Sketching and validating the location-based services (LBS) regulatory framework in Australia

Location-based services (LBS) are defined as those applications that combine the location of a mobile device associated with a given entity (individual or object) together with contextual information to offer a value-added service. LBS solutions are being deployed globally, and in some markets like Australia, without appropriate regulatory provisions in place. Recent debates in Australia have addressed the need to bridge the gap between technological developments and legal/regulatory provisions. This requires an assessment of the regulatory environment within a given social context such as Australia. The core components of such an investigation include: (a) composing a conceptual framework for analysing regulation of technologies such as LBS, one that is sensitive to public policy themes and challenges, and (b) applying this conceptual framework to the Australian setting in order to sketch and define the components of the present framework, and identify areas for improvement through a process of validation. This paper addresses these aims, demonstrating how the current regulatory framework in Australia is bound by legislation with respect to privacy, telecommunications, surveillance, and national security (that is, anti-terrorism), in addition to a set of industry guidelines for location-service providers (LSPs). The existing Australian framework, however, is lacking in its coverage and treatment of LBS and location data, and does not adequately address the themes and challenges in the defined conceptual framework.     

Sibling Proactive and Reactive Aggression in Adolescence

We describe sibling proactive and reactive aggression in middle and late adolescence. Participants were 8th (n?=?303, M _age?=?13.74 years, SD?=?.59) and 12th (n?=?300, M _age?=?17.73 years, SD?=?.56) grade adolescents who completed an in-school survey. Findings revealed that these adolescents were significantly more likely to engage in reactive than proactive aggression with their closest-aged sibling. However, 8th grade adolescents reported greater aggression toward their closest-aged sibling than did 12th grade adolescents. In addition, sex composition of the sibling dyad moderated the association between sibling relationship quality (i.e., warmth and rivalry) and both proactive and reactive aggression indicating unique links for brother-brother and older sister-younger brother pairs.     

Drug contamination of US paper currency

It is known that US paper currency in the general circulation is contaminated with cocaine. Several mechanisms have been offered to explain this finding, including contamination due to handling during drug deals and the use of rolled up bills for snorting. Drug is then transferred from one contaminated bill to others during counting in financial institutions. The possibility of contamination of currency with other drugs has not been reported. In this study, the author reports the analysis of 10 randomly collected US$ 1 bills from five cities, for cocaine, heroin, 6-acetylmorphine (6-AM), morphine, codeine, methamphetamine, amphetamine and phencyclidine (PCP). Bills were immersed in acetonitrile for 2h prior to extraction and GC-MS analysis. Results showed that 92% of the bills were positive for cocaine with a mean amount of 28.75+/-139.07 microg per bill, a median of 1.37 microg per bill, and a range of 0.01-922.72 microg per bill. Heroin was detected in seven bills in amounts ranging from 0.03 to 168.50 microg per bill: 6-AM and morphine were detected in three bills; methamphetamine and amphetamine in three and one bills, respectively, and PCP was detected in two bills in amounts of 0.78 and 1.87 microg per bill. Codeine was not detected in any of the US$ 1 bills analyzed. This study demonstrated that although paper currency was most often contaminated with cocaine, other drugs of abuse may be detected in bills.     

Assessment of the acuteness of heroin deaths from the analysis of multiple blood specimens.

Data was compiled from 126 morphine-involved cases investigated by the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, State of Maryland, USA. An investigation was conducted into whether comparison of morphine concentrations from a central and peripheral site could be used to determine whether a morphine death was acute or delayed. Fifty cases were identified as 'acute' because the urine free morphine concentration by radioimmunoassay (RIA) was less than 25 ng/mL; 76 cases were classified as 'random' because they had a urine morphine concentration greater than 25 ng/mL by RIA. The average heart blood to peripheral blood morphine concentration ratio in the acute deaths was 1.40. The average heart blood to peripheral blood morphine concentration ratio in the random deaths was 1.18. Because there was considerable overlap between the two groups of data, the authors conclude that it was not possible to predict 'acute' opiate intoxication deaths versus 'delayed' deaths when the only information available is heart and peripheral blood free morphine concentrations.     

The Impact of the Work Environment on Prison Staff: The Issue of Consideration, Structure, Job Variety, and Training

Correctional staff are instrumental in ensuring the success of any correctional institution; therefore, investigating how the work environment impacts correctional workers is essential. To determine the effects of supervisory consideration, supervisory structure, job variety, and perceptions of training on correctional staff job stress, job satisfaction, and organizational commitment, data from a survey of staff at a Midwestern private correctional facility were examined. The Ordinary Least Squares regression results indicate that each of the work environment factors had a significant impact on one or more of the three outcomes. Specifically, supervisory consideration and perceptions of training decreased job stress. Supervisory consideration, job variety, and perceptions of training had positive effects on job satisfaction. Finally, supervisory consideration, supervisory structure, job variety, and perceptions of training had positive relationships with organizational commitment.     

Screening for cocaine metabolite fails to detect an intoxication

Testing for the presence of cocaine (COC) is common in postmortem and clinical laboratories. COC use may be detected by screening urine specimens for COC metabolite. In the forensic arena, screening positive results are confirmed by a more specific and sensitive technique, such as gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. This article reports the case of an individual who died of COC intoxication but whose immunoassay screen (EMIT) for COC metabolite was negative. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis of the urine detected benzoylecgonine (BE) at a concentration of 75 ng/mL and COC at 55 ng/mL. These concentrations explain the negative screening result since the cutoff concentration of the assay was 300 ng/mL for BE. The reported cross reactivity with COC was 25,000 ng/mL. However, heart blood concentrations of COC and BE were 18,330 and 8640 ng/mL, respectively. The results from this case provide evidence that an EMIT test alone may fail to detect COC use. Individuals utilizing results of drug screening by immunoassay must be aware of the limitations of this testing methodology.     

AN EVALUATION OF SUPERVISED ACCESS I

This study describes the Supervised Access Pilot Project, implemented in 14 locations in Ontario, from the perspective of those offering the service and community organizations whose members use the service. Two services were offered: visits and exchanges. The average cost of a visit varied considerably across centers (range $15 to $309), a result that is partly attributable to economies of scale. Centers in large urban centers were more cost-efficient than those situated in small communities. Centers provided neutral and safe circumstances for visiting. Only 1.6 serious rule violations occurred during every 1,000 visits. It was estimated that about 3 out of every 10,000 persons used the service. Intake and safety procedures, essential to the smooth running of the centers, have been outlined. Staff fell that they would benefit from increased training in the areas of conflict resolution and the effects of divorce on family members.     

Crime and human nature

Crime, Law and Social Change -