Privacy and Health Information Technology

The increased use of health information technology (health IT) is a common element of nearly every health reform proposal because it has the potential to decrease costs, improve health outcomes, coordinate care, and improve public health. However, it raises concerns about security and privacy of medical information. This paper examines some of the “gaps” in privacy protections that arise out of the current federal health privacy standard, the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability (HIPAA) Privacy Rule, the main federal law which governs the use and disclosure of health information. Additionally, it puts forth a range of possible solutions, accompanied by arguments for and against each. The solutions provide some options for strengthening the current legal framework of privacy protections in order to build public trust in health IT and facilitate its use for health reform. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) enacted in February 2009 includes a number of changes to HIPAA and its regulations, and those changes are clearly noted among the list of solutions (and ARRA is indicated in the Executive Summary and paper where the Act has a relevant provision)

Competition and Intervention in Sovereign Debt Markets

We investigate markets for defaultable sovereign debt in which even though there are many identical lenders and symmetric information (including no hidden actions), perfect competition does not obtain. When a private lender allows a sovereign country to increase its level of indebtedness, that lender implicitly imposes a default externality on others who have lent to that sovereign. That is, in the case where the borrower would be able to pay back the first loan in the absence of a second loan, the borrower may have a strong incentive to take both loans and default on both loans. When a lender has no control over the actions of other lenders, they must anticipate this behavior and devise a lending strategy that is consistent with the strategies not only of the sovereign borrower, but also of other lenders. We develop a model of this strategic lending behavior in the presence of default, and show that even though there are many competing lenders, the perfectly competitive outcome does not necessarily obtain. Moreover, the equilibrium can result in monopoly-like outcomes in prices and quantities. We also study the consequences of intervention in these markets by a seemingly benevolent international financial institution, and find that these interventions, though well-intentioned, can in some cases be welfare reducing for sovereign countries and welfare improving for private lenders.

The governance of security in the revanchist city- The case of Cape Town, South Africa

The governance of security in the revanchist city- The case of Cape Town, South Africa Much has been written on the revanchist city (for example Smith, 1996; MacLeod, 2002; Belina and Helms, 2003) and the reclaiming of space from so-called ‘undesirables‘ through the means of the police. Here, the guiding ideas are policing strategies such as the ‘broken windows syndrome‘ (Kelling and Wilson, 1982) and ‘zero tolerance policing‘ (Giuliani and Bratton, 1994; Beckett and Herbert, 2008; Herbert and Beckett, 2010). However, the role of private security companies in the reclaiming of public space remains under-researched. Using a case study in Cape Town this research gap will be addressed in this study. Conceptualising the thesis through governance and territoriality, it will examine how revanchist ideas of reclaiming space from urban poor and street people lead to exclusionary processes in the quest for sanitised spaces. By taking private security companies out of the environment of mass private property in which they are most commonly studied (Shearing and Stenning, 1983; von Hirsch and Shearing, 2000; Wakefield, 2003), this thesis examines their role and impact on public spaces within the revanchist environment of Cape Town, South Africa. Here, fast and extensive developments in governance as well as in urban life, interwoven with exceptionally high crime rates, have created a flourishing market for private security companies. In this context this thesis examines the case of private policing companies operating in the core public spaces of the city; the research reveals their social ordering function and powers are the same as those usually associated with the public police. Drawing on these insights it is claimed that private policing companies manifest an evolution from private security companies towards the police, and that this continues the pluralisation of the policing landscape. By mapping the privately policed spaces within the case studies and analysing the functions the different governance actors carry out, this thesis also argues that social development actors become part of the policing landscape. Analysing the governance landscape and its close ties to private policing, it is argued that social development is becoming the softer side of policing. Combining effective private policing companies with social development in support of the state reveals that private governance actors are indeed powerful players in public spaces. Drawing on this governance of security and its associated power, the final argument will be that a different kind of public space is being developed. After consideration of the particular history of defunct public spaces in South Africa, it is claimed that no single public space exists anymore, but that we now face different public spaces, characterised through their different norms and rules, and the social groups that use them

Automatic detection of the mental foramen for estimating mandibular cortical width in dental panoramic radiographs

Screening tests are vital for detecting diseases, especially at early stages, where efforts can prevent further illness. For example, osteoporosis is a systemic skeletal disease characterized by low bone mass and microarchitectural deterioration of bone tissue, resulting in bone fragility and susceptibility to fracture. Dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry is commonly used to diagnose osteoporosis since it evaluates bone mineral density. It is the most standard method for diagnosing osteoporosis, but it is not immediately available and is commonly used for research due to the high capital cost. Further, dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry is not used for populational-based screening due to its suboptimal ability to predict hip fractures based on measurements. Therefore, it is recommended to adopt a case-finding strategy to identify individuals at risk who benefit from the dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry examination. Several indices have been developed to estimate bone quality in dental panoramic radiographs to identify individuals at risk of osteoporosis. In particular, the mandibular cortical width index. Studies suggest that dentists can measure the mandibular cortical width to identify individuals at risk and refer them for bone mineral density testing. However, this endeavor is time-consuming and inconsistent due to the bone's unclear borders and the challenge of determining the mental foramen's position, leading to varying measurements between clinicians. Therefore, the dentistry community is investigating how to automate this process effectively and accurately. In an attempt to address some of these problems, this thesis presents a method to assess the mandibular cortical width index automatically. Four different object detectors were analyzed to determine the mental foramen's position. EfficientDet showed the highest average precision (0.30). Therefore, it was combined with an iterative procedure to estimate mandibular cortical width. The results are promising

Leadership as Identity: the Focus in African Literature

The Panama Papers leakage implicated several African leaders in global corruption deals. It confirmed perceptions that these leaders care little for their people. African leaders who overstay term limits are the focus of Western democratic ire. Pro-democracy movements, the overthrow of regimes characterised as undemocratic gain unquestioned media coverage and praise. African leaders are summoned to the International Criminal Court in The Hague; their societies debate whether justice can be administered from outside. Increasingly, voices question African political and developmental processes. African Literature participates in struggles defining modern Africa’s search for identity and its own definition of leadership. It points to possibilities rooted in African Oral Tradition and in customs predating various colonial systems. Leadership forms that societies choose are closely linked to perceptions of identity. This paper examines the crisis of identity which has resulted in Africa’s crisis of leadership and looks at approaches taken by African writers and filmmakers: Malian filmmaker Cheik Oumar Sissoko’s film La Genèse (1999), South African writer Zakes Mda’s novels Ways of Dying(1995), Heart of Redness (2000)

The Relational Geographies of Policing and Security

This paper considers the roles of policing and security in the geographies of everyday public and semi-public space. We contend that while security is concerned with territory, policing relates to place. We consider the relationship between security and territory before examining the relationship between policing and place. In the final section, we argue that a relational view of space is needed to understand how practices of policing and security shape space and, in turn, the lives of people using it

Sparking a Renewed Jewish Commitment to Service

Where do Jews stand in relation to service and what might a Jewish commitment to service look like? By reflecting on historical Jewish understandings of service, we hope to gain perspective on the present and the need to rejoin our concepts of God, service, and worship. Such explorations can spark a radical transformation of our social and communal norms

Protection Seekers’ Lived Experience of Vulnerability in Times of Stricter Migration Policy: The Case of Norway

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United We Serve: A Call To Universal Jewish Service

We have reached a turning point in American Jewish history. Now that large segments of our community are living successful, integrated lives, we have an opportunity to align ourselves behind service to enrich Jewish life and to effect prophetic change in the world. In Pirke Avot (Ethics of the Fathers), Rabbi Tarfon admonishes us, You are not obliged to finish the task, neither are you free to desist from it. The usual interpretation is that our task is bigger than any of us in terms of the quantity of work that must be done. Rabbi Tarfon\u27s dictum, however, also refers to the complexity of the task. We come to understand the critical interdependence of individuals, each bringing their own skills and varied perspectives to accomplish our people\u27s role in the covenant

Experiences from motorized GPR surveys in Iceland

Motorized multi-channel GPR investigations in Iceland in July 2022 showed great potential for large-scale archaeological geophysical surveys. Investigations on selected sites demonstrated effective fieldwork opportunities with excellent signal penetration through thick layers of ash and sand and very good contrast of turf houses towards the surrounding soil. Although Iceland has very challenging landscapes, many places are perfect suitable for motorized surveys making them very efficient for landscape archaeological investigations