Continuity of Conduct and Substance Use Disorders among Adolescents in the One Year and Two Years Following Exposure to Substance Abuse Treatment

The current study utilized a sample of 138 adolescents from a short-term inpatient chemical dependency recovery hospital. Analyses utilized scales from the Global Appraisal of Individual Needs (GAIN), a semi-structured interview that was administered multiple times over the two years after treatment intake. Analyses examined the persistence of substance abuse, conduct disorder symptomatology, delinquent behavior, and mental distress following treatment. A primary goal of the study was to examine whether adolescents with severe conduct disorder (i.e., those engaging in behaviors causing considerable harm to others) followed different trajectories than their mild/moderate counterparts. This inquiry was predicated largely on research that suggests two different pathways for delinquent behavior, namely life-course persistent versus adolescence-limited offending. Substance abuse was measured in terms of both frequency of use, as well as associated problems. The study also examined the presence of “minimal” (i.e., 10% or less of days) or “non-problem” use (i.e., active users reporting no symptoms of abuse or dependence). Overall, fewer mean substance-related problems were reported at each successive follow-up despite the fact that average frequency of substance use increased steadily from the around one-fifth of days at the 3-month follow-up to nearly half of all days at year-two. Results of multilevel negative binomial regression indicated that estimated number of conduct disorder symptoms changed significantly over time, with estimates for average number of conduct disorder symptoms approximating six at intake, but approaching only one symptom by year-two. Although results indicated that male and female participants differed significantly for mean number of conduct disorder symptoms at treatment entry, both groups reported mean symptoms exceeding the 3 required for diagnosis. By the year-two follow-up, no significant sex differences were demonstrated. The study also examined service utilization in the year following initial treatment exposure. Analyses sought to examine potential relationships between treatment duration or treatment focus (e.g., substance abuse treatment versus mental health services) and outcomes. In general, the results of the correlations and regressions showed that the nature or amount of treatment received failed to predict or account for differences in frequency of substance use, symptoms of mental distress, and conduct disordered or criminal behaviors

Retaliatory Evictions in Washington and Seattle: In Search of Public Policy

Retaliatory eviction occurs when a landlord evicts a tenant because the tenant took action to compel the landlord to comply with the law. Because tenants had no laws with which to compel landlords to comply until the relatively recent advent of remedial housing legislation, the retaliatory eviction defense is a recent development in the law. After examining the historical basis for the retaliatory eviction defense, this comment discusses remedial housing legislation in Washington. It illustrates (i) the historical concern of both the state legislature and the state supreme court for quality rental housing; (ii) the state\u27s historical dependence on municipalities to enforce and supervise the housing standards spawned by that concern; and (iii) municipalities\u27 reliance on tenant complaints, particularly those of periodic tenants, as a crucial part of these enforcement and supervisory efforts. This comment then analyzes a recent retaliatory eviction case decided by the state court of appeals. Failing to consider the historical perspective of the state\u27s housing policies, that court misconstrued the Residential Landlord Tenant Act to exempt periodic tenant evictions from the Act\u27s retaliatory eviction prohibition. The comment concludes that the city of Seattle\u27s recent Just Cause Eviction Ordinance, permitting a landlord to evict a tenant only for good cause, is consistent with the state\u27s housing policies and is not preempted by any exemption of retaliatory termination of periodic tenancies. The Ordinance should, however, substantially reduce the number of retaliatory evictions in Seattle. Until the court of appeals\u27 decision is overruled or changed by statute, tenants in other municipalities will be without this protection

You \u3ci\u3eCan\u3c/i\u3e Take It with You? Student Library Employees, ePortfolios, and “Edentity” Construction

Abstract ePortfolios have become an important tool for assessing and tracking employee development. In 2008, the Washington State University Libraries became involved in the institution’s ePortfolio initiative. Library supervisors hoped that as a dynamic online tool, the ePortfolio concept would provide an effective method for assessing the library’s body of student employees. Collaborating with the Center for Teaching and Learning (CTLT), the Center for Advising & Career Development (CACD), and Student Computing Services (SCS), the WSU Libraries explored the possibility of using ePortfolios to drive employee assessment. The Access Services unit, with the assistance of the Library Instruction, Library Systems, and the Humanities and Social Sciences units, piloted ePortfolios as an assessment tool that would engage student workers. As an electronic inventory of one’s professional and academic growth, ePortfolios present library supervisors with the opportunity to monitor and evaluate an employee’s progress over time

Reputation, Altruism, and the Benefits of Seller Charity in an Online Marketplace

We investigate the impact of charity tie-ins on transaction probabilities and sale prices using a large database of eBay auctions. We examine “natural experiments” of precisely matched clusters of charity and non-charity auctions with identical titles, subtitles, sellers, and start prices. We find a 6 to 14 percentage point increase in sale probability and a 2 to 6 percent greater maximum bid for charity items, depending on the fraction of auction proceeds that is donated to charity. The impact on sale probability and price is most pronounced among sellers without extensive eBay histories, suggesting that consumers view charity as a signal of seller quality and a substitute for reputation. We also find that charity-tied products by all sellers are more likely to sell (and at higher prices) immediately following Hurricane Katrina, implying that consumers derive direct utility from seller charity at times when charity is particularly salient.

Spatial and temporal trends of iron and iron isotope cycling in the Peruvian oxygen minimum zone

Iron (Fe) is a key element in the global ocean’s biogeochemical framework because of its essential role in numerous biological processes. A poorly studied link in the oceanic Fe cycle is the reductive release of Fe from sediments in oxygen depleted ocean regions - the oxygen minimum zones (OMZs). Changing rates of Fe release from OMZ sediments may have the potential to modulate ocean fertility which has far-reaching implications considering the high amplitude oxygen fluctuations throughout earth history as well as the ongoing ocean deoxygenation projected for the near future. In order to explore spatial and temporal trends of Fe cycling in OMZs, we present here Fe isotope and speciation data for surface sediments from a transect across the Peruvian upwelling area, one of the most pronounced OMZs of the modern ocean. Because of continuous dissimilatory Fe reduction and diffusive loss across the benthic boundary, sediments within the OMZ are strongly depleted in reactive Fe components, and the little reactive Fe left behind has a heavy isotope composition. In contrast, surface sediments below the OMZ are enriched in reactive Fe, with the majority being present as Fe oxides with comparably light isotope composition. This lateral pattern of Fe depletion and enrichment indicates that Fe released from sediments within the OMZ is reoxidized and precipitated at the oxycline. First-order calculations suggest that the amount of Fe mobilized within the OMZ and that accumulated at the boundaries are largely balanced. Therefore, benthic Fe fluxes in OMZs should be carefully evaluated prior to incorporation into global models, as much of the initially released Fe may be reprecipitated prior to vertical or offshore transport. First XRF core scanning results for partly laminated piston cores from the OMZ boundaries reveal downcore oscillations in the content of reactive Fe and redox-sensitive trace metals that are attributed to past changes in OMZ extension. Ongoing work on these cores will focus on their dating and the downcore investigation of Fe and trace metal records in order to better understand past Fe cycling within the Peruvian OMZ and potential interactions with climate variability

Exploration of the risk factors contained within the UK’s existing domestic abuse risk assessment tool (DASH): do these risk factors have individual predictive validity regarding recidivism?

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore risk factors contained in the existing UK domestic abuse (DA) risk assessment tool: domestic abuse, stalking and harassment and honour-based violence (DASH) for individual predictive validity of DA recidivism using data from Devon and Cornwall Constabulary. Design/methodology/approach In total, 1,441 DA perpetrators were monitored over a 12-month period, and 270 (18.7 per cent) went on to commit a further DA offence. The individual risk factors which were associated and predictive of increased risk of recidivism were identified. Findings Only four of the individual risk factors were significantly associated with an increased risk of DA recidivism: “criminal history”, “problems with alcohol”, “separation” and “frightened”. Therefore, 21 of the risk factor items analysed could not discriminate between non-recidivist and recidivist perpetrators. Only two risk factors were able to significantly predict the recidivist group when compared to the non-recidivist group. These were identified as “criminal history” and “separated”. Of those who did commit a further DA offence in the following 12 months, 133 were violent and 137 were non-violent. The risk factors associated with these types of recidivism are identified. Practical implications The implications for UK police practice and the DASH risk assessment tool are discussed. By identifying key individual factors that can prioritise those individuals likely to recidivate and the severity of that recidivism, this could assist police decision making regarding the response and further prevention of DA incidents. The validation of association between individual factors and DA recidivism should improve the accuracy of risk levels. Originality/value This is the first large-scale validation of the individual risk factors contained within the UK’s DA risk assessment tool. It should be noted that the validity of the DASH tool itself was not examined within the current study

Retrieval of Infotainment System Artifacts from Vehicles Using iVe

The analysis of mobile devices and hard drives has been the focus of the digital forensics world for years, but there is another source of potential evidence not often considered: vehicles. Many of today’s “connected cars” have systems that function like computers, storing information they process including user data from devices synced to the system. There has been little to no research done regarding what types of user artifacts can be found on the system, how long these artifacts remain, whether or not the user can remove those artifacts, and whether certain systems provide more information than others. For this study, two different makes and models of vehicle infotainment systems were used for data acquisition: a Uconnect® system and a Toyota™ Extension Box. It was found that the Toyota™ system provided a significant amount of user information (contacts, call logs, media file information, and locations), while the Uconnect® system provided only locations. This indicates valuable user data can be obtained in this manner

The Co-occurrence of Risk Factors for Intra-familial Child Homicides and Suspicious Child Deaths in England and Wales.

This study aimed to examine the co-occurrence of known risk indicators for intra-familial child death, to identify any themes which may exist. Data consisted of 100 child intra-familial deaths recorded by Police forces in England and Wales from 2006-2012. Categorical principal component analysis was used to assess relationships between 10 risk factors for intra-familial child death, resulting in the creation of four risk conditions, representing themes drawn from the literature, ‘abusive and unstable co-parenting’, ‘multiple parent stressors’, ‘parental social issues’ and ‘neglectful parenting’. Implications for police practice and risk management strategies are discussed

The Demand for Products Linked to Public Goods: Evidence from an Online Field Experiment

We conduct a field experiment at a nonprofit organization's online store to study how demand changes when consumers' purchases generate revenue for a charitable cause. Consumers respond strongly when their purchases generate small donations by an anonymous outside group, but responses are substantially weaker when the outside donations are relatively large. Responses are also strong when the outside donation requires a personal donation which consumers generally decline. Overall, increasing the salience of financial incentives appears to dampen consumers' responses to charitable messages. We also present evidence that the donation pledges reduce price sensitivity and have positive long-term effects on demand

Evidence that the entire Golgi apparatus cycles in interphase HeLa cells: sensitivity of Golgi matrix proteins to an ER exit block

We tested whether the entire Golgi apparatus is a dynamic structure in interphase mammalian cells by assessing the response of 12 different Golgi region proteins to an endoplasmic reticulum (ER) exit block. The proteins chosen spanned the Golgi apparatus and included both Golgi glycosyltransferases and putative matrix proteins. Protein exit from ER was blocked either by microinjection of a GTP-restricted Sar1p mutant protein in the presence of a protein synthesis inhibitor, or by plasmid-encoded expression of the same dominant negative Sar1p. All Golgi region proteins examined lost juxtanuclear Golgi apparatus–like distribution as scored by conventional and confocal fluorescence microscopy in response to an ER exit block, albeit with a differential dependence on Sar1p concentration. Redistribution of GalNAcT2 was more sensitive to low Sar1pdn concentrations than giantin or GM130. Redistribution was most rapid for p27, COPI, and p115. Giantin, GM130, and GalNAcT2 relocated with approximately equal kinetics. Distinct ER accumulation could be demonstrated for all integral membrane proteins. ER-accumulated Golgi region proteins were functional. Photobleaching experiments indicated that Golgi-to-ER protein cycling occurred in the absence of any ER exit block. We conclude that the entire Golgi apparatus is a dynamic structure and suggest that most, if not all, Golgi region–integral membrane proteins cycle through ER in interphase cells