Introduction

Crime-preventing neurointerventions (CPNs) are increasingly being used or advocated for crime prevention. There is increasing use of testosterone-lowering agents to prevent recidivism in sexual offenders, and strong political and scientific interest in developing pharmaceutical treatments for psychopathy and anti-social behaviour. Recent developments suggest that we may ultimately have at our disposal a range of drugs capable of suppressing violent aggression, and it is not difficult to imagine possible applications of such drugs in crime prevention. But should neurointerventions be used in crime prevention, and may the state ever permissibly impose CPNs as part of the criminal justice process? It is widely thought that preventing recidivism is one of the aims of criminal justice, yet existing means of pursuing this aim are often poorly effective, restrictive of basic freedoms, and harmful. Incarceration, for example, tends to be disruptive of personal relationships and careers, detrimental to physical and mental health, highly restrictive of freedom of movement and association, and rarely more than modestly effective at preventing recidivism. Neurointerventions hold the promise of preventing recidivism in ways that are more effective and more humane, but the use of CPNs in criminal justice raises several ethical concerns. CPNs could be highly intrusive and may threaten fundamental human values, such as bodily integrity and freedom of thought, and humanity has a track record of misguided, harmful, and unwarrantedly coercive use of neurotechnological ‘solutions’ to criminality. This collection brings together original contributions from emerging scholars and internationally renowned moral and political philosophers to address these issues

The effect of fire season and frequency on the plant community of a restored tallgrass prairie.

The effect fire season and frequency was evaluated in 2001 at a 65 ha restored tallgrass prairie in eastern Nebraska using permanent plots established in 1978 and first evaluated in 1979. Treatments included annual and quadrennial burning in spring, summer, and fall as well as unburned plots. Overall, the number of species increased from 28 in 1979 to 30 in 2001, with a shift from ruderal to native species. Shannon diversity (H’) increased significantly across all treatments during this time. Canopy cover of grasses (+19%) and forbs (+18%) increased significantly. However, only forbs showed a significant difference among treatments in 2001 with the lowest value occurring in the annual spring treatment (6%) and the highest value occurring in the annual variable-season treatment (35%). The canopy cover of individual species showed varying responses to treatment. Native perennial grasses, such as big bluestem (Adropogon gerardii) and Indiangrass (Sorghastrum nutans), generally increased with more frequent burning, although there was considerable variation among seasonal treatments. Cool-season native sedges (Carex spp.) also increased significantly with quadrennial burns but remained low or absent with frequent fire, irrespective of season. The response of forb species differed from that of grasses in that higher cover generally occurred with less frequent burning, or with annual fall or variable-season burning. This study suggests that variation in fire season and frequency in the tallgrass prairie has the potential to affect diversity, species composition, species groups, and individual species. Overall, this study shows that fire management with different seasons and frequencies of burning can be used to maintain prairie diversity. More specifically, varying plant responses suggest that fire management should be applied with a more random and less systematic season and frequency than is typically applied in prescribed burning of tallgrass prairies in order to maximize diversity

Issues in assessing students in the clinical workforce : an exploratory study

The Monash Mini Case Record (MCR), based on Norcinis mini CEX, is an observed interaction between a student and a real patient in an authentic clinical setting. The assessor rates the students competence in history taking or physical examination and clinical reasoning on eight point scales. Professional / ethical behaviour within the encounter is evaluated on a four point scale. The assessor also grades the complexity of the case as low, medium or high. On completion of the student patient interaction, or her performance, and the assessor provides verbal and written feedback. Students complete both formative and summative MCRs across the academic year.<br /

Can Neurointerventions Communicate Censure? (And So What If They Can’t?)

According to some philosophers, a necessary condition of morally permissible punishment is that it communicates deserved censure for the offender’s wrongdoing. The author calls this the Communicative Condition of punishment. The chapter considers whether the use of mandatory crime-preventing neurointerventions is compatible with the Communicative Condition. The author argues that it is not. If we accept the Communicative Condition, it follows that it is impermissible to administer mandatory neurointerventions on offenders as punishment. The author then considers whether it is permissible to offer an offender a neurointervention as a replacement for incarceration or in exchange for a shorter sentence. He notes that this could meet the Communicative Condition, although, somewhat oddly, only in cases where the neurointerventions have harmful effects

Curriculum Review: Kiribati Institute of Technology Diploma of Nursing

In Kiribati, as in all PICs, a robust and high-quality nursing workforce constitutes the backbone to the country’s health service. Nurses require broad skills and abilities, as autonomous practitioners serving on the front lines of health provision, and as members of a multi-disciplinary team. Nurse education is provided by the School of Nursing and Health (SONH) at the Kiribati Institute of Technology (KIT), mainly under its core Kiribati Diploma of Nursing program. Midwifery education is also provided by SONH and undertaken by Registered Nurses as an 18 month, postgraduate qualification. The curriculum for the Diploma program currently being taught in Kiribati was imported many years ago from New Zealand, and there is recognition that it needs to be updated and contexualised for unique Kiribati needs. The Government of Kiribati receives assistance from New Zealand to examine the relevance and quality of the Diploma of Nursing curriculum in relation to the specific health challenges, needs, plans, identified gaps and workforce requirements in Kiribati. The vision, health goals and targets for Kiribati’s health service delivery are outlined in the Kiribati Ministry of Health Strategic Plan 2016-2019, the Kiribati Development Plan 2016-2019 (KDP) and the Kiribati 20-Year Vision 2020-36 (KV20). This review fits with the Kiribati strategic objective to address gaps in health service delivery and strengthen the pillars of the health system. It also considers opportunities and pathways for Kiribati nurses under the strategic aim of promoting the employability of Kiribati nursing graduates nationally and providing a standard of training that prepares students to enter the international workforce. Wintec was contracted by New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT) to carry out the review in 2017. Appropriate supporting documents were made available to provide important contextual information on the special character of Kiribati’s situation as a nation, its current health challenges and goals, the healthcare system, the nursing workforce and the current nursing program. During September 2017, a team of three experts from New Zealand and Australia undertook a series of consultative and participatory meetings with relevant people in Kiribati, including from SONH, KIT, Government Ministries, Nursing Council and health sector service providers. A draft report describing their analysis and findings from those meetings was presented to involved stakeholders in Kiribati in November (see Appendix 2 for schedule of meetings), and feedback from those stakeholder meetings has been incorporated into this final version of the report. The reviewers took a holistic approach to the Terms of Reference that went beyond a narrow focus on only the existing Diploma program curriculum to adequately address wider priorities of concern. They identified 28 specific recommendations that are fully detailed in this report; only the most significant findings are outlined in this summary. The overall aim of the new Diploma curriculum should be to provide a course of study that leads to registration with the KNC and to enable novice nurses to capably function in a broad range of clinical contexts specific to Kiribati needs and priorities. It is important the curriculum incorporates the specific local geographic and demographic elements and reflects the unique i-Kiribati cultural values pertinent to effective local health service delivery. Career extension pathways for specific local health needs, such as midwifery, Public Health and specialized care can be provided as additional local courses, where feasible, or internationally where more appropriate due to budgetary and capability constraints. A stronger focus on Primary Health Care and health promotion is required, which will help address serious concerns over the increasing prevalence of Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) such as diabetes, cardiovascular and respiratory deseases. To produce a contemporary, locally appropriate curriculum the development must be owned ‘in country’ and involve all key stakeholders, a process that can be informed and guided by external technical experts and internationally available standards, curricula and resources (such as the WHO global standards for the initial education of professional nurses and midwives). A curriculum review working group with representatives from key stakeholders would lead this process. The international support integrated into this locally owned process would assist program articulation to quality frameworks, such as the Pacific Qualifications Framework (PQF), and ensure any Kiribati Quality or Competency Framework is underpinned by a robust quality assurance system that informs institutional internal quality management systems, accreditation and audits. Doing this will also enhance transfer of credit opportunities to facilitate international opportunities in nursing-related roles elsewhere. This report contains some analysis of nursing workforce trends and potential migrant work opportunities in Fiji, New Zealand and Australia. A refreshed, contemporary curriculum would include maximizing the use of available IT infrastructure to promote blended learning approaches, increase student engagement and improve the student experience. Utilizing practicing RNs as sessional or guest tutors and lecturers would further enhance the relationship between SONH and its clinical partners, provide opportunities for clinicians to share their knowledge and expertise with students, and augment the teaching role of Registered Nurses. The provision by KIT of English language training courses, and re-location of the SONH from its current site to the KIT facility at Betio will realise cost savings through increased usage and consolidation of teaching spaces, administration, IT infrastructure and teaching personnel. Sharing facilities with other KIT programs, developing affordable and sustainable clinical simulation and library facilities and ensuring adequate workforce planning and underpinning support systems are all important processes to consider in association with the Review - KIT Diploma in Nursing Final Report 1 December 2017 5 curriculum review. It is important to note that in 2017, KIT received provisional accreditation from the Educational Quality and Assessment Programme (EQAP) of the Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC) and KIT-SONH facility improvement and consolidation will be vital in securing full accreditation with this body. A coordinated approach to achieving these aims is essential, driven by local Kiribati leaders and supported by ongoing technical assistance from donor partners. Improving the quality of health services and the care rovided to Kiribati people is at the heart of this review process. The team have listened carefully and sought to accurately capture the voices of the many individuals and groups with whom we have engaged and we trust that this is reflected within this report

Heat from the ground

Ground Source Heat (GSH) exchange has been heralded as part of the solution to reducing UK carbon emissions. David Banks and David Birks urge tempering optimism with a degree of caution. Amidst the growing international consensus of an imminent carbon emergency, there is a pressing need for all nations to reduce their carbon emissions quickly and significantly. In the UK, heating accounts for nearly half of all energy usage (DECC, 2011) and has thus become a national priority for carbon reduction, but easy strategies for achieving this have proved elusive (BEIS, 2018). Electrically-powered heat pumps “hoovering up” low temperature heat (e.g. in the range 0 – 15°C) from the ground beneath our feet, or from air, sea or rivers, are arguably the most promising technology, and two decades of GSH implementation across the UK have seen some remarkable successes and rapid accumulation of experience. Nevertheless, there remain significant flaws in the procurement, implementation and especially the management, monitoring and aftercare of such systems

Evaluation of the Induction of Immune Memory following Infant Immunisation with Serogroup C Neisseria meningitidis Conjugate Vaccines - Exploratory Analyses within a Randomised Controlled Trial

Aim: We measured meningococcal serogroup C (MenC)-specific memory B-cell responses in infants by Enzyme-Linked Immunospot (ELISpot) following different MenC conjugate vaccine schedules to investigate the impact of priming on immune memory. Methods: Infants aged 2 months were randomised to receive 1 or 2 doses of MenC-CRM197 at 3 or 3 and 4 months, 1 dose of MenC-TT at 3 months, or no primary MenC doses. All children received a Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib)-MenC booster at 12 months. Blood was drawn at 5, 12, 12 months +6 days and 13 months of age. Results: Results were available for 110, 103, 76 and 44 children from each group respectively. Following primary immunisations, and prior to the 12-month booster, there were no significant differences between 1- or 2-dose primed children in the number of MenC memory B-cells detected. One month following the booster, children primed with 1 dose MenC-TT had more memory B-cells than children primed with either 1-dose (p = 0.001) or 2-dose (p<0.0001) MenC-CRM197. There were no differences in MenC memory B-cells detected in children who received 1 or 2 doses of MenC-CRM197 in infancy and un-primed children. Conclusions: MenC-specific memory B-cell production may be more dependent on the type of primary vaccine used than the number of doses administered. Although the mechanistic differences between MenC-CRM197 and MenC-TT priming are unclear, it is possible that structural differences, including the carrier proteins, may underlie differential interactions with B- and T-cell populations, and thus different effects on various memory B-cell subsets. A MenC-TT/Hib-MenC-TT combination for priming/boosting may offer an advantage in inducing more persistent antibody.peer-reviewe

Punishing Intentions and Neurointerventions

How should we punish criminal offenders? One prima facie attractive punishment is administering a mandatory neurointervention—“interventions that exert a physical, chemical or biological effect on the brain in order to diminish the likelihood of some forms of criminal offending” (Douglas and Birks 2018, 2). While testosterone-lowering drugs have long been used in European and US jurisdictions on sex offenders, it has been suggested that advances in neuroscience raise the possibility of treating a broader range of offenders in the future. Neurointerventions could be a cheaper, and more effective method of punishment. They could also be more humane. Nevertheless, in this paper we provide an argument against the use of mandatory neurointerventions on offenders. We argue that neurointerventions inflict a significant harm on an offender that render them a morally objectionable form of punishment in a respect that incarceration is not. Namely, it constitutes an objectionable interference with the offender’s mental states. However, it might be thought that incarceration also involves an equally objectionable interference with the offender’s mental states. We show that even if it were the case that the offender is harmed to the same extent in the same respect, it does not follow that the harms are morally equivalent. We argue that if one holds that intended harm is more difficult to justify than harm that is unintended but merely foreseen, this means neurointerventions could be morally objectionable in a significant respect that incarceration is not

Claims against third-party recipients of trust property

This article argues that claims to recover trust property from third parties arise in response to a trustee's duty to preserve identifiable property, and that unjust enrichment is incompatible with such claims. First, unjust enrichment can only assist with the recovery of abstract wealth and so it does not assist in the recovery of specific property. Second, it is difficult to identify a convincing justification for introducing unjust enrichment. Third, it will work to the detriment of innocent recipients. The article goes on to show how Re Diplock supports this analysis, by demonstrating that no duty of preservation had been breached and that a proprietary claim should not have been available in that case. The simple conclusion is that claims to recover specific property and claims for unjust enrichment should be seen as mutually exclusive