Emulsifying properties of fractions prepared from commercial buttermilk by microfiltration.

A novel method for the separation of milk-fat globule membrane (MFGM) isolate by microfiltration in the presence of citrate was applied to prepare a fraction to be used to stabilize oil-in-water emulsions. The emulsifying properties of this fraction, containing high amounts of MFGM, were compared with a buttermilk concentrate (BMC) prepared in a similar manner but still containing the original ratio of proteins (caseins, whey proteins, and MFGM). The objective of this work was to determine if the isolation procedure would result in an ingredient with different functionality when compared with BMC. These fractions were incorporated into oil-in-water emulsions at various isolate and oil concentrations. At low concentrations of isolate, MFGM emulsions showed better creaming stability and smaller oil droplet size distribution than whole buttermilk concentrate samples. The difference in stability was attributed to the compositional difference between the 2 ingredients prepared. A selective concentration of MFGM in buttermilk by microfiltration has the potential for the development of ingredients that differ substantially from the ingredients deriving from milk or whey.

Production of a novel ingredient from buttermilk.

The presence of material derived from the milk fat globule membrane (MFGM) makes buttermilk (the byproduct of butter making) distinct from any other dairy product. Membrane filtration of commercial buttermilk was carried out to obtain isolates rich in MFGM material. The separation of MFGM from the skim milk proteins present in commercial buttermilk was carried out by the addition of sodium citrate followed by microfiltration through a membrane of 0.1-microm nominal pore size. The sodium citrate caused the dissociation of casein micelles and allowed permeation of a large proportion of the skim-milk derived proteins through the membrane. This process successfully concentrated MFGM material in the retentate, and demonstrated that membrane filtration can be employed to produce MFGM fractions from commercial buttermilk. The utilization of MFGM isolates from buttermilk is of increasing importance in light of recent studies suggesting the role of phospholipids in many health-related functions: buttermilk is an untapped resource of these functional components.

Assessing fitness to stand trial: the utility of the Fitness Interview Test (revised edition).

OBJECTIVE: In Canada most evaluations of fitness to stand trial are conducted on an inpatient basis. This costs time and money, and deprives those defendants remanded for evaluation of liberty. This research assessed the predictive efficiency of the Fitness Interview Test, revised edition (FIT) as a screening instrument for fitness to stand trial. METHOD: We compared decisions about fitness to stand trial, based on the FIT, with the results of institution-based evaluations for 2 samples of men remanded for inpatient fitness assessments. RESULTS: The FIT demonstrates excellent utility as a screening instrument. The FIT shows good sensitivity and negative predictive power, which suggests that it can reliably screen those individuals who are clearly fit to stand trial, before they are remanded to an inpatient facility for a fitness assessment. CONCLUSION: We discuss the implications for evaluating fitness to stand trial, particularly in terms of the need for community-based alternatives to traditional forensic assessments.

Fitness to stand trial: characteristics of remands since the 1992 Criminal Code amendments.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the characteristics of a sample of remands after the introduction of the 1992 Criminal Code amendments, to compare those deemed fit with those deemed unfit as the result of an institution-based evaluation of fitness, and to determine the impact of the Code changes on one's detention period by investigating the length of time that individuals were held on remand. METHOD: File information was collected and analyzed for 180 males who were remanded for inpatient evaluations of their fitness to stand trial between October 1994 and July 1995. RESULTS: The results indicated that remanded defendants are more likely to be single, unemployed, and living alone and that unfit defendants are significantly more likely to have never been married. As well, individuals who were found to be unfit to stand trial were significantly less likely to have been diagnosed with a drug- or alcohol-use disorder and were 4 times more likely to have been diagnosed with a psychotic disorder. The results also indicated that while the 1992 Criminal Code revisions called for a 5-day evaluation period, it appears that this is rarely accomplished, and, in fact, the average length of time for an assessment of fitness is 23 days. Finally, the majority of remanded individuals are certified and treated with psychotropic medications while on remand. CONCLUSION: The results of this study suggest that the fitness remand period is being used for purposes other than assessing fitness.

An investigation of competency to participate in legal proceedings in Canada.

OBJECTIVE: To assess fitness to stand trial, competency to plead guilty, and competency to understand Charter cautions to determine if the level of competency varies across these domains. METHODS: The Fitness Interview Test-Revised (FIT-R) and the Test of Charter Comprehension (ToCC) were administered to a group of individuals held on remand for fitness evaluations. Additionally, several questions from the FIT-R that address the ability to make a guilty plea were assessed separately and constituted an individual measure of competency to plead guilty (CoP). RESULTS: As predicted, the results indicated that the fact that an individual is competent at one juncture in the criminal proceedings does not mean that the individual necessarily is competent at all other stages of the proceedings. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest a need for a stage-specific approach to forensic competency assessments, requiring specialized instruments designed to assess the legal issues of competency at the various stages of legal proceedings.

The impact of Canadian Criminal Code changes on remands and assessments of fitness to stand trial and criminal responsibility in British Columbia.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the impact in British Columbia of the 1992 Criminal Code of Canada amendments dealing with remands for fitness to stand trial and not criminally responsible on account of mental disorder (NCRMD) assessments. METHOD: Information on 620 remands for evaluation of fitness to stand trial and/or NCRMD were collected from a sample obtained in British Columbia from 1992 to 1994. The data collected included length of remand order, length of evaluation, criminal charges, psychiatric diagnoses, and the decisions about fitness or NCRMD. RESULTS: Remands increased by about 20% in a 1993-1994 fiscal year compared with the previous year. The majority of evaluations continue to be conducted in an inpatient facility. The goal of a 5-day evaluation period is rarely met: only 12.5% of inpatients were released within 5 days of admission, and the average length of evaluation was about 3 weeks. The use and success of the NCRMD defence appears to be on the rise. In addition, there were some striking differences in remands from metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas in terms of rates of referral and recommendations of unfitness or NCRMD. CONCLUSION: Results indicated that Bill C-30 has not yet had the anticipated impact on remands as inpatient evaluations continue to be the norm and evaluations typically take several weeks. Suggestions for policy reform and future research are presented.

Sexual abuse within the marital relationship.

The authors aim to characterise sexual abuse within the marital relationship. They analyzed the reports of the clinical examinations performed at the Institute of Legal Medicine of Oporto on victims of sexual abuse from January 1990 until December 1994. They also randomly interviewed victims of physical abuse at the Institute to determine if sexual abuse was performed by their partners. This study shows that complaints are rarely reported by victims of sexual abuse in marital relationships, and in all the cases studied where sexual abuse was verified it was accompanied by other forms of abuse.

An examination of the relationship of homelessness to mental disorder, criminal behaviour, and health care in a pretrial jail population.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the prevalence of homelessness and its relationship to mental disorder, criminal behaviour, and health care. METHOD: Interview and file data were collected for 790 male admissions to a large, pretrial jail facility over a 12-month period. RESULTS: A significant relationship was found between homelessness and severe mental disorder as well as between homelessness and prior psychiatric history. There were no significant differences found between the homeless and the nonhomeless on the types of crimes for which they were incarcerated or on contact with health care services within the past year. CONCLUSION: The findings indicate the need for a link between the jail and community services for homeless individuals.

Mental health research in the criminal justice system: The need for common approaches and international perspectives.

There is a need for researchers and policy makers in the area of mental health and law to collaborate and develop common methods of approach to research. Although we have learned a great deal about the prevalence and needs of mentally ill offenders in jails and prisons, there are a number of research questions that remain. If the "second generation" of research is to be fruitful--and useful to policy makers--we need to be sure that the methods we employ are valid and that the findings we obtain are reliable. By collaborating with colleagues in other jurisdictions, we can begin to learn whether some of the existing findings are of a general nature, or dependent upon the system in which they were found. Similarly, while the first-generation research has alerted us to the needs of mentally ill offenders in jails and prisons, second-generation research is needed to help identify factors that may help prevent the "revolving door phenomenon," which results in mentally ill people being volleyed among mental health, criminal justice, and community settings. One area that has received embarrassingly little attention has been the need for considering the relationship between substance abuse and mental disorders. In our own work, we have found an alarmingly high degree of substance abuse among offenders, including mentally ill offenders. We have come to realize the importance of considering the role that substance abuse coupled with other mental disorders may play in the criminal justice system. As a result of this concern, the Surrey Mental Health Project recently hired a full-time drug and alcohol counselor whose job it is to work with inmates with substance abuse disorders while in the jail, and to help arrange continuing treatment resources upon their release. As Wilson et al. (1995) discuss, intensive case management projects may be particularly useful at targeting the unique needs of mentally ill offenders with multiple problems. Much of the research conducted with mentally ill offenders to date has focused primarily upon psychological and psychiatric questions--questions that are, as Hodgins (1995) indicates, epidemiological in nature. More attention must be paid to that research by policy makers and others who work with mentally ill offenders in the criminal justice system. As Hoyer et al. (1995) and Gould (1995) make clear, a number of unique policy questions arise when considering mentally ill offenders in the legal system.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

A model for the provision of jail mental health services: an integrative, community-based approach.

Although a considerable amount of attention has been paid to the development and implementation of mental health services in prisons, relatively little work has focused on the provision of such services to jails. Jails generally serve two purposes: (1) they hold inmates awaiting arraignment or trial and (2) they serve as short-term correctional facilities for individuals who have been assigned relatively short sentences (no longer than one or two years). Because inmnates in the first category usually remain in jail for a short period of time, it is particularly challenging to provide them mental health services. This article describes an innovative program that has recently been developed for assessing the mental health needs of inmates awaiting arraignment or trial, and providing them with mental health services.

An evaluation of procedures for assessing competency to stand trial.

In a field experiment involving 120 defendants at Bridgewater State Hospital in Massachusetts, the authors evaluated three instruments for assessing competency to stand trial: the Competency Screening Test (CST), Competency Assessment Instrument (CAI), and Interdisciplinary Fitness Interview (IFI). The CST (a paper-and-pencil test) was administered by a research assistant and scored by trained graduate students. Lawyers, psychologists, and social workers were recruited and trained in the use of the other instruments, then assigned as individuals (CAI) or teams (IFI) to conduct interviews and assess subjects. The performance of the project interviewers was compared against two yardsticks: (1) actual decisions reached by the regular Bridgewater staff, and (2) a consensus of two nationally respected experts who reviewed the cases and formed independent competency judgments. Both the CAI and IFI performed well under these conditions, indicating that one-time interviews by well-trained persons can lead to accurate competency decisions in the majority of cases. The authors conclude that hospitalization for competency assessment is rarely necessary.