Freedom of expression and international criminal law : an analysis of the decision to create a testimonial privilege for journalists

In a recent decision, the Appeals Chamber of the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia recognised a qualified privilege for war correspondents in setting out a test that the party requesting its testimony must overcome in order for the Trial Chamber to issue a subpoena. This article examines the decision and the test by comparing it to the approaches of other jurisdictions and any general principles of law that arise therefrom. It also considers whether the decision is consistent with the internationally recognised rights of freedom of expression and to a fair trial. It argues that the international tribunals should take all of these sources of law into account in formulating rules of procedure and evidence, but should also give particular regard to the purposes of international criminal justice, which relate to furthering the establishment of peace.In this context it is argued that the interests of the international criminal justice system are best served by the creation of a distinct procedural framework that contains clear and principled rules. The Appeals Chamber's formulation of a journalistic privilege not only advances this goal, but also recognises that the ability of war correspondents to report on conflicts is vitally important to the international community, including the international courts themselves. The potential impact on this ability arising from the work of the courts necessitates special consideration and a degree of protection for this group

Home Environment, Teacher Language, and Literacy Development Across the First Grade Year

Existing research has established both parent behavior and teacher language to be important mechanisms in memory development during the early elementary years. Preliminary research on math achievement during this time has suggested that these relationships extend into achievement domains. The purpose of this investigation was to test if these patterns extend into literacy development. Literacy outcomes at the beginning of the first grade year and growth across the year were explored as a function of home literacy environment and teacher mnemonic style. Children who scored higher on the Family Literacy Environment subscale performed better on literacy tasks at both the beginning and end of the first grade. However, children in classrooms with high mnemonic teachers did not show different levels of growth in literacy outcomes when compared to children with low mnemonic teachers. These patterns suggest that a richer home literacy environment does predict better literacy performance at the beginning and throughout the first grade, while teacher memory talk does not appear to be related to literacy outcomes across the year. The results of this study suggest that home environment is important in fostering literacy development in early childhood, though further research is needed to understand the specific mechanisms that should be employed to facilitate literacy development in the classroom.Bachelor of Scienc

Is the Australian smoking population hardening?

Background The hardening hypothesis proposes that as smoking rates decline, the remaining smokers will become hardcore and resistant to quitting. This group of highly resistant quitters will potentially require more individualistic approaches to cessation and harm reduction. The harm reduction approach (specifically e-cigarettes) has been proposed as an option to address hardened Australian smokers. We tested the hardening hypothesis by analysing the rates of hardcore smoking in the Australian smoking population between 2010-2016. Methods Data were drawn from three waves of the National Drug Strategy Household Survey (NDSHS) in 2010, 2013 and 2016. Two different definitions were used to assess hardcore smoking to arrive at an upper and lower rate. Logistic regression assessed hardcore smoker characteristics for both definitions of hardcore smoker. Results The most inclusive definition of hardcore smoking (i.e., a smoker with no plan to quit) showed a significant decline in hardcore smoking between 2010 and 2016 (5.49% - 4.85%) In contrast, the prevalence of hardcore smoking using the most stringent definition (i.e., a current daily smoker of at least 15 cigarettes per day, aged 26 years or over, with no intention to quit, a lifetime consumption of at least 100 cigarettes, and no quit attempt in the past 12 months) did not change significantly between 2010 and 2016. Conclusion The observed trends in the prevalence of hardcore smokers (i.e., either stable or declining depending on the definition) suggest that the Australian smoking population is not hardening. These results do not support claims that remaining smokers are becoming hardcore

Examining the Relationship between ASD Knowledge and Educator Experience in a NY State Sample

Given the increase in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) prevalence rates (CDC, 2021), educators are more likely than ever to serve autistic students across educational environments. The literature suggests that educator knowledge of ASD may be poor and impact effectiveness in working with students (Gómez-Mari, 2021). This study will examine knowledge about ASD in a large sample of educators from New York state (N=400) using data from an online survey. Autism knowledge was measured using the ASK-Q, a measure validated and designed to reliably identify gaps in ASD knowledge across cultures and professions (Harrison, 2017). Regression analyses will be used to examine the association between years of experience and other demographic variables (e.g., age, educator type) with educators’ ASD knowledge across specific domains—diagnosis and symptoms, etiology, treatment, and stigma. Implications are relevant to identifying demographic-specific training needs and developing resources for educators working with autistic students.https://orb.binghamton.edu/research_days_posters_2022/1015/thumbnail.jp

Rx for Addiction and Medication Safety (RAMS-PEER): Evaluation of an Education and Peer Program on Opioid Misuse

The Rx (prescription) for Addiction and Medication Safety (RAMS) program was developed during the 2017 through 2018 academic year to educate students from 6 selected Rhode Island public high schools about opioid misuse, overdose, and recovery. During 2016, 3 schools participated in the RAMS program and returned for RAMS-PEER in 2017; 3 schools were newly recruited in 2016. Tenth graders returned from schools that participated during RAMS in 2016, and all ninth graders were new. Our study’s aim was to evaluate the overall effect and spillover benefit of the RAMS-PEER intervention from tenth to ninth graders by surveying students both before and after the education program. Survey questions were modified from the 2015 Youth Risk Behavior Survey and the 2015 Ontario Study Survey. Student responses were matched for preintervention and postintervention analysis using a unique identifier. We observed an improvement in knowledge of opioid misuse; however, we found no evidence of a significant spillover benefit

Expanding the substrates for a bacterial hydrogenlyase reaction

Escherichia coli produces enzymes dedicated to hydrogen metabolism under anaerobic conditions. In particular, a formate hydrogenlyase (FHL) enzyme is responsible for the majority of hydrogen gas produced under fermentative conditions. FHL comprises a formate dehydrogenase (encoded by fdhF) linked directly to [NiFe]-hydrogenase-3 (Hyd-3), and formate is the only natural substrate known for proton reduction by this hydrogenase. In this work, the possibility of engineering an alternative electron donor for hydrogen production has been explored. Rational design and genetic engineering led to the construction of a fusion between Thermotoga maritima ferredoxin (Fd) and Hyd-3. The Fd-Hyd-3 fusion was found to evolve hydrogen when co-produced with T. maritima pyruvate :: ferredoxin oxidoreductase (PFOR), which links pyruvate oxidation to the reduction of ferredoxin. Analysis of the key organic acids produced during fermentation suggested that the PFOR/Fd-Hyd-3 fusion system successfully diverted pyruvate onto a new pathway towards hydrogen production

Recent advances in the application of stable isotope ratio analysis in forensic chemistry

This review paper updates the previous literature in relation to the continued and developing use of stable isotope ratio analysis in samples which are relevant to forensic science. Recent advances in the analysis of drug samples, explosive materials, and samples derived from human and animal samples are discussed. The paper also aims to put the use of isotope ratio mass spectrometry into a forensic context and discuss its evidential potential

Rx for addiction and medication safety: An evaluation of teen education for opioid misuse prevention

Background: Rhode Island (RI) ninth graders report lifetime nonmedical use of prescription opioids (NMUPO) of 8.9%. NMUPO is associated with transition to heroin use, opioid overdose, and death. Objectives: Measure changes in 9th grade students\u27 knowledge, confidence, perceptions of opioid use disorder prevention, overdose response with naloxone, treatment, and recovery, following the delivery of an interactive substance use disorder curriculum. Methods: Eight RI public high schools were recruited to participate. Freshman in each school were administered identical surveys that collected demographic data, substance use and misuse knowledge, students\u27 perceptions of substance misuse harm, reported drug use, and risk and protective behaviors before and after the curriculum. Results: Among 969 pre-intervention survey respondents, 19% reported use of marijuana, 3% heroin use, and 21% nonmedical use of prescription opioids. Between the pre-intervention to the post-intervention survey, significantly more students identified that addiction is a chronic brain disease (79%–83%, p = 0.05), drug users are not responsible for their addiction (81%–88%, p = 0.001), and that non-medical use of a prescription medication is use without a prescription (81%–88%, p = 0.001). Improved confidence was also reported in identifying opioid withdrawal symptoms (26%–45%, p \u3c 0.0001), identifying signs of an opioid overdose from 29% to 46% (p \u3c 0.0001), and knowing when to administer naloxone (17%–45%, p \u3c 0.0001). Confidence to refer someone to treatment improved from 31% to 45% (p \u3c 0.0001). Logistic regression showed associations between mental health, peer use, parental affection, and academic performance factors as related to NMUPO. Conclusions: Students reported significant NMUPO prevalence. Ninth grade students\u27 knowledge and confidence of opioid misuse, overdose response, and recovery resources increased following the delivery of a multi-modal interactive substance use disorder curriculum. Community, school, and student-level interventions are needed to reduce NMUPO

Reading between the lies: A classification scheme of types of reply to misinformation in public discussion threads

Online misinformation is a fiendish problem. Demonstrably false information propagates faster and more widely than truth and this has heralded a technological arms race. One possible mechanism for addressing misinformation is social: there is evidence seeing misinformation being challenged can ginoculate' a reader against it. To date, no research has examined how discussions sparked by misinformation play out; What are the different ways in which people reply to posts containing misinformation? How does the discussion flow in each case? Are there differences between platforms? We address these questions through an inductive qualitative analysis of discussion threads on three public discussion platforms (Twitter, YouTube and two news sites) and on three topics (COVID, Brexit and climate change). We present a classification scheme of types of replies to misinformation, and show that replies show different patterns between platforms. Knowing how people reply to posts that contain misinformation enriches our knowledge of ghuman misinformation interaction,' and provides an understanding of how socio-technical factors in platform design can reduce the risk of misinformation spreading

Orthopaedic Surgeon Density in West Virginia

Abstract West Virginia (WV) has many healthcare disparities and access barriers. For bone and joint disorders, WV has some of the highest rates of musculoskeletal problems, including the highest reported rate of adult arthritis in the nation (36.2%). We hypothesized that WV has one of the lowest Orthopaedic surgeon densities in the country, which can negatively impact the delivery of musculoskeletal care. Using the WV Board of Medicine practitioner databank, the Veterans Administration practitioner data, and national Orthopaedic surgeon census data, we demonstrated a considerably low Orthopaedic surgeon density in WV (7.71/100,000 population versus the national average of 8.51/100,000 population) with 54% of our counties (n=30) having no Orthopaedic surgeons. This data is currently being used to further determine the appropriate allocation of resources to help improve access to specialized orthopaedic care for our state