Toward Efficiency and Equity in Law Enforcement: “Rachel’s Law” and the Protection of Drug Informants

Following the murder of Rachel Morningstar Hoffman—a 23-year old college graduate—Florida passed “Rachel’s Law,” which established new guidelines for the police when dealing with confidential informants. Immediately prior to its enactment, lawmakers stripped Rachel’s Law of key provisions. These provisions required police to provide a potential informant with an attorney before agreeing to any deal. Opponents of these provisions argue that they hamstring law enforcement agencies in their efforts to prosecute drug crimes. Rather than serving as an obstacle to effective law enforcement, the attorney provision in the original version of Rachel’s Law enables efficient prosecution of crimes and protects minor drug offenders who may be unsuited for potentially dangerous undercover informant work. This Note recommends that the attorney provision be restored to Rachel’s Law, and encourages other states to enact similar statutes

Die Reisereportagen Joseph Roths. Eine Studie zum Feuilleton der Neuen Sachlichkeit

Die Arbeit beschäftigt sich mit den Reisereportagen des galizischen Autors Joseph Roth und verortet diese im Diskurs um die Neue Sachlichkeit, die die deutschsprachige Literatur der 1920er mit ihrer journalistischen Form geprägt hat. Im Kern der Arbeit geht es darum, Joseph Roth als stilbildenden Autor der Epoche zu profilieren und die Verschmelzung von literarischer und journalistischer Schreibweise transparent zu machen

Untersuchungen von Wirkstoffträgersystemen mit Hilfe der Feldgradienten-NMR

Wirkstoffträgersysteme werden in der heutigen Zeit immer wichtiger. Aus diesem Grunde werden nun auch Vesikel aus amphiphilen Blockcopolymeren auf ihre Eignung hin untersucht. Dabei bildet die Permeabilität der Membran eine der interessantesten Eigenschaften dieser Wirkstoffträgersysteme. Mit ihrer Hilfe ist es möglich die Freisetzung von Wirkstoffen zu steuern. Um diese Eigenschaft genauer zu charakterisieren wurde eine Kombination aus der kernmagnetischen Resonanzspektroskopie mit Feldgradienten (PFGNMR) verwendet. Dazu wurden zunächst Vesikel aus verschiedenen Blockcopolymeren dargestellt. Anschließend wurde untersucht welche Membran eine geeignete Barriere für Wasser darstellt. Zusätzlich wurden Einflüsse wie z.B. die Änderung der Vesikeleigenschaften, des pH-Wertes und der Temperatur analysiert. Als letztes wurde weiterhin das Austauschverhalten von verschiedenen Wirkstoffmodellsubstanzen charakterisiert

Ambient effects on the electrical conductivity of carbon nanotubes

We show that the electrical conductivity of single walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNT) networks is affected by oxygen and air humidity under ambient conditions by more than a magnitude. Later, we intentionally modified the electrical conductivity by functionalization with iodine and investigated the changes in the band structure by optical absorption spectroscopy.Measuring in parallel the tubes electrical conductivity and optical absorption spectra, we found that conduction mechanism in SWCNT is comparable to that of intrinsically conducting polymers. We identified, in analogy to conducting polymers, in the infrared spectra a new absorption band which is responsible for the increased conductivity, leading to a closing gap in semiconducting SWCNT.We could show that by different functionalizations of the same SWCNT starting material the properties like conductivity can be dramatically changed, leading to different imaginable applications. We investigated here, an ultraviolet sensor with weakly modified SWCNT

PERSEPSI MASYARAKAT DESA LAMBUR II (STUDI KASUS PEMBERITAAN KORUPSI GRATIFIKASI ZUMI ZOLA MEDIA TRIBUNJAMBI.COM)

Penelitian ini dilatar belakangi oleh pesatnya perkembangan teknologi di media sosial atau media online yang mengakibatkan informasi apapun dapat menyebar sampai ke masyarakat sehingga penyebaran informasi yang pesat mengakibatkan dampak dari sebuah berita yang berkembang, membuat peneliti pengen mengetahu persepsi masyarakat Desa Lambur II terhadap kasus korupsi gratifikasi yang di lakukan oleh Zumi Zola, Bagaimana masyarakat menyikapi berita tersebut.Pedekatanpenelitian yang penulisgunakanpenelitianlapangan (Kualiatatif) denganteknikpengumpulan data observasi, wawancara, dandokumentasi .Menggunakan pendekatan penelitian study kasus, penelitianinidilakukanpemerikasaan yang mendalamterhadapkeadaanataukejadian yang disebut kasus dalam melakukan pengamatan pengumpulan data, analisis dan hasilnya. Kerangaka teori meliputi, persepsi, sikap, faktor-faktor dan menggunakan teknik Analisis data meliputi data reduction, display data, vertifikasi. Berdasarkan penelitian yang penulis lakukan mengenai persep simasyarakat Desa Lambur II terhadap kasus korupsi gratifikasi Zumi Zola, persepsi masyarakat dari pengalaman rata-rata tidak pernah mendengar kasus seperti ini, bahkan masyarakat sangat kecewa dan tidak menyangka Zumi Zola bisa terjerat kasus korupsi, dari sudut pandang indrawi sangat baik, sedikit tidak menyangka seorang Zumi Zola bisa melakukan kasus seperti ini, Sehingga masyarakat menduga seorang Zumi zola melakukan blunder dalam pemerintahannya untuk memenuhi janji-janji diasaat dia melakukan kampaye sebelum pemilihan, Dari segi evaluasi masyarakat mengira seorang Zumi Zola adalah sosok pemimpin muda yang di andalkan untuk bisa memajukan daerah Tanjung Jabung Timur, Kemudian dilihat dari konstektualnya masyarakat desa lambur II tidak menyangka seorang Zumi Zola terjerat kasus korupsi gratifikasi ini karna dilihat kehidupan pribadinya dia seorang yang berkehidupan berkecukupan dan masyarakat tidak menyangka seorang Zumi Zola melakukan korupsi. Kemudiansikap dari pengalaman pribadi masyarakat rata-rata belum pernah mendengar kasus seperti ini, Dari segi pengaruh Eksternal masyarakat berharap jangan sampai ada kasus seperti ini lagi karna bisa merusak generasi muda.Factor-faktor yang mempengaruhi persepsi masyarakatdari budayadalam segi politik tidak terlalu ada dampak yang mempengaruhi setelah terjadinya kasus korupsitersebut, dan dari pengalaman masa lalu berpendapat rata-rata masyarakat tidak pernah mendengar kasus seperti ini, namun dari segi nilai-nilai yang dianut beliau sering mealakukan kebaikan berupa bantuan pembangunan masjid, danterhadap berita yang berkembang Zumi Zola rata-rata masyarakat tidak menyangka seorang Zumi Zola bisa terjerat kasus korupsi gratifikasi ini dilihat dari kehidupanya seorang Zumi Zola berkecukupan yang tidak mungkin melakukan korupsi. Ke

Assessing Needs for Gerontological Education in Urban and Rural Areas of Ohio

Purpose of the Study: This project surveyed health care professionals from both urban and rural care settings in Ohio and examined differences in professionals’ needs and interests in continuing gerontological education. Design and Methods: The survey data were analyzed for 766 health care professionals descriptively, using cross-tabulations and c2 tests. Results: The key findings were that professionals are willing to drive a maximum time of one-hour per week to travel one way to attend classes/workshops to earn gerontology certificate among both urban and rural drivers [(4,N=514)=11.65,p=.020]. Distance learning was the most preferred method for furthering gerontological education for both urban (39%) and rural (49%) participants. One quarter or fewer of the professionals were interested in obtaining a master’s degree. Of slightly greater interest was pursuit of a graduate gerontology certificate (25% urban and 28% rural). It is concluded that there is a need and desire for professionals working with aging populations in Ohio to pursue additional education. Preferences for obtaining education inform us of the ways in which education can best be delivered. Implications: Youngstown State University can apply to increase gerontological education access in both urban and rural areas. Such educational opportunities will be a great service to the urban and rural areas of the aging population in the state of Ohio

Developing limits for driving under cannabis

ABSTRACT Objective Development of a rational and enforceable basis for controlling the impact of cannabis use on traffic safety. Methods An international working group of experts on issues related to drug use and traffic safety evaluated evidence from experimental and epidemiological research and discussed potential approaches to developing per se limits for cannabis. Results In analogy to alcohol, finite (non-zero) per se limits for delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) in blood appear to be the most effective approach to separating drivers who are impaired by cannabis use from those who are no longer under the influence. Limited epidemiological studies indicate that serum concentrations of THC below 10 ng/ml are not associated with an elevated accident risk. A comparison of meta-analyses of experimental studies on the impairment of driving-relevant skills by alcohol or cannabis suggests that a THC concentration in the serum of 7-10 ng/ml is correlated with an impairment comparable to that caused by a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of 0.05%. Thus, a suitable numerical limit for THC in serum may fall in that range. Conclusions This analysis offers an empirical basis for a per se limit for THC that allows identification of drivers impaired by cannabis. The limited epidemiological data render this limit preliminary

Do parents who smoke underutilize health care services for their children? A cross sectional study within the longitudinal PIAMA study

Background. A higher prevalence of respiratory symptoms and an associated increase in health care utilization among children with parents who smoke is to be expected. From previous studies however, it appears that parents who smoke may underutilize health services for their children, especially with respect to respiratory care. This study explores the validity and generalizability of the previous assumption. Methods. Data were obtained from a Dutch birth-cohort study; the Prevention and Incidence of Asthma and Mite Allergy (PIAMA) project. Information regarding parental smoking, the child's respiratory symptoms and health care use and potential confounders were obtained by postal questionnaires. Multivariate logistic models were used to relate parental smoking to the child's respiratory symptoms and health care use. Results. The study comprised 3,564, 4-year old children. In the crude analysis, respiratory symptoms were more frequent among children with a parent who smoked, while health care utilization for respiratory symptoms was not significantly different between children with or without a parent who smoked. In the multivariate analyses, maternal smoking had a larger impact on the child's respiratory symptoms and health care use as compared to paternal smoking. Maternal smoking was positively associated with mild respiratory symptoms of the child, adjusted odds ratio [AOR] 1.50 (1.19-1.91), but not with severe respiratory symptoms AOR 1.03 (0.75-1.40). Among children with mild respiratory symptoms, children with a mother who smoked were less likely to be taken to the general practitioner (GP) for respiratory symptoms, than children with mothers who did not smoke, AOR 0.58 (0.33-1.01). This finding was less pronounced among children with severe respiratory symptoms AOR 0.86 (0.49-1.52). Neither GP visits for non-respiratory symptoms nor specialized care for respiratory disease were significantly associated with parental smoking. Conclusion. Mothers who smoke appear to underutilize health care for their children with mild respiratory symptoms. Health care workers should be informed about this phenomenon. Inquiring after the respiratory health of the children during regular visits to healthy baby clinics may help to tr