Do Prosecutors Use Interview Instructions or Build Rapport with Child Witnesses?

This is the author accepted manuscript. The final version is available from Wiley via http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/bsl.2183This study examined the quality of interview instructions and rapport-building provided by prosecutors to 168 children aged 5-12 years testifying in child sexual abuse cases, preceding explicit questions about abuse allegations. Prosecutors failed to effectively administer key interview instructions, build rapport, or rely on open-ended narrative producing prompts during this early stage of questioning. Moreover, prosecutors often directed children's attention to the defendant early in the testimony. The productivity of different types of wh- questions varied, with what/how questions focusing on actions being particularly productive. The lack of instructions, poor quality rapport-building, and closed-ended questioning suggest that children may not be adequately prepared during trial to provide lengthy and reliable reports to their full ability.This research was supported by NICHD Grant HD047290 to Dr. Thomas Lyon

The Productivity of Wh- Prompts in Child Forensic Interviews.

Child witnesses are often asked wh- prompts (what, how, why, who, when, where) in forensic interviews. However, little research has examined the ways in which children respond to different wh- prompts, and no previous research has investigated productivity differences among wh- prompts in investigative interviews. This study examined the use and productivity of wh- prompts in 95 transcripts of 4- to 13-year-olds alleging sexual abuse in child investigative interviews. What-how questions about actions elicited the most productive responses during both the rapport building and substantive phases. Future research and practitioner training should consider distinguishing among different wh- prompts.This research was supported in part by the Nuffield Foundation, Jacobs Foundation, an NICHD Grant HD047290, and an ESRC studentship.This is the author accepted manuscript. The final version is available from SAGE via http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/088626051562108

Interplay of structure and spin-orbit strength in magnetism of metal-benzene sandwiches: from single molecules to infinite wires

Based on first-principles density functional theory calculations we explore electronic and magnetic properties of experimentally producible sandwiches and infinite wires made of repeating benzene molecules and transition-metal atoms of V, Nb, and Ta. We describe the bonding mechanism in the molecules and in particular concentrate on the origin of magnetism in these structures. We find that all the considered systems have sizable magnetic moments and ferromagnetic spin-ordering, with the single exception of the V3-Bz4 molecule. By including the spin-orbit coupling into our calculations we determine the easy and hard axes of the magnetic moment, the strength of the uniaxial magnetic anisotropy energy (MAE), relevant for the thermal stability of magnetic orientation, and the change of the electronic structure with respect to the direction of the magnetic moment, important for spin-transport properties. While for the V-based compounds the values of the MAE are only of the order of 0.05-0.5 meV per metal atom, increasing the spin-orbit strength by substituting V with heavier Nb and Ta allows to achieve an increase in anisotropy values by one to two orders of magnitude. The rigid stability of magnetism in these compounds together with the strong ferromagnetic ordering makes them attractive candidates for spin-polarized transport applications. For a Nb-benzene infinite wire the occurrence of ballistic anisotropic magnetoresistance is demonstrated.Comment: 23 pages, 8 figure

Siting Transmission Lines in a Changed Milieu: Evolving Notions of the "Public Interest" In Balancing State and Regional Considerations

This Article discusses how state public utility law presents a barrier to the siting of new high voltage transmission lines to serve renewable resources, and how states could approach its evolution in order to preserve a role for state regulators in a new energy economy in which renewable energy will play a significant role. The traditional approach to determining the "public interest" in siting transmission lines is well on its way to obsolescence. Two developments over the past fifteen years have begun to challenge this paradigm. First, policies at the federal level and in many states have encouraged increased competition in generation, contributing to de-monopolization of the bulk power side of the industry. Second, the increased emphasis on environmental, energy independence, and other public policy objectives, has resulted in a dramatically increased demand for renewable energy, particularly given heightened attention to climate change. Given that wind power -- the most economically viable renewable resource on a bulk power basis -- is feasible predominantly in locations far removed from, load centers, the demand for new multistate transmission facilities has been brought clearly into focus. After an introduction in Part I, Part II describes the existing arrangements in several resource rich Western states for siting new transmission lines, and the coexistence of those arrangements with a conventional understanding of the public interest in determining need and addressing environmental concerns under traditional state transmission siting laws. Part III discusses transmission issues related to the competitive wholesale market and increased attention to climate change and highlights how federal law has expanded to accommodate some of these concerns. Part IV emphasizes the need for a new definition of the public interest which might better reflect these new market circumstances and opportunities, and highlights the two main barriers to this: 1) legislative and/or regulatory inertia and 2) an outdated cost-allocation model. The public interest under most state siting statutes is sufficiently capacious to give regulators some flexibility to evolve, but in other instances legislative action may be needed. In addition, the state cost-of-service ratemaking model must evolve to a more regional approach to allocating the costs of new transmission

Towards a fullerene-based quantum computer

Molecular structures appear to be natural candidates for a quantum technology: individual atoms can support quantum superpositions for long periods, and such atoms can in principle be embedded in a permanent molecular scaffolding to form an array. This would be true nanotechnology, with dimensions of order of a nanometre. However, the challenges of realising such a vision are immense. One must identify a suitable elementary unit and demonstrate its merits for qubit storage and manipulation, including input / output. These units must then be formed into large arrays corresponding to an functional quantum architecture, including a mechanism for gate operations. Here we report our efforts, both experimental and theoretical, to create such a technology based on endohedral fullerenes or 'buckyballs'. We describe our successes with respect to these criteria, along with the obstacles we are currently facing and the questions that remain to be addressed.Comment: 20 pages, 13 figs, single column forma

Cardiovascular risk in chronic myeloid leukaemia: A multidisciplinary consensus on screening and management

INTRODUCTION: Tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) have become the mainstay of treatment for chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML), but cardiovascular (CV) risk and exacerbation of underlying risk factors associated with TKIs have become widely debated. Real-world evidence reveals little application of CV risk factor screening or continued monitoring within UK CML management. This consensus paper presents practical recommendations to assist healthcare professionals in conducting CV screening/comorbidity management for patients receiving TKIs. METHODS: We conducted a multidisciplinary panel meeting and two iterative surveys involving 10 CML specialists: five haematologists, two cardio-oncologists, one vascular surgeon, one haemato-oncology pharmacist and one specialist nurse practitioner. RESULTS: The panel recommended that patients commencing second-/third-generation TKIs undergo formal CV risk assessment at baseline, with additional investigations and involvement of cardiologists/vascular surgeons for those with high CV risk. During treatment, patients should undergo CV monitoring, with the nature and frequency of testing dependent on TKI and baseline CV risk. For patients who develop CV adverse events, decision-making around TKI interruption, cessation or change should be multidisciplinary and balance CV and haematological risk. CONCLUSION: The panel anticipates these recommendations will support healthcare professionals in implementing CV risk screening and monitoring, broadly and consistently, and thereby help optimise TKI treatment for CML

Space physics for graduate students: an activities-based approach

The geospace environment is controlled largely by events on the Sun, such as solar flares and coronal mass ejections, which generate significant geomagnetic and upper atmospheric disturbances. The study of this Sun-Earth system, which has become known as space weather, has both intrinsic scientific interest and practical applications. Adverse conditions in space can damage satellites and disrupt communications, navigation, and electric power grids, as well as endanger astronauts. The Center for Integrated Space Weather Modeling (CISM), a Science and Technology Center (STC) funded by the U.S. National Science Foundation (see http://www.bu.edu/cism/), is developing a suite of integrated physics-based computer models that describe the space environment from the Sun to the Earth for use in both research and operations [Hughes and Hudson, 2004, p. 1241]. To further this mission, advanced education and training programs sponsored by CISM encourage students to view space weather as a system that encompasses the Sun, the solar wind, the magnetosphere, and the ionosphere/thermosphere. This holds especially true for participants in the CISM space weather summer school [Simpson, 2004]

Postcode Lotteries in Public Health - The NHS Health Checks Programme in North West London

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Postcode lotteries in health refer to differences in health care between different geographic areas. These have been previously associated with clinical services. However there has been little documentation of postcode lotteries relating to preventative health care services. This paper describes a postcode lottery effect in relation to the NHS Health Checks Programme (a national cardiovascular screening programme in England) in eight PCTs in the North West sector of London.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>A descriptive cross-sectional analysis of the Health Checks Programme was carried out in eight PCTs in North West London using a structured data-collecting instrument.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The analysis found variation in the implementation of the national Health Checks Programme in terms of: the screening approach taken; the allocated budget (which varied from £69,000 to £1.4 million per 100,000 eligible population); payment rates made to providers of Health Checks; tools used to identify and measure risk of cardiovascular disease and diabetes; monitoring and evaluation; and preventative services available following the health check.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>This study identifies a postcode lottery effect related to a national public health programme. Although it is important to allow enough flexibility in the design of the Health Checks Programme so that it fits in with local factors, aspects of the programme may benefit from greater standardisation or stronger national guidance.</p

Particle tracer transport in a sloping soil lysimeter under periodic, steady state conditions

Colloid transport through complex and dynamic (i.e. non-steady-state) hydrologic systems is rarely studied, owing to the difficulty of constraining initial and boundary conditions and quantifying colloid-porous media and colloid-colloid interactions in transient flow systems. Here we present a particle tracer experiment conducted on a sloped lysimeter receiving periodic rainfall events for 10 days. Four unique, DNA-labelled particle tracers were injected both in sequence and in parallel, together with a conservative tracer (deuterium), over the course of the first day and allowed to move through the system. Discharge-particle tracer concentration curves and the spatial distribution of particle tracer mass retained in the soil at the end of the experiment were found to be highly dependent on the timing of the tracer injection and the precipitation input and subsequent dynamic response of the water table. Overall, neglecting the total DLT recovery rate, the DLT particle tracer breakthrough trend (DNA-labelled particle tracer 4) was similar to deuterium and decreased over time with the exception of a few peaks later in the experiment. The individual particle tracer breakthrough curves suggest a complex system with different fast transport mechanisms (e.g. capillary barrier and size exclusion effect) and slow retention-release mechanisms (e.g. straining, physical-chemical adsorption), which resulted in particle tracers transferring faster than deuterium in the first 10 h of the experiment but being exceeded by deuterium soon after deuterium started to break through. The experiment not only highlights the interaction of repeated colloidal pollution events in hydrologic systems with different pre-event saturation conditions, but also the benefits of using multiple synchronous or sequential tracer applications to dissect explicit formulations of water flow and colloid transport processes in complex and dynamic hydrological systems. Such explicit process formulations could help improve understanding hydrologically-controlled transport through catchments and the quantitative prediction of these processes with water quality models

Mass-radius relationships for exoplanets

For planets other than Earth, interpretation of the composition and structure depends largely on comparing the mass and radius with the composition expected given their distance from the parent star. The composition implies a mass-radius relation which relies heavily on equations of state calculated from electronic structure theory and measured experimentally on Earth. We lay out a method for deriving and testing equations of state, and deduce mass-radius and mass-pressure relations for key materials whose equation of state is reasonably well established, and for differentiated Fe/rock. We find that variations in the equation of state, such as may arise when extrapolating from low pressure data, can have significant effects on predicted mass- radius relations, and on planetary pressure profiles. The relations are compared with the observed masses and radii of planets and exoplanets. Kepler-10b is apparently 'Earth- like,' likely with a proportionately larger core than Earth's, nominally 2/3 of the mass of the planet. CoRoT-7b is consistent with a rocky mantle over an Fe-based core which is likely to be proportionately smaller than Earth's. GJ 1214b lies between the mass-radius curves for H2O and CH4, suggesting an 'icy' composition with a relatively large core or a relatively large proportion of H2O. CoRoT-2b is less dense than the hydrogen relation, which could be explained by an anomalously high degree of heating or by higher than assumed atmospheric opacity. HAT-P-2b is slightly denser than the mass-radius relation for hydrogen, suggesting the presence of a significant amount of matter of higher atomic number. CoRoT-3b lies close to the hydrogen relation. The pressure at the center of Kepler-10b is 1.5+1.2-1.0 TPa. The central pressure in CoRoT-7b is probably close to 0.8TPa, though may be up to 2TPa.Comment: Added more recent exoplanets. Tidied text and references. Added extra "rock" compositions. Responded to referee comment