The good, the bad, and the ugly: how the due process clause may limit comprehensive health care reform

This article examines atopic which has receivedlittle attention from the media or other scholarly publications: The due process concerns that arise when engaging in comprehensive federal health care reform and regulation. First, the article provides a background discussion detailing the factors necessitating health care reform in the United States. Second, it analyzes whether a constitutionally protected right to make personal health care decisions exists under the Fifth and Fourteenth Amendments' Due Process Clauses. Finally, the article analyzes the susceptibility of government-sponsored health care-specifically proposals which include a public option-to due process challenges and makes suggestions to avoid any potential fundamental rights violations.     

Awareness of Novel Drug Legality in a Young Adult Population

In recent years, use of substances commonly referred to as ‘legal highs’ has become a significant concern to policy makers and public health officials. Though legislation banning the use and possession of these novel and synthetic drugs often follows the initial media attention and public outcry, potential users may often be unaware of the legislation. A survey including self-reported drug use and perceptions of the legality of various psychoactive substances was administered to 2,346 students in randomly selected classes at a large public university to determine what portion accurately knew four types of novel drugs were locally illegal. Results indicated that numerous potential and current users incorrectly believed that the former ‘legal highs’ remained unrestricted. This sample did include a number of novel drug users; lifetime use of at least one novel drug was reported by 17.1 %, many of which reported using multiple types of novel drugs. Approximately one-third of the overall sample inaccurately believed that Salvia divinorum (34.7 %), K2/Spice (36.5 %), and Mr. Miyagi/Pot-pourri (32.1 %) were legal in the state and over half (50.3 %) inaccurately believed ‘bath salts’ (synthetic cathinones, MDPV, and other synthetic stimulants) remained legal. As these misperceptions have the potential to influence substance use decisions, they may need to be corrected through educational campaigns as widespread as the preceding media coverage that labeled the drug as ‘legal highs.’ Results also indicated that Blacks and previous users of the substances were more likely to hold inaccurate legal beliefs.     

Stable isotopic characterization of ammonium metavanadate (NH4VO3)

The diagnosis of fatal anaphylaxis can be difficult for clinical features may not always be evident in necropsy. Therefore post mortem determination of tryptase and other blood parameters can be helpful in verifying the diagnosis. We compared post mortem tryptase, histamine and diamine oxidase (DAO) serum levels of two patients who had died after a Hymenoptera sting and one patient who died of bronchospasm during anaesthesia with data obtained from 55 control subjects who had died from other causes than anaphylaxis. In the three anaphylactic cases, serum tryptase level was 880, 68 and 200 μg/l (normal range in living subjects: <11.4 μg/l), histamine was 37.5, 8.5 and 23.2 ng/ml (normal range: <0.3 ng/ml) and DAO was 1, 30 and 4 U/ml (normal range 10-30 U/ml), respectively. Values in the control group were as follows: tryptase 1-340 μg/l (mean 24.2 ± 58.2), histamine 5.0-22.0 ng/ml (mean 14.7 ± 3.9) and DAO 0-114 U/ml (mean 21.1 ± 27.8). 19/55 (34.5%) of the controls had elevated tryptase levels >11.4 μg/l, with four of them showing values >45 μg/ml. Significantly higher histamine levels were seen in blood samples taken more than 24h post mortem (p<0.05), whereas the timing of blood collection had no effect on tryptase and DAO levels. While moderately elevated tryptase levels are common in post mortem sera, values above 45 μg/l may support the diagnosis of fatal anaphylaxis. Strongly elevated histamine levels might give an additional clue on fatal anaphylaxis, whereas DAO does not seem to be helpful.     

Psychopathy among prisoners in England and Wales

Most research into psychopathy among prisoners is based on selected samples. It remains unclear whether prevalences are lower among European populations. This study aimed to measure the prevalence of psychopathy, and the distribution and correlates of psychopathic traits in a representative national sample of prisoners. Psychopathy was measured using the revised Psychopathy Checklist (PCL-R) in a second stage, cross-sectional survey of prisoners in England and Wales in 1997 (n = 496). Poisson regression analysis was carried out to examine independent associations between correlates and PCL-R total and factor scores. The prevalence of categorically diagnosed psychopathy at a cut off of 30 was 7.7% (95%CI 5.2–10.9) in men and 1.9% (95%CI 0.2–6.9) in women. Psychopathic traits were less prevalent among women. They were correlated with younger age, repeated imprisonment, detention in higher security, disciplinary infractions, antisocial, narcissistic, histrionic, and schizoid personality disorders, and substance misuse, but not neurotic disorders or schizophrenia. The study concluded that psychopathy and psychopathic traits are prevalent among male prisoners in England and Wales but lower than in most previous studies using selected samples. However, most correlates with psychopathic traits were similar to other studies. Psychopathy identifies the extreme of a spectrum of social and behavioral problems among prisoners.