Families and Friends of Homicide Victims' Experiences With the Healthcare System: A Trauma-Informed Perspective.

INTRODUCTION: Families and friends of homicide victims (FFHV) interact with healthcare systems almost immediately after the traumatic event. Their interactions with healthcare providers can either facilitate healing, have a neutral effect, or compound an already painful experience. When trauma victims are admitted to the hospital, resources are necessarily diverted on their behalf with less consistent attention paid to their families and friends. The interactions surrounding the immediate circumstance as well as experiences in the weeks to months after can have significant long-term impact. This study explores the needs and experiences of FFHV when interacting with the healthcare system to inform physicians' and providers' interactions and provision of services. METHODS: This study of 3 focus groups sought to understand these experiences with the healthcare system to better inform physicians' and providers' interactions and provision of services. RESULTS: Using the framework approach, the study ultimately built upon the existing trauma-informed care (TIC) framework to include several emergent themes. Participants discussed the need for death notification sensitivity, benefits of coordinated care, barriers to accessing care, the need for physician empathy and attention, the lack of trauma screening, and hastily prescribing medications. CONCLUSION: This TIC approach can inform future healthcare interactions with the FFHV as it grounds the patients' experience in their historical reality and may improve future provider-patient relationship.

Effects of Levetiracetam and Sulthiame on EEG in benign epilepsy with centrotemporal spikes: A randomized controlled trial.

PURPOSE: BECTS (benign childhood epilepsy with centrotemporal spikes) is associated with characteristic EEG findings. This study examines the influence of anti-convulsive treatment on the EEG. METHODS: In a randomized controlled trial including 43 children with BECTS, EEGs were performed prior to treatment with either Sulthiame or Levetiracetam as well as three times under treatment. Using the spike-wave-index, the degree of EEG pathology was quantified. The EEG before and after initiation of treatment was analyzed. Both treatment arms were compared and the EEG of the children that were to develop recurrent seizures was compared with those that were successfully treated. RESULTS: Regardless of the treatment agent, the spike-wave-index was reduced significantly under treatment. There were no differences between the two treatment groups. In an additional analysis, the EEG characteristics of the children with recurrent seizures differed statistically significant from those that did not have any further seizures. CONCLUSION: Both Sulthiame and Levetiracetam influence the EEG of children with BECTS. Persistent EEG pathologies are associated with treatment failures.

Variable carbon losses from recurrent fires in drained tropical peatlands.

Tropical peatland fires play a significant role in the context of global warming through emissions of substantial amounts of greenhouse gases. However, the state of knowledge on carbon loss from these fires is still poorly developed with few studies reporting the associated mass of peat consumed. Furthermore, spatial and temporal variations in burn depth have not been previously quantified. This study presents the first spatially explicit investigation of fire-driven tropical peat loss and its variability. An extensive airborne Light Detection and Ranging data set was used to develop a prefire peat surface modelling methodology, enabling the spatially differentiated quantification of burned area depth over the entire burned area. We observe a strong interdependence between burned area depth, fire frequency and distance to drainage canals. For the first time, we show that relative burned area depth decreases over the first four fire events and is constant thereafter. Based on our results, we revise existing peat and carbon loss estimates for recurrent fires in drained tropical peatlands. We suggest values for the dry mass of peat fuel consumed that are 206 t ha(-1) for initial fires, reducing to 115 t ha(-1) for second, 69 t ha(-1) for third and 23 t ha(-1) for successive fires, which are 58-7% of the current IPCC Tier 1 default value for all fires. In our study area, this results in carbon losses of 114, 64, 38 and 13 t C ha(-1) for first to fourth fires, respectively. Furthermore, we show that with increasing proximity to drainage canals both burned area depth and the probability of recurrent fires increase and present equations explaining burned area depth as a function of distance to drainage canal. This improved knowledge enables a more accurate approach to emissions accounting and will support IPCC Tier 2 reporting of fire emissions.

Improving Systematic Response in the Face of Homicide: Family and Friends of Homicide Victims Service Needs.

Homicide is a pressing issue in America. This study used qualitative data obtained from focus groups of family and friends of homicide victims (FFHV) to assess and better meet the needs of victims post homicide. The study results posit myriad changes to the systematic response to homicide. The article concludes with recommendations for training and resources, with specific attention to legal, law enforcement, medical, and behavioral health providers.

Compliance and learning in an intervention program for partner-violent men.

Although research has yielded mixed findings regarding the effectiveness of intervention programs for partner-violent men, it appears that greater participant compliance with such programs is associated with better outcomes. However, no research to date has jointly examined compliance with intervention programs and the extent to which partner-violent men learn specific information presented during the programs. The current study makes use of existing data to evaluate general and specific elements of partner-violent men's compliance with (i.e., active, appropriate participation in) an intervention program and recall of key points from the program. Results from a subsample of 22 men indicate that at program termination, those rated as having been "process conscious" during intervention group sessions, having self-disclosed during sessions, having evidenced awareness and use of techniques to avoid violence, and having used respectful language show greater recall of material taught in the program. This finding points to the potential benefit of taking steps to increase men's active participation in programs and of studying active engagement as a mediator of program effects on men's violence toward partners.