Institutional Trust in Contemporary Moscow

Levels of institutional trust in Russia are amongst the lowest in the world. As yet, however, little research has focused on this phenomenon at the sub-national level. The current study examines trust in social and political institutions among citizens in Moscow in 2004. Results showed that levels of institutional trust are extremely low and that there were only three institutions (the church, president and hospitals) that were more trusted than distrusted. Moreover, although the effects of some demographic and other independent variables on trust stretched across institutions, several variables had a unique impact in terms of trust in the president.     

A fatal doxepin poisoning associated with a defective CYP2D6 genotype

It has been suggested that the polymorphism of the CYP2D6 gene can contribute to occurrence of fatal adverse effects. We therefore investigated postmortem toxicology cases of fatal drug poisonings related to CYP2D6 substrates, with the manner of death denoted as accidental or undetermined. CYP2D6 genotypes were determined in 11 consecutive cases with samples available for DNA analysis. A case of fatal doxepin poisoning with an undetermined manner of death was found to coincide with a completely nonfunctional CYP2D6 genotype (*3/*4), indicating a total absence of CYP2D6 enzyme and suggesting a poor metabolizer phenotype. The doxepin concentration was 2.4 mg/L, the concentration of nordoxepin 2.9 mg/L, and the doxepin/nordoxepin ratio 0.83, the lowest found among the 35 nordoxepin-positive postmortem cases analyzed during the same year. No alcohols or other drugs were detected in the case. The CYP2C19 genotype was determined as that of an extensive metabolizer. The high N-desmethylmetabolite concentration is not consistent with acute intoxication. It is therefore probable that the defective genotype has contributed to the death, possibly involving repeated high dosage of doxepin. Our case strongly emphasizes that a pharmacogenetic analysis in postmortem forensic setting may reveal new insight to the cause or manner of death.     

The Anatomy of the Finnish Power Elite

The article discusses the main results of a study of the power structure of Finnish society. The purpose of the study was to investigate whether Finland is controlled by one closed, cohesive and unanimous power elite, by several rival elites, or whether, instead, the power structure is so decentralized that there is no justification for referring to a power elite in the first place. The working hypothesis was that Finnish society is controlled by one power elite. The study was based on a positional approach, using a survey questionnaire to collect data both from members of the power elite and from the population at large. The main conclusion of the study is that, with certain reservations, it is legitimate to speak of a fairly cohesive and unanimous, single power elite in Finland. Interaction among elite groups is close, and their attitudes are similar. In terms of recruitment patterns the Finnish power elite is fairly closed: the top social stratum is clearly overrepresented and the lowest underrepresented. On the other hand, no single stratum has a dominant position in the power elite.     

Performance of immunoassays in screening for opiates,cannabinoids and amphetamines in post-mortem blood

Several immunoassay methods for screening of abused drugs in whole blood were evaluated in post-mortem forensic toxicology. Blood samples known to be positive or negative for opiates, cannabinoids or amphetamines by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) were analysed by EMIT II Plus and EMIT d.a.u., Syva RapidTest and Triage 8 after acetone precipitation. In these experiments, the EMIT immunoassay method was modified by using the Dade Behring VIVA analyser to detect substances more sensitively. Low concentrations of abused drugs were detected in blood samples. The sensitivities of the modified EMIT method for opiates, cannabinoids and amphetamines were 100, 86 and 98%, respectively, whereas the values were below 86% with the other methods. The specificities of all immunoassay methods for opiates and cannabinoids were 83% or above but 51-85% for amphetamines. Sample rejection occurred in a few cases with the EMIT amphetamine assays. The modified EMIT immunoassay system presented here seems to be useful for screening of drugs of abuse in post-mortem blood samples, especially when urine is not available.     

Social Upheaval and Transformation of Elite Structures: The Case of Finland

The purpose of this study is to ascertain how certain important changes in Finnish society in the 1990s altered the national elite structures and affected democracy. We examine how the patterns of recruitment, interaction and cohesiveness among the elites changed in the period 1991–2001. The data for the study were drawn mainly from postal surveys conducted among the elites and a sample of the population in 1991 and 2001. The first research task was to establish how recruitment to various elites has altered in terms of social stratification and education. The second was to analyse changes in patterns of interaction between various elites as far as physical contacts and attitudes were concerned. The third was to study the relationship between the elites and the general population on the basis of attitudinal affinity. The conclusions were based on theoretical models characterising various elite structures and their interconnections with democracy. The concept of a responsive elite is developed on the grounds of the theory of democratic elitism. The changes in the Finnish elite structure have meant a passage towards an inclusive structure compatible with democracy rather than towards an exclusive elite configuration. Finnish elites have become more open and more diverse.     

CYP2D6 and CYP2C19 genotypes and amitriptyline metabolite ratios in a series of medicolegal autopsies

In a series of 202 postmortem toxicology cases, the CYP2D6 and CYP2C19 genes were genotyped, and the concentrations of amitriptyline (AT) and six metabolites were analyzed. The polymorphic CYP2D6 and CYP2C19 genes encode enzymes participating in the metabolism of several potentially toxic drugs, and mutations in these genes may lead to adverse drug reactions, possibly even intoxications. AT was chosen as the substrate of interest because it is mainly metabolized by these enzymes, is considered relatively toxic, and ranks among the major causes of fatal drug poisoning in Finland. Our objective was to evaluate genetically determined interindividual variation in conjunction with metabolite ratios of drugs found in toxicological analysis in a series of medicolegal autopsies. Positive correlations were found between the proportion of trans-hydroxylated metabolites and the number of functional copies of CYP2D6 and between the proportion of demethylated metabolites and the number of functional copies of CYP2C19. None of the accidental or undetermined AT poisonings coincided with the CYP2D6 or CYP2C19 genotype which predicts a poor metabolizer phenotype. However, an unusually high femoral blood concentration of AT, 60mg/l, was found in one suicide case with no functional CYP2D6 genes. Our study shows a concordance of AT metabolite patterns with CYP2D6 and CYP2C19 genotypes in the presence of confounding factors typical for postmortem material. This result demonstrates the feasibility of postmortem pharmacogenetic analysis and supports the dominant role of genes in drug metabolism.     

Changing Regulation and Governance of Finnish Energy Policy Making: New Rules but Old Elites?

Energy policy making is commonly seen as a sector dominated more by experts and technocrats than politicians. Regulation of Finnish energy policy, which was traditionally characterized by state‐centeredness and detailed governmental control, was step by step annulled in the mid‐1980s on, and a deregulation policy was introduced. The return of regulation can be timed to in the beginning of the twenty‐first century, being the result of the global debate and measures dealing with climate change. The purpose of this study was to assess the extent to which the changes of operational environment have transformed the power structure of Finnish energy policy making and whether the key actors constitute a coherent energy elite in terms of attitudinal unanimity and interaction networks. Methodologically the study was based on three sets of elite interview data collected in 1987, 1997, and 2009 and a postal survey conducted among the citizenry in 2007. The major finding was that despite fundamental changes in the operational environment the power structure of the energy sector policy making has been fairly stable from 1987 to 2009 and the old cohesive energy elite is still in power.