Comparison of ethyl glucuronide and fatty acid ethyl ester concentrations in hair of alcoholics, social drinkers and teetotallers

In previous investigations hair analysis for ethyl glucuronide (EtG) and fatty acid ethyl esters (FAEE) proved to be suitable for the detection of excessive alcohol consumption. The aim of this study was to compare EtG and FAEE concentrations in hair of alcoholics, social drinkers and teetotallers. Hair samples from 10 alcoholics in withdrawal treatment, 11 fatalities with documented excessive alcohol consumption, four moderate social drinkers who consumed up to 20 g ethanol per day, and three strict teetotallers were analysed. After external degreasing with n-heptane, extraction with a dimethyl sulfoxide/n-heptane mixture and headspace solid-phase microextraction of the extracts, four fatty acid ethyl esters (FAEEs) (ethyl myristate, ethyl palmitate, ethyl oleate and ethyl stearate) were analysed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) with deuterated internal standards. EtG was determined by GC-MS/NCI after ultrasonication of the samples with H2O, cleanup by SPE with aminopropyl columns and PFP derivatisation. The following concentrations were measured for the four groups: teetotallers EtG < 0.002 ng/mg, FAEE 0.05-0.37 ng/mg, moderate social drinkers EtG < 0.002 ng/mg, FAEE 0.26-0.50 ng/mg, alcoholic patients EtG 0.030-0.415 ng/mg, FAEE 0.65-20.50 ng/mg and the fatalities with alcohol history EtG 0.072-3.380 ng/mg, FAEE 1.30-30.60 ng/mg. The results confirm that by using a cut-off value of the sum of FAEE > 1 ng/mg and/or a positive EtG result in hair, excessive alcohol consumption can be identified using hair analysis. However, no significant correlation between the EtG and FAEE concentrations in the positive cases could be shown. Segmental analysis of some of the specimens did not reveal the same distribution for EtG compared to FAEE in hair, and no chronological accordance compared to the self-reported alcohol consumption could be observed for both parameters. These different results of both methods are discussed in terms of differences between EtG and FAEE in mechanism of formation and incorporation into hair and elimination from hair.     

Cause-of-death query in validation of death certification by expert panel; effects on mortality statistics in Finland, 1995

The correctness of selection, coding and registration of underlying cause-of-death is important for the quality of mortality statistics. One measure to improve quality is the query to the certifier for verification of the underlying cause-of-death. In Finland, 3478 death certificates, 7.1% of total 49074 certifications in 1995, were considered questionable by statisticians. The expert panel at Statistics Finland was able to resolve 2813 (80.9%) of them. However, 665 (19.1%) certificates needed to be further queried from the certifier. Of these, 318 (47.8%) were re-assigned to another ICD-9 category or to the applicable three-digit category within the main category of heart and vascular diseases, resulting in changes from a 17.00-fold increase in rheumatic heart diseases (ICD-9 codes 390-398) to a decrease of about one-half (0.45-fold change) in unspecified neoplasms (codes 235-239). However, a statistically significant impact on national mortality statistics was not observed in any of applied ICD categories. Among all questionable death certificates, most prone to query of the certifier, and with a statistical significance of P<0.05, were those with no cause-of-death specified, those stating underlying cause-of-death as non-specified neoplasms (with a observed/expected ratio, O/E, of 1.69), and heart and vascular diseases (1.45), with its subcategories of ischaemic heart diseases (1.33) and other heart diseases (2.92). Death certificate validation, by expert panel consultations and query to the certifiers, and the importance of estimation of the validity of cause-of-death information on death certificates are strongly pointed out in a continuous strive for correct and reliable mortality statistics.     

Methadone and its role in drug-related fatalities in Cologne 1989-2000

All drug-associated deaths from 1989 to 2000 were analysed at the Institute of Forensic Medicine in Cologne. Information concerning sex, gender, drug consumption, time, place and circumstances of death were analysed. A number of 605 cases were recorded; in 518 cases a toxicological analysis was possible and in 171 an autopsy was performed. When it was possible to determine the cause of death form the information available, acute drug intoxication was recorded in 65%. Heroin head the list of identified substances. Sixty-three percent of the specimens showed a combination of several substances, especially a combination of morphine, benzodiazepines, other medications and alcohol. In comparison with other studies the percentage of methadone-positive specimens is low, even though the proportion of specimens positive for methadone increased from 1989 to 2000. This analysis is discussed using background information concerning the management of substitution therapy and the available literature.     

The checks and balances of party federalism: German federal government in a divided legislature

Abstract In this study, we assess the potential for policy change of the German government of Helmut Kohl after unification combining party positions with formal bicameral settings in a spatial model of legislative action. We distinguish between two policy areas and two types of legislation, mandatory and non–mandatory legislation imposing either a symmetric or asymmetric power distribution between both German chambers. In order to identify German legislators' party positions in different policy areas, we use data from ECPR Party Manifesto research covering the period from German unification in 1990 to the end of the government of Helmut Kohl in 1998. We find that the federal government of Helmut Kohl had a policy leadership position until April 1991 with no procedural differences, but the gridlock danger for governmental proposals was higher on the societal than the economic dimension. Afterwards, the government's potential for policy change was considerably determined by the type of legislation, independently from the policy dimension. At the end of the Kohl era, the governmental policy leadership position was limited to policies that left even the opposition majority of German states better off. The procedural settings mattered greatly on the economic dimension, and the danger of gridlock on societal policy was smaller only for non–mandatory legislation.     

Supercritical fluid chromatography in forensic science: a critical appraisal

The application of supercritical fluid chromatography (SFC) in forensic science is reviewed. The applications centre on the analysis of explosives and of drugs of abuse. The systems employed are discussed in the context of comparison with gas chromatography and high-performance liquid chromatography methods which are traditionally used for such analyses. The advantages and disadvantages of SFC over these methods are discussed. Recommendations are made for the developments which are required in SFC technology if it is to find greater application in forensic science.     

Coping Styles in Delinquent Adolescents and Controls: The Role of Personality and Parental Rearing

The aim of the present study was to compare coping styles in delinquent adolescents (n=178) versus matched controls (n=91) from the Arkhangelsk region in Northern Russia and to test for possible interrelations with personality traits and parental rearing factors. The samples were assessed by means of the Coping Scale for Children and Youth (CSCY), the Temperament and Character Inventory (TCI), and the EMBU questionnaire on parental rearing. The delinquents differed significantly from the controls on most aspects of the coping styles under investigation. Furthermore, some specific correlational patterns between coping styles and both personality dimensions and parental rearing factors emerged. The findings are discussed in the light of the interactive nature of relations between personality and parental rearing in the development of coping styles.     

Who wants the euro – and why? Economic explanations of public attitudes towards a single European currency

The paper looks at whether public attitudes towards a single European currency held in the European Union member states reflect a rational evaluation of the involved benefits and costs. It finds that they do: the looser monetary and fiscal policy was in the past, and the more time a country spent in the EMS, the more citizens welcome the euro. Attitudes towards the euro do not seem consistent with attitudes towards a European Central Bank, however. Upon closer scrutiny, opponents of a single currency appear to be less consistent and less rational in their responses than proponents.     

Continuity of type a behavior during childhood,preadolescence, and adolescence

The continuity of Type A behavior during childhood, preadolescence, and adolescence was studied in 1403 randomly selected children. The subjects' Type A behavior was evaluated by their mothers and also self-rated by preadolescents and adolescents using the AFMS (Type A Behavior for the Finnish Multicenter Study) questionnaire, which is a method based on the Matthews Youth Test for Health and the Swedish version of the Jenkins Activity Survey. The results showed that when mothers' assessments were used, Type A behavior was very highly and homotypically stable during the periods studied, and there were no sex- and age-related differences. Among the different components of Type A pattern, impatience-aggression exhibited slightly greater stability than leadership-sense of responsibility. Mothers' assessments had predictive significance in the self-ratings given three years later, especially in girls, while the continuity of the self-ratings over adolescence was rather low.Received Ph.D. from University of Helsinki. Research interests: psychosomatics, behavioral medicine and social development of a child.     

Party Competition and Government Formation in Germany: Business as Usual or New Patterns?

The process of coalition formation following the 2017 Bundestag election was the most difficult in German post-war history. For the first time, Germany saw negotiations fail, a minority government being discussed as a real possibility, and the federal president involved as formateur in coalition politics. The aim of this contribution is to explain why government formation was so intricate after the 2017 election. To this end, we trace patterns of party politics and the development of the German party system since 2013. We then study general patterns of government formation at the regional and national levels since the 1990s and evaluate whether these have changed with the advent of the right-wing populist party, Alternative for Germany. Our analysis of the 2017–2018 government formation is based on a novel expert survey of the policy profiles of German parties on various issue dimensions, conducted in 2017. The results show that the continuation of the incumbent coalition government of Christian and Social Democrats was the most likely outcome, and that the Social Democrats were indeed able to enforce a surpassing share of their policy positions in the final negotiation rounds.