity, 92.0%). When using the legal cut-off in Belgium for driving under the influence in plasma (2 ng/mL), an optimal cut-off value of 5.2 ng/mL THC in oral fluid (sensitivity, 91.6%; specificity, 88.6%) was observed. In the second part of the study, the performance of the on-site Dr?ger DrugTest for the screening of THC in oral fluid during roadside controls was assessed by comparison with the corresponding LC-MS-MS results in plasma and oral fluid. Since the accuracy was always less than 66%, we do not recommend this Dr?ger DrugTest system for the on-site screening of THC in oral fluid.     

The nature of the beast: are citizens’ juries deliberative or pluralist?

Citizens’ juries are a form of “minipublics,” small-scale experiments with citizen participation in public decision-making. The article presents a theoretical argument that improves understanding relating to the design of the citizens’ jury. We develop the claim that two discourses on democracy can be discerned: the deliberative and the pluralist. By looking at the design features of citizens’ juries we conclude that they are based on pluralist reasoning to a far greater extent than most authors seem to realize, and that the association with deliberative democracy is therefore one-sided. Based on empirical findings, we attempt to shed further light on the actual operation of citizens’ juries. Observations of two recent Dutch juries suggest on the one hand that a learning process and a positive effect on the sense of political involvement occurred. On the other hand, we saw a certain level of groupthink in one of the citizens’ juries, and found that the juries are not greatly representative in terms of political preferences. Our findings point firstly to a need for greater awareness among the organizers of juries of the two democratic discourses. This would lead to more consistent jury design. Secondly, our research emphasizes the need for more hands-on critical research of minipublics.

Why do young people start and continue with ethical hacking? A qualitative study on individual and social aspects in the lives of ethical hackers

Research Summary

This qualitative interview study examined individual and social aspects in the lives of 15 hackers who started with ethical hacking before the age of 18. We examined what motivated and stimulated them to start with ethical hacking and how and why they continued. Results show that individual aspects, such as an early interest in ICT (Information and Communication Technology), the motivation to make systems more secure, and thinking of reporting vulnerabilities as a moral duty, contribute to the initiation of ethical hacking. Social aspects, such as role models, mainly play a role in the further development of the ethical hacking career. For example, peers, parents, friends, and hacker communities have a motivating and stimulating effect on young ethical hackers. Similarly, positive reactions from public and private system owners can further stimulate the development and self-image of ethical hackers.

Policy Implications

In contrast to criminal hackers, ethical hackers improve cybersecurity, for example, by reporting weaknesses or errors in computer systems. Nowadays, an increasing number of public and private organizations around the world are creating cybersecurity policies and practices around ethical hacking. The interest in hacking usually arises at an early age, making it important to gain knowledge about what stimulates and motivates young people to start and continue with ethical hacking, to inform these policies and practices. Our results show that recognition and reactions from system owners are important in the ethical hacking career. Our recommendations based on these results could stimulate more young people to take the ethical path. Simultaneously, this increases the security of public and private organizations, reducing opportunities for criminal hackers.