The Promises and Pitfalls of Prime Provider Models in Service Delivery: The Next Phase of Reform in Australia?

At a time of fiscal restraint and reductions in the size of the public sector, governments in Australia are exploring new approaches to delivering public services. One model receiving attention is the prime provider approach. This is an approach where government contracts a lead or prime provider who in turn organizes and manages a group of sub‐contractors. In prime provider approaches, non‐government organizations take on a quasi‐government role and this brings a new complexity into the relationships between the various actors involved in developing and delivering public services. This article provides an overview of prime provider approaches and, drawing on the limited research to date, poses questions that we view as being critical to the current debate. The aim is to provoke further discussion on the potential impact of prime provider approaches.     

PARENTING COORDINATION AND COURT RELITIGATION: A CASE STUDY

This case study explores the degree to which the number of court motions changed 1 year after parenting coordination was implemented with high-conflict co-parenting couples and examines the parents' demographic profile. Findings indicate a reduction of approximately 75% in child-related court filings, as well as a 40% decrease in other motions, resulting in a decrease of 50% in all motions filed, thus saving these once high-conflict couples, and the court, significant time and resources. The diverse demographic profile illuminates training and research implications regarding the use of parenting coordination as an intervention for high-conflict co-parenting couples.     

Daily Identity Dynamics in Adolescence Shaping Identity in Emerging Adulthood: An 11-Year Longitudinal Study on Continuity in Development

Journal of Youth and Adolescence - According to identity theory, short-term day-to-day identity exploration and commitment processes are the building blocks for long-term development of stable...     

Evaluation of postmortem biochemical markers: Completeness of data and assessment of implication in the field

Throughout the years an increase has been observed in research output on biochemical markers for determining the postmortem interval (PMI). However, to date, a complete overview is missing on the results of postmortem biochemical markers (PBM's) for PMI estimation. In this paper, literature was reviewed in order to identify the knowledge lacunae of PBM research from a practical point of view. A three-step approach was undertaken in order to achieve the set goal. Literature was collected, the PBM's were evaluated for completeness by means of a scorings index based on set criteria, and PBM's were subsequently evaluated in light of the Daubert & Frye criteria for scientific evidence in court. Seven PBM's were found to be well investigated, from which potassium had the highest completion score. However, none of these PBM's could be qualified as suitable for court evidence. Further, this study revealed that the majority of PBM's (94%) is not well investigated. Consequently, these PBM's did not meet Daubert & Frye criteria. In order to improve the assessment for use of PBM's as evidence in court regarding PMI estimation, PBM's should be investigated more thoroughly and data should be made readily available.     

Age at Menarche and Adolescent Alcohol Use

Research has shown that early maturation is related to problematic alcohol use, yet the differential effect of early pubertal timing (i.e., younger age at menarche) on the onset of alcohol use and subsequent level of alcohol use has rarely been examined. This distinction is relevant, as younger age at menarche can have differential effects on these outcomes, which in turn can have long-lasting effects. Therefore, the present study examined the relationship between age at menarche and adolescent alcohol use among girls, hereby distinguishing between onset and level of alcohol use. In addition, the moderating effects of alcohol-specific rules, child disclosure and class gender composition were examined. Participants were 430 girls from a Dutch four-wave survey, with a mean age of 12.17 years (SD = 0.50) at the beginning of the study. Results showed that the probability of onset of alcohol use was increased by younger age at menarche, but only when girls were younger than 15. Moderation analyses showed that younger age at menarche increased the risk of alcohol onset only in low risk girls (with high levels of alcohol-specific rules and in classes with a high percentage of girls). Once adolescent girls started drinking alcohol, younger age at menarche was associated positively with alcohol consumption only for girls in classes with a moderate to high percentage of girls. These findings confirm that younger age at menarche is a risk factor for the onset of alcohol use, but strongly suggest that this effect is strongest for girls having restrictive alcohol-specific rules and in classes with a high percentage of girls. Possibly, in the absence of social factors that “push” to alcohol use, biological factors (like age at menarche) become more important. Another possibility is that adolescent girls start drinking alcohol to oppose their parents if they set too strict alcohol-specific rules.     

The impact of plurilateral trade agreements on developing countries – to participate or not to participate?

In the wake of the impasse in the Doha Development Round of multilateral trade talks, sector-specific plurilateral trade agreements (PTAs) have been gaining traction. However, PTAs mostly appeal to developed countries, with the uptake among developing countries (including least-developed countries) being very limited. This article investigates the factors contributing to such a phenomenon, whether there is indeed merit in developing countries playing a more active role in PTAs and how they might be encouraged to do so. Both qualitative and quantitative analyses were conducted with specific attention being given to the effects, on a selection of developing countries, of participation in four PTAs: the Trade in Services Agreement, the Government Procurement Agreement, the Environmental Goods Agreement and the Information Technology Agreement II. Among the findings was that although, according to the qualitative analysis, policymakers are generally disinterested in the four PTAs because they are not aligned to the countries’ economic interests or they threaten policy space, the quantitative analysis revealed that gains could often be made from more active participation in these agreements. This clearly points to a research gap and highlights the need for more in-depth analysis of the potential of PTAs in the developing world.     

Massive ovarian cyst and sudden death

ABSTRACT: Massive enlargement of an ovarian cyst is an uncommon cause of morbidity and a rare cause of mortality due in large to part to noninvasive imaging techniques that usually permit early detection. When an ovarian cyst reaches giant proportions, it produces abdominal enlargement often with a fluid wave resulting in a condition that mimics ascites, called pseudoascites. Despite their impressive appearances, such cysts often are operable for cure. We describe a case of a middle-aged woman who presented 3 years before her death with symptoms from an undiagnosed giant cyst and given a diagnosis of ascites of undetermined etiology. She subsequently died at home unexpectedly, and at autopsy, she was found to have a massively enlarged but otherwise benign mucinous cystadenoma.     

New models of negotiation,dispute resolution,and joint problem solving

The revolutionary changes sweeping the workplace, union-management relationships, and the world economy have contributed to a sharply redefined role for the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service (FMCS), the primary provider of mediation services to labor and management in the United States. In this article's three main sections, the authors trace the history and provide background information about FMCS; consider the changing role of mediation, driven by societal forces of change from the late 1970s to the present; and speculate on the agency's future and the expected expansion in the use of mediation. John Calhoun Wells has served as Director of the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service since November, 1993, when he was appointed to that position by President Bill Clinton.Wilma B. Liebman is Deputy Director of the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service.     

Parenting and Internalizing and Externalizing Problems in Moroccan Immigrant Youth in the Netherlands

This study explores the relationship of parenting to internalizing and externalizing problems in Moroccan immigrant youth in the Netherlands. Interviews were conducted with 713 Moroccan immigrant parents, using the Child Behavior Checklist and the Nijmegen Rearing Questionnaire. Child rearing varied with socioeconomic status and psychological acculturation level of the parent, and gender and age of the child. In accordance with studies in Western populations, high levels of affection and monitoring were associated with low levels of problem behavior and high levels of discipline were associated with high levels of problem behavior. However, in contrast to studies in Western populations, a positive relationship was revealed between affection and discipline, and the univariate associations between discipline and problem behavior were modest. Discipline and internalizing problems were unrelated in low SES families, whereas a positive relationship was found in high SES families. The relationship between monitoring and externalizing problems was age-specific: We found a negative association for adolescents and no association for children. Assistant Professor at the department of Interdisciplinary Social Sciences of the University of Utrecht. She received her Ph.D. in Child & Adolescent Psychiatry at the Erasmus MC/Sophia, Rotterdam. Her research interests concern the psychological development of immigrant children and adolescents. Interdisciplinary Social Sciences, Faculty of Social Sciences Professor of Developmental Psychopathology at the department of Interdisciplinary Social Sciences of the University of Utrecht. Her research in the past years has been focused on mental health problems and addiction in adolescents and adults, and on the importance of the risk factors related to migrant status and ethnicity. Interdisciplinary Social Sciences, Faculty of Social Sciences Received her Ph.D. at the University of Leiden in 1991. She is a Senior Researcher and head of the research group ‘Multicultural Questions’ at the Verwey-Jonker Institute. Her field of study is socialization and psychological development of children of ethnic minorities. Verwey-Jonker Institute, Kromme Nieuwegracht 6 Dutch Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist and Associate Professor at the Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at ErasmusMC/Sophia, Rotterdam. His research examines levels of emotional and behavioral problems as well as predictors of these problems in Turkish and Moroccan immigrant youth in the Netherlands. Dr. Crijnen is also the principal investigator in studies on the prevention of disruptive behavior and substance use in children and adolescents through school- and parent-based interventions. Department of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry     

Positive engagement and support for single‐parent families: Building bridges across sector boundaries

The high rate of joblessness among single‐parent families in Australia, relative to other organisation for OECD countries has resulted in the development of various government initiatives designed to support single parents to prepare for and gain employment. The ParentsNext pilot program that began in March 2016, in 10 socially and economically deprived areas throughout Australia, is the most recent Federal Government program aimed at connecting parents with young children into local activities that will build their confidence, skills, and networks and ultimately prepare for future employment. The ParentsNext pilot program is delivered through contracted providers in each of the 10 disadvantaged areas. WISE Employment, a national not‐for‐profit organization together with its local partner, Youth Family and Community Connections, delivers the pilot program in Burnie, Tasmania. This article discusses the findings of a study, which examined the implementation of ParentsNext in Burnie and provides insights to inform and improve practice outcomes.