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There are many ways that occupations are regulated, with the degree of regulation usually depending on the amount of harm to the public that lack of regulation could bring. Strict regulations, such as mandatory licensure, are established through state law and maintained by a state board. Less strict regulations, such as voluntary credentialing, may be requirements by employers or third-party payers. This white paper reviews the possible approaches ASET could take toward regulation of the practice of electroneurodiagnostic technology: maintain position of neutrality, advocate for no statutory regulation of END, advocate for statutory regulation of END, or advocate for voluntary credentialing. The routes taken by other allied health fields are outlined, with exploration of the advantages and disadvantages of each option, as well as what would be required of ASET in terms of time and other resources to achieve each option. The appendix is a summary of entry requirements of several healthcare professions.

The official position of the Society for Clinical Trials is to support legislation in the United States and internationally that mandates registration of all controlled clinicals trials at or before enrollment of the first participant. The major trial sponsor would be responsible for ensuring contribution of trial information. The mechanism for registering trials would be through research ethics review boards, and registration would be required for ethics approval and before trial initiation. Standardized data and a unique identification number would be available for each registered trial.

Their ambiguous legal and ethical status has become a barrier to adolescents' appropriate involvement in research from which they may benefit and which is needed to improve adolescent health care and to inform health policy. Involvement of adolescents in research should be based on a scientific and empathetic understanding of their developing capabilities and a careful assessment of risks and benefits. The important role of parents and communities as protectors of adolescents should be respected and enhanced as we acknowledge and respect developing adolescent autonomy. These guidelines provide a framework to interpret the federal regulations for protection of human subjects in light of the unique legal, ethical, developmental, contextual, and racial issues that affect adolescents. The guidelines are designed to protect individual adolescent research subjects and to facilitate important youth research that would promote the health of adolescents.

We examined the relationship between the tobacco industry and the journal Regulatory Toxicology and Pharmacology (RTP) using the Truth Tobacco Industry Documents Library and internet sources. We determined the funding relationships, and categorised the conclusions of all 52 RTP papers on tobacco or nicotine between January 2013 and June 2015, as "positive", "negative" or "neutral" for the tobacco industry. RTP's editor, 57% (4/7) of associate editors and 37% (14/38) of editorial board members had worked or consulted for tobacco companies. Almost all (96%, 50/52) of the papers had authors with tobacco industry ties. Seventy-six percent (38/50) of these papers drew conclusions positive for industry; none drew negative conclusions. The two papers by authors not related to the tobacco industry reached conclusions negative to the industry (p < .001). These results call into question the confidence that members of the scientific community and tobacco product regulators worldwide can have in the conclusions of papers published in RTP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper seeks to bring to the attention of regulatory economists and policymakers the existence of some approaches to utility regulation that have hitherto received little or no attention in the economics literature. It begins by noting that regulatory actions have discouraged certain kinds of retail contracts in the UK that are offered in Nordic countries, almost extinguished retail competition in Ohio, and distorted the market for merchant interconnectors in Australia. In contrast, Argentina secured an efficient appraisal and implementation of transmission expansions by empowering users and severely limiting the role for regulation. Some US and Canadian jurisdictions have fostered the emergence of negotiated settlements that exhibit considerable innovation, and greater benefits for all parties than would have been possible with the conventional regulatory approach. These examples of the actual regulatory world can inform the work of theorists and policymakers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

EU-US data transfers for health research remain a particularly thorny issue in view of the stringent rules of the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the challenges related to US mass surveillance programs, particularly the manner in which US law enforcement and national security agencies can access personal data originating from the EU. Since the entry into force of the GDPR, evidence of impeded collaborations is increasing, particularly in the case of sharing data with US public institutions. The adoption of a new EU-US adequacy decision in July 2023 does not hold the promise for a long-lasting solution due to the risks of being challenged and invalidated – yet again – at the Court of Justice of the EU. As the research community is calling for answers, the new proposal for a European Health Data Space regulation may hold a key to solving some of the existing issues. In this paper, we critically discuss the current rules and outline a possible way forward for transfers between public bodies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reconsiders the outpacing argument, the belief that changes in law and other means of regulation cannot keep pace with recent changes in technology. We focus on information and communication technologies (ICTs) in and of themselves as well as applied in computer science, telecommunications, health, finance, and other applications, but our argument applies also in rapidly developing technological fields such as environmental science, materials science, and genetic engineering. First, we discuss why the outpacing argument is so closely associated with information and computing technologies. We then outline 12 arguments that support the outpacing argument, by pointing to some particular weaknesses of policy making, using the United States as the primary example. Then arguing in the opposite direction, we present 4 brief and 3 more extended criticisms of the outpacing thesis. The paper's final section responds to calls within the technical community for greater engagement of policy and ethical concerns and reviews the paper's major arguments. While the paper focuses on ICTs and policy making in the United States, our critique of the outpacing argument and our exploration of its complex character are of utility to actors in other political contexts and in other technical fields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article explains the mechanisms of informal value transfer systems (IVTS) and illustrates the obstacles to domestic and international IVTS regulation including lax recordkeeping, language barriers and lack of communication between federal and international regulatory regimes. It highlights the steps taken by the U.S. to regulate IVTS and discusses the ongoing challenges to the U.S. approach. It compares the regulatory attempts of foreign countries including India, Pakistan and Afghanistan.

This paper discusses ten lessons learned since 1989 about handling allegations of scientific misconduct involving biomedical and behavioral research supported by the U.S. Public Health Service.

Author notes that widespread concerns have been raised about protecting genetic privacy and confidentiality in insurance and employment. He argues that effective protections are difficult because complicated issues, such as the right of access to health care, are invariably implicated.

Author argues that the Americans with Disabilities Act prohibits discrimination against workers based on their genetic makeup. He also examines state legislation and recently proposed federal legislation prohibiting genetic discrimination.

The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated incidences of domestic violence (DV). The framing of DV within media sources contributes to the public's understanding of DV. Using critical discourse analysis (CDA), this paper explores representations of safety within newspapers' reporting of DV during the pandemic. The sample included newspaper articles (n = 31) from U.S. newspapers. The analysis involved multiple rounds of coding and employing "structured questions." These articles depicted limited courses of action for DV survivors and represented safety as unattainable. Safety was constructed in four ways: homes are unsafe, social services are overburdened, government failures, and the elusiveness of safety. These discursive formations provide insight regarding "idealized" social responses to DV. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although incarceration rates have begun to decline, the collateral consequences of mass incarceration persist, especially for families and communities of color. Following incarceration, families often face relationship, social, and financial challenges. Yet, social welfare benefits that can support families experiencing poverty frequently exclude people with felony convictions. One such social welfare policy—the focus of this paper—is the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act (PRWORA), which bars people with felony drug convictions from accessing social welfare benefits. With 60% of incarcerated parents having felony drug convictions, this policy precludes almost 200,000 families from accessing welfare benefits and disproportionately impacts single mothers and people of color. In this paper, we analyze PRWORA as it relates to social welfare and family inequity in the era of mass incarceration. Guided by an intersectionality framework, we address the following aims: (1) demonstrate how PRWORA may act as a form of institutional racism embedded within mass incarceration; and (2) analyze the impact of PRWORA's felony welfare benefits ban on families impacted by incarceration. We conclude with recommendations for researchers, policymakers, and practitioners working toward better outcomes for the formerly incarcerated. Highlights: Mass incarceration is a discriminatory institution of oppression that disproportionately impacts people with historically marginalized identities. Families with an incarcerated parent frequently experience secondary punishment through social stigma and economic strain. Social welfare may economically support families impacted by incarceration, yet many are disallowed welfare benefits under PRWORA. Excluding justice involved families from welfare benefits is a form of social exclusion embedded within mass incarceration. Until PRWORA's felony welfare benefits ban is repealed, justice involved families will likely be further marginalized. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The COVID-19 pandemic has shed light on long-standing constitutional violations within the US correctional system, particularly affecting vulnerable populations such as senior inmates. By analyzing the impact of COVID-19 in prisons, the challenges faced in implementing preventive strategies, and the specific vulnerabilities of elderly prisoners, this paper identifies potential constitutional infringements experienced by senior inmates during the pandemic and the physical, mental, and social effects of the pandemic on this population. Specifically, this paper aims to bridge the fields of constitutional law, prison reform, elder law, and the COVID-19 pandemic by examining the impact of the pandemic on the rights of senior inmates under the US Constitution's Eighth Amendment protection against cruel and unusual punishment. The objective is to examine whether potential violations have occurred and propose actions to prevent violations in the future while ensuring accountability and redress if such violations occur. To address such violations, the paper emphasizes the need for increased sanitation measures and decarceration as preventive measures in future public health crises. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper will ask whether the legal status presently afforded to nonhuman animals ought to influence regulatory debates concerning human cerebral organoids. The New York Courts recently refused to grant a writ of habeas corpus to Happy the Elephant as she was property rather than a legal person while at the same time accepting that she is a moral patient deserving of rights protection. An undesirable situation has therefore arisen in which the law holds a being with moral status to be incapable of benefitting from legal redress due to their legal status as property. The author argues that this is something that we ought to avoid when designing the regulatory framework which will govern the use of human cerebral organoids. Yet, a difference exists in that, whereas the judges already accept Happy is a moral patient, there is presently no consensus around the moral status of organoids. This paper will consider whether human cerebral organoids have passed the moral threshold of sentience. If they have, or are close to doing so, regulators ought to consider their legal status in advance so as to ensure that adequate limitations are placed on this usage so as to avoid unethical practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The authors compare perspectives on external evaluation of health service provision between Norway and the USA. External inspection and accreditation are examples of internationally wide-spread external evaluation methods used to assess the quality of care given to patients. Different countries have different national policy strategies and arrangements set up to do these evaluations. Although there is growing attention to the impact and effects on quality and safety from external evaluation, there is still a gap in knowledge to how structures and processes influence these outcomes. Accordingly, the purpose of this article is to describe the structures and processes in external evaluation designed to promote quality improvement in Norway and the USA with attention to comparison of enablers and barriers in external evaluation systems. Design/methodology/approach: Data collection consisted of documentary evidence retrieved from governmental policies, and reviews of the Joint Commission (the US), international guidelines, recommendations and reports from the International Society for Quality in Health Care, and the World Health Organization, and policies and regulations related to Norwegian governmental bodies such as the Ministry of Health and Care Services, the Norwegian Directorate of Health, and the Norwegian Board of Health Supervision. Data were analyzed inspired by a deductive, direct content analytical framework. Findings: The authors found that both accreditation and inspection are strategies put in place to ensure that healthcare providers have adequate quality systems as well as contributing to the wider risk and safety enhancing management and implementation processes in the organizations subjected to evaluation. The US and the Norwegian external regulatory landscapes are complex and include several policymaking and governing institutions. The Norwegian regulatory framework for inspection has replaced an individual blame logic with a model which "blames" the system for inadequate quality and patient harm. This contrasts with the US accreditation system, which focuses on accreditation visits. Although findings indicate an ongoing turning point in accreditation, findings also demonstrate that involving patients and next of kin directly in adverse event inspections is a bigger part of a change in external inspection culture and methods than in processes of accreditation. Research limitations/implications: The message of this paper is important for policymakers, and bodies of inspection and accreditation because knowledge retrieved from the comparative document study may contribute to better understanding of the implications from the different system designs and in turn contribute to improving external evaluations. Originality/value: Although there is a growing attention to the impact and effects on quality and safety from external evaluation, the implications of different regulatory strategies and arrangements for evaluation on quality and safety remain unclear. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper considers the IOSCO principles on short selling regulation, and applies these to the regulations in place the US, the EU, and Hong Kong. The paper argues that practice of short selling is beneficial for markets, and that the justifications for (particularly) permanent restrictions do not stand up to rigorous scrutiny. It suggests that politics is often the key factor shaping its regulation, and that regulators tend to respond to such interests, producing a lack of international convergence with respect to the laws in existence around the world. Short selling is undoubtedly a sensitive topic, but if it is to be regulated, it merits implementing and enforcing global rules. This is unrealistic, but so are the inconsistent, go-it-alone approaches currently adopted by IOSCO's members. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Every minute of every day, 24 Americans experience intimate partner violence (IPV). During a crisis, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, daily life may be disrupted and there can be increased risk for harm associated with IPV. The novelty of the pandemic in modern times coupled with the potential for increased risk at the intersection of the pandemic and IPV (e.g., staying home with a partner, increased stress, uncertain access to community resources) demanded rapid innovation and implementation. Recognizing that IPV is a significant health issue, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) rapidly mobilized a multifaceted nationwide response to ensure that veterans, their partners, and VA staff would have resources and support available, and empower those working directly with patients to ensure safety is addressed. IPV, like national and global crises, necessitates an interprofessional and multisystemic response, and as such, this paper details an approach to de-silo institutions and purposefully initiate the necessary partnerships to respond to complex needs that arise. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of the study was to provide a comparative analysis on the psychological and socio-cultural impacts of COVID-19 on victims of intimate partner violence (IPV) in South Africa (SA) and the USA. Design/methodology/approach: The authors collected media and scholarly articles that dealt with IPV victims during the early phase of the pandemic. This study focused solely on SA and the USA because of their unique contexts and the fact that the authors are residents of these countries. The authors observed how both presidents dealt with IPV amidst the COVID 19 pandemic, especially when stay-at-home orders were in place. Aspects relating to the psychological and socio-cultural impacts amidst the pandemic were considered. Findings: The authors found that in both countries, many black women from low socio-economic backgrounds experience IPV. Being in isolated spaces with their perpetrators prohibits victims from reporting the abuse. As the world attempts to curb the spread of COVID-19 infections, effective strategies have been suggested for victims and perpetrators. The authors found the approaches of the two governments (until the Biden Administration in 2021) to be starkly different in terms of effective strategies and the neglect and downplaying of the extent of one or both pandemics (i.e. COVID-19 and IPV). Pro-safety, equality, gender and race-conscious embracing approaches to overcome IPV are urgently needed. Originality/value: The paper focused on IPV during the early phase of the COVID-19 pandemic. It provides relevant information about IPV in both countries, especially when stay-at-home orders are in place. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper will first discuss how legal materials are considered to fall into two categories: primary and secondary sources. Primary sources consist of the law as produced by the three branches of government at the state and federal levels: statutes (enacted by legislatures and Congress), judicial opinions (issued by courts), and regulations (issued by administrative agencies of the executive branch). Secondary sources explain or analyze the law. Examples of secondary sources include treatises, law journal articles, and legal practice aids such as form books and checklists. The paper will then discuss the place of grey literature in the realm of legal materials, within the context of grey literature as defined by Taryn L. Rucinski in her 2015 Law Library Journal article "The Elephant in the Room: Toward a Definition of Grey Legal Literature," and, to a lesser extent, less scholarly writings. The third part of the paper will discuss the challenges of discoverability of various types of grey legal materials. The paper will conclude by considering potential options for enabling discoverability of grey legal literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

PURPOSE: The liberalization of cannabis policies has the potential to affect the use of other substances and the harms from using them, particularly alcohol. Although a previous review of this literature found conflicting results regarding the relationship between cannabis policy and alcohol-related outcomes, cannabis policies have continued to evolve rapidly in the years since that review. SEARCH METHODS: The authors conducted a narrative review of studies published between January 1, 2015, and December 31, 2020, that assessed the effects of cannabis policies on the use of alcohol in the United States or Canada. SEARCH RESULTS: The initial search identified 3,446 unique monographs. Of these, 23 met all inclusion criteria and were included in the review, and five captured simultaneous or concurrent use of alcohol and cannabis. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS: Associations between cannabis policy liberalization and alcohol use, alcohol-related outcomes, and the co-use of alcohol and cannabis were inconclusive, with studies finding positive associations, no associations, and negative associations. Although several studies found that cannabis policy liberalization was associated with decreases in alcohol use measures, these same studies showed no impact of the cannabis policy on cannabis use itself. The lack of a consistent association was robust to subject age, outcome measure (e.g., use, medical utilization, driving), and type of cannabis policy; however, this may be due to the small number of studies for each type of outcome. This paper discusses several notable limitations of the evidence base and offers suggestions for improving consistency and comparability of research going forward, including a stronger classification of cannabis policy, inclusion of measures of the alcohol policy environment, verification of the impact of cannabis policy on cannabis use, and consideration of mediation effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Artificial Intelligence (AI) carries the potential for unprecedented disruption in radiology, with possible positive and negative consequences. The integration of AI in radiology holds the potential to revolutionize healthcare practices by advancing diagnosis, quantification, and management of multiple medical conditions. Nevertheless, the ever‑growing availability of AI tools in radiology highlights an increasing need to critically evaluate claims for its utility and to differentiate safe product offerings from potentially harmful, or fundamentally unhelpful ones. This multi‑society paper, presenting the views of Radiology Societies in the USA, Canada, Europe, Australia, and New Zealand, defines the potential practical problems and ethical issues surrounding the incorporation of AI into radiological practice. In addition to delineating the main points of concern that developers, regulators, and purchasers of AI tools should consider prior to their introduction into clinical practice, this statement also suggests methods to monitor their stability and safety in clinical use, and their suitability for possible autonomous function. This statement is intended to serve as a useful summary of the practical issues which should be considered by all parties involved in the development of radiology AI resources, and their implementation as clinical tools. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The disproportionally high rates of child abuse and neglect on Native American reservations are striking, demanding the interest and focus of child welfare advocates. This paper may benefit child welfare professionals who develop and administer federal and state policies and processes integral to Tribal child welfare (TCW) systems. It argues that an affirming and cursory approach to TCW by federal and state agencies contributes to ineffective engagement and inept system development/reform. Using a critical systems approach, the organizations, structures, and sentinel policy, or key system components, are discussed and explored to demonstrate how a change in perspective can improve the stewardship of federal resources, inform effective policy change, and advance federal and state agencies abilities to support TCW initiatives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The novel Corona virus is a pandemic that has affected every human being on this planet, either directly by the virus itself, or by the social and economic consequences of the same. Needless to say, this pandemic has also had an effect on the administrations of most, if not all, the nations. This research paper seeks to draw a comparative analysis between the powers of the Executive in India and the United States of America during this pandemic. As we know, India follows a Parliamentary form of governance where the Prime Minister is the Head of the Government and a system of collective leadership is followed, whereas the USA follows a Presidential form of governance where the President is the Head of the State and the principle of individual leadership is followed. A comparative analysis of the two States' powers of the Executive will enable an enhanced comprehension by highlighting important details about pandemic related legislations like the Pandemic and All-Hazards Preparedness Act, 2006 (USA) and the Epidemic Act of India, 1897; and help making abstract ideas more concrete. In this research paper, using the doctrinal method of research, we will analyse the background of the pandemic via medical papers and WHO mandates, and further delve into the executive powers of both, India and the USA during a pandemic by analysing constitutional provisions like that of the 10th Amendment of the Constitution of the USA and the Emergency Provisions under Articles 352 to 360 of the Indian Constitution and different legislations. In conclusion, we shall see that in India, including pandemics as a valid ground to give power to the President to impose a nationwide lockdown, under the National Emergency clause in Article 352 of the Indian Constitution, shall prove to be beneficial. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article comments on a study on the use of a web-based tool to help people estimate their exposure to per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), which references a research paper by W. A. Chiu et al., published in a previous issue of the journal. Topics discussed include the presence of PFAS in consumer products, estimation of the chemicals' volume of distribution, and the accuracy of its estimates.

A number of reforms have recently been proposed to deal with the perceived problems of the current deposit insurance system. Most of these reforms, such as risk-adjusted pricing of insurance, represent changes which would tend to compel the federal system to operate as if it were a private insurance market. Indeed, one of the suggested reforms is to replace or supplement the current system with one that is entirely private. Most serious observers of the deposit insurance system have taken it for granted that it is necessary to have the government involved in the system, at least as a residual guarantor, in order to provide the credibility necessary to avert runs. In this paper we also take it for granted that some form of government participation in the insurance system is essential. The purpose of this paper is to provide some insight into how a deposit insurance system with substantially enhanced private participation might function. The paper focuses on the determinants of an optimal price for insurance and policy for closing insured institutions. The point of view taken in this paper is that the deposit insurance system may be viewed as an alternative legal mechanism for determining when insolvency has occurred. When insurance is competitively priced, the cost of issuing insured liabilities will reflect the cost of the legal mechanism for determining insolvency which is a part of the insurance system. As a result, insured liabilities will be more attractive than uninsured liabilities if the insolvency system sued by the insurers is less expensive than the one which accompanies other forms of borrowing. Hence, the appropriate price and closure policy depend upon the underlying costs of the mechanism for determining insolvency implicit in deposit insurance. These costs are essentially the costs of measuring the real economic value of insured firms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Classified advertising is an important medium. It produces more revenue than national newspaper advertising. By acting as a stabilizing force financially, classified advertising helps to maintain press freedom. Classified employs large numbers of people. For many reasons, classified advertising is usually less criticized than advertising generally. Yet classified is largely regarded with condenscension by the trade and virtually ignored by academia. This paper considers the definitions and treatment of classified advertising and discusses its regulation by the industry and government. It also considers classified's underestimation, and its outlook and employment opportunities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

INTRODUCTION JUUL is a high-nicotine pod-based vaping device that is popular among adolescents and young adults. On 23 June 2022, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) denied authorization to market JUUL, and ordered JUUL Labs to remove products from the US market. The next day, a US federal appeals court temporarily suspended the ban. The mixed public discourse surrounding the FDA ban warrants further investigation. METHODS This study examined Twitter data to describe public reaction to these announcements. Posts containing terms 'JUUL' and/or '#JUUL' (N=97548 unique tweets) were collected from 23 June to 3 July 2022, from Twitter's Streaming Application Programming Interface (API). After removing retweets, we used an inductive approach to become familiar with the data, generated a codebook, and conducted a content analysis on a random sample of n=4000 tweets. RESULTS A total of 2755 (68.9%) tweets discussed JUUL in the context of the FDA ban. News (n=1425/2755; 51.7%) about the JUUL ban, government distrust (n=588; 21.3%), and individual rights (n=253; 9.2%) were the most prevalent themes. Less commonly discussed themes included inconsistencies between policies (n=174; 6.3%), mentions of switching to other products (n=162; 5.9%), smoking cessation (n=99; 3.6%), and craving for JUUL (n=94; 3.4%). Sentiment analysis of JUUL ban-related posts (n=2755) demonstrated that 1989 (72.2%) tweets were categorized as neutral, while anti-ban posts (n=566; 20.5%) were more prevalent than pro-ban posts (n=200; 7.3%). CONCLUSIONS Besides straightforward announcements of the JUUL ban and its suspension, Twitter posts discussed government distrust, individual rights, and policy inconsistencies. While most posts conveyed neutral sentiments, anti-ban posts were almost three times more prevalent than pro-ban posts. Our findings suggest that text-based social media platforms like Twitter may be an effective instrument to understand opinions, attitudes, and beliefs regarding the FDA's JUUL ban. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose While the literature has focused on the benefits granted by Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals to undocumented youths in the USA, the purpose of this paper is to focus on the challenges encountered during the application process.Design/methodology/approach This paper is based on 60 semi-structured interviews with Latino undocumented youths living in the New York City and northern New Jersey metropolitan area.Findings The policy was intended to improve the inclusion of some undocumented youths in the USA by temporarily shielding them from deportation and providing them with a social security number. Analyses indicate great variation in youths’ experiences while applying for DACA, including program knowledge, financial impact, and application assistance – some of which was alleviated by respondents’ political engagement. This paper shows that participants suffered from anxiety due to the manner of implementation of the program.Research limitations/implications This research is based on the self-disclosure of participants as undocumented youths. Fieldwork also took place in the New York/New Jersey metropolitan area, which is traditionally considered as more “immigrant-friendly” context than other areas of the USA.Originality/value This paper provides much needed information on the ways in which undocumented youths navigate the federal immigration system and the anxiety associated with it. This paper demonstrates the possibility that a federal policy whose goal is inclusionary could be implemented at the local level in such a way as to promote anxiety and alienation. It also highlights the role of political engagement in shaping immigrant youth’s experiences in the USA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background The purpose of this paper is to discuss the history of cannabis, its benefits, risks and the federal re-legalization of cannabis for medical use in the USA. Methods Thirty-six states have legalized cannabis as a medicinal substance. Cannabis is a Schedule I drug, an illegal and controlled substance, making research on the substance challenging. Both the American Medical Association and the American Nurses Association have called for the re-scheduling of marijuana, so that research can be conducted, its benefits and risks discovered. Results Data are demonstrating that medical marijuana may be beneficial as a step-down drug, decreasing the use of opioids and benzodiazepines, as well as deaths related to their overdose. Studies have indicated that cannabis is a low-risk substance, when compared to alcohol and opioids. There appear to be specific conditions in which cannabis provides relief of symptoms which no other medications can provide. There is also evidence of cannabis's negative effects on the developing brain. Conclusion Cannabis should be rescheduled and researched, so that its risks and benefits can be identified. Its medicinal use should be monitored, and its availability protected in children, pregnant women and pets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Confirming early fears of accelerated drug overdose deaths in 2020, over 93,000 Americans died last year of a drug overdose—the greatest overdose-involved loss of life in a single year. National survey results reveal that 40% of people with a substance use disorder who do not receive treatment report that they are 'not ready to stop using' and 42% do not receive treatment due to stigma, underscoring the need for greater adoption of harm reduction strategies. In the face of surging drug overdose deaths, American policymakers and treatment professionals continue to stand by the same approaches while expecting different results. Evidence-based, life-saving interventions include medications for opioid use disorder, low-threshold bridge clinics in emergency crisis settings, co-prescription and community distribution of naloxone anti-overdose kits, drug checking services (fentanyl test strips), syringe services programs, and overdose prevention sites. Despite strong research support and national lip-service to 'evidence-based' and 'patient-centered' approaches, harm reduction remains highly underutilized and widely unaccepted by the treatment community. Fortunately, the American government has taken several steps in recent months in terms of increased funding and the elimination of many strict, often arbitrary federal regulations, signaling the beginning of a potential shift in federal drug policy. This paper reviews available evidence with an eye toward the current state of affairs and offers actionable steps for researchers, treatment administrators, clinicians, and policymakers to make the case for greater adoption of harm reduction to address the drug overdose crisis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 2019 the total accumulated digital data reached 4.4 trillion gigabytes; Facebook alone produced 4 million gigabytes, which includes 350 million photos and 100 million hours of video watch time, 65 billion messages via WhatsApp, and 95 million photos or videos on Instagram.1 With the vast volumes of data accessible to users, the necessity for filtering agents, which separate relevant data from noise, becomes clear for both the user and the businesses aiming to target specific audiences. The lack of regulation and misalignment of values between businesses and users, however, has led to poor design and implementation of filtering agents, which have been shown to be able to manipulate, extremize, and restrict users, even in situations and contexts beyond access to information and media. This paper aims to map the current state of interaction and dynamics between stakeholder groups and the consequences that arise from the current state and its perpetuation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Grounded in comparative law research, this paper compares differences in the regulation of online child pornography in China and the United States. The United States began regulating child pornography through criminal law in the 1970s, gradually refining the laws to distinguish between child pornography and obscenity and prohibit the possession of child pornography and virtual child pornography. In contrast, China treats child pornography on an equal footing with adult pornography, but imposes more lenient penalties on disseminating child pornography, which has led to the proliferation of child pornography. By comparing the two countries' policies and laws on child pornography, this review makes four recommendations for other countries: (i) define child pornography in criminal law; (ii) distinguish between obscenity and child pornography; (iii) prohibit virtual child pornography on the internet; and (iv) increase criminal penalties for child pornography. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 2006, the Massachusetts legislature passed a landmark health care reform bill (the Reform) that has served as a model for the national health care reform. By aiming to provide 'access to affordable, quality, accountable health care,' the goals of this reform were to reduce the number of uninsured Massachusetts residents while containing the growth of health care costs and improving the quality of health care services. The current paper examines the impact of the Reform on the quality of care in addition to hospital costs simultaneously from a perspective of efficiency analysis. We develop an integer-valued non-radial Russell data envelopment analysis (DEA) model, which is unit variant and calculate the hospitals' efficiency directly. However, the proposed integer-valued model is non-linear. The current paper thus transforms this model into a parametric integer linear programming. We develop a method to derive its optimal solutions. We then use the new DEA model to calculate and compare the efficiency scores of hospitals in Massachusetts and Connecticut pre- and post-Reform. The analysis shows that the Reform has achieved its cost containment and quality improvement goals at the same time. These analyses provide potentially useful information to hospital regulators and government regulators, especially in light of the national interest on health care legislation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents commentary about a paper written by Alfred E. Osborne, Jr. entitled "Rule 144 Volume Limitations and the Sale of Restricted Stock in the Over-The-Counter Market," which was published in the May, 1982 issue of the "Journal of Finance." The author believes that, in order to properly assess the impact of Rule 144 on asset returns, Osborne's study should have included asset returns surrounding the date of the rule's announcement. In additional remarks he examines the effect on empirical work such as Osborne's of security prices that are multiples of one-eighth of a dollar.

This paper investigates whether and to what extent regulation may be associated with wage inequality. Using regulation measures created by Al-Ubaydli and McLaughlin (Regul Govern 11:109-123, 2017), I find that regulation is associated with larger within-occupation wage inequality. Specifically, I show that a worker at the 90th wage percentile realizes a raise of $1.19 per hour relative to the 10th percentile earner for each standard deviation increase in regulation. That represents a 3.5% raise for a worker at the 90th percentile. Overall, increases in the regulatory burden are associated with 42-45% of the change in the 90th-10th percentile wage ratio from 2002 through 2014. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]