Influenza A virus infection complicated by fatal myocarditis

Influenza virus typically causes a febrile respiratory illness, but it can present with a variety of other clinical manifestations. We report a fatal case of myocarditis associated with influenza A infection. A previously healthy 11-year-old girl had malaise and fever for approximately 1 week before a sudden, witnessed fatal collapse at home. Autopsy revealed a pericardial effusion, a mixed lymphocytic and neutrophilic myocarditis, a mild lymphocytic interstitial pneumonia, focal bronchial/bronchiolar mucosal necrosis, and histologic changes consistent with asthma. Infection with influenza A (H3N2) was confirmed by virus isolation from a postmortem nasopharyngeal swab. Attempts to isolate virus from heart and lung tissue were unsuccessful. Immunohistochemical tests directed against influenza A antigens and in situ hybridization for influenza A genetic material demonstrated positive staining in bronchial epithelial cells, whereas heart sections were negative. Sudden death is a rare complication of influenza and may be caused by myocarditis. Forensic pathologists should be aware that postmortem nasopharyngeal swabs for viral culture and immunohistochemical or in situ hybridization procedures on lung tissue might be necessary to achieve a diagnosis. Because neither culturable virus nor influenza viral antigen could be identified in heart tissue, the pathogenesis of influenza myocarditis in this case is unlikely to be the result of direct infection of myocardium by the virus. The risk factors for developing myocarditis during an influenza infection are unknown.     

The forensic analysis of soil organic by FTIR

In order to elucidate the discriminating power of various soil analytical techniques, over 100 soils samples were analyzed using conventional analysis (i.e., color, percent organic and density gradient) and a novel FTIR technique. The FTIR technique involves collecting a spectrum of a soil sample that has been oxidatively pyrolysed, and therefore all organic have been degraded. This spectrum is subtracted from the spectrum of the same sample that contained the organic prior to pyrolysis. This resultant IR spectrum represents the organic portion of the sample. The use of organic components increases the discrimination in soils that are otherwise similar. We have illustrated the usefulness of this technique by selecting four soil samples, which have identical Munsel color values but can be discriminated by subtractive ETIR. We propose that the ETIR spectra of the organic portion of soil serves a useful purpose in forensic investigations.     

A Load of Old Garbage: Applying Garbage–Can Theory to Contemporary Housing Policy

This article reviews the applicability of Kingdon's garbage–can model of agenda setting and alternative specification for understanding the complexities of policy–making in the housing policy context. Garbage–can theories reject conventional 'policy cycle' models which envisage policy development processes as rational and underpinned by the logic of problem solving. They posit a loose relationship between problems and the policy solutions offered by national governments. Using an Australian housing policy case study, this article demonstrates the usefulness of Kingdon's garbage–can theory. A modified framework is used to explain how the policy agenda has become narrowed to focus on safety–net assistance for the most disadvantaged, while housing problems have continued to worsen.     

Reviews

Anders Aslund & Richard Layard, eds, Changing the Economic System. London, Pinter Publishers: 1993, xviii + 237pp., £35.00.

János Mátyás Kova?s & Marton Tardos, eds, Reform and Transformation in Eastern Europe: Soviet‐type Economics on the Threshold of Change. London: Routledge, 1992, xix + 345 pp.

Peter J. Boettke, Why Perestroika Failed: The Politics and Economics of Socialist Transition. London: Routledge, 1993, viii + 199 pp., £35.00

John Flemming & J. M. C. Rollo, eds, Trade, Payments and Adjustment in Central and Eastern Europe. London: Royal Institute of International Affairs and EBRD, 1992, vii + 242 pp., £11.95 p/b.

Zoltan J. Acs & David B. Audretsch, eds, Small Firms and Entrepreneurship. An East‐West Perspective. Cambridge: CUP, 1993, 240 pp., £30.00, $49.95.

Alex Pravda, ed., The End of the Outer Empire: Soviet‐East European Relations in Transition, 1985–90. London: The Royal Institute of International Affairs, 1992, x + 238 pp., £35.00 h/b

Leonid Gozman & Alexander Etkind, The Psychology of Post‐Totalitarianism in Russia Trans. Roger Clarke. London: Centre for Research into Communist Economies, 1992, 121 pp., p/b £6.50.

F. J. M. Feldbrugge, ed., The Emancipation of Soviet Law. Dordrecht, Boston, London: Martinus Nijhoff Publishers, 1992, xvii + 272 pp., £76.00. $146.00

John Massey Stewart, ed. The Soviet Environment: Problems, Policies and Politics. Cambridge: CUP, 1992, xv + 246 pp., £40.00, $64.95.

I. Kon & J. Riordan, eds, Sex and Russian Society. Bloomington, IN: Indiana University Press, 1993, viii + 168 pp., £35.00 h/b, £12.95 p/b.

Kenneth C. Farmer, The Soviet Administrative Elite. New York: Praeger, 1992, xii + 296 pp., £39.95.

Robert Service, ed. Society and Politics in the Russian Revolution. New York: St Martin's Press, Basingstoke and London: Macmillan, 1992. Published in association with the School of Slavonic and East European Studies, University of London, in their series Studies in Russia and East Europe. 199 pp., + index. £40.00 h/b, £14.99 p/b.     

Reassessing the “freshman effect”: The voting bloc alignment of new justices on the United States Supreme Court, 1921–90

Part of the conventional wisdom about the United States Supreme Court is the presumed existence of a freshman effect, a distinct pattern of behavior thought to be associated with newly appointed justices. Among other things, freshman justices are thought to be less likely than their senior colleagues to vote with established ideological blocs on the Court. The empirical evidence for the freshman effect in voting on the Court is somewhat ambiguous, however. In order to test for a freshman effect in the voting behavior of new justices on the Supreme Court, we examined the behavior of all justices on the Court between 1921 and 1990. Voting blocs were determined from the justices' interagreement scores, using the widely employed criterion developed by Sprague (1968). We found no evidence of a freshman effect during the time frame under study. Freshman justices do not differ from their senior colleagues with respect to bloc voting. We conclude that the freshman effect hypothesis is erroneous, at least with respect to the supposed nonalignment behavior of neophyte justices.     

The Royal Prerogative in the Realms

From 1840, the laws of New Zealand have comprised the common law and statute law, both of which – but especially the former – were originally based upon the laws of England and continued to draw upon English jurisprudence. Since New Zealand was regarded as a settled colony, the settlers brought with them such of the laws of England as were applicable to the circumstances of the colony. This included the royal prerogative.

Although elements of the royal prerogative are obsolete or have been subsumed in parliamentary enactments, there are a number of aspects that continue to be used by the Crown today. One is the honours prerogative. The changed nature of the Crown (and in particular its division among the realms) has, however, led to some uncertainties. In particular, there have been questions regarding the use of the royal prerogative in respect of armorial bearings, and the proper exercise and application of the Law of Arms. This has never caused serious difficulties in New Zealand – if indeed it can be said to be an issue at all – but the Canadian case of Black v Chrétien has shown that disputes over honours and dignities can arise, and can have serious political or constitutional implications.

This paper considers the introduction of the royal prerogative to the realms, and some of the implications and possible difficulties which this process may have led to.