12.31.06

Helping Patients Who Drink Too Much: A Clinician’s Guide

Posted in Executive, Health, Social Science at 3:08 pm by AAL

Source: National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (National Institutes of Health)
From press release: “The updated Guide includes a new medications management program that consists of brief, structured outpatient sessions designed for easy use in nonspecialty outpatient settings by physicians, nurses, and other health care professionals. Applying the Guide’s medication management approach in nonspecialty settings will greatly expand access to effective treatment, since many patients with alcohol dependence either don’t have access to specialty treatment or refuse referrals to specialists. Other Guide updates include: a new handout with strategies to help patients cut down on drinking or quit; a new page on the NIAAA web site devoted to the Guide and supporting resources for clinicians and patients; and information about a newly approved, injectable drug to treat alcohol dependence.”  http://pubs.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/Practitioner/CliniciansGuide2005/guide.pdf

12.30.06

A Large Specific Deterrent Effect of Arrest for Patronizing a Prostitute

Posted in Justice, Social Science at 3:57 pm by AAL

Source: PLoS One
“We compared clients of prostitute women in Colorado Springs first detected by the police and those first detected by public health in terms of their rates of arrest. Our analyses indicate that arrest reduces the likelihood of a future patronizing arrest by about 70%. Clients first detected by the two sources were similar in demographics, locality of residence, and patronizing behavior, and these factors could not account for the large difference in arrest incidence by first detection source. Moreover, evidence from other parts of the US indicates little displacement of patronizing to other jurisdictions or sectors of prostitution following an arrest for patronizing a street prostitute. Taken together, our results suggest that apprehending clients decreases their patronizing behavior.

 http://www.plosone.org/article/fetchArticle.action?articleURI=info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0000060

Tackling Hate Crime: Homophobic Hate Crime

Posted in Human Rights, Justice, Social Science at 3:55 pm by AAL

Source: Home Office (UK)
“This guide is primarily concerned with homophobia that is expressed through homophobic incidents and crimes. The guide refers to the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transsexual (LGBT) community and people. We understand that issues for the Transgender community are not strictly about sexuality, although they might be. Rather perpetrators will often not distinguish between the different communities and the modus operandi and impact will be broadly similar. There may be differing victim needs. Similarly this guide recognises that members of LGBT communities are not homogenous. Whilst tackling homophobic hate crime, preventative measures should also tackle homophobia itself.”  http://www.crimereduction.gov.uk/sexual028.pdf

International Migration Statistics

Posted in International, Social Science at 3:51 pm by AAL

Source: Migration Watch UK
From press release:

Immigrants are now entering the UK at the rate of nearly one a minute.

An analysis of the latest immigration statistics by think-tank Migrationwatch, plus the recent IPPR report on the record emigration of British people highlight the unprecedented changes that are taking place in the nature of British society.

http://www.migrationwatchuk.org/Briefingpapers/migration_trends/9_20_international_migration_statistics.asp

12.28.06

Tax Credits, the Minimum Wage, and Inflation

Posted in Labor at 4:00 pm by AAL

Source: Urban Institute
“Two primary wage-support policies help low-income families: the minimum wage and targeted tax credits. Since 1997, when Congress last raised the minimum wage, the real value of the minimum wage has fallen about 20 percent because of inflation, while the earned income tax credit (EITC) and child credit have been expanded. This brief illustrates how current tax rules interact with the minimum wage and considers whether increased tax credits could substitute for minimum-wage increases for those earning the federal minimum wage. Increasing tax credits enough to substitute for raising minimum wage is probably infeasible because of the cost and the high marginal tax rates required. A more direct route to helping low-wage workers is to raise the minimum wage and index it to inflation.”
+ Full Report (PDF; 220 KB)

Developing global climate anomalies suggest potential disease risks for 2006 – 2007

Posted in Earth Science, Health at 2:17 pm by AAL

Source: International Journal of Health Geographics
“The current development of El Nino conditions has significant implications for global public health. Extremes in climate events with above normal rainfall and flooding in some regions and extended drought periods in other regions will occur. Forecasting disease is critical for timely and efficient planning of operational control programs. In this paper we describe developing global climate anomalies that suggest potential disease risks that will give decision makers additional tools to make rational judgments concerning implementation of disease prevention and mitigation strategies.” http://www.ij-healthgeographics.com/content/pdf/1476-072x-5-60.pdf

Influenza pandemic and professional duty: family or patients first? A survey of hospital employees

Posted in Emergency Mangement, Health at 2:14 pm by AAL

Source: BioMed Central Public Health
“Our results suggest that a modest majority of HCP (health care professionals), but only a minority of hospital administrators, recognises the obligation to treat patients despite the potential risks. Professional ethical guidelines allowing for balancing the needs of society with personal risks are needed to help HCP fulfil their duties in the case of a pandemic influenza.” http://www.biomedcentral.com/content/pdf/1471-2458-6-311.pdf

The effect of the holiday season on body weight and composition in college students

Posted in Health at 2:01 pm by AAL

“Despite the fact that body weight remained unchanged over the course of the holiday season, a significant increase in % body fat and fat mass was observed. With recent evidence showing marked morbidity and mortality to be associated with increased body fat (particularly abdominal adiposity), results from this study suggest body weight alone is a crude measurement to assess the potentially deleterious effects of the holiday season.” http://www.nutritionandmetabolism.com/content/pdf/1743-7075-3-44.pdf

2006 Year in Review: A Diverse, Challenging Nuclear Agenda (The International Atomic Energy Association)

Posted in Science at 1:22 am by AAL

Events and developments in 2006 reflected a challenging nuclear agenda. Some January to December highlights from the pages of IAEA.org.

Source: IAEA (via UN Pulse)

FDA Issues Draft Documents on the Safety of Animal Clones

Posted in Health, Science at 1:21 am by AAL

Source: U.S. Food and Drug Administration

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) today issued three documents on the safety of animal cloning — a draft risk assessment; a proposed risk management plan; and a draft guidance for industry.

Draft risk assessment
Download in sections (PDFs) or as full document (PDF; 4.24 MB).
The draft risk assessment finds that meat and milk from clones of adult cattle, pigs and goats, and their offspring, are as safe to eat as food from conventionally bred animals. The assessment was peer-reviewed by a group of independent scientific experts in cloning and animal health. They agreed with the methods FDA used to evaluate the data and the conclusions set out in the document.
…
Proposed risk management plan (PDF; 51 KB)
The proposed risk management plan addresses risks to animal health and potential remaining uncertainties associated with feed and food from animal clones and their offspring.
…
Draft guidance for industry
The draft guidance for industry addresses the use of food and feed products derived from clones and their offspring. The guidance is directed at clone producers, livestock breeders, and farmers and ranchers purchasing clones. It provides the agency’s current thinking on use of clones and their offspring in human food or animal feed.

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