bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Nasal Irrigation Reduces Postirradiation Rhinosinusitis in Patients with Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma
Authors: Liang Kai-Li , Kao Ta-Cheng , Lin Jin-Ching , Tseng Hung-Cheng , Su Mao-Chang , Hsin Chung-Han , Shiao Jiun-Yih , Jiang Rong-San
Published: May 2008

Background

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is a common head and neck cancer in Taiwan. Radiotherapy (RT) is the standard treatment for NPC. The newer RT technique, intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) has become popular in recent years. IMRT-induced rhinosinusitis is not uncommon in postirradiated NPC patients but the incidence and the disease course have not been reported. The purpose of this study was to determine the IMRT effect on the paranasal sinuses and evaluate the efficacy of nasal irrigation on the management of RT-induced rhinosinusitis.

Methods

NPC patients who completed IMRT from October 2004 to May 2006 were enrolled in the study and were randomly allocated to irrigation or nonirrigation groups. Patients in the irrigation group performed daily nasal irrigation until 6 months after RT. The severity of postirradiated rhinosinusitis was evaluated by nasal endoscopy, questionnaire, and computed tomography until a year after RT.

Results

One hundred seven postirradiated NPC patients completed the study. Among them, 44 patients performed daily nasal irrigation until 6 months after RT, and the other 63 patients did not perform nasal irrigation after RT. Patients in the irrigation group had significantly lower endoscopic and questionnaire scores than patients in the nonirrigation group (p = 0.001 and 0.0001, respectively) from pre-RT to 6 months after RT. The between-group differences were most obvious at the post-RT second and third months.

Conclusion

Rhinosinusitis is a common acute post-RT complication in NPC patients. Our results showed that nasal irrigation was a safe and effective method for the management of this acute complication.
A Double-blind, Placebo-controlled, Randomized Clinical Study of the Effects of Vardenafil on Human Nasal Patency
Authors: Aydin Erdinc , Hizal Evren , Onay Ovsen , Ozgen Basak , Turhan Baris , Zaimoglu Murat , Peskircioglu Levent , Budakoglu Isil Irem
Published: May 2008

Background

Vardenafil, a selective phosphodiesterase 5 (PDE5) inhibitor, may affect nasal patency because of its adverse-effect profile. This double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized clinical study sought to assess the effect of vardenafil on nasal patency in patients at a university hospital.

Methods

Nasal patency was assessed using a visual analog score and by measuring the minimum cross-sectional areas (MCAs) and nasal cavity volumes with acoustic rhinometry in 14 subjects before and after administration of vardenafil. Measurements were repeated after administration of a local decongestant spray.

Results

There was no statistically significant difference between the nasal cavity volumes, MCA, and visual analog scale (VAS) scores before and after the administration of placebo. However, there was a significant increase in the nasal cavity volumes, MCAs, and VAS scores after application of the local decongestant. A significant correlation was found between MCAs and VAS scores (r = 0.96; p < 0.001). After administration of vardenafil, there was a significant increase in the degree of subjective sense of nasal obstruction as measured by VAS scores. Total nasal volumes showed a significant decrease (p < 0.05). The congestion effect induced by the vardenafil was reversed after application of the local decongestant spray, and a significant increase in cross-sectional areas was noted. In the vardenafil group, a significant increase in MCA, total volume, and VAS scores was observed after application of the local decongestant (p < 0.05).

Conclusion

Objective and subjective nasal obstruction after administration of vardenafil was significantly higher in this study than in previously reported studies. The effect of congestion can be reversed by local decongestants. The role of PDE5 inhibitors in nasal physiology merits additional investigation.
Effect of Total Nasal Obstruction on Nocturnal Oxygen Saturation
Authors: Armengot Miguel , Hernandez Rosa , Miguel Patricia , Navarro Rafa , Basterra Jorge
Published: May 2008

Background

Nasal obstruction is considered a risk factor for sleep-disordered breathing (SDB), although the relationship has not been established clearly. This study explores the repercussion of total nasal packing on arterial oxygen saturation during the nocturnal resting hours and its implication in SDB.

Methods

Forty patients were subjected to total nasal packing after nasal surgery or epistaxis. In all cases the oxygen desaturation index (ODI) was monitored with and without nasal packs, and the results were compared.

Results

Thirty-seven patients (92.5%) showed poorer oxygen saturation after nasal occlusion. Of these, 19 patients (47.5%) reached pathological desaturation (ODI ≥ 12). Desaturation was greater among obese subjects.

Conclusion

Total nasal packing causes significant nocturnal oxygen desaturation. This must be taken into account in the postoperative nasal packing of patients with respiratory failure, obesity, or SDB.
M. Joanna Mellor and Patricia Brownell (Eds.). Elder Abuse and Mistreatment: Policy, Practice, and Research. New York: Haworth Press, 2006.
Authors: McDonald Lynn
Published: May 2008

Il ne fait aucun doute que les travailleurs sociaux non formés en soins à donner aux adultes plus âgés seront confrontés à des épisodes de violence à l'égard des aînés dans leur pratique de tous les jours. L'idée des co-rédacteurs en chef de produire un volume sur la violence faite aux aînés à l'intention des travailleurs sociaux en dehors du domaine de la gérontologie est donc une excellente idée. Le livre, co-publié simultanément avec la revue intitulée Gerontological Social Work, met l'accent sur les politiques et pratiques américaines avec des articles pertinents du Canada, y compris du Québec. Divisé selon les politiques, les pratiques, et les activités de recherche, le livre sert de collection d'articles à lire avec un intérêt particulier. À ce titre, cette collection aidera le praticien non familier avec les mauvais traitements et la violence faite aux aînés et sera aussi utile à l'étudiant et au spécialiste dans le domaine.
Perennial Forages as Second Generation Bioenergy Crops
Authors: Sanderson Matt A. , Adler Paul R.
Published: May 2008

The lignocellulose in forage crops represents a second generation of biomass feedstock for conversion into energy-related end products. Some of the most extensively studied species for cellulosic feedstock production include forages such as switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.), reed canarygrass (Phalaris arundinacea L.), and alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.). An advantage of using forages as bioenergy crops is that farmers are familiar with their management and already have the capacity to grow, harvest, store, and transport them. Forage crops offer additional flexibility in management because they can be used for biomass or forage and the land can be returned to other uses or put into crop rotation. Estimates indicate about 22.3 million ha of cropland, idle cropland, and cropland pasture will be needed for biomass production in 2030. Converting these lands to large scale cellulosic energy farming could push the traditional forage-livestock industry to ever more marginal lands. Furthermore, encouraging bioenergy production from marginal lands could directly compete with forage-livestock production.
Sublethal RNA Oxidation as a Mechanism for Neurodegenerative Disease
Authors: Castellani Rudy J. , Nunomura Akihiko , Rolston Raj K. , Moreira Paula I. , Takeda Atsushi , Perry George , Smith Mark A.
Published: May 2008

Although cellular RNA is subjected to the same oxidative insults as DNA and other cellular macromolecules, oxidative damage to RNA has not been a major focus in investigations of the biological consequences of free radical damage. In fact, because it is largely single-stranded and its bases lack the protection of hydrogen bonding and binding by specific proteins, RNA may be more susceptible to oxidative insults than is DNA. Oxidative damage to protein-coding RNA or non-coding RNA will, in turn, potentially cause errors in proteins and/or dysregulation of gene expression. While less lethal than mutations in the genome, such sublethal insults to cells might be associated with underlying mechanisms of several chronic diseases, including neurodegenerative disease. Recently, oxidative RNA damage has been described in several neurodegenerative diseases including Alzheimer disease, Parkinson disease, dementia with Lewy bodies, and prion diseases. Of particular interest, oxidative RNA damage can be demonstrated in vulnerable neurons early in disease, suggesting that RNA oxidation may actively contribute to the onset of the disease. An increasing body of evidence suggests that, mechanistically speaking, the detrimental effects of oxidative RNA damage to protein synthesis are attenuated, at least in part, by the existence of protective mechanisms that prevent the incorporation of the damaged ribonucleotides into the translational machinery. Further investigations aimed at understanding the processing mechanisms related to oxidative RNA damage and its consequences may provide significant insights into the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative and other degenerative diseases and lead to better therapeutic strategies.
Red Wine Polyphenols for Cancer Prevention
Authors: He Shan , Sun Cuirong , Pan Yuanjiang
Published: May 2008

Conventional cancer therapies, the second leading cause of death worldwide, result in serious side effects and, at best, merely extend the patient's lifespan by a few years. Searching for effective prevention is of high priority in both basic and clinical sciences. In recent decades natural products have been considered to be an important source of cancer chemopreventive agents. Red wine polyphenols, which consisted of various powerful antioxidants such as flavonoids and stilbenes, have been implicated in cancer prevention and that promote human health without recognizable side effects. Since resveratrol, a major component of red wine polyphenols, has been studied and reviewed extensively for its chemopreventive activity to interfere with the multi-stage carcinogenesis, this review focuses on recent progress in studies on cancer chemopreventive activities of red wine polyphenol extracts and fractions as well as other red wine polyphenols, like procyanidin B5 analogues and myricetin.
Roles of Probiotics and Prebiotics in Colon Cancer Prevention: Postulated Mechanisms and In-vivo Evidence
Authors: Liong Min-Tze
Published: May 2008

Probiotics are live bacteria that could exert health beneficial effects upon consumption. In additional to their conventional use as gut modulators, probiotics are investigated for their role to prevent cancer. In-vivo and molecular studies have demonstrated encouraging outcomes, mainly attributed to its antimicrobial effects against carcinogen-producing microorganisms, antimutagenic properties, and alteration of the tumor differentiation processes. Prebiotics are indigestible food components that could promote the growth of beneficial bacteria including probiotics. Present studies have suggested that prebiotics also possess protective effect against colon carcinogenesis, mainly attributed to the production of short chain fatty acids upon its fermentation by gut microflora, and alteration of gene-expressions in tumor cells. Synbiotic (combination of probiotic and prebiotic) has been found to exert a synergistic effect in improving colon carcinogenesis compared to when both were used individually. This paper highlights the colon cancer preventive effects by probiotics, prebiotics and synbiotics. In addition, the controversial outcomes on the insignificant effect of these food adjuncts will be discussed.
Transrectal EUS-guided FNA biopsy of a presacral chordoma-report of a case and review of the literature
Authors: Gottlieb Klaus
Published: May 2008

Laparoscopic surgery is the main treatment method for patients with gastrointestinal malignant tumors. Although laparoscopic surgery is minimally invasive, its tool stimulation and pneumoperitoneum pressure often cause strong stress reactions in patients. On the other hand, gastrointestinal surgery can cause stronger pain in patients, compared to other surgeries. Transversus abdominis plane block (TAPB) can effectively inhibit the transmission of nerve impulses caused by surgical stimulation, alleviate patient pain, and thus alleviate stress reactions. Remazolam is an acting, safe, and effective sedative, which has little effect on hemodynamics and is suitable for most patients. TAPB combined with remazolam can reduce the dosage of total anesthetic drugs, reduce adverse reactions, reduce stress reactions, and facilitate the rapid postoperative recovery of patients.
Doing Research in Public Housing: Implementation Issues from Philadelphia's 11th Street Corridor Community Policing Program
Authors: Greene Jack R. , Piquero Alex R. , Collins Patricia , Kane Robert J.
Published: May 2008

This paper presents a review of a community policing/community problem-solving program that was initiated on the 11th Street Corridor in North Philadelphia in 1996 and 1997. Herein, we forego a detailed outcome evaluation. Instead, our purpose is much more modest in that we attempt to provide those involved in public housing research and policy with a discussion of our experience with the implementation of the 11th Street Program. Specifically, we identify issues encountered throughout program implementation, and then comment on methods that other researchers, practitioners, and policymakers can adopt to circumvent such problems.
Reducing Disorder, Fear, and Crime in Public Housing: A Case Study of Place-Specific Crime Prevention
Authors: McGarrell Edmund F. , Giacomazzi Andrew L. , Thurman Quint C.
Published: May 2008

Despite the proliferation of programs developed to address crime at a neighborhood level, our knowledge base on the effectiveness of these efforts remains quite limited. This is particularly true of crime prevention efforts in and around public housing facilities. The present study is intended to shed light on the nature and effectiveness of a crime prevention effort centered in a public housing facility in an economically disadvantaged neighborhood in Spokane, Washington. Unlike most prior research on crime in public housing that has focused on large facilities, the present study focused on a small facility where the crime problems were centered on the streets surrounding the facility as opposed to crime within the facility itself. The findings suggest that collaborative efforts at reducing fear, crime, and disorder in and around public housing facilities hold promise for improving the quality of life for residents living in smaller public housing sites. These findings are particularly relevant when considering that most public housing facilities are relatively small and in light of the move away from the construction of large, high-rise, public housing facilities for the nation's poor.
Using Hospital Emergency Room Data to Assess Intimate Violence-Related Injuries
Authors: Strom Kevin J.
Published: May 2008

Hospital emergency department statistics represent a distinct and underutilized source for measuring nonfatal intimate violence, especially those cases that result in serious injury. This study attempts to gain an improved understanding of these types of incidents through the use of the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System (NEISS), a nationally representative sample of U.S. hospital emergency departments. Findings from the Bureau of Justice Statistics' (BJS) intentional injury supplement of NEISS, the Study of Injured Victims of Violence (SIVV), indicate that emergency departments treated more than 243,000 intimate violence-related injuries in 1994. Eighty-four percent of people intentionally injured by an intimate were female. Weapons were used in 27% of all intimate violence cases, but were more likely to have been used in injuries inflicted on male patients than female patients (68% of male injuries versus 19% of female injuries). Findings from the SIVV also indicate that previous surveys may have undercounted intimate violence injuries treated in hospital emergency departments, as estimates were 4 times greater than the National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS) and 1.5 times greater than the National Family Violence Survey (NFVS).
Hate Crime Reporting: Understanding Police Officer Perceptions, Departmental Protocol, and the Role of the Victim is There Such a Thing as a “Love” Crime?
Authors: Balboni Jennifer M. , McDevitt Jack
Published: May 2008

Due to sporadic and often perfunctory compliance with the Hate Crime Statistics Act of 1990, official data on hate crime currently tell us little about the prevalence of hate crime nationally. Reasons for this include lack of departmental infrastructure to support accurate reporting, lack of training, officer disincentives to accurately report, and, perhaps most importantly, hesitation on the part of victims to involve law enforcement in these matters. Using a survey of law enforcement officers from a stratified national sample, as well as interviews with advocacy and human rights professionals, this article will discuss all of these factors and their impact on hate crime reporting. Suggestions for improvement involve working on police/minority group relations, as well as building appropriate departmental infrastructure.
The Geographic Link between Sex Offenders and Potential Victims: A Routine Activities Approach
Authors: Walker Jeffery T. , Golden James W. , VanHouten Amy C.
Published: May 2008

Despite the publicity surrounding several high-profile sex offender incidents in the 1990s, relatively little research has been done on sex offenders themselves. This article reports on a study of sex offenders in one Arkansas county who had children as victims. Specifically, we examined the relationship between where the offenders live and where children congregate to see whether offenders choose to reside in areas with high concentrations of children. We use routine activities theory as a foundation for explaining our results, and conclude with a discussion of the policy implications of the findings.
Toward a Continuous Learning System: Restructuring Sentencing and Supervision Practice in the District of Columbia
Authors: Hunt Kim S.
Published: May 2008

The District of Columbia's criminal justice system is being restructured following Congress' enactment of the National Capital Revitalization Act of 1997, which will govern sentencing of all felony offenses committed on or after August 5, 2000. The Revitalization Act abolishes parole for offenders convicted of violent crimes. In addition, all District of Columbia prisoners will serve their felony sentences with the Federal Bureau of Prisons, and every felony prison sentence must be followed by a period of post-release supervision in the community.

This paper reviews selected past, present, and likely future challenges to the District's sentencing and corrections system. It discusses the role to date of the Sentencing Commission, which, it is argued, provides a vehicle for creating a continuous learning system within the District of Columbia. A continuous learning system—a system that makes data-driven decisions and continuously monitors its environment to build knowledge for future action—would engage practitioners such as attorneys and probation officers, policymakers in the legislative, executive and judicial branches, and knowledge-builders including Commission members and staff.
Improving Police Encounters with Juveniles: Does Training Make a Difference?
Authors: Herz Denise C.
Published: May 2008

Law enforcement training programs rarely address how juvenile developmental differences affect police encounters with aggressive or potentially aggressive juveniles. This neglect is surprising since a large percentage of police threat of or use of force contacts are with juveniles. While additional training represents one strategy to address this shortcoming, it is unclear whether such training affects the police officers' perceptions of juveniles and their attitudes toward handling juvenile aggression. This study examines the effectiveness of an experimental training program designed to improve officers' recognition of juveniles' developmental difference and change their attitudes toward their role in handling aggressive or potentially aggressive juveniles. Results showed that training affected officer responses in the desired direction directly following training and at follow-up. Additionally, these findings indicated that a majority of trained officers who encountered aggressive juveniles utilized verbal techniques from the training and found them effective.
Effective Community Policing Performance Measures
Authors: Alpert Geoffrey P. , Flynn Daniel , Piquero Alex R.
Published: May 2008

As the philosophy of policing moves from a traditional to a community-oriented approach, performance measures must shift as well. Unlike the typical police performance measures of arrest and crime rates found in traditional police philosophies, community-oriented policing performance measures are more general and tend to measure the extent to which police affect the quality of life in the communities they serve as well as the problems they solve. This manuscript begins the process of developing effective community policing performance measures and presents three case studies through which objectives and performance measures are conceptualized.
Police Employee Data: Elements and Validity
Authors: Uchida Craig D. , King William R.
Published: May 2008

The Federal Bureau of Investigation's (FBI) Uniform Crime Reports (UCR) Police Employee data, collected from U.S. police agencies annually since 1930, provide information on various aspects of police organizations (such as the number of employees and assaults on officers). Such data, spanning 72 years, offer researchers a potentially rich data set. This article provides a brief history of the Police Employee data, describes the various data elements, and tentatively addresses the validity and reliability of these data. Finally, suggested improvements (as well as possible uses) for these data are offered.
Outcome Tests of Racial Disparities in Police Practices
Authors: Ayres Ian
Published: May 2008

This article assesses the strengths and weaknesses of using “outcome tests” to assess racial disparities in police practices. An outcome test, for example, might assess whether the probability of finding contraband was higher for whites who are searched than for minorities who are searched.
Measuring Stops and Searches: Lessons from U.K. Home Office Research
Authors: Miller Joel , Bland Nick , Quinton Paul
Published: May 2008

This article describes an evaluation of a new system of monitoring police stops and searches in five pilot police sites, along with related research on the disproportionate police stopping and searching of people from minority ethnic backgrounds (“disproportionality”). The evaluation shows that the new monitoring is characterized by a substantial underrecording of encounters, notably of stops. A comparison of data from officer-defined and self-defined ethnic categories on stop and search forms highlights different strengths and weaknesses of both types of ethnic monitoring. The article also explores public satisfaction with the new system of recording, noting that people typically did not understand the purpose of the form at the time they received it. The research into disproportionality explored the “available” populations on the street - using video cameras mounted in moving vehicles - and compared them with resident populations and with those stopped and searched. The research shows that available populations were very different from resident populations. Overall, the findings suggested no general pattern of bias in stops and searches against people from minority ethnic groups. The research also finds that while stops and searches tended to be targeted at areas that have higher than average proportions of residents from minority ethnic groups, this largely reflected patterns of crime.
Lemas: A Comparative Organizational Research Platform
Authors: Langworthy Robert H.
Published: May 2008

The Law Enforcement Management and Administrative Statistics (LEMAS) survey is a comparative organizational research platform from which studies of police organizational structures can be launched. This article briefly describes the survey and its origin, discusses its capacity to provide measures of organizational dimensions, and considers how the survey results can best be used to increase our understanding of police organizations.
Using Citizen Surveys to Produce Information on the Police: The Present and Potential Uses of the National Crime Victimization Survey
Authors: Lynch James P.
Published: May 2008

The National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS) is a major source of nationally representative data on crime and the response to crime in the United States. The survey's potential to add to our understanding of crime and criminal justice issues has not been fully exploited, however. One of the areas where more effective use could be made of the information gathered by the survey is policing. This paper suggests how the NCVS can more fully realize its potential for informing issues pertaining to the police.
A National Survey for Monitoring Police Legitimacy
Authors: Tyler Tom R.
Published: May 2008

Most police departments do not currently measure their subjective legitimacy via surveys of the public. This article argues that such information is valuable, since public cooperation with the police is linked to the legitimacy of the police in the eyes of the public. Approaches to measuring subjective legitimacy are reviewed, and examples of items used in prior studies to tap different, potentially important aspects of legitimacy are presented and discussed. These can serve as the starting point for future efforts to design and validate measures of legitimacy that can be the basis for police efforts to better understand how they are viewed by the members of the public in their communities.
From Rhetoric to Reality: How Police Officers View the Implementation of Generalized Community Policing
Authors: Schafer Joseph A.
Published: May 2008

Research literature on community policing has focused on its impact on police organizations or citizens, especially in jurisdictions where community policing was a specialized police function. Less is known about how police officers experience the process of implementing community policing, particularly when it is a generalized function affecting an entire organization and all of its employees. Using data from a midwestern agency, this study examines the way in which front line officers and supervisors experienced the implementation of a generalized community policing philosophy. Specific attention is given to factors that influenced the attitudes and experiences of those most directly affected by this organizational change. Findings suggest that perceptions and experiences were largely a product of the beliefs and attitudes of the individual officers. Implications for police managers and scholars are discussed.
Evaluation Leads to a Better Understanding
Authors: O'Connell John P. , Harris Richard
Published: May 2008

Evaluations for jurisdictions with Weed and Seed and similar community policing initiatives can sometimes fail to tell the full story because of the complexity of the issues involved. Complete evaluations require many complex graphs and charts that could overwhelm all but the most interested reader. Crime mapping, using the same data used for the extensive display graphs and charts, has proven to be an effective way to present large volumes of complex information. This article describes the Wilmington Crime Index, a unique mapping method that takes into account year-to-year changes in both reported crimes and arrests.
Transforming Offender Reentry into Public Safety: Lessons from OJP'S Reentry Partnership Initiative
Authors: Taxman Faye S. , Young Douglas , Byrne James M.
Published: May 2008

The Reentry Partnership Initiative (RPI) was one of three early efforts by the Office of Justice Programs (OJP) to explore community-based models for offender reintegration. This article describes the RPI concept as developed in eight sites, and the issues that are encountered in reframing reentry to focus on community-oriented public safety goals. It begins with a discussion of the RPI concept and presents a reentry model that incorporates features identified by the researchers and practitioners as the core components of the RPI approach. Following a discussion of the methods used in the study, results of the sites' efforts to design and implement the reentry model are presented, including potential implications for future efforts.
Returning Home: Preliminary Findings from a Pilot Study of Soon-to-be-Released Prisoners in Maryland
Authors: Visher Christy A. , La Vigne Nancy G. , Castro Jennifer L.
Published: May 2008

In 2001, researchers at the Urban Institute in Washington, D.C., launched a pilot study in the state of Maryland for a four-state, longitudinal research project examining prisoner reentry. The first stage of the pilot involved self-administered surveys with 324 prisoners in the 30 to 90 days prior to their expected release. These surveys presented many research challenges, including designing a self-administered instrument that would be accessible to the prison population, developing appropriate sampling and recruiting methods, and conducting research in a prison setting. This paper describes the research procedures that were employed to obtain this baseline data and presents some preliminary findings from our survey of soon-to-be-released prisoners. The results presented include descriptive information on prisoner demographics, criminal histories, substance use, and family relationships, as well as correlation analyses of prisoner attitudes and expectations for life after release. Implications of these preliminary findings and recommendations to researchers interested in conducting similar research are also discussed.
Case-Managed Reentry and Employment: Lessons from the Opportunity to Succeed Program
Authors: Rossman Shelli B.
Published: May 2008

The Opportunity to Succeed (OPTS) program was designed to reduce substance abuse relapse and criminal recidivism by providing comprehensive, case-managed reentry services to felony offenders who had drug offense histories. This article describes how a process and impact evaluation of the multisite OPTS program illuminates the importance of employment and related services for returning prisoners. The process component documented high levels of employment service utilization and referrals. The impact component—which utilized an experimental design—found that compared to probation and parole clients under routine supervision, OPTS clients had significantly higher levels of full-time employment during the first year after prison release. In turn, high levels of employment were associated with reductions in self-reported commission of person and property crimes, as well as reductions in drug dealing during a one-year follow-up period. The article highlights the evaluation findings and discusses challenges that may be encountered in providing employment services, and suggests avenues that should be considered to enhance reentry success.
A Benefit-Cost Analysis of the Kings County District Attorney's Office Drug Treatment Alternative to Prison (DTAP) Program
Authors: Zarkin Gary A. , Dunlap Laura J. , Belenko Steven , Dynia Paul A.
Published: May 2008

In October 1990, the Kings County (Brooklyn, NY) District Attorney's Office implemented the Drug Treatment Alternative to Prison (DTAP) program to divert nonviolent felony drug offenders from prison to community-based residential drug treatment. This article presents an estimate of the costs and benefits of the DTAP program based on a cohort of DTAP participants and prison comparisons who entered treatment or prison in 1995–1996 and were tracked for 6 years. The analysis focuses on the criminal justice system (CJS) costs associated with criminal recidivism. Findings show that the DTAP program is cost-beneficial compared to the usual criminal justice process (benefit-cost ratio equals 2.17 after 6 years).
Racial Threat, Urban Conditions and Police Use of Force: Assessing the Direct and Indirect Linkages across Multiple Urban Areas
Authors: Parker Karen F. , MacDonald John M. , Jennings Wesley G. , Alpert Geoffrey P.
Published: May 2008

Traditionally explanations of police use of force have relied on a racial threat perspective. Tests of this perspective, however, typically offer a single indicator of threat (the relative size of the black population) and fail to adequately take into account the complex relationship between racial threat and police use of force. Drawing on racial threat, social disorganization, and police use of force literature, this study hypothesizes that macro-level patterns in police use of force are embedded in the racial and structural composition of cities and the organizational climate of local politics and police departments. The present study examines these relationships using official police use of force data collected in 73 large U.S. cities. Structural equation analyses suggest that structural indicators associated with racial threat and social disorganization/disadvantage impact police use of force indirectly through the influence of police organizational factors. On the other hand, the political climate and the level of social disorganization in urban areas have a direct bearing on the rates of police use of force. The implications of these findings for research and theory on police use of force are discussed.
The Impact of Arizona's Mandatory Drug Treatment Law on Prosecutorial Plea Bargaining in Drug Cases
Authors: Webb Vincent J. , Rodriguez Nancy
Published: May 2008

Passage of mandatory drug treatment laws continues, but research has yet to examine whether imprisoned low-level offenders (e.g., possession, use, and paraphernalia offenders) may be the product of negotiated plea arrangements. We examine the extent to which prosecutors adjust drug offense seriousness through plea bargaining practices in response to the passage of Arizona's mandatory drug treatment law. A sample of incarcerated drug offenders in Arizona was constructed and data were collected from prosecution and sentencing case files in four counties. Findings show plea bargaining practices play a significant role in the classification and imprisonment of low-level drug cases. Incarcerated marijuana offenders were not first- or second-time offenders, nor were they treated more harshly than other drug offenders. Imprisoned low-level offenders have serious and extensive criminal histories, yet the effect of prior record in plea bargaining outcomes is different pre- and post-mandatory drug treatment. Policy implications regarding plea bargaining practices of drug offenders are discussed.
The Nonimpact of the Expanded Syringe Access Program upon Heroin Use, Injection Behaviours, and Crime Indicators in New York City and State
Authors: Johnson Bruce D. , Golub Andrew , Deren Sherry , Jarlais Don C. Des , Fuller Crystal , Vlahov David
Published: May 2008

The Expanded Syringe Access Program (ESAP) in New York State (NYS) made syringes available to injection drug users without prescriptions through pharmacies and health care providers on January 1, 2001. This program was intended to provide illicit drug users with clean syringes so as to reduce transmission of blood-borne diseases, including HIV and Hepatitis C. The legislation that established ESAP mandated evaluation of the new policy's impact on trends in drug treatment and crime using existing indicators. This study, part of a larger evaluation, examined ESAP's impact on criminal activity and substance abuse. Findings strongly suggest that implementation of ESAP did not increase heroin use, drug injection, or criminal activity. Policy implications are discussed and recommendations for increasing syringe access are made.
Sentencing and Conventional Number Preferences: A Research Note
Authors: Wiseman Andrew , Fischer Daniel , Connelly Michael
Published: May 2008

Prior research on sentencing has shown that judges rely heavily on “conventional number preferences” (CNPs), often defaulting to certain “preferred” sentences, e.g., three years, four years, five years, etc., that come easily to mind. Data from Wisconsin confirm that its judges, virtually unbound in their discretion, are likewise heavily influenced by CNPs, with 10 prominent sentences explaining almost all non-probation felony sentences. Wisconsin currently spends nearly $2,300 per prisoner, per month. Strong preferences for three-, four-, and five-year sentences, when shorter terms would suffice, cost the state millions of dollars each year. Additionally, CNPs may result in disproportionate sentences for offenders who commit the same crime.
Predicting Noncompliant Behavior: Disparities in the Social Locations of Male and Female Probationers
Authors: Schulenberg Jennifer L.
Published: May 2008

Researchers have examined post-probation recidivism, characteristics of typical probationers, and factors affecting recidivism while under probation supervision, but little has been done to explore the linkage between gender, risk factors, and noncompliant behavior while under probation supervision, despite the fact that almost a quarter of the probation population is female. Using chi-square and logistic regression to analyze nationally representative data of active probationers, this study found predictive factors for noncompliant behavior differed by sex and that there were fewer predictive variables for women. Age, race, education level, job stability, employment status, residential instability, and familial criminality were common predictors for missing a payment, being reprimanded for rule violations, and having a disciplinary hearing. Men and women faced multiple inequalities but did so from different social locations. Nonwhite women and those with little stability were at higher odds for noncompliant behavior, whereas offense and prior history factors were predictive of some but not all noncompliant behavior by men.
Sex Offender Residence Restrictions: Unintended Consequences and Community Reentry
Authors: Levenson Jill S. , University Lynn , Hern Andrea L.
Published: May 2008

Many states and hundreds of local municipalities have passed zoning laws prohibiting sex offenders from living within close proximity to schools, parks, playgrounds, day care centers, and other places where children congregate. The purpose of this study was to investigate the positive and negative, intended and unintended consequences of residence restrictions on sex offenders. Results indicate that residence restrictions create housing instability for many offenders and limited accessibility to employment opportunities, social services, and social support. Young adult offenders were especially impacted because residence restrictions limited affordable housing options and often prevented them from living with family members. Implications for policy development and implementation are discussed.
Lethal Weapons: Effects of Firearm Types on the Outcome of Violent Encounters
Authors: Libby Nicholas E. , Corzine Jay
Published: May 2008

This study investigates the impact of weapon usage on the lethality of violent interpersonal encounters. Additionally, key situational and contextual factors from the criminal events perspective are controlled. Data were collected from the National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS) of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). Logistic regression analyses were conducted to determine the effects of firearm subtypes, as well as effects of automatic vs. semiautomatic firearms on lethality. All basic weapon types significantly increased lethality. Various situational and contextual variables such as incident circumstance and victim-offender relationship affected chances of death as well. Automatic weapons were not found to significantly increase lethality when compared to their semiautomatic counterparts.
Policy, Place, and Perpetrators: Using NIBRS to Explain Arrest Practices in Intimate Partner Violence
Authors: Pattavina April , Buzawa Eve , Hirschel David , Faggiani Donald
Published: May 2008

This study presents the results of a multilevel analysis of arrest outcomes in intimate partner incidents reported to the police. Using NIBRS data for 2000 in combination with data from other sources, we investigate how arrest policies, levels of urbanization, incident circumstances and offender characteristics influence arrest outcomes in domestic violence incidents. Our results indicate that arrest outcomes for intimate partner violence are influenced not only by mandatory arrest legislation, but also by level of urbanization and incident circumstances. The findings demonstrate the need for continued research that considers agency-level as well as offender- and incident-level characteristics in accounting for arrest outcomes.
Race and Violent Offender “Propensity”: Does the Intraracial Nature of Violent Crime Persist on the Local Level?
Authors: Becker Sarah
Published: May 2008

In the 1980s, some scholars suggested black violent offenders had a “propensity” to select white victims. Subsequent research demonstrated, however, that violent offenders tend to victimize intraracially. One weakness of this research was its reliance on national-level data. Using national-level estimates to calculate expected values of interracial offending implicitly assumes people have access to each other across the nation. Segregation patterns suggest otherwise. This study examines whether the propensity of violent offenders to select victims intraracially holds up if expected values are calculated locally. Findings indicate that violent offenders do tend to select victims intraracially at the local level, but that the intraracial character of violent offending varies by crime, offender race, and locale. For most cities in the analysis, assault is predominantly intraracial across offense/offender categories. For a few cities, however, criminal assault is less intraracial than expected (with white offenders victimizing interracially more than random selection would predict).
Hot vs. Cold Cases: Examining Time to Clearance for Homicides Using NIBRS Data
Authors: Addington Lynn A.
Published: May 2008

Very little attention has been devoted to studying factors associated with how quickly murders are cleared. This dearth of knowledge is mainly due to a lack of available data, especially at the national level. Currently the Uniform Crime Reporting Program is undergoing a large-scale conversion from its traditional summary system form of data collection to the National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS). One benefit of NIBRS is that it enables law enforcement agencies to report incident-level clearance information, including the incident and clearance dates. The present study utilizes NIBRS data to compare characteristics of homicides that are cleared quickly with those cleared over a longer period of time and those that are not cleared. Findings from this exploratory study confirm the conventional belief that murders are cleared quickly if at all, as a large drop in the percentage of cleared cases is observed one week after a murder occurs. The present research also suggests that incident characteristics play a dynamic role in predicting not only whether a murder is cleared, but how quickly. These findings provide new insights for studying clearance and suggest policy implications.
Impact of Employment, Family Structure, and Income on NIBRS Offense, Victim, Offender, and Arrest Rates
Authors: Chilton Roland , Regoeczi Wendy C.
Published: May 2008

In some studies of urban crime, offense, arrest, and victimization counts have been used as if they were interchangeable. The National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS), with its provision of offense, victim, offender, and arrest counts lets us avoid this ambiguity and examine the relationship of social and economic factors to specific crime measures. Our basic question in this study was, “Does it matter whether we focus on victims or offenders when we examine and interpret the correlates of violent crime?” Using NIBRS 2002–2004 robbery and murder counts and census 2000 data for 166 cities, we examined the importance of male employment, income, racial composition, and family structure for an “offense known” measure, a victim measure, an offender measure, and two arrest measures of crime. Our results indicate that for race-specific measures even the best murder or robbery victim rate is a poor substitute for an offender rate, and offense-known measures are even poorer measures of offending. The NIBRS offender rate is the most logical and useful offender measure because it provides a direct indication of the age, race, and sex of most offenders whether or not an arrest occurs. However, arrest rates, and modified arrest rates in particular, provide reasonably close approximations of offender rates. In addition, and unexpectedly, we found that race-specific victim and offender counts and rates take much of the mystery out of the frequently used and variously interpreted variable “percent black.”
Polydisperse Aggregates of ZnO Nanocrystallites: A Method for Energy‐Conversion‐Efficiency Enhancement in Dye‐Sensitized Solar Cells
Authors: Zhang Qifeng , Chou Tammy P. , Russo Bryan , Jenekhe Samson A. , Cao Guozhong
Published: May 2008

ZnO films consisting of either polydisperse or monodisperse aggregates of nanocrystallites were fabricated and studied as dye‐sensitized solar‐cell electrodes. The results revealed that the overall energy‐conversion efficiency of the cells could be significantly affected by either the average size or the size distribution of the ZnO aggregates. The highest overall energy‐conversion efficiency of ∼4.4% was achieved with the film formed by polydisperse ZnO aggregates with a broad size distribution from 120 to 360 nm in diameter. Light scattering by the submicrometer‐sized ZnO aggregates was employed to explain the improved solar‐cell performance through extending the distance travelled by light so as to increase the light‐harvesting efficiency of photoelectrode film. The broad distribution of aggregate size provides the ZnO films with both better packing and an enhanced ability to scatter the incident light, and thus promotes the solar‐cell performance.
Embedding Ag Nanoparticles into MgF2 Nanorod Arrays
Authors: He Yuping , Zhang Zhongyue , Hoffmann Chris , Zhao Yiping
Published: May 2008

Using a unique glancing angle co‐deposition technique, face‐centered cubic Ag nanoparticles have been embedded into aligned polycrystalline MgF2 nanorods with different topological shapes, such as tilted, zigzag, vertical, and helical nanorods. The optical properties of the artificial nanocomposite materials, such as surface plasmon resonance and polarization absorbance, are determined by the size of the Ag nanoparticles as well as the alignment and shape of the MgF2 nanorod arrays. The combination of co‐deposition and glancing angle deposition provides a unique way to design novel nanocomposite materials and doped nanorod arrays.
Advanced structural foam molding using a continuous polymer/gas melt flow stream
Authors: Xu Xiang , Park Chul B. , Lee John W. S. , Zhu Xindong
Published: May 2008

This article introduces a patented advanced structural foam molding technology. By the implementation of a means of continuing the polymer matrix melt flow stream, the processing conditions are made consistent, and the injected gas is thus uniformly dispersed throughout the polymer matrix. Compared with its predecessors targeted at similar applications, this new technology generates single‐phase polymer/blowing agent solutions and is therefore capable of producing parts with smaller cell sizes, more uniform cell size distributions, higher void fractions, and similar geometric accuracy. Fine‐celled parts (>106 cells/cm3) with high void fractions (>30%) were successfully produced in this research with an advanced structural foam molding machine that was built in house. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2008