Suicidal behavior in the Ukraine, 1988-1998

This report studies the available data concerning suicide rates in the Ukraine and points to the importance of appropriate monitoring of suicides and attempted suicides. It illustrates the necessity of collecting this information and of developing "The Ukrainian National Program on Suicide Prevention." Unfortunately, suicide research and publications about suicide rates were prohibited in the former Soviet Union, so some of the data about suicidal behavior in the Ukraine is incomplete. We used the official suicide death statistics of the Ukraine from the Center of Statistics (Ukrainian Ministry of Health) for the period 1988-1998. The overall rate of suicide in the Ukraine is relatively high. Official statistics in the Ukraine show that there were 29.6 suicides per 100,000 population in 1998. The frequency of completed suicide differs in the various regions of the country, suicides being more frequent in the industrially developed regions and in the rural areas of the country than in the cities. In the western part of the Ukraine the frequency of suicide is relatively low (11.1 per 100,000). Between 1988 and 1997 the suicide rate increased by 57%. In 1998 the suicide rate for women was approximately five times lower than that for men.     

Morphine perfused rabbits: a tool for experiments in forensic entomotoxicology

In order to establish an animal model for entomotoxicological studies, the kinetics of morphine elimination from blood after a single intravenous injection of morphine and the concentration of morphine in tissues following a continuous perfusion were studied. The aim of these experiments was to obtain controlled morphine tissue concentrations similar to those encountered in fatal human heroin overdoses. These tissues can be used as a food source for developing fly larvae in entomotoxicological studies. In the single injection experiment, seven rabbits were administered 1 or 2 mg/kg body weight of morphine chlorhydrate via the main ear artery. Blood samples of 200 microL were removed regularly via a catheter. Morphine concentration was determined using RIA techniques. Morphine was found to be first rapidly distributed and then slowly eliminated, following a two-exponential equation. Elimination of morphine from blood can be described as a two-compartment model. Constants of the equation were determined using the Kaleidagraph program. Using those constants, the main pharmacokinetics parameters were calculated. Results of these parameters showed the following: clearance from 13.3 to 16.2 L.h.1, half-life of the distribution phase from 0.6 to 0.9 min, and half-life of the elimination phase from 21 to 26 min. These results were used to calculate the rate of perfusion of morphine for rabbits to obtain desired, controlled, and constant concentrations of morphine in tissues. In the second experiment, three rabbits received a perfusion of morphine intravascularly at a rate of 2 mg/kg/h for a period of 3 h. These rabbits were sacrificed and analyses performed on several abdominal and thoracic organs. Results showed that the concentrations of morphine differed according to the organ analyzed, but were reproducible for organs between animals. These concentrations were similar to those normally encountered in cases of human death due to heroin overdoses.     

Lethal child abuse (through the use of physical force) in the German Democratic Republic during the period 1 January 1985 to 2 October 1990. Results of a multicenter study

No reliable data are available on cases of lethal child abuse (by active force) in the area of the former German Democratic Republic. In a multicenter study we therefore examined the police and court records for such cases occurring in the period 1 January 1985 to 2 October 1990 in the entire area of the former German Democratic Republic. RESULTS: The study center received information on 39 cases of lethal child abuse which correspond to approximately 7 cases per year. However, a low percentage of undetected crimes which cannot be determined more precisely has to be taken into consideration. Almost 40% of the victims were younger than 1 year, 73% of the victims showed indications of repeated ill-treatment. The effects caused by using direct blunt forces, against the head in particular, were by far the most frequent causes of death. The male contact person (the victim's father, brother or stepfather as well as the life companion of the child's mother in particular) killed the child in most of the cases. As far as it is known, 37% of the male/female offenders suffered from chronic alcoholism; 32% of the male/female offenders were under the influence of alcohol when the crime happened. 83% of the male/female offenders who were found guilty made a confession shortly after the crime had happened or during the interrogations. Almost all the male/female offenders were sentenced to prison (the duration of the imprisonment varied between one year and for life). Due to the considerably lower section rate compared to the one in the German Democratic Republic, it is to fear that each second fatal child abuse is not detected in the new federal states.     

Application of solid-phase microextraction to the profiling of an illicit drug: manufacturing impurities in illicit 4-methoxyamphetamine

This article describes the application of solid-phase microextraction (SPME) to the recovery of manufacturing by-products and impurities from an illicit drug seizure. The preparation chosen for examination using this technique contained 4-methoxyamphetamine, an hallucinogenic amphetamine that has been encountered frequently in South Australia. Compounds found in the PMA preparation included 4-methoxyphenol, 4-methoxybenzaldehyde, 4-methoxyphenyl-2-propanone, 4-methoxyphenyl-2-propanol, 4-methoxyphenyl-propene, and (tentatively) 4-methyl-5-(4'-methoxyphenyl) pyrimidine. The presence of these compounds suggests that the active drug was prepared from 4-methoxybenzaldehyde via 4-methoxyphenyl-2-propanone using a Leuckardt reductive amination. In this instance, SPME was found to be a simple, rapid, and non-destructive recovery technique that gave results complementary to those provided by conventional liquid-liquid extraction. There is an indication that SPME might find application in profiling of illicit drugs.     

作为身份认同的全球正义:为一个更美好的世界而动员

"认同政治"的不同表达方式,如同性恋者权利运动、本质主义运动、黑人争取尊严的运动等等,挑战了权利运动的传统范式。当前的"新社会运动理论"由于强调文化、认同与情感的重要作用,从而对于理解当代全球正义运动具有特殊的价值。当代全球正义运动的重要特点在于依赖互联网。互联网所提供的"虚拟公共空间"具有两个重要特点:第一,提供了可供选择的模式;第二,允许"互联网上的社会运动"。互联网上的社会运动在对全球正义运动的认同过程中能够起到招募与协调作用,同时也能够使之进一步社会化,从而对政府及其政策产生重大影响。     

产品责任:北美视角的比较法评论

美国采纳严格产品责任的主要原因是:早期的法律不能给消费者提供充分的保护;调整保证的法律不是从消费者的角度出发的;美国的社会福利很大程度上不如其他西方国家。当今美国主要对于设计和信息性缺陷适用过失责任制度,严格产品制度仅适用于制造缺陷和非制造缺陷的销售者。欧洲和其他法域的严格产品制度远比美国严格。各种结构化和程序化的事务赋予美国公民更多诉至法院的机会。     

资产构建视域的新加坡公共住房制度考察

大多数人拥有住房所有权是新加坡公共住房制度的主要特征。从整体上看,公共住房制度对资产构建起到了积极作用。对于物质资产和人力资产构建而言,建立在住房所有权基础上的公共住房制度创造了一种提高劳动生产率和经济增长的机制,这最终使人们可能拥有更大面积的住房。对于社会资产构建而言,公共住房制度有助于家属关系、种族关系和社区关系的改善。住房所有权的资产构建性创造了一种推动社会全面发展的机制。     

在艾滋病病毒感染者中开展异烟肼预防性治疗:公共卫生面临的挑战及与实施相关的问题

异烟肼预防性治疗(isoniazid preventive therapy,IPT)是结核病防治规划(NTP)和艾滋病防治规划(NAP)联合行动的一项重要内容,目的是降低艾滋病病毒(HIV)感染者的结核病负担。然而,真正实施IPT的国家却很少。由于这一措施实施的失败,近期提出了称作“3个I“的口号(即实施感染控制(Infection control),预防结核病在卫生服务机构内传播;在艾滋病病毒感染者和艾滋病病人中加强结核病患者的发现IntensifiedTB case finding,和IPT。在本文中,我们首先回顾IPT的背景,然后讨论在HIV感染者中开展IPT面临的主要挑战,包括:实施IPT的责任和义务,发现结核分枝杆菌潜伏感染者,排除活动性结核病患者,预防异烟肼耐药,以及治疗时间和有效保护期。同时,我们也对几个目前尚未解决的、还在研究中的问题给予高度重视。最后,我们对现场如何推广IPT提出了可操作性的建议,包括:将IPT整合在艾滋病的一系列治疗关怀服务包中,遵照哲学上“边做边学“的原理开展实施性研究,制定入选IPT的流程图,制定和实施抗病毒治疗前的关怀服务,以及有关采购、供应、监控与评价等问题。我们支...