Criminal History Enhancements Sourcebook

Criminal history scores make up one of the two most significant determinants of the punishment an offender receives in a sentencing guidelines jurisdiction. While prior convictions are taken into account by all U.S. sentencing systems, sentencing guidelines make the role of prior crimes more explicit by specifying the counting rules and by indicating the effect of prior convictions on sentence severity. Yet, once established, criminal history scoring formulas go largely unexamined. Moreover, there is great diversity across state and federal jurisdictions in the ways that an offender's criminal record is considered by courts at sentencing. This Sourcebook brings together for the first time information on criminal history enhancements in all existing U.S. sentencing guidelines systems. Building on this base, the Sourcebook examines major variations in the approaches taken by these systems, and identifies the underlying sentencing policy issues raised by such enhancements.The Sourcebook contains the following elements:A summary of criminal history enhancements in all guidelines jurisdictions;An analysis of the critical dimensions of an offender's previous convictions;A discussion of the policy options available to commissions considering amendments to their criminal history enhancements;A bibliography of key readings on the role of prior convictions at sentencing

Meta-study Focusing on Abiotic Cells for Human Implants

Abstract: Powering implantable devices in human body with a glucose based fuel cell (GFC) offers an alternative to non-rechargeable batteries that typically require routine invasive surgery. There are three main approaches for GFCs to oxidise glucose. Enzymatic Fuel Cells are selective and have a high reaction rate but are unstable as the proteins can denature giving the cell a short lifespan. Microbial Fuel Cells use microbes to break down glucose to produce electrons. However they possess the danger of cell leakages that can introduce the microbes to the patient and risk possible infection. Abiotic Fuel Cells employ inorganic catalysts, typically a noble metal alloy or metallic carbon to oxidise and reduce glucose and oxygen respectively. Abiotic is the safest and most stable of the three but possesses the lowest output due to the electrodes inability to target glucose specifically. This meta-study investigates for Abiotic Glucose Fuel Cell being the most viable candidate of the three for possible use in autonomous medical devices. We will assess current abiotic fuel cells on the thermodynamic parameters of output voltage, current/current density, power density and efficiency. The kinetic parameters of internal resistance and rate at which membranes transport electrons will also be assessed. Operational parameters of lifespan and overall architecture will also be assessed to further understand the conditions and materials these cells were produced.Keywords: Glucose; Fuel Cell; Meta-study; Enzymatic; Microbial; Abiotic; Implantable Device

Decision trees in epidemiological research

Background: In many studies, it is of interest to identify population subgroups that are relatively homogeneous with respect to an outcome. The nature of these subgroups can provide insight into effect mechanisms and suggest targets for tailored interventions. However, identifying relevant subgroups can be challenging with standard statistical methods. Main text: We review the literature on decision trees, a family of techniques for partitioning the population, on the basis of covariates, into distinct subgroups who share similar values of an outcome variable. We compare two decision tree methods, the popular Classification and Regression tree (CART) technique and the newer Conditional Inference tree (CTree) technique, assessing their performance in a simulation study and using data from the Box Lunch Study, a randomized controlled trial of a portion size intervention. Both CART and CTree identify homogeneous population subgroups and offer improved prediction accuracy relative to regression-based approaches when subgroups are truly present in the data. An important distinction between CART and CTree is that the latter uses a formal statistical hypothesis testing framework in building decision trees, which simplifies the process of identifying and interpreting the final tree model. We also introduce a novel way to visualize the subgroups defined by decision trees. Our novel graphical visualization provides a more scientifically meaningful characterization of the subgroups identified by decision trees. Conclusions: Decision trees are a useful tool for identifying homogeneous subgroups defined by combinations of individual characteristics. While all decision tree techniques generate subgroups, we advocate the use of the newer CTree technique due to its simplicity and ease of interpretation

Sendero: An Extended, Agent-Based Implementation of Kauffman's NKCS Model

The idea of agents exploring a fitness landscape in which they seek to move from 'fitness valleys' to higher 'fitness peaks' has been presented by Kauffman in the NK and NKCS models. The NK model addresses single species while the NKCS extension illustrates coevolving species on coupled fitness landscapes. We describe an agent-based simulation (Sendero), built in Repast, of the NK and NKCS models. The results from Sendero are validated against Kauffman's findings for the NK and NKCS models. We also describe extensions to the basic model, including population dynamics and communication networks for NK, and directed graphs and variable change rates for NKCS. The Sendero software is available as open source under the BSD licence and is thus available for download and extension by the research community.Coevolution, Agent-Based Modelling, NK, NKCS, Fitness Landscape

A novel cassette method for probe evaluation in the designed biochips

A critical step in biochip design is the selection of probes with identical hybridisation characteristics. In this article we describe a novel method for evaluating DNA hybridisation probes, allowing the fine-tuning of biochips, that uses cassettes with multiple probes. Each cassette contains probes in equimolar proportions so that their hybridisation performance can be assessed in a single reaction. The model used to demonstrate this method was a series of probes developed to detect TORCH pathogens. DNA probes were designed for Toxoplasma gondii, Chlamidia trachomatis, Rubella, Cytomegalovirus, and Herpes virus and these were used to construct the DNA cassettes. Five cassettes were constructed to detect TORCH pathogens using a variety of genes coding for membrane proteins, viral matrix protein, an early expressed viral protein, viral DNA polymerase and the repetitive gene B1 of Toxoplasma gondii. All of these probes, except that for the B1 gene, exhibited similar profiles under the same hybridisation conditions. The failure of the B1 gene probe to hybridise was not due to a position effect, and this indicated that the probe was unsuitable for inclusion in the biochip. The redesigned probe for the B1 gene exhibited identical hybridisation properties to the other probes, suitable for inclusion in a biochip

An introduction to communicating science

It is becoming increasingly recognised that students in Higher Education must acquire the skills necessary for professional and personal development, as well as for academic progress. The media have recently focused on the issue of declining public interest in the sciences and the lack of accurate reporting of science. We have developed a new programme, which endeavours to address both issues involving a three day intensive course covering writing, TV and radio. In addition to the targeted activities of learning the skills of science communication, the programme encourages partnerships, and exploits the resources and expertise available from various institutions. The undertaking of this type of programme is not limited to the acquisition of time slots in a studio such as Bush House. Most university campuses are now home to their own recording studios and even have television facilities. However, the programme requires only a video camera and audio recording equipment. The success of this science communication module and oftwo others run by MOAC and CBC (Team Development and Decision-making and Leadership) has encouraged us to develop a complete postgraduate certificate in transferable skills. We anticipate the certificate will be a valuable vehicle for consolidating and enhancing the training discussed in this article

Behavioral Health Models to Understand High-Risk Prenatal Patient Adherence to Visit Schedule in Camden

ABSTRACT: Introduction: Despite improvement initiatives, patient non-adherence remains an issue in healthcare. Patients with high-risk pregnancies require more frequent monitoring to reduce complications. This study aims to better understand visit non-adherence with high-risk prenatal appointments. We hypothesized that patients’ perceived logistic barriers would be the most prominent determinant of visit non-adherence. Methods: This study included adult, English speaking patients of the high-risk prenatal clinic at Cooper University Hospital that missed at least one appointment. We completed three, one hour focus groups with seven participants. Constant comparison analysis was used to determine common themes discussed by participants. Axial coding and basic unit descriptors were defined by both facilitators to determine common themes discussed during the focus group sessions. Results: We identified two main themes in regards to patient visit non-adherence in our population: logistic issues and perceived relationship issues between the patient and the care team. Logistic issues included issues with rescheduling, seeing different providers, parking, wait time and office hours. In regards to patient-care team relationships, subjects frequently brought up issues with respect, feeling heard by providers, communication and professionalism. All seven patients identified at least one of the five domains of logistic barriers as a concern. Five of the seven participants identified an issue across the four domains of relationship issues. Discussion: The focus group analysis illustrated recurrent themes of logistic barriers and deficiencies in patient-care team relationships that contributed to high-risk prenatal visit non-adherence. A follow-up survey study is necessary to quantitatively assess the most prominent reasons for visit non-adherence based on the themes identified in our study. Keywords: High-Risk Prenatal Clinic, Appointment Adherence, Health Behaviors Model, Theory of Planned Behavior, Focus Group Analysi