The Pre-Furman Juvenile Death Penalty in South Carolina: Young Black Life Was Cheap

Capital punishment in this country, and in South Carolina, has its roots in racial subjugation, stereotype, and animosity. The extreme disparities we report here have dampened due to the combined effects of decreasing levels of open racial antagonism, the reforms of the modem death penalty, including categorical exemptions for juveniles and person with intellectual disabilities and prohibition of the imposition of the death penalty for the crime of rape, and the (small) increase in diversity in capital juries. But dampened does not mean eradicated. Significant disparities in the administration of capital punishment persist today. The color of a defendant\u27s skin (and the color of the victim\u27s skin) are still the strongest predictors of whether capital punishment will be south and imposed. No less neutral an authority than the Government Accounting Office has concluded that in studies of capital punishment, findings of statistically significant racial disparity, particularly race of victim disparity, are ubiquitous. Similarly, while gross racial stereotyping and animosity is less common in modern death penalty cases, some instances still occur, and many, many cases involve only slightly disguised racism on the part of judges, jurors, prosecutors, and defense counsel.To imagine that a punishment whose history is so steeped in racism can ever be administered in a race neutral way is more than color blindness, and more than wishful thinking; it is willful blindness

Microbial contamination and efficacy of disinfection procedures of companion robots in care homes

Background Paro and other robot animals can improve wellbeing for older adults and people with dementia, through reducing depression, agitation and medication use. However, nursing and care staff we contacted expressed infection control concerns. Little related research has been published. We assessed (i) how microbiologically contaminated robot animals become during use by older people within a care home and (ii) efficacy of a cleaning procedure. Methods This study had two stages. In stage one we assessed microbial load on eight robot animals after interaction with four care home residents, and again following cleaning by a researcher. Robot animals provided a range of shell-types, including fur, soft plastic, and solid plastic. Stage two involved a similar process with two robot animals, but a care staff member conducted cleaning. The cleaning process involved spraying with anti-bacterial product, brushing fur-type shells, followed by vigorous top-to-tail cleaning with anti-bacterial wipes on all shell types. Two samples were taken from each of eight robots in stage one and two robots in stage two (20 samples total). Samples were collected using contact plate stamping and evaluated using aerobic colony count and identification (gram stain, colony morphology, coagulase agglutination). Colony counts were measured by colony forming units per square centimetre (CFU/cm2). Results Most robots acquired microbial loads well above an acceptable threshold of 2.5 CFU/cm2 following use. The bacteria identified were micrococcus species, coagulase negative staphylococcus, diptheriods, aerobic spore bearers, and staphylococcus aureus, all of which carry risk for human health. For all devices the CFU/cm2 reduced to well within accepted limits following cleaning by both researcher and care staff member. Conclusions Companion robots will acquire significant levels of bacteria during normal use. The simple cleaning procedure detailed in this study reduced microbial load to acceptable levels in controlled experiments. Further work is needed in the field and to check the impact on the transmission of viruses

The Role of Fraternity/Sorority Affiliation in Supporting College Student Mental Health and Wellness

Mental health is a growing concern in the United States, even more exacerbated by the recent COVID-19 pandemic. Mental health among youth and young adult populations has also received attention in recent years. However, prior research suggests a higher sense of social support among active members of the fraternity/sorority community is associated with lower depression levels. The extent to which fraternity/sorority involvement helps address mental health among members is theorized but not demonstrated in the research. Using large-scale data, this study examined mental health experiences and behaviors of the fraternity/ sorority community and compared results with unaffiliated students. Findings suggest students in the fraternity/sorority community report higher levels of positive mental health

Drug-resistant Escherichia coli, Rural Idaho

Stool carriage of drug-resistant Escherichia coli in home-living residents of a rural community was examined. Carriage of nalidixic acid–resistant E. coli was associated with recent use of antimicrobial agents in the household. Household clustering of drug-resistant E. coli was observed. Most carriers of drug-resistant E. coli lacked conventional risk factors

Important, misunderstood, and challenging: a qualitative study of nurses' and allied health professionals' perceptions of implementing self-management for patients with COPD.

Hannah ML Young,1 Lindsay D Apps,1 Samantha L Harrison,1 Vicki L Johnson-Warrington,1 Nicky Hudson,2 Sally J Singh1,3 1National Institute of Health Research CLAHRC-LNR Pulmonary Rehabilitation Research Group, University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust, 2School of Applied Social Sciences, De Montfort University, Leicester, 3Applied Research Centre in Health and Lifestyle Interventions, Coventry University, Coventry, UK Background: In light of the growing burden of COPD, there is increasing focus on the role of self-management for this population. Currently, self-management varies widely. Little is known either about nurses’ and allied health professionals’ (AHPs’) understanding and provision of self-management in clinical practice. This study explores nurses’ and AHPs’ understanding and implementation of supported COPD self-management within routine clinical practice. Materials and methods: Nurses and AHPs participated in face-to-face semistructured interviews to explore their understanding and provision of COPD self-management, as well as their perceptions of the challenges to providing such care. Purposive sampling was used to select participants from a range of professions working within primary, community, and secondary care settings. Three researchers independently analyzed each transcript using a thematic approach. Results: A total of 14 participants were interviewed. Nurses and AHPs viewed self-management as an important aspect of COPD care, but often misunderstood what it involved, leading to variation in practice. A number of challenges to supporting self-management were identified, which related to lack of time, lack of insight regarding training needs, and assumptions regarding patients’ perceived self-management abilities. Conclusion: Nurses and AHPs delivering self-management require clear guidance, training in the use of effective self-management skills, and education that challenges their preconceptions regarding patients. The design of health care services also needs to consider the practical barriers to COPD self-management support for the implementation of such interventions to be successful. Keywords: self-management, COPD, qualitative, interviews, nurses, allied health professional

Longitudinal study of trachomatous trichiasis in The Gambia: barriers to acceptance of surgery.

PURPOSE: Investigation of compliance with surgery for trachomatous trichiasis has become a priority of the World Health Organization. This study was conducted to investigate attitudes toward trichiasis and its treatment and to determine the rate of surgical uptake in The Gambia. METHODS: A 1-year longitudinal study was performed in 190 subjects with trichiasis. Persons with major trichiasis (involving five lashes or more) were referred for surgery, and those with minor trichiasis were advised to epilate. Outcome measures included attitudes toward trichiasis and its treatment, reported barriers to surgical uptake, acceptance rates for surgery, and factors affecting acceptance. RESULTS: Twenty-three percent (95% confidence interval [CI] 16.5%-30.6%) of subjects with major trichiasis attended for surgery during the year. Degree of ignorance about surgery, symptoms impeding work, and a multiple income source for the head of household predicted attendance. Reported lack of time predicted nonattendance. Sixty-eight percent of patients who had undergone surgery were trichiasis free at last follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: Poor attendance for surgery remains a problem in The Gambia. Barriers include ignorance and lack of time and money. Health education and surgical delivery strategies are needed to overcome these barriers. Regular audit of surgical results is necessary, with retraining where indicated

Antimicrobial Drug–Resistant Escherichia coli from Humans and Poultry Products, Minnesota and Wisconsin, 2002–2004

Similarities were found between drug-resistant E. coli from humans and poultry products

The global surface roughness of 25143 Itokawa

Surface roughness is an important metric in understanding how the geologic history of an asteroid affects its small-scale topography and it provides an additional means to quantitatively compare one asteroid with another. In this study, we report the first detailed global surface roughness maps of 25143 Itokawa at horizontal scales from 8--32~m. Comparison of the spatial distribution of the surface roughness of Itokawa with 433 Eros, the other asteroid for which this kind of analysis has been possible, indicates that the two asteroids are dominated by different geologic processes. On Itokawa, the surface roughness reflects the results of down-slope activity that moves fine grained material into geopotential lows and leaves large blocks in geopotential highs. On 433 Eros, the surface roughness is controlled by geologically-recent large impact craters. In addition, large longitudinal spatial variations of surface roughness could impact the role of YORP on Itokawa