Evidencia epidemiológica de un aumento de mortalidad y responsabilidad penal: En busca de una clasificación penal para una nueva categoría epistemológica

espanolEn el presente articulo se aborda la cuestion de la funcion que se deberia atribuir, en derecho penal, a la evidencia epidemiologica de un exceso de mortalidad en una poblacion expuesta al factor de riesgo representado por sustancias toxicas utilizadas en un determinado proceso productivo. En primer lugar, se analizan las respuestas que la jurisprudencia italiana ha aportado a esta cuestion, tratando de llegar a la afirmacion de responsabilidad penal de los gerentes y/o de algunos de sus subordinados de la empresa donde se utilizan las sustancias toxicas: el enfoque tradicional que utiliza el conocimiento epidemiologico para demostrar la causalidad individual en procesos por homicidio o lesiones no intencionales, y el enfoque mas reciente que utiliza este conocimiento como evidencia del delito de "desastre doloso". Seguidamente, se propone otra solucion al problema basada en la imputacion de los delitos de homicidio o lesiones mediante el instrumento conceptual de origen aleman de la "determinacion alternativa de la victima" ("Opfer-Wahlfeststellung"), y se analizan las reacciones suscitadas en Italia por esta propuesta. Por ultimo, se proponen reflexiones de sintesis sobre la cuestion analizada EnglishThe paper relates to the issue of the role attributed in criminal law to the epidemilogical proof of an excess of mortality in a population exposed to a given risk factor. Primarily the author analyses the responses that Italian courts has given to this matter: the traditional approach which uses epidemiological knowledge to prove individual causality in proceedings for manslaughters or unintentional injuries, and the most recent approach which uses this knowledge to prove the crime of "intentional disaster". The paper then puts forward another solution to the problem, founded on the charge of offences of manslaughters or injuries by the instrument of "alternative establishment of the victim", and analyses the reactions raised by this solution. Finally, summary reflections are offered on the criminal-political significance of the issue analysed.

An Analysis of the Nazi Film Hitlerjunge Quex

<p>CTRL values are shown as mean±SE. Statistical significance level was defined as p<0.05.</p

Road traffic pollution and childhood leukemia: a nationwide case-control study in Italy

Background The association of childhood leukemia with traffic pollution was considered in a number of studies from 1989 onwards, with results not entirely consistent and little information regarding subtypes. Aim of the study We used the data of the Italian SETIL case-control on childhood leukemia to explore the risk by leukemia subtypes associated to exposure to vehicular traffic. Methods We included in the analyses 648 cases of childhood leukemia (565 Acute lymphoblastic–ALL and 80 Acute non lymphoblastic-AnLL) and 980 controls. Information on traffic exposure was collected from questionnaire interviews and from the geocoding of house addresses, for all periods of life of the children. Results We observed an increase in risk for AnLL, and at a lower extent for ALL, with indicators of exposure to traffic pollutants. In particular, the risk was associated to the report of closeness of the house to traffic lights and to the passage of trucks (OR: 1.76; 95% CI 1.03–3.01 for ALL and 6.35; 95% CI 2.59–15.6 for AnLL). The association was shown also in the analyses limited to AML and in the stratified analyses and in respect to the house in different period of life. Conclusions Results from the SETIL study provide some support to the association of traffic related exposure and risk for AnLL, but at a lesser extent for ALL. Our conclusion highlights the need for leukemia type specific analyses in future studies. Results support the need of controlling exposure from traffic pollution, even if knowledge is not complete

A Model of an Optimum Currency Area

This paper develops a model of the circumstances under which it is beneficial to participate in a currency area. The proposed two-country monetary model of trade with nominal rigidities encompasses the real and monetary arguments suggested by the optimum currency area literature: correlation of real and monetary shocks, international factor mobility, fiscal adjustment, openness, difference in national inflationary biases, and transactions costs. The effect of openness on the net benefits is ambiguous, contrary to the usual argument that more open economies are better candidates for a currency area. Also, prospective member countries do not necessarily agree on whether a given currency union should be created