Sex Offender Treatment Program: Initial Recidivism Study

This report presents results of a recidivism study of participants in the Sex Offender Treatment Program at Hiland Mountain Correctional Center, Alaska Department of Corrections, from January 1987 to August 1995. The report provides an overview and history of sex offender treatment in Alaska as well as a literature review of other studies and findings on this area of treatment. The Alaska study, which was the first conducted of the treatment program, found that any level of treatment achieved resulted in less recidivism, with the longer the period of treatment, the lower the recidivism. The study also noted the high percentage of Alaska Natives in the program and the history of alcohol and substance abuse presented by many sex offenders. The majority of offenders in the program were guilty of assaulting children. The study discusses the program's cost benefits as well as the implications of its findings for probation and parole.Alaska Department of CorrectionsI. Introduction / II. Sex Offender Treatment in Alaska / III. Literature Review / IV. Methodology / V. Results / VI. Conclusions and Recommendations / VII. Reference

Understanding key elements in establishing a social license for CCS: An empirical approach

© 2017 This paper presents results of empirical research with the broad aim of exploring societal responses to CO2 storage, framed around the concept of social license to operate (SLO). We describe a mixed method approach incorporating stakeholder interviews and focus groups deployed in two case study locations in the UK. The approach helps us to build up an understanding of the social context in which Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) will be introduced, in terms of the specific local conditions and with reference to the influence of local experiences of other technologies (such as hydraulic fracturing (fracking), for example). This understanding is then used to guide further empirical research, from which we assess the extent to which an SLO for CCS is emerging. Results show that perceptions of trust and confidence in key institutions to safely manage projects are highly dependent not just on the track record of the organisations but are strongly influenced by past experiences with different technologies. While the indications for achieving an SLO for CCS are currently positive, consolidating and maintaining that support depends on the evolving social, industrial and political landscape

Comparing Online and Offline Knowledge Networks of Carbon Capture and Storage

© 2017 The Authors. This paper examines the complex ecosystem of organisations involved in the proposed role out of carbon capture and storage (CCS) in the UK. Through analysis of interview and twitter data, it focuses on the flow of knowledge flows within online and offline networks, highlighting how in this case, CCS retains a niche audience, with communication and information flows concentrated with industry and stakeholder networks at a local and regional scale, as opposed to reaching broader national policy makers, and the wider publics. This brings a unique insight into the construction of networks across intersecting sectors of this critical technology and highlights how for successful implementation CCS, actors may need to reach out beyond their existing network

Drawing inferences for high‐dimensional linear models: A selection‐assisted partial regression and smoothing approach

Drawing inferences for high‐dimensional models is challenging as regular asymptotic theories are not applicable. This article proposes a new framework of simultaneous estimation and inferences for high‐dimensional linear models. By smoothing over partial regression estimates based on a given variable selection scheme, we reduce the problem to low‐dimensional least squares estimations. The procedure, termed as Selection‐assisted Partial Regression and Smoothing (SPARES), utilizes data splitting along with variable selection and partial regression. We show that the SPARES estimator is asymptotically unbiased and normal, and derive its variance via a nonparametric delta method. The utility of the procedure is evaluated under various simulation scenarios and via comparisons with the de‐biased LASSO estimators, a major competitor. We apply the method to analyze two genomic datasets and obtain biologically meaningful results.Peer Reviewedhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/151307/1/biom13013.pdfhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/151307/2/biom13013-sup-0001-SuppData.pdfhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/151307/3/biom13013_am.pd

Maternal Death: Scotland’s Enlightenment

The historical literature on maternal death gives little attention to the problem in Scotland. Data in a popular, yet serious, national publication for 1739–1772 suggest that there was some public interest in the problem of maternal mortality. This interest may have been associated with the democratization of many forms of knowledge, central to the Scottish Enlightenment. The publication of these data is linked to the little-known, but ground-breaking, work of Alexander Gordon on puerperal fever in Aberdeen, which long predated the study by Ignaz Semmelweis. This 18th-century publication is compared with the popular media of the 21st century

Professionalism and person-centredness: developing a practice based approach to leadership within NHS maternity services in the UK

This paper, based on data taken from in-depth interviews with senior midwives and obstetricians and conducted as part of a critical ethnographic study, argues for a greater appreciation of person-centred, value-led midwifery practice. The paper begins with a discussion of the way midwifery practice is shaped by encoded and embodied knowledge. The paper subsequently focuses on an emergent practice based leadership using an adapted Aristotelian conceptual framework derived from MacIntyre (2007). Professional dissonance is highlighted as a difficulty experienced by repositioned managers who are also expected to be leaders in their field. Using data gathered from in-depth interviews it is contended that establishing person-centred care might be better achieved through the development of practice based leadership (rather than solely by adherence to organisational requirements). This type of leadership could potentially nurture a professional environment that promotes qualities, such as agency, commitment and high levels of competence among midwives. Such leadership is central to UK government priorities and is applicable to a global practice development agenda

INFLUENCE OF THE REORGANIZATION OF ENERGY INFRASTRUCTURE TO AIR POLLUTION IN THE BALTIC STATES

Prognosis of environmental quality in Baltic states related with the closure of Ignalina Nuclear Power Plant according to two electricity production scenarios was made. (Scenario 1 - closure date of Block 1 is 2005, closure date of Block 2 is 2011; Scenario 2 - closure date of Block 1 is 2005, exploitation of Block 2 will be extended at least until 2020.) We can see that in accordance with both scenarios CO2 an SO2 emission will increase every year. Although the influence of the largest air pollution sources such as Estonian/Baltic PP, Lithuanian PP Riga CHP and others remains very significant to the situation in Baltic States, new power plants will forward the rise of total emission

The prevalence of vitamin B12 deficiency in a random sample from the Australian population

 Objective: Vitamin B12 deficiency is common in older adults, and may increase the risk of cognitive impairment. The distribution of vitamin B12 insufficiency in younger age groups is less studied. This study aims to assess the prevalence of vitamin B12 deficiency (<156ρmol/L) and subclinical low-normal levels (156-250ρmol/L) in a large, random sample of the Australian population across the adult life span. Methods: We examined serum vitamin B12 levels in a random sample of 1,085 men and 1,125 women aged 20-97 years between 1994 and 2006; in the Barwon Statistical Division, a regional area in south eastern Australia that is representative of the socioeconomic status of the Australian population. Results: The age-standardised prevalence of vitamin B12 deficiency in this cohort of men and women was 3.6%. Subclinical low-normal vitamin B12 levels (156-250ρmol/L) were found in 26%. Serum vitamin B12 levels declined with age among men (p-value <0.001) and were lower in men than women (p-value <0.001). Vitamin B12 levels were higher among supplement users (8.0% of the cohort). Conclusions: Vitamin B12 levels decline with age, and have been associated with neurodegenerative diseases and cognitive decline. Early intervention by diet education or supplement use to address this age-associated decline in vitamin levels may be an effective strategy to prevent decline in a significant segment of the population. Such intervention may need to start in mid-life (from 50-years of age) before the onset age-related decline in vitamin B12 levels

Stillbirth and loss: family practices and display

This paper explores how parents respond to their memories of their stillborn child over the years following their loss. When people die after living for several years or more, their family and friends have the residual traces of a life lived as a basis for an identity that may be remembered over a sustained period of time. For the parent of a stillborn child there is no such basis and the claim for a continuing social identity for their son or daughter is precarious. Drawing on interviews with the parents of 22 stillborn children, this paper explores the identity work performed by parents concerned to create a lasting and meaningful identity for their child and to include him or her in their families after death. The paper draws on Finch's (2007) concept of family display and Walter's (1999) thesis that links continue to exist between the living and the dead over a continued period. The paper argues that evidence from the experience of stillbirth suggests that there is scope for development for both theoretical frameworks