From 'Fightback' to 'Biteback': The Rise and Fall of a National Dental Program

This paper presents a case study of policy introduction, implementation and termination. It demonstrates how the coupling of a well-defined problem with a workable solution by advocates can generate policy change, even in an area where there has previously been scant governmental interest. It also reveals that increased public funding associated with policy implementation can provide administrators with the legitimacy and authority to advance reform. Finally, this case study indicates the fragility of policies which: have short histories of governmental attention and financing; cross major party political differences towards federalism and Commonwealth/state responsibilities; and solely benefit repressed interests.     

The Confidence Game: Of Others and of Bernard Madoff

This is the first in a series of five articles focusing on how Bernard Madoff’s confidence game (con game) worked. This paper first examines three con games in order to isolate their common elements. What went on in Madoff’s offices is generally what goes on in most con games: extensive preparations, elaborate props, pretense, victims convinced that they have much to win and little to lose, greed, and the ability to disorient and fool. Little in Madoff’s world was what it seemed to be.     

The impact of public sector accounting reform on corruption: Causal evidence from subnational Indonesia

It is widely believed that the adoption of quality public sector accounting practices can assist in reducing corruption. In theory, accounting reform, especially the shift from cash-to accrual-based methods, leads to the production of much improved financial information, which ultimately can be used by citizens to hold government more accountable and limit corruption. Empirical evidence from cross-country analyses appears to support the theoretical predictions. We investigate the impact of accounting practices on corruption among districts in Indonesia. We use external financial audits to measure the adoption of reforms and the number of corruption case court convictions as our proxy for corruption. We estimate Poisson regression models using instrumental variable techniques to identify the causal effects of adopting accrual-based accounting procedures on corruption. We show that the employment of improved accounting methods is strongly associated with declining corruption. However, after accommodating the endogeneity of accounting practices, we determine that reform adoption has no effect on corruption.     

microRNA Detection in Blood,Urine, Semen,and Saliva Stains After Compromising Treatments

Evaluation of microRNA (miRNA) expression as a potential method for forensic body fluid identification has been the subject of investigation over the past several years. Because of their size and encapsulation within proteins and lipids, miRNAs are inherently less susceptible to degradation than other RNAs. In this work, blood, urine, semen, and saliva were exposed to environmental and chemical conditions mimicking sample compromise at the crime scene. For many treated samples, including 100% of blood samples, miRNAs remained detectable, comparable to the untreated control. Sample degradation varied by body fluid and treatment, with blood remarkably resistant, while semen and saliva are more susceptible to environmental insult. Body fluid identification using relative miRNA expression of blood and semen of the exposed samples was 100% and 94%, respectively. Given the overall robust results herein, the case is strengthened for the use of miRNAs as a molecular method for body fluid identification.