Non-medical prescription drug and illicit street drug use among young Swiss men and associated mental health issues.

Non-medical use of prescription drugs (NMUPD) is increasing among the general population, particularly among teenagers and young adults. Although prescription drugs are considered safer than illicit street drugs, NMUPD can lead to detrimental consequences. The aim of the present study was to investigate the relationship between drug use (NMUPD on the one side, illicit street drugs on the other side) with mental health issues and then compare these associations. A representative sample of 5719 young Swiss men aged around 20 years filled in a questionnaire as part of the ongoing baseline Cohort Study on Substance Use Risk Factors (C-SURF). Drug use (16 illicit street drugs and 5 NMUPDs, including sleeping pills, sedatives, pain killers, antidepressants, stimulants) and mental health issues (depression, SF12) were assessed. Simple and multiple linear regressions were employed. In simple regressions, all illicit and prescription drugs were associated with poorer mental health. In multiple regressions, most of the NMUPDs, except for stimulants, were significantly associated with poorer mental health and with depression. On the contrary, the only associations that remained significant between illicit street drugs and mental health involved cannabis. NMUPD is of growing concern not only because of its increasing occurrence, but also because of its association with depression and mental health problems, which is stronger than the association observed between these problems and illicit street drug use, excepted for cannabis. Therefore, NMUPD must be considered in screening for substance use prevention purposes.

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This chapter discusses how the industrial ecological systems can help in dealing with environmental issues in developing countries, and it presents three case studies from India that highlight some of the unique environmental issues of developing world. Industrial ecology explores the assumption that the industrial system can be seen as a certain kind of ecosystem. The scope of industrial ecology goes well beyond waste exchange to the optimization of resources flowing through the economic system. Among the various specific aspects of developing countries, which have to be born in mind, is the fact that the pattern of resource flows in developing countries, and hence, the resultant environmental threat could be very different than what it is in the industrialized west. Typically, the flow of materials through the large, organized manufacturing facilities in the developing countries could be very small in relation to the overall material flow as the small, informal ?industry? plays a key role and forms a very significant portion of the economic activity. The case studies of the Tirupur textile industries, and the leather industry in India, illustrate how redefining the problem from a perspective of resource conservation, and on the basis of resource flow data could point to totally new directions for strategy planning. The case study of the Damodar Valley region amplifies the importance of looking beyond formal industry to solve an environmental problem. It shows that even for globally critical programs, such as climate change program in developing countries, it is just not enough to estimate the emissions from the formal industrial sectors.

Inactivation des pathogènes des produits sanguins labiles: entre enjeux financiers et conséquences possibles à long terme [Pathogen reduction of blood components: from financial issues to possible long-term consequences].

Pathogen inactivation of blood products represents a global and major paradigm shift in transfusion medicine. In the next near future, it is likely that most blood products will be inactivated by various physicochemical approaches. The concept of blood safety will be challenged as well as transfusion medicine practice, notably for donor selection or biological qualification. In this context, it seems mandatory to develop analytical economic approaches by assessing costs-benefits ratio of blood transfusion as well as to set up cohorts of patients based on hemovigilance networks allowing rigorous scientific analysis of the benefits and the risks of blood transfusion at short- and long-term.

Legal europeanization as legal transformation : some insights from Swiss 'outer Europe'

The "Europeanization" of non-EU countries' laws is predominantly seen as an "export" of the EU acquis, especially in the case of so-called "quasi-member" states such as Switzerland. Based on an examination of the Swiss experience, this paper highlights the flaws of this conceptualization: the Europeanization of Swiss Law is a highly differentiated phenomenon, encompassing several forms of approximation to EU Law. All of these forms fall short of an "export" of norms, and result in the creation of something new: a "Europeanized law" that is similar to, but qualitatively different from, EU Law. Another drawback of the "export" metaphor is the emphasis it places on the isomorphism of positive legislation. Europeanization goes deeper than that. As shown in this paper, it is a process of transformation involving not only positive law, but also legal thinking. The Swiss case demonstrates how significant such deeper transformations can be: the Europeanization of positive law has induced an alteration of the traditional canon of legal interpretation. It also demonstrates how problematic such transformations can be: the above-mentioned alteration has not given rise to a new and universally accepted canon of interpretation. This reflects the tension between the need for clear "rules of reference" for EU legal materials - which are required in order to restore coherence and predictability to an extensively Europeanized legal system - and the reluctance to give a legal value to foreign legal materials - which is rooted in a traditional understanding of the concept of "law". Such tension, in turn, shows what deep and difficult transformations are required in order to establish a viable model of legal integration outside supranational structures.

Sudden death: ethical and legal problems of post-mortem forensic genetic testing for hereditary cardiac diseases.

Hereditary non-structural diseases such as catecholaminergic polymorphic ventricular tachycardia (CPVT), long QT, and the Brugada syndrome as well as structural disease such as hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) and arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy (ARVC) cause a significant percentage of sudden cardiac deaths in the young. In these cases, genetic testing can be useful and does not require proxy consent if it is carried out at the request of judicial authorities as part of a forensic death investigation. Mutations in several genes are implicated in arrhythmic syndromes, including SCN5A, KCNQ1, KCNH2, RyR2, and genes causing HCM. If the victim's test is positive, this information is important for relatives who might be themselves at risk of carrying the disease-causing mutation. There is no consensus about how professionals should proceed in this context. This article discusses the ethical and legal arguments in favour of and against three options: genetic testing of the deceased victim only; counselling of relatives before testing the victim; counselling restricted to relatives of victims who tested positive for mutations of serious and preventable diseases. Legal cases are mentioned that pertain to the duty of geneticists and other physicians to warn relatives. Although the claim for a legal duty is tenuous, recent publications and guidelines suggest that geneticists and others involved in the multidisciplinary approach of sudden death (SD) cases may, nevertheless, have an ethical duty to inform relatives of SD victims. Several practical problems remain pertaining to the costs of testing, the counselling and to the need to obtain permission of judicial authorities.

The legal and ethical framework governing Body Donation in Europe - A review of current practice and recommendations for good practice

Discussions at the inaugural meeting of a Trans-European Pedagogic Research Group for Anatomical Sciences highlighted the fact that there exist considerable variations in the legal and ethical frameworks throughout Europe concerning body bequests for anatomical examination. Such differences appear to reflect cultural and religious variations as well as different legal and constitutional frameworks. For example, there are different views concerning the "ownership" of cadavers and concerning the need (perceived by different societies and national politicians) for legislation specifically related to anatomical dissection. Furthermore, there are different views concerning the acceptability of using unclaimed bodies that have not given informed consent. Given that in Europe there have been a series of controversial anatomical exhibitions and also a public (televised) dissection/autopsy, and given that the commercial sale or transport of anatomical material across national boundaries is strongly debated, it would seem appropriate to "harmonise" the situation (at least in the European Union). This paper summarises the legal situation in a variety of European countries and suggests examples of good practice. In particular, it recommends that all countries should adopt clear legal frameworks to regulate the acceptance of donations for medical education and research. It stresses the need for informed consent, with donors being given clear information upon which to base their decision, intentions to bequest being made by the donor before death and encourages donors to discuss their wishes to bequeath with relatives prior to death. Departments are encouraged, where they feel it appropriate, to hold Services of Thanksgiving and Commemoration for those who have donated their bodies. Finally, there needs to be legislation to regulate transport of bodies or body parts across national borders and a discouragement of any moves towards commercialisation in relation to bequests.

Iniciativa emprenedora i immigració: característiques diferenciadores i factors d'èxit

 L’emprenedoria és una de les àrees de recerca que han tingut un major creixement en les dècades recents. En aquest camp, l’anàlisi del comportament dels emprenedors immigrants ha estat reconeguda com un dels temes amb un important increment d’estudis relacionats. En aquests moments, el fenomen de la immigració és un dels processos socials més importants i amb una major repercussió en el continent europeu, i el fet que hi hagi més iniciatives emprenedores liderades per immigrants que per nadius fa que l’anàlisi i l’exploració d’aquest tema tinguin un atractiu especial. Malgrat tot, i encara que en els darrers anys el nombre d’estudis que pretenen donar una explicació a aquest fenomen ha incrementat, la majoria dels estudis l’han analitzat des d’un punt de vista qualitatiu i centrant-se en situacions regionals específiques i grups concrets, sense que se n’hagin pogut extreure conclusions generals sobre el comportament emprenedor immigrant. De manera que uns dels aspectes clau que un estudi en profunditat requereix són ressaltar aquells factors que contribueixen a distingir el comportament emprenedor immigrant del nadiu, així com aquells factors que podrien motivar l’èxit o el fracàs d’aquest tipus d’iniciatives i com aquests factors condicionarien la resta del teixit empresarial. En aquest context, el principal objectiu d’aquest projecte consisteix en l’anàlisi de les característiques distintives del procés emprenedor dels immigrants. Es pretén abordar aquest objectiu desenvolupant diferents metodologies i combinant diferents fonts d’informació que permetin captar la situació i assolir una comprensió més rica del fenomen estudiat. Els principals resultats obtinguts ens han portat a entendre aspectes que afavoreixen l’emprenedoria immigrant, tals com una menor aversió al risc i un major control percebut. A més, s’han posat de manifest algunes barreres legals amb les que s’han d’enfrontar els emprenedors immigrants a Catalunya.

Beyond GDP: Methodological and measurement issues in redefining “wealth”

In the last decades; a growing stock of literature has been devoted to the criticism of GDP as an indicator of societal wealth. A relevant question is: what are the perspectives to build, on the existing knowledge and consensus, alternative measures of prosperity? A starting point may be to connect well-being research agenda with the sustainability one. However, there is no doubt that there is a lot of complexity and fuzziness inherent in multidimensional concepts such as sustainability and well-being. This article analyses the theoretical foundations and the empirical validity of some multidimensional technical tools that can be used for well-being evaluation and assessment. Of course one should not forget that policy conclusions derived through any mathematical model depend also on the conceptual framework used, i.e. which representation of reality (and thus which societal values and interests) has been considered.

Development of the Iowa Drainage Law Manual, March 2005

Although Iowa has some of the most productive agricultural land in the nation, it also maintains a very extensive road network.Consequently, landowners and roadway officials often must deal with drainage issues affecting private lands and public highways. However, many individuals are unfamiliar with legal drainage requirements, practices, and procedures, which can result in misunderstandings concerning maintenance responsibilities for drainage facilities, sometimes leading to litigation. To assist propertyowners, public agencies, and others with interest in better understanding drainage maintenance responsibilities, a reference manual was developed to describe Iowa’s drainage laws and offer interpretations in a clear and concise manner. To develop a comprehensive drainage manual, researchers identified and reviewed current available literature. These resources described pertinent drainage issues and presented explanations of legal responsibilities. The literature review included manuals and guides from Iowa, surrounding states, and federal agencies. Researchers developed a survey to assess the needs and interestsof potential users of an Iowa drainage law manual. Survey responses were used to identify common problems and concerns among individuals who encounter drainage issues on a regular basis. Issues mentioned in the survey responses included interpretation of drainage laws and commonly encountered questions relating to public improvements and private interests. Many individuals, including county engineers, stated interest in specific topics such as maintenance and/or diversion of drainage, landowner issues, and upstream and downstream impacts. Overall, the survey provided researchers with valuable information regarding drainage issues, problems, current policies, and concerns. A comprehensive manual of Iowa drainage law will assist agencies and individuals in interpreting current code requirements and in implementing effective and beneficial solutions when dealing with drainage issues.

Cognitive issues in fingerprint analysis: Inter- and intra-expert consistency and the effect of a "target" comparison

Deciding whether two fingerprint marks originate from the same source requires examination and comparison of their features. Many cognitive factors play a major role in such information processing. In this paper we examined the consistency (both between- and within-experts) in the analysis of latent marks, and whether the presence of a 'target' comparison print affects this analysis. Our findings showed that the context of a comparison print affected analysis of the latent mark, possibly influencing allocation of attention, visual search, and threshold for determining a 'signal'. We also found that even without the context of the comparison print there was still a lack of consistency in analysing latent marks. Not only was this reflected by inconsistency between different experts, but the same experts at different times were inconsistent with their own analysis. However, the characterization of these inconsistencies depends on the standard and definition of what constitutes inconsistent. Furthermore, these effects were not uniform; the lack of consistency varied across fingerprints and experts. We propose solutions to mediate variability in the analysis of friction ridge skin.

Disability Rights Guide for Iowans, August 2004

Individuals with disabilities have civil rights protection similar to that provided to individuals on the basis of race, sex, national origin, and religion. The advent of the Americans with Disabilities Act has improved these protections and brought this issue into the forefront. This book is not intended to be a legal translation of state or federal laws. Its purpose is to assist people with disabilities in understanding their rights. Please consult the Code of Iowa, the appropriate federal laws or an attorney if you need a legal interpretation.

The Americans with Disabilities Act Employer/Employee Rights & Responsibilities, May 2001

This publication was designed with the belief that the ADA addresses both employers and employees to achieve a viable workforce and productive society. The law was intended to reflect the balance between the employer and the employee with a disability. This booklet contains information on Title I of the ADA but should not be considered legal advice. Title I is directly related to the employment provisions of the law. Both employers and employees have responsibilities and rights under the ADA and this booklet addresses the balance of rights and responsibilities under the law. This law was designed to remove the barriers that prevent qualified persons from enjoying equal employment opportunities solely because of a disability. It demonstrates America recognizing the vitality and abilities of all people to contribute in our society, particularly in the area of employment. This is civil rights law. It prohibits discrimination against persons with disabilities and encourages the recognition of citizens with disabilities as full participants in American life. It recognizes that these members of the American work force are an excellent resource for employers.

Cosmopolitan justice and minority rights: the case of minority nations (or Kant again, but different)

Global Justice has usually been understood to mean institutional and social justice (political and redistributive issues on a global scale). In contrast, issues involving different national and cultural identities, are usually marginal in reflections on global justice. This occurs despite the fact that human rights include political social and cultural rights. This paper links a conception of global justice, moral cosmopolitanism, with plurinational democracies. After giving a brief description of moral cosmopolitanism I go on to analyse notions of cosmopolitanism and patriotism in Kant's work and the political significance that the notion of "unsocial sociability" and the "Ideas of Pure Reason" of Kant's first Critique have for cosmopolitanism. Finally, I analyse the relationship between cosmopolitanism and minority nations based on the preceding sections. I postulate the need for a moral and institutional refinement of democracies and international society that is better able to accommodate national pluralism than has so far been achieved by traditional liberal constitutionalism and cosmopolitanism

Medical and legal professionals' attitudes towards confidentiality and disclosure of clinical information in forensic settings: a survey using case vignettes.

OBJECTIVE: When potentially dangerous patients reveal criminal fantasies to their therapists, the latter must decide whether this information has to be transmitted to a third person in order to protect potential victims. We were interested in how medical and legal professionals handle such situations in the context of prison medicine and forensic evaluations. We aimed to explore the motives behind their actions and to compare these professional groups. METHOD: A mail survey was conducted among medical and legal professionals using five fictitious case vignettes. For each vignette, participants were asked to answer questions exploring what the professional should do in the situation and to explain their justification for the chosen response. RESULTS: A total of 147 questionnaires were analysed. Agreement between participants varied from one scenario to another. Overall, legal professionals tended to disclose information to a third party more easily than medical professionals, the latter tending to privilege confidentiality and patient autonomy over security. Perception of potential danger in a given situation was not consistently associated with actions. CONCLUSION: Professionals' opinions and attitudes regarding the confidentiality of potentially dangerous patients differ widely and appear to be subjectively determined. Shared discussions about clinical situations could enhance knowledge and competencies and reduce differences between professional groups.