Liberties and constraints of the normative approach to evaluation and decision in forensic science: a discussion towards overcoming some common misconceptions

At a time when disciplined inference and decision making under uncertainty represent common aims to participants in legal proceedings, the scientific community is remarkably heterogenous in its attitudes as to how these goals ought to be achieved. Probability and decision theory exert a considerable influence, and we think by all reason rightly do so, but they go against a mainstream of thinking that does not embrace-or is not aware of-the 'normative' character of this body of theory. It is normative, in the sense understood in this article, in that it prescribes particular properties, typically (logical) coherence, to which reasoning and decision making ought to conform. Disregarding these properties can result in diverging views which are occasionally used as an argument against the theory, or as a pretext for not following it. Typical examples are objections according to which people, both in everyday life but also individuals involved at various levels in the judicial process, find the theory difficult to understand and to apply. A further objection is that the theory does not reflect how people actually behave. This article aims to point out in what sense these examples misinterpret the analytical framework in its normative perspective. Through examples borrowed mostly from forensic science contexts, it is argued that so-called intuitive scientific attitudes are particularly liable to such misconceptions. These attitudes are contrasted with a statement of the actual liberties and constraints of probability and decision theory and the view according to which this theory is normative.

Local adaptation and life history traits evolution in heterogeneous environment : an empirical example in the freshwater snail, Galba truncatula

Abstract: To understand the processes of evolution, biologists are interested in the ability of a population to respond to natural or artificial selection. The amount of genetic variation is often viewed as the main factor allowing a species to answer to selection. Many theories have thus focused on the maintenance of genetic variability. Ecologists and population geneticists have long-suspected that the structure of the environment is connected to the maintenance of diversity. Theorists have shown that diversity can be permanently and stably maintained in temporal and spatial varying environment in certain conditions. Moreover, varying environments have been also theoretically demonstrated to cause the evolution of divergent life history strategies in the different niches constituting the environment. Although there is a huge number of theoretical studies selection and on life history evolution in heterogeneous environments, there is a clear lack of empirical studies. The purpose of this thesis was to. empirically study the evolutionary consequences of a heterogeneous environment in a freshwater snail Galba truncatula. Indeed, G. truncatula lives in two habitat types according the water availability. First, it can be found in streams or ponds which never completely dry out: a permanent habitat. Second, G. truncatula can be found in pools that freeze during winter and dry during summer: a temporary habitat. Using a common garden approach, we empirically demonstrated local adaptation of G. truncatula to temporary and permanent habitats. We used at first a comparison of molecular (FST) vs. quantitative (QST) genetic differentiation between temporary and permanent habitats. To confirm the pattern QST> FST between habitats suggesting local adaptation, we then tested the desiccation resistance of individuals from temporary and permanent habitats. This study confirmed that drought resistance seemed to be the main factor selected between habitats, and life history traits linked to the desiccation resistance were thus found divergent between habitats. However, despite this evidence of selection acting on mean values of traits between habitats, drift was suggested to be the main factor responsible of variation in variances-covariances between populations. At last, we found life history traits variation of individuals in a heterogeneous environment varying in parasite prevalence. This thesis empirically demonstrated the importance of heterogeneous environments in local adaptation and life history evolution and suggested that more experimental studies are needed to investigate this topic. Résumé: Les biologistes se sont depuis toujours intéressés en l'aptitude d'une population à répondre à la sélection naturelle. Cette réponse dépend de la quantité de variabilité génétique présente dans cette population. Plus particulièrement, les théoriciens se sont penchés sur la question du maintient de la variabilité génétique au sein d'environnements hétérogènes. Ils ont alors démontré que, sous certaines conditions, la diversité génétique peut se maintenir de manière stable et permanente dans des environnements variant au niveau spatial et temporel. De plus, ces environments variables ont été démontrés comme responsable de divergence de traits d'histoire de vie au sein des différentes niches constituant l'environnement. Cependant, malgré ce nombre important d'études théoriques portant sur la sélection et l'évolution des traits d'histoire de vie en environnement hétérogène, les études empiriques sont plus rares. Le but de cette thèse était donc d'étudier les conséquences évolutives d'un environnement hétérogène chez un esgarcot d'eau douce Galba truncatula. En effet, G. truncatula est trouvé dans deux types d'habitats qui diffèrent par leur niveau d'eau. Le premier, l'habitat temporaire, est constitué de flaques d'eau qui peuvent s'assécher pendant l'été et geler pendant l'hiver. Le second, l'habitat permanent, correspond à des marres ou à des ruisseaux qui ont un niveau d'eau constant durant toute l'année. Utilisant une approche expérimentale de type "jardin commun", nous avons démontré l'adaptation locale des individus à leur type d'habitat, permanent ou temporaire. Nous avons utilisé l'approche Fsr/QsT qui compare la différentiation génétique moléculaire avec la différentiation génétique quantitative entre les 2 habitats. Le phénomène d'adapation locale démontré par QsT > FsT, a été testé experimentalement en mesurant la résistance à la dessiccation d'individus d'habitat temporaire et permanent. Cette étude confirma que la résistance à la sécheresse a été sélectionné entre habitats et que les traits responsables de cette resistance sont différents entre habitats. Cependant si la sélection agit sur la valeur moyenne des traits entre habitats, la dérive génétique semble être le responsable majeur de la différence de variances-covariances entre populations. Pour finir, une variation de traits d'histoire de vie a été trouvée au sein d'un environnement hétérogène constitué de populations variants au niveau de leur taux de parasitisme. Pour conclure, cette thèse a donc démontré l'importance d'un environnement hétérogène sur l'adaptation locale et l'évolution des traits d'histoire de vie et suggère que plus d'études empiriques sur le sujet sont nécessaires.

Time and space: genetic structure of the common sea urchin paracentrotus lividus in the south-eastern iberian coast

Spatio-temporal variability in settlement and recruitment, high mortality during the first life-history stages, and selection may determine the genetic structure of cohorts of long-lived marine invertebrates at small scales. We conducted a spatial and temporal analysis of the common Mediterranean Sea urchin Paracentrotus lividus to determine the genetic structure of cohorts at different scales. In Tossa de Mar (NW Mediterranean), recruitment was followed over 5 consecutive springs (2006-2010). In spring 2008, recruits and two-year-old individuals were collected at 6 locations along East and South Iberian coasts separated from 200 to over 1,100 km. All cohorts presented a high genetic diversity based on a fragment of mtCOI. Our results showed a marked genetic homogeneity in the temporal monitoring and a low degree of spatial structure in 2006. In 2008, coupled with an abnormality in the usual circulation patterns in the area, the genetic structure of the southern populations studied changed markedly, with arrival of many private haplotypes. This fact highlights the importance of point events in renewing the genetic makeup of populations, which can only be detected through analysis of the cohort structure coupling temporal and spatial perspectives.

Data collection and criticality analysis for cost effective maintenance during the life cycle of a flue gas line

Työn tarkoituksena oli kerätä käyttövarmuustietoa savukaasulinjasta kahdelta suomalaiselta sellutehtaalta niiden käyttöönotosta aina tähän päivään asti. Käyttövarmuustieto koostuu luotettavuustiedoista sekä kunnossapitotiedoista. Kerätyn tiedon avulla on mahdollista kuvata tarkasti laitoksen käyttövarmuutta seuraavilla tunnusluvuilla: suunnittelemattomien häiriöiden lukumäärä ja korjausajat, laitteiden seisokkiaika, vikojen todennäköisyys ja korjaavan kunnossapidon kustannukset suhteessa savukaasulinjan korjaavan kunnossapidon kokonaiskustannuksiin. Käyttövarmuustiedon keräysmetodi on esitelty. Savukaasulinjan kriittisten laitteiden määrittelyyn käytetty metodi on yhdistelmä kyselytutkimuksesta ja muunnellusta vian vaikutus- ja kriittisyysanalyysistä. Laitteiden valitsemiskriteerit lopulliseen kriittisyysanalyysiin päätettiin käyttövarmuustietojen sekä kyselytutkimuksen perusteella. Kriittisten laitteiden määrittämisen tarkoitus on löytää savukaasulinjasta ne laitteet, joiden odottamaton vikaantuminen aiheuttaa vakavimmat seuraukset savukaasulinjan luotettavuuteen, tuotantoon, turvallisuuteen, päästöihin ja kustannuksiin. Tiedon avulla rajoitetut kunnossapidon resurssit voidaan suunnata oikein. Kriittisten laitteiden määrittämisen tuloksena todetaan, että kolme kriittisintä laitetta savukaasulinjassa ovat molemmille sellutehtaille yhteisesti: savukaasupuhaltimet, laahakuljettimet sekä ketjukuljettimet. Käyttövarmuustieto osoittaa, että laitteiden luotettavuus on tehdaskohtaista, mutta periaatteessa samat päälinjat voidaan nähdä suunnittelemattomien vikojen todennäköisyyttä esittävissä kuvissa. Kustannukset, jotka esitetään laitteen suunnittelemattomien kunnossapitokustannusten suhteena savukaasulinjan kokonaiskustannuksiin, noudattelevat hyvin pitkälle luotettavuuskäyrää, joka on laskettu laitteen seisokkiajan suhteena käyttötunteihin. Käyttövarmuustiedon keräys yhdistettynä kriittisten laitteiden määrittämiseen mahdollistavat ennakoivan kunnossapidon oikean kohdistamisen ja ajoittamisen laitteiston elinaikana siten, että luotettavuus- ja kustannustehokkuusvaatimukset saavutetaan.

A qualitative study of adolescents with medically unexplained symptoms and their parents. Part 1: Experiences and impact on daily life.

Medically unexplained symptoms (MUS) are common among adolescents and are frequently encountered in primary care. Our aim was to explore how these adolescents and their parents experience the condition and its impact on their daily lives and to provide recommendations for health professionals. Using a qualitative approach, six focus groups and two individual interviews were conducted. These involved a total of ten adolescents with different types of MUS and sixteen parents. The respondents were recruited in a university hospital in Switzerland. A thematic analysis was conducted according to the Grounded Theory. The analysis of the data highlighted four core themes: disbelief, being different, concealing symptoms, and priority to adolescent's health. Transcending these themes was a core issue regarding the discrepancy between the strategies that adolescents and their parents use to cope with the symptoms. Health professionals should be made aware of the emotional needs of these patients and their families.

Learning in later life: participation in formal, non-formal and informal activities in a nationally representative Spanish sample

This article examines the participation of Spanish older people in formal, non-formal and informal learning activities and presents a profile of participants in each kind of learning activity. We used data from a nationally representative sample of Spanish people between 60 and 75 years old (n = 4,703). The data were extracted from the 2007 Encuesta sobre la Participación de la Población Adulta en Actividades de Aprendizaje (EADA, Survey on Adult Population Involvement in Learning Activities). Overall, only 22.8 % of the sample participated in a learning activity. However, there was wide variation in the participation rates for the different types of activity. Informal activities were far more common than formal ones. Multivariate logistic regression indicated that education level and involvement in social and cultural activities were associated with likelihood of participating, regardless of the type of learning activity. When these variables were taken into account, age did not predict decreasing participation, at least in non-formal and informal activities. Implications for further research, future trends and policies to promote older adult education are discussed.

Health-related quality-of-life instruments for Alzheimer's disease and mixed dementia

BACKGROUND: Over the last 20 years, a number of instruments developed for the assessment of health-related quality of life (HRQL) in dementia have been introduced. The aim of this review is to synthesize evidence from published reviews on HRQL measures in dementia and any new literature in order to identify dementia specific HRQL instruments, the domains they measure, and their operationalization. METHODS: An electronic search of PsycINFO and PubMed was conducted, from inception to December 2011 using a combination of key words that included quality of life and dementia. RESULTS: Fifteen dementia-specific HRQL instruments were identified. Instruments varied depending on their country of development/validation, dementia severity, data collection method, operationalization of HRQL in dementia, psychometric properties, and the scoring. The most common domains assessed include mood, self-esteem, social interaction, and enjoyment of activities. CONCLUSIONS: A number of HRQL instruments for dementia are available. The suitability of the scales for different contexts is discussed. Many studies do not specifically set out to measure dementia-specific HRQL but do include related items. Determining how best to operationalize the many HRQL domains will be helpful for mapping measures of HRQL in such studies maximizing the value of existing resources.

Survival and Quality of Life among Patients with Severe Lower Extremity Peripheral Arterial Disease

Lower extremity peripheral arterial disease (PAD) is associated with decreased functional status, diminished quality of life (QoL), amputation, myocardial infarction, stroke, and death. Nevertheless, public awareness of PAD as a morbid and mortal disease is low. The aim of this study was to assess the incidence of major lower extremity amputation due to PAD, the extent of reamputations, and survival after major lower extremity amputation (LEA) in a population based PAD patient cohort. Furthermore, the aim was to assess the functional capacity in patients with LEA, and the QoL after lower extremity revascularization and major amputation. All 210 amputees due to PAD in 1998–2002 and all 519 revascularized patients in 1998–2003 were explored. 59 amputees alive in 2004 were interviewed using a structured questionnaire of QoL. Two of each amputee age-, gender- and domicile-matched controls filled in and returned postal self-administered QoL questionnaire as well as 231 revascularized PAD patients (the amount of these patients who engaged themselves to the study), and one control person for each patient completed postal self-administered QoL questionnaire. The incidence rate of major LEA was 24.1/100 000 person-years and it was considerably high during the years studied. The one-month mortality rate was 21%, 52% at one-year, and the overall mortality rate was 80%. When comparing the one-year mortality risk of amputees, LEAs were associated with a 7.4-fold annual mortality risk compared with the reference population in Turku. Twenty-two patients (10%) had ipsilateral transversions from BK to AK amputation. Fifty patients (24%) ended up with a contralateral major LEA within two to four amputation operations. Three bilateral amputations were performed at the first major LEA operation. Of the 51 survivors returning home after their first major LEA, 36 (71%) received a prosthesis; (16/36, 44%) and were able to walk both in- and outdoors. Of the 68 patients who were discharged to institutional care, three (4%) had a prosthesis one year after LEA. Both amputees and revascularized patients had poor physical functioning and significantly more depressive symptoms than their controls. Depressive symptoms were more common in the institutionalized amputees than the home-dwelling amputees. The surviving amputees and their controls had similar life satisfaction. The amputees felt themselves satisfied and contented, whether or not they lived in long-term care or at home. PAD patients who had undergone revascularizations had poorer QoL than their controls. The revascularized patients’ responses on their perceived physical functioning gave an impression that these patients are in a declining life cycle and that revascularizations, even when successful, may not be sufficient to improve the overall function. It is possible that addressing rehabilitation issues earlier in the care may produce a more positive functional outcome. Depressive symptoms should be recognized and thoroughly considered at the same time the patients are recovering from their revascularization operation. Also primary care should develop proper follow-up, and community organizations should have exercise groups for those who are able to return home, since they very often live alone. In rehabilitation programs we should consider not only physical disability assessment but also QoL.

Medical students' knowledge about end-of-life decision-making

The influence of medical students' knowledge concerning end-of-life care, considering ethical theories and clinical practice, remains controversial. We aimed to investigate medical students' knowledge of bioethical concepts related to moral kinds of death (euthanasia, disthanasia, and orthothanasia) and to analyze the influence of their clinical experience on practicing such approaches in a tertiary hospital in the state of São Paulo, Brazil. We interviewed 180 medical students [distributed in Group 1 (G1) - first to third- year students, and Group 2 (G2) - fourth to sixth-year students] to evaluate the influence of the course on "medical ethics" on ethical theories and clinical practice, using a closed questionnaire. The course on "medical ethics" did not distinguish the groups (P=0.704) in relation to bioethical concepts. Neologisms such as "cacothanasia" and "idiothanasia" were incorrectly viewed as bioethical concepts by 28% of the interviewees. Moreover, 45.3% of the sample considered health care professionals incapable of managing terminally ill patients, especially G2 (29%) as compared to G1 (16.5%, P=0.031). The concept of euthanasia was accepted by 41% of sample, as compared to 98.2% for orthothanasia. Among medical students that accepted ways to abbreviate life (22.9%), 30.1% belonged to G1, and only 16.1% to G2 (P=0.049). These medical students were unfamiliar with common bioethical concepts. Moreover, they considered healthcare professionals incapable of managing terminally ill patients. The ethical ideal of the "good death" reflects better acceptance of orthothanasia by medical students, suggesting a tendency to apply it in their future clinical practice.

Item-level life-cycle model for maintenance network – from cost to additional value

The importance of industrial maintenance has been emphasized during the last decades; it is no longer a mere cost item, but one of the mainstays of business. Market conditions have worsened lately, investments in production assets have decreased, and at the same time competition has changed from taking place between companies to competition between networks. Companies have focused on their core functions and outsourced support services, like maintenance, above all to decrease costs. This new phenomenon has led to increasing formation of business networks. As a result, a growing need for new kinds of tools for managing these networks effectively has arisen. Maintenance costs are usually a notable part of the life-cycle costs of an item, and it is important to be able to plan the future maintenance operations for the strategic period of the company or for the whole life-cycle period of the item. This thesis introduces an itemlevel life-cycle model (LCM) for industrial maintenance networks. The term item is used as a common definition for a part, a component, a piece of equipment etc. The constructed LCM is a working tool for a maintenance network (consisting of customer companies that buy maintenance services and various supplier companies). Each network member is able to input their own cost and profit data related to the maintenance services of one item. As a result, the model calculates the net present values of maintenance costs and profits and presents them from the points of view of all the network members. The thesis indicates that previous LCMs for calculating maintenance costs have often been very case-specific, suitable only for the item in question, and they have also been constructed for the needs of a single company, without the network perspective. The developed LCM is a proper tool for the decision making of maintenance services in the network environment; it enables analysing the past and making scenarios for the future, and offers choices between alternative maintenance operations. The LCM is also suitable for small companies in building active networks to offer outsourcing services for large companies. The research introduces also a five-step constructing process for designing a life-cycle costing model in the network environment. This five-step designing process defines model components and structure throughout the iteration and exploitation of user feedback. The same method can be followed to develop other models. The thesis contributes to the literature of value and value elements of maintenance services. It examines the value of maintenance services from the perspective of different maintenance network members and presents established value element lists for the customer and the service provider. These value element lists enable making value visible in the maintenance operations of a networked business. The LCM added with value thinking promotes the notion of maintenance from a “cost maker” towards a “value creator”.

Form(s)-of-life: agamben's reading of Wittgenstein and the potential uses of a notion

Giorgio Agamben and Ludwig Wittgenstein seem to have very little in common: the former is concerned with traditional ontological issues while the latter was interested in logics and ordinary language, avoiding metaphysical issues as something we cannot speak about. However, both share a crucial notion for their philosophical projects: form of life. In this paper, I try to show that, despite their different approaches and goals, form of life is for both a crucial notion for thinking ethics and life in-common. Addressing human existence in its constitutive relation to language, this notion deconstructs traditional dichotomies like bios and zoé, the cultural and the biological, enabling both authors to think of a life which cannot be separated from its forms, recognizing the commonality of logos as the specific trait of human existence. Through an analogical reading between both theoretical frameworks, I suggest that the notion of form-of-life, elaborated by Wittgenstein to address human production of meaning, becomes the key notion in Agamben's affirmative thinking since it enables us to consider the common ontologically in its relation to Human potentialities and to foresee a new, common use of the world and ourselves.

Influence of dietary nutrients on life history-related traits of black flies and mosquitoes

The sugar-feeding ecology of dipteran vectors has recently been targeted because it presents opportunities to inoculate common food sources for these dipterans with entomopathogenic bacteria as a means of controlling the population of host-seeking adult dipteran vectors. Whereas this approach to vector control holds some promise, differences in the nutrient composition and concentration in sugary food sources can influence the food selection pattern of dipteran vectors and potentially confound the outcomes of field trials on the efficacy of entomopathogenic bacteria as vector control agents. Further, nutrient components of bacteria-inoculated artificial diets may present unintended effects of extending the survivorship or fecundity of the target population and potentially render the whole approach counterproductive. The present study investigated the diet-specific factors that influence the foraging decisions of female Simulium venustum/verecundum (Diptera: Simuliidae) and female Anopheles stephensi (Diptera: Culicidae) on artificial nectar and honeydew. Paired choice experiments showed that the black flies forage more frequently from high calorie diets, which contained melezitose, or those diets that contained amino acids, compared to low calorie melezitose-free diets or amino acid-free diets. The mosquitoes however displayed a more random diet selection pattern. The effects of sugary diets on certain life-history traits considered to be important to the ecological fitness of the black flies and mosquitoes were also investigated. Sugary diets had no significant effect on the survivorship and fecundity of the black flies, but they influenced the resistance of Leucocytozoon-infected flies to the parasite. Amino acid-containing diets appeared to extend the survival of mosquitoes, and also allowed them to take more vertebrate blood when they blood fed.

Flourishing in the face of mental illness: A heuristic examination of the contribution of leisure to creating a meaningful life

The purpose of this research was to examine the ways in which individuals with mental illness create a life of purpose, satisfaction and meaning. The data supported the identification of four common themes: (1) the power of leisure in activation, (2) the power of leisure in resiliency, (3) the power of leisure in identity and (4) the power of leisure in reducing struggle. Through an exploration of the experience of having a mental illness, this project supports that leisure provides therapeutic benefits that transcend through negative life events. In addition, this project highlights the individual nature of recovery as a process of self-discovery. Through the creation of a visual model, this project provides a benchmark for how a small group of individuals have experienced living well with mental illness. As such, this work brings new thought to the growing body of mental health and leisure studies literature.

Three works on religious themes : psalmus 150, string quartet on the life of Saint John Paul II and symphony “The Redemption”

Dans cette dissertation, je présente trois pièces sur des thèmes religieux composées au cours de ma maîtrise, ainsi que leur analyse : Psalmus 150 pour chœur de jeunes à trois voix, chœur d'adultes à huit voix et orgue ou piano ; Quatuor à Cordes sur la vie de Saint Jean-Paul II ; et la Symphonie « La Rédemption » pour orchestre et chœur. Malgré les particularités de chacune, elles présentent des aspects communs. L'idée principale des compositions fut d'éviter la rupture avec la tradition tout en apportant des nouvelles idées aux pièces, et de souligner l'importance de ma recherche sur la beauté. À cet égard, certaines techniques contemporaines, ainsi que les sonorités médiévales des quintes et octaves parallèles, furent utilisées en accord avec un langage tonal / modal qui demeure la base des trois compositions. Le chant Grégorien fut aussi une importante caractéristique de ces compositions. Pour mieux comprendre les analyses des œuvres, deux techniques seront expliquées, la douce toile de dissonances linéaires et l'harmonie d'accords parfaits majeurs. L'analyse de chaque pièce est divisée en deux parties. La première est une vision générale et la deuxième est plus détaillée. À la fin, les connaissances acquises par la composition des ces œuvres seront résumées et l'importance intemporelle de la beauté sera réaffirmée.

Interview with Professor Mark Brodin about his book "William P. Homans Jr.: A Life In Court"

Boston lawyer William P. Homans Jr. devoted his fifty-year career to the defense of the poor and downtrodden, the protection of our most basic civil liberties, and the abolition of the death penalty. Descendant of two of Boston's oldest and most prominent families, and combat veteran of both the British and American Navies during World War II, Homans became unlikely guru to the 1960s generation of radical lawyers and antiwar activists. He was on the defense team in the 1968 conspiracy trial of Dr. Benjamin Spock and four other leading opponents of the Vietnam War accused of aiding and abetting resistance to the military draft, and represented Dr. Kenneth Edelin in the 1975 manslaughter prosecution arising out of a lawful abortion performed after Roe v. Wade. The narrative contrasts Bill Homans' storied legal career with a troubled personal life in a balanced but unvarnished manner, testifying to the strength of the human spirit when committed to the pursuit of the common good. About the author: Mark S. Brodin is Professor of Law at Boston College Law School and the author of numerous books and law journal articles in the areas of civil and criminal procedure, evidence, litigation, and employment discrimination. A graduate of Columbia College (1969) and Columbia Law School (1972), he served as law clerk to United States District Judge Joseph L. Tauro and staff attorney with the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights in Boston. He has also practiced for brief periods as a public defender in Boston and a prosecutor in Norfolk County.