Infection control extra: combat West Nile virus.

Find out how to identify West Nile virus and learn prevention strategies.

Perceived conditions of confinement: a national evaluation of juvenile boot camps and traditional facilities.

In a national study of juvenile correctional facilities, the perceived environment of 22 juvenile boot camps was compared to the perceived environment of 22 traditional facilities. Self-report surveys completed by 4,121 juveniles recorded information on demographics, risk factors, and perceptions of the facility's environment. Compared to juveniles in traditional correctional facilities, boot camp residents consistently perceived the environment as significantly more controlled, active, and structured, and as having less danger from other residents. Boot camp juveniles also perceived the environment as providing more therapeutic and transitional programming. Overall, from the perspective of the juveniles, boot camps appear to provide a more positive environment conducive to effective rehabilitation considering almost all of the conditions measured. A major concern is that in both types of facilities, juveniles perceived themselves to occasionally be in danger from staff (rated as rarely to sometimes).

The effectiveness of community-based programs for chemically dependent offenders: a review and assessment of the research.

An assessment of 15 community-based outpatient treatment programs for chemically dependent adult offenders was undertaken using the format of the University of Maryland's 1997 report to the US Congress. The review finds less optimism about the effectiveness of this type of drug treatment than previous reviews. The assessment of these studies indicated that programs that increase the supervision, monitoring, or control over offenders in the community are not effective in reducing recidivism. There is insufficient evidence to determine whether outpatient treatment alone, specific components of the treatment (such as acupuncture), or aspects of the treatment (intensity) are effective in reducing criminal activity. Outpatient treatment designed as aftercare to prison-based therapeutic communities (TCs) is shown to be effective. However, it is unclear whether this is the effect of the TC, the length of treatment, or the combination of the TC and the aftercare.

Monitoring for 2,4-residues in fish species resident in treated lakes in east-central Ontario 1977-80.

Authorized use of 2,4-D by cottage owners in Buckhorn Lake for the years 1977 to 1980 ranged from 124 to 280 kg of active ingredient, annually. This would give predicted average water concentrations of 2 to 4 µg L(-1) during the June-July period. However, higher residues were observed in the Lake. Between 1977 and 1980, 353 individual fish, of eight species, were caught for analysis in Buckhorn and Chemong lakes. These fish belonged to eight edible species. Twelve percent of the fish caught during the pre-treatment period (i.e. May), had detectable residues of 2,4-D. Mean residues by species and year ranged from <5 to 30 µg kg(-1) 2,4-D. In the early post-treatment period (i.e. July), 69% of fish caught had mean residues by species which ranged from <5 to 136 µg kg(-1) 2,4-D. In the late post-treatment period (i.e. October), 19% of fish caught by year had detectable residues of 2,4-D. Mean residues by species during this period ranged from <5 to 60 µg kg(-1) 2,4-D. While 15 (i.e. 4%) of the 353 fish and fish composites had 2,4-D above the maximum residue limit of 100 µg kg(-1) only six were of edible size.