Dangerousness: Risk Assessment for Violent Behavior.

Federal court decisions and state and federal legislation have made the legal concept of dangerousness the predominant criterion in involuntary mental health hospital commitments and in determining the least restrictive custody level in prison inmate custody assignments. However, no adequate consensual definition with empirical methods of measurement exists. Megargee\u27s (1976) definition of dangerousness as the probability of violent behavior was used as the basis for an empirical approach to measuring dangerousness in this study. Recent studies in the literature (Monohan, 1984; Klassen & O\u27Conner, 1988) suggested that discriminant analysis might be an appropriate methodology for model development. Review of the literature suggested a variety of potential predictors to use in a discriminant model. Criterion groups of 50 violent psychiatric hospital patients and 50 violent prison inmates were identified, with violence defined as assault or overt threats of assault on another person within six months of admission. Comparison groups of 50 nonviolent patients and 50 nonviolent inmates were drawn from subjects hospitalized or imprisoned during the same years as the criterion subjects. Four validation samples of 25 subjects each were also drawn. Stepwise discriminant analysis of the combined hospital and prison derivation samples yielded a discriminant function containing eight variables which was 75% accurate in classifying the original sample and 73% accurate in classifying the holdout validation sample. The analysis of the hospital sample resulted in a discriminant function containing five variables which was 85% accurate in classifying the original sample and 74% accurate on the validation sample. The analysis of the prison sample resulted in a discriminant model with six variables which was 72% accurate in classifying the original sample and 78% accurate on the validation sample. It was concluded that the derived population-specific (i.e. hospital or prison) models did constitute legally defensible, empirically valid measures of dangerousness for the populations studied. It was also concluded that stepwise discriminant analysis is an appropriate methodology for deriving risk assessment models of dangerousness. Current plans for replication were discussed

Christian Theology for Roman Catholic Law Schools

Roman Catholic universities maintain law schools for theological purposes. This Article discusses the five steps to explaining the theological answer to why there are Catholic law schools—first, the presence of the law school is the presence of the church; second, the presence of the law school is the presence of service; third, the presence of the law school is a presence in the world; fourth, the presence of the law school in the world is enacted vicariously; and fifth, the presence of the law school in the world is a searching presence that reaches into the world to find out how to form those who are to go into the world to be the presence of the church

Christian Theology for Roman Catholic Law Schools

Roman Catholic universities maintain law schools for theological purposes. This Article discusses the five steps to explaining the theological answer to why there are Catholic law schools—first, the presence of the law school is the presence of the church; second, the presence of the law school is the presence of service; third, the presence of the law school is a presence in the world; fourth, the presence of the law school in the world is enacted vicariously; and fifth, the presence of the law school in the world is a searching presence that reaches into the world to find out how to form those who are to go into the world to be the presence of the church

The Use of Punched Cards in Molecular Structure Determinations. I. Crystal Structure Calculations

The application of punched cards and electrical accounting machines (of the International Business Machines Corporation) to crystal structure calculations is described. The machines may be used to evaluate Fourier series with greater accuracy, greater speed, and greater density of calculated points than is possible by the methods used heretofore. A method for the punched-card calculation of structure factors is also set forth, and the use of the machines for the reduction of observational equations to normal equations in least squares is discussed

The Use of Punched Cards in Molecular Structure Determinations. II. Electron Diffraction Calculations

Special files of punched cards for use with the electrical accounting machines of the International Business Machines Corporation in evaluating the Fourier sums and integrals used in the determination of the structure of gas molecules from electron diffraction photographs are described

The Importance of Pulsed Physical Events for Sustainability of Louisiana Coastal Forested Wetlands

A number of freshwater diversions from the Mississippi River into Louisiana’s coastal wetlands are currently in operation or in the planning stage. These diversions have multiple objectives including maintaining a desirable salinity gradient, restoring deteriorating wetlands, and enhancing fisheries. The extensive freshwater forested wetlands surrounding the western end of Lake Pontchartrain receive little or no sediment input and are currently deteriorating due to continuous flooding. Diverting nutrient-rich water through wetlands can lead to substantial nutrient removal and to enhanced accretion. The objective of this paper is to compare the impacts on freshwater wetland ecology, accretion, and water quality of several scenarios for diverting freshwater from the Mississippi River. Accretion will be increased so that the area will become progressively less flooded, enhancing productivity and seedling recruitment. With overland flow, about 73% of N and 48% of P will be retained in the wetland, while other alternatives are estimated to remove 0-33% of N and 0-40% of P. Productivity of the forested wetland will decrease by at least 20-50% over the next 50 years if nothing is done, but there would be a substantial increase in productivity if river water is diverted into the area. We recommend that a 45-55 m3/s diversion be placed in the southern portion of the swamps of Lake Maurepas and that the diversion be operated annually from winter to early spring. There are indications that a diversion in late summer and fall would be beneficial, as that is when salt pulses typically occur