Dominance and Domestic Abuse Among Mexican Americans: Gender Differences in the Etiology of Violence in Intimate Relationships

Gender differences in dominance and aggressive behavior in intimate relationships among Mexican Americans were examined. Three hundred and sixteen Mexican American men and women took the Dominance Scale and the Conflict Tactics Scale 2 (CTS2). Results showed that power and possessiveness were associated with all types of aggressive behavior. Dominance was, however, expressed differently by men and women. High power and possessiveness were associated with all types of aggressive behavior. Decision-making power was also associated with physical assault, and high devaluation with inflicting injury among men. Among women, high power was only associated with physical assault, whereas possessiveness was associated with psychological aggression and physical assault. Devaluation was also high among women who inflicted injury on their male partners.     

A fatal case of pure ethanol ingestion

An adult male was found dead in a car with two empty bottles (500 ml x 2) labeled dehydrated ethanol (>99.5%, v/v). At autopsy, extensive pancreatic necrosis with severe hemorrhage was observed. High concentrations of ethanol were detected in blood (8.14 mg/ml), urine (8.12 mg/ml) and tissue specimens. The cause of death was determined to be an acute alcohol intoxication caused by ingesting approximately 1l dehydrated ethanol.     

Peculiar circular and C-shaped injuries on a body from the sea

A case where a body with unusual circular injuries was found in the sea is presented. The victim was a 60-year-old woman who had been depressed and had attempted suicide before. She was missing for 6 days before the corpse was found. The body had several almost perfectly circular injuries and C-shaped incision injuries with almost circular flaps of skin. We concluded that the cause of the peculiar circular injuries might be bite marks of Isistius spp. (I. brasiliensis and/or I. plutodus), commonly known as cookie-cutter shark because of its very unusual feeding style.     

An autopsy case of heart rupture from a scooter accident with 3 riders

A 15-year-old male died of cardiac rupture due to blunt chest trauma from a traffic accident involving a low-speed scooter carrying 3 people and a head-on collision with a tree. The victim was sitting on the footrest of the scooter. It was concluded that the victim was compressed between the handlebar of the scooter and the other 2 passengers, causing cardiac ruptures via bidirectional compression and intravascular hydrostatic pressure. The victim may have served as a cushion for the other 2 passengers, who were not thrown from the scooter and sustained only minor injuries.     

Dandelions dancing in the snow

Abstract: This article is a translation of the keynote address delivered at the ‘Relire Kawabata au 21e siècle – modernisme et japonisme au-delà des mythes’ conference hosted by the Maison de la culture du Japon (Paris) and Université Paris Diderot-Paris 7 on 17–18 September 2014. It situates Kawabata Yasunari's late unfinished novel Tanpopo (Dandelions) within Japanese modernity and literary history, in particular drawing an array of connections between the work and the history of the rural northern mountain country of Japan.     

Crime and safety-related concerns in a small community

This research utilizes social context and personal characteristics as determinants of both perceptions and satisfaction with safety in the local neighborhood. Using survey data obtained from residents of a small town, this analysis examines the impact of satisfaction with the environment, victimization, and social integration on attitudes concerning safety. Consistent with past research, results indicate that victimization and satisfaction with the local area are both significant predictors of perceptions of safety. They also share a significant relationship with satisfaction with safety. Two indicators of social integration yielded differing results. Participation in local organizations and associations played a more significant role in attitudes concerning safety than did the number of friends a respondent has in the neighborhood. When controlling for personal characteristics, participation in organizations was a more significant predictor of perceptions of safety than of satisfaction with safety. This project was funded by Midway College and a grant from the Association of American Colleges to the University of Louisville. An earlier version of this research was presented to the American Sociological Association. The authors would like to acknowledge the suggestions of Susan Bennett.     

Japan-EU relations after World War II and strategic partnership

Asia Europe Journal - Japan and the EU formally agreed on the outline of The Japan-EU Strategic Partnership Agreement (SPA) and the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) on 7 July 2017 and finalized...     

Quantitative evaluation of volatile hydrocarbons in post-mortem blood in forensic autopsy cases of fire-related deaths

Volatile hydrocarbons in post-mortem blood from victims of fires were analyzed quantitatively by headspace gas chromatography mass spectrometry. The benzene and styrene concentrations in the blood were positively correlated with the carboxyhemoglobin (CO-Hb) concentration, which is evidence that the deceased inhaled the hydrocarbons and carbon monoxide simultaneously. By contrast, the concentrations of toluene and CO-Hb in the blood were not significantly correlated. This lack of correlation could be explained by two different sources of toluene, with low blood concentrations of toluene arising when the deceased inhaled smoke and high blood concentrations of toluene arising when the deceased inhaled petroleum vapor or other unknown vapors. The quantity of soot deposited in the respiratory tract was classified into four grades (-, 1+, 2+, 3+). The mean CO-Hb concentration in the 1+ soot group was significantly lower than those in the 2+ (p<0.05) and 3+ (p<0.01) soot groups. The blood CO-Hb concentrations in the 1+ soot group were all below 30%. Those indicated that the deceased aspirated smoke that contained both soot and carbon monoxide. The wide variation in CO-Hb concentrations for each soot classification could be caused by the different types of smoke produced by different materials. For example, petroleum combustion with a limited supply of oxygen, like in a compartment fire, may produce a large volume of dense black smoke that contains a large quantity of soot. Soot deposits in the airways and the blood CO-Hb concentration are basic and essential autopsy findings that are used to investigate fire-related deaths. The quantitative GC-MS analysis of blood volatile hydrocarbons can provide additional useful information on the cause of the fire and the circumstances surrounding the death. In combination, these three findings are useful for the reconstruction of cases.     

A transnasal intracranial stab wound by a plastic-covered umbrella tip

A 48-year-old man died from a transnasal intracranial stab wound caused by an umbrella. The track of the stab passed from the right nostril, through the sphenoid sinus, the left side of the sella turcica and anterior clinoid process, and finally reached the surface of the brain. The stab wound crossed the left internal carotid artery, causing an exsanguination and aspiration of blood into the airway, resulting in death. It is extremely rare that an umbrella tip used during a struggle would stab the nostril of the victim. Transnasal intracranial stab wounds can be overlooked and require sensitive handling.     

Does Observance of Religious Holidays Affect Agricultural Productivity and Household Welfare? Evidence from Rural Ethiopia

This study examines whether traditional customs affect household's welfare by taking the case of the work prohibition related with religion in rural Ethiopia. Although the anecdotal evidence suggests that work prohibition by the Ethiopian Orthodox Church, to observe the religious holidays, is one of the reasons for the high poverty incidence in Ethiopia, the estimation results do not show that there is a significant effect of the number of religious holidays observed on agricultural productivity and household welfare. Observance of religious holidays affects crop choice and income source.