Implementing transition management as policy reforms: a case study of the Dutch energy sector

Proposals to alter large-scale socio-technical systems through government actions in order to promote goals such as sustainability are highly uncertain policy projects. What is being proposed is the replacement of specific elements of existing policy ‘mixes’—the goals and means—by others, in the expectation of avoiding counterproductive or sub-optimal policy outcomes. While laudable, such efforts are fraught with risks; including the possibility of the creation of sub-optimal policy mixes or of failed reform efforts with resulting poor outcomes. This article develops a model and typology of policy regime change processes and outcomes following Thelen and others in arguing that complex policy mixes typically emerge through one or more of four processes, ‘drift’, ‘conversion’, ‘layering’ and ‘replacement’, and that the expected outcomes of these different processes in terms of their ability to meet initial expectations are linked to the manner in which policy goals and means are (or are not) combined in a consistent, coherent and congruent fashion. This propensity is illustrated through examination of the case of energy transition management as practiced in the Netherlands.     

Simplification： A single tax and a single entitlement

The United States is experiencing a very serious economic downturn. It is now necessary to consider some significant changes in government policy. The system of revenue collection should be simplified with a single tax levied and itemized at the national, state, and local levels. Likewise, the system of benefit distribution should be simplified with a single entitlement paid to each individual at every level with absolutely no strings attached. Such simplification would save a massive amount of time and money even if it was neutral in terms of overall revenue and expenditure. And, it would minimize fraud, waste and abuse. The gains in efficiency and accountability would be enormous.     

"Insanity" in civil law

The issue of "insanity" is rarely alluded to in the area of civil law. As a consequence, the legal standard for insanity is not clearly understood by many psychiatrists. The standard derives from case law and is based upon statutory law in the criminal sector. A civil case will be presented where the question of "insanity" was raised. In this case an individual committed suicide and his insurance company refused to pay the beneficiaries of his life insurance policy based upon a provision in his policy that excluded payment in situations of suicide. His beneficiaries sued, claiming that the deceased was insane at the time of his suicide and therefore not responsible for his actions. The standard for insanity in New Jersey and the reasoning of the psychiatrists will be presented.     

Elimination of 7-aminoflunitrazepam and flunitrazepam in urine after a single dose of Rohypnol

The hypnotic benzodiazepine flunitrazepam (Rohypnol) has been identified as the drug of choice for the purposes of "drugging" unsuspecting victims and raping them while they are under the influence of this substance. The objective of this paper was to study elimination of flunitrazepam and 7-aminoflunitrazepam in urine collected from ten healthy volunteers who received a single 2 mg oral dose of Rohypnol, to determine how long after drug administration 7-aminoflunitrazepam can be detected. A highly sensitive NCI-GC-MS method for the simultaneous quantitation of flunitrazepam (LOQ 100 pg/mL) and 7-aminoflunitrazepam (LOQ 10 pg/mL) in urine was developed. All samples were screened for benzodiazepines using optimized micro-plate enzyme immunoassay. The highest concentrations of 7-aminoflunitrazepam (70-518 ng/mL) and flunitrazepam (0.7-2.8 ng/mL) in urine were observed 6 h after drug administration in nine subjects and after 24 h in one subject. In six subjects 7-aminoflunitrazepam was detected up to 14 days after flunitrazepam administration, in one subject up to 21 days and in three subjects up to 28 days. In urine samples collected from six volunteers, flunitrazepam was detected three days after Rohypnol intake, in three subjects 24 h, and in one subject 5 days later. Benzodiazepine micro-plate enzyme immunoassay kit allowed the detection of flunitrazepam and metabolities 5 to 21 days after drug administration.     

AIDS fatalities in Hamburg (status: February 1985)--legal medicine aspects

The registration of patients with acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) and AIDS deaths is centralized for medical research. A short review of the epidemiological state of AIDS in Hamburg is given (situation as of February 1985), and the autopsy results of seven postmortem examinations are referred to. Kaposi's sarcoma was seen in four patients and opportunistic infections in all cases, especially as a result of Pneumocystis carinii and cytomegalovirus. Due to the constellation of groups with an increased risk of acquiring AIDS--homosexual males, intravenous drug abusers and prostitutes--forensic implications have to be expected.     

A comparison of student legal issues perceptions held by chief student and chief legal affairs officers: a study of metropolitan universities in the US

This study explored the similarities and differences of the perceptions held by chief legal and chief student affairs officers with regard to student legal issues. The study follows an earlier project published by Education and the Law (9(1), pp. 41‐49) which solely examined the perceptions of chief legal affairs officers. In the present study, there was a significant difference in the perceptions of chief student affairs and chief legal affairs officers with regard to which student legal issues will be litigated in the next 10 years. Chief student affairs and chief legal affairs officers prepare for student legal issues in a very similar fashion. Both officers make use of legal conferences, student affairs conferences, continuing education, and professional literature. There appears to be many chief student affairs officers who attend legal conferences and chief legal affairs officers who attend student affairs conferences in order to better prepare for future student legal issues.