Impacting the Political Landscape: Who Registers and Votes Among Naturalized Americans?

Little is known about the voting behavior of naturalized Americans, primarily due to a lack of good quality data on the national level. Using data from the Voting and Registration Supplement to the November 1996 Current Population Survey (CPS), we examine whether region of origin and length of time spent in the United States affect the likelihood of registering and voting among naturalized citizens, net of other socioeconomic and demographic factors already known to influence electoral behavior. We find that naturalized citizens who have a longer length of time at current residence and in the United States, and those who are older, with more education and higher income are more likely to register and vote. Region of origin is not a major explanatory variable, but there are differences in registering and voting by country of origin among naturalized citizens from Asia and Latin America. Finally, being registered is a necessary but not sufficient condition that predicts voting among naturalized citizens from Asia and from Latin America.     

The fallacy of the simultaneous sudden infant death syndrome in twins

The likelihood of twin infants dying suddenly and simultaneously of SIDS, a natural disorder, defies credibility. However, injuries associated with environmental hazards provide possible mechanisms of sudden death. A search for hazards in the homes of 13 pairs of healthy twins who died together of no apparent cause formed the basis of this study. Ten of the 13 sets were certified by medical examiners as simultaneous twin SIDS. The findings in this study suggest that all 13 sets died from injuries, either unintentional or otherwise, and that these deaths could have been prevented.     

Recognition of cemetery remains in the forensic setting

Cemetery remains exposed through vandalism or natural phenomena are frequently brought to the attention of law enforcement agents or medical examiners. Although it is often difficult to distinguish cemetery remains from those of medicolegal significance, clues to their origin may exist. Characteristics consistent with cemetery remains include physical characteristics associated with the embalming process. Characteristics indicative of cemetery remains include functional or ornamental artifacts associated with the coffin, devices used in embalming the body, and elevated levels of embalming chemicals in the soft tissue.     

A tribute to Dr. Ellis R. Kerley: the Kansas years.

Dr. Ellis R. Kerley, one of the founders of the Physical Anthropology section of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences, was born in Kentucky and received his undergraduate degree at the University of Kentucky. Following the completion of his doctoral degree (University of Michigan) he was a visiting professor at the University of Kentucky before joining the faculty at the University of Kansas in 1966. At Kansas he was a major advisor for many graduate students who were to become leaders in the new area of Forensic Anthropology.     

Stature estimation from fragmentary femora: a revision of the Steele method

The skeletal remains presented to forensic anthropologists are often fragmentary. Previously described methods of estimating stature from segments of long bones have not proved satisfactory because of the difficulty involved in identifying the precise anatomical landmarks by which they are defined. This study represents an assessment of the feasibility of stature estimation from fragmentary femora. A sample of 200 males and females, blacks and whites (total sample = 800), was obtained from the Terry Collection. New regression equations for the estimation of maximum femur length and stature from three well-defined and easy-to-measure segments of the femur are presented. This technique represents an improvement over methods currently in use for estimating stature from femur fragments; the location of the anatomical landmarks and the accuracy of the prediction are enhanced. The applicability of these formulae to a modern forensic sample is addressed with regard to secular trends in stature increase and changes in body segment proportions.     

Injuries of the Head from Backface Deformation of Ballistic Protective Helmets Under Ballistic Impact

Modern ballistic helmets defeat penetrating bullets by energy transfer from the projectile to the helmet, producing helmet deformation. This deformation may cause severe injuries without completely perforating the helmet, termed “behind armor blunt trauma” (BABT). As helmets become lighter, the likelihood of larger helmet backface deformation under ballistic impact increases. To characterize the potential for BABT, seven postmortem human head/neck specimens wearing a ballistic protective helmet were exposed to nonperforating impact, using a 9 mm, full metal jacket, 124 grain bullet with velocities of 400–460 m/s. An increasing trend of injury severity was observed, ranging from simple linear fractures to combinations of linear and depressed fractures. Overall, the ability to identify skull fractures resulting from BABT can be used in forensic investigations. Our results demonstrate a high risk of skull fracture due to BABT and necessitate the prevention of BABT as a design factor in future generations of protective gear.