Federal Bureau Research Articles

Developmental validation of NeoTyper autosomal STR kit

BackgroundShort Tandem Repeats (STRs) are pivotal to efficient human DNA profiling. Including mini-STRs can further improve the assay's efficiency. The FBI's (Federal Bureau of Investigation) expanded Combined DNA Index System (CODIS) list contains twenty STRs for human identification. The NeoTyper Autosomal kit developed by Neom Scientific Solutions Pvt. Ltd. enables the amplification of 28 loci, which include markers from the expanded CODIS list, are National DNA Index System (NDIS) recommended markers, and comply with the NDIS recommended allelic range. In addition, the kit also includes 8 more markers including Penta D and Penta E. The NeoTyper Autosomal kit STR markers includes 14 mini-STR which makes it very effective for the human identification of the degraded samples like unidentified body remains.This is a developmental validation study for NeoTyper, based on the listed Scientific Working Group on DNA Analysis Methods (SWGDAM) guidelines. MethodologyWe extracted the human genomic DNA from blood and FFPE (Formalin-Fixed Paraffin-Embedded) samples, and performed PCR amplification for the 28 loci using the developed kit, NeoTyper, which features a six-dye chemistry. The amplified products were run on 3500xL Genetic Analyzer. We used GeneMapper ID-X v.1.4 (Applied Biosystems) to analyse peak height and allele calling. Developmental validation parameters, including genetic characterization, analysis of sensitivity, female-male mixture, precision, and accuracy (repeatability and reproducibility), were investigated and analysed. Furthermore, intra- and inter-laboratory comparisons, as well as mini-STR analysis and validation were done. ResultsThe developed NeoTyper Autosomal kit demonstrated 100 % sensitivity up to a DNA concentration of 62.5 pg, as measured by the number of alleles called. The assay also demonstrated good precision (measured in terms of standard deviation, SD ranging between 0.60 and 0.77) and reproducibility, with alleles called at 100 % accuracy. Furthermore, precision was high (measured as SD ranging from 0.50 to 0.66), with a 100 % accuracy. In 90.9 % of the samples (10 out of 11 female-male sample varied ratio), the mixture analysis revealed 100 % of the alleles being called. A comparative analysis of mini-STRs in GlobalFiler and NeoTyper Autosomal kit revealed a 100 % accuracy of the NeoTyper mini-STRs. ConclusionIn conclusion, the NeoTyper Autosomal kit developed by Neom Scientific Solutions Pvt. Ltd. enables the amplification of 28 loci, which includes markers from expanded CODIS list; are NDIS accepted markers and comply with their recommended allelic range. The integration of mini-STRs in the kit demonstrates its efficacy and reliability, particularly when addressing the difficulties posed by degraded samples. This developmental validation study demonstrates consistent performance with high sensitivity, precision and accuracy (repeatability and reproducibility) which is indicative of an advanced and efficient system for human identification.

Dehumanization in the United States carceral system: Pathways to policy reform

AbstractThis narrative review examines the cumulative dehumanization process within the United States carceral system, highlighting how current policies perpetuate harm and undermine the well‐being of incarcerated individuals. Through a narrative review of interdisciplinary research, we explore the psychological, sociological, and legal dimensions of life within prison walls. We argue that the cumulative dehumanization inherent in these practices not only risks the safety and futures of prisoners but also creates environments that increase the likelihood of rule infractions and extended sentences. We identify and highlight the process of dehumanization across individual, interpersonal, institutional, and systemic levels. Our analysis focuses on three critical policy areas: the goals and directives of the Federal Bureau of Prisons, the use of subminimum wages and forced labor, and the impact of fees on prisoners’ access to healthcare. By prioritizing respect, fairness, and humane treatment, we can dismantle the structures perpetuating dehumanization and harm.Public Significance StatementThis paper reviews the research surrounding cumulative dehumanization in prison life. It provides three policy recommendations in order to combat the dehumanization of prisoners, including changing the directive of the Bureau of Prisons, ending the use of subminimal wages, and removing fees from prisoners seeking medical treatment.

Terminal ballistics performance of 9 × 19mm cartridges in 10% ballistic gelatin: FBI Protocol based analysis of Brazilian-made law enforcement ammunition.

Understanding that a projectile entering the human body can cause damage or destruction to live tissues through a variety of wounding mechanisms - permanent cavity, temporary cavity, and fragmentation - is crucial for researching terminal ballistics and understand the patterns of gunshot wound configuration. The present work tested four different types of ammunition in caliber 9 × 19mm (Full Metal Jacketed, Gold Hex, Copper Bullet Tactical and Bonded), using ballistic gelatin at 10% as soft tissue surrogate. The tests were based on the Federal Bureau of Investigation Protocol and included shots through bare gelatin, heavy clothing, plywood, steel sheets and auto glass. As a comparison parameter, the American-made Federal™ HST, used by several law enforcement agencies in the USA, was also tested in the same conditions. The Full Metal Jacketed cartridge had a uniform performance throughout the experiment, showing high penetration levels and no expansion, as expected. Gold Hex demonstrated a strong tendency to fragment with low levels of penetration and weight retention. Copper Bullet Tactical did not achieve the 12" minimum penetration in the soft barrier phases but expanded aggressively. Finally, Bonded only failed to achieve the 12" mark of penetration in phase 5 (auto glass), the hardest barrier in the whole Protocol. Tested for comparison purposes, Federal HST showed aggressive expansion in the initial phases (over 100%), after surpassing the 12" threshold. The study concluded that heavier projectiles (CBC Bonded and Federal HST) performed better than lighter and faster bullets in terms of terminal ballistics.

Perpetrator characteristics and firearm use in pediatric homicides: Supplementary Homicide Reports - United States, 1976 to 2020

BackgroundDescribe trends in perpetrator characteristics and firearm use in pediatric homicides across the United States.MethodsMultiply-imputed data from the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s 1976–2020 Supplementary Homicide Reports were used to estimate perpetrator characteristics (sex, age, and relationship to victim) and firearm use in pediatric homicides. Descriptive analyses were stratified by victim age group, sex, race, and five-year time periods.ResultsFamily members were the most common perpetrator of infant and toddler (ages 0–4) and child (ages 5–12) homicides, whereas acquaintances accounted for the majority of adolescent (ages 13–19) homicides. Perpetrator characteristics vary across victim sex and race, particularly among adolescents. Despite overall stability, there were changes in perpetrator characteristics from 1976 to 2020. There was a sustained increase in the proportion of homicides committed with a firearm. In 2016–2020, the proportion of firearm-involved homicides was an all-time high for infant and toddler (14.8%), child (53.1%), and adolescent victims (88.5%).ConclusionsPolicy interventions that improve family stability and well-being may be most effective at preventing infant, toddler, and child homicides, whereas programs that target peer and community relationships, as well as policies that focus on firearm access, may be more crucial for preventing adolescent homicides.

Evolution of Robotic Urology in Clinical Practice from the Beginning to Now: Results from the GRAND Study Register

Background and objectiveMajor urological guidelines do not currently recommend robot-assisted surgery compared with laparoscopic or open surgery due to the lack of high-quality evidence. We aimed to provide real-world data on the evolution of robotic urology and to compare its perioperative outcomes with those of laparoscopic and open surgeries. MethodsWe used the GeRmAn Nationwide inpatient Data (GRAND), provided by the Research Data Center of the Federal Bureau of Statistics (2005–2021), and performed multiple patient-level analyses. We included patients undergoing major urological surgeries and report the largest study in the field with 993 276 patients. Key findings and limitationsAn open approach was performed in 733 416 cases, a laparoscopic approach in 109 428, and a robot-assisted approach in 150 432. Overall, 442 811 (45%) patients underwent radical prostatectomy, 129 943 (13%) radical cystectomy, 192 340 (19%) radical nephrectomy, 123 648 (12%) partial nephrectomy, 56 114 (5.6%) nephroureterectomy, and 48 420 (4.9%) pyeloplasty. The number of patients undergoing robot-assisted surgery increased exponentially, while the number of patients undergoing open surgery decreased substantially throughout the past few years. Patients undergoing minimally invasive surgery displayed slightly better, but clinically insignificant, baseline characteristics. After adjusting for the major risk factors in the multivariate regression analysis, robotic versus open surgery was associated with significantly lower odds of mortality for all five major oncological surgeries and with lower odds of intensive care unit admission, transfusion, and length of hospital stay for all six major urological surgeries. Conclusions and clinical implicationsRobotic surgery is becoming the mainstay in major urological operations. Patient summaryMajor urological guidelines prefer laparoscopic or open surgery to robot-assisted surgery due to the lack of high-quality evidence supporting the latter. However, robotic surgery is becoming the mainstay in major urological operations.

Hospitalizations for hip and non-hip osteoporotic fractures in Belgium: nationwide trends between 2010 and 2021.

The secular trends of hospitalizations for hip and other osteoporotic fractures between 2010 and 2021 in patients aged 50years and over in Belgium are unknown. This study aimed to describe the incidence of hospitalizations for osteoporotic fractures in patients aged 50years and over in Belgium between 2010 and 2021. Population-based, retrospective study based on hospitalization data extracted by the national database NIHDI and demographical data retrieved from the Belgian Federal Bureau for Statistics. Data were combined to determine the crude and age-standardized hospitalization incidence of fractures of the hip, distal femur, pelvis, humerus, wrist, and spine (2010 as the reference year). A total of 445,234 hospitalizations for osteoporotic fractures were reported between 2010 and 2021 (excluding 2015). Hospitalizations increased by 5.8% between 2010 and 2021 (p = 0.013) with a higher increase in men (12.1%; p = 0.001) compared to women (4.1%; p = 0.041). The crude incidence of hospitalizations for all fractures per 100,000 persons per year decreased from 990 to 910 between 2010 and 2021 (p = 0.572). The age-standardized incidence for hospitalizations of any osteoporotic fracture in men declined from 5.30/1,000 to 4.42/1,000 (p = 0.010). In women, a similar decrease was observed (13.84/1,000 to 11.62/1,000; p = 0.003). Both age-standardized hospitalizations for hip and non-hip fractures showed a decrease in both sexes. Although a declining trend in the crude incidence per 100,000 and in the age-adjusted incidence of hospitalizations for osteoporotic fractures was observed, the absolute number of hospitalizations for osteoporotic fractures increased due to the demographic change of an ageing population.

Experimental Tests on External and Terminal Ballistics of Different Types of Projectiles Fired From .38 SPL Caliber Cartridges and Study of Permanent Cavitation in Anatomical Modeling With 10% Ballistic Gelatin.

The present study investigated the main morphological differences between the permanent cavities formed by 4 different types of projectiles fired from .38 SPL caliber cartridges in blocks of 10% ballistic gelatin with standardized formulation (Federal Bureau of Investigation Protocol), all fired from the same distance and from the same firearm, associated with its performances in external and terminal ballistics. The velocity or the mass presented by a firearm projectile will not always be solely responsible for the final configuration of the permanent cavity, in which the projectile design, for example, is an equally important element. Each type of projectile tested in the present work generated a different kind of permanent cavity, but they also varied in velocity (m/s) and energy (J). The use of 10% ballistic gelatin in scientific research that seeks to investigate the external and terminal ballistics of projectiles can contribute to the practice of professionals working either in forensic pathology or applied ballistics scenarios, as they can experimentally simulate the events that can occur in the tissues of victims inflicted by gunshot wounds, which also allows important applications in the medical, commercial, civil, and military sectors that deal with products and technologies related to the human body.

Terrorism and War Crimes: Two Sides of The Same Coin?

The definition of terrorism is not consensual, even within the same country. Indeed, in the United States of America, a country where the fight against terrorism is one of the present political priorities, the definition varies depending on whether the source is the Department of Defense (DoD), the US Code, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) or the Department of State, but this lack of consensus does not mean that terrorism is not considered a crime according to the Resolution 49/6026 of 17 February 1995 of the United Nations General Assembly. However, many experts on the thematic do not accept the definition of terrorism as an international crime in time of peace defending that terrorism is essentially the violation of domestic laws which have their genesis in treaties to which states may or may not adhere, and this explains why some countries refuse to reduce their sovereignty and do not accept to transfer the jurisdiction for crimes of international terrorism to supranational institutions. According to this vision, terrorism must be included as a subtype in one of the four modalities that are already recognized by international law. This article reflects on the relationship between terrorism and the modalities of war crimes judged by the International Criminal Court (ICC) and seeks to show that the seriousness of the terrorist threat justifies that terrorism should be considered an autonomous international crime.

The U.S. National Cybersecurity Strategy: A Vehicle with an International Journey

The U.S. National Cybersecurity Strategy is focused on the five pillars of defending critical infrastructure: detect, disrupt, and dismantle threat actors; improve market resilience and security; invest in future resilience; and create international partnerships with shared goals. The National Cybersecurity Strategy Implementation Plan is focused on critical infrastructure supporting energy, financial, healthcare, information technology, and manufacturing sectors. In the U.S. alone, the SolarWinds supply chain attack affected nine federal agencies and about 100 companies. Ransomware attacks such as the Colonial Pipelines, the largest U.S. oil pipeline, disrupted supplies of gasoline and fuel to the U.S. East Coast and the JBS USA as the largest meat processor ransomware attack affecting one-fifth of the nation’s meat supply. The U.S. National Cybersecurity Strategy as a response to the U.S.’s critical infrastructure concerns led to the creation of two core cybersecurity documents which were crafted jointly with several other allies. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) crafted the Shifting the Balance of Cybersecurity Risk: Principles and Approaches for Secure by Design Software with joint agreement with National Security Agency (NSA), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and 15 international government agencies to give international vendors a roadmap of the expected cybersecurity hygiene required from their products. (CISA, 2023a; Car & De Luca, 2022) Building on the Shifting the Balance of Cybersecurity Risk: Principles and Approaches for Secure by Design Software, CISA, FBI and NSA met with cybersecurity organizations from Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and United Kingdom and jointly created The Case for Memory Safe Roadmaps: Why Both C-Suite Executives and Technical Experts Need to Take Memory Safe Coding Seriously as a core issue identified in the earlier guidance. (CISA, 2023c). These led by the U.S. helped initiate an international cybersecurity norm insisting international software manufacturers demonstrate product security and transparency. They showed how a global community can rally to solve cybersecurity challenges that have existed for decades. This led to twenty of the largest international software vendors creating the Minimum Viable Secure Product (MSVP) Working Group to address the requirements levied by these documents; CISA has joined this working group to help shape procurement, contractual controls, self-assessment, and system development lifecycle (SDLC) with these vendors. (CISA, 2024d; MSVP, n.d.) This research argues that the U.S. National Security Council (NSC) should leverage the talent pool of CISA, National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), Department of Defense (DoD), FBI, and NSA to improve detection, information sharing, security standards, and implementation for not only the U.S.’s government and commercial sectors, but also helps our allies and partners. The DoD and Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) have made great strides in improving security by integrating improvements with Zero Trust Architecture (ZTA), Supply Chain Risk Management (SCRM), Software Supply Chain Security, Cybersecurity Safety Review Board (CSRB), Cybersecurity Incident & Vulnerability Response Playbooks, and DoD National Security Systems (NSS) standards. The NSC should coordinate through CISA to develop a collaborative effort to not only benefit the U.S. critical infrastructure but also help our allies and partners.

A collaborative study on the precision of the Markov chain Monte Carlo algorithms used for DNA profile interpretation

Several fully continuous probabilistic genotyping software (PGS) use Markov chain Monte Carlo algorithms (MCMC) to assign weights to different proposed genotype combinations at a locus. Replicate interpretations of the same profile in these software are expected not to produce identical weights and likelihood ratio (LR) values due to the Monte Carlo aspect. This paper reports a detailed precision study under reproducibility conditions conducted as a collaborative exercise across the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and Institute of Environmental Science and Research (ESR). Replicate interpretations generated across the three laboratories used the same input files, software version, and settings but different random number seed and different computers. This work demonstrates that using different computers to analyze replicate interpretations does not contribute to any variations in LR values. The study quantifies the magnitude of differences in the assigned LRs that is only due to run-to-run MCMC variability and addresses the potential explanations for the observed differences.

Court-reported competence to proceed data across the United States.

Competence to proceed (CTP) is a constitutional protection intended to facilitate fairness and dignity of court proceedings. Researchers have estimated that between 60,000 and 94,000 defendants are evaluated for CTP each year. Yet no research has systematically identified the number of evaluations conducted each year, despite their critical role and many profound implications. We used large-scale, systematic data collection to address this knowledge gap. Given the siloed nature of the judicial and forensic mental health systems, we anticipated incomplete data and that the number of evaluations would far exceed previous estimates. In September 2019, we used public information requests to solicit CTP evaluation order data from the judiciaries of 50 U.S. states, the District of Columbia, and the Federal Bureau of Prisons. We accepted evaluation proxies, such as evaluations ordered or evaluations filed, from the 2018/2019 calendar/fiscal year. We used Uniform Crime Reporting data to estimate a nationwide evaluation-to-arrest ratio and annual evaluation volume. Twenty-five states provided data. We deemed data from 18 states acceptable while acknowledging that data likely underrepresented actual evaluation volume. By extrapolating data from these 18 states, we estimated a conservative national evaluation-to-arrest ratio of 0.015 (95% confidence interval [-0.007, 0.037]), which suggested that 15 evaluations are conducted per 1,000 arrests each year. Consequently, it seems likely that at least 140,000 evaluations are ordered each year nationwide, with several hundred people referred for evaluations each day. Annual CTP evaluation volume likely far exceeds previous estimates. Transparent data are difficult, if not impossible, to obtain. As a result, researchers, legal and forensic mental health professionals, and policymakers lack the ability to implement informed, constitutionally protected CTP practices. Key implications, research directions, and detailed data infrastructure recommendations are provided. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Trends and outcomes of hospitalized patients with priapism in Germany: results from the GRAND study.

We aimed to provide evidence on the trends and in-hospital outcomes of patients with low- and high-flow priapism through the largest study in the field. We used the GeRmAn Nationwide inpatient Data (GRAND), provided by the Research Data Center of the Federal Bureau of Statistics (2008-2021), and performed multiple patient-level analyses. We included 6,588 men with low-flow and 729 with high-flow priapism. Among patients with low-flow priapism, 156 (2.4%) suffered from sickle cell disease, and 1,477 (22.4%) patients required shunt surgery. Of them, only 37 (2.5%) received a concomitant penile prosthesis implantation (30 inflatable and 7 semi-rigid prosthesis). In Germany, the total number of patients with low-flow priapism requiring hospital stay has steadily increased, while the number of patients with high-flow priapism requiring hospital stay has decreased in the last years. Among patients with high-flow priapism, 136 (18.7%) required selective artery embolization. In men with low-flow priapism, sickle cell disease was associated with high rates of exchange transfusion (OR: 21, 95% CI: 14-31, p < 0.001). The length of hospital stay (p = 0.06) and the intensive care unit admissions (p = 0.9) did not differ between patients with low-flow priapism due to sickle cell disease versus other causes of low-flow priapism. Accordingly, in men with high-flow priapism, embolization was not associated with worse outcomes in terms of length of hospital stay (p > 0.9), transfusion (p = 0.8), and intensive care unit admission (p = 0.5). Low-flow priapism is an absolute emergency that requires shunt surgery in more than one-fifth of all patients requiring hospital stay. On the contrary, high-flow priapism is still managed, in most cases, conservatively.

The Rule of Law in Red and Blue: Affective Polarization and Support for Legal Institutions in the United States

A defining feature of democracies is an independent legal system, where elites and the public alike accept the broader legitimacy of its actions, even if they run counter to political preferences. Existing scholarship suggests that public support for rule of law institutions is rooted in perceptions of procedural fairness. However, amid increasing levels of affective polarization, we posit a partisan presidential heuristic wherein citizens’ views of legal institutions are influenced by their partisanship and signals from the president. Through multiple experiments, we demonstrate that support for two key institutions—the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Department of Justice—is substantially derived from the intersection of one’s partisan identity and their partisan proximity to the president. These effects are strongest among respondents exhibiting high levels of affective partisanship. Our results suggest that in forming perceptions of the rule of law, partisan politics is increasingly competing with perceptions of procedural fairness, thereby subverting support for legal institutions in the United States.

The impact of health care on outcomes of suspected testicular torsion: results from the GRAND study

BackgroundSuspicion of testicular torsion represents a urological emergency, necessitating immediate surgery. Comprehensive data on the current trends and perioperative outcomes regarding surgical exploration are sparse. Therefore, we utilized nationwide data on the prevalence and results of this surgery, aiming to provide evidence on this matter.MethodsWe assessed the GeRmAn Nationwide inpatient Data (GRAND) from 2005 to 2021, provided by the Research Data Center of the Federal Bureau of Statistics. We performed multiple regression analyses to evaluate the perioperative outcomes (length of hospital stay, transfusion, and surgical wound infection) after surgical exploration due to suspected testicular torsion based on both the outcome of surgery (orchiectomy, detorsion with preservation of the testicle, and no testicular torsion) and on the department of operation (urological versus non-urological).ResultsA total of 81,899 males underwent surgical exploration due to suspected testicular torsion in Germany from 2005 to 2021. Of them, 11,725 (14%) underwent orchiectomy, 30,765 (38%) detorsion with preservation of the testicle and subsequent orchidopexy, and 39,409 (48%) presented no testicular torsion. Orchiectomy was significantly associated with longer length of hospital stay (day difference of 1.4 days, 95%CI: 1.3–1.4, p < 0.001), higher odds of transfusion (1.8, 95% CI: 1.2–2.6, p = 0.002) and surgical wound infections (1.8, 95%CI: 1.4–2.3, p < 0.001) compared to no testicular torsion. The proportion of patients undergoing orchiectomy was significantly lower in urological departments (14%) versus non-urological departments (16%) and the proportion of patients undergoing preservation of testicle after detorsion was significantly higher in urological departments (38%) versus non-urological departments (37%), p < 0.001. Patients undergoing treatment in a urological department were discharged earlier and presented lower odds of transfusion and surgical wound infection (p < 0.001) compared to patients undergoing treatment in a non-urological department.ConclusionsNearly half of patients who underwent surgery for suspected testicular torsion did not have intraoperatively the condition confirmed. Patients treated in urological departments had significantly better perioperative outcomes compared to those treated in non-urological departments. Therefore, we advise to refer patients to urological treatment as early as possible.

REAL TIME FACE ATTENDANCE SYSTEM USING DEEP LEARNING

One's face is a physical depiction of who they are. As a result, we have suggested a facial recognition- based automatic student attendance system. The usage of face recognition technology in everyday life is particularly beneficial for security control systems. Face recognition is used by the FBI (Federal Bureau of Investigation) for criminal investigations as well as the airport security system to identify criminals. In the first step of our suggested method, video framing, the camera is activated using a user-friendly interface. The Viola-Jones method is used to identify and segment the face ROI from the video frame. If necessary, image size scaling is done at the pre-processing step to prevent information loss. After using the median filter to reduce noise, color pictures are transformed into grayscale versions. Then, to improve the contrast of the pictures, contrast-limited adaptive histogram equalization (CLAHE) is applied. Principal component analysis (PCA) and improved local binary pattern (LBP) are used appropriately in the face identification stage to extract the characteristics from facial pictures. By minimizing the lighting impact and boosting identification rates, the improved local binary pattern outperforms the original local binary pattern in our suggested method. The features that were retrieved from the training pictures and the features that were extracted from the test images are then compared. The face pictures are then identified and categorized using the upgraded LBP, PCA, and algorithm that produced the best results. The acknowledged student's attendance will then be recorded and saved in the excel file. A warning will be sent if a student signs in more than once. The student who is not enrolled will also be allowed to register right away. When two photographs per person are trained, the average recognition accuracy is 100% for high-quality images, 94.12% for low-quality images, and 95.76% for the face database.

A Federal Inmate’s Right to Stay Home

Since the start of the COVID–19 pandemic, the Federal Bureau of Prisons (“BOP”) has, for the first time in history, placed tens of thousands of inmates onto home confinement. Likely due to the unprecedented nature and rapid release of inmates to contain the virus, the BOP failed to timely update their policies and procedures surrounding the disciplinary system of inmates on home confinement. This failure to update resulted in the BOP removing inmates from home confinement and placing them back in prison for minor violations. Furthermore, when the BOP chose to remove an inmate from home confinement, it did so without any proceeding, hearing, or even an explanation. The lack of due process occurred because the BOP continued to use its Inmate Discipline Program Statement—procedures for addressing infractions in prison—as a model for remanding inmates on home confinement back to prison. Instead, the BOP should be following the two-step due process procedures the Supreme Court has outlined for those inmates on parole—a program that is nearly indistinguishable from home confinement. Inmates on home confinement are entitled to the constitutional protections of this two-step process because they have a liberty interest in remaining on home confinement. To ensure the BOP protects the due process rights of inmates on home confinement, this Comment proposes a change in the BOP’s disciplinary system. This Comment first proposes that the BOP promulgate the Morrissey procedural due process rights for inmates on home confinement into the Code of Federal Regulations. This Comment secondly proposes that the BOP revises its Inmate Discipline Program Statement to reflect the prohibited acts and available sanctions that uniquely apply to inmates on home confinement. Collectively, this new regulatory scheme will afford inmates on home confinement the constitutional protections guaranteed to them by the Fifth Amendment, and it will provide clarity to courts when determining the constitutionality of remanding inmates to prison.

Insider Threats to the Military Health System: A Systematic Background Check of TRICARE West Providers.

To address the pandemic, the Defense Health Agency (DHA) expanded its TRICARE civilian provider network by 30.1%. In 2022, the DHA Annual Report stated that TRICARE's provider directories were only 80% accurate. Unlike Medicare, the DHA does not publicly reveal National Provider Identification (NPI) numbers. As a result, TRICARE's 9.6 million beneficiaries lack the means to verify their doctor's credentials. Since 2013, the Department of Health and Human Services' (HHS) Office of Inspector General (OIG) has excluded 17,706 physicians and other providers from federal health programs due to billing fraud, neglect, drug-related convictions, and other offenses. These providers and their NPIs are included on the OIG's List of Excluded Individuals and Entities (LEIE). Patients who receive care from excluded providers face higher risks of hospitalization and mortality. We sought to assess the extent to which TRICARE screens health care provider names on their referral website against criminal databases. Between January 1-31, 2023, we used TRICARE West's provider directory to search for all providers within a 5-mile radius of 798 zip codes (38 per state, ≥10,000 residents each, randomly entered). We then copied and pasted all directory results' first and last names, business names, addresses, phone numbers, fax numbers, degree types, practice specialties, and active or closed statuses into a CSV file. We cross-referenced the search results against US and state databases for medical and criminal misconduct, including the OIG-LEIE and General Services Administration's (GSA) SAM.gov exclusion lists, the HHS Office of Civil Rights Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) breach reports, 15 available state Medicaid exclusion lists (state), the International Trade Administration's Consolidated Screening List (CSL), 3 Food and Drug Administration (FDA) debarment lists, the Federal Bureau of Investigation's (FBI) list of January 6 federal defendants, and the OIG-HHS list of fugitives (FUG). Our provider search yielded 111,619 raw results; 54 zip codes contained no data. After removing 72,156 (64.65%) duplicate entries, closed offices, and non-TRICARE West locations, we identified 39,463 active provider names. Within this baseline sample group, there were 2398 (6.08%) total matches against all exclusion and sanction databases, including 2197 on the OIG-LEIE, 2311 on the GSA-SAM.gov list, 2 on the HIPAA list, 54 on the state Medicaid exclusion lists, 69 on the CSL, 3 on the FDA lists, 53 on the FBI list, and 10 on the FUG. TRICARE's civilian provider roster merits further scrutiny by law enforcement. Following the National Institute of Standards and Technology 800, the DHA can mitigate privacy, safety, and security clearance threats by implementing an insider threat management model, robust enforcement of the False Claims Act, and mandatory security risk assessments. These are the views of the author, not the Department of Defense or the US government.

Good Guys Became Bad Guys? Changing Representations of Asians and Other Races in Crime News During COVID-19

During COVID-19, Asian Americans were perceived as a threat to the American society, which could have led to heightened media scrutiny and a shift in media portrayals. This study examines this question with a quantitative analysis of crime stories sampled from five newspapers (2019–2021). Our results suggested that large-scale social events such as COVID-19 might have transformed media representations of Asians and other racial groups, with noteworthy variability: (a) When considering all types of crimes, during the pandemic, news about lawbreaking activities by Asian perpetrators almost doubled that of before-COVID period. No significant change was uncovered in the coverage of Asian victims. (b) However, on two types of crimes—“crimes against persons” and “violent crimes”—that have more newsworthiness and social import, stories about Asian victims during the COVID-19 were higher than those of the before-COVID period. (c) When comparing media representations with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) data, the percentage of Asian perpetrators and victims in newspapers did not differ from that of the FBI in 2019 and 2020; however, Asians were overrepresented as victims in 2021.

Biases in Consumer Price Index Methodology in Pakistan: Suggestions for Improvements

The issues relating to the complexity of the measurement of the Consumer Price Index (CPI) which is regarded as the best and most well known indicator of inflationary trends and without referring to which economic policies cannot be evaluated have long been debated. Any measurement error in CPI may over or understate inflation, which can have serious repercussions on monetary, fiscal and other economic management policies. The report of the Boskin Commission [Boskin, et al. (1996)] has identified the possible sources of bias in the CPI. These biases which this study has also corroborated through a primary survey of selected households relate to commodity and outlet substitution, quality adjustment and new product introduction as well as index calculation in the existing methodologies. In this paper these biases have been evaluated for Pakistan and ways to improve the construction of the Index have been suggested. Other issues in Pakistan relate to selecting a representative product (or good), defining average quality, data collection, weights determination and base year change. The use of the Geometric means index formula and Laspeyre’s Index to reduce the formula bias has been proposed in this study. 1. INTRODUCTION The Consumer Price Index (CPI) is an index number measuring the average price of consumer goods and services purchased by households. It is one of the several price indices calculated by national statistical agencies. The percent change in the CPI is considered as a measure of inflation. The CPI can be used to index (i.e., adjust for the effects of inflation) wages, salaries, pensions, or regulated or contracted prices. The CPI, along with the population census and the National Income and Product Accounts, is one of the most closely watched national economic statistics. The relative prices of different goods and services change frequently in a time interval due to various factors and these changes lead to change in the consumers’ buying behaviour. As there has been sizeable increase in the population of the lower and the middle class,1 demand patterns have tended to shift increasingly to services2 away from goods, and to characteristics of goods and services like better quality, variety and greater convenience. But all these factors, plus others, mean a larger part of what is produced and consumed in an economy is more complex to measure than it was a couple of decades ago when the economy largely consisted of smaller number of easier to measure items such as flour and onions.3 Inflation in a complex dynamic market economy is hard to measure. Further, the rapidly changing behaviour of economic agents puts tremendous pressure on a statistical system to keep up with the change and provide the coverage of context and scope. However, agencies which construct the CPI are constantly engaged in research to improve the measurement. The Federal Bureau of Statistics (FBS) is the main agency doing this work in Pakistan. Like several other developing countries4 the FBS has no research programme to improve the CPI estimation methodology. As a result it could not incorporate any remedial measure for several biases which were pointed out by the Boskin Commission more than a decade ago. The report of the Boskin Commission [Boskin, et al. (1998)] has focused a great deal of attention on the CPI issues. This report created much interest in research circles. It identified possible sources of bias in the CPI like substitution, outlet, quality and new product. This report has called into question the accuracy and relevancy of the CPI even when international standards are followed. Since the release of this report, major revisions in the CPI have been under consideration in various countries in the light of the issues raised in it. New Zealand, Australia, Canada, Japan and European countries have taken a lead in this regard. Many issues on CPI methodology, like outlet and substitution biases have been the object of considerable research in these countries. On the contrary developing countries are facing two main constraints in revising the construction of the CPI. The first one is the shortage of trained economists and statisticians in the area of price statistics, and the second is the concerned agencies’ limited funding capacity.

HIV Care Continuum and Preexposure Prophylaxis Program in Federal Bureau of Prisons, United States.

In 2019, the US Department of Health and Human Services launched the Ending the HIV Epidemic in the US initiative (EHE) with the goal of reducing new HIV infections by 90% by 2030. This initiative identifies 4 pillars (diagnose, treat, prevent, and respond) to address the HIV epidemic in the United States. To advance the EHE goals, the Federal Bureau of Prisons (FBOP) has implemented interventions at all points of the HIV care continuum. The FBOP has addressed the EHE pillar of prevention through implementing preexposure prophylaxis, developing a strategy to decrease the risk of new HIV infection, and providing guidance to FBOP healthcare providers. This article describes the implementation of programs to improve the HIV care continuum and end the epidemic of HIV within the FBOP including a review of methodology to implement an HIV preexposure prophylaxis program.