Meaning or Measurement? Researching the Social Contexts of Health and Settlement among Newly-arrived Refugee Youth in Melbourne, Australia

What are the most appropriate methodological approaches forresearching the psychosocial determinants of health and wellbeingamong young people from refugee backgrounds over the resettlementperiod? What kinds of research models can involve young peoplein meaningful reflections on their lives and futures while simultaneouslyyielding valid data to inform services and policy? This paperreports on the methods developed for a longitudinal study ofhealth and wellbeing among young people from refugee backgroundsin Melbourne, Australia. The study involves 100 newly-arrivedyoung people 12 to 18 years of age, and employs a combinationof qualitative and quantitative methods implemented as a seriesof activities carried out by participants in personalized settlementjournals. This paper highlights the need to think outside thebox of traditional qualitative and/or quantitative approachesfor social research into refugee youth health and illustrateshow integrated approaches can produce information that is meaningfulto policy makers, service providers and to the young peoplethemselves.     

PRAXIS—combined μ-Raman and μ-XRF spectrometers in the examination of forensic samples

Recently, two analytical techniques – Raman and XRF spectroscopy – have been often applied in criminalistic examinations of different kinds of trace evidences. In this paper, the application of the new combined μ-Raman and μ-XRF spectrometer in analysis of multilayer paint chips, modern inks, plastics and fibres was evaluated. It was ascertained that the apparatus possesses real advantages and could be helpful in the identification of examined materials after some modifications, i.e. by adding an extra laser and decreasing the spot size of the X-ray beam.     

Topics in macro-modelling of East European countries in the period of transition

Central and European former Centrally Planned Economies (CPEs) entered a period of transition towards market economies. The evolution is marked by a transition from shortage- to demand-determined economies, associated with the abandonment of price control and the introduction of tight wage control. Stabilization programmes (in Poland from 1990), implementing tough deflationary fiscal and monetary policies, brought about the suppression of hyperinflation. The high adjustment costs — deep recession, high rates of unemployment — are characteristics of the early '90s. The deregulation of the public sector and the building of the private one commenced, and will be a long-lasting process. To meet the changes in economic regimes and mechanisms, the existing models had to be adequately respecified and new models constructed. The large W-5 macromodel for Poland, which covers the final and intermediate demands, had to be extended to introduce the market adjustment mechanisms and, more broadly, the financial flows. To meet the needs of short-term financial policies, new quarterly models had to be built, as, for instance, the WK macromodel for the Polish economy. The paper discusses the major problems of the models' specification under the data constraints.     

Economic Crisis and Sub-national Elections in Selected European Countries. Three Types of Possible Relationships

During the past two decades, decentralisation issues have generated a keen interest in a large number of countries. However, this notion is very difficult to define as it refers to a wide range of institutional arrangements on the political, economic and social levels. There are many good reasons why the allocation of fiscal resources and budget transfers among levels of government must come after a strict assignment of spending powers. Hence, decentralisation as a silent revolution in public sector governance has swept across the globe and has reemerged as a valued political and economic goal in most countries, significantly varying from country to country. The purpose of this article is to show the impact of financial and economic crisis on sub-national government and sub-national elections in chosen European countries such as Poland, Ireland, Denmark and Greece. In some of the countries mentioned the sub-national run-offs were conducted with national parliamentary elections, but not in other countries, including Poland. Because of its uniqueness, however, the explanation of which constitutes an essential part of the article, Poland can be ‘a matiere a penser’ and a starting point for interesting analysis. As can be seen, the economic situation can not only change the election results, but also stabilise the political system, which is a good example of how the government party can manipulate public opinion, or even make elections a referendum on economic policy. The main determinant is the financial situation of sub-national government units and the country concerned.     

Complex Suicide by Self‐stabbing with Subsequent Drowning in the Sea

The paper presents a unique case of a complex suicide committed by a young man, mostly probably triggered by a disappointment in love. The uniqueness of the suicide lies in the fact that the victim inflicted several deep stab wounds on himself, in the chest and abdomen, while standing partly submerged in the sea and, having done so, he dropped and disappeared in the water. The postmortem examination showed, apart from deep wounds in the trunk, characteristics of drowning that manifested itself in the form of aqueous emphysema of the lungs. Suicide was clearly determined on the basis of the circumstances preceding death, the location, and arrangement of the trunk wounds and the testimony given by a witness of the incident. The circumstances preceding the suicidal act clearly suggest an underlying undiagnosed mental disorder.     

An Anthropological Contribution to Peace and Conflict Resolution Studies

This article takes its stance in the fruitful perspectives with which anthropology may contribute to peace and conflict resolution studies, a field seemingly dominated by political science. Not only the relativity of ‘peace’ and ‘war’ is at stake when anthropologists intervene with their epistemologies applied to human interaction in violent contexts. Challenging the methodology of registering such interaction and asking for gender perspectives are pivotal parts of the anthropological endeavour within peace studies. Trying to emphasize the opposite of ‘normal’—which is concentrating on war—anthropologists have a longstanding tradition of focusing on peaceful societies as well as documenting the resocialization of peoples suffering from atrocities.     

Instability of pancuronium in postmortem blood and liver taken after a fatal intramuscular Pavulon injection

The present study was designed to determine the stability of pancuronium in postmortem blood and liver during storage. Results were obtained using the method by Kerskes et al. [C.H.M. Kerskes, K.J. Lusthof, P.G.M. Zweipfenning, J.P. Franke, The detection and identification of quaternary nitrogen muscle relaxants in biological fluids and tissues by ion-trap LC-ESI-MS, J. Anal. Toxicol. 26 (2002) 29-34.], modified and validated in our laboratory. Target analytes were isolated after enzymatic hydrolysis followed by solid phase extraction (BondElut C18 column). Internal standardisation was carried out using laudanosine and the target ions were monitored by LC-ESI-MS (monitoring ions m/z 358 for IS and 286 for pancuronium). Materials were taken from a 46-year-old woman, who had been found dead. A syringe (2 ml) and an empty ampoule of Pavulon (4 mg/2 mL) were found in her hand. The residual volume of fluid in the syringe was 0.7 ml. An autopsy was performed six days after death. It revealed a needle mark on the left thigh. Postmortem materials (muscle from the injection site, blood and liver) and the syringe with fluid were stored for four months in a freezer at -20 degrees C. The initial pancuronium concentrations were 81 ng/mL in blood and 532 ng/g in liver. The analyte was stable when stored at -20 degrees C in blood even up to seven months. In liver samples its concentrations were variable. Pancuronium in blood stored at 20 degrees C underwent degradation very rapidly. After three months of storage these blood samples had concentrations not greater about 10% of the initial value. The degradation patterns of pancuronium depended on temperature and the biological matrix.