Effectiveness of Femur Bone Indexes to Segregate Wild from Captive Minks,Mustela vison,and Forensic Implications for Small Mammals

Utilization of free‐living populations of endangered wildlife species is usually strictly prohibited or restricted. Farming of endangered species can provide products that are in demand as a countermeasure. A novel forensic issue arises because it becomes necessary to discriminate the origin of given wildlife products. We tested the effectiveness of five measurements and four indexes of femur bone using farmed minks (n = 40) and escapees (n = 32). Results showed all measurements, namely body mass (L_f), body length (M_f), femur mass (V_f), femur length (M_b), and femur volume (L_b), were highly discriminatory. However, they are susceptible to the influence of nutrition level and sex. Femur length index (I_fl), femur linear density (D_l), and femur volume density (D_v) eliminated the influence of level of nutrition and were highly effective. However, I_fl and D_l were influenced by sex (p = 0.000). Because D_v was not influenced by sex (p = 0.683) and was highly effective, it was the preferred index.     

Distribution of ∆9‐Tetrahydrocannabinol and 11‐Nor‐9‐Carboxy‐∆9‐Tetrahydrocannabinol Acid in Postmortem Biological Fluids and Tissues From Pilots Fatally Injured in Aviation Accidents

Little is known of the postmortem distribution of ?⁹‐tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and its major metabolite, 11‐nor‐9‐carboxy‐?⁹‐tetrahydrocannabinol (THCCOOH). Data from 55 pilots involved in fatal aviation accidents are presented in this study. Gas chromatography/mass spectrometry analysis obtained mean THC concentrations in blood from multiple sites, liver, lung, and kidney of 15.6 ng/mL, 92.4 ng/g, 766.0 ng/g, 44.1 ng/g and mean THCCOOH concentrations of 35.9 ng/mL, 322.4 ng/g, 42.6 ng/g, 138.5 ng/g, respectively. Heart THC concentrations (two cases) were 184.4 and 759.3 ng/g, and corresponding THCCOOH measured 11.0 and 95.9 ng/g, respectively. Muscle concentrations for THC (two cases) were 16.6 and 2.5 ng/g; corresponding THCCOOH, “confirmed positive” and 1.4 ng/g. The only brain tested in this study showed no THC detected and 2.9 ng/g THCCOOH, low concentrations that correlated with low values in other specimens from this case. This research emphasizes the need for postmortem cannabinoid testing and demonstrates the usefulness of a number of tissues, most notably lung, for these analyses.     

Winning hearts and minds: A commentary on circular cities

There is growing interest in the concept of the circular city, which looks to embed the principles of the circular economy across all urban functions. This commentary paper outlines the concept of the circular city, explores how 3 European cities, namely, Amsterdam, London, and Paris, are currently looking to develop a vision and an action plan for the transition to a circular city, and offers some general reflections on the role public relations and communications may play in the transition process. The findings reveal that each of the action plans has its own distinctive flavour but that a number of common elements can be identified. The paper suggests that public relations and communications will have an important role to play to in raising and building awareness and changing attitudes, with the ultimate goal of changing behaviour, within the corporate world and amongst public sector decision makers and policy makers and the general public.     

Bouncing back: A commentary on resilience in sustainability narratives

Resilience is an increasingly common element in the sustainability and sustainable growth narratives of a growing number of companies and organisations. At the same time, a number of meanings are claimed for resilience and the relationship between resilience and sustainability has been depicted in a number of ways. With these thoughts in mind, this short commentary paper outlines the characteristic features of the concept of resilience, provides some illustrations of how a number of companies and organisations are harnessing the concept as an integral part of their sustainability strategies and policies, offers some general reflections on the application of the concept, and concludes with some thoughts on how public relations and communications professionals can contribute to resilience planning.     

Rural differentiation and class‐formation in Tanzania

The article looks at various specific processes of differentiation in rural Tanzania and attempts to relate these to the overall emergence of classes within the Tanzanian social formation and to its incorporation within the international capitalist system. After a brief introduction and outline of some important aspects of the Tanzanian economy and political structure, and a still briefer discussion of ‘Chayanovian’ proposals about an undifferentiated peasantry, the article outlines the developments of the colonial period and their implications for the patterns of differentiation observed. This is followed by a consideration of some of the more important specific processes. The final section attempts to pull this together into a coherent, though admittedly undertheorised, picture, focusing upon the ambiguous relationship of what is termed the ‘state class’ and the rich peasantry.