bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
NONCUSTODIAL FATHERS SPEAK ABOUT THEIR PARENTAL ROLE
Authors: Dudley James R.
Published: July 2010

This article reviews the findings of five recent qualitative studies on noncustodial fathers' views that could be found in the literature. Several common topics and themes were identified, including the following: These fathers experienced considerable divorce‐related emotional distress; they were dissatisfied with their custody, visitation, and child support arrangements; they perceived the divorce proceedings to be unfair; and they had ongoing conflicts with their former spouses. Although these findings are not altogether new, collectively they increase one's awareness and understanding of the perceived circumstances of numerous noncustodial fathers. Based on these findings, the author challenges professionals to give renewed attention to helping noncustodial fathers overcome some of the major obstacles to their parenting.
METHODOLOGICAL CONSIDERATIONS IN EVALUATING FAMILY COURT PROGRAMS
Authors: Braver Sanford L. , Smith Melanie C. , DeLusé Stephanie R.
Published: July 2010

Although there has been in recent years a proliferation of court programs, especially divorced parent education programs, evaluations of the effectiveness of these programs lag dangerously behind their inception, perhaps because program developers and courts lack the expertise to perform these evaluations. The present article provides a primer of the methodological considerations for evaluations of court programs. The authors discuss the following topics: formative versus summative evaluations; how to discover program goals by identifying stakeholders; how these goals translate into measures to be assessed; the data sources for these measures (exit questionnaires, archival data, and follow‐up surveys); answering the “compared with what?” question through the selection of an appropriate research design; budgeting the evaluation; and disseminating the findings through appropriate write‐up(s).
UNDERSTANDING THE ROLE OF THE MEDIATOR IN CHILD PROTECTION PROCEEDINGS
Authors: Giovannucci Marilou T.
Published: July 2010

Mediators in child protection proceedings have a distinctive role. The cases present complex and emotion‐laden issues. Mediators must go beyond their established role as a third‐party neutral and ensure that the process neither adds to the trauma a child and family have already experienced nor jeopardizes the safety of the child.
DEPENDENCY COURT MEDIATION
Authors: Edwards Leonard
Published: July 2010

Sustained judicial support and oversight are critical to the success of any mediation program within the juvenile court.
PATTERNS OF RELITIGATION
Authors: Arbuthnot Jack , Kramer Kevin M. , Gordon Donald A.
Published: July 2010

Two groups of parents were tracked for 2 years following their divorce: a group of 89 who attended a mandatory divorce education class and a comparison group of 23 who did not. The two groups did not differ in any assessed demographic or family characteristics. At the follow‐up assessment, the parents who attended the class had relitigated (over all issues) less than half as often than those who had not attended the class (1.61 vs. 3.74). Moreover, rate of relitigation was related to mastery of skills learned in the class. The results are discussed in terms of the needs for outcome evaluation and design of education programs for divorcing parents.
THE IMPACT OF CLIENT AND EVALUATOR GENDER ON CUSTODY EVALUATIONS
Authors: Bradshaw E. Ruth , Hinds Robert W.
Published: July 2010

Fifty‐one child custody evaluations from registries of the Family Court of Australia were analysed for evidence of sex role and sex trait stereotyping by using a content analysis program. The categories used in the content analysis included expressive and instrumental sex role traits, power‐related behaviours, communications about family and marital interactions, basic care‐taking, attachment, and the parents' environment. When analysed by the gender of the evaluator, it was found that male and female evaluators significantly favoured the parent of their own gender in specific categories. It is suggested that the court context has been important in influencing the content of the stereotype.
GENDER ISSUES IN FAMILY LAW
Authors: Edwards Patricia E.
Published: July 2010

Family mediation has been the target of criticism from feminists, the legal profession, and mental health professionals. Although this article will primarily address the concerns of feminists, it will, to a limited extent, address some of the concerns put forth by the other groups because of the similarities in their perspectives. Many of the concerns and issues expressed by feminists are valid on one hand, yet contradictory on the other. By exploring the gains made by women and how these gains were incorporated in the Ontario Family Law Act, the contradictions inherent in their arguments will be revisited and discussed in relation to a feminist‐informed mediation process. This article will explore seven aspects of the feminist critique of family mediation: protection of women and children's rights, spousal and child support, equal distribution of marital property, negotiations, empowerment, custody, and spousal abuse. Many of these issues are intertwined and therefore will occasionally be discussed in relation to other issues.
EIGHT KEYS TO PASSING PARENT EDUCATION LEGISLATION
Authors: Lee Cheryl D.
Published: July 2010

In May 1996, Domestic Relations Education on Children's Issues, House Bill 2063, was signed into law by the governor of Arizona after successfully passing through both houses of the Arizona legislature. This new law made it mandatory for all new divorcing parents and unmarried parents with custody/access disputes to attend a domestic relations parent information program that focused on the needs of their children. This article documents some of the key steps for passage of this type of legislation, with illustrations from Arizona's experience. The process began in November 1994, and it took two legislative sessions before the bill became a law.
ATTORNEYS' OPINIONS REGARDING CHILD CUSTODY MEDIATION AND ASSESSMENT SERVICES
Authors: Lee Catherine M. , Beauregard Christine P. M. , Hunsley John
Published: July 2010

Family attorneys (N = 161) completed a questionnaire about mediation and assessment of child custody issues. Comparisons by gender, years of family law practice, and status as a mediator revealed more similarities than differences among attorneys. There were gender differences in the strength of conviction of the importance of attending to abuse issues in mediation and assessment, with female attorneys holding stronger views than did their male counterparts. There were few differences among the opinions of lawyers based on their years of experience or their training in mediation, although, compared to nonmediators, mediators rated the positive effects of mediation more highly.
CONFLICTING ROLES IN CHILD CUSTODY MEDIATION
Authors: Smoron Kimberly A.
Published: July 2010

This article will first discuss the conflict in the mediator's role as a neutral and impartial third party with no interest in the outcome and his or her role as guardian or advocate for the best interests of the child. That discussion will define terms, consider the legal standard for the best interests of the child as it is used by the courts, and lay out how the legal standard is problematic in general but even more so for mediators. Part 3 will discuss options for mediators attempting to resolve this conflict by looking at a continuum of alternatives, using examples of opening statements that illustrate positions ranging from extreme nonintervention to complete inte mention. An assessment follows each example.
INTERVIEWING CHILDREN IN CUSTODY EVALUATIONS
Authors: Hynan Daniel J.
Published: July 2010

Child interviews are a central part of custody evaluations that affect many families, and ways to maximize their accuracy and usefulness are discussed. Empirical research on children of divorce is emphasized in a conceptual strategy for collecting interview data. Information about child interviews from the custody evaluation literature is reviewed, as are relevant research findings about the accuracy of children's statements. Implications for practice are proposed that integrate research findings and recommendations from the literature.
PARENT EDUCATION'S SECOND GENERATION
Authors: Fuhrmann Geri S. W. , McGill Joseph , O'Connell Mary E.
Published: July 2010

Parent education programs are proliferating rapidly throughout North America and elsewhere. A number of new programs address targeted populations such as violent or high conflict families. Specialized programs for violent or high conflict parents have inherent difficulties in screening and availability. The authors urge parent educators not to assume that generic or “mainstream” programs will not have victims or perpetrators of violence in attendance. The authors provide specific advice for making all mainstream programs safe and appropriate for violent families.
SCIENTIFICALLY CRAFTED CHILD CUSTODY EVALUATIONS
Authors: Gould Jonathan W.
Published: July 2010

This article proposes a model for the interdisciplinary colloboration of judges, attorneys, and evaluators prior to the writting of a court order for child custody evaluation in the formulation of specific psycholegal questions that guide the examination. These questions accurately reflect the concerns of the court, the attorneys, and the parties to the dispute while framing the evaluation questions within the behavioral sciences, suitable for evaluation by a mental health professional. Such a model best suits the court by providing information on specific, legally relevant areas of parenting, child development, and/or mental health useful to the trier of fact.
INTRAFAMILIAL COMMUNICATIONS
Authors: Schilling Kimberly L.
Published: July 2010

Although testimonial privileges undermine the general rule that all relevant evidence is admissible at trial, legislatures and courts have recognized certain privileges primarily to protect. In these cases, the courts and legislatures have balanced the competing interests of full disclosure, on one hand, and the preservation of valued relationship, on the other, and have found that the latter outweighs the former. The attorney‐clint privilege, for example, exists to encourage truthful communications between attorney and client so that the client may obtain complete and accurate legal advice. Likewise, the marital privilege protects confidences between spouses to preserve the institution of marriage. The parent‐child relationship, while certainly valuable to society, has not been afforded the same protection. This note argues that a parent‐child privilege should exist. Basic constitutional principles, as well as comparative and social policy arguments, support the recognition of a parent‐child privilege.
TRAUMATIZED CHILDREN IN SUPERVISED VISITATION
Authors: Johnston Janet R. , Straus Robert B.
Published: July 2010

This article reviews the range of trauma experienced by many children in supervised visitation services and describes common themes in the development of their personalities from clinical and research findings. It then proposes a series of ways to structure supervised access services in order to help children feel psychologically safe in the relationship with the visited parent.
MEDIATION AND PARENTAL ALIENATION SYNDROME
Authors: Vestal Anita
Published: July 2010

Parental alienation syndrome (PAS), a term that originated in the mid‐1980s, refers to a disturbance in which children are preoccupied with viewing one parent as all good and the other parent as all bad. Conscious or unconscious words and actions of custodial parents cause the child(ren) to align with them in rejection of noncustodial parents during divorce or custody disputes. Issues of concern for mediators include detection of PAS and an understanding of appropriate remedial plans that will allow the child to restore his or her relationship with the noncustodial parent.
PROTECTING VICTIMS OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AND THEIR CHILDREN AFTER DIVORCE
Authors: Reihing Katherine M.
Published: July 2010

This article discusses the issue of domestic violence in the postdivorce context and how abused women who have children with their abusers are at a particular high risk of becoming victims of this phenomenon. It discusses recent state legislation that has been enacted to deal with the problems of domestic abuse after divorce. More specifically, this article looks at the American Law Institute's proposed model statute on child custody and visitation and how it addresses the issue of domestic violence both during and after divorce. This article will also explore potential flaws of the American Law Institute's model as well as some ideas for further development in this area.
MEDIATING WITH HIGH‐CONFLICT COUPLES
Authors: Parkinson Lisa
Published: July 2010

Models of mediation based on negotiation assume that participants can think and act rationally, whereas in reality, when individuals are overwhelmed by anger and pain, their capacity for reason and logic diminishes. Family mediators need to appreciate the intensity of the irrational feelings and reactions they see in mediation and to consider their personal impact. Mediators can help to contain family crises by adapting the family crises by adapting the model and methods in this article to fit different levels and patterns of conflict. An understanding of systems theory is particularly helpful in considering the functions of conflict and varying needs to maintain conflict. This article suggests that mediators can use different kinds of nonverbal and verbal communication and surprise those who expect mediators to give them a stock response.
A FORENSIC PSYCHOLOGY MODEL OF RISK ASSESSMENT FOR CHILD CUSTODY RELOCATION LAW
Authors: Austin William G.
Published: July 2010

Relocation in child custody presents a psycho‐legal dilemma of trying to preserve stability in the child's residential family unit while maintaining continuity in the role of the nonresidential parent. Courts have shown a strong preference to permiting the child to move away with the residential parent unless there is a showing of potential harm to the child. The forensic violence risk assessment literature provides an analogous conceptual framework for understanding the prediction of harm. Instead of predicting violence, the evaluator is predicting the effect of environmental circumstances on the child's adjustment. A forensic psychology model of risk assessment is adapted to the relocation problem. The elements of the model are an expected base rate of short‐term emotional distress due to relocation, risk and modulating factors, and how to handle the potential consequences of prediction errors. A hierarchical predictive process, derived hypotheses, and practical considerations in relocation are discussed.
OREGON'S BALLOT MEASURE 58
Authors: Hunsaker I. Franklin
Published: July 2010

The author tackles the issue of sealed adoption records within the context of Oregon Ballot Measure 58, passed by Oregon voters in November 1998. This legislation requires the Oregon state registrar to give previously sealed adoption records to any adopted person who has reached age 21. The author details the background of Measure 58 and the lawsuit that challenged it (Does 1‐7 v. State of Oregon). Next, he discusses the interests of the birth mothers, namely, their expectations of confidentiality and privacy, which are provided for in various Oregon statutes. Then, the arguments of the birth mothers are described. Finally, the author concludes that Oregon Measure 58 is a violation of birth mothers' rights and is extremely unfair.
MEASURING PROGRESS IN IMPROVING COURT PROCESSING OF CHILD ABUSE AND NEGLECT CASES
Authors: Flango Victor E.
Published: July 2010

With all of the changes in federal law relating to child maltreatment, foster care, and adoption, courts have become active partners with child welfare agencies in assuring safety and permanency for children. Outcome measures are needed to track achievement of the distinct goals of courts and those goals they share with child welfare agencies. This article presents a set of measures that focuses on the court contribution to desirable outcomes for children and families. These measures have undergone extensive development, review, and field testing by representatives from several national organizations interested in court reform and child welfare, but they still require more discussion and refinement. Indeed, outcome measures are an essential component of a process of continuing improvement, which means they need to be reviewed periodically to ensure they are valid, reliable, and not redundant.
EARLY INTERVENTION MEDIATION
Authors: Zuberbuhler Jayne
Published: July 2010

Early Intervention Mediation was a fifteen‐month research project conducted at the Court of Domestic Relations of Hamilton County, Ohio. The project's intent was to test the efficacy of the early introduction of mediation to resolve parenting issues. The project involved ordering half of all divorcing parents, who were unable to agree on custody arrangements for their children, to attend mediation within six weeks after filing for divorce. The other half of divorcing parents were a control group who followed existing court procedures. At the conclusion of the project, results were compared between the two groups. In 61% of divorce cases ordered to mediation, parenting issues were fully resolved. Families were spared damaging and costly litigation, and the court reduced judicial hours.
ASSISTING CHILDREN THROUGH TRANSITION:Helping Parents Protect Their Children From the Toxic Effects of Ongoing Conflict in the Aftermath of Divorce
Authors: Pedro‐Carroll JoAnne , Nakhnikian Ellen , Montes Guillermo
Published: July 2010

The negative effects of prolonged interparental conflict on children are well documented. This article describes a preventive intervention designed to help separating parents to (a) reduce the stress of a breakup on their children and (b) learn skills for protecting them from the toxic effects of ongoing conflict. Assisting Children through Transition‐(A.C.T.) For the Children is based on a risk and resilience model emphasizing skills training and effective parenting practices. Post‐program results from 609 participants indicate that the majority of male and female participants reported an increased awareness of the deleterious effects of interparental conflict on children and learned skills for protecting children from ongoing conflict. Most participants reported firm intentions to continue to use skills for reducing conflict with a former spouse and to support their children's healthy relationship with both parents. Study limitations, directions for future research, and implications for legal and mental health practitioners are discussed.
CONFIDENTIALITY REVISITED:California Style
Authors: McIsaac Hugh
Published: July 2010

Stewart and I have lived through the legal adversary system and we know what havoc it could have wrought on our family…. We were nuts. We were crazy. We were your average psychotic divorcing parents…. What you do not see is we get well. We bailed out of the adversary court system because we could see it was no help to us. We were the lucky ones…. There are thousands like us who could use your help before the war gets started.

—Parent at the 1978 Midwinter Association of Family and Conciliation Courts Conference, Los Angeles.
PARTNER VIOLENCE AND RISK ASSESSMENT IN CHILD CUSTODY EVALUATIONS
Authors: Austin William G.
Published: July 2010

How to integrate the problem of partner violence into a child custody evaluation is analyzed within a risk‐assessment approach. The research literature on partner violence is reviewed to examine the issues of establishing a base rate for partner violence and its relative frequencies for both genders. Theoretical typologies of partner violence are reviewed and a new typology presented that is more suitable to the predictive task in the custody evaluation. A model of how the evaluator should approach partner violence is described, with an integration of a risk‐assessment approach to child developmental outcomes as associated with custody and parenting time arrangements and a violence risk assessment of a perpetrator/parent.
TO BUNDLE OR UNBUNDLE? THAT IS THE QUESTION
Authors: Judith Hon. , Kreeger L.
Published: July 2010

A substantial number of parties either represent themselves or are partially represented in family law matters because they are unable to afford traditional full service representation. As this number continues to climb courts are taking a proactive approach in servicing self‐represented litigants through self help centers. The following is a judge's perspective on how unbundled legal services assist the self represented and the courts as well as answers to ethical concerns should they arise.
GUIDELINES FOR UTILIZING COLLATERAL SOURCES OF INFORMATION IN CHILD CUSTODY EVALUATIONS
Authors: Austin William G.
Published: July 2010

A structure for utilizing third party or collateral sources of information in the child custody evaluation is discussed. Collateral information is vital to the process of trying to assess the credibility and validity of information obtained from the primary parties in a dispute. Information that is from more neutral parties has higher credibility and when the party has access to key information it produces more discriminant validity. When a source with high discriminant validity agrees with information from a primary party, then it enhances the convergent validity on an issue or hypothesis. Child custody cases are inherently characterized by biased data within the adversarial process. Gathering data from collateral sources and using a system to evaluate their usefulness on confirmation of hypotheses is a necessary part of the emerging forensic‐clinical‐scientific child custody evaluation paradigm.
MAGELLAN'S DISCOVERIES
Authors: Brown Thea
Published: July 2010

In 1998, the Family Court of Australia introduced an interagency, multidisciplinary pilot program for managing parenting disputes that involved allegations of child abuse. The program, known as Project Magellan, is an example of the trend in judicial administration toward specialized court programs. It involved one hundred families and several state and federal agencies and human service organizations. This article presents the findings of an evaluation of the new program and considers the implication of those findings and the potential for the success of similar programs in other jurisdictions. It points to the contribution the pilot program made to the development of knowledge about child abuse in the emotive and complex circumstances of parental separation and suggests that the interrelationship between child abuse and relationship breakdown should be acknowledged as a legitimate matter of serious concern.
DETERMINING THE EFFECTIVE REPRESENTATION OF A CHILD IN OUR LEGAL SYSTEM
Authors: Drews Michael D. , Halprin Pamela J.
Published: July 2010

This note addresses the process by which lawyers must determine their role and responsibilities with regard to a child‐client. The authors engage in an analysis of current standards, such as AAML, ABA, Fordham Conference. and Jean Koh Peters, by employing a case study.which was modeled after an actual case that was being handled by the Hofstra University School of Law Child Advocacy Clinic. The case study is then applied to the four current standards and to the ethical standards proposed by The Model Rules of Professional Conduct and the Quebec Bar Association's findings.
SOCIAL JUSTICE AND FAMILY COURT REFORM
Authors: Brooks Susan L. , Roberts Dorothy E.
Published: July 2010

Creating a unified family court, or any type of family court reform, may have only a minimal impact if it simply changes the structure of how judges do business rather than addresses the structure of the child welfare system itself. The authors argue that family court reform must place social justice at its center. First, they discuss profound flaws in the child welfare system that make poor and minority families especially vulnerable to coercive state intervention. Second, they describe two approaches to child welfare cases–family systems theory and therapeutic justice–that can help to guide reform efforts directed at addressing these structural flaws. Finally, they suggest ways in which family law scholarship can assist in creating a social justice agenda for family court reform.
TROXEL v. GRANVILLE AND THE BOUNDARIES OF THERAPEUTIC JURISPRUDENCE
Authors: Shuman Daniel W.
Published: July 2010

Troxel v. Granville, a case arising out of the application of a statute permitting court‐ordered grandparent visitation based on a judicial determination of the best interest of the child, provided the opportunity for the U.S. Supreme Court to demonstrate its receptivity to therapeutic concerns. The decade preceding Troxel had seen the emergence of a school of thought labeled “therapeutic jurisprudence” that seemed a perfect fit for addressing the subject matter before the Court. In this article, the author discusses the rise of therapeutic jurisprudence, its relevance to the subject matter before the Court in Troxel, and the lessons to be learned from the Court's failure to embrace therapeutic concerns in its resolution of this case.
TROXEL v. GRANVILLE
Authors: Martindale David A.
Published: July 2010

The author opines that litigating visitation disputes between parents and third parties is advisable only under limited circumstances, and that the emotional benefits to children that are derived from their interactions with members of their extended family are only realized when the relationships between the extended and the nuclear family are satisfactory.
LESBIAN MEDIATION
Authors: Walter Betsy J.
Published: July 2010

This note evaluates the advantages of mediation to resolve custody and visitation disputes when lesbian couples end their relationships. Traditionally, the court system has been reluctant to grant custody to “legal strangers” or third parties. Therefore, mediation has become a more responsive forum to resolve such disputes. This note analyzes several different mediation options available through community‐based resources.
STAYIN' ALIVE
Authors: Rowsell Jamie
Published: July 2010

This article analyzes the rapidly changing face of postmortem reproductive technology and its impact on the family. Postmortem reproduction is being used more frequently, and its implications for the resulting children's inheritance has sparked worldwide debate. This article provides support for posthumously conceived children's ability to inherit from their deceased parent when certain criteria have been met.
A SURVEY OF UNIFIED FAMILY COURTS
Authors: Bozzomo James W. , Scolieri Gregory
Published: July 2010

The American Bar Association Coordinating Council on Unified Family Courts, with the assistance of Hofstra University's Center for Childre. Family and the Courts, recently conducted a survey of various courts and jurisdictions that either implemented or experimented with a unified family court structure. The purpose of the project was to get a sense of the state of unified family courts with the goal of building more support for the unified family court concept based on demonstrated effectiveness. The findings of the survey have been summarized in this article. The survey, survey data, and list of survey respondents can be found in the article's appendices.
ELIJAH AND ISHMAEL
Authors: Bunting Annie
Published: July 2010

This article examines the leading custody cases in Canada dealing with children's cultural and racial identity. The author argues in favor of fluid and open understandings of culture in custody assessments rather than static notions of culture.
ETHICAL, LEGAL, AND PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE ISSUES INVOLVED IN ACTING AS A PSYCHOLOGIST PARENT COORDINATOR IN CHILD CUSTODY CASES
Authors: Sullivan Matthew J.
Published: July 2010

The use of Psychologist Parent Coordinators in child custody cases (called Special Masters in California) is becoming increasingly prevalent across the country. This postdivorce parenting coordination role is a legal/psychological hybrid, demanding knowledge and skill in legal domains (legal procedure, relevant case law, etc.), psychological domains (child development, family systems, etc.), and dispute resolution (mediation and settlement processes). Situated in the interface of legal and psychological paradigms, Parent Coordination may be reviewed by multiple legal and psychological regulatory bodies. Coming from varying perspectives, the practice guidelines and mandates of these legal, ethical, and licensing agencies impose multiple standards of review of Parent Coordination. A brief overview of the legal and psychological review processes applicable to Special Master work in California, as they relate to common issues that confront the Parenting Coordinator across the country, is the focus of this article. They suggest that the current lack of coordination of review processes creates a minefield of professional risk for the psychologist who chooses to practice in this role.
LEGAL USE OF MENTAL HEALTH EVALUATIONS IN CHILD PROTECTION PROCEEDINGS
Authors: Budd Karen S. , Naik‐Polan Anjali T. , Felix Erika D. , Massey LaShaunda P. , Eisele Heather
Published: July 2010

The authors examine the use of mental health evaluations in legal decision making within a large, urban juvenile court system. The focus was on court files in child protection cases relating to 171 randomly selected mental health evaluations completed on parents and 44 evaluations completed on children. Parent evaluations (46.7%) were much more likely to be present in court files than child evaluations (5.9%), and evaluations conducted by in‐house court clinicians (63.8%) were more often present than those conducted by noncourt clinicians (37.5%). References to evaluations in child welfare, legal, or mental health documents varied with the type of information, subject (parent or child), and source of the evaluation. Findings and/or recommendations of evaluations were cited in legal or mental health documents for approximately two thirds of parent evaluations but only one third of child evaluations. Evaluation findings and/or recommendations were stated as a basis for legal decisions in 36.2% of court‐based parent evaluations, 21.0% of noncourt‐based parent evaluations, and 2.3% of child evaluations. These results provide evidence of a modest impact of parent evaluations on legal decisions and notably less impact for child evaluations. The authors suggest directions for future research and practice in order to increase the accessibility and usefulness of clinical evaluations in legal decision making.
PRO SE DIVORCE LITIGANTS
Authors: Schwarz Carolyn D.
Published: July 2010

With the increased number of divorce litigants appearing pro se in the past century, trial court judges and court personnel are forced to deal with their conflicting obligations with more frequency. It is virtually impossible for a trial court judge to ensure all litigants have a fair and meaningful trial without compromising their neutrality. Likewise, court personnel are allowed to give out legal information but not legal advice, with the definition of legal information and advice not neatly packaged into two separate and distinct categories. Consequently, changes must be made. This note suggests various solutions that can be imposed to either reevaluate the role of trial court judges and court personnel so that they no longer have conflicting obligations and are able to accommodate the needs of the pro se litigants or implement services that can provide pro se litigants with other avenues of obtaining information and assistance.
Influence on pressure transduction when using different drainage techniques and wound fillers (foam and gauze) for negative pressure wound therapy
Authors: Malmsjö Malin , Lindstedt Sandra , Ingemansson Richard
Published: July 2010

Pressure transduction to the wound bed in negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT) is crucial in stimulating the biological effects ultimately resulting in wound healing. In clinical practice, either foam or gauze is used as wound filler. Furthermore, two different drainage techniques are frequently employed. One involves the connection of a non‐perforated drainage tube to the top of the dressing, while the other involves the insertion of perforated drains into the dressing. The aim of this study was to examine the efficacy of these two different wound fillers and drainage systems on pressure transduction to the wound bed in a challenging wound (the sternotomy wound). Six pigs underwent median sternotomy. The wound was sealed for NPWT using different wound fillers (foam or gauze) and drainage techniques (see earlier). Pressures between 0 and −175 mmHg were applied and the pressure in the wound was measured using saline‐filled catheters sutured to the bottom of the wound (over the anterior surface of the heart) and to the side of the wound (on the thoracic wall). The negative pressure on the wound bed increased linearly with the negative pressure delivered by the vacuum source. In a dry wound, the pressure transduction was similar when using the different wound fillers (foam and gauze) and drainage techniques. In a wet wound, pressure transduction was better when using a perforated drainage tube inserted into the wound filler than a non‐perforated drainage tube connected to the top of the dressing (−116 ± 1 versus −73 ± 4 mmHg in the wound at a delivered pressure of −125 mmHg for foam, P < 0·01), regardless of the type of wound filler. Gauze and foam are equally effective at delivering negative pressure to the wound bed. Perforated drainage tubes inserted into the wound filler are more efficient than a non‐perforated drainage tubes connected to the top of the dressing. The choice of drainage technique may be particularly important in wounds with a large volume of exudate.
Proteomic Analysis of Rice Leaves Shows the Different Regulations to Osmotic Stress and Stress Signals
Authors: Shu Lie‐Bo , Ding Wei , Wu Jin‐Hong , Feng Fang‐Jun , Luo Li‐Jun , Mei Han‐Wei
Published: July 2010

Following the idea of partial root‐zone drying (PRD) in crop cultivation, the morphological and physiological responses to partial root osmotic stress (PROS) and whole root osmotic stress (WROS) were investigated in rice. WROS caused stress symptoms like leaf rolling and membrane leakage. PROS stimulated stress signals, but did not cause severe leaf damage. By proteomic analysis, a total of 58 proteins showed differential expression after one or both treatments, and functional classification of these proteins suggests that stress signals regulate photosynthesis, carbohydrate and energy metabolism. Two other proteins (anthranilate synthase and submergence‐induced nickel‐binding protein) were upregulated only in the PROS plants, indicating their important roles in stress resistance. Additionally, more enzymes were involved in stress defense, redox homeostasis, lignin and ethylene synthesis in WROS leaves, suggesting a more comprehensive regulatory mechanism induced by osmotic stress. This study provides new insights into the complex molecular networks within plant leaves involved in the adaptation to osmotic stress and stress signals.
Postmodern Corporate Finance
Authors: Milano Gregory V.
Published: July 2010

One of the core tenets of modern finance theory is that corporations create value by producing operating rates of return on capital that are greater than the cost of capital. “Postmodern” corporate finance, while reaffirming the importance of earning an adequate return on capital, also attempts to restore at least part of the traditional corporate emphasis on top‐line growth that prevailed before the intense focus on returns by modern shareholder value advocates.

One important reason for the heightened emphasis on growth in addition to returns is that most rate‐of‐return measures used by companies and investors are based on conservative accounting practices that make old assets look more profitable than new ones, thereby discouraging investments in growth. This article introduces a new return measure called “Gross Business Return” that, when evaluated against a Required Return framework that reflects the level of current stock prices, has a stronger correlation with how companies are valued by the stock market. Moreover, in reviewing historical returns over time for both the market and specific industries, the author's research suggests that the market appears to demand considerably lower current returns than those implied by traditional weighted average cost of capital (WACC) approaches. And to the extent corporate executives rely on WACC, they could be passing up valuable growth opportunities.

To help evaluate tradeoffs between growth and return, the author introduces a cash‐based measure of corporate economic profit called Residual Cash Earnings. Unlike most traditional return and economic profit measures, Residual Cash Earnings, when expressed as a percentage of sales, provides a way for corporate managers to identify growth opportunities that, while producing current returns lower than WACC, are likely to add value over a multi‐year time horizon. These new measures and analytical tools are suitable for strategic planning, budgeting, resource allocation, performance measurement, and rewards. Consistent application of these principles across these management processes provides a framework for constantly rebalancing the emphasis on growth and return to adapt to changes in the economy, industry, and competitive landscape.
How an IPO Helps in M&A
Authors: Celikyurt Ugur , Sevilir Merih , Shivdasani Anil
Published: July 2010

An initial public offering (IPO) can often provide a powerful stimulus to private companies seeking to pursue an acquisition‐driven growth strategy. Based on a comprehensive analysis of U.S. IPOs, the authors show that newly public companies are prolific acquirers. Over 30% of companies conducting an IPO make at least one acquisition in their IPO year, and the typical IPO firm makes about four acquisitions during its first five years as a public company.

IPOs facilitate M&A not only by providing infusions of capital but also by creating ongoing access to equity and debt markets for cash‐financed deals. In addition, IPOs create an acquisition currency that can prove valuable in stock‐financed deals when the shares are attractively priced. The authors also argue that IPOs improve the ability of companies to conduct M&A by resolving some of the valuation uncertainty facing privately held companies.
Ethical Aspects of Reproduction in the Next Century
Authors: FASOULIOTIS SOZOS J. , SCHENKER JOSEPH G.
Published: July 2010

Abstract: Doubtless, the technological advancements achieved in the current century in the area of young women's reproductive health care have also led to the evolution of very important ethical issues that will have to be dealt with in the coming century. Abortion, perhaps the most controversial issue of all, continues to raise a number of ethical issues related to the rights of the women versus the rights of the fetus, which, in addition to the risk of sexually transmitted diseases including the human immunodeficiency virus, emphasize the need for adequate family planning and sexual education. Genetic testing for late‐onset diseases, disease susceptibilities, and carrier status may offer medical or psychological benefits; however, several complex ethical, legal, and social issues have been revealed with the advent of this new information. New family structures deviating from the traditional heterosexual couple, consisting of either single or lesbian mothers, have appeared, raising serious disputes regarding the welfare of the child. Important demographic changes are expected in the world population in the 21st century, characterized mainly by a significant increase of the older age groups.
Cardiology and AIDS—HAART and the Consequences
Authors: HOFFMANN CHRISTIAN , JAEGER HANS
Published: July 2010

Abstract: Since the introduction of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART), AIDS has become a treatable disease. A steep decline in morbidity and mortality has been observed in most western countries. The HIV epidemic is now moving into middle‐aged populations which are already at increased risk for cardiovascular disease. Since the cardiovascular system is frequently affected in HIV infection, reflections on traditional cardiovascular risk factors is a pressing issue. Moreover, during the last few years, complex lipodystrophic body changes in association with metabolic abnormalities such as dyslipidemia and insulin resistance have become a common feature in HIV+ patients on HAART. Although the precise mechanisms are not fully understood, early reports on myocardial infarctions and vascular changes have raised concern about the possibility of an epidemic of cardiovascular events among HAART patients within the next decade. Not only more data on lipid‐lowering drugs in the context of HAART, on switching strategies, and treatment interruptions, but also from intervention studies on traditional risk factors such as smoking, are urgently needed. In this review the key issues concerning cardiovascular aspects of HIV infection in the era of HAART and possible preventive strategies are discussed.
MULCH SURFACE COLOR AFFECTS ACCUMULATION OF EPICUTICULAR WAX ON DEVELOPING LEAVES
Authors: Kasperbauer M. J. , Wilkinson R. E.
Published: July 2010

Abstract— Leaf waxes are important to plant growth because they impede water loss and may influence entry of light. Leaf wax quantity and composition were studied in Capsicum annuum plants in trickle‐irrigated field plots covered with white, black or red plastic mulches. The quantity of reflected blue light (BL) was greatest over white and about the same over black versus red surfaces; and reflected far‐red to red ratios (FR/R) were about the same over white versus black and higher over red. The greatest quantity of total epicuticular wax developed on leaves of plants grown over white mulch (443 μg/cm2) while plants grown over black and red mulches had 229 and 227 μg/cm2, respectively. When individual lipid classes were expressed as percentages of the totals, esters constituted the highest percentages over white and black surfaces while secondary free fatty alcohols dominated over red. The higher ester content of epicuticular wax on plants grown over black (versus red) was almost exactly equalled by increased contents of free fatty alcohols and free fatty acids in the epicuticular wax of plants grown over red mulch. We conclude that the total wax concentration on leaves of field‐grown plants was influenced by quantity of BL, and the percentage of individual components was influenced by the FR/R ratio.
Assessment of Photosensitizer Dosimetry and Tissue Damage Assay for Photodynamic Therapy in Advanced‐stage Tumors¶
Authors: Sheng Chao , Pogue Brian W. , Wang Elleen , Hutchins John E. , Hoopes P. Jack
Published: July 2010

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) efficacy is a complex function of tissue sensitivity, photosensitizer (PS) uptake, tissue oxygen concentration, delivered light dose and some other parameters. To better understand the mechanisms and optimization of PDT treatment, we assessed two techniques for quantifying tissue PS concentration and two methods for quantifying pathological tumor damage. The two methods used to determine tissue PS concentration kinetic were in vivo fluorescence probe and ex vivo chemical extraction. Both methods show that the highest tumor to normal tissue PS uptake ratio appears 4 h after PS administration. Two different histopathologic techniques were used to quantify tumor and normal tissue damage. A planimetry assessment of regional tumor necrosis demonstrated a linear relationship with increasing light dose. However, in large murine tumors this finding was complicated by the presence of significant spontaneous necrosis. A second method (densitometry) assessed cell death by nuclear size and density. With some exceptions the densitometry method generally supported the planimetry results. Although the densitometry method is potentially more accurate, it has greater potential subjectivity. Finally, our research suggests that the tools or methods we are studying for quantifying PS levels and tissue damage are necessary for the understanding of PDT effect and therapeutic ratio in experimental in vivo tumor research.
Evaluation of a High Exposure Solar UV Dosimeter for Underwater Use
Authors: Schouten Peter W. , Parisi Alfio V. , Turnbull David J.
Published: July 2010

Solar ultraviolet radiation (UV) is known to have a significant effect upon the marine ecosystem. This has been documented by many previous studies using a variety of measurement methods in aquatic environments such as oceans, streams and lakes. Evidence gathered from these investigations has shown that UVB radiation (280–320 nm) can negatively affect numerous aquatic life forms, while UVA radiation (320–400 nm) can both damage and possibly even repair certain types of underwater life. Chemical dosimeters such as polysulphone have been tested to record underwater UV exposures and in turn quantify the relationship between water column depth and dissolved organic carbon levels to the distribution of biologically damaging UV underwater. However, these studies have only been able to intercept UV exposures over relatively short time intervals. This paper reports on the evaluation of a high exposure UV dosimeter for underwater use. The UV dosimeter was fabricated from poly 2,6‐dimethyl‐1,4‐phenylene oxide (PPO) film. This paper presents the dose response, cosine response, exposure additivity and watermarking effect relating to the PPO dosimeter as measured in a controlled underwater environment and will also detail the overnight dark reaction and UVA and visible radiation response of the PPO dosimeter, which can be used for error correction to improve the reliability of the UV data measured by the PPO dosimeters. These results show that this dosimeter has the potential for long‐term underwater UV exposure measurements.
Biomarkers of Heart Failure
Authors: Taub Pam R. , Gabbai‐Saldate Paulette , Maisel Alan
Published: July 2010

Biomarkers can provide insights into underlying mechanisms and lead to better understanding of complex disease states. This enhanced understanding can then be integrated into disease management, which can lead to better therapies and ultimately to improved patient outcomes. The natriuretic peptides (NPs) are established cost‐effective biomarkers in heart failure and have set the standard for how a well‐validated biomarker can be useful in the diagnosis/prognosis, monitoring of response to therapy, and management of chronic disease. Newer biomarkers such as midregional pro‐adrenomedullin, ST2, and neutrophil gelatinase–associated lipocalin are emerging as adjuncts to NPs in the management of heart failure patients. Congest Heart Fail. 2010;16(4)(suppl 1):S19–S24. ©2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Tooth pigmentation caused by bilirubin: a case report and histological evaluation
Authors: Amaral Thais Helena Andreolli do , Guerra Carolina de Souza , Bombonato‐Prado Karina Fittipaldi , Garcia de Paula e Silva Francisco Wanderley , De Queiroz Alexandra Mussolino
Published: July 2010

Systemic disorders in pediatric patients, such as congenital biliary atresia, acute liver failure, and biliary hypoplasia, may be the indications for a need of liver transplantation. One of the manifestations of these disorders is the elevated serum levels of bilirubin (hyperbiliru‐binemia), a product of hemoglobin degradation, which is deposited in different tissues, including mineralized and soft tissues. When hyperbilirubinemia occurs during the period of dental development, these teeth can develop a green coloration, which remains permanently, because, after maturation, these tissues loose their metabolic activity. This case report describes a 9‐year‐old girl who required a liver transplant due to biliary atresia when she was three years old. Some of her pigmented teeth needed extraction and afterwards were submitted for histological analysis and compared with sound teeth.