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Objective: Learning slopes represent serial acquisition of information during list-learning tasks. Although several calculations for learning slopes exist, the Learning Ratio (LR) has recently demonstrated the highest sensitivity toward changes in cognition and Alzheimer's disease (AD) biomarkers. However, investigation of learning slopes in cognitively unimpaired individuals with subjective memory concerns (SMC) has been limited. The current study examines the association of learning slopes to SMC, and the role of SMC in the relationship between learning slopes and AD biomarkers in cognitively unimpaired individuals. Method: Data from 950 cognitively unimpaired participants from the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (aged 55 to 89) were used to calculate learning slope metrics. Learning slopes among those with and without SMC were compared with demographic correction, and the relationships of learning slopes with AD biomarkers of bilateral hippocampal volume and β-amyloid pathology were determined. Results: Learning slopes were consistently predictive of hippocampal atrophy and β-amyloid deposition. Results were heightened for LR relative to the other learning slopes. Additionally, interaction analyses revealed different associations between learning slopes and hippocampal volume as a function of SMC status. Conclusions: Learning slopes appear to be sensitive to SMC and AD biomarkers, with SMC status influencing the relationship in cognitively unimpaired participants. These findings advance our knowledge of SMC, and suggest that LR – in particular – can be an important tool for the detection of AD pathology in both SMC and in AD clinical trials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The scholarly literature on sentencing reform has largely overlooked the African continent. The paucity of legal scholarship is particularly striking with respect to Tanzania, one of Africa's largest and most populous countries. This article explores the first significant sentencing reform in Tanzania's history. In 2020, the Tanzanian judiciary issued a comprehensive set of sentencing guidelines for courts to follow. Until this point, sentencing was a highly discretionary stage of the criminal process, and the Tanzanian penal code offered very little guidance with respect to the exercise of that discretion. After providing a brief summary of the new sentencing regime, we explore the innovative guidance contained in the reforms. In the conclusion we discuss the extent to which the Tanzanian reforms reflect core African values of Ubuntu, or more specifically in the case of Tanzania, Ujamaa, the philosophy popularized by Tanzania's first president, Julius Nyerere. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 2017, the Sentencing Council introduced a revised guideline for plea-based sentence reductions. The revisions were designed to provide greater certainty and to accelerate the timing of guilty pleas. Late pleas resulting in 'cracked trials' have long been a problem in the court system. The guideline was not intended to change the rate of defendants who plead guilty, but rather to increase the percentage of pleas entered early in the criminal process. This brief article reports findings from an analysis of data from the Crown Court before and after the introduction of the revised sentencing guideline. Findings reveal that the overall guilty plea remained stable over the period 2014–2019. The guideline appears to have had no effect on the timing of guilty pleas entered, and in fact the percentage of 'cracked' trials rose in the post-guideline period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Functional connectivity (FC) is a sensitive metric that provides a readout of whole cortex coordinate neural activity in a mouse model. We examine the impact of experimental SAH modeled through endovascular perforation, and the effectiveness of subsequent treatment on FC, through three key questions: 1) Does the endovascular perforation model of SAH induce deficits in FC; 2) Does exposure to hypoxic conditioning provide protection against these FC deficits and, if so, is this neurovascular protection SIRT1-mediated; and 3) does treatment with the SIRT1 activator resveratrol alone provide protection against these FC deficits? Cranial windows were adhered on skull-intact mice that were then subjected to either sham or SAH surgery and either left untreated or treated with hypoxic post-conditioning (with or without EX527) or resveratrol for 3 days. Mice were imaged 3 days post-SAH/sham surgery, temporally aligned with the onset of major SAH sequela in mice. Here we show that the endovascular perforation model of SAH induces global and network-specific deficits in FC by day 3, corresponding with the time frame of DCI in mice. Hypoxic conditioning provides SIRT1-mediated protection against these network-specific FC deficits post-SAH, as does treatment with resveratrol. Conditioning-based strategies provide multifaceted neurovascular protection in experimental SAH. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Molecular dynamics simulations were performed on mixtures of N,N,N′,N′-tetra(2-ethylhexyl)diglycolamide (T2EHDGA) and 2-ethylhexylphosphonic acid mono(2-ethylhexyl) ester (HEHEHP) extractants in a dodecane-water system in order to understand the organization and interfacial behavior of extractants in the Actinide-Lanthanide Separation (ALSEP) process. The dynamic behavior and coordination environments of these extractants near the interface were investigated as a function of aqueous nitric acid concentration in the range 0–6 M HNO3. To gain a complete molecular picture of the extractants' interfacial behaviors, the effects of varying acidity were scrutinized in the context of spatial distributions of extractants within a given phase, chemical interactions, interfacial orientation, and extractant conformation. While the composition of the interfacial solvent mixing region changed with increasing acidity, the behavior of both extractants exhibited very little response to the varying acid levels, but in their own distinct manner. HEHEHP was found to express a specific interfacial behavior marked by a stronger affinity for the interface, with the polar POOH head group being oriented toward the interface and the alkyl chains residing in a constrained conformation. The larger and more flexible extractant, T2EHDGA, is less strongly associated with the interfacial region, on average dwells deeper into the organic phase, and displays orientations and conformations that are more like those of bulk organic phase T2EHDGA molecules than the ordered HEHEHP molecules. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sentencing for multiple offences poses many challenges and becomes even more complex when the crimes resulted in fatalities. This article uses the sentences imposed following convictions in the Essex lorry case to pose some general questions about the sentencing of multiple victim manslaughters. The four principal offenders were convicted of 39 counts of unlawful act manslaughter and conspiracy to facilitate unlawful immigration into the UK. The analysis identifies several ways in which the sentences ultimately imposed failed to adequately distinguish between offenders of very different levels of culpability. First, all four principal offenders were assigned to the same level of culpability in the manslaughter guideline. Second, although the court could have distinguished the offenders to reflect their different culpability levels, the same Starting Point sentence was imposed on all offenders. Third, the sentencing uplifts to reflect the multiple counts were similar across offenders of very different culpabilities. Fourth, the differential additional punishments for the conspiracy conviction — which would have separated the offenders' time in custody further — were washed out by being made concurrent. As a result of these decisions, the final sentences failed to adequately distinguish between offenders of very different culpabilities. The article concludes with some lessons for sentencing in these cases, specifically with respect to the Sentencing Council's guidelines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Current treatment for borderline personality disorder (BPD) involves psychological and pharmacological interventions. However, neuromodulation techniques such as repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) may positively affect BPD symptomatology. The objective of this study was to evaluate the clinical and neuropsychological effects of rTMS on the dorsomedial prefrontal cortex (DMPFC) in BPD patients. Methods: Fourteen patients with BPD were randomized into two groups (active vs. sham) for 15 sessions of rTMS on the DMPFC. Clinical effects were measured using the Borderline Symptoms List (BSL), Clinical Global Impression Scale for BPD (CGI-BPD), Borderline Evaluation of Severity over Time (BEST), Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS), Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (HARS), and Barratt's Impulsiveness Scale (BIS). Neuropsychological effects were determined by a Stop-Signal Task (SST), the Wisconsin Card-Sorting Test (WCST), and the Iowa Gambling Test (IGT). Results: Within-group comparison showed significant differences (p o 0.05) in CGI-BPD (total score and six of nine psychopathologic domains), BEST, HDRS, HARS, and IGT scores for active modality. Conclusion: The 5 Hz-DMPFC rTMS technique was well tolerated and lessened the severity of BPD symptomatology, especially abandonment, affective issues, interpersonal relationships, suicidal behavior, anger, and paranoid ideation. Cognitive improvement was seen in decision-making. Additional studies are needed to fully evaluate the effects of rTMS on BPD symptomatology. Clinical Trial Registration: NCT03832777. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Delayed cerebral ischemia (DCI) after aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) has been associated with numerous pathophysiological sequelae, including large artery vasospasm and microvascular thrombosis. The focus of this review is to provide an overview of experimental animal model studies and human autopsy studies that explore the temporal-spatial characterization and mechanism of microvascular platelet aggregation and thrombosis following SAH, as well as to critically assess experimental studies and clinical trials highlighting preventative therapeutic options against this highly morbid pathophysiological process. Upon review of the literature, we discovered that microvascular platelet aggregation and thrombosis occur after experimental SAH across multiple species and SAH induction techniques in a similar time frame to other components of DCI, occurring in the cerebral cortex and hippocampus across both hemispheres. We discuss the relationship of these findings to human autopsy studies. In the final section of this review, we highlight the important therapeutic options for targeting microvascular platelet aggregation and thrombosis, and emphasize why therapeutic targeting of this neurovascular pathology may improve patient care. We encourage ongoing research into the pathophysiology of SAH and DCI, especially in regard to microvascular platelet aggregation and thrombosis and the translation to randomized clinical trials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Most research in sentencing discrimination in the United Kingdom has relied on aggregate analyses comparing disparities by ethnic group. These studies fail to consider differences in the individual characteristics of the cases processed. To circumvent the lack of official data, we scraped sentence records stored in a commercial website, from which a sample of 8,437 offenders sentenced to custody in the Crown Court from 2007 to 2017 was generated. Using the names of the offenders, we have been able to classify 8.6 per cent of our sample as having a traditional Muslim name. We find that Muslim-named offenders received sentences 9.8 per cent longer than the rest of the sample. However, this difference disappeared once we accounted for the type of offence and other key case characteristics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article advances a censure-based case against sentences of life imprisonment without the possibility of parole. Our argument justifies a retributive "second look" assessment of long-term prison sentences. The article focuses on the censuring element of long-term prison sentences while reconceptualizing penal censure as a dynamic and responsive concept. By doing so, the article explores the significance of the prisoner's life after sentencing (largely ignored by retributivists) and promotes a more nuanced approach to censure-based proportionality. Policy-makers may welcome this approach as a way to control excessive prison sentences while remaining within a retributive penal framework. Although we are making a general argument about the need for responsive censure within a retributive sentencing regime, the case for this approach is particularly compelling at the present time. Almost all Western nations, and particularly the US, impose very lengthy, often life sentences of imprisonment for a wide range of offences, thereby affecting large numbers of prisoners. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the history of the suspended sentence order (SSO) that has been available to courts in England and Wales since 1967, and it mentions various SSO developments between 2000 and 2017, as well as information about SSO changes from the British Parliament over the years. Great Britain's Criminal Justice Act 2003 and Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012 are assessed, along with criminal law cases such as R. v. Proulx.

An introduction is presented in which the authors discuss various reports within the issue on topics including alternatives to imprisonment, legal sanctions, and a suspended sentence order known as a conditional sentence of imprisonment in Canada.

Elite swimmers demonstrate faster swimming turn times that are potentially a result of having better strength-power characteristics than subelite swimmers. We quantified differences between dry-land and swimming turn force-time characteristics in elite swimmers and subelite swimmers. Subelite (11 males: 17.4 ± 0.6 years; 10 females: 17.1 ± 0.6 years) and elite swimmers (15 male: 23.2 ± 2.3 years; 7 female: 21.6 ± 2.5 years) were tested in a cross-sectional design. All swimmers performed a body weight and loaded (20 kg females, 30 kg males) squat jump (SJ) on a portable force platform. On the same day, all swimmers completed swimming turn analyses using a force platform fixed within the pool wall. The magnitude of difference between groups was estimated using a standardized mean difference (effect size statistic). Elite male and female swimmers had superior swimming turn and dry-land force-time characteristics to subelite swimmers in all tests. The standardized mean differences between groups ranged from small to very large. The largest differences were SJ peak velocity unloaded (3.07 ± 1.0 m•s-1 males, 3.49 ± 2.29 m•s-1 females; standardized mean difference ± 90% confidence limits) and SJ peak power unloaded (2.59 ± 0.79 w male, 2.80 ± 1.64 w female) with elite male and female swimmers having a ~25-50% higher performance than the subelites in both characteristics. Elite swimmers exhibit superior strength and power characteristics for the swimming turn compared with younger and less experienced swimmers. A well-planned and executed strength and conditioning program is needed for emerging swimmers to develop these qualities, as they transition to senior levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although women represent a small minority of the prison population in all nations, it has long been a concern that custody is overused with respect to female offenders. Reducing the number of women in prison has therefore emerged as a policy priority in many western nations, including the United Kingdom. This article evaluates a range of sentencing strategies to reduce the number of women in prison, on the grounds that their experience of the sanction is disproportionately severe. The challenge is to achieve a reduction in women’s imprisonment without compromising the fundamental sentencing principles of equity and proportionality. Although no jurisdiction has launched a sentencing initiative with this specific aim, the international sentencing literature offers insight into the most effective methods by which reductions may be achieved. Informed by the principle of equal impact, which underpins gender-specific sentencing, we explore policy options in two principal domains: (1) statutory provisions to eliminate or restrict judicial discretion to imprison female offenders; and (2) sentencing guidelines to structure judicial discretion in gender-sensitive ways. We conclude by considering the likelihood of implementing the options. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sentencing in Canada is beset by many problems, yet one weakness stands above the rest: the disproportionately high rates of Aboriginal incarceration. This article documents current and historical trends in levels of Aboriginal incarceration at the provincial/territorial and federal levels since 1978. We pay particular attention to the years following two important Supreme Court judgements (in 1999 and 2012) that directed the courts to use custody with greater restraint when sentencing an Aboriginal offender. The primary data derive from the annual Adult Correctional Services survey conducted by Statistics Canada. In 2014, Aboriginal persons accounted for just over one quarter of all provincial and territorial admissions, significantly higher than the percentage recorded in 1978 (16%). In fact, over the past 20 years, all jurisdictions save one have experienced an increase in the percentage of Aboriginal admissions to provincial and territorial correctional institutions. Despite judgements from the Supreme Court and provincial courts of appeal, as well as several other remedial interventions, such as the creation of so-called Gladue courts and an alternate form of custody that would be served in the community, the problem of Aboriginal over-incarceration has worsened, not improved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this paper is to present an emotional-based application for human-agent societies. This kind of applications are those where virtual agents and humans coexist and interact transparently into a fully integrated environment. Specifically, the paper presents an application where humans are immersed into a system that extracts and analyzes the emotional states of a human group trying to maximize the welfare of those humans by playing the most appropriate music in every moment. This system can be used not only online, calculating the emotional reaction of people in a bar to a new song, but also in simulation, to predict the people's reaction to changes in music or in the bar layout. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work presents a Case-Based Reasoning (CBR) module that integrates sentiment and stress analysis on text and keystroke dynamics data with context information of users interacting on Social Network Sites (SNSs). The context information used in this work is the history of positive or negative messages of the user, and the topics being discussed on the SNSs. The CBR module uses this data to generate useful feedback for users, providing them with warnings if it detects potential future negative repercussions caused by the interaction of the users in the system. We aim to help create a safer and more satisfactory experience for users on SNSs or in other social environments. In a set of experiments, we compare the effectiveness of the CBR module to the effectiveness of different affective state detection methods. We compare the capacity to detect cases of messages that would generate future problems or negative repercussions on the SNS. For this purpose, we use messages generated in a private SNS, called Pesedia. In the experiments in the laboratory, the CBR module managed to outperform the other proposed analyzers in almost every case. The CBR module was fine-tuned to explore its performance when populating the case base with different configurations. • A Case-Based Reasoning engine predicts outcomes using affective states and context. • The proposed hypothesis is that the CBR will outperform state detection methods. • The engine outperformed affective state detection methods in predicting outcomes. • This proposal aims to prevent risks of users navigating on-line social environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The alphaviral 6k gene region encodes the two structural proteins 6K protein and, due to a ribosomal frameshift event, the transframe protein (TF). Here, we characterized the role of the 6k proteins in the arthritogenic alphavirus Ross River virus (RRV) in infected cells and in mice, using a novel 6k in-frame deletion mutant. Comprehensive microscopic analysis revealed that the 6k proteins were predominantly localized at the endoplasmic reticulum of RRV-infected cells. RRV virions that lack the 6k proteins 6K and TF [RRV-(Δ6K)] were more vulnerable to changes in pH, and the corresponding virus had increased sensitivity to a higher temperature. While the 6k deletion did not reduce RRV particle production in BHK-21 cells, it affected virion release from the host cell. Subsequent in vivo studies demonstrated that RRV-(Δ6K) caused a milder disease than wild-type virus, with viral titers being reduced in infected mice. Immunization of mice with RRV-(Δ6K) resulted in a reduced viral load and accelerated viral elimination upon secondary infection with wild-type RRV or another alphavirus, chikungunya virus (CHIKV). Our results show that the 6k proteins may contribute to alphaviral disease manifestations and suggest that manipulation of the 6k gene may be a potential strategy to facilitate viral vaccine development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We consider two categorifications of the cohomology of a topological space X by taking coefficients in the category of differential graded categories. We consider both derived global sections of a constant presheaf and singular cohomology and find the resulting dg-categories are quasi-equivalent and moreover quasi-equivalent to representations in perfect complexes of chains on the loop space of X. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We identify Morita cohomology, which is a categorification of the cohmology of a topological space X, with the category of homotopy locally constant sheaves of perfect complexes on X. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This essay explores and critiques a theory of criminal justice which privileges the role of public intuitions about punishment over more traditional influences on sentencing principles and practice. This movement may be termed ‘Democratising Punishment’ and it has important consequences for sentencing in all jurisdictions. Several recent books advocate reforms such as deriving sentencing principles from public opinion research or sentencing by juries rather than legal professionals. In the essay we critique this perspective and note the threats to principled sentencing arising from greater public involvement in the sentencing of offenders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We give an elementary proof that the model category of dgcategories over a ring of flat dimension 0 is left proper and we provide a construction of simplicial resolutions in dg-categories, given by categories of Maurer-Cartan elements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Crime victims and victims’ advocates have for many years called for greater input into the criminal process, and in particular at the stage of sentencing. Today, victims in almost all common law countries have the opportunity to participate in the sentencing process, usually by providing information about the impact of the crime. This impact evidence is placed before a sentencing court in the form of a victim impact statement (VIS) or victim personal statement (VPS) as it is known in England and Wales. This article reviews findings from the last few years of data from the Witness and Victim Experience Survey (WAVES) which was conducted by the Ministry of Justice. We review findings from the last administrations of the survey. In the most recent administration of the survey (2009–2010), less than half (43%) of victims recalled being offered a statement. Over the most recent three-year period (2007–2010), a comparable percentage (42%) of the victims recalled being offered the opportunity to make a VPS; almost half (45%) explicitly responded that they had not been given an opportunity to make a VPS. In addition, significant variation emerged across local justice areas. The percentage of victims reporting having been offered a VPS varied from a low of 29 per cent in London to a high of 63 per cent in Northumbria – a range of 34 per cent. These and other findings suggest that the VPS scheme is being inconsistently implemented across the country. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines public attitudes to the sentencing offences associated with the rioting which took place in England in August 2011. Findings are based on a nationally representative survey of adults. The study uses a randomized split-sample experimental design to compare sentencing preferences for actual offences committed during the riots with preferences for similar offences committed under normal circumstances. The riot sub-sample generally ‘sentenced’ more severely than the non-riot sub-sample, but much less severely than the courts. The majority also thought that a non-custodial sentence with a reparative element was an acceptable alternative to custody. These trends suggest an unusual divergence of perspectives between the community and the courts: although the public are generally critical of the courts for leniency, with respect to non-violent offending during the riots, the latter appear more punitive. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article describes the latest developments in common law jurisdictions in England and Wales. It states that as a result of the Coroners and Justice Act 2009 much has changed such as a new departure test has been created, and the old statutory bodies have been replaced by a single new Council. It also states that the government has proposed to increase the guilty plea discount.

In 1965, it was thought that nothing less than a mandatory sentence of life imprisonment would be an acceptable replacement for the death penalty for murder in England and Wales. It was assumed that anything else would have led to a significant loss of public confidence in the criminal justice system. The authors have recently conducted what is believed to be the first survey in this country that tests this assumption, as well as the extent of public knowledge and belief of the current system for sentencing convicted murderers. The survey casts doubt over the assumption and highlights the misunderstanding and lack of knowledge on which public opinion is based. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Sentencing guideline schemes require courts to sentence within the guidelines—or give reasons why a different sentence is appropriate. Most US schemes require courts to find ‘substantial and compelling’ grounds for departing from the guidelines. The duty of a court with respect to sentencing guidelines in England and Wales changed significantly in 2010 as a result of the Coroners and Justice Act 2009. This article explores the evolution of the duty of courts to comply with the English sentencing guidelines. As will be seen, the language of the duty of a court provision has become more robust: henceforth, courts ‘must follow’ definitive guidelines rather than merely ‘have regard to’ them. At the same time, the government significantly increased the range of sentence within which courts must sentence. The essay provides some international context, drawing upon experiences in the jurisdiction in which guidelines have been longest in existence, and explores the limited compliance statistics collected in England and Wales to date. The consequences of the latest changes for sentencing in England and Wales are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

A considerable body of scholarship has explored the jury as a legal institution but community reaction to the institution and function of the jury has not, to date, been the subject of a review. The present article fills this void by addressing a number of important questions about public attitudes to the jury. The focus is upon public attitudes to the criminal jury in England and Wales, although limited comparisons are made with public opinion in other jurisdictions. The results demonstrate widespread support for, and confidence in, the criminal jury, both in this country and in other common law jurisdictions. The research record also demonstrates strong public opposition to proposals to restrict the right to trial by jury. There is some evidence, however, that support for the right to trial by jury may decline in the context of offenders charged with terrorism-related offences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article offers information on the career and contributions of Jean-Paul Brodeur in criminology. It states that Brodeur had served as research director of many commissions of inquiry including in Canada including Canadian Sentencing Commission, Montreal Community Police Service, and the Malouf Inquiries throughout his career. It mentions that the book "The Policing Web" represents the contribution of Brodeur to the study of policing.

Determining the factors which make a difference between a custodial sentence and a community penalty is one of the most challenging decisions for sentencers. Little research to date has explored the nature of public reaction to mitigating factors and the circumstances which may justify imposition of a community penalty even though the custodial threshold has been crossed. This article reports findings from a representative survey of the British public. Respondents were asked a series of questions designed to explore public reaction to sentencing cases at the custodial threshold. Public opinion polls suggest that the public respond punitively at sentencing, and have little sympathy for mitigating factors relating to the offender. In a series of questions, using experimental manipulations, respondents demonstrated considerable flexibility when sentencing cases near the custodial threshold. Significant support emerged for a wide range of mitigating factors at sentencing. The strength of public support for custody as a sanction was also explored by providing respondents who had imposed a term of imprisonment a possible alternative community penalty. Significant proportions of respondents found the alternative acceptable, even for relatively serious offences. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Although miltefosine and paromomycin were registered as clinical agents against visceral leishmaniasis in the last decade, the antileishmanial drug arsenal still requires improvement, particularly in the area of oral antileishmanial drugs for both visceral and cutaneous diseases. Several new compounds and formulations have displayed promising efficacy in animal models of leishmaniasis, including the 8-aminoquinoline NPC1161, a series of bis-quinolines, DB766, rhodacyanine dyes, amiodarone, and an oral formulation of amphotericin B. Herein we provide a review of those molecules whose antileishmanial properties have been described over the past few years and a brief assessment of the studies required to identify new preclinical antileishmanial candidates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives. We used recent data to reexamine whether the exclusion of adults from households with no telephone or only wireless phones may bias estimates derived from health-related telephone surveys. Methods. We calculated the difference between estimates for the full population of adults and estimates for adults with landline phones; data were from the 2007 National Health Interview Survey. Results. When data from landline telephone surveys were weighted to match demographic characteristics of the full population, bias was generally less than 2 percentage points (range=0.1-2.4). However, among young adults and low-income adults, we found greater bias (range=1.7-5.9) for estimates of health insurance, smoking, binge drinking, influenza vaccination, and having a usual place for care. Conclusions. From 2004 to 2007, the potential for noncoverage bias increased. Bias can be reduced through weighting adjustments. Therefore, telephone surveys limited to landline households may still be appropriate for health surveys of all adults and for surveys of subpopulations regarding health status. However, for some behavioral risk factors and health care service use indicators, caution is warranted when using landline surveys to draw inferences about young or low-income adults. (Am J Public Health. 2009;99:1806-1810. doi:10. 2105/AJPH.2008.152835) [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses Section 745.6 of the U.S. Criminal Code which is known as the "Faint Hope" clause. The author roughly explains that the "faint hope" clause allows people convicted of murder to apply for early release after serving 15 years in prison. He attempts to present a thorough, comprehensive analysis of the way the provision has functioned since its application in 1987. He also discusses the role of public opinion surveys on proposals to amend or repeal the clause such as Bill C-36 introduced by the federal government.

All jurisdictions—whether common or civil law—punish repeat offenders more severely. In this sense, the Recidivist Sentencing Premium is as universal as the principle of proportionality. Retributive sentencing theorists fall into two camps: one group rejects the use of previous convictions at sentencing while the second assigns a very limited role for criminal antecedents. This article explores the issue and proposes a culpability-based justification for considering previous convictions at sentencing. According to this proposal, previous convictions justify more severe treatment in the way that premeditation is used as an aggravating circumstance. Offenders who plan their crimes and offenders with previous convictions should be considered more blameworthy and hence worthy of harsher punishments. This model is considered with reference to community views of sentencing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The proportion of adults with only wireless telephones is growing rapidly. Using 2006 data from the National Center for Health Statistics' National Health Interview Survey, this article is among the first to reveal that noncoverage of this population can result in nonnegligible bias for traditional random-digit-dial landline telephone surveys that do not call wireless telephone numbers. In 2006 in the United States, 17 percent of low-income adults with household income below 200 percent of the federal poverty thresholds, 25 percent of young adults aged 18-29 years, and 32 percent of low-income young adults lived in households with only wireless telephones. Within each of these three subgroups, we compared wireless-only adults and adults with landline telephones on demographic characteristics and 13 key indicators of health status, health behaviors, health care service use, and health care access. Even after statistical adjustments that account for demographic differences between adults living in households with and without landlines, telephone surveys of landlines will underestimate the prevalence of health behaviors, such as binge drinking, smoking, and HIV testing. Obesity may be overestimated and physical activity may be underestimated for low-income young adults. No significant bias is predicted for other measures of health status and health insurance coverage. Sample weighting procedures that incorporate adjustments for multiple demographic characteristics are necessary to help attenuate coverage bias in traditional telephone surveys, but may not be sufficient for behavioral risk factor surveys of low-income and young adults. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Optimizing transference of gym-based strength and power gains to sporting performance necessitates a physiological and biomechanical understanding of the weight-training exercise as well as the sporting activity. With this in mind, this paper describes the kinematics and kinetics associated with a seated row. The maximal strength and concentric power-load spectrum (30- 100% 1 repetition maximum [1RM]) for the cable seated row was assessed using Olympic rowers (n = 8). In terms of temporal characteristics, peak force across all loads occurred within the first 25% of movement time. Peak power across loads occurred within 35-45% of movement time. With regard to position, peak force occurred within 8.3% and peak power within 27-35% of the start of the concentric phase. To estimate the load that maximized mechanical power output, a quadratic was fitted to each subject's power output vs. 1RM. In terms of mean power, an estimated load of 81.4% (± 9.7%) 1RM was found to maximize power output. A 10 and 20% change in load each side of this maximum resulted in a 1.8 and 7.3% decrease in power output, respectively. The predilection of research to train all subjects at 1 load is fundamentally flawed due to interindividual maximum power differences (range in this study = 69-100% 1RM). Also, the importance of this measure would seem questionable, given that loads either side of the load that maximize power output do not change power output substantially. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Public confidence in criminal justice has emerged as an important issue in most western nations. Several jurisdictions have made promoting public confidence a policy priority, and governments in many countries have recently conducted public opinion surveys to gauge levels of confidence in criminal justice. However, little is known about levels of public confidence in criminal justice in Canada. This article reviews the empirical research on this issue and attempts to explain current trends. Although a significant plurality of the public expresses little confidence in the justice system, more people are positive than are negative. In comparison to other countries, confidence levels in criminal justice are generally higher in Canada. This said, the public has less confidence in the justice system than in other public institutions such as the health care system. Consistent with findings elsewhere, the police attract most, and the prison system the least amount of public confidence. The article places these findings in context, and discusses their implications for research and policy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article reports findings from two representative public-opinion surveys that explored Canadians’ attitudes toward three important sentencing issues: the severity of sentencing; the purposes of sentencing; and mandatory sentences of imprisonment. As has been found by polls over the past 30 years, most Canadians believe that sentencing practices are too lenient. The same result emerged from a poll conducted in 2005: 74% of respondents held the view that sentencing is too lenient – a finding consistent with polls conducted throughout the 1980s. With respect to the purposes of sentencing, strongest public support emerged for the restorative sentencing objectives of promoting a sense of responsibility in the offender and securing reparation for the crime victim. There was less support for the more traditional purposes of deterrence and incapacitation. This finding represents a marked contrast to findings from the last survey that evaluated public reaction to sentencing purposes (in 1985). Slightly more than half the sample in 2005 expressed support for mandatory sentencing – a result consistent with opinion surveys from the United States and Australia. However, there was strong public support for mandatory sentencing legislation that also permits a limited degree of judicial discretion. The public appear aware of the dangers of an absolute mandatory sentence of imprisonment and support mandatory sentences in which courts may impose a lesser sentence where exceptional circumstances exist. The implications of these findings for sentencing policy in Canada are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives. We sought to determine whether the exclusion of adults without landline telephones may bias estimates derived from health-related telephone surveys. Methods. We took data from the 2004 and 2005 National Health Interview Survey and used logistic regression to compare the odds of behavioral risk factors and health care service use for adults with landline telephones to those for adults with only wireless telephones and adults without any telephone service. Results. When interviewed, 7.2% of adults, including those who did and did not have wireless telephones, did not have landline telephones. Relative to adults with landline telephones, adults without landline telephones had greater odds of smoking and being uninsured, and they had lower odds of having diabetes, having a usual place for medical care, and having received an influenza vaccination in the past year. Conclusions. As people substitute wireless telephones for landline telephones, the percentage of adults without landline telephones has increased significantly but is still low, which minimizes the bias resulting from their exclusion from telephone surveys. Bias greater than 1 percentage point is expected only for estimates of health insurance, smoking, binge drinking, having a usual place for care, and receiving an influenza vaccination. (Am J Public Health. 2006;96:926-931.) [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article reviews public opinion research relating to imprisonment. The focus is upon British attitudes, but wherever possible we place findings from this country in an international context. Most members of the public report little familiarity with the prison system– few people report having had any direct contact with a penal institution. A common finding around the world is that most people believe that prison conditions are quite easy; this belief helps to explain low public levels of confidence in the prison system. Despite these trends, the public does not wish to make prison life harsher merely for the purpose of punishment. People want and expect prisoners to improve their lives while inside, although there is widespread scepticism that rehabilitation is possible in today's prisons. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Discusses the impact of criminal history on sentencing in England and Wales. Changes in the system of sentencing offenders under the Criminal Justice Act of 2003; Imposition of sentences before the proclamation of the Act; Factors to consider in determining the severity of a sentence.

Within the past decade, restorative justice has emerged as a truly global phenomenon. Although retributive justice has dominated the penal landscape, more recently, restorative principles at sentencing have attracted increased attention. Restorative sentencing emphasizes the importance of compensation and reconciliation between victims and offenders and pays less attention to establishing proportionality between the seriousness of the offense and the severity of the sentence imposed. Although voluminous (and proliferating), the scholarly literature on restorative justice has to date neglected one critical issue: public opinion with respect to this justice paradigm. Public opinion researchers too, have generally overlooked this topic. The goal of this paper is to determine which elements of the new paradigm generate public approval, and which features are likely to encounter or provoke public opposition, drawing upon related international research published in English over the past 20 years (1982–2002). The review reveals widespread support for “restorative” sentencing options, such as community service, compensation, and restitution, particularly when applied to young offenders. However, it also seems clear that public support for these alternatives to punitive sentencing options declines as the seriousness of the offence increases, suggesting strong public adherence to the retributive principle of proportionality in sentencing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The application of multi-agent systems to real-time environments is an interesting line of work that can provide new solutions to very complex and restrictive systems such as real-time systems. A suitable method for real-time multi-agent system development must take into account the intrinsic characteristics of systems of this type. This work presents an approach for the development of real-time multi-agent systems. The proposed method is called rt-Message and is based on the Message methodology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This brief article reviews the principal sentencing provisions of the new Youth Criminal Justice Act, and explores their relationship to sentencing at the adult court level. As well, a number of normative issues raised by the YCJA are addressed. It is clear that a central goal of the act is to harmonize sentencing at the adult and youth court levels. However, several important differences remain, including the following: (1) the statement of purpose of sentencing in youth justice courts lays more emphasis on rehabilitation; (2) although the utilitarian sentencing objectives of deterrence, denunciation, and incapacitation are relevant to the sentencing of adults, they are not stated objectives for sentencing juveniles; (3) while important, proportionality plays a lesser role in the sentencing of juvenile offenders, although the influence of the principle will increase with the age of the young person; (4) courts should resort to the incarceration of the offender less often when sentencing juvenile offenders; (5) when considering the principle of parity in sentencing, the frame of reference for youth courts should be the region in which the individual is being sentenced; there is no such statutory direction at the adult level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A number of jurisdictions, including England and Wales, have recently experienced rising prison populations and this has the search for fresh alternatives to incarceration, Following the recommendations of the Home Office Sentencing Review of 2001, the Criminal Justice Bill 2002 contains a suspended term of imprisonment, which is a form of conditional sentence for England and Wales. Although conditional sentences of various kinds exists in many Western nations, the Canadian experience carries the most lessons for other jurisdictions. A conditional sentence of imprisonment designed to replace actual terms of custody was introduced in 1996. The offender is sentenced to a term of imprisonment, but discharge the sentence while living in the community, under supervision. As long as they comply with a number of conditions, offenders serving conditional sentences will not actually spend any time in a correctional institution. This paper evaluates the effectiveness of this sanction to date. Results indicate that the conditional sentences has occasioned a significant drop in the number of admissions to custody, and with only a minor degree of net widening. The paper concludes by drawing some general conclusions from the Canadian experience with this alternative to imprisonment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Discusses the juvenile justice system in Canada. Reforms of juvenile justice system in Canada; Law and legislation for juvenile correctness in Canada; Principles of sentencing young offenders in Canada.