Commentary: nuances of reverse-waiver evaluations of adolescents in adult criminal court

Several factors influence a judge's decision to transfer youthful defendants to juvenile court from adult court, including the forensic evaluator's ultimate opinion, the defendant's amenability to treatment, and public safety risk. In this commentary, we examine the constructs that evaluators must assess, as established by Kent v. United States (1966). We begin by outlining the legal history that led to the large population of youths currently in the adult criminal justice system nationwide and the negative consequences of their incarceration in adult settings. We consider the unique role of forensic psychologists and psychiatrists as experts in development, with special regard to their ability to assess and inform the court about amenability to treatment and emotional maturity. The determination of amenability to treatment is further explored through a review of the current literature examining the influence of diagnostic labeling on judicial decisions and the treatment response of adolescent offenders who have psychopathy features. We conclude with an update on the recent proposal for juvenile justice reform in the authors' state of New York.     

Parental factors associated with walking to school and participation in organised activities at age 5: Analysis of the Millennium Cohort Study

Background  

Physical activity is associated with better health. Two sources of activity for children are walking to school and taking part in organised sports and activities. This study uses a large national cohort to examine factors associated with participation in these activities.     

Action representations in perception, motor control and learning: implications for medical education

OBJECTIVES: the motor behaviours or 'actions' that provide the basis for precision limb control, including the performance of complex medical procedures, are represented at different levels in the central nervous system. This review focuses on how these representations influence the way people perceive, execute and learn goal-directed movements. PERCEPTION AND ATTENTION: the neural processes associated with paying attention to an object are part and particle of the same processes engaged to physically interact with that object. The automatic way in which specific actions are engaged makes it important that we structure perceptual motor environments in a manner that facilitates goal actions and minimises the likelihood of unwanted actions. MOTOR CONTROL: most actions are organised to optimise speed, accuracy and energy expenditure while avoiding worst-case outcomes. To achieve a good outcome on movements, the performer must have the opportunity to experiment with the way specific actions are executed. Early in the discovery process, errors are necessary if the performer is to determine his or her performance boundaries. motor learning: as learning progresses, representations of action become predictive. For example, if rapid corrective processes are to operate, the performer needs to anticipate sensorimotor consequences of movement. Thus, practice should be specific to the conditions under which actions are performed, and the performer. Although nothing can replace physical practice, complex representations of action can develop by observing both expert performers and learners. In many cases, practice scenarios that include both physical practice and observations of other learners can be the most efficient use of time and resources. CONCLUSIONS: although most of the experiments reviewed here involved laboratory tasks such as rapid aiming and movement sequencing, the majority of the principles apply to motor control and learning in more complex situations. Thus, they should be considered when developing methods to train medical personnel to perform perceptual motor procedures with precision.     

Low-energy cranberry juice decreases lipid oxidation and increases plasma antioxidant capacity in women with metabolic syndrome

Cranberries, high in polyphenols, have been associated with several cardiovascular health benefits, although limited clinical trials have been reported to validate these findings. We tested the hypothesis that commercially available low-energy cranberry juice (Ocean Spray Cranberries, Inc, Lakeville-Middleboro, Mass) will decrease surrogate risk factors of cardiovascular disease, such as lipid oxidation, inflammation, and dyslipidemia, in subjects with metabolic syndrome. In a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, participants identified with metabolic syndrome (n = 15-16/group) were assigned to 1 of 2 groups: cranberry juice (480 mL/day) or placebo (480 mL/day) for 8 weeks. Anthropometrics, blood pressure measurements, dietary analyses, and fasting blood draws were conducted at screen and 8 weeks of the study. Cranberry juice significantly increased plasma antioxidant capacity (1.5 ± 0.6 to 2.2 ± 0.4 μmol/L [means ± SD], P < .05) and decreased oxidized low-density lipoprotein and malondialdehyde (120.4 ± 31.0 to 80.4 ± 34.6 U/L and 3.4 ± 1.1 to 1.7 ± 0.7 μmol/L, respectively [means ± SD], P < .05) at 8 weeks vs placebo. However, cranberry juice consumption caused no significant improvements in blood pressure, glucose and lipid profiles, C-reactive protein, and interleukin-6. No changes in these parameters were noted in the placebo group. In conclusion, low-energy cranberry juice (2 cups/day) significantly reduces lipid oxidation and increases plasma antioxidant capacity in women with metabolic syndrome.