Emergency Removals Without a Court Order: Using the Language of Emergency to Duck Due Process

For a brief moment during the recent September democratic presidential debate, the ugly underbelly of the child welfare system unexpectedly took center stage. When asked about what responsibility Americans need to take to repair the legacy of slavery, the former vice president responded by propagating a myth that Black parents do not know how to parent. Former Vice President Joe Biden said “[w]e bring social workers into homes and parents to help them deal with how to raise their children. It’s not that they don’t want to help. They don’t—they don’t know quite what to do.” What exactly is it that these Black parents do not know to do? More importantly, why is this a justification for interference with a family? This statement and sentiment highlights the ways in which the child welfare system was designed, and the racist assumptions and myths that allow it to continue operating. Dorothy Roberts, a law professor who has studied foster care systems in the United States and its effects on Black family notes, “[i]f you go into dependency court in Chicago, New York, or Los Angeles without any preconceptions, you might conclude that the child welfare system is designed to monitor, regulate and punish Black mothers.” Given the widespread inequities built into state organized child welfare systems, revising existing federal law is the most efficient, short-term solution to ensure that children are not unnecessarily removed from their families

Design and Characterization of Biomimetic Adhesive Materials

When we engineer new materials, nature provides us with a wealth of inspiration, often in the form of proteins. The blue mussel Mytilus edulis and sandcastle worm Phragmatopoma californica produce adhesive proteins that help them to adhere in wet, turbulent environments. The frog Notaden bennetti secretes a sticky, proteinaceous emulsion that helps it defend against predators; the velvet worm bombards a similar protein onto its prey to prevent its escape. Mammals and insects produce remarkably elastic proteins to support highly repetitive motions. This work describes the design, production, and characterization of several biomimetic materials inspired by natural adhesive proteins

Recurrent atypical fibroxanthoma of the limbus

Author version made available in accordance with the publisher's policy.We report an unusual presentation of recurrent atypical fibroxanthoma of the limbus. Clinical and histological appearance, as well as management are discussed and the current literature is reviewed

Is All FDI Created Equal?: An Empirical Analysis of the Effect of Foreign Direct Investment and its Sectoral Destination on Income Inequality in Developing Countries

Thesis advisor: Robert G. MurphyIncome inequality is an issue of moral, ethical, and economic concern. Disparity in levels of wealth and income in developing countries prevents poor individuals from enjoying the same opportunities as their wealthier counterparts, and hinders the prospects for future development. FDI is one among several possible culprits responsible for increasing income inequality. As a representative of foreign control and influence in developing economies, some countries are wary of FDI. On the other hand, FDI brings the promise of jobs, technology spillovers, foreign exchange, and economic growth. Previous studies have explored the effects of FDI on income inequality in developing countries, but they have all relied on FDI data that does not distinguish between direct investment destined for the primary, secondary, and tertiary sectors. This study uses sectorally disaggregated FDI data for a sample of developing countries over the years 1990-2005 in an attempt to discern whether sector-specific features play a role in affecting domestic income inequality. While this study fails to find the FDI variables significant, it does find much support for other possible causes of income inequality, such as population growth rate and levels of urbanization within a country.Thesis (BA) — Boston College, 2007.Submitted to: Boston College. College of Arts and Sciences.Discipline: International Studies.Discipline: College Honors Program

Academic Major, Gender, Personal Values, And Reactions To An Ethical Dilemma

Recent corporate scandals have increased public interest in the area of business ethics.  This study examines the relationship of gender and choice of academic major to personal values and to ethical choices, and the relationship of personal values to ethical choices.  Two hundred fifty three subjects read a case that presented a tax evasion dilemma.  The subjects responded to a series of action statements related to the ethical dilemma and completed a personal values survey.  The responses to the action statements were used to calculate a tax compliance score.  Participants were also asked to make a choice as to whether the taxpayer should or should not report all of the taxable income.  The results indicate that both the tax compliance score and the tax payment choice differed by gender and academic major.  Furthermore, gender differences were found on five of the ten personal value constructs and academic major differences were found on four of the ten personal value constructs.  With regard to the relationship of personal values to ethical choices, it was found that three of the personal value constructs were correlated with the compliance score and the tax payment decision

What are the barriers and enablers to trauma-informed emergency departments? A scoping review protocol

Introduction There is a high prevalence of psychological trauma among the population. Such people are more likely to have poorer health outcomes and these factors may contribute to increased use of the emergency department. There has been some attempt to implement a trauma-informed approach across public services, especially in health and social care. However, it is unclear how this concept applies to the challenging and high-demand emergency department context. The review aims to locate, examine and describe the literature on trauma-informed care in the unique and challenging healthcare delivery context that is the emergency department. The review aims to identify the barriers and enablers that may facilitate trauma-informed care in the emergency department context. Methods and analysis This scoping review will use the Joanna Briggs Institute methodology for scoping reviews. Systematic searches of relevant databases (CINAHL, MEDLINE, PsycINFO, EMBASE, Knowledge Network and Web of Science) will be conducted. Empirical studies of any methodological approach, published in English between January 2001 and September 2023 will be included. The 'grey' literature will also be accessed. Two reviewers will independently screen all studies. Data will be extracted, collated and charted to summarise all the relevant methods, outcomes and key findings in the articles. Ethics and dissemination Formal ethical approval is not required. The findings of this study will be disseminated through peer-reviewed publications, conference presentations and condensed summaries for key stakeholders in the field. The data generated will be used to inform a programme of work related to trauma-informed care.</p

Consumer vulnerability and complaint handling: challenges, opportunities and dispute system design

Effectively designed complaint handling systems play a key role in enabling vulnerable consumers to complain and obtain redress. This article examines current research into consumer vulnerability, highlighting its multidimensional and expansive nature. Contemporary understandings of consumer vulnerability recognize that the interaction between a wide range of market and consumer characteristics can combine to place any individual at risk of vulnerability. While this broad definition of consumer vulnerability reflects the complex reality of consumers’ experiences, it poses a key challenge for designers of complaint handling systems: how can they identify and respond to an issue which can potentially affect everyone? Drawing on current research and practice in the United Kingdom and Australia, the article analyses the impact of consumer vulnerability on third party dispute resolution schemes and considers the role these complaint handling organizations can play in supporting their complainants. Third party complaint handling organizations, including a range of Alternative Dispute Resolution services such as ombudsman organizations, can play a key role in increasing access to justice for vulnerable consumer groups and provide specific assistance for individual complainants during the process. It is an opportune time to review whether the needs of consumers at risk of vulnerability are being met within complaint processes and the extent to which third party complaint handlers support those who are most vulnerable to seek redress. Empowering vulnerable consumers to complain presents specific challenges. The article discusses the application of a new model of consumer dispute system design to show how complaint handling organizations can meet the needs of the most vulnerable consumers throughout the process

Chapitre 5 - La disponibilité des données sur les sols en Australie

Introduction Par le passé, la qualité des sols a souvent été négligée dans les processus d’aménagement du territoire. La diminution constante des zones périurbaines autour des grandes villes australiennes montre l’urgence de considérer la qualité des sols dans le processus d’aménagement du territoire, afin de préserver les terres propices à un usage autre que le développement urbain. Si l’on considère, par exemple, les a..

A role for glycolipid biosynthesis in severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome virus entry

A novel bunyavirus was recently found to cause severe febrile illness with high mortality in agricultural regions of China, Japan, and South Korea. This virus, named severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome virus (SFTSV), represents a new group within the Phlebovirus genus of the Bunyaviridae. Little is known about the viral entry requirements beyond showing dependence on dynamin and endosomal acidification. A haploid forward genetic screen was performed to identify host cell requirements for SFTSV entry. The screen identified dependence on glucosylceramide synthase (ugcg), the enzyme responsible for initiating de novo glycosphingolipid biosynthesis. Genetic and pharmacological approaches confirmed that UGCG expression and enzymatic activity were required for efficient SFTSV entry. Furthermore, inhibition of UGCG affected a post-internalization stage of SFTSV entry, leading to the accumulation of virus particles in enlarged cytoplasmic structures, suggesting impaired trafficking and/or fusion of viral and host membranes. These findings specify a role for glucosylceramide in SFTSV entry and provide a novel target for antiviral therapies